We teach kids that you must share at all times. But we should never teach kids to be naive and share when they dont wanna share. I dont know if we should raise everybody with the goal of trying to save the world….but idk…maybe if that was the goal the world would be better
My 30 Days of Blogging Challenge is complete. I made it thru 30 days straight after taking years just to make my first post. Finally decided to stop it with the procrastination… finally decided to stop worrying if anyone would care to read it… finally decided to allow myself to be vulnerable through my writing. I’ve often allowed myself to be vulnerable through my music, but never through written form. But now, what’s next. I’m not sure if I’ll continue to post daily but I definitely plan to post frequently on here.
Something in me wants to continue daily blogging but I find myself asking should it come at the expense of tending to my works and projects. The 30 day challenge was very important to me so even on days where I lost control of the day or it just felt like I wouldn’t have anything to post, I dug deep and got it done, even if it took me hours to write, edit and share across my social media platforms. But the great thing about it was it being fun as well as a challenge. So now do I choose writing only when inspired since there’s no carrot in front of the rabbit, in the form of a challenge. Or do I write out of responsibility to myself. The only way for me to grow as a writer is to continue writing…right? Lol. If you have any suggestions or felt this dilemma I’m open to all ideas. But I am very excited and looking forward to seeing what’s next.
Never forget why you told someone you love them for the first time. Never forget the look in their eyes once they realized you mean it lol. Never forget why they believe in you if you told them they could believe in you. Never forget your influence. Especially if you have kids. Because at some point in their life, they will emulate everything you showed them, good or bad.
As I started to get closer to this 30th day of my 30 Days of Blogging Challenge, I realized what a special thing it is to have a person in my life who gives me the space to grow, learn, teach, explore, fail, win, fail, win. And not space in the sense of physical separation, but a peaceful space to operate. An I realize how special it is for us to root for each other and put that same energy into our kids. Celebrate the wins and learn from the losses. Never forgetting to inspire by example. 30 Days of my thoughts. No expectations. Just space. Mental space. Everyday life and responsibilities didn’t change around that but my new commitment to finishing goals are building some type of theme. There was probably only 1 day out of the 30 where I felt like I had nothing lol. And life was happening all around me. Wife and that “monthly” interruption…kid and school duties..baby sick…and being a ..well baby 👶🏻 and me?…ME?…just going thru the motions because everyday wont be bliss. But if I can’t get control of ONE DAY to handle my duties to myself and my family.. just ONE DAY.. how can I expect a whole wife and kids to trust me when I say “I got this just give me some time.” Little commitments have carried me the past few months.. but my biggest commitment will carry me forever. Never Forget Why.
In January 2016, I finally decided to be proactive about sparking new energy into the local music scene in New Jersey. I had been rapping and building a steady fanbase for quite some time but I felt like opportunities to grow here were limited. Instead of keeping the complaining and frustration building, I figured why not build a infrastructure at home where the artist can have a consistent outlet that me and a state full of artist lacked. So along with a few good friends of mine, we launched Vibes In The City Open Mic Night. A weekly hub for local talent to come and build their network. A weekly hub for local artist to come showcase their skills and hone their craft. Polished Artists. Unpolished Artists. Seasoned Vets. Curious Newcomers. But what happened over the next 3 years came as a surprise. Over 150 produced shows, including 1000+ artists spanning from all over the globe, 1 awards show, several community give back events, an a slew of collaborations is beyond what we could’ve imagined. We went into this with no expectations. And some even said I was crazy for thinking a weekly Open Mic in Newark,NJ would work and last. They couldn’t have knew how dedicated I was to making it work. They couldn’t have knew how big of a fan I was of our local artists. Big enough of a fan to basically push my personal dreams of a artist to the side long enough to focus on building this platform. Long enough until I feel it has it’s own legs. They can’t know how dedicated and loyal my friends are. Dedicated and loyal enough to take little to no pay for 3 years and counting to help me with my passion project. It’s no way they could’ve knew. Honestly it’s no way I could’ve fully knew. But that’s the funny thing about momentum. Once you get the ball rolling, it’s hard to stop it from flowing. And after 3 years of building bridges and staying loyal and staying dedicated, we still know it’s a lot of work left to do. Not only am I looking forward to the next year, but the next 3 years and the next 3 after that. But not to just run a Open Mic. No No Nooooo. The plans have grown tremendously to exceed that. And as long as there’s enough dedicated artists looking to build, the plans will continue to grow.
#vibesinthecity #goodvibesonly
When I started making music, It was mainly a outlet for my passion of writing. It was the best way for me to express myself in the most honest way I can think of. And where I’m from, rapping was a easier sell to my peers than saying I’m a writer. From those passions, naturally I started to think of reasons of why I would want to be a successful rapper, artist or writer. Or why would I want to be a successful person in general. I had a few reasons that I wanted to “make it big.” One of the reasons was to start a record label and give opportunities to the people I grew up around because I felt they were just as talented as the artists who were all over the TV and Radio. Another reason was to help build a strong local music scene in Newark,NJ. Strong enough where we could create our own “Industry” similar to how they did it in Houston, Atlanta, and the Bay Area. But my main reasons for making it big was to provide opportunities for my family. Moving my Grandparents and Mother out of the projects was the BIG GOAL. But opening up a Restaurant for my Aunt Michelle was also right there in my top goals to do. I would always tell her “I’m a open up a Restaurant for you one day because the world needs to taste this cooking.” Lol. Especially the Baked Ziti. ESPECIALLY HER BAKED ZITI. 🍽. Wishful thinking of a 15 year old. But those were some of the reasons. That was part of the WHY. Build something for US. Take care of the people who took care of me, and create something that the family could own. Because if you don’t own something in the world, the world owns you.
Of course as a kid you’re gonna think of the material things you want too. But the things that you know deep down would make your soul happy are the things you never forget. Like helping to build a strong local music scene out of pure belief in the talent of my hometown. Like starting a family owned Restaurant because I, like every other person in the world feels like nobody can make that mac n cheese like my cousins 😋 or them yams like my sister. Lol. An if that’s not true, that’s ok. Hopefully it’s good enough and the story means enough to keep the business open for generations. That’s how one day you become Antoine’s Restaurant(New Orleans since 1840) or Jones Bar-B-Q(Arkansas since 1910) or a New Jersey staple like Hobby’s(since 1962). But this post isn’t about building a local music scene or a starting a family owned business. It’s about Purpose. It’s about WHY. Never forget your purpose or your why. It’s ok for the plan to switch up. It’s ok to fail and start over. It’s ok to fail again….and start over agaiiiiin. But don’t forget the purpose. Don’t forget the promises you made to yourself.
Is anything real anymore? Do we care more about “likes” than impact? Are stories about Mental Health being embellished for selfish attention? Has social media helped with the dialogue to aid more people or has it exposed us to more vulnerability? Some people are strong enough and have the resources to cope with their issues. Some don’t have much of that.
For a long time, “regular” people have worshipped celebrities and used them as an escape to cope with issues of life. Until we realized that EVERYONE is regular and there’s no status or dollar amount that makes anyone immune to the illnesses life diagnoses us with. We assume that the internet and social media was made to bring us closer. But the more the curtain comes down it seems like the separation from top and bottom is expanding. It’s no longer about making the people around us proud. An it’s no longer about us dealing with our issues together behind closed doors, which we can debate about if that’s more harmful than harmless. But now everyone is in competition. And strangely, the so called “have nots” are chasing something that the “haves” are wishing they never obtained. But is any of it even real. What is genuine? What was earned? What was planted? What was manufactured? We don’t know. Or speaking for myself, I don’t know. That’s why the little things have started to mean a whole lot more to in my life. Coffee with my wife. Wrestling with my sons. Bringing ideas to life with my friends. Writing these blog posts every day. Even on a day where I felt like I had nothing to talk about. But it’s a weird thing about momentum. If you allow it to carry you, it will do just that. Those simple things make life feel a lot more real when it’s time to disconnect from the outside.
I felt like I had nothing to write today and then….AND THEN… more Kanye West discussion unfolded which led to Ariana Grande making what many saw as a tasteless joke, which led to Pete Davidson posting a cryptic message about mental illness, which led me down to another rabbit hole. 😒 . Sadly, the 1st question to myself was “Is any of this real?” Because a lot of real life things have turned into nothing more than click bait. And mental illness is nothing to play around with for relevancy so I pray for Pete, and Kanye and hope anyone who is really dealing with it is able to get the help they need whether that’s from outside assistance or through self help.
When things happening in the world are starting to seem a little less real each passing day, I think it’s important that we dial back from the digital clutter where comparison and competition is taking a little bit out of us piece by piece. Take a few days to enjoy the people and things around you. Watch a show that brought you peace as a child. Call someone that makes you smile. Remember something that made you laugh. I don’t know. I really really don’t know lol 🤷🏽♂️. Just make sure it feels real.
At what point do we draw the line in the statement of “All publicity is good publicity.” I know the music and entertainment business has always been about numbers, but when it comes at the expense of people comprising their moral integrity or it gives us room to downplay mental health issues in the world, is it really worth it? And who is to take the most responsibility for this new or maybe not so new GET ATTENTION OR DIE TRYING CULTURE. Should it be the gatekeepers for preying on our vulnerability and thirst for drama? Should it be the talent that is willing to risk their freedom or ignore their morals to stay relevant? Or should it be Us, the fans who gravitate towards the accident on the road even when we have somewhere to be. Should it be me, who probably would fall into that rabbit hole of reading a flurry of drama baiting social media posts from a celebrity before I read a ONE post about something that would uplift our community. The answer should be simple but for whatever reason the drama pulls us in.
So who takes the responsibility for it? And this is not about casting judgement. And this is not about Kanye West. This is more of a question of accountability. Accountability that we have to put on ourselves to say that we care more about helping each other than we care more about seeing each other suffer. I know it’s not as simple as that statement because like I said, some times I still gravitate towards the drama the media displays before acknowledging the positive things I see happening around me everyday. So I can’t judge the gatekeepers, or the talent or the consumer any more than the next. 1 hand wash the other. Both wash the face. But what does it help when the face is clean and the soul feels dirty?
For so long we have been taught that once we become “successful” or once we “make it out the hood” that we’re supposed to take that time to acknowledge the “haters” and kick down the people who we assumed were doubting us. It’s been a while since I started to disagree with that message but I remember when that harmful way of thinking was relevant in my life. But as I get older and maybe a little wiser, that approach doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not interested in “making it big” with the intentions to look down an say I PROVED THE HATERS WRONG. I’m more focused on making strides and pulling people along that want the extra pull. If we spend more time on that and less time on trying to prove people wrong, I believe our potential to really REALLY impact society will be infinite. An while I don’t expect anyone to pull me along on their journey, it would be nice to know that we’re all rooting for each other Wholeheartedly. The odds have already been stacked against us so if and when you win, I’ll celebrate you like we all won. An if I win, I’ll make sure to send the invite for us all to celebrate. And the invitation wont be sent with the intentions to boast and say AHA…I won..You didn’t. The invite will be sent with the goal to inspire. The invite will be sent with the goal to influence. Doing things for the right reasons should be the way. In my opinion. I don’t see how kicking your peers down can be helpful once you’re in position to bring them up. But if it was that simple, I would’ve needed something else to write about today. 🤷🏽♂️ Lead with love. Our service in the world is just as important as our breathing.
You are your own biggest enemy. That’s not a myth. That’s not click bait. It’s a hard thing to admit to ourselves but it’s very important that we acknowledge it. WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s have a conversation.
Is it harder for some of us to become successful with our gifts? Yes. Is it ways to at least make it a little bit easier? Absolutely. Only if we would just get out of our own way. Figuring out how to make it just a little bit easier every day is better than being stuck forever.
If I wanted to walk from New Jersey to California, would it feel like forever? I’m pretty sure it would. Just the thought of it would feel overwhelming. But if we know our destination and plan accordingly how to get there, eventually we’ll make it. Even if it took years, the goal and the purpose needs to keep us motivated. Yes a bike would be a little faster. A car or train would be a whole lot faster. An of course a plane would get us there in a few hours. But if all we had at the moment was our 2 feet, should we sit there and wait or should we start our journey on our own?
Once we get started you never know what will happen. Worst case scenario. WE WILL DIE. But we knew that already. Best case scenario. We get to our destination and find out for ourselves if the journey was worth it or not. The main thing is to start moving. Maybe someone will see you and offer to drive you a few miles. Maybe even a state or 2. Maybe someone will offer a train or plane ticket. Maybe. MAYBE. We’ll never know if we never put that first foot in front. The only thing we do know for sure is we won’t live forever. But hey, we can just sit here and play it safe. That’s 100% our decision. Or we could decide to take a risk. We can decide to take a chance. But 1st we have to stop being our own worst enemies. Trust yourself for a change.
For the past 10 years one of my top New Years Resolutions was to read The Bible from front to back. TEN YEARS. Each time ending in a failed attempt. And that wasn’t the only failed New Years Resolution. Almost every other resolution ended prematurely. But this year I made a commitment to myself. Honestly, the commitment was made in late September, Early October right around my Birthday October 6th. A commitment that saw me cut down on alcohol consumption, a 30 Day Cold Shower Challenge, a 3 day water fast and finally reading The Bible from front to back. I’m not the most religious person by any stretch but I do believe you can build a closer relationship with God. So reading The Bible was a personal goal for me that always was supposed to be one of the highlights of my New Years Resolutions.
Year after year. Notebook after notebook. 1st page with bold letters. NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS. And like clockwork, somewhere in the top 3 read something like ..”Read The Bible Completely.” Somewhere in between “Write a song everyday” and “Spend more time with my sisters.” The song everyday was wishful thinking but spending more time with my sisters has been happening throughout the years. Not as much time as we could, but always enjoying every moment.
After many years of starting and stopping in my attempt to read The Bible completely, and some years not even starting at all, this needed to be the time it all changed. These last few months I’ve been really working on my discipline and mental strength, so this was important to complete and avoid disappointing myself again. Most days I would wake up at 4-430am so I can read it without distractions. Usually stopping once I had to wake up my Wife and Kids to get ready for their days. Even on the days I didn’t get up that early, I would try to get at least 15-20 minutes in. Some days I got ZERO minutes in but I didn’t let it stop me from getting back to it. I started in the beginning of October an I probably would’ve finished sooner but I was taking notes as I was reading. A lot of things that were Eye Opening. A lot of wisdom. A lot of knowledge. But the main thing is I finally read it in full. An it only took 10 years lol 🤷🏽♂️. 1 day at a time. 1 chapter. 1 verse. Early morning. Midday. Night time. I just kept going. Then, this morning, I got to the Proverbs and started to get excited. It felt like a big monkey was coming off my back. These last few months have been so motivating for me to see what I can accomplish once I commit myself. Only time will tell if it becomes more transparent in my life.
Broadway Blake Blog 