LATIF sure has a lot of time on his hands!

[Kenny Guido]

Will The Real Artists, Please Stand Up!!!

Filed under: Latif Mercado — Latif Mercado @ 08:16 am

Freestyle fans are pretty much the same age as the Freestyle artist. And if that’s the case, then many of them grew up watching or at least remembering this show. It was called “To Tell The Truth”
Unfortunately, this is a game show that needs to come back, and it’s contestants need to be those involved in the Freestyle market. We need to sit down those who claim to be or be a part of a questionable artist or group and ask them a slew of questions that only the original’s would know.
Like, what were TKA wearing the day they came up with their name?
What was the hardest part of recording the Cover Girl’s “Show Me?”
Where were the members of Will To Power when they Met?I have spoken time and time again about deceptive practices within the Freestyle genre, and I can’t stress it enough, just how damaging it is to our market. When I speak of this, I am not just speaking to the Promoters and Agents. I am also speaking to Managers, Artists and more importantly, to the fans who are indeed, the end sufferers! Please, all who read this, leave a comment at the end and feel free to express yourselves. Please no curse words, this blog is set with a filter that detects them and blocks the comment. So many artists themselves claim they don’t support this deceptive practice, yet they are quick to jump on stage with any Freestyle wanna-be. “It’s business Latif!” Is what they say. “Exactly!” I reply. It is business, your business Mr. Artist, manager, promoter and agent, and until you protect it, it’s spiraling qucikly to the ground.” Oh is this about the Phony Girls again?“ Click image below to see how Freestyle is being represented by these imposters.[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjuDUAUGRzM"]

[/ame]






















[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjuDUAUGRzM"]The Phony Girls[/ame]
Proof That Fans are Being Robbed
Well, not anymore, the Phonies are going to do their thing, and the idiots are still going to book them. Fans however need to realize that every time they purchase a ticket, they are telling the Phonies that this is okay, it’s acceptable. Because of this, the illness is spreading like wildfire. Managers who haven’t been in the market for years, are coming out of the woodwork. Why? Because eventhough their relationship with their former client has been over for years, they discovered that the show can still go on, with a chance to still cash in. All they have to do, is find someone that might (or might not) resemble the act. Teach them the songs and dance steps, print some pictures and Wala! Instant Freestyle artist. If they were to package this idea, the instructions would simply say, “Just Add Lies” What’s sad is the majority of the Freestyle fans don’t realize this is happening until they either they see the show, or they read something like this blog. So even though I might have a personal thing when it comes to The Phony Girls, my main beef is the overall impact it’s having on ”MY” market. The Phony Girls do shows for the crooks of the market, people who don’t care enough for their audience to atleast find them the real deal, so these are not people I would work with anyway. I’ve dedicated many pages such as this to the exposure of The Phonies, and right now, Angel “The Original CoverGirl” stays busy, turning it out from Miami to Maui.

Angel “The Original CoverGirl”
You see, what I need to point a finger at, are some of the other deceiver’s in the market. Those hiding backstage before showtime. But before I begin. To the so-called artist and managers, this isn’t meant to be an attack against you, but rather a rescue for the Freestyle market in itself! You see, I make a living with this Freestyle thing, so I have a clear incentive as to why I need to protect it, an attitude that should be common among other industry professionals, unfortunately, it isn’t. Believe me, there are many more imposters out there, but I need to focus on a few that are actually affecting the Freestyle market. You see these acts are looked up to and resepected. people watch them and figure, well if they’re doing it, then it must be okay! So I would truly appreciate any help from knowledgeable readers. Fans, fellow artist, deleted group members etc. But keep in mind, it isn’t going to take just knowledge, it is going to take balls too! I might make a few enemies with this post, but at the same time, I might gain some integrity for the market. Besides, those who might be offended, are those involved in the deception, so do I really care what they think? Let me go back a bit, and begin with one company that I had experience with, and that was the old High Powered Records, led by Mr. Tony Garcia.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Tony Dr. Edit Garcia This was an important company at one time, but when you participate in deception, I’m sorry, you are just bound to fall, and that’s what happened here. High Powered had a few credible acts on their label, and were contributors to Freestyle’s spread throughout the US. But I can sympathise with them a bit, like I can with many of the other Freestyle labels back in the day. Whereas these compaines were created by some really talented producers, who created some really great music, they had no real business skills. Keep in mind, running a label consist of two skills, creating the music, and managing the business. Major labels allocate staff for these different jobs, Freestyle label heads tried to do it all themselves. The label heads wanted to be stars themselves and instead of staying in the office crunching numbers and planning their next move, they went on the road with their acts. They were so caught up in the success of their current act that they neglected the business of keeping that act working, let alone developing new acts. label heads started relying heavily on that current act, putting more and more preasure on them, so much that they got fed up, tired of the abuse and skipped. So there’s Mr. Label head, standing there with nothing but a name that he claims to own. He’s come to truly rely on that income producing artist so much, that in a sort of spiteful attempt to hurt that artist and hopefully help himself, he totally disregards the audience that has actually placed that money in his pocket and now feeds them what I call ‘Phonies” By re-issuing the “NAME” to a new and niave artist, Shoot some new photos then put them back on the road, confident that the fans won’t know the difference. This had fans scratching their heads wondering what was going on. I’m only familiar with a few, such as Wicked, NV and Renaldo. There were others, I’m sure, and if you know who they are, please comment here. Then there was another artist who was part of that camp. An artist that I am extremely close to and have been around since she was just a little girl. That artist is Lil’ Suzy.

The Incredible Career Of Lil’ Suzy​

Suzy without a doubt put High Powered Records on the map, and till this day she is one of the most requested Freestyle artist in the market. When the numbers weren’t working anymore and the drama was just too much for this very young artist, she was removed from the label. Now keep in mind, she didn’t leave to go with another label, she left simply to get off High Powered, and it was a great decision. It was an unhealthy company about to self-destruct. She was protected by her parents and myself, a relationship that many in the industry envied along with many attempts to throw in a wrench. But what they failed to realize is that my “Personal” relationship with Suzy and her family is more important to me than my “Professional” relationship with them. Her first album on that label was called “Love Can’t Wait” and housed the Freestyle hit “Take Me In Your Arms.” This song catapulted Lil’ Suzy and High Powered to another level. But when you give success to bad business, it creates a monster. Not only was “Take Me” an international hit, Lil’ Suzy was just 11 years old, and a novelty in herself, an even more reason to embrace this incredible little superstar. When Suzy was removed from the label, it was without doubt an end for High Powered. Not knowing what to do, having already created a horrible name for themselves without a loyal artist left, High Powered came up with a plan that they felt would not only recapture their crown, but possibly kick them up a notch, while poor Lil’ Suzy fades away. High Powered found another little girl, who they named ingeniously, Lil’ Johanna.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Lil’ Johanna
High Powered studied the Lil’ Suzy model which consisted of three main elements; youth, looks and of course talent. The makings of what could’ve been another High Powered star. But instead of giving her originality, her own songs etc. She was brought in, in an attempt to bump Suzy from her spotlight. But evil can not prevail and the one who got hurt during this was poor Johanna. High Powered sold her a dream of becoming a star, when in realty, she was a mere pawn in the labels own little war game.
But you see, Suzy wasn’t new to this, she had been doing this years before she even signed with High Powered. She had more experience as a little girl than the owner of the label himself, and today you can see them on opposite sides of the Freestyle fence. By the way, does anyone know what the hell happened to Lil’ Johanna?
So there it was, a case of trying to bump one artist with another. It didn’t work! Now we step into another realm, this one was to do with multiple group members. Now this is tricky ground here and every case has to be dealt with differently. But before I get into that, I want people to try and remember this. “If all the members of a group are still alive and well, and they want to perform, I feel the group should make an effort. Hey, we don’t always like the people we work with, but we work with them regardless. When members of a group decide to pull out and don’t want to be a part of it anymore, then there I see a legitimate reason to find substitutes. In this case, it is about the fans. But when you have members of a group that want to get together, but one or two of them are keeping the others out, that to me is unfair, and there will never be any real success in it. Okay, you might get some shows here and there, but is that real success? Let steps back for a minute and take another look at this situation regarding The Cover Girls. Honestly, who in the Freestyle industry doesn’t know that Angel “OCG” is my wife? Yes I will protect her till the end of time, and with whatever it takes, and she’d do the same for me. But this situation isn’t about a husband protecting his wife, but rather a manager protecting his artist, or better yet, an industry professional protecting his industry. Way before Angel and I were even dating, she’s had issues with her management, which we all know was at the time Sal Abbatiello, a great contributor in my opinion to the Freestyle Industry, but at the same time, a great destructor. Why do I say that? Because he personified the old cliché’ “He Cut His Nose To Spite His Face.” In other words, since he couldn’t have things his way, he decided to punish the entire Freestyle community. Because he no longer has a hold on Angel, who as we all know is The Original CoverGirl, he goes to great lengths to try and keep her from performing. Unfortunately for him, Angel is married to Freestyle’s Greatest Booking Agent. So she works more now than she did, even back during the old Cover Girl days. She without doubt makes much more money, and for all who have been around her these days, her personality glows with happiness, something she hasn’t experienced in this business for many many years. The handful of shows that Angel has been bumped from are the Freestyle concerts at Madison Square Garden, The Mohegan Sun, and all Fever events. These concerts feature in her place three girls who came from God knows where, to perform as The Cover Girls, (From here on they will be referred to by the industry term: The Phony Girls) another poor attempt to deceive the Freestyle audience. I have approached promoters involved with some of these events and asked why man, why? A few said that they were threatened to be Sued by Mr. Abbatiello. I believed this t be true because one of my trusty promoters faxed me a copy of this general letter Sal sent around. By the way, those letters made excellent toilet paper!

To

 

[Kenny Guido]

To the fans who have attended concerts featuring “THE PHONY GIRLS”. Please do not stand for this. You are giving up your hard-earned money to see a concert. It’s like filling up your tank at a gas station, then finding out that it was just water. You don’t stand for this, you speak up and demand a refund. As long as you accept it, it will not stop!If you thought that maybe Angel just wasn’t performing anymore, so you have to settle for the Phonies, then check out all the concerts she has performed at in just the last couple of years. From here on, when you are sitting or standing in the audience, awaiting The Cover Girls, and you see three unfamiliar faces walk on stage lip-syncing over what is properly Freestyle Most Distinctive Voices, please proceed with a Boooo! If Phony acts are shown love and acceptance, then before you know it, you will be paying top dollar for what I would call a “Karaoke Concert.”Here’s another letter. This time Sal brought it up a notch and hired an attorney. This letter was sent to one of my promoters over at Cox Radio. Just so you know. None of these letter’s worked.

Let me make another point here really clear. When in the world was the last time Angel ever used “Formerly Of The Cover Girls?” Angel has been billed as “The Original CoverGirl” since as far back as I could remember. Not because we were scared of these stupid threats, because as long as it is a FACT, Angel can use the Term Formerly Of.. This goes for ANY other acts experience a similar situation. But we chose NOT to use formerly. You see, in my opinion “Formerly Of The Cover Girls,” indicates that the group is still around, but that Angel is no longer a part of it. I coined the name “The Original CoverGirl” because it states a hard fact! And the only other Cover Girls Angel ever performed with were Caroline, Sunshine and Margo and they are no longer in the business.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Let me make another point here really clear. When in the world was the last time Angel ever used “Formerly Of The Cover Girls?” Angel has been billed as “The Original CoverGirl” since as far back as I could remember. Not because we were scared of these stupid threats, because as long as it is a FACT, Angel can use the Term Formerly Of.. This goes for ANY other acts experience a similar situation. But we chose NOT to use formerly. You see, in my opinion “Formerly Of The Cover Girls,” indicates that the group is still around, but that Angel is no longer a part of it. I coined the name “The Original CoverGirl” because it states a hard fact! And the only other Cover Girls Angel ever performed with were Caroline, Sunshine and Margo and they are no longer in the business.

Sunshine, Angel, Caroline Caroline, Angel, Margo​

​

Oh, and about the contreversy regarding The Cover Girl release of “Wishing On A Star.” Sorry folks, that was not The Phony Girls either, but rather the beautiful and talented Michelle Valentine.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFNy67W8cco"]Click here to check out the video[/ame]
As long as I’ve been around Angel. She’s always gotten request by promoters as well as fans, to sing “Wishing On A Star.” and her reply. “I didn’t sing that song, that was Michelle Valentine.” Angel knew how she felt when The Phonies pretented to sing her songs, and she said she would never do the same. Besides, she had plenty of her own songs to sing including two incredible ballads, “[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsFi5wDU7Bg"]Promise Me[/ame]” and “[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoDHJ48uQfI"]We Can’t Go Wrong[/ame].”

Let’s face it folks, we’re all getting older, and there will be a time when we will have no choice but to experience so-called Tribute Concerts. As artist of this genre begin to die off, we will have to replace them in order to give alive their legacy. But to try and due so before their time, is a sad song, and a great misfortune to the Fans who grew up on Freestyle.
I met this woman who’s name is Suzi Carr.

Suzi CarrMany people know her as the original member of WILL TO POWER. What a great group, what great songs, an incredible contributor to our genre.

The Original Will To Power with Suzi CarrBut unfortunately, greed stepped into that group as well, and the lead singer was tossed from the group to be replaced by one much younger. I could understand this move if the group is still putting out hits and their want to maintain the youth. But if that was the case, then I would’ve suggested that even the male side of the group, Mr. Bob Rosen also be tossed.I finally got to see Suzi Carr perform at a show in LA, and I seen the current WILL TO POWER Perform without her, and I have to say, that the light of that group was in fact, Ms. Carr.

The New Will To Power without SuziWhen she got up on that stage, it was like she invited the audience into her living-room. The sincerity of the things she said to her audience were unquestionable. At that point I wanted to share my experience with my promoters and I immediately got on the phone and began selling. Booking the shows usually go undetected. But one of the things that we do at La’ Entertainment is assist our clients in promoting their events. Hey, if my promoters aren’t successful, then neither am I. One of the ways that we help is with a marketing machine I had created many years ago called FreestyleBlast. It’s an on-line marketing ad that reaches thousands of people every single week. It is a very important and effective tool. This is when all hell breaks out. This is when what I do is noticed, when Freestyle Blast is let lose. So I received a surprised phone call from Mr. Rosenberg, well it wasn’t really a surprise, I was expecting it. I have to admit, it’s so obvious why he can’t sell himself any shows, his phone skills suck! He began with a slew of verbal insults that most people only dare to say to me over the phone and from another part of the country. I allowed him to speak, and when he was done, I couldn’t help but to laugh hysterically. He sounded like an old Jewish man cursing out a telemarketer.Of course I had to put him in his place. He threatened to meet me in Florida the following week. I would be there with Angel and Lil Suzy….. Well, he was a No Show! Yes I received an attorney letter from him as well, though the texture of the paper was much softer than Sal’s.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Let’s go back several years. Angel and I were just dating and we attended a party at a club in Queens, NY. We both knew practically everyone on our own terms. But there was one guy that I had no idea who he was. He walked around the club talking to everyone. Angel introduced him to me as David Torres, one of the guys from the group Nice & Wild.

David Torres We shook hands and proceeded to talk. He knew who I was, well most artists do. He was a nice guy, a little jumpy, but nice indeed.The next day, back at the office, Angel asked me. “Why don’t you put David on your Roster and try and get him some shows?” That day David just happened to call. We spoke for a while and I got all the specifics on booking him. Who fly’s? From where? How many rooms? and of course, how much are you asking? David simply said, whatever you can get me. At that time his going rate, if he was lucky $300. to $500. Again, that’s if he was lucky, which wasn’t often. Most of the time he would settle for just a limo, fruit platter and a spotlight. I of course can’t make a living on fruit platters, and 10% of $500. wouldn’t even cover all the calls I had to make to pitch him. But Angel stayed on me, and vouched persistently on his behalf. You see, there was a time when Angel was in that same boat, when making a living in this market was next to impossible. She wanted to share her blessings. This is Angel, always is, always will be! So I had booked a show for Angel, Lisa Lisa and Debbie Deb in Los Angeles, I got David on. I bought his fee up to a comfortable $1,000. More than he’d ever seen in his career, especially for the role he originally played as a background dancer. I got him a flight and a room, and I looked forward to seeing him perform. You see, I can only sell something that I believe in, and if I don’t see it for myself, then I can’t believe it, and therefore, I can’t sell it. I need something to pitch to my promoters. I need to be able to tell them, “I saw the show and it was on fire!”Angel had two shows that night. One with David, then we had to shoot over to the second club. I got to see David perform and was pleased with his performance. Though most acts work a bit harder when they know I’m watching, I knew if David kept this up, we could get his fee up a few dollars more. After Angel performed we headed to the second club. I was impressed and excited to get back to the office to start booking David Torres.The following morning as we were leaving the hotel, I saw David pacing the lobby. He looked upset. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “The promoter stiffed me, La!” Was his reply. Apparently David didn’t abide by Performance Rule Number one… DO NOT GET ON STAGE UNTIL YOU ARE PAID YOUR BALANCE! I felt bad, well, could I really blame him? he wasn’t use to making money. But none the less I felt a bit responsible. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pealed out 5 one hundred dollar bills and handed them over to David. “Yo La’ you don’t have to do that!” He said. “I’ll get it back, don’t worry.” It took me about a month, but eventually I got my $500. back from the promoter when he booked Daddy Yankee from me. From that day on, I began booking David at various venues throughout the country. From Chicago to New York, Miami to California and Texas. I placed him on the Freestyle Explosion concert when it first sprang on to the scene and got him $1500. to $2000. a show. he had an incredible season, and I was happy to help!Soon after he began working with Mickey Garcia of Mic Mac Records and I guess Mickey became his manager. (Yes, Mickey Garcia and Tony Garcia, whom I mentioned earlier are brothers. Hmm, go figure)

Mickey Garcia

Anyway, Mickey stayed on me to get him shows, which I did. Then I received a strange from him early one morning. David wanted to know the name of a particular Texaspromoter I booked him with a few shows back. (I have an incredible memory, hu David?) At the moment I thought nothing of it, and without hesitation, gave him the name. The next thing I know, a flyer pops up in my email about a show David Torres Formerly of Nice & Wild is doing in Texas, at one of my clubs. Yes, the one whom he asked of the promoter’s name.I called David, but to no avail, his caller ID kept me at bay. I started seeing more and more flyers popping up on the internet, with David Torres gracing it’s front side. Then it really happened. David did a show in Chicago (another one of my clubs) with The Phony Girls. All I could think of at that moment was how persistent Angel was at having me book him shows. As much as I hated to do it, I showed her the flyer.Well, in this business, you can’t let things like that affect you. So I did the obvious. I stopped booking David Torres, I even took him off my roster. Mickey Garcia and I continued working, and later on, against my better judgment, I even put David on a couple of more shows, a favor to Mickey. Not once had I ever told Mickey what David had done, it was between us and I didn’t need to involve others, even though I knew Mickey was behind it. Hey it’s business! At least that’s what I was always told by those who somehow someway dealt with The Phony Girls.Starting with The Freestyle Music Awards in which I placed Mickey on the red carpet to DJ along side of La’ Radio’s Danski. from then on I started putting Mickey on many of my shows, highlighting his name and image in all my FreestyleBlast. I brought his asking up a few hundred dollars and was going. My intentions were to make him the most requested DJ in the Freestyle market. Thank God I didn’t, because I never really paid attention, and overhead someone say that he doesn’t spin live, instead plays Mix CDs during his sets. But that’s just hearsay, I’d have to see that for myself before I can confirm it. I kind of saw our relationship growing, and like always my wife rooted for him and always reminded me to pitch him to my promoters. Mickey somehow hooked up with a Promoter from new Jerseywho wanted to do concerts. Mickey told me about it and I was excited. Well, I waited… and waited… and waited. But good ol’ Mic never called. Instead he called his ol’ buddy Sal Abbatiello, and lo and behold a new concert suddenly sprang up, and of course, it featured, The Phony Girls!When I approached Mickey about it, he told me that he has to book The Phony Girls because Sal books David. Okay, I saw where that was going and simply left it alone. I knew at that point that Angel wouldn’t be on that particular concert, but I didn’t expect him to keep her off the other half dozen he ended up booking not did Mickey put her on any of the other two that followed. For the second show he did call me for Lil’ Suzy, but she was already booked somewhere, then he called me again for her for the third show. She was about to step out of the market for a minute to become a Mommy, so I was trying to get her as many shows as possible. But then, I never got a call back. I later on found out that The Phony Girls didn’t want Suzy there because of her relationship with us…

 

[Kenny Guido]

Sorry Suzy!Suzy never wanted to do shows with The Phonies either, unlike many whom have proudly shared the stage with them, Suzy is and always has been a loyal friend to Angel and I. Angel even spoke to Suzy and told her to take the shows with the Phonies if they come, money’s tight these days, and you can’t be turning down shows. It didn’t matter, she wouldn’t do it!Though Mickey was booking the Phonies in Florida and Pennsylvania, Angel and I, being the professionals we are still greeted Mickey like a friend. He said it wasn’t personal, just business, and we were grown enough to understand.Then one day, I was put in touch with a guy out of Floridanamed John Minnis. I was told that John was the actual “Voice” of Nice & Wild. This was a fact and confirmed by numerous people in the industry. John and I got to know each other and I found him to be a really cool guy, and very humble. I asked him why he wasn’t out there singing Diamond Girl, the song he recorded many years ago. He told me he just wasn’t interested anymore. As we continued talking I began to up-date him on the Freestyle genre, and he was surprised at the huge turnaround it made the last few years, and even more surprised when I told him how much I use to get David Torres. Of course this was way before I knew the facts. I asked John about David and all he could say was. “I know he didn’t sing anything!” After a few long phone conversations, I somehow convinced John Minnis to step back into the market, no strings attached. Oh, speaking of strings. There isn’t an artist in the market who can ever say that I asked for exclusivity, so let’s put the rumor that I asked David for exclusivity. If I did that he’d be calling me up every week to help him pay his bills. No thank you!I would work solely as a Booking Agent, making my measly 10%, yet I would help as if I was his manager and get him out there. I explained to John what I did for Angel and the huge success she was now enjoying. John was excited and gave me a green light to help get him back out there.

 

[Kenny Guido]

John Minnis I immediately got a picture of him, wrote a little blurb about him and launched him with the infamous FreestyleBlast! In no time the calls began flowing in and I was beginning to secure dates around the country. Within one week I had bites from LA, FL, Chicago, San Antonio, Canada and Hawaii. This was great. The first show in Los Angeles was locked. Contract signed by the promoter and deposits were in. There was just one problem. John Minnis went Missing In Action.For some strange reason, I think he caught a case of the jitters and disappeared. I wasn’t upset, but I was disappointed. I felt bad for him. This guy never really wanted to do this. The great salesman I was sold him on the idea, but the fear he had was greater and didn’t allow me to close the deal. “John, please brother, if you’re reading this, give me a call. I’m not mad at you!” It was just a coincidence that my good friend Scott Haslett got hold of Reggie and Remy. The two guys that fronted the group Nice & Wild when it first hit the scene. The timing couldn’t be better and after many attempts to contact John Minnis, I had to resort to plan B and sell my promoter over to Reggie & Remy.

Reggie & Remy (Nice & Wild)I wouldn’t lie to him, I explained to him the same thing that I explained on this blog, and without hesitation and watching the [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdBNyxZLTY"]Nice & Wild Video [/ame]with Reggie & Remy, I sold it and closed the deal.Remember earlier I told you, people don’t know anything about my bookings until they are placed on FreestyleBlast. Well, that’s what happened here! As soon as I placed these guys on my blast, all hell broke out. Do I get calls? Oh hell no! I have to hear things through the internet, via myspace, facebook etc. hey, I guess they feel safe doing it that way.Immediately, post and emails were distributed via Facebook, myspace, twitter, regular email etc. I would love to challenge each and every lying sentence, but honestly, I’m too busy booking shows. Besides, the people who really matter to me, know me well enough to know that I just don’t do things like that.before the first show, Remy decided to step away from Nice & Wild to pursue his own thing, so Reggie went out, got a couple of guys and once again, re-formed Nice & Wild.

S

 

[Kenny Guido]

So, there were once three guys named Tony, Kayel and Aby, and they called themselves T.K.A.

Aby, Kayel, TonyThey recorded many songs such as Scars Of Love, Come Get My Love, Maria and so on and so forth. Well, I don’t really need to get too technical because what made the group break up isn’t the essence of this blog. What is the essence is the fact that there were others involved in this group that are not involved now. In my opinion, if the three people who are involved, don’t have names that begin with a T, K or A, they red flags fly, and it is important to make sure the fans are aware of this. Whether they want to accept is of course on them, but the situation must be void of deception.As time passed, and for whatever reason their was, Aby was replaced with another “A” Angel Vasquez. You can see Angel in the video X-Ray Vision. Why Aby was replaced? I really don’t know, but he is welcome to comment to this blog and explain the situation.When I began booking the group in the early nineties, the group consisted of Tony, Kayel and Angel.

Tony, Kayel, AngelSometime around then, Kayel, whom is without doubt the “Key” member of the group and in my opinion very talented, became another group called K7 and The Swing Kids.

Prophet, Tre, Kayel, Los
This was probably my favorite group within the Freestyle genre (oh, but it wasn’t Freestyle!) Sorry folks, it was Freestyle, just a matured version of it.Anyhow, Kay rolled with the K7 concept for some time, but there was still a demand for T.K.A. I was probably the first agent to begin selling the combined package of K7/T.K.A. Then somewhere within this time George LaMond was added to the pack, I didn’t understand that at all.

Los, Kayel, TreThe K7/T.K.A. current performing around the country are no other than Kayel and the Swing Kids, minus Prophet, probably because a 4th member would pose too many questions.A talented and entertaining group, but of course, not T.K.A. Okay, before it is brought up by others, yes, at one time many many moons ago, TKA also consisted of a guy named Spider and La’ India… But there is neither an S nor an I in the initials T.K.A… so they don’t count!Now I was cool with booking this group and there was no beef from Aby, Angel or Tony, till one day, Angel Vasquez called me and asked if I would get behind him and Aby. The first thing I did was call up Victor (13) T.K.A.’s acting Road Manager and let him know that the fellas had contacted me. We spoke for a while and he made it very clear to me that as long as they don’t use T.K.A. that all was cool. They would have to use Aby & Angel formerly T.K.A. That sounds fair to me. I spoke with Angel and he had every intention to use the Formerly of.So I immediately go them a show and you know, one of the benefits of getting a booking through La’ is the infamous FreestyleBlast. So there it went, one show, two shows, three shows featuring Aby & Angel Formerly T.K.A.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Angel and AbyNot only do they get the FreestyleBlast, once I book you a couple of paid shows, I automatically put you on my Roster Blast. Hmm, and the phones began to ring!!!Apparently Kayel wasn’t too happy about this and bellowed his trusty road manager to give me a call. It seemed now that the conversation we had a week or so earlier was forgotten and now I was given an ultimatum! Kayel or Aby & Angel? Well, as much as I would’ve liked to keep them both on, I couldn’t have someone try and dictate to me how to run my business, and where most people would’ve dropped Aby & Angel immediately so as not to ruin a relationship with Kayel and his crew, I opted to roll with Aby & Angel. Whether the decision was right or wrong, I’m not one to allow anyone to Strong-Arm me. At that point I asked 13 (by the way, that’s his name for those who don’t know) does he want me to remove the group from my roster. After a bit hesitation and beating around the bush, I asked again. he said yes! Remove the group. I knew that this would be a bigger mistake on their part than on mine. You see what happens at that point is we create question in the market. Now buyers have a choice, and people need to realize that as an Agent, I am a Salesperson, and as easy as it is for me to Sell something, it is just as easy for me to Un-Sell something.They have to realize, just as the others should. My intentions aren’t to HURT someone, but rather to HELP someone else, but I guess in this case, one has to be hurt in order for the other to be helped. But after all was said and done, I slept like a baby that night, my personal indicator that what I deed was right!Till this day I really don’t have an issue with the Kayel camp. I think their career choices are something to be considered and that they have a superior product that needs to be nurtured. But I guess the obvious perception people have about Freestyle are based on artists poor decision making abilities.BREAKING NEWS!!!!
during my days writing this blog, I received a certified letter from Mr. David Torres, you remember him right? The guy who’s been pretending to sing Diamond Girl for over “Twenty Years”. The texture of this paper seems a bit rough so I’ll just use this as a coaster to place my coffee mug. Listen, as far as I see it, if a judge would ever agree with yours or any of the other’s claim, then the justice system really sucks, and I try to give them at least some benefit of a doubt. Any way, here’s the letter.

For those who have never started a business. DBA stands for “Doing Business As” It is the lowest form of establishing a business and used mainly to open a bank account under that name. So Mr. Torres, or do I call you Mr. Nice & Wild, how about Mr. Trademark owner. When you start playing with the big boys, it might be a good idea to form a Legitimate Corporation and leave the DBA’s for the Lemonade Stand owners.Well people, there it is! Please try and understand that this is not an attempt of being an ass nor a trouble maker. But rather to shed light on an important issue regarding an industry that I care for and has cared for me and my family for many years. It’s a shame, because when you look at other markets such as Hip Hop. You don’t see things like this. There is and always will be One Rob Base, One Salt & Pepper, One Naughty by Nature. You will never go to an LL Cool J performance and be disappointed when a 17 year old kid walks out wearing a Kangol and rapping over LL’s recorded Vocals.This is why Hip Hop has stood the test of time. Why that genre has expanded into other areas such as fashion, film and sports. It’s created millionaires over and over again. Name me one millionaire in the Freestyle genre. Try and include an “Imposter” act in a Hip Hop concert. It would NEVER be tolerated! The other performers would be the first to step up and speak out, refuse to share the stage with a wanna-be phony who will do nothing but disgrace the stage and tarnish their night. And I wouldn’t put it pass them to physically toss those lying stealing thieves out on the curb where they belong.My wife had asked me a little while ago, why would I post these letters with all the contact information and names. Wouldn’t that make it easy for others to contact the Phony acts and their managers? In my opinion, if a promoter is that stupid, then I wouldn’t want to work with them anyway! Peace Out Ya’ll and don’t forget, Speak Out Against Deceptive Freestyle Club and Concert Events Freestyle 4 Life!La’

 

[WhoKnew?]

oh brother!

 

[freestylegreek]

Kenny you could just give us 1 link no need to post so many times about something we can just read on the link LOL.

But ya too much drama and as i said it before and will repeat myself BIG NAME RECORD LABELS DONT WANT DRAMA WHICH IS WHY THEY WONT TOUCH FREESTYLE.

END OF STORY.

 

[CrayoneBoy]

Wow, Thats some crazy stuff. I knew there was alot of drama in the freestyle world.
Thats why it will never come back. People dont wanna be caught up in it. Good Luck!

 

[Kenny Guido]

Its seems to me that Latif is trying to play the role of "God" by taking on the impossible. Why does he make it his business to make people's careers his priority?

 

[george]

Maybe he should write a book. Look, I'm not into all the drama. I love the music. I love all those artists mentioned above- TKA, Angel, Lil Suzy, David, etc... But i said it before and I'll say it again...David's early Mic Mac catalouge includes some great freestyle classics. Why on Earth he spends so much time going after the Diamond Girl thing is beyond me. Everytime he's on a show lineup, I go there hoping he sings his solo stuff, which he usually doesn't do. And as far as Angel goes. I loved her solo album and singles and it's fair to say that most of the Cover Girls best songs were with her. But lets not forget-good, bad or indifferent, she left the band. During the height of their popularity, I might add. Many bands have changes their lineups. So for anyone to call them the Phony Girls is just ridiculous. However, they should record some new music.
In my opinion, Angel is too talented to waste anymore of her time on the CG drama. She's proved with her solo stuff she can do something new. With that being said, I have and will continue to go see shows with The Cover Girls as they are in their current lineup featuring Evelyn. I am not throwing my money away.

 

[francis]

Its seems to me that Latif is trying to play the role of "God" by taking on the impossible. Why does he make it his business to make people's careers his priority?

I have one question : Why did you post this message on your forum?
We all know that you serve the interests of Sal S. (Fever Records), and Latif and others are your competition especially in making shows and money.
Is it for drama only ?
By the way, I'm not from any camp...I just wanna know...
Take care.

 

[damultieditjunke]

what exactly happend with tony garcia and lil suzy?
is tony garcia realy that big of a scamer?

 

[cArLiToS WaY]

Does ANY of this have anything to do with the fans? I'm sitting here, asking myself..."Do I really give a shit?"

 

[freestylegreek]

Of course Tony Garcia is a scammer. After Lil Suzy's 2nd album wasnt good she left and he came up with Lil Johanna. Also the whole Reinaldo BS and the whole NV and Peter Fontaine fiasco.

Plus with him telling people to sign a contract and then of course your stuck to him like glue while he does nothing to your songs and lets them sit or you dont sing or cant sing cause he has control of you.

Just get a REAL producer like Carlos Berrios.

Now thats the END OF THE STORY.

what exactly happend with tony garcia and lil suzy?
is tony garcia realy that big of a scamer?

 

[Kenny Guido]

I want to show how much Latif is trying to spew hate amongst the community and I dont think many people read his blogs.