Wanna Get Leyed?: July 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Artist to Watch - Inaugural Edition - William Giovanni

One of the big points of this blog is to get the word out about good music you might not have heard about.

Enter "Artists to Watch."

Posts with this title will feature artists you may or may not have heard of, and feedback is appreciated!

So for the inaugural entry of "Artists to Watch," it's William Giovanni.

Artist: William Giovanni

Name: Will G Cashaw

Hometown: Johnstown, PA

Current town: Pittsburgh, PA

Music Genre: Hip - Hop

Bio:

In hip hop, bridging the gap from street smarts to book smarts has always been a sort of dangerous move. Until recent years, “street credibility” and education have not often gone hand and hand. But when positive influences in your upbringing consist of family, pastors, and drug dealers – a contradiction may be what the genre needs.

The Johnstown, Pennsylvania native – also known as Will Gee – mixes a slick vocabulary with a renowned style that has gained him fans from all different lifestyles. His most popular song, “Sweet Science,” is a Muhammad Ali themed flurry of lyrics laid to the soulful sounds of a track produced by Brown Bag AllStars producer, The Audible Doctor. The track has been featured on The Audible Doctor’s “The Spread EP”, Kevin Nottingham’s “Please Listen To My DEMOS, Vol. 1”, and most recently William Giovanni’s “The G Tape”.

William Giovanni is currently working with up and coming Pittsburgh artist Mars Jackson, Johnstown artist Biz. He hopes to work with other young artists such as The 58s, Tanya Morgan and The Embassy Music Board in the future.

You can download Will's latest mix tape, 'The G-Tape" HERE for free!

and he can also be found on thepittsburghscene.com

Don't forget to add some feedback for the artist and myself!

Links for William Giovanni:

- Bandcamp

- Dat Piff

- Soundcloud

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Tumblr

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

On The Road Again

Well, as the title indicates, I'm on the road again. Currently sitting in the airport in Ft. Meyers, getting ready to head back to the good old Steel City. While starting this trip, I realized a few things I've either forgot or simply over looked.

Why are there coffee and food shops right before you get into the security checkpoint? Everyone knows that there are tons of shops with the same things after security, and you can enjoy them while sitting at the gate. Well, I was that idiot this morning who bought a cup of coffee, then when checking out of the newsstand, I realized that hmmmm, I was holding an open, unsealed liquid. Enter Homer Simpson-like "D'oh!" with head smack.

Also, why would you not take everything (including your cell phones) out of your pockets when going through security. It's 2011 people! It's not like security hasn't been this way for the past decade or anything. And for those who haven't traveled in that period of time? Plan a trip and expand your world a little. Travel isn't rocket science, just pack your bag/s, make sure you don't bring on your extra-large hair gel in your carry-on, and if you won't need it on the flight, pack it in the bag you're checking.

Just be conscious of other travelers and make sure you have some idea of what you're doing in an airport.

- Mike

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Out With The Old....

Ok, it's been a little bit longer than planned since my last post. What can I say, free time isn't what it used to be! Regardless, I believe it's time for a little catch up:

In the last few months, I moved from Saturday nights to Friday nights at Carson Street Live, and now have moved on to bigger and better. Now, you can find me most Saturday nights at Seviche in Downtown Pittsburgh playing Latin/Global house music. It's a great feel with great food and drinks. If you get a chance to swing through, make sure you say hi and take a picture with me! I'll be putting it up on facebook, twitter, and here on the blog from time to time. This leads me to the next update...

I now have a Facebook Fan Page! Check it out here (DJ Ley Facebook Fan Page), show some love, and become a fan! There is also a permanent link on the right side of the blog now. I truly appreciate the support!

About a week ago, my good buddy Flick from 96.1 KISS FM headed down to the Katy Perry show at Peterson Event Center in Pittsburgh. Now I've been to tons of rock concerts and a few electronic concerts, but never a pop show, so I have no idea what to expect. Well, Katy did not disappoint. DJ Skeet Skeet opened up, getting the crowd amped for the main event, and then Katy came out. I ended up having a great time, a few laughs, and even caught the pop star singing a home town favorite (Black and Yellow?). The seats were great, and so was the show. What came next, I didn't expect.

We ended up heading to an exclusive Meet and Greet with Katy! She was so kind and welcoming to the handful of people who came back, and she gave each of us some one on one time. I give her tons of credit, spending time with us after just finishing a full show! Thank you Katy.