Tell me about “The Crab Season EP” as a concept; I know there’s intention there:
Absolutely! I really wanted to do a project with most of the other artists that I respect in the city that I haven’t had a chance to work with. So in 2021, I started collecting beats & reaching out to folks. The Crab Season theme came to me as I was cracking some claws; we are always called “crabs in a barrel”, but in Baltimore we LOVE crabs! So I just started playing around with that idea.
The duality of the “crabs” theme in Baltimore is spot on; I dig the premise. Elaborate on your feature and production choices for the project:
- All Due Respect (ft. MC Bravado & DJ Harvey Dent) (produced by Lonlier). I met Lonlier on IG & he had this slap in the tuck for a while. I paid him for it & knew off the top I was going to have Harv scratch on it. I had contributed to a fundraiser for Beats Not Bullets a few years before, & the reward for my donation was a 16 bar verse from Bravado. He came in & knocked it mad quick & professional-like. We’ve been clique ever since. That dude is my bro!
- Memory Lane (ft. Jay Royale) (produced by Legion Beats) & Apocalypse Now (ft. Ill Conscious & Jai Ivy) (produced by Legion Beats) These beats were in a pack I purchased a few years earlier, and I was always a fan of Royale & IllCon, so I reached out to both of them & those professional snipers came in & handled business. And shout out to the Queen Jai Ivy who came in at the last second & smashed that hook!
- We Built This City (Extended Clip) (ft. Lonnie Moore) (produced by Anno Domini) Another beat pack purchase, I reached out to Lonnie after I heard his joint “EastSide”, which is a heatrock. The creativity is off the chain with that one & I couldn’t let him get that hook off without getting him back on the bridge!
- No Handouts 2025 (ft. John Wells) (produced by Anno Domini) This was the only unplanned record & I’m so glad it did. Wells was talking slick on Twitter, saying that nobody in the city wanted to rap with him. So you already know what happened: I was in his dm with the bread & the beat, ready to go (no pun intended). He laced his verse first, & I built the record around that. And that joint is a SLAPPER!
- LegendTalk (ft. Mike Mac, Ogun, Shaka Pitts & JS-1 Tha Supplier) (produced by Young Bangas & Sahm V. Wilson) The 2nd verse is one of my all-time favorites!! I always respected these gentlemen, & I felt that you have to give the OG’s their flowers while they can appreciate them, shout out to Drink Champs.
That lineup definitely consists of some of my favorites in Baltimore, and you know I appreciate the kind words. That joint came out dope!
Some of our favorites in the city notwithstanding, in your estimation, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Baltimore Hip Hop scene?
The strengths are the diversity & the creativity. You can find Drill, Trap, Club, Boom-Bap, & everything in-between. The weakness is the petty jealousies that keep us from fully uniting & having a united push against the industry.
I’ve definitely seen some of that, and for a small city without a ton of capital being injected into music industry infrastructure, really working together is all we got.
How does the Baltimore scene compare to those of Pittsburgh and Boston?
They are very similar actually: overloaded with under-appreciated talent. But the cream rises to the top & this game isn’t for the weak, so there are local legends who have been putting it down for years that I love & respect.
You have a keen interest in film which permeates through your writing/records. Explain the genesis of that as well as any of your goals pertaining to film:
I’m a writer at my core, so I enjoy the written word in all forms: Rap, Novels, Screenplays, Poetry, etc. I just appreciate a well-written & well-acted scene. I went to an elite private high school in Boston called Milton Academy (nice list of alumni FYI), and that definitely helped foster my love of the arts in general, & film in particular. But I know Juice, Mo’ Betta Blues & American Gangster by heart, & my wife & I’s favorite movie to watch together is Money Talks. So I like the “high” art, but I love my people & our expression even more.
There’s always a stray shot in my interviews, so I know you’re of the belief that the Celtics are the greatest NBA franchise of all-time. Explain your rationale:
Ok, one more time: In ‘86, we lose Len Bias. In ‘93, we lose Reggie Lewis. (Crazy MD/Baltimore-to-Boston connections!) The only other franchise who’s had ANYTHING similar is Minnesota, & respectfully, we’re not them. We STILL have more championships than any fake MIN/LA team (if they’re not fake chips, ask yourself how is this OKC’s first championship if Seattle already won in the 70’s??). There are levels to this, and the Boston Celtics are at the top. Watch the Celtics City documentary on Max. The most racially progressive franchise in the history of the league. The first drafted African-American player. The first all-Black starting 5. The real GOAT, Bill Russell. Don’t get me started. Shout out to Dart Adams, Christian Arcand & John Karalis – my C’s Nation bretheren!
Dart is brilliant and definitely seems like a cool guy from what I’ve seen. I’m also a Bill Simmons stan, so “Celtics City” is really right there with “The Last Dance” as my favorite sports doc ever. I have to go with Mike as GOAT because of how elite he was on both ends and in the clutch while always being the best player on his championship teams, but I can understand and appreciate the argument for Russell. When you take into account everything he fought for culturally and just who he was as a man, you’re undeniably looking at a true 1 of 1. Shoutout Red too for standing on business and punching that racist Hawks owner right in the kisser, during the NBA Finals. I’m not a Celtics fan but them being the greatest NBA franchise ever is pretty much a given to me.
I know we can talk about basketball all day (and we have something loading for that…), but what are your rollout plans for “The Crab Season EP”?
We’re rolling. Videos, shows, & social media scoops – you know the vibes.
What’s next for you?
Gotta subscribe at BEvereadyRap.com to find out!
I like it. You can meet a lot of your tribe on social media but gotta have avenues to build it elsewhere. Anything else you want the people to know?
Holla at me on Twitter (@BEveready) or IG (@B.eveready) – God bless!
Listen to “The Crab Season EP”
