2013 Gathering of the Juggalos thoughts

So the Gathering of the Juggalos went back “Underground” this year.  The event has been going on since Wed Aug 7 as people started lining up to get into the grounds.  Well on Monday Aug 5 there were several people who overdosed and had to be taken to the hospital; mind you this was before anyone was allowed to be there except the crew setting everything up!  Having gone to the event last year I saw more drugs available than anywhere else I have ever been.  This should have been a sign of things to come.  The apparent drug causing the problems is a designer drug called 25I.  The street name for the drug is N-Bomb, Smiles, and 25I.  It is similar to LSD in its effect on people. 

News breaks Friday that someone was found dead in their tent of apparent overdose.  The cause was initially reported as 25I but has also been reported as a Heroin overdose.  No matter what the cause this is absolutely horrible news.  Why you ask?  Well it is simple, the public at large is finding any way possible to label us delinquents and shut the Gathering down.  Drugs have expanded way out of control and last year I saw people who were obviously “professional” dealers who were only there to make money off dumb ass Juggalos who did not even remember their experience at the Gathering because they were wasted the entire time.  Drugs are out of control at this event.  Why is this important to me?  I GIVE A CRAP that’s why!  People need to go out there and enjoy themselves but this is getting ridiculous.  We have now lost Family because of this problem.  I suggest we as Family get this under control.  This is our Mecca (as Violent J said today). 

Now the other huge news everyone was waiting for was promised by Violent J to be “The biggest news we have ever released in our career!” and we were promised this life changing news at the seminar today.  Let’s briefly go over what they released at the seminar:

·         Juggalos at the Gathering are the most elite Juggalos on the planet!

·         ICP considers the Gathering the mecca of Juggalo-ism

• He gives us the epitome of news in the Juggalo world
• Psychopathic is resuming the Mighty Death Pop tour right after J’s knee surgery
• Tour will include Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Florida, Texas; Last show of the tour will be Hallowicked
• November dates for the tour in Australia
• ICP theater has 8 episodes (3 of which have aired so far).  If ratings are good, they will get 25 more episodes for season 2!
• They are starting the 3rd Joker’s card of the new deck after Hallowicked!
• Planning of the 3rd card will be more precise
• It will be available on CD!  The rumor that it would only be on digital is “straight bullshit”
• He said the difference between a physical copy of the album and a digital copy is like the difference between porn and a real neden!
• They are bringing back Psychopathic Radio after the Gathering!
• Shaggy is off probation (finally!) so they will be touring in Canada!
• On Juggalo day, they will be performing the Great Milenko in its entirety! It will be available on iPPV, and may not be in Detroit!  More Joker’s cards shows are in the works!
• Violent JJ made 3 beats (beatboxing) and they will release it on the Internet
• 6th Joker’s card box set is ready to go!
• Violent J confirmed that Blaze ya Dead Homie did officially leave
• Psychopathic isn’t trying to replace anyone who left, just trying to leave a legacy of great artists!
• They want to do more concept music like Wizard of the Hood or solo albums like Shaggy’s Fuck the Fuck Off
• They said that Twiztid told Psychopathic they were leaving via text message
• They then announced that Axe Murder Boyz and Boondox  are officially back on the label!
• Everyone was handed a ticket before the seminar started, without knowing what it was about.  They then started talking about the  Chronicles of the Dark Carnival series that was filmed for SyFy years ago.
• They said that the end product they got back had a “little twinge of suck”.  Jumpsteady said it was SO BAD that it came full circle and ended up being entertaining again!
• They said it would ONLY be available for Juggalos who were in attendance at this year’s Gathering!

Now with that in mind what could possibly have been the huge earth shattering news? 

ICP is touring Australia? 

AMB and Boondox have resigned with Psychopathic?

Blaze leaving the label?

Are any of those the Biggest news ever?   NO.  So I take this list of news as just that, news.  ICP once again pulled the wool over Juggalos eyes to sell tickets and get people in the door.  As I have discussed before ICP is all about the bottom line.  They don’t care about the Family any more.  They knew the lineup this year, while great underground acts were on the set list, was not enough to sell enough tickets.  So J tells us all they are going to drop devastating, huge, Juggalo world changing news.  And we get nothing.  Then we are told there is a mystery seminar after ICP that I think everyone including me thought would be Twiztid.  Nope Twiztid and Blaze bounced and the seminar became AMB and Boondox.  Don’t get me wrong Boondox dropping some good news that I am pumped about but really why not give Twiztid a seminar? 

How many times are we going to see the fan base abused by this label and do nothing about it.  When Twiztid left I didn’t want to “take sides” and I still support the music Psychopathic, Twiztid and Blaze put out there.  I think J and Shaggy need to seriously look at what has happened.  Alex left and it has been a steady decline into money and ego. 

People will read this and some will agree while others disagree.  I will take heat for saying these things but I know people out there who view it the same way (testdummy22 and I see eye to eye on a lot) and that is ok.  I have opinions and so does everyone else.  The one thing about me that never changes (whether it is CD reviews, Event reviews, my blog and opinions, or anything else I do) is that I am honest and will say what I believe to be the truth. 

I still rep the hatchet and will always support the underground movement.  This years Gathering has shown me that the Mecca for the Family is on life support.  Attendance was down, we had a death, and we saw a glimmer of hope that things were ok with the ending of the Lotus set (which quickly went away when J told the family Twiztid left via text. That was a low blow if you ask me), and the police getting a “financial” advance from the “organizers” (Psychopathic) which let them buy new equipment for the force.

I love my Family and hate to feel like this whole movement has been shifted in the wrong direction.  I hope things will change and we will see Juggalos return and rebuild what has been lost.  I hate to say I feel that movement is now with Twiztid but that is how I see it. 

Let’s hear your opinions people, I welcome everyone’s thoughts!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Paying dues

The more I work with artists on all levels in the music business the more I am seeing the downfall of the industry.  Far too many rappers bring the street mentality to business.  By this I mean they handle their music career like they would handle a drug deal on the street.  Established artists continually fail to remember that they once were opening shows in their local areas and struggling to make ends meet.  They use their position in the business to abuse, intimidate, and use local acts to pad their bank accounts.  Popular performers in local cities are charging nationwide touring prices for a show in their home cities.  And up and coming artists are no longer willing to put in work to get known and advance their careers beyond the local level.

Each of these things is killing the business locally and nationally.  I am going to break each one down so I can expand on the problems I see and ways we can overcome these issues and once again make live music exciting, profitable, and most of all trustworthy.

First the big name acts.  These people have paid their dues.  They deserve to get paid above the cost of their tours to do a show.  They have earned the right to ask people to pay a reasonable ticket price to see their shows.  They have marketed themselves, have national exposure and following, and have earned their spot on the ladder.  The problem comes in when these acts use that position to not only exploit promoters and local acts but abuse their position and prevent others from making moves up the ladder after them, thus killing competition.  I have personally seen "street tactics" used to exploit promoters for money that they were not entitled because shows had been cancelled.  These shows usually do not have a non-refundable deposit (Which would protect that shows cost for the artist) and normally do not have a signed contract to back up their claims.  So the artists end up making verbal threats and resorting to these "street tactics" to exploit money they are not entitled.  The other way they kill up and coming artists is by charging thousands of dollars to do a verse for the newer artists.  Most of the time the big name artist does little to no actual thinking about the verse they record.  They give a canned verse to a beat or a verse they had recorded for something else.  There are some out there that do not do these things and those people have earned my respect.

Next we have the big local name act.  These guys may be known in the city, state, or region they are in and are entitled to get paid a small amount to do shows in these areas.  They have earned the right to charge a few hundred dollars and travel expenses to do shows but not more than that.  These guys usually are easier to deal with but some can still have the ego issues and have been known to back out of shows at the last minute and not give the booker/promoter anything back for the time, energy, and money invested in promoting these guys for those shows.  A lot of these guys promote their own shows and then fall into the habit of charging openers high amounts to fill slots on their shows knowing their notoriety locally will "encourage" the smaller local acts to pay just to have the right to say they were selected by the artist to open their shows.  Once again not all of the bigger local names are like this and you can find trustworthy people to work with.

Lastly is the local guys who have paid to open shows for these big local or national names and now feel entitled to be paid for their performance, not have to sell tickets, or be treated like a big fish when they are not.  These people usually resort to "street tactics" because that is all they know.  Some sell drugs, are in gangs, and are too young to have any business experience or knowledge.  Those reasons are why "beef" gets brought into shows causing violence and making venues not host any hip hop or rap shows.  Cities that have been huge support cities for major artists have been crippled by these things.  These artists have yet to earn their stripes.  They haven’t paid their dues.  They have no right to charge a promoter to open the show with no guaranteed ticket sales or assistance in promotion.  In my blog "what-exactly-is-pay-to-play" I outline how a show should be booked and promoted.  This format makes everyone some profit for every show.  This is the format these types of people should be following when they do local shows.

I have quite a few low and mid-level artists in the business that I speak with frequently and they agree that this format is the best one for everyone.  Many of the mid-level guys still only charge a small appearance fee and travel costs to go anywhere and do a show.  They do this not because they can’t get paid more money but they understand they haven’t earned that right yet.  They are still grinding and hustling to get known nationwide.  They know how to properly work up in this business.  These types of artists give me hope that live music isn't and will not be dead in the near future.

There was a time in this business it was like a family.  We all looked out for one another and supported each other because we had to in order to survive.  We all went to shows, stayed for everyone’s sets, bought merchandise from others, and stood by one another to make every show a kick ass time.  I truly believe this mentality isn’t dead.  I believe that honest hard working artists still exist and know that by grinding, paying their dues, and supporting others will pay off in the end.  Yes there will always be snakes who take advantage of this.  That is why we must stand up and stop these abuses from happening.  Stop paying high value for minimal effort.  Stop letting these abusers get away with it.  This is a BUSINESS and should be handled as such.  Live music should be an event.  It should make people not want to leave because for several hours they were able to leave their problems and worries at the door and cut loose.  In the end everyone should leave with something, whether that is money, memories, or new friends.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Wicked Butterfly Update!

So the past few months I have posted a lot of things on this blog but today I am here to give a little update on Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and what we have going on, so here we go:

  Black Project officially has a demo out in the public space.  It contains five tracks from our upcoming album and is pure fire!  This demo has two collabs on it that are absolutely the best of the best.  The first is "Lay my body to rest" it features both Bukshot (Underground Avengers, Mobstyle Records) and T-Razor (Underground Avengers).  This track took us several months to get together but it is one of the best things we have ever done.  The second collab is with a guy named Stacc Styles of Cultivate Creative Sound.  It is called "Wrote this letter" and shows a softer more deep side of Black Project.  The demo is rounded out by "Darkest Place", "Dig ya Grave", and "Never make it out".  If you are in Tucson or Amarillo hit up our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Project/479855342036749?fref=ts leave a message and we will hook you up for just $5. 

  Black Project has two shows coming up on the nationwide "Eerly Birds Tour" with J Hornay & Cultivate Creative Sound.  The first is in Albuquerque, NM on June 8 @ Blackwater.  The second is in Tucson, AZ on June 12 @ The Rialto.  These shows are not to be missed!

  Finally Black Project has been steady in the studio finishing off more tracks for the "Highly Classified" Album.  We are hoping to have at least 4 more tracks done before the Eerly Bird shows, if so you might just get to see them performed live at the shows.

  I have been busy working on a lot of concerts and scheduling with Unstable Promotions.  The big news is that July 7, 2013 former Strange Music artist Snug Brim is bringing his Arrogant Tour to Tucson, AZ!  You heard that right the show is 8 pm at DV8 on July 7, 2013.  It will be headlined by Snug Brim, Mr. Grey and Cultivate Creative Sound.  Tickets are just $8 presale and $10 at the door.  Cheap price for a great show and one that shouldn't be missed!

  At the end of July Unstable artist Jigsaw is going to be in Tucson for a show.  Details are still being worked out and I will give you an update as they get finalized.

  Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and West Coast Chill are teaming up to bring the new energy drink in a self cooling can into the market here in Tucson!  This can is awesome, it cools the drink 30 degrees in just 3 minutes!  We are also working on bringing West Coast Chill to the Gathering of the Juggalos so be on the lookout for that.  If you don't know about this energy drink hit up www.westcoastchill.com and see what it is all about!

Finally it has been my pleasure to continue to do reviews for www.faygoluvers.net.  Scottie D has kept putting his trust in me to give my honest straight forward opinion on the music he sends me and for that I am greatful.  I have had the pleasure of hearing a wide variety of good, bad, horrible, and great music and hope to continue into the distant future. 

With all that in mind here is my shout outs:

Scottie D- Much Love Homie.  Thank you for the trust and confidence in me.
Randy Forester aka 806 Outlaw- Been a year man and I couldn't be happier with what we have accomplished with Black Project.
Cecil Martinez aka Narkotix- The past year you havent made my job to easy but it has been an awesome ride.  Keep you feet to the fire homie and lets get this CD out this year!
Stacc Styles- Thank you for the love, support, and trust you have place in me for the past few months.  Your new solo album is going to be pure fire. Still wanna work that Heel Stacc "I'll pull your Bitch" album.
Crookyd- Road trips have been interesting to say the least!  Been a great time with you and all the guys from CCS.  Cant wait to get crackin on that solo project!
Bukshot- As one of the truest and most honest musicians I have ever worked with it is my pleasure to call you my friend.  I will get you out here for a show and we will bring that Mobstyle to Tucson!
Mars- People love you and people hate you man.  Been that way since day one.  I consider you my friend and have truely enjoyed working with you and hope we can do more together in the future.
Kung Fu Vampire- What can I say man you are doing big fangs!  No doubt you have earned everything you have gotten and have still managed to stay humble in this business.  I proudly say you are my friend and I am always here to help out.
Mr. Grey- Hopefully the beginning of big things man!  I have enjoyed your work and the times we have had to meet up or talk have been awesome.  I am here if you ever need anything homie.
Steven Natale- As Black Projects Producer and main mixer you have been awesome.  One of the best I have ever worked with and I definitely look forward to a long and hopefully prosperous future making hits!
Kristina (My Wife)- I would not be where I am without your support.  You have been there since day one in this music business.  I have made good decisions and bad decisions and you have always had my back.  I have no doubt with you in my corner I can make it in this cut throat business.  I love you and thank you for everything.

  Thats it for this post.  I know a lot of shout outs and love in this one.  But I feel truely blessed to be where I am and doing the things I am doing.  Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more info on the album release and upcoming concerts.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus!

Evolution

  So it became official today with Violent J's interview that Blaze is no longer with Psychopathic.  Honestly it came as no suprise.  I said in my blog about Twiztid leaving it was going to happen.  So I have spent much of the day today reading forum posts, watching videos, and just feeling out the Family and how things are currently.  Now I took a lot of hate and criticism because of my thoughts about Twiztid leaving.  So let me say as plain as I can, I am and always will be a Juggalo.  I will always support the music ICP makes, like it or not, I have nothing but respect for the Dons of Psychopathic.  I will always support Blaze and Twiztid no matter where they go and what they do.  Nothing can take any of my memories or feelings away that I have developed over the last 16 years.  I will always support music I like and speak out if I don't like something.  That is what makes the Family unique, our ability to be individuals while still being a Family. 

All that being said I wanted to share my feelings on the state of Twiztid, Blaze and Psychopathic.  Psychopathic will be fine and move on without Twiztid and Blaze.  As long as ICP is making music the label will continue.  My feelings on the current management of the label have been made clear throughout this blog.  For two years I have opened myself up and told you all exactly how I felt things were going.  I do not think the label will be as successful now that Twiztid is gone.  The talent just isnt there.  Twiztid will forge their own path and so will Blaze.  I see nothing but bright things in their futures.  One video I watched was a review of Abominationz.  In the video the guy speaks exactly how I have been feeling.  He says at one point he can't tell if Twiztid is speaking directly to ICP a majority of the time.  He also feels like the album is Twiztid's stance against the current movement of the label, and I agree.  It was Twiztid's renewal of their devotion to the Family and movement that ICP built.  I feel like they have not agreed with the current shift in policy and product.  That is why when I hear lines like:

"Your looking for acceptance in places your never gonna get it accept it
Our painted face is rejected
An abomination infected
With so much hatred collected
How can you say you didn't expected to go this way
Like bad directions
They're looking at me like a weapon
We got the world's attention
Were like this great invention
There all to afraid to mention
Shun me like bad intentions
But we'll see who really had agendas
A misconception I don't wanna be in your fucked up life or interventions"

I can't help but feel like they are speaking directly to ICP.  Like I have said I will support the music ICP, Twiztid and Blaze make for life.  on the business side of things I think things need to change.  I do not agree with business decisions being made.  Period.
We have been told recently that the Gathering this year will be a celebration of the Underground.  When I heard that my first thought was "Huh?" I like the idea of people like Kung Fu Vampire, Bukshot, Liquid Assassin, Mars, Molly Gruesome, and others getting a chance to hit the mainstage and bring the house down.  My biggest fear is this move is being made to save money because of the lost profit with Twiztid leaving.  Do I think Twiztid will be at the Gathering?, yes.  Do I think in 5 years they will be at the Gathering?, not sure.  No one can disagree it is much cheaper for the label to have these underground artists on the main stage for $500-800 per set than to bring guys like Ice Cube, Ice T, and others out for $10,000 or more for a set.  I am not sure at this point how I feel about the Gathering this year.  I am hoping to get a chance to go out there as press and do an actual honest review of the Gathering.  We shall see.

Now back to the point of the post, evolution.  As a long time Juggalo I have seen shifts in the movement.  I have seen band wagon fans come and go.  I have seen the music succeed (Melinko, AJB, Mostasteless, Abominationz) and I have seen it fail (The Calm, Tempest, Mutant) but the one thing that has remained constant is the fans.  We support the music more rabidly than any other fanbase out there.  We get hated on for it and it makes us ban together and put a middle finger in the air at the mainstream.  The video review of Abominationz the guy makes a great point and that is this "BPB and MDP were great albums but they do not deserve to be called Jokers Cards.  There is something missing that was in all six of the origional cards."  They are well done, great as far as production, and have many tracks I can relate to.  But the magic is missing.  The story is a faint reminder of what we have been told for decades. 

The one thing nobody can avoid is evolution.  I will never be 100% behind every project that Psychopathic, Twiztid, or Blaze puts out but I can tell you I will give each and every release it's fair shake.  I will listen to what is being put out and support the ones I enjoy while allowing the others to collect dust in my collection.  I have nothing but love for each and every Juggalo and Juggalette in the world.  The real los and lettes not the band wagoners that we seem to be gathering recently.  Being a Juggalo isn't about a set of rules, a pledge, if you do drugs or not, or even the music.  Being a Juggalo is a state of being.  When you find the Family you know you belong no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what your recreational activities are. Being a Juggalo is about being an individual.  Liking what you like and standing firm on your beliefs.  We are a Family.  Evolution doesn't change that.  J said it best in the interview posted today "But if one day you get to college and start hangin’ with a new group of friends and you start to like other kinds of music, just don’t be one of those bitches that’s like, “Can you believe I used to be a Juggalette? I was so young and stupid, I guess.” Never talk that shit about us. Never sell us out because the you at 14 is just as important to your legacy as the you at 34. Yes, it’s OK to be a 14 year old Juggalette. It’s even OK if you grow out of being a Juggalette one day, but do us a favor. Never sell us out. Always remember the good times you had as a Juggalette and cherish them. Don’t look back on them with regret, look back on these days as great days. Never bad mouth the family. Better yet, stay down with the family forever!"  Thats it right there.  Evolution is going to happen.  People will outgrow the need for the music and the Family and that is ok.  And if you leave the music behind for a while and find in the future you need that connection again, we will be here.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Business or Hobby

  So since my last post I have had several discussions with some rappers that feel my views might not be right in the context of the business today.  They have told me I am out of touch.  I disagree completely.  I also have been told that too many rappers today look at music as more of a hobby than a business, thus why this blog post is being written.

What are some things that make music a business vs a hobby?

1. Quality of recordings.  Rappers today do not feel the need to pay money for an actual sound engineer to mix and master their music.  They feel that their $300 mic and closet setup are good enough to sell records.  There was a thread on the Faygoluvers forums about Fruity Loops which touched on this.  It was the view of one of the participants that in his studio he could get a recording 96% perfect so why should he pay money to get it to be 99% perfect.  My answer is simple, his mixing and mastering is no where near 96%, at best he puts out 60% as for the quality of the recording.  Not because he doesn't have the skills but because he doesn't have the compressors and other equipment needed to even out and fine tune the tracks properly.  95% of rappers today do not know how to properly level the music and vocals so they are even and sound the best they can.  A trained and educated engineer can do that and more.  I have had a few people I work with that thought their recording, mixing, and mastering were on point.  Then I take their track into the studio with a pro engineer and when I am done they have realized the difference immediately.  If you are not willing to pay for quality you think of Rap as a hobby.

2.  Fan base.  If you are the hottest rapper in whatever city you are in that is good on you.  If no one except people from your city know you, you are doing it wrong.  To move from this being a hobby to a business you need to expand your fan base, do shows in as many cities and states as possible, and put in the work to get your name known by more people.  The fans worldwide should eventually know you and what you do, if that isn't happening, you think of Rap as a hobby.

3.  Performance.  Most new rappers need as many performances as they can in the beginning to shake the nerves, get used to the stage, and learn how to play the crowd.  The problem is rappers who don't learn anything while doing these performances.  If you do a show once a week and never change what you are doing, you are wrong.  You should grow with each and every performance.  You should have people around you willing to tell you what worked and what didn't work in the show.  Accept criticism.  No matter how long you have been doing this business there is always room for improvement.  There is always a young guy or gal on your heels that will some day pass you up.  The time most rappers spend at the top is relatively small in comparison to how long they worked to get there.  If you are happy doing a show once a week, never making things better, and surrounding yourself with yes men, you think of Rap as a hobby.

4. Money.  The number one thing that shows you consider Rap a business and not a hobby is money.  If you are not spending money to improve your product with confidence that it will be returned you are destine to fail.  We all can say all the time "I could get paid nothing and I wouldn't care.  I do it for the love of the music"  That's great, does love of the music pay the bills?  No it doesn't.  In any business if you forget that making money is your number one priority you will not be in business long.  I do believe you should make the music because you love it.  You shouldn't be afraid to make money or make music that will make you money.  If all you care about is the "Love" of the music, you think of Rap as a hobby.

I have encountered quite a few underground rappers who, for lack of a better way to say it, suck.  The quality they put out is sub par, their performance on stage is horrible, and their ego is way to large for where they are in their hobbies.  That is the point of this blog really.  Stop making music if it is a hobby.  If you cannot commit time, energy, and money into making a product that makes you money, then don't.  The underground is so flooded with egotistical half talented hacks and it is making us all look horrible.  There are some shining stars and even they get hated on for the money they are making.

All businesses start out as hobbies we enjoy.  The time hobbies become businesses is when you focus your efforts on making money.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Friends are friends and Business is business

  Over the past few days I have had a few conversations that bring this point to light.  The first was with one of my friends.  We had a disagreement about how some business should be handled.  While discussing business we both got annoyed and aggrivated with the other person.  This led to us not discussing the problem but getting into stuff that had little to do with the actual issues.  After some time I made the point that he is my homie but business is business.  That made something click in my head.

  Then a day or so later another friend of mine was discussing some concerns he had about a member of their group.  The basics are this, his life is falling apart.  His girl left him, he lost his job, etc.  The problem is that this group has a lot of offers on the table which do not include this member.  My friend was having a hard time cutting him out and I completely understand this.  He didn't want to make the guys life worse but if he didn't let him out of the group the whole group would suffer.  My advice was simple, friends are friends and business is business, you have to do whats best for the group and have concern for your friend outside of that.

So why am I dedicating an enitre blog to such a simple concept?  Well most people have a very difficult time making that distinction and it leads to a lot of hate, animosity, and ill feelings.  I also got an awesome shout out on twitter for this blog and feel like maybe some people in the business are listening to me and agreeing with some of what I am putting out there.  That being said I have experiences I am trying to share to make the underground movement better and want to reach as many people as I can.

With my military background we were trained to make the seperation of work and personal.  In this business that distinction is not always so clear.  Most rappers grew up with the guys they work with.  Most know all of the dirty laundry of the other and vice versa.  Most cannot seperate their personal crap from the business.  And that is what this is a business.  Not a hobby.  Not something to do in your spare time.  Not something you can commit to half heartedly.  This is a business and is here to make money.  Once you let personal feelings get involved in business you fail.  Because at that point you spend more time and energy spreading crap online, in venues, to other people than you do on your product.  A lot of guys find themselves getting arrested and put in jail cause they cannot stop the hate toward the other person, even if it means they lose money and freedom to do it.  BUt in the end their point may be proven but their talents go to waste.

Most of us know what happened to Wicked Wayz.  That is a prime example of what I am talking about.  The personal feelings caused us to lose a talented rapper to gun violence and another to prison.  Not the way any of them wanted it to turn out.

So I will end this post by saying quite simply Friends are Friends and business is business.  If you cannot make that seperation you might want to look at working with other people and leaving your homies out of the business.  Please take time to show love to your friends and respect to the business.  It will benefit us all in the end.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus