Timing is everything.
A Poem For Reggie
by Charles L. Peters
His voice, a cello
deep / rich with message
his bars
a symphony conducted by love
of God, of family
Tag: Hip Hop
For A Spell [Esbe pt 2]
In the words of CL…
“I reminisce for a spell, or shall I say think back…”
[Alot of folks call Octavis Berry “Tavis” (pronounced TAY-viss), but I always called him Tay because that’s what he called himself when he called me.]
To put it lightly, Tay had a boisterous and outgoing personality. He was exactly the type of in-your-face hip hop cat who would call himself “Esbe Da 6th Street Bully”. He was a family and community oriented man of the people who’d dealt with his share of losses.
Both of Tay’s brothers had already passed away, beginning with the oldest, Kenny, who was murdered in 1994. Kenny’s son, Lil’ Kenny, passed 10 years later at age 13 after returning to a burning car trying to save his little brother.
Tay’s other brother, LaDarrick, was known as his biggest supporter. “Everywhere he went he made sure people knew about his little brother,” said Tay’s sister-in-law Juanna. “LaDarrick was very proud of Tavis’ dream.” LaDarrick was killed in a home invasion in Illinois in late 2010.
“Tavis has been like a father to my boys [LaDarrian, Simeon] since LaDarrick and I divorced,” she said. “He had been a driving force in LaDarrian’s life, encouraging him to work on his own music and dream and Tavis was an awesome daddy to his kids.”
LaDarrian raps as DoWrong and, of course, rolls with the LOEGz.
[DoWrong]
Tay was the charismatic, free-spirited kind of guy that most people liked, and would do anything for. He had a hardcore, witty intellectual personality like a young Paul Mooney. Tay had the energy and candor of a Killer Mike or dead prez, both of whom he has recorded with in the past year or two as a member of Dred Skott.
Continue reading “For A Spell [Esbe pt 2]”
LYRICS::Fire in the Firmament
Today we’re talmbot “Fire In the Firmament”, the song.
Not sleeping giant producer, singer and songwriter Dertrick “Fire” Winn. Not Dylan Dylan Dylan who, by the way, spits hot fiyah! Not Grammy nominated gospel rapper Flame. And last but not least… not Atlanta rapper and shooting victim (and son of the lady who manages Gucci, Nicki and OJ) Wocka Flocka Flame. Oh, let’s do it!
“Fire in the Firmament” is a joint I’ll share with you awfully soon. This particular Fire was envisioned by Dallas-area producer Smooth Sense and features three kings: Chucky Sly, HeadKrack and I.
I believe it to be divinely inspired. My wife says it sounds like a Jazz Liberators song. In the hands of God and/or an alchemist, a lil’ flame can make gold.
Here are the lyrics to my “Fire in the Firmament” verse in 3… 2… 1…
Continue reading “LYRICS::Fire in the Firmament”
MOJOE World Premiere
Strange Revival Video!!!
Strange Revival (2009)
[ Waaaaaaaaay at the bottom of this post, there’s a free download of a new Mojoe track called “Strange Revival” featuring Bavu Blakes produced by Symbolyc One (S1). But between this very spot on your screen and that track is my long story that dates from us meeting in 2003 up to us shooting the “Strange Revival” video the other day. ]
“They say a kingdom divided will fall…”
Back in 2003, in the wake of a massive three-year weekly Austin, Texas, live freestyle event the Reelaktz crew set up and allowed to be ran into the ground called Hip Hop Humpday… a San Antonio club promoter called me to set up a new weekly duo gig. By duo I mean D-Madness and I, the most dynamic musician and emcee from that Humpday set. This new opportunity would require D-Madness and me to drive an hour south, and back again, every week for the life of the gig.
Promoter Guy had heard of us through the Humpday, but that was over and I was doing duo sets with D almost exclusively at this point. He was fine with our explanation, and the fact that two performers would cost him much less than 10 or more would. But there was one stipulation – the promoter wanted us to yay-or-nay a new San Antonio duo called Mojoe. He said if we liked them and approved, then they’d get the gig and vice-versa.
We went down to S.A. a week or so later and checked out their tunes at the promoter’s house. The production was ehh, but we all agreed that the songwriting and the style were strong, catchy and very compatible with us. From there, we agreed to join forces at this swanky lounge in Northwest San Antonio. If I remember correctly the venue was off of Huebner or Eckert and Babcock and is currently called the Sky Lounge.
From that first gig in San Antonio, we developed a growing kinship – and by ‘we’, I mean Mojoe, D-Madness, myself … and the list goes on. For the past seven years, we’ve experienced ups, downs, births, deaths, marriages, divorces and of course great performances and recordings while learning a lot about art, music and manhood from one another.
Scholar Emcee 