2. MC from Portland, Oregon.
3. Hardcore band, probably active in the 90's.
4. A hardcore punk band from Philadelphia, PA that has been active since 2012. http://braillephiladelphia.bandcamp.com/
1) As the house-oriented solo project of Praveen Sharma (see Sepalcure, Praveen, and Praveen & Benoit), Braille combines classic chicago house vocals with deep, dubby melodic elements, all under the pulse of post-dubstep-influenced, sub-dominating bass. His debut EP, The Year 3000, is slated for a May, 2011 release on Rush Hour.
2) Always on a musical mission, BRAILLE has become one of rap’s best-kept secrets. He has released three solo albums, performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan with artists like the late James Brown, De La Soul and others, been named one of the “Next 100” by URB magazine and collaborated with rap heavyweights such as 9th Wonder, CunninLyguists, and Pigeon John. All of these accomplishments set the stage for Braille’s fourth album, the splendid The IV Edition (Syntax Records).
In addition to being his fourth album, the title represents three other things. Braille wants the album to serve as an IV to distribute musical medicine for social illnesses directly into the veins of the society. IV also stands for “International Vision” (becoming more aware of what's going on in the world around us) and “International Version” (the album is made for an international audience and features German, French, Finish and Australian producers like M-Phazes, Aetoms, Staffro, etc).
The album’s title song serves as an ode to Braille’s rap roots. Produced by Marco Polo and featuring scratches from Rob Swift, the energetic, drum-driven tune is a lyrical showcase that caters to rap’s tremendous subterranean following. “The underground hip-hop base is a lot bigger than people think it is,” Braille reveals. “Sometimes when people think of the word underground, they think of basement albums that just get dubbed on tape. So I’m sticking to my roots. I believe that the audience for lyricism and good hip-hop is much larger than most people assume. I wanted to start with the hip-hop base and take it from there.”
Elsewhere, Braille acknowledges his personal and artistic history on “Remember Your Path” and channels the energy of music icon James Brown on “Main Squeeze,” with whom Braille toured as an opening act during 2005 and 2006. Then on “Calculated Risk” Braille gets personal by examining his decision to pursue and create lyric and beat-drive rap music with spiritual overtones. It’s been a full time mission since 1999. “This could really end up being really detrimental to my career. I understand the risk of doing what I’ve done thus far. I understand the risk that I might not make it, that people might not buy my records. I understand those risks, but it’s still worth it to me to put everything into a making a record the way I want it to sound and not worry about what’s going on in the industry and on the radio.”
Braille was attracted to hip-hop at a young age. Hearing the variety of different styles and artists that existed during the early- to mid-‘90s, Braille was inspired by the idea that he could write songs based on his own personal experiences and that he didn't have to fit into any specific stereotypes. One group that was fundamental in Braille's development at the time was A Tribe Called Quest, who changed his outlook on music with its landmark 1993 album Midnight Marauders. Rap was in the midst of a gangster rap renaissance at the time and the album’s uplifting, positive vibe gave the then teen-aged Braille a boost. “Hearing people talk from different perspectives, I started to realize, ‘Hey, I could make music and still be myself,’” the Portland-raised rapper recalls today. “It was fine that I grew up where I grew up. My size, stature and my personality are all attributes. They’re not negatives. That’s just who I am, so I felt that if I embraced those things, then I could do whatever I wanted with it.”
Growing up, Braille had more to worry about than music. Born in Portland, he and his family relocated to New Jersey when he was in high school. During his stay on the east coast, his family went bankrupt and returned to Portland to live with Braille’s grandmother. However, Braille enjoyed being close to Philadelphia and New York and decided to stay by himself on the East Coast. In 1999, when he was 17, independent startup ESWP music released his first album, Lifefirst: Half The Battle.
The battle to survive proved too tough, so Braille moved back to Portland only to find out there was no room in the house for him. He took a bus to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career in music. After a year in LA, he went back to Oregon and met the woman that would eventually become his wife. With music dreams, no high school diploma and newfound responsibility, Braille and his future wife started a business cleaning out repossessed homes.
That wasn’t the work Braille wanted to do, so he and his wife moved out of their place, put their stuff in storage and lived out of their van while they toured around the United States doing concerts. They didn’t ask for payment at shows. With no bills, they sold merchandise to pay for gas and food. “I didn't have many career options because I spent most of my teenage years working on music,” Braille says. “That’s where I invested all of my time, so I was willing to make some sacrifices in order to continue pursuing it.”
Fortunately, the more Braille pursued his dream of making a living making music, the more real that dream became. He buckled down and in 2004 released his second album, Shades of Grey. The collection featured collaborations with 9th Wonder (Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child) and Rob Swift and laid the foundation for a successful career. Thanks to such powerful, politically minded songs as “Keep On,” it was easy for URB magazine to tap Braille one of their “Next 100.”
The following year, Braille’s newly formed label Hiphop IS Music released his third album, Box of Rhymes. Following the album’s release he would experience the joy of becoming a father as well as the pain of loosing one. The IV Edition deals with these issues and provides an outlook compromising of social change, spiritual beliefs, confidence and the ability to carry on.
Though he did not grow up in a spiritual household, Braille found the spiritual references he encountered in rap encouraging and decided to act upon them. “I believed there was something out there,” Braille says, “and I started out trying to be a positive person. I felt a gut on my heart and I eventually ended up meeting this other artist, Trust One, and when we got together, I thought we were going to talk about hip-hop. He told me more about God and I started on my path as a follower of Christ. That had a big impact on the direction I took in life and as an artist"
3) No info about them, released a demo tape.
4) Four Adult Males from Philadelphia. 90s-influenced hardcore punk with its own unique twist. Sean, Dustin, Andrew, and John.
Let Go
Braille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
why you let it stay around, you just don't know, say
Let it Go
Let it Go
Letting go, of something that you hold close
tried to make it work out, but it won't, say
Let it Go
Let it Go
I gotta let this go, once and for all, I'm one voice
speaking in-between the pauses, waiting for my time
is it right now or has it passed me by, I magnify
the situation through my glass eye and analyze it
what's real and what's fake? It's blown out of proportion
all the voices in my head sound distorted (do the right thing)
and muffled, I'm stretching my faith muscle, this rap game's a hustle
a struggle to stay humble and trust
big trouble, in little me, causing complications
I run from confrontation, observations made from a distance
my defense to resist, I'm not convinced
that all my silhouettes can co-exist, so I drift
into the clouds of God's grace and freedom, feeling like these feelings
is filling me, with pride and negativity I don't need
and even though at times I felt stepped on
and taken for granted, it's time to heal from the damage
Letting go, of something that you hold close
why you let it stay around, you just don't know, say
Let it Go
Let it Go
Letting go, of something that you hold close
tried to make it work out, but it won't, say
Let it Go
Let it Go
The song "Let Go" by Braille is about the struggle of letting go of something that you hold close. The lyrics suggest that the person is trying to make a relationship work, but it's just not happening. They don't understand why they are holding onto something that isn't working, hence the repetition of "let it go" throughout the song.
The second verse describes the internal conflict that the person is facing. They are trying to figure out if it's the right time to let go or if they have missed their chance. They are analyzing the situation and trying to determine what is real and what is fake, as the voices in their head sound distorted. The person is struggling to stay humble and trust in the difficult world of the rap game. They are running from confrontation and resisting observations made from a distance. The person knows they need to heal from the damage and let go of the situation that is holding them back.
Overall, "Let Go" is a song about the difficulty of moving on from something that is important to you. It's about making the decision to let go and move forward despite the fear and uncertainty that comes with change.
Line by Line Meaning
Letting go, of something that you hold close
Releasing your grasp on something that you cherish and value deeply
why you let it stay around, you just don't know, say
Questioning why you're allowing that thing to remain in your life, even though you're unsure of the reason
Let it Go
Encouraging oneself to relinquish the attachment to that thing
Let it Go
Repeating the statement to emphasize the need to let go
tried to make it work out, but it won't, say
Attempting to fix the situation, even though it's not yielding any positive results
I gotta let this go, once and for all, I'm one voice
Making a firm decision to sever ties with that thing. Feeling like an individual in this decision
speaking in-between the pauses, waiting for my time
Pausing to reflect on the situation and waiting for the right moment to act
is it right now or has it passed me by, I magnify
Contemplating if the moment to let go has come and gone, and examining it closely
the situation through my glass eye and analyze it
Looking at the situation from a different perspective and analyzing it in detail
what's real and what's fake? It's blown out of proportion
Questioning the authenticity of the situation and feeling like it's gotten out of control
all the voices in my head sound distorted (do the right thing)
Feeling confusion and indecision, with numerous internal voices that are unclear and muddled
and muffled, I'm stretching my faith muscle, this rap game's a hustle
Straining to have faith and trust in oneself, despite the challenges of the music industry
a struggle to stay humble and trust
The difficulty of remaining modest and having confidence in oneself
big trouble, in little me, causing complications
Feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, leading to more issues and complications
I run from confrontation, observations made from a distance
Avoiding conflicts and examining the situation from far away
my defense to resist, I'm not convinced
Shielding oneself from the situation and feeling unconvinced about it
that all my silhouettes can co-exist, so I drift
Wondering if all aspects of oneself can coexist and feeling like they're drifting away from each other
into the clouds of God's grace and freedom, feeling like these feelings
Seeking solace in spiritual belief and feeling overwhelmed by emotions
is filling me, with pride and negativity I don't need
Being filled with undesired emotions like pride and negativity, and realizing that they need to be discarded
and even though at times I felt stepped on
Acknowledging the feeling of being hurt or let down by others
and taken for granted, it's time to heal from the damage
Realizing that it's time to move on from the hurt and work towards healing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOD SQUAD, RAVI SHANKAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind