And, yet another year in the books. While this was a relatively quiet year publicly and musically, it was certainly a noteworthy one. A number of moves were made behind the scenes, while still keeping fresh material out along with a few performances.
Get Familiar 3: The Love for Hip Hop Edition
The year was kicked off with the third installment of "Get Familiar," this one themed as "The Love for Hip Hop Edition." This was a packed show that featured local hip-hop and R&B acts ranging from relative newcomers like Pierce Love and Troy to local mainstays like Ice James and RT, and all in between, such as Knuckles and V. Loveless. Buzz-worthy groups such as Hot Bars Music Group, The New Juice Crew, and The Big League were all strongly represented, and EDE's own Rah Scrilla, N. Talekt, and Cee Jay all gave performances of their own. With excellent performances and a nice turnout, this was a great showcase for not only our team, but for RVA as well.
The showcase also spawned a free mixtape released on DatPiff, which features all of the acts from the showcase, which you can download here.
Following this showcase, the EDE team took a bit of time to regroup and refocus, while still working on music of our own and working with other artists. Rah Scrilla did a number of features and quietly, but notably, released a street single "I'm Back" via YouTube just to make sure everyone knew that the music was still coming strong. Short, sweet, and to the point, and with the reliable BC Music 1st behind the camera, Rah was able to make a statement with this single, and later followed it up with a number of other tracks and features.
Meanwhile, throughout the summer, N. Talekt slowly chipped away at his next project, spawning a warm-up single of his own, "Relax." Over the summer, this would be chased by a number of singles, such as "Ghosts," "Opportunity Knocks," and "Keep Cool."
However, things would really heat up come late fall, when N. Talekt released his final single from the project via YouTube, "The Night."
N. Talekt - "I'm Not Like You"
The positive response from this single was the perfect lead-in to the release of "I'm Not Like You." This 15-track album would be a statement for N. Talekt, a musical declaration of independence, of sorts, with a fresh sound with from-the-heart open-book lyrics. The project is available for free across the web, and features a short-list of talented artists such as Rah Scrilla, RT, Je2Rit, Chayse Maclair, and Kevin Jaxon.
Finally, to round out the year, Rah Scrilla brought a new track with his brother Jay Nice, "Convo," which may serve as a preview to what 2014 has in store. With continuous music and improvement from the EDE team, the future is certainly looking bright.
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.
New music from the EDE camp! Cee Jay's much-anticipated debut mixtape "Rejuvenated" finally hits the internet shelves! Featuring singles "Nu Day," "Unstoppable" and "Racing" (video below), Cee Jay's first solo effort is a solid 15-track hip hop tour of his life, past, present, and future. He's back from hiatus to rejuvenate the game. Enjoy!
Jay Nice, the youngest member of the EDE, is gearing up for his Love, Pain, and Hustle debut street album. You've seen him pop up at Rah Scrilla's shows, you've heard him on features. Now, get to know him a little better.
NT: How’d you come up with your stage name? Was it something someone referred to you, and have you gone by any other names before that one?
Jay: Because my nickname is Jay and I’m nice with my words. The name started off as “Jay Nice da Bully.” I took “da bully” off of my name, but I have since brought it back.
NT: How long have you been rapping? Why did you start? And who would you say is the biggest influence you have when it comes to your flow, and your choice of beats?
Jay: I've been rapping with my friends since the 9th grade but only since January have I started to record my music. I started rapping because it's fun for me and my homies would be spitting while we was chilling so I picked up the craft too. I would say that Joe Budden and the Diplomats have had a big influence on my flow and beat selection.
NT: What are your thoughts on the current state of the game?
Jay: There are a couple of dope rappers left in the game but for the most part ,the game has never been as bad as it is now.
NT: In 5 years… where do you see yourself?
Jay: Signed to a major label while I’m chillin in the cut somewhere.
NT: Tell me about your upcoming release and what it means to you at this stage in your career.
Jay: L.P.H. is me expressing my life and my feelings about some the relationships that I've had in my life. I feel that this is an introduction of myself as a person and an artist to the general public.
NT: EDE is not short of talent. Who's your favorite artist in the group besides yourself and why?
Jay: Rah Scrilla because he brings a grimy, gritty flow while still being versatile enough to give his fans some smooth stuff too.
NT: Which of your songs has meant the most to you so far in your career? Why?
Jay: I would have to say “Running Back” is that song for me because it is a situation that I'm still dealing with.
NT: What single event in your life has had the most influence in your rap style?
Jay: My relationships with women has the biggest influence on my music hence the name of my solo mixtape, "Love, Pain, Hustle."
NT: What legacy or memory do you want to leave behind in hip-hop?
Jay: As the best MC to ever touch the mic. I feel like that should be the goal of anyone that raps.
NT: What was your favorite EDE release of 2011? Which one are you looking forward to most in 2012?
Jay: “Pushed Back: Reloaded.” It was a great project and I'm really looking forward to how my own project L.P.H. comes out.
NT: Kobe or LeBron?
Jay: Kevin Durant. [laughs]
NT: Any recent or upcoming performances?
Jay: I'll be performing at club Aurora on 3/16/12 for Jay 30's BDay Bash, and I'll be Rah Scrilla's hype man for Purple Day on 3/24/12 which will be at The Camel.
NT: How can people find you? Facebook? Twitter? List 'em all.
Established Dons' own Rah Scrilla is back with a new mixtape, "Most Underrated," which showcases the talents of himself and the EDE team. Sharp lyrics over a diverse mixture of beats makes this a pick-up you'll definitely want to have. Download it now from any of the sites below:
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