Heidelberg! Thumbs The Fuck Up!

After the traffic nightmare that was the 8.5 hour drive to Munich, Heidelberg was a welcome 4 hour sprint. We actually made it to the spot early enough to relax some and operate as human beings for a little bit.

I hadn’t had internet access for shit so far, so I abused the fuck out of the ‘20 minutes only’ rule on the hotel lobby’s machine. I caught up on my emails to find that Substantial not only picked up a MySpace Music Feature, but also received an Indie Spotlight feature from iTunes. It’s just wild, cause we’ve tried so hard for years to get some shine from these very same outlets to no avail, but suddenly, as if by a stroke of luck we get both in the span of a couple weeks. I tell ya, this music shit makes no sense sometimes. Still, I’m hella proud of Substantial and I hope all these things add up to a very big payoff for the kid.

“Keep a sunny disposition, breathe out – cause life has a way of stripping the paint off of your dreamhouse.”

After playing label-guy, I headed off on foot into the city of Heidelberg to get some grub and take a few pictures. Visually, this place is pretty fresh. It has a very authentic old-world-meets-art nuevo vibe to it. As a visual artist myself, that shit is right up my alley. The sunset looked like a ring of pink smoke crowning the mountainous backdrop, just completely breath taking. I felt compelled to capture the moment with a verse from Optimist set against the sunset but the blaring ass cars around me killed the audio. Maybe I can salvage it for y’all. We’ll see.

When I say _____, you say ______!”

I had a particularly good show tonight. The monitors were working in my favor for the first time this tour and my voice held the entire length of the set – singing and all. Ever since I started incorporating the heavily sung shit like “Porcelain” or “Pervert”, or even “Easy Now” on occasion, I have a renewed respect for vocalists. I’ve always wondered how the fuck lead singers in rock bands still have a voice after 2 or 3 shows. As an emcee, you do a great deal of shouting and eventually you end up like DMC. Deac, Natti and Kno are feeling it this trip as well. I lent a hand on backup vocals cause Natti’s voicebox was straight up gone due to a cold he’s been nursing. As fans, you should know that these cats definitely rough it out to give you the show you deserve. The murked it as usual.

Here’s CunninLynguists performing “Mexico”. The performance itself is dope, but the audio sounds like it was recorded through a vacuum cleaner…while it was on:

CunninLynguists – “Mexico” (Disturbingly Bad Audio Quality)

So, You Want Some Attention?

Tonedeff spitting “Politics”.

This clip is funny, because I found it once we got back. I totally forgot about it till now. Basically, there was this douchebag DRUNK German kid with a fitted who was ‘attempting’ to be obnoxious during my set. Well, he said some shit in german and somehow I understood it. So, I basically dedicated an acapella of the 2nd verse of “Politics” right to his face. Thankfully, he shut the fuck up immediately. :) Sorry for the shitty video…even though I didn’t shoot it.

Sign My Sweaty Chest? WTF?

On a sidenote, I’ve noticed an alarming trend out here that I’ve never once encountered in the states – dudes wanting us to sign their bare chests. Now, I’m not homophobic, but it’s just fuckin disconcerting when you’re signing autographs on CDs, posters, and tickets to see some drunk ass dude pull his shirt up and flash his nipples at you – in public nonetheless. Maybe this is commonplace in Europe? I just can’t bring myself to sign a grown man’s chest and respect myself in the morning. But I’ll sign some titties all day if need be.

In the meantime, I’ll just rap to vaginas:

Hello, Heidelberg!

We’re riding now to Berlin to a spot that Hilltop Hoods have suggested is the jankiest venue on the planet. FUN!

Hollerate,
Tone.