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2011 Teacher Cadet days. She saw my Trey Songz earrings and put Justin Bieber on hers.

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Binder files: 2005

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June's Diary signed poster from 2016.

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Carl Thomas 💿 Emotional

I associate this cd with 2015. Not sure when I purchased it but that's when I really got into this body of work. I already had his other three releases so this just completed the collection at the time.

I remember skimming through this album on the Rhapsody website one time in high school (2007-2011). There was something going on where you could listen to just about any album for free and easily download. I was so excited to hear because "I Wish", "Summer Rain" and "Emotional" were all my songs. Nothing caught my ear though. Unfortunately, there have been times where I would have certain expectations for how something should sound and if it did not, I wasn't interested. Being that this album was released in the early-mid part of 2000, I wanted to hear a "late 90s-2000s R&B version of Carl Thomas." I completely ignored the fact that the three songs I knew and loved from the album had a classic and timeless R&B sound so of course the album would be the same.

I mainly bought this to complete my Carl Thomas cd collection. I had no idea how much this cd would touch my soul. It truly moved me. I couldn't wait to get in the car and play it, take self-portraits and listen to it and all around elevate during the listening experience. Truly a staple in my collection.

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Baby Mama Love CD Contest from Word Up! Magazine May 2005 issue.

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Binder files: 2005

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Binder: February 2010

I see Valentine's Day was on a Sunday. So this was on my binder either Friday or Monday.

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Binder: February 14, 2011

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Before Trey Songz and B5, it was all about him.

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Back of my lanyard in 7th grade.

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Omarion 💿 O

If I remember correctly, I bought this cd late 2005. It was released earlier that year but I wasn't an Omarion fan nor was I buying cds for myself yet. I didn't care for the song "O" at all. I watched the Access Granted and wasn't sold. He also wasn't my favorite in the newly disbanded B2K. He may have even irked me. Young me. The song and video for "Touch" is what changed the game for me. I watched the Access Granted and was totally sold. The song and video were an instant hit in my world. "Touch" made me look at Omarion as the force he is. "I'm Tryna" combined with his performance at the 2005 BET Awards made me even more of a believer.

I saw him live at the Scream Tour 4 in Oakland, CA August 20, 2005. That was my first concert and one of the happiest times of my life.

I used to visit his website just to listen to "Drop That Heater." That was one of the hardest songs to find and download in full. There was a jukebox at the barbershop my cousin worked at. Someone gave me a dollar or two to play whatever song I wanted. "Drop That Heater" was my choice. I had never heard the full song until then.

After a while, he was always on my binder and on my wall. He had become one of my favorites. I said to myself, I might as well get the album. It didn't blow me away at all after the first listen. It actually took at least five years for me to really take pleasure in listening to the album. Once I started to like it, I was left to wonder what was going on for me not to enjoy it before.

Overall, it was an album that had to grow on me. When it grew, it remained true. Omarion is an artist I revere and "I'm Gon' Change" is one that touches my soul.

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Binder files: 2005

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I drove to Park & Ride, met up with my mom who was getting off work, gave her the car keys, hopped on the bus, hopped on BART and then walked to the Fox Theatre to see this show.

The one thing I remember most about the concert was MikexAngel and his inspiring words while onstage. He encouraged the crowd to believe in themselves because the year prior he was working at Starbucks and Amazon and now he's opening up for Trey Songz. It stuck with me because I had worked at both of those places recently myself.

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April 15, 1996 JET Magazine

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2005 Binder Files

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EBONY Magazine. My mom's collection.