Oh My God

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of two of the most influential hip hop albums in my life. Wu-Tang Clan-”Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers” and A Tribe Called Quest-”Midnight Marauders” November 9th, 1993. I've probably listened to both of these albums at least 100 times in my life. I’m going to give a few history lessons, and share how one of these led to D.O.P.E. So let’s go back to 1985 really quickly.

Short History Lesson I: In 1985 Tipper Gore, wife of future vice president Al Gore, bought an album for her daughter. That album was Purple Rain by Prince. So unlike everybody else who loved the album( I also assume Tipper never actually watched the movie.)Tipper was appalled at the lyrics of a certain song,and tried to return the album. Tipper could not return the album because it had been opened and played(why Tipper didn’t know this policy I have no idea). Tipper wasn’t happy and decided to wage war on the music industry to help parents. The result of that war was the good ole Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics sticker. A burden for many teenagers from the mid 80s-late 90s. Not cool Tipper, not cool!

So here I am 12 years old on November 9th, 1993. I had a mother who ruled with an iron fist. So if it had that sticker, there was absolutely no way I was getting anything. Luckily I had a best friend who somehow(I never asked him how) was always able to get EVERYTHING, sticker or not. He also had a cd player, while I still had a tape player. I didn’t get my first cd player until that Christmas! Shout out to my uncle for buying it! Now I had been a huge A Tribe Called Quest fan and luckily none of their tapes had the sticker. But it was also 1993 and I had a $5 weekly allowance and a list of tapes I wanted. Which leads to my next short history lesson.

Short History Lesson II: So for the kids out there, once upon a time you couldn’t pick up your phone and listen to music. But, we had a M.E.T.H.O.D(man) to buy music. First you actually had to physically go to a store and ask, or search for what you wanted. Sometimes in that search you found something else that you wanted, and completely forgot about what you came for. Also if you were unable to work like myself and only “earned” $5/week you had to save up for a few weeks to get what you wanted. And if you were lucky enough your parents were going to the mall that weekend and hopefully you were able to “escape” to the record store. Then you had to quickly scan the new release wall looking for what it was you came there for, because things sold out back then! Now if it sold out, then you had to walk through the aisle to your favorite section, and search alphabetically for something to spend your $10(because you saved for 2 weeks)on. “Times were rough and tough like leather” back then!

All that being said I didn’t get either tape! But guess who got the cd’s? That’s right…best friend! And by the time he got them I had a cd player. And what did friends do back then? They let you borrow their cd’s!(raise your hand if you ever had a cd not returned aka stolen by someone). Well I listened to Midnight Marauders every day after school! I was obsessed with the album cover, it's still my favorite album cover ever. And “Oh My God” was my favorite song(more on that later).It was a full two years later until I got my own copy. And how did that happen? Let’s find out.

Short History Lesson III: Again for the kids out there, there were two companies that fought for the rights of teens with little money, and no cars! They were champions in the community! Stalwart defenders, and advocates for those that wanted to make their money go further to help stimulate the economy. I felt it was my patriotic duty to lend all of my support to their cause, and all it would cost me was a penny taped to a postcard! Columbia House and BMG I thank you for the ability to expand my musical horizons and order way too many cds using way too many aliases’. I also thank you for letting me sneak in all the “Parental Advisory” labels past my mother.So in my very first order from(insert company) “Enter The Wu-Tang” and “Midnight Marauders” were two of my 13 selections for only a penny. Well after about 50 or so cds “The jig was up.” My mother ended up calling both companies and telling them “He’s a minor!How could you do business with a minor!” I learned a valuable lesson that day. Actually no, I didn’t learn a thing! I got 50 cd’s for pennies plus shipping and handling! #winning

Now someone reading this is probably saying what does any of this have to do with gardening? Well let me tell you! As I mentioned earlier “Oh My God” was my favorite song on “Midnight Marauders' ' Unfortunately it's also where I learned that Phife Dawg had diabetes. “Mr. Energetic, who me sound pathetic? When’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” Unfortunately on March 22nd, 2016 Malik Taylor, better known to me as “Phife Dawg”, “Phife”, “The Five Foot Assassin” passed away due to complications from diabetes. A month later I built my first garden. Saying to myself “I can’t go out like Phife, and I can’t let others do the same!” Two years later I launched Depend On Planet Earth to help others grow their own food/medicine. Now look at us sharing stories,planting seeds together,growing food, and taking advantage of the 23% off sale using the code THANKFUL for all your D.O.P.E. products!

As crazy as this sounds I had no desire to plant anything again in life. It wasn’t on my list of things to accomplish. The news of Phife’s death shook me to my core. I woke up to several text messages that morning informing me, and I think I shed a tear. I was so upset! I had tickets to see Tribe perform once, but I went to a happy hour(which lasted hours and I wasn’t very happy after) and missed the show. One of my only regrets in life.

Sometimes we look at losses, not realizing they are opening the door for more wins. I thank Phife for being a dope MC, and letting me know that “Bo don’t know jack, cause Bo can’t rap.” And through his death, he inspired me to find my passion. I can sit here and honestly say without a shadow of a doubt “Midnight Marauders” and Malik Taylor changed my life. As my former assistant/intern/adopted daughter said once “Inspire Before You Expire”. Well Phife, job well done!

(Do you even need to ask what I listened to as I wrote this? Both of Them!)