BlueCollar Gentlemen Fri Jan 7th feat. Guilty Simpson

BlueCollar Gentlemen: A Mid-West Hip-Hop Function

FRIDAY JANUARY 7th

a hell of a way to start of 2011!

featuring:

GUILTY SIMPSON (Almighty Dreadnaughtz / Stones Throw)
METASYONS ( United States of Mind)
NICK SPEED ( Kic Sounds / Submerege)
THE ILL & THE RESTLESS (Chicago)

DJ’s: Crate Digga & Mel Wonder

@ Old Miami
3930 Cass Ave.
Detroit MI
9:30 – 2:00am $3 21+

W. Draztik & Sleepy Biggs “SMOKERS COUGH” Album Release Party **FRIDAY JULY 2ND @ OLD MIAMI**

BlueCollar Gentlemen & USM presents….
W. DRAZTIK & SLEEPY BIGGS “SMOKERS COUGH”
Album Release Party!!!

the lineup looks a little something like this:
W.DRAZTIK & SLEEPY BIGGS (of course)
MIZ KORONA (hell yeah!)
USM (why not?)
MAZ (formerly of Draztik Meazures…. ya know we had to take it back)
& more TBA suprise type shit (c’mon son! it ain’t hip hop if it ain’t last minute)

::::::::::::::::!!IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!:::::::::::::::::::

This album release party will cost you $5 ..oh I know we are getting it in!!!… on your pocket book right!?!? WRONG! we will give you a copy of “SMOKERS COUGH” FREE!
not such a bad deal…right? (it is a full length LP, actual album like artists used to make way back when, pro-pressed like @ a CD factory with saran wrap n shit on it….. not to mention for the sake of the 2 dudes who constructed this smokers cough joint!… 1000’s of their real life & creative hours devoted to making such an outstanding album) so please humor us… $5 got it? lol
USM is motherfuckin recession proof!
not to mention we got alotta love for anybody reading this message right now
we salute you giving a shit

FRIDAY JULY 2ND @ OLD MIAMI 3930 Cass Ave. 21+ $5 10PM-2AM

just a reminder of what your gonna be getting into

The Price of Providing A Live Show: My Clipped Wings Tour Summary

Whaddup my people,

As I was only able to do the Midwestern leg of the Clipped Wings Tour the last show I appeared on was last night in Milwaukee.  I am writing this from my friends apartment in Chicago taking a day of rest here before I head back home to Detroit.  Yeah, I know it’s not a far drive back but I’m lazy and like to take my time.  lol.  As I’ve done more specific tour diaries in the past and will probably bore you with the minute details of the road in the future I will opt out of doing so this time around.  For one I was only on the road a short while to really get into the debauchery that I’m usually known for, and I feel it far better that I discuss how I’m feeling instead of specific events.  It might come off as random and scatter-brained but here goes nothing.

For one the road is a rough place for artists like us that are still out here starving.  We are kind of caught in a catch 22 in the fact that we don’t have a ton of fans throughout the country so it’s difficult to tour, but we have to hit the road in order to build a fan base so there’s really no choice in the matter.  There are no tour buses (honda element), no hotel rooms (although I was able to talk my way into a $25 room one of the nights), there’s not always showers, there’s not always people at the shows, there’s no fancy technical and personal riders sent out so that means there are definitely no bottles of champagne popped.  There’s us, our tour mates, and the artists and people we have built connections with before.  The goal and what ultimately determines if a tour is a success are the new connections we are able to build in each city.

Gone are the days in which artists can breeze into a city, chill backstage, hit the stage, and then dip.  When we are touching down in a city we want to know what the scene is like.   I’m trying to talk to everyone I can to acquire the info, and to share my experience with them inside and outside of music (I still pretend like there’s still a difference).  Gone are the days where artists can even stand behind a merch table.  After I leave the stage the first thing I’m going for is my box of merch and I am talking to everyone personally in the venue.  After I have tried to sell everyone in the building then I go for the email list and I offer them a free download as a thanks for them signing up.  I wait till after we go on stage so the audience has a chance to hear what they’re supporting but next tour I think I’m gonna go in swinging for my career.  There were a few times when the crowd was lost before we got on stage and those were definite missed opportunities.

Still I am not seeing artists do the method I mentioned above enough which is probably one of the reasons I have no problem sharing.  The playbook is nothing without execution after all.  On the other hand, I want to give myself more credit than that.  I want my peers to succeed in this game and I do believe there is a place for us all, but everybody has to put in work.  The only people that really think music is so competitive are the ones that expect something for nothing.  And yes, although making music is important in this game, this is NOTHING.  It’s what you do with that music and your plan to get it to the people, and furthermore your application of that plan that will get you to where you want to go.  Your personal opinion of your own music in relation to others is also NOTHING.  Opinions are like assholes and most people usually ARE.  I’m not thinking about why these whack musicians are successful.  I’m thinking about how they are successful and if there are any strategies I need to co-opt.

When I hit the road I expect nothing.  To every single person that put us up in their homes, fed us, let us shower  THANK YOU.  Although some of you I have known for a long time you didn’t have to do that so I am forever appreciative.  To everybody that put us on a show giving us a path to build a fan base in your city  THANK YOU.  Although there were high’s and low’s in attendance we saw the promotional efforts put in and my new motto is if you give us 3 shows in a city we will build your hip hop scene for you if you don’t already have one (those ego’s can get a bit crazy. i got a few).  To all my friends that came out to the shows along the way THANK YOU.  I know some of yall don’t even listen to Hip Hop but I’m thankful you’ll lend an ear to me and my musical peers when we fall through town.  To the sites such as Fusicology, La Famiglia, Potholes in My Blog, and Detroitrap (if I’m missing anyone forgive the mind) THANK YOU for shining light on what we’re doing.

To my brothers in United States of Mind, thank you.  As I am not able to continue with the tour it is you guys that are spreading the USM name and getting our music out to a larger audience person by person.

To sum up everything touring is rough business.  Nothing is given and everything is hard to earn.  I didn’t even bring up the ego’s. lol.  We’re all crazy deranged artists so of course we’re gonna but heads from time to time. Sometimes the day in and day out can be like walking on eggshells. You want to be mindful of other peoples thoughts, opinions, and schedules without getting yours stepped on.  This is also an impossibility but we do our best in this respect. lol.  Taking all this into account I can logically only come to one conclusion:  I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING.

This is exactly what I signed up for and what a beautiful struggle it has come to be.  The small victories, the big mistakes, the huge shows, the off nights, the getting wasted no matter what happens. lol.  That’s what it is.  Can’t wait to fully process this experience (which will take at least a week mind you) so the next time I hit the road (hopefully touring my new project with Eddie Logix entitled “Progress Report”) I can do it bigger and better.  That’s right folks.  Next time around I’m going for the couch as opposed to accepting the floor.  Until the next time I’m in your city folks.

-d

United States of Mind and The Metro Times

It’s that time of year again where the Metro Times sends out their Best of Polls.  Of course these things are silly, but per usual I’m petty enough to want to win some shit so I can front to my parents like I’m making progress in this world.  And I happen to belong to a few categories so if you could be so kind holla at ya boy one time.  here is where you can fill in my name.

Best in Culture

Best Local Hip-Hop Artist or Group – United States of Mind
Local Artist or Group with Best Chance of Going National – United States of Mind

Best Nightlife

Best Bar for Under 30s – The Bosco
– The Bosco
– David Strauss (yes…use the government name)
As usual thanks for your support as it means the world to me.  It would be great if we win it will help out our cause greatly.

1 rule on this thing though you gotta at least voted for 20 things in Detroit (place to eat hang out etc. etc.) if you don’t fill out 20 your ballot won’t go through.

PS. If you got people that can help out please forward this thing to them…Im sure with a lil effort we can take this
www.metrotimes.com

Tell us what’s Best — that’s your move to wrestle an invite to the BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR. Once again, as we have since 1986, we’re asking MT readers to point us to what’s best in metro Detroit, greasy …

Potholes Shows Mad Love Once Again

whaddup people,

if you’re just tuning in to the blog you might not know but the group I have the privilege of being a part of, United States of Mind, has released our debut album “Kill The Bullshit” as a free download.

As nobody really reads this blog thankfully our good friends at our favorite site www.potholesinmyblog.com put it up for their readership to peruse over.  Jump to their site to check out what they have to say by clicking on their logo at the end of this post.  Happy Holidays if I don’t blog out for the rest of the week.  All I want for Christmas is your eyes and ears so thanks for lending them to me from time to time.  Until next time.

What Would We do Baby Without Us: Shalalala the REmix (word to @iamdiddy)

Take That…Take that — See you guys on the 26th




www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSpJtvxifCI

Free Download: United States of Mind’s debut cd “Kill The Bullshit”

Whaddup my people,

About a year after it’s initial release we have decided to put our debut album up for free download. Why you ask? I’m sure there are some very good reasons.   Here are a few I can think of.

1) Everybody seems to be doing it these days

2) We put a subliminal message in the download to make you murder every other rapper alive.  Even the dope ones.  (of course we hate whack rappers but we also hate rappers more successful than us)

3) At the end of the day we just want you to hear what we’re doing over here.  The money and acknowledgment from our peers is nice and all, but it begins and ends with you.  We do this to express ourselves and whether you like it or not, we’re satisfied if you’ve just given it a listen so you can make an informed decision.  We don’t have any crazy kind of marketing machine or budget or cool friends that make us popular so a free download is our best way to mainline our music directly to the people.

If you like what you hear all we ask is that we let your people know that we’re out here and making music.  Please copy this link and spread it around — http://unitedstatesofmind.bandcamp.com/album/kill-the-bullsh-t and when I  say spread it around I mean hit your blog, hit your twitter, hit your facebook, hit your friends facebook, hit your myspace (do we still use this), and if you run a site feel free to post it.  That’s about all I gotta say about it.  Fuck it actually — if you hate it let us know too cause that’s valid.  Just feel something.  I feel like music has been watered down for so long people have become numb to it and it’s suddenly taken on the form of soilent green or something.  It’s like peeps aren’t even hungry for Hip Hop like they used to be.  Well I say “Kill That Bullshit”.  We cooked something up last year that I feel is gourmet so eat the fuck up and break bread with your fam.  Until next time.




www.youtube.com/watch?v=sABdE0tIMuY

What Would We Do Baby Without Us….Shalalala

What is up my peoples and most importantly what’s good?  I write this from the confines of beautiful AJ’s cafe in the heart of downtown ferndale after enjoying a delicious vegan philly steak and cheese sandwich.  As I’m about to be off to work at The Bosco I figured I’d spare a few minutes and hip you to the happening on December 26th.

The flyer pretty much says it all in terms of the performances except for the fact that DJ Benny Ben will be spinning.  If you need credentials on Benny Ben and you’re from the Detroit area I’m gonna need your credentials first before we even have a discussion on the matter.  Moving along….

The point I was getting at that the flyer can only touch on the family aspect of this bill and the mutual respect and admiration between the acts listed on the bill.  I’ll start with Detroit CYDI.

As I’m often sleepwalking through life (not in the way of these brainwashed masses but you get the point) I only really woke up to CYDI about a year ago first meeting them individually as people and then getting hip to their music through my man Hubert Sawyers site (www.fryinginvein.com where you can go for things that you don’t know about yet, but will swear you’ve been up on when it blows up).  Regardless, they are amazing people (that goes for them and their extended fam — whaddup Stryfe, Notion, Marc Byrd and the million other cats i’m sure i’m forgetting) and the music is eclectic varying style but never really ceases the smooth.  Speaking of smooth, Buttermade Records will be in the building (the imprint that released “Turn Up The Smooth” by Stoopz n Breeze) as Blake Eerie and Hugh Whitaker release their much anticipated project “The Lateef EP”.

I had the opportunity to preview some tracks off this project at a listening party earlier this month and from what I’ve heard this joint is crazy.  Keeping up with the crazy themes each track on this CD directly coincides production wise with tracks from Yusef Lateefs Detroit project (eat your heart out Danger Mouse).  I’ve known both these gentleman through many years and beers so I can’t wait to have a copy of this in my hand.  However, the Family Ties vibe extends beyond the groups performing which is why I tried to keep these descriptions as brief as possible.  As usual it starts and ends with YOU.

We wanted to do a show around Christmas time for all the friends and fam we got that will be coming from out of town.  The music is always important but for me personally on this go round it is ultimately secondary.  The performances will be short and sweet so really I’m just looking to chill with all you people who helped make me the person I am (some for the worse. lol. you know who you are but come out anyways and lets reflect on how we haven’t changed a bit.)  Trust if you’re reading this you are definitely in that friends and fam category (i’m not big enough to have anything but) so come out and lets share a joke or two and a brew.  If that doesn’t get you teary eyed enough I got the clincher.  aaaaaaaaand ACTION –




www.youtube.com/watch?v=iliLnQmaEOA

United States of Mind says “Kill The Bullshit”

Whaddup Netheads,

don’t really got much to say, but i am excited.  the album has been sent off to be manufactured and the release will be Saturday Febuary 28th at Elements Gallery in Beautiful Dowtown Detroit.   This will also mark the return of kill the bullshit which will take place the last Saturday of every month.  This album has been quite awhile in the making so i truly hope you will enjoy it.  I will of course be hitting you guys off with more information as the date nears and begging you for help, but for now i just wanted to share this with you.

also don’t think i haven’t been keeping busy.  been in the lab so should have some more projects coming out in 09 for you guys to put your ear on.  just keep checking for me and spread the word.  let your people know that United States of Mind is coming.