Rach

Sunday had been a lovely day for me in so many ways, but my heart is now full of love, pain and gratitude after hearing the saddest news that made me reel as if punched in the gut.

Michael ‘Eyedea’ Larsen passed away on Sunday, at the age of 28. I did not know him personally, nor had I ever met him, but the amazing gift he possessed touched my soul and has helped me immeasurably through the trials and tribulations of my recent years.

Eyedea was a poet. A lyricist. A rapper. A genius. I cannot comprehend that such a beautiful mind and incredible talent has been taken so young.

I am so grateful that I discovered his music around six years ago, during the early stages of having my mind opened up by the underground hip-hop scene.
So grateful that I’ve had his words by my side during some of the toughest times of my life.
So grateful for the outpouring of love and heartbreak from the musical community of fans and artists – to see how many others he has touched is wonderful.
So grateful that I have been able to donate what I could to the fund set up by his mother towards his funeral costs.
So grateful that his mother has been strong enough to speak to his fans online, and that she responded to and thanked my message of support. Above all I am so so grateful that his music will live on, and will hopefully continue to reach new fans in the years to come.

I know the words ‘rap’ and ‘hip-hop’ can be a big turn off for people – I felt the same once. But Eyedea (and his musical partner in crime, Abilities), helped me see beyond that stigma. I urge you to seek out his music. A good place to start would be any of the following tracks;

Paradise
Step by Step
Walking
Exhausted Love
Now
Infrared Roses
Weird Side
This Story

Thank you Michael. I am truly gutted that I never got to see you perform live. I know you will live on through your family, friends, and every fan across the globe whose life you have impacted upon. You are such a positive force in my life. Thank you.

Rest In Peace.
Rhyme In Paradise.

“Frustrated with it all, I turned my back to the angels, and when I walked away to my surprise, I found myself in heaven…”

1981 – 2010 xxx

1. Making the most of BICS (British International Comic Show), despite a disappointment. Picked up some prints by one of my favourite illustrators (Jess Bradley – www.squid-bits.blogspot.com), and the new Zelda: Phantom Hourglass manga ^_

2. Picking up an amazing limited edition poster (33/200), awesome t shirt and free badge at the Dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip gig.

3. Overcoming a horrid sick headache (thank you paracetemol, and the comfy chairs of Waterstones!), and some kids in the crowd taking the piss out of me, to enjoy a fantastic gig. Oh, and ‘accidentally’ throwing the end of my bottle of water down the leg of the stuck up little girl taking the mick out of me when the gig started. Childish I know, but whoops… ;)

4. Falling in love with both support acts – Kid A and Misty’s Big Adventure!

5. Dan and Pip’s onstage banter – they should go into stand up if they ever get bored of poetry, rap and music.

6. The gig!! I can’t begin to explain how awesome and inspiring these guys are!!

7. Catching the last train home with plenty of time to spare – lots of drunken idiots on board, but I’ve had worse journeys – even if I did have to change carriages to avoid being noticed by a close friend’s very drunk, very obnoxious brother (even his friends moved after a while – how he is a policeman I’ll never know!).

8. Having a taxi pull up at the right moment.

9. Reeces Whoppers!

10. The sleep in I finally get in the morning – although I’m beaming too much to sleep right now!

1. Having the time set aside to wrap mum’s birthday presents nicely, and relaxing as I’d made her card days in advance.

2. An afternoon off work, and that I had two hours to get showered and ready for going out, not the 45 minutes I had misheard!

3. Dark hot chocolate with cinnamon and nutmeg, plus a raspberry and apricot muffin – perfect sustenance for a dark autumn evening in central Birmingham.

4. Watching a wonderful flamenco performance by guitarist Juan Martin, his fantastic supporting musicians, vocalist and two AMAZING dancers. This was something mum wanted to see for her birthday, and I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did. A beautiful show, and has given me a great appreciation of Spanish guitar playing and the phenomenal intricacies of the dancing. I’ll definitely be ripping the cd I bought her!

5. That mum wasn’t facing or paying attention to the ‘token late night train psycho’. Only her second train trip so didn’t need her being even more nervous!

6. Mum loving all of the birthday presents I’d chosen ^_

7. Chatting at lunch with the lads in my office that I don’t often speak to.

8. Morrison’s ‘The Best’ chocolate truffle cake. Divine.

9. Laughing at unintentionally funny photos.

10. Watching a program on the late, great Norman Wisdom.