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Now Say “Bits and Pieces” PART TWO
BNP, though, we was hard headed and stubborn. We wanted things our way. We was at a raw “fuck the business” standpoint. So, we dind’t listen to the industry standard shit. Ant would tell us to read all we needed to know about the music business and all that. We would dabble a little, but we wanted it our way. Ant shaped and molded a lot of cats who don’t give him his credit and he needs something for that.
But he wanted me and Katt to sign management paper. Me and Katt never did come to agreement on it, so it never happened. We walked.
Next, our cousin Vic was managing us. We doin just as many shows as we were with Ant. Ant had us opening for Sugar Hill Gang, Keith Murray and such. Now we were opening for Core Project and Midwest Avengers, which was cool. But I felt like something was wrong. If we do it, we gotta do it, or I’m back doin my thangs. I was workin a 9 to 5, my uncle got out the joint, then I was back in the streets with him. Moved to the South Side, left town to do my thing, Katt was at Vic’s mom’s house at full fledge, making his own songs. Recording ‘em all by himself. I returned, reconnected, did some shows, it’s all gravy--we loved what we did. Bullshit money for shows, nobody wanna pay us in St. Louis. I call it the Jim Crow era of our time, cuz I got tired of doin shows for crumbs. I’d rather work a 9 to 5, or slang, or something.
I was lacking interest, but I loved to create the music. No matter what we always had a pen and a notebook. By now we managed ourselves. To many, they thought it was unprofessional. We’d get phone calls from record companies asking about [us but wanting] to speak to a manager. They didn’t want to talk to us. But it worked for us. We still who we are, hard headed. But we us. Keep it real fuck it.
From 95 to 2000, time flew like Charles Lindbergh. Nelly and the St Lunatics put St. Louis on the map like never before, which went down for history. You gotta give ‘em they props for that. We met up with DJ Crucial about 98. Me and Katt took Homeroom to F5 to collab. It was successful. Friends, family and peers showed hella support. Sales started, woo woo, it’s all good, Crucial produced most the album, which made him executive producer, along with us, because we had creative control. It’s all to the G!
Jia, Katt, DJ K-nine, DJ Crucial; Shows made better money, Got a strong fan base. Brought the album “Hip Hop” to Blueberry Hill with Solo, Fly D-ex, 88.1 The Science. We [were] working on “Poverty’s Cry’ at the same time. And when we writing, we writing real material—our material. our topics, are us. We pick ‘em, along with our beats too, from majority local producers and a few from out of town.
By now our high school partna Keith Stewart managing us. He too gonna learn we’re some hard headed fuckas. Down the line we find out he’s Vanita’s cousin, so we talked about bringin Show Me records back together. Vanita was handling some things. She said she’d think about it, next we was back in the lab. Keith hooked us up with DJ K-nine, a few shows, a studio. Keith did good. But like others, he couldn’t handle us. instead of investing, they all chose to put their money where they wanted to. Their business, their money, no bad feelings. They always our peeps.
They did a lot for our roots as well. Showed us a lot that’s real. Financially, and business-wise. Me and Katt were on our own again, living on West Pine and Newstead in the Central West End. So we were working on Poverty’s Cry with Crucial on F5 records. Finally, we were talking about getting our shit further out the Midwest.
Before traveling, BNP took it upon ourselves to go down south, visiting a friend at Georgia State in ATL. Ran into Big Gipp (Goodie Mobb) with small coaching, then we went to NY with a Lafayette friend Oja (James Vincent) who introduced us to Belief. Belief is the person who made BNP’s dreams come true. We got to record at Electric Ladyland--a song released later on my solo album “Experienced,” called “When the Storm Comes.” Blessings to Belief, Jesse Atkins.
By now we supposed to take it to the industry and tour—this was Jia and Katt’s antichrist. Then we dropped Poverty’s Cry: a true story double disc not on purpose—it just came out like twins. Due to my brother passing in September 2002, the tour never happened. We’d been through it all. All kinds of shit and still here.
F5 took me on a state-to-state tour with my little sister Toyy. She blossoming too. You’ll see her on some other stuff soon, but anyhow. I worked on Experienced. I took some songs BNP was working on in NY together and extra songs BNP was gonna use on the newest BNP album, after a mixtape we released called BNP Extreme. “Experienced” had some of my favorite featured artists such as Capo, X-Luga, Committee, DJ K-nine, producer Stony Rock, and more. On the tour, we promoted the album. Toyy’s out handling her own business, like BNP molded her to do. Be independent first and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. But first you must master self. The reason I consider my whole so-called career as underground is because when our music went outside of StL we took it or sent it no major record deal, all us. Homeroom along with F5 Records.
NOW SAY BITS N PIECES BEEATCH
By Sanchez the Kid as told to Agile 1 |
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Bits n Pieces second full-length album. A two-disc set that marks a definitive leap forward for the two brothers. This album is in limited supply so if you don't have it you better get it now. |
Povertys Cry
(CD 2 Disc)
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1. Boogie Gon Start It Off 
2. Children of the Industry
3. Venting with Vito
4. Legends
5. Haters
6. Darkest Shade of Grey
7. Trashcan Land
8. We Got The Props
9. Why Reject
10. What Prevents Rejection
11. Vibrations
12. Live Your Life
13. Freedom
14. A Life in the Struggle
15. Simple as That
16. Making Decisions
17. Philosophy
18. Off the Leash
19. A World So Cold
20. Progress
21. Poverty's Cry
22. A Cup of Something
23. Beats and Rhymes
24. I-55
25. With No Rubber
26. End of All Things
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A limited edition CDR for Bits n Pieces listeners manufactured by Evilenterprise. This EP has tracks that you've never heard. You need to get this. |
BNP-Xtreme
(CDR EP)
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1. City Slang
2. AT Part One
3. Look Inside
4. It Makes Sense
5. No Drugs
6. Props (Crucial remix)
7. Vacancy
8. New Armed Forces
9. Quick, Grab the Mic
10. Real Life
11. My Brother Told Me
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Crucial remix of this classic track from BNPs debut, 'HIP HOP'. |
Good Things from Hard Times remix
(12" Vinyl Single)
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This 12 inch features both Bits N Pieces urban anthem 'The City Is Us' and Hi-Fidels 'Fire Next Time'. These records are almost gone so if you want one for your collection, don't sleep. |
The City is Us w/ Fire Next Time
(12" Vinyl Single)
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Bits N Pieces first full length album, this disc shows off all of the strengths of this rap duo. |
Hip-Hop
(CD)
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1. Intro
2. Cloud IX
3. The New Breed
4. However, Whenever and Whatever
5. Good Things from Hard Times
6. Chill Music
7. Warriors
8. Just Cause
9. Pimp Like Me
10. City Is Us
11. Urban to Suburbia
12. Children of the Night
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