Who is LiAngelo Ball? Some might say a mediocre basketball player who was promoted and marketed to the point that he made the NBA. But in actuality he only played 2 seasons for the G League Hornets team before moving to the Mexico’s Astros de Jalisco. He’s the middle child between Bulls guard Lonzo and Hornets guard LaMelo who both seem to be talented. Now LiAngelo wants people to know him by his new rap name G3 Gelo. Whatever you call him is up to you.

‘Tweaker’. Let’s be real here. The first play makes this sound like a blast from the early 2000s. It’s sound is dated that at best is a meme or funny background music. The song doesn’t sound mixed or mastered and times just has this unpleasing busyness to it, like I can’t concentrate because there are too many stacked layers. Usually I like a raw, gritty, unmixed track, but this one is bad. G3 Gelo also doesn’t really show any rap skills on the track. There are bars that are subpar and downright puzzling like, “Rest my Glock against her fuckin' waist, I got some pottery”. What the Hell are you talking about? What the song does have going for it is the catchy chorus, and melodies, like when he says “woooaaahhh, woaaaahhh,.” it brings you back to that New Orleans Cash Money vernacular that everyone was saying. I would say the best line of the song happens to be the last line “But I'ma keep it real, she lost respect when you said, "Follow me", "me”. This is just an OK literal bar, but like I said, I'm pretty much grasping for straws looking for something to like about this song. Lastly the song ends with this weird crescendo and 3 seconds of silence. This is your champion???

Hit songs are born by unnamed artists all the time, right? Not exactly. Most hits songs come from familiar people with a fanbase, Tweaker is LiAngelo's first published song. Also, his brother Lonzo is credited as a co-writer of the song, which is a no-no in rap. This song definitely isn’t “They Not Like Us”. But how did it get so big? PAYOLA!!!!! Payola is technically illegal. But this is America, and the lines get blurred pretty quick. The only time something would go this viral from a mediocre song is because of Payola. Payola happens when artists pay to get their music played. This line might get blurred because the way people market and promote songs aren’t necessarily only on radio these days. Enter the power of the influencers. Streamers like Kai Cenat with millions of fans, 'allegedly' were paid to play 'Tweaker'. Also, enter the fact that G3 Gelo has two brothers in the NBA that have lots of connects, and you get the new payola. So it's probably not a coincidence that basketball stars like LeBron James or Damien Lillard SOCIAL CURREN$Y. The cool factor that you get when you’re an athlete, rapper, streamer, or social media influencer. It’s with this social curren$y that is taking Tweaker to have millions of streams on Spotify. Add TikTok dancers and boom! A hit. 

And the industry fell for it. First, Rolling Loud, who announced that G3 Gelo will be performing on their Rolling Loud California stage on March 1. An new artist with just 1 hit song gets to perform in front of one of the biggest rap crowds? 1 song? REALLLYYY? He's never performed before but he gets to hit the biggest stage. Then there is Def Jam who has reportedly signed him to a record deal (including his own label) worth as much as $13 million, with 8 million upfront guaranteed. An artist with 1 song gets 13 million at a time when all the record labels are dying and downsizing. A&R's are clearly grasping at straws trying to make a star out of anybody, but in opinion, anybody but G3 Gelo. But I hope they get what the paid for. "woaahhhh".

The real artists that have put in work and have done open mics with 10 people in the crowd, these are the artists who may never get an opportunity. These are the ones who deserve it more than anyone. The capitalist system that hip-hop has become has made it so that the real talent gets pushed to the side, while anyone with enough social curren$y can have all the opportunities and the riches. But who knows, maybe G3 Gelo will get better and sharpen his skills. and truly learn the craft that has saved so many lives. But until then I guess everyone will just " might swerve, bend that corner, woah"

If you feel like you still need to listen to the song or watch the video. Here you go:

Mike JC has been working. It’s the first of the year and he’s in the studio. Ya'll remember his singles “Higher” and “Ion got free time”? Well, 2024 was the Introduction. So, 2025 is the dedication. He’s showing the game that he’s dedicated to the art that we call hip-hop and just like his streams, he's going up! Look no further than with the release of his new single “Running”.

Mike JC is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has a growing following. He’s also a supporter of the culture who pops out to numerous events and local businesses. And last but not least, is that Mike JC is a cannabis activist, his Instagram page shows videos and pictures of only the stickiest of the ickiest, so it’s no wonder that his music would emulate his life. Let’s get to the music.

This beat. We gotta talk about this first. I don’t know if Mike JC called Juicy J, but this one. It has this high energy and hard-hitting bass that reminds me of 3 Six Mafia. I’m literally waiting for one of Juicy J’s iconic ad-libs to come blaring through the speakers. But you know I’m a student, so when I did a little reading, I found that producer G3NO was the one who deserves all the praise. The fellow Tulsa artist/producer has credits with Juke21, Phil Sosa, and the late 4Chianno. Basically, he is the producer people come to when they need a hit.
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Let’s get to the good part. The lyrics. This track has plenty of good ones. But let’s take a step back. The concept of the song, Running. Mike JC puts a spin on it in a way that is not what you think running is. Running in this song is more like when Wayne said, “I hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave.”  But it’s more than that because Mike JC raps about his woman’s hustle and how he sees a side of her that she doesn’t show just anybody, also how he likes to have deep conversations with her. He bagged a good one. My favoite line from the song is, "I hate to see her leave, but I love it when she cummin, so every time she go, it feels like she runnin'." And the best of all its a line he repeats throughout the song. But also, let’s not forget his delivery. He stays on top of the track and finds these pockets that emphasize his words. Mike JC is rappin!

You gotta respect a woman that hustles and that’s just what Mike JC does, he respects his woman’s hustle while also honoring her and making sure she’s satisfied. And the beat is crazzzzyyy!!! Like we said earlier, this is the year of dedication, and Mike JC is showing just how dedicated he is with Running, an ode to a once in a lifetime woman, Mike JC found a real one and isn’t afraid to tell the world, kind of how Fabolous went on that run where he made a lot of love songs and Fabolous is one of the most respected rappers out there, and Mike JC is well on his way to cementing his legacy. Until then, stream "Running".

Make sure you listen to "Running" by Mike JC. Checkout the track below:

Follow Mike JC on Instagram: @mikejc918
Spotify: Mike JC
Twitter: @mikejc918 

​I’m going going, back to back, to Atlanta, Atlanta. You see that’s not just a song I made up, I actually went to Atlanta for the first time sense my fifth-grade field trip. This time though I’m going as a grown man and even more curious to see how the city they call ATL has changed since my last visit. It was sort of a field trip this time also, just that this time I was there to go to one of the biggest black entrepreneur conferences in the world, Invest Fest 4!

Invest Fest is an entrepreneur conference that is focused around black entrepreneurship that has been held in the city of Atlanta for the pretty much all four festivals. This year it was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, which is still relatively a new place and also a huge place. Invest Fest was created by the brothers of Earn Your Leisure, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, who have created one of the top-rated podcasts in the world that focuses on entrepreneurship. 

I was excited to be in Atlanta because it’s been a minute. Like right during the FreakNik years, but I was too young to see that much. And Atlanta is an expensive city. So to combat the cost a little, I decided to volunteer. The tickets were $250, so volunteering saved a little cash and it would force me to talk to people because if I’m being honest with myself, I’m reserved. There were also VIP tickets that ranged from $1000 to the lifetime VIP cost of $10,000, but my pockets are also reserved. lol. I flew out of Tulsa straight shot to Atlanta which was surprisingly only three hours. And as soon as I landed I played Killer Mike's Live version of "DOWN  BY LAW"

Let’s get to the reason why we’re here. How was it? It was BLACK! It’s how I imagine Wale writes his songs about black women. Black is Beautiful, Black is Gold. As soon as I walked down from my hotel elevator, I saw just how beautiful Black is. Men and women of all skin tones dressed to the nines. I mean dressed. From business suits to business casual, to Nike Tec jogging sets. No matter what people wore they, woorre it! This conference proved that not only Black Americans were there for information and networking, but all ethnicities were represented, and people from different countries flew to Atlanta to be apart one of the biggest Black entrepreneur conferences in the world. 
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The meat and potatoes. That would be the conference sessions themselves. There were so many names that I could write paragraphs, Steve Harvey, 50 Cent, Ian Dunlap (I hate I missed his), Lauren Londen, X. Eyee (she stole the show, her talk on Artificial Intelligence really opened my eyes to it’s possibilities), Shannon Sharpe, T.I., those are just a few of the celebrity and standout people of the conference. But what I also found out is that the big names bring in the people, but it’s the smaller named entrepreneurs that are really in the trenches that really give you the ‘how-to’s’. It’s great to see a big name and see them talking and telling stories about their success, but a common theme that seemed to playout is that these entrepreneurs didn’t give you any game, just stories. But when you go to the small named entrepreneur, everyone had their pens and pads out because they were giving you step-by-step how to guides, they gave the game, they blessed the game, and surprisingly their sessions were packed.

Circulate. That’s the only way I could explain the vendor marketplace. It was over 500 vendors all in this huge expo sized space all circulating money. There were health vendors, there were hair care vendors, there were Artificial Intelligence vendors, there were clothing vendors, every aspect of entrepreneurship needed to support your business was there. I promise you that it would be hard for you to walk through and not buy something. There also was the Earn Your Leisure booth that held their signature “Assets Over Liabilities” shirt. There was also The Marathon booth who actually bought the iconic Brinks truck. I always support The Marathon store, (their Black Friday deals are insane) so it was dope to see their Brinks truck and to be able to take a picture with it. And in All-Money-In fashion, they also gave away $100,000 Grant to a business, the business that won focused on juicing. 

Business in the front and a party in the back. By day the conference was all business and entrepreneurship. But at night that’s when you realized people didn’t come to just work, they were there to play as well. Invest Fest had a VIP Night that included a performance from T.I. and a private dinner. There was also an R&B Karaoke Night where that was cracking. Also, it was Atlanta. The night scene is whatever you want to get into, clubs, lounges, gentleman clubs, and everything in between. Atlanta is a city built on nightlife. 
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My Final thoughts on Invest Fest. When you come, bring comfortable walking shoes. The facility is literally three football fields long, don’t sacrifice looking cool for comfort, you can do both. Don’t be afraid to go by yourself. I went by myself, my first solo trip, and as soon as I got there, I got nothing but inviting personalities all wanting to talk and network. Which brings me to my next point. Talk to people. People are there to network and you never know who will help you build your business or help take your business to that next level. So talk. Go to the small entrepreneur sessions. That’s where you’re gonna get the real cheat codes, the big names might get you to come, but the lesser-known ones are gonna give you the game because they are in the trenches. Have your elevator pitch ready, be able to describe your business because you don’t want to sound like that person who sells snake oil. Know your business and know it well. Spend with the vendors, the vendors have amazing products, I bought shirts, hair care products, took business cards, because it was truly a way to circulate and support entrepreneurs who took a risk and had amazing products and could tell you, and sometimes sell you on their products. Last but not least. See the city. I didn’t venture out to see all of the city but I felt welcomed to Atlanta. 

Should you go to Invest Fest. YESSSS!!!!

Webster’s dictionary defines an interlude as; a musical composition inserted between the parts of a longer composition, a drama, or a religious service. From Drake and Omarion’s “Bria’s Interlude” to Kanye West’s “I Love Kanye”, or Summer Walker’s "Session 32", there’s nothing like an interlude. GOLDIELXCS knows this all too well and is showing the world what it means to live within the interlude with the release of her new EP called “INTERLUDE SHAWTY”.

GOLDIELXCS is an artist from Dallas, TX who now calls Tulsa her home. She is a multi-talented artist, producer, and musician whose stage performance has been blowing crowds away. Her music blends into multiple genres making her sound unique and boundless. GOLDIELXCS has created a cult-like following and continues to see the benefits of being an artist who is just, being themselves. Check out her music!

​Interlude Shawty, the 4 track project clocks in at 6 mins. But don’t let that fool you, this project is packed with vibes. This is the ode to the Interlude! Starting with track one called “MOVED ON”. This track sets the vibe for the EP. Coming out the gate is the guitar that stands in front of the track like a protective barrier, shielding GOLDIELXS’s heart from a past relationship. It seems like at times the guitar gets out the words that GOLDIELXS is holding back from saying. But as soon as it seems like she was able to get those words out, the track ends. WE WANT MORE!

Track 2 is called “THINGS GET DARK”. You can feel the dark soulful Kanye-like sample that feels similar to his style of sampling that uses a sped-up soulful voice as a prominent piece of the production. GOLDIELXCS’s airy vocals loop continuously, at times as she sings her heart out, hitting notes that convey a strong emotional pain and at the same time she expresses a message that is her embracing the dark times in anticipation for the brighter days ahead. Her voice floats on top of the beat and even at times extends beyond to a higher octave and stretching across multiple bars. She really shows her range and a vocal depth.

“Lord Knows” is my personal favorite, it has this beat that makes me think of a Spanish city where GOLDIELXCS has taken a sabbatical to get away. Away from what? She doesn’t have to tell anyone why or the story, because ‘The Lord knows’, words she stands on and repeats throughout the track. She draws a line with this track by saying “how far I’ll go”, this too, she doesn’t have to explain and yet she still says soo much in this track. The interlude on this track is an implied understanding, and each Lord Knows becomes a reinforcement to her declaration that He knows and that's all that matters.

The last track on the EP is called CALL ME WHEN YOU GET THIS, these words are repeated throughout, I think a lot of people will get this one as it is the most upbeat track on the EP. GOLDIELXCS lets the beat do most of the work as she sings “you should” in a non-committal tone that seems to insist but not make mandatory because you if you know what’s good for you, then you would. And this song is the SHOULD that you have to listen to.

​There you have it. INTERLUDE SHAWTY! Six minutes! It went by quick. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Interlude Shawty is an album that has amazing replay value, and I found myself going back and listening to the album multiple times and finding new things with each listen. I appreciate it's a vibe, especially when working, it’s hard for me to work and listen to music because I get caught up in the lyrics, and when I'm working, I can’t really focus on the task because I'm listening for that next crazy bar or quadruple entendre' (ask Kendrick, they do exist). But with this album you can have it on in the background and still concentrate on a complex problem, and still, most importantly, enjoy the music. While listing to the album there were times when I was deep into an issue and before I knew it the track had finished. It left me wanting more, and as an artist that’s what you want your music to do. Leave your audience wanting more, and only The Lord knows what more means for GOLDIELXCS, until then I’ll be listening to “INTERLUDE SHAWTY”.

Make sure you go stream GOLDIELXCS new album called "INTERLUDE SHAWTY".

Also follow GOLDIELXCS on social media:

Instagram: @goldielxcs 
Twitter: @goldielxcs
Spotify: GOLDIELXCS
YouTube: GOLDIELXCS

When you get an invitation from dj noname. you know that something dope is going to happen. This night proved that statement correct as the first installment of "The Listening Session.". Mr. Worthammmmm.... The artist known as Mr. Wortham is a lyricist and veteran of the game, his style is chill and laid back but packs a lyrical punch. He's also a supporter of the Tulsa music scene. But this event is about him and his new album called "views from the 11th". The project that captured his view from the 11th floor hospital window as he was going through one of the hardest battles of his life. This 12-track 25 mins and 11 seconds album is an insight to that battle. This is the listening party for "views from the 11th".

This night only a few select individuals were in attendance, this made this made the listening session very personal and more intimate. dj noname. and Mr. Wortham sat at the front of the stage behind a table filled with speakers and a laptop. To be amongst friends, that's what Mr. Wortham seemed to enjoy, while also letting them in on private battle he's been fighting that would eventually become an album. The album was structured in this skit then song sequence, it was like Mr. Wortham was sitting next to you explaining each track. The fist track called "peritoneal dialysis" grabbed your attention, it's this emotional journey that took us through his declining health, it was like we were right there in the hospital with him. There were so many medical terms that it felt like we were and the way he delivered them was as if we were there hearing these words for the first time with him. Also, note that this is the longest track on the album and has a very heavy tone to it. The track was produced by Dr. View.

Track 1 was very heavy and very serious but track 2 is the total opposite. "bloodwork" though still a heavy subject matter was surprisingly upbeat. Mr. Wortham experimented a little with different character voices especially at the end when it sounds like a 70s disc jockey. When listening to the track I was surprised because I thought every subject matter had already been put into a song. Wrong! I've never heard anyone create a whole song around getting blood work done. And I definitely wouldn't expect it to be upbeat. But Mr. Wortham executes the song so well. It's this upbeat dance track. I could imagine Phlebotomists would put on while working a shift. The hook is catchy as hell. Who knew you could dance while getting blood work. This one was produced by dj noname.

We get a peek into the creative process in the next skit "behind the scenes (let it go)" The skit is a voice note recording of an unreleased unrecorded song. During the listening session Mr. Wortham told the story of having the beat play through an old TV via a Chromecast and if you listen carefully, you can hear the volume being turned up. Though it's not the whole song it's a really strong chorus and up-tempo beat from Seriously K5ive. It's still in a reference track but it's interesting to hear him building on his idea for the song and the direction he plans to take it.

As he played the next track "me and my girlfriend" I couldn't help but think I know this title. The title has been flipped many times, 2Pac then Jay-Z, and now Mr. Wortham's version. During the session Mr. Wortham told of how him and his wife Jerica have been married for over 17 years now and how she was there right by his side in some of his darkest times. The track sounds like an ode to his wife. Again, he spoke of these uncommon medical terms and procedures. In the track he talked about how he had transitioned from the hospital to his home, but as the song tells, that didn't make it easier, or that the journey was over. There were hours of training and lots of patience, and some really personal and vulnerable moments. The song is the definition of "in sickness and in health". in the Q&A Mr. Wortham said that this was one of his favorite verses on the album and even rapped a bar, "the fork to my knife, the potato to her steak, be making meals together, and forever scrape the plate". The beat was again provided by dj no name. who flipped a Frankie Beverely joint for Mr. Wortham to spit on.

DJ $ir Mike provided the beat for track 9 titled "pill poppa". He explained the song by stressing that he wasn't speaking things into existence, but this was helping to paint the picture of the large list of medications that he literally carries in a Jansport backpack because it's just that many, and also the feeling of having to pop pills all the time. In the track he's naming off pill names like Jay-Z naming off women in his song "Girls, Girls, Girls". In his bars he spits, "I’m tired of you. I’m tryna go natural.“, this is just a heavy literal bar. I also noticed in his delivery and cadence in the track he makes it seem like he's on drugs with this cloudy state of mind sound as if he's in this medicated state. It was just a well-executed song.

The next track is a skit called "behind the scenes (do what it do)", hearing the sounds of the dialysis machine brought you right into the room, I imagine he did what he could in that moment to get through, and at that moment it meant he needed to sing, “It’s a long road, down this unbeaten path. And we don't even know, how it truly does end.“ These reference tracks probably not only helped make the time go bye, but it also probably helped to get some of those feelings out creating therapeutic sessions.

The last track on the album. Can you believe we made it this far? Can you believe all Mr. Wortham has been through? The last track is called "we made it" and is about triumph. Ending the album on a high note, producer Seriously K5ive provided those amazing horns and beat. The track was recorded in the den of his house with long-time friend Kiera Boykins, who himself had battled cancer and came out triumphant. This was that extra inspiration that Mr. Wortham needed. “we made it” also signifying that he had finally got a new kidney. He spoke about that Ascencion phone call that would get him closer to his triumph. The journey is the triumph. The family and friends who helped him along the way was the triumph. And triumphantly he rapped with a swagger as to say, "NIGGA WE MAD IT!".

The Listening Session. You had to be there. There were good people. There was a Q&A. There were 3 bottles of wine, keyword being "were" because by the time the listening session was over, all three bottles were empty. Mostly it was a triumph. Mr. Wortham had gotten through a journey that tested him and his relationships and came out triumphant. So, congratulations to Mr. Wortham on health and an amazon album. Let me be the first to repeat, WE MAKE IT! Make sure you checkout his new album "views from the 11th".

Checkout the listening session below:

Also follow Mr. Wortham on social media:

Instagram: misterwortham
Spotify: Mr. Wortham
YouTube: Mr. Wortham

Also stream the album "views from the 11th":

When I first saw RedRanger Ronnie he had this mystic to him. Dressed in cowboy attire and a red bandanna covering his face, it was hard to see just who he truly was. I sat down with him to find out just who is RedRanger Ronnie. Checkout our interview below.
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You wear many hats but what I want to talk about today is the RedRanger Ronnie. Tell me about it. So RedRanger Ronnie is a character I created about two years ago. It really came off of an idea I had about how many places could I publicly take a pony, and take into that place, so the reason why RedRanger Ronnie came about was really I had written a song, and in the song I had taken my two favorite childhood things which were Power Rangers and cowboys, to put them together so I started off the project two years ago with taking a pony named Cowboy into as many local businesses I could get him into or as many like art festivals or museums I could take him into. Any building that would let me take a full-grown horse into, I was really excited to, so that's how RedRanger Ronnie gave birth. It was really just for the idea of how many places I can fit a pony. into.

The black cowboy has kind of like been commercialized now you see Pharrell with Louis Vuitton and how he had the models and black cowboys also how you see just a recent commercial with Snoop Dogg doing the Jin and Juice and had the black cowboy. Can you tell us how do you feel about you know commercialization of the black cowboy? I really appreciate how it is bringing black Western culture to
the Forefront, I'm just not a fan of the commercialization of it, only because to a degree I feel as if real cowboys get pushed out and the people who are wanting to be trendy are put in it, so for example your real cowboys like the one they took to France and stuff for the show [Louis Vuitton Parris Fashion Show] that's amazing to see, it's good to see that. What I don't like are people who aren't apart of rodeo culture, then taking it and kind of not representing it the way it in the way it came up, or also the same way the same way like this hypocritical thing. As a kid I grew up wearing cowboy boots SIG shirts regular jeans, the whole nine yards, big belt buckle, and mostly the black kids would be like, 'oh he's a white boy, he a white boy' and I'm like, 'I live on 59 [59th street north] and you live on like 81st and Memorial near Broken Arrow, the math isn't mathing,' so I really enjoy when it is bringing to the front, What I don't like is when it's just trendy and I hate when the trend goes out and I'm still wearing cowboy stuff someone's going to look at me and be like, 'oh that was all last year', so I hate love, I hate love, but it's nice, it's cool to see.

What do you say to people say this is a gimmick? I would say they probably just don't know me, you know the biggest thing about the world is being yourself, there's seven billion people in the world and each individual human being on this planet even if they're identical twins or whatever, all have their own unique story one way or another, one person's day isn't the same as another person's day, and the whole nine yards. So, if someone was to stay to answer you, I would say. 'it is what it is'. I think it was Pimp C who once said, "If you started your first album off as a cartoon character, your last alum has to be a cartoon character, I don't see RedRanger Ronnie as a cartoon character, I see him as an extension of myself, he is a part of me. He's a part of my lore, so I don't see RedRanger Ronnie as a gimmick or anything like that, it's more of just it's fun to be able to express yourself and be able to do it whenever and however you want.

Your first single out the gate "Beef", talk about "Beef" and how it came about. Beef was the last song to actually be made for the mixtape. I think it is the only song that was recorded in 2024, where a lot of the other songs were actually recorded in either 2022 or 2021. So a lot of the songs were a little bit older and they just got played now. But yeah "Beef" was the most recent song. and the way "Beef" really came about was I just really like the commercials ["Beef, it's what's for dinner" ad campaign], you know ,the du du Beef, and I just thought it was super cool. A homie of mine sent me a beat and the name of the beat was called Triple Beam Beat, shout out Synth Poppi in Atlanta Georgia, it's called Triple Beam Beat or something like that, and the first thing I thought about was the triple i beam TN,, so that's how come the opening bar is, "Put eyes on his head like TN, and then after that I was like I gotta have something that's a little bit more vicious, so it led to beef, you know everyone in the world has somebody who they might not like or might not get along with, so you just have beef, beef doesn't always have to be toxic, you can have beef with people and it be healthy you know, it's like Kendrick said, 'this could be a friendly Fade if you keep it that way' so that's how I like to look at beef, it's just a friendly way to say like hey man I'm down for that.

 
Can we talk just talk about a little bit of your musical influences and then what inspires you. So my first
influence I would probably say is Kanye, modern day Kanye I can't do as much as I used to, but when I was a kid Kanye West told us be expressive of who you are, he rocked pink polos, he had Louis Vuitton backpacks, it was not something you saw rappers wear, especially in that day and time. You had Kanye West versus 50 Cent and 50 Cent at that time was like the best rapper. like he was at peak and for Kanye West to outsell him on that first week [album sales] for Graduation really changed a lot of how I saw blackness, how I saw art, and it was like wow! If Kanye West's tittle nerd self can beat out the
thugs in the rap category who says I can't make music. So ever since then Kanye West, Pharrell, Andre3000, Frank Ocean, Ty the Creator, these artists who are black as hell but just don't always get seen in that same kind of light because they don't have that mainstream thug to them.

How do you feel your influence on life growing up in Turley, North Tulsa, how has that been incorporated into your music? A lot, Turley and the Nitty they got a lot of people who ride horses, it's a it's kind of country almost, when you grow up around horses you grow up around "ye haw" culture, rodeo culture, that influences a lot of things of how you see the world, how you treat people, Cowboys, one thing about a cowboy they're willing to help each other, 'hey man you need a ride here? I got you. Hey man we need some [help] we just got a horse that just got out'. You know I've had plenty of neighbors who've had like four or five horses get out and they're just at my house and I'm like, 'hey man these yours? Yeah okay, just come get em when you can. Okay no problem.' So it's never an issue like that and I think that translates into my music, where you hear some of the western tones in it, like RedRanger Ronnie uses a lot of western bars, even in "Beef" you know, 'been working cattle since I was a youngin, and that's be rockin Wranglers,' so a lot of my influences definitely come from my childhood and that's where my music likes to pull from or just the experiences I've had growing up on a horse ranch, listening to country music, just all those different influences can just be heard throughout the music if you listen for the bars.

How do you describe your music to someone who's never heard it? I would say it is it's funny, I don't want to make comedic rap like a little Dicky or anything like that, but I enjoy being funny with bars, sometimes I think we underestimate how funny rap bars really are, and we always want to make rap serious, we have to talk about the police killing us. or us killing each other, or how we got to make money and fuck bitches and the whole nine, where in reality some of the bars you listen to in rap songs could be some of the funniest. Even with the Kendrick bar right, 'trying to strike a chord and it's probably a minor', like that's a joke more than it is a serious thought-provoking bar. Same thing even when Kanye West said, 'You got any black inside you? Would you like some?' Things like that, or Lupe Fiasco's verse on that same song "Everyone Nose Remix" he uses "Hi" for each bar, eating on Hydrox, 'she's up at high school,' to talk about a girl's drug addiction, so it's just the way we can incorporate humor into our bars is what I would like to tell people, like listen to it without having any like preconceived notion of what a rap song should sound like.

What song would you suggest for somebody who has never heard your music? I probably say "Heartbreak Rodeo", I think that's my most personal song, it's a song that just kind of talks about how I feel about life at times, it's a very sad song but it's just a really cool song, I sing in it, and I'm not the best singer, but that also just shows like I'm not afraid of taking the chances on doing whatever I want to do just for like me to have fun with it, so I think "Heartbreak Rodeo" on this tape is for sure the most intrinsic song I have.

What got you into rapping? I started rapping like not seriously, but you know as a kid you freestyle, my mom worked for COX so we got all the fancy music channels including MTV Jams on channel 160 and then MTV Hits was on 161 and then I think it was like MTV3 or MTV 2 was on 159, so my entire childhood was like Cartoon Network, MTV Jams, Disney channel, MTV Jams, so I watch rap music videos religiously and they would loop like every hour, so I can watch the same one I can't tell you how many Hype Williams videos I've seen, so when I would watch rappers all the time and I'm like man that just seems like fun you know, so watching those rappers do that and then when I started seeing more local artists rapping, I was like oh they can do it, I can do it. My friend Young Stickers, Benzo, Streffey, and then I got into Dom [St. Domonick] when I got older, the Keeng Cut tape The Flavor Tape [Snackin' With Flavor] is one of my favorite tapes of all time. So it's like when you can see the big stage and then you can see it be done on the smaller stage there's no excuse for you not to try it. So my rap inspiration all really just comes from watching my friends and my Idols just do what they want to do.

What message or impact do you hope to have or leave on the industry. and for the artistry. for music in general? As cliche as it is man, just be yourself bro, like you know you don't have to wear the same outfits as other rappers to say you making it as a rapper, you aint got to do the same sounds to make it as a rapper, you know the one thing that always amazes me whenever people hear my music they'll say, 'oh it's refreshing. We haven't heard something like this before'. I'm like is that true? Like I thought it sounded like this, but then you kind of compare it you're like oh it doesn't, but then there's a lot of times you can listen to a song and be like this sounds like so and so, so just be yourself and if it's wonky let it be wonky. people will naturally come to what they think is like genuine, like genuine versus what they think is generic, I think a lot of people don't recognize the first time you heard your Drake song it didn't sound like other rapper songs because he was singing, or the first time you heard a Kanye West beat, people were putting Amari Bonami  in there beats with violins, so you have to realize you have to be able to take those risks and things to be able to break out, so that would be my advice to anyone who wants to like get into music or get into art or anything in life is be yourself and use yourself as the impact. Like, I hope the same way my favorite rappers in Tulsa impacted me, I hope that there's a kid who hears my mixtape and then like in 2030 some kid comes up to me like, 'what's up OG, you know first time I heard "Boys Don't Cry" man I was like wow!' So that's my goal, if I can hear that in like the next 10 years someone says hey my tape did this for you, I did my job.

Thanks again to RedRanger Ronnie for taking time out his day to do the amazing interview. Go stream his new tape "Boys Don't Cry But, Wofs Shed Tears."

Follow RedRangerRonnie on social media:

Instagram: @redrangerronnie
YouTube: ThunderWof.
Spotify: ThunderWof.

Watch the rest of the interview here:

Nothing in this life is free, not even time. Driving in traffic, to spending hours at work, to spending time with family, or just watching TV, everything is competing for time. That’s because time is the ultimate commodity, you can’t get more, so it’s important to make every second count. Mike JC is an artist that knows this all to well, and he’s going to tell you why in his new single “Ion got free time”. 

Mike JC is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who continues to put out great music, the sky is truly the limit for him and he's got more songs set to release. Make sure you also checkout his social media for more updates. Read our last review of his single “Higher” that featured Savvy Kray. (Read the review).  

Real talk! That’s how I would define this track. Mike JC is not sugarcoating anything, he’s not speaking in quadruple entendre’s, he’s just giving you real talk. The track is very introspective, in it he explains just how much he knows that time is money. The first verse he talks about wanting to be the reason why his son gets into Howard. With the high cost of college, he knows he ain’t got time to not get to the money. A line that also stuck out was when he said, “The goals I got require more than just wishin’.” If that ain’t a bar!!! It takes more than just wishin things happen, it takes some action too. 

The second verse. I gotta say that Mike JC is talking that talk. He says, “I’m hunting down my dreams, and I won’t leave it alone.” We ain't even talked about how dope the beat is. Mike JC is known for picking these beats that allow him to really spit, this time the lyrics were more literal that you have no choice but to believe him. Like you ever want your dreams so bad that you stalked them? Mike JC knows what it will take, and as the voice at the end of the track says, obsession beats talent every time, and you gotta be obsessed with being the best to get what you want in life. 

Time waits for no man, and Mike JC is rapping like it’s fourth quarter of game seven. The bars are so real that there's no need to flashy. Cause we ain’t got time for all that. This about the work, the grind, the obsession to make your dreams come true. So why some people may be mindlessly scrolling on the internet, Mike JC is the lab, pen in hand and if you’re tryna to throw him off his path, don’t be surprised if he replies, Ion got time!

​Follow Mike JC on Instagram: @mikejc918
Spotify: Mike JC

If you have ever been to Oklahoma then you know that it’s been the wild wild west as far as the cannabis industry. People flocked to Oklahoma as soon as the laws for medical use passed. The laws are still trying to catch up to what the artists have already known, Oklahoma got that smoke. This is the result of being in the middle of the map. Everything comes through Oklahoma, and artists have been documenting this for decades. Mike JC is an artist whose new single “Higher” proves just how much good smoke is in the ‘O’ state.

Mike JC is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has a growing following. He’s also a supporter of the culture who pops out to numerous events and local businesses. And last but not least, is that Mike JC is a cannabis activist, his Instagram page shows videos and pictures of only the stickiest of the ickiest, so it’s no wonder that his music would emulate his life. Let’s get to the music.

Higher is Mike JC’s most recent release, the beat has this Kanye-like soulful sample that plays in the background and sounds like a choir hitting notes while also hitting the tree, the beat also has this East Coast boom-bap feel that sounds like Jay-Z would jump on, it’s smooth and breathes, leaving so much room for the artists to do their thang. We say artists because Savvy Kray is featured on the track and starts it off, and if you know Savvy than you know, he’s a big chiefer. Savvy has the talent to have this flow that rides the beat so calmly and gets you into this vibe, and then out of nowhere he hits your ears with this crazy metaphor that makes you run back the track. “I be rolling thick ones, yo blunt look like it got A cups”. I had to text him like, “yo this bar crazy!!”. And it’s still more quotables in his verse after. Savvy slid on this.

Next, the smoke passes to Mike JC who starts his verse by shouting out some local businesses like the Greenwood Enterprise and the Stoner Olympics. It doesn’t take long for him to get you in the zone. I’m starting to see spaceships when listening to his verse, which is filled with a coded language only true smokers would get. Mike JC’s cannabis IQ is out of this world, and his bars become like this pop quiz of the different strands and rolling accessories. High bars! He just might be also. One bar that caught my ear was when he said, “Jet Fuel blasted me off into infinity, cause Sour Diesel got me questioning reality”. If that ain't a high bar then I don’t know what is. Mike JC also nonchalantly ends his verse with some bars that you gotta run back and listen to, like this one, “After I break down flight, I’m rollin’ up a plane”. I see what he did there. Clever. High bars! 

Listening to Higher you can hear what inspired this track. It’s some of the best cannabis bars by artists who truly live the stoner lifestyle. The proof and the Higher bars are all throughout the track. But with Oklahoma’s laws becoming more cannabis friendly, everyone claims to be a cannabis guru. Everyone is claiming to be smoking on Top 5. But as the chorus says, Mike JC's tolerance is high, so if he passes the weed, don’t be surprised, if he gets you Higher!

Make sure you listen to "Higher" by Mike JC ft. Savvy Kray. Checkout the track below:

Follow Mike JC on Instagram: @mikejc918
Spotify: Mike JC

Follow Savvy Kray on Instagram:@imarapperr
Spotify:  Savvy Kray

ALERT! Pull up to the last Groundwaves on October 10th, 2024 at the Skyline Mansion

We all heard the 1,000 listeners framework to being an independent artist. All you need is 1,000 loyal fans and you'll have enough support thrive as an independent artist. But few artists can say they've reached that feat. But when your name is "Making the Universe Recognize and Submit" or "Making Underground Raw Shit." there's no way you not gonna reach your milestone. That's who Murs is and what he has done. The 46-year Los Angelos born artist has a Spotify listener count of 185,000 monthly listeners and has done everything any artists has hoped to do. But most impressively is that he's done it independently while still having respect from up-and-coming artists. But it's with this new generation of artist that Murs is proving his new skill, artist development, as he puts on multiple open-mic events throughout the country called Groundwaves. I had the opportunity to get an interview with the legend Murs before the last Groundwaves Tulsa event.

How did you come up with Groundwaves? Ground waves was an idea I came up with when a friend of mine asked me to help with a foundation in Fort Collins called "The Music District" they have a facility that wasn't getting used, utilized by the younger people in the community. And they wanted to get young people in, so they asked me what would they need to do, and I said, you should probably have an open mic because kids today feel like they can put music on SoundCloud and DSPs that they recorded in their bedroom by themselves and call themselves emcees. And in my era that wasn't the case, you had to be outside. I grew up going to the Good Life Cafe and Project Blowed in Los Angeles California, and those are open mics, and those were places where you were able to see how you measured up, to be inspired to be criticized, to cut your teeth so to speak, and sharpen your sword as the Wu-Tang says.

Was the mentorship sessions always apart of Groundwaves? The mentorship was an idea that I came up with, but it has been a part of the program since its inception. I was just thinking an open mic would suffice. Jesse Elliott who worked with the Music District, initially and then with CACHE Creates in northwest Arkansas. Jesse Elliot was the one who suggested I do the mentorship the day after. I didn't think anyone would want to talk to me, but I was booked from 7 AM to 7 PM the next day after the first ground waves, and I've never, or I should say, really have I had a mentorship day that has any empty slots since the inception of Groundwaves, so I guess six years running. It also turned out to be tremendously rewarding for me, I won't say my favorite part because I love it all, but I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I do the open mic.

What sort of things do artists ask in these mentorship sessions? The most typical questions are; "How to roll out an album? How to book a tour? And sometimes critiques on their performance and how they can get better.

Have you seen artists take your advice and have you seen them grow from the mentorship sessions? I've definitely seen a lot of growth in the artist and the community. I can't say which is more rewarding, but I've seen collab albums and friendships, marriages built out of our community, and I've also seen individual growth in artists rollouts and mostly in just productivity and refining their craft when they really listen and apply.

ALERT! Pull up to the last Groundwaves on October 10th, 2024 at the Skyline Mansion
​
You took some of the artists to LA to perform. What was the significance behind that? When I got to Tulsa I saw the level of talent and I thought what was needed most was opportunity, not so much mentorship even though I felt like I may be able to help some folks, I thought the level of talent was ready for a bigger stage figuratively and literally, and Marcel P Black had asked specifically about how can he get on to the THOP fest, The Happiness of Pursuit Festival, its ran by a young man named 60 East. who was a performer at my festival Paid Dues back in the day and has asked me for  some mentorship or advice along the way, and I was more than happy to help, and he's also booked me, which is amazing and we have a good rapport, so I called him and I asked could we have a stage, could we take over stage and he was kind enough to say, "fuck yeah". And from there I decided I would take the five best emcees from each chapter that are the most committed, the most ready to make the trip, and initially I said that everyone would have to pay to get there themselves because that's how I came up, you don't just go up there to perform for free and selling merch and tapes at the shows to cover the cost of travel. And then the organizations that fund Tulsa and Arkansas very kindly stepped in and said they will cover the travel costs for those two chapters. And the folks from Colorado still made it out there somehow, both busted their asses the past two years, and we did a GoFundMe for them, but usually you would maybe cover a one-way ticket, so the Colorado chapters came out of pocket, but not Tulsa, but no one went into it expecting that. What I love, is that everyone I DM'd and said, "I want you to come." They took the leap, and were down to pay their own because they saw the benefits, and it's a small stage, but it's the only stage inside where the alcohol is being served, so we have that to our benefit, but I think everyone that comes out enjoys it, has a great experience, and I always say it's good to have your name a flyer in the mix with other names you admire, it's a good motivator, it's good juju as they say. It's a blessing to be heard and seen any time. But yeah, that's the origin of going to Los Angeles for the THOP fest, we've been able to give people opportunity to be there the first time on festival, first time on the plane, first time in California, and the day after we try to have some time to get together if possible, or the day before. The day before this last Paid Dues I took everyone I could to [eat] Ethiopian food and we toured FYI (an app founded by artist Will.i.am) campus, which is the app we are using to conduct this interview. And also, the building where I met the person who is going to be giving social media strategy classes to anyone that wants to participate, so FYI has been instrumental and hopefully we can continue the tradition this year. I'm pretty sure we won't get any funding, but I think 60 East may let us perform at the THOP Festival again, I'm hoping, so yeah!

Can you explain how the "Thank you, come again" rule came about? The overall inspiration from Groundwaves comes from the Good Life Cafe, a lot of it came from the Good Life Café, some from The Eurican, some from Project Blowed, But at the Good Life Cafe. if someone was wack the whole crowd would chant, "Plllleeeeassse pass the mic, Plllleeeeassse pass the mic," and I in the documentary Ava DuVernay, she used to rap at The Good Life Cafe (Ava DuVernay the director of Origin and A Wrinkle in Time, and many other things and dope documentaries). There was no cursing allowed at the Good Life Cafe, so is it was helpful, and shoutout to R/KainBlaze and I think it's his mother B. Hall and they started (The Good Life Cafe) and their rules were no cursing, so the way to get people off the stage you couldn't say, "Get the fuck out of here!" You had to say, "Plllleeeeassse pass the mic," and it was harsh, but it was clean, there's a documentary on hip-hop on Netflix where I talk about being there when Fat Joe got, please pass the mic, and he was signed, and he was on a major label, and he came to rap, so I thought that. And I have a lot of respect for how Joe handled it, I have respect for everyone and that's not a diss to Joe. But I was liked that energy in hip-hop where no matter who you are, or where you're from, you've gotta be dope. Getting that spirit back in hip-hop, but also with, thank you, come again, I added the element. Because there's not a lot of criticism, and when there is, it's a lot of blind trolling, so if you do start a, thank you come, again chant, you must get up, the loudest person or the first person to start it, must give some constructive criticism. It's only ever happened a couple of times in the Colorado chapter, it's never happened in Arkansas or Oklahoma.

​What's your take on AI in Music? I don't really have a[n] opinion about AI in music, just a curiosity. I've been around long enough to see things go from vinyl, to cassette, to CD, to MP3, from record stores to DSPs. Yeah, just asking how the Internet would change music or how car stereos will change music, we'll see, but I feel like if you want to continue to create or just live in this world it's one of those things, cars, the Internet, headphones, electricity, all these things affected music in positive and negative ways. The hardest job is to take it in and work with it.

What's your advice for artists that have went through the Groundwaves experience? My advice for Groundwaves artists is to continue to have fun and continue to work on your craft, travel, read, have no shame in promoting your art, and continue to support the community as a whole, continue to support and respect the culture as a whole.

What's next for Murs? Next for me, continue to praise God, raise my family, put out my final album, do my final tour, and possibly expand Groundwaves. Continue to freestyle on twitch and stream there, podcast, write books, make film, continue to create, and just no longer making albums and touring, but always doing. spot dates and performing, and still reading. getting better at my craft, supporting the culture as a whole.

Working hard and having fun!

Thanks again to Murs for taking time out of his busy schedule to sit and talk with us. Groundwaves is one of the those once in a lifetime events that happened for Tulsa. We need everyone to come out October 10th, 2024, to Skyline Mansion and support the last Groundwaves and show Murs that Tulsa appreciates his hard work and everything he's poured into the artists and the community. Lastly, don't forget to follow Murs. He's still putting out dope music and dop content. 

Follow Murs here:
Spotify: Murs
Twitter (X): @Murs
Instagram: @Murs316
Twitch: Murs
YouTube: MursTV
Groundwaves website: Groundwaves (groundwaveshiphop.com)