Callie Dee Presents

I’ve been acquainted with 88 Killa for I’d like to think at least a year, maybe less. I watched him at Andy’s in Denton and saw him sporting the Funkytown jacket and I was like, “Hey!” because it’s not everyday you see a super dope MC repping the Funk in Denton...... I knew this guy had something. Turns out, he’s been getting down with Denton for a while and more recently you’ll see his name all over Dallas line ups. You can find him at Beauty Bar almost every Thursday with DJ Sober, a combo that all but sets the the dance floor on fire. 

Under the label, DEFDISCO, 88 Killa released 88 BPM and had a release show at Spinster Records in Dallas. 

And he’s already released one video from the EP, Boomerang, directed by the notorious, Jeremy Biggers. Jeremy uses very simple concepts that seem to have a profound impact when paired with someone as talented and buzz worthy as 88 Killa. A Simple Black and White Scheme, a little smoke and well placed gold jewelry kept me intrigued the entire length of the song.

I’ve listened to the album now a few times. I like to do the “Cleaning Test” where I turn music up as loud as my device will let me, and I clean to it. 

88 BPM is only 6 tracks long, hence the EP status. I almost favor this approach vs a full length album. I’m always about making people want MORE rather than wishing you had don less- like fast forward a track or two, etc. Showing the EP was well thought out, each track flows seamlessly from one to the other and so on, I dig the song arrangement. 88 Killa definitely hits the younger demographic with the content and production. Not quite Trap music, but it uses the elements of trap and even sneaks in a good Boom Bap track complete with cuts by DJ Sober. 

Hulen Mall gets a shout out right away with “Hulen Mall Legend” solidifying his Fort Worth roots. The track starts out with a southern rap sample talking about “swangin” and “diamonds in my teeth” with breaks involving the same sample, only 88 Killa is having a phone conversation over talking on the phone. Takes me back to the days we all piled into a friends car to go to the mall, or anywhere other than home at least. 88 gives us a little test of his vocal abilities towards the end, laughing it off with “Y’all don’t want it. “ 

On “Boomerang” 88 Killa says, “Don’t call me underrated, I don’t play that shit.” Duly noted. This one is definitely bass heavy making it difficult not to move around while bobbing your head to the cadence of 88 Killa’s flow. He mentions not to be called underrated again (taking it that’s a pet peeve?) in “Mixtapes” that feaures more of a backpackers production fresh with DJ cuts. 88 Killa flexes his lyrical muscles in this track, something to appeal the older hip hop heads of his fan base. 

He ends 88 BPM with “Free Before 11″ where he gives Beauty Bar and DJ Sober a shout. This was a more story of 88 Killa’s life, “I ain’t into fashion, I”m into to cashing checks” he boasts. Another line I’m fond of is “You ain’t a real G til you get your heart broke.” Boy tell me about it!!! He gives a shout out to Purgatory, Cowboys, Myspace Top 8, Venice Beach, Rhythm City and more. Stuff I think would take us all back a few years. And if it doesn’t look them up or ask your mom :) 

88 Killa did a good job of keeping this EP bumping with the beats and including a few nostalgic and modern day references. Most of the EP has elements of the “New Sound” that’s popular now with  just enough classic hip hop elements (like the boom bap sound, word play and cuts in “Mixtapes”) to pay homage to Hip Hop, but not completely sway the younger listeners away. I think the newer elements in the EP are something the older generation might not appreciate AT FIRST, but if they just take another listen I think they’d find themselves grooving right along. 

Good job, 88 Killa! I look forward to watching your rise to fame <3 

You can also see 88 Killa September 8th at RBC in Deep Ellum as well as September 29th competing for the title of #DDFWMasteroftheMic in Round #3 at Lola’s Saloon! 

We had an amazing show lined up. Our headliner, Denmark Vessey and Gensu Dean, had been getting so much love in the press. We were all  excited to put on an amazing show with an AMAZING line up. I mean, look at it! 

Days before the show, two horrible murders were committed by the Boys in Blue and caught on tape. The air around us changed to hostile, frightened, helpless, sad, disbelief, anger……all the normal feelings NORMAL people have. Then you have social media……oh the things said, the lines drawn and the division created. The vibe of the night was already a little heavy. 

Sound check was at 7:30 so I texted ahead to make sure everything went well. Arrived at the venue, saw they were still setting up so I grabbed a burger next door at Twisted Root. As soon as I sat down, my girl, Claudette, texts me and says “Something is going on in Downtown. There’s like 50 cops and more coming.” Not a few seconds later, I see a police car with lights flashing zoom down Commerce. “This can’t be good,” I thought. Shots were fired, I read…..

I go back to the venue and the air remained heavy, everyone was somber. Talked to Krum and let him know what I just heard, and we both agreed tonight was going to go differently as planned…..

Ekzile showed up and informed us that there had been 3 officers shot and that a few of his friends were stuck at the McDonald’s Downtown. 88 Killa texts that he’s stuck in downtown, they’ve blocked the streets. All of us just walked around, not knowing what to do or what to say, even. More updates, 10 police shot, 3 dead. All of our phones were buzzing with concerned loved ones, making sure we were okay, making sure we were somewhere safe. 

Killa makes it not too much later and the first thing he says is, “I don’t even want to rap. I just wanted to show up so that if people wanted to talk I could talk to them. I have things I want to say.”

It was announced to the crowd of artists and a few fans that we would have a prayer circle outside. Everyone joined. We asked God to be with us, to be with those affected by the violence on both sides.To give us peace, wisdom, and to surround us with his love. It was a beautiful moment that gave me goose bumps. After the prayer, Killa said some words, he urged us to talk about peace. To stand up for each other. For us all to use our platform to ask for change, peace, and equality. 

A few other friends showed up, but at this point we knew the show would not go on. Faded Deejay, Mutemor, kept the vibes going with music and we all fellowshipped and talked about the craziness of the world today. We all tried not be selfish about it, but were all super bummed the show didn’t happen. Not because we wanted money or anything of that nature, but because it was genuinely a HOT line up. We talked about rescheduling and everyone seemed to be okay with that.  

Around midnight we closed up shop. I needed to decompress so James Kay and I walked around Deep Ellum. You’d have thought it was a Tuesday with how vacant the streets were. Most of the food places were already closed, Two Tone was doing their weekly Thursday and Cafe Salsera had some music going. Most of the people on the streets were the homeless population. I talked to one about what happened tonight and asked where he was. He says, “Oh I stayed away from downtown. I’m not gonna go into that mess.” 

On the way home, the adrenaline subsided and I had no one around me to be strong for, so I started balling. I tend to be an empath so all the pain and suffering of others swept over me. To think in DALLAS something like this is going on was just so overwhelming. It’s one thing to see it on the news, it’s one thing to talk about tragedies in other places from behind your keyboard……but to be in the midst of it all was more than my mind could wrap around. But I knew that I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing and say nothing. 

If you’re in the Fort Worth Music scene, unless you live under a rock that has no internet or Facebook, You heard about WizardVision’s #Summerthon at Shipping & Receiving. Son of Stan’s leading man, Jordan Richardson, or “Jorts” as those in the scene call him, organized what was to be slated as THE party of the Summer in Fort Worth, if not the metroplex. Rock bands, Hip Hop artists, photo booth, above ground pools and jello shots were enough for me to cancel EVERYTHING I had going on (except a wedding) just so I could bare witness.  Cross over shows are always a great mix and usually give the Rock crowd a little dose of Hip Hop, just enough to win them over. 

There were lots of media coverage before this event. Central Track has listed Son of Stan in the Buzz Rankings for, like, EVER! So it was no surprise when Central Track premiered the new video for “The Lady that’s Around Me” on SoS’s “Georgia” Album. You can check it out here. Plus Fort Worth Weekly did a little Vlog on the event as well which you can check out here. Beautifully marketed!!! Props to everyone involved on that end!!! 

As I said previously, I had a lovely wedding to attend so I missed the first 2-3 acts and the bikini/speedo contest. I STILL think I could have won best cover up but we won’t go there.....The parking was already slim so I had to walk about a block. As I got out of my car I heard the bass pumping and a voice I’m familiar with, Sam Lao. I thought to myself “I wonder what the neighbors are thinking! This is LOUD!!!” Oh well, not my concern. As I entered the patio, the party was in full swing. The huge above ground pool had about 5 hairy guys to every 1 female brave enough to sport a suit. The water looked a bit murky...but what’s fun in the sun without bacteria infested waters? I quickly scouted the scene and gave out lots of hugs. Rock is where I started in this whole music scene so there were LOTS of familiar faces!! 

The outside bar served Corona Light and Modelo for only $3 (!!) and jello shots.. WHO DOESN’T LOVE CHEAP DRINKS??? I only came with $50 or so, and I was able to drink enough and buy a few drinks for 2 birthday guys and a girl friend. Now THAT is my kind of event!! 

I half paid attention and half socialized during Sam Lao, Squanto and Bummer Vacation. I heard lots of good things about Sam Lao too!!! I saw her for the first time around Oct of 2013 when she opened up for Jean Gray and since then her career has catapulted!  The media loves her and the rock scenesters loved her as well. From time to time you would find her in the pool and just hanging out. Wonder what she thinks of the Funk? Hmmm...should have asked. 

Blue the Misfit came on and this is probably the first time I’ve seen him perform without his dreads and without visual aids. Either way, impressive performance. The crowd got a little crunk, he definitely had me bouncing. I used Periscope for the first time and got a really good response when broadcasting his set live. (Find me @Callie_dee)  I got a chance to talk at Blue a little bit by the cars. Lol. Callie had a little to drink and started being a little chatty Cathy there for a minute. Always a good time, though. Blue is definitely one of my favorite artists in the scene. He really has his own style and sound which is refreshing to say the least. And he’s artistically creative, any show with him is an EXPERIENCE. 

Son of Stan took the stage last. Jorts and his cohort, Dave Hellabad (aka Steve Steward) were both topless during this performance which held fast to the Summer theme of the evening. I’ve seen Son of Stan play maybe one other time that I can think of, at Shipping & Receiving when I used to cocktail there. I’ve heard their music a few dozen times and when it comes to these “Pop” type bands, you never really expect them to sound like their recorded music, right? WRONG! I was super impressed with how close the live performance and the studio recording sounded. Jorts is a natural at this music stuff, you can just tell. They definitely made a fan out of me!! I know I know, I’m late to this bandwagon. 

In between sets, there were a handful of DJs spinning everything from Mainstream Hip Hop, EDM, and one of the DJ’s even threw in two of Post Malone’s songs from iTunes, White Iverson and Too Young.  So what do you get when you mix a little bit of every music genre, Summertime, water, and alcohol?? A very well orchestrated #Summerthon!!! 

On a scale of 1-10 this event was an 11 and I’m looking forward to more like them. I’ve already said this once, but I’ll say it again, probably the best party/event since the Where House days! #Salute to Shipping & Receiving, WizardVision, Modelo and Mount Gay Rum!

After this party was a wrap (around 12am or so) a few of us headed to The Chat Room for Vincent Neil Emerson’s “Hesitation Blues” release party. VNE has also found his name among the Central Track rankings and I am very lucky in that he’s one of my brother’s really good friends- so he’s also now one of my “brothers” (there’s a whole group of them and I love them all!!). Man I tell you what!!! That album is going to be a hit. My brother was slapping the bass while VNE strummed his guitar and sang with that Old Soul of his. The Chat Room was crazy packed and rightly so. I really just love watching these guys play music. It makes my heart happy!!! You can check out VNE’s album on bandcamp here. 

So basically, if you were not at Shipping & Receiving and The Chat on Saturday, I really got to ask WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?????? Sheesh. 

One of my favorite tours last year was the Strange Music Inc tour featuring Murs, Mayday/Mursday, & Ces Cru. I knew little about this duo til then but once I watched them performed, I was an instant fan. They are polished and work well off each other’s energy. Plus they’re fairly young which means their shelf life is longer than most of the artists I’ve brought through. Hey, I’m all about Nostalgia. When the opportunity to book this tour came my way, I jumped on it and booked not only the DFW area but San Antonio and Austin as well. 

I hit up DJ Notion who assisted with the Killah Priest show to help me handle San Antonio and Austin since those are his stomping grounds. Strange Music is definitely the top in their league in every way. In each city, Strange Music had a “Street Team Leader” contact me to pick up flyers and tickets to help promote in their market. WHO ELSE DOES THAT? Besides Live Nation- no one. So it’s always a pleasure working w/ Strange Music. My parnter, RJ, of Write House helped me finance this tour, so along with the openers Ces Cru had tagging along we added Fab Deuce and The Boxer’s Brain to all 3 Texas dates. 

I had back to back emergencies happen leading up to the tour causing me to miss too much work, so I felt that missing the San Antonio date in order to keep my day job kosher was in order. From what I heard, every artist smashed it. There were a few problems with the venue, though, including a sound person that never showed, calling in a back up who was late, and one of the artists from the tour package not performing. It all kind of worked itself out and everyone had a good time. Of course, Ces Cru put on a top notch performance. 

For the Austin stop, DJ Notion, Write House and myself (Right Round Productions) teamed up with SubKulture Patriots to bring Ces Cru to their established monthly, First of the Month SmokeOut. I arrived at the venue shortly after the meet and greet with my girl Nat in tow, it’s always cool to have a travel buddy. We walked around 6th Street before finding someone to let us in the venue WHICH HAD NO A/C!!!!  Shouldn’t there be a disclaimer of some sort in this situation? I mean, I wore PANTS....ugh. 

I introduced myself to the tour, finding out that the tour manager I had been speaking with on the phone was none other than Ubiquitous himself, or U-B-I or Ubi for short. Talented and organized? Sweet. We ordered them pizza, discussed the previous tour dates, then they went back to their (air conditioned) hotel to get ready and rest (lucky). I stayed to make sure everything went down according to plan while Notion took care of the music behind his DJ decks. Luckily after the sun went down there was a decent breeze going through the venue. Nat had an old friend show up to watch the show and the people continuously piled in for the first few hours.

Fab Deuce opened up the show and everyone on the patio overlooking and around the stage were totally vibing, heads bouncing, a few girls grinding their rears against their partners crotch area (always a good sign). I love the dynamic of Fab Deuce, which consists of Pudge Brewer, Ernie McCracking and Frank Ponecall aka Juicy the Emissary. 

Next up, The Boxer’s Brain, put on a heck of a show. It’s kind of hard not to jam out to this band with two drummers, a couple guitars, bass player and 3 MCs. It’s a winning combination every time. Once again the crowd was digging it and I heard them receive accolades from the concert goers once they joined the crowd ont he floor. 

SubKulture Patriots did their thing next, another slam dunk of a performance with a dynamic of 4-5 MCs. I had only seen Brain perform prior to this at Vans Warped Tour a few years back, so it was nice getting familiar with another Austin act. Much love for sharing your night with us, guys!

Last up for local support, Mindz of a Different Kind, easily one of my favorite groups in Texas.  This is what any group should strive to look and feel like. Their steps are almost choreographed, their delivery precise, and the music and lyrics have substance missing from a lot of so called Hip Hop music these days. This night in particular, Breez BZA had his hair down with bounds of natural waves, and on stage it blew in the fan’s wind like something off a runway. I was digging it! LOVE THE LOOK, Breez, all luxurious and stuff!!

This was my first time seeing Joey Cool perform. He was part of the tour package with Ces Cru and the only one to show again this night. I found out later the other performer “slept” through his set.... it was better for us anyways as we were running slightly behind schedule. Joey spit some fire!!! I see big things for this guy, especially if he keeps running with the Strange Music crew. He totally lived up to his name on and off the stage. Super cool guy, super motivated and I enjoyed following him on Facebook prior to this appearance. He was made for this tour life! 

At one point I took a stroll solo down 6th St. The energy on that strip is ridiculously refreshing. Definitely too crazy to go to without a plan (for me) and all the free entry bars had a line about 50 people long (or more). But for people watching and just walking and observing, it was awesome. I got to go to this town more often and not always during SXSW (gets too crazy packed for me!). 

Last but not least, Ces Cru took the stage. And even though it was hotter than a whore house on nickel night, their performance didn’t lack energy or enthusiasm. The way they play off each other should be text book if it isn’t already. And at certain points, one would stand by their back drop while the other took command of the stage. The one in the back would still do their ad libs while the other showcased their talent in the spot light. Joey Cool joined them on one song where they all took shots, almost like a rite of passage for the newbie. I didn’t stay until the end because hours in that heat drained me and we had a 3-4 hour drive home the next day and one final tour stop. 

The Denton line up was super sick! Having a tour on July 4th was a crap shoot, but if we could pull it off anywhere it was Denton. I showed up just after the meet and greet, got everyone lined out and then left to do fireworks with the kids. Arrived back after the first few acts, but found out Godemis stayed behind at the venue instead of going to the hotel like the he did on the other dates. He gave each artist props and talked about possible future endeavors.  THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT! 

Once again, Fab Deuce put on a heck of a show. We squeezed Alsace in last minute and she rocked the crowd and had them bouncing throughout her set. Houston Zizza decided to actually show up for the Denton date, so we put him on last minute as well. When an artist doesn’t show for 2/3 tour stops, you kinda don’t expect them to show for the 3rd but we made it work. Ces Cru put on their top notch, highly skilled set after taking fan pics and signing merch. Ubi even went out into the crowd for the last few songs and walked around spitting lyrics in the midst of the fans. I love that Hailey’s has wireless mics just for this reason. The energy in Denton was NUTS and I was very pleased with the performances across the board. I copped me a “Hustle & Meditate” shirt from the merch booth, took this pic with Ubiquitous

and got to kick it in the Green Room with these guys afterwards. I love hearing about tour life, and we even discussed possibly having our guys go on tour with them in the future. They had great things to say about the artists in Denton as well as Boxer’s Brain and Fab Deuce so all in all I feel the tour itself was a success. Looking forward to working with these guys in the future as there has been discussions about bringing some Kansas City artists to DFW and vice versa. Godemis seemed to have made good friends with the Gitmo crew and we hung out well past 3am before all heading to our own places. Had there been a legit after party, I’m sure we would have stayed out much longer! There’s always next time! 

The only thing I would have changed about this tour was the San Antonio date. After doing two tours with the same three Texas stops, I feel like San Antonio and Austin are close enough to do one or the other. And we all know who wins in THAT war. I bet money that the numbers in Austin would have been better had we not chosen to stop in San Antonio as well. 

So who has the hook up in Houston? 

I’ve been expanding my sights lately, and especially after becoming “Mommy Gitmo”, I wanted to branch out passed #dDFW. Texas Tour seemed like a logical “next step”.  So I got with a booking agent/DJ/Artist Manager I know that does San Antonio and Austin events, DJ Notion of MusicNMind, and scheduled out a tour with Killah Priest who is affiliated with Wu Tang and Gensu Dean of Mellow Music Group.

We launched a fundraiser and really did a good job rallying Denton/Dallas/Fort Worth around our efforts. Raised a total of $500 (after % taken out to Gofundme, ya know). We asked the High Rollaz to join us because they had been through those cities before and are the best branded artists in Dallas (I think) so it just made sense. 

We gathered our troops and headed to SATX first, FItzgerald’s Bar was the first tour stop. I’m kind of a cheapskate and decided to press my luck by waiting day of to check hotwire and the like. A lot of times you’ll find that’s when you get the best hotel deals. Chose a place that had free wifi and breakfast and reserved 6 rooms. We were easily rolling 13 deep. I had my kiddos, nanny and dogs so we had our own room, and each of the other rooms were 2-4 deep. #Gitmo Rolls Deep. Within the first 30 minutes after checking into Budget Hotel, my group was asked if they were holding drugs, asked if they wanted to buy drugs, and basically propositioned by a prostitute. Good times, great story for the road. 

We arrived at Fitzgerald and scoped it out. It was a nice little spot with booths for sitting and an outside stage and patio area. I liked it a lot. Their were a decent amount of people there early, the night didn’t get as busy as I’d liked, the headliner went on way super early to the point I had to get my guys to do a freestyle cypher just to keep people IN the bar drinking. Had a plan for San Antonio, made friends with the bar owner and planned to get together for future shows and went on our way......without our merch box (oops).

Friday we woke up, checked out this breakfast....frosted flakes and milk was about the best it got. Rendezvoused at my oldest little brother’s house in Austin, found hotels and went in for naps. Arrived at the Austin Venue, North Door, and was pretty stoked. The venue was also a pizza shop which was perfect because I hadn’t eaten dinner.  There was a large projection screen that displayed graphics, a nice touch I thought.  Mindz of a Different Kind were the local support and I always like catching up and watching this group perform.  We kept waiting for the night to pick up but, alas, it wasn’t a stellar turn out.... Everyone on the line up mingled, networked, and built bonds AND were on their top notch game. Even better show than San Antonio so I knew Denton would smash it. 

My nanny has a connection at the Hilton and after San Antonio’s #FAIL on hotel rooms we chose to go that route. The room we got was so nice I almost didn’t want to leave....but I had to get back to the dDFW for the night’s show. Sure enough, I arrive at 9pm and hear about the line that was waiting for the door to open.  I understand Denton is our backyard but how is it that locals can’t sell/promote a show whoever is on it? I guess no one cares until it’s their money that’s up for gambling. If they get paid no matter what, where’s the motivation? Moving on, we had the place packed, the bartenders were commenting on how generous our crowd was, the Photo Booth was rocking and the floor in front of the stage never had less than 20-30 people watching the performers. Three of my favorite crews were represented- Gitmo (of course), High Rollaz and Dielex Kemposed of Fort Worth. All three of these crews have a special place in my heart so it was a special night. 

This tour was expected to be a learning experience. We knew we had Ces Cru coming up and Ces Cru/Strange Music has a cult like following. There’s almost slim chance to fuck that one up. We made friends with the venues, introduced ourselves to those markets, earned a few new fans, showed a national act how we do it in Denton (#represent), bonded more as a crew, formed some really great opinions on how things SHOULD be done (don’t we all), and made some great memories captured on film from our film crew and the soon to be infamous, Tuna Pryor. So I’ll chalk it up as a win when it’s all said and done, and it is.

This event series is like my first Hip Hop Baby, The Funkytown Showdown, on steroids. I've explained more in detail what this series is all about here if you want to take a look and catch up. For everyone else, keep reading.

There has been so much buzz leading up to the night and I’m not going to lie- I was super anxious about this night running smoothly. I had T Wrex hosting and DJ Snoopi on the wheels of steels so my mind was set at ease as soon as they took over the reigns. 

At the beginning of the night a group of younger MCs arrived who introduced themselves as Mason Weaver, NautQuite, R-Sanik and RJ the Grinch (I think). They rolled deep and showed so much energy and love!! This is why I do it, for the fresh new faces to get their foot in the door. I was quite impressed with their hunger and ability and not to mention they brought the most females out of all the MCs there that night. 

A few of the contestants did not show so there were a few breaks in performances where- like a pro- DJ Snoopi and T Wrex started a dance party! Everyone was having a good time, that’s what events are all about! Rod had his Photobooth Dollar set up with props, the bartenders were amazing as always, and everyone was networking! 

At the end of the night only 10 could advance and I know the judges had a hard time choosing! After a long deliberation, our judges Tay 5pew, DJ Sean P and Steve Watkins, a local writer, chose the following:

Mason Weaver Beast DK Madame Mims Mark Spits Kye Yote Casey Tex Mordecai The Zenith Vincent Fabila Jacob Ware Shoose McGee

Here’s some advice the judges gave:

-Aimed at no-one in particular

Presentation is everything when you are stage, no matter if it's hiphop or comedy or rock and roll or poetry or campaigning for public office. I saw several cats up there who I could tell what they were trying to do and say, but it came across as if they were reading from a cue card. They didn't make me believe it.

If you only have 7 minutes, don't screw around with long intros and build up. Most of the people I voted for I knew I was going to vote for in the first 10 seconds. Be aggressive and be different.

-Most importantly is mic control. No cuffing would help us understand what you're doing. If we can't hear it, then it doesn't make any sense on the whole song. Lyrically some have it just didn't have one direction on where they were going with it.DON'T CUP THE MIC!!!

I thought a few of the other artists should have made it but that’s why I let the professionals handle that one! I look forward to helping all of the contestants develop their skill and maybe we’ll see some of those that didn’t make it this go round, advance next year! 

And keep in mind, Casey Tex was not one of the original competitors but because a few MCs who signed up did not show up, and he was there and ready, he got a chance AND advanced. Congrats Casey, way to be prepared. 

Til next time! 

When I heard about this battle, my first reaction was “Blaze is going to slaughter this dude.” 

I almost didn't go. It’s no secret that Pac Manson and a few of the other “battle rappers” don’t really like me. I don’t really care for them either due to some disagreements in the way I run my shows. I am not really into the whole battle scene. Acapella Raps are just not my thing, and neither is listening to two dudes rip each other a new one while the people in the crowd go “Shhhhhh” like we’re in a library.  But THAT’S ME. There’s a whole culture that LOVES that shit so, more power to you guys and much respect to Osama the Great. Since there was a huge controversy regarding an artists I manage (Blaze) battling a dude that has publicly dissed me and my business practices (Pac Manson), I had to show face and root my boy on. 

Night of the Gitmo squad mobbed out DEEP! Have I said lately how much I love my crew and the support we give each other???  Blaze introduced me to a friend of his as his manager AND the only chick he’s NOT trying to have sex with. Then he tells this guy of the unusually high standards I have for the men I date and I’m thinking I’m pretty sure I should take this all as a compliment...right?  This is mine and Blaze’s relationship in a tiny nutshell. 

We move around and talk as a group because we really don’t know anyone in the battle scene except Blaze and a few others, and like I said before, Battle Rap isn't really my thing. I noticed the influx of TCU students coming through the door and the looks on their faces were probably more entertaining than the opening battles. A few of them got the stank face “What did I just walk into” look. A couple of the girls were just a few beers away from turning full ratchet as they eyed down some of the battle scene-sters. 

Then the battle we all waited for, Blaze Won vs Pac Manson, commenced. I could tell Blaze held back a little, I've seen him rip Facebook post-ers to SHREDS and he was playing fairly nice with Pac. He did bring up the fact Pac Manson can’t have underage kids/girls at his house unsupervised which was info I was made privy to before the fight..... Pac actually did better than I thought he could and didn't even rap over his own vocal tracks for a change. See, Pac, you can rap unassisted! Maybe you should try to use your instrumentals at your next performance, see how that goes. Blaze had a rebuttal, still a little soft but every bit crisp and well calculated. Then my favorite part- Pac Manson’s Round 2 started with “Callie Dee needs to get off Blaze Won’s Dick. She said he’d go 3-0......” blah blah blah then talked about how I didn't like Battle Rap, how I “Looked him in the eye” and said LFTB would never be at Lola’s, blah blah blah AND HE KEPT GOING ON ABOUT ME!!! I mean, was this Blaze Won vs Pac Manson or Callie Dee vs. LFTB? Either way, that whole room now knows my name so thanks for the free press!!  Blaze came back with his 3rd round where Wild Bill tagged in and took a few shots at Big Cliff and by the time Pac battled back I was bored with it. Give me Mallie G doing his “It’s Dad” routine or even Bryce Fellows when he took his jacket off and turned into a “white trash” battler mid fight now THAT shit is entertaining. To each their own, right? 

I ended up staying until 3am, a few people asked me if I was the person Pac was talking about and even got “Why would he go in on a female like that? It ain't right!” Eh, I don’t care. There’s not too much bad they can say about me without lying so I’m cool. “Slander” me all you want! 

I thought it was a great event. There were at least 100 people there and the bar was busy with drinks so it screamed “SUCCESS”.  My only question was, if Blaze brought his Gitmo Crew, where was Big Cliff? I though Pac and Cliff were like best buds?? I know for a FACT Pac was at the Joe Budden show supporting Cliff and his band.  I was a little surprised that the support wasn't reciprocated seeing as the whole LFTB crew has been giving Blaze hell about not accepting this fight while he was trying to push his music. AND I’m pretty sure Cliff is the reason Pac Manson dissed me on social media, so I figured he’d love to see the day I was called out in front of his scene. Maybe next time, huh? 

I was invited to the Joe Budden show, including the meet and greet, in Fort Worth at the Live Oak hosted by Smooth Vega. There was a lot of buzz about the show and I talked to Vega extensively before this night and really made a solid bond with a fellow Fort Worth promoter. No one can deny that Smooth Vega has a way of turning an event into an “experience” with the Meet and Greet, personalized tweets from the artists and even got his own face on the cover of DFW.com and a story in Dallas Observer day of the show. *props*

Night of there was a horrible storm so everything got pushed back an hour. I didn't complain because as it stood I was going to be late to the meet and greet anyways. I showed up with the other half of the Red Empire Power Couple, Lyndsay Cole. I always like to see a short guest list with my name on it, makes me feel important! We received our VIP badges and entered the Music Hall. There were a line of people that stretched to the stage and behind the curtain so I deducted that was for the meet and greet. 

I have to say in my few years of doing this, I have never had a meet and greet go this way. So we stood in line until we reached the green room where Vega and a few others including Joe Budden were sitting. The closer I got to the room, the more nervous I got. I’m used to having a casual mixer type of meet and greet where the talking just comes natural, not this staged interaction. Then of course a girl behind us asked what were going to ask Joe. F$#% I had not prepared myself for this. So when we got into the room I got into interview mode. Asked him if in the future we could have him call in to Out the Box, explained who Lyndsay and i were and what we were accomplishing in Fort Worth as far as blending the rock and Hip Hop scene then a bunch of stupid small talk I’m sure he was just WAITING to be over! lol. But he was a good sport. Took probably my dorkiest picture ever and we were out! RELIEF!!!  I’m sure the super fans were ecstatic though. 

We ate and had a few drinks, then Lyndsay and I hopped to Lola’s to watch Blue, the Misfit perform because she hadn’t ever had the chance. Blue put on a very intense visually pleasing show complete with a projector against the darkness of the room. He had the normally rock crowd jumping up and a few girls even danced if that’s what you want to call it.....

Arrived just in time to see Joe Budden. He definitely has a lot of popular songs because 75% of the crowd were singing along in between the ladies screaming “We Love You Joe Budden!!!!” At one point in his performance he asked a fan to come and rap an entire track with him! The Fan definitely knew it word for word and Joe laughed a few times in amazement of this fan’s commitment to performing the song. I can’t tell who enjoyed that moment right then the fan or Joe himself? I will say I wish I had seen more of a performance than just a karaoke type session. Most of the shows I’ve been to with headliners of this caliber have a certain energy and hunger about them. I felt like that was lacking with Joe. He complained about the mic being too low and losing his voice, and with the crazy weather we were having, can only assume allergy were getting the best of him. Happens a lot during tornado like weather. But once again, the super fans, which the place was packed to the brim with, loved every minute of the show. In the end, that’s all that matters. I’m a critical blogger, so don’t mind me. 

When I started in the Hip Hop scene, one of the most talked about ideas was “bridging the gap between Dallas and Fort Worth. Being a girl and fairly good at politics, I thought this was something that I could possibly accomplish. I quickly figured out that it was much easier to bring people from Fort Worth to Dallas. Bringing people from Dallas to Fort Worth is definitely a challenging feat, but not impossible. IN FACT, many of those in the Dallas scene have found themselves at Lola’s over the past year for one of the many well produced Hip Hop shows put on by myself and my fellow Funkytown promoters. 

And then I discovered Denton’s scene. My mind was blown away at the possibilities this “Holy Trinity” of music could bring. Imagine a place in North Texas where you could get lost in a “Bermuda Triangle” of music! I mean, we have it right here!  Think of the attention we could get if we all could band together for one common goal, to put Denton-Dallas-Fort Worth on the map. But how? 

Most of you know I promote/produce shows in Fort Worth and Dallas and have recently joined the label Gitmo Music out of Denton. I have traveled between the cities supporting various artists and promoters and have encouraged others to do the same. I have an open mic in Fort Worth that has been doing fairly well and one in Dallas that has started to take off.  The plan was to have another one in Denton as well, which we’ve done with “Spontaneous Collaboration” with the help of Write House. And then one day it hit me.....

WHY NOT HAVE A COMPETITION GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY IN FORT WORTH, DALLAS AND DENTON WHERE THE WINNERS OF EACH CITY COMPETE FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS AND PERFORM IN FRONT OF PEOPLE THAT COULD ADVANCE THEIR CAREER????  

#DDFW Master of the Mic was Born. 

So here’s how it’s planned on going down:

Round 1: 20 MCs perform 2 songs/7 minutes in front of 3 judges who will choose 10 to advance to the next round. 

Round 2: 10 MCs perform for 10 minutes in front of 3 judges and an audience of their peers/fans. The audience votes and 2 advance based on the most votes, judges choose 3 to advance for a total of 5.

Round 3: 5 MCs perform for 15 minutes each in front of 3 judges and an audience of their peers/fans. Audience picks 1 the judges pick 3 for a total of 4 to advance.

Round 4: 4 MCs perform for 20 minutes in front of 3 judges and an audience. Audience picks one and judges pick one for a total of 2 to perform at the finals.

FINAL ROUND: 2 MCs from each city, for a total of 6 performers, perform a 20 minute set at a large venue (to be announced) in front of celebrity judges (to be announced) who will chose ONE to be DDFW’s Master of the Mic

The winner will also receive the following:

- Guaranteed spot in Oaktopia & 35 Denton in 2016

- A few pressing of shirts in whatever logo/design you’d like by Space Headz and Alexa Machine Company

- Interview on KNON with DJ EZ Eddie D

- Coverage on Grass Root Salute, SofakingNews, KNTU, JeddiGoddess, 

- 50 stickers with your design/logo from Awready Artist Merch

-Featured story in Real Rad Records Winter Quarterly magazine as well as a feature on the Real Rad Winter Collection Album

-Set of beats from Astroknox Music Group

-Free Hour Consultation from CManns Management

- Coverage by many photographers including Tuna Pryor Photography and Rod Alalay

- other fun stuff courtesy of Virtuoso Tattoo Krew, Down n Durty, Mother Earther, Mz Bossy and Monocle Inc. 

We have several judges who are important figures in the DDFW Hip Hop scene, but one element I wanted to have in this whole ordeal is CROWD PARTICIPATION. On Rounds 2-5 artists will have a chance to earn $ for each ticket sold and the Audience gets to play JUDGE by voting on their favorite performer!!! So it is in the performers best interest to get their people there!!!  And lets just be real, any “Master of the Mic” must have fans that believe in what they are doing, am I right? 

I’m really excited for this series. I am hoping that this journey will bring Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth into a UNIFIED scene where we will meet new people with the same passion in music, build with these people, and help bring light onto the amazing talent we have in North Texas. 

A few months ago I met Lyndsay Cole, a Fort Worth Indie Rock Promoter and friend, at BG’s Coffee shop. At the end of the lunch I had joined Red Empire, an artist booking and management company. I would book/manage hip hop and she would book/manage rock artists. With her affiliations with Panther City Exchange, Arts Goggle, and more, I knew this was not only a good move for me personally but for Hip Hop in general. 

We went about planning a launch party with sponsors, 13 or so bands/artists, food truck and a guest list full of the who’s who in FW music. 

Night of, I arrived about 3:30-4pm and the place was already all a buzz. I milled around visiting with a few people I had not seen in a while!  I started blogging/booking on the Rock side of things before migrating to Hip Hop so most of the faces were familiar and most were friends. At one point, Lyndsay goes, “Vaden Todd Lewis (lead singer of the Toadies) is here.” NO WAY! *side note* The Toadies were HUGE when I was coming of age and I practically know all of there songs word for word and have seen the Toadies perform at least a dozen times. It’s safe to say Toadies are my favorite rock band because they’re from Fort Worth AND they’re just plain amazingly awesome both live and recorded. I know they have only a degree of separation from me in many ways, but I had yet to meet them in this type of environment.* Lyndsay and I casually went and sat by the owner of Lola’s who was talking to Mr. Lewis and joined their conversation. At one point, Sallie and John Rody (owners of The Southside Pirate) came out onto the patio and Vaden leans over to the owner of Lola’s and goes, “Hey, that’s John Rody!” I found out later that Vaden Todd Lewis used to attend a few of John Rody’s engagements in the last few decades. John Rody has a famous fan! I went and talked to John and Sallie about all things Pirate Radio, and before Vaden and his girlfriend left, he came by to say hello to John. I took the opportunity to get my photographer, Rod, to get our picture with the thumb. Bucket list item- check. 

Shortly after this amazing life changing event- I sat down with Panther City Exchange’s Tony Diaz. We had a lengthy conversation about including Hip Hop in the Rock Assembly and how that goes along with the vision of Rock Assembly as well as PCX. Even discussed bringing more Hip Hop headliners into Fort Worth through PCX + Red Empire/RRP collaborations. 

I was too busy socializing to catch everyone’s performance but special shout outs to The Boxer’s Brain who had a nice little crowd to rock in front of, Stereo Control blew my mind, Bomb Quixote is THE BOMB, and Basic Beaches is anything BUT basic.  Also shouts out to Illizem, Shon Gregory, Ritchy Flo, Keldrick and Chris for all coming out to support my venture with Red Empire as well as Aaron & Jamie of Blackbox, The Southside Pirate, Smokey’s BBQ, Panther City Exchange, and AutoNation of NRH our main sponsor!!  

You’d have to be living under a rock in Hip Hop to not have seen Immortal Tech’s name at least a dozen times. If it’s not his Revolutionary Ideals, his views on the government, involvement with The Zulu Nation & Justice League, definitely you've heard of the fact Immortal Technique partnered with Omeid International, a non–profit human rights organization, and dubbed the work as "The Green Light Project". With the profits of the album The 3rd World, he traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, to help Omeid build an orphanage without any corporate or external funding. The orphanage, having been successfully established, currently houses over 20 orphaned children from Kabul. I saw Tech for the first time at Oaktopia last year. Not only does he put on a commanding performance, but his fans are energetic and come out by the masses to support.  

Talib Kweli is equally as known for his intellectual ideology, activism, and involvement with Zulu Nation and the Justice League. So when I heard this pair were taking their movement on TOUR, I knew the energy was going to be through the roof and the message enlightening. Add Chino XL to the mix and the fact that it was at Trees and it’s a no brainer on attending. Apparently about 700 people felt the same way because the show sold out. 

I arrived as Chino XL was on stage. Now I see where they get the XL from because dude is HUGE!!  He fits in well with Immortal Tech’s vibe, lots of revolutionary lyrics spit while the audience put their fist in the air. A few lines that struck me were when he said “Even the Incredible Hulk turns into Chino when he gets mad.” & one where he says “I’d rather listen to country music than most the rap out there” (paraphrased the last one bc I can’t find those lyrics anywhere on the net). He’s been called the most unappreciated lyricist out there, and you know what, I can’t really argue. His verses speak volumes and it was a powerful performance. 

After he got off stage, my girl, Teena, and I headed to the green room. Her and Chino are friends and she wanted to tell him by before she left. She introduces me then informs me that Chino was going to walk her to her car, but not before he made sure I was okay. HECK YEAH I’m ok, I got past the “Velvet Ropes”. The Green Room was empty at this point so I took a seat just outside on the balcony in what I call the “VIP” section. Not the best view but better than being in the crowd downstairs. 

There were a few other acts that were both though provoking and inspiring in between. I met Hasan Salaam and he seems like a very hungry artist ready to make a difference and work his way to the top. #props.  

Immortal Technique took the stage and the crowds vibe intensified. He took his place at the center of the stage reminiscent of a commander about to give his troops a pep talk before they go out to war. In between his revolutionary songs, he talked about things important in the world including Syria, Afghanistan, the fatal shootings by police.  Things that MATTER in the world. And after each lesson the crowd erupted in praise and adoration, thrusting their fists into the air. I can tell you on several occasions his lyrics and statements gave me chills from my feet to the top of my head. I couldn’t help but think “This is the Revolution. It starts here. The Revolution will NOT be televised.”  He went on to give an amazing performance, engaging with the audience, talked about last time in the area performing at Oaktopia, and even said “Fuck George Bush. And you know there’s someone in the audience that’s like ‘I supported George Bush.’ Well, fuck you too.”  My favorite part at the end was when he said “Let me tell you something, the girl you came here with, your mom, your sister, your wife or the girl you are about to marry could have lost their virginity to rape. But you’ll never know that, because women are more proud than we are. A revolution was never possible without moms, sisters and wives. Respect the ladies, they deserve it.” Not going to front, that made me shed a few tears. Thank you, Immortal Technique, for that one. 

Immortal was finished and I looked for Chino XL to chop it up a little bit. Teena told me he was working on some more personalized shows, so I walked into the Green Room while Immortal Technique was about to head to the merch area. I introduced myself, let him know I met him at Oaktopia. “Man, I really had a good time at that show.” Then I told him I really appreciated what he said in the last part, about the ladies. He gave me the most sincere look and shook my hand. This dude has some very nice and soft hands! I gained immense respect for this man in our short interaction. He took a pic for Central Track then headed to the merch table to take pictures and sign autographs. Once again, Chino made sure I was ok before he headed downstairs with Tech. 

I took my seat by the balcony for the Talib Kweli performance. Last time I saw him was at the Beats, Rhymes, and Relief show at SXSW last year. He was supposed to perform like at 2am and ended up showing up around 3am. But this was to be expected at SXSW as artists made their many rounds every day. I will say i was completely disappointed in his performance. Recently I found out that he had shown up drunk so it made a little sense. I was very pleased with his performance this night, he even did a tribute to his project with Mos Def and had everyone “shine their light” with phones and lighters. A picture perfect moment. 

During and after the Talib Kweli performance, I talked with Chino. I am very impressed with him. Very respectful, down to Earth and after finding out from Teena that I was good people, called me Fam and talked to me as if we had been homies for years. I’m really looking forward to working with him in the future. Thanks again, Teena, for the connect. You’re the best *muah*.