For those of you who may or may not know, my name is Joe Joe and I have attended every single Vibe event ever except the first … I’ve been there through the high’s and the low’s, getting to witness some of the best performances in our areas and (sadly) some of the worst … Because of my long attendance streak (which in itself deserves an award – just kidding!), I thought it would be nice to write an unofficial Vibe Awards blog, and who knows, maybe someday this will turn into an annual thing or actual event … 

Anyways, here goes:

THE “ALL-AROUND” AWARD:
Just Words
The all-around award would go to someone who is well-rounded in his individual craft. He or she can perform in a multitude of directions and styles, captivating the audience in more ways than one.  Just Words’ does just that and I truly believe no one else could say otherwise.

INSPIRATIONAL AWARD:
Jack Freedman
Here is man who has been through it and back.  He has overcome many obstacles and defied many odds, proving he is one of the best out there today.  His project, “Trails from The Greenbelt” is an awesome representation of what he can really bring to the table!

“LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT” AWARD:
Paul Strayfer
Words quite frankly can’t do any justice.  He is simply an innovator ahead of his time! In a genre where many have a “houlier than thou” attitude, it is simply refreshing to know that the thing that admires me most about Paul is his humility (like none other)!

“MVP” AWARD:
Dave Noodlez/Paul Marz (Tie)
When I say “MVP (Most Valuable Player)” or “Tie,” I don’t mean it in the sense that we’ve come to known it today.  In fact, when I look back at the months of the Vibe and think of consistency, determination, and dedication, these two take the cake.  That is not to say that no one is willing to put in the work or grow as artists, but personally speaking to and getting to slowly know these two over the past year has reminded me what I really used to love about hip-hop culture.

“MOST IMPROVED” AWARD:
Doug Cala
If you look back to Doug’s original performance and compare it to how far he has come, he is simply untouchable.  It really is a shame he had to go away for college because we at the Vibe definitely miss his presence and ever-so-changing abilities! I think Doug and Jack do a great job feeding off of one another and really have grown nicely as a team but individually too!

While I may have broken this down into only five categories, surely, the Vibe is much more than that.  There are many out there who deserve honorable mentions so maybe Sal will allow me to return with a semi-monthly type column for the site, which would feature part two of my awards presentation!

-Joe Joe (aka Josephus The DJ)
myspace.com/jkhalil
myspace.com/JosephusTheDJ