Atmosphere Tour: "The Family Vacation tour" W/Evidence / DJ Babu / Blueprint / Prof

Colorado and Red Rocks

Red Rocks: going to go down for sure as one of my favorite Rap Lyfe moments. Sold out crowd of 10,000 peoples. It stormed like hell during our set and we just played through it even though our computers and peddle boards were getting wet. As if that many people watching you is not enough try battling the elements as well.

Me after playing at Red Rocks during a huge storm.

Don't make me get my mans Gyasi on you!

DJ Fundo and DJ Rare Groove.

I am finding out that Evidence and DJ Babu fancy themselves as amateur professional photographers. So, yet again more photo burn. I think they are doing a great job.

Photo by Ev
Photo by Ev

Photo by Babu

Photo by Babu

Photo by Babu

Red Rocks sound check

Day off at Lollapalooza W homegirl Liz. Rhymesayers was kind enough to comp us tickets.

Toronto? I think.

Psalm1 and I Chicago @ Metro. Why is it that my worst photo's are always of me with famous rappers. Not cool.

Apparently in Chicago there were 60 ft shadows of me rocking behind me. I feel like I should get payed twice. Chicago @ Metro.

Me and Gyasi. DJ Rare Groove's kid backstage at the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan.

Atmosphere Tour: "The Family tour" W/Blueprint / Grieves and Budo / Sab The Artist / Dj Abilities

This is the euro van we drove around the country and Canada in. It is Grieves and Budo's van. The day after we were dropped off they crashed the van I believe due to harsh driving conditions that were unavoidable. Luckily no one sustained serious injuries.

Sab the Artist giving me the lion lecture. If I listened to him I never would never be able to stay married.

Sab dropping science on me.

I am very strong so I would carry both a rapper and a producer on each bicep.

Occasionally after driving a very long way routed for buses and not vans, we would pull over to drink a beer on the side of a gas station.

Above: Me and Grieves. This photo is a little too revealing. We were just friends I swear.

Below: Budo and I in Canada land of little people.

Soundset. Minniapolis Hip Hop festival pre-game.

21,000 PEOPLE. Godang. This year we got to share the stage with Dela Soul, Big Boy, Brother Ali, Atmosphere among others. (!!!!!!!) Very dreary day tho. My phone died so very minimal photographs.

A rare shot of Grieves in Philly @ Electric Land. He was climbing all over this grand piano doing his impersonation of The Grinch. I really love Grieves. I was consistantly impressed with how weird he is for a rapper. I guess artists are artists no matter the genre.

Blueprint greenroom Berkeley

Erick from atmosphere back stage before doors. Backstage at the Greek was total pimp shit. There is no way else to say it.

I knew this would be a lot bigger than the other tours I had been on but It didn't register until you show up to these giant empty venues. Holy Shit! Also, this time around I got some high def photo's of myself by pro photographers that are pretty sweet. It is exciting but I never lose prospective that I am just a working musician, not a featured artist. So don't worry I don't have too much of an ego. The pictures are still cool tho. I mean I'm totally the shit but.. nevermind.

Pre-game Berkeley, Greek Theatre.

Berkeley Greek Theatre. 8,500 mfkrs. That is me on the left shitting my pants. That night Aesop Rock played after us and as a tribute we played the song "Alchemy" which had to have been one of my favorite moments of this tour. We slayed the song which was nice after having a bit of technical difficulty. The song is two notes but is one of my favorite older jams.

This one was from Columbus tho. Danielle Kline @ The Newport

Terminal 5 in New York. The photographers will always be something I will never be used to. That said, I am not complaining. Especially when they catch me shining in crazy awesome lighting. Again, keep in mind I still have to buy my own merch, sleep on floors, eat beef jerky, and stick to the free beer and buy outs. Anyways.. I still love you Rap Lyfe.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis/Blueprint

One of my many bosses (and my dude).

Groove and O-War. Hanging out with O-War reminded me of what it might be like hanging out with Chris Tucker if he could play trumpet extremely well.

Macklemore/Blueprint. Last day of tour at Kilby Court.

Macklemore crew with strange bearded man. Andrew, O-War, Erin, Ryan, and Ben. Headliners on my first Rap tour.
I met Sir-Mix-A-lot at the Showbox in Seatle. That night during Macklemore's set, he preformed "My Posse's on Broadway" in front of a Sold out audience. It was insane and I thought the floor would collapse. I would later call and brag to my brother who can recite the song "Cake Boy" word for word at any moment.

I met Killa Priest at Emo's during South by Southwest during the Macklemore tour. He wore an owl head dress with an owl cane to match. I felt like we had a lot in common.

Seatle rapper Dice and I. She would eventually beat up some dude outside the Showbox after this photo was taken.

Florida, Solilla and entering the Rapmosphere

We stayed at the Solilaquists of Sound mansion. Best introduction to Rap Lyfe that you could get. They were super positive straight edge vegan beams of light and energy. I didn't take photo's with them. I was still pretty nervous and didn't know I was going to be inspired to do a blog initially. We played my first show with them at there improv night and it was crazy to try and follow them after they created a small scale riot on stage. The energy was just incredible and I don't know if I've seen anything like it since. I also had the pleasure of Arnis training with soiliquist beat maker Davinci and Egyptian political refuge hip hop and video producer X144. X was flown back in to the states when fire bombing was going off in his back yard the week we played. That week Egypt would gain it's freedom. He was described to me from Swamburger (Solilla's vocalist) as the JayZ of Egypt. He is the first to build a rap studio there and the first to have a rap label there. Here is a Solillaquist video X produced with examples of the type of martial arts we practiced. Only in Rap Lyfe. (adding video later when it decides it wants to work)

Jacksonville babes are sweet.

Willie Evans Junior is far beyond an opening act but was my favorite opening act in Florida.

New buck

DJ Rare Groove. Every morning we would wake up and Groove would welcome me to Rap Lyfe (hence the title). I think it is fair to say that Groove is one of my all-time favorite people and drinking buddy. Little known fact: Groove learned how to read as a small child from the covers of 45's. True story.

Miami Pics. Where I first met Wreckognize the vocalist for Mayday. Played at a church and stayed with Charlie Fast.