Happy Birthday- Old Kanye

New Kanye just celebrated his 42nd birthday. I wonder if old Kanye also celebrated from the sunken place. Or maybe his tethered version had an inverted party hat on inside the tunnels while he ate some rabbit. Either way, I thought about my favorite Kanye West song which was on his debut “The College Dropout”. While Kanye’s debut album had many stand out tracks and various hits; including “Jesus Walks”, “Slow Jamz”, and “The New Workout Plan”, my absolute favorite was and still is; “ Last Call”. Starting with Jay-Z’s welcoming intro of “Yo Fuck You Kanye first and foremost for making me do this shit Muhfucka”; I knew this song was special. This song for me was Kanye’s most vulnerable prior to the onset of his mental health issues. Kanye came into the game as a rapper with a huge chip on his shoulder because people referred to him as a “producer-rapper”. He had a lot to prove with this album, and that he did. “Last Call” chronicles Kanye’s transition from successful producer to an ok rapper. The appeal of Kanye for me was never his lyricism, but always his presentation. Even with his mediocre bars, (prior to his rumored ghost writers), Kanye’s arrogance always preceded him which I guess created some weird balance for him. The moment Kanye began to come off as humble on this song there was a swift follow-up to reassure us of the greatness he was always aware of, we just needed to catch up. Anytime I’ve gone through a trying time, this is one of the songs I tend to have on repeat. Yes, it’s 12 minutes long, and he is talking more than he is rapping, but I’ll never skip any part of it because it is important, and inspiring. Kanye telling his truth about getting evicted, losing a deal, working his ass off and creating beats for DMX that made it into Jay-Z’s hands, music executives not believing in him all for him to come out victorious has always inspired me to tell myself to get my shit together. So for that, thank you Old Kanye for helping me by delivering your truth. Happy Birthday. I am praying for your speedy recovery. “So won’t you raise your glass won’t you…”

The Art of Networking

I've gotten a few jobs and many opportunities via networking. I took the leap to launch the blog in November of 2018 with a bare-bones plan of how to make it work. Through the grace of God and the spirit of openness, I have run into opportunity after opportunity. This isn't a stroke of luck, but because I've learned to hone relationships through networking. I've been blessed to have worked with many people and the one thing I make sure to do is to keep friendly working relationships with them. A few months into the blog, an amazing photographer I'd worked with at a previous publication reached out to say she liked that I was doing my own thing and she wanted to help me with my branding. Branding?!? (Soulja Boy voice) She offered her services because she believed in what I was doing. I didn't know that I needed photos for the blog, or how I would use them; however; this woman went above and beyond for me when she didn't have to. I'm so grateful to have a network of people under my belt that doesn't hesitate to force me to grow when I'm unaware of the necessity to do so. Thank you to LaJoy Cox of www.lajoyphotography.com/lajoy You never know who's paying attention, make sure you keep your network strong.

April 2019

Hi Guys!

I’ve missed you! Have you ever had a day or two that seemed off and somehow got away from you? Well, that was the entire month of April for me. In my mind, April 2019 will always be the mark of a huge shift in my life, but the reality is, in a year or two these events will seem extremely minute unless I look back at this post. Someone is always going through something, and things could have absolutely been worse, but I made it through to this side.  While I’m not yet ready to fully discuss with you guys what I’ve been dealing with, I will say adulting is hard, and I don’t expect it to get any easier. This is a journey, I’m still trying to find my way, and I’m just thankful to those that here to support in every capacity. I’m back on my shit, and I promise to continue providing content. Let me know what you would like to see T.Nicole write about next!

Say Hello to Nevaeh (Formerly Known as TXS)

Shaquala Jackson, or the artist formerly known as TXS, released her debut “Everything is Bigger” a little over a year ago on Valentine’s Day. These days she’s going by Nevaeh (@_Iamnevaeh) on Instagram, and she’s still teasing us with the vocals we’ve fallen in love with. After being discovered by Super Producer Rico Love and reportedly signing to his label, it looks like she’s parted ways with her former mentor, and I’m eager to see what she’ll sound like without him. 

             I’m not sure how exactly I came across her music, but when I did, I immediately began looking for everything she’d ever sung. Nevaeh has a smooth effortless tone to her voice. I guess the genre she’d be placed in would be R&B, but I don’t want to box her in and I’ve only heard one project from her. Unlike many of her counterparts where we’re forced to try to figure out whether they can actually sing or if we’re being fooled by some kind of studio magic; Nevaeh offers plenty of proof that she can SANG.  Her level of vocal control and airiness is very similar to that of Brandy’s. Her lyricism, relatability, and ability to curse you out in song and still make it sound amazing is reminiscent of Teedra Moses. I’m not sure if ‘Everything is Bigger’ is considered a mixtape, album, or “project”, but I want another one…Now. The standouts were; Big Girl, Destroyed, I Wonder, and my favorite; Do Good. I know Rico Love is an amazing writer/producer, but I want to know if Nevaeh writes her own songs or if that came from Rico, because that is something that sets her apart from her peers. I think what captured me the most in the songs listed below is that the lyrics mean something, are understandable, and are relatable. 

 § Big Girl- The most realistic description of a breakup I’ve ever heard. She declares “Don’t do me no favors, oh, I’m a big girl I can handle it.” “And I never said that I might not want to call you late night”. We’ve all been there after a devastating break-up, wanting to call our ex if for nothing but the pure nostalgia.

§ Destroyed- early 90’s R&B production, “I don’t want to self-destruct, I’d rather be destroyed”. “I don’t deserve the things you put me through, I could be adored by someone new but I’d rather be destroyed by you”. I can’t necessarily relate to the lyrics of this song, but I can relate to the pain and emotion I hear in her voice.

§  I Wonder- The production of this track perfectly showcases Nevaeh’s airy tone, which easily transitions into a full-out belting session where she finds herself questioning why her man has decided to betray her. “Took another flight out of town last night, and I wonder wonder who you’re gonna see” “Bet she’s lying there in your hotel bedroom, no wonder wonder you ain’t calling me” Oh here I go calling your mama them, you know she ain’t gon’ lie for you”. Being in love, we’ve all been vulnerable, but having to question whether your significant other is cheating has got to be heart-wrenching. 

§ Do Good-“I hope you do good, my nigga’, I hope to find you in love, I hope you do better with her, I hope it’s better than us, I hope you don’t find another crazy one, cuz Lord knows that I was, I hope you do good my nigga’ cuz my good, wasn’t good enough”. Wishing the man you loved well after breaking up and realizing that everything you did wasn’t good enough. I know this feeling and I feel seen.

            For some reason; Don’t Tempt Me, Understand Me, and Catchin’ Feelings sounded too much like Rico Love for me. I adore Rico as a producer, not necessarily as an artist. Be sure to check out her IG page to catch her videos. She’s covered ‘This Woman’s Worth’ (Maxwell Cover) ‘Ex-Factor’ (Lauren Hill Cover) and much more. She also does this thing that I like where she will SING her face off while only showing her throat. Not sure if that is something all the new singers do for social media but I love it. I know she’s working and I am looking forward to anything she releases. Go check her out on all streaming platforms and YouTube. Tell her that I sent you.

T.Nicole