I’m sitting at my computer, wondering what to write about first… There’s been so much happening lately, I don’t know where to start. I’ll start with yesterday… Santiago (S2) and the gang came over to my house for dinner – it was very nice. MMMM, I made my lovely pan-fried chicken, skin-on mashed potatoes (which are LOVELY, by the way), macaroni salad… And the big finale: My infamous, award-winning banana pudding. MMMMMM!!! But the highlight of the night? Just being able to entertain people at my house… It felt good.
Terry Christopher and I got into a little fight, which is another reason why I’m not going to NYC tomorrow for the Outmusic Awards. Yes, I’m nominated. No, I’m not going. Since I start shooting the scenes for the movie (which is now called “UNCUT”) tomorrow, I guess it’s alright. But gottdamn that Terry… Out of the 4 remixes I had to do for him, I only completed 2 of them. I promised him 1 remix per week – but he took so long to approve (can you believe he actually had to “approve” them first?) the first mix, there was no way I could finish all 4 of them by his deadline. Well, so far I’ve gotten paid for ONE of the remixes. After he tried to call me (and I wasn’t home), he left me the rudest e-mail imaginable. He basically accused me of lying and making excuses (for why I couldn’t finish 2 mixes from scratch in 2 days) and he told me I was “finished.” While he also said he’d send me a check for my second remix, I have yet to see it. Had he sent me my money, I would’ve bought my ticket to NYC and attended the ceremony anyway – the movie could’ve waited until I got home, as I feel like I actually have a good chance of being this year’s Outmusician. But noooooo… Terry wouldn’t even answer my e-mails. He whined like a bitch in HIS email, but totally ignored my response. (oooh, what a diva… had to have the last word… LOL) Granted, I could care less if he’s pissed at me. But don’t fucking play with my money now… He KNEW I was waiting on this check to buy my ticket to NYC. He probably held out on purpose, just so I could miss the ceremony. If I see a check on Monday, my suspicions will be confirmed.
Speaking of money, OOOH… I bought myself an IRiver… I LOVE this little machine! Not only can I record all of my DJ sets without a computer, I can also record automatic voice MP3s…. I can watch movies (don’t ask), and basically use it as a hard drive as well. It’s so much better than the Ipod. Fuck the pod. Gimme the RIVER! LOL…
Today, we also looked at (what is soon to be) our second house… Nestled deep in Detroit, right near the neighborhood I first grew up in… A HUGE 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom house. This place was so big, I swear it had 4 levels. Walking through it today, I thought I would get LOST. I’ll have to take pictures of it, but I’ll wait until AFTER they say “the house is yours!!!” We’ll have to update the house and all – but hey… Once all the work is done, the house will be more like a palace. I’ll probably rent it out, just because I absolutely LOVE the house I live in right now… But lord, if I ever need to just “get away,” that second house would be like a mini-vacation… I’ll pray about it. That house has so much potential, I hope that everything works out. Wish me luck?
Well, I guess I should be going to bed. I start shooting that movie in exactly 9 hours from now. I don’t wanna look TIRED on the screen… And I don’t even know what to wear… Shame, shame, shame…
Oh yeah… the next time I post, I’m gonna tease y’all. I will put some of the new songs I’ve been working on and remixing (both mine and others), just so you know I haven’t been slacking in the studio! ( (Brother’s got a plan!)
Love on u…
AC
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Mother's Day
Today is Mother's Day... The first official Mother's Day without my mom's earthly presence... In loving memory of my mother, Patricia Ann Ingram, 11/26/49 - 11/17/05. I miss you Mommy!
Love Always,
Aaron Carl Ragland Ingram (aka "Boogie")
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Off My Chest
Hey there… I just need a moment to get a few things off my chest. Or maybe I just need a moment to figure things out; determine what the hell is going on in my life. For starters, I’ve done quite a few gigs so far this year! In fact, my music career in general has gotten quite a boost. All of a sudden, I’m doing remix after remix, show after show… I have sponsorship deal with DETSITTI clothing line, which is absolutely awesome. In fact, I just wrote their new theme song – which has yet to be posted on their site, but I’ll notify you when it is… It’ll also be used in their commercials – again, I’ll tell you when that happens as well. I’m shooting my scenes for the upcoming movie “Shonuff” this June – in which I play the DJ; wonderful for me, since the movie IS centered around a club… The movie will be shown in AMC theatres (at least here in Detroit for now) this November – I can’t wait! This will be the 3rd movie I’ve had anything to do with, but the FIRST time I’ve ever seen myself on the BIG screen! Scary but exciting!!!
My circle of friends are shifting, so to speak. Seemingly out of NOWHERE, Santiago Salazar (Los Hermanos/UR) has been on my mind quite a bit. Not in “THAT” way, you dirty-minded pervert – more like a comrade. When I saw him at Fifth Avenue, I had nothing but respect for him. We had our little DJ battle, but it wasn’t like “bitch, I’m out to GET you!!!” It was based on FUN, and mutual respect. I didn’t know he was moving back to California, but when I found out, I was a little hurt. I thought, DAMN… I’m just starting to get along with this guy, and he’s LEAVING! Do you know how people are (in the industry) when they say “oh, we should do a track together?” or something like that? We exchanged that banter, of course… But strangely enough, it didn’t seem fake. I REALLY thought it would be cool to do a track with him – especially after hearing this NEW track of his that he played throughout the night. I KNEW it was HIS also – you could tell by the look on his face when he played it.
The next night, I was invited (by him, of course) to his “going away party.” As shocked as I was to actually GET the invite, I went anyway. I remember him saying, “if you want to bring a few records, go ahead.” Normally I wouldn’t have done such a thing, but I sure did. And when I Mel and I (I took him with me) walked in the door, it was like family. Santi’s wife and friends were all so nice to me. Even Mike Banks showed up – crazy hairdo and all! OOOH, if I had a camera that night!!! LOL… But being at this party told me a few things… FIRST: No matter WHAT happened to me during my OWN UR/Submerge days, I’ve earned respect. I didn’t feel one ounce of bad vibes throughout the entire night… And YES, I DJed—for a lot longer than I expected to, but I felt like it was a going away present from me, so I was GLAD to do it.
The REAL going away present (Santi doesn’t know this yet) will be next FRIDAY, when we spin together at Fifth Avenue again. I won’t tell you what the present IS, just yet – after all, this IS a public blog, right? But I WILL say this… He doesn’t expect it, and when he gets it, I know he will LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Talk about a gesture of friendship! That’s just how I am…
And speaking of friends, yes I’ve decided to call certain people OUT… Why? Because I believe that if you’re in someone’s life, you should ACT THAT WAY! I don’t like having friends that I never get to see… For example, my best friend Robbie? I think I’ve seen him maybe ONCE or TWICE this year. And he lives less than an hour away from me! No phone calls, no e-mails… And I’m like “what the hell?” Granted, the phone works two ways. And Lord knows I’ve been busy as ever, but still… I’ve really been thinking about this for a while now… Ever since my mother died. I ask myself, what if it were ME? What if I died? I imagine all these people being at my funeral, crying and talking about how much they loved me. Or I imagine someone calling my house for the first time in ions, only to hear “AC died last month…” And you KNOW that person would feel regret! Why? Because they just ASSUME I’ll be here forever, no matter what… They ASSUME that they don’t have to call me or write me or keep in touch, because I’ll always be in the same place, etc…
Are you so consumed with your OWN life that you can’t take out a moment to contact YOUR loved ones? You better stop taking people for granted, because tomorrow isn’t promised! That’s the ONLY thing that gets me through the day, when I think about losing my mother… I know for a FACT that we didn’t take each other for granted. SHE knew I loved her. I KNEW she loved me. We talked every day, about some of “everything!!!” Something crazy would happen on the news, and I’d immediately call Mommy and be like “did YOU hear about THAT?!” She’d do the same to me. Now THAT’S friendship. Sometimes I’d make her a CD compilation, with some songs I know would take her BACK in time… She used to be so happy, she’d cry. I’d sit with her and hug her, while she sang along with each song – because every song had a different memory to it, and you could tell that it did her soul good.
I wish I could call Mommy right now… When I got the part in the movie, I immediately picked up the phone and was like, “Let me call MOMMY!” But that’s when I’m painfully reminded. Damn… I can’t call her. And I should know that she’s up in heaven, smiling down at me – but sometimes it’s hard to believe in spirits. I know there’s a God. I’m just being honest. I miss my mother, and I wish she was here with me – not just in spirit, but in HUMAN form, like she used to be.
Then again, am I being selfish? While my mother was here in human form, she suffered daily. I KNOW she had a lot of obstacles to overcome, from polio to breast cancer – neither of which claimed her life, I might add. I know she struggled a LOT, just to survive on a daily basis. When she got laid off from United Way (or should I say, forced to leave), she knew she couldn’t live forever off her retirement money. The fact that she put most of it away for us – her children, makes me wonder… Did she KNOW she would die? Was this her way of making sure we were taken care of?
Moving on (because Lord knows I could talk FOREVER about my mother), I think it’s time for me to release another record. Did I tell you that I was gonna release a limited-edition White Vinyl 12-inch of SKY and CRUCIFIED? (New mixes, of course!) That’ll be my next official Wallshaker release. I’ll also put little tributes on the record – one on each side. One for my father; one for my mother. I miss them both terribly…
Now I’ve gotta go for now. I need to go to the store and buy myself a PERM for my hair – oooh, you should SEE it right now… And I have a house guest coming by in about an hour or so. I swear, black people are SO last minute! ( I’ll write more soon, but in the meantime, thanks for listening – to my music AND my rants. Just knowing that someone out there gives a damn, makes all the difference in the world.
Love
AC
My circle of friends are shifting, so to speak. Seemingly out of NOWHERE, Santiago Salazar (Los Hermanos/UR) has been on my mind quite a bit. Not in “THAT” way, you dirty-minded pervert – more like a comrade. When I saw him at Fifth Avenue, I had nothing but respect for him. We had our little DJ battle, but it wasn’t like “bitch, I’m out to GET you!!!” It was based on FUN, and mutual respect. I didn’t know he was moving back to California, but when I found out, I was a little hurt. I thought, DAMN… I’m just starting to get along with this guy, and he’s LEAVING! Do you know how people are (in the industry) when they say “oh, we should do a track together?” or something like that? We exchanged that banter, of course… But strangely enough, it didn’t seem fake. I REALLY thought it would be cool to do a track with him – especially after hearing this NEW track of his that he played throughout the night. I KNEW it was HIS also – you could tell by the look on his face when he played it.
The next night, I was invited (by him, of course) to his “going away party.” As shocked as I was to actually GET the invite, I went anyway. I remember him saying, “if you want to bring a few records, go ahead.” Normally I wouldn’t have done such a thing, but I sure did. And when I Mel and I (I took him with me) walked in the door, it was like family. Santi’s wife and friends were all so nice to me. Even Mike Banks showed up – crazy hairdo and all! OOOH, if I had a camera that night!!! LOL… But being at this party told me a few things… FIRST: No matter WHAT happened to me during my OWN UR/Submerge days, I’ve earned respect. I didn’t feel one ounce of bad vibes throughout the entire night… And YES, I DJed—for a lot longer than I expected to, but I felt like it was a going away present from me, so I was GLAD to do it.
The REAL going away present (Santi doesn’t know this yet) will be next FRIDAY, when we spin together at Fifth Avenue again. I won’t tell you what the present IS, just yet – after all, this IS a public blog, right? But I WILL say this… He doesn’t expect it, and when he gets it, I know he will LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Talk about a gesture of friendship! That’s just how I am…
And speaking of friends, yes I’ve decided to call certain people OUT… Why? Because I believe that if you’re in someone’s life, you should ACT THAT WAY! I don’t like having friends that I never get to see… For example, my best friend Robbie? I think I’ve seen him maybe ONCE or TWICE this year. And he lives less than an hour away from me! No phone calls, no e-mails… And I’m like “what the hell?” Granted, the phone works two ways. And Lord knows I’ve been busy as ever, but still… I’ve really been thinking about this for a while now… Ever since my mother died. I ask myself, what if it were ME? What if I died? I imagine all these people being at my funeral, crying and talking about how much they loved me. Or I imagine someone calling my house for the first time in ions, only to hear “AC died last month…” And you KNOW that person would feel regret! Why? Because they just ASSUME I’ll be here forever, no matter what… They ASSUME that they don’t have to call me or write me or keep in touch, because I’ll always be in the same place, etc…
Are you so consumed with your OWN life that you can’t take out a moment to contact YOUR loved ones? You better stop taking people for granted, because tomorrow isn’t promised! That’s the ONLY thing that gets me through the day, when I think about losing my mother… I know for a FACT that we didn’t take each other for granted. SHE knew I loved her. I KNEW she loved me. We talked every day, about some of “everything!!!” Something crazy would happen on the news, and I’d immediately call Mommy and be like “did YOU hear about THAT?!” She’d do the same to me. Now THAT’S friendship. Sometimes I’d make her a CD compilation, with some songs I know would take her BACK in time… She used to be so happy, she’d cry. I’d sit with her and hug her, while she sang along with each song – because every song had a different memory to it, and you could tell that it did her soul good.
I wish I could call Mommy right now… When I got the part in the movie, I immediately picked up the phone and was like, “Let me call MOMMY!” But that’s when I’m painfully reminded. Damn… I can’t call her. And I should know that she’s up in heaven, smiling down at me – but sometimes it’s hard to believe in spirits. I know there’s a God. I’m just being honest. I miss my mother, and I wish she was here with me – not just in spirit, but in HUMAN form, like she used to be.
Then again, am I being selfish? While my mother was here in human form, she suffered daily. I KNOW she had a lot of obstacles to overcome, from polio to breast cancer – neither of which claimed her life, I might add. I know she struggled a LOT, just to survive on a daily basis. When she got laid off from United Way (or should I say, forced to leave), she knew she couldn’t live forever off her retirement money. The fact that she put most of it away for us – her children, makes me wonder… Did she KNOW she would die? Was this her way of making sure we were taken care of?
Moving on (because Lord knows I could talk FOREVER about my mother), I think it’s time for me to release another record. Did I tell you that I was gonna release a limited-edition White Vinyl 12-inch of SKY and CRUCIFIED? (New mixes, of course!) That’ll be my next official Wallshaker release. I’ll also put little tributes on the record – one on each side. One for my father; one for my mother. I miss them both terribly…
Now I’ve gotta go for now. I need to go to the store and buy myself a PERM for my hair – oooh, you should SEE it right now… And I have a house guest coming by in about an hour or so. I swear, black people are SO last minute! ( I’ll write more soon, but in the meantime, thanks for listening – to my music AND my rants. Just knowing that someone out there gives a damn, makes all the difference in the world.
Love
AC
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Nominations and Revelations
Respect… I’ve been nominated for Outmusic’s “OUTMUSICIAN of the YEAR.” As excited as I am, I can’t help but wonder… Will I get snubbed this year? And if I do, should it really matter? Now, some of you may ask “what exactly IS an OUTmusician?” Hopefully I won’t have to explain the meaning of OUT – you should get the point. But does this award go to the “gayest” person of the year? And if so, is that something to be worn as a badge of honor?
Well, to answer it truthfully… HELL YES it is! Granted, it’s deeper than that. I know the award is to recognize someone (the Outmusician) who is living his life to HELP the LGBT community, and awarding him/her for their contributions to “the cause.” Long story short, award or NO award, I’m still gonna be ME. Gay as hell, yes… Proud as hell, YES. And while I don’t parade around the streets in my rainbow flag (anymore), I DEFINITELY represent myself to the fullest…
Right now, I know I’m preaching to the choir, so I’ll shut the fuck up about that. …But wouldn’t it be something if I actually WON? Most of these winners hail from New York, or fall into the “acoustic/folk” category… And I don’t think they’ve EVER had a black Outmusician of the year. Wouldn’t it be nice if I – a black-ass, electronic music maker from DETROIT, actually WON? Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
As for this DEMF festival… I swear, somebody needs to put the “D” back into the DEMF. So far, there’s still no “complete lineup” but I know for a fact that UR, Mike Banks or anyone else from Submerge has NOT been asked to perform. These Paxahau bitches, what are they doing???!!! I hope you don’t think I’m ranting because I’m not performing this year. NO, that has NOTHING to do with it. (All right, maybe just a little, but ONLY a little…) My MAIN concern is the way I was told… “Our lineup is full…” Well, why is it NOT announced? And rumor has it that they wanna charge $40 to $50 to get INTO the festival… (Are y’all crazy?!)
Last night was the premier of the movie “High Tech Soul,” which I REALLY wanted to see. And although it was $25 to get in, I would’ve paid it happily – it’s about time that Detroiters got our respect for the music we do. And that MAESTRO movie didn’t say much about Detroit at all – although they used two of my songs in the film… I’m sure I’m probably not mentioned ANYWHERE in this High Tech Soul movie, but hey. It’s all good. I know where the fuck I’m from. I know what the fuck I’ve done. And I knew a long time ago, that if I wasn’t Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig or some other “cat from way back,” I wouldn’t get much love at all.
Then again, I realize that with all the fans I’ve acquired over the years, and as much as my name is known, I DO get lots of love, so let me shut the fuck up about THAT too. Long story short, I discovered that Paxahau was in charge of this “High Tech Soul” premier, so what did I do? I stayed the fuck HOME. And I know that some of my friends stayed home as well… It was a tough decision, because I REALLY wanted to see that movie. And I’m sure I will someday soon…
I feel sorry for the people who come here from overseas, expecting to see and hear DETROIT artists. They won’t get us. Scan 7 isn’t performing… Aux 88 isn’t performing (although I heard they at least were ASKED…) Underground Resistance isn’t performing… WTF?! Where’s the D? (And I swear, if I hear that gottdamn “Good Life” one more time, I’ll scream!)
I DID get a wonderful inspirational e-mail from Anthony “Shake” Shakir. While I won’t give out ALL the details, he reminded me: “Keep making the real Hot, Hard, Funky, Smooth and soulful music that you already do.” He also reminded me that “truth always overtakes the lies… EVERYTIME.” Amen, Shake!
We’ll see what happens…
Alright… My 11 year-old son STEFAN asked me for a CELL PHONE!!! I made him write down all the reasons why he feels he “NEEDS” a cell phone – what the hell? An 11 year-old with a CELL phone? Am I old-fashioned, or does this bullshit just seem WEIRD? Mind you, this is the SAME Stefan who is currently in danger of failing the 6th grade – not because he’s not smart, but because he blatantly REFUSES to do his work… Now he IS improving his behavior – you know, he swears he’s a Diva like his daddy. He’s a LEO, like his daddy. And when he wants to be, he’s a BITCH – just like his daddy. It’s definitely a love/hate relationship that we have, I’m sure… I love him to death, but I swear, there can ONLY be ONE diva in this house – and I have to remind him that it’s NOT him. But I digress. He wants a CELL PHONE… Here are his reasons:
Aww, how cute. Right? (yeah, right…)
Y’all know I’m gonna probably break down and give him a damn cell phone, right? But not until he’s at least EARNED the privilege. He’ll be happy – but as soon as he starts fucking up, I’ll SNATCH that cell phone quicker than he can say “Daddy, don’t do it!” I think I was this way about my first CAR… Now it’s all about cell phones. Lord, the next thing you know, he’ll be asking ME about HIS first car. YIKES!!!
Oh no… now my 6 year-old son JEVON says, “Daddy, I want a cell phone TOO!” Ahh, such is life… I’m just gonna buy them some walkie-talkies and call it a damn day!
Talk to y’all soon…
AC
Well, to answer it truthfully… HELL YES it is! Granted, it’s deeper than that. I know the award is to recognize someone (the Outmusician) who is living his life to HELP the LGBT community, and awarding him/her for their contributions to “the cause.” Long story short, award or NO award, I’m still gonna be ME. Gay as hell, yes… Proud as hell, YES. And while I don’t parade around the streets in my rainbow flag (anymore), I DEFINITELY represent myself to the fullest…
Right now, I know I’m preaching to the choir, so I’ll shut the fuck up about that. …But wouldn’t it be something if I actually WON? Most of these winners hail from New York, or fall into the “acoustic/folk” category… And I don’t think they’ve EVER had a black Outmusician of the year. Wouldn’t it be nice if I – a black-ass, electronic music maker from DETROIT, actually WON? Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
As for this DEMF festival… I swear, somebody needs to put the “D” back into the DEMF. So far, there’s still no “complete lineup” but I know for a fact that UR, Mike Banks or anyone else from Submerge has NOT been asked to perform. These Paxahau bitches, what are they doing???!!! I hope you don’t think I’m ranting because I’m not performing this year. NO, that has NOTHING to do with it. (All right, maybe just a little, but ONLY a little…) My MAIN concern is the way I was told… “Our lineup is full…” Well, why is it NOT announced? And rumor has it that they wanna charge $40 to $50 to get INTO the festival… (Are y’all crazy?!)
Last night was the premier of the movie “High Tech Soul,” which I REALLY wanted to see. And although it was $25 to get in, I would’ve paid it happily – it’s about time that Detroiters got our respect for the music we do. And that MAESTRO movie didn’t say much about Detroit at all – although they used two of my songs in the film… I’m sure I’m probably not mentioned ANYWHERE in this High Tech Soul movie, but hey. It’s all good. I know where the fuck I’m from. I know what the fuck I’ve done. And I knew a long time ago, that if I wasn’t Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig or some other “cat from way back,” I wouldn’t get much love at all.
Then again, I realize that with all the fans I’ve acquired over the years, and as much as my name is known, I DO get lots of love, so let me shut the fuck up about THAT too. Long story short, I discovered that Paxahau was in charge of this “High Tech Soul” premier, so what did I do? I stayed the fuck HOME. And I know that some of my friends stayed home as well… It was a tough decision, because I REALLY wanted to see that movie. And I’m sure I will someday soon…
I feel sorry for the people who come here from overseas, expecting to see and hear DETROIT artists. They won’t get us. Scan 7 isn’t performing… Aux 88 isn’t performing (although I heard they at least were ASKED…) Underground Resistance isn’t performing… WTF?! Where’s the D? (And I swear, if I hear that gottdamn “Good Life” one more time, I’ll scream!)
I DID get a wonderful inspirational e-mail from Anthony “Shake” Shakir. While I won’t give out ALL the details, he reminded me: “Keep making the real Hot, Hard, Funky, Smooth and soulful music that you already do.” He also reminded me that “truth always overtakes the lies… EVERYTIME.” Amen, Shake!
We’ll see what happens…
Alright… My 11 year-old son STEFAN asked me for a CELL PHONE!!! I made him write down all the reasons why he feels he “NEEDS” a cell phone – what the hell? An 11 year-old with a CELL phone? Am I old-fashioned, or does this bullshit just seem WEIRD? Mind you, this is the SAME Stefan who is currently in danger of failing the 6th grade – not because he’s not smart, but because he blatantly REFUSES to do his work… Now he IS improving his behavior – you know, he swears he’s a Diva like his daddy. He’s a LEO, like his daddy. And when he wants to be, he’s a BITCH – just like his daddy. It’s definitely a love/hate relationship that we have, I’m sure… I love him to death, but I swear, there can ONLY be ONE diva in this house – and I have to remind him that it’s NOT him. But I digress. He wants a CELL PHONE… Here are his reasons:
- To chat with my friends…
- If you don’t know where I am, you could call me…
- When you’re on the phone, and I need to call someone…
- Because I just REALLY REALLY want a cell phone…
Aww, how cute. Right? (yeah, right…)
- I knew how to chat with MY friends BEFORE the days of cell phones. Whatever happened to good old fashioned visitors?
- Every GOOD parent should know where his/her child is – at ALL times!
- …we have more than one phone line in our house – quit playing…
- …and I REALLY REALLY want a million dollars and a more fulfilling sex life, but you don’t hear ME complaining, do you? (well, DO you?)
Y’all know I’m gonna probably break down and give him a damn cell phone, right? But not until he’s at least EARNED the privilege. He’ll be happy – but as soon as he starts fucking up, I’ll SNATCH that cell phone quicker than he can say “Daddy, don’t do it!” I think I was this way about my first CAR… Now it’s all about cell phones. Lord, the next thing you know, he’ll be asking ME about HIS first car. YIKES!!!
Oh no… now my 6 year-old son JEVON says, “Daddy, I want a cell phone TOO!” Ahh, such is life… I’m just gonna buy them some walkie-talkies and call it a damn day!
Talk to y’all soon…
AC
Friday, April 21, 2006
D?EMF
Maybe it's just me... But being a Detroit artist (of international stature), I found it surprising to get this response from Paxahau when I asked about an opportunity to perform at this year's festival. As of today, their lineup is FULL.
...full of WHAT, I ask?!
The last lineup I saw included a long list of non-Detroit DJs -- not including the obvious Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, blah blah blah. (Respect of course, but come on!) There is an entirely new breed of worthy Detroit artists who deserved to be showcased. But I digress. I'm not performing this year -- along with lots of other artists who deserve a slot, but won't get it. Politics, whatever... This bullshit is ridiculous.
...full of WHAT, I ask?!
The last lineup I saw included a long list of non-Detroit DJs -- not including the obvious Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, blah blah blah. (Respect of course, but come on!) There is an entirely new breed of worthy Detroit artists who deserved to be showcased. But I digress. I'm not performing this year -- along with lots of other artists who deserve a slot, but won't get it. Politics, whatever... This bullshit is ridiculous.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Murder Suicide
Yesterday I received some terrible news. My cousin, Sharee, was shot and killed by her husband. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Every news channel in Detroit was there at the scene, which made me feel so sick. Mind you, this IS Detroit and these things happen all the time. BUT, when they happen to members of MY family -- it's especially hard. Damn... And Sharee was just 39 years old. Although she's done her "dirt" in the past, she was doing very well for herself. Her hair salon "My Indian Hair" (www.myindianhair.com) is doing great! Sharee was all over the TV/Commercials.
After spending all day at Sharee's house -- the bodies were still in the bedroom, the coroner wouldn't come to the house until everyone was gone. Mind you, I have a pretty big family, and when things like this happen, we all come together. I HATE that it took death to bring us together, but I'm GLAD that my family DOES come together in times of trouble.
I guess the REALLY messed up part about all of this is, Sharee had given her husband 30 days to move out of their house. (Their marriage was rocky.) Although he didn't argue with Sharee, I guess he had his mind made up about NOT leaving -- at least, not without her. So shortly after the kids went to school, he shot Sharee while she slept. I'm still in shock about the whole ordeal.
When I came home, I immediately turned on the news, and sure enough it was there. My cousin Jimmy (Sharee's Uncle) was the family spokesperson -- which was good, considering that he's a Pastor (one of many pastors in my family). I probably would've lost my mind on camera, and cursed those insensitive bastards out. They didn't give a shit about my cousin -- they just wanted their "story..."
When I woke up this morning, I just heard the news about PROOF (D-12) the rapper. He was shot and killed in a club on East 8 Mile Rd. What is this world coming to? I swear, I am seriously considering getting the fuck out of Detroit. Sure, that won't fix the problem. But I hate looking over my shoulder all the time. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, considering I was born and raised here. But this shit doesn't get any easier. Oh well... I've gotta keep on living.
AC
After spending all day at Sharee's house -- the bodies were still in the bedroom, the coroner wouldn't come to the house until everyone was gone. Mind you, I have a pretty big family, and when things like this happen, we all come together. I HATE that it took death to bring us together, but I'm GLAD that my family DOES come together in times of trouble.
I guess the REALLY messed up part about all of this is, Sharee had given her husband 30 days to move out of their house. (Their marriage was rocky.) Although he didn't argue with Sharee, I guess he had his mind made up about NOT leaving -- at least, not without her. So shortly after the kids went to school, he shot Sharee while she slept. I'm still in shock about the whole ordeal.
When I came home, I immediately turned on the news, and sure enough it was there. My cousin Jimmy (Sharee's Uncle) was the family spokesperson -- which was good, considering that he's a Pastor (one of many pastors in my family). I probably would've lost my mind on camera, and cursed those insensitive bastards out. They didn't give a shit about my cousin -- they just wanted their "story..."
When I woke up this morning, I just heard the news about PROOF (D-12) the rapper. He was shot and killed in a club on East 8 Mile Rd. What is this world coming to? I swear, I am seriously considering getting the fuck out of Detroit. Sure, that won't fix the problem. But I hate looking over my shoulder all the time. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, considering I was born and raised here. But this shit doesn't get any easier. Oh well... I've gotta keep on living.
AC
Friday, March 31, 2006
The Latest...
Hey there. I am writing this blog in-between tour dates. Tomorrow night is my show in Darmstadt, Germany -- which is an absolutelz BEAUTIFUL place, I might add... Vienna was magical, as always... This Sunday, it's back home to Detroit for me. That's when the REAL fun starts!!!
Why, you ask? Because although I haven't made the formal announcement yet, but guess who just got their very own club space? Oh yes, I sure did! The grand opening is May 6th, and I plan to rock the damn house, every Saturday night, afterhours, till 6 a.m.. The flyers will be more like INVITATIONS, as I am not promoting the club itself, but the parties WITHIN the club. Why? Because it's all about the music. If DJ Ken Collier were still alive, his club would be just like this one...
But more on that later. Right now, since TIM (Mariah) got on my case about not writing in the blog, I guess I better start giving up some details. Mind you, right now I am on a European keyboard with a dial-up connection... YIKES! But since you asked, I'll give you some highlights...
Show number one @ Reigen, Vienna, Austria... Pure magic. During my DJ set, you KNOW I had to grab the mic and sing some tunes... In fact, the crowd went crayz when I sung DOWN (I know, I know, but I had to do it...=, then broke off into HATEFUL... This was the first REAL performance since my mother's death, so I was quite emotional when I sang GHETTO LIFE, and SKY. In fact, I sang SKY twice that night, because they asked for it!
Another BIG moment of the night was after my show, I played Crucified -- sorry, no acapella this time. I caught a damn cold on the way to Vienna, and I was NOT trying to fuck up on stage like that... LOL! But nonetheless, I played the original version of Crucified -- an anthem among these folks. And then it hit me... I had to make this moment the BEST possible moment of my life, so here's what I did.
When the record was over, I addressed the crowd. The CRUCIFIED 12-inch I had in my hands was actually the FIRST ORIGINAL WHITE LABEL copy off the press. It belonged to my mother, who proudly signed her name "Pat's Copy" and the date 8-29-96 -- the day that record came out. Mommy loved having the first copies of my records -- she was so proud... So anyway, I told this to the audience, and noticed a girl standing right in front. I thought, SHE would really appreciate this, so I gave her the record. It was such an emotional moment for me, when I finished my show, I rushed backstage and cried my eyes out. I was happy, sad and thankful all at the same time.
I also found my mother's original white label copy of WASH IT with DOWN on the B-side, which came out the same day as CRUCIFIED... And in Mommy's usual form, it says "Pat's Copy" and the date... I will NEVER part with THIS record!!!
SHOW NUMBER TWO:
PMK, INNSBROOK, AUSTRIA
At first I was afraid of what might happen, as this was primarily a ROCK club in a small mountain town. I'm used to performing in big cities, but THIS place was just the opposite. Well, my worries were for nothing... The show was OUTRAGEOUS! From the moment I stepped on stage, the crowd shouted, danced, and loved every second. In fact, I think I enjoyed THIS set much better... I played better -- doing tricks with the turntables that had everyone hollering... It was so weird! I guess it was one of those moments... I knew every beat to every record, and I worked the fuck out of each tune -- dangerously fun... Later, someone in the crowd shouted "SING TO US!" When I heard that, I addressed the crowd, to which I received a thunderous reply. They REALLY DID want me to SING for them!!! So, of course I did. Of course, they loved it. And of course, I LOVED IT AS WELL!!!
Now comes the show in Darmstadt, Germany... It's tomorrow night, and I'm using this opportunity just to chill... No stress, no drama, no work, no nothing... But then again, here I am on the Internet. Go figure. LOL!!!
DETREVOLUTION is still selling, and that's wonderful news. I gave out lots of test pressings for the CHERRY JUICE RECORDINGS label, which is also a good thing. People here seem quite interested -- what the fuck is up with the distributors??? But that's another story.
When I return to Detroit, I will post pictures, sound clips, blah blah blah. No worries. Y'all will get to see what I've been doing.
In the meantime, have fun... I'll chat more soon.
Love
AC
Why, you ask? Because although I haven't made the formal announcement yet, but guess who just got their very own club space? Oh yes, I sure did! The grand opening is May 6th, and I plan to rock the damn house, every Saturday night, afterhours, till 6 a.m.. The flyers will be more like INVITATIONS, as I am not promoting the club itself, but the parties WITHIN the club. Why? Because it's all about the music. If DJ Ken Collier were still alive, his club would be just like this one...
But more on that later. Right now, since TIM (Mariah) got on my case about not writing in the blog, I guess I better start giving up some details. Mind you, right now I am on a European keyboard with a dial-up connection... YIKES! But since you asked, I'll give you some highlights...
Show number one @ Reigen, Vienna, Austria... Pure magic. During my DJ set, you KNOW I had to grab the mic and sing some tunes... In fact, the crowd went crayz when I sung DOWN (I know, I know, but I had to do it...=, then broke off into HATEFUL... This was the first REAL performance since my mother's death, so I was quite emotional when I sang GHETTO LIFE, and SKY. In fact, I sang SKY twice that night, because they asked for it!
Another BIG moment of the night was after my show, I played Crucified -- sorry, no acapella this time. I caught a damn cold on the way to Vienna, and I was NOT trying to fuck up on stage like that... LOL! But nonetheless, I played the original version of Crucified -- an anthem among these folks. And then it hit me... I had to make this moment the BEST possible moment of my life, so here's what I did.
When the record was over, I addressed the crowd. The CRUCIFIED 12-inch I had in my hands was actually the FIRST ORIGINAL WHITE LABEL copy off the press. It belonged to my mother, who proudly signed her name "Pat's Copy" and the date 8-29-96 -- the day that record came out. Mommy loved having the first copies of my records -- she was so proud... So anyway, I told this to the audience, and noticed a girl standing right in front. I thought, SHE would really appreciate this, so I gave her the record. It was such an emotional moment for me, when I finished my show, I rushed backstage and cried my eyes out. I was happy, sad and thankful all at the same time.
I also found my mother's original white label copy of WASH IT with DOWN on the B-side, which came out the same day as CRUCIFIED... And in Mommy's usual form, it says "Pat's Copy" and the date... I will NEVER part with THIS record!!!
SHOW NUMBER TWO:
PMK, INNSBROOK, AUSTRIA
At first I was afraid of what might happen, as this was primarily a ROCK club in a small mountain town. I'm used to performing in big cities, but THIS place was just the opposite. Well, my worries were for nothing... The show was OUTRAGEOUS! From the moment I stepped on stage, the crowd shouted, danced, and loved every second. In fact, I think I enjoyed THIS set much better... I played better -- doing tricks with the turntables that had everyone hollering... It was so weird! I guess it was one of those moments... I knew every beat to every record, and I worked the fuck out of each tune -- dangerously fun... Later, someone in the crowd shouted "SING TO US!" When I heard that, I addressed the crowd, to which I received a thunderous reply. They REALLY DID want me to SING for them!!! So, of course I did. Of course, they loved it. And of course, I LOVED IT AS WELL!!!
Now comes the show in Darmstadt, Germany... It's tomorrow night, and I'm using this opportunity just to chill... No stress, no drama, no work, no nothing... But then again, here I am on the Internet. Go figure. LOL!!!
DETREVOLUTION is still selling, and that's wonderful news. I gave out lots of test pressings for the CHERRY JUICE RECORDINGS label, which is also a good thing. People here seem quite interested -- what the fuck is up with the distributors??? But that's another story.
When I return to Detroit, I will post pictures, sound clips, blah blah blah. No worries. Y'all will get to see what I've been doing.
In the meantime, have fun... I'll chat more soon.
Love
AC
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