a year ago my bestie and i started a pretty crazy tour calendar.  started with the lordz at fine line, 2 new nkotb shows, and then in november the atmosphere homing coming show at first ave to end their lemons tour.  we were exhausted for that show and debated seriously whether we were up for another outing.  in the end we went and since november have been on a rhymesayers journey like not anything that we’ve every experience before.  for that show led her on a journey where she was able to fall BACK in love with hip hop.  for me the show helped me fall in love with hip hop for the first time.  i’d been on a quest for years to find music that my son could listen to which dove deeper than sex, guns, and all the flossing.  atmosphere led us to ali, to toki, to abstract rude, and to show many others.  in that last months we’ve purchased every cd, tons of gears, and have not missed a show, instore, local show, and have even been fortunate to travel to rhymesayers shows out of town.

in specific to ali’s music.  it sheds light on too many of the ills that we’ve experience and that i see firsthand by living and working in the hood.  this music inspires me, makes me giggle, and has given me countless songs to groove out to.  from the handful of songs i’ve heard from “us” i truly believe it’s going to be one of his best projects ever and get the idea it’ll be a cd where i can share even more of it with my son. ali’s content is so real, hood, and above all of the traditional templates that are so overly used for hip hop these days.  all of this makes me feel so blessed to be able to support, rave about, and enjoy his one of a kind style.  the countdown has already begun for this release and my anticipation is great!  us is for me, for my boy, for the kids i work with each day, and it’s message, beats (thanks anthony), will leave a legacy that few will be every to aspire to.  thanks ali for your work and for allowing your supporters info the fam!

AND, i’d still kill to konw who did the cover art!  i checked at the fith and they said kenneth williams but i couldn’t find him online.  I will be forever blowwed away that the mohawk sporting, baby carrying, plant watering child on the ‘us’ cover is the spitting physical and personality image of my child!  how is that possible and can’t wait to run into kenneth so i can ask him in person!  it’s really uncanny!!!  peace