I Have Something to Say...

Welcome to My Substack.

I’ve been on Substack for a few months now, but only as an observer. I’ve been going back and forth on whether I should start engaging with the platform or remain a passive user.

I miss writing.

Most of you know me as a curator, but I actually started my career in music journalism. I worked at XXL Magazine during the early days of the Freshman era, before transitioning into streaming. It’s been almost five years since I’ve published anything—the last piece I wrote was a think piece titled R&B Isn’t Dead, It’s Going Through an Identity Crisis.

I have a lot to say, but I don’t always feel like I have the tools—or the capacity—to say it. After announcing last week that I’d be launching a Substack, I immediately started doing my homework. I spent hours on the app: following people, reading posts, tracking trends, trying to figure out what my approach should be.

Should I do short-form or long-form posts? Both? Should I create recurring segments? Can I post 150 words one day and just an image or video the next? Are there any rules?

It’s been six days, and I almost quit before I started. I went from being excited to write again to feeling overwhelmed by how daunting it all seemed. But I gave it some more thought today and realized—I just need to jump out the window and see what happens.

I want to be able to react to things quickly, but I also know it’ll be important to plan ahead if I’m going to post with any consistency. While I’m primarily known for music, this isn’t going to be just a music Substack. I have other interests—TV and film, sports, social dynamics—and I’ll probably speak on whatever’s on my mind.

I’m already fleshing out a few ideas I may or may not write about.

See you very soon with my first real post.