Happy New Year!

“Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

So, it's been a while... in a way, that's a good thing! Maybe not so much for a blog, but for the overall picture, yes, very much so. The overflow of behind the scenes work creates a mirage of nothingness on the front end. It painstakingly pays off however... new connections made, networking is abundant, and best of all good things to report. But, first! Happy New Year to all. I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year and I hope that your other holidays were fulfilling and relaxing. Best wishes for 2011! I truly believe this year will be a great one. And! What a way to start it off than to have one of our artists for Black Ink chart for radio adds already. The news came down New Year's Eve as Black Ink MMG group Sound Child Crew gains steam in the south. The Little Rock Rap collective has been making a lot of noise over the past two months. Since the release of their highly anticipated eight song EP "Live 4 Once," hit single "Hypnotik" has been tearing up the radio waves from Texas to Black Ink MMG's home base of Virginia. If you haven't checked them out you should def do so HERE.

Also, only a week away! Cheers Elephant highly anticipated second album! Release show at Wold Cafe Live 1/8/2011! Tickets on sale HERE. Should be a fantastic show.

Other shows of importance coming up include Michael McCarry at The Boathouse... street sign below.



And... Case Closed will be playing an acoustic set at Dobbs on South street 1/28/2011. For a full list of events visit WeAreMonsterEnt.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MONSTER ENTERTAINMENT!

Total Lunar Eclipse 21 Dec 2010

Happy Winter



By CBS News
Published: December 21, 2010

A total eclipse of the moon was visible to many parts of the country Tuesday morning. It started about 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time with the Earth passing between the sun and the moon. by 3:15 rays from the sun were blocked. The eclipse ended shortly after 5 a.m. EST.

Viewing was not great in some parts of the country due to cloud cover and heavy fog.

It's interesting to note this eclipse is taking place on the same day of the winter solstice. This is the first time this has happened since 1638.

Can't Stop Watching

Storm Freerun Volume One... shout out to Tim "Livewire" Shieff

Kicking Ass with Kickstarter

Congrats to Cheers or should I say cheers to Cheers? Either way, it's good to see Indies take full control of their destiny, and that's exactly what Cheers Elephant and their manager Andrew Leib did over the past few months.

Cheers Elephant reached out to their fans via Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) in an attempt to raise funds for their upcoming album pressing, release and promotion. In doing so, they were able to raise a little under $5500!! Again, congratulations! This once again proves that good music cannot be denied, and if you get out there and bust your ass there's no limit to what can be accomplished. Oh, and be nice to your fans.

Cheers is currently on tour in the midwest, and it's a total precursor to what's to come for the band in 2011. To start off, the band plans to hold an official release party for their long awaited, highly anticipated second album. The event will be held at World Cafe Live on January 8th, 2011.

Channel Indie

Channel Indie is in full affect. Tons of new and old videos up with more on the way. Stop by and check 'em out. Here's one below.



CHANNEL INDIE

Black Ink MMG Website Launch 11/28/2010

Black Ink Management and Music Group LLC (BIMMG) is a brand-new independent record label based out of Newport News, Virginia, and distributed by Bungalo Records/Universal UMGD. The company was founded by Ron (Ronnie Wayne) Hatchett in 2009 with the goal of exposing great talent in all music genres. Although small, BIMMG shares the same amenities as its larger counterparts, but operates in a more modern nontraditional manner. Black Ink’s staff understands what it’s like to be an artist, and we reinforce that not only in the way we do business, but also in the way we take care of our artists. “The hunger will always be there, along with the same ‘ground up’ approach. We’re not interested in following the same methodologies that are used, not only by the Big Four, but by other so-called ‘indies’ claiming to be different. We will keep our relationships with the consumer strong at all times, and we will remain relevant without losing integrity,” States Ronnie Wayne CEO

Over the next year, BIMMG will fully utilize its digital distribution partnership with Bungalo/Universal by releasing as many “Top” projects as possible, covering multiple genres of music. Over the next several years, the company plans to position itself as a major imprint on the east coast, with a reach that will span worldwide.

Please, take time to visit them on the web at www.BlackInkMMG.com.

CEO/Founder Ron (Ronnie Wayne) Hatchett

President of A&R DJNEWYORKCITYKEN (Urban)

Vice President of A&R Isaac J Gordon “Indie-Monster” (Rock/Alt)

'I think we've found him'

It was a beautiful fall afternoon in northeast Ohio. There was no snow on the ground as expected, and it was about 40 degrees, as Cleveland Browns fans looked upon what is certain to be a bright future for a franchise that has struggled since the late 80s. What a great way to bring in the Holiday Season. Browns nation was definitely dealt a couple of early gifts this year. The gifts; Colt McCoy, Peyton Hillis, Defense. Oh, and Lebron who?



After nearly 20 years I'm starting to believe that the search is finally over. I think we've found him, our quarterback, our leader, our future. "Colt McCoy" He shows poise, maturity and heart. He is cool, calm and in control. He is a winner.

I-M

CLEVELAND- Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy scrambled for a touchdown, and running back Peyton Hillis hammered for a career-high 184 yards and two scores as the Cleveland Browns pounded the New England Patriots 34-14 on Sunday. Two weeks after stunning the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, the Browns (3-5) pulled off another shocker. Well rested after their bye week, they ended New England's five-game winning streak and did it decisively, outplaying one of the NFL's top teams for all 60 minutes.



This wasn't a fluke. The Patriots (6-2) were battered, baffled and beaten badly. It had to be particularly satisfying for Browns coach Eric Mangini, who defeated Bill Belichick, his former friend and mentor. The pair's relationship was damaged years ago, and they ignored each other during pregame warmups. After the game, Mangini shared a brief handshake with Belichick. (NFL.com)

Hometown Sentiment