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For those of you that don't know me I go by the name of Sha Stimuli, Stimuli, S-T-I, whatever you would like to call me but I'd like to thank hiphopdx.com for letting me welcome y'all to my world. To give you a brief history I've been doing this music thing since I was a kid following my brother Lord Digga as he did production for Masta Ace and Biggie Smalls and got signed to Atlantic Records. I was always in the studio absorbing what was going on and a whole lot of years later I got Unsigned Hype in the Source magazine, the top spot in Show and Prove in XXL and got signed to Virgin records in 2005. So why the hell am I writing a journal and when is my album coming out you ask? The 1st reason is that I'm the poster child for letting people know that a record deal on a major label is not the end but the beginning and the 2nd reason is because when you're headed for greatness people love to be a part of the process and witness the rise from nothing to something.

Soooo with that said I'm back in peoples faces, jumping on every feature, any remix, a bunch of freestyles and as many projects as possible to be heard. I'm working on an independent album with producer J. Cardim called “Cinderella Man,” a new mixtape entitled "Stimuli Returns" and "Thee Emotion Picture" is still in the works. Aside from that I have to shout out Jesse Jess and Mr. Raw for having me perform and speak on the panel at the A&R Power Summit last Sunday. That was a beautiful networking experience and venting session. Shout to Lenny S, Sha Money XL, Midi Mafia, Riggs Morales, Chris Styles, DJ Jaz, Sickamore(loved the intro) and all the folks that were there that showed me love. I also won artist of the month on another site for my video Brooklyn Stand Up. Check it out on video music box, much luv to Ralph McDaniels. I can't explain how big it is to go from being a little dude watching that show everyday to finally appearing on there with a video and getting an interview. Its one of those steps that you have to be glad you didn't skip. Oh yea go cop Joell Ortiz's album on Koch, The Brick. Stay posted for our one on one basketball game. The album is fire and not just because I'm on it. The real emcees have to stick together in this industry.

Speaking of sticking together I'm going to pause this introduction and say that my next journal entry may be coming sooner than later because I don't think I can cram my personal on goings and the issues of the world today in one blog. But...let me quickly address the current attack on rap lyrics and the Virginia Tech shooting that went on last week. While the 2 subjects may seem unrelated because the families that are mourning right now could care less about a Don Imus comment or an Oprah show this tragedy should alert us that life can be taken away on a street corner or college campus. Life is precious and those 32 people that did not expect to take their last breath on that day should remind us all that we could pass at anytime. Music, movies and television may influence, affect and even persuade our decision making and lifestyles but it is us as people and human beings and parents that shape our society. I'm not sure if a rap line would’ve made a man go on a shooting spree or if a kind word from a family member would’ve halted it. But I will say this; a war against negativity is still a war. And instead of targeting the disrespectful lyrics and trying to censor rap and moving onto other genres and facets of entertainment, Oprah Winfrey and whoever else should focus on bringing more positivity to the airwaves. Labels should consider pushing a Talib Kweli with the same marketing dollars as the artists they are saying bring degrading lyrics to the public. I said I wasn't going to go too deep into this so I'll fall back a little. Shout to mtv2 for blasting my freestyle for 3 weeks, sorry I rapped so long but I got a lot to say. Hiphopdx.com, Joel, Legend good looking. Shout to the whole team, let's get it!

-The Present

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