Ramble #63 The New Me: Sherod Khaalis

July 31^st is the date I am writing this and it also the day that I plan to release the seventh installment of The Rent Tape Series entitled The New Me: Sherod Khaalis. I say “plan” because I ran into my first real issue with the series concerning a beat I used that has now become unavailable. So I do hope I can get that resolved urgently and get the music out. I think you will be able to pre-order it sooner than later on Shastimuli.com.

A couple of people asked me about the title of the EP, and by a couple I literally mean two humans. And I think one of them was my mother. Anyway last month I dropped The Old Me: How I Met Your Baby Mother

and that joint included some misogyny, a bit of vulgarity and it concluded with what one might label personal growth. I wanted to reflect on my old mentality where I focused totally on music and my personal relationships suffered.

This new EP is not so much about relationships, but it is more about refocusing my story. We all have a story in our heads. Some of us think the world is out to get us; that opportunity never knocks on our door, that there’s an imaginary force holding us back and we have it harder than anybody on the planet. And others of us are delusional and we believe that the rap gods are watching us and waiting for the perfect song so the “deal man” can come to our homes with a recording contract. Or we believe the next video we’re about to do, the next feature we pay for, the next mixtape we’re going to drop will change the whole game and that’s when it will all go down.

Well it is about to go down. But not the way you think. I’m doing away with the story in my head. I’m done with victimizing me, and letting my ego tell me that I’m better than everyone but I don’t get the same breaks. The foolish myth that Hova blackballed me is similar to the fable that your kids stopped you from going back to school. Or that you would have gotten promoted if your co-workers didn’t hate on you. Everyone hates on you. I know. And on New Year’s Eve you were in church telling yourself that you can’t change your partner that you live with when he/she doesn’t make sense, you were going to just change the way you reacted to things.

You were supposed to take better care of your finances, go to the gym, pray more, and love you for you at the same damn time. Instead you forgot about the resolution and it’s August…the summer is passing along with the bathing suit-body you wanted, you’re still trying to figure out if you should do network marketing, go back to school, or get a career. Don’t think I’m excluding myself from this conversation. I did an EP inspired by the words I’m throwing at you. I touched on transitions, being better everyday, focusing on the present, my views on love vs. money and I stole an R. Kelly track so I could simply vent.

And if it sounds too deep, I let my favorite comedian Louis C.K. add the humor to the release. If you’re wondering how my given name that I received at birth can be a “new me,” well sometimes refreshing yourself is shedding layers and removing pieces of you that were unnecessary. Sha Stimuli is and will always be a huge part of my persona. But I am no longer afraid to be who I am and putting that guy into my music. It is truly a blessing to still be able to do music and it is amazing that I can do it with no filter and no one looking over my shoulder to make sure I pump out hits and singles. That freedom allows me the opportunity to bring you a more level-headed me, a driven me, a me that comprehends love, fear, and living a little more….the new me. Do you know who you really are beneath the workplace persona, the parental figure, the spousal occupation, the rap guy, the Instagrammer? You may enjoy something on this EP.

P.S I’m nominated for an Underground Music Award for indie album of the year for The Emcee.

Don’t just sit there looking at the screen all funny because you don’t know what the Underground Music Awards are, you can vote here.

Thank you!