Video Inspiration: Michael Francis + Marcus Castillo

One lovely day, I was working on my computer (as usual) and watching music videos (as usual) when this random video came on MTV2. The music immediately made me stop what I was doing and the visuals spellbound me too. All of it just came out of nowhere. His voice, the simplicity of the setting and storyline...

You know I was forced to write something right?!

I couldn't find much information on the video director, Marcus Castillo.
Michael Francis, however, is an independent singer from New Jersey. He's been slow releasing material for the past couple of years, even doing a remake of Ginuwine's "Pony". I especially love that he was interviewed by KARMALOOPTV back in January 2012. Peep a snippet of the interview...here.




Loyalty. That's the essence of family. What defines it. Michael and Francis, my brothers, and I had a loyal bond. It defined us. And we strengthened it every January by taking a hunting trip to Montana. We went out at sunrise with the goal of at least one score. Michael led the way. After an hour in the cold, stopping several times to rest, we had nothing to show for our effort and I was getting tired.
"Samuelson, go east. I think I see something over there." Michael said with his Marlin 336 poised and pointed north, his back to me. I turned my head but saw nothing. I wasn't about to go on an empty chase through the backwoods, on a hunch.
"I don't see nothing."
"It just moved again. I see it in the corner. Go check it out!"
"Just go Samuelson." Francis whispered. With my shoulders slumped and head bowed, I trudged through the hard, wet snow looking for a deer, a bear, anything to qualify as our first score. About 30 feet in, I felt it. I felt another presence and saw something run by. It was fast too. I lifted my Browning T-Bolt on my shoulder and bent down, casing all angles. I felt the rush, the thrill. It didn't take long for the shadow to come into focus. Bits of brown and black, white and gold. This wasn't animal. I hesitated to move from my position, half wanting to call out to Michael and Francis. But during this whole trip, they could tell I was distracted. I wasn't the same. Calling for them would only make me feel worse.

I followed the movement through the trees, through the snow, until it stopped and came into view. Then I saw her. My Nona. Standing right in front of me, 500 + miles away from our home, she was as clear as the wind. I could've been dreaming but I wasn't. Had I missed her so much that I was seeing things? I dropped my gun and followed, further away from my brothers. She had always led me away from them. From the moment we met, years ago, we formed a bond that even they couldn't break. But they tried. They told me she was breaking my loyalty. They told me I should leave her. And they gave me a choice.

I followed Nona, or her mirage through the trees, through the snow, until we reached a white house on the hill. Inside was a blur because all I saw was her. My love. I saw her face. I touched it. Her skin set me on fire. It felt so good. This couldn't be a dream. But somehow this was right. It didn't matter that I hadn't seen Nona since the day I chose to leave her, two years ago. She was here now. She was with me now. I closed my eyes and drank in her presence.

There was a tap on the window. Where was I? What just happened? I sat up and looked around, still not seeing all that was in front of me. I remembered being with her. But she was gone now. Outside, Michael and Francis waited for me. They had found my gun. Their stare communicated what I wouldnt acknowledge.. I was going off the deep end again. There was no Nona. There was no house. No creamy skin. Two years ago, I chose my brothers over her. Two years ago, they didn't think I would do it...and they chose to kill her. Verbally, I forgave them. How could I not? Family is loyalty. But mentally and emotionally, our bond was broken. I would forever be with Nona. If I saw her ghost every day of my life, it would be fine with me. This is what they made me into. Instead of allowing us to be happy, they now have to deal with my misery. And it's better this way.

Video Inspiration - Wale + Sarah McColgan

Wale released his super highly anticipated album, The Gifted, last week on June 25th. Today will reveal how well the album did for its first week. In my own little way, I'd like to help him celebrate with this video inspiration (and since Wale began his style with poetry, this is in the form of a poem)

The video for LoveHate Thing was directed by Sarah McColgan, released on June 23rd and features Sam Dew.

Sam - He's a RocNation artist and doesn't look anything like he sounds
Sarah - She's a photographer as well as director. She has directed Miguel's video for "Candles in the Sun" and also photographed one of my favorite artists...Kelis!






Love/Hate Thing


Black and White
Rich and Poor
Up and Down
Life is Love, is what They tell me
Or what She told me.
Hot air, dusty room
We Have Each Other, I Assume
Fans Blow
I Love Her Though

Conflicts and Questions
Reaching Goals
I ask her, She asks me
We Dig One Another’s Soul
Decisions about Love
Decisions about Life
I Hate the Battle and The Strife

Champagne and its Bubbles
Dusse and No Trouble
3 Piece Suits
Her Smile and Mine
Hard Work, Pray Hard
Our Favorite Line
I Love Her Though
I Hated the Battle
I guess it’s a Love/Hate Thing

Jay-Z pushing my agenda #MagnaCartaHolyGrail

In the summer lineup of Kanye West, J. Cole, Wale, Mac Miller and Drake, Mr. Z decided that he needed to jump into the fold of new releases as well: Enter Magna Carta Holy Grail. It's the title of his new album, set for a July 4th release. Let's not forget to note that he and wifey love the number 4. And he has never released an album in the month of July. November is a popular month for Mr. Carter but July is a newbie.

Anyway, as you know, my blog's purpose is merging the Literature and Hip Hop worlds in ways they never have before. Well Mr. Z, in a slow-crafted marketing campaign, has been rolling out bits and pieces of his album until the final date. He debuted a gem of a commercial during a NBA playoff game, which sent the Internet into chaos, then he started dropping song lyrics all story-like and getting people interested in reading actual lyrics again:

Commercial:


Lyrical Stories:

Video Inspiration: J.Cole + Colin Tilley

On the anticipation of J.Cole's album, Born Sinner, set to release on June 18th, I thought this was a perfect time to do a short (very short) story to "Nobody's Perfect". I loved this song and the video when it was released in February 2012. Out of all Cole's videos, I thought this was the most appropriate for a story. If you're a fan, you know that all his lyrics tell a story and almost all the videos explain that story to the fullest. But this one...was kind of left up to your imagination.

We all know how unknown and untalented Colin Tilley is right? I've talked about him before in other Video Inspirations but he really has no impact on the music world. He's done silly videos such as:

Mindless Behavior "All Around the World"
Kelly Rowland "Kisses Down Low"
Justin Bieber "Never Let you Go"
Rick Ross & Wale "Bag of Money"
Chris Brown "Don't Judge Me"

I mean really, why are we even talking about this no-resume having guy ;-)







When I told her that I wouldn’t be back for a week, at least, she shrugged her shoulders and kept typing. She was working on a paper that I knew wasn’t due for another week.
“So, this is how you’re going to let me leave?”
“Good luck. I hope you get the deal.” She said, with her back still to me. I stood there for a few more seconds, then grabbed my bags and left her sweltering hot dorm room. It seemed like we always argued about the same things and I was always left with the short end of the stick. I thought about her on the ride to the airport, as I ascended and descended, when I met with the label’s top A&R and when he handed over the contract I had been dreaming about all my life. He told me I had 24 hours to sign. ‘Look mama I made it.’ I thought.
“Nobody’s perfect.” Said a voice next to me. I looked up from checking in at the hotel and found my eyes locked with a girl I thought I knew.
“What?”
“I said nobody’s perfect.” She handed me my black, Goyard bag. Our knuckles bumped and I felt her spark.
“You left this in that chair over there. Funny, you always act like Mr. Perfect on campus. Strutting across the yard with your boys after practice, staying in the gym and blowing that good weed behind the Fredrick Douglas library.
“Oh you know about that?” I smiled. She licked her lips. She licked them slow. Suddenly I remembered where I knew her from.
“What are you doing all the way up here?” She asked.
“Got a record deal.” I waved the papers, which I had been holding on to for dear life, in the air above my head.
“Really? Congrats. You know we have to celebrate now.” She inched closer. I thought about my girl again. She was my rainbow after a storm, my star in a dark sky. But she was also an insensitive bitch as of late.
“Nah, you know I can’t.”
“Can’t, but want to.” She ain’t never lied. I took my room key from the clerk and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. However, she moved her face at the right time and I caught her lips instead. I pulled back.
“Just because she’s my roommate doesn’t mean we are best friends.” She said and took my room key from my grasp. I watched her walk to the elevators and rubbed my chin. This was so wrong. Yet, so right. Everything happens for a reason. I slid in the elevator with her just as the door closed. I thought about my girl. And concluded that nobody’s perfect.

Video Inspiration - A$AP Rocky + Samantha Lecca

So, I'm an ASAP Rocky fan. I'll let that linger for a moment...I fully understand that lyrically I shouldn't be, but I like his style. His swagger. (That word just won't retire)

I adore this video for its uniqueness in the hip hop world. No half-naked girls, no 80 chains around the neck, etc. We are slowly but surely moving away from some of the sterotypes.

The best part of this video that inspired me to write a short story, was the two women. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to finish this but I didn't want to hold on to it so long that I never put it up. If you can't take this song (lyrically), at least watch up to 2:00. That's where my story kind of ends...





“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why don’t you want to know?”
“Because if there is someone out there who looks just like me and people are stupid enough to be confused by that, then let them.”
“But she’s white.”
“And?”
“And nothing I guess.” She sighed. “You are so weird.”
“Thank you.” I slipped the right side of my black, satin, de la Renta dress over my shoulder and turned around so that Sarafin, my roommate, could zip it up. Tonight was a special gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was so nervous. I felt like a teenager at prom. They said anybody who’s anybody was going to be there, but they say that about everything. I looked at the clock.
“Yes. Your car is already downstairs and you are going to be late if you don’t leave in 60 seconds.” Sarafin said.
“I know, I know.” I grabbed the rest of my things and slipped into my heels.
“If you want to know her name, Kevin told me. He was the only one not shocked enough to talk to her.”
“I don’t want to know anything. I’m not indulging this silly rumor.”
“It’s not a rumor.”
“Goodnight. Wish me luck.” I walked out the door and the down the steps of our building, to the rented, black town car.
“Good evening ma’am.” The driver said as I approached.
“Hey!” Sarafin yelled from our apartment window.
“I have to go!”
“Her name is Vivian. Did you hear me? I mean, doesn’t that make you want to know more?” I turned my head and thought for a moment. A moment too long, in my opinion. I got inside the car and we took off.

“Oh darling, don’t you look lovely.” “Is that Oscar? Turn around and let me see the back.” “Oh, how have you been?” “Glad you could make it.” The party was packed and the atmosphere exquisite. I had been careful about eating too much, but was enjoying my third glass of champagne. My fingers ran along the smooth, white couch against the wall, as I sat on it admiring my view. Suddenly, far across the room, I saw them. Kevin was wearing a dashing tuxedo with a red rose in his lapel. She had on a white, sleeveless, v-cut dress that flowed down to her feet. I knew it was the Oscar de la Renta dress. At that exact moment, she looked over and saw me too. I stood up. She started walking first. My heartbeat was rapid and I felt the beads of sweat. We reached each other. My lips parted, just a bit, but I could form no words. We both stared into each other’s eyes. I put my hand to my cheek and she did the same. She put her hands up in front of me and I raised mine to meet hers, but we didn’t touch. It was too jarring. She was my spitting image.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Vivian. What’s yours?”
“Vivian.” I answered.

Workaholics

I know that I'm lazy. Not in the sense of "sitting around watching TV in my sweatpants and eating cheese curls all day" lazy, but more like procrastination. I have things that need to get done and I tend to drag my feet until the last minute. In the end, everything seems to always work out.

But, there are two people, in my two favorite categories, who I absolutely wish I had the workaholic strength to be like.

Literature = Anthony Trollope
Music = Nancy Wilson

Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era.
He wrote his earliest novels while working as a Post Office inspector, occasionally dipping into the "lost-letter" box for ideas. He wrote a total of 78 published works (consisting of both short story and novel) and published sometimes 3 or 4 novels a year. My favorite by him is "The Claverings".


- And if you follow the link of this picture, it will take you to another blog which has a very interesting literary essay on Trollope and his works.


Most of the NYT Bestselling Authors don't accomplish more than one book in a year!

Nancy Wilson is an American jazz singer, with nicknames such as "Sweet Nancy", "Fancy Miss Nancy" and "The Girl with the Honey-Coated Voice". She has won three Grammys but has put out more than 70 FREAKING ALBUMS!!! Not even my idol, Prince, over four decades, has that many CDs. Again, she's hitting you with two, three, sometimes four albums in a year.




These two make accomplishments of today, pish posh. I'm sweating and losing sleep over publishing one, little novel that has taken me years to write. And these two...flick of a light switch and they are done! Ah, I know it isn't that simple and they worked harder than hard, and for that I admire tremendously.