ROX-TV hits the streets of Flint Town for the Zanefest 2 show featuring Lyte, Project Born, Skitzo, Str8Jaket and many more. The party was jumping!

Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we thank the returning readers and say hello to any first timers. It’s been a busy month for me on many different levels, but I made the show last Saturday night and have brought back the highlights for you to enjoy. The Underground Sound was booming last weekend, and the place was packed with artists and fans, all coming together to celebrate Zane’s birthday in Flint Town (810). The event kicked off at 5pm and I got there early to take it all in. I had an early morning working, but was able to get home in time to get ready for a long night ahead. Sometimes I just can’t make every show or event, but when the action is going down in the 810, it’s hard to justify sitting at home.

I mean, that’s what this shit is all about right? Keeping the Underground Sound alive and well, celebrating the culture, and living life in the flesh. In a world that is completely addicted to technology and fucking screens, there is nothing more refreshing than running into a group of people that still believe in the power of the real world. I could go on about that for the entire article, but I will leave it be. If you’re reading these words than you probably already agree, so there is no point in beating a dead horse into dust.

Back to the show…so anyway I seen the flyer for Zanefest 2 and it was going down in Flint. I live about 16 minutes away and couldn’t justify missing it, even if I was toying with the idea. The roster was full of artist that I consider personal friends and although I was tired, I was going to show my support. Having covered the Underground Sound for the last two years, writing books, and turning up places…I’ve gotten to know some of them very well. I made up my mind…I was going no matter what and that was that.

Besides, I was interested to learn more about who Zane was. I had never met the man, but if judging the company that he kept was any way of knowing what made the guy tick, he was already a cool cat in my book. Anyone who throws a free party for fans, feeds them good food at the door, provides entertainment with dope Underground artists, and has a great sense of humor is someone that I’d like to know.

3:33pm Genesee County 810

I smoked a roach after getting out of the shower. I don’t like to drive fucked up, so I figured a roach was just the ticket. It was going to be a long night, which is nothing new for me. I’ve been known to burn candles at both ends for years and have grown accustomed to life on the move. Anyone who knows me, can tell you that I hate being late to events, work, or just about anything requiring me to show up. In my world, I prefer to be thirty minutes early or not at all. You would be surprised how different results can be, when you head in a little early. I’m not talking about five minutes or “right on time”. To me, right on time is bullshit and so is stepping onto the boat with two minutes to go. I don’t have the time to explain the benefits of going places early, you just need to trust me on this. If you don’t believe me, the next time you have to be somewhere, go early and be amazed. After the quick light up, I felt better…a little tired but the show must go on…

4:20pm Flint Town

So, there I was navigating the streets towards my final destination of the evening. I decided to take Fenton Road, skipping the annoying and slightly congested US23. As I was driving, I noticed a large plume of black smoke rising in the distance. From my own personal experiences, I figured it was a structure fire and for a time, was interested in investigating further. Instead of cutting over to Dort Highway, I instinctively drove in the directions of the smoke. I figured as I got closer, it would be easier to figure out what and where the smoke was coming from. As I approached Atherton Road though, I was no closer to the action. It was still looming off in the distance and I decided to get back to what I was doing and that was going to a show. I cruised down Atherton and eventually hit Dort Highway.

I’ve been navigating the area my entire life and I took time to take in the view. I passed the old “mall” which has housed Paradise Express for as long as I can remember. It was always a great place to go for renegade type shit back in the day. Old concert shirts, posters, bongs, Chinese stars, and everything else that you can’t get at a more “mainstream” type of shopping experience. There used to be an old Coney Island restaurant as well, but who can say for sure if it still exists. I couldn’t know without stopping, but there was no time.

I passed the Machine Shop along the way and as I travelled further, the titty bar district came into view. I must say that things are looking a little tired up in that zone, lots of graffiti and abandoned businesses, along with the ghost of the car industry in Flint. The weather was warmer than I had planned on, and it caused a last-minute wardrobe change before I left. For October, things seemed pretty mild. As I drove on, I passed by a couple of roadside memorials for people who had killed in the area. My mind started to wander, and I almost passed the FOE Social Club that I had been aiming for. I made a sharp left turn into the lot and looked for a good parking spot.

You know the ones that are easy access, low potential for being blocked in, and close to the exit. Initially I pulled into the lot and headed towards the back. I parked once, then over thought the choice. Before long, I decided that I should move to a more strategic spot. I moved my car again and then finally one last time, backing in to further assist my departure later. I had arrived and that’s all that mattered.

I arrived early, like I always do, and it was time to check out the scene. There were different people bustling around, helping set up the place…food was being brought in, sound checks, and all that goes with it. I found a seat near the edge of the room (always my favorite place to be) and took a load off. One of the first familiar faces I seen was Bobby Doe, moving across the room. I hadn’t seen him in person since the Ouija Macc’s “Death by Denver” show in Colorado. We greeted each other before he kept moving. Everything looked like it was coming together nicely from my corner seat. There was nothing left to do but wait for the gig to jump off.

Slowly artists began arriving and there were some familiar faces and friends walking in. Ant G came through the door and we chopped it up for a minute. He was performing later and was checking the place out. Another old school homie AO was next to arrive and would be rocking the stage later. We go back over two decades and shared some time raising hell in late 1990’s. It was good to see him again. I ran into him at Wiked Wood‘s video shoot for “New Sh!t” in Detroit a little while back. I hadn’t seen this cat in years. He came with Lyte and also appears in the video (I snuck into a few frames myself). Throughout my life, there are some people and physical locations that keep coming back to me in one form or another. I think that’s dope and often times wonder exactly what the universe has in store but I’m slipping back into the woods again and this article is about the show. Anyways…

Roast of Zane

After some good food, the place started to fill out. There were lots of tables, but they quickly got grabbed up by fans and friends of the one they call Zane. After smoking outside, the area I had been chilling in was occupied, so I went over to the area in front of the stage for seating and just at the right time. The Roast was about to begin, and various friends spoke about Zane and cracked some jokes that you would expect at a “Roast”. There were some good presenters, who dropped some funny shit. I found myself laughing several times out loud, which doesn’t happen very often. I could tell you more, but you had to be there. After four or five roasters, the party marched on, and the music was coming.

Start the movie

The party was hosted by Vinnie “The ICP Kid” and Str8Jaket. The man on the 1’s and 2’s was DJ D. There was nothing left to do but bump some music and that’s what I had been waiting for. By the time the show started, I had ran into a bunch of prominent names in the Underground, some who were friends and others who I was just getting turned onto. I was able to talk with a guy named Jordon Stepp before the show. He was fresh on the scene, scheduled to perform a little bit later, but was happy to shoot the shit for a bit. Jordan Stepp talked about recently being on the Palecast Show with Shaggy 2 Dope (I believe the interview was in July of this year, but don’t quote me). I asked him what he was getting up to and he told me about some music he had been making and plans for the near future.

I also caught up with Project Born’s Polk D. For those of you who haven’t heard or are unaware, I wrote a book with the Flint Town Legends Project Born last year called “Forever in the Jects“. The book is available on Amazon, and I strongly encourage you to check it out. I would chop it up with Frank Nitty later in the evening. I got a chance to talk with Lyte and I congratulated him on the progress of Monstar ENT, especially with all the recent moves that have been jumping off in their camp lately. With Project Born and Skitzo being signed to Monstar ENT, along with the team they have put together, I expect some great things to be booming later on in November and beyond. I got a chance to say hello to La Purp, who was there with Valo (Valo would be performing later).

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been working on a book with the Kalamazoo artist Skitzo for most of the year. The book will be highlighting Skitzo’s journey in life and his career as an Underground artist. The project is nearly halfway completed, with the hope of wrapping things up by the end of Winter. I predict an early 2023 drop for the book, but don’t quote me on that either. When I’m writing books, they tend to stretch out longer than estimates, at least two of the last three drops were extended but that’s ok. There are certain things that can’t be rushed and writing serious amounts of content can be fickle at times. Sometimes I have to wait until it is “time”. No better explanation will do. It is, what it is. I talked with Skitzo for a bit, and we went over some details of the writing project, but before long it was time to focus on the show.

The bill featured Lyte, Project Born, Skitzo, St8Jaket, Jordon Stepp, Kevin Clouds, Ant G, Zitro, Trilogy, Valo, Zack the terror/Down to grind, and more. As the opening acts started up, I did what I always do and absorbed the room. I posted up with Polk D as artists got down on the stage. The mood was jovial and had a great vibe. Zane had a lot of friends and they all turned up for his celebration. All the acts were good, but I had my favorites of course. So here is a brief rundown of what I remembered the most.

Jordon Stepp:

The guy has a very interesting presence, and I was captivated by his performance. He is a talented artist and I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard more about him in the coming months. He had his own look and style about him and I was drawn to his stage presence.

He had a flow that was polished, which is needed for advancement in the rap game. Word to the wise…I find that people who are unique, stand out the most which isn’t a bad thing. Fuck what everyone else is doing kind of thing, it’s always better to do it your own way. The only people that will complain are those that are un-original or have no identity of their own. Follow this guy, there is something about his music…

Project Born:

What can I say? These guys are friends of mine and I have dug their music for decades. They might as well be an Underground standard for song quality and stage presence. They know how to work the crowd, keep the energy pumping throughout the entire set, and deliver every time. These guys are seasoned vets of the Underground scene and have etched their names in the Underground history books for their contributions over the years.

They were the first act signed with Psychopathic Records, the first act from Flint to do a track with Esham (Losin It), have released one of the best continuing concept album series around (Born Dead, four releases in all), earned respect in the hardest neighborhood in Flint Town (The Projects on Carpentar Road), and managed to keep on rolling regardless of the obstacles put in front of them. I’m a fan. I wrote their book. I know what I’m talking about. Adding these guys to Monstar ENT was a brilliant move and it will pay off.

As far as the actual show was concerned, they set it off, got the crowd hyped, and performed some of my favorite songs. They fired off “Losin It” and the fans really enjoyed it. What is better than hearing that prolific song by Flint Town Legends, in Flint? Nothing. If I could have only seen that one song performed, the night still would have been worth it. Polk D told me to expect some big moves in the coming months and I believe him. Get hip or not, shrink or expand…I guess it’s up to you, but you were advised.

Ant G:

I first met this guy back at a Medikal Records show in Warren (2021). I remember his voice and delivery being so unique and what I would consider soulful if that makes sense. The guy knows how to interact with people, has an uncanny ability to say and do things that people dig and that’s rare. His set was great. Ant G, with his dope sound (almost reminds me of Wolfman Jack a bit) rapped and sang his ass off. He does it with confidence and I was glad to have witnessed the set go down.

Lyte:

Lyte was everywhere that night, mingling in the crowd with fans, jumping on stage during performances, and setting the tone for the Monstar ENT experience. It’s exciting to see things kick off from jump street and the roster certainly spoke for itself. I dig Lyte, think his music is dope, and enjoy talking with him when I run into him. The first time I met him was during the writing of PJB’s “Forever in the Jects” book, which features Lyte throughout and includes a great interview that Lyte gave when I was putting the book together. We met up at Frank Nitty’s house and chilled for a few hours. I came away thinking that the guy was really focused and a good dude.

I ran into him again during Wiked Wood’s filming of their video which features Lyte. He was rolling with my homeboy AO and exhibited a lot of class. I even asked him for an autograph for my daughter and he didn’t hesitate to write out a nice little piece for her. I think that’s a cut above and I wish there was more of that interaction among artists and the outlets that cover them. I know fans appreciate the extra love; I certainly do.

Lyte kept the energy up in the room, no matter where he was. Lyte and St8Jaket really put together a great party and it delivered all night. I am really interested to see what the Monstar ENT crew is cooking up in the Pyrex. My guess is that it will be a Voltron effort and will be hard to miss. These guys have been around, getting better all the time, and in the two years that I’ve been writing for ROX-TV, they are the ones that consistently show up. Showing up is a big deal and not everyone is willing or wants to. The people that incorporate “action” into their ideas are my favorite and so I wait and listen for the new material. It’s going to be nice, I can already tell.

Gary the Midwest Hip Hop Historian:

My homie Gary, who rolls with the Project Born crew was in the house and I got a chance to chill with him. We talked about recent events, ideas for the future, and just enjoyed each others company. Gary is one of the premier authorities on the Underground Scene and his knowledge is scary. The guy knows his shit. I spent half the night trying to convince him into putting down his knowledge in a book. I will continue to bug him about it because I really believe in what he’s doing. Like me, he spends a great deal of time documenting the scene. Every successful scene that ever occurred on earth needed guys like Gary to capture “the essence” of what was going on for others to learn from. He knows where I stand and I hope he drops something on us to further the legend of this thing of ours. Shout out to my homeboy Gary. Catch you at the next show G.

Well, that about does it for this one. I will say this, as a sort of final re-cap about the night. It was a great night for Underground Music. To see that many artists in one building is really special and it wasn’t lost on me. I had a great night and Monstar ENT definitely made a statement. They got a deep roster and I am looking forward to more. Ok, now it’s time to get smoking and on to the next thing. Sorry this took a minute to see the light of day, but like I said somewhere far above in the article…it’s been a busy week in my life. We are in the Season of the Pumpkin and you can expect more Halloween themed articles to be dropping soon. Keep coming back and keep the Underground Sound alive.

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV Editor

shepard2909@hotmail.com