Anyone decipher what's happened to Matthew's site? DNS is going nuts with it...I don't know if it's because it's crashed or what have you but I"m concerned. http://www.djmatthewafrica.com
You know, record dudes always want you to know about something, but it seemed important to Matthew to always take that extra step--he wanted you to understand. His depth of knowledge and openness of heart always shone, and through his writing and mixes it's clear that dude was that rarest of things: a believer.
We never met, but during a time when things could have gone in a different direction for me, his support meant a great deal.
Boots Riley just put this up on FB: "My first knowledge of Matthew Africa was from high school years seeing "Matthew Africa was here" tagged all over the place."
I love this.
That's great. My first memory of him was seeing 'WHO IS MATTHEW AFRICA?' sharpied on a wall at Berkeley High even though it was a number of years before I was blessed with the answer.
I just wrote this as part of a tribute post and it elaborates on something I mentioned in passing, earlier:
Matthew and I co-hosted KALX fundraisers at least once or twice. If you???ve ever had to suffer through a public radio fundraising drive, you know how tedious it is and believe me, it???s not that much better on our side of the mic either. Most of us got into radio to play music, not to explain how listener supported radio is superior to commercial radio (it???s true, of course, but still) and whatever other boilerplate we had to whip out once a year.
But Matthew didn???t half-step. If he was going to do a fundraiser show, he was going to put his best foot forward. One time, when I was his co-host, he brought in some Grade A records to play???I was too lil dude to fully appreciate how much heat he had with him but I remember he had an original Third Guitar (???Baby Don???t You Cry???) and what blew my wig back even more: an original copy of Sugar Billy Garner???s ???I Got Some???. I mean, he must have been toting several thousands of dollars worth of music, just for a fundraiser show, but he wanted to make the point that community/college radio like KALX could give listeners access to music they simply were not going to hear anywhere else. That???s just how he carried himself.
Matt was kind enough to send a note praising some sleeve notes and magazine columns bitd, it was impressive that he'd sought out the address of little dude thousands of miles away so damn yes RIP
dollar_binI heartily endorse this product and/or event 2,326 Posts
Wow, I hadn't realized he put together Jazz Dance Classics volume 1. That single compilation catalyzed my interest in raer music. I was in a record store in San Diego in the mid-90s and one of the clerks was playing it on the stereo. Face melted, I bought the CD, which led me to more Luv N' Haight and other rare groove reissues. From there I followed the inevitable path to seeking out original music on vinyl, and here we are today.
I remember the Popcorn parties at Milk, the one or two that I made it up to was the first time I met a lot of people on this board in person, including Matthew Africa.
Matthew and Serg's Stay Hatin' podcast is one of the funniest things in my subscription cue. For content reasons, I have to rock it on headphones in lab, so my coworkers probably wonder why I randomly burst out laughing.
My favorite on-line memory is in the Raer Mixtapes Thread, Matthew posted a picture of his pile of radio show tapes, carefully stacked:
Logging in just to pay my respects to the master on this tragic day. Rest in Power Soul Boulder.
dollar_binI heartily endorse this product and/or event 2,326 Posts
I'm combing my archives for MA images, and I did run down some pics from the infamous Mike2600/Terry Clubbup visit karaoke throwdown and What It Do feast.
I'm combing my archives for MA images, and I did run down some pics from the infamous Mike2600/Terry Clubbup visit karaoke throwdown and What It Do feast.
In trying to think of my memories of Matthew, I've avoided realizing: I'm never going to get to hang out or build with him again.
That realization is hurting me something terrible right now.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
I've just woken up to this. Such terrible news. I never met Matthew, and knew him only from his words here and elsewhere, but right now I feel as if I've lost a close friend. I can't imagine how those who knew him personally must feel. RIP to one of the good guys.
WOW. Stunned & Shocked. Terrible. RIP. My condolences to his family and close friends.
I always loved his mixes. He had exquisite taste in music. Had so much knowledge. What
a tragic way to go. He was always five years (late correction, after reading up about his
time at Groove Merchant;: 20 yrs) ahead of me in music. Things that I just
discovered he knew of and rocked out to for some time (and was actually the catalyst for
said records to ever be reissued or rescued from obscurity). This guy put me onto some
really good records (late correction: lifetime understatement for me). Obscure 45's.
Raers. Soul-side's pointed me to his blog years ago and I would frequently drop in to see
what he was up to.
Breakself & Africa, two heavyweights, gone so fast. Life is so short. He was only 40. Not
much older than myself. My prayers are with his wife and family. I hope she recovers.
Did he have children?
For me personally, this year I have lost so many close friends, relatives and people in the
record diggin community that I admire and respect. Makes me humble and grateful for the
life I have. And it makes me mindful to make the most of the time that I have left. Some
of the things that people argue and fight over seem so petty now. There are things that
I have done and said as younger man that give me pause now and I can't believe I ever
thought or acted that way. I continually find myself saying things that my parents and elders
would say that I would mock or rebel to as a smart-aleck kid. Indeed, how the ever compiling
trips around the sun can bestow wisdom to one. Cliche, I know, but I wish we could all just
get along and treat each other with respect and love because none of us know when I number
will come up. For someone that I only knew from cyberspace this death really hurts and
touches me. Man I will miss you Matthew Africa. Thanks for all the record knowledge you
shared and the music and edits you did that I will continue to cherish.
P.S. Didn't know the dude was a lawyer. This explains how he had the dough for all those
raers. Us poor guys really envy his collection. I really hope his records find a home with a good
collector or friend that will honor his memory. Not just boxed up and put in a dusty attic or
hastily auctioned off at a flea market.
I first caught wind of this via twitter this afternoon and promptly called paycheck to get the scoop. I was pissed anyone would say such a thing about Matthew. When it was confirmed I broke into tears and have been crying off and on since. I've never met anyone as humble as Matthew. He recently contacted me about doing a mix cd together that we were going to get started on very soon.... I met Matt in the early 90's and he put me on to so many records over the years. I'm deeply saddened by today's news. I'm praying for his soul and that his wife recovers...
This is the saddest news. I never met Matthew but recognise his voice from the "Too busy saying yeah' podcasts in an instant, and was in awe of his energy, his knowledge, his blog and the way he went about sharing his passion for music with others. Having recently visited San Francisco, and having had the good fortune to meet folks like Josh & Justin, it was obvious what a tight knit community of dj's and music-minded folks there are there, and I'm feeling for those folks right now.
As it happens I just found an email he sent me back in December about Soul Boulders 2 which I missed at the time for some reason, and he had kindly included instructions about how to rip the 40 odd tracks into a single mp3 file, and I "didn't need to pay twice". I did pay twice, such was my respect for him & Josh and what they had created, but that ain't no thing. RIP.
RIP. I had limited interaction with him on the Strut beyond rap appreciation but I have a folder at home full of his mixes that gets a lot of love and attention (though they sadly lack the context he would put them in when posting). Thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.
Rough night. Had a few more thoughts I wanted to add, and I'm sure more will come.
A few years ago, having guest-blogged a couple of times at Noz's cocaineblunts site on the topic, I decided to try and start fully documenting the Bay Area underground scene that I had been a part of in the 90s, ultimately with the aim of making it into a book. I talked to Matthew about it, as I did with other friends such as Oliver, Noz himself, Zvi, Billy Jam, and my old partner Bas, who goes way back in the Oakland scene and who I've since worked with very closely. I knew how deep Matthew was, but I don't think I realized how much better of a writer he was than me. I should've been far more humble than I think I was in reaching out to him, but he was ready to help - connecting me with people, fleshing out ideas, coolly pointing out blind spots (as was his way). He was the one that should have been writing about this stuff, but he never said that. As has been testified to elsewhere, Matthew had absolutely no need to lord anything over anyone. He was not only secure in himself, but eager to share. This in a world where everybody plays their proverbial cards close to the chest, be they records, connections, even basic ideas.
Funny thing is, Matthew hated that underground shit. "Dirt hustlers", he'd call us, pejoratively. He very much disliked the strong arm tactics that certain groups employed to get their stuff on KALX; he thought the beats were sloppy, the rhymes average at best, and he was unforgiving of the poor recording quality that was a mark of pride for some. I couldn't wait to get it all on tape; aided by a couple decades' worth of hindsight, I could laugh at myself, and laugh at his harsh but candid assessment of the scene. We always laughed a lot when we rapped about this stuff, I loved his dry humor, his sarcasm, and sense of irony. I was excited to pick his brain on a whole host of things. I'll never get to do that interview.
we were having conversations recently about new hiphop, of which i know very little. Matthew was putting me up on Quelle Chris tracks and also proclaiming his dislike for Action Bronson. I was surprised he didnt like Bronson, so i sent him a couple videos that i am into. his response was hilarious. among other comments:
I was watching those videos and realized right away that "contrived" is probably not the right word. Maybe it's the face he makes when he raps-- it looks like someone punched him in the nuts.
now we agreed to disagree, but he definitely had me laughing the whole time.
I haven't logged into Soulstrut for quite some time, but I felt compelled to take a moment to just pay my respects to a man I've never met but who has had an influence on so many of my dear friends, as well as myself. RIP and thoughts and prayers with everyone that this tragedy effects.
I only knew of MA from his mixes and the internet. I can honestly say that a lot of the good music I love now is only because I heard it from him first. I learned more about great music from him than any other dj that I can think of.
I haven't logged into the Strut in a while but I knew the Strut community would be paying respects to Matthew do I had to pay mine.
One thing about Matt is that he would always tell it like he saw it. I remember the days of KALX when I first started as a little dude learning how to do radio shows when he wrote a bad review of the Mystic Journeymen's 4001 EP in the station's copy. He said the beats sounded sloppy etc etc and the Mystic Journeymen caught wind of his review and their backlash towards him ensued. He was just being honest haha that was Matt. He never watered down anything and was always down to talk music with you if you'd ask him. He went out of his way once to send me a couple label scans of a record that I was trying to confirm was authentic and not a bootleg. That was the type of dude he was and he'll be greatly missed! Since yesterday after hearing the sad news I keep thinking about those days at KALX and at the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition/ABB offices where we'd run into each other at different meetings or events like the Gang Starr appearence. Or running into each other at the record store. And it's sad to think about not ever seeing him around anymore. That one of our own is gone. It's very sad. My condolences to those friends of mine that really knew him better than I ever did. Who spent a lot of their days with him building on music and life. I can only imagine the pain they are going through. I hope his wife recovers and finds peace. Truly sad. Peaceful journey Matthew. Gone but never forgotten.
I haven't logged into the Strut in a while but I knew the Strut community would be paying respects to Matthew do I had to pay mine.
One thing about Matt is that he would always tell it like he saw it. I remember the days of KALX when I first started as a little dude learning how to do radio shows when he wrote a bad review of the Mystic Journeymen's 4001 EP in the station's copy. He said the beats sounded sloppy etc etc and the Mystic Journeymen caught wind of his review and their backlash towards him ensued. He was just being honest haha that was Matt. He never watered down anything and was always down to talk music with you if you'd ask him. He went out of his way once to send me a couple label scans of a record that I was trying to confirm was authentic and not a bootleg. That was the type of dude he was and he'll be greatly missed! Since yesterday after hearing the sad news I keep thinking about those days at KALX and at the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition/ABB offices where we'd run into each other at different meetings or events like the Gang Starr appearence. Or running into each other at the record store. And it's sad to think about not ever seeing him around anymore. That one of our own is gone. It's very sad. My condolences to those friends of mine that really knew him better than I ever did. Who spent a lot of their days with him building on music and life. I can only imagine the pain they are going through. I hope his wife recovers and finds peace. Truly sad. Peaceful journey Matthew. Gone but never forgotten.
I wish we had better news to reunite us all. It's funny to think we've all been linked together by this funny site for a decade. No matter the distance, we've all been touched by each other's conversations, insights, humour, put downs, musical output, etc.
Soul Boulders 2 is one of the best mixes to have fallen out of this Soulstrut lexicon.
Well wishes for Matthew's family and friends in this trying moment. Rest in peace.
i met Matthew about ten years ago when i was travelling around the country in a van. Cosmo told me that when I was in the Bay Area I had to meet up with Matt Africa. Im sure I made the mistaken assumption that many have, but I'm from Philly, where 'Africa' is the assumed last name of MOVE family members. So when he rolled up in his VW beetle, looking dapper, and far from a militant dred locked dude, I was taken aback. I mean, I had already heard legends about this guy's role in the bay area music scene and of course was happy to make his acquaintance regardless. I loved the fact that he was a buttoned down professional! Anyway, spending time with him was like being around an elder statesman. I felt even younger and greener than i was, until i realized that he wasnt being judgy and maybe even enjoyed my company.
One day he brought me to a small out of town record show and we both cam up on some things...my finds were more of the known variety ( i found an eddie russ fresh out for $3! and a cool soul record on dobre) while Matthew meticulously pulled unknown objects and rolled them around on his portable. back at his place he asked about the dobre joint and i stingily didnt pick up on his interest in it. the next day it occurred to me that he wanted it so i called him and offered the record to him. he politely declined and that was that and i felt like a grippy jerk. i swore next time he wanted a record, it would be his.
fast forward to the present. 4-5 months ago i was bored and looking on ebay for weird small label records when one of the records Matthew had found at that show popped into my head. I remembered the goofy cover and the moments of funk and flavor contained within, but had no clue what the title or artist was. So i wrote to MAtthew, honestly with little hope that he would remember. "aah," he said, "red cover, and a couple on bikes." i hoped to receive a follow up message with information on how i could start tracking the thing down. ten days later, i receive an unexpected and unsolicited package in the mail:
recently, i found a lovely copy of the Too Brown LP...a nice philly random rap record with a cut "Eerie Avenue is the Promised Land" that several years ago Matthew had told me he was looking for. i was excited to finally atone for my past sins and i sent it out to him. he got it two weeks ago and replied "I especially love that "Sound of Germantown" sticker on the shrink-- such a dope Philly touch. Anything I can send your way that'll make your day like that?"
it amazed me that he even felt a need to return a record, considering all his prior generosity. so of course i declined. but this guy, who ive only been in the presence of a handful of times, and with whom i enjoyed only scattered internet conversations over the years, always made me feel like a friend. it was always on my bucket list to get to know him better, but i put it off too long. he definitely put me up on some music, but also set some good examples on how to carry myself in the world
I've never had the pleasure to meet him in person but he was one of the most well respected digger / DJs / Strutter that I can think of. I always enjoyed his posts on here as Mongo Slayed.
Matthew, rest in peace???. We will honor you any way we can.
Comments
We never met, but during a time when things could have gone in a different direction for me, his support meant a great deal.
Rest in peace.
That's great. My first memory of him was seeing 'WHO IS MATTHEW AFRICA?' sharpied on a wall at Berkeley High even though it was a number of years before I was blessed with the answer.
Matthew and I co-hosted KALX fundraisers at least once or twice. If you???ve ever had to suffer through a public radio fundraising drive, you know how tedious it is and believe me, it???s not that much better on our side of the mic either. Most of us got into radio to play music, not to explain how listener supported radio is superior to commercial radio (it???s true, of course, but still) and whatever other boilerplate we had to whip out once a year.
But Matthew didn???t half-step. If he was going to do a fundraiser show, he was going to put his best foot forward. One time, when I was his co-host, he brought in some Grade A records to play???I was too lil dude to fully appreciate how much heat he had with him but I remember he had an original Third Guitar (???Baby Don???t You Cry???) and what blew my wig back even more: an original copy of Sugar Billy Garner???s ???I Got Some???. I mean, he must have been toting several thousands of dollars worth of music, just for a fundraiser show, but he wanted to make the point that community/college radio like KALX could give listeners access to music they simply were not going to hear anywhere else. That???s just how he carried himself.
That was Matthew.
Wow, I hadn't realized he put together Jazz Dance Classics volume 1. That single compilation catalyzed my interest in raer music. I was in a record store in San Diego in the mid-90s and one of the clerks was playing it on the stereo. Face melted, I bought the CD, which led me to more Luv N' Haight and other rare groove reissues. From there I followed the inevitable path to seeking out original music on vinyl, and here we are today.
I remember the Popcorn parties at Milk, the one or two that I made it up to was the first time I met a lot of people on this board in person, including Matthew Africa.
Matthew and Serg's Stay Hatin' podcast is one of the funniest things in my subscription cue. For content reasons, I have to rock it on headphones in lab, so my coworkers probably wonder why I randomly burst out laughing.
My favorite on-line memory is in the Raer Mixtapes Thread, Matthew posted a picture of his pile of radio show tapes, carefully stacked:
I hope that pile still exists somewhere.
photo credit Ross Hogg
That is awesome.
I have no idea a) what I was talking about in that thread or b) why I was even posting in that thread but GODDAMN I MISS THOSE DAYS.
I love you all. Really I do.
That realization is hurting me something terrible right now.
I always loved his mixes. He had exquisite taste in music. Had so much knowledge. What
a tragic way to go. He was always five years (late correction, after reading up about his
time at Groove Merchant;: 20 yrs) ahead of me in music. Things that I just
discovered he knew of and rocked out to for some time (and was actually the catalyst for
said records to ever be reissued or rescued from obscurity). This guy put me onto some
really good records (late correction: lifetime understatement for me). Obscure 45's.
Raers. Soul-side's pointed me to his blog years ago and I would frequently drop in to see
what he was up to.
Breakself & Africa, two heavyweights, gone so fast. Life is so short. He was only 40. Not
much older than myself. My prayers are with his wife and family. I hope she recovers.
Did he have children?
For me personally, this year I have lost so many close friends, relatives and people in the
record diggin community that I admire and respect. Makes me humble and grateful for the
life I have. And it makes me mindful to make the most of the time that I have left. Some
of the things that people argue and fight over seem so petty now. There are things that
I have done and said as younger man that give me pause now and I can't believe I ever
thought or acted that way. I continually find myself saying things that my parents and elders
would say that I would mock or rebel to as a smart-aleck kid. Indeed, how the ever compiling
trips around the sun can bestow wisdom to one. Cliche, I know, but I wish we could all just
get along and treat each other with respect and love because none of us know when I number
will come up. For someone that I only knew from cyberspace this death really hurts and
touches me. Man I will miss you Matthew Africa. Thanks for all the record knowledge you
shared and the music and edits you did that I will continue to cherish.
P.S. Didn't know the dude was a lawyer. This explains how he had the dough for all those
raers. Us poor guys really envy his collection. I really hope his records find a home with a good
collector or friend that will honor his memory. Not just boxed up and put in a dusty attic or
hastily auctioned off at a flea market.
:(
As it happens I just found an email he sent me back in December about Soul Boulders 2 which I missed at the time for some reason, and he had kindly included instructions about how to rip the 40 odd tracks into a single mp3 file, and I "didn't need to pay twice". I did pay twice, such was my respect for him & Josh and what they had created, but that ain't no thing. RIP.
RIP to a fellow Strutter.
A few years ago, having guest-blogged a couple of times at Noz's cocaineblunts site on the topic, I decided to try and start fully documenting the Bay Area underground scene that I had been a part of in the 90s, ultimately with the aim of making it into a book. I talked to Matthew about it, as I did with other friends such as Oliver, Noz himself, Zvi, Billy Jam, and my old partner Bas, who goes way back in the Oakland scene and who I've since worked with very closely. I knew how deep Matthew was, but I don't think I realized how much better of a writer he was than me. I should've been far more humble than I think I was in reaching out to him, but he was ready to help - connecting me with people, fleshing out ideas, coolly pointing out blind spots (as was his way). He was the one that should have been writing about this stuff, but he never said that. As has been testified to elsewhere, Matthew had absolutely no need to lord anything over anyone. He was not only secure in himself, but eager to share. This in a world where everybody plays their proverbial cards close to the chest, be they records, connections, even basic ideas.
Funny thing is, Matthew hated that underground shit. "Dirt hustlers", he'd call us, pejoratively. He very much disliked the strong arm tactics that certain groups employed to get their stuff on KALX; he thought the beats were sloppy, the rhymes average at best, and he was unforgiving of the poor recording quality that was a mark of pride for some. I couldn't wait to get it all on tape; aided by a couple decades' worth of hindsight, I could laugh at myself, and laugh at his harsh but candid assessment of the scene. We always laughed a lot when we rapped about this stuff, I loved his dry humor, his sarcasm, and sense of irony. I was excited to pick his brain on a whole host of things. I'll never get to do that interview.
now we agreed to disagree, but he definitely had me laughing the whole time.
-e
One thing about Matt is that he would always tell it like he saw it. I remember the days of KALX when I first started as a little dude learning how to do radio shows when he wrote a bad review of the Mystic Journeymen's 4001 EP in the station's copy. He said the beats sounded sloppy etc etc and the Mystic Journeymen caught wind of his review and their backlash towards him ensued. He was just being honest haha that was Matt. He never watered down anything and was always down to talk music with you if you'd ask him. He went out of his way once to send me a couple label scans of a record that I was trying to confirm was authentic and not a bootleg. That was the type of dude he was and he'll be greatly missed! Since yesterday after hearing the sad news I keep thinking about those days at KALX and at the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition/ABB offices where we'd run into each other at different meetings or events like the Gang Starr appearence. Or running into each other at the record store. And it's sad to think about not ever seeing him around anymore. That one of our own is gone. It's very sad. My condolences to those friends of mine that really knew him better than I ever did. Who spent a lot of their days with him building on music and life. I can only imagine the pain they are going through. I hope his wife recovers and finds peace. Truly sad. Peaceful journey Matthew. Gone but never forgotten.
One thing about Matt is that he would always tell it like he saw it. I remember the days of KALX when I first started as a little dude learning how to do radio shows when he wrote a bad review of the Mystic Journeymen's 4001 EP in the station's copy. He said the beats sounded sloppy etc etc and the Mystic Journeymen caught wind of his review and their backlash towards him ensued. He was just being honest haha that was Matt. He never watered down anything and was always down to talk music with you if you'd ask him. He went out of his way once to send me a couple label scans of a record that I was trying to confirm was authentic and not a bootleg. That was the type of dude he was and he'll be greatly missed! Since yesterday after hearing the sad news I keep thinking about those days at KALX and at the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition/ABB offices where we'd run into each other at different meetings or events like the Gang Starr appearence. Or running into each other at the record store. And it's sad to think about not ever seeing him around anymore. That one of our own is gone. It's very sad. My condolences to those friends of mine that really knew him better than I ever did. Who spent a lot of their days with him building on music and life. I can only imagine the pain they are going through. I hope his wife recovers and finds peace. Truly sad. Peaceful journey Matthew. Gone but never forgotten.
I wish we had better news to reunite us all. It's funny to think we've all been linked together by this funny site for a decade. No matter the distance, we've all been touched by each other's conversations, insights, humour, put downs, musical output, etc.
Soul Boulders 2 is one of the best mixes to have fallen out of this Soulstrut lexicon.
Well wishes for Matthew's family and friends in this trying moment. Rest in peace.
One day he brought me to a small out of town record show and we both cam up on some things...my finds were more of the known variety ( i found an eddie russ fresh out for $3! and a cool soul record on dobre) while Matthew meticulously pulled unknown objects and rolled them around on his portable. back at his place he asked about the dobre joint and i stingily didnt pick up on his interest in it. the next day it occurred to me that he wanted it so i called him and offered the record to him. he politely declined and that was that and i felt like a grippy jerk. i swore next time he wanted a record, it would be his.
fast forward to the present. 4-5 months ago i was bored and looking on ebay for weird small label records when one of the records Matthew had found at that show popped into my head. I remembered the goofy cover and the moments of funk and flavor contained within, but had no clue what the title or artist was. So i wrote to MAtthew, honestly with little hope that he would remember. "aah," he said, "red cover, and a couple on bikes." i hoped to receive a follow up message with information on how i could start tracking the thing down. ten days later, i receive an unexpected and unsolicited package in the mail:
recently, i found a lovely copy of the Too Brown LP...a nice philly random rap record with a cut "Eerie Avenue is the Promised Land" that several years ago Matthew had told me he was looking for. i was excited to finally atone for my past sins and i sent it out to him. he got it two weeks ago and replied "I especially love that "Sound of Germantown" sticker on the shrink-- such a dope Philly touch. Anything I can send your way that'll make your day like that?"
it amazed me that he even felt a need to return a record, considering all his prior generosity. so of course i declined. but this guy, who ive only been in the presence of a handful of times, and with whom i enjoyed only scattered internet conversations over the years, always made me feel like a friend. it was always on my bucket list to get to know him better, but i put it off too long. he definitely put me up on some music, but also set some good examples on how to carry myself in the world
I've never had the pleasure to meet him in person but he was one of the most well respected digger / DJs / Strutter that I can think of. I always enjoyed his posts on here as Mongo Slayed.
Matthew, rest in peace???. We will honor you any way we can.