Project Blowed vs. The Good Life...what are the differences, for better or worse?

[Abstract Rude]

This is an interesting question that I was often asked @ the Q&A sessions after the various film screenings I attended. So I thought I'd officially pose the question and start the discussion so we can figure out what the best and worst parts of our collective had then, and has now to offer. Trippy thing is, once I started jotting my points down, I realized that we're really not that far off from where we were, AND MOREOVER we have great potential to progress. Here's my take, please chime in:

The Good Life
1. Rules/Censorship
2. People were more entertained by what happened inside onstage than outside in the parking lot, even though there were a couple classic battles outside.
3. Distinctive groups like Unity Committee, ATU, FF, CVE, S.I.N. & Figures of Speech who worked with in house producers Cut Chemist, Fatjack, EQB, NgaFsh & Ridd, and Digiak to create classic songs that they'd perform; most of which became crowd favorites over time.
4. Started and closed on time 8-10p every week allowing only 15 minutes @ the end for open mic time, so you knew you had to be on time to be heard, and you had to have something to captivate people for your short time of 1 song onstage.
5. Very small stage and weak sound systems over the years.
6. Announcements by B. Hall referred to community events & political points of interest.
7. Good life related music projects put together by B. Hall.
8. Good Life related events away from Thursdays were supported by Goodlifers regularly ie; UCLA, Audubon Junior High, Slam It Or Jam It, Unity
9. Healthy food
10. Many of the artists/producers/djs came together to do a classic compilation

Project Blowed

1. NO censorship/few rules
2. The park/corner tends to be the kick it and battle spot, thus the hotter spot to experience the Blowed.
3. The emergence of Nocando, Thirsty Fish, Swim Team, Sistem, JNatural, DJ Tommy Blak & Dibiase among others as the new generation next.
4. Start & End times vary...the list is still in effect and people still come prepared to do songs, but freestyling is more championed throughout the night than just 15 minutes at the end.
5. Bigger stage, way better soundsystem thanks to Ben Caldwell & J-Smoov.
6. Mr. Caldwell takes various Blowedians on trips for cultural exchange with hip hop youth out of state and in international communities ie; Cuba, South Africa, various colleges.
7. Project Blowed related music projects executive produced by Aceyalone, CEO and Sole Proprietor of Project Blowed Recordings.
8. Monthly Blowed events away from Thursdays ie; Grasshopper - attended by majority of 21+ Blowedians. However, when someone from the Blowed has a show whether an OG or a young G, there's not always a unified Blowedian attendance - that could get better. We CAN buy tickets to each others shows - support each other more.
9. Record/clothing store inside features some soft drinks and snacks.
10. Project Blowed 12yr anniversary compilation featured many of the Project Blowed attendees; as did Kenny Segal's Ken Can Cook, and recently on Ab Rude's upcoming lp Dear Abbey which features 8 Blowedians: Acey, Myka Nyne, Sathyre, Alpha MC, Busdriver, Nocan, Open Mike Eagle & Dumbfoundead.

your thoughts?
agree?
disagree?

feel free...
peace
tha
Rudest

[Sun Diesel]

Man- wish I could've gone. We had our own freestyle night every thursday in the 1993-96 era called Land of the Lost down in San Diego, and it was modeled after what the Goodlife was doing.
But I think beyond even the differences between the 2 venues- I think one major contributor was the difference in eras. Goodlife benefitted from that era of loveliness in the early 90's. Hip Hop was still relatively pure, and I think we all kind of felt the feeling of hip hop change throughout the decade...
It felt more hopeful early on than as time went by. So I factor that in between the 2 spots.

[blucaller]

Yeah, we tried to go to The Good Life when Project Blowed started. We drove to The Good Life for the first time and the first one to talk to us was Wreckless. He told us it got moved and gave us a flyer for PB. I think it had NGAFSH's birthday on the flier. We went the next week and remember Mike D from the Beastie Boys being introduced by I think Abstract Rude. This was late '94. Was this the first day of Project Blowed? We still regret never being able to make it to The Good Life.

[dibia$e]

umm believe or not i was @ goodlife 93 til it ended and had the courage to hop on stage twice.lol one of the times wasnt so great, but one was decent. goodlife was so cut throatt , but i was there on the regular amazed by all the talent from ryhming patterns to production being made by heads in the neighborhood equvilent to stuff on the radio . that where i copped my first instrumental tape. then when the blowed started in oct. 95 i think . i thought it was like goodlife on steriods.lol they was just as hard on heads. both spots pretty much molded me into who i am now. i was more lo key but gradually started makin noise or startin cyphers in the parkin lot. but u know how heads say madison square garden was the mecca for hoop in nyc b ball . thats what goodlife/ early blowed was looked as. but recently i been holdin down the sound w/ pudge and we tryin to bring back the old element of goodlife of original beats and the open mic we'll program beats live on the spot while heads freestyle. i wish alot of the o.g.'s could witness it. but it also lets me sharpen my sword for beat sets. i think heads now a days forget its a workshop to tighten up ur craft. beats , ryhmes, how to project in a mic, stage presence. now we get heads lip syncin and the crowd dont even pass the mic it. should i just shut the music off automatically if they lip syncin even if the crowd dont respond???

[Azul/ITSCrew]

Yo man, the other day I was talking to some industry cats (the bad guys, lol) when they mentioned the blowed, I got up on them, I heard them say it wasn't isn't as dope... that them youngsters dont know wasup... so I said my peace and they apologized madly... haven't been to the blowed in a minute...but I do claim the blowed, I know the code and we be smashing skulls on it like that (lyrically of course), but man I remember when we chill with Fsh, Rid and Khule and talking about passing the mic on homies so that they can go home and tighten their skills... and again thats a life thing, you better be tight or you coming down the stage... If someone is lipsycing... give the homie the boot, you there to do your thing..lipsync int he shower... thats the only way to make MC's better... humbling but better....

[BlackSoultan Ad Infinitum]

This thread and the movie are both amazing to me, because I DON'T see much of a difference. What I'm learning now is that my suspicions were true tenfold. I didn't realize how much blowdian style influenced the world until the film juxtaposed them. I can say I remember that video "Boundaries". I saw it as a young teen in the Bahamas. Oddly enough, I had been at the Blowed for years before I realized Mike and Ace were actually the dudes who sang that record. Met medusa and peace at the L.A. round of the Blaze Battle in '99 and didn't realize who they were either.

I've learned so much and I owe even more to both the Goodlife AND the Blowed. Y'all who know me may not know this: Project Blowed was my medicine when I was going through a lot from 1999 to about 2006. Had it not been for that family, I don't know where or IF I would be...

[BIELS ONE]

wow.. it took me about an hour to read this whole thread...like every word... wow i just got schooled pretty dope... unfortunately i wasnt able to attend gl but from reading everything here i can feel the energy and the good vibes... from watching the film and just surfing this site i see what the gl meant to everyone that was there... i wish i had the opportunity to see groups form and see hip hop work together... i just want to thank everyones dope stories... they really give me a good picture and i feel the happiness from your stories... i think the gl and blowed are two of the dopest hip hop ideas put together... good work and thanks.....

dibia$e you should do that.....turn that shit off on emm.!.. i think blowed should put on a GL night.... where gl rules apply.... challenge these new cats....

[esco]

All I know 2000 CROWS ran that shit everytime serving everybody nigga!!!!! This blk brd mfa gang 2000 or nothing bitch!! TRGT PRCTe is Coming!!!!!! Its over the summers ours CROWS

[S.O.U.L.1]

Dang Duke,

You took me waaay back wit that one. I remember getting into it wit a certain WU leader back in the day at Good Lyphe. It was right after I served this whole crew in the parking lot (1 on 10. That was fun.) Don't know why he hated but he got embarrassed. Guess I was the "Camouflage Chameleon" that night. I remember some young cat dissed me on a record for serving him publicly at a movie soundtrack event wit me, my man Upset, Fat Lip, and Nas. He just dissed me out the blue so I let him have it. He later dropped an album called "Soul On Ice". Yeah , I was hustlin' back then, Lexus Moon Roof (wasn't mine though), Hennessey 80 proof and all that. I was just finishing High School back then (bet he didn't know that part.) The Good Life (as well as Blowed), provided the avenue for Emcees like myself to rub elbows with, not only other great Emcees, yet some very influential industry cats also. I was on Def Jam because of rhymin' at Good Life. My crew and 2000 Crowz formed an inseparable bond through The Good Life. Been family ever since. Me, Giz, Fame Uno, Det, and Source used to all live together up Stocker hill after leaving the Jungles. We still family til this day. Brothers... Can't nobody ever tell me Skeelo is a wack Emcee because he made the wrong choice industry wise. Me and that nigga slayed mad niggaz together. Wherever he is, he still my nigga. I moved to Atlanta over a decade ago and still Emceein' everywhere. I've engineered and produced for some major people and know entertainment law as well as I know my own songs. I learned that at 14 years old starting at The Good Life and being pulled aside by some major industry people after a show. They showed me the ropes and I took the initiative to become the biggest sponge ever (while still filtering out all the bull crap and shallow nonsense.)

No knock on Blowed at all though (even though the guy who used to clean the corner at the other end by 5th Street Dick's accidentally destroyed my rhyme book with over 50 songs that I still don't remember til this day. Aaaahhhhh!!!!!!! I was pissed that night!) Blowed helped me get back in the groove of slayin' niggaz for being arrogant know-it-all emcees who really wasn't as good as they thought they were. Me and Foe Teen was on it when Blowed opened up! I always loved battlin' It's like basketball for me. We can still be coo even though I just dunked on you from outside the paint (peace to Wreckless C and Born Allah.)

The Good Life was definately the cornerstone though. It's a trip Ab. Me and you never chopped it up but me, Fish, Mykah, Acey, Peace, Pharcyde (Yeah, yeah, I know the history behind that. Stop frownin'), Otherwise (Peanut Gallery), LA Kule, and the rest have. Kinda weird too... My cousin Jah Orah still chops it up wit everybody. But me and Rude never did. That's really weird but I guess. Me an Charlie Tuna even buss together at shows and at The Good Life. You did seem to have your own world though.

I started rhymin' and battlin' cats back in 1984. My first rhyme ever was off the head. There was no such thing as freestylin' back then but I was still doin' it. My first rhyme ever was a battle rap. I was only 7 years old the first time but it was soooo addictive that I kept on going. Hooked up wit like-minded Emcees and formed The Natural Styles | Lost Angels | 3.5.7. Magnum Crew (been goin' strong ever since.) For a little while everybody at Good Life thought my name was Natural Styles because lazy Chu didn't want to read all that (reading is still fundamental Chu. You know you my nigga. We served up some people together a couple of times.) I was about 13 when I first set foot in a true cypher wit really hardcore freestylers. I still prevailed and gained sooo much experience along the way. Got to a point where I never really had to write rhymes to record a song and it still sounded like everything was written or premeditated. I Love Hip Hop with an undying passion. Things changed when I left. Less cyphers, less shows, and very little emphasis on the true essence of Hip Hop as well as the sport of Emceein'. I always told Phunky Dialect that when I left I took LA wit me. Everything that we had goin' out there is still with me even though katz have changed their flowz to fit what seems to sell. God has given me a level of emceein' as well as production & engineering skillz, marketing skillz, business sense, and a ton of creativity to make what we used to do work (and sell) in todays market. I've fully evolved into a powerhouse out here in Atlanta and I'm not giving up. Keep watchin' TV and listening to the radio. You'll see and hear it real soon.

http://www.2000crowz.com
(Still in production. Yaw niggaz get the rest of your content together. That means you too Zagu. I produced the track that plays on the site. It's for Foe Teen's new album so keep an ear out for that one too.)

PS
Get at me if you need a dope web site, logo, business cards, flyers, etc. We're the best in the business. I own a design firm out here in Atlanta as well. I do all the flash animation and graphics (completely hands on with mine.) My team does the programming. Bout to crush Gates and jobs in a sec too. Watch for the new system we got comin' out. Can't leak the name though. We don't want Mac and PC to be able to come against us at all. When it drops, it drops.

Stay Wessin',

S.O.U.L.1 - Founder & CEO
Lost Angels International, Inc.
http://www.lostangelsinternational.com