First up, we spoke with Houston super producers Beanz & Kornbread. Followed by a freestyle the big homie Rob G did after the interview, to an exclusive Beanz & Kornbread beat.

Shouts out to Beanz & Kornbread for taking the time to talk with us. Big shout out to the homie Rob G for hosting and helping out with the series. Expect lots more cool shit to come.

Also, make sure to check back on the 3rd Friday of this month, February 17th, for our next ‘On the Spot Interivew’, hosted by Rob G. Next up: Chingo Bling.

Great crowd tonight. Had the little shopping center Check Others is located in poppin’. I think one contributor to that was K-Dogg was in the building, along with KAB Da Don & Bar None, who tends to roll deep. Great hip-hop atmosphere, and the freestyle session really went off. More on that later.

First act up, was Van Solo. Beats were a little softer than I generally enjoy. He had pretty decent lyrics, and a very laid back style. On a funny note, he pointed out some chick in the crowd, while he was doing his song for the ladies. She was confused. It was entertaining.

Justified was up next. First female rapper I have seen at Turnin Headz. She set the bar high as fuck. Her lyricism, content, and delivery where polished hip-hop all the way through. I really liked the different topics she covered, which she did in a really honest and positive way. And again, lyrics where very much on point. Would have hated to be the follow up act.

And that act was Iceman. As with a lot of the artists I see at Turnin Headz, which is one of the reason we love it, this was a new face to me. Pretty dope shit. He had the lyrics and delivery, and he was confident on the mic. A little too much looking down, rather than into the crowd, while he performed though.

Headlining tonight, was K-Dogg. Dude was a beast on the mic. His lyrics are very dope, and his flow/delivery come off so natural, it made for some great tracks. The crowd was really feeling his music as well. He also had the confidence on the mic, and controlled the ‘stage’ well. Along with K-Dogg, to perform some of his tracks with features, was KAB Da Don, another Bar None rapper who’s name I didn’t catch, and Headwrecka representatives Yung Truth & Mr. Luke. KAB Da Don always makes for a good show, and a dope verse. He reminds me more of the old school Houston attitude and delivery, which I love and came up on, mixed with the lyrics of the ‘new Houston’ movement. Mr. Luke, who’s mixtape we reviewed, was pretty dope as well. Yung Truth wrecked it as he generally does. And of course he mentioned Kush Clouds at least once.

Now, I forget if the freestyle session was before or after K-Dogg, but either way, it was dope. Make sure to check out the video on that. Lots of rappers in the crowd, so lots of people where jumping in. Everybody was trying to out rap everybody. In a good way. Couple of people clearly where just fucking around, but generally speaking there was a good amount of dope shit.

All in all, a great Turnin Headz. If your in Houston, and have not come out to this showcase yet, don’t know whats stopping you. Each and every time, there are new artists. You will not see the same artist twice. Going on two years now, that’s really impressive. Bottom line, 2507 Bagby, first Thursday of the Month. Go.

As always, pictures and videos below. You can also check out all the videos in one place on this playlist on our official YouTube Channel.

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So Richie Roc is that dude. If you haven’t heard his music, check it out here, and here. I didn’t know that for the past 4 years (this year made 5) Richie has been hosting the ‘Roc The Block Toy Drive’, and has helped out a lot of kids. So when he asked us if we’d like to help this year, obviously we said yes. So just to be clear, RTB is Richie’s baby, we were just lucky enough to be able to help out.

Here is a little bit more about ‘Roc the Block’, from the official site we created:
“Roc the Block is a Non Profit Origination that’s has hosted Christmas toy drives for the last 4 years. In the past we have worked with the Texas Childern’s Hospital, End Hunger Foundation, and Brownie Elementary. Also we have hosted our events at Little York Flea Market, Armadillo Flea Market, WE-R-ONE tattoos, and D & T Drive Inn. Our goal is to try and raise money and gathering donated toys as our way in giving back to the city of Houston.”

So needless to say, was looking forward to the show. When I got there, I was amazed by how many toys had already been donated. There was a mountain-o-toys, and it wasn’t even 1pm yet. Looking good. Very good. And, it just got better. People came through all day to donate toys.

The event was from Noon-7pm, and the performances weren’t until later in the day. So that first part of the day, was hanging out, enjoying a really great family, Christmastime atmosphere. Richie’s parents where both a big support; with his Mother preparing a bunch of free food and drinks for everyone, and his Father playing the role of santa. A jolly santa at that. (Check the overview of Santa breakin’ it down)

This coverage is a little bit different, in that the focus of this event was really on the kids in need, toys and donations. The show was more to draw people in, and entertain the crowd. But, still had some dope performances, so let me run through those for yall.

First up we had Wayword. A rapper I’ve become more familiar with lately. He’s got a more abstract style, but not as abstract as say Aesop Rock. Lyrically, and delivery wise, dude is on point. I’m a big fan of a couple of his songs, particularly “Bubble Burst” and his track over the famous June 27th beat. Wayword prefers that we don’t show the videos. He’d like you to come out to a show. You should do that.

Next up, was Bishop Black, along with his son. I have never seen a father-son, rapper-hypeman team before. And that’s just what this was. Bishop Black, killed it as usual. He was self-censoring some of his lyrics because of the kids in the audience, so I think that slipped his delivery up a few times. But overall, good shit. His son, was going apeshit his whole set. Breakdancin, running back and forth; the lil’ hype man was hype. At one point he grab the mic from Bishop, and proceed to start a battle. That’s whats up. So, moral of the story is, listen to Bishop Black. Then, if a few years, you’ll be able to listen to his son’s music as well, I’m guessing. Great, and very entertaining, set.

Following Bishop Black and son, was the homie D-Risha. Another rapper, that if you have not heard, you need to go do so immediately. OG Ron C recently chopped-not-slopped one of his tracks, so, you know I’m not bullshitting you when I say it’s dope. I think the self-censoring was making him trip up a little as well. Overall, cool set though.

Bossmade was up next. Never heard, or heard of, Bossmade. I will tell you this though, the two songs I heard them perform, and that where on the CD they gave me, could both be hit singles. I can see the radio/club jamming either, regularly. They where just catchy, feel good tracks. Not really tracks I would regularly listen to, but there is a big audience for what they do. Performance itself could use some work though. I also don’t like the font they use for their jackets. Though, that has nothing to do with anything, beside me being a graphic designer. But yes, all non-important criticisms aside, looking forward to hearing more tracks.

That was it as far as performances for the night. Richie was going to perform a set, but we ended up running out of time. Next year. And again, the main thing was collecting a lot of toys for the kids. And man, did Roc The Block do that! Check out the overview video and pictures to see the massive amount of toys that were collected.

We could have absolutely not done any of this with out the help of our awesome sponsors, both families and local businesses:
Ramirez Family, Vaughan Family, Garcia Family, Failing Family, Anonymous Family Donation, Anonymous Family Donation #2, Dion Beats, Houston Whole Sales, TrackstarLaxative.com, Lonestar Security Specialist, Liveevil Click, Skin & Bones Jones, Houston Wholesales, Trendsetters Barbershop, ENGlobal, Check Other Outfitters, Bolli Bros Pizza, Nick’s Place, Bishop Office Needs, Vision Sign & Graphics, Brookstreet BBQ, Skyline Deli, High Life Smokeshop, Mojo Music.

On Christmas Day, Richie Roc & family/friends, passed out all of the toys at a local children’s government home. With Richie’s Dad once again dressed as Santa, they passed out the boat-load of toys that RTB collected, and made a lot of children’s day!

Also, Houston’s TV New station KPRC spoke with Richie about the Toy Drive a day or so after Christmas, and aired the short segment. While it was short, it is still an amazing look, and it’s great to see them recognizing Richie for all the work that he’s done.

If you missed the first two Hip-Hop Roundtable Discussions, check them out:
Topic: Originality in Hip-Hop | Topic: Unity in Hip-Hop

Also, after the discussion, we recorded a dope freestyle cypher with all of the artists. Make sure to check that out below as well.

We recorded this discussion at Baron Studios in Houston, Texas. Shout out to Vince and everyone there for being so accommodating. If you need any recording, be sure to check them out. Super professional studios and engineers, with a range of rates.

If you like the discussion, share it with a friend. Along with the YouTube video, you can download the full audio to listen on your iPod, iPhone, Driod, or any other mp3 Device.

Now, the festival was suppose to kick off early, around 1pm I believe. We got there a bit late, or so I thought. Turns out, there was not much going on. Each venue was waiting to get kicked off. So, I got my wrist band, and waited with the rest of the folks.

I wandered into Avant Garden around 3pm. It was the venue the was going to house most of the hip-hop acts of the day. Which is ironic, because generally speaking it’s a hipster bar. One night, we stopped in to have a drink after finishing up something at a near by studio. I swear to you, not 1, but 5 random people had an acoustic guitar with them, playing hipster music. Five different people brought their acoustic guitar to the fucking bar. We could not stop laughing. They seemed offended.

Anywho, I was pleasantly surprised to see live hip-hop, in the form of Wayword. An artist we had just met the week prior at Turnin Headz: Blank Canvas. He’s got a different style, more abstract in content. He reminds me of Aesop Rock, but as I think about, not as abstract. He’s got some jammin-ass (that is the technical term) beats as well. He even does a track to the June 27th beat. Dope shit. His faux-hawked friend, who was also at Turnin Headz showing support, was ska-dancin’ it up to his set. Also, only on-time performance of the day.

After some more aimless wandering, I found Evak & Babelfish doing a set at Mango’s. Just caught the last few minutes. Now, I know I just said Wayword is abstract. But that’s nothing compared to these two. They take abstraction to a new level. The grimy electronic beats growled as they spit the craziness that was their verses. Electronic beats that they seemingly produced/played (both?) as they performed. Babelfish was especially nuts on stage. In a super entertaining way. At the end of his set, he said something like “We’re blue collar, anti-everything, anti-nothing…” Interesting fellow. As y’all know, or should by now, I’m a fan of new sounds and different takes on music. Very interested to hear/see more from these two.

Back to wandering, now. Found some food truck that was pretty good. Also ran into Buckamore, Ill Liad, Richie Roc & Family, and a few other people in my travels between venues. All dope artists in their own rights, make sure to check them out.

Next act we caught was Nosaprise. Along with being a dope rapper, he is the lead singer of the 2011 Houston Press Award Winning Band Screwtape. All around hardworking, dope artist in the local music scene. He’s tracks are very lyrical, and have an original raw hip-hop sound, from the beats to delivery. Very dope shit. Make sure to check out him, and his band Screwtape.

Our intentions where to stay for the day, but leave a bit early. Should have been more than enough hip-hop before nightfall. Didn’t really work out that way though, so we ended up only catching a few acts. I believe some went on later though. Just missed Richie Roc’s set, which sucked, cause I know he rocked that shit. Same with Ill Liad & Buckamore. Next time fellas.

So, the last act before we left was One Hunnidt. Songs where OK. The tracks I heard were fairly generic in topic. Beats where cool, but delivery could use some work. Something that bothered me, though. The chorus of one of the tracks was something like “I do what I want.” Alright. As an adult though, you can not always do what you want. (You WANT to pay rent? That shit is just super enjoyable for you? Nah, it’s more just something you have to do.)

So, there in lies the end of our Winter Social Coverage. We had some videos from Wayword, but they were songs he did not want released quite yet, so we’re not going to include those. You’ll just have to come out to a Wayword show! As usual though, we do have the rest of the videos and pictures below. Also check out the handy YouTube Playlist to catch all of the videos in one place.

First time at Dean’s. Seemed like your typical smaller venue; decent sized stage, full bar, etc. The random-ass old clothing hanging up on racks positioned behind booths through me off, until I heard the full name is ‘Dean’s Credit Clothing’. Alright. I digress.

First act up was T.A. He had his buddy along with him for his set, his name escapes me. They were cool. Energy was on point, and they worked the stage well together. Nothing extraordinary as far as track concepts that I remember, but it was cool for what it was. Looking forward to hearing some recorded tracks from them though.

Following T.A., were the homies, and REUPSpot.com Hip-Hop Roundtable Panelists, Dirty & Nasty. A few group tracks, mixed in with some of their solo work. Heard some songs I hadn’t seen them perform before, so that was cool. Lyrics are dope, they always have a ton of energy and make for a good show. One of my favorite live acts.

Buckamore followed the energetic Houston duo. “My weird shit” is how Buckamore describe his music to me. Sort of spot on. I was outside when he first came on, so when I walked back in I was a little surprised. At first, it was more really low toned singing, almost guttural sounds. Heard some lyrics laced between the singing bouts though. Overall, very, very different. Even his rather stationary stage show. Another artist I’d like to hear more from. Whether it’s something I can vibe to or not is a different topic, but I do like hearing different sounds.

Final act before the man of the hour, was BND, or Belief Never Dies, a group consisting of Wes Coas and 7th Letter. I had one of the tracks stuck in my head for about 4 days after the show. Dope song. The duo had a good, entertaining set. And again, the songs were catchy. Make sure to check out their first album, as well as the recently released mixtape “Definition of Cool“, on the newly formed Orkestra Ent.

Got a little impromptu video of Jon Black and Ensane, with a quick glance of Buckamore. Pretty amazing to me the audio came out as well as it did. Was planning on using portions of the video without audio for something else, but figured I’d include it. Rumors of Killafornianz Part 2? Indeed.

Last but certainly not least, was Jon Black. Taking to the stage to celebrate the release of his dope tape ‘I Am Jon Black’, which if you haven’t, you should for sure go download. And listen to. Often. While he always has a lot of energy on stage, tonight it seemed doubled. Especially for his track ‘Nonsense’. He went off on that one. Naturally, he had his drummer (Clint Rater of Jody Seabody & The Whirls) on stage with him. Love the live drums.

That my friends, concluded the night. Cool show overall. Videos and pictures below. You can also view all of the videos in one handy playlist.

So below I’ve got some videos, tracks, and some pictures from the Mob Boy team (Mainly Rob G & Blast DJ Kris Stylez in this post) to get you started. Don’t worry, there will be more in the future. Make sure to Like/Connect with Mob Boy on Facebook, as well as Rob G & Blast DJ Kris Stylez.

I’m also including the videos of the few of Rob G’s performances we caught, as well as our talk with him outside the video shoot for ‘We Got It’. (The Horsemen Alliance ft. Rob G video below)

Rob G was also the latest guest on our Hip-Hop Roundtable Discussion series, on the topic of “The Business of Hip-Hop”. That, along with the 7-8 minute group freestyle afterwords, will be posted soon, so be on the lookout for that.

Finally, make sure you pick up Rob G’s upcoming mixtape “The Hit List” presented by Mob Boy Ent./Barron Studios, hosted by DJ Kaos, & sponsored by REUPSpot.com. It’s basically a collection of some really dope collaborations he’s done over the years, featuring: Chammillionaire, Rick Ross, Pitbull, Slim Thug, Lil Keke, Trae the Truth, Paul Wall, ESG, Killa Kyleon, Big Pokey, Play N Skills, Rapid Rick, and more.

Both Sides Of The Fence (Hitlist Remix) – Rob G, TroubleSum, Trae Tha Truth, Dolemic, Kris Stylez by BlastDJKrisStylez

Slow It Down (H-Town Remix) – Drake f/ Short Dawg & Blast DJ Kris Stylez by BlastDJKrisStylez

Lowkey Poppin’ (Blast DJ Remix) – Kid Ink ft Blast DJ Kris Stylez by BlastDJKrisStylez

I Will Alwayz Luv U (LG3 Remix) – Blast DJ Kris Stylez ft Troop by BlastDJKrisStylez

Celebrate You – Tela James (Radio) by BlastDJKrisStylez

Priceless – Blast DJ Kris Stylez by BlastDJKrisStylez

Reppin’ My Block (Hitlist Rmx) – Rob G f/ Kris Stylez,Slim Thug,Lil’ KeKe,WC,Play-N-Skillz & Pitbull by BlastDJKrisStylez

What Ya Gotta Say Now – Blast DJ Kris Stylez ft Dolemic, GT Garza & Dru-Z by BlastDJKrisStylez

New month at Turnin’ Headz means new music. Not going to see the same act twice. That, along with the diversity of types of hip-hop, are some of the reasons I love Turnin Headz. December’s lineup showcased that diversity pretty well.

First act up was Young G Da Beast. He seemed pretty distracted by the fact we were video taping and taking pictures. Became pretty apparent this was one of his first times performing live. He seemed nervous, which was causing him to get off beat/slip up on lines. So, didn’t really get a chance to hear the music that much. But, he did get up there, and that is the first step. We’ll be interested in seeing him live after he gets some more experience.

Wayword was next on deck. Here in lies the diversity of Turnin Headz. Wayword’s style is more abstract, like that of Aesop Rock, or even Evak, an act we saw at a previous Turnin Headz. The lyrics, which at times sound like a random collection of words, are a bit more open to interpretation than most straight-forward hip-hop lyrics. I can dig it though. Not the sort of thing I generally listen to, but when in the right mood, it’s often perfect. Regardless, I love the variations in hip-hop these days. Hooray for originality. Also, his delivery, flow, and lyricism were on point.

There was a nice freestyle session in between Wayword and the closing act. I’m liking these sessions a little later in the night, rather than kicking the show off. Had a lot of people jump in this time.

Final act of the night, was Twank Star. He was fairly easy to spot. What with having a huge shirt that said “TWANK STAR” across it in bright colors. His tracks were dope. He had a smooth, laid back delivery and flow, with very solid lyrics. One of his tracks, on which he mocked popular radio, he started off with a sarcastic chant of “Swag, Swag, Swag”, which was great. I fucking hate the word swag. In the words of Kyle Hubbard, “If you’re saying’ swag, you don’t know what swagger is”.

(On a radio-related note, 97.9 The Box does not support local music. Actually in some instances they attack it. Sign the petition and join the movement to take back our local radio waves. Also, support the online radio station LocalLiveHouston.com.)

So, another night of dope music, good networking, and cheap beer I bought from the liquor store across the street. Good times had by all. If your in Houston, make sure to come check out the next Turnin Headz: Blank Canvas on January 5th, 2012, featuring: K-Dogg, Iceman, Van Solo, & Justified, with REUPSpot.com Representer DJ Creap as special guest DJ.

If you go to any bar in Katy Texas (and I’d imagine anywhere else) the night before Thanksgiving, expect it to be packed. All of the former Katy residents that have since moved make their way home for the Holidays. And before said Holiday, they go out and booze at the local bars. So depending on what class you were in, and what bar you go to, that shit resembles a loosely organized High School Reunion.

So was the scene at Starz Sports Bar. Roosh (and Kyle Hubbard) went to high school here, so the bar, which would have already been busy, was slammed. It was like a Class of ’07 reunion. That’s right, class of ’07. Made me feel old. Also, didn’t recognize a single person. Weird..

So the crowd was crazy-excited for the show to get going. Me too actually, as I had never seen Roosh live before. Kyle, obviously, we’ve been fuckin’ with for a while. So I expected the same high-level of performance from Roosh as we see from Kyle. Was not disappointed.

If you have not heard his music, make sure to check out his site for some free downloads. One of mixtapes is called “Common Struggles of a Modern Man.” That’s a good summary of the types of topics he touches on. Lyricism is on point all around. He’ll also from time to time let out a burst of assualt-riffle-speed lyrics. The energy was also there, and his interactions with the crowd were great. You’ll see some of that in the videos below.

Kyle Hubbard was serving as Roosh’s hypeman, but he performed a couple of his songs as well. Same focused, energetic Kyle Hubbard your use to, if you’ve been following REUPSpot Live. If not, why?! (Check out our YouTube Channel for loads of videos of Kyle Hubbard and others.)

The live drums were a good addition. As they normally are, unless the drums drown out the vocals. Which in this case they didn’t. Roosh also brought up Renzo, who was in the crowd, to sing the hook on the song “No Hard Feelings” which features Killa Kyleon, and obviously, Renzo.

The party atmosphere of the show carried on after the performances. There was even a nice little cypher going on outside with Renzo, Jon Black, and some other folks. Well, until some random super drunk bitch tripped and feel into them, and started screaming about God knows what. She stumbled off (directly into a window) right afterwords, but the happy-go-lucky freestyle mood was gone. What can you do.

All and all, it was a very dope show with a great atmosphere and crowd. Guess that’s what a Roosh crowd looks like. Large. There is an overview video below, as well as our normal HD video and pictures.

Was very excited for this show. First one that my younger brother was able to make it to. He’s a Marine stationed in San Diego, so obviously, Houston/Katy would be quite the commute for him normally. Hooray for the Holidays. So yeah, that was very cool.

Anyway, on to things that people other than me and mine care about. Beside the aforementioned reason, I was also looking forward to the lineup. D-Risha & Bishop Black are both some of my favorite live acts. They go bananas on stage.

First act up, was UGP, or Underground Pipeline. The lead guy has a really raspy voice. I know when I said that, you may have thought of what a raspy voice sounds like to you. Multiple whatever you thought of by 10. Makes for some grimey ass tracks, though. And overall, I was really feeling UGP’s music this time around. Sound, energy, and delivery where on point. Be on the lookout for these guys, they stay working. They always have 103 (give or take) new things going on when I talk to them.

Bishop Black, complete with afghan scarf and some sort of wrist/forearm protectors, was up next. One of the acts I mentioned as being bananas. His set was just that. Shit-ton of energy, which led him to hop into the crowd, and onto of speakers, several times. He also ventured out into the crowd to serenade some random bar-goer for one of his tracks. Solid set, and I’ve had one of the songs stuck in my head since I edited the videos. In a good way.

The Mighty D-Risha was next on deck. Rockin’ the Good Shirt, which I’ve been seeing more of lately, Risha didn’t hesitate to let lose on the stage. His tracks are very dope, so make sure you download his latest mixtape if you have not yet. The delivery is always solid, and I love his energy and interactions with the crowd. Jumping into them, and what not. Very hype performance.

Now, before I get to the next performance, just want to say, Dat Boy Poyo is that dude. He’s always been super supportive of REUPSpot, and an all around cool person to deal with. You have got to make sure to check out the pictures below, where you’ll see Poyo rockin’ his customized REUPSpot.com T-Shirt. Says ‘Day Boy Poyo Hendrix’ and ‘Products of Pain’. Also, it glows in the dark. So that is what the fucks up.

Poyo also always kills it. He switches up between normal paced-spitting, and Twista-speed, machine gun spitting. This was one of those Uzi nights. That shit was crazy. We caught a little of it in the videos below, but make sure you fuck with his music for a lot more. Poyo also brought Lito Ducketts and D-Frost, of Throwed Fella Entertainment up for a couple songs, and an impromptu freestyle session. Lito had a lot of energy, and seemed more determined than usual. D-Frost was having a good time with it, but forgot some of his lines.

Also, we did things a little differently. When you bought your ticket at the show ($5) you where also given a raffle ticket. DJ Creap called out winners throughout the night, who won Limited Edition REUPSpot.com T-Shirts, Glass Pipes from HighLife Smokeshop, Sippin Syrup, and (2) $25 Bar Tabs from Local Party Animalz. So a show plus free shit. Everyone loves free shit.

All in all, dope night of Hip-Hop. Make sure you check out the videos and pictures below. Also, if you haven’t yet, check out our YouTube Channel for a whole lot more Live Hip Hop Videos, Artist Interviews, Roundtable Discussions, and more.

Here’s the note from Orkesta Ent. about the mixtape: “Orkestra Ent. releases Jon Black’s new mixtape for the holidays. I Am Jon Black features songs over popular instrumentals, as well as top notch production from himself. Look out for the debut album set to be released 1st Quarter of 2012.”

I’m liking this venue, the performances seem more personal. It is a bit smaller though, so that probably lends to that. Cool environment though all around. Moral of the story, if your in Houston, come out to the next show!

First act up was Evak. His style reminded me of Aesop Rock, as well as a little of Abraham from Parking. He’s got very abstract lyrics, and honestly, sometimes I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about. But, I do enjoy listening, because really they can be interpreted several ways. His vocab, lyricism, structure, and flow where on point. Also liked the little, mostly hilarious, interactions with the crowd between songs. 57 Seconds, change.

J Stringzz actually use to rap with Mile High, so I feel like we met him at one of the first REUPSpot Live. Honestly do not remember though. Apparently, J Stringzz can sing as well as rap, as we all found out at the beginning of his second song. I’m not a good judge on singing, but to my untrained ear it sounded pretty good. Lyrics where pretty dope, and he had a faced paced delivery. I could hear these songs on the radio.

Karo was next up. He had a more grimy style, with a really solid delivery. Wish he wouldn’t have had his voice on the show tracks, as he didn’t need it. Lyrics where solid, and the beat choices matched up with the song themes well. Good set. Also, his mixtape is called “Patriot Games“, which I appreciate, because that was a dope (90s) movie.

Between Karo and Coby, the freestyle session broke out. This session had a nice little vibe going. Couple of people jumped in. Some spitting written verses, some clearly freestyling. Evak freestyled, which was interesting. Wasn’t sure if he would freestyle just as abstractly as his writtens, but I had a feeling not. Would imagine it’s much hard to do that shit. Overall, cool little session.

Coby closed out the show. Had the Johnny Cash look going, in all black, including shades. He had a good amount of energy, and the tracks where pretty jammin. The delivery varied, sometimes it was really good, sometimes he fell off a little bit. Overall a solid set though.

And so ends the latest Turnin Headz. For the past couple of events, they have sort of been playing catch up after the new Mink owners unexpectedly said “fuck you”. (They didn’t actually say that, but basically.) So that’s why the shows have been a little more frequent than in the past.

Now they’re back to the first Thursday of every month however, at the new home of Turnin Headz: Blank Canvas, Check Other Outfitters. Shoutout to Tommy Bumps and the whole COO crew for the support. Come check this showcase out, Houston. Dope, FRESH, hip-hop. Won’t see the same act twice.

Smiley’s is one of the venues we had the Serial Trilla Halloween concert at. This show was actually the following weekend. So, clearly I’d been there before. Didn’t touch on it to much in that post, what with it already being way to fucking long.

It’s a nice, fairly large, place. There is a decent sized dance floor area in the center, with some booths and tables surrounding it. Along with a double row of pool tables trailing the right wall of the venue. Cool little lighting system as well for the dance floor. Made for some good videos.

Got there too early. Very early. Well, it was actually on time, but seems the show was pushed back a bit. So, made my way down the road and got some food while waiting. Ran into Jacob from Ill Faded. Small world. Anyway, shouts out to Jacob, Mike Ro, Domino, and the whole Ill Faded Music family.

First act up was Donnie Cash. He had a pretty good set. They where energetic, and trying there best to hype the smaller, opening crowd. Beats where dope, had that southern sound. He ended the set with a little acapella, showing off some lyricism catered specifically to the South West Houston crowd.

Mr. Matthew (and crew?) was up next. Now, there was about 5 people on stage for this performance. Not really sure which was Mr. Matthew. Regardless though, they also had some bangin’ southern beats. Cool set. Maybe a few too many people on stage. Their tracks where more classic Houston, and more on some gangster shit.

Next up, Underground Pipeline. I actually just saw these guys again this past weekend. This past show, the sound was a lot better. I’m not sure what it was this night at Smiley’s, but the song’s sounded off. The music itself is pretty dope though, and a few tracks specifically where about some real shit. Hearing it this past weekend, I was diggin’ it. Not so much the first time though honestly.

Rebel Made’s Rivera, along with D-Frost, was in the building representing tough. They roll deep. Make sure to check out Rivera’s new mixtape “All Day”. His set was crunk energetic as usually. Meaning they’re energetic, due to their crunkness, if you will. Their people also go nuts on the dance floor while they’re on stage. So cool set. Too many people on stage this time, though.

The homie, Dat Boy Poyo, rocked the stage next. Also, before his set, we did a talk with him in his Slab. That’s right, a Slab Interview. That’s some Houston shit, mayne. Anyhow, onto the set. Crowds love Poyo. Especially South West Houston crowds. So everybody was diggin’ his set, and goin’ off on the dance floor. Some even on stage. Good set as always.

The big homie Rob G, Mr. ‘I Rep the West’, was up next. Rob G has been doing this shit for a while, and is super supportive of the underground, especially fellow Houston rappers. We’re going to be working on some cool projects with Rob soon, so be on the look out. On a side note, that’s how some people in Houston are gettin down these days. Working together toward the goal. So that’s whats up. (On another note, related to that side note…check out our talk on Unity in Hip-Hop.)

Rob G, another South West Houston resident (not a coincidence where the show was hosted, obviously), always tries to get the crowd as hype and into it as possible. This night he started off by playing some snippets from some classics and had people rocking with him. All in all, a good closing set for the night.

Also, K-Rino and Sniper from South Park Coalition came out to support. Both of them are really humble, hardworking, and supportive artists. So shoutouts to both of them, and the whole SPC family for the support.

Videos & Pictures below:

The show featured: Alibi Rankz, Byron Bank, Chane, t.h.e. MisFit Crazy 8, Franchise & Yung, GoREALah Soul, Dirty & Nasty, D-Risha, J Hurdy, Kyle Hubbard, Frankie G da Mex, Mike Ro, Renzo, Rivera, D-Frost, G-Money, Rob G, Silent of the Horsemen Alliance, Rob Gullate (formally known as Kritikal), Stick Up Kidz, Stereo Arcade, and the Forces. With DJ Creap, DJ Arsnik, DJ Ghost, & DJ Motai on the 1′s and 2′s.

Exciting times. As you can see, there where a shitton of artists set to perform for Serial Trilla. It was also the first time we where using our shiny new HD camera. It’s not actually shiny, but you get what I’m saying. So I was very excited to get some cool, high-quality footage. Did you know a 8GB memory card is highly insufficient for HD video? Well, I did not, until a few performances in. Luckily, DJ Motai had a SD card reader on his laptop, and we where able to dump the card each time it filled up.

That, along with it being multiple venues, and alas I am just one man, I was not able to catch every performance. Just about everyone, but I did miss a few. So that is the reason why we don’t have footage/pics from a few people. Just wanted to give y’all a heads up, we did not overlook them on purpose.

Would also like to shout out to the sponsors for the event: Sippin Syrup, who came with a very cool display, including smoke machine and all. Bombdiggidy Smokeshop, who brought out their mobile glassblowing setup, and made some glass pipes right there on the spot. Along with the Imperal Tattoo Company, and finally Texas Crown Whiskey & Agavales Tequila.

The rundown of the performances is going to be a little different this time. Again, because I was going back and forth from each venue, who’s stages where going simultaneously, I didn’t get to catch very much of each performance. Also not really sure on the order. So, I’m just going to run it down alphabetically for all of the acts that I did get a chance to see.

Death to Mainstream winner Alibi Rankz was in the building. His family came out to support, as always. It’s great that he has that support system, not everyone does. As always, Alibi wrecked it. If you have not heard his music yet, make sure to check it out now. Dope lyricist, with a positive message, over sick beats. Real Hip-Hop Shit.

Byron Bank also performed. Albeit a little later that scheduled. We’ve seen Byron once before at Richie Roc’s Hip Hop Takeover show. Another dope lyricist, with a positive message, and a great hardworking attitude. Him and his hype man always look genuinely happy to be performing, and they are always vibing to the music. Check him out. No ‘S’ on Byron Bank.

The homie Chane wrecked it as always. On some Dapper Rap Don shit, he was rocking the 3 piece suit. Looked official. He also had his wife on stage with him, also dressed very classy. They’re a classy couple. As you’d imagine if you’ve ever heard Chane’s music, or seen Chane perform, he bodied the stage. If you haven’t heard him, or his story, check him out. His passion for Hip-Hop shines through in everything he does.

R.S.A (Rogue Scholars Alliance) representative t.h.e. MisFit Crazy 8 also performed. With a different sound, but thoroughly Hip-Hop, he had a fun sort of set. He’s another artist that clearly loves to perform. Make sure you check out his music.

Franchise & Yung also destroyed the cordless mics at Frankensteins. Almost literally, as Yung’s mic was sort of cutting in and out a little bit. Regardless of that fact, which I’m sure was super frustrating, they had a good set. They’re a group who’s mixtape stays in the ride, so it’s always good to see them live.

GoREALah Soul + Dirty & Nasty was one set I really, really wanted to catch. Luckily I was able to see a few minutes of this highly entertaining set. GoREALah Soul, for those that don’t know, are professional party crashers. And they are very good at it. Dirty & Nasty are dope rappers, who also put on a great, and always entertaining stage show. The two of them combined? As they say in New Jersey, Forgettaboutit.

Shit was nuts. It was Halloween, so they where also all dressed up. In some crazy shit. They had dancers, a lanky guy with some sort of carnival mask playing the base, an 80′s TV playing an Old Halloween movie, and more randomness. Highly entertaining.

J-Hurdy closed out Smileys. He had his buddy Kooly on stage with him as usual. They always have a good set. I really enjoy the music. It is normally the same songs though, so I would love to here some different ones. But, I know not everyone goes to as many shows as me, so there trying to push the favorites to new listeners. I can dig it.

Kyle Hubbard also hit the stage. Or more appropriately the floor in Frankesteins. (There was not a stage in this location, more of a stage area.) He had an extra Houston set this night, all dope of course. If for some reason you have not heard Kyle yet, I highly recommend downloading this mixtape.

Mike Ro brought along fellow Ill Faded representative Domino for his set. They are some stage veterans, so they came with a solid performance. Mike also pointed out his sister in the crowd. Don’t think she wanted to be pointed out. Regardless though, cool that the family came out to support. You can buy Mike Ro’s latest album “Dirty Jobs” on iTunes.

Renzo showed up a bit early, and was hangin out with the other artists, and one of his friends he brought with. Check out our talk with them, his buddy had some great ideas for the site. Wish there would been more people for Renzo’s set, he went on a bit early, but he still killed it. That’s one thing I really respect about most of the artists we fuck with. They always put everything into their sets, regardless of the size of a crowd. That’s whats up, and professional.

Rivera, D-Frost, and G-Money rocked Frankensteins. I was only able to catch the tail end of their set. It was cool. They always have a lot of energy. Rivera slipped up a couple of the lines though. Other than that, it was a cool set from what I saw.

The homie Rob G came out as well. He actually rocked both stages. On a related note, expect some cool collaborations in the near future between him and REUPSpot. I was only able to catch his set at Frankensteins. Cool set. A bit shorter, but the performance was on point. Had the henney and coke ready for after his set as well.

Silent of the Horsemen Alliance showed up dressed formally, and wearing a king’s crown. Wouldn’t have pegged him for a pink tie kinda guy, but alright. He, like Chane, looked official. Just realized they where on the same stage too. The formal stage, as it where. He also spits with a lot of passion, and has a great live delivery of his bars. Good set.

Stereo Arcade opened up the Smiley’s stage. I believe I saw them at either the 1st or 2nd Turnin Headz I went to. They where fucking wild people on stage. Super entertaining show. Same sort of deal here. They had also brought along Bishop Black’s favorite artist out right now, Roderick Von.

Unfortunately, I only caught the last 40-50 seconds of The Forces show. So, can’t really comment on it, though I’m sure they wrecked it. Along with their performance slot, DJ Arsnik DJed the Frankensteins venue all night.

For the few artists I missed, sorry about that fellas. You already know we got you next time. Shouts out to all of the artists, DJs, sponsors, and fans for coming out to Serial Trilla. We truly appreciate it.

And yes, this was a little longer than the normal REUPSpot Live articles, I know. Lot more artists this time, what can ya do. Appreciate you rocking with me though throughout this mini-novel.

As always, below we have a bunch of videos, now in HD, and pictures from the show.

We first ran into Young Sensation a few months back at Turnin Headz: Blank Showcase. Dope music, and a good show. So was looking forward to the interview, and his upcoming tape. After the interview, he previewed the mixtape for us, so I’m including that as well. Make sure to download “Chill” next Friday, November 18th, 2011, which will be available on REUPSpot.com.

Interview recorded at Check Other Outfitters. A dope clothing store that is very supportive of local hip-hop. It’s also where Turnin Headz is now held. Shouts out to Tommy Bumps & the whole crew for the support.

Also, this is the first video we’re releasing that was recorded with our new HD Camera. So you can expect the same quality from all of our videos going forward.

So, first Turnin Headz I had been to that was not at The Mink. It had previously been held at Mangos before The Mink, but that was prior to us starting our show coverage. Regardless, new owners at The Mink, and they’re not showing Hip-Hop, and the people that use to consistently put on shows there, any love. So simply put, fuck them.

Check Other Outfitters is the new place. It’s a clothing store in Houston, that is very supportive of the underground scene. Had been there once before actually, for Nasty Nique & That Purple Bastard’s release of “Breakfast of Bastards“. Cool spot, cool ownership. What a novel concept.

The one thing is the new shows are starting and ending earlier. So it was a little slower to start, and they pushed the normal opening freestyle session back. First act up, was New Swag Alliance.

Based on their name, I was skeptical. I highly dislike the word swag. I expected skinny jeans, and bright ‘ironic’ t-shirts. PBR’s and what not. (It was BYOB, after all.) Not the case though. They turned out to be pretty dope. They where both on point lyrically, and both had a faster sort of spitting style. Beats and topics where pretty Texas. Overall, good set, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from them. But I think they should change their name.

Sam Davis was next on deck. Not according to the flyer though. Shouts out to the artists that didn’t show…. Regardless, worked out well. Sam Davis was dope. He could use some more energy, as he mainly just stood there and spit his verse. The venue was a little weird though, so I’m sure that had something to do with it. Dope lyrically, and also on some Texas shit. I still have his “Pesos” song stuck in my head. Like as I type this. He also had Kab Da Don with him on that Pesos track, dude also wrecked it. More in a classic Houston fashion, which I grew up on, so for sure can dig it. If you can’t, as Kab suggested, feel free to “WALK THE PLANK HOE”.

Dirty Dog D, 1/2 of Dirty & Nasty (and 1/6 of our REUPSpot.com Round Table panel), rocked the mic next. Dirty always has a lot of energy on stage. An amount of energy I would have never guessed by just interacting with him. He’s generally pretty calm and what not. Until he’s on stage, then the giant chains come out, and he goes nuts. Tracks are dope, lyrics on point, all with a pretty unique sound. Y’all also be on the lookout for the new Dirty & Nasty album coming soon. Videos as well. Should be very dope.

After Dirty Dog D’s show, there was a freestyle session. Not as big as it normally was at the previous place I’m no longer mentioning, but it still went off. Bishop Black of course jumped in, and bodied it. He tends to do that. A few others went up as well as the smaller crowd mingled.

Rob Gullatte (formerly Kritikal) then stopped by to finish out the show. Renzo was telling me all night this dude was dope, so I was looking forward to it. Renzo wasn’t lying (of course), Rob was on point. Another artist with solid lyrics, and a faster spitting style. Some head nodding verses. An overall southern sound, but with lyrics any coast could enjoy/appreciate. So much so, we had him out for the Serial Trilla Halloween show we did. So yeah, check him out.

So, that concluded the first Turnin Headz: Blank Canvas held at Check Other Outfitters. Looking forward to the next one. Which, is coming up this Friday (11.11.11). If your in Houston, make sure to come check it out. (Check Other Outfitters is located on 2507 Bagby Street in Houston, Texas)

Videos below. No pictures this time, as the show landed during the time we where waiting on our new HD DSLR camera. Which, we now have! So, expect HD videos for all of our show coverage in the future. Enjoy!

Death to Mainstream is a three part competition, where the artists perform their best songs and are judged on: Originality, Word Play, Delivery, Stage Presence, and Crowd Control. This is NOT a freestyle competition. Artist’s are performing written songs.

The overall winner gets a $3000 price package including: a Professional Video shoot from Blaze Media, a verse by Universal Recording artist Rob G, a recording session at the state-of-the-art Barron Studios, an Exclusive beat from X Class, coverage by yours truly, REUPSpot.com, and more. The idea of the contest, is the winner will be given the professional tools needed to compete with artists signed to major labels.

(If you missed them: Watch the First Round / Watch the Second Round)

Final Round time. Play time is over folks. Though, the first and second round where hardly easy. Both rounds had a lot of great competition. Just a reminder, the acts competing for the grand prize package are: Calamity, Dream Team, Marlo the Great (Stick Up Kidz), Mike Ro, Fullmetal F Dot, and Alibi Rankz.

Show opener was Mike Ro. He brought fellow Ill Faded Fam, Domino, with him for the performance. As you can imagine if you’ve ever seen an Ill Faded show, they commenced to wreck it. Mike Ro controls the crowd and maneuvers the stage well. He’ll also probably ask you to shout “ILL FADED” at some point during his performance. Do it, folks. Good set, and a competition-intimidating opener to the contest finale.

The snapback rockin’ Dream Team was next up. As with the first, and only, time I had seen them before, they came with a crazy amount of energy. Cocaine would tell them to take it down a notch. Beats are super Southern, and they’re pretty good at the baller/club tracks. Would like to hear some tracks on different topics, though.

Marlo the Great, and to a lesser extent the Stick Up Kidz, where next on deck. Marlo and one of the Stick Up Kidz kicked the set off, and the others joined them for the rest of the set. Marlo is pretty dope. He’s got good lyrics, and the beats they use are solid. He needs to be a little more energetic with it, but all in all, he has a good stage show. When the rest of the Stick Up Kidz joined him on stage, it got a little hectic. At one point, the big guy in the back, don’t know his name sorry, was lip syncing. When the judges mentioned it, he said it was because his mic didn’t work. If my mic didn’t work though, pretty sure I’d be shouting that shit to make up for it. Fucka technical difficulty.

Calamity, the new comer, was up next. His message and lyrics are dope, and are real hip-hop. He’s got something to say, clearly. But, it was also clearly his second live show. He was improved from the first show though. He seemed less nervous, and was interacting with the crowd a bit more. Once he gets some more stage experience, watch out for this kid.

Alibi Rankz’s turn. Dude has a large amount of material. Not throw away verses either, dope, deep shit. He had some new songs specifically for the competition, and overall put on a great show. He embodied the whole ‘Death to Mainstream’ message when he addressed the crowd. People where ready. He’s always real and personal in his delivery. One of the judges, X-Class, said “I’m glad your from Houston”. I agree.

Fullmetal F Dot finished up the finals. Oddly enough, he was flying solo tonight. No Bandtastic Four. Which actually, in this contest, may have been a good thing. Because this way the audience, and more importantly judges, could focus on what he was saying. Which where some very dope lyrics, as it where. Intelligent hip-hop, with a message, as well as a heart. For instance you probably won’t hear him rapping extensively about a fashion trend. But I digress. Very dope set as always.

Now, comes decision time. After some deliberating from the judges, they gathered on stage to make the final announcement. It was decided to announce all of the rankings, not just 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Drum roll? Or whatever would be appropriate for hip hop. Maybe an 808 drum roll?

6. Marlo the Great & Stick Up Kidz
5. Calamity
4. Mike Ro
3. Dream Team
2. Fullmetal F Dot

And the winner is:

1. Alibi Rankz

Congrats to Alibi Rankz, he definitely deserved to win it! So you can expect some dope new shit from Alibi Rankz in the near future. Including a video interview/feature, which we’ll be posting in the next couple of weeks. Along with what I can only assume is going to be a dope ass video from Blaze Media. They do good work.

Thanks to all of the Sponsors: Blaze Media, Barron Studios, Rob G, X-Class Beats, and to all of the artists that competed. And a huge thanks to all of the awesome fans that came out to support! Without yall, none of this shit would be possible.

Pictures and Videos below. You can also view the Youtube Playlist of the Finals on our YouTube Channel.

So I was really shocked and sad to hear the news that Octavis Berry, aka Esbe the 6th Street Bully, 1/2 of Dred Skott and 1/8th of the League of Extraordinary Gz, had passed away. I was just talking with their manager a few days before about their performance at A3C in Atlanta, which according to reviews, went really great.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Octavis Berry’s family, and the whole League of Extraordinary Gz family. The world lost a great musician and lyricist, and by all accounts, an amazing person, father, friend, and general man of the people. His music lives on though, and he will never be forgotten.

Check out the Dred Skott Mixtape:

Also check out all of the other LOEGz CD’s over at their site.

If you would like to help in anyway, here is a message from the LOEGz Facebook:
“The out pour of support from friends and fans has been amazing! A lot of folks have asked how can they help. No matter the situation, Octavis Berry ALWAYS made sure his kids were taken care. To ensure that, we created an account to collect donations that will be shared with his children that he left behind. If you would like to contribute please visit: www.octavisberrydonations.com“

Here is a wrap up of the LOEGz time at A3C, with a tribute to Esbe. I’m also including another tribute video, as well as some other videos of Esbe and the LOEG family.

We are fortunate to have a track from Dred Skott on our upcoming mixtape. We will be dedicating the project to Esbe. R.I.P.