Proving Yourself as An Artist

I recently re-discovered the greatest cereal on the planet.

CURRENT LOCATION: My brother's computer (for some reason in my life, I never wind up using my own computer even though I have 3 of 'em lol)

Ok, it's 6:48 in the morning... And I've been thinking about this post for like two days now.

There have been so many sacrifices that have been made in the past 10 months to get me where I am. I can't count them on my ten fingers... Like Spinning off the highway going 70 MPH in the middle of nowhere Indiana after almost hitting a deer at approximately 4 in the morning on a Sunday night because I had left the studio at around 2. Or the time "we" spent 36 hours straight in the studio... Or when I had to skip school to get my mixtape crackin'. Or the 4.5 hour drive I took home every weekend both semesters, missing the greatest college weekends of my life that can never be replaced at the dopest fraternity in the country -- what up ZBT Beta Gamma?

I've heard some of the nicest things in the past few days... There's no better feeling to an artist than people connecting to their music. In just ten months, many who work with me or close to me believe I have made the impossible happen -- and I am proud of that despite it being just the beginning. We all have dreams when a new year begins and I think if you could show me where I am right now, I'd be satisfied.

With all that being said, never underestimate the grind of an artist. Don't think it can't happen or will never happen for someone... Cuz first off, things change, people change. I've changed... I used to not believe in God. Now I believe in God. I used to be anti-smoking weed... Now I'm promoting it. LMAO!

But a lot of people think these things "just happen" to me cuz... my parents are rich? Or cuz I live in a big house?

They really have no idea.... And it doesn't really matter -- I don't need them to because in the end, their hate will bring me to the top so I'm not standing in their way from trying to bring me down -- it's more fuel in my tank really. I wanna thank Vince Lawrence -- cuz despite all the shit I go through to get my music done, in the end, it's fucking dope, but that's not what I'm thanking him for... He was kinda the first person to believe I could be "that dude". He really helped me grow and a lot of my humbleness is owed to him.

On the other hand, there's one thing that nobody can give me and nobody can take from me... And that is my hustle. So for anyone that's ever talked shit or anybody that came out with some whack shit that never got played or to anybody with a dream that's sleeping right now and will sleep all day tomorrow or call me to party every night of the week but say "they wanna do this" -- let me tell you right now. that's not how it works. You can think that's how it works, but you're only biting yourself.

Boogie tells me almost everyday that whatever we do, we're gonna smash what anybody else is doing... He calls it being on smash. And I wanna thank him too... I got a bigillion things to thank this dude for, like y'all don't even know. I'm gonna make it its own post in the next couple days or something cuz this entire blog entry will turn into a Gangsta Boogie thank you note. Anyway, I think that's a cool way to live -- striving to beat expectation and the competition. Telling yourself that you're doing that and doing it are two different things -- I don't "need" others to see the struggle, but if you're reading my blog, I thought you might be interested:

I spent the last 6 hours putting them together and I have more to do so that means I won't be getting any sleep... Then I'll be headed straight to the city where luckily I have great street teams to distribute them -- shoutout to Ruben and his Smash Bros team. And coming home to sleep won't be an option, cuz I gotta get fitted for the music video this weekend. Then I'll probably wind up in a studio or something or a meeting -- and you get the picture. THIS IS A GRIND.

And I'm not saying I grinded like everybody else, cuz I didn't. I grinded smarter. Don't always try and take the shortcut, just make the best cut. Track. Rap.

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

P.s. Fuck I'm tired. And now it's 7:25... lmao... took longer to write this blog post than a verse.

P.s.s. One click MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD: www.files.burbetto.com/JQ_TheOfficialBurbettoMixtape.zip

And it's out...

CURRENT LOCATION: My kitchen... amongst 3000 CD's put in their sleeves with coversssss by mainly myself and T .  Shout to Dj, Mitch, and Alec too.  thank y'all.

Damn...  So Boogie told me today -- about mid-afternoon -- that the place where our CD's were replicated and printed ran out of sleeves.  So he had them ship 'em anywayyy... Yup, all 50,000 and then he went out and bought the sleeves separately.  Long story shorttt...  I've been putting these things together for the past oohhhhh... 6 hours.

It was kind of a good break to take my mind off things and watch history get made as the mixtape was released.

This was the first mixtape ever hosted by DJ Khaled & DJ Drama -- as well as the first Heavy Hitters, We the Best, and Aphilliates production.  Shouts to Boogs on making my dream a reality.

I appreciate all the support I've been getting -- texts, calls, messages, the whole nine.  From friends, family, and strangersssss... it's all really appreciated.  My team and I really put our heart and soul into this thing - more than you can ever hear within an hour's worth of audio - so to see this kind of response has definitely got me excited.

I don't know how I should feel now...  at 4:50 in the morning.  I know my mom is going to wake up and see all the CD's on the counter, but I don't know if I got it in me to clean 'em all up right now.  I'm known as the one man wrecking crew in my house...  yeah, my bad momz.  I'm sorry.  I love you.

So what's next? 

Well, first off, as if we were going to relax for a minute and get this thing out there, my mind shifts into another gear as a week from today (June 27th), Coodie and Chike, the video producers that brought you Jesus Walks, Through the Wire, Culo, and Ghetto Rock will be filming my first music video for my single from the mixtape:  Dixie Cups -- right here in the Chi.

It's going to be crazy... I can't even explain.  My mind is in a million directions right now, but once again, thanks for the support -- time to spread tha werd.

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

One of the three powerhouses behind my mixtape

DJ Drama's Release Party in Chicago a couple weeks ago when I was on blog hiatus.

Yo Q, where the fuck have you been?

The Official Burbetto Mixtape Trailer

Current Location: Sitting on my brother's love sac

Is what my friend Alex Alessi asks me week after week... "Why aren't you posting on your blog?"

Me: Man, you read that shit.

Alex: Yeah dude, I look everyday for that new post.

Well, here it is my dude. Thanks for the support!

And to all my other blog readers, who I probably lost over the last month during my "waiting" period -- which basically consisted of self-realization and TV -- AKA one of the worst months of my life. People are probably reading this like, "WHAT HAPPENED?"

More like WTF didn't happen?

I sat around and waited... For other people to do things that I couldn't possibly do. Yeah, I know -- I'm that kid that thinks he can do anything, but when it comes to music and politics, I'm learning to be patient. I can go into it, but honestly... it hasn't been that exciting. It's been the typical teenage start to summer. But this week changes that.. as you'll see.

So the mixtape... will be released officially this Friday: 6/19/2009. It will be released and available for free download through my BRAND NEW official website: Burbetto.com .

If you haven't watched the trailer yet, the mixtape is presented by none other than my dude, and when I say my dude, I mean MY DUDE, Boogie and is hosted by none other than the MIXTAPE KINGS -- DJ Khaled and DJ Drama -- Their first mixtape ever hosted together.

By virtue of that, it's another first... It's the first "Heavy Hitters", "We the Best", and "Aphilliates" collaborative mixtape ever. 'Nuff saidddddd...

I'm gonna blog a bunch over the next couple days to get back in the swing of things and cuz I owe y'all a step by step look at what will happen prior to the release!

We'll be leaking a track tomorrow morning so let's see if you can find it on the internet before I post it!

As always, I appreciate your continued love and support! Without it, I would've stopped this craziness long before -- not just blogging -- music, believing, etc. All I ask of you, is that you enjoy the free media and help SPREAD THA WERD. What up Mani?

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ