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Gretel Joffroy.

Melrose x Originals

And then there was house!

Remember that guy?

Yeah, welp his doing this now.

The progression of an artist is deeply rooted to the will…

To not stop.

It’s everyday with Ranger!

Track id: kiwi by Ranger

A MOMENT IN TIME

Have you ever been sitting there and think… fuck that’s what that meant.

Yeah… all the time.

Since last Tuesday I’ve been struggling.

Struggling with how to make some of my stories interesting.

Some of them are cool and exciting, but the majority are just boring - plain and simple.

But not for her, this last summer.

Yeap… spring got me thinking about summer…

I know! last summer was pure adrenaline.

All those promises you made over the pandemic.

All those moments of enlightenment finally start to make sense, they’re manifesting - if I may…

And with that realness come those feelings.

Like a song when it hits a way you weren’t expecting.

When you feel the rush…

She had found that song…

Her next chapter.

The ground.

For a while it was all negative ends…

Now it’s time for beginnings - to a journey which was paused due to curiosity.

The trip back home, but not to her old self.

Everyone came together, her friends - her chosen family

Those who understood the reason why we need her as a friend

She can cook! and can find common grounds with about anyone - why?

Because her soul allows it and now its time - time to make that energy in a bite size

Something you can digest easily.

She wrote her opening sequence.

What she wanted, what she needed

She felt it and went with it.

This wasn’t a movie, it wasn’t cinematic

It just had a lot of heart

Until we see each other again.

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS HOUSE

Have you ever met a stranger that injects you with motivation? Sets you back on track!

Sometimes you need that down shift to find your drive again.

That Tuesday, everything kicked back into gear - when I met Ranger.

7am

Friday energy on a Tuesday.

Things just happen and so did that Tuesday.

Nothing too special, just a day jammed packed with… euphoria.

RANGER:

Do you like flowers?

yes… why?

What you see is what you get. I like that transparency. - he said

It’s the Drive.

He knew when to press and when to contemplate.

With a Turturro stare, he told me he knew what he needed to do and he was going to make it happen.

Him and his brother… It runs in the family.

Like Young Guns they will shoot for the stars - straight from the hip.

Ranger knows best and he’s going to turn this around

That day I witness momentum,everything he had in him was recorded, so now it’s time to collaborate!

Collaborate with anyone that vibes.

This means he’s recording everyday! Everyday - it’s the only way.

His strategy is simple, play where ever he gets invited and where he can…

One time the urge to play was so strong, he highjacked a Santa Monica parking lot and delighted the crowd with some tunes.

RANGER:

Yeah… that was that afternoon.

We had a plan…. But the music gods had others. - He said

As the moment enlighten us, we ventured into the streets of Burbank in search of that light.

The natural spotlight.

The light that can capture the transparency he longs

The hype, the thrill that wouldn’t let you stand still.

The music, the journey the dj takes you through.

It’s the beat that starts at your feet, crawl through your toes, climb up your back and onto you shoulders.

Anchors the moment and gives you a minute to remember.

Ranger plays everyday so he can harness one minute of your time.One minute for the rest of your life. #mysteryschool

Cookin for Hook

Have you ever felt like it’s only happening to you?

Yeah... me too.

And so did she that Tuesday. On the fifth month of quarantine.

Sometimes the most important lessons come in instants.

She moved in with her dreams and the strength of who have lost everything.

She ventured out west because the north was too cliché, She found herself.

I don’t think she was ready for the story she was going to write, but she wrote it.

The feeling was…too close. It felt personal this time.

I called her that morning and said - I’m in

What is there to loose... That day we needed to leave - escape the isolation we called home.

That place the size of a box where we packed all our dreams and desires.

We packed EVERYTHING into a tiny car and head east.

And we drove… and we kept driving… and we drove some more.

We drove until we hit the 15 - a decision was made and we took the exit.

oh… but we thought about doing it - what is 4hrs east on the 15, nothing but Sin.

Instead we chose us, we needed that.

On our way, the energy, the air! felt heavy

At one point our tone was so strong that we succumbed to silence, we needed balance.

That night, she cooked. I watched and we ate.

As we broke bread a weight lifted off, the purity of her feelings took charge.

She led me in to her most honest thoughts and experiences, her life.

She’d cook for the influence, those LA locals. She’d season the most powerful and has a sense for right.

After a moment of pure honesty, her feelings about time came after her…

Why sometimes we feel deceived, yet we really are blessed.

Is the choice, to put ourselves first - it sounds arrogant.

And yet conflicted by the thought of being selfish for breaking the mold - it feels right.

Her mother didn’t had a choice back then.

A first generation with the privilege of choice, but one that we couldn’t fully understand.

As exciting as it seemed at one point, today... I wonder if it’s really what we wanted.

Have I known - better yet, understood who I was, would’ve I dare to venture…

A mile long conversation about how our parents spared themselves so we could.

And now what?

Fucking hook.

#mysteryschool

LaLaland to Gaspar Nöe

Have you ever lived a moment a million times over… Like everything is in a fawking loop.

Yeah… I felt that.

Some call it being in your feelings.

We met at a friendsgiving. The family you select and never let go.

I remember that day because my best friend was trying to be clever and hype me up to her friends.

She sat across the table. Dirty blonde, green eyes. Her name… Destiny, I’m zeroing and it’s going to go down. That night went Lalaland to Gaspar Nöe real quick. It felt like the vertigo effect - I could hear m83 in the background.

I could feel the trill of falling — it was so real

But I wasn’t ready for the lessons…

That a guerita from the pnw, would remind me I wasn’t ready to let my family go.

I just wasn’t aware…

Was that the gold I was looking for?

I sure did follow that gold that night. Her hair, her eyes, those piercing green eyes. They said exactly what you think they said.

Gaspar speaks from the entrañas — the gut…

Entrañas has a better ring…

We were both tired of the 9 to 5, we wanted more. She was going to start her own company. She knows best and now’s the time.
Her company would be based on the east coast and her sister, her best friend, would help her design it. She knew so much about her sister. Like her feelings… that type of knowledge — something I’ve never experience in my life.

It felt strange.

I’ve never known how my sister feels, I mean… she always says she’s good — so she’s good.

But Destiny knew and I don’t think it had anything to do with her being the older sister, she just had that connection.

I envied that...

So, we end up on Robertson and Santa Monica - total euphoria

Glitter, purple lights and an obscene amount of alcohol — It was wild.

In my head I was Baz’s Romeo but in reality Gaspar had taken over the moment.

Like every Weho story, that morning was the last time I saw her… but the lessons…

I wasn’t ready.

#mysteryschool

Any given Tuesday

I met Isa in 2011.

She finally decided to tell the world who she really was.

You project the past into the future, I heard that somewhere…

Isa didn’t do that, she would live in the now from that moment on.

Years later, I realize what that Tuesday taught me.

I never let go.

I knew when I first met Isa that she knew why she needed to be out to me. It was so present. I knew because it was unrehearsed. It sounded foreign, but familiar at the same time. I sort of understood, but there were words missing.

She made me fill in the blanks — say things for her.

That’s how I knew she knew...

Because she wanted me to be part of the process of accepting who she was, all this time.

Why me? though - I’ve always asked myself, why me...

I don’t know and I think — today, it doesn’t really matter cuz she knows and because she knows, I know.

I would let our parents know.

What they don’t understand…I do and I get it. She wasn’t alone anymore.

There is nothing worse than being rejected by your own, about trying to please those that know you…

If you’re not successful — it hurts a hundred times worse.

Once in a while there is a moment of clarity and those who are close to the light see the opportunity to change and figure out how to embrace.

I met Isa for the first time in 2011, but knew her all my life… Family.

I guess… we all are trying to figure out who we are.

Some of us know before we are ready to admit who we are, but in the end we all want to figure it out.

BREAKING ’n Entering

Man… this quarantine has been aggressive. It really feels like breaking and entering — destructive.

These past few weeks have been incredibly challenging. Such much is misunderstood…

I’ve been listening, mostly.

In the process of figuring out how to cope I met Lyanne.

Have you ever met someone and immediately connect. You know -Like you both understand…

We had the same stance, this is fucked up.

We were breaking the law by being outside, but we couldn’t handle it any more. The urge to create was strong.

Before anyone else, we put our dreams in a suitcase and ventured out west, like a good ol’ western — we defied the law in search of that gold.

I have fell in love with this city a hundred times over. I really have. Actually… it’s more of a constant love-hate relationship.

Some call it toxic. I don’t agree.

Living in LA is a surge of feelings, like seeing her for the first time. I could feel my blood, everything stopped — the rush gave me thrills. We’ve all experience it.

We both moved to LA chasing a dream — to better ourselves in the process.We dream big, we want it all and we’re going for it.

I was so energized.

We want to share our language. It’s new, it’s fresh. Hard to understand, but we want to share it — At all cost.

It was all a feeling… we both wanted the same thing, success.

Is this love at first sight?

#shortstories
#mysteryschool

I left home when I was 18.

It was messy, but fun - to be reckless. Like the boyscout I was, I packed every insignificant thing I thought I would need and left.

I had the courage to go against my destiny, defy my culture and venture into what new self I could become. I became a gypsy, disposing of all my baggage as I traveled.

Many times, in my darkest moments, venturing into the unknown, I questioned myself - was this a mistake?

Was I being childish and subscribing to Neverland, that place where boys remain boys and responsibility is the enemy? I certainly did not navigate this far to succumb to Neverland.

I confronted responsibility and fought the good fight against time. I defined my present, embraced my experiences and report back to my family on my findings. - Fuck yeah! I embraced the privilege.

The privilege that only time could take away. What a joy it was for them to hear about my adventures. My letters brought them excitement.

Life itself has taken care of teaching me purpose. It only took a little courage on my part.

Years pass, and so did life. Once again my sense of responsibility came after me and time was right there with her.

I’ve experienced resilience and defined my purpose, but how am I going to tell my stories. How am I going to bring the fiction to my anecdotes, the real story.

Nowadays you don’t really know what’s real and what’s not, but does it really matter if it really happened?

It only really matters if it has meaning… right?

I met Irene while figuring out what’s next for me.I went to Miami to witness the latin gold rush of the 21st century.

Trap have officially met reggaeton and they fuck with each other. Reggaeton is now part of mainstream pop culture and the window to romanticize the genre has manifested.

The feeling just left me breathless… so many questions, so many opportunities. *sigh, life.

#mysteryschool #shortstories #mylifewithouther

When I first moved to The City I was so different - I was shockingly puertorrican, even for loisaida standards - If you weren’t ready, I could surprise you.

I was confronted with a reality, if I wanted to survive, I would have to assimilate.

Eventually you become a version of that person… one that can roam around quasi in disguise. The generic brand.

You speak the slang, but some times the slag don’t land... finding the right words is a constant struggle, and then comes Bad Bunny.

To find the words.

To FEEL you belong, to point and say that! — That's what I mean.

Identity is in bed with culture, so only through the influence of one we can change the other.

Us, who grew up in the Island, experience American culture, but digest it in Spanish.

I can reference most 90s trends but only in a Spanish context, coño, that’s it.

Benito made our language present, no need to translate my feelings or explain who I was as a puertorrican.

Now it made sense to them.

To witness the Forum, filled with people bouncing in harmony to the same beat — my childhood beat, the language which built my dreams, revealed to me why Bad Bunny is bigger than the culture who birthed him.

He made me proud of being who I was — now, I say Bad Bunny and even Jimmy Fallon gets excited.

#mylifewithouther #mysteryschool #shortstories

I never wanted to be writer, but love telling stories.

Last April I hit a creative wall, I lost my north - ran out of steam, I panicked!

I neededto find the next thing.

I found an opportunity to be part of a creative group I’d admire, but also felt the same way.

I learned resilience and understood that courage is something you develop.

I learned how to learn.

This is Pedro. Pedro taught me family is resilience.

Without a family you can’t grow - you can’t become.

To be culturally orphaned is to live in limbo. You just don’t feel like you belong, even if you think you do.

Sometimes you just lack the words to let them know….

Trust the process, he said… stay in the game, she said… I did.

It hurt, but it shaped me.

If you feel me then stick around, I have a few more stories.

Talk to you soon!