Yes, the rumors are true. After a 5 year career, I have decided that my performance this Saturday @ Raven Lounge will be my last show. Now, I know that I faked my retirement last year as an April Fool’s joke, so I’m trying to avoid the boy-that-cried-wolf skepticism that is bound to follow this announcement. I assure you, this is the real deal.
Why am I leaving the game? A number of reasons. When I graduated from college three years ago, I gave myself a deadline. If I was not where I wanted to be in my career by the age of 25, I made a promise to myself that I would walk away and try something else. I don’t want to end up as some 40-something never-was who is still chasing the dream and waiting for my record deal. The other reason is because I need to get my own personal situation in order right now, and those of you who know me on that level probably understand where I’m coming from. Finally… I’m just not having fun anymore. When I first started doing this, I had no real aspirations to be a famous musician. It was a hobby, it was a fun way to pass the time and blow off steam. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten more and more serious about pursuing this dream, and the more serious I got, the less fun I was having. Over the past year in particular, I’ve dealt with a lot of bullshit, frustration, and politics… and it’s making me hate music. I’ve become bitter, jaded. That’s not the kind of person I want to be. I’ve noticed that I don’t really smile anymore… I guess I’m just burnt-out. I’m tired. Music has become a full-time job that I hate and I don’t get paid for, so what’s the point?
I don’t mean for this to sound overly-negative. The truth is, I had a great run. For the past 5 years, I got to live my dream. How many people get to say that? I accomplished so much more than anybody thought I would (myself included), and I will look back on my career fondly. I suppose that’s why I want to get out now, before all the negativity of this business gets the best of me and I can no longer cherish the good times that I’ve had.
Thank you all for your love & support over the years. Thank you for downloading my mixtapes, watching my videos, and paying your hard-earned money to come to my shows. I’ll never be able to explain how grateful I am for that. I’ll even thank my haters, just because I’m feeling especially generous today
My final show is THIS Saturday @ Raven Lounge. The party starts at 8p.m., I will perform at 9, and we will be celebrating throughout the night. There is NO cover. If y’all can make it out, that would be awesome, because I can assure you, you’ll never see a show like this again.
TM
