#like i get they only wanna showcase the 'popular' species

[glynder]

more people need to love fish i think

[casualmaraudering]

Remus groans as he hears the unmistakable ‘clink’ of a camera shutter. 

A moment later, he sees a bunch of ginger hair, right by the floor, slowly peeking out from the doorframe. After his hair come his eyes, and he stays that way, his head sideways, just glancing at Remus - who can’t help but laugh at it. Fabian is not, by any means, a small man - he’s tall and muscular and broad - so it is quite funny to see him crouched up on the floor, doing… well, whatever he might be doing. 

Fabian’s camera peaks from the doorway, and he takes another photo.

“What are you doing?”

There’s no reply. Just a raise of a brow, and another click of the camera.

Remus just sighs with a fond smile to his face, and comes back to what he was doing - which is making a blanket fort on the floor. It’s fall, which means it’s getting quite cold, and Remus keeps trying to find new ways of getting cosy. He likes to be warm, he likes to be comfortable, he likes to cuddle with Fabian while reading a book and sipping on a pumpkin spice - and he’s on his period, so curling down on the floor has a particularly great appeal today.

Once he’s done putting away all the pillows and blankets (inside the tent made out of bed sheets that Remus begged Fabian to help him make earlier today), he gets to the more important task - setting them all up to work out the maximum level of comfort.

While he does that, he notices that Fabian slowly moves from the door to peeking from behind the bed - mind you, he moves there while slowly crawling on his knees, coming to a sudden stop every time Remus looks directly at him.

Once Fabian takes his spot from behind the bed, he peeks out, once again with the camera closely to his face, snapping another photo.

“And here, ladies and gents and others, we see a wild Remus,” Fabian starts reciting, in this monotone, yet somehow still entertaining tone of nature documentary narrator. 

“Oh, is that what we’re doing?” Remus asks with a laugh.

“I’m just doing my job,” Fabian replies quickly, whispering, as if he wants Remus to know this isn’t part of the game that he’s clearly not done playing.

A game clearly related to his job, him being a  wildlife photographer - something he loves incredibly and has a very clear passion for. While Remus supports him all the way, the more popular Fabian gets in his field, the more people hire him, sometimes for trips that last weeks, if not months at a time, just to get a singular photo of one particular moment. They manage fine whenever they have to go long distance, but no matter what, Remus loves to have his boyfriend home.

He had, in fact, just returned from his last trip a few days ago - he spent five weeks in Brazil, taking photos of the birds native to the area, and promised to show them all to Remus today (he had no chance to do that since he returned, seeing as they honestly spent all their time in bed until this morning). Remus is the only one allowed to see literally all of the photos - Fabian has a plethora of rejects, of course: photos that are blurry, missing the animal that he was supposed to capture, or are, generally, unappealing. Remus likes looking at all of them, though. Especially that Fabian always has something to say about every single one of them.

Now, though, he seems very entertained pretending Remus is some wild animal that he needs to photograph. Remus doubts he talks this way when taking photos of actual animals, though.

“A Remus is also known as a Moony, though that name isn’t official,” Fabian continues, making a show out of peaking out from various parts of the bed, snatching photo after photo. “During fall, a Remus enters its nesting period - as a warm blooded creature, it must work to maintain a comfortable temperature. Its nest is usually made up of pillows, blankets, and its mate’s sweaters.”

Remus laughs, feeling his cheeks heat up.  He didn’t think Fabian noticed he was wearing his sweater.

“It’s easily distinguishable by a few key features - a very messy nest of hair on the top of its head, changing in colour depending on the mental state on the individual-”

“Ha ha,” Remus says dryly - though, he’s still smiling. His hair happens to be purple right now, an impulse decision he’s made while Fabian was away. So what if he happened to dye his hair whenever he was vulnerable?

“Another one of its key features is just a scattering of freckles on its nose - not too much, enough to count them. This particular specimen we’re observing today has exactly 27.”

“Come here,” Remus says, cocking his head.

“It seems like this Remus is friendly,” Fabian keeps up the commentary,  peeking out enough so Remus can see the grin on his face. “Which Remuses often are during their courtship display.”

“Courtship display?”

“A Remus attracts a mate in many ways, including showcasing its sweater paws, biting its lip, and excessively quoting Jane Austen novels.”

“Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”

“What a fantastic example!” Fabian says, with so much excitement in his voice as if he just saw an animal that was thought to be extinct. “A little known fact is that a Remus mates for life. And this specimen seems to already have a mate, judging by that interesting accessory on its finger. Within these species, this is considered a sign of a mated individual.”

“This mated individual would love it if his mate took his laptop and showed him the photos he promised to,” Remus says, leaning back and watching Fabian. He missed this so damn much  when Fabian was in Brazil.

Fabian laughs, and crawls towards him - still on his hands and knees, which is honestly both ridiculous and, somehow, adorable. 

“You done with your documentary, Mr Wildlife Photography Man?”

Fabian settles next to Remus and leans down to kiss him, smiling against Remus’s lips. 

“You’re far more interesting than anything I’ve ever taken pictures of.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, sir.” 

 Fabian laughs, and pulls him into his arms, showering his face with kisses until Remus is squirming with laughter.

“Oh, I dunno, it got me into here, Mr Prewett.”

“You’re so fond of saying that,” Remus comments - he’d lie if he said he doesn’t love to hear it, though.

“Well, duh. I like to make everyone remember you’re mine.”

Remus rolls his eyes with a smile, and kisses Fabian again, sighing constantly at the warmth in his chest, smiling at the familiar feel of Fabian’s lips against his own. They let themselves enjoy it, slowly exchanging kiss after kiss, until they’re both out of breath. They rest their foreheads together, just looking into each other’s eyes for a moment - warm chocolate brown meeting deep sea blue.

“I love you,” Fabian whispers. “And I missed you so damn much.”

“Me too. Those parrots better have been worth it,” Remus jokes, joining their hands together. 

“You wanna see them?”

“Only if you show me all of the ones you just took of me.”

“Deal.”

[classofthetoptrash]

Alright, this a PROPER bio on Mephisto since the last one was shit. (Artwork is by the wonderful @funnylunetta and was gifted to me by the latter. Bless her soul)

Name: Mephisto

Species: Smoke/Shadow Devil

Date of death: Unknown

Cause of death: Unknown

Bio: No one knows for sure if Mephisto died and became a demon or was born in Hell like Charlie. But what people do know is that he's been around for a very long time. The denizens of Hell know him as the Faustian Devil or the Shadow Man. The reason he's called the Faustian Devil is due to the fact that Mephisto is tasked by Lucifer himself to carry out the deals that mortals wish to make with a demon in exchange for power and knowledge. His greatest accomplishment was that of Johnathan Faust, whom he corrupted and damned to Hell. In fact, it's believed that Mephisto is the reason why there are many certain sinners that have been damned to Hell, because they made a deal with Mephisto during their life up in the mortal world in exchange for something greater, only to pay a terrible price. Thus, his deeds created the term known as the Faustian Bargain.

Personality: While at first Mephisto can come off as intimidating and enigmatic, he is in fact quite the opposite. He's depicted as being incredibly charming, polite, friendly, professional and respectful. He is also rather jolly and upbeat with a carefree attitude. Mephisto is also very supportive seeing, giving people a confidence boost whenever they feel lost and are doubtful of themselves. He also embodies the style and class of a true gentleman. Unlike Alastor who exerts an aura of unease and terror, Mephisto gives off a feeling of comfort, assuring the people he's interacting with that he means them no harm. (Unless provoked that is)

Mephisto also has a deep love for Swing/Jazz music, because according to him, the Swing era was the birth of real music. Which is one of the reasons why he wears a suit, tie, and fedora. He is also a big admirer of the popular singers of that era like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and many others. He does also appreciate rock music but mainly the ones that came from the 1920's. Outside from his duties as a business man, one who conducts the deals with humans, he's an accomplished musician, singer, and dancer.

He has the utmost respect and admiration for women. When he interacts with a woman, he is always on his best behavior, and is extremely gentle and polite to them. This doesn't make him a womanizer or a ladies man, which are two terms that he greatly dislikes. When it comes to Charlie, he rightfully treats her as royalty since she's the princess of Hell, as he always addresses her formally like "Your Highness" or "Majesty", even though Charlie insists on just being called Charlie. Even when dealing with people like Katie Killjoy he's remarkably patient, despite Katie's cruel character.

However, despite being a gentle demon, even he has limits; though him being angry is a rarity. Should one cross him or even dare lay harm on his friends or a woman, Mephisto's once gentle and calm disposition, gives way to an incredibly dark and sinister monster. If someone he cares about is harmed, Mephisto "gets rid of them" in the most brutal way possible, showcasing a ruthless, sadistic, and cold sociopath underneath his gentlemanly demeanor. Mephisto could also care less about the chaos that goes on around Hell, particularly the turf wars going on between the powerful demons that roam the Nine Circles. He sees it as a waste and has absolutely no interest in taking over Hell either. Something that demons who are known for their skills of manipulation can vouch for as they could never coax him into joining their cause which has lead to him outright threatening them that there will consequences if they think about doing it the "hard way".

-

And done. Now you guys have proper and better information of my OC. I'll do one on Irene in the future. I've got SO many things I wanna put out with them both. So bare with me.

Mephisto belongs to me

Hazbin Hotel belongs to Vivziepop

[airadam]

Episode 121 : X

"...celebrate like a crooked capitalist..."

- Mr. Voodoo

The podcast reaches a huge landmark this month - the tenth birthday! Thank you to all of you for your support along the way. It's not easy to put together a show month after month, but when I hear from people how much they enjoy listening (especially when they've gone out and bought some of the records), it makes it all worth it.

I hope you enjoy this month's show - there are some rarities, some obscurities, and a bit of an extra-special treat! I've dipped into the vaults for some real personal favourites, so hopefully they're loved outside of the confines of my headphones!

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Run-DMC : For 10 Years

Only a short one, from their comeback "Down With The King" LP - when else was I going to have a chance to play it? :)

Natural Elements : Live It Up

Big 12" from my university days, a period when Natural Elements were already making themselves one of my all-time favourite crews. This track from the soundtrack to the not-particularly-notable film "Black Mask" was also on the B-side to the also-excellent "2 Tons", and that's a vinyl you should be able to pick up very cheaply nowadays on the used market. Charlemagne (the real one) is on the beat, and as with all NE tracks, lyrical quality is guaranteed and delivered.

[Nick Wiz] Shabaam Sahdeeq ft. Cocoa Brovaz : Every Rhyme I Write (Instrumental)

I was almost going to include the vocal version of this track (known to most from the "Soundbombing 2" mixtape), until it twigged how well the beat mixed with the NE track before it. Nick Wiz of that era was a master of blending those staccato electronic sounds with more traditional Hip-Hop drums and bass, and he's still doing his thing today. As an aside, I think me and my man Pascal may be the only two people ever to blast the "Soundbombing 2" tape while barrelling through the Budapest area in an old Trabant. True story.

Mobb Deep : Rare Species (Modus Operandi)

It's already been two years this month since Prodigy passed. For this special episode, I thought it was worth pulling out a lesser-known track which also contains one of my favourite verses of his. Those of you who know this already will be aware that it came out on the soundtrack for "Soul in the Hole" (in the fine tradition of 90s soundtrack records that barely relate to the film), but it's actually a remix to an unreleased tune called "Reach". Classic Mobb dunn business all over, but the start of that second P verse...just too good. Havoc definitely kills it on the beat, with snapping drums over the top of some subtly clever sample work.

Black Moon : Freestyle

I'd forgotten quite how aggro this was! Buckshot is solo on the mic here with that real 90s grittiness over a flawless beat from Da Beatminerz. The "War Zone" LP was very different to "Enta Da Stage" - not as jazzy, definitely a different sound - but is not one to be overlooked.

A Tribe Called Quest ft. Consequence : Mind Power

The first two tracks in this section have been pretty gully, so for the second half we keep the flow sonically but take the lyrical aggression down a few notches. "Beats, Rhymes, and Life" is an LP that had to grow on me, but this track was always up there. The lyrical quality is there, drums are crispy as you like, and it's got a jazzy feel that could easily have fit onto either of their previous two albums. 

DJ Honda & De La Soul : Trouble In The Water

Chilling things all the way out as we come to the end of this section, this is a really good De La track that may have passed some people by. From the second DJ Honda album comes this reflective song, which for me is absolutely made by that first verse, reminiscing on growing up. 

Oddisee : After Thoughts

One of the many great instrumentals on Oddisee's "The Beauty In All" album. I didn't realise until doing some research that this is unbelievably popular on Spotify, which is pleasantly surprising. It's always good to find out that people appreciate quality music that the industry isn't pushing upon them!

Mary J. Blige : Good Woman Down

I only heard this 9th Wonder-produced track recently thanks to an article from the man Gino Sorcinelli, the man behind the excellent Micro-Chop blog. Mary is someone I firmly believe will one day have a film made of her life, and she gives just a small window here on this great song from "The Breakthrough". She's been through a lot, and thank goodness, she's still here and still on her game. 

Agallah : Don't Wanna Be The Last

From around the period when Agallah was doing a lot of work with PCP/Dipset, this has been a drivetime favourite for me for the last three cars I've had! A hard one to find for quite a while, Agallah's 2004 "Doomsday" mixtape is the source for this one. Like the track that follows, if you enjoy hearing the kick drum get busy then this should be right up your street. 

Camp Lo : Cookers

Chuck D tried to tell you - B-side wins again! From the quiet period between their storming debut "Uptown Saturday Night" and their underrated sophomore release "Let's Do It Again", the "Troubleman/Cookers" 12" let the world know that the Lo were still on it! Geechi and Cheeba go back and forth with ease over Ski's beat, one that clearly drew on the EEC kick drum mountain to smack harder than most.

Fat Joe ft. Armageddon : Find Out

Is that DJ Premier on the beat? Diamond D? Buckwild, perhaps? Nope, the legend Marley Marl reminding you that he fathered sampling/beat making in the way that many other great producers would do it today. That delicate acoustic guitar loop withstands an absolute battering from the heavy drums and bass Marley puts on, and Fat Joe has no problem slicing right through the middle or it all. This is from a white label 12", but you really want to pick up the "Don Cartagena" album for this and other gems. 

Roni Size/Reprazent : Out Of The Game

Bristol, stand up! Even in the period when I really didn't mess with much drum & bass, I couldn't deny the "In The Møde" album. This hectic track was one of my favourites, largely off that moody, crime-thriller guitar riff. Smashing along at almost 180bpm, it still sounds masterfully under control.

8 Gold Rings & In The Loop MCs : Tribe Cipher

Here's a special treat for you - big thanks to Agent J and 8 Gold Rings for making it possible to include this month! The much-missed Manchester Hip-Hop club In The Loop was known not just for the great selections from DJ A-Up and Agent J, or the flavoursome hosting of Bedos, but for the monthly ciphers in which local MCs could step up and showcase their skills  - ciphers from which a lot of great local MCs have emerged. Around the time of my "Manchester Marauders" exhibition, In The Loop connected with the then-nascent band that came to be known as 8 Gold Rings, and got them to soundtrack the month's cipher with a set of live renditions of A Tribe Called Quest instrumentals. Here we have just over 20 minutes of that absolutely fire session, with 8GR playing like a live mixtape while the vocalists battle for the month's crown. 

Air Adam : Walk

An old beat I found while having a look through my archives - I couldn't hear an MC on it, but I found it's one I kept listening to so it's perfect for an instrumental bed here!

Geto Boys : Fuck A War

RIP Bushwick Bill. He had one of the more unique career paths, from dancer with the original Ghetto Boys, to MC with the reconstituted Geto Boys, solo releases, and eventually becoming a born-again Christian in a complete 180 to much of his old lyrical content. Right here, we're on the Geto Boys' second LP, "We Can't Be Stopped" (the one with the infamous album cover of Bill after he had shot himself in the eye [content warning]), and he goes solo on the mic putting the first George Bush and the Gulf War on full blast. The third verse goes a little off-piste with the message compared to the rest, and with the hook also being too short to really mix with, I did a little edit to just contain the first two verses and an instrumental outro for a nice blend.

E-40 ft. Keak da Sneak : Tell Me When To Go

"Jesus Christ had dreads, so shake 'em..." Bay Area classic material! For those of us outside the area, this was an anthem for the Hyphy movement, as E-40 and Keak lay down a little of the lifestyle - also illustrated in the wicked video. The first single from "My Ghetto Report Card" is just a certified banger, and guaranteed to make you move something. Surprisingly, the production was actually courtesy of an Atlanta native (crunk heavyweight Lil Jon), and it's almost entirely drums and percussion, with enough energy to make you want to throw something out of the window!

Zapp : Get Up Off The Wall

After the death of the great Roger Troutman, Zapp could have been forgiven for just packing up the whole thing for good. Fortunately for us, they're made of rare stuff, and after a few years off they returned. While they now are primarily concentrated on their live work, at which they are absolute masters, there have also been a couple of albums. "Zapp VI : Back By Popular Demand" gives us this track, with the air of classics like "Dance Floor". The CD is hard to find and incredibly expensive, so there's no shame in just going for a digital purchase here! 

Ilajide : Don't Fake

If you haven't got "Heet Tape" yet, you're really missing out. Clear Soul Forces' Ilajide puts all the bump into reworking a classic 80s sample (which you may recognise, but which I won't name in case it's not cleared) and shows his rhyme skills into the bargain. It's just a genuinely fun track, and the video is in the same vein :)

The Chemical Brothers : Piku

The Chemical Brothers are one of a handful of groups I actually learned about from the old PlayStation game "Wipeout", and who coincidentally started DJing in the same student halls where I started to learn the craft! "Exit Planet Dust" is still my favourite LP from their catalogue, but "Dig Your Own Hole" definitely had tracks as well. This one I'd never paid that much attention to, but after a recent listen - and on realising the classic Motown sample they snuck in there - I was pleased to gain a new appreciation for it and find a spot for it here.

Ice-T & Ice Cube : Looters

Apologies for the sound quality, but here's a real rarity here for you! This was the unreleased title track for the soundtrack of the 1992 film that was eventually titled "Trespass" - until the L.A. Uprising happened. Ice-T and Ice Cube go hard on the mic over a beat that sounds like a Sir Jinx production, though I can't be sure. More so than the final title track (which I'm a big fan of), this one explicitly covers a lot of the plot of the actual film, so if you're trying to be efficient with your time... :) I chanced across this in a London used records shop, but your best chance of getting one of the few white label bootlegs is to hit Discogs.

Ry Cooder & Jim Keltner : King Of The Street

Finally, we close with the final track on the officially-released "Trespass" soundtrack album, a rock/blues (mostly) instrumental number that was a favourite of mine from the first listen! California's Ry Cooder plays many instruments, but on this track he shows his guitar chops alongside the skills of the legendary session drummer Jim Keltner. Aggressive, dramatic, pure flames.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

  Check out this episode!

[djrelentless]

“I Miss The Dream...Martin, Where Are You?”

January 19, 2014 at 10:18pm

It's January 19th, 2014 (Martin Luther King Weekend). I am thinking about how I would be celebrating this holiday back in the states. For over a decade I was the resident DJ for the longest running Tea Dance in New York City at Escuelita. And every year I made it my mission to create a mixed CD that gave a message of hope and freedom. But after spending most of my time in Toronto after getting married to a Canadian, I have had to get used to the people of color here being of a different background. Remember, my experience is that of an African-American. They do celebrate Black History Month here.

This year has been even more interesting. The headlines and buzz on the news and internet have been choked full of racial and anti-gay incidents. From Madonna taking to Instagram using the n-word to The Bachelor and Sherri Shepherd sharing their views on gays…..it feels like we are moving backwards while all these steps have been taken to go forward.Human Rights and Racism are dividing countries everywhere. And I can't help but wonder what Martin Luther King would have thought about the world today. King never said he was for Gay Rights, but he did work with a major homosexual by the name of Bayard Rustin who organized the march on Washington D.C. where King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech.  

I mean….just as I think how far the United States has come by electing its first African-American President, the harsh reality of how much hate is still in the world keeps me from seeing how things have changed. Just look around. I thought it was so innovative that B. Scott was hired by BET (Black Entertainment Television) and now Scott is suing the network for discrimination after they asked him to put on men's clothing so no one would think he was female. We have world leaders like Russia President Vladimir Putin and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni coming out against the LGBT Communities in their countries. Thank God that Museveni vetoed the bill that would put homosexuals to death, but still called them "abnormal". Studies show that homosexual behavior has been found in over 1500 species. Yet homophobia is found in only one.

So, then I started thinking about what "The Dream" speech meant to me. I believe it inspired me to do my best to support equality. It inspired me to be the ambassador for my people. I believe that everyday when we leave our homes we are ambassadors for our people. Be your people black or white. Be your people gay or straight. You are a representation of your community and what you do in that day and space is a representation of your people. So, I always try to remember that I am a Black Gay HIV+ Man. My very existence…..me being a productive member of society……it all speaks volumes about me and my people. I try to always do the right thing.

For example, since I have been in Canada I have spoken out about racism in the gay community. And both times I have been attacked online, called names and told that I am wrong for expressing my outrage over injustice. Fortunately for me I have not had to endure the violence that Dr. King and his supporters did, but character assassination was just as hurtful. I am grateful for all those who have stood up before me and fought this battle for equality. And I try to remind everyone that activism starts with you. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a huge fan of RuPaul, but early in his career he said one of the most poignant statements: "The biggest political statement you can make is being yourself." So, if you are true to yourself and you don't hide who you are you are making a political statement.

Then I got to thinking about the racial barriers that I have broken. As a DJ, I became the first African-American DJ to spin at many venues that only employed white DJs. For this I have been accused of being a sellout or a wanna-be-white DJ. But many people and artists laid the groundwork for change by being the first. Louis Armstrong was called an "Uncle Tom" for his appearances at all white clubs and in films of his time. So, when I became the first black DJ at The Monster in Greenwich Village it was actually a big deal. I spun for the people who were there. All though the club only hired white or hispanic DJs, they never catered to their black clientele. I played for everyone in my room and I tried to be as inclusive as possible. That's how you build a night. That venue would never be the same. I got fired for playing Hip Hop. Today, they have all kinds of DJs playing Hip Hop for the floor downstairs in The Monster. I was only there for a short time, but I helped re-format that place and got them to change with the times.

Now, I appreciate Hip Hop as a form of the African-American experience, but I am still torn about the use of the n-word. Part of me leaving a gig recently had to do with being the only person of color in a room of white patrons singing along with the lyrics of popular Hip Hopsongs that use the n-word. I tried to point that out, but how do you solve a problem when the people involved don't realize there is a problem? If you have never been discriminated against how can you be expected to empathize with the plight of a person of color? WhenOprah asked Jay Z about the use of the word he stated that "Hip Hop tells stories that the police don't want you to hear." I am all for expressing oneself, but when your words reach around the world shouldn't your words be chosen carefully and represent the collective. The hatred behind the word "nigger" has not changed. No matter how many times you tell yourself that your taking the word back. When other races start believing that because they have a black friend or have a child of color in their family that it gives them a right to use the word, we have lied to ourselves that it is still okay to just run around uttering "nigger" to whoever.

And people like Madonna should know better. I don't care if you have adopted kids fromAfrica or how much black dick you have taken (sorry for being rude, but it's the truth), you are not entitled. There's too much history and pain associated to that word for too many people. I am married to a white man. We do not speak to each other with racial slurs. Out of respect for ourselves and our relationship, we cannot speak to each other like that. We have so much to learn from each other about our lives and cultures. I would hope that the rest of the world could learn that instead of finding new ways to divide everyone.

It wasn't until 2001 that I discovered how racism had evolved. It was my first trip to Londonand it was my first time ever hearing the racial slur, "sand nigger". The other day I ran into a friend who had never heard that term before and was called it to his face. His lover punched the guy and later had to explain what it meant. The sad part is that my friend had decided early on to change his name because he did not want people to discriminate against him because of his heritage. He told me that his teenaged daughter identifies herself as Araband he couldn't be prouder. Represent who you are….always.

As a performer, my alter-ego Jade Elektra tries to break down racial barriers with what a drag performer of color is supposed to be and look like. I have worked in bars and clubs since 1985. I have performed in and watched a lot of drag shows in my years. When I first started, I used to do a lot of Millie Jackson material (mainly because of her monologues really showcased my lip syncing skills). For those who don't know very much about Millie Jackson, she was a very popular R&B singer from the 70's and early 80's and she uses the n-word as a dialogue to speak to her black audience. When I first started female impersonation my early audiences were predominantly black. So, I never gave it another thought. It wasn't until I left Tampa, Florida for New York City that I started performing for a more diverse audience and it occurred to me that my choices of material was a direct reflection of me and where I came from. I wanted to reach a bigger audience and also tell my stories of where I came from. I still occasionally pull out a Millie Jackson track, but I now give a disclaimer about the n-word. Telling the audience that this is part of my history, but not in my everyday vocabulary. My mother (who was an English major in college) always told me to always be articulate when expressing yourself. People judge you by how you speak and what you say.

But it is hard to explain to Canadians about celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday when there are such disregards and disrespect for the man when his own people make flyers for club nights that have nothing to do with his legacy.

http://www.bet.com/news/national/photos/2014/01/twerk-for-mlk-the-worst-martin-luther-king-jr-party-flyers.html#!011615-national-mlk-martin-luther-king-day-fliers-2

I am not naive to think that every event that was held this weekend was really to honor Dr. King. It is still a business. But when Harmonica Sunbeam, Sugga Pie Koko and myself did our Tea Dance at Escuelita we had contests to see who could recite King's "I Have A Dream" speech. We tried to make sure that the entertainment that night reflected and represented our Black Gay Community and their belief in what that speech meant. And 'til this day, I always try to put a message of love, hope and freedom in my music.

When my uncle, Herbert King was teaching me about being a DJ and programing music back in 1980, he always said that you have make sure that you believe in what you are playing and to always know material to tell a story. So, when I do a mix set, I am not only playing for your listening ear but also for your subconscious. My cousin, Tarkesha introduced me to a site called Mixcloud and now I have found a great way to share my music and ideas. I did a mix this year for Martin Luther King and I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/martin-luther-king-weekend-mix-2014/