kalif nuuz

I always said to myself that the day we would reach 500 musicians in our music site www.ijamr.com , I would write a story about that person. I was not about to pass a judgment on whether or not that person would be this, that or the other. However, I must admit that I was somewhat taken aback when I read

KALIF NUUZ which follows. I was not prepared. In my mind I had planned to do an elaborate interview, take pictures and make it a little event. Okay, in away it is just that, an event. Five hundred artists in a start up music site might not be much for most but for us, it IS a big deal..

Of course I could have written an article about Emilio, this extraordinary Flamenco guitar player who not only is a friend but was also the very first musician to join iJamr. Well, I did not but…. Hey Emilio!... Bare with me!

So the 500^th artist could have been a fabulous looking woman. There was one or almost. She is number 501 www.ijamr.com/mahoganee.

Or it could have been a musician from Austria www.ijamr.com/georgesanfordjackson... but he was number 499...

Okay Mahoganee, okay George your turn to be featured will come too, because you see, we do not judge talent here. Anyone of them has more talent than we do. We merely apply Andy Warhol’s famous line “Everyone needs it’s 15 minutes of fame.” Was it “needs” or “gets” or?… Who cares !

We give them a head start. We feature them before they become super stars. No doubt some will.

However, whether or not one becomes a Super Star, we’ll leave that to the Heavens but the essence of what follows, although surprising, is an important message. The part about redemption and salvation (religious or societal) that is.

No, we do not condone drugs or crime here at this publication. In fact we abhor it, reject it and condemn it as we believe in responsibility and consequences. However we also believe that some can redeem themselves and we applaud that.

So here is our 500^th artist, unadulterated.

KALIF NUUZ

AZ far back as I could remember my dad ducked out and he was a rapper same as me. My ma n I were stranded in tha regular vicious cycle of young female parent strapped down with a baby livin at grandmaz house on welfare. shortly after meeting my step dad who owed tha government of ST.VINCENT and the GRENADINES sponsorship money we were headed off to a third world island that me n my mother have never been to before.

I was 5 and we would stay there 5 years which gave me tha recipe and the joy to discover new life.

The experiences of kids raising themselves the doom and destruction of a
premature black community suffering and striving to over come what
skeletons the government had in his closet. Malnourished kids with sores the size of skittles I juz thought were big mosquito bites when in reality was
the aftermath of lack of daily intake.

Now gettin past the childhood events coming up in my teens I found a comfort and almost rebellious bond to the street life. My cousins were fire starters and spent high school years skipping class and what seemed like infinite days in the city jailhouses. Young drug abusers and teenage semi alcoholics on the rise following out of town criminals and fugitives makin them self at home in different towns because police are showing up at there moms house.

Started doin music in grade 8 on my way into high school cuz I was told my poetic flow couldn't be touched. With violent family and peers looking 4 ways to skim money thru robbing stealin and narcotic slinging sum of it paying bills sum of it greed and 2 indulge a life full of luxury. Went from moving pounds of marijuana to ounces of crack cocaine for the older guys who sat on kilos from Toronto. I knew some crazy men from murderers to small time criminals tryin to feed there family.

I got arrested at seventeen in a house raid when I was found with a loaded 38 caliber in my back pack that charge wasn't pretty lucky I was a youth and 2 years later was found with drugs and a hand held shot gun with shells a lifestyle we need to leave alone before its to late. Money the root of all evil, so much negativity, war, wounds scars and sad stories trail behind reminiscin on what drugs did to families that some time ago were stronger.

I thirst almost like a hip hop journalist if there is something goin on in the street I'll write about my experience or the next mans or the next womans or kids. I speak for the human race mostly depressing with small doses of glory and happiness. We all have sinned and will shed tears for retribution redemption and salvation. I’m goin thru a trial az I write to you and I am on curfew so I spend a lotta time making music finding ijamr was a blessing to me. I love what you guys do for unsigned artist.

Thank you for taking the time of day on me and hope this story sparked a vivid picture of what a prisoner of his own poetry thinks like.

As for a resume I don’t have a very long one. I have done 2 shows one a talent show in which I was awarded a plaque and the other a night club. I have hundreds of songs. I’ve worked in a lot of different studios in Toronto
to.have made a few CDs mostly mix-tapes sold some but nuthin much

I’ve realized its a hard biznis but God hates quitters so I’m still here working.

I didn’t edit Richard’s mail to me because I thought it is an important letter. I find interesting that most people who are not favored one way or another by life always blame others or other stuff such as money. Well, here it is for all the Richards Stephens out there, that’s the name of this artist. Remember the lyrics of a famous song which said something like this “… Young, beautiful and Black…” Many a person is not young, nor beautiful, so what?

So when Richard www.ijamr.com/aprince says to his peers

“ Believe you me, a lifestyle we need to leave alone before it’s to late” we want to back this up and wish this man, this Artist the very best of luck in the life which lays before him as he is young, beautiful and he is black. We also encourage him to spread a message of hope, strong values and his new found ethics to kids who are growing up in the worst of conditions. This writer for one knows too much about worst of conditions and will paraphrase to say to all out there,

“Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees” or better still

“Better to be broke and free than be in Jail”