Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
TestMe
opening for the Street Dreams tour featuring Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne
Sunday, April 1st @ 1st Mariner Arena
Labels: flyer
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Rell Ruger - "B.M.O.R.E." (mp3)
I just got Rell Ruger's new single e-mailed to me this week, and I've been listening to on repeat a little bit. Nice breakbeat and synth horn drone that kinda reminds me of "Oh," party vibe with some silly ass lines like "all I'm tryin' to do is get the party started/ just tryin' to move the crowd like somebody farted" and that part between verses where he just goes "let it marinate" for a while.
Labels: mp3
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Friday march 30th
Pro & Reg
Third Kind
Minlus and McCracken
Brother Maniac and more....
At Towson university's student union at 7pm
Admission is five dollars to charity and beers are 1 dollar.
Labels: flyer, Third Kind
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
I've got a feature on Bossman in the Baltimore City Paper this week, and it's kind of a big deal because it's my first cover story. It's cool to come full circle and do this after writing about Bossman on Gov't Names for the past 3 years and then writing for CP for the past 2 years, although it wasn't the best idea for me to embark on this undertaking right after I started a new job and didn't have as much time as I used to to obsess over my articles. But the EIC really helped me hammer this out and make it better than it would've been, and I think it can really stand up as maybe the definitive Bossman profile, at least at this strange point in his career where it's still not really clear what's gonna happen with his label. Anyway, check it out, I hope you enjoy it.
Labels: Baltimore City Paper, Bossman, magazines/newspapers
NC-17 - Oscar Night (Kobra Kai Records)
Last year when I met The Homicide Rapper and he gave me his CD, he also gave me a mixtape by one of his labelmates from Kobra Kai Records that really caught my attention. NC-17 is a funny motherfucker, and he namedrops more than The Game, but his references are all about 80's sitcoms and goofy shit like that. Ee has song titles on his album like "DJ Tanner," "Bayside High," and "Maggie Simpson," so you can tell this dude's brain been rotted from watching TV his whole life, but so has mine, so I dig that about him. He doesn't really rap on the beat real well, but his lyrics are clever and, unlike 99% of rap albums, the skits are actually entertaining. And when he does get serious on a few tracks towards the end, he does that well too. His MySpace blog is real funny and well written, too. I think he's living out in Los Angeles right now, but he's from South Baltimore and reps it in his lyrics a lot.
NC-17 - "F.E.M.A." (mp3)
This is my favorite track on here, beat produced by Yessir, and NC-17 has a real swagger on this one.
Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, The Homicide Rapper
Monday, March 26, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
March 26th, 2007 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
tomorrow night
KD SUPREME
TY-GUTTA
PEEG
ASIR
and a open mic tomorrow night yawl!!!!!!!!
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Skarr Akbar has an all-star remix for his single "I'm So Fly" up on his MySpace page featuring Bossman, D.O.G., and Barnes, plus that kid Amazon from K-Swift's label, and SK and Heavy Gold from Skarr's crew. I just kinda wish he'd gotten together a lineup that crazy for something cooler than a snap music type track with a Yung Joc sample, like a remix of "Bang" or something, but it's still a pretty cool posse cut.
Labels: Bossman, D.O.G., Skarr Akbar
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Mic Life Wednesday
@ the Brass Monkey
1601 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21231
free admission
DJ Chuck Maddox
peforming on March 28th:
Jade Fox
Iron Soul
Labels: flyer, Jade Fox, Mic Life Magazine
Friday, March 23, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Mike Malachi - The Collection: Greatest Hits (Music In Me Productions)
Last year, I wrote about Mike Malachi's album Malachi's Way on this site and in Mic Life Magazine, and he's kept busy since then with a remix album, Ron Rico's Way, by Ron Rico, the club producer who does all his tracks, and an upcoming album called The Book of M.A.L.A.C.H.I. Vol 1: The Man Alone Living Artistically Complete Higly Intelligent. But in the meantime he's put together kind of a greatest hits collection, featuring tracks from all those releases, as well as earlier material from his demo and his first mixtape, Raiders Of The Lost Art: Still Searching For Hip Hop. The new tracks sound dope, especially the collaboration with Skarr Akbar, which is featured on Malachi's MySpace page. But I think my favorite tracks on here are the ones from Ron Rico's Way, which are remixes of songs from Malachi's Way that are sometimes superior to the originals. Overall, I think this is a more consistent disc than the album was, although it still has some indulgent moments, like the long interview track at the end that was just boring and unnecessary. And I wish it had the Bmore club version of Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" that Mike and Ron did a few months ago, though, that was dope.
Mike Malachi - "I Been Looking Around (Remix)" (mp3)
This is one of those Ron Rico's Way remixes that I think is a total improvement, much better beat but still incorporates the sample from the original on the hook.
Labels: Mike Malachi, mixtape/album review, mp3
I hear this Friday's show is going to be a birthday celebration for Low Key God, so come out and support that dude.
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Team Fifty
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Labtekwon - Population Control: Wrath of the Black Eniggma (Ankh Ba Records)
Labtekwon, being one of the most prolific MCs in Baltimore history, is always flooding the market with new music. And he did something unique with his MySpace page last year, debuting new songs on the page. After getting requests about the unreleased tracks, as he explained on his blog, he decided to release them as an exclusive download-only album through the Paypal link on the page. So this is basically a whole new album that isn't available in stores anywhere. He's even offering package deals of downloads of 4 albums for $22. It kinda feels less like a unified sound or concept than his albums usually are, but it's still about him really being in his own world and sounding like nobody else. The 410 Pharoahs, Lab's Baltimore club project with DJ Booman and Jimmy Jones, should be dropping this year too, I think. Labtekwon's been hosting a Baltimore's best MC competition every Friday this month, the last two nights of it are this week and next week.
Labtekwon - "Black Eniggma" (mp3)
This is the last track on the album and it's one of my favorites, real catchy hook.
Labels: Labtekwon, mixtape/album review, mp3
Monday, March 19, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
March 19th, 2007 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
UNSTOPPABLE NUCKELHEDS
GRAMZ
VISION
STREETLIFE ENT.
KAMAKAZI
AND MORE ADDED SURPRISES..
AT THE 5 SEASONS
$5 FOR THE LADIES
$10 FOR THE FELLAS
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
This looks like a cool event. Ogun also wanted me to spread the word that his new mixtape will be available at this performance.
Labels: B-Fly, Brown F.I.S.H., C Love, flyer, Golden Seal, Ogun, Ray Lugar
Thursday, March 15, 2007
PenDragon f/ Igima - "Im'ma Show You" (mp3)
PenDragon, whose mixtape I wrote about last year, sent me a copy of his new single this week. Nice track, self-produced beat, featuring this chick Igima, Draggy kinda sounding like Joe Budden on this. Looking forward to his next project.
Labels: mp3
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
B.O.M.B. is about to start another run of promotional appearances at Baltimore area F.Y.E. stores in promotion of his J Funk-produced single "Lean," which has gotten all the way up to #11 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart. Check out his MySpace page for dates and locations and to hear the song.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Bossman - Yellow Tape (DJ Envy/Big Mike)
This mixtape is actually kinda old, came out last year before the BulletProof B double CD, when he hooked up with a couple of big New York DJs. But I finally copped it now that it's being sold at The Sound Garden and on his MySpace page, and it's always good to hear some of Bossman's music even when it's mostly freestyles and N.E.K. collabos. I interviewed him recently and you should be seeing the result of that later this month.
Tony Manson, Bossman and Dollars - "I Dance" (mp3)
I like what they did here with the beat from Talib Kweli's "Fly That Knot," maybe more than the original track. Dollars solo mixtape coming soon.
Labels: Bossman, mixtape/album review, mp3
Mic Life This Wednesday Hosted By E Major!!!
What up ya'll. Come down to the Brass Monkey this week and join me as we celebrate hip hop. There of course will be the open mic as well as some dope performances by the following:
Komplex
www.myspace.com/komplexwordplay
U'll Neva No
[url]www.myspace.com/jerzeyrocker31 [/url]
AND
Dezert Red
As always Chuck will be on the wheels spinnin' that hottness. Come through and have a fun.
FREE admission!!!
What up ya'll. Come down to the Brass Monkey this week and join me as we celebrate hip hop. There of course will be the open mic as well as some dope performances by the following:
Komplex
www.myspace.com/komplexwordplay
U'll Neva No
[url]www.myspace.com/jerzeyrocker31 [/url]
AND
Dezert Red
As always Chuck will be on the wheels spinnin' that hottness. Come through and have a fun.
FREE admission!!!
Labels: E Major, flyer, Mic Life Magazine
Monday, March 12, 2007
The March/April issue of Mic Life Magazine is out, and I've got a review in it. I did a bunch of reviews for them a few months ago for the October/November issue, but instead of running them all at once they've just been using one per issue, which I think is kinda silly, because now the review in the new issue is for an album that's now a year old, Little Clayway's Still Movin' Independently. But hey, that was my #1 favorite Baltimore hip hop album of 2006, and it's nice to see the review finally get published.
Labels: Little Clayway, magazines/newspapers, Mic Life Magazine
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
March 12th, 2006 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
AUTHENTIC JOHN DOE
GRAMZ
THE KARTEL
CRIME FAMILY
AND MORE COMING AT YOU!!!!!!
TOMORROW NIGHT
830 NORTH GUILFORD
5 SEASONS
DRINK SPECIALS, FOOD, BIG SCREEN TV
DJ JABRIL
SPECIAL GUEST
SONNY BROWN ON THE HOST TIP!!!
LETS GET IT IN..
OH YEAH, TOMORROW WILL BE A VERY BIG ANOUNCEMENT!! FOR ALLLL EMCEES!
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
TestMe - TestMe Talk Vol. 2 (DJ Kay Slay/Power Hitter Records)
I'd been familiar with this kid named TestMe for a while now, from his track on the first Hamsterdam mixtape, and his group U.A. Mobb (who did some dope songs with Tyree Colion), but all the sudden lately it seems like he's everywhere. Amotion recently sent me a bunch of CDs, including both of his mixtapes (this one, which was released in January, and Vol. 1 from last year), and he was featured along with Deep Flow on the Fox 45 news story about Baltimore rap the other night. And in the past couple weeks 92Q's been playing the hell out of his new single, "What It Is," which isn't on his mixtape but you can hear it on his MySpace page, shit is pretty catchy. The really crazy thing is, TestMe is only 17 or 18 years old, and has been rapping since he was 10. His voice sounds a lot like Lil Wayne, but he's actually lyrical enough to really back up that comparison, although to keep it real sometimes it does sound a little too much like an imitation and it gets distracting. He's with the same management as Bossman, who makes a guest appearance on here, as does Tony Manson from N.E.K.
TestMe - "Jump Off" (mp3)
A freestyle over the beat from Bossman's "A-Yo," good use of the track, make me wonder if the talk I heard of an "A-Yo" remix will ever amount to anything.
Labels: Bossman, Deep Flow, mixtape/album review, mp3
Labels: 5 Seasons, DJ Booman, flyer, Huli Shallone, Little Clayway, Mullyman, Ray Lugar, Skarr Akbar, Team Fifty
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Starting this Weds, March 7th 88.9’s Strictly HipHop’s Ahk and Scoop will start a biweekly networking event at TurnTable called “The Lounge” giving artists and producers the opportunity to build with Strictly HipHop’s staff.
For years, the radio program welcomed artists to the station to discuss their music and upcoming events which sometimes turned into on-the-spot interviews. This can’t always happen so the program staff wanted to make themselves more accessible to local artist and producers.
You’re encouraged to bring your music, your thoughts, questions and vision. Networking starts at 8pm ending around 11:00/11:30pm followed by a performance by a local artist (TBA).
For more information, tune into WEAA 88.9’s Strictly HipHop on Fridays from midnight to 5am or email Ahk through myspace at www.myspace.com/ahkeology or Missy at missy82370@yahoo.com
Labels: flyer, Turntable Club
Brown Monkey Music and Torchlight Ent. Presents...
Mic Life
Each and every Wednesday night at The Brass Monkey 1601 Eastern Ave (Fells Point)
Hosted By Lyrical Leviathan and Black Wind
http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan
http://www.myspace.com/rebelsonzai
Dj Chuck Maddox controlling the mix
Also got a house band (Hip-Hop live music and more)
Doors open at 7:30
Show from 8pm to 12
NO COVER (Free99)
$2 shots
$3 domestic bottles
Setting it off this week is
Unison Collective
http://www.myspace.com/unisoncollective
Sean Toure
http://www.myspace.com/stoure
And
Jamma*Wun
http://www.myspace.com/jammawun
Plus many more surprises in the mix…
Mic Life, Because HipHop is life, so don’t waste it!
http://www.myspace.com/miclifemagazine
http://www.myspace.com/torchlightentertainment
http://www.myspace.com/torchlight_family
http://www.myspace.com/brownmonkeymusic2
http://www.myspace.com/brassmonkeysaloon
Mic Life
Each and every Wednesday night at The Brass Monkey 1601 Eastern Ave (Fells Point)
Hosted By Lyrical Leviathan and Black Wind
http://www.myspace.com/slickleviathan
http://www.myspace.com/rebelsonzai
Dj Chuck Maddox controlling the mix
Also got a house band (Hip-Hop live music and more)
Doors open at 7:30
Show from 8pm to 12
NO COVER (Free99)
$2 shots
$3 domestic bottles
Setting it off this week is
Unison Collective
http://www.myspace.com/unisoncollective
Sean Toure
http://www.myspace.com/stoure
And
Jamma*Wun
http://www.myspace.com/jammawun
Plus many more surprises in the mix…
Mic Life, Because HipHop is life, so don’t waste it!
http://www.myspace.com/miclifemagazine
http://www.myspace.com/torchlightentertainment
http://www.myspace.com/torchlight_family
http://www.myspace.com/brownmonkeymusic2
http://www.myspace.com/brassmonkeysaloon
Labels: flyer, Mic Life Magazine
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
I just got the word that Fox 45's story on Deep Flow Studios and Baltimore hip hop artists Amotion, Bossman, Ms. Stress, and TestMe will be airing on tonight's 10 o'clock news, so tune in for that.
Labels: Bossman, Deep Flow, Ms. Stress
There's an article in the Baltimore Sun today about the news I posted yesterday that Darkroom Productions would be making music for MTV shows. Here's the interesting part, though:
"[MTV music supervisor David] Weitzman discovered Darkroom through a blog post about The Wire."
I don't even know for sure that that blog would be Gov't Names, but it seems likely enough that I'm sorely tempted to take credit for that. Either way, awesome news, congrats to Darkroom (although "Rob & Big" seems like a pretty stupid show).
"[MTV music supervisor David] Weitzman discovered Darkroom through a blog post about The Wire."
I don't even know for sure that that blog would be Gov't Names, but it seems likely enough that I'm sorely tempted to take credit for that. Either way, awesome news, congrats to Darkroom (although "Rob & Big" seems like a pretty stupid show).
Labels: Baltimore Sun, Darkroom Productions, magazines/newspapers, The Wire
Monday, March 05, 2007
From Hamsterdam to MTV
What's good family. Your boy Juan Donovan from Darkroom Productions here.
I just wanted to check in with everyone and spread the groundbreaking news. What turned out as an offer to do music for MTV's hit show Rob & Big, has turned into a full blown MTV/Darkroom Productions merger which has your boys over at Darkroom now producing music for every show that MTV airs. MTV has never offered a contract of this kind to a producer or production team before. The deal not only covers hit shows like Real World and Laguna Beach, but also covers programming for Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, VH1, Spike TV, URGE, and MTV reality shows that down even exist yet. The grind never stops for your boys over at Darkroom, and thankfully, God has continued to bless us. So definitely be on the look out for hot new music from Darkroom on MTV for years and years to come.
Darkroom also has just started production on season 5 of HBO's Emmy winning drama The Wire. So definitely be on the lookout for tons of hot new music from Darkroom, some of Baltimore's most talented artists, and some of tomorrow's biggest major label stars playing all season long. Season 5 debuts September 9th.
As for Hamsterdam 2 - Stash to da Strip, the response has been bigger than we could have ever anticipated. March 7th will mark 2 months on the street and we have already surpassed 6,000 copies worldwide. If you haven't gotten your copy yet and need more convincing of the album's incredible content, don't take my word for it, look for reviews of it in next month's Ozone magazine and Scratch magazine.
I want to thank everyone for their continued love and support. 3 months into the year and Bmore is making mad noise. Congrats to the homie D.O.G. and the Invisible Set team for taking the game by storm and signing a joint venture with Universal. Also, shout to Bossman, the merger of Capitol taking over Virgin records has only enhanced his label's support, and we look forward to the release of that single real soon. We see yall fam. To all of the Bmore artists who are walking the walk and making big things happen, much love from Darkroom Productions.
Let's get it!!
Juan Donovan
DARKROOM PRODUCTIONS
(443) 226-3329
http://www.darkroominc.com
http://www.myspace.com/darkroomproductionsinc
Chamillionaire - "Ultimate Victory" (Universal) in stores March 27, 2007
Sqad Up - "We here now" (Money Yung 'N/Def Jam) in stores April 24, 2007
Jennifer Hudson - Debut album (J Records) in stores April 2007
Maino - "Death before Dishonor" (Hustle Hard Blvd/Universal) in stores June 19, 2007
(editor's note: actually, The Wire has yet to win a single damn Emmy, and has only had one nomination to date)
Labels: Darkroom Productions
The Boy Blesst - Lockdown Vol. 1 (Reign Music Inc./Styx Music)
I'd mostly only heard The Boy Blesst on Achitects' Street Radio mixtapes before and liked those tracks, and posted one, "Talk Radio." So I was definitely happy to hear from the man himself a couple months ago and have him send me his mixtape. He raps in kind of a conversational style but can really really flow, and he just kills the "Grammy Family" beat and a lot of other tracks on here. Actually, his voice reminds me of Diablo just a little bit. Blesst's official album Show-N-Prove is supposed to drop this Spring.
The Boy Blesst - "My Resolution" (mp3)
This song is just crazy, best beat on the mixtape, and I feel like he's really speaking some truth here about the whole Baltimore scene, "I popped up around the time Comp got signed/ Backland dropped rhymes, and NEK started the shine/ and the underground was little to none/ and airplay was a monopoly, all we got is Radio One."
Labels: mixtape/album review, mp3, The Boy Blesst
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
March 5th, 2007 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
Tomorrow Night
I wasnt there last week but I was told that we would be having someone VERY special in the building..
It was told to me that!!!!
Power Hitters Own
TESTME will be performing..
along with..
WHITEFOLKS and his Top Dog Hill crew
CRIME FAMILY (not the ones from last week but another crew)
RUFF FAM
AND 3 MORE ACTS..
$5 FOR THE FEMALES
$10 FOR THE MALES
DRINK SPECIALS
$1 SONNY BROWN SHOTS
FOOD
AND MORE
DJ JABRIL ON THE 1'S AND 2'S
AND YOURS TRULY SONNY BROWN HOSTING IT UP!
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Friday, March 02, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
K-Swift - Jumpoff Vol. 9: Holiday Edition (Unruly Records/Next Level Records)
K-Swift's latest club music mix came out in December, which you can probably tell from the title, and it's one of my favorites that she's done in a while, I can't remember the last time I put a new club music CD in my car and really jammed with it like I did with this one, usually it's some old disc by DJ Patrick or K.W. Griff that I really rock out to. I don't know if it's just certain tracks on here or just the whole vibe but it's real high energy, good shit. Lot of tracks from that new Rod Lee album, but my favorite stuff on here is by Tigga and KSpin and Mike Marvelous & DJ Twikks, kinda lesser known producers on the club scene that K-Swift's been featuring a lot on her CDs lately. This one's available at the Sound Garden and Downtown Locker Room, and the next one, Vol. 10, is dropping on March 20th.
Blaq Starr - "In The Air" (mp3)
This has been my jam for most of the past year or so. Is he saying "I can feel it in my balls" on that one line, though? Anyway, I posted a flyer yesterday for a show Blaq Starr is DJing this weekend, and his 12" single on Mad Decent Records is out nationally now, got some good tracks on there (but not this one).
Labels: Baltimore club, Blaq Starr, K-Swift, mixtape/album review, mp3, Next Level Records, Rod Lee, Unruly Records
