Wednesday, January 26, 2011

You'll never guess who I ran into today...

Havilland Savage.

OK, lemme not disrespect. I'm positive professionals hate it when they're typecasted. Dustin Diamond had to act a fool for 2 years on random VH1 shows, film a porno & still couldn't get away from "Screech". Despite James Avery being the voice for Shredder on the Ninja Turtles cartoon, people always refer to him as "Uncle Phil".

So I met Chenoa Maxwell. The actress who played Havilland Savage in the cult classic Hav Plenty.

The same Havilland Savage I'm basing my next mixtape off of. Crazy right? OK, here's the story:

While deciding what movie I would base the mixtape off of, I scoured google for minutes on end; trying to find little tidbits of characters, random facts about the movies I had narrowed it down to. So I google "Chenoa Maxwell".

I learned that she has a website & that she's become a photographer. Great. I also see she has a twitter. Greeeeat.

I'm a twitter nerd. I'm on there all day err day talking about absolutely nothing networking. And I've met some incredible people because of it. Whodathunk it?!?!

So I think to myself "it'd be dope if the inspiration for my music, could see & hear how she inspired me". So on a whim, I followed her. Her twitter is private so I had to wait a few days for her to accept my request. I lightweight forgot about it.

Then out of nowhere, she's on my timeline...and she's greeting new followers.

So I hit her up...and she says




Oh!!!! She's inquiring about the cover my mans & em Ian Young did for The Havilland Savage Theory. So I explain the concept & she says



Oh!!! She's interested??? In hearing the mixtape??? Word???? SO I give her the bandcamp & the release date & she says



It was a WRAP!!!! You couldn't tell me NOTHIN SON!!!!! It's like when your child draws you something that they KNOW if for YOU and you ALONE...soon as they see you it's "daddy look!!!!"

That's how I felt. The woman who played the role that is currently giving me inspiration beyond belief wants to see the picture I'm painting. So if she's on board...

Why aren't you???

UPDATE 9/30/14

Didn't think I'd be updating this, AT ALL.

So I woke up to Havilland randomly posting the cover on her instagram


 
 
She obviously hadn't heard the tape was my 1st thought.  Which was cool.  People are busy.  I would also be weirded out if someone used my face as their mixtape cover. So I mean, I get it. 
 
So in true rapper fashion, I flashed the bat signal to my wonderful supporters
 


And as you can see, she responded.  But you guys absolutely responded in her IG comments...


Which finally led to this


The circumstances behind this are obviously super duper weird, but either way...I hope she checks it out & I'll keep you all updated.
So I Met Havilland Savage...
8:04 PM

So I Met Havilland Savage...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011



YUP!!!! You read that right!!! I'm opening for THEE Eric Roberson!!! At THEE venue I've been wanting to show out at since last year...check this story

So last year I was invited to perform at Von Jazz. They had an open mic, THEY invited ME to come out & participate. Always heard great things about the venue so I said sure. Get out there with my boy Cos. Cos knows all of the musicians, everything should be straight right??

WRONG...

One hour passes...TWO hours pass...my name isn't called. So I go to the lady I checked in with & inquire.

Her- "what are you performing?"
Me- "spoken word, & I want the band to back me up"
Her- "OK cool"

Another 45 minutes pass

I go talk to the guy who was running the show...

Him- "what are you performing"
Me- "spoken word & I want the band to back me up"
Him- "oh, no spoken word. just singers."

Word?? No spoken word at an open mic? I can understand no rappers, but no acapulco???

Then Cos goes up (who sings & plays several instruments) & they tell him no because they're running out of time & still had a few more acts to get up.

So later on that night, I was talking to God & I was like

Me- "God?"
God- "what up?"
Me- "I wanna perform at Von Jazz before the year is out" (this is December 2009)
God- "no doubt, I got you"

14 months later, I'm not doing an open mic........................

I'm on the bill. For ticket information, Click here.

For The Nina Mosley Experience, I did a verse to one of my favorite songs of his "Dealing", I'm gonna TRY & see if I can't perform it with him. Hit him up @IAmEricRoberson & tell him you want Armond to perform Dealing with him.

Dealing (Remix)


She


Softest Lips
Armond Performing LIVE with Eric Roberson February 3rd at Von Jazz!!!!!
11:15 PM

Armond Performing LIVE with Eric Roberson February 3rd at Von Jazz!!!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011





OK I had NO idea this was leaking today. I met the homie Uriah through my boy Rich. Having a mutual respect for each other's music (his joint Love, War, Fair made me a fan) he asked me to be on the 1st single of his upcoming album Constellations called "Lovers Sky". The song is perfect, what with The Havilland Savage Theory dropping Feb 9th. The song is really sappy, classic R&B. No, "I love you girl cuz yo' body is this", no "up in the club, VIP...shawty finna come home with meeeeeee"...none'a'dat. Loving love because it's love.

Anyway, support my boy & hit him up on Facebook
*NEW MUSIC* Uriah feat Armond- Lover's Sky
10:15 AM

*NEW MUSIC* Uriah feat Armond- Lover's Sky

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Have you ever wanted someone so bad? You begged, pleaded, prayed, maybe even stalked this person (on the low...or not so much)? Only to find out they weren't all they were cracked up to be? Tell your story, share what you've learned from the experience & be featured on armondwakeup.com.

In support of Armond's upcoming mixtape The Havilland Savage Theory, you're invited to tell your story of "Right Love, Wrong One". Send in a blog or video to edoublef@gmail.com. Those whose stories are selected will be included in promotion for the project, & will also receive a digital copy of the mixtape before it's release date of February 9th.

All submissions must be received by January 30th.


Side notes:
  • If you are still bitter about the situation, your entry will not be accepted. The goal is to identify problems AND present solutions...
  • If that wound doesn't need to be opened, DON'T OPEN IT!!!!! I would hate for you to do all that for a mixtape.
  • Videos should be uploaded to a website such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Dailymotion.




The Havilland Savage Theory is a mixtape which serves as the followup to Armond's "The Nina Mosley Experience". The Havilland Savage Theory is based off of the cult classic film "Hav Plenty" & tells the story of a young man named Lee Plenty, who spends the film dealing with his insecurities & personal inadequacies while in pursuit of his college crush Havilland Savage. Havilland is a beautiful woman, fresh off of a breakup & unknowingly uncertain of her future. Years of emotional buildup culminate in one rollercoaster of a weekend where both Lee & Havilland learn about love & their place in it...individually and collectively.

Set to be released February 9th at armondwakeup.com, Armond tackles both perspectives; what goes through a man's head before, during, & after a relationship? What is a man's "knee jerk" reaction to certain events in a relationship? Do men really have a hard time expressing their feelings? And for Havilland, what is under the surface of a woman who seemingly has it all together? Does the image of the "bitter woman" hold true?

This project was created to create healthy dialogue between men & women, which will hopefully produce some understanding between us. If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Nina Mosley Experience, which was based off the film Love Jones, do so here.
Right Love, Wrong One: Tell Your Story
12:20 PM

Right Love, Wrong One: Tell Your Story

Friday, January 14, 2011

Continuing in the "Breakdown" series, I'm going to decipher my most popular freestyle "Airplanes".




I was on my 'me myself & I'
Walls up, ain't need people
Wanna feel God, reach people
We need leaders
I'm royalty, bleed regal, see evil
Eyes are the windows to the soul, let the breeze ease in
All I need is an intermission for men to listen
Needle to the record, I overdosed on my inhibitions
A struggle I have is being too open in my music & not open enough in conversation
No Henny in the system, just many women
Say she independent, but so dependent on men's attention
Lord forgive me, not a religious bigot
Just a sinning Christian, tryna win these innings
In my mind like 'Lord, how can I reach the masses'
My past burned to the ground, can see the ashes
God said there's a lesson in the stressing
After you get the message, there's a blessing with some leverage
Trials are simply there to build our character & often come with rewards
BUT, I was going too fast, He wasn't done but I caught senoritis, stopped going to class
Still bought my cap & gown, clowned til the last day
Til I got that call 'you ain't walking with your classmates'
I related trials to high school, when you stop going to class as much, you let your grades slip & before you know it you can't catch up & there's not enough time. Sometimes we'll get through half of the trial & have a major victory, which ultimately isn't the complete victory. we'll slack off & before we know it our peers are passing us up because they pressed on & we didn't
I should be adamant for what my passion is
Neighbors know my name, they get my mail on accident
Ways of the world got my head broken
Told her 'I'm a minister', then she spread her legs open
One thing I've learned, is that ministry comes with a LOT of temptation...more than you think. Crazy part is, it isn't talked about until somebody succumbs to it
Turn on the TV, why can't women find a man?
Y'all ain't supposed to find us, that's the problem there
I'm not a fan of a woman pursuing a man, or a man allowing himself to be persued. Which is one of the many reasons I say men are the new women & vice versa. Men don't want you to be the damsel in distress tied up to the railroad tracks, but persuing a relationship with you shouldn't be a rubix cube either. You can make yourself available & still be involved with the things of your personal life
Too many absent fathers, bitter mothers, deprived children
We're all killing each other
It's a cycle...the man isn't there (which could be for a plethora of reasons, whether she pushes him away or he walks away), which in turn causes the woman to become bitter, and that ultimately has the largest affect on the child because they're without who & what they need to grow
Y'all ain't even seen a piece of my God
We at war, if you see blood, don't get squemish & fall off
People have this idea of Jesus being a hippie, frolicking in the forest. Not so much
But I ain't running with em, one day they gon' listen
Til then they're stuck, living their life off Reverend Run's wisdom
I personally can't stand Rev Run's wisdom...it's powdered milk. Powerless. A lot of it doesn't make sense. Catchy phrases. And people live their lives off of it, but you can't live off of only baby milk in a bottle. You'll die if you don't give your body meat & potatoes
We ain't all soldiers, y'all wanna build up the kingdom when God's tryna tear down & start over
See we're all broken
The devil was planting seeds when we was kids
Now we eating from his ribs
Eve came from Adam's rib...our sin & shortcomings come from hell. From the second you were born, Satan had it out for you, and he used several methods to keep you as far away from your destiny as possible. And he used whoever he could to mold you...friends & especially family members.
Yeah that's BIG...Chris Wallace
Devil shooting Bullet Bill's, pray they missed all us

God was painting a masterpiece, I brushed Him off
Started feeling myself, realized I was jerking off
Problems arise, I wonder where everybody is
But when they knock on the door, don't even let em in
Real simple, a lot of times we blame the devil for stuff when we are indeed our own worst enemy. God was working on me, I stopped Him from finishing, let pride get in the way & I used masturbation as a double entendre (feeling myself/hurting myself)...cuz masturbation is the loneliest pleasure of them all & it's really not pleasure in the grand scheme of things. Also I pointed out how people always talk about "me myself & I", "all I got is King Jesus", when 95% of God's ministry requires PEOPLE...working together with other PEOPLE. We push people away & wonder why nobody stays around.
Foolish pride says 'it's just me & God'
For whatever reason, His people make the evens odd
Even though people are needed to complete God's work, we're all human & imperfect & our flaws are very hard to work with...it takes love & patience to push through the imperfections & complete the mission
My intentions were in vain, painted me as the enemy
Words of doubt entered me in my sleep
No piece of tail was worth the time I saught it for
$5 dollar condoms, $500 child support
do the math...
Probably why I use writing as an escapism
All these bars in my system help me escape prison
Stay grounded but soar
And as much as you love, go to war
Balance, in a sense I'm dueling inside
And hearing this terrible music is fueling my pride
So Lord, I can't do this on my own, I'll falter
Don't look down as you walk over the water
Word to my lady Keyl
I signed up for the Air Force & joined the Navy Seals
this is the line that EVERYBODY asks me about & it's simple. The Air Force is largely considered to be the easiest of the four branches of the military. Better facilities, easier jobs, easier deployments, etc. The Navy Seals are the cream of the crop of the military...the Army commercials that have guys coming out of the water, taking out the bad guys...that's what they do.

The Navy Seals boot camp is incredibly difficult, people get injured, sick, drop out, quit...during tryouts. People say they're able to handle it but when they get out there, they have NO clue. And that's what a walk with God is like; you sign up for it...you give your life to God thinking that everything is sweet, all your sins are forgiven, nothing ever happens to you again & you live this easy, Air Force/Ned Flanders life. When it's really the Navy Seals. God stretches you, challenges you, renews your mind, hell wants your soul back, there's a struggle between good & evil that never goes away. You think you can handle it, but there are times you wanna quit, you get injured...but you can't. In the end when you make it through & become a SEAL, there's so much prestige, respect & honor that comes with it. You're glad you did it. Short term pain for long term pleasure. The Bible calls it the sufferings of this time don't compare to the glory of Jesus Christ that is to come.


Make sense?
Breakdown "Airplanes"
1:18 PM

Breakdown "Airplanes"

Thursday, January 6, 2011



The 1st episode of my newest endeavor is HERE!!!! Well...not technically the FIRST episode...we'll be launching that next week. But Doc & I got together on a Sunday & chopped it up about 2010 & the year that was in music. A little nerdish at times, but hey...I'm not apologizing & I'm sure Doc won't either. Anyway, enjoy. The official launch coming next week.

Clock Radio Speakers Episode 0: Top 10 Albums Of The Year
10:06 PM

Clock Radio Speakers Episode 0: Top 10 Albums Of The Year