The Myth

I have to dispell a bullshit myth. Here's the bullshit myth: ST. LOUIS DOES NOT SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC. Again, that is a bullshit myth. I've performed in front of packed crowds here at home where there were no national or out of town performers. I've managed to take music seriously and put out an acclaimed project available here: http://t.co/jVuzoAw and I've been applauded for having a dope live show by people I don't know. This isn't about me however. It's about this dumbass lazy myth. See, my friends that bust their asses like I do and handle professional business are supported by St. Louis. The only people that say there is no support here are the people that WANT to rap but won't take the steps to be taken seriously. They don't perform and if they do, they aren't entertaining. They don't do legwork in the street and don't politic with fans and artists that are making moves. Take for instance the July 20 show at The Old Rock House. There were no out of town performers but it was packed. Murphy Lee has platinum plaques and a Grammy but he's one of us. He's St. Louis just like us. Miss me with Lunatic slander and Nelly not putting people on. I'm tired of people saying he's obligated to do that shit. Rick Ross is putting people on that he feels can sell. His obligation isn't putting South Florida on. SLUMFest, the local underground music fest was stuuuuupid packed! I got snubbed to perform but I went to support my friends that were performing and I'm glad they were happy to see me. I was glad I saw them perform. Honestly, most of these rapping-ass mofos that cry about not getting support need to get off their ass and do work. Either that or quit. St. Louis doesn't owe anyone shit. Any respect you earn is that: EARNED. Nobody owes me anything. Any sales, downloads, shows, merchandise, airplay or whatever benefits I receive are results of hard work and respecting this shit. Praise God. Moolah. #TeamVoltron #everybodywins - PS check me out at Cicero's August 12 at 9:00 pm. Peace!

I Am Not THEM

I'm trying green font on my blog. Get over it. This is a non-music promtional blog but I'll be remiss if I didn't say I'm performing at Cicero's Friday August 12. Now, back to the matter at hand. I am not THEM. THEM are those guys that'll try to smash (smush, tap, poke, cut, stab - see how sexual euphamisms carry a violent theme?) anything over 18 with a vagina that can talk and walk. I'm not them. I'm not thirsty. I won't tell a woman any and everything to have sex with her. I'm also not going to listen to them bash the men in their past and act out their issues on me. I'm not them. I used to have the patience for that shit but I've since become way businer and more focused on a venture called being a professional musician. I also don't have the time or the desire to mess with any woman with a decent smile or a fat ass + nice boobs. They're good to look at but after a while, it's just decoration for a really fucked up woman. I have some kind of standards. I haven't been out socially in months. Anytime I go out now it's usually to handle business or see a show, a lot of times both. There are women at these places, nice-looking ones, ratchet ones and some that are looking for attention. Some time ago when I was unfocused about doing something with my life, I was enjoying single life. Now I enjoy the company of someone special and she seems to tolerate my sinuses while I talk shit about her smoking. Back to THEM. These cats are always in the same club week after week with the same drama-filled basic ass females. It's insanity: going to the same clubs seeing the same people and some of those people recycling the same outfits expecting different results. (SIGH) A lot of times I would even relieve some of these guys of these femails. They didn't know what they were doing with them and they'd get dumb aggie about it. Now with music and knowing the who's who and all that shit, I can't be out here whoring. So it's shows, studio flow, laundry and chilling with that special someone because she isn't like THEM and she likes me because I'm not THEM either. Peace, hair grease and Hennessey no ice. #pow

Props vs Profits

I love The Gramophone. I don't own the place and I don't have stock in it but I love the place. I feel at home there and many of my fellow musicians in St. Louis feel the same. The homeboy Rocky said it's like the place Prince played all the time in Minneapolis. I feel the same way. I wasn't around the hip-hop scene as a major contributor during the "Hi-Pointe Days". I was more into other capital ventures even though my crew was killing it weekly at The Evening Shade. People here in St. Louis refer to 1999-2007 as the local Golden Era. I did music and had a plan but we were more in the streets then. Now for me it's about being a dope emcee as well as a competent businessman. Some people just want to rap and that's cool. I'm still working with a street mentality to make money except I do music 100% with more dedication. I could always craft complex rhymes and come up with real songs. I needed to capitalize more off my efforts. This is why we have paperwork. I just returned from Indianapolis where I performed at a seminar with people not from St. Louis. I represented well and those that saw me perform were entertained. I asked questions of industry vets and have some new contacts to work with. I have mixtape placements and shows coming up. Now the plan goes to another gear to make more money off the reputation I have more capitalistic opportunities based on my business and music reputation. It's happening so I just keep working. I get props for being professional at what I do. Now it's a matter of making more money with it. How does The Gramophone play into this? The Gramophone will host national to local artists that kill it on stage so it's taught me to kill it everytime I perform, even when I'm not at The Gramophone. Trust me. I KILL my performances. See me August 12 at Cicero's in the U-City Loop in St. Louis to see for yourself. Peace. Praise God. Moolah.

Exhaustion & The Goal

I have my days where I don't feel like doing anything. Those are usually the days that I end up doing something major or something major happens for me. Sometimes I feel like I'm being overlooked then when I least suspect it, someone recogninzes me for my music and my efforts. The Goal is simple: capitalize of great heartfelt music. I can't give the details because again, the game is to be sold and not told. If you're on the team then you already know the plan. If you're not on the team then you can spectate. If you wish to join the team then we welcome all positive contributors. I've spent time at home the last few weeks not going out unless it was on business but I've started venturing out again. Trips are tiring but well worth it for The Goal. Some people don't want to take the trips I HAVE TO TAKE but then again, maybe I have bigger goals than they do. Nonetheless, my goal isn't about me and I'm not that much of a self-centered person to think it is. Doing hole-in-the walls to real concert venues has been a great ride and Lord willing I'll continue to do so in my quest of reaching The Goal. Praise God. Moolah.

This Ain't Back In The Day

You know how people romance about how Hip-Hop used to be when people paid dues to get on? You know how they say people had skills back then in The Golden Era? You know how they say music had more substance back then? Well, there was a lot of greatness back then but people's judgment gets clouded in mediocrity. The reason people paid dues most of the time to get on was because the big homies or people in position had the resources. A lot of those people in Hip-Hop then would've probably got out on their own if they had the resources to do so. For example, some people believe there are too many rappers and not enough fans because everybody thinks they can rap. Ok, do you think you were the only person influenced by your favorite rapper? True anybody with the resources to buy a real mic, ProTools, a session board or inbox and some insulation can record at home. However, it's what you do with those recordings that make you a professional. People knock novice rappers all the time. I tell them to do their resarch, keep working and stay humble. Once you swim in the real waters, people will try to eat off you so put yourself in the best position to eat off them as well.
Lenny S told me your internet presence has to be respected and known. Your street presence musically has to be known to if you're in Hip-Hop or at least get millions of people in non-urban areas to like what you do and acknowledge it. I know real DJs that support good music that's presented professionally. However, there are $50 dollar deejays that mess up the art of deejaying. $50 DJs don't care about mixing, blending, scratching or loving music. They'll play for $50 a gig and charge independent artists $50 to play a record once. I despose $50 deejays because they're culture vultures. Everybody gotta eat but respect the game and I'll respect your hustle. After meeting Kool Herc in Miami, I despise $50 deejays even more. You have your beat makers vs producers. Beat makers just make beats and try to sell them to anyone. Producers will sit down, create a track for you and with you based on how the music FEELS. I work with producers. I will beat jack a beat maker and be proud of it. GTFOH. See, there are more avenues in Hip-Hop than ever before but one has to be smart with it. Back in the day people had backing from record companies to develop. A&Rs scouted talent and developed it. Now they sign someone with a buzz, peep their hustle then decisde whether or not to try and put The Machine behind it. We can romance anout back in the day all we want but it's exactly what it is: The Past. Take what you can from it and build your future from it. Peace. Praise God. Moolah.

This Is Not A Game

The big homie put me onto some game that I can't FULLY share because it's to be sold but it involves numbers. There are 32 teams in the NFL with 53 spots. The NFL draft is 7 rounds each year so multiply 7 rounds by 32 teams then figure out 53 roster spots. What does this have to do with Hip-Hop? If you can't figure out the parallels then you might be kinda dense. In St. Louis, niggas are gunning for one spot. Personally, fuck that spot. I am interested in building the maximum capital for Team Voltron. We're taking the necessary steps in building that capital but some fools are more interested in "making it" as a rapper. The fuck outta here with that! Are you thinking as a businessman or a rapper? We got the bars and the music so why would we worry about "rapping". I put my homie onto the info I got down in Miami and I put some nigga on to where I was and why I went. I don't know if it went over his head or what. Fuck trying to make it out of St. Louis. Get out of St. Louis and do it. Miami was a business trip and people think this is a game. It's not a game. It's a business ofgoods, supply and demand. People demand great music so supply the goods all while maintaining your spot out of 53 players on 32 teams with rookies coming in every year. The rest of that shit I learned in Miami is to be sold. Thie blog told you enough if you break the numbers down. Peace. Praise God. Moolah.

The Community

So I rocked a show in Chicago last night. The heads in Chicago really welcomed my crew and showed us love. They didn't even know we came up to do the show from St. Louis until I said something about and they looked at my Cardinals cap. We represented and came back to the crib. I get back and my battle emcee friends are going back and forth about who's the nicest. My homies with established fanbases are talking about unity and I'm on the same page. The way it used to be was politics and bullshit as usual. Now it's about the music, bringing something to contribute to the table and not being a douchebag. If your business is good we'll fuck with you but no matter how good your music is now, we won't fuck with you. I love the sense of community we have in St. Louis now. People are collaborating and fucking with each other based off the quality of music being created here. Anybody trying to shine while ostracizing the rest of the scene here gets outcasted. That's the way it should be. We're all trying to get to the top but at the same time be good people in the process. So, the upliftment of our musical and civic community is the focus as well as getting paid. Praise God. Moolah.