Paul Mussan and Stelo X rolled into Atlanta's Freight Room for the afterparty of BET's First-Annual Hip-Hop Awards. There, someone told the Kansas City rapper and his manager that they'd need to buy $5 tickets to use for drinks at the bar.
Mussan wasn't having it.
It was November 2006, and damn near every star in hip-hop's firmament was descending on the Freight Room, a gala event space reserved for the night's festivities. It was also Nelly's birthday, and the St. Louis rapper was set to perform live, along with Rick Ross and Jermaine Dupri. Snoop Dogg was there. Eve was there.
Mussan scanned the scene: 6-foot dudes stirring drinks in tiny plastic cups. He reached under his paisley designer hoodie, deep into the pockets of his jeans, pulled out five $100 bills and stuffed them in the palm of a passing event staffer. "I want bottles," he said.
There were no tables set up in the ballroom, but minutes later, the waiters brought one. They set out bottles of Grey Goose and champagne. A bucket of ice. A case of orange juice. A couple of candles.
All eyes turned to Mussan.
"Motherfuckers were looking, like, Who the fuck is that?" Mussan recalls. "I'm looking at the rappers and shit, they got plastic cups in their hands. We're walking around with big-ass Grey Goose bottles."
As the night progressed, Mussan kept a bottle of vodka at his side and filled strangers' cups. He took a picture with Snoop Dogg. Someone passed around Ecstasy, and people popped the pills like Altoids.
It felt like the peak of Mussan's year, but 2006 was about to get even better. Radio stations around the country were starting to play his single, "59Fifty." Kansas City's top-rated radio station, KPRS 103.3, played it from December 2006 through February 2007. "People said he reminded them of 50 [Cent]," says the station's program director, Myron Fears.
Mussan had the essential trinity for making it in the music industry: talent, connections and, thanks to a wealthy investor, money.
But it was starting to go to his head.
Mussan should have been Kansas City's Nelly.
In 1999, a record exec's map of America would have looked like this: pushpins up and down the coast of California. Pushpins in New York, in Atlanta, in Chicago. A pin in Houston. A pin in Miami.
When Nelly dropped his No. 1 hit album Country Grammar in June 2000, the Midwest finally got its pin. On his way to fame, Nelly hauled his hometown with him, name-checking the Lou in effervescent party songs that looped on Top 40 radio. Nelly's momentum carried the rest of his crew, the St. Lunatics, which released its own album (like Nelly's, on Universal) the next year. Though St. Louis-born Chingy was a protégé of Ludacris, Chingy's career took off after he went on tour with Nelly.
Kansas City's hip-hop scene is still waiting for that kind of star. Many local artists blame KC radio, complaining that the city doesn't have a station committed to pushing hometown music on regular rotation. (Charlie Chan, a DJ at St. Louis' WHHL 104.1, broke Nelly by playing his singles in St. Louis clubs, which prompted DJ Kut to play him on New York City's Power 105.1.)
Record execs are looking to break someone from the Midwest, says Terry McGill, CEO and founder of a Texas company called Major Money Entertainment. "That's our goal — to put Kansas City on the map," McGill tells The Pitch by phone from his office near Dallas. "Not just Kansas City but the whole Midwest. Tulsa, Wichita, Kansas City, Omaha — there's about four, five, six artists in those markets who have a shot. The key is just finding 'em."
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Look yall need 2 hop off the homies back aight.Its a struggle tring 2 come up in a town where rap music is looked at as being 2 hard or just local.It is time that we stop hating on each other and rise above what the critics have 2 say about a nigga real talk.Its time 4 a movement KC its time 4 change.Its either go hard or go home.
Look yall need 2 hop off the homies back aight.Its a struggle tring 2 come up in a town where rap music is looked at as being 2 hard or just local.It is time that we stop hating on each other and rise above what the critics have 2 say about a nigga real talk.Its time 4 a movement KC its time 4 change.Its either go hard or go home.
What kind of man blames someone else for their own downfalls? I've been working with a number of "behind the scenes" producers and artist and pissed Away 100k between here and san antonio in one summer, looked back at it like dam, next summer's gonna be off the chain, not i coulda shoulda. besides making music promoting how to mess up your life with drugs won't fly anymore. sounds like your buddy here is an example of the message he was sending out and proof. The article was well written, I hardly ever read about these kids, the writer did a great job. hopefully some of youngsters will learn something from it, anyone that's real knows if the kid paul had common sense everyone WOULD know who is especially me. one T
What kind of man blames someone else for their own downfalls? I've been working with a number of "behind the scenes" producers and artist and pissed Away 100k between here and san antonio in one summer, looked back at it like dam, next summer's gonna be off the chain, not i coulda shoulda. besides making music promoting how to mess up your life with drugs won't fly anymore. sounds like your buddy here is an example of the message he was sending out and proof. The article was well written, I hardly ever read about these kids, the writer did a great job. hopefully some of youngsters will learn something from it, anyone that's real knows if the kid paul had common sense everyone WOULD know who is especially me. one T
one hundred thousand dollers is alot of money to blow through. Damn i wonder how much snoop dog and 50 cent went through i bet like a million in 6 months
one hundred thousand dollers is alot of money to blow through. Damn i wonder how much snoop dog and 50 cent went through i bet like a million in 6 months
one hundred thousand dollers is alot of money to blow through. Damn i wonder how much snoop dog and 50 cent went through i bet like a million in 6 months
one hundred thousand dollers is alot of money to blow through. Damn i wonder how much snoop dog and 50 cent went through i bet like a million in 6 months
Regardless if the story is glamourized or not, the fact is that this artist had a chance to work with Terry McGill. I know that for a fact. I've worked with Terry McGill. Not too many KC artists have a chance to work with professional, battle tested, music industry veterans. McGill has the experience to approach radio, set up tour dates, create artist imaging and promotions. Most cats work with their cousins or homies from the block. Paul Musson's fall is due to lack of vision, thirsty for the show and lights instead of being a student to the music business. This story is symbolizes the myopic view, undisciplined lifestyle and lack of knowledge and passion for the music industry by alot of artists. Deep inside, Paul Musson should be blaming and questioning himself not his former manager for "blowing an opportunity"! Show business is "90 percent business" and "10 percent show". If you don't understand the business, you'll never benefit or prosper from the show!
Regardless if the story is glamourized or not, the fact is that this artist had a chance to work with Terry McGill. I know that for a fact. I've worked with Terry McGill. Not too many KC artists have a chance to work with professional, battle tested, music industry veterans. McGill has the experience to approach radio, set up tour dates, create artist imaging and promotions. Most cats work with their cousins or homies from the block. Paul Musson's fall is due to lack of vision, thirsty for the show and lights instead of being a student to the music business. This story is symbolizes the myopic view, undisciplined lifestyle and lack of knowledge and passion for the music industry by alot of artists. Deep inside, Paul Musson should be blaming and questioning himself not his former manager for "blowing an opportunity"! Show business is "90 percent business" and "10 percent show". If you don't understand the business, you'll never benefit or prosper from the show!
Call me crazy, but a "dis track" about an article in the Pitch ain't quite approaching Nas vs. Jay-Z.
Just sayin'.
Call me crazy, but a "dis track" about an article in the Pitch ain't quite approaching Nas vs. Jay-Z. Just sayin'.
I really bothers me that someone would go through the trouble of telling a one-sided story without getting ALL of the facts. Myself and everyone who knows Paul knows that only 5% of this article is true. This just goes to show that you can only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.
For the record, Paul was homelss and had to sleep at the MidRange which was owned by Stelo-X and Eric Surratt. Also, if Milk and Paul have no trust issues, why was Stelo paid BEFORE Paul. And for those who know the history, if they tied at the battle, why did Stelo advance to the next round to battle another KC up and comming artist Shadow.
Another point that sounds strang is the fact that Paul seems to think that it is the Managers job to pay for features with other artists. I know if I had a change to make a track with Scarface (a Hip-Hop icon), there is nothing that would stop me.
Throughout this entire one-sided article, Paul seems to be a little "full of himself" as he was throughout the entire process. Which is why he has two groupies pregnant at the same time.
I have head through the "grapevine" that Stelo-X is currently recording an answer to this article like (NAS) Ether did to Jay-Z.
I really bothers me that someone would go through the trouble of telling a one-sided story without getting ALL of the facts. Myself and everyone who knows Paul knows that only 5% of this article is true. This just goes to show that you can only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. For the record, Paul was homelss and had to sleep at the MidRange which was owned by Stelo-X and Eric Surratt. Also, if Milk and Paul have no trust issues, why was Stelo paid BEFORE Paul. And for those who know the history, if they tied at the battle, why did Stelo advance to the next round to battle another KC up and comming artist Shadow. Another point that sounds strang is the fact that Paul seems to think that it is the Managers job to pay for features with other artists. I know if I had a change to make a track with Scarface (a Hip-Hop icon), there is nothing that would stop me. Throughout this entire one-sided article, Paul seems to be a little "full of himself" as he was throughout the entire process. Which is why he has two groupies pregnant at the same time. I have head through the "grapevine" that Stelo-X is currently recording an answer to this article like (NAS) Ether did to Jay-Z.
If it was for Steelo-X and MM, where would Paul be? Maybe your should have asked yourself this question befor you wrote this artical. What cha know bout dat!!
And she has done it again! another really good article on one of Missouri's hottest rappers. This editor is really doing an excellent job on getting all the facts and getting some really good photos of the artists and the up and downs of the music business, and once again her article is very informational! I cant wait to read her next article.
If it was for Steelo-X and MM, where would Paul be? Maybe your should have asked yourself this question befor you wrote this artical. What cha know bout dat!!
And she has done it again! another really good article on one of Missouri's hottest rappers. This editor is really doing an excellent job on getting all the facts and getting some really good photos of the artists and the up and downs of the music business, and once again her article is very informational! I cant wait to read her next article.
WOW.....you have 25 paragraphs of negative things to say about them and the last two sentences are the only positive ones. And who is your editor? misspelled words everywhere. And by the way its an H2 not an H3. The music industry is tough and I think that paul and milk are doing a phenomenal job; so keep the tracks dropping.
WOW.....you have 25 paragraphs of negative things to say about them and the last two sentences are the only positive ones. And who is your editor? misspelled words everywhere. And by the way its an H2 not an H3. The music industry is tough and I think that paul and milk are doing a phenomenal job; so keep the tracks dropping.
Honestly, who the fuck cares?
You could write this story about any other wannabe rapper and it would play out the exact same way.
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