EDITOR TI’JUANA HARDWELL COVER DESIGN BY KWAME ROWE
Let’s get right into it! The “TEN TO WATCH” edition of Mamarazzi Entertainment Magazine is a fav of mine every year! I get the pleasure of highlighting 10 talents in the ICT area who are putting on for the city and propelling in their entertainment lane. I look for: Artists building an organic following Taking unique approaches to marketing their music and artistry Independent artists who generate a buzz with song and video releases Re-emerging artists To connect with me, please email MamarazziMagazine@gmail.com I hope you enjoy this jam-packed issue!
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Ti’Juana “Mamarazzi” Hardwell
WIN CRABTREE 8 FREDDY HIGH 9
EIGHT-O 20
ALPHA G 17 GENO GREEN 18
DAX 13 KYLE ELLISON 14 +PLAINVIEW KIET 16
ELI B 23
STATE OF ADDRESS W/ DJ 3 10 CASH HOLLISTAH 12 +S.T.R.A.P. 22
U O Y E R E W WATCHING?! ‘16 Ant Avery expanded his Antimosity brand beyond clothing and music. He now offers skateboards, skateboarding apparel and accessories. He partnered with promoter Nnanna Okpara to open Demo Skate Shop located at 617 W. Douglas Ave. in Wichita as a home-base for the brand. Ant also launched an organization called “Hip Hop 4” to celebrate hip hop, the history, and culture. The efforts also seek to cure hunger in the community. He has already launched several hip hop events that raised money to support various good-causes. For more
Jamal “Smoove” Harris has kept it pushing in and out of the studio. In the last year he released “Trappin’ On a Naya Cut” with producer Leon “Pliznaya” Flowers and also his “Meditation” solo project. The streets approved and he followed up with “Back On My Sh*t,” a collab track with Elbert “Skinnychipyatted” Mack. The two shot a video for the project. Smoove is now gearing up to release an album he’s naming, “Hardest Sh*t Ever.“ He says there is “a little bit of ego wrapped in it cause I’ve been working hard for the last year and a half and got no doubt in my mind I can take it to the top on a national level as an artist, rapper, writer, designer, and all.”
Kobie “Bars” Marshall achieved success with radio spins via Wichita’s premiere radio station Power 93.5 for his single titled “Come Back.” The promotional video for the track garnered more than 23,000 views and appeared on his “Sunny at Midnight” EP project. Bars has enjoyed performing his music live and is already hurrying to release “Flight 3:16” as a follow-up. Check in to www.facebook.com/barsandhiphop for more deets!
MORNING PLAYHOUSE M-F 6-10 a.m. &
M-F 10 a.m.-Noon Carla Ayala recently joined the POWER 93.5 KDGS radio station team. She will co-host the POWER Morning Playhouse weekdays from 6 a.m.-10 a.m. alongside Greg “Hitman� Williams. She will also entertain us from 10 a.m.-noon each day. Ayala formerly served as a market community ambassador for YELP and also worked at Q92. She used the platform to promote events in the community and also independent recording musicians. Ayala will be a great asset to POWER 93.5.
UPDATES 6 ‘1 H C T A W O T N TE
] d e u n ti n [...co
Dre Kahmeyer of Fiction Media has raised the bar for artists to achieve higher quality videos that capture more of their vision. In the later part of 2016, he and artist Samuel David co-directed “Feel The Love Pt. II” which received widespread support and admiration. Fiction Media also hit gold with the “B.I.F.A.” video-visual also featuring Samuel David, Kyle Ellison and Freddy Hightower. The song is also in regular rotation via Power 93.5. Fiction Media has worked with a plethora of artists including Crim Dela Crim and Lucid—both featured in the “TEN TO WATCH 2016” issue of Mamarazzi Entertainment Magazine. The work has also included Rudy Love Jr. allowing Dre to work as a cinematographer alongside an LA-based Director. He’s filmed in Las Vegas, Florida and Puerto Rico but is still proud of his body of work based in Wichita. Check out Fiction Media to view a growing catalog of work by Dre!
U.S. Entertainment has continued to bring nightlife and concert entertainment to the city. Since being featured in the “TEN TO WATCH 2016” issue Derrick “DJ 3” Crosby (far right) has been promoted to Vice President of CORE DJ, a coalition of more than 300 professional DJs from across the world. They recently hosted the 27th annual CORE DJ Retreat which unites DJs and unsigned talent. In his role as VP he is charged with growing the coalition, working with radio and record label affiliates and mentoring artists.
WIN
CRABTREE INKS DEAL
Homegrown talent is being
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recognized on a major level. Warner Music Group and Pulse Music Group joined to sign Wichita’s Win Crabtree for a production deal. Team Green Productions, which Crabtree cofounded in 2008, will serve as songwriters and producers. Crabtree already has a few notches under his belt. He was credited as a producer on R. Kelly’s raunchy single titled “Cookie” which appeared on the “Black Panties” album released in 2013. The album is certified gold (RIAA). J. Angel, Crabtree’s manager at the time, was working with Roc Nation and made the connection happen. “It just validated all those nights I stayed up late working at it [and] studying this,” says Crabtree about the track earning placement on the legend’s album. “But you can’t let it go to your head.” “You celebrate it in the moment it happens but then you go on and you get busy working on the next one,” adds Crabtree. Crabtree formerly served as the XV(left) with Win Crabtree DJ for rapper Donavan “XV” Win Crabtree signs with Warner & Pulse Johnson in his earlier days with Royalty Records, an indie music group. Music Group. Pictures courtesy of Crabtree XV taught him how to produce music and XV went on to sign with Warner Bros. Records. Team Green is currently based in Los Angeles and includes co-founder Aaron “Concept” Siebert, T. Newsome and Zell. They’ve worked with Young Money, Rick Ross, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Gucci Mane, Master P, Mobb Deep and a list of other accomplished artists. “Talent always has a place,” says Crabtree. “I knew I wasn’t going to blow up in Wichita and I positioned myself in a way where I could be seen and heard.” Travel allowed him to establish meaningful connections in more substantial entertainment circuits. Securing a production deal affirmed his decision. Crabtree says that “the real work” starts now. “I’m not at the finish line yet,” he says. “It’s like the guy at the track meet just fired the gun and it’s time to start the race--but this is a marathon.” Crabtree will continue to live between Wichita and LA. He jokes that his LA rent is three times as much as his mortgage back at home. But keeping busy in the studio will prove fruitful for the dreamer. He recently spent four days working with rapper Flo Rida and has received credit on the first two singles he’ll release. He’s also gearing up to work with Akon. For more information about Win Crabtree and Team Green Productions, please visit TeamGreenMusic.com.
FREDDY HIGH RELAUNCHES HIS MUSIC CAREER
Freddy High’s longtime friend XV (far left) made a cameo in B.I.F.A.
F
reddy High is ready to break out and make an even bigger name for his self in what feels like a new chapter for him. Along with his longtime friend and fellow rapper Donavan “XV” Johnson, they introduced the world to Squarian life. They traveled and met the likes of J Cole, Wiz Khalifa and Schoolboy Q. But before all of that, they were just independent music artists in a make-shift studio owned by Rod G. The two chatted quite a bit and began collaborating on music together before creating an indie-label group called “Royalty.” Freddy was then known as “Bling.” “That’s back when bling [jewelry] was a big thing in music,” says Freddy. “And that’s the kind of music we were listening to so I wanted to be known as [Bling].” The group tapped into the mixtape trend where a rapper would rap over a popular beat with original lyrics and create a compilation of work. Their “First Draft” project sampled 50 Cent who was a new and rising star at the time. Royalty would do a street-push of their mixtapes and established a fan following along the way.
They’d also take advantage of opportunities to perform at local spots like the Armory which would host youth dance nights. But by 2010 the stage they were on was so much bigger. XV was signed to Warner Bros.
Records and Freddy went along with him, traveling the country. They went on to perform at three sold-out House of Blues concerts, taking part in a 30-city tour and recording countless song tracks—-and then the lights dimmed. Freddy says it became an unhappy situation where the record label and XV couldn’t agree on his image or what music to release. Freddy says that the music XV created during that time may never be released but if it were, Wichitans would be proud of
the body of work. On “Definition 2,” a music project by XV, Freddy High raps, “You my right-hand man/We got a plan cause these other cats bullsh*ttin’/They don’t see all the work that we put out/Work that we put in just to get the work out.” “I’ve seen him at his highs and at his lowest,” Freddy says. “But deal or no deal, that’s my friend first.” “XV will always be my team and my guy,” he adds. As Freddy creates music of his own, XV remains his go-to-guy and tastemaker. “There’s always a listening session that involves him,” Freddy insists. “He’s always honest and that’s what you need.” Freddy is now in-front of the machine he’s pushing but admits to feeling some pressure-that has more to do with time. In spring of this year he released, “Everywhere I Go.” “The idea came about when I was deleting my voicemail messages,” explains Freddy. “I stopped and I really listened to their voices and I thought about how my family dynamic is.” He wanted to shed a light on them by incorporating authentic voicemail messages into the project. They were glad to be involved in the project as well as the video visual that followed its release.
Freddy’s next big bang came by way of a track he created with fellow rap artists Samuel David and Kyle Ellison called “B.I.F.A. (B*tch I Feel Amazing).” The song was named “Amazing” but the sound engineer titled it “B.I.F.A. and they ran with it. Freddy says they wrote and recorded the track in one night. The single packs it on with braggadocios verses repping neighborhoods in Wichita. “You always want to hold your own on a track,” Freddy says about artistcollaborations. “We challenged each other and we were happy with how it turned out.” The video was released in early August and even featured a cameo by XV. Freddy realizes that now is the time to make it happen with this music thing. “I don’t want to die and say I didn’t give everything to this music,” says Freddy. He will continue to promote the “Everywhere I Go” album project but will also record new music. To hear the album or connect with Freddy High, visit FreddyHigh.com.
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RY A T N E M M CO BY
DERRICK “DJ 3” CROSBY
Vice President of CORE DJS
DJ’d for more than 20 years
Derrick “DJ 3” is the Vice President of CORE DJs. The network has more than 300 professional DJs which include program directors, radio DJs, and club DJs. In his role as VP, he is tasked with growing the organization in every region. For 20 years DJ3 has mentored independent local artists, served as a DJ and also as a promoter bringing some of the most popular concert shows to town. He’s also broke down several walls to ensure hip hop thrives in the city. Hip Hop had been pegged as the “trouble child” in Wichita’s entertainment pubs, blamed for any riff raff, fights or shootings. DJ 3 believes the finger-pointing is unjust. “I fought for hip hop music to be here and to have a place in Old Town,” DJ 3 says about Wichita’s entertainment district. “I flooded the city with artist after artist just to have hip hop here.” He established a rapport with artists through his extensive network, prior to bringing them to town. DJ 3 has also afforded artists an opportunity to share the stage with the acts and to network. One of the most popular events he hosts is the Meet the DJ workshop events where artists can receive constructive criticism and hear from credible professionals. But DJ 3 has noticed that in the age of the internet, artists are losing
Collaborates & mentors countless signed & independent artists Concert/Nightlife Promoter
the hustle that made earlier artists so successful. In a world dominated by 140character tweets and Facebook tags, so many unsigned artists rely solely on social media to market their artistry. They attribute their fan base to how many “likes” and views they can garner online. DJ 3 wants them to tap into street promotions where they pass out physical copies of CDs, book show performances in-person, and build a rapport with DJs who can spin their records at entertainment spots. “The street campaign always wins,” says DJ 3. “Getting out here and
shaking hands goes way longer than a [social media] tag.” DJ 3 also challenges Wichitabased artists to travel out-of-state to reach a much larger audience. “You have to lock down your region,” DJ 3 says. “If you’re not traveling five or more hours outside of your city, you don’t know what connections are out there for you.” To link with DJ 3 email him at DJ3316@gmail.com. You may even connect with him via his social media handle: @DJ3316.
Lock Down Your Region: Build your online presence, network within your city, collaborate and support other artists. It’s also important to travel five hours or more outside of your city to network and perform.
Have Merchandise Available: Have products that help people to remember your name and brand including t-shirts, stickers, CDs, and posters.
Know That Tagging Is Trash: Tagging is trash. It’s insane to tag people you don’t know in your music links or music videos. You’re not networking when you do this. You’re not connecting with the people you tag. Instead, sponsor yourself by purchasing Facebook advertisement so that your music is in their newsfeed as an ad instead of a tag.
With Cash Hollistah
S
alina-based rap artist Cash Hollistah is a regular on the Wichita music scene. The “Faithful” and “Jump” artist travels about 90 miles to the city to perform and connect with his fans. He appreciates the versatility in music that Wichita artists represent. “You’ve got gangsta rap, lyricists and alternative music,” says Hollistah, naming artists Samuel David, Manish Law, A.D. Koli and Chaos. For years Cash has participated in online debates about sports, music and TV shows. But a true
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music lover, he tunes in to conversation surrounding hip hop’s top MCs, tracks, beats and producers and contributes his thoughts. “I love music and I love the culture,” says Hollistah who comes from a family with a musical background. “I’ve been immersed in the hip hop culture for years.” Cash recently launched TheseAreMy5.com, where he hosts an online webseries sharing his favorites in several categories. The
hip hop historian breaks down his reason for inducting an
artist or song into his favorites list while also featuring the tracks he talks about. “Everybody has these types
of conversations with their friends,” explains Hollistah. “Debate is healthy.” Hollistah is averaging 5,000 views an episode of “These Are My 5.” He’s received positive feedback and allows viewers to challenge his picks. The show is energetic and dares everyone else to come up with their very own list! He hopes the show will gain traction and garner a TV distribution deal. To connect with Cash Hollistah, please visit his Cash Hollistah LIKE page on Facebook or email him at TheNamesCash@gmail.com.
Samuel David, Kyle “KaeWun” Ellison & Freddy High have achieved radio success with their hot single entitled B.I.F.A. (B*tch I Feel Amazing). The Dub K anthem-track which will appear on Samuel David’s upcoming album “Book of Samuel David,” was originally labeled “Amazing.” The engineer who worked to perfect the sounds labeled it B.I.F.A. and the trio let it stick!
DAX HITS 14 MIL VIEWS
Independent music artist Daniel “Dax” Nwosu has grown up watching the music industry shift like the weather. Best Buy’s CD inventory has been reduced to just one aisle--as if the shiny discs are better repurposed for drink coasters. The 23-year-old has embraced the direction of the music market and used the internet as a vehicle to promote his songs and build a fan base. Dax was born in Ottawa, Canada, some 200 miles from Toronto. His Nigerian parents imagined he’d become a lawyer or a doctor. But the 6’2 kid had other plans. At age 18 he left Canada to play Division 1 basketball--hoping he’d later join the NBA. He attended college in Wyoming and Montana before settling in Wichita, Kan. where he attended Sunrise Christian Academy. In just another semester he’ll earn his Bachelor’s degree for Communication at Newman University. “Nigerian parents always want their kid to become a doctor or a lawyer,” says Dax. “They wanted me to get an education so that I can be successful and I get that.” Despite their earlier reservations,
Dax’s parents have given their support to his pursuits. They’ve also embraced his growing celebrity. Dax believes his college studies have helped him with networking and marketing himself as an artist. “I believe in exponential growth,” Dax says. “I’m sitting here talking to you, and if it goes well, hopefully you’ll tell someone about my music and then they’ll also tell someone about my music [and so on].” He attributes this type of patterning to an increase in his social media followers, Spotify subscribers and video views. Dax has more than 56,000 monthly listeners to his Spotify music channel. His “Cash Me Outside” song and YouTube video have earned more than 14 million views since its February 2017 release. The track uses the sound bite made famous by troubled-teen Danielle Bregolio who appeared on the Dr. Phil show and later became a viral sensation. “I’m an artist who likes to talk about what I know,” says Dax. “My music style is forever growing and my influence can change the world.” For now, he works at the college and limits his spending. He cashes out on studio time and haircuts, mostly. “I don’t spend money on things that other artists spend their money on,” Dax
says. “I don’t spend money on drugs, clothes, cars, and I don’t have kids or a baby-mama I have to take care of!” It frees his budget to make music and enlist a videographer. From an iPhone he stays in the loop, connects with fans on social media and shares his music. Using the internet as a hub allows him to be an artist whose physical address is not the forefront of his identity--someone who exists mostly online but isn’t a “local artist.” Dax says being an artist in Kansas is hugely challenging. “I was trying to figure out, ‘How can I be marketable outside of Kansas?’” says Dax. “How can I get the internet to hear what I have to say?” Dax feels fellow artists make the mistake of thinking they must capture their immediate audience first and it somehow stifles their creativity. “Wichita hasn’t identified its own style,” says Dax. “It’s in the middle of the country so it’s kind of taking sh*t from everywhere else.” “In reality, coming out of Wichita you’ll need to find your own identity,” Dax adds. Dax says artists can do more to heighten Wichita’s visibility within the music industry by attracting attention on a larger platform. Tap into Dax’s music through his Dax YouTube Channel or on Spotify. To book Dax for a show, please email: contact@emgmanagementgroup.com.
KYLE LEAVES CORPORATE AMERICA “FOR THE CULTURE” Kyle “Kae Wun” Ellison proclaimed the title of “Mr. ICT” after achieving radio success as an independent recording artist. He mastered reoccurring spins on Radio Station Power 93.5 (formerly 93.9) with single tracks, “ICT (The Official Anthem)” and “I’m Hot.” This happened during a time when many local artists felt slighted by the station. Kyle earned Program Director Greg “The Hitman” Williams’ support and performed at countless concert shows which the station brought to town with headliners like Mike Jones and 50 Cent. But at the height of his music career, Kyle left Wichita. In 2009 he and his wife moved to Dover, Delaware for a job opportunity she accepted as head coach for Delaware State University. The move pushed Kyle to a new music market networking with East coast artists and music reps. “It’s easy to represent
Wichita in Wichita,” says Kyle. “But it meant so much more to represent us in New York, Philly, and Baltimore.” He made several connections while there and credits moving miles away from friends, family, and fans for his growth as a person and an artist. Kyle signed a production deal with a Toronto company and worked with an artist development company based in New York that also handled his music distribution. But he
experienced the downside of being in a contract. “If I didn’t want to do something in the direction that they
“I WAS DRINKING THE CORPORATE JUICE”— wanted, it’s like they were holding the music I was making for ransom,” Kyle says. “The whole situation was wack for my creative process.” His small family missed the friendships and Wichita-family and made plans to return. But many aspects of his deal were still a burden. The very next day Kyle met with Hitman. “[Hitman] told me ‘You’ve always let people hold the keys to your bus--you’ve never driven your own bus,’” Kyle recalls the program director saying. “He said, ‘When are you going to start driving your own bus?’”
Hitman warned Kyle that the road could be bumpy but his “bus,” so-to-speak, would be fine and get to where it needed to go. It took years before Kyle released new music to the public. He’d entered corporate America and abandoned the “Kae Wun” pseudonym that made him known in and out of his city. His fans would ask, ‘When are you coming out with new music?’ But he didn’t always give clear answers. He’d sometimes give them a project to listen to but would disappear again, as though his passion for it was stifled.
But in February of this year Kyle released “For the Culture.” He used the album to convey that he was finally ready to pursue music full-throttle. The project also served as a two-weeks-notice to his job. “I was drinking the corporate juice and was going to retire from there,” says Kyle about his sales gig. “I started seeing friends
be let go from the job, knew what they were going through and how much they needed this job.” Kyle says it made him realize that every employee was disposable to the company and he resigned. He reconnected with Carlos Fernandez Jr., an old friend who launched Clutch Studio, a company that builds mobile apps and helps companies establish their brand. He accepted a position in operations with Clutch. He sometimes features his original music in the background of video promotions for companies that enlist their services. Kyle recently collaborated with fellow music artists Samuel David and Freddy High. The song, “B.I.F.A. (Amazing),” is already in regular rotation on Power 93.5
radio station. The high-octane record boasts, “B*tch I feel amazing/Yes/Blessed/I ain’t worried bout sh*t.” The video, shot by Fiction Media, gives a window seat to north and south side Wichita. The video is well on its way to 8K views. Kyle is back in the studio cranking out even more songs and building concepts for a new project. “I feel like I have another ‘I’m Hot’ record left in me,” he says. Kyle has the keys and is in the driver’s seat headed for the top again. For more information, visit SomeGuyNamedKyle.com.
Plainview Kiet is garnering attention on the Wichita music scene for his flow and music videos depicting the neighborhood where he grew up. The Vietnam-born rapper, Kiet Nguyen, was brought to the U.S. through adoption at age 7. He was raised in Wichita’s Planeview community, known for being a low-income neighborhood. The racial backgrounds of its residents vary from black to white and Asian and Mexican. Over the years, more has been done to renovate the project area, but Planeview is still largely stigmatized. “Planeview represents the struggle,” says Kiet, who changed the spelling but included the hood into his stage name. “The people who talk about it have no idea about the people who live there.” Kiet developed close relationships with black kids in the area. They hung out and began making music together. He was influenced by the music sounds coming out of Atlanta. Kiet’s songs address his upbringing and the hardships he’s endured. When asked in his interview about his use of the “N” word, he expressed that his generation has a different set of rules about the word. The word is considered by many as a racial slur but often used in Hip Hop. He discourages his
White fans (mostly high school students) from using the “N” word. “My friends accept me saying it because they’ve known me for years,” says Kiet, whose friend and producer Lyndon “Double Oh” Esters encouraged him to be authentic in his songs (using language he always uses). “But I don’t want my fans to get bullied or checked for it.” “The way we in the younger generation use the word is nothing racial,” 23-yearold Kiet insists. “It’s how I grew up.” Plainview says he’s a product of the environment where he grew up. “If you throw a 7-year-old kid [into] China, how do you
PLAINVIEW REPS HIS HOOD THRU MUSIC
think he’s going to come out speaking?” adds Kiet. Plainview’s music will continue to reflect his lifesituations. From age 18-21 he was in and out of jail. Before sleeping on a jail cot, he slept in the back of a nail salon which was used as a front for drug trafficking. While incarcerated a friend who was sentenced to 25 years told him he was wasting his talent. Kiet looked around him, realized a majority of his
friends were dead or in prison and refocused his energy to music. “A year ago when I was doing music, I was looking to get noticed,” says Kiet. “And like overnight people started paying attention.” He released Plainview 1-3 and is now working on a new album. Kiet’s song records “Ramen Noodles,” “Rice on Rice,” and “Big Dreams” have helped to spark interest in him. On “Big Dreams” he speaks about aspirations to have more quality in life. His life is already changing for the better now that he has settled down with the mother of his newborn son. Kiet is more focused on music these days. He works closely with the Hit King video production team and local beat makers. Wichita Clothing brand owner Tevin Jacques manages
Plainview poses with manager and Not Human clothing owner Tevin Jacques and a Not Human clothing model.
Kiet along with Priness Bennett. Plainview Kiet’s next move will be gaining viral recognition through a music video--in the age where viral is gold. For booking, contact: PlainviewBooking@gmail.com.
ALPHA HANGS WITH THE BIG DOGS IN LA G
enaya “Alpha G” Calhoun is beginning to make a name for herself in Wichita’s hip hop music scene--but already rubbing elbows with the largest DJ coalition in the world. In May she drove all the way to LA to attend the 27th Annual CORE DJ Retreat. The retreats allow independent music artists to network and perform with an audience of 300 DJs from all around the country. Alpha G learned about the retreat from Derrick “DJ 3” Crosby, the Vice President of the DJ coalition. DJ 3 is based in Wichita, KS. The two met at an in-town networking event and he suggested she attend the retreat to connect with DJs outside of the city. She left with his business card. “I remember the DJs saying ‘Get out of town and make your city miss you,’” Alpha G explained. “So I signed up to attend the retreat, drove all the way there and got to LA only three to four hours before it was time for me to go on stage.” “I spent a lot of money to get there and I wanted to be taken seriously,” she says. She bumped into DJ 3 before taking the stage. He didn’t recognize her immediately. “I asked him, ‘Do you remember me?’ Alpha G describes. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I just ran into you on the stairs.’” “I was like ‘No, you don’t remember telling me to come here and giving me your card?’” she goes on, before pulling out the same card he had given to her. DJ 3 was shocked to see a hometown artist travel more than 1,300 miles away. Alpha took the stage and received positive feedback from others in attendance at the event. She took a mental note of their constructive criticism before exiting the stage. Several people came up to her looking to work with her or connect with her after the event. DJ 3 took the time to introduce her to an
entertainment lawyer. She took 4th place out of 12 performers. It was an incredible feeling for the 23-year-old until Alpha G turned to social media. The artist had prepared a show disc for her retreat performance. She etched her name on the CD and left it at the DJ booth. Tony Neal, Founder and President of CORE DJs, posted a picture of the CD and was overtly critical of it.
“I spent a lot of money to get there and I wanted to be taken seriously”— His Instagram post criticized and poked fun of the unprofessional presentation of the disc. Out of respect for Alpha G and the CORE DJ organization, the Instagram post will not be featured here as it has since been removed from social media. “This was a single show disc I made just for the event,” she explained. “I also had a jump drive [as back-up] to make sure the DJ would be able to play my music.” “I wasn’t trying to give anyone that CD and that’s not how I would distribute my music so I was shocked by him putting me out there like that,” she added. Several people chimed in on Neal’s post before he deleted the post. It’s something Alpha G can’t forget. Mamarazzi Entertainment Magazine
reached out to the CORE DJ founder for comment. He did provide insight to his post. “You only got one time to make a great impression,” says Neal. “She made the mistake of leaving a CD behind that she didn’t want anyone else to see.” “This was her music and she treated her [disc] like trash by leaving it behind instead of taking it with her,” he added. Neal asserts that the CD was placed on the promotional table along with magazines, badges and jump drives all intended to be passed on to DJs. He says artists are encouraged to bring jump drives or professionally packaged CDs for the purpose of sharing and networking. Despite the mishap that filtered over to social media, Neal says he was impressed with a freestyle flow Alpha G posted to her social media account and believes she simply made an honest misstep. Neal hopes she will use this as an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist. Alpha G is not discouraged and shared that she will definitely attend future CORE DJ events. With the support of her Paper Made Team, she plans to use situations like this to motivate her. She’s developing tougher skin and is ready for greater exposure. The release of Alpha’s “Dub Views” music video has sparked interest in the new artist as well. But everyone will have to wait for the release of her “Free Game EP.” Alpha G wants to ensure all of the elements are right and that she has raised the demand for the project. For more info or for booking, visit PMTOfficials@gmail.com.
RAPPER GENO RELEASES “I AINT RAPP’N VOL. 2” Geno Green has put
express himself. But the closing of several hip hop clubs and Wichita concert venues that once allowed independent artist performances, stifled his feelings about the direction the music scene was going. “The artists [in the town] are getting better but the venues are gone,” Geno says. And shortly after the scene took some hits, Geno was hit with the loss of a friend. The 2013 shooting death of his friend DeAndre Freeman, Jr. was affirmation he needed to change his surroundings. “After that, I put Wichita in my rearview mirror,” says
many miles on Highway I35 traveling back and forth between Wichita, Kan. and Fort Worth, TX. He juggles his musical aspirations and also his entrepreneurial ambitions there. He has a business that sells tires, rims and audio systems. Geno grew up on 17th & Green in Wichita. As an only child to a single mom, he would hurry to the Boys & Girls Club for recreation with other neighborhood kids. “My confidence wasn’t Geno’s relocation has there not having my dad,” allowed him to push past admits Geno. “So that kind being a stagnant local artist. of forced me to grow He’s spent up a lot faster and I a great had to get out and get deal of things I wanted on my time with own.” Fort When Geno would Worth, ask his mom about his Houston dad, she would jokingly and Dallas tell him that his dad music was rap icon Tupac artists. He Shakur. He’d learn says Pac’s music and artists get perform it for her. behind Although he knew it one wasn’t true, it made another him want to make and it’s music even more. The something reality is that his dad he wishes was serving a 21 year more prison sentence. He Wichita talks about it on the artists Geno is pictured with his mother and children. He says that track, “Let Me Take he works hard to provide for them. would do. You Back.” “I used to “To me this is not Geno. “I have a past and it’s want to be a local celebrity,” rap,” says the “I Ain’t Rapp’n in Kansas.” Geno admits. “But nothing is Vol. 1 & 2” artist. “This is my He still represents the going to happen for you if real life I’m talking about.” city and shouted it out on a you don’t get outside your Music has always track titled, “Pay A Fee.” comfort level.” allowed Geno to vent and
“To me this is not rap...This is my real life I’m talking about”— Geno envisions creating a non-profit organization called G Kode (Giving Kids Other Directions and Educations). He wants to create a mentorship program to prevent youth from taking the wrong life path; high school drop-out and incarceration. Geno experienced both pitfalls but is now turning things around. He is in the process of having his criminal record expunged. He’s going to continue to focus on business and music. The financial success of his business has already allowed him to invest more into his music. He wants to grow to include an independent video production company. He recognizes that being a Wichita artist doesn’t have to keep you grounded to the city. “It ain’t never where I’m at,” says Geno. “It’s where I’m from.” For more information or for booking, please contact GenoGreenMuzik@gmail.com.
EIGHT-O HUSTLES HIS MUSIC & PROSPERS By age 14, Zachary “Eight-
“50 Shades of Eight (2017),” “Hand on the Book (2016)” and “R.O.S.E. (Respect Over Skrill Everytime) (2015)” helped cement him as a talented artist with lots more potential than he recognized before. “I got an iTunes check and with that one check I was able to pay my rent,” Eight-O vividly recalls. “I had a stack of money already in my pockets but that check…a check from music…it meant a lot more.” Although uncertain if these types of checks would keep coming or maybe even dwindle over time, he pressed forward. It was like a light bulb went
O” Payne was already living life in the fast lane. He was making a quick buck but not the legal way, and to jail he went. “I grew up different,” says Eight-O, who lost interest in school and eventually dropped out. “I got myself in trouble and it was hard getting out.” Eight-O’s home life wasn’t easy and at age seven he was taken out of his home for a period of time. Growing up, he and some friends would hang out on the block and freestyle rap. But unfortunately that wasn’t the only thing the crew was up to. He remembers writing his first song in a jail cell. “It was about a dope spot called D Spot,” Eight-O recalls. “A lot was going on and I just wanted to lay it all out.” When he wasn’t focusing on writing music material, he would correspond through the mail with family and friends. All of the letters would end the same. “I used to write: “Standing solid. Never breaking” on all of my letters to let them know I had my head up and was alright,” he says. He still uses that message in his songs. Eight-O admits he stumbled, returning to jail at least a handful more times. But then he began putting his energy into his music. He would write, record music, and then release it to Eight-O (right) with friend and supporter Montana YG. the public. Projects like
off inside of his head. “Those few dollars I made from the music was a great feeling,” Eight-O describes. “That made me want to go at music even harder.” Eight-O is one of few artists who have taken on the promotional responsibilities for his own shows. At the end of his performance events, he’s able to collect all of the profits from door admission and the sale of any merchandise. “You have to start making money off [of] your music,” Eight-O says. “That’s when you become a real artist and not just somebody doing this for a hobby.” Eight-O and fellow artist A.D. Koli have a knack for filling attendance at their shows. Their fans get behind them, buying their music, quoting their song lyrics on social media as well as sharing their flyer promo. “The streets know our
story,” says Eight-O. “All we want is for somebody to get up out of [Wichita] and make it.” Eight-O shows appreciation to his fans by sometimes sharing bottle service at the club or giveaways. But in spring of this year, Eight-O lost one of his biggest fans. He was on the set of a music video with A.D. Koli when he received a call telling him that his friend “Montana YG” had been shot and killed. Montana was on his
way to pick up a set of keys from Eight-O but he never made it. For more than five months Eight-O has held on to his friend’s keys. His passing was hard for Eight-O to accept. Montana was the first person to ever take him into a professional recording studio in order to lay down his tracks. His death almost derailed Eight-O’s passion for making music but he felt Montana would want him to keep on the path.
He’s now taking advantage of the internet’s music streaming market and social media apps that connect him to an even wider fan base. Much of what Eight-O is accomplishing on the music front is from observing and studying mainstream success. “Even though [we’re] underground I still look at people like Diddy and DJ Khaled,” Eight-O says. “And what I try to do is take a page out of
their book.” Eight-O is now utilizing Snapchat’s “Swipe Up” feature to sell his music and merchandise. The first day he used the feature, a guy purchased every single one of his “Made To Prosper” Styrofoam cups that he had in inventory. He’s now gearing up for the release of his new music project titled “Summertime Wit’ Eighty.” For more info about Eight-O or for booking, please visit: EightO.SS@gmail.com.
STRAP BRINGS THE ROAR
Strap Nkoba is a Uganda-
born musician. He resented his birth name before creating an adaptation of it as S.T.R.A.P., the artist. “A strap is a gun and it’s also something that fastens and holds you tight,” explains STRAP, about his father’s motivation to give him the unique name. “I turned it around and made it [an acronym that means] Sound That Roars African Pride.” He’s pursued a music career as an unsigned rap artist for a number of years. STRAP connects with fans in places so far as Somalia and Angola. STRAP believes Uganda’s hip hop music scene is “vibrant.” It was also Uganda that sparked his interest in making music that can transcend all over the world through different countries and cultures. “I’m like a lyrical TV anchor,” says STRAP. “I want to be a social commentator who talks
about police brutality which exists everywhere.” STRAP declares that in the country he’s from, the common man is subject to harassment and
mistreatment by law enforcement-even by brown-skinned officers who look the same as him. He shakes his head at the notion it’s just a problem in the U.S. People in Africa experience classism based on their skin color and the area in which they are born into, STRAP says. He moved to the states in 2008. His parents moved to Boston while he relocated to Emporia, Kan. to attend Emporia State University where he studied Instructional Design and
Technology. Roughly five years ago he moved to Wichita. “In search of greener grass, we use education to get out,” says STRAP, who speaks four languages. “I feel America is the land of a lot of resources.” STRAP considers himself an internet-based artist and relies on a network of blog sites to gain traction for his music. He recently collaborated with Samuel David on a song called “Listen.” He’s currently working on completion of an album he’ll dub “Young Elder.” “It’s about me coming of age and embracing the young wisdom I feel I have,” says STRAP, who serves as a mentor to his nephews. Through appearances in Wichita cyphers and indieartist shows, he’s looking to gain more support and recognition for his style of flow. He wants to continue his broad approach to making music and using the worldwide web to push it. “I’ve always been the person who takes the road less traveled,” says STRAP. “I can’t really marginalize myself.” “Young Elder” will be released in the fall.
ELI B REPS ICT IN BATTLE RAP An ICT rap artist is quietly
snatching titles in rap battle leagues across the country. Dearlin “Eli B” Brown was one of the first artists to participate in the Mixed Martial Battle League piloted by business owner and promoter Adrian “Bub” Love. The battles began about four years ago but have since gone on hiatus. At the time Eli was developing himself as an artist but had never gone toe to toe in a battle of words. “I didn’t want to battle but King KB called me out,” recalls Eli B, never being one to step down from a challenge. King KB was also an indierecording artist. “We both ended up in the county jail at the same time so it was canceled,” says Eli who only served a weekend stint. The battle between the two never happened. KB was tragically killed just last year. While preparing for the battle that never took place, Eli researched and discovered that a lot of battle artists had opportunities to work closely with record labels, sometimes as writers for other artists. There are typically three rounds.
Judges usually decide who wins in a round and the footage is uploaded online to attract viewers who will also weigh in. “A lot of people lose in the building but win on the internet once viewers get a chance to weigh in,” says Eli. Eli agreed to participate in the local MMB league realizing it would be his opportunity to have material to send to other leagues outside of the state. All of the MMB battles were filmed. His first battle was against artist Samuel David, then known as “Big Sam.” Eli took home the gold. Eli says he usually has only 2-3 weeks to prepare. In battle rap “choking” is frowned upon. He’s only found himself stuck and at a loss for words once in a round against “Dilemma,” an Oklahoma City artist. “It happens,” says Eli who was grieving the killing-death of his cousin but didn’t want to bow out of the competition. “You come back from it and you prepare better and learn to regroup.” A large amount of views to a
battle rap can help to peak interest in an artist by larger and more reputable battle leagues. He has propelled himself to now travel for competitions. The leagues usually cover the travel costs and hotel fees for the out-of-town competition. He was recently contacted by the “We Go Hard” league and is set to battle on October 7 in Long Island, NY. “I want to take this thing to the top,” says Eli who has a 171 record. “I’m at the porch right now but I’m almost there.” He wants to stay sharp at both battle rap and creating music as a song artist. His Breadstate independent music group will be releasing a big project soon. For more information about Eli, email DearlinBrown@gmail.com.