SOULMANA MUSIC


MICHAEL MANASSEH x ROCKETSHIP DOWN (instrumental album) 

ADAM L. x SESAME STREET E.P

MICHAEL MANASSEH x MIKESTANDS 

Friday
05Mar2010

FLASHLIGHT TRANSFORMS INTO A SUBMACHINE GUN x YES

In celebration of me getting my new kel tec p11 9mm, for my birthday. I present to you my next choice of gun...ok ok maybe it's not available to buy yet, and you might not even like guns but you have to admit this thing is pretty bad!

Transformer status! Now if it could transform into a little cleaner bot and clean up my house! It would be perfect!

Monday
01Mar2010

ALIEN vs PREDATOR x GENTLEMAN STYLE 

WOW.

Yes, yes, and yes! 

I really find these funny and also way better than the original movie.

The two can compete as gentlemen with each other finally.

I would love to see this happen, I would totally watch it!

Would you?

See 2 more pics by clicking below

Click to read more ...

Thursday
25Feb2010

MAC NERDx FARNSWORTH FINDER THE 1ST

You might be a mac nerd if...

You get a new wiener dog and name him FINDER. If you are not a mac person, go here too see why I named him that.

It's our first dog and we have always wanted a Dachshund, well and we found one on craigs list for super cheap, so we jumped on it... Not literally, I don't think he would survive that. 

He is 3 months old and full blood. 

Now if this whole potty training thing will hurry up and and stick that would be great!!!! 

Saturday
20Feb2010

SINGLE MINDED. CITIZENSHIP. PART2 x EXPLANATION 

I understand that It is always kind of hard to express feeling and emphasis's in typed out blog form. 

So after talking to a few people about my last post I have decided that I need to bring a little clarification...

What I am not saying:

HIP-HOP IS BAD

DESIGN IS BAD

YOU ARE BAD

I AM QUITTING DESIGN, AND WILL NEVER RAP OR MAKE BEATS AGAIN.

I AM MOVING TO THE MOUNTAINS TO BE A MONK. (tempting) 

What I was trying to convey is this... I no longer hold those things as the foundation to who I am. I am not just splitting hairs, or being legalistic about terms or titles. I still consider myself a designer, producer, mc, etc. But those are only job titles, not defining descriptions of who I am but rather they are things I do. I am going to allow Christ to be my main identifier. 

When I die I don't want my tombstone to say:

MICHAEL TAYLOR: mc, and designer that was some degree of 'christian'

But rather:

MICHAEL TAYLOR: Child of God.

Hope that makes more sense.


Thursday
18Feb2010

SINGLE MINDED.CITIZENSHIP.

So as you may remember, a while ago I decided to step away from being a proactive part of the "Local music scene" aka I quit doing rap shows.

The reason for me doing this was because I felt as if God was tugging on my heart to seek Him, and to find out more about who I truly am and I was created to do.

And as time has gone by and I have been doing that I have found myself being more and more turned off by the whole idea of identifying myself with a culture or subculture outside of Christ. My pastor taught a really dope message this Sunday that addressed our citizenship (read about it here) and how we are not to have dual citizenships and  identify ourselves as both Americans and as believers, but rather a single citizenship and identify our selves with Christ and the Kingdom of God. This hit home, and really transcends into Hip hop as well, seeing that HH is more of a culture than it is just a music. There are specific requirements, behaviors, attitudes, views etc that accompany any and all"cultures" So what that means is this...

I can't with a clear conscious continue to allow myself to identify with HH. I mean think about it. I can not identify myself with Christ and at the same time with a earth born sub culture. You can't be dedicated to two things 100% It is physically impossible. And In the end, everything is useless and void if it is not done with God's plan and heart in mind. 

And as I draw closer and closer to God I find that things I use to care about are not not as important to me anymore. The things I use to live my life for have become useless and void to me. I often find myself getting annoyed over things and conversations that I hear (or read on twitter) that I use to be all about.

The Bible says it this way:

PHIL 3:7-10- But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

It is truly weird. I feel like God is changing me. Not the way I thought He would either.

This is not some HH is bad post. I don't believe that one bit. I still enjoy it very much...well at least some of the music, I don't enjoy all the childish useless drama that seems to accompany it though.

I will continue to make music and give it away. Because I enjoy making and listening to it. God put music in me. So I will give it to you.

But I realize now that I am not an "mc, a producer, a designer, an anything" I must learn that I am a child of God first and foremost. I might do those things, but that is not who I am.

And yes this is important.

What you identify with will mold and influence how you live your life. What you spend your time with. And where your mind is.

Anyways. Just a little update and where I am at. 

P.S. IF YOU DECIDED TO READ THIS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING.

Yea and you don't stop! 

LOVE. LOVE. SERVE.

Monday
15Feb2010

THE HIGH ROAD- BROKEN BELLS

Once again DANGER MOUSE has managed to amaze me!

This is beautiful!

He hooked up with The Shins lead singer James Russell Mercer to form The High Road 

I am Really excited about this project. 

It is currently the itunes single of the week. Which means it's free to download HERE ... At least it's free for now. So don't wait. 

Album drops 3.9.10

 

Sunday
14Feb2010

FLYING DOGS 

Hilarious.

Awesome!

Thursday
11Feb2010

THE BOOK OF ELI

I went with my beloved lady tonight to see this movie.

We were really really impressed!

All around.

Story,

action,

actors,

visually beautiful,

and even had a really dope spiritual theme! 

You should go do yourselves a favor and watch it! 

It is well worth it. 

Tuesday
09Feb2010

STORM TROOPER ART 

Now I know it might not seem like it but I am not really as big of a star wars nerd as I may come across. I do really enjoy the movies. But my love for them is rooted more in the imagery. I remember when I was a kid my big brother had a book that was full of the original conceptual sketches from the movies. It was amazing. It sparked my young brains creativity then, and I still love it to this day.

So heres some really cool illustrations, comps, and drawings I found of our favorite white domed clones.

Click below to see more.

Click to read more ...

Friday
05Feb2010

DARK DAYS, RECONCILIATION, AND A FUTURE 

 

This is not a poor pathetic me, pity pee party, it's the exact opposite actuality. I honestly hesitate to even share this here, because I dont want to seem like I am complaining. I'm not. But I have always maintained a certain level of honesty and openness about my personal life with those of you who visit this blog, (as well as sharing some pretty cool stuff too!) and I will continue to do so.

Now that being said...

I am not sure what the future holds for us... Right now it looks pretty dark.

I have  0% direction as far as my career/job is concerned. I have no clue what I am suppose to do to earn more money. I like my current job, i've been there long enough that my co-workers feel like family to me, but I don't get paid enough. We are probably on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. The debt to income ratio has tilted the wrong way. Our phones have been turned off for several days, our internet is next. yadda yadda yadda etc etc, you get the picture. We are literally broke. Literally, as in bills currently due, 0 dollars in our accounts type of broke.

But...

In the midst of all this drama, I feel peace. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever. I have as since of inner joy that surpasses all the mess of my life.

Weird.

Yet...

Awesome.

I know that God can.

He can help me out of this situation. i believe Him. I trust Him. I love Him, but not near as much as He loves me!

I feel less direction about my job, and $ then ever before! But way more direction about my purpose in this life.

I know now beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am here to know Him better, and to help others know Him and to reconcile all things back to Him.

All things belong to God, all truth, all love, all beauty, all things! I know this now.

The bible says it this way:


2 COR 5:18- All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.


This liberates, excites, and fills me wtih purpose.

So no. I am not sure what the future holds for me/us.

I don't care.

I have a future.

A beautifully broken, life filled, hurt, and poverty affected, addiction fighting, truthful, authentic, LOVE powered joyful future.

That's more than enough for me.

May God bless you all and pull you closer to Himself, and may you and I learn to suffer well, to praise and honor Him in the darkest of days, and brightest of nights, and may we be reconciled to the way life was intended to be, living in a closer unity with each other and with God the Father, through His Son, our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ.

Amen.

See you soon

-Michael

Thursday
04Feb2010

SOULMANA WILL...

We are going through some personal stuff, really tough times. 

Financial hell!!!!!

Pray for us, and see you soon! 

GOD BLESS 

LOVE. LOVE. SERVE. 

Saturday
30Jan2010

MAC NERD x MACBOOK DECALL AWESOMENESS

 

WOW!!! These are amazing!

Yes I will own one soon!

Go here and see others, they have a lot!

Monday
25Jan2010

PHOTOSHOP MAGNET KIT x DESIGN NERD x DESIGNER RANT

Yup, these are a must have..

Why?

If I have to answer that question than that means I will probably be hired by you at some point time to do some really big project the likes of which you will try and pay me a meer fraction of what the project is worth, and expect me to jump through hoops back wards while juggling your ridiculous deadlines and uninformed ignorant ideas of what "good design" is.

Ooops did that sound bitter?

Sorry.

Carry on

 

Friday
22Jan2010

30+BEHIND THE SCENES MAGICAL MOVIE MOMENTS 

2 of my favorites.

The full list of 30 is actually located HERE. Sorry for the deceiving title to this entry, I really did intend to post all the pics, but meh why do that when some one else already has right?

 

Tuesday
19Jan2010

THE JUNK BLAZER

You might remember the "junk dunk

Now He has made these! 

Creative! 

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE PICS!

 

Click to read more ...

Sunday
17Jan2010

SOLID ROCK x WHEN IT ALL COLLAPSES

Here's an amazing song from PAGE CXVI that expresses what I am feeling exactly... 

First and foremost....

God be with the people of Haiti!

Dear world please forgive us, the views of Pat Robertson are not the over all views of all the followers of Christ. This post however is not about the tragedy in Haiti. However we do need to be praying for the people and the over all stability of there country. And if there is anything we can do for them we should do it!   

That being said...

Ever feel like the world is collapsing around you?

Yeah life feels like that right now.

Money, health, addictions, pain, mental health, frustration, anxiety, shame, sorrow.

These are a few of the things that can cause wall collapse's. 

I know I am not the only one who is/has felt this way before.

The fact is some people are just really good at building on to the exterior walls of there mental and emotional houses. But one day when things get too heavy to handle and all your walls come tumbling down, and all your so called faith is questioned. When all of your formulas and principals fail. When you feel like the bottom of life is dropping out. 

Will your foundation still stand? Or will it crumble with life's tribulations?

What is your foundation? 

Is it money? Love? etc etc

The only foundation that stands is that of Christ... My Solid Rock!

 

Thursday
14Jan2010

SUPER HEROES PHOTOGRAPHED IN HISTORY

These are awesome!

Click below to see more pics 

Click to read more ...

Thursday
14Jan2010

POP THE GLOCKENSPIEL

I saw this video from Gorque and two things happened.

1. I vibed out to the music (fresh beat)

2. I laughed my buttocks off at his since of humor.

Watch it all the way through, it's worth it.

LOL

 

 

Saturday
09Jan2010

MAC NERD x IPOD TOUCH BEDDING

 

Now as we lay in bed and dream about all the lovely apple products we lust for, we can wake up and be wrapped up in the loving arms of mac-dom.

LOL!

It is from ellos for 349 Krona (about $49). purchase HERE

Tuesday
05Jan2010

PROGRESS 2 x ARTWORK

So my friends over at MEGA ROYAL RECORDS will be releasing a new album called progress2 on 1.12.10, and they decided to do a contest to decide who would be doing the album art work.

I entered the contest.

I won.

Here it is! 

You all should go watch this video to get the scoop, and support this music! 

It is for a good cause. I.E."50 Percent of all Our sales on Progress Vol 2 will be donated to a Cambodian Charity.' says MEGA ROYAL RECORDS front man ROB VIKTUM! 

One last thing you should go HERE and download PROGRESS 1 for free! 

It is a really dope album!

support!