Ise Lyfe - "Yes, No, Maybe"
07.24.2008
"Grew up on the other side of the tracks / But when you grow up by the tracks you never see it like that"
The Song:
"Yes, No, Maybe," the next single from Ise Lyfe's upcoming album Prince Cometh, finds him examining where he came from. In this emotional track Ise paints a dark picture of his childhood. He hits on the indifference with which the underprivileged live, especially apparent with the lines "Grew up on the other side of the tracks / But when you grow up by the tracks you never see it like that / Things just be how they be / Never felt poor cause folks were poor like me." Ise continues over the haunting beat to tell of black people in positions of power that are seemingly ashamed or unaware of the plights of Africans throughout the world. "Every area in the world where black people live, we are dying unnatural deaths," Ise delivers coolly before pleading to these people to use their influence to create social awareness. The song is delivered with his usual poetic grace as he examines the lack of consciousness he once felt, which has since changed as "...now I see we deserve much more."
Check the Album Preview Video.
The Background:
Ise Lyfe, born in Oakland, California, was influenced strongly by Langston Hughes and started writing poetry as a teenager. As he continued through his teenage years however, Ise became caught up in many of the negative elements in his community. It was after witnessing a murder at a concert that Ise realized what had happened, and the social awareness that he had almost lost. First recognized nationally for competing in the annual Youth Speaks Poetry Slams Finals, Ise started out in coffee shops and at open mics. He was soon performing in clubs, auditoriums, and eventually universities at home and abroad. His arc of success reached a new level when Ise was featured on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam. He has since co-founded the P.O.W.E.R. Movement, an Oakland-based organization dealing with the educational, social, and political needs of young people. For his second album Ise joined forces with Bay Area producer Nick James in their effort to create a popular culture of consciousness with Prince Cometh.
Web editors please contact Nora (nora (at) audibletreats.com), print editors please contact Michelle if interested in talking with Ise Lyfe.
Streams:
"Yes, No, Maybe"
http://media.audibletreats.com/Ise_Lyfe-Yes_No_Maybe.mp3
Album Preview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1LgKuq-v6k
"Thighbone featuring Zion-I"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/IseLyfe/Thighbone_feat_Zion-I.mp3
"Bad Word Bounce"
http://media.audibletreats.com/Ise_Lyfe-Bad_Word_Bounce.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t1iG8KlJys
Bio, pictures, and streams available here:
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/IseLyfe
Ise Lyfe Official Site:
http://www.iselyfenation.com
Ise Lyfe MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/iselyfe
Ise Lyfe Imeem:
http://www.imeem.com/iselyfe
Ise Lyfe Bebo:
http://www.bebo.com/iselyfe