Never Know Who You're Gonna Meet...

It sucks that I can no longer post while I'm work, so I'll have to try a little harder to be proactive since I'll sort of be a day behind. But anyway...

As much as I gripe about living in NYC there are great benefits to living here that just cannot be ignored; and considering my love for music, few places can do it better than the good ole Concrete Jungle. I must admit that growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, you could count on traveling to Cleveland, Pittsburgh or some other faraway metropolitan area to catch your favorite recording artist while they're on tour. And don't even think about catching one of them at a local club or lounge (translation = bar) because they were just passing through the city. Or what about finding the latest Foreign Exchange album I politely asked Spanish Harlem to get me for Christmas? Doubt it. I'm not knocking my hometown per se, but it is what it is. Living in NYC, I get to experience its great musical cultural without searching long and wide. I can easily find good music everywhere I go (and most nights right in my living room). But perhaps the best part for me is that as mainstream music becomes less tolerable with each passing day, the phenomenal underground music scene that exists here in the city is like finding a new diamond in the rough every week.

Thanks to the PR internship I had over the past several months with a very cool music, art & fashion collective in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, I constantly met those diamonds--interesting folks who I would later discover were very talented. And what was really refreshing to me was instead of coming off as annoying and "Look at me, look what I do," I met and networked with down-to-earth people, who may have had something to prove but didn't shove it in my face. I DIG it.

So, when I recently shook hands with MeLo-X at the gallery opening for the extremely gifted artist, Lichiban, it was a few days later before I found out MeLo-X was a really dope hip-hop artist (I'm late, I know). In fact just last week I was into my daily routine of reading SoulBounce.com, when I came across a posting reviewing his latest mix-tape, Mustafa's Renaissance. I had no idea! Not only did the review give the release much praise for

"not only repping hard for Brooklyn, but for bringing the realness back to music in general,"

but I also listened to the two tracks tagged in the post and liked them—immediately. For me this is saying a lot, because I rarely like new music on the first listen, even sometimes when it's my favorite artists. And not just on SoulBounce, but numerous blogs have been showing Mustafa's Renaissance much love, so take this post as further confirmation that it's worth checking out. Featuring Print, Theophilus London, Jesse Boykins III, Mickey Factz (who are all dope and have been creating quite a buzz in their own respect) amongst others, this is talent well worth your funds—BUT—Merry Christmas, the mix-tape can be downloaded online for free. And where I come from, diamonds are never free, so jump on it!

The night MeLo-X and I met, it was a brief encounter, but should we meet again I'll be happy to give him props for sharing the kind of hip-hop that I wouldn't have minded spending my few dollars during this doggone recession to cop. Today's lesson: Always put your best foot forward, you never know who you're going to meet. So go ahead and follow me to the link to download Mustafa's Renaissance, and check out the promo video below!

Shout out to the folks at YUME!

Forgive The Pitiful Blogger In Me...

Hello Hello All!!

I know I must be some kind of pitiful blogger to take two hiatuses shortly after introducing myself to blog-world, but what can I say? Miss Concrete Jungle is a human being, 'so take meeee..as I ammm..or have no-thing at alllll...' Haha...but truthfully for anyone who has taken an inkling of interest in my writing, I appreciate you, and it is because of you (and folks who haven't seen the blog yet) that I'm doing this.

The short story I posted earlier gives you an idea of what I've been doing lately, and I hope you enjoy it and future stories as well. I've been working on a few stories that have been sort of therapeutic and I decided to share them, because maybe they'll somehow shed insight for someone else. There are many aspects of this life that require our attention, but it seems that nothing hits home quite as universally as love and relationships. I felt I could use a different perspective to discuss the facets of love and relationships in a way that comes naturally to me, so once again--I hope you enjoy.

On another note as you can see, the blog has a new look, but I doubt it will remain for long because I kind of detest pink (smile), so I'm trying out a bunch of new templates to see what look I like the best. Spanish Harlem had found one that hit my Concrete Jungle theme on the head, but the stupid thing wouldn't work ::grrrr::

So if anyone out there knows where I can find some decent templates, I can offer a very gracious thank you!!

I also have an e-mail address that doesn't put Government on blast, lol, so I encourage you to hit me up with any questions, comments or suggestions. Simply drop me a line at missconcretejungle@gmail.com, I love getting e-mails!!

Until next time check out a song I've been singing non-stop for the past 48 hours from Foreign Exchange. One of my favorite blogs SoulBounce.com put me on to them, and I trust you'll enjoy them too!

Now let me head to bed before I call out sick tomorrow!!

"I'm an Artist, So I'm Sensitive About My Shyt..." Vol.1 2nd Ed.

DISCLAIMER: I have no idea how this will be received, but a sistah is trying something new. It's a long post, but it is actually a short story (lol, makes sense right?) I've been working on that is not finished. Please let me know what ya think!

“Babe we’re sinking, and I’m scared,” she said weakly, nearly whispering. To voice her fear out loud was much too unnerving to speak at any higher volume. She then pulled away from their embrace and brushed past him toward the corner of the room to sit in the oversized peapod chair by the window. The big, brick-colored cushion was her favorite spot in the apartment as most days she loved to either look on as neighborhood children played at the park across the street without a care in the world, or snuggle up with a good novel. But today it was dreary and raining. And as she watched droplets of water roll down like angry tears, she could feel the cold of winter approaching through the window. From what she could see, the park was empty and for once reading a book couldn’t transport her to a life outside her own. I’m so not in the mood for poetic justice right now.

So she instead turned from the window to look back at him, but his back was still to her. She almost hoped he would ignore her. Or maybe he’d regard her statement as if she’d said she were hungry because at least that was a problem with an easy solution.

“I know babe, I’m scared too.” As much as she respected his honesty, she had to admit her heart dropped just a few notches.

“So what are we going to do?” And as soon as the words left her mouth she hated herself for knowing the answer.

“I don’t know.” He’d said it with such finality, with no thought or consideration that the look in her eyes hardened though she silently willed her expression to not follow suit.

He was so beautiful inside and out with a heart of gold, inviting, innocent eyes and a naturally strong build, yet his honey-brown skin was smoother than should be allowed on any grown man. The first time they’d been intimate, she ran her hands back and forth across his shoulder muscles in wonderment of the silkiness she felt beneath her fingertips. A year and a half later his skin was still her favorite feature and she loved him so hard it ached to face him now. Still, she searched his eyes for another answer; preferably one that was black and white, because ‘I don’t know’ was much too gray. She could look to her left to the outside to get all the gray she needed but right now she needed words that were going to help her hold on a little longer.

“Babe, I know you’re tired of having this conversation, because Lord knows, so am I. But this time I said I was scared. I feel like I’m trying to be Superwoman, and it ain’t hardly workin’.”

“Well, what else do you expect me to say? I told you I’m trying as hard as I can to get us out of this situation, and I also told you it would take time!”

He did ignore her scared statement and she was well aware that the conversation was plenty old, but she couldn’t help but bring it up. Things had gotten to the point where the anxiety built up in her chest so heavy that at times it felt like a ball of fire was rolling back and forth with no way out. The worrying thoughts running through her mind made her head pound more forcefully with each passing moment.
This can’t be healthy. Who has time for a heart attack at 23?
She thought maybe she’d feel better by expressing her feelings as her friend Adrienne had suggested, but she couldn’t see how all this ‘expression’ was leading to any progress.

He noticed her pinching at the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger and realized a headache was on the horizon.
Damn, I hate seeing her like this. She tries so hard to hold me down, but how do you admit to your woman that you’re having a hard time pulling your own weight?
With his long strides, in two steps he was across the room and at her feet where she sat holding out his hands for her to grab. She didn’t look up but did take hold of his hands, so he counted that as a good sign.

“Babe,” he started softly and then stopped to collect his thoughts. He figured as long she still touched him and referred to him as Babe, the simple yet affectionate nickname they both shared with each other, he’d do the same as if they were still on safe ground with one another. However, deep down he knew their days of civil discourse about their financial woes were numbered, and that he’d better step up—fast.

Have you or a friend ever been in a relationship where money issues got in the way of love? How did you handle it? What advice did or would you give to someone going through it?

"Money is a sad reason to be together, or not be together..." Angela Bassett in How Stella Got Her Groove Back