168 Hours From Now... (3/1/09)

*I wrote this on Saturday, February 21, 2009. A week prior to a show, The Winners' Cup put on by me & my production company, P.T.E. Productions.*
For some reason my mind is always progressive & forward thinking. Though my "Winners' Cup" event (http://tinyurl.com/b8xqxf) is about 6 days away, last night I thought how would this show be remembered not just by spectators & the New Orleans Hip-Hop collective but by me. What would I take away from a show with six of the city's hottest emcees and a band that can give you a funked out version of "Shook Ones" or their crisp approach to "The Next Episode?" In actuality, I'm trying to make history and feel this is definitely a stepping stone in that direction. It's also slightly sad to say but I'm already starting to brainstorm for my next several events within the upcoming months before this one has ever taken place. A gift and a curse to say the least. The 6 Million Dollar Hypeman, Rusty Lowdown put knowledge on my mind with some great advice the other night saying "take it one show at a time," but that's hard to do when both he and I know my capabilities and what I have in store. So... I say all that to say this, A Night of Champions will commence next Saturday at the Dragon's Den beginning at 10 p.m. Hope to see you there...

So... looking back on the Winners' Cup, I ask myself if I achieved what I set out to do by creating the show in the first place: a profit, history AND most importantly, a notch in the right direction as far as New Orleans' Hip-Hop scene is concerned. I can assure you that all three of those goals were met with this event. It's one thing to make money off of a show that you invested a lot of your time, sweat and energy into BUT I'm all about breaking bread with my peers and extending the Hip-Hop culture, especially in my city. Every performer, patron, fan and Hip-Hop lover in the Dragon's Den that I talked to enjoyed the show from top to bottom and were still talking about it days after the event. It's this top of response that makes me proud to be an emcee and appreciative of all the hard work that went into the event. Thanks to the venue, all the performers, bands and spectators. The Winners' Cup was more than worth it in my eyes and has helped me to continue in my quest to push the envelope. Stay tuned for more...