Foreign Exchange @ BB King's NYC

If you know me or are a regular visitor here, you know that this is not the first time I’ve had the pleasure of taking in a Foreign Exchange show. This show was extra special for me though. First, I was in a city that I’ve always wanted to see. Second, this was my first time seeing them since they added Carlitta Durand to the lineup and lastly, the show was at a legendary venue, BB King’s. When I’ve told people that weren’t necessarily familiar with FE that they were performing there, they were impressed. Everyone knows about BB King’s.
This show was slated to be a late show and boy, was it late! It was through no fault of their own though. Bobby Brown had the show previous to them and since he started late, it pushed everyone else back.Once the band hit the stage, it was OVER!

The first song was Nicolay’s lead single off of his album, Shibuya called Lose Your Way. Carlitta came out to start things off and was later joined by Phonte, Yahzarah and Darien Brockington.

Lose Your Way

The show was filled with good music and great vocals. Even though this was my 5th show (yes, 5th! Zo especially likes to tease me about that! LoL), each show I’ve seen had different elements. They performed Curtis Mayfield’s Give Me Your Love as Phonte introduced everyone on stage. A funny moment during this set was Phonte forgot to introduce Zo initially and Darien had to remind him. Zo playfully got up from the keys and threatened to leave!

FE Top 7 Give Me Your Love Countdown (Band Intros)

They had a little fun showing their dance moves during a reggae music set and expanded their “Ignant Songs To Neo Soul” bit which had everyone cheering and laughing. They were so excited about performing after Bobby Brown that they did a medley of his hits. Phonte also mentioned everyone's Twitter accounts then broke out into the classic house track Follow Me in a new follower campaign. I’m also so glad they added Purple Flip to their set which is a tribute to Prince that Phonte, Nicolay, Zo and Carlitta did with ?uestlove. It was great to hear that song live.

Reggae Vibes With The Foreign Exchange

Purple Flip


Foreign Exchange also had a couple of surprises up their sleeves as well. Rapper Big Pooh of Little Brother came out to perform Nic’s Groove and Life of the Party. It was great seeing Tay and Pooh together onstage again. It brought me back to the LB shows that I had been to over the years. This was significant too because apparently, there were rumors circulating that LB is done and even that Tay and Pooh were not even on speaking terms. Later on in the show, Joe Scudda graced the stage during Raw Life which was great as well because I had never seen perform before.

Life Of The Party With Rapper Big Pooh

Zo! & The ELs Interlude/Raw Life With Joe Scudda


Set list:

• Lose Your Way
• House of Cards
• Sweeter Than You
• FE Top 7 Give Me Your Love Countdown (Band Intros)
• Bobby Brown Medley
• Nic's Groove
• I Wanna Know
• Come Around
• Follow Me (Impromptu House Track)
• Daykeeper
• Take Off The Blues
• Valediction
• Zo! & The ELs Interlude/Raw Life
• Reggae Set
• Ignant To Neo Soul
• Purple Flip
• Life Of The Party
• Something About You/Step In The Name Of Love

My favorite moments of the show were pretty much mentioned earlier and the great thing is I have it all on video! I’ll post my faves here but as always, you can see the rest at http://www.youtube.com/ladyvee76. The pictures are a collection of shots from myself, Trelly and Ann Marie.

The Show Stopper, Yahzarah

Our Friend Will Getting Serenaded! LOL!

The Suave Darien Brockington

The Lovely Miss Carlitta Durand

The Beast On The Keys Zo!

The Mastermind Nicolay

The Frontman Phonte

The "Sangers" Doing What They Do

I cannot say enough good things about Foreign Exchange or seeing them live but at the same time, I have no words to describe how much you NEED to see them. You just really have to experience it yourself. Even if you aren’t familiar with FE…if you like to be thoroughly entertained and consider yourself a fan of R&B/Soul and Hip Hop, I guarantee that you’ll be a fan of Foreign Exchange by the end of the show.

Heaven Has A New Angel…Her Name Is Olivia

Olivia Ongpauco
May 2, 1937 – November 20, 2009

These last few weeks have been the hardest in my entire life...actually I take that back, this year has been the hardest in my entire life. I don’t even know where to begin with this. All I can say is there is a sadness and pain in my heart that I know will never totally go away.


My mother left us on Friday, November 20, 2009. She went in to see her doctor (my boss) for a check up in December 2008 and through his thoroughness, he found a spot that needed further investigation. I then arranged for testing ASAP and that was done just before Christmas. Our worst fears happened in January, she was diagnosed with cancer. Things were looking positive by end of spring. Mama had gone through radiation treatments with no major side effects and her scan showed that the tumor had shrunk. She was to relax, heal through the summer and come back for follow up in September. Unfortunately when fall came, we found out that the tumor increased in size and mama was immediately lined up for chemotherapy. Without going into too much detail, mama spent the last 2 weeks of her life in the hospital and continued to fight until she passed away peacefully while holding papa’s hand. The crazy thing is mama said that was the way she wanted to go even before she was sick. My parents were kinda playfully arguing about who wanted to go first and papa said he wanted to because he was older. Mama said, “No, I’m going first and I want to go by going to sleep with you by my side.” Just typing that sends chills down my spine because that is exactly how it happened.


Mama was an amazing woman. Oh gosh, it gets me teary saying “was”. Mama IS an amazing woman. I didn’t know all she had been through in her life but I know she had some hardships especially growing up…this made her as strong as she IS. During her hospital stay, she did manage to tease us and smile. I remember one time I was alone in the room with her and I was sitting at the foot of her bed, reading while she was sleeping. All of a sudden, she put her foot on my book, right in front of my face! Lol! When I looked up, she raised her eyebrows at me and smiled through her oxygen mask. I used to massage her legs and feet every day so I laughed saying, “What? You want me to massage you now?” and she nodded. That is one of my favorite last memories of her.



Through this difficult time, I’ve learned and discovered a few things:

1. There is such a thing as true love. My parents were married for 48 years. They had their struggles and fights but when it comes down to it, their love for each other was so deep and so real that papa has said that what they had was “beyond love”. I mean, their names even match, Oliver & Olivia! How crazy it that! While mom was in hospital, I’d peek into their room before going to bed to find papa sleeping but unconsciously caressing her pillow. When he was saying his last goodbye to her, I remember overhearing papa say, “I have no regrets”. While I am hurting myself, my heart hurts the most for him. I cannot even imagine what he is going through and I would do anything to take the hurt away from him.





2. It is just as important to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Perhaps it’s my bad that I hold a lot in me, it’s what I always do. I may talk about it a bit to a select few but never fully open up. Because of that, I stress myself out to the point where I’d go without sleep for days sometimes, get sick to my stomach etc. I experienced my 1st ever full blown panic attack about a month ago as well. This year, I found comfort in traveling. I went on 3 trips: Chicago in January, North Carolina in April and New York in October. Before each trip, I felt unbelievably guilty to the point where I almost canceled. I also was at the brink of a breakdown before each trip as well, totally stressed with crying spells etc. Every time I felt the guilt, I was encouraged by folks closest to me to go saying that I NEEDED to go for myself, for my sanity. I’d always try to brush it off and was still torn whether to go or not. The crazy thing is that every time I got on a plane, I felt a release come over me. While I was away, I didn’t have to think of this, that or the other. I had fun going to new places and spending time with friends. When I came back, I felt renewed, like I can face the world again.


3. Only through your hardest times will your true friends be revealed. Plain and simple, point blank. Instead of going on about who added to my hurt or disappointed me in some way or another, I will go on about the 3 key people who are there for me. Don’t get me wrong, there were others (including but not limited to Jojo, Kam, Yahzarah, 9th and Amanda) but these 3 are on the top of my list…if I had to make one:

• Rica, All I can say is this: when I felt I didn’t have anyone here, you were there. Thank you for being you
• Ann Marie, we share so many things in common it’s unreal. Losing a parent is one thing I wish we didn’t share or have to go through. No one understands the way I’ve been feeling but you. I’ll be forever grateful to have you as my friend.
• Darien…wow, what can I say about you. Even though you’re far away, you were with me every step of the way. No one has been there for me like you have, supported me the way you do. I dunno what I did to deserve you but I’m sure glad I did it. I thank God every day for your friendship.

I wanted this entry to be a tribute to her but I am at a loss for words. I feel that what I write here is not enough. I’m glad that she’s no longer suffering and in pain. I’m glad she passed peacefully with the love of her life by her side but there is a huge selfish side of me that just wants her here. When I was at her bedside saying my last goodbye to her, I kept saying, “Wake up, mama. Please wake up” practically to the point of screaming. Another part of me still can’t believe she’s gone. Out of habit when I get home, I still go straight to the room to say hi to her like I would normally do and it kills me every time. I constantly have a vision of her in my head of when I came home from my trip to New York, I left my bags at the door and went straight to her room. She was napping so I slowly crawled in beside her and cuddled up to her. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw me, her face lit up and she said, “Oh, I missed you!” Well, guess what, mama? I suppose it’s now my turn to miss you and I will for the rest of my life. I love you….forever always.

Bobby Brown @ BB King's NYC ~Oct 23, 2009

Back in the day, I wasn’t the BIGGEST New Edition fan. I’m not saying I wasn’t a fan at all, I did like their music but I wasn’t “fanatical”. When Bobby Brown left NE to pursue a solo career, I was a big fan of his music. I remember playing his music a lot, learning all the dance steps in his videos especially for Every Little Step! When my friend, Ann Marie said that the one and only Bobby Brown would be performing at BB King’s during my visit to NYC, I was excited but more curious then anything. I didn’t even really know that he still performed! With all the turmoil in his life, I wondered if he could really pull this show off and how he would be vocally. As we made plans to go, Ann Marie and I agreed that the show would either really impress us or give us a good laugh.
We got to the venue at a good time which was about 7:30 or so and were able to get a good spot right up front. There was a DJ spinning while we waited and he entertained us for a while….actually maybe a while is an understatement. The show started extremely late. To our surprise, Johnny Kemp came onstage to bring Bobby out and end up singing his hit, Just Got Paid.
Johnny Kemp!

When Bobby finally hit the stage, the place erupted! I have to say Mr. Brown still knows how to put on a show. He was backed by a full band and they sounded great.

Set List:

• Don't Be Cruel
• Humping Around
• Get Away
• Roni
• On Our Own
• The Man
• Every Little Step
• Rock Witcha
• My Perogative

The most awkward part of the show to me was when Bobby decided to perform a country song. I didn’t know this but apparently he was a part of this country music reality show and had to write a song. He said he didn’t win but felt that he wrote the best song because of the emotion he put into it. The song was called The Man and packed with emotion it was. I just don’t think it was a good move on his part to perform it because as I looked at the crowd, everyone looked puzzled or bored for the lack of a better word. I did feel kind of sorry for him though because he did put a lot of emotion into the song.
The best part of the show was…well, it’s kind of hard to say. I loved seeing him perform all of his hits and play with the crowd. At one point, he even brought up a lady on stage for Roni.

I guess if I had to pick a moment, it would be during his last song of the night, My Perogative. I felt everyone was anticipating this song and at one point he brought his son up on stage to dance with him a bit.
I’m so glad I caught most of the show on video and I’ll share a few here but to see the rest, you can go over to my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/ladyvee76. Because I was busy filming, I didn’t take any pics but I did post a few shots courtesy of my girls, Ann Marie and Trelly. ENJOY!


"Don't Be Cruel" Bobby Takes The Stage!

Bobby Slowin' It Down With "Roni"

"Every Little Step" Bobby Bustin' Some Moves

Finale! "My Perogative"

Empire State Of Mind ~ NYC Oct 2009

I’ve wanted to go to New York for awhile now. Since I’ve been so stressed with what’s been going on in my world, I decided to see if I can plan a trip. My girl, Ann Marie offered to be my guide and then everything pretty much fell into place from there. I also found out that there was music festival going on when I planned to go. My friend, Kam Moye aka Supastition had a show and so did Foreign Exchange.
Leading up to my vacay, things had become difficult for me to handle. Work was extremely hectic and stressful and things at home with mom’s sickness really were taking its toll on me. I went through bouts of guilt for leaving home especially since mom hadn’t been feeling well. I was burning out, fairly down and emotional too. I considered canceling my trip countless times. Numerous friends had told me that I needed a break badly in order to take care of myself and even though I knew they were right, the guilt still burned in my chest. The week before I was scheduled to leave, I was a mess. I was crying myself to sleep more times than not and I had my first ever panic attack at work. I really have to thank my friends for helping me through this…most notably Yahzarah. I was at work, breaking down crying and having trouble settling down. I was on twitter being negative and she blackberry messaged me to check on me. When I told her what was going on, she started to give me encouragement. Then Yahz told me she would pray for me right then, instructing me to bow my head and read. As I read her words, the tears slowed to a stop and I began to calm down. I’m am soooo unbelievably thankful to her!
Finally the day came and I got to New York with no problems. At first I was nervous taking a cab from the airport to my hotel because I had no idea where I was going but it was fine. The hotel Ann Marie suggested was nice and had a great room with a comfy king sized bed. My first night, we went to SOBs for an event called SolVillage that was hosted by one of my most favorite singers, Eric Roberson. There was a line up of about 7 or so independent artists and it was great! I even got to chat with Eric a bit when he took a seat next to me but as usual, I was too shy to ask him to take a picture with him. I regret that now, of course! Going home I was a tad nervous because I had to take the subway on my own to get back to my hotel. Even with Ann Marie’s directions, I thought I got lost for a bit but eventually found out that I was on the right track! LoL! My legs, mostly my ankles were killing me with all the walking, going up and down stairs in the subway. We were also standing most of the night too!
The next day, Ann Marie and I met up later because we were tired and I was basically nursing my swollen ankles. She took me to the pier where I got a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was gorgeous there!


We then took the train over to Tribeca to catch the Global Hip Hop Throwdown which featured a bunch of hip hop artists from all over the world. It was a pretty venue with a nice vibe. We didn’t stay for long but the artists we did catch were great. Then we jumped on the subway to Brooklyn to another club called Southpaw. This was the night that I was going to see Kam perform. I was super excited to see him because we had never met in person and we’ve gotten so close over the years that I consider him one of my closest male friends. I had never had the pleasure of seeing him on stage either. We got there a few minutes before he took the stage and it was packed! I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to film his performance which was amazing! It made me feel proud to know him as I watched him perform and was happy to know that Ann Marie was also impressed. After his set, he came out and we finally met. We ended up going outside because it was so packed and warm. While Kam got stopped by some fans, I noticed a bunch of my boys from NC hanging out: Big Dho, Chaundon, Joe Scudda and Rapper Big Pooh so I went over to say hi. I was happy to see Pooh most of all because I hadn’t seen him since he came to Toronto for the Little Brother show back in October 2008. Eventually Kam came back to Ann Marie and I and we just ended up hanging out, talking for awhile. It was really good seeing him.

Kam & I in Brooklyn


Friday was our longest day of all! We were set to see Bobby Brown (from New Edition...the one who was married to Whitney! Yes really! Lol!) and Foreign Exchange. I won’t say too much about the shows in this entry because I will be posting my take on the concerts complete with pictures and video at a later date so stay tuned for that! The good thing about both shows was they were at the same venue, BB King’s. First, Ann Marie and I had lunch at BBQs in Times Square. If you ever have the chance to, eat there! Wow, their wings are amazing…not to mention the Texas sized mango margarita that got me a little woozy cuz it was pretty potent!


After that, we hit Canal Street which is where I went crazy buying purses! LOL! By the time we headed back to the hotel, I had gotten 6! A black Gucci purse for mom, a black and brown Coach purse, a black leather Louis Vuitton purse plus 3 Coach wristlets! I know, I know…I’m aware of my addiction and frankly, I don’t care. I was especially proud of the LV bag because I talked the dude down from $55 to $40!
After chilling out in my hotel for a little while, Ann Marie and I headed back over to Times Square. We got to BB King’s at a good time because we were able to get a good spot in the front. It was there that I met Ann Marie’s friends, Trelly, Joann and Will who were all really great people.

Ann Marie, Trelly & I @ BB King's

We were all curious of what Bobby Brown to the stage. We thought either he’d be really great or the show would be jokes. Despite coming to the stage REALLY LATE, Mr. Brown definitely did his thing! I was quite impressed with his performance! As I mentioned earlier, a more detailed report to come!
Apparently, it took awhile for Bobby and his entourage to clear the backstage area after the show which made Foreign Exchange late for their show as well. We got a good spot to stand once again, this time more centered and waited. My legs were like rubber, so sore and almost ready to give way. While the place started to pack up, I was leaning on the stage for support. They didn’t hit the stage until about 1am! It was great show and fun was had by all…show pics and vids to come!
I met a number of people that night at BB King’s. Of course, I saw some of the boys I saw the night before plus Darien, Zo, Yahzarah, Tay, Nic, Aimee and Carlitta.

Here's a few pics right after the show: Zo being silly!

Ann Marie & I with Zo

Ann Marie, Trelly & I with Darien


Me with Big Pooh & Jozeemo

I met Brandi who I had been in touch with lately since she posted about Darien and I on her website, musicaddikts.com. She made the trip up from Atlanta to see the show. She’s a sweetie. Most notable were the amount of members from Darien’s Facebook Group I met. I was approached by a bunch of folks asking if I was Lady Vee, talking to me on how much they appreciate what I do and some even asked to take a picture with me! I was floored. Never did I think that starting the group would be like this! I was overwhelmed with the love even up until now.

Me with D-Brock Group Members: Reggie

Keith asked to take a pic with Big Pooh & I

The other thing that happened was when I had the chance to say hi to Darien and gave Ann Marie my camera so we could take a picture. While we posed, a few of the same people went to stand with Ann Marie to take our picture too! D and I got a bit confused as to which camera to look at! Lol! I’m glad it happened though because Keith, one of the member’s pictures turned out wayyy better than the one I got with my camera!

Keith's photo of Darien & I

Darien and I planned to film another video blog so since everyone was still busy meeting and greeting with the fans, Ann Marie and I found a booth to sit in. Our feet were very grateful! Soon, Yahzarah came over struggling in her high heels wanting to sit down with us.

Ann Marie & Yahzarah chillin' in the booth

Yahz then started to ask if I was enjoying myself, how I was and how my mom was doing. We talked quite a bit about it and I felt the emotion building up in me because it’s not often that I get to talk about how I’ve really been dealing with all this. I managed to keep it together as Yahz told me about a similar situation that she’s dealing with and was giving me encouragement and advice. I began to thank her especially for the prayers she gave me a week ago then it hit me, the tears started to fall and I started to feel a bit shaky. I immediately covered my face with my hands, trying to desperately to stop. Next thing I know, I heard Darien’s voice say, “Is she crying? Aww, who made my boo boo cry?” and I felt him stand beside me. I couldn’t even talk. Ann Marie and Yahz explained what were talking about. I just leaned on him and he put his arm around me. Thankfully, I recovered quickly and no one else saw me…at least I don’t think anyone did.
Eventually, security started to clear out the club. Ann and I ended up hanging out backstage with Darien, Yahzarah, Carlitta. We were all just talking and joking around. Ann Marie filmed D and I for our blog. It was a little frustrating to us though because when you see the video, you mostly hear this one girl talking throughout the whole thing. I actually don’t know who she was but she was hanging out with us there too. We had fun nonetheless.


I ended up filming a bit of Yahz joking around and singing too. She had changed in this gorgeous dress so Ann and I took pics of her.


Yahz then ended up putting a scarf on her head and we told her she looked like Mother Mary. All of a sudden, she busted out singing a bit of Ave Maria but she forgot the words! Lol!



Yahz using her "healing power" on me! LOL!

Then she started begging me for snacks so I took a pic of her doing that. One thing I know about Yahz is that she LOVES her snacks! It was hilarious.


Then Phonte came into the room and we took a few shots of him. He had this great shirt on with a pic of a woman’s ass on it so I took pic and entitled it: “Tay Feeling On Some Ass Backstage”.


The last pic Ann Marie took of him was Tay when he grabbed Yahzarah’s ummm, silicone inserts…ahem..off the counter. (I guess that’s the best way to explain it! Lol!) Yahz even posed with him! We were dying with laughter!


We left the venue with them and I got back to my hotel sometime well after 5am! I was struggling too! My legs just had it! My ankles were swollen twice their size!

Here's more shots from backstage: Yahzarah & I

Carlitta & I

Ann Marie snuck a pic of Darien & I checking out the video we took

A self portrait of me & one of my most favorite people :)

My last full day was Saturday and we took it easy. Ann Marie took me to Harlem for some shopping then eventually ended up in Times Square. It was rainy all day and at one point it was really pouring down! I was soaked! After a great dinner, despite a rude person sitting behind Ann Marie (he kept clearing his throat etc. It was disgusting!), I decided that I had to buy an umbrella. I really wanted to walk around Times Square especially since I didn’t get to do too many ‘touristy’ things during my stay. We scurried over to a souvenir shop and I bought an umbrella. Low and behold, pretty much right after I bought it, it stopped raining so I didn’t even use it! It actually turned out to be a nice night. I found the lights mesmerizing. I loved it and thought, “Now this is the New York I’ve been wanting to see…well part of it at least!” Lol!



We went in a couple of stores too. The M&M store was sooo cute! I had to take a pic with the big yellow M&M in there. We wanted to take one with me kissing it but I could hardly stop laughing!


Soon, it was time to start my journey back to the hotel to pack and I started to feel sad about leaving. I was really in a pout as Ann Marie and I started to make our way to the train.


My NYC experience is one I will never forget and Ann Marie was a HUGE part of that! I love you, girl! Thanks so much for taking care of me while I was there and know that you have a BFF in me! Xoxo

Zo! – Just Visiting Too

I interrupt catching up on my blog for an important announcement.....

Last week, my boy, Zo released his EP called Just Visiting Too and what an EP it is! It’s a collection of covers featuring more of my friends Darien Brockington, Yahzarah, Phonte and Carlitta Durand. The best part is that it is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD!



Here’s a bit of a breakdown:

1. Perfect Angel Featuring Yahzarah - What a beautiful start to the EP. Yahz does a wonderful job covering Minnie Riperton leaving you feeling all warm and fuzzy
2. Nights Over Egypt Featuring Carlitta Durand - It seems that Carlitta's voice was made for this Jones Girls track! Great vibe especially for cruising in the car!
3. Crazy You Featuring Sy Smith - I have to admit I didn't know this Prince track at all and had to research the original. Just a very pretty song with pretty vocals done by Sy. I love the guitar in this one.
4. Holding You, Loving You - In this track originally performed by Don Blackman, Zo shows that he doesn't necessarily need a vocalist to make good music!! Grab a glass of wind and chill with this one, absolutely gorgeous!
5. My Flame Featuring Phonte - When I saw the title of this Bobby Caldwell song, I didn't know it but as soon as I heard it, I recognized it right away. Phonte continues to impress me as a singer.
6. Somethin Special Featuring Yahzarah - If I had to choose just one song off of Just Visiting Too as a favorite (trust me it would be hard!), it would be this one originally done by Quincy Jones & Patti Austin. Every time I hear it, it makes me wanna move! I cannot get enough of Yahz or this song!!
7. The Highways Of My Life (Parts 1 & 2) Featuring Darien Brockington - After my first listen, all I could say was WOW!! The original done by The Isley Brothers, Zo & D-Brock do their thing in the their version!! Do I dare say that it's better than the original? You decide.

All in all, this EP is a masterpiece done by a truly talented musician and producer complete with equally talented vocalists. I cannot get over the instrumentation of it, it's just glorious. I hope all who read this don't think I'm biased because I consider Zo a friend. So don't take my word for it, listen for yourself! Enjoy!! You WILL NOT regret it!

CLICK HERE TO GET JUST VISITING TOO BY ZO!

Manifesto

A little while back, a friend of mine, Grammy award winning producer 9th Wonder told me that he and his boys will be in town for a party called Hip Hop Love which would be a part of the annual Manifesto Festival. It’s a festival that Toronto has to celebrate hip hop music and culture.
Once I found out the date and location, my cousin, Jojo, friend, Rica and I got tickets. I was so excited because this was the first time Rica and Jojo would be hanging out and also because I haven’t seen 9th in over a year. We got there a little too early so when we got there we were just hanging out and taking pictures.

Jojo has this thing about taking pictures; she hates them. So of course, what did Rica and I do? We tried to get her as much as we could! LOL!

As soon as 9th and his boys arrived, he saw me and gave me a huge hug. We spoke a bit before he had to go to the DJ booth. Rica, Jojo and I spent the rest of the night joking around and dancing. Eventually, 9th and his True School Crew: Vince, Jay Clipp & Cuzzin B, took over the party and threw it down! I loved hearing them play.

The music was so good we danced until our feet started to hurt which is when we went to chill on some couches. Soon, 9th came out of the booth and came over.

I told him the news of my mother and he just kept hugging me. Jay Clipp came over and introduced himself to me. Then 9th’s best friend, Vince came over to us, meeting him was especially cool because he had been through what I’m going through with my mom but unfortunately, he lost his mother this year. 9th had spoken to me about Vince and I guess he told him about me as well because as soon as 9th introduced us, we hugged and didn’t let go for the longest time. 9th left us to mingle a bit and Vince and I just stood there. He was just talking to me and giving me encouragement. I swear Vince had me in tears, in a good way though. It was good just to be held and given support. The fact that it came from someone I met for the first time, really touched me. After a bit, I decided that we should get going. It was getting late and I still had to drive Jojo home to Brampton. I went over to 9th to say bye and he asked what I was doing the next day. When I told him I had to go to the office to catch up on some things, he looked at me surprised that I wasn’t planning to go to the show. Sunday, Manifesto continued with a huge all day free concert at City Hall consisting of numerous Canadian acts with the finale being Talib Kweli. He kept telling me that I should come then grabbed my blackberry from my hand and entered his number. Then he just stated “I’m seeing you tomorrow. Call me.” All I could do was nod and say okay. Lol! I was kinda in shock, to tell you the truth. I mean, I knew 9th and I were cool and all but I didn’t know we were THAT cool!
The next day, I woke my ass up early even though I came home sometime after 4am to go to the office. I managed to get everything done which was good. I asked my sister to come with me even though she doesn’t have much hip hop knowledge and she agreed to meet me. We got there early to take in the sights and performances. When 9th and the crew arrived, it was starting to get busy so he didn’t see me at first. Eventually through texting, he came out of the backstage tent to see me. I introduced him to my sister and we just stood around talking for awhile. It was kinda funny cuz I was just hugging on him while we were hanging out, laughing and people kept interrupting us. They wanted to talk to 9th, get his picture or autograph. Those folks had more guts than me cuz if I saw him huddled up with someone the way I was, I wouldn’t even think of interrupting. He was really good about it though. Whenever someone would stop us, 9th would say “Yeah, I’ll do that for you but I’m spending time with my family right now so you gotta give me some time”. I thought it was cute when someone stopped him, my sister said, “Wow, he’s really popular, huh?” Lol! At one point 9th told someone, “See dis girl right here, this is my God sister and we haven’t seen each other in a long time. We were separated when we were young, some years ago so lemme spend some time with her and I’ll get to you in a minute.” I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore so I just buried my head in his chest laughing. When I asked him why he was lying, all 9th said was that he was getting tired of saying the same thing! LOL! Then this dude that I hardly know approached us. I recognized him as some guy that tried to pick up a friend of mine at a club years ago and couldn’t even remember his name. I’d see him around from time to time but he’d only speak to me if that friend of mine was with me. Last I saw him was at the Rock The Bells show last year. He walked over, gave me a weak hug and said, “Hey girlfriend! Long time no see! When was the last time? Rock The Bells?” (He didn’t even know my name! LOL!) I awkwardly said yes and then he proceeds to turn to 9th to say hi, trying to chat him up, asking for a picture. 9th said the same thing he was telling everyone else then dude was like, “Oh aight! Sure! I’ll wait.” He just took a step back and stood there still close to us! I whispered to 9th that I really didn’t know that dude and he just said, “I know, sweetie. I could tell.” We just had to laugh about it, it was crazy!
Eventually, even though we told him he didn’t have to, 9th went and got us wristbands so we could go hang out with him and the boys in the backstage tent. Cuzzin B came up to me to introduce himself since I didn't get to meet him the night before. We all got talking about this restaurant that they all fell in love with called Richtree. He even showed me pics of the food! Yep, it was THAT serious! LOL! I agree though, Richtree is one of my faves!
It was really cool to watch the show from side stage and see some of the performers in the tent. Soon, Talib Kweli showed up and I was floored! 9th went over with his boys to say hi. When he came back, he must’ve seen my eyes buggin’ out cuz 9th had asked me if I had ever met Kweli before. I couldn’t even speak; I just shook my head no. Then 9th goes back over there and the next thing I know, Talib Kweli is following him, walking over to me! I had to keep my mouth from dropping as 9th said, “Yo, I want you to meet my fam.” Talib went over to my sister first, shaking her hand and asking her name. Then he went over to me and did the same, only I could barely speak. When I finally managed to, I spoke a bit to him and asked to take a pic with him. While my sis took the pic, 9th was standing behind her, laughing at me. I said thank you to him and he went over to say hi to some other folks. 9th couldn’t stop laughing at me, I was soo embarrassed! Lol!

Talib Kweli performing one of my faves, Get By! (Don't forget to pause the mp3 player to the top right before playing!)


After 9th and Jay brought Talib to the stage, it was time for us to go. It was Sunday and it was getting late. I was also taking into consideration that my sister came with me as a favor and she had to get up early. I quickly went to say bye to the boys first and grabbed Vince for a picture.

After we took it, I looked at the pic and was so happy that Vince had a big smile. I immediately bugged 9th about smiling because when we were hanging out outside, I complained that he didn’t smile in the picture we took the night before. I kept telling him, “See! Vince smiled! It isn’t that hard!” And 9th said Vince smiles all the time and that he hardly ever smiles in pics. I just pouted at him and we laughed. Then he said “FINE!”, grabbed me and posed as my sister snapped the picture. When I saw it, I couldn't help but laugh! It was the biggest smile I’ve ever seen!!

This wasn’t the first time I went to Manifesto but I definitely had the most fun this year. It was all thanks to Jay Clipp, Cuzzin B, Vince and of course, my Godbrutha, Mr. 9th Wonder . Thanks for the love, fellas! I hope you come back up for Manifesto next year but y’all should come back up sooner than that!

New Music , Video & Mentions

Just sharing a few things with you...
First, D-Brock released a brand new single!!!! It's called Here We Go Again and it's produced by Karma Fullmetal and Keno. It's from Darien's upcoming mixtape entitled The Cold Case Files. Although the song is not available to the public yet, I'm proud to have it streaming right here on my site! (Thanks, Monty!!) Also website is online....check it out!! http://www.dbrockmusic.com

Back in May, I posted an entry about how Darien went to Detroit to film a video for a song called Magnetic that he did with Yoshi. Well, the video was finally released to much praise! It was posted numerous places online and with it, I was mentioned as well! Some of the sites are (click to see the posts):
HoneySoul.com Much love & hugz to my girl, Honey aka V. The music blogging world won't be the same without you!
Music Addikts Thank you so much Brandi!!
The Real Frequency Shouts to Keezy!! Thanks homie!

And now, the video (be sure to pause the mp3 player to the top right before watching!):

What I'm Feelin...

I know I always have some reason as to why I’m not posting often and this time, I will be straight and blunt. I haven’t written much because I have been really low since the beginning of September, so low that I don’t have the desire to do anything. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not gonna do something drastic. I know what’s wrong, I’m trying to keep my spirits up but, it’s really hard at times.
I won’t go into too much detail but the main hardship I’m facing has to do with my mama. In the beginning of September, she went for a follow up CT scan and found out that the tumor in her chest has grown. She’s been undergoing chemotherapy for a few weeks now. While it’s going okay considering everything, it really has me shook and things have gotten a little more difficult at home. I have crying spells then I get pissed at myself for crying and cry again because I’m mad. Lol! I even laugh at that when I type it, it does seem silly but it is what it is.
I’m not one to reach out for help. The way I deal with it is to try and have fun, spend time with people I care about, whether it be on the phone because most of my friends are in the US or in person. Some people have really stepped up to really be there for me and for that, I am truly grateful.
I did have some fun times a couple weeks back that I will get into in my next entry which WILL be soon! Promise! I’m also looking forward to the NYC trip I booked. I’ll be there from Oct 21- 25. Hopefully that will lift my spirits to where they need to be!!

Birthday Greetings

On September 14th, two of my favorite people celebrate their birthdays: Darien Brockington and V AKA Honey from HoneySoul.com. Just wanted to write a lil’ blurb on them in honor of their special day.
These 2 people are the epitome of what I say all the time: It’s funny how people from far seem to be there for me more so than the people that live close.
Wishing the two of you the best on your special day and always. Love you both soooo much! xo


It’s hard to believe that it’s been 3 years since D first dazzled me on stage when he was opening for Fort Minor with Little Brother back in Feb 2006. Who would’ve thought that the dude I saw singing his ass off that night would become one of my most dearest friends. In fact, that night I was too shy to even say hi to him (even despite him walking by me a few times! Lol) so we didn’t even meet then. We eventually hooked up on myspace and got to know each other real well that way (back when myspace was THE place to be!). Sometimes I think back and wonder if I did say hi to him that night, would we be as close as we are now? I really think that it made the difference cuz if I did, he probably would’ve been just some fine singer dude from North Carolina to me and that’s about it! LoL!
Pictures Of Darien & I Over The Last Few Years

Darien’s also been there for me a lot, through some of my lowest and toughest times so I will be forever grateful for that. I can only hope that I am as great a friend to him as he is to me.



I got to know V about the same time I knew Darien and in fact, it was D that indirectly brought us together! I discovered her site, HoneySoul.com and was a regular visitor. It was and still is a great source for the latest in good music PERIOD! She had an interview with Darien that she posted in promotion of his 1st album and I commented on it. That’s what pretty much started it all. V is just a beautiful person inside and out. We are crazy with the jokes especially on Twitter and also at Darien’s expense. She and I make up a duo we call Double V and our mission is to sing background for D-Brock! She left me a singing voice mail not long ago and I swear if I still had it, I’d post it! LOL!! My only regret is that we have not met in person…yet! Hopefully that will change sometime soon.

Spread Love

“There’s no good music out there anymore” is a complaint I’ve heard many times before by folks who are dying to hear some good R&B/Soul and Hip Hop music. I beg to differ...I feel that it’s out there if you look for it. One major problem is the complainer is looking on the radio or God forbid BET! STOP!! The best place to discover new music/artists is the World Wide Web and word of mouth…at least that’s how I see it.
Back in the day especially in high school, I was a radio junkie. I listened to it all the time and I even remember sitting there with my tape recorder waiting for my favorite song to come on so I can tape it. Then I would listen to it over and over again on my walkman. (Remember Walkmans? I had one of those yellow Sony sports walkmans! LOL!) Now, I hardly ever listen to the radio unless one of my boys is DJing.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s age that makes us think that most of the music out there especially in the mainstream is shit? Cuz I’m sure my parents certainly didn’t like all the hip hop I used to blast in my room growing up.
All I do know is that once I started looking into it, I found out about loads of great artists and music from the net and through word of mouth. Some of the stuff I’ve stumbled upon may have been released a year or more ago but who cares? It’s still new to me and besides, no matter when you discover them, the artists appreciate you listening. There are tons of websites and blogs nowadays to make discoveries. HoneySoul.com was and always will be one of my favorite music sites. It’s not as popular as it was before but myspace.com opened my eyes and ears to new music and artists. I found myself interacting with like minded people with similar music tastes and would often talk about who to check out etc..on places like facebook, twitter and other blogs/message boards. I’ve even been lucky enough to meet some of the artists and can call a few of them friends as well, all of whom I’ve mentioned here plenty of times before.
This also brings me to my other point or frustration as I like to call it. As I see my friends and other artists I listen to, share their talent via mixtapes, albums, live shows and videos, I often listen/watch in awe and get irritated as to why more people don’t know about them. It really hits me when I go to a concert or see a video of a live performance. So much talent is out there going unnoticed! How can you and I help in this respect? I’ve learned that simple word of mouth works. That’s why I started facebook groups for certain artists; Darien Brockington’s being my most popular one. Whenever I talk music with friends or just people in general, I not only speak about the artists I’ve met or know personally but folks that I generally listen to. Artists like D-Brock, Yahzarah, Daru & Rena, Reggie B, Foreign Exchange, Carlitta Durand, Choklate, Eric Roberson, Dwele and Peter Hadar to name a few. It’s not all just about R&B/Soul either, there’s plenty of dope hip hop out there too: Supastition, Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, Murs, Jay Electronica and Tona etc. (I plan to post cllickable links to all the artists mentioned soon, in the meantime, Google them!!)
Some folks say that I’ve come a long way from being just a fan and I’m getting noticed, respected etc. While all that is great, I feel all I’m doing is spreading love and just happened to make some great connections with certain artists and well known soul/hip hop bloggers.
I’ve got some tentative plans in the works….things that I hope to do with regard to this blog and my love for music. If it all works out, everything will come early next year. Until then, I’ll keep on spreading the love…I hope y’all will too!