So many thanks to all of you who have already supported my next album, “Non Merci” to be made at an artist residency in France.

For more information, click here!

Every little bit helps; spread the word, make a contribution, send good vibes. All of that will bring me one step closer.

http://www.indiegogo.com/project/widget/61161?a=232605

UPCOMING SHOWS
2/6: WUWM 89.7FM Lake Effect – Talking about Non Merci with Mitch Teich, 10am FREE
2/15: 116, 116 MacDougal Street, New York City – Inspired Word, 7pm $10
2/23: 91.7FM WMSE – The Girlina Show, talking about Non Merci with Dori Zori, 1pm FREE
3/14: UW-Milwaukee Union – Lyrical Sanctuary, 8pm FREE
3/24: Art Bar, 722 E. Burleigh Street, Milwaukee – Beat Music Series, 9pm FREE

More information available here!

Poet and emcee Melissa Czarnik (Zar-nik) has been accepted into an artist residency in France to write and record her forthcoming album, Non Merci at the Camac Centre D’Art. If the project goal of $2,000 is fully met, Czarnik will finish her next album while abroad in France and you, the supporter, will receive the album (plus corresponding perks) in Summer 2012. It’s a win, win for everyone! Plus, if Czarnik exceeds the goal and raises at least $4,000 she will go on an European tour with producer Eric Mire spreading her message of female empowerment and positivity (homegrown in Milwaukee) throughout the world!

Top Ten Reasons to Recall Scott Walker via United Wisconsin

“1. Walker was elected on a promise to create 250,000 private sector jobs in Wisconsin. After seeing the impacts of his disastrous policies, his administration has acknowledged that Walker won’t get anywhere close to fulfilling his campaign promise.

2. Walker’s budget cut over $800 million from our public schools, while at the same time placing caps on the amount of money school districts in Wisconsin can collect in property taxes to fund their schools.

3. Walker cut over $500 million from the BadgerCare program. More than 200,000 Wisconsinites could face premium increases, and over 50,000 people may be cut from their state insurance plan completely as a result of this cut.

4. While he was slashing funding for public schools and health care, Walker gave giant tax breaks to corporations, which added roughly $117 million to Wisconsin’s budget deficit.

5. In October, Wisconsin led the nation with 9,700 job losses, 9,300 of which were in the private sector. This happened after Walker held his “jobs session” with the legislature, during which no jobs bills were even taken up.

6. Walker stripped most public employees of their right to collectively bargain. Walker’s union-busting bill means that teachers, nurses, prison guards, and other public employees in Wisconsin no longer have a say in their benefits and working conditions

7. Walker signed a Voter ID bill that will make it harder to vote for thousands of eligible voters in Wisconsin. The people most affected by the restrictions in the bill include students, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled.

8. While refusing to meet with Democratic lawmakers to negotiate a compromise on his union-busting bill, Walker spent 20 minutes on the phone with who he thought was out-of-state billionaire David Koch. During the call, Walker bragged about the baseball bat in his office and admitted that he considered planting troublemakers in the crowd at the protests.

9. Wisconsin was supposed to receive federal funds to build a high-speed rail line from Milwaukee to Madison. Instead, Walker refused the money, which would not have added anything to the state budget, and the funds went to other states.

10. After hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites came to Madison to tell Scott Walker not to balance the budget on the backs of working families, he put the State Capitol on lock down, preventing thousands of protesters from entering the building.”

The night began at Stonefly for the WMSE 91.7FM Radio Summer Camp show featuring Vic & Gab (MKE), DEDE (LA) and me with the FABULOUS Eric Mire Band (Chip Baily, Sam Neufeld, James Murphy, Maurice Cotton and Eric Mire).

Vic & Gab

Shouts out to PSICH & Decoteau Be Cool for rolling through the club.

Chip Baily (drums), Maurice Cotton (bass), & Eric Mire (keys)

James Murphy (guitar) & Sam Neufeld (trumpet) - Eric Mire Band

After the show I ran into longtime homie, Jordan Gonzalez (NO PICTURE UNFORTUNATELY) and then headed over to DJ Venus‘ for porch party and Riverwest 24 watching. Shouts out to Venus & Jank for the dope refrigerator pic!

Him (Jank) & Her (Venus)

LDBK circa 2009 t-shirt!

I have been a fan of Laid Back Radio for a couple of years now — and so when they asked me to be part of their Laid Back Radio Compilation Disc I was above and beyond honored.  A BIG “YES!”

Here’s a pic of me in their old school t-shirt, and below that, the youtube version of the song, “I Remember” featured on the Compilation Disc!

Cool places, great people, good times!

Backspace Cafe - Portland Poetry Slam (photo by Jill Greenseth)

Club Passim - Boston (Photo by Chris Vaughan)

Nuyorican Poets Cafe - NYC (Photo by Ms. Cream)

Supafly #3 - Brussels, Belgium (Photo by Chrystel Mukeba & Nicolas Lejuste)

Melissa Czarnik & Eric Mire on FM Brussel (Photo by Lizairo - Snap Photography)

Jee-Nice & MC in London (Photo by Eric Mire)

The poster says it all!

WMSE rocks! And I am honored to be a part of their 5 day Radio Summer Camp, July 27-31. I’ll be performing a special set with the very amazing Eric Mire Band at Stonefly Brewery (735 E. Center Street, Milwaukee, WI) on July 29th.  The night will also feature performances by DEDE and Vic and Gab.  See you there!

Check out WMSE’s website for a complete listing of other great performances happening that week.

These days, everyone and their momma has something up on IndieGoGo, but this project I am about to tell you about is something different, something spectacular, something worth that $10 you’ve been saving for Friday night!

It’s a compilation disc featuring myself with Eric Mire, and over 17 other artists from around the WORLD: Belgium, the UK, France, New Zealand, and the United States.  Some of the best underground emcees, singers, DJ’s were handpicked by members of Laid Back Radio, an international radio station based in Brussels, Belgium.  Hip Hop, Jazz, Soul; it’s all being represented on this rare, one of a kind compilation disc. The question is, will you be one of the lucky ones that owns a copy?

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOURS TODAY!

You only have 30 more days until the account closes up around mid-May!  And remember, your support  is always appreciated, never expected.

List of featured artists:

MonkeyRobot (BE)

ClassicBeatz (US) & Lisa Preston (NZ)

Melissa Czarnik (US) and Eric Mire (US)

Bongholio Iglesias (DE)

72 Soul (BE) & Flow State (UK)

JoBee (BE – PL) & Dr. Kwest (BE – RDC)

Strand (BE – ES)

40 Winks (BE)

Amede Soundsmith (UK)

K’bonus (BE)

The Compositive Two (BE)

Lefto (BE)

Turtle (BE)

Incks (US)

Cris Prolific (BE – FR)

Jump Start Available for FREE download here!

LYRICS:

Chorus
I was feelin so free, feelin so fly, feelin so high, ighhh
Than you told me this way, this way, wouldn’t last another day.
You thought that I would fall, you thought I’d fall to the ground.
But I’m proving you wrong, ain’t I provin ‘em wrong, ain’t we provin ‘em wrong baby.

Verse 1
I’m tryin to be the difference a Midwest monster
First it was the train, now this bill you sponsor
I’m takin what’s mine, it’s rightfully time
Wisconsin raise your voice, yo It’s our turn to shine
And with the world watchin, defeat is not an option
Hosni Mubarak this fool outta Wisconsin
Yo Walker get to walking, unions get to stompin
All the way to Washington, don’t stop marchin

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2
It’s more than just the benefits It’s rights that they’re attackin
It’s more than just rights corporations that their backing
Money that they’re stackin
Democracy hi-jackin
All on the front that our economies collapsing
And you can say what you want, but I’ll call it like it is
Republicans done screwed us now we dealin with their kids
And we dealin with their bull and we dealin with their lies
But yo, we got eyes, so let’s unionize.

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3
Not my Wisconsin
Not my Ohio
Not my Florida
Not my Indiana
Not my Tennessee
Not my Pennsylvania
Not my Carolinas
Not my Montana
Not my West Virginia
Not my New Jersey
Not my New York
Not my California
Not my Texas
Not my Maine
Not my Alabama
Not my USA

Share it, make love to it, do what you wish with it, just make sure you clean up after it.