Can I Kick It?
Man oh man do I have some stories for this post. Strap in, much like taking too much acid, this is gonna be a long trip. The trip starts with Monday night when I headed into the city for a 4th Avenue Jones listening session in NYC. The event was at the history Hit Factory, which is closing down at the end of the month. I was psyched that I’d get to chill there before it shut down. So many great albums have been recorded there, Songs In The Key Of Life, The Bodyguard Soundtrack, heck, John Lennon spent his last night on earth there! The listening session was off the hook. Usually it’s just a bunch of reporters in a studio listening to a CD, but on Monday all of 4th Avenue Jones showed up and rocked the small crowd of reporters with a (nearly) full set. I walked away with some great pics, a new T-shirt and a couple new contacts.
Tuesday night was In Da Mixx. DJ Cue called me a few hours before the show to let me know he had some stuff to handle and wouldn’t be making it which meant it would be a rare all-Adam B episode. I think it went very well all things considered. Our guest, Phil Blount showed up at around 10:45PM and his crew Stalkers In The Mist, were also dope, dropping a lot of knowledge for those who were listening. We also had a caller who referenced our show last week. This means we have repeat listeners!!!
Last night I hit up Hot93.7’s Underground Jam at Toad’s Place in New Haven. I don’t like Toad’s Place, and try to avoid it, but my homegirl Dove set up a few interviews for me since one of her artists would be there, as well as another artist she wanted to hook up some press for, so I was more than willing to go. Turned out my attendance there ended up pretty big. First I sold my interview with Jae Millz before I even did it (gotta love that). Second I interviewed Cory Gunz, son of Peter Gunz (hey, one step closer to Tatyana Ali!). Third Cuban Link was there and I just did an interview with him that’ll be in the March issue of Fish N Grits so we chilled for a bit. I even ended up doing a shot with Cuban. Last, but definitely not least, I ended up meeting with a lot of people who THOUGHT they had beef with me. Internet sites and message boards can be great at times, but at times they can just cause aggravation. I had a handful of people who either felt threatened by, or decided they simply didn’t like me, based on message board postings. I met most of those people last night. The funny thing is, and this is something I didn’t realize until one of my friends pointed it out, the fact that I rolled to this event by myself made me look even more confident in who I am and what I do and that I wasn’t worried about anything poppin off. Truth is I roll to a lot of events by myself because I just consider them work. Would you bring a ton of people to the office with you? But hey, if it works in my favor I’m not gonna knock it.
Driving home from New Haven last night was an adventure. I made one wrong turn and in the land of one way streets that’s a killer. I eventually found my way back to the highway (big ups to the local taxi driver who helped me out) and made my way home. On the way, however, I noticed that my master plan of getting home and just gassing up in the morning might not work after the detour. My tank was on E and I still have seven exits to go with no gas stations till my exit. Thankfully I made it and rolled right into the gas station. While filling up I noticed a flyer that had been stuck to my since New Haven. Good thing I wasn’t pulled over, I’m sure the cops would have harassed me about not noticing that.
Before the show yesterday I sold another interview. My 50 Cent piece will be in an upcoming issue of Right On! magazine. I’m really having a great couple of months when it comes to both getting and selling interviews. One of my editors even hit me with an email saying how much he respects my hustle and that I’m doing exactly what it takes to make it. It felt really good to read that in an email from someone in his position. When your peers and your editors respect your hustle it’s always a good thing. It also acts as great inspiration for those times when I feel extra stressed. For instance, today I told someone I’m suffering from positive stress. This is when I have a ton of work to do, but I know it’s all things that are worth accomplishing. I have two interviews to transcribe and write up and three other interviews to write up (one of which a magazine has already expressed interest in!).
Of course work related stress is nothing compared to the stress one of my boys is feeling right now. I just mailed off a letter to him with a few of my articles to help him pass the time. He’s locked up in a correctional facility doing an 18 month bid. An 18 month bid isn’t too bad, but his girl is pregnant and unless they let him out early he’s not going to get to see his first child being born. To me this is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.
Final Thought: I just finished watching my tape of American Idol from last night and I gotta say I’m a little disappointed Elizabeth Pha didn’t make it to the next round. You may remember Pha as the Asian girl who dressed like a hooker for her audition. On the screen last night it said she was 24 but I don’t think there’s a soul on earth who wouldn't card her. Regardless, she’s ridiculously cute and I wanted to see what she’d do with a wardrobe budget. If you’re readin this Elizabeth, holla at me!
Tuesday night was In Da Mixx. DJ Cue called me a few hours before the show to let me know he had some stuff to handle and wouldn’t be making it which meant it would be a rare all-Adam B episode. I think it went very well all things considered. Our guest, Phil Blount showed up at around 10:45PM and his crew Stalkers In The Mist, were also dope, dropping a lot of knowledge for those who were listening. We also had a caller who referenced our show last week. This means we have repeat listeners!!!
Last night I hit up Hot93.7’s Underground Jam at Toad’s Place in New Haven. I don’t like Toad’s Place, and try to avoid it, but my homegirl Dove set up a few interviews for me since one of her artists would be there, as well as another artist she wanted to hook up some press for, so I was more than willing to go. Turned out my attendance there ended up pretty big. First I sold my interview with Jae Millz before I even did it (gotta love that). Second I interviewed Cory Gunz, son of Peter Gunz (hey, one step closer to Tatyana Ali!). Third Cuban Link was there and I just did an interview with him that’ll be in the March issue of Fish N Grits so we chilled for a bit. I even ended up doing a shot with Cuban. Last, but definitely not least, I ended up meeting with a lot of people who THOUGHT they had beef with me. Internet sites and message boards can be great at times, but at times they can just cause aggravation. I had a handful of people who either felt threatened by, or decided they simply didn’t like me, based on message board postings. I met most of those people last night. The funny thing is, and this is something I didn’t realize until one of my friends pointed it out, the fact that I rolled to this event by myself made me look even more confident in who I am and what I do and that I wasn’t worried about anything poppin off. Truth is I roll to a lot of events by myself because I just consider them work. Would you bring a ton of people to the office with you? But hey, if it works in my favor I’m not gonna knock it.
Driving home from New Haven last night was an adventure. I made one wrong turn and in the land of one way streets that’s a killer. I eventually found my way back to the highway (big ups to the local taxi driver who helped me out) and made my way home. On the way, however, I noticed that my master plan of getting home and just gassing up in the morning might not work after the detour. My tank was on E and I still have seven exits to go with no gas stations till my exit. Thankfully I made it and rolled right into the gas station. While filling up I noticed a flyer that had been stuck to my since New Haven. Good thing I wasn’t pulled over, I’m sure the cops would have harassed me about not noticing that.
Before the show yesterday I sold another interview. My 50 Cent piece will be in an upcoming issue of Right On! magazine. I’m really having a great couple of months when it comes to both getting and selling interviews. One of my editors even hit me with an email saying how much he respects my hustle and that I’m doing exactly what it takes to make it. It felt really good to read that in an email from someone in his position. When your peers and your editors respect your hustle it’s always a good thing. It also acts as great inspiration for those times when I feel extra stressed. For instance, today I told someone I’m suffering from positive stress. This is when I have a ton of work to do, but I know it’s all things that are worth accomplishing. I have two interviews to transcribe and write up and three other interviews to write up (one of which a magazine has already expressed interest in!).
Of course work related stress is nothing compared to the stress one of my boys is feeling right now. I just mailed off a letter to him with a few of my articles to help him pass the time. He’s locked up in a correctional facility doing an 18 month bid. An 18 month bid isn’t too bad, but his girl is pregnant and unless they let him out early he’s not going to get to see his first child being born. To me this is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.
Final Thought: I just finished watching my tape of American Idol from last night and I gotta say I’m a little disappointed Elizabeth Pha didn’t make it to the next round. You may remember Pha as the Asian girl who dressed like a hooker for her audition. On the screen last night it said she was 24 but I don’t think there’s a soul on earth who wouldn't card her. Regardless, she’s ridiculously cute and I wanted to see what she’d do with a wardrobe budget. If you’re readin this Elizabeth, holla at me!
Comments
Second, yes the events can be a lot of fun, sometimes they lack originality however, and after a while, unless there's something that's unique, everything just sort of melts together.
The Gunz family is connected with Tatyana Ali because Peter Gunz did a track with her back in the day. It's a really random connection.
Oh and not all my articles concern music, but most of them do. :o)