RESILIENCE

The "Element of Surprise" has been canceled. The music is the same, but I didn't think that title indicated the right feeling for what I'm trying to get across with this project. The underlying theme of RESILIENCE is that despite all of the crap that goes into making music, recreating what I believe to be greatness, and staying sane in the process...the common denomination of it all is resilience. For anyone that follows me on twitter, you'd know that I put up 2 definitions of the word today and you probably thought I was on some random vocabulary or something. However, there is definitely a method to all my madness. There always is. ^_^

Take It As a Diss...

I can't wait to get in this industry man...like for real. Not to be famous and running around here like I'm the illest rapper in the world. Not to buy all kinda frivolous items and claim superiority because others can't afford to get it. Not because I want to rub elbows with these people and smile in the faces of these fake, fraudulent, frail individuals that think they know everything. NONE OF THE ABOVE. Its not even because I feel like I'm any better than the next upcoming rapper on the rise and I deserve it more than someone else. I just want to connect with the people and get my music out on a larger scale. If image didn't matter at all, I'd be the bummiest person out. Just with a haircut. lol I hold back a lot of my personal thoughts because I don't know who my views may offend and I actually care about how people feel. But, there does come a breaking point man. Like really. Most artists' breaking point is when they start questioning themselves and having those times of doubt. Example: thoughts such as, "am I good enough?" "maybe I'm not meant to do this" "what am I doing wrong?" and things of that nature. I don't feel that way. I'm not overconfident. I just honestly think its my time. I don't want anything handed to me. I just want to be in the position to make it happen for myself. My resent for all things associated with club life make it hard because people say "why aren't you performing at these clubs?" Let's be real, man. J.Nolan music in the club? In ATLANTA? Would that really be beneficial to me? They say, "you need to be out here meeting people." Why? Should I be kissing up to these people? What, are they really gonna remember me next time they see me? Even if I follow up after the 'networking opportunity' what's gonna make them remember me if they have X amount of priorities on their plate? They don't know me, they don't owe me anything, and they're not going to act as if they do. One may take this as J.Nolan being a pessimist. Not at all. I'm an optimist to the fullest. If I weren't, I wouldn't even be attempting to 'make it' in music. I would've quit 3 years ago. I would've quit after the first label contacted us. I would've quit after "Chaka's cousin" tried to scam us. I would've quit after "music placement" company's contacted me out of the blue sky knowing good and well they wouldn't be able to place my music on soundtracks without sample clearances that they clearly stated they wouldn't be able to do. I would've quit after my mom lost the house in '07. Could've went and been a grocery packer somewhere and completely forgot about rap. Just stop listening to music period and become some kind of yogi monk. Like really, I don't care what you think of ME. Just listen to the music. I wouldn't care if the world never saw my face but they knew the music. Just the name, the voice, and the message. That's it dude. I'd let the people that matter know the guy behind it. I get mad 3 times a day before each meal about it. Because I'm cool after I eat. lol I only mess with the people I mess with. Might not make sense to you, but it makes more sense than you think. I got about 15 people that do beats for me, those are my people. There's about 5 rappers I listen to and speak to on the regular. Only 4 of the producers I've met in person here in GA. People call new rappers internet rappers. Where else do you find new music? You go to the record store in your area? Or has it closed down already? Do you buy singles from iTunes? Haven't your favorite rappers started out as either unsuccessful people in their respective cities and then became "internet rappers," got people behind them and taken it to the next level? True, you've got to have more...but people act like listeners on the net aren't real people anyway. So who are the iRobots downloading Drake's "So Far Gone" 30,000 times. What drones downloaded Wale's "100 Miles and Running" 20,000 times before his new fanbase even showed up after "The Mixtape About Nothing?" For real man. And out of those amounts of people, how many of them were industry folk? Who knows....Most people won't see this. Its cool. I DON'T CARE. It might be too long for the average person's attention span. I DON'T CARE. Folks told me "Chasing Cool" had too many tracks. 19 songs is too long? That's too much music to listen to? It came out in May. Its July now. You can't listen to 19 songs in 2 1/2 months and counting? Get real, man. Maybe you only have certain tracks you liked, delete the rest if you have to. I do it all the time to everything that comes out. lol Whatever. Just know when I get in, I'm not gonna fraternize with too much of anyone. New artists only. Its ridiculous how cats have to push the limits each and every day, to be heard on such a small level. But keep pushing even more to be heard on a bigger, yet almost evenly small level. I don't get it. By the time people wake up, all my good ideas will have been used. All the hot samples will have been flipped. Just gonna be a dry well man. When it comes to that, I'm gonna start a band or something. All I listen to is The Roots 80% of the time anyway. But whatever. I'm done typing this. Its good to see my literary skills are still in tact though. lol Excuse me for not indenting the paragraphs though. ^_^

The "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE"

Yeah...potentially the name of the next project. If everything goes the way I see it in my head(which it probably won't), quite a few will be surprised. And others won't be because if payed any attention to what I've been talking about lately, they'd know the direction that I'm going at least a little bit. For instance: the last week or so I've been making unpleasant remarks about "rappers" and Hip-Hop in general via twitter(@J_Nolan). Not because I don't like "rappers" or have ill feelings about any individuals, but more because I love the art form too much to see it played with and devalued by people that have no real idea of what they're doing. So I won't be taking the Joe Budden route and dissing anyone in a vlog or challenging rappers to battles. lol Just expect a more...raw? More energetic and brash approach for the most part. It won't be anything out of character, but an evolution of my old self for anyone who knows about my past 2-3 years of doing this...whatever. Just wanted to post a new blog and update whomever is reading this with a bit of important information. SO! If you were one of the people who fell asleep during the stories I was telling on "Chasing Cool," think of "Element of Surprise" as its older brother waking you up with loud music. That is all.

J.Nolan Is Cool