When Love Calls

Music has alway been a crucial part of my life.  It is my go to for whatever emotion I am feeling.  I think we all have that one song or artist that changes you preception of life, love, and happiness.  I remember the first time I heard “Love Calls” by Kem from his debut album Kemistry. I immediately fell in love with it. I'd recently graduated from High School and moved to Dallas to begin my education in Culinary Arts. These events in themselves were monumental, but when I heard that song I realized that I was no longer the person I once was.

Before leaving Arkansas my only source of musical entertainment came in the form of MTV, BET, and Power 92.3fm, if they didn’t play it I didn’t hear it. I grow up listening to hip-hop and R&B, some soul and blues from my parents and other relatives influence, but I never really took a liking to it. When I heard this song, it all changed.

“Love Calls” is more than an R&B song; it has soul, heart, and depth to it. Listening to it made me realize that I was no longer a child trying to fit in with my friends, I was an independent thinker that can describe and identify what I like about the song. His voice soft and soulful, the lyrics identifiable, the melody soothing, this to me encompassed mature adulthood. It was my gateway musical drug. I soon began searching down the R&B/Soul aisle of the music stores soon discovering Al Green, Anita Baker, Sade, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and that was invigorating but not enough. Next came the Jazz aisle where Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Etta James reside. That is what I needed. I needed the soul, the audio poetry and art. These artists opened my eyes to realize that defining myself was a lot harder than I anticipated.

I was no longer one thing or another. I no longer liked on genre or another, I do have my preferences but I can appreciate it all. I now feel that everyone can find at least one song or artist from each genre of music. I can honestly say that I have out grown a lot of things, for instance, the need or desire to attend a concert in an arena setting with hundreds of people leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are very few “artist” that I would actually pay to see (Kem, John Legend, and Maze feat. Frankie Beverly) and if I do pay to see them it has to be in an intimate setting, a small club or lounge.

I hear younger people talking or listening to certain music and it pains me to hear what has now become acceptable to the ear. “Hip Hop is Dead” by Nas and “I Used to Love H.E.R” by Common are true testaments to the current culture. It’s lost its way and I believe that the John Legends and Kems of the world are the anchors needed for my musical sanity.

Kem has helped me to identify and embrace this new uncharted territory I call adulthood. I feel invigorated yet calm and serene, mature yet youthful, my outlook on life and my future are full of rich tones and colors, I am adult.