Scotty B & AshlynRenee: WhoisMunchy Part 1 Interview

AshlynRenee and I sat down with WhoIsMunchy on my recent 

trip to Columbia, South Carolina.  I met Munchy a while back on Twitter 

and after listening to his music I knew I had to get an interview when and if 

the opportunity presented itself.  This was one of my favorite interviews 

because of his for love music and the authenticity of the conversation.  We broke this 

interview into two parts. Watch the first half below! Enjoy! Stayed tuned for Part II

                 

 "WORLD PREMIERE"

   Hip-Hop fans around the world had been impatiently anticipating the release of Kanye West's new album. There was months of speculation and rumors about the actual release date, the title, and the hype that surrounded it. That thirst was recently quenched via TIDAL, where "The Life Of Pablo" was finally made available to the masses. The buzz now has fresh legs as debates repeatedly hatch over social media based off of differing opinions. All the hoopla got me to thinking about some other notable "premieres" that range from the savvy to the exceptional. There have been quite a few but I must admit I'm sort of bias to two in perticular. One which deserves a standing ovation for showmanship and the second a simple salute to the growth, greatness, and elevation of ones stature to expand across multiples genres.  
    Before WorldStarHipHop became a major outlet and Twitter or InstaGram could catapult you into platinum status;  106 and Park held down center stage for musical talent looking to crack into the big time, cement themselves in the spotlight, or simply to extend their fifteen minutes of fame. 106 could literally make you or break you. No one capitalized on this more than 50 cent and Kanye West in the epic "Clash of the Titans." It all started when Kanye pushed his album date up to drop on the same day as Fifty's. Leave it to Kanye to always think of a way to cash in when it comes to publicity stunts, he has definitely mastered the art. Even though Ye's singles were actually doing better than 50 cent's on the charts, 50 cent felt he had a stronghold on the streets at the time and that this would propel him to the top when it really mattered. That sparked Fifty to issue a challenge stating that his album "CURTIS" would surpass Ye's album "GRADUATION" in first week sales. It quickly snowballed into much more as radio host, critics, cashiers, your next door neighbor, the guy at the bus stop all began to chime in with their prediction of the outcome. Even "Rolling Stone" came knocking, placing them on the cover, which only intensified the build up.

   






    The two eventually battled it out live on a special episode of 106, performing singles from their upcoming releases. Not to sound cliche but it was like the "Thrilla in Manila" for hip hop. The 106 and Park faithful, studio and TV audience alike, were literally keeping scorecards after each performance. Never mind who the victor was, this was HIP-HOP HISTORY...PERIOD. An extremely clever promotional scheme that not only captured the undivided attention of loyal fans but also caused the casual onlooker to tune in as well. You'd be hard pressed to find any moment in hip-hop that would rival this one in attention garnered.      
 
    This next one probably gets overlooked due to this individuals long list of accomplishments that only seem to get more astonishing by the year. I have a strong love for the hip-hop culture, in a close second is my love for sports. So whenever these two worlds find a way to come together I'm all smiles. Especially when it happens to involve one of my all time favorites. When Jay Z retired in 2003, I along with many others, had a strong feeling that it wasn't for good. When the hiatus ended in 2006 he really didn't have to do a single promo, he basically was his own publicity. Yet and still he went over and beyond to inform us of his return to the throne. The best example of this was debuting the video of the  first single "Show Me What U Got" off the "KINGDOM COME" album on the Lexus Halftime Show of Monday Night Football. Let that sink in for a minute. Do you understand the size of the audience that would be viewing this? It ranks among the top of all cable TV shows as far as ratings is concerned. Newsflash folks: most of those people don't even listen to rap!

  
   Think about what it takes to pull something like that off. Some artist have a hard time just getting spins on the radio. This is a multi-billion dollar industry we talking about here. Their not going to let just any artist DEBUT A VIDEO. Perform maybe, but not too much more than that. They have a world-wide brand to protect. So unless you appeal to a vast majority of their audience it's just not happening.  What does that tell you about Jay Z? His respect level is unmatched in the rap game. Anybody could have a hot track out and have the media in an uproar about appearances and exclusives. This wasn't any of that. This was an extremely lucrative corporation recognizing the greatness and the influence that this one individual has. The cherry on top is the fact of where he came from and the doors he's been able to walk through as if he always belonged right there. Inspirational to say the least. If that's not amazing to you then you're simply just hating.
    Call me old school but I never miss an opportunity to reflect on the paths in which hip-hop has taken. So many times it gets loss in the shuffle of the here and now and disregarded as valuable reference pieces. I just enjoy shining the light on these moments as a reminder to those of us with short memories. We are quick to throw MC's in the all-time great category, but let's make sure they've actually done something great first.
                                                M*R-PERIOD         

                        "HONORABLE MENTION"

     Take a second and refer to your "mental rolodex". Now see if you could pull up the tattoos you've most often seen duplicated. I guarantee ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME finished near the top of your list. Coincidently, the rapper whom some consider responsible for this, would also finish near the top of the list for G.O.A.T. This week marks the twentieth  year anniversary of the release of Tupac's All Eyes on Me (February 13, 1996) on which the song "Only GOD Can Judge Me" was featured. So for those of you who may have overlooked the significance of this album, for random reasons, allow me the pleasure of adjusting your rear view mirror so that we may take a look back at a great moment in hip hop.
    Do understand that this was a double disc made up of entirely original material, the first of its kind in hip hop history. Before anyone down plays this by assuming this could easily be achieved, I would quickly advise you to reconsider. This isn't the same as a couple of iPads full of verses that your favorite rapper has on standby. Neither should you make an attempt to place any double disc release parallel to Pac's in hopes of comparing them. The difference would simply be- QUALITY OF CONTEXT. Tupac basically barricaded himself in the studio for several hours at a time and emerged with a gem in less than a month. There were no "dance jingles" included to possibly boost radio play. It wasn't an album full of A-list features geared to trick the masses into giving it a listen. There were references to money,women, and drugs but not highlighted in a matter where it became the focal point. Real issues, real experiences, real emotions expressed through verses that gave us what we crave the most from hip-hop...the ability to RELATE.
    Right off the back Pac puts his adversaries on notice with "Ambitions Az A Ridah." From the moment the beat drops and you here Micheal Buffer's voice in the background "Lets get ready to rumble," there's a surge of adrenaline as you anticipate the heat that follows. Its the rap equivalent to James Brown's "The Big Payback." All throughout the first disc there's rap genius sprinkled over underrated beats that hold you mentally hostage to the point that you almost felt like it was your story being told instead of Pac's. He also seemed to bring out the best in the featured artist on disc one who weren't exactly household names. This is strikingly evident in the track "Tradin War Stories" where both C-Bo and Dramacydle deliver above-par, short and to the point verses, that ensure no drop-off of momentum throughout. To me that just lends to the brilliance of it all. Pac entrusted some very unusual suspects in the making of a masterpiece.
    Disc two doesn't let up, in fact it steps it up just a notch with a couple of  bangers that become instant classics. The title track All Eyes On Me awakes the sleeping giant inside of you. Kind of like he's saying "not only am I not going to shrink under the spotlight, ima stand 10 feet tall in it." It's that head high, chest out, Nino Brown/Scarface feeling of invincibility. Next up is "Picture Me Rollin" where the title basically speaks for itself. Its a combination of redemption and revenge laced shout outs. He's burning a visual image inside the minds of those who celebrated his downfall or made an attempt to hinder his progress. How beautiful is that? Placing your success firmly in the view of your enemies, giving them no option to look away.
    There's so much more to cover, but to breakdown every track would only do it an injustice. Only the personal experience of hearing it flowing through your own ears allows you to give this album the kudos it deserves. So take some time in the near future to not only pay homage but bless yourself with some classic material that's sure to inspire. Regardless of how you feel about the messenger, you can't ignore the rhyme and reason for the message portrayed in All Eyes On Me.
                                                     
                                                                 M*R-PERIOD        
           
   
        

                                     "FINGERWAVES"

      Just as we were leaving the close casket ceremony of Meek Mill and tucking away his obituary in the scrapbook of rap beef, I was confident that there would be no more casualties for a while. I knew we would have to deal with the occasional "loud for nothing" rapper busting shots in the air but nothing serious. It was starting to feel safe to walk the hip hop streets, THEN IT HAPPENED!!!
    With anticipation level already high for the release of Kanye West's new album, he felt the need to add to that suspense by changing the title from "SWISH" to "WAVES." Which ordinarily wouldn't be that big of a deal but Wiz Khalifa happens to be the man on that block. Wavy is a style which Wiz got from Max B, a Harlem rapper currently incarcerated, who had a significant influence on his career. Wiz took exception and let Kanye know in so many words that there would be absolutely no swagger jacking. Can't really fault him for that. Especially if Kanye is as innovative as he say he is, why would he feel the need to trespass on somebody elses' turf?
    I'm sure most of us basically chalked it up as a misunderstanding that would probably be hatched out sometime later. So while the rest of twitter continued their usual searches of funny memes and inspirational quotes, we were totally unaware that the beef was simmering. And just when we were about to comment on the whole world is flat debate...SHOTS WERE FIRED!!!
    I guess Kanye was feeling like Wiz Khalifa stepped on his Yezzy's when he tweeted

OG ILLA's NEW SONG "WAVES"

He's backkkkk!! Check out OG ILLA'S new song

"Waves".  Listen to this club banger and energizer song! 

Now on a personal tip I am on a cleanse from all fast food and alcohol 

but this song makes me want to go to the club and TURN TF UP!! 

Enjoy the song below! Also don't forget to follow him on 

twitter >>>@HLGNLIFE<<<<

Woman Killed for Turning Down Man!

A mother of two was killed in a shooting early Friday morning in Homewood, and a suspect who was shot during a chase was taken to the hospital and has since been released into custody, Pittsburgh police said.

Charles McKinney, 41, of Penn Hills is charged with the homicide of Janese Talton-Jackson, 29, of Penn Hills.

Police went to the areas of N. Lang Avenue and Upland Street after a ShotSpotter report around 1:50 a.m. had detected gunfire in the area. While there, police encountered McKinney in a silver car and made a traffic stop.

Police were talking with McKinney when they received a dispatch that a woman had been shot in the area. According to police, MicKinney sped off when he heard this. Police chased him through Homewood and fired at him just passed the intersection of Frankstown Avenue and Oakwood Street. He continued driving through Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills and back into Wilkinsburg where McKinney stopped after he crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle along McNary Boulevard. He was then taken into custody.

Investigators said McKinney attempted to talk to Talton-Jackson inside a bar but she declined. McKinney then followed her outside and shot her.

McKinney’s additional charges include two counts of aggravated assault, firearms without a license, fleeing or attempting to elude police, two counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving.

Assistant Chief Thomas Stangrecki stated that there is an internal review, which the District Attorney’s Office is overseeing, of the incident as a result of two officers discharging their firearms.

Per Police Bureau protocol, both officers have been placed on administrative leave. 

Source: http://www.wtae.com/news/woman-shot-killed-in-homewood/37578116

"USAIN HIP-HOP" I CANT KEEP UP

At one point I considered myself pretty knowledgeable when it came to all things hip hop. Over the years i've engaged in countless debates about rap styles, lyrical content, influence, etc. Then, the pace of hip-hop was much slower. You actually had time to digest an evaluate an artists potential. Hip-hop was a puzzle with the big pieces! Rappers easily fitted into their respective categories and were judged as such. Greatness could be observed in several genres as artist found unique ways to etch their names on the list of top MC's. 

  Now I dont want to be mistaken for the guy that's stuck in a certain era and can't embrace the evolution of the game, because that would be totally counter productive to the culture i've grown to love. Its just coming at me too fast right now. Feels like i'm being force fed my favorite meal. I'm fully aware that there's money to be made out there and by no means would I discourage anyone from trying to get theirs. But from a personal stand point it has become extremely difficult for me to partake, in the way that i would like to, because of my inability to keep up.

One of the first signs of change for me was when the popularity of the mixtape started to take off. Wasn't too bad at first, was like a nice sample of things to come, a taste test before the album. Enhanced your anticipation in one way or another depending on quality. So now instead of one, you got two albums you have to devote proper time into in order to correctly gauge its content. Which could be cool at times cause we often thirst for a little something extra from our favorites. But with so many new artist on the come up, coupled with the refusal of the more seasoned rappers to hang it up, its a bit much. You got two and three mixtapes from one artist out at the same time with a album release date coming shortly thereafter. Features, leaks, beef and battle verses, freestyles on random radio stations, alongside  numerous Instagram bars you have to struggle to keep up with.

I'm a huge fan of all these things but it's so over saturated right now. In the late nineties Dmx dropped two platinum albums in back to back years and people were some what shocked as to how he pulled it off. At that point it was sort of ground breaking. Didn't feel forced at all, not to mention it was high in quality. It's like i'm being robbed of my will to anticipate. Discussions about hip-hop have to be rushed now. Can't focus too long on one artist, or one collabo, because you have to quickly shift to the next big thing. I feel like a lot of good dialect is being lost in the shuffle. I miss those days when we would contend about the hottest verse of the year. The conversation had real depth, now that can be debated daily and still not come up with a solid concrete top five. 

I could remember when juveniles' "400 Degrees" dropped. I was living in Michigan at the time. To this day it's the only album I know that bumped for two summers straight!!! Cars would be literally passing eachbother in traffic playing the same damn song. That was beautiful to me. Hip-hop felt like a close knit family then, now it's like everybody moved away and it's hard to keep in touch. I guess i'm the melancholy uncle who misses Sunday dinners at big mommas' house. Kind of like that old 106 and Park commercial where a group of teenagers were pictured sitting outside on the steps and someone yells "hey, 106 is on" and the streets quickly empty. It felt like hip-hops' voice was much louder then because we were all yelling in unison. Of course thats all a matter of opinion, but my opinion nonetheless.               

At this rate, its evolving at a pace where i'm regrettably unable to give a good listen to as many artist as i would like but i'll remain supportive of all artist in there quest to demonstrate their craft on the hip-hop stage. Well maybe not "ALL", but thats a different conversation for another day. So even though I may prefer to always view hip-hop as a scene from RAP CITY in da basement,(such a wonderful space in time), i'll lend my ear to some new bars being dropped by the next generation as much as time permits. Because honestly, if I had the opportunity i'd probably be trying to drop a few myself- CANT KNOCK DA HUSTLE

Written By:M*R-PERIOD @MRPERIOD1