Being apart of music was predestined for me. I believe that people who have a strong sense of music usually inherit the talent from those before and learning about who they were adds a greater sense of passion and pride for doing music today. Whether it's rock and roll, classical, or hip hop it all starts from one loved one of the pass, passing on a talent or passion for music to the next generation. Someone is always bound to pick up the pieces and carry it on.
On my mothers' side of the family holds a rich Creole music heritage going back as far as I know to the early 1900's and possibly even further. My late grandfather's(Forrest DuRousseau) brother(Eldridge DuRousseau) played the violin, not much more is known to me about my grandfathers side of the family, but when I come across more information I'll be sure to share it with you.
My late grandmother(Ruby DuRousseau) had many brothers that played music. My Great Uncle Stanley and Great Uncle Wilbert played the accordion, my Great Uncle Witticer played the violin, and my Great Uncle Cornelius played the guitar. Though I have never heard them play, (or if I did, I was very young at the time) but I'm told their music was full of life and very beautiful.
My mothers cousin and my Paran's Paran, Goldman Thibodeaux,( funny we all call him Paran too, it means Godfather) plays in a Zydeco band called Goldman Thibodeaux and The Lawtell Playboys.(picture to the right: of Goldman Tibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys.Picture taken from http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/gthibodeaux.htmclick the link for more information on my cousin Goldman Thibodeaux and his band)
Creole music, known as Zydeco, runs deep in my family and I remember as a child being raised on such historically rich sounds.
My mother loves music and there wasn't a moment I remember growing up that it was never playing throughout the house. Especially when it was time to clean, Zydeco music blared through the the speakers and into each room. We use to take breaks and dance two-step in the middle of our cleaning. When the family came over Zydeco music was all there was to play and my Uncle Roland use to tease my mother about how she wasn't teaching her children, my younger brother and I, how to dance to our music. We did know how to dance to it of course, we were just too shy.
We attended every Cajun/Creole festival we could living in California. (We moved there from Louisiana when I was three years old.) My mother continue to educate us on the different Zydeco artist growing up, (like Boozoo Chavis, Beau Jacques, Queen Ida, Geno Delofose, and Kieth Frank). and shamed us if we couldn't remember who sung what song. The way I looked at it, it was all in French and I couldn't understand any of it, but I understood the passion. I felt the music, their sadness and their joy.
Our heritage is our music it's the one thing we can all agree defines us as a Creole people.
My mother, though she loves music, was never one to play it. Granted she did play the clarinet for awhile, but it wasn't for long. My father is very much into music and use to be a local DJ in Louisiana. Today he still spins the 1 and 2's for parties and has a vast collection of old school records. He once taught me how to be a DJ, how to speak and how to set up the equipment and I was even able to host a family event. But it never stuck to me the way it did to him. I love DJ's and what they do, it is a great talent and had I been more interested I would have joined the ranks, but I was destined for something different.
At the age of eight I followed in my Great's footsteps and picked up a violin. I played until I was sixteen years old before I completely gave over to my newest passion, rapping.
I began rapping at the age of twelve when a young boy I had a huge crush on influenced me to dive into the hip hop world. He use to visit his aunt in New York every summer and would come back full of hip hop history and knowledge on his back. Of course as a hot young girl I wanted to do more to impress him so I dug in deep when it came to hip hop.
I studied it's history and it's meaning. I grabbed pens and paint and worked on my graffiti. I asked my dad to help me become a DJ. I hung with the b-boys so I could learn to break dance and I joined the circles to learn how to rhyme. I realized that I had a knack for words and recorded my first track with Klypso ( a producer who now works with the likes of Dr. Dre) at the age of fourteen.
And that was the beginning to my everything. I am fully connected to music and no matter what happens in my life I will never be able to turn away from what flows through my veins. I am meant for music, it's my passion, my sorrow and my joy. I continue to day, not just as an entertainer but as an artist of my trade. Hip Hop was given to me by those before me and not from the many idols from my industry, though they are also my inspiration, but from my family and from my blood.
Ya better believe it.
Other Family members into music:
Cousin Christoper Hicks-Piano
Cousin Andrea DuRousseau- Singer
Cousin (through marriage) Bun B- Rap artist
On my mothers' side of the family holds a rich Creole music heritage going back as far as I know to the early 1900's and possibly even further. My late grandfather's(Forrest DuRousseau) brother(Eldridge DuRousseau) played the violin, not much more is known to me about my grandfathers side of the family, but when I come across more information I'll be sure to share it with you.
My late grandmother(Ruby DuRousseau) had many brothers that played music. My Great Uncle Stanley and Great Uncle Wilbert played the accordion, my Great Uncle Witticer played the violin, and my Great Uncle Cornelius played the guitar. Though I have never heard them play, (or if I did, I was very young at the time) but I'm told their music was full of life and very beautiful.
My mothers cousin and my Paran's Paran, Goldman Thibodeaux,( funny we all call him Paran too, it means Godfather) plays in a Zydeco band called Goldman Thibodeaux and The Lawtell Playboys.(picture to the right: of Goldman Tibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys.Picture taken from http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/gthibodeaux.htmclick the link for more information on my cousin Goldman Thibodeaux and his band) Creole music, known as Zydeco, runs deep in my family and I remember as a child being raised on such historically rich sounds.
My mother loves music and there wasn't a moment I remember growing up that it was never playing throughout the house. Especially when it was time to clean, Zydeco music blared through the the speakers and into each room. We use to take breaks and dance two-step in the middle of our cleaning. When the family came over Zydeco music was all there was to play and my Uncle Roland use to tease my mother about how she wasn't teaching her children, my younger brother and I, how to dance to our music. We did know how to dance to it of course, we were just too shy.
We attended every Cajun/Creole festival we could living in California. (We moved there from Louisiana when I was three years old.) My mother continue to educate us on the different Zydeco artist growing up, (like Boozoo Chavis, Beau Jacques, Queen Ida, Geno Delofose, and Kieth Frank). and shamed us if we couldn't remember who sung what song. The way I looked at it, it was all in French and I couldn't understand any of it, but I understood the passion. I felt the music, their sadness and their joy.
Our heritage is our music it's the one thing we can all agree defines us as a Creole people.
My mother, though she loves music, was never one to play it. Granted she did play the clarinet for awhile, but it wasn't for long. My father is very much into music and use to be a local DJ in Louisiana. Today he still spins the 1 and 2's for parties and has a vast collection of old school records. He once taught me how to be a DJ, how to speak and how to set up the equipment and I was even able to host a family event. But it never stuck to me the way it did to him. I love DJ's and what they do, it is a great talent and had I been more interested I would have joined the ranks, but I was destined for something different.
At the age of eight I followed in my Great's footsteps and picked up a violin. I played until I was sixteen years old before I completely gave over to my newest passion, rapping.
I began rapping at the age of twelve when a young boy I had a huge crush on influenced me to dive into the hip hop world. He use to visit his aunt in New York every summer and would come back full of hip hop history and knowledge on his back. Of course as a hot young girl I wanted to do more to impress him so I dug in deep when it came to hip hop.
I studied it's history and it's meaning. I grabbed pens and paint and worked on my graffiti. I asked my dad to help me become a DJ. I hung with the b-boys so I could learn to break dance and I joined the circles to learn how to rhyme. I realized that I had a knack for words and recorded my first track with Klypso ( a producer who now works with the likes of Dr. Dre) at the age of fourteen.
And that was the beginning to my everything. I am fully connected to music and no matter what happens in my life I will never be able to turn away from what flows through my veins. I am meant for music, it's my passion, my sorrow and my joy. I continue to day, not just as an entertainer but as an artist of my trade. Hip Hop was given to me by those before me and not from the many idols from my industry, though they are also my inspiration, but from my family and from my blood.
Ya better believe it.
Other Family members into music:
Cousin Christoper Hicks-Piano
Cousin Andrea DuRousseau- Singer
Cousin (through marriage) Bun B- Rap artist
