South x So Wow ... from SXSW 2012

The saying is “don’t mess with Texas”, but I chose otherwise. It’s March and anyone in the know, know’s that Austin, TX is the place to be. By plane, train or caravan I knew I had to get my tail down to Austin this year for SXSW 2012. And that’s exactly what I did.

Back in January my homie Gramz got the word that he’d have a few stages to rock on for SXSW so he started making plans. I myself however was simply not putting my best foot forward to make the trip happen, being caught up with personal and music related issues. I was letting time slip away, or so I thought.

Funny how time does fly. It was the middle of February when I realized that SXSW was right around the corner and I still hadn’t made a decision on whether or not I was going. By that time at least three of my friends had already booked their flight and hotel and the rest were looking at options. On top of that my friend Beef over at Shameless Management came over and talked about organizing a showcase.  At that very moment, I made the decision to get my ass to Austin.

Soon the showcase materialized and all I could think of was “How the hell am I getting there”? I started calling everyone and anyone that I could to see if I could get a standby ticket. Despite my countless efforts I couldn’t find any leads. In a last minute alley-oop, one of my best friends found a way to help me get a ticket to Houston and then I was on my way.

I left Brooklyn on Monday morning with my brothers DJ Laser & Hood Chef, on our way to SXSW. I separated from them at the airport and hopped on my flight to Houston, TX with connections through Minneapolis. The flight was cool and I arrived in Houston around 2:30 central time.  After arriving in Houston I caught a city bus through H-town to meet some family members who I hadn’t seen in close to 10 years. It was great seeing them all.

The next morning I got up early and caught the 11:40 bus from Houston to Austin, which surprisingly only cost $1 … if you’re one of the first people to purchase your seat. That was awesome. The Greyhound had leather seats, tv’s and outlets. Damn, with a bus as swagged out as that I knew I was no longer in NYC. For the majority of the three hour ride I kicked back and relaxed.

When I got to Austin, I hitched a ride in the back of some guy’s pick-up truck to downtown Austin and the official SXSW adventure began. I had a few hours to waste so I asked one of the locals to point me in the direction of the “black” barbershops. After receiving proper instructions I hailed a cab and made my way to East Austin on 12th St to get a haircut at Marshall’s Barbershop, a reputable spot around these parts. These guys were really kickin it and having good barbershop talk. The truth is, if you want to know what’s good in any city you hit up the barbershop and get filled in. All the homies up there were real cool. We talked sports, music and about Austin as I received a Photoshop fresh haircut. Much love to them dudes.

Later on that evening, DJ Laser & Hood Chef came to scoop me with the lovely Lady Drine of Dallas. From there we made our way to the Hotel to meet up with Gramz and the rest of the fellas. Salute to Gramz & Turk, because they already had a cold case of Tecate on deck. We drank a few and we chilled until it was time to hit the city.

We caught a cab … which was hella expensive to downtown Austin, but it was all good. Finally we there to hang out, feel the vibes and experience SXSW. Austin is a pretty cool place.

I’m sure in the coming days I’ll have more interesting things to tell you. Till later.

BLAX