KICK, PUSH?
about 18 hours ago |
Shortly after college, I moved from Manhattan to Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was a slower pace than the city, but a welcome change. I was growing into the artist & spiritual worker I would one day become. Elizabeth was quieter, and it gave me time to think. The world also felt different then. The future was wide open. There was a record store on the main avenue at the time. An older gentleman ran the store, and always recommended new artists. One day I walked into the shop and saw a poster of a young rapper. He wore a black leather jacket and was suspended in mid air, as waves of color danced around him like music notes. “There’s a new guy out now.” The owner said, interrupting my thoughts. “He’s pretty good. His name’s Lupe Fiasco.” I didn’t become a huge Lupe fan that day, but I came to appreciate his music and message over the years. One of his first singles was “Kick Push.” It’s a song about young love, the changing city landscape, and fighting for what you believe in. The title uses a skating reference as a metaphor for life. In order to flow, move, and glide on the skateboard, you have to kick and push with your free leg. That builds up momentum and takes you far. If you want to go faster, you must kick and push with all you have. I was on my new board the other night, trying to get faster, while also getting low on the board, and I fell. That’s very common in skating. You fall a lot. You actually have to learn how to fall safely. Luckily, my stage combat days at NYU prepared me for that. I got up and tried again, kicking and pushing my way to better form. “Just lovers intertwined with no place to go And so they kick, push, kick push Kick, push kick, push, coast So come skate with me Just a rebel looking for a place to be.” -Lupe Fiasco SOUL SESSIONS Love. Relationships. Growth. |