Lou Armstrong of the HITMAKERZ "Take That Risk" @LOU_ARMSTRONG Written By: @BOURNE_FIORE

  Here's another breaking day updatte, only some of you are going to understand my references.

  With summer winding down and school on the horizon, savoring those last few hits of Blue Dream, let’s all emerge from the haze of summer and get into the classroom. The bell has rung and it’s your new professor, Bourne Fiore bringing you the latest in hip-hop academia. Lou Armstrong drives down a road paved with "harsh experiences such as the horror of his door being shot down, forcing him and his brothers to hide under their beds because Colombian drug dealers were looking to kill their mother”. Days are spent rolling in the hoop-d, as he lives a life that only those in the fast lane can relate to. Personally, I’m steady bumping Max B, French Montana, and paying homage to a record entitled Real N!ggaz 4 Life as I write about the self proclaimed Phat Boyz member. Currently the leader of the Hitmakerz, Armstrong is slimming down Boston’s music scene, making himself known in and out of the hood.

  Lyrics from “Take That Risk” presents just one of numerous tales of this man’s history. Armstrong can be called upon as a tool for the paper, slick fish, dish in and dip out Latin male. Many still salute him in Jamaica Plain, they see a man who provides truth, drawing from his life experiences, thrown over hip hop and presented with a raw, uncut lyrical ability. A product of his environment, Armstrong, accused of attempted murder, finally won the high profile case and has since then decided against life in the slow lane. Breaking ground on the day to day, Lou has credible associations with Frankie Wainwright, Medicine Man, DJ Chubby Chubb, Kay Slay, J.R. Writer, Beanie Sigel, Fred the Godson, Red Café, and the list goes on. Mixed in his pot and brought to a boil, Armstrong blends family values, gunning, hooping, and a prison yard style loyalty to incorporate into his life and his music. Losing his younger brother Alberto Duarte, is just one of the many tragedies that Armstrong has been forced to confront in his life.

 Homework for tonight: watch, observe and study the video “Take That Risk”, and recognize the many ways in which Lou Armstrong challenges himself and furthermore, challenges hip-hop.