One for the history books.
Shakka
The Music
The Life
Imagination
I can probably expect the answer to this question to be: "Of course not! You fewl!", but I can't help but ask:
Does the older you get mean you lessen your Imagination? Do you develop a more MATURE imagination?
Whenever someone mentions the word Imagination, I immediately think a child with a vivid one, where, at the back of their mind, they believe they can fly in real life, or do a HADOUKEN, and will somehow find a way to do it the same way they can in their dreams.
I ask this, coz I took a trip down memory lane and remembered at one point, I wanted to go to Japan and live there for like 6 months, coz I thought it had EVERYTHING I wanted.
The best computer games, sick anime, good food, and endless martial arts movies. And a few buff tings shtill.
Now that I have other plans, I've found I only wanna go for a week, and takin my budget into consideration, I need DOE to be able to fund such an ordeal.
Even havin a road trip with my bredrins - I had my heart set on that for tyyyyyme - "After we graduate, we're either goin Japan, or on a Road Trip". I'm still on it, but ............. I wanna do music lol!
"Everyone's doin' their own thing now, innit?" is what I find myself, or some of my old college friends sayin. Fair enough. To get where we wanna go, we have to focus.
Focus means doing less things.
Doing less things, means thinking about less things .....
Less thought, means less Imagination ............. ?
How does that affect a person? Does that effect the creativity? I do find myself thinkin more about WHO is listening to my songs when I'm writin my lyrics nowadays. "ONE CANNOT BE SELFISH!"
More focus,
less Imagination?
"Of course not! You fewl!"
...............
P.S:
It's something that always inspires me. Big tune too.
Kadija Kamara - REHEARSAL!!!
Another post, courtesy of SHAKKA!!!!!
July 2009: I thought: "RIGHT! I've finished the EP. I've long finished the 2nd year of university. Time to do some gigs. .................... where the heck do I start?"
Luckily, I was previously introduced to Kadija Kamara - a British RnB and Soul Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist, with an affection for "The Graveyard Shift" (inside joke), who said she needed someone to do some backing for her.
Here's Kadija Kamara, the band and me at a rehersal for one of her gigs.
Shakka - GIG @ Wired
Another LONG period of time since I have updated. I promise, the day I know how to manage my time properly, I'll let you guys know first. (Well, first the missus, and then probably you guys.)
Shakka - Wired - The Rehearsals - February 09
The first gig we ever did - the first rehearsal sessions.
The gigs, to be uploaded later on in the week (probably Thursday I'd imagine - don't hold me to that though.......).
MUCH more to come - Shakka and The Amazing Band @ Indigo2, The Kadija Kamara sessions, Shakka @ Bang Radio, and A WHOLE LOT MORE!!!
(Seriously, I've got so much footage, I don't know how I'm gonna show you all. Flippin' spoilt, you lot! LOL!)
Shakka
What happened to Shakka?
Hey people! A late post from Shakka as per flippin' usual. My time management skills have yet again been whack, but this time I bring good gifts from my busy-ness!
Here, they'll be shown as video's rather than TYPING, TYPING TY............
July:
- Gigs with Kadija Kamara
- Gigs with Incisive
- FOOLISHNESS VOL.1 - COMPLETED!!!
Most importantly, I FINISHED MY EP!!!
Download (YES, for FREE) and enjoy the hard work put into mixing, music, and magic. (Video's of the Studio sessions are up on incisive1.blogspot.com.
August:
- Shakka @ iLuvLive - Open Mic night and Gig (once again, apologies for the time mix-up)
- Shakka @ The Cobden - Me and The Amazing Band - LIVE!!!
- Shakka @ The Underbelly - Me and The Amazing Band - LIVE!!!
- MORE STUDIO SESSIONS
August (part 2):
- Bang Radio 103.6 - Shakka's Interview with Sheryl Blu
- Shakka @ Akilah - Me and guitarist Francis Botu
- Mangrove Diaries 2009
Seeing as I finished it first, here are The Mangrove Diaries 2009 - Parts 1 to 5.
Troy Bar - Acoustic GIG - and the madness that came with it.
Incisive, Me & Kadija Kamara - Limelight @ 1920, Farringdon
WHUSSUP!!!
Troy Bar in ShoreditchMishaps occurred at that gig: my guitarist dropped out on the day of the performance.
Watch the video to see how that one turned out!
A BIG thank you to Street Focus for the effort and skill of a truly great Guitarist.
Footage of the actual gig in a couple days - check HERE!!!
(What happens when YouTube, or Vimeo doesn't give you enough disk space per week!!!!!!)
And for the many, many, many people who said "You should have told me when the gig was on man. I would'a soooo came to see you!".
I have, did, and always will, post the gigs on Facebook, and Myspace.
Shax on Facebook
Shax on MySpace
Shax on Twitter
Shax on YouTube
Lastly, here's a remix I did of Lil' Wayne and Young Money's "Every Girl". Kinda into the summer mood right now:
Enjoy!
Nuthin but Musical Fun - (SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)
Hey hey!
3 new pieces of news:
1) Words cannot describe, so watch the video below. (Ed "The Ed" Riches has entered my life)
2) An acoustic rendition of Talk To Me has emerged. Again, watch the video below.
3) During the exam period (Queen Mary - brap brap), I got sick of revision, and blog hopped .........
....... came across the myspace site of "Danny!" and wrote a song to one of his instrumentals.
After this, I had a thought. Then said to myself "................ he's gonna hate me for this", and recorded it upstairs.
From then on, the story goes:
----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Shax
To: Danny!™
Date: May 22, 2009 6:08 PM
Subject: Hi. You have no idea who I am, but I sang on one of your songs.
Illegally. I have to admit. I downloaded one of your instrumentals from myspace, and wrote something over it.
Probably not what you want to hear from a random stranger, I know, but the beat seemed to hug me. I really apologize for the violation, but (like you don't know it already) you really make good music.
Here is what I made - let me know if I did the beat justice, or if I should erase the song, and your myspace from my memory.
I've only uploaded it to myself, so you have no worry of it being sent anywhere else.
https://download.yousendit.com/U0d5NWNuTWM5NVdGa1E9PQ
Shax
----------------- End of Original Message -----------------
His reply was:
----------------- Danny! Reply ----------------------------
Date: 23 May 2009, 21:13
Subject: RE: Hi. You have no idea who I am, but I sang on one of your songs.
You know what? I'm not mad at all. Why? Because the song is actually very dope. I like it a lot!
Obviously, you aren't the first person to gank a beat from me and let me know after the fact, but I do appreciate what you've done with it. I never imagined anything melodic over it (I had rapping in mind), but what you did with it is very well done. Definitely did it justice.
You gotta tell me though...what is "jubbly"? LOL
------------------------ End of Message -------------------
I then told him what Jubbly was (lol: a definition of jubbly) and asked if I could post it on the myspace, and the blog.
..................... no reply.
I uploaded it anyway.
You wanna hear it?
Hope you enjoy the videos. More to come soon.
Shakka Deego
P.S: Should I do this with other myspace songs? Comment and let me know.
Are You LISTENING?!
For those who know me, this is another "Dilla is a heavy producer" rant.
Others: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
No update from ME in the music world unfortunately. Just some good food. So if Subway is what you're munchin, dash dat in the bin for now coz it's dinner time.
Illa J - J Dilla's brother - is a rapper from detroit who's comin up in the game. His Dilla produced album "Yancey Boys" is something that just made my face frown - in a good way - as I have heard nothing but 2/3 songs and have already ordered my copy from Amazon - £6.5..... something I might add!!!
But yeah, here's a taste:
Sounds Like Love - Illa J feat. Debi Nova
Shax
Shorties - bout 2 paragraphs shorties
S'appenin! (fast forward to play some musaick)
(HAS ANYONE CHECKED THE LATEST SONG ADDED TO THE MYSPACE? - BEGGAR - The Seed (feat. Incisive and Shax)
Producers: The Seed - Myspace
2 gigs have passed:
Yasmin @ a shwankey pub down in Latimer, West London.
Szjerdene @ Shoreditch House, East-Central London.
I had the privilege to accompany them both - Yasmin via backing vocals, and Szjerdene feat. on Let Go (Street Focus Music - Take a listen to "Let Go").
Both performances were touching - as usual I camcordededed it. So edited footage shall be uploaded (or rough, depending on if these musicians get impatient).
So, once again, in light of my good mood, imma spread some good music. Both for hiphop heads, but also for those who just love good grooves.
Groovement (Part 1) - Ty
Shax
Sunshine - it has FINALLY REACHED!!!!!
OK. Early March.
Cold.
Snow was there before that. 
Pure bafflement.
Around the teenth’s (16th, 17th, 18th, etc) something strange happened. 
An ice cream van parked outside my uni campus. A queue longer than Oxford Street Primark on a Saturday mornin. Then I looked up.
Blue skies?! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! YES!!
YUH FUKKA YUH!!
£1 for a cone with Strawberry syrup? Aite. Why not?
Bout flippin’ time too. I’m glad it entered our streets so early. This year especially. ‘Recession’ is the seasoning that reporters seem to be taking a liking to, when cooking their bulletins.
So NOW, teens @ uni and college need the “summer break’s around the corner” sign.
And female graduants, currently workin in the industry, need the “I can wear semi-bright, semi-revealing clothing to impress my co-worker without looking like a sket” sign.
Shax?
Shax and the band performed @ Shoreditch House and the Indigo2!!!! Both two very good performances I must say, with a few hiccups here and there.
But Incisive put it better than I think I could right now:
“Dont be fooled by the flashy, shiny look of things...because sometimes....its not about where you are....but who you are with!!!“
And to celebrate how heavy it was, and our hot sun we’re bein’ blessed with, here’s a snippet of a new song we performed on stage (studio version) – not yet uploaded on my MYSPACE, or my FACEBOOK.
INTERRUPTION !!!!!! INTERRUPTION !!!!!! INTERRUPTION !!!!!! INTERRUPTION
This song has been removed - time's up people!!!
New snippet's up soon - watch this space!
SHAXMUSIC – BLOGSPOT EXCLUSIVE (….CL-CLU-CLUSIVEE!!! BO-BO-BO-BO!!!!)
Shax
Hello Stranger?!
I know. Has been a long time since I've updated.
Don't heckle me - I know the deal.
But when I told "uni-life" that I was gonna try do some rehearsals and some gigs, she just stared @ me and was like:
".......... chief."
So yeah. Me and the blog took a back-seat. But i've been busy comin up with new musical recipies. No fast food I promise. Nothing but good melodies to clean them insides.
"What's new Shax?"
1) EP almost done. ........ yes I said that bout six months ago. Did I not tell you bout how uni just slapped me in my face? So yeah. Ep almost done. Updated tracks on the Facebook fan page if you ain't seen them already:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Shax/25986286618
2) GIG @ The Indigo2!!!!!!! Performin songs off the EP live! Should be niesh.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=60782383560&ref=ts
3) GIG @ Shoreditch House on the last Monday of Feb - 23rd 09. Part of Duke's Musicology Sets - Should also be niesh!
More stuff up soon. Deffo.
Personally biggin' up
Incisive as usual, and also native bloggers:
The Cake ,
Ask Your Girl , and
NoWork-AllPlay.
They do nuthin BUT keep it movin.
B4 I go:
Release "Unplugged" 1st Ever Rehersal Feb 09 from Incisive on Vimeo.
Video of one of the rehearsals wit Incisive.
And just a ran-diddly-dom post:
Paper Chase - Vikter Duplaix
COMMENTS!!!!!!
Shax - the chef
Mangrove Diaries 08 - Part 2
................. second half baby.
Mangrove Diaries Pt 2 from Shakka Philip on Vimeo.
Memories boi.
S
Mangrove Diaries 2008 - Part 1
Took me tyme to edit this .... enjoy!
Mangrove Diaries Pt 1 from Shakka Philip on Vimeo.
Part 2 to soon follow.
Shakka
Is London Lucky or WHAT??!!
Who's got Sky?
OK, Virgin Media, Homechoice, BT Vision ........ (who remember's ONDigital? - big in the 00's)
Whatever you've got, you've got MTVONE. Even if you've got Freeview, you've got that realityTV infested channel.
Pissed innit?
Shakka again on another point of the day. Just recently came off Kojo's blog on Youtube: On it, he was talkin' bout UK artists not gettin enough love, and how we should show appreciation for the POTENTIALS.
Made me think bout a lotta times that I'm actually findin' so many things wrong wit some o the artists who come out in the UK, and fail to embrace the good sides of their music, image, lyrics etc.
Then, after laughin' my arse off @ one of Kojo's skits, I stopped and thought, when was the last time I laughed so much at stand-up comedy, or just FUNNY JOKES?
This is why I asked bout MTVONE, Base, etc. If you take a look at it, there is some bullshit TV out there on a weekday night on MTV Base - I'M NOT DISSIN' NONE O THE MUSIC!!!!! I'm talkin bout the constant barrage of reality TV shows (that look more bait an' orchestrated danna disney flick). Sorry, but am I the only one who wants to see more "Spanking New Music", and less "I Love New York"?
Once again, it really is no disrespeck to the producers, editors and peeps @ MTV, I can understand the politics, revenue's, Reh-Teh-Teh.
But when we think bout it, THE UK (not jus London) is blessed with what we've got here.
Kojo the Stand Up comedian, has been constant to the point where his own comedy night has been consistent for bout 5 years - check his page - nuff videos. He's now doin stuff in New York.
N-Dubz have had 40 top hits on the UK singles chart - ........ need I say more?
As written in Incisive's latest blog (.:No more Classics) - downloadin has affected the way we listen to music. Not gonna front. It's now a fact.
But I think many people I speak to, or even listener's in general are quick to play the "back-in-the-day-music-was-love" card, and choose not to search. Or even choose not to listen.
Is London Lucky or WHAT??!!??
A few links:
Szjerdene Myspace - Szjerdene - soft soul of UK
Bluey Robinson Myspace - Bluey Robinson - funk/electro RnB of UK
Duke Myspace - DukeBox - raw voice, nuttin but good music
P.S: NU MUSIC UP SOON - UNI DEADLINES R A KILLAH!!!!!!!
Shax
Can you Feel my Style?
Whar Gwarn PPLE.
Shakka bloggin' from Dominica (on the last day of being @ Dominica).
'twas big. Nottin but hard food, good family love, and nature on every corner. Customer service is WHACK but the food is good nonetheless.
What I don't understand is that there are so many customers for the KFC and the SUBWAY opened in Dominica, when there are bare good food restaurants cookin' Stew Chicken with Rice, Peas, Yam, Plantain, LENTILS ........ AAAAAAAH!!!!!!!! Baffles me, I swear.
I guess prob when you're used to the stores bein around you all the time, it's cool.
But enough wafflin' - Can you Feel my Style?
I went to the World Music Creole Festival (30th anniversary of Dom. independence) where Sean Paul, Kassav (creole band) and Machel Montano HD performed. And whilst I LOVE Sean Paul's tracks, he didn't deliver. Didn't move the crowd as much as I would have liked. Out of breath within the second track, and the live band with the backin' track was LACKIN' (part from "Never Gonna Be The Same" - tune was big).
Then, after people were cussin, it made me think bout how I perform on stage. How hard it is to move a crowd (coz u lot r stiff - show NO love, i've seen u lot @ Open Mic Nights - clappin like I owe u money). How easy it is to front, just to get people to feel u.
Don't get me wrong, with Sean Paul he's had BAARE time in the music game to get it together, people know the words to his music, and his name is an established brand anyway.
But still, when rockin LIVE, I would want to see a PERFORMANCE!
Easier said than done I guess. Even with MY hype.
Pictures and video's soon.
Shax
P.S: U lot ain't had nottn' till you've tasted LOCAL JUICE!!!!!!! PASSIONFRUIT, GRAPEFRUIT, TANGERINE, CHERRY (whell, not so much Grapefruit).
P.S.S: Oh yeh, and two Soft Drinks - Quenchy (Red), and Fanta (Orange, the colour of the drink is actually orange)
Musictures? Songmeries?
For me, yeah, I always have periods where I rinse a song for bout a month.
.... Yeh whuss wrong wit dat?
Shut up.
Chief.
Nah seriously, there are times where the song would become rinsed to the point where it becomes part of a memorable "minute" o my life. Dat "Songmery" is brought on the brain, with jus a few bars of a track, like, years later.
- Outkast - Prototype: prom night, year 11/urban music sommer school '05 (2005)
- Shanks and Bigfoot - Sweet Like Chocolate: Year 6 school trip (2000)
- Musiq - justfriends: CYM music school bussin jokes to lessons (2004)
..... the list could go on .....
This summer was the year of music makin galore ('Cisive, Botanical heads Szjerdene, Duke). And of course Mangrove Steel Band played a big role in my summer.
This year? will.i.am - One More Chance (2008) from the album Songs About Girls" (which I think is a big album - "ain't it pretty" - big chune).
Why? I dunno. Coz I guess it represented the whole "feel good" atmosphere I seemed to constantly be around durin summer. If not at the studio wit 'Cise, or TE1, then at band practise. If not there, then jammin @ the Botanical Gardens ('tube it). Or wit work mates, or jus ravin with loved ones.
And also coz I made more music then - as if perfection was just ignored, and I jus recorded what was in my head at the time. And writer's block is a bitch too ("makin good music" - Incisive' blog) so when this random spurt of music comes it feels good.
Obviously there r bad ones too, but this was the one I jus remembered. Thought 'twas good to share.
Ur turn. What Songmeries or Musictures have u lot got?
Shax
(P.S: Mangrove diaries - up on the blog, Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube soon)
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Busy coz you wanna be, or coz u Have to be?
What's gwarnin people. Mr.Procrastinator here.
I'm callin myself this coz in about 2 weeks, the whole 'REGULAR' updatin process is gonna decline drastically. Uni is beginnin' and they ain't makin it easier with their mad timetables they be givin me. So I'm gonna be a bit distant for about a couple months until christmas.
But just as I'm typin this, I'm thinkin bout what I got told recently:
"Shakka, you aren't happy unless you're doin somethin'". Ain't gonna front, this is true. I can't sit down at home, and just watch tv for more than an hour (sometimes even half an hour), with the fear that time has gone and I've missed the chance to do something constructive. I've been told that it's bad because you don't focus when you really need to, like concentrate in a lecture, or talk on the phone to the missus (.... Huh, what did you sa...... Nah I was listenin to you. I weren't on facebook).
Others like keep-it-movin-CISIVE (myspace.com/incisive1 - "Nothing Else Compares" is a big tune), seems to be the same as me, but also seems focused on his " 'ish ". Never a scatter brains when it's time for studio.
Especially nowadays, it pays to be busy, when people be checkin your 'space an sayin:
"Ey bway! Where de nu chunes deh?!"
So my arm's been twisted to ask the question: Busy coz you wanna be, or coz u HAVE to be?
Shax
P.s: There should be a few nu videos of me in jammin, rehearsal, and studio sessions soon. So HAVE patience!!!!
Pourquoi - feedback
On my way to a Steel Pan meeting, and I see one of my friends down the road from where I live, just chillin' on his doorstep. And what would normally be a Hi and Bye, became me showin' him the latest tune I posted on the Myspace - Pourquoi.
Might have been expectin' me to play some RnB tune, I dunno. But after a few minutes he seemed to be enjoyin' it a lot. Givin' me some positive feedback on lyrical content an ting.
"The tune starts off slow at first, and then later on, I dunno (shakes shoulders), you feel the vibe a lot more ...."
(not even gonna lie, my head was the size of a Watermelon after he said this)
Don't really know why I'm postin' this, but sometimes I get skeptical of who I am playin' what to. Coz there are only certain heads who would go for a tune with a latin bass line, or congas, or something other than the BOOM-BOOM-click tunes.
Shout out to Mr.X for the good response. Helped to boost confidence BIG tyme.
(don't wanna go baitin' out his name, for privacy reasons of course)
myspace.com/shaxmusic - track 6: Pourqoui
Shax
New Music on Myspace
And yet ANOTHER POST!!!!!!!
myspace.com/shaxmusic
myspace.com/shaxmusic
myspace.com/shaxmusic
I"ve put some new songs on the Myspace. Some of you have heard them before. Thought I might as well seein' as a few heads asked for them.
Talk to Me, and Pourquoi are the new tracks. Both are kinda rough, and both are gonna be on the Foolishness Vol.1 EP, to be released in mid 200-someting.
Yeh, this has been goin on for some time now, lol. It's comin soon, I swear!
(thumbs up to A.C Layne, for the Weyoo beat - nothin but music baybeh)
myspace.com/shaxmusic
myspace.com/shaxmusic
myspace.com/shaxmusic
Shax
Mangrove Steel Band - a practise sesh
Another post. This time, of the Steel Band I played in during Summer 08 - Notting Hill's Mangrove.
The song we played: Thunder Coming. Arranged by Andre White.
For those who played with me ......... memories boy. Tight like fresh braces.
(I'm the one in the green - far left - head lakka Churchill Dog Doll)
Shax
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