Update: Note from Trylemma at the end.
Damn, it really wasn't my intention for this to be depressing, but that meme is giving me the feels...
So the more cynical among you probably saw this coming with the reduced frequency of postings and the long holiday break we had. But I couldn't just leave it with us disappearing (from here at least) without providing an explanation and saying a few words, which you all know by now I enjoy doing.
The reason behind this isn't what you might think. I'm going to be purposefully vague in case Trylemma wants to add anything on a more personal note to what I'm writing, but a bit before Thanksgiving he was hospitalized with serious health issues. He has not had it easy since then, and as much as I know he loves doing this blog, the seriousness and dedication with which we run it is not possible to maintain when you're literally dealing with life and death issues (yes, it is like that. So allow me to be pretty serious below.)
This blog has always been a partnership. Trylemma provided the energy and the motivation to make this what it was. He tracked down many of the rarities we post, he corresponded with artists and other fans and got us the attention that we did manage to get through other social media avenues. Dude's amazing at this, and both his knowledge and love of hip hop is, IMHO unparalleled. At the risk of sounding sappy, he's a true friend and doing this blog without his contributions would not only not be the same, I flat out don't think it would work because for me it needs to be fun, and the fun from this came from that partnership. It's been a cool five years (damn it really has been that long) for me and I want to thank him for that sincerely.
I also want to thank those of you who tuned in weekly, commented, requested, spammed our C-box with potty humor, all of it (some of you more than others but whatever). This blog was my first time really experiencing how the internet can bring people from all over the world together through a common interest, I was really that tech naive. It still amazes and humbles me that we were getting so many people from so many different countries and continents and islands on such a regular basis, and I really appreciate all of you and thank you for your interest.
And finally, to all the artists who sent us music to review, or read our reviews and reposted elsewhere, or got irritated by what we posted, thank you as well. Indie rap is IMO so unique in that I believe it is a music fan's music. Think about it, with sampling or some of the more intrepid producers you might have an album with elements from every genre of music, being bent and formed and united through poetry. It's such a mind-blowingly cool concept for a music nerd like myself who really does enjoy almost all of it. And anyway that means that from artists to fans we all just love music enough to dedicate our time, energy and money to experiencing it and sharing it. Indie rap artists are the fucking realest, and every single one of them I corresponded with through UGF was kind, humble, intelligent and clearly doing this for the love. So thank you to all of you, you know who you are.
So this is it for now. I won't say UGF will never be back, but it sounds like for at least the next year Trylemma is going to be fighting and that's gotta take center stage. I will continue as much as I'm able to maintain the download links that I provided and where possible his as well. In addition, you can all still hit me up with requests via email, the chatbox is not going to be the best place as I probably won't be viewing this page much.
So let's all send out good vibes to Trylemma for a safe and quick recovery! I don't know how closely he'll be monitoring what's posted here but I will relay any personal messages anyone wants to submit via comment, and he sees our emails as well.
Thanks again and pump up the volume!
-Dimxsk (01/07/2024)
NOTE FROM TRYLEMMA: First off, thanks for all the kind words on here, via email, and via Instagram. The short story is that a couple days before (American) Thanksgiving, I stopped by the hospital to get some swelling checked out in my thighs and leg. Over the next 24 hours, I was admitted to the hospital, had multiple tests and scans done, given multiple blood transfusions, and ultimately diagnosed with end stage cirrhosis liver disease. The next month was sort of a dreamscape as I spent most of it in a hospital bed, undergoing multiple biopsies, procedures, tests, and surgeries (including a brutal 9 hour one.) Despite having an amazing liver team, the tests were ultimately unable to determine the cause of the disease - I've never drank alcohol, no fatty liver, no autoimmune issues, no hepatitis, no signs of rarer issues, and I'm relatively young at 33. The doctors think it was something I contracted when I was young and slowly damaged my liver without sign, and then disappeared before the symptoms came on.
Despite this pretty life changing news - I can't help but feel grateful. First of all, even though it was far too late for any preventative measures to occur, I am very happy I went in when I did. The swelling was the first visible symptom - but the rest quickly followed in the days to come. Most notably, I became very anemic, leading to needing transfusions of different types almost daily. At one point I couldn't stand up without passing out. My appetite also disappeared and my muscle mass began to waste very very fast. I was set to fly across the country the next day for the holidays - something that could have ended very badly. I also have the best team of liver doctors (and GI doctors) working on my case at the best hospital in the state. My family, which includes a physician, nurse practitioner, and RN, have been supportive, especially in walking me through things such as daily blood tests. I also realize that despite my illness, I still have it better than a lot of people out there, so it's hard to complain.
I am finally out of the hospital (for now, knock on wood) and trying to digest the past month, as I look into liver transplant (which is one of, if not the, most difficult organ transplants) options. I unfortunately don't really have time for UGF right now. I wanna give a huge thanks to Dimxsk for keeping this alive for its run. There's no one I love talking music more with than him. He was also a huge source of support while I was in the hospital - something I won't forget. With that said, the end never needs to be the end - and UGF signing off for now doesn't mean it won't return sometime down the line. Maybe one day the underground gods will resurrect us alongside GhettoTylitt, ThisIsForTheHustlers, Beetbak, TilInfinity, RecordScience, Ludz, and all the other greats!
