The Calendar Serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for As a rule of sorts, I do not use the term “I am blessed” when describing fortunate events or circumstance. That’s basically because I choose to believe that for the most part, we all are. It’s simply a natural part of being on this plane of existence. And therefore I’m choosing to dedicate this album to serendipity. As I’m sure many of you are aware, my home team; Little Egypt, has been on an extended hiatus to put it mildly. I’d pretty much resigned myself to not going hard on the tunes any more and just doing the domestic home life thing. Thanks to several serendipitous events and the persistence of my Wife (much gratitude for that btw…) I find myself back on the boards. And once again, deep in the composition notebooks. Somewhat random events came into play to find my Wife and I at a Melanie Stormm (ever-present friend to the room) performance. I now look back at this event as The Intervention as by the end of the night my Wife and Melanie both were barking at me (in stereo) for not being in the studio making music. My Wife will tell you that she’d been urging me to get back in the lab for years before that – definitely true, but this is the first time maybe that I’d heard it in stereo… Flash forward a bit to find me writing a little something for a single Melanie put out later that year. After listening to that butter little track 1000s of times and getting some love we began conceptualizing a collaborative project - look out for it soon (and that’s the Phase 1 of my own Intervention Ms. Stormm!!). And the cap was once again off the pen. Happy Mother’s Day was the first song completed chronologically. In fact, it was written before the album was even a distant thought. I basically wrote the song as a way to pay homage to single moms I’ve known and to give thanks to the fact that my Brothers and I were lucky enough to have a solid family life coming up with both parents actively involved in our well being, education and development into adults. Conceptualized and framed the track during a random get up with Khordz (hardest working man in NYC these days) and then got some (much needed) soul input, revamping, paprika sprinkles and a touch of oregano on the track from my man Trae Sevn (Tracrobats fool!!). Definitely need to take the time here to send a shout out to the enigmatic and incredibly talented Madd Mary who blesses HMD with her intro vocals. An Intervention is already planned for you Ms. Mary, you are way, waaaaay too skilled not to be out here grinding. And I really can’t thank you guys (the fans) enough for all the love you’ve shown me for that track. Whenever I get letters/emails/shouts from people (especially outright hardcore Hip-Hop heads) saying they were moved to near tears (or just to call their Moms) by something I put on a page, it really does mean a hell of a lot. Real serendipity also accounts for me running into a cat who has since become my “main mix dude” (Noble Sense) during one of my morning trips to a Starbuck over in Greenpoint. It’s all about how some dude randomly hears you talking to a co-worker and sets it off by asking “Do you do stuff?” Big thanks cousin for adding, subtracting, hemming and basically handling all that behind the scenes musical tailoring that my mind is way too cluttered to focus on these days. And more importantly, for handling it all with vigor and enthusiasm. Shouts also to Wordsworth (a fellow long timer) – not only for blessing the album with bars but for the constant pep talk and words of wisdom (I know, horrible, unintentional pun…). I mean it when I say you dudes are crazy inspiration for a brother. And big thanks go out FERA, PNO, Aliano (we gotta actually meet and break bread one day fam) & my man Seb-El for their short notice contributions reppin all corners of the globe. Much appreciated for real. Johnny Lindo…for always, always making the artwork jump (did you catch the second shout out yet fam??). Before I forget, the concept for the album itself gets credited to my Brother Forge who actually came up with the idea of expanding the Mother’s Day song into an entire year’s worth of holiday magic. I know, now I’m sprinkling paprika and oregano around…but real talk, much thanks to you Big Forge and to the unstoppable, highly prolific one, Taajwar the God. Taaj, my dude. You have no idea how much listening to your joints keeps me on my game making sure my sword stays sharp. Big things seen on the horizon fellas!! (Yall have no idea…) So all that being said, thanks to serendipity, randomness as well as focus and the relentless dedication of people out here that still want to hear/make that Boom Bap, head nodding Hip-Hop filled with lyrics that can only be found in composition notebooks, on napkins and the back of receipts and scraps of paper carried around in non-descript backpacks. I’ll keep trying to do you all justice. And to my Wife and A.C.S. - You both continue to be my earthbound Muses and constant sources of inspiration & joy. It always has been and always will be, Love. Visual Poetics