"I Won't Entertain No More Disgrace..." (Part 2)

So I gave Ric a call in the afternoon to confirm the night's lineup, and he basically told me "things were not going to go the way he planned;" and since there was the impending threat of rain, he might have to bring everything inside, so patience would be a neccessity tonight.

First step, connect with the promoter/organizer. Check. Step two, link my dj for the night, J-Kizzle, and let him know the low-down. Check. Step three, put together my playlist for the night, hope for the best and plan for the worst. Check. Good to go.



The doors opened at 8:30 p.m, so I got to PS14 around 10 p.m., which is early by C.P.T standards (Caribbean People Time). When I got there, I think Spred the Dub was playing at the time. Just like Ric said, they had all the bands play inside, since the back patio was outside in the back. It did rain for a little bit, but it eventually stopped, so I told Ric I would still play outside, since they were setting up another dj set out there. That turned out to be a serious mission, I couldn't find an extra mic nowhere...they were all being used inside...note to self, invest in my own personal mic. Check. Then my dj, J-Killa, had forgot his headphones, so that was another mission again. We found a pair, and he played a set on the patio, but I was still without a mic.





Luckily, my good breddren, Don Sha and his band, were playing that night, so I just sat in on their set. I did a cover of Ini Kamoze's "World A Reggae Music," and then transitioned into a combination with Don on my signature Damien Marley tune, "Welcome to Jamrock." It wasn't til after they finished their set, that I thought, damn, I should have just did two of my own tracks right after they were done...


Since they were breaking down everything, I didn't want to perform while the bands were breaking down and setting up, so I figured I would get in maybe before Artofficial. After Don Sha finished playing, I went straight to the back patio and joined J-Killa while he juggled couple tunes for the listening pleasure of the people. By the time we were done playing out, Artofficial had already set up...oh yeah, big up my man on the grill for the free hot dog...it hit the spot, mos def...so we just headed back inside.

Artofficial was onstage lighting the place up, so respect to my man Danny for inviting me to join them onstage, my freestyle was completely off though, my mind was somewhere else, like a Tribe Called Quest & Faith Video: "I really know how it feels to be stressed out..." I let the stress get the best of me, but that's how it be sometimes...WORD...

"I Won't Entertain No More Disgrace..." (Part 1)

As an artist, you learn that there are two versions to everything you do, the first being your vision of how you want it to be, and the second being how it actually turns out, or how it really is...in other words,things don't always go the way you plan...

The date on the calendar read "Monday, April 20th, 2009," otherwise known as 4-20, and for those of you who don't know, that day happens to be a worldwide holiday for people who prefer meditation with a particular green plant.
(Numerous studies show, that an overwhelming majority of these same said people love Bob Marley and his music, movies with Dave Chapelle, Method Man, and/or Redman, and dream of trips to Jamaica and the Netherlands, imagine that)
So in honor of that day, the folks over at REVMIAMI.COM, decided to host a five-day music festival, it was a massive event, trus me...

Miami 420 Music Festival, for me, is more than just something that was put together that has a lot of bands playing. There are 80 bands involved in this event. 80! Did you even know there were 80 bands that play shows regularly in Miami? And if each band averages 4 people, then that is 320 creative, musical, and talented human beings coming together to share their art, music, and passions.

Ric, REVMIAMI.COM contributor
Miami 420 Music Festival Organizer

The event was intended to be a diverse representation of all the bands/artists/musicians in Miami, so yuh dun kno, I had to represent in the place...so big up Ric and the REVMIAMI crew for the booking...respect due.

So it was Monday, the most hated day of the week by far, and I felt like those people on that commercial who try to stop the sun from rising Monday morning. By the way, that commercial is: A. Mad B. Wicked C. Phat D. Ill
(Fill in the blank with the description you wanna use)



It sums up that Monday morning feeling "straight" like Assasin. It shows all these people panicking, running out of their bed, all trying to stop the sun from rising, but no matter how hard they try, the sun still rises, and they all walk back to their houses dragging their feet in disappointment. On this particular Monday morning, the sky had set up for rain, and according to the International Reggae Music Handbook, all live music should be played outdoors, it is a unwritten rule...so this is where "how it really is," begins. If you notice on the flyer, it says: "Reggae on the patio with Coppa Stone, Spred the Dub, Don Sha, etc." So combine these three elements, and you already have an idea how the night went down.

So the Tings Set...Another Year Under the Belt (Part 3)

You can never plan for everything, so like I said, you jus haffi cut and go tru...or just learn to make due, watch the lyrics...so after Simone, my breddren FRANK NITTS, took the stage. Despite all the feedback, we continued trodding on, like "A Lion in Zion..."



Frank did a couple of his own tracks, then I joined him for the last song, and transitioned into my set. The crowd seemed receptive, so I took off my jacket, rolled up my sleeves, and got down deep into my first track "Muzik." I was supposed to do three more songs from my album, but there was some miscommunication between Bashment and I, because I forgot to explain to him that my first set of four songs were all combined into one track on the CD, they weren't separated individually, in other words, I need to step into the 21st century and upgrade from CDs to laptops or MP3s, but that's a whole other story.



Regardless, I played it off, as always, the crowd was none the wiser, and the show continued on. I did another piece, then brought up INNASENSE BAND, the wickedest reggae band this side of the equator, memba me tole yuh...respect due to man like Prince P, Jimmy Dred, Junior, Icardo, and the whole Innasense family, for blessing up the place. They did a lot of their own songs, and then I came back and did a few tunes with them. Usually at Mangos, because of the venue and the crowd, it's mostly covers that they play, so it was good to hear more of their own original material. By this time, the session like a Stephen Marley tune, did more than "calk and ram," and for my non-patois folks, that means the place was packed....




My breddren J-KILLA, and the Killa Squad crew were supposed to play next on the 1s and 2s, but time was running away, far, far, away. They were well tired from playing earlier that evening at another event & they had also went to the Bob Marley Festival downtown; so instead, I let A-TRAIN, the resident dj for the spot, play out the rest of the night...plus he was complaining about it being his regular night and what a view, so like Black Rhino, one more time, a so the tings set...

So overall, and furthermore, the ting sell off, and once again for my non-patios folks, that means, the night went well, it was a success...So we gonna do this like we reading the inside of an album cover:

Big up to my girl Saran, for all of her support, and convincing me to still follow through with the event, despite all the obstacles, it wouldn't have been possible without you, big up all the fans, family, and friends who came out and supported this thing that I do, too many to name, big up all the djs and artists that passed thru, big up Nikki for photographing the event, all the way from NYC, and Jannelle for the extra pics, big up the whole Vagabond staff for allowing us to do what we do, many thanks to all who bought an album, hopefully, we'll have it available online soon, big up Uncle Deeni & Irie Isle Jamaican Restaurants for the catering, yeah man, so you dun kno, it's all about giving thanks and counting your blessings, so thank you God for another year of life...Bless up every time...RIDDIM UP...

So the Tings Set...Another Year Under the Belt (Part 2)

Even though things don't always go the way you planned, for the most part, the night was a success. It took a while to get everything started. INNASENSE had just finished playing at Mangos, so we had to pack all of their equipment up, and haul it over to Vagabond in a van. Then while they were setting back up again, BASHMENT from REBEL VYBZ, blessed up the turntables with his musical selections (Big up all the Southwest family). KHEV was scheduled to perform, but he had something come up at the last minute, so I had to make some readjustments to the lineup.



MAGYVA was the first to perform, family for life....he did a couple of his own material, then next was Ms. SIMONE GRANT outta Brooklyn, respect my girl, next time we get the music straight. She forgot her tracks in NYC, so at first, I was going to have Innasense back her, but they didn't want to play and then stop, because the other performances were off instrumentals, so logistically, it would mek more sense to have the band play last, so Simone did her thing acapella, and then FRANK NITTS was up. There was another event going on next door at PS14, so there was a conflict of sounds going on the first part of the night. It was spoiling up the vibes at first, but we just haffi cut and go thru...or just play louder, because "my sound a di champion sound," yuh si mi...but it was causing a whole lot a feedback in the mic...this was one of those moments when things weren't going the way I planned...