Canal Street, NYC

When I worked at The Weinstein Company, I would walk down Canal Street to get to the office, which was on Hudson St.

This is another excerpt line from my Matt Murdock song, which was all about the idea of continuing to get up when you're down.

Matt Murdock.

Every day I'm bumpin' on Canal Street

The kids today would say I'm on fleek

Chains on my wrist remind me to never be a sheep

Instead unsheathe, swinging verbal slashes

I got the bong now, bring the fucking hash kid!

Roaming in the woods doing acid

Making miracle flows on Lake Placid

I'm the fastest

Coming at you like the Flash

Breaking bones, putting bastards in a cast

--

When I was working at The Weinstein Company--yes I know, The Weinstein Company--I always took the L train from Brooklyn to 14th street. From there, I'd take the E train to Canal Street. I was writing a lot back then, so I was always listening to rap on my walk to work. I'd write on the subway constantly. New York City has always inspired me, and it's always been a place that kickstarted so many different ideas, from short stories to novels. There's something about a nice walk on a brisk day in the Fall, with the sun going down, that gets me inspired to write. When I think back on it, I wrote a lot in New York, and I've been inspired by New York rap the most. The east coast is my home so naturally I've always had an inclination toward gritty, rough, rap. Something that's got some oomph.

On Fleek

Well, my generation definitely didn't make this one up. But hey it's stuck and I wanted to use it. Hence the line, "kids today would say." It's interesting, I don't really listen to the new generation of rap all that much. I probably sound like an old geezer, but I don't really like the mumble rap bullshit we're hearing nowadays. Regardless, there's some greats out there like Kendrick, J.Cole, Joey Badass, etc. who are inspirational to me. The message I've tried to convey in what I write is that I can relate to a younger generation, but I'm not going to necessarily adopt a style I'm not accustomed to. I'm a purist at heart, what can I say?

Chains

This one's somewhat personal. For anyone who knows me, I have chain tattoos on my wrists. They're actually from a game called Bioshock. To me, those chains represented slavery, specifically for the main character. The reason I got them were as a reminder to never be trapped by what society expects or wants from you. Don't be a sheep to what the masses feel is right or true. Ultimately, the chains are a reminder to be my own person, and it's something I struggle with all the time. There's so many different things I can do with my life, it's scary to settle down to a 9-5 job for the rest of it. There's so much more out there. But it's a double-edged sword, everyone needs money, and a shelter to live, and the means to eat.

That's part of why I even started this blog. I love to write, and express myself with the English language. I just didn't have an outlet, and I also was a little shy to put myself out there. Nevertheless, if I don't do this, then I'll be closing another door that maybe could open up other avenues for me. Instead of playing things safe all the time, which has, unfortunately, been a theme of my life, I need to take some risks. Cheers to the chains. They were always meant to be broken.

Verbal Slashes

This is another witty line I've always loved. I was definitely inspired by Wu-Tang Clan on this one. They always referenced samurai swords and kung fu. I also couldn't help but think about Kill Bill here, one of my favorite Quentin Tarantino movies. I've always been a huge fan of Japanese culture, and samurai swords, to me, are some of the coolest weapons ever.

-JTC