Last week I was thinking about an old hip-hop documentary entitled Rhyme and Reason, a classic featuring all of your favorite rappers from the '90s. I watched it when I was younger, and even though by the time I got my hands on it the film was a few years old, I still felt the need to watch it every day, if not multiple times a day.

This documentary gave me a crash course in golden era hip-hop. I studied it and let it become apart of me. The film carried the type of energy you want to feel when you press play on one of your favorite hip-hop records.

I'm sitting here 4 a.m. listening to the Chopped N Screwed version of Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City album (brought to you by Purple City). Honestly I think it's amazing, and suddenly it dawns upon me that I need to get this week's column done. I'm moving into a new apartment, so I'm kind of packing, but realistically I'm just letting my ADHD get the best of me. I'm sitting here thinking about life and all the wonderful troublesome things attached to it. Most of my thoughts are consumed by music and lofty visions of what I'm going to do next in order to add more progress to our movement. Here's the reality: I'm going to jump on the high horse and speak the real for a second.

I'm going to say some things in this article that may hurt a few feelings, but if you listen and pay attention you'll learn something, I promise.

This week I decided to talk about things that absolutely get on my nerves. As you have more than likely predicted, most of these things will have something to do with the internet, music, politics, religion etc., and most of them are focused on the behaviors of people involved in the hip-hop scene.

See Also:
-The Top Ten Ways to Piss Off Your Bartender
-The Top 15 Things That Annoy the Crap Out of Your Local Sound Guy

Next Tuesday at this time the polls will once again open themselves and the epic battle for the St.Louis Mayoral race will enter into the final-stage showdown. I've openly endorsed Lewis Reed as the candidate that will gain my vote (sorry, Jimmy Mathews, but it's not going happen). To be honest I've had mixed emotions about this mayoral race, but in the name of progress and pushing onward in the right direction, I'll try my best to focus on the positive.

See Also:
-Hitler Video: Footage Mocking Francis Slay Removed After Lewis Reed Calls It Offensive

I've thought about this for awhile, and for some reason I woke up this morning feeling the need to go on a restless rant about a touchy subject: Racism.

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-Destructive Ignorance in St. Louis and South Florida and the Unfulfilled Potential of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman

As an entertainer one of my biggest inspirations is James Brown. He was ahead of his time not only creatively but also on the business end of things. He had the mindstate of mogul, dominating the music industry in a time when that sort of thing was unheard of. He did it all with style and what appeared to be an effortless stride to the finish line. Every week with this column we try to give you something you won't get anywhere else. This week I decided I'd just talk candidly about the hectic nature of my life as an artist right now, and maybe offer a little bit of insight..

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When a promoter brings a large act to town or throws a large concert, naturally everyone wants to cast their bid to become the opening act. This gives indie artists the chance to showcase their talent in front of a potentially larger audience. The problem is, from the lens of the promoter very few openers offer any incentive to book them. I do 90% of my own booking, meaning I call the venue, pay for the venue out of my own pocket, along with paying for the sound man and DJ out of my own expenses. I handle the promotion and marketing of the show from my own personal budget as well. If I push the show with maximum strength and coordination it will most likely do solid numbers. When it comes to throwing concerts, consistency is the key. Fans want to spend their hard-earned money appropriately.

I believe the new year gives artists a chance to re-evaluate our momentum. It also gives the fans and music lovers a chance to press reset and take heed of the new trends and new artists that are likely to shape the course of the next 365 days. As a writer, this gives me a chance to test my psychic abilities and forecast a few predictions about specific artists in the upcoming year. I think about the music and the culture combined and I try to keep a finger on the pulse of where things are going. This week I want to talk about a few artists I believe will make a powerful impact in 2013. My opinion isn't the end-all-be-all concerning St. Louis hip-hop, but as a fan of music these are the artists I am personally paying attention to this year.

See also:
- The Best Hip-Hop Release to Come Out of St. Louis in 2012

I believe the honor of Best Hip-Hop Release to Come Out of Saint Louis This Year belongs to none other than Rockwell Knuckles for the tireless effort he put in on his latest work, Take Me To Your Leader. I don't intend on turning this blog into a music review or a step-by-step critical breakdown; I simply want to put into perspective the endless amount of vision embedded in this project.