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Thread started 06/19/06 10:32pm

Harlepolis

A Legend Reborn: Getting Deep With Chaka Khan - New Interview

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Reply #1 posted 06/19/06 11:31pm

theAudience

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"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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Reply #2 posted 06/19/06 11:54pm

Ottensen

That was awesome . Thanx, H! wink
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Reply #3 posted 06/20/06 12:15am

prettymansson

GREAT !!! I love love looooove this woman ! thanks wink
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Reply #4 posted 06/20/06 12:31am

DavidEye

I'm happy to hear that she's working on a new CD lol
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Reply #5 posted 06/20/06 6:28am

RipHer2Shreds

Good interview. Some thoughts:

RLM: "Love Has Fallen on Me" - What is there to say other than this is a gorgeous song?

CK: That song came from my love of Charles Stephney (another Chicago native) and Rotary Connection. Minnie Riperton was in that band. When I was in Chicago, I used to go to see her in clubs when she was with rock and folk bands. I remember one time I went to see her she had on this purple tye-dye cape with a hood and I was like "Damn!" I came up to her after the show like a fan and told her I loved her cape and she said "I know." Years later when I was living in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, I saw her in a store called Chalet Gourmet where we were both shopping. She said we had something in common, "Both our husbands are named Richard!" Minnie was a great artist, a homegirl and a good person.


I love hearing how people came to record certain songs, yet I don't really know what to make of that story. lol


RLM: Next album up for discussion, "Ask Rufus." I feel this is the quintessential Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan album with two of the coolest songs ever recorded, "Everlasting Love" and "Egyptian Song."

CK: I was going through a spiritual metamorphosis during that time. I was getting in tune with all the wonderful earth spirits and accessing ancient knowledge.


That means weed

The new CD: Glad it's gonna be funky and that Jam & Lewis are involved, but I wish there weren't so many cover tunes. I know she does them often, but I wanna hear all original tunes.
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Reply #6 posted 06/20/06 6:31am

DavidEye

RipHer2Shreds said:

Good interview. Some thoughts:

RLM: "Love Has Fallen on Me" - What is there to say other than this is a gorgeous song?

CK: That song came from my love of Charles Stephney (another Chicago native) and Rotary Connection. Minnie Riperton was in that band. When I was in Chicago, I used to go to see her in clubs when she was with rock and folk bands. I remember one time I went to see her she had on this purple tye-dye cape with a hood and I was like "Damn!" I came up to her after the show like a fan and told her I loved her cape and she said "I know." Years later when I was living in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, I saw her in a store called Chalet Gourmet where we were both shopping. She said we had something in common, "Both our husbands are named Richard!" Minnie was a great artist, a homegirl and a good person.


I love hearing how people came to record certain songs, yet I don't really know what to make of that story. lol


RLM: Next album up for discussion, "Ask Rufus." I feel this is the quintessential Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan album with two of the coolest songs ever recorded, "Everlasting Love" and "Egyptian Song."

CK: I was going through a spiritual metamorphosis during that time. I was getting in tune with all the wonderful earth spirits and accessing ancient knowledge.


That means weed

The new CD: Glad it's gonna be funky and that Jam & Lewis are involved, but I wish there weren't so many cover tunes. I know she does them often, but I wanna hear all original tunes.



I actually wish that Jam and Lewis weren't involved.I'm not too impressed with much of their recent productions.I wish Chaka would work with Prince again.I loved 'Come 2 My House'.
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Reply #7 posted 06/20/06 6:40am

RipHer2Shreds

DavidEye said:

RipHer2Shreds said:

Good interview. Some thoughts:

RLM: "Love Has Fallen on Me" - What is there to say other than this is a gorgeous song?

CK: That song came from my love of Charles Stephney (another Chicago native) and Rotary Connection. Minnie Riperton was in that band. When I was in Chicago, I used to go to see her in clubs when she was with rock and folk bands. I remember one time I went to see her she had on this purple tye-dye cape with a hood and I was like "Damn!" I came up to her after the show like a fan and told her I loved her cape and she said "I know." Years later when I was living in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, I saw her in a store called Chalet Gourmet where we were both shopping. She said we had something in common, "Both our husbands are named Richard!" Minnie was a great artist, a homegirl and a good person.


I love hearing how people came to record certain songs, yet I don't really know what to make of that story. lol


RLM: Next album up for discussion, "Ask Rufus." I feel this is the quintessential Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan album with two of the coolest songs ever recorded, "Everlasting Love" and "Egyptian Song."

CK: I was going through a spiritual metamorphosis during that time. I was getting in tune with all the wonderful earth spirits and accessing ancient knowledge.


That means weed

The new CD: Glad it's gonna be funky and that Jam & Lewis are involved, but I wish there weren't so many cover tunes. I know she does them often, but I wanna hear all original tunes.



I actually wish that Jam and Lewis weren't involved.I'm not too impressed with much of their recent productions.I wish Chaka would work with Prince again.I loved 'Come 2 My House'.


nod Come to My House was good. Yeah, I'm not a fan of recent Jam & Lewis either. Maybe this will have an old school sound to it.
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Reply #8 posted 06/20/06 8:34am

Harlepolis

She really opened up in that interview. I wonder what happend during that time when she recorded Chaka Khan.

She said in her book that New York city was too overwhelming for her to handle, she never adjusted to the New Yorkan rushed life.

It shocked the hell outta me when I heard that she and Natalie Cole were 'working girls' to support their habbit @ that time.
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Reply #9 posted 06/22/06 12:22am

DavidEye

Harlepolis said:

It shocked the hell outta me when I heard that she and Natalie Cole were 'working girls' to support their habbit @ that time.



Chaka said that,at one time,the two of them were so high that they took a Sara Lee pound cake out of the refrigerator and fried it lol They were hungry and assumed that it was supposed to be cooked/fried.Drugs can do that to you,lol.
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Reply #10 posted 06/22/06 2:25am

prettymansson

Harlepolis said:



I heard that she and Natalie Cole were 'working girls' to support their habbit @ that time.


where did you hear that ????? I read her book and i didnt see ANYTHING like that in it ???? sad
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Reply #11 posted 06/22/06 2:35am

Harlepolis

prettymansson said:

Harlepolis said:



I heard that she and Natalie Cole were 'working girls' to support their habbit @ that time.


where did you hear that ????? I read her book and i didnt see ANYTHING like that in it ???? sad


Alot of stuff weren't mentioned. Like her being a drug partner with Ike Turner and how they broke up over their habbit.

She mentioned couple of glimpses about the stuff that happend to her, but she's SELECTIVE when it comes to the things she goes deep into.

Like when she shot her husband in front of her daughter. That was a truthful moment.
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Reply #12 posted 06/22/06 5:53am

DavidEye

Harlepolis said:

prettymansson said:



where did you hear that ????? I read her book and i didnt see ANYTHING like that in it ???? sad


Alot of stuff weren't mentioned. Like her being a drug partner with Ike Turner and how they broke up over their habbit.

She mentioned couple of glimpses about the stuff that happend to her, but she's SELECTIVE when it comes to the things she goes deep into.

Like when she shot her husband in front of her daughter. That was a truthful moment.



I read Natalie's book and Chaka's book,and I have to say that Natalie goes into sooooo much more detail.She's extremely candid and reveals ALOT.She mentions something about selling her body for drugs,but I assume this was before she became a star,lol.
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Reply #13 posted 06/22/06 10:07am

Harlepolis

DavidEye said:

Harlepolis said:



Alot of stuff weren't mentioned. Like her being a drug partner with Ike Turner and how they broke up over their habbit.

She mentioned couple of glimpses about the stuff that happend to her, but she's SELECTIVE when it comes to the things she goes deep into.

Like when she shot her husband in front of her daughter. That was a truthful moment.



I read Natalie's book and Chaka's book,and I have to say that Natalie goes into sooooo much more detail.She's extremely candid and reveals ALOT.She mentions something about selling her body for drugs,but I assume this was before she became a star,lol.


Nah, it was in the late 70s/early 80s.

She took 60 minutes to the place where she used to 'hustle' and broke down during the segment, it was a painful interview.
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Reply #14 posted 06/22/06 10:08am

paligap

avatar

...


Kool interview(nice props to Rotary Connection, biggrin !)... but I wish she would finally put an album of original tunes (her track, "Back Again" on the Soulive album, and "Let's Roll"[from the soundtrack] whet my appetite for an original album!). And I agree about Jam and Lewis, I'm not sure she needs them. The thing that worked about Come 2 My House is that, although Prince was involved, she was calling the shots, so it didn't end up sounding like a Prince album featuring Chaka....






...
[Edited 6/22/06 10:10am]
" I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout
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Reply #15 posted 06/22/06 10:33am

Harlepolis

The thing I wanted to ask from the jump street is,,,,

How about ARIF MARDIN?

How come she ain't working with him no more? He's deeper into jazz than when he was with her, and combining this with her funk thing; we got a good thing going.
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Reply #16 posted 06/22/06 11:40am

SupaFunkyOrgan
grinderSexy

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How wonderful to hear her talk about Earth Song! cry That is one of my all time favorite Chaka Tunes worship I pulled on that song so heavily when I first left paul. I felt so safe and comforted by it cry
2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740
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Reply #17 posted 06/22/06 12:52pm

dreamfactory31
3

Cool thread Harlepolis. I dotn have anything to add. I havent read either of their autobiographies. Perhaps I should be getting to the library.
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Reply #18 posted 06/22/06 12:58pm

SupaFunkyOrgan
grinderSexy

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This thread is making me homesick for all the Rufus albums. I need to re-invest in the whole catalogue really. All my Cds have moved with me from place to place over the last decade and now some of them won't even play anymore. After vacation I am going to binge out and buy the whole catalogue cuz there is just so much slamming music goin on on those Rufus albums.
2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740
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Reply #19 posted 06/22/06 9:30pm

prettymansson

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

This thread is making me homesick for all the Rufus albums. I need to re-invest in the whole catalogue really. All my Cds have moved with me from place to place over the last decade and now some of them won't even play anymore. After vacation I am going to binge out and buy the whole catalogue cuz there is just so much slamming music goin on on those Rufus albums.


I have been playing them all to death the last 2 months !! GET THEM !!!!!
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Reply #20 posted 06/23/06 2:14am

DavidEye

paligap said:

I agree about Jam and Lewis, I'm not sure she needs them. The thing that worked about Come 2 My House is that, although Prince was involved, she was calling the shots, so it didn't end up sounding like a Prince album featuring Chaka


Agreed.Prince is the ideal producer for Chaka because he is all about the funk.He grew up on the Rufus albums and 'Come 2 My House' is a very retro-sounding album.
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Reply #21 posted 06/23/06 10:22am

SupaFunkyOrgan
grinderSexy

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prettymansson said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

This thread is making me homesick for all the Rufus albums. I need to re-invest in the whole catalogue really. All my Cds have moved with me from place to place over the last decade and now some of them won't even play anymore. After vacation I am going to binge out and buy the whole catalogue cuz there is just so much slamming music goin on on those Rufus albums.


I have been playing them all to death the last 2 months !! GET THEM !!!!!

I have them but most are scratched to hell or in storage. Time for me to update because the "Best of" albums can't even scratch the surface of what is out there mad
2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740
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Reply #22 posted 06/23/06 11:02am

Adisa

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Cool interview. I never checked out the CD she did with Prince, and I'm curious now. I would also like for her to put out a CD of "new" songs and work with someone other that Jam & Lewis. I really think that Rahsaan Patterson and Van Hunt, R. Saddiq, and Andre Harris would be the best writers and producers for her, but that's just MHO. shrug Anyway, I hope the new CD comes out alright.
I'm sick and tired of the Prince fans being sick and tired of the Prince fans that are sick and tired!
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Reply #23 posted 06/23/06 11:05am

Harlepolis

Adisa said:

Cool interview. I never checked out the CD she did with Prince, and I'm curious now. I would also like for her to put out a CD of "new" songs and work with someone other that Jam & Lewis. I really think that Rahsaan Patterson and Van Hunt, R. Saddiq, and Andre Harris would be the best writers and producers for her, but that's just MHO. shrug Anyway, I hope the new CD comes out alright.


Rahsaan Patterson used to be one of her back-up vox,,,he even collaporated with her in the Epiphany album nod

Jam & Lewis ain't bad, they just need to get back to the basics. They could do SO MUCH with organic musical production(which fits Chaka's earthy music).
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Reply #24 posted 06/23/06 11:09am

Adisa

avatar

Harlepolis said:

Adisa said:

Cool interview. I never checked out the CD she did with Prince, and I'm curious now. I would also like for her to put out a CD of "new" songs and work with someone other that Jam & Lewis. I really think that Rahsaan Patterson and Van Hunt, R. Saddiq, and Andre Harris would be the best writers and producers for her, but that's just MHO. shrug Anyway, I hope the new CD comes out alright.


Rahsaan Patterson used to be one of her back-up vox,,,he even collaporated with her in the Epiphany album nod

Jam & Lewis ain't bad, they just need to get back to the basics. They could do SO MUCH with organic musical production(which fits Chaka's earthy music).

I know, and I agree with you about Jam & Lewis. I'm starting to feel like they think they're time is running out and they're playing it safe by going along with industry standards. Such a shame really, since so many young people know them primarily throught their work with Janet and they have the power to hip these young kids to something more..."real".
[Edited 6/23/06 11:36am]
I'm sick and tired of the Prince fans being sick and tired of the Prince fans that are sick and tired!
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Reply #25 posted 06/26/06 4:58am

DavidEye

Harlepolis said:

Adisa said:

Cool interview. I never checked out the CD she did with Prince, and I'm curious now. I would also like for her to put out a CD of "new" songs and work with someone other that Jam & Lewis. I really think that Rahsaan Patterson and Van Hunt, R. Saddiq, and Andre Harris would be the best writers and producers for her, but that's just MHO. shrug Anyway, I hope the new CD comes out alright.


Rahsaan Patterson used to be one of her back-up vox,,,he even collaporated with her in the Epiphany album nod

Jam & Lewis ain't bad, they just need to get back to the basics. They could do SO MUCH with organic musical production(which fits Chaka's earthy music).



Agreed.The problem with Jam and Lewis is,their music doesn't sound the least bit distinctive anymore.They lost their touch a long time ago and truthfully,their music sounds just as bland and uninspired as most of the other crap going on in R&B today.If they could get back to basics and remember that they are actually musicians,the results could be interesting.But I'd rather see Chaka working with people who will bring her back to the funk.I don't want a watered-down,midtempo album.
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Reply #26 posted 06/27/06 10:27am

SupaFunkyOrgan
grinderSexy

avatar

DavidEye said:

I'd rather see Chaka working with people who will bring her back to the funk.I don't want a watered-down,midtempo album.


clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping
2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740
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Reply #27 posted 06/27/06 11:31am

theAudience

avatar

DavidEye said:

If they could get back to basics and remember that they are actually musicians,the results could be interesting.But I'd rather see Chaka working with people who will bring her back to the funk.I don't want a watered-down,midtempo album.

confuse Vainandy, is that you?


wink


tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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Reply #28 posted 06/27/06 11:35am

RipHer2Shreds

She's poppin' up everywhere lately. Found this interview at CNN yesterday. Nothing groundbreaking but still a worthwhile read:

What's Happening with Chaka Khan
Famed R&B singer receiving BET Lifetime Achievement Award

Monday, June 26, 2006; Posted: 1:45 p.m. EDT (17:45 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- R&B diva Chaka Khan likens her more-than 35-year singing career to her timeless hit song "Through the Fire."

The eight-time Grammy winner, who broke into the music industry in 1971 as the 17-year-old featured vocalist for the group Rufus, has overcome much since then, she notes.

Now 53, Khan has enjoyed critical and commercial success with such hits as "I Feel For You," "I'm Every Woman," "Tell Me Something Good" and "Ain't Nobody." Tuesday night, Black Entertainment Television honors Khan with its Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

The revered singer sat down recently with The Associated Press and talked about her life and career, including the horror of her son, Damien Holland, 27, facing murder charges, and ultimately being acquitted.

Q: How does it feel to be the recipient of BET's Lifetime Achievement Award?

CHAKA KHAN: It's brilliant. I'm excited about it and I'm very grateful. I'm grateful to be acknowledged at that level by our (black) people. It's a wonderful thing.

Q: At what point in your career did you feel you had made it?

KHAN: I still don't (laughs). I'm waiting for that moment. Making it for me is just being able to touch a lot of lives in a positive way and to do God's will. To do what I'm put here to do. You know, that's an ongoing journey.

Q: So, spirituality or religion has played a key part in your life?

KHAN: Spirituality has played an amazing part. It's been paramount in my life.

Q: What challenges or obstacles have you had to overcome to achieve this level of success?

KHAN: Oh, you name it, I've probably had to overcome it. I've been through the fire, you know. And I have some scars ... lots of internal ones. But they're all scabbed over. I'm a real next woman. I'm like, next, bring it on.

Q: Have personal events in your life influenced your music?

KHAN: Every personal experience of my life impacts my music. I can only give what I have. And when I receive, I give it back. I often fix it or color it differently or give it in my way, but that's what it's about.

Q: How did you handle the charges of murder against your son, as well as his acquittal? (Holland was accused in the death of a 17-year-old family friend in 2004. A Los Angeles jury acquitted him on May 5 of murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter charges.)

KHAN: It's devastating for anyone to lose their life. A baby, a baby we loved. The devil is busy. The demons are busy ... In a split second just madness went down. ... You know, this is just not in the script. It ain't part of this script here. ... It was an accident. I said God will make this. He will do his job. And I had to stay in that state of mind. I learned through that, more than anything, to really trust in him. You just got to trust.

Q: What projects are in the works for you?

KHAN: I'm working on a new CD right now. (Producers Jimmy) Jam and (Terry) Lewis and I have been in the studio for the last good month. I'm working with a couple of other producers. I plan to have a CD out by October.

Q: Why did you sign with Burgundy Records?

KHAN: They are a boutique label and that's all I need. They really believe in me. They're going to do me right. I'll be in the record shops. I'll get played. It's a partnership more so than anything else.

Q: So what sound can your fans expect to hear?

KHAN: The thing is I had to explore what made everyone fall in love with me in the first place and stop trying to flip. I'm just trying to break it back down to square one on this one and really have something to say. I want to give some positive messages and to empower some people. Just break it down and take the overproduction out. A lot like the beginning.

Q: If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

KHAN: (Laughs) I would have been an archaeologist or something, maybe a historian. There are a lot of things I would have liked to have done differently, but everything that happened to me made me the person I am today. No matter how negative it seemed at the time or whatever hardship it seemed to have been at that time, I'm just the sum of all those amazing experiences. So I guess I wouldn't change a thing.

Q: What lessons have you learned that you would impart to those trying to follow a similar path?

KHAN: You've just got to follow your own path. You have to trust your heart and you have to listen to the warnings. ... You can't argue with the universe. It's not about that. It's more about relaxing and knowing that you can handle it and feeling empowered. Knowing you have the power to do whatever the hell you want to do. That's what it's about. It really is.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Reply #29 posted 06/27/06 11:39am

theAudience

avatar

RipHer2Shreds said:

Q: So what sound can your fans expect to hear?

KHAN: The thing is I had to explore what made everyone fall in love with me in the first place and stop trying to flip. I'm just trying to break it back down to square one on this one and really have something to say. I want to give some positive messages and to empower some people. Just break it down and take the overproduction out. A lot like the beginning.


Let's hope she follows through. cool


tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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