Life is But a Dream...

I had a dream I said.
Being in Love is like a dream. The sky is the limit, the experiences are vivid and uniquely felt, and each moment feels as if it will never end.
Break-ups with someone you still care for are like waking up from a great dream. Sometimes, you just want to go back to sleep, and continue to experience the bliss and solace that a great relationship provides.
But, when an intersection of two people was doomed from inception, having your eyes opened to the reality of differences and irreconcilable contrasts is a rude awakening. Even though my dream is deferred, I can admit that I'm still sleepy.

So for those of you who are in Love, pinch yourself, and make sure that the inkling of pain you feel is something that is tolerable, desired, and something you can and will continue to live with.
If not, it's time to wake up.

Red Bull Time!

With Love,

O

Grown Ass Man

to err is human, and we all have made mistakes and fallen short of the glory of our full worth and potential.

i moreso than most, and for a long time ive dealt with my personal setbacks with actions that only intensified my shortcomings, blurred the lines of my moral compass, and drowned out the voice of my true consciousness.

the results? short lived pleasures: drunken conversations with temporary acquaintenances, a budget blown on frivilous expressions of spontanaeity, uneventful moments of chaos masked by a momentary good time.

ive alienated friends, hurt family members, and damaged relationships with people that didnt warrant or deserve the consequences of my selfish and short-sighted ways.

no more.

im humble enough to reflect and realize the cost of my actions.
im honest enough to fully hold myself accountable for my past and understand what i have to change to reclaim the future.
im real enough to admit that ive aspired towards reforming my approach to life many times before, and have always settled for short-lived periods of focus only to fall back into the same comfort zone, the same loop with the same shit in the same toilet.

as i get closer to celebrating another year on this earth, im starting to feel the weight of living life operating with the arrogance of youth. tomorrow is not promised, and by living for the day for so long ive lost sight of the fact that every moment of my existence speaks toward my legacy.

i want to do more than live life one day (or one drink, one regret, one outburst, one missed opportunity, etc.) at a time.

i need to live for what i want my life to be.
for what i want my daughter's life to be.
for what i want my wife's life to be.

its time to live...not for the moment or the thrill or the rush, but to celebrate the gift of life that God keeps giving to me daily.

ive been dead for too long now: scavenging on the spoils of unfruitful endeavors due to a desire for what i thought defined life.

time to breathe new life into what used to be a dead man walking.

rise Lazarus rise,

O

Finish Your Breakfast...

What up, world?

Checking in with an update from the Ozone layer of this air that I live in, where being high off life is a constant cruising altitude.

I've been working on sooooo many things presently that I've noticed my progress on everything as a whole is being noticably slowed down because I'm allowing my progress (or lack of) on one item to mentally affect my approach towards other items on my itinerary.

My buffet-style appetite for life used to work for me, but I'm starting to realize that my mental metabolism has slowed over the years, and now is the time to start fully digesting what I put on my plate, so I can make sure my eyes aren't bigger than my stomach.

So yes...I'm still working on a couple projects that are important to me: i.e. my book, RANT, my album.
But I'm taking my time on those while I continue to work on the main course: being a better father, a better mate, and a better man.

Let that boy cook,

O

The Calibration

To whom it may concern,

After much thought and reflection, I have decided to officially start working on The Calibration, my follow-up to my first album, The Balance. I'm extremely excited, optimistic, and focused on my upcoming work towards this project. Stay tuned!!!!

Chucktown What,

O

Silence

louder than life
it speaks volumes,
screams infinite words into a vacuum of opportunity.
a golden fleece covering the ear of Mother Nature's tongue;
a presence felt by marked absence.
louder than life
it echoes in consciousness;
a cold breeze in heated moments,
a fire stoked in polarizing intent.
louder than life
it whispers of hope,
in the language of our better nature;
it murmurs of death
in the voice of the enormity of humanity.
insightful words blind to the ear
heartfelt thoughts numb to expression
a future gift lost to an unwrapped present.
a symbol of reverence to the dead,
a caricature of communication to the living,
louder than life.
its song will always be
heard.

An Idea

i had an idea of Love,
at first a fleeting flirtation
that i chased with reckless abandon until I caught it.
infatuated with the thrill of a new journey,
i got lost in a maze of unrequited love
and found the bittersweet taste of a dream deferred.
now, I find my palette piqued
with an appetite for chocolate curves,
a passion for mahogany ideals,
a thirst for caramel kisses,
and a desire for a sepia-toned picture of Her
in white dress.
i had an idea of Love,
now I have
the.
real.
thing.

OSA

Fork In The Road

As a Libra, I can admit that at times in my life I have been indecisive and struggled with decisions for a number of reasons. Sometimes I didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers or hurt others...sometimes I didn't want to change my routine and stray too far from my comfort zone.

Sometimes the fear of the unknown influenced me to stay rooted in situations that had no opportunity for growth.

But now I look at a difficult life decisions as a blessing...as a chance for new life...new friends...new opportunites. The past is the past, and although I try to learn from it, nobody wants to have an appetite for the same things over and over and over again.

That being said, I'm extremely hungry for life right now...and though I used to be wary of forks in the road of my life...now I salivate for them.

Let's Eat...

O

Flu season...

Well folks, I'm wrapping up recording of The Vaccine, which will be my next mixtape.

Be warned! This is probably the most personal project I've ever done. I touch on everything that's been going on in my life that past couple of months, and I try to be as honest as I can be as an artist.

So yeah, people are gonna be shocked, but I'm prepared for that.

Why?

This is what I do,
O