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[akiyoshi & senbei (circa 1989)]
[Senbei - Masterpiece (prod. Akiyoshi of Dynamic Souls)]
So…I have been in hibernation regarding musica for a minute now: Going back to school and pushing through a slew of life changes including but not limited to, a continuing examination of my own unique positionality/privilege/struggles, reconnecting to spirituality and my heart (“you corny cuz!”), and working to express my identity fully, while not becoming trapped within it (if that makes any sense at all =P).
This song is the first I’ve written and/or recorded in about 5 months and is a tiny window into my current insanity, clarity, self-hate, self-love, intelligence, ignorance, confidence, insecurity, etc., and will (in some form) be on the next Broken Halos Project. This cut is rough and may or may not have different verses from myself and/or Jeimil when all is said and done. =P
Senbei – Masterpiece
Verse 1:
I yawn and wakeup turn off my clock alarm, god is the greatest: “allah hu akbar” / thankful for the morning and the history of my young life, anxious for the glory and the wisdom of my hindsight / was itching for the limelight, but now I play the background, fixing to design life to udder to the cash cow / “got milk?” I need some vitamin d. but me, my smiling has ceased, my stylin’ is bleak, my dream’s designed to free / but it’s not. im paying dearly for it, my masterpiece is blasphemy, I’m slaving yearly for it / but I spent my days with children I was thrilled to go build with, and celebrate my funding til it ran-off (randolph) like childress / damn god, I feel this aching sense of desperation making sense of hesitation’s insecurity / blast off and peel this lyrical cap, a spiritual rap, a miracle in fact, because…HOOK X2:
I love to live inside the rhapsody, searching for the person that I have to be / and I’ll talk to my creator til im fast asleep dreaming how I’ll be a brush stroke in a masterpiece…Verse 2:
I found peace inside a cloudy brain, this aint vision, my rhymes unique sublime I sound insane this aint wisdom / it’s a reflection of the story I was born to tell the planet, resurrection of the glory from my war in hell, god damn it / blissful are their sins if pistols kiss the children goodnight, but wishful is my thinking, simple is my living: just write / let your tale call your voice from silence to ignition. Rep your label, I’ll rejoice in wildin’ AND submission / heaven and hell exist upon the same plane, my lame brain maintained inhaling grams of jane mang / high enough to touch the bottom of the pearly gates, died enough to clutch the bottle from this earthly hate / great, im drinking from a hurting heart’s breaks…wait. I think I see her work of art make / sense of all the madness on this atlas where I’m drowning, meant for these theatrics that we practice in the sound when…HOOK X2
Verse 3:
Another world is on her way and when the days are quiet, I hear her breathing deep and free she sighs inside the silence / and I’ll supply the science, til the future speaks about me, and never be compliant to the foolishness around me / movement it astounds me, ‘cause truth it speaks the loudest, but coolness man its drowns me, during youth my freedom’s clouded / I grew up with children always calling women “b*tches”, and if that shocks u bro or sis: u prolly aint from Richmond / oppression has kinder face in middle-class America. Depression has a smiley face - a ridalin hysteria / to cripple and embarrass you in all the guilt you live in - a sickness that’ll carry you through all the pill prescriptions / and I know its true because I’ve seen it from both sides: I reside on borderlines and watch the scoreboard multiply / at the buzzer im shooting: an act of desperation. In utter confusion I’ll rap to empty space. Sen…bei.HOOK X2
It is what it is. I thank you sincerely for caring enough to listen.
Bless,
Senbei
p.s.
Aki: Your soul is more dynamic than you will ever know. I love you, baby bro.
[RHYTHM X of Vallejo, CA]
My big bro Bob of Berkeley/Oahu played a huge role in my love for Hip-Hop while I was growing up. A mixed heritage Asian American himself (Filipino/Japanese), Bob introduced to me to vinyl, cassettes, and Rap/Hip-Hop music in general. With this said, it comes as no surprise that when I visited him in Hawaii earlier this year, he not only told me about he and his homies being the only Asian kids at Sick-Wid-It shows in the Bay Area back in the day, but also put me on to a little-known Emcee/Producer by the name of Rhythm X.
Back in 1994, a young Japanese American kid from Vallejo, California apparently got signed to E-40’s Record Label, Sick-Wid-It Records and dropped the best Bay-Area-Rap-album-you-didn’t-know-about. Known as “The Mental Oriental,” Rhythm X put out a single solo LP entitled Long Overdue, before being dropped from the label after Record executives above E-40 told 40-Water that they “did not know how to market him.” *SIGH*
[Rhythm X (feat. E-40) - This Type A Sh*t]
[Rhythm X - I Got A Few Screws Loose]
[Rhythm X - Sherry (Original 90's version)]
If anyone knows of another Asian American rapper signed to a major lablel prior to 1994, please holler at me, because Rhythm X just might the Masanori Murakami of Rap.
BUY Long Overdue HERE.
Ill toast to that.
Kampai!
Senbei
[Louis Logic (formerly of Demigodz)]
[Louis Logic - The Ugly Truth (right-click and "save-target-as" to DL)]
Although this song came out waaay back in 2001 from Louis Logic’s first solo LP, Sin-A-Matic, I always find it a good reminder of the ways that power is structured in U.S., and how the vast majority of people in power perceive those who do not happen to be white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, heterosexual and/or wealthy.
In order to fully understand the message of this song, it MUST be listened to the entire way through. This sh*t is pretty shocking if you’ve never heard it (and for most will be very difficult to listen to), but believe me that it will all come together at the end. Essentialist thinking in its purest form. And that’s the UGLY truth.
Where’s Waldo Louis Logic?
C
p.s.
F*ck George Walker Bush & all his ancestors.
Wow. These 3 weeks away from blogging/myspace/facebook have been such a sobering experience. I’m done with finals now and tho I’ve returned to ColinResponse today, I doubt I will be devoting as much time now, as I used to on the internet.
And on that note, here’s a magnificently random blast from the past in the form of Bobby Valetino’s old teen group, Mista. This sh*t brings me back boy, I tell ya…
[Mista - Blackberry Molasses]
I bet u aint know Bobby V. could get deep like this right?!?!
CHORUS:
Blackberry Molasses
One of the things that never change
You gotta keep pushin on
The sun dont rain all the time
Theres gonna be some heart ache and painWoke up Sunday morning
Gotta little bad news today…ummm
They say my life aint worth living
And time is slowly ticking away
Dont think that Im goin crazy
Cause thoughts be runnin through my head
I know I gotta be strong
Gotta hold on
Sometimes Id rather give up instead
Seems like Im better off dead…CHORUS
Dont tell me how to live my life
After all that we’ve been through
Dont wanna live out your hardships
Cause Ive been there myself
A time or two
Still life goes on
If you just keep movin on
So many things to survive
Wont you realize
Theres no such place as paradise
At least in my eyesCHORUS x2
stay Resilient my peoples.
C
Found myself going through old music this weekend and stumbled upon Rage Against the Machine’s classick ‘96 sh*t: “Evil Empire.” To me personally, there aren’t many who can work the whole Rap/Rock thing in a way that doesn’t leave me feeling like I just threw up in my mouth a little. Zach de la Rocha is one of those chosen few who simultaneously Raps his ass off, whilst rocking the f*ck out.
Zacarías Manuel “Zack” de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970 in Long Beach, California) is an American rapper, singer, musician, poet, and activist of Mexican-American descent. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine and is currently the frontman of the music duo, One Day as a Lion.
[Rage Against the Machine - People of the Sun]
[Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade]
de la Rocha put out a doooope EP entitled “One Day As A Lion,” with Jon Theodore (drummer of Mars Volta) this past year and waaaay too many people slept. Sampling below:
[One Day As A Lion - Wild International (right-click and "save as" to download)]
Ya Basta!
Senbei
p.s
Kid Rock & Limp Bizkit soft.
-Nas
So due to our ridiculously busy schedules (me in school and Jeimil working in the city, full-time), I was on the verge of having to do a “Where They Be At?” post on Broken Halos (f*ck it, I still will).
To our great surprise, the homie Ron of Reignforrest Collective asked if we would help celebrate the 2 year Anniversary of their fresh-to-mothaf*ckin-def Party, Listening Lounge at the MINNA GALLERY located @ 111 Minna at 2nd st. in San Francisco (aka the sucka-free, the sco, frisco, the sh*tty, the city).
Performances will include:
[Zumbi (of Zion I) + DJ Vinroc]
LIVE(!) Jazz/Funk/Rock Band: FEELOSOPHY
Resident DJs: Xarisusound & Cedication.Crimes
Guest DJs: Dose, Pastense & Choco
& the best rappers you’ve never heard of: Broken Halos
["I want my 40 hours back..."]
Happily, I was able to record a (sort of) brand new song with my brother and partner in (c)rhyme, Jeimil Belamide. It’s entitled “Sideshow,” was produced by longtime friend/brother/ally Dacourey “DJ Dahi” Natche and goes a lil sumpin like this…
[Jeimil - Sideshow (Right-Click HERE and "Save Target As" for FREE download)]
It’s been a hot minute since the last time we performed and we will work our asses off to make sure we aint a hot mess on stage that night (esp. when blessed with the opportunity to warm sh*t up for MC Zumbi and Vinroc!).
Be sure to hit up Going.com and RSVP for a reduced rate!!!
Hope we see y’all there blud!
Senbei
p.s.
[Broken Halos - 40 Hours]
[If Bill O'Reilly is talking sh*t about you, you MUST be doing something right! Whut it Dew CITY!]
Many of you have prolly already seen this, but I felt it necessary to post about this pseudo-reality mockumentary done by the good(?) folks over at “The O’Reilly Factor” about San Francisco, CA. Way to find the 5 people most desperate for some attention in SF, and edit your film to make it seem that these individuals represent the entire city, surrounding area and state of Cali.
And for sh*ts an’ giggles… VINTAGE David Chapelle in San “The Sucka Free City” Francisco:
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
[Keep it SUCKA (Bill O'Reilly) FREE]
["Chop a lotta game..."]
F*ck Prop. 8,
colinresponse
p.s. Dave Chapelle: Where they be at? We miss u so f*cking much big homie!!!
Boyz II Men’s music (used to be something I would say) GOES.
This is my first post in a new category entitled: “Where They Be At?” With these entries I will bring back to life, those who once had the spotlight, but have long since been forgotten (whether they deserved it or not).
Nate, Michael, Shawn and Wanya could SING THEIR ASS OFF. The only problem (as you can see from the classic, “Motownphilly”) is that they were not all particularly attractive and couldn’t dance anything close to Justin Timberlake. “VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR…”
(Aint that just the sweetest sh*t u ever heard? =P “Sympin’ aint easy, sun!”)
So this one’s for you Boyz II Men. Where They Be At? Wherever yall are, thanks for helping me reach first base when I was 12 years old. =P Wanya could always kill dem high notes.
[And here's one yall NEVER heard of, but it (the song, video...not so much) GOES.]
End of the road like Yee.
Senbei
