Pittsburgh's Next Success

Let It Go

2010-10-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

Life is a long, difficult journey, especially when you have intentions of being successful. An important part of your life is those that you surround yourself with. Within the past few years, I've evaluated where I am, where I once was, and where I intend on being in the future. The people I associated myself with were very critical in helping me become the person I am. Of course there were good influences, but there were also bad influences that helped me as well, because I learned tremendous life lessons from those people. However, you can't let those people continue to have a bad influence on you, and drag you down to their level. I'm not talking about the people who are involved in illegal activity or people who didn't go to college. I'm talking about the people who are constantly spreading negative energy around you. These people have pessimistic ways that will do nothing but harm you mentally if you keep them around. Allow me to give examples.

Being a college student is one of the roughest moments of anyone's life, and that being said, people need to be encouraged throughout that time. In all honesty, most crews are not gonna be on equal ground to begin with, but that does not mean that everyone cannot be on the same level at some point. If one person is in good standing (academics, relationships, health, whatever) and another one of their people is not, it is your duty as a friend to help that person. However, if that person continues to put themselves in the same fucked up situations, they're bringing on negative energy. You have to let them find their own way out of the problems that they are in or else that becomes your problem as well. Everyone cannot be helped, and some people may get mad at you because you won't continue to help them, but true friends don't force someone to be part of something that they shouldn't have to be apart of.

Another type of person that needs to be let go, is that person you consider a friend but hates on your situation. These people lurk in many crews and need to be avoided as soon as possible. F.Y.I. these people are not your friends and eventhough they possess some qualities that your true friends do, they're faking for some weird reason that they only know. The phrase, "Your closest friends are often your greatest enemies" is true, because these people will talk about you behind your back and envy everything you have, which is a sign of a miserable person. Throughout your friendship they will gather a lot of personal information about you so at some point they can use any negative information against you.

Finally, to all the groupies out there that you may have, leave them alooooooone. You know who these people are, and if you're a groupie, you know who you are and just to afraid to admit it. These are the people who are constantly concerned with what everyone else has and not trying to better themselves so they can talk about what they have. Having a concentration on everyone else, leaves little time for yourself, so cut it out. For those who have groupies and keep those groupies around, whether they are male or female, drop them. They're a waste of time and eventhough they are hyping everyone else up as great figures, they also talk behind your back and start rumors, which generates negative energy. Let them go.

This isn't a diss blog, just a real blog. Feel free to comment

"In My Own World" Mixtape

2010-08-07T00:23:00.000-04:00

On August 18, 2010 Artistically Privileged will release their first major project with Double Up's "In My Own World" Pre-Mixtape, which is a preview to his debut mixtape, "In My Own World." The actual mixtape will be released early September.

Double Up has created quite a buzz over the past few weeks jumping from 487 to 25 on the Pittsburgh Hip-Hop charts on Reverbnation.com. He also has over 1,000 downloads on Hulkshare.com featuring songs such as, "Elevator Man," "Fly," and "Magic."

Double Up grew up on the Northside section of Pittsburgh, PA, where he and fellow artist Young Gripp began rapping several years ago. With his versatile style of rapping, it is difficult to compare him to other rappers, but he has music for all music lovers. His debut "In My Own World" is expected to be a huge release for Artistically Privileged as well as the city of Pittsburgh.

You can listen and download Double Up's music at http://www.reverbnation.com/doubleup85

Artistically Privileged

2010-08-07T00:21:00.000-04:00

In the Summer of 2008, Ty Miller and Derek Tibbs embarked on a musical journey to create a new record label. The name of that label was supposed to be Low Key Productions, but due to the name having ownership elsewhere, the two Pittsburgh natives were forced to find a new name. This led to the creation of Artistically Privileged in 2009. Miller and Tibbs were both upset with most music sounding similar to one another in the major industry, which led them to take on this new venture.

Artistically Privileged (Privileged spelled incorrectly on purpose) is on a different "edge" than any other label, inventing music that fits the likes of music lovers, while also delivering styles that have not been heard. Artistically Privileged is slated to release projects from Young Fitz, Fly Boyz and newly acquired artist Double Up in Fall/Winter 2010.

To see Artistically Privileged's music site visit http://cityneedsme.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Here's Another Curse: Barry Bonds

2009-11-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

The year was 1992, the Pirates were in the NLCS possibly on the verge of going to their first World Series since 1979 and I was at the age of 4. Little did I know at the time that my favorite baseball player would leave for Greener pastures the following season, resulting in 17 straight losing seasons for my once favorite baseball team! How could I root for Barry Bonds when he was on a team that I couldn’t even point out on a map at the time? How could I root for a losing team at such a young age? News flash, I stopped rooting for both, but the love for the team and the greatness of Bonds’ play was still there.

As I watched this past baseball season I was not able to share the same love for the sport that I had as a child with my son, because it continues to fade away. I lost concern for what the Pirates were doing when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup and my favorite basketball team, the Lakers won the NBA Title a few weeks later. My love for the game definitely took a shift to other sports, because my hometown team sucks! I can’t blame it on the players or the citizens of the city, or even the manager. My blame is strictly on the horrible front office. There are no more excuses available other than that Barry Bonds leaving the team created a curse for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cubs have their many reasons why they lose and the Red Sox blamed their losing on the Babe Ruth trade, but people in Pittsburgh must not be superstitious. The Pirates have had more consecutive losing seasons than any other sports team ever, and yet there is no sign of change. Every year Pittsburgh fans can expect to see one of the team’s top players shipped away to somewhere else, in which they usually become a star, and this past season we saw damn near the whole starting lineup get booted out of the city for a bunch of minor league players. I don’t know about everyone else, but I miss being able to watch a regular season during the summer and not have to rely on figuring out what the Steelers are doing in Training Camp. The Barry Bonds curse may last for many more seasons, but hopefully we can see a winning season next year.

Are You Grown?

2009-08-26T21:57:00.001-04:00

Today I have reached the age of 21, and each year some old person asks me, “How does it feel to be whatever age that I am?” Each year, I feel the same as I did the 364 days prior to that day. However, 21st birthdays are highly anticipated amongst people in America. This is for the obvious reasons of being able to drink, get your gun license, gamble, etc. But today, I feel the same that I did 364 days prior to today. I thought that I would feel a little bit more independent or whatever, but I don’t. I don’t feel more like an adult. I drank when I felt like it prior to today also, so there’s not much difference. The law has put a false idea upon us of when we’re actually adults, so my question to everyone is, WHEN DID YOU BECOME AN ADULT?

I’ve been dancing around the aforementioned question for quite some time, because I told a friend of mine that I was a man on the day that my son was born. My friend said to me, “That doesn’t make you a man.” At the time, I was being naïve and figured that he didn’t know what he was talking about, but that was an eye opener for me. I wasn’t a man at the time, but truly becoming a father made me quickly become a man. I was forced to put away many childish things in my life and learned that there are more important things in life than I what I previously thought was important.

I believe that I truly became an adult, when I learned how to shut up, listen, and pay attention to what was around me. This helped me learn many lessons that I missed out on in the past due to my own ignorance. So, I’m going to take a page out of my friend Corey Carrington’s style of blogs and ask you, “WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE PROPER TIME THAT YOU CAN BE LABELED AN ADULT?”

Where are the Black Leads in Film?

2009-07-22T11:11:00.004-04:00

This is a topic that is really important to me, as all my blogs are. What is happening to black actors and actresses in movies nowadays? There was a run from about 1995-2004 where black actors and actresses were given a great amount of lead roles in film, but apparently that time has passed. Some people may be thinking in the back of their mind, "What about Denzel and Halle Berry?" but what about them? There are more stars that are deserving of lead roles besides the 5 or 6 normal stars we are accustomed to watching. Throughout this volume of my new media blogs, I'll touch upon what issues minorities are seeing in the world of film.

For many years I was a movie buff, but for the past two years that has changed drastically. I have lost interest in the quality of films that have been put out. One of the reasons for this loss of interest, may be that a lot of the films do not relate to my life. Is it that there are not that many black people in the films I see? Or is it that the films are not interesting? I believe that it is a combination of both. I must admit that I do enjoy Seth Rogen and his clique's films, but I don't want to have to rely on them to release a film every 3 months to go to the theatre.

Think about the good black films that were released in the aforementioned timeframe, such as "Love Jones," "The Best Man," "The Wood," "Love and Basketball," etc., and think about how these films could relate to more than just black people. Some of the films that are released today do not give people the same feeling that those movies did. This applies not only to the movies that do not feature black people, but also the movies that do feature black people, such as some Tyler Perry films. Yes, he creates great stories, but they are not always carried out properly in movie form. For example, "Meet The Browns" sucked! Angela Bassett cannot continue to star in roles where the character is half her age, and the script lacked a lot of creativity. This goes the same for "Madea Goes to Jail." I appreciate Tyler Perry creating these films, but someone else has to step up their game to compete.

In regards to the actors and actresses that could get some more play, people have to look at Derek Luke, Zoe Saldana, Rick Gonzalez, Keke Palmer, etc. Those are stars in the making that are getting a few roles, but nowhere as many as Denzel, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Sam Jackson, Halle Berry and Angela Bassett. I'm not saying that we need more black movies either. I just feel that black people need to be able to watch films where there are different actors than the people we have come accustomed to. People want the same feeling that they still get when they watch the movies I mentioned in the last paragraph. I want to kick it with Taffi and enjoy some movies without having to complain about how old the lead role is, or how this person shouldn't have got that role.

I want to know how everyone else feels about this topic, feel free to comment, whether you agree or disagree.

Just Want To Be Successful

2009-07-13T20:39:00.003-04:00

Today, I received a phone call that I thought would be my door to success. However I found myself not ready to walk through this door because there was much doubt in my mind. I wanted this opportunity for a very long time, but something was making me feel that this was not the proper time to take this chance. The person on the phone asked me a question that I couldn’t answer with confidence, because I was not prepared, which made me realize that all of the research that I did on this career could not beat experience.

Awhile ago, I saw a person’s status on Facebook stating that they were about to do their third internship, and I was amazed because I hadn’t applied for one internship at the time. This drove me to understand that the only way that I’ll know what career is best for me is by getting experience. If you are not prepared for your career, there is a slim chance that you’ll be successful. People believe that experience is hard to acquire, but many companies are willing to give people internships if you show passion for that career choice. Not all internships are paid, but there is usually a great chance that you will get hired by that company or a similar one after completing the internship. Even if you don’t know if you want to follow that career after gaining experience, at least you will know that you have the knowledge you need for that career if you change your mind.

I’m not trying to sound like a school advisor, but just as always I feel that people can learn from my experience. I know that God did not want me to take on this job at this time, and I knew that God was working through me when I decided not to take on this opportunity. When I asked the person on the phone how they were doing, they said “Blessed.” I will not throw away this possible career choice altogether, but I will continue to keep my options open before I jump into something that I may regret doing in the future. So, for people looking at a career make sure you really want to do this, and get the experience you need to become successful.

Breaking The Law Vol. 2: Identity Theft

2009-07-10T00:28:00.006-04:00

To follow up on my Breaking The Law Series, I decided to speak on another law that is detrimental to the way people live, and that is Identity Theft. People act like someone they're not either because they really want to live another person's life or because they want to fit in. These two reasons are not valid in becoming or attempting to become someone or something you're not. Michael Jackson once created a song called "Man in The Mirror," and after reading this blog, I hope people will take another look at themselves and start living their own lives as opposed to others'.

In every period of one's life, there are cliques of people that all have their own personalities. There are the jocks, nerds, fashion gurus, etc., however each person has their own individual life, that is overshadowed by the stereotypical assumptions of their clique. To dumb it down, a jock may actually have the personality of a nerd, but since he's a jock, people don't notice it. Now, the clique of nerds know that they are stereotypically geeky people, so they want to lose that stereotype and gain the personality of someone in another clique. This leads to identity theft. The nerd who wants to be a jock or fashion guru tries whatever possible to become the opposite of who they are and lose their true personality in the process. Some people will attempt for years to become another person and never reach that point and it stresses them out, and there are others who do become the person they strive to be and later find that this was not the right choice. When they either become or don't become that person, they lose friends and also miss out on opportunities that they could have had.

Fitting into a clique can be hard for people, if they are trying to fit into the wrong clique. If a person is having trouble fitting into a clique, then maybe they shouldn't be with those people. I have hung out with all types of people throughout my life, whether it be jocks, nerds, fashion gurus, gangsters, etc., but I always tried to keep my own personality, no matter what the situation may be. Some people have trouble keeping their own personality, because they really want to be in this clique. The reasons for this are usually because this clique is popular, have money, get all the girls, etc. People do not realize that all of these benefits can come to them without trying to fit into the popular clique. The keys to getting these benefits without changing one's self are: be calm and collective, have a hard work ethic, and choose your words wisely. Be your own person, because God made each person a certain way for specific reasons. Don't try to find your purpose on this Earth through the personality of someone else. Find your purpose through your own personality or you'll regret it.

Breaking The Law Vol. 1: Did You See That Stop Sign?

2009-06-24T10:42:00.005-04:00

This will be the first installment of my Breaking The Law Series which will encourage you to stop breaking the laws. These laws are not the ones that the police make us follow (there may be a reference to some real laws), but the laws that we should know about ourselves. Breaking our own laws means destroying yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. This first volume will be about "Knowing Where That Stop Sign Is."

We often get ourselves in situations that appear to be good at the beginning and later find out that this was not the right situation and you need to get out. So, let me ask the question of why don't you recognize the signs that it is time to get out? For example, a woman gets into a relationship where her and that dude are clicking on all angles. However, a few weeks later dude starts to change. His lifestyle that the girl thought he had starts to look different. She thought he was hardworking, but he's broke. She thought he had no kids, but he got five! Stop signs are all over the place and people fail to stop. You're breaking the law. This situation is headed towards emotional stress and a loss of valuable time. People fall in love too fast sometimes and can't leave that person no matter how fucked up shit becomes, but that is not the same person you fell in love with so you have a right to leave.

Stop signs are not only for intimate relationships. People also lose friends, because they missed a stop sign. When is it the right time to grow up? Is there a specific age where things are just not funny anymore? Some people fail to understand when enough is enough. For example, people often feel that college is the time when childish lifestyles are left in the past. However, some people still find stupid things hillarious, but what is annoying is the stuff they do is only funny to that person. If a group of friends are hanging out, just chillen and one friend is being obnoxious doing stupid random actions and he knows he's pissing everyone off, why won't that person just stop. Your warning is when you're the only one laughing. Everyone else is giving you that blank stare like you just walked into class late. Cut it out! Grow up and just be the adult version of yourself and not the same person you were in high school.

The final stop sign of the day occurs when people keep falling into bad career choices. Some people always want to find that get rich quick scheme and there was a point in my life where I wanted to do the same, but becoming wealthy is more than just money and it requires hard work. Even people who become rich quick still work hard and some people fail to realize that. If you recognize that you're going from job to job to job and not progressing to where you want to be (getting your own spot, car, etc.), take the time to think your life over. Go to school, because you can get financial aid. I've seen the brokest to the some of the wealthiest people get financial aid. School will prepare you for that next step in life, and I'm not trying to sound like the Everest Institute guy. Your stop sign was that second job that didn't work out for you after you graduated from high school. If you continue to go down that same path, you'll be 3o years old still looking for a new job, when you should have been well into your career.

This isn't a diss blog, it's just a real blog!

Young Fitz: "Show You How To Rock"

2009-06-18T11:50:00.005-04:00

Young Fitz is the first artist to release a mixtape under Low Key Productions, an independent label created by Will Miller and myself. We are looking for support. The mixtape is definitely hot with sick beats. Check it out, the cover is above and link to the FREE DOWNLOAD is below. Hit me up with feedback, good or bad.

http://www.zshare.net/download/614338552eca9a0f/

2009-05-29T08:19:00.002-04:00

What My Love Is

To My Queen,

I attempt to treat you like the Queen you deserve to be, but I often fall short due to my lack of

understanding of what Royalty is to you. I’ve dealt with mistresses in the past prior to you that

made me believe royalty is pampering them with Lavish gifts that come from the heart of my

wallet and not those that come from the heart of my soul. Romancing your body and soul is

where I would like my love to go, but I’m struck with confusion that this is what you want. My

Queen, I’m coming to a conclusion that remaining your King does not involve feeding the lavish

mouth in which you do not have, rather it involves caressing your bossom which covers up your

heart where my soul will forever lay. In these future days, weeks, months and years to come, I

will make the strongest effort to show you that the King you originally met is the King you will

forever see.

This is our Kingdom, which is……

Our LOVE!

Approaching That Next Step

2009-05-26T11:27:00.004-04:00

My son is currently 3 months old and is showing more and more character each day. Since he was born, family and friends said he looked just like me. I did not see the exact resemblance, but did view a great amount of facial features of mine he does have. At this point, appearance is not all that he has acquired from me. The way he yawns, sleeps, smiles, gets angry, etc., all seem to be qualities that I've had since as far back as I can remember. This makes me think about what features he may acquire from me in the future, the good and bad. This also makes me think about all of the lessons that my father tried to teach me when I was younger and still attempts to do so today. Was he trying to prevent me from being like him, or did he want me to be like him?

There is something that people often perceive about fathers with their children, and it is trying to get their child to do the things they were not able to do. I often thought whether or not I would be that type of father and that time is approaching for me to make those decisions. Some parents map out their child's life as if it were the way they wanted their life to have gone. The perception that this is the wrong thing for parents to do is not always correct. It is fine for parents to map out what their children will do as far as getting them involved in activities that they show interest in, but not everyone is going to be the next Michael Jordan, Barry Sanders or Wayne Gretzky. This also applies to forcing your child to get involved in programs when they're in high school that don't attend to their future career interests. Get your children involved in extra curricular activities that include more than just shooting a jump shot or running the 40 yard dash. It would be nice to see children trying their hardest to get that 4.0 in school and not at football practice sometime. This is definitely not to discriminate against parents who are sports nuts, because I rarely watch anything else but sports. The American parent just needs to understand balance when choosing what their children will do. Make your children well rounded and not just someone who will only be able to depend on one of their attributes. Stay alert on what your children and their friends are positively interested in, and attempt to find the best way possible to jump on that opportunity to find a program and/or activity for them to get involved in.

A Black President

2009-05-21T13:12:00.003-04:00

This is a blog that I wrote the day of the November Election in 2008. Tell me what you think.

Approaching today’s historical event, I tend to rub my eyes, because I’m actually thinking
that there may be a black president. I also start to think about what events in the past decade made
this historical phenomenon possible. As horrible as the Bush administration has been, if he did not make
so many mistakes, would we even be looking at this election the same way? Or is it possible, that racism
is finally dying off? I’m definitely not taking away from Obama’s amazing qualities and his ability to run this country, but America has been living in the dark so long that it is odd, yet uplifting, to see the country take this turn. For the first time in many years, I see thousands of people inspired by someone who is not an entertainer or athlete. Win, lose or draw, Barack Obama has made history by not just becoming the first black presidential candidate to actually have a great chance of winning the general election, but by bringing black and white people together for change. Bringing black and white people together in such great numbers hasn’t been done this well since the works of the Civil Rights Movement. I love seeing this unity, because I never had the opportunity to see it before. My real reason for writing this blog is because all my life I was told that I could be anything I want to be when I grow up, and my first thought was that I couldn’t be President, because America would not let me, but when my son is born in March 2009, the first thing I will tell him is that he can be anything he wants to be, because for the first time in my life, I can believe that statement. November 4th will respond to Tupac’s line from “Changes” when he said, “We aint ready to see a black President,” because I believe, as many Americans do as well, that we are ready for a black president, we are ready for change, and we are ready for Barack Obama to become the 44th President of the United States.

Looking to Graduate

2009-05-14T20:13:00.001-04:00

Looking to Graduate

Going into college, I thought I would have been cruising into my Senior year with ease..... Very wrong! I struggled through my first year and a half for many reasons but mainly because I was a procrastinator. After my first year of College, I was suspended from the University because I had a 1.6 GPA. At the time, I thought the world was coming to an end for me, because I would have lost a whole year of school, however I was able to work my Communication skills to convince one of the Deans to let me back into school. The following semester I was able to get my GPA back to where it needed to be with the assistance from the R.I.S.E. program to enhance my study skills. Prior to my Sophomore year, I had never took the time to study more than a week ahead of the date for a test and this program helped me tremendously.

The temptations college has are ridiculous! I could sit here and name all of them, but that might end up being a book as opposed to a post. I will go into detail of a few that I have faced. Being on your own is the key change from high school to college. My mom would always be on my ass about school when I lived at her house, but when I moved into my dorms my Freshman year, there was nobody to push me like she did, prior to that time. I was on my own time at all times, doing whatever I wanted, when I wanted. Problematically, studying and homework were not in my priorities.

Having a girlfriend going into college was a large issue, only because I was with the wrong person at the time. You can't be with someone who wants a different life than the one that you live. If I'm in college, supposedly trying to do something with my life, my spouse should be one of the people who truly understands that I have work to do and not trying to go out at all times. Also, not being able to see that person on a regular basis was difficult, so I would make many trips to see her when I shouldn't have.

Partying is not the reason you go to college! You did not get in there for your party skills or how much alcohol you can consume. I know many of my friends can vouch for me on this one, because this really put a lot of us in tough places, academically and financially. I honestly used to go to parties so much that people that I didn't know would ask me when the next event would be as if I were throwing parties. Partying is definitely okay if your grades are on point and all of your work is done, but now I honestly know why parents don't allow you to have leisure time until all of your responsibilities are taken care of.

This post was not to speak about why I was lazy and procrastinated through the early years of college. This was written to possibly help current undergrads to take my situation as an example of what not to do in college. I'm in good condition now, but if I wouldn't have did so bad my Freshman year I wouldn't have to take 16 credits in both semesters in my Senior year. I will become successful after I graduate because I now have the drive I need to succeed. I will also graduate in the year I was originally was expected to do so. I have regained the proud feelings of my parents for my academic career and proud to say that I'm going to give my son a good role model to look up to.

21st Century Parent

2009-04-28T23:18:00.001-04:00

The Black Father

The role of the black father in the 21st century has taken on a new leaf, because they're not present. They were present early to midway of the 20th century, but they must have got lost somewhere along the way in the latter part. The reason why the black father's role is so pivotal now more than they were in the 80s and 90s is because those who were fatherless should know how it felt to not have that positive male role model that they should have had. Eventhough they know that heartbreak of their father letting them down, they still give that heartbreak to their kids. Step up and be men my fellow parents!

I thought that being a father would be a difficult task, but it is quite easy after the 1st month. In addition to that, you know that the mother of your child will be there so you're making this harder than what it needs to be. I was fortunate to have a father that was a role model and was not with my mom all of my life. I was also fortunate to have a positive male role model in my step father. Both of these men took on roles that most young black males do not and it hurts to see this problem continue. I'm not trying to brag about taking care of my son either before people get defensive. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing as a man and am just trying to encourage more men to do the same. And to the women that push men away that are trying to be fathers to their children, stop that shit! Help the father become a great parent and pray on your situation (Both mother and father). To conclude my thoughts on the black father, don't hurt your child by not providing them with the love they deserve. These kids are those who will be the change of this country and don't make it a bad change.

Welcome to My Life

2009-04-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

T o state the obvious, today's world is a mess. I'm not just talking about the dudes on Wall Street robbing American citizens of everything they have or the War in Iraq but the way people live their lives altogether. But I'm here to give you an insight on my life and what is going on in today's world. People are starving for a music artist that can change the hip-hop world and I'm in the search of him or her as we speak. The real problem is that people become so content with what they hear or see nowadays that they often settle for what is not really hot, it's just something that you can vibe to at the moment while you're still waiting on this huge artist. This artist is going to be the change in the game that we saw with 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye and some could even say Lil Wayne. This artist has to have a bluster (equivalent to "swag") that no current artist has. Hip Hop may need an artist who isn't from NY, LA, The South, or Midwest. I believe this artist is closer to me than I really know it, and a word to that artist, I'm looking for you. Ruling the music world is just one of the many endeavours that I plan to achieve and school you on my plans of doing so. Stay updated. This is my world, my plans, my Life!