Single Barrel Shit

Bars & Bookshelves


Art is oftentimes created in the most unsuspecting places. John K. King Books is such a place where you may not expect the proper musical set-ups, acoustics or lighting – especially by hip-hop standards. But on a certain semi-overcast Sunday, John K. King was gracious enough to unlock the doors of his cherished bookstore on his day off. One of three locations of King Book's, this particular building was rumored to have been completely removed from its previous locale to its current residence. Known across the country, John K. King Book's has a level of history uncommon in bookstores today. Having just been visited by David Byrne, King Book's has seen the likes of Jay Leno, Martin Sheen and several politicians perusing its walls searching for a new read.

For now, there's no time for reading. Scaling the steps to the first floor of the forty-five year-old store, the members of United States of the Mind (USM), marveled at the sheer number of books that lined every inch of the building before turning their attention to its close quarters. Turning sideways, inching further and further into the musky halls that would soon be their stage for the evening, USM prepared themselves for the long road ahead.

Slowly carrying their equipment through the aisles, being careful not to disturb anything, the present members of USM, D. Allie, Sleepy Biggs, W. Draztik, Metasyons, Eddie Logix, began setting up their gear for what was to come. Tightly fitting in the sound equipment into an aisle filled with the Wizard of Oz series and calling for more lighting that barely illuminated the faces of the crew, we readied the setting for a show. As we nestled in amidst classics, Melville, Whitman and Dickens, the duo of D. Allie and his father, Gary Strauss, sat on emptied crates facing the aptly named "Music" section, backs to juvenile literature. Out of site, we listened as the performance is counted in; a simple acoustic melody begins and a voice reaches out from down the hall. Sitting, heads nodding, the remaining members of the group listen to their comrade from down the hall, huddled together around an antique table full of odds and ends, occasionally picking up a book or knick-knack while peaking down the hall.

The quiet of the room settled around us like a fog to such a point that we weren't sure when the filming was over. Still studying the old, cracked books in the cases, occasionally picking up a discarded copy of some martial arts magazine, we were roused from our respective concentrations to move to the front steps of the grand entrance. Every remnant that would signal to a newcomer that we had been in the previous room was quickly dismantled and a drum kit and turntables were set up at the entrance. Chatting outside on the corner of Lafayette and Fifth Street, D.Allie and Metasyons jokingly sing Michael McDonald in the midst of coming up with their freestyles for the next take. Five sets are planned, and we begin to lose the light that is so desperately needed. The constant reminder that the store must be locked up soon looms heavy and we begin to hustle in double time. Set up. Shoot. Tear down. Repeat. Climbing the dim stairway lined with artwork – whether it's for sale or for decoration, it can't be said – we reach the third floor for the final performances. Shadowy and calm, we creep into the depths of the bookshelves, out of sight. A capella performances are given, we watch with smiles. "I love this raw stuff," someone whispers. And obeying the suns schedule, we began drawing our own story to a close.

- Treasure Groh

Freestyle from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

Metasyons from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

Draztik from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

Progress Report from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

Steady Shine from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

USM @ JOHN K. KING BOOKS TRAILER from SINGLE . BARREL . DETROIT on Vimeo.

You Don't Belong In Detroit

Once again my dude Moe Dirdee is back at it. If you're not familiar, you need to get a little more aquainted. Title speaks for itself.
What up Moe!

Metasyons

In a Frenzy to "Show Love", to the other cats, i forgot to upload my own material on here. Tisk Tisk. Lol, maybe i did that on purpose. I mean, we're artist, we're supposed to be a little bit biased. In anycase, here goes.

Aptemal Shit

Came Home!!!

We just had the welcome home show on Friday night! It was a great night. Every act came prepared, meaning that their "A" games were brought. Of course it was an even prouder moment for me, because my little brother performed. He goes by the name of A Dot. Murdered it! That's what was good about that show tho, was the overall hypeness of it. It was quite an honor to share the stage with all the guys. It's been a great pleasure to be on this tour. Leo and Mags', you guys are great people. Had a blast with you cats. Gotta come to the D real soon.
July 2nd marks the long awaited debut of my crew members, Draztik and Sleepy Biggs. Smokers cough! Soon to be labled a classic. This will be at The Old Miami (of course). Check out the first video off the project below. Thank you guys for supporting what USM is trying to do, and just genuinely getting it! It's very much appreciated.

Nelson B.C

This has been such a crazy week! First it seemed like it took forever to even get to Nelson. There were many variables that contributed to that statement. First off it took us almost 2 days to get there.During the drive we encountered so many problems. The PPf crew caught a flat at like 4 in the morning one night. To my suprise none of them had ever changed a tire before. So of course you know ya' boy came through for them. Had it changed in like 15 mins in the rain and pretty cold temps.
Back on tyhe road again, so we thought. In our vehicle,(the USM ride) the oil light came on. No biggie, you would think. But apparently it was more than just an oil related problem. So for a hot sec we were posted up in Ft. Macloud(I'm sorry if its mispelled) Alberta i believe. Mostly Native tribes. Thats where i discovered that beer in canada is really damn expensive! I mean 24.99 for a damn 12 pack of Heiniken? RAPE!! Anyways, Sleepy Biggs and I jumped in the PPF mobile, while Asylum 7 and A. Biggs went with the van on the tow truck. They got a room in Lethridge Alberta to wait till the next day so they could get the van oil changed up. Cool right? Naw, but we'll get back to that in a minute.
So we're riding through the foothills and mountains on the way to Nelson. Everything is quite beautiful and then the sun goes down. Long story short I'm at the wheel now. These were the most dangerous roads I've ever seen. Not only were they narrow, winding, two-lane roads. But it was pitch black,raining, and the thickest fog I'd ever seen. Also, there was quite alot of wild game signs. You know you always see the signs, and you think "i might see some deer", the exact same thing that was going through my mind, untill i saw Mr. Moose. This thing was the biggest thing I'd ever seen. I mean at least 2 times the size of the Camry we were driving. 3 minutes before, and we would have been meeting Mr. Moose upclose and personal. Cars are speeding pass, not one single light. Absolutely insane. I prayed the whole way to Nelson. Then we arrived. Nelson was an awesome little town in the middle of the foothills of B. C. These people were soo kind. Where else would you go and practically get, the most spectabular and wonderous chron on the planet just given to you. I literally was in a daze for 2 days. The show was a blur, either it was an awful show, or i was just too blowed to even care. LOl, actually there was no one there. Well maybe a couple people. I still had a blast tho.
Back to the van, obviously A7 and A.Biggs made it to Nelson. But the damage to the van was deeper than anyone had even thought. We were all prepared to start the journey to Calgary. Let's just say that oil changed quickly turned into a rod knock in the engine. We were sputtering along as best we could. We got as far as Coeur D' Alene Idaho. Then we posted up at a hotel. If we were gonna come home, i wanted to do it immediately. So the next morning I hopped 3 flights to come back to the D. Talk about home sick. Lol. The tour for USM was cut short unfortunately. We had a pretty good time while it lasted. Shouts out to Leo37 and Magnolious for continuing to hold it down for us. We'll see those cats again along wit Ill-Legit and my little brother A Dot on June 18th at the Old Miami (of course). So bring ya asses out and support the "Homecoming" of USM back to the D. I'll see ya there. Below I'm posting the roster episode that i promised in the last one. Enjoy!!!

Milwaukee

Milwaukee on a monday night is really, really dead. It was still fun tho. We rocked at a soccer bar called The Highbury. It was a pretty cool set-up in there. Nice and cozy. We of course were performing on a monday night, so we were rocking in front of strictly other artists. And the majority of the artist were the tour fam. LOl. Classic shit. But we gotta give props to the SAFS Crew. These cats held it down. Young cats too. Not even 21 yet. I love seeing that hunger in young emcees. Takes me back a lilttle. I wish i still had hunger like that.
Stay tuned for another tour episode, introducing you to the "Players" on the tour. Also a retrospective on tonights show in Nelson British Columbia. The drive here was nuts, so it'll be worth it. Thanks for supporting me in the basement. It's much appreciated.

2 for 1!!!

Okay so friday we were in Bloomington In. Shit that night was crazy. 2 mics and a kit are always great host! The crowd was on point as usual. Even with some of us having voice problems we stilled wrecked like USM does. The high point of the night was, not the show, but the doorman. My man's is from Brooklyn, so you already know what type of cat he was. Real. But some douchebag walked by givin dirty looks, you know tryin to play that roll in front of his girl. We'll just call the doorman "Brooklyn" for now. So Brooklyn went at the kid extra hard. I never met him before, but he can get down wit our crew anytime. Me, Notion, and Cas One were there to witness, what was probably gonna be a slaughter. I haven't seen a kid get punked out like that since elementary school. I'm quite proud of that kid tho. He did something i totally didn't expect and that was NOT drop the N bomb on us. I thought for sure he was gonna let "Niggers" rain down from heaven. Probably after he left. LOL. All in all it was a good night.

The next night we were in Chicago. We performed with family again. Ill Legit, Scud One, etc... For the most part it was a good show. It had it's low moments tho. Not performance wise, but crowd wise. You know Chicago is like Detroit, in the aspect of giving foreigners a shot. I thought our brethren from Canada did an excellent job, as usual. But some of the audience was not as willing to even give them a shot. Their loss. People need to stop being so close minded and start showing a lil love. It goes a long way when you do. Shouts out to all thos who stuck around and checked out the other acts. We need more people like you. We hit Milwuakee tonight. I'm expecting a small draw, just because its a monday night, but you can never call it. Either way I'm looking forward to it. Stay tuned for tonights show update..

Evansville

So we hit up Evansville In last night. It was a pretty good night. But shitty sound= loss of voice. It was still a good time tho. We played at a spot called the Jungle on Main street. This place was nuts. Crazy zoo related animals all over the place. I felt like i was a little kid again. The owner of this place is a cheap, ball breaking, on the lamb from the mob, Russian. Lol, what your thinking is probably the same thought i had.
But i have to give most thanks to Cas One (http://www.myspace.com/cas1ne). He looked out for us hard. He put up with more than ten individuals, and was completely sincere about it. So thanks again To Cas and Jackie for lookin out for us. It was much appreciated. All in all this tour has been goin great so far. I really can't complain about it. Wish some of the crowds were bigger, but that comes with the territory. That's the whole reason we do this. To build that fan base.
Stay tuned for more info about the tour, and also be on the lookout for video footage from the tour so far. Stay classy you notty head greasy peasy summamabitches!!! I'm out.

Columbus!!!!

So yea we rocked Columbus Ohio last night, at this place called Old Fields on high street, on the north side of town. Shit was pretty dope. Pretty cut and dry. On another note our brethren from Canada made it into the country. So they got to rock last night. They killed it. Again if you dnt know you need to get familiar about these cats http://www.ppfhouse.com. Anyways, there really wasn't anything that would have upset me or the crew last night, so that was cool.
Of course you know we grubbed out tho. There was this place called Hounddogs Pizza practically right across the street. The locals said that, that was the spot to be at. They didn't disappoint. That was def some of the best pizza I have ever eaten. Everything about it was on point. So if your in Columbus ever, make sure you stop at Hounddogs Pizza. They're killing the game.

Pittsburgh

Okay so tonight we were in Pittsburgh Pa. I was really excited to come here. The only other time i had been here was on a 2 hr layover at the airport.
So we get to the venue, everything seems to be on the up and up. We kill it like no other. Unfortunately our brethren from canada were denied entry into the country. Go figure. We assumed that they would not have any problems, even made jokes in regards to them not makin it into the country, and lo and behold, they don't get in. Talk about irony. But anyways back to Pittsburg.
We kill the show like i said. So it's late you know. A couple drinks in us, we're hungry as hell. So we go to this place called Tom's Diner. After waiting for more than an hr and a half, what we believe is our food finally comes out. Cats are ready to grub out. Long story short, the orders are completely incorrect. After waiting another 20 mins they bring out the right food. So thats a total of almost 2hrs now, that it took at a diner that was half empty. Whatever we get our food. We feel like we should at least be comped for the horrible service. Of course they make it seem like it's our fault, and how dare we ask for a comp. Needless to say those bitches at that diner were very, very close to experiencing what Detroit is all about, up close and personal. But I don't need the stress or to end up in jail in the southside of Pittsburgh. But, I advise those visiting this city with the intentions of getting some late night grub on thee southside. Just wait till the sun comes up, and go to Primanti Bros. instead. You'll get better service, and the food will not only come out in half the time, but will be delicious and well worth the little wait you might have to experience.
Im so disappointed right now, but hey I have to keep it moving. But beware of that place its terrible!!!!

Thank God

So we went to Rochester Ny last night.. Its was cool, seemed like a Pontiac or a better Ann Arbor. We get there litterally as the show was starting, You know we did our thing. But unfortunately for us, it was like the Fri before in Windsor. Thats the nature of hip hop these days tho. People just don't support like they used to.. We can say goodbye to that "age". Even with there being a lackluster audience, Myself as well as A7 killed it like it was 1000 people in there. Made some new fans. Thats really what its about at the end of the day, giving those who actually come out a show, and an experience that they can spread the word about. Something for us as artists to be proud of.. So other than toll roads, and traffic, and construction, and even thunder storms, we had a pretty good time....

The First One

So this is the first time I'm blogging. Fell victim to the craze i guess. I like it tho, it gives me the medium to release my disgust for things.... LOL, I'm just talkin shit tho. First things first I gotta talk about what's currently poppin in the life right now. Started a tour this past weekend.






We hit Windsor Ontario on friday night. Shit was cool, the few people who were there seemed to enjoy themselves, And the cats we're on Tour with (http://www.ppfhouse.com/) killed it!! Shouts out to the new homies!!! After being hassled coming and going at the border, needless to say we were glad to be back in the states. Then saturday came! Okay usually I'm not that excited, so don't get used to it. But anyways, the venue we were supposed to rock just suddenly out the blue closed their doors on Friday. Leaving us without a venue for this second date.. Talk about a curve ball.. My boy Tommy came thru tho. Hooked us up with a spot at this party he was throwing. First thing that popped in my head was, college campus+ hip hop+ a bunch of drunk people = THE COPS!!! Of course I was right. They came 2 seperate times.. Goddamn jakes. They still couldn't stop our shine tho. Our, meaning the crew (http://www.usmdetroit.com/) shit was so hype a damn mosh pit broke out during me spitting. If every show on the tour will be this hype, I might not make it. But make sure you check us out, cause we're coming for that ass!!!