"HISS AND TELL"
Society says a lady never kisses and tells, but is here where Blax Mamba does the complete opposite. Given that, welcome to Blax mamba's "Hiss and Tell" journal entries where I have slither with a virtual conversation or two with my audience regarding the thought process behind my art.
the journal entries
So, it's a new year "numerically" speaking. And I hope yall aint out here still being basic or giving yourself limitations based on other folks circumstances. Because let's be real, I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it..... it aint fun playing it safe just to comfort other folks insecurities. If anything you need to be doing just what the title says.... "unorthodox the box".
Your see here in the "segregated states of America", society aint got no problem uniting if it means to be trending or popular. Basically the opposite of standing out. But the first time you rebel and break the mold, chile boo..... they coming for your throat. I'll never forget the time back at Walton High School, I got into a real heated debate with my so call history teacher about the social climate of the town itself. This man was thirty-eight hot but looked thirty eight not about how I was going in and what I was saying about the town and how it's so stuck in time and doesn't provide any opportunities for youth to make an impact. Instead of him respecting or even understanding my point of view, he decided to say "that's why you won't amount to anything but working at walmart all your life." Now I could've called him every name in the book and two sheets of paper, but honestly I busted out laughing in his face because at the time I had already got accepted into college and I knew I wouldn't go down that career path anyway. And now this non-walmart employee makes more than his ass anyway!! But that moment right there taught me two things: stay cool like a polar bear on ice and if they aint talking you aint making no noise.
Plus, last time I checked, I wasn't born in a box so why in the hell would I allow these folks to put me in one mentally? About 98%-99% (just my calculations don't quote me) are followers which means they are constantly treading behind something. Keyword "behind". If you trying to get ahead or improve yourself, how can you do that if you're always behind. Let alone, how can you see your own abilities if you got a box for a brain. Just think about, it your head is of a circular shape instead of a square one for a reason, meaning that you should be thinking 360 degrees aka full circle. If all perimeters of your mind is cornered, imma need you to get to work. So you gonna stick to the norm or make the norm sick of you? Your pick but choose wisely sKINfolk!
JANUARY 16, 2023
"Unorthodox the Box"
SEPTEMBER 24, 2022
"Mamba's Home"
"Aye there kinfolk! We back in the backwoods finna talk bout something hella good. So, I'm finally gonna give yall some insight on the meaning behind each song on my latest ep "HOME" that dropped like 4 flats on a Cadillac back in June of this year. First off, let me just say thank you for yall allowing me to hiss that smooth soulful southern poetry and music all and up and through yall ears. I truly enjoyed this project from start to finish even when I was in the studio sick as ever... just know, ya girl pulled through and made it happen. Also, big shoutout to an 850 legend, producer and creative genius... Dos Zachys! One thing I always try to incorporate in all of my poetry pieces and songs is a hint of something or someone from my area code. I'm all about giving back and lifting up while I elevate in this thing called life! But anyways, let's coil on in to how this ep "HOME" came about.
If they didn't tell you by now, just know that Mamba's Home. Instead of touching down to cause hell, I touched down to bring that soular inner g out, amplify a couple prayers or two, boost that confidence, silence unnecessary chatter, stunt like it's a habit and then some. The title home is exactly what it is ... home. All songs and poems were written in the comfort of my home. But, no matter where I go, as long as I got my pen that's where home is for me. At first home was just me doing some writing drills on certain topics or poetic devices. But before I knew it, I realized the drills really had my pen going crazy. So yall know me right? I had to make those words official and add em to the ep. In result, ya girl hissed up 6 works that was a mixture of both poetry, music and an actual conversation.. Those 6 works are:
-
Home (intro)
-
Chief Pen
-
Nonverbal
-
Soulfood Sunday
-
Convos with Dos
-
Ms. Absurd
I wanted people to feel at home but not stagnant in whatever or where ever they are currently in life. Like I said before, this ep was just a whole bunch of words in writing drills. I was literally challenging myself to get out the norm of my own writing abilities but still stay true to who and what I am artistically. Because of that, what you have in front of you is an ep that's so organic and smooth. And I'm talking Florida Natural Orange Juice no pulp smooth! From start to finish I loved this process. I wrote from the winter season of this year to summer constantly until God told me to stop. I truly listened to my intuition so heavily through this process. I didn't care if my songs didn't match with the regular format of a verse, bridge, chorus and then another verse. I wanted to be free from all forms but the one God placed in my heart to do. And now, I done birthed 6 babies with all different lyrical personalities.
The intro home is just that... welcoming yall into my home. Chief Pen I am talking about my Native American heritage and how its presence is practiced in my daily life. Nonverbal was just me sitting down in the crib talking to God through my mind instead of verbally praying out loud. Soulfood Sunday, no lie I was hungry asf and wanted some soul food on a Sunday so I wrote about it lol! Convos with Dos was me and Dos Zachys chopping it up about the work we had created and how I go about creating things from scratch. And lastly, Ms. Absurd..... she is what we like to call the "Head Beeeeeeeeeep in BARS". So that's my ep "HOME."
"Wassup saints and aints, it's been a minute since I hiss my way into these journal entries especially now that it's a new year!!! But anyways, I wanna put yall on game real quick. I picked up a great habit this year that I feel can benefit the next individual. So, for those who know, I truly enjoy listening and learning from "THE HOOD HEALER" (and if yall don't know who she is, I highly recommend you tune in cuz you missing out on some serious wisdom). One of her posts, she stated how it's important to always write your goals down in ink especially in blue. Blue symbolizes trust, calmness, relaxation, peaceful, inspiration. I know alot of us like to write our goals down with just the first thing we can get our hands on whether that be an abandoned pen, tore up pencil or even the notes app on our phones, but everything we do has to be intentional in this case, INK-TENTIONAL
I had to make myself unlearn bad habits of mine especially from an artistry standpoint. I love to just grab my phone and write my poems down because for one it's convenient for me. Key word.... "convenient". But if I'm trying to balance my elevation in the new year, my art can't meet its greatest potential by going the easy route. So now, everything I write has to be in ink. I aint gonna lie, sometimes its in blue and others in black. However, it's the matter of writing in ink which is permanent. Once my ideas become words, and words meet ink, and ink meets paper, my art is FOREVER. Never can my art be erased because what dwells inside of this soul is permanent just like that blue or black ink. Yea it might sound a lil too complex but it's the truth. Move intentionally not conveniently. Since I've been doing such, my words are more felt, powerful and illuminous."
MARCH 21, 2022
"Being Ink-tentional"
SEPTEMBER 4, 2021
"Indecisive to Indigenous"
"Well aye there my sistas from another mister and brother from another mother! So, since this is my first ever journal entry on the site, let me do the honors by saying thank you for sticking round with me and supporting my craft. As I said before, these journal entries are for yall to gain a deeper perspective behind the scenes and of course, engage in converstation! So, let's dive into my first major poetry visual, Indigenous.
Indigenous for the first few months of 2021 was a big ole blur. I knew I wanted to create
a business off of my poetry but I really didn't know how I wanted to go about it.
For one, I knew what I was capable of and that was.... bars, flow and performance.
But the real question was how to make it so FYE (Florida slang for good or outstanding) that people will pay dollars to be entertained and left thinking. For a lil minute, I couldn't answer the question till I realized that I am the production.
Once my mind was set on such, I completely moved differently regarding my work.
All my creations originate from pen and paper first. I jot down what I want something to look like, sound like, when, where, why and how. Then I reach out to the videographer that can match my energy the greatest and in this case, it was Hopsain. The overall vibe behind Indigenous was of course, to show people the side of Florida that's not the typical portrait such as the beaches and nightlife. I wanted to show the native side of me which is the panhandle. Where it all started, how my name came about and the wisdom I have obtained from numerous experiences in my life whether they're artistical or not. For instance, When you look up what indigenous means, you'll find this: "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place." Basically, it's the exclusive and sacred nature of myself & the surroundings that makeup this visual. So yea, I wanted to show people really how it is in the panhandle. So I collected all my notes, meetings after meetings, recorded the poem, shot the visual back in May 2021. Come August, Indigenous was born."