End of the Year blog time

Yes we have reached the end of 2013!  With this being my last post of the year I wanted to take a minute to look back and reflect on the changes we have seen in music and then look to the future and give some predictions of what we might see in 2014.  So without further ado here we go:

In 2013 we saw turmoil and upheaval in the Underground music scene.  It has been one year since Twiztid left Psychopathic.  In that time we saw them release A New Nightmare, return to the Gathering as Guest performers, go on two tours in support of their last release on Psychopathic, Abominationz, and open a new web store.  While they have yet to release an official statement about their release the speculation behind A New Nightmare is that it tells their side without a statement being needed. 
  We also saw what many of us hope is not the future of Psychopathic Records.  In the past year the label has released the following albums: Legz Diamond 9 Pistolas, DJ Clay A World Upside Down, Big Hoodoo Crystal Skull, and Zug Izland Toxicology.  Those albums all fell way short of the expectations Juggalos had.  Legz and Hoodoo were both heavily co-written and influenced by Joe Bruce and that really hurt the albums.  Clay's album was good but nothing really outstanding.  And Zug's was not really promoted and I have yet to actually hear it.  We also saw them bounce every check they wrote for the Gathering and have yet to this day not paid those people.  I firmly believe that is why the Gathering is being moved, but I don't have any evidence of that so for now it is a theory.  We saw them let Blaze leave when his contract ended, send people on the road with limited funds and little to no promotion, and have lawsuits filed against them for sexual harassment and other charges.
  We saw the Kottonmouth Kings leave Suburban Noize Records and claim Kevin Zinger was ripping them off.  Since then we have seen hateful accusations in interviews on both sides.  We also watched Johnny Richter walk away from the Kottonmouth Kings after 18 years and go solo.  He released a solo EP called FreeKING Out on Suburban Noize Records and is preparing to release his next solo LP next year.
  The highlight of the Underground music scene this year was Strange Music.  In 2013 the label released ten albums.  Releases from Brotha Lynch Hung, Kutt Calhoun, CES Cru, Rittz, Wrekonize, Mayday, Tech N9ne, Stevie Stone, Krizz Kaliko, and Prozak.  All of those albums were expertly done and will not disappoint both mainstream and underground fans.  This label has shown themselves to be the cream of the crop.  They put out top notch music throughout the year and kept the fans eager to buy the next.  This is how it should be done.

Now lets leave the past behind us and look to the future.  I am going to break this section down per record label or group and then give you my thoughts on what I expect to happen.

  First lets look at Psychopathic Records.  The release of the Joker's Cards Box Set has been delayed from it's Dec 17, 2013 release date and there is no new date given.  The speculation is this was done due to immediate backlash when pics surfaced of the product itself.  We expect Anybody Killa "Shape Shifter", a new ICP EP, Mike E Clark, Vanilla Ice, and Axe Murder Boys "Garcia Brothers" to all be released in 2014 but no release dates have been given as of the date of this post.  We also will see the Gathering of the Juggalos change venues for the first time since 2007.  We still have no information on where it will be but there is plenty of speculation on the net. 
 Now here is what I think is going to happen with them this year:

1. The ABK, Vanilla Ice, and AMB releases will all be released and do horrible due to lack of promotion or they will not be released at all and delayed.
2.  ICP and Mike Clark will be released and hopefully live up to expectations although I am skeptical they will.
3. This will be on of the last years for the Gathering.  After the events that occurred last year I think they will have a difficult time finding groups to perform, sites for the event, and money to make it happen.
4. Finally I think we will see a large number of fans drop the hatchet.  I know I will get some hate for that prediction but we have already seen a lot of old school cats walk away.  Once Twiztid left there was a huge group of fans that lost all respect for Joe and Psychopathic Records.  I expect those trends to continue as long as mediocre albums are released and horrible business decisions are made.

Next lets see what Twiztid has in store for us.  They have announced that a new album is on the way.  It will be titled "The Moment You've All Been Waiting For." They have also announced that they would like to get more TV and movie opportunities.  So let me share what I think is going to happen with the demented Duo:

1. The new album will be released.  I think it will be the beginning of their rise in mainstream as well as cementing their legacy in the underground.
2. I think they will tour for a majority of the year again.  I also think they will make a trip out of the country if legal issues permit it (Canada and maybe Australia).
3. I think we will finally see the collab most Juggalos have been demanding, Eminem and Twiztid.  If it does happen you can count on this being the year of Twiztid.

Next lets look at KMK.  I think we will see KMK really disappear.  Once the "lawsuit" gets settled I think KMK will release a new album and possibly tour in support of the album but I do not see them climbing out of the hole that Daddy X has put them in.

Let now look at Suburban Noize Records.  I think we will see them bounce back from the lawsuit well.  Once the legal issues are cleared up we will see them sign at least 2-3 more acts.  I predict we will see Potluck release a successful album and tour in support of that album.  I think it will begin the rise of Subnoize back to a respectable label.  I do think Johnny Richter will release his next album on Subnoize and it will be a huge success.

Finally here is what I think we will see from Strange Music.  I think they will continue to put out solid releases from all of their artists.  I think they will once again hold the flame for the underground.  They will be the beacon for crossover fans.  Their label is going strong and I do not see that slowing down in 2014.

Now all of these things may or may not happen.  These are just my thoughts.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate you checking out my blog as often as you guys do.  I wish you all a a Happy New Year and want to thank you for your continued support!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Peeling off the masks in the Underground

I don't think this blog will come as a surprise to most that frequent here. But in recent months, ever since Twiztid left Psychopathic Records, there have been numerous reports, interviews, emails, and lawsuits that are exposing a side of the label I think most of us didn't want to ever see. The side of the label that is focused on money, lust, and mob style tactics.

A report was released last week of a lawsuit from a former "in-house" legal Counsel/publicist claiming that many employees within Psychopathic Records engaged in prolonged sexual harassment, intimidation, and creating a hostile work environment. Having read the lawsuit here are the highlights:

1. She was consistently called a bitch by everyone around her including Billy.

2. She was consistently subject to unwanted sexual advances from Dirty Dan and others.

3. Sugar Slam created a hostile work environment due to her jealousy toward the woman suing them.

4. Dirty Dan gave a glass dildo upon finding out she had recently separated from her boyfriend.

5. She was asked to cover up wage issues being investigated by the US Labor board.

6. She was asked to act unethically in a legal capacity to cover up many things within the organization.

Now those are the major issues in the lawsuit. It is 17 pages long and filled with a ton of fluff such as "I was always being flirted with" type comments. But looking at those six issues I can say if they are true there is a serious issue within the label. Yet another sign things are sliding downhill quicker than anyone in Psychopathic wants to admit. Then a few days later it came out that many vendors from this year’s Gathering either hadn’t been paid or the checks they were given would not clear the bank. The total of those debts is around $300,000. Are we really seeing that Psychopathic is broke? Maybe or maybe not but either way it doesn't look good at this point.

So I log in today and see yet another story about the business dealings in the label in the form of two anonymous emails sent to testdummy22 from someone he says is in the inner circle of the label and a very reliable source. Those 2 emails state:

ANONYMOUS MESSAGE SENT TO: TestDummy 22 from ?????, (A EMPLOYEE AT PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS, AND A VERY RELIABLE SORCE) TESTDUMMY 22 *Some of this e-mail was cut out to protect the identity of sender* I gotta be honest man, I'm deeply disapp...ointed in this company. I had hooked up with Mike Clark down in Detroit at the fowling warehouse. We had a long conversation that night about Psychopathic and at one point Mike was almost in tears telling me about how he believed they were brothers (Him,Joe and Joey) and when it came down to it Joe tossed their friendship in the trash and chose to steal millions of dollars from him. The money he was referring to was from the first 5 cards and associated Eps that he was was tricked into signing away all his publishing on. Fucking devastating right? What if you made millions and someone stole it from you? How would you feel? I was fucking floored that they would do that to him but it doesn't surprise me because its the music business and he was naive to the workings of the music business. They fucked Mike HARD and it hurt him, he's still bitter today make no mistake. The only reason he does shit with them anymore is because he has to make money and he loves the juggalos. At the GOTJ last year and he was literally sobbing because the potential for what this movement could have been in the hands of people who cared could have been massive. Mikes just going through the motions now, his heart is not with ICP anymore. Mike isn't a problem, he's fine the way he is, its everyone else thats the problem. I mean, Joe doesn't exactly pick Mikes best stuff and at the end of the day EVERYTHING you hear out of Psychopathic is a product of Joe Bruce is some way shape or form. Mike still makes great shit, but Joe don't know how to pick it and in my opinion he actually picks some of the worst beats I have ever heard regardless of who the producer is.

And:

ANONYMOUS MESSAGE SENT TO: TestDummy 22 from ?????, (A EMPLOYEE AT PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS, AND A VERY RELIABLE SORCE) TESTDUMMY 22 Here's the reality of Psychopathic. It's not a business, its a hustle. ... I noticed Kuma is not really talked about in the juggalo community, First of all Kuma is Joe's bitch, I don't know if you know that or not? Kuma wears all hats at psychopathic and basically fails at all of them. When I first met Kuma I thought he was a super cool genuine dude and he had me believing that for the majority of my time at psychopathic,but as time went on and I started to question his abilities is when I started seeing a drastic change in his attitude towards me. Kuma is the source of all things generic at Psychopathic. He's the reason everything comes out like watered down cheap rip offs, he's the reason the informercials suck, he's responsible for the worst videos in ICP history and thats why Joe is using outside directors and producers now, i'm not just being a dick i'm being honest, Kuma is the source of suck but they refuse to fire him because he's loyal and he rides that dick HARD. Ok, so, Eric Heiden is the only special effects guy at psychopathic and he calls Kuma out on not being able to his job in front of Billy and Rob. Billy and Rob decide instead of firing Kuma they will remove him from the video department, fire me and stick him in the lotus pod. I honestly feel deep sorrow for the fans at this point because the future of this label is pretty much completely abandoned. It obvious they don't give a fuck and honestly Big Hoodoo is just a way for Joe to make himself feel better about Twiztid leaving the label, thats all. I wouldn't be surprised if he only lasted one or two records tops. You said it yourself, when were juggalos most happy? That was when ICP, Twiztid,Lotus,Blaze were rocking out. That will never happen again bro, it's over.

Now with that out there let me just say if the first email is true, which wouldn't surprise me, I am truly disappointed they would do Mike Clark like that. I do feel that Mike Clark supports the fans and has nothing but love for the movement. I also think that we are seeing that Violent J and Billy have a firm grip on everything and everyone under Psychopathic, they have given into greed and arrogance, and they have become everything they claim to despise in the business.

I think things like this point to more and more reasons why Twiztid walked away.  Although they are unable to say anything about their release publically I would not be surprised if once the timeframe of that silence is over we see the final pieces fall from the masks J and Billy have worn for so long.

I have long said that Alex leaving changed the entire dynamic of the label. It went from a movement that meant something to a gross exploitation of a dedicated and rabid fan base. I am going to get hate mail for this post and I expect it. Don't misunderstand me, I support ICP and all other artists on the label but I do not support the business tactics that Billy and Joe have instituted to make millions. I respect what they built, what they have done independently, and the movement they started. But having done business with certain members within the label I can attest that the mob tactics are used to get things out of people. Threats are made to ensure they make money even if they do nothing to earn or deserve that money. They will threaten not only the person they have the dispute with but also their wives, husbands, and children to get paid. The reason the FBI began to investigate them was extortion, wage payment issues, and illegal activities similar to street gangs. As long as they and their fans continue to act like thugs we will never shake this stigma.

I am saddened by the state of the record label. I am even more saddened by the fact Joe has become everything he hated. I sincerely hope He and Billy realize this is the wrong path to be on and can save what all of us have come to love. If not I know Twiztid, Strange, Mad Insanity and Subnoize are poised to take over the underground and make us proud.

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

What would you do?

  I recently reviewed the newest CD released by Kansas City rapper Irv Da Phenom for Faygoluvers.  The review was favorable and quite different from any other CD I have reviewed up til now.  For those that don't know Irv Da Phenom is a more mainstream rapper who recently went out on the road with Horrorcore legend Mars from California.  He has done a lot of work with many artists such as Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, and Kutt Calhoun.  His album was very well written and lyrically on top of the game.  So I posted the review and sent the links to all the Facebook pages I am a part of and also posted it to Irv's Facebook page and ensured he got the link as well.  Yesterday he posted this on his page:

"Hey! The guys over at Faygoluvers reviewed Irv Da Phenom's new album ‎Los Kangeles.

Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Do you agree with this review? Do you disagree? With everything leaking early now days & being streamed before release do you even feel album reviews are still important?"


Shortly after it was posted someone responded with this:

"With a site called "FaygoLuvers" and a reviewer named "Juggalotus", I can't take any of this seriously."

I found this response odd for two reasons.  First if an artist I liked took the time to post a review of their album I wouldn't really care what the name of the site or reviewer was I would go check it out and answer the original question asked by the artist "Do you agree with this review? Do you disagree? With everything leaking early now days & being streamed before release do you even feel album reviews are still important?"

Second, why would someone choose to not only ignore the review but then criticize the reviewer without seeing if the guy knew what he was talking about based simply on the name of the site or reviewer?

So I guess this blog is asking all of you who read this blog this question Would you go read the review if a favorite artist of yours posted it?  Would you not go to the link based solely on the site name or reviewer name?  And I would also like to know your thoughts on Irv's original question are album reviews still important?

I personally would go check out any album review posted by a favorite artist of mine because I welcome all opinions and feel they can broaden my perspective on music.  I would never not go to a site based on the name or reviewer name.  and yes I do think album reviews are important not only for the fans but also the musicians.  Musicians can take the positives and the negatives and improve what they do.

So this is a short post but I would really like to get some feedback from you guys!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Brutal Honesty

For a while now I have written blogs about honesty in music.  This week I got a shock when a review I did on an rapper's CD led to his quitting.  Yes you read that right, I made him quit.  The CD was good as far as recording quality but it lacked substance, originality, and passion.  Since I started reviewing CD's for Faygoluvers.net I have prided myself on giving brutally honest reviews.  I have done a few negative reviews in the past and had artists take my criticism to heart and change the way they do things.  I have also had artists disregard my opinion totally.  But never have I had someone quit.  I have said in the past that any artist in any genre needs to surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth.  People who will tell them when what they are doing is not good or needs improvement.  So many rappers surround themselves with yes men.  People who refuse to tell them what they are doing might need work for fear of losing their friendship.  So it came as little suprise that this review was so hurtful the guy quit.  I hope he takes it in stride, modifies what he is doing, and comes back to prove me wrong.

I do not review albums this way to be cruel or force people to stop being creative.  I do it because without that brutal honesty the whole genre suffers and gets a bad name.  I am trying to make the overall acceptance of the music more common.  There are a ton of talented artists in Horror Core that are often overlooked or lumped in with the unimaginative and uncreative masses in the genre.  I have reviewed so many artists who deserve to "make it" but are not even given a glance because they are Horror Core.  I will never back down from the standards I have set for music.  I will always be as honest as I can in my opinions.  But at the same time they are just that, my opinions.  I do not expect everyone to agree with me, heck I expect at least 90% of people to have a different opinion.  I always welcome comment, opinions, and feedback.

Scottie D over at Faygoluvers appreciates my honesty as do many big name artists in the Underground.  That is why I will never comprimise that position.  If we as fans, reviewers, and artists set a higher standard for our craft we can make positive changes.  We can make our genre more accepted.  If no one speaks up nothing changes.  Sure 1 man can't changes the world but no man speaking up cannot change anything.

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

Can't believe it's been 2 years!

In looking at my blog stats I was very happy to see it finally passed 9300 page views!  I never thought it would get that many.  Then I was looking back at all my posts and realized an even bigger achievement, this blog has been going strong for 2 years yesterday!

The evolution of the blog is funny to look at because it started as a way for me to show support to Juggalos/Juggalettes and help promote the Family in a positive light.  Since that time things in my life have changed and evolved.  I now manage Black Project in their music, write reviews of CD's for Faygoluvers.net, am doing freelance reporting for American Media Distribution (Hopefully they will send me to the Gathering to write a positive story and get rid of more stigma associated with us), have booked and promoted a concert, and have worked with a lot of Underground artists and gotten to know them which I never expected.  It is so funny to me that my life went for 31 years and then the last 2 have gone by so fast it makes my head spin.

The current theme in my blog is giving advice to artists, promoters, bookers, and managers.  I am no expert but I do business honestly.  I truely think we need more honesty in this business.  Now I have had my share of haters and that is ok with me.  I respect everyone's opinion and welcome any comments all the time on this blog.  I take an active role to respond to everyone in some way and show my appreciation for the time they give to read my ramblings.  I have started a new non-rap blog this year which has yet to get it's legs but hopefully soon. 

I am very intersted to see where we go from here.  If you are a regular reader know that I appreciate you taking the time to read this.  If you are new welcome!  Feel free to comment or hit me up on email.  I am looking forward to more years to come!

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

New year/New Blog

Whats up family!  Well the New Year is upon us and with that comes the start of my new Blog http://interviewsreviewsandmore.blogspot.com/2013/01/welcome-to-lets-review.html#!/2013/01/welcome-to-lets-review.html

This blog is going to be all things non-underground music and movie related.  Have no worries I am still going to be doing this blog and covering all the underground news, CD's, and shows I go to.  So go check out the new blog and show some love to a fellow Juggalo as I venture out of my comfort zone and do my best to open minds to things outside of our normal!

Keep on the lookout over on Faygoluvers for my CD reviews and any other interviews that may be coming your way!!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

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