Conquer Rap
Boom Blake of Money First is a man on a mission. He intends to be successful in the rap game by any means.
He has decided upon consistency. He has just released ‘Conquer Rap” the second single and video from his first solo project. In a time when the audience attention span is at an all time low it seems the consistent approach might be the way to go.
DOWNLOAD: Boom Blake – Got It On Lock
DOWNLOAD: Boom Blake – Conquer Rap
Studio B Now Open
We are all aware of this never-ending recession and we are all on a budget but we all still have songs to write, beats to make, and tracks we want recorded. It is with this in mind that I’d like to announce the opening of Studio B at Stush Studios.
Studio B is a demo room, a place to record freestyles, write songs and make beats. We are currently running Logic Pro and Pro Tools and have plans to incorporate Reason and FL as well as an mpc, sound modules and an 88 key weighted digital piano. This is a space where you can write your verses, toss around ideas, and also record whatever you like.
At $25 an hour Studio B includes an engineer who will record and mix your songs as well as tend to all your beat-making and production needs. With the creation of this second studio we aim to provide you with the financial freedom to take your time to be creative and to perfect whatever it is that you’re working on.
Feels Like Yesterday
Ja Biggs is a lyricist. He’s a rapper that prefers clever wordplay over snappy punchlines and he longs for a return to the days of rap where you would re-wind a song just to catch a bar you may have missed.
Hot on the heels of his Universal Records distributed “The Professional”, his new mixtape is an ode to 90′s boom bap; banging beat, dope lyrics and no-gimmick-necessary hip hop. “Feels Like Yesterday” is a throwback mixtape worth the listen.
Biggs didn’t just take a bunch of old school beats and rhyme, he sought out modern beats with that 90′s flavour and laced them with lyrics and flows befitting of that era.
“Go” is a standout track for me but the whole “tape” is worth a listen.
Getting Money
The title you’ve probably heard in a thousand different rap songs. The theme has become the status quo. The beat almost indistinguishable from others in the same genre. So why am I blogging this? What makes this different?
The marketing. His name is Borey Bills and he has printed $100 bills with his face (Borey bills) to hand out. This works on three levels.
1. At first glance they look like real 100s so the chances that someone will look at them are high.
2. The song is about getting money so it fits with the theme.
3. His name is Borey “Bills”.
I know this isn’t an original approach but kudos to Borey, he has taken something fairly commonplace and made it his own, literally.
Download the song here.
Can rap beef get old?
I was going to start this post with a brief history of rap battles and beef but instead I’ll say just that this is a 40 year old rapper dissing a 50 year old rapper.
Swagg is the rapper who has taken exception to something that was posted about him on Facebook. True to the essence of Hip Hop he has taken his grievances to the mic and not the streets (or social media). Once part of the same crew they are now foes and Swagg is letting the world know.
The pace is relentless and really funny sometimes. I think my favourite line is probably “put down the microphone and pick up your SSI” and he also talks about putting him in the old folks home.
I’ve been told there is more to come and I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.
It seems the spirit of original hip hop lives on in all its forms.
Victim Of Valentine
Fate Live is part singer, part rapper. Though the cover makes him look more like the archetypal R&B singer he is, to me, more rapper. On this project he’s put away his arsenal and tales of an illicit lifestyle and shows a gentler side of Fate Live.
Not all songs were recorded and mixed by me just the ones that are really crisp and clear.
Download it here.
A Perfect Freestyle?
I’ve never been a fan of the rap freestyle, not to be confused with free-styling “real hip hop”. The former is a rhyme that has no real structure and often no consistent concept and the latter is spontaneous, improvised rapping off the top of the head.
That said, yesterday Nym Dot recorded “Coolin“, the first release from his upcoming 2012 AD and pretty much a rap about nothing.
However, what made this freestyle different was the solid beat, multiple flows and clever punchlines.
He didn’t rely on shocking the listener with how violent or sexual he could be just, how intelligent a street rapper can be without sounding like a professor.
As I said, I prefer songs but this is a freestyle I would definitely listen to.
Ground Up – Up Late
Ground Up are back again with yet another mixtape, Up Late. I say mixtape but it’s really a collection of original music that plays like an album and if it wasn’t hosted by DJ Don Canon probably would be regarded as such. Hot on the heels of ”Girls Who Like Cigarettes”, these guys are consistent if nothing else.
Up Late has the Ground Up sound, simplistic and often quirky production (Bij Lincs) laced with simplistic and often quirky rhymes. A great formula. With features from Freeway and Peedi Crack (obviously sticking to their Philly roots) they seem to be reaching out to a more mainstream audience. However, they have such a strong, unique style musically and lyrically they are able to retain their identity and I am grateful for that.
In a world where everyone else seems content to follow the masses Ground Up are definitely attempting to create something fresh and new.
Download Up Late and decide for yourself.
Unforgettable Performance
November 20, 2010 I found myself at a table in the audience at the Wilshire Park Plaza Hotel, nervously waiting for Heather to enter the stage.
She had been invited to perform at the Korean lifestyle magazine, KoreAm’s annual gala and award show. This is a big deal and with people like Amerie and Grace Park (Hawaii Five-O) in the audience I realised just how much our hard work had paid off.
There are other amazing performances also by the likes of Brian Joo and Poreotics and others. This clip shows Heather’s entire, classy performance. Enjoy.
Got Damn
The first time I heard Ground Up I knew there was something special about them. It’s not necessarily in their rhymes or the production, even though both are really tight. I think it’s a combination of both plus the energy that the Ground Up collective has.
There’s something about them that reminds me of the first time I heard De La Soul or Arrested Development. Not musically. Just the sense that you’re about to be a part of something a little different to what’s currently happening.
This song Got Damn embodies all the elements of a modern rap song but somehow manages to sound and feel fresh. Take a listen and judge for yourselves.
