Don't Let It Go To Your Head, No!

Seventeen years ago, Jean Carne put out the album, The Right Stuff and on that was a song entitled, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head".  As I struggled to pull myself off of Facebook this morning, I read the status of indie soul artist Wayna Wondwossen and she said, "If you ever think talent entitles you to anything,  you have a disappointment ahead."   That couldn't be more true.  I spoke about this yesterday, just because you have talent doesn't mean someone else is going to recognize it, give you a million dollars and make all your troubles disappear because now, you have "arrived".  "The Grind" is what we artists are all too familiar with. (And if you're not familiar with it then you need to reconsider the title of "artist" that you may have bestowed upon yourself...I'm just saying)  How do you define your "grind"?  Some people are blessed with such enormous talent, that they don't where to begin to cultivate it.  Some of our illustrious (and I use that term very loosely) artists have very minimal talent.  With today's modern technology, ANYONE can sound decent in the studio, case in point "Tardy for the Party". (Kandi and her team worked a miracle on Kim, I mean really!)  But my people, it's a sham! A Hoax! A falsehood and they are wearing the masks!  Portraying themselves as real artists.  A definition of Artist from Princeton.edu: creative person (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination).  How many folks can say they fall into that category? How many recording artists that you currently support are in that number?  Everybody wants or says that they are "different", but so often we see the same type of new artist who's trying to copy someone or something that's already been done.  You know, there are some really creative people on YouTube.  Some folks that I surely may never have heard of because their songs or beats are not being played one thousand times an hour on the radio.  (I'm not hating though, if I had a hit song I would want them to play it one thousand times an hour, can we say royalties!  But I digress.)  They don't have a gazillion hits, but it was something about them, something different that made someone tune their ears in and listen.  I am a lover of all type of music, many different artists, true artists (at least in my opinion) who have helped shape me in to the type of singer/songwriter that I've become.  My evolution up to this point is huge.  I remember being that girl at 13 with some raw talent but didn't know what to do with it.  Then joining a group (Visions) and realizing my love for performing.  Then on to college (HU!) where I ran in to some of the best vocalists and instrumentalists and having to step my game up! (Shout out to Jazz Improv class!)  Through a Go-Go band (A MUST if you're from DC), a Hip Hop Band (The FIf, The Fif!) and now as a solo performer (Lauren White), it's been amazing to live.  But I can't stop here, I can't let the fact that I have some talent that has been validated by my peers, go to my head and forget the things that made me passionate about what I do.  I've got way too much to learn and a lot more growing to do, so I'll see yall on the stage.  Keep pushing people.