Vagabonds

VAGABOND—one who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a tramp; hence, a worthless person; a rascal.

Miami, the Magic City as its officially referred to by the county, and the bottom, the crib, or the M-I-Yayo as its referred to by the locals, is a city full of juxtapositions; upper-class neighborhoods bordering poverty stricken communities, remnants of a once all-American town where the minority is now the majority, and a thriving hip-hop scene in a town whos music consumer statistics would indicate otherwise.

In the past couple of years, the Miami hip-hop scene has blown into the mainstream. It has been the called the second wave, with the first the Miami Bass movement consisting of Uncle Luke, DJ Uncle Al, 2 Live Crew, JT Money and the Poison Clan among others. However, although many artists from Miami have deservingly reached unimaginable heights of fame and success, Miami music has received a lukewarm response based on the quality and content of the music itself. Many critics state that there is no substance in the music based out of South Florida, and outside of a couple of artists, there is little to no socially aware content to be found.

This is where the VAGABONDS movement comes into the picture. Both the name of the duo, as well as the name of their company, long-time friends and fellow artists Baysiqly and E.R. are looking to fill that void. A couple of months after jumping ship from a fast sinking music group venture with a former partner, the two began working on their solo endeavors. One day, Baysiqly contacted E.R. to flip a sample for a concept track he was working on. This is the beginning of the surprise underground hit Space Music, which after being released for a month, generated over 12,000 downloads on word of mouth promotion alone. After creating the record in the summer of 2009, the two knew they were on to something special and began working on an album, which also churned out an EP in the process. This was especially easy for them, because they share many of the same views on life, and have similar musical styles.

What initially began as a solo album for Baysiqly (which the EP remained), as time went on they realized they might as well join forces, as two heads are better than one. A rapper/producer duo in this day and age is rare, but in this case it works out for the better due to the quality of music the VAGABONDS camp are putting out. Although it is a rapper/producer duo, it would be unfair to label them as just that. E.R. often chimes in with the occasional verse to voice his opinion on the matter at hand, with his laid back but rapid fire flow, which compliments Baysiqlys raspy, aggressive approach on the track. This is not to say that Baysiqly doesnt also chime in on E.R.s craft. He often comes up with a concept or direction he wants to head in, and E.R. gets to work on his plush, laid back productions that compliment Baysiqlys lyrics like none other.

The new-found success and compatibility with their music has caused the two partners to go into business. In 2010, they formed Vagabonds Music Group, LLC. They will fund their music efforts through the company, as well as operate as a label under it. With publishing companies already established, management companies on call, in-house graphic design, and affiliation with one of the hottest up and coming clothing lines out of Miami, Addiktive Clothing, Vagabonds Music group will be a force to be reckoned with, both on the music side of things, as well as in the corporate world. Be on the look out for many Vagabond sponsored events and collaborations in the near future!