Get a clean music pot. We are going to prepare a sweet and savory music soup! As you know by now, there is nothing like a good homemade soup. Our goal with the soup we make is that when you taste it, you feel really good, nourished and know that “YOU’ve got the Power,’ too.”
We will add all kinds of fresh and innovative ingredients in our soup. Let’s begin, shall we. In your clean pot, add the melodic and angelic voices and lyrics of children. You can’t go wrong with that. “No time for jagaga (fooling around) . . . we got the power,” are the lines we’ve added, among others. The children emphasize our need to be focused because they and many music lovers out there are hungry and waiting for our ‘The Power’ authentic, fresh, tasty, instant classic soup we will prepare.
So, here we go staying focused! Add half a kilogram of freshly created beats from talented and emerging music producer Kid Konnect. Strain the beats so the proper mixing/mastering takes place. Place the beats back in the pot, getting rid of the unedited sound we don’t need. Now, we are ready for the essential freshly chopped, nothing less than brilliant, lyrical ingredients.
Our goal here with the ingredients we add is to make a soup that delivers powerful punch lines yet is funny, intellectually creative, seamlessly infuses American and global pop cultures and most importantly, is versatile i.e. can relate to anyone regardless of social stratification, age, race, color, gender, nationality or religion. A tall order but with our rising hip-hop music chef/star X.O Senavoe showing us what to do, we are in good hands.
Continuing with our soup, add a large well peeled and finely sliced funny yet heavy lyrics like, “if power empowers, where the hell was Austin Powers when the fallen towers were falling on ours that morning hour?!?” This line is conscientious of America’s recent September 11 celebration, yet finds a light way to deal with it.
Spice our soup up with a line on race and sports by adding this freshly created and sliced lyrical line “one word can create Hiroshima, obliterate Utopia – The Lyrical Okocha, scoot over lemme coach ya! (X.O!).” This line is the“lyrical contortion” that truly adds the necessary kick in our soup. Japan/Asia remains a relevant market in the global marketplace. The Japanese should, when they taste our soup, be quick to give a nod to our use of the lyrical ingredient “Hiroshima” because they remember the history and “get it” on how “the power” can be used to “obliterate Utopia,” don’t you think?
How about Africa? Africa just completed its first and historical hosting of the World Cup in South Africa. Africa’s soccer fans when they taste our soup should be quick to give a nod to our use of the “Okocha” ingredient and think, “Wow. Cool! the “powerful” Jay-Jay Okocha the attacking midfielder soccer player?”
We can’t leave Americans and especially basketball fans out of our soup. Accordingly, we will spice it up with the equivalent of garlic, onions and oregano spices. How about a line that references the globally syndicated show, “A Different World,” hip-hop artist Lil’ Wayne and finally Michael Jordan? How about, “And the haters wane (Wayne) like Dwayne, you see our World(s) are so Different, I don’t explain how I live mine, I just live it! But if I pick it up, I’m in it/And if I’m in it, I will in it/Michael Jordan in an NBA Final – I win it!”
Soups are easy to make even if you don’t cook. So, let’s keep it simple with about three more flavorful and essential ingredients. Focusing on religion, there have been so much in the news lately on that. Let’s do this. Add 2 medium size sliced lyrics, “punchlines so sick!! They been known to make you lose you lunch over. My verses (verse is) so bloody, angels pass over like its Passover!” You like? We really do too.
For the ladies, we add an essential ingredient, gender, in our soup with “I spit it not just ok, Mola and Ovie, ain’t it crazy how through the bloody maze I Wade like Roe v.” Yes, it is a reference to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case. Alright it might be a bit heavy on the music taste bud. So, let’s tone it down a bit with a lyrical fresh line that adds ‘fashion’ and ‘passion’ and overcoming loss. How about “My momma passed when I was packing, so in passing when I’m packing, stop and think of how Momma passed and her passion! And her fashion! And her actions like always dashing to her knees for God’s direction and compassion. That’s why for me giving up’s never been an option . . .” Let’s sprinkle some music salt for the perfect taste with “I’m “Cirque du Soleil” with every line, my simplest lines got u pressing rewind ’til you hit exhaustion!”
Our soup is not all about tasting good. It must also nourish and strengthen our bodies i.e. make you feel good and empowered to pursue your goals and make your dreams reality. To that end, let’s add our last essential lyrical ingredient. “ . . . Always believe in you, chisel your dreams with wrenches, pliers and hammers, tighten your screws’ – I call em “The Power Tools.’ And you can do it too! Never let losers and doubters fool you into believin’ you through – You’ve got The Power too!”
Taste the soup. Adjust and add more spice for texture, color and flavor. Hmmmm . . . .can you smell the mouth-watering aroma? Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer until all of the essential ingredients are tender. Cook the soup for 10 minutes. The soup is ready. Remove the lid, get your spoon, scoop a little onto your spoon. Now taste it. What do you taste? Your music taste buds should taste two things: 1) ‘The Power?’ Yes! YOU have got the power too. Claim it, use it, be empowered; 2) X.O Senavoe is a brilliant lyricist i.e. America’s Next Hip-Hop Star.
Enjoy ‘The Power’ and share with your friends and family!
[audio:https://ladybrille.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/The-Power-X.O-Senavoe-Twitter-@xo_senavoe.mp3|titles=The Power X.O Senavoe Twitter- @xo_senavoe]Music: The Power
Artist: X.O Senavoe ft. Jay Cube & Lois Asabere
Producer: Kid Konnect
Article by Uduak Oduok
~Courtesy photo
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
