Tru Issue 25 , Volume 4, 2015 | Page 28

South, or be able to do a certain number of dates that would beneficial to the fans and artists alike. So, those are the plans for 2015; to do maybe a couple Hip Hop Gods tours, like two or three, and have them run like in some kind of flow, a modern day chitlin circuit with better hotels and play hopefully. Tru: Who are some of the artists you are considering taking out on the tour with PE? ChuckD: Well, we also set up an agency. One thing we do in order for us was we had to do a 2013 tour. And we set up an agency, which would be able to accent the management, kinda do quasi management work, and be able to have many artists that were available to just perform but also to do other things. All of this was formed out of those who began to question, like “How do you do it man?” “How do you guys get on the road?” and “How do you stay a group for 25 years and make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”? And “Chuck you have been on the lecture circuit for 22 years, just how do you do that?” So that is how these things started, and we became able to build our own agencies that worked with our agencies too. And situations that used kind of the same things that we would use from bussing, to companies down to venues. And see, if we can actually build up the profile of artists to be able to understand that you may have started your recording career in the 80s but now everybody’s fans are scattered. Everybody is older. There might be accessible income for some fans who followed you as a teenager and are now in their 40s or 50s. You also want to see, are you on Facebook? There, let’s connect that. And do you do Twitter or Instagram or whatever? And they’ll get it through their whatever and once you connect these things, it is like “Wow, okay I know you exist and I see you are coming to town.” And you are over there or over there we may be playing a cruise. So, there is already a maturity that has happened to rap music and hip hop. And how do we structure and organize maturity to make sure it is engaging for artists, and make them feel like they can do what they do forever? Although, it is a different realm of understanding-like what that art is and where it should go and it is going now. That is the meaning of a Hip Hop God and the age and the agency of the Gods who set this up. We think it could be three to four tours this year; we are looking forward to that. Of course, it would be regional with ten to twelve dates and everybody will go on, but these dates and these plans for these tours I will just say it doesn’t stop when the show is over, when that performance is over and done. How do you stay in contact with something that you have admired physically. That is what we want to connect. Tru: What’s your TRUTH Chuck? “The key with rap and hip hop music is that you have to leave with something better than when you started, and hip hop was always able to do that. How I came in, I know I left better than I came in, which means it was really exciting on the stage. _____________________________ _____________________________ ____________________ If you have never heard this band before, you are missing out. Their songs speak out not only to one generation, but to all ages. Anyone young or old can enjoy them and get something out it and find meaning in the lyrics and the message behind them. The tentative date for the release of this wonderful 5 DVD set is February 2015. Go out and buy it! It will be worth every penny. Photo courtesy of: citypages.com & DavidWong