Redemption – “Yesterday and Today”

Last weekend, my family observed life on both ends of its spectrum – birth and death. My mother’s family celebrated my grandmother’s 90th birthday, while my father’s family had a homegoing for my 11-year-old cousin; both on the same day. Later that day, I got into an argument with my brother. In addition to everyday situations, I find myself putting life into perspective daily.

Later that night, I reflected back to a song I had played that morning that helps me refocus when my vision is blurry. Then, I began thinking of similar songs that inspire introspection and positive reinforcement. I actually had a brief mixtape series of conscious hip-hop called “Thought Process” (thanks, OutKast), of which I should probably reboot. But, I digress.

So, that morning I went for a walk while listening to music (of course). I was playing Jay Rock’s album “Redemption”. As much as I love the whole album, the title cut speaks to me the loudest. Life is full of mistakes. Sometimes we’re the ones making them. At other times, we’re on the receiving end of someone else’s. Either way, it’s helpful to learn from them. This song addresses this matter poignantly as Jay Rock talks about a second chance at life after a motorcycle accident. As someone who thinks about mortality often, I know that every day is chance to be better and to live the life you were meant to live. Most importantly, embrace what can’t be replaced.

By now, some people may know that Murs is one of my favorite emcees. This is because his songs are what you could put into the “life music” category; music to which the average person can relate. Arrested Development might have created the term, but Murs exemplifies it more than most artists.

Two of his best examples of redemption are “Yesterday and Today” and “Everything”. In the former, he talks of going from a “bona fide hustler” on the street to dealing with cubicle drama. When hustling led to being arrested, he illustrates he “could’ve cried thinking now I’d miss my son being born. But I was blessed, beat the case now I’m trying to reform”. Who else writes like that? Another line resonated with me, when he says “time waits for no man, and tomorrow’s not promised. So if she’s still alive shoot a call to your mama”. This is something I typically do everyday; call my mom and dad…even when we live next door. I think like this because tomorrow definitely is not promised. The latter focuses on not giving up on yourself when it feels like almost everyone around you has. I know this song has helped at times when I’ve wanted to give up on life. The song also not only encourages us to accept life as blessing, but for us to be a blessing to others. I read a quote somewhere that offers something to the effect that we should leave a situation or atmosphere better than how we came into it.

With that being said, make the most of your time. If possible, spend time with loved ones and relish it. If physically being with them is not possible, call, text, or video chat – whatever it takes to make that connection. We don’t always get a second chance in life. As John Mayer sang, “say what you need to say”. As corny or sappy as that may sound, it’s true. The older I get, the more inclined I am to do just that. If I love someone, I make it a point to tell them or show them. If I’ve been hurt or hurt someone, I address it or apologize. Whatever it is, make it right or at least make it better. We’re all far from perfect, but we can strive to make progress every day. Whether we realize it or not, we’re often striving to redeem ourselves somehow. Cee-Lo Green sums it up on Outkast’s “Reset” to “recognize and realize before any regretting / before you relapse, perhaps you’ll consider resetting”. Because really, all we have is yesterday and today.

Murs – Over the Odyysey Tour

Last night, I almost talked myself ouf of having one of the best concert experiences in my life. Since it was Mother’s Day, I thought about staying home to cook for my mom, even though I had a ticket to see one of my favorite emcees – Murs. My mom told me to go ahead and enjoy my night, since we had already spent the day together and didn’t want me to waste my ticket. Well, mother knows best (as usual).

As much as I’m tired of emcee rankings (no one is ever going to agree on this anyway), Murs is one of my top 5. I was introduced to his album The End of the Beginning around 2007, along some other Definitive Jux artists (including Blueprint, Cannibal Ox, and label owner and future Run The Jewels member El-P). Since then, I’ve been a fan because his content is relatable to the average listener; the college student, the 9-to-5er, the homie in the hood who just came home, the indie artist, or the person in a jacked-up relationship – all trying to figure life out. When he performed here previously, I regretfully missed it. However, this performance more than made up for it.

Also joining Murs on the Over the Odyssey Tour was fellow West Coast emcees Locksmith (Richmond) and Cojo (Los Angeles). Local opening acts were BC, Jon Ditty, and Louis Junior. BC is an emcee and host of Hip Hop Flavors at WMNF 88.5 FM. Ditty has been building his career since 2006 and is the founder of the Dunedin Lyricist Society. Check out “Read Before Listening” if you get a chance. Soon-to-be-legend Louis Junior stepped up next to round out the first set. His latest release was ranked as one of the best local albums of 2018. All three performed lyrical gymnastics worthy of gold medals. This was my first time hearing them but I look forward to staying up on their projects.

After a brief intermission, Cojo took the stage. When you talk about independent grind, this is it! Before and after Cojo performed, he was working the merch table. During his performance, Murs was holding the merch in his absence. If anything I can say about Cojo, is that he represents traditional West Coast Hip Hop but remains refreshing. I refrain from calling his style Gangsta Rap because it wasn’t overly violent but it definitely has that O.G. feel, but with low-key charisma. With only one album under his belt, I definitely see his potential with standout tracks like “Block Boy”, “Black Magic”, “Superfly”, “Status” and the TLC-sampled “Waterfalls”.

Locksmith was a name that I’ve been hearing tossed around for a few years. But I’ll admit, I was sleeping on him. In my defense, I was probably confusing him with a producer with the same or similar name (Locsmif). With the dexterity of a lyrical giant, this guy is definitely worth a listen. Coming from Northern California, you’d expect to hear some player/pimp/hyphy-type vibe. His songs are exposing; speaking on the loss of cousin and mother, being sexually abused as a child, and dealing with racism. From his lengthy catalog, he gave us joints like “Everything”, “Fuck Love”, “Tell Me S–t”, and “10KONDRMS”…before the almost-confrontation with an audience member. While Locksmith was mingling with the crowd during his set, someone (probably drunk) mistook Lock’s praise of Tampa as disrespect. After that was squashed peacefully, he got into “Nobody” and a few other songs. I didn’t know his music before the show, but I’ve since taken time to get familiar. I suggest you do the same.

Back in 1999, Murs said on “Rap Above” that an emcee is supposed to have talent, content, charisma, and delivery. He possesses all four, which has led to his longevity of 22 years in Hip-Hop. That’s right, Murs debuted in 1997 with his album F’Real and some people are still sleeping on him. I myself was late, hearing his 2003 release The End of the Beginning around 2007. However, I’ve been trying to keep up with every project he’s done ever since. His content has always been authentic and revealing, and his latest release A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable is probably his most honest project yet; discussing his divorce, the loss of his child, his new marriage, and mental health. THIS is why I like Murs.

After Locksmith, Murs stepped on stage without fanfare or a lengthy introduction – it was actually quite casually announced. However, his performance is far from casual or lethargic. Dude is high-energy from start to finish; randomly doing the Running Man dance while rhyming or jumping mid-air like a gymnast doing a floor routine. With a ton of classics under his belt, he kicked it off with the poignant “Walk Like a Man”. From there he went into other classics like “3:16”, “Bad Man”, Better Than the Best”, “I Used to Love Her (Again).”, Yesterday and Today” and “Break Up”. I could list the entire set list (since I got a copy of the set list and the songs are etched in my brain already), but you really had to be there. At one point, he challenged us to name our favorite rapper. After a slew of names were tossed at him, he topped them all by naming the Fresh Prince himself Will Smith as the dopest, yet slept-on emcee ever. Then, he performed (along with the crowd) the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Murs does a great job of interacting with the crowd. During one moment, he elaborated on one of my favorite songs “Okey Dog”. He explained that this song is based on a real friend that actually made up gang sets to piss off rival gangs. Following “Okey Dog”, he brought Locksmith back onstage to perform “Stars”. Next was “Melancholy” from his latest album. This song is probably the most revealing about his recent personal trials and tribulations. Finally, and rightfully so, Murs closed with his uplifting anthem (and my utmost favorite of his catalog) “Everything”.

Like I said, I missed his last performance here but I’m grateful to have caught this show. After the show, at the merch table again, I ran into to the music director (pianist/singer) from my church and his wife, who is a wonderful vocalist herself. Talking to them, I find out that she’s Murs’ COUSIN! Seeing my face light up, she introduced me to him again and we took a pic together and he (and the rest of the artists) autographed his promo poster I snatched from the club’s wall. I never ask for autographs, and never take photos with celebrities…but for some reason, it worked out that way last night. I’d say that’s not a bad night at all.

The Influence of Hip-Hop and Gang Culture – “Fakin’ Like Gangsters”

Lately, I’ve been watching interviews of some of my favorite artists on Drink Champs. For those that don’t know, Drink Champs is a podcast hosted by emcee Noreaga (aka N.O.R.E. or simply Nore) and DJ EFN that honors hip-hop legends. I knew about the show about 3 years ago, but just got into it recently on Revolt TV; then lately found more episodes on YouTube.

One of my favorites is the episode featuring West Coast O.G. and hip-hop icon Ice-T. At some point, Nore (who’s from Queens, New York) asked Ice his opinion on gang culture in New York. He paused then proceeded to state that while he respects anyone with a gun, he inferred that gangs outside of California are not authentic to their roots and questioned their purpose.

I have to agree. And before anyone applies that logic to West Coast gangs. Let’s look at how gangs started there, and how they flourished on the East Coast long after most of their gangs had dissolved. California gangs were initially community groups created in the vein of the Black Panther Party of Oakland. After the BPP fell apart, these community groups lost their direction and began to prey on the neighborhoods they initially sought to protect. Those groups, some knowns as CRIPS (initially known as CRIBS according to some accounts), began to spread. In order defend themselves, rival groups linked together and became known as Bloods. Once the crack epidemic occurred, West Coast gang members began travelling to other areas of the United States to double or even triple their profits. Some locals in those new areas became allies of these traveling gang members, even taking on the names of their sets. Fast-forward to today, there are now Bloods and Crips in areas that previously didn’t have such activity, such as New York, Kansas City, Denver, and Atlanta to name a few.

In the late 80s and early 90s, people in New York and other regions couldn’t understand why California was gang-banging; fighting over colors and land you don’t own. Some hip-hop artists even made songs about it. Luke (Luther Campbell) had “F–k a Gang”, Run DMC mentioned it in “Run’s House”, and most notoriously Tim Dog had “F–k Compton”. Yes, other regions had inner city violence but not to L.A.’s level, with the exception of maybe Chicago and New Orleans. Ironically, New York had gangs back in the 70s, and some activity in the 80s and 90s with the Decepticons (including some members of the N.Y.-based Boot Camp Clik). Even hip-hop forefather Afrika Bambaataa was in the Black Spades – that’s no secret. That’s why he started the Zulu Nation to unite the youth of the inner city and curb gang violence. With the exception of the Decepticons, N.Y. gangs mostly died out by the 80s and gang culture seemed to be played-out by everyone except L.A. Until West Coast hip-hop blew up.

After the success of several West Coast acts like N.W.A. (and their affiliates: Snoop, D.O.C., Above the Law), DJ Quik, Tupac, and many others, gang culture became appealing to others outside of Cali or the hip-hop culture. You saw it in videos and wardrobe, and you heard it in music and lingo. Everyone from Tina Turner and Janet Jackson to Champ MC and Masta Ace (both of New York) were either riding in Chevy Impalas, wearing bandanas and sagging jeans, or using G-Funk music styles. Even the Dirty South did too, until we got our own thang in order (hallelujah). But when artists like Lil’ Wayne and Baby, or Cam’ron, Jim Jones and the Diplomats start aligning themselves with gang sets out of the blue (no pun intended), it just looks corny. It wasn’t until Mack 10 (an Inglewood Blood) briefly signed with Cash Money Records in the early 2000s, that Baby and Wayne started reppin’ red. Before that union, you didn’t see them doing that – check the early Cash Money videos and album covers. Like Luke’s song said back in 1992, some of y’all are “fakin’ like gangsters”. Let’s be honest, everybody bites off of somebody at some point – period. But when it affects real life, you have to stop and reevaluate who you are and what you stand for.

So, back to Ice-T and Drink Champs. He was talking about cats in New York (supposedly Bloods) were approaching him (a Crip) like they were fans. Understanding how gang culture really is, he explained that real gang members that are rivals do not have small talk with a supposed enemy. Further more, they were claiming streets and neighborhoods in L.A. that they had never even seen. He (again, a Crip) demonstrated to show these “rivals” how to throw up the “P” for Piru – since they were only aware of the “B” for Bloods. Excuse me? You don’t know your own hand signs? You were star struck and let an OG Crip school you on your own stuff? Ok then…whatever. Now, I’m not saying bang on Ice-T or any other rival faction on-sight – not by any means. I hope the truce after Nipsey Hussle’s death holds up permanently, across all states. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t represent something you know little about. Just because your O.G. cousin in Compton, Long Beach or Watts is down with your homies, doesn’t necessarily qualify you to be banging his set in a beef you know nothing about. If anything, put your connections to good use and build up our communities on both coasts and everywhere in between. The marathon continues.

The Return – “Right back at you”

Approximately one year ago, I abruptly stopped posting in this blog with no explanation. That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t completely stop writing, just didn’t finish the posts I would start. During that time, I was (and still am) knee-deep in graduate school and building my photography/design business. So, keeping up with the blog (research/writing/editing) became too much to maintain with an already full plate. Hence, the hiatus. I’m glad to say that ends today!

During my break, nothing much has changed except taking on more work with school and my business. I still get on the turntables, I still watch documentaries and read books on music, I still go to concerts, I still check for new artists, and I still salute the veterans. With that being said, I may occasionally post pieces that I was working on during my hiatus as a flashback. They may not have same impact to me since they’re from last year, but it might be new to you and I hope you enjoy them anyway.

This was supposed to be my annual New Year Music Resolutions post, but meh – just stick around to see what’s happening. For those that still follow, thanks. For those that might be visiting for the first, welcome – feel free to check out some of the older posts. For those that might not ever ever ever read this, whatever. So, stay tuned, and I’ll hit y’all up next month (if not sooner)!

Relocating Rappers – “Put Yo Hood Up”

Whenever my friends and I get together, the topic of Hip-Hop always comes up. One of our recent Hip-Hop convos centered around artists from Tampa who don’t claim the city; or rather mention it as a side note – looking at you Digital Underground. Then we started to debate about what qualifies someone to be a representative of an area.  Do they have to be born there? Do they have to have lived there for a certain amount of time? Did they get their big break there? So that led me to think about a few artists that claim a city that they aren’t really from. You might be surprised yourself.

Too Short – L.A. / Oakland – Known as one the ambassadors of Cali’s Bay Area, specifically Oakland, Short Dog is originally from Southern California. He moved to Oaktown during his childhood.

Ludacris – Chicago / Atlanta – One of the founders of the Dirty South movement is actually from Chi-town. After his parents divorced, Luda moved to ATL to be with his father while in his teens.

Gucci Mane – Bessemer / Atlanta – Gucci! Yep, the ice cream man himself (sorry Master P) is actually from somewhere besides Atlanta. Mr. Guwop is from Bessemer, Alabama; which is also the hometown of R&B icon Eddie Levert (O’jays) and NFL legend Bo Jackson.

2Pac – Harlem / Marin City – As most probably know by now, Tupac has East Coast roots. Even though he repped the West Coast haaard on the anthem “California Love” (and during his beef with Biggie), Pac is actually from East Harlem. He also spent some time in Baltimore, before transplanting to Marin City, CA.

Big Boi – Savannah / Atlanta – Daddy Fat Saxxx is one of the few artists that actually gives props to his hometown of West Savannah, GA. After moving to Atlanta, he joined Andre 3000 at Tri-Cities High School to form the Mighty “O”.

Digital Underground – Tampa-NY / Oakland – Though they claim the San Francisco/Oakland Area, Humpty and the crew actually have roots in Tampa and New York. Specifically, Shock G. and Kenny K are from New York, but spent a substantial amount of time in the other Bay Area down south. Kenny K even debuted Digital Underground on his local radio show 88.5FM in 1987 as “The Four Horsemen”.

Plies – Ft. Myers / Tampa – The goon of all goons is originally from Fort Myers. In addition to his residence being there, he’s been known to shoot videos and get arrested (not at the same time) in Tampa.

Speech (Arrested Development) – Milwaukee / Atlanta – When you think of Arrested Development, you probably think ATL shawty. But the front man of the group is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

DJ Khaled – New Orleans / Miami – I remember reading an interview years ago that Lil’ Wayne or Juvenile gave. In it, they mentioned knowing DJ Khaled from New Orleans in the early days of Cash Money Records. Turn to 1998, Khaled moves to Miami and to my knowledge never speaks of the N.O. So, let the record show…not everybody repping 305 is really from the bottom – same goes for his T.S. affiliate Fat Joe.

KRS-One – Brooklyn /South Bronx – THE South Bronx representative, the one who practically put South Bronx on the map when he battled MC Shan, KRS-One was actually born Brooklyn.

Ice T – New Jersey / Los Angeles – Real hip-hop fans should know this by now. OG Iceberg was born and lived in New Jersey. After both of his parents died, he went to live with an aunt in Los Angeles during his teens.

2 Live Crew  – California/Miami – The only true Miamian in the group was the leader Luke Skyywalker (aka Uncle Luke).  Along with Amazing Vee, Treach DJ Mr. Mixx and Fresh Kid Ice formed the group in Riverside, CA while in the Air Force. After Amazing Vee left, Brother Marquis joined to complete the legendary lineup. Mixx is from CA, Marquis is from NY, and Fresh Kid Ice is from Trinidad-Tobago.

Black Violin – Classical Boom Tour

When you combine the bass of Uncle Luke, the strings of Vivaldi, with the grittiness of Wu-Tang Clan, you get Black Violin. If you haven’t checked these brothers out yet, you’re so so late….like really late. Before releasing their eponymous debut album in 2008, the duo had performed with Alicia Keys in 2004, and won the talent show at Showtime at the Apollo in 2005.  They followed up the Black Violin album with Classically Trained in 2012, and Stereotypes in 2015.

Black Violin performing “A-Flat”

Black Violin performing “Thinking out loud”/”Sexual Healing” medley

I first heard about  in 2015 from a friend, A few weeks before they came to Tampa. I listened to their music, then saw them perform and was blown away.  You can read about that here: Black Violin – “Classically Trained”. Somehow, I missed their 2016 Unity Tour, but I made sure to catch them on their current Classical Boom Tour. Joined again by drummer Nat Stokes and DJ SPS, Wil B and Kev Marcus definitely did not disappoint.

Black Violin performing “Dirty Orchestra”

Black Violin’s Freestyle Session

With the stage blanketed in darkness, the band came onstage to rousing applause. After a brief introduction and shout out to the audience, they got into “The Mission” and few more selections. Since this was their first appearance in Tampa in a few years, they took a minute to reintroduce themselves to fans, both new and familiar. My mom and aunt were in attendance, so it was a pleasure seeing them enjoy themselves. I like that BV interacts with the audience; from cracking jokes to talking about their instruments. The latter led into the topic of stereotypes (hence, the album title), and how people perceived two young black men playing classical music. They let it be known that it is totally fine to be what others don’t expect you to be. In fact, it is something to be embraced.

DJ SPS set

Black Violin performing “Brandenburg”

They continued the show with what the familiar fans looked forward to, the improvised portion of the perform. Wil and Kev both took turns playing solo, followed by a drum solo and turntable wizardry from Stokes and SPS. After impressing the audience, the quartet departed leaving DJ SPS onstage to mix a medley of music. Upon their return, the group slowed the tempo with “Magic”, leading into an acoustic version of “Addiction” ; both from the 3rd album. Soon, the party was back on with cuts like “A-Flat”, “Virtuoso”, and my favorite “Brandenburg”.

Black Violin performing “Remember the Time”

Black Violin performing “Virtuoso”

After more interaction with the audience, Black Violin closed out their performance to a standing ovation. As expected, they returned to perform an encore of “Shaker”. Despite not featuring the DJ as much as they previously have (I noticed this on the Stereotypes album also), the performance was still tremendous. Again, if you EVER get the chance to see these brothers perform in concert, go see them!

 

 

 

 

 

2018 New Year Music Resolutions – “Work To Do”

So here we are again, another year ahead and more posts to write. Late last year, I was a little inconsistent with my writing. I went back to school in August to pursue a Master’s degree in the Digital Journalism and Design program at my alma mater, the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!). Also, I was building my photography/design business, doing more projects than the previous year. Therefore, my schedule has been thrown off somewhat. But with diligence and hopefully better planning, I’ll get back on track. With that being saying, here are a few things I’m looking forward to executing this year.

First, I plan to attend more events featuring local artists. After attending a concert at the Crowbar, a local favorite for real hip-hop talent, I caught the performances of some acts from the area, including Dynasty, Jinx, Mike Mass, and Da Villianz . After hearing about them for a few years, it was definitely a pleasure to see them live. I even started following them on social media. I also began to follow some regional visual artists and painters like Illsol (Michelle Sawyer & Tony Krol), Chad Mize, Tes One, Jujmo, Bask, and Yvonne Ferg.  With the growing number of artists in the area, there’s always an event worth checking out…so I will.

Next on my list (I hate lists, usually) is to listen to a new or unfamiliar artist at least once a month. As much as we true hip-hop heads complain about the lack of talent available these days, there is always someone worth checking out. As a DJ, I feel that it’s an obligation to listen to as much music as possible, especially something that could be a part of the next big wave of great music to be shared with the world.  Being that I listen to more than just rap music, I tend to be more open-minded than the average music fan. So, I hope to keep you all posted with discoveries that will freshen up your playlists.

This resolution isn’t really a new one, but I hope to do more of it this year – and that’s concerts! Yep, if you know me by now, you know I love going to live shows (see first paragraph). Last year, I got to see Run the Jewels (again), Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and Kendrick Lamar (again). 2017 was a slump compared to the previous two years or so. Like I said, a lot has been going on lately. So stayed tuned throughout the year for my posts here and on Instagram for what’s happening!

Kendrick Lamar – The DAMN Tour

The DAMN Tour hits Tampa, FL

Kung Fu Kenny. If this name means nothing to you, you’ve been under a big ass rock for some time now. You might know him better as K. Dot, Cornrow Kenny, or simply Kendrick. If you’re like me, you might have been wondering “why all the aliases?” or “what’s the difference?” Well, Kendrick Lamar has been a rising phenome since 2011 when he released his debut “Section.80”. This is when I first heard him, on The Game’s track “The City”. Since then, he has continued to evolve as an artist with every project. Hence, the nicknames. During the Section.80 and Good Kid, Maad City projects, we saw K. Dot. During To Pimp A Butterfly and Untitled: Unmastered, we saw Cornrow Kenny. Now, with the release of his latest masterpiece DAMN., we get to meet Kung Fu Kenny. And meet him, we did.

Last night, Kung Fu Kenny brought his Turtle Style technique to the Amalie Arena and definitely did not disappoint. Complete with a wide stage-length video screen, martial artists, lots of lights, pyrotechnics, and pure talent, the DAMN show was amazing! Being a fan of martial arts movies, I was geeked. Not since the Wu-tang Clan have I seen a Hip-Hop act mesh music and martial arts so creatively. I was in the building the last time he performed at the Amalie, opening for Kanye West on the Yeezus tour. I also had a chance to see him before then (around 2012) at the Ritz in Ybor City, but I regretfully missed that show. But, I digress. On the Yeezus tour, Kendrick’s stage setup included a backup band that was placed in front of the video screens. This was a distraction as he took us through a virtual tour of Compton. This time, the stage was totally cleared except for him and the occasional martial artists during an interlude. This gave us an uninterrupted view of kung fu movie-styled battle scenes of Kung Fu Kenny against some type of evil-looking “lord emperor” type of arch-nemesis. I don’t know if Kendrick is really studying martial arts, or just learned enough for this tour, but it was dope! It would be cool to see him team with someone like RZA to do a complete audiovisual project, I’m just sayin’ (I hope you’re reading this Top Dawg Entertainment…Wu-Tang Clan? Get on it).

Just like that, the Amalie Arena becomes a strip club!

Before Kendrick took the stage, he was preceded by D.R.A.M. and fellow Compton native (and Treetop Piru Blood gang affiliate) YG aka YG 400. I didn’t get to see D.R.A.M, not that I really know his music. But I’ll give anyone a chance, especially in concert. Tickets cost money and you might as well get to see everybody on the bill to perform. YG, however, I was hoping to catch. I knew a couple of songs like the West Coast anthem “Twist My Fingaz”, and “My N—“. During “Pop it, Shake it”, damu turned the stage into a strip club, reminiscent of Luke and the 2 Live Crew. After he stepped off stage, an very real-looking and sounding Donald Trump impersonator came out talking his standard trash. For entertainment purposes, the jokes were really over the top sexually and racially, but the points hit home – trademark Donald Trump. Responding to that, YG performed his joint “FDT” or “f–k Donald Trump, which we ALL chanted.

Kung Fu Kenny definitely gives a DAMN.

Kendrick’s set started with the first of the aforementioned battle scenes, mostly kung fu moves and poses. After it ended, the stage went dark. Then an explosive blast filled the place with howls and screams of startled excitement and applause! As the intro to “DNA” played, cheers escalated and it was on. He continued into the DAMN album with one of my favorites “Element”. After a quick shout out to Tampa, he took us back to my fave from TBAP, “King Kunta”. I wasn’t expecting him to perform this, but I was happy he did. From there, we jammed to “untitled 07”, the one I just call “Levitate”. Kung Fu Kenny proceeded to step into his featured appearances from Future’s “Mask Off” remix, and “Collard Greens” from his Black Hippy bandmate Schoolboy Q. To test the loyalty of his day-one fans, he took us back to GKMC and performed two definite crowd pleasers, “Drank” and “Backseat Freestyle”. To reward us for our loyalty, he performed the appropriately titled “Loyalty” which features Rihanna; and no, she wasn’t there (damn it). Keeping it at a mellow tempo, he followed up with “Lust” and GKMC’s “Money Trees”, which features Black Hippy brother Jay Rock; another dope emcee in his own right who gets way overlooked. And no, he wasn’t there but that’s cool. With the few well-placed kung-fu interludes, the show was moving along fluently. But then it was time to get grimey again, with the U2-assisted “XXX” and “Maad City”. The former was live and bouncy, but the latter got the crowd going bananas! It would’ve been sick had MC Eiht had come out to perform his part. Even still, the way Kendrick performed, he didn’t need any help. The remaining joints, “Love”, “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Alright” made the arena feel like a lovefest; not on the kumbaya tip, but still very euphoric. Regardless of the numerous concerts that I have attended, there’s something unifying about singing your favorite artist’s song with thousands of people. We rapped and sang like it was our damn show. It pretty much was our show as Kendrick led us to sing the words to “Humble”. The beat dropped, he rhymed….then he cut the music to have us finish it – allowing us to be him, if for only a few minutes. He then restarted and performed it himself. After thanking us, giving some love to Tampa, and showing appreciation for his team backstage, he was gone…but the lights didn’t come back on. And you know what that means. After chants of “Kendrick, Kendrick” went on for a several minutes, he reappeared to a roar from the crowd and performed “God”. He said a few more kinds words, urged us not to drink and drive, and was gone again to bless another city.

Check your DNA.

It still floors me that someone with roughly five years in the game has such an impressive catalog. Every album has been critically acclaimed, as well as approved by the streets. He has even been compared to Stevie Wonder during his definitive years. That’s usually reserved for someone like Prince. For him to come from the gang-infested streets of Compton (or Bompton for all the B-Dogs), to write and perform with as much passion and enlightenment as he does, and accomplish the success (on and off the stage) that he has, you have to be believe that he is one of the greatest icons of this generation. He’s the only person to have garnered 12 Grammy nominations in one night; second only to Michael Jackson who had 13. What else do you want in a reluctant celebrity? You’d want them to be humble, like Kendrick.

K. Dot, Cornrow Kenny, King Kunta, Kung Fu Kenny…Kendrick Lamar

DJ Producers – “Can you rock it like this?”

In hip-hop, there is a natural progression for the DJ to become a music producer. Historically, rap records were, and some still are, built upon samples from records. Typically, the DJ has always had more records, or access to a large variety of music and equipment, than anyone else. Therefore, the DJ often knew what breaks and beats to sample for hip-hop music production, and how to construct the songs.

Today, there are still DJ-turned-producers in the music industry. However, recently I came across a post on Instagram where one such DJ was posted online as the producer of some hit record. This got me thinking about DJ Mustard and DJ Snake, as well. No, I don’t know every DJ in the world, nor in America for that matter. But, it seems weird to me when people of whom I’ve never heard, much less heard them scratch a record (real or otherwise), claim to be DJs. My question is this, do any of these new DJ/Producers actually DJ…and not just press buttons? In this post, I’d like to give the spotlight to DJs-turned-Producers that inspired me. Unlike these new cats, they created classics (whether mainstream or underground) while flexing their turntable skills all the while.

Marley Marl – You can’t mention hip-hop music without mentioning the Juice Crew. And you can’t talk about the Juice Crew without its leader, DJ Marley Marl. As the producer, Marley Marl created the archetype that blossomed years later in hip-hop; individual artists united as a crew. Aside from Rick Rubin, Marley was one of the few New York producers that constantly incorporated a heavy TR808 kick drum in their music, in addition to supplying a lot of cuts and scratches for his artists.

Sir Jinx – When Ice Cube went solo from N.W.A., he enlisted the sonic production help of the Bomb Squad, who were at the top of the hip-hop production food chain at that time. However, at the helm of his production team was his longtime friend and DJ, Sir Jinx. Initially in The Stereo Crew, later named C.I.A. with Cube, Jinx has been the backbone of his homie’s career. Some of the best examples of his turntable work can be heard on Cube’s early albums, as well as Yo-Yo’s debut album.

DJ Premier – If you don’t know about DJ Premier by now, you cannot…seriously, you cannot call yourself a fan of Hip-Hop music. As one-half of the certified legendary duo Gang Starr, Preemo has laid a foundation of sound that almost every amateur hip-hop producer (especially ones that sample) has emulated at some point. Not only are his beats something of magic, but dude has nice hand skills on the turntables. I remember studying the scratches on classics like “Take it personal”, “Dwyck” and “Who’s gonna take the weight” like it was ’92 all over again.

Pete Rock – Along with producers like Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest), Butterfly (Digable Planets), and DJ Premier (Gang Starr), Pete Rock (of Pete Rock & CL Smooth) made rap fans turn to Jazz as a source of inspiration. Unless you played in the band in high school, you probably didn’t listen to Jazz as a teenager. However Pete had teens and amateur producers scouring their parents’ record collections and used-record bins, hoping to help create something new. Because of him, I started diggin’ Cal Tjader (look him up) and going back to my parents’ stash of artists that I didn’t fully appreciate before (Wes Montgomery, being one). Any PR/CL fan could tell you that the interludes were some of the best parts of their albums, offering delectable sampled breaks. However, Pete is also nice with his hands, scratching perfectly selected vocal samples, usually from classic Hip-Hop songs (noticeably, a lot of Juice Crew pieces). Appropriately so. As Heavy D’s cousin, Pete also earned his stripes learning under Juice Crew leader DJ Marley Marl. Talk about Hip-Hop royalty.

DJ Mike Fresh/DJ Toomp – T.I.’s dope boy fantasies hadn’t begun to develop when his future producer DJ Toomp was putting Atlanta on the map with his rhyme partner MC Shy D., and co-producer DJ Mike Fresh. Very few emcees had two DJs, that I remember. MC Hammer had DJ Redeem and The Lone Mixer, and before that Doug E. Fresh had DJ Chill Will and DJ Barry B. However, Mike Fresh and Toomp were the most impactful to me. While producing mega-classics for Shy D., Toomp and Fresh were also giving a clinic on how to scratch. These cats fitted right in with the DJs from Florida who were riding the Bass wave. After Shy D left Luke Records, Mike Fresh stayed to continue making hits and remixes for Luke’s roster. He’s still DJing across the U.S. Toomp…well you should know by now. Toomp became one of the premier producers of Hip-Hop after linking up with the King of the South and created a few anthems you might have heard of shawty.

Bomb Squad – Before they were the sonic statesmen for Public Enemy and Ice Cube, the legendary Bomb Squad were DJs. Yes, DJs. Known as the Spectrum City DJs, these guys rocked parties in Long Island, controlling the radio airwaves at Adelphi University where Chuck D. attended. Public Enemy actually formed out of Spectrum City. Since Hip-Hop records were very limited at that time, Chuck was recording his own songs with Spectrum to be played on their college radio show. This led to a deal with Def Jam, and the rest is history. The Bomb Squad went on to become the best production team ever…at least in Hip-Hop. No one person, or group, has yet matched the versatility of sounds that they patched together (Organized Noize comes close). Most likely, it’ll never be duplicated due to the cost of sampling in the current recording industry.

Mr. DJ – As a member of mighty, mighty Outkast, Mr. DJ obviously provided the cuts for most of their albums, except the double-opus Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. You might have noticed that his DJing was less applied as they progressed through their catalog. That was because he, along with Big Boi and Andre 3000, formed Earthtone III to produce their own albums. Music production then became his primary focus. His sound stamp can be found on many Dungeon Family classics, numerous Southern rap legends’ songs, as well as tracks by Lenny Kravitz and Mos Def. These days, the ATLien is still making dope songs and flexing his hand skills at his Camp David (his real name is David Sheats) studio compound in Georgia.

Dr. Dre/DJ Yella – Although Dre gets most of the attention out of the pair, I have to believe that Yella contributed just as much to the success of N.W.A. Otherwise, why would he even be in the group? As members of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, they contributed to the electro-funk sound that dominated the West Coast in the ’80s. There, we got to hear Dre (maybe Yella too) get busy on the turntables, but they flourished during the N.W.A. years in their DJ/producer roles. After N.W.A. disbanded, we got to hear Dre flex on The Chronic while Yella picked up the slack at Ruthless, working with Eazy-E, MC Ren and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Shortly thereafter, not much else was heard from these guys on the turntables.

DJ Quik – Mr. David Blake. Aside from Prince (RIP), this was and still is THE one person I would love to watch work in a studio. I would like to say that Quik is a triple threat; DJ, producer, and emcee. However, he’s damn good at engineering too. Now, how many producers do you know that can do all of that proficiently? Quik came out right after I started DJing myself, so I definitely listened to his scratching (which was pretty impressive). I have to credit that with him coming from Compton. West Coast DJs were much like Florida DJs in that their music was substantially up-tempo, so they had to be able to cut the record just as fast. That skill led to a lot of quick hands (no pun intended), Quik being one of the dopest. As for being a producer, I truly believe that this man is overlooked way too much. People often speak of Dr. Dre when it comes to producers from Cali, or just in general. However, Quik is better than Dre and any other solo Hip-Hop producer in my honest opinion. Check his catalog if you don’t believe me.

DJ Scratch – EPMD first had Diamond J, then K-La Boss, but they weren’t complete until they were introduced to DJ Scratch. While preparing to tour with the icons Run-DMC, DJ Jam Master Jay asked EPMD to take his homie DJ Scratch on tour as their DJ. After having two DJs already, Erick and Parrish were leery. Jay said that if it didn’t work out on tour, he would send Scratch home himself. Suffice it to say that DJ Scratch has been their DJ ever since. During his time with EPMD, he took part in producing some of their songs. However, he said that he was never credited for them. The only credit that I remember seeing was a co-production credit for “Funky Piano” on the Business As Usual album. That ode to Scratch, as does the rest of their albums, enabled us to get a glimpse at greatness. He stills continues to DJ (impressively), on top of expertly producing hip-hop hits. Another note I’ve always thought was interesting, is that his cousin is DJ Magic Mike.

Magic Mike – Being a native Floridian, I grew up on Bass music (aka Miami Bass). And the history of this genre would be incomplete without Orlando’s own DJ Magic Mike. Before he was 18, he was the DJ for Miami legend Beatmaster Clay D. (a dope producer in his own right). Like most of the artists, producers, and DJs of the Bass scene, which was underground and regional to the Southeast U.S., Mike wasn’t getting any acknowledgement or credit for his work. So he headed back to Orlando and started his own label, production company, and rap crew. I still find it amusing that I was admiring his skills with Clay D before I even knew who he was. But, when I started comparing his solo work with cuts he did with Clay D., I definitely could hear his style. Mike inspired me because not only is he one of the sickest DJs of that era, who also made killer beats, but he proved that you didn’t have to be from a major hub like Miami to be great.

Mr. Mixx – Probably one of the most influential producer/DJs in my life is Treach DJ Mr. Mixx, of the 2 Live Crew. True, most people only know 2 Live for their raunchy songs, but they did more than that. And Mr. Mixx is more than just a DJ. Producing the bulk of Luther Campbell’s artists in the ’80s and ’90s, he was to Luke Records (then Luke Skyywalker Records) what Mannie Fresh was to Cash Money Records. Basically he was Mannie before Mannie. Mixx was, and still is, a vicious DJ on the turntables. Before anyone else that I remember, Mixx was the best at cutting comedy or spoken records into rap songs, finding rhythm in something that most people overlooked.

DJ Jazzy Jeff – I was in Detroit on summer vacation in 1988. One of my older cousins who lived there drove my family to the airport so we could fly home. During the car ride, he did something that would change my life forever. He played DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Live at Union Square” performance. This performance was from 1986; two years prior! This goes to show how Jeff was ahead of his time. Along with DJ Cash Money, DJ Jazzy Jeff (both taught by DJ Grand Wizard Rasheen) and DJ Tat Money put Philly on the map for their turntable skills. Though I had heard Cash Money (with MC Marvelous), and would hear Tat Money later (with Kwame’), Jeff was the one that pushed me to think beyond what I had previously heard on the turntables. That routine had me mystified for years, as I tried to figure out how he did that. Later, Jeff would not only become the standard for other DJs, but he also became a well-respected producer; crafting hits for himself and the Fresh Prince, as well as other artists.

DJ Joe Cooley – Whenever the topic of my most influential DJs come up, I HAVE to mention Joe Cooley. He’s in my top 5; with Magic Mike, Jazzy Jeff, Mr. Mixx, and Jam Master Jay. Though I didn’t know it at the time, he was the first DJ from the West Coast that caught my attention. Truth be told, he and his partner Rodney O. (assisted by General Jeff) were the FIRST artists or group that I had heard from Compton back in 1986 (to my knowledge), before N.W.A. The West Coast and the South always had a connection when it came to Hip-Hop; our musical tastes were the same, and we were both shunned by New York. Rodney O. and Jeff’s self-produced music was 808-heavy, and usually shake-ya-booty fast or riding-in-the-car slow, with samples and beat breaks that we used in the South. As if that wasn’t dope enough, Jeff’s cuts were quick, clean, and very precise. Usually, back then, to get your scratches that sharp you had to use the line switch on your mixer; sometimes breaking it. Even still, it was difficult for most to get them to sound that sharp at 110+ beats-per-minute. Listen to “Supercuts” or “Cooley High” and recognize a real DJ.

Jam Master Jay – He was the person that made me want to be a DJ. He was the first one that I remember having a song dedicated to him, showcasing his skills. He was the one to influence, encourage, and educate many DJs that came after him. He was the late great DJ Jam Master Jay. Jay was a very integral part of Run-DMC; the soul, the backbone, or the glue if you will. Jay’s style led Run and D to dress like him, trademarking their wardrobe Steton hats, shelltoe Adidas (no laces), and all-black attire. While Jay might not have been known for battle-style DJing or fancy tricks, he definitely held his own on the turntables. Jay kept up with DJ trends as they evolved; always staying true to showmanship. What some people may not know is that he was also a drummer and producer, taking over the production helm from Rick Rubin and Larry Smith to produce Run-DMC’s music. He was a supporter of the upcoming generations. He started JMJ Records and signed artists like Onyx and 50 Cent (before the gunshot wounds made him famous). As mentioned previously, he introduced EPMD to DJ Scratch. He was a DJ, a producer, a husband, a father, a friend, a visionary, an entreprenuer, and an icon. Everyone in Hip-Hop loved him. I’m still heartbroken to think of what more Jay could have been, had someone not selfishly taken his life. His legacy will forever remain intact, and his son has followed in his footsteps to become an illustrious DJ himself. And no matter what, a smile comes across my face whenever “Peter Piper” comes on.

Music Biopics – “Lights, Camera, Action!”

Everyone likes to tell their story. This is especially so with music artists. Recently, Black Entertainment Television (BET) aired The New Edition Story; a biographical movie about the R&B superstars with whom my generation all grew up. Biopics are nothing new, we’ve seen it all before; Jimmy Hendrix, The Temptations, Tina Turner, Fantasia, Biggie, MC Hammer, TLC, Prince, Run DMC, and N.W.A. But then, someone posed this question on Facebook: Which movie was better, N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” or N.E.’s “The New Edition Story”. I never really thought about comparing the two since one is about an R&B group and the other is about a rap group. However, both films were very well done and had social media buzzing. Therefore, let’s analyze the two movies and maybe a couple others.

Years covered:

“Straight Outta Compton” starts by showing most of the original members during their late adolescence or early adulthood. “The New Edition Story” starts with the members meeting as children, and covered their lives until their 2015 BET Reunion; about 35 years. SOC only covered ten years of the lives of N.W.A., going from 1986 to about 1996

Length of movie:

The New Edition story was 6 hours long. I thought maybe 4 hours if you removed the TV commercials. However, according to imbd.com, the film was only 2 hours long. With so many members of New Edition, I was impressed that each person was highlighted in that amount of time. Impressively, the movie focused on the original group, as well as the spin-off/solo acts.

SOC was 2.5 hours; and 2.8 hours for the director’s cut. The original cut was 3 hours and 30 minutes long, and featured the assault on Dre’s assault on Dee Barnes; Dr. Dre getting shot in the leg, and a graphic flashback of Tyree; Dre’s younger brother. As I mentioned in my previous post about this movie, I would have liked to have seen MC Ren and Arabian Prince featured more. They also could have featured spin-off groups like JJ FAD, Westside Connection (Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC), Da Lench Mob, Yo-Yo, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Warren G, and Ren’s solo projects.

Cinematography:

The filming for both movies were awesome. F. Gary Gray is consistent for high-quality production, and the N.E. story gave him a run for his money. Considering that both movies featured stage performances, camera angles and lighting are very key points of which to be aware. From backstage episodes to studio scenes both were excellently crafted.

Acting:

The New Edition actors did a great job of acting, but with two sets of actors (children and adults) it took awhile for me to adjust and remember who was playing whom. As children, the NE actors didn’t look like the singers as I remembered them growing up. Even as adults, the Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe actors were the only ones that I thought somewhat resembled the real singers. However, I will give the actors credit for being able to sing and rap in real life. Around the time of the release, they were on the Sway in the Morning show on Sirius XM. They all took time out to freestyle and sing on live radio, and they were pretty dope! Finally, the choreography and interviews in the movie were strikingly exactly like the real thing. I also was glad to see Brooke Payne featured in the movie. He was often called the original “6th member” of New Edition. I remember seeing him in the “NE Heartbreak” video, but didn’t know who he was. Well, now I know.

With SOC, I felt like I was watching the real N.W.A. Being a die-hard fan, I know what I’m talking about here. Each one of the actors strongly resembled the group. Of course O’shea Jackson Jr. resembled Ice Cube…that’s his daddy. But Corey Hawkins (Dre), Jason Mitchell (Eazy), and Neil Brown Jr. (Yella) were spot-on as the younger N.W.A. Aldis Hodge (Ren) and Marlon Yates Jr. (DOC) were close enough for their roles. If you’ve ever listened to N.W.A. music or watched any interviews, you can tell the SOC actors studied their roles by perfecting the execution of mannerisms and voices.

Soundtrack/Score:

The N.E. musical backdrop pretty much went through their catalog of hits; from “Candy Girl” to “Hit Me Off”. It was nostalgic to hear some tunes that I forgot about. It made me remember a “Best Of” New Edition CD that I borrowed from an ex-girlfriend that I now wish I had kept. Watching this biopic made me realize that I was a fan all along, when I didn’t really consider that I was. I never cared much for Ralph, I didn’t know who Johnny was when he joined, and Bobby was Bobby. I was more of a Bell Biv DeVoe dude, or so I thought. But hearing their songs again made me like these cats again. I even realized that I like some of Bobby’s stuff…a little bit.

For me, the music backdrop for SOC was more poignant as it featured classic songs that have been sampled by many hip-hop acts. The movie even showed how N.W.A. built some of their own classics using samples or songs that I myself slept-on. For example, I never picked up on Steve Arrington’s “Weak at the Knees” being the foundation for “Gangsta, Gangsta”. You even get to see Dre creating songs like “Nuthin But a G Thang” using Leon Haywood’s “I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You”, and him cutting up “Al-Naafiysh”, or him relaxing to Roy Ayers.

Biography:

Both stories were compelling. Both were two groups of friends/associates that came from blight urban areas in the 1980s during Reagonomics, so the struggle was definitely real. Both groups formed reluctantly or by happenstance. In one story, Bobby Brown recruited Mike Bivins and Ricky Bell, who in turn recruited Ralph Tresvant. In the other story, Dr. Dre (with Yella by his side) recruited Ice Cube and Eazy E (with MC Ren by his side). The D.O.C. was someone in another group (Fila Fresh Crew) the Dre had produced. As a matter of fact, Cube was already in another group called C.I.A. with Sir Jinx (Dre’s cousin), but was drafted to write rhymes for Dre’s beats.

The difference in the movies relates to the personas of the group. For example, most of the N.E. fans did not know of all the drama that was going on behind the scenes unless you caught some honest interviews from the band members. I remember some years ago Mike Bivins, I believe, was saying that they were having fist-fights backstage then perform like nothing ever happened. Seeing as how they kept a squeaky-clean wholesome image in the media, I never would have thought that of New Edition…ok, maybe Bobby but not the other guys. Watching their biopic really enlightened me to what they were really dealing with in private. I truly have a more respect for them than I did before. I always liked them somewhat, but never considered myself a fan. Now, I’m probably more of a fan because of their story. I’ve even found myself reaching back to buy old N.E. albums on vinyl.

N.W.A.’s persona was brash, violent, and well….ruthless. So whenever something happened with them, it automatically blew up in the media, thus spawning record sales. N.W.A.’s fight with the police and the FBI, we knew about it. Ice Cube left the group, we knew about it. Dre beat up Dee Barnes, we knew about it. Ice Cube’s Lench Mob got into with Ruthless Records’ Above The Law, we knew about it. Cube tore up the Priority Records office, we knew about it. Death Row beefed with Luke Records, we knew about it. Eazy’s battle with AIDS, we knew about that too. But what we didn’t see was Dre’s loss of his brother. What we didn’t see was Suge beating down Eazy. What we definitely didn’t see was the group trying to reunite and rebuild their bond.

Epilogue:

So, here’s why these two, and many other, biopics mean so much. These acts, as well as Biggie, Hammer, and TLC, came from the late 70s and early-to-mid 80s like most of their fans. Although we were glued to “Purple Rain” and “Krush Groove”, those guys were older than most of us. Artists like Biggie, N.W.A., TLC, and New Edition were the same ages as me and my friends, or close to it. We grew up on their music and magazine interviews, and music videos if you were lucky enough to have had cable television back then. However, watching their life stories adds another dynamic. It takes you there! You get to experience what it was like to hang out with these people, go on tour with them, deal with their dilemmas as they fought them, and even be a fly on the wall in the music studio. Biopics brings us as close to our favorite artists as we’ll probably ever get. And for that reason, this is why it takes forever for most of them to be released to the public. It HAS to be right. The people behind these movies know the backlash they’ll receive if a film is not done right. They know that the fans (US) have been dedicated to our favorite artists from day one, and that a biopic is a chance for us to live that life with them. So kudos to the filmmakers, cast, crew, and executives behind “Straight Outta Compton” and “The New Edition Story”. Very well done!