The Conscious Awaking Of A. Salter--- Based On a True Story Of One Woman From The A.N.D.
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Author and Inspired Freelance Writer A. Salter.. |
On the morning of July 18th, 2016, I woke up to a text from DJ Tuc sharing a new post from freelance writer Lady Yaz. Interestingly enough, I had prayed for God to show me the way on pursuing a career in Hip Hop the night before.
“She’s there, ready and waiting on you to really know who you are, so she can emerge from the depths of your spirit and ROAR like never before!
Once you find your roar, don’t allow anything to take it away from
you!” a quote taken and repeated once more in this post I share with you
for women of today’s society.
“Okay………” I said to myself, (But really to God).
“A bit literal, but to the point. It is a step to being a voice in the
hip hop community” I read the post again, and decided, I needed to speak
up.
From the time we are little girls, developing
into young women, we are adorned in revolving femininity and
domesticated roles to fill. We are constantly placed in the environment
of matriarchal traditions and expected conducts. It is certainly a
culture to be embraced for now and centuries to come.
I, however feel that the roles and traditions
have always been somewhat jagged for me growing up and I never ever
truly questioned why.
You should learn to sew, cook, hold your tongue
(particularly around the company of men), cross your legs, garden,
dance, dress ladylike, and most importantly, never color outside of the
lines.
In hip hop, there is CLEARLY an outweighed scale
of women who are trying to make an impact in a male dominated art-form.
It’s an expression of self. WHY? WHY? WHY is this constantly being
silenced? Why is it being bashed and frowned upon? Simply put, if it
isn’t sexual, then it won’t sell.
I was pursuing a degree in Biology with a
concentration in Pre-Med. I was preparing for the MCAT (Medical College
Admissions Test). I was very busy convincing others on what my career
goals were and a lot family members GLEAMED at the idea of having a
future doctor, let alone a female college grad and doing something
“productive” and “significant” in the world. I was up late studying for a
midterm in Anatomy. I was overwhelmed and I did not feel present in my
body or my mind. I had lost myself and became very distraught. I said to
myself…I’d rather be doing “Lyrical Anatomy” I couldn’t fathom letting
my family down, particularly my grandmother and my mother.
My sister had
already graduated which I was greatly proud of. I just didn’t want to
be a disappointment. But the passion was dying on a continuous downward
slope. I was convinced that I wasn’t focused or driven enough to go into
medicine and that I was in some sort of denial. That being a so called
rapper was just a phase and that I was just like the rest of these
“wanna be’s” who swore they were the next Tupac on their way to
Hollywood or signed by the next Atlanta rap label mogul. But I simply
could not leave it alone. In between time, I read poetry. I loved it and
wrote my own. I memorized poems such as “The Road Not Taken” by Robert
Frost and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells”….by rapping them into a song. I
realized that becoming a doctor simply wasn’t my passion. I had to be
real with myself.
I didn’t mind coming home from a 10 hour night shift
sit up, write, and record music WITHOUT compensation. As Maya Angelou
stated, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
I was thrilled by my creativity. The artist in me had such a loud voice
that I suppressed for a long time, that wasn’t afraid to go against the
grain and I’ve never felt so alive.
I highly encourage women of any age to find a way
to embrace their very own passion, ESPECIALLY if it is in hip hop/rap.
Women are being taught that the only way to do music business is through
promiscuity and immoral acts. Secondly, never allow someone’s
definition of a “lady” or a “woman”, define your dreams. BECAUSE WE ARE
WOMEN in the world of hip hop, we are automatically marked for failure
in the music business. Statistically, women rarely will make it.
Therefore, you have to rise up earlier, go to sleep later, network,
understand your competition, and seize EVERY opportunity that comes to
you. Remember, what we are thinking, we are becoming…therefore…if you
think success, you must be prepared for it as though it is an fire alarm
drill happening. Hopefully this article will help cultivate the soil
for the talented seeds that we want to plant and harvest to share with
others in our future . We all have a story to tell in a unique way and
the way that it is delivered to the audience is what makes us
exceptional.
Best Wishes,
A. Salter-Newelldjtuc liner notes.. A. Salter-Newell is a fantastic freelance writer I'm happy to bring aboard and of which whom in my opinion is a very talented sista. Please let her know what you think if you are touched by her literary works. Please feel free to give her feedback via the comment section of this site or her email: asalternewell@gmail.com or look her up on her facebook..
Wow. Such a blessing Queen!
ReplyDeleteWow. Such a blessing Queen!
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