As mentioned below, I have a new zine, The Bluest, consider buying a few. I have 10 zines left so grab them while they are still around.
I shot this video on my way back home from dropping my son off at School (daycare). Daycare started last month. He loves it and is doing great, but, as some of you know through experience, when your child is in around peers for the first time, everyone in the house goes down with sickness.
You know your unique amongst the billions and trillions of things that make up life. Creativity, how and what we apply it to is a marker of that uniqueness expressing itself. Even when faced with the idiosyncratic way our symptoms express themselves during illness. Everyone gets sick—either physical, emotional, or both—learning to listen and respect what our body-mind symptoms call for during sick times is creative work.
I’m learning that sickness brings mental woes with it as well and with the body aches and congestion. Visions of finishing this EP have gotten cloudy. Guilt creeps in but I’ve been grounding myself in the realizing that this is all part of the processes of writing, and existing. Its okay. Glad to be on this end.
Not only am I almost back to 100% physically, but my vision is clearer, my perspective shifting and intention sharper.
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Right now we’re mixing track 5. After that, we’ve just got one left—track 4—and then mixing is done! Once we finish mixing all five songs on the EP, we’ll move on to mastering the whole project with the goal of making it sound cohesive from start to finish.
Also, big news. I have decided to put the EP on streaming platforms for your listening pleasure. This past weekend I paid for one year of digital distribution via DistroKid, coast is 39.99 USD a year. An important administrative step in order to house the EP on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc). This is all thanks to those of you who purchased the first zine run, Self Style Eyes, we collectively put up enough founds to make this project accessible for a year!
Also, I will put the EP on my website if you do not have ad free music streaming service so you can listen ad free.
New zine titled, "The Bluest," is ready feel free to order and support the EP. This zine is my first rap lyric footnote style zine that is in the sprit of my post.
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In the video above I mention that “I am Back” and as I write this now I don’t think I know what that quiet means. I’m here. I am still working to put this EP together. I never put that down.
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Beloved friend,
Mi Amigito.
I am [always] Back.
(Al)ways
(re)turning
From,
and now Miguel
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PS: What I’ve Been Reading
just dropped this dope post “The Next Wave 002” where he answers my questions around build relationships and live performance. Great insight from a professional artist and performer. Be sure to give his track “Big Dawgg” a listen. Its one of my favorites. Its just got such a great feel. Upbeat. That Daft “One More Time” type feel with the swag of a letterman jacket wearing samurai headband wearer.
Check out Literary Salon 4, by
. Shoutout to Thaddeus for rockin’ with Ace [OF] Trumpets. I’m excited to dig into How to Write Flash Fiction and grow the world that rap lyrics inhabit via some prose. Shoutout to my pantsers.
A Substack friend, France Pinzon, dropped this dope Zine on “The Obsoelite #004” where she unfolds her window theory.
I really enjoyed
letting us into the creative processes of painter her recent piece which, helped them finish writing their poem, “(merk)ed.” Dope poem and reflection on using art to make more art (writing).dropped “Moonshine Woman” which is a fictional piece about a distant family member’s hustler sprit—take a sip and give offerings to the ancestors.
Neighborhood Gods Unlimited by Open Mike Eagle, dropped July 11th, 2025. I just started listening to it and love the opening track “woke up knowing everything.” Open Mike Eagle and I have a similar taste for chords and melody and this track proves it. There is a vibe in the chord progression in this sample. Note to self, study this.
I’m reading Internal China Town by Charles Yu. This book dropped in 2020 I believe. I love the screen play type format and font. Very inspiring. I found out that this book was made into a show, its on Hulu. Glad I haven’t watched it yet.
I listened to Clipse’ Let God Sort Em Out, dropped July 11th, 2025. Loved the opening track, really felt the emotional weight of this song. Unfortunately this isn’t carried throughout their new LP. Check out my post “Ace [OF] Trumpet” where I swing vocal (s)words—Tarot—and attempted to predict where the Thornton brotha [rabbits] could a better handle the Tar Baby of Black tropes in rap fiction.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for engaging with my work. It takes capital and time to complete this EP independently. Please consider supporting my work by visiting my store, or treating me to a cup of tea. As mentioned, I have a new zine, The Bluest, consider buying a few. I have 10 zines left so grab them while they are still around. Thank you again to all of you who have supported this project.
With warm and loving gratitude,
and now Miguel
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