Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #11 (4/5/19 in Birmingham, Alabama)

HOME IS WHERE THE LOVE IS...

I have a list of what I call "Home Cities." Places where I have a dope following, where I have a lot of rapper friends. Places I know where to find the dope tennis shoes, eat the delicious food, places where I feel comfortable enough kicking it without needing a local to take me around. Places like Pensacola, Flordia, Mobile, Alabama, Memphis, Tennessee, and my always and forever second home Jackson, Mississippi places where you may see MPB outchea dolo, moving around like I'm a local. That's how comfortable I be. Places like Chicago, St. Louis, Miami, even ATL, not so much. I don't check in with no street niggas, but I do call my rappers homies to see what the temperature is, and if they say go to the hotel, that's what I do. If they say don't go nowhere without me, I stay my Black ass in the room. 

I may be big, Black, & country, but I'm not dumb.

Honestly, at this point I'm sober, so I'm not really drinking like talking bout, and most of the time I'm too exausted after hours of driving, riding, or flying, and I just wanna do like David and Goliath down (corny dad joke I got from my Pops, and I say it to my kids now and they think it's hilarious, so I'ma keep saying it.) Extra curricular activities on the road such as drinking and partying after you've been traveling all day, eating bad food, etc. not only have an affect on your physical & mental health, but it hits your pockets. And being able to come home making profit from my music is the one of the main reasons my wife don't trip and allows me to go on the road so much. If I wasn't getting no money I wouldn't be on the road. And I'm a married man with kids, so I'm really not our here tryinna be into no shit that can get my ass side tracked then clapped from close feet like Hov say.

With that said, I enjoy strip clubs.

And the lastest edition to my home cities list, and prolly the only city I've never had a bad show in that I've performed in at least 4 times is BHam. Their scene is dope because they have some of the best up & coming artists that I've seen in my travels in their community, and they are young but still fuck with Hip-Hop. And they have what every good scene needs, a dope mixture of young up & coming talent, and OG's who've been there and done that that's active in the scene locally, providing advice & opportunities to the young boys and girls doing music related ventures. So even though the average age in the crowd is like 25, they are still Hip-Hop enuff to respect and support an old head conscious rapper like myself. And I always get crazy love there. 

And Birmingham has my favorite strip club of all of the cities I travel too called The Palace, and my favorite dancer who will remain nameless (for no other reason than the fact that we're real cool and I respect her as a human being). Yes, my wife knows I go to strip clubs, and has even been with me to a few both on the road and locally. More on all of this later.

THAT 2 FOR 1 YEAH...

Mark drives, KP rides shotgun, and I sleep in Amari's seat all the way from ATL to BHam, bout a 2.5 hour drive. I pull up to my guy YouGene Write's crib, go put my bags down, chill for a few hours before the show. Gene is one of the realest niggas I've ever met in any city. We became brothers the first time we really built, not only because he's an incredible artist, but because of his love & passion for building a music industry empire in Birmingham, and putting on for Black people in the city. Last year when I was telling him he's welcome to come rock in BR anytime, this mane told me, "I'm not doing any shows in '19, I'm taking the year off to build my company. Somebody gotta put us in the position to where can get these bags."

I damn near cried. 

Gene has this dope ass event called Sankofa Suites where he has artists from the region come and discuss their art in front of an audience, on some Ted Talk/Q&A type format. It's incredible. Well due to scheduling availabities, it just so happened that he had to book his event the same day as ours. Being the real nigga he is, he reached out to Carlos and they decided to sell 2 for 1 presale tix. For $15, you can come to both shows. Lit. Gene heads out to his show, I go lie down for a few, get ready to go rap.

EVERYBODY EATS

We get to the venue a little early to set up. The DJ is there as well as Paco and the Monastery's manager. Also, my Ju li'l bro Dolla Black is there with his wife. We all exchange greetings, then Carlos comes in. Then, my belly reminds me I hadn't eaten since like 11 am, and it's nearly 8 PM. Ya'll, diabetic hunger is real. It really hit different. Mouth be dry, stomach be grumbling, and you feel kinda tired. So I ask Mark & KP if they hungry, they like "hell yeah." Carlos' and his manager hear me saying we hungry, and they tell me there's a Mickey D's around the corner. They tell me their order, and send me the bread for it on the Cash App. We go get the food, and eat in the car, bc I ain't want niggas to see me beasting Ray Kroc's gourmet delicacies before I rap about how God is Black and Trump is the devil. After I beast the food out, I bring Los and the manager their food, and we chill as people began to trickle in. 

You can tell when the other event let out, becuase the room got full real quick. It's about an 85 cap room, and we're about half full at this point, so I signal Los to get the show started. I told ya'll about Dolla Black in the last #CultureOverEverything Baton Rouge show. He's super dope, and prolly gave one of the best performances I've seen him give on a road show. This was his first show in Birmingham, and he rocked out like his life depended on it. He made fans with mixtures of his deep ass Mississippi ass country ass bravado, as well as introspective music that everyone felt. He ended his set by playing his new single "Money," which is a fucking bop, and while it played he walked around and hugged/dapped every person in the crowd, like a true politician. And man did it work. People came to his table, bought CD's & wristbands, took business cards. Smart man.

 THE TIME IS NOW

Being a headliner doesn't mean you always go last, it means your name is billed bigger/differently than everyone else. It may mean you have a longer performance set than others. K.L.U.B. Monsta was supposed to go next, but one of the group members hadn't made it yet. Carlos and I both agreed I go now while the crowd was almost at capacity. I go up to the stage, and try to get everyone's attention by cold opening with that acapella I told ya'll I need to publish, but since people are still filing in from the other show, I fail. Carlos small ass then gets on stage and damn near curses everyone out for not paying attention, and then does a toast. Now it's lit.

I kick the acapella again, which does what it's designed to do again, let niggas know how I'm coming. I go into "Bad Man" and it goes very well. I take off my Polo Camo button down, and go into "Black God Fresh" which went over very well. This is why I love being in the south, they get shit like this naturally. All the verses and hooks go well, the crowd is rocking with me. This will be the first official single for the album, and I'm very excited on what the song has the potential to do for me, ESPECIALLY when I release the version featuring *** ****.

I tell the crowd It's time for the "back pack portion" of the night, and get into "Principles And Standards." This song will go down as one of my best ever records, because as soon as the beat drops, people began to do that Hip-Hop head nod that all heads do when they hear a "joint." While I'm rapping, my country ass feet keep getting caught on a rug, so mid verse, I pick that bitch up and toss it to the side, never missed a bar, and the crowd was amused. I do the "real emcees don't rap over vocals" call and response, it works. At the end I say, "I'm the underground bitch mane... Wait a minute!!!!" 

Yikes. 

The crowd laughs, and I say, "No, I'm the underground king, bitch I never been local!!! Never been no underground bitch. Let's use the Men In Black thing to erase that, it never happened."

The crowd laughs with me. Safe....

Now it's time for "Henry Clay," Which is when I really feel like I'm in the bag. The whole crowd is goin' up, and responding to everything in terms of call & response and crowd participation. Since I say "fuck the police" on this song, I always try to put it next to "Hallelujah," aka "Fuck Donald Trump." By this time, all the being uncomfortable with me rapping aggressive conscious raps is no longer a factor, and the crowd is fully loosened up.

I didn't have a mic stand, so I didn't have anything to center the crowd like I normally do. Thank God I'm in the best rap shape of my career, because I was moving around a lot since I didn't know what to do. It worked very well, to the point the whole venue was screaming "FUCK DONALD TRUMP" to the top of their lungs. Next up is "FreeBLKPPL" but I didn't wanna run the risk of bringing the crowd back down to far before I go into the last song, so I skip it and call up KP Soul for "Cry Freedom." I make sure I'm extra dramatic to sell it for the audience, and they bought it. 

All of it. 

After I finish, I pick up my 'Lo camo shirt, and head to my table soaking wet, and people shop with me like a mf. Birmingham is one of the few places in the country that I've never had a bad show. Well there was that one time, but nah that don't count lol. Shows are always well attended, the bag is always there, I always make a good connection with the audience, and they always shop with me. And I'm so my old ass figured out how to use Cash App, because that's the only way the young people shop nowadays. 

WTF?

I didn't know much about K.L.U.B. Monsta, but mane was I pleasantly surprised. Them niggas is dope af. Only one guy came to soundcheck, so I thought it was a solo artist, till they got on stage 3 deep. I'm so glad I went before, because even the best performer knows it's extremely hard performing after a full group that's amazingly talented. Straight up country rap tunes turnup Hip-Hop with social commentary so you know I was in heaven. So glad they agreed to do the show.

Closing it out was The Monastery, and mane was they extra lit. Since I've done shows with them both in BR & in BHam, I see how they tend to get mad lit when they feel comfortable. I even had a talk with Los before they went to Nebraska about the importance of staying sharp, proffessional, and punctual, and how sobriety, or keeping the turnup to a mininum only helps that. Can't cut up like you do on the road at home. Well these niggas was at home, and mane was they cuttin up lol. They are the home town heroes at this point, and the crowd rocked with them accoridingly. 

Now here's where it gets tricky. Show is over, I'm done selling merch, and now I'm getting excited thinking about how I'm gonna divide the money I've made on the road so far with tonights merch sales and my bread from the door, and how much of that I'm gonna take to the booty club. Well, you remember how people had two for one tix? It seems alot of people said they did, but didn't. Because the count of bodies through the door and what I was given ain't add up. Normally I would let it slide, but this time, I need me me. After a really good talk with my guys and the owner of the venue, we came to a fair aggreement, and I was made whole via Cash App. 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

When I did Birmingham for Secret Stages summer '17, we went to The Palace afterwards, and had a blast. It was a Friday night, it was lit af, and we cut all the way up. So much that we have a IG group chat called The Palace Mafia. We share nostalgic posts about that great night, and update each other when our favorite dancers from that club make "entertaining posts." We went back the next Saturday night, and it was wack. The dancers told us to only come on Fridays, and since then, the ONLY time I've booked shows in Birmingham was on Fridays, to make sure we catch The Palace when it's on tilt. 

Yup, Birmingham is officially a home city.

After the show I take one soaked Polo Bear shirt off for a fresh one I keep in the whip for situations like this, go get some water & chips so I don't sweat to much to the point of cramping before we head to The Palace.  It was packed, I see my homegirl, we have a real good conversation, I tip, Mark & Keith tip, we dip. No I'm not finna give ya'll no pay to play bout what I did at the strip club, not because my wife doesn't know, because she does, it's just some shit nigga shouldn't run his mouth bout. If you were there you know what I mean. We leave, go to the Purple Onion for food, then head back to Gene's house to crash. We gotta drive to Memphis tomorrow.

RATINGS:

Venue: 4/5. Dope DIY venue, and even though the door & the dollars didn't add up, I'd still play there again. In my heart of hearts I don't think it was the promoters or venues fault, I think it was niggas tryinna get in for free that did us in.

Crowd: 4.5/5. Taking half a point off for them niggas talking as I began. But they shook back and showed me all the love once Los chastized em lol.

Merch: 5/5. Them youngin's lit my Cash App up. No complaints at all.

Sound: 4/5. Only thing that coulda been better woulda been floor monitors for the artists. Other than that, it was pumping.

Next Show: 4/6/19 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Marcel P. Black's #RapRecap #11 (4.4.19 in Atlanta, Georgia)

ATL HOE!!!!

My first ever show in Atlanta was arguably the best Hip-Hop night at my life.

In March of 2013, my single "Trap Hop" dropped, and took off immediately. It became an overnight success, landing on the A3C Mixtape, and it was a great look for me. The "Trap Hop" EP was a mixture of my Black ass conscious raps and J-Filly's trap beats. Niggas was ahead of the curve like a mf. From the mixtape came the A3C Festival invite, which was my biggest look ever at the time as an artist. As a student of ATLien Hip-Hop, this meant so much to me, I almost couldn't believe it was real. So when October 2nd came, I gave what I feel is the best performance of my life on KevinNottingham.com's stage (please come back mane...) and it was epic. Mane this was the return show for Cannibal Ox bruh!!!! 

Long story short, I killed my set too the point I ended it tears to a crowd who were cheering for me at the top of their lungs. This fat country boy from Ardmore had made it to ATL, & gave work, That night, after my set. Kevin Nottingham himself said I had the best set of the night on his stage, and low key said he'd be interested in putting out a project with me on his new Hipnott Records label. 

It never happened, thassa whole nother story tho. I fumbled like a mf.

I was also treated to dinner by Select-O-Hits the next day, offered a distro deal if put a label together.

Never happened, well, just because it didn't happen.

That was my first time doing a show in Atlanta, the first hit of dope, and I've been chasing that Georgia Peach high eversince. The next few shows I did out there where not well attended. One time, outside a venue for a show I was headlining, I saw a crackhead try to return some crack to a dope boy like he had a reciept for it. He was in mid swig from a tall boy when the trap nigga punched him clean in his shit, and put his ass to sleep. The can of beer burst upon impact of the ATL summer soaked concrete, and all his crackhead friends cackeled as this DG Yola lookin' ass nigga told buddy, "Mih me wih dah fu shit, ol' bitchah niggah," and proceeded to step over him like Bubbachuck did Lebron's favorite light skinned coach after he crossed him and hit a 3 in his face during game one of finals June of '01. 

Ask Alfred if you think I'm lying.

The last time I went to A3C in '16, I had both my sets get canceled on me, and my merch bag got stolen. Then when I went in '17, me and the homie Ghost Dog almost had to fight our way out of a P. Stone Bloods infested pay to play/ over vocals rap showcase I ended up performing at, after I guy I went to college with claimed he had a show for me booked in ATL, but it ended up being in Jonesboro, Ga, and was basically some bullshit.

So as much as I love Atlanta, I kind said I wasn't doing anymore shows there. 'Till I met J-Coop and Last Name Good aka Paid In Amerikka. I brought them to Fade The Flow in '17, they in turn brought me to their showcase "Elevatorz" in March of '18. I had such a good time, I asked to come back this spring. They obliged. Even let me call it "#CultureOverEveryThing ATL."

EVERYBODY EATS...

At the end of '18, I did a #CultureOverEverything Baton Rouge, show, which featured my favorite indie group The Monastery from Birmingham, Alabama, and my favorite indie rapper D. Horton from Columbus, Mississippi, now living in Atlanta. Our show was so dope, I told them, let's do a quick tour run together in '19. We ain't gotta live in the same city to rock shows together on the road. So when it was time for me to start routing to promote "4Tha CLTR," I figured I could run with my guys for these 3 shows. I need people that's gonna make me step up my game, and these niggas are the truth. It's lit. Everybody eats. Buffet style.

The night before I leave to go to ATL for the show, I stay up mad late tryinna make sho the crib scraight for wife & kids since I know I'm finna be gone for a few days. I fall a sleep at 4 am, up at 7:00 am to get the kids ready to drop at school for 8:00 am. KP Soul arrives at my house at 8:45 am, I pick up Mark Dub at 9:15 am, I'm damn near driving with my eyes closed by the time I get to Mandeville at 10 am. I pull over and let Dub drive. I sit in Amari's seat in the #RapDadMinivan and go scr8 to sleep.

We get to I Can't Remember Where TF We Were, Alabama, and niggas is hungry. Out the corner out my eye I see a Shoney's.

In 2019 nigga. 

We go in, and the lunch buffet is $5.99 plus tax.

Nigga...

Mf's even had early 90's buffest prices. We ate, I got back in The Cartoon's seat, and went back to sleep. 

LATE ARRIVALS, EARLY DEPARTURES

Doors open at 8 pm, we pull up to our hotel in ColliPark at 7:45 pm, late atf.  I text Good to tell him we were running late, and he informs me we have time, because No Suh Foster, an incredible emcee from Mobile, and 1/3 of a dope Hip-Hop crew BaseHead Jazz's Pop's just passed away, so they weren't coming.

I love my Pop's so much, I can't even imagine. I haven't been able to speak to No Suh directly, but I did send my love & condolences through mutual friends, and I wish nothing but the best for him and his family as they navigate these tough times.

SO YOU GOT JOKES...?

So now I'm kinda in a strange mood, but the show must go on. I get to the venue, set up the merch table. My li'l bro Ronny My, aka Comedian Ronny Myers, is someone I used to take on the road and mentor with this rap shit in BR before he moved to Atlanta, switching from emceeing/producing to comedy. He's making great moves in ATL, and I'm really proud of him. Ronny is a natrually funny guy, prolly one of the most charasmatic ugly niggas you gonna ever meet. He knows that lol. Cool as mf and a pleasure to be around. When I booked the show it only made sense I get him to host.

No cap, the crowd was kinda light. Ronny makes a joke about it, and I'm like come on bruh, shit lol. My bro Big Sant Bitch Motherfuckin' OG pulls up, and we get to runnin' it, till the show starts.

This is the Monastery's first real show in ATL, and I'm happy to be able to share my platform with them. These dudes are super fucking talented, and they kill. You're gonna hear me talk about them alot, because I love them as good young men and as rappers, but I really believe in them, and if I ever get a bag I'm signging them off rip, if they haven't already made it big enough to sign me. 

The hometown hero's Paid In Amerikkka rock new records, which I love, from their most recently releases, and they body shit as well. I'm type drove on the slick they ain't do "Ain't Talk Bout Nothin" So I can buck to the "shutcho ass up, shutcho ass up, shutcho ass up, shutcho bitch ass up" chants in the background of the hook. However, everything they did was dope, the stage is nice & ready for me, I'm next.

NO GAMES PLAYED.

I come out & kick my intro "daddy sang gospel" acapella at the mic. I need to name that bih, register, so I can get me some BMI Live performance royalties, as much as I do it. Hmmmm....

My bad. U see how ADHD do ya?

Where was I? Yeah, I get a few ooh's & ahhh's after a couple of lines, so I know it's finna be lit. I tell DJ Fye Me Up to run that "Bad Man" and the call & response goes as expected. I keep it southern with "Live My Love" & "Black God Fresh," the latter being a song that's gonna be real big for me once the album campaign begins. I then dig into my backpack and pull out "Principles & Standards," and they rock with it, especially the "real emcees don't rap over vocals" chant at the end of the song. At the end of the call I & response, I say "underground kang bitch, don't ever call me local," and Ronny yell's out, "That needs to be on a shirt!!!"

Duly noted. 

I then dig further in my back pack and pull out "Henry Clay." My bro Quanstar and the homie J Bizness came thru to support too, and I can see they really appreciated the KRS sample on the beat. Next I get into "Seven" with "Hallelujah" & "#FreeBLKPPL," and both of them go very well. Even though Atlanta is the epicenter of mainstream/commercial/pop rap, it's still Black af, and they appreciate all the trashing of Trump, so both songs went off. I bring KP Soul up to the stage and we end up in church on "Cry Freedom."

Dave closes the night out, and mane is that MF cold. I sell some merch, breakdown the table, preach to Paco for a second outside, go by Cookout, and head to the room. Oh yeah, they ain't got no more towels, so we go on a dummy mission to Walmart, only to find out the were closed. 

Bruh....

Head back to the room, sleep, get up & get ready to go to the next city. 

Yeah, we coulda went to the booty club, but niggas was tired. Plus my favorite strip club/favorite dancer is in Birmingham anyways, let's save these ones. Good show ATL. 

MFxOG X MPB

RATINGS:

Venue: 4/5. Dope ass venue, I love it. Only thing I didn't like was the lighting. I looked at the footage Mark took of the show, everything dark as tf.

Crowd: 4/5. Small crowd, but very receptive to what I did the whole set. No complaints.

Merch Sales: 3/5: Last time was a 5/5, as I sold 22 items, all on my Square. this time, I didn't sell as much, but I'm appreciative those who did shop.

Sound: 5/5. A-1

Next Show:

4/5/19 @ The Freedom House in Birmingham, Alabama.

Marcel P. Black "Hallelujah" Music Video Trailer

Promo clip for Marcel P. Black's song "Hallelujah" from 2017's "Seven" EP. Shot in Charlottesville, Virginia by IG: @WickedWead.

Full video drops on marcelpblack.com April 23rd, 2019.

You can stream/buy "Seven" on all digital streamers/retailers, as well as buy phyical CD's and apparel at marcelpblack.bandcamp.com.

Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #10 (3.27.19 in Stanhope, New Jersey)

FROM BUSHWICK TO NEW JERUSALEM

So after the show at the Delancey, I had to use all my conflict resolution skills to deescalate a situation. It got so wild that NYPD pulled up, and I was scared shitless. I'm not gonna say who it was, or what it was about, but it got intense. Finally, the homie Johnny Bravo takes me back to Brooklyn so I wouldn't have to call a $50 Uber from the L.E.S., and I wasn't about to be food on the train with lots of cash and merchandise from the show. He drops me off about 2 am, and heads back to Jersey where his hotel is.

The next day we all have a show in Stanhope, New Jersey, one in which Rec Riddles is headlining, along with Wu Tang Clan affiliate Trife Diesel. I'm the special guest. Rec now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, but he's from Newark, New Jersey and has a dedicated following in his home state. And them Wu Tang niggas got fans all across the globe in every nook & cranny, so I knew it was gonna be lit. 

Johnny Bravo picks me up in Brooklyn, telling me it took him two hours to get there from his hotel in Jersey. My country ass mind couldn't fathom it taking two hours to drive 30 miles. Until it took us 2.25 hours to drive 31 miles!!! Mane, NYC traffic is nerve racking af!!! If I lived there I'm def riding public tranfportation all day!!! Them niggas can't drive for shit, the traffic is atrocius, the streets are wild small, mf's be ready to fight at every stop light, hell naw mane. Not I said MPB lol. 

We finally get to Jersey, and after a few failed attempts to eat, we get a couple slices, and head to Rec's parents house in Maplewood, New Jersery. Shoot the shit with his brothers for a few, then head to check into our hotel by the Neward airport. Change clothes, head out on about an hour trip to Stanhope, New Jersery for our show at the Stanhope House.

THE LAST GREAT AMERICAN ROADHOUSE...

That bih legit look like a house. Like somebody took a big ass house and turned it into a concert venue/bar/restaraunt. And it's out in the middle of the country, so it caters to touring artists like us. It's not alot goin on in Stanhope, so whenever artists pull up, they pull up. We get to the venue, and the parking lot is full. We see women dressed in full club attire walking in. 

Nigga, it's lit.

Before we get our merch out, they escort us to our green room on the second floor, above the stage. We have our own code to get in that bih and everything. The room has 3 comfy couches and autographed posters from music legends from all genres on the wall. We can hear the show has started, and it sounds live af. Finally, we get our bags and go into the venue to get our merch tables set up. After we set up, they come with menu's and tell us to order what we want. I had a fire chicken quesadilla and fries, and some of the coldest ice water you can imagine. Rec & Trife's name is on the marquee, and I'm being treated as a star. This is what it's all about.

PANTHER PROUD

I forgot to mention, when I came out the hotel I had on my Lo Camo button down, Lo camo denim jeans, a Lo bear shirt, and a Lo jacket that looks like a bubble vest. I had a camo Cincinatti Reds hat on, with the Nike AF1 High's. Bravo & Rec told me there was a chance Trife wasn't gonna make it, but I looked like a Wu Tang guy the way I was dressed, and that I would fit in perfectly lol. I literally just used the Wu Tang name generator, and my Wu Tang name is "Panther Proud."

That ain't got shit to do with with this, but I just felt that I should mention.

As we're setting up, I hear mad over vocals rap over a clear ass sound system. Once again, my not quite yet healed heart is broken again because I'm on the east coast and mf's are rapping over vocals.

Sad.

Face.

LIGHT WORK...

So after alot of New Jersery over vocals rap, it's my turn, in front of a much dwindled down crowd. For context, the locals sold tickets to open for Rec & Trife. When we got there, there was a solid crowd of about I'd say 100-125 people. But the thing is, alot of time when artists sell tickets, they leave early after their set, and they take their fans with them. Though the show was running on time, by the time it was time for my set, that 125, looked like 40 or 50. I'm an underground rapper, I get it, this is what we deal with. Only niggas who ain't never rapped out of town away from they friends think that every night is a packed house of thousands. Sadly this happens alot, and it's something us indie guys deal with and learn to make the best out of it. 

There's no host, so I gotta bring them in the old fashion way. I kick my "daddy sang gospel" acapella, and they wasn't ready for my big loud country ass, but they where there for it. Started the set with "Bad Man," and the crowd was into it. Next "Black God Fresh," and they liked the "Southern Conscious Biggie Smalls" line alot. I get into the "boom bap portion" of the set with "Principles & Standards" first, and they love it. It is here I debut my "REAL EMCEES DON'T RAP OVER VOCALS" call and response chant, and they laugh at first, but quickly get with the program. Even some of the rappers who rapped over vocals said the chant.

Panther Proud has that effect on people.

I run "Henry Clay," and I hear a guy say, "man he does it all." I'm one of the few emcees I know who can switch from boom bap to dirty south to trap to country rap tunes to progressive ass Hip-Hop with out it sounding out of place. I embrace that, it's what makes me special as an emcee and a live performer. They fuck with the KRS one sample and do all the chants/call & reponse they're supposed to do.

Then comes "Hallelujah." It was a mostly white crowd, out in the country, and you can tell. I don't know what they call Northern Rednecks, but some of these people didn't look they were above voting for Trump, or calling me a nigger. Then, they be voting for Governer Christie's fat ass, so doing this song is a risk of having to fight someone.

But I'm with that.

And mane did they cut up. I can honestly say, I've only had 1 problem with the "Fuck Donald Trump" call & response hook, and ironically it was some niggas in Mobile who was scared to say in front of white folks. While the white folks said it. 

SMH.

No cap, I kinda got tired on the last verse of "Hallelujah," not because I'm outta shape, more because I'd been on the constant go since I'd been up top, not properly resting. I power through the song however, and caught my second wind on "#FreeBLKPPL," and took them all the way to church on "Stare & Whisper." I love being super Southern/country/gospel outside the south. Those crowds really appreciate my story and my approach. I worked really hard in front of thinned out crowd, but I feel I had the best set of the night, and it showed at the merch table. 

PTJ THA PHAROAH PRINCE X PANTHER PROUD

After my set, I had a lot of people come to my merch table to shop, take pics, network. One of the guys is a young brother from Jersey who told me to call him "Prince." Buddy already sent me a song for a feature, it's up. I did really well at the merch table, after the crowd dispersed, I had a really good convo with the head of security who was like 6'8, 245 lbs, from Denmark. He look like if Liam Neeson's "Taken" character was a WWF wrestler in the 90's. He was cool af, anti-Trump, and surprisingly well versed in Hip-Hop and Black culture. He hands that were so big and strong he could prolly pick up Thors hammer. I'm cappin, but you get it.

Rec is up now, but I'm outside with the newly converted fans, so I miss his whole set.

My bad thug.

Nights over, we pump fake like we finna go to the strip club, but we don't. We break our merch down, and return to the green room to breaketh the breadeth. Oh yeah Trife couldn't make it, the pot went from being split 4 ways to 3. 

Here's a look at my mood below...

The bag was nice, much more than I expected. I did my shit, and I was happy af. Huge s/o to Rec & Bravo for making my east coast dreams come true. It was a stone cold groove, and I look forward to working with ya'll often in the future!!!

PANTHER PROUD AND REC RIDDLES IN FRONT OF THE STANHOPE HOUSE

RATINGS:

Venue: 5/5. Super dope, I will play there again, this year.

Crowd: 4/5. Bodied. Only taking a point off because mad ppl left with the other over vocals rap artists. But the ones who stayed showed crazy love.

Merch Sales: 4.5/5. They shop shopped.

Sound: 5/5. Flawless

NEXT SHOW:

4/4/19 In Atlanta, Georgia.

#BlackThoughtsRadio Podcast/VLOG S2:E9 "Pull Up" by Marcel P. Black

Sorry for the delay!!! This podcast was supposed to drop weeks ago, but I got caught up & got behind. But I felt the content was very important, so I decided to drop it anyways...

This episode is why it's important for up and coming artists to pull up. I discuss:

1. 5 reasons why you should pull up to events.
2. The Outta Sight/Outta Mind Theory.
3. Why You Should Go to Shows When You're Not Performing.
4. The Importance of Being Present When Called.

Click here to view the VLOG, or watch below.

Click here to stream the podcast, or listen below.

marcelpblack.com

Twitter: @marcelpblack

Facebook: Marcel P. Black

Instagram: @marcelpblack

My latest EP with M Slago "4Tha CLTR" is now available for stream/purchase on marcelpblack.com as well as marcelpblack.bandcamp.com.

Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #9 (3.26.19 in New York City, New York)

"SOME DREAMS STAY DREAMS, SOME DREAMS STAY TRUE"- KANYE OMARI WEST

I apologize for starting off this recap with a quote from that turncoat ass nigga Kanye, but it's the only thing I could think of to begin with. Every since I've be old enough to know what Hip-Hop was, I've wanted to rap in New York City. I'm a proud Southerner, who argues that Hip-Hop didn't truly become American until it was fully articulated thru the lips of descendents of African people who slaved on US soil. Not I'm not on no ADOS shit, I'm actually Pan-African af, and I still want my reparations, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how Hip-Hop was created by West Indian & Caribbean Immigrants in New York City, who's connections to Alkebulan and America are different than those of us who are still in the same places where our ancestors were once considered property. That's why the music sounds like it does, and I love it. I'm prepared for a more in-depth and nuanced convo on this later. 

However, we know where the culture/artform started at, and as a child raised in small town Oklahoma, became a man in small capital city Louisiana, rapping in New York City is my Hajj to Mecca. 

Then the story of how I got this show iss important. It began last summer when I had shows in the Midwest that fell thru, so I called Big Lo who I know had did some shows in Winsconsin. He introduces me to Denku in Milwaukee, Denku tells me he can add me to a bill, but couldn't pay because he'd help book Trife Diesel who is a close Wu-Tang Clan affiliate and the budget was solid. I had the option of staying in Indiana for 2 days with no show, or drive to Winsconsin and rap for free. I drove to Winsconsin. When I got there I met Denku, met Rec Riddles and Johnny Bravo, met Trife and DJ M80. Long story short, I bodied shit, did damn near $300 at the merch table, and did so good as an opener I got invited to finish the tour with the guys, on the spot. I was only able to do one more date with em, but we clicked real tight, and stayed in touch.

Fast forward to this year, Johnny Bravo, the manager for Rec, Trife, & M80, tells me he has a gig for Red & Trife in Jersey, and he wants me to come up. Ya'll know my pull up game is strong af, so you know I accepted. Then he says there's an NYC show that he'll try to add me on, and I told him even if I didn't get my own set, ask Rec can I come out on his set and do a song. That's how much performing in the Mecca of the culture that gives me life meant to me. The NYC does get booked, with Rec & I having our own sets, and now it's lit.

IT'S UP THERE

The flight outta New Orleans to Laguardia was pretty uneventful. I slept the whole flight as I listened to Kiese Laymon's audio books, go there pretty eager to get it poppin'. After I get off the plane I see the homie Brother Burch from Birmingham entering the restroom at the airport as I was exiting. That's when I knew the whole trip was finna be lit, because what are the odds I'm arriving at an airport in New York as he's getting ready to fly back down South?

(BROTHER BURCH X MARCEL P. BLACK)

I catch a $37 Uber from Laguardia to Bushwick Brooklyn where my homie Cas is lives, who has offered up a place to crash while I'm up there. I met Cas two years ago when he was living in Tampa, where we did a show together with the homie Mike Mass. We stayed in contact, and he told me whenever I come up top, he'd hold me down. I'm a country ass nigga, you can't invite me places and expect me not to show up. I told ya'll, my pull up game is Steph Curry like. We go get slices from Tony's, I change clothers, we hop on the train to the L.E.S. for the nights show at the Delancey.

EARLY, AND A FIGHT COME WITH THAT...

Me being the consummate proffessional I am, I get there early af, like a damn duck lol. I set my merch up, and I get recognized by a guy who has a cable access show in NYC, In Da Streets TV. We do a quick interview, and he knows all about me, and asks some pretty in depth questions during the short interview. Then I wait. Rec and Johnny Bravo at getting lit at the Colbert show, and Bravo is DJ'ing my set. He's not there yet, nor is DJ Toshi, the resident DJ and promoter for the show. 

Then I wait some more.

Finally the crowd fills in, the show that was supposed to start at 9:00pm starts at 11:00pm. First couple of acts went up doing traditional boom bap raps, and the crowd was stiff af. Like mad ice grills, light love, everything stereotypical that you hear about NYC crowds. Mind you as much as I felt it a privilege to perform there, I was willing to fight anyone who boo'ed me. I hear all these stories about Southerner's who go up to New York to rap and get handled bad as hell by NYC rap native purists. I had something to prove, and by golly I was gonna prove it. I was gonna earn my props in the Big Apple as an emcee, or they was gonna respect my hands. MF's wasn't gonna play with me at all mane. 

YEAH WITH THE YEAH

In fact, this whole being ready to fight behind my respect as a Southern emcee deserves it's own paragraph. I'm a positive guy. I enjoy being nice and making other people good. I happily drive a mini-van. I'm a law abiding citizen (except speeding), mental health counselor, family man, lover of Oklahoma City Thunder, reality TV shows, and John Mayer albums. I've broken up and prevented far more fights in my life than I've actually had. But those Yankee motherfuckers were not about to disrespect me while the mic was in my hand. While I was on stage. Not while I was in the Lower East Side. I was ready to fight the entire crowd if they played me. A young all-even, no lined, dashiki wearing Andre Lauren Benjamin was repped out on my shoulder the entire time. Booted up. THE SOUTH GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!!! Booted the fuck up!!! I didn't have a lot of money to take with me on the trip, so I was hoping Rec & Bravo thought enough for me to post bail if I had to joce, or fight with me if I got crowded. I can't reiterate or properly explain how ready to engage in fisticuffs I was for my resepeck. Words on a blog can't do it justice.

NYC OVER VOCALS RAP HELPED THE SOUTH WIN...

Oh yeah, I was heart broken that niggas in NYC rap over vocals. Not even trap styled raps either. It was boom bap "real Hip-Hop" cats rapping over vocals. Like, shit you don't even have an excuse to rap over vocals for. Simultaneously it kinda calmed my nerves, because I realized these niggas are people who rap just like me. Except you'll never see/hear me rapping over vocals.

A couple of more over vocal acts go up, I get the message that I'm on deck, so I go to the booth and Toshi asks me where my DJ is. Bravo nem ain't made it yet. Toshi tells me since he's not there he'd bump me back in the lineup. As soon as Toshi does that, Bravo nem walk in. I ended up getting bumped back so far, my performance time was AFTER the headliner, a dope dope dope emcee outta Connecticut. Cambatta kills it, and I'm happy. Now I get to compete at a higher level than I would if I woulda rapped in between them over vocal yo son ass niggas. 

The host calls me up, and says I'm from St. Louis, I tell him no, I'm from Louisiana. I grab the mic and kick my acapella. I pause after the "stu stu stutter" line, and I hear a dude say, "yo this nigga got bars yo..."

I've been waiting all my life for a New York mf to say that. 

Finish the acapella, tell the crowd, "I came all the way from Louisiana to rap for ya'll, and I ain't come to play" with the sternerst face/voice ever. I go into 'Priniciples & Standards" and the crowd's energy was different from any other time in the night. Us Southern emcees seem to be more emotive than people up north. Especially in the deep south, we try to take you to church, touch your soul, and have you be apart of the show with call & response and different crowd interaction techniques. Mane them niggas wasn't doing none of that for their locals, but did it all for me. they nodded their heads during the verses, and put their hands up during the hooks. Did all the call & responses I asked them them to. Fat boy was cookin' like a mf.

Next was "Hallelujah." I admit on "Principles & Standards" I was tryinna be sharp & clear as my country ass southern Oklahoma/south Louisiana accent could allow, since that's a Hip-Hop/boom bap ass song. But on this one, I'm bout to take you all the way down to the bottom of the map and make you feel the anger, rage, and pain that us Southerners feel as towards Trump ol' bitch ass and his hoe ass administration. So I'm being wild extra with the gospel flavored sing-songy delivery I kicked. 

AND. THEY. ATE. IT. UP.

They all said "Fuck Donald Trump" with me loud as hell, and repped the L.E.S. when I said I was from that 225. It was a thing for real.

Now it's time for my last song in my short ass 12 minute set. Sure I coulda did something more boom bap/traditional Hip-Hop sounding, but I was posted in my country ass B-Boy stance on top of the hill that said I will body this shit as a southern Emcee. So I hit them with what I feel is my all time greatest song, "Stare & Whisper." I asked them to put their hands together to pray with me in the beginning, they do it. I start off, and I feel my ancestors looking down on me pround af. I'm in full missionary baptist preacher mode during the verses, and the crowd is all the way into it. I even do a little singing off the microphone for theatrics, and they were there for it. I finish the set to the loudest applause of anyone during the night, more than the headliner. In fact, Cam came over and dapped me down. I melted all the ice grills.

ALOTTA PROPS, NOT ALOT OF SHOPS

After my set, a good portion of the crowd came to holla at me, rappers & patrons alike. I dapped down bout 20 niggas, hugged about 10 women. My man Rec went after me, and he fought to get the crowds attention becuase I had alot of folk by my merch table signing email lists, networking, wanting to take pictures. Nobody really bought anything, but they all told me how much they liked my set, and that they wanted me to come back. After we did all that, they left.

My bad Rec lol. 

I AM LEGEND...

I came to the Big Apple and did what I always dreamed of and some. Got my resepect as an emcee from the south, and I didn't have to literally whip noones ass to get it. If you've read the last few blogs, I've spoken about accepting that I'm dope as a motherfucker, and that I've been dope as a motherfucker. Ya'll can't tell me shit now, whole time you shouldn't have ever been able to tell me shit. I am officially a Baton Rouge Hip-Hop Legend. I feel comfortable saying that now. It hit differen't when you body New York City.

RATINGS:

Venue: 4/5. A lounge type spot on the Lower East Side, bout 150 cap. Dope af. I'd go as a patron if I wasn't a performer if I lived there.

Crowd: 5/5. Bodied. No complaints at all.

Merch Sales: 2.5/5. The niggas showing love/signing emails to niggas buying shit rations was wopsided af. But the 3 that did spend spend about $20-$40 a piece, so it is what it is.

Sound: 4/5. Dope af.

NEXT SHOW:

3/28/19 In Stanhope, New Jersey.

Marcel P. Black #RapRecap #8 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana 3.23.19)

HOME IS WHERE THE HATRED IS....?

Anyone who knows me, or has read my blogs about my home shows, knows that home shows are the hardest for me. I always feel like I have to prove myself to all these people who are looking to justify me not being worth for having the success I have. Especially, no, specifically local rappers. When I go on the road, it's either to places where they treat me like royalty, or places where noone knows shit about me, and I get a thrill out of taking the whole room by surprise, and it mostly always works for me. But in BR I feel like people are coming to see what the hype is.

I could be totally wrong, and I hope I am.

But this time, I didn't feel that way. If you read the last blog, I really took that to heart, and walked into the venue for load in feeling like the baddest MF in the city.

EVERYTHING I DO IS "4THA CLTR"

If you've been paying attention, you know that me & M Slago's "4Tha CLTR" EP dropped, 3.22.19. This particular show is lowkey a half EP release party... Kinda? Got new "4Tha CLTR" tees on the table, along with "The Black Experience" USB drives, which contain all 11 of my projects, 5 videos, two singles. I believe in doing at least one show at home on my tours, gotta give the ppl who do support MPB on a genuine level the opportunity to support. Though I plan to be more present in the scene I created, I still don't do a lot of shows in BR, so when I do, I gotta make em count.

AND THEN THERE WAS 3...

The homie Rec Riddles from Jersey canceled on me at the last minute, so now our 4 man show is a 3 man show. I pull up to the venue and see Dolla Black (no relation), and we greet each other like old friends do. I've known Dolla since 2011 when he was in Dem Boyz, still at Tougaloo, before he was a husband and a father. We hit it off back then, and have become very close ever since. We set up our merch, and talk about fatherhood, mental health, employment, and all other things Black men who are husbands and fathers talk about nowadays. Sole Lab BR sets up and the vibe is hella cool. I run to Burger King and get something to eat (don't worry, I had the points for it), and upon return lowkey fuss at the guy who booked the show, articulating my frustrations with the lack of promotion for the show from the venue, ESPECIALLY if we splitting the door 50/50. He tells me, "I've been busy," which kinda pisses me off, but it is what it is. I'll save that discussion for later. 

Doors are now open, and people are slowly trickling in. Joe Scott, 2X #FadeTheFlowSundays Alumni, and one of my fave young artists in the city, is hosting tonight, and now he pulls up. Ya'll know I'm a stickler for shows starting on time, and this one will be no different.

LET'S START THE SHOW...

First up is another 2x #FadeTheFlowSundays Saze. TK first did #FTFS when the event was in it's infancy in 2016 and he killed it. So much he was invited back to our All-Star show on our first #FTFS Anniversary in June 2017, he killed that MF too. Since then he's done shows in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Birmingham, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi, and a few other places. Some I sent him to, some he made this own connects. Extremely talented. What I like about him is his soul. Saze is from North Baton Rouge, and you can hear all of the pain and struggle in his raps. It's somewhere between turn up and tragedy, Swisher Sweet's full of that loud and soul searching. He opens up the show with songs that range from lit to love to lyricism. Someone said he had "Uzi Vert hooks with with Hip-Hop ass verses." He kills his set, the show energy is great.

Next up is Dolla Black. Dolla has the voice I feel I should have being 6'4 400lbs. I always beat myself up for not having a deep voice, and I always wanna rob Dolla for his. Dolla said that this was his first road show of the year, and I'm so happy he decided to do it with us. He runs through his catalouge, and even pulls out a few of my old favorites (I'm mad he didn't do "All Day" though). Ya'll know how Jackson rappers do when they come to Baton Rouge, they always kill shit. Dolla did no different.

NO GAMES BEING PLAYED

As I get ready to go on stage, there are people tryinna buy stuff, meanwhile I'm tryinna get in the zone to rap. On cue, Mike plays "Kill Jill," my favorite ring entrance music. Joe Scott introduces me, we go straight into the "4Tha CLTR Intro" from the EP, which Buckshot from the legendary Black Moon is ranting about how the industry has made it wack to represent Hip-Hop culture. The skit is over, and I rock the song "#CultureOverEverything" for the first time. It's not as clean as I like it, but it goes over well. The homie John Teller knows the words it seems lol. The event is called "CultureOverEverything," so it only makes sense I start with this song.

Next is the lead single to the newly released EP, "Principles & Standards." Ya'll remember how I fucked it up in Pensacola? Nah... I hit that bih this time lol. John Teller is still saying the words loud af, and it has me hype mane. I end the record with a "real emcees don't rap over vocals" chant, the crowd laughs, and says the chant with me. One thing that's funny about this song, is that people are saying me doing this boom bap record is one of my best songs ever, like this is new to me. I came in the game doing boom bap and Baton Rouge motherfuckers would told me it would never work, because nobody wants that shit. Now I do it and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread lol? 

So because I'm petty, I hit them with "Henry Clay" which dropped in 2011, to show them that I've BEEN on this Hip-Hop/boom bap shit since the door, and ya'll just been sleep. Mind you, my wind and energy is A-1, so I'm in my bag like a MF. Bout 8 bars into the song, the damn beat goes out, and I keep rapping like that shit was still there. Mind you, the first verse of "Henry Clay" is 24 bars, so I kicked the rest of the verse, did the KRS "Sound of The Police" call & response, then back to the 2nd verse, all with no beat. I get into the second verse, and Sole Lab tried to scratch the beat in, and while I'm still rapping I turn around and wave to him to stop, bc I'm cooking and he prolly won't be able to catch me where I'm at on the songs. I finish the second verse and do the NWA "Fuck The Police" chant, and the crowd is all in. 

At this point the crowd, especially the rappers in the crowd see I really really do this shit. A rookie woulda stopped and asked to start over. A vet continues rocking, and actually takes this opportunity to rock out even harder. Now I'm feeling myself.

Next is "Hallelujah," and you know how that goes. A light moshpit starts to the "Fuck Donald Trump" call and response chorus, and it's lit af. Then I roll into "#FreeBLKPPL," which goes over really well, and I end by calling KP Soul up to the stage for "Cry Freedom." I pour my whole soul out, and we go all the way to church. The crowd is so into it, I'm so into it, I don't feel like stopping rapping. I literally said "Mane I don't feel like stopping." The crowd was like, "Keep going!!!"

S/o @ Planet Fitness mane. I've been on stage damn near 30 mins and I'm nowhere near tired. 

KEEP GOIN...

I go to the flash drive and tell Mike to pull up "Live My Love" and "BR7MC." The younger people in the crowd weren't around for "Black Collar," so they don't know "Live My Love" or that it was once premiered by Chuck D on his radio show years ago, but they know/hate/love "BR7MC." I was feeling myself, and wanted to end talking shit. That was me legit overcoming whatever insecurities or anxiety I have about rapping at home and reminding every BR rapper in that room that I'm they're OG and I get's fucking busy. 

When I finish, they STILL want me to keep going, someone says encore... I was in my bag fareal mane. I have to go back to my flash drive AGAIN to get Sole Lab the music. A great problem to have.

I ask the crowd what do they want me to do, Joe, who is working the camera, says "Do '1Luv' mane..." I do the record, and these young guys REALLY don't know this song, bc it came out in 2010, but I rip that bih. "1Luv" was my orignal closing anthem in which I took ppl to church, and the hook alone will get you in ur feels. It's arguably top 5 favorite songs I've ever created. 

Show is over, I preach about the importance of us sticking together as a Hip-Hop community, and that I'm looking to see who is gonna step up and take this torch when I pass it. Great show. Sell merch, pack up, go home.

RATINGS:

Venue: 3.5/5. The place is perfect for an intimate underground Hip-Hop show. My complaints are the lack of promotion on the venues end, and the door people just let anyone in who says they are on the list. It's like they are scared to make them pay, and that prolly took a solid $100 out the back end of the show. Never again.

Crowd: 5/5. Crowd wasn't as big as my last BR show, but no matter becaue they wanted 2 encores. Made me feel special lol.

Merch Sales: 4/5. No CD's sold, but sold wild tees and USB flash drives. No complaints.

Sound: 3/5. They mostly do punk rock and hardcore metal shows there, so they speakers are kinda crazy. I had a few people tell me the sound wasn't that good, but it didn't stop me from killing shit, so NDC.

NEXT SHOW:

3/27/19 in New York City, New York