I just learned April is officially Jazz Appreciation Month. And today, April 30, marks International Jazz Day.

Which made me pause for a second, because jazz has never really been something I revisit once a year. It’s always been in rotation for me. Especially while I’m working. There’s something about it that settles the room in a way nothing else really does.

There was a point in time when you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing Views.

Car rides. Day parties. Kickbacks and clubs. Windows down on the highway at night. It didn’t matter where you were. Drake was there.

There’s a certain electricity that only battle rap can create when the right bars meet the right crowd. Real Is Rare’s Merciless 2 did exactly that on March 7 at BeachHouse757 in Virginia Beach. The second installment of Era Hardaway’s battle series gathered battlers, performers, and supporters of the culture into one space where the audience wasn’t just watching the battles, they were part of them. Hosted by KELO SOUL with music by DJ Half Pint, the night blended battle rap and live performances with a crowd that reacted the moment a line connected.