sOuL from the OsOuL from the Ohttp://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2012-02-17T22:40:40ZSquarespace-http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2012/2/17/the-unspoken-word-by-soul.html[Your Name Here]2012-02-17T22:30:32Z2012-02-17T22:30:32Z 


 

]]>Random Thoughts on Current Affairs For Which I Care to Comment:http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2012/2/16/random-thoughts-on-current-affairs-for-which-i-care-to-comme.html[Your Name Here]2012-02-16T20:59:44Z2012-02-16T20:59:44Z 

Not to overstate the obvious, but Whitney Houston's passing has sucked. I've been struck with the samse sense of loss felt when Aaliyah died – as if taken too soon, too early. Grateful for what she gave me musically when my ears began to peak to music in the "golden age". Spanning parts of my world from the early to late 90's, I would sometimes revisit hearing her sing, reminding me of my mother playing her music when I was a kid. Funny how these things can take you to a place and time...Whitney's passing has also made me think about how so many in our community die at an early age. I can't speculate on what caused her death (in the abscence of a coroner's report no doubt), but I can say that I've seen drug addiction, hypertension, cancer, heart disease, violent crime, suicide and a host of other societal and body ailments claim the lives of people far too young (as if there's ever an appropriate age for death). Meanwhile I keep turning on the radio expecting to hear Whitney Houston songs and all I get is the normal top chart whatevers. Lame. Fail. I want Whitney remixes and mashups, interluded with JDilla beats behind Whitney interviews, along with studio outakes from the "I'm Your Baby Tonight" sessions. Yeah I know it's a bit much, but why not?! It would be a shame to loose the artistic impact she had on music in exchange for surface media treatment...just sayin.

 

Coming posts: New sOuL Video Arriving Soon, No More Chicken On My Plate

 

peace!

 

]]>Another GATS graffiti sightinghttp://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2012/1/18/another-gats-graffiti-sighting.html[Your Name Here]2012-01-18T06:38:01Z2012-01-18T06:38:01Z 

 

There's a graffiti artist who hits up the Bay by the name of GATS (check out his Tumbler site!) who does these funky head pieces (as seen above) amongst other things. The cat's work is fresh, I'm kind of a fan. Sometimes whenever I come across these GATS pieces I have to pull over and take a picture! Maybe one day we could collab is the things of dreams! Check it out...

 

]]>Happy New Years | KPFA Radio appearance tonight! | Pandora & a new video |http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2012/1/6/happy-new-years-kpfa-radio-appearance-tonight-pandora-a-new.html[Your Name Here]2012-01-06T22:23:44Z2012-01-06T22:23:44ZsOuL: Update for 2012

Thank you for supporting my music, the response to The Unspoken Word – last year was great, but I have a feeling 2012 is gonna take it to a whole other level!

Things are in motion....

For those of you in the Bay Area, you can catch me tonight Friday January 5th at 12 midnight on KPFA 94.1FM on the Friday Night Vibe with JR Valrey show.

It should be fun, but if you can't tune in...

You can now listen to The Unspoken Word on Pandora! For all you who are a fan of this music site like I am, you can add my album to your play list by using the Pandora album search and looking for The Unspoken Word, or artist search for S.O.U.L., or via this link:

http://www.pandora.com/#/music/artist/soul

Another sOuL video for the album is in the works, so I will be reaching out as soon as it gets finished.

Until next time.

Stay up. Stay in touch.

sOuL

 

 


 

]]>Oakland is not a war zone! Oakland is a beautiful city!http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/12/29/oakland-is-not-a-war-zone-oakland-is-a-beautiful-city.html[Your Name Here]2011-12-29T18:53:02Z2011-12-29T18:53:02ZYesterday the SF Chronicle ran a story about an Iraqi man who has relocated to Oakland and how he now feels living in Oakland is worse than living in war torn Iraq, fearing for his safety etc. As someone from east Oakland I'm pouring salt on this perspective not because there isn't violence in my city, but because it's not a war zone. War zone's get bombed from the sky, have car bombs go off in crowded markets, and have an active opposition fighting another opposition, amongst other atrocities. I see none of this going on in Oakland today, yesterday nor at any time in 2011 and before! And for those who think Oakland is a war zone, I request more examples because I have found no such evidence!

]]>Occupy Oakland - series 2http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/12/8/occupy-oakland-series-2.html[Your Name Here]2011-12-08T05:48:16Z2011-12-08T05:48:16Z

]]>Cornel West and Carl Dix @UC Berkeleyhttp://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/12/3/cornel-west-and-carl-dix-uc-berkeley.html[Your Name Here]2011-12-03T21:30:05Z2011-12-03T21:30:05Zlast night I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Cornel West and Carl Dix speak at UC Berkeley. If that wasn't already fresh enough I also had a chance to slide Cornel a copy of my latest album The Unspoken Word - to which Cornel said "The Unspoken Word!?! I'm gonna have to check that out!!" good times ;) This is the pic I took right before I gave it to him...

 


]]>Reason one million and one why I love James Brown!http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/11/27/reason-one-million-and-one-why-i-love-james-brown.html[Your Name Here]2011-11-27T20:50:47Z2011-11-27T20:50:47ZReason one million and one why I love James Brown! Yes the God father of sOuL ;) And Yeah the initial story on the interview is lame, but how he directs the conversation to what he wants to talk about is classic and always makes me laugh!!

 

 

]]>-http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/11/11/soul-the-unspoken-word-out-now-nobody-gave-soul.html[Your Name Here]2011-11-11T19:00:49Z2011-11-11T19:00:49ZsOuL: The Unspoken Word

OUT NOW!!

Nobody gave sOuL permission to make his brand of Hip-Hop, and he likes it this way. His sophomore release


“The Unspoken Word”


is a 7 track EP, that is equally political, futuristic and eclectic. Aptly named The Unspoken Word as the cure for an artist haunted by a 1,000 half written songs, but chose 7 to capture the sore of police brutality in a city with sleepless nights, pondering triumph and time travel – amongst other things. Sparked by the tragic events of a black youth murdered by local transit police in his hometown of Oakland, CA, the need to escape the expected rap narrative appeared, and The Unspoken Word was born. The album features production by Headnodic (Crown City/Mighty Underdogs), Woodstock (Crown City), Official (New Zealand), Kevin O'Dea and sOuL himself. For a limited time you can download the album for $3 from the sOuL Bandcamp page, or listen to it entirely for free from this page as well:


http://s-o-u-l.bandcamp.com/album/the-unspoken-word

 

 

 
Wanna share your thoughts on the album? Please reach in the comments section below or elsewhere on the web:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/soul11525
Facebook : www.facebook.com/soul11525

]]>Occupy Oakland - series 1http://www.11525.com/soulsblog/2011/11/8/occupy-oakland-series-1.html[Your Name Here]2011-11-08T07:00:22Z2011-11-08T07:00:22Z

 

 

A couple of pieces that were going to go in the return envelope to those who like to solicit a lifetime of debt to working class folks. i looked at these and thought they looked better on the wall for a sec, than in the mail slot of usps. I love my city. I love how there's a pulse in this place that is awakening and saying enough is enough. People often say "what does occupying a public space do to change things?" (which I feel is a valid question) but I feel like "what does sitting at home complaining do to change things?" Of course this assumes that one wants change in the first place, but the point being (organically speaking) social movements need not be perfect, but in their imperfection is something greater - people affirming their humanity in having a voice, in not taking the status quo as the defacto "reality" that must grind our will down to bare bone from being over or under-worked, drowning in debt, capitalism at the expense of the planet, animals (yes you humans are one of many animal species) wars that have no spiritual or moral high ground and a future that isn't our own vision. These are things that can no longer go on with the silence of the many who carry it's burden, if we are to say we truly live in a democratic society that is. I'm just sayin...

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