MIXTAPE REVIEW: AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD, "THE EVOLUTION OF AN EMCEE--

MIXTAPE REVIEW BY:  WISDOM

FROM THE WEATHERED STREETS OF HARM CITY YOU WILL FIND AN EMCEE/POET/ARTIST THAT DIDN'T ALLOW THE ELEMENTS TO COMPLETELY DICTATE HIS PATH.  HIS NAME:  AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD.  HIS PATH:  THE EVOLUTION OF AN EMCEE---AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD.  HIS FACILITATOR:  DJ BLACK WIZARD.  HIS AIM:  TO ELEVATE THE ART OF HIP HOP.  AHMED IS FROM THAT SCHOOL OF HIP HOP THAT INSTILLED REAL LYRICISM AND SKILL IN THE ART OF RHYMIN'.  YOU CAN HEAR EXACTLY THAT LYRICISM AND SKILL IN THIS MIXTAPE.  IT IS A BIRD'S EYE VIEW INTO THE SOUL OF A MAN THAT TAKES HIP HOP FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS, A CULTURE.  I CAN DEFINITELY IDENTIFY WITH THIS LIKE-MINDED ARTIST, FOR HIP HOP IS NOT JUST RHYMIN' FOR THE SAKE OF RIDDLIN', BUT FOR ELEVATING MIND STATES FROM STATE TO STATE.  COMING FROM THE FREE STATE AND CITY OF HARM, AHMED SHOWCASES OVER AND OVER THAT INTELLECT IS A PRIZED COMMODITY THROUGHOUT HIS MIXTAPE.  IN THIS DAY AND TIME IT IS RARE THAT AN EMCEE, A TRUE EMCEE, REVEALS HIMSELF FROM A TRANSPARENT STANDPOINT. AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD DOES JUST THAT, WITHOUT DILUTING HIS MESSAGE OR MISSION. 

THE MIXTAPE CONSISTS OF 26 TRACKS ALTOGETHER, A COMPILATION OF COMPLETED SONGS AND INTERLUDES.  LISTENING FROM THE ONSET, YOU HEAR (AND ACTUALLY VISUALIZE) SOMEONE THAT CARES DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT HE SAYS IN EVERY VERSE.  THE FIRST OFFERING, "SCENE 1" (OVER KRS-ONE'S "MC'S ACT LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW) STARTS OFF THE MIXTAPE STRONGLY, ALLOWING AHMED TO EXPOUND ON HIS BEGINNINGS IN THE HIP HOP SCENE.  HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS INITIAL HIP HOP GROUP EXPERIENCE YIELDED THE PREDECESSOR TO THE CONTROVERSIAL "DMV MOVEMENT".  BALTIMORE, DC, AND RICHMOND WERE REPRESENTED DURING THIS MUSICAL HEYDAY.  THREE DIFFERENT, YET SIMILAR-MINDED, ARTISTS COMBINED TO SPIT "WIDE WORLD OF RAP".  THROUGHOUT THE MIXTAPE, YOU CAN HEAR AHMED DISCUSSING HIS INFLUENCES WITHIN THE HIP HOP CYPHER, AS WELL AS HIS BEGINNINGS AS A DJ BEFORE PICKING UP THE MICROPHONE FROM AN EMCEE PERSPECTIVE.  IT IS QUITE REFRESHING TO HEAR AN ARTIST ARTICULATE TRUE FEELINGS ON THE STATE OF HIP HOP MUSIC WITHOUT ADVOCATING IGNORANCE.  THE MIXTAPE CONTINUES TO FLOW, WITH VARIED INSTRUMENTALS SUCH AS '''93 TIL INFINITY" AND "MEMORY LANE" PLAYING AS THE BACKDROP.    EACH SCENE THROUGHOUT THE EVOLUTION OF AN EMCEE ALLOWS AHMED TO DISCUSS HOW THE ENVIRONMENT MOLDED, BUT DIDN'T COMPLETELY MAKE HIS WHO HE IS ON THE MICROPHONE, EITHER AS EMCEE OR POET.  "SPITTIN'" COMES FROM A DOPE SLANT, AS THE BALTIMORE-BRED EMCEE SHOWS DURING HIS TWENTIES THAT HIP HOP WAS (AND STILL IS) A WAY OF LIVING.  HE SPIT ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR THE ART OF SPITTING HARD-HITTING LYRICS.  "CHERISH YOUR BREATHE" IS JUST AS THE TITLE STATES, AS THE MAN BEHIND THE MIC MUSES OVER LIFE AND LIVING.  WITH "REAL HIP HOP" AND "ONE LOVE" BY NAS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND, SCENE SIX KICKS OFF WITH A DISSERTATION OVER A DOPE PRODUCTION.  "BALTIMORE SON" MAY BE THE BEST OF THIS DYNAMIC COLLECTION, AS THE LYRICAL WIZARD WAXES POETIC ABOUT BEING A PRODUCT OF THE CITY OF HARM.  TOO BAD THE BALTIMORE SUN WON'T DEVOTE EDITORIAL SPACE ABOUT THIS "BALTIMORE SON", BECAUSE A BREATHE OF DOPE, FRESH AIR IS WHAT AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD IS IN THIS DAY AND AGE.  TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HE DISCUSSES STREET LIFE, BUT FROM AN INTELLECTUAL LEVEL.  HE LYRICALLY SHOWS HOW AN EMCEE CAN BE INFLUENCED, YET RISE ABOVE, STREET EXISTENCE.  TRACK 18, ENTITED "THE LETTER", CONTINUES THE INFORMATIVE, BUT NOT PREACHY, APPROACH THAT APPEARS THROUGHOUT THIS MIXTAPE.  THE SEQUENCING ON THIS MIXTAPE ALLOWS EACH SONG TO FLOW FROM ONE TO ANOTHER, GIVING THE PROJECT A COHESIVENESS YOU USUALLY DON'T FIND ON THE MIXTAPE CIRCUIT.  TRUTHFULLY, THIS IS MORE OF A CONCEPT ALBUM THAN MIXTAPE, BECAUSE OF THE CARE GIVEN TO EACH SONG INCLUDED ON THE PROJECT.  "BACK TO THE STREET" IS A CAUTIONARY TALE ABOUT THE ALLURE OF THE STREET, AND THE ULTIMATE DOWNFALL YOU MAY ENCOUNTER IF VISION IS BLURRED.  "MY WOMAN" SLOWS THE PACING DOWN A TAD BIT, AS AHMED SPITS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NUBIAN QUEENS, SOMETHING YOU JUST DON'T SEE OR HERE IN 2011, WHEN MISOGYNY IS STILL A SOLID MINDSET.  "9 TO 5" IS THE SONG I CAN DEFINITELY RELATE TO, AS THIS EMCEE TALKS ABOUT THE GRIND OF WORKING FOR PAYCHECK AFTER PAYCHECK WITHOUT ANY REAL PAYOFF IN THE LONG RUN.  THE FINAL COMMENTARY ON THE MIXTAPE/ALBUM HYBRID WAS "SCENE 7", WITH AHMED SPEAKING OVER BLACK MOON'S "HOW MANY MC'S".  "PRESTO CHANGO" UPPED THE PACING, WITH MORE INTROSPECTIVE, YET BRAVADO-LACED, LYRICS AIMED AT ANY AND ALL LISTENERS.  "AHMED OUTRO" GAVE THIS ARTIST A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK LOVE TO HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMRADES IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.  CLOSING OUT THE MIXTAPE WAS A CAPELLA IN NATURE, GIVING WEIGHT TO HIS ALREADY HEAVY LYRICAL APPROACH.

OVERALL, THIS MIXTAPE SHEDS EVEN MORE LIGHT ON A BLESSED AND TALENTED EMCEE.  ONE LISTEN, AND YOU WILL AGREE THAT AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD IS CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH THAN YOUR TYPICAL BALTIMORE EMCEE.  HE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, EVEN AFTER OVER SIXTEEN YEARS IN THE "NOT TO BE PLAYED" GAME, AS AN EMCEE, DEEJAY, SPOKEN WORD ARTIST, RADIO PERSONALITY, RENAISSANCE MAN FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.  KEEP YOUR THIRD EYES OPEN FOR AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD!

Tracklisting----"The Evolution Of An Emcee-Ahmed The Last Born Child":

1) SCENE 1 (over KRS-ONE - MC's Act Like They Don't Know)
2) WIDE WORLD OF RAP
3) AHMED FREESTYLE 99'
4) SCENE 2 ( over Nas - Memory Lane; Artfacts - Wrong Side Of The Tracks; Soul of Mischief - 93' Til Infinity)
5) DI DOUBLE F
6) WHAT WE DO
7) SCENE 3 ( over Lords of the Underground - Chief Rocka)
8) TOO MUCH TOO MANY
9) THE DIRT THEY DID
10) SCENE 4 (over Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn)
11) BACK AGAINST THE WALL
12) SCENE 5 -(over Pete Rock & CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y)
13) SPITTIN'
14) I'M NEXT
15) CHERISH YOUR BREATH
16) SCENE 6 ( over DAS EFX - Real Hip Hop; Nas - One Love)
17) BALTIMORE SON
18) THE LETTER
19) BACK TO THE STREET
20) AHMED PROMO ( over Nas -The World Is Yours)
21) MY WOMAN
22) 9 TO 5
23) SCENE 7 (over Black Moon - How Many Mc's - Dana Coppa - Paradise
24) PRESTO CHANGO
25) AHMED OUTRO (over Raheem of Ancient Sounds - Didn't I)
26) AHMED - FREESTYLEAPELLA 2011




Links:
http://djblackwizard.podomatic.com/entry/2010-12-31T17_19_08-08_00
http://cveg.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjjTefe_9pg

VIDEO-------AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD, "BALTIMORE SON"

POSTED BY: 
            WISDOM

"BALTIMORE SON" IS THE APROPO NAME OF THE SONG AND VIDEO FROM AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD, FROM HIS EVOLUTION OF AN EMCEE MIXTAPE, HELMED BY DJ BLACK WIZARD.  DIRECTED BY GENERALBEATZ (MENTALHEADVIZION$ PRODUKTIONZ), THIS VISUAL ADAPTATION FOR "BALTIMORE SON" SHOWCASES THE STRENGTH  OF A REAL EMCEE REPRESENTING THE CITY OF CHARM.  JUST LOOKING AT THIS VIDEO GIVES ME MUCH HOPE THAT THE STATE OF HIP HOP IS GOING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.  I'M GOING TO JUST LET "BALTIMORE SON" SPEAK FOR ITSELF IN VISUAL FORM!

"BALTIMORE SON" VIDEO SHOOT

Written by:  WISDOM

IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, THEN THIS PICTURE FROM DYNAMIC EMCEE AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD'S VIDEO SHOOT.  AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL-BLACK EVERYTHING WAS THE THEME OF THE DAY, SENDING A VERY POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT BLACK IS POWER.  AKIN TO A NEW AGE POSITIVE BLACK PANTHER MOVEMENT, THE OVERALL TONE AND TENOR WAS ONE OF FORWARD-THINKING AND PROGRESSIVE SPIRITS CONNECTING ON A CREATIVE LEVEL.  AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD DESERVES CREDIT FOR THE VISION AND PASSION BEHIND "BALTIMORE SON", A SONG FEATURED ON HIS LATEST RELEASE THE EVOLUTION OF THE EMCEE:  AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD.  WITH THE VIDEO SHOOT TAKING PLACE ON SUNDAY, A MULTITUDE OF POSITIVE, LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS SHOWED LOVE AND SUPPORT, RANGING FROM CVEG CEO LEW WILLIAMS, KONSIDER DIS RADIO PERSONALITY MZ. UNDASTOOD, JERMAINE JOHNSON FROM JER JOH ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS.  I AM FORTUNATE TO  HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SPECIAL DAY WITH AN ARTIST THAT DESERVES PROPS FOR KEEPING THAT REAL HIP HOP FLAME LIT.  IF YOU HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED WHAT A TRUE EMCEE SOUNDS LIKE, JUST COP THE RECENT MIXTAPE. 

THE WEATHER WAS GOOD, THE VIBE WAS POSITIVE, THE BLACK WAS POWERFUL, AND THE VIDEO WAS DONE!  NEXT ON THE HORIZON IS THE DEBUT OF SAID VIDEO, HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK.  DIRECTED BY GENERALBEATZ OF MENTALHEADVIZION$ PRODUKTIONZ, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE FINISHED PRODUCT.  ONCE THE VIDEO IS AVAILABLE I WILL POST ON MY BLOG FOR VIEWING.  I AM SURE FANS OF TRUE, REAL HIP HOP WILL ENJOY NOT ONLY THE VIDEO FOR "BALTIMORE SON", BUT THE ENTIRE MIXTAPE THE EVOLUTION OF THE EMCEE:  AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD.  REPRESENT THE REAL HIP HOP!

LINKS:

http://djblackwizard.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-12-31T17_19_08-08_00
http://cveg.org/
http://www.reverbnation.com/generalbeatz

VIDEO: "AMERICAN PSYCHO"---ENVIE

CONSUMER VOICE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP ARTIST E.N.V.I.E. HAS RELEASED A VIDEO FOR HIS DOPE JOINT "AMERICAN PSYCHO".  THE VIDEO WAS SHOT AND PRODUCED BY 5TH DIMENSION MULTIMEDIA.  IT'S A VERY GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE THEME FOR THE SONG. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT B-MORE EMCEE E.N.V.I.E. AND OTHER CVEG ARTISTS VISIT REVERBNATION:  WWW.REVERBNATION.COM/CVEGGREATS .....ENJOY BLOGOSPHERE!!!

AUTHENTICITY ALBUM LISTENING PARTY AT TEAVOLVE

Written by: Wisdom

Even though my raffle ticket 938105 didn’t result in any prizes, “Gypsy Soul Presents The Sound Check Series Featuring Authenticity By The Foreign Exchange” at Teavolve was a very nice event. With music from The Foreign Exchange as the backdrop for the evening, the mood was set to preview the third release from Nicolay, Phonte, and crew. DJ Lil Mic manned the wheels of steel for the event, sponsored by Gypsy Soul in conjunction with Teavolve. Gypsy Soul definitely has its finger on the pulse of urban music in the Baltimore area, and this Thursday evening was no exception. Kayenecha Daugherty and the Gypsy Soul team are becoming quite accustomed to providing an atmosphere conducive for good music.

Authenticity, in my opinion, is the perfect soundtrack for fall. From the foliage-colored album cover to the autumn-themed musical content, the album fits like a glove during this season. DJ Lil Mic played many cuts from the current album, including “The Last Fall”, the title song “Authenticity”, and lead single “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me”. I could tell that the Teavolve crowd was enjoying the soul vibe that permeated the air. The Foreign Exchange is the rare group in today’s musical environment that can conjure up this type of excitement just on pure musicality. I am an avid fan of the group, so I may seem a tad bit biased when discussing all things The Foreign Exchange. I loved the fact that I could vibe and discuss the album and group with others in the venue, including my wife and CVEG CEO Lewis Williams. We talked about various things relating to the album, including how it fits into the overall catalog of music for Nicolay and Phonte.

Throughout the evening, you could sense that the album was being enjoyed by the professional, progressive crowd in attendance. I didn’t sense any disappointment from anyone at Teavolve. With the album being released on October 12, 2010, you could tell that quite a few had purchased the album, including myself. The album fits nicely with the other albums from The Foreign Exchange, Connected and Leave It All Behind. DJ Lil Mic managed to play some songs from those albums as well. He even played a nice blend of Slum Village’s “Players” mixed with the a cappella from Michael Jackson’s “Butterflies”. The overall atmosphere was spirited and merry, thanks to a balance of great music and like-minded individuals in attendance.

All in all, the night was lovely! Authenticity is another gem from the musical minds of Nicolay and Phonte Coleman, and I’m pretty sure that those who attended The Sound Check Series at Teavolve are in agreement. A special thank you goes out to Gypsy Soul, Edith Williams from Diamond Digital Portraits, DJ Lil Mic, Lewis Williams and Teavolve for a beautiful evening filled with special music and good vibes.  If you haven't yet attended a Gypsy Soul event, make it a point to do so!  Stay tuned for my comprehensive review of Authenticity, by far one of the best releases for 2010.

HOTRADIO16.COM SHOW AT SONAR----OCT. 13TH

DJ BLACK WIZARD FROM HOT16RADIO.COM WAS THE DJ FOR THE KING HELL BASTARD SHOW AT SONAR ON OCTOBER 13TH.  UNFORTUNATELY, THE HEADLINER FOR THE SHOW, DUBBED THE "TWO WEEK TOUR",  HAD TO RETURN TO MILWAUKEE DUE TO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.  HOWEVER, THE SHOW OBVIOUSLY HAS TO GO ON.  IN THE HOUSE WERE LOCAL LUMINARIES SUCH AS CVEG CEO LEW WILLIAMS, AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD, MZ UNDASTOOD FROM DA BEAT 1650AM, AND DJ TNT.  MZ UNDASTOOD ALSO SERVED AS HOST FOR THE HIP HOP EVENT, ALLOWING THE SHOW TO FLOW FROM BEGINNING TO END.

HIP HOP STAPLES LIKE "HOW I COULD JUST KILL A MAN", "TIME 4 SUM AKSHUN", "SCENARIO", AND "OH MY GOD" WERE SPUN BY DJ BLACK WIZARD, SETTING THE STAGE FOR AN EVENING OF GRITTY, UNDERGROUND HIP HOP.  WITH DJ BLACK WIZARD ON THE WHEELS OF STEEL, THE FIRST ACT OF THE EVENING WAS DC EMCEE TARICA JUNE.  BRINGING A POSITIVE, FEMININE FLAIR TO THE FESTIVITIES, THE ONLY FEMALE SPITTER ON THE BILL WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE SONAR CROWD CAPTIVATED.  SHE PERFORMED JOINTS FROM HER MIXTAPE MOONLIGHT REVOLUTION SUCH AS "CRAZY GIRLS", A SONG SHOWING POSSIBLE MALE SUITORS THAT SHE IS FAR REMOVED FROM THE SONG TITLE, AS WELL AS "SLOW DOWN", A COOL SONG UTILIZING A POPULAR TRACY CHAPMAN SAMPLE FROM "FAST CAR".  HER VIBE AND PERSONA WERE A WELCOME DEPARTURE FROM THE NORMAL HIP HOP FARE ONE CAN COME TO EXPECT FROM A TYPICAL GRITTY UNDERGROUND EXPERIENCE.  I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM THIS DYNAMIC EMCEE.  BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR REVIEW AND INTERVIEW FORTHCOMING WITH TARICA JUNE.

AFTER A BRIEF INTERLUDE, THE NEXT ARTIST TO PERFORM WAS JAEYU.  THIS OVER 6 FEET TALL MICROPHONE CONTROLLER BLESSED THE CROWD WITH SWAGGER AND SKILLS TO MATCH.  HIS RUGGED BARITONE MATCHED WELL WITH HIS BRAGGADOCIO METAPHORS.  HE PERFORMED A FEW SONGS FROM A RECENT PROJECT, AND ENDED HIS SET WITH AN ACAPELLA FREESTYLE TO SHOWCASE HIS LYRICAL GRIT AND TALENT.  I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH HIM AFTER HIS ENERGIZED SET, AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SIT DOWN FOR A BRIEF INTERVIEW, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE ARTIST WAS NOT ABLE TO STAY AFTERWARDS.  HOPEFULLY I , WILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOP IT UP WITH JAEYU IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

BLACKSTAFF WAS THE NEXT HIP HOP CONGLOMERATE TO HIT THE SONAR STAGE, AND THEY BROUGHT ENERGY AND A 2010 SWAGGER TO THE HIP HOP AFFAIR.  THIS FIVE-MAN CREW COMMENCED TO RHYME OVER "BEAMER BENZ OR BENTLEY" JOINT, REPPING HARM CITY, AS WELL AS DROPPING DIRTY, HARDCORE LYRICS OVER "LEMONADE", THE SONG MADE FAMOUS BY GUCCI MANE.  THEIR FIFTEEN MINUTE OR SO SET WAS COOL OVERALL, AND THEY MANAGED TO GARNER SUPPORT FROM THE HIP HOP CONTINGENT WITHIN SONAR'S WALLS.

FORTUNATELY FOR THE AUDIENCE, MZ. UNDASTOOD WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE FESTIVITIES FLOWING WITH HER ARTIST INTRODUCTIONS.  COMING FROM THE DC METRO AREA, YOU CAN CATCH MZ UNDASTOOD ON DA BEAT 1650-AM ON "KONSIDER DIS SHOW" WITH DJ TNT, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 7-10 PM.  SHE SPOTLIGHTS LOCAL TALENT NOT ONLY IN THE DC METROPOLITAN REGION, BUT ARTISTS FROM HARM CITY SUCH AS NEPHEW, AHMED THE LAST BORN CHILD, SLAY, E.N.V.I.E., AND COUNTLESS OTHERS.

COMING FROM THE DC REGION WAS AN EMCEE KNOWN AS SLEEP.  THIS EMCEE REPPED FOR THE DMV, RHYMING OVER THE INSTRUMENTAL FOR THE RICK ROSS JOINT "B.M.F. (BLOWING MONEY FAST)".  I WASN'T ABLE TO GET HIS SET LIST FOR THE SONGS PERFORMED, BUT THIS DC-BASED ARTIST DID WELL WITH THE MOSTLY B-MORE AUDIENCE. 

UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE CREW SHAME, THERE WERE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR MUSIC THAT PREVENTED THEM FROM PERFORMING THEIR SET.  BEING THE REAL HIP HOP ARTISTS THEY ASPIRE TO BE, THEY DROPPED AN IMPROMPTU FREESTYLE TO LET THE LISTENERS KNOW THEY CAME, THEY SAW, AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CONQUER.

NEXT ON THE BILL WAS DIRT PLATOON, A RUGGED CREW REMINISCENT OF M.O.P.  THEY BROUGHT AN ENERGETIC SET TO THE STAGE, PERFORMING SONGS SUCH AS "PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE" AND OTHERS OFF OF THEIR RELEASE DEEPER THAN DIRT.  FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS TWO-MAN CREW HAS BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS ALONG THE EAST COAST PROMOTING THIS ALBUM, AND FOR GOOD REASON.  DIRT PLATOON BRINGS A VINTAGE B-MORE HIP HOP AESTHETIC TO THE MASSES.

CONSISTING OF THREE EMCEES (REAP, EVEL EYE, P), THE NEXT SET OF ARTISTS BROUGHT A SOMEWHAT UNIQUE AND OLD SCHOOL APPROACH TO THE STAGE.  WEARING T-SHIRTS PROMOTING THEIR "LIFELINE" MIXTAPE, P, REAP, AND EVEL EYE BLESSED THE CROWD WITH SONGS SUCH AS "BEST KEPT SECRET" AND "GIMME A BEAT".  THE TRIO, WHO PERFORM UNDER THE PNREAP ENTERTAINMENT UMBRELLA, WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE CROWD MOTIVATED AND CAPTIVATED WITH THEIR LYRICAL WIT AND SKILL.

JAY MCGRAW, CEO OF M.A.M. RECORDS, HIT THE STAGE TO PROMOTE AND PERFORM CUTS FROM HIS NEWEST MIXTAPE GRAND OPENING.  THE TITLE CUT PUT THE CROWD IN A B-MORE STATE OF MIND, AS MCGRAW USED THE STAGE AS HIS HIP HOP PLAYGROUND.  HE WASN'T PLAYING AROUND, HOWEVER, WHEN SPITTING VENOMOUS LYRICS ABOUT REALITY-BASED EXPERIENCES.  THE SET FOR JAY MCGRAW ALSO INCLUDED A SPIRITED DANCE ROUTINE THAT SHOWCASED BALTIMORE'S VAUNTED CLUB DANCING.  HIS SET ENDED WITH AN ACAPELLA JOINT, PUTTING A NICE EXCLAMATION POINT AND PREPARING US FOR HIS "GRAND OPENING".

CLOSING OUT THE EVENING, THE UNCONVICTED FELONZ CREW HIT THE STAGE.  CHUK DIESEL, ONE LIFE, ONE OF 1, AND FRENCHY HIT THE SONAR CROWD WITH RELENTLESS VIGOR, SHOWCASING THEIR PENCHANT FOR GRITTY AND RUGGED SOUNDS.  UFC, AS THIS CREW IS REFERRED TO, PERFORMED VARIOUS SONGS FROM THEIR MULTITUDE OF PROJECTS.  I ENJOYED SEEING THIS COLLECTIVE PERFORM AFTER CONDUCTING A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH THEM BEFORE THE START OF THE SHOW, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SEE HOW THIS GROUP OF LIKE-MINDED EMCEES WILL GROW, AND ULTIMATELY, EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS WITHIN THE HIP HOP SPRECTRUM.

OVERALL, THE SONAR EXPERIENCE WAS A POSITIVE SIGN THAT TRUE HIP HOP IS ALIVE AND GROWING IN BALTIMORE.  FROM A SPONTANEOUS RHYME CYPHER IN THE HALLS OF SONAR, TO THE COMARDERIE SHOWN AMONGST THE CROWD, IT WAS VERY EVIDENT THAT BALTIMORE IS INDEED A HIP HOP CITY.  I HOPE THAT ALL THE PARTICIPANTS TAKE NOTE THAT BANDING TOGETHER IS FOR THE COMMON CAUSE OF EXPANDING BALTIMORE'S HIP HOP BRAND OUTSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS, AND INTO THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.  IT WILL TAKE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, BUT OUR CITY IS POISED TO TAKE ITS PLACE ON THE HIP HOP LANDSCAPE.

ONE LOVE!

WISDOM