MY OTHER SECOND HOME
I don't plan on this blog being very long, but I plan on being brutally honest.
My best friend is from Memphis, Tennessee. Adarryl White is the Godfather of my first born child Aamilah. He was my best man, and the only friend to fly to Vegas when me and Jessyca got married nearly 9 years ago. He's literally wiped tears from my eyes when I was wild drunk and in full 808 & Heartbreaks mode while my then girlfriend and I split up. He resucitated me in New Orleans after I nearly passed out after drinking four Hand Grenades BEFORE I went into a club on Bourban during Essence in 2008. Before I was a father or husband, Hurricane Gustav hit, and I evacuated with him to Hernanado, Mississippi where his parents had built a house 20 mins south of where he grew up in the Whitehaven neighborhood in Memphis. That was August of 2009. We went to mad strip clubs, I watched a lot of Tyler Perry movies and plays, and I ate so much pork it made be sick. Not because it was nasty, but I just ate too much of that good ol' Memphis BBQ.
Once I became a touring artist and had connects in Memphis, his mother told me I bet not get no more hotels, that I can stay at her crib anytime I come up. I have happily been obliging her, staying in her humoungous house for nearly 6 years. She always welcomes me and whomever I bring with me, often cooking for us, and even buying food for us if she doesn't have time to cook.
This is my family.
Recently, Adarry's father passed, and I'm heartbroken. I won't say to much about it here, but I just want Mrs. Alicia, Armon, and Adaryll to know to I love them, as well as Mr. Larry, and I pray that they that they find comfort in these trying times. I know he's in a better place smiling down on the great men he's raised in Armon and Adarryl, two brothers who treat me like a third sibling, I will forever love them all for that.
*wipes tear
Ok, back to the rap stuff. I have a lot of rap friends that I rock with in Memphis, and I bring about at least 10 Memphis artists to BR every year. If it ain't #FadeTheFlowSundays, I help them get booked at the Parlor for Showcase Sundays with ThaAntidote.com, in hopes of opening up the pipline from the 225 to the 601, I've also had a few FTFS alumni go up to Memphis to do shows. Because of this I always get love when I pull up. All of the shows I do there are dope, as Memphis has an incredible Hip-Hop scene with emcees rocking from the Memphis trap sound to the more traditional boom bap sound. Memphis is so home like to me because of friends and family up there, that I probably come up there too much. I say this, because my last few shows that I've booked up there haven't been well attended. More on that later.
"I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN..."- AL GREEN
One thing I'm terrible about is looking at the weather when I make travel plans. I didn't know it was gonna rain all the way from Baton Rouge to Atlanta, and didn't know there was a damn tornado brewing in Memphis the night of the show. I pull up to the venue and see my guy Faharrah, a hustlin' ass Memphis nigga with a heart and neck full of gold, always supporting Black people in anyway possible. Buddy even had on the Big Baller Brand shoes. Like fareal fareal only wear Black owned brands. He and I have partnered doing events together since the fall of 2017, and he says this will be his last show because he's going on to bigger and better things. Full disclosure, I'm not even sure what Faharrah does honestly, but he always does for his people, and most importanly does good by me, so NDC lol.
On top of the tornado coming, the homie Jay Daskreet, a North Mississippi emcee who operates within the Memphop scene has a big show, so I'm not expecting a huge turnout to be honest. Around 10:00 pm the rain is so bad it starts flooding into the venue.
Bruhhhh.
This is gonna be one of those nights that we just need to get over with. There's bout 20 ppl in the building, and we're prolly not getting anymore with this rain and our potna having a packed house across town.
LET'S START THE SHOW
A few weeks before the show, Faharrah calls me and tells me that Fuller Bad, the Michael Jackson of Memphis Rap, just came home from a 3 year joce, and he wanted to get back on stage. Without question, I said yes. I've been on a few bills with Fuller, and he is super entertaining. Noone knew he was performing, so when Faharrah called him up, everyone was excited. Fuller is a Memphis rap legend, and an all around real ass nigga who put time in with the Prophet Posse, predating all things Hypnotize Minds/Three 6 Mafia related. He is called the "Michael Jackson of Memphis Rap" tho, because he dances like MJ mixed with Crunchy Black, and it's a fucking sight to behold. Fuller is the ONLY rapper I've ever had on one of my shows knowing he was gonna rap over vocals, and not care. Because he dances to much, and it's so lit, you just gotta let Fuller cook. He got the crowd loosened up, and that's all I asked for.
Next up was The Monastery. Ya'll remember how I told ya'll in the last blog about the need to be sober on the road so they are professional? They take everything I say to heart, and they almost looked too uptight, to the point I almost gave em a shot myself lol. I really wanted them to benefit the most from the show since it was their first time, and even though where wasnt a large crowd, I knew there would be some tastemakers in the building whom I felt would book them in the future. Those nerves subsided quickly once Carlos grabbed the mic, and once they got comfortable, they killed that shit. Even had Faharrah, who is allegedly retired from booking shows in Memphis, is talking about bringing them back already.
Now it's time for the brother Pyu, a Memphop vet who I've played with several times with me coming up so often. Pyu did 3 dope ass songs, the last song "Black Nazi" had the beat cut out, and he RIPPED that bih like nothing happened at all. Looking forward to hearing the new project.
Who better?
Now it's my time. For some reason I think I'm starting with "PPL First," but instead it's "#CultureOverEverything." It was nowhere near as sharp as I wanted it to be. This being the last night of a three show run was taking it's toll on my body, and my voice. And like a mane, sometimes it's hard to get up for a small crowd, but I have so many friends and die hard supporters in Memphis, I'm determined to give the best show with all I have left. I make sure I shake it back for "Principles And Standards" and I get a boost out of watching Duke & Jason Da Hater react to the record. Next was "Henry Clay" that goes on smooth af.
SOUTHERN CONSCIOUS BIGGIE SMALLS
Once again, it's a pleasure to perform my more "southern sounding" songs in the south. Memphis especially, because it's Black af. As a Black ass southerner, they get me without me having to make people understand like I feel like I have to do when I rap in front of an all white crowd, or somewhere that I have to break thru the boom bap barrier. Or anywhere outside the south. They really fucked with the "Southern Conscious Biggie Smalls" line, made me feel like I was on one.
Now we get into the political/church segment of the show. "Hallelujah" is another song I love performing in home cities with all Black southern crowds, because I don't have to worry if I'm gonna have to fight some white folks after the show for dissing Trump, or saying "crackers" in both verses. They know the song, we go up. "FreeBLKPPL comes on, I take a seat on the stool, not becaue I'm tired, but becaue I just wanted to do something different. I love the way the people act when the beat drops. I make a smooth transition into "Cry Freedom" and KP soul sings his ass off. Good set, we pulled through.
After me was the Iron Mic Coalition, a group of dope ass emcees, DJ's, & producers who've been holding it down in the Memphop scene for at least 20 years. These are those veteran OG's I was telling ya'll about that every community needs. The guys who have done & seen it all, support and lend great advice to the youngins', and are still able to whip ass on the stage. Only 3 of the IDK how many members are there for this show, but they kick ass with several different, styles, flows & flavors.
Oh yeah, before they went on, the DJ played the original "Triggerman" record, and they gangsta walked for us. It was so dope.
We break down our merch, break bread, then head to Huey's with the crew for food and drinks. Next, back to Hernanado, so we can get a few winks of sleep before heading back to Baton Rouge.
My silly ass erased all my footage from the show, but luckilly Faharrah did a whole recap on his youtube, which you can watch here. Good trip. Regardless of the turnout, home is still home, and I will be back, often.
RATINGS:
Venue: 4.5. I love House of M'Tenzi.
Crowd: 3.5/5. Crowd was live as hell, but small. Not the people who did pull up's fault, however I have alot of homies in Memphis that I was kinda dissapointed I didn't see them. It is what it is though.
Merch: 4/5. They shopped, so no real complaints. I really wanted The Monastery to shine, and they did in terms of sales as well as on stage. Go 205.
Sound: 4/5. Sound was a bit loud at what point, but it evened out.
Next Show: 4/19/19 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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