Top 10 of Austin Hip Hop 2008

2008 was definitely a great year for the Austin Hip-Hop Scene! We've undoubtedly seen some great things happen this year. And since everyone is creating "Top 10" lists, we thought it was only appropriate to create our own. As with any list, we'll definitely get some groans and grunts on our selections, feel free to comment. Just remember these words, "It's our list!" :)

Just to give you some idea of how the list was created, we chose based on events that had a large appeal, longevity and/or "something special". The "something special" is so that we can do whatever the fuck we want! ;)

And so, without further ado...

1. Bavu Blakes and Big Don play Austin City Limits Festival

ACL Fest this year saw Austin's own Bavu Blakes and Big Don grace the stages of one of the biggest music festivals this world knows! Now that's some shit!

2. Matt Sonzala & SXSW

Austin saw the arrival of Matt Sonzala (originally from Houston). Matt is "The Man" when it comes to booking Hip Hop acts for SXSW.

3. OG Photographer wins Billboard Ultimate Photo Contest

Austin based music and entertainment photographer OG won the worldwide Billboard photo contest for their work of David Banner at SXSW '08.

4. Romeo Navarro presents... B-Boy City 15

One of the biggest B-Boy competitions in the world, this year we saw Romeo Navarro throw B-Boy City 15. Now that's longevity, some people aren't even married that long!

5. The Gathering with DJ Notion & MusicNMind

MusicNMind and DJ Notion have been putting on "The Gathering" since '04! "The Gathering" has showcased many local acts every Thursday night.

6. Mondays at Nasty's with DJ Mel

DJ Mel and crew have been throwing Monday Hip Hop night at Nasty's since I was at UT and that's a long time! If you can deal with a Tuesday hangover, you definitely want to catch this Austin staple.

7. 08 is So Great By Bavu Blakes

Bavu Blakes kept us in anticipation each week with his "08 is So Great" flows. He definitely proved to us that he is a man of his word and gave us 52 flows!

8. The 54 Reality Show By Crew 54

Even though Crew 54 herald themselves from Killeen, we'll gladly adopt them as Austin's own. Every week these cats put out a video-mentary of Hip Hop events around Austin. Austin Hip-Hop Scene was even taped acting a fool in one of the videos!

9. Destiny By Design

Destiny By Design is a semester long after school program at Kealing Middle School where local artists mentor students on making music! Now that's change you can believe in!

10. The 512 with Nick D

Nick D and crew have been consistently throwing "The 512" showcasing many local artists. Hoping them much success in the future!

10.1 Beats 'N Treats Music Festival by Open Labs

Open Labs threw the first "Beats 'N Treats Music Festival" at the Mohawk giving beat makers a world stage. The event was broadcasted worldwide online via UStream.tv!

A Song, A Week, A Year... - Bavu Blakes - 2008

From the can it really be done department... Bavu Blakes started the new years with a very unique resolution... to help the world keep their ears filled with his sweet honey flow to make 08 So Great. So for 52 weeks we're gonna follow Bavu on this journey and keep him honest to his resolution and dedicate this post to his weekly flows... Thanks Bavu!



Honey Fleaux ft. Rochelle Terrell (Week 1 of 52)


Intoxicating Flow (Week 2 of 52)


Special Delivery Flow (Week 3 of 52)


Fine Flow (Week 4 of 52)


Wintertime Flow (Week 5 of 52)


Instant Classic Flow ft. HeadKrack & Young Nick (Week 6 of 52)


Bossy ft. Rochelle Terrell (Week 7 of 52)


Weightaminit (Week 8 of 52)


Get Up Part 2 ft. Gerald G & Chalie Boy (Week 9 of 52)


Here We Geaux 2004 (Week 10 of 52)


Drop It Girl + Lead Us Not (Week 11 of 52)


Spit Like Me Fleaux (Week 12 of 52)


Smiley Faces ft. Pikahsso (Week 13 of 52)


Star Plairs ft. Element7D (Week 14 of 52)


Extra Plair Remix by Dertrick "Fire" Winn (Week 15 of 52)


My Sacrifice ft. Hot Rod remix by Dertrick "Fire" Winn (Week 16 of 52)


To Me Mum by PPT ft. Bavu Blakes & T.r.r.e (Week 17 of 52)


Take It From Me by D.O.S. ft. Bavu Blakes (Week 18 of 52)


Back In The Booth (Week 19 of 52)


I Got U (Week 20 of 52)


Still Standing by Chalie Boy ft. Bavu Blakes (Week 21 of 52)


Get Back To Me (Remix) by Chalie Boy ft. Bavu Blakes (Week 22 of 52)


Euro (Week 23 of 52)


Do It by World Trade (Week 24 of 52)


Where Ya At (Week 25 of 52)


Creep N Swang (Week 26 of 52)


Beat Up (Week 27 of 52)


Shut Em Down (Freestyle) (Week 28 of 52)


3rd Straight (Freestyle) (Week 29 of 52)


July was Hot (Freestyle) (Week 30 of 52)


Coming Soon Flow (Week 31 of 52)


Don't Hesitate Freestyle (Week 32 of 52)


Back From Cabo Flow (Week 33 of 52)


Earl Campbell Flow (Week 34 of 52)


Dubya Baby Freestyle (Week 35 of 52)


W.Y.L. Flow (Week 36 of 52)


Grind Over Glory feat. Chalie Boy (Week 37 of 52)


Thirty What Flow (Week 38 of 52)


Haffa Like Us Flow (Week 39 of 52)


I Been Gone Flow (Week 40 of 52)


Pee Stain Flow (Week 41 of 52)


Lovey Dovey Pt. 2 Freestyle (Week 42 of 52)


Bad Bad Flow (Week 43 of 52)


Novemba Heat (Week 44 of 52)


Pushamancuzi Fleaux (Week 45 of 52)


6 Weeks Left Flow (Week 46 of 52)


So Fast Fleaux (Week 47 of 52)


MashItUp Freestyle (Week 48 of 52)


123 Flow (Week 49 of 52)


Bussia Fleaux (Week 50 of 52)


Double Freestyle (Week 51 of 52)


Final Flow (Week 52 of 52)

New.Years.Eve 2009 - Creekside Lounge - December 31, 2008

From the Fight Asian glow department... Romeo Navarro Presents. New.Years.Eve 2009 @ Creekside Lounge with DJ Element, Baby G, Orion, Pagame!

Dude go spend your New Years with B-Boy City and some dope DJs! Get on the dance floor and shake your tail feather! Like Abraham Lincoln said to his then wife to be, "I want to dance with you in the worst way!" My new pickup line!

The 512 - Ruta Maya - December 26, 2008

From the longevity is 2 inches, from the ground! department... Nick D & Jumbo Present.. The 512 Part XVI Still Standing @ Ruta Maya's on Friday Dec 26th! Featuring Murda Squad, Rejects, Shadow Shyne, Gamebred, Phraze of Street Chess, Rro-G, Last Hope, Texas Made Diva...

I'm all for longevity it's definitely a sign of greatness, not the one hit wonders. As the flyer states, "Still Standing", it's been a great year for Nick D and The 512 crew! Props! Looking forward to bigger and better things from you in the '09!

Gary Clark Jr. & Bavu Blakes - Antone's - December 27, 2008

From the President Beefcake department... Definitely one of the best last shows to catch in 2008, Gary Clark Jr. & Bavu Blakes and the Extra Plairs @ Antone's on Saturday, Dec 27th!

Get your tix here!

If you haven't seen a local Austin Hip Hop act this year, shame on you, you know who you are! Now's your chance to repent!

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Well it looks like President Beefcake Obama is in the news again and this time for a whole slew of good things!

1. The 6 pack!
2. Yes we cannabis!
3. The Homosexual Atheist's Bible!

What’s Wrong With the Scene?! Pt 2 by Bavu Blakes

Welcome to the second episode of "What's Wrong With the Scene?!" In our first installment, we introduced you to Every Town, USA. In Every Town, at least 1,000 people aspire to make it big in the hip hop game as rappers, promoters, dj's and such. We established that the most important component of a local support base is the casual music fan, who simply comes out and spends money to have a good time around some music – no more, no less and definitely no deeper. If your product or service connects with these fans, they could support you for the life of your career!

I propose that in Every Town, a casual fan is typically content with enjoying occasional road shows by major touring acts and doesn't have much time to take the local scene seriously. So at a big Bun B and David Banner concert, the cat who's been hanging on the local scene several days a week asks himself, "where'd all these people come from?" Those thousands of strangers are the casual fans, who may try out their local scene at least once to see if it's something he/she can dig on a regular basis. And then what happens?

All Scene, Nothing to See

Allow me to cut to the white meat and summarize it for you: the casual fan usually has a terrible time at the local spots. I'm not saying local fans or promoters – or anyone in particular – run the casual fans off. I'm saying that almost EVERYTHING that happens can ruin the casual music fan's experience at the local spot. They'd probably have more fun at a dance club or regular bar than at a local showcase, concert or event. But why?

First, the performances tend to lack quality. You can't even blame that on hip hop, but I'm saying... If a performing act doesn't even consider what a casual fan would want to experience, that act is bound to suck. It's customary to include or leave the lead vocals on the backing tracks used for a show CD. Psh. You typically hear acts perform their whole four-minute songs. Boring. And even the big national shows might include way too many local acts who all give you the same low-quality experience. This makes the casual fan think, "enough of this crap, bring out the professional artist I came to see".

Too often I see local rappers who obviously think the most important part of performing is appearance, or swag, or anything but the quality of the musical experience. Let's be honest: when people know and/or like your song, you can get away with anything. Unfortunately for independent artists like me, this is usually not the case! So until you have a hit – and hopefully even after that – it goes back to quality.

Secondly, there are hardly any casual fans at most local spots. They say a crowd draws a crowd. But two, 20 or even 100 rappers with their friends and lovers is not necessarily a good crowd. They rotate – 10 or 20 at a time – to the stage to perform all night, and basically ignore each other's sets. Since everyone has an agenda, hardly anyone in the "crowd" acts like anything is wrong, or out of the ordinary. This can give a casual fan the impression that the standard is just low in this town, which turns them off – usually for good.

Third and finally, these local spots tend to be way too masculine. Most women aren't fanatical about hip hop; they just want to dance and hang out with their girlfriends. So is your local spot fun, or just a community center vibe? After all, there's a reason women don't hang out at the local gym or basketball court.

So there you have it, three reasons the casual fan ends up saying, "Oh well, this city's scene sucks." They'll just go out when they go back to their hometown. Or they'll go out to a local event when they visit what they consider to be a better hip-hop city. Usually it's a big city like Houston, but they can run into the same problems there, too. Don't forget we're talking about what's wrong in Every Town, USA.

Just to be clear, this is not an indictment against local showcases in general. Where I live, there's a regular spot called "The 512" which showcases at least half a dozen local acts at each event. Their shows are always packed with people who are getting what they came for. That's what really matters. In the words of Matt Sonzala, "this is IMPORTANT!"

Meanwhile, most of the time, your local scene has some serious problems. So what situations and scenarios lead to these problems, nearly guaranteeing a low-quality experience in your city?

We'll cover that in the next installment of What's Wrong With the Scene?!

Back to the lab,
Mr. Bavu Blakes
www.08isSoGreat.com

[Email your comments, questions, feedback, criticism, etc., to Mr.Blakes@gmail.com with "What's Wrong With the Scene?!" in the subject line.]

Ray Sr. - Flamingo Cantina - December 18, 2008

From the CD release party department... Ray Sr. @ Flamingo Cantina on Dec 18th with Serafia Kohn, T-Fowler, Kid Heru and MC Fite!

Destiny By Design 2008

Destiny By Design 2008



Here's the Destiny by Design song written, produced, and performed by Kealing Middle Schoolers over the course of the Fall semester. The semester-end stage performance went down at the Mexican American Cultural Center. Artists that contributed include AC, Gerald G, OG, Rapid Ric, Tee Double, Staci Russell, and Ms. Rock the Mic! Congratulations Kealing Middle Schoolers!

Superstar Tuesdays - The Tap Room - December 16, 2008

From the "Who throws a shoe?!?" department... Superstar Tuesdays @ The Tap Room with Richard Henry and Crop Diggie!

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Taking the line from Austin Powers, "Who throws a shoe?!?" Bush brushes his shoulder off after an Iraqi throws 2 shoes at him. I might not think much Bush but I'll give props to his quick reflexes. That was PIMP!

DJ Baby G - Plush - December 13, 2008

From the giving the bird department... DJ Baby G @ Plush on Dec 13th with Table Manners Crew!

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My manager gave me the bird shaped icing from the baby shower cake yesterday, so I in turn really gave her the bird! I think she got offended! ;)

Video: Gerald G - How I Was Raised

Woowee, check out Gerald G's new music video, "How I Was Raised"! The video was produced and edited by Luxury Mindz! Gerald G, aka Mr. 512, really tears it up on this one and Luxury Mindz keeps coming up with quality work! Props!

Zeale - Karma Lounge - December 11, 2008

From the feed my fetus department... Check out this week's Gathering with Zeale, J The Man and McPullish @ Karma Lounge on Dec 11th!

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So I got tasked to throw a baby shower for our dear coworker who's about to pop any second now. She has this great line she says every day during lunch time, "I need to feed my fetus!" So for a baby shower game I thought I'd put baby food into diapers and have her choose the correct baby food in the diaper. Hopefully she'll eat out the diapers!

Interview: Da Bosnian

AHHS recently got a chance to sit down with Da Bosnian during his busy schedule! Thanks for taking the time! Read on to find out how Da Bosnian goes pimpin' on his tricycle!

AHHS: Can you give your fans a quick bio of yourself?

Da Bosnian: I was born in Bosnia and lived in Germany for 6 years after the war started in Bosnia. We moved to the U.S. Feb. 1999 straight to South Austin.

AHHS: How did you get started in music production?

Da Bosnian: I just liked to listen to music. Everything from Wu-Tang to Michael Jackson. When I got my 1st computer I ran across a few programs that interested me and I experimented with different things from there...few years later I showed my music to DJ Grip who gave me my 1st mixtape appearance.

AHHS: What is distinctive about the work that you do and set you apart from other producers?

Da Bosnian: I'm not a musician and can't play any instrument. I don't take any of my music to serious or technical when I make it..soo shit I don't know but not everyone likes my shit.

AHHS: Which artists inspire you the most? and why?

Da Bosnian: I like every producer that did some playa shit! Organized Noize, Hypnotize Mindz, and Beats by the Pound are the main ones...its just the shit I love to jam to.

AHHS: Do you have a favorite project that you've worked on?

Da Bosnian: I'm excited about Rynos 2nd album due early 2009 and also the Southbound album.

AHHS: Are there any artists that you would like to work with that you haven't had the chance?

Da Bosnian: Everyone that is down to make songs because they feel it and not cause they need it for the club to hit a quick lick.

AHHS: How do you see the scene locally? and where do you see it going?

Da Bosnian: I see a lot of people being way to comfortable in the position that they are in already. Some of my favorite writers come from Austin and I think that a few chosen ones will shine for the talent and not for wanting to capitalize on a gimmick.

AHHS: What is the best piece of advice that someone in the industry has given you?

Da Bosnian: Bavu Blakes told me he and I jam and advised me to stay with it...I think that's the only advice I will take.

AHHS: And a more light-hearted question: Have you seen a correlation between your level of success and quality of hoes?

Da Bosnian: DaBosnian could catch bad hoes if he was riding on a tricycle pimpin'!

AHHS: Do you have any parting words to our readers?

Da Bosnian: Check out some music @ www.myspace.com/purplebass512
You can also check out my 1st release titled 'Crawl Before You Walk' 22 Original Instrumentals and songs by Magno, Chalie Boy, Bavu Blakes and more all production done by myself. And SUPPORT talent. Skip the bullshit. Thanks.

OG Photographer wins 2008 Billboard/PDN Ultimate Photo Contest

AUSTIN, TX - December 8, 2008 - Austin based music and entertainment photographer OG has been named one of the winners of the 2008 Billboard and PDN magazine Ultimate Photo Contest. OG's photograph of David Banner, taken at the Austin Music Hall during SXSW 08, was one of the winning photographs selected out of over 2,000 submitted images.

The contest, put together by Billboard and PDN (Photo District News), represents a collaborative effort by both the music and photography industries most elite publications. Professional judges for the contest included Tamara Coniff - Group Editorial Director of Billboard, Julie Greenwald - President of Atlantic Records, Josh Klenert - Creative Director for Billboard, and James Reyman of Reyman Studios. OG's photograph of David Banner will be featured in the december issue of PDN magazine as well as on their online site, PDNonline.com, later this month.

OG states...

"Being named as one of the Billboard and PDN photo contest winners is a blessing. My team and I work very hard for all of the content we produce, so having our work showcased and recognized is something I am grateful for."

"David Banner is one of hip-hops elite and an artist whose passion is always on display, especially during his performances. He is typically on the actual stage about twenty-five percent of the time and in the crowd with his fans the other seventy-five percent. That's how much his supporters mean to him and how much he puts into his craft."

"I'm looking forward to collaborating with even more of the creative and passionate artists out there. I attend many types of shows and the caliber of talent I come across is mind-blowing."

"The goal when working with an artist is to play a role in their visual development. Whether it be for album artwork or promotional material, I always strive to produce strong vision based imagery that accurately represents their music."

Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, OG is an Austin based photographer specializing in creative collaborations with talent from the music and entertainment worlds. OG has collaborated with major artists such as Chamillionaire, Scarface, Killer Mike as well as a number of the rising talent in the independent and underground music scene. He works through his Luxury Mindz creative company and is an active member of the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers).

OG's photo work can be seen online here: http://www.OGPhotographer.com

Destiny By Design - Mexican American Cultural Center - December 9, 2008

From the rockin' wedding speeches department... Destiny By Design @ Mexican American Cultural Center on December 9th!

More info:

Who we are: Founded by Robert Gabriel and Jules Narcisse in 2006, the Narcisse-Banks Community Resource Center is a 501(c) non-profit foundation that serves the greater Austin, Texas area. Working closely with like-minded organizations including Guerilla Productions, Kinetic Global, River City Youth Foundation, and B-Boy City, Narcisse-Banks is a growing collective of hip-hop philanthropists.

What we do: The Narcisse-Banks Community Resource Center aims to provide young adults with the tools to satisfy their educational and career interests in hip-hop culture.

What we are doing now: The Narcisse-Banks Library offers a wide assortment of books and records to young adults and artists eager to explore the music, the history, and the career opportunities that correspond with the continued evolution of the hip-hop artform. To arrange to check out materials from the Narcisse-Banks Library, please send a message of interest through myspace.

What we plan to do in the near future: Beyond hosting neighborhood book and record fairs, the Narcisse-Banks Community Resource Center plans to develop after-school programs for teens that will serve as instructional clinics on deejaying, hip-hop dance, spoken word, film-making, music journalism, etc.

What we plan to do after that: Once the Narcisse-Banks Community Resource Center gains the footing to secure its own public space, the Narcisse-Banks Library will be augmented with a professional-grade production studio that will be made available to young adults motivated to learn how to record their music by way of a multi-track mixing board.

What do we mean by hip-hop culture: From the blues and jazz to soul, funk, rock, Latin, reggae, and electronica, the Narcisse-Banks music-related curriculum attempts to encompass the full expanse of contemporary influence.

What can you do to help: If you have any spare books and/or records that you think would make a relevant addition to the Narcisse-Banks Library, please arrange to make a donation by sending a message through myspace.

Who we’d like to thank for their most generous contributions: DJ Baby G, Ruben Cantu, On the Line Records, Lady Legacy, Friends of Sound, DJ Avatar, Sween, and DJ Enki.

Artists who have utilized our resources: Salih Williams, DJ Baby G, Tee Double, Public Offenders, 2-3 Mic Breakaz, Pilarsito, Lady Legacy, Global, Da Bosnian, and Black Mike.

Free Tix: David Banner - Austin Music Hall - December 9, 2008

From the If I were a department... We've got a pair of free tickets to giveaway to David Banner, Bun B, Z-Ro @ Austin Music Hall! Also performing, C.O.D, Brooks City, Mash Ent, 2 Gunz Up, DJ Knowledge and DJ Hella Yella!

For the free tix, email me the funniest line finishing this parody of Beyonce's song, "If I were a GIRL..." emptyonline @ gmail.com

Also, get your tix here!



More info:

Levell Crump is an American rapper, occasional actor, record producer, record label executive, and philanthropist. He is better known by his stage name David Banner and takes this name from the lead character of the 1970s and 1980s CBS television series The Incredible Hulk.[2][3]

Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He went to Northwest Jackson Middle School. He graduated from Provine High School in Jackson, MS and is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While there, he served as president of the Student Government Association.[4]

The Gathering - Karma Lounge - December 4, 2008

From the sell without selling department... The Gathering @ Karma Lounge on Dec 4th with Nook and Blacklisted Individuals!

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Went to this seminar today featuring Zig Ziglar, Colin Powell, Suze Orman, Rudy Guilani and others... my favorite speaker was probably Rick Belluzzo... I'm in tech so maybe I'm biased... anyways I didn't learn much, but what I did learn was that these people need to learn how to sell without selling.

Interview: Born Soul

AHHS recently got a chance to sit down with Born Soul, who's come from an 80's back-up dancer to MC. Read on to find out how he's lookin' to set trends and make Austin hot.

AHHS: Can you give your fans a quick bio of yourself?

Born Soul: I started out in the game as a back-up dancer for a few local groups back in the late 80’s. I bought my first beat machine in college and began making beat for cats at school. I made my first record when I graduated. It was called “Guiding Light.” While playing my demo at work for a co-worker, Harold “NASA” Green (now one of my business partners) heard it also and offered to finance my first project. From that day forward, we have been rolling.

AHHS: Which is your latest CD? and how do you think it differs from your previous works?

Born Soul: My latest CD is called “Relax the Mind and the P Comes Free” which was release in December of 2007.A First, it took me 2 years to record this album. I spent a year just observing, listening and asking questions (mainly ladies). I wanted to take sometime and find out what the listeners actually wanted to hear.

This Relax your mind project differed from my previous projects because I actually had a plot. Unlike the other albums I made this one with different scenarios that women and men could relate to. From all the feedback I am getting, kids love it as well.

AHHS: What gives you inspiration and how does that transpire into your music?

Born Soul: The earlier artist like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gang Star, Ed OG and the Bulldogs, The Dogg Pound, and Outkast all have inspired me in different ways. These groups inspire me mainly because all of they brought different styles and flavor to the table and they kept in hip-hop and no gimmicks. This is what I do; I bring something different to the table, NO GIMMICKS.

When making my music, I incorporate all these different styles (the groups above) into one. When I get up out of bed at 3:45am to notepad a beat or lyrics so to speak, it always excites me to hear what the end results are going to be and to see the looks on my partners faces when they hears what I created.

AHHS: Which artists inspire you the most? and why?

Born Soul: A Tribe Called Quest and OutKast inspire me the most.

I’m inspired by Tribe because of their creativity and the way the forced people to expand their minds and enjoy good music.

Outkast inspires me because they keep it funky and creative. They also create life music which is what I do. From what I am told from various listeners, fans, and critics, my vocal sound is a lot like my mainly man Andre 3000. When I first heard of this I panicked because I didn’t want people to think I was biting his style. I even tried to change my vocal sound, THAT DIDN’T WORK. I just take that HUGE compliment and run with it.

AHHS: What has kept you from moving to cities with larger markets? especially since it's only been recently that Houston has blown up.

To keep it funky with you, I haven’t moved because first, it is too big of a risk to jump and move. Also, I felt this would be a great challenge for me to put Austin on the map as far as hip-hop is concerned. It has not been easy and we are still struggling but we are making some noise and people have heard of Born Soul so that good. I think the only major hip-hop artist that has come out of Austin is “Poppa Chuck” back in the early 90’s.

AHHS: How do you see the scene locally? and where do you see it going?

Born Soul: In my opinion, there is no scene here locally. The reason there is no scene is because the artist that are trying to do something are just copying or piggy backing what is already hot. To have a scene you have to set trends. When you set trends, that’s when your area or city becomes hot. There are no trend setters here locally, only followers.

Until someone, like me, breaks through on a national level, the scene will remain the same here locally, DEAD.

AHHS: What is your favorite venue to perform at? and why?

Born Soul: I loved performing at Club Parish. The audience really was into the music. A few people even knew my lyrics. I really haven’t performed at a lot of venues because it is so hard to get on the bill, even as an opening act. I am currently trying to change that by making sure my music quality speaks for itself along with the other administrative stuff that goes with it.

AHHS: Can you give us 3 of your most favorite local artists?

Born Soul: Well, Houston and Dallas are as local as I can get. Scarface, Slim Thug, Mike Jones is ok. Dallas has a few artists that are pretty good but I can’t think of their names. I haven’t heard anything worth wild coming out of Austin.

AHHS: What is the best piece of advice that someone in the industry has given you?

Born Soul: Keep doing what you are doing musically. The key is breaking through the scene locally. Don’t give up, stay persistent.

AHHS: And a more light-hearted question: Have you seen a correlation between your level of success and quality of hoes?

Born Soul: No, not yet…….I can still walk through the mall with no problem. When they start closing down stores for me then I can answer this question a little better.

AHHS: Any parting words?

Born Soul: Enjoy my earlier projects and my latest album “Relax the Mind and the P Comes Free.” I just want to be heard. Look out for my new album in the spring of 2009. I can’t stop and won’t stop.