Tekh Togo ft Willie the Kid!! Special Feature

Ladies: YOU aren't married and it is YOUR fault!!

What's good fam??  Did I get your attention ladies??  I've been asking for a few ideas to help round out our entries.  So from time to time we will bring you something off our beaten path.  Again, we encompass EVERYTHING that is associated with living the GoodLife.  This entry will be designed hopefully to spark a healthy, thought provoking debate, and the opinions in this entry are that solely of  DeAndre Lee Thrash.  Feel free to leave comment and respond.

As my 29th Birthday approaches, just as any other birthday I began to reflect on the years I've been blessed to still be here.  I also think about where I'm at in life, along with where I thought I would be in life.  Not ever in any of these years has marriage been something I ever thought about as seriously as I am now.  Don't panic, not getting married anytime soon!!  But why not??  I'm about at that age right??  Either way I guess I'm kind of curious.

I then began to ask myself why are there so many single, sucessful, beautiful women around that are not only not married, but not in a relationship that could produce marriage anytime soon.  Always the bridesmaid and never the bride.  Why do you think that is??  I have an take on it, and I feel a lot of you can only blame yourself to an extent. 

Or you can blame Destiny's Child, Whitney Houston, Terry McMillian, and all those other "I'm Independent, I don't need a man" type of message senders.  Those songs, books, and movies I believe have set a lot of women up for failure.  Don't get me wrong, I love a woman that has got her own handled nicely, but I believe that the concept of "Independent Strong Woman" has gotten slightly out of hand.  There are certain arenas where this attitude can be acceptable, but your love life shouldn't be one of them. A man IS needed for comfort and companionship.  You both should be there to make the value of each other's lives better.  To posture like your life will be just fine without us is well...ridiculous!!

Truth is there are many, many men out here that you could share your life with. Men with plenty to bring to the table, and will equally share your vision of happiness.  The question is are you seeing them??  What are YOU really looking for in a man??  What makes him marriage material??  Dateable even??  I have a feeling that many of the things you are looking for has absolutely no value in the big scheme of things.  Money is important, but where is your cutoff point??  Attractiveness is important too, but I'm sorry everybody doesn't look like Morris Chestnut or Matthew McCantputashirton.  What do YOU look like???

Now by no means am I saying those things aren't important ladies.  I also don't want you to think that you need to take care of a dude that looks like Tracy Morgan and hasn't a penny to his name.  What I am saying is that I believe these lofty standards you put yourselves to and the "all or nothing cuz I'm independent" attitude really helps finding the RIGHT man difficult.  You wanting flawless is a bit illogical, seeing that you have flaws yourself.  Your unwillingness to bend from your futile formula has you in the position you find yourself in now.  Why can't you be ok with a man that is just as human as you are???

I'm wrong right?  Ok, you have a few male friends that have tried to holler, but you didn't really give them the time of day because they didn't fit into your criteria??  You still became good friends because you had so much in common. Over the years you guys have seen each other grow up and now he is a great father and partner to some other woman who doesn't appreciate him nor have the connection you guys used to have. You may have missed your blessing.

You could be the one who held out for that certain fit, and gave up.  Maybe got tricked by a guy into thinking he was the one and now you are the second baby mama for the year.  Not your fault, but what are you looking for??  Where are your standards??  Too High??  Too Low??  Are you accepting more than you thought you would ever deal with because you are now afraid of being alone??

This began as a random thought, and a conversation with a dear friend.  She then turned it on me and asked why I never got married, or why am I not in a relationship with potential??  Well that's a complex answer I had do give her.  I don't know why I wasn't married before, seeing how I was in a 8+ year relationship, what kept me from actually getting married.  Age possibly, the idea of losing my freedom eventhough I didn't quite have it anyway.  Something to think about I guess.  Why no relationship at this point yet??  Am I really as open to finding the RIGHT woman myself, I think so!!  Not really looking, but I'm open to it I think.  Still waiting on Alicia Keys to leave that lame so I can shoot my shot though!!

Truth is there is no right answer, just something to think about.  If you are a career driven woman and there isn't a scenario where marriage fits right now that's fine.  But if you have been looking, you are 27+, this is some things you should be thinking about.  Quit settling on being just the Baby Mama, demand more from the man you are seeing or find the right one.  If you are the so-called Five Star Chick that won't accept a man not pushing a Beamer, Benz, or Bentley, I suggest you quit trying to live a life you see on 106 and Park and realize that there is a little more to consider in the big scheme of things. 

Again, feel free to comment on FB or below right here.  Hope you enjoy, or hate, just be sure to let me know!!  Thank you for your time and continue living the GoodLife fam!!

Drey Thrash

 P.S. I know I opened a big can of worms, but nothing gets done if you are afraid to get your hands dirty!  Enjoy!!

J-Lyrical Is Michigan To The Fullest

We' re baaack with another artist who hails from South Haven Michigan. He goes by the name of J-Lyrical. Now this artist is what we call a lyrical monster. He brings passion to his music and you can hear it in every line when he spits. Raw is another word we can use to describe this talented artist, but I can go on all day using words to describe him, but lets see what he had to say to goodlifecampaign when we sat down with him for an exclusive interview.


GLC: So J-Lyrical tell us how you got your name?

J-Lyrical: I started rapping when I was about 8, my brothers use to call me young lyrical, and of course I didn't signed young or anything but as I progressed into a man it was no more being young about anything, so I converted it over to J-Lyrical, and the whole lyrical came from how young I was being able to put my words together. I had a consistent run on flow, not really a punch line rapper, so you know people was like lil dude lyrical right there, so you know it all just fell into place from there.

GLC: Tell us a little bit about your style and how you got it?

J-Lyrical: I took my style from my brother and i twisted it. You know my brother was real big on hitting off his words, so you know I was like I want to rap just like him but I want to be different, so I started off as a real good story teller. If y'all listen to some of my mixtapes you'll see i got some mean stories on there. Basically it was like a touch of pac but with my own Midwest twist to it, so i wouldn't have the same delivery as everybody else, and that's how that whole thing kicked off like that.

GLC: Who would you say are some of your influences in both the industry and in underground?

J-Lyrical: I have a lot of respect for Ludacris, his versatility is threw the roof. Andre 3000, and I have a huge, huge inspiration from Tupac, you know he didn't punch line rap he just talked straight to you. I got major respect for Diddy, his whole aspect of how he runs his business, cause you know a lot of these guys think that music is forever, its for you to hit it and take your turn and run with it, and then up your lifestyle from there. Underground a got a lot of respect for SelfMade records, and Relentless Way, Chi Boy, and he's a real hard underground rapper, he goes in. On the production side of things you know I got a lot of respect for Dr. Dre, if you ever watch his youtubes you know that he's a perfectionist and i pioneer in the game as well. And also Timbaland, his creativity is threw the roof.

GLC: Where do you see yourself going with your music?

J-Lyrical: What Ima do with my music is make feel good music for the world. I'm giving it two more years you know before I really start popping off on these charts. I got a lot of love in Germany right now. But I see myself  making a couple number one hit records and then I want to fade off into the movies , clothing, you know all the necessities people need to function in life.

GLC: If you could sign a deal with any label in the game, which label would it be and why?

J-Lyrical: Good Question. If I could sign a deal with anybody right now that would fit me best it would have to be with Luda and DTP. Reason being is he's gone let me hit every aspect that I want, cuz I'm a gangsta slash feel good slash story teller. Then second up I would have to say Kayne's label because those are the categories and the areas I would fit in best.

GLC: Tell us a little bit about your production team and how it is working so close with your family?

J-Lyrical: My production team is Straight Bang Entertainment. Pretty much what it is, is I got my brother Recognize, he does all my semi club tracks, and my feel good music. Then I got my brother Lugzi, he does all my story telling, he gets off into the keys, so we really got the best of both worlds. You know my brother is the bass line king, on top of that he is the hook master, so when we all come together on something its crazy. And then my brother John like the icing, he just lace the whole thing, but if you had to put it in categories you would see my brother Recognize like the bass line, my brother John is the drum and key, and then you know I come in with the lyrics.

GLC: Tell us your top 5 rappers?

J-Lyrical: Tupac, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, T.I., Drake

                                                                                       
GLC: What can people get from and out of your music?

J-Lyrical: I give a little bit of everything. You know when you feeling like life is down you can bump that J-Lyrical, When you feel like everything going great you can bump that J-Lyrical. I started a mixtape and it was called Life, Music, and Lyrics, and i think my music is like life avenues, you know your everyday life things that happen on a everyday basis, you know the things that you thinking and won't say, but you feeling them.

GLC: If you had $25 and you had to get something to eat, drink, and something to listen to, what would they be?

J-Lyrical: You gotta use that 25 dollars for all those? GLC: Yea(lol) J-Lyrical: I mean if you go to the record store with that 25 dollars you know that's gone, but what ima do is go to the store and get that new Ace Hood, then I'ma go to McDonald's and hit up the dollar menu with a couple cheeseburgers, and a Hi C. And with the rest which is like only 4 dollars I'ma go ahead and give it to my lil nephews so they can go hit up the dollar menu too.

GLC: Here at goodlifecampaign we are all about positive energy. Tell us what your definition of a good life is?

J-Lyrical: Man a good life is this. When you doing something that you love to do and your getting paid for it. Its nothing greater than that. I mean is like if you love waking up and you wake up every morning and you get paid for it, who wouldn't love that. I don't feel like nobody should go threw life being miserable and especially without making money.

GLC: As far as underground hip hop is concerned in Michigan, where do you think it is going, and what do you think it needs to work on?

J-Lyrical: Michigan needs to work on originality. We was the originators back in the day you know with Motown and all that, so we really started it, but its like we following. Its not enough leaders, and if the game keep going like that we just gone keep following, and forever stay behind. But I know its some true pioneers out there, and its gone come up. Then another thing that needs to be worked on is SUPPORT, stop hating and show some love.

And another one goodlife. J-Lyrical is on his way y'all. Already having worked with some names in the industry such as Gillie the Kid, J-Lyrical can't and won't be stopped. This young mans drive and determination to make it is like no one we've seen before. Be on the look out for his next mixtape labeled Diamond in the Dirt dropping next month. Check out this video from him and here are some links to his music. Until next time stay in this Campaign for the Good Life.

Links; www.jlyricalmusic.com

Catch him on soundcloud, facebook, myspace, also catch him on itunes next month

                                                                                  

                                                                                   

CHECK OUT COMMON AND NAS. THEY'RE BAAAACCCKK!

DAMN YEEZY AND HOV