Social Media is about as rules-less as you can possibly be today.  You can say or post a pic on whatever you want, and somehow it could get tagged or retweeted to anyone.  For adults, it is what it is.  But for kids that are pretty much online ALL day (whether on the computer or their phone), an X-Rated pic can, and will, hit their eyes with ease.

Ultimately, it’s up to the parents to lead by example and do their best to be a positive influence in a child’s life.  But for girls in particular, I think it’s the MEN in their lives that are the most influential.  Father, Daddy, Baby Daddy, whatever you want to call him…it is HE that needs to be in his daughter’s life.  If the relationship between the mother and father didn’t work out, and the father is determined to be a part of his daughter’s life, the absolute worst thing the mother can do is have extreme animosity towards the father, to the point where the mother doesn’t want the father around.  There’s a lot of layers to this topic, but in general I believe BOTH parents need to AT LEAST be given a chance to BE a parent!

What’s great about the Nas song is that he ADMITS to his faults.  He KNOWS that he’s not perfect.  But his love for his daughter has always been as strong as the first day she was born.  No one is given a blueprint on how to be a good parent.  You learn as you go along, so of course you will slip up every now and then.  But the love for your child will be your motivation to keep going and do what’s best for the little one.  This should be the same thought process that mothers should have when thinking about their child’s father.

So Brothers…if you don’t have any kids yet, you may not really understand this post entirely.  I didn’t know how being a parent is a whole new ball game until I became one.  We, as men, have to make sure we do what is needed to take care of our family, and most importantly, be a MAJOR part of our child’s life.  You’ll have a brand new motivation to move in a righteous way for the sake of your child.  We have to dodge the numerous pitfalls that plague us every day so that we can minimize the number of girls that end up going the wrong direction.  I think we can teach our daughters much, MUCH better than ANY reality TV show.  Agreed?

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

I Don’t Know Why (What’s Goin’ On Remix)

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

Over the last year, new bank fees have started to bloom in a variety of ways.  Big changes to regulations were passed a couple of years ago so that banks can no longer automatically set their customer’s bank accounts to overdraft when using their debit card for one-time purchases, without the customer’s permission.  So if you don’t have sufficient funds in your bank account, and you go to the grocery store to buy a $1.00 soda, for example, that soda will no longer cost you $36.00 (once the $35.00 overdraft fee is charged) by default.  The transaction will simply be declined.  You would have to opt-in to allowing your account to overdraft and be charged the overdraft fee.  The changes to this regulation, called Regulation E, caused huge losses to the bank’s fee income, and it was only a matter of time before banks would figure out ways to compensate for these losses.

Like I had mentioned in my previous post about the differences between banks and credit unions, many of the people who pay the majority of bank fees (overdraft fees, in particular) are those who cannot afford it.  They tend to be those who are struggling to make ends meet, and don’t need to pay an additional $30-35 fee for having a temporary negative balance (even if it’s negative just one dollar).

If you don’t want to pay any of these fees, my first suggestion would be to do your research!  Go to your bank’s website and take a look at their Fee Schedule.  Call/Email your bank and ask questions.  Banks have no choice but to provide as much information about fees, as well as ways to avoid them (even though they know most people will bow down to the fees and never speak  up).  It’s ultimately up to you to learn the details about fees at your bank.

Back to the new fees from Wells Fargo…There are ways you can avoid the $7.00 fee.  The fee can be reduced down to $5.00 a month if you sign up for e-statements, which are electronic versions of your monthly paper statement.  Once you sign up for e-statements, the paper statements will no longer arrive in your mailbox each month.  There are a ton of people who are old fashioned, and want their paper statement each month.  But the reality is that the future of banking is paperless.  The less paper involved with your banking, the less costs for the bank, so they want to push you to as much paperless banking as possible.

Have you ordered checks from your bank recently?  Does the price of checks seem to increase every year?  If you answered “yes”, then I believe there is a reason for that.  It’s almost as if the prices of checks are going up so that you will be hesitant to order them, or stop using them all together.  Again, with everything being pretty much electronic nowadays, processing checks for banks is costly.  So if you want to remain old fashioned, that’s cool…You’ll be sure to pay for your old fashioned ways, in more ways than one.

Finally, the new Wells Fargo fee can be avoided completely if you either maintain a balance of $1,500.00 in your account, or if you have a direct deposit of at least $500.00.  So the easiest option for most people is to have direct deposit set up with your employer.  Many banks know that a lot of people won’t, or can’t, maintain $1,500.00 at all times, and these are probably the same people who are paying overdraft fees anyway.

Even if you don’t have a bank account at Wells Fargo, there are several other banks who have similar fees.  So again, do your research!  The concept of a “free checking account” is all but a memory in today’s banking world…at least as we’ve known it.  You can still have a “free” bank account if you take the proper precautions.  Just don’t be afraid to do so!  Regardless of the bank you choose, the money you deposit is still your money!!!

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

Edgar Allen Floe – Two Moms (Remix)

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

The album is available for pre-order now on Bandcamp.  All pre-orders will receive a special discounted price ($7.99), as well as an exclusive EP called “Motion Sickness”.  The EP will feature King Mez, Kam Moye, Median, and others, with production from 9th Wonder, Blunt, and two album remixes from J Wheels.

I was going to initially offer just the two bonus remixes for those that pre-order.  But I wanted to provide a little more to my supporters.  So I’m crafting these new tracks now for the EP.  Considering I’ve been laying low for the past 3 years, I’m sure most supporters would say “the more new tracks, the better!”

Thanks to everyone who have supported my work over the years, as well as my team’s material.  I hope Floetry In Motion will be a project you truly appreciate and listen to now and for years to come.

I’ll be detailing how each track on Floetry In Motion came about in future posts.  I’m really proud of a lot of the concepts for the songs, so it’ll be cool to fill you all in on the thought process behind the tracks.  And don’t forget to sign up for the Edgar Allen Floe Newsletter to receive another exclusive track on release day, June 19th.

Thanks again everyone!!!  Long time coming!!!!

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

-For Immediate Release-

May 8th, 2012 –(Raleigh-Durham, NC)  It’s been over 3 years since the release of Edgar Allen Floe’s official debut album The Streetwise LP.  Most noted for his contributions as a member of North Carolina’s underground hip hop collective, The Justus League, Floe is back with the release of Floetry In Motion dropping June 19th on MCEO Records / Mass Media Group.

“I needed to take a step back and look at the direction I was taking with my music, to really make sure I was on the path that was right for me.  Floetry In Motion sums up perfectly what I’m looking to accomplish with my music for years to come, which is deliver a truly organic and original sound.”  – Edgar Allen Floe

Produced entirely by J Wheels, who has produced for artists such as Jean Grae and Canibus, Floetry In Motion features a well balanced cast of soulful vocalists and legendary hip hop artists.  The hard-hitting “Mighty Floe Young” features producer/emcee Nottz, as well as Royce da 5’9” from Slaughterhouse.  The smooth vibes of “Don’t Stop” features renowned singer LaToiya Williams, who has worked with artists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and The Game.

“Who knew that one trip to a local record store in Norfolk, Virginia would be the catalyst for such an amazing album!! Floe was performing there and I handed him a remix album, the rest was history! The creation of this album has made me a better producer, listener, and collaborator. It was truly a great experience, and I will always be grateful to Floe for giving an unknown producer a chance to make quality music! We made something special, I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks!” — Jeff “J Wheels” Wheeler

Edgar Allen Floe has been featured on albums such Jean Grae’s “Jeanius” project with 9th Wonder, as well as a variety of tracks with his Justus League brethren.

Most recently, Floe had teamed up with Canadian emcee, Ghettosocks, and released the seminal track “Don’t Turn Around”, the 1st single and video off Socks’ album “Treat of the Day”.  The video was awarded an official selection at over 15 film festivals, and was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Music Video as well as Most Creative Music Video at the 2011 World Music and Independent Film Festival.  The song itself was awarded Rap Single of the Year at the 2011 ECMA Awards, and the album “Treat of the Day” was nominated for a JUNO award that same year.

Floetry In Motion will be available digitally June 19th, 2012, and physically later this summer.

Tracklisting and credits for Floetry In Motion by Edgar Allen Floe & J Wheels:

1)  Floetry In Motion (feat. Nakia Madry & Hamza the 7th Sun)
2)  I Don’t Know Why
3)  Where Did I Go Wrong
4)  Head 2 The Sky (feat. Jon Bibbs)
5)  Jealous (feat. Chaundon, L.E.G.A.C.Y., & K’Bana Blaq)
6)  Central Booking
7)  Superfly (feat. Termanology & Nakia Madry)
8)  Mighty Floe Young (feat. Nottz and Royce da 5’9)
9)  Don’t Stop (feat. LaToiya Williams)
10) Caroline
11) Two Moms (feat. Chris Whitaker)
12) I Love The Game
13) The Realest Talk (feat. Carlitta Durand)

To obtain a press copy of Edgar Allen Floe’s Floetry In Motion for review or interview purposes, please contact:

Daryl Sams
MCEO Records, LLC
E-Mail: press@eafloe.com
eafloe.com
jwheelsbeats.blogspot.com

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

But as of now, I’m stuck. My energy is totally shot, and I don’t have the same urgency to hit the gym like I did just 6 months ago. I’ve been eating heavy carbs lately too, which has me even more tired. I HATE this feeling! Usually when I’ve had this feeling in the past, I would be able to easily refocus after the first visit back to the gym. But it’s been even more difficult to do so now.  Part of the reason for this is when I was stressed and had an anxiety attack earlier in the year, I tried getting as much rest as possible.  So the rest had contributed a bit to me taking too much time resting, to the point where I didn’t want to get back into the gym.

Do I see this as a failure?  Yes I do.  Am I sad about it?  Not really sad, but just more determined to get back on track.

If you feel you haven’t reached a goal, whether it be health related, concerning your job, saving money, or fulfillment of a dream, you must understand and remind yourself that it is OK to fail.  I’ve always been the type of person that almost expects failure, just so I can learn something from whatever mistakes that I had made.   It’s easy to get down on yourself, feeling like you had only one chance to win at something.  It’s this “all or nothing” mentality that can cause more harm than good, and some people end up being afraid of pursuing their dreams because they don’t want to fail!

It’s the fear of failure that can be the real problem.  I’m ready now, more than ever, to get back in the gym and work hard like I did just months.  I’m also ready to get back to monitoring my caloric intake, because you have to watch what you eat to really see the benefits of exercising.  I’m thinking about creating a Health Series where I write about my daily activities and foods I consume, post these once a week on my site, in order to keep you updated on my progress.  I think it’s a good idea, so it’s something I’ll more than likely begin soon.

So whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish, know that you CAN get up if you get knocked down.  The ground you stand on can then be even stronger if you learn from mistakes and understand you still can succeed!   Determination is key, so obstacles will only be stepping stones towards your goal!  Success through failure, so that you don’t fail to succeed!!!  peace.

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

Edgar Allen Floe – Sun God Freestyle

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

With a music industry that seems to demand “elite members only”, music continues to have a major impact on people’s lives, well beyond what is seen or heard on television or radio.  Back during the Myspace days, the site would boast how they helped over 8 million artists get discovered.  Today, Facebook has over 30 million Band Pages (but is now declining rapidly due to recent changes and new layout).  Soundcloud has grown crazily over the last year, and now has over 10 million users.

So with the millions and millions of artists out there trying to be heard, I have to ask…

WHY ARE YOU AN ARTIST?

Back when I was coming up, I always had a strong love for music.  From hip hop, to soul, R&B, rock…you name it.  As long as it was great music, I loved it.  When hip hop became a stronger force in the music industry, our now legendary artists were just beginning to introduce themselves to the world.  These major hip hop figures gave me a desire to pick up a microphone and involve myself in hip hop.  But it was my love of music in general that gave me the desire to engage in music, period.

With today’s music, I can say there are many established artists out there that have some incredible material.  So, the motivation factor of just having a love to create great music is still there for aspiring artists.  But I can’t really say the motivation is just as great as it was when I was younger.  Also, there is the “star” factor that has been blown so far out of proportion nowadays, most artists don’t even realize how the notion of “becoming a star” has influenced them in a major way to do music.  With the norm of becoming an “American Idol”, coupled with our strange fascination with celebrities nowadays, most artists today (in my opinion) simply want to be a “star”.

They want to be in the limelight and be in the public eye constantly, just like their favorite artists.   And there is nothing wrong with that, as I think all of us want to be seen and recognized to some degree.  But today, it’s just totally out of hand.  Nearly all artists should be able to see just how broken the record industry is, but many artists (especially Rap artists) still believe and have an insane desire to “get signed” to a major label.  We still have a skewed view of the music industry as if it’s still 1998, and that’s a problem.

So what causes one to have a real desire to become an artist?  Is it just the fame, or the (perceived) fortune?  The love of the creating music?  The impact music has on millions of lives and ultimately, the world?

It just seems like with the millions of artists out there, I don’t see a lot of them striving to be in the realm of a Michael Jackson, a Stevie Wonder, or a Miles Davis.  That’s the concern…if artists aren’t looking to be legendary, then why are you doing it?  One side of me says “do you”…but the other side of me says “you’re taking up space”!

When I became an artist, I always told myself my goal was to create music that would impact someone else’s life in the same way music has impacted my life.  I want Edgar Allen Floe listeners to get goosebumps with my tracks just like how I get when I listen some of my favorite artists.  And of course, I want to have as many listeners as possible, just like many of us.  But when you have complete control of your music, and it eventually leads you to fans and support, it makes the journey of being an artist worthwhile.

I know some people enjoy doing music as an occasional hobby and don’t really care if their music becomes a hit…and that’s ok!  Artists have their own reasons for doing what they do.

So what are the reasons that made you want to be an artist?  Leave it in the comments and let’s build!

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge

Artists, specifically Rap and Hip Hop artists, have lately been using the tactic of offering free music in an attempt to gain new fans.  I agree that an artist can gain new fans by offering free tracks.  But the issue I have is many artists don’t have a real plan behind the offer.  This is something many up and coming, independent artists have to understand.  Generally speaking, just because your music is available for free online doesn’t mean people are going to listen and instantly become a fan.

Think about it…If you throw a mixtape together (and I hear many artists say they “throw a project together” all the time) and offer the mixtape for free download, there are problems on both sides of the spectrum where the music gets perceived more as disposable and less as valuable.

From the consumer’s perspective, they probably see at least 50 free mixtapes that were released online for free within the last few weeks.  Most of these free projects were probably “thrown together” as well, so what makes a consumer give you a few minutes of their time to listen to your “thrown together” mixtape?  What makes you stand out from everyone else?

From the artist’s perspective, if you can “throw together” a mixtape every month, is that the sole reason why someone should listen to your project?  You would be surprised just how many people download a free project, but don’t listen to it because they have a ton of other zip files of music that they haven’t listened to yet?  So again, what makes you stand out?  Free doesn’t automatically equal unique, and damn sure doesn’t equal valuable!

I believe the notion of value should always begin with the artist.  If you, as an artist, take time to deliver great songs and outdo yourself with each release, then it will be easier for the consumer to value your work.  Artists should immediately get rid of the thought of “throwing a project together”, because that mindset has already put a cheap sticker on your material before it has had a chance to be heard, regardless if it’s free or for sale.

Consumers are willing to pay for music that is valuable to them.  Most can easily tell if a project was rushed or given very little effort.  Being a music lover myself, I feel disappointed (and even cheated) when I hear weak music, especially when I know the artist is capable of much better.  So artists have to make sure they are doing epic work in the studio at each and ever session.  When the project is finally completed, artists should be so proud of the new material, that they wouldn’t even think about offering it for free.  It’s valuable to them, so essentially, it will be seen as valuable to the consumer.

As I had mentioned earlier, I am not totally against offering free music.  But you should make sure to do whatever possible to avoid losing the value of your music for the sake of a free download.  Artists should have additional tactics in place, which complements the free download, that will help you eventually increase your sales (which is the primary reason for the free download in the first place, right?).

You can’t replace technology with great songwriting.  But at the same time, talent can only take you but so far in the music game.  A featured collaboration with a well known artist or producer might make people turn heads your way, temporarily.  But what are you doing to keep heads focused on you and your talent for the long term?  It all starts with this…Don’t take your art for granted!  Always make sure to deliver high quality material that stands the test of time and people will support you…period.

*Photo by EphesDesigns

Edgar Allen Floe® - Know The Ledge