Ray Dollar Interview (Respect Life)

 During my last stay in Brooklyn I met Ray, a self-made hustler turned part-time actor who has big ambitions. After all,  New York IS the city of dreams.

M.U.L.A sat down with Ray Dollar who stars in the New York web series Respect Life. This made-in-Bedstuy series follows a group a young black men and women going through trial and tribulations while living in the cold streets of Brooklyn. Nothing is off topic.  Ray Dollar, who plays Rich speaks on his friendship with director Boom Pacino, hot topics that were never discussed in web series before and why he is not worried about the competition. I guarantee you, Respect Life will have you hooked in a New York minute.

Follow the RESPECT LIFE Youtube Channel now !

Make sure you subscribe to the M.U.L.A Youtube Channel now !

Local artists can send their music to  boompacino@gmail.com and raydollar09@gmail.com

Follow the Respect Life team of Instagram

@_respectlife

@boompacino

@raydollarday

Use the hashtag #RespectLife

Blezz Da Messiah – Brooklyn Made

Welcome to The MULA’s Unsigned  Hype section! Every week, you will discover new talents from all over North America.  If you would like MULA to post your music, send a few words about you a link to your music to themula1@hotmail.com

ARTIST NAME:

Blezz Da Messiah

BIO:

Blezz Da Messiah is a Rap/Hip-Hop artist on the rise from Brooklyn, NY. “Blezz Da Messiah” grew up in the rough streets of Flatbush Avenue and Crown Heights.  Thanks to musical influences such as Tupac, Jay-Z, Nas, and The Notorious B.I.G. “Blezz Da Messiah” has opted to channel his passions about his life and music into creating an authentic brand that will be at the forefront of hip-hop’s evolution into a global lifestyle.

Now with the upcoming release of his mixtape under his company’s imprint YOUNG G SOCIETY, “Blezz Da Messiah” is focused and prepared to expand his empire among hip-hop’s elite. With well rounded lyrics and an undeniable passion to succeed, “Blezz Da Messiah” is definitely on his way to the top.

TWITTER NAME:

@Blezzdamessiah

Survival of the Fittest- Mobb Deep (Concert Review)

Did anyone feel that the opening acts  were being slightly rushed into performing their songs ? Not that it’s a big deal but I was surprised to see Magnum and Scrwg Scrilla for only 10 or 15 minutes. Canada’s beloved rapper Peter Jackson only performed a few songs and was done around midnight.

 

 

Magnum 357

 

Peter Jackson and his crew

 

 

The hundreds guests then bobbled their heads for at least half an hour, while DJ Keith Dean spun a classic old school tracks. We love our New York music.

 

 The infamous duo haven’t change (at least physically) since they first got the hip hop world shook. The rappers started off with Survival of the fittest which was a great way to hype up the male-dominant atmosphere. It’s only  throughout Mobb Deep’s performance that I remembered how much hits the group had under their belts. It was hard not to reminisce about the good old clubbing days when hearing Get it Twisted, Burn or the G-Unit assisted Out of Control. The crowd was also ecstatic to hear Trife Life or Eye for an Eye from the  Queens rappers. The crowd sang the songs word for word. I’m sure a lot of you ladies were saddened to not hear Prodigy sing Hey Luv. At least they didn’t forget Get Away which was much appreciated by the crowd. Oh, and of course, the rappers had to thank their diehard fans with the forever classic Shook Ones Part II. Not one, two.

 

 

 

 

Montreal has been lucky to receive all  these rap/r&b legends this year. Nowadays, only a few rappers can easily fill out a big concert venue AND celebrate their two-decades-in-the-game anniversary at the same danm time. I guess MD was right when they told us that only the strong survive.

 

On this note, happy  20th anniversary to you Mobb Deep. Montreal will gladly celebrate with you again… 10 years from now.

LOX – Money, Power and Longevity (Concert Review)

I was ready for the last concert of this long and busy week.

 

The Arena venue located in downtown Montreal was packed with a much older and different crowd than the two last concerts I attended. The pouring rain didn’t stop these hip hop heads to attend this Rap rendez-vous.

Unlike the Bun B show, the crowd got to enjoy fewer guest performances before the main act arrived. The first group to perform was  E.M.G. a Toronto based rap trio. The group  has already open acts for Pusha-T, M.O.P. and even recorded a song with Spragga Benz, better known as Wayne in 2002’s Shottas. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Toronto group EMG were the first to perform.

The second performer was Peter Jackson, a Canadian rapper who has been grinding for a few years now. Having toured with Waka Flocka, Juicy J and even French Montana, Jackson still finds time to work  on his music, which you can find on http://www.peterjacksonmusic.ca

 

Around one o’clock , the wait was finally over. After seeing Styles with Sheek or Ghostface with Sheek again it was  time for The LOX to be finally reunited. The music selection was obvious (from a fan perspective) but oh was it reminiscent of the good old days. The trio kicked off the show with New York City  but  took us back to the 90’s era with several hits like All About The Benjamins , Money, Power, Respect and Ride or Die Chick. Since all tree had successful solo careers, if was only right for us to  knock our fists on Jada’s Knock Yourself Out or cross our two arms while singing Locked Up from Styles P. Of course, Sheek Louch’s Good Love is always a good song to make ladies dance.

 

LOX performing

 

 

It’s a pretty known fact that Styles P loves Montreal weed. What better way to perform his song  I Get High then to distribute cigarillos, blunts and rolling papers to excited fans ? Another great moment of the night was when Styles P (again) jumped out of stage to ride with his fans. Having done that  a few years ago was still surprising to me because this venue is a lot bigger than the previous one. I guess the mass of vultures did not scare the New Yorker.

Styles P lighting up on stage.

Seeing The LOX together for the first time of Canada was a great hip hop moment for myself and everyone who attended this much anticipated reunion. While some rappers run after money and power, this group proves that respect takes time to built and is the only real proof of success.

 

Rule number 1: Don’t rub Styles P in the wrong way, even if you’re his number 1 fan.

Rule number 2:  Message to all Montreal venues : If you’re gonna have a group signing autograph on 300 t-shirts, make sure you have solid tables. Let’s just say hell broke loose at 3 am.

Rule number 3: no rules…Jadakiss is still cute from his Ruff Ryders day. Muaaa

 

 

 M.U.L.A Grade: 9/10…Can’t wait for these 3 to come back. No beef, just crazy groupies.