Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #25 (7.11.19 New Haven, Indiana)

DOIN' THE DUMMY

I wake up with my heel swelling up. That mf GOUT!!! I did good point wise all day the day before, but my dumb ass had to hit the Coney. Mistake. I see what it's gonna be, and I had one workout for the week left, so I had Emile drive me by Planet Fitness before I went to work. I hit that bih hard, 3.01 miles in 30 minutes to be exact, while listening to The Game. 

While I was at the gym, Illadope went to go get the rental so we can make our trip to Indiana. On the way back they pick me up from Planet Fitness and we head back to the crib. I go wash my behind, and after I'm done we just kinda sit around the crib choppin it up. L.A.Z. and I had a real good convo about our career paths, and specifically spoke on my competitive nature as a performer. I explained to him that I'd been training extra hard in the gym and rehearsing as much as I could to put on a dope show for them in Detroit. Rapper shit, ya know?

THE LONGEST SHORT JOURNEY EVER

We was bullshittin' mane. I had a room booked in Fort Wayne, and wanted to get there early enuff to rest a little before the show, but it took us FOREVER to leave Detroit. For no good reason either lol. We just took our sweet time. Finally myself, Illadope, L.A.Z. & Greene headed to the eastide to make one more stop before we left. I really didn't know who were where meeting, I slick thought they was tryinna hit the weedman before we left. Turns out it was the young homie Specs, the camera guy. Finally we hit the road to Fort Wayne, and get there at 7pm, around the time we're supposed to be in New Haven where the venue is, for soundcheck. We don't get to the venue till about 8:15pm, after the doors opened. Didn't matter though.

A FLOP

I had a feeling that the show wasn't gonna be well attended. I played there last year with the homie J. Tubbs, and it wasn't the best night, but both he & the owner Davis are really good dudes who did good business. Last year Tubbs booked and DJ'ed the show so he brought more people that I could bring on my own. But I booked the show directly through Davis, and didn't really have anyone on the ground promoting. Plus it's a Thursday night in a really small town. Most of the people in the venue when we got there weren't there for us, they wanted the delicious wings and burgers they served for the night. This was gonna be one of those nights on the road where you rest your starters early in the second half, Nevertheless the show must go on.

We decided we were gonna go on the regular scheduled time even though we got there late. No need in prolonging the process. First up is 2RQ with a solid set off the iPad wit it. 

Tubbs told me he was dope, and he was.

 ANGRY WHITE MANE

Greene is a dope emcee from Detroit who is very closely affiliated with Da Illaz. He performed at the show in Detroit the night before, but for some reason I missed his set. I was really impressed with his show, as he was going hard af rapping for noone lol. I'm like shit, these niggas not playing with me. Then Tubbs goes up and does his thing. Mane what is ya'll doing? Nigga tryinna tank and they rapping like they tryinna get that 8th seed. Then L.A.Z. goes up and REALLY goes off, he had this old white dude rockin' in the back as he stood up on the chairs going like it's 300 ppl in there when it reality it's 4 paying customers.

Fuck.

Now it's my turn, and I'm lowkey over it, but I can't get bodied on my own shit. Nigga not finna dub me. I did the same songs I did in Detroit, and the only people who cared where the rappers, Davis the owner, and the old white man. With my style being call & response heavy, mostly based on crowd interaction, I sometimes struggle to find that energy in smaller crowds that aren't really interactive. So "Bad Man," "Black God Fresh," "Principles & Standards," & "Henry Clay" were all "meh" af to me. 

Now the fun part. I do my transition into "Hallelujah." Tubbs has booked me before, so he knew how I was coming. Davis booked me before, and we're cool as hell on Facebook, so he knows I'm coming. It's "Fuck Donald Trump" time baby.

Me: Can I say "Fuck Donald Trump?"

Crowd: Yes.

Me: Question #2: Will ya'll say "Fuck Donald Trump" too?

Rest of Crowd: Yes.

Old White Mane: NO!!!

Me: Well it's bout to be tight on ya. Davis is cool with it, and I'm bout to exercise my 1st Ammendment tonight mane.

Greene:*looks in Old White Mane's direction... "And I'm a military vet, and I will protect his Freedom Of Speech if anyone has a problem!!!"

Shit escalated mad quick, and now I'm messy. Illadope drops the beat and I go hard as fuck. Every Black person in the building was screaming #FDT hard as a bitch, a few white people too lol. I transtion into "FreeBLKPPL," looking in the Old White Mane's direction the whole time, and he's hot. He was fuckin' with us up to that point, even seem him looking at my merch table, but now he's pissed lol. I finish with "Stare And Whisper," and the show is over.

Go to the merch table and Davis' wife and a bar staff come over and offer us free passes to a strip club. We go. the strip club was fucking terrible. Bad built women, and they were dancing to Eminem. 

Tragic. 

I turned down a $1 lap dance from a white woman shaped like Olive Oil. Nah mane. All the Detroit guys go outside to smoke, and I'm in there talking to Tubbs and 2RQ, when Illadope texts me that niggas is outside shooting a video. 

WTF?

It just so happens that Da Illaz have a song called "Shangri La," and strip club called "Shangri La," so they're outside shooting a music video under the sign. L.A.Z. almost finessed them people into to letting them shoot the video inside the damn club, but it didn't happen.

Detroit niggas wild yo lol.

They drop us back to the hotel, and head back to Detroit to return the rental. Illadope gotta catch a Greyhound to Chicago in the morning.

RATINGS

CROWD: 2/5. And I'll take the blame. It was poorly promoted by me the promoter.

VENUE: 4/5. Davis is good money with me, and I will continue working with him as long as he will have me. I see touring acts from all over who book there, and one day I will have a great show. I will continue booking Carl's Taven everytime I'm in the area.

SOUND: 5/5. Crisp af. Davis runs that too lol.

MERCH: 1/5. I may have sold one CD.

Next Show: 7/11/19 in Chicago, Illinois

Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #24 (7/10/19 in Detroit, Michigan)

WHAT UP THO?

This show is show #1 of the "Real Emcees Dont Rap Over Vocals Campaign," (Sponsored by Backseat Productions & Family Friendly Foods) during the first ever "International Stop Rapping Over Vocals Month." I just made all that up and ran with it. If you've been following the blog, you know I linked up with Clear Soul Forces and their management in the Bay back in February. We've been thuggin' eversince. So when I got a Milwaukee date for July, I wanted to make a run out of it. I first got Chicago booked, then Indiana, I was like fuck it, lemme holla at my Detroit guys. 

Chris, (the manager for CSF) had problems finding a venue in Detroit proper, so he reached out to L.A.Z., who is a memebr of CSF and a separate group Da Illaz along with a DJ we share, Illadope. It just so happens that Da Illaz just dropped "People Under Detroit," a project where L.A.Z. and all Detroit emcees rapped over People Under The Stairs tracks, curated by Illadope. Da Illaz were looking to do a release party, and it just so happened L.A.Z. had the plug on a spot in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale. They threw me on as a co-headliner, and it's lit.

I love it when I plan comes together.

FULL OF THEM YAMS

Chris picks me up from the airport and we head into Detroit to L.A.Z. & CSF group member Emile's crib. We chop it for a bit then head to get some food, as I def caught a red eye to Detroit and I'm starving. We finally decide on a spot called Sweet Potato Sensations, a Black owned resturaunt in the heard of the Motor City that with a menu with dishes made with sweet potatoes. Like a mane, I'm not even a sweet potato fan like that, but bruh, this bih was hittin'!!! The spot was located in on Lasher Road, a Black ass district with lots of pride, community, & culture. As we walked up and down the street, I realized it was kinda "chilly" for a summer day. It was 88 degrees with no humidity, and a beautiful breeze. Something I know nothing about living in Louisiana lol.

After we ate we went back to the crib to chill, and I took a CRUCIAL ass nap. I mean I caught that bih fareal fareal. I mean snoring loud drooling sleep. I needed it.

HIP-HOPPERS

We pull pup to the venue for soundcheck/load in, and it's a really nice venue. There's a bar upstairs, and a dope stage area downstairs. I set up my merch table, and now I'm hungry again. 

(STAGE)

(ILLADOPE SOUNDCHECKING)

(MERCH)

I walk around the corner in search of some food, and fall off in a Hip-Hop sandwhich shop call "M.C. Whiches," and mane was that bih rollin'. I had the Biggie Smalls BBQ Chicken and Cheddar and it was "Juicy..."

Get it?

LET'S EAT

L.AZ. asks me do I wanna go before or after them I chose to go before. The venue has a nice crowd and all the rappers who went before me were nice, and known locally. NOONE in the crowd besides the CSF guys knew who I was, and I knew I had to come show & prove in Detroit. Detroit don't fake the funk, they real niggas who will tell you if yo shit wack or not. But see, I survived Baton Rouge's Jigg era doing underground conscious raps. Plus I'd been training for nights like this. I've lost a good 20 lbs since the guys seen me last in California. These guys are at the level I want to be nationally. I refuse to come their hometown and be trash. I'm here for blood.

NO INTRODUCTION

L.A.Z. brings me up with no intro. Just says I'm from Baton Rouge. And the crowd is like, "Oh aight." As soon as they heard my loud country ass voice say, "My daddy sang gospel, but I chose to be a rapper...," They was like "Oh damn." I had them curious early. This is how I benefit from being a southerner who is country af, but still being super Hip-Hop. I shatter all misconceptions of what a southern artists sounds like. I'm dripped in 3 pieces of 'Lo, I shatter all stereotypes of what a conscious rapper looks like. I go into "Bad Man," and as soon as the beat knocks I see em movin a li'l bit. To I make sure I have a their attention, I use all my charm to transition into "Black God Fresh," which went surprisingly well. All night I'd been hearing some Midwest ass boom bap, but my country rap tunes are working. Once again, I benefit from being different.

Now we're into the boom bap portion of the night, and they're once again caught off guard. Hearing the shit talking and country rap tunes songs first, I don't think they were thinking I'm coming with the backpack shit. All of the call & responses have went well all night, which also worked for me because I was the only person really doing them. I've noticed us southerners are bigger on call & response than other emcees around the country. I think it's the church culture that bleeds in our music? I need to ask around. Anyways, "Principles & Standards" goes over well, as does "Henry Clay." 

Now for the political rap portion of the night, I ask them do they fuck with Trump, and I hear all types of "fuck that nigga Trump," "Hell naw," and "Fuck no!!!" Nigga, it's finna be lit. I ask them what's the area code, and even though the venue was technically 248, they was like, "Nigga this the 313!!!" 

Fuck Freeworld!!!

"Hallelujah" goes up!!!! I'm in my bag at this point, firing on all cylinders. When the beat to "FreeBLKPPL" dropped, I see mad niggas faces scrunch up like "uggghhhh that's nasty." I run through that with ease, then transition into "Stare & Whisper." I tell them to close their eyes and imagine being in a small church with wooden floors, AC, wayyyy out in the country, deep in the south. 

Then I take them there with me. I gave them alllll of my ancestors soul, and I really feel like I connected with them, being that most of them are decendents of people who left the south during the Great Migration. We had a moment.

I finish feeling great, go to my merch table, and though I got mad daps, NIGGAS WAS NOT SHOPPING lol. Black people, please buy merch. Please. Da Illaz closed out the night, and my personal highlight was the performance of the title track, which featured Sumthin Cirious, L.A.Z.'s mother. 

After the show, Emile took me the Coney wit it, and I ate terrible. To the point it gave me the gotdamn gout the next morning. More on that in the next one.

RATINGS:

Venue: 4/5: Dope. Perfect for a cool underground show or dope dance party. Staff was really friendly.

Crowd: 4.5/5: We shared a moment. After the show I gotta lot of love. A lot of people told me they had know idea who I was and were all pleasantly surprised.

Merch: 2.5/5: I'm only rating so low because the sales ain't match how well a set I had or the amount of love I was shown. 

Sound: 5/5: A-1.

Next Show: 7/11/19 in New Haven, Indiana.

#BlackThoughtsRadio Podcast S2:E15 "Level Up."

This weeks episode is based on a convo I had with the great Donney Rose, and the twitter thread that followed it late last night. I touch on several different things that can make an artist better at their craft and more successful, including:

1. Diet

2. Sobriety

3. Exercise

4. Rehearsal

5. Adjusting Attitude

Click here to listen, or stream below

Follow Me @:

Twitter: @marcelpblack

Instagram: @marcelpblack

Facebook: Marcel P. Black

Mixcloud: BlackThoughtsRadio

marcelpblack.com

marcelpblack.bandcamp.com

Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #23 (6/29/19 in Jackson, MS)

WHATTUP JU?

If you know anything about Marcel P. Black, you know Jackson, Mississippi is my second home. I'm in Jackson at least 8 times a year, and I may only rap out there once or twice. I shoot music videos, do podcasts, and I've recorded my last 2 EP's and my upcoming album there. I've even record a project that got scrapped. I know where all the good soul food spots are, as well as the vegan juice bar. I know where to get sneakers, music, comic books, and I know where the finest big booty strippers are makin' it clap at. I have brought alot of people from Jackson to BR over the last 8 years, and I've been sending BR guys to Jackson. So when I pull up in the city it's ALWAYS love.

Via this pipeline from BR to Jackson comes this event I'm booked to perform at. I've been rocking with Mr. Fluid for years in my travels to Jackson, and recently he's been coming to Baton Rouge alot since being a closed mic artist at #FadeTheFlowSundays. He's been doing shows in Baton Rouge, meeting and working with several BR artists, including Flood, who is also on this bill with me in Jackson. Alot of shit is coming full circle here, and that's dope.

WORK

I took off work early to go get in the studio with 5th Child to work on my LP before the show. He has a hot date watching Creed, so I wrap up what I'm doing and go to the vegan juice bar to get some food. After I eat, I head by Offbeat to go holla at Phil & Theca. There's alot going this particular weeked in Jackson, a nerd-con, an event at Offbeat called JuJitsu, and freaking WWE was in town. Our event is at a dope art space called The Murals, not to far from OffBeat. After I finish hollerin' at my folk, I head around the corner to load-in.

 IT IS WHAT IT IS

I'm an underground rapper. I also book shows. I've rocked crowds as big as 7,000 and as small as 7. At the end of the day I have to do my job. Plus, Kira & Mike don't play lol. They sent me a contract that said if I rap over vocals I wasn't getting paid. They made ME sign that, and I'm the gotdamn leader of the movement lololol. But I respect it, and that's what needs to happen in all contracts. No cap, once I seen how many other events were going on in Jackson this particular night, I didn't feel confident about the turnout. And that's to nobody's fault, because it was very well promoted, it just was one of those nights. But I had a job to do, and I was not gonna disappoint.

And Like I said, Kira don't play. Doors literally opened for 8pm, and the show started at 8:30pm, as scheduled. At the time there may have been one paying customer there, but fuck it, the show must go on.

The first act up is Preda-Kon. Preda-Kon is a producer first and foremost, but he rhymes too. This was actually his first time performing live, and he set the mood off right with some hilarious rhymes and call & response hooks. Next up is 727, one of the few rappers bigger than me out here. He's prolly about a good 6'7, 280, swole af, dressed in all Black with a Joe Budden meets Suge Knight beard. He's also the DJ for the night. He performs songs from his upcoming album that is all based on Shonuff from The Last Dragon. It was highly entertaining, and nowhere near what I thought it was gonna be. Next was 2x #FadeTheFlowAlumni Flood from Baton Rouge, on his first ever show outside of BR, first show in Mississippi. He rocked a solid set as a few more people came in. We maybe at 7 people now. Mr. Fluid goes up to do his thing, and kills is as always with veteran emcee skills, performing cuts from several different albums, including a song he has with Flood. Now it's my time.

 GETTIN TOO SLIM FOR YA BRITCHES...

 Ya'll know I've been in the gym hardbody of the last 10 months, I've lost close to 60 lbs. This time last year I was wearing size 50 in the waist, right before I came to this Jackson show I bought a pair of 46B Polo jean shorts. I tried them on when I got home I was so happy to be able to fit them!!! As I was getting dressed before the show and realized my silly ass forgot my belt. I didn't have time to go to Walmart before the show, so I said YOLO, and hoped that my pants would stay up.

I start my set off as usual, with the "My daddy sang gospel" acapella (I really need to name that and register is so I can get my performance royalties...), then go into "Bad Man." Though the crowd is small, everyone was locked into the show and call & response was loud af. I go into "Black God Fresh," and immediatley see that gravity is not gonna let my pants live. This is a song that I need to move to, but I'm kinda relegated to standing in a wide legged stance so my shit don't fall off. From there I transition into "Principles & Standards," which goes over very well, as this is more of a boom bap crowd. "Henry Clay" comes next and everything is firing full speed. 

"Hallelujah" goes over well as always, as this crowd ain't fuckin with Trump at all. The call & response is going over brazy, and I lowkey caught the Holy Ghost as I preached to the crowd. I go into "#FreeBLKPPL" and and I'm in my bag as the kids say. I'm rocking hard as hell, and I'm to the final 45 seconds of the song, doing the call & response, and my got damn shorts fell.

What the fuck!!!!!

Luckily I caught them hoes before they hit the floor. It happened so damn quick I'm not sure everyone saw what happened, but that nigga Flood did and he had a look of shock & disgust. Thank God I didn't go commando or I coulda caught a charge, that's how low my pants got. But you know what, as the Lawd is my witness, I didn't miss a bar. I didn't stop the song, I just caught my pants, pulled them back up, and kept on rappin'.

*INSERT CHRIS ROCK JOKE HERE... 

Once the song ended, I put the mic on the table and told the audience to "talk amongst yourselves." I quickly ran into the bathroom on behind me stage right and checked to see wtf happened, because it felt like the zipper broke. Well luckily for me, the button nor the zipper broke, I'm not really sure why they fell like that. While I'm in the bathroom (all of 45 seconds), I hear the crowd bust out lauging. I didn't know why at the time, but as I watched the tape I saw that to break the awkwardness, 727 picks up the mic and says "So, women be shoppin'..." Yes indeed they do. Meanwhile I'm in there tryinna fold my waistband, that ain't work, so I just pulled them bad boys up as far as I could, damn near Steve Urkle level. Like I said, the show must go on.

So now I gotta redeem myself. Rappers, pay attention... One of the best tricks to do to shakeback when you mess up is act like you never messed up at all. I come out the bathroom clapping hard af and the crowd started clapping and cheering with me, and I broke into a soulfully aggressive rendition of the "My quest to find religion" acapella (I need to register that too), and it's like everyone was so distracted noone remembered I damn near dropped trow on em.

SHAKE IT BACK...

Now it's time for "Stare & Whisper," and I have to go ALL the way in. I try to give them my whole soul, giving as much showmanship as I can while making sure my damn pants don't fall again. And I do. It goes over well, and I survive the set. 

Thank God.

Again, tonight was one of those nights that build character. Small crowd, wardrobe malfunctions, I coulda sandbagged it. But I was hired to do a service for good people who do great business and it was important that I respect and honored that. Sold some merch, hit the taco truck over in front of Offbeat, and called it a night. 

Oh yeah kids, never leave your belt, always wear clean drawers.

RATINGS:

Venue: 3.5/5. I'm only subtracting points because I'm not sure if it's the best place for a Hip-Hop show, mainly because of location, as it's not a place that's gonna get you foot traffic. It's perfect for a listening party or art show or a something of that nature. The space it's self is dope af.

Crowd: 4/5. Bout as good as you can get for having 7 people in a room that's maybe 40 cap. They all were receptive to my raps.

Sound: 5/5. No issues. Sounded great.

Merch: 3.5/5. Wasn't alotta people, so not alot of shopping.

Next Show: 7.10.19 in Detroit, Michigan.

#BlackThoughtsRadio Podcast S2:E14 "Rap Lists Don't Matter"

On this episode, I'm back runnin' my mouth bout about why local rap lists don't matter. I discuss:

1. The fallout of me being on the XXL List.

2. The infamous "Top 50 BR Rappers List."

3. Why I won't ever do a list or a #FadeTheFlowSundays Awards Show.

4. Lists make or break you.

5. Why I don't wanna be a local rapper.

Click here to stream podcast, or listen below.

As always, you can follow me @:

Twitter: @marcelpblack

Instagram: @marcelpblack

Facebook: Marcel P. Black

marcelpblack.com

marcelpblack.bandcamp.com

Happy "International Stop Rapping Over Vocals Day" VLOG/Podcast 7.25.19

As the leader of the "Stop Rapping Over Vocals Movement, I have declared July 25th "International Stop Rapping Over Vocals Day." On 7.25.18, I went on a Facebook rant that rallied the voices of all the heads who were sick and tired of over vocals rap, catapulting me into leadership, striving to further movement of creating and empowering better emcees while eradicating the wackness such as rapping over vocals from the culture. In this episode I read the rants outloud, and tell horror stories of having to endure wack emcees rap over vocals. Be sure to go to https://marcelpblack.bandcamp.com/merch and support the movement by copping a "Real Emcees Dont Rap Over Vocals" Tee asap!!! marcelpblack.com marcelpblack.bandcamp.com Twitter: @marcelpblack Instagram: @marcelpblack Facebook: marcelpblack.bandcamp.com

#BlackThoughtsRadio Podcast S2:13 "Stop Rapping Over Vocals"

So, as a leader of the "#StopRappingOverVocals Movement," I've officially christened July "International Stop Rapping Over Vocals Month." I talk about why I chose July, as well as:

1. Why you should never rap over vocals.

2. Ways to prevent having to rap over vocals.

3. And how you can hold others accountable to prevent over vocals rap.

You can join the movement by getting your "Real Emcees Dont Rap Over Vocals" tee @ MARCELPBLACK.BANDCAMP.COM today.