Rappers in the Holy Land

12th century monastery we
explored in Jericho

Paul and I recently travelled to Israel for a friends wedding in Tel Aviv. An Israeli wedding is an experience in and of itself, but we were also excited to travel around Israel afterwards. Our trip was truly an adventure: we took a cable car up to a 12th century cliffside monastery in Jericho, explored King Herod’s mountaintop palace in Masada, floated in the Dead Sea, climbed Roman ruins in Beit She’an, walked the Ba’hai gardens of Haifa, got lost in the walled cities of Jerusalem and Akko.

As two lapsed Catholics, it was particularly fascinating to visit so many religious sites remembered

Jesus's body was anointed here,
ergo a VERY holy rock

from our Sunday school days. It seemed like just about every other rock was holy. Jesus was tempted by the Devil while sitting on this rock, he fell on that rock while carrying the cross, his body was anointed on this rock after he was crucified, he was standing on that rock when he ascended to heaven. People were fully supplicated, foreheads pressed to these holy rocks in prayer, and Paul and I would awkwardly put a hand down to seep in a little Jesus power. Cause well, you never do know.

Besides an abundance of holy rocks, the other constant throughout the trip was a heightened awareness of Paul’s “otherness”. Mostly it came in unwelcoming stares, but there were also comments and, on one occasion, a group of jeering teenagers that surrounded Paul. Although we saw plenty of friendly faces too, those moments kept us on edge.

Everywhere we went, people would yell “Baba Israel”. We finally looked it up and discovered that Baba Israel is an Israeli rapper currently residing in Brooklyn. In fact, he’s involved with many people that Paul knows and works with. We even found an old flier for a Baba Israel show when cleaning our apartment after we came home. Amazing coincidence, yes. But still not OK to shout rap names at the black guy.

It didn’t help that while there, we were also watching news from home unfold about the shooting in Charleston. Ironically, the blatant prejudice we felt in Israel gave me a greater appreciation of the Zionist zeal. What oppressed group of people wouldn’t want a place to call their own.

Paul with Tamar after she
played Woods' album at
Uganda Bar

It was in the midst of all this that we found refuge at Uganda Bar. Our AirBnb host recommended it to us as a place that captured the heart of the artistic community of Jerusalem. Not only a bar, it also serves as a record and comic book store, a performance venue and an independent music label. They offer the controversial beer of Palestine and it seemed to be the hub of all tattooed people in Jerusalem. It felt like Brooklyn.

While there, we struck up conversation with the bartender and a couple from New Zealand. Answering the “what do you do” question, Paul replied that he was a record producer and engineer, which led to the “anyone we would have heard of” question. Turns out the bartender is a big fan of Billy Woods, and she opens iTunes to show us her copy of History Will Absolve Me. She insists on playing the album, and suddenly the bar is flooded with voices literally from our kitchen. It was surreal and comforting to hear our friends, and even my sister, when we were an ocean away from home and feeling like outsiders.

Our experience in Israel is likely to be repeated most places we travel, even within the United States. There are certainly no regrets, and we won't be deterred. We saw so many amazing places and had such incredible experiences, and we will forever be enriched. But, it sure was nice to find a sanctuary for rappers in the Holy Land.

Overlooking the ancient city of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives

Pack the Converse, Wear the Jordans: A Helpful Guide to Packing for Rap Tour

Paul has been on tour for the past three and a half weeks doing shows all over the middle of the country. Apparently the crowds are great for indie hip hop in places like Montana and North Dakota because no one ever makes it out to see them.

When it comes to packing for tour though, I generally lend a helping hand. Paul has questionable packing skills. One time we went to a wedding and he forgot to bring his suit pants. Packed the jacket. Left the pants. Being a former Girl Scout, I consider myself an expert packer. Two weeks at summer camp with just one trunk means I can certainly pack for three weeks of tour with one bag and a road case. I got this.

In his effort to pack light, Paul decided that he was only going to pack one pair of shoes. One pair! I mean these are shoes. You gotta have ‘em. What happens if something happens to his only pair of shoes on the road. He’s going to have to find a Foot Locker in the vast emptiness that is Wyoming? I set him straight. Pack the Converse, wear the Jordans.

In addition to clothes and gear, he also had to pack merch. Paul decided to get custom wood USB drives containing six of his albums. He also brought some leftover CD’s from past collaborations, but realistically, CD’s are already outdated. A friend of mine bought two PremRock CD’s at one of his shows and then realized she had no way to listen to them. Her computer doesn't have a CD drive to add them to her iTunes, and no one has CD players or discmans anymore. So Paul decided on some cool USB drives. They take up less space and can be reused after the music is uploaded.

I also convinced Paul to pack a tote bag. This was a HUGE triumph for me. Paul does not carry totes. I always ask him to bring one when he goes to the grocery store so we don’t end up using a million plastic bags (why do they double bag paper towels?), and he usually sighs and grabs his backpack instead. Since he had to pack other things in his backpack, he was going to use plastic bags to carry his merch into the clubs each night. First, plastic bags look bootleg. Second, they tear and fall apart. Paul was eventually persuaded that a tote bag was the most efficient and logical way to carry his merch.

Paul sent me amazing pics from the road

Paul also has some of his own great tips for touring. After doing this a couple of times, he figured out a few tricks. Laminate your merch sign. You need to have a price list printed for when someone else is manning the merch table. And considering it’s going to be on the road, you can’t print a new one every time someone spills a beer on it or when it inevitably tears. Go to Kinkos and laminate.

He also got a Square reader. We live in a time where literally anyone can accept credit cards. Which is why it annoys me so much when restaurants in NYC are cash only. It is easy, efficient and only takes a small percentage of your profits. It seems worth it.

Although touring on the indie level is never easy, it seems that if you pack efficiently, it can improve the experience. Especially when you have three guys driving twelve hour stretches through the middle of nowhere with all of their stuff in a sedan.

A Suite For Souled People

You really can change the world if you care enough -Marian Wright Edelman

Following the murders of Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Victor White, etc. etc. etc., the murder of Michael Brown by the police in Ferguson has been weighing heavily on us. Feeling more than a little helpless about the state of racial inequality, Paul created a beautiful and heartbreaking response: a three movement suite, entitled A Suite For Souled People featuring Elucid, Curly Castro and Billy Woods.

"Souled People" is both a reference to African Americans as soul brothers and sisters and as the descendants of slaves - “sold people.” Paul’s family has traced their family lineage from their arrival on some of the earliest slave ships to when they purchased their freedom in the 19th century. My family has also traced our lineage. Back to when mine were slave owners. In some respects, it’s heartening to see how far things have come in the past 150 years. But just because we don’t enslave people anymore doesn’t mean that we all have the same freedoms.

Paul and I know we want to have children one day. As each of these tragedies has repeatedly lacked the judicial response deserved, the reality of having a black child in America has begun to sink in. My children will be faced with so many difficult situations that I was never exposed to during my own childhood.

When I was still dating Paul, I heard the following claim more than a few times: this world is hard enough so why make it more difficult for myself and my children. Basically, I should choose to “stay white” and not deal with those injustices; the implication being that this is just the way the world is and there is nothing you can do to change it, so let it stay “their” problem.

If society really is as horrible as they seem to think, then thank goodness I found such a strong and caring person to help me navigate it. It seems more critical to find someone you can trust than accommodate a bunch of people you don’t. At the end of the day, the world is scary and hard for everyone.

I recently read an article from the website, Black and Married with Kids. Curious about a family website intended only for black people, I started browsing. And then I found an article that made me realize this website was for me too. Entitled How I’m Preparing My African American Son to Live in Today’s Society, it’s a mother’s guide to instilling confidence in her black son, as well as her advice on how to be safe, including a section about interacting with the police. I recommend reading it. It reminded me of Woods’ verse in the third section of the suite:

“but it's on you Boy to keep those hands in plain sight
Don't touch your belt
reach for your wallet
or happen to be holding your cell
normal speech is a yell yelling is a reach for the gun
silence an admission of guilt
Don't try to walk away
if you're running then run!
if you're smart play dumb
Don't get caught in the slums or a nice neighborhood you ain't from
if you need help Don't call 911”

The first time I heard those lyrics, I cried. Because we’ve been shown time and time again that this is a reality for young black men.

When we decide that some people are less worthy of basic human rights, whether based on race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, etc., we lose a little bit of our own humanity and we pass along that inequality to the next generation. Not to mention, fostering a corrupt police force can’t be good for anyone in the long run. We need to be able to hold people accountable, as much as we need to listen to alternative perspectives.

Professional Shout Outs

In my last post, I joked about how I tone down my work attire on days when I also have rap shows in the evenings. But sometimes when you have the annual Silver Society dinner to attend before your rap show, you don’t have that option. Then you have to show up to the rap show in your most professional business attire. Occupational hazard.

It’s always a bit of a shock to the system to go from my work events to Paul’s work events, but I kinda love it. It reminds me of how much we expand each others world views. At the Silver Society dinner, we heard a talk on some of the silver from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s recent catalog of their American silver collection. When I was in grad school, I spent a year long internship at the Met doing research on colonial silver for this catalog, so it was a topic near and dear to my heart. I formed great relationships with the two silver curators there, so I was super honored when they both thanked me for my work during their lecture. I got a shout out in a room full of silver curators, scholars, and researchers from major museums and institutions across the world. I felt like the coolest nerd in the room.

PremRock

But as soon as the lecture and dinner were over, I hopped in a cab and raced to Williamsburg to get to PremRock's release show for his new album, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. It's Prem’s fifth album, all of which have been engineered by Paul, and there was no way I was going to miss celebrating that achievement! Prem always puts on a fantastic show, and this new album is some of his best work. You can buy it for only $5 on his bandcamp. One of my coworkers came, liked what she heard, and bought two of his albums. Maybe we’ll be listening to rap (instead of classical) in the silver department soon?

Willie Green & PremRock

Prem asked Paul to join him on stage to perform a few oldies from their album, PremRock & Willie Green. Following a glowing introduction from Prem, Paul took the stage to a crowd chanting his name. It’s a good feeling to be celebrated for your work. I imagine the exhilaration he felt was equivalent to mine as I got shouted out at the Silver Society. I kid, I kid. Kind of.

So here’s my shout out to all the musicians that night- PremRock, Willie Green, Armand Hammer, Curly Castro, Zilla Rocca, Karma Kids, and Mo Niklz. This isn’t a hobby for these guys. This is their passion, their calling, and they put in the work. A special congratulations to PremRock, who treats his pursuit of music with the up-most professionalism. He is very deserving of all of his success.

Corporate by Day, Rap Show by Night

Dressing is always tricky when I know I’m going straight from work to a rap show. Occasionally, I’ll bring my evening outfit to work and change before leaving. Obviously I prefer not changing in a bathroom stall, so I've reached back to my Cosmo magazine days to try and choose clothes that “transition from day to night”. Mostly I just throw a blazer over evening outfits and that’s a pretty quick fix. Or sometimes I wear work skirts over mini dresses and then lose the skirt before I head out.

It didn't use to be as difficult. Working in the arts generally means a more relaxed office attire, so I could get away with wearing trendier outfits on rap show nights. But now that I work in an auction house, it’s pretty corporate. Blazers, suits, business attire. But on rap nights, sacrifices must be made and I might not look as professional as usual.

Corina Corina’s release party for her album, The Free Way, was last Wednesday night. Paul produced the album and was involved from start to finish, so it was almost as important a night for him as it was for her. Which meant I had to look fresh. After tearing through my closet, I found a black and white patterned dress and paired it with a clunky gold-tone necklace. Inappropriately tight for work, so I threw on a long sweater that came off as soon as I walked into the venue. Done.

This is the second album they've done together, and it’s clear there is a lot of mutual trust. She gave Paul freedom to experiment and get creative with the production on this one. Paul and I have been really into heavily produced albums lately. After Paul made his album, We Live In The Future, we started noticing how many major label artists were also experimenting with beat changes and more elaborate arrangements. Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience, both of Lana Del Rey’s albums, and most recently Pharrell’s GIRL. We listened to those albums a lot, and they were a source of inspiration for the production on Corina’s album. And allow me to have a brag moment, but Village Voice just called Paul one of East Coast's indie rap "it"-producers.

Paul also acted as musical director for the show. It was Corina’s release, so he wanted her on stage all night. She was joined by her four guest artists (rapper Henry Canyons even flew in from LA!), who also performed their own material. Paul arranged their solo sets to follow the joint songs they had with Corina. Which meant that she got to keep getting back on stage to perform instead of having a designated set time. I don’t think Corina’s smile could have been any bigger.

I know how much work goes into this, and I am so proud of how it sounds. The album's been on repeat on my iPod since it dropped, which is impressive, considering I've heard it a million times over the past year. But I've come to love listening to the transformations as an album evolves and gets fleshed out. When an album is finished, it's always something worth celebrating. And getting dressed up for.

Pictures from Corina Corina's release show. All photography © 2014 c. bay milin:

Corina Corina performing The Free Way

Melissa Czarnick on America, America

Willie Green, Corina Corina, and Johnny October

Dan Dillinger

billy woods

Angi3

Henry Canyons

Corina Corina and the perpetually mysterious billy woods

On Becoming Mrs. Green

So I didn’t change my name when Paul and I got married. It was never something I planned on doing. My mom never changed her name, so I grew up assuming I would keep mine too. Plus I’ve been working and building my professional network in New York City for almost eight years, and changing my name now seemed counterintuitive. Not to mention the paperwork nightmare that seems to be involved with changing your name. Willfully going to the DMV? No thanks.

me at work

But I was surprised by the reactions of some of our friends and family. Some thought it might be confusing for our future children. I can honestly say it never confused me that my parents didn’t share a last name. I knew my parents were married and that they loved each other and that was that. My dad didn’t wear his wedding band (he’s not a jewelry wearing type of man) and that didn’t confuse me either! It was also suggested that it would appear like I didn’t respect my man or that Paul’s masculinity would be challenged. Please. Paul’s ego is just fine. Especially concerning my love and respect. And it's not like I get upset if I'm called Mrs. Womack or anything. It just probably means you don’t know me that well.

Paul at work

I am, however, loving being Mrs. Green. Since a lot of people in the rap scene only know Paul as Willie Green, I’m ‘Green’s wife’ by default. Just last week, Paul and I were out with Corina Corina celebrating the completion of her second album. She got a phone call from a fellow musician and when asked who she was out with, she answered “the Greens”. I thought it was great. I'm good with being Mrs. Green.

People often jokingly ask me what my rap name would be, and I never have an answer for them. That’s Paul’s world, and I don’t pretend like I actually belong there on my own. I’m able to ride off Paul’s street cred as his wife, but let’s be real, Paul translates slang for me all the time.

But it’s more than street cred by osmosis. We both have our own identities, especially within our professional spheres. Paul’s happens to be a rap world- one where he’s spent years building his reputation and where he's earned his respect. And I’m proud of being Mrs. Green. When he’s in my world, he better be damn proud to be Mr. Merrill.

My Rap Video Debut

Mister E, Nasa, and the dad

So I have officially made an appearance in a rap video. A rite of passage as a rap wife? Our friend and rapper, Uncommon Nasa, is putting out a music video for his song “Twenty-Two” and needed extras. Since I hate being filmed, I had no intentions of volunteering. But Nasa asked Paul to be one of the main characters and when I heard that the extras had no lines and needed zero acting skills, I figured I might as well spend the afternoon with the hubs and help out a friend.

The video starts with a group of people in an elevator heading back to their respective apartments. As they get off the elevator, the film follows several of the characters and reveals their individual (and depressing) stories. The storyline doesn’t have the most cheerful premise, but I guess not too many rap songs are about puppies and rainbows.

Paul’s character was a pilot, so he had a Halloween shop jacket and hat to wear. When you squinted past the polyester suit, he looked very Denzel. Somehow, Paul seems to be finding himself in a lot of situations lately where he’s had to dress in costume. Which I have been finding incredibly entertaining. Sadly, as an extra, I did not get a costume.

In addition to a few other friends and rappers who volunteered to be in the video, Nasa also had a few Craigslist responders. A father and daughter agreed to be characters. The dad had been an extra in a number of big box-office movies and NY based TV series, so it was clearly a hobby he was passionate about. And then there was Mister E, a giant bodyguard-looking guy. Paul assumed he was a rapper with the name Mister E- thinking it was a play on ‘Mystery’- but he’s just another guy who likes his time in front of the camera while simultaneously maintaining a little anonymity.

Days like that are when I am reminded of all the interesting characters that make up this city. People's lives are so much more nuanced than what you can see on the surface. Which I guess is the point of the song. Life lessons through raps! I might have to consider being in more rap videos. Especially if I get free bagels again.

SACOOO!

I was recently at a show where up-and-coming rapper, Milo, performed. He had a nice write-up in LA Weekly over the summer, and I was super surprised to read that he’s originally from Saco, Maine. For years, I went on this annual canoe/camp trip on the Saco River with a group of friends.

I hadn’t been in a while, but my sister, Paul and I decided to revive the Saco trip this past July with fifteen of our more adventurous friends. There were a few semi-seasoned campers, but we had a solid percentage of first-timers. I got many emails before the trip asking me to clarify the ‘bathroom situation’. Our two born-and-bred New Yorkers didn’t even know how to swim! I can’t believe they agreed to be confined to a canoe for two days. I wish I had footage of Keisha wading in the river repeating “I’m in nature, I’m in nature…”.

It really isn’t that strenuous though. We tie our canoes together and float as a giant canoe raft for the first few hours. It’s a nice way to start, and it makes passing beers way easier. The only difficult part of the trip is carrying the canoes around the dam. Incredibly inconvenient, but pretty cute to see all these jaded New Yorkers get their camp counselor on and work together to get it done. Teamwork at its finest. At one point, even our resident smart-ass Matt was clapping his hands and saying motivational stuff like “dig your heels in, we’ve got this!”.

I had also forgotten about the frat party that is Saco. The beaches are lined with flip cup tables, people shout “SACOOOO” at every passerby, and mottos like “drink ‘em and sink ‘em” originated there. The newest bro catchphrase on the river was “dump ‘em out”. Seriously. It took us ladies a minute to figure out what that even meant. Naturally, I googled it when I got home and learned two interesting facts. One: the Saco River is in the Urban Dictionary. Two: that charming catchphrase was another Saco River original.

Since several of our friends that went on the trip are in the rap scene, there were a good number of Saco survivors at this recent show. And we may have all shouted “dump ‘em” when Milo took the stage.

eighteen New Yorkers go camping

hot dog on a stick, it's what's for dinner.

Tasty Keish & Mo Niklz do nature 

Prem does too

Indie Raps in Paradise

I’ve taken a little summer hiatus from my blog. Summer is always too chaotic and busy to have focused on blogging. Plus I started an exciting new job in July at an auction house, so it’s been even crazier. Even though Fall has hit and life’s starting to normalize, we managed to squeeze in one last adventure.

My sister works for a destination club and won ‘hostess of the year’ with her company. The reward was five free nights in any of their properties around the world. So we spent five luxurious days in a ten person villa in Turks and Caicos with our own private pool and beach. I expect her to keep up the good work and win next year as well.

We pretty much spent the entire trip by the pool. With pool floaties and an outdoor grill, fridge, and speaker system, there really was no need to stray too far. The only time we left the villa was to check out da Conch Shack. Apparently white people giggle at anything with "da" in front of it. Paul just shook his head at us. But more importantly, on Sunday afternoons da Conch Shack hosts the Hump and Bump. The Hump and Bump is supposedly a dance party on the beach, but we were disappointed to find no DJ and no humping or bumping. Maybe we were too late in the season for it, but at least we still got to feast on conch and rum punch.

da Conch Shack

Maria gets a little overzealous about planning though (she may or may not have sent us a grocery/booze list for our approval two months before the trip), so she had a playlist ready to go for our poolside listening pleasure. My sister has gotten to know a lot of the rappers Paul works with and has become a fan of their music too, so scattered throughout her playlist were quite a few indie rap joints.

Obviously, she included a number of songs off the Willie Green album, We Live In The Future, but there were also some of her faves from billy woods, Open Mike Eagle, PremRock, Angi3 and Toussaint Morrison. Turns out Prem and Green’s song, Jogger, is perfect to listen to while drinking margaritas in a pool. Who wants to jog when you can float? Our friend Ali was laying in one of the second floor balcony hammocks (yes, we had those too) and yelled down to ask who the artist was cause she liked it so much. Paul was flattered obvs. Another converted indie rap fan!

It's a funny thing to be thousands of miles from home in a tropical island paradise and suddenly have a song bring me right back to my kitchen in Brooklyn.

My Very First Rap Battle

PremRock had his birthday party this past weekend at a friend’s penthouse in South Slope. It was an awesome space, with a balcony that was possibly bigger than my whole apartment and perfect views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Seriously stunning. I was coveting pretty hard.

Rap Battlin'

Naturally the party was chock full of rappers. But there was this random guy who was going around, cornering people, and then just rapping in their faces. It was bizarre and annoying. Throughout the night, he managed to pester most of the rappers. Until finally something amazing happened. Prem snapped and a real life RAP BATTLE went down!! Really! In real life! It was one of the best things I have ever witnessed. If I hadn't been so enthralled, I would have taken video documentation.

I’ve seen a few rap battles at shows before, but those are usually done in good fun and are prepared in advance. This was spontaneous and basically two dudes fighting via rap. Instead of fists, they used words. Imagine a rap version of the West Side Story. Amazing. Prem crushed the other kid too.

That dude. I'd like to thank the photo
bomber in the center for making my
very first rap battle happen.

I think it’s because I went to an all girls school for middle and high school, but I have actually gone through life without ever witnessing a fight. This is the closest I've come. Based on movies I've seen though, this is exactly how I expected it to look. A group of bystanders all circling the two people beefing, while laughing and prodding them on. Except, of course, this was all very non-violent.

When I mentioned that it was my first rap battle experience, everyone was surprised. Apparently this happens more often than one would think. I don’t know how I've been with Paul for so long without witnessing one yet. 

I’m pretty pleased my first rap battle was on a Brooklyn balcony against a backdrop of the city skyline though. It felt like a very perfect New York moment. I think that one day, when I finally leave this city, most of my favorite memories are going to be of nights on Brooklyn rooftops.

Fasho Fasho! Get Your Pick-Up Lines Here!

Today, Paul put out a remix of “Fasho Fasho!” from his album We Live In The Future. For those who haven’t heard the original version yet, you can get a taste of Paul’s knack for grimy pick-up lines here. As the ladies in the song, I think you’ll find that Keisha and I didn’t have to act too hard.

If I’m out and Paul is meeting up with me later, he frequently will slide up unexpectedly and jokingly hit on me. One night, Paul came out to meet me and started laying it on thick. Someone who hadn't met Paul yet was just about to intervene until he saw me burst out laughing. When you have to explain that your husband isn’t actually skeevy, he might be a little too good at it.

For the remix, Paul got raps from PremRock, Zilla Rocca, and Mad Dukez. Some gems were turned out, and it’s definitely as funny and catchy as the original. I laugh every time I hear Prem’s verse “I got dvd’s on my homeboy’s netflix, check it”. Of course, this also means Paul has an arsenal of new pick-up lines to use on me. Paul’s chorus of “I respect your tan lines” and “girl, I love you from the waist down, but the top look good too” have been getting plenty of use lately.

Suz made a little trailer for the remix, and I find this so convenient. I like that it fits in with the comic book theme from the original album artwork. Paul works with rappers from all over, so I also like being able to put faces with names. Take a look, get to know your rapper. And his pick-up lines.

Oh It's Happening: A Rappers In My Kitchen EP

So Paul is totally indulging me, and he’s helping me executive produce my very own “Rappers In My Kitchen” EP! He jokingly suggested that we make one, and I jumped on it. I’m pretty excited to work on something creative together. We bounce ideas off each other all the time, but this will be the first time we actually collaborate on a project. And I can already tell it’s going to be really fun.

The plan is to make a four song EP, featuring four different rappers over Willie Green beats. I'm asking rappers that have already recorded in my kitchen. So when they also record the songs for this EP there, it will be the ultimate rappers in my kitchen moment. Kitchens will implode. The only directive is that they have to include food or kitchens somewhere in their lyrics. Literally or metaphorically, I don’t care. But they will be kitchen raps!

Woods was over last night to pick up a mix that Paul did for the upcoming Billy Woods - Blockhead album. And he stuck around to eat dinner with us and watch the basketball game. Not gonna lie, I was more than delighted when he told me he was into the food/kitchen theme for my EP. Woods is a foodie and goes all out when he cooks. After Paul first met him five years ago, Woods came to my birthday bbq with curry cornish hens to grill. Amazing. I think we knew then that he would be a lifelong friend. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to hearing what he comes up with.

Living with Paul and listening to him work on songs for the past six years has finally started to make me pay attention to music more. I’ve never really been musically inclined. I enjoy music, but mainly in the capacity that it makes me want to dance. But lately we’ve been listening to albums together and discussing them, and it’s making me really appreciate music on a new level. I always try and introduce him to visual artists I think he will like, and he’s been doing a great job of selecting musicians I will enjoy. It’s way more fun when we can share our passions with each other, which is why I am super excited about this EP. More details to follow, but expect a late summer release!

An Industrial Engagement Shoot

Today marks eleven months since Paul and I got married. I cannot believe it’s almost been a full year! So I figured I would do a wedding-related post today. My super talented photographer friend Candace Camuglia offered to do an engagement shoot for us. Not only is it way more fun to do a photo shoot when your friend is the photographer, but Candace has a special knack for making the whole experience not awkward. Because engagement shoots have a tendency to be seriously awkward.

We went to Bushwick specifically for this giant boombox graffiti art that we wanted to use as a backdrop. Candace and I had seen it when we were out there for Bushwick Open Studios earlier in the year. I’ve always liked graffiti art, but we also figured it would be perfect for an engaged rap producer. Unfortunately, when we got there, it had been painted over. Super lame. But, we found some other walls with cool graffiti and a lot of industrial spots that looked pretty awesome. Here are my favorites...

You can find more of her photography, including her editorial work, here. Don’t be surprised to find more than a few pictures of yours truly. Getting to be a muse for Candace is always fun, cause it usually involves putting on some of my favorite vintage clothing.

An Ode To My KitchenAid

Paul's own private stock of pie

Paul may do the cooking around here, but I do the baking. And I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately. It’s partly because Paul is greedy and whenever I bake anything for guests, he wants me to make an extra one just for him. I had to put us on a diet before the wedding, which we've luckily been able to maintain. But the past few weeks, we’ve been really bad.  

I made a chocolate chip cookie pie to bring to a dinner party at a friend’s house. But of course Paul insisted on his own pie, so I actually baked two chocolate chip cookie pies. He’s lucky the pre-made pie crusts come two to a package. This pie is like crack. The batter is so rich that it tastes like maple syrup. Knowing the amount of sugar and butter in the recipe might dissuade you, but I promise it’s worth the calories.

Not an infrequent sight on our kitchen
table: banana bread & headphones

I also made some chocolate chip banana bread this week. I got banana’s last week for snacking, but I’m a little particular and I stop eating them as soon as they get spotty. I secretly just like having an excuse to make banana bread though. Bananas and chocolate might be my favorite combo. Paul, of course, loves it too.

Whenever Paul has rappers in the studio after I’ve baked something, Paul will catch them eyeing it. And he always tells them to back off cause it’s his private stock. He's not very good at sharing. I should start providing baked goodies to his clients as part of the "rappers in my kitchen" total experience.

I gotta hand it to my KitchenAid mixer though. Baking takes no time or effort at all anymore. It’s become dangerously easy to bake. KitchenAid, you are a blessing and a curse...

The Rap Wives Club

I was at a rap show with Paul last week and I didn't see too many of the usuals. I've gotten to the point where I can walk in and recognize quite a number of people, so it was weird to see such a different crowd. This made me realize how far along I've come in Paul’s world. I used to feel totally out of place. It was a community where I had nothing to contribute. For the most part, I only attended shows when Paul performed. But now I actually look forward to shows like Yule Prog- a large, well-attended, annual holiday rap show hosted by Nasa- because I know I’ll see a ton of familiar faces.

A rare 2010 appearance at a rap show. Can you find me in
the crowd? I look less enthusiastic than Paul...
Photography: Victoria Holt

It's helped that so many people from the scene are also Paul's clients. So I often run into them in my kitchen. And since Paul mixes and masters their albums in the other room (and that involves listening to songs over and over again), I become reaalllly familiar with their music. So when I go to a show now, I can almost always sing along to the rapper's hook or chorus.

I've also made it a point to get to know rapper’s wives and girlfriends. The rap world is a bit of a boy’s club. Big surprise. And they pretty much only talk about rap. So I source out the other ladies to chat about non-music things. We do rap double dates too, because then we can all chat about general life stuff. I like the behind-the-scenes look into rap lives, especially when they're married. It's nice to be able to relate, ya know?

It may have taken six years and I might not look like I belong, but I’m beginning to feel part of the rap community. Especially since I've started this blog, I'm not just Willie's wife, I'm also known for Rappers In My Kitchen. Paul slipped so easily into my world, but it takes a little longer for a girly-girl to find her place in a rap world.

Motown In The Kitchen

This past weekend, my girlfriends and I rented a cozy 1850’s farmhouse in the Catskills in upstate NY. When you live in NYC, sometimes you have to escape. Especially after a long winter. There’s also nothing better than a road trip. The subways are great for getting some reading in or being able to go out, drink, and have a ride home at the end of the night, but there is something so freeing about being in a car. So we were pretty obsessed with our minivan.

It was a recharge weekend, so we spent some quality time in the kitchen. We made amazing brunches of eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, etc. every morning, but it was our Saturday night dinner that I think defined the weekend. We all had something to contribute, and we drank wine and danced to Motown in the kitchen as we prepared dinner. Which naturally led to a screening of the “Evolution of Mom Dancing” with Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon and then the “History of Rap” with Justin Timberlake and Fallon. You’d be impressed with how many rap songs a group of dec art & design grads can identify. Rappers in my kitchen: the white girl edition? We sat down to pumpkin-goat cheese pasta, fresh salad, and an apple crumble for dessert in a dining room that can only be described as farmhouse chic. I would say it was a perfect evening.

The highlight of the trip was our hike up Overlook Mountain. About halfway up, we discovered the snow hadn't fully melted. Considering our aversion to winter at this point, we almost turned around. But luckily we followed through. When NYC has beaten us down all winter, why wouldn't we choose to climb a mountain covered in snow and ice? It was the best decision we could have made though. At the top were ruins from a 19th Century hotel that had burned down. It was beautiful and eerie and amazing to explore. There was also a fire tower that we climbed for stunning views of the surrounding Catskills and Hudson River. The only thing that trumps the beauty of art is the beauty of nature.

It was hard to leave our farmhouse on Sunday. Back to a small Brooklyn apartment and far fewer stars, but with plans for many more weekend excursions. There’s a reason my girlfriends had High Voltage off of Paul’s new album stuck in their head this weekend. Illustrate knows what’s up. We’re all craving summertime.