The Origins of Emortul

It started out in 1997 when myself and 3 friends (Brandon Brooks aka Aries, Julian Sneed aka Joulz Il Duce & Cedric "Que" Tuck aka Big Tuck (DSR)) got tired of people letting us down, lying to us, trying to control us and all sorts of other mess. These 3 guys were my brothers. It's funny but these dudes were my life because as a youngster I didn't have many friends because we were always moving and I was just a quiet kid. So the summer of 1997 we decided to start our own record label and way of life. Emortality came from the word immortality which stemmed from the movie Higlander. An Immortal was a man who could live forever, have great power and leadership. We felt like each of us had those qualities and the music that we made was the type of music you could listen to for years to come. Aries came up with the name Emortul (another spelling of the original word) and I came up with the Entertainment because that's what we did was entertain people. The slogan was simple for me because immortals live forever so I felt our entertainment and friendship would live forever (man was I wrong). We came up with our own language, hand-signs, nicknames - the whole basics of a new fraternity or culture. We all went to the same school, most of us were in the band (LINCOLN HS), we all stayed in South Dallas and we were almost like one. If you saw one there was at least one right next to him and the others were on their way. Everyone mostly stayed at my house 24/7 though we all called each other moms "momma" and ate food like we stayed at 4 houses. I was always the "responsible one" out the group cause no one could go anywhere unless I was going cause they mom's trusted I would look out for them and keep them out of trouble (which I did when they were with me, now when they did things on their own that's another story). I made sure each one of them graduated (Jou had several teachers out to get him so I used my influence with some of them and a certain principal to get him thru, Aries failed and I made sure he went to summer school to get his final grades changed and Tuck had an English assignment that called for a collection of poems that he had 2 days left to turn-in to pass (I gave him all of the poems I had written and made sure he turned them in on time). So with this info from the start I was forced into being the one to look at for leadership. So we all were supposed to go downtown to the library and study the biz so we all could be C.E.O.'s of our new label, however the rest of the guys always chose to hit the West End or go over some girls houses while I stayed up in the library. SO whenever business was brought up I was the one making the suggestions or giving the info. Whenever we performed for people or somebody asked about us about the label everyone looked at me to give answers or they told people to ask me about it. I never offered to be the leader or wanted to be - everytime leadership roles were needed they were passed off to me. We planned to go downtown and register the label with all 4 of us being owners and CE.O.'s but I was the only person who showed up that day. I signed the papers but we all still held the title of C.E.O. On numerous occassions were were supposed to go back and get the registration amended to add everyone but well it never happened. So from then on I was the "leader or C.E.O." and everyone just did whatever I suggested even though I tried over and over to give them each some responsibility in how the company was ran - they didn't want it. All they wanted to do was say this is our label to impress females and I was cool with it cuz them was my boys and I knew they were down for whatever we was doing (later this became the main reason for the group breaking up cause they looked at me as getting more respect than some of them). Things went well for about 2 years and then Que started going M.I.A. working at G103 with DJ Scorpio (though Que was always the outcast but that was Que always doing his solo thang (which paid off - congrats again on the deal man), Jou started staying to himself and then went to SFA (which I think so life-altering events happened to push him into a lonely, angry state of mind though he never said what actually happened to him down there) and B was getting into more and more trouble with females (you was over ya head in playing games back then fool) and I was gun-ho in trying to build the label into a real company. Well after so much time of everyone being focused on their own thing the shit hit the fan. Que became a member of Dirty South Rydas (DSR) whom he met thru Scorpio, Jou became so self-centered that me and him got into a heated argument of nothing particular (we both we feeling the tension of him distancing himself and constantly making everything about him, fuck what they group wanted it was all about Jou) - so he bounced, Aries got into the ultimate trap when 2 of his girls met at the same time which led him to move to Ft. Worth. The group that had outlasted all of the crews that began when we did, the group of guys who were inseparable and didn't do anything without each other was dead in the water. Aries came back for a short while but he had made another life in Ft. Worth (me and him still talk and he still reps tha E - when he comes back home he has his place still here), Que went on to gain success with DSR who signed with Universal for millions (me and him still talk to this day and if it ever came to the point where he was led back to Emortul he'd have his place). Jou and I have gone back and forth in battle for years because he can't stand that I got more respect and was seen as a leader by those around me and that I've continued to do all the things we were supposed to do as a team. He started with the 1st diss track after he heard something that someone "said I said". I came back at him because he was telling lies and trying to make himself look like the victim. He's left a snitch in the label to get all my documents and plans, he's tried to use my girl (cuz he was producing for her after he left and they were still friends) to get information on the label and how to run business and even went to the lengths of pretending to call a truce so I would help him try to get a deal with a major. Problem is with all of his lies and deception I have always came out victorious because I didn't have to lie or cheat to let people know I wasn't in the wrong. The label has continued to grow and exceed the plans we had for it under my leadership, I still rap/write/sing/produce, I'm still with the same girl after 8 years (and a spell of friction because of Jou and her being friends - too bad she don't trust or care for your as a friend anymore after she saw how you really were). I'm doing everything he has always wanted to, I get the respect that he's always wanted but I did it the right way and because he does it the wrong way and seems to be punished everytime he turns around he wants to hate me.

Emortul should still be flourishing with all of us at the head of it but with so many years and so much hate I don't think we could ever go back to those good days (I'm thru beefing with Jou, Aries is tired of what Jou has become, and now Jou is hating on Que's success). Damn shame cause we were the super-team. I recently found a pic from our 1st show together at Club Trakks and laughed my ass off at the way we looked but that night was the best when we were introduced as D.L.C. with Emortul Entertainment and when we finished performing everyone loved our show. It was all us, our music, our way. I miss ya'll niggas (except for Jou unless you say the old Jou aka Jewelz, that's my nigga but Duce is nothing but a (several very explicit phrases using curse words) to me. Aries & Que - holla at ya boy.

Why Is It.......

People think just because you start out helping them that you're supposed to do everything for them for the rest of their lives, at some point you think they would start doing things themselves. I cant count how many people (let's be more specific and say artists but this still applies to everyone who has taken my kindness for weakness) that I've helped over the years since I've started doing music since age 8. I did not give them their talent, they got that naturally but I did assist in nurturing and molding it or just getting them to show the world they had the talent. Whether it was helping them become better songwriters (on-the spot or pre-written), doing a radio edit, performing (rehearsed or freestyle), recording in the studio, learning the business, putting a project together, promoting themselves, putting money behind them and/or their music or just giving them words of encouragement....I've done just about everything imaginable for some of these people (gave folks money for bills, let people stay with my mom and with me when I moved out, paid for abortions, feed people, picked folks up at crazy times and in dangerous situations, etc). What do I get in return for all the help I've given....usually hate. I use to think it was because I was doing something wrong like making them feel insecure (I tried to make everyone feel apart of this by giving them a say in what we did), or treating them like children but I never gave orders (I always made suggestions), I never said you better or you have to (everyone always had a choice about what they wanted to do). No one was ever forced to follow my lead, go with my ideas or as some of them say "follow in my shadow", if they did they did it by choice and shouldn't get mad at me because of the choices they made. A lot of these people are mad because many people respect me for my hard work ethic, willingness to search and study for answers, ability to sacrifice for myself and others and overall kindness towards others. How can you get mad because I've went through everything I've had to go thru to make people see me in those lights and you haven't. They say I'm selfish, egotistical, threatening, and rule in a dictatorship - how, when and are they really serious. Every move I've made has been what the group wanted or made the decision to do, I've always tried to do group or label projects (never my solo - how may compilations had been attempted), hell I kept the label going when the original members left to do their own things when I could have just went solo myself. I give people 3 or 4 chances when they mess up and I stretch myself past my means so others can have an opportunity but I'm all about me because every now and then I'd like a simple thank you. Why is it someone else can can give and give and then expect a thank you but I cant? So to all those I can think of off the top of my head that I've helped or supported in some form or fashion at some point in your life and career...All I ever wanted or expected from you was a thank you and for you to use whatever help I gave you to better yourself and/or your career. I wasn't trying to be yo daddy, yo big brother, yo husband or Hitler - I was trying to be your friend and mentor so that one day you'd think about what I did for you and you could do it for someone else.

Regardless if we're cool or beefing - I've helped the following people in their lives personally and/or artistically:

D'Wayne (TYG), Kendrick (TYG), Twonsta Mac (Mac-N-Smooth), 3 Fresh Posse (South Dallas Records), Joulz Il Duce aka Jewel (HYP/SDR/D.L.C./EE), J-Dunn aka Taz (HYP/D.L.C./EE), Que aka Big Tuck (HYP/EE), Ken-Dogg (SDR/D.L.C.), HYP City Entertainment Consortium (which I help start, did just about all of the work and supplied the studio time and producer (Kevin aka Crucial Fiction), Baby T & Miss K aka Oak Cliff Girlz (HYP), Miss Pooh (HYP), David aka DJ Shadow (HYP), Lady J aka Juliet (HYP), Big Ben (HYP), K-Dogg (HYP), Obie (HYP), Polo (HYP), Solo (HYP), Ronald Washington Jr., Vicious D., K.D.O.N. (EE), Ace (EE), Mike P. (EE), MeShe (EE), J.R. Reed aka DJ Ready (EE), Jest-E (NNP), One Love (Elliot & JR - EE), Dirty Boyz (EE), Dante (EE), T.A.E., Coquette, Ghetto Rebelz, Young Max, B aka Aries (HYP/EE), KB (EE) & D'Shae (EE) all the way to my current artists and Emortul Entertainment (which I help start and again did just about all the work until recent years when XL and others started assisting - there will be a post about the origins of Emortul)... Madame Ice, Big XL, Martinique, Hoo-Daddy, Ms. Royaltee, Shantel, Dano & my staff.

That's a lot of help and a lot of sacrifice. Some of these people don't do music and some still do (hell some doing it very well) but I bet none of them can say that haven't used something they got from me in their life now. So thank you every now and then would be appreciated.