check the rhime ...

What’s good Family?

I’m knee deep in the zone over here in my world.

Editing a book is much like mastering an album. Not that I’ve personally mastered an album but I used to be an emcee in another one of my former lives and was very much a studio rat so I’ve engineered through osmosis. Much like the engineer or producer allows the track time to expresse itself my eyes scan for rhythm in word.

I have this hip hop/friendship theory and Boo (Boo I wrote a book and you’re in it!) was the confirmation of that theory. In short if we agree certain albums are fundamental we'll naturally link up by the Jedi-b-boy-force. The Low End Theory dropped at an important period in my slacker life, still early in my smoke career when the whole idea had the new car smell. Back when Verses from the Abstract rattled my whip and I hadn’t yet recognized the sharp curve road signs along the path. When Boo and I chopped it up in the day room up in the mountains of Pennsylvania almost twenty years ago our mutual admiration for A Tribe Called Quest started the conversation. ATCQ is such an important group, pure Hip Hop strong enough to provide a conversion point in two versions of twenty-something reality.

Back then I was too immature to recognize the tone of my inner voice, which was compounded by a reluctant focus towards my own potential energy. I just hadn’t figured out how to be me yet. The book (DSC) is like the music of my human relationships harmonized through memory, my libation for those who travel with me in spirit.

Peace & Blessings,

M

“You on point, Tip?”
“All the time, Phife.”

S*** is real ...

Peace & blessings family,

I know it’s a tad bit late but … Happy Father's Day!

Can you think of another awesomely under appreciated and hot button topic of a "holiday"? I think no other compares. On Father’s Day most Dads are sent to the background in place of angry and bruised memories of men who abandoned their post. Single Mother’s who carried the load are ushered to the front for a shared bill on the marquee. As a Dad I work hard to protect my son’s against swindlers and imposters that filter in front of their eyes. I know first hand how much time is stolen when it’s wasted in the procession of the unproductive.

My father ran a rehab center. 35 Chestnut Street was his first one. That was the house I came home to as a newborn. As I grew up I was convinced my life was void of adventures and empty of characters. I felt it wasn't as vivid as tales spun by the addicts who fought their way to recovery in my father's program. Back then I didn't see life’s contradictions and complications as a process towards my humanity. Time taught me that life is tragic, hope filled, explicit, and blessed. The Divine Sinner Chronicles is my Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die, and 36 Chambers. It is the reflection from a sketch of my past and insight into my future. Some stories have been shifted to protect the guilty but it’s reality as I knew it and lived it.

So now more than ever the word of the day over my life from me for me for my life is ... Consistency. Consistency is the route from writer to author, tenacity will get DSC off of my laptop and on to bookshelves world wide.

Today as we delve back into the Golden Era I leave you with my main man Mic Geronimo. When this joint came out back in ’94 we still made gritty walk-a-bout videos with blunt guts and assault rifles for all to see without self-edited blur outs. Much has changed in Hip Hop but we must leave more for another time.

I roll up & park it like everyday is a 420 holiday …

Blessings,
M

I am Legend ... Almost

What’s good family? 

I pray you’re all well.  And I’m glad you’re back for another visit into my smoke filled thoughts. 

I’ve edited about half of the book on hard copy so far and like what I’m working with.  It wasn’t like that at first.  After we printed the first draft, it (the manuscript) simply sat on the glass table in my bedroom for maybe three days.  I’m sure you all have the same type of table in your room … the-everything-table.  Mine holds old ticket stubs, prints outs from work, coupon clippings and of course clothes.  I couldn’t bring myself to read it.  I wanted to enjoy the moment because once I started the edit process the paper would bleed.

But now I see a clear path and know exactly what is needed for the project to polish. In my last post I sounded a bit desperate for the attention of a lovely agent.  Now, I still want some attention but I’m ready to take it slow.  Maybe some sample chapters as a first date to see if we like each other.  Before a more serious move like an introduction to family members, the truth is I need a bit more time to shape this book.  So the twenty or so query letters that are in the cyber universe will have to suffice.

Actually DSC wasn’t the first vehicle I started with.  My first idea was named the God of Grace and pulled from my time in seminary.  But then I realized no one wanted to read that shit, I mean I didn’t even finish Seminary.  I dropped out four classes short of my Masters but that wasn’t the right path for me.  To be a little more transparent I was a youth pastor at one point in a prior life … I’ll give you some time for that to settle in.  As a PK (Pastor’s kid/Preacher’s kid/aka Ministry kid) I figured I could run for only so long before I had to give into the family business.  When I received my credentials I became the sixth or seventh generation in my family to throw on the minister’s collar.  It’s a good thing that idea went away though because I would’ve had creditability issues on that one.  I probably would’ve quoted Marcus 4:20 too many times …

The next idea was a graphic novel, which is still on the idea board with three chapters written.  But Science fiction wouldn’t have been a good first book for me, mainly because a fictionalized version of my life is way easier to write.  And with that The Divine Sinner Chronicles was born. If you’ve spent time talking with me you know I preach the message telling your story and chasing your dreams.  This book is the collaboration of both. 

Any good strip tease pulls a little back so here is where I put some clothes back on …

I will be away on Jus’ fifth grade camping trip until Tuesday so I hope to post again after I survive being the male chaperone.  I will however be throwing up some pics and stuff via Twitter (http://twitter.com/MarcusSmalls) please follow … as long as my celly isn’t cut before I get back and pay my bill.  The life of a broke writer on his way to a wealthy Author …  

Tonight’s a daily double.  I was listing to Ready to Die while editing tonight and Big Poppa is simply one of the tightest songs ever.  You can actually pick any BIG verse and dissect it for dopeness but we’ll do with this one tonight because I love the video. And the other is my dudes Black Moon with How Many MC's.

It’s the Smalls baby/who you think it’s suppose to be … 

And if you don't know, now you know ...

What’s good family?


In my last post I said I would try to post daily. I ask for your forgiveness and also ask that we don’t dwell on my broken promises. How about I promise to be consistent that’s a more attainable goal to hold myself to.

I have however been hard at work editing the first draft of the manuscript. The stages of writing a book seem never ending but I learn important things about myself at every stop. Like when I started I thought I could circumvent the process by writing my query, synopsis and proposal first. Then I learned that fiction doesn’t need a proposal. Taking a shortcut sent me the long route. And I’m not sure I feel any stronger about the query or synopsis because everything is done in such a vacuum. The only feedback I’ve received so far from the world of literary agents is silence, which compounds my financial desperation. The literary world feels somewhat elitists and I based that on a few factors. 1) I think I’ve found ONE person of color so far in the land of agents. 2) It’s 2010 and some of the larger agencies still ask you to submit via hard copy with a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to send your shit back with if they don’t like it. I don’t know about you but I can’t afford to send some company stamp money when I can use the Internet just the same. Feels like they want to help me self-select. And 3) I can't wrap my head around the idea that I need to spend money I don’t have right now to go to any number of conferences to hear them (agents) speak about the industry while starving writers (me) hang on their every word in hopes of an invitation to submit.

Meanwhile I just want to get into the jam cuz damn I know I’ll slam.


So with my cloud of witnesses and the weight of the dreams of my family on my shoulders I persist. In the immortal words of Puff I can’t stop, I won’t stop.

In honor of calling those things that are not as if they were I’ll leave you with B.I.G.’s Juicy. The street manifesto for the brother on the come up. In this video they were clearly showing us the lifestyle they wanted to live before they really had it. Dreams. Never let them go and never let THEM convince you to do so.

Spread love that’s the Brooklyn way …

M

Ill+matic ...

Hello family,

I'm back again. I won't bother us with hollow apologies because i have a legitimate excuse for my absence. I've put the pen to paper and finished the book. The Divine Sinner Chronicles first draft is complete! It's a novel inspired by true event in my life from childhood up to 1994. I took the Memorial Day weekend to celebrate with most of my family back in the hometown of Norwalk. It's been a crazy ride writing this book.

I've pledge to post daily (pray my strength in the Lord) to update the world at large about the process and journey of taking this book from my laptop to bookshelves across the globe. Dreaming big with flat pockets.

I've already finished the paper edit of the first three chapters, so I'm liking my pace right now. I'm also sending out the query letter. The query letter is the bane of my existence. I've worked it off and on for the past three years now ... it drives me crazy. I've purchased my copy of 2010 Writer's Market a while ago and got advice from my writer friends but I still can't say I feel I've nailed it. I know they'll like the book if they would only read it but the query is the bridge. It's like the first song on the demo tape. You're still alive if they want to hear the next joint. I know it's a numbers game so I'll remain persistent in sending five query letters a day in due diligence.

Now the reason Nas & Damian Marley are the lead on this post is because their new project. If you know me personally you know Nas is in my top 3 of artist in any genre of music. Illmatic is such an important album in my life. 1994 was an important time in my life, a crossroads and Illmatic was the soundtrack in my ears. '94 gave me a few classics ... we'll the stop the train here. I don't wanna give it all away in one day. Small steps, baby steps ...

Enjoy this piece about the Distant Relatives project.

420 is everyday ...

M