Bun B + Orgone + Psychodrama + Snypaz + Crucial Conflict + MAD SNOW = HOLIDAZE

OMG, I've said it before, and I do tend to say it a lot, I know, Dana from Biz 3 even called me out about it. Said I have a limited vocabulary but I take good photos, but like that's so not true, but yo for real man, IT WENT DOWN!

When I heard that Bun B was going on a lil Midwest run with Orgone backing him again, I immediately hit up Kayak and checked on flights to Chicago. I found a direct round trip on American for $199, bought it and was like, man I am bout to see this dude not only in my favorite situation (Bun B and Orgone is really how it is supposed to be you see), but in one of my favorite settings. The Metro in Chicago. My wife and I lived in Chicago from 1998 - 2001, and I honestly saw some of the greatest shows in my life on that stage. So yeah man, I had to go, and yeah man, it went down.

I got into Chicago late Monday night and ate some food and slept in an attic with a loud heater blowing on my face telling me in it's own special way that I shoulda done gone south, not north in the winter time. I looked outside, it was 7 degrees, no snow and I thought to myself, "Damn if I am gonna be this cold, at least let me see some snow."

Woke up the next morning, nothing.

So anyway, I borrowed a car. Made my rounds around the city. Took meetings, saw my old hood, went to Jazz Record Mart, and well, when it was time to head back, return the car and head out for a nice dinner before the show, THIS HAPPENED!


Yeah man, it went down. I was in the car in this shit. Luckily I'm one of the greatest drivers ever to sit behind a wheel, cuz I'm telling you, it was ugly. The headline of Wednesday's Tribune was NIGHTMARE COMMUTE!


And honestly, if I lived in Chicago, and had to deal with this shit everyday for like what, 9 months, I'd be pissed, but you know, I was in and out in one day, so that was exactly what I wanted to see. What should have been a 20 minute drive, became two hours of fishtailing, sitting, watching utter chaos, cars sliding within 2inches of my doors, etc.

Luckily I know my way around, I was hitting the side streets and plowing through 3 inches of snow like it was nothing.


Just fuckin' killing it. 97.9 FM was playing Classic Rock jams AND it was 2 for Tuesday so I was pumping that Van Halen, that Rush, that ummm Black Sabbath, you know man, it went down. I wasn't even trippin'.

But seriously if I still lived in that city, I would have literally cried for humanity.

So after I got back to the casa, I was thinking to myself "You know if this blizzard cancels the show that would really suck. But then again, if I could just order food with my friends and maybe watch a Blackhawks game and stare out the window a bit, maybe take snow photos in the alley ways of the West Side of the Chi, that wouldn't be so terrible.

But um, no it wasn't canceled and YES IT WENT DOWN!


Orgone is my group. Word to Fanny.


For real, killaz.






DJ Ayres and Freq Nasty were in the huis killin' it. Freq Nasty introduced some Chicago legends of rap, whether he or anyone in the house but me knew it or not.


This is Never from Crucial Conflict and Psyde F/X from Psycho Drama. For those who don't know. It was these dudes who really set off the entire Midwest sound. Psychodrama to me is one of the greatest rap groups of all time. For some reason they never got the props they deserved as just incredible artists, but I am saying man, short of like Run DMC, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, um, Scarface, Psychodrama were/are the best rappers in the world.

And of course Crucial Conflict were incredible as well.




They came out just for one quick song, Psyde's new single "Do the Anything." It's a song in response to all the new dance songs coming out. And it's a celebration of freedom. And it's a statement that needs to be stated.

Anyway, I left the CD on my desk at work, but I think I'ma rip it at 320 and up it cuz you DJ's need to play this right after "Stanky Leg" and just before "Tear the Fuckin' Club Up."


Newsense was in the house somewhere as well, but she escaped my lens somehow, which sucks cuz she is one of the rawest as well. The female voice in Psychodrama.


This here is Lil Chilla of Da Snypaz. Remember when people used to argue about who created the Midwest sound? Well, um, it was pretty much The Snypaz. But um, Chilla, XYZ PDQ.








I mean dudes, I'm talking about rap legends here. Genuine rap legends. I don't know how much that means to you, but seeing these dudes on stage for even one song, means so much to me.

Even if I may have left there a little concerned about Chilla and Never's well being. STILL THEY RULE!

But then the Underground King hit the stage, and it was then that I knew who brought that motherfucking blizzard. The coldest dude in the rap game.


Dudes, Bun B with Orgone is the way to go. I'm thinking 6 week tour of the US, 4 weeks in Europe, 4 weeks in Asia, 2 weeks in the South Pacific, 4 weeks in Africa, yeah man, this show needs to hit every city on the planet. PLEASE!


I mean, it could like, save the world, I'm serious, it's like that.




Lupe Fiasco came out to do "Swang On Em" and hearing that with the band - that song is just MADE to be PLAYED - man, it's just like magic (extra points if you get that reference, comment below so I know you know something about rap music.)








Can't fuck widdit.


So yeah man, I'm serious, that was quite a show.

Here's some of my folks, then I gotta go to work, then I gotta go hear Elena sing "Jingle Bells" at her school.


Truck and Pyramid




DJ Ayres, Willy Joy and DJ Hugs


Bun B, Psyde and Lupe Fiasco (You probably don't understand the great import of this photo. but call me I'll explain. Passionately. Like, not gaily, but passionately. This is real rap music people.)


Chilla, Lupe and Never


PUT YOUR MOTHERFUCKIN' C'S UP!


Dana and Kathryn from Biz 3 taking a break from publicizing and just chillin' with your boy.


Da Wreck of Triple Darkness and Ang 13 ALSO LEGENDS OF RAP!


And here, this man is beyond legend. Kahil El Zabar and Never seen here.

But look man, seeing Kahil El Zabar Tuesday night was such a great feeling. His history is so deep. One of the originals in the AACM, he's a jazz legend, a master musician, percussionist that words cannot describe, but more importantly he's like a saint to me. The dude is like, one of my main inspirations in this music game. For real. He brings people together and mentors everyone he comes in contact with, including me.

When we met in Chicago in 1999, maybe 2000, we instantly hit it off. Kahil was doing these underground jazz shows at a space he was living in over an Auto Shop just west of downtown. I'm telling you, I helped with these events, doing street promo and whatever I could to help make it happen, and because of that I got to sit in intimate rooms watching people like Pharoah Sanders, Amiri Baraka, Harrison Bankhead, Billy Bang, um, Ernest Dawkins, um, man, seriously, the entire Chicago real, genuine, classic, legendary jazz community share their sounds in like, the illest combinations.

The time I spent hanging with that dude changed my life for real, and I was wondering to myself as I laid in bed that night, why the hell I haven't stayed in better contact with him.

Seriously, I'ma bring him to Austin in 2009, for real. Dude's so real it's just surreal. One of THOSE type of dudes. Means a lot to me and was so glad to see him. Dude made the trek through the blizzard to go to a rap show to see me. My Lord.

Anyway, I'll stop gushing, but it meant a lot to me to see him. Like back when I lived in Chicago I think I had a greater sense of inner peace just simply because I was allowed to be immersed in that brilliant music, those incredible vibes. Seeing dudes like Kahil on stage is so much healthier than watching dudes yell about murdering people over pre-recorded CD's. It's just better for your soul. It really is.


And the dude gets respect, that is the truth.


So yeah, legends, on a legendary night. Oh what a job this is.