Times of Respect

Nope, still no new website, this shit takes time, like wiriting and I'm my own out here, faced with my own limitations, so it's limiting. Reagardless, at some point, when I get my arse in gear, or seek help and be able to pay for it,  it will all be updated, in the meantime, here's some new stuff. I wrote this for Inua Ellmas RAP Party, at the Cheltinum Literaturte Festival back on Friday 13th October. Have a listen, I've stuck the words up this time. 

Times of Respect

Fade to the background, a mid-nineties dinner time at my house, chips, beans and whatever else had the date about to go out. Dad’s holding court as my siblings talk, school, tv, news and sport, but it’s music on which my family muses and when it comes to music my dad is mastermind sure. My siblings, all older, are squabbling about the Trainspotting film score and arguing whether Underworld are underground anymore. Like cars in rush-hour traffic, words fly back and forth. Poking food with my fork, I’m scanning the traffic reports, waiting for a safe spot in the onslaught, to step out, find my lane, set a course and for once, air my thoughts, a high-risk manoeuvre with scars from before, but I muse on music too, it’s what I live for.

Inside my skull, ideas and opinions bounce around like lottery balls eager to be drawn, chances of hitting that winning combination are slim, hopes light is light is dim, but my focus ‘aint on the final score. 

The conversation moves, Dad continues to observe whilst he chews his food. My oldest brother turns to the next one down

‘Have you heard of Guru? Listen to Gang-Starr mate, that Code of the Streets tune, wicked lyrics.’

A red light in my brain goes PING. I’m in. Little does he know, but I’ve been listening to that tune in their room, sneaking in to their bedroom whilst they worked their work shifts. I know those lyrics, I know that beat, I know those infectious strings and I know that’s DJ Premier scratching in-between, I may be thirteen, but I know some things! It’s the code of the streets, it’s my time to speak.

The lottery-balls pinging around my brain get selected for the big departure, sending my mind into rapture, each thought and idea a golden grain of sand, could build castles with my hands, dominate the table with my Hip Hop knowledge, impress my siblings, maybe even my dad! Yet, as each idea excitedly makes their way, out of my brain, like kiddies riding waterslides down the neural pathways, they meet with the saliva glands and sand, turns to cement, starting to set, bottleneck sludge-fest in my throat, when the words finally get the green light to go, beyond the pink of the lips, ears of my siblings pricked, it all just, flops-out into the traffic flow, in one messy lump of spam-congealed-audio.

‘he’sermtalkingaboutdrugdealingandkidsbeingharrasedbythepolice’

‘speak up boy, you’re mumbling’

‘Guru, dad, that song, Code of the Streets, he’s erm talking, about drug dealing and kids being harassed by the police.’

‘How do you know about this?!’ Dad barks

My oldest brother interjects; ‘Wait a minute, have you been going into my room listening to my records?!’

Dad ‘He got this from you?!’

And the arguing continues, I stare at my food, as dad lectures my siblings on what’s appropriate for a thirteen-year-old. Funny thing is, mastermind and all, dad don’t even know about those tunes, he doesn’t know Hip Hop, Jungle or Garage, he ‘aint got a clue.

Inside my skull the lottery balls have stopped pinging around, dropped mid-air to the ground as if someone’s pulled the plug out. I’ll make sure I take care next time I step out, I’m ok for now, remain safe inside my head, and besides, I got Guru looping round, It’s the Code of the Streets, and I fade to the background. 

Paul Cree, October 2017

 

Appearence on Croydon Radio 23.10.16

Last Sunday I was back on the airwaves with those nice people at Poets Anonymous for their Croydon Radio Show, in the new surroundings of Airport House on the Purley Way, London's original airport. I always have a good laugh when I'm on there, big up Ted and Peter. Guesting on the show with me was Polish Poet Gregory Spis. Have a listen and download the full show HERE;
 

Gregory Spis and me in the Croydon Radio studio

Gregory Spis reading his poems on the air

One More; New upload on the Soundcloud

Seasons Greetings, again. I enjoy saying that, though it's something I'd probably never say. It would be more like; 'Alright, hows it going?' There's that's better. That's alright.

As per my last update, I posted up a link to the Poets Anonymous show on Croydon Radio, well I've cut up the audio and a bit and uploaded one of them on the Soundcloud. Here it is, written last Christmas and spruced up in the summer. One More

This Friday 27th NOv plus new stuff on the Soundcloud

This Friday I'm dropping half an hour's worth of new stuff at

7 Minute Itch, all in aid of the new show I've been banging about which now has a working title of: (Drumroll...)

The C/D Borderline.

Also stepping up on the night with new stuff are Michelle Madson (who set the thing up) Bridgette Minamore (We go way back, Rubix and all that!) Imogen Butley-Cole (who I've not seen before but I'm told is very good) and the legend Gary From Leeds (becoming a bit of a thing this, me and him on the same bill dropping new stuff!)

It's FREE entry - but you need a ticket which you can get HERE 

Elssewhere this week, in my limited, clustered headspace and Soundcloud page, I uploaded another track from The 90 Sick E.P, produced by Elian Gray, I present, None To Run. Enjoy. Hopefully.

 

Priorites; New old one up on the Soundcloud

A few months back I was going through the files and found this one. Must be from 3 /4 years ago. Tidied it up, took it down Merton Poets and then bosh! Stuck it up, enjoy

No Frills live @ Cabaret Lounge

Performed this live back last year for a live spoken word and music set I did with Conrad Murray

New poems on the Soundcloud

Hello!

After that good stretch of gigs, I've loaded a few new bits up on the Soundcloud. Enjoy

P.S I thought England did alright to be honest. I was pleased to see them actually trying to pass the ball between them and attack, I'm pretty sure the last 6 years the only goals England ever seemed to score were from dead balls...

Lost Days Lost

Rhythm

 

Turbo Breeze

Appearance on Croydon Radio, Poets Anonymous show

Last few busy days have nice and busy, what with the gigs at Tate for the A And The E show, Lyrix Organix at Filthy's on Saturday, Hammer & Tongue Camden on Monday, but also this appearance on Croydon radio for the Poets Anonymous show.

HERE IS A LINK TO LISTEN BACK / DOWNLOAD 

Poets Anonymous are a collective of poets and writers based around the Croydon area that have been running since 1990, when I was a wee nipper obsessing over David Platt's goal against Belgium, during the world cup. I attend one of their monthly sessions at Matthew's Yard  and they kindly invited on their monthly radio show and I dually obliged. Had a wicked time. I was on the show with Nick Alldridge. These guys have been writing years and have tonnes of knowledge and experience which I don't have, so it was a pleasure!

After the Hammer & Tounge on Monday marked the end of the best run of gigs I've ever had, which has seen me share of stage with lots of new and old performers, I'm gonna, over the few weeks be featuring these on here, almost as a record for me, it's been a memorable few weeks. Enjoy the Football....

New old bits on the soundcloud

Hello

Over the last few few months, I've been slowly loading all the old bits that I've been performing out, plus a few extras, over the last few years onto the soundcloud. Stuck a few more up this week.

The Plight of St George

I wrote this story prior to the last 2010 World Cup. Football fascinates me for a lot reasons. Some good, some bad. I've met a lot of people over the years who talk with a genuine intelligence on the game but would never be considered intelligent in some circles. Shame that

The Irony of it All

This was written for the final of a slam competition I was in called Manorlogz back in 2010. It was boracdcast on a SKY channel way up in the high numbers. I never perfomred it again afater that.

Words from the archives #7 Kingpin (2009, audio)

In that one small moment

I became king

The feeling as the ball rolled from my hand,

Arrowing straight down the centre of the lane,

Maintaining a position of perfection,

As it travelled at the speed of delight,

Equal distance between the two gully’s,

Was like, walking out of my house to the bustop,

And without breaking step,

The bus pull's up,

And I casually jump on,

All in front of the prettist girl in the school.

My own projectile missile,

Target locked on.

And Upon Impact,

Producing the harmonic sound of that organised crescendo of chaos,

As the ball struck the centre pin.

The catalyst for the chain reaction,

Collapsing all 10 pins.

Obliterated

Nothing left,

Only the vegas like synthetic strip lighting highlighting my glory,

As if all the balls on the other lanes,

Were bowled at once and syncronised like a 21 gun salute.

X marked the screen.

I'd long ago accepted my position in all this,

My rank being verbal punch-bag,

In the great mis-order of things.

I'm the one you wonna' play pool against,

after you've just taken a whipping.

I'm the one you wonna push around after you've just taken a kicking.

I'm the one you wonna take the piss out of when you're trying to chat up women.

I'm the one you wonna talk too, when you're confidence has gone missing.

My social scene is like a fruit machine

My mates are like the cherries,

Always in pairs.

I'm the lemon,

Solitary and sour.

I turned back round,

And saw my 3 friends,

And their girlfreinds,

With their mouths open wide,

As if they were about to engage in speech,

But nothing was coming out,

Just particles of stake breath.

I never knew silence could make a sound so beautiful

Words from the Archives #6: Dizzee from Change (2010)

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be putting some of the pieces that I've been performing over the last 3-4 years up on my Soundcloud page. Starting with this one - Dizzee from Change. I wrote as part of a slam competition I finished runner up in at the end of the year, called Manorlogz. It was broadcast on some sort of cable channel which you can see HERE



I vividly remember that transition between garage and grime

Wobbly baselines and eerie synthesizers

Epitomizing the darker side of London life

Gone were the girly vocals

Replaced by raw instrumental space allowing an MC to demonstrate

The delicate balancing act between bravado and flow

As whole studio's previously only available to those with dough,

Were condensed and squeezed onto desktop pc's

Whatever side of the musical divide you chose

The relentless march of evolution wasn’t stopping

Time waits for no man

So the saying goes

And rightly so

Because

I've suffered many a splinter from sitting on fences

Worried that whatever side I decided to climb off Id be defenseless

For years I perched trying to search for the perfect way

To permeate the boundaries of success and away from the doldrums without being seen,

I saw attention as an enemy that could potentially halt my progress

Though thought and action were two factions that rarely agreed

In-bedded in the tred of my trainers is the memory of a thousand pounded pavements

Paces of procrastination.

Paving slabs greeted my feet anytime I sought retreat in my lunch hour

An escape from my place of work.

I took to these walks to create space for thought

My daily tours saw me over analyzing situations beyond contemplation

Until I realized immersing myself in grey clouds of thought

Was a just a subconscious delay tactic

A mental fence on which to sit

Blanketing the reality of mother nature’s very own weather report

Worried about getting caught in a shower when the forecast was heat

For the sun's rays to penetrate I needed to accept the fact that weather does change 

And the outcome is out of my hands

In order to jump off the fence and make an impact

I tried to revolutionize the way that I think

In the same way that garage dj's did when they dropped 138 Trek by Zinc

Whether or not it paid 

It triggered a chain reaction for change to happen

I'm not sure who claimed they were first to maim that skippy 2 step beat

And chop it in half

All I know is that it tore a line apart between old and new

I Love You was a long way from Bring Me Flowers

However it allowed a whole new species to blossom

The pollen of many genres responding to mistakes and lessons of the elders

Genetically encoded in the DNA of the music

And passed on like father to Son

I decided I had nothing to loose by taking risks

Other than loosing a few splinters,

And the sole's of my trainers could start connecting with a few more stages

And a few less pavements

Actions have consequences – positive and negative

So they say

No action knows no satisfaction

Sitting on the fence in isolation was frustrating

Only dipping my toe into the ebb and flow of everyday living

Would stunt the development required for essential decision making

The act of waiting becomes frustrating

And that impatience converts to bitterness

Who's only home lies in defeat

I didn’t wonna' be another could a been.

So I selected my spot.

Jumped off my fence and went to ground

I realized sometimes you have to do things on you're own.

Accept responsibility,

And just go

The same year Dizzee dropped Boy In Da Corner

I left home

Forthcoming EP and wee up date!

Hello!

It's Monday and I've just got back from Latitude festival yesterday, had a great time. I was performing as part of the 90's BPM show and apart from a 7 hour journey to get there from London, due to a man on the roof of Ipswich station with pants on his head (if you don't believe me read HERE) it was a whole heap of fun.

There's been a quite a few gigs of late, Purely festival, Brockley Jack Scratch to name a few, most with Conrad Murray who I work with regularly, we both had a lot fun. But on the 7th July I was invited to perfrom at the Cabaret Lounge, which is a night run by a singer and artist called Airlie Scott. I took Conrad with me and we did a full 25 minute set so I was able to mix it up with straight spoken word and music, which I don't get to do very often, I even played the snare drum for one of Conrad's solo tracks. It was a wicked night and we were well looked after. It was a different sort of gig to what I'm used to but I really enjoyed it. It's set in a restaurant called Toulouse Lautrec and is very well set up for small gigs, there's even a camera over the piano keys so the audience can see what the pianist is doing! Anyway, I was able to perfrom 2 tracks from the EP myself and Conrad are working on called The Dice That Rolled A 3, and luckily we had it filmed and recorded, so below is a one of those tracks, called No Frills. 

From next week, I go into the final development phase for my first solo show A Tale From The Bedsit so I'll keep you all posted. 

Enjoy

Paul

CrossRoads

Have a wee listen.

If you like here's a link to the VIDEO