To Canada and Back: On The Road With Rich Medina (Mar. 7-12)

Image via Complex Original

WHERE: (Le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St., New York)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Rockin' that boat. Salute Crazy Legs, Ge-Ology, Kati, Boogie Blind, and all our incredible regulars. Last week was pretty fucking special, fam. One of our heaviest nights to date since moving to LPR. Great look.

WHERE: Sigma Sound Philadelphia
WHEN: Thursday, March 8, 2012 

My first time ever hosting a RBMA info session. As a public speaker, it's very hard to pull me off my square considering how much time I've spent hosting and performing over the years. But when you're interviewing your peers/icons and trying to get it right, those old school rookie nerves wake themselves up and get to itching at you. Phonte and 9th Wonder were incredible guests, both incredibly funny, insightful, and forthcoming. I have a brand new respect for them both for many reasons now, one of the most important being their open candor about the break up of Little Brother, their recent Twitter spat about it, and coming to terms for good as grown men just a couple of weeks prior to this session. No one is more thankful than me, because I got to carry the responsibility of opening that can of worms with TLC…luckily the worms were tame and the can was owned by some grown ass men. Salute 9th and 'Tigallo, and salute Red Bull for the opportunity. Huge day for me.

WHERE: Sigma Sound Philadelphia
WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2012

A chance for local up and coming producers to get a head nod or a gas face from two of their idols at once. What's topping that for an aspiring producer? Now, MY problem is I gotta see the dudes who got the gas face on the street in Philly and hear how they feel about getting the gas face….It's a contact sport pops…you don't wanna get hit? You might wanna go play tennis then…Big up Phonte & 9th for making the time for this. Saw a lot of happy faces, and some dudes who got the very validation they deserved.

WHERE: SuperMarket (268 Augusta, Toronto)
WHEN: Friday, March 9, 2012

The second time is often the charm and tonight proved that. Venue was at capacity well before midnight, the owner was over pouring the brews and cocktails happy as fuck, and our hosts Ms. Carol Kwak and Helen Cho did a phenomenal job of raising awareness for us in Toronto. Sometimes when you work with folks who are new to the promotions game they can be easily intimidated by the protocols necessary to be taken seriously on the job…but not these girls. They took all our experienced feedback and put it on the game. Incredible night, incredible sound, and Pt. 3 is already being booked. There is no loyalty in fame…only in loyalty….Thank you ladies, and here's to more smashing people's eardrums in together in your town.

Photo by Nabil Shash 

WHERE: Tom's River, N.J.
WHEN: Saturday, March 10, 2012

It's truly unnerving to lose loved ones. I lost two within the last 40 days. It's even more unnerving when they are teenagers and afflicted with sickness they didn't bring on themselves. This kid was one of the most open minded and positive kids I've ever met, and I've seen some illmatic shit in my lifetime. Every once in a while that old cliche that says "Well, they're in a better place now" really rings true. Considering the discomfort and disadvantages this kid stood up to while he was here with us, I KNOW that this guy is smiling down on us all right now. Fly high, li'l brother. I will miss you dearly, and so will a ton of other folks. More than you could ever imagine.

March 16, 2012 (10 p.m. — 2 a.m.)
PROPS STL EDITION w/AKALEPSE
Lola
500 North 14th St.
St. Louis
21+
$10 before 12 a.m.

City number 3 (outside of NYC) for Props is St Louis, as an installment in my monthly residency setting. After how we beat up Toronto and Montreal, I'm expecting fireworks at Lola. For those unaware of my man Akalepse's skills, pay attention. Y'all are in for it fam…

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March 17, 2012 (10 p.m. — 5 a.m.)
JUMP N FUNK for WMC 2012 w/DJ Kemit, The Marksmen & DJinji Brown
The Electric Pickle  
2826 North Miami Ave.
Wynwood Arts District
Miami
21+
$15

Jump N Funk returns to WMC in Miami, at The Electric Pickle downtown, rather than on the beach this year. Bless up my partners in crime Mark Hines, DJ Kemit & Djinji Brown. Here's to another WMC Afro Life banger for the history books!

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March 19, 2012 (2 p.m. — 10 p.m.)
THE MOVEMENT WMC MIAMI SPLASH with DJ YNOT & SPECIAL GUESTS
South Seas Hotel
1751 Collins Ave.
South Beach, Miami
21+ (unless with a hotel guest)
FREE
RSVP to info@thelazyafternoon.com

My Orlando monthly brings it to South Beach for WMC 2012 for the 1st time ever. Awesome cats, awesome party, and hopefully an awesome afternoon on the beach at the South Seas! Bring your ass!

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March 20, 2012 (10 p.m. — 2 a.m.)
JUMP N FUNK SPECIAL FELA! AFTERPARTY w/THE MARKSMEN
Fluid Nightclub
613 S. 4th St,
Philadelphia
21+
$5 (or FREE with ticket stub for Fela!)

So honored to be the official afterparty for the opening night of Fela! in Philly! Tonight is a milestone in our 10-year-plus tenure as America's Original Fela Kuti Tribute Party! Everybody Say Yeah Yeah! Free admission with a ticket stub from the show!

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March 21, 2012 (5 p.m. — 11 p.m.)
IGNITE w/Ron Trent, Roy Davis Jr., Daz-I-Kue and more!
Red South Beach Hotel
3010 Collins Ave.
South Beach, Miami
21+
$10 presale tickets
www.wanttickets.com/ignite

Always nice working with NextAid. The organization is great, and they always come through with opportunities to rub elbows with some of my favorite DJs at the conference and play some music for a great cause. Here's to a great afternoon, fam!

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March 22, 2012 (8 p.m. — 2 a.m.)
EVFA & ARTDONTSLEEP PRESENT: The Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Bilal & King + Quantic & Alice Russell
Exchange LA
618 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles
21+
$20 Early Bird; $25 Presale; $30 Door
For tickets, click here
Table/bottle service RSVP to: ella@exchangela.com

Ummmm, holy shit...they want ME? I hope this ain’t an episode of Punk'd or some shit cause I'm pretty fucking gassed about this. Glasper? Quantic? Bilal? C'mon son...If you're in LA and don't get your ass to this party you should drink a gallon of gasoline the next day...so proud to be a part of this bill man...wow.

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April 7, 2012 (9 p.m. — 3 a.m.)
FEx FIRST SATURDAYS w/MC Zulu, Shazam Bangles and Newlife Itzinallah
Sub-T Lounge
2011 W. North Ave.
Chicago
21+
$10

Happy Birthday, David! Happy to be back with the FEx crew on such a special day. Here’s to beating the shit outta Chicago on April 7th, fam.

WHERE: AKWD Preschool, Philadelphia
WHEN: Monday, March 12, 2012

At the top of the week, all the star bullshit dissipates, and the daddy games make their presence known. My kid is just too fucking funny. Had his teacher give him "a face full of hair like my daddy" before I came to scoop him and hit the park…too fucking priceless…he was dead-ass serious about it, and got straight heated with me when it was batch time and it had to be washed off. This is what fuels my gas tank, fuck each and everything else.