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.
