The Finale: Sleep When I'm Dead Pt 2 Tour

Well the tour finale was the most awesomest show!!  Yes I know that awesomest isn't a real word but there aren't any words to describe the energy and fun that was had by all on July 23, 2011 at Memphis on Main St in Reisterstown, Md.

I got there early because for one I had never been there before and didn't know exactly how long it would take for me to get there and I sure didn't want to be late for this one!! The spot was really nice!! Alot different then Sonar,  5 Seasons, The Black Hole and Bourbon St.  It was more of an intimate atmosphere.

I already knew that this event was going to be a good one because Wisdom Court has rules.  LOL  All artists need to be there before the show starts and they start on time regardless.  So when I looked at 10pm and the spot was packed and ready to go it made me proud to be apart of it!  I'm so so so tired of the show suppose to start at 10 and artists don't want to go on first or second so they don't show up until 11.  Be glad I'm not doing shows!!  You go on at 10:30 and if you aren't there guess what???  You go last!

So the show starts and Permiss is hosting!!  He tries to give a moment of silence for KSwift but of course people at the bar were still talking.  SMH  It is what it is!!  The line up was a good one.  All artists that have been riding with Wisdom Court and who share in the success that comes with doing good business.  Here are some pictures that I took that night!!!

I am so proud to have been asked to be apart of the tour and to really see that there are artists and people who understand that this is a business and you have to treat it as one!!!!

Billy Lyve, Wisdom Court, Sleep When I'm Dead Pt 2 - Eastern Shore Stop!!

On the latest stop of the Sleep When I'm Dead Pt 2 tour, Billy Lyve took it to the Eastern Shore and no it wasn't Ocean City!! It was at the American Legion in Centreville, Md in Queen Anne's County!  Which happens to be where I grew up and went to school and have family that all live there!!  So when Billy said he was going to do a show there I knew I had to be there!

The night started off slow.  There weren't very many people in there and people were coming in and then going back out!  There were a few faces that I recognized from back in the day or from family functions.  The dj was playing music and those who were there were dancing and as you can see so were Billy, JonJon and Blackstaff!!  LOL

Now I am a people watcher and I was seeing the looks we were all getting because no one knew who we were.  Everyone there knows everyone else or just about knows everyone!  So now it was time for the set to start.  Billy gets on stage with Blackstaff and starts it off with "And I Know It" which is a track produced by Street Scott.  The first line is "I'm a bad motherfucka and I know it........"  What a way to introduce yourself!! LOL  I looked around and the people were getting closer and I seen them vibing!!  It was a really good look seeing that they hadn't heard of Billy Lyve or Wisdom Court.

07.AND I KNOW IT BY BILLY LYVE PROD. BY STREET SCOTT.mp3

Then it was Blackstaff's turn.  And they did not disappoint by any means!!  I looked over to my right and seen a guy hitting the speakers, rocking like he had been a fan!  I watched as the people got even closer!  I seen the energy rise as well.

Then it was time for the last song which is becoming an anthem for those who hear it!!  "Until We Bleed" is one of those love songs that EVERYONE can really relate to because everyone has gone through it at least one time in their life when they love someone so much but they hate them at the same time.

As Mai started singing the hook I looked to the left and seen these girls come right up to the stage almost pushing Sam and Latrice  out of the way!  LOL  They were loving her voice and let's be honest, who doesn't love Mai's singing???

03.UNTILL WE BLEED FEAT MAI PROD. BY STREET SCOTT.mp3

So all  in all I think the set was a great success!!  Both Billy and Blackstaff gained new fans.  Just imagine if Street Scott, TAG, Prenz Bilal, hell and the whole Wisdom Court were there for a full show!!  Centreville would have never been the same.

And yes that is JonJon The Son! He was there for support!!!

This was after the performances!!!

Billy Lyve, Wisdom Court, Sleep When I'm Dead Pt 2

Ive noticed that I tend to gravitate towards people with great business minds!  I love to have people with a good work ethic and a good head on their shoulders.  So I think that is why I have gravitated towards Billy Lyve and most importantly Wisdom Court.

I can't tell you the first time I seen Billy Lyve perform but the name Wisdom Court seemed to come out of no where to me.  The funny thing is this team has been doing their thing and on the scene for a couple of years,  That goes to show you that in a city like Baltimore, there are more artists and rappers than you could possibly ever know or hear of.

A few months ago, Billy and I were talking and he was telling me about how he was putting a tour together to promote his project called Sleep When I'm Dead Part 2.  Now I'm thinking tour.  Ok.  What's he going to do hit all the spots in and around Baltimore??  No, not Billy Lyve.  The start of the tour was in Herndon, VA at a spot called Breaker's Sky Lounge on May 13th!  This was in like a shopping plaza and it was on the 4th floor!  While in the elevator I was reminded of the days of going to shows at the Belvedere and the closer you got to the floor where the show was the louder the music got.  When you walked into Breaker's you see an area with tables, the bar, pool tables and the plasma tvs.  At the front you see the dj with a huge screen behind him playing the videos of the songs he was playing!  And the VIP was huge!

At this show it was just Billy Lyve and some members of Wisdom Court performing!  And the people seemed to be enjoying the sound!  There were a number of us from Baltimore that traveled to be apart of this show. And the owner even asked him to come back to do another show!

The next stop on the tour was in DC at the Everlasting Life Cafe on June 3rd.  I got to this one late so I missed Billy performing and the first couple of acts.  At this show he had artists from Baltimore performing as well as himself.  And from what everyone was saying there was a nice turnout while Billy was performing!! I just wish I could have been there to see.

The third venue was held in Baltimore at Sonar June 17th.  When I got there, there was a line outside waiting to get into an already filled building.  I haven't seen Sonar like this for a local hip hop event in a very long time!!  As I looked around I seen some familiar faces.  Comp, JonJon The Son, M.A.M,. Records, Skarr Akbar and numerous others from the artistic community who came out to support Billy Lyve and Wisdom Court.

The performances where great!!  Wordsmith, TAG, Karron Johnson, Yuk, Blackstaff, Carbonstone,  not to mention the collabs that Billy has done on the project.  It was like everyone kept my attention.

Now I haven't listened to the whole project yet!  I have however have been sent a few of the tracks and of course I have heard the songs being performed and let me tell you from the ones I have heard, I love the direction that Billy Lyve's music is going in.  The track that use to be my favorite was "If You Ain't Happy" with Street Scott, who by the way produced 3 tracks on the project.  But one day Billy emailed me a rough copy of a song and half way through the first verse I said this is a hit.  Then you add First Lady Mai' beautiful voice on the hook and bridge and it is definitely a great song.  "Until We Bleed" is one of those songs you hear and say I know how he feels.  There are also other collabs on the project that are fantastic.  "Bullet Proof" With Wordsmith, "A Champion's Song" with Karron Johnson and the list goes on.

I can't wait to listen to the project from start to finish but what I have heard so far, this has to be one of the best music cds that have been put together.  I'm sure that I will be hearing and seeing good things from Billy Lyve and all of Wisdom Court.

Here is the link to download the cd for free!!!!   http://www.iam-hiphop.com/

In The Spotlight Vol 1

A few months ago I got a message from my man Double P about putting together a mixtape of artists and songs that I like.  I got really excited.  I have been supporting the local scene for a while and this is a way for me to do it in a bigger scale!

So I thought about it for a few and hit up certain people that I loved their music or just genuinely loved them.  I knew that once I said I was putting together tracks to make a mixtape people would be coming at me left and right about getting a track on there.  And that's exactly what happened!  But I stuck to my guns and put those who I felt needed to be on there!!!  Those who I felt had something to say and songs that I personally like.  This was going to be my personal mixtape!!

After weeks of waiting, I got an email with the link from Double P.  I couldn't wait to download it and then share this withe everyone!

With such names as Ogun, B.O.M.B., Shy Lady Heroin, Billy Lyve, JonJon The Son, Savage Da Beast, Lenwood, Bar Cardy, Miss Cream, Dirt Platoon, Only and a few more, this mixtape has to have at least one track that everyone can vibe to and maybe even hear someone they have never heard of before and become a fan!

I'm hoping that everyone who listens to and downloads this mixtape enjoys it as much as I do!!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project! It's all love!!!

http://www.datpiff.com/Dj-Double-P-In-The-Spot-Light-Vol-1-mixtape.223619.html

Skarr Akbar - Jackpot

Skarr Akbar is phenomenal in this video.  Multi-talented!!

The Reason Baltimore and The DMV Can't Get On????

WOWWWWWWWW is all I can say!  I check my FB for updates on who had won awards at the DMV Awards and to see just how different it was from the previous years and all of a sudden my news feed post up that a fight broke out and someone lost an eye.  Now I'm about to write my opinion on this whole situation and about the stuff people are posting up!  No disrespect but yeah someone is going to take offense and be mad.

What should I touch on first???  The fight or the stat messages that people are posting up???  Let's start with the fight!!!!

Why is it that some can't leave the streets in the street?  I don't know who was fighting or why and I really don't give a fuck but of course that curiosity has me!  The event was at a nice location and from the pictures and video I seen it was a HELL of alot better than where we were last year when I went!  I didn't attend this year for so many reasons!!  For one, I had to work.  Two, the cost was crazy.  I had someone tell me they asked 2 different people the cost for a ticket and a table and got 4 different answers.  And three, I had a feeling that something was going to pop off.  All those categories and all those nominees???  Something was bound to get violent.  But I could have never seen this outcome!  5 people injured!  Possibly one losing an eye?  I'm just hoping I knew no one who was fighting!  I'm gonna be pissed because I would hope anyone who knows me and associates with me has more common sense than to be ghetto ass ninjas (I don't say the N word and you all know that).

Now the stat messages that I have been seeing.  Ok people have their right to their opinion.  That fight was not the reason Baltimore can't get on!!  That fight isn't the reason why the DMV isn't recognized!  The reason for that is 90% of you don't do shit to be recognized.  How many cds have you just went somewhere and gave out??  Are you going to buy someone's cd and you never heard of them??  Hell No!!  How far out your hood have you gone to get exposure?  Some of you are too scared to go anywhere.  How many shows out of town have you done?  You want to be apart of the DMV so bad but never done a show in DC, VA or lower MD.  Wouldn't know how to get a show because you don't even know any of the artists from down there!!!  So stop the bullshit stat messages about THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T GET ON.

Me personally I don't like awards events on the local level because alot of times you can see the favoritism and the bullshit no matter how they try and cover that shit up.  I see that shit last year at the DMV Awards.  I don't know what the criteria was this year for being put on a list but I know damn sure that artists were nominated by their friends and fans....ok that's cool but then I would hope that once they went to narrow the list down that investigated just how much that person or group or whoever had done in that last year.  I wrote a blog about the awards a while back and I wrote one about the whole DMV thing just yesterday!

Now, if you take offense to anything that I have said, so sorry you lost a few minutes of your precious time reading this.  But I can guarantee that you will be thinking about something of the things I have written!

Congratulations to all those who won.  I would hope that they all deserve the title that they were given.  But at the end of the day, no one is going to remember who won anything!  All they will be talking about is the fight that broke out and how some guy lost an eye and a total of 5 people went to the hospital.  That has been the topic of many FB statuses since last night!  I only have heard about one person winning and that was my man Billy Lyve for Promoter of the Year.  What happened to all the other titles and awards???  Of course I want to know who was fighting and why but no one seems to know!  Hell who won the awards???

Priorities are all fucked up.  So to those of you who are constantly pushing forward trying to achieve that greatness......keep doing what you do!!!  For those of you who can't separate the streets from the board room.....look around you.  You will still be right there next year talking about that's why Baltimore and the DMV can't get on!!