THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #33
Small-town visionaries give their local communities an unexpected Freestyle shot in the arm.
In This Month's Issue of The Blast,
Discover how a small-town businessman is taking Freestyle music to new heights with his Decades Of Dreams Outdoor Music Festival.
With a lineup of 14 legendary artists, music by one of the hottest Freestyle DJs in the market, and the hosting debut of Manager / Agent Latif Mercado, along with his lovely wife, Angel, lead sing of the hit girl group, The Cover Girls.
When Paul Lopes said he wanted to do something different, he wasn’t playing, and reached far and wide to make that happen, and in this issue, we get into it.
Also, this past Labor Day weekend, Latif and Angel along with their boy DJ Carlos Lebron kicked off their debut Freestyle On Wheels skate night at Kate’s Skating Rink in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Why NC? Well, because that’s where they live, and now they’re on a mission to build a Freestyle community in their backyard.
So, if you’re ready to dive in… let’s go!
DREAMS DO COME TRUE
Next time someone tells you Freestyle is dead… Please show them this flyer!
Paul Lopes of Entourage Productions, the powerhouse behind those very successful Freestyle Madness events held regularly in Swansea, Massachusettes has decided to step outside of his comfort zone and embark on a journey that will not only change the trajectory of his involvement in the music business, but also Freestyle’s entire East Coast market.
Though new to the ‘Music” business, Paul isn’t at all new to Business in general, as he’s been running a successful one for many years, in fact, you probably know the Lopes family better than you thought as they’re the ones behind those delicious Port Muffins, aka The 3 Meal Muffin, and don’t think you have to be from Massachusetts, as Port Muffins are served at both Madison Square Garden and the Las Vegas’ Sphere, but that’s a whole other incredible story. Oh and let’s not forget, Paul is also the manager of Freestyle artist Rockell
I began working with Paul several years back as his exclusive booking agent, helping him build his absolute first lineup and one that immediately took off. The success of his debut concert set the tone for many successful ones to follow, bringing Freestyle fans from in and around the New England states to enjoy his now famous Freestyle Madness events, and believe me, once you see how his lines wrap around the block you’ll understand why it’s called Freestyle Madness!
Paul got the opportunity to take his Freestyle Madness brand to a whole new level, and on a much bigger scale than what he was accustomed to… much BIGGER!
When he approached the city of Fall River, Massachusettes with the idea of putting a concert together at the City Gates Plaza, not only did they say yes, the city opened those gates wide and asked him… What else do you need?
Paul gave me the honor of not only helping him build the line-up but also booking all the artists, with just one condition. He didn’t want it to look like any other Freestyle event happening in the area, a huge risk when you think that most promoters duplicate lineups in hopes of also duplicating past success.
But that old saying, If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, has plagued our genre for many years, and though it may be a great safety precaution for the promoter, it does nothing to help improve our genre, let alone push it forward.
Though I was excited about this task, deep down I was a little scared. I preach about flipping those lineups all the time, but no one has really ever done it, except for now, and I hope the Freestyle community, including the artists, whether they’re a part of this concert or not, understand the impact that an event like this can have on our genre, and do what they can to support it.
A stellar lineup of fourteen legendary artists, many of them never having performed in that area. Oh and did I mention? Angel and I were asked to host the event… Talk about stepping outside the Freestyle box!
I began booking the artists on the first day of my vacation. What was supposed to have been a relaxing week on the beach with my wife and kids, turned into one of the biggest concert bookings of the year. But thanks to a surprisingly solid Wifi connection and these gracious artists who understood and accommodated my current situation, the entire booking process ran super smooth.
In just a couple of days, all the paperwork was complete, including contracts and deposits, giving the promoter that highly anticipated green light to begin promoting his event.
Thirty-plus years booking Freestyle artists for clubs and concerts of all sizes, an obvious goal among many of the promoters has always been to try and save as much money as they possibly can, and of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, keeping a close eye on that bottom line is the key to keeping it in the black.
However, it seemed as though Paul had never gotten the memo, because each time we’d get on the phone, he’d share another reason for having spent a little more money.
Come to think of it, my original line-up stopped at around ten artists… Adding the other four was all Paul’s idea. Great choices no doubt, and when I asked why? His answer was always, “People in the area like them”, an unusual answer indeed as many Freestyle lineups are dictated according to their budget, and rarely according to the fans.
So listen up folks, if you’re from in or around Fall River Massachusetts, and would like to see more of these events happening in the area, making your way to this one is definitely that first step.
So once again that’s The Freestyle Madness, Decades of Dreams Outdoor Music Festival, Saturday, September 21st at City Gates Plaza in Fall River Massachusetts, a wonderful event for the whole family, so please don’t miss it.
For tickets call: 774-365-0507 or simply click the green button below. See you there!
ROLLIN’ TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF BEAT
On Sunday, September 1st, Angel OCG, DJ Carlos Lebron, and I hosted the first-ever Freestyle On Wheels skate night at Kate's Skating Rink in Indian Trail, North Carolina. We had been talking about doing something like this for years, and we were thrilled to finally bring it to life.
Our goal was simply to create a fun, nostalgic night that was close to home and designed specifically for a Freestyle audience, and though we knew for a fact that Freestyle fans did exist in our area, but debuting at a roller rink might’ve been pushing it a bit.
With only a month to the event, we took the only sensible course to promoting this event, and that of course was social media,
The response was beyond what I had imagined, but what was even more shocking was the comments that people were leaving. In disbelief that an event like this would’ve come anywhere near the few little towns that surrounded the rink had fans tagging their friends and family, and even though the initial turnout didn’t quite reflect the engagement we received, there was no doubt whatsoever, that a Freestyle community in our area existed, and all that it would take from this point on would be time.
So many New Yorkers, like ourselves who have settled in North Carolina grew up listening, dancing, and even skating to Freestyle, and though many had written it off as a magical memory, we assured them that the magic wasn’t over, and that in this little ol’ town, three individuals had big plans.
We made a firm decision from the start: Freestyle, and only Freestyle, would be the playlist. This came with some concerns and questions, but if we were calling this a Freestyle event, we had to stay true to that promise… and we did!
We shared so much in common with these folks, starting with our mutual love for the music and the stories the brought to mind. The nostalgia of skating to those classic tracks created an instant connection.
One of the questions we kept being asked was, “Where are you guys originally from?” “The Bronx”, of course was our answer” and from there it was an instant bond, as if we had all grown up together.
Angel and I have been passionately involved in the Freestyle community for many years, covering two ends of the Freestyle spectrum, while DJ Lebron just as rooted, sits dead center, delivering Freestyle music like a messenger of God, and this town never even knew it.
DJ Lebron absolutely crushed it, spinning Freestyle tracks that not even I had heard in years. He knew exactly which songs to play and when, creating the perfect vibe for the night, and Angel, being her usual firecracker self, made sure to connect with everyone in attendance. With her contagious warmth, she didn’t just greet people—she got to know them, what started as fans have now turned into lifelong friends.
And as for me? Well, besides co-hosting these events with my wife, this is what I do. I tell the stories of our genre, of our people, to jab a Freestyle stake deep into the legacy of Dance music for generations to learn about us, and the contribution that Freestyle played in the world of music.
If you were at Kate’s on Sunday, September 1st, 2024 for our first Freestyle On Wheels skate night, I just wanna say thank you so much! It was a pleasure meeting you. And for those of you who couldn’t make it, please join our new Freestyle On Wheels Facebook group so we can stay connected, and keep you up on any new Freestyle events we might be planning, speaking of which, on Sunday, December 1st, 2024… we’ll be doing it again. Same time, same place, and we can’t wait to see you!
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 something Freestyle related, so be sure to reach out, even if it’s just to say hi.
And please Follow Him Everywhere @LatifMercado
I love that you, Angel and Carlos reached out to freestyle fans in North Carolina. Playing only freestyle music at that event was the only way to make it work. With so many people from the Northeast moving to the Tar Heel State, I can understand why there was such a positive response to that skating event.