Time

Okay. Alright. The time has arrived. I've gone and finally decided to release my first-born child, known as the $port Report- Episode 1. On the outside, it may seems as if it is another album on the market. But, those close to me know that it is indeed so much more. They know that it is only the beginning, a microchasim of what I hope achieve in this life of mine.

The album itself is comprised of 25 instrumentals. It came together over the course of the last two years, all the way up until about four or five months ago. This album has been a way for me to deal with the things around me, both good and bad. Music has allowed me to become a better person. It has managed to allow me to mature exponentially. It has allowed me to become more aware of my own existence more than ever before. Music has helped me to further define the impact I would like to leave on this world. And the $port Report is a time capsule of all of these realizations. At first the notion of me making an album was only fodder to keep people off of my back once they heard that I had taken music seriously. The excuse of me making an album was a good defense mechanism for people who wanted beats, but I felt weren't necessarily *ahem* fit for what I had crafted. After a while, I started to notice a certain cohesion amongst each beat. I was beginning to discover my sonic niche, and it felt good. So the only way to continue this awesome feeling was for me to go on and really create an album.

After much cropping and picking, I had decided I was finished. If anyone could tell you just how much it took for me, it would be Ro. He basically heard the album come together track for track via MSN Messenger. These impromptu listening sessions, along with extended conversations about the music itself, further pushed me to strive for something greater than myself. In a nutshell, you all have Ro to thank on some level. At times, his constant encouragement had been exactly what I needed to keep pressing on. Thanks, mang.

There were those times where I just knew that I had been done and ready to release it all in full. When these moments would present themselves, I had always managed to find a way to dig deeper within myself and the music to pull out something better than I had done previously. Needless to say, the cutting room floor has amassed a great mess of what could have been. That same mess makes it clear to me that the final cut has a flow that I could have only dreamed of. Out of the many times I've listened to it (and believe me, that's a damn good few) I always find something that makes me believe that I've done the right thing. Whether it be the intergalatic massaging of 'Beat Ya Moon' or the simple boom-bap of 'Peace', each song tugs at my heart strings the way a father feels watching his son score his first basket. That sheer jubilation of creating something that has taken on a life of its own really cannot be explained.

I can only hope that each and every one of you who decide to spend $7 on something that a total stranger has made will find a reason to nod your head repeatedly. While I previously mentioned that this album took almost two years to complete, in essence, it had been making itself my entire life. These songs account for many late nights, early mornings, missed functions, and any other thing you can think of. Once I had begun to see that I really could complete something worth actually calling an album, I began to go full speed ahead, at times leaving things and people behind. My goal had become to impress myself and anyone within earshot of what was coming from that blue box.

If I had to choose favorites the list would go like this (in no order): 'Beat Ya Moon', 'Can Ya', '6:19pm', 'Feel (the peoples' choice) and 'Eeeeeeloooove' for the following reasons:

'Beat Ya Moon'- I had been tinkering with that sample for weeks, and nothing would come about. One night as I lay in bed, it all hit me. I jumped out of bed, and in about 20 minutes, I created an anthem for astronauts everywhere.

'Can Ya'- Ro says it sounds 'like a monster crying'. I've listened to this song for days at a time. The tailoring of the sample and drums is fluent.

'6:19pm'- A lot of chopping and going back and forth. About 8 pieces of one song gave me everything I needed to create a track that I would pawn my own sister to hear Ghostface over.

'Feel'- Probably the most beautiful mess I'd ever make. It's so frantic and hurrying. Cymbal crashes, a stupid kick, and random wailing created a bit of a cult classic.

'Eeeeeloooove'- The track that clearly lets anyone listening see just what Dilla has done for me. The idea was to take this and get that. And I did.

Enough with the crazy psychoanalytical crap. I'm now presenting my baby, the $port Report- Episode 1. Many of you all are so used to getting things for free, so I'm not expecting a great amount of money. Though if it comes to that, I'm SO buying a tiger hoodie and Jaguar. If you're tired of reading, go to the right and click the link to get your copy. I thank you all in advance from the absolute bottom of my heart. If there are any problems with the download, please don't hesitate to notify me so I can deal with them accordingly. And don't forget to leave all jibberish in the comments section.

With regards to all things great,
$port