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
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