We're in Virginia Beach right now (in VA beach? At VA Beach?) -- soaking up the WiFi at a coffee house/candy haven on Atlantic Ave. There's a trill version of Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy" playing in the back*, and I just wanted to write a quick bit about our trip thus far.
When I was growing up, the idea of being a rapper on "tour" was so lavish to me. Going city to city in a massive tour bus, performing in front of hundreds of people that hang on your every word, and falling asleep on a bed of money surrounded by a harem of women in a penthouse suite. I think that's what 15-year-old me thought "tour" would be, mainly because I watched a lot of Motley Crue videos growing up.
26-year-old me is now finding out what tour is.
Tour is a lot of driving, a little sleep, a fair amount of shit food, seldom showers, and not much money to go around.
BUT, tour is getting to perform in front of dozens of new faces in cities you've never been to, who just might spread the word about the rappers they saw the night before. It's making the lewdest jokes you can to keep your crew laughing. It's generous people letting you come into their house and crash for the night before you hit the highway again. It's a chance to change people's perception of your hometown when they ask, What's Detroit like?
It's a rite of passage, and it's the first of many. It's beautiful.
I might be able to articulate this experience better once I return to my day job next week, but for now, that's what I've got. Richmond fell through, so there's three shows left before we head home: Brooklyn tomorrow (Spike Hill), Philadelphia Friday (Level Room) and Brooklyn again on Saturday (Fifth Estate).
Okay, time to get drunk on the sun, I suppose.
*It wasn't that trill.
