Memphis is known for their barbecue. I visited there last weekend for a book festival. My friends and I tried a barbecue spot called Jim ‘N Nick’s while we were in town. The food was so good that we actually came back twice. I’ actually don’t like barbecue that much. When I say a barbecue place is good, it’s really good.
However, I won’t talk about the food I ate there. Since it’s Thursday, I decided to recap two drinks I tasted. Today’s Thirsty Thursday double feature spotlights two great drinks from this delicious Memphis eatery.
Crowning Achievement
Imagine a Cosmo (traditionally made with cranberry juice, triple sec, vodka and lime juice) with an extra kick. Jim ‘N Nick’s makes theirs with Crown Royal instead of vodka. The end result (which includes a cherry) is simply amazing. There is a disclaimer though. This drink packs a much heavier punch than the Cosmo you’re used to. I’m not a lightweight, but I did feel a slight buzz by the time I finished the drink.
Island Bound
When you feel like you really need a tropical getaway, this should be your drink of choice. Cruzan Rum is the headliner here, with a flavor that’s similar to a traditional Mai Tai. The drink has a sweet, tart and citrus taste that meshes together well. The rum comes in and smoothes everything out at the end.
Jim N Nick’s has a $5 featured drink for every day of the week. These two drinks are right on time for the weekend. The Crowning Achievement is offered on Friday and the Island Bound is offered on Saturday.
You should definitely try out Jim N Nick’s the next time you are in Memphis (or any of their other locations). They have great food, great service and of course, great drinks.
Bottoms up. It’s Thirsty Thursday. Cheers to the upcoming weekend, with a Crowning Achievement and an Island Bound destination.
Usher has finally released his long awaited follow up to 2012’s Lookin 4 Myself. He’s still doing some soul searching here, but with less of a pop influence. This time he is catering more to his urban market. His swagger remains intact, although there seems to be a thirst to keep up with the times.
House and techno pop’s influence have lessened in the few years. The trap R&B sound has taken center stage. This is most evident on the far reaching, addictive “No Limit” featuring Young Thug and the jagged “Rivals” featuring Future. He’s clearly tuned in to what is current on the music scene. However, that’s also part of the problem.
His marketing team is likely banking on his iconic status to sell records. With a projected 25,000 first sales week, his focus should be less on modeling his sound after current day Chris Brown and Bryson Tiller. “Good Kisser” and “She Came To Give It To You” featuring Nicki Minaj failed to create much buzz, but speak more to his star power. Consequently, neither song is found on Hard II Love.
Usher serves up enough quality content to remind naysayers why he’s been around for two decades. “Tell Me” is an excellent, sensual ballad. The song clocks in at over 8 minutes long. The first single,”Crash” is cleverly crafted pop love torture. “Champion” closes out the album on a high note. The album is an uplifting track, taken from his starring role as Sugar Ray Leonard Hands of Stone.
Overall, Hard II Love isn’t a bad album. Hopefully, the project will receive the proper promotion it deserves before losing its steam. Usher is one of those artists who really doesn’t get the credit he should. He helped pave the way of his successors. Let’s just hope his next bout of soul searching produces a more inventive album.
I attended a book festival this past weekend, in Memphis, TN. The experience was awesome; plus, Memphis has some delicious food. My professional writing journey started 5 years ago. I released my first book, a collection of poems called Blurred Vision, in 2011. Blurred Vision was a self-published work, which required many hours of research on my behalf. Since then, I have had the chance to attend many writers’ conferences and author events. I was able to connect with some great authors/publishers in Memphis this weekend. As an added bonus, I was able to gain some great exposure for my books.
However, there are a few things I’ve noticed that seem to remain true at every vending event I participate in. Let me put the disclaimer on the table that this post is not a reflection of this weekend’s event coordinators. The purpose of me even writing this post is to share my feelings about people who attend these events. There are certain things us authors (especially independent authors like myself) are a tad bit burnt out on hearing though. So, here are 5 things (in no particular order) I hope to never hear again when a potential customer comes up to my table.
Is your book available on Amazon?
This is the most common question I hear at vendor events. Are my books available on Amazon? Yes. Do I have my books in ebook form? I do have one ebook; but I’ll get to that later. However, when I hear this question, it sounds like, “I don’t have the money or don’t want to purchase your book right now”. Believe me, I understand that my books are not for everyone. Why wait to get the book through Amazon though when you can get an autographed copy in person? Eesh. It’s a mystery I’ll never be able to understand.
Do you have any ebooks for sale?
This is a close cousin to the first question. I understand that ebooks are the new wave and the preferred method of reading for many people. However, there are certain genres I believe are more suited for physical books. Poetry is definitely one of those genres. I think of poetry as more of a sacred form of writing, because it’s usually so personal to the author. Novels, self-help books and even cookbooks are genres better suited for ebooks. This is the main reason why my only ebook is Honesty Box. The book is a compilation of poems from all three of my poetry books. There are also some new poems mixed in there too. I wanted to offer an alternative to the ebook readers; but the true essence of each book will only be felt in the print form.
Can you tell me what your book is about?
“How can I buy the book without knowing what it’s about?” That’s a fantastic question. Authors have a very limited window of opportunity to catch the attention of a potential buyer. As much as I love telling people what my book is about, I can’t carry on a 10 minute detailed conversation about it with everyone. That means I’m missing out on other customers. Questions are fine, but please limit them to two minutes or less (especially if there is no intention of purchasing the book).
Do you have anything for children?
I get this question quite frequently. Most people assume that my novel, Fortune Cookie, is not the best choice for their pre-teen child. Poetry gets a different rap for some reason though. I’ve had people ask me if any of my poetry books are suitable for 3rd graders. No! Sure, there are some poems in there that 3rd graders can read and may even enjoy. However, I am not in the business of children’s books. I write poetry from my personal experiences and perspectives. I apologize that those experiences are not kid friendly. Please, let me direct you to the children’s literature table.
Do you have any discounted books available today?
Payment is expected for services rendered. Writing (and even selling) books comes at a cost. Don’t get me wrong. I publish books because I’m passionate about what I choose to write. I’m not an author for the sake of making fast money. Many authors gravitate towards ebooks because they believe that they will save a lot of money and increase earning potential. This can be true in some cases; but the author usually only sees up to 40% for each book sold.
Most ebooks are sold for $7 or less. So, do the math on that one. Professional cover design and editing can’t be short changed from a book publishing perspective. Whenever I attend a vendor event, I usually mark my books down from the standard price. The price at the event is actually a “sale” price. We all love discounts, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere.
For those of you who may be customers at a book vendor event, these are some questions to keep in mind. I say keep in mind as to remember not to ask them if at all possible. I’m pretty sure no one reading this is guilty of any of these things. Just please tap your neighbor if they are or pass the info along to someone who is.
I first met Erick Murphy during an interview I did with Tha Afterparty Radio back in July. He kept me rolling the entire interview and had a very cool personality. He’s also an artist, producer and songwriter. After checking out his music, I had to get a chance to interview him as well about his single “Amazin” and some other great tracks he has released. I got a chance to catch up with Erick recently and here’s an excerpt of our interview below. You can also listen to the full dialogue below.
Tell us a little bit about yourself Erick.
I’m Erick Murphy. A guy that really loves music. I’ve been around it my whole life, just really kicked off when I was in the band in 4th grade. I played trumpet, everything in the brass and drum line. I started off making noise with pots and turning them into a snare when I was younger. As far as turning to the rap game, I was initially more into the production of things. I’m a big fan of Dr. Dre, Mannie Fresh, a lot of southern artists and producers. I step into soul, classical, country and rock too. Anything really that catches my attention.
The rapping started when I began producing another artist. He gave me the first honor of producing for him. Over the years, he went on to create a group and I was in that group. We turned it into a 6 piece group. We all ended up getting signed to 67 South Records. I then became a solo artist and my name was Kreech. Now I go by Erick Murphy.
I know you have your new single, “Amazin”, which is jamming. How did that song come about and the collaborators you have on it?
Actually that track itself was originally meant for another artist on the label, David Cast. He kinda gave up on working on that track and I picked it up. I was fan of his as well. It was a pretty long track and I knew I couldn’t really kill it by myself. I’m not a selfish artist and I have features everywhere on my music. Layzie was on the old roster on the label, which was brought back. I met her for the first time doing this track. She’s really a dope artist; really creative. She’s almost like me in a female artist form.
Daunte is a mutual friend of our engineer, Dre. He’s from LA. He came down and blessed us with a verse. We actually met before while doing another guy’s track called “Cruising”. Me, Layzie and Daunte are a nice collective right now. We work very well together. David Cast is the screwed up voice on the hook too.
What are your thoughts on the current state of hip hop?
It’s portrayed as in danger, but I think it’s misrepresented. I think it’s being mislabeled by the new era of music. They don’t know what to call it. Everybody has the opportunity and right to how they view stuff. You may or may not agree, but it’s making sense to somebody. Hip Hop is pretty much confused right now. There’s a lot of dope artist out here now though, even in Dallas. There’s Bobby Sessions, Sam Law, Topic. There’s a different variety of artists too.
What are some new projects you’re working on now?
Right now I’m working the Snick project, which “Amazin” is on. It’s a collective of dope singles. “Amazin” was the track I was pushing, but I’ll be pushing others as well. Before that one, I had “Another Sip” that has over 10,000 spins on YouTube. That’s the after work clock out drink song right there. We had a couple more singing before that “Drippin” is like a slow, sex song. I really like that track, but it’s too short. So I may extend it and put it out as a single. I’m not really too much of a slow song person.
Really? All of your songs are good, but your flow and delivery fit the slow songs well to me.
The only reason I don’t like them as much, is because there would be more I would want to do to it. I get the idea of singing, but I’m not a singer. But I am getting singing lessons. I may drop an R&B project way down the road. I’m working everything on that tape one by one. We’re doing music videos for every song. By it being called Snick, you know that’s from the 90s, so it will have a 90s feel. Right now I’m open with projects. I’m down to do features, produce a track, help write. I try not to put any boundaries with my artistry.
You can find Erick Murphy’s music at www.ErickMurphy.com. His single “Amazin” is also available on iTunes and Tidal.
Make sure to follow him on the following social media platforms
I’m sure many of you remember the familiar phrase when you were children. “Stay out of grown folks’ business”. Sometimes as a kid, it was easy to feel like the adults just wouldn’t let us be great. However, there are many grown folks today who need to hear this. We could just switch up the verbiage a bit to say, “Get into grown folks’ business”. This isn’t a rewind back to our childhood days. Nonetheless, there are too many grown people walking around worrying about each other. Don’t get me wrong, I care deeply about the people who I love; but there are other things I could care less about.
Successful people come from all walks of life, races and backgrounds. There is one thing that most of them have in common though. They are not concerned with trivial matters about others. Why? Well, they are too busy being successful to care. They don’t care who’s sleeping with who or who is talking behind their backs. When you are moving forward in life, there are certain backwards actions that shouldn’t be happening. The last time I checked, there is always room for growth, which means there shouldn’t be any room for child’s play.
Age really is just a number these days. Being over 21 means nothing more than legally being able to drink. Here is a quick tip that will help all of the grown folks. The more we strive for success, the less time we should have to tear other people down, gossip and take minor situations completely out of context. Stay on your grind; but don’t allow yourself to get mixed in the grind of meaningless matters.
I still remember the first time I heard Macy Gray’s “I Try”. I was flicking through channels on TV. Her throaty, scratchy tenor immediately caught my attention. I have been hooked ever since. Now, she’s back with the follow up to her last studio album, The Way (released in October of 2014). However, her new album Stripped is a far cry from her past releases. This time, she’s taking her sound back to her roots: jazz. Macy Gray credits jazz music as her first love. She originally sang jazz music to break into the music industry. Stripped is a reworking of a few of her biggest hits, a couple of covers and some new tracks as well.
Macy Gray has dodged conformity from day one. At this point, she really doesn’t have anything to prove. I must admit, I did not see jazz music in her future though. Unlike her previous work, Stripped was recorded with a live band and one microphone. This album was not mixed. The recordings were taken from their pure essence. She’s even donning a sexier, sleeker image on the album cover. Don’t mistake it though. This is bare bones Macy Gray at her brightest. “Annabelle”, one of the new tracks on Stripped, chronicles the tug of war of addiction. She wants to get rid of her addiction for good, but she also can’t stand to part with it. Expect this one to be a fan favorite on the album.
Her classics get an innovative revamping as well. “Sweet Baby” is an fast paces, zydeco sounding celebration. “I Try” has lighter musical undertones, which send Gray’s voice to the forefront of the track. She sounds comfortable and confident here, with no boundaries. “The Heart”, one of the three new tracks on the album, finds Macy Gray pining away for an old flame. She goes through the list of things that could have driven her lover away, including her Grace Jones album collection. Songs like “First Time” and “Slowly” are lesser known selections for her. Nonetheless, they fit perfectly on this album. “She Ain’t Right For You”, one of my all-time favorites of hers, is completely flipped with a delectable reggae tinged melody. Speaking of reggae, she delivers a rousing cover of Bob Marley’s classic “Redemption Song”. She also serves up a clever remake of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”.
New songs like “Annabelle” introduce us to a new, intriguing side of Macy Gray. “Lucy” (which closes out Stripped) leaves us salivating for more. This song is so great, that I forgive her for not including her early hit, “Still” on this set. She coos seductively here, with suggestive and comical lyrics (I’m ready to give you my Lucy/Rhymes with…). Macy Gray should decide to strip more often.
I really started paying attention to Vince Staples while listening to Common’s Nobody’s Smiling album. His clever verses on “Kingdom” and “Out On Bond” really made me sit up and take notice. So when I heard he was releasing his latest project, Prima Donna, I had to check it out. The 7 track EP features somber and actually downright depressing moments where Vince Staples is doing some kind of weird, slurred singing. This is particularly evident on Prima Donna’s opener “Let It Shine” and the heart wrenching “Smile”. With just one full length studio album and several mixtapes in less than 5 years, Vince Staples has the aura of a veteran.
He also isn’t afraid to pay homage to some of the greats before him. On “War Ready”, he starts off the track with a looped sample of an Andre 3000 rap. He defiantly flows over eerie pianos and thumping drums. The song is hardly forgettable and one of the best tracks on the album. He keeps the momentum high with “Loco”, a fast paced, high energy dance track. Vince Staples has a flow that gives him an untouchable persona, yet familiar in the same breath.
The title track on the EP finds Vince Staples as more aggressive and less animated. Ironically, the production here is busily complicated. However, his raps over the backdrop of the intricate production mesh well together. “Pimp Hand” boasts about familiar territory in a way that makes Vince Staples recount of the story intriguing to listen to. He’s clearly confident here and after listening to just one verse, it’s easy to see why. Plus, the production here is unique and edgy.
Vince Staples closes out the EP with the appropriately titled “Big Time”. His style is more “big time” and innovative than many of today’s top Hip Hop acts. Hopefully with the backing of a legendary label like Def Jam, he’ll finally get the credit he deserves.
Yes, I love Starbucks. However, I’m not a fan of coffee. I can smell it all day, but the taste does nothing for me. For some, I know it may seem weird to enjoy a place that specializes in coffee, but never drink it. Tea, on the other hand, is one of my favorite drinks. Tazo Chai Tea Latte, from Starbucks, is one of the best teas ever in my opinion. I have ventured out to try their other tea and lemonade offerings in the last couple of years. My taste buds have not been disappointed yet. I recently tried the new Teavana Sparkling Berry Sangria Herbal Tea.
I love Teavana (most tea drinkers do), so that already got my foot halfway in the door. Plus, I really like the taste of sangria. Throw some berries in and it sounds like a flavor celebration to me. Starbucks has a sign advertising this new drink. I found it odd that a new flavored, cold tea would be introduced at this time of year. Then again, it usually doesn’t get extremely cold in Texas.
Nonetheless, I had to try this refreshing drink. The taste is amazing! The drink has a slight fizz, with sweet and tart flavors (provided by the fresh berries and orange slices). Sangria is dominant here, without being over powering. The tea itself has a very light berry flavor, which compliments the other ingredients very well. This tea in the 16 oz size only has 150 calories (for whoever is counting) and 20% of your daily dose of vitamin C.
In other tea news, I just received a really cool Imbue Tea maker in the mail from Kickstarter. It allows you to steep loose leaf tea on the go. Expect to see some upcoming reviews on some loose leaf tea flavors soon. In the meantime, flip up your cup and throw your hands up. It’s Thirsty Thursday!
Here’s my story of how I got a recharge. A couple of years ago I entered that joyous abyss that every car owner dreams of. Having a paid off car. Yep, that has got to be one of the best feelings ever to not have a car note. However, in the last couple of months, I’ve had more car issues than a little bit. Of course, I know my car won’t last forever. Did I mention my car is paid off though? The older I get, the less concerned I become with being flashy. Don’t get me wrong, I love nice things just next person. Many people are living in luxury with their lights turned off though. I don’t want that to be story at all.
Fast forward to last week. My car refused to start. Thank God I had already made it home from work. I decided I would run a quick errand before the night set in. My car had different plans. There were no signs of me leaving my lights on, so it should have started right up. I used my wife’s car for a boost and it started right. After repeating this about 5 times, I later realized battery had died.
Many of us today are walking around like that dead battery. We are running on fumes, hopping from one obligation to the next. We look good on the outside, so we must be ok. Our minds become so clouded with work, home, pleasing other people and the struggles of life that we forget to recharge. Some of us constantly rely on that “jump” from others so much that we drain the life right out of them too. But that’s another blog for another day.
Take time to selfishly do what makes you happy. We spend our whole life justifying why this and why that, but there should be no justification to breathe in peace. Maybe you have the time to do something, but just don’t feel like it. Perhaps your exciting night is binge watching your favorite TV show. Possibly you enjoy watching the game at the bar with friends. Do it. We all have different motivators that keep us going. We just must remember not to neglect ourselves, so that we can be and give our best.
Recharge while you can make the choice to do it now.
Some Britney Spears pundits are calling her latest release, Glory, a comeback. However, it’s barely been three years since the release of her warmly received Britney Jean. Glory’s first week sales totaled 111,000 units (88,000 in traditional album sales), which earned her the No. 3 spot on this week’s Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. At 33 years old, Britney Spears has a pretty hefty discography but none of her albums have ever reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. On Glory, she seems confidently sexy and cool. She really has nothing to prove at this point in her career. Well, then again, she may need to brush up on her next televised award show performance (see her 2016 VMAs set).
Songs like the kinky “Private Show” and the seductive “Invitation” proves that Britney clearly has one thing at the forefront of her mind. Sex. The lead single, “Make Me” finds her subdued than usual, yet still hot and bothered. She took a page from Janet Jackson’s book from her All For You album, when she first started doing a lot of those slow songs with low singing. Britney Spears is not one of the best singers, but she has found comfort-ability with her voice on Glory. Songs like “Clumsy” prove she hasn’t completely abandoned the bubble gum pop that made her famous.
Perhaps she’s living out teenage girl fantasies on the funky, guitar driven “Do You Wanna Come Over?” and the Caribbean inspired “Slumber Party”. Somehow, it works extremely well for her. The comical and cheesy “Just Like Me” sounds like a Gwen Stefani song gone bad. In fact, a good piece of the album has a bit of her flare woven in. Overall, the album isn’t bad. In fact, it’s many of the songs are actually enjoyable. “Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortes)”, for instance, gives her a more Latin inspired sound that actually suits her well. She obviously pushed the boundaries with her familiar sound here and stretched it. After all, she’s been doing it again and again for over 15 years now.
Also, here are 5 Britney Spears songs that we all love, but may be too afraid to admit.
5. Perfume:
This was arguably the biggest hit from Britney Jean. “Perfume” is also one of the most lyrically dense songs she’s ever released (“I wait for you to call/I try to act natural… I’ll never tell on myself/But I hope she smells my perfume”). Her honest vulnerability and catchy hook was a breath of fresh air from her former pop hits.
4. If You Seek Amy
Yep, this song had nothing to do about seeking Amy. This is one of the many instances where Britney slammed her haters. “If You Seek Amy” was a blatant declaration that she didn’t care what other people thought about her. So clever and so dirty. You know you love it.
3. Womanizer
“Womanizer”, the runaway hit from Circus, found Britney Spears as more defiant than we had previously heard before. She calls out a guy that she knows is a bit of a player. Somehow, she managed an intriguing juggling act of being an astute, fierce and cocky woman all in one breath.
2. I’m A Slave 4 U
This Neptunes produced track was originally intended for Janet Jackson. She turned the song down and it became one of the biggest hits of Britney Spears’s career. Who could forget that huge snake wrapped her neck at the 2001 VMAs? This song is simply amazing, even today. Makes you wonder why she didn’t collaborate with the Neptunes much more often. The song, lifted from her Britney album, was definitely one of the high points of her career.
1. Toxic
This song is pure, sugary pop, but something about it feels so good. Perhaps it was the kick ass video that put the song over the top. Or perhaps Britney Spears was just the instrument to remind us that bad things always feel the best. Either way, “Toxic” will go down in history as one of her top fan favorites.
