This is the first time I’ve blogged anything in a long ass time. The 9-to-5 life had me all but discard of this domain name, but alas, we’re still alive! I came back here to announce that we’re proud to present our next show, featuring DC’s own Fat Trel. Check the flyer out above! Crazy, right!?

I blogged about Trel pretty in-depth a little over a year ago (check that here). While bigger names Wale and Tabi Bonney have worked diligently to put DC hip-hop on the map, Trel has been too, just a little differently. Trel’s been in the trenches (read: the studio), perfecting his craft and killing open mics and murdering shows across the country when time permits. Sure, the noise hasn’t been as loud (although it did garner some attention from Cash Money CEO Bryan “Baby” Williams aka Birdman, some big magazines, and a bunch of labels), but you’re about to hear it.

You may have caught Trel at DC’s Vitamin Water Uncapped show alongside Rye Rye, Wale and X.O. earlier this year (I was in there. It was wild!). If you missed it, here’s some footage:

He’s only 20, but his talent as a musician is unparalleled by most. I wouldn’t have said that before yesterday, when the DC to BC team hit the practice site for Krank Factory, the electrifying band that will be backing Trel on stage. He told us it was his first real time rocking with a band that wasn’t a go-go band, but watching him work, you would think he’s a vet. Adding his input for when the guitar should solo on a track, communicating with the lead keyboardists to figure out how to recreate the synth sounds for the live performance. He was doing all that. They jammed out for like 6 hours straight and didn’t even seem tired. That’s an artist if I ever seen one.

I don’t need to sell you on anything else except his actual music, which is what the compilation that we’ve put together will do. It’s called The Set List, and it’s (give or take a few surprises!) the exact same set list that all 500 fans will experience on Sunday evening. We curated it and finalized it with Trel before we gave it to you guys. We hope to gain Trel some new supporters through this mix; you can download this today and know all the words by Sunday. Lol. But really though, we think this could be a cool new way of experiencing music as a new fan. The old fans already know what’s up, but it’s worth a download because it features a lot of his crazy thumpers on one compilation. The best part for both old and new? It’ll sound completely different (but equally as awesome) with a live band.

The entire point of this blog post was to give you guys an exclusive. So here it is, “Nightmare”, the introduction to his heavily anticipated mixtape Nightmare on E Street, dropping at the top of 2012. Enjoy.

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DOWNLOAD: Fat Trel – Nightmare [DC to BC EXCLUSIVE! PLEASE TURN THOSE SPEAKERS UP!]

DOWNLOAD: Fat Trel’s Nightmare Before Christmas – The Set List [Mix Compilation]

I’ll have the streaming version of The Set List shortly for those who can’t download. Gimme like 30 minutes. I gotta find some food. For those in DC, see you guys on Sunday (grab tickets here!). For those who aren’t there, we’ll definitely document that joint for you!

Welcome to the third edition of Singles Awareness Day. This year’s S.A.D. will be celebrated a couple days early, allowing you to ride into the weekend with 31 songs that say all the things that you’ve been thinking about love, lust, or anything in between. Most of these tracks you’ve never heard, and if you have, you won’t mind, because they just work so well on this compilation. Don’t think this just some sappy ass depressing music, either. Singles Awareness Day isn’t a day of mourning; it’s simply a time where you’re made aware of the single life, whether or not you’re living it. If you’re boo’d up, you can reflect on the lives of your friends who aren’t, or you can wonder what it’d be like if you didn’t have shortypop by your side this V-Day. If you aren’t, then you can play this and reminisce, living vicariously through the music.

If this is your first S.A.D. mix compilation you’re downloading, I should let you know that I do things a little differently: no tracklisting. Just get it, throw it in your iTunes, vehicle, iPod, and jam it. It’ll probably stay in rotation for a long while, so just be prepared to have some new favorite songs. As always, I dedicate this to all the maneaters, heartbreakers, and hopeless romantics out there. Click the artwork or the link below to download.

DOWNLOAD: Singles Awareness Day 3 [S.A.D. #3: The Mix Compilation]

Oh, and if you’re in DC, we’re doing it EXTRA BIG. Rock Creek Social Club has decided to throw a party around the concept, and that’ll be on the 15th. Sure, you may hear some of these tracks, but Jerome and Harry Hotter have their own playlists that’ll make partying on the day after Valentine’s Day super fun.

Thanks for your support. Any feedback, send my way in the comment section. If you’d rather e-mail, hit me: modi[at]DCtoBC.com. Thanks for all the artists who allowed me to throw their music on this. Everybody who submitted music and didn’t make the final mix, I apologize. It was a tough decision, but I think these 31 joints will satisfy everybody. Huge s/o to Odd Future‘s Matt for the album art.

Okay, I’m talking like we’ve had previous surveys; we haven’t. But alas, 2011 is a new year, and I’m trying to go HAM. I’m trying to take the brand to another level, and this 15 minute survey will help with that. I know, I know…you hate surveys. So do I. But Survey Samuel, the lovely gopher you see above, helped me make it, and it’s actually straightforward and pretty fun. You’ll probably enjoy it!

Check it out here, and spread the word to any DC to BC supporters that you know. Much appreciated!

My god-sister Amaka, my man Curtis and I have spent a while writing these 196 addresses on these envelopes for to DC to BC supporters. I tweeted about it, and you guys came out of nowhere with the requests. I think that’s incredible. As usual, thank you guys for rocking with the movement. I don’t even blog anymore on a regular basis, yet people still check the site consistently. Awesome.

Got more stickers on deck. I’ve given over $1,000 for free, so this time, I’m just going for $5 for a pack of 5. To mail out all those stickers was a pretty penny! I figure I’d at least recoup the cost of making these bad boys and sending them out in the mail.

Like the first time, send me an e-mail with your mailing address, and I’ll send you a PayPal thingy so you can purchase your batch of stickers. modi[at]DCtoBC.com (that’s my e-mail addy. I just use [at] instead of @ because that’s how you get spam!). Keep it simple, and just write a sentence or two about why you want a sticker. I’m just curious, and it’s always cool to hear how you came to learn about DC to BC.

I would say scoop some at Stussy and Commonwealth, but Omar told me they’re all gone. I f*cking love you guys. And thanks for not worrying about the $5! It’s just $5, and is just for those fans that have supported me! Whether it’s been since ’08 or you just got hip last week, I appreciate it wholeheartedly.

It’s here. Dedicated to all maneaters, heartbreakers, and hopeless romantics – you know who you are. Proceed to download. It’s an epic one, I think.

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thanks for all congratulations. this is how i celebrated. you should probably watch it all. special shout out to internet goon for the footage.

i bought a new macbook. updates coming very freaking soon. parisian power move in a couple hours (that’s paris. just so you know.) but i will find wireless and abuse it during downtime.

UPDATE: the reason i’m reposting this is because i need all the winners to please e-mail me again. my e-mail joint on this mac crashed and i have no addresses for you all! also, i have limited sizes, so make sure you let me know what size you want. there’s only one medium. yikes. hit me at the e-mail address listed on this site. great work. thanks again.

the contest ended last friday. and we didn’t have too many submissions. well, we had people try and take pictures of stuff, or throw us old videos of them doing something strange or slightly wale related, but that didn’t cut it! i wish i got some more exposure for this contest, but thanks to HHU and Slab-Up for helping me spread the word.

anyway, after the drop, you’ll find the rest of the videos that were chillin’ tee worthy in my book. but i have to highlight my man alex from boston‘s clip. he went hard. just watch if you don’t believe me.

talk about a die-hard fan. you should be speechless like i am. good grief. that’s how you earn a tee! like i said, check the rest after the drop.
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what better way to start off march than with a new DC to BC mixtape?!

this mix is catered especially to the hard-working, struggling college student who comes home for spring break and doesn’t have a crucial, bass-heavy mix for joyriding in the whip on deck just yet. don’t worry, i got you.

but don’t think that if you aren’t in that position, you won’t enjoy this. that’s merely the vision that i had when making it. aka, my roommate kept bothering me for jams for his car. so it’s somewhat of a true story. i only added joints that’ll make your car thump, so if you aren’t ready for that, then i suggest you go for something a little softer. ha.

don’t expect too many artists from the northeast on these joints, either. trunk volume vol. 1 is strongly inspired by the bouncy beats of the south. that’s how i’m going on this one, folks. with that said, please enjoy. click the artwork above (designed by g5 clive) or the link below to start jamming. i’ll give you a taste of what to expect, too.

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DOWNLOAD: DC to BC Presents…Trunk Volume, Vol. 1

continue reading for the tracklisting.

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when you think of VA in the music industry, there are some serious heavy hitters.  timbo, missy, pharrell (modi’s idol), and of course my main man chad hugo, just to name a few.  all of these big time producers have their own sound.  today, i’m going to introduce you DC to BC junkies to a new sound coming out of the VA beach area along with the help of, the under sound (music group). the bodymore (baltimore) based record label is proud to present eddie, who is creating his own lane in the music world.  he is a product of a diverse musical backdround ranging from salsa to rock.  eddie just finished producing his album “sound wandering.” i’m here to bless you with a few joints from the lp. and if you want more info on the boy eddie, click the pic and it’ll take you deep into the world of under sound.

snatch these joints below and jam them. listen close.

One Man Band.mp3

DOWNLOAD: Eddie – One Man Band
09 Let Go.mp3

DOWNLOAD: Eddie – Let Go

just to help you get to know the boy eddie a little better, here’s his interview from the funkadelic freestyle show on george washington university radio.

yep. that’s right. we got music for the masses, and they’re coming in the form of weekly DC to BC mixtapes, dropping on wednesdays. well, really just compilation tapes, because there is no DJ. we just craft them for whatever mood we’re feeling, you know? we don’t really care about the number of people that check them out. check out some of our past joints here, and catch the f*ck up if you haven’t already. this isn’t a joke out here, man.