Monday, November 28, 2011

Jahah and Miss CC LaFlor x iLounge in East Atlanta

The other night (November 27), my sister Miss CC LaFlor and I put on a little show at the iLounge in East Atlanta. After our performance we took a little time out for a Kodak moment...Ya boy just wanted to share the picture above. I haven't been inspired to post much else.

On another note, Miss CC looked great in her dress and all "did up"! Of course I looked regular in my everyday attire (jeans and sneaka's) but I'm comfortable with this uniform. I'm not a blazer kinda' fella. I did have on some crispy new J's though. Does that count?

Anyhow, the show was cool and we had a nice time. Big up to my brother Jay Calvert on background vox and Rod Harris on guitar. The acoustic performances are fun to do. I enjoy them. More to come people!

Aiight...Ghost!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Bare My Heart




I decided to let go of one record from my forthcoming project Nostalgia BLACK early. "Bare My Heart" is a tune I wasn't so sure about once I finished recording and mixing it but today I feel its contents more than ever. I guess that's why I'm leaking it myself. I don't know if this can really be considered a leak but I don't give a dookie...I'm calling it a leak.

Anyhow, it is my desire to bring you an honest R&B album with integrity in 2012. I've recorded over 20 songs for the album and I'm currently in the mixing/mastering process. I'm still choosing which songs will make the album but I'm pretty sure I will eventually give them all away (at some point). If not, they'll just be marinating on a hard-drive. What's the point?

This song "Bare My Heart" is something I wrote and produced from a real place. The song is really open (bare) on purpose! I believe that sometimes less is more and hopefully you will agree when you hear what I've created.

Lastly... I just want say if you love somebody don't be afraid to tell em'. That goes for you thugs and wanna-be hard folks too! Let whomever you love know your true emotions and feelings towards them. If you wait til' tomorrow it may be to late. Bare Your Heart!

Teddy P

Rock Most featuring Jahah: Pass Em By (Official Video)

Here's the new video for the single "Pass Em' By" from my big homie Rock Most! I'm featured on this record singing the chorus and spitting the 3rd verse. I also produced the song.

Initially I sent this record (the beat) to Shyan Selah with the chorus recorded and I didn't get a response back. I figured Shyan wasn't digging the record and didn't wanna shut me down. However, I understand that not everyone is going to feel what I do creatively so I wouldn't have been offended if my big bro Shyan wasn't feeling it. Let down is a big part of the music business. I've experienced my share of let downs across the board. Just like most of you have.

Me personally...I liked the beat and the chorus a lot. Musically this beat was a different approach for me as a producer so I decided that I would send it (the beat) to Rock Most. I honestly didn't think Rock Most would like the beat either because  I heard most of his album before it was released and my work (as a producer) is totally different than his work as a producer (and the sound I heard on his album). I also, didn't want to fit in with the other producer's who contributed to Rock Most's album so I decided to take a risk and send him "Pass Em' By".

A day or two after I sent Rock the beat he sent me his verses (completed) and asked me to spit something for the 3rd verse. I was pleasantly surprised that he liked the record and that his "turn around" was so fast! He went in immediately and put in work!

After Rock Most releases his album (Rise & Shine), I got word that the song I produced would be his second single. Once the "Pass Em' By" was released...it started charting on college radio and currently sits at number 2. I think this is pretty cool for 2 cats who never actually got in the studio together but used the Internet to communicate and put out music. It just goes to show that technology has come a long way. Now we're able to create magic without even seeing each other; even though I do believe a producer and the artist(s) should be in the same room more often than not. I can't replace the human experience for a cyber space experience! Music should still feel organic and human (honest).

Anyhow, enjoy the video and support indie artist(s). We do this for the love but we wanna' keep the lights on too. 

To learn more on Rock Most go to http://www.rockmostmusic.com/ or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RockMostMusic

Asparagus Equals Smelly?

Man listen...last night before I got a little faded off of moscato (I know I'm weak for that), I went out and had some grub with the whole family at O'Charley's. It was a nice little break from the norm because I was "stupid hungry" and I didn't feel like going home.

Anyhow, I decided to order some asparagus because I hadn't had any in years. As a matter of fact, I thought they (whoever they is) stopped growing asparagus! I hadn't seen any in so long I just figured asparagus was non-existent. Now I know asparagus is alive and well. I love you asparagus!

Okay back to the point! My point is this: I ordered asparagus (which tasted very good) and then I went home and got comfortable and started drinking wine (which was also very good). After a few glasses of wine, I then had to pee and while doing so I smelled something horrible! I was like what is that! That can't be ya' boy! Oh hell naw sun! Then I stopped and thought about it...asparagus makes your pee stank! Yes, I'd forgotten what asparagus will do to your urine. It will make your urine smell like ass and chips! I know this is T.M.I. but I gotta get it off my chest. It's very necessary that I vent right now. Plus I want to warn all those who enjoy asparagus but haven't had any in a while...BEWARE, ASPARAGUS WILL MAKE YOUR URINE STANK!

Yeah, I know I'm a little off but so are you! Don't you try to act all high and mighty right now. I share my real experiences with the world sucka! This is MY TWO CENTS!

Lastly, I had Salmon, rice pilaf, and some sort of soup with my asparagus. I didn't just order asparagus by itself and get full off that. I just wanted to make myself clear because I know some of you think I've lost it!

Aiight! Happy travels everyone!

Moscato For A Non-Drinker


Those people who know me well understand that I am not a smoker (weed) nor a drinker. As a matter of fact I haven't ever tried weed. I've been around tons of marijuana and I haven't ever given in to peer pressure. As for drinking alcohol, I've been drunk a few times but I can count those drunken nights on one hand. I drink alcohol every blue moon. I guess you can consider me an occasional drinker cause it's really not a big deal to me.Ironically, my whole family likes to drink so you'd think I'd be a drinker too; possibly a drunk but I'm not. Just a choice I've made....I don't know.

Anyhow, a few months ago I was put onto moscato and really enjoyed the taste of it. It's sweet and smooth which is perfect for a brotha' like me. I'm not a big fan of bitter tasting things and I believe that all alcohol should come with an option to add sugar. I know that's lame but I could careless about me being lame right now! I just want what I want.

So last night I decided to drink some pain away! I haven't been sleeping well and my stress levels are through the roof. I thought a glass of moscato would calm my nerves and help me get some things off my mind. After the first glass I realized I needed another glass because I hadn't escaped yet. I got busy on the second glass and said one more glass would make things real nice! The pain was still there but for the first time in about a week and a half, I felt like I could go to sleep and possibly get some good rest. The moscato became my Nyquil and to my surprise I slept through the entire night without waking up. I desperately needed some rest and the moscato helped me get some! Today I feel rested for once...no headache or anything like that.

Lastly, I don't plan on drinking every night to deal with my stress but I will say this...I LIKE MOSCATO ALOT! 

Come get a drink with ya' boy! It's on me!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Last Night at Kat's Cafe


I just wanted to say thank you to those who came out last night and rocked with your boy. Despite the rain and tornado weather...we had a good time. I figured I'd post a couple pics from the event and let you in on the scenery. Hopefully I will have some video up soon. 

Thank you for your support! God bless!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Hard-Drive Crashed With All My Pro Tools Sessions: I Got It Back!

Lately it seems like nothing has been going my way! I still have some mountains to climb but God is showing me that only He can turn things around.

A few weeks ago I was mixing a record on my pro tools drive (music drive) and it crashed. Unfortunately for me I hadn't backed up my pro tools drive in 2 or 3 months which is something I usually do all the time. The worse part about all this is something had been telling me to back up the drive and I procrastinated...I didn't act when I should have and I ended up losing (well almost losing) all the music sessions I recorded for my new album. That's over 40 new songs that I recorded and more importantly time that I can't get back. 

I can't tell you how devastated I was when this drive crashed! My heart sank and I felt very low...very, very low! It's like God was/is trying to tell me something cause I'd been having a string of bad luck or what I like to call "Test Days". 

After I calmed down and gather myself, I decided to hit up this data recovery place I knew about from my days of working in corporate America as a Network Administrator. The name of the spot is Cherry Systems and once they had my drive in their possession they assured me that they would do their best to retrieve my files but could not promise me anything. 

Well today I found out that my data was retrieved and in tact. My sessions (music) are all there and I should have everything back in working order by tomorrow. It's gonna cost me a pretty penny but thank God for this moment!

I just wanted to share my happiness with the world...I guess I can start making music again! It's been almost a month off...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

RIP To A Inspiration: Heavy D

Heavy D's death has got me feeling some kind of way inside. It's not like I knew the brotha' but I did grow up on his vibes. I have a lot of memories that include Heavy D's music. For me this loss just let's me know that our time is coming (for all of us). Heavy D's death hits home because I grew up watching him and I danced to his music. Recited his lyrics and have tried to emulate his success in the music industry.

I guess my generation is making the transition and new faces will replace us. Heavy D is a decade older than me but I had a great opportunity of seeing and watching him become a star. Just like I had the opportunity to see MJ (who was already a star). I guess it just hits home because these are people you just assume will always be around as long as you're around. Today I realize (even more) that this is not the case. Some day God will pull all of our cards.

RIP and God Bless.

One of my favorite Heavy D records. I don't care if it was soft and mellow. I felt this thang!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Real Thugs Watch Puss In Boots

The other night I saw the movie "Puss In Boots" and I thought the film was pretty cool. Especially since my seed got into it. If you're a parent then I bet you feel me here.

On another note, Antonio Banderas does his thang' and so does Selma Hayek. If you like cartoon animation and fun little family films, this joint will work for you. If you're super hard and always pissed off at life, I don't suggest you go and see this movie. It will only make you "more" upset about the way your life is turning out. You may need therapy because some of you are real hard on the outside but soft as dookie on the inside. Not the constipated dookie though. You should be laughing right now chumps!

Anyhow, go enjoy this film. Get it on bootleg if you have to. Sneak your Canon 7D inside the movie theater and film the film. You may go to jail for doing so but at least you can say you took a risk in life. Plus your "hard". Remember that?! Go head' then 4 Pac! 

Also, go download my latest offering Nostalgia (RED) here so you can vibe with me. Ciao!

Video Release Party for "Pass Em' By"

This Wednesday November 9, I will be at The Glennwood to partake in Rock Most's video release party for the song/video "Pass Em' By" featuring myself, Jahah. This song is on Rock Most's album Rise & Shine and was produced by me. I'm also featured on the record singing the chorus and spitting the 3rd verse. Please stop by and cop a few cocktails and enjoy some great music! Rock Most will be spinning the hotness right after the video showing which will be begin at 9:30 sharp (on 11 different TV's). 1263 Glennwood Ave Atlanta, GA 30309.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Skateboards Pajamas and Music


When I first starting skating (as in skateboarding) I was hella' young. I believe I was 8 or 9 years of age. At first I thought skating was a white boy sport because all I saw were white boys doing it (skating). The funny thing is...I hung around a lot of these white boys and they were cool to kick it with. 

One day I found out one of my best friends (Kevin Henderson-a black kid) started skating and that opened me up! In fact, Kevin was the first black kid I saw skating (ever). It blew my mind! I guess I was probably thinking to myself, "Wait a minute here, Kevin is black and he shouldn't be out there skating." It was almost as if I thought black people were not capable or worthy of skateboarding. I really don't know what was going through my lame adolescent brain but whatever it was I got over it and started skating about a month later!

Skating was/is one of the best things that ever happened to me growing up! Why? Because it kept me out of trouble and away from the ignorant cats that were starting to get into gang violence. Instead of pretending like I was hard or claiming a set, I decided to skate and learn how to do kick flips, ollie down stairs, and catch method and Christ air's off of fly ramps! The more I skated the more diverse the people around me began to be. I was skating and hanging with all kinds of people. White, Asian, and Hispanic kids were all getting into the sport and I learned a lot culturally from each kid I was hanging with. Skateboarding made me a more diverse individual and opened me up to new experiences. Race wasn't and still isn't an issue for me.

Enter Germany (before the Berlin wall came down). I was there when all this transpired! I moved there in 89' and attended Baumholder American Highschool. When I first touched down on campus I was either liked or dis-liked and that was mainly because I was a skater! Most of the hate came from the "black dudes" who were mainly from the east coast and the south. To them I was just a scrawny little black dude contributing to the "white boy" culture. After all, black people don't skateboard. Right? The funny thing about all of this is that I was embraced by the white boys and girls across the board. The black girls embraced ya' boy as well! Overall, I was "winning" but I still felt like the odd man out. I didn't want to be the odd man out at the point. I wanted to fit in and be down with the "in" crowd. Now-a-days I don't want to fit in at all. I do my best to stand out!

Two years pass and I decided to cut back on skating for a lot of reasons but the main ones are: (1) My parents kept telling me skateboarding would never make me any money and that it would die out eventually. Basically I had no future if I decided to skateboard. My parents didn't have any vision. They didn't know what was to come for the sport of skateboarding. (2) I wanted to chase girls and make music (especially hip hop). Hip hop started to take over as my hobby and by the time I graduated high school I wasn't skating at all. I was knee deep into dancing (yes dancing), writing rhymes, and making hip hop music. Hip hop took over my thoughts and all I wanted to do was be a part of the culture. It was a wonderful time because hip hop was still fresh and we had artists like A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, Public Enemy, DJ Quik, De La Soul, and many others. The game was balanced and diverse.

In retrospect, I wish I would have never stopped skating. Years have passed and now I see tons of blacks kids skateboarding and a lot of these kids (not matter the race) are making good money as skaters! We have the X-Games and all the specialty programs on ESPN dedicated to the sport of skateboarding. Who knows, if I would have stuck with skating I might have been one of the elite skateboarders. I feel I had the talent and the motivation to be one of the best. The only thing stopping me was the much needed support and myself. I blame myself more than anything.

Now that I'm a grown ass man, I decided to get back into the sport I once was so passionate about and kind of start over. I don't skateboard everyday like I use to but every now and then I pull out my board and make a video of myself ollieing over a water cooler just to let myself know I still got it! Yeah, I still got it! Kick flips and all.

To Lil' Wayne and Pharrell: Stop posing like you're skaters to sell a record. We skater's (old and present) know a fake when we see one. As a matter of fact, I challenge both of you bama's to a skate competition! Now how petty is that?! 

Enjoy!