I posted the new Si-Notes video for "Go Dumb" on the City Paper's Noise blog.

Labels: Noise, Si-Notes, video

I started working with Urbanite Magazine a little earlier this year, and this week I guest edited the Tuesday arts/culture edition of the daily zine that Urbanite e-mails out now. Some of the stuff I put together for the zine that went out today includes:

- A feature on Mickey Free, the rapper whose new album Last of the Tight Wiggers I posted about on Gov’t Names a while back.

- A Q&A with Brett Yale and Jimmy MacMillan of Friends Records on how to put out music on vinyl and cassette.

- A review of the new solo album by Dustin Wong of Ponytail, Infinite Love.

- A review of Josh Sisk’s new book, Under The Strobe Light - Club Photos: 2005-2009, which features a lot of great pictures of Baltimore artists like Rod Lee, K-Swift, Say Wut, the Get Em Mamis, Blaqstarr, Scottie B., Mullyman, Rye Rye and others.

- And a bunch of links to Baltimore music websites (AllBmoreHipHop, BeatBots, the Ms. Tris Music blog) and listings for cool events happening this week, including Cullen Stalin and Scottie B. at Metro Gallery, Hip Hop In Pink w/ Keys, the Get Em Mamis, Si-Notes and Golden Seal, and Greg Dulli and Craig Wedren at the Ottobar. You can sign up at the Urbanite site to get any of the weekly zines e-mailed to you in the future.

(photo by Lisa Scott)

Labels: ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM, Baltimore club, Blaq Starr, G.E.M./Tha Plague, Golden Seal, K-Swift, magazines/newspapers, Mickey Free, Ms. Tris Beats, NSW (Say What), Scottie B., Si-Notes, Urbanite

Si-Notes f/ Ebone - “I’m Bad” (mp3)
Fresh off her Best of Baltimore win, here’s some new Si-Notes, produced by Lace and Kid.

Labels: mp3, Si-Notes

As you are aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I like many others have lost someone to cancer. It might not have been breast cancer but cancer is cancer and the effects affect us all the same. A friend of mine has been diagnose with Breast cancer and we were having a conversation about the lack of community involvement from those in the Hip Hop industry especially when it comes to women issues. That conversation sparked something in me to remain involve in exposing, solving the community ills by using Hip Hop as a vehicle to carry those messages. That conversation helped to bring forth “Hip Hop in Pink” the Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention showcase.

Hip Hop in Pink will feature musical performances by:
Keys, Get Em Mamis , Si-Notes, Golden Seal, Igima, Jacquie Brown Selahchick, Ashley Moore, and The Mighty Paradox.
Motivational speaking by Stephanie Mecca Franklin Ceo of of Mecca Place.org and other guest speakers who will discuss the importance of breast health and early detection.

Dj P-Chris is the Selecta
Hosted by 92Q Rap Attack Angel Baby and Merdj.com Civil Jones

Portion of the Proceeds from the Hip Hop in Pink will go to the non profit organization, Heal a Woman to Heal a Nation, Inc. HWHN

This is your time to stand with us and be a part of something great for the community!

For More info http://merdj.com/blog/hip-hop-in-pink/
Hope to See you there!!!!!

Hip Hop in Pink is Sponsored by Mecca Place Inc. a Global Empowerment Center, MERDJ Media Group and SwaggNation.

Labels: Club Reality, flyer, G.E.M./Tha Plague, Golden Seal, Si-Notes

The Baltimore City Paper’s annual Best Of Baltimore issue hit the streets today, and as usual I helped pick some of the best-ofs for the Arts and Entertainment section and wrote a few blurbs that appear in the issue:

Best Male MC: Los
Best Female MC: Si-Notes
Best Hip-Hop DJ: DJ Jabril
Best Live Band: Soul Cannon
Best Summer Jam: CJ Hilton - “We Can Get It In”
Best Solo Artist: Reina Williams
Best Radio Show For Local Music: Strictly Hip Hop

Some of the other music winners I'm happy about included Mobtown Studios, Labtekwon, Mania Music Group's producers, Supa DJ Big L, Murder Mark, and DJ Pierre, and in the readers poll, the Best Hip-Hop Act winners included the Get 'Em Mamis, A Cool Stick (who?), Rapdragons and Height With Friends, and some other hip hop winners and runner-ups include Shodekeh and 92Q.

(Si-Notes photo by Rarah)

Labels: 92Q, Baltimore City Paper, CJ Hilton, DJ Jabril, DJ Pierre, G.E.M./Tha Plague, Labtekwon, Los, magazines/newspapers, Mobtown Studios, Shodekeh, Si-Notes, Soul Cannon, Strictly Hip Hop

Si-Notes - Cash On Delivery (Gritty Gang/ARS Productions)

The past couple years I've been paying attention to Si-Notes as one of the newer female MCs in Baltimore to watch, good guest spots on NOE and Gritty Gang mixtapes and performances at Sonar and the Black Hole. But this is my first time finally hearing a full length solo project from her, and while as usual I'm tempted to complain about all the freestyles and relative lack of original production, but there's a good beat selection and she's definitely got some flows and some charisma. Architects and Ogun executive produced this and Skarr Akbar did the artwork. The song "Going Down" with Chyna Doll, Cash and Shy Lady Heroin that I posted a few months ago is on here, and there are also guest appearances by Caddy Da Don, Mykeey and others. You can download it on allbmorehiphop.com.

Si-Notes - "Throw Dat Money Up" (mp3)
This is cool, pretty anthemic track.

Labels: ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM, Gritty Gang, mixtape/album review, mp3, Ogun, Shy Lady Heroin, Si-Notes

Chyna Doll, Cash, Si-Notes and Shy Lady Heroin - "Going Down" (mp3)
Four female MCs from Baltimore who actually do shows and make records getting together and collaborating on an entertaining song >>>> someone I've never even heard of getting national press for a publicity stunt YouTube diss of a mainstream artist she doesn't even know.

Labels: mp3, Shy Lady Heroin, Si-Notes

Gritty Gang - Block Work featuring Gritty Gang (DJ Jabril)

Allbmorehiphop.com and DJ Jabril released the first mixtape in the Block Work series, with Barnes, a few months ago, and now the second volume is the third release from the supergroup Gritty Gang, who previously released mixtapes in 2006 and 2009. Ogun, as usual, is kind of the ringleader, and his DJ Excel-produced single "Ever Since I Saw You" is on here, but in general the focus is on expanding the Gritty Gang family, with some artists that were involved from the very beginning (Skarr Akbar, Rockwell, XO), some that first appeared on last year's mixtape (Sonny Reddz, Kuan, Talal, Barz), and some more that are new to the fold with this release (Blue, Maintain, Rico Hopes and others). I can't say I love every track on here, and some of the newer artists I don't really have a feel for yet or have much of an opinion on, but I like where they're going with this, kinda building two franchises at once with this tape. You can download it at allbmorehiphop.com/grittygang.

Q Gutta & Si-Notes - "Never" (mp3)
Big thanks to DJ Jabril for shouting out my name and plugging Gov't Names at the beginning of this track, which conveniently also happens to be one of my favorite songs on the mixtape.

Labels: ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM, Block Work, DJ Excel, DJ Jabril, Gritty Gang, mixtape/album review, mp3, Ogun, Si-Notes, Skarr Akbar, XO

Who Got Next, the latest Baltimore hip hop DVD that I'm apparently going to be on is having a release party next weekend -- they just taped my interview yesterday, and I think for once I actually managed to say some shit, hope it all comes out well.

Labels: announcements, DVD, flyer, Si-Notes

Labels: flyer, Si-Notes

New live reviews I've done on the City Paper's Noise blog in the last few weeks: Si-Notes/Shy Lady Heroin/Alicia Peace/Cream/Tiffany Couture/Amotion @ the Black Hole Rock Club, Soul Cannon/Ndelible/Ad Lib @ Club Reality, the Baltimore Music Festival @ Center Stage, Out Of Your Head collective @ the Windup Space, Longbottom/Your Daddy's Trio @ Joe Squared, The Cameron Blake Band/E. Joseph & The Phantom Heart @ the 13th Floor, Lazlo Lee & The Motherless Children @ the Metro Gallery and Our Lady Peace @ the 9:30 Club.

Labels: Baltimore City Paper, Black Hole Rock Club, Club Reality, Noise, Shy Lady Heroin, Si-Notes, Soul Cannon

Labels: Black Hole Rock Club, flyer, Ms. Stress, Shy Lady Heroin, Si-Notes, Tha Profitt

Competing MCs:Kane Mayfield, Trace Blam, Ms Stress, Unknown Alchemist, Troy Brown (God Flow), Apex, A6, J Law, Goon, Deuce, Masacre, Finesse, Barcardy, Si Notes, Deuce Dro, Sharn Cook, A- Heat, The Author and more * a couple slots left. Call 443 248 2596 to get last slots. It's open to MCs from All Areas!!

ALSO TRACK MEET $700 PRODUCER BEAT Battle coming up.. Call same number to sign up for that also.

Love a good Hip Hop Show?? SEE YOU THIS SUNDAY 7pm

Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Kane, Mania Music Group, Ms. Stress, Shaka Pitts, Si-Notes, The Baltimore Scene

In the past month or so on the Baltimore City Paper's Noise blog, I've posted a bunch of new concert reviews: Ms. Stress, Si-Notes, Shy, Mz Streamz and others at Tayland Promotions' Queen Of The Mic 2 @ Sonar, Greenspan and others at No Guts No Glory @ 5 Seasons, George Clinton @ Rams Head Live, Eureka Birds @ Mobtown Studios, the Awesome Fest @ the Sidebar, open mic night @ 8x10 and Witch, Earthless and Vincent Black Shadow @ the Ottobar.

Labels: 5 Seasons, Baltimore City Paper, battle, Greenspan, magazines/newspapers, Ms. Stress, Mz Streamz, Noise, Ottobar, Si-Notes, Sonar, Tayland Promotions

NOE - Deal Or NOE Deal (DJ Daa One)

My review of NOE's latest mixtape is in this week's City Paper. It's got a bunch of songs with Jim Jones and other Byrd Gang dudes, including that "Swagga From Us" song that I already voiced my opinion about a while back, and there's a good track of him freestyling live on 92Q. The last track has a short 'preview' of an unnamed song which I assume is going to be his single because it's awesome and sounds like it could be huge, I can't wait to hear the full track.

NOE f/ Si-Notes and Chalie Bo - "For Starters"*
Si-Notes is a female MC from Baltimore that I first heard on Ms. Stress's last album, and she really stands out on the 2 tracks she appears on here, I wanna hear music from her.

* Blogger took down this post because of the mp3 link because of a copyright infringement notice, despite the fact that it was a track taken from a fucking mixtape released for free to the internet by a DJ, not any record label.

Labels: 92Q, Baltimore City Paper, magazines/newspapers, mixtape/album review, mp3, NOE, Si-Notes