Member Since: 10/09/2006
Band Members:
Influences:I get my Free MySpace Layouts at LayoutStreet.comBALTIMORE SUN NEWSPAPER, DECEMBER 7TH 2006----Billo the Hoodrockstar
Sun Reporter
Originally published December 7, 2006
Hometown: BaltimoreCurrent members: William Lunsford
Founded in: 2000Style: hip-hopInfluenced by: Nas, the Wu Tang Clan, Redman, Jay-Z, KRS-OneNotable: Billo's second solo album, Daily Grind Vol. 2, dropped in September. So far, he has sold 1,700 copies in local record stores and out of the trunk of his car. He's one of five artists on the For the People Entertainment label.Quotable: "Volume 1 kind of got the ball rolling, but this one -- I overdid it, if I must say so myself," Billo said. "We got a lot of response on it, and a lot of doors started opening up on this one. People started to take notice. More shows were coming in. The response on it was overwhelming."The artist: myspace.com/billohoodrockstar[Sam Sessa]
Sounds Like:I get my Free MySpace Layouts at LayoutStreet.comFROM THE CITY PAPER, THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 22ND-29TH 2006, I ALSO MENTOR INNER CITY YOUTH IN THE HOLISTIC LIFE FOUNDATION (NON-PROFIT FORMED BY MY BUSINESS PARNER) ,THE KIDS RELATE TO ME AND I ALWAYS PUT MY BEST FOOT FORWARD WHEN HELPIN OR ADVICE, SHOULD THAT AFFECT MY MUSIC?????-------------------------Billo the Hood Rockstar
Daily Grind Vol. 2
For the People Entertainment
(2006, CD)
Billo the Hood Rockstar
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by Al ShipleyBillo the Hood Rockstar Daily Grind Vol. 2 (For the People Entertainment) While most up-and-coming rap labels seem to be out for cash and all for self, For the People Entertainment lives up to its name, setting aside its music revenue for after-school programs that teach yoga and computer skills to local students. But some of the label's releases, like conscious rapper Cutthroat's recent Chapter 2.5: Words Can't Explain It, reflect the company's unique mission more than others, like Billo the Hood Rockstar's latest, Daily Grind Vol. 2. Aside from occasional flashes of introspection and humor--like the hilarious skit "Day in the Life Pt. 2," wherein he sings a brief ditty about his e-mail address--Billo generally embraces contemporary hip-hop's dominant lyrical themes of materialism, fat asses, and keepin' it 'hood.Last year's Daily Grind Vol. 1 was dominated by throwback soul sounds, whether sampled for beats or talked over in interludes. That's occasionally still the case on Vol. 2, particularly on a closer way too good to be titled merely "Outro," but For the People producer Nacktronics and the other beatmakers on Vol. 2 fill most of the album with harsh drum machines and minimal smears of keyboard melody. Billo has a certain undeniable swagger, but sometimes all the empty space in the tracks does little to mask how predictable his subject matter is on songs like "Prada Shoes or Nike . . . " and "In the Club." Done well, these themes certainly aren't a bad thing, but they're not what you expect from a decent, altruistic guy who mentors middle-school kids in his spare time.
Record Label: For the People Ent.
Type of Label: Indie