Here’s a submission from Baltimore native Tavvon Reynolds. He’s looking for people to vote for his animation to win a chance to air this Saturday on WNET New York Public Media Network. Let’s support this young artist reach his goal to have his featured on television.
To vote for Amulet, you must visit PBS Reel 13 at thirteen.org. You have until 5 pm est. time Wednesday, May 21, 2014 to get your votes in. So spend the rest of you day pushing that vote button on Reel 13! I will be.
I felt like I traveled back in time for a few hours to the 1980s yesterday, except there was a slight millennial twist in my Back To The Future moment. I attended for the first time Beet Trip, a beat and rap cypher event held at The Living Well, just few block north of Baltimore’s Station North Arts and Entertainment District. Last night’s event was Beet Trips 15th episode.
I wish I could have had the opportunity to grow up in the 80s to hear MCs battle it out in cyphers to human beat boxers. But the closest I could get to that was last night when I experience young Baltimore MCs form a circle while taking turns passing the mic to exchange freestyles to new age beats created by 3 star Bmore producers. I regret to have not grab such talented producers names or information. But I’m sure to be spotted at this event again. I definitely won’t make the same mistake. If you recognize anyone in any of these photographs, let them know that they’re now Doc’s Castle Media’s anonymous stars!
The atmosphere was, like I said, “old school with a new age twist” and the crowd was extremely exceptional for it to be held in an art gala like The Living Well. I assume Beet Trip was the absolute place to be if you’re big on attending Baltimore Hip-Hop events because I spotted plenty of familiar faces in the Baltimore Hip-Hop Scene. To name a few people:
Butch Dawson
Kaseo
Leon Dominick
FluX
Jimmy Apoet
Flaco
OG Dutch Master
Kemet Dank (aka Dank God)
Lor Bluntz
Neish of 23rd Sense
and so many more…
Beet Trip is held every first and third Thursday of the month and it’s only $3 to attend. The next episode will be June 5, 2014. Will you be there?
2443 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218
Are we eating cat or are we eating dog? Someone has to let us know!
Well, I’m assuming the mystery for many shall be over sometime at this year’s 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Wicked Delicate Films takes us on a journey to explain one of America’s famous delicacies, General Tso Chicken. Mmm!
I don’t know about you, but while I was growing up, I would hear a lot of rumors regarding chinese food. Can it be trusted? Is it really chicken? What part of the chicken looks like this? Nobody knew so ignorance took the lead, and people began to think we were eating cat. I don’t know why people would continue to eat cat if they believe that’s what the chicken was. But it must have been some delicious cat.
I always thought why would the health department allow stores to slaughter cats? I never stopped eating. It was chicken to me. For the people who didn’t think so, why the hell would you eat something you do not trust?
Anyway, I want to know all the crazy things people heard about their food while growing up. What’s the craziest assumption you heard about food? Let me know in the comments below.
I did something new last Saturday. If you live in Baltimore, sometimes you’d consider this city as a place where it’s pretty hard to find something new to do as recreation. I spend my summers looking for places to go. It’s really hard to find something fun to do without having to repeat the same activities over and over. But there’s warm weather on the rise so I should be able to do a lot more this season. This Saturday was officially the kick off to my season full of events, starting with the Boulevard of Chic Fashion Truck Rally.
I had fun experiencing, for the first time, shopping from a fashion truck. It was indeed a moment of discovery. Imagine all the goodies a girl can buy from a truck that’s similar to your neighborhood’s infamous Ice Cream truck, except all your fashion treats can be found there. Yup, this is what I was apart of this weekend.
Check me and Doc’s Castle Media’s featured blogger Brianna of Rebellious Rebel flicking it up for the camera.
I met the owners of some of Baltimore’s local small businesses, exchanged some business cards, took some photos and bought some jewelry. It was cool. I hope that there will be other fashion truck rallies in the future. If there should be, I’m in there like swimwear! Check out my video of all the nice things I saw this weekend.
Yet again, I bring you another War Drumz Audio Art artist straight from B-More city. This time around it’s Tony Bonez Sinatra.
This is his latest music video for his single “Mask Writter.”
I like this song because it reminds me of the music I grew up on. You know know 90’s babies love when they hear something that sound similar to anything 90’s or early 2000’s related. Tony Bonez’s music reminds me of some old Redman and Method Man hits. Check out the assets of the video! Can you tell it’s Baltimore? Stand up!
About the Artist:
Tony Bonez started rapping at a very young age as a result of dealing with poverty during his childhood. Music became his getaway from all the issues that revolved in his life. But it wasn’t until the early 2000’s, he started writing his own rhymes and joining cyphers at school which helped gain him much respect as a fierce MC who is not to be messed with. Inspired by Redman (see, I told you it was something familiar about his style haha), Tony took up the name KidBlaq, and was later signed to an underground label Monsta Money at age 19 and took up the name Tony Bonez but shortly left to join a group known as DaUnion. A year later Bonez parted from the 4 man group after issues amongst the group and went solo. Over time he encountered SmokingAces counterpart Fly Fonzarelli. They instantly clicked. Fly introduced Bonez to the Baltimore hip-hop scene on a whole new level. Bonez since then has gained experiences with some of Baltimore’s top artist including learning from Skarr Akbarr, battling King Los, recording with the late Smash, Tiara Laniece and Yea Lano. More recently, Bonez has taken on the position as the sixth addition to the War Drumz Audio Art music label.
Earlier this year, Tony Bonez released his first EP Welcome to the Boneyard: The Rise. The mixtape is composed of 13 tracks that’ll get your head nodding to the beat for sure. My favorite track is “Do Ya Like” mainly because I love the sample of Adele in the song, but he speaks volumes in an audio picture about being intimate with a woman. I’m a woman so…do you catch my drift? Ha-ha! I’m sure he has more goodies to come along with the rest of what he has to offer. What do you think?
To hear more from Tony Bonez Sinatra, be sure to follow him on Twitter at TonyB0nez, Instagram at LongLiveBoneyard, and Facebook at TonyBonez Sinatra. Don’t forget to check out his EP Welcome to the Boneyard: The Rise on Datpiff.com.
Do you like this music artist? Leave your comments below.
Do you have what it takes to be the next music highlight? Send me stuff! You might just become the next highlighted artist on Doc’s Castle Media.
The Maryland Live Casino’s Rising Star Live contest for best vocalist ended March 31st. Contestants entered in this singing competition for a chance to win $10,000 and studio time with Wright Way Studios in Baltimore. Though the chance to enter has surpassed us, Maryland Live is still in the mists of narrowing down their contestant pool. As for Doc’s Castle Media, we’ve continued to accept submission from contestants until April 10th.
One of Maryland Live Casino Rising Star contestants is below…
My name is Alaina Delucia, I am a newly 21 year old and this is me singing Hurt by Christina Aguilera!Thanks for this opportunity 🙂
I spent my weekend the natural way at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore for the 2014 Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo. It was a great experience to be a part of something so empowering, especially when I’ve never been to such an event. I had to wake up early Saturday morning to do my hair. I had to look fly.
I took it upon myself to attend the expo because I am a natural hair gal, myself. I spend hours of my time perfecting my natural curly bush. So I felt it was my duty to not miss out on this chance to learn some new hair tips and purchase some new goodies for this nappy head. I was in there in no time, accompanied by two of my lovely friends, one of them being the beautiful Karyn of NaturalHasStyle, a hair blog on Instagram that showcases all hairstyles natural.
Check out Karyn’s pretty hairstyle. Her pinned up puffy Marley Twist.
See more of her funky styles on her Instagram.
The event was delightfully free-spirited because it made me proud to say the hair on my head is real and majority of the people at this event hair is real, too. There were so many beautiful black people proud of their manes. I’ve never seen so many bushy heads in one place in my life. Sometimes the ignorance I receive from people who are unaware of this natural “movement” can cloud your reality of how many people who are for it. Being around a bunch of people who don’t understand my cause to be natural might have blinded me from the many that actually care. I guess I was brought back to life.
While at the expo, I bought some goodies. I now have new jewelry and some fancy smelling Shea butter for my body and hair. Everything I bought was from local businesses. You know, I love supporting the locals.
I had to get a pic next to the sign, too. Ha!
The message constantly pushed to those who attended Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo was there is beauty in what you are. There’s power behind being natural. We are wearing our hair naturally to make a statement that we aren’t false. We’re more comfortable in being real. We’re proud of who we are. We’re letting others know that. It was very empowering and nice to see people in support of one another.
The Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo is held in the spring at a different location every year. I’ll be lurking on Google around this time next year to make sure I don’t miss it. But the current tour hasn’t ended. The next hair care expo is being moved to Eastern Shore. So make sure you mark your calendars for May 4th to attend the Natural Hair Care Expo at the Hampton Inn (address below.)
121 E Naylor Mill Road
Salisbury, MD 21804
Visit the Natural Hair Care Expo website for more details.
Are you a music lover? I found another music blogger in Baltimore that could possibly address your craving needs for the love of hip-hop and R&B. I interviewed AmirahRashidah Blog’s very own Amirah Muhammad as another addition to my Blogger’s Rundown. It was a fun experience, indeed. I’ve known Amirah personally for quite some time now, and I’m pleased to say she such a wonderful person to talk to. I can always expect a conversation full of laughter when spending it with Amirah.
This interview was not like others as I had a special appearance from Shareese Williams, former beauty blogger of Doc’s Castle Media. She joined in my interview with Amirah to ask a few questions about Amirah’s love for singing. (Special audio is at the end of this post.) Amirah, Shareese, and I spoke of how AmirahRashidah started, Amirah’s plans in the future for her music blog, her participation in Janelle Monae’s Instagram contest, and her passion for the art of music alone. I learn a lot about AmirahRashidah, though I also am a contributing writer for her site, as well. It’s good to be refreshed on someone’s vision. She’ll reach a lot of success in the future. I’m definitely rooting for this one.
Doc: What’s the story behind AmirahRashidah? Where did it all begin?
Amirah: It all began in 2008. I started another blog, a personal blog, called Amirah the Uncool. Yes, I was into Lupe Fiasco. (Laughs) It became more of a blog where I posted music instead of for personal. I decided to take Amirah the Uncool to the next level by creating AmirahRashidah. I started that in 2012.
Doc: Awe, okay. What is your motive to keep AmirahRashidah going?
Amirah: So I have a huge passion for music. I sing and actually play two instruments. It’s something I’ve always loved. Eventually in the future once I get my law degree, I want to practice law and protect the rights of musicians and their work. That is what keeps me going. I have a good ole fan base and people to go to and say, “Heyyy, you need representation? I got chu!”
Doc: Right. It gives you more experience, too. So how many contributing bloggers do you have for your site currently?
Amirah: I have, right now, four. But three are active. That includes you.
Doc: (Laughs) Yes.
Amirah: (Laughs)
Doc: Are you looking to have more contributors soon?
Amirah: Yeah, I’m definitely looking to have more contributors.
Doc: Is there a way anybody can contact you about that?
Amirah: Yes, please. Hit me up at amirahrashidahblog@gmail.com.
Doc: In the meantime, do you accept guest bloggers
Amirah: I do. I do. They may contact that same email, as well.
Doc: So what made you decide to use your name as the name of your site?
Amirah: HA! Me and my lack of creativity. (Laughs)
Doc: (Laughs)
Amirah: I had Twitter before I had changed my blog name to AmirahRashidah and I just liked that name. It rang so I ran with it.
Doc: Okay, cool. I mean, I would have done the same thing.
Amirah: (Laughs)
Doc: I like my middle name. I use to use it a lot on stuff. So yeah definitely see what you were doing. (Laughs) Do you accept submissions from local artists?
Amirah: I do. I’ve actually posted a couple of submission for some local artists. I’ve done an interview for a local artist, too. I’m always looking for local artist to submit to the blog.
Doc: They do the same thing; email to amirahrashidahblog@gmail.com?
Amirah: Yup, same thing.
Doc: But with all of those emails coming to you at one time do they must have a specific subject line so that you can organize it differently?
Amirah: Yeah, with any email you send it should be like that. (Laughs)
Doc: (Laughs) I know but some people are oblivious to that. Sometimes they don’t. They just think they can contact you on anything and be like, “Hey! I got that fire!”
Amirah: I got a couple of those and I was just like, “NEXT!” (Laughs)
Doc: See? (Laughs) I like when people are specific so it can be filed somewhere nicely, you know.
Amirah: Yeah, on my website, I have a contact form. But on there I also have if you’re submitting music, make sure you email me at this email. You could use either or.
Doc: Alright. Umm, I recently saw some promotion on your Instagram about something new coming this summer to AmirahRashidah. Do mind letting us in on the scoop with what’s going on with that?
Amirah: Yeah, I’m so excited! Umm, I decided to do a video platform for AmirahRashidah, which it’s going to be called AmirahRashidah TV. I hope to have interviews mostly with local artists because they’re nearby. I’m not traveling too far. (Laughs) I ain’t getting paid for this yet.
Doc: (Laughs)
Amirah: It’ll be interviews and just random discussions about what’s going on in music. I’ll even have my guest contributors and bloggers do videos, too.
Doc: So you’re blog isn’t just for local artists. It’s for others too?
Amirah: Yeah, it’s for national artist and indie arts.
Doc: That’s good to know because people will be all over it. Do you have a favorite local artist?
Amirah: Ahh, lord! (Laughs) I so want to give the political correct answer.
Doc: (Laughs)
Amirah: My favorite local artist just might be this producer by the name of eu-IV. He does really well at mixing up R&B tracks. It’s this one track where he covered SWV’s Rain. He transformed it and I loved it. He’s one of my favorites. It’s another person. His name is Jonny Graham. He’s a Jazz musician. He plays trumpet and writes his own music. He gets people to sing on his mixtapes and albums. I like him, too.
Doc: Have you written about them on your blog?
Amirah: I’ve written about Johnny. I haven’t written about eu-IV yet. But I’m actually about to do an interview with him. Look out for one in April.
Doc: You should do a video interview of him.
Amirah: I know. If I do it then it’ll be pushed back to the summer to be on AmirahRashidah TV.
Doc: Is AmirahRashidah TV just interviews?
Amirah: It’s interviews. If we can get concert footage, concert footage.
Doc: …if it’s legal. (Laughs)
Amirah: Yes, legal footage. (Laughs) I’m not going to get in trouble for people posting stuff they not supposed to be posting. And…conversations about what’s going on within the music industry. I know you like to rant about certain things. (Laughs)
Doc: Yeah, I like to rant.
Amirah: (Laughs) So it’s a good platform for that, too.
Doc: Okay (Laughs)
Amirah: I can see you doing a video or two. “I just hate how R&B…” (Laughs)
Doc: HA! I like music rants. People listen to me. Hey, sometimes I make a lot of sense. But thank you for doing this interview with me.
Amirah: Thank you!
This is the point where beauty blogger Shareese Williams jumps in. Ha-ha!
Shareese takes the initiative to ask when Amirah will be dropping an album and doing a collaboration with her. Listen to what she says…
To view some of Shareese’s work, follow her on Instagram at @Uhhh_Shareese.
Did you read my last Blogger’s Rundown Interview? Check out my last interview with Shae of the UncommonRealist.
Previously featured artist Champ The General released his music video to mixtape single “All I Know” 2 weeks ago on his YouTube channel for the world to see. The update was submitted to us to promote his show on March 24 at Monumental Mondays at The Depot located in Baltimore’s Art district, Station North. Check him out.
What do you think? You like the song?
Read about Champ The General on Doc’s Castle Media.
If you were given $84,600 every morning, how would you spend your day, knowing that you had to use it by the time the day was up?
This video starring successful graphic designer Elvis De Leon has been circulating the Internet inspiring people to make the best out of their lives. He explains with an estimate of that much money being given to him, he’d spend his day making it his best! Come on, why waste it? Every minute of your life should matter.
If I was given that much money on a consistent basis, I’d give a lot of it to my loved ones. I’d also quit my job if I was guaranteed that amount everyday. What’s the point of working anymore?! Doc’s Castle Media would be bomb, though! There would be so many changes. I wish this could happen now.
What would you do? Leave your comments below.
