Well, another year in the books. After an exciting 2011, Established Dons Entertainment had quite the corner-turning 2012, with a bright future heading into 2013. With stronger music and product, additional shows, and starting our own "Get Familiar" showcases, we accomplished quite a bit this year, including, for the watchful eye, a name change.
N. Talekt - "Be Loved"
As far as music, this year started off the way it ended. With N. Talekt riding the wave of momentum from 2011's "In My Loving Memory," the first release of the year for EDE was "Be Loved," an eleven-track opus to love, lyrics, and happiness, a stark contrast to the previous title. A surprise release on Valentine's Day, the EP-turned-album showcased releases like "Time Is Slipping Away," "You," and "Fall." The tagline explains it all -- "written and performed for anyone with someone special in their lives to Be Loved; dedicated to that special someone in mine." Simply put, a timely release with timeless content.
Rah Scrilla - "Most Underrated"
Chasing that release, Rah Scrilla dropped "Most Underrated" on March 26, 2012, on the heels of his own heralded release months before, "Smoking in the Bathroom." With EDE starting to come together in late-January, Scrilla used this mixtape to give audiences a brief introduction to himself and his crew, hoping to both live up to and shed the moniker of underrated and trade it for something better. The release spawned singles such as "Where I'm From," "I Puts It Down," and the city anthem "We RVA," which were performed in various venues throughout the spring.
Musically, it was a quiet spring, but it was highlighted locally with performances and shows with all the new music that had come out over the past six months. EDE held it down from events like Purple Day at The Camel to Face Melt Friday at Strange Matter. But that silence was merely the calm before the storm...
N. Talekt - "Featuring... Me, Act 3"
Kicking off the summer was N. Talekt with his second 2012 release, and his fifth in a 55-week period, the much-anticipated "Featuring... Me, Act 3." Following the successful formula of the previous two releases, the mixtape, dropped on June 26, 2012, featured SoundClick artists at their finest of all walks and styles. Singles such as "Tear This Down," "Better Days," and "Hip Hop America" highlighted the diversity of the mixtape while showcasing good music. N. Talekt has since promised that this would not be the last of the series.
Cee Jay - "Rejuvenated"
A little under a month later, EDE's Cee Jay kept the summer heat going with his solo mixtape debut, "Rejuvenated," on July 24, 2012 A newcomer to EDE that year, Cee Jay's effort showed just why he was a welcome addition to the team. His distinctive flow, character and sound, highlighted on singles like "Racing," "Nu Day," and "Unstoppable," showed his musical range while painting a picture of his personal growth from "young and wild" to "older and wiser" over the fifteen-track recollection. Days before the project dropped, a short street video, "Racing," was released as well.
Watch Cee Jay's video for "Racing"
Throughout the remainder of the summer, G-Lotto, next in line, was in training, quite literally, preparing for his release.
Watch G-Lotto training for "Session 3"
G-Lotto, "Session Three: In the Clutch"
Following the singles "Around The Clock," "Party All Night," and "Put It All on the Line," G-Lotto released his third mixtape, "Session Three: In The Clutch," the final installment in the series on October 9, 2012. With experience and confidence on his side, this fourteen-track release showcased the potential G-Lotto has to pull out a winning performance "in the clutch." A fresh new sound and more complete lyrics showed his growth as an artist, while still bringing the series around full-circle with the Cee Jay and Rah Scrilla assisted remix to the wildly popular 2011 single, "Cha Ching." G-Lotto was able to appease old fans and bring in new ones with this release that is still going strong today, with a video coming very soon.
Rah Scrilla, "Still Smoking"
Finally, in what is seemingly becoming a team tradition, EDE ended another year with another highly-anticipated and highly-touted winter release, this time from Rah Scrilla. On December 18, 2012, days before the second installment of EDE's "Get Familiar" showcase, Scrilla released "Still Smoking," the follow up to 2011's "Smoking in the Bathroom." Singles like "Gauntlet" and "Bomb First" highlighted the strong performances from both Scrilla and his features, but it was the smash single "Getcha Money Right" that really opened eyes. Spawning two videos, "Still Smoking" showcased Rah Scrilla at his finest, with music spanning all of hip hop's sub-genres, as evidenced by tracks like "My Wife," "Project X," and "Stressed," in addition to the aforementioned cuts.
Watch Rah Scrilla's video for "Getcha Money Right"
Conspicuous by his absence is Jay Nice, the latest addition to the team. He's showcased his talents throughout the year on features on tracks like "Where I'm From," "One Thing," "Put It All on the Line," and "Young Minds," and brought energy to the stage for all of the team's performances. The talent is clear, and the time is coming. Watch out for a big year for him in 2013.
More music, more shows, more videos, and overall better product, that kind of growth was planned, expected, and executed by the team. Continued hard work will continue to pay off, and that will be made evident come 2013. Thanks for tuning in so far, and stay tuned for more.
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