To those who listen, "Unedited: Dead Ended Letters'' is a collection of incomplete and unshared songs, poems and letters that I have written and composed over the span of my four years at NYU. When curating this collection, I was fascinated by the idea of absence and (in)voluntary omission, which manifest in different ways in each piece and each represent or describe experiences I have lived through, either first or second- handedly. With the uncertainty of the times we currently face and the already chaotic turbulence that is usually coupled with coming into your own as an adult, this project has acted as a coping mechanism tied to my past and a stepping stone for the projects to follow. It offers a space to interact with the questions that go unanswered, lines that are blurred, thoughts that exist incompleted, and the things that sometimes are and aren’t as they appear to be. This collection is meant to be listened to with an open heart and loving mind. Unedited: Dead Ended Letters HOW TO LISTEN: 1. Click the link 2. Listen to the song with your eyes closed 3. Listen while reading the lyrics that are listed underneath the title of the song 4. Read the corresponding explanation of the song 5. Relisten (optional) 6. Repeat until the end Thank you again, Kennedi Illusion: https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/illusions/s-enj2V Playing with fire But I just wanna give love Picking your brain Wanna give you something to Leaving a lover succeed/you can feel? It all hurts the same I know Conflict and crushes Sometimes life is rough Are also to blame Wanna give you something that you It’s all an illusion need/is real? It’s all just a game So just say bye bye bye (bye bye) Life To people who can’t keep up Isn’t for the weak minded With your fly tonight And time Let’s get high on life Would rather leave you behind The illusion is in your mind Burn: https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/5-to-burn/s-6r373 I held the spark Burn That caused the blaze Burn Started so small Burn Barely a flame Burn hope you Learn Deep in my heart Burn I made the mark Burn Answered your call Burn I am to blame Next time Awakened by love Think of How dangerous Who you’re hurting Gave you my all Now you burn Wasn’t enough Because I’m broken Ended in pain Left so I cried in vain Many You didn’t care Words unspoken You walked away You will burn Because I’m broken So Background:Here https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/backgroundhere/s-tIQTE You’re a beautiful man You said we could be friends With no substance But you can’t And I fell in love And you don’t want to With your loving used it as an excuse To get me out your hair But you don’t care Think I’m unaware You’re not aware Think I don’t know but really Of how I feel It’s that just don’t care Cuz if I did I’m just a small taste of southern I’d implode The sunshine in the summer Have my momma say There’ll never be another She told me so Like me And she did This life is a give and take How was stupid was I Not just your half of the plate To believe in fairy tales But that’s okay Ill be okay Our stories entwined I’ll Undo all of our happiness Then elapsed Disappear without a sound Then collapsed You just left me here And you laugh Guess I’ll fade into the background As you left me Forget how you made me feel And faded into the background There’s nothing left for me here Undid all of our happiness When the sun and stars Disappear without a sound Cease to shine And you I’ll dim my light You just left me here To look behind Guess I’ll fade into the background At the carnage Forget how you made me feel You left me in There’s nothing left for me here You left me in Caught Up https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/caught-up-acapella/s-HjKg9BTi2Lj This is my last message Bridge: Boy I promise I bet ya I bet ya Disregard 2,4 And 6 You think that I’m crazy Yeah 6, that was the longest Cuz boy I’ve been raving But you can’t have addictives My friends all With no tonics Asking about when you’ll claim me That’s toxic You oughta make me ya baby Concoctions I doubt that I know that I should stop I’ll see ya again But I don’t wanna I wanna see you again I’m Hooked on you But boy can you blame me Baby line and sinker Boy you threw it down Oo what was I thinking No one can stop me You’re everything I dreamed of Just go head/on and block me right now Had me screaming So baby boy You blew me I blew it Blame it on yourself Blew me I blew it right back No one told you to get me started You blew me I blew it Yes I was wrong to blow your line away Blew me I blew it. I’d do it again You did it I do it I was caught up I Did it I do it In your love I’d do it again Caught up in ya touch I did it I blew it Baby baby I can’t get enough Done it blew did it do it again I might just be in love For you Money: https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/money/s-VHM9drmSsL9?in=kennichanel/sets/dead -ended-letters/s-K2kapPkGOA6 Give me my Give me my money Shouldn’t have to ask Gimmie dat cash Oh my look at dat ass! Twirlin’ all around baby For that cash Oh honey honey Gimmie my money Oh ain’t it funny? I know you wanna grab. Money makes the world sing Gon’ and do it for ya For that green. Wind my hips Baby grind on me. Country girl, Not Jamaican ting! BUT… I can fool you if you want me to be Baby so much power In a little thang. Shake it baby Shake it shake it baby Pay me pay me baby Say it say it! Gimmie dat green! You know what I mean Gimmie dat green! Callin’: https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/callin/s-lNh6qo4OFGb I am drifting With our purpose around Things are shifting Is this all an act? We’re running away from reality What is truth Here by myself And fact? I’m quarantined We will prevail. And you’ve never felt We will get through it. so far away All will be well. And i know I need you to do it. That someday We’ll be together again And I’ll do the same From your side But, it’s killing me You will remain Cuz I miss you for the now We’ll get through it somehow Baby can you hear me calling? And you’ll be able to stay Callin for you to reply Baby can you So in this moment Do you hear me calling? Am I anxious or awake? Callin for you to survive Will I see another day? And I wanna embrace Are these chills The longer I’m away I feel from me But they’re dying outside still missing you? I wanna hide away Am I now going insane? Away until it’s safe Distance is drawing me further out Please save yourself Will we ever be the same? The future’s uncertain now Can you hear me? And I pray we get through it Can you hear me calling? Speak: https://soundcloud.com/kennichanel/black-woman-speaks/s-pNYhl9vatGK (Not the actual lyrics/delivery, but the poem I wrote that inspired them) If I were to die today For you to see I pray That you would love me I have The same way Cried As though I never passed For you to fly And you Leave a legacy Should know For all to see All that I have inscribed Eternally And inside should be out Want you to fight the fight My truth should be fact Want you to live your life For you to know Want you to speak the truth For you to hold Baby your future’s bright Right by your heart Were i to die today My daughter What would you say If mama died today About me And you wondered what I’d say For me to go The answer is love I gotta make sure And honey you’re always enough I’ve said everything Know life can be tough I want you to know But mama said you’re enough And if I didn’t You were made from love Well i missed it So go out and love I’ve failed myself and you You’re enough Honey just trust So What’s the point In love Of living That’s the answer If I don’t leave All I could be giving You live through me Know that even This is your gift from above If you can’t speak to me Do all you do with intent Believe inside your heart And baby never give up That I’ve left everything For you to be If mama died today The next in line And you wondered what I’d say You’ll do fine The answer is love Were I to die today And honey you’re always enough I pray you’ll have everything Know life can be tough I needed to say But mama said you’re enough Left no rock until So I sing this for you You were made from love My baby So go out and love You’re enough In all you do Honey just trust Do it with love In love That’s the answer Elaborations: Illusion: This introduction was written while I was in Paris.