I ain't afraid of a no snow - "snowbusters" track added to www.braillehiphop.com - free download

Thanksgiving is over. Next up: "Everybody Say HO!!!" holiday party in Portland and Seattle. Audio commercial at www.braillehiphop.com

New Braille blog at www.braillehiphop.com titled "No More Planes". It starts off talking about traveling but gets personal towards the end.

Braille will be rocking tonight (11/6) in Seattle, WA at the Nectar Lounge with Scarub of the Living Legends, Wright Family and more.

Today will be fun. Gabriella is all dressed up like a kitty. Visiting family most of the day. Check "Frankenstein" www.braillehiphop.com

The internet is buzzin. Check out the new single "Frankenstein" by Braille and S1 at www.braillehiphop.com - just in tiem for the season.

Rocking Berkly today at B-sides - 1 PM (all ages and free). Then rocking Campbell, CA at Rasputins 6 PM (all ages and free)

Rocking tonight in San Fran at Element Lounge. 6 shows in 4 days all in The Bay. Check out www.braillehiphop.com for more details.

performing tonight at Berbatis. It's part of the Portland Hiphop Festival. Many great acts! 21 and up. Braillehiphop@hotmail.com 4 details

leaving for the Po-Hop (portland hiphop) meet and greet. played a little bit of NBA LIVE 09 before leaving cause I've been working non stop

putting together a promo cover for the song "Frankenstein" from my album with S1. we will be leaking the song next week. "Cloud Nineteen"

about to eat some lunch. getting a lot done today. just listened to a mix of the song "Fill It In" from my album with S1. COMING SOON

Right now I'm just replying to emails. Hopefully I'll get some new raps written as well. I got tons of shows this week, PDX and the BAY!!!

working on some new songs and getting ready to Rock shows this week. Portland, San Fran, Berkly, San Jose - here I come. see you there.

Braille.... finally home from the road

Ladies and gentlemen - after shredding the road together for 3 months, my family has finally arrived back home.

Some people might be wondering why we are home already. We were actually scheduled for two more weeks on the Warped Tour. My family was traveling with Othello and his family on the Warped Tour for the first full week - and we were having so much fun together. Me and Othello have always been close friends, and our wives have developed a special friendship together as well. Being on the road together wasn't a problem at all. On the flipside, the Warped Tour is much different then a normal tour. Most bands ride in tour buses with a designated bus driver. We were doing our own driving and staying in hotels each night. Everyone was handling the situation like troopers but me and Othello were barely making enough money to cover the traveling expenses. Rather then digging ourselves in a hole, we decided it was best for my family to drive home, Othello's family to fly home and for Othello to finish the tour SOLO - riding on one of the buses. I'm so glad that we were able to spend some time on the Warped Tour - I learned a lot during that week. Props to Jamie and everyone who was performing at the Skull Candy tent. I really hesitated leaving because I was enjoying everyones company so much and I knew people were planning on seeing me at certain dates on the tour. In the end, we had to do what was best for everyone involved.

Braille.... Paid Dues and still crusing

Hello hello.  The last two weeks were so crazy I never had enough time to write a blog.  The first thing I want to talk about is the Paid Dues show I performed at in Denver, CO.  There was also a second Paid Dues event planned for Berkely, CA but it got canceled at the last minute.  The Denver show was amazing!!!!  DeLa Soul was headlining this concert and they were definitely one of my favorite groups when I was growing up.  This was the third time I opened for them and their live show still blows me away.  There are very few groups I can watch that make me feel like I want to step up my game.  They are still one of my favorites.  I run into Trugoy from the group and gave him a copy of "The IV Edition".  Hopefully he'll get a chance to check it out.

The first artist I ran into during the event was Sage Francis.  I wasn't sure if he would remember me but we met about 9 years ago when I was 17.  He did remember and he was a little surprised to see my name starting to pop up again.  I've been making music non stop since last time I saw him, but I guess my name didn't really start buzzing again until after this new record dropped.  It's been an exciting process!!!  Other artists I was able to meet and give CDs to include Murs, Yak Ballz, Gift of Gab, Double-O of Kidz in the Hall and 9th Wonder.  My encounter with 9th Wonder was dope because we did a song together 5 years ago but this was the first time we met in person.  Apparently I was one of the first artists to pay 9th Wonder for a beat...(we did our song together before he worked with Jay-Z).  9th asked me if I had a laptop with me and after he performed we met backstage and he put 10 beats onto my computer.  Murs, Supernatural, Scratch (of the Roots), and many others were in the room while this was happening.  It was a dope Hiphop moment and a couple of those beats will probably end up on my next album.

There is one last story I want to share from Paid Dues.  When it was my turn to perform I wasn't sure how the response would be.  Many people in the crowd had never heard of me.  The show ended up going really well, a lot of people bought "The IV Edition" that night and I also handed out free copies of other Hiphop IS Music titles to spread the vibe around.  At one point, I was going to the parking lot to get more flyers and I met a guy working the door.  His name was JD I believe and we would have small conversions whenever I would run to my car.  I don't usually share these kind of stories because it's personal between me and the individual - but JD talked with me about how he had fallen away from God and how he was inspired that night to start serving God again.  I was so amazed that even in the midst of one of the biggest Hiphop shows I've ever done - God could still use me and remind me why he has brought me to the places he has.  The bible says if a shepherd has 100 sheep and one of them gets lost then the shepherd will leave the other 99 together to go find the one who was lost.  This summer has been all about shining light, being an encouragement to the communities I visit and trying to find a few lost sheep along the way.  My next blog will talk all about the Warped Tour!!!!  Gabriella is still smiling every day on the road.

Nikki...from LA

So we are in LA again! We passed through here at the beginning of our tour...It feels good to be back on the west coast. I love it! I feel like I do not write blogs enough. Time passes so quickly it seems. We are starting what we are calling "The second leg" of our tour. Bryan and one of his best friends Othello are on the Warped Tour. Im excited for this part of the tour because Othello and his wife Rebekah and their son Asa are traveling with us! We are all together in our van! Rebekah is a super cool girl! We get along really well...we have so much in common and have very similar personalities. Thats really a plus because when you are basically living in a van with someone its always good to get along haha. We all just met up today. They flew in from Michigan, and we drove here from Denver, CO. So much has happened since I last wrote. For one, Gabriella and I flew back to Oregon for my soon to be sister in laws bridal shower! It was such a nice visit. Gabriella LOVES her  "mi-ma" and "poo-pa" and they are pretty much obsessed with her! It was hard saying good bye. When I was there it was a little shocking. I had been on tour for almost 2 months. On a hectic schedule and staying in hotels and different cities every night. Then suddenly I was back home where everything was familiar. After the first day home felt normal again, and seeing Gabriella enjoy her grandparents and vise versa was great!!! I saw my grandpa while I was there ... he used to be a traveling salesman, he took my grandma and their 5 kids with him. so he totally understands what we have been doing, when I saw him he asked me how things were going. I said "really well" he asked if I was getting tired of the road, I took a second to think about it and I answered honestly "no" then he said to me "traveling gets in your blood doesn't it?" When he said that I knew exactly what he meant, because it really does! I am so thankful I am able to experience so many different places and people while I am able to do so. And to do it together with my family is an absolute blessing.

        I was driving today and we went through Vegas, it appeared out of no where, it was all desert then there was LAS VEGAS! I have been to Vegas a few times before. There is something about that city! All the different colors and flashy buildings. I can see why it is so appealing to people. The sad truth is that alot of crazy/horrible things go on there. Today we saw a bill board that straight up was asking if girls wanted to "make a dirty movie" for "500 bucks" It was awful. When you see the true side of Vegas you know why its called Sin City. We also stayed in Denver, CO for a bit. And discovered some really good places to eat and get coffee at. Its hilarious Bryan and I have our "spots" in almost every city we visit. When you eat out so often finding a good place sticks in your mind. This second leg of the tour is going to be crazy! Mostly because we are on someone elses schedule. When Bryan books a tour he can control how far apart shows are etc. But the Warped Tour is different, they let you know when to be there and when you perform each day. Its going to take some getting used to! Luckily I will have Rebekah with me ! So there will be someone else going through what I am! Even though it will be different I think its going to be a good experience for us all. I am looking forward to meeting new people and Bryan is excited to get exposed to new audiences! I will write again soon!  

Nikki...From Michigan

Hi everyone...

   We have been in Michigan for the last few days. I have been having a Blast here. We are staying with Othello and Rebekah, some of our best friends. Its nice being around a couple you have so much in common with. So the guys have been writing some new songs and recording (having a super fun time :) they also have some local shows in the area, its cool that they are able to perform together after so long. 

  Othello and Bekah had a baby boy about 7 weeks ago. His name is Asa. Gabriella loves to look at him and point while saying "baby baby!" then she lets me know he has a nose, mouth, eyes and feet. She really enjoys pointing out those things on babies, its so cute. 

  In about a week we are going to be leaving on tour with Othello, Rebekah and Asa. The guys are going to be on the warped tour. We are really excited but we know it will be challenging. The schedule is pretty intense. And I know we will be tired. I also know we are going to make some life long memories. Its so cool we have the opportunity to tour like this while our kids are young. Before the warped tour Bryan has 2 paid dues festivals he has to fly out to, so while he is doing those, I am flying home with Gabriella to Oregon for my soon to be sister in laws wedding shower. Im really excited to be visiting home, it will be really nice to see my parents and brother. Gabriella and my mom are best friends so I know Gabriella will be very happy to see her! My parents have not seen her for about 2 months. She has grown so much and developed such a personality in that time. I am excited for them to be able just to watch her to the hilarious things she does :) The only sad thing about taking Gabriella to see her grandparents is taking her away from them again. I just feel horrible, I almost feel like I am teasing her or something. The good things is as long as she is with mommy and daddy she is content. Im crossing my fingers she does not get mad at me for taking her away from "mi-ma" and "poo-pa"  :) 

   I have been really tired lately, I dont know if its because we have been at one place for so long and my body is just not used to that, or if I am not getting enough sleep. We have been staying up super late each night watching Lost. Othello got Bryan and I hooked! Its an amazing show, the writing is super intense. Luckily he has the DVD's so we are able to watch episode after episode. I have to say the Office is still my favorite show though... :) I will write again soon! Right now I am baby sitting Asa, and he is waking up!!! good bye! 

Braille....from Michigan

What's up ya'll.  A quick entry while I'm in the studio working on new Lightheaded material.  I've really been enjoying time with the family.  We had an incredible concert in New York with the Youth Explosion team.  After that we spent a weekend in Baltimore - shouts to Trey and his family for the great hospitality.  I rocked three shows in one day, starting with a sunday morning service and ending with a jam in the basement of a fancy hotel.  I originally had a Saturday night concert that got canceled, so with the help of some friends I was able to rally together three last minute gigs.  Pretty fresh.  After a successful weekend, we went to Washington D.C. and celebrated with a visit to the National Zoo.  Gabriella liked the monkeys and lions (kitty cats) but her favorite part was playing inside the giant pizza playground.  haha.  We stayed at another incredible hotel and I want to officially give props to www.priceline.com.  If William Shatner (sp?) every decides to retire from their promotional campaign then I will gladly take on the job.  haha.  Staying in 4 and 5 star hotels for under $150 is really fresh.  Right now I'm in Michigan, chilling with Othello and getting ready for the warped tour.  During our preparations for the road we are also finding time to record new Lightheaded songs and watch season 1 and 2 of the TV show LOST.  That show is crazy.  I never followed it before but I've been enjoying watching it on DVD.  Oh, and notice the picture of Gabriella wearing Nikki's shoes.  She has been doing that a lot lately and it's hilarious.

Im BACK! ... Nikki from New York

Oh my gosh! I feel like I have not written a blog in forever! Well, I guess that because i haven't. I stayed with some family in PA for almost 10 days. It was a blast. Gabriella and me got some good down time and got to spend some quality time with family that i hardly ever see.  I told Bryan that i have been avoiding writing a blog since i got back because I feel like i have to much to write and i wont be able to remember it all..or I might go over board and tell you every detail and then the blog would just get boring. All in all i decided not to worry about it and just write how i feel. 

  I ran into a bit of bad luck right before i met back up with Bryan in New York. First my luggage was overweight so i had to take out a bunch of clothes and shoes making my carry ons extra heavy.  I missed my flight, and was a nervous wreck! Then was on a stand by flight. They called my name and as I was stepping onto the plane i heard my name again...turns out the lady who was missing her flight decided to show up extra late so i had to come back and wait even longer for another flight. After all that i finally got to New York and Bryan had lots of surprises for me! He booked the Grand Hyatt on 42nd and Lexington Down town Manhattan. For 2 nights! He also got me delicious pizza which i ate in bed. I pretty much laid in bed for the rest of the day because i was so worn out from my travels to the city, as was Gabriella. We love being in New York , for many reasons. The sounds of the city, all the culture, the food, the convenience and the history. And of course the music scene! After a couple days of relaxation we headed to Queens. Bryan did a performance for one of the largest youth groups in New York. The experience was great. We fell in love with this church. The people were amazing and the youth inspiring. It was the first time that i could see myself living in New York having a foundation in this church. Its in the back of our minds, but only God knows the future :) While we were in the city we got to meet up with a couple more friends such as Bryan's manager Mike.  he is hilarious and we all get along so well...we went out to dinner at an outdoor spot .. the weather was perfect! the food delicious, it was a memorable night. 

 From New York we headed to Baltimore and again met some life long friends. One of Bryan's friends opened his house to us. Him and his wife have 2 little girls. One is 2 years old so her and Gabriella got to play for about 3 days. Gabriella is getting better at being social. For along time she would just avoid kids her age, but this time she actually opened up and played. So tonight we are in Washington DC . And its actually somewhere i have never been before!! I was excited to visit and see the sights! We took Gabriella to the National Zoo..and she loved it .. in her own way .. randomly running in circles and being in a jolly mood hehe. We are staying at a hotel called the Palomar, its a Kinton hotel and i have to say its the coolest place i have ever stayed, its technically in Virginia since DC is so small, we crossed the border in about 10 min from where we were. This hotel is gorgeous. the way they explain it is "art in motion" and that's exactly how it feels. Every detail is covered from a nic nak on a table to a light fixture everything is unique and artistic. The colors are calming , dark and robust. A down feather comforter makes the bed a dream to sleep in. If you are ever in this area, i highly recommend this hotel!  Its about 12:20 so I think i need to get some sleep. We have about a 9 hour drive to Michigan where we meet up with Othello and Rebekah and their new baby Asa! We are so stoked to meet him...i will write soon...:) 

Braille.....from NYC

 I've had a pretty incredible week.  It would be hard to tell all my stories cause each one is so unique but I'll try to share all the highlights.  This blog covers a full week, from one tuesday till the next.

day 1 - I did a performance at the www.ughh.com store in Boston, MA.  Rather then just doing one or two songs - I did a full 35 minute concert including bonus freestyles.  Footage should be going up on the website soon.  One guy drove from Maine for this event, that's love!!!!  He's the one in the grey throwing up the "IV" in the picture.

day 2 - I drove to NYC and stayed with my manager.  We watched the American Idol finale and then went to www.wnyu.org where I did a live interview and freestyle for the "Halftime Show".  DJ Eclipse using runs the show but he was out of town - either way, I had a great time.  I got a recording of my freestyle and I intend to put it up on Myspace soon.

day 3 - I had a show in Danbury, CT.  The turn out was a little small but I had a great time kicking it with DJ Halo.  He showed some super hospitality and also DJ'ed for my set.  Adam B (journalist who interviewed me for Beyond Race) was in the house and all the other acts gave excellent performances.  Two kids drove to the show from an hour away, unfortunately they weren't old enough to get in.  The venue was called "Cousin Larrys Cafe" - so they assumed it was all ages.  I felt bad but was glad that I got to chat with them before the show.

day 4 - There was a huge youth event in Agawam, MA.  I was performing in a church and there was about 200 kids (see picture with kids in the front).  Shouts to Fat Soul, Wut and all the other performers.  This was a memorable night, when it was time to talk with the crowd I felt like God was really moving.  I crashed at a wonderful hotel and did some much needed laundry the next morning.

Day 5 - I drove back into New York City and got ready for my show.  The doors didn't even open till 11 PM and I ended up performing around 2 AM.  It was a late night, but the show was incredible.  My friend Ken (from Seattle) came to the show with his brother.  My manager and his girlfriend came through, and overall there was a great crowd.  DJ Halo linked back up with me, so he held down the wheels and that always brings a fresh energy to my set.  The performance definitely felt powerful.  I even had an intern from DefJam ask for a CD.  Word.

Day 6 - So I mentioned my friend from Seattle was in town for NYC.  It just so happens that my friend Ken works for the Seattle Mariners.  He translates for Ichiro, so he was in town because the Mariners were playing against the Yankees.  He was able to get me 4 free tickets for the game and I was so thankful.  First of all, the weather was perfect.  Second, our seats were stellar.  Third, this is the last season for the original Yankess stadium.  Forth, my dad was a baseball fanatic - so I really enjoyed the game because I know it's something he would have LOVED.  It looked like the Mariners were going to win, which I was kind of excited about but the Yankees pulled away with the win after scoring 4 runs in the 8th inning.  It was a roller coaster game for sure.

Day 7 - I had a day off so I ended up hitting an open mic that a local artist named Propaganda Anonymous invited me to.  The spot was called Sin Sin - and the vibe was super fresh.  There was a live band - just a 3 piece - plus two singers.  The singers would drop hooks and then a line of MCs would take turns freestyling the verses.  After feeling out the vibe for a bit, I stood in line and waited for my turn.  When my turn came, they switched the format.  Me and another MC had to trade 4 bars back and forth.  This is all freestyle!!!  I love freestyling, so it was no problem but after waiting in line for three turns of trading 4 bars - I started getting restless.  I wanted to flow longer.  haha.  So when my next turn came, I couldn't resist and I just kept spitting past my 4 bars and dropped a full freestyle.  That's how the whole night was before they started the trading, so I just wanted to get my piece in before the night was over.  My timing was perfect because the open mic literally got shut down after my turn - simply because it was two in the morning and the band probably was ready to call it a night.  Real dope vibe though.

TODAY - So today I had a live performance for fearlessmusic.tv.  Check out the website and you'll get a feel for what Fearless is all about.  Bands come in and do a performance in the studio and it airs on Fox late nights.  DJ Rob Swift came through and backed me up for this performance, and I also had some friends add live instrumentation.  We had Ben on the guitar and Charlene on the keys and vocals.  The set up was super professional, so we all did our best to be professional as well.  We knocked out all four of our songs without messing up once - everything went super smooth.  We were able to watch back our performances on a nice flat-screen in the lobby and it looked/sounded amazing.  Once I get more info about when the show will be airing - I will definitely spread the word.  Anyway - my wife and daughter are flying into New York City tomorrow morning.  We have two days off and I was able to book us an incredible room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel near Central Park.  I booked the room using Priceline and literally got about 50% off of the normal price.  I can't explain how much I've missed Gabriella and Nikki.  Tomorrow is going to be more exciting then all the last 7 days put together!!!!

Braille ... from Boston

So right now I'm chilling in Boston.  I have so many stories to share.  First, that picture of me and my wife in the car shows me holding a Rockstar brand coffee drink.  I don't really like the Rockstar brand but I bought that particular can because it was "lite" and I wanted to share it with Nikki.  Anyway, when your on the road - you get tired of the usual gas station options for beverages.  I'm not much of a soda guy.  I got intrigued by the Monster brand coffee drinks.  A lot of them are pretty tasty - and I have curious taste buds.  haha.  I like to try new things rather then just have the same stuff over and over again.  I have one question though - are these drinks bad for you?  I can't really figure it out, so in all honestly - I am really limiting my consumption because I just don't know much about it.  I'm not an "energy drink" type of guy, so I like the Monster drinks mainly because of the taste.  If anyone knows much about it, let me know.  In the meantime, I think my curiosity has been quenched.

This week has been pretty intense.  I did 5 shows in 5 shows and drove about 6 hours each day.  Not to mention, since my wife was staying with family in PA - I've been completely alone.  I've been waking up, driving all day, rocking shows and then repeating the cycle.  It hasn't really been that bad though - but I do kind of feel proud of myself when I arrive into the next city on time.  haha.  The picture with the highway sign is from when I was passing through Scranton, PA.  Home of the Office....haha.  

So about my show in Buffalo - this was a crazy night.  I arrived to the venue around 7:30, which was way to early cause apparently heads in Buffalo don't get started until super late.  Since nothing was going on, I wandered over to a Jamaican spot and ate a beef patty with cocoa bread.  It definitely hit the spot.  This was my first time in Buffalo so I didn't have any friends from the past to visit with.  I did however enjoy chatting with Tone from Deepthinka and DJ Cutler.  It was fresh to meet the guys and build a bit in the local scene.  I didn't take stage until around 1:30 A.M. or something...haha.  I wasn't sure what to expect but I just poured my heart out on the stage.  At the end of the show, I got a lot of love from the crowd.  Edreys was in the house, and there was also a local crew called Sons of the King who rolled deep.  They performed after me and had like 12 dudes on stage.  haha.  After the show we were all building and it led to a huge prayer huddle right outside in front of the bar.  I stayed the night at Tone's spot and his hospitality was great, he even cooked me some potatoes in the morning.

To close this post, I will explain the bowling score above.  haha.  Bobby Bishop had an event in NorthHampton, MA and he invited me to be apart of it since I was in town.  Me and Bobby played two games of bowling and although both of us struggled to even score 100 each game, Bobby did take me out both times.  We attempted to throw a concert in the bowling alley but the sound system was a little insufficient.  I was playing submission hold and the sound of bowling balls rolling was much louder then the beat.  haha.  None the less - Bobby took a moment to share a message with the kids and we all ended up huddling together and praying before it was all said and done.  I've been staying with Bobby's family the last two nights and we've been having a lot of fun.  His daughter loves it when I stand on one leg (I'm a one trick pony, haha) and so she had me jumping around on one leg for like two hours strait.  Tomorrow I performing at the Undergroundhiphop.com store in Boston.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Thanks for tuning in.  Much love.  peace

Braille..... from Philadelphia

Hello.  I got a long drive today so I'm going to keep this short.  I rocked three shows in Pennsylvania over the last three days.  It started out in Washington - which was a show at my cousin Andrew's church.  One guy drove like two and a half hours to come and see the show.  Crazy.  Another guy drove from 30 minutes away.  It was hilarious because the youth at the show were playing some games before the concert - and the two guys who drove to see some Hip-Hop got recruited to play some broom ball.  haha.  It was like hockey with brooms.  You never know what your getting yourself into when you come to a Braille show.

Nikki decided to stay in Washington, PA for about a week because she has a lot of family there that she doesn't get to see very often.  So I'm doing the next 5 or 6 shows on my own.  I miss them already, but I think it will be refreshing for them to stay in one place for awhile.  I did a show in Pittsburgh and that was a memorable night.  Shout to Destro for setting the gig up and shouts to all the local homies like Conduct, Set Surgeon, Calm, Mike and many more.  The Pittsburgh show ended up being pretty comical towards the end.  I fumbled my lyrics for "Shades of Grey" - which doesn't happen often - and ended up dancing for awhile and joking with the crowd.  We all had a blast.

Last night I rocked in Philadelphia.  Shouts to AOI, The Hustle Band and Vitamin F.  The local talent was all rocking with bands, so I was the only solo artist.  Muze One, Victor (the macho twin from Holy Culture Radio), Phanatik, DJ Essence, Tekson and others from the Extreme Tour (it was a surprise to see them, cause they just happened to be in the area, but they come from Texas), Shai Linne and many more were in the place.  Although the crowd was small, it was a very meaningful group of people and it was an honor to share what I do with all the Philly homies.  After the show I went to DJ Essence's studio.  Official was supposed to come through with some beats, but he had other engagements so me and Essence made a song together right on the spot.  It turned out really fresh.  That joint is going to be exclusive for a mixtape coming out soon.

Anyway... I'm on my way to Buffalo.  Just wanted to give a quick update, it's been a busy week for sure.

Braille.... from Washington, PA

So here I am in a Panera Bread again.  Haha.  This last week has been an adventure.  We drove from Rockwall, TX strait to Chicago, IL.  Look at a map, it's a long drive.  We stopped half way somewhere in Missouri.  We were staying at a Comfort Inn and Gabriella wanted to play instead of sleep after such a long car ride.  The next morning we continued on our drive and arrived in Chicago about 20 minutes before the concert started.  Gabriella was restless after spending two days in the car.  Nikki couldn't really stay at the show, because Gabriella needed some alone time before being surrounded by tons of youth.  

I performed at a spot called The House in Chicago and they were doing a Stop the Violence special.  It was an honor to be part of the event.  They were offering free AIDS testing to the community and spoke about some of the violence issues happening in the city.  Many young people loose their lives way to early from un-necessary gunfire.  We can't blame any ONE person for these social ills, but we all can play a roll in helping to bring PEACE.  Before I performed I had to run to my van to grab some CDs.  The neighborhood we were in didn't have many white people.... and while I was walking I crossed paths with a black guy.  (please excuse my use of "white" and "black" because I know they are very bland terms).  Anyway... I said "what's up" as we passed and he reached out to shake my hand.  He said "that's right, we gotta stop this racism stuff".  It was a short moment, but it was definitely significant.  Unfortunately, there is still racism happening in the U.S.  I don't witness it very often, but every now and then I'm reminded that it still exists.  In some areas two people of different colors shaking hands is no big deal, but in some areas it's still very rare.  I've always been friends with people from all different nationalities, racism has always seemed ignorant and pointless to me.  I don't judge people by the color of their skin.  If someone does me wrong... that's between me and that person.  I don't hold it against their community, their skin color, their race or their family.  The history of the U.S. is littered with hateful things that have taken place... .a lot of racism and separation.  In some communities you still see the effects of things that happened 30 or 40 years ago.  It's painful and I definitely want to play my role in loving both sides of the fence and help bring healing.  While walking around this neighborhood in Chicago, there was a lot of broken glass on the concrete, kids running out of buildings at full speed, broken windows with boards.  I'm really thankful for The House and the work they are doing to bless the community and invest time in the youth.  I was glad to be a part of it.  Shouts to Pastor Phil Jackson!!!

I also met another guy at my show in Chicago who took a Greyhound Bus from Michigan just to come and check it out.  At a few of my shows people have come from long distances to see the concerts, give me words of encouragement and just build.  It's been incredible.  The next day me and the family celebrated Mothers Day in Indiana.  We had a Jacuzzi room at our hotel... and although me and Nikki didn't get a chance to soak in the tub together - the Jacuzzi was the perfect size swimming pool for little Gabriella.  haha.  My show in Indiana was also very significant because it was a mothers day event.  The crowd was small but I was able to share the stage with YSG Timothy (who I've talked with via email in the past) and some other artists from within the region.  Props to DJ Rhino for setting it up and blessing the Mothers who were in attendance.  It was a real fresh night.  After the show I took my wife out to eat so we could close out Mothers Day with a bang.  Earlier in the day I also took her shopping for some new clothes - .... I still think shopping in the mall is more exhausting then rocking a show.  haha.  While I was in the mall I picked up a June issue of The Source magazine.  They did an interview with me in the "Under The Radar" section and also reviewed my record.  I used to cut out pictures from The Source and hang them on my wall when I first started rapping.  It was an honor to finally be featured in that magazine.  www.rapreviews.com also reviewed my record this week - so it's been a pretty exciting time.

Nikki...from DALLAS!

Hey All!!

  

  We are here in Dallas now, I have to say I was looking forward to this portion of the tour! I am finally getting a little girl time!!! As Bryan said we got to visit with some close friends while we have been here. Its very exciting for me ! 

 One of the benefits to being on tour is that you get to visit so many people from your past, catch up on old times and just chill. Today the weather is so nice! Its sunny and not humid at all, usually when we are in Texas its so humid, and when i walk outside i just feel damp. I HATE THAT FEELING!  Also, your face gets all shiny no matter how hard you try to stay fresh. Guys, you might not relate, but girls you know what I'm talking about!

 The visit with my family went great, i was able to see all my family, and they all met Gabriella for the first time. They loved her and she warmed up to them  right away. I almost did not get to see my Uncle that i wrote about in my last blog and i was really upset about it. At the last minute it all worked out and I was thankful! He is just trying to get better. I was able to encourage him as much as i could. Him and Bryan got to talk about music and Bryan gave him a CD. My uncle was so excited about this! He is so proud! I was glad to be a light in his life if only for one hour. Keep him in your prayers.

  We are heading to Chicago after Dallas, then all over the east coast. I am really stoked to go to Boston in particular! I have always wanted to go there, i love history and there is so much of it in Boston. Bryan gave us a day off there so we could see the sights :) 

 Gabriella has been having a high fever for the last 2 nights. I am going to see if it happens for another 2 nights, and if it does we are going to take her to the doctor..she is fine during the day but once night time hits she gets cranky and gets a fever. No other symptoms! If anyone has any advice about this feel free to let me know! I am not to good at playing doctor :) Well, Gab is taking a nap right now and i need to do some other work online, i will be writing again soon, thanks to everyone who reads this and leaves comments it encourages me! love all of you! 

Braille.....from Dallas, TX

It's thursday morning and I just realized it's been a week since my last post.  I just finished a show last night in Irving/Dallas.  It was super fresh.  We had a great turn out, plus some of my close friends such as Sivion, Malachi, Marissa, Keith Hill and others were in the house.  All of my shows over the last week have been incredible - from Flagstaff, Albuquerque (two shows) and Dallas.  I had a day off in Albuquerque so I spent about 5 hours in the studio recording guest appearances.  So far I've dropped 7 guest verses during the first two and a half weeks of this tour.  I still have a handful of songs left to record so I need to find at-least one more studio to hit up before the end of this month.

Last Night we stayed with our good friends Luke and Jen.  Luke's farther, Larry Huch was the pastor over the church I was attending when I first met Nikki.  The church was based in Portland, OR but relocated to Texas about 3 years ago.  Whenever I'm in Texas, I'm usually doing an event with Luke.  Our families have become really close friends.  Another married couple that we are close to recently moved to Texas as well.  Malachi, Marissa and Natalie!  Me and Nikki have people from all over trying to convince us to move.  haha.  Right now we live on the road!!!!  But it's fresh having close friends all over the U.S. (not to mention all over the world).  We still anticipate settling down in Portland once this tour is over.  The Northwest still feels like home for us, plus most of our family lives there so we want to be close to them.

Gabriella has been doing great!!!  That picture of her laughing in the car was from one of our 6 hour car rides.  I was singing a song about "stinky pants" and she was laughing really hard.  She always falls asleep in Nikki's arms at my shows.  haha.  It's cute, but our baby is getting heavy.  We need like a mini portable bed that we can bring to the concerts.  We have been sleeping in a different bed pretty much every night.  Some nights we stay in hotels and some nights we stay with friends.  All three of us (me, Nikki and the baby) cuddle up in one bed together.  Needless to say, I've been waking up every time the baby moves.  It's hard to get a full night of sleep sometimes because Gabriella has been rolling around a little bit.  Her temperature has also been a little high - so we are keeping a watch over that to make sure she is okay.  I'm typing this early in the morning.... we are learning how to post pictures with our BLOGS!!!

Nikki... from New Mexico

Hey everyone...

   Its been a while since I have been able to write. Things got kinda hectic for the last few days. From Cali. we headed to Phoenix Arizona, and stayed the night. Since Gabriella enjoyed playing in the water at Disney Land so much we decided to find a hotel with a nice pool and take her swimming. The last time I took her swimming was last summer when she was still a little baby! So this time it was really exciting. She was not sure about the huge mass of water at first. We told her it was a big bath, then she was OK! She splashed and played like a "fishy." 

  From Phoenix we went to Flagstaff...Flagstaff is in the mountains in Arizona so it stays much cooler, which was super nice. I took advantage of the nice weather to clean out the van! This was the highlight of my day. I love keeping things clean and organized. I try not to be to anal about it! We did not have  time to fully clean it before we left Oregon. So we unloaded the WHOLE van, and I cleaned the heck out of it! Afterwards I felt very refreshed, that might sound crazy, but when you are basically living in your van (haha) you look forward to cleaning it! 

      Bryan had a show at a local youth group. Everyone at the show was so nice and were super stoked to see Bryan! Once again we were able to meet some new friends there. We stayed with someone from the church and the house was so comfortable. I swear the bed we slept in was like sleeping on air, I felt like i was floating and slept like a baby. Gabriella also conked out when her head hit the pillow! The next morning we woke up and headed to New Mexico. That's where we are now. We did a show at the Victory outreach church. Bryan has known one of the pastors there for about 8 years. Its always nice seeing familiar faces! And everyone there is so hospitable, I know I say that about everyone we stay with, but we are  so fortunate to know so many genuine people through out the USA. People that support us, truly support us and understand what we are doing traveling as a family spreading the word of God. Most of you reading this are those people! :) Thank you!

   Today Bryan had to do some recording and the couple that owns the studio we really got along with. So me and Janette took the day to hang out, do some shopping and watch a movie! It was a fun day doing something out of the ordinary. Just a nice day to relax! There was a kitty at their house and Gabriella loved it! She would get her face a couple inches from the kitty's and talk to it! She told it all about Mickey Mouse and Paci's (Pacifiers). It was the cutest thing. She would not touch it though! I would try to get her to pet it and she would just point and say "kitty,kitty,kitty!" This is our last night here in New Mexico tomorrow we are attending the Victory Outreach Sunday morning service. Then heading to Levelland TEXAS!!! Where my moms side of the family lives. After my family moved from Texas to Oregon we would go down there every year for Christmas. But since i got married and moved out we have not been able to make it down to often. So I rarely get to see them all. They have never met Gabriella, so I am excited for them so see her in person! I am also going to see my uncle Michael. I have not seen him for about 8-10 years. He has been in jail for a long time. Mostly for drugs etc. He is a good man, and its unfortunate he had to go through what he did. But i continue to pray for him. Well, now he has cancer and is very sick, so I am not sure when the next time I will see him is. If ever. I am going to try to be a light in his life. He always was fun to play with during Christmas when i was a little girl. I would appreciate your prayers for him to!  And for other family members I have going through different issues. Hey, we can all use prayer right? Well I am going to sign off now! My grandparents do not have Internet and probably don't even know what it is hehe. So i am not going to be able to write for a couple days at least. The next time I will be writing is from Dallas Texas! Where some super close friends live! So we are anticipating that for sure!!! love all of you and be blessed!!!

Braille..... from Phoenix

Well, Nikki already told the story better then I could - so instead of telling everyone about Disney I decided to just post a picture.  It was a memorable day for sure.  One of my favorite parts of the day was running through sprinklers with Gabriella.  She has been making me laugh so much lately.  At night it's been taking us 2 or 3 hours to put her to sleep - but the whole time she cracks us up with silly games and funny things she says.  Nikki also talked about my show at "The Movement" - and honestly it was one of the most refreshing mornings I've had in a long time.  I sold around 75 CDs, which is definitely one of my top selling shows of all time.  Overall though, the people were very encouraging and excited to "serve".  

The family we stayed with in OceanSide was the Hancock Family.  My good friend Scott runs a company called The Glue Network.  www.thegluenetwork.com.  It was great to spend time with his family and their baby girl London.  After Disney, I ran over to the Cerritos Allstars radio show for an interview and freestyle.  I was the only MC in the house, so I freestyled pretty long.  haha.  Maybe to long, but it was a lot of fun.  After the radio show I drove over to Hollywood for the CunninLynguists show at the Knitting Factory.  They were gracious enough to let me take stage and rock a song right before Substancial took stage.  I performed "The IV" with as much energy as I could and it went over really well.  My L.A. show got canceled, so it was good to at-least perform one song for the local heads.  Today we are driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff.  Last night we took Gabriella swimming at the hotel, and tonight we are rocking another show!!!!

Nikki..from Anaheim Cali.

Hey everyone!!!

   So...We are still in California but alot has happened here! I feel like we have been gone much longer then we really have. But tours are just like that, you will feel like you have been gone forever yet time flys. We were in the San Diego area for a couple days and stayed with some really good friends of ours. They have a daughter a little younger then Gabriella. The 2 of them enjoyed playing together! It was nice to be around another mom for me also. We were able to share storys, and give advice! 

  Its been hard for me to get used to the heat. It was not even that hot today (prob. in the high 80's) but I need to get used to it because the summer has just begun! I have come to realise what an Oregonian I am! I tend to enjoy cooler weather over the hot humid weather! Am I crazy? Well, It has been fun dressing Gabriella in all her cute summer clothes, like I have mentioned before. So dont get me wrong I dont hate the sun that much...Okay enough of all that...

  If you know my daughter, then you probably know about her true love for Mickey Mouse. You cant be with her for more then 5 minutes without her mentioning him or singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song. So me and Bryan were talking the other day and we had this idea to take her to DisneyLand. So we went today! And she had a blast!!! Her day was filled with so much Mickey, but i dont think she got tired of it...she was able to meet him personally and give him hugs. She even got to see her favorite Mickey Mouse show live on stage. She danced alot of the time, or just zoned out! It was so cute because when she first met him she was acting so shy. She did not freak out or jump for joy like i thought she might....she just smiled a flirty smiled and petted his nose. Then gave him a hug. Her reaction was exactly like HER. She is  gentle and loving :) 

  Bryan performed at a church on Sunday morning called "The Movement" Its one of the coolest churches I have been to. I just felt at home there. There were so many young couples with babies Gabriella's age. The people were so giving. They loved Bryan and really enjoyed his songs...they were very suportive. It was refreshing to visit a church like this one. Every now and then you need a little jump start and that what they gave me!  I really felt God there, and I know he is working in the people there. If you are ever in the Ocean side area you shoulc check it out! 

 We are heading out in the morning to Arizona, its about a 5 hour drive. Im excited to move on with the tour and experience some new things with Gabriella. I will write again soon! :) 

Im so excited to see the comments on my last blog! It makes me feel special haha. Well, the beginning of the tour has been so great. Our lives went from being hectic and crazy, to suddenly being calm and relaxed. I feel like yesterday I could finally take a breath of fresh air! Our house sold in the nick of time. And we finally have everything packed and we are on the road again...the first show was in Redding Cali. the weather is so beautiful! I am enjoying finally getting to dress Gabriella is her summer clothes. She is such a cutie in her little jean shorts! Anyways, back to the show...I made friends with the promoters wife. She was so sweet! She had 4 kids and each of them was about a year apart. She is super mom for sure! As we were chatting she told me she could feel such a gentle spirit from Gabriella. She said she could feel something special radiating from her, she went on to tell me that she felt God has something very special for Gabriella's life, and that she will do great things. It was really cool to hear this. Of course in my own mind I think Gabriella is special and one of a kind. But hearing it come from an outsider who  does not even know her, and who is a strong women of God, it was just really cool for me as a mother.  Well, today we are heading to Sacramento then on to LA where we are meeting up with some close friends. We are still here in Redding and Bryan is feeding Gabriella breakfast while I am writing my blog hehe. I have already begun to realise that this tour is going to be a special one. The fact that me and Bryan and Gabriella get to be travelling as a family is an amazing experience. 

Well I better get ready now...I need to give Gabriella a bath and get her dressed for another sunny California day! 

Braille.... from Redding

Hello!!!  I'm going to keep this short because I'm sure me and Nikki will share some of the same stories.  April 23rd was our last day in our home.  Our house has sold and now we are living on the road.  We had most of the house packed but when your on a deadline it feels like a never ending job.  I spent the whole day packing, then drove to Portland to open for Cunnin Lynguists, then got back home and kept packing until 2:30 in the morning.  It felt crazy unplugging all my studio equipment and putting it in boxes.  This is the studio (home studio) where I recorded all the vocals for "The IV Edition".  So yeah, it was a little bit sentimental.  We had to leave the next day (April 24th) at 9 AM but we were running late.  Nikki had all the bags packed and organized - so I loaded them into our Van and we hit the road.  It was a 6 hour drive to our first show in Redding, CA.  The drive actually felt like a breeze.  Time flew by really fast.  This was my first time doing a show in Redding, and the turn out was pretty small but we felt really refreshed and encouraged from the whole experience.  There was one guy who heard of my music from the Transworld Skate Video which featured the song "keep on".  He brought a couple friends, and Jeff (the promoter) invited a lot of his friends out as well.  Most of the audience was "families" with kids.  Haha.  I was performing in a gym and the kids were running around the whole time.  Since I wasn't standing on a stage, Gabriella would run up to me while I was rapping and come dance with me.  While I performed "Blessed Man" I held her in my arms and it was really cool.  She didn't want to leave but I couldn't hold her for every song.  haha.  We stayed with Jeff's brother in law Eddie and he showed us great hospitality.  He went grocery shopping and brought us like 4 bags full of stuff.  haha.  Animal crackers, juice, cereal and stuff.  It was an unexpected blessing and we are very thankful for it.  Nikki will be on tomorrow to share more.  peace

Nikki...From Nashville!!!

Hello everyone!!

  This is my first official tour blog...I'm really excited to be keeping this blog.  I love to travel with my husband, and have been on many tours with him. But this is the first time I have been able to share how it is as a wife and mother on the road! So yeah, super exciting. Just a warning..I will be writing how I talk...meaning I might not use all the "proper" grammar etc. hope that's OK!! So, Nashville has been great. Bryan and I flew here from Portland. We are here for the GMA's. Bryan had a showcase the second day we were here, it went so good! We have been running around doing various things that Bryan needs to get done...business stuff mostly. We left our daughter with my parents back in Salem, because we will only be gone  4 days...i miss her so much! We were in an ice cream shop and I heard a baby giggling..it sounded just like her!!! I turned around quickly and then remembered i was in Nashville, and Gabriella is safe at home with Grandma. So yeah, i miss her! I will be seeing her tonight though. We are flying out today, our time at GMA has come to an end. What I liked most about the trip was the fact I got to see everyone I have ever met in my previous travels! Bryan and I started touring the second year of our marriage, then stopped once we had Gabriella. I was 18 when we went on our first tour. So seeing all of our old friends has been wonderful...i was able to get in some good conversations with everyone and catch up...Last night was our last night out here...we went to a revolution art show and hung out with friends. As soon as we get home we are un-packing and re packing and heading out the 24Th for California! Then we will all be on the road for 3 months...more entertaining blogs will be coming soon!!! This  one is a little slow moving, i am in Panera Bread and thought I would type up a quick entry to start things off.. :) keep checking up on us though , we will be putting up some pics and video blogs to!!! be back soon..

Getting ready for the road!!!

Hello, this is Braille with the first official FamilyBlog update. This year me and my family are going to be touring together all summer. We did a three week test run in February and baby Gabriella did a great job. Our first trip was with Ohmega Watts, Theory Hazit and others. This time, it's just us!!! Myself, my wife Nikki and Gabriella. It's going to be an adventure for sure. We are hoping to be able to buy a laptop within the next three weeks so that we can easily update our blog. Either way, we're going to make an effort to share pictures and stories from our experience on the road. To view my full tour schedule, check out www.myspace.com/braillebrizzy. As you can tell, we are going to be super busy. Your prayers during our travels will be greatly appreciated.

We will be back soon with updates from the whole family once we officially start our tour.

Braille family blog

This is the official Braille family blog. During 2008, my whole family is going to be touring together. That "posse" includes my wife (Nikki Winchester), my daughter (1 years old, Gabriella) and myself. We are going to use this blog to share pictures, videos, music and stories from our travels together. Feel free to post comments, questions, encouragement and things of that nature. This blog will be the best way for us to keep in touch with everyone while we are on the road.

Much love - The Braille Family. :)