The Tony Rich Project
“Part The Waves” (MP3 Single)

taken from his upcoming album “EXIST”
in stores September 23, 2008.

DOWNLOAD NOW

So I woke up early last Friday and made my way to WCLK in support of the ”Black Barbershop Health Outreach Initiative” with founder Dr. Bill Releford. The Doc was a really interesting person. He explained to me how the idea to form the initiative. Then he shared a story about a very interesting event that occured during his residency in Detroit, MI at one of the hospitals there.

It took him a few attempts to complete the story, due to a few interruptions, but he finished it & it left us all like, “Wow…”

So here goes… He had a female patient come in & upon review of x-rays, it showed that her hips were deteriorating by the hour. She was in her 20’s, white, professional corporate woman. So for days the Doc ran test trying to figure out what was going on with this woman & her hips.

One day the woman asked the Doc to step closer to her, she pulls back the sheet & pressing down on her abdomen & out squirts puss… at which time she informs him that she’s a heroine user & that she’s been shooting in her groin area as to avoid there being any evidence of her abuse showing on her arms or hands…. like I said.. “Wow..”

Check out my nephew… we hung for a minute the night before…

We arrived into Atlanta yesterday afternoon. I brought my luggage in & then I walked a mile to get a “Grand Slam” which is 1 ounce of ginger, an ounce of pure cranberry, one of wheatgrass & another of pure lemon. AND a 16 oz bottle of ginger. Thats my remedy to deter any symptoms of a cold or congestion, those juices will flush out any unwanted critters, ya dig? The walk allowed to sweat, which a great way to release any toxins in addition to it being a form of great exercise. According to me, walking is a privilege & driving is a convenience.

Last night I went to hang out with a few of my band members @ Arizona Steak House in Lithonia. Prior to getting there I told my drummer that we should play the new single, “Part The Waves”. It’s always a true pleasure to play music with my band, especially new material because I anticipate their energy that they add to it. The people loved the song : ), then we went into “Nobody Knows”.

You wanna hear something funny? So when we arrived into Augusta, Tom Tom directed us to the correct address that was programmed. We walk into the station, & BAM!!! we gave our names, asked for Fattz & then we heard these words, “Oh, They don’t broadcast from this location… “. So we laughed & asked for the address where they broadcast. So the woman said, “They broadcast from South Carolina…”

So I’m sure Vanessa was thinking the same thing as I was. (We just drove in from South Carolina). Then we were told that it was only about a 20 minute drive from where we were. : )

The interview with Fattz & Cher was mad funny & Ms. Monique was hi-energy…

It’s early in the am. I’m sitting in the car typing this entry. It’ll take us just under 2 hours to get there. Vanessa refused to let me drive one mile the entire time we’ve been on the road. She’s been taking very good care of me. Once we reach Augusta, I go straight into an 8am interview, then I have a couple of phone interviews to do in the afternoon… Let’s see if we can find a nice Thai restaurant later. I’m in the mood for spicy noodle. Check in later.

Check this… The poem that I recited was actually written the last time I was in Charlotte, NC back in November of 2003. Check it out:

I’m Not Afraid

I’m not afraid 2 explore this state, my state of mind. This place deep in the core of my brain, suspended in & wrapped in my skull. It’s funny but not so funny, how we, being you & me, never really know what is, until we ask who?… Ourselves… The questions which ignite us 2 explore this state, our state of mind. I am not afraid 2 Investigate, Interrogate, question, ga at me with a vengeance , repeating the questions in different angles. All the while, under that solidified light, swinging in the midst of a smokey room.

Different emotions flaring, showing & proving that I really didn’t know what some things really were, you know, like… this thing that “we” call Love…. With all of its obsessions, possessiveness, deceptions…I am not afraid 2 explore this state, my state of mind. After all, isn’t it in fact, “my” mind. Like, my ride.Shouldn’t I Know “my” mind?, my state?, my state of mind? Sometimes words & meanings can blind one from knowing, their state what is… They become illegal aliens with no passport, green card, no true citizenship in their own country, their state. I am by no means afraid of this state, my state of mind.

It’s still, in fact, funny, but not so funny. How I really didn’t know what some things were until I was taken into that room, space… impeached, put on the stand, interrogated, reinvestigated… Oh boy, after that session… which began when I became fearless of knowing.. I made a confession… I could no longer lie, live with a lie nor be a lie… Man 2 man, me 2 me… I discovered a truth… I was sold into a slavery of the mind by another slave… But me, I’m brave… I am no longer afraid…

4 I am not afraid 2 tell you that our parents, ancestors, what ever you aim 2 label those before us… They in fact, taught us truths & lies… Partly because they were in fact afraid & didn’t know the states of their minds… So by default they taught us what they knew, which was taught 2 them… And so we were bred aliens… 2 not completely know our states… Its like being in your house and not knowing where the master bedroom is…

T.Rich, Charlotte, NC Airport, 9:18 am, 2003, November 24

I first had an interview with Ife Moore @ Q97… We had a great conversation, many laughs. Later, V & I found a great Thai restaurant & then we drove over to “The Wine Up” for JC’s spoken word event that he’s being doing for over 4 years. So much talent in that room. I was totally inspired. I spoke about EXIST & then I recited a poem entitled, “I’m Not Afraid”.

The Love Noise event @ The Place was a mixture of eclectic talent. They had an open mic for spoken word & singers… and I was the featured artist. So cool. I did a bit of freestyle spoken word in my set as well. You could hear a pin drop. The people were listening & I was really speaking. No doubt that a great percentage of those people walked out of that place thinking… : )