Baltimore Commercial Break: From Juke Joints to Greatness

So, this project was something that I've wanted to do for years (as evident by the remakes of two tracks I did YEARS ago) and ended up combining two separate projects to do so. This is a project that's pretty near and dear to me, since growing up in Baltimore, I'd always come in contact with some crazy (or at the least, memorable) commercials, news themes, etc. The Gotta Get Gebco commercials, Mr. Ray's, Standard Carpet, Saiontz and Kirk--the list goes on and on and on. So, the idea behind BCB is just me taking some of those commercials, news themes, etc. and rhyming over them to accomplish two things. Also, as I grew up, I went from that guy at UMD who was afraid to drop bars at a Juke Joint to someone who actually has made his own name. First, I want to pay homage to the city that birthed me and its eccentricities in a way that's fun and educational (YAY KNOWLEDGE!) Yes, Baltimore is kind of a hellhole in some ways, with its murder rates being some of the highest in the nation. I'll own that. However, there are so many other bright spots among the muck that get covered up when people focus on the negatives (or are told the negatives are the only things that exist). So, I hope that, through this collection, I can help shine some positive light onto my hometown and show the world we "B'more" than crack, Fox 45 reporting gaffes, The Wire, and Ray Rice. On the side of UMD, I wanted to showcase that Terp artists are awesome and UMD is more than Bentley's and C-Stone. Secondly, this album is pretty much my autobiography, even more so than, like, a Death of the King. It's not focused on one aspect of me, more so everything that makes up SOTB!!!. One of the fun memories from early childhood I have, for whatever reason, is visiting WBAL and WJZ studios with my mom for some sort of canned food drive. I guess she thought I could use my childish charms to work some sort of screen time deal out with the stations (these sorts of things happened in the '70s and '80s, from what I've heard. Maybe not in Baltimore that much, but they happened). But, going up TV Hill, to that place where the Candelabra (and its less-remarkable but still important sister antenna) resided? It's something that I won't forget, as it was one of the happiest times I had growing up. Some of the fun memories I have during my later years include performing at the Juke Joint, a regular UMD event put on by the Black Student Union (usually). It was a way to hone my skills rap-wise, and figure out what worked and what didn't. So, this project is a thank you to the newscasters, the news directors, the commercial creators, the news theme composers, those quirky DMV commercial spots, the friends I made at UMD and all those sort of things that kept me from completely saying "Eff life. It's too hard" at an early age. This project is, in some ways, the antithesis to a Death of the King, as it's more positively uplifting than a lot of my previous works. It also features artists who I've wanted to work with for YEARS (or have, but want to do so in less of a "no-fi" situation)! Finally, it also lacks most of the profanities I'm usually known for. So maybe everyone can check this one out and read/hear my love letter to Baltimore and my ascent from Juke Joints to Greatness through this...