Such a long way to go now…

My feet are tired
And the pain shows
There’s such a long way to go now
Such a long way to go
Gotta be strong
By myself now
Such a long road
My souls so cold
Weaken all my bones
But I gotta work hard
Just to reach my goal
Such a long way to go
So many miles left
But I’m here now

So I guess the past few days have been a wee bit dark on my end. I’ve been a tad dazed and confused. Borderline self-induced breakdown and just at my wits end. I came super close to going the self-pity route, but then five words saved me. Five words and a song to be exact.

I used to play “Long Way To Go” every single morning when I was writing my first mixtape, it kept me sane. See cos thats the thing, I’m losing my sanity. The intense performance schedule, the constant changes, the pressure I put on myself to succeed and exceed expectations. But then before I got on stage last night I read the five words…

“I got ya…don’t worry”

And just like that the magic happened. I felt alive and in line with my star player (im the only player on my team). It felt like the first time again and I sung my soul. I was grateful again. I appreciated every moment. And that’s so important to do. So crucial to keeping it together is remembering why I even bother. Well because its not a bother, its everything to me. Its the one thing I’d do for free, but I don’t have to. I’m lucky.

So this morning I went to my iPod and I loaded it up with one song and I played it and played it and played. So now I’m sharing it with you. It keeps me strong. Because at the end of the day, I still have a long way to go. But I’m at peace with that now. I just have to be patient and persistent.

I am worthy. I am I.

Peace, Love & five words…

TehN Diamond.

FOLLOW THE FLOW – Unstoppable (Remix) (updated w/ video)

You might’ve by now heard the Santogold song “Unstoppable” or at least the remix that Drake & Lil’ Wayne did on the “So Far Gone” mixtape…well if not when I put up tomorrow’s Follow the Flow vid, I’ll post up some links for you lot to follow too.

I just wrote this one about an hour ago, I’ve had the instrumental for a while and always felt like Drake and Lil’ Wayne didnt tell me anything on it, I mean I love their verses but I just didn’t feel they went with a concept. Personally, on a beat like that with a hook like that….I actually have to explain myself a little and let you know just why I gotta be unstoppable. Cos thats how I feel, I feel like i have no choice but to make something outta my passion or a whole plethora of sacrifices and perceived mistakes I’ve made up until this point for this dream would have been in vain.

And I refuse to live in vain. So without any further delay here is the verse. And its about the first of three reasons why I work so hard at my music. The other two reasons are that I have a lot to prove to myself and to my Dad, he’s probably the only person in this world who’s opinion can come even close to breaking me. So yea…here we go.

MY NAME IS TEHN AND YES I AM PRETTY PERFECT //
I HEARD GOD DONT MAKE MISTAKES, AND THATS THE REASON FOR MY WORDING //
DONT CONFUSE IT WITH ABSURDITY OR A SURPLUS IN CONFIDENCE //
WORDS ARE MY ONLY FRIENDS SO IM HERE TO THROW EM A PARTY //
AND IN RETURN THEY GON THROW ME THE BIGGEST SLICE OF THE CAKE //
IF YOU THOUGHT ITS YOURS I AM SORRY THATS WHAT IM COMING TO TAKE//
COS MAMA’S TIRED OF LIVING AND WORK IN THE UK//
C-CARING FOR GERIATRICS NO YOUNGER THAN EIGHTY EIGHT //
SO I TRAVEL AROUND THE GLOBE WITH THIS GIFT TILL IM SO PAID//
SEEN A LOTTA PLACES TOO BUT ITS BARELY A VACA//
TILL SHE CH-CH-CHILIN SIPPIN THE BLOOD OF SOME AGED GRAPES //
OUTTA GOBOLETS OF GOLD ON A BEACH WITH SOME GOLD SAND//
AND IT AINT ABOUT TO TAKE TILL IM NEARLY AND OLD MAN //
OH NO….NOT AT ALL….I’MMA GET IT BY TWENTY TEN (2010)//
SO DONT TRY TO HOLD UP ME THATS LIKE BATTLING MANY MEN //
SO GO PLAY WITH SOMEONE SANE MY AMBITIONS OUT OF ITS MIND//
SCREAMING….

I got to be Unstoppable
I got to be Unstoppable
Ey ey ey ey You don’t like.
Ey ey ey ey You don’t like.

I love the flow on this and im sure when you watch the vid tomorrow you will too. I’m thinking of doing this one to the beat tomorrow…or maybe just making you wait till mixtape…what do you guys think ?

Peace,Love and a whole lotta hugs all round….

TehN Diamond

P.S. As always if you’ve not been following the flow the past twoo weeks you can watch all the videos and read all the verses right here -

- http://www.hashbrowndontfrown.com/?cat=122

Temporary Disturbia

Something doesnt feel right. Dunno if its some kinda doubt creeping in or just a variation of it or what. But I’m feeling funny. I think I’m feeling slack. And this dumb shit happens everytime I try be nice to my body and sleep more. But now its catching up with my sanity.

I don’t feel like I’m doing enough again. I thought with doing the Follow the Flow videos regularly it’d help. But the feeling I’m feeling is not a foreign one. Its the one i felt when I was back home, and didn’t know the next step.

Part anxiety. Part inadequacy. ALL BAD !!

But its cool. Cos I know better than to just crumble and break apart at the seams. Gotta challenge myself. Its no longer enough to just write and post up a video everyday. I need to do more. For me and for anyone who cares I guess.

Its step your game up time. Which when I think of it is my favourite time of the year. I always suprise myself. Like when I first started forcing myself to write at least one verse a day, then three, then five I felt awesome. I’m happy at five, now I think I need to start tieing it altogether more.

I’m excited.

It always feels better to write through these feelings. Now I’m ready to make necessary changes and adjust both my course and my speed accordingly.

Peace,Love & a hardy har har to the suckas who settle for mediocre….

TehN Diamond

FOLLOW THE FLOW – A Bucket Sunday (updated w/ video)

Work hard, play harder ! Thats the ritual. Cos lifes really too short to short change yourself on the fun stuff. With that said here’s a song about the most fun I ever had…naturally it was while I was studying Finance. The more boring and bland the degree the more fun you better have. Trust me.

So its Monday…personally my least favourite day out…my favourite shit is Sunday…pretty much all the most fun of fun times of my life have been on Sunday…..even as far back as when I still felt for religion and did the church thing….them were good days.

But the all time good shit had to be the Bucket Sundays….a little something special me and my fellow Scumbagz in Brissy came up with…

Without a doubt the only way to close out the week and the best way to handle any hangover….it involves the three top hangover cures (and finest sources of the all imporatnt Vitamin G.) I’ve met thus far….and just good good times all round…

1. Get re-drunk…
2. Get some dirty bird in ya…
3. Get lifted….

So here’s the first verse of the song and the hook. This is my drunken sailor song. I haven’t written the other two verses. But I’m thinking that should be my goal for the week. We’ll see. Each verse is gonna breakdown the different sources of Vitamin G.

The weekend can’t stop when it started with a shot of chartreuse //
So its time to find truth in this bucket of goon //
But whats goon…the finest source of Vitamin G. //
The kinda vitamin your gonna need to get over the //
Aches and the shakes that you might’ve got on a Thursday //
Drinking the bar dry like your liver was thirsty //
Part of the reason now that you’re having an UM-DAY //
With nothing better to say but um-um- I’m OKAY //
Oh no you not, let me give you the recipe //
Something to set the tone for this Sunday session //
You put a little bit of ice in the biggest bucket you got //
And a whole lotta that goon I was talking bout at the top //
Its only the cheapest wine you can buy at a shop //
So there’s no need to be shy fill it up to the top //
To spruce it up, add wateva juice you want //
Have a sip of the stuff, now you’re a superstar //

Mondays are only ever good on Tuesday
But only because they lead to Wednesday
Then we getting crushed on Thursday night
Cos Friday’s right around the corner
Saturday…I do anything that I wanna
Get fresh..
Get dressed…
Get all kindsa fucked up…
Wake up….and its “A Bucket Sunday”

Trust me you’ll be singing that hook at the top of your lungs everytime you get drunk, wait till you hear it. Its simple but fun.

Peace, Love & a Goontini for every man, woman and child….well maybe not for the kids

TehN Diamond

P.S. Share this one with any party animals you know, tell them TehN sent ya !

FOLLOW THE FLOW – Say My Name Right pt.2(updated w/video)

Hopefully you caught the verse i chucked up on Wednesday, so you’ll know by now that this is really just me on my kinda half braggadocio staking my claim kinda tip. In fact I’ll do up the second blog I promised explaining what direction im taking with this next mixtape.

Then some of these harder tracks will make a little more sense.

YOU OUGHT TO KNOW //
THAT MY ATTITUDE IS MOVE IN THE ONE DIRECTION //
THAT’S FASTER FARTHER TO SEEK PERFECTION //
THAT’S EVEN IF IT BREEDS IMPERFECTION //
THAT’S SO THEY NEVER THINK THAT I’M ANYTHING LESS THAN //
BETTER THAN YOUR PICK FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER //
TRUE THAT I MIGHT SWEAT BUT I’M CALM COLLECTED //
ITS TRUE THAT I MIGHT SLIP BUT I DON’T REGRET SHIT //
A FEW OF YOU MIGHT THINK THAT I’M RUDE AND RECKLESS
SO DON’T BOTHER TO BATTLE I GOTTA FLU WIT ME //
FLIP A COUPLE FLOWS IN A MINUTE I’M ON THAT NEW-NESS //
WHEN I WAS NEW & NEW TO THE LANE WHO WOULDA KNEW //
THAT A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK WOULD ABUSE THE GAME //
IM TRUE TO THE NAME SHINE TRULY AND PLAIN //
AND I DONT MEAN TO BE VAIN BUT IM ON MY WAY //
SICKEST THING OUTTA H-TOWN Y’ALL DONT KNOW//
THAT I REP FOR ZIM FIRST COS HOME IS HOME //

You’ll notice when I do the video for this verse, that its one of the few where I actually slow the flow a bit and space it out. Its something I’m working. Saying more with less. I tend to get carried away with the multis and just caught up in flow sometimes…..so yeah just a point of growth I’m working towards.

Enjoy.

Peace,Love and lavalamps…

TehN Diamond

My 1st Threesome. (last night)

It was me,

A fresh pair of dunks,

and some SKITTLES….

PEACE !

TehN Diamond

P.S. Only thing missing is a missus.

FOLLOW THE FLOW – Say My Name Right pt. 1 (updated w/ video)

This track has been writing itself for like the past two years. Its morphed and just taken on so many different lives. But I finally have the right beat for it and the right concept. Basically its a two verse mixtape track and the reason for the title is cos in the verses I try to explain who I am…to the point where its like “now you can’t possibly get me wrong” so SAY MY DAMN NAME RIGHT !!

Its a pretty dope ass beat, like real heavy and laid back….like nothing you’ve ever heard me on before. So yea here’s the latest installment and as promised I’ll have the “Follow the Flow” video up for you tomorrow.

I TEND TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING LIKE //
MAYBE I COULD BE THE POLITICAL CONCIOUS TYPE //
OR MAYBE I COULD BE JUST A LITTLE BIT HONEST RIGHT //
OR MAYBE I COULD EAT UP THE BEAT LIKE A MONSTER RIGHT //
THEY WOULDN’T WANT IT RIGHT ? //
THEY WOULDN’T WANNA SEE ME IN THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE //
SIDE STEPPIN’ EVERY OBSTACLE IN THE LINE OF MY FIRE //
NOT BOTHERED BY THEIR RUMOURS AND LIES . . . I AM ALIVE //
COS IN THE MIND OF MAMA MY DESTINY HAS ARRIVED //
SO DON’T BOTHER TO BATTLE I DON’T BRUISE EASY //
GOT A LOTTA BROTHERS BESIDE ME THAT DON’T LOSE EASY //
LOOKIN IN YOUR EYES …AIN’T NO FIRE…SO DUDE TRUTHFULLY //
YOU GON’ NEED AN ARMY TO TAKE A SHOT AT MY MUSIC //
I AM THE TRUTH, TAKE A LOOK AT THE FUSION //
OF RAP, HIP-HOP AND WHAT I VIEW AS AMUSING //
AND THEN THERE’S ME THE METAPHYSICAL MIND //
THAT’S LEVITATING THESE LINES //
BUT Y’ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS WITH TEHN DIAMOND//

Again with this one the flow is kinda off…you’re not gonna be able to really pick up on it when I do the video. But once the mixtape is done you’ll feel what I’m on about.

Peace, Love & a little tenderness….

TehN Diamond

FOLLOW THE FLOW – Mesmerised

So here’s this weeks first installment, which if you’ve read my latest blog post you’ll know that I’ll have a video of me spitting it up tomorrow.

This is the verse I’ve written or re-written for a track I’m doing with an artist called TK, originally from Zimabawe like myself but based right now in New Zealand. He’s a great talent so please check him out on his official myspace page.

The song is about pretty much falling for a girl before you even really build up the courage to meet her, hence the title “Mesmerised”. I originally wrote parts of the vers for a remix I did of Ne-yo’s “Because of You” but it worked so well with the concept TK gave me for his track that I had to re-hash…..so yea Enjoy.

I do an 8 bar intro….then a hot 16 later on. In tomorrow’s video I’ll give you an extra 4 bars. You’ll like it.

8 Bar Intro

THEY LIKE TEHN, YOU SHOULD TRY A LITTLE WEED, DROP A LITTLE E. //
I’M LIKE, WHY THOUGH I GOT EVERYTHING I NEED //
IN SHE, THE WOMAN I WANT COS’ NOW I SEE //
SHE’S THE ONE TRUE DRUG, WHEN IT COMES TO THE CRUNCH //
TIME…AND TIME ONLY FLIES WHEN IM HIGH //
HIGH…ONLY WHEN I GOT A HAND ON HER THIGH //
NEVER PUFF PUFF PASS WHEN I TOUCH THAT ASS //
I KEEP HER TO MYSELF, DON’T TOUCH MY STASH //

16 Bar Verse

HAS ANYBODY SEEN A GIRL SO ON POINT TO THE POINT //
THAT YOUR OWN EYES GROW ARMS AND THEY GOTTA POINT //
LIKE “DAMN LOOK AT THAT THERE, WHAT YOU DOING OVER HERE” //
CANT JUST STAND AND STARE //
GO AHEAD FOOL BUST A MOVE //
YOUNG MC SAID IT THATS CLASSIC RULES //
THAT ASSHOLE ATTITUDE WILL JUST LOSE //
COS THAT GIRL THERE NEEDS CLASS AND COOL //
WHAT ? . . . IM A LOSER JUST COS IM AMUSED //
BY HER SMILE AND HER LAUGH IS THE BRAND NEW CRACK //
BOTTLE SHAPE BODY SORTA SALMA HAYEK //
ADD THAT TO THE FACTS AND I CAN’T TURN BACK //
SO HALF OF THE MATTER AT HAND IS JUST PHYSICAL //
UNLIKE YOUR TYPICAL MAN //
I CAN’T IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT HER //
THATS LIFE WITHOUT WORTH, IM TOO FAR IN THAT LIFE WOULD NOT WORK //
SO….

Mesmerised – TehN Diamond

Now be warned the flow on these two verses is nuts with extra nuts on it….But you’ll find that out tomorrow.

Peace, Love & lovely in ya life…cos it kinda aint life without one

TehN Diamond

The Diamond Plan Pt. 1

So from here on out, I’ll be getting more regular with all things Hash Brown Dont Frown i.e. all content will now be pitching up on a timetable you can count on (yea like clockwork). Its gonna be a process I’ll be applying to other parts of my blog and online media content over the next two months. Starting with my “Follow the Flow” series.

New verses will go up for your reading pleasure every, Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my facebook artist page for my true FAM-BASE. Then on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the accompanying blog post with the video and the audio will go up on www.HashBrownDontFrown.comHashBrownDontFrown as well as on my imeem page.

This is just so I’m more accountable to both myself and to you guys. The most important part of making this work will of course be my own discipline but also you guys sharing the ones you like and getting on my case to get these things to you.

Let’s make this work yea. I’ll be adding new sections to my blog too and and they will all be timetabled as well. The only things that’ll be erratic will be the blog post I make on a more personal note and just my own comments on recent hip-hop news or just music news in general.

The journey just got more real.

Enjoy.

Peace,Love & perpetuity through virtue…

TehN Diamond

P.S. Watch this space cos’ it’ll be undergoing some design changes, I wanna make it more of a channel for all things TehN Diamond music and all things Hash Brown loves to like a lot…enter the TASTEMAKER

wow.

A few days ago, I posted a blog about trust and how I guess I don’t believe in it. Well, I was wrong. Cos’ as it turns out I do trust a bunch of people. I mean, I do but I didnt really realise till that trust was broken. And thats the funny thing about things like trust and love and shit…you really don’t know you’ve got it until its gone.

Now the funny thing, in fact its more ironic than just funny, is that now that whole post is completely true. One cannot afford to trust a soul. For we are human, but flesh and blood. We change everyday and I guess this makes it difficult to truly share this glorious space called earth.

I almost felt bad about not being willing to trust though I really should be able to, but i don’t anymore. I just can’t. I look at most of the stories of the people who have made the biggest impact on this world and its clear to me in one way or another that they’ve been selfish and stubborn. Selfish in the fact that they think first of themselves and their ideals, and stubborn in the fact that they are unshaking and committed to bringing those ideals to fruition. Whether good or bad, they’ve been able to commit.

So at the end of the day, for all the love I’ve given…for all the people I’ve hurt…the years away from my mom…the arguments with the very man who made me….its far too late to turn back now. I see right now as a turning point. Decision time. And from where I’m looking, selfish and stubborn are the only option.

But I know that my intentions are good. I just love music and want to be everything that I can be in it. And so it shall be. Forgive me, but the only family I have other than my own is my FAM-BASE…I’m fully committed to you and to what it is I’m trying to do. For me and for you.

I had a dream. And that can’t be held back or distracted by anything.

This almost makes me sad, because I know how it ends. Well at least I think I know. Me, alone. Which is unfortunate, because loneliness is my second greatest fear next to failure. But its still second, I have to worry about my first fear and I guess i’ll deal with number two when I get to where I’m going.

Thank you all for supporting me and being true. I won’t you down like trust did me.

Peace, Love & the beautiful struggle.

TehN Diamond