Inside Merciless 2: Where Virginia’s Battle Rap Scene Took Center Stage
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.
Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 Vinyl Listening Experience (Event Recap)
Jill Scott’s debut turned 25 years old today, and we celebrated with the second installment of our Music Nerds vinyl listening experience.
For 80 minutes, the room swayed with head nods and two-steps, quiet mm-hmms, a little karaoke, and the kind of deep sighs that come when you feel seen as Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 spun front to back at the Association for Creative Enlightenment.
As each track rolled in, so did the reflections. We talked about how Jill didn’t just sing, she spoke. About the way she fused poetry and melody. How her jazz-like phrasing stretched words into moments. How the go-go rhythms and live instrumentation gave her space to breathe and testify. And how “I Think It’s Better” might be one of the greatest transitions into a love song ever. (Okay, that one might just be me.)
The Internet Ego Death Vinyl Listening Experience (Event Recap)
Our Ego Death 10-year anniversary celebrations started on June 13th thanks to DJ Chef Dro, the creator of Music Nerds and the curator of the vinyl listening experience, and Thanks for Listening record shop in Virginia Beach. I had the honor of co-hosting alongside her, and together we guided the conversation, shared reflections, created space for the community to connect, and the energy in the room was truly unmatched.
Hearing the album on vinyl just hit different. The instrumentation felt warmer, fuller, more alive. As the needle dropped on each side, we vibed out, fully immersed in the layers of sound that made Ego Death so special. What started as subtle head nods and quiet sways turned into full-on karaoke, with folks singing their favorite lyrics like we were at The Internet concert 10 years ago.
