Just 45 minutes from the nation's capital, Baltimore is a thriving and vibrant city that embraces the hip-hop culture. Beginning on Friday, February 15th, promoter Eddie Kayne is bringing the Friday Night Lights concert series to Charm City's historic Autograph Theatre (9 West 25th Street, Baltimore, Maryland). The concerts will take place every Friday though March 15th.
According to Eddie Kayne, who is also a popular radio/video personality, the idea behind Friday Night Lights is to give the more experienced rappers a chance to perform in a true concert atmosphere.
"The advanced artists are tired of performing in clubs, lounges, cafes, etc. When independent artists have reached a certain level in their careers they no longer feel like open mics and showcases are beneficial. I wanted to offer the artists the opportunity to perform in a concert environment (in front of over 300 people) to prepare them for what they're going to face later in their careers."
Kayne also wants to create a greater bond between Baltimore and DC rappers, and bridge the gap between the two metropolitan areas.
"We're hoping to unify DC with our B-More family and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. It's our time!"
In recent years, it seems the connection between DC and Baltimore artists has not been as close as in the past. The DMV actually began with collaborations between the two cities. DC rapper/promoter Brother Maniac used to do shows with Sonny Brown and Shaka Pitts on a regular basis; and Dre "All Day In The Paint" would frequently book Baltimore rappers like Bossman and Mullyman for his events.
Kayne says a unique aspect of Friday Night Lights (which will be a competition) is that the artists can profit financially from the concerts.
"The artists were responsible for selling 15 tickets at $10 a piece. These concerts are not open mics. We wanted to structure it in a way that we are in a partnership with the artists. We only selected established artists who already have a fan base and are serious about their careers. Artists can make upwards of 75% of the ticket proceeds after the initial ticket sales. The first show (February 15th) is already sold out of performance slots. Audience tickets can be purchased the night of show at the Autograph Theatre box office."
The line-up for Friday's show will be: DBlac, Skates, Tokyo Crow, Uptown Slim, Mr. Windowz, Breed 50 Grand, Solo City, 495 Music Group, Trife Gang, 2 Uncool, Miss Milan, Grown Folks Music, and the house band for the evening is The New Retro Band. DJ Sinbad and DJ Vibez are on the turntables, and Bishop Twan is holding it down all night as the host.
The February 22nd show is almost sold out. If you're an independent artist from the DMV, NC, SC, DEL, PA, NJ, NY, and you have a fan base, email Eddie at: eddiekayneshow@gmail.com.
Catch the Eddie Kayne show (featuring DJ Sinbad) heard in in over 90 countries every Tuesday night at 8:00 pm: http://urbanetv.co/urbane-originals-2/the-eddie-kayne-show/ ; and every Saturday the syndicated Eddie Kayne show (featuring DJ Sinbad) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on WLVS RADIO: listenvision.com/listen_live/index.html
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