5th Dimension (with Blue Kusaka)
Music by Blue Kusaka / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“The 1/4 dimension’s time and the 1/5 is of the spirit.
I’m spending all my 1/4’s on this level till I clear it.”

I went to church one night and the pastor started reading from the book of 1 Peter, which begins: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia . . .” Then he was like “‘Strangers’ . . . that means we’re all ALIENS.” I was like “what?!” I pulled out a pen and paper and spent the rest of the time paraphrasing the books of Peter, adding an outer space theme. I named the song “5th Dimension” based on a notion that the spiritual realm is a dimension that transcends space and even time. The three verses sat around for over a decade. I never wrote a hook, figuring I might get to it eventually.

Then, one day, Blue gave me a CD with a bunch of beats he had been working on. Track 7 was titled “Seventh House” and it featured The 5th Dimension singing Aquarius on the hooks. When I heard it, I knew it was time for these words to meet their destiny.

The idea of “spending all my quarters [fourths] on this level till I clear it” stems from the days when I spent, quite literally, all my money and all my time on what brought me the most satisfaction; Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Centipede at Noah’s Arcade, Double Dragon at the bowling alley, etc. The quote embodies the theme of the song, which is the importance of focusing one’s time, energy and passion on the most significant things in life, things beyond the boundaries of space and time.

5TH DIMENSION:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

As a kid in LA, my bedroom walls were covered with Bo Jackson posters.  I was heartbroken when the Raiders (and Rams) deserted me for other cities, and I still haven’t forgiven them. When I moved to Maryland as an adult, naturally, I pledged allegiance to the home team.

Around the start of the 2012-13 NFL playoffs, I pulled out an instrumental from Blue and thought it sounded downright anthemic. Inspired by Baltimore’s greatest rapper, Edgar Allan Poe, I laid this one down for the Ravens. It got some spins on local radio, and I’d like to think it contributed to the team’s Super Bowl victory that year.

A special shout out to two of the rarest, most radiant maidens I know: Lenore L. (Blue’s wife haha) and my sister Natalie Wachen a.k.a. Boardwalk Empire’s Lenore White (who made Omar start liking ladies). Now that cat’s Baltimore.

Dial the seven digits… wait… wtf is THIS?!?!

Inspiration for 5th Dimension:

Gang Starr – You Know My Steez
BoogieMonsters – Altered States of Consciousness
Digable Planets – Examination of What

Lost… Angieless (with V.I.L.A.)
Music by Gerald Fernandez / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“I just miss you so hard I need
to kiss you so hard we bleed.”

Gerald Fernandez is the first homie I met after getting a real job. He had already been working there for a few months when I started, so he took it on himself to show me the ropes. I’ll always love him for that.

At the time, Gerald’s band, Phatso, was giggin’ all over LA so he would always hook us up with shows – and supply the fliers to boot. We (Stereotype) would open for Phatso, they’d open for us, we’d pack houses, everyone would feel good and make some noooiiiiise! The rest of the Phatso crew – Gus Avina, Mando Avina, Omar Gonzalez – mis hermanos para siempre.

Not only is Gerald one of the best blues guitarists you’ll ever meet, he’s a versatile composer, DJ, producer, you name it, runnin’ with other bands like The Nightmares, and even puttin’ in work behind the tables.

With V.I.L.A., Gerald did this thing where he’d take two songs and smush ’em together to create deliciousness for your ears. I was already living on the East Coast when he dropped “Cypress Hall” (an appropriately named instrumental combination of Cypress Hill and Hall & Oates). Hearing it brought back all kinds of memories and emotions.

Man, it made me miss the West.

You could say I got depressed, I guess.

I wrote Lost… Angieless.

LOST… ANGIELESS:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes

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BONUS MATERIAL:

I feel bad. I have no music to post here because, even though Gerald gave me plenty more bangin’ instrumentals a long time ago, I still haven’t finished my lyrics for them. I probably gotta turn on the ignition.

I wish I could find the fool that broke into my car and stole my Phatso CD when I was parked at Scarff & 23rd. I’d be like “gimme back my CD so I can burn a copy for you!” Maybe I might have even thrown a bootleg up on the interwebs.

Anyway, what you should do is go listen to more V.I.L.A. tracks like Straight Outta Collins or Top Millin.

Inspiration for Lost… Angieless:

Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
Willie Nelson – Always On My Mind
Ill Again – Figueroa
Hall & Oates – I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)
OutKast – Ms. Jackson
The Temptations – Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill a Man
The Nightmares – Further

What’s Real (with Stereotype)
Music by Daniel Flores, Alex Pauley, and Erich Schneider / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah and Vince Cruz

“Reality’s fucked, but make no mistake:
If you’re fucked up too, it’s not an escape.”

Performing with Stereotype was one of the most enjoyable opportunities I ever had. And the people who showed up to the live shows were among the best folks on earth.

When I think of Alex Pauley and Erich Schneider, the phrase that immediately comes to mind is “damn good at what they do.” When Alex and Erich joined the band, on bass and guitar, they brought serious chops to the game.

For decades, these brothers have been workin’ it out and makin’ it last, and their influence shone through on What’s Real.

Danny Flores, of course, provided the brains, talent, motivation, and inspiration for the creation. Indubitably, through the years, it was Danny’s drive that kept us alive.

What’s Real features one of my favorite verses from Vince Cruz, emcee turned screenwriter/director/cinematographer. No one else could so seamlessly rhyme “obelisk” with “hippogriff” with “Roanoke.”

And Melanie Nyema working her magic on the hooks. If she can take words I wrote and make them sound so beautiful, imagine what she could do with the words of one of the greatest writers of all time like Dr. Maya Angelou. Don’t imagine, watch this video. Or close your eyes and feel this video.

Shout to David Rozenblatt, composer, arranger, musical genius, and dope brother-in-law.

Finally, mad love to Jorge Avila, Stereotype’s drummer on day one. The funny one, the cute one, the edgy one, the cool one, el duque de cultura fina. Jorge has always been – and will forever be – all that.  And a bag of chips.  AHOY!

WHAT’S REAL:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes

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BONUS MATERIAL:

Most Stereotype songs came about by the same process – Alex, Erich, Danny, and Jorge would come up with some instrumental ear candy, Vince and I would write some words based on how the music made us feel, and Melanie would next-level that. I wrote a lot of other verses just based on the music in my head. Most of those never turned into songs that we performed, but sometimes I’d do things like steal a beat from Mos Def to record them for posterity.

Inspiration for What’s Real:

Ludacris – Rollout (My Business)

Breath Talk Hope Life a.k.a. Carly Patterson (with Ezzelle 12)
Music by Ray Lai / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“In this dissolution, resolve to stand strong,
though these answers are more frequently stumbled upon.
So merrily I fall.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers did Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Common had Electric Wire Hustle Flower. Then Gwen Stefani had Love. Angel. Music. Baby.  I was like, I’m gonna pick out 4 words and make a song of them. So what was I thinking on this one? It might have been about the importance of having balance in so many different areas of life. Then I might have just thought of Carly Patterson as someone who has good balance literally. Maybe.

Or maybe not.

I watch about a week’s worth of gymnastics every four years. But there’s something about what Carly did on that beam in Athens that makes me think of that moment every time I hear the word PERFECTION.

A mind so clear, yet so focused. A feat so arduous, performed so effortlessly. Words cannot describe, their power exiguous. So I thought for this, words don’t matter. I’ll think of nothing, breathe deeply, start talking, hope for the best. For this, I’ll just live.

What was I thinking on this one? You decide.

Second cut off the album from Ray Lai (Ezzelle 12). Written in a lab during the midnight shift, testing a frequency synthesis & distribution unit, observing lines, zig zags, waves, and curves on an oscilloscope.

BREATH TALK HOPE LIFE A.K.A. CARLY PATTERSON:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

Here’s another joint from Ray with me and my boy, lyrical gymnast, Kid Ajax of the Novelists.

And here’s a Novelists video directed by Ray starring Kid Ajax and Randruff.

The Novelists album (I’m on it) is HERE.  Shout to BEATROCK.

The Projects (with Blue Kusaka)
Music by Blue Kusaka / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“Hip-hopologist with the scholarship.
I go for knowledge over dollars so I’ll never be profitless.”

Blue Kusaka is the total package. When we were band mates, Blue was our trumpet player, our keyboard player, our turntablist, our percussionist. An o.g. Krylon bomber, now Blue is an English teacher, a favorite among students, the kind that makes them love and appreciate reading and writing, makes them realize their importance, and makes them strive to do something significant with their lives. He is an exemplary father of two prodigies. He is a trailblazer and an adventurer, and he climbs big, humongous, extreme, hardcore rocks. I would say “go get him ladies” but he’s already married to a phenomenal chemistry teacher who’s an extraordinary mom, and she climbs friggin’ rocks!

When Blue gave me this beat, he had already named it “The Projects.” He might have been thinking about the hood (actually, he probably meant it as a multiple entendre). In view of the above though, I decided to make it a like school project, a marriage of English and chemistry, an expression of the art behind the science, and an articulation of the science behind the art.

I got formulaic and went with a straight-48 (3 x 16 bar verses). I used some internal rhyme, alliteration and all, similes, metaphors, and homophones, just talking about how I rap. I mixed in a bunch of hip-hop references, then I quoted Rakim because any rapper who’s legit has quoted Rakim. Crazy thing is, I didn’t really quote Rakim.  Check it . . .

I took the Tribe sample where Q-Tip said “turn up the bass and lay low on the treble,” but I changed it to “turn up the mass and lay low on the density.” Then I sampled Rakim’s “pump up the volume.” Why? If the mass of a substance in a flexible container is increased while the density therein is decreased or held constant, it follows that the volume of the substance must also increase. Only I changed “pump up the volume” to “pump up the intensity” because what scientists call sound “intensity” is what musicians call “volume.” That’s nerd! And Blue and I can talk nerd all night long.

Besides, I already quoted Rakim in the first hook of the last track.

THE PROJECTS:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

“Breakin’ heads of my rivals” – not in the violent sense, but in the sense of leaving them mystified.  Blue and I had a side project called the Headbreakers – a literal translation of the the Spanish “rompecabezas” meaning “puzzles” – along with Andrew Johnson (Kid Ajax) and Randall Park (Randruff) a.k.a. Kim Jong-un of the Interview  a.k.a. Louis Huang of Fresh Off The Boat.  Randy would call and be like “yo, slide thru Blue’s tonight – we gonna lay down a track about pizza – have a verse ready.”  And then it was.  Some EXTREME RARITIES right here:

Inspiration for The Projects:

Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.
Aceyalone – Mic Check
Boogie Monsters – Boogie
Jurassic 5 – Lesson 6: The Lecture
Boogie Monsters – Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress
A Tribe Called Quest – 1nce Again
Eric B. & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul

Avenues, Boulevards, Highways & Streets (with Ray Swift)
Music by Ralph Garcia / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“If you’ve already made it then you probably don’t care.
This song is for the people who be going somewhere.”

In this sequel to Cool For Now, I rejoin forces with DJ Ray Swift to speak on some dreams.

It’s great to have a vision of where we want to be. Even more important, is having a way to get there. Sometimes we follow the paths of others. Sometimes we blaze a path for ourselves. The road to achieving our dreams can be long, and some never reach the end of that road.

No matter where you’re going, make the most of your travel time. As said in the greatest movie ever: peace be the journey.

AVENUES, BOULEVARDS, HIGHWAYS & STREETS

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes

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BONUS MATERIAL:

Avenues, Boulevards, Highways & Streets first appeared on Submission Impossible’s Artisans EP, which you can get on iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, Amazon, bunch of places.

Ray Swift and Submission Impossible also represent on Veckter’s Early to Rise EP, which is also easy to find: iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, Amazon.

A rare gem is Ray Swift’s Grand Spectacular, where I join some of hip-hop’s heaviest hitters: KChil of Operation Music, Wildchild of Lootpack, and Dudley Perkins a.k.a. Declaime.  Mixed by Lootpack’s DJ Romes.

If you’re not familiar with these living legends, you should be. Start by reading about Lootpack and Declaime on Stones Throw. Then check the music: KChil, Lootpack, Declaime.

Inspiration for Avenues, Boulevards, Highways & Streets:

Eric B. & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul
Wyclef Jean – Intro/Court/Clef/Intro
Boogiemonsters – Say Word

First Love (with Mike C, Melstar & Pipoca)
Music by Mike Chua / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah and Melanie Nyema

“It’s not until you share your heart you’ve truly lived,
and so I thank you for the life you’ve given me.”

I wanted to make a song about that first time when you feel like you’ve found someone you want to spend forever with. I figured that would be something the youth could relate to.  I told Melanie Nyema (Melstar) my idea. She listened to the beat and came up with some loveliness, as per usual.

Mike Chua (Mike C) produced the instrumental. We met at UCLA. Mike is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, until he gets behind a turntable. Then he transforms into the most ferocious beast on earth. Mike knows and appreciates good music, and a spin with one of his mixtapes will take you to a special place. Get some. Made a name for himself with the Top Rawmen crew and snatched DJ titles across the map. I’m glad I got to rhyme with him.

The brother’s been kind enough to post some treasures on his OFFICIAL WEBSITE, which anyone who loves hip-hop will love. You can also catch the vibe on SoundCloud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rina Nyemah (Pipoca), my one and only love. Words cannot describe your perfection. I promise this song is about you, even though I might have written it shortly before we got together. It’s on some of that clairvoyant-destiny-straight-outta-my-dreams-that-came-true-and-then-some kind of heavenliness. Thank you for adding the girl parts.

FIRST LOVE:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes

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BONUS MATERIAL:

On I’m Like That, Mike drops the beat while I have fun going braggadocio. On Things I Do (remix), Mike and I team up with Toquon tha MC of Soul Elevation, one of the greatest crowd movers hip-hop has ever seen.  Love him on this joint: When We Rise. Check out more from his catalog on SoundCloud. Also spittin’ sparks on the remix is Bias, LA’s fiercest battle MC. Watch him do his thing in this infamous MTV MC Battle.

Inspiration for First Love:

Salt ‘N’ Pepa – Whatta Man

Cool For Now (with Ray Swift)
Music by Ralph Garcia / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“Everybody’s life is like a separate motion picture.
The camera’s always rollin’ so it’s never time to edit.
Success is measured in how many times you show in other people’s credits.”

Cool For Now is like my life philosophy. No matter what, you just gotta be cool. There’s no better song than this one to close your eyes, open your mind, nod your head, and groove to. How do you feel? Now go ahead. Make an effort to incorporate the phrase “cool for now” into your regular conversation today. And every day. See what that does for your overall happiness.

Straight outta Oxnard, California, Ralph Garcia (Ray Swift) comes with that classic boom-bap on the instrumental. Ralph man, this guy eats, drinks, breathes, drinks, and lives hip-hop. He’s a walking hip-hop encyclopedia. And he’s a real DJ, authentic DJ, no built-in sounds, no keyboard beats, strictly crate diggin’. Any sound you hear on a Ray Swift track came from diggin. in. them. crates.

I’ve never seen anyone live for anything more than Ralph lives for making beats. Ralph has gotten his hustle on with the legends: Mellow Man Ace, Cypress Hill, Lootpack, Diamond D, Percee P, KanKick, Joe Cooley, a bunch more, and thankfully, me. Have a listen to the master at work here: DJ RAY SWIFT & THE COAST TO COAST LEGENDS !!!!

Shout to my man Mark Lopez (Glitch) of the Innernational Crew for recording and mixing Cool For Now. Cool out to a sampling of his skillz here: Testing My Fate… Live Your Life… Final Roster… Turntable Warriors…

COOL FOR NOW:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

Cool For Now was originally released only on vinyl when Vince Cruz (Veckter), my long time partner in rhyme, and I formed Submission Impossible and teamed up with Ralph to put out the Submission Control single. Submission Control has finally arrived for everyone who doesn’t have tables. For those that do, get your hands on the wax here: Submission Control at Discogs.

Inspiration for Cool For Now:

E.P.M.D. – Crossover
De La Soul – The Bizness
Jay-Z – Can’t Knock the Hustle

Everything Is… (with D-Flow, Melstar & Abbygirl)
Music by Daniel Flores / Lyrics by Daniel Flores and Nicholas Nyemah

“They tell you don’t look back but I’m glad somebody did.
That somebody pulled me out of some shit.”

Daniel Flores (D-Flow), my band mate and the heart of Stereotype. Whether he realizes it or not, Danny is one of the most creative, most passionate, most alive, and most real people I’ve ever known. More than anyone else, he’s inspired me as a writer and infused my lyrics with meaning. In so many ways.

Whenever Danny had an idea for a riff, a hook, a whole song, whatever, he’d come over to record it. One night he came over with his guitar and what I think was some Casio PT keyboard out of the ’70s or ’80s with about 20-some odd keys and a built-in drum kit with a hi-hat that sounded like an automatic sprinkler. He laid down a drum track, then a guitar track, then another, another, and another. Then he sang scratch vocals for a hook he had made up, “everything is illuminated,” and told me the rest was my homework.

Before we started recording that night, Danny told me a story about him going home on Christmas Eve, which I won’t repeat here because it’s his story not mine, but I will say it was some heavy stuff and if you heard it, you’d be thankful for everything you’ve ever had.

These days, Danny is the owner of the new Tabula Rasa Bar on Hollywood Blvd.  The vibe there is very pleasant, and I hope you’ll be headed there real soon.

Melanie Nyema Rozenblatt (Melstar) is my little sister. We’ve been making music together since we were babies and I still feel unworthy of doing stuff with her sometimes cause she’s just that good. She is the most professional artist I’ve ever worked with, and she’s super fun. It is an amazing experience to share lyrics and a melody that I’ve been thinking about with Mel, and when she sings it back, it’s 1000 times better than anything I could have ever possibly thought about thinking about. And it happens all the time with her.  The soul of Stereotype, before she moved on to a career of performing on multiple continents at the biggest venues in the world.  Here she is with rockin’ with Taylor Hicks, Solange Knowles, Shoshanna Bean, and Talyor Swift, just a few of the many.

After Mel and I had finished our parts on the track (which was meant to be a demo for the rest of the band), I burned it to CD and my littlest sister, Abigail Nyema Villaseñor (Abbygirl), somehow got a hold of it. One day, I walked past her room and overheard her belting out harmonies to Everything Is…  I told her she had to record some of that, and reluctantly she did. Hopefully she’s not mad at me for putting her on my album without telling her first. Abby’s the best. I love her.

EVERYTHING IS…:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

Stereotype never ended up performing Everything Is… live, but here’s some stuff from waaaaaaay back that we used to perform all the time. Featuring me, Danny, Mel, and the rest of the original crew: Ray Lai, Jorge Avila, Eric Tandoc, and Vince Cruz.

Inspiration for Everything Is…:

The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night
The Beatles – Let It Be

In The Backyard (with Senz of Depth)
Music by Miles Senzaki / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“Relaxin’ is a means for sheddin’ stress and not for slackin’.
We less on the regression, more for gettin’ back in action.”

I haven’t had my own backyard since movin’ out my mama’s house. Here though, the backyard is a mind state, and can exist any place you decide to make it.

Miles Senzaki (Senz of Depth) came up with the title and the instrumental and I just ran with it.  I’ve always admired Miles for his extreme dedication, both to the music and to his family (those related by blood and those related just by love). Miles has paid his dues and constantly studies his craft. Dude gives mad respect to the greats that have preceded him, and their greatness clearly shows through in his work. It’s no surprise Miles named his studio after his grandmother, and the gems that have come out of Grandma’s Dojo are nothing short of amazing.

Whether he’s putting out his own dopeness (e.g., Senz of Depth – Boundary Waters) or blessing the creations of others (e.g., Alice Tong – please be brave before the lions they come) Miles comes correct.  And he’s still going strong to this day (My Hawaii).

Even more reason to dig this cat . . . at the pinnacle of its success as an LA mainstay, Miles was kind enough to let me join his band, Ill Again. Check ’em out on disc (Ill Again – Self Titled) and on video (Ill Again – Next).

IN THE BACKYARD:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

Shortly before band members pursued separate endeavors, unsubstantiated rumors surfaced that Ill Again was in Grandma’s Dojo working on an EP. Consider those rumors substantiated.

Infinite love to the Ill Again family: Miles Senzaki, Blue Kusaka, Daniel Ramirez, Jose Ramirez, Andrew Johnson, Randall Park, Ray Lai, Rickmond Wong, and Alice Tong.

Shouts to Miles Shrewsbery rockin’ tablas on Caravan and Melanie Nyema beltin’ vocals on Capitalism.

Inspiration for In The Backyard:

LL Cool J – Going Back to Cali
A Tribe Called Quest – Jazz (We’ve Got)
Ahmad – Back in the Day
Digable Planets – What Cool Breezes Do
Herbie Hancock – Watermelon Man
Digable Planets – Escapism (Gettin’ Free)
MC Breed – Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin’
A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario
LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
Run-DMC – It’s Like That
Tony! Toni! Toné! – Feels Good
Onyx – Bacdafucup

Outer Space Old School Funk (with Ezzelle 12)
Music by Ray Lai / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“Blood spillin’ – Call it a raw deal
cause a style so fresh is rare and that’s real.”

This beat is like that Encounter restaurant at LAX. I’ve never been able to decide whether I think it’s retro or futuristic. Hence, I named it Outer Space Old School Funk and the rest is history (or perhaps a glimpse into your future).

Props to the unstoppable Ray Lai (Ezzelle 12) on the instrumental. You may know him from the Huntington Beach famous Decapitones. I’ll always be grateful to Ray for including me in the formation of his band, Stereotype, which led to my first paid gig (not counting prize money), a bunch of packed houses, and a whole lotta fun. Whether he’s cookin’ up a beat, jammin’ on the bass or the berimbau, or runnin’ things behind the camera, Ray’s always collecting the well-deserved accolades. See his latest feature film, Dying to Kill, and other cinematographic masterpieces on VIMEO.

OUTER SPACE OLD SCHOOL FUNK:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
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BONUS MATERIAL:

Ray and I had a few other side projects that were less G-rated.

School Days is a nod to the great Louis Jordan and is loosely based on actual people and events from La Pluma Elementary School. About kids, but not appropriate for their ears. And NSFW.

I Don’t Like You was intended as a ridiculously over-the-top satirical commentary on the misogyny that has consistently marred rap music. I might have missed the mark, because most of the people (girls) I’ve played it for have just thought I was an icky guy.

Inspiration for Outer Space Old School Funk:

LL Cool J – Rock the Bells
Audio Two – Top Billin’
Naughty by Nature – Hip Hop Hooray
The Real Roxanne – Bang Zoom (Let’s Go-Go)
A Tribe Called Quest – Award Tour
OutKast – B.O.B.
Kanye West – All Falls Down
Too Short – Gettin’ It
50 Cent – In Da Club
MC Hammer – Turn This Mutha Out
Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
Slick Rick – Children’s Story

Proud Of Me (with Akilis & D-Rey)
Music by Carlos Becerra / Lyrics by Nicholas Nyemah

“I support your head and neck, you remind me to keep my head up.
I show you how to take a step, you show me how to step up.”

Having a kid changes your life. It forces you to make sacrifices and take on new responsibilities, and it fills you with immeasurable joy. In this song, I say I want my son to be proud of me. Really, my deeper desire is to be a good teacher and an example for him to follow so that he can grow to be proud of himself. One of my happiest moments came when 1-year-old Derek Nyemah (D-Rey) showed off his harmonica skills on the track. At the time, his younger brother was still on the way. Since then, little E-Saw has reminded me that I have to write a joint for him one day.

The beat comes from Carlos Becerra (Akilis), who just might be among my 5 favorite USC Trojans (along with my wife, my sister, George Lucas, and Young MC). Carlos and I hooked up when he was looking for an emcee to fill in for his hip-hop cover band. I ended up learning the words to about 30 mainstream rap songs over like a week, which was pretty sickening. I must say Welcome to Jamrock was off the chain.

Carlos is a talented and versatile musician, and a cool cat to work with. He’s a real go-getter too, and he now runs his own bike shop. Check him out at Live 4 Bikes and hit the road.

PROUD OF ME:

Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes

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BONUS MATERIAL:

The first time I was at Carlos’s pad, we kicked it in the studio he had set up. A bunch of equipment, instruments lying around, vocal booth in the corner, posters of musicians and inspirational quotes all over the walls. He played me some of the beats he’d been messing with, and in about an hour we had cranked out The Funk.