The First In The Spotlight of 2014............

Hello everyone!!! This is the first show of the year.  I wanted to have an event that was going challenge not just me but the other artists to do better in their career.

This show has artists from PA and WVA and they are selling tickets and bringing people.  This show has Wisdom Court artists.  This show is going to be an awesome event with an awesome turn out!  If you have never been to a show with Wisdom Court here is the one to attend!!

I need all the artists who have supported and performed at the other In The Spotlight shows because this is going to be a networking event beyond belief!  Different radio shows, media, promoters will be in the building.

This year things are going to be different with the show. I'm hoping that people start coming out just because they want to support the scene.  So the next time you come out bring someone new!

This is the event to attend!!!  Holla at me for tickets.

Take a listen to what you may hear on Saturday!!!

Billy Lyve and Wisdom Court Open for MGK

March 10, 2013

Now when I found out about this show I was excited!  Not because MGK was coming to Baltimore but because Billy Lyve and Wisdom Court were going to be opening up for him.  This was going to be a packed  show but Wisdom Court fans and supporters were going to be coming from all over.  Not just Maryland but West Virginia, Delaware.....everywhere!  I also knew that once this crowd seen Billy perform along with Ambush, Penthouse and Voice performing the fanbase for Wisdom Court was going to be crazy. And it was.

The fans started lining up at like 3pm according to Baltimore Soundstage and by 7pm it was around the corner on Lombard on its way to Gay St!

Once you got inside it just looked like a sea of humans!  People from the front to the back side to side!  There was no room to breathe people were still trying to make moves to get closer to the stage!  It wasnt happening!!

Wisdom Court member JayMoney got on stage and pumped the crowd up and then took a picture of the sea of people.

When Billy Lyve took the stage the crowd went crazy.  Even though they were there to see MGK they rocked out with the music!!  The energy was crazy.  Everyone was amped up and it was contagious!!

Wisdom Court Kids Club Sock Hop

On March 2, 2013, Wisdom Court Kids Club had a kids sock hop at the Agricultural Center in Westminster!  I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew that anything connected to Wisdom Court was going to be fun.  The sock hop was from 7pm to 9:30pm and the kids still didn't want to stop dancing and having fun!

The kids enjoyed music by Wisdom Court dj DJ Cliffstarr, got their faces painted for $1, had pizza, water, juice, balls, balloons and jumpropes.

There were babies, toddlers and teenagers all having a ball!!

Even the parents had fun!!

This event is just one of many that the Wisdom Court Kids Club is having!  Plans for an Easter Egg Hunt are in the works and many other events for the kids are being planned.  So if you have kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, neighbor's kids....come out and have a good time with the kids!

This is the lady who was doing the face painting.........She is awesome!

In The Spotlight Vol 3

Baltimore Paparazzi Presents...In The Spotlight Vol 3

Well after a few months of gathering music and waiting on some music I have finally posted the mixtape on Datpiff!!  

I'm not one for alot of frills and commotion so all you are getting is straight music!!!  I put this together from people who sent me tracks without me even having to ask!  I said hey Vol 3 is being worked on and the next thing I knew I was getting hit up about what's the email address!!  LOL  I guess I do mean something to people in this business!  LOL

Go check out the cd.....stream it, download it, but please support it!!  These guys and the couple of ladies I have on there work hard at what they do and I think they need to be recognized for their craft!!!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this mixtape and the previous ones!  There are 2 more in the works!!!  One is all females and the other is R&B!!  I'm doing what I can to let people know about the talent in Baltimore!!!

Liezel127

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!!

The 6th Annual Baltimore Crown Awards

The 6th Annual Baltimore Crown

On November 3, 2012 Baltimore came out for the 6th year in a row to support one another and as it has been stated numerous times it was like a family reunion!  Seeing "family members" that you haven't seen since last year or meeting new "family members", introducing the new with the old!  

I have had the privilege of being apart of these awards since 2009. I have received Special Appreciation  and Special Contribution awards and last year I was awarded Photographer of the Year.  This year I received Special Appreciation once again! Yayyyy me!!  LOL  Every year the numbers of people who come out grow and this year new categories were added!!

Now these awards are to honor everyone but of course you get those who get mad they weren't nominated or they didn't win and of course they get online and talk major shit.  SIGHHHH  Most of all they just don't realize that if you don't toot your own horn how is anyone suppose to know what you are doing?  This city is so big with rappers, singers, emcees that people forget that not everyone knows who you are and most of all alot of you don't travel in the same circles.  I can't tell you how many people have come up to me in the past 5 years and as me oh you don't know who I am??  No I don't.  Just like most people don't know the artists I know.  When it comes to the Crown nominations, it comes from you or someone nominating you with reasons why you should be considered for the awards!  Not that difficult!!  I have heard so many times rappers saying oh I had the hardest mixtape this year.  Really??  When did it come out??  How many physical copies you sell?  How many downloads you have??  I have you been pushing it since it came out??  I'm just asking!

The Cypher

Back to the awards!

Photo Shoot in the middle of the show!! LOL

Well anyway, I love the atmosphere of the Crown!  Chin Yer always mixes the "veterans" with the new and the awards are more than just hip hop.  It's spoken word and dance also.  It's recognizing media, businesses, the battle rappers, and legends!  When the night was over I couldn't wait until we are all sitting there next year!!  I heard and seen people on Facebook saying next year they were going to win an award.  

For a complete list of winners you can go to the following link and if you haven't already click like on the Baltimore Scene Facebook page!!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.481904405187490.117707.252844041426862&type=1

If you didn't attend this year make sure you attend next year!  If I tried to write everything that I seen this blog would be long as hell!!  Just know that it is our music and art scene's equivalent of the industry music awards.  Being nominated should feel just as good as if you win.  And whether you win or not or if you are nominated or not shouldn't cause you to be mad.   I didn't win Photographer of the Year and I wasn't even mad.  For one, I won last year and I know what I contribute to the scene and two my favorite photographer and a great guy won....J5!!  If I had to "lose" to anyone I'm glad it was him!!

So will I be seeing you all next year at the 7th Annual Baltimore Crown Awards???  I sure hope so!  If you are looking for me, I will be right up front with my camera in hand to capture the moments for those who can't be there!!

So congratulations to all the winners!!!  Congratulation to all the nominees!!!  Congratulations to everyone that came out to show love and support for this event!!

Congratulations again to Skarr Akbar for winning the beat battle even though he only had one other producer step up against him!!  Shout out to  Mr Spaz to not being scared to compete with Skarr!  LOL

Well enjoy the pictures!!  All of them can be found on my Facebook page!!

www.facebook.com/liezel127

Oh and the picture of me was taken by Mr Skarr Akbar as well!!  LOL