Best Of Me (Closing Ceremonies)

(album: Greatful - 2016)

I remember camping in Green Valley Campground and Chris Joyce played me Run DMC's "Tricky." It was the first rap song I ever heard and I fell in love with it quick. Started writing' some really bad rhymes that I thought were really, really clever with my friends Quincy Brown, Scott Brown, AJ White and Matt McDougall. My first manager was Derek Lejeune and that lasted one afternoon but he got me my first show at a place called Café au Lait. That was May 12th, 1995. I met Jorun at that show, and he introduced me to the hip-hop scene in Halifax from Universal Soul, Nathan C, Flexman, Papa Grand, Skillz, Hip Club Grove, Shy Love and Buck 65. Jo also taught me how to make beats on the sampler I bought from SIXTOO and around '99 I started producing for different people: J-Bizzy, J-Bru, Spesh K, Bonshah and anyone looking for beats
Eventually I started to group with who I thought were some of the best in the city: White Mic, Nathan C, Marvin Upshaw, Short Shane (rest in peace), Dean Lucas, Dj LooneyTunes, Mark Mirage, and Knucklehead, who you might know as Tyrone from Trailer Park Boys. We even had a manager, this guy named Martin Finch. While I was doing this group thing I was still always doing my solo stuff and around 2000 Brian Cane from Ottawa, who was helping manage me, got me a small independent deal with this label called UrbNet Records, which is ran by Darryl Rodway, it was the first time I had my music out on the national level. Around that time I started doing my first real tour, played a lotta smaller venues, pits and legions, some grimy venues. I remember this place called the Embassy Hotel in London, had some great shows there
Jason Bruce, a.k.a. J-Bru was on tour with me back then and he toured with me for almost 10 years after that. Eventually my brother Mike Boyd came on tour too, cause I was producing for him and he was rhyming. We had a few different DJs, CandyMan, Tech12, but I eventually hooked up with this guy named Brian Pelrine, a.k.a. Dj IV, who was a young DJ on the come up. Had some good times back then, and all these people from my past brought out the best of me now

[David Myles:]
The best of me now
The best of me now
Best of me now

Around 2005, a guy named Craig McMillan was booking up shows for me, I was back to managing myself so he started helping me out with that a bit. I was also working with this guy named Chad Hatcher and Jordan Croucher, who you might know as JRD. They did a lotta touring with us back then, I was doing a lot of music and producing for them. I even started my own label and signed them both cause I just loved the music we we're making and wanted to get it out. Around 2006, I met my fifth and final manager, Jason Murray, he was really the first real manager I had and everything changed and became 100 percent easier to focus on my music. He got me my first major label deal through Sony Music, shoutout to Dave Harris, Shawn Corner and Shane. The tours got bigger, thanks to Jason Furmen and Tom Canton and after Sony I started working with J.P. and Randy Lennox from Universal. Also added a couple more people to my tour crew. My youngest brother Jake Boyd started playing guitar for me, Shawn Thunder started playing drums, but Shawn was in couple bands so after about a year I had to get another drummer, Marc Shinski. I got my own sound guy and tour manager, Elijah Walsh, made sure these shows were all gonna sound good. I was also blessed over the years to work with some of the best directors in the country, like Harve, Ar T [?], Cazh [?], and the MacDonald brothers Luke and Nick
Around 2010, I started working with a guy by the name of David Myles, whose actually playing guitar on this
Dave say what's up man!
Heeey, heeey, heeey
I produced some stuff for him and he did a few songs on my album like Day Doesn't Die and Inner Ninja, which became my biggest song I ever did. There's actually a lotta guys over the years that helped me out with my music, I always made my beats but I always needed someone who could play guitar or bass or even just give me some advice and helping me out. Guys like Jim Mullen, Glen MacDonnell, Neil Danning, Mark Pellizzer, who went on to have the #1 single in the world, Rude with his band MAGIC!
Dan Weston, Hi Huyhn, Playboy and Quake, Josh Van Tastle, Ria Mae, David Christensen, Mark Hamilton, Billy Parks, Matt Joyce, Scott Bradley, Nick Horn, Mark Perry, Greg Munden, Ian Stainger, Julie Hoffman and my break dancers, Tony McCool, Bernie Bermunda and B. Solo
All these people from my past bring out the best of me now

[David Myles:]
The best of me now
The best of me now
Best of me now

Now I'm on my fifteenth album, which could be my last, but I do say that after every album. I'm sitting here back in Enfield, I been working on this thing for like nine months now, I barely left my home, stopped touring and stopped doing shows and just stayed here and worked on this album in the garage of my place so I could be close to my kids. I wear the same jogging pants everyday, I haven't shaved, my computer only works right sometimes, but I'm getting there. I gotta thank all the unofficial executive producers of this album that would help me out when I got confused and couldn't decide what beat to rhyme on or which verses I liked. My brother Mike, Simon Benell, Dj IV, Jason Murray, White Mic, K.I., J-Bru and Elijah. Big thanks to my family, my parents Mike and Cathy Boyd, my parents-in-law, Ron and Lynn Gallant, Chris Gallant, my sister Leah and Craig Hopewell, Mike's wife Sarah and all of my nephews and nieces and cousins. And of course, my wife Kim, and three daughters, Kayla, Taylor and Emma, you all bring out the best of me. Thank you

[David Myles:]
The best of me now
The best of me now
Best of me now