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

Feelin' Alive BACK in the C-H-I

Love this video. Everything is a complete piece of art with Kanye West.. He defines creativity and our generation.

CURRENT LOCATION: Just got back home...

Took the test... Drove back. Exhausted. NOT! I'm super-hyped.

This is my month. The mixtape I talked about in the last blog is just the beginning... Be ready.

I heard a rumor on campus that some promoters thought I had $ because I was opening for the Game and Soulja Boy. That's great! I hope they come to me with all their offers and opportunities. For the record, based on the amount of tickets I move(d), I actually get/got paid to perform!  Damn... Why did I just give away my secret?  Oh yeah...  Because you can't move or hustle like "we" -- thanks to all my boys who helped me accomplish that.

I bet my producer would say that's my bad attitude coming out again. Hi Vince!

Ok, I gotta unpack my stuff, make RAMEN NOODLES, and get some sleep before I wake up early, workout (I'm on the "'Bout to Be a Boss" plan), and make a plan. Speaking of workout, like two days ago, I heard some chick ask another chick if she had "that new Kanye song on her IPod... the one about working out." Other chick: "The Workout Plan"? First Chick: yeah... I love that new song! Second Chick: That came out three years ago. LMAO!

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

Welcome to the "No Limits" Zone

Official Blog Logo

CURRENT LOCATION: Herman B. Wells Library in Bloomington, Indiana

If I am not at the Grammys in 11 months, I will destroy my own career. Yes... These are the standards in which I hold myself--which might sound crazy considering last August I couldn't rap. So now it's been 1, 2, 3... 7 and a half months and yes, I've come a long way.

For those that don't know, my song "Go Down and Show" has received airplay nationally and seems to be having its own fiasco on YouTube.

What started with three of my girl friends telling me they were going to make me a music video because they were tired of watching still pictures on YouTube -- check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N97RvVu3xWo -- became an "I can shake it better than you" debate which led to the SHAKEiT4JQ competition. I've been lucky enough to have 100+ videos posted by girls across the country and from all around the world including girls from the Canada, the UK, and Spain!

Unfortunately, YouTube keeps taking down the best ones cuz they're "inappropriate" -- I guess they don't want a six year old -- yeah, there's six year olds on YouTube these days, go figure -- watching girls in thongs without bras dancing to a song about blow jobs. Did I just type that outloud? I'm going to save one of these so-called "inappropriate" videos one of these days and post it here to show you what I'm talking about.

Anyway, back to my "Grammy guarantee" which will slowly seem less crazy as the months wear on, but if I was you right now, I'd probably press "X" -- thinking who is this kid -- and WTF makes him think today he is nobody and tomorrow he'll be at the Grammys?

A little bit over a year ago, I was running my sports memorabilia company (ONtheCOURTSports -- http://stores.ebay.com/ONtheCOURTSports-Memorabilia) which was "nice" before this recession, when a Grammys advertisement popped across my page. I hadn't really been writing at the time... I don't know... It goes in phases, ya know? Writing that is. But anyway, for some reason, at that very moment, I was bored with life--with routine. I was done pledging (yeah, I'm in a fraternity... Zeta Beta Tau, '11 Full, yessur (at Indiana University btw)).. School was kickin' my ass and the classes weren't nearly as good as first semester.

At that point, I decided I was a rapper. See, I was always a poet... and I've always been into music. I had recorded a track or two joking around with my boys that remained in our day to day playlist about some crazy ex-girlfriend and real "hip-hop", but nahhh... This was different. This was for real.

I told a couple people, who obviously didn't take me seriously... and I slept on it. But for some reason, unlike most dreams we have on a day to day basis, this one didn't go away. I started to write songs... a lot of songs. Songs like thiss:

JQ - 'Bout My Money (T.I. - Big Shit Poppin' REMIX)
http://www.limelinx.com/files/2bc114568c3abfdfb78a5a84c3e9f833-- The First "No Limits" Zone EXCLUSIVE Release.
(yeah, as you can see, my style has changed a lot hahaha... yeah, a lot... I realized I wasn't a thug? "So who am I?" if I'm not a thug and I rap -- that's a question for my next blog.)

I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was further along than I thought and by the time summer hit instead of heading to New York as originally planned, I found myself in a nice learning situation in Chicago with house music legend Vince Lawrence of Slang Music Group (http://www.slangmusicgroup.com/).

But back on Grammy night, February 10, 2008, I told myself that in two years, I would be at the Grammy's (aka 11 months left). It was more than an "I told myself" sorta thing; it was like an oath.

People have been hatin' since so I must be doing something right and as my good friend Jon Ackerman told me the other day, "That's your motivation--isn't it? Proving people wrong... That's what keep you going."

I plan on using a handful of quotes like Jon's inside the cover booklet (what is that thing called?) of my debut album, which I don't have a release date for, but my only hint is that it would have to be before the Grammys next year, if I was going to be there, wouldn't it?

That's "Enuff" for now -- a subtle shoutout with hint to my nexttttt blog. As Lupe told me back in 2006 when he autographed my picture and watered the "rapper seed" Kanye planted in my brain, "Stay Tuned!"

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

www.myspace.com/JQhitsit