I Can See Jimi Hendrix

I went to church this morning and ran into my Godbrother today. This is my real Godbrother I've known forever. We used to play in the sandbox at Barrett Brothers Park. We had an R2-D2 toy chest filled with toy guns. Every gun you could think of in plastic in different colors. Cap guns, water guns, and just regular toy guns all in that toy chest. I hadn't seen him in months but he almost didn't recognize me. For the past six months I've been growing my hair out and it surprises people that haven't seen me in a while. I also have a full beard which I've never had as a full adult. I've always kept a low Caesar with a mustache until the last six months. In this picture from Mardi Gras you can see my beard but you can't see my hair because it was cold and that hat was warm. I've grown my hair out because I wanted to and creatively I feel the freest I've felt since I was a kid. It's liberating. I'm sure I may cut it to a low Caesar at some point but for right now, I don't care about how my hair looks. I wear hats and hoods most of the time and I'm not trying to impress anyone. This reminds me of when Sidney Deane told Billy Hoyt in White Men Can't Jump that Billy can't see Jimi Hendrix because he didn't have the soul. Jimi Hendrix was a free spirit that let his creativity flow any chance he got. Right now that's how I feel. I don't even bother to pick it out. If I did, I'd look like Dr. J in 1975 playing for the New York Nets. I can see Jimi Hendrix. I went out to The Loft to support my dude Indiana Rome (who I've always said is one of the most talented people I know bar none) in his quest to open Super Jam this summer at Scott Trade Center. As soon as I walked in, my friends were surprised I hadn't cut my hair. They've seen me a couple months back but I guess they figured I'd gone to the barber shop since then. Nope. I haven't seen my barber since November when I got a lining. I have razors that I shave with. Creatively I'm making the most soul-bearing music I've ever made. It's a process. My friends in music have released a lot of work and done a lot of shows over the last year. I've done a few shows here and there but that's not my focus. My focus is to make money, capital, revenue and I've spent the last few months with my business partner doing that in a better manner than before. So when you change your methods, you hope to get a change in results. We're getting better results. The creativity in that process is better for me and I can get what Jimi was doing when he didn't compromise his creativity. He wasn't scared to "go there". He wasn't scared to bend or break rules that shouldn't have existed in the first place. He didn't care about what anyone though. He cared about getting his art out and doing it the best way possible. That's where I am in my life and also being a better person. I'm a lot more patient than I'd ever been and my outlook on a lot of things have improved. I needed time to figure out what to do and it helped me grow. My hair might get cut next week but I might wait. It's not a pressing issue for me. It's not an Afro. It's just curly hair I haven't cut, nothing major or political about it. Jimi let his hair grow wild. I was sitting in church this morning and it hit me that I like my creativity more than I care about cutting my hair. A lot of stuff that was important to me before just isn't that important. My creativity is one of those things I pray I hold onto. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @duckyhines - Peace