Picking a Lane.

As I am on the verge of releasing new music, I have reached an interesting crossroads. I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is involved in the music industry, and he basically told me that I needed to pick a lane. This would mean, that I would have to choose which side of Evan I would like the public to know, musically. This stems from the fact that I love Electronica, House, R&B, Soul, and Hip/Hop - and I am interested in making records across all 5 of those genres. More specifically, I intend to dispel the assumptions and disregard of House music in particular, by fusing it into the genres listed after it on the line above, because if you don't know...House music is black.

Be real, many people of color don't like "House" music. They think it's "white" music. They would rather listen to the watered down, over-sexed, copy-catting, materialistic modern remnant of classic Hip/Hop that is now categorized as "Urban" music, or "Rap" music. For the record, Hip/Hop is not Rap, and a rapper is not an MC, but I digress. The real point is, House music is black. The origins of House music come out of New York and Chicago, where BLACK DJs were spinning Disco records in clubs. These clubs would go all night long, LITERALLY until the sun came up, unlike now a days where it will probably get shut down because of fisticuffs. Back then, everything was about the music. The term House music came from a club in Chicago called "The Warehouse" where a resident DJ known as Frankie Knuckles - a Black man - routinely took the music and the crowd to the next level with his powerful dance mixes. He was originally from New York, and when the music he played was distributed into local record shops, it was labeled "House" music because it was being played by Knuckles in "The Warehouse".

When DJs like Knuckles started running out of Disco records to mix, because the era of Disco was ending, it was around the same time that music technology as we know it today began to evolve into it's earliest forms - drum machines, synthesizers, vox boxes, etc. So these DJs, some of whom were producers, and regular fans of the music who just decided to experiment musically at home, began to stretch the boundaries of Disco and fuse it with the emerging music technology of the day. The end result yielded completely new versions of classic Disco records that would revitalize the dance-floor, and simultaneously spawned new genres of music - still, all based in Disco - which is based on Soul, which is based on Negro spirituals.

After spawning the original "Techno" genre of 1980s Detroit - originated by Derrick May, a Black man - this music started to make it's way across the Atlantic Ocean, as these DJs and producers were beginning to collaborate and perform with other musicians across the world. The first stop was in Europe, where an entire new takes on the genre emerged: Drum n Bass, Synth Pop, Electro, New Wave, French House, Ambient House, Progressive House, and most famously as the 90s emerged, Trance. Now you may listen to this music now, and wonder how this came out of Disco. The secret truly lies in the rhythms of the music. All of these genres listed above share different tempos, chord progressions, arrangements, instrumentation and orchestration - but they all share the same drum beat, the famous "1-2-3-4" which is straight out of the black Disco records of the crates of1970s and 1980s New York and Chicago based black DJs, who heard the music for what it was, and purposed to share it with the world.

House music is a feeling, not a genre. "Urban" music today, I swear, needs a revitalization. It is too cut throat, too commercialized, too dismissive its roots. It has fed our generation a lie, that we cannot think outside of the box musically, and enjoy music, purely for its enjoyment and for the feeling it gives us. It has turned into a popularity contest, a "look how cool I am because I heard this song and learned all the lyrics before you" environment. We place emphasis on the materialism and "fake wealth" that is abundant in our society, particularly in the "Urban" community. My goal is only to make music that makes me feel good, and hopefully make you expand your musical pallet beyond the borders and boundaries that you may have set up, or that may have been set up for you without you even asking. Music is one of the most powerful gifts ever given to human beings, and we need to get back to it being about the music - that feel good music.

I will pick a lane, but it will be a lane that may have very little paving. I don't want to give up the music that I want to share, based on the careers of people who came before me, who never even attempted to accomplish what I intend to - that to me, would make no sense. So I will cover all "genres" since that's what we call them, and fuse them into the genre of "Evan Huggins", full of a tone and undeniable cohesion that will force the closed-box listeners outside of their box. Soul, R&B, Hip/Hop, House, Electronica, are all me. That's why it pains me when I hear black people say, "why do you listen to that white people music?" Then I have to remember, that not everyone knows the truth. But now you do.

========================

...And for further reading... House Music Wikipedia Article

Character. Trust. Weakness.

It's been a while folks. A lot has been going on. I've been learning a lot of things as I move through this career progression. I am pursuing my media consulting business full time. It's time that I be happy with my job on a daily basis. I encourage you all, especially if you're young, don't chase the money. If you do what you love, the money will come. So cliche and simple sounding, but it's one of the truest statements to ever be made. I never thought I would see the day when I would be able to leave the protective custody of the status quo, and be an entrepreneur - but the day has come. The three words that make up the title of this entry, have helped me get to this point. The only other word that was instrumental, and missing from the title is God. I need to say that without God, I would not be able to have or use these talents to replace my income in the way that I have, and for that I am grateful. Now, as far as Character is concerned... Character is defined as: 1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. 2. one such feature or trait; characteristic. 3. moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character. 4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully. 5. reputation: a stain on one's character. There were many times when I was unsure of my character, and thus unsure of self. I had many ideas, thoughts, and dreams about how I wanted to live my life post Wesleyan, and I had no clear vision of how I would accomplish it. I learned that there is a difference between traits and skills, and with the combination of both, I had all I needed to be successful. Success is a state of mind, not a state of being or circumstance. It's not materialism or hedonism. It is the way you view your circumstances, and learn how to direct them to achieve goals for yourself. I was afraid to uncover the character that makes up Evan Huggins, and in some ways I still am. I was afraid to put out music because I didn't know how my broad tastes would appeal to the masses, but I have decided - I don't care. I was hesitant to talk about how much I enjoy social media, as I didn't want to be known as the dude who spends all his time on Twitter - except that now it's helping me pay my bills. Never be afraid of your character. It needs to be decoded, refined, and then DEfined. You need to have an awareness of self to find success for yourself. Don't be afraid to do so. Trust is key. I am doing to digress slightly to make the following point: trust is based on comfort, not truth. I had a conversation a while ago with one of my peers. I don't remember the entire conversation, but I do know that when it was all said and done I realized that we don't trust people because they are trustworthy, we trust them because they have our comfort level at an all time high. Example, what human being do you know that has proven themselves to be completely trustworthy, truly, undoubtedly trustworthy? I don't know such a human being. With that being said, we can't go through life living by that principle, or else we would never survive. We need relationships and bonds to help us navigate situations and circumstances as they arrive. Life is a huge walk of faith. Anyone can let you down, and it is that fear that paralyzes so many of us from reach our successes. Do not let the fear of trusting other paralyze you. You all have no idea how much I'm talking to myself right now but I am. Furthermore, trust yourself! Trust your instincts. Fill yourself with positive things, surround yourself with productive people. Pray. Stay away from non-sense. Pursue things that will improve your quality of life. Don't settle for garbage. Trust that things will be alright. You have to change your way of thinking, if you ever want your circumstances to change. I hope that was coherent... Lastly, weakness. Weakness is huge. Nobody likes talking about how they suck at something. However, the longer your procrastinate on this particular issue, the more of your own time you will be wasting. Let's say you need to write a paper. You are good at writing and conveying your thoughts in a clear, concise, and coherent manner - but you suck at research. I might suggest that you spend the bulk of your time seeking assistance to improve that trait. Mastering your weaknesses will accelerate your ride to success. If there's a hole in your bucket, wouldn't you want to plug it? The alternative is letting massive amounts of water drain and the entire act of carrying water will be defeated and useless. Don't make your traits and skill-sets useless but allowing your weaknesses to kill them before they can blossom. Common areas would include: procrastination, shyness, arrogance, being critical of others, talking too much, when you should be listening, selfishness, etc. I'm sure there are many more, and as I think of more I will add them to this post. But I'm sure you get the point. Has your mother been constantly reminding you about something that you do or say that is unfriendly or unkind? Or maybe you are mature enough to examine yourself, and to see, hey I am a huge procrastinator. I'll tell you, that was my biggest problem. I was afraid of being productive. I was afraid of trying something different, of stepping outside of my comfort zone. Honestly, the greatest breakthroughs in my life in regards to my self confidence and my successes, came when I stopped allowing myself to feel sorry for myself - I became the monkey on my own back. Be the monkey on your back. Stop making excuses for yourself. Or you could continue to do so. If you are content with living a life of mediocrity and dullness, being unfulfilled and miserable, that's the recipe. If you have greatness inside of you that won't go away, but you haven't reached it yet, I bet that there is something you need to change - and it's probably you. Don't forget to ask God for his help since he put those things inside of you. That's all folks.

Do's and Dont's

My mother just told me that I am afraid to fail, and she might be right, but I can't put my finger on it. I don't know what I want with my life, and that statement might provide some insight as to why. Taking a leap of faith for your dreams is a bit unnerving. What would I do for my dreams? What won't I do for my dreams? How can I take the leap, without leaving myself completely out to dry? Or, is being left out to dry the only way to take a leap of faith?

....

I started that entry on June 22, and then stopped because I didn't know what else to say. It is now July 4, and what I do know a few weeks later, is that I am afraid to make decisions. Decisions are the fabric of our lives. We hide from them, rush them, regret them, cherish them. As we get older, we hopefully get better at them. Truthfully I am terrified of them, because I fear failure. I have big goals, and the thought of me fumbling opportunities like I have in the past, keeps me from fulfilling the dreams that I have for my future. Though I acknowledge this issue, facing and changing it effectively and permanently is far more challenging than I hoped it would be.

I encourage those of you who are faced with life changing decisions to take your time making them, but do not become frozen by fear. Fear is a paralyzing lie that will trick you into pursuing nothing. Fear also leads to excuses. Some of you know that "excuses are tools of incompetence used to build monuments of nothing." There is great truth in that statement. Unless you want to acknowledge that right at this moment, as you read this blog, that you want your life to be a monument of nothing, then you must embrace decision making in all forms. Appreciate the ability to have a say over what you do and where you go, as opposed to these decisions being made for you. It is a great privilege to have freedom of choice, it is one we must not take for granted, and one that we must not run from. Our purpose is embedded in the decisions we make, so make them wisely.

Obama and the Veil of Ignorance.

I just need to state a few quick things about President Obama. What I never enjoyed about his rise to the presidency is the way he seemed to mask the true face of politics to the generation that got him elected. Many of my peers seem to be entranced by his healthcare, and bedazzled by his leadership in areas of national security. This is all well and good. However, his supporters seem to be clouded in ignorance, and shielded by the fact that their decision to elect him was based more on the choice between the lesser of two "perceived" evils, than the choice for a properly fitting and well suited presidential nominee.

Now I did NOT want McCain to be president - that needs to be made clear. But honestly folks, do you not see that Obama is a politician just like the rest? The timing of this "raid" was impeccable - umm pre-election uproar? His strategy is no different than any other elected official - to push an agenda, most of which is secret. If you think everything that leaves that man's mouth is the truth then you're an idiot real talk. Sorry.

This veil of ignorance is troubling me. I hear so many of my peers not mention a WORD about Obama until he comes on TV and says he did a good thing. Ok, good things are obviously great. Osama being killed needed to be done and I am glad it was handled. But don't argue with me about the flawlessness of a presidency that you only care to pay attention to when he comes on the screen every 4 to 6 weeks! Come on! Do you read the paper? Do you watch MSNBC? Do you ever peep Fox? Rush Limbaugh? The point is, do you actually purpose to expose yourself to a diversified opinion about his politics in order to at least make a clear and sound judgement and viewpoint that is not solely based on racial peer pressure and generational social anxieties about past presidents?

Don't be a fool. Don't argue with me about how he is so great, when I know you don't know shit about politics outside of the 1 perspective you live inside of because its "safe". He is human so just be real - consider the good with the bad and don't act like he has done anymore or ruined any less of the lives of some citizens that you may not have ever met, or known to exist. Because this last is vast, and the whole world's agenda cannot be satisfied. But just dont live in ignorance. There is no proof that he is the most viable candidate for 2012 - yet. Let him prove himself.

Pay ATTENTION for the next year or so. Read about his administration daily. Take note on the speeches he makes that don't interrupt Celebrity Apprentice. Really investigate his views on foreign policy and health care. Don't just start running your mouth when you don't actually know anything because that makes you look foolish. Because most of the republicans that argue against him are probably more informed than some of the people I've seen sing his praises without knowing one significant fact about his administration besides his promotion of "Change". Don't make an opinion on the entire book, and you've only seen the first 10 pages because it's an easy read.

Purpose.

I have been told many times that I need to decide what I want to do, that I need to focus my efforts in one particular direction so that I do not become overwhelmed with frustration if I can not accomplish everything that is swirling around in my head.

I have decided that is impossible. Many people are lucky to discover what their purpose is in life. Far less are lucky enough to fulfill that purpose. I do not want to be one of those people. There are things inside of me that I feel need to come out, specifically artistically within the mediums of Film, and Music. When my mother says to me, "you need to decide the one thing you want", I can not help but to reply, "but I want five things" - and that is the honest truth. I do not feel as though I was meant to do one thing solely and to call the rest a day. Why would God put so many desires and aspirations and goals inside me that I struggle to hold on to every moment that I am working a job that I truly do not enjoy.

2011 has got to be about purpose. At 23 years old and recently admitted to graduate school, I want to make that list of the top five things I want out of life and go hard to get it. There is no reason I have to limit myself. Limits and boundaries are not the same thing - you have to know when to stop but also when to press on.

The Wielding of Power

Tonight I observed a crime, and it's probably not what you are thinking. I was at work helping a customer. The customer needed to make a phone call related to the transaction that we were working on, and while she made that call, I proceeded to play the most popular game ever made for a smart-phone...Angry Birds. As I briefly indulge in the game while sitting at my desk, a man leans over the counter behind me and says, "Are you just going to play your game or are you going to help me?"

I was a bit surprised as I put the Motorola XOOM down on the counter and I told him that we were all assisting customers, and since he had signed in to be helped, we would assist him as soon as one of us were free. He continued to complain about how the customers I was helping had come in after him, and had not signed in - which was a lie - and how I wasn't doing anything and he shouldn't have to wait to be helped, etc, etc. At this point, I reemphasized the fact that we would assist him as soon as we were free. At that point, my customer actually butted in and said, "Sir you are being really rude. He was helping us and still is helping us, and what you said and how you said it was completely unnecessary."

So the man replies, "You don't want to go down that road." "Why not?", she said, "You don't have any reason to be as rude as you just were." The man replies, "You really don't want to make a big deal about this because you don't know who you're talking to or who am I or what I do." Now at this point, I'm thinking he's about to clap all of us - real talk. I didn't know what to think about how brazen this dude was acting...well that's actually not true. The first thing that came to mind was "white privilege" but I'll leave that one alone for now because it got even better.

The man's daughter began asking her Dad to calm down, relax, and leave the situation alone - but he wouldn't. He kept going on about how no one wanted to make a big deal about the situation. But the truth was, he was being ridiculous and my customer just had the balls to say it. So the man, in his final act of desperation, reaches into his pocket...and pulls out his wallet...which contained a badge...A BADGE.

This dude was a cop. I couldn't believe it. The last thing I thought he would do would be pull out a badge and claim that he would call a squad car on the woman for BREACH OF PEACE!? My dude, you are the breach of peace. Truthfully, he was picked on in school, and found that he could wield some twisted form of judicial power by becoming a police officer and asserting some asinine representation civil servitude. He ended up leaving after asking the manager on duty for my name and card and she refused to give it to him.

I have heard all the cop stories, all the harassment and abuse tales in the "streets" and such, but I have never seen a police officer OFF DUTY flash a badge and claim BREACH OF PEACE on PRIVATE PROPERTY because a grown woman told you that you were being obnoxious? If that's not a power trip then I've never seen one. He completely put a bad taste in my mouth about the law, and for all the good cops that exist in the world, that purpose to serve the community justly and with honor and dignity, there still must exist that jerk that can only feel like a man when he makes himself look like a douche. Sorry to be distasteful on the blog post, but that was an outrageous display of disrespect for not only the law that he is supposed to represent, but the respect he should have for other human beings.

2011

We are only 2 weeks into 2011. The time is going by pretty fast for me, fast than I wish it would in certain respects. I want more time with family, friends, and loved ones; I want to accelerate my career track and accomplish all of the goals I have in my mind; I want to wake up and only do what I want to do and have obligations that only I deem important. But don't we all. It is a bit far fetched at the moment to be full of such demands though it is one of the only ways I stay focused on the desires of my heart.

Patience will be my biggest lesson of 2011. Patience is said to be a virtue, and what is virtue? Can anyone answer that question? How can we be virtuous in a world like this? I don't ask that question to be pessimistic, simply to be inquisitive. All great things should take time. Someone very close to me recently shared that without work and trials, appreciation for dreams attained or goals acquired is just not as sweet. Our world today is very demanding - not demanding because of the lives we live but because of the stress we put on ourselves. Our world has made us impatient beings who are obsessed with being satisfied at every minute of our day, to be focused on fulfilling the consumption of some data, information, or emotion that will make us feel whole either consciously or without our knowledge.

Patience must be the key to success and happiness. Happiness is not perfection, but the acceptance that imperfection will exist. Can you deal? I am trying to.