Last Maasai Memory

Just got turned onto this AMAZING new album by Nas and Damian Marley! My office buddy Phil, this Kompletely Kool Kenyan Kid (well, I call him a Kid--he just turned 26, but he's 6 foot 5) who's an entertainment writer for the paper tries his level best to keeep me current about music, movies, culture, etc. In fact, he always seems to know more about what's hot in the US than I do.

I knew the name Nas because I'd read a few stories about his nas-ty divorce from singer Kelis, she of "Milkshake" fame. And of course, who doesn't know the name Marley? So when Phil told me to check out their new release "Distant Relatives," I figured it was a good bet. He took about 3 minutes to download it onto a flash drive for me, and then I took about 3 days to figure out how to download it into my iTunes library.

And then I took about 3 WEEKS to finally listen to it, just yesterday. And lemme tell you, it completely blew my mind! To try and boil it down, "Distant Relatives" is a neo-soulful, hip-hoppy collection of brilliantly written and arranged tunes that celebrate the triumphs and struggles of the sons and daughters of Africa and the diaspora. In simpler language, that Nas-Marley joynt is off the chain!

I'm considering it the soundtrack for my life over here, as a distant relative on temporary tour. I'm African, but not really. I'm American, but undeniably of African descent. My home is 8,000 miles away, but everybody here keeps wondering why I don't just stay. I'm of the same color, but not of the same mind. And yet the moments when I've felt most alive, and been most accepted over here, have been on the dance floor. It's like, when Kenyans see me dancing, they get it.

And it's just like this picture up top. You might look at it and see the beads and the spears and the cow's horn and think, "alien and strange." But look again, more closely this time.

This ain't nothin' but a Soul Train Line, y'all. If you don't know, you betta ASK somebody.