The Daily Dose x #NSOA

You met the family I never got to choose yesterday (my real family), so I felt it only right that I introduce you to my other family. The one I did get to choose. The #NSOA team, the inner circle that keeps this little thing we’ve got here moving onwards and upwards.

Too many people watching artists like myself grow and develop and progress rarely get a glimpse or even a slight understanding of just how much work goes on behind the scenes. The late nights packing CDs into cases, the long ass recording sessions, the video shoots, the shows . . . none of that would be humanly possible for me to handle or co-ordinate if it weren’t for the family of friends I have around me pushing this.

Its easy to get caught up in the hype of all this, and rule number 1. is “Don’t Believe Your Own Hype” . . . often easier to say than do. Which is why the right circle is so crucial. The people who will give it to you straight and when need be give you hard truths too. Us artsy types if left to our own devices can make a right mes of not only ourselves but our careers . . . so without further ado, meet the #NSOA family.

Tha’ts me and the homie Aadil or just D. (Nothing Short Of Amazing Entertainment’s CEO) the night before HIFA 2010 . . . we stayed up and packed hundreds of copies of my 1st mixtape into their cases. It was long and hard and boring . . . but we did. See back then it was just the two of us, he’s someone who reached out to me ages before I met him and helped me lay the foundation of what you see shaping up today. Its a beautiful thing, because what started out as just a business agreement has quickly grown to become a friendship. There’s so much I’ve learnt from dude and so much more I hope to learn, we may be the same age but he has an old soul view of this funny world and keeps me grounded when so often I feel to fly off the rails. I’m eternally grateful, when and if history writes my name . . . be sure to notice his right beside mine.

Yea that’s me in the vice grip . . . but that’s the homie Bubu doing the vice-gripping (Nothing Short Of Amazing Entertainment’s COO) . . . I’ve known him for most of my life. I damn near grew up under the wing of him and a whole host of colourful characters. I guess this picture is the perfect metaphor for our friendship, he’s my bigger brother in this . . . ready to strong arm the kid if need be . . . but don’t get it twisted run up on Tehn the wrong way he might murk ya. LOL. But he’s also the man who does the bulk of the on the ground hands-on work, the real work . . . if they gave medals for this stuff he’d have about a hundred. When we put together an event and I’m backstage calming before the lyrical storm . . . he’s out in the trenches making sure I even have an event to let loose at. You can’t buy folks like this yo. Beleedat!

How myself and the rest of the team got to meet Jamal is an amazing story, but one for another blog post. But it was around this team last year and life hasn’t been the same since. Jamal is American . . . and moved to Africa, Zambia to be exact, 6 years ago and hasn’t left since. I he told me he’s back for what his forefathers left behind and since then he’s been someone I hold in the highest esteem. While he may not be involved in the #NSOA day-today runnings, he’s a solid mentor and a great friend. The life this man has lived and the lessons he’s been able to draw from it and impart to others is amazing in itself. Of all of us he’s the one with any “real” experience in the entertainment game . . . so one might say he’s the Mr. Miyagi of this operation.

And last but not least, we have Hash. I don’t think he realises it, but he’s the glue that kinda holds us altogether. He’s got this deep voice of reason, that helps each of us from time to time keep things in perspective. We’re all a bunch of very different characters, all passionate all very ambitious . . . those traits can cause tension and friction at times. Hash is the guy who reminds why we all here in his own special way. I met him through D. and to be honest I didn’t quite know where or how he’d fit into the scheme of things . . . but with time I learnt his value and am glad he’s on board. Dude is funny as fuck, matter fact you may wanna keep an ear out for him on a skit or too. Trust me.

And that’s us. Thats the #NSOA inner circle. There’s tonnes more people involved in and around this, but this is where we started and this is where we stand. This is the family I DID get to choose and I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

Blessed.

Tehn