Alysia Blea
Thanks for what you wrote. It has depth to it. I'd like to think that I don't wear a mask much these days. I often have people attempting to pick and place masks on my face for me, but for the most part, I've lined most of what I do up with my real life. I like to have fun sometimes so maybe I'll put on a mask, but even then it's a mask of my own face. I'll play myself from a different point in my life. Live in that mentality for a day or two to write some songs. But that's how art works.
Whatever reason people would be blowing up my page, whether they want a piece of me or to be affiliated with me, the truth is that it's not about why they come, but why they stay. At the end of the day, it's on me to decide who can have a piece of me and who can be affiliated with me. I'm very good at saying No. As long as that's true, why not let people check me out for whatever reason they're checking and hope that I can impart something unexpectedly pleasant on em in the process?
You asked, "Who are you under raided's cover? Who are you when no one's looking?"
Thanks for asking. Under Raided's cover I'm just a dude trying to be loved. Again, I don't think I've hit that from my fans. Listen to Eternally Unforgiven, Acid Rain, I Was 16, Recidivism, Deuce 5 to Life, Nefarious Verses... the majority of my songs are intensely personal. So... the truth is, when on one's looking, I'm alone writing something personal not even knowing if anyone will ever hear it.
Thanks for encouraging me to dream big. I'll do that.
I think you're wrong when you say, "If they don't love you as yourself then they have no business loving you at all." I believe that, whatever perspective someone is viewing me through that allows them to think they love me, that's too personal for someone else to just arbitrarily say their love isn't real. If I've touched someone with something I said and it helped them get through something difficult, if they love me for that reason, then I respect their feelings. Plenty of artists have touched me in my lifetime. I'd even go so far as to say that there are fictional characters that I love. So, my personal opinion is that people can love someone who's touched their spirit even if they've never met the object of their affection. Plenty of authors have accomplished that with great sincerity.
Let it breathe.