Inside: This Is Me 

The player below has been loaded with 10 of the 20 songs on the album. 

Beneath the player are descriptions of all 20 tracks. 

1.  Open Your Mind:  An open mind is a valuable asset and a powerful tool because it allows us to see things more clearly.  In this song, I encourage listeners to open their minds about some aspects of Hip Hop music and culture.

 2.  They’ll Tell You:  This song is about how many people rely heavily on the media to live their lives.  “It’s a 5 star restaurant, a 4 mic CD, a 3 star hotel, 2 thumbs up movie, my problem is not with the advice that they give, but with people who rely on that advice just to live”.

 3.  Donkey Kong:  There was no Donkey on the 80’s classic arcade game “Donkey Kong” despite its name.  What else do we overlook and/or accept at face value?

 4.  Good:  Good can be the enemy of great because when many people become “good” at something, they stop pushing as hard, and fall short of greatness.  *Featuring Justice

 5.  T.K.O.:  One of the first songs I ever wrote, T.K.O. is an up tempo battle inspired rhyme loaded with metaphors and similes demonstrating lyrical skill.

 6.  Crazy:  One of my personal favorites, Crazy is about the things that we have become desensitized to and don’t think of as too abnormal.  With an acoustic guitar riff over Hip Hop drums, the beat and the lyrics come together nicely.   * Featuring JB!!

 7.  Where Am I Going?:  I once had a student say to me, “My mom can’t teach me how to be a man”.  This is the story of what was going on with that boy as he began to struggle with the transition to manhood with-out a strong father figure in his life.

 8.  The Get Down:  This track is the result of getting several of the 518’s best emcees on a track produced by one of the area’s best producers, throwing a concept at them, and telling them to run with it.  It’s a high energy track that was a lot of fun to record.

*Featuring JB!!, Shyste, Sev Statik, Rick Whispers, Dezinated

 9.  This Is Me:  The title track of the album explains who I am, and why I won’t pretend to be someone I’m not.  “I lead by example, you don’t have to follow me, you do you, ‘cause this is me”.

 10.  The Dark Corrupts Their Heart (remix):  I believe that all children are born good.  I don’t teach “bad” kids.  This song is for them.  “I feel your pain, I see your anger and frustration, it hurts my heart to see some of the things you kids are facing, reality is harsh I understand that can be true, but you are the one that controls what you do”.

 11.  Money:  Is the world all about money?  Is there more to life than money?  I play devil’s advocate here and trade shots with JB!! in 4 bar stanzas about those questions.  This song has sparked some great discussions.

 12.  Driving Real Fast:  This song is really about driving too fast, living dangerously, and almost dying in a crash, however metaphorically it could be applied to many other activities.  This song is a product of my own adolescence. 

 13.  Come Home Dad:  This song is told through the eyes of a child who doesn’t know their father.  This is one of the most talked about songs on the album and features some of my former students.

 14.  Mad Libs:  Remember doing Mad Libs as a child?  Here’s the Hip Hop version of Mad Libs.  Yes, there are words missing in the song that you are supposed to yell out.  This one is a blast to do live. 

 15.  Take A Look:  This song encourages listeners to examine our economic, political, and educational systems.  “How come in public school I didn’t get the whole story, I heard about the good things, the stars and stripes and glory”.

 16.  I Want It All:  This song is about going out and working for what you want.  “I’m after, the lyrical recognition I deserve, using metaphors, similes, alliteration, and the verbs, plus analogies and adjectives to keep my mind active, I’m going out for mine while you remain passive”.

 17.  Beautiful:  There are so many beautiful things going on that don’t get the attention they deserve.  This song is for them.  “It’s time to change our focus, readjust how we see, make the shift from negative to positivity”.  *Featuring Sev Statik

 18.  Do It All Again:  This is a special song to me and I’m happy to share it with you.  I wrote it for my wife, and I’m basically letting her know that if we could go back and “do it all again”, I would be right there with her. 

 19.  I Appreciate You:  Did you ever lose someone and wish you could have one more conversation with them before they passed?  This song was written for my four grandparents when they were all still alive.  They’ve all heard it, and it made losing the two who I’ve lost, easier.  They mean/meant a lot to me, and I wouldn’t be the same person with-out having them in my life.

 20.  Outro:  In the Outro, I name 17 of the first 19 songs on the album.  Can you find them all?  Good luck!