Last fall I was thrilled to produce my first stage play HIP HOP IS ALIVE for the New Orleans Fringe Festival. It was an exciting, amazing experience that strengthened my belief that I AM a producer! My play was strongly drive by music, the hip hop soundtrack to my life. The festival recognized that and now I get to speak about how music plays a part in my creativity in this month’s after the fest convo!!! I’m BEAUCOUP (look it up) excited!!! All of my creative ideas start with music! And I can not wait to share how! So if you’re in New Orleans on Tuesday, April 17 , come check me out at the Fringe Fest’s Pillow Talk at the Lost Love Lounge from 7pm-9pm!!!!!
“I started producing when I was 14. I’ve been at this for 20 years.” Kanye West
“If you have a dream, go after it don’t stop. You better chase that motherfucker down.” Jay Z
On Saturday, I went to the JayZ/Kanye West Watch the Throne tour at the New Orleans Arena. What an amazing show. I won’t go into the specifics because I don’t want to give any spoilers for others’ experience but I will simply say it was stellar. The part that resonated with me the most was that the duo constantly encouraged the crowd to go after what it is they truly desire in life. They both shared stories and songs that really pushed that point home…
On yesterday I was in full recovery mode, so much so that I missed a cookout for my Granny’s bday this week as well as a dear friend’s birthday paint party but I digress. I did a lot of reflecting, journaling, visioning and questioning, “Am I really following my dream? Am I really going all in? What is in the way? Why am I not accomplishing the success? Am I on the right track?” etc etc etc. This was a REAL convo – shed some tears and felt some pain. At the end of the day, I wrote down a list of questions then I went to sleep.
I had a dream…in the dream I saw how far I’d come from, the things I’d accomplished and goals that have fallen short. The constant was that I’ve done it all on my own (now that doesn’t mean I haven’t had help because I have but I’ve done the work on my own if that makes sense.). Also toward the end of the dream, I saw one of my strongest supporters standing at my back door (an area I spend a lot of time at/in). I was trying to make him come with me to wherever I was going and he said, you’ve got to go get it on your own. I turned and walked away. When I got to what is the front of my house in real life, it was the office of my dreams complete with completed project images all over…
My most recent issues have been because I just don’t see how I can do everything I need to get done on my own. I feel like I need some support, like a partner in all aspects of my life. This partner has not yet appeared and that saddens and confuses me. But the dream reminded me that the help I seek won’t come from some “partner”. I can do this…even though it seems so impossible to me. Further other parts of the dream led me to believe that this “partner” won’t appear until I do the work alone. It still seems pretty freaking impossible but I’m going to go for it.
This is the faith part. The trust part. The believe part. All the lessons I’ve been prepping for…last night it was all a dream…I can not wait until it is all a reality.
Enjoy today’s Motivational Monday Music: Jay Z It Was All A Dream
In July I applied to produce a play in the 2011 New Orleans Fringe Fest! Guess what? I got selected!!! Introducing my latest endeavor…HIP HOP LIVES!
During Mardi Gras, I was introduced to Frank Ocean. A friend had told me about Odd Future but I hadn’t had a chance to hear or read their story. Frank Ocean is a member and recently released a solo project. I. HEART! He’s lyrically sound and his voice is quite pleasing! As I’m sitting here writing, the song DUST came on and I had to stop and share. Read the lyrics. Google the man. Download his music. You’ll be happy!
dust by frank ocean
whos that talking in the library who’s that talking in my library is that you no i won’t put you out cuz what would this place be without my muse nothing special every book in here i wrote some i’m not too proud of some i wish i could burn so many pages i wrote wish i could revise them but there’s no erasing and the best advice i got
was keep writing and keep living and keep loving and when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust so will we turn to dust so will we dust dust
who that laughing in my library who keeps laughing in my library is that you no i wont put you out cause what would this place be without your smile nothing special i fell in love with you girl you let yourself inside with no respect for privacy you said there’s too much on my mind then you ripped out a page and set that shit on flame
i quit writing i kept living i kept loving and when the ink dries and them pages turn to dust so will we turn to dust so will we dust dust
So if you know me you know I LOVE Kanye West. I feel he says/does the things I would do if I had balls. He literally is calling folk like me out…while I’m not your favorite underground rap or music artist, I am someone who is not expressing myself creatively which is a waste of my gifts. I’m no longer willing to do that. I’m ready to live full out regardless of how it is received. Check out Kanye’s speech to Rolling Stone writers re:his new album. Turn it up around the 1:08 mark.
New Orleans has been good to me in so many ways. The biggest way is that it has inspired my creativity. My ideas have been flowing like water and I’ve been meeting equally talented folk to help me actually complete my endeavors. There is so much talent here it is hard to explain. I’ve been most impressed with the hip hop community here. First of all, there IS a REAL, viable hip hop community here. I will admit before I moved here I thought it was just the typical expected sound but in actuality there is a great amount of conscious, enlightened rappers that can go head to head with any national artist. ANY of them. Then there’s great producers. Such original beats and sounds I just love it. I’m really grateful to have met Lawrence “CRACKTRACKS” Parker. He’s not only a dope producer who loves music, he loves his native city of New Orleans. I posted his Motivation504 mixtape a while ago, but failed to mention that is also a dope event promoter. His latest endeavor is NOLA SUMMER JAM. I actually got to be a part of the planning of the event that is the initial stage of bringing an official hiphop festival to New Orleans, which is known for the multitude of music festivals it hosts every year. If you’re around and free on this Saturday, June 19, come check out this movement that has me captivated.
Lupe Fiasco Feat. Nikki Jean – Hip Hop Saved My Life
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After initially meeting Holly on Twitter, I’ve found her to be highly intelligent and extremely passionate about using her talents to help make stronger communities. Like me, she’s an artist. Unlike me, she’s not a frustrated one trying to figure out how to let her talent be used. It seems as though this isn’t a problem for Holly because she appears to let her passion guide her. Confucius said, “Chose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Well while Holly works extremely hard, it seems as though she’s chosen great places to focus her energy and efforts. With completed documentaries under her belt, she currently works as managing director of the Patios film festival and as co-director of HipHop for Hope. Her passion is contagious and inspires me to really go after the deepest desires of my heart! Read more to see why Holly Hobbs makes me wanna pursue my passion!
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: BA from University of Wisconsin (Gender Studies, African Studies), MA from Indiana University (Ethnomusicology), PhD coursework at University of Missouri (Folklore), finishing proposal to finish PhD at Tulane right now (Ethnomusicology). OCCUPATION: Hmm. The general term for my field is “cultural development,” using the arts as a resource for community and economic development. And technically by training I’m an ethnomusicologist—the best term for that would be “public sector ethnomusicologist.” But I do film, and I’m a musician, and I’m the managing director of the Patois film festival here and co-direct the nonprofit Hiphop for Hope. AS A CHILD WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: a zoologist! DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO: I love doing a thousand things and being involved in things I’m most passionate about, so yes, I do. HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER: School was always the best of both worlds for me—graduate school provided a creative environment, time to write and create, money to travel and research, etc. So much of my career has been in graduate school. But I started my music career by playing jazz in piano bars. ARE YOU LIVING THE LIFE YOU DREAMED OF: Not quite yet but I’m on my way! WHO IS YOUR FEMALE INSPIRATION: There are so so many, and they cross the board from political figures to writers and musicians. I love Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN recently appointed by Obama. I love Lucinda Williams—I feel like she writes for me. I’m always in awe of Zora Neale Hurston’s life and work, and the work Alice Walker did to recover it. I love Dorothy Parker in all her fabulousness. Toni Morrison does it for me. So does Arundhati Roy. Wangari Maathai, who recently won the Nobel. There was a New York Times interview with Chan Marshall not too long ago where she talked about Mary J. Blige as her inspiration, and I agreed with so much of what she said. And, as always, my mom. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN: I’ve been so busy/stressed/etc since I moved to New Orleans that I haven’t done as much of what I love as I should. Playing & writing music is #1 for me. Other than that, I love my group of girls here. I love walks in Audubon. Coffee already made when I get up in the morning. A good book and a sunny day. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN IN PURSUIT OF THEIR DREAM: Don’t ever give up! INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES OR MOTTO: “Good behavior is the last refuge of mediocrity.” You can find Holly on the web at www.myspace.com/hollyvioletproductions www.patoisfilmfest.org www.hiphopforhope.org
More…
AGE: 31 (aaaa, do I have to put that?LOL!)
HOMETOWN: Columbia, Missouri
CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New Orleans, Louisiana
You can also follow her on Twitter (www.twitter.com/holl_x ).
And to see the efforts of her labor live, come check out the HipHopforHope annual benefit concert this Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 at Tippitina’s Uptown featuring MiaX, Mannie Fresh, RajSmoove and a host of other talented artists!.jpg)
JayZ came out with the Blueprint 3, once again that hip hop is trying to save my life. How can I be discouraged with lyrics like this?!?!?
“I move forward the only direction, cant be scared to fail Search and perfection.”
“…and n-ggas don’t be mad cause it’s all about progression, loiterers should be arrested.”
“Baby i’m a boss, i dunno what they do,I don’t get dropped, I dropped the label.”
“World can’t hold me, too much ambition,always knew it’d be like this when I was in the kitchen.”
WOW! The lessons are numerous! So my favorite lyric in some time is the one where he says he knew it’d be like this when he was in the kitchen! WOW! So when he was a crack dealer, he knew that he’d find a way out of his situation, use his talent and become the man he saw himself being. I feel like I’m in the kitchen now – true enough I’m no drug dealer but I am working in jobs that I do not feel use my full potential. I do know in my heart of hearts that the day is coming where I will be the woman I dream of now. Seems to me that Jay is saying that he used the image of where he wanted to be to get him to that point when he was in a less desirable situation. My message from hiphop today is to stay focused on the end goal. Keep it moving and move on to the next one that will help me move from right here to over there. WORD!
