THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #19
In this issue of The Blast we introduce cousin genres, and share a day of Pride with friends, family and fans.
What’s up Blasterds and Blastets!
What an incredible Summer it’s been so far. Freestyle Club and Concerts are happening everywhere, and I am blessed to be part of a camp whose demand allows me the opportunity to experience all that our genre has to offer.
In this month’s issue, we dive into a subject that people in Freestyle have been talking about for years, and that is regarding that foundational drum beat that most of us have associated with Freestyle since the beginning, and I’m sure you know what beat I’m talking about.
Also, Pride month was officially last month, and though it is and should be celebrated daily, The Cover Girls along with myself, of course, flew down to San Antonio, for the annual Pride Bigger Than Texas, festival and parade.
Last month, Freestyle artist Stefanie Bennett took the top spot in our Freestyle Blast Flash 3 and is riding with us again this month. Take a look at who she’s up against… can she do it again? Cast your vote, and lets find out!
Oh and before we move on, last month’s Freestyle Lyric Blast went a bit stale, so I tweeted the puzzle to over 12,000 of my followers when lo and behold, a new Freestyle scholar emerged. Check out this month’s Lyric Blast to see who that was, and then see if you can figure out the new one.
Okay guys, if you’re ready… Let’s go!
FREESTYLE/HIP HOP-1 BEAT 1 BLOOD
Freestyle and Hip Hop have more in common than many of us realize. They were both created by inner-city youth, they tell relatable stories that correspond to what’s currently happening in many of our lives, and even more astonishing is the fact that they both share a similar urban drum track, one that is able to accommodate both the raw and rugged verses of a rapper, as well as the love riddled lyrics of a Freestyle singer.
This isn’t just an observation, but rather an important point I like to make, more so for the sake of Freestyle than anything else.
You see, for years, Freestyle songs would use a drum track, or at least one similar to the 1982 hit by Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force.
The name of the song was none other than Planet Rock, and if you’ve never noticed, then take a listen, and see how many Freestyle songs you can recall that use that beat, or maybe one just like it.
The first song on your list, I’m sure will be the 1991 chart topper, Take Me In Your Arms by then twelve-year-old Lil’ Suzy.
Though there were probably other songs before this one that featured the legendary beat, Take Me In Your Arms ended up becoming the blueprint, and what at the time would validate a song as being Freestyle.
In fact, so many songs were being produced using this particular drum track that it got played out, and to a point where Club and Radio DJs upon recognizing even the slightest hint that the beat was used, would send any song straight into the recycle bin.
The term Planet Rock Beat and Freestyle Beat in time became synonymous and practically brainwashed artists and producers into believing that using this beat was the necessary key ingredient to a successful Freestyle Record.
But what people didn’t realize was that it wasn’t necessarily The Planet Rock beat that helped guide Suzy’s track to the top of the charts, but rather a Hip Hop Beat, and one revered by the urban youth of that time.
From the release of Take Me In Your Arms at the start of the 90s until the present day, many producers and artists still feel that a song without that legendary drum track should not even be considered Freestyle, and this ideology I feel is what placed the genre in a strange sort of limbo, because while the popularity of Freestyle club and concert events are at an all-time high, the release of even one legitimate Freestyle hit is nonexistent! Talk about a punch straight in the Freestyle gut!
So instead of continuing to produce songs that embody the Planet Rock drum track, why not produce one that embodies another Hip Hop track, preferably one that’s more current and better represents today’s sound?
If sampling another Hip-Hop beat is what it takes to make another Freestyle hit, well then so be it. Maybe that’s the Freestyle formula! We don’t always have to reinvent the wheel, maybe just steer it in another direction. Just keep it ethical and of course legal.
I’ve been saying this for many years now, in fact, a while back I filmed a vlog regarding this exact topic. I just watched it again and I swear it’s still just as relevant.
Check it out for yourself, and feel free to share it with some of your Freestyle friends.
So there you go folks, and no, maybe I didn’t say something you weren’t already aware of, or maybe you’ve already attempted this, and therefore bravo to you! And if that song didn’t do anything either, well, welcome to the music business, now go in there and do that shit again!
Now, I have a little homework for you guys, going back to the question I asked you earlier, how many Freestyle songs can you name, that either has the Planet Rock beat or one similar to it? Let us know in the comments below, and let’s pray that this message touches the right producer or artist.
“But Latif, Pride Month was last month!”
Yeah yeah, I know, but this particular event took place after the release of last month’s issue, and I thought I could tell this story better if I was actually there.
Well, first off, let me tell you what happened. This show was supposed to go down in 2020, but then this weird thing happened to the world called Covid!
The deal started out with the group, then we switched it to an Angel OCG show to better accommodate their budget, but people were just getting out of the slump, and the world was still a bit under the weather and so we held off again, until finally on June 24th, 2023, The Cover Girls featuring, Margo, Michelle, and Angel OCG got to perform at San Antonio’s Pride Bigger Than Texas, at Crockett Park.
But wait! Let’s back it up a bit more because that’s not where the fun actually began.
Angel and I got in Thursday night, this had been part of the original plan and so we stuck to it. We had dinner and took the rest of the night off. Friday morning we joined local artists Liz Garcia and Little Comic over at SA Live for a quick interview, and when Margo got in, we headed over to The Bonham Exchange for the Pride Kick-Off party.
Michelle wouldn’t be arriving until the following evening, so just Angel and Margo represented the group getting the opportunity to present a few of the honorary sashes.
It was a great night, with some up close and personal performances from some incredibly talented people.
On Saturday the 24th, our driver, and now good friend Lisa Rodriguez picked us up around 4:30 PM and took us over to Crocket Park, where Pride Bigger Than Texas was taking place, and I have to say… I did not expect what I was seeing. This place was packed!
Until it was time to go on, they placed us into a nice cool apartment just outside the park so that we can chill out and away from the 108-degree temperature.
One of my personal worries, and probably the worry of many who do what I do, is that there might be a malfunction with the sound during a performance, and when the equipment is outside and subjected to that kind of heat, the worry begins pushing on your anxiety.
But the great sound man we had manning the system assured me that we were good, and so I left it up to him and God, and proceeded with the show.
Though my thoughts may have been complaining about the heat as I stood in the sun watching the show, I didn’t dare voice them as Margo, Michelle, and Angel had to perform in that same stifling heat for twenty-plus minutes… and in heels!
The crowd was as gracious as ever, and the show closed to a roaring cheer from some incredibly wonderful people.
We hung around side stage for a bit taking pictures and signing autographs, until we were brought back to the apartment to freshen up before heading down the block to join the parade.
The intense crowd made it difficult for us to get to our float, so instead, we just remained on the side of the street and enjoyed the parade with everyone else… It was amazing!
Thank you San Antonio, and thank you Pride Bigger Than Texas, we had a blast and hope to celebrate with you again soon.
Debra Simoff, Lori Volpe, Waffle Garcia, Christina Scoleri, Timothy Maurer, Melissa Trinidad, Willow Bee Zamarripa, Glenn Gutierrez, Michelle Valentine, Joey Mondelli, Lisa Flores, Jayquan Feliciano, Geo Cordova, Loki Ortiz, Estella Dorado, Duran Ramos, Diane DeVera, Robert A Howard, Daisy Ray, Steve Sosa Sr., Ron Stiles, Pete Lamberty, Leo Brown, Yvie DelValle, Fortunato Ruscito, Mambo Lebron, Coro Jose,
To all our Subscribers, Readers, Subjects, and of course our Sponsors, for being a part of this month’s issue of the Freestyle Blast Newsletter, Thank you all so much!
and until next time…
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.
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 enjoyed this Issue of The Freestyle Blast Newsletter, the only thing I ask is if you would please Share this Issue on just one of your Social Media pages… Thank you.
I've rarely thought about the common threads between freestyle and hip hop, but given how "Planet Rock" played a huge part in both genres' foundations, it makes sense.
Awesome info Latif. Since I subscribed to the newsletter and facebook group, I have learned so much about freestyle. I totally understand about the one beat one blood article. Freestyle needed to evolve to the present generations, it's stuck in a bubble just waiting to get out, waiting for the right person to pop it. You have been a inspiration brother, keep up the awesome work.