Dope Writers - Ester Dean

Ester Dean is another nice young buck with the pen. Only 24-years-old, she has penned or co-written huge records for artists like Usher, Trey Songz, Rihanna, Keri Hilson, Ciara ... and the list goes on and on. In 2009, she even released her own single "Drop it Low" featuring Chris Brown. Here's one of my favorite records this year that she graced with her pen or blackberry or whatever writers are using these days.

Just a Thought

"I told him that I loved him on Christmas
Though I fell in love with him when leaves were still on the trees
The fruit was succulent and my days were free
Funny how we hold on to it
The words ... Even though we know and show it with every part of our being
It's amazing he couldn't hear my heart say it through the rhythm of its beats
Beckoning for him to love me
Too
Christmas was when I decided to admit it 
Although I submitted way before then
To his intense persistence of my time, my care, my interest
You see I've loved him for a while"

-A. Coleman

Progress

 
Progress … to advance toward a higher or better stage; improve steadily.  As the New Year approaches, we are scrambling to figure out how to do things better in the year to come. But how often do you take the time at the end of the year just to see how far you’ve come? Most of us want to be better, achieve bigger things, but if you aren’t thankful for the progress you have already made, you won’t appreciate it as much when you reach that ultimate goal. Now I say this guilty as charged. I am constantly looking for my next break or the next thing that I can be proud of. But I am slowly learning to appreciate each step. Even if I don’t yet have the hit in heavy rotation on the radio, I can listen to songs I wrote when I first started compared to those I write now and say “wow” look at my progress. I told myself that if I wasn’t progressing at a steady pace within three years of graduating from college, that I would hang it up and go for my Masters degree. But the reality is, I’m moving on up. As musicians, producers, songwriters, etc., we often have the huge spotlight in mind, but you honestly do have to enjoy the journey. As one of my mentors recently mentioned “I’m moving in big circles, with people doing big things.” Yet somehow I still find myself taking these things for granted. Patience is truly a virtue that I pray on everyday. So as this New Year’s eve approaches, I will not only be thinking of the adjustments I would like to make in my life, I will also reflect on the progress that I have made so far.

Dope Writers - Bruno Mars, Grenade

From now on I'll be posting some of the dopest writers (in my opinion) in the game every week. I have been sooooo stuck on Bruno Mars for the past couple of weeks. I love his lyrics and production. His  production team is called The Smeezingtons. He co-wrote of course "Nothing on You" and one of my favs "F*** You" by Cee-lo Green. And to top it off, he is nominated for seven GRAMMYs this year. My hat has been tipped.