5:55 Testament of Hova

Kinda like Michael Corleone said in the Godfather, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” The mixtape game has been dead for years. Honestly, in my eyes the hip hop game is almost dead, or at least the artform and lifestyle aspect of it. Sure, there are millions of dollars being made by talentless people and executive puppet masters but what happened to doing things for expression and the culture instead of just the almighty dollar. It’s been far too long that I heard a mixtape or even an album I could play front to back and put me in “my zone” We all know that zone a good mixtape or album can take us. Left lane music. A soundtrack to headbutt a rhino. I’ve been longing for that for a while. Since nobody was making anything to move me I made something to inspire myself and hopefully others as well. I’ve come out of my mixtape retirement to add one final entry to the classic catalog. Hopefully it will ignite a spark somewhere to keep the fires of originality spreading. Enjoy and please spread the word on all social media platforms. There might even be a lesson or two to be learned somewhere in there.

 

Below you will find a free streaming version. You can also get the limited edition collectors item cd and an autographed poster by placing an order in the online store. You can also donate  crypto currency to one of my wallets if you appreciate my efforts.

Bitcoin wallet – 1xM5vCst6PRmnvbe2bRdQAigAGZUy3xAA

Ethereum wallet – 0x3E8ab436BEa36cf1606b9C60fE560fDD543b5Eed

Alive and well for 2018

The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. 2017 was a great year for the kid. Once again it was a year of traveling, learning, growth and expanding my horizons. I’m unapologetically semi-retired from the music “game” and am enjoying the freedom and peace I’m experiencing outside the toxic environment I dwelled in for almost 3 decades. I’ve been doing some screen writing, acting, investing and pursuing other business interests but I will never stop performing at stage shows and concerts. I no longer have a passion for djing nightclubs as my lack of interest in most of the current music is probably the biggest reason. However, I still get excited to go out on stage and perform in the tradition of the legendary djs before me that inspired my career like Jam Master Jay, DJ Premier, etc.

In 2018 I will continue to do my thing on the wheels of steel but will venture further into the uncharted territories I am exploring. Being DJ Rondevu has afforded me many opportunities over the years and I am grateful that so many options are infront of me based on over 20 years of hard work, dedication and good relations. 2018 will be a great year for me and I hope it will be for you as well family. #CarpeDiem

     

R.I.P. NYC

they_live8 “Lets go to the City!” As a youth from Brooklyn that meant something once upon a time. Manhattan or “The City” as people who lived in the outer boroughs would call it was where everything was. Sure there were things going on where we lived but “The City” always had a special mystique to it. Going to 42nd street a.k.a. Forty Deuce or the Deuce or Greenwich Village a.k.a. the Village amongst other hot spots in Manhattan was an event to look forward to. There was an excitement in the air that had to be felt to understand. It was a melting pot of different people, scenes and cultures. You could sense danger but it only added to the experience. You had a feeling that what was going on here was only going on here and at that time it was true. How things have changed.

Recently I was in the Lower East Side to meet a few friends and hang out and while walking the streets I felt like I was in a scene from the movie “They Live”. Gentrification has hit and “The City” I once knew is now dead and gone and replaced with a sterile and hollow shell of what it was. Things can never stay the same forever but the soul and character of this once inspiring city has died. No longer does it have the charm of the greatest city in the world. It now feels like Anytown, USA with franchises and chain stores replacing the mom and pops start ups and independent businesses that were unique to New York. Many of these businesses have been forced out of their places of business to uncertain futures by skyrocketing rents and greedy landlord looking to cash in on the next corporate tenant. The array of characters that once walked the streets have mostly been replaced by zombie like people stareing at their smart phone. I almost had at least 10 collisions with people who were not looking where they walked as they were immersed in what was on their phone while they walked to Starbucks or Chipotle.

I can only say that I am glad that I was able to experience NY for being the cultural center of the world and inspiring city that it was. It definitely changed the course of my thinking and life. Thanks for everything but I have to sadly bid you adieu.

5117335_origthey-live