Linda Christensen...one of my mentors said this to me

"Hi Toni, I am so impressed with your album. I listened to your music. I knew you were a talented writer. How did I miss that beautiful voice?"

OMG!...my favorite teachers in the world payed me such a cool compliment.

Officer friendly???

Officer friendly?!!!!
@Wow...is how I start this evenings blog.
Blacque Butterfly and I were on one of our many adventures getting ready for my cd release party in Seattle. I just dropped off the video of Rose from my Only Love album at my mom's house when we came across a police officer that was creeping down Lombard in the northside, a notorious area for police brutality and negative interactions with local residents.
Butterfly and I were wondering why the cop suddenly sped up alongside of us and started flagging us down. Since we were in a rental car neither of us could figure out how to roll down the window.
Once we figured it out Butterfly politely exclaimed" Rental car!"...
A smiling, white, female police officer relpied "You need to turn your headlights on!"
"huh?" we turned to each other because we were completely shocked!!! not because of the lights...umm duh!!!
Number 1 she was smiling !
Number 2 she was telling us to turn on the lights insead of pulling us over
and last but not least, did I mention she was smiling??!!!

So we quickly turned on the lights, she gave a lil nod and kept it pushing...All I have to say before I go to bed is the Officer friendly we learned about in elementary school obviously exists...at least tonight. lol

Only Love gets rave review from Dj O.G One

Dj O.G One loves my album!!! Yaay!...I feel so honored.

Right now I am at IFCC doing a show called Hip Hop Caberet with Mic crenshaw, Syndel of Sirens echo and oldominionion, Othello from Light headed and a bunch of break dancers...I think Bretto is on the bill too. I am just so excited to be back in Portland building with cats and doing great work.

I looked on my myspace and face book pages and saw that O.G said my album Only Love is the best one he has heard coming out of the town...Wow. That is like a heavy compliment. I hope I can truly live up to that.

xo xo xo

peace and love,

T Hill

making history...our story!

Last night after Amos Miller, Soulchilde and myself left 91.3 kbcs radio station we went to mamas pizza on capitol hill. I was drawn to a large black and white photo of the old school Jazz musicians from the 1930's.

I made me think about several imprtant conversations that I had over the past 3 years with Gabriel teodros while recording the Love work album and my Only Love album about making history and being in a renaissance.

The same discussion I had with Blacque butterfly as she carefully put togethor her first release or the conversations I had with Ro Deezy before she had a laundry list of books to her credit...WE are the people I saw on the poster...WE are the movement, the music, the persons the youth and others look up to that music, art, literature and poetry pour out of our vessels as the creator allows us use our gifts, talents and skills to transform the world as we know it.

WE need to document our history; take photos, help each other learn and grow through the process...build community and support one another. Our stories need to be inked, our voices rising high like the most magestic mountains, our rich cultures and forms of expression celebrated.

Today,

I found this photo in my belongings and decided to blog about it...just in that moment a heard a young woman singing Billie Holiday @ Hidmos for the lady's first event. Running to catch the last bit of it I left my lap top un attended and stood transfixed. Her voice like the honey I just put in the tea I was sipping made me smile...and she will forever be a part of the history...even if it was only documented in my mind.

I'm back!

Hello Fellow bloggers and followers of the blog,
I feel like I am a part of a new movement...The Blog movement. I admit I under utilize this as a form of communication and I often go on rants to my friends that I don't really like it. I think If I had more information or better examples of what to blog about I would find it more enjoyable.
I guess It still feels like journal entries to me...although I heard that Khingz and Gabriel teodros have great blogs with video footage and all types of interesting things on there.
B.Girl Mia is helping me get my blog life togethor...lol!

Please note my sincere attempt to be a part of the groove...

Peace and progress,
T.Hill