Recap: DWYL Tour - Houston

Reach Records' Don't Waste Your Life Tour hit Houston this Friday and since all the world is aTwitter with this mico-blogging stuff, I figured it would be fun (and admittedly easy) to recap the event with my own blue bird blow-by-blow analysis. Bonus and better pics are also included. Enjoy.

NOTE: All photos by Sketch the Journalist

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To start, I almost didn't get to attend.

For some reason, I had the date marked on my calendar for Saturday. Then, when I called the church to confirm (since the Reach website said it would be close to capacity) I was asked if I had pre-registered. I hadn't, which meant I wouldn't be making the event.

After Tweeting my frustrations that this hadn't been more publicized or made clear on the web, I got a call from DJ Ovadose. He said he had pre-registered but thought he should better spend his time studying for an upcoming insurance license exam. He wanted me to take his ticket. (More on that later.)

Thankfully the schedule was clear for Friday night as well and I was able to make the drive. Other local CHH figures like dogfight!, Apokalum, Da' Legend, and YungLion (who I heard drove from Lake Charles, LA) weren't as lucky.

On with the Twits:



Headed 2 the H-town Don't Waste Your Life Tour stop. Hope the heat doesn't slay us waiting outside b4 they start. Mobile pic Tweets 2 come. 3:52 PM Jul 10th

Just handed off @Tedashii a copy of Tha Message Mag w/ my cvr story on him. Brought extras for his moms & family. Mothers like 2 scrapbook. 5:16 PM Jul 10th

Backstage Sho asked FLAME if he would be his brother for the night. DWYL Tour is in TX now so the rest of the guys all have fam close. 5:18 PM Jul 10th

Special props 2 @betochas (DJ Ovadose) for getting me in 2 the DWYL Tour. Dude sacrificed his spot for mine. Sound like anyone we know? 5:36 PM Jul 10th

All of the Much Luvv fam is MIA cuz 1 of the SOM twins is getting married tonight. Good 2 c they already know wifey comes 1st. 5:50 PM Jul 10th

Reach Records rep announced 13 Letters ciric available to disciple the youth of "Dallas." Loud & long chorus of boos follows. :). 6:10 PM Jul 10th



Ummm. I think starting off with "Jesus Muzik" in H-town was a wise choice. 6:25 PM Jul 10th

Sho is slaying w/ lyrics a Capella now. Told me wasn't sure if he'd do Kobe Bryant On Em later. Will be interesting to see Rocket fans react 6:29 PM Jul 10th

Sho's Kobe song in effect to mixed reaction. You can't front on @kdrama513's beat though. 6:37 PM Jul 10th





I'm stepping to the back cuz FLAME is about to "Go Buck!" and crowd is packed. 6:48 PM Jul 10th



RT @TripLee116: Had 2 turn away 400+ @ the door tonight. Encouraged by turnout, saddened more couldn't make it inside. May Christ b exalted! 6:54 PM Jul 10th



Pic: FLAME reminds 'em to "Hold On!" 7;05 PM Jul 10th



Pic: @Tedashii telling his hometown that "26 inches is a very low throne!" Love that song - esp for this city. 7:11 PM Jul 10th



DJ Official appears to be Tweeting from the stage. Anyone got his Twitter name so I can bug him? 7:21 PM Jul 10th

First notes of @tedashii's "I'm a Believer" excites the crowd. Somebody tell Jigga that Autotune still lives w/ the yunguns in Htown. 7:24 PM Jul 10th



Pic: Love how they're incorporating those DWYL Tour commercials into the concert. 7:27 PM Jul 10th



RT @djofficialdj: Trip just did a new song called "9 to 5" off my new album coming out October called "Entermission" on Reach Records. 7:43 PM Jul 10th

Show stopped to announce parents looking for a kid named Devarious He was lost. Later found. I pray others are too tonight. 7:48 PM Jul 10th



Pic: @lecrae asks Houston what happens "After the Music Stops" 7:55 PM Jul 10th

CHH Trend Watch: Scarves seem to be on the way out. Fully faded Mohawks still going hard. 8:11 PM Jul 10th



Whole crew is out for "Houston, We Have a Problem." I hope the speakers can hold up. 8:21 PM Jul 10th



Reach & FLAME "Make War." Sho standing on speakers. 8:31 PM Jul 10th





Crowd worships to "Joyful Noize" 8:36 PM Jul 10th

DWYL Concert over. Reach cats now getting it in with people who wanna b serious about Jesus. I'm riding home 2 Identity Crisis bought 2nite 8:58 PM Jul 10th

Afterthoughts:

While this stop was similar to their previous one (even at the same venue), you can tell the dudes continue to step up their performance and presentation. The songs and acts interchange smoothly and keep the energy flowing.

The overall theme and message is very evident and I'm glad to hear how they're also teaching and reaching local ministries to maintain the momentum once the bus rolls out to the next spot on the schedule.

Given the crowd and turnout, Reach is definitely going to need bigger venues in the future. Or at least a well communicated ticket/pre-registration system so that another 400 plus "don't waste their time" traveling and standing in the heat for an event they can't witness.

(Full disclosure: I got that line from dogfight! He texted it to me as he was driving away with a car full of disappointed kids.)

Be sure to catch the DWYL Tour if it comes anywhere close to your city. Just be sure to call ahead and make sure you can get in.


Although I've interviewed and written about him in the past, this was my first time meeting FLAME.

Wade-O interviews NBA All-Star Allan Houston & DJs Father Knows Best Retreat

It’s not every day you get to chop it up with an NBA All-Star, much less about issues that really matter (like faith and fatherhood), but that’s exactly what DJ Wade-O did recently with former New York Knick Allan Houston.

Over Father’s Day weekend, the current Knicks’ Assistant to the President for Basketball Operations invited DJ Wade-O to provide the soundtrack for the campers’ game night. That evening Wade spun and mixed today’s hottest Christian Hip Hop music and later interviewed Houston for The Wade-O Radio Show.

“The whole weekend was such a blessing to me and my family,” DJ Wade-O said. “Allan, his father [former University of Tennessee men’s basketball head coach], and several other notable pro, college and high school coaches taught the kids drills, Scriptures, and how to be men.”

The retreat has been in existence for six years. Afterwards, Houston Tweeted “Thanks for all the support for this year's FKB. This year and this Father's Day was the best ever!”

Also on upcoming episode #115, the guys from the Don’t Waste Your Life Tour (Trip Lee, Tedashii, Lecrae, FLAME, Sho Baraka, & DJ Official) will drop in for a few pointed questions and major announcements about their future projects as well as update us on how the mobile concert series is going thus far.

In addition to Allan Houston, future interviews are scheduled with rap ministers Papa San and Mr. Del.

Listen here.

For more information on DJ Wade-O and The Wade-O Radio Show please visit http://www.wadeoradio.com/

For more information about Allan Houston’s Father Knows Best Basketball Retreat and foundation visit http://www.allanhoustonfoundation.org/

Reach Records is having a good week

Reach Records is having a good week.

First, Tedashii's second album, Identity Crisis, finally dropped on Tuesday, May 26.

Amazon.com had it up a week early (on the original release date) and it got a good buzz. I checked iTunes' charts on Saturday and noticed it was ranked #8 on their overall Hip Hop list. (See the screen shot here.) You might remember that Lecrae took the #3 spot there the first day that (rebel) dropped.

This is particularly impressive considering the technical glitch they had with full album downloads in the iTunes store at first.

Props to Reach for producing quality music and prepping the market to pull off a successful drop.

Then came the news that Trip Lee's video for "Real Vision" would be played on BET's 106 & Park (the real one, not the gospel knock off).

Trip Lee Feat. Tedashii "Real Vision" from Rive Video Promotion on Vimeo.

Finally, the Don't Waste Your Life Tour kicked off in their homebase of Memphis, TN. You can follow a lot of artists' exploits, thoughts, and photos on Twitter.

Today, Sunday May 31, was obviously a hightlight for them as they got to worship, perform, minister and fellowship with one of their heroes in the faith: Mr. John Piper.

Catch a flick of 'em all right chere.

Please keep the crew in your prayers and look for the DWYL Tour to hit your area soon.

Update (06/05/09): Identity Crisis hit #2 on Billboard's Gospel chart & #10 on their Christian album chart. View here.

Vidz: DWYL Tour spots

Two more Don't Waste Your Life Tour promos from Reach Records.

The "Rap Exploits" is particularly well done and show us how topics that would make us shudder when presented plain appear to get us amped when there's a beat behind them.

Vidz: Tedashii's Facebook status

Sadly, haven't we all been...errr....known someone like this?

Reach's DWYL Tour commercial #2

Reach pulls a fast and funny one here again.

116 like you've never seen 'em before

This is a clever and fun spot for the Don't Waste Your Life Tour which hits H-town on July 11. I'll be thurr.

Clipz: 3 tracks from Lecrae's (rebel)

Reach is on top of thangs, making it easy for me to share with you three sample tracks from the upcoming (rebel) album. Take a listen in the player below.

BTW: Note the image above is the original cover. If you've seen the recent versions they've made the (rebel) part larger and in place of Lecrae's name. A wise move that, again, sounds like they listen to and incorporate fan feedback.









Click Here to Pre-Order Lecrae's New Album "Rebel"! Releases 9/30/08