Hello World!
This is my first post on this brand spanking new site. For my first post I’d like to present my latest project from from my efforts in 2014
First of all, I had the great honor of working with “Kianu” Walker and Ellis “WAZ” Wazeter
Without them none of this would be possible.
We worked together so well like perfect harmony. The music flowed out of us so effortlessly. I decided to call us The Three Initiates because it was as if we had the secrets of life hidden within us.
Kianu and I were classmates at the Capital Area School for the Arts where we studied theater. I hadn’t seen him since I left school in 2010. I saw him again one day in a bookstore in the summer of 2013 where I also met Waz, and the rest was history.
“Cali Wax” Was written by Kianu and myself. Waz and Kianu wanted me to jump on this track so I pulled out a hook I wrote in the summer on 2013, just waiting to be used. I never thought those lyrics would fit so well and make something so great. Who Knew? Somehow the words just fit. All things are part of divine timing. Needless to say that this song is very powerful and brings that kind of frequency that is high conscious wisdom.
I remember when Waz started letting me hear more of his tracks, he made a dope variation from the Kendrick Lamar Joint “Don’t kill My Vibe”. I meditate on this track for quite some time, over and over on repeat in the headphones. I was at work one day when I got the hook for the track that became “Chillin”. I remember asking my inner/higher self what I should write about. I felt this yearning, so strong within myself, wanting to experience more in life than working a regular 9 to 5 job at the mall selling phones. That was hardly how I imagined my life to be at this point. I translated this feeling into the hook
“I been runnin’ the sideline or many lifetime, what I’m gonna do?”
That was the question…After all the lives I’ve lived in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, I felt stuck here in a box. The rest of the song flowed as my inner/higher self reassured me to be patient and promised me that I had everything I needed to move forward in life. I had to preach to my damn self. I just hope that whosoever listens to this song can be reminded of that gentle tug of the spirit; the inner teacher, and becomes obedient to the voice. That inner voice is the voice that leads us to out most truest desire.
Lima Beans was a really fun hook to write for. There was a certain finesse Kianu exhibits in this song that I had to carefully match. Our parts ended short and we play out WAZ’s beat. Let’s face it, its dope and it was strong enough to ride out on its own.
When We come to what I like to call my Debut Singe “Deep”. I wrote this song after a really bad rebound relationship. Yes….I know it was a rebound relationship, but the point is that I learned something so profound after that experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. This song is actually one of my more popular ones. I myself love to play this on repeat just to remind myself every once in a while that love is a vast ocean with deep depths. No one should travel in this sea with fear. There is love and only love, so stay in love.
During this process, I gained much attention in the realm of music. In this experience this really gave me a chance to see who my friends really were. Between the petty Facebook battles and the ones whose words were different from their actions, I had enough of it. I teach and heal through my music and my art. If you take all my music and art away, what still remains is the healer and master teacher that I am at my very core. I realized this, yet I still had some anger and frustration I needed to release. When WAZ sent me the track to “Space Chariot”, I got really excited due to its dopeness and electronic weirdness. I just wanted the theme to be really weird and trippy so those who weren’t on my vibe “love” can no annoy me. (The oohs and ahhs in the track are sampled from my voice :D) Kianu laid a nasty verse down on there just to make it official (I thank you).
Now, this last track I will admit I stole this idea from an artist by the name of Duncan Gerow who is famous for his killer mashups. One say I was surfing his soundcloud page and saw he did a mashup of Missy Elliot and Erykah Badu. When I heard it all I could hear in my mind was “IMMA COVER THAT SHIT!” LOL and so I did! Much love to the Goddess Missy E. and E. Badu, yall are light to me!
This project was my first completed project and I am so proud of myself. I feel so blessed to have worked with my cuzzins WAZ and Kianu, they are my music fam for this life and the next!
Thanks for checking me out! Feel free to like and share this FREE project. This is my contribution to the music fam!
Peace and Light!
-Ari De Leo
Check out more from my music fam KIANU and WAZ!
American Singer/Songwriter/Poducer 