Baltimore Speaks: MC Bravado, John Wells & Skillz Mega at the Talib Kweli Show

On April 23, Talib Kweli came through Baltimore Soundstage. MC Bravado & The 9 5, Wish Granted, and John Wells held it down before the legend took the stage. printedraps Baltimore correspondent Shango $upreme was on the ground that night and caught up with three artists from the show: MC Bravado, John Wells, and Skillz Mega. Below is what they had to say.

MC Bravado

Shango $upreme: You just performed. Talib Kweli is on stage right now. How does it feel to share the stage with a legend like him?

MC Bravado: "I grew up on Lyricist Lounge, Chappelle Show, that type of stuff. And he was always one of those exemplars of lyricism, and also one of those people who was always honest about how he felt socially, about how he felt about the world. And to me, that epitomizes being an emcee, because you're not supposed to shortcut or cut corners or any of that. I just did South by Southwest with Jay Rawls, who produced his last album. Shouts to Rawls. It's like degrees of separation and Kevin Bacon, so we're here."

Shango $upreme: What does Talib Kweli coming to Baltimore say about the rap movement here?

MC Bravado: "I think we're coming up. The veterans like myself are holding it down. We got a dope next generation here. It just speaks to the fact that we're building, we're moving forward. Sometimes we get skipped over, but we got Earl coming this summer. As far as talent, this is one of the best scenes in the country in my opinion. We just don't have the resources here as many as some other places. But if the talent continues to show out and people come out and realize it's peace, if they see Shango Supreme or Bravado on a flyer, they're gonna want to come out locally and support without the A-lister. That's what it's about."

Talib Kweli recently made noise for calling out Jack Harlow's "rebrand".

Shango $upreme: As an emcee who's been in the game, what's your take on artists who try to tap into a lyrical identity that isn't really theirs?

MC Bravado: "I'm a muralist myself. You got to step back and look across the street to pick up on what I'm doing. When someone tries to plug into a lane because their other angle didn't work, people who actually live in that space can feel it immediately. Go back to the drawing board, admit you were trying to be something that ain't really you, and make better music. That's it."

Bravado also gave a shoutout to his upcoming show with Rufus Roundtree and Jay Funk before heading back in.

John Wells

Shango $upreme: What do you think is the importance of a show like this happening here in Baltimore?

John Wells: "It's cool to see the larger artists come to town for real, because we are generally a city that gets skipped over because we're a smaller market. But these are the best kind of shows to me. An intimate joint where we're right up next to each other."

Shango $upreme: How are you feeling about what you just did out there?

John Wells: "I ain't gonna lie, at the beginning of my set I was a little getting used to it. But normally once I say some shit I get to the next song and we're there. Everybody's saying I killed it so I'm feeling good."

Shango $upreme: What's your take on artists who try to step into a lane without really understanding what it means?

John Wells: "We gotta remember at the end of the day we're guests. You gotta know what's going on out here and not disrespect it. There are certain things you can't just step into without understanding what it means."

Skillz Mega

Shango caught Skillz right as he was coming off stage. He did not even know Skillz was on the bill until the set was already happening. He pulled him anyway.

Shango $upreme: What does Talib Kweli represent to you?

Skillz Mega: "Talib Kweli represents an era where it didn't matter what side of underground you come from. But now I feel like most of the underground is trying to lean towards one direction. We need variety and we need it loud. What he did on a solo tip, what he did with Hi-Tek, what he did with Yasiin Bey, that shit is timeless. He represents the era where it wasn't oversaturated and everybody wasn't trying to sound the same."

Shango $upreme: What does his presence here in Baltimore say about the scene and where we're contributing to hip-hop overall?

Skillz Mega: "This just shows that people fuck with alternative hip-hop, underground hip-hop, whatever you want to call it. We get flooded with the mainstream, but there's still love on the other side too. Everything can coexist. It just shows that people like that real shit."

Interviews conducted by Shango $upreme for printedraps.

Follow: @shangosupreme @mcbravado @skillzharris @lorluck