THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #11
In this issue of The Blast, I take you to a corner of Freestyle that you probably have never been, and let you see it the way I do.
Wassup my Blastards and Blastets!
And so, there goes Halloween, and here comes Thanksgiving! I don’t know about you, but this Holiday season seems to be flying by.
I always heard that the older you get, the faster time flies, and now I get it.
I myself had just celebrated my 56th birthday and spent it as I always love spending it, with family!
You would think that due to the nature of my business, I’d be wanting to go all out for my birthday, when in fact, a small dinner with the family and maybe even a movie is usually at the very top of my, What the hell you wanna do for your birthday list!
I can’t really blame it on age, because I’ve pretty much been like this for as long as I could remember, and though I feel blessed and am grateful for being able to see yet another year, on that particular day, nothing makes me happier than spending it with those I call my own!
To everyone who reached out, or posted on my Social, wishing me a Happy Birthday, thank you all so much.
Now enough about me… let’s get into this Blast!
One of the goals I wanted to set out for this Newsletter was to try and capture an angle of Freestyle that many would probably never get to experience. An angle that would show a more intimate side of our genre.
The photo above, was one that I personally took, capturing, a rare moment backstage just before a show in Orlando, FL, when Angel, lead singer of The Cover Girls, Judy Torres, and Safire, came together, as if no one else was in the room, not as artists, but as sisters in this crazy-ass business, with love, respect, and a connection that most of us would never understand.
Like any industry, competition in Freestyle thrives, with envy and jealousy lurking behind every curtain, and with the scarcity of shows, and an audience approaching their golden years, the worry isn’t so much about how an artist might do on stage, as many of them are well seasoned, and their performances as spectacular as ever, but rather, how they themselves will feel about it afterward.
As a Booking Agent behind countless Freestyle events, I speak with the artists both before and after a show, and the list of concerns that many of them share with me, I empathize.
Coming from a time and place when Freestyle music was in its prime, to the inevitable, where the mere thought that this genre is even still in existence has us all in awe!
Freestyle artists have been meeting up with one another at shows for over 3o years, and whether some might admit it or not, many are indeed fans of one another, but as we steadily approach that final curtain call, I’m beginning to notice a new layer emerge, one that seems to dread the possibility that, this might actually be their last meeting!
To all the Freestyle artists, regardless of the impact you may have made in the market. Know that you have contributed greatly to our genre and that you are just as invaluable to one another as you are to the fans.
Nowadays you can enjoy live Freestyle performances from all types of venues. From hundred capacity pubs to major concert arenas. In fact, Freestyle might actually be the only genre that can still do that.
Pubs, bars, theaters, banquet halls, auditoriums, amphitheaters, parks, arenas, and even stadiums to this day all feature live Freestyle performances. And though some artists may have expressed their disinterest in performing at some of these smaller venues, the fact that the option is even there, to me is still a huge victory.
The large venues are wonderful, and we’re all proud to do’em, in fact, many of the performance photos you’ll see artists posting on Social are those of the bigger shows, where the artists get to pose with a massive audience behind them, and I love them and encourage them always. They’re a good look for the genre, and give hope to other promoters.
I myself though, enjoy the variety because touring major venue after major venue can become a bit monotonous and even blurry, and cold. Where each event seems to fade into the next, without anything other than a sold-out house to make it stand out.
It’s great to work with artists who run the gamut in regard to venues, because having it any other way, I feel wouldn’t allow me the perspective I currently have on this genre.
To be able to experience, from the stage, a venue packed with nearly 20,000 Freestyle fans is exhilarating and makes me truly feel proud. But the thing that those big shows don’t have that the smaller ones do, are those intimate moments, craved not only by the fans, but also by many of the artists.
It’s one thing to hear the roar of a crowd, but another to hear a fan come up to an artist to tell them how their music has impacted their lives.
Tiny venues however, those with just a couple of hundred people, barely at arm’s length, crying in adoration for their favorite Freestyle artist, while singing every word to their songs, is for me like no other experience in this business.
Look, we may not be Hip Hop, Rock and Roll, Country, Salsa, or R&B… we’re Freestyle, but man am I proud of it… and so should you!
Jason S Grabsky, Alysha Fernandez, Ovidio Santiago, J So Loon, Charlie Pennachio, Lilia Chairez Rios, Tori Newkirk, Elsie Fascination, Donnie Donnie Battle Senna, Alex Zuñiga, Ruben Reyes, Carlos Keyes,Valerie Day, Storm Graziano, Steve Migliore, Robert Bryant, JW Belmonte, Junior Collazo, Santana Twins, Kidd Cross, Benny Blanco, Sylvia Sandoval,
To all our Subscribers, Readers, Subjects, and of course our Sponsor for joining in this issue of the Freestyle Blast Newsletter, Thank you all so much!
and until next month…
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and This was your Freestyle Blast!
Latif Mercado has been a part of the Freestyle Music scene for well over 30 years, as well as an integral player behind the genre’s continued success.
As a Booking Agent with a who's who roster of Freestyle Greats, as well as his managerial involvement with such industry icons as Lil' Suzy, Angel OCG and The Cover Girls, rarely would you find a Freestyle event happening without Latif somewhere in the mix.
In an attempt to make people aware of the fact that Freestyle isn’t just a music, but rather a culture, La’ began writing books, in hopes of reaching fans through a medium they would never expect, and in 2011, his debut novel, FREESTYLE FOR LIFE, did just that!
Since then, Latif has released several books that, not only feature Freestyle as part of its overall theme but also its main characters of Latin descent.
Though born and raised in New York, Latif currently resides in North Carolina with his wife, two grown children, four grandkids, and a dog named Coco.
Latif loves hearing from his readers, answering questions, and sharing whatever advice he possibly can, whether it be on writing, or maybe something Freestyle related, so be sure to reach out, even if it’s just to say hi.
So please Follow Him here @LatifMercado
If you’ve been enjoying The Freestyle Blast Newsletter and would like to help support it, simply Sharing this Newsletter on your Social Media pages would be more than appreciated…. Thanks
Thank you brotha, and I'm glad the newsletter is giving some sort of value. Yes, I am in a fortunate situation whereas I get to experience Freestyle events of different sizes. In just 2022 alone I've been able to experience 20k audiences at the Queen Mary outdoor event in Long Beach, CA. 15k Arena events in Philly, a 1400 capacity theater in the Bay Area, a small 800 capacity night club in Orlando, and a private party at a banquet hall in Chicago that had about 200 people. I have zero complaints about the shows I do with my girls, but those who do complain, are usually those that don't share the same experience... though I wish they could. Where do you live Marcus?
I never thought about the variety of venues for freestyle shows until I read this. You have a point. Shows at venues that are more intimate than arenas are bring a different feel. I've enjoyed the arena shows I've attended (including the Legends of the Old School concert I saw at my alma mater, USF, in December 2015 that TKA opened), but I would love to attend a freestyle show at a smaller venue one of these days just to have a different experience.