The jinx of all jinxes is when- as an artist- you tell a motherfucker what you're working on/got going on before it's 100%. Dayuuuum. I mean, even when you get the contract signed and you get a 2 album deal and before you get an advance...The ball drops. This recently happened to one of my dudes. It was out of his hands. Shady labels doing shady things. Happens all the time. I for instance had the FREE P Tour booked for May. Alchemist, Cormega, Big Noyd and Twinz were slated to perform at Club Five. I had a verbal agreement and then... The ball drops and cats want this and this and that. So, the ball gets dropped and I look like an idiot to those I made arrangements with, etc. I don't feel no real way about it.. Every artist goes through this. They get hyped up when something bigger than normal is supposed to go down and they feel like they need to tell they mans and they mans tells they mans and that's when the JINX takes place. It's like the energy turns against you for allowing the surprise to surface. Like, in baseball, you're up to bat against Johan Santana and you see his delivery and you've studied it and BAM! You know it's gonna be a fastball the minute it leaves his hand. You swing a big uppercut and WHOOOOSH! It was a nasty 93 MPH slider.
Well, no more jinxes my friends. I've been through that mess. Like when Tragedy Khadafi was going to take me and Chops under his wing and turn us into SUPERSTARS! Or, when Rodney Jerkins wanted to sign us to Darkchild and then- he wants WAAAAY too much of our cut. Or, when our manager gets our beats to G-Unit, D-Block, Def Jam and then leaves the country for 4 months and there's no contact made. How about when I get to dj for an artist on Universal and they're talking tours, we do a couple magazines, records are cut, Affiliates do a mixtape..then I realize I'm doing something I don't wanna do! Not because of the artist and subsidiary label but because I just saw a fraudulent lifestyle and I couldn't be 100% behind the situation. I took myself out the situation before I got too deep... but, cats were like, "what happened?!" "You turned THAT down!" Yup. Wasn't for me.
There's really too many situations like this to even name. The name of the game is patience and persistance (what up K-Skills!) I'm in it to win it. I do this for the love first and the money (hahaha) second. Those that follow the G-N-B movement and Inner Loop movement know that I'm on my grind. I am focused and I will never stop AND we only get better like Stag's Leap.
With that said. I'm not telling you all whats going down right now. I've been in the studio with snakes, I've rolled with snails and I've been in the lion's cage. Well, now the elephants are comin out and me and the crew are holding the tusks with red-dots on our heads.
Wu-Tang is coming to Love Nightclub! WTF! First off, I'm no fan of mega-clubs so I will not be there but I got this e-mail and it perplexed me. Wu-Tang-last I heard- was not getting along at all. They have nothing to promote. They're album dropped many many months ago and flopped (I believe it dropped last year.) It didn't just flop, like under the radar but it was heavily promoted and made accessible to the monks in Tibet and the soldiers in Kosovo. Everyone was anticipating it and it flopped. It was a terrible album. Anyways, they'll be at Love Nightclub soon and please **Grown & Sexy Attire Required!!**
I predict Rza, Gza, Cappadona, U-God and Inspektah Deck will be there. Meth 40%.
I can't believe we're in the days where you have to wear grown and sexy attire to go see the fathers of grimey, east coast hip-hop. That shit is SOOOO played. Hip-hop is so watered down. I'm not mad at Wu-Tang for gettin their lil money and I'm not mad at Club Love for reaching out to real hip-hop dudes. But, I dunno.
I like grilled talapia. I like german-chocolate cake. I like corn on the cob. I like fried chicken. I like Cap'N Crunch. But, when you combine all these things together it makes for a shitty snack that will ultimately give you diarrhea (with corn lumps.)
This is a song off of "Raise The Hammer 3" by Guns-N-Butter (June 07) and we finally got around to shooting a video. Thanks Gadget. It's some quality low budget shit. Good music by my dude Beta. Be on the lookout for his new mixtape (production by Overok, Judah, NFinit, E-Minah, J-$crilla, Sleepy Hollows, Team Demo, Chop-La-Rok & StU Bangas) dropping really soon (May/June 08)..When people mention The DMV (DC,Maryland,Virginia) they need to mention this dude. I've been working with him since 1999 and there's not a single better lyricist in the area. Point blank.
Lemme clear something up real quick. Guns-N-Butter is a production crew. Me, Stu and Chops. Chops is doin a nickel in the feds right now so when I mention G-N-B it includes this dude b/c he's an animal, my brother and a best friend.. He took an "L" b/c of some rich whiteboys in Richmond. Worst city ever in the most fucked up state ever. I lived in Virginia for 20 years and I can say that. Virginia is for Snitches. I've seen more friends go to jail then die, get married and go to college- COMBINED! All b/c of 17th century laws and an abundance of COMMONWEALTH con-men posing as politicians and preachers. DO NOT get hemmed up in VA! You will lose. People who sell drugs in Virginia are playing themselves. (Note: I do not condone selling drugs period.)
CHOP-La-ROK aka Gorbachops aka Gorby Park aka Calcutta aka Harry Herojuana
Stu Bangas aka Beef StU aka Thorton Melon
J-$crilla aka Capitol J aka The $crillionaire aka Scrillville
Anyways, I would like to address a certain bitchassness going on around the DMV. First of all bitchassness is a disease that seems to spread from individual to friend to clique to crew to crew to crew to area. It's like the fuckin bird flu. it only takes one duck to develop a cough. What is "bitchassness?" Well, it's a term to describe a person who hates to see the next man moving at a considerable rate. This rate supercedes the next man's rate and a chemical imbalance is introduced to the brain that makes the person commit a sin- this sin is envy, which breeds jealousy which leads to hating. Bitchassness is easily formed in those people that are insecure or people that feel they are leaders when they offer no innovation. As Abe Lincoln once said, 'Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." Bitchassness can even form in the most proud and upright citizens if they are around a bunch of other Bitchasses. This is the effect that you are only as strong as your weakest link. If a member of your team, posse, movement-and all the other played out words to describe your friends and associates- starts hating on the next man that is sincerely doing his/her thing then please allow it to fall on deaf ears or even better- correct them and encourage peace and unity. Take notes of early hip-hop in New York, ATL, Houston, Miami, Seattle (I'm reaching with that 1 I know but check their underground and producers) and all the other cities and tri-states that moved as a whole and EVERYBODY benefited.
Now, the bitchassness in The DMV is not so overt that we are doomed. In fact, we are just beginning to see the infection form and I've even seen it stopped with my own eyes. But, with Wale and Tabi doing their things there is a streak of hating that needs to stop. These dudes are doing their thing and everywhere I look they are shouting out the area (not my name! lol) and bringing the light to the nation's capitol and the best city in the whole God-Damned world! note: I love D.C. and I've done extensive travels my friends. We need to support cats who are really doing something positive for the area. There is even a slight tension w/in the next-to-blows in the area and that's not fair. Everyone needs to keep on their grind, hustle, movement and keep working to win. The more people that win a little piece of "The Game" (another cliche that will be addressed) the more likely you yourself will win. This is like a trickle-down effect and if you know what the tipping point is then you know more than the next man. As long as Wale reps his area then support him.
Shameless plug: Also, this week is the eighth installment of The Beatdown at Club Five 1824 18th St NW. WDC featuring the DMV's illest and some dope outta towners. Brought to you by Inner Loop Records and featuring live beats by Illmind, T2, E-Minah, Rico Anderson and Choppe Chop Sounds. Rans-16 and The Army Of The Pharaohs will be in the building as well
Here's some video of The Beatdown 6 @ Club Felix. March video will be on Vimby.com real soon
">
I'm sure I'll see the DMV's flyest chicks, dopest artists and trendiest nerds at this jump-off.
So, with that I have begun the blog and I plan on keepin this joint up to date with all the happenings that need to be addressed. I will rant. I will rave and I will ramble. I'm a DMV vet. I can.
