Michael Myers

My mom is beautiful. She is the type of person that will help you fix all of your problems without ever mentioning any of her own. She takes such good care of her family, but not only that, of her community. She is an Ocupational Therapist and everyday helps numerous people relearn how to do everyday functions. She is constantly running into people around Chapel Hill that she has helped. The sweet and caring woman they got to know for a few hours every week is the woman I got to spend the last 25 years with. She is my best friend.

Don’t let that pretty girl fool you… she is strong! She can beat you at tennis and golf, outrun you, then hit the gym and make you feel like a sissy boy. I’ve never known anyone as selfless but at the same time takes such good care of themselves. She is always up to doing new things and rarely is missing a smile. She can salsa dance, cook a MEAN meatloaf, and her voice is as beautiful as she is. Today she turns 50, looks 30, and when instigated by me acts 10.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QbzvWdVPiI]

“Theres no one like your mom.” -Nana

This is a clip from a project I’m working on where I interviewed my last two living grandparents to collect their stories. This is my moms mom. 

They are reversable Susan Mary Margret Rooney Myers!

I just got back to Colombia after spending a month in the states. Here is a list of cities I spent at least one night in: Laytonsville, Westminster, DC, Rosslyn, Alexandria, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Wilmington, Oak Island, and Raleigh. I got a lot and nothing done in the month of July!!

I got to talk to my uncle the first week I was back about his close to death experience. While I was in Colombia he had a heart attack and flat lined at the hospital. Luckily the doctors were able to shock him back to life. He told me as his soul slipped from his body he could see rolling hills with a kingdom in the distance. It was, he said, one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. As he climbed the hill the kingdom started getting further away. The harder and faster he climbed the further away it drifted, until in a rushing moment he was brought back to life. “I still have mountains to climb,” he said.

The following weeks were spent doing things “I ain’t got no bizness doin” all around NC. One of the things I value the most about my life is the fact that my best friends from middle and highschool (and even some from elementary) are still my best friends. I think what kept us so close as a group is that we not only have things in common but our personalities balance each other out. In other words, where one person is weak another is strong. Some play the front others play the back, some of us think and others just react.

I can’t go into too much detail about the stories from this month but I’ll give you a few hints: someone work up in the front yard of an old girlfriends house, someone lost all their clothes on Wrightsville beach, someone left a hicky on a girl the night before her birthday the size of a grapefruit making it so she couldn’t go home for the birthday party her family was having for her the next day, and… everybody apologized to my parents at one time or another for being too drunk the night of my show.   

I got the chance to go to my first wedding since I was a little kid (thank you Kevin and Megan Coppedge for inviting me!!), see the newly acquired house of Ruth and Phil (two of my favorite people on this blue thing), and spend a day with my last two living grandparents on both sides as well as tons of other family members (the night I got back over 20 people were sleeping in one house to welcome me home).

I took more pictures of food than anything else while I was back. I gained around 10 pounds in one month, working HARD! I am now sitting here in Barranquilla salivating over these pictures:

I’ll be back a few days before Thanksgiving, possibly for good. If any of you have some adventure in you buy a ticket and come and see me while you can. If not, I’ll see you when it’s time to get fat again. Peace!

My life is bigger than music. My life is built by the memories of my family, mental pictures that will never fade. My life is steered by two hands, one of knowledge and the other of faith. Both of these hands are as strong as they are weak. While reason tells me it is more likely I am a distant cousin of a monkey than a descendant of two people who lived in a garden until they bit a forbidden apple, the same logic tells me that my understanding of the world is relative. I know nothing, therefore, the things I believe but don’t understand are as real to me as the ground I walk on. I have a soul.

My life is a balance between dark and light, just like the days I walk though. I have come to realize that ignoring your desire to do things will not make those desires go away. I have morals, or boundaries, but within those limits I follow the urges that come upon me. I think sometimes people tell you not to do things, not because they think you shouldn’t, but because they know eventually you’ll realize it’s not good for you. The problem with that is there are no shortcuts. Learn through experience but never comprise your morals.

My life seems to constantly move in a forward and directed path, yet I still feel as lost as the next man. I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, and to be completely honest, I still have not grown up. When my father was 25 my older brother had just been born. When my mom was 25 she had just had me, living on a tight budget, and finishing up grad school. While I look forward to having a child, I don’t think I’ll truly be ready for the responsibility until I see his/her face. 

I used to think I was lucky, but the older I get the less I believe in the idea of that word. The opportunities I have had, friends I have made, and women I have fallen in love with can’t be credited to luck.  A friend here in Colombia told me I have a guardian angel that watches over me. I haven’t always felt like God was listening but I always felt like my grandmother was. I wouldn’t be surprised if she grabs the wheel sometimes.

Each one of these things I have listed is stronger at its core than the music I make is, but nothing in this world can better explain all of these things at one time. My earliest memories involve singing with my family. My adolescence was spent in choirs and learning guitar. A big part of me separating myself from my parents and becoming my own person during this time was the type of music I choose to listen to, rap. My identity as a young adult has been built around the fact that I love and make music and I’m sure each stage to come will have its own relationship with music. My family, friends and spiritual connection with the world is the foundation that holds me up. The music I make is the result of the view those things have provided me.

Mike

First I wanted to be tall. Then I wanted to be popular. Later I wanted to be famous. Now I just want to be happy.

For the last three weeks I have lived without certain things I used to think were essential. In fact, I came to rely on these things so much I doubted I could live without them. Being dependent on something has never been my thing… the only idea I have ever allowed to control my life is something I believe I have equal control over- music. So what am I living without…

Item 1: Alarm Clock (that’s right, I use one from the 50’s, big whoop… want to fight about it?)

My alarm clock just stopped working about a month ago. The time still works but the noise that screams at me to wake up every morning just went away… how nice. So how do I wake up? The same way you do. I open my eyes, roll around for a while, and think about how weird my dream was. The only difference is my mind is no longer racing for possible excuses to stay in bed longer. I wake up when my body decides to, which means I’m ready to get out of bed when the windows open. My semester is over so I am no longer teaching. This means my main focus now is creating songs and chants for my radio program, which has no clock-in time.

Item 2: Cell Phone

The bad guys took my phone! Funny because a week before I was robbed I actually joked around with a friend about how I wish I would lose my phone sometimes, so I would be forced to get numbers again and weed out over half of my contacts that I saved as “place I met you + description” (I’m talking about you Arlington Girl and Colombia DJ). Google, however, spoiled that idea by saving all my contacts without me even knowing. Kudos. I have realized in the last couple weeks of not having the leash that I really don’t need it as much as I think I do. No longer having the social escape tool of looking at my phone like the president just sent me an email when I don’t have anything to say to someone has made me stronger. I just hope the guys who stole my phone get a call from Tigo and Colombia DJ every morning until they go crazy and give it to some deserving kid.

Item 3: Credit Card

Getting this stolen turned into a great thing. I no longer tap into my BOA account and only buy things that I can afford with the money I have in my pocket. BOA was slapping me with a 5 dollar charge every time I used that beach also… I’m a better man without it.

This chapter of my life has been very relaxing… but don’t get it twisted, it’s not all pretty girls and fresh squeezed juice. You are probably saving money- I’m watching student loans eat my bank account. You probably have a nice tan from a trip to the beach- it’s so hot here I stay away from the sun as much as possible. You probably bite into your Bojangles sausage egg and cheese biscuit and find yourself laughing about how I am thousands of miles away from the closest one- American Broasted Chicken just isn’t the same (the verdict is still out on what a broasted chicken is…).  I won’t tell you to smash your alarm clock and throw your phone and credit card into the closest body of water you can find because you probably need those things to live your productive life… but for the next week or so I’m going to enjoy what I got going on here. If you got an issue with that, try calling me…

Last weekend I saw ChocQuibTown live at Moy’s, their first show in Barranquilla. This was actually the second time I’ve seen ChocQuibTown. A few years ago they came to my college (UNCW) on a tour through the states. The show was in a relatively small bar, giving me the chance to get my second up and close experience of the band. I like to go to shows to get ideas of things to do in my set, and this was one of the best classes I’ve ever been to.

ChocQuibTown is one of the biggest hip hop bands in Colombia. They won a Latin Grammy in 2010 which gave the already prestigious band world-wide recognition. Their set, from start to finish, was filled with energy. Each song called on the audience to participate. They mixed beats with live instruments, speaking to the crowd in their mother tongue… Caribbean rhythms. The three emcees, one of which being one of the best female emcees I’ve ever seen, did everything but jump into the crowd… putting them in the top 10 on my All Time Greatest Hip-Hop Shows list. Method Man still owns the crown.

Lets play a game… find the gringo. Ready? Go!

Follow them on twitter @chocquibtown

Who is DJ Complete? He’s the man responsible for making our last album (Play It By Ear) sound like it was recorded in a professional studio even though it was recorded in my closet. He has lived the classic American DJ Dream story of starting in a strip club introducing Candy (who I miss terribly) to running the club scene in the largest city in NC, as well as being the official DJ of the Charlotte Bobcats (NC’s NBA team for all my Colombian readers). In about ten years he will also be the star in the movie Alexi Lalas: The Only American Soccer Player Americans Knew By Name In The 90’s. I’m getting off topic… He has recently teamed together with A-Styles, an OFFICIAL producer who has done work with Ying Yang Twins and Bone Crusher, in a new production group they call Styles & Complete.

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/24847013]

These guys make club music that doesn’t suck. How cool is that?! Check out their latest release above and add them on facebook and twitter to hear the ones to come:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/StylesAndComplete

Twitter: @stylesNcomplete

Albert Pérez is a good friend of mine. He also plays in an amazing reggae band called Doris Vespa, a group with Jean Mazzili, and is just an all around nice guy… but I want you to focus on the fact that I’m one of his friends, and what that means for my drum skills by default.

Albert just won some really big drum contest in Barranquilla. I got the chance to see him in the semi-finals but was sick and unable to catch the final round. I can’t remember the name of the contest, or even the name of the drums that he is playing, but all of that isn’t important… what’s really important is that I know him, and that you remember that. Watch him destroying the drums:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RflRMrW9_TA]

The last two shows I have sat in on have been with Guayaba Club, a band made up of some of my best friends here in Barranquilla. It’s really hard to describe this band in words. They have a real sophisticated, jazzy feel to them. This is definitely a band for your grown and sexy party. They play songs in Spanish, Portuguese, and English; they are made up of some of the best musicians and vocalist in the city; and they let me rap! What more could you (I) ask for.

Being that they look and sound sophisticated, they also get to perform at really cool places. So far I have performed with them at a really nice salsa bar and a famous restaurant downtown called La Cueva (The Cave), a notorious hangout for Colombia’s best writers. Get a glass of wine, your shiny shoes, and check out one of our last shows:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YelHqlpq9Aw&feature=channel_video_title]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkjRQekpaK0&sns=fb]

Mic Savvy released a new music video today for his song “Come Home” and it’s outstanding. This video makes me want to hear more from Sav and see more from Vectra Scope/Kasey Ferguson. Savvy is without a doubt one of the most committed rappers I know. He is constantly going out-of-state for shows, following the music and chasing his dreams. To me what defines Savvy’s character though is the fact that he is an honest, hard working, family man. This video visualizes all of those things.

“I am with the love of my life. I am a proud father. I am Hip Hop” –Mic Savvy

Growing up in Chapel Hill we were all obsessed with hip-hop. I was one of the seven or eight kids in 2003 trying to make a name for myself. We all looked up to Savvy; he was like our big brother. He helped us get shows, make contacts, and follow music past freestyling at parties. Almost ten years later he is still NC’s big brother, leading by example with the honesty that he puts into his music and the integrity he shows off stage. Savvy gives everyone a chance, which is more than I can say for myself and most other people I know. I hope everyone in the great north state realizes how lucky we are to have him.

I’d like to thank Savvy for everything he’s done for NC hip-hop in the last decade, and everything he will do in the next. Here is a poster for the very first show I did in 2003 (they used to spell his name wrong like a mug haha):

Mic Savvy: www.micsavvy.com

Vectra Scope: www.youtube.com/vectrascope

A couple of days ago I woke up with a 102 temperature. A doctor came over, diagnosed me, gave me some shots in the ass (of a drug that is illegal in the states and most other countries), and told me to stay in the house and rest until Monday. I’ve already watched four seasons of Weeds. Before I start on the next one, I want to thank you all.

This week my blog passed 4,000 views!! For you big bloggers out there, this is a number that you probably reach in a week (big whoop you want to fight about it). Thumbs up for you, but I don’t run a big blog. I write about the things that happen to me and try to pull life lessons out of those experiences to share with you. I’d rather my audience be my friends and family. So here is to all of you. Thanks for reading, commenting, listening, and sharing.

 
To celebrate I will try to write a blog every day this week. I’ll start today by sharing one of my favorite stand up acts by Rob Stapleton.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XaDMREsXI]

A few things in this act really hit home. I had plenty of experience with both crack heads and busses in DC. I actually felt more in danger riding public transportation at 6 pm after work than I did walking around Florida Ave at 3 am. Once I was riding the bus home from work and accidentally made eye contact with the creature sitting in the back seat. It slowly got up, mouth-watering and eyes locked on me, and started screaming “I DON’T F**K ANIMALS.” Needless to say this scared the piss out of me. I was new to the city and didn’t know the protocol. You have to put yourself in its shoes (I’m calling it IT because I could not tell if it was a man or a woman). How would you feel if people were coming into your house all day, reading their electronic books and trying to get cell phone service, while you were just trying to get some shut-eye. Sitting in the last four seats of any form of public transportation is considered trespassing.

On a different note… I’ve always been a little curious about this, so I’ll go ahead and ask and see if anyone has any thoughts. Do black people find the way we speak hilarious, or is it more the corny way middle-aged white people act? I think it’s interesting that most imitations usually depict us as a polite and well spoken bunch. You rarely see people using the hee-haw, tea-party enthusiast, Obama is a Muslim t-shirt wearing, redneck imitation. Thanks for that!

Thanks again for checking in on the blog and keeping me inspired to write. Remember to subscribe to the blog and look around the different pages. What are some of your favorite comedy clips people?? I got four more days of lying in bed… help me out.