Sharp Skills Comes Out on Top in 2011 Battle of The Beats!!!

Sharp Skills with family, friends, and supporters after the battle

"God did it again", said Sharp Skills to his wife with a big smile on his face after he was announced the winner of the 2011 Battle of the Beats at Cal State Long Beach on September 22nd. There were 14 emcees brave enough to step up to the challenge to lyrically assault one another until there was only one left standing. First round: Sharp got to work quickly on his opponent and didn't waste any time proving his lyrical caliber. After the completion of the first round, all the emcees who were to be eliminated were called up to the stage and Sharp was one of them. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, there has been a mistake", said Corion Lucas, the host of the battle, "Sharp Skills was not eliminated, there was a mix up", he asserted. Sharp took a deep sigh of relief and took his seat with the remaining survivors. Second round: Sharp dismantled his opponent and stated "You don't even know who I am in the Spirit, you not battling your average dude" to the challenger on the other microphone.

Tie breaker round: The judges decided to have Sharp Skills do a tie breaker match with another emcee who had the same score as him, the loser would be eliminated from the competition. Sharp did not do as strong in this round as he did in the one prior, but the judges saw fit to let him proceed to the next round. Third round: Sharp was back to himself and was able overcome his opponent by engaging the crowd. Sharp Skills would move on to the final round to battle Mayhem One. Final round: Mayhem One lets off a tirade of verbal assaults on the cool and collected Sharp Skills. Mayhem One scrunched his face as he used his extensive vocabulary violently to prove he was the champion and should be respected as such. Sharp did not appear to be fazed and started his rhyme with asking God for strength and then said "You are scaring me, you really need some therapy" and he made reference to other psychological disorders Mayhem One appeared to have as the crowd watched in delight. After the final round Corion Lucas announced that the crowd was going to be the judge. "Yall give it up for Mayhem One", said Lucas and the audience gave a strong round of applause. "Yall give it up for Sharp Skills" and the crowd erupted in a frenzy, especially Sharp's Antioch family who came out to support him in intimidating numbers. It was clear who the victor was. "Wait a minute, I'm hearing that the crowd wants another round to prove who the winner is" said Lucas as many in the crowd were holding up two fingers indicating their desire to see a second clash. Mayhem One got more aggressive and begin to release his lyrical prowess with extreme force, even saying Sharp had a misconception of God (Sharp had referenced God and his faith for much of the battle). Sharp told the crowd "Its time to take it home". A side came out of Sharp that many had not seen before in the battle as he marched right up to Mayhem One's face saying "I can show you how to be a man" confidently. It got a little heated when Sharp touched Mayhem One's wrist and Mayhem One said "Don't touch me, don't touch me". Sharp backed up, but continued to go even harder lyrically and when he knew he had finished the job, he turned to the crowd, who by this time were up on there feet encouraging him as he demolished his final opponent. "Our winner for the 2011 Battle of the Beats is Sharp Skills", said the host and the crowd erupted.
According to Sharp Skills, the highlight of the night was seeing his family in there and the fact that he was used to impact Cal State Long Beach for the Kingdom. "I thank God for this victory, I really could not have done it without Him, I mean that" was Sharp's response when asked how he felt about the winning during the post battle interview.

Sharp Skills Lands A Featured Article on "How To Write A Rap Song" In Response Magazine

Sharp Skills, is up to a lot these days. When he isn't performing, recording, or prepping for his upcoming album Anno Rebelio, he is writing featured articles for magazines. Namely, Response, an online and print magazine for Seattle Pacific University. In the insightful article, "How To Write A Rap Song", Sharp conveys his approach to creating his particular brand of art. This is Sharp's first featured article in a national magazine and he hopes it will be the first of many. "I am very thankful and honored for this opportunity and I hope it helps out an aspiring emcee" said Sharp Skills. To read the article, click here.

Overcoming Insecurity

Insecurity is something that plagues us all from time to time, some more than others. Insecurity, like fear, is something that you may not always be able to alleviate, but it is something that can be managed so that you aren't paralyzed from realizing your greatness. Insecurity shows itself usually in one of two ways, either over confidence or self depreciation. You will usually know if you are in an insecure frame of mind if you find yourself over compensating or if you are always criticizing yourself internally. Insecurity can be dangerous when it causes you to: over extend yourself, try to destroy others who are confident, not go after what you are meant for, and treat yourself like you are worthless. These are all extreme cases, but the realities of many people nonetheless. Insecurity is something that may need to be conquered on a day to day basis depending on how severe and entrenched the condition is. So what are some practical ways to overcome insecurity?
1) Know what your strengths are and operate in them. If you aren't sure what your strengths are, ask a few people that you know will tell you the truth. Be sure to write them down and look at them everyday to remind yourself. Play to these strengths and develop them. Accept assignments and roles that will allow you to use your strengths.
2) Admit your weaknesses. The trick here is not to dwell on the weaknesses, but to be aware of them.
3) Stay in your lane. We can often fall into insecurity if we focus our energy on what someone else does better than us. The key is to appreciate the gifts/strengths of others, but play your game the way you play it, even if someone is better at it than you are (there is always someone better).
4) Realize that there is no one like you. Sure others may have some of the same qualities that you do, but no one has the same unique mixture of gifts, talents, abilities, skills, and experiences that you do.
5) Hang around people that appreciate and affirm you.
6) Sow good words and deeds into the lives of as many people as you can and as often as you can.

These are just a few things that help me on a day to day basis. If you have some other tips, please leave in the comment section.

Sharp Skills Knocks It Out The Park At The 2011 Merge Summit Showcase!!!

                                              

Sharp Skills handled his business at the 2011 Merge Summit showcase this past Friday, August 19th. Sharp stood confidently as he performed "Strength", a song off his forthcoming album Anno Rebelio, in front of a panel of judges and a packed house of showcase attendees. No band, no DJ, no hype man, it was just Sharp Skills with a microphone and he commanded the stage and gave the crowd something to yell for as he declared that he remains strong despite the various adversities life brings his way. Dressed in all black, with eyes veiled behind dark sunglasses, Sharp showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Los Angeles music scene and he can hold his own with little to no musical accompaniment. The judges (industry heads) had nothing but positive feedback as they critiqued his performance. Mali Music, one of the judges said "Very hip hop, very dope" and another judge said "I can tell that you take what you do very serious and that you are not just rapping this, but living it too". A very influential leader whispered to Sharp afterwards, "You are the hottest thing out and we need to get this music out there". With another huge notch under his belt, it is safe to say that Sharp Skills is well on his way to success.

Unlocking Your Creative Potential

People are designed to create. If you are not creating something (even if that something is boring algorithms), then chances are you are not fulfilled in your life. Some people are more aware of their creative side and some just have freakishly apparent manifestations of creativity that they can produce (music, art, poetry, the usual suspects). But I sincerely believe that even if you are not an "artist" per se, there is still a canvas within your sphere of influence that only your unique set of "paint brushes" can make a masterpiece out of. Perhaps you work in corporate America and crunch numbers all day, your creative genius may allow you to invent a new way of acquiring and/or disseminating that information to/for your stake holders that doesn't bore them/you to death. Maybe you are a stay at home mom and you construct a witty system that allows you to operate your home more efficiently. Whatever space you occupy is a frontier all its own to be creatively conquered. Don't place limits on your potential, no matter what role you have in life. Always look for ways to improve, refine, and innovate. Use some of that good old brain power to imagine possibilities rather than confinements. Those who hone their creative potential will be the ones who influence culture the most in the not so distant future.

The Dark Side of Being Driven

Being driven is widely viewed in society as something positive and to be admired, I agree, but as someone who is very driven himself, I also see the potential harm in this quality if not managed properly. Driven individuals, such as myself, can have the tendency to charge toward a goal no matter the cost even if it causes harm to both themselves and those close to them. If you are very driven/ambitious, you must work hard to couple this trait with patience and accept the advice of others (even when it doesn't feel good). Ask those closest to you if you are making room for them and allowing them to be a part of your plans. Sometimes you may need to put the brakes on for a season to allow others to catch up or at least for them to trail closely behind. One thing you don't want is to become successful, reaching all of your goals and see the shattered lives of those who love you left behind in the dust. It is better to incorporate others, especially those that you love, and share the rich experiences of life and accomplishment. One driven personality to another.

Getting To The Greatness That Lies Within You

Many of us take ourselves for granted. We underestimate and undervalue our potential largely because of what people, circumstances, and our environments have limited us to. "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5). What lies within us is as deep as the oceans, those of us who apply ourselves to discovering who we are and what we are capable of will see how amazing we are. It takes discipline, diligence, and determination to realize your greatness because so much of the world's system is dedicated to confining it, making you manageable and neutralizing the impact God desires for you to have. So you have to makeup in your mind that you will stay the course of uncovering the treasures that are inside and helping others find the treasures within them, no matter the cost. Life is a waste if you don't become all that you are meant to be!!!