Benjamin Meadows-Ingram

Boss on Deck

The Notorious BMI: Ain't always pretty, but it's always real.

All the Way Live

Posted 08/08/2007 at 6:02 PM | 2 comment/s

Note to self: step your blog game up.

(Shameless) Note to you: Check out our September Juice issue, Obama on the cover. It's a beast.

Moving on… A coupla weeks ago I headed back down to the M to sit back, relax, puff a square, sip a Becks (or, in my case, Bud), and to duck into the 5th Annual Crunkfest. To mark the occasion the show relocated from the essentially crumbling Mid South Coliseum to the newer and much more massive FedEx Forum, and as we headed downtown the streets were packed with everyone from folks looking to get into the show, cats shilling CDs, regular drunks milling about on Beale taking novelty pics and getting henna tattoos, and cops. Despite having made the trip basically just to catch the show, my ticket situation was still a lil sketchy as the show got underway, that is until Joe Wiggins, Yo Gotti, and Peppa stepped in to make sure that folks were straight. Thanks to their efforts, non-existent floor seats became backstage access and the rest of the night was a celebration of the current state of Southern rap. Sure Lil Wayne, T.I., and Jeezy didn’t make it, nor even some of the biggest homegrown talents – Eightball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, and Kinfolk Kia Shine – but outside of Wayne, whose name was on the bill at one point (and had a show to perform in NY the next day), the missing acts were hardly, well, missed, mainly because there’s so much bubbling down South and below the national radar that’s got folks open.

We missed the first half of the show due to the ticket drama but were posted up in time to see how bright Boosie’s star truly shines, watch Soulja Boy Tell ’Em do it, take note of Gucci Mane’s once again flourishing career firsthand (it’s impressive, considering) not to mention the skills of young hot spitter All Star, and witness Playa Fly’s first show since he got out of the pen earlier this spring. The crowd was riding hard for damn near e’ryone of ’em, though All Star is still too busy establishing his mic rep to truly keep a crowd crunk (and I ain’t mad at him -- if he gets a break, he’s got the promise), and the only person who put the place on it’s collective ass was Baby Boy Da Prince. Not from lack of trying, either, I just don’t believe it’s ever gonna really happen for dude.

But the night belonged to hometown hero Yo Gotti who capped the show and turned the place out with a short set that was tight and tough. It’s crazy to be in a stadium-sized crowd so immersed in a set performed by an artist who’s virtually unknown in the rest of the country. And because I’m a Gotti fan just like my folks, it was the best live show I’ve seen in years.

Back to the Basics: Crunkfest Edition

Kinfolk missed the show, but popped up on Beale just as my iPhone was going dead (before you try’n get your hands on one, check out my full review here), so that worked out well. Ended up kicking it with him and Wifey all night, and although he was crazy pissed that he missed the show due to some shoddy private jet service, you gotta give the man respect for walking up and down Beale, shaking hands, signing autographs, and generally showing the hometown love. We ducked into the Plush Club long enough for a shot, a beer and an impromptu Kinfolk set and then kept it moving long enough to see some dude walking his pet kangaroo down Beale at 3a. Exactly: pet kangaroo. Try wrapping your beer goggles around that.

At the end of it all, shouts to Kinfolk, Frost, Wifey, Blink (and his Memphis or Die DVD), and the rest of that squad for extending the hospitality and just generally being good folks. Shouts again to Wiggins, Gotti, and Peppa for getting us in the backdoor (and congrats to Peppa for throwing a crunk ass event without any crazy ass motherfuckers fucking it up). Frog, as always, thanks for holding me down. Devin, for being one of Memphis’ few kings – we’ll get up soon, I’m sure of it. My boy Ed and his new home and wife. And the M in general, for just being there.

Kinfolk’s album, Due Season (Universal), in stores now. Keep an ear out for the second single, “W.O.W.”:

Gotti’s showstopper and reigning Memphis street anthem, “What Up,” from Back 2 Da Basics (TVT), in stores now:

And an All Star record, "A to Z," for the hell of it:

Also, my dude Dart’s got a hot single and a hot video on his hands. You know Cashis. You probably know this song. And you may or may not fuck with him. Watch this video. It changed my perspective entirely and I’ve been bumping the shit outta this track ever since. Sometimes things have to be seen to be heard. I know it ain’t got shit to do with this, but I just thought I should mention.

Cashis, “Lac Motion,” off the EP, The County Hound (Shady/Interscope), in stores now.