Drama Music Hero: The Music Industry RPG

You are the music while the music lasts. ~T.S. Eliot

Ever since the dawn of mankind, music has always been an integral part to society. Even in a day where instruments did not fully exist, voice was used to convey ideas and stories. As the years passed, and civilization advanced rapidly in all aspects, music became more of a fitting tradition. All sorts of cultural styles popped up that would help shape culture almost as much as war and constant restructuring. Musicians were highly prized for their skills, which earned them fortune and respect in the ever-changing world around them. In other words, music has always been a part of the human race.

Skip forward to the modern era. No longer is music simply a source of entertainment; it is a business in its own right. New genres have come up every so often to challenge the old-guard; no longer is classical music the standard for composition. Big bands paved the way first, their big sound and following creating smaller stems of jazz and dance music. These styles brought around the minds of many talented jazz musicians, such as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. From the jazz scene burst out Roots Rock, with Motown leading the way in a split rock/soul invasion that took the world by storm. Country becomes the music of the rural areas, spurred on by the interest in the Wild West of old. The Beatles and other British invasion bands hit it big with their popular sounds. Pop emerged from all this, as did electronic, disco, funk and techno. These styles greatly changed the way music was performed, using new technologies to gain new sounds that wowed audiences and changed the music scene frequently. Recently, metal and hip hop have taken the stage as the new kings of the music industry. Music certainly has changed since the days of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart.

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Welcome to [b]Music Hero: The Music Industry RPG[/b].

[b]How This Game Works:[/b]

The game is conducted like this: each player is a musician of some kind. Some might be in a band; others may prefer to follow a solo career. Starting out, you are all looking for that elusive contract with the Music Industry. The ultimate goal of the game is to keep yourself in the black on your monthly income reports, and not go bankrupt in the process or go insane from the pressure of stardom.

The game takes place in ?The City?. I know it?s not inventive, but just imagine a normal city. It has all of the businesses you would find in a city, including venues for music performances. All of your gameplay will take place in this fictional city, but once in a while, something will happen that might make you need to leave for a period of time.

[b]How Does the Music Industry Work?[/b]

The GM will represent the music industry as a whole; all other players will be musicians trying to gain contracts and various other services. The goal of the music industry is to seek out new talents that will bring in the most money; players will be tested on their skills in various capacities during the course of the game. Sometimes, things will go well; other times, such as when you are a rap wannabe at a rock concert, the fans will boo you off the stage. Remember, the Industry is always watching, and if you screw up too much, say goodbye to that elusive contract!

[b]How to Conduct Yourself During the Game (a.k.a. the Game Process)[/b]

The game will mostly be a sandbox-type game; you can control your character/band (if applicable) during your posts, such as during performances (the process is explained later in this post) and most other times. For example, you could have your character go out to a bar and have a couple shots, or they could go to the movie theater. However, always keep in mind that opportunities to gain respect in the Industry could be lost by ignoring them too often, so make sure to check for these opportunities before you post anything! The GM will post situations that occur to your character that will have to be resolved, such as bad gigs and events that can br

 

GM Approved

Name: Stanley Oglaf
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Career Path: Rock Band Musician
Preferred Genre: Trve Kvlt Black Metal
Name of Band: Udûn
Stage Name: Morbid Deathkult
Physical Description
[image=http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp39/darthramza/carpathian_forest_int.jpg]
- Height: 1.93m
- Weight: 69 kg
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Black
- General Details/Anything Else of Interest: Performs exclusively in black, white, and red corpsepaint. Favors black clothing with as many spikes as possible.
Instrument Played: Bass and Vocals
Habits: Tends to use the words ?troo,? ?kvlt,? ?grim,? and ?nekro,? most of which are intentionally misspelled, quite often.
Likes: Burzum, Bathory, Darkthrone, trve mvsic, trve kvlt black metallers, alcohol in all its forms, Norse Gods, Satan, randomly replacing ?U?s with ?V?s
Dislikes: God, posers, hip hop in all its forms, posers, anything that sells more than a hundred thousand copies, posers
Favorite Color: Black
Random Facts About Him/Her: He?s a jazz man: Miles, Coltrane, the list could go on. His apartment smells of sweet mahogany. Likes his coffee the way he likes his metal ? black.
Bio: Stanley Oglaf was the seventh son of the seventh son of Norwegian immigrants. Unfortunately, they couldn?t afford to pay for seven sons ? to say nothing of daughters, and so Stanley ended up being adopted by his foster family, the Smiths, only a few months into his life. The Smiths raised him in a comfortable, middle class atmosphere without any real suffering or hardship.

This, naturally, makes it rather difficult to let off aggressive emotions, and so Stanley found himself drawn to the darker, faster side of music ? extreme metal. Bathory, Venom, Slayer, Sodom, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum? if it was the least bit obscure, fast, and ?brootal,? he played it. And loved it. In fact, he was obsessed enough to teach himself the fundamentals of screeched vocals and blistering bass lines. But it?s hard for a young suburbanite surrounded by pop music to find musical compatriots, and so he sat? and waited.

Like all the Smiths, Stanley went to City University, where he majored in education, in which he holds a degree. However, the job market right now in the elementary school business is? less than stellar, and so Stanley decided that now was an excellent time to pursue his dream of black metal stardom. Teaming up with Jason ?Deathcrush Chronos? Angmar on guitar and Fred ?Nekro Holocaust? Tyrone on drums, Stanley christened himself Morbid Deathkult, and the band Udûn prepared to unleash itself on an unsuspecting public.

 

GM Approved

Name: Calvin Henderson
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Career Path: Solo Artist
Preferred Genre: Rap/Disco-Punk
Name of Band: None
Stage Name: T-Wrecks aka T-Wizzle aka The Wizzle
Physical Description
- Height - 6'2
- Weight - 199 LBS
- Eye Color - Brown
- Hair Color - Black
- General Description - T-Wrecks is a black kid, with sunglasses, and an afro.
Instrument Played: Microphone and a Guitar.
Habits: Smoking, speaking out against the government, playing guitar, freestyling, and partying.
Likes: Girls and music.
Dislikes: Ignorance, people who don't like rap, and conservatives.
Favorite Color: Green
Random Facts About Him/Her: He's an intellectual and he never trusts a big butt and smile.
Bio: Calvin Henderson aka T-Wrecks was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and raised in Tokyo. He loves technology since it was all around him in Asia. His parents were both part of the military, so he got used to travelling and seeing the world. Pulling from his travels, he began rapping about the trials and tribulations of being a youth with nowhere to fit. He knew that he loved hiphop, it was the only music that spoke to him, but he also enjoyed punk rockers and dreamed about being a rock star. So, combining the two things he was good at, rapping and playing guitar, T-Wrecks is trying to find his big break in the music biz.

 

Approved for LordPullus


Name: Macelin Porter
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Career Path: Hip Hop Artist/Producer
Preferred Genre: Rap, but can cover Reggae.
Name of Band: (only applicable if you have a band.)
Stage Name: P Mack aka Petey Mack
Physical Description
- Height 6ft 2in
- Weight 210 lbs
- Eye Color Hazel
- Hair Color Black
- General Details/Anything Else of Interest:Macelin's skin tone is considered light despite his african american heritage. He sports his hair in a low fade that he is religious about keeping combed, and he is a workout junkie to which his muscle tone is well defined especially his upper torso being his abs are something he is extremely proud of. Mace keeps his appearance clean, and ready always he is a bit frantic about his hygiene.

Instrument Played:Even though he's Hip Hop first, and foremost Mace as a producer needed to become proficient with instruments. He's been a pianoist since the age of four to which he was able to branch to the guitar by the age of ten, and not till high school did he begin learning the basic's of the drums mostly for his beat making.

Habits: Likes to listen to old classics mostly motown, and rock from the sixties and seventies. Has a desire to create songs both through lyrics and composing. Spending down time with family when he can they help inspire him.
Likes: Music, Sports, Girls, Performing, Texting, Burger joints, Books, and working out.
Dislikes: Spicey foods, dishonest people, to much partying, to much drinking.
Favorite Color: Green or Blue and Black.
Random Facts About Him/Her: Is quiet by nature though he loves to laugh, and was considered shy by some before he began to rap.

Bio:Mace is from a family of five with him being the oldest of three siblings. He grew up outside of the Los Angeles area in California where sports was the thing for him all throughout his child hood. Music was a constant in his life due to his father playing in small traditional bands, and thus starting Mace and his siblings on different instruments though Mace would be the only one to continue his love for music. He was introduced to Rap when Death Row records was in full effect the glorification of gangsta rap was a constant in his life though Mace silently enjoyied a lot of the east coast artist as well.

When Mace turned fifteen street freestyles where the norm, and soon the quiet reluctant kid found himself hooked in the flow of improv. Mace had always been a rather eloquant user of the english language due to the insistance's of his mother who wouldn't tolerate street talk inside their home. The youngster was able to surprise a lot of the other MC's in the neighborhood by rapping with such a smooth, and fluid tone while filling his raps with such vivid punch lines. He was able to put a twist in traditional rap bars so he could double up what most MC's did. It wasn't pure tongue twisting, and it brought Mace hood aclaim as he slowly built a rep for his style, skill, and word choice.

Now seven years since his genesis into rap Mace is nearing the peak of his game though he'll be the first to tell you his got much more room to grow. With age he's been able to add a slight edge to his sound as his voice deepened some, and his vocabulary is vast enough that he's songwriting carries a reputation of its own. He still the quiet kid from California with the ridiculous flow, and now he's decided the world should hear it too.

 

And here we go!

NOTE: This game is still open to new players. If you want to join, read the general outline of the game in the first post.

IC: ?The Boss?
The City Music Industry HQ

It was another typical day in The City. People got out of bed, went to work, got bored, drank copious amounts of coffee, left work, went home ate dinner and slept. Or, that?s at least what they did in normal office buildings. However, it was definitely apparent after one day working at the Music Industry HQ building that a job there was nothing like those cubicle dwellers in the high-rise office buildings. No, this business was different; policy could differ at times, but mostly, it was a whole new environment. What was so special about it? It was the Music Industry, the madhouse of creativity and antsy promoters looking for the next top talent.

The Boss was getting anxious, waiting for the agents of the industry to come report in. For a while now, the City had been polluted by horrible cover and ripoff bands; Backstreet Bubs; N?STYNK; AC/TP. Ratings had plummeted into the ground; the music had literally made people feel that music was no longer necessary. What was the real definition of music anymore? The last wave of good bands had already left town, remnants of an age of prosperity on the music scene. Things were so bad nowadays that anyone old person could pick up a guitar, pluck a few chords, and sell some albums of absolutely nothing. It was outrageous, and the Boss was tired of it. Very tired. If things didn?t change soon, heads would definitely roll later in the week. Firings were necessary if the music did not change.

?Sir, the agents are here,? said a voice over the telephone speaker. The Boss clicked the response button, and let them in. When the doors at the far end of his office opened, in walked several agents for the Industry, each wearing a dress uniform for the occasion. It was funny how these people could think that dressing up all nice and pretty would help save their jobs; it would be their talent prospecting that would determine job security around the Industry. Even the Boss had to lay down the law when it came to what the job required, even if his agents always wore nice clothes and acted really nice towards him. They sat down in the leather recliners placed in his office, creating a semicircle in front of his desk. Giving each one of them a stony stare, he began.

?I take it that all of you have actually done your job this time? I am tired of all this crap that we?ve been producing lately, and that must cease. Heed this as a warning; any more of the same-old same-old will mean your future here at the Industry goes on the chopping block. Is that understood?? A chorus of vigorous head nods followed, but the Boss wasn?t convinced. None of his agents looked particularly comfortable; had they all failed him again? ?Anyone in particular want to begin? I?m waiting for any of you to start, if you?d be so kind.? Silence followed for several awkward seconds, and the agents started to shift in their chairs a little. The Boss picked up on this; they were really uncomfortable in his presence. ?If no one will step forward, I will start with you, Hanson,? Hanson, his newest agent, gave him a bug-eyed look, and the Boss gave him an innocent look, trying to coax any information out of him. Hanson also happened to be his least-liked agent; he had never found a single decent artist to sign to a contract.

I . . . uh . . .um . . .? he sputtered.

?I suppose that you haven?t found anyone?? the Boss said plainly. ?I hope that your successor has more nerve than you do. You?re spineless in this business, Hanson. How did you ever end up here in the first place??

It looked like a good job, sir,? he answered meekly, but the Boss rolled his eyes. No one really wanted to be in Hanson?s position, especially in a time like this. Most of the young talent were either moving out of the City and going to other places in

 

Calvin Henderson
-In an Apartment on the WestSide of the City

His apartment was dirty, but it usually was and it smelled of smoke and Japanese food. It was noon and the sun was coming in right on Calvin Henderson's face. Rubbing his eyes, he rolled out of the bed and picked up some cargo camouflage pants. The patio of his apartment was right in front of his bedroom/living room. Hey, he did not have a lot of money and his parents had recently cut him off. When they told him that he should have finished college, he had shrugged and said that it was not his thing. They gave him the typical "Well, well it better become your thing." Henderson parent talk and he had shrugged again and walked off.

Though now he was starting to feel the effects of being cut off. He was going to start falling back on his rent if he did not start making money. Calvin pulled the cargo pants up and walked to the balcony, grabbing a cigarette in the process and high-fiving his Lenny Kravitz poster. The cigarette heated up between his lips and he sucked in the smoke. It filled his lungs and he puffed out his cheeks before blowing the smoke out and looking at his current neighborhood. He didn't want to be here, but it was the situation that he would have to get out of. Yea, it would have been definitely easier if he had just stayed in school, but he had drive in him. A twinkle in his eye. He wanted to make it, whatever making it was.

Calvin wanted the name "T-Wrecks" on billboards and headlining concerts. Before any of that could come though, he needed to get enough cash for studio time and with all the artists that came to this city, that was easier said than done. This City was squirming with people that had the same, exact ideas and dreams that he had. It would be hard for him to show a producer what he had to offer, but he knew what it was about himself that put him on another plane than the rest of these artists: He had the Drive and experience that travelling around the world brought with it.

Hopefully that would be enough. It would have to be.

He finished his cigarette and pulled out his cellphone. Contacts List, then scrolled down to a name: Nia. A chick he had met a couple of days ago. She was a singer. They had hit it off, but he knew he needed some cash before he could take her out the way he wanted to. Calvin was a charmer, but a broke dude was never attractive. He stared at the phone before texting her...

Yo, what you doing? - Calvin

A couple of minutes later, his phone buzzed.

Nthn much. Thnkn bout goin to this Prducrs party later on. - Nia

Aight, cool. Think I can get an invite? - Calvin

Yea, Ill see what I can do.lol. - Nia

He hopped in the shower, pulled on some jeans, a Star Wars shirt, and a fitted. He had plans for the night, but it was time to hit the pavement and see if he could get a gig. Unlike other artists, he did not have a producer, but who could better promote him than himself?

Tag: Gunny

 

Approved for BaSSiL:

Name: Kubo Taito
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Career Path: Rock Band musician
Preferred Genre: Alternative Rock / J-Rock
Name of Band: Purometesu (or, Prometheus)
Stage Name: N/A
Physical Description
- Height: 5'3"
- Weight: 115lbs
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Dyed a light brown
- General Details/Anything Else of Interest: Usually wears different shades of sunglasses, his hair is kept relatively short but with bangs.
Instrument Played: Lead Guitar
Habits: Even when speaking his native language, he'll still use English because of his fluency. Mainly, though, is a bit of a slacker.
Likes: Girls, Drinking, slacking off, fishing, writing music.
Dislikes: Noisy girls, doing lots of work, playing backup.
Favorite Color: White
Random Facts About Him/Her: Has a pet dog, named Paul after Paul McCartney. He lives in a small one room apartment with his little sister.
Bio: Born in Tokyo, he spent the first half of his life living with his parents in the big city. He was two when his sister, Ryou, was born. Even at an early age he had a talent, and an ear, for music and listened to it near constantly. His parents bought him his first guitar when they moved to New York City. He was eleven when this occurred and spent most of his time connecting to his new friends through music rather than language. Though he did learn fluent English, he always found it easier to make friends through his playing than through personality.

His parents died when he was sixteen, forcing Ryoo and him to move in with his grandparents back in Tokyo. It was here, in Tokyo's underground band scene, that he met Sato Daisuke, Ohba Tsugumi, and Azuma Kiyohiko. Together they formed Purometesu with Taito on lead guitar, Daisuke on bass, Tsugumi on vocals, and Kiyohiko on drums. With a dream of making it big, they all moved to The City. Not one to be left behind, Ryoo insisted that Taito bring her along.

 

Welcome to Day One of Music Hero!

GM NOTE: Since it's the start of a week, this will be Monday afternoon. Also, the following are special gigs. You can play one of them if you like, but you can also just pay the regular amount to perform at any place on the city map.

Gig List:

* Rap for Food - Make the Best Beats, Get the Best food for Free! Entry fee not required! Inquire at the Local Pub for Details! Date: Monday Night at 6 P.M.
* Rock Band Wanted! Looking for Best Rock Band in Town at Victor's! Reduced Fee of 5 Rocks Required for Entry into Contest. Winner will get a free three-song gig at Victor's at a later date.
* Rap Artists Wanted! - Join the fun out by the Railroad Tracks south of town. Join the crowd and be a part of the excitement as you slam downn the raps! No entry fee required, just for fun event. Shows every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 P.M.
* Artist Wanted! Local Pub looking for next new star group/artist! Join us every Tuesday all day for various special performances. Grand prize of 30 rocks to the winner of the weekly contest. Entry fee of 5 rocks required.

GM NOTE: I know it's a little small right now, but the gig list is just a start. As the game continues, the gig list will grow, and new opportunities will open up.

TAG: Everyone

 

Calvin Henderson
-West Side

He hated the bus. His parents had taken his car away after he dropped out of college. He did have a skateboard, but with some of the equipment he carried, he could not always ride it everywhere he had to go. He did not care because he knew one day he would have his own car and wouldn't have to spend thirty minutes waiting in the rain anymore. But, until that day came, his fastest method of transportation was the bus.

His phone rang from within his pocket, the tune of Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness alerted him that it was his boy, Ibrahim. Ibrahim was one of the first people Calvin had got connected with when he moved to The City. He was a dj and really good one at that. He and Calvin were always planning to get together to record, but whenever Ibrahim wasn't busy with his other clients, he was travelling to find new artists. Calvin did not take it as disrespect, because he was busy too and Ibrahim, despite being his friend, was not free. Calvin needed to get more money for studio time.

He opened the phone. "Yo, yo."

"Sup, lightweight. I got some news for you. The Local Pub is having this Rap for Food thing tonight. You should stop by and step up."

Calvin smacked his lips. "Rap for food, dude, I'm not that broke."

Ibrahim laughed. "I know man, but last time I checked, you didn't have a deal either. Forget the food part, that's just an add on, this is an opportunity for you to get your name circulated, kid."

"Word. Aight, I'll go check it out then."

"Good, also, check this out. The Railroad Tracks is having this thing for rappers tomorrow out there. You need to see if you can get signed up for it."

"Okay, that sounds pretty cool. I'll be there. Later man."

"Asalamalakum, my brother."

He laughed as he hung up the phone and told the arriving bus driver that he wanted to go to the Local Pub. Even though the concept was somewhat degrading, Ibrahim was right, it was a chance for people to learn about him and pass his name around. There was always a chance that an executive would pick up on him and that was a chance worth a night rapping in a pub.

Once he arrived at the Local Pub, he quickly made his way inside. Once he got to the bar, he hailed the bartender over. "Hey, I heard you guys have that Rap for Food thing tonight. I was wondering if you had another open slot that I could get in on."

Tag: Gunny

Bus Ride: 1 Rock
Calvin: 99 Rocks

 

IC: Bartender
Local Pub, The City

"Hey, I heard you guys have that Rap for Food thing tonight. I was wondering if you had another open slot that I could get in on."



The bartender looked up. In front of him stood Calvin Henderson, who he had had dealings with before when the latter came in to have a drink.

"Calvin! Nice to see you again!" he said. "Yeah, there's still room for you to rap tonight; we're actually a little short on total participants, so I'd say that this might be a really good opportunity to win. I know the prize is a bit dumb, but it doesn't hurt to get your name out there. Haven't heard you rap before, so this should be really interesting. I'll make sure your name gets on the list for tonight; be here at about 5:30 or so.

TAG: Calvin

 

Calvin Henderson
-Local Pub

Calvin looked at the stage and checked his phone again. 5:20. He was mildly nervous, but that was something that always happened whenever he was about to perform. A performer he had talked to back in Tokyo told him to embrace the nervousness as the nervousness that came right before you were about to have an intimate conversation with someone. That is what performing was: It was the artist telling a personal story to his audience through his music and how the crowd reacted showed whether it was a good conversation or a bad one, like the first time you ask a new girl out. It could go either way, but the outcome did not matter because you could learn from whatever mistakes you had made.

However, Calvin was hoping that he would be having a good conversation with the crowd tonight. It was not the venue he would have chosen, more of like a venue he would have recommended to another artist, but he was here and, as everyone kept telling him, it would help him get his name out there.

He took his eyes off the stage and looked down at his clothes. Camo cargo shorts, his white Star Wars shirt, and a light brown jacket. He was not one for chains and other shiny jewelry. So he opted tonight for this performance with just a simple White fitted as his accessory companioned with a pair of dark glasses. He pressed the END button on his phone.

5:27.

He sighed and stretched. It was almost showtime. He had decided to perform one of his latest songs that he had recently written called Glamour Time. The song, at least from his perspective was about an youngster's pursuit of all the things he saw on tv. Nice cars, fine women, popping bottles, and hitting clubs. But that maybe that was not truly what he was searching for. The youngster's true goal was acceptance.

His phone beeped. 5:30. Show time.

Tag: Gunny(For the set up)

 

IC:Mace Porter (P-Mack)
En route to Local Bar, City

The day was in its transition from day to night the sunlight no longer casting its light over the inner city area though the street lights, and oncoming traffic provided enough illumination for those walking the cracked cement sidewalks. It was dinner time for the local strings of food establishments along the strip that housed most of the city's night life, and a lone lean figure made his way at a easy pace to his destination at the end of the block. Dressed in black dickie pants with a slight sag, a pair of white lugz fresh out of the shoe box, and a plain white t shirt Mace Porter was just allowing the night to come to him.

Earlier on in the day he had received a call from a A&R from a local label with some serious pull in the music industry that a gig was available down at the local pub. It wasn't much, but the fact that they had thought enough of him to give him a shot plus pick up the entry fee Mace didn't need any more said to know that a good showing here could lead to future gigs. In his back left pant pocket was a copy of his show mix which varied from a twenty minute set to a straight hour set depending on what was needed. Mace was a practicioner of always being prepared, and so his show mix was never to far from hand plus he kept his show routine as best polished as possible. Music was more then just a passion for the young man from the north side of Long Beach California it was his voice to the world. He'd made plenty mistakes in his short life to not have his focus on the moment, and he would sure make the most of this oppurtunity no matter the crowd.

A light night breeze was sweeping through the block as Mace neared the entrance to the pub a huge black man stood outside ready to ID people entering. It didn't take Mace to long to provide information he was legal to enter, and he just wasn't the type to show out by saying he was there to entertain. Swagger was one thing, but Mace's demeanor had an old school feel to it just like his lyrics. Rap was filled with enough guys just trying to be the arrogant, cocky, dude claiming he was the best that Mace rathered that his flow did the talking. He wasn't cocky he was just confident in his abilities, and he was eager to see how he could do in a live setting out in an area where his reputation wasn't preceding him.

Entering the decent size pub Mace's eyes found the confines of the modest stage which was just a foot, and a half raised platform enough for just him to move about comfortably in. He'd have to do his best to remain energetic while trying to draw the crowd in no doubt, and so he allowed his gaze to shift over the rest of the bar until he found a nearby bartender who he could pose his question to. Drawing up to the bar Mace signalled for a water from the bartender who drew out a small somewhat clean cup filled with ice water, and Mace just shifted the glass to the side momentarily so he could ask a his question.

"Yo who do I have to talk to about the show for tonight?", Mace inquired with a light tone as he took a generous sip of his ice water his vocals rejoicing in the smooth cool liquid while he awaited an answer.

Tags:GM for set up

 

Bartender
Local Pub

It was almost 6 P.M., which was going to be the start of the Rap for Food competition. The bartender had served a last round of drinks before the show; as MC, he couldn't serve the customers on the job, and plus many of them weren't very fast drinkers when it came to special events like this. They were pretty good about letting him do his duties before returning to the counter to hand out new drinks. Straightening his greasy brown hair and wiping his face with a grimy towel sometimes used to clean off tables, he left the bar area and walked towards the stage. It wasn't much of a stage, at only a few feet tall, but it was good enough for anyone to perform in front of the modest pub audience, which was a little larger tonight due to the show. He could recognize a lot of the faces in the crowd; they were the regulars, who always drank the most and sat the longest, trying to strike up a conversation with anyone who walked past. Others looked to be new to the whole thing; they would be in for something interesting. These rap events could be good, and they could be bad. It just depended on who was performing every night.

"Uh, hullo," he said into the mic that had previously been lying on stage. "I would like to welcome you all to 'Rap for Food' night. We have a bill of six artists on for the night; I'll be reading their names off as they come up to perform. Enjoy the night, and the alcohol will be waiting for you at the bar. First up is Mace Porter, who goes by the name of P-Mack. Give him a hand!"

---

Three more artists had finished their performances, and the crowd was getting restless. The last two rappers had been really terrible, and they wanted a good show from the next performer. [b]"And next on the agenda is Calvin Henderson! T-Wrecks, as he is known, will be competing for your votes! Give him another hand!"[/b] A few people clapped, but most were either more interested in their drinks or were rather annoyed by the lack of talent that most of the rappers had. Calvin's time to shine had come.

[b]TAG: LordPullus, blubeast1237[/b]

 

What I envision T-Wrecks sounding like. Note: This is not what he is nor am I trying to rip off Kid Cudi, but this is just the type of hip hop he would convey. The slow, but steady rhythmic pace for this performance.

T-Wrecks
Local Pub

Wow. The rappers that had just left the stage had pretty much disappointed the crowd to the point that some of them were not even paying attention to the contest anymore. This was a bad thing because it meant that some of them would not be optimistic about T-Wrecks going up to perform. He just hoped they did not throw anything. He lost the jacket and sunglasses before hitting the stage, he did not want to seem like a stereotypical rapper, that turned people who normally did not listen to rap off from it and he needed them to like him a lot to even get them back interested in the contest.

The nervousness peaked, but he calmly walked on stage and picked up the microphone. "How yall doing tonight?" Was the first thing he said as he waited for the beat to drop from the tape that he had handed the DJ. As soon as he heard the bass vibrate across the floor under him, all of T-Wrecks problems went away and he attacked the mic like it was his enemy.

"Ok, so it's glamour time in my mind, that's what I think. Visualize success every time my eyes blink. Really got a dream for this whole success thing, no shiny watches, man, my intellect's my bling."

His deliberate somewhat slow rhythm and his clears words streamed out of T-Wrecks. He became more animated as he got further into the song; he didn't fight the music, he gave himself to it and embraced it in a way that people gave themselves into Beethoven's fifth. T-Wrecks waved his arms around as if he was in a play and moved from one side of the stage to the other, making sure that he had performed to everyone who was taking an interest in him. The rapper reached out to them as he tried to establish the intimate conversation that was performing.

He took on he persona of a youth who dreams about success and the story of being accepted in the song. He hoped the crowd would like it, because he could not judge their faces, but at the same time he realized that he was not in control over what they thought or wanted. He was just the piper hat sought to charm the wandering mice of the Local Pub.

When he was done, he was out of breath, sweating, but he smiled. He was happy to perform for people, it was what he liked most. He finished with a "Thank you, my name is T-Wrecks and you all have a good night." He held his hands up over his hand in the pose of someone who was victorious before returning the microphone to its resting place and walking off the stage and grabbing a bottle of water. He had put it out there and now just had to figure out what the people thought of it. Either way, he was glad at what he had left on the stage.

Tag: Gunny

 

(Author's note P-Mack is a abstract MC who thrives on the use of specific rhyme patterns through his bars of raps. He has a smooth tone like a fabolous, and any of the lyrics I'll use are original of myself for "biting" is something frowned down upon in hip hop XD. Please forgive me for the way the brief portions of lyrics my post will contain, but I hope to keep it in a format that a rapper would use in a song book.)



IC-Mack
Local Bar

It wasn't long before the night show was soon announced to be starting, and the Long Beach native found that he'd be the opening act of the night. Their were a string of six MC's who would show battle for whatever prize awaited them at the end of the night, and Mace knew with this being his first official chance to impress within the city that he better come strong. While he's particular love of hip hop was more the underground type of abstract rap Mace knew that the general public were more favored to catchy sounding songs with just enough rhyme play that it kept it understandable.

Mace first started out as a tongue twister who would spew words out like a machine gun with rapid firing bars sometimes fitting a good thirty bars in the space where most would manage sixteen. He's reputation for such speedy deliveries led to him being matched up with guys easily five years his age as a youngster, and throughout time he developed a smoothness to his flow that accomplished the same result his tongue twisting drew. Tonight he would keep it smooth being as the crowd just didn't have the same kind of vigor a normal hip hop contingency would possess though Mace hoped to change that soon enough.

Making his way onto the stage Mace felt a bit of nervousness in his gut though he belayed that feeling as the house DJ played his show mix CD the familliar instrumental soothing him out. The baseline of the beat had a somber, urban feel to it while a light synthetic choir echo played throughout. The percussion, and electronic piano elements where the most prevelant throughout the beat though together each part brought the instrumental to a point where everyone in the room could groove with it. The beat wasn't to fast though it held a nice steady tempo. The long intro allowed Mace to groove with it momentarily as he took hold of the microphone offered for the show, and as he held it in the grip of his left hand Mace gave way to P Mack.

He walked towards the center of the stage feeling the set of lights the club offered for shows squarely upon him, and it was time to entertain. His LA logoed hat was turned at a point where his eyes were visible to the crowd while it still gave him the appearance of having the upbringing he did. A few non consequential sounds into the microphone just to make sure his levels where good preceded his slow walk across the stage as his gaze swept over the crowd. The crowd was modest though it filled in most of the bar, and P-Mack was eager to make a good show out of it. His right hand did a smooth imitation of a DJ scratching a record with every down beat of the instrumental his mind setting in that it was time to perform. The microphone came to his slightly moistened lips, and the kid from California drew on a bit of the west coast swagger to help him transistion into his performance.

"Yo big up to everyone in the house tonight", Mace greeted the audience with a smooth tone though his voice carried a light grateful hint to it. "You could of been anywhere else in the world, but you chose to be here with us tonight", he continued moving with a ease across the stage making sure to allow his gaze to fall as many people as he could for including one's crowd was the first thing an artist did if they want to keep them interested. "I'm ya boy P-Mack heavy on the P, and easy on the mack so let's get this started", Mace ended as he flashed a smiling smirk that was his customary expression when it was time to get into a battle.

The instrumental on cue did a loop back to the start allowing him to withdraw a bit u