MY FIRST LP - LA FAMILIA - PART I,

MY FIRST LP - LA FAMILIA -PART I


Familia, back in 1998 I started a recording label (FELICITOUS) because no Indie or Major was checking for my music. It sounds like a cliche' now, or like I took a page out of Shawn Carter's biography, but it's true. We initially started on a (3) three record demo which later turned into a REVOLUTION. Who's "We" you may ask? Well I'll go a little deeper if you give me a second.

Come closer

My crew started w/ a couple of guys who all worked together at Apple's Dollars Store in small town Macon, Ga. Eddie "EJ" Johnson III, JP my little brother (literally), and of course myself Don Pitts (Don Ghotti). I was on the management track in the store so these guys naturally reported to me. After a long 8 hr day of lifting boxes, ringing up cheap porcelain salt and pepper shakers, and talking sh*t, we'd pool our funds together and go and record our demo. To back up just a little, by working at the Dollar Store we met all types of people in many types of businesses. Not exactly sure when and how, but we came across this grimy kid named Deshawn. Shawn as we called him lived in the hood and owned a fancy Korg keyboard. I'd go and sit for hours w/ this dude and drink Special Brews and come up original music, we later call tracks.

Back to the future, so that's how we obtained tracks. I owned a 1978 Ford LTD that I'd copped for like $600 dollars cash from this kid I worked with. It was yellow, so I guess everyone thought I was like a taxi. I'd gather everyone up and take them to the studio to record. We were recording out a spot called Down Home Studios owned by this rather shady kid named Jay. He'd double and triple book artist who he'd taken deposits from and that's if he showed up at your booked time. Now that I think about it, this is the same place that Young Jeezy and his people later took over when Jeezy had his little crew of dudes called "Young Gunz". I never met Jeezy or his crew, but it's true what you've heard about them (i.e. big cars, cash, making it rain, etc). We cut "You never said Goodbye ", "Testimonies", & the street anthem "The Labyrinth" out of that studio.

Alright, soooooooooooo....
(3) three record demo complete, where in the hell are the white guys, signing bonuses, fast cars, women, and champagne? Well, we found out the hard way that we had a long ass way to go. By this time we'd switched producers, this African kid named Steve O (Soulchild Productions) outta Marietta. Not exactly sure how I met him, but I received a beat tape from him w/ 10 previously produced joints. I negotiated the price on this one joint that quickly caught our attention. This later became our radio single "Macon it Hot"!
The key word in that last sentence was "negotiated". Now remember at the beginning I told you I was on the management track at the Dollar Store and these guys naturally reported to me right? Well in the music world, the same format applied. I was unknowingly the leader of this revolution.
Go Figure

TO BE CONTINUED....

;)