“Good morning Mr. Penfold. I’m Doctor Clinique. This is your first visit to my office?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“Doc, I’m really not sure how to describe it. I’ve simply stopped caring.”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to stop you for a moment. You do realize that I am not a psychologist, yes?”
“I certainly do ma’am. My troubles are physical in nature.”
“All right. Do you remember when these troubles began?”
“Yes ma’am. I’ve gone over my situation time and time again. Although I cannot pinpoint one exact moment or event as the harbinger of my current predicament, I am absolutely certain about the timeframe. I stopped caring about the world around me back in 1996. This led directly to strange physical conditions that I’ve experienced ever since.”
“Can you elaborate on these physical conditions for me?”
“Of course, Doctor. From early 1996 to halfway through 2000 I felt nothing. Literally. It was as if I were wearing a suit of heavy padding over my entire body. My hands and feet gave very little tactile feedback. I would hold an object in my hands, but without actually looking at the object I could not have identified it. No nuance of the item’s surface would be gleaned from my touch alone. Also, objects would impact my body with little or no immediate result. My skin would bruise up after heavy contact like normal, but it was as if my nerve endings had gone to sleep.”
“I see Mr. Penfold. Has that problem persisted?”
“No, ma’am. The lack of feeling did stop, but a new problem took its place. From late 2000 to the end of 2006 I felt everything. I’m not just referring to the temperature or how hard or soft something is here. No, I was hypersensitive. The world was brought into sharp relief, and I was even able to feel other people’s emotions. When someone spoke to me angrily it was as if their words were punching me in the stomach. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when someone whispered something to me it felt like a feather running along the inside of my ear.”
“Very interesting Mr. Penfold. You said these feelings ended back in 2006. What happened next?”
“Well Doc, for a few months everything went back to normal and I felt fine. But since the spring of 2007 I’ve been encountering stretches of time where I flip flop between my two previous conditions. One day I feel nothing, the next I feel everything, and the next I’m normal again. I know that you’re not a psychologist ma’am, but this constant turnabout has altered my worldview substantially. I now strongly believe that everything is nothing. While I’m not sure that I want that to change, I would certainly like my nerves to stabilize and give me a rest from this merry-go-round I’m stuck riding. Can you help me Doc?”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve never run across someone with your problem before. If you’re willing to wait here for a few minutes, I need to make some phone calls to a few of my esteemed colleagues. With any luck they will know exactly what can help you. Is that okay?”
“Yeah sure, Doctor. I’ve got some music to listen to while you’re away. I’ll be fine.”
“Great. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
With the doctor gone I reached into my pocket and removed my mp3 player. The earbuds went in my ears, the player was turned on, and the play button was depressed. A bass heavy beat signaled the beginning of K. Flay’s new mixtape, coincidentally titled I Stopped Caring in ’96. What followed was a nine track musical juggernaut. If you’re looking for an interesting hip hop artist who offers something different than the norm, your search just ended.
What makes K. Flay different you ask? Well for starters she’s a female emcee. I’m not saying that there aren’t any other interesting female emcees producing music in the world, just that they are fairly difficult to locate if you’re using the mainstream media as your guide. But hey, that’s why The Ripple Effect exists! Another difference is that K. Flay doesn’t hide or downplay her intelligence. Her lyrics jump from clever thought to clever idea with the clear understanding that the listener is either smart enough to follow along, or they will be left in the dust. Speaking of her lyrical prowess, K. Flay utilizes a sick and varied lyrical flow which consistently captivates her audience. Seriously, it’s borderline terminal.
I Stopped Caring in ’96 was released in three song increments, on three separate days over the course of the month of April. The first block of tunes was entitled ‘I Feel Nothing’. The three songs share feelings of detachment and disillusionment from the world. ‘I Feel Everything’ came next. As you might have guessed these three songs are more emotionally charged affairs. “Doctor Don’t Know” happens to be my favorite song on the mixtape, and “Danger Starts” is harrowing. The last piece to the puzzle is called ‘Everything is Nothing’. This portion is fairly cathartic for the listener following the serious subject matter discussed in the earlier songs. These last three tracks, including the standout “Elle Fanning” and especially “PARTY”, are far lighter in tone and content than the other six.
I’m guessing at this point that you waveriders would appreciate a sample verse to help get a better feel for what to expect. Happy to oblige. This is the second verse from “Doctor Don’t Know”.
All these folks telling me I’m about to be something big, but you see joke’s on them / Sitting in a board room hella bored, can’t hear a thing though my amp’s on ten / Mind in a permanent state of flux, mental double dutch, had a bag of cheetos ate ‘em up / 3 PM and I’m still waking up / Wishin’ I could save myself but I’m not brave enough / Sick of all these handshakes, before knowing every morning bran flakes / How much bullshit can a man take, till she finally breaks? / The difference between getting what you want, and what they want, is nuance / So listen baby girl get your boots on, here’s something to chew on / In the end we might go to hell, or we might go to heaven, so you might as well / Cut it out with the crisis of faith, and then crushed in the dome like a vice to the face / And you might just escape all the time that you wasted, if you stuck to the basics / Get a grip, buckle up / Take a pill, what the fuck?
Mmmm, hmmmm. By the way, this is a free mixtape. That’s right! There is absolutely no barrier to entry. Simply surf your way over to K. Flay’s website, www.kflay.com, and get downloading. The sooner you start listening, the sooner you can recommend K. Flay to someone else! Waveriders, you all have your signed prescription sheets. Disperse and be healed!
--Penfold
www.kflay.com