I'll always remember the first time I met Kanye West. Less than a month after College Dropout dropped, I noticed a short guy with a extra tight, extra bright magenta polo with an equally flamboyant louis vuitton knapsack strapped on his barely 5'8 frame. Surrounded by a mop of seemingly larger guys , sportin the stereotypical hip-hop attire, (XXXL Rocafella clothing), I knew it had to be Kanye West and friends staying at my Columbia, Maryland hotel the day before my 16th birthday. After exchanging dialogue with the Roc Boys who were in the building, I realized I was going to have the "oh what a feeling, I'm feeling life" type of birthday and year. Already a fan of College Dropout, it wasn't until listening to my newly autographed copies of "I'm Good," "Louis Vuitton Don" and "Get Well Soon," that I knew Mr. West was going to change hip hop culture. Consequently, American culture. I was inspired to pursue a career in the entertainment industry to be a part of the influential evolution.
I haven't felt that way about hip hop in quite a while. Jay and 'Ye, with a few Weezy, Jeezy and Luda tracks in between, have captivated me since that time, but no new artists have truly inspired me in this same degree.
Until this morning. When I listened to "Sweatpants in the Club," Phella's premiere EP. The same feelings that I felt as I was listening, over and over again, to the Kanye mixtapes in my car as I drove across Maryland, Delaware, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, more inspired and empowered as I crossed over into each state, is the same feeling I felt as I listened to his tracks today.
November 14th, 2008 when "Sweatpants in the Club" officially became available for download online was undoubtedly a "Phella Day" and I'm looking forward to quite a few Phella Years to come.
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