Intro/The Rambler

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, this blog is an exploration of my many adventures and mishaps LOL! as a PR neophyte. This blog is also a reflection of my multi-faceted self; I’m quite the Renaissance woman. I oftentimes wish I could have experienced the Harlem Renaissance firsthand. I love John Coltrane (My favorites are Giant Steps and Central Park West) I enjoy drawing and reading (My favorite book is the Native Son, by Richard Wright). I am extremely creative, imaginative and innovative, but like Nas….I believe that no idea is original. I soak inspiration from a medley of things…history, people, places, past experiences and etc., but before, I go on and on and on, because I can! Let me give you a little info about my PR background. I began my independent foray into PR in early 2006 and I’m going strong into 2007. I’ve worked at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Edelman, and I am well-versed in a multitude of PR sectors; everything from entertainment to heathcare and life sciences, but my niche and the bulk of my client roster is synonymous with hip-hop. I specialize in bridging the gap between mainstream and the hip-hop generation….I am a true hip-hop head. I’m also a southern belle; an Atlanta native to be exact, which means I grew up surrounded by bass or as we sometimes called it “booty shake” music. Prior to Outkast and GooDie Mob, Atlanta was all about Rahiem the Dream, Kilo, Playa Poncho, and etc., but I always delved into music from outside regions, I yearned for Rap City; it was my connection to other realms of hip-hop. Even though I was only 11 years old, I can’t express how refreshing it was for me, when Outkast came onto the scene. They are my all-time favorite! I love how they continually evolve with each album, I also have a great love for GooDie Mob….Cee-lo is my first cousin and he, my grandmother, aunt and I all lived together when I was 12, right as Soul Food was coming out. I know Soul Food like the back of my hand; like I wrote it. I looked up to Cee-lo, I can remember being quite the hustler/peddler too, selling Soul Food CDs with Cee-lo’s autograph to my middle school classmates. LOL! Shout to Cee-lo! Back to my nationwide affinity for rap music, I say nationwide, because hip-hop as a whole is so regionalized, but I love it all!….well most of it anyway. Back then, my musical tastes were always deemed as different or lame as they say in ATL. I loved Wu Tang Clan, Jeru the Damaja, Souls of Mischief, Black Moon, Smith & Wessun, Ice Cube, MC Eiht, Spice 1, DJ Quik, Coolio (sike naw…I'm still mad he won the Grammy over Pac in 1996) AZ, Cormega , Mic Geronimo, Craig Mack and Keith Murray, then of course I loved Nas, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Pac, Junior Mafia, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Snoop, Dogg Pound, Dre and etc., and having two older sisters 6 and 10 years my senior put me on to the ol skool, i.e. Mc Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Public Enemy (pre Flav exploitation) LL Cool J, Kurtis Blow, Kid ‘N’ Play, Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah, JJ Fad, Hammer (don’t hate), Special Ed, Whodini, Salt & Pepa (I once told my father to get his dirty mind out the gutta), Slick Rick, Brand Nubian, 3rd Bass, Nice and Smooth, EPMD, and etc. as a very young child, and OMG…I almost forgot Da Brat. Me and my 6th grade crew used to wear our hair (Actually I fluctuated between Brat braids and Lady of Rage afro puffs) like Da Brat and even formed a rap group called the JawBreakers. We were highly influenced by the Da Brat’s Funkdafied album and Warren G’s Regulate...G Funk Era. I won’t name names, because my 6th grade crew would kill me if they read this. Damn this was supposed to be my intro, but this was very worthwhile and enjoyable to write, I’m done rambling for now, but check back for my next rambler, I think I'm on to something....I’ll be dissecting and contrasting today’s reality show driven pop culture, compared to the pop culture of the 80’s and 90’s. Until then………………....