Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m., Tubbi of the Nerdy Bird website and Mark Dub of Sole Lab Radio hosted Showcase Sunday: Valentine’s Day Massacre Edition for hip-hop website ThaAntidote.com at The Parlor in Baton Rouge, giving a stage for local music artists to showcase their skills. Antidote DJ DJ Amp Is 2 Da Maxx was on the turntables as the lineup gave the audience their all and then some. Jizzle Da Underdog opened the show, and John Anthony stepped up second with his crowd-energizing performance. Jeremiah Dawson, formerly known as J.D. the Future, performed next, and Reggae Smirk Da Songbird later graced the stage with hype man Gocki Boi in tow. Savvy, who hails from Jackson, Miss., then set the place ablaze with his lyrics and set the mood for Black History Month by touching on the struggles facing the black community, while D-Matic and Black Da Gutta Baby followed up with songs about the daily struggle and side-piece themed “Dr. Good Joog”. The big finale was headliner and heavy hitter Allie Baby who closed it out in a major way with songs expressing everything from owning one’s confidence to having pride in your blackness.
In addition to the performers, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, raffles were held where winners went home with champagne, chocolates, apparel, and more. Local fashion merchants Designer and H.A.W. (Hustlers at Work) were also in attendance selling their apparel, and lasagna and drinks were available for purchase to those looking to satisfy their hunger. The sponsors for this month’s showcase included Mona Rico Boutique, Villelyfe, Jeansis Clothing, Rouge Factory Media, and Imagez Apparel Bar. Next month’s showcase will be held at The Parlor, located at 705 St. Joseph St. in Baton Rouge, on March 18 at 3 p.m. and will be headlined by Alfred Banks of New Orleans. Any artist interested in being featured in the showcase can submit an electronic press kit via email to @ThaAntidote1@gmail.com; for those who do not have an EPK but are interested in performing, there are services available to have one provided.