• » Name: aliya ewing
• » Location: Boston/ Hartford/ Vegas
• » Member Since: 04/13/07
• » Bio: I am a writer and a mother (not in that order). Big fan of art in various forms. Firm believer that nothing beats Ciroc vodka and good conversation. (i've loved ciroc for yrs...WAY b4 Diddy's ads)
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Don't Sweat The Technique...

i dont normally brag ...but ummmmm....

 

In the couple years I've been in the writing game I've gotten to see/do some pretty cool things. Ive done some great interviews with musical legends, Ive had friendly dinners with celebs, And I honestly can't remember the last time Ive paid for a concert ticket. Freelance writing is a hustle, but as my fellow writers know, the perks can be great.

But there's always this fine line of keeping professional life professional (which is sometimes hard when youre in an industry that revolves around music and partying), so when something REALLY DOPE happens to me, i often keep quiet because I dont want people to assume that my opinions of artists are biased because I know them, or even worse, assume that my interactions with certain artists go beyond friendship (which unfortunately is something women have to endure in this industry WAY MORE than men do)

 

but i cant help it this time lol, im WAY too excited about this one and I wanna share it with you guys, my DX family :)

 

I always try to write about artists I actually believe in. At times, because a job is still a job, I'll take an assignment simply  because it's given to me and i "have to" do it...but generally I only write about people I find interesting in some way. So in either case, months ago I did a DX NEXT on a REALLY dope producer out of France named Dela (click here : http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/dxnext/id.58/title.dela)we kept in touch and a few weeks ago he hits me up like " Li! I'm working on my next project and it really wouldn't be the same unless you're on it. You gotta lay down an interlude for me"

Me: wow, thats super flattering, what do you want me to say?

Dela: well, I kinda wanna pay homage to ATCQ's Midnight Mauraurders because they influenced me so much...so you know how they had the robot talking inbetween songs?

me: yea?

Dela: well I want you to say one of her lines "seven out of ten times we listen to our music at night", all choppy like a robot

Me: ok word!

Dela: ...but I want you to say it in french.

Me: but I dont speak French lol...like, not a single word... besides butchering the chorus to Lady Marmalade

Dela: I want it to sound imperfect though. I want it to sound like youre not French.

Me: ummm....idk about this lol...my French is ATROCIOUS

Dela:  lol ...Youll be fine, dont worry, its gonna be dope

 

...and next thing i know, Im on the end of a Talib Kweli Track!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

WOW

 

I really wished he had told me what I was gonna be a part of upfront --cuz i HATE the way I sound on it (Dela and I both determined that I sound slightly german..and my boy Karl speaks french and had no clue what I said lol) . but for real? Im sooo honored to even be a part of it that I cant even complain. Sure, I wasnt actually in the studio with talib for this, but how many of you can say youre voice can be heard on a talib track?

 

I can :)

 

Ive even been joking about how Im about to edit his wikipedia page to say he collabo'd with me, HA! Ive been crazy excited about it but was hesitant to share because theres bound to be the 2 assholes who just HAVE to say something negative and rain on my parade...but Ketchums put it best when he told me "No one is gonna think youre a groupie...groupies do a lot of things...but getting on tracks isnt one of them"

AMEN TO THAT

 

hope you guys like it; i think the song is simply AMAZING...one of my fav from the entire year

 

"LONG LIFE"

 

 

 

HUGE shout out to Dela, Talib, and the entire Beatfanatic crew!

 

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