THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #8
In this issue I ask, is Freestyle Music dead, or is it alive? What are your thoughts? 'cause here's mine! Plus, its 35 years later, is mass media finally handing Freestyle it's flowers?
Blastards and Blastets, what’s happening? Hope you’re having a great summer so far. We’ve been blessed with a very busy and productive summer, though life wouldn’t be complete without some bumps thrown in.
For business, no problems aside from a few expected flight delays and cancellations, however, on a personal tip… Why suddenly does everything wanna break? AC, Car, Computer, Fridge, Dryer… like WTF!!!
But God is good, and at least gives us the means to take care of those problems.
Now back to some Freestyle, starting with The Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam that’s been keeping this genre bumping for quite some time, particularly this summer.
Besides, bringing incredible Freestyle concerts to adoring fans, and some bread to the rest of us, the other thing that I love so much about these events, is that they bring together the artist and personnel, many of who may have not seen each other in quite a while, and when we get together, it’s like a family reunion.
Who would’ve thought that after all these years, Freestyle Music would’ve been making these types of moves?
Shout out to all the fans who have been attending these events, I pray that you’re having as great a time as we are.
Now when you get to the bottom of this Newsletter, make sure you check out some more exciting Freestyle events heading your way.
And so folks, without further ado… Let’s get into it!
80% Of The Shows/ 20% Of the Country
Yeah yeah, I know professor, the image doesn’t exactly show an 80/20 ratio, but I figured it’ll be a little easier to understand where I’m going with this.
Unless you’re actually in the game, I get it, it’s hard to believe that Freestyle Music is still making this type of noise, especially after all these years, let alone providing a pretty decent living for many. But yes folks, it’s true… it really is!
I myself have maintained a pretty lucrative Freestyle career since I was in my twenties, 100% of my livelihood deriving from Freestyle music, in one way or another, and get this… I’m not even an artist!
But how is this possible seeing that so many people claim that the genre is dead? That the few shows THEY see popping up can’t be generating anything more than some chump change?
You see, before Social Media, every market swore that they were the last of the surviving Freestyle Freaks. New York Freaks would never have thought that Texas was bumping Freestyle like it was, and Florida Freaks laughed when I told them how popular it was in California, and whenever I’d mention Chicago… Forgetaboutit!
So let’s set the record straight once and for all folks, and this is coming from me. And no, I’m not just speaking as the manager for some pretty popular Freestyle acts, I’m also speaking as a booking agent for practically everyone else, and one who has booked for nearly every Freestyle promoter in every Freestyle market!
Okay I get it, Freestyle isn’t pulling the numbers that it used to, but neither would Elvis had he still been around! That’s just the nature of the arts!
However, if you are a true follower of Freestyle, especially on Social Media, there is no way in the world that you could’ve missed the thousands of online flyers and promos that flood our feeds throughout the year.
Now think about this for a second… at least 80% of those shows are being generated by only about 20% of the country, and I’m talking THIS country!
Now take a look at the map I created above, along with the color scale, and you’ll get an idea of what’s happening where in regards to the genre. Now mind you, I am basing this only on club and concert events, (not record sales) because that is what’s keeping the market alive right now, but once it stops… well, that’s it!
Which brings me to this very important question… why in the hell do we have so much White Space? As noted, the white spaces indicate that there is No Market. Now a few might argue that they’ve done shows in Nebraska, or Wyoming, and bravo for them, but those shows would be considered simply one-offs, and would never have any true bearing on the genre, except for the possibility that yeah, maybe a market can exist there, and those white spaces can actually get some color, but the only way of ever finding that out is by going in and digging deep!
Now don’t sleep on those cooler markets like Arizona, New Mexico, and South Carolina. The fact that they’re cooler doesn’t mean that they’re weak markets, not at all! It might only mean that there’s no one there to nurture it!
But until we figure that out, right now those markets are non-existent, and though it might seem like a problem, what it might really be, is an opportunity! An opportunity for the right person!
So let me ask all of you this, if you were that Right Person, what would you do to bring some color into those white spaces? I came up with a few suggestions of my own, and placed them into the poll below. If any of them make sense to you, let us know by clicking the corresponding tab. Or if you have a better idea, tell us in the comments below, we’d love to hear it.
By the way, if you’ve ever considered trying your hand at Freestyle Club promotions, particularly in those White Spaced areas, I have a book called Freestyle Promotions and The 7 Simple Steps to Getting Started, that can probably help you out, Click Here and grab yourself a copy.
FREESTYLE STILL REIGNS
If you live in New York, then the above headline should ring a bell, the reason being? It was the headline used in the July 24th 2022 Music Section of The New York Newsday
Having left New York over fifteen years ago, I sometimes feel a bit disconnected from the scene as well as from my New York peers who have been graciously holding down the genre in and around the Big Apple since the beginning.
Though New York is no longer the only coddler of the genre, it does feel good when Freestyle’s Motherland acknowledges it on this type of scale.
Shout out to Freestyle artist, George LaMond on whose Instagram I first spotted the article, and of course Newsday’s David J. Criblez for writing it.
I won’t dive too deep into the article, because it truly deserves a read of its own, but I’ll place the link at the bottom of this newsletter so you can check it out. But just to touch lightly on the article, it talks to fans such as Jennifer Frank, Jamie Prince, and Maria Cavalluzzo, a Long Island Freestyle fanatic whose crew is known as The Front Row Crew, and if that alone doesn’t tell you something… what will?
Criblez does a great job of capturing in these interviews the exact feelings that many of us felt whenever we’ve listened to Freestyle or attended an event, and even though it may be considered an old-school genre, know that to this day, it is still being enjoyed by thousands of people around the country and abroad, and this is the information that we hope gets out to fans who might’ve lost their way, as well as new ones that might be discovering Freestyle for the first time.
Regardless of what borough it may have originated, New York in general will forever be known as the birthplace of Freestyle Music, and to see it getting the flowers it so deserves, sure feels great!
Another great article that was released was this one from Rolling Stone Magazine…
it placed Shannon’s song Let The Music Play at #6 among the 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time… and I couldn’t agree with them more!
To this day, no songs or videos bring me back faster than those of Shannon’s. I have been blessed with a career that has placed me in the presence of this Queen on many occasions, seen her perform more times than I can count, and grateful that Angel and I are able to call her and her manager Roger, our friends.
Check out the article below, as well as the link at the end of this Newsletter for more information, and if you get a chance, don’t forget to congratulate Shannon on this monumental accomplishment.
And though you can read about it in issue #6 of The Freestyle Blast Newsletter…
we can never forget the surprise appearance that The Cover Girls made back in May of 2022 on The Wendy Williams Show.
In closing, I’d just like to say, that whether or not these artists are at the top of your personal favorite artist’s list, the importance of supporting these types of achievements, even if it’s by simply applauding them on Social Media, can bring to our genre the attention needed to lure other influential sources to peek into our world and see what all the fuss is about.
This is a very critical time for Freestyle, as the original community enters middle age, with sights set on the golden years ahead. We get one last chance to stake our ground so that generations to come will not only recognize our genre for what it stood for, but also those who have contributed.
This information will also be necessary for those who are in line to benefit, as well as those interested in nurturing and maybe even rebuilding our genre, a vital move indeed toward the preservation of legacies.
To all the artists who have been featured or even mentioned in these mass media highlights, congratulations to you, and thank you for leading the way!
Peter Fontaine, Ben Cozmo D Cenac, Louie Ramos, David Madrid, Clara Elena Rodriguez Torres, Mario Trujillo, George Olmo, Pedro Herrera, Burt Flores, Saint Rosa, Richard Ruiz, Andrea Martin, Erik Freund, Prince Roger, Angel Gonzalez, Melissa Banks, Erik Pagan, Carlos LeBron, Joseph Michaels, Mildred Rios, Awilda Rios, Kevin Kidd, Enrique Castaneda, Chris Petrone, Pete Warner, Johnny Ortiz, Natalie Duran, Audrey Szabo, Jonathan Blank, Antonio Mercado, Greg Broussard, Madelynn Boston, Vanity Reyes-Carrero,
Wishing you all great health and happiness!
To all our Subscribers, Readers, Subjects, and of course our SPONSOR for Sponsoring this month’s issue of the Freestyle Blast Newsletter, Thank you all so much!
and until next month…
This was your Freestyle Blast!
New Your Newsday
George LaMond
David J. Criblez
Maria Cavalluzzo
The Wendy Williams Show
The Cover Girls
Rolling Stone Magazine
Shannon
Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam
Freestyle Festival
This Month’s Sponsor
Books By Latif Mercado
I attended the Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam show in Tampa. I arrived during Lisette Melendez's set, but I enjoyed every minute of what I saw. I hadn't entered Amalie Arena in a few years, but given how great the show was, my return was worth the wait! Also, I saw a clip of the OCGs on Wendy. When I saw it in my YouTube suggestions, I was in shock, so it was a pleasant surprise.