When you diss Dre you diss yourselllffff... (at a bus stop in LA)

Ok, dig it, a bit of an interesting conversation had while at a bus stop about "Support Your Local Artist"....

So, at a bus stop, right, summer day. Can't really remember what time it was but it was day, and bright, and hot, and i'm at a friggin bus stop in LA, your world, so your LA heat. I know LA has Clippers and Sparks, Miami has the Heat, but you dig what i'm saying. Jeeze, we're gonna start like this? Smh. ANYWAYS, (i love it when you laugh) so i'm ats a bus stops, right, and a kid was passing out fliers, right... only a few people there, no harm in it. So i'm chillin' there, right, smoking a cig, playing with sounds and vibes in my head, diggin the sights and sounds, the electricity of being... whatever, it's always there, folks just don't always get or make the time or mind to pause and dig on it, right? So, yeah, cool... dude's passing out like some kinda band promo show fliers... punk/metal... "ROCK" style looking stuff, photocopies all jaggedly cut on the hot pink and that alien green paper, all scratchy ransom note letters and cut and pasted logos and pics-- you've seen 'em, you know what i mean... "Free show, love to see you there... Free show... Flier?..." dude's going on, dishing some out, "Here ya go... Support some local artists..." Been there, done that, know the hustle is real.

First off, if it's not glossy and you overpaid folks won't really want to take it, or they'll take it and glance and toss it on the ground at the next corner (out of "respect"). If your flier game is stepped up, and you got the electric fades going and tight logos, then it's Hip Hop or strippers/club stuff. Hey man, you can tell by the style of dress and tats folks have which musical camp they belong to. Spiritual cattle branding. Anyways, so, yeah, young(er) i wanna say mexican but he mighta been white and something mixed, even tho white ain't a race of human beings cause ain't no country called white for them to come from and be white people..... whatever. So, he's out there flier slanging. Sometimes he just looked down at the ground, feeling the vibe off of some folks, you know, "NOT INTERESTED IN THIS AND ON A MISSION", but he held the flier out there anyways.... It's fishing. You get what you can get. Go with a stack of 200, maybe 1-something make it to people's homes (don't get trashed), maybe 15 of them show up.

So, it's hot, folks don't wanna be bugged. I get it. But it's not like he's stopping you with a clipboard asking if you have his phone service or are you registered to vote. "Hey, here's a flier..." It's a frickin flier, you take it or keep walking with that "Nah, sorry, but right-on." half smile and nod deal. No biggie. So, without looking, right, this guy says, "Naw man, i don't want that. I don't listen to that satanic trash." I kinda wanted him to say "satanic shit" cause "church folks" do interesting things in the streets where i guess God isn't in the streets... which is why he sent church folks there?? I know... I know... it gets better... just... i know..

So i laughs at this fool, right, and the kid's like a little in shock, like kinda "Woah buddy" in the face expression, but he shrugs it off, kinda smiles. Keeps it pushing. I goes, "Yo man, what kinda band? What kinda music y'all got?"

He goes, "Its a christian metal rally, fund raiser to help folks at a few churches. They're elderly folks and used to be in bands. They got together and put out this music program at this senior center and the churches work with... old folks teaching young folks how to do music so they don't get all swallowed up by the streets. Keeps the young folks out of trouble and learning a valuable outlet. Keeps the old folks busy and alive. Bridges the gap. But them folks is old, in senior centers, so we're doing a show to help them pay for their stuff at the centers... food, bills.. kinda keep the place going. Keep the program alive."

And i goes, "Cause that's what you wanna do huh? Help them old folks cause they taught y'all how to do music?"

He goes, "Well, naw, it's not for me. I don't do music. I mean i listen to it, but it's my kid brother." Yeah, maybe he was white and mixed, but i've heard some mexicans call kids their kid brother/sister before. I dunno. Anyways, so he's like, "He learned there cause we ain't have no dad and i was out in rehabs n'stuff, so he was raised kinda doing music, you know? Like his dad is music. That and the folks at the center. I wasn't really around much, when he was growing up you know, tryna get money, running the streets, doing whatever -- getting in trouble. But he got into this. He's making something out of his self. I'm glad he's doing something positive, and if this is what i can do to support--"

And i goes, "You got a cd or something?" Usually the cd has the download links or site and social page or something. Whole time, i'm watching the stuck up dude kinda shrink in his shoes... He was all looking without looking, you know? Acting like he was looking for the bus. Kid holds his headphones out to me... I pops em in... scrolls thru his phone... shit was frickin DOPE!!! Christian Metal. Rifftastic. Like, that harmonic sludge metal sound. Ssssso badass.

I says, "Real talk dude, i ain't gonna make it to the show, but here's some duckets for the cause. I diggs it man." hands him a few bucks out my pocket. Whatever. I didn't look or count it, just dug in and passed, dig me?

Dude goes, "Right on." and keeps pushing.

Says all that to say that your local artist is you. They're telling your story. I remember posting up in Cleveland, Ohio... I don't know of any other Clevelands. Anyways, there was a dude who would come around and hustle his cd's. I'd see 'em, chop it up a bit, talk a little about life and whatnot... two guys chillin on a corner of a store, you know. So, i goes, "do you have anything i can listen to? Like Right now?" and he didn't. Later on i bought a speaker with plans on giving it to him but i didn't see him after i bought it. Anyways, yeah, always have a sample. Folks love samples. Speakers are better than headphones. I don't know where your ears have been, and you don't know mine. On top of that, if there are five folks on a corner, and one asks to hear it, you just let all five folks hear it. Some might have wanted to ask but didn't want to bother the other people or were just nervous cause they don't know you and are pre-judging you. Shit happens. Anyways, so i buys his cd, Josiah Matthews i wanna say, "Queen Come Home" was the song that hit me like, "This guy should be on the radio! This is a DOPE SONG!" I meet lots of folks, got a lot of cd's and downloads, but some of them really blow you away. Insentient (band) was like that. Swami G (dj/emcee/producer) was like that. Gus Osuna, DJ III (Disco Ministries), Sketch Orchestra and Clevis, The Brothers Garss... I can rattle off a bunch that me or the crew have kicked it with, and just on a show of support we went to the show, the site, clicked the link, and were AMAZED. I had a moment where a chick named... crap, what was it... Courtney Marie Andrews i wanna say, was singing, and her voice and the music just erased everyone from the room. If i was walking i would have fallen over people because i wasn't aware of anything or anyone else when she started singing. Local artists. Had maaaaany a good day and night at arts festivals, hanging out with friends who made soaps, jewelry, clothing, yadda yadda yadda. You wish you were there.

It's like folks are moved by the art, but for some reason look down on, or don't trust the person who made it. Like owning some art that helped you might open you up to be judged? If your friends judge you as unworthy because of some art you got, because that art helped you out in life to understand some stuff and grow, then maybe they're not your friends. Maybe they need to be a little more open and understand you more, like how you were willing to give that artist and their art a shot.

Not to mention there's more things that are art that you can buy or just support, that you wouldn't even consider to be art right off the bat. Food? You keep looking in the window of that bakery and quirky sub shop.... GO IN. Take a menu and a biz card. Talk to the folks. If you can't do it today, a time will come when you can. CLOTHING.... might be one of the most comfortable and unique, flat out best one of a kind tailor made pieces you ever owned. And the person was cool, and y'alls became friends so now they just give you some accessories for free or discount, stuff that didn't hit the racks yet, because they like you. All it took was that first going into the shop. Even if their thing is not your thing, your thing might be their thing. Just you speaking to them and getting to know about their art, maybe making a recommendation or passing it along, when you tell them what you do and who you are, it might be just what they needed and were looking for. Shoot, you might even KNOW THEM! They're LOCAL! They might be dating your daughter... or mom. Or that cops wife. Shit happens. Go to the next paragraph.

I get it, folks are broke. Banker's Manifesto 1892 and Novus Ordo... i get it. If you can't buy it, at least remember them and share it with someone who can until you can. If it's not your thing, no biggie. Just like they passed you the flier, you're going somewhere where you can pin it up to get rid of it. Support doesn't always mean "BUY". A lot of artists, not just musicians either, do stuff for free because they KNOW folks can't afford it, and what it's really worth they won't pay. But they also know what they went thru to make that art. This kid (flier dude's brother in the band) found a way out of the streets through the most unlikely place... ARTISTS who were supported in their program, and in return the program saved lives. Pass along the flier. Download the free track. Give them a thumbs up or "like" and even more SPEAK UP. Folks can like stuff they never really heard or saw, and don't even really like. But if you speak to those speaking to you, that connection might be enough to keep them from quitting like, "No one cares, all they do is click like and throw me away." Wear the t-shirt. Slap on the sticker. These folks are from your block. They work at your job. You want them to buy from your stores and sites. Don't treat them like they're less than you. When you go celebrate or go to escape, and put that song on, if that local artist didn't have support, you wouldn't be hearing it. They might even be living a more pure and honest life if they didn't have to sell their soul to some record company because the streets wouldn't support them, so the devils gave them a platform to bleed out on. Whatever the case, support your local artist. It means a lot.

Unless its these frickin satanist in this thing here i was telling you about, always doing what they wilt.... with their christian rock shows to raise money for damned old people who keep bridging the gap to help the future generations despite who they are, what they look like, or where they come from.... by coming together with their vile music... giving people purpose and shit.... such wickedness!!!!!

Support Your Local Artists

#TheZEPHANIAHchesterfieldPROJECT#CARTOONband#VIRTUALband#CLOWNband#MUSICIANlife#ONtour#OFFgrid#NEWanime#COMICS#ANTIhero#PORTALS#TELEPORTATION#SPIRITUALgrid#THEtruthBEHIND#DAILYadventures#SciFi#ParanormalUNEXPLAINED#ANGELSandDEMONS#REALITY#OTHERworlds#DiveBars#BETWEENworlds#GhostSTORIES#BARstories#SONGwriting#MUSICproduction#XIs#TheCorner#Consciousness#BEINGBEingBeing#RAISEvibration#Understanding#MINDbodySOUL#SupremeBEING#FreedomFROMwithin#FindYOURpower#IAM#SpiritualFREEDOM#MentalFREEDOM#BREAKtheCHAIN#BREAKtheCYCLE#FREEyourMIND#WALKinYOURpower#WALKinYOURtruth#UNDERSTANDINGspirit#Vampires#Clown#Panda#Animation#Illustration#BehindTHEscenes#CONSCIOUSfiction#ConsciousMusic#ConsciousArt#Vibration#Frequency