My third time hosting the Mad Records Showcase, on March 28, 2017 was the charm; it was ladies’ night after all. Figga Face, creator of the showcase, has managed to compile amazing talent once again this week. Our sponsors were Trust No One, who had thongs on deck, as well as our photographer, Un-Rated Ebony, who captured the entire evening with her lens; two pairs of Yankee tickets were also given away. DJ Guttah was on the turntables and had a flawless set; I was very impressed with his 90’s rotation that featured all of the classics. The evening’s judges were King Luke, Johnny Dutch and HD of Desert Storm Radio. Oswald Williams of My Block TV was in the building covering the event and interviewing talent; exclusive behind the scenes footage to follow independently.
Deebo Gwollah kicked off the set; amazing energy which is a requirement when setting the tone. He hails from New Rochelle and came with an entourage. He started rapping in 2008 and was an engineer prior to that; you could tell by the quality of his music. Great stage prescience and energy, Deebo Gwollah is someone that I will be following to see what else he has in store. Now, Peppa had my attention prior to the showcase even starting. I received the email with her music and promo pics and could not help but notice her name was the same as my daughters; Kai Anne. She lived up to her moniker because she lit the stage on fire. She came across as soft spoken during the interview, and was extremely humble during her performance. I am confident this will change as she assumes the role of MC and owns her rightful place on the stage. Great lyrics paired with fierce style; she is going to be the perfect new addition to the rap scene. Choppo Troublez hails from Queens and has been featured at the last three showcases. His newest song, “I Be Leanin” has been highlighted as well as “Pretty Gang”; both can be purchased on iTunes. His sets have been consistent and I look forward to seeing more of him outside of New York; he anticipates going to A3C this year to expand his brand. Loopy Los and Ruger Red were new names for me, so I was looking forward to their individual sets. Loopy Los, style wise, already got my attention. He performed his set alone, kept the attention of the audience and he scored well with the judges. His production was summer-time ready. Ruger Red, commanded the stage with his statuesque physique and an entourage. His lyrics were on par with what I have come to expect from the new era of Hip-Hop. He is one individual who I was unable to interview, but plan on reaching out to him to find out more about his story and inspiration. King Luke and Figga Face took the stage and delivered individual sets. The winner from the last showcase, Mr. Moe, of Young Famous Africans was back in the building for his encore. I have watched his social media blossom since the win last month, and he has stepped it up tremendously; photoshoots, interviews and studio sessions are now are part of his daily repertoire. Dipset’s own V. Casi was the evening’s headliner and boy did she shut things down. Her tone was a strikingly unique; just a beautiful voice. She sang the “Grass Ain’t Greener” which features Chris Brown. Her song was cut short by our DJ in error, yet, she kept going like a true performer does. She was sensual and kept all the attention on her by engaging the audience with her eyes; just stunning. I cannot wait to see what else she has in store this summer; I am hooked to say the least. Calina Ashley came out strong from the gate. Her lyrics were solid and entertaining; witty and clever. The crowd was enthralled with her; she had them singing the hook despite it being the first time some had heard her music. Ultimately, the judges chose her as the winner in the female category; rightfully so in my opinion. She will be back at the next showcase and she promises to bring her son. Talent runs in the family so if he is anything like his mother, it will prove to be a set worth seeing. Splashie already made me a fan before he uttered a word. He tore the stage up in a retro Vince Carter Raptor’s jersey; how apropos because his performance was a slam dunk. Honestly, I just like his delivery; something about his accent just makes me eat every word up. He is full of energy and even filled the roll of hype-man for the opening act, Deebo Gwollah. He gave us two tracks and showed us he can switch up his flow, which is very important in a stale rap game. He was deemed the male winner by our judges and I think they nailed this as well. The next Mad Records Showcase will take place on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at the Prospect Billiards Café. If you would like to preform or attend the next showcase, please get your tickets from Eventbrite. We look forward to seeing some fresh new talent and can’t wait to see you there.
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Jenna A. HercheA native New Yorker, Jenna has been in various facets of the entertainment industry for over twenty years. Her newest venture is media. Be sure to stay tuned for her perspective on the industry and the politics that come with the territory. CategoriesArchives
March 2020
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