Currently: I am Watching...

WAX DRIP INTO PUDDLES OF ITSELF.

And although this is hella-cool...there is about a cazillion other more productive things I could be doing with my time at this particular moment.
LIKE: Work on the book Iyeoka. That's right, new project. So next time you see me, just ask "Hey Yoke, how's the book coming along". If I give a guilty-surprised look, it means that I've been slacking on my daily goals of productivity and your remark may potentially indirectly encourage me to keep moving towards a finished product.

Because of the power of the slam venues & performance mediums like the Lizard Lounge, the Cantab, the Middle East, and the Jorge Hernandez Center...
Because of free online sites such as MYSPACE, and BLOGGER, yahoogroups and livejournal...

Because of YOU...

Because of the magic of the internet and all of its glorious gifts of resources...
Because of the visuals, the audibles, the mp3s, the blackberry's, the easier access, the sharing, the home studios, the dvd burners, the macs, the pc's the CD Baby's and the musicchoice channels...
Because of the grants, the fundraisers, the sponsors, the benefactors, and the 5 time LIZARD LOUNGE SLAM TEAM anonymous donor...

Because of YOU...
Because of all these things that allow us the access that use to be available to a chosen few...

Because of the power of the UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT...

I have met and admired from a distance so many other voices lifted and gifted in this struggle to be heard

Sometimes sacrificing on the frontlines
Sometimes building like magicians in basements

I have seen and loved so much of the art of my colleagues
This has been such an amazing millenium for the plight of the underground and i predict will continue to be.

So allow me to thank my fellow musicians, ARTISTS and POETS.

THANKYOU for strengthening my FAITH in the process of getting somewhere.
THANKYOU for passing on the knowledge of the THIS IS HOW TO GET TO WHERE I AM AT...see you there
THANKYOU for helping me move the world to drift towards the motion of serious motivation and solid self promotion

Because who's gonna wanna help you if YOU don't first learn how to properly help yourself.

Be a mentor.
Be a JEDI master in the art of inspiration.
Be a voice.
Be a poet.
Be a singer.
Be a writer.
Be amazing THEN teach someone else how to be amazing JUST LIKE YOU.

Artist's TO DO LIST

Wake up in the morning.

Thank Him for the gifts I am accessible to today.

Check email. Read emails. Send an email.

WRITE A POEM doesn't matter how long or short or magnificent. Just write it.

Go to work. Be a PHARMACIST. (or whatever it is your "day job" happens to be) FEEL good that you have access to one.

Come home.

Be grateful you made it back to your comfort zone safely. (yup, that's not a guarantee so should be looked upon as another gift)

Call someone you love and tell them about your day. (Don't worry about how significant the news is...Just talk...it's a therapeutic exercise)

Call someone you love and let them tell you about their day...Encourage them to share anything...Just talk (this time YOU LISTEN)

When you go to sleep, DREAM.

The impossible ones AND the tangible ones too.

ANY MORE IDEAS?
IN Case i left anything out...
JUST ADD IT TO THE ARTIST'S TO DO LIST.

I'm watching Jay Leno right now
Vince Young is HUGE. Like a big dude huge. I wonder if it's weird for his teammates to hear everyone talk about how Vince did it pretty much by himself. Although it's kinda true. I wonder if his mates are annoyed to hear that. I mean everyone knows that in a football TEAM no one can technically REALLY DO IT BY THEMSELVES. Vince just really knows how to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOMENT. And he happens to have the athletic ability to succeed in his advantage attempts.

subject flip

i love the song that's featured in the Winter Olympics commercials, it's DOPE. It goes "Someday...we're gonna blalabla bla..."
OH!!! Nice it's FLIPSIDE,,,how lucky am I! This group happens to be featured on Jay Leno tonight. cool.
wow this song is HOT! What a diverse hip-hop group the white guy lead singer reminds me of Buddy Wakefield.
Awww...I miss Buddy. This song is making me want to write a new dope song too. what a simple concept. Very much so my style with the inspiring message. wow. the official theme song for the Olympics...
SOMEONE told me today that I have below avg goals because i said i would love to make it onto PERFORMER MAGAZINE one day....Maybe he was right...I think I just got a better one:
cool 2006 resolution : WRITE A DOPE SONG THAT THE 2008 OLYMPICS WILL BEG ME TO ALLOW THEM TO SELECT AS THE next THEME...

About the AS220

I really really enjoy providence slam spot.
I know what you're ALL thinking...
I enjoyed it because i won the slam tonight.
BUT NO. That's not it at all. It's just a really good crowd of people and a great mixture of young folks and older folks and a bunch of folks that fall in between ambiguously. I'm going to keep trying to make an effort to drive out there.

Christa Bell was the feature and she was a fantastic presence on the stage. One of those poets where AS a poet, you learn a little something more about "how to make an audience your friend prior to beginning your poem" Often when i watch a featured poets on stage that I'm familiar with i'll go into "food critic" mode. I already knew i'd enjoy her poetry as I did at the 2005 National Poetry Slam Finals night...But it's always an EXTRA to see a poet pull off a worthy set as well.
She was extremely likeable. Her Outfit was a piece of art too. that was pretty cool.

i

USC vs TEXAS (i cant believe i watched the entire game)

WOW. Alright...
2 words for ya

Vince Young

another few words

that dude is dope. really classy guy. the team reminded me of my Patriots a little bit being the underdogs and all back in 2001.
Who wouldn't want to be labeled the underdog that ultimately pulls through in the clutch.
Now that game was one entertaining rose bowl.

http://www.myspace.com/iyeoka

So maybe I'll post my upcoming shows on this myspace profile thingy.
Check it out. Get addicted to it like ME!

http://www.myspace.com/iyeoka

2006.

Alright!

Umm...Ok...Now what do we do?