Author: 2Blunt

Boston isn’t a city known for its urban entertainment. We’ve been know to be a title town or university city among other things. But when it comes to night life and the music scene, Boston is a place that rarely comes up in conversation. The tides appear to be changing around here though. Artists like BIA, FELIX! and MILLYZ are making industry moves, and the fact that Boston is a stop on almost every major tour are testaments to Boston’s impact in the entertainment sector outside of sports. The casino Encore, restaurants and various clubs throughout the city have proven to provide great entertainment as they are frequent by Celtics players and celebrities from different domains of entertainment. It really feels like there has been a collective push to focus on adult recreation and entertainment here in Boston.

Among all the new things to do in Boston are festivals. Since mayor Wu took office here in Boston in 2021, there has been a push to focus on Boston’s neighborhoods. Grants and allocation funds were given out to help facilitate some of the cities most anticipated festivals. BAMS Fest was one of those highly anticipated events. This is the second year the festival is being held and this year the event appeared to have grown in attendance and participation.

The event was headlined by BJ THE CHICAGO KID and underground legend RASPODY and had a catalog of local acts as performers.

One of those supporting acts was Boston rapper NAY SPEAKS. NAY boasts in one of the commercials for BAMS Fest describing her life as a “beautiful resistance” because she choses to “resist through art”. She goes on to explain that the community aspect of the festival is what she likes most about BAMS Fest. Speaking of community, NAY brought up two local Boston acts to perform with her during her set. Those two artists were South End representative AVENUE and “Boston’s Baby” Slicc Bae.

Less than two weeks later, another festival graced the streets of Boston. This too was at Franklin Field and it was a celebration of LBGQ Pride in the black community. The event was managed by local artist SAAFYR who performed and was also in charge of talent management. The event was hosted by Amanda Shay who is a spoken word artist, an educator and a self proclaimed “artivist”. The performance line up featured a list of local acts and was headlined by SAUCY SANTANA.

It’s awesome to have so much going on this summer here in Boston. Entertainment and recreation seems to be running abundantly in the city has given its residents a diverse array of things to do. It’s nice to see the push for activities within the neighborhoods of Boston. Keep an eye out for other upcoming festivals and tournaments going on at your local park there is more going on than you may think.
Photo cred: @bamsfest @deborahjkarsonphotography 📸📷

Summer has just started, and the city is more than ready for the heat. Last Monday, the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the NBA Finals. It was a gentleman’s sweep and felt extra special because they closed out the series at home. The celebration in the city began then and peaked on Friday, when more than a million people came out for the victory parade.

Fans from all over Massachusetts gathered to catch a glimpse of the Celtics squad and celebrate the national victory. Swarms of people dressed in green flooded the streets for miles as the famous Duck Boats carried the national champions. Despite the massive crowd, everyone got along amicably, and there was a strong feeling of unity and pride in being a Celtics fan and part of such a wonderful city.

Winning their 18th NBA Finals banner, the Boston Celtics now hold the most championships in the league. This victory was particularly special as the last championship was back in 2008, with the legendary lineup of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Kendrick Perkins. Fast forward to 2024, the Celtics were dubbed the best team in the NBA long before becoming the season’s champions. It was thrilling to see Jayson Tatum hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy on the float, accompanied by Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, veteran Al Horford, Jrue Holiday (celebrating his second ring, the first with the Milwaukee Bucks), and Derrick White, who even got his tooth fixed before the parade. The rest of the squad was there too, along with some familiar faces from the city.

Amid the Celtics’ celebrations, this past weekend saw several notable shows and events. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie performed at TD Garden the day before the parade, drawing a crowd of 20,000 people. This was a significant step up from his previous college shows. The show lineup also included NLE Choppa who has a steady fan base and has been appealing to young ladies. Mid-performance, A Boogie brought out local favorite Millyz, which was a great look for him, as it may have been the biggest crowd he’s ever performed in front of.

On Saturday, JOYNER FEST took place in Worcester at the Palladium outdoors. The lineup included Rotimi, Millyz, Conway the Machine, and more. Despite some rain, fans still turned up and had a good time. It’s great to see Joyner get love in his home city. Although Rotimi felt a bit random as an act, it makes sense that he was present, he and Joyner worked on a music video performance together. As a whole, the festival successfully created a space to enjoy the gritty sound and witty lines of the performers. History was also made that day, as council woman Julia Mejia declared June 22nd Joyner Lucas day. Making it the first time a hip-hop artist received this honor.

On the same Saturday, another big party, Day Trill, was happening in Providence, RI. Known as ‘the world’s best-kept secret,’ the event featured sounds provided by Dana Lu from NYC, Towfu from Boston, Where’s Nasty from Providence, and Silent Matic. People from Providence and Boston came out to enjoy the party. Like Joyner Fest, this event was also outdoors and hosted a crowd of about 400-500 people. The lineup of DJs created a fantastic vibe, with hits playing all night.

The first official day of summer, June 20th, came in hot, promising a busy and exciting season. Get ready for the heat and the activities because this summer is all about being outside.

photo credits: @tdvisualz @hdiamondpictures @kierstenelizabethphotography @youufirst 📷📸

The music industry is notoriously known for being one with a misogynistic environment. In the past two decades or so we have been seeing a shift in the tone in which entertainment is procured. We’ve seen the inception of numerous artists from all over the nation that cater to bold and ambitious young women. This article is about two artists that came to our region to bless their audiences with some of their girl magic.

Monday April 8th, the city of Boston was graced with the presence of the one and only NICKI MINAJ. The juggernaut of an MC was in the city for her PINK FRIDAY 2 WORLD TOUR which was a two night affair at TD Garden. People flocked from all over New England to come see the mega star perform. But NICKI wasn’t the only star in orbit this week, the rising RNB sinsation MARIAH THE SCIENTISTS also performed in Providence at the Strand. Both acts are a testament to the woman stardom within the industry.MARIAH THE SCIENTIST was on tour for her third studio album, “To Be Eaten Alive”. The 26 year old RNB artist comes from Atlanta, Georgia and was signed to TORY LANEZ’s label One Umbrella and RCA Records. MARIAH has been making some noise since her debut album “Master” and has been consistently growing her audiences since her inception into the industry. Her smooth and laid back vocals are reminiscent of Jhené Aiko and her style of music. We are excited to see how MARIAH’s artistry will develop and the impact it will have on the RNB scene.

NICKI MINAJ had some tricks up her sleeve for her audiences in Boston. NICKI brought out Massachusetts’ own BIA on stage with her to perform the song that BIA credited for changing her life. The two performed ‘A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY’ a track that is more like an anthem for young women who aspire to be successful and live a posh lifestyle.

Both NICKI MINAJ and MARIAH THE SCIENTIST are testaments to the tone of the music industry. One that recognizes women in the market and is represented by artists that can relate and be their voice. With new artists such as TINK, SEXYY RED, MULATTO, GloRilla, CITY GIRLS, MEGAN THEE STALLION and ICE SPICE to name a few, the future is looking bright for women in Hiphop and RNB.

Photo credits: @bizuals + @chriscornejo_📸 📷

Drill music took the hiphop scene by storm in 2019 and has remained relevant since. The loss of POP SMOKE seemed to have put a damper on the movement but certain Brooklyn rappers have been proudly carrying the torch. FIVIO FOREIGN is seen on appearances with Ye and Massachusetts’ own, MILLYZ, along dropping two studio albums in the last two years. But this article is about the boys of the Winner’s Circle. While SHEFF G is currently incarcerated, SLEEPY HALLOW is at the helm of the ship. SLEEPY, along side ELI FROSS and JAY-BEZZY, hit Worcester, MA for the third show of their Boy Meets World Tour.

The Palladium was packed with eager fans ready to party and enjoy a good show. Concert Crave, the organizers of the event, normally do a fantastic job creating a fun atmosphere for live music and dynamic performances. Boston’s own ONE SHOT ACE was in the building and set the stage on fire for his set. Makes sense for him to be present at the show, he has a fire track with SHEFF G called “MR.FIRE”. It’s dope to see him still working with the Winner’s Circle team. It’s said that ONE SHOT ACE has a track with SLEEPY HALLOW coming out soon called “BET ON MYSELF”.

ACE’s performance set at the show was spun by local DJ, KITZ. JAMN’ 945’s DJ known for hosting the LAUNCH PAD and being an active contributor to the Boston music scene, DJ E DUBBLE, was also present.

SLEEPY HALLOW has a laid back and aggressive sound that many seem to identify with and gravitate to. He performed songs from his early project DON’T SLEEP and jumped through his whole discography throughout the night. The crowd loved it.

A few people passed out but security was sure to be swift to attend to anyone in need. The place was truly packed and it created an exciting and fun atmosphere to enjoy the show. No pyrotechnics were present for this event, but it was a light show! SLEEPY HALLOW and ELI FROSS delivered an energetic performance and kept the people engaged as the audience recited damn near every lyric with the rappers. SLEEPY ended up diving in the crowd which is always fun to see.

It’s great to see the Winner’s Circle continuing to thrive despite some of the hardships some of the members are facing legally. We send SHEFF G our love and hope well for him as he fights his charges. Same goes for SLEEPY who had been said to have had some run ins with the law recently. Too much talent to be spending time behind bars! Hope the rest of the BOY MEETS WORLD TOUR goes well and the Winner’s Circle continue to succeed!

Photo credit: @javurichporte 📸 📷 

Hiphop has many different facets to it and as time passes we see the genre continue to evolve. Like Rock developed into a genre with many subdivisions, it seems as if Hiphop is following suit. In this article we visit the solo act in OFFSET as he has parted ways from the mega group MIGOS and is on tour promoting his third solo studio album, SET IT OFF.

MIGOS as a group faced their share of controversy and struggle as they climbed the charts and became one of the most impactful acts of the 2010s into 2020s. They were an underground sinsation making noise and creating buzz on online platforms and mostly college parties before they were slapped with the label of being mumble rappers. The group birth a vibe and energy that inspired a generation of artists and they all collectively worked hard to debunk the mumble title.

As a trio the group demonstrated intricate rhyme schemes and rhythmic patterns. Their three man weave was beyond impressive as their cadence and synchronization demonstrated the complexity in their artistry. What made the group most impressive however, was their remarkable stage presence and performances.

The death of TAKEOFF caused dissonance in the group, both QUAVO and OFFSET decided to continue their careers as solo acts. Well, all three of them had solo acts before TAKE’s demise and there were rumors about feuds within group as QUAVO and TAKEOFF dropped a project without OFFSET appearing on it at all. Nonetheless, TAKE’s absence has had a big impact on the overall movement. Quavo’s sophomore solo album ROCKET POWER felt like an ode to TAKEOFF, it is apparent how much the loss affected him.

OFFSET, however, seems to be ready to carry the weight of the team as he puts on his Michael glove and shows us exactly what he means by ‘Dat Way’. SET performed at the House of Blues Boston on March 15th and showcased another level to his artistry. His set came equipped with dancers and moves from OFFSET himself.

It was kind of reminiscent of MC Hammer, which is pretty funny but implications are interesting. Do people want more from their Hiphop acts? Or is OFFSET just on one and this is his best way of copping/ expressing himself? Either way the event was packed and the audience was ecstatic to watch the show and interact with the star.
It’s great to see something different done in the space. As HipHop continues to evolve it’s exciting to see what else will be brought to the table. TAKEOFF lead the wave, QUAVO showed us what Rocket Power is all about and OFFSET, well he’s going ‘Dat Way’.

Photo cred: @kmagzphoto 📸 📷