Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Journeyman
journeyman - one who has completed an apprenticeship and is fully educated in a craft or field of study but is not yet a master.
Twelve months ago I was at a tipping point. I had just had a birthday. A year older and supposedly wiser yet still uneasy about a couple things. One thing in particular was the state of my muscial journey. I had all but forgone the ritual late night crate-diggin' and the endless quest for the perfect beat and flow. The banging of MPC keypads and scribbles in my rhyme book had ceased and months long dust accumulated undisturbed on my equipment.
It wasn't supposed to be like that. According to the talking heads around me I was supposed to "make it" a long time ago. You know how when you hear something long enough it's possible to start believing your own hype. Well, I was never fully vested in what others said anyway but at the same time I started feeling like I could have done this or that and maybe had a career in music. Ha. Well it all smacked me in the face 12 months ago when I realized that not only was I wasting my talent by not using and developing it, but that I had fucked around and had gray hairs growing out of my nose.
Not that I'm trying to give away my age (or hide it necessarily) but let's just say I've put some time in with this hip hop thing. I remember the Crash Crew, The Treacherous 3, Cold Crush, RunDMC and all that. I pop locked in white gloves and tagged on public transportation. I was there in the so called Golden Era in the 90's. What? Cats trying to sound old school now? Really? I am old school. And new school. And no school. My first crew was VERBAL THREAT. Not to be confused with a later group who used to fuck with DJPremier. No. After I moved from Laurelton Queens, New York to Virginia way back when, I was thirsty for anything New York, especially Hip Hop. Cats was on some other type shit here at the time. Mostly bass. No disrespect, it just wasn't my flavor. I eventually found like minded cats who were into DJing, beats and rhyming and graf. All the stuff I missed from NY. Eventually formed a crew with some friends and came up with the name VERBAL THREAT. I wanted a name that sounded ill like a punk rock group. Kinda like Minor Threat and Verbal Abuse. Bong.
Over a 10 year period the crew grew from 2 to 3 back to 2 to 4 then 8 with a live band. We were signed to an indie label out of Brooklyn called Idlers and were labelmates with the Jungle Brothers. We released a couple singles, "Black Woman" and "Iron Man" on Idlers but never a full album. We then went "in business" with a drug kingpin looking to "legitimize" some of his money and built a studio and made some music. Let's just say that that didn't end well. Ah, good times. After that episode we released two EP's, "Conspiracy Of Silence" and in '96 the well recieved tape called, "The Essence." We would go on to do many shows from Philly to North Carolina opening for Public Enemy (on four occasions), RunDMC, Main Source, 311 (before they were huge), and many others. We did several radio spots and a few interviews and a couple times even got treated like kings. We had been through so many wild episodes with clowns, quacks, chickenheads, charlatans, drug dealers and skinheads but it all made for great memories and experience. And music. But, as they say, things fall apart and we disbanded in 2000. It was time. Cats was older with developing families and diverging interests and needs. That's just what it was.
Gray Dayzz [prod. by Arthritis] by COR STIDAK
I kept going with my man Damon (Big D, RIP) who was the guitar player in the group and another cat from Bad News, VA who sold alot of weed and played keyboard on the side. Not ideal but it was a spot to jam at and chill and be creative....and smoke alot of weed. Later on after dude got raided I found out just how much weed he was selling. Had I known I wouldn't have been just chillin' up in there like that. But you know what they say about babies and fools. I was kind of burned out and languishing musically. My little brother, Mike (shout out lil nigga, ha), knew what I could do and the direction of my vision and he was kinda wise with his money so he fucked around and bought me a MPC and a keyboard. I saved my pennies and got an Akai studio mixer and I already had vinyl (dust head..always hunting) and started making my own shit. In '04 I recorded an EP, "The Secret Science" named after a book I was deep into at the time. But it was basically just something a few heads heard. By few I mean a few.
After that, my relationship with hip hop was very on again-off again, like an old girlfriend. This is where we eventually get to the tipping point. My friend, Bobby Blunt, was putting in work musically. I really didn't know him very well. We had a mutual friend who we were both trying to get beats from but it was like pulling teeth so we decided to get together and collaborate. The first song we did was a tune called, "Dunk Smack."
It was a beat he got from Grand Ear out of the 'Burg and we both wrote verses and recorded it in one day. Bobby was already making music with his groups and promoting on sites like Soundcloud and Bandcamp and had his own website and merchandise. I didn't even have a laptop. But I had made a few pretty good tracks. It took a while to get right with a computer and I joined Soundcloud. I just had, and still have, a real do or die, now or never mentality. Gray hairs be damned. Now.
The first connection I had on Soundcloud was Akademik aka Les Braun of Lurk Music and of course Bobby. I had actually linked with Akademik a bit earlier on the Stone's Throw forum. We eventually went on to collab on a gem called "The Bootlicker Lullabye"
which was included on my first album. It remains one of my favorites.
From there I connected with the homie Keor Meteor. What a talent!! Our first trans-continental offering was the joint "Crown Chakra" and again it was very well received. Crown Chakra (prod. by Keor Meteor) by COR STIDAK That collab opened a few doors because Keor had been putting in serious work and already had about 4 or 5 excellent releases at the time, so cats was already feeling him and some of them listened and loved the song. This lead to a connection with MISHAP and eventually my first feature. The song is "Oyster & Stout" and came out on MISHAP's album "The Science of the Sun" on Ugly Boy Music.
More than 20 collabs later and I have no plans of slowing down. Here's a list of the artists I've had the pleasure to build with this year: Akademik, Bobby Blunt, Blase, MISHAP, RenRok, Keor Meteor, Handbook, Fadee, yahn LOOKE picard, Melodiesinfonie, *IMS*, 2ndNature, Pepil Pew, funkload, Ben Official, Mr. Mamadou the Pi Art, Rendition, Arthritis, Light, Nalm Myerz, Anomeric, King Boom, SHANE GREAT, Beat Machine Aron and Prof. Logik. There may be a couple more before 2011 bids us adieu.
2012 will hopefully be a busy year. Look for collabs with /Art Vandelay, Brock Berrigan, DJHellblazer, RediBrown, RaSun, Symbo Science, mudloop, Lee Spacey, JDigital, Buddy Hotshot, Ehberto Talice, Prof. Logik, blazeitdown, B. Lowe and of course my friends Bobby Blunt, Keor Meteor, Akademik, King Boom, RenRok and MISHAP. RenRok and I have formed a group called, THE FOUNDRY and are working on a release called, "The Single Malt EP". I'm not sure on a date but a fair guess would be around March. Also in the works will be a project with music by Keor Meteor, and possibly another EP with the homie King Boom. Look for a new beatstrumental EP, "Higher Branches (stidakstrumentals vol. 2)" around OCT. But all of that is neither here nor there. I'm taking it one day at a time, one song at a time. If it doesn't mean anything to anyone else, it means something to me. Visioner by COR STIDAK
One love to all the music makers and the music lovers. Cheers (*raising a dram of Jura single malt*) and I hope to keep making music people enjoy and feel good about.
Happy Holidays!!
Heavy Karma [prod by Prof. Logik] by COR STIDAK
Official releases:
Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Something's Wrong
So, I connected with the homie MISHAP again with this feature on an album he's doing with a illy nice MC named LIGHT. Together they are DEAD CENTER outta Jerz..Also featured was NALM MYERZ. He goes in first, then LIGHT and STIDAK finishes. It was a pleasure to get down with them and their project should be dropping soon.
SOMETHING'S WRONG - feat. NALM MYERZ, LIGHT, & COR STIDAK [prod. by MISHAP] by COR STIDAK
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Go the other, other way.
Dropping October 15 will be the collab album. Basically a collection of blood-boilers that I did with some new friends from various zones. Featuring beats by Keor Meteor, Yahn Looke Picard, King Boom, Handbook, Beat Machine Aron, Pepil Pew, Arthritis, and Anomeric. Available at Bandcamp. Links to come. Peace!!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Resonance Vol. 1
A ridiculously cool new comp album from Collective Resonance with works from the likes of Prof. Logik, dranaL, LAKIM, Handbook, Phedee, Sunday Morning, Yahn Looke Picard, and of course ya boy Stidak, among others. 30+ minutes of raw, intelligent speaker smashers that are sure to delight enthusiasts of such things. I think Cor Stidak x Yahn Looke Picard collab track, "Master the Art" is number 11. But just press play and bang all these joints.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Breakfast of Champions
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
No Peace
lostinthenorth.com
A blurb about the song by Bobby and me on a friend's blog. Funny, might be hard to tell but the day we recorded this song Bobby had a nasty cold and it didn't help that at the time my lab was in a garage that could get to 60 degrees in the winter with a space heater or two. We banged it out though.
We are in the midst of doing an EP. It's as yet untitled but will include the 4 songs we've completed plus maybe 3 more. Soon come..
No Peace - Cor Stidak & Bobby Blunt (prod. by DJ Vex) by COR STIDAK
A blurb about the song by Bobby and me on a friend's blog. Funny, might be hard to tell but the day we recorded this song Bobby had a nasty cold and it didn't help that at the time my lab was in a garage that could get to 60 degrees in the winter with a space heater or two. We banged it out though.
We are in the midst of doing an EP. It's as yet untitled but will include the 4 songs we've completed plus maybe 3 more. Soon come..
No Peace - Cor Stidak & Bobby Blunt (prod. by DJ Vex) by COR STIDAK
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Divine Paradox and the Order of Operation
It feels good and weird at the same time to have completed the album and set it free. All the late nights, the stretches of writer's block, the emails across states and continents, the love and effort that went into this project only to find out that apparently I'm doing it all wrong. All this time i thought that if I focused my imagination and and honed my craft that I could create something beautiful and true and maybe....oh no!!
"SURRENDER DOROTHY"!!!
Please..My old partner Mike Peace and I, along with our DJ Maestro(Barry), had the golden opportunity to have a sit down with Leon Sylvers at Teddy Riley's old studio when he lived in VB back in the early 90s. He basically schooled us on some realities of the music business for 4 hours. And another influential brother was Skitch Lovett, may his soul be blessed. The information and advice I got from them made it quite clear for me that while my intention and desire is to be an artist, musician, and writer, as soon as I think I want to fuck with these sharks in the industry I had better come right and be about business. I'm too fucking old to have somebody try to control my image to fit in a small box. Matter of fact, I'm really not just rapping when I write about Jaded Visions!!
You don't believe me? Check this out: how much does it cost to make a hit song!
That's exactly why the underground is so vibrant. Pop music is code for manufactured musical fast food. It's diseased, palsied, mindless and is fed to us with salty pork rinds and high fructose corn syrup at breakfast with a recommended daily allowance that far exceeds levels of sane sanity. It's fake titties. And it's all after the dollar which I'm not knocking one's pursuit of, but at what cost?
Meh..I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on all wrong and bull-headed I guess. I just finished writing two songs, one called "Midnight Blue" for Tokyo producer Pepil Pew, to be featured on his project, and another called "Mindbender" which will be a collab with BeatMachine Aron from Iceland...what?? Shit is gonna be a problem when this comes out. Next I will begin work on tracks with Rendition from Netherlands and the homie Anomeric from Cali. I also just received new heat from two of my faves Keor Meteor and MISHAP. i don't think I have enough fucking rhymes for all the dope cats out there that I would like to work with.
In the pipeline will be an EP with none other than Bobby Blunt. Undoubtedly there will be music from Grand Ear, Vex, Bobby and Stidak. Also in the works is the completion of my beat tape, "Loungin' in the Corners of Catacombs," and another COR STIDAK EP by the end of the year, because you know what's gonna happen at midnight on New Years Eve and i want you all to have a decent catalogue of Stidakizms before the solar flares vaporize most humans and cause the earths poles to shift.
Until then I'll keep being creative and original in my pink walled lab that used to be my daughter's room in my little house on a misunderstood street in good ol' 'Merica. Peace and back to your regularly scheduled program.
"SURRENDER DOROTHY"!!!
Please..My old partner Mike Peace and I, along with our DJ Maestro(Barry), had the golden opportunity to have a sit down with Leon Sylvers at Teddy Riley's old studio when he lived in VB back in the early 90s. He basically schooled us on some realities of the music business for 4 hours. And another influential brother was Skitch Lovett, may his soul be blessed. The information and advice I got from them made it quite clear for me that while my intention and desire is to be an artist, musician, and writer, as soon as I think I want to fuck with these sharks in the industry I had better come right and be about business. I'm too fucking old to have somebody try to control my image to fit in a small box. Matter of fact, I'm really not just rapping when I write about Jaded Visions!!
You don't believe me? Check this out: how much does it cost to make a hit song!
That's exactly why the underground is so vibrant. Pop music is code for manufactured musical fast food. It's diseased, palsied, mindless and is fed to us with salty pork rinds and high fructose corn syrup at breakfast with a recommended daily allowance that far exceeds levels of sane sanity. It's fake titties. And it's all after the dollar which I'm not knocking one's pursuit of, but at what cost?
Meh..I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on all wrong and bull-headed I guess. I just finished writing two songs, one called "Midnight Blue" for Tokyo producer Pepil Pew, to be featured on his project, and another called "Mindbender" which will be a collab with BeatMachine Aron from Iceland...what?? Shit is gonna be a problem when this comes out. Next I will begin work on tracks with Rendition from Netherlands and the homie Anomeric from Cali. I also just received new heat from two of my faves Keor Meteor and MISHAP. i don't think I have enough fucking rhymes for all the dope cats out there that I would like to work with.
In the pipeline will be an EP with none other than Bobby Blunt. Undoubtedly there will be music from Grand Ear, Vex, Bobby and Stidak. Also in the works is the completion of my beat tape, "Loungin' in the Corners of Catacombs," and another COR STIDAK EP by the end of the year, because you know what's gonna happen at midnight on New Years Eve and i want you all to have a decent catalogue of Stidakizms before the solar flares vaporize most humans and cause the earths poles to shift.
Until then I'll keep being creative and original in my pink walled lab that used to be my daughter's room in my little house on a misunderstood street in good ol' 'Merica. Peace and back to your regularly scheduled program.
Midnight Blue
On the corner out the corner of my cornea
colorful lights flash off the spoiler, dark dash cars pass
ladies walking fast get splashed,
"Hold the cab!!"
seen my face, made a mad dash. Dag, she acting like i had a rash,
stashed the hash with the dirty snow, cops harass
fogged glass collabs in the back of the jazz labs where Dizzy blew,
if he knew the rhythym was still in use.
Mystical interludes expressed through physical art
and ripping mics apart
ackowledge the cynical as dreams turn to scenes
to something you're living through,
it's hard to heal from the poison of forbidden fruit.
Visualize wise then open my tired eyes
I'm feeling revitalized, i see what they're trying to find,
even in the night time the sun shine dumb blind
prepare for solar flares emitted from soldier rhymes.
He walks light with a heavy heart
with a light that shines dark when divine sparks mind art
In the midnight blue in mid-flight with a blind view
i still could find you.
Low down, dirty backroom deals where caps peel for real
to reveal trap schematics concealed in black fabric,
said the antidote to wack was Stidak mathmatics
Many doubted the tactics now they're travelling backwards
Capture the moment, own it then bone it
and set it free
or chained in my brain basement torture chamber
stay in my lane but it's lames to the left of me
Lightning and thunder clap
I'm writing another rap to blast back
Rain made the ink from the Sharpie track
black rivers of blood that flood,
"Where the party at?"
I cut a rug, light a bud, sip some cognac
then realize time flies on the back of Tiamat
Deeper than reefer sleep, it's time to keep eyes open
and feel the need to speak wise
but my mind's broken
Boulder holder with a bad shoulder
It's only over when I supernova,
channeling Cold Crush.
He walks light with a heavy heart
with a light that shines dark when divine sparks mind art
In the midnight blue in mid-flight with a blind view
I still could find you.
copyright 2011 Cor Stidak, from "Midnight Blue," the title track from Tokyo producer Pepil Pew's album to be released soon.
colorful lights flash off the spoiler, dark dash cars pass
ladies walking fast get splashed,
"Hold the cab!!"
seen my face, made a mad dash. Dag, she acting like i had a rash,
stashed the hash with the dirty snow, cops harass
fogged glass collabs in the back of the jazz labs where Dizzy blew,
if he knew the rhythym was still in use.
Mystical interludes expressed through physical art
and ripping mics apart
ackowledge the cynical as dreams turn to scenes
to something you're living through,
it's hard to heal from the poison of forbidden fruit.
Visualize wise then open my tired eyes
I'm feeling revitalized, i see what they're trying to find,
even in the night time the sun shine dumb blind
prepare for solar flares emitted from soldier rhymes.
He walks light with a heavy heart
with a light that shines dark when divine sparks mind art
In the midnight blue in mid-flight with a blind view
i still could find you.
Low down, dirty backroom deals where caps peel for real
to reveal trap schematics concealed in black fabric,
said the antidote to wack was Stidak mathmatics
Many doubted the tactics now they're travelling backwards
Capture the moment, own it then bone it
and set it free
or chained in my brain basement torture chamber
stay in my lane but it's lames to the left of me
Lightning and thunder clap
I'm writing another rap to blast back
Rain made the ink from the Sharpie track
black rivers of blood that flood,
"Where the party at?"
I cut a rug, light a bud, sip some cognac
then realize time flies on the back of Tiamat
Deeper than reefer sleep, it's time to keep eyes open
and feel the need to speak wise
but my mind's broken
Boulder holder with a bad shoulder
It's only over when I supernova,
channeling Cold Crush.
He walks light with a heavy heart
with a light that shines dark when divine sparks mind art
In the midnight blue in mid-flight with a blind view
I still could find you.
copyright 2011 Cor Stidak, from "Midnight Blue," the title track from Tokyo producer Pepil Pew's album to be released soon.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Treatises Of A Pendulum Slave
I finally said, "What the heck.." and put a few songs together in a set. Call it an album, an ep, lp, project..i don't care. It's just music from the heart and soul and the first of many to come in this digital day. Pretty much all of these songs i have been releasing on soundCloud the past few months but they haven't all been available for download. Although I'm sure some enterprising folks have figured a way to capture it if one were to deem it worthy of capturing.
Anyway, the name of this uh..collection is Treatises Of A Pendulum Slave. I know, I know...what the fuck does that mean?? Not to try to sound all deep and edgy (do tell, son..) but for the purposes of this album title the pendulum is a symbol
for time but also a representation of robotic routine and also of things we perceive to be beyond our control. Slave is used because for my personal evolution and mental and spiritual growth the goal is to "master the self." One masters the self by reversing the current common state of the mental "I" submitting to the base whims and desires of the physical being and thus kept on a plane of low vibration and frequency which leads to irrational, delusional thoughts and destructive behaviors. I am no master yet but I'm building on me all the time.
The track listing is as follows:
Intro
Elemental
Born Day (Woke Up Early)
Genuine Article
Crown Chakra
The Bootlicker Lullabye
Legendary Brutality
Oyster And Stout
Jaded Visions
Dunk Smack
Vandal Manuscript
Pendulum Slave
Production by Keor Meteor, Akademik, Mishap, and COR STIDAK. All songs written by C. STIDAK. Release date 7/1/11..will post links in the coming days of course.
Anyway, the name of this uh..collection is Treatises Of A Pendulum Slave. I know, I know...what the fuck does that mean?? Not to try to sound all deep and edgy (do tell, son..) but for the purposes of this album title the pendulum is a symbol
for time but also a representation of robotic routine and also of things we perceive to be beyond our control. Slave is used because for my personal evolution and mental and spiritual growth the goal is to "master the self." One masters the self by reversing the current common state of the mental "I" submitting to the base whims and desires of the physical being and thus kept on a plane of low vibration and frequency which leads to irrational, delusional thoughts and destructive behaviors. I am no master yet but I'm building on me all the time.The track listing is as follows:
Intro
Elemental
Born Day (Woke Up Early)
Genuine Article
Crown Chakra
The Bootlicker Lullabye
Legendary Brutality
Oyster And Stout
Jaded Visions
Dunk Smack
Vandal Manuscript
Pendulum Slave
Production by Keor Meteor, Akademik, Mishap, and COR STIDAK. All songs written by C. STIDAK. Release date 7/1/11..will post links in the coming days of course.
Monday, June 6, 2011
STIDAKIZM
STIDAKIZM: "
Born and raised in NY and VA. Likes 20 year old single malts, sushi, dusty soul and jazz from 1974 and naked motorcycles. Not a thug, murderer, or a martian, pimp or trick, for that matter, and definitely not rich enough or dumb enough to pour money and champagne on ol' girl dropping like..what? Not that there's anyting wrong with that if that's what you like. Do you.
STIDAK is more on a creative vibe. Destroying nonsense and negativity in this sphere and trying to dwell on a plane of higher thought , word, sound and power through imagination, creativity, love and music. Building with beings on similar wavelengths from all over the world in an effort to express artistry and unique mastery of one's crafts and oneself.
'STIDAKizm, black wisdom of the ages, crack riddim, battle hyms from the slaveships..'
"Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Politricks of Bliss
I pretty much hate anything "politics." I usually fluctuate between disgust and indifference in my feelings towards politics, politicians, pundits, and the other bottom dwellers who feed in those waters. I will admit the phenomena (at least it's a phenomena to me..) of the change people make from being kids playing games and throwing rocks at folks for sport to these seemingly one dimensional babbling cardboard cutouts, with their monotone rhetoric that, probably by design, matches their drone attire. There's gotta be something inherently wrong when all these well off and learned people keep closets full of blue and grey suits and blue and red ties. And then we wonder why the "discourse" (stop..and look at that word again and think about how it's being used - 'political dis-course') is so bland and sheepish.
Look, I don't mean to sound like an asshole and just paint with a broad brush for philosophical convenience. I would think that many of these folks had intentions at one time to help others and to make things happen in their communities. However, as an observer and in my opinion, there is a definite "culture" (again..words and their meaning/intention..) of politics. One must dress, speak, act, and yes think in a very one dimensional, cardboard way. From the way they all hold their hand in that half-fist, pointy index finger knuckle thing when they are trying to flaunt their half witted ideas to the no tie, sleeves rolled up speeches when they want to appear manly or blue collar or "one of you." Pfffft...And don't forget the ubiquitous flag lapel and the plastic news anchor hairdo and gravitas. Jaded? You bet.
I was genuinely happy when Barack and Michelle painted the White House. It was about time..nay, overdue, and on top of all the feel good groovyness and sense of "FINALLY!!", the brother is actually cool, highly intelligent and a credit to his family but I never once bought into all the "change" gobbeldy-gook. Sorry if you did. I really don't know if he is really a sincere brother who through determination, will, and the sheer force of his cult of personality and his hope audacity was thrust into this place and position or if he's a patsy. I don't waste time, electricity and brain cells traversing the labyrinth twists and turns (most leading to dead ends..) of the myriad conspiracy theories that inhabit the internets and "conscious" book stores right next to the Zane section...and don't forget your bootleg copy of Pinky's latest dvd on your way out. But if you look close enough at a few of them (the theories, not the dvd's you pervs), they work well at tickling the intrigue fancy.
So the next line should go something like, "This leads me to the question, 'Why are we dropping bombs over Libya?'" But I think I know....I have no fucking idea. Kinda reminds me of the saying, "If God intended for the human body to be opened up He would've included zippers.." Or something to that effect. True enough, but i guess if somehow it was determined that I needed surgery for something I think I would be a little partial to precision instruments. And so the problem is people truly believing that bombs dropped from metal carrion somehow turn to seeds that sprout venture capitalists and "western-style" democracy and white-Jesus freaks in brown countries who in return pawn their sovereignty and natural resources and that wars birth peace. What an exquisite game of chess. Who the fuck is "the West?" What is that. And why is it called the West when the members of this club are not all located in some western place? What does it really mean? Call it what it is. And then we'll all be clear as to the intentions and geo-political interests of these "West" folks.
My, my..I'm so sure that my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and so on, would have really appreciated some intervention, regime change, sanctions, frozen assets, cluster bombs and precision missles dropped on their behalf when they were fighting nobley sans resources other than righteous will for their basic human dignity and right to live whole and un-fucked with by politics. All the colonialism and culturization and blood of generations have ensured that most important of all, middle America remains insular, heavily armed and utterly terrified of boogiemen and that prince William and Kate continue the fairy tale. Hope no one has anything important to say during the wedding. It's all about the ratings.
Look, I don't mean to sound like an asshole and just paint with a broad brush for philosophical convenience. I would think that many of these folks had intentions at one time to help others and to make things happen in their communities. However, as an observer and in my opinion, there is a definite "culture" (again..words and their meaning/intention..) of politics. One must dress, speak, act, and yes think in a very one dimensional, cardboard way. From the way they all hold their hand in that half-fist, pointy index finger knuckle thing when they are trying to flaunt their half witted ideas to the no tie, sleeves rolled up speeches when they want to appear manly or blue collar or "one of you." Pfffft...And don't forget the ubiquitous flag lapel and the plastic news anchor hairdo and gravitas. Jaded? You bet.
I was genuinely happy when Barack and Michelle painted the White House. It was about time..nay, overdue, and on top of all the feel good groovyness and sense of "FINALLY!!", the brother is actually cool, highly intelligent and a credit to his family but I never once bought into all the "change" gobbeldy-gook. Sorry if you did. I really don't know if he is really a sincere brother who through determination, will, and the sheer force of his cult of personality and his hope audacity was thrust into this place and position or if he's a patsy. I don't waste time, electricity and brain cells traversing the labyrinth twists and turns (most leading to dead ends..) of the myriad conspiracy theories that inhabit the internets and "conscious" book stores right next to the Zane section...and don't forget your bootleg copy of Pinky's latest dvd on your way out. But if you look close enough at a few of them (the theories, not the dvd's you pervs), they work well at tickling the intrigue fancy.
So the next line should go something like, "This leads me to the question, 'Why are we dropping bombs over Libya?'" But I think I know....I have no fucking idea. Kinda reminds me of the saying, "If God intended for the human body to be opened up He would've included zippers.." Or something to that effect. True enough, but i guess if somehow it was determined that I needed surgery for something I think I would be a little partial to precision instruments. And so the problem is people truly believing that bombs dropped from metal carrion somehow turn to seeds that sprout venture capitalists and "western-style" democracy and white-Jesus freaks in brown countries who in return pawn their sovereignty and natural resources and that wars birth peace. What an exquisite game of chess. Who the fuck is "the West?" What is that. And why is it called the West when the members of this club are not all located in some western place? What does it really mean? Call it what it is. And then we'll all be clear as to the intentions and geo-political interests of these "West" folks.
My, my..I'm so sure that my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and so on, would have really appreciated some intervention, regime change, sanctions, frozen assets, cluster bombs and precision missles dropped on their behalf when they were fighting nobley sans resources other than righteous will for their basic human dignity and right to live whole and un-fucked with by politics. All the colonialism and culturization and blood of generations have ensured that most important of all, middle America remains insular, heavily armed and utterly terrified of boogiemen and that prince William and Kate continue the fairy tale. Hope no one has anything important to say during the wedding. It's all about the ratings.
Monday, February 21, 2011
A Just Jihad
I'm a heathen. Sorry. Mama ain't raise me like that. She was raised Baptist. Dad and them were A.M.E. What's the difference? Lord knows....but does "He" give a shit? Somewhere along the line Mom got the inkling that she wanted us to be Lutheran (?). So, far be it from 10 year old me to object. I still really don't know what the big deal and differences are. I mean i know there are subtle, and some not so, philosophical differences in application and..er..pfft..blah, blah. Is it just me (yea, probably) or is there a subconscious "demon" vibe in the word "denomination?" I kid (sort of..). It just seems to further the whole Tower of Babel (babble) metaphor. There is a old Persian story of how the creator contained the knowledge and secrets of the universe in a mirror and one day broke the mirror into thousands of pieces and disseminated the pieces to all the "religions" so that they would all have a piece of the "ALL." Everything is connected.
Now the reason I said I was a heathen is not because I worship the devil. But because I have released myself of the manacles of dogma. What a freeing feeling. In full disclosure, I must say that I do not necessarily consider myself an atheist. My journey has allowed me to study and be immersed in everything from Christianity to Rastafari, Islam (5%, Black, and Sunni), Taoism (though not officially a religion), Ma'at (again, not a religion per se, but a code of behavior). However, I don't claim any of them and thus none can claim me so it allows me to engage and interact to an extent within all of these ways of thought. I look into the small piece of broken mirror and see the whole. Some people are adamant that only the small piece of broken mirror they allow themselves to look into is the only truth so therefore any other piece must be counterfeit, wrong or ...e-vil. I'm cool with that. Just read the "No Soliciting" sign on my door before you think of ringing the bell. No offense.
With that said, last Sunday my mom asked me to come to her church for some special family service or something. I went and actually enjoyed the service. The pastor was speaking on some things like the fallacy of the notion of a "just war" and the hubris of the 'foreign policy'. I was looking around and as a few of the old grey haired noggins wobbily nodded in seeming agreement, I was thinking to myself, "Are you fuckers getting this?" I won't say too much, but suffice it to say that most of the people in the pews loved them some "W", and buy into the just war thing.
What then would I consider just war? Wage jihad on yourself. Drop some cluster bombs on that aspect of your personality that makes you indifferent or callous. There are some evil insurgents planning attacks and suicide bombs in your mind and heart everyday. Greed, hate, indifference, ignorance, laziness, dishonesty, group-think, lack of creativity, and lack of self love are fucking shit up daily. Are you guarding against those forces? Because I may be wrong but shouldn't the goal of any good "religion" be to lead and abet one in the mastery of one's self and the recognition of the connection to all things? If there is a creator who created all things then did it not create both good and evil? Rhetorical question of course. Though I'm sure there are as many answers as shards of glass from a broken mirror. By the way, do you know what you see in the mirror's reflection? Know yourself.
cor
and on that note please enjoy this very fine musical selection. "Crown Chakra" - Cor Stidak/Keor Meteor.
http://soundcloud.com/cor-3/crown-chakra-prod-by-keor
Now the reason I said I was a heathen is not because I worship the devil. But because I have released myself of the manacles of dogma. What a freeing feeling. In full disclosure, I must say that I do not necessarily consider myself an atheist. My journey has allowed me to study and be immersed in everything from Christianity to Rastafari, Islam (5%, Black, and Sunni), Taoism (though not officially a religion), Ma'at (again, not a religion per se, but a code of behavior). However, I don't claim any of them and thus none can claim me so it allows me to engage and interact to an extent within all of these ways of thought. I look into the small piece of broken mirror and see the whole. Some people are adamant that only the small piece of broken mirror they allow themselves to look into is the only truth so therefore any other piece must be counterfeit, wrong or ...e-vil. I'm cool with that. Just read the "No Soliciting" sign on my door before you think of ringing the bell. No offense.
With that said, last Sunday my mom asked me to come to her church for some special family service or something. I went and actually enjoyed the service. The pastor was speaking on some things like the fallacy of the notion of a "just war" and the hubris of the 'foreign policy'. I was looking around and as a few of the old grey haired noggins wobbily nodded in seeming agreement, I was thinking to myself, "Are you fuckers getting this?" I won't say too much, but suffice it to say that most of the people in the pews loved them some "W", and buy into the just war thing.
cor
and on that note please enjoy this very fine musical selection. "Crown Chakra" - Cor Stidak/Keor Meteor.
http://soundcloud.com/cor-3/crown-chakra-prod-by-keor
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jupiter Jazz and Vintage Vinyl Mind Melters
So, my journey with jazz has been a long on and off type relationship. I'll just man up and say it's my fault. I could blame it on a number of things..ignorance, impatience, immaturity..blah, blah. But if i could be even more self centered for a second, I'm not traveling on jazz's journey. It's traveling on mine. I have this image of my grandfather sitting on the porch after the sun had set and everybody had finished eating this obscenely delicious meal prepared by hands that knew what to do with what they had. And after the kitchen had been emptied of kids and aunts, and the dishes, the same ones my Mama ate off when she grew up there, were all cleaned and put away, we kids would be outside in the dark yard catching fireflies and runnin' off some of them carbs and Grandad would be on that porch with his ubiquitous pipe and heady, flavorful smoke listening to jazz. That was a cool dude and I didn't really know how cool until reflection and hindsight.
Growing up in New York, I remember Mom and Pops collection consisted of soul, disco and R&B but was still pretty varied. They had all the stuff that people play at parties and cookouts to this day to rock the house. Everything from Temps, Marvin Gaye and Stevie and alot of Motown in general to the Spinners, Earth Wind and Fire, et. al. The only jazz i really remember was more contemporary type jazz like Quincy Jones, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, Grover Washington, etc. It wasn't until i was experimenting with sampling that I really first started "seeing" what the jazz was offering. This was when my friends and i would start "collecting" vinyl from various sources. Which, by the way, seemed easier back then because by that time numerous technologies had come, and gone in some cases, since vinyl, like 8-track, cassette and just before cd's were popular. Many people viewed their vinyl collections as bulky and cumbersome and collectors of dust. Now they're considered "vintage" and you can see $50 price tags or better on some stuff. Shit, not the kid. I won't pay more than 10 bucks for it. Just a rule.
Anyway, back in those mad scientist, crate diggin', sample-chopping halcyon all-nighters, many times we didn't listen to the whole album or song. When i say "we" i mean my production crew "The Black Hippies" which was me, Serious, Mr. Beats, Aloe, and Maestro, although everyone has since gone their own ways and surely developed their own thing. But for me i rarely listened to the whole joint. I know, a travesty, right? It wasn't until i matured more musically that i began to "see" the music and the musicianship. What MC's call freestyling, which is improvised and impromptu rhyme, was already being done by jazz cats..with instruments. This was CREATION!! In my mind it's a microcosm of creation in the highest order. A simple melody (atom, molecule, quark, gobbledy-gook..) and the cosmic spark to imagine it being something else. Something unique and beautiful and....a "uniquely American" institution, as i recently heard it described. Ok.
Today my collection is...eh, i got a few. Not as many as some folks' that I've seen. I have been enriched by recordings from Milt Jackson, Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ), Jazz Brothers, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Miles, Weather Report, Lee Morgan...pfft, i could go on. I can only endeavor to create good music and in full expression of my self be myself. There is so much plastic passed off as popular music because people are lazy. Folks don't do enough "crate-diggin'" anymore. There is some really good gems of hip hop out there that i call Jupiter Jazz and i know that many of the jazz folk are set as to what is jazz and what isn't and i respect that but in my world good music is good music and let everyone else worry about what to label it or what box to fit it in comfortably or not so.
Growing up in New York, I remember Mom and Pops collection consisted of soul, disco and R&B but was still pretty varied. They had all the stuff that people play at parties and cookouts to this day to rock the house. Everything from Temps, Marvin Gaye and Stevie and alot of Motown in general to the Spinners, Earth Wind and Fire, et. al. The only jazz i really remember was more contemporary type jazz like Quincy Jones, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, Grover Washington, etc. It wasn't until i was experimenting with sampling that I really first started "seeing" what the jazz was offering. This was when my friends and i would start "collecting" vinyl from various sources. Which, by the way, seemed easier back then because by that time numerous technologies had come, and gone in some cases, since vinyl, like 8-track, cassette and just before cd's were popular. Many people viewed their vinyl collections as bulky and cumbersome and collectors of dust. Now they're considered "vintage" and you can see $50 price tags or better on some stuff. Shit, not the kid. I won't pay more than 10 bucks for it. Just a rule.
Anyway, back in those mad scientist, crate diggin', sample-chopping halcyon all-nighters, many times we didn't listen to the whole album or song. When i say "we" i mean my production crew "The Black Hippies" which was me, Serious, Mr. Beats, Aloe, and Maestro, although everyone has since gone their own ways and surely developed their own thing. But for me i rarely listened to the whole joint. I know, a travesty, right? It wasn't until i matured more musically that i began to "see" the music and the musicianship. What MC's call freestyling, which is improvised and impromptu rhyme, was already being done by jazz cats..with instruments. This was CREATION!! In my mind it's a microcosm of creation in the highest order. A simple melody (atom, molecule, quark, gobbledy-gook..) and the cosmic spark to imagine it being something else. Something unique and beautiful and....a "uniquely American" institution, as i recently heard it described. Ok.
Today my collection is...eh, i got a few. Not as many as some folks' that I've seen. I have been enriched by recordings from Milt Jackson, Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ), Jazz Brothers, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Miles, Weather Report, Lee Morgan...pfft, i could go on. I can only endeavor to create good music and in full expression of my self be myself. There is so much plastic passed off as popular music because people are lazy. Folks don't do enough "crate-diggin'" anymore. There is some really good gems of hip hop out there that i call Jupiter Jazz and i know that many of the jazz folk are set as to what is jazz and what isn't and i respect that but in my world good music is good music and let everyone else worry about what to label it or what box to fit it in comfortably or not so.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thanks for coming. While you're here...
Born day and inauguration all wrapped up in one for this lil slice o' reality in the robes of a blog. But let's face it, all this is supposed to be IS a slice of reality...relatively speaking. I could go on but let's just get this thing rolling. Here i will document life, thoughts and ideas, and stories that resonate with me. I hope to grow and shed light not necessarily to an audience (who, in essence, would be an extension of my own thoughts anyway..sheesh), but to and for myself as well and mainly.
Anyone who knows a particular facet of me, knows that i have a lifelong love of music and art. Well, since i'm still living and alive i still have those loves. I have had the pleasure of knowing and being inspired personally by some beautiful and amazing people. Not only by their talents but also by their artistry in the way they make a path for themselves and turn turn thoughts not just into daydreams but into concrete realities. Is that not a microcosm or analogous toThe Creation (if one should believe in such a thing) or conception or a big bang, or something? (I'm not high, i swear!!)
Moving right along...the STIDAK project is my music meditation. I'll get into the name Stidak in another post. If you're reading this, there's a good chance it's because of Stidak. I have been quite private and insular with my craft for the past 7 years. Not because of any ego(i don't think..) or lack of opportunity, but because i tend to operate in cycles and also because i just became uninspired and felt like everything around me was manufactured and processed for forgettable fast food "fulfillment"(?) and folly. I don't think i was that wrong. I don't think i'd go so far as to say "HIP HOP IS DEAD", though i appreciate the brother's intent. People keep accepting mediocrity and bullshit and while art is universal, and expression is beautiful, and everyone should be able to express themselves, not everyone expresses artfully. My blog..my opinion, though, huh? I'm know what i do will not resonate with everyone. But peace, just the same. The album title is "13 Treatises of a PENdulum Slave." I will make songs available for download in the coming days and weeks on a few different sites. Links to come. I worked with a friend or two and got a couple beats from some cats in Pittsburg and a link up from Switzerland by way of SF..haha. But the rest is SEE CYPH production. Much more to come.
"..subliminal punishment through media coverage,
24 hour access to your puzzle grid,
the grand wizard, vampiric man-lizard
stand rigid and examine my kilogram lyrics.."
- COR STIDAK, "wind of change"
Anyone who knows a particular facet of me, knows that i have a lifelong love of music and art. Well, since i'm still living and alive i still have those loves. I have had the pleasure of knowing and being inspired personally by some beautiful and amazing people. Not only by their talents but also by their artistry in the way they make a path for themselves and turn turn thoughts not just into daydreams but into concrete realities. Is that not a microcosm or analogous toThe Creation (if one should believe in such a thing) or conception or a big bang, or something? (I'm not high, i swear!!)
Moving right along...the STIDAK project is my music meditation. I'll get into the name Stidak in another post. If you're reading this, there's a good chance it's because of Stidak. I have been quite private and insular with my craft for the past 7 years. Not because of any ego(i don't think..) or lack of opportunity, but because i tend to operate in cycles and also because i just became uninspired and felt like everything around me was manufactured and processed for forgettable fast food "fulfillment"(?) and folly. I don't think i was that wrong. I don't think i'd go so far as to say "HIP HOP IS DEAD", though i appreciate the brother's intent. People keep accepting mediocrity and bullshit and while art is universal, and expression is beautiful, and everyone should be able to express themselves, not everyone expresses artfully. My blog..my opinion, though, huh? I'm know what i do will not resonate with everyone. But peace, just the same. The album title is "13 Treatises of a PENdulum Slave." I will make songs available for download in the coming days and weeks on a few different sites. Links to come. I worked with a friend or two and got a couple beats from some cats in Pittsburg and a link up from Switzerland by way of SF..haha. But the rest is SEE CYPH production. Much more to come.
"..subliminal punishment through media coverage,
24 hour access to your puzzle grid,
the grand wizard, vampiric man-lizard
stand rigid and examine my kilogram lyrics.."
- COR STIDAK, "wind of change"
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