Homegrown

On my drive into work this morning 97.9 THE BOX played Beyonce’s new song "Bow Down / I Been On" and it was my sister's and I first listen. We reacted as any down home Houston native would…and so did  Rap Star/Houstonian PAUL WALL. PAUL WALL phoned 97.9 THE BOX and spoke in detail on how he felt about the song. He then touched on the topic of the way most Houstonians accept their own. “Their own” meaning any talent coming out of Houston…from music artists to models. In the past some (not all) Houstonians seem to not accept “their own” right away…even if “their own” = uber talented. It seems just recently some are starting to accept homegrown here and there yet the “but anyway” is still out there…STRONG. Most Houstonians act as if what the person (from their hometown) is doing (regardless of their field) is not THAT big of a deal…not that big of a deal until the person is right at the brink of being a BIG DEAL on a nationwide scale. The disc jockeys needed an explanation from Mr. Wall but I understood fully what he meant from the start and that alone is the reason DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS…STYLE exist (As a Houstonian I had to let others know Houstonians, and Texans in general, are doing their thing). PAUL WALL also touched on how an up and coming DESTINY’S CHILD were booed when they were the opening act to a major artist years ago…young ladies, from urban areas in Houston, trying to make it…booed right in their hometown. I remember having an in depth conversation with the talented Creative Director/Photographer/Houstonian Clyde Grant and we mentioned that we both could’ve left Houston and attempted to make it in a major city like LA or NEW YORK…but to home grow our niche will give others in our city (THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY) a chance to work and make it at home. As I have mentioned here several times before I’ve been wardrobe styling for quite sometime now and I gave my styling a name, SIDE OF STYLE, in 2008 and still to this day I know of Houstonians that have spotted my work, realized I was a Houstonian, then looked at what I do as if it’s not that big of deal-or they can do it-or so and so does that but much better-then it’s on to the next. SHOUT OUT to PAUL WALL for voicing something that I noticed years ago when I decided to create this blog.

Hopefully that “BUT-ANYWAY-ISM” won’t stop or has not stopped Houstonians who have a true love for their talent and sharing it with others in their hometown. Keep doing that thing that you do…IN HOUSTON!



Listen to "Bow Down / I Been On" HERE