DJ Decryption: Tha Blog

Kinfolk across the land!

What's good in the hood? Rather than the standard update, I thought I'd do a brief summary and then reflect on some recent musical and literary discoveries.

First off, a big birthday shout out to Ana Free, and even bigger props for her receiving a first (distinction) on her dissertation and Economics degree! That's one smart singer you're watching on Youtube :-)

Ana's first concert of the summer is coming up on July 2nd, so if you're around Portugal in July, check it out: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=974874&id=24002876072&ref=mf

Aside from that excitement, I've been doing a bit of recording with dark existential rapper Enigman, who's been writing some pretty nihilistic deathrap poetry. More Ana Free and Drumline tracks are in the pipeline as well...

I have to give props to an amazing hip-hop group from Seattle, Common Market. Their new EP "Black Patch Market" is phenomenal. RA Scion (the MC) and DJ Sabzi (from Blue Scholars) are an incredible duo. I think RA Scion occasionally surpasses Geologic of Blue Scholars in terms of delivery and complexity of lyrical content. This EP is the best hip-hop project I've heard in a couple of years... RA Scion has an ability to bring his historical background into focus with greater theoretical coherence. For example, in the song "His Eminence" about family struggles of death and desertion, RA Scion raps, "The true test of how strong the bond's tied / comes right around the time the patriarch dies." Such a classic formulation in the context of a personal narrative. Brilliant. The beats are blazing as well... I've always enjoyed Sabzi's production, but he really shines on this album. Some great old soul samples turn into real bangers, especially on "Black Patch War" and "Watership Down." Pick this one up on Amazon MP3... it's definitely worth it.

I've also been addicted to the song "Leap Year" by Maria Taylor... I've played it 67 times in the last two days, according to iTunes. I'm not a huge fan of the rest of her album, but this track is so beautiful. It's Postal Service-meets-Sarah McLachlan, in the best way possible. Lyrically, the album 11:11 is very nice, even though the music doesn't rock my world. I appreciate clever lyrics - more irony please!

Finally on a postcolonial note, I've been reading Midnight's Children (hence the title of this blog post). Rushdie does a great job with the overall composition, although self-conscious narratives can be a bit overbearing at times. Regardless, it's heralded as one of the best postcolonial novels ever, so I'd be remiss not to recommend it. Personally I've been into more hip-hop fiction recently, like the brilliant Angry Black White Boy by Adam Mansbach. This book and Londonstani are at the top of my Best of Contemporary Fiction list. If you're familiar with hip-hop culture (and British youth culture for Londonstani), I can't recommend these books highly enough.

Speaking of which, a big congratulations to my father on the release of his new book, Seamus Heaney: A Bibliography, 1959-2003! It's been over a decade in the making, and the final product is amazing. It's the most comprehensive reference guide on Heaney in existence (and I'm not just saying that because I spent much of my youth documenting Heaney's newspaper and journal articles). I'll be attending the book launch with my father in Dublin next week - should be a lot of fun.

I hope you're all rocking out this summer, and I'll look forward to catching up more soon!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

In My Place - Ana Free (produced by DJ Decryption)
Now Available On iTunes!

Greetings Kinfolk!

It has been many moons since the last update, but I am happy to report that the hiatus is mainly because of massive activity. The first Ana Free single, "In My Place" has arrived, and is available on iTunes, Amazon MP3 downloads, and many other digital distributors. This is a great preview of her upcoming album, so I hope you enjoy it! Ana also has a new website where you can hear and download some of her acoustic home recordings as well as studio tracks: http://www.myspace.com/anafreemusic

In other news, I've moved into a new house and recording studio, which has been amazing. Ana and I gave the studio a test run this week, and the acoustics sound great. It's so nice to have a kitchen to myself (not that sharing my previous kitchen with 15 people wasn't fun). I've actually been cooking meals now! Whoa! (Katie D., control your excitement).

In academic news, PhD work has been coming along well. Lots of writing on post-subcultural studies and neotribalism. It looks like the first chapter for my PhD upgrade will be a theory chapter, which will be helpful since my advisor and the research chair are masters of theory. I've also been conducting interviews with Genesis Elijah and UK music industry players, and I've been setting up collaborations for the compilation album that will accompany the PhD. I'll hopefully be able to post some demos as they progress throughout the year.

On the Global Youth Culture conference front, we've decided to link it with the Canterbury Festival for 2009, which will be great for tying the performative aspect to the academic component of the conference.

The final update regards the Minster College Beatboxers, an amazing group of high school students with whom I did a hip-hop workshop and recorded a CD. This group of students learned basic music theory, vocal percussion, rapping, and performance technique all in one morning... and finished recording their own CD in the afternoon. The day was capped by a beatbox performance for the headmaster and another class of students. The focus, skill, and motivation that the students displayed was unbelievable. I hope that I'll be able to continue this program with them into the next academic year. Big up to tha Minster Massive!

Hope you're all having a pleasant summer, and I'll be looking forward to connecting back up in a couple of weeks!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Alright Kinfolk, here's what's been going down.

First, I must say that having a week of sunshine improves everything in life. I've been running an hour every morning, and I generally feel fantastic. I always figured Seasonal Affective Disorder was just a general downer, not something that would change one's entire life. Only having emerged into the light do I actually see the difference. I feel the same way about returning to the US - I never realize how much I truly miss and appreciate the South until I'm back. Of course there are issues, but it's an environment where I really thrive. And I'm finding that sunshine makes the sunflower of my soul burst into full bloom. That's the end of that metaphor.

Anyway, exciting things this week: Had a delightful going-away dinner for the 2006 Marshall scholars. Ana Free's first single In My Place should be released in the next month, which is fantastic. I've been working on the album a lot recently, and I'm really happy with the direction it's going. Nelly Furtado's "Whoa Nelly" meets John Mayer... I'll hopefully be able to post some samples before too long! Ana's been on the study grind this month - final exams and dissertation - so we're cheering her on to a successful completion of her degree.

Sounds of the moment:

1. Forever - Chris Brown: A feel-good summer jam that just flows. Tasteful use of Autotune (the T-Pain effect). Beautiful chorus.

2. Picture Me Rollin - Chamillionaire: From "Mixtape Messiah 2" (which you can download for free from Cham's website), this song has one of those guitar hooks you love the second you hear it. I've played this song 70 times in the past 3 days according to iTunes... it's a perfect track to put on repeat and get things done.

3. Ms. Music and Touch It - Illmaculate: Two time World Rap Champion Illmaculate drops some fire on the Raincheck Mixtape. Ms. Music has a classic soul hook, while Touch It finds Illmac and Al-One ripping up Busta Rhymes' track with an insane flow.

4. Disco Friends - Just Jack: Thanks to MC Frenzy for introducing me to this one... a great vocoder chorus and an overall chill track from this quirky British rapper.

5. Say - John Mayer: A mind-blowing hit single... it's got this epic cinematic ending that gives me chills every time.

That's it for me tonight - my mind is melting with all the postcolonial fiction on the agenda. I hope you all have a great week - catch you soon!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

My many apologies encore une fois for the delay. It's been a mighty round of Ana Free production, PhD writing, and global youth conference organizing on this end.

Ana and I were talking the other day, and the Eminem line from "Lose Yourself" came to mind: "You only get one shot." Now, I would not consider Marshall Mathers to be one of our greatest contemporary philosophers, but he does capture something vitally real: this is it. This is our one shot on earth. Are we going to do what we love, or are we going to play it safe? It's much easier to play it safe. And sometimes, it's necessary. But at the end of the day, I'd rather look back and say I did what I loved regardless of whether it succeeded or not. Because I think we can define the act of trying as success in itself. If we redefine success not as monetary gain or status but by striving for that which we love, then we truly engage in a revolutionary act. We reject the millions of media messages that have flown at us over the course of our lives. Often paying lip service to individuality, to dreams, to creativity... only to package them as products. "You're a rebel - buy this shoe." "You're a dreamer - buy this accounting software." "You're a hero - drink this iced tea." How about, "You're an individual - blaze your own path." "Don't buy anything today - write a poem." "Tell someone in your life who matters why they're valuable."

In an age of commodification, a true expression of meaning takes on a new significance.

No Derrida jokes please.

On a less elevated level, I give you another improvised piano and beatbox jam that Joe Focus and I did in the winter. This one is a combination of Soulfire, Lupe Fiasco, and T-Pain... and sadly the camera cut out at the end. I hope you enjoy!


It's going to be another crazy week - best of luck to everyone with exams and final papers!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

Many apologies on the delayed postage. It's been quite a hectic adventure back in the US. I returned to North Carolina to debut a song called "My Candlelight" at a friend's (Jewelz!) wedding with Joe (Focus) on the vocals. Sadly, Jewelz's mom prevented us from seeing our Soulja Boy remix of "My Candlelight" through to completion ("A romantic dance for two / I am one and two is YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU"). The wedding was beautiful though, and it was great to see the Wake contingent again. The song was also well received (lots of requests for sheet music), so three cheers for love and music!

On the music front, we've had another surprise hit with Ana Free's most recent cover, "Savin Me" by Nickelback:

Over 90,000 views in two weeks - that's movin!

We also launched an Ana Free merchandise store, which you can check out at http://www.cafepress.com/anafree
We're working on arranging it a little better, but now people can finally get that AF mouse pad they keep asking for. We're working on alternative t-shirts including beloved phenomena such as ukeleles, tecktonik, midget wrestling, and T-Pain. Be sure to check in for all of these in the near future.

On the music front, we're gearing up for the release of the first single, "In My Place". It will be available through iTunes and all other major digital distribution channels. Upon our return to the UK, we'll be back in the studio with a vengeance. But not a vendetta. To quote a church sign I just saw, "He who angers you, controls you." We will not be controlled by Chris Matthews, no matter how obnoxiously he laughs.

I just made a couple of songs from Soulfire available for download, so feel free to check those out at http://www.djdecryption.com/music.html

I'll be running around doing a lot of business this week, so I'll probably check back in when I return to the UK next week. I hope you're all doing well (file dem taxes!) - will catch you shortly.

Oh, and if you want a brief amusing break, check out http://www.mzannetou.com/
Mike is a hilarious animator, and I did the music for one of his most recent animations:


On a final note, congratulations to a new Fulbright scholar who will be in Spain next year! ;-)

Peace,
DJ Decryption

A white day in Canterbury! At first I thought some strange creatures were migrating and attacking my house, but it turns out that the freezing temperatures had combined with a bit of humidity to create snow for Easter. How delightful!

On the Ana Free front, we're been buckling down on the academic side at the moment. Ana has been doing some interviews for her dissertation on the music industry, and it looks like it's going to be a fascinating paper.

I wanted to comment briefly on Barack Obama's speech on Race in America, "A More Perfect Union":

This has to be one of the most thoughtful and powerful speeches on US race relations that I've heard in my lifetime. Obama nails it - race matters, but it is not overdetermining. We have a long way to go, but we've already come so far. Obama speaks to the complex challenges of white and black concerns, and the real key to this speech is the call to empathy, to mutual understanding, to compassion. It's not enough to tolerate opposing viewpoints - it's time to embrace them. To understand what deep-seated fears lie at the bottom of the anger and the distrust. And then to address those concerns on the terms of the other person. I see this issue arise frequently with religious discussions. If one person isn't willing to enter the terms of the other person's belief system, no dialogue can occur. It is not enough to say, "well, I don't believe what you do, so let's just leave it." I want to know why people believe what they do... in the language they explain it to themselves. I want to hear their reasons and justifications, even if we begin from fundamentally different premises. Because only then do I truly begin to understand how people actually feel. Which helps me understand why people make the decisions they do. Because it's a simple jump from the emotional power of a belief system (any belief, not just religious) to the individual actions of a person. Especially when those actions are based in fear of another person. So I am thankful that Obama broached this subject, as controversial as it may be, because he accurately and fairly represents multiple perspectives in the US and tries to reconcile them to one another.

Hopefully internet will be functional again on Thursday - let's keep our fingers crossed.

Wishing you all a delightful week and looking forward to seeing some of my US kinfolk soon!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

Another exciting and crazy week here at homebase. I just gave a paper on Black British poetry anthologies at Goldsmiths College, and the overall reception was very positive. I also was able to meet some of the main editors and publishers of the anthologies and critical works that I've been using for research, which was wonderful. There are a lot of passionate, intelligent, and innovative people working in independent publishing right now... there's just not a lot of money. But that's why it has to be about the passion and the belief that it's important. Any desire for massive economic renumeration for contributions to the arts are likely to be thwarted these days, especially with government funding approaching new lows. But hey, we do it for da love. There were a number of cool panel sessions (including a great one on Black British theatre), and the general consensus seemed to be that progress is occurring, even as challenges to cultural diversity amass.

I've been PhD scribing this week, and it's back to that today (turning in a piece tomorrow). Still no internet - hopefully I'll have a chance to do a bigger update later this week. Onward with the great project my friends!

Cheers from Canterbury,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

I have a crazy week of PhD writing mania coming up, so I'm going to drop a few thoughts and get back to the writing.

After talking with Alex from anafree.de about my Freestyle Rap Tutorial post, I realized that I learned a lot of good lessons from hip-hop. Some of them are probably more widely applicable than others, but nevertheless, here's a brief start - I'll probably expand this list over time.

1. Do not judge people by what they look like. Or even what they say.

In freestyle battles over the past 7 years, I have heard some of the most unbelievably offensive material imaginable. But the people saying it are often doing it out of ego-projection or seeking a shock response. They have a deeply ingrained sense of morality, even when it comes to hip-hop. For example, some of the most gangsta rappers have been the most courteous about respecting their opponent, not interrupting them when rapping, etc. Of course, you get plenty of unpleasant individuals who harass and annoy everyone, but that's life. Just because someone looks like a thug doesn't mean they are a thug.

2. Many people who don't look like thugs are thugs.

Any reading beyond a superficial glance at the news will reveal an incredible amount of corruption, violence, deceit, and cruelty in the world. Even a brief look will tell you that, but once you start learning the specifics, the truly horrific nature of our existence becomes evident. The exploitation of the music industry looks positively generous compared to labor abuses, slavery, corporate malfeasance, and political violence across the globe. I think we're often insulated in the US (and most of Europe) from the realities of the rest of the world. Bribery? Common occurrence in many countries. Domestic violence? Accepted practice as well. It's hard out there for a decent human being, and many people who seem pleasant do not always have your best interest at heart. Talk to anyone who's been offered passage to the US only to be trapped in indentured servitude, or anyone who's been ripped off in an insurance scam, or any artist who has had a record label enthusiastically endorse them and then 6 months later not return their calls... while the label still recoups from the artist's album.

3. Labels are unstable and only mildly useful.

What is hip-hop? What do "rappers" do/want/think? The answer is so varied... it's like asking what "fiction authors" do/want/think. (I consider the two questions to be almost identical, by the way). Hip-hop has developed as many branches as literature (with a slightly larger emphasis on asserting how dope you are). To attempt to restrict the significance or variety of the artwork is ludicrous at this point. Since hip-hop has become a global phenomenon, you almost have to specify language, nationality, region, etc. as well as stylistic elements (pop rap, crunk, lit-hop, etc.) now. Even then, for example, you have a massive French hip-hop scene that contains wack Celtic rappers (Manau), Moroccan dirty south rappers (La Fouine), hip-hop literary critics (MC Solaar), and even terrible hip-hop/R&B boybands (Tragedie).

You can also interpret the wording of this lesson title in another way... I think that one speaks for itself.

4. Capitalism eats everything.

No matter how revolutionary, anti-corporate, or alternative you might be, someone will figure out a way to make money off of it. I think most people have accepted this by now, and the best way to deal with it seems to be to accept the fact that money is not evil. It is a resource, like time, energy, or Goldfish, and we can use it as such... to do both constructive and harmful things. You should see the anguish I can wreak with a box of Goldish...

Okay, that's a vastly oversimplified view of capitalism's role in commodifying everything, but this is a blog post, not a dissertation. :-) The medium shapes the the message...

And on that note, I leave you with this installment! Off to PhD for a week - have a good one friends!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

The internet is still down chez Blake, so it's back to alternative options for the time being. On to more interesting things...

Big props to my boi Da'Ron for hitting up Wake Law School for the next three years - he'll be stackin' that changle shortly. The new single is almost mixed - look out for more Da'Ron / Focus / Decrypt in your life shortly.

In more Ana Free news, we've been doing major songwriting sessions recently - I've been working on a new track called Keep On Walking that we've almost finished. The composition process is fascinating... I can go for 6 months without writing a single lyric and then compose 4 full songs in a night. I suppose that the creative energy builds up and emerges in one massive productive session. The Greeks would say something about my daemonian and how the inner spirit must move us to create. I actually feel that's more accurate when it comes to freestyle rap. When I'm really on fire, it just flows through me without any intellectual effort. Channeling the inner power is a unique experience, and it's been nice to freestyle more recently... it makes me feel more energetic and alive. People often ask how to freestyle, and I tell them that it's 50% practice, 50% inspiration. Listening to hip-hop and reading poetry are great ways to attune your mind to rhythm and rhyme. Then, the practice of continuous rhyming everywhere and about everything is the next step. It will inevitably start simply (and probably be mildly non-sensical): "I'm walking through the door / I'm stepping on the floor / I'm going to the store / But won't buy things cause I'm poor."

Those first rhymes are so important though, because you become accustomed to letting it flow. The flow is the key to freestyle - if you overthink it, you'll stumble or be too self-conscious to let the rhymes come out. That's why early freestyle is really just about overcoming self-consciousness and embarrassment. You have to allow yourself to make mistakes, to be off-beat and to be irreverent. Once you get a feel for basic rhyming, you can start making more complex structures - internal rhymes, multisyllable rhymes, wordplay, etc. The best way to do it is to listen to a lot of rappers you enjoy and imitate them. Even do their raps along with them. The key is to become familiar with their cadences and rhyme schemes. Then, you can start to create your own variations. I think commercial rap can be very useful in this regard. The rhymes and subject matter are often basic, but the swagger of the delivery is often a great starting point to get your flow on point.

Anyway, that's a starting point - if you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask them in the Guestbook, and I'll respond to them in the next post.

The original title of this post was "The System Is Down" in reference to on-going internet difficulties, but as we're conquering it, I've changed it to reflect function over form. The medium will not trump the message!

Anyway, here's hoping to be reconnected soon - in the meantime, have a great week everyone!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

Many updates on many fronts! I've solved my internet problem by embracing privitization and capitalism... should be ready to rock by the weekend. It's been amazing how much I've had to rearrange my life without domestic internet... it really makes me realize how dependent I've become on the net for communication, business, family and friend bonding, etc. I got a BlackBerry to help in the interim, but there's just so much (Skype, PhD research, music production tranfers, etc.) for which I need a standard connection. Good learning experience all around!

On the Ana Free front, it's been quite a busy week. We've been working on a brand new song, "Playgrounds and Kisses", and I love this track. It's a piano summertime jam that really swings all the way through. By the time the first demo was fully done, I was literally disco dancing around the studio like a John Travolta impersonator. Finger pointing and all. No tight leather pants though - some things must change after a few decades (for the better, in this case).

We've been working hardchord on Ana's official website, and Ana just setup a Facebook page - you can check it out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ana-Free/24002876072

Ana also recorded a great new YouTube video for her song "I Got Away." We did several versions with epic strings on it, but sadly the camera mic doesn't do "epic" very well. That's alright... you can still hear a little of it in the background. The song itself is phenomenal though:


On the DJ Decryption front, Da'Ron, Focus, and I recorded a new track "Frequent Flyer" over a Dre Ramone - Drumline beat, and it's nearing completion at the moment. First Soulfire reunion in a while! The official Decrypt logos will be here soon, and plans are underway for a new DJ Decryption album at some point down the line. I've been writing a fair amount recently and have a few beats ready for a new album. The lyrical direction for this one is turning a little more introspective (like "Location of the Rapper") and deep (like "Open Curtain"). I also have a few fiery raps that may or may not make it onto the album - they definitely have a blazing postcolonial edge to them.

Speaking of which, the PhD has been a bit slow this week. I've been doing some background reading on Anthony Burgess for the Clockwork Orange connection, but mainly I've been re-evaluating the whole debate about authenticity. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes. Ultimately, the individual configurations that make up humanity are so specific and variable that trying to apply any kind of ethnic determinisim seems crazy. At the same time, I recognize that groups have historically been (and continue to be) marginalized due to lack of adequate representation. The problems of representation don't dismiss the need for it. I think the distinction between political representation and individual representation needs to be clarified, but sometimes it's so easy to abstract it out to the point where it all seems inapplicable in our own lives. People must have advocates for their interests without simultaneously being limited to those interests. It requires a lot of perspective and active contemplation, which is probably why it's so difficult. It's much easier to say "Union worker - they think/do this" without recognizing that someone's job, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc. is just one part of their being. We'll keep trying to remain patient and reflective... it's the only way lasting positive change has ever happened.

And on that philosophical note, I shall leave you for tonight. Take care friends near and far - you're much missed!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

Your boi is back! I had a great trip to Paris - doing some research, connecting with old friends, revisiting my disdain for modern art, etc. My addiction to French rap has lessened somewhat over the years... mainly because I still have a backlog from the last scorched-earth used-CD store run on Paris (at stores appropriately named O'CD). I did manage to do some freestyling for a lovely group of international compatriots (big shout-out to my Moroccan kinfolk - we run tha BLOCK).

In Ana Free news, we've been back in the studio! We wrote a killer track yesterday (and by "killer" I mean pleasant and happy, of course), and I can't wait for it to be released to the world shortly. We should have some release dates coming your way soon, so thanks for your patience!

On the Team Business / Drumline front, Dre Ramone and I have been building a library of hip-hop, R&B, and pop beats - and they've been selling as soon as they're made. So for heaven's sake, if you want a beat, let us know ahead of time, cause these aren't sticking around for very long these days!

I'm still sadly without internet, so I'm writing you from the University. I just found out that I received funding for the next year of my PhD, which was delightful news. I've been writing on Gautam Malkani's Londonstani and relating it to A Clockwork Orange, which is proving to be a very fruitful reading. Still in the planning stages with the global youth conference, and we've had some great responses from potential presenters and speakers.

I've actually been in the studio for the past 10 hours, and it's been 12 hours since I've eaten, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to run before I collapse into a pile of Blake-lacking-foodness. I appreciate the support of Katie a.k.a. Sunny D in my quest to eat two meals per day.

I hope you're all well, and I'm looking forward to catching up more once the net connection is re-instated!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings kinfolk! The internet is still out (and will be for another two weeks *cringe*), but I'm looking at this development as an opportunity to do more productive work *grin*. In the meantime, I'm back in touch with the world via a new BlackBerry and telepathy, both of which have proven very useful in communicating with other beings.

Ana Free and I were invited to perform with legendary funk band Parker Brown last night at the University of Kent, and we had a blast. I'm hoping that the footage came out well enough to post. Ana and I teamed up on "I Feel Good" by James Brown, and there was a reprise of the Sweet Home Alabama rap. Ana killed it on "Run" (Snow Patrol), "Spooky" (Dusty Springfield), "Waiting on the World to Change" (John Mayer), and "Feeling Good" (David Burns) as well. There was also a small breakdancing and beatboxing interlude. No pedestrians were injured.

Things are moving along with the Ana Free album project. We've been working on several songs per day and will hopefully have some projected release dates for you soon once we sort out the mixing and mastering details. Ana will also be performing some more solo gigs in Canterbury in the near future, so we'll keep you posted on those too!

As far as the rest of life goes, everything is cool. Making significant progress on the PhD, setting up this conference on global youth culture, and generally having a blast.

Quick poetry reading review: An awesome British (Scottish) poet named Jackie Kay gave a reading at the University of Kent last Tuesday, and it was spellbinding. She is warm, hilarious, clever, and altogether a wonderful human being. Personal anecdotes laced her presentation, and she shared some of the ironic (and sometimes frustrating) experiences of growing up in a host of categories that didn't always mesh seamlessly with some of the more "traditional" Brits. I asked her about her poetic position and whether she felt that she was part of a literary movement, be it "Black British" or others. Her response was that she would definitely affirm that she was "Scottish", "black", "lesbian", etc., but she said that she felt the categories were often too limited and overdetermined. She joked that she would like to see more poets referred to as "white heterosexual males". I think that might be the title of my next album. White Heterosexual Male.

Now that's gangsta.

Anyway, her poetry was excellent too, and it's always good to know that I'm on the right track with my PhD ideas. Jackie expressed interest in presenting at the global youth conference, which would be awesome. Here's hoping she'll be back soon!

To wrap up, I'll leave you with a touching moment courtesy of YouTube. A cynical conservative is interviewing Obama supporters and challenging them on the current media narrative that Obama supporters are "too emotional" or have "cult-like obsession" and an absence of rational thought. Here's a brilliant example of a young voter who gives an completely unemotional analysis of his support for Obama - I love this exchange. Hope you enjoy!



Catch you soon folks!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

My internet has been down all week, and thus I am giving a brief update from the university. A full posting will come shortly!

In a bit of fun news, yesterday I had a chance to speak on the phone with Alex, who runs Ana's main fansite www.anafree.de . He's a fantastic guy who has done some amazing work on the site. Alex continuously compiles news stories, video and musical tributes, fan creations, and a host of other goodies related to Ana. Definitely check out the site when you get a chance - he updates on a regular basis (when he's not traveling the world)!

You'll note that Ana's newest video features a little Ana Free - DJ Decryption jam at the end... it was one of those random "hey, aren't the chords to John Mayer's song about positive social change the same as Marvin Gaye's tribute to lovesickness and its necessary remedy?" moments. I liked the personal-political musical connection... Adrienne Rich would be proud.


Hopefully the internet will return shortly and cure us all of our web-withdrawl symptoms. In the meantime, have a great week friends and keep that Soulfire alive!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Alright folks, accountability time. Let's see how well the resolutions have been going:

1. Blog regularly.
- I'm here, now watch me crank dat soulja boy.

2. Divide work / play better.
- I've managed to see several good friends in the past week, and I've been taking some mental time for myself. Consider it done!

3. Eat 2 meals per day.
- Oh yeah, I've got this baby on lock. Plus, I've been occasionally eating breakfast! Hooray!

4. Make more lists.
- I'm definitely continuing in the great tradition of those brave itemizing souls who have come before me.

Alright, now onto some real updates. Ana Free and I had a great studio session today. Worked on some planning for 2008 - it's going to be a great year. The album is well underway, and we're setting up concerts, websites, etc. as well. I'll let you know as more specifics become available. Ana is finished her Economics degree at the moment (and doing a very cool dissertation on the theory of "the firm" and the evolution of the music industry).

Speaking of academic work, the PhD is going great. I'm reading a fantastic book called Londonstani by Gautam Malkani about 2nd generation Indian youth culture in London, and I think it's going to form a large part of my first chapter. It's closely aligned with my main research interests - postcolonial lit, hip-hop, and the commodification of global youth culture. There's already been a 50 Cent reference - always a good sign.

I'm also beginning planning for a massive academic conference on Representations of Global Youth Culture. I'm currently working on securing funding and talking to potential presenters - more news as the project develops.

Music I've been enjoying recently: Ani DiFranco (she's such a good songwriter, and I really love her percussive guitar playing) and the Indigo Girls (reminds me of a simpler time, plus the harmonies are so beautiful).

Congrats to Drumline producer Dre Ramone on signing an international publishing deal with pigFactory! Ya boi makes it clap!

Also, Da'Ron and I recorded a hot new track over a Drumline beat. The song is called "Frequent Flyer", and it's an extended metaphor in the great tradition of John Donne. Plus a guest appearance by Joe Focus on the chorus... MONSTAAAAAAAAH.

2008 is looking like a great year. Let's get it fam.

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Greetings Kinfolk,

It's been a whirlwind tour back in the US, and I do have a few New Year's Resolutions / Projects that I'm bringing back with me to England.

1. Update this blog every Monday night at 11:30pm.
Explanation: Consistency is crucial, and I want to prioritize this thing for you, the readers who are kind enough to check in on a regular basis.

2. Try to separate my days better.
Explanation: The problem with having self-managed projects is that they literally consume your entire life. There are no boundaries in your life - why shouldn't you be working on studio tracks for 8 hours and then come home and work on PhD for another 5 hours? I'm trying to stop working at some point and take some time for myself (and clearly I'm failing as I write this post at 2am). However, I must point out that the great joy of this "problem" is that I love what I'm doing so much that I want to do it all the time. The flipside of course is that it's not the most healthy course of action. I think I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 5pm today. Which brings me to...

3. Eat at least two real meals a day.
Explanation: I'm clearly not going so well on this one either. As a corollary to Resolution #2, I enjoy what I'm doing so much that I don't want to stop doing it to eat. Unfortunately, the UK lacks several crucial components that made this practice less problematic in the US. These missing American ingredients are (1) Goldfish, (2) Skippy Peanut Butter & Welchs Grape Jelly, (3) Bryers Vanilla & Fudge Twirl Ice Cream, and (4) food that stays fresh more than 3 days due to the unhealthy amount of preservatives in it. With those components missing, I find my culinary habits here to be non-existent. I haven't turned on the stove since a friend visited in the spring of 07 and made some pasta. Which means I have actually never turned on my stove of my own free will. That's not a good thing.

4. Make more lists.
Explanation. I love lists. Can you tell from this blog post? I find the joy of crossing off completed activities to be as rewarding as accomplishing the task itself. Plus, when I move all the free-floating information from the RAM of my brain onto the page, my stress level goes down immensely. I don't have to constantly say, "who was I supposed to battle rap next week at 4pm in the library?" I just check my list and say, "Oh! Of course! Dolores, your days of shelving in the stacks are numbered."

5. Git 'er done!
Explanation: Completed.

I'll leave you with a little improvised jam session that Focus and I did in the HKY over the winter break. We just sit at the piano and play off whatever the other person devises. So here's a Lil' Wayne - Soulja Boy - Hurricane Chris - DJ Khaled - piano remix by DJ Decryption and Focus.



See you next Monday!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Merry Christmas and other assorted holidays to you all! Just wanted to drop another quick review / musical thought before bouncing for a bit.

Just copped Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool" - quite an exciting disc. It's a concept album with some nice personified allegories (the whole underlying message of The Cool), diversified subject matter (e.g. a brilliant piece on children and violence called "Little Weapon"), and amazing production (e.g. "Hip-Hop Saved My Life", which has great thematic content too). Lupe has great flow with highly relevant subject matter, and thankfully he dives into metaphor in more than a precursory manner. He's skilled at tying various narratives together to highlight parallel experiences in provocative and innovative ways (e.g. "Intruder Alert"). I really appreciate that subtlety and creativity, since I feel there's a temptation to address all topics directly without couching them in some analogical flair. Plus, the production is amazing and diverse. Mad props to Lupe - sick album. To quote Matt F, "Hip-Hop is Back."

Everything else is great - it's nice to be home for a while. Caught up with Ana in Portugal today - sounds like things are fun there! She's got a killer new video from her Portuguese TV appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-fpWguN17s

Hope you're all doing well - catch you on the musical wave of 2008 soon!

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Talking with Joe (Focus) today made me realize that I hadn't updated the blog in a while, so I thought I'd give you some seasonal cheer. Hooray for cold darkness!

That was a seasonal cheer. Continue deadpan.

Recent music I've been enjoying: Craig David's new album "Trust Me". It's quite catchy overall, and although Craig leaves a little to be desired as a lyricist, it's a vast improvement from his other recent endeavors. There's more of a funk vibe on this album, although sometimes we veer into bossa nova (always a bad idea) and ill-advised British rap ("This Is The Girl"). Craig David does have an excellent ability to do two things: (1) make incredibly complex phrasing flow seamlessly and (2) name check himself with a regularity that makes you suspect he's had a continuous identity crisis over the last 4 albums. The former can be witnessed in choruses that feature lines like "six of one thing... halfadozenofanother"; whereas the latter can be witnessed every 15 seconds.

Recent enjoyable book: "The Islamist" by Ed Hussain. Amazing tale of a young 2nd generation British Muslim who claims to have joined radical Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. Apparently there's some controversy over whether Hussain is a British neocon prop, but his book makes for a great story nevertheless. It's nice to read something with a narrative after hacking through Derrida. Although like most things, the deeper I venture into D's writings, the more they make sense. He's actually very astute - it's just that thinking like a deconstructionist will cause you to have a meltdown every morning. So let's stick to political apathy for the moment.

Deadpan humo(u)r continues.

The general outlook is good. PhD work continues unabated, and the Ana Free projects are grooving along. We've been putting in major studio time and setting up several networks for various parts of the debut album launch. The most recent track we've been working on is "It's Time", a lovely song with a killer chorus. You can check out the acoustic version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPOEhsaCHIs

I'm going to try to write more album and book reviews on the blog, as well as add some general music commentary and analysis on a more regular basis. So much of what passes for journalism about music seems so simplistic and binary-driven... it'd be nice to break away from that mold. So I'm going to start posting more thoughts soon.

Big things are happening in the new year - can't wait to share it all with you soon!

Happy Holidayz to you an' ya kinfolk.

Peace,
DJ Decryption

Kinfolk,

Thanks for checking back in! Sorry that it's been so long since the last update - life has been flying along. The PhD work has been going well (looking at neo-tribalism at the moment), and I'm aiming to have some solid pieces together before Christmas. The music production front is going great. Ana Free's project is blazing along. Portuguese National Radio is about to put the first single into rotation, so we're psyched about that. We did a couple of really fun live gigs recently. Ana and I performed together at the Frisson Gallery in Canterbury (which concluded with a hilarious beatbox / freestyle / breakdancing set), and I did some rapping with an awesome funk band named Parker Brown. Their concert at the University of Kent was absolutely phenomenal (they just added a killer horn section), and I am very thankful to PB for asking me to perform with them.

Ana and I also just did a photo shoot in preparation for the website and album artwork. The behind-the-scenes work takes a lot of time, you know? But in some ways, that's the most enjoyable and rewarding part. I've always loved the process, whether it's writing lyrics, composing music, or mixing an album. If it were easy, I don't think it would feel as rewarding at the end of the day.

In other music news, I've been composing some new beats for Team Business recently, and Drumline co-producer Dre Ramone and I have been getting our Foreign Exchange on. He's an amazingly talented producer and rapper, and it's been awesome working with him. And we're 7,000 miles away from each other! Ahhhh, technology...

I'm about to move into the enhanced studio (finally), so I'm looking forward to the improved recording and mixing environment. Other exciting collaborations on the horizon include Baba Brinkman (with whom I'll be chilling on New Years Eve, believe it or not) and Enigman (who spit some incredible verses for me today). Also, Da'Ron and I have been working on a new joint, which will be fire for your speakers. We've got a pretty tight recording schedule lined up for the US homecoming, but we're amped about it.

In other news, the first Drumline single (featuring Focus and two singers we'll pseudonymously call Sexy and Sultry) will be dropping shortly. I'm sure you'll be hearing / seeing more about that soon.

Things are moving my friends. I can't wait to be back in the US for a while over the holidays. Hope you are all kickin' it for real. Take care.

Peace,
DJ Decryption

What it do kinfolk? I've been out for a hot minute, but that's only because dis game been mad hectic up in da hizzouse. Balleristic on da grind with the thing and yeah enough colloquial speak for the moment. Life is good my friends! I've been missing all of you hardcore, but I have more than enough to keep me busy... which means I haven't had a chance to dwell too much.

So I guess first thing's first - literally. I just found out that I got a First (i.e. distinction) on my masters, which is wonderful news. It's nice to have all the research and toil validated by the powers that be. It's also a great boost to jump straight into the PhD. So I've been meeting with my supervisor, doing crazy research, making it clap, etc. The commodification of global youth culture. Wamp wamp.

On the production front, Ana Free's first single is going on Portuguese National Radio shortly, which is very exciting. Drumline and Team Business projects are taking off as well, and we're doing a ton of web design and marketing work at the moment.

In terms of new music, Mac Lethal is a lyrical beast. His song "Ashes to Ashley" is phenomenal, as are his Love Potion mixtapes (esp. 3 & 4). It's so refreshing to find excellent underground hip-hop on a fairly regular basis. Go global capitalism and technological advancements!

The birthday is coming up on Monday (the 8th) - I'll miss spending it with all of you!

Peace from Canterbury,
DJ Decryption

Kinfolk,

Ya boi is BACK! The dissertation is turned in, and the PhD is about to begin! It's been quite a wild month, and it's only going to get crazier. I'm working on a major website overhaul, so look for that in the near future. In the meantime, Portuguese National Radio contacted Ana Free and said that they want "In My Place," the first single from the album, to go into rotation next week. So we're incredibly excited about that, but we obviously have a ton of paperwork and studio things to do as well. More updates as they develop!

I also met up with Baba Brinkman in London. He's the author of "The Rap Canterbury Tales," which is amazing in both its CD and live performance forms. Baba is one of the most talented wordsmiths I've ever heard, and I had a great time chillin' with him and British rapper Dizraeli in the studio. Their producer, Infinite Potential, is dope as well. Check Baba out if you haven't already: www.babasword.com

In other news, we're in full production mode on the Team Business / Drumline end of things. Bad Boy submissions, Sage Francis connections, Suave's debut single, video game and film production, corporate gigs... the whole range. I'm also looking forward to working on British rapper Engiman's dark debut album as well. Not to mention a little PhD research here and there!

Speaking of which, I just got back from a conference on Displacement and Belonging in the Contemporary World in Manchester, which went great. I presented on Hip-Hop, Postcolonial Theory, and the French Riots of 2005. The paper was well received and will be published in an anthology in the upcoming months. So everything is still flying along on the academic front too. Just trying to remember to eat and sleep at some point!

Final note of good news: I just found out that my friend Mike's final animation film for which I composed the soundtrack received incredibly high marks and provided him with a Distinction on his Masters degree (the highest grade possible). Congratulations Mike! You're an animating animal.

Hope you are all doing well - keep that Soulfire burning!

Peace,
DJ Decryption