Download ^that while you read this, it's only 2 song files.
I grab the microphoneme, hold it tight.
I recently got a mic to record higher quality audios for my audience. Though not a typical sound booth, it turns out that a CAR, while in park, has naturally good acoustics. The vibes are contained without dissipation, that's why music sounds great in the car.
Not my car, but the scene set-up looked something like this, but at 2am.
The beats are not mine, they are instrumentals from the 2012 album KOLEXXXION by Bumpy Knuckles and DJ Premier, so I'm not gonna charge money for Premo's production.
The first track is an opening verse, my first real audio release to the world, so it's just the beginning! The verse is legit though (no bias), starting with the first 2-4 bars til the end... PEEP, DON'T SLEEP.
And the 2nd recording... It really inspired this whole thing. After I got home from session on Monday, I had this rhyme come to my head, went like this:
I miss that old feeling of having a first kiss.
Thinking back to moments of bliss, I reminisce
About girls once really cool with... now we're through with.
We vibed together like music and our love was deep-rooted.
I cared for them all...
I wrote the whole thing, then recorded it immediately, along with a few other tracks Monday night. Finished my recording session in the early AM hours.
Disclaimer though, I haven't had that many girlfriends (I count 3 real ones), but that's from the heart! I'm not with them now, but when I was, I really cared a lot for them. They were my world, joy and inspiration at the time. I hope I was a decent bf; if I had yelp reviews, I think they'd be mainly positive. And the last 6-7 bars are for my current gf, Mi Amore. I made her a song about 9 months into our relationship, and she still inspires me to write. Peace love.
Now that you've downloaded the songs, I recommend you listen to it in the car, or on headphones, because this music isn't meant to be played on a laptop/computer or while multi-tasking. At least don't judge it til you give it a good listen.
This is the journal entry I wrote right after writing "What a Blessing":
2/23/15 I just made one of the best verse I ever made. Brand new from pure inspiration. What a
blessing. And it's almost a letter to my exes, but in a positive way,
not a usual misogynistic hip hop way, which turns off a lot of people. I
make a note to refer to all the women as queens and nothing less. I
will share in the mp3 shortly.
I thought it was whatever so I never shared it. It's not bad though, but it's still whatever. I just revised it and made it a little better. Have it for free. Wrote this early 2010, in my 4th year at college.
Spare Me the Hype
Break beats, break stereotypes. I'm not a passive child, Developed my rapping style so i don't get smoked like a joint or a roach, or a black and mild. i like boo's, shoes, and acting wild. it's been a long and lasting while since an Asian brother like me, got the chance to get free. I can't mask my smile. so like the Nile, I flow and give life. i bring peace/piece like a paper or a pipe. and, i like melons when they ripe. but Bite? not quite. stay polite with insights hide when you within sight. I'm the son, I been bright. First came matter, and then light. Don't get shocked like Dendrites*
Ooooh thunderous! I like that one now. I remember exactly where I was, and what was going on, the day/moment I wrote the original.
Also written just earlier that year. I was asked to write a short bio for myself:
Tom T. Nguyen is not good at writing biographies for himself. He has been a difficult person since the womb. He is not easy to put up with, or understand. He grew up in in the Garden Grove School District when it was bad, and believes that this is what makes him a little bit cool and "Mexican-washed." After moving to the Fountain Valley School District, he became a dork, and has remained that way since. This has allowed him to do well in school and be awkward around girls. In 2003, he thought learning to dance would make him cool, but it didn't. Sometimes he will devilishly advocate, and this causes arguments. He grew up atheist, but lately he has been feeling spiritual. He is now good friends with God.
Hell yeah! I find that sh!t hilarious, and it's actually very true. It's not a bad sum-up of me, in the style that I would do it, back in 2010. I guess that "style that I would do it" changes constantly. Something I would write in 8th grade would be different from what I would write now, right now. So the message is to write! Just write! Always be writing. I have so much written. "Write anything you don't want forgotten." At least keep a journal, but personal recording sake!
Also wrote this this morning:
10/17, Friday morning, 4:00-4:30am
I think I'm gonna be Wolverine for Halloween. It's my second year in New Orleans. Gettin that green, got myself into the scene. I know my royal lineage so I found myself a queen. It's easy to be lazy, and nothing's what it seems. What you need to do is find a winning team. And then work hard and never give up on your dream. That's how you rise about the average, if you know what I mean.
I'm backed by statistics, play with linguistics When I'm feeling uplifted, Young, Fresh and Gifted. Wicked slickness, get wit this and bear witness. Love the bare wetness. Don't compare weakness, Just peep this. Make the main point, my thesis. If we ALL work TOGETHER, it's harder to defeat us.
So let's not be cheaters, let's be high achievers. I expand like the Uni-verse, stay balanced like Libras.
9/20
Look around, that's using eyesight.
Look back, that's using hindsight.
Look ahead, that's called foresight.
Look within, that's gaining insight.
Check this out, you got quarters and dimes.
Make up 2 equations, can you solve it on time?
It's easy and it's challenging, you gotta use your mind.
That's how you climb. - It's called an incline.
Rise over run, you should rise and become
A positively-minded person, not one that's dumb.
Yo that wouldn't be right. - So just do right.
If you ask me, then I'll tell you that I do write.
- But I kick flows, free style of poetry.
I'm the one who knows. Guess that's why y'all blowing me
When You Act Outta Line, and try to avoid ya problems.
That's no real solution, you should really try to solve 'em.
---
The original problem was:
If you have a total of 100 quarters and dimes, with a value of $14.05, how many quarters do you have?
Linear systems, solve 2 equations at once.
Video with music coming soon, I'm about to update it. But gonna go to session first, get my rock on. Peace!
This year, 2014, marks 9 years since I started taking writing more seriously... Fall '05 senior year of high school... And 6 years since I started performing in spoken word/jazz club settings, back in '08 college years.
It's been a good run. I do want to punctuate the 10th year, 2015, with something new. We'll see as the current year unfolds. Almost everywhere I go, audiences have received me warmly and I have been encouraged to write more and perform more. That means the world to me. I owe a lot to those who supported me, from my UCLA friends who saw me when I was first starting to perform, to all the great artists and people I've met along the way at different venues. I'm still creating new work, but not all of it is made for publication. I share some old and new Original Compositions on here: www.powerknowledge.org
I am just beginning to explore the Spoken Word scene in New Orleans, they have a pretty dynamic slam team here, I hear. And I'm here for another year, so I'll be sure to see more before returning back to where I started. LA/OC, California!
Anyway, I just came across this new spoken word video, The World is Coming to an End, thought it was pretty relevant for us this year. Not that I believe the world is coming to an end, but it is kinda crazy these days. It's going somewhere it's never been before. And this guy illuminates some of that craziness.
Happy Autumn season, enjoy the fall equinox and don't get zapped by a solar ray!
A "21st-century style" from a 21st-century mind, they'll come up with an official name for it 100 years down the line, as science and spirituality continue to intertwine.
Harmonic Intervals and their connection to the Cosmos
Introspective side-thought: I figure I might go down like most artists/poets, with people not reading deeply into my works until after I die. Recognition of my work is growing organically, so I'll just stay patient, stay alive, and keep creating. Maybe someday, someone high up will realize the level and value of my writing, and we can make big moves together. I hope I don't go the way of Van Gogh or Sylvia Plath however...wouldn't want to be chronically depressed, or put myself in an oven. They made some good stuff though!
So here's my new poem in the Divinity of Music, if it doesn't make sense, just look up the words!
2013
Music Theory
The heart beats a natural rhythm,
Oldest percussion known to man.
Earth tones sounding good
With melodics, harmonics, pentatonics...
Gin and tonic symphonics evolve into electronics.
If God's music strikes a chord,
I dance to the melody, and its energy,
Climbing my way up life's arpeggios,
Weighing major scales, and minor harmonies.
Diminished experience, augmented reality.
Middle finger on Middle C. Music of infinity.
Transposed tales of a tragic story,
I don't want your sympathy.
Come together as a symphony.
No one wants to seem phony.
Sharp voices sing flat. It's not natural.
Complex progressions create dissonance
Somewhere between my head and sole.
From the bass to the upper octaves,
To vibrations unheard by human ears.
There, higher beings wave to greet us.
--- A little background on me: I took 8 years of piano lesson, 4 years of music theory, and somehow managed to pass the AP Music Theory exam in high school... bboying, poetry, and the history I learned at UCLA have shaped my world view... now I'm geeking on Pythagoras' connections between music, mathematics, and reality. For more mind-blowing stuff, check theWikiquote on Pythagoras.
Pythagoras spent years studying in Egypt
In case you didn't notice: The numb#r of lines for each part of the poem (I wouldn't really call them "stanzas") follow the Fibonacci Sequence... 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8....
This song opened me up to new perspectives of what music, love, and poetry could be.
Binary Star - Evolution of Man (1999)
Opening Lyrics:
[One Be Lo]
It's like... Beyond physical attraction,
Your explosive personality blows my mentality.
Actually, my emotions on a rampage.
We ain't the same age, but we in the same book, on the same page.
Your conversation calls for meditation.
Never amateur. Check the calendar, let's make a reservation.
Communication is the bridge.
At times, I wonder what you thinkin'.
The truth will set you free like Abe Lincoln.
[Brenda J]
Free, I'm totally emancipated.
Proclaiming is due to the love together we've created.
Our thoughts no longer separated,
Past barriers and roadblocks,
You've opened my heart, no need to pick the lock.
[One Be Lo]
The key to my heart should be the sole controller,
Life is full of ups and downs like a roller coaster.
I'm hip to your vibe like Motorola...
...it goes on, and it don't stop.
I. This Song Bang Hard!
A hip hop looove track. Right up there with "The Light" by Common and "Beautiful" by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Mary J. Blige. It's the softer side of hip hop, and without the major label.
So I posted a few weeks ago about how Binary Star opened me up to underground hip hop with the song "Honest Expression," but THIS song, "Evolution of Man" opened me up to new levels of poetry and love. The girl's lyrics are really poetic too.
What struck me most when I got introduced to this in 2005 WASN'T just the subject matter and clever rhymes, even though I love the subject matter and it's clever as shit, delivered over that smooth beat.... so lovely, enjoy the song!!! What struck me about "Evolution of Man" was that it sounded genuine, and authentic, as if he wrote it specifically for his loved one, and not to sell a million records to a mass audience. Just look at the first line! There must be someone special that this song was inspired by, and THAT's what stuck with me... inspired rhyming!
Words packed with emotion are much more powerful compared to words that lack feeling and passion.
II. Songs don't change your life, YOU DO!
From that point on, I did something that changed my life: I adopted the habit of writing whenever I got inspired. Started when I was bored in detention. Continued when I found poems to be a fun way to surprise a girl I liked. Didn't always charm them, but sometimes it did. My early rhymes were pretty terrible, but they got better over time. Writing has become a habit that exercises my creativity muscle and keeps me producing. I'm doing it right now. I can't ever stop, and I have no reason to because it's fun and enriches my life.
Wise words/Free plug for a respected bboy's blog: 1nspiration is Free.
Inspiration could come from a girl (as it often has), from a story/picture/song/video, from dancing, or from a specific event or experience. From family. From clouds. From the weather. From Morgan Freeman's voice. From natural patterns I notice. From social/economic/political issues that need to be addressed. Just like hip hop, it's FREE. The point is, after falling in love with this song, something was triggered in my poor head to find inspiration through MANY sources, and convert that inspiration into inspired words.
I'm inspired by people who write better than me, those who are more accomplished than me, and that's what keeps me hungry to improve my writing, making new rhymes, and blogging. I want to get better... I'm not ready to plateau!
I'm inspired by great people, accomplished people, genuinely happy people, passionate people, responsible people, disciplined people, entrepreneurs, people with skills and abilities...
III. In Conclusion:
I know I talk about myself a lot, BUT... It's not about me, it's about everyone around me, friends, family, and students. Future children and grandchildren. I wish for their lives to be better. That's what this blog is for. I wish for my energy to be contagious. Some people who don't know me well talk ill on me/my blog/my videos, but I just wish the best for them. I don't wish to spend my time spewing hate... I'd rather spend my time doing great. Haha. Rhymetime!
Back to the topic, Evolution of Man.
Here's what I learned from writing/dancing/living, and here's what matters most: When your mind changes, your life changes. That's why teachers, mentors, friends, and family are important! They affect your mind, and can help you grow. When you learn new skills, you evolve. Life IS like an RPG game, in the sense that you explore the world collect new experiences; when you fight through battles, you gain "experience points," and when you get better, you level up! And LIFE IS AWESOME!
There's no limit to what humans are capable of learning and doing. Evolve yourself!
to infinity
Like the late great business philosopher Jim Rohn said:
"Don't wish for things to get easier, wish for yourself to get BETTER.
Don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills!"
Nice philosophy! It works in reverse too: When you get better, things that were once difficult become easier for you. Think... walking, dancing, driving a car, etc.. It's not about magic, it's about good habits!
So in high school when I focused on evolving MYSELF, and getting better at things that I wasn't good at, my life got better! My dancing, my rhyming, my relationships all get better, when I improve myself.
More recently, I had this revelation (self-talk): "Stop trying to prove yourself to people. Stop trying to prove that you're knowledgeable about hip hop culture, and that you can dance, and rhyme, etc.... Focus instead on IMproving yourself; do what you're meant to do on this earth, and let others think what they will anyway."
Live with purpose, and on purpose. Always striving for the next level. It's the evolution of man.
~~~
Haha, just noticed another pattern as I was writing this:
Bored during lunch/after-school => started breaking.
Bored during detention => started writing/rhyming.
Bored during non-work hours => started blogging/business planning.
Last words:
Consistency is the Key.
That's what I learned from L-I-F-E.
And my friends agree.
Consistency is the Key.
I find that there's still a very poor representation of Asians in the media.
They're usually either nerds or fobs. Unless it's an Asian female newscaster.
Sharon Tay, Susie Suh, Veronica de la Cruz, Tricia Takanawa... holla!
Probably the top I've seen are Geo (Blue Scholars), Bambu, Kero One, and Denizen Kane (Typical Cats). Lyrics Born and Mike Shinoda are half-Asian.
Timothy de la Ghetto's youtube channel is cool too.
So if I'm gonna put myself out there and be rapping and rhyming, I might as well do the best I can to bring quality lyrics that enhance the lives of my listeners... meanwhile representing myself, where I'm from, and what I stand for.
So here's a fun one, one of my recent favorites!
on that DOOM beat!
I'm just an Asian, rhyme-spraying from the Southeast...
Lyrically I'm loaded, shootin' rhymes from out my mouthpiece.
Challenge me, or don't doubt me. Soy sauce, Laughing Cow cheese.
Sensitive kids get pissed, they screaming ouchies.
Tom T. I'm proudly from the O.C. living loudly.
You can out-complain, but you can't out-style me.
Fountain V, Orange County, sometimes known to get rowdy.
Grab the paper towels, I guarantee ya it going Downey/Bounty?
That's only 8 bars, got another 8 coming,
And I'm almost outta weed, got another 8th coming.
When Tom T's unleashed, there's nobody safe from him.
This for those who be sleep, those who need awakening.
- I'm "way cunning" - Stay punning.
Now I Take Care my shit, used to be straight bumming!
Guys like Einstein wouldn't settle for the Sideline.
Used to be blind, now Life is Good with the divine shine.
Fly rhymes for ya mind one time.
Original design. It's what you need to know!
~~~
Referenced 3 recently released albums there... did you catch it?
My word tricks are like Pokemon... you gotta catch em all AHAHAshit.
Been writing a lot lately, and realized I would never stop writing, just like dancing, because there's no limit.
To create is better than to vegetate.
I'll be doing this til I'm 88.
Another way to educate,
I let my rhymes perpetuate.
til infinity.
I'm gonna write some fly rhymes in my time.
In fact,
I already have,
but most don't know the half, that's why (eye)I'm tryin....
to spark the deaf, and dumb in the mind, blind.
ZomBeing around thinking they're Einsteins. I love fine wine, but I hate seeing girls who look fine WHINE. Word to Feinstein. She needs to represent me. California think tanks be on empty. Some have no idea, I have new ideas. The truth is clear. I'm advocating for the youth this year. It's time to win, no time for the losers here. Fly like fireworks through the air. There's a lot of shit that you should hear... so use your ears... or get bruised severe.
Skill is handcrafted, and mastered. Don't get distracted, and if you do don't let it be a habit. Keep ya cool, keep ya jacket. You can minimize wackness when you optimize practice. Peace to those who fasted. Supreme Science and Mathematic. Don't be basic, don't be an ass'ed. Your shit will get drastic. That's not too fantastic. Take the heat and get the point, fuckin cactus! Rhymes are smokin' like a blunt, dawg, pass this...
My Message to the Masses,
It's madness.
New rap shit. Get blasted. Words in preservation become classic.
No fake, Realer than plastic,
my own fate, I feel like I master. Fast lane, release the breaks and gas it, never tire, I'm on fire, so match this. If you try, that's a fat risk, cuz I'm way above the average. Dont' ass-kiss, I ass-kick, got mad ish, hat tricks, even backflips, never had a bad trip, smack a wack kid just to get him on the right track shiiit.
That way it won't be tragic.
(Peace) I'm out... remember to pass this.
Message to the masses.
