Here goes yet another visual for our fans,supporters today!! Check out my newest music video titled "Beastmode bars" as I deliver some BeastMode Bars! Shouts out to NVision Films for the dope video work. Support the Movement! #LeagueShit...FULL SONG INCLUDES S DOT OF THE LOEG'z
Monday, December 26, 2011
THE LOEG'Z CYPHER IN ATL DURING THE A3C MUSIC FESTIVAL
Shout out to DGB (DirtyGloveBastard.net) for premiering the most recent LOEGz cypher shot while we were out in ATL for this years A3C music festival. Shot right in front of the festival’s venue Masquerade, it features S.Dot,Tuk-da-Gat, Reggie Coby DoWrong,LiL-J,Sertified of DIE SLO,Lowkey, and Esbe Da 6th St.Bully.(R.I.P) #LeagueShit.
The League of Extraordinary G'z Listed in Sonicbids Top Five of 2011 – Hip Hop
Peep the full article by clicking HERE
“Let’s be straight- these aren’t the hip hop artists who accumulated the most Source awards, got richest off club remixes or sharpened their teeth with “professional networking”. Our motto while compiling this list was simple: when these MCs spit, you best listen.”
: League of Extraordinary G'z (@LOEGz) Put Austin, TX On The Map
League of Extraordinary G’z.
A legendary name for a legendary group. Comprised of C.O.D., Dred Skott and Southbound, three independent rap groups, this team is out to make a name not only for themselves, but the city they rep: Austin, TX. I got familiar with this crew at the A3C Music Festival in Atlanta, GA and was immediately caught off guard (in a good way) by their ability to engage the crowd, have a good time and most importantly…deliver good music. Their hometown serves as the location of the famed South by Southwest Festival every year. This familiar stomping ground has worked in the group’s favor, elevating them to the status they’re at today and beyond. In this Mixxclusive, we had the chance to chat with the self proclaimed ‘reality rapper’ collective about everything from their goals to that infamous lion mascot to losing one of their most cherished members, Esbe Da Bully.
LOEGz reminds me of the Wu Tang Clan. What made the three different groups want to merge into one?
It’s funny that you say that, because we’ve actually been branded as a cross between Goodie Mob and Wu Tang. For almost three years now, all three groups had performed at South by Southwest. We had decided that it would make sense for us to make a mixtape together… As time progressed, it kind of turned into an album. From that album, it became a family.
When most people think of Texas rappers, they automatically think of Houston, TX. Does Austin have a big hip-hop scene or are you the only ones?
We’re not the only ones. In the last year, we’ve seen just about every up and coming main stream rapper from Wiz Khalifa to Currensy to Big KRIT come through. We’ve met all of these people, so it’s definitely a tour spot that up and comers want to come to; not just South By South West, but the University of Texas, too. You name them, they came through. As far as home grown talent, there’s only been a handful that have actually been able to make it pass the city limits and we’re blessed to be in that group of people. It’s small, but it’s growing. There’s a lot of good MC’s, producers and graphic designers in Austin that are trying to get out of that bubble. The talent is there; it’s just looking for its identity. We find ourselves just supporting each other as rappers. I think we believe that the minute someone from Austin gets put on, that’s when everyone starts pouring in because now Austin has an identity…Most sub-major cities deal with the same thing.
Have you had the opportunity to open for any mainstream artists?
We’ve opened for so many different artists. You name it, we opened up for them. Wiz, Slim Thug, Tech Nine, David Banner, Yelawolf and a bunch of others. If there was a show worth being on in Austin, we would be on it.
You’ve traveled all over the country. What is your favorite place to perform?
We really love the west coast. The people have that good, happy vibe. The crowds are usually pretty receptive and the weed is fantastic (laughs).
You spend a lot of time on the road. Is touring the key to being a successful indie artist?
Yes. If you don’t have a song on the radio, nobody knows who the hell you are. If the blogs aren’t posting your music every time it drops, it’s real hard to stay relevant. But staying on the road, touching a room full of people every night.-That’s the best way to spread the music and spread the brand. Definitely for independent artists to stay relevant is to stay on the road.
You have a lion mascot that’s on stage during your shows. It reminds me of Kanye West’s Graduation Bear mascot. How did he become a part of LOEGZ shows?
(Laughs) One day we woke up and watched college football. When you watch football, you see the cheerleader and the mascot. We were watching the mascot and he was just acting buck wild. So we said, ‘You know what would be dope? …If we had a mascot!’ So there you go; now we have a mascot! Stage presence is something you leave your audience with; you gotta leave them with something so they remember what they saw. If there’s anything that’s going to refresh your mind, it’s a mascot on stage that’s acting buck wild. The idea behind the mascot is to leave a lasting impression. The person that wears the suit is actually the 9th member of the league. He’s a youngin’. He’s 17 yrs old. He’s basically our prodigy that’s paying his dues before he gets into the league. It’s always a topic point.
You recently lost a member, Esbe Da Bully . How has it affected you all personally and musically?
It’s brought us together even more so. He was the heart of the league. The one person that you always wanted to be around. He was a character. It’s devastating. It’s hard every day. He was the league. The goal hasn’t changed, but our purpose has. So for anyone that wants to see us succeed; we put everything into this. We have to make sure his legacy lives on. Even though he’s not here, he’s with us in spirit.
What is your ultimate goal as a group?
The ultimate goal is to let people know that number one: there’s talent here in Austin, TX. We want to take care of our families. We look at the league as the future of not just hip hop, but the youth. We’re all able to come together from different backgrounds, different races, different upbringings. Hip-hop brought us all together. It’s the main thing in our life. Because of that, I think it helps members of the group from going to jail or doing other things that might not have been positive. You see a lot of people trying to pit white rappers against black rappers or southern rappers against east coast rappers; young versus old. We kind of encompass all of that. This is a league. This really is a family. The goal is progression and positivity. We’d like the chance to help out other people and put other people on.
What’s next for LOEGZ?
It’s going to be a real busy six months. It’s by virtue of us living in Austin and SXSW being here that our musical year revolves around it. We also have a new project titled #leagueshit . We’re also working on our second album…not quite sure on when it’s coming out yet, but we’re working on it. And we’re made up of 3 different groups, so we each have our own projects coming. There’s gonna be a lot more music coming from the league. We have a video that we’re going to have shot by Motion Family. It’s gonna be super dope. There’s a tour that’s being routed right now before SXSW in the Midwest and the south. The goal for this upcoming year is to stay on the road touring, playing music festivals, jumping on bigger artists’ tours and staying out there as much as we are financially able to. We’re also releasing a mixtape with Swisha House in about another month and a half.
A legendary name for a legendary group. Comprised of C.O.D., Dred Skott and Southbound, three independent rap groups, this team is out to make a name not only for themselves, but the city they rep: Austin, TX. I got familiar with this crew at the A3C Music Festival in Atlanta, GA and was immediately caught off guard (in a good way) by their ability to engage the crowd, have a good time and most importantly…deliver good music. Their hometown serves as the location of the famed South by Southwest Festival every year. This familiar stomping ground has worked in the group’s favor, elevating them to the status they’re at today and beyond. In this Mixxclusive, we had the chance to chat with the self proclaimed ‘reality rapper’ collective about everything from their goals to that infamous lion mascot to losing one of their most cherished members, Esbe Da Bully.
LOEGz reminds me of the Wu Tang Clan. What made the three different groups want to merge into one?
It’s funny that you say that, because we’ve actually been branded as a cross between Goodie Mob and Wu Tang. For almost three years now, all three groups had performed at South by Southwest. We had decided that it would make sense for us to make a mixtape together… As time progressed, it kind of turned into an album. From that album, it became a family.
When most people think of Texas rappers, they automatically think of Houston, TX. Does Austin have a big hip-hop scene or are you the only ones?
We’re not the only ones. In the last year, we’ve seen just about every up and coming main stream rapper from Wiz Khalifa to Currensy to Big KRIT come through. We’ve met all of these people, so it’s definitely a tour spot that up and comers want to come to; not just South By South West, but the University of Texas, too. You name them, they came through. As far as home grown talent, there’s only been a handful that have actually been able to make it pass the city limits and we’re blessed to be in that group of people. It’s small, but it’s growing. There’s a lot of good MC’s, producers and graphic designers in Austin that are trying to get out of that bubble. The talent is there; it’s just looking for its identity. We find ourselves just supporting each other as rappers. I think we believe that the minute someone from Austin gets put on, that’s when everyone starts pouring in because now Austin has an identity…Most sub-major cities deal with the same thing.
Have you had the opportunity to open for any mainstream artists?
We’ve opened for so many different artists. You name it, we opened up for them. Wiz, Slim Thug, Tech Nine, David Banner, Yelawolf and a bunch of others. If there was a show worth being on in Austin, we would be on it.
You’ve traveled all over the country. What is your favorite place to perform?
We really love the west coast. The people have that good, happy vibe. The crowds are usually pretty receptive and the weed is fantastic (laughs).
You spend a lot of time on the road. Is touring the key to being a successful indie artist?
Yes. If you don’t have a song on the radio, nobody knows who the hell you are. If the blogs aren’t posting your music every time it drops, it’s real hard to stay relevant. But staying on the road, touching a room full of people every night.-That’s the best way to spread the music and spread the brand. Definitely for independent artists to stay relevant is to stay on the road.
You have a lion mascot that’s on stage during your shows. It reminds me of Kanye West’s Graduation Bear mascot. How did he become a part of LOEGZ shows?
(Laughs) One day we woke up and watched college football. When you watch football, you see the cheerleader and the mascot. We were watching the mascot and he was just acting buck wild. So we said, ‘You know what would be dope? …If we had a mascot!’ So there you go; now we have a mascot! Stage presence is something you leave your audience with; you gotta leave them with something so they remember what they saw. If there’s anything that’s going to refresh your mind, it’s a mascot on stage that’s acting buck wild. The idea behind the mascot is to leave a lasting impression. The person that wears the suit is actually the 9th member of the league. He’s a youngin’. He’s 17 yrs old. He’s basically our prodigy that’s paying his dues before he gets into the league. It’s always a topic point.
You recently lost a member, Esbe Da Bully . How has it affected you all personally and musically?
It’s brought us together even more so. He was the heart of the league. The one person that you always wanted to be around. He was a character. It’s devastating. It’s hard every day. He was the league. The goal hasn’t changed, but our purpose has. So for anyone that wants to see us succeed; we put everything into this. We have to make sure his legacy lives on. Even though he’s not here, he’s with us in spirit.
What is your ultimate goal as a group?
The ultimate goal is to let people know that number one: there’s talent here in Austin, TX. We want to take care of our families. We look at the league as the future of not just hip hop, but the youth. We’re all able to come together from different backgrounds, different races, different upbringings. Hip-hop brought us all together. It’s the main thing in our life. Because of that, I think it helps members of the group from going to jail or doing other things that might not have been positive. You see a lot of people trying to pit white rappers against black rappers or southern rappers against east coast rappers; young versus old. We kind of encompass all of that. This is a league. This really is a family. The goal is progression and positivity. We’d like the chance to help out other people and put other people on.
What’s next for LOEGZ?
It’s going to be a real busy six months. It’s by virtue of us living in Austin and SXSW being here that our musical year revolves around it. We also have a new project titled #leagueshit . We’re also working on our second album…not quite sure on when it’s coming out yet, but we’re working on it. And we’re made up of 3 different groups, so we each have our own projects coming. There’s gonna be a lot more music coming from the league. We have a video that we’re going to have shot by Motion Family. It’s gonna be super dope. There’s a tour that’s being routed right now before SXSW in the Midwest and the south. The goal for this upcoming year is to stay on the road touring, playing music festivals, jumping on bigger artists’ tours and staying out there as much as we are financially able to. We’re also releasing a mixtape with Swisha House in about another month and a half.
League of Extraordinary G’z: A League of Their Own ON ALLHIPHOP.COM
Comprised of three groups Da C.O.D., Southbound and Dred Skott, this nine member collective describes themselves as one big family. Having performed at AllHipHop’s Best of Texas Showcase amidst Paul Wall & Chamillionaire’s reunion show, “The League” is primed for greater exposure as they are welcomed to AllHipHop.com’s Breeding Ground
AllHipHop: Explain the make up of the group.
Greezo:The League is comprised of 3 separate groups: Da C.O.D. (Greezo , Tuk-da-Gat, Lil J, S.Dot), the twin brothers that make up Southbound (Lowkey, Sandman) and Dred Skott (Reggie Coby, Esbe Da 6th Street Bully) We all came together in April 2009 shortly after SXSW. Prior to that, Dred Skott and Southbound had a relationship and we had done a couple of mixtape joints with Southbound. We were all highly regarded as Austin’s new talent and figured it would be a good look to come together and put out a mixtape. The more we started fucking with each other though, the more we realized that the League was something bigger than just a mixtape and eventually blossomed to what we are today – a big family. This was ever more apparent when we had to deal with the recent and unexpected loss of our brother, Esbe Da 6th Street Bully. Although he is no longer with us, he left each of us with a part of him and is riding with us in spirit. He left a behind a legacy which you’ll see and hear.
AllHipHop: How does SXSW influence your music?
Lowkey: It doesnt. I mean it doesn’t influence our music so much but instead has more of an impact on it. Austin is our hometown and SXSW is literally in our backyard. Real talk, its like down the street from us. But yeah, it gives us the access to network with artists, industry people, and music lovers from around the world. The livest thing about it is that you never know who you’re gonna bump into.
Reggie Coby: SXSW is the shit! Austin is our home and we are like ambassadors to the city. Like Low said you never know who you are going to bump into. Like in ’08, we met a bunch of cats from Norway after they had asked the Bully to use his lighter. After we start chopping it up, come to find out they were rappers and had been given a government grant to come out to SXSW. So we end up kicking it with them and shit and they came back to our studio smoked a couple blunts and we ended up making some music with them. We still keep in touch till this day. Shout out to Lar Vaular, Leo, and the rest of the camp.
Greezo: We’re also fortunate to have Matt Sonzala who does most of the booking at SXSW to be one our biggest supporters. Matt’s a big reason for a lot of the exposure The League has received from SXSW. Our first official showcase in 2010 was actually AllHipHop’s Best of Texas showcase with the Paul Wall & Chamillionaire’s reunion show.
S.Dot: Ohh yea, we gets it in at SXSW.
AllHipHop: Who are you currently working with, and who would you like to work with?
Tuk-da-Gat: Man, we have been blessed with some great opportunities. So far we have gotten a chance to make music with Dead Prez, Devin the Dude, Killa Kyleon, Killer Mike, Jackie Chain, Shane Eli, Question, K-Rino, Bavu Blakes, Big Rube of the Dungeon Family. This has also led to a couple tours we have done this past year. After having Jackie featured on our “2 Much” track he gave us the invite to open up for him on his west coast tour back in May. Later on in August the brothers Dead Prez had us come along with them after working with Dred Skott. Man I love to fuck with Yelawolf, Kendrick, LEP Bogus Boys, and even people that dont even do hip hop all day like Danger Mouse, Fishbone, Damien Marley, and all types of other different artists.
Greezo: We are also are collaborating with Swisha House on a mixtape project that will be released in the near future. So be on the lookout for that.
Reggie Coby: Kendrick Lamar, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Lupe, Erykah, Muhsinah, Ghostface, Bun, Mystikal
Lil J: Jon Connor, Rittz, Freddie Gibbs, K.R.I.T., Action Bronson
AllHipHop: What are your plans for 2012?
Reggie Coby: Continuing to focus on increasing our exposure and footprint in this game which we plan to do by releasing a number of projects as well as get on the road and do some more touring. We are also planning to make our 2012 SXSW showcase to be one those that will be talked about.
Lil J: Yea, after going on these past two tours across the US we definitely learned how important it is to get out your local scene and jump on the road. It opened up our eyes to see the response we got from cities like Lexington, Boise, Portland, Santa Barbara, El Paso, ATL, and Seattle.
AllHipHop: How has the DJBooth posting helped you guys?
Lowkey: Man, having released our Concealed Weapons 3 mixtape exclusively on DJBooth has most definitely helped us broadcast our music to a much wider audience online. This is the same site that has given a lot of today’s hottest artists their break into the game like Yelawolf, Freddie Gibbs, and Big K.R.I.T. So it was an honor to have been able to do that.
Greezo: Yeah, I actually met Nate at the beginning of the year when I was helping him find a venue for a DJBooth SXSW showcase this past year. He eventually had got handed one of our CDs at SXSW and reached out to us to do an exclusive project which we released in April. Building that relationship with DJBooth was key because 6 months later we were invited to perform at last months A3C festival in Atlanta on the DJBooth stage with Big K.R.I.T., Jean Grae, Saigon, Pill, Shane Eli, Aleon Kraft, Yonas, JNics, and Jon Hope.
AllHipHop: You guys had a few Jake One beats on the last project, talk to me about some of your favorite producers.
Tuk-da-Gat: We fuck real heavy with a producer out here in Austin named Matt Schad. Matt first produced SouthBound’s Seasons Change album. Since then he produced League favorites “We Gon Make It” and “Yes He Is” and a number of tracks on our upcoming projects. Also, Reggie Coby is a beast on the production tip. A lot the artists we have relationships were introduced through Reggie’s production. He produced the Devin single “What I Be On” and has worked with both Killer Mike and Dead Prez.
S.Dot: They don’t nickname him the “Genius” for nothing.
Greezo: We are also working with a producer out of Toronto named Frank Dukes who has produced for 50, Danny Brown, LEP Bogus Boys, Ghostface, and many others. The kid is dope. Be expecting to hear from him on a major level.
Reggie Coby: S1, Kanye, Dre, Quick, Organized Noize, Timbaland, No I.D., Just Blaze
AllHipHop: Explain the Austin, TX hip-hop scene and some of the other acts to look for out there.
Greezo: Austin is a melting pot of artists. Like most metropolitan cities, there is a local hip hop scene out here in Austin and its filled with a lot of talent. They brand Austin as a the live music capital of the world because of all the music options that are available every night and while there are local hip hop events in Austin it still lacks the casual hip hop listener looking for local hip hop. I think this in large part has to with Austin not having its own identity in the national hip hop game. We are hoping to change to that. I’m sure artists in similar cities experience the same thing. Some dope acts from Austin to look for are: Crew54, M.i, Phranchyze.
Reggie Coby: Yeah I also think it has to do with a lot of trash that’s out there on the local scene. Just because you’re a poet doesn’t mean you a rapper. Some acts I recommend check out are Kydd and Poison Boys.
Lil J: Ya’ll definitely check out my DIE SLO family. Also, if you onine you need to check the Texas Battle League which hosts freestyle battle throughout the state. Go on youtube and check some of those classic battles like Gutta vs. Phranchyze.
AllHipHop: What’s the next project called?
Greezo: Our next major release will be our first official album entitled #LeagueShit which is currently getting mastered by Mike Mo and set to be released sometime in the first half this upcoming year. In the meantime, we are working on 2 new projects. One with DJ Michael “5000″ Watts of the Swisha House and the other with Frank Dukes. Fans can stayed tuned by following us at www.LOEGz.com.
AllHipHop: Will you all release solo projects or is there any possibility that the 3 groups within the group LOEGz will drop projects separately?
Reggie Coby: Oh yeah, without out a doubt we have a number of projects coming out of the League umbrella. I am producing an EP project with Bavu Blakes. Also, prior to my brother passing away we were working on a Dred Skott project I produced entitled W420 that was partially completed. I plan to finish that project. Also, eventually will follow up with my own solo album. Also, we have enough material to release a posthumous Esbe Da 6th Street Bully solo album.
S.Dot: Yeah Tuk-da-Gat and I are working on a follow up to the WhiteBoy Mixtape that we released last year. Lil J is also working on a project with DIE SLO’s Sertified and then we got Da C.O.D. album.
Lowkey: I finishing my solo SouthBound & Down project and then there is a Southbound album that is going to follow.
Reggie Coby: Yea, as you can see there is whole lot music that ya’ll are gonna be hit with.... www.LOEGZ.COM
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
NEW MUSIC VIDEO "RESPECTED" BY Q.WILL & 2 TONE OF DIE SLO & LIL J OF THE LOEGZ
CHECK OUT THE NEWEST MUSIC VIDEO WITH Q.WILL AND 2 TONE OF FIYAH BOY FLAME GANG/DIE SLO ENT. FEATURING LIL J OF THE LOEG'z/C.O.D "RESPECTED" PRODUCED BY CORY KENDRIX FILMED BY TOP FLIGHT FILMS AND POWERHOUSE MEDIA
SLIM THUG FEAT.S DOT OF THE LOEG'z "NEW SHIT"
Slim Thug is holding a feature contest for his new track "New Shit" for his upcoming project. This was our submission with the homie S.Dot killing this Cy Fyre beat. Peep the video and let Slim know about them Gz...#LeagueShit.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
NEW MIXTAPE BY DIE SLO ENT."DEATH NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD VOL.1"
Death Never Sounded So Good - Is a collective of songs from the recent projects that have been dropping from DIE SLO . . Be on the look for vol. 2 COMING SOON!
DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE NOW AT DIESLO.COM
NEW VIDEO FROM MY BOY STAT 1 OF DIE SLO ENT
WHO SAID ATX DONT GOT TALENT?NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE REAL ARTIST WITH MAD TALENT BUT ARTIST WITH THERE OWN SOUND THAT DONT ALL SOUND THE SAME,PEEP THIS AS STAT 1 DELIVERS SOUL TOUCHING BARZ ON A ROCK/HIP HOP BASED BEAT VISUALS BROUGHT TO YOU BY GRIND LIFE FILMS
http://www.facebook.com/stat1512
http://www.facebook.com/stat1512
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
TRIBUTE TO OCTAVIS BERRY A.K.A ESBE "R.I.P ESBE" BY LIL J OF THE LOEGZ & SERTIFIED OF DIE SLO ENT.
R.I.P ESBE by SERTIFIED
Local rapper Octavis Berry who performed under the name Esbe the 6th St. Bully in the groups Dred Skott and League of Extraordinary Gz died of a pulmonary embolism in Austin Friday. He was 30.
Described by friends as a passionate wordsmith who carried a notebook with him continuously from the time he was a teenager, Berry first began to make noise on the local hip-hop scene in 2003 as half of the duo Dred Skott, alongside singer/producer Reggie Coby. Pushing a unique sound notable for Berry’s sharp-witted, rapid fire street rhymes laid over gritty beats drizzled with syrupy Southern soul, the group performed at venues like the 311 club and the Victory Grill.
Over the next several years, Dred Skott became well established in a tight knit hip-hop community where artists frequently shared time on each other’s sets. At a party in 2008 Berry broached the idea of recording a mixtape with like-minded Austin hip-hop crews, Da C.O.D. and Southbound. They would call themselves The League of Extraordinary Gz , he joked. From that first mixtape, the League (LOEGz) grew into an eight-man collective, self-described as an Austin hip-hop supergroup. Within that group Berry’s aspirations began to take off. Shortly after releasing the mixtape the group landed a spot on the Texas Hip-hop showcase at SXSW 2009. They shared a bill with Houston heavyweights Paul Wall and Chamillionaire.
Their well-received performance opened doors. Soon afterward, they were invited to join Houston’s Swisha House crew and other Lone Star luminaries on MTV2’s Texas Day. They found themselves mixing it up with childhood heroes like Devin the Dude. The buzz behind the group continued to grow and in May of 2011, following another successful SXSW appearance the LOEGz hit the road on a two-month tour of the Western United States with Alabama rapper Jackie Chain. By the end of the summer they were back on the road this time with the stridently political NYC-based rap crew Dead Prez. They were also invited to perform at the influential AC3 hip-hop festival in Atlanta.
As artists the LOEGz were beginning to hit their stride, but Berry was beginning to struggle with health problems. While on tour with Dead Prez in August he came down with a cold from which he never seemed to fully recover. He complained of shortness of breath and a racing heart. When the group returned to Austin in late August, Berry, who had no health insurance, went to the emergency room. He was treated for bronchitis and an asthma attack, given antibiotics and an asthma pump and discharged. A few weeks later, struggling with the same symptoms he returned to the emergency room, and once more was released.
On his way to Atlanta for the AC3 Festival in early October, Berry stopped over in Baton Rouge to spend a few days with friends. While there his symptoms returned and he went to an emergency room for treatment. He continued on to Atlanta a few days later where the group put in another well received performance.
The group returned from Atlanta last week. On Thursday, Berry, who was still struggling with shortness of breath, decided he would stop by the emergency room at Brackenridge one last time as he was heading over that way to drop off the rental car from their trip. His friends never heard from him again. Coby called the hospital in the evening to find that his friend had been discharged. Attempting to walk back to his home in East Austin that evening Berry collapsed. The hospital called Berry’s mother Saturday morning to let her know her son had passed away.
“He was a good guy. A passionate and compassionate individual. He wanted to teach people, so they could learn from his mistakes,” says Coby.
“Tavis was the truth. Anything he went through he wanted people to learn from that. We had a song on the ‘Dred Skott For President’ album about suicide, and I remember that conversation about how somebody’s gonna need this. So many people have told me how that song affected them. He was such a good dude. We had so much to do and so many ideas.”
In addition to being an acclaimed local rapper, Berry was a loving father to his four children ages 13, 11, 10 and 8. At the time of his death, he was in the process of finishing up a musical project with Dred Skott so he could take a few months off to spend with his girlfriend who was pregnant with his fifth child.
Visitation: Thursday, October 20, 2011 @ 6-8PM @ Cook-Walden/Capitol Parks Funeral Home 14501 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, TX 78660
Celebration of Life: Friday, October 21, 2011 10AM @ David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 2211 E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Austin, TX 78702
Gathering of friends: 3 to 6 p.m. at the Victory Grill, 1104 East Eleventh Street, Austin TX 78702. Donations will be collected for a fund for Berry’s children.
HERES A NEW TRACK FROM DRED SKOTT OF THE LOEG'Z
Dred Skott speak on the recent execution of Troy Davis by delivering bars over the classic Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth record They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.). Reality rap is not dead. #LeagueShit
ALSO WAS THE LAST SONG ESBE RECORDED BEFORE HIS UNEXPECTING PASSING,HE WILL TRUELY BE MISSED NOT JUST AS ONE OF THE GREATEST MC'S BUT AS A PERSON
R.I.P ESBE DA 6TH ST.BULLY
ALSO WAS THE LAST SONG ESBE RECORDED BEFORE HIS UNEXPECTING PASSING,HE WILL TRUELY BE MISSED NOT JUST AS ONE OF THE GREATEST MC'S BUT AS A PERSON
R.I.P ESBE DA 6TH ST.BULLY
NEW Die Slo Entertainment MIXTAPE DROPPING ON HOLLOWEEN 10/31/11 "DEATH NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD"
Monday, October 17, 2011
R.I.P OCTAVIS BERRY A.K.A ESBE DA 6TH ST. BULLY OF THE LOEGZ
Local rapper Octavis Berry, who performed as "Esbe the 6th St. Bully" in the groups Dred Skott and League of Extraordinary Gz, died of a pulmonary embolism in Austin on Friday. He was 30.
Described by friends as a passionate wordsmith who carried a notebook with him continually since his teens, the Lanier High School graduate first began to make noise on the local hip-hop scene in 2003 as half of the duo Dred Skott, alongside singer/producer Reggie Coby.
"He was a good guy. A passionate and compassionate individual," Coby said. "We had a song on the 'Dred Skott For President' album about suicide, and I remember that conversation about how somebody's going to need this. So many people have told me how that song affected them."
Notable for Berry's sharp-witted, rapid-fire street rhymes laid over gritty beats drizzled with syrupy Southern soul, the group performed at Austin venues including the 311 club and the Victory Grill.
Over the next several years, Dred Skott became well-established in a tight-knit hip-hop community . At a party in 2008, Berry proposed recording a mix tape with like-minded Austin hip-hop crews Da C.O.D. and Southbound. They would call themselves The League of Extraordinary Gz, he joked. From that first mix tape, League grew into an eight-man collective .
Within that group, Berry's aspirations began to take off. Shortly after releasing the mix tape, the group landed a spot on the Texas hip-hop showcase at South by Southwest 2009, sharing a bill with Houston heavyweights Paul Wall and Chamillionaire.
In May 2011, following another successful SXSW appearance, League hit the road on a two-month tour of the western United States with Alabama rapper Jackie Chain. By the end of the summer, they had joined the stridently political New York-based rap crew Dead Prez and had been invited to perform at the influential AC3 hip-hop festival in Atlanta.
Berry's health problems began while touring with Dead Prez in August . He complained of shortness of breath and a racing heart and was treated for bronchitis and asthma , Coby said.
On Thursday, Berry stopped by the emergency room at University Medical Center Brackenridge and was discharged. He later collapsed while walking back to his home in East Austin, Coby said . The hospital contacted his mother on Saturday morning to say he had died.
Berry leaves behind four children ages 13, 11, 10 and 8. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 2211 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Friends plan to gather for a memorial from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Victory Grill, 1104 E. 11th St.
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