Nations, Millions, Noise

This was the very first hip hop vinyl I ever bought. I was 13 years old. I bought it with my own paper route money. That piece of tape with the BPM written on it is decades old! Time flies but it still feels like yesterday. It was a 12" single from Public Enemy's album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. It was one of the 3 albums that convinced me to start DJing in the first place.

Through their music, their videos, interviews and liner notes, Public Enemy provided a lens into a world that was very foreign to me as a 12 year old Asian kid growing up in Vancouver.  With tracks like Don't Believe The Hype, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Rebel Without A Pause... I gained a little insight into some of the struggles and issues outside my little life. I listened to it relentlessly. From the moment the beat dropped on the album's opener Bring The Noise I knew my understanding of music would be forever changed. 

This is one of 4 copies I have of this single alone, I've burned through the grooves on all of them because I played them so much!

It's saddening to me that decades later, the lyrical content in it is as relevant as ever.  If you've not heard this album, you should listen to it immediately. It hasn't aged a day. 

I wanted to let you know I will not be doing my scheduled livestream. I'm using my time these days to read, donate, and educate myself about the roots of these systemic problems in our society today.

And so, I'm going to chill for a minute on promoting my art projects online in order to make space for voices with more urgent messages that need to be heard.

I am aware that the Music To Draw To sessions have acted as a bit of solace and respite during this pandemic for some of you as they have for me. 

But the youth are in their "Bring The Noise" moment in a global way right now.  I feel the need to stop and listen to them on how to change the way things work because things are obviously very broken right now. 

Please stop to listen, reflect, make changes and help the cause for positive change in any way you can.

For those of you who are looking for 2 hours of music to tune in to, I highly recommend listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent Resistance mix that I just heard today. He is one of my musical mentors, and one of the world's best DJs and scratch pioneers.... and his mix is one of the most powerful, poetic and timely selections/sets I've heard in ages. 

As you know, the first ten Music To Draw To sessions are still up for replay if you do need some chill. I'll be back. I'm just going to take a little time to process. 

Thank you for your understanding. 

Sending all of you the best of energies from Montreal.

E