Monthly Archive: July 2008

Girl Talk has all of the Girls Talking... and Dancing

07.30.08 // By Breeze //

Sup Yall,

Every once in a while, there will be somebody that starts popping up on the radar who is doing something almost completely UNIQUE that A LOT of people are feeling.  Well, this 27 year-old cat from Pittsburgh, PA named Gregg Gillis is doing exactly that.  Homey is a mash-up specialist who goes by the name Girl Talk and started putting tracks together in his free time while studying biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University, which is the same school that MyCypher President & CEO Curtis Jewell attended for undergrad.  Needless to say, this guy is pretty smart, but smart doesn't always result in cool.  However, Girl Talk's mash-ups have been blowing up semi-quietly for some time now and has released four full-length albums on Illegal Art and two EP's since 2002.  Dude typically compiles songs using up to 12-15 unauthorized samples and mashes them up very creatively to produce a record that not only sounds great, but is guaranteed to get people off their asses and onto the dance floor- and this is no easy feat...  The coolest shit to me is when dude runs popular hip hop lyrics over 80's soft rock hits-  shit is very interesting.  Early on, Girl Talk created some buzz around his act by ripping off all or most of his clothes on stage during his set, a ritual that he still performs today.  This sort of charisma and energy got people talking about Girl Talk and the dope music he creates.  Check the video(s) for Play Your Part Pt. 1 and Play Your Part Pt. 2 below and the track Shut the Club Down.  A cool thing that dude does: On his YouTube video pages, he acknowledges where all of the samples come from and when they start on the track...  check it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/FeedTheAnimals 

I am really hip to all of the experimentation that is going on between genres and in general in the music game right now.  Technology is allowing for some really fly ideas to actually come to fruition, and though not all experiments turn out successfully, I have a feeling that Girl Talk is going to continue to expand, explore, and conquer...  What do yall think?


Part 1


Part 2


Peace,

-Breeze

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The Kidz in the Hall got a new Hustle for you to try... School, you dummy.

07.30.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

If you have read prior posts, you'll know that I am pretty hip to these new hip hop acts that are looking like they are gonna bring the genre into its next era- the style is sometimes referred to as "hipster rap," but I think that sounds really weak, so I'm not gonna use that term.  Some of these acts are Kid Sister, Kid Cudi, and The Cool Kids and I want to introduce you to another group that is hittin right now on the indie and underground hip hop scenes- The Kidz in the Hall. 

Double-O

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Naledge

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So, the back story goes, these two cats Naledge (Dope ass name!) and Double-O met around 2000 while Naledge was on a recruiting visit to the University of Pennsylvania (Yea, the Ivy League bitches... these cats are intelligent dudes).  Naledge entered and won a talent show, and was encouraged to meet this cat, Double-O, who was known around campus as THE DJ to have spin your party if you want it to be a smash.  The dudes met up and hit it off...  Naledge ended up enrolling at Penn, and the dudes went to work.  A member of the MyCypher team is a Penn Alum, and very familiar with this duo- He hooped at Penn with a cat named Dan Solomito who ended up starting Major League Entertainment.  Major League is a management company that manages the Kidz in the Hall, and Dan has done a great job of getting the word out about these cats- They recently got reviewed in Vibe for their second release, titled The In Crowd, and are playing at Rock the Bells this summer out here in Cali- this show is a who's who of up-and-comers. 

I really dig these cats' vibe.  Their music is soulful and seamless in terms of the production, which is tasked to Double-O for the most part, and their lyrics are thought-provoking, intelligent, and just flat out dope.  I really dig the track Love Hangover, but I am a sucker for this type of track- I can't get enough of the soul samples and laid back tracks.  The track Drivin Down The Block has been making some noise for the duo, and it samples both Masta Ace's Born to Roll and Outkast's Elevators.  Also, the fellas have done multiple remixes of the track, including a sick one that features Pusha T (from The Clipse), Bun B (tha Underground King), and The Cool Kids.  They did a West Coast Remix of the track, too, which includes appropriate samples.  Check the tracks and videos below. 


Love Hangover

 


Drivin Down the Block


Drivin Down the Block West Coast Remix


And peep this interview with Naledge- these cats are really intelligent and have something to say...  


YES WE CAN!!!


I mentioned that we think that there is an opportunity to feature "the in-crowd" of new-school emcee's in a monster show, or even a tour.  I think that these groups are about the blow hip hop up, and bring us back to the golden era of the genre.  What do yall think- would you give your lunch money to see a show featuring Kid Sister, Kid Cudi, The Kidz in the Hall, and The Cool Kids?   

Peace, 

-Breeze


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He's Nobody Famous.... Yet!

07.28.08 // By Breeze //

A great name counts for a lot- I just caught Gnarls Barkley at the Hollywood Bowl last night, and was thoroughly impressed.  DJ Danger Mouse is perfection on the keys and Cee-Lo is one of the most passionate, engaging performers I have seen in person.  I love the fact that you can't corner Gnarls in any one area of music, besides good...  The tracks are a mixture of Rock, Soul, Blues, Hip Hop, Gospel, and whatever sounds these two dudes hear inside of their own heads- way out in left field can probably be a pretty cool place.  The thing that surprised me the most about the show last night was how few people actually had any idea of the story behind this world-class, Grammy-winning act.  Danger Mouse is the DJ who mashed up The Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's The Black Album to come up with an album that was all over the p2p sites and bootleg circuits known as The Grey Album- If you don't know about it, go find out...  Cee-Lo Green was just as charismatic as the front man for the Atlanta rap clique known as Goodie Mob.  Before the Southern shit really hit the national scene, Goodie Mob were regional superstars in the Dirty, and their second album Still Standing was a classic.  I can remember bumpin Black Ice when I was a 14-year-old kid ridin around South Florida and how infectious Cee-Lo's flow was way back then.  This album was one of the most "Southern Sounding" albums that had ever been released when it dropped and Cee-Lo was maybe the most "Southern" emcee of the time.  Dude went through some sort of transition, found himself, and now makes music to reflect who he REALLY is...  And, I do think that the front man for Gnarls Barkley is who Cee-Lo Green really is- I believe him and don't think this is some sort of gag.  Peep the video for Black Ice- chances are you know the song...



Another cat that I was recently put up on caught my attention by way of his moniker alone- Nobody Famous is a rapper/producer from Los Angeles, CA by way of Georgia who is making noise as an emcee, as a producer, and has put out a ton of dope mixtapes including remixes of Hova's American Gangster Album.  To again reference an earlier post, this dude is another one of those multi-talented artists that are coming to define this era in hip hop.  Dudes are jacks of all trades- Nobody Famous writes, spits, produces, engineers, and remixes tracks at a dizzying pace and people have been definitely taking notice.  Peep this interview with Kevin Nottingham to get an idea of Nobody Famous' creative process and how he hears himself...

http://kevinnottingham.com/myblog/2008/07/14/artist-spotlight-nobody-famous/


And, peep a video of Nobody Famous rehearshing with his band (That's right, he performs with a live band- How dope is that !!!???).  



And check some production that he's done...


Chris Young- Futuristic Sound



Jay-Z - Say Hello (Nobody Famous Remix)



I'm still getting into this cat heavy, so you may hear more about him as I do...

Peace yall,

-Breeze

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Metafore is a Machine... Get it???

07.26.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

I usually try to stay up on all of the artists that are making noise in my home area, but this South Florida emcee is sharp, crisp, and completely new to me...  Apparently, I gotta get my bars up because dude has gotten some major press (see included photo below) in The Source.

Metafore is an 18 year old smooth-toned emcee from NYC, but grew up in Hollywood, FL, which is just North of the M-I-Yayo...  Dude is actually pretty fly, especially for being such a youngster- his spit sounds self-assured and he is pretty clever.  And, I think his music is a nice blend of NYC lyricism, Southern swagger, and Metafore's personal lil flavor.  I haven't really had a chance to listen to a ton of his tracks yet, but my early favorite is SuperStar and from the looks of his myspace slideshow, dude has been puttin in work on the 305 Mixtape scene (www.myspace.com/teammetafore)...  Check the video for Nah Mean below- actually some pretty dope production value and I really dig black and white vids...  Also, peep his flow over A Milli- I love that this track blew up the way it did because it provides a nice baseline for evaluating emcees.  Everyone is spitting on the same track.  And, finally, peep Patience which is really fly and smooth and features a lil MJ sample... 

Listen to the tracks here

What are the streets sayin about Metafore?

Nah Mean


Metafore ft. Fedarro- See You Smile

 

Peace, 

-Breeze

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These Fool's Gold Kids are killing it... meet Kid Cudi

07.26.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

So, I've written a bit about the new kids in the game, specifically The Cool Kids and Kid Sister, but there is another emcee that is with DJ A-Trak's Fool's Gold Imprint: Cleveland emcee Kid Cudi.  This dude is a pretty dope emcee that has an interesting style and perspective.  With lines like "I smoke to get high, Cuz the world is so low," (see the LoveStoned Remix below) dude definitely is out there a little bit, and even writes on his MySpace that his ambition is to one day live on the moon.  He makes it known that he is not a super insightful rapper a la Talib or Mos, and is not political at all.  Instead, homey focuses on telling great stories in a really fly way over insane beats by producer Dot Da Fuckin Genius in his really smooth tone.  His delivery is nice, and is pretty varied- dude sings on some tracks and spits on others.  His sing-song flow is infectious!  And, dude has a really cool vibe, so it seems like only a matter of time before he blows up.  I love the fact that he is down with G.O.O.D. Music Group and Kanye's team and he gives shout outs to all of the dope up-and-comers in the game on the track Cudi Spazzin' (see below).  We are toying with the idea of putting all of these new "Kids" together at the same venue for some sort of supershow- think The Future of Hip Hop featuring The Cool Kids, Kid Sister, Kid Cudi, and The Kidz in the Hall presented by MyCypher...  Shit would be so dope...  Now, all we gotta do is put it together... Shouldn't be too tough, right?  Are yall feeling Kid Cudi?

Peep Day n Nite and LoveStoned here...

Day N Nite - KiD CuDi


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Cazwell is actually pretty fly... PAUSE!

07.25.08 // By Breeze //
 
Sup yall, 

In today's music landscape, a lot of artists feel like you have to do something totally and completely unique in order to stand out and move units.  This often leads artists to take on a persona that does not reflect who they truly are, and fans can spot a fucking poser from miles away (at least I think I can).  Well, this up-and-coming emcee who grew up in Worcester, MA (wiked awesooome!!) is doing his thing, and his thing is totally different from anything you have ever seen- and I believe him...  Cazwell is a homosexual emcee whose explicit lyrics, solid delivery, and loud, artistic videos have been making noise for some time now.  He was just signed to a distribution deal with Avatar Records (www.avatarrecords.com) for the UK and has a ton of press already, both stateside and abroad.  Now, I gotta be straight up, this dude is not my cup of tea, but I can't really knock his hustle- I mean, just because I don't really dig something doesn't mean I can't appreciate the artistic expression of homey's music, right?  I'm really interested to see what yall think about Cazwell, so check him out at www.cazwell.com, and let me know what you think.  Below is his video for the track All Over Your Face and Watch My Mouth is above...


 

Peace yall, 

 

-Breeze

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My homey is SO dope- A real Triple Threat

07.25.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

At MyCypher, we are really hip to the idea that hip hop is now truly a global genre.  Our president recently got back from Tokyo, Japan.  The amount of pics he took alone was staggering.  But, in addition to the volume, I was really geeked to see that they are really up on the genre over there- I would even go as far as to say that they are fanatical about hip hop culture and music.  I was recently in Bangkok, Thailand, and managed to hook up with my homey Daniel who put together a dope event- he organized an Asian Tour for the And 1 Streetball team that included performances by local B-Boy crews, local emcee's, and some dope DJ's.  It was really eye-opening for me to see how the scene over there took our idea of hip hop and put their own lil twist on it- I loved it!  I have actually been planning a post about that trip, so stay tuned- yall gotta hear about this insane underground club that I ended up in one night called ScratchDog...

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But I really just wanna put yall up on a dude that I am pretty cool with from West Palm Beach, FL named Somong.  He goes by the name So, and homey is on his grind real serious- and has been ever since I met him about a year and a half ago.  This kid writes all his own shit and some for others, produces all is shit and for others, sings all his shit and hooks for others, and is a really fly choreographer/dancer.  In earlier posts, I have spoken about the appeal, from a label point of view, of artists like Soulja Boy who do all of this themselves.  Well, the same shit goes for So, and people have definitely been checkin for him lately.  I don't wanna put anyone's business in the streets, but dude has been chilling a lot up in NYC with the Murder Inc. fam.  I think that he is a truly talented kid, but above that, the kid has a work ethic like yall ain't never seen.  The amount of content he puts out there is staggering.  I'm talking his own tracks, features, videos, vlogs, blogs, pics, etc, etc, etc- Homey puts in work.  On top of all of that, he's a pretty guy that ladies definitely respond to (no homo- but check the pic, dude is pretty).  I think he is half Korean, which is a part of his ethnicity that he really embraces, and to a certain extent, his look gives him that edge that all artists are looking for in order to stand out.  Check him out at either www.myspace.com/theycallmeso or www.myspace.com/somong.  Dude calls himself the Hip POP & B artist, which I think is an excellent description of his sound.  Basically, my man can give you whatever sort of track you want, but check some of my favorites below and more on his pages.  Also, there is a YouTube vid he put together that includes snippets of a bunch of his features and tracks below. I promise, there is enough to keep you interested...



She Wanna Ride

she wanna ride official.mp3 - Somong


Putcha Body On Me

Putcha Body on me - Somong Ft. Tripple J

FYI-Tripple J is a local WPB emcee who is pretty dope and is definitely well-known around South Florida

Peace y'all, 

-Breeze

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Everybody wants to hang with The Cool Kids

07.25.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

So, in my short few years out here in Hollyweird, I have realized one thing- Hollywood is a lot like high school- everyone is trying to get in where they fit in, and very few people actually think for themselves.  Music is not immune from this, either, as most of the kids listening to hip hop these days think a real emcee is Soulja Boy or Baby Huey or Lil Keke 'n 'dem from around the way or.... Whoever-the-fuck-ever...  Now don't get me wrong, I totally give it up to these cats for their hustle- these dudes are entertainers and definitely do their thing.  My issue is all of the cats in hip hop that are dick-riders- you cant just grab some screwed up sample, pair it up with heavy bass and synth, rhyme over it, and then call yourself a Southern Emcee.  Lil' Wayne IS a Southern Emcee, and dude is continually pushing the envelope, experimenting with the vocoder, singing on tracks with that raspy growl, spitting way behind the beat only to catch up by the end of the bar to end up right where he should be, laughing at his own jokes every 2 or 3 bars, etc, etc, etc, etc.  Dude is a trend-SETTER, not a trend follower like the lot of these "rappers" today.  I'm not saying that a rhymer needs to be the second coming of Biggie to get my respect, but damn yall, do your OWN thing.  If someone else came up with a style, then leave it to them because they probably do it better than you. 

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So, I said all of that to say that, even though I will rock with the Dirty South brand of Hip Hop until I die (I'll be the only 85 year-old cat still boppin around the home to Weezy), the genre and pop music in general needs a new movement to get behind.  Now, I wrote a bit about what is poppin off in B-More and that is all cool and shit, but there is a group that is making hella noise right now that I have been sleeping on like Rip Van Winkle.  I have been hearing the name for some time now, but I never made the effort to get my hands on the music.  The Cool Kids are going to start a new major movement in Hip Hop- write that down!  These kids are so dope and so..... Cool.  The group is made up of two cats, Mikey Rocks is from Chicago and Chuck Inglish is from Detroit.  The fellas met via the internet when Mikey found a beat Chuck had produced that he was really feeling.  They met up to arrange the sale of the beat and ended up recording for two hours and a new (well, kinda) sound was born.  The Kids have released an EP entitled The Bake Sale which is comprised of all of the material that the duo has recorded since hooking up, but is NOT their debut album.  Recently, the fellas gave away a Mixtape called That's Stupid for free via their MySpace page.  All of this lets me know that these fellas understand that music is now digital and that they have some understanding as to how to use this to their advantage.  Their debut album is dropping pretty soon and will be called When Fish Ride Bicycles. 

These fellas are inspired by 80's era rap duos and initially reminded me of Eric B and Rakim with a new school twist.  Even Mikey's outfits are 80's inspired, which I totally dig- Convergence again... Im telling y'all I'm onto something.  They just performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live's Concert Series and totally ripped the roof off of the place.  These two fellas feel like they have known each other forever on stage and play off of one another like few duos in recent memory.  While Chuck has produced all of the music that they have released thus far (check the beat on What Up Man below- dude made the beat with his mouth and a bell), both produce and spit.  All I'm saying is, with all of the criticism that Hip Hop has been on the receiving end of, the genre could use a group like this.  The fellas aren't trying to be G's.  They talk about positive shit, for the most part, and are incredibly creative lyricists.  Their swagger defines the essence of Hip Hop and I think that we will all be trying to hang with The Cool Kids pretty soon.

Google the mixtape That's Stupid - The Mixtape.

What Up Man
Black Mags

 


-Breeze


 

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The Young Gunz- Cory Gunz rips "A Milli"

07.25.08 // By Breeze //

If youre a hip hop head and you don't know who Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz are, then check the video after this post.  If you still don't know, jump out of the nearest 5th story window!  Their track Deja Vu (Uptown Baby) is bananas, and is a hip hop CLASSIC... Now, I know everyone and their grandma has jumped on the insane track by Bangladesh on Weezy's Tha Carter III, A Milli, including Ne-Yo and Chris Brown beefing back and forth over the track about who has more money- it's cool, but a little weak for me... These cats sing Pop music, which is cool, but they don't need to be beefin... They both have pretty healthy bank accounts, so just sing about some pretty girls and leave the rhyming to the emcees.  I will say though, it is an interesting marketing ploy- Ne-Yo even made a legit video with Bangladesh for the track- see it below...  

But, anyways, Peter Gunz's son is named Cory Gunz.  Apparently, the kid has been nice for a while, but he just absolutely kills this track!  I love this bare-bones beat and the screwed up "A Milli" that make up this beat and think all of the empty space really allows for an emcee to show his creativity in his flow... Cory does just that, and is definitely now on my radar.  He should be on yours too...  Don't you think?

A Milli Remix featuring Cory Gunz

A Millie ReMix feat. Tha Centop, Cory Gunz & Lil Wayne - Tha Centop, Lil Wayne, Cory Gunz


Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz- Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

 

Ne-Yo A Milli Remix


 

Peace yall, 

-Breeze

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Kid Sister- Lil Lady from the Chi is making some noise!!!

07.25.08 // By Breeze //

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Sup yall...

Any time Kanye West agrees to get on a track with you, that track is going to immediately become more marketable... especially if he digs it.  Kanye's adlibs on the track Pro Nails, on which he is featured, make known that his appearance wasn't a favor to anyone.  Instead, he just really digs Kid Sister's music and is supporting the Chi.  Now, the girl, Kid Sister, is young, fly, and super talented...  With a screwed up hook, some tweets and beeps, and Kid's smooth flow, this track is super dope, especially considering homegirl isn't even old enough to buy a cigarette.  Kanye's verse is dope as well, and I love the changes in the production during his verse.  When Lil' Mama put out Lip Gloss, I really wasn't feeling it... even thought I know she has crazy spit, but this track deals with similar subject matter (teenage girl shit- lip gloss, nail polish, etc) and is super fly...  I think that this girl may be on the verge provided she keeps her sound fresh.  I love the fact that increasingly younger artists have more opportunities today because of the shift towards digital everything...  Just look at Soulja Boy- the kid writes, produces, and spits his own stuff and generated his buzz virally by locking down the YouTube community.  Make up a simple, but cool/funny dance to go along with a track or take some angle to allow your peers to identify with something that is unique to their generation.  I have no idea why people love Soulja Boy so much, but the dance is hilarious and fun, and I totally understand his appeal if you are the label...  The kid is a quadruple threat (write, rap, produce, dance) and even does a ton of work for the marketing folks as he is always updating his various profiles across the web...  I said all that to say that these youngsters are hungry, talented, and have an angle that us old fuckers (and I'm only 25) don't have much of a read on yet, but we know it works...  Check the video for pro nails after the drop and let me know how hot Kid Sister is....

 

-Breeze

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Robin Thicke- Magic

07.25.08 // By Breeze //
Hey yall...

This is the new track from Robin Thicke...  Being a blue-eyed cat with some soul myself, I love this cat and think his music is timeless.  I have heard he is not great live, which sort of sours me a bit on dude.  But, until I see that for myself, I'm still a big supporter...  What do you all think of the track?
  click to comment 


-Breeze
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Spank Rock: Is B'more really blowing up like that?

07.22.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall, 

click to comment
Spank Rock

Shake That

Shake That - Spank Rock and Benny Blanco are: Bangers & Cash

So, the word is that Baltimore is just blowing up right now and insiders are pegging it as the hottest scene of the moment.  Now, that cat Tabi Bonney is just plain whack ("put him in the gaaarbage"), but there is a group by the name of Spank Rock who is killing it right now.  Their music is an electronica-soaked, extremely explicit brand of hip hop, and the group is led by emcee Naeem Juwan (who was also one half of 2-Live Crew tribute group Bangers & Cash).  The group has grown to include rappers Pase Rock and Miss Amanda Blank, and they are showing up all over the country and really generating a buzz on the underground scene.  The what really caught my attention, and makes sense if these cats are following 2-Live Crew, was the sample from the Splack Pac's regional smash Shake That Ass Bitch on Spank Rock's track Shake That (above).  Splack Pack was a local, Big-Booty Bass group out of West Palm Beach, FL who went head to head with the Poison Clan around the time I was in middle school (about 12 years ago)...  Check out this video to get an idea of who the group is and what the music sounds like- it's super frenetic and combines elements from multiple genres including electronica, house, big-bass, and hip hop.  The next big movement in hip hop is going to have a lot to do with electronica music and the elements of the genre bleeding into traditional hip hop tracks- wait, you'll see...  Check the video for B.O.O.T.A.Y. featuring Santogold below... What do yall think about Spank Rock?

B.O.O.T.A.Y.

 

 

-Breeze

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N.E.R.D.- My Drive Thru

07.22.08 // By Breeze //

Sup yall...

So, a quick post to put everyone up on a dope collabo that I just got wind of.  The video is for a song by N.E.R.D. (which is the Neptunes' band-i.e. super producers Chad Hugo and the kid Pharrell Williams) featuring my girl Santogold and Julian Casablancas.  N.E.R.D. catches a lot of shit from the music publications, but I can't really hate on them- the musical experiments they conduct don't ALWAYS work, but these dudes are always pushing the envelope.  I can't really tell how I feel about this song yet.  I think it is too short, but love the combination of elements.  The video is pretty fly, too.  I just think that Pharrell is brilliant, so I check out almost anything he touches...  What do yall think???

And Pharrell just signed these cats from Haaaaavaaaaad University to his StarTrak record label (a subsidiary of Interscope).  The group is two dudes who are wicked smaaaaaat and call themselves Chester French. Their music is really dope and they did a super fly remix of Jay-Z's track Excuse Me Miss (below).  Below, you'll find a video of Pharrell speaking about how he discovered Chester French and how the deal came about.  Also, there is a home made video featuring the boys' song She Loves Everybody.  Check them out below and report back if you feel so led...

Peace...


-Breeze

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Invincible- A model MyCypher artist

07.18.08 // By SIlentOne //

The East Bay Express recently ran an article featuring Detroit based artist and old acquaintance of mine, Invincible (thanks for the tip Chino).

 

I first met her when she was still in high school and being a snobby college student, I immediately dismissed her as unlikely to be worthy of my listening.  Man was I wrong.  That same night i heard her on the mic and quickly became a fan of her flow and it was apparent that she was no dummy mc.  The use, and correct use, of a voacbulary that is not often seen in hip hop impressed me.  Yeah, she was young and seemed to be fascinated with astrology at the time, but it's so amazing to see and hear an artist grow and become more than just an artist.

 

This article (http://www.eastbayexpress.com/music/invincible_in_two_worlds/Content?oid=790298) talks about her as just that, more than just an artist.  Opening her own label and writing about issues like gentrification are things built upon her solid talent of rhyming and writing.  It's nice to see that she has chosen to do her own thing and focus on the issues that matter to her.

She also volunteered to speak to a group of high school students about her Community Service experience.  You can read about that here: http://www.domingoyu.com/blog/2007/11/doin-good-in-the-hood/

Posted By SIlentOne // No Comments //

Thoughts on Puerto Rico

07.18.08 // By SIlentOne //

(By Danial Zarazua)

I recently spent a week in Puerto Rico, which was my first time on a Caribbean island. It was one of those situations of not knowing how ignorant you are until you’re confronted with it. I quickly realized that most of my knowledge of P.R. was actually filtered through New York and music. Actually setting foot on the island changed my view everything from coffee to the African diaspora.



First off, I was there as guests of my friends Frankie and Ray who are Bay Area residents but whose roots are in Puerto Rico. Being with “locals” made all the difference in the world. Otherwise, I might not have ever gotten past the casino and hotel at the airport! But seriously, because of them I was able to get a taste of literally all four corners of Puerto Rico, plus the island of Vieques. More importantly, I got to meet some interesting people including the only two Puerto Ricans to ever run a marathon in Antarctica(!) (check out this article on one of them) as well as former Puerto Rican political prisoners such as Dylcia Pagán. After 20 years in prison she was pardoned by President Clinton and PBS featured a documentary about the life of her son while she was imprisoned. He was raised by a couple in Mexico and thought he was Mexican until he was 10 years old and was told the truth about his parents. It sounds quite interesting so I definitely have to track it down. Regardless, I love hearing different people’s perspectives and talking with Dyclia felt like being a part of history. All that aside, she’s pretty charismatic so it was enjoyable just listening to her.




In general, my views of independence and the concept of freedom were broadened. I’m already pretty cynical when it comes to power dynamics and I definitely felt like I was on a colony.  Puerto Rico may be part of the United States, but getting away from the tourist areas, it was like no other place I’ve been to in the U.S., except for Hawaii and maybe Key West. What I mean is, the tourist areas were pretty generic and geared toward mainstream Americans (and I don’t just mean White). They had the typical shopping areas with stores like Gucci, Señor Frogs, and “island souvenirs” including the typical Jamaican figurines that you can even find in Japan. But like Hawaii, once you leave these areas there’s immense poverty and the local culture has little to do with the tourists. The feelings range from burning resentment towards the U.S. government to cowering, with everything in between. Of course one can stay in the mainland to find this. Detroit’s “Greektown” district hardly reflects Detroit residents (Greek or otherwise), South Beach doesn’t reflect the rest of Miami, and I’m writing this from just outside of East St. Louis, a down-and-out city with great people, but one that has definitely been forgotten by its country. But I guess due to the tropical weather, diversity, language, and predominance of non-White or Black Americans, Hawaii and Puerto Rico just felt more distinct to me; no doubt heavily due to their physical disconnection from the mainland. It’ll be interesting to see how Alaska compares, if I ever make it up there. Still, after living in California for the past five years, I did not feel totally out of place as P.R. and Cali both have so much Spanish and English mixed in and the topography is similar to Taiwan, where half of my family is from.





Just driving around through different towns and cities, I saw murals and graffiti reflecting discontent with Puerto Rico’s commonwealth status and there were references to the independence movement and anger towards the FBI for incidents such as the killing of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, an independence activist who was part of a a $7.2 million bank heist.Having said that, beyond anecdotal conversations, I have no idea what the general sentiment is on independence. However, just seeing the graffiti, murals and artwork in so many places, in such public forums, was thought provoking, especially since you see so little counter-culture art on the U.S. mainland, outside of college towns and places like New York or the Bay Area.

I also made it out to Vieques island, which is beautiful, but controversial due to its use by the U.S. military for target bombing practice and military exercises for decades.The military is gone now, but the wounds are still fresh and murals and protest sites weren’t hard to find. Furthermore, more than one person told me about coming across unexploded bombs while swimming.

Moving along, anyone who argues that the indigenous people of Puerto Rico are dead just isn’t looking in the right place, like everywhere! Beyond food, language, art, and religious practices, many people just physically look indigenous. Were they all Taino  descendents? I don’t know, but just as in other parts of the Americas we indigenous people are not dead, no matter what we’re called. Similarly, while the Spanish and American influence was of no surprise, I was struck by how African many parts of the island felt. I mean, it’s one thing to physically look “Black,” but it’s another to represent Africa. From language, to food, to music, experiencing Puerto Rican culture in Puerto Rico was nothing like going to a concert in the Midwest, eating at a restaurant in New York, or reading a book. At times I felt as if I was in a direct extension of Africa. As one example, the mashed plantain dish Puerto Ricans call mofongo I learned is called fufu de platano in Cuba, which I knew as fufu from Nigeria. Yeah, I know Cuba is a different country, but all of these islands are w/n spitting distance of one another and that was just one of the more obvious examples of direct links between the islands and Africa.

For the most part, beyond recent immigrants and parts of the South, I’ve never felt such a strong connection to Africa itself and I’m someone some one who does quite a bit of research on the historical presence of Africans in the Americas. I’m definitely motivated to continue delving into my own African roots, albeit via Mexico.

In terms of beauty, Puerto Rico was amazing; the rain forest of  Yunque, the beaches, the mountains, the wildlife…I could go on and on.

I also benefited from male privilege as I wandered off to Vieques on my own, with just a phone number and a map. To make a long story short, I ended up in the back of some guy’s truck, riding through the woods, and seeing one some of the most amazing sites in my life. I could have paid more money and gone through a large company and stayed at a hotel, but that adventurous part of me didn’t want to play it safe and interacting with locals is what makes these trips memorable.Ray and Frankie both highly recommended that I visit the bioluminescent bay in Vieques. They said it was hard to describe, but essentially, you go out to the bay and when you touch the water, it looks like you’re playing with neon lights. If you jump in the water, it’s like your whole body is glowing. It’s a rare, naturally occurring phenomenon that only happens in a few places in the world so I decided to go out there that night. Despite my limited knowledge, I figured I’d either end up with a short, miserable experience, or another amazing one. It was only for one night, so my misery would be limited, if it came to that.

So after catching the $2 ferry and making the hour and ½ long boat ride, I connected with a friend of their friend, named Nestor, who  ended up hooking me up with a nice guest house about 200 yards from the beach and I ended up hanging out with his cousin Samir, which is how I ended up riding in the back of the truck.  Although they were both friendly it wasn’t until the next day when I felt safe. Neither would take my money at the time (although I was paying them as a customer, they kept telling me to wait until later) and they were super casual, I was given the keys to the house, although nobody lived there and they didn’t even know my name, I was given no paperwork, and Samir even invited me over to his place to eat. I wondered if I was being set up to be robbed. While I was inside the house, I even blocked the doors in case someone tried to jack me. My gut said that things were cool, but I decided to take some precautions. In hindsight, the casualness came from the fact that I was introduced to them through a personal acquaintance. As I watched them interact with other customers of their tour business, they were pretty professional.  Either way, I had my guard up all night as I slept and rode in the back of the pickup, through the woods, with not lights except for the truck itself and the stars, I rode in slight disbelief, wondering what I had gotten myself into and knowing that if I was a female there was no way I would’ve been sitting in this dude’s truck in the middle of the woods. I hadn’t even known them for 10 minutes and I was off to the middle of nowhere it seemed. But Samir picked up two middle-aged women tourists, which eased my mind. Once we got to the bay, I was simply amazed.

As we piled into our kayaks I noticed that any contact with the water sent neon streaks out. Lifting the water with my hand looked like cascades of glitter running down my arm. As we paddled out to the middle of the bay, every stroke lit up the water as if we were lighting an underwater torch that was quickly extinguished. Once we stopped, I immediately jumped into the water without thinking. I have a fear of sharks so I probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise. With a moonless night and very little light pollution, the only light that came was what we created from moving the water. I battled my fear and constantly stirred the water, which created an effect resembling a lamp underneath me. As I got back in the kayak, I noticed green streaks crossing the surface of the water, or going by under the water. Not only were they fish, but I’m sure a shark or two. All paranoia aside, you're more likely to get knocked out by a falling coconut than attacked by a shark. I came across no tales of anyone ever being attacked in this bay.As we paddled back, I took a moment to look at the clear sky and it seemed as if every star was visible. While there are many places with beautiful beaches, great weather and food, and great people, I truly felt as if I had a once in a lifetime experience. I recommend everyone to go, even if you can’t swim (there are other options besides kayaking). Like Frankie and Ray said, I don’t have the words for it and pictures and video can’t capture it (I looked all over the internet and most of the pics I saw were Photoshopped). Simply amazing.

The next day I linked back up with Samir and we kayaked out to the mangrove trees (this clip is not the place I went to) in the same bay. I wasn’t overly excited, but once we got there, I was blown away. It was like something out of Lord of the Rings. Basically, we paddled through these narrow channels, between the mangroves, which in many parts created a canopy over us. It was a like going through a tunnel, but made of trees. In many parts, it was so narrow that we couldn’t use the paddles and you had to pull yourself by the branches. We then paddled out towards the bay’s narrow opening to the ocean and all I could think about was Robinson Crusoe and all of the other tropical island books I read as a kid. There are mangroves all over the world, but his was my first time seeing something like this and it's definitely something to check out. Before leaving Vieques, Samir and I talked some more and I met everyone from his girlfriend to some nieces and nephews. It would’ve been great to stay even one more day, but I had to get back. If you go to Vieques, make sure to look these guys up. Samir was real fun and definitely knew his stuff.From broadening my mind to the natural beauty, this ended up being a great trip. And to think, just three weeks ago I hadn’t even thought upon going to Puerto Rico, much less bought my ticket. A random conversation with coworkers turned into one of the most memorable trips in my life! BTW, I found out that P.R. has some of the best coffee in the world. Yum.

Posted By SIlentOne // No Comments //

Fox News/Bill O'Reilly

07.16.08 // By SIlentOne //

I have had it with this fucking network and asshole "journalist."  Let me tell you why Fox sucks, only citing a handful of the latest transgressions against humanity:

-Joking about killing Obama

-Calling Michelle Obama Barack's "baby mama" (they are married, so how the fuck is she a baby mama?)

-Routinely mixing the names "Osama" and "Obama."  This one kills me, as I have heard some ignorant moron on NPR saying he didn't trust Obama because his name was so close to Osama.  Is that the dumbest argument ever or what?  Guess what, Santa's name rearranged spells Satan, does that mean little Billy can't sit on Santa's lap at Christmas time?

On top of that, Fox has altered pictures of people they are busy attacking on air to make them more menacing or unattractive.  This is just wrong.  Take this damn "news" network off the air.

O'Reilly is another matter all on his own.  He claims to be fighting for morals and doing the right thing, but dude was the one making kinky passes at a co-worker.  Just like Spitzer and most right wing nut job homophobes, those who make the biggest noise are usually guilty of something themselves.

Yeah, O'Reilly has gone after Nas and Luda, and generally seems to dislike hip hop but guess what, the same damn company you work for owns MySpace, and creates salacious and incredibly vulgar programming for the Fox Network.  That's isn't "bad" for society?  Isn't it kind of funny (read that as hypocritical) that this little man sits here and yells at anyone he deems a bad for society while he collects paychecks funded by the very things he supposedly opposes. 

To his credit, and this is what it really is about, he is a damn good actor.  If I paid him enough, I'll bet I could get him to be a spokesperson for the Black Panthers, or even host the Source Awards.  Because that's what it really comes down to: $$$.  I have serious doubts that this man even means or cares about the words coming out of his mouth.  He knows people are sheep, people are stupid and we love to decide important social issues by soundbytes and video clips, not facts and research.  He's not brilliant, because I just told you what he knows for free, but instead of making people smarter, he chooses to be part of the fucked up system that keeps people too broke or too busy to give a damn.

I don't want to see their garbage anymore and I don't want to hear about it any more.  For the reasons cited above, both Fox News and Bill O'Reilly are Supawack.

Posted By SIlentOne // 2 Comments // Tagged , , , , , ,

Some Dope Chicks

07.16.08 // By Breeze //

What up yall?...  I have been a crazy fan of Hip Hop since the fourth grade.  I am now 25 years old, and in those 15 plus years, there are only a handful of female emcees that have truly impressed me.  Call me misogynistic if you want, but there aren't too many names that I can list off as dope emcees and not just pretty faces...  MC Lyte, Salt N Peppa, Foxy, Amil, Lil' Kim, Left Eye, Remy Ma and I'm sure I'm leaving some off, but that is the best I can do off the top of my head.  Well, a Sri Lankan girl who grew up in London is hushing all of that noise pretty quickly.  Her name is M.I.A., and if you don't know of her yet then you probably listen to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cirus and are kinda whack.  Her music is unreal: a collection of sounds and influences taken from world music across the globe.  Her 1st album, Arular, was blowing up in Europe during the time I was playing pro ball in Greece in 2005 and that is where I first caught wind of this insanely charismatic rapper whose music had a definite and poignant political message and sounded pretty cool as well.  Because her pops is a former political refugee turned militant, M.I.A. was not granted a US work visa to come tour until sometime in the last 6 months or so.  Her set at Coachella was apparently so crazy that the fuzz tried to shut her down because fans were getting riled up into a political frenzy.  Anyways, her second album, Kala, was voted the number one record of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine.  Do yourself a favor and check her out...

 Paper Planes

Paper Planes - M.I.A.



And she is not the only lady making noise in the Hip Hop arena these days...  This really dope emcee from Philly named Santogold is blowing up currently stateside and reminds me a bit of a less political M.I.A.  The music on her self-titled album borrows a ton from the electronica and dance genres, which I have some shit to say about later, and deals with subject matter from drug addiction, on my favorite track Anne, to love, life and everything in between.  The music takes me back to the skating rink when I was a kid- those fly Friday nights that I spent roller-skating (young bucks won't even know what that is- think ATL...LOL) in circles.  But, even more than her being a female, the coolest thing about her music, for me, is that she sort of validates a theory of mine:  Musical genres are converging on one another.  I think that eventually music will be genre-less and all popular music will just fall into pop music.  With new digital capabilities, everyone who wants to can produce high-quality recordings and that "lengthening of the tail" (thank Gladwell for that one) is making it harder and harder to stand out.  For that reason, you have to do something really, really, really different to really, really, really stand out.... unless you're Madonna.  Think about Weezy's track Lollipop.  The song is fucking huge!  All of the blurps and bleeps, along with the vocoder hook, make the track sound more like pop or dance than Hip Hop...  but he is still "The Greatest Rapper Alive!"  I actually hope that this convergence does reach the extent mentioned above- if music is no longer siloed into these smaller marketplaces defined by genre (e.g. House, Dance, Hip Hop, Rock, etc.), then the competition just gets more fierce and an artist is really forced to innovate to break through the clutter... and that means fly ass, new musical styles will begin to emerge. 

LES Artistes

L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold

So, all of that verbal diarrhea was meant to TRY to articulate an idea that I have been thinking about for some time... Let me know what yall think about it- it could just be Mary Jane creeping into my head and making me think that my shit makes sense... 


Peace yall


-Breeze

Posted By Breeze // 1 Comment // Tagged , , , , , , ,

Welcome to... MyCypher.com

07.16.08 // By Breeze //


Welcome to... MyCypher.  So, if you listen to the track Welcome to My Cypher by Sacramento emcee Dahlak, you will understand why we are fucking with him- the shit is our theme song- LOL.  But, real talk, if you listen to the track, you WILL understand that homey is dope!  The album, entitled Dual Consciousness, is a really well-crafted hip hop ALBUM.  The whole idea of an album is lost on today's consumers, who live in the iTunes world of artists who break off of one single.  But, some of us still give an album its first listen from start all the way through finish.  Now, I get it- the ADD generation has no patience to sit through those dumb ass frat themed skits on Kanye's first two records, but they should.  They should because some artists really put a lot of thought into the story they tell through their work- it has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Dahlak's album is just that- an ALBUM, and a dope one at that.  I especially enjoy the track My Baby and I think the ladies will really feel it, too.  Its got a luscious, soulful hook and that mellow tone that all the fellas break out when they are just chilling with their lady.  One thing about Dual Consciousness that I absolutely love is that Dahlak is a really lyrical cat who has something to say- he feels like an East Coast emcee to me sometimes, which is a compliment to his lyricism if you didn't know...  One reason for this might be this dude's incredible resume on the spoken word circuit.  Dude has been on Def Poetry Jam numerous times and is really, really fly.  There is often a disconnect for spoken word poets who try to make the transition to music where they have trouble tailoring their words to the tone and vibe of the track.  A lot of times, these types of tracks sound like exactly what they are, a poet trying to make a record.  Dahlak's music does not suffer from this common symptom.  Don't believe me?  Check out the track Where You At (Oakland to Sactown).  Dahlak paints a really vivid picture of his hometown and what the NorCal dynamic really entails.  Plus, the sample from Pac's California Love is absolutely bananas.  But, Ill come back to it again because not enough young heads understand the value it holds- dude made a great ALBUM and tells a great story.  Do yourself a favor.  Play the first track of the record and don't touch the stereo/iPod/etc until the record finishes.  If you aren't impressed with the whole body of work that is Dual Consciousness, then maybe you'll just never get it...  Even the skit before Hey Girl is there for a reason.  It serves a purpose... and it's funny as hell...  Yall feel me??

Welcome to My Cypher


Welcome to My Cypher - Dahlak

-Breeze


 

Posted By Breeze // 1 Comment // Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Shwayze

07.16.08 // By Breeze //

This is the song of the summer for 2008- Buzzin is an infectious track from a new artist named Shwayze.  These dudes are set to blow and they don't even have a page on Wikipedia- What the fuck?  But here's the story...  So the rapper is a dude named Shwayze, and he is the self-proclaimed "only black kid in Malibu."  Dude grew up in a trailer park in Malibu and started spitting around middle school because he was really into music, but couldn't sing.  Eventually, he met an artist/producer/musician named Cisco Adler, son of legendary producer Lou Adler, who really dug his style.  The two, along with their DJ, DJ Skeet Skeet, started work on an album together and came up with what is going to be release on August 19th titled Shwayze.  The fellas finished the whole album before landing a deal with Suretone and the sound that they have created sounds like a cross between Sublime, Gym Class Heroes, and Jack Johnson but it fucking works...  They have been quoted as saying that this music represents their lifestyle in Malibu and most of the songs deal with chasing pretty girls at beach parties, blowing trees, and basically just having fun!!!  I also love this group because it is just another example of musical genres converging.  The fellas have a reality show airing on MTV beginning sometime in mid-July which I hope doesn't cornball them out too much because they are really talented and have something that really resonates with a certain slice of the population... Check the trailer


And, being from South Florida, I can really identify with this music- SoCal is actually not too different from Da Bottom and I grew up without a whole bunch of money in an uber-wealthy town called Jupiter, so I really dig some of Shwayze's humor and find myself laughing at his jokes from time to time...  Every time I am put up on an act and I think that they are gonna break, I always wonder if it is my personal preference for the music that leads to this conclusion or if I am listening to my "commercial ear" and hearing it correctly-  Holler and let me know if youre feeling Shwayze...


-Breeze

Posted By Breeze // 2 Comments // Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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