New York Family Affair - Bavu Blakes and Rapid Ric Live at Sway

Bavu Blakes live at Sway, Monday August 8th

Whoa, another whirlwind week here at SoReal Headquarters (SRH being that space between my ears where the sound of its industry mimics the whir of an ever clicking camera being smashed to bits by an inner demon caught up in a tidal wave of beer and hurricane strength bong hits, hold up digital cameras don't whir that makes no sense lets just move onward).

It's 5 a.m. on Wednesday and I've been up for the past 1.5 hours writing proposals, resizing photos, doing laundry, picking up baby dolls and miniature cooking sets from my living room floor, just unable to sleep. I've been away from my desk since last Thursday morning when I went to Austin, and man, I am feeling it. I have enough trouble sleeping, but when I get behind on all the shit I have to do, it becomes impossible as no matter what I do, my brain never stops and I just lay there thinking about my 6 million tasks at hand (then the baby starts crying). One of which is blogging, and during a normal day of phones ringing and everything else, I find it impossible to do. So here I sit, typing away to you.

Anyway yo, first and foremost I still haven't uploaded last weeks Damage Control, so here it is for all who want it. I don't even remember what happened last week, just bet that the bitch is thowed and you will love it. I seem to remember loving it myself.

After Damage Control I left Houston for Austin and had a meeting with a developing new TV station in that city. I can't really tell you much about it now, as I don't know exactly where they are with everything but suffice it to say it looks interesting and could be a really good look for Texas music in the really near future. After that I stayed out there with the family and let everyone hold the babies.

Saturday morning I got up and out the door at 8 a.m. to catch the bus back to Houston, only to catch a cab to my house and meet Bavu and his man Cam, only to turn around and run right out to the airport to fly to New York City. See I wasn't even going to make this event with Rapid Ric (brought to you by an even Rapider Roxy) but last week an American Airlines Netsaaver popped up, and as both Bavu Blakes and I had business to attend to in New York, we decided to jump on it. Which subsequently resulted in Bavu jumping on the Rapid Ric event and man that shit was an event.

This time around though in New York my trip was a little different. To get the best priced ticket I had to fly in on Saturday night and stay till Tuesday morning. This gave me plenty of time to catch up with old friends and family, which is something I just don't get to do enough of. For real, I CAUGHT UP with some folks this weekend. Man... and it felt good.

So below, you're gonna get a little report from the front line, and you'll see a ton of pictures of people you never met before, probably never will. Suffice it to say that most of 'em are SoReal Fam from back in the days before I ever even knew that an internet existed (I mean I saw Wargames but I really didn't understand that hooking the phone up to the computer shit). Anyway, thanks once again RoxySoReal for the tight event (and for hangin' tough with the people the whole time!). We'll be back August 31st for Chingo Bling at Joe's Pub and September 15th for Screwed Up Click and GRiT Boys and Redhanded at Joe's Pub and shit I just may stay for that Bun B. and Diplo event September 17th Fader and 555 Soul is throwing. Anyway, here's a bunch of fucking pictures that may or may not mean anything to you. Excuse the fact that there are so many this time around including me. I'm really not an ego/megalomaniac, and I find it all quite embarssing, but fuck it. The cookie hath crumbled.


Me in position. Much of the time when I am in New York, I am stuck in this position, 2 waying and fielding calls incessantly. But this time around was a bit different. After this first round I kind of tried to make time for my peoples. Here I'm sitting at my man Josh's crib (Sae One, the resource) while Bavu and him recorded some shit int he basement for my man Scavone's mixtape. Shit is insane. (Photo by Alex Richter)


After the recording we went out to Southpaw in Park Slope Brooklyn for The Rub where the Ghost of Cosmo Baker was spinning. Didn't get to meet Cosmo as we didn't stay for the entire thing, but that shit was pretty rockin', as evidenced by this photo of Josh:





Sunday me, Roxy and Scavone and I tried to go see Diplo and MIA perform in Central Park. Yo I'm telling you the line for this shit was bananas. I know MIA is hot right now and so is Diplo, but shit man, I'm talking about 10's of thousands of people just standing in this line that wound around the park 30 times backwards had me trippin'. I had an email on my phone that said I was on the VIP list, but alas and alak, as is so often the case, I wasn't. Neither was Roxy. I mean shit, why would Roxy be on the list anyway??? She only like helped introduce the whole world to like... never mind.

It doesn't matter because the brilliant mind of Scavone came up with this idea to take us to the Astoria beer garden, where he furiously worked his phone into a frenzy inviting good friends old and new to come chill. Now remember, I haven't drank or smoked weed really for two months, and we spent like 6 hours at this joint, so here's where things get a little funky.


I love how the evening sun just touches peoples skin so delicately. Here's my girl Astra...


And Roxy in said sunlight.


And Roxy through a beer mug.


My boy JJ.


My man Ryan Donowho is a big time actor guy who should look a lot happier now that he is an extremely successful actor guy, but I think he's slipping into some sort of Bukowski-esque derelict guy thing... at least in this picture.


Bavu Blakes


And the night wore on, Bavu and Scavone...


This is my real good friend Jemel. I met him in Brooklyn when I lived there in 1994. We lived on the same street and used to do a lot of acid together. Like I'm serious, we'd do acid and just walk and walk and walk and listen to the first Redman and Method Man albums incessantly. That's my dude.

So anyway that was some shit. AstoriaBeerGardenSoReal. I kind of forgot to eat, and drank 6 huge beers, after 2 months of forced sobriety, suffice it to say I reniged on my offer to be designated driver and I thank the Lord God that we all made it home safely.


Allana worked the door and had a special message she wanted me to send back to Texas.


Dan the Automator showed up with my man Rio Rocket, now that shit is REAL! I'm a long time Automator fanatic.


Bavu wrecked that bitch. No stage, just a cordless mic. He wound through the crowd, whcih consisted of more than a few Texans:




And just jammed...




DJ Elle opened the night with a nice diverse samplin' of current and classic hip-hop. Respect.


This dude cornered me in the bathroom with that look on his face so I had to hit him with the flash to momentarily distract him and make my escape. DJ SAE ONE!


Fuckin' hippies at the jam show.


Boyzinahaze...


This is my man Jackson Allers there with Bavu. Now Jackson, he's been living in Kosovo for quite some time now as Director of Radio for the UN. He's seen some shit. I just happened to try his US number as I heard he was intown. Funny thing is he answered in the Atlanta airport en route to NYC and I got to see him. SoREAL indeed. Peep this blog.




That's 2005 Three StoogesSoReal. Jemel, me and Scavone.


J. Mill of Down Magazine and his Lovely Wife!


Julia Beverly of Ozone Magazine even made it out and man, here's her and Roxy. Both of these girls are helping me in my endeavors like MAN!






Me and JD been down since before Screwtapes... for real.






Me and my bro-bro Rapid Ric


Catch Dubs, Rio and Automator


Catch Dubs, Sasha Frere Jones and Paolo Suarez from the Knitting Factory.


These people think I can write, and I love them for that and so much more. Piotr Orlov, MTV and Julia Ozone.




Rapid Ric putting it down.


Don't fuck with my door girls at my exclusive events.


I always wanted to meet Sasha Jenkins...


And now I have... respect the architect. One of them at least.


Scavone, Doujah Raze and his girl.


WayneSoReal, Lil MattSoReal and RyanSoReal... this is my Houston FamSoReal. I mean seriously. You don't even know.


Allana, Aron and RoxySoReal


Seth!


Brought to you by the SoReal Fam, with shouts to Philip Mylanar on the left and Sasha on the right.

More pics here.

And read this article here from the Liberal Media on the drug problem in our nation. I truly feel as though the places with the highest meth problems are the places where it's hardest to get good weed. Fuckin' meth... get outta here tweakers. Get some weed. Travel for it.

Man, see you soon. Back to bed now... Please leave your comments and go get your tickets NOW for HOLLERTRONIX IN HOUSTON! HOUSTON PRESS 15th ANNIVERSARY PARTY. August 19th. You won't want to wait to get 'em at the door.

And PEACE to kris ex for the tight write up in the new Vibe Magazine with Jamie Foxx on the cover. HoustonSoReal was mentioned as one of the top hip hop blogs. Wow... And Big Thanks to Craig Lindsey for 2-waying me at 3:30 in the morning to tell me about it.



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