Columns

Generation NEXT: Fly Street Gang

admin — 2013-05-20 19:26:56

Trio From the Bay Believes In the Rule of Three
3:30PM ET May 20th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

The hip-hop group seems to have gone the way of Cross Colour outfits and four-finger rings. While the genre was once dominated by acts like Run-D.M.C., OutKast, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan, the hip-hop landscape since the mid-2000s has been mostly populated by solo artists. Hip-hop collectives like Black Hippy or label crews like YMCMB are prominent—but full-fledged groups have dwindled.

Oakland, CA-based trio Fly Street Gang could be the act to change all of that.

Tah, Jay and Phantom are a rap group in the truest sense of the term. The Bay Area natives came together musically and sought to be a trio from Day 1. “You can do a lot by yourself, but when you have people that you’re always around anyway with you doing it together, it’s something different,” says Tah. “I like being in a room bouncing off ideas,” Jay adds. “Having three minds is better than one.”

That adage has been at the core of Fly Street Gang’s approach. And the bond that the three have is evident in the way that they make music and how they view their career. “Me and Tah [are] cousins,” explains Jay. “Tah wanted to really start a group. I was around him at that time and we was naturally always together. Phantom was his schoolmate. So that came together that way. We always knew each other. It wasn’t solo artists coming together—we all started in a group.”

“We don’t have any problems with each other,” Jay continues. “It’s a good rapport with us. We don’t have problems with any one of us wanting to go solo or who’s the best or none of that. We just go forward as a group and hold each other down.”

And holding each other down has done wonders for their career. FSG has gotten more than 100,000 downloads of their tracks “Guns and Rosegold,” “Flight School” and “Fly Nonstop.” Singles like “Knock It Out” and “Step on the Gas” have gotten national radio spins.

“Around the time we had our first single on the radio, that kind of confirmed what we already knew,” shares Tah. “That’s when we knew that we were spreading further and it was kind of a defining moment. At that time, that was the biggest thing we’d done together.”

“You wouldn’t find any other group that sounds like us and we can pretty much do anything,” he adds. “We just try different things--just to see how good we could actually do it. It works really well because everybody [in the group] is so different.” Jay agrees that their uniqueness is their greatest strength. “We don’t sound like anybody else. And we’re a group that started out as a group. We can make party music, smooth R&B music, we have lyrical content—we’re a well-rounded group.”

But that individuality is all a part of the Bay Area’s hip-hop legacy. Acts like Too $hort, Digital Underground and Souls of Mischief all became stars without ever seeming to cross over into each other’s’ respective “lanes.”

“It was always unique styles and unique personalities,” Jay says. “It wasn’t always East Coast lyrical and it wasn’t always in the gang mentality. It was just coming from the streets, just your background and things you’ve been through. It’s unique in itself.”

Follow FSG on Twitter at twitter.com/flystreetgang
And check the crew out at FlyStreetGang.com

Generation NEXT: E Dott

admin — 2013-03-07 18:51:04

Florida-Born Emcee Is Focused & Ready
2:30PM ET March 7th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

E Dott’s musical journey has been interesting to say the least. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, the rhymer recognized the power of music early in life, even though it would be years before he committed to rocking the microphone. “I started out as a drummer when I was really young--In the southern Baptist church,” he explains. “[There’s] a lot of soul in the church in the south where I’m from. I developed this love for music on Sunday. I went to the hood church [and] they’d bring their problems and express their emotions through the music in church. I embraced the emotion.”

Apart from drumming in church, E Dott also recognized the energy of the secular sounds Florida was becoming famous for; namely, raunchy bass-heavy club rap. “In Tampa, it wasn’t always big on lyrics. We grew up on 2 Live Crew and jams like that and everybody jumped on that Miami movement and as we got older it turned into the jook movement. We called Tampa ‘Jook city,’” E Dott says. “I think I developed that love for the party in Tampa. But when I moved, I developed the love for lyricism.”

That move took the soon-to-be-artist north to Pennsylvania, where living in the Philadelphia area gave him a newfound appreciation for rhyming—and sharpened his focus. “It was like everybody on the block was spitting. They go around in a circle and everybody rapped. It was more involved in the culture for people to lyrically rap. It was a high standard for freestyles and cyphering. I knew I had to step my lyrical game up.” And after the fateful killing of his best friend and rhyme partner in 2008, E Dott committed himself to achieving his dream and making hip-hop his career. “When he got killed, it was definitely like...sealed in stone that this is what I gotta do,” he shares. “I gotta go after this.”

And E Dott has gone after it, wholeheartedly. He focused his attention, talent and energy into recording “Letter of Intent,” a mixtape that reflects his life and reality and showcases his gifts as an emcee and vocalist. The title is more than just a clever nod to E. Dott’s past as a basketball player, it always references his perspective on where his career is today and where he’s heading. “[It’s like] the process of becoming a college athlete--you sign your letter of intent to go off to school and accept your scholarship. To me, it’s like the come-up. I’m not necessarily there yet. I’m right there, though and I’m hungry and I’m waiting. I see this big opportunity—just like when you sign the letter of intent to play a college sport.”

“Letter of Intent” has gotten the emcee tremendous online buzz, and it’s shown him how his own words can resonate with listeners in the same way that those choirs resonated with folks in his younger years. “I get tweets and Facebook statuses and people hitting me about ‘Letter of Intent.’ Just knowing that my emotions and my experiences and me expressing that through my craft is really touching people and they’re vibing…[and] it’s getting them through their day. That’s a helluva reward.”

Follow E Dott on Twitter at twitter.com/edottanswer
And check him out at EDottAnswer.com

Point of Review: Joe Budden

admin — 2013-02-12 11:43:55

No Love Lost
7:00AM ET February 12th, 2013
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Joe Budden's turn as a reality star on VH1's "Love & Hip Hop" series has raised his profile and his constant bickering with ex-girlfriends has ensured that the Jersey City native has remained a fixture on hip hop gossip sites for the better part of two years. Musically, his tenure with the supergroup Slaughterhouse has kept his knack for clever and sometimes-dark rhymes from being obscured by the drama of his personal life, but it is worth acknowledging that no one probably predicted Budden to deliver an album as musically-focused as his latest effort, No Love Lost.

The tough guy posing of his Slaughterhouse persona is downplayed this time around, with Budden opting to showcase more of his introspective side. One can't help but think that this is reflective of the new fanbase he's likely garnered from starring on a reality show about dysfunctional relationships; but it doesn't feel like a coldly calculated move here--even if it is. Budden is tapping into his inner Drake, inviting the listener in to his sometimes-melancholy world of heartache and redemption.

The track "You and I" is one of those mellow moments that's guaranteed to be a hit with his female fanbase, as is the smoothed out feel of "Skeletons." There is an organic vibe to the music here, with Budden opting to go for "Grown and Sexy" without foregoing his knack for wit or without sounding less-than-earnest when talking about his own inner demons.

"N.B.A." is fairly standard baller-rap, with its staccato hook of "Never broke again, never goin' broke again" and trunk rattling production and guest turns from Wiz Khalifa and French Montana. And, of course, this is still a 2010s mainstream hip hop album--so you're going to hear strip club music, best typified by the Lil Wayne and Tank-assisted "She Don't Put It Down."

A heavy mix of party anthems and somber moments, the album does drag on a bit long at 17 tracks. The remix to "She Don't Put It Down" feels unnecessary and the title track feels a little redundant and forced. But Budden sounds clear-headed and sharp throughout the album.

No Love Lost is probably the latest in a series of albums from Budden that feature him opening up; and the rapper's well-documented problems with women and drugs make him a prime candidate for such a project. While it's not necessarily "classic" material, it's definitely a strong release from a gifted rapper who's talents shouldn't be ignored or forgotten just because he's being beamed into your living room once a week.

Generation NEXT: Taylor J

admin — 2012-12-20 06:40:59

Midwest Rapper Is Ready To Put St. Paul On the Map
6:30AM ET December 20th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

Born and raised in St. Paul Minnesota, Taylor J. knew from the moment he decided to pursue a career in hip hop, he was going to have to fight an uphill battle. When you’re not based in New York or Atlanta or Los Angeles, it takes a special kind of determination to get yourself out there and noticed.

“[The St. Paul hip hop scene] was non-existent,” says the 21-year old with a laugh. But that all will change if Taylor J. has anything to do with it. He was inspired to pick up a pen by his brother, who was forced to abandon an attempted hip hop career after a prison sentence. A 2003 phone call to the then-11 year old Taylor forever changed his focus. “I was sitting at my mom’s house and got a call from the Douglas County Jail in Superior, Wisconsin from my big brother,” he recalls. “He called me and let me know that he got himself in some trouble--in a situation. But at the same time, he was giving me a lot of positive sh*t.” Up to that point, young Taylor didn’t realize his brother was writing rhymes. But after rapping to him on the phone, the youngster was inspired to make his own attempt and a hip hop career. “The moment he rapped that verse to me, I knew that was it,” he says. “I knew it was it. He insisted that I wrote a verse very day. He’d call me and ask me to rap it to him. That phone call, that’s when I knew—this is what I was doing. I felt like it was my job to finish what he couldn’t finish and allow him to live through me.”

Since that day, Taylor has grown into his own. Since moving to Atlanta, he’s been focused on taking over the game and with the success of singles like the Gucci Mane and Dose-featured “No Good” have helped him cut a path through hip hop and slide into his own niche. “It’s an artist’s job--an entertainers job--to entertain, but as an artist, I feel like I’m giving people exactly what it is,” he says bluntly. “I’m not sugarcoating sh*t and I’m not a flashy type of guy. I’m not really a singles-type of rapper. I’m bringing that life experience content to the industry right now; [what]the average nine to five n***a that’s waking up every morning to go to work can actually [relate to.] Not being so far over people’s heads and talking about shit that’s unattainable.”

“Being from St. Paul, you’re coming from the bottom,” J explains. “And you appreciate sh*t when you come from the bottom. You gotta work that much harder than everybody else. And you appreciate it. You teach yourself how to become a hard worker. I think that sh*t was great for me to be from St. Paul. Nothing was given to me.”

That Midwestern work ethic has served Taylor J. well, but he admits he’s had to get used to some of the shadier aspects of the music industry since moving to Atlanta. “The first thing I was disappointed in was just the personal relationships throughout the industry. There are a lot of good people in this industry, but a lot of people who are false and manipulative,” he says. “And their intentions are 100 percent bad. It wasn’t really a shock. You always hear rich muthaf**kas saying ‘these n***as is fake,’ so you already expect some bullsh*t. But when you experience it firsthand, it’s a wake-up call and sh*t’s real and you can’t trust these muthaf**kas.”

Despite those negative experiences, Taylor J has been able to navigate through some treacherous waters to get his voice to the people. His new “Control” mixtape, with famed hip hop journalist/historian Shaheem Reid, represents the pinnacle of all of his hard work up to this point. “I guess the mixtape term is to say ‘hosted by,’ but on the cover it says ‘With Shaheem Reid,’” he clarifies. “He’s not screaming all over my sh*t--he’s actually presenting this body of work with me. And I think it’s the best I’ve ever put together and I think the songs individually are all the best songs I’ve done at this point in my career. It’s the first project with major placements and features on it. Gucci, Dose, a couple of more people. This was my moment of truth.”

And it’s a moment that Taylor J most definitely earned. But he’s not resting on his laurels. And he knows exactly who he is as a man and as an artist. “When I moved to Atlanta, it was a bigger situation,” he recalls. “I’d signed my deal and I felt like everything was about to change up. But really—it’s the same sh*t I was doing in my mom’s basement. The same amount of time I spent in that basement is the same amount of time I spend in the studio. The best advice I’ve gotten so far is don’t switch up your method and stay strong behind that. And that advice came from just about everybody I ran into.”

Sounds like wise words to follow.

Follow Taylor J. on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorjtakeover
And check him out at Youtube.com/taylorjtakeover and his "Control" mixtape is [HERE]

Generation NEXT: LAW*

admin — 2012-12-14 01:22:14

Brooklyn B-Boy Breaks Musical Barriers
8:30PM ET December 13th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

A devout hip hopper that can sing as well as the best R&B singers with a musical and biological link to class P-Funk instrumentalism; L*A*W* is living proof that genre is an illusion. The Brooklyn native has become renowned for his high-energy live shows and eclectic musical releases. Born Lawrence T. Worrell, L*A*W* (Lyrical Assault Weapon) is the nephew of legendary Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and coming from such impressive stock instilled him a love of music that is unquestionable and unrestrained. A lover of music’s rich history, L*A*W* seeks to bridge generational and cultural gaps with his craft; though he has had to fight his share of industry battles due to his unwillingness to pigeonhole his sound.

“When you’re a black artist—[pigeonholing] is the automatic thing,” says the Grammy-nominated emcee/singer/instrumentalist. “Considering the fact that we created so much of American music, when we started to mold to certain things, i.e . Berry Gordy creating Motown, a lot of us forgot certain things.” L*A*W* skills as a guitarist and love of classic rock music weren’t exactly embraced by an industry that believes that a young Black artist should cater to urban radio. And he knows that there’s an entire history behind that stereotypical mindset. “Jimi [Hendrix] didn’t get the props from our community until after-the-fact,” he says. “. The worst thing that happened in the ‘70s was the ‘Black music division.’ Morris Day told me that in Minneapolis, in the early ‘70s, they had one station that played everything. That’s why that ‘80s Minneapolis sound was so diverse. So thank God for Fishbone, thank God for Bad Brains, thank God for Death, thank God for Prince, thank God for Lenny Kravitz.”

L*A*W*s love of hip hop is also evident in his stage show. A student of Golden Age legends like Big Daddy Kane, he doesn’t subscribe to the point-and-wave approach to performance that many contemporary hip hop acts have adopted. ”I look back to Young MC and Kid and Play and Hammer—and as much as the streets would diss them, I dug them. As much as they would make fun of that, I would give anything to have that back,” he reveals. “When 1994 came and cats stopped dancing, I kept on. I do a lot of choreography--just straight-up hip hop modern dance. And all my cousins that used to break, they stopped. I made a whole other hustle out of it. I have people from other countries that want me to show them how to dance like that.”

All of those rich influences have kept L*A*W* one of the most raved about indie artists in music and onstage. His release The Planet 12 Syndrome has generated tremendous buzz, he won this year’s Brooklyn RAW Artists Showcase, and his “Planet L*A*W*” Movement is real--with everyone from actress Rosanna Arquette to famed songwriter Dianne Warren raving about his music. Nonetheless, he never takes for granted the success that he’s gotten—nor is it lost on him how he’s gotten it. “I think the number one reward is being able to be with the legends that are still here,” he says humbly. “I’m able to build with them and tell them how much their music means to me. Chaka Khan is like family to me--and that’s my favorite female singer. To be able to tell her how much she influenced me is crazy. Also, just seeing our audience is such an amazing thing. The audience has been receptive to us doing these different genres of music. Record labels told us no one wants to see a rapper/singer/musician all in one. But if that’s the case—who the hell are all these people coming to see?”

Check out L*A*W* at planet12law.com
And follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/planet12law

Generation NEXT: DEEzo

admin — 2012-12-08 18:11:17

SoCal Rhymer Is Riding the Wave To Greatness
1:00PM ET December 8th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

DEEzo has been putting in work. The SoCal native is nothing if not ambitious, but he understands that you have to be more than ambitious to make it in this game. Born Derrick Reed in Fresno, CA and raised in San Diego, DEEzo’s estranged father worked as a hip hop producer, and realizing that as he got older inspired him to look back at older eras (and other genres) to seek inspiration for his own work.

“I feel like that music speaks to me because what they were saying was raw and uncut,” DEEzo explains. “[There was] a group singing a dope ass song and talking about dating 16 year old girls when they were thirty! It was just real and raw and uncut. It was just crazy to me. Over the years--all this digital sh*t--I feel like its losing the value of the sh*t. Me going back and listening to that music is like the core of when music was rich.”

“It’s like food,” he adds. “If you bake a ham or whatever-that first slice is the best slice. With leftovers, it gets weaker and weaker. I feel like [those] artists were the best music. That’s why I study them.”

In an age when most rappers can’t name an album or artist that dropped before 1996, DEEzo’s love for popular music’s rich heritage is evident. His track “Apollo Creed” showcases what he feels is a unique perspective and flow, and again, it hearkens back to a slightly older era. “[That song] defines who I am as an artist at the moment,” he reveals. “The production reminds me of that old Ruff Ryders sound. I feel like I did it differently than anybody else would attack that beat.” He attributes that unique approach to his diverse tastes. “I just feel like when I grew up and studied music, I didn’t just study hip hop--the hip hop way to write a song and format. I studied R&B and just dopeass songwriters. The way I rhyme, the way my cadence is, is more melody-driven. I feel like I attack the way that a singer would and put it in hip hop form.”

But again, DEEzo understands that being unique won’t be enough to open doors. Though doors have most certainly been opening since he crafted his debut single “Diamond 2 Step” back in 2008. He’s been featured in XXL and performed on BET’s “106 & Park.” And his mixtape “22 Summers “ generated tremendous buzz online. More than anything, he’s learned the importance of building strong relationships as a young rhymer. “[The industry] is like high school, kinda,” he explains. “You gotta know somebody to get the opportunities to be successful in the game. You can’t just be talented anymore. Even if you’re the dopest artist in the room--if you don’t know the main person or the person next to the main person, you won’t prosper. I feel like I grind like the biggest artist does, to the best of my capability. But its about who you know. I didn’t know that [beforehand.] Now I do.”

And DEEzo is passionate about SoCal hip hop and where it is right now. And he’s passionate about where he can take it. “In southern California, I feel like, as a whole—after Kendrick [Lamar]—its really, really opening up,” he says. “Artists like myself, I feel like it’s the best time to really go hard. He’s bringing the light back out here. It’s good. In San Diego, it’s more of a tourist city, so its kinda hard to get a core fanbase because everybody is in and out. The only artist we had was Swayze and he wasn’t even a real hip hop artist. I feel like the type of artist I am, I can go back to LA or I can stay out here and grind and keep progressing. I can’t leave what I start. It’s getting bigger and bigger.”

“I’m just trying to keep progressing. Just put out the best product, get on a couple of tours. I feel like if I can get on a couple of tours and outperform these big artists, there’s nothing you can tell me. I feel like I’m one of the greatest artists out. I just gotta keep displaying my talent. If its 7000 in there to see whoever, I want at least 5000 to know my name and look me up and become a fan."

Be Sure To Follow DEEzo at Twitter.com/RealDEEzo

Point of Review: Wiz Khalifa

admin — 2012-12-08 05:07:05

O.N.I.F.C.
9:00AM ET December 8th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Wiz Khalifa doesn’t want to be limited to his “stoner rap” reputation, but on his sophomore album O.N.I.F.C. (Only N***a In First Class for those curious) he references weed about 378 times and the entire album sounds so bong-friendly, your eyes will probably be red by the fourth track. When you name your first album Rolling Papers, and buddy up with Snoop Dogg, you’re gonna have to try a little harder to shake the pothead reputation. And despite the album’s introspective-sounding title, this isn’t really a rumination on fame. At least not in any way that hasn’t been done before.

Benefitting from a dreamy production from I.D. Labs, the opener “Paperbond” does exactly what you want it to do—set the tone for the remainder of the album. Wiz raps about his newfound success and reveals how out-of-place he still sometimes feels. But, as with most rappers, his insecurity is filtered through the lens of outsider bravado.

The pulsating “Bluffin” is a certified banger, with Wiz bragging about his wealth and clowning anonymous haters with “They don’t move that fast. They act like they don’t like cheese. Had a couple n***as mad like they don’t like me. Is it cuz I’m hella paid, I think it might be.” Not new territory by a longshot, but the production masks the bevy of hip hop clichés in the lyrics. The similarly-titled “The Bluff” features a winning Cam’ron cameo, and Wiz raps about being the “same n***a,” and “smelling like money and champagne.”

Notice a pattern?

“Got Everything” features Wiz spitting rapid-fire verses and breaks the somewhat monotonous flow of the first half of the album, a welcome change of pace for an album that can feel astoundingly repetitive. With the Courtney Noelle-sung hook, it’s an obvious choice for a single. Another album highlight is “Rise Above,” yet another ode to haters, this time with an assist from Pharrell Williams, up-and-comer Tuki Carter and a fairly irrelevant appearance by Wiz’s fiancée, Amber Rose.

But by the time you get to “Fall Asleep,” with Wiz aggressively yelling that “I got a crib so fat that you’ll get lost in that bitch, I got a car so fast that if I push one button—you wouldn’t see nuthin,” it becomes painfully obvious that he only has a few subjects on his mind—and none of them are that original or unique. Rapping about money is as old as rapping itself, and Wiz doesn’t really bring anything new to the table or reveal some distinct perspective that you wouldn’t hear in a million other rappers.

O.N.I.F.C. is a tepid follow-up that shows Wiz has grown some since 2011’s Rolling Papers, but it suffers under an endless string of references to haters and money. He sounds a little too satisfied with himself; and though the production is always listenable, its sometimes indistinct. And with such limited subject matter, it can make for a frustratingly limited listen. Nonetheless, Wiz has crafted a good-sounding album that plays well—and that says a lot in the skip-ahead 2010s. Just don't pay too much attention to the fact that he only seems to care about those three things: haters, pot and his money. He may not like his music being referred to as ‘stoner rap,’ but with soundscapes as hazy as this, (not to mention numerous audio clips of Wiz toking up) its hard to see why you would refer to it as anything else?

Point of Review: Kendrick Lamar

admin — 2012-10-26 19:45:35

good kid, m.A.A.d city
5:00PM ET October 26th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

The Age of the Internet Rapper has brought with it heightened expectations. Young emcees drop their debut albums sometimes two to three years after garnering steady headlines on music blogs and entertainment sites or snagging their first high-profile guest spots alongside A-list artists. All too often, these highly-anticipated debut albums fall short of the advertising that preceded them—whether it be artistically or commercially or both. From Drake to Wiz Khalifa to Yelawolf—so many current superstars delivered lukewarm-to-mediocre debut albums following tremendous mixtape/indie buzz.

Compton’s Kendrick Lamar, however, has broken that curse. And broken ground.

The gifted rhymer from the West Coast has been building his name for more than six years, and it reached fever pitch after he dropped the acclaimed digital release Section 80. last year. Nonetheless, he didn’t the fanatic fanbase that pre-Thank Me Later Drake boasted, nor did he have the devoted and impatient cult of a Big K.R.I.T. What Lamar did have, was a steadily growing groundswell of respect and adulation from peers and audiences. And the mentorship of the legendary producer/Aftermath CEO Dr. Dre.

On Lamar’s official Aftermath/Interscope debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, he crushes fans’ expectations for the project while simultaneously exceeding them. Lamar delivers an album that builds on his early promise without repeating old tricks, and the bevy of producers behind the boards somehow manage to craft an album that’s more cohesive mainstream hip hop albums tend to be in 2012. The soundtrack to Lamar’s life experience growing up in Los Angeles’ most notorious area, good kid…, like Ice Cube’s incendiary debut, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, cinematically strings together days in the life of a young, Black Angeleno. But where that earlier masterpiece delved almost exclusively into the nihilism and rage, good kid… also explores the subtleties and idiosyncrasies of the rapper’s environment and lifestyle—an aspect that echoes the quirkiness of another, albeit slightly-lesser-known classic West Coast debut: Del the Funkee Homosapien’s I Wish My Brother George Was Here.

But, he’s not some quirkier-than-thou backpacker, nor is he obsessed with “street kid” clichés. More than anything, Kendrick Lamar is a real person, with a unique perspective, and over the course of this cinematic opus, he invites you into his world.

The album opens with the sound of young men praying, then jumps into the ode to confused, awkward and all-consuming teenage lust, “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter.” The reckless horniness of the 17-year old protagonist is all-too-relatable to anyone that remembers their youth, and on “The Art of Peer Pressure,” he again nails the reality of adolescence without sounding at all preachy. “Really I’m a peacemaker, but I’m with the homies now,” he raps, admitting what too many young ‘gangstas’ won’t: that most of their wildin’ is rooted in the need for approval. The Tabu-produced track bubbles with inner conflict and the vivid realism in his storytelling.

Lamar’s gifted wordplay is on full display throughout the album—but you should know by now that the guy can rhyme. He again displays more vision and conflict on the radio-friendly “Swimming Pools (Drank)” where he rhymes “Making excuse that your relief/Is in the bottom of the bottle/And the greenest indo leaf” in a cautionary tale that masquerades as a party anthem. Preceded by the sounds of young men plotting, then committing, a murder; “Sing About Me (I’m Dying of Thirst) could be the finest moment on an album that’s chock full of ‘em; with K. Dot rapping from the perspective of the murder victim’s brother.

Kendrick Lamar has delivered the most assured major hip hop debut since Kanye West’s unexpected 2004 classic The College Dropout. Avoiding both musical and lyrical clichés, the Compton-born rapper has given his city its latest masterpiece and given Aftermath it’s star for the next decade. But more than that, he’s given mainstream hip hop a swift kick in the pants. And given fans reason to believe the hype.

Generation NEXT: Quesfire

admin — 2012-09-25 23:17:34

Bronx Rapper Lives On the Cutting Edge
7:00PM ET September 25th, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

Hip hop was born in the Bronx, as anybody who knows anything should be able to tell you. But, for emcee Quesfire, his love for hip hop wasn't just a product of where he was born--it is the result of what was born in him as a youngster. The Boogie Down native fell in love with hip hop and immersed himself in it an early age, and has now seen the many phases and eras through which the music and culture have moved.

It's what inspired him to pick up a microphone in the first place.

"I knew music was what i wanted to do when I became a fan of hip hop," says Ques. "I was a fan of hip hop in the Golden Age; when hip hop was fun, when it was OK to dance and wear crazy clothes." And Ques listened without prejudice, becoming as devoted to pop rap as he was gritty street narratives. "It sounds a little crazy but one of my favorite artists was DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince," he shares. "I loved the fact that Will Smith wasn't afraid to have fun and joke about his parents. But I also appreciated the Kool G Raps and the Naughty By Natures who brought the grittiness. And A Tribe Called Quest."

"I think that shaped me--who i am today," he adds. "It made me not only understand where hip hop came from, but where its going."

Having an eye for what's coming next is a big part of who Ques is artistically. For him, being able to see a few steps ahead has paid off. He's won two Underground Music Awards and recently signed a distribution deal with NSUC Entertainment and eOne Distribution. Tracks like "All In" have made him one of the most buzzed-about artists in New York City's indie hip hop scene.

"What sets me apart from everybody else is the fact hat I don't just use rapping anymore to separate myself," he says matter-of-factly. "I also represent the true independent artist--who is able to be self sufficient, who is able to market himself, conduct his business and able to move a crowd, and to know how to interact with his fans and sell records at the same time."

Forward-thinking is an indelible part of Ques' journey and he believes wholeheartedly that progression is what he's been able to build his career. "Stay true to what you really love to do [and] be innovative," says the rapper. "It helped me a lot. I was one of the first artists to have an all-flash drive album. There have been artists who had a flash drive single, but i created a credit card type [that included] not only music, but music videos, my picture, my bio--all in one."

"I was one of the first artists to have an iPhone app," he adds. "Only major radio stations and companies believed in iPhone apps. I was one of the few indie artists that believed in it from the beginning."

Ques knows that being visionary and talented are important, but they aren't the only things that lead an artist to greatness. Patience is key.

"The hardest lesson I've learned is that you can be prepared, you can have all the connections in the world, but timing is key. everything is timing," he says. "The most you can do as an artist is be patient. master your craft, master your art and never stop learning. getting in the game is all timing. I've just been waiting for the right time to jump in and do what i do best." "One of my favorite songs is a song I have called 'On My Soul,' which I released in 2006," he says. "Once, I tried to use one of those mp3 searches to see if i was anybody and that was the first song that popped up. What made that song real was I put real facts in that song and it really touched a lot of people. It wasn't just me sitting in front of a beat saying 'What am i gonna say?' For the first time, I was consciously just writing something that was real. It was so real that even now people are like 'that's one of my favorite songs.' "

But for Ques, he knows that he's given maximum effort to his career, and that's where his greatest sense of accomplishment lies.

"To know that I put everything into it--whether I become really successful in hip hop or not, or if my daughter asked me about my career and i never made it or didn't reach my goals--what made it all worthwhile was the sacrifice," he says. "And knowing that i tried and put all of my effort into it. I lost jobs. I couldn't go to school. Everything at the time was all hip hop, i woke up in the morning, I thought about writing songs. I spent my last couple of dollars on studio time. I spend 500 on an outfit to wear at a show where I was just doing one song."

"Whether you make it or not, it was all worthwhile. Because you gave it your all," he adds. "You didn't cut any corners, you didn't cheat. You gave it your all. "

Follow Quesfire at Twitter.com/quesfire
Or Check Out His Music At quesmusic.com

Point of Review: G.O.O.D. Music

admin — 2012-09-25 21:25:37

Cruel Summer
5:00PM ET September 20th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Thanks largely to Kanye West's influence, there are two pervasive themes in much of today's mainstream hip hop: a sense of persecuted entitlement and a preoccupation with the emptiness of being incredibly wealthy and famous. Kanye spent the better part of four albums mining those two ideas--sometimes with dazzling results. On the long-awaited compilation from his G.O.O.D. Music roster of artists, Cruel Summer, those twin notions are front-and-center on almost every track.

If only his compadres had his flair for the melodramatic and his musical instincts.

The album opener, "To the World" has the kind of bombastic production one has come to expect from Kanye projects over the past few years, with Yeezy dropping few lines; including "I need a new crib to hold my plaques, Rick Ross told me that." As an opener, its a bit of a dud--with a hook from R. Kelly that seems phoned-in. Despite a kinetic Kanye rap, with his usual parade of I'm-rich-and-hating it pensiveness, its not the anthem it clearly aims to be.

The Hit-Boy produced "Clique" is a triumph, with an excellently funky, minimal production on the verses that transitions into a pumping sonic backdrop. With Big Sean opening the song with one of the most inspired verses on the album and a scene-stealing appearance from Jay-Z, "Clique" is a standout track on an album that suffers from schizophrenia and shallowness.

Its hard to shake the feeling that the artists are all guests at Kanye West's party, and even for a compilation, the project never seems to find a focus. "The One" was probably a better idea than the finished track suggests. The somber piano backing doesn't really jibe with a hook like "Got a pistol on my whip, and its gonna be some sh*t. If you want it, bring it on," as sung by Marsha Ambrosius. Coming late on an album full of "Look at me" pomposity and "Woe is me" rich-boy-blues, its an indistinct moment that never catches fire.

The somewhat surprising Ma$e cameo aside, "Higher" is another one of the project's highlights. Some are sure to take exception to the rapper-turned-reverend boasting about his wealth, but if you don't take it too seriously, he sounds focused for a guy who's largely been M.I.A. for the past several years. As to be expected, "The Morning" serves as the 'lyrical' showcase of the album, with veterans Pusha T, Common and Raekwon trading bars with 2 Chainz, Kid Cudi and Cyhi the Prynce. The production allows the rhymes to take center stage-a rarity in contemporary hip hop. In particular, the Chef shines, despite a dunderheaded couplet like "Love us or not/The Mark Zuckerbergs of the block." But, like "The One," it's another track that seems stilted by a hook that doesn't really fit with rest of the song. An "almost" moment stunted by the weird lack of cohesion that defines this project.

The Kid Cudi showcase "Creepers," however, is a strange highlight. Over a skittering beat, the Ohio native sounds otherworldly and detached. Cudi has never been an artist that appeals to everyone, so if you've never liked him, that probably won't change here. But for those who appreciate his gift for druggy abstractisms and forlorn introspection, "Creepers" is an oddball standout. Nonetheless, its a little sobering that "Mercy," the project's lead single, is quite easily the best song here. The crew never sounds more in-charge than on the project's first single, a sad reminder of how disposable the rest of this feels.

Cruel Summer is a solid listen, but never feels like more than what it is--a side project for a brilliant artist who wants to showcase the talents that populate his imprint. It may serve its purpose in announcing G.O.O.D. Music to the world, but here's hoping the artists showcased on Cruel Summer emerge more fully-formed on their own projects. Because here, they seem to be merely window dressing for a mad genius.

Point of Review: Nas

admin — 2012-07-25 18:51:18

Life Is Good
6:00PM ET July 20th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Nas has had one of the more frustrating careers in hip hop.

Indisputably a legend, one of the greatest rhymers to ever pick up a pen, the Queensbridge rapper has shown himself to be capable of some of the most inspired music the genre has ever seen and some of the most head-scratchingly unlistenable music an A-list emcee has ever put to wax. The unmitigated brilliance of Illmatic is countered with the mediocrity of Nastradamus, the inspired Stillmatic sits uncomfortably next to the banality of Street's Disciple. Nas has always been very hit-and-miss.

But hasn't everyone who's career has spanned two decades?

On his latest opus, Life Is Good, Nasir Jones mines his own personal turmoils--the dissolution of his marriage to pop star Kelis, the struggles of being a playboy father trying to raise a teenage daughter, etc.--for some of the most focused and inspired music of his career. Many have compared the album to Marvin Gaye's classic 1978 album Here, My Dear or Blood On the Tracks, Bob Dylan's acclaimed divorce-themed LP from 1975. Life Is Good sits comfortably alongside both of those projects, but it would do this album a disservice to not acknowledge its own identity and the unmistakable vision and voice of its creator. It's subject matter has been tread before, but Nas isn't aping his predecessors. He's telling his story his way. On "No Introduction," the album opener, the 38 year old spits as only he can over a bombastic production, reminiscing about dark stairwells, syrup sandwiches and sugar water and acknowledging that he's made it to where he is today because of where he's from. The stellar "Loco-Motive" features rapper/superproducer Large Professor, and as could be expected, musically echoes Nas' mid-90s Illmatic-era--a fact that he mockingly acknowledges during the outré ("This for my stuck-in-the-90s n***as.")

The Rick Ross-assisted "Accident Murderers" is an album standout, with both Nas and Rozay offering inspired rhymes (over one of No I.D.'s best productions) about the violent crimes that some commit for reputation and status while not grasping the true repercussions of their actions. One of the album's most talked-about tracks, "Daughters," is Nas' ode to fatherhood--and is one of the more honest moments on this album or any other rap record that's been released in recent years. Acknowledging the difficulty in being single-and-swinging star while raising an ever-maturing girl, some will decry the song's undeniably patriarchal stance--but patriarchy is, after all, "of the father." Nas explains his conflict with the same unflinching realism and compassion he's always brought to his street tales.

"Summer On Smash," produced by Swizz Beatz, could be dismissed as the obligatory 'radio' song--and it is--but it stands well against the album, even if it does feel like a concession. "The Don" is classic Nas, a NYC-repping rave-up that reminds everyone how ferocious Escobar can spit when he's focused and given an aggressive backdrop to go nuts on. Victoria Monet's sweet vocals accentuate the 80s-inspired production of "You Wouldn't Understand," another standout an album that's full of them.

The album closer, "Bye Baby," is the most explicit reference to his failed marriage and high-profile divorce. Nas posed on the cover with Kelis' wedding dress, so its no denying that the split is the catalyst for the entire album--but the rapper doesn't allow bitterness to define the track. Instead, he offers an honest look at his hurt feelings and bittersweet memories, and closes the song admonishing those men who clowned him but don't have the nerve to marry the women that have held them down for years. Its one of the most mature responses to heartbreak that a rapper has committed to wax--in a genre that too often resorts to juvenile "F**k these hoes" sentiments when men have to deal with the wounded pride that can surface after a breakup.

Life Is Good is an always compelling--and at some points, riveting--look at a mature rapper who's lived enough to see through the haze of the lifestyle that his genre celebrates; and an introspective entry into Nas' catalog that stands alongside the best of his work. The rapper who began his career as a project teen writing about his baby daughter and blunt-rolling has become a millionaire man writing about his flaws as a father and husband while reveling in the joys of his journey.

Life is good, indeed.

Point of Review: Big K.R.I.T.

admin — 2012-06-21 18:04:01

Live From the Underground
6:00PM ET June 10th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

"Mama say I'm letting life go by, as if I ain't grinding. As if I don't try."

The lead-up to Big K.R.I.T.'s debut album may not have reached feverish, Drake-like levels of anticipation, but the Mississippi-born rapper has become one of the most respected rhymers in the game--and quietly one of the South's most distinctive producers. Fans of classic southern hip hop fawned over K.R.I.T. for his distinctive blend of U.G.K.-isms and Organized Noize musicality. But K.R.I.T. is no mere throwback artist, he uses the past as a touchstone, but he has developed his own voice.

He's not a revivalist, he's a survivalist.

And K.R.I.T.'s debut Live From the Underground, fulfills much of the promise the young emcee revealed on mixtape after mixtape and via guest appearances with critically-acclaimed artists like The Roots.

This is the thinking man's trap music.

The evolution of a young man's psyche, as well as reverence for classic southern hip hop are recurring themes throughout the album. Eightball & MJG, UGK and Ludacris all make guest appearances. An from the rainy day sounds of "Hydroplaning" to the Dungeon Family-esque "Porchlight," K.R.I.T. isn't afraid to pick himself a part over a stirring string of tracks.

The piano-driven "If I Fall" is a standout, with Melanie Fiona providing vocal-assistant as KRIT raps about perseverance in a percussive flow reminiscent of early Ice Cube one second and 2Pac at his most thoughtful the next. "Praying Man" opens with an evocative snippet of a Southern Baptist Church congregation singing a traditional hymn, which bleeds into legendary bluesman B.B. King's world-weary vocals singing the hook. "They've taken what I had. I'm sure it wasn't much to them but it was all that I grab," raps KRIT, with King's distinctive licks permeating the track throughout.

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" covers familiar hip hop territory; fatherhood and the struggles that come along with it. But K.R.I.T.'s perspective is one of gratitude for his own father's guidance and the acknowledgement of his own inadequacies. There hasn't been a rapper as unashamedly pensive as this in quite some time. K.R.I.T.'s in his own head a lot.

That could make for a frustrating listen--no one likes a narcissist, after all. But K.R.I.T. puts it all across with a humility and sincerity that never seems self-absorbed. If the album has a flaw, its that uptempo, brag-fests like "Yeah Dats Me" sound a little less-than-convincing when coming from a rapper as notoriously self-questioning as K.R.I.T.

But, for the most part, Big K.R.I.T. reveals himself to be a young man with an old soul--and a sick flow. There are lots of upstart rappers that have technique, but many of them don't have a sharp perspective. Live From the Underground may fall just short of instant-classic status, but there's no shame in that when music is this rich.

This guy is just getting started.

Artist of The Month: R&B/Rap Artist BlackRose « Respect The Grind

admin — 2012-06-14 11:48:03

BlackRose R&b singer of the month

Music is an outburst of the soul. Music is what “Feelings” sound like. Music has the ability to convey what cannot be expressed. Rising R&B artist BlackRose is the essence of music. DYNAMIC, SOULFUL, POWERFUL AND DARING are the words that

Generation NEXT: Ginjah

admin — 2012-06-04 18:48:05

Reggae Singer Makes Music For the Spirit
7:00PM ET June 3rd, 2012
Contributor : Malcolm Strong
A Rocky Williform Company

Its easy to be cynical about a lot of today's music. When so many artists seem to know more about their sales numbers and Twitter followers than they do inspiration and sincerity, audiences and critics begin to dismiss what was once riveting art--in their eyes, it's become derivative product.

But in the case of reggae sensation Ginjah, earnest is never in question. The Jamaican singer is an incendiary vocalist who's music practically explodes with passion. And he says there's no other way he could create it.

"It's not difficult for me to express myself musically," he says. "Music is inside of me. The only difficult thing for me is getting the message out there. That's the most intricate part of this journey; to reach the masses of people. It is very difficult. [But] I kept on doing my thing and I'd never stop because I believe in the Most High Creator, its a joy doing what I love."

Joy and pain are free-flowing in life, and they are the life blood of Ginjah's music. A man of faith and commitment, he knew that music was to be his life's work at a very young age. "I started out at age five and that was when i found out I had this passion [for] music," Ginjah reveals. "But later on in life, when i was in high school, I realized this was what I really wanted to do--nothing else. I went to school, i tried to do my best, but i knew that it was music for me and nothing else."

Born in the parish of Hanover, Jamaica, Ginjah was inspired by the giants of reggae--and he even came under the tutelage of legendary singer Beres Hammond. Hammond invited the young vocalist to join his Hammond Harmony House label, and Ginjah opened for Hammond on tour. "He took me in and showed me the community," Ginjah says of his time with Hammond.

There were other major musical influences in Ginjah's life, as well. "Of course, the reggae king Bob Marley [was an influence]," he says. "Many more. I love music. Internationally, I love Sam Cooke and all of those great artists."

Those great artists helped influence Ginjah's passionate approach to music. "I sing with a tremendous amount of feeling," Ginjah adds. "I describe my music as feeling reggae music."

Ginjah is prepping his new album, Urge to Love for release. He says the project has been his most personal, introspective work to date. "That was the first time in my life that i expressed myself in that type of way," he says. "I'm singing about a lot of females and what I've been through. If it hurt my feelings, I'm singing about it. I thought I should just sing about it. Its a very wonderful album."

He's toured with his idols, he's one of the faces of burgeoning clothing brand M DYZN; but for all of his musical accomplishments and ongoing journey, the one event in his life that stands as his most amazing was a trip to The Continent.

"My proudest moment so far was when I went to Africa," he says. "It was like a dream come true. Really and truly. Apart from the music, one of my dreams was going to Africa. That came true. I know that dream can really come true. it was like a most beautiful thing. The joy of going to Africa was like when my son and my daughter were born. It just put me in that frame of mind. That's the best way to describe it. More than words can explain."

"I was born with this," he says. "It was from the Almighty. I didn't grab music, music grabbed me. Its in my DNA. An in-born concept. I got this gift from the Almighty. As I said before I realized that i had this talent from a very tender age. that's why I'm so passionate about the music."

His love of music is intrinsically intertwined with his love of God. And for Ginjah, there is no other reason for making music except to uplift the Creator and inspire the people.

"To maintain the message and the spirituality, first and foremost, that is what music is all about," he says. "Many people use it a different way. I want to go back to he Bible and keep it rooted and grounded. King David was a singer. He always sang songs and the songs he wrote are Psalms in the Bible. Generation to come can get inspired by your music. That's my concept of it."

Become friends with Ginjah at Facebook.com/ginjahmusic

Generation NEXT: Nenna Yvonne

admin — 2012-05-23 08:41:55

Nigerian-Born Pop Star Is Fearless & Focused
7:00AM ET May 23rd, 2012
Contributor : Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Nenna Yvonne is one of the most accomplished young indie artists in music today. The Nigerian-born pop star has garnered awards and acclaim for her songwriting, performed around the world and shared the stage with superstars like Drake; and her ambitions are only just being realized. Raised in New York and based in Los Angeles, Yvonne has had those ambitions for as long as she can remember. She was put in front of an audience and asked to perform as a precocious five-year-old--and she knew it was there that she belonged. "I had a music teacher that wanted to hear me sing something a capella in front of the student body," she remembers. "I was really nervous and trembling and I remember him asking me to breathe, calm down and just sing the lines on the projector. The rush and the anticipation of being in front of a crowd, it just took me by surprise how much I loved and enjoyed it. I think that was my first initial interest in being an artist."

Obviously, it wouldn't be the last time she wowed an audience. Yvonne's upbringing in New York City and Nigerian heritage both informed her approach to music as she became a teen. The multicultural environment of the Big Apple gave her a seemingly infinite palette of influences to draw from--and her parents' work ethic gave her the drive to put in the effort to get where she wanted. It was her drive that convinced her parents that their daughter's dreams of being a star weren't just the flighty musings of an overactive imagination. "Being born in a different country, it helps you see things from both perspectives," Nenna says. "[Having] those roots and traditional upbringing helped me discipline myself. It also gave me leverage in showing my parents that, even though [they] are diplomats and doctors and lawyers, that's not the only type of career choice that I could pursue as a young Nigerian girl. It really gave me the strength and determination to show them that regardless of your heritage and cultural background, anything that you feel passionate about you can find your voice in it."

Once she had her parent's attention, she had their support. "My mom helped me build my first recording studio when I was sixteen or seventeen!" Nenna shares, laughing at her youthful audacity. "I didn't know the first thing about putting together a studio, I pretty much turned my room into a recording studio--looking at different ways to collaborate with up-and-coming producers Trying to find my way in the industry by creating my own music and finding my voice."

"My dad saw some of the pressures that came with being in the music world, so I really had to find a way to balance my efforts with handling both seamlessly," she adds. "I think that's where his appreciation for me and what I was trying to do came from. I was constantly recording, constantly creating new music. I went to a performing arts high school and I would always get feedback from him and what he thought. He really started taking interest in what I was doing with my music. I definitely had both of them encouraging me."

At the ripe old age of 22, Yvonne's list of successes is significant--and growing. Her 2011 single "Go Around," helped generate Web buzz and turned her into one of indie music's most promising names. She won the USA Songwriting Competition and won the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame Abe Oleman Scholarship. Her music has been featured on "The Mentalist" and she has a strong Web presence, with 200,000 Facebook fans, 300,000 Twitter followers, 300,000 Reverbnation fans and 55,000 songplays on Soundcloud. "That was all stuff that i put in effort to make happen for my career on an indie level," she says, before adding what could best be called an understatement: "I was successful at it."

She performed her single "Kuru Kuru 360" in Tokyo, Japan--adding to that list of accomplishments. "That was a huge deal for me," shares Nenna. "As an indie artist its not every day that an indie artist can perform at the same venue that Lady Gaga performed in. It was a huge blessing for me to have that chance."

Has Nenna Yvonne had endure her fair share of naysayers and doubters? Of course. But the singer's idols include fearless entertainers like Janet Jackson, Grace Jones and Cyndi Lauper. She admires strong women in Hollywood like Jada Pinkett-Smith, Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry; she's not going to let a little negativity keep her from achieving what she's dreamed for her entire life.

"You'll find that with moving along and trying to progress within the music industry, a lot of people will tell you 'no' and a lot of people will stop your drive," she says. "They'll try to hinder your commitment because they haven't gotten through their situations.

"I guess the biggest lesson I've learned so far is to really stick to who you are as an artist and don't let other people's negativity steer you away from what you're trying to accomplish."

"I'm definitely driven," she continues. "I'm definitely a trend-setter. I love taking risks. I think outside-the-box a lot. I'm also the creative director for most of my photo shoots, I'm the one that arranges most of the stuff that I put out there. I'm really the creative force behind it. I'm proud of my work and I take it seriously. This is something that I was born to do. I couldn't see myself doing anything else."

Follow Nenna Yvonne on Twitter at twitter.com/nennayvonne
Check her out at nennayvonne.com

Generation NEXT: Driicky Graham

admin — 2012-05-09 19:42:52

20-Year Old From North Carolina Finds His Voice
3:00PM ET May 9th, 2012
Contributor : John West
A Rocky Williform Company

You hear rappers say all the time that they were 'born to do this,' but very few can make close to a literal claim to that cliche. Hip hop upstart Driicky Graham can say that he made his first appearance in a hip hop video when he was barely walking. He had a cameo as a toddler in a video for Lords of the Underground. "At age three," Graham shares. "If you watch the "Tic Toc" video, I was the baby [on-screen] while Tariq was rapping. I was the little baby with four silver caps in his mouth. That was me."

That rather unique introduction to the world of beats and rhymes was just a preamble for Driicky. The rhymer was a teenager living in North Carolina when he realized that hip hop was something he could use as an avenue of expression. "I waited until around the age of 14," he says of his initial forays into writing rhymes. "That's when I first started writing--[about] family life, my friends, peer pressure, different issues out on the streets. All that stuff."

Once his mother challenged him to figure out what he wanted to do post-high school, Driicky decided once and for all that he was going to pursue a music career full-time. "I took it upon myself," he says. "I came to Jersey, and my father's side of the family [were] kind of connected and they knew people. I was like 'I can really do this.' That's when I felt like 'OK we're about to go in real hard for this.'"

And Driicky went in hard. He's caught a significant amount of buzz from his heartfelt response track to Don Trip's "Letter To My Son." Written from the perspective of the son instead of the father, Driicky poured his heart and soul into the lyrics. "That's more of a personal, heartfelt record that I think everybody can relate to," Driicky explains. His "Snapbacks & Tattoos" has also joined the ranks of Generation Y hip hop anthems and was born out of an experience that virtually everyone can relate to.

"I'm sitting and I'm getting my first tattoo," he recalls. "I was excited about it. Being young, you get excited about the first time you do anything. [And when] snapbacks came out and I went snapbacks crazy. I wanted an anthem-type of track. I'm on a plane leaving charlotte, headed to Jersey and the hook just came ot me. I hooked up with Yung Berg and he produced the beat and so I sat and I waited for at least six months and I heard the beat and was like 'This is crazy.' I don't know what made it click. But all of a sudden the lyrics came out smooth and it manifested itself."

Creativity comes naturally to Graham, but he admits that he's had to learn how to navigate the business side of the hip hop industry.

"Its just that…in this game, we all know there's a business side and there's a musical side," he explains. "I do love the musical side--the business side is just okay. There comes a time when you have your fun, but you have to really get on your job. Its a lot of things that come with it. There are a lot of ups and downs. Certain things aren't going to always go your way. I feel like I still made it and I passed a certain point. It ended up working itself out. I just know that through different experiences, its made me stronger as far as how to deal with both sides."

Driicky's "You Gotta Start Somewhere" mixtape is almost street-ready and the ambitious rapper is just getting started. He expects his debut album to be released in late 2012 or early 2013 and has no limits on how far he can go. "I really work hard on my craft," he says. "I really want Artist of the Year. [laughs] I just wanna be looked upon as a serious artist that's here to stay."

Follow Driicky Graham on Twitter at twitter.com/driickygraham
Check him out at YouTube.com/top40ent

Point of Review: Nicki Minaj

admin — 2012-04-08 21:43:01

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
6:00PM ET April 4th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Nicki Minaj has gone from Internet sensation to global pop star in a little more than two years. In that time, her image has transitioned from hypersexed battle rhymer to cartoonish button-pusher, with many of her critics deriding her stylistic schizophrenia and controversial performances as tell-tale signs of an artist more concerned with gimmickry than artistry.

On her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Minaj doesn't exactly shatter that perception.

The album, divided glaringly between a hip hop-centric first half and a more dance-pop themed second half, showcases all that her fans love about Young Money's First Lady--and everything that her critics despise. On the positive side, her rhymes are as nimble and oddly quotable as ever--and when she's on, she's one of the more clever and inventive rhymers in mainstream hip hop today.

But when she's off?

Well...we'll get to that part later.

The Afrika Bambaataa-referencing "Roman Holiday," despite its famously-loathed Grammy performance, is an entertaining oddity that reintroduces Minaj's male alter-ego Roman Zolanski. Not that the character is as central to the album as the title suggests--'Roman' is barely a focus throughout the remainder of the album.

The bass-heavy "Beez In the Trap" is a banger and benefits from an appropriately loopy 2 Chainz appearance; and the frenetic "Come On A Cone" features Nicki at her most boastful and off-the-wall, rapping lines like "Put the b*tches on lockout, where the f**k is ya roster?" and "Put me on ya song/But ya know it'll cost six figures long." It's easily the best thing on the album. "I Am Your Leader" re-treads similar territory as "…Cone" and suffers by comparison, with spirited-but-unremarkable guest turns by Cam'ron and Rick Ross.

The Lil Wayne-featured "Roman Reloaded" is fairly standard Young Money, seemingly echoing Weezy's own "A Milli" but without an ounce of that tracks infectiousness. Nicki attempts to remind everyone that she began as around-the-way-girl and gives shout-outs to the the Violas, Sherikas, Lauryns and Ieshas on the triumphant "Champion," one of the album's strongest, if somewhat formulaic, tracks.

The second half of the album sags considerably under the weight of Nicki's half-baked pop vocal aspirations. "Sex In the Lounge" is almost amazingly uninspired. A song about sex shouldn't be this unsexy and features far too much Bobby V. in what can best be described as a phoned-in performance.

Sadly, things go downhill from there. As hip hop's most high-profile female emcee decides to shoot for Katy Perry-ish Top 40 pop and Gaga-influenced dance grooves.

And she falls decidedly short of even attaining either of those fairly-modest ambitions.

Minaj is at her best as a fire-breathing bizarro wordsmith with idiosyncratic voices and references; so the generic material she's chosen to display her vocal 'abilities' comes as something of a disappointment.

"Starships" is sub-LMFAO dance pop, with its banal hook ("Starships were meant to fly…") and run-of-the-mill production. "Pound the Alarm" and "Whip It" both feature more of the same: bubbly Eurodance with generic hooks and none of the charisma or wit that Nicki displayed on the album's hip hop-focused first half.

The album closer, "Marilyn Monroe," is Minaj's heavily-AutoTuned attempt to ape the Clarkstons and Ke$has of the world, and is robbed of any emotional resonance by Minaj's cybernetic vocals and a cluttered production.

Nicki Minaj is one of the more polarizing superstars in music today, and Roman Reloaded is likely to be a polarizing album. Minaj should be applauded for her willingness to take risks, but the musical detours on …Reloaded feel so forced and phoned-in that its not a stretch to believe that not even Nicki believes in them. It's telling that the dance pop songs are herded to the album's second half, and she never sounds comfortable aping Madonna.

Its a shame, because if Nicki truly believed in her sound as much as she claims, she could've made quite a compelling album. Instead, Roman Reloaded stands as a half-baked miss that showcases an artist in the midst of an as-of-yet unrealized transition.

Generation NEXT: Marcus Manchild

admin — 2012-03-31 19:03:50

Houston Speed-Rhymer Reps His City
3:00PM ET March 31st, 2012
Contributor : D. L. Thomas
A Rocky Williform Company

Rappers are notoriously confident.

Cockiness is a cornerstone of emceeing, but for Houston's Marcus Manchild--confidence in hip hop wasn't immediate. The former basketball standout may be one of the hottest up-and-comers in the Lone Star State, but in the beginning, he wasn't exactly bursting with confidence at his abilities. "I thought I was bad," he says with a chuckle. "But I started getting better and better and my partners would be like 'You killing it' and I just fell in love with it. They motivated me, basically. Since then, I've been going."

And going, and going.

Manchild has become one of the most talked-about young rhymers in the game--and he's gotten cosigns from veterans ranging from his fellow Houston rhymers Slim Thug and Bun B to Chicago spitters like Lupe Fiasco and Twista. The latter is one Marcus' major influences.

"Shoutout to the homie Twista," Manchild adds. "I give him all his props."

Being from Houston, Manchild knew that his own speedy delivery would set him apart from his peers. "My partner told me it kind of made me versatile and gave me my own kinda lane," he says of his rhyme approach. "We tend to hear stuff on the radio and on the internet and its hard to not mimic it. It gets stuck in your head--especially when you're not own. It kind of shows in your rap. [I said to myself] 'If I can make this happen, its gonna be unexpected.' Especially coming from down south, from Houston."

The speed-rap approach was actually a happy accident that Marcus attributets to a few too many libations in the studio during one session. "They had a song called 'Bottoms Up' and I remixed it on my first mixtape ever called 'Preseason,'" he shares. "I told my homies, 'Let me be in here by myself with the producer.' I was f**ked up and sh*t and started rapping too fast and he was like 'You still on beat.' Since then I was like, 'Let me practice this.' So I kept going with this."

The veteran support Manchild has received from notables like Bun B and Scarface hasn't gone unnoticed, either. He believes that the key to his success in the industry is his ability to listen and absorb. " Its a blessing that they even gave me a chance to get on records with them," he says of the Houston rap elite. "Shout out to them. It tripped em out when Slimm first gave me some advice: 'Don't ever think about the business first, because that'll take the fun out of your rapping.'"

Manchild remains humble--despite the A-list fans and the praise he's gotten in his hometown. He credits much of his success to his affiliation with the AMG label and the familial approach they've taken. "They keep you working and keep you going," he says. "They make sure everything you're doing is on-point. Its a brotherhood. All of them are older than me so they treat me like a little brother. its more than music, its actually family. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now. Nobody would know who Marcus Manchild is."

More and more people are learning, however. And Marcus Manchild's track "Problems" has helped his ever-growing fanbase see a different side to the fun-loving rapper. The intensely introspective track is Manchild's proudest moment thus far. "Shoutout to Bun for being on that," he says of "Problems." "I always talk about the good stuff that goes on and i never really get to express to people what has happened in my life and what still goes on in my life. I felt like I had to do that for fans to respect me and my music, instead of just thinking 'he's another ni***a that's rapping.' I feel problems was just a good track to put out there.

But, despite "Problems" and its heady subject matter, the young emcee is still enjoying himself. And he's still learning the game. Both off-stage and on.

"In Minnesota I had a bad incident where I went up and shouted out Detroit," he reveals, laughing. "They was rocking, they was hype and at the end I was like 'Y'all get down here in Detroit!'"

Twitter.com/marcusmanchild
YouTube.com/amginternational

Point of Review: WZRD

admin — 2012-02-29 03:26:40

WZRD
10:00PM ET February 28th, 2012
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

It's easy to roll your eyes at the idea of another high-profile 'hipster' rapper releasing an alt-rock album. After all, Lil Wayne's Rebirth, hackneyed vanity project that it was, didn't do much to endear that particular movement to the masses. As loathsome as the late 90s rap-metal boom was, it didn't initially come off as cornball and forced as many of these 'rock-rap' releases.

But WZRD, the duo comprised of rapper Kid Cudi and producer Dot Da Genius, have crafted their own entry into the burgeoning subgenre. Their self-titled debut makes for an interesting listen--but doesn't always hit the mark that they undoubtedly sought to achieve when the project was announced last year.

But even it's misses are compelling--though that could be damning with faint praise.

The processed power chords of "High On Life" don't seem to mesh well with Cudi's somewhat stiff singing. He sounds unsure of himself on a track that would be a triumph if he just allowed himself to cut loose. When he sings "I'm ODing, High Off Life," you don't really believe him. "Love Hard" suffers from a similar problem--but here, the issue is a song that's all feel that doesn't really go anywhere musically. "Live & Learn" is a near-hit for the duo, but its bouncy verses are undermined by a non-hook that is near-unintelligible and makes the song sound unfinished--despite the fact that its heavy coda is one of the more dynamic moments on the album.

"Dream Time Machine," which features Empire of the Sun, finds the duo attempting what sounds like an approximation of late 90s/early 00s Radiohead--a feel that permeates a lot of the album. And its closer to Cudi's own druggy, moody singsongy style on his 'normal' releases. He sounds much more at home here, offering more of the po-faced introspection his fans have come to expect. When WZRD find this sort of combination, the songs typically work. "Brake" is probably the most atmospheric moment on the album, full of hard percussion and ethereal distortion, with Cudi's trademark druggy, echo-heavy vocals floating above the din as opposed to wallowing in it.

"Teleport 2 Me, Jamie," is an obvious choice for the first single. Not because it has 'hit' written all over it, but its probably the most 'conventional' sounding song here. With its singalong hook, lovelorn lyrics and off-key "na-na-na-nas," its probably the most akin to Cudi's previous releases. And the slightly off-kilter cover of Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" (which is actually more of an approximation of Nirvana's 1994 'unplugged' version) works well and shows that WZRD understand where they want to go musically.

If only their original tunes had the songwriting heft to back up their ambitions.

What hinders much of the WZRD project, like a lot of rappers' recently-released excursions into alt-rock, is that while Dot and Cudi nail the feel of the rock artists they are obviously influenced by, they forego melody and structured songwriting. Behind all of that pathos and angst, there has to be a melody--or at the very least, if you're going for abstract and unconventional, (a la Radiohead or Mars Volta) it helps to have the chops to pull it off. But, one has to admire WZRD's commitment to their vision. Even if all of their ideas aren't fully realized on this project.

Generation NEXT: Brittany BOSCO

admin — 2012-02-10 06:57:55

Sultry Singer/Songwriter Carves Her Own Niche
7:00AM ET February 10th, 2012
Contributor : D. L. Thomas
A Rocky Williform Company

"I hate interviews. I really do."

You have to at least appreciate honesty. And, Brittany BOSCO, the doe-eyed beauty that fronts the BOSCO Band, is nothing if not honest. The Savannah, GA native has built a following on the strength of impassioned songwriting and an artistic fearlessness that has won her fans from Atlanta to Austria. Her genre-bending sound and ever-evolving image makes David Bowie and Annie Lennox comparisons understandable--but they're also a little too easy. BOSCO is a unique force, and Brittany's voice is all her own, and beneath the veneer of the unapproachable auteur lies a very relatable Southern girl who credits her personal and musical roots for her sound.

"I am really grounded in that whole very grass roots, very organic feel," Brittany says of her background and its influence on her. "Savannah is very organic--that's my style. Its something that I brought [from there] that was different compared to the music scene in Atlanta."

She pauses thoughtfully, before adding, " I think thats how i relate."

Her senior year of high school, when she had to sing in a cathedral, Brittany began to understand how stepping out of her creative comfort zone could yield great rewards for her artistically and personally. "You do this piece in another language," she shares of the experience. "You have different people come look at you; different colleges and stuff like that."

That recital was the first of many experiences that set her on her current path, but even as she moved to Atlanta and took her first steps towards becoming one of the city's most promising indie acts, she found herself having to prove to cynics that she knew what she was doing. "You always figure 'Ohmigod, this is something that i wanna do,'" she says. "[But] its like, to people dreams can seem so far-fetched and not tangible."

"But its almost like getting over that fear of other people's insecurities," she continues. "I was just like 'Enough. i've had enough of that.'"

A 2010 tour of Europe helped crystallize for the young artist that she was doing what she meant to be doing, and her art was most important. "Right when I got back from my European tour," she says. "That's when it all resonated with me."

Despite Atlanta's reputation for hip hop club anthems, BOSCO has helped remind fans that the city's musical identity is far more varied than some may realize. "You have to create your own scene. you have to have that burst of creativity," she says. "But on the flip side of things, i want to cultivate and bring to the surface that there's more than mainstream hip hop in Atlanta. There's soul. There's indie rock. There's more than just that. "

Brittany represents the latest in a long-line of Georgia artists that are building their followings from the ground-up. Building on the tradition of indie rock godfathers R.E.M., BOSCO is putting together another DIY tour. "We're raising money to go on tour," she reveals. "We decided to use KickStarter to raise $5000. We're going to do a southeast tour in May and Europe in September."

Brittany BOSCO is confident that just being true to herself will make or break her career. She isn't planning on selling herself short or selling out. "If that was the case, I would've been signed two years ago!" she says with a laugh. "If I wanted to do that I would've been signed a long time ago. But I refuse. I'm just gonna keep doing what's true to me. It's not my fault if people don't comprehend. Just continue to walk and do it until their level of consciousness catches up with yours."

brittanybosco.bandcamp.com
kickstarter.com/profile/boscoband

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