We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tislam a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tislam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project would have to be Bmore Dilla. Back in late 2006 I was a curator for and event called Season the Microphone Mondays, a open mic at Turntable Club and I also was a street team member for Stones Throw Records. If you don’t know Jay Dilla that’s a whole other story so look him up and thanks me later. I been fan before I the band wagon, no hate just speaking the truth. So Dilla before he passed was on STR and they where setting up tribute events for him all lover the world to celebrate his legacy after he passed. So my connect at STR Havana Joe gave me a call late 06 and asked if I would be able to put together an event in my city. So seeing as I already had a space I was using to do and event in why not just do it there. STR was going to promote it on their site along with all the others that was going on all over the world with huge headliners. So I hit up friends of mine on the scene, DJs, Emcees, and producers not only in Baltimore but also in D.C.. And with the help of MIssy who was running things at the Turntable Club we were able to do the first Bmore DIlla in 2007.

Me and the other Bmore Dilla members, some changed over the years, continued for 11 years making this event happen. It grew tremendously from just local artist, i hate that term, to artist Dilla worked with ending the last two years with Pete Rock in 2016 and Pharoahe Monch 2017. We did covers of music that Dilla produced or performed on every year. Using a Live band for many of the years. We had singers, rappers, DJ’s, visual artist, and more! The most important part would be the people. Year after year the crowd grew and became family. Always looking forward to the next year. To many stories to tell to many names to share. Every year the money raised when right back to Ma Dukes his mother Mrs. Yancey. In the beginning before the foundation came to be I remember personally the next day I would directly deposit the money into her account.. That lady was so sweet and trusted me to do that each time. Over the years she became like a long distance mom to me. Soon she would come to every Bmore Dilla event we had.

There is so much to share. One day maybe someone collect all my stories and put them out there. From organizing rehearsals to the last minute issues to the amazing performances. Just over a decade of greatness that was though to be done only to return thanks to Codetta Presents with Dilla Day. Less than a decade later I get a call that someone wants to bring it all back. So I helped where I could along with others and the event is back looking to continue next year bigger and better than you can image all willing.

I wanna say my apologies if I didn’t mention you and you felt like you should have been. I was just a spark to the wood that became the flame BMORE DILLA

Tislam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Honestly don’t know what to put. I am father, mentor, rap if asked, make beats when I can, currently run LoopDiggas and bi monthly last Sunday of the month event at Peabody Brewery as a part of Baltimore Record Bazar. Where thanks to Mystery Sound Music I send 3 samples from vinyl records for 5 different producers to sample and make and original beat from. They come and show case the 3 beats and one is chosen to return at the end of the year to become Lord Loop Digga for that year. Its free and starts at 4pm.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

A lot of my audience comes from organic friends and their friends who find me through them. I come from a time before social media as we know it. And its not much difference. Just right place right time is now right post right time. Being in the right rooms is being in the right lives. You have to interact with people and be consistent in everything you do.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Pointless but profitable to some. Just really have to learn it like anything and make the best of it. It was a big thing and now I think its more niche and maybe still making big money but I just wouldn’t know. Had a chance with a few friends to dive in but life be lifein!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tislamig/, https://www.instagram.com/godsensebeats/, https://www.instagram.com/loopdiggas/