Hi, Friday. Between the altitude and all the heated yoga, I am a bit
exhausted. And sore. And stuffed up. But I'm cool with it because I'm
catching up with lots of friends here and it's all good.
finish. In Boulder, CO. (yes you read that right). If I closed my eyes, I
was transformed to the heady days of my first few years in NYC- when most
nights found me in sweaty, smoky, small clubs dancing to hip hop without a
care in the world. Seeing Rakim perform (who broke it down like no tomorrow)
made me think fondly on those days when I didn't care if mascara was running
down my face or if my hair was a mess- it was all about dancing and having a
genius, collective moment in sweet little clubs with people who were
beautiful and unpretentious and simply loved to dance. I wouldn't trade
those days for nothin'. Here's my point- Rakim is a New York classic (true). I'm seeing Rakim in
Boulder, CO- not exactly a hip hop Valhalla (word up). But if you are an
artist and you do something transcendent and ground breaking- your amazing
work will connect with people everywhere and there simply are no borders or
walls or boundaries for ninja like skills like Rakim's. I LOVE that there
were break dance battles erupting all over the dance floor- rivaling those I
have seen in Tompkins Square Park or any other urban spot where you can put
down a piece of cardboard and get your groove on- a lot of talented breakers
doing their thing for a night of hip hop classics. And in a small mountain
town to boot. It was quite a surprise, and I felt the love. (Indeed). All I'm saying is that if you're talented, your work transcends state lines.
Rakim is straight up NEW YORK, but it felt so great to see him in a place
like BOCO, and the crowd went mad for him- some young, some older, but all
fans. It was a magic evening of recalling my youth and pondering my present
while getting DOWN in a big way with legions of fellow hip hop fans. I
adored every minute and was glad to be a part of it. And Rakim is still a
complete and total bad ass. Still one of the best lyricists of all time. Was
so much fun. And that's what's up this old school morning in the 303, thinking of a
master plan, and tryin' not to sweat the technique. Have a great weekend. XO