Fathom 9 at Africa in April 2009 with 2017

Freestyling from Memphian, Fathom9 (at about 2 or 3 min in to the video) helps me remember what's so crazy about Memphis - insane musical geniuses everywhere, whether some old blues guy w/ 3 busted guitar strings sitting on his broke down porch or some tiny baptist church choir a few miles south in MS or folks in the city spitting rhymes at a festival tent - it's all solid gold - & you can't BUY any of it.



I've found these experiences in Memphis like some kid doing his thing in the back yard digging up rocks of gold, marveling for a minute, then moving on to finish burying my action figure so that Cobra can blow up GI Joe headquarters.

After living in Memphis for more than a decade, I've seen & heard true artistry of the soul, & if I am not mindful - I end up just taking it for granted.

In Memphis, to get the good stuff - you can't just go to the Big Box & buy it. You've got to get dirty - you've got to sweat, you've got to breath smoke & drink fire - you've got to feel a little of what our artists feel.