My Music Mood for the New Year - 2023

Music 🎶🎶was made to move you, to evoke emotions😄😍😠😢😇, to tell a story, to rid your mind of the demons 😈👿.

Music is for Everything and Everyone

If you're an artist, you can't resist the itch of the call. Whether it's strumming a note 🎵, singing a tune𝅘𝅥𝅲𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅮, writing a lyric🖎, or busting a move💃, music reaches deep inside and touches the parts we think we keep hidden from the world 👀. 

I'm a firm believer that no matter what you're going through, what you're feeling or thinking, there is a piece of music to which you can relate. Good or bad, happy or sad, pick a genre, choose a song, find an artist, or catch a line. 

Motivation for Cleaning House

I love music so much that I listen to everything. Any genre. I throw on a random playlist based on my mood and what I'm doing. Cleaning house? 🧹90s hip-hop makes it a blast. 

And I get to show my swag by hitting all the lyrics to Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and the one and only D-R-E. Or I go with local hits like Memphis legends - Three 6 Mafia (RIP Gangsta Boo), Juicy J, Gucci Mane, Moneybagg Yo, and Young Dolph (RIP)much to the shock of my unprepared kids.

Music Mood for Being on the Road

But when I'm on the road? ✇ Nothing gets me going like putting on my favorite long-term artist - Jelly Roll. I got to see him and Brantley Gilbert in concert recently and it was AMAZING! I cannot wait to go see him again. 

Son of the Dirty South - Jelly Roll and Brantley Gilbert

If you've only just started listening to Jelly, you may think he's a country artist. After all, he's got some amazing hits playing on country radio! Props to my man. It's been decades in the making. 

Like his brother from another mother says, "I'm hot but the radio won't play my damn songs." Preach Lil Wyte! The radio world may not see you but us real fans have always had your back! "You'll always be tearing up the stage with some of the very best."

 But, despite Jelly Roll's appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage 👏👏he got his start as a badass mf'ing rapper. Proud of being white trash and all of the mistakes he's made, Jelly's songs have always kept it real and hit home like no one else can do. 

Finding an Artist That Speaks to You is like Finding a Best Friend

My personal mantra and a song that the entire house knows every lyric to - including all four of the kids (even the 9 y/o who loves Jelly more than me) - is Jelly's song "Save Me". But the littlest's absolute favorite song is Creature. 

She can flow with it better than me! It makes this TN momma's heart proud to pass along a good taste of music and a pride in the successes of hometown legends. 

Promoting Artists Helps Them Get More Fans

If you're looking for a new country album that you won't hear played on a pop station with Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, this album is right for you. Check out Self Medicated now.

 

Need to feel a bit more in touch with your savage trashy side? I got ya, freak. You can't go better than checking out Jelly and Lil Wyte's album - No Filter (and No Filter 2). 

No Filter - Jelly Roll and Lil Wyte

 

While you're checking out duets, be sure to give a listen to Struggle Jennings. Jelly mentions him in several songs and his sexy deep drawl and OMG arms will make you a quick fan. "Fall in the fall" is FANTASTIC! 

 

Do you listen to any of the artists I've mentioned? HMU with your favorite lyric! Drop a story of what makes you a fan. Introduce me to someone or something new. And be sure to send a shout out to these amazing artists if you give them a listen. It's fans like us that help them get the recognition and success they deserve! 

Jelly Roll Facebook

Lil Wyte Facebook

Struggle Jennings Facebook

Me and the hubs enjoying Jelly Roll LIVE with Brantley Gilbert

 

Local Artists Feature

Getting your name out there is one of the most important, and hardest, things an artist has to do. If you're self-promoting, it's even harder because there's so much. Website. Social media. Blog. Concert schedule. Fan response. Updates. It goes on and on.

Since I know what it's like to self promote, I'm always helping promote others in my own way, even when they'll never even know because they have so many loyal fans out there. But if I can bring even one new fan their way, then I have succeeded. I believe music should be shared. It should be appreciated. That's what this blog is all about. Sharing music.

Memphis Bridge, spanning the Mighty Mississippi River
#photooftheday

I was listening to my Spotify playlist today when a song came on that gave me the inspiration for this post. Lil Wyte said it best when he said, "I can't even count how many legends my city's made ..." It got me to thinking, just how many artists do I know that is from my area? For those of you who don't know, my area is about 30 miles north of the city of Blues, Memphis. Guess you might be able to see why I'm such a music lover, huh? I grew up going to concerts on Beale Street. So let's see who hails from here, shall we?

Beale Street, Memphis, TN

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake (Image: GQ)

Who doesn't know this household name? This famous singer came from the same podunk area I'm located and it's not hard to find someone who remembers growing up with Justin, pre-Nsync (for you younger generations, this was a boy band he belonged to in the '90s to early 2000s).

He's certainly come a long way from appearing alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and is now one of the most known singers in the world. This just goes to show that you don't have to be from a big city to make it in showbiz.

Three 6 Mafia

Nothing brings back the nostalgia of my youth like Three 6 Mafia. Living in a small town meant we spent Friday and Saturday nights cruising the strip, bumping Two Way Freak or Baby Momma. Yeanknow? Some members of this group have broken out on their own and found success, while others might not be as well known. But you know what they say ... it's hard out here for a pimp. That's right. If you've seen Hustle and Flow, you've heard Three 6 Mafia.

Three 6 Mafia

• DJ Paul

DJ Paul is one of the founding members of Three 6 and one of the only two original members left. He's also the producer of all of their albums. He's tried his hand at a solo career and is one of the more well-known members.

• Juicy J

Juicy J is another founding member of Three 6 and is also still active. He is one of the members that went beyond the group and really found success. My kids love his remix with Katy Perry "Dark Horse". He's also collaborated with well-known artists like Kevin Gates, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, and Lil Wayne, just to name a few. Not bad for someone who started out in one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

• Lord Infamous

Lord Infamous is another one of the co-founders of Three 6 Mafia and was also born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the half brother of DJ Paul. Lord Infamous wasn't able to become as successful as some of the other group members and ended his partnership with Three 6 after getting arrested. Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack in 2013.

• Koopsta Knicca

Koopsta Knicca also isn't very well known. He was with Three 6 Mafia from 1991-2000, when he had to leave the band due to incarceration. He released multiple albums was never able to gain much of a fan base, outside of Memphians and loyal Three 6 fans. He passed away in 2015 after complications with a stroke that left him unresponsive and on life support.

• Crunky Black

Crunky Black joined Three 6 in 1993 and continued to collaborate until 2006. At that time, he dissolved his role in the group, citing a desire to branch out as a solo artist. There were some disputes between him and group members, Juicy J and DJ Paul, which also contributed to the breakup. Since being solo, he hasn't released anything since 2015.

• Gangsta Boo

Gangsta Boo was the only female to ever be an official member of Three 6. She's had a bit of moderate success on her own but she's collaborated with tons of folks. To me, she is the Queen of Hip Hop and helped pave the way for artists like Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj.

Lil Wyte:

Lil Wyte (Image: Lil Wyte)

If you listened to Three 6 back in the day, you've no doubt heard some collabs between them and this rapper. Nowadays, you'll most likely hear him with Jelly Roll. Lil Wyte is at the top of my favorite artists from my area and my kids love him too. He raps about what life is like around here. Some of his songs are about the hardships of life and growing up in Frayser, a very dangerous place, and some are about living it up country style. The song Come Ride was actually filmed right next door to my best friend's house. His line, "80 acres in Tipton County is where I be kicking ..." Yep. That's my area!

Leebo:

Leebo Music (Image: Leebo Music)

Since I've mentioned Tipton County, let me introduce you to a new up and coming hick-hop artist Leebo. He's from the same stomping grounds as me and I've seen him perform a few times at local bars. He keeps the raps real about country living. If you've never experienced backwoods country, give this man a listen and learn how it's done.

Part 2: Coming Soon
These are just a few artists that emerged from the infamous land of Blues. Keep an eye because part two will be coming soon with even more artists.  Do you know a local band or artist that's trying to get their name out there? Comment in the links for your chance to win a free promotional piece featuring them.