Too many tings goin down this weekend, what with NXNE and the MMVA‘s hitting Toronto. But let’s get real here, ya’ll wanna dance? LET’S BOOGIE. My other favorite jam of the month is happening this Friday, where I swear to god, everyone has copped new Facebook profile pictures off me from this party. And Yes, they are FREE OF CHARGE. (Thanks to Bozack paying me, lol.)

My peoples: DJ BIG-JACKS. DJ MENSA. CLASSE NOUVEAU. BLACK-RAP. With our special guest DJ KARIZ. Free before 11pm. $10 before Midnight. Guestlist@Black-Rap.com, let’em know Lovehard sent’cha.

Augusta House. Shots are cheap. Late Night eats are available. Buy me a drank and Party with me and my drunken photography skrills.

For facebook deets, click HERE.

— “I’m on a new wave of confidence, I’m tryin’ to ride out to a few different continents…” – David Dallas, download The Rose Tint mixtape Ya’ll.

Invaluable moments. The ones where you take full album long walks around city blocks, the type of albums that so “speak my life” right now. The ones where you wake up before the rest of the world begins to stir, and have your morning tea alone on your patio, or maybe at the park nearby. It’s those type of moments where quiet is the perfect word to describe your soul. Hmm, or ‘still’, or ‘humble’, or ‘peaceful’… or better yet, ‘Alive.’ Yeah, I think that sums it up best. Oh wait, no, I just thought of an even better one… Connected. Those invaluable moments where you feel… Connected. When was the last time you felt that? The last time you got lost in your book, couldn’t wait to get home, cozy up on your couch with a cup of tea and Baileys, and just get… lost in stories, the pure art form of storytelling. I love that. Or how about, the last time you went on a night ride? Get a bike, it’ll change your life. There’s just something about biking through the warm yet crisp night air, and how it flows through your fingertips like running water. I can’t get enough of it.

It’s those type of moments when you cook yourself a delicious meal, or take your notebook to the park and write without inhibition. You don’t even have to try so hard, because nobody is watching, nobody is reading, and nobody cares about what you’re doing… so why should you? It’s like that when you go to one of those crazy dance parties. A kind of liberation that is unlike anything I’ve experienced. Grooving. I love grooving. It requires nothing else but the physical act of… feeling the Beat, and allowing your body to do what it does involuntarily. Even if it looks bad, haha. Then again, that’s the point of grooving, you FEEL good no matter how you look.

It’s those invaluable moments, the small ones, the ones that get barely remembered, or never forgotten, ones that you do routinely, or not often enough…Being Connected. Something we neglect too much… something I’ve neglected a lot. To really… and truthfully… do the things I need to do in order for me to stay Connected… to Myself.

This balance is necessary. Essential. Because as much as I love Moving, Going, Getting, Giving, Loving… on everyone and everything else… First and foremost, I have and always will have… and will Love…  Me.

And so should You.

I’ve spoken my piece.
Peace.

— It’s been a year of writing Untitled thoughts… and I’m only at 71?? Click Here to get a year at a glance…

Ya already know. The Main Ingredient. This friggin monthly is too legit to quit. Only 3 months away from our 3 year anniversary… I mean, who does that?! We haven’t even had a guest in a minute, yet the party has been soooo live every time. Much love and respect to my Main Ing fam. DJ MENSA, SEAN SAX, DJ AGILE. WAN LUV. Ohtakes. Yobi. Dope-A-Lot. Notaurious. Sheryl. Lovehard. We in the mix.

Bringin’ you soulful hip hop / R&B / soulful house / soul classics / nu-jazz / roots reggae & more.

Downstairs in the Side Dish L. NOTES TO SELF. SMASH BROVAZ. RASOUL & STILL WATERS. ELEMENT. INNER CITY GROOVES. APOLLO CREED.

$10 before 11pm. Email themainingred@gmail.com for guestlist. REVIVAL. Tomorrow night’s gwannin’ biiiiiiig!

For Facebook details, click HERE.

This past Saturday, my boy Giles hollered at me to take photos for an art show that he curated at the Capital on Queen west. The artist, Cristina Allen, who is also a naturapath and has some of the coolest tattoos I’ve ever seen on a chick, was displaying her watercolor pieces inspired by women of the 1930’s-50’s era. The night was expectedly wonderful. Many people came out throughout the night, vinyl throwbacks that make your heart warm and fuzzy were provided by Phantom Signal, aka Josh McGuirk and Nick Fox, and there was some live hand rolled cigars gwannin’ by Frank Correnti. They were some serious fatties, yo! Thanks to everyone who came out and bought a $4 Steamwhistle, cooled out and enjoyed the good vibes. Stay posted, Giles will be throwing more art shows at the Capital in the near future!

— Common says it all for me: “Explored the world to return to where my soul begun, Never looking back or too far in front of me, The present is a gift and I just wanna BE.” There is no past, there is no future, there is only Now. This Moment.

— I am half tempted to make this untitled thought sexually suggestive, based on it’s numerical order, but truly, unclassy of me? *Shrugs* *Big cheesey smile.* I’ll let your imagination wander…

It’s that easy. At least it feels like it. Thoughts and smiles, squeezes and kisses, like it’s second nature. An involuntary response… to You. Touches. Touching. It’s Electric. Soothing. It’s the one thing that replaces the spaces words cannot fill. But then there are words. They speak truth from the heart, they speak the thoughts meant to be heard, the ideas that inspire. A type of Realness that exists in the exchange of mental matter… a language that only We know, that few understand. It’s of Consciousness. Truth. Honesty.

Connected.

Like it all makes sense. Clear and perfect Sense. Liberation has never been so desperate. It’s an all or nothing, do or die, fight or flee type of deal. There’s no such thing as in between. Because staggering does not exist in the Flow. Green lights don’t mean slow down. Flames aren’t meant to dwindle.

…But they do. Just as green lights become yellow. And Flows are broken by the complications of Life.

We’re all lookin’ for that can’t eat, can’t sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence world series type of thing. But these too, like all moments… are fleeting. And this is why, I close my eyes, and hold my blinks a little longer, a little tighter...

[GoGetters Ent. VanCity in the house! Jenno and Stylus Nominee DJ CocoFresh]

This week has been insane to say the least… either way, I’ve been meaning to post these from jump, but better late than never. Monday evening marked the 2011 DJ Stylus Awards, held at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Shouts to my girl Simone who ran a tight ship that night and hooked up the tickets for me to attend. Celebrating Canadian DJ’s and Hip Hop, it had been 3 years since I last attended this event, and maan I have to say — it has come a long way. From expanding categories to the legit sponsorships, this year’s Stylus was pretty good! I was stoked on reaching because many of my friends got nominated this year. Highlight for me, by far, had to be when Rich Kidd won Artist Mixtape of the Year. He had much respect from all the people in that room, and I couldn’t be any more proud of him for what he’s accomplished through that mixtape, and with all the artists that worked on it with him. It was a celebration nonetheless…