Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Artist Spotlight: H DIRT
If there's anything, I've learned in this journey, it's that we can do so much more together than we can on our own. I'd never have my music out on iTunes without the kindness and generosity of others believing in my dream. Accordingly, I'm working hard to help others with their dreams. It's time to pay it forward. That's what life is really all about. It's about learning how to move forward in a positive direction and then showing others how to do the same and helping them move in that direction.
In this spirit, I'd like to introduce you to someone who's graciously featured me and my music on his blog, "H Dirt." Take some time to check out his work. He's got his hand in several projects...reminds me of someone else I know. ;) Enjoy!
H dirt Biography: H dirt formerly known as Dirty Hari since the early 90's way before he spoke a tongue of English, has been a fan of Hip-Hop music. Coming home from school and tuning in to Ralph McDaniels' "Video Music Box". Hailing from borough of The Bronx, New York City. H grew fascinated of the Art Rap Music and its culture but never thought of persuing a rap career...
In this spirit, I'd like to introduce you to someone who's graciously featured me and my music on his blog, "H Dirt." Take some time to check out his work. He's got his hand in several projects...reminds me of someone else I know. ;) Enjoy!
H dirt Biography: H dirt formerly known as Dirty Hari since the early 90's way before he spoke a tongue of English, has been a fan of Hip-Hop music. Coming home from school and tuning in to Ralph McDaniels' "Video Music Box". Hailing from borough of The Bronx, New York City. H grew fascinated of the Art Rap Music and its culture but never thought of persuing a rap career...
Then, Now, Still DoitYaSelf Vol.1
Mixed & Hosted by DJ TICAL
AVAILABLE NOW - DIRECT LINK > http://www.mediafire.com/doityaself
WATCH THE PROMO VIDEO! DIRECT LINK @ http://youtube/clPp3vGP1o4
MIXTAPE DESCRIPTON
New York recording artists Skylar "Points" Williams (Rapper) & Hari "H dirt" Espinosa (Rapper/Actor/Manager), who are a part of the hip-hop group M.P.H (Money, Power & Honor). Are bringing you their newest project to properly reintroduce themselves back into the rap game. Not just as artist or as a group, but also as an indie label. Devised partly from their own indie label, Do It Ya Self Entertainment titled: "Then, Now, Still DoitYaSelf Vol.1" MixTape.
Artist Appearances by Points, H dirt, Molly, Thural, Promise, Victor Dortch, Snugz, Anita Clay and battle rapper DNA. Production by Dj Tical, Victor Tortch and Joe Hernandez.
Mixed & Hosted by South Germany's own Dj Tical. Appearances by Molly, Thural, Promise, Victor Dortch, Snugz, Anita Clay and battle rapper DNA. Music production by Dj Tical, Victor Tortch and Joe Hernandez
This MixTape also marks their first collaboration with a DJ. Mixed & Hosted by South Germany own DJ Tical (Rock The World Entertainment), The official Wu Tang DJ, Do It Ya Self Entertainment DJ and Vel a/k/a Mr. 7 Cities.
M.P.H The Saga Continues... A Short-Preview DocuFilm
THE
OFFICIAL MOVIE TRAILER COMING SOON!
Inspired by the lives of Skylar Williams & Hari Espinosa.
Narrative by Joyce Elwick. W
ritten & Directed by Hari Espinosa
ABOUT THE FILM:
This is the real life story of two long time friends (Skylar Williams known as Points & Hari Espinosa known as H dirt, formerly known as Dirty Hari), who shared similar goals and aspirations to follow a career in hip-hop music. This film takes place in rough streets of New The City - The Bronx, Underground Hip-Hop scene. Where they became locally known for their music. Since establishing the rap group (M.P.H), in the summer of 1999. But it was in 2005 when Points recruited big supporter Barbara Laureano, nickname Molly into M.P.H - That kicked things off for the inspiring rap group. In return making her an invaluable asset to their growth.
SYPNOSIS:
Music, Drama & Life became their struggles, yet their passion for success was undeniable and could not be ignored. M.P.H collectively were determined to become the next big act in hip-hop. Unfortunately differences in opinions, poor finances and personal rifts greatly affected the progress of the group.
A Film Written & Directed by first time director (Rapper/Actor) Hari Espinosa and edited by Victor Tortch. Co-Written by Darren Whitfield, Janice Smith and Joe Hernandez. Produced By Hari Espinosa & Joe Hernandez. Narrated by Actress/Singer/ Model Joyce Elwick
WATCH OUR PROMO VIDEOS: http://www.vimeo.com/mph
This film is presented by Do It Ya Self Entertainment
ALSO COMING SOON!
DJ TICAL & M.P.H: "WE WANT IN" EP
DoitYaSelf Vol.2 (MIXTAPE) Hosted & Mixed by Dj Tical
"We Run It" by Points - Produced by Joe Hernandez
AVAILABLE NOW FOR DOWNLOAD! LINK BELOW
PREVIEW THE ENTIRE TRACK ON POINTS' YOUTUBE CHANNEL
URL LINK > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpiS0CaOvAs&hd=1 )))
BRIEF BIOS
Points Biography: Points "That Ni*** That Sh** Poppin' " A phrase which spawned a wave of infectious tunes in the New York Underground Hip-hop circuit in 2003, when releasing his first tangible project DEMO/MIXTAPE Vol. 1 & 2 From 149Th St., 3rd Ave in The Bronx and back to his old stomping ground on 111 St. 7Th Av in Harlem...
M.P.H Biography: (M.P.H) an acronym which has signified "Money, Power & Honor", for the New York Underground Hip-Hop group which is consisted of two original members " Pac-One now know as Points and neighborhood friend Dirty Hari now known as H dirt, then in 2005, Molly, appointed by Points as a big supporter and business partner. Established in the mid summer 1999...
INDIE LABEL
| Do It Ya Self Entertainment LLC is an independent record company label based out of Bronx, New York. Specializing in urban underground / alternative music. Founded in 2004 by Artist/Actor/C.E.O. Hari "H dirt" Espinosa with partner Artist/Co-C.E.O. Skylar "Points" Williams for the main purpose of do it their selves when nobody thought it would be possible... |
M.P.H Blog: http://www.moneypowerhonor.com
TWITTERS: http://twitter.com/pointsnews
Monday, January 30, 2012
iDream
"Have you ever had a dream that was meant to be...then finally found your voice, which spoke your destiny? Well, I've dreamed and I woke. In this new voice I spoke. And once I finally heard my voice, it was time to make some noise!" These are the lyrics to the 3rd song, "Screaming to be Free" on my EP, "Light Shines Through Me," which, as of TODAY, can be purchased on iTunes!
"Screaming to be Free" was produced by GI Joe and has a music video directed by Rodolfo Duran of DoneRightDigital.com, which is just waiting in the wings to be released! Once KFHox (facebook.com/kfhox) reaches the 1,000 fan mark, the video will be briefly released online and then available for purchase on iTunes!
This has been a crazy, exhausting, at time confusing, and long journey, and it's only just begun! I thank God to have finally found my voice and to have transitioned from iDream to iTunes!!!
This has been a crazy, exhausting, at time confusing, and long journey, and it's only just begun! I thank God to have finally found my voice and to have transitioned from iDream to iTunes!!!
Friday, January 20, 2012
No Woman, No Cry
Cover of Etta JamesIn the span of a year, we've lost so many legends. For me, I feel like I keep losing parts of myself as I lost Amy Winehouse, George Harrison, and, today, the incomparable Etta James. But with these losses, I can't help but feel a growing responsibility to fill the voids these artists have left and create my own musical legacy.
My musical influences run a wide spectrum, ranging from classic rock and roll, motown, neo-soul, reggae, jazz, blues, gospel, new age, R&B, hip-hop, and basically everything in between. I've done my best to keep my ears and heart open to every musical genre. The beauty of music is that it's the only thing in our world that's truly universal. For about 3 minutes, it doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, what you've been through...we're all on the same page. It's the most magical moment of realization if you've ever been to a concert and look around at all the different kinds of people that all know the same words.
If you know me, you'll know that I do my best to put as much positive energy into the world as I can. I want to do the most amount of good with my time on earth as possible and I KNOW that music is my vehicle to do just that.
My last blog post was more somber than my usual posts, but when I woke up today and heard the news of Etta James passing, I was reminded of something that I had temporarily forgotten. I'm ALIVE! Seems simple, right? But honestly, just the fact that I'm alive to face another day means I've been given another opportunity to make this happen. Today, I began applying for a grant through BRIO to help create some new music. I'm looking under every rock until I find the resources to make this happen. I've also been applying for part-time positions to help sustain my livelihood while I do this. I had gotten really stuck on the notion that taking a part-time job doing anything, but singing, would de-rail my dream. I realize now the necessity of it in order to fulfill my dream. I've learned to let go of the resentment I feel towards surviving and replaced it with gratitude for the alternative skill sets that I have that will allow me to support myself and move forward full-force with my dream.
I recently recorded vocals to a track produced by Doue Carter entitled, "I Cry." I love the song, which I wrote in about 3 minutes after Doue sent me the track. It's one of those songs that just wrote itself. You can hear the undertones of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" on the track. In fact, I had to get that song out of my head in order to work out the melody line for the song. As I reflect on the life, legacy, and music of this beautiful woman, I thank God for the opportunity to work on my own new music.
Songs like "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley have made me feel so much better on days like I've had lately. And though the title of my song would lead you to believe that it's a sad song, at its core, it's actually about tears of joy. It's about celebrating the fact that, as women, sometimes we cry because we're just so overjoyed by the love in our hearts. To give you an idea of what I mean, here's a taste of some of the lyrics, "I cry 'cause I love you, but you don't get it. You think I'm just being a girl. And I cry 'cause I'm happy. Just forget it. You're the biggest thing in my itty bitty world." So women, go ahead and cry! But once you're done crying, don't forget to smile and be grateful that we've been given another day to make it happen!
RIP Ms. Etta James
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Meet Me at the Crossroads
I've been writing less and less in the last year as you may have noticed. Putting a band together, planning an EP release party, booking and promoting shows...all while living out of my car...have proven to be challenging and time consuming tasks. And while I'm honored, proud, and blessed that I was able to survive all of it and pull it off successfully, I find myself at a crossroads.
Yesterday was the hardest day I've had in a long time. I started my morning off by going to the Sunshine Bronx Incubator in the south Bronx, which offers affordable shared office space for start-ups. In the last year, I registered KFHox as a small business in the Bronx. My vision was for KFHox to become an umbrella company covering an array of services including writing, publishing, and consulting. My success within the realm of social media in the last two years has shown me what I'm capable of. I've also really enjoyed the networking aspect of things and putting like-minded people that need one another together. It seemed like a natural transition for me to move into some kind of consulting and managing since I need to make money to keep a roof over my head. The winter's gotten much too cold to continue life in my Jeep.
I gave my elevator pitch of KFHox to Sunshine and left feeling pretty confident that this was what I needed to do to in order to take the next steps. Life post-11.11.11 has consisted of many steps in various directions searching for the next step. Once I got out of my meeting, I returned a call I had gotten from one of my former piano players, Neffee. She invited me to come over for a bit and said that we needed to talk. Instantly, I was sick to my stomach. I had no idea what she wanted to talk about and I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the meeting I had just walked out of, but I went because I wanted to chat and I was anxious to find out what was so important.
When I got there, she was playing my EP, "Light Shines Through Me." And while one part of me was happy that she was listening to my music, another part of me knew there was another reason that she was listening to it. She made small talk for a bit and we caught up on a few things since we had last seen each other. And then she started to talk about what we needed to talk about. She told me that she loved me as a friend and that I had a ton of natural talent. But for as talented as I am, I'm not serious about my training and maintenance of my voice. I sat in silence as she broke down the last year of my life....all the promoting and branding and social networking. She said, "You're DOING IT. You're really doing it, Kathryn." But all of this came at the cost of leaving me little to no time to actually be an artist. And while this is something I've discussed with several people over the course of the last year, it sounded different coming from someone else, especially Neffee. It's true. Without a manager or any team to speak of, I'm left to do it all alone. We talked about exercises that I need to incorporate into my daily routine and other things I can do to get my voice where it needs to be, and as our conversation was coming to an end, my phone rang.
On the other end of the phone was Kathy, the woman who helped raise me during most of my childhood. Kathy's basically like my second mother. She's saved my life in every way that a person can be saved...physically, emotionally, mentally, and beyond. She had called to talk to me about "the next step." After just having finished getting some tough love from Neffee, I was now on the phone with Kathy who was continuing on the same path. She knew that I had gone to that meeting in the morning and was calling to tell me, "Your time is NOW." She discouraged me from starting the business venture and told me I needed to find a manager. Everything she said supported what Neffee told me, which was that I needed to focus on my music, on my instrument, and on getting my music made. Management is the only way that can happen.
Both of these conversations came just weeks after continuous conversations with the guy that I've started dating. Once a producer of music, himself, he's been encouraging me to make more music, to focus more on creating. But the challenge of this is finding the right person (people) to create with. I've realized in the last year that I'm not normal or typical. While others focus on how they're going to pay their rent and go on vacations, I'm focused on how I can get people to listen to my music, how I can make more music, and how I can find others that want to make music with me. Music is more than a hobby to me...it's like breathing. Without it, I surely won't survive. I've realized that despite the fact that I hold two Masters degrees and plenty of professional experience, I will never live a fulfilling life without music in it on a full-time basis.
Today, I'm at a crossroads. I need to make money so that I can sustain my livelihood, but I refuse to do anything, but music. Something's gotta give.
Yesterday was the hardest day I've had in a long time. I started my morning off by going to the Sunshine Bronx Incubator in the south Bronx, which offers affordable shared office space for start-ups. In the last year, I registered KFHox as a small business in the Bronx. My vision was for KFHox to become an umbrella company covering an array of services including writing, publishing, and consulting. My success within the realm of social media in the last two years has shown me what I'm capable of. I've also really enjoyed the networking aspect of things and putting like-minded people that need one another together. It seemed like a natural transition for me to move into some kind of consulting and managing since I need to make money to keep a roof over my head. The winter's gotten much too cold to continue life in my Jeep.
I gave my elevator pitch of KFHox to Sunshine and left feeling pretty confident that this was what I needed to do to in order to take the next steps. Life post-11.11.11 has consisted of many steps in various directions searching for the next step. Once I got out of my meeting, I returned a call I had gotten from one of my former piano players, Neffee. She invited me to come over for a bit and said that we needed to talk. Instantly, I was sick to my stomach. I had no idea what she wanted to talk about and I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the meeting I had just walked out of, but I went because I wanted to chat and I was anxious to find out what was so important.
When I got there, she was playing my EP, "Light Shines Through Me." And while one part of me was happy that she was listening to my music, another part of me knew there was another reason that she was listening to it. She made small talk for a bit and we caught up on a few things since we had last seen each other. And then she started to talk about what we needed to talk about. She told me that she loved me as a friend and that I had a ton of natural talent. But for as talented as I am, I'm not serious about my training and maintenance of my voice. I sat in silence as she broke down the last year of my life....all the promoting and branding and social networking. She said, "You're DOING IT. You're really doing it, Kathryn." But all of this came at the cost of leaving me little to no time to actually be an artist. And while this is something I've discussed with several people over the course of the last year, it sounded different coming from someone else, especially Neffee. It's true. Without a manager or any team to speak of, I'm left to do it all alone. We talked about exercises that I need to incorporate into my daily routine and other things I can do to get my voice where it needs to be, and as our conversation was coming to an end, my phone rang.
On the other end of the phone was Kathy, the woman who helped raise me during most of my childhood. Kathy's basically like my second mother. She's saved my life in every way that a person can be saved...physically, emotionally, mentally, and beyond. She had called to talk to me about "the next step." After just having finished getting some tough love from Neffee, I was now on the phone with Kathy who was continuing on the same path. She knew that I had gone to that meeting in the morning and was calling to tell me, "Your time is NOW." She discouraged me from starting the business venture and told me I needed to find a manager. Everything she said supported what Neffee told me, which was that I needed to focus on my music, on my instrument, and on getting my music made. Management is the only way that can happen.
Both of these conversations came just weeks after continuous conversations with the guy that I've started dating. Once a producer of music, himself, he's been encouraging me to make more music, to focus more on creating. But the challenge of this is finding the right person (people) to create with. I've realized in the last year that I'm not normal or typical. While others focus on how they're going to pay their rent and go on vacations, I'm focused on how I can get people to listen to my music, how I can make more music, and how I can find others that want to make music with me. Music is more than a hobby to me...it's like breathing. Without it, I surely won't survive. I've realized that despite the fact that I hold two Masters degrees and plenty of professional experience, I will never live a fulfilling life without music in it on a full-time basis.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Birthdays, Bathrooms & Brows...
So here I sit in the lovely Disney’s Beach Club Villas Resort…no, I’m not a guest…just passing through, as it would be, to meet an old friend from acting, Jenn, who’s now a cast member at Disney. It’s a beautiful night…maybe in the high 60’s or 70’s and the only commotion is the pitter patter of little feet walking by and excited voices of children as they embark on their next Disney adventure.
I smiled as I drove in earlier, coming under the gates that read: “Welcome to Disney World: Where Dreams Come True.” It felt like a gentle nudge, as I drove underneath, to continue on my path. It’s amazing the signs of wonder that you get to be witness to if only your ears, eyes, and heart are open to receiving them.
I parked my car and got my bags together to go on a little adventure before I met Jen out for dinner. I walked out to the boardwalk and recognized it as I thought I might. Back during my time living in Florida, I had sang at a friend’s wedding over here. I sang “When I Fall in Love” as Amanda walked down the aisle at the happiest place on earth. That was the second wedding I ever sang, second only to my own sister’s wedding, and I didn’t realize the next time I came back here that I would be on the path of pursuing my dreams on a full-time basis. But I’m so thankful to be back here filled to the brim with dreams in my heart.
When I first made my way to the boardwalk, I made a pit stop in the restroom. In the stall next to me, a mother and a young daughter were going back and forth about something or another. I didn’t catch exactly what they were talking about until I heard the mother say something about the fact that she was really irritated with Disney. I listened closer to hear more about what her complaints were. She said that her daughter had never heard the word “hate” until she watched the movie, “Finding Nemo.” She went on and on about how she would have to watch every Disney movie three times forwards and backwards to ensure that didn’t happen again. I couldn’t help but sigh and realize the truth of the matter. That’s not realistic…no matter how you look at it. The mother can’t spend her whole life censoring every Disney movie to ensure they say everything right all the time. She’ll miss most of her daughter’s childhood obsessing over one word here or another there. And even if she spent the time to do that, her daughter would eventually leave the house at some point and here all the words she wants to shield her from…and then what?
While Disney presents a utopian-like atmosphere with all the things your heart and mind can imagine, once you go back under that Disney gate and enter Orlando, there’s no escaping the reality of our world. And though no one ever ensured that I didn’t hear the word “hate” growing up, I thank God that I was able to discern the fact that hate was a bad word. I’m fairly sure that woman’s daughter will be able to distinguish the same without missing out on any Disney movies.
It reminds me of a conversation that I had earlier today. I was actually just going to blog about that conversation originally, but after a short time here, I realized I had more to talk about than I had initially thought. I went to go get my eyebrows waxed by a woman who used to do them when I lived here. She’s currently working out of a different salon and is now self-employed. She’s unhappy as a business woman as she considers herself, rightfully so (especially if you saw what she did with my eyebrows…shameless plug: Helena Morton: Primp Salon, 1411 Trovillion Ave., Winter Park, FL), an artist. We discussed the pros and cons, mainly cons in her case, of being a business owner and all the responsibilities that one takes on when you go from being an employee to an employer. For me, I’m too much of a free spirit to have a boss anymore. I used to think I just had a problem with authority, but I realized it was much deeper than that, and far less angry. I’m simply too creative and have too many ideas to be constrained to the confines set forth by a manager or anyone who may have some kind of control over my work obligations. I have a relentless work ethic and I find it exhausting to try and place a value on that work ethic. Accordingly, it makes more sense to me to work for myself and, for the most part, by myself. I’ve seen the latest fruits of that labor at my EP Release Party, which was responsible for hosting about fifteen local artists and ten sponsors, all of whom I single-handedly coordinated.
Helena, on the other hand, has no problem being an employee. She wants to do what she does and not have to deal with all the extra obligations that come along with running the business (i.e. ordering supplies and keeping track of the numbers). While I am a free spirit and I like doing things myself, I can totally relate to this aspect of the dilemma, as well. While I was proud of all the work that I put into getting everything organized and prepared for 11.11.11, it left me little to no time to be an actual artist….no time for writing new material, barely any time to rehearse, and definitely no social time to relax and be inspired by life, which is where so much of my inspiration comes from. Yes, I can certainly empathize with Helena and I understand fully that it would just be easier to be an artist. Fortunately, Helena’s moving in that very direction now and should be back to doing strictly what she loves, alongside her adorable and loveable puppy, Lucky. As for me, I’m still doing it all. I’ve officially set the wheels in motion to complete a full-length album by my birthday this June.
What does any of that have to do with where we began? Well, we all have our own dreams and aspirations. For that mother, her dream is to provide her daughter with a life as perfect as she can create despite the world’s reality. For me, my dream is to become a global recording artist so that all the world may hear what it would be my honor and blessing to share. And for Helena, her dream is to help others feel and look even more beautiful by doing what she loves.
Today, December 5th, would have been Walt Disney’s birthday. I no longer believe in coincidences. I thank God to be fortunate enough to have made a stop at the happiest place on earth where dreams come true on the very day that the man who believed in dreams so much was born. I’ll leave you with this quote in honor and memory of this special man. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
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