First things first... NEW MUSIC for FREE DOWNLOAD!!
GooD HooD - Come Around Rmx w/ Collie Buddz
GooD HooD - So Soft Rmx
Now... Seeing as the whole purpose of starting this blog was to share our thoughts on whatever might be on our mind, I have to be real open and honest right about now. Over the past couple of months, I have been seriously feeling the crunch of this "recession." I work in a restaurant where we depend almost entirely on tips for pay and even though its a fine dining steakhouse, even the rich folks ain't spendin like they used to. I suppose that makes sense since they are the ones losing mad money as the stock market plummets. Since last year, I have seen a noticable slowdown in business and hence my weekly paycheck decreases as well.
At the same time, my car has some sort of electronic signal problem within the engine and won't start. I have tried workin on it with several different mechanic friends, but no one can figure it out. I haven't been able to afford to have it towed to a dealer and inspected and since its a Buick and GM may soon be restructured, collapse, or declare bankruptcy, I might not get the chance.
The whole reason I am sharing this is because I think that there are a ton of other people out there like myself who are struggling hard to get by but won't readily admit it in public. However, many celebrities, athletes, and musicians reinforce this image of happily spending their dollars when even many of them don't have it. I remember being a kid listening to Rakim's "Paid in Full." He said he reached in his pocket and only came up with lint. But now, when I turn on the TV or the radio, all I see and hear is money, money, money, everywhere but in my pocket. I wonder, where did I go wrong? My parents didn't send me to school to be broke three years after I graduated. I've been following my dream of making a career out of making great hip-hop, but over the years I've spent pursuing it, I have learned that this aint the so-called "game" we thought it was when we first started back in 2000. It's a business and its time to make it happen. A wise person once said to me, "Poor" is a permanent mindset, while "Broke" is a temporary setback. Well I ain't poor, but I am damn sure tired of bein broke!!
When we made Grindin Season, it wasn't meant to be a happy album. It was meant to be a motivating album. It was intended to be our honest assessment of life as we lived it in Evanston/Chicago and continue to live it in DC. It aint about being a shoot em up gangsta, but it aint about flashin money and fancy cars either. Its about real people doin what they gotta do to stay alive in this crazy world we live in. We put it out with little to no promotion budget and hoped people would feel it. It didn't sell huge numbers, but we basically sold our entire run of albums.
But over the last couple months, as I've seen my bank account dwindle and the label I helped create fall apart, its been really tough for me to stay motivated. I know I am blessed with other career options to pursue if I so choose. However, at the end of the day I also know that no matter what path I choose to take, it wouldn't be easy, and nothing is given, you gotta take it. The most important thing is, I am confident in my ability to overcome any obstacles and dominate in the path of my choosing.
So whenever I have doubts about continuing with this rap music, I think of all the people that said to me, "Roger, I loved that song on your album!! I thought it was just incredible. You have real talent. Keep it up!!" and thats enough to keep me optimistic and excited about the future. I KNOW we're gonna be succesful. I'm ready to put in the hard work and GRIND that is necessary to find success! Now I need everyone else that believes in us too to step up and spread the word to all their friends, family, and coworkers about this dope ass music so that GooD HooD will be more than just a future possibility, but a current reality!! I love all yall!!
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