I will be the first to admit that every now and then I can be wrong about things. I’m stubborn and feel that thinking outside the box will somehow land me in a situation that is too far out of my comfort zone. Well, like I thought, my trip was exactly that.
I wanted to get away from everything for a while, and my full time job sending me to Atlanta for a week could not have come at a better time. A week of relaxation, plus time to spend with my friends and family that I haven’t seen in a while sounded like pure heaven. However, by day two, while I enjoyed being around my sister, I was tired of training classes, I missed my daughter, and longed for the comfort of my own bed (by the way, Hampton Inn- Buckhead’s pillows are like clouds). That Wednesday, one of my best friends took me to a beat battle downtown. Now, if you’ve never been to one and you call yourself a Hip-Hop head, then PLEASE don’t say you are again until you go to one.
The crowd at Django might have been out to support their own, but you could feel the love between everyone. So there I was, enjoying the beats, the atmosphere and my Amaretto Sour (thanks Carl, that was the best I’ve ever had). Suddenly they called the next two contenders to the stage. I heard the first one, but it didn’t really stick out to me. It was time for the ‘other guy’ to play his beat. When I heard the first guitar rift, I stopped mid- sentence. It was hypnotic. The only way to describe his sound is... phenomenal. There are very few people that mix Rock & Roll into a Hip Hop beat anymore.
Anyway, he ended up losing. Once his buzz died down a little in the building, I approached him. I figured he would be a great person to feature on my blog next, so I went to talk to him and see where his head was at. The first thing I said to him was ‘I love your beats, that guitar you put in was amazing!’ His response? ‘I know.’ I think I gave him the ‘Are you serious?’ face, because he quickly explained that he’s confident and that’s why the comment was made.
My first impression of him was that he was an arrogant man who really shouldn’t be because there is always someone who is better than you. Something about him made me stay and talk to though. That decision turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever made. I ended up learning one of the most valuable lessons I’ve gotten to date. He said ‘It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you and why.’ Think about it: you may have met a celebrity and exchanged contact information. They can do one of three things: a.)Forget you ever existed, b.)Remember you for being the person that makes them run in the other direction when they see you, or c.) Becomes a person that looks out for you because of your talent and professionalism. He taught me so much that night and I don’t think he even knew it (thank you so much D. Wells. We have to work together soon).
Once the battle was over, a friend of mine invited me to the studio. We first met at a beat battle in Ybor City (if you’ve never been there, put that on your list of places to go before you die). After the battle, we exchanged information and somewhat kept in touch with an occasional out-of-the-blue text. I don’t remember the details but I found out recently that he and his production team were a lot more successful in the industry than I thought.
Anyway, when I met him at 11th Street Studios, I was in awe. It was minimally decorated but with the lights dim and halls silent, the atmosphere was calming and comforting. My entire experience in the studio was memorable from beginning to end. I came out having more respect for the people at the controls than I did when I went in. They do a lot more work that deserves a lot more credit than a name in an album jacket. I can’t wait to get back to Atlanta and experience it again.
I found myself in Atlanta. I was reminded of my purpose for writing about music. Music is a major part of my life, it always has been and always will be. Life events have pushed music to the back burner and I have been slacking. This trip taught me that it’s never to late to get back to my purpose. I was reminded that Hip Hop was a culture, not a genre of music. My purpose is to spread that message along with the history of rap to our younger generation, who has forgotten where they come from so of course they have no idea where they are going.
Much love and respect goes out to everyone who helped me write this without even knowing it: Nicktunes, Kenny B and the whole Justice League, D. Wells and Applejac.
7/27 is a Hip Hop/ R&B duo representing Nashville, NC. They fuse a healthy blend of Neo Soul and real Hip Hop, which is such a rarity these days. 
Diamond Khalil, or DK as he is better known, is a Rocky Mount, NC native rapper taking his region by storm. Considered a "veteran" by industry terms, DK has been rapping since the age of eight. Since that time, he has done performances in places like New York, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Georgia. 
Ida Divine could easily be claimed as one of the players to bring Neo Soul back. Her infectious and insightful tune "Grow Up" has all the makings of a classic. There's a lesson, a beat to bob your head to and a beautiful voice to learn from. 
Producer/writer/DJ/Emcee Benny Demus has been in the music business for a while. He started out as a DJ in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands until he moved to New York in 1994 to become a lyricist.
