Lady Ace Boogie Album Release wsg Convotronics, Ghost Heart, Mavericks & Monarchs
The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids
Jan. 17, 8:30 p.m.
$10, 21+
pyramidschemebar.com, (616) 272-3758
A lot has changed for Linda Tellis in the past couple of years.
An Atlanta native by way of both West Virginia and Ohio, Tellis moved to Grand Rapids in 2009 and landed a job at Cascade Engineering, where she steadily built a career as a facilitator of Lean Enterprise Systems for the company.
In that time, she also just so happened to build a name for herself as the hard-hitting creative force known as Lady Ace Boogie, one of West Michigan’s sharpest hip-hop artists.
Tellis started taking to the stage in 2012, and once she did, she was hooked.
“It has been non-stop ever since,” Tellis said. “I have grown so much as a person and an artist in the past two years, it's almost like I was reborn. … That is when my passion for writing and performing was undeniable — once I started making music for the people.”
Lady Ace released her debut record, Feel Good Music, in 2012 as an EP, which was largely a digital-only release.
“My main motivation behind creating Feel Good Music was to bridge the gap between conscious music, golden-era hip-hop and today's generation,” Tellis said. “I strive to motivate, inspire and empower people with my words, while delivering my thoughts in such a way where people can relate.”
On Jan. 17, Lady Ace will perform at The Pyramid Scheme to celebrate the release of an expanded version of Feel Good Music as a vinyl LP. Tellis was approached by Luke Schmidt and JP Pinckney of Hot Capicola Records earlier this year about partnering up for a release.
“I was so impressed with their approach, personalities and love for music, after a few weeks we made it official,” she said.
Putting the record together served as a valuable experience as both an artist and collaborator, Tellis said.
“From the very first song to the new additions, it has always been about building with my collaborators and creating something beautiful,” she said.
Handling production and mixing on the record was mostly done by Curtis "Sir" Manley of Man@Work Productions, Tellis said, as well as several additions from producer Jason "Nixon" Burke.
“Having the opportunity to work with [Manley] and build a friendship was by far the most rewarding thing for me,” she said.
In addition to Manley and Burke, Tellis also notes fellow West Michigan artists and producers such as Rick Chyme, J. Rob of GLC, Dante Cope, Mozaic and Chip Vicious as just a few of her favorite collaborators.
In addition to her creative output and full-time job, it’s also very much worth noting Tellis is the co-founder of both Think 50/50, an organization committed to growing small business and nonprofits, and Youth Outlet, a nonprofit whose mission is “to unveil the hidden potential in under-served youth with a creative and life skills-focused curriculum.”
Through both her music and work in the community, Tellis has established herself as a leading voice of forward-thinking outreach in the area.
“West Michigan welcomed me with open arms, and I couldn't be more happier about the direction the scene is going in.”
The Lady Ace Boogie LP release show kicks off at 8:30 and will also feature performances from Convotronics, Ghost Heart and Mavericks & Monarchs. Tickets are $10.
Music News
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Since the release of their third album, Meridian, The Soil and the Sun have been on a national run supporting the release. If you didn’t catch them at their November release show at Founders, the group plays at Pyramid Scheme on Jan. 24.
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