How do you impress one half of the brains behind the Cash Money label and creator of its infamous signature sound.....? Well, it helps if you already have a solid buzz of your own due to twelve years of grinding and perfecting your craft and almost a hundred completed songs. That is exactly what 24-year-old New Orleans native and next-on-deck MC, The Show, brought to the table upon being introduced to Mannie Fresh by Fresh’s long-time manager, DJ Wop. Soon after, the two laid down a song down together and Fresh promptly signed The Show to his Chubby Boy Productions imprint label.
Born and raised in New Orleans East, The Show, whose real name is Donald Allen, first grabbed New Orleans’ attention in 2004 with the song, Put It Down. The young rapper went on to attack the Southern street music scene with the classic street tapes I Do This, FEMA, 80’s Baby and Victory Lap. Word of his talent quickly spread and his ability to be an all around entertainer earned him the moniker The Show and enabled him to perform across the Southern U.S. opening for staples like Lil Wayne, BG and David Banner and picking up his own fans along the way.
The Show’s sojourn into rap music started back in 1995 when the death of his father inspired him to write a rap poem, which he read to his mother. The love that poem received kept the young man writing and the rest just came naturally; as it does when you are destined to shine. Dubbed as a ‘lyrical’ artist, not something oft heard when New Orleans’ roster of emcees is discussed, The Show veered from his usual style for the making of the first single, I Does ft. Mannie Fresh, from his upcoming debut, No Business Like Show Business, at the behest of in-house Chubby Boy producer, Bass Heavy.
“I was drunk in the studio one night, recording with Bass Heavy, when he said “Show, sometimes you have to have fun and I have the perfect song for you.” The Show explains. “Sometimes (Bass Heavy went on), you can just keep it simple and still have a good record. We all know you can rap, but can you party?” “So, after about two hours of trying to write the simplest lyrics possible, I Does was born and I actually love the record. Shout out to my big Bro, Bass Heavy.”
An association with an industry heavyweight like Mannie Fresh will open a lot of doors but those looking for a heavy roster of features on No Business Like Show Business may be surprised to know that The Show plans to rely on the merit of his own rhyming skills for his debut album’s success.
“A lot of today’s new artists try to create singles with already established artists to solidify themselves. Those songs, in turn, sound like the established artist’s song instead. First time out the gate we are sticking with the in-house ‘Cash Money formula’ but I do have some artists in mind for the second album.”
Production duties will also be kept close to home on The Show’s album debut. Along with Bass Heavy, and of course Mannie Fresh, The Show already had a few albums worth of solid material when he signed with Chubby Boy.
“One of the things that Mannie admired about me is that when I became a part of the Chubby Boy/EGMG imprint I was already fully prepared. I had been working closely with three producers, Ceaux Young of Flight School/EGMG, Zella of FlightSchool and Stevie Drumma of Premier Hits. Together we already had almost a hundred songs.”
From Jazz to Zydeco, from Blues to Hip Hop, the city of New Orleans has a long and varied musical legacy for The Show to live up to and he is ready. When asked what he brings to the game that is fresh, or hasn’t been done before, he answers quickly.
“There isn’t much beyond the conscious, revolutionary, gangsta, stuntin’ or every day struggles that hip hop has to offer.” He explains. “Yet, if you twist things a certain way, you can broaden those subjects so far that you can turn it into a fifteen-year career like LL Cool J, Jay-Z or Nas. Since Hip Hop is a predominantly black art form, every rap artist has a similar story; growing up with no father, mom was a single parent so you learn from the streets, but when I put my twist to it, I create a variation of that story and make it my own.”
Indeed, there IS no business like SHOW business and this show WILL go on. Album due in stores Fall 2009!
Victory Lap Reloaded hosted by Mannie Fresh currently available on iTunes. Download link for sample track below.
http://www.myspace.com/theshowno
http://www.twitter.com/egmgshow
DOWNLOAD LINKS:
The Show ft. Mannie Fresh "I Does" Radio- http://www.sendspace.com/file/sbhocc
The Show ft. Mannie Fresh "I Does" Explicit - http://www.sendspace.com/file/6l33e1
The Show Ft. Russell Lee "Can I Live (Let Me Breathe)" from "Victory Lap Reloaded" - http://www.sendspace.com/file/yjmbsp
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