stepping stones

ask anybody that know me and they'll tell you either....

1.) he's been dj'in like forever

or

2.) he loves hip hop, and he's been dj'in like forever (or at least since High School)

and If you would have asked me then I'd tell you that this (DJ'in, turntablism) was my calling in other words i was born to do this....



special shout out to my youngest daughter Jasmyne recording that clip of me practicing late one Friday night LOL

....but back to the topic, Ive been dj'ing since sophmore year (1987) and since then my life has taken a few turns mainly for the better. Most recently I recieved the blessing from my bishop to be in charge of a small Mission out in Elgin, Illinois(part of my church)last year, and recently we've have lately renting a place to worship for the time being, until God willing we have the means to purchase a Church out there (Elgin/Streamwood area). Which for the most part is a lot of work in itself.

I'm totally aware of the fact many of yall will say "but B, you love spinnin" and yeah you're right LOL. But does that mean I love spinnin more than God?

#NAWL

Imma be honest, I started out as a hobby, just for fun, and then later would make money off it. It wasn't consistent but it became a very lucrative side hustle that always came in handy for a young brother workin at various high volume fast food chains, you know like.....




and




...making only $5 an hour mind you but I'm grateful I had that because it kept me and my brother off the street and out of trouble. But back to the story I honestly thought that was my talent, my calling if you will but then with the change of events in my life within the past few years i'm starting to see that that music was more of a stepping stone as opposed to what I thought my calling "was" and, what it really "is"


theres a setence in Hi-Tek's joint "God's plan" that comes to mind as I type this when young buck said:



"There is NO man who can stop God's Plan"

knight rider in spanish

i actually cuffed this from my guy Nobley Nobe's blog #SUPERFUNNY

joints you aint heard in a while...its beautiful

"....I see a black man aimin' his gun
But I'd rather see a black man claimin' his son
You know the sound is pretty
Even when you got to get down and gritty
This is money in the bank like you down wit' Diddy
This a helicopter ride around the city
And we love it cuz it brought us here
It's like a young mother braidin' her daughter's hair
It's beautiful"

The Boss!

...is the name of one of my favorite insturmentals *clears tho'at* pardom me Petestrumentals thats normally played coming home from work. Enjoy.




I havent been able to play it lately because of the car situation. Yep, the 02 Dodge Intrepid died on me after 8 years and 170,200 miles later it couldnt take much more so I just got a 98 Buick LeSabre that runs excellent...but theres one small issue

it came with a tapedeck O__o so I cant play my just got off work CD LOL, at least until I can thow a CD face off in that demo

stay tuned for other joints I play after a hard day of work dealin with a bus load filled to capacity of middle school first and then elementary school chil'lins

It was on a Friday......

.....a few weeks ago, coming back from my rheumatologist appointment at the University of Chicago. On the way to the crib I stopped at my favorite fast food spot Checkers...(the last one left in the Chi at that) for 2 of my favorite things, a spicy chicken sammich and a medium fry

#YESSSS!!!

and if any of you been to that Checkers on 55th/Dan Ryan you know in and around the drive th'u you're going to see one of the 3 individuals that im going to mention

1 the dude selling socks and incense
2.that rapper tryna sell a wack mixtape/album
3.the hype out there straight beggin (sometimes they'll clean your windows tho)

and yeah sometimes I throw em a couple of singles when I can...but sometimes I don't (just being honest, dont judge me) And this day in particlular I wasnt at first, but there was this man.....and his son at the drive th'u, and I thought, I'm sure its hard enough for him to be out here askin for somebody....anybody to tey and buy him something to eat but having his son (around 3 or 4 years old mind you) with him and seeing car after car play them both like they was invisible really got to me. Mainly for the fact that seeing the child despite the situation still kept a smile on his face. In this type of situation I didnt think i just said hol' up, I'll get something for yall.

At the time I didnt think of this verse but a short while later it came to me

Matthew 25;35 "...For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me"

I havent been back to Checkers since that day back in November but I hope and pray that things turned around for that man and his son. But it also made me stop and recognize the many blessings God gave me and my family.

To be honest I wasn't gonna blog about this because I really didn't want to make it look like I was thirsty for attention, or even worse put myself out there like "yeah look what I did, wheres my Nobel peace prize at" but then I thought why not, maybe one day just like it happened to me, It may happen to you and you just might be presented with a similar scenario and may have to make a similar choice, and perhaps these words may sway you the reader to do like that Spike Lee joint from 1989




do the right thing......

when you know better......

.....you should do better.

I was told that as a youth growing up, and now reflecting on these same words thinking to myself that as a grown man I need to take these words into consideration and not just to remember them but to APPLY them. I'm not a perfect man, and I never tried to be. I know I've made more than my share of mistakes, broken promises, and betrayed trust of the one who i've loved dearly for the past 13 years to the month. And for what? What did secrecy, and not being up front do for me...or the relationship besides bring back the hurt that was caused by me for making the same mistake previously?


which goes back to the title.....

and hearing the voice of my mother, and my grandfather saying these words. They're both not here because they both passed away but their advise comes back to my mind. Sadly a little too late after I failed to use common sense that God gave me and now things are startin to fall apart. But at the end of the day it's all on me


hopefully things get better, and if you read this even if you dont comment, say a few words in a prayer

10-30-2002

...I woke up that morning and cut on the news to find out about the murder of Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, and first think ing that it was a sick joke. Because seriously it was a known occurence to hear rappers getting shot (not like it was ok) but around that time you would hear this rapper was shot, and that rapper was shot 9 times, and so on.

As for DJ's it was rare, in fact the last dj that was killed (unnecessarily) was BDP's DJ Scott "La Rock" Sterling back in August 1987. thus bringing up the question who would do this to JMJ and why? I dont know the answer to neither, but I do know hip hop ans the community of dj's and turntablists alike suffered a major loss hearing of the untimely death of one of the few DJ's that inspired a nation of young men (including myself) and young women to learn and practice the craft of blends, cuttin and of course scratchin.

you are still missed

#RIPJMJ