What’s up what’s up, I haven’t blogged in a HOT minute. At least not my own writing. Peep semi recent Tomu DJ and maassai interviews by hitting that logo gif up top.

TBH I’m not sure I still got it! LOL. All I write are progress notes and psychosocial assessments these days, at my job. But shout out to Samuel Alexander, Tyler Burston, kimdollars1, and Arielle Lana for blog stories this year. They kept Finals blog alive while I’ve been busy job/life, and also with music IRL.

I’ve been busy-busy with music, throwing Generator events monthly for year now with Laron, bringing in guests from out of town, making songs with Laron and Merkeba and Swaya on text and in studio, DJing at other events in NY/on the radio, and running a weekly music therapy-esque group in the hospital where I work. It’s been a lot.

Identitywise in music and culture, I am reflecting. I am still a blogger/writer, that’s like my main role historically going back to 08. And I will always be that, I love the form. Shout out to Jian Deleon’s BLOG LIFE knuckle tats. But I’ve also been phasing into more of a contributor-to music, rather than commenter-on. After 20+ years of music writing, I am more confident in who I want to highlight, who I want to work with, who I hope to collab w/, and I’m continually refining my handle on how to take up space as a white in hip-hop.

I’ve been passing the rock a lot, and just in general collabing more, as a DJ/producer with friends, and as a blogger heavy on the curation, more in editor than writer role. My role as a music culture contributor has become more IRL and active, about putting my opinions/values into play by doing gender diverse programming, free events, booking first-time DJs, making opportunities for multiple generations to kick it, and giving my home area of Crown Heights S-tier approachable programming. I am trying to be generative and not stagnant.

I feel I am doing this at the same time as my friend Timmhotep Aku, a great writer/editor/strategist going back mad years, who has been adapting his music and culture writing for the stage. He does live interviews at theaters and community centers and cool apartments in NY. He calls himself a culture worker and I like that.

In my regular job I’m a social worker, and I like ____ worker as a way to describe what you do. RN I guess I am a social worker/music worker/family worker.

But I do need to blog more and I’m gonna take the pressure off by just blogging songs more, in addition to some new ideas been cooking up with Merkeba.

Today tho: Check out this new Finals x Laron slap. I’d been trying to flip this sample for years and of course I send Laron the loop/chop and he spikes it in the end zone. Call it a west coast east coast slap, perfect for summer I say. Let this be your excuse to explore the Generator yt. Gems on there, updated semi often.