Author: 2Blunt

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 📸 📷

On March 2nd the African Giant known as BURNA BOY came to perform in Boston and was the first “African” artist to sell out TD Garden. That’s 20,000 seats filled with people from all over the New England area eager to see the MC perform.

Hiphop has had the charts and popular culture in a chokehold for the past three decades. However over the past ten years or so, we have begun to see an emerging competitor in the genre most know as Afro-beats.

The genre has been popular and widely recognized in various African countries and communities across the world. However, it wasn’t until the past several years the sound has been getting mainstream recognition.

Some may credit Drake for being the beacon for shining light on the eclectic sounds of Africa on his Views album, with appearances from Wizkid and other African artists. But with deeper observations and consideration it is apparent that a deeper phenomenon may be occurring.

America has always been known as the land of migrants and foreign influence. Here in the Commonwealth, we are honored to have communities from all over the world. Burna himself hails from the country of Nigeria, so you know his community was present to support him.

During the performance, Burna Boy took the time to honor a large community here in New England, the community from Cape Verde. Cape Verde has had a long history and relationship here in Boston and neighboring cities as they are credited of being whale hunters back in the 1700s, providing valuable oil for the colonies of America.

Cape Verde and Nigeria are not the only countries with a sizable community here in Boston, Liberians, Ghanaians, Moroccans, Senegalians and many other communities are present here in MA. That fact can be reflected in the city’s new branding of Nubian square formally known as Dudley. The transition was swift and happened several years ago now. It may have been a bit odd to some at the time but it seems to be making more sense or at least the vision and message is more clear.

Boston City Council took the time to honor Burna Boy’s success by what Gisthounds described as, ‘highlighting his impact on the city’s cultural scene.’ The African Giant was presented with a plaque of recognition and officially naming March 2nd, ‘Burna Boy Day’.

It is beautiful to see the progression of American popular culture and the inclusion of Africans. After all African-Americans have been the beacon of popular culture for a long time now, it’s nice to see the return to its roots and the celebration of such acts. 

Photo cred: @socialsane @blacvolta📸

We have boosted on a few occasions about Boston’s budding music scene with no regrets, rather with hope and aspirations to see it grow. It would be negligent, however to not acknowledge the thriving scene in other cities. In this article we will visit what people call the new black hub in America and a force to be reckoned with in the music scene, Atlanta. On the day before Valentine’s Day, Feb 13, at the State Farm Arena the annual TYCOON Music Festival kicked off with an all R&B lineup to set the mood for the holiday.

The show is a traveling festival, the last one was in Huston, TX which seems like a good place to host this kind of show. But there’s something about ATL that brings a different type of excitement. R&B Power Player Anthony “Ant” Wilson said, “this year’s Tycoon Music Festival is a showcase of the best in R&B.”

The show was hosted by comedian DC YOUNG FLY and headlined by CHRIS BROWN, MARIO, MONICA and GINUWINE however the lineup also included acts from ASHANTI, TY DOLLA $IGN, FRIDAYY, TANK, MANNIE FRESH, BRYSON TILLER, DJ ENVY, 112, JERMAINE DUPRI and more.

What struck our interest about the show was no other than.. the after parties. In fact the festival brings forth a host of other shows and parties to accompany the actual concert. Two parties in particular took place after the show at the arena that caught our eye. One on the 13th at Vision Restaurant and Lounge and the other on Valentine’s Day itself at Bamboo Nightclub. Models Debria Love and Mikayla Shapario from Boston participated in the Valentine’s Day themed afterparties and shared some content with us.

Chris Brown hosted both after parties but it was the lingerie party on VDay that was the real head turner. Bamboo Nightclub was transformed into Club ANT-LANTA, in honor of artist manager Ant Wilson who is credited for orchestrating this year’s series of events.

The party was invite only and featured a list of star studded guests and a bunch of ladies all in lingerie, about 400+ of them to be exact.

The venu was decked out in red and pink for the holiday and featured gorgeous chandeliers that were suspended over the indoor pool. Guests of the event were given custom made robes for the night.

Celebrity guests included P from QC, KEY GLOCK, JOSELINE from Love & HipHop, 42 DUGG, TOMMY from POWER, JUSTINA VALINTINE from Wildin’ Out, BOW WOW, BOBBY SHMURDA, and more. BOBBY SHMURDA was credited for turning the party up, as he usually does.

There was a prize contest for the best lingerie during the event. The first place winner won a Birkin bag, second a Louis Vuitton bag and the third place winner won a Gucci bag. None of our Boston ladies won a bag but better believe they were out there looking good and holding it down. They did say the party was one of the best they ever been too, which is worth noting.

Boston may not have festivals on that scale as of now but maybe that may change some day. After all, we do have casinos out here now, smaller sized festies and a whole lot of baddies.
Shout out to @debrialove and @mikaylashapiro for being Boston representatives at the TYCOON Music Festival. Mikayla is now an Atlanta resident, taking modeling gigs there  and holding it down for her hometown. Debria lives in Boston and loves it here but told us as of now she has to fly out to get better opportunities. She went on to say “it’s important [to me] that I some how put on for Boston!” Like us, Debria is eager to see more happen in the city and ready to put in the work.

Tycoon Music Festival 2024: Atlanta Valentine’s Edition was an event defiantly for the books. With star studded performances from the best in R&B to over 400 models in attendance, this is going to be a tough act to follow. Wonder where they will be hosting it next year and what else they’ll bring to the table! 🤔

Photo credits: @cashdidit_ @jamvisions @jawanzavickers @estwst.photos @shotsbymel_ @_wherestheproof @debrialove @mikaylashapiro 📸 📷

Boston has been recognized for decades for its prestigious academic scene and for its prolific sport teams. The city is known nationally for its thick accent and for being racist, of all things. But what most people don’t know is that there is a thriving music scene here that has been bubbling for some time now and feels like it’s about to reach new heights.

Although rarely mentioned in conversation about the hiphop scene, Boston has been present even before the genre hit mainstream. With legends like the late Guru of Gang Starr and Roxbury’s own Edo G, representatives of the city have been present and been impacting scene before many of us were even born.

Fast forward to 2024, almost on a weekly baises there is at least one major act performing here in Boston. Leading us to conclude that Boston is indeed a major stop on most musical tours. It makes sense being that it is a University town and looks to have been pushing to retain more activities for young adults.

This article is about the Boston Music Awards, a coalition that is dedicated to honoring music contributors in the community. Ironically they have been around since 1987, but have been on our radar since about 2019. It wasn’t until we started seeing post from local acts about the BMA’s that we started looking into it. Every year they honor musical artists, event coordinators/ promoters and even digital platforms like ours. We have not been recognized by BMA’s as of yet but that’s just motivation to work harder, besides we are not nearly where we want to be, yet.

Anyways it’s awesome that the city has been pushing for more musical activities and events. The BMA’s is a great way to celebrate local acts and give them a platform for more recognition and exposure. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees of 2023! It’s a new year now and we are excited to see what the community has in store for the year.

Who will create the most and be the most impactful? Who will put out ground breaking work that resonates and inspires? Don’t know yet, first month of 2024 is almost over and the cities creatives are already hard at work. So keep an eye out and show some support to your local acts! Who knows who will be the next to blow!

Photo credit: @aperturestudios.co📸 📷