10/01/2006 08:00 PM - Pier 5 Hotel
711 Eastern Ave., Baltimore Inner Harbor, MD - $30.00

Special Performance By: The Clipse (V.A), Skarr-Akbar (M.D) and Oschino and Sparks (P.A) of State Property
Location: Your Style Clothing-2440 Greenmount Ave. Hats Off Hair Studio-3535 Brenbrook Dr.

Labels: flyer, Skarr Akbar

Hots - "You'll See" (mp3)
Hots f/ Rain - "Rockstar Life" (mp3)
Hots has a couple new songs on his MySpace page that didn't appear on his last mixtape, The Introduction. "You'll See" is definitely one of my favorite tracks that I've heard from him so far. Check out my City Paper article on Hots from a while back if you haven't already.

Labels: Hots, mp3, One Up Entertainment

Torchlight Entertainment Presents...

Mic Life Thursdays

Each and every Thursday at Upper Deck (34 South Eutaw St.)

We still at it, once again getting it cracking like dry skin.

Performences 2 Night by...

Goshell
http://www.myspace.com/midclick

&

Chemikill
http://www.myspace.com/chemikill

Free admission and Drink specials all night long! (That’s right, FREE!!!)

HOSTED BY Lyrical Leviathan & Black Wind
DJ POOH ON THE WHEELS

Mic Life, because Hip-Hop Is Life, so Don't Waste It!!!

http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan

http://www.myspace.com/rebelsonzai

http://www.myspace.com/torchlightentertainment

http://www.myspace.com/torchlight_family

http://www.myspace.com/miclifemagazine

Labels: flyer, Mic Life Magazine

A couple months ago, when I was searching through YouTube to find that MTV News story on Baltimore club music, I stumbled upon a few homemade videos of local teenagers and kids dancing to club music. Since then, apparently a whole lot more kids have started making club music dance videos on YouTube, and more people have noticed it, to the point that it was mentioned in City Paper's Best of Baltimore issue last week as the best reason for the internet. I'd been meaning to do this post for a while and make it somewhat comprehensive, but considering that there are by now literally hundreds of these videos, I decided to just pick one from each YouTube user I found. Most of them have several videos, though, that you can find by going to the page and clicking "more from this user." And you can find more by searching for keywords like "Baltimore," "Bmore club," and "rockin off." An overwhelming majority of them are dancing to Blaq Starr tracks. It's kind of funny how there doesn't seem to be a single video of grownups dancing inside an actual club, it's all kids in their houses or on the street. As with 99% of everything on YouTube, I don't really understand why people bothered to shoot these videos and upload them on the internet, but it's still kind of an interesting new offshoot of Baltimore club culture and I thought I'd document it a little:

amplafied015:



bmoreclubboy:



BmOrEGuTTa:



bmorehoops09:



bosstoomany:



Dancer673:



DatGurlDominique:



doggg1989:



EZ7:



Garfield4:



haskin456:



heartbreaker01:



hustlemanx8:



itzwhatevathen:



jmw467:



Latika:



LILBMORE410:



lilkris89:



maleasy:



ohsnapitskia:



platinumpalus:



smilieboy20002000:



SystemD128:



vanessa20783:



we22yf:



yungphase44:

Labels: Baltimore club

PX (Parts Unknown)

09/28/2006 10:00 PM - Edens Lounge
15 West Eager Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 -

HOOD THERAPY album release party hosted by BlackList Live.

Labels: flyer, PX

Real2Real - Playground Legends (Street Official Records/Headnod Entertainment)

Real2Real (not to be confused with the dance music dude Reel 2 Real who did "I Like To Move It") is a rap group from Baltimore that's been around for about 10 years. They released their first full-length last year, and this mixtape dropped a few months ago. The three main members of the group are Wylie McCreory, LefTy, and Sheist T, but there's also appearances by J Stone, Big Moon and Typheni. Street Official is also the label that brought you recent releases from Barnes and Tha Annexx Click, so they've got a good track record, and Banga Bill produces a couple tracks on here. The first half is real heavy on freestyles but towards the end of the CD there's more original songs. Their song "Bmore City" recently appeared on the C Love/DNA mixtape.

Real2Real - "The Oath" (mp3)
Probably my favorite track with the whole group on it, crazy hi-hat triplets on one of the illest beats I've heard lately, produced by Velly.

Wylie McCreory - "Rap Or Hustle" (mp3)
Wylie McCreory seems like the most prominent member of the group throughout the mixtape, and this is his one solo track that isn't a freestyle, produced by Phat Head.

Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, Real2Real, Street Official

Labels: C Love, Comp, DK, DNA, flyer, M.O.L., Sonar

BILLO "THE HOODROCKSTAR"

DAILY GRIND VOL 2 LISTENIN PARTY
note: date change: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5TH AT THE PARK AVENUE CAFE

DRINK SPECIALS AND A 5 DOLLAR FOOD MENU
LOCATED AT PARK AVE AND BALTIMORE ST(RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE BALTIMORE ARENA)

ALSO THERE WILL BE A OPEN MIC AND PERFORMANCES THAT NIGHT SO IF U WANNA GET ON HOLLA AT ME!!!!!

GOT SOME SPECIAL GUEST COMIN THROUGH THE BUILDING THAT NIGHT AND THE CD WILL BE ON SALE

FROM 9PM-1AM

SQUADRE AND WE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Labels: Billo, flyer, For The People Entertainment

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND PERFORMENCE 4
“A DIFFERENT KIND OF EMCEE” (ME)
(THAT’S RIGHT, ITS BACK ON AGAIN)

COME CELEBRATE THE 24TH BIRTHDAY OF YOUR BOY’S
SLICK VIC LOW AKA LYRICAL LEVIATHAN AKA THELONIOUS COLTRANE (You know how we do) PERFORMENCE AND SPECAIAL GUEST APPEARENCES BY

SYMANTYX
AXIOM (WORD SLAVE & BLACK ROOT)
REBEL EXISTENCE
AND MORE…

A PART OF TEAM TUESDAYS @ 5 SEASONS HOSTED BY STEVIE STAY HI AND SONNY BROWN!!! DJ SCOTTY B ON THE WHEELS and special guest acts coming through! $5 b4 10 $10 after 2for $15 ladies $5 all night LOOOONGGG!!!!

SEPTEMBER 26TH
@ 5 SEASONS 830 GILFORD AVE.
BALTIMORE Doors open at 9PM

Brought to you by Team Fifty, Torchlight and SoulFire…

http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Scottie B., Sonny Brown, Team Fifty

Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
09/25/2006 09:00 PM - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10

I will not be able to be in the building for a few months due to me getting a NEW JOB at night.. 5pm to 5am.. Shit, I have to get this bread so i can start on the mixtape you dig? So i have DJ Jabril hosting the events till i get back!!!! So check it out......

The artist performing this week are..

Huli Shallone
J-Funk
Norm Skola
Miss Kitty

We are also having a battle which will be taking place that night with the winner advancing to the tuesday night fight on 92q to go head to head with the champion YOUNG SOSA from 1st family.. It's $20 to participate.. the judges for this battle are..

Special invited guest and YOU the audience!!!!!
Platinum Plus DVD will be in the building...

Hosted by 92Q's own Squarril Wyde (DON THING aka SMUT KING) and DJ Jabril!!!!

Drink specials, Food, Great music, Hot local talent, and a Whole lot of networking...

This is our year to shine Baltimore so lets get it in!!!

$10 for the males
$5 for the females

$20 registration for the battle
oh yeah.. There will be NO touching in this battle.. anyone touching or catching feelings WILL be DQ'ed and escorted out by some really big bouncers!! so leave those emotions at home... and PLEASE dont blow weed in the club... the police will more then likely be in the building that night..

I want to thank all of you for showing love the way you do...

-Sonny Brown

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Huli Shallone, Sonny Brown

E Major - The Major General Mixtape (DJ Impulse/Undersound Music)

Eyekon decided earlier this year to change his name because I guess there was another rapper with a similiar handle or something, and this mixtape is his first release as E Major. His label, Undersound Music, released a compilation, Breaking Ground Vol 1 a few months ago, and although I was kinda negative in my review of it, it was mostly my bias against backpacker-type rap, and some of it has grown on me since then. This mixtape kinda shows him in a different light though, freestyling over some mainstream beats and doing some more aggressive material, but still sticking with his own style most of the time. If you to the Undersound Music website there should be a pop-up you can click on to download the whole mixtape, but I'll give you a couple of samples anyway:

E Major - "So Dope" (mp3)
Nice beat choice, one of my favorite DJ Premier tracks.

Tislam and E Major - Freestyle (mp3)
Tislam The Great hosts Season The Microphone Mondays at the Yabba Pot, and his song "That Feelin'" was one of my favorite tracks on the Undersound compilation. This is a nice quick little freestyle track.

Labels: E Major, mixtape/album review, mp3, Under Sound Music

Season The Microphone Mondays
9 - 25
Ms Stress
And
Encore of The Scholars

Labels: flyer, Ms. Stress, Season The Microphone Monday

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Ms. Stress

Labels: flyer

Labels: Bosslady, flyer, Huli Shallone, UnReal

Imperial Records presents... - Operation: Shutdown (hosted by DJ Spontaneous)

There have probably been a dozen different companies called Imperial Records over the years, including the one that's releasing Fat Joe's new album, but this one in particular is an independent label from Baltimore. IMP sent me this mixtape hosted by DJ Spontaneous a while back, which features Bless, Young Dip, LS, Robb, Reason, and PA Shell. I first heard Bless and Young Dip on Mullyman's Believe In H.I.M. mixtape last year, and Bless also appeared on Mullymania, and this mixtape also features a couple appearances by Mully. Bless's "Stand Up" also appeared on Bosslady's On Da Grind Vol. 3 earlier this year.

Bless - "Keep Riding" (mp3)
Bless (not to be confused with The Boy Blesst) is probably my favorite MC out of the crew, but mostly what I love about this track is the weird woozy production by Sownd Beats, all these little flickers of harmonica and guitar strums floating in and out.

Young Dip - "All Out" (mp3)
Young Dip sounds so much like Joe Budden that that's about all I can think about when I hear him rap. But this song is some nice epic-sounding shit and he carries it well.

Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, Mullyman, Young Dip

Labels: 5 Seasons, Deep Flow, flyer

2006's Best of Baltimore issue, the City Paper's biggest undertaking of the year, is out this week. So pick up the whole big thick thing and flip through it, and maybe keep it around all year for whenever you're trying to figure out where to eat or whatever. The blurbs aren't credited to individual writers but I wrote the following:

Best Club DJ: K-Swift
Best Club Music Producer: Debonair Samir
Best MC: Verb of Dirty Hartz
Best Hip-Hop DJ: DNA
Best Record Label: Unruly Records
Best Place To Heart Hip-Hop: 5 Seasons
Best Weekly Event: Sonny Brown's Old School Mondays

Congrats to all of the above. Don't be mad if you're not in it this year, just grind harder next year. The Arts & Entertainment section is full of Baltimore club music and hip hop: Blaq Starr's "Hands Up Thumbs Down" and "Ryda Gyrl," Baltimore club music clips on YouTube, 92Q, "Momentz" by Killa Kamillions, Strictly Hip Hop, Baltimore Club Tracks Radio, ShellBe RAW, Golden Seal, Young Leek, and Darkroom Productions. But my favorite surprise of the issue was that the Best Neighborhood award went to Upper Fells Point, where I live, which I totally agree with.

(illustration by Alex Fine)

Labels: 5 Seasons, 92Q, Baltimore City Paper, Baltimore club, Blaq Starr, Darkroom Productions, Debonair Samir, Dirty Hartz, DNA, Golden Seal, Hip Hop 101, K-Swift, ShellBe RAW, Unruly Records

Labels: flyer

Midas - "Hater Face" (mp3)
Style Warz champ Midas is a talented MC but also a good dude based on the conversations I've had with him, just real genuine and humble, and he's only 21 years old. I wrote about the Team Green mixtape a while back that he appeared on, but he's got some solo projects coming up, the mixtape PAY-PER-VIEW dropping in the next couple months, and then the album Battle Royale. "Hater Face" is the new single, he performed it at One Mic last week and got a real good response.

Labels: Midas, mp3

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Scottie B., Sonny Brown, Team Fifty

Hip Hop 101 at the 5 Seasons is a great event every Monday, but I'm pretty hyped about this week because for the first time, I'm going to be one of the 4 judges of the rap battle to decide who'll get to be on 92Q. Shout out to Sonny Brown for asking me to do it. Styles P. from the Lox is one of the other judges so that's pretty cool, too.

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown

Blaq Starr's official site, BlaqStarr.com, is now up and you can order the CD I wrote about here a while back, I'm Banging. His BlaqStarr.com album is dropping in October, and he's got a 12" on Mad Decent Records coming out soon, too. Here are some of my favorite recent records that he's produced:

Deuce Tre Deuce - "Hands Up Thumbs Down" (mp3)
Deuce Tre Deuce is a trio signed to K-Swift's Next Level label, along with Tay-Eazy and A-maz-on, and they were all on Rap Attack last week. I used to think the girl on the chorus was calling Baltimore "B-town," but it turns out she's saying "d-town" as in downtown, which is even weirder. Apparently the Deuce Tre Deuce kids are all originally from New York but have lived in Baltimore for 10 years. I posted the original club version of this months ago, but like "Ryda Gyrl" and "Slyde To The Left" it's kind of become a whole other thing once rappers got on it.

Woody Rock f/ Blaq Starr - "Rock Starrz" (mp3)
Woody from Dru Hill has some new project called Da Woodz, I don't know if that's a group or if this is it or what, but this tracks been getting some spins lately and it's pretty catchy. I love that little trumpet riff.

Blaq Starr - "Baltimore Style" (mp3)
This is the slowest beat I've ever hear him do, rapping over a straight up Southern rap track. I think his solo album is gonna be him rapping on some tracks and singing on others.

Labels: Baltimore club, Blaq Starr, Dru Hill, mp3

Labels: flyer, Sonar

http://www.hiphopviolence.com/

An Emergency Hip Hop Anti-Violence Townhall Meeting on September 15-16, 2006 in Baltimore, MD at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. Please join for powerful discussions by Hip Hop performers, record execs, scholars, fans and journalists as we explore possible solutions to Hip Hop Violence.

Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards
110 South Eutaw Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Friday, Sep. 15, 2006 - Sunday, Sep. 17, 2006
8:00 AM - 4:00 PMState of Emergency: Hip Hop Anti-Violence Town Hall Meeting will address the role of media professionals in the shootings of Obie Trice, Busta Rhymes’ bodyguard and Suge Knight and the repeated violence at urban radio station HOT97 in New York. In addition, we’ll discuss the industry news like the possible death of Death Row Records and what will happen to Tupac’s legacy. We’ll revisit the murders of Biggie Smalls, Tupac and Jam Master Jay and critique Hip Hop magazine covers for traces of media bias.
A special segment called, “Girl Power Uncut: Empowering Women through Hip Hop,” will address issues facing Black women in the hip hop industry. Confirmed panelists are:
HBO "The Wire" actor Melvin Jackson, Jr. aka Bernard
Urban radio host, Olivia Fox
Andrew Ryan, Hip Hop Journal publisher
Eric Dolce, author Jesus and Jigga
Columnists from Chronic, Vibe.com and XXL magazines
Rapper/actress/author MC Lyte (donated autographed books)
Rapper Bossman (Virgin Records)
“From video game sex to controversial images of women in music videos and magazines, Hip Hop media violence is off the chain. But is it fair to blame Hip Hop media or should the blame be shifted elsewhere? Hopefully, we’ll find the answers to these issues during our town hall meeting.”

Workshops include:
Hip Hop Journalism Summit
Hip Hop Ethics Debate: The media's role in Hip Hop Violence
Hip Hop Anti-Violence Townhall Meeting
HBO's "The Wire" Tour: Meet the actor(s) and rappers
Entertainment Industry 101: Learn how to break into the business

Labels: Bossman, flyer

Bossman Vs. Skarr Akbar - Face Off: The Battle For Baltimore (Streetsweepers/Akbar Enterprizes/Crooked Streetz)

Last month in the City Paper, I wrote a review of 3 recent Skarr Akbar mixtapes, including this one. I already wrote about the other 2 here, The Cerebellum and The Bidding War Starts Now! This one is kind of a different deal, the best of Skarr stacked against the best of Bossman, mixed by DJ Booman and hosted by DJ Radio. Boss and Skarr are cool with each other and both went to Mervo and used to compete in battles a lot back in the day, so it's got nothing to do with beef. If you follow mixtapes then you know these kinds of "Vs." tapes are popular, and it's kind of cool that 2 MCs from Baltimore are even considered hot enough to be compared like this. Both of their buzzes are probably at an all-time high right now, too, with "Bang" becoming the first Skarr song that's been really embraced by 92Q, and Bossman's "A-Yo" shaping up to be the first single/video from his major label album. Bossman's also got a new track, the "Pushin'" freestyle, featured on Hiphopgame.com, and he's got a freestyle over Fergie's "London Bridge" on 92Q lately that's surprisingly good. Check out Skarr's performance at the One Mic battle tonight.

Skarr Akbar & Bossman - "Freestyle" (mp3)
This freestyle they did together over the beat from Cassidy's "I'm A Hustla" originally appeared on DJ Radio's Point Of No Return mixtape in early 2005. It's the only track I've heard with both them on it, I'd love for them to collaborate on an original song together, that could be a real powerful combination.

Skarr Akbar - "Dumpsta Juice" (mp3)
I remember this track from the first Skarr mixtape I ever copped, Show Me Your Soul, still one of his nicest tracks that he performs live a lot.

Bossman - "Hand Clap" (mp3)
This is about a year old and was one of the first songs Bossman dropped after getting signed to Virgin. It was produced by the Rockwilder and it's kinda catchy, but it never seemed to take off, and when I talked to Nieze from One Up about it he made it sound like they don't really like the song and it probably won't be on the album.

Labels: Baltimore City Paper, Bossman, DJ Booman, mixtape/album review, mp3, Skarr Akbar

Torchlight Entertainment Presents...

Mic Life Thursdays

this week we return once more like Jedi's 4 the revenge wit a hot line up!!!

Talal
http://www.myspace.com/talal360

&

The Unstoppable Nuklehidz
http://www.myspace.com/theunstoppablenuklehidz

Hosted by Lyrical Leviathan
Dj Pooh in the mix

free99 all night
drink specials galore

Mic Life Thursdays

Each and every Thursday at Upper Deck (34 South Eutaw St.)

Show Begins @ 10pm

Mic Life, because Hip-Hop Is Life, so Don't Waste It!!!

http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan

http://www.myspace.com/miclifemagazine

http://www.myspace.com/torchlight_family

Labels: flyer, Mic Life Magazine

Labels: flyer

Nature's Problem - The Future (Low Key Records, 2000)

Nature's Problem - Welcome To Baltimore City (Hit 'Em Hard Records, 2002)

Nature's Problem was a Baltimore rap duo in the late 90's/early 2000's, formed by Julian Allen, a.k.a. Hulio Shallone, and Chioke Karim, a.k.a. Ostro. As far as I know, they released 3 albums: Code of the Streets, which I don't have, and the two listed above. This is all well before Huli Shallone went solo and released the solo album It's My Turn in 2005, which sold over 10k and had several singles on 92Q. The last song on that album, "It's B-More," was a Nature's Problem reunion track with a verse from Ostro, so I assume that they're still cool and work together, but as far as I know they haven't made any albums together since 2002.

The Future, which was released on Low Key Records (any relation to Low Key God? I have no idea) is a pretty solid album. All the tracks were produced by Sharod "Lil Rod" Malock, and I really like his sound, especially the drum programming [a quick aside, like Dylan K.'s post from back in the day about all the different rappers named in Houston named 50/50: there's similiar confusion about all the producers/DJs named Rod in Baltimore -- there's Rod Lee (club music/hip hop producer), Rodd Mad Flava (92Q DJ), Rod Braxton (club music DJ) and Lil Rod (the Nature's Problem producer). Got it?].

Nature's Problem - "No Remorse" (mp3)
This song isn't really representative of the album, but the beat is crazy and there's some nice fast flows on here.

Nature's Problem - "Lord On My Side" (mp3)
This is one of a few songs on the album where Ostro doesn't rap and it's basically a Huli solo track, but it's more personal and spiritual than a lot of the stuff on his own albums.

Welcome To Baltimore City was a pretty popular record in Bmore back in '02, mainly because of the Rod Lee-produced single "Shake It Shorty." The album also featured a couple collaborations with Lil Flip right around the time he was starting to become a big national star, and Huli included both of those tracks on his self-titled album this year. I don't think this album is quite as good as The Future, some of the production is a little trendy (like, a Timbaland-sounding beat here, a Murder Inc.-sounding beat there). The liner notes list a whole bunch of forthcoming releases from Hit 'Em Hard records, including an Ostro solo album callled Pimpin' The Game (did this ever come out? Huli kinda dominates the NP stuff but I'd like to hear more from Ostro), a Hulio solo album called From the Block to the Top, which I guess is what eventually became It's My Turn (or maybe there's a whole other album I never heard), and a Hit' Em Hard Hustlers compilation and movie.

Nature's Problem - "High Rollers" (mp3)
There's a different version of "High Rollers" on The Future, but the Welcome To Baltimore City version is, in my opinion, a little better, and either way it's one of their hottest tracks. The hook sounds kinda silly but the beat is crazy.

Nature's Problem f/ Goose - "In My Blood" (mp3)
I get kind of a 2Pac vibe off this song.

Labels: Huli Shallone, mixtape/album review, mp3, Rod Lee

TEAM TUESDAYS!!!!

TEAM TUESDAYS AT THE 5 SEASONS TOMORROW NIGHT HOSTED BY STEVIE STAY HI AND SONNY BROWN!!! DJ SCOTTY B ON THE WHEELS and special guest acts coming through! 2 FOR $15 for the fellas and $5 for the ladies all night LOOOONGGG!!!! come on out tomorrow night and support that

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Scottie B., Sonny Brown, Team Fifty

Baltimore Crime -- a.k.a. the only reason I'll probably never claim that Gov't Names is the best blog in Baltimore -- is doing their first contest, and it's a musical one: make a track by sampling any of the countless entertaining quotes by William Donald Schaefer, the embattled and quite possibly nuts Comptroller of Maryland (and former Governor and Mayor of Bmore), and submit it by the week before the November elections. Hopefully some Baltimore club producers will jump into the competition and make a hot track.

Labels: Baltimore club

Labels: 5 Seasons, Barnes, Bosslady, Dirty Hartz, DNA, flyer, Ms. Stress, Ogun, Skarr Akbar, Stay Gettin', UnReal

Season The Microphone Mondays
9 - 11
Green Span
And
Bishop

Labels: flyer, Season The Microphone Monday

Today in the New York Times, the cover story of the Arts & Leisure section is a big article by Jon Caramanica about the new season of The Wire's use of music by Baltimore hip hop artists like Darkroom Productions, Diablo, Mullyman and Tyree Colion (if you need to log in to read the full article, use Bugmenot.com). Jess Harvell wrote an article on the same topic in the City Paper a couple weeks ago (in the same issue as Bret McCabe's cover story on The Wire). Matter of fact, I heard a week or two back about this NYT article from Jess, since the Times used a Mullyman pic that Chris Myers took for my Mully article last year. The Wire's season premiere is tonight, I already watched it once On Demand and heard some hip hop playing in the background of a couple scenes but didn't recognize any songs/artists, maybe Darkroom can hook me up with some of their tracks that are gonna be featured on the show to post here.

Labels: Baltimore City Paper, Darkroom Productions, Diablo, magazines/newspapers, Mullyman, The Wire, Tyree Colion

UnReal - Dat Boyz A Problem (UnReality Ent.)

A few months ago, I wrote about UnReal's first mixtape, Real Talk Volume 1 and the songs that had first gotten me interested in him. And even back then, he was saying that the next mixtape was done and on the way, but it wasn't until this week that it finally materialized. I just got my copy on Wednesday, so it hasn't had time to sink in yet, but it has a few songs I was already familiar with from mixtapes and his Street Heat promo singles, and the unfamiliar stuff is sounding good. It's got "Jezebel" from Hamsterdam, which was the first UnReal song I ever heard and still one of my favorites. And it's heavy on original songs, including bangers like "Bmore State Of Mind" and "Breath." And there's not too many freestyles, which always makes me happy, and the few there are have interesting beat choices like "Watch For The Hook." There's a real nice song on here called "Believe" that they're considering proposing as theme song for the Believe campaign. Word is that Unreality Ent. is also going to be putting out Midas's solo mixtape.

UnReal - "Crown Me" (mp3)
This sample (New Birth's "Wildflower") has been used a whole bunch of times in the last couple of years (Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable," Cassidy's "On The Grind," Fat Joe's "Prove Something," and the Hank Crawford version was sampled by 2Pac and Kanye) but this beat by Top Secret is a pretty good use of it.

UnReal f/ Sonny Brown - "Hell 2 Pay" (mp3)
This was a pleasant surprise, because it's the last track on the CD, and Sonny isn't listed as a guest on the credits, but I recognized his voice right away. Dude needs to drop that Ginger Bread Man mixtape sometime soon.

Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, Sonny Brown, UnReal

BATTLE MONDAY NIGHT AT THE 5 SEASONS CALLING OUT ALL EMCEES

$20 admission fee
Bring your skills
I'm calling out everybody from Baltimore, DC, & Philly
This Monday at the 5 seasons
The winner gets a chance to represent himself and his click on 92q tuesday night fight!
AND the chance to be called the REAL King of Baltimore!!!!

A&R's will mos def be in the building, producers with that fire will be in the building.. watching and looking out for that next one! for $20 you could be THAT ONE!

each emcee will get 60 seconds to spit that crack against each other to see who is the hottest!

The DVD cats will be in the building documenting this weekly battle.. with a surprise judge that can help your career!

This week, SHELLBE RAW AND MULLYMAN WILL BE PERFORMING!

Hosted by Sonny Brown and Squirral Wyde
DJ jabril on the 1's and 2's
$10 for the fellas
$5 for the females

Drink specials and food

If your interested, hit me up at BALTIMOREMUSICGROUP@GMAIL.com
or call me at 443-527-4572

hope to see you there..

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown

After 9 years in Baltimore, Sounds N Da Hood, one of the best -- probably the best -- hip hop record store in the city, is closing its doors to move shop to Atlanta. The store's owner, Jerome Brooks, had been telling me about these plans for a while, and even back in April I was passing on the word that it was going to close down at the end of that month, although it ended up staying open for a while longer. But I stopped by the store today, and he told me that tomorrow is the Bmore store's last day of business, and the ATL location is opening on the 14th. It seems like there's barely any mom'n'pop record stores left in Bmore, especially ones that support underground hip hop. Bmore will definitely miss SNDH, best of luck to them in the new location. Below is Rome's official statement:

To The Loyal Customers Of SNDH,

SOUNDS-N-DA HOOD will be re-locating to ATL. at the end of this month. This move was necessary in order for me to continue my acting career full time in LA. and bring an Oscar back home. Because of the move, Baltimore artists now have a home away from home to shine. After getting settled we are going to start a quarterly promotional event for local artists called"From B-More to ATL," where Baltimore artist will be invited to come to SNDH in ATL to do an in-store. (Details will we posted at a later date)

Thank you for all of the years of support. I hope to continue serving you with the hottest and latest releases, not to mention hard to find titles. Order on line @ soundsndahood.com or send your money order to 7331 Stonecrest Concourse Suite E, Lithonia, GA 30038. (770) 484-7780. All this same information will be posted in the window of the original SNDH, at 1905 Edmondson Ave. If you are every in my neck of the woods please don't hesitate to stop by, we would love to see you.

SUPPORT THE MOVE!!!!!!! ALWAYS REPPIN' B-MORE!!!!!!!!!

Love, Ya boy Rome aka Ro Brooks

09/09/2006 08:00 PM - Baltimore Theatre Project
45 West Preston St, Baltimore, MD 21201 -

The E-mmaculate Perception CD release Concert starring E the poet-emcee and The Torchlight Family Hosted by Archie The Messenger tickets $20 with a FREE CD! Admission Free for E Team members!

Labels: flyer

Tha Annexx Click - Banga Bill Presents Chapter 16: Tha Return Of Da Blue (Knokville Ent./Street Official Ent.)

I guess this is the return of Tha Annexx Click, although I've never heard any of their old stuff so it's all new to me. But I bought on the strength of B-Ill's name, since he's done beats for Mullyman, Barnes, UnReal, Backland, a lot of people, so you've probably heard him shout "Banga Bill!" at the beginning of a few tracks on 92Q yourself. And one of the reasons this mixtape is so consistent and one of my favorite Baltimore CD's of this year is that it's all original beats by Bill, no freestyles. The Click is two people, a male MC named Mack, who sounds a hell of a lot like Jadakiss, and a female MC named Silohette. They kind of take turns doing solo tracks, and do a handful of tracks together. C Love posted about this mixtape a few months ago (I guess that's her thumb in the picture of the cover, haha) and included Silo's "Cleva Girl" on her Respect, Vol. 1 mixtape.

Mack - "Ain't No Sunshine" (mp3)
I would've thought that this Bill Withers sample would've sounded played out, but B-Ill makes it sound fresh on this.

Silohette - "Can't Quit Her" (mp3)
A banger that comes on right after "Ain't No Sunshine," my favorite stretch on the CD.

Labels: Annexx Click, Banga Bill, mixtape/album review, mp3, Street Official

Torchlight Entertainment Presents...

Mic Life Thursdays

Each and every Thursday at Upper Deck (34 South Eutaw St.)

Show Begins @ 11pm

Free admission and Drink specials all night long! (That’s right, FREE!!!)

HOSTED BY Slick Vic Low
DJ POOH ON THE WHEELS

at it once again getting it cracking like scorched earth!!!

XO
http://www.myspace.com/xocockednloaded

&

I.Q.

WILL BOTH BE IN THE BUILDING 2 ROCK THIS WEEK PLUS THE LONG AWAITED BATTLE BETWEEN AMBITION AND REBEL EXISTENCE
PLUS A FEW SURPRISES

HOSTED BY BLACK WIND
http://www.myspace.com/rebelsonzai

DJ POOH IN THE MIX

FREE 99

Mic Life, because Hip-Hop Is Life, so Don't Waste It!!!

http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan

http://www.myspace.com/torchlight_family

http://www.myspace.com/miclifemagazine

Labels: flyer, Mic Life Magazine, XO

This week in the Baltimore City Paper, there's a review by Jess Harvell of C Love and DNA's event at Sonar last week, although for some reason it's not on the CP website so you'll have to read it in the print edition. It was a good show, although I had to give my friend a ride home so I wasn't able to stay too long. I feel bad being one of the people who cleared out after Skarr Akbar performed, but he's a tough act to follow, probably not a good idea to place his set too early in the night. I was disappointed that Backland cancelled, hopefully he'll do one of their events some other time.

Labels: Backland, Baltimore City Paper, C Love, DNA, magazines/newspapers, Skarr Akbar, Sonar

Labels: flyer, Sonar, Sonny Brown, Under Sound Music

DMX is performing this Thursday at Sonar (with local crews South Paw Ent. and The Kartel opening), and you might not know this, but Earl Simmons was born here in Baltimore. And X himself probably doesn't know what Baltimore club music is, or that producers here have been sampling his voice and chopping it up over dance beats for years. Someday I might do a post of Lil Jon samples in club music (although that'd probably be dozens of tracks), but here's some of my favorite Bmore club tracks with DMX loops:

King Tutt - "That's How We Do It" (mp3)

DJ Ron Rico - "What You Heard" (mp3)

KW Griff - "I Love This Song" (mp3)

DJ Jonny Blaze - "Turned Against Me" (mp3)

Rod Lee & DJ Technics - "Luv My Niggas" (mp3)

Rod Lee - "Buss 2001 Remix" (mp3)

Rod Lee - "Tear It Up" (mp3)

Labels: Baltimore club, lists, mp3

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Team Fifty

Hip Hop 101
09/04/2006 09:00 PM - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10

Come do some networking and check out some of the hottest emcee's in Bmore; COMP, Vision, Kartel, KooL and I.Q., Skarr Akbar, No Wun and Sonny Brown! Music by DJ Jabril, hosted by Sonny Brown! Drink specials before 10 PM.

Labels: 5 Seasons, Comp, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Skarr Akbar, Sonny Brown

The Yung Huslas - Strickly Business Volume One (R.A.R.E. Entertainment)

The first time I saw Heat 187 and SL Danga of The Yung Huslas was once or twice last year when they performed with Tyree Colion, these two teenagers that he'd kinda taken under his wing as proteges. But I didn't really start checking for them until a few months ago when SL Danga was a runner-up at Style Warz and he really impressed me, a real funny charismatic dude who could rhyme and didn't really look or sound as young as he is. And now that Tyree is off the label, The Yung Huslas are R.A.R.E. Ent.'s top priority, and I think SL has a solo mixtape dropping next. Skarr Akbar hosted this mixtape and produced several tracks, and you know that anything he's cosigning is gonna be the shit. His beats on this are kinda weird, different from the kind of thing he does on his own songs, which is kinda cool, it's like he's using their records to test out a new style. Verb from Dirty Hartz appears on a couple tracks too. With Young Leek and all these other teenage rappers like Tay Eazy and A-maz-on all over 92Q these days, it's good to have some young rappers like Ammo and the Yung Huslas in Baltimore making harder music too, to prove you don't have to be a pop rapper making club records just because you're under 18. Check out R.A.R.E. and The Yung Huslas on MySpace and can cop the mixtape.

The Yung Huslas - "Sick Shit" (mp3)
One of the best Skarr beats on here.

The Yung Huslas f/ Tyree Colion and Skarr Akbar - "Hustler's Spirit" (mp3)
Free Colion! Crazy lineup on this cut.

Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, Skarr Akbar, Tyree Colion

Labels: Baltimore club, K-Swift

EJ
09/02/2006 08:00 PM - 5 SEASONS
ADMISSION FREE WITH CUSTOMER APPRECIATION TICKET, BALTIMORE, MD 21215 -
COOK OUT MOVIE POETRY HIP HOP R&B PERFORMANCES PARTY

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer

Celebrate Lyrical Leviathan's Birthday!!!
Celebrate Wordslaves Birthday!!!
Celebrate Black Roots Belated Birthday!!
Celebrate Sean Breeze's Birthday!!
Celebrate Any Random Virgo's Birthday!!!!
Hell Celebrate YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!

Enjoy the Best Hip-hop Concert This side of the Western Hemisphere on Saturday, Sept 2nd @ K- Productions 1570 Havenwood Rd.

Event starts @ 10pm
Advanced Tix are 15$

FEAT...

AXIOM
http://www.myspace.com/axiom3102

SLICK VIC LOW/LYRICAL LEVIATHAN
http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan

E THE POET EMCEE
http://www.myspace.com/ethepoetemcee

KOMPLEX
http://www.myspace.com/komplexwordplay

SEAN BREEZE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

BLACK ROOT ENT. LUVLIFE ENT. & BREEZE TEAM ENT.

Labels: flyer