Four years ago tomorrow you were taken from this world due to a senseless act of violence…..wrong place wrong time……neverending cycle of unneccessary actions in this city……Just shy of your fourteenth birthday……an 8th grader one month into what would have been one of the most impacting years of your life, their lives, my life…….What you may have not known is how many people you truly touched in your short time here.

As a sixth grader you entered my classroom bubbly and ready to see what I was about…..those round cheeks and dimples got you out of trouble some days but most days you knew what was being asked of you and you did it…occasionally calling me MRS. Bello just to watch my eyebrow raise. What we shared was our love of music. You would drum on the desk every day and finally instead of telling you to stop I asked you to help me create a beat for a remix to the school pledge…you lit up…..you were so excited……as you moved on to seventh grade you made sure to knock on my door and say “whattup Ms Bello” every chance you had…..I saw the world in you…future college grad, musician, entrepreneur, president…of something…..

October 4th 2007 I was 5 minutes from school when the morning show announced a teenager had died….was gunned down……my heart dropped….I drove so fast I couldnt remember the drive from Blue Hill ave to the Tim……I saw one teacher’s face and I knew…..tragedy…but who…..who was he….who had been so senselessly gunned down for being in the wrong place at the wrong time……..3 teachers simultaneously said “Its Steven” and I lost it……for his mom and dad, family, friends, teachers………I lost it……..I will never forget that day for as long as I live…….we lost one amazing young man……..but were left with his legacy

I wear Stevens pin almost everyday and if its not on me its in my car….I dedicate my shows to him and hope that the Peace work I do can help another “Steven” or those who were like the young men who murdered Steven…….He left a void here that will never be replaced. His family is one of if not THE strongest group of people I have ever known…I find strength in seeing them carry Steven with them everyday…

Rest in Heaven Steven…….I hope to see you on the other side one day so we can play some drums and jam out…..

Love Ms Bello

Its September….Thats right….September……where turtlenecks meet tanlines and boots cover the pedicures and I hide in the studio working on my album………… Summer is over and I can smell the leaves and pumpkins approaching…..and my favorite holiday HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN is around the corner….

Musically I am in a new place….sounds changing a bit, fanbase is increasing (thank you Baby Jesus) and I am fully OWNING my craft…..I am excited for everyone to hear the new sounds and comment and critique and throw things at me But while you wait head to www.soundcloud.com/lisabellomusic and get some free stuff!!! yeaaaaaaaaaa boi

Reporting LIVE from Los Angeles….it has been a MINUTE since Ive blogged….more like a MONTH…..and I missed sharing my world with you all. A lot has happened in the past month : a few more tattoos, skateboarding, teamed up with 6ONE7 Productions, went on a slip and slide TWICE, Played full court basketball inside of a hotel suite in Vegas, Watched Yo Gabba Gabba and aspired to be part of the cast all the while KEEPIN IT THUGGY….

I have been in LA a little over a week working on some writing and networking junk and perfecting my tan. I will be back in the East coast for a few weeks in July to perform for my gumbas at the St Josephs Feast in the North End……….so while you await the arrival of your favorite thug checkout my latest videos and downloads on the main page….

See you B Words soon

Mondays really can bring a heavy cloud over the week but I make sure to keep it #thuglife and find ways to make the best out of them. I spent my day in the studio at Underground with Dow a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg time producer and friend of the family recording some GREATNESS! Ideas flowed as to how we will top that finished track and I am way too excited for it to happen

Check out some free downloads at http://reverbnation.com/lisabello

Jacket : Bondij by Blond Di              Hair: Christina Elfar of threeSIXnine the HAIR STUDIO

Tuesday night at Showcase Live we had the honor of performing for a Fashion show put on by Terrence Manning and the ladies of SOHO. There were stars in the house including Patriots players past and present Tedy Bruschi and Kevin Faulk. Both of whom were overjoyed with our performances. Matt Cusson vocalist/musician (has played with Brian Mcknight for many years) joined us and rocked it out with his soulful voice and musical skills.

The crew we brought were out of control. Wayne Jones, Tyrone Chase, Javenn Edwards, Coran Henley, Nick Papps, Matt Cusson and Louie Bello. BEASTMODEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!  The fellas volunteered their time for a great cause and had fun while doing it.

Next Stop : JUNE 19TH NEW YORK METS GAME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tattoo: ALex Dawes

Pic: Big Los of http://spotdabean.webs.com

So far this month …………..

I met Jason Derullo……………………

Tore the roof off of House of Blues

Turned the tables with my favorite DJ …DJ Ms. Thang

Walked the Mother’s Day Walk For Peace (in my BeastBozyENt Hoodie) with my student and lil sis Ariana

My video premiered on KarmaloopTV

http://www.karmalooptv.com/2011/04/lisa-bello-leave-me-alone

And became one with Wonder Woman

and to think………..its only halfway through the month

#THUGLIFE-where I got it from originally is from the late great Tupac Shakur who used thuglife not as a reference to gang life but as a way of saying “Thug Life is the opposite of someone having all he needs to succeed. Thug life is when you have nothing, and succeed, when you have overcome all obstacles to reach your aim.” Tupac wanted to reach those who  “felt hopeless”. He knew that the word cut both ways. It would appeal to the kid who thought the word was cool yet it would also appeal to the kid who really felt like all was hopeless because he had/came from nothing.  The latter was who he was trying to reach. Such is my goal as well. 

As an inner city kid myself and now a school teacher in my city, I have experienced many hardships and heartaches with the loss of friends, family and students to gun violence and just violence in general. Due to these obstacles I joined many organizations to try and bring peace to myself and those around me. I joined PEACE Boston when Steven Odom was murdered a few years back. What they gave to me I could never ever forget as it was so crucial to my healing process.

So I made it a goal as a teacher, singer, being, to spread the word of peace. Now I am not the most “typical” teacher and I understand what students will think is “corny” and what is acceptable to them. I began using the term THUGLIFE to add humor into the movement. Humor you ask? what is funny about gangbangers and thugs? well I am not glorifying thugs I am actually showing a way to take that mentality and flip it, take away the connotation that THUGLIFE has associated with it. When my kids see their teacher preaching and saying thuglife at the end I made the word, term, phrase corny. But they GET IT. They understand that OUR GANG of PEACE is and will continue to be far greater in strength and numbers then the ones that try and bring them down. The “thuglife” we lead is succeeding and overcoming obstacles despite the “nothing” that some of us may have come from.

My new Mixtape is titled  THUGLIFE as you will hear me take so-called “hard” rap songs and flip them into acoustic versions. You see the goal of this was not to start a movement……nor was it to get people to become all frazzled….it is to educate and remind us to laugh sometimes/often/always………….PEACE and Thuglife