The Baltimore Paparazzi

The Baltimore Paparazzi

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Addressing the XXL list........

Ok I have about had it with this mess about the list!!!  What list???  Ok....a local writer Kim Brown wrote a list of 10 rappers that you need to know in Baltimore.  The list consisted of Skarr Akbar, Comp, Mully Man, DBoi, Miss Cream, Los or as he goes by now I guess King Los, Em Sea Water, Mooked Out, Starvation and Off Tha Edge.

Now that last 4 I have never heard of and I have been dealing with this scene since mid 2006!!!  So that right there goes to show you that you aren't going to know EVERY DAMN RAPPER in this scene!!

SIGHHHHHHH breathe Lisa!!!

So all I kept seeing was salty bitter ass feminine ass comments from dudes!!  First of all this isn't at TOP 10 list!!  It is just a list of rappers that the author felt people should get to know!  It is her opinion!!  See we got to come back to the whole opinion thing!!  SMH  In MY OPINION out of the ones I do know 2 of them I'm not even fans of!!  I show love for their grind and their work but their music....not a fan!!!  It is what it is no love lost but I just don't see what their "fans" see!! But that is MY OPINION!!!

I wrote this status on Thursday:

I am so over those of you bitching whining and crying that you aren't named in articles and list!! Do you all know how much I am overlooked for all the stuff and support I do?????? Top anything lists are mostly opinions or whoever is making a name in certain circles!! So all those crying about not being named in the XXL article which by the way WAS NOT A TOP 10 ANY DAMN THING.......do you want me to make you feel special and write an article and name you in it??? For fuck's sake get over that bullshit!!!! PLEASE!!!!! Let the fuckery keep you right where you are!!!! Sitting there complaining instead of taking the opportunity to get your press kit to writers, magazines.......smh. Dumbasses!!!!

Now anyone who knows me knows that I have my favorites!!  Just look at who I really promote and push!! Look at the pictures I have taken of over the years!  Look at the times you actually see me out at the shows!!  I have my favorite artists, rappers and singers!! But I also try and support everyone who is really working to make something happen for themselves and their team!!  Those who don't rap over their vocals ALL THE DAMN TIME!!  Those who have RADIO EDIT versions of their "HIT" song!!  Those who actually SELL their tickets and don't bring back 8 of the 15 saying yo I tried but.......Those are the people who have a business mind and actually want to get somewhere with music.

Now back to this list!!  I met Kim Brown when Ogun did the Winter Coat Drive.  She had used my picture of the I Support Baltimore Hip Hop billboard in an article she wrote!!  She was there to write a follow up article and asked if I could take some pictures for the article!  Of course I would!!  Just because you all know who the Baltimore Paparazzi is doesn't mean others do!! And I'm not mad or bitter that they don't!!  I just give them my business card!!  :)

So Kim writes this list and all hell seems to break loose with bullshit and fuckery!!! I'm sitting here shaking my head thinking as a fan of local music and independent artists, the stuff I'm seeing makes me not even want to be a fan of those names that are being thrown out there with the comments of ....well what about so and so he the hardest rapper in the city!!  Uhmmmmm that may very well be but guess what????  NOBODY KNOWS WHO THE HELL THAT IS!!!

Now if you know me you know that I'm the photographer of Wisdom Court!!  Wisdom Court has artists Billy Lyve, Penthouse and Voice on the roster.  Now none of them were mentioned and with all that Billy Lyve has accomplished anyone who knows that would think he would be mentioned!  But not one of us got on FB bitching, complaining, or moaning about not being mentioned!!  Hell Wisdom Court as a whole makes moves and does things and doesn't get the recognition that I think it deserves from the local scene!!  But it is recognized by the powers that be and by the fanbase it has and shows in the ticket sales at shows and the show offers that Billy Lyve receives!  So being on lists that are a matter of OPINION and who knows who really has no effect!

I understand that everyone wants to be recognized for what they do!  Everyone wants that shine, that moment in the spotlight but if you really aren't working on making your BUSINESS a success then what makes you so special???  There are hundreds if not thousands of rappers in this city and just imagine in the country!!!  Now, why are you bitching about you not being named or your mans and them not being named???  This is the time to get your press kit to people!!  This is the time to get your website out to people!!  This is the time to get your music out to people!!  Funny thing is that most of you who are doing the bitching DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS!!!  Yeah.....I said that!!!

So a big shout out to Kim Brown for the work she has done for the local hip hop scene!!  Because if she hadn't write articles about the local music then I wouldn't be writing this blog or writing comments or having discussions on this topic!!

Now how many of you that read this are pissed off at me??  LMAOOOO  It doesn't matter!!  At the end of the day, the truth hurts and it is the reality of you having to look in the mirror and face the fact that you aren't grinding as hard as you think or as your "team" keeps telling you that you are!!  I've always been told that real G's move in silence!!

Now get on your grind and start doing better business!!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey, i'm an aspiring A&R born and raised in baltimore. Im not a rapper or anything, but i have a prob with the list. My prob is that seeing as tho baltimore doesnt get much shine as is, one would hope that when we finally ARE showcased that our best foot is put forward, or that we somehow show what we have to offer able to thrive on a global market. Kim's list took a prime opprotunity to shed light on a city full of talent, and IMO blew it on artist that box us into the cornball stereotypical "local artist" we all know. I agree she is entitled to her opinion, i just wish her opinon reflected the city better. Top 10 list or not, if youre gonna list artist to watch for, and your list is ass, nobodies gonna trust your judgement ever again.

Liezel127 The Baltimore Paparazzi said...

Thank you for your comment and your opinion! Now if you put a list together of the thousands of aspiring rappers in this city don't you think someone would say the same thing about you?? Put yourself in her place! If she went to "investigate" the thousands and I say thousands because I have been in this scene for going on 7 years now and at every event I go to there is another new name and face! Now if she went to try an investigate all these rappers to find just 10 and only 10 rappers to mention in the article she would have still been under fire!

Personally I think it is a good shine on the scene as a whole. No one is writing about the local scene except for Mr. Al Shipley who I know use to come out to shows and then stopped for whatever reason. I just wish people would stop throwing their opinions out there like they are facts and get on the business end of it and make things happen so that other writers in other newspapers and magazines will write more about the hip hop scene!!

Again thank you for you comment!

Cathy Ashe said...

Well Lisa, you know this isn't my thing so I could totally read this objectively. I support your hard work, that's why I clicked on this link to read your blog. You are correct, the truth hurts. Most people don't like the truth. You offer really good business advice. You let them know to suppress the emotional side of this and make solid, sound business decisions. Don't tell me how you're GONNA do it, tell me how you did it...that's the approach you're talking about. Anyone can talk. Johnny Unitas said "talk is cheap, now let's go play football". Get the job done and quit god damn talking about it!

Liezel127 The Baltimore Paparazzi said...

Thank you Cathy!!!! :-) You should see all the nonsense!! People are mad because of who is on this list and who isn't!! Lol. I'm like really???? You should be jumping at the chance to ride this wave!! I have been talking this word "business" since the beginning.....2006-2007 and I'm still talking!! Lol.

Thank you again for commenting!! I know you have no idea about this scene except for what you see me saying!!!!! Lol. I appreciate the love!!!!