AUTHENTIC!!! Mikey misses you so much. I am grindin'...check me out!
I'll be back sooner than you think:) 'til then...
"Show 'em how to move in a room full of vultures," blasted from the speakers of the Carson's Live dance floor on last Friday night. A truer sentiment could not have accompanied the demure Ms. Dawn Richard. One-third of the new Sean "Diddy" Combs trio Dirty Money, Richard's petite frame and new short haircut walked into Carson's Live without an entourage, without a show. As the night progressed, I would find out later that the pomp & circumstance that we've come to associate with many of Combs' artists isn't the first choice of accessory for this artist.
It was the last Friday night of summer, and none of us wanted to let go. We had new money in the bank, and Dirty Money was in the building. I ventured my way into the VIP section as the DJ rocked the vintage Bad Boy Records hit "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems." Barely out of a recession, the irony of the crowd bouncing to this song pulsed with our memories of better times. I watched as Dawn Richard posed for photos with her fans, even migrating onto the dance floor--with little to no security--to show love and appreciation for the crowd. She smiled and hugged club-goers. Her presence and warmth grew with each click and flash. Then it happened. Richard made her way to the stage to introduce the latest track from the Dirty Money project Last Train to Paris.
"Love Come Down," required no introduction. The heavy bass and bells prepped the crowd. It was time to board the Train. What was most amazing is the trance-like energy emitting from the speakers the moment the track began. "Babe," Richard sings, "you got me caught up in this love game/the funny thing is that I don't mind playin'/I'm in it for the win so what you sayin'/I'm ready..." And so was the crowd. "Love Come Down" features Richard and her fellow female Dirty Money member Kaleena Harper longing for love, the kind that makes you feel 'strange', Harper sings.
As I boarded the Last Train to Paris, my first stop was "Love Come Down." I handed my ticket to my conductor, Diddy. As I grabbed my seat, I saw a familiar face--Dawn Richard. Her honeyed voice assured me that though the ride would thump like 808s, the journey--the lyrics--would be worth the trip.
I asked her, "Is Dirty Money worried about alienating their core audience (i.e. fans of the hit television show "Making the Band" & the successful female pop group Danity Kane)?"
"No," she answered confidently.
This reply was not one of arrogance, but rather one of passion and a sincere trust in the talent and art of Dirty Money.
She went on to say, "If it's ten people that understand and love what we're doing...then that's ten people that will support us, that will love us. That's who this project is for. This is something new. This isn't commercial. This is not about numbers and sales. This is about a movement."
And move we will.
All aboard!
**Special thanks to Arthur Johnson & the Carson's Live personnel for all of their hard work and hospitality. Also, thank you to the event promoter AJ who coordinated a street-savvy event while still making it classy.**
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