SINGER SONGWRITER/PHLA&BSTN ENTHUSIAST/ SPOKEN WORD PUNDIT CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO SOUL-DESTROYING PURSUITS PRODUCER LYRICIST DISCO DIVA SOCIAL COMMENTATOR..
We are pleased to announce the release of Chef Brooky's 2nd album " Stitched Together " here on Determined records. This has been painstakingly crafted by the artist and includes the singles " Mamacita ", " Love's A Waste " & " Better Off ." I'd tell yo...
I am Marshall Franklin-Ravel, I believe in great melodies and lyrics in my music. We are Number 1 for all genres in Philadelphia. Discover our world at...
So glad to be
#1
for Pop in Berlin & Germany on Reverb Nation. Germany has shown my music a lot of support, so this territory seemed to be the natural choice for me to focus my attentions on for the time being. I look forward to meeting and greeting fellow artists from Deutschlan
We managed 351 days at
#1
consecutively in Philadelphia. Almost a full leap year. I am satisfied. I wanted to hold the position for a year ( or close to it ) and I did. So I can reduce my emails by 25%. It's time for new goals. I think as long as there ...
When your blood is boiling, and every instinct is telling you to shout back, hold your tongue. It can prevent damage to others or save regrets. It can even give you an advantage, as you maintain control.
" If you are patient in one moment of anger, you...
The Cardinal Water Sign Of Cancer is now in full swing together with some of these oppressively hot weather days. * SHREWD* LOVING* INTUITIVE* NONCONFORMIST How deep are you prepared to go emotionally? Ask a Cancer and they'll tell you they're in for th...
Our bodies are a sensitive eco system in and of themselves. I think to a writer friend of mine recovering from surgery. I watch scriptwriters depict and portray the physical conditions of people scarred by attack or undergoing the natural evolution of w...
If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: seek first to understand, then to be understood. This principle is the key to effective interpersonal communication.
This select...
5 years since my mum helped me out with getting the back catalogue out there, it's time for a re-release of " You Know You Got It " , where we went distinctly disco with producer Vegard Vardoen.
Our tendency is to project out of our own autobiographies what we think other people want or need. We project our intentions on the behavior of others. If they don't interpret our effort as a deposit, our tendency is to take it as a rejection of our wel...
Available now on " The Philadelphian " album and also as a single is " Passwords " . An upbeat dance track which is super catchy and Classic Marshall singalong! " There's never been a better time to get into my world.. " is so true. Listen and enjoy!
Available to listen to now is the single " Hide " , which deals with the expectations of others and how taxing that can be on the soul..
" I know the kind of life you're accustomed to, but surely you must kn...
One of my very favourite bands are The Human League. As I deliberated on which songs to cover from the 80s, it was really difficult to choose which song from which year. We already have " Messages " by OMD from 1980. A secret upcoming release from 1981....
Too often we make our own cages: of the mind or the heart. We have the keys to unlock them. We only need the will to use them. Unlock your heart, love freely. Unlock your mind, live freely. " Your freedom and mind cannot be separated. " - Nelson Mandela.
Too often we dwell on the negatives. This weighs us down. Look for the upside. See light rather than the dark side. Search for positive energy. It will transform your attitude. It will empower you and reignite your passion.
" Keep sowing your seeds, for you never know which on...
" Don't Just Stand There! " is the latest single from the upcoming album in July. We went in a different direction with this one. The song refers to the irritating habit of certain folk Bogarting an area with their cellphone for selfish purposes when ac...
Available to listen to now is the single " Hide " , which deals with the expectations of others and how taxing that can be on the soul..
" I know the kind of life you're accustomed to, but surely you must kn...
Wishing everyone an amazing weekend.
Another amazing photoshoot in Philadelphia saw myself, Eliot and Arye taking in more of the cities sights, sounds and flavors, as we finally got to sample Pat's and Geno's storied cheesesteaks side by side.
I think both were great! It was ...
IT WAS SO GREAT TO GET TO ENJOY PHILLY YESTERDAY. WE WENT TO THE OBSERVATION DECK AT LIBERTY PLACE AND PLAYED UNO! EARLIER IN THE DAY WE TOOK A TRIP TO THE ZOO AND WAS WOWED BY THE GORILLA ON A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER'S DAY.
MUSIC WISE, WE HELD ON TO THE NUMBER ONE FOR ANOTHER DAY, ...
" Keeping The Dreams Alive " is a compilation of 20 tracks released on Determined Records. Featuring works by Linda Jay Reed, Chef Brooky, Miguel Fonseca, Lynnard Williams, Rasheed Ogunlaru & Arye Harmony.. this showcases how our label has interacted wi...
Jelani Lawrence is the real name of Bronx rapper, Chef Brooky. Being from the Bronx is a big part of where his music comes from. Because, after all, " Duh Bronx " is where hip-hop truly started way back when! Chef Brooky is unique and enthusiast...
The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps their planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force and if we use it effectively...
Rise before dawn. Find a vantage point with a wide vista. Wait for the first warming rays. Feel their strength, their vitality. Observe the world as it wakes around you. Feel the renewal.
" One touch of nature makes the whole world kin " - WILLIAM SHAKE...
We are changing our home base to New York City for a little while. As far as Marshall Franklin-Ravel is concerned, the bedrock is Philadelphia. Storied. Charming. Seductive. Our family is there! Our promotional base moves briefly to Manhattan, NYC to illustrate the power we ha...
How often we say it. How often we promise to do it. Yet how rarely do we actually do the best that we can. When we do - when we use all our efforts, when we push through old boundaries - the satisfaction is enormous. And the rewards are sweeter because they've been earned.
" M...
Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
And deliver us from evil
For T