Representin’ (4 Life) by Adrian H. Molina w/ Mannequin Rituals first appeared on Representin’ 4 Life EP in March 2007.  It was re-released on my first full-length album, Up Before the Sunrise, August 2008. 

My main goal with my first EP was to clearly define my work as an artist, to define what I represented. 

Representin’ 4 Life was the first song I wrote and recorded with Mannequin Rituals and CHiTT Productions.  After many years of flowing over other artists’ instrumentals, this was the first beat I could call my own.  Music is fun first and foremost.  But at the end of the day these are my sensibilities as an emcee: substance over blind profitability and consumerism, standing up for social justice, cross-cultural solidarity, a celebration of roots, respect for those who struggle, self-empowerment, and the ability to rise up after getting beat down.

If there is any question, check the selection: I’m representin’… 4 life. 

A.M SOLEIL, RETROSPECTIVELY is a 52-week blog series through which Molina breaks down five years of independent music (2006-2010) one track at a time… the history, the theory, the rhythm, the rhyme. 

Molina – www.molinaspeaks.com

Sometimes I sit on a cloud and think… Me inside of you… you inside me…

A simple but retrospective track, tracing roots, paying homage, showing respect to some of the people, and thus all of the people, who made me who I am.

The art of storytelling boils down to the ability to capture a feeling, to pull in a listener and make them feel you.  To transport them into your world, weaving them seamlessly back into their own world, then back again, in and out, continuously, beyond the story itself.

The premise of You in Me is that I mirror you.  You mirror me.  If you touch me in this life I will always feel you, no matter where you go, regardless of where I wander.  Even if it is only for a moment, even when our ties appear to evaporate, our lives will always be intertwined.  You will always speak through me, and I through you, regardless of whether or not we see or accept the connection.

Like a breeze that curl, a twist of the wind, I could be you, you could stand right here…

Timeless.  Effortless.  In motion.

Share 

Molina Speaks – A.M. Soleil: the morning sun rises. 

A.M. SOLEIL, RETROSPECTIVELY is a 52-week blog series in 2010, reflecting on 5 years of independent music by Molina.

You in Me is one of the new tracks off SOULAJU: Name your price @ http://soulaju.bandcamp.com/album/soulaju

Molina Soleil & Aju (SOULAJU) w/ DJ Icewater 2010

REMIX: The original version of Wrong Ways appeared on Shine Flow EP during the summer of 2009.  That was an Aju story—a journey through cultural transformation and personal affirmation. 

The Soleil Mix is a tale of personal struggle—something everyone can relate to.  Some of us have it rougher than others and circumstances transform us in unexpected ways. 

Though in my twenties, I’ve lived dozens of lives.  I’ve seen a lot through these young eyes.  I’ve worked through many demons, some that continue to haunt me.  Equilibrium is difficult in this life but “happyness” and “success” are matters of balance and perseverance. 

Balance comes with acceptance.  Forgive yourself for your mistakes, no regrets.  Celebrate the difficult moments; do not shy away from the truth.  Forgive your friends and your family members who have done you wrong.  Walk away from folks when necessary, but do not hold hate in your heart.  Celebrate every chapter of your story as you move forward, and offer others the same acceptance you want for yourself. 

This is me at my most honest, no back peddling.  I am often writing for others.  On this track I was writing for myself.  Through all of these struggles I feel good in this skin. 

Shout out to my sister Helen Changthonthip, harmonizing w/ Aju on the chorus.  She was down from day 1. 

Share 

A.M. Soleil: the morning sun rises.  “A.M. Soleil, Retrospectively” is a 52-week blog series in 2010, reflecting on 5 years of independent music, one song at a time.

- Molina @MOLINAspeaks

“Young Brown Poet” by Adrian H. Molina w/ Mannequin Rituals, CHiTT Productions (2008)

Share 

The Journey

Circle back to one of many beginnings.  It was November 4th, 2006.  I had the opportunity to open for Saul Williams at the University of Wyoming.  Will Ross was running sound for ASTEC—the University of Wyoming’s student government sponsored production team.

I knew of Will, having run into him continuously at UW events, but we had never really had a meaningful conversation. 

While running sound, Will recorded my performance on his mini-disc recorder.  Young Brown Poet lit him up, and the next day he emailed the vocal track to Dustin Neal, his fellow band-mate and co-founder of CHiTT Productions.

Out of nowhere, I got an email from Will, telling me to check out a rough mix of Dustin’s vision of Young Brown Poet.  Will explained how he had sent the track to Dustin in the morning, who ran home over his lunch hour and recorded music to the words.  Will mixed it down.

I was floored by what I heard.  Completely unexpected.

I had recently written a great deal of spoken word and lyrical material, trying to figure out how I was going to break into the recording world.  And out of nowhere, there it was—a glimpse into what was possible. 

Will’s recording of “Young Brown Poet” led to the recordings of the Representin’ 4 Life EP, as well as Up Before the Sunrise.

Being the Young Brown Poet

I began performing “Young Brown Poet” as an acapella piece back in 2003.  At  that time, my writings focused almost exclusively on issues of racial tension and injustice, racial stereotypes, and the role that racism plays in American society.

“Young Brown Poet” is an uncompromising challenge to racial stereotypes.  It reaffirms an identity of brownness that is inseparable from my work as a poet within U.S. society. 

As an anti-racist educator, members of my community, including several students, challenged me on this.  Why do you call yourself Mo Brown?  Why focus so much on Brownness?  Isn’t “Young Brown Poet” inherently stereotypical?"

Good questions.

My response is that you cannot eradicate racism by being silent about it.  It is necessary to confront the issue of racism blatantly, honestly, and unapologetically.

With that said I’ve moved beyond the role of playing the angry brown poet.  If you stay in that zone for too long, you become bitter, increasingly distrustful of people outside your race, and you limit yourself, your art, and your ability to interact with other people.

I spit fire all day.  I encourage young people to express their anger about racial injustice and other forms of injustice.  I encourage dialogue.  I push people, personally and professionally, to challenge social isms and schisms, and to be honest about their own isms and schisms.  But I am not limited to this.

Anger is a tool that should be used to channel chaotic energy into something positive, something sustainable.  Over the past decade, I have worked tirelessly to channel my anger into something useful.

“Young Brown Poet” is still one of my favorite poems and recordings.  It has been incredibly useful.

It has been written, and thus I will always be the Young Brown Poet.  At the same time, there is much more to say, and so much more to BE…

A.M. Soleil: the morning sun rises.  “A.M. Soleil, Retrospectively” is a 52-week blog series in 2010, reflecting on 5 years of independent music by yours truly ~

Molina

“Beyond Sundown” by Adrian H. Molina w/ Mannequin Rituals, featuring Day Acoli & Helen Changthongthip, CHiTT Productions (2008) 

Share 

Mass deception, coups d’etats left and right, shared confusion, no way to tell what’s real and what’s fake—a collective inability to ascertain truth from lies because the spin doctors are that good.

Polar ice caps melting, mass global poverty ignored, apocalyptic natural disasters, conspiracies linking what was once natural to what is now claimed to be man-made.  Seemingly no empirical way to make sense of it all, so the masses don’t even try.  They just wait for 2012.

Not that anybody is waiting.  People are awake, in all corners of the world, resisting global dominance by the few, pushing forward with HOPE—an elusive word in an Obama Era of Bush III politics and continued Reaganomics, or Neoliberal economics (as it is known in Latin America), or Neoconservative economics (as it is known in the U.S.), or “unfettered” free market capitalism or globalization, as it is known worldwide.   It’s all the same game: global dominance.

What I’m saying is that it really depends on where you’re at in your head, because this reality really is that schizophrenic.  One day it’s all love, and the next day it’s all fear, and it’s up to you to find the balance therein and stand strong.

“Beyond Sundown” it’s like waking up from a nightmare, over and over and over again, because The Unconceivable layers the air, brick upon brick.  At the end of the day, you look in the mirror and decide which side you’re on, knowing that the question will look and sound different the next day, and the next day after that, and so on and so forth.  But it’s all the same struggle.

Truth, freedom, justice, equality, some sliver of democracy.

And then there is the age-old question: “Would you die for it?”

Today’s question: Would you live for it?

- Molina

Respect to my people at CHiTT Productions, and to Day Acoli and Helen Changthongthip for their contributions to this track and the Up Before the Sunrise project.

Video by Dustin Neal, Mannequin Rituals

Download this MP3 – (Right Click) 

“I strut, I flow, my style I’m all mine / I shine my truth / I chop, mash up time / you work, you grind, you climb with no interlude / your push, your pull, you rise high, it’s all you…”

…the first words heard from my first collaboration with Aju and DJ Icewater.  It was a big shift in style and presentation from the more gritty Up Before the Sunrise album.

“This that indie fly sang, we don’t wait, no label / if suit pick it up ain’t a damn thing change / Fuck big money I’m a do my thang / don’t need corporate to legitimate me…”

As a young independent artist, you make up the rules as you go.  There’s no playbook.  Everything is grassroots.  You are often your own hype machine and your own fundraiser.  You gotta hustle as your own manager, booking agent, accountant, executive producer, publicist, etc.

If you’re really down for the arts and the community, you have to find time in the midst of all this to support other artists, to support the activist scene, to volunteer your time and give back.

Last week, Aju and I made a decision 25th-hour to push the SOULAJU album back after organizing a month-long series of events in Denver to promote the album.  Analyzing it from every angle, it simply wasn’t time… So we had to trust our instincts and be confident in our decision.

Bottom line: you gotta do you and you gotta trust yourself.  Be independent in your thoughts and don’t fall in line with the sheep. 

- Molina

Download this MP3 – (Right Click)

As MLK Day 2010 comes to a close, I am reminded of my responsibility as an emcee.  I walk in many shoes and wear many hats.  I use my music to entertain, to educate, to inspire, to provoke thought, to create controversy.  These lines often intersect and sometimes they become blurry.  I don’t expect everyone to support everything I do.  At the end of the day, I am accountable first and foremost to myself.

“Kite Runner” is one of many stories of how I became an emcee.  Big things come in 2010.  Bigger stages, brighter lights, larger crowds, more opportunities to entertain.  I’m ready for these challenges.  I’m coming with more swagger and a bigger smile on my face.  But I gotta remember where I come from, what made me, and who I represent.

This week’s track is dedicated to Martin, Malcolm, Chavez, Gonzalez, Peltier, countless rebels unnamed, all my people who fight for what they believe in.  This track is for Haiti.  For the forgotten.  Dedicated to all the artists who push themselves to create relevant material.  This is for my folks at CHiTT Productions, for my son and all the kids, for my partner Aju, the homey Josh and my man DJ Icewater.  Thank you for your support.

Molina

“Representin’ Intro”, Representin’ 4 Life EP w/ Mannequin Rituals, CHiTT Productions (2007)

Download this MP3 – (Right Click) 

Circle back to one of many beginnings.  It was 2007 when I released Representin’ 4 Life EP. This intro was the first track the world heard from Adrian H. Molina aka Mo Brown

“Representin’ Intro” is a spoken word track with hardcore Hip-Hop appeal, no music. That’s the style I was putting down most back in 2006, when I penned and recorded the rhymes for this EP.

This was my good mourning to the world of music, and I felt I had something to prove. I was tired of all the empty rap rhetoric about “representin” and “keepin’ it real”. If I was gonna do something with this music, it had to have substance. At that point that meant coming hard, no compromises.

In retrospect, I had no idea what I was getting into. I just bled my heart into what I was recording in my bedroom with my man Will Ross.

I knew absolutely nothing about the business side of the music. I was operating off passion alone, assuming that I would release this cd and everyone would be running down the block to be the first to get their hands on it.

How wrong I was. The CHiTT Productions crew tried to talk me out of investing my money into 1000 discs, accurately predicting that I would be staring at almost all of them six months later, wondering how to get rid of them.

Truthfully, I think I sold like a dozen copies the first week, a couple hundred less than expected. As I reflect, I can only smile at the growth and the lessons in the years that have passed. A lot has changed, including the name, which was Mo Brown at the time.

It’s 2010, and your man Molina is still representin’. The groundbreaking SOULAJU album is on the way. Keep your eyes peeled to sky. There’s plenty more to come.

- Molina

Molina on twitter @MolinaSpeaks

A.M. Soleil Retrospectively is a 52-week blog series in 2010.  A retrospective on 5 years of independent music, one song at a time.