Lite on Thurman Ave.

So many people have been blessed to be a part of the gatherings on Thurman Avenue. I  had to take an opportunity to find out what Lite and his home are all about. But before I was even able to get this interview underway Lite is stopping me to ask if I wanted a drink or some food, as if he can’t be comfortable unless I am.

After I am fully  situated with my glass of Hawaiian Punch I am able to get a tour of his philosophy, his place, and where all the hospitality comes from.

Ceremonies mastered by Dominik “Lite” Franklin.

I suppose the first thing you have to realize is how easy he is in his space. Lite is a Thurman Ave native. Being raised in an area can give you the kind of settled comfort that allows you to open it up to people with out worry. “Actually  [my grandmother] just moved out yesterday.” She lived in the front house of the address and his grandfather owned decd. this property and several other units close by.

Every so often Charlie Cool Roy invites a few friends over to eat, drink, and be merry but its not all about the party. Relationships have been birthed here, artistic collaborations as well, music video shoots, and its also the place where his own work is created.

He is a daydreamer. Some people stare off into space with their brain on idle, Lite uses this tool to visualize his words, prepare his stories, and collect his thoughts. “Wherever the music takes me, that’s where I begin to create in my head.” Life is all a bunch of stories and it’s these stories that inspire his material. Stories of money, escapades, and love, a reoccurring theme in his music. If you know him then you’ve seen the hearts. Rappers aren’t know for their love but he has a collection of heart chains he wears, and wears out. If you ask him he may tell you any number of things to quench your curiosity but the original charm was a gift from a dear friend who had fallen ill to a heart condition and has now past. It symbolizes their friendship and has come to represent other forms of love in his life.

Attend any of his shows you will hear people screaming out “Lite”, close friends may only call him “Dominik”,  his monikers also include, “The Beautiful Loser”, and ” Cool Roy”   on tracks you may also hear of “Charles Cool Roy”. Most of them are nick names and often  given to him by women, his mother calls him “Charlie Tuna”.

Lite’s abode on Thurman is a place where different crowds can come and interact, mingle, converse, and build connections. “I like the fact that people can relax here… they just come to chill… it’s a family atmosphere and everyone can feel comfortable.”

You think a place is just a structure;  walls, ceilings, and carpet but it can be made into a sanctuary for good people and good times. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Lite, and attending one of his gatherings I would offer that it is a place you would want to get to if you can, You will leave a better person than you came and will have shared an experience and tradition that will last in your memory for years to come.

I thank Lite for extending himself, his music, and his home to all of us and look forward to the next time I we meet. See you on Thurman Ave.

Lite’s contacts:  www.coolroysays.com , twitter.com/CoolRoySays , myspace.com/thelite