…in a hopeful mood today. ...

Akeisha Walters (out of London) recently created a piece for me and I’m so happy with it! Akeisha is great because she has such a unique style and vision. And of course, her use of colors and attention to detail is smashing. She was a joy to work with. Definitely check her work out on [...] ...

Thanks for visiting my new site! Here you can read lyrics, listen to my music, watch videos, look at photos...and just generally find out more about what I'm up to. Let me know what you think.

Preview Stream of Consciousness (my new project) here and make sure that you sign up for my e-mail list (in the sidebar) so you can get it first. Also, as always, thank you for your support!

...

 

...and everything... 

but it would be nice if it would rain. 

it seems like it hasn't rained yet in April. 

...

[Verse 1] Do you remember how you look without your makeup on? or (meaning) how your heart felt before your break-up? ...on life goes. The cover-up is worse than the crime. Why we all use artificial light when we shine so bright with the lights off?... run so fast with the Nikes off... throw away the keys, take the bikes off-road... and roll to places we never show take back everything we ever stole from ourselves and stowed up on the higher shelves, hiding from our higher selves, we're wandering under wand-less spells, it dwells in a place so deep where we speak with no insecurities no impurities pure are these thoughts but they like dirty talk words doing the dutty-wine, heads-spinnin it's fine. we'll find level-headedness gets nowhere we're all too busy not being beings to care so we won't let it go to our heads let the head push it back down instead we're sippin on the same Kool-Aid we've bled put on our best shoes just to be misled it seems everybody's singin bout 'get bread' but you don't even see cuz of how it gets said we're sleeping on ourselves--we are our own beds never live up to potential we were fed, we won't let it go to our heads [Verse 2] I'm in a room full of people everybody's looking down conversation is nowhere to be found... cuz everybody's on their phone might as well have just stayed home why come out in public for what you could do alone? and it's tv's everywhere. what's on we don't care. just stand there and mindlessly stare buy a couple drinks to remind us we there in a couple weeks you'll find us, we there back there--same spot--more Facebook friends but less to depend on if ever Facebook ends the topic that trends is changing every second wonder as we get connected, real connections are we wrecking are we stepping closer to each other or moving apart? seeing more light or making more dark? you my Ace, but I don't know your number ...

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Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of the occasion, here's my love letter to hip-hop. This is from my upcoming promotional video that's still in editing, but in light of some recent events I wanted to share this now. Thank you very much for your support.

Verse 1:

I'm Tarica June, I'm sittin on the moon with my legs swingin/ you would think my name was Dre the way I keep the heads ringin,

but I'm bringin everybody up to my level savin pennies for my thoughts that they try to embezzle/

they is bizzles--they be actin like they real when they ain't/ they aint changin the game, they chill in the paint/

no outside shot, only doin what's expected/ go head and prove me wrong I'll gladly stand corrected/

recognize and respect it, this has been interjected/

they wasn't payin attention and the ball got intercepted/

I'm about to run that joint way down the field, I'm unsigned, no deal, I give a f**k how they feel/ cuz it's real--it's a movement that I'm startin this year/

it is called make the music that you would wanna hear/ you can spend your bars making love to your cars/

or you could help us all travel past Mars, be the stars/ so...

*HOOK*

Dear Hip-Hop, don't worry, I got you I know others masquerading and they faking, they not you I'mma get it all straight and represent when I rock you I know they been tryna kill you, Boo, I won't let em pop you, no *repeat*

Verse 2:

I'm Tarica June, I don't be following no freakin templates --you know that already if you listened to my mixtape

if you didn't, get your sh*t straight, get to downloading, I ain't holding up, this ain't waiting/

for them to come and recognize it/ it's better than what came before any way that you size it/

up...that's the direction that I'm goin in, they lookin at me like ...

Today is my birthday. It has really been an interesting year. I invite you to come celebrate with me at Sutra Lounge with DJ Saucee and @uniquely1derful (Athena Joy)–whose birthday is August 5th. ...

As you know, I love Light Graffiti. Was happy to find this short documentary about Dennis Smith, who is a professional light painter. This shows how creativity has the potential to save you from madness. Truly.

I know I don't have enough performance videos up. That's why I'm so thankful to Julian for sending me this video of me performing 'Why I Write' at Jazz Central in Syracuse! I have nothing but good memories from this experience. I loved this place and I had a lot of fun. The crowd was so wonderful. I think I'm going to be out in Syracuse again this summer. I'll let you know as soon as I get the date.

Next Thursday I will be on a panel at Hart School (Southeast DC) discussing violence among girls and Yasmin Shiraz's documentary 'Can She Be Saved'.