Believe this or not Issac Hayes was my first teacher in how to rap to a woman. I know the word "rap" isn't one we use anymore but that's what we said back then.
In order for you to travel back in time with me, I must ask you to think of the late 60s and imagine a young black kid seeking guidance to approach a young girl he likes. Then maybe you will understand the reason I share this story.
As a very young fellow who found women to be the object of my desire I needed some communication lessons. Without a male figure around I really wanted to ask questions. I waited patiently for the day the teacher would arrive. Little did I know that my class was about to be in progress and it would come from an unsuspecting source.
One night an older friend got the keys to his father Buick so that we could hear this song he heard earlier on his father's 8-track player. (don't laugh) I didn't mention my age but I did say as a very young fellow. You remember the 8-Track player with the four channels and those irritating interruptions between each track. Anyway he promoted the song as best he could while we waited for the songs prior to the reason for us being there to play. We anticipated it as if it were going to be one of the highlights of our young lives. Well for me it was! The music started to play and the words started to flow. Man that combination of words and music was just classic and classy. His deep voice with that slow delivery was just so masculine and powerful. This man was saying something and whoever he was talking to had to listening. I waited patiently through song after song to hear it one more time. And then just one more time, again and again. I'm not sure how many times we listen to it but it still wasn't enough times for me. Still at that moment I knew this guy (Issac Hayes) had the formula to how you should say and possible what you should say to a young girl you might be interested in. I Stand Accused became the format for all of my communications with young girls. How he went from being humble in his approach to explaining his background and closing with a honest confession was the formula I needed. Saying exactly how you felt without reservation is what I took from that song that night. Opening yourself up for rejection was risky but at least you would have put the ball in her court. After much thought I knew the next morning that the lesson the night before gave me exactly what I needed to win one over. Just be honest about your feelings. Maybe she will accept your advances, maybe she won't, but at least you expressed yourself honestly. I immediately took my lesson to the playing field. I found out later that day how effected it was. She shared what I said with her best friend who also shared it with another friend until it finally got back to me. It worked! What I said and how I said it not only got her attention but it put me in a different light as far as all the young girls were concern. I became that sensitive little guy in the neighborhood who said the right things and told you exactly how he felt. I started hearing things from the other girls in the hood like " if someone would say things to me like you said to so and so, they could have anything from me." I had my class, put into effect my lessons and found myself with a passing grade based on the response I was receiving. Issac Hayes moved me to the next level with a song he wrote.
By the time Shaft hit the stores I was already a student with tenure to the words and sounds of Issac Hayes. When most people saw Shaft as his first great piece of work, I saw him as doing nothing less, I expected this from him, after all he was my first teacher in communications with the female gender... Even at that young age I knew then he would be someone I would consider great in the music industry.
Like all positive, great people who leave their mark on this earth, he will be greatly missed but remembered because of his willingness and obedience to share his God given gifts and talents with his fellow man.
Ronald Reginald King
www.ronaldreginaldking.com
In order for you to travel back in time with me, I must ask you to think of the late 60s and imagine a young black kid seeking guidance to approach a young girl he likes. Then maybe you will understand the reason I share this story.
As a very young fellow who found women to be the object of my desire I needed some communication lessons. Without a male figure around I really wanted to ask questions. I waited patiently for the day the teacher would arrive. Little did I know that my class was about to be in progress and it would come from an unsuspecting source.
One night an older friend got the keys to his father Buick so that we could hear this song he heard earlier on his father's 8-track player. (don't laugh) I didn't mention my age but I did say as a very young fellow. You remember the 8-Track player with the four channels and those irritating interruptions between each track. Anyway he promoted the song as best he could while we waited for the songs prior to the reason for us being there to play. We anticipated it as if it were going to be one of the highlights of our young lives. Well for me it was! The music started to play and the words started to flow. Man that combination of words and music was just classic and classy. His deep voice with that slow delivery was just so masculine and powerful. This man was saying something and whoever he was talking to had to listening. I waited patiently through song after song to hear it one more time. And then just one more time, again and again. I'm not sure how many times we listen to it but it still wasn't enough times for me. Still at that moment I knew this guy (Issac Hayes) had the formula to how you should say and possible what you should say to a young girl you might be interested in. I Stand Accused became the format for all of my communications with young girls. How he went from being humble in his approach to explaining his background and closing with a honest confession was the formula I needed. Saying exactly how you felt without reservation is what I took from that song that night. Opening yourself up for rejection was risky but at least you would have put the ball in her court. After much thought I knew the next morning that the lesson the night before gave me exactly what I needed to win one over. Just be honest about your feelings. Maybe she will accept your advances, maybe she won't, but at least you expressed yourself honestly. I immediately took my lesson to the playing field. I found out later that day how effected it was. She shared what I said with her best friend who also shared it with another friend until it finally got back to me. It worked! What I said and how I said it not only got her attention but it put me in a different light as far as all the young girls were concern. I became that sensitive little guy in the neighborhood who said the right things and told you exactly how he felt. I started hearing things from the other girls in the hood like " if someone would say things to me like you said to so and so, they could have anything from me." I had my class, put into effect my lessons and found myself with a passing grade based on the response I was receiving. Issac Hayes moved me to the next level with a song he wrote.
By the time Shaft hit the stores I was already a student with tenure to the words and sounds of Issac Hayes. When most people saw Shaft as his first great piece of work, I saw him as doing nothing less, I expected this from him, after all he was my first teacher in communications with the female gender... Even at that young age I knew then he would be someone I would consider great in the music industry.
Like all positive, great people who leave their mark on this earth, he will be greatly missed but remembered because of his willingness and obedience to share his God given gifts and talents with his fellow man.
Ronald Reginald King
www.ronaldreginaldking.com
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