Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby - Music for the Journey

Painful Weekdays Feat. Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby

2010-12-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Joshua Watkins and I teamed up with Just Plain Ant for this track off of Joshua's Latest project I HOPE YOU LOVE ME. Ant emailed me the beat some time ago. I wrote the hook and gave Joshua a call. We went went back and forth for a couple of minutes about ideas. What he did with it is was genius in my opinion.

PAINFUL WEEKDAYS by Joshua Watkins Featuring Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby
Beat by Just Plain Ant
Just Plain Sounds
VISION Music

It's Official - VISION Music - Independent Record Label

2010-10-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's Official.
VISION Music - an independent record label by Carlton Mackey
Please Visit: www.carltonmackey.com/visionmusic

I Just Hope You Love (Him)

2010-10-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

So...to start off this blog post by saying that it's been a while would be a little insulting to all of you. So instead, I'll bypass the whole introduction and say that outside of the commitment and love that I have for my own music and art, witnessing the growth and evolution of the music and art that emerges from this young man has been as rewarding to me. You know him. His name is Joshua Watkins...and I'll say it as simple and as poignantly as he: "I JUST HOPE YOU LOVE HIM".

Please Visit
www.joshuawatkins.net
Executive Producer: Carlton Mackey

17 DEGREES AIN'T NOTHING - SOUNDTRACK

2010-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

2010 has been an amazing year. 17 DEGREES AIN'T NOTHING, a film by Dane Jefferson and me (Carlton Mackey) debuted last week on the big screen at Atlanta's Historic Plaza Theater as part of Wonderroot's Local Filmmaker's night.

This film brings to the forefront issues surrounding homelessness in Atlanta. It places the story of 5 local individuals in the context of a global conversation about the economy, the recession, and the real life impact of it. It is a glimpse into their lives and a peering into our own.

This film was scored from original musical contributions of 5 amazing local producers/musicians. The SOUNDTRACK from the film is available for download at the link below. We want you to listen to this music, share it with friends, chill to it, read, burn, relax, and everything else that is meant to be experienced alongside great music...BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO BUY IT.

BE AN ADVOCATE & SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS
50% of the Proceeds from the Sale of this album will go to the OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY -a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization proclaiming the Beloved Community through loving relationships with some of the most neglected and outcast of God’s children: the homeless and our sisters and brothers who are in prison.
(i.e. for every album that is downloaded for $10 online, $5 goes to the OPEN DOOR and only $1 goes to each of the 5 producers)
This is not a lot of money for either the artists or the organization, but every single purchase makes a difference. Help us make a difference.

<a href="http://17degrees-soundtrack.bandcamp.com/album/17-degrees-aint-nothing-soundtrack">17 Degrees Ain't Nothing by 17 Degrees Ain't Nothing Soundtrack</a>

Thank you for your support.

*17 DEGREES AIN'T NOTHING will be part of the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival in August. Other screenings will be announced in the days to come. Thank you!

Why You Get a Record Deal???

2010-04-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

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Shout out to Mike Gregoire! Since 2007 Mike has been compiling rare musical gems and presenting them to the world for free with his net label BlocSonic. Check out this latest free download called WHY YOU GET A RECORD DEAL??

My work has been featured on this site and I'm grateful to Mike for introducing me to Marco Kalnenek and Just Plain Ant. I have a lot of respect for both of these artists and have had the great fortune to collaborate with both.

It's Friday. What better way to get your weekend started than with some new music?

netBloc Volume 28 (Why You Get A Record Deal?)
Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock, Trip-Hop, Electro-pop and even some experimental goodness all brought together into a tasty collection. All to show you that there is an alternative to the mainstream product being pumped out to retail.

Introducing Joshua Watkins.

2010-04-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

I met Joshua Watkins on an elevator in November 2005. He was working with Facilities at Emory University. What he has reinforced in my life since that day forward is that you can never judge a book by its cover...that still waters run deep...and that one of the most powerful forces in the universe is unveiled when we are audacious enough to DREAM.

Shortly after meeting, Josh handed me a CD. "This is some stuff I've been working on. Tell me what you think about it," he said coyly. It was in a Jewel Slim Case and had 'Preacher of the Street' written on it in black sharpie. I asked him how much it was, and he said it was free. I told him to never say that again and slipped him a 10. I held on to it and promised to give it a listen.

The tocks ticked. I listened to his CD and was given a glimpse into the life of a young man who was striving to make sense of his world. It was a portrait of someone who, through religion and faith, was searching for a way to come to terms with the obstacles that life had thrown in front of him. It was the music of someone who was trying to find a way to balance the opposing forces of good and evil in their lives...and in the midst of it all, it exposed this same young man's raw talent.

The next time I saw him, I told him that I wanted to do something for him. I offered to do a photo shoot of him. I also said that I would design a cover for his CD so that "sharpie" wasn't the first thing that a person saw when he handed them his music.

But that ended up being only the beginning. Since 2005 I've been directly involved in all of Josh's projects. I had the pleasure of executive producing his CHASING DREAMS EP and helping conceptualize/oversee the DRAKE RETAKE Project. More importantly, I've developed a friendship that encompasses music but that also transcends it.

There are so many stories that I could tell. I called Josh this morning and told him that I was going to write a tell-all blog post about his life like VH-1 Behind the Music. It would contain more details about his life story, the obstacles he's overcome, our conversations, his work ethic, his humility, and how much both of us have grown since the elevator in 2005...but I figured that I should be generous and leave some material for VH-1.

Ladies and gentlemen this is Joshua Watkins. He is my friend. My mentee. I love him...and I think that if you give him a chance, you will too.

Listen to what he has to say:

WWW.INTRODUCINGJOSHUA.BLOGSPOT.COM

MY DAY JUST SUDDENLY GOT BETTER

2010-03-16T08:49:00.001-07:00

My day just suddenly got better. I'm listening to the Euphoric sounds of Madeleine Bloom. My first time hearing Madeleine's sound was when I downloaded the Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape Compilation - Green Tones. Being featured on this compilation was very exciting, but I was equally as excited to listen to the contributions of the other artists who would be featured. When I first heard Madeleine's track Euphoria I was taken aback by her songwriting abilities. The melodies were were impressive -though not overdone. The introductory chords offered mystery, and I knew I was in for a treat. BUT I wasn't prepared for the amazingly profound messages that she subtly slipped into what could be mistaken as very simple lyrics. The more songs I write, the more I realize now just how important and difficult this is to do.
The writers challenge is to present the profound in such a way that it feels simple...

Bloom's opening verse is:

this is so exciting
ever so exciting
can you smell it
it’s already in the air

i don’t know what’s gonna happen
i don’t know what’s coming next
but i take it on
a new challenge in life...

I knew then that I was along for the journey. Her album doesn't disappoint. Well, I haven't actually gotten through all of it. I just downloaded it 10 minutes ago. I was so captivated by the first couple of songs, that I just started writing.

You should download it too. Listen to it with me and let's talk about it.

Ladies and Gentleman, another great artist you've probably never heard of. The lovely Madeleine Bloom.

UPDATE 3/29/2010: I just received the physical Madeleine Bloom CD in the mail...straight from Berlin Germany and signed by Madeleine herself. I'm listening to it as if it were the first time. Track 7 (In Unison) signals the most progression in music (arrangement and composition) I've heard in a very long time. I think this track represents where music is going. Other artist will be writing and producing songs like this in the next couple of years. By then, Madeleine will be conceptualizing music that will mark the next progression.

MAKING ROBIN HOOD

2010-03-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the studio. Right now I'm recording some music with a young local producer/musician named Colin Baylor. I met Colin at Wonderroot a couple months ago. He performs under the moniker Sundrop Synthesis. During his set, Josh and I kept looking at each other and smiling. Joshua knew exactly what was going on in my head. Later that night I introduced myself, told him what I thought about his music, boom boom boom, and about month later we were in Little Five Points Music Center recording a track.

There is much more to fill you in on, but for now "that's all I have to say about that" (in my Forest Gump voice). As always, Joshua was on deck! The final product was a song called Robin Hood. You will certainly here it soon. For now, check out these photos from the recording session. I'm kinda liking this.

MERCEDES-BENZ MIXTAPE 31 FEAT. PEARL TAYLOR'S GRANDBABY

2010-03-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to present this latest installation of the Mercedes-Benz Mixed tape. The journey here was a fun one -full of pleasant surprises. I mentioned earlier, that my intentions for writing these songs was so that I could present them to my grandmother. Last Thanksgiving, I did exactly that. On my sister's dining room table, I pulled out my laptop and showed the music video for Never Be Another Day to grandma. She loved it.

When I called her last night to try to explain to her that the song that I had written for her had been picked by the Mercedes-Benz brand and would be featured on an upcoming album she paused. She couldn't really understand the connection between music and a car company. I tried to explain more and told her that it would be on the internet. She said,
"OOOH. THAT'S NICE. SOMEONE MUST HAVE REALLY LIKED IT....BUT I DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET."

I smiled and promised here that I would make a CD for her and play it on the CD player we bought her for Christmas.

I am delighted to be among so many talented artist from around the world. I am grateful for Marco Kalnenek for producing the track...Mike Gregorie for featuring it on the net label...Someone who I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put his name out there like that who contacted me from Mercedes-Benz...and YOU for taking the time to listen.

Download Mixed Tape 31 at http://www.mercedes-benz.tv/mixedtape

and enjoy this video introducing the 10 artists who will be featured.

PEARL TAYLOR'S GRANDBABY and MERCEDES-BENZ

2010-02-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

The subject line of the email read: 'Carlton Mackey' or 'Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby' - Never Be Another Day - Mercedes Benz TV

I thought it was spam. I didn't even open it at first. Curiosity eventually killed the cat and I thought I'd at least see what the latest version of the "Nigerian Prince wants to share money with me" email would be.

I opened it up and it was a representative of the Mercedes-Benz brand contacting me about my interest in being featured on the upcoming installation of the Mercedes Benz Mixed Tape. I didn't even know such a thing existed. I kinda knew that Mercedes was involved with Fashion Week in NY, but I didn't know that their arms reached into music. There was a link to a website, a contractual agreement, and a break down of the benefits of being a part of this project.
(Ummmmm?)

So I click the link and am like, "This actually seems legit. This page is official."
I send the link to kari and try to figure out what the catch is.

...but I had to act quickly. The representative gave me a small window in which to act. I prayed about it, got the blessing of the amazing producer of the track (Marco Kalnenek), printed out the paperwork, and sent it back. Two short bio videos produced by my teammate Julia Wallace, more paperwork, a facebook fan page, and a blog later, Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby will be featured on Mercedes - Benz Mixed Tape 31!

Coming March 2 to www.mercedes-benz.tv/mixedtape Don't Miss It.

Become a fan of Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby on Facebook!

Become a fan of the Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape on Face Book.

Enjoy this video from the previous installment. Pray I don't look crazy on the next.

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POSITIVE WORDS ABOUT DEBUT SINGLE

2010-02-22T14:26:00.001-08:00

A testament to the importance of Creative Commons licensing
by michaelGregoire

It all started back in March when Marco Kalnenek first posted about a track he’d been working on called “Life On Ceres”. I fell in love with it instantly and requested to include it on a then upcoming netBloc release. That developed into making it the title track of said netBloc release and also including an alternate version which became the track’s reprise. That release developed into a wonderfully eclectic collection of instrumental netaudio gems.

Cut to November 2009 when Atlanta artist, photographer and film producer Carlton Mackey released the first single and video from his upcoming release “Things My Grandma Taught Me”. The beautiful single, “Never Be Another Day” is an ode to the people we love and the earth around us. Because Marco Kalnenek’s original track “Life On Ceres” was licensed under a Creative Commons share-alike license, it afforded Carlton the right to use it in derivative works. This is exactly what Carlton did for his touching song. He used Marco’s wonderful track as the musical backing for his own lyrics and vocals… creating a completely new work with it’s own depth and meaning. All this would have been impossible to do freely under regular copyright. A testament to the power of Creative Commons licensing indeed!

mike gregorie | www.blocsonic.com
Print designer for Public Enemy and Chuck D's Slamjamz Records
Owner/creator of blocSonic.com a new participant in the netlabel cultural revolution.

THINGS MY GRANDMA TAUGHT ME

2010-02-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

They say you should give someone flowers while they can actually smell them. Those were really my only intentions with this initial offering of music. I didn't have any great expectations. Through music, I wanted to express to my grandmother what she meant to me and highlight the valuable lessons she teaches me. I've never felt like much of a singer, but music (gospel music in particular) was an integral part of my upbringing. I practically lived in church and Granny sang all the time. These days, I think it is music that helps her make it through her days.

But I've always been a strong writer. My confidence in this area was bolstered by some excellent teachers who encouraged me to enter writing contests as early as the sixth grade (shout out to all educators who are able to see more in their students than they see in themselves).

Though very uncomfortable at first, I began to try to sing the songs that I had written to the musical offerings of extraordinarily talented but little known producers I discovered from across the globe. Before I knew it, I had composed about 20 songs. I took the better of them and titled the compilation, "THINGS MY GRANDMA TAUGHT ME".

One of the most important things she taught me was put to the test every step of this whole process. I can hear her say almost verbatim, "Do whatever God puts on your heart to do. It may seem foolish and you may not feel as if you are the right person for the job, but God don't make no mistakes. Obedience is better than sacrifice".

Yes Ma'am.

Ladies and Gentleman, THINGS MY GRANDMA TAUGHT ME.

Carlton Mackey is PEARL TAYLOR'S GRANDBABY

2010-02-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

So today i felt that it was officially time to break my musings as the artist Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby away from my other work with VISION Photography and VISION Philms.

This short journey has been so rewarding. I have been writing songs and pretending to sing for a while now. I only decided to record any of it recently as a way of honoring the living legacy of my grandmother, Pearlie Lee Taylor.

The first song I wrote under this moniker was Never Be Another Day and it was my catalyst to continue. As the song suggests, there is no time like the present to express love, to conquer fear, and to live fully into who you are becoming.

This short EP was certainly a collaborative effort...and it would not have been possible without the producers and musicians from around the world whose productions I based my songs around.

There are some pretty cool things in the works right now that I am so excited to share more about with you in the days to come. It's tripping me out how many positive things can happen when you simply tell the voice in your head that tells you all the reasons why you shouldn't do something (even if you know you should) to "shut up!"

My name is Carlton Mackey. I am Pearl Taylor's Grandbaby. This is my offering of music for the journey.