Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Labels: Baltimore club, Blaq Starr, flyer
Last week, I started writing on the Baltimore City Paper's new music blog, Noise, which I'll be posting on twice a week from now on. Music editor Jess Harvell has already been posting on there for a few weeks, and I guess I was a natural choice to help out with that, since I was actually recruited as a freelancer for the paper a couple years ago on the basis of my blog writing about Baltimore music. A lot of print publications have in the past few years started generating exclusive content for their websites like blogs, and for every really good, successful example (XXLmag.com's columnists, CP contributor Tom Breihan's Village Voice blog), there have been a lot of lousy or unnecessary ones, so I'm gonna really work hard to make the coverage on there interesting and probably more varied than the stuff I've done for CP in the past.
The subject of my entries will generally be local music, or live shows in the Baltimore area by touring acts, and concert reviews will probably make up roughly half of my posts. Gov't Names is so focused on letting people know what CDs are out and what shows are coming up that I never really figured out a format I liked for writing about the shows I do go to, so it'll be nice to have an outlet for that. I've been kinda laying low and not going to many shows the past few months, because of the cold weather and also because I've been adjusting to the new day job I started in October. But now that Spring is coming it feels like a really good time to come out of hibernation and start hitting up a lot of shows again. So feel free to give me tips on shows I should come out to, whether it's your show or just an act you think I'd dig.
But I'm also looking at this as an opportunity for a lot of little ideas that seem maybe too small to cover in CP but didn't quite fit on Gov't Names. For instance, my first couple posts were an episode guide to Baltimore music in HBO's The Wire, and the first installment of a monthly column on Baltimore club music called The Club Beat (the title is kind of an homage to Kelly Connelly's Street Beat column in Music Monthly). And each month I'll talk to a different club/DJ producer, starting with DJ Booman in the first post. I might link back to interesting Noise entries now and then, but probably not too often, so I'll tell you right now to bookmark http://www.citypaper.com/digest.asp?columntitle=Noise and check it out a couple times a week, if you already do that with my other blogs.
Labels: Baltimore City Paper, Baltimore club, DJ Booman, magazines/newspapers, Noise, The Wire
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Ace - Built 4 This Volume One (DJ Jabril/Surface II Air Street Media/For The People Entertainment)
Ace is the 4th artist from For The People Entertainment that I've heard a solo CD from in just the past 6 months or so, so I'm really respecting that whole camp's grind right now. A lot of rap labels in Baltimore are centered around one or two artists, or only really promote one of them, but FTP's artists are really out there putting out music, from Billo to Cutthroat to Bear to Yuk & Cut to Ace, and the whole roster is performing at Sonar on March 3rd. This release isn't really a full on mixtape, only 25 minutes long, but sometimes it's easier to be introduced to a new artist with a short release than some 80 minute CD, so I can't complain. There was an MC named Ace on the Movement Vol. 3 mixtape a couple years ago but this doesn't sound like the same guy. Good beats on here, some original tracks and some good uses of beats from slept on joints by Field Mob and Ray Cash. I love that, when the industry beats on a mixtape are obscure album tracks and not played out shit like all the freestyles over "Hustlin'" by Rick Ross or whatever. Check out For The People Entertainment and DJ Jabril on MySpace (I don't know if Ace has a page).
Ace - "Ain't No Place" (mp3)
I remember when FTP sent me some samplers of all their artists last year, there was just a snippet of this song (where it was titled "Ain't No Place In The Game For It") on the Ace sampler, and I wanted to hear more, good to finally get the whole song. Great beat, and an intense storytelling type rhyme.
Labels: flyer, For The People Entertainment, mixtape/album review, mp3, Sonar
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
February 26th, 2006 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
WE GOT SOME MORE SPECIAL GUEST COMING THRU TOMORROW NIGHT!!!
NIK STYLEZ
CRIME FAMILY
REINA & KALICO
AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!!!!
tomorrow night at the 5 seasons 830 north guilford ave
drink specials
$1 Sonny Brown shots
$5 for the females
$10 for the fellas
DJ Jabril on the 1's and 2's
I'll hit this back up and let yawl know who else will be in the building
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
new episode of Deep Flow TV this weekend
The wait is finally over! The final episode of Deep Flow TV season 1 (episode 15) has finally hit TV! Due to the fact it is over 2 hours long we had to break it up into two parts. So the first part airs this week and the second part airs next week. If you are an artist in the show, you may be on part 1, part 2, or both so stay tuned to see yourself!
Baltimore City
Sundays 10pm ch. 75 (comcast), repeats run randomly daily. See schedule through DeepFLowTV.com
Anne Arundel County
(has been broken up into 6 parts. Stay tuned the entire month and a half to see it all)
Tuesdays at midnight
Thursdays at 10pm ch. 99
We will be adding clips from the show via the Internet through DeepFlowTV.com and Mixcast.tv soon!
Starring
360 ENT, Ahk, Amotion, B Fly, B. Rich, Beenie Sigel, Big Status, Bosslady (Bossmans mother), Bossman, Capadona, Civil Jones, Cleetis Mack, C Love, Comp, Cop-n-bop Records, Crudy Crew, C-Skill, CCYD Changz Program, D.O.G. & Mo Banks of Invisible Set, Da Brat, Da Woods, Danja Bo, Dat 5, Delishus, Diablo Flames, DJ 5 Star, DJ Big L, DJ Debiner Samir, DJ-Radio, DJ Rodd-Mad Flava, DJ Vicious V, DNA, Doc, Don Brody, DP, Danyea/Jinx/Mumpz/Lefty Garcia/Lucky Lays of Dream Big Recordings, Dwayne, Dynamic Compositions, E.J., Al da Great of E.X.T., Rashaad aka Elmo, F.O.C.U.S., F1rst Family Entertainment, Fat Boy ENT, Fat Smoke/Rickeyson, Fingas, For the people ENT, Freeloadas, G. Vargas, G.E.M., Gator, Golden Seal, Goonies, Guru of 7 Grand Records (formerly Gangstarr), Ike/Headnod ENT, Jaye Huney, J.R., Jermaine Dupri, J-Lee (The mixmaster), Juan Donavan of Darkroom Productions, Juelz Santana, Juvenille, Kell$, Kenei Kontrac, Kelly Connelly, Kevin Vega, Kojo, Kory ‘KB’ Bowers, Krazy, Krucial of Krucial Keys ENT, L.O.S., LB of Street Legal, Lil King Ent, LS, M.O.L., Mandi, Manny, Martina, Me’Aze Millioni (formerly Bosslady), Meechie, Me’k, Method Man, Midas, Mike McIntosh/Niige of ARS, Mixcast.tv, Supa Producer Mus’, Ms. Stress “Da Madame”, Ms. Tris Beats, Mully Man, N-A Bekatainment, Nazz-D, Neena, Neil Norris of PX, Nik Stylz, Ogun, P-Cutta, Pebbles, P-Funk, Phat 2 Death, Platinum Plus TV, Piolet Girls, Porkchop, Quest the Allstar, Randy, Raw D.O.C., Ray Lugar/ Stevie Stay Hi Low Key God of Team Fifty, Reina Williams, Rod Lee, Romante, Rulex Rollers, S.Dot, Safesexboxers.com, Shakean da Analyst of Kartel, Shannon, Shellbe Raw, Sherida of S&M Management, Shock G & Digital Underground, Skarr-Akbar, Skinny Suge, Laura of Slum Bum Ent, Sonny Brown, Spitters Club, Staxx, Steven Speilberg, Street Legendz, Styles P, Super Producer Solar, Symantyx, T.M./Tha Down Records, Takeova, Testme, The Committee, Tim Trees, Tony Ruffin, Total Luxury, Treach of Naughty by Nature, Twin Desert Eagles, Tyree Colion, U.A. Mobb/Kumiti, U.M.I., Uninvited Guests, Unreal, Unstopable Numklehidz, Velli Smalls of Secret Society Records, Verb of Dirty Hartz, Woody of Dru Hill, XO Records, Young Sac of 3rd Infantry, Youngstar of Realside
Beats
i.G. of Master Fader Productions, Steven Speilberg, T-Gunner of Freeoladas Productions, Exact, Darkroom Productions, Ms. Tris Beats
Local songs by
TestMe, Clayway, M.O.L., Amadaye, MullyMan, Bossman, Fat Smoke, Tyree Colion
Also, FOX 45 has contacted me to let me know they will be coming to Deep Flow Studios next week to do a 'top story' on Baltimore hip hop interviewing myself (Amotion), Bossman, TestMe and Ms. Stress (Da Madame). We'll let you know when that will be airing!
Amotion
CEO - Deep Flow Entertainment
Recording studio, TV show, Internet radio station
3725 S. Hanover St.
Baltimore, MD. 21225
DeepFLowTV.com
DeepFLowRadio.com
DeepFlowStudios.com
Myspace.com/deepflowstudios
410.354.3456
Copy & paste likk to your browser to see season 1 of Deep Flow TV right now!!!
http://www.mixcast.tv/ViewChannel.aspx?ChannelID=91334643&ReleaseID=92016657
Labels: Deep Flow
Labels: flyer
Friday, February 23, 2007
Labels: flyer
Thursday, February 22, 2007
B.I.G. Status - Green Day (12/12 Enterprises)
You might remember the B.I.G. Status track I posted from a Musse' Mus' mixtape a few weeks ago (he was also on the Bosslady mixtape I posted about recently). I thought the song I posted was bananas, so I was looking forward to hearing a whole project by him, and I wasn't disappointed by this. There aren't many clear standouts I like as much as "Line Up," but it's pretty consistent. His voice is strong and clear and not particularly unique, but he can flow and it's just straight up aggressive all the way through, might really be one of the best Bmore mixtapes I've heard lately. Comp even makes a little cameo on here. Dude is performing at Coppin State on February 26th and March 3rd, and Kevin Vega from his label, 12/12, has a show on Deep Flow Radio now.
B.I.G. Status - "The Life" (mp3)
Some great original production on here, particularly by Donland Hitmen, and this track is one of my favorites.
Labels: B.I.G. Status, Bosslady, Comp, mixtape/album review, mp3, Musse' Mus'
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
B. Rich - "Block Hussla" (mp3)
I heard B. Rich say in an interview on 92Q last year that he was going to be dropping his next CD a lot quicker than last year's Born Rich, and I guess he wasn't kidding, because his new single was e-mailed to me recently, apparently from an upcoming album called Hurry Up & Weight. He's got a few other new tracks on his MySpace page, and "Somebody Snitched" has a pretty clever sample. I don't know why he's suddenly rapping about dealing crack, though, seems like a stretch for him, and I say that as someone who liked the more serious tone of stuff off his last album like "We All Doin' Time." Still, the drums on this track are tight.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
February 19th, 2006 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
TOMORROW NIGHT!
D-RIP
RUFF FAM
KG
VISION
COMP
AND MORE... AT THE 5 SEASONS!
WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST FROM SUGARWATER/UNIVERSAL RECORDS OWN NIGIL MACK COMING THRU SO IF YOU HAVE ANY MUSIC OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO POLITIC.. COME THRU!!!
DJ JABRIL ON THE WHEELS
SONNY BROWN HOSTING
$10 FOR MALES
$5 FOR THE FEMALES
$2 COAT CHECK
DRINK SPECIALS, FOOD GETS GET IT ON!!!! TOMORROW NIGHT
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, Comp, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Saturday, February 17, 2007
You might remember couple months ago when I posted about B-More Vibe Magazine, who was holding a poll to decide who would be on the cover of their next issue. Well, Ms. Stress won it the first time, and now they're doing it again, and the options are Ogun, Brown F.I.S.H., B-Fly (who's currently in the lead), ShellBe RAW, Golden Seal, Skarr Akbar and Backland. So go ahead and vote for your favorite and see how they do.
Labels: B-Fly, Backland, Brown F.I.S.H., Golden Seal, magazines/newspapers, Ms. Stress, Ogun, ShellBe RAW, Skarr Akbar
Friday, February 16, 2007
Skarr Akbar featuring various artists - The Understanding 2 Soundtrack/DVD (Akbar Enterprize)
Skarr Akbar has been one of my favorite MCs in Baltimore for a long time (peep the City Paper article from '05), so it's been really gratifying to see him really start to get his due lately. A few months ago, 92Q finally started showing him some love and gave some spins to tracks like "Bang" and "I Am," and in December he got Downtown Locker Room to distribute his DVD/CD. From what Skarr told me, this is just a little limited edition deal, and when it's sold out it'll be gone, so I don't know how available it is now, but when I asked about it last weekend, they still had some under the counter at the DTLR on Calvert Street. The DVD is his second autobiographical documentary, which I wrote about last fall, but it's now packaged with a soundtrack. The format of the CD is about half tracks by Skarr and his crew, the Arabz (including a full version of the awesome track "Alright" that I posted last year), and the other half by other Bmore artists, including Los and D.R.O.P. from Da Bloc Inc. camp, as well as Comp, Mullyman, Ogun, Golden Seal, Backland and Heavy Gold. It's really just to show love to other artists, and to get people warmed up for Skarr's official album, Passion, Pain & Progress. There's a cover story on Skarr in the February issue of Music Monthly, too.
Heavy Gold - "Charm City" (mp3)
As you may know, Heavy Gold is a former member of N.E.K. who left the group before Bossman's solo career jumped off, and he's still doing his thing, working with Stay Gettin'. I haven't heard a lot of his solo material before but this track is pretty great.
Labels: Backland, Comp, Golden Seal, Los, magazines/newspapers, mixtape/album review, mp3, Mullyman, Ogun, Skarr Akbar
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Rod Lee - The Producer (Unruly Records/Club Kingz Records)
It was kind of surprising to me, in a good way, to find out a few months ago that Rod Lee's sixth album, which was released in January, would be on Unruly Records. That's like the uniting of the two giants of Baltimore club music, which had always stayed in more or less seperate camps (although Unruly DJs always put RL tracks in their mixes and vice versa). I don't know why it took this long to happen but it's pretty great news for the whole scene. Rod's last album, Vol. 5: The Official was released nationally by Morphis Urban, who were set to reissue his first four albums. But so far they've only re-released the first one, Operation: Start-Up, and with Rod Lee's new album on a different label, I don't know if they're still gonna do the others. Hopefully they will, because Operation: Not Done Yet and Vol. 3: The Pressure are my favorite Rod Lee CDs and it would be a shame if those stayed out of print.
This is also Rod's first album where he produces every single track and doesn't mix in anyone else's beats, with just a few guest vocalists, which is the kind of achievement only a club producer as prolific as him can make happen. This CD doesn't even feature a lot of the Rod Lee tracks that were on other DJ's mixes last year, though, like "So Long Rockin Music" and "Da Block," which is kind of a shame, I liked those. There are a lot of jams on here, though, includin a remix of "Dance My Pain Away," not the one with Bossman but a whole new one with Rod singing different lyrics. The album is available now at Downtown Locker Room, and the Unruly website has an mp3 store now, too, which is selling a lot of Rod Lee tracks that aren't on this album, including an EP called On The Download. Rod Lee is DJing at Sonar on March 10th with Debonair Samir and Aaron Lacrate.
Rod Lee - "Enjoy Yourself" (mp3)
This one's been a favorite of mine for a minute now. I mean, who else would think up a party track where the hook is "it could be worse, it could be worse, it could be worse!"
Labels: Baltimore club, mixtape/album review, mp3, Rod Lee, Sonar, Unruly Records
Monday, February 12, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
February 11th, 2006 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
Tomorrow night we will have some special guest in the building.. J Records representitives will be in the building to check out a artist produced by none other the J-FUNK.. So if your really about your grind you may want to be in the building and network, network, network!
Tomorrow night!
D-RIP
TUFFLON DONNA
TYREIKA
FIRST FAMILY
SICK SENCE
DEZ RED
AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE BY KG.. (This dude actually has people calling me and asking me if he can come back.. I mean people i know personally love this guy so i had to bring him back for the 3rd time)
and the man of the hour.. CUZZO!!
tomorrow night at the 5 seasons 830 north guilford ave
9pm-1:45am
$1 Sonny brown shots
DRINK SPECIALS, FOOD
HOSTED BY SONNY BROWN AND SQUIRRAL WYDE
DJ JABRIL ON THE WHEELS
THE MUSIC SAMPLER DVD ON SPIN
$2 COAT CHECKS
LETS GET IT IN!
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Hip Hop 101, Sonny Brown
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Labels: flyer, K-Swift, Next Level Records
Labels: flyer, Turntable Club
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The first Give Back To Bmore Party
and Birthday Bash for Drag and Crooked Streetz
tonight, February 10th @ 5 Seasons
No Cover
come one, come all
2 for 1 drinks all night
Ruff Endz and others performing
DJ Booman on the ones and twos
Labels: 5 Seasons, flyer, Team Fifty
Labels: Baltimore club, flyer
Friday, February 09, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Rickie Jacobs - "Flyin' In My Spaceship" (mp3)
Rickie Jacobs is a young Baltimore-based producer/MC that sent me a couple tracks recently, including this one, which has a cool uptempo sound without really being on any kind of club tip. He's also recently produced some tracks for Sonny Brown and Ty-Gudda. Check out his MySpace page to hear more tracks, including a nice freestyle over the new Young Buck song.
Labels: mp3, Sonny Brown
Labels: E Major, flyer, Turntable Club
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Labels: 5 Seasons, D.O.G., DJ Booman, flyer, Golden Seal, Labtekwon, Mullyman, Ray Lugar, Skarr Akbar, Team Fifty
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Bosslady - On Da Grind Vol. 4 (Jam Eazey Ent./House-Of-Platinum Records)
Bosslady, a.k.a. Me'Aze Millioni has made a lot of moves in Bmore as a label owner, host, and show promoter over the past couple years, including the Baltimore State Of Grind compilation. But she's always repped the whole region, including the rest of Maryland and Washington and Virginia, and she covers that whole territory with the latest installment from the On Da Grind series. There are a handful of Baltimore artists on here that I'm familiar with (UnReal, Ms. Stress, Teop, Unstoppable Nuklehidz, Mossburg) and some D.C. artists I know of (Mr. White Folkz, Raheem Devaughn), but a lot of it is unfamiliar folks to me, who I figure are mostly from D.C. or VA. The CD opens with a nice intro track for Bosslady that blends a nice choice of beats (Slim Thug's "Like A Boss," Shareefa's "I Need A Boss," Kelis's "Bossy"), good idea, maybe Bossman should get that track for a freestyle. Look out for Bosslady's new mixtape with Musse' Mus' dropping real soon as well as her new DVD, Pass Da Mic.
Drakkar - "Who The Fuck I Am" (mp3)
Drakkar is the teenage rapper who won Rod Lee's talent search last year. Nice to finally hear some of his music, I'm kinda impressed by this track.
Labels: Bosslady, mixtape/album review, mp3, Ms. Stress, Rod Lee, Teop, UnReal
Monday, February 05, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Hip Hop 101/Old School Mondays
"Best Weekly Event" - Baltimore City Paper
February 4th, 2006 - Five Seasons
830 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 - ladies $5, guys $10
ONCE AGAIN IT'S ON..
Crime Family
Comp
Teop
Ruff Fam
K.G.
Tufflon Donna
M.O.L.
and more special guest and surprises..
$5 for the females
$10 for the fellas
Dj Jabril on the ones and twos
Shaka Pitts (www.spittersclub.com) hosting the event
drink specials
$1 shots.. (ask for a sonny brown)
Food
lets get it in and have some fun tomorrow night..
it may be cold outside but inside it will be HOT!!!!!
-Sonny Brown
Labels: 5 Seasons, Comp, flyer, Hip Hop 101, M.O.L., Sonny Brown, Teop
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Labels: 5 Seasons, Comp, flyer, Team Fifty
Friday, February 02, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Jade Fox - Ashes of Another Life
Since setting up the Gov't Names MySpace page last year, I've used it mainly to network with artists I'm already familiar with, but Jade Fox was the first, maybe the only Bmore artist that I heard for the first time on MySpace whose music I really genuinely liked and wanted to hear more of. And in kind of a coincidence, a while after that Mic Life Magazine asked me to do a feature on Jade Fox, and I went and interviewed her for the November issue. So I've had a rough mix of this album for a few months, but it was just officially released in January, and I really liked it then but's exciting to finally hear the finished version.
Baltimore's really got a lot of talented female rappers in the scene right now (ShellBe RAW, G.E.M., Ms. Stress, Golden Seal, B-Fly, Silohette, Nik Stylz) and I really think Jade Fox deserves to pull up a seat at that table. The album is just 10 tracks (the title is a reference to her previous MC name, Phoenix), but it's pretty high quality across the board, thanks largely to the melodic, creative production by Tytanium and Dom P of 2 Minds 1 Soul Productions, and Chris Bentley and Sha Bless. She even stretches out for a couple longer songs, one goes for over 7 minutes and has like 4 verses. Go to her MySpace page to hear some songs off the album, including my favorites "Just Wanna Be" and "Get Up," and there's a link to buy the album there, which is also available at the Sound Garden.
Jade Fox - "Energy Rise" (mp3)
Good strong first track, with yet another one of those "Wildflower" samples that I never get tired of (there was also one on UnReal's last mixtape).
Labels: Jade Fox, Mic Life Magazine, mixtape/album review, mp3