Category: live blogs

Stack Gold Ent put together a great show last Friday by bringing out up and coming New York sensation Mr. Swipey. The Brooklyn native came through New England literally spinning the whole night. We haven’t seen that much energy packed in one person in a while. Swipey didn’t come alone though, he brought along his crew including Mr. Exotic, Dilli, Jet Li, Mikey, Ca$hie, Swaggu and more.

This event was unfortunately not as packed as we would have hoped for such a good performer, but Mr. Swipey and his team still put on a great show for all that were there. Swarming with 2BLUNT tees, the audience spun along with Mr. Swipey and shouted out POW all night, which we later found out means ‘Peace Over War’.

We got the chance to chop it up with Swipey and he introduced his crew. The venue happened to be hosting a peculiar event that nigh, which made the logistics to the interview a bit chaotic. Consequently, the interview became kind of a mock based series of questions by all those who were backstage. It was a little hectic but we tried our best to cover it.

Per usual, we interviewed most of the opening acts to the show. Look out for those videos dropping throughout the week exclusively #2BLUNTLIVE.

Stay tuned, full interview with Mr. Swipey, an introduction to his crew, performances and more out soon. For now enjoy these photos by our man Porter!

22Gz and the BLIXKYS came through to Jewels Nightclub in Manchester, NH. Now we know this isn’t in Boston or even Massachusetts for that matter, but for now Jewels has served as the most consistent venue for intimate showcases and this last show, taken place on 6/5/21 demonstrated how lit the Jewels can get!

22Gz had the twirlinas twirling and everyone shouting out ‘THE BLIXKY THE BLIXKY THE BLIXKY’. Word won’t do it justice, wait till you see the footage of the Brooklyn Drill General in action!

The night was filled with great acts throughout the show. We got some great footage of their performances and will be putting them out throughout the week. Most of the acts were gracious enough to give us a short interview and showcase who they are off the stage. Seeing them fresh off a performance was pretty cool, the energy was real.

22Gz got to the venue early and got a chance to vibe with everyone backstage. As aggressive as the General is, ya mans is actually very genuine. He had positive vibes throughout the night, greeting fans graciously, taking pictures and all with a big smile and approachable demeanor.

We had the opportunity to sit down with 22 and ask him a few questions about his short yet impactful career, his plans for the future, where the term ‘Matta’ originated and some more cool facts about the Flatbush native. Stay tuned for that full interview and performance out on Friday!

For now enjoy some of these stills. They include 22Gz and the opening acts! Big shout out 2 Vas and Ben for a great show, we are looking forward 2 the next!

Is Black Capitalism the antidote to Black suffering? And if not then why do we all subscribe?

Derek Chauvin , George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Adam Toledo, Ma’Khia Bryant, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Fred Hampton, Martin Luther King , your own best friend. Your mother , your brother , your sister, your child.

No one group of people should have this many martyrs. What exactly is the cause that they die for? And how far have we as a people come in the pursuit of that cause?

I find myself often going in between emotions of hope and despair when I think about the plight of so many black people in America. While on one hand black people in America are making strides in the pursuit of racial equality and the overall pursuit of happiness that Thomas Jefferson speaks of in the Declaration of Independence. In this declaration , Jefferson adopted John Locke’s theory of Natural Rights, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The irony is that black people were not considered during the authoring of this declaration. So inevitably we are still some of the poorest, under-represented, and persecuted groups in America.

Though many people before us have dedicated their lives to the cause of racial inequity in America, many of us today have chosen not to dedicate so much of ourselves to this cause in order to preserve our own mental health and individual pursuits of happiness.

For me personally, the longer I fixate on the problem of racial inequality in America the bigger the problem becomes and the more multiplicitous the problem reveals itself to be. This is because I cannot discuss the issue of racism in America without addressing disparities in economics, education and healthcare. I can’t talk about racism in America without including the issue of colorism and featurism. I cannot even conceptualize the black identity crises in America without taking into account, intersectionality. Furthermore, I cannot discuss any of these issues without focusing on their individual affects on our mental and physical health overall.

So sometimes my resolution is to not even begin to address the issues or to just ignore these issues because they seem like they will always persist. Lately more than ever, I feel a need to simply enjoy my seemingly insignificant life here.. for it is short. Oftentimes the issues of race seem so much bigger than me, that I cower at the idea of solving them. Someone once said before we change the world we must change ourselves; I have found that personal development has been much more rewarding .

Let’s face it .. We live in the Capitalist mecca. In order to thrive in this society you are better off with money and with more money usually comes more education, more resources and subsequently success. Whatever success means to you, a majority of people would agree that oppression is not a tenet of a thriving, successful life. Over the years, I have seen successful black people use money to transcend the effects of racism or to pull themselves out from under the burden of racial oppression.

If you don’t really understand what I mean when I say oppression it’s okay. If you don’t feel oppressed it is understandable_ ideology is something so thick and omnipresent that you don’t realize you’re in it. It is like fish swimming in water. If you were to ask a fish what water was would they be able to tell you?

This is true for both the ideology of racism and of capitalism. It seems the only way to transcend racial inequity in America is to succumb to the game of capitalism. Get rich, get so powerful that you are strong enough to withstand the inequalities or so the inequalities barely affect you. Is that not the blueprint of the Carters, the P Diddys, and Steve Harveys.

But are we selling out? To succumb to capitalism is to succumb to a system that disregards humanity. But the opposite choice for s black person in America is oftentimes to suffer. That’s why shorty’s hollerin “where the ballers at?” Right? But like a wise man once said in conclusion, “ (..)and the white man get paid off of all of that”. So the more we subscribe to this idea of black wealth, luxury, and success inevitably the more we perpetuate this capitalist system:

Oppression and racial inequality in this capitalistic system is the reason you may have had to take out student loans but Lori Loughlin could buy her daughter’s way into an Ivy League. Inequality Is the reason you may be the first generation of your family to even have attended a college. The reason doctors don’t take you as seriously when you say you’re in pain. It’s the reason why when you go to the corner store in the hood you may not find much fresh produce but you’ll find thousands of cheaply made products with little or no nutritional value. It’s the reason the dark skinned girls get picked last in the music video lineups. It’s the reason for our relatives’ diabetes and hyper-tension. It’s the reason you can’t think straight at work the day or week after another black person or child has been killed again in the country.

But it’s also the reason we push through. The reason we finish that shift. The reason we hustle and pivot and maneuver through life. The reason we bust down our time-pieces and our gold jewelry. The reason wealthy black women everywhere are sporting new birkin bags by the week. The reason my mom worked 80 hours a week. The reason we know how to survive without heat or hot water and sometimes even food. The reason we manage to somehow carry on and add flavor to this bland world, despite the loads we carry everyday. The reason we can turn cornmeal into hush puppies and ox-tails into a delicacy.

It’s the reason we rob, scam and prostitute. Sure, white people commit these crimes all the time and oftentimes at much larger scales but the difference is often a matter of survival. This game of survival for a black person is a never ending speed-chase. But we run with grace. As we ascend we ascend with grace. My question remains, to where are we ascending? What have our individual successes actually done for the progress of racial equality in America?

As things slowly start to open back up, venues are taking the right precautions and making the accommodations to a hear by the demand for shows. After the Sheff G show was shut down in Worcester, MA due to COVID violations, @PrinceflyTy and @VasJanzisi take their services to Manchester, NH where the motto is “Live free or die..” ??‍♂️. With that said, we shot out to JEWEL Music Venue for a show headlining Yxng K.A, Philadelphia’s Stack or Starve artist.

The crew at JEWEL’s crew were receptive and had a pretty cool and innovative seating arrangement for the show. With less COVID worries air, opening acts hit the stage and tore it up. Click the following link 2 see quick interviews with some of the opening acts -> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDsPkBZiqJxm09Ksd52VISB_quyY9oIg7

We had the opportunity to sit down with K.A and do an interview, click the SHOWS tab to see the full interview out on Friday April 30, 2021. For now enjoy these pictures brought to you by @Porter.1no

Jesenia the singer is taking the R&B world by storm, captivating us with her versatility in her two newest music videos. The multi-talented, independent artist recently dropped two new singles “Rodeo”  and “Do Me Like That”, accompanied by music videos. Jesenia channels old school R&B in her latest single “Rodeo”, a song about repetitive failure in love. Her other video for the single, “Do Me Like That” depicts a multimedia artistic experience, as Jesenia uses several mediums to tell a love story gone awry. “Do Me Like That”  chronicles the thought process of a woman presumably at the end of a volatile relationship. She expresses disappointment in her love interest who seems to have left her at a low point or in Jesenia’s words “folded” on her.The opening scene of the video is a testament to Jesenia’s artistry, as she adds the finishing touches to a dark mural painting which serves as the backdrop for a good portion of the music video. Jesenia channels her inner Lara Croft in an all-black outfit, with a slinky black bralette, sheer black cargoes, black timbs, and a floor-length, braided ponytail that screams alpha-woman. She contrasts these scenes with scenes of her interacting with her love interest. In these scenes, she is clearly embodying a more vulnerable version of herself, of which her lover seems to be taking advantage. She contemplates their relationship, “Certain questions that I sit around and I ask myself/ Like do you love me/ Will you leave me?/ Are you bad for my health?“Rodeo” is a bit more upbeat tempo, but the message is similar in this R&B ballad: This is not Jesenia’s first rodeo. Jesenia voice travels in melodious rifts over a soft guitar. Clad in a cowgirl outfit, she rides in on the back of a chocolate brown horse. “When I’m with you boy it feels good but I always find myself misunderstood,/ then you tell me I’m trippin/ And you start acting distant. She goes on to say that her personal damage has caused similar situations in her love life, and maybe it’s time for her to be alone. I loved that the resolution after both of these rollercoaster experiences was self-love. Jesenia’s vulnerability makes her so relatable. She has been through some things, just like any of us and she is sharing her stories with us through her art. Her work is pure expression, and her delivery is authentic. She is no doubt a talent to watch. 

“Do Me Like That” shot and directed by @colinpagnoni, big shout out for the pictures???

Avenue’s Brownstones opens up with a heavy guitar tune and a small band. When I heard the opening of “Box & 1” my initial thoughts were, “Wow, instruments? A choir, singing in a minor chord?” It’s been a while since I heard rap over a soul beat ( since the rise of trap music and drill beats). Immediately, Brownstones takes you to another era, which is precisely the vibe of the EP: old-school, nostalgic, experienced. Avenue uses subtle and soulful instrumentals on his EP, allowing his lyricism to shine.

Thriving, is the theme of the first song, “ Box & 1”. Avenue reflects on how far he has come, from where he started, comparing his old ways to the current, “ Saying less, but I’m more observant”/ “Still got work on that corner but I ain’t doin’ the service.” In a way, he’s elevated from humble beginnings, but he wants us to know that those humble beginnings made him as resilient as he is today, “The trenches were never safe, but I mastered and navigate.” A Box&1 refers to a defensive play that’s used in sports like basketball. The box&1 tactic is usually used against a team with one dominant scoring threat according to Wikipedia.com. So even while being surrounded by adversity, Avenue has found his own success– He will not be “boxed in”. The last few lines of his hook are a testament to that fact, “Watching the game from the box ( box seats), that’s how far we’ve come/ Drinking so much champagne I forgot we won.”

The major single off of Brownstones , “Bobs the Chefs” turns us up a notch, incorporating more vocals and trumpets on the instrumental. Though the vibe is smooth, Avenue’s cockiness on this single cant help but perk you up. It could be the way Avenue unapologetically reps his city in this ode to himself, “My old-head told me my voice was a weapon/ That’s why I’m always reppin/ Mass Ave and Lennox like it’s intersectin’/South End, Roxbury but the lower section”. His authenticity draws you into his life story. For those who don’t already know this single is titled after the famous landmark soul food restaurant on Columbus Avenue in Boston MA, called Bob the Chefs. Avenue manages to always tie in his theme with the city of Boston. You can tell that Boston is intertwined fully with his identity. Avenue ends this single confirming his identity (just incase anyone forgot), “I’m really from the town but I ain’t got the accent/ And fuck whats going on I’ll be forever crackin”.

The EP ends with the freestyle, “ Brownstone freestyle”. Transitioning from a more commercial sound, leaving the hooks behind, rapper Avenue leaves it all on this last track. This freestyle is somewhat a reminder to his listeners that he is still indeed existing as a human being, which can get hard at times. He ends his album with a voiceover by Keiajah “ KJ” Brooks. Taken from the infamous clip where she is literally reading the Kansas City police commissioner for filth. Her final words to the police: “ I’m not nice, and I don’t seek to be respectable. i’m not asking ya’ll for anything. Because ya’ll cant and wont both my savior and oppressor. Um, I don’t want reform. You get one life and you all in this room have chosen profits over people and that’s pathetic”. In conclusion: Ain’t shit sweet. 

These aren’t songs for Tik-Tok. These are songs that’ll still mean something years from now. Raps that someone could have written decades ago. Songs that you replay over and over again to grasp the full message. The conclusion of this album solidifies Avenue’s individuality as a conscious street rapper. Following in the footsteps of the Jay-Z’s, Nipsey’s, and Kendrick Lamar’s, Avenue remains grounded in his pursuit of success. 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it looks like Cupid’s arrow struck a bit early this year.

The island drums give Koopa Troopa Beach vibes and DYM’s smooth vocals leaves the audience wondering what else he has to offer. Dope track for the season for sure and can prob vibe out to this one up until the Summer ☀️ ☀️ ?

Check out his lyric video provided in the link below!

https://youtu.be/HS-iFK1cMW8

Photo cred: @moreworkcomingsoon ?

This post hurts 2 put up.. Von was a budding star on the brink of really making a stamp in the game. Today, 11/6/20, King Von was shot down and killed in Atlanta. This is the second major loss we’ve experienced this year with Hiphop young artist. It really is heartbreaking ?

In honor of King Von’s short but impactful life, here are some pictures taken back last December at Club Centro. Photos taken by the bro @tdvisualz ? ?

Starling Inc is back on the scene with a great show staring Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. The Shooter gang had girls fainting in the audience has the fans could hardly contain themselves. Check out the video recap on the ‘Shows’ tab!

Fivio Foreign at Lit Lounge in Providence showing love 2 his fans that came from all over 2 see him preform. After paying heart felt tribute 2 the late Pop Smoke, Fivi killed the stage with hit “Big Drip” look out for the video on #2BluntLIVE soon!

@fivioforeign_8fs