The BluVision Staff & I would like to thank you for your endless support and patience. FINALLY, the NEW BluVisions.com is completed and running. Check out the NEW site and let us know what you think about it. We're ready for the NEW year and trying to keep you all with us as we advance and grow.
I'm a huge fan of the work J*Davey puts out, then again who isn't. Here's the recent release from them. Anything from them is always worth listening to.
PR: "On Hoppin' Over Fences King Mez jumps on Pharrell's instrumental from the sound track of Rob Dyrdek's seminal skateboarding drama, Street Dreams. On the track he imagines fences as more than just physical obstacles impeding skateboard culture, but also as metaphorical barriers that hinder both the development of hip hop and as result himself as a man."
Sigmund's Dope™ - The Curious Case of Charles Hamilton (contributions made by JUDAH)
If you thought Kanye West was bad, think again.
Meet Charles Hamilton. Lyrical genius. Mixtape maniac. Publicity whore.....and it's sad. Sad to the point to where I'm actually sad...for him. Remembering back to 2008 when I first heard of the kid and his Death of A Mixtape Rapper, I thought that Hamilton's spaced and tie-dyed mind would be one to bring some color into the black and blue-fisted face of hip-hop music, beaten by commercialism and smeared with scoops of poo. He had an obscure mind, crazy almost (at which I find attractive) and seemed willing to break the status quo of typical mixtape drops. The guy, to date, has put out a listing of nearly 50 compilations between 2007 and 2010 with some still waiting on a release date. He's no slouch and when people say quality over quantity, his work maintains the former and bolsters the latter, making him one formidable mouthpiece. It's just unfortunate that he did not emerge in 1996 because in this age, internet has killed the video star as morbidly put by the Limousines---and Charles Hamilton is committing suicide.
It was brought to my attention that Hamilton was at it again, appearing as if he was on drugs. The last time I tuned into the guy, he had recently checked out of the psych ward somewhere in NY. Why did he do this? Is he really crazy? Is he on drugs? Who knows?
See what's happening in Graffitti Alley starting at 2PM until!!! Some of your favorite artists, DJs, food & booze will be there. Blu Vision will be coming through to capture some great moments of the event. Make sure you take time out to come hang with good people.
Rap Attack brings you BARS with Keys! AJ & AngelBaby take a trip to where Keys is from and show her spitting her rhymes on the streets. Of course its a Blu Vision Production. Check it out and let us know what you think.
Blu Vision is in collaboration with Smoke Break Live radio (www.SmokeBreakLive.com) and are hosting Purple Haze: The Cypher! We've invited your favorite indie local artists to come out and grace the stage with their presence. This will be an exclusive event, held at an undisclosed location. Not only are we trying to put our local artists on, but also our local producers!!
We need ORIGINAL beats submitted in ASAP! This event will be filmed and you will have titles rolled for your work if it has been selected to be used. All in all FREE PROMOTION, who can argue with that! So if you're a producer and are interested... or if you KNOW any producers who may be interested; please submit your work and info to 1BluVision@gmail.com!!!
Here's the trailer for the 1st one. The finished video will be up soon.
Blu Vision doesn't mind doing collab work out here... see what we've been up to for other sites such as Baltimore's 92Q show Rap Attack that airs on Sunday.
This most recent Foreign Exchange album is definitely for those in touch with their feelings. I don’t care how "macho" or how much anyone tries to make their "tough guy/gal person" ooze with machismo so to speak, everybody needs love, everyone feels it & experiences its ups & downs, its heartache & pain. This is not an album for those in self-denial.
The opening track The Last Fall, deals with the range of emotions you feel in relationships, how hard it is to leave & even after you do leave someone how reluctant you are or feel you are to try again with someone new because you feel that it’s pointless & unrewarding. I think that is something anyone who’s been in love or what they thought was love can relate to. "At worst an excuse, at best a truce", which I think the meaning is obvious but can be subject to interpretation depending on if you’re in a relationship right now be it in the beginning stages or you’ve been together for a while or you’re dealing with the emotional aftermath. I think all can relate to that line.
Authenticity, which is the title track, talks about struggling to deal with that thing people ask for but generally can’t handle – honesty. People want what they want & hear what they want to hear which is seldom the same as what they need or what they need to hear. This song goes into how the realization of this can tear apart the person in the relationship that realizes this & cause a dilemma for them in the relationship which can’t be understood by those who can’t recognize the problem that asking for honesty poses.
Maybe She’ll Dream of Me takes you back to that time when to loosely quote Michael Jackson "You Knock Me off of My Feet". When you see that person who just knocks your socks off and blows you away, possibly even out of your league but you’re going for them anyway. What you would do to have them. Going so far as to check your ego & pride & the door immediately without question, which all too often we probably don’t do in relationships. Wondering if when he/she saw/sees you, were/are they taken aback in the same manner. Whether they dream about you as opposed to the numerous other people you assume must be after them.
If you’re not in touch with & comfortable with your feelings & dealing with them, this isn’t the album for you. This album is sure to tug at the heart strings of some, bring back up some old memories, maybe even bring out a tear or two. This album has well thought out lyrics which will definitely make you think and reminisce as well as beats that give an excellent balance to the ambiance of it all. As we all go through many trials & errors when it comes to relationships, this is an album everyone should be able to relate to. If you can’t, I’d say you haven’t really experienced the totality of love yet.
When you're finally off of work and you're on your way home, this is the NEW album you need to be playing. You might want to play it at work if you can, lol. It's too smooth not to be listening to, SERIOUSLY! Substantial & Marcus D. cultivated grown & sexy, style, hip hop and jazz into a 15 tracked album.
Substantial told us that he definitely had something worth while in the works... and ladies & gentlemen, he & Marcus D. (producer) did not disappoint us at all. Bop Alloy is the TRUTH! Get your copy today for $10
Check out the footage Blu Vision shot at the 1 year anniversay event at the Baltimore boutique, City of Gods. Local artists like Smash, Greenspan, Kane Mayfield, Dappa Dan Midas and so much more all came out to support.
As Bluvisions.com moves into the new year; the site will be incorporating some new elements including video segments. Bluvisions.com would like to extend a formal invitation to all musicians to have your compositions included and or featured in our videos. You will receive credit, as well as a physical copy of the produced media. Email all submissions to 1bluvision@gmail.com
Amber Mimz has a NEW Official video out called Urban Romance Ave ft. Black Cobain. I'm digging the graphics and colors on this one. Amber definitely has remarkable vocals. Share your thoughts on it.
The first of the month has quite a few people letting the truth fly out this Monday. Bossman released his diss to Wale via Twitter (@Bossman410). To be honest I don’t know why he feels the need to go at Wale. He mentions things like Wale being from PG County and not really from D.C. The DMV and D.C. in particular don’t seem to mind it that much. I think if anyone is going to make a diss record, you need to have strong grounds as to why you’re even taking time to record this and go public with it. Although, I don’t know the back history to this, if there even is any at all. All in all, it seems like another attempt to get some attention. Check it out and let us know what you think.
The duo, Weapons of Audio, just dropped their debut album this week called Bipolar (on iTunes). Check out one of the singles produced by Atlanta production team SMKA, Kill My Boss.
Greenspan is going hard on this track with Whitefolkz & Mully Man. Check out the DMV collaboration on the first release from the anticipated project Dope Melodies x Heavy Bass
Washington D.C. is known for its politics; but its musical history is just as engaging and the scene today is still thriving. Promoters Truth and Powerful invited our fearless leader and her plucky sidekick down to their weekly open mic Up and Up at Liv, located next door to Hominy; both housed in the Bohemian Caverns building. Located at 11th and U St. NW, you're greeted upon arrival by a marquee with a piano wraparound; a good sign you're in the right place.
Ascending the steps and past some art; Liv opens up to a decent sized space. The stage is off to your right, with the bar to your left, and couches for seating directly in front. There was also a 2nd floor area, which wasn't open to my knowledge. Already on stage, the house band Mambo Sauce, a hot young go-go band fresh off a small tour; were tuning up with a few rap and R&B. Black Boo, one of Mambo Sauce’s vocalists took the stage announcing J*Ivy, fresh off his singing to Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music label and preparing everyone for the show to start. Ever the wisecrackers, they started off by taking a few shots at your boy, and I quickly learned this was the vibe of the evening.
An easel was onstage the entire show. They introduced the painter; a young man I had seen before on our local news here with Raheem Devaughn who painted while the music played. This is something I've seen at a few other shows lately, with the piece being auctioned off post-show; however I was informed he was one of the first to come up with this. The night, a mostly rap affair featuring DC Cash, Vile, Nino Swagger, Laeloo Hood, Mo Chips, and even a group jam at the end of the night. But it wasn't all hustle and flow as Dey, Darlette Gayle, and Camari James mellowed out the evening with poetry and singing; while Simone did a brief comedy segment which got the Sandmen themselves called out! Tieing it all together was Robin Thin, singing Lynyrd Skynard's "Simple Man".
The highlight of the evening and perhaps the main reason to attend and hang around till the end; is the full on "jam session". Going over the progression laid down by Thin, every rapper who had performed earlier in the evening; were joined by a few more including event promoter Powerful for a show ending cypher; clocking in around 12 mins. If you're looking for something to do on a Tuesday night; you found it.
Your intrepid team of reporters descended upon our nations capital to bring you the best coverage of the dopest events! We stopped by and grabbed a quick interview with Dreaded Experience and C.Love before shooting over to Liv for a full on sonic assault by Mambo Sauce for their open mic event; Up and Up.
But we're not done yet; be on the lookout for our Q&A with GoldenSEAL and for a few other secrets we're not ready to reveal yet!
Long Live The Queens/No The Reign Won't Stop - Hip Hop Ain't Dead Pt. 2
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the softer side of Baltimore rap and hip-hop showed just how aware they are. WOLB's Civ Jones and 92.Q's Angel Baby hosted Hip-Hop In Pink @ Club Reality; which featured a host of talent from the Baltimore, DC and Philadelphia areas including Keys; Jackie Brown and The Mighty Paradox, respectively.
It was a well rounded bill featuring some soul singing by Selah.Chick and modern r&b by Ashley Moore. Selah was accompanied by an electric guitarist, while Moore was flanked by backup dancers; clad in what looked to be the manes of lions. However the night was clearly about the lyrical abilities of the assembled few. Fittingly the DJ played the Queen herself earlier in the evening; foreshadowing the events to come. From true school to new school; every era of hip-hop was represented. Notable performances included the return of GoldenSeal, off a 3 year hiatus from their last performance; Get Em' Mamis and their unique brand of dance rap; Lola Monroe performing her new single "Overtime"; and Keys THE PROBLEM showing off her unique brand of entertainment.
The Mighty Paradox; down from Philadelphia, stood apart from the rest of the acts as they provided a full band to accompany their reggae style vocals. As the night moved on Baltimore Ray joined Imiga during her set; and Ooh of BrownF.I.S.H provided help during the hook of "Sista's Pimpin". Jackie Brown was joined by a male counterpart as well during her set which was very memorable. Unfortunately we got grabbed by 92.Q to do some interviews for them so I was unable to catch Si Notes performance or the remainder of Lola Luv Monroe's set.
The event; which also included speeches by Baltimore City councilwoman Belinda Conaway and the head of Mecca's Place Stephanie S. Franklin on the urgency of monthly mammograms and music inbetween the sets DJ K-META.
Between this event and last week's City of Gods performance; its safe to say the heart that rests beneath the breast of Baltimore rap is beating strong. Be on the lookout for gallery pictures and or video recap of the event.
** TONIGHT Blu Vision will be at HIP HOP in Pink @ Club Reality (2625 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230) Just by looking at the bill you see the line up is going to be HOT. Come out and support a GOOD CAUSE and our Lady MC's!!!
NEW Release from J-Soul ft. Eric Roberson & Substantial called Potential. Fans are patiently awaiting for the arrival of the Black Sinatra album due to come out this year. So far the buzz is great and from what you can hear, it'll be worth the wait.
Last night, music heads received one of the biggest scares in hip-hop history. No, it wasn't Kanye threatening to tell someone about themselves again. And it wasn't Dr. Dre announcing his abandonment of this mythological Detox album. It was worse. So bad that there were people declaring to quit their dreams and passions in the music industry if this particular situation occurred. Anarchy was about to ensue on Twitter as this tweet nearly broke our hearts:
RT @AtIanticRecords: Congrats to @50tysonofficial on signing with Atlantic Records Welcome to the label!
Along with thoughts of Atlantic Records declaring bankruptcy after all of their artists trashed their contracts, I thought to myself "who the f@%$ is this dude to where he can even be considered as an act that is worth the investment? Even though this situation was slated as a rumor, it has to be the publicity. And for this reason, I hate the public.
Back in the day, 50 Tysons symbiotic father Curtis Jackson, aka "50 Cent" used an impressionable marketing strategy that kept his name in the mouths of anyone relevant in the industry. His "How to Rob" track basically named everyone that he would stick-up if he had the chance. This tactic got him announced at Jay-Z's concert when Hov opened up with that infamous line: "I'm about a dollar, who the f@%$ is 50 Cent?" At that point "Fiddy" won, we were sold and the rest goes down in hip-hop history. Now we are in hip-hop hell.
It's terrible enough we have the Waka Flockas and the Gucci's and the Lil B-list of completely unnecessary, no-base rappers in which labels have felt the need to invest. I understand being that a huge portion of the public are brain dead so its an easy sell. I get it. But how would anyone even consider signing 50 Tyson, let alone putting a camera in front of him so he can "nig out" and claim himself as someone to look at? Yeah I heard that the guy has autism and folks feel like he should get a pass....but so? Would you let a blind person drive your car, out of fairness? Since people feel like things should be fair, how about this: Lets give all the blind people keys to vehicles and let them drive wherever and whenever they feel like for a day. Just let me know the date so I know to stay home.Don't get mad. I'm sure if you're reading this you're not blind.
Cruel, I'm sorry but understand the psychosis here. Rap music today is just like a bunch of blind people driving. And somebody gave 50 Tyson a set of keys! Where hip-hop used to be real-life streets and highways, it has become a closed course for crash dummies. I don't want to take the first exit to the nearest rest area, but I'm beginning to grow tired of the gimmicks and as an avid lover of hip-hop music, the drive is becoming harder and more dangerous. Why?
Because. A blind person can't see what's behind them (a rich hip-hop history) nor what's in front of them (the impression they leave on hip-hop future).
Go on and marinate on that for a minute.
(Sigmund's Dope™ is a registered trademark under EGO Marketing & Branding Constitute™) www.SheBloggin.com
If hip-hop is dead then rap is alive and well in Baltimore. Tonight, boutique clothier City of Gods celebrated their one year anniversary with a who's who of Baltimore rap. Mania Music Group representatives Mily July, Kane Mayfield, and Dappa Dan Midas; Smash and Lano; as well as B-EZ performed to a packed house.
Baltimore has always existed on the fringe of rap. Artists such as B.Rich with his local anthem "Whoa Now" and Tim Trees led the radio side of things; while groups such as BrownF.I.S.H permeated the underground. The turn of the century led to an explosion of local rappers. Arguably led by Bossman; a new breed of rappers emerged; seemingly tired of being passed over and hungry for exposure.
That torch seems to have been passed. Anyone will tell you music is about the "clique". That was seemingly the biggest problem amongst Baltimore rap music; to many Indians who thought they were chiefs. Last night's performance seemed to eschew these concepts in leui of camraderie and fun. I'll take those over bitching and solidarity anyday.
1. Nas - Last Real Nigga Alive Pt 2
2. Vado - Memory Lane (freestyle)
3. PhilAde - We Outta Here Baby
4. Kanye West ft. Swizz Beats, Jay-Z - So Appalled
5. Redman - Mind On My Money
6. FKi - Koo Koo
7. Wiz Khalifa - Radio