This feeling of gratitude never gets old. Finally seeing something you worked so hard on available to the world is truly fulfilling on a higher level. I’ve been a fan of Grande long before his debut mixtape, 800 and his signing to DJ A-Trak’s Fools Gold Records ever happened – this collaboration was a long time coming. We’ve both grown in our artistry over the years and I’m excited to release this song into the world.
“Don’t Feel ‘Em” is the result of our first officially released collaboration, and is a part of my ongoing project “Kids With Dreams” – meant to be a body of work filled with collaborations with new artists that I’m inspired by and have something to offer the current landscape of music.
This record is a call to action – it’s a song about bossing up, moving forward and bringing your people with you when you reach new levels. It strikes a balance between a vibe and a banger. I hope you enjoy the energy of this record. I hope it resonates and you feel what we felt when making the record.
I first became aware of Jasmine’s music and voice over a year before this song was created. I was looking to produce more R&B records and was looking for a singer with a phenomenal voice to help me bring ideas to life.
This song is the result of our first collaboration, and is a part of my project “Kids With Dreams” – meant to be a body of work filled with collaborations with new artists that I’m inspired by and have something to offer the current landscape of music.
Falling is, at its core, a song about vulnerability, moving on, and the amalgam of feelings that come with leaving heartbreak behind to fall in love again. This song is an honest, introspective look at the feelings one has when love breaks down their walls and asks them to find their faith in love again. This song uses chords, melody, and harmony to show the listener that the feeling of falling in love can be scary, but will make you a better person if you trust the process.
Sometimes kids dream of love but get stuck in their ways…The people that love us can be a catalyst for growth as they push you to move closer to your goals, but at the same time they can also be a catalyst for stagnation. Often times in relationships, we can actually be our own worst enemies, and our old ways can keep us from moving forward even though we say we know better. Insanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, and there’s nothing that can make a person crazier than being in love. We’ll keep trying until we break the habit…until we’re no longer stuck in our ways…and until we allow ourselves to change for the better.
Episode 3: Stuck
Produced by Alvin Allure
Additional Vocals by M-Trey
Mixed by Sam Sherbin
Additional Mixing by Edward J. Nixon
Mastered by Sam Sherbin
Someone once said that “Life is about the buying and selling of dreams”…that we’re all either the hustlers or customers of dreams, desires, and that which we choose to believe. Well, I believe that we look for the dreams that are eventually sold to us because they feel safer than the ones we’ve created for ourselves. We end up losing our own image when we superimpose non-resonating goals into our lives. This record (and the album as a whole) is a statement of creation, a metaphorical line in the sand, and a message saying to avoid buying a dream that isn’t better than the ones you already own.
This record is a continuation of the themes presented in “The Language of God” but is more hip hop, more self-propelling, and more confident.
Author Robert Greene said: “Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you.”
Empower yourself. No one will ever give you permission to do something that they cannot accomplish themselves. They can’t sell you a dream that you refuse to buy. Live your life and create your world, while finding inspiration along the way. Dreams are for sale but inspiration is forever free.
There’s a quote in the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo that says that “Dreams are the Language of God”, and since reading that book back at the end of 2013, I’ve found that to be true in my life. Whether it’s waking up in the morning with new creative inspiration after dreaming or having God/the Universe/any higher power you believe in push you in the direction of your purpose through the vehicle of your own dreams and aspirations, I’ve found that a Dream is a two-way path of communication with a higher plane. “The Alchemist” and the ideas of navigating through dreams are a big inspiration for this album. Even though dreams are the language of God, if God can’t reach you through dream…he’ll reach you through nightmare. That idea is where this song’s sound stems from. The song (and album) deals with the nightmare that comes from buying a dream that isn’t quite real (or really for you) and how that can turn into a nightmare until you navigate your way out of it. It’s a jarring feeling and was perfect for an intro record to this project. Once you realize that your dreams are for you alone and you don’t need to buy any other dream that someone else is selling, you can clear that path of communication with that higher being and move closer towards your purpose.
