The mc : THE MEDITATIVE CONTEMPLATIONZ is a collection of aphorisms, prose-poems, meditations, and monologues focused on themes such as spirituality, adversity, love, and wisdom. Do you think of your work as closer to poetry, philosophy, or spoken word?

Not to sound facetious, but I look at my work as one entity with many different facets & perspectives.

As an admirer of the late great martial artist & philosopher Bruce Lee, I like to think of my works, be it literary or musical, as a fluidity that is adaptable, flexible & powerful given the artistic objective.

As someone who has many different disciplines, including Dance, Songwriting, Poetry, Acting, Performance, Composition, Production & of course Literary book creation, I tend to incorporate all of these elements within my projects.

For this particular book, the mc :THE MEDITATIVE CONTEMPLATIONZ I was Profoundly influenced by Marcus Aurelius’ book Meditations, which leaned heavily towards stoicism.

The actual title of my book, the mc, heartens to my passion for performing, recording & writing original rap music. The term ‘mc’ in the Hip Hop realm is an acronym for master of ceremonies. Meaning the rap artist embodies all of the elements which make him or her stand out & be a respected individual, including: voice inflection, flow, cadence, storytelling, lyricism, & microphone presence.

Again, I am one who incorporates every aspect & element of my other disciplines to create a cohesive narrative in my creative projects. Having no particular set style or genre allows me & the reader the freedom to feel the work from numerous angles & viewpoints simultaneously.

The comparison between fighters and artists is powerful. What draws you to that parallel?

I began to notice this comparison as someone who is a fan of boxing & a practitioner of the creative arts. The rejections I have faced while pursuing my creative endeavors can be extremely painful, similar to what a boxer may feel in a professional fight with a formidable opponent.

While the boxer has to endure physical blows, the artist feels mental blows to their egos & self esteem with every rejection of their art they have experienced and will receive.

I noticed this startling parallel while listening to the wisdom of the great fighter Mike Tyson, whose Talent for combat was genius & legendary. I connected with the pain he felt & immediately took notes in comparison to myself as an artist speaking for other artists who may feel similar.

The Fighter & The Artist both have to endure these moments of pain, fatigue & frustration to overcome their biggest & most difficult opponent, and that is themselves.

How do you balance intensity with tenderness in your writing?

Great question.

As someone who writes poetry & songs, I tend to view the softer side of my poetry creation as the mother, showing empathy, compassion, gentleness & docility.

The songwriting aspect is the father, as I see it, a bit louder (as it often involves music), tough but loving, encouraging but also aware that he has to teach his son or daughter about the sometimes harsh ways of the world.

These are the 2 dimensions in which I create my music & books.

This Ying & Yang philosophy helps me to create a more balanced picture for my readers as well as the listeners of my musical creations.

What kind of reader did you imagine engaging with this book?

I imagined the open-minded reader who enjoys delving into their higher selves. Who sees no limitations on what art should convey, nor is overly concerned with the niceties of art that is deemed comfortable.

I’ve always felt it’s not the job of the artist to make the person feel comfortable but to merely “feel.” It is this feeling that will Inspire future generations to continue & expound upon the precepts left by their artistic predecessors.

In short,

The mc was written for readers who are interested in art that has the potential to embrace the flames of eternity through bravery, which is eternal.

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