A date lots of folks have been waiting for hit the streets this week when Derrty ENT announced that Nelly will play the Savvis Center Sunday, April 3 as part of the Sweat Suit Tour. Probably an even bigger date for a show that’s bound to sell out in a hurry is tomorrow n Friday, March 11 n when the tickets go on sale at 4 p.m. Get your Ticketmaster on in a hurry, baby, if ya want to be in the house. Call ‘em at 241-1888 or 421-4400 or bump up www.ticketmaster.com.
Speaking of the Derrty one, what do he and the rest of us have in common? He likes “Do Whatcha Do,” the hot new All-Stars single, just like everybody else who’s heard it n enough so that he’s signed on to do a verse for a remix. Seems that Guccio, co-honcho (with Just Black) of the All-Stars’ organization Black on Black/ Quit Playin’, bumped into Nelly’s boy T-Luv at the Red Moon restaurant downtown and struck a handshake deal for the cameo spot. (Eat at Red Moon, Gucc says; good grub.)
Nelly has been behind the Stars from the get-go. There’s a funny story about him being engaged one way or another with a lady friend one evening when the video for the All-Stars’ original monster club hit, “So Serious,” rolled onto BET Next. “They’re my guys, they’re my guys,” Nelly supposedly interrupted his business to say n “you don’t understand, they’re my guys!”
Well, they’re my guys, too, and they are on hard grind for the March 22 street date for All-City. The Church Lady types that hate on hip-hop should clue into how hard some brothers and sisters work to develop and promote their art. It ain’t all posing and playing and mouthing off.
Guccio and his girl Alice Prince and their in-house DJ Bishop are in NYC right now, attending Justo’s Mixtape Awards on special invite from the organizers, which came about from the buzz the All-Stars’ mixtape Life Before All-City picked up in the big city. And they still haven’t caught their breath from the video shoot last week for “Do Whatcha Do” at the West End Bed & Breakfast, where Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, mix master Adam Long and lots of ladies wearing very little popped in for same camera face time. Check it on BET Uncut.
More hard grinding this week came from the Pretty Boy Records camp. Orlando Watson and his crew busted some singles for Shannessi n and a larger-than-life poster of girlfriend that people who are seeing it kind of love or hate. I’m loving on it. Nothing wrong with a big, solid girl.
A shout to another grinder, Toriano Porter, who took a break from reporting for the American to take on some promotional jobs for some local emcees. Dude knows the scene as well as anybody. Probably nobody better to put your business on the page.