Uncharted Battlefest Highlight: D-Lock

      Pop stars and gangster rappers move aside, Darian 'D-Lock' Lockhart is a force to be reckoned with. The young rapper's lyrics are not only about life experiences, but they also touch base on topics that everyone can relate to. D-Lock's passion for making music started back in 2005. Soon after, he put the mic down. After a long hiatus to focus on his personal life he returned to his first love, music, in 2009 and hasn't let up since.

      D-Lock is currently working on a few projects including his own mixtape, Thank God I'm The Sh*t, and a full-length with his group, The Smoovefellaz, entitled, Under The Influence. The Smoovefellaz, according to D-Lock, is a group of rappers that share the same goal, helping Rockford gain proper respect. The group has an impressive local following in Rockford and they hope to expand throughout the Midwest and beyond.

     D-Lock recently started battle rapping in the Midwest Battlefest league. His first battle was against Infancy and although he didn't win the battle, D-Lock considered it a success. "It gave me the confidence I needed, to know I can go up against anybody and hold my own." Says the rapper.

      With the Thank God I'm The Sh*t mixtape, set to be released towards the end of the summer, and the upcoming Smoovefellaz album, Under the Influence, set to be released later this month, D-Lock hopes to put both himself and The Smoovefellaz on the map and gain the recognition he feels they deserve.

~joeEFFINGmayo

joeEFFINGmayo@ Battlefest Presents Mayday Mayhem!

Battlefest Logo

      Hey everyone! This weekend, I was able to get out to Mayday Mayhem, presented by Battlefest and MeleeTv, out at the Pirate Ninja Print Shop, on E. State Street and I have to say, it was great! The event was held in the Rawkspace on the 3rd floor of the print shop building. The Rockford event consisted of several battle rappers in the Battlefest league competing against one another, 1-on-1, in a lyrical brawl.


      I spoke to Battlefest CEO, Derek 'Blaze' Nguyen, and he told me that Battlefest has come a long way, thus far. The first ever Battlefest 'event' was held in August of '09 at Twin Sisters Park with a whopping turnout of about 7 people. More recently, according to Blaze, Battlefest is doing very well and is accumulating some revenue and press.

Souless battles the infamous, Kay-Gee

      Since saving a quick dime is very useful in today's economy, Battlefest gave me an option that would make me smugger than a hybrid car driver. For every two canned goods I brought, they bumped off a dollar from the admission, and ten cans equaled free admission. So, I brought twenty-two cans, ten for me, and ten for my younger brother, and an extra two for bragging rights. Battlefest has taken it upon themselves to donate all donated cans to the Rockford Rescue Mission. The event gathered over a hundred cans! Blaze hopes to battle the negative press surrounding hip-hop with good Samaritan deeds!


      I can't put a number on how many people showed up to the event, but no less than fifty, and I'm no good at estimating, so it could have been more! From what I could tell, everyone was having a great time. There were very slight set-backs but Blaze and the team kept everything running smoothly! I was definitely impressed with everyones ability to keep it cool even though at times, it got a little hot. You'll definitely find me at the next event!

LP battles Akeem Kizart at March Massacre 2

      The next Battlefest event will be held sometime in July and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated. Stay tuned and check the blog in the upcoming days I will be getting a hold of some Battlefest rappers and talking to them about battle rapping and their music!

~joeEFFINGmayo

Joemayo91@gmail.com

The definition of 'Souless'

"My brother once told me I'm emotionless sometimes" - Souless
Photo: Rigo Aviles

      Unfeeling, unmerciful, unsparing and unsympathetic. These words are synonymous with another word, Soulless. "My brother once told me I’m kind of emotionless at times," says local rapper, Rigo 'Souless' Aviles, "I learned not to have emotions or feelings."

      Souless describes his music as "unorthodox with jazzy beats." Often times, taking a different approach when dealing with familiar topics. "I'm not trying to outdo the other guy." says the young rapper, "I'm about making music that I like, music that sticks in your head."

      So what kind of music does Souless enjoy? Growing up, he listened to a lot of artists he considered 'hardcore'. Artists such as South Park Mexican, Biggie Smalls and Dr. Dre. Also listening to a lot of freestyle because it's what his father enjoyed listening to. Although hip hop is still his primary choice, Souless listens to everything, from Daniel Johnston to Jimi Hendrix, Mac Lethal and Brother Ali. "Right now on my iPod, I have nothing but Atmosphere playing non-stop."

      For nearly 7 years, he's been trying to perfect his trade. Fairly recently, he decided to start battle rapping at local events. "I’ve been battling for no less than just a couple of months, but I’m getting into it and I’m going to make my way to the top. Slowly, but surely." says a confident Souless who took the win in his battle at March Massacre 2 against Kay-Gee, another local battle rapper.

      "That battle went great for me," recalls Souless,"I was really nervous just because I had lost against Raco the Dragon just a month before." When asked how he prepared for the match, he replied," I practiced everyday for about 2 weeks and wrote as many bars as possible."

      So, recording or battling? When asked, Souless replied,"I prefer recording tracks better because I love making the music I write, but battle rapping is really fun and gets so intense. I love going toe to toe with another M.C."

      You can find several Souless tracks on his YouTube Channel. You can also see  Souless battle at Battlefest Presents Mayday Mayhem hosted by Blaze against Akeem Kizart on May 7th. 

“Keep an ear on the hip hop scene in Rockford. It’s getting bigger every minute.” - Souless

~joeEFFINGmayo

Joemayo91@gmail.com

(Originally posted on Examiner)