End of the year review

Man 2012 has flown by.  As the year winds down I take a look back at this year in my life and realize that so many gears are turning for me right now it is insane.  This will be my final blog of the year but rest assured I will be back in January!  So this is going to be a breakdown of all things that have happened to me personally in music and how things will change slightly next year.

First I became a rap manager to Draztik, Black Project, and Sikone aka Mickey Mangles.  This was my first taste of the music business.  While it has been a huge learning process and Draztik had a few things come up that prevented our business relationship from going further he will always be the guy that got me into the studio to begin my producing and managing.  I have no clue what his plans are from this point forward but I am his homie and am always available if ever he should call.  Sikone is doing his thing out in New Mexico.  He has an album due to be released next year.  I hope to get in the studio and help with that in the new year for sure.  Black Project still has a ton of work to do on their debut album "Highly Classified" as of right now the album might have to be delayed a little bit but I am still pushing for the 4/20 release date.  We have some great collabs on there with Mars and Bukshot as well as a few more artists we can't mention yet.  Both Black Project and Sikone I hope to get out to the Phoenix/Tucson area for some shows in the next year.  Wicked Butterfly Entertainment will be the top entertainment/promotion company here by this time next year, that is the goal.

Next I sent in a sample review to Faygoluvers.net to try and get a spot reviewing CD's and shows for the website.  I got the spot and am loving every minute of it!  I have also been asked and have done several interviews for them and look forward to doing more in the future.  I got nothing but family love to Scottie, Ian and all the Faygoluvers.net staff and fans!

The third thing that happened was I got asked to join American Media Distribution as a freelance reporter!  While my first official assignment isnt until January I hope the coming year will grant me the opportunity to expand my reviews, interviews, and grip on the entertainment community.  That being said I will take that opportunity and say that starting Jan 1, 2013 I will have 2 official music/media blogs.  This one will be maintained for all thing underground.  The other one will be for more mainstream media such as movies, music, and news.  I hope my readers will take a chance on that blog and continue to enjoy my opinions about things other than the underground.  I will most def keep this blog going as I do this for the family and that will never change.  I will get the link to the new blog out as soon as I get that post done Jan 1, 2013.

This year I got to attend the Gathering and it didnt disappoint.  I am hoping to go next year but we will see how things shake out.

I am always willing to sign new acts to Wicked Butterfly Entertainment.  If you are interested hit me up so we can discuss the details of what I offer and what we can do together.  I truely believe that this company is in line to do great things.  I have the effort and dedication to make it happen as long as an artist is willing to let me do the job.

Last but not least I wanted to thank each and every one of you that comes on here, reads my blogs and opinions, and in some cases leaves me feedback.  I love each and every one of you and hope next year to expand not only my own borders fo music but yours as well. 

A Juggalo is not someone who is jumped in, created in a high school, or someone who is claiming it to be faddish.  A Juggalo is born a Juggalo, pure and simple.  Once you realize you are a Juggalo you can stop listening to the music, quit buying the CD's and merch, and renounce the name itself but you will always be family in my book.  Do not let anyone ever tell you you are not good enough or you don't deserve anything because of who you are.

MMFWFL til next year family,

Juggalotus

Perception vs Reality

  It has been a little while since I had a serious topic to discuss, but today we get back to voicing opinions about topics to help up and coming artists.  I have found as I grow into my position as a manager I am finding very different types of rappers/artists.  The first group is the group who have never lost sight of where they stand in the business.  They constantly hustle, constantly strive to improve themselves, never forget what they went through to get to where they are in the business, and always try to remember that there are other people who may not be as far along that might need help.  They are aware they may be a medium fish in a small pond and are not afraid of giving a little to smaller fish to help them grow.  Then we have the second group.  This group hustle when it benefits only them, have a view that they are more important than they are, think the world owes them something because they may be starting to make waves, and are consistently regarded as a pain to work with or and asshole. 

Group one has a lot of characteristics that I find desirable.  My first experience with this group was when I was booking and promoting the T.O.N.E-Z show in April of this year.  I had 6 openers and 2 headliners.  Most of the headliners fall into group one.  They were hustling tickets til the day of the show.  Even the day of the show they were at the mall or out trying to get more fans out to the show.  Most of them knew the bigger the crowd the better the show.  After the show two of the openers hit me up for management services because they knew a good manager can make your career move further.  Yes a manager does charge fees and very rarely puts and monetary funds into the acts themselves, the manager puts time and effort into making collabs happen, making merch discounts happen, finding shows for the artist to perform at and spending their own time and energy to get your name known outside of your town or city.  Because of the time and effort involved in making all these things happen the manager normally takes a monthly fee and gets a percentage of all merch sold, appearance fees, etc.  The first group also realized that as they get more popular they might be asked to collab with newer artists.  This can be a positive and negative for all parties involved.  The positives are that the new artist is getting a known artist on a track that may or may not make them famous, but the money involved can be quite high.  The known artist takes the most risk.  If they are not selective and just do all the collabs that come along because someone is paying them they risk overexposure and weakening their standing by having their name on sub-par tracks.  Artists in the first group are willing to take some risks to help further their career or other artists careers.  For newer artists (1-4 years in the business and a few mixtapes or debut album for sale) who are beginning to get asked to collab on tracks my advice would be to do the collabs for free or a max of like $50 for a verse or hook.  Doing this will get your name more known, get you some money for it, and allow newer artists to help both of your careers.  For more established artists (4-6 years in the business and at least a few CD's being sold on the market) I would say no more than $200 for a verse and $100 for collabs.  Of course artists can make their own choices but should definitely consult your manager for their advice.  The artists in this group will also rely on their manager for business decisions.  If they want to collab with more known artists they should tell their manager and let him/her work out the details.  If you want a music video made tell your manager and let them work out the details.  By doing this you will allow yourself less stress and more time to worry about what is the most important, writing lyrics, creating beats, and recording your next hot track.  A good manager/artist relationship is one where the artist focuses on music and the manager handles the business side of the house.  For all these reasons the first group gets my respect and continued support.

Group two is the group I will only work with until they prove they belong in group two.  Artists/promoters/bookers/etc all have similar characteristics. Here is the list to watch out for:

-  Egotistical, they have an inflated sense of self.  This means they may have no cd's on the shelf, no exposure outside of a small geographic area, and limited stage or recording experience but still want to charge $200 for a verse or hook because they "deserve it"

-  Not trustworthy, They think everyone else in the business is fake or not real.  They constantly talk negative about people and have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. If someone can't get them money or fame they will do everything in their power to make that person fail.

-  Two Faced, they will say all the right things to your face to make sure you think they are your friend but as soon as you are not around they bad mouth you.

- Self promoting, refusing to work with anyone they feel "isn't in their league" or is "below them"  May have a very limited following but feel the need to price their merch or collabs way to high because they feel it is owed to them.

Now don't get me wrong I feel most artists need a little ego to make sure they produce great music, but too much ego is a bad thing!  Self promotion is also a good thing as long as you don't lose your head.  People in group two will want to be pampered and waited on hand and foot.  They want other people to tell them how great they are and kiss up to them.  They don't think a manager deserves anything if they haven't put money into the artist.  They feel like no other artist is anywhere near their skill level so they will not work or do shows with most of them.  To them the rap world owes them something even if they have done nothing to earn it.  If you are an artist and after working with most people they don't want to work with you again, you might want to rethink what you are doing.  If you gained a fan base that is so faithful they will buy anything you are selling, don't take advantage of them at every turn to make a buck.

I know I am relatively new to the business but I know who I will and will not work with ever again.  My past blog posts have exposed some people from both groups.  I didn't do it to start beef or make anyone fail in the business.  I did it to make other managers/promoters/bookers aware of the people I have come across that they might wanna look out for.  There is a huge movement right now in the underground rap scene that people are taking notice of.  This movement is made up of people like me with similar feelings on how things should be done.  So if you think I am alone in this I can guarantee you I am not.  Things are changing for the better.

That is all I have right now.  If you have any input please feel free to comment!

MMWFL,

Juggalotus

Huge news!

  This week has been awesome for me and all of my performers.  First off I found out I am getting a new job in Tucson, AZ.  What does this mean for my music ventures?  It simply means that Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is expanding our wings to cover Arizona now too!  So for those AZ Juggalos and Underground artists be ready cause we are coming out there and taking over!!  Second, Black Project will finally be exposed to the world in the form of their debut album, Highly Classified, on 4/20/2013.  This album will be fifteen tracks and contain five tracks with exclusive features.  I can say we will have a collab with none other than that underground hustla Mars.  I confirmed this week we will also have a song featuring a guy who is blowing up thanks to a little EP you might have heard of, Underground Avengers, Bukshot will make an appearance!  There are 3 other artists we are in negotiations with at the moment and until I have confirmation I have to keep those Highly Classified.

  Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is proud to be a few of the featured acts at this years Slaughterfest in Albuquerque, NM on Sept 28 and 29.  Thanks to Bloodshot for making that happen.  I can promise you we are bringing that straight West Texas fire.  I really don't think you all are ready for the flavor we are bringing.  Draztik the Terrible will be representing on day one.  Black Project and Sikone will be holding it down on Day two!  So come check it out if you are in the area, I promise you will not be disappointed.

  Sikone will have his debut album sometime in the near future.  The album will be called Powerfull.  As of right now it is unknown exactly what will come out of the reborn Sikone but I can say he is always unpredictable and never disappoints.

  Draztik the Terrible is slated to release Between Heaven and Hell on Dec 21, 2012.  As of today I cannot say what or who will be on the album but I can say he has been putting in work.  He has been writing, recording, remixing, and doing all he can to make this one of this years hottest releases.

  We have so much flavor coming to your earholes the next 12 months it is unbelievable!  So be on the lookout for all updates here on the blog and on my Twitter and Facebook.

MMFWFL,

  Juggalotus

Night of the Wicked in Amarillo review

  With our hopes high and our energy up Wicked Butterfly Entertainment left Friday morning from Clovis, NM headed for Albuquerque and Night of the Wicked.  Black Project, Draztik and I drove the long 4 hours getting into town around 2 pm or so.  Not being due to the venue until 8 we checked into the hotel and chilled out all afternoon.  It was nice for us all to have time to hit the pool and hot tub and just hang out. It is the first time we as a company have had to do that.  Around 7:45 pm we headed out to The Orchid Chamber for the show.

  When we arrived we met up with Dmize, who was promoting the show.  Got our hand stamps put on and then it was time for things to kick off.  Now this review will be different as I will not be going so in depth with the performances as I have in the past. 

First up was a group called HMSM or Horror Movie Style Musick.  The group was 3 people, 2 guys and 1 girl, and they were all quite young.  This was their second time on stage and it showed.  Their live vocals need a lot of work, understandable due to the limited stage time.  The show mix they had needs to have the levels mastered better.  Overall not to bad for a second show.  But their inexperience showed for sure.

The second group of the night was the Karnie Lunaticz.  For those that heard Psychopathic radios Sugar Slam's Demo Jams they won the bootleg catagory and 2 tickets to the Gathering!  Their show was good.  Great vocals, show mix was done right and their stage presense was very impressive.

Next we had Saint Ekkwall.  I do not remember anything about the set so any review of the performance would be inappropriate on my part.  I do remember during this performance the Albuquerque Police/Fire Dept decided that 10 pm was a great time to perform a fire inspection.  This delayed the show for about 30-40 min.

Native Remedies were next up.  It was a decent set but nothing really stood out as outstanding in my opinion.  Had good energy and did well.

Solo hit the stage next.  The only thing that stood out from this performance was the fact the vocals on the show mix were way too loud and the live vocals were not in time.  This made for a very distracting performance.

Loco Chaos was next.  I do not remember anything about this set either so once again I cannot give an honest review.

Next was Cryogenikstyles.  He had a style and sound similar to Eminem or Underrated.  His set was way more than the 15 min we were alloted.  I don't know if it was technical difficulties or not but the distortion on his mic was way to high.  That coupled with the fact he held the mic to close to his mouth made it really difficult to hear the lyrics he was spitting.  His flow sounded good but the lyrics I could not make out.

Draztik the Terrible was next.  He also was featured on Psychopathic radio's demo jams and he also won 2 tickets in the semi-pro catagory.  He has made it a point in recording that his show mix not have the primary vocals on it, this allows for a 100% honest performance, but can also be very painful if there is any equipment issues.  That being said, during his first track the mic kept cutting out, which had him distracted.  Between the first and second track the DJ turned the volume down and announced to the crowd that who ever brought the wireless mics the batteries were dying.  When the show mix was turned back up it was about halfway into the first verse.  This threw Draztik for a loop and he never really recovered.  With the rest of his set having mic issues the set was lost.  He lost his breath several times and really seemed off his game.

Born Wicked was up next.  Their show mix had the vocals on it still and I feel it saved the set from the same downfall Draztik had.  Kano held his mic almost all the way up to his mouth and his vocals were still very muted coming through the speakers.  Corerupt's mic was not pickeing up his vocals for most of the set but it was saved by having the show mix vocals on it.  Their second to last track was a track called "Bounce".  This song was live as hell.  It had the crowd up on their feet which hadn't really happened all night.  I personally feel that should have been the last track for their set because the one that followed brought the crowd down off that high.  All in all a great set even with the technical difficulties.

Nmaniaks hit the stage next.  This group was 2 guys and a girl as well.  One of the guys looked like he came straight off the set of jersey show (track suit and all), the other had a standard rap look and the girl was in massive heels and a nice tight outfit.  Their set was not impressive.  The girls rap skills need a lot of work.  The 2 guys tried to bring a gangster sound to the stage and to me it seemed forced and fake.  Their flow was ok but their show mix needed a lot of work on levels.

Black Projects performance started very rocky.  They chose to use a wired mic due to the issues the wireless were having.  The volume on one mic was minimal and the other was way to high.  Halfway through their first track they stopped to adjust the levels.  Once both mics were the same volume they restarted their set.  About 3/4 way through their set the levels were jacked up again.  They kept going and just traded the mic that was working back and forth.  This set was a huge step down from the previous shows I have seen.  It was however not due to their abilities but the technical issues they had to deal with.

Shovelo was next.  I did not stay for the whole set because I was in a meeting with my guys.  What I did hear didn't blow me away.

Dmize finished the night.  Unfortunately I was unable to see his set because I was giving a few people from the show a ride home at the venues request.  I was told one of the speakers stopped working during his set and they had to stop and restart his set as well.

I had really high hopes for our first trip into Albuqeurque.  Unfortunately I was really disappointed at all of the technical issues everyone had.  I hope all of us will be invited out again for a future show and hope that the tech issues will have been resolved.  I do feel all 3 groups from the West Texas area did the best they could and definitely represented for their cities!  Much love and respect to all the performers and Dmize.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

We invade tomorrow night!

Yes you heard that right Tomorrow night in Albuquerque, NM the entire Wicked Butterfly crew will be performing at The Orchid Chamber!  This is New Mexico's first chance to see the full lineup all in the same night. I am talking Draztik the Terrible, Black Project Productions, and Sikone!  This show promises to be an event for the ages.

  As I said in my last blog this is not just a music event it is a bridging of the divide.  New Mexico and West Texas have a huge amount of talent to share.  This is a great chance for any underground fan in Albuquerque to check out what we have going on out here.  It is also a great chance for us to make new Homies and see what you all are doing over there.  So come on out and enjoy great music and maybe find some new stuff to jam.

  A special thanks must go out to Dmize for inviting us all out there.  If you don't know who he is click the link and check him out!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Bridging the divide

  At the beginning of the month I signed Black Project Productions and Sikone to Wicked Butterfly Entertainment as you may know, if not check out my other posts for that news!  Anyway a few days after signing them I got a text from Dmize in Albuquerque, NM about a show he was putting on call Night of the Wicked.  He asked if Draztik the Terrible would perform at the show.  As I was answering I got another text from 806 Outlaw asking if I could get them on the show as well.  So once I asked Dmize he said it was all good and all of the artists I had could come do the show!  How does any of this apply to the title of my blog?  Well it is simple, 806 told me he had been trying to get a show in Albuquerque for about 2 years with no success.  As I asked some questions it became clear there had been issues in the past and very few Texas underground rappers had been welcomed into that city.  The war of words had prevented great music from being shared across borders.  It became a feud the likes of the Hatfield's and McCoy's.  Because of petty egos rappers had been shut out of certain markets.  So the title Bridging the divide means just that.  This show on Friday night will be all of our opportunity to leave petty differences aside and enjoy a night of music together.

  I do not care what kind of "beef" someone might have with another performer.  We should all be professionals and adhere to a thing called professional courtesy.  That means we can all be on the same show and not have to hang out or anything.  We can all perform, get some love, and then go our separate ways.  I am asking every artist on the ticket to please treat this night as a celebration of all of our accomplishments, because if we plan to make moves and put the SW on the map we all need to support one another professionally!  I can tell you as the manager of all the artists on Wicked Butterfly we are coming there to blow the roof off the place.  We will make a mark with our performances and nothing else.  We will not be there to start any problems and hope you all will do the same.  We don't have to like each other to co-exist. 

  As I have told my guys Success is the best revenge.  That simply means talk is cheap and if you succeed your enemies can't say anything.  I know we can make this show live as hell.  I know each and every artist on there puts on a show.  I know we can make it a fun night with zero issues.  This is our chance to make people see we are not all wanna be thugs and criminals.

Let's all do the right thing this weekend.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Who is Sikone?

 

  Sikone aka Mickey Mangles has officially signed with Wicked Butterfly Entertainment!  Yes that is two major announcements in two days!  First Black Project Productions and now Sikone.  I have been asked on several occasions who is Sikone?  My answer is always the same; I am still trying to figure it out!

  Known by his trademark Joker style tattoos and verbal skills, Sikone quickly made a name for himself in the West Texas rap community.  In 2005 Sikone started off writing songs for his guitar.  In 2008, the Lubbock, TX legend himself, S.I.N  went out of his way to find Sikone.  He had heard from several different people Sikone could produce bad-ass freestyles in both Spanish & English.  So after listening to several of these freestyles, he asked if Sikone would do a feature for his album.  That combination hit the radio & the streets pretty damn hard.  After that S.I.N. helped Sikone put out his first mix tape "Back from the Dead Again" in 2009.  In 2010 S.I.N.’s Brother Mr. Phil came to Lubbock, TX from Austin, TX & began producing the duo.  This was the beginning of the group Tierrosos.  They dropped their first album the same year but have produced nothing since then.  Sikone was tired of being idle in music and ended up working with a group called The Jokaz in 2011. He signed with them under the alias Mickey Mangles.  The group made the decision to change their name from The Jokaz to S.M.K (Sik Made Killas). To this day it is still unclear how everyone ended up in the group.  S.M.K. really made a name for themselves in both Texas and New Mexico and will be heading out on the National Blackout tour this summer.  In July 2012 Sikone aka Mickey Mangles signed onto Wicked Butterfly Entertainment for his management needs.  Once he returns from the Blackout tour his current Sikone persona will be laid to rest.  In late 2012 we will see the reemergence of Sikone with Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and total devastation is sure to ensue.  You can be sure of one thing and one thing only; there is nothing but world domination on the horizon!

   The next year is going to be huge for Sikone, Black Project Productions, and Draztik.  Look for releases by all 3 in the next 12 months.  Also be on the lookout because these guys will be hitting the road in West Texas/New Mexico.  The next performance you can catch the entire Wicked Butterfly Crew at is "Night of the Wicked" in Albuquerque, NM on July 27, 2012.  Come by the Orchid chamber and check them out!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Congratulations is needed

  This past Tuesday night on Psychopathic radio there was a show called Sugar Slams Demo Jams.  Wicked Butterfly's own Draztik the Terrible had submitted a CD of his music to the show in hopes they would play some of it on air.  He received a call Tuesday they would indeed be playing one of his tracks that night!  Little did he know it was part of a track battle.  As if that wasn't pressure enough it was entered in the Semi-Pro category!  Now for those who don't know Draztik has been writing for just over 2 years but only in the studio recording since January of this year, so this was a huge deal.  His expectations were not to high but none the less he was honored just to be on Psychopathic Radio!  His competitor was a rapper named Dirt, a rapper out of Pennsylvania who has been making music for 7 years, and who released his first CD in 2012.  Both tracks were played and the in studio crew gave their predictions, all but 2 picked Dirt to win.  But the audience around the world had different ideas and Draztik absolutely crushed Dirt!  He won the battle and in the process won himself 2 tickets to this years Gathering of the Juggalos!  So you all can look for Draztik the Terrible and his manager, me Juggalotus, at this years Gathering of the Juggalos!  How is that for huge news this week!!
  All I can say is that last year I never would have imagined doing anything in music, let alone being the manager for Draztik, Black Project Productions, and Sikone.  So congratulations is due to Draztik for his huge win on Tuesday night!  He was the first artist I agreed to manage but definitely not the only!  Much love to my entire crew for their hard work and hustle. 

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

I guess I should apologize....

  I have heard some very good feedback about this blog I have going.  I have heard things like " bout time somebody can be completely honest bout the fucked up business thats goin on in the area" and "Props to this killaz for always speaking his mind. Whoop! Whoop!" I can tell you it is so nice to hear feedback like that.  But of course there is also the other side of the coin.  I have been told that some people are saying the "things he writes are him trying to start beef with everyone" and other statements along those lines.  So this post is in response to those who feel that way.  Here we go!

First I write the blog for me.  Am I happy other people check it out, for sure.  But first and foremost it is my way of keeping track of all the shows I go to, participate in, and help with.  This allows me as a business owner to make better decisions on who I work with in any city.  This allows me to log an artists growth as I see them perform more often.  I have several artists that I have signed to manage based on these methods of doing business.

Second, I make it a point not to call out venues, promoters, bookers, etc by name as to not drag their name through the mud.  I intentionally leave peoples names out of it because those I am referring to know who they are by the show!  If you are in that category and I have offended you I am not going to apologize, there is no need for that.  I write an honest blog based on what I see happening at the shows.  Of course I don't know how much time anyone has put into the promotion and other things but I have not seen any promo being done outside of certain social media sites.  I have also spoken with some people who have told me things in confidence which I don't include in the blog but definitely take into consideration when writing about these things.

Third is to the artists.  I have absolutely no ill will in writing a negative review of your show.  If you didn't do well take the criticism as just that.  Make changes if you want to.  Don't make changes if you don't want to.  All I can do is give my best most honest review of your performance that night.  As some may have seen then past 2 shows, I criticized 2 Skare in the Kisa show review but the show on Wed got a more favorable review based on his choice of changes.  I appreciate the fact he may have made some of those changes based on my blog.  Much respect to him for that.  And yes the artists do get named because it is their stage performance I am critiquing.  I am hoping that by giving the most honest assessment I can it will make people better.  If I give you a negative review it's not because I have beef with you, it is because I think an artist needs to hear honesty!  I critique the artists signed to my company, Wicked Butterfly Entertainment, just as hard if not harder because they are my guys.  They know it's nothing but feedback to make them better.

Lastly for every artist, promoter, booker, etc. I have absolutely no stake in your success or failure unless you have signed on for my management.  Thus I have no reason to start beef with anyone.  I am only trying to give people an accurate view of a show, album, song, whatever so people can take it and make themselves better.  If we all start to top the underground charts we all put the Southwest on the map.  If you don't want my feedback that's cool too, don't read my blog.  I will never apologize for being honest.  I will never apologize because that honesty hurts your ego.  I love each and every one of you guys out here on the grind.  I hope you can see that and give it back.  I will never "beef" online, never put your name out there, and never turn my back on the truth.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Mars and Mastamind in Amarillo!

Ok this Wed July 11, 2012 we have a major show going down.  We have the following artists performing at the show:

2Skare
D-Sin
Draztik the Terrible
Mr 806, T Makk, & Dohe4shoDmize
806 Outlaw and Narkotix
Sik Made Killaz
Born Wicked
SikMob
WazteLand Warriorz
Mars
Mastamind

I have had a chance to see most of these artists on more than one occasion and I can tell you this show is worth the $10 or $15 investment!  Please come out and support not only the local artists but the headliners who are constantly on the grind.  I will be back after the show with my review of the performances!

The show is going down here:

12052 Event Center
4901 S Washington St
Amarillo, TX

Come check it out and hang out with your boy Juggalotus and all of the Wicked Butterfly Entertainment Family!

MMFWCL,

Juggalotus

Miss Kisa in Amarillo

 Last night I had an opportunity to drive to Amarillo and see Miss Kisa live in person at the event center.  Let me start off by saying the 12052 Event Center kinda caught me off guard.  For those who follow my blog you will note that the last show there was disappointing due to them not having a stage and poor lights and music production.  Well the first thing I heard last night was that they had put in a stage and hired a pro DJ for sound.  So I went in to check it out and I can say I was blown away.  The place looks incredible!  The stage is super fresh.  The sound system has been upgraded.  And overall it looks so much more like a place to host a good quality show in Amarillo.  So kudos to the team at the event center!

  Now let's get to the show itself.  First off a lot of the openers failed to show up on time if at all.  This put the Booker/promoter in a bad spot of course.  They did the best they could to fill the gaps but the show started almost 2 hours late.  The worse part as a fellow promoter and Booker was the fact that there was no audience in the show again.  We were all performers and/or families or friends of performers.  I felt really bad for them but what could I do.  And then I started to think about how I would have done things different and well lets just say the audience size is definitely proportional to the amount of effort and footwork the promoter is willing to put in.

Now for the performers themselves.  The night started off with 2 Skare.  This guy puts a lot of heart and effort into what he does but I can't help think listening to his set that he is trying to hard to fit into the Psychopathic Records mold of performance.  He directly rips off Twiztid's W.I.C.K.E.D. in a track, which I find unoriginal and predictable based on his appearance.

Next up was Wicked Butterfly Entertainments very own Draztik the Terrible.  Now in his first two performances he started off lackluster and built into a solid performance by the end.  This show was different.  He started off on fire!  He blew the first song out of the water and didn't stop.  I know a lot of people in the audience took notice due to the comments I was hearing.  He still had some issue running out of breathe but that was due to the set list and having certain tracks back to back that need to be seperated.  All in all his best show to date.

We then came to a group of people that go by the name of Concrete Connection.  It is made up of Doh4Sho, JP tha Rippa, Mr. 806, T Makk, and Sir Johnson.  They did 3 separate sets all with various combinations of people.  They were good on the mic and had decent beats.  One of the major flaws was during the first set one of the beats still had the vocal tag from the free site they downloaded from.  For those who don't know the vocal tag is whatever site you got the beats from way of tagging the beat so you cant use it without purchasing it.  It vocalizes the site name over top of the beat and kinda ruins it if you don't pay them to remove it.  Other than that it seemed a lot like anything you would hear on the Hip Hop station which isn't bad but also lacks originality.  They had the standard format of 4 tracks.  Look how great we are, look at our money and riches, we hold our city down, and look at all the bitches we pull with our fame.  Like I said not bad but lacking originality.

The next performer I have debated since his set as to what I wanted to say.  I have said in a past blog that as friends of certain artists you should say something if they are not making good music.  I have also made it a point not to call out people in my blog.  In this case I feel like the best thing would be honesty, because that is what good promoters, friends, Bookers, etc. should do.  So the next performer was a guy from the former group M.P.D. named Baca.  I saw him perform with his former group M.P.D. at the Boondox show in Lubbock and to be honest thought they sucked.  The next day I thought it may have been due to them being extremely intoxicated.  So I went on the Reverb page to listen to their music.  They have it set up so in order to hear any tracks beyond the first one you have to Facebook like the first track.  I did not do this because it is a cheap way to make it seem like people really like you.  The track I listened to once again failed to impress.  Now last night I give him credit because he got up there solo and made an attempt to do well.  His lyrics were lackluster, his stage presence was horrible, and he just cannot and should not be on stage.  I am not trying to be cruel but he needs to stop trying the music thing.  Baca I am telling you, as a concerned fan or all things music,  This is not for you.  Well enough of that.  If i hurt some feelings I apologize but someone had to say it.

After that, one of Wicked Butterfly Entertainments newest artists, Black Project Productions took the stage.  806 Outlaw and Narkotix performed and absolutely killed it.  They were one of my favorite artists of the night.  They did a solid set and even brought Kano Kiljoy up on stage for a flashback track.  Oh that reminds me Fuck Kano!  They definitely made the last performer forgotten.

As if they people in attendance were not blown back enough the next performers were S.M.K. also known as Sik Made Killaz.  Once again they absolutely killed it.  I have seen them 4 times now and each time have been hype as hell at the end of their set.  Good work on the set guys I was very impressed again!

Then due to the time the headliner Miss Kisa took to the stage.  Now I have to preface my review with this.  It takes a lot for a female rapper to win me over.  Miss Kisa is no exception.  Her set was short and nothing really stood out except the fact her hype man seemed to be doing most of the work on stage.  Her rhymes were somewhat predictable and not very well thought out.  Her delivery was lacking maybe due to fatigue.  I was hoping for a performance to remember but was disappointed to say the least.  I know she had a lot of fans at the show last night so I apologize if I didn't see the magic and allure of Miss Kisa.

Last set of the night belonged to Born Wicked.  I was only able to catch the first part of the show due to having to drive back home.  But they were doing well as they usually do. 

So there you have it.  The good, the bad, and the really horrible.  I know feelings might be hurt and for that I don't apologize because sometimes the truth is more important than anything.  I love each and every member of the Juggalo Family.  Look for another blog this next week welcoming the 2 newest members of the Wicked Butterfly family!

MMFWCL,

Juggalotus

Upcoming events for Wicked Butterfly

  We are almost in July and that means we are coming up on our busiest month of the year so far.  So this is a look at what we have on the agenda this month.

  First I am happy to announce that Wicked Butterfly Entertainment has come to terms with artists in the Lubbock and Amarillo areas.  The full details on these 2 artists will be posted as soon as they become official.  Now this month we have 3 shows within the first 2 weeks.  Next Thursday Draztik the Terrible will be opening up for none other than Miss Kisa.  She comes out of the great state of Florida and the show in Amarillo is going to be hype as hell.  Then a mere 6 days later on July 11 also in Amarillo Draztik will be opening up for none other than that West Coast Killa himself Mars and the legend himself Mastamind on their Keep it Reel Tour.  On July 15 Draztik will perform at a local showcase show in amarillo as well.  So that is how this month will start for us.  Along with that we are still in the studio pushing hard to make sure his album "Between Heaven and Hell" is ready to blow your eardrums on Dec 21, 2012.

  There is a new artist I wanted you guys to be aware of and hit up his facebook page because he is going to be blowing up the scene at those shows as well.  His name is Selfmade and he is one of the hottest new Hip Hop artists in Lubbock, TX.  I am currently working with him to get a compelation CD put together for sale at those shows.  So check out his Facebook and Reverb and check out what he has going on!

  Also appearing on those shows is a group called black project productions.  This is made up by 2 guys named 806 Outlaw and his homie Narkotix.  They will be putting it down representing the 806!  Last but not least my homie Sikone aka Mickey Mangles will be in the house with his group Sik Made Killas.  So come out and check out these shows.  They are all going to be hype and well worth the cost involved.

Get out and support the local music in your communities.  If there are any artists you would like me to listen to and give a review let me know.

MMFWCL,

Juggalotus

The Amarillo Variety show

  Last night was the Amarillo variety show in Amarillo, TX.  Draztik the Terrible had to perform so he and I left Clovis, NM and headed out there, it is about an hour and a half or so.  We got in around 5:30 Texas time and headed to our homie 806 Outlaw's house to kick it before the show.  We hung out there until about 7 and headed to the venue for the show.  When we got there we met up with the promoter and got our wristbands.  Then it was a waiting game.  We met a ton of cool homies there.  Dmize came in from New Mexico which was a good time.  It was all good until the chaos started!

  First thing is that the promoter kept switching the lineup around.  Draztik was supposed to go on first.  Then he was moved to forth.  Then he got bumped to fifth.  Then finally he went on 8th.  Everyone else was a part of the artist shuffle as I call it.  No one knew when they were supposed to perform.  Through most of the sets the artists either couldn't hear themselves cause the mic volume was to low or it was to high so when they went in front of a speaker there was massive feedback.  I hope this was a one time fluke and not an accurate interpretation of how the promoter works as we have a few more shows to do for them.

  Draztik did much better this show.  He had more confidence on the mic.  He also performed our newest track Love me/Hate me and it was live that's for sure.  806 Outlaw ripped the mic but his hypeman got a little too drunk and kept forgetting his verses and such.  Dmize killed it and wore himself out in the process.  There was a death metal band which was a definite change of pace.  Some local more mainstream hip hop which sounded as you would expect.  And of course the headliners Born Wicked did their thing and ended the show on a high note.

  Tomorrow we are headed back out to Amarillo to a MC showcase, hosted by Sir Johnson Himself we got invited to.  Draztik will perform again and will tear the roof off it again no doubt.  Sir Johnson is a cool dude and I look forward to working with him in the future.

Not much else to report.  There was a lot of performers but not a lot of fans but what do you expect on a Tuesday night!  If there are any underground, mainstream, or any artist that would like a good honest review of your work let me know and I will check it out and post it here on the blog! 

Thats it fam I am outta here!

Juggalotus

WB making moves in Texas!

  So Wed I made it to the studio again with Dratik the Terrible.  We did a track called Love me/Hate me.  It is the latest in a long line of hot tracks we have produced in the studio so check it out!  While in Lubbock I also met with Mickey Mangles aka Sikone to work out some contract details.  Nothing is official and in ink yet but look for a huge post soon about that situation.  While there I also met with a new artist named Selfmade.  He gave me two CD's to check out and I hope to have some more details about him in the near future.

  Now as Wicked Butterfly moves forward there are some huge releases on the horizon.  Be on the lookout in the near future for a huge mixtape called the WB Boyz.  This will include every artist signed to Wicked Butterfly Entertainment.  It will be the worlds first introduction to the company and artists that I am bringing to the world.  The Southwest has been slept on and that is all about to change.  Then later in the year look for the debut release for Draztik the Terrible called Between heaven and hell.  That will be released at the end of the year and will destroy any ideas you might have of the wicked shit.  Mickey Mangles is currently working on new material but be on the lookout for a full release of Refried Beans, his most current release which gives a great look at his career both solo and a part of the groups Tierrosos and Sik Made Killas.  He is also going out on the Blackout Tour with S.M.K. this summer so check him out as he comes to your city.  Selfmade is in the studio as well making new tracks for your earholes.  So be on the lookout for all that flavor in the next few months.

  Thats the news as only I can give it.  I will say if you are an artist or promoter looking to book any of these guys hit me up!  They are all available for collabs and any shows you want them at.

MMFWCL,
  Juggalotus

Success Vs EGO

   So I have been thinking about the local rap scene here in New Mexico and West Texas.  Here is what I think:

   I have met a lot of local rappers recently, some good at what they do, and some horrible.  The one thing I have noticed though is that every rapper or group is walking around thinking they are the absolute best thing going, when really they are a small fish in a huge pond.  Maybe it is the lack of spine these rappers’ so-called “friends” or girlfriends have.  No matter what, those close to him never want to tell the guy he really isn’t that good or “it’s good but I think if you did this, it might sound better.”  Then there is the fact that every local rap group around here has their own “record label,” even though a majority of them mix tracks in their basements or garages.  Now I am not saying that aspiring to own your own tracks and put out your own stuff is a bad thing, but if your back room is where you have recorded for the past eight years and all you do is release free mix-tapes, then you should probably reconsider what you are doing.  You’re not getting anywhere!  And a majority of the major names in the underground will not work with you if you do not have professional studio time and tracks put in; they want to work with professionals, that’s just the way it is.

Another problem I see is that most artists want to manage themselves.  That’s not always bad because it can save you money in the beginning, but if you ever want to get further in your career, you have to focus on making tracks, not on when and where your next show is going to be or how you are going to set up a good collab.  I don’t understand how any good artist can lay down tracks plus find and book shows, set up good contacts/rapport with other artists, keep track of finances, promote their music, etc., all at the same time!  There is absolutely no reason, if you are serious about making it in this business, that you should not have a manager who knows about the business side of your music career.  He or she should have your back with everything except your actual job: writing and performing the music!  It’s sad to see so many aspiring artists out there, trying to do it all and succeeding at nothing.

Of course, there are a ton of crappy promoters and bookers out here as well.  In a previous post, I have talked about the Pay-to-Play mentality that seems to be so prevalent in my part of the country, the southwest.  Let me say once again that NO ARTIST SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO OPEN A LOCAL SHOW! Sure, an exception would be a major act (I’m talking someone like Snoop, Jay-Z, etc).  However, for an underground act, someone that isn’t big and famous nationwide, you should not be willing to pay for a slot on the show.  You are helping the booker/promoter fill their show!  If they want you to sell five or ten tickets to the show, okay cool.  But remember that most good promoters will give you a cut of your personal ticket sales; that way you are getting paid to perform instead of paying the promoter’s bills.  Also, be careful of all the promoters/bookers down here that book a lot of shows and then end up canceling almost all of them.  You need to surround yourself with people you can trust, meaning people who want to help you succeed.  If you perform with the same six acts every other week and there are no new faces in the crowd, you need to rethink working with those promoters/bookers, because you are not succeeding.  Those people should be booking you with other acts that attract new people to the show.  Because some things I do know as a booker/promoter: if the audience never grows, you are soon out of business; if you screw over bigger labels in your genre, you will not get bigger acts coming in; and if you do not get and maintain contacts, you shouldn’t be in the business, because it’s who you know, not just how hard you work. 

You guys might be asking why I am going off a bit; well, the past week has opened my eyes from a manager, booker, promoter, and business standpoint.  There are so many people in this business who have no idea what they are doing.  Now I am no expert, but I do have a good head for business and how things should be done.  I have maintained positive contacts and expanded my business 10 times over, just this year.  And I just started doing this full time in January.

As a manager, I take pride in making sure my artists make great tracks.  Sometimes I have to tell them the track sucks and they need to rework it.  They understand that I am not doing it to kill their studio budget; I am doing it because if they make great music and become a huge star, I am going to get paid.  As much as they want to make it in the business, I want them to succeed.  If I put time and effort into a project and it fails, I am not going to get any money and ultimately I want to make this business my career!  I also believe in honesty.  Most people don’t believe you can be honest and succeed in this business.  I disagree.  The only thing that can make you successful is being honest.  If you are not, then most people will work with you only once or twice before they get tired of getting screwed over.  Also, if you never hear any negative, you will have an inflated idea of your own worth and abilities.  Someone should be in your crew that keeps you grounded.

    For all of you artists, please please please understand that, unless you are selling out arenas, you still have to be on the grind!  Just because you are headlining in one city does not mean you are known at all in cities within driving distance of you!!  If you have only performed one or two shows, you are not ready for stage theatrics and world tours.  Respect and notoriety in this business are earned; nothing is ever given to you.  Yes, I realize you pack 80-100 people at your shows in your city; most of them are your homies and friends, and once you get 100 miles from home, you are still unknown.  Like I said earlier, if you have the same faces in the crowd, you are doing it wrong.  Don’t let local success give you a nationwide ego.

 

  Now don't get me wrong I have met some great people down here who are doing all the right things.  Those are the people I would love to work with in the future, you know who you are ;)  If anything in this post offended you then you would be the ones I don't want to work with.  It's all underground family love! 

That’s it!  I am done.

MMFWCL,

Juggalotus

Southwest Rap and Hip Hop

What's up people!  It is Sunday and that means it is time for a new post on this page!

  Before coming to New Mexico my exposure to rap and hip hop in the southwest was limited.  But since coming down here I have found a hidden gem of artists that are doing things totally fresh and new to the music world.  With the huge influence of latin flavor down here I have found a huge community of spanish rappers.  You can definitely feel the West Coast influence but this area is also heavily influenced by the south.  So you have a unique sound coming out of this part of the country.  I don't think many of you that are into Rap and hip hop could name one artist doing their thing down here and that is ok.  With my new company Wicked Butterfly Entertainment I hope to change the face of Hip Hop and Rap forever!  We are about to explode on the scene in a way not done since the invsion of the dirty south.  As many of you know I just put together my first ever rap and hip hop show featuring T.O.N.E-Z and Mars.  Those who were lucky enough to come out to the show were treated to a variety of what we have to offer from this region of the world.  T.O.N.E-Z brought that East Coast hip hop, Mars brought the West Coast flavor, Draztik brought a new brand of horrorcore, Mickey Mangles and his groups Tierrosos and S.M.K. hit us with Mexican rap, Worlds Kollide Records and Black Project Productions brought the Amarillo flavor, and the S.K.S.CC crew brought a mix of dirty south and SW.  It was a good cross section of the influences from all over the country. 

  As we move forward I can tell you that there is no way anyone will know what to expect from us.  We have a huge mixtape coming out soon that will expose the country to all of these artists and what they are bringing to the table.  I have never known any artists that are willing to work harder or hustle greater than these people down here.  That is a major reason I feel like they deserve the attention.  So if you haven't yet heard from anyone down here hit up youtube!  Search for these artists and let me know your thoughts:

Draztik the Terrible
S.M.K.-Sik Made Killas
Tierrosos
806 Outlaw and Narkotixx
Worlds Kollide Records
Tripola Boyz
Dmize
Born Wicked
Mickey Mangles
S.K.S.CC

So check em out so you know what is coming.  Southwest rap and hip hop is about to blow everything you know out of the water!

Much love,
  Juggalotus

Wicked Butterfly Entertainment

  Ok so the music blog has taken a very strange turn this year.  In January my intention was to get interviews with artists and make my blog the best place for information for my audience.  Since then it has morphed into a monster!  I have a friend Draztik who wanted me to go to the studio with him and check out what he was doing.  So I went.  We made a song that blew us away.  Next thing I know he wants me to be his manager.  I was cool with that even though I had never considered doing anything like that.  So we started making music weekly at the studio.  Then he hits me up to possibly do a Juggalo Jump off show with DJ Clay.  I was like ok and I started looking for a second headliner.  That lead me to meet T.O.N.E-Z.  He was a cool dude who was down with coming to Texas for the first time.  Well Clay didn't work out and I had to call T.O.N.E-Z and break the news.  He was cool and said if I still wanted to do a show he was down.  This led me to jump feet first into the music business.  So I started planning the show, once again not having any experience what so ever in this.  It was definitely a learning process and in the end I lost my butt financially.  But the good news is I learned a ton and made a lot of connections in the business.  So here we are May 13, 2012 and I am now running a blog, planning a CD release and working the studio for the album, managing a schedule for Draztik, Working full time, and now starting a promotions/booking/management company for artists in West Texas and New Mexico.

  So I am here to officially announce that my new company Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is official.  As of today my roster includes only Draztik the Terrible.  But due to the show and connections I might possibly be adding 5 more groups to the mix.  I can say officially that the Tripola Boyz from Lubbock are the newest members of the Wicked Butterfly family.  We hope to have the contract worked out soon and be able to add them to the roster.  Thanks to Mickey Mangles I have a new company logo:

Look him up for Graphics, Beats, and performances!

  I am always interested in musicians or rappers to add to the roster so if you are interested hit me up at wickedbutterflyentertainment@gmail.com.  I am also promoting and booking any shows in Lubbock, Amarillo, or Albuquerque so if you have a show you want here let me know!

So there you have it the back story of the birth of a new music company!!

I hope for great things in the future and thank all of you for reading my blog and sticking with me through this year!

Juggalotus