We're taking Giant Steps Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is going to be epic! i bs u not. check the list (below) of workshop presenters and panelists going to be at Giant Steps conference tomorrow Oct 1st. It reads like a who is who in arts and entrepreneurship fields! Twill be at the Neighborhood house on the west side of St. Paul! Still a chance to register today!

Ashanti Abdullah - Artist Management
Ta-coumba Aiken - Artist, Muralist, Activist, Educator
Kevin Beacham - Social Media Manager: Fifth Element, DJ
Nichelle Bell - Founder LITT Magazine, IT Consultant
Maurice Blanks - Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Blu Dot
Desdamona - Artist, Co-founder of B Girl Be, Educator
Marcus Genzlinger - Web Designer, Entrepreneur
Jon Goodman - Founder, JGoods LLC
Crystal Grobe - Food Writer, WCCO.com
Jon Hallberg, M.D. - Medical Director, Mill City Clinic
Diallo Hall - Founder, AddisTunes
Jamal Hashi - Chef, Co-Owner Safari Express
Maria Isa - Artist, Actor, Founder SotaRico Productions
Aaron Keller - Founding Partner and Managing Principal, Capsule. Author
Brendan BK-One Kelly - Artist, Dj/Producer
Ken Kunkle - Attorney, Kunkle Law PLC
Crista Lentsch - Business banking officer, U.S Bank
Kyle Myhre - Artist, Activist, National Slam Poetry Champion
Chris Osgood - Vice-President of Organizational Development, McNally-Smith
Rhea Pappas - Photographer, Educator, Community Organizer
T Mychael Rambo - Emmy award Winning Actor, Educator, Vocalist, Organizer
Jon Rasmussen - Executive Director, Midway Contemporary Art
Blake Richardson - Sake Brewer, Owner: Moto-I, Herkimer
Brent Siddiq Sayers - Co-founder/CEO Rhymesayers Ent
Danny Schwartzman - Owner/Founder Common Roots Cafe
Ben Shardlow - Community Developer, Co--Founder of Give & Take Works Progress
Nichole Smaglick - Founder and President, Another Land
Andrea Swensson - Music Editor (The City Pages)
Toki Wright - Artist, Organizer, Educator

Also peep the trailer...


Plus there will be an early concert 7:00pm - 9:00pm at Cause soundbar and spirits with me and Desdamona! pow

Katrah-Quey is a genius. Makings of...

...street symphony. wow how did i miss this? one of the first songs i recorded for "manifestations!" he takes u thru the sample and editorializes a likkle bit. don't front on fruity loops people. i've put audio of the full song beneath it too. shouts to my guy KQ! and Ado who loves this song. i'm all nostalgic now



here's the song



Get manifestations on SALE here or here on itunes!

Celebrating "Manifestations" - 8.99 (shipping included) sale!

To celebrate the 3-year anniversary of "manifestations," I've put it on sale for only $8.99 (shipping included!) for the next week. There are only a few copies of the original pressing left. Buy a copy for yourself, for a friend and family member! This album was awarded top 5 albums of the year by the Star Tribune, and top 10 albums by the City Pages. Re-released in Europe by Jakarta Records/Groove Attack. Get yours! Much respect to all of you who copped the record and helped to put me in a position where i am now as a full time artist. spread the word! I've written a short reflection piece below.


Sept 11 2007 i shared "manifestations," my first musical child, with the world. It was an act of faith. no record label backing, going the independent route, balancing time i didn't have (i had a full time job with a non-profit at the same time), and having to let go of artistic anxieties of this not being good enough. I remember days upon days agonizing with my friend and manager Ashanti about how we were going to find money to press CD's and do all the printing and promo stuff. Writing and recording the music was the "easy" part. Then out of the blue i worked on a pepsi jingle through Asche and Spencer which ended up being chosen by pepsi to be used for radio ads and as their theme music on their website! God sent i tell you. Finally some mullah landed into my lap, and i could do for myself what many of my peers were waiting for a record label to do for them.

3 years later i can only give thanks that folks all around the world not only liked the record, but actually were generous enough to buy it! 3 years later i'm now a full time artist. 3 years later i've been able to tour many cities in America, played incredible shows and big festivals in Europe, had some amazing critical reviews, met some amazing fans/kinfolk and accidentally made some more good music along the way. There are so many to thank for manifestations which in all honesty was a group effort from me and my 4shades crew.

Much respect to all the amazing producers i worked with: O-d, G Mo, Katrah-Quey, Sebmaestria, B-Live, Dela (Dee), M.A, Coptic. Much respect to the artists who contributed their vocal talents to the record: Desdamona, Checkmate, Wanlov the Kubolor, Evil Twin, Mandi, Nisreen. To Mahdee Abdullah for the hilarious skits. To Ashanti for helping to make it happen and bearing with my stubborn self. And of course for the scratches on "Street Symphony" u were never credited for! haha. To roli, for being the critical ear. To Joe Mabbott for mastering the record. To Jonah for the artwork - good lookin! To Mikal for the link to Jonah. To Biq Quarters, I Self Devine, Maria Isa for playing the Cd release party. To Paul Yutaka for doing the website and all sorts of random stuff i needed - much appreciated. And to all of you who bought the records, burnt copy, or sent a link to somebody, or ever gave me critiques and/or words of encouragement. Much love
M dododotidoh

To all my friends that ever lost their minds…

To all my friends that ever lost their minds…
Only to find it was a good thing to lose
Cause in the mind is where fear dwells
And a life of fear, is a life that might as well be hell
might appear fear is a basic instinct
Not something you hear, but something u see in a baby for instance
For some, fear is a driver. And they’re passengers going the distance
Seatbelt strapped in so tight it’s hard to put up a resistance
Does a market for fear exist?
perhaps I should check with ebay and craigslist.
fear is on my shitlist for all the times I was scared shitless
so I try to leave my fears behind, or give some to the devil for Christmas.
he deserves it.
when fear grips me and my tears are ‘bout to well up
I remember “fear is a darkroom where negatives develop”
At least that’s what some old bloke wrote
Seems like a remarkable quote.
All good things must come to an end? true indeed tho'
So is this prose about to end? I’m afraid so.

M.anifest - Been crazy before ft. I Self Devine & Checkmate (prod O-D) by manifestive

Africology!

Africology is very fresh, so jump on the bandwagon before the wagon gets congested :). www.africologymedia.com. They came thru to Le poisson Rouge for the Alternative Apparel showcase i played at the night before Africa Express in Spain. I spit some bars, they ask some questions, and then there's a likkle footage of yours truly performing blackstar over there. enjoy. My NYC folks always show mucho love. Big up to Gibril, Kalab and Ado.
Holleration
M dododotidoh

M.anifest on Africology from Africology on Vimeo.

Spain "Festa Dos Mundos"/Africa Express Recap.....

So much to say so much awesomeness to remember. but most importantly we give thanks for the opportunity to rock in front of 50,000 plus people on a beach and to do so with a brilliant and amazing group of musicians. truly humbling. peep these two vids and a pic of the crowd. Big shoutouts to Africa Express!
yours truly,
m dododotidoh

Blackstar Live. shouts to m3nsa and wanlov!


M3nsa performs "show me how"


a flick of the crowd

Civilization is a weird place

Civilization is a weird place chale. somewhere in between the plenty gadgets, the rules, the news, and the blues, our humanity is missing and misplaced. still i'm tickled by it.

This evening i saw a white collar fella in his white collar dress clothes wearing a screwface, walking on a side walk, and picking every piece of trash he saw. he either is selling a house on the block (property value?), has a chip on his shoulder, or has a compulsive need to manual street sweep at the end of his work day at whatever office downtown. Could be one of the above or i'm just a presumptuous idiot.

Civilization is a weird place chale. Where else can lebron james making a luxurious decision of which city and NBA team to pay him the most and satisfy his career be more important than the gross injustice of the verdict in the cop that shot and killed Oscar Grant in the back?

Civilization is a weird place chale. there's a curtain of illusion that makes us think talent and a meritocracy is what runs things. nope suh. It's always politics and bullshit. it does off course pay to be a pleasant person because people tend to like that even in the cut-throat and nepotism riddled world of politics and music.

civilization is a weird place. fashions that come and go. Twitter's 140 characters runs the information world. crabs in a bucket and the rat race being civilly called "competition" or the workings of the free market if you want to get sophisticated.

civilization is such a weird place i think i have to keep reminding folks of what i have in my discography thus far to keep the $ support going. so here goes. shamwless plugs is a part of the weird civilization. so allow me:
manifestations CD. On Itunes
Sankofa On Itunes
The Birds and the Beats. Free Album!
2Africans and a Jew CD Itunes

Stay Human,
M dododotidoh

Black Stars Ayekoo! More Than Just Sport

First things first: Black Stars Ayekooooooo! It was a great run. pride oozing from every pore of my africa-man-original body. Ghana's looking real good on the stock market and in the hearts of many right now. Every Black Stars victory had every African beaming... yes we came from Africa



second things second. I'm slowly nursing the heartache of losing on penalties to Uruguay in the World Cup quarter finals. I haven't been this salty about a sports loss since Senegal 92. Back then 'twas the African cup of nations when Ghana's best player ever (forever ever *Andre 3stacks voice), Abedi Ayew, couldn't play the final cause the ref in the semis showed him a yellow card for dissent. guess what chale? we lost that one too on friggin penalties! as fate would have it, 18 years later his son Andre Ayew, who had an amazing tournament, also missed this decisive game cause of yellow card fckery. ebei! History needs to stop repeating itself already. i'm not even going to talk about Suarez and his goaltending madness. It'll make my blood do all sorts of volcano larva boiling.


You see chale, it's more than just sports. The hullabaloo about winning or losing is rooted in many things. it's everything from national pride to faux nationalism, to continent and kinship, to diaspora love (i love how my Caribbean peoples and others were supporting the black stars), to finding joy in a life rife with struggles, etc. Personally, been having it rough for a week and some change so i know a victory would've been more than a good look for my spirit chale. It can be as much an escape as it can be motivational. some people probably know more details about the world cup than any of the world wars. bet.

Back to life, back to reality now. Get vuvzela blackstars mp3 for free download, featuring yours truly, and celebrate the team with the best dance moves. gone but not forgotten. Black Stars, y3 ma mo Ayekoo!

M.

Brighter than Sunshine...vote already :)

before you read this, just go underneath the video and click VOTE. thanks.

now that that's out of the way...long time no blog. i'm in leavensworth Washington. A bavarian style village with some pretty mountains and thangs behind it. why? more on that next post. but urgently though, i need you to Vote for my friend Budo and i. we were invited to submit a remix of Aqualung's "brighter than sunshine" to Alternative Apparel's contest and we did. and folks are loving it. but it's a contest. we need to get an incredible number of votes to stay in 1st place. spread the word to ya friends on twitter, facebook and their a-alikes. let's get it!
Peace
M.

Unsigned Artist Competition Sponsored by Alternative Apparel

A.R.M, Soundset, the Grind, and the Sun Set

we came, we saw, we soundset, sun up to sunset. 17,000 or so people in the same location is what we call nuts. Hip-Hop festivals for the win. we give thanks that i could be on that stage with Budo and Krukid as A.R.M. (African Rebel Movement). Second time i played Soundset and it only gets bigger by the year.

lemme just say, for those who don't realize this here is a vocation, it's certainly a full time job performing, helping to sell your own merch, shake hands with the generous fans, sign tees, caps, posters, cds, vinyl and answer random questions. i love it though. i'll shut up and let the flicks speak.

kruk and i. Budo on guitars and horns (and mic) in the back left.


Muja Messiah and Dodi Phy come on for "refuse to lose," posse cut off "2 africans and a jew" album.

Shouts to Susan Campion and those cool and talented students from HSRA school: such support makes it twice as nice to enjoy the vocation.

last but not least, A.R.M tent and tees.


Bonus:
Potholesinblog.com recently re-posted this circa '06 recordings between me and wicked dope Belgian producers 40 Winks. download and enjoy. it''ll shed some light on the evolution of my voice.
http://potholesinmyblog.com/under-the-radar-40-winks-m-anifest-untitled-ep/

Hilarity! peep this...

okay, so i should be blogging about my london and paris journey i'm on right now. but i'm enjoying it too much to be blogging. :). however tho, this video/mockumentary right here is hilarious, and brilliant and vulgar. i've been waiting for Paul (who designed and manages my www.manifestmc.com) to put this out for a minute. he just did so i'm geeked to post it for my own mischievous reasons. see you at soundset on May 30th if you're in MN! you don't want to miss out! peace

struggles, faults & promise; all in one man

i struggle with a lot. i have too many faults to count. i try not to make too many promises. their too hard to keep. i have too many friends, i'm not sure i need anymore. even though i'm learning to keep that friendship circle smaller cause there are too many parasites and plenty opportunists waiting to sodomize my dreams for their own short term benefits.

i shouldn't throw fits. but sometimes i probably do. my fault. or perhaps just a struggle i need to keep, to keep the balance. i'm probably a dope strategist but not always a great judge of character. i can't swim. i love to win. i got a secret stash of that M.J competitiveness. the one that showed up at his NBA hall of fame speech - google that incredulous event. it's one of those necessary faults though. just can't take it to the podium like his royal airness.

i have thick skin. i have thin skin too. which skin shows up when? can't promise. i'm a scorpio, so do the math. i've seen funny-style reviews of my art that don't affect me none at all. i think too highly of myself maybe. on the other hand, i've heard slick sh*t said behind my back by supposed-to-be friends that irks the hell out of me. why should i care? i dunno why i do. i might end up learning to do the same from them. Jah Forbid!

with all my many faults, and my struggles to rid my life off the absolute drama it is sometimes, i've promised myself to remember to tell u guys where you can purchase and support the music and movements i'm making. i'm like public radio, currently membership driven. so here goes...

1. Tomorrow Wed May 5th at the Guthrie theater, Minneapolis, at 7:30pm. i have a show! it's a big one. come thru! get tickets here or at discounted rates at fifth element
2.Tuesday May 11th (next week), the long awaited "Two Africans and a Jew" EP Debut from the phenom of a group known as A.R.M that i'm a part of. Pre-order it here
3. Did you already get "sankofa" from itunes? released this year. Get it!
4. My first album was called "manifestations." buy it on itunes or a physical copy.

thank you and goodnight.

sincerely,
mr struggles-faults-and-promises

That New New!

In case you missed this.... Here ya go! A.R.M. (Budo, Krukid, & yours truly) featuring Slug. thank me later :). Download below.

A.R.M. feat. Slug - Fear of the Mundane(Dirty)
A.R.M. feat. Slug - Fear of the Mundane(Clean)

Off A.R.M.'s upcoming "Two Africans and a Jew" EP. Big up to Slug for such a good look and going in on that verse eh! spread the word and link up with A.R.M. on facebook. And oh yeah *drum rolls*, we'll be performing at Soundset 2010!



"Two Africans and a Jew" is dropping (do people still use this term? :)) late April/Early May. I'm geeked (squad) for this. Listening to the mastered version of the record right about now. mmmm...

peace peace
m.anifest

Kiss and tell...

...or in this case, "live and tell." this one's a quickie.

Infancy: run wild, run free
Adolescence: rebel for no reason. lose things you can't get back (virginity?), enjoy thinking u know better than your parents and other adults. hubris
20's: time to make a lot of really bad decisions and a few good ones :)
Thats all

life begins at 40. can't wait. i take that back. i can really wait. no rush. you're welcome to share your abbreviated version of what you now know to be the cycle of life.
m diggy

See the picture, name the rapper

when i travel i usually muse on a little creative project for myself. usually don't do nathin about it. thanks to my blackberry bold, that has changed. here's my little picture and rapper name/rapper lyrics association from a recent trip. i have other photos but hey....
so here goes

"Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus..." - Yeezy


Fatima, what did the young man say, before he stole you away..." - K'naan


Quite Obvious


14KT - Producer

Sorry Kanye. Jesus walks, but some people on Jamaica Ave in Queens have strong opinions on the popular image of Jesus


btw do you have sankofa? cop it from itunes and support yours truly. stank you very much.

Thinking Man's Muse

I'm a thinking man. I can't help it... fortunately. I think at noon, night, dusk, dawn, and times in-between. I think when i eat; how delicious or salty is this banku and okra soup? or mmm...nourishment. I think when i shit; geez, can't believe i held it in this long? & how am i going to fix that Protools mix? I think thoughts so much i start to think I'm thought. Amusing thoughts, confusing thoughts, black thoughts, brown thoughts, Twi thoughts, English thoughts, and what was that drunk-cat-in-the-bus-thinking thoughts.

Maybe I'm a thought process... cause of the way i process thought. For instance i want to backhand slap the fella who came up with “a penny for your thoughts.” i think he lied. Cause my piggy bank would be bigger than Alaska by now, and my banks accounts fatter than the one black dude that won American idol. Foul thought you say...

I think thinking is my right. I swear I'd gladly picket for the right to think. Even though my primary school teachers mostly subscribed it to my genetics. “It's in his nature” they must have said. “Look at his family tree.” Shake it gently and an avalanche of thought-leaves will follow. So much for nurture right?

Regrets? one of the few kind of thoughts i despise. So when you ask me “what were you thinking?” my Scorpio resentment creeps in on the ASAP tip. I think you're deepening a wound that needs nursing. It's hemorrhaging can't you see? Think twice they tell me, and all i can think is that Donald Byrd song. Chale, e hard oh. Pidgin thoughts.

My thoughts are gonna take me places. “I let my mind travel, on occasion my body tags along.” Those kind of thoughts i put in song. Songs i conceive in places of pain, and sometimes dreams, and deliver in syncopated rhyme schemes, seen? The beautyful ones are not yet born. Beautiful thoughts that is. So let me keep impregnating these emotions and translating them thru this, what chu mo call it,....gift. I'm in love with this gift of thought. it's a gift with an infinite source, yes I'll keep giving. You might not like it sometimes. That's cool; It's the thought that counts

Richy Pitch feat Yours Truly - BlackStar (BBE records)

Very happy with this here. i hope yall dig it. if you do...tell a friend or three.

Richy Pitch, BBE, New York, Toki Wright & etc...

Imagine an album featuring an all-star Ghanaian cast: Reggie Rockstone, Samini, M.anifest (me? :)), M3NSA, Wanlov the Kubolor, Yasmeen, Sena, AB, DJ Black and Kwesi Dankwa = Pure Awesomeness! Well that album is indeed on it's way June 7th! Courtesy Richy Pitch (London), Producer/DJ/& Soon to be published Author of a book on beatmaking. His Album, "Y3 fr3 me Richy" featuring all the names above will be released on the famed label BBE on June 7th. BBE has put out albums by the great Jay Dee a.k.a Dilla (Welcome to Detroit), Dj Jazzy Jeff, Will.i.am, and more. Great Discography.

.....and *drum rolls* I'm featured on the first single! The video (which is animated) of the single, "Black Star" will be out in April. Both the song and the video reach for some dope creative styles and i think yall will dig it. I'm also on another song on Richy's album: with M3nsa and Wanlov the Kubolor - quite a collab eh. Richy's discography includes production for the likes of J-Live, Mr Complex, and Asheru. Anyways, much kudos to Richy Pitch. He put in a lot of work whiles living in Ghana the past 2 years to produce this pure awesome record. A good look for Ghana, a good look for music in my opinion.

I arrived in New York Last night. here to do a 15 minute set at a Ghana @ 53 independence celebration show this Saturday March 20th. Click here for details of the show. Shout out to Rych Ent who made my appearance happen. New York is a fascinating place every time i visit. still i had my mouth open at one of the first things i saw in the city... a car aflame in the middle of manhattan! of course i took a pic

When i return i'll be playing the homey Toki Wright's "BlackMale" EP (Rhymesayers/SoulTools) release at 7th street Entry on Saturday March 26th! it's going to be a funky good time i tell you. Get advance tickets here and invite all your facebook friends here.

till next time. be beautiful in thoughts and spoil yourself with fun times! Don't be too cool to wild out sometimes. spring!
peace
m.

M. March Madness... Updates! Updates!

Almost a quarter way through 2010. Time indeed waits for no man, woman and everything in-between. This year's main goal: not to sabotage myself by feeling crippled by the rapidly lengthening to-do-lists i have. but so far so good...knock on wood.

Friday Mar 5th: we had the show with Bamboo, Krukid and I.B.E in Minneapolis. went very well! energy was high! one thing for sure and two things for certain: there were lots of energetic and pretty black, brown, white, African, and all other colors and tribes of peoples. i like how these shows are turning out to be the United nations of Music. next time tho', bigger venue and it should be sold out! bet.

Didn't sleep till 5am that morning. Around 10:30am on Saturday my manager Ashanti calls me up; he was on orange alert for our 4 hr drive to Moorhead, bordering Fargo North Dakota. He gave me a hilarious lecture on how I'm always on African Time and then turns out he was the one on CPT. ha. We got to Concordia College without incident. Have to say they had a very warm group of volunteers and organizers for the event. The panel discussion was very interesting. Hip-Hop has so many different perspectives it could be refreshing or frightening. All depends. Shoutouts to Shin B, Ernest Rhodes, Kipp, and the other folks on the panel.

Suffice it to say, i enjoyed the hell out of the show. The students/crowd were dancing outta control and it didn't matter that the arena wasn't packed. the folks there filled the whole space with their energy. they were vocal and put their bodies into it. that's how it's supposed to be done. Concordia College students at the show - i salute you! anybody got pictures?

Meanwhile On Friday, A.R.M. (the supergroup made up of myself, Krukid and superproducer Budo), released the first single of our "Two Africans and a Jew" EP featuring Slug of Atmosphere (Rhymesayers)! The song is available on itunes here. Get it! Slug and Brother Ali especially have both been so helpful and the amount of gratitude we have is alot. Shoutouts also to DJ Hyphen who premiered the song on Seattle's Kube 93 two sundays ago.

Happy belated Independence day, March 6th, to my homeland Ghana! First African country south of the sahara to re-gain independence. Nkrumah FTW.

I'll be in New York for a post-independence Show on saturday March 20th together with Kwabena Kwabena. Shoutouts to Rych Entertainment!

To all friends and family who i haven't returned emails or VM's in timely fashion. forgive me and bear with me. i'm trying to get better at it. we'll talk soon.

I'll shut up already :). later is greater. link up on facebook.
sincerely yours,
M.anifest / m diggy dot/ M dododotido

Busy Body... a Promising Week

Fail to plan, plan to fail.so yeah, I'm on my grizzly chale! love busy weeks...

- Thursday March 4th: I'll be speaking and appearing at a Hamline University Anthropology class, "Africa, Music, and Cultural Production." Should be an engaging affair.

- Friday March 5th: This will be epic! i'm performing at 7th street entry, downtown minneapolis with with my A.R.M compadre, Krukid (Uganda), and Kenya's favorite, Bamboo. here's more info...

- Saturday March 6th: I'll be Headlining Concordia University, Moorhead's Hip-Hop Summit. I'll also be speaking on a panel discussion earlier that evening.

Last week, i spoke to Toki Wright's class at McNally Smith College of Music in St Paul, MN. i think it's dope Hip-Hop is at the collegiate level. I'm meeting a lot of interesting opportunities in the education realm and i'm looking forward to exercising my intellectual and strategic prowess more. Shoutouts to T Mychael Rambo who was generous in enough to invite him to join in an artist residency t PCYC alternative school, North Minneapolis. The students did a wonderful job and we managed to help them produce 3 songs they performed for the community at the capris theatre on Jan 19th.

enough about me, How's about you? :). later is greater
peace
m diggidy

Get "Sankofa," for 99cents on iTunes or Amazon Right Now!

Audio Stream is @ bottom of post
Sankofa on Itunes: http://tinyurl.com/ycewcsz
Sankofa on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/yf3f8vc

Read the Lyrics to Sankofa

A subjective soundtrack for black history month that details a bit of my personal journey and thoughts on reclaiming the past to move forward.please do cop it. would be much much appreciated. And do Share the itunes link as well with your friends and fam. thank you so kindly. enjoy :)


More on the subjective of Sankofa later. here's a stream of the song - produced by Sebmaestria (France). i know u'll still cop it though. medasi!

Guest List...

all so close... we mixing up the medicine as we speak. March it will be :).

Two Africans and a Jew .... so close

I'm working to contain my excitement with this 8 Track EP (and a bonus track :)) we're bringing to you in March. i mean... if i may say so myself, it's sounding like a damn good precursor to the full length LP "Uprising." Lawd have mercy. Budo and Krukid go in! i do my best to keep up :). btw, i'm talking about A.R.M. - the three headed monster that is Krukid, Myself, and Budo on Productions. The title of this post says it all. We might lead the campaign with a super dope collabo with Slug (Atmosphere) on there. he really comes through on the stellar tip. oops! just let that one out the bag....

what up tho..

Bless up.
m.

oldies but goodies... free 99

What up Tho (Ode to Dilla) - Download
Silence is golden ('05) - Download

The first is a Bonus Track only on the Europe/Japan re-release (Jakarta/Groove Attack) of my '07 debut "manifestations." produced by eyecue, another dope twin cities talent. The second is the first track i ever put on myspace! recorded circa late '05. Over a Dilla track ironically, that was officially used by Raekwon 4 years after for his ODB tribute. We had er... unofficial access to those amazing Dilla beat tapes. whew. They were quite the CPR for a dying inspiration.

just sharing some of my past forays with the music. sankofa. Thoughts? holleration
sincerely,
m.



cover of Europe/Japan re-release (Jakarta/Groove Attack) of "manifestations."

Random Note on Avatar

Disclaimer/Movie-spoiler-alert: If you haven't seen the movie and intend to see it, stop reading this right now. anyways. some questions need asking, some answers need questioning, and some movies are good but there's a trend here. Dances with wolves? The last samurai? erm...

This white messiah complex needs to kill itself already. I mean if the natives (indigenous people, or whatever synonyms u want to use) are so advanced and connected to nature, can't we just find the messiah in their midst? The great white hope slash great white Jesus must be such a compelling idea for it to keep recurring in movies. A story about marginalized peoples redemption is not complete, it seems, without that messiah-like outsider.

anyways, i enjoyed the flick otherwise. :). first time i saw a movie in imax. I Know i'm behind the times, but hey, there's always a first time.

Okay that's all.

peace

The Human Condition

It's vexatious to see someone celebrate in you moments of despair and grief. Doesn't matter that he/she is a total stranger and has cause to bask in the glory of their graduation or some other joyous happening in their life. It's the human condition. September 11 is many a man's birthday, anniversary, etc,- but we'd like to begrudge them the joy of that day though right?

I've had a few of those moments since the earthquake struck Haiti. Is is apathy? do people not care enough? Could everything just shut down for a few to address this cataclysm of epic proportions? Probably not. It's the human condition. I should know. I was born in circumstances that epitomized the polar chaos between joy and grief.

My Mom had a C-Section, much to my grandma's (rest her soul) dismay and worry. My father was grieving and burying my paternal grandfather the same day. Suffice it to say i made both a majestic and difficult entry onto earth in an emotionally strained time. Those of you who know me personally (or are my facebook 'friends') know that my middle name is Amet. Ametepee is the full thing. An Ewe name. Means in place of somebody or more metaphorically, stepping into the shoes of another. They were all happy i came i bet, but there were other mitigating factors, to put it mildly, that i'm sure made for a mix of joy and other emotions.

So no, i'm not making excuses for anyone; but its useful to motivate others to help alleviate in suffering that hits home with us rather than expect an immediate response from everybody. Tragic as this sounds, it's the human condition. Or more aptly the human experience.

on that note. My heart still really aches for Haiti. Dig into your pocket. I've donated... have you? Please do. Thank u. Thats all. Text Yele to 501 501 and $5 will be donated and charged to your next phone bill - toward earthquake relief in Haiti.

On a lighter tip. Are you watching the African Cup of Nations in Angola? Ghana's looking a bit shaky. I need to be more patient with the Black Stars. It's difficult though. Years of heartbreak, have made me an easily emotional fan of my beloved team.

Also, Peep this very moving song and video, that is making major virial rounds, from High School Students from the High School fo Recording Arts (HSRA): an alternative school in St Paul, MN. They decided to contribute their talents to support relief and healing in Haiti since they couldn't do too mcuh financially to help. Kudos.


"Two Africans and a Jew" is on the Horizon. Boom Bam. I'm out

m diggidy

fear of the mundane...

who works harder than a kayayo (pic below)?



End of '09 i put up a Facebook status: "been a year of extreme highs and extreme lows. still grateful. still hopeful. still terrified of living an 'ordinary' life." Really meant that. I realize it could have been easily misconstrued as perhaps me looking down on the hardworking 9to5ers (more like 8to6ers) amongst us. NOT so. I was working a 9 to 5 and simultaneously working on music full time for four straight years! A task and a half i tell you. so i can appreciate the working man's hustle.

But at what point do we make a choice between a vocation and working to survive? The merits of Adjuma (hard)work are undeniable; whether you have investment banker hours or do the graveyard shift reluctantly. Whatever our reason(s) no one can knock us. but awareness, intentionality, and choice are perhaps what advance us from being zombies to self-determining individuals. Hardwork is not an option or variable. its a constant. see Wayne's "the carter" documentary

Like all other years, I have every intention of making a living this year, not being homeless, and affording some of the luxuries of modernity: internet, blackberry, the occcasional movie theatre visit. But this will be the year i try to fully control my destiny more intentionally. I'm creating music, workshops (solo and with other collaborators), booking performances, panel discussions, speaking engagements, amongst other moves that exercise my talents and are hopefully gainful as well. Yup. Making sure i let inspiration meet my vocation(s) at ever single point in time. Good luck to me. it's a struggle. I'm bracing myself. Geeked though.

Best to you and yours in your works and vocation(s) this year.

Randoms:
There's an A.R.M.(my group with Krukid & Budo) song called "Fear of the Mundane." off our "Two Africans and a Jew" EP which will soon be near completion

Best hopes, thoughts and prayers to the kinfolk in Haiti. Wyclef (follow him on twitter) is doing an admirable job raising funds and visibility for relief. Let's be motivated by our humanity and how historic Haiti is for the Diaspora.

Bonus: Adjuma video by ultra-talented M3nsa.

How to Book M.anifest in 2010: An Easy Guide

Being that I'm all over the internet informally, folks are often confused about how to get business done with me: i.e. how to book me for shows at your university, night club, conferences, workshops, speaking engagements, etc., or to do interviews for your magazine, website, etc.

For all intents and purpose you can use booking@manifestmc.com or call 612-208-2033 (Contact:Ashanti Abdullah) for all your inquiries. But below are specific and alternate email addresses to make sure you can reach me and my management so we can get work done. Feel free to share with friends and business colleagues who might be interested.

Book M.anifest for Shows: booking@manifestmc.com or armmgt@gmail.com

Media Inquiries (Interviews): manifest@manifestmc.com or booking@manifestmc.com

Other Inquiries: manifest@manifestmc.com

You are also welcome to book A.R.M. - my amazing group with Krukid and Budo - using these channels. Looking forward to coming to your city, town and what have you in 2010! Let's make it happen.

Peace Peace

m.anifest
My Official Website