Thursday, October 29, 2009

Video: All Three BET Cyphers from 2009 BET Hip-Hop Awards

Cypher #1 (Nikki Minaj, Buckshot, Crown Royyale, Joe Budden)

Cypher #2 (Nipsey Hustle, Wale, Gsan, KRS-One)

Cypher #3 (Mos Def, Black Thought, Eminem)

Above is all three cyphers from BET’s 2009 Hiphop Awards – all DJ’ed by none other that the GOAT DJ Premier. Out of all of the three, the 3rd cypher with Mos Def, Black Thought and Eminem was SICK!!!! All three killed it lyrically, showing that true lyricism still exists. Cypher 1, Buddens and surprisely Nikki Minaj were good. I say that about Nikki Minaj because from what I’ve heard from her its either been ok or sub-par. I love that KRS-One just still, still lyrically can out- freestyle cats and show why he’s a legend in the hiphop game.

Peep the videos and tell me who killed it.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Eminem, de Marshall à Slim Shady

Eminem, de Marshall à Slim Shady

Artiste à gros succès, Eminem est avant tout un phénomène. Premier rappeur blanc a devenir star internationale, il s’affirme aussi par un caractère bien trempé, un phrasé incontournable, des textes poignants et un parcours atypique.

Son histoire a d’ailleurs été le sujet d’un film. En 2002, sort le long métrage 8 Mile, film qui connaitra un énorme succès planétaire, mais qui fut aussi la première biographie cinématographique d’une star du hip-hop.

Eminem rappe des textes impliqués et personnels, dans lesquels il n’hésite pas à raconter son enfance difficile à Detroit, dans le Michigan, où il fut le seul blanc dans un milieu d’afro-américain. Sa relation difficile avec sa mère fut également un thème récurrent de sa discographie. Des relations tumultueuses qu’il n’hésite pas à dénoncer dans ses morceaux, parfois avec des propos très durs et plein de rancoeur envers sa mère.

Depuis ses débuts, en 1995, Eminem a souvent fait la une de l’actualité pour son talent musical, mais aussi pour ses frasques et ses ennuis judiciaires.

Eminem sera en effet sujet à de nombreuses controverses. Accusé d’homophobie et de mysonginie, Eminem se défend en invoquant son alter ego diabolique, Slim Shady, un double qu’il s’est inventé en 1997. Ce personnage lui permet d’exprimer une facette plus sombre de sa personnalité, au moment où ses problèmes personnels sont au paroxysme (bataille judiciaire contre sa mère, divorce, dépendance à l’alcool et à la drogue, …).

L’opus “The Slim Shady LP” fut aussi celui que fit conaittre Eminem au grand public. Remarqué par Dr Dre quelques mosi auparavant, ce dernier le signe sur son label, Aftermath Entertainment, et produit “The Slim Shady LP”, d’où sont tirés les titres Guilty Conscience et My Name Is. Cet album lanca la carrière d’EMinem.

Marshall Mathers (de son vrai nom) confirma vite les espoirs placés en lui. En 2000, sort le best-seller “Marshall Mathers LP”, toujours sous le label de Dr Dre. Porté par le succès de cet album, il prend part à la mémorable tournée “Up in Smoke Tour”, en compagnie de Dr Dre, Nate Dogg, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg et les poids lourds de la West Coast.

Il devint ensuite producteur. Il crée le label Shady Records, sur lequel il signa 5O Cent (qu’il co-produisit avec Dr Dre), Obie Trice, Cashis, et le groupe D-12, dont il fait partit. Ce groupe a été crée lorsqu’Eminem n’éta it encore que le “petit blanc” de la banlieue de Detroit. Constitué d’EMinem et de 5 de ses amis d’enfance, D-12 est l’abréviation de Dirty Dozen (les 12 salopards), où chaque membre possède son jumeau maléfique.

Pour Eminem, 2002 rime avec consécration. Grâce à l’album “The EMinem Show” et la sortie du film 8 Mile, il devient une star interplanétaire incontournable.

Mais la suit fut moins rose. Alors que son sixième album Encore, rencontra un franc succès, Marshall Mathers fut rattrappé par ses problèmes personnels. TOuché par une déprime, il retombe dans l’alcool et la drogue. 2005 fut pour lui une année difficile, durant laquelle Eminem s’affirme comme dépressif et incapable de remttre les pieds en studio d’enregistrement.

Durant près de 4 ans, la carrière d’Eminem est au poing mort. Il se fait oublier et s’isole. Seul fait marquant de cette période, la co-production de l’album Curtis d’EMinem avec Dr Dre.

Soigné de ses coups de déprimes et de sa toxicomanie, Slim Shady revient en 2009. Son album Relapse lui permet de faire un retour gagnant sur le devant de la scène. Même si EMinem est tombé bas dans la tourmente, il a su faire preuve d’une grande force de caractère pour opérer à un come-back parfaitement réussi. Les titres Crack A Bottle et We Made You ont déjà pris d’assaut les charts.

Discographie

1996: Infnite

1997: The Slim Shady EP

1999: The Slim Shady LP

2000: The Marshall Mathers LP

2001: Devil’s Night (avec D-12)

2002:  The Eminem Show

2002: 8 Mile Soundtrack

2004: Encore

2004: D-12 World (avec D-12)

2005: Curtain Call – The Hit (Best Of)

2008: Return of the Dozen (mixtape, avec D-12)

2009: Return of the Dozen II (mixtape, avec D-12)

2009: Relapse

Thursday, October 22, 2009

And the Singer is... Jada Pinkett-Smith and Wicked Wisdom

Wicked Wisdom and lead singer Jada Pinkett-Smith

The 5’0, 38 year old black actress/producer/model/author and singer-songwriter Jada Pinkett-Smith is probably not what you think of when I say heavy metal, but sure enough, she is the lead singer of the rock band, Wicked Wisdom.

Wicked Wisdom is a heavy metal band, from what I can tell, composed of mostly black artists, yet you wouldn’t know it from the music.  Their musical style could easily be branded as “angry white people music” without drawing too many objections from even the most racially conscious critics.  You won’t see them on BET or at a black musical festival, but don’t be surprised however if you do see them banging their heads at Ozzfest.

The fact that there is a large disconnect between their racial identity and their intended audience has forced them to deal with issues that other rock bands don’t deal with as well as find strategies to give themselves a fighting chance at rock notoriety.  When slated to appear at the rock festival, Ozzfest in 2005, the group and festival received a large amount of threats and disapproving comments because the mainstream heavy metal scene was not ready to see a pre-dominantly black group enter their music community.  The organizers defended their choice and Wicked Wisdom went on to play to increasingly larger audiences, slowly gaining the respect of the rock music community.

After the tour, Jada said, “The first six shows were really rough. We had a steep learning curve. Those first few shows, the fans were brutal. By the time we got to show No. 7 the audience started to come around. By the end of the tour, during our last set, we had three mosh pits going while we were playing. The crowd was truly with us.”

Additionally, the race of the band has caused them to market themselves differently than other bands.  If you look at their music videos and website, you would have no idea that they are in fact a predominantly black band.  The images are chosen in such a way that promotes racial ambiguity so that people don’t have the chance to let their preconceived notions about race and music influence their reception of the music itself.

Wicked Wisdom – Bleed All Over Me

Wicked Wisdom is constantly fighting to prove that they belong and have paid their dues in order to be a legitimate rock band, in the same way that white artists like Eminem and Robin Thicke have had to prove their right to sing “black music.” These artists who have left the confines of traditional racial-musical categories have to work twice as hard and be twice as good as their opposite-race counterparts, which is an unfair yet harsh reality of racial identity and classification in this country.

Wicked Wisdom – Something Inside of Me

Justin Clouden

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Presentación DJ Hero – Parte 2

Después de las presentaciones pertinentes del hardware de esta entrega, todos los presentes nos hemos sumergido directamente al juego.

El juego es muy al estilo de Guitar Hero, del cual no solo hereda la coletilla del nombre.

Tendremos un listado de canciones bastante amplio, las cuales iremos desbloqueando según vayamos avanzando en el juego. En total tendremos unas 102 canciones de las cuales 93 serán mezclas (pares de canciones).

Dado que Eminem y Jay-Z han puesto su grano de arena en el juego pensaba que el estilo de música iría muy enfocado a un tipo de público muy concreto, pero la sorpresa ha sido mayúscula al ver que habían muchos estilos de música actuales. La selección de canciones está muy lograda, un gran acierto.

Después de la presentación ha llegado el momento de la verdad. Probar por mi mismo las bondades del propio juego. Definitivamente no he nacido para ser DJ, pero tampoco para la guitarra y ahí estoy con el Guitar Hero. El juego tiene un modo de tutorial y varios niveles de dificultad que nos irán metiendo cada vez más en este mundo para llegar a ser unos expertos de DJ Hero. Válido para todos los públicos, desde los jugadores más casuals, hasta los expertos podrán divertirse en cualquier fiesta que montéis en casa.

El juego permite la posibilidad de jugar con dos tablas tanto en modo versus como en modo cooperativo. Y si no tenemos una segunda tabla, pero somos fans de Guitar Hero, podremos jugar con nuestra guitarra a todas las canciones del juego. El juego cuenta también con un modo online con el cual podremos rivalizar contra otros DJ’s.

Finalmente comentar la versión especial de este juego, llamada DJ Hero Renegade, en la cual se nos incluyen dos discos, uno de Jay-Z y otro de Eminem para aumentar aún más las horas dedicadas al juego. El juego también vendrá con una mesa de mezclas única y con un maletín para guardarlo todo. Pero lo mejor es que ese maletín se transforma en una mesilla de cuatro patas para que podamos pinchar donde queramos.

No hagáis mucho caso de las imágenes del juego, dado que fotografiar a un proyector con la sala oscura y el juego en movimiento es un poco complicado. Pronto colgaremos un video para que podáis ver como se ve realmente el juego.

Solo me queda agradecer a Adriana Negueruela y a Mónica Guerrero su invitación al evento.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Soul Amazin: MC Faceman Interview

When I was living in New York, I reached out to as many emcees as I can. My friend told me about an emcee from Brooklyn and here’s my interview with that emcee: MC Faceman.

Who is The MC Faceman?
I’m a hip-hop artist from Brooklyn bringin somethin new and fresh to the hip-hop scene. Under the chosen subgenre of Progressive Hip-Hop, I work hard to cover topics and styles not abundantly represented in hip-hop, whether under or above ground.

So tell me about your latest project?
Right now I’m working on the debut album for which I unfortunately don’t have a title to disclose at the moment. I actually have my next two projects more clearly outlined in my head since they are both concept projects. One is an EP which discusses the philosophical positives and negatives to Religion, War, Peace, and Money. The other is a 16 track mixtape, each track being 16 bars, about human drives.. but it’s all told in story form. I can’t say much more about these projects, but I can tell you they will be huge in terms of art despite not being full-fledged albums.

Break down your new project.
I haven’t put much deliberation into thematicizing my debut album. It’ll essentially be 16 brand new tracks and a few funny skits as well. I plan on exploring different personal, political, social, economic, and philosophical issues though.

How did you begin with rapping?
I started writin at age 12 in between NES, basketball, and stickball. I started recording in sophomore year of highschool as a way to vent.
Tell us about your origins and evolutions as a rapper. What are your earliest memories with music and when did you begin rapping?
I remember laying down on the floor in my living room next to my boom box and listening to hip-hop with a kid from the neighborhood. Listening to my first uncensored albums was a big thing for me as a kid.

Top five rappers dead or alive?
There’s too many to consider.. I’ll give a top five in no particular order.. Big Pun, Canibus, Nas, Eminem, and Jay-Z.

Take us through your creative process of making music, what do you think about?
Sometimes I have the idea for a song already in my head and I’ll look for a beat that can suit that topic well, and other times I just pick a beat I like and create a topic that goes with the feel of the beat. Delivery and flow always has to match the beat.

The legend goes that Biggie had to have fried chicken in the studio. What is unique about your studio experience?
I like to have peace, quiet, and solitude. I think better when I’m alone.

What are some of the musical elements outside of what most would define as Hip-Hop that have helped you build your craft?
I like the way progressive rock will vary their timing and flip around their melodies seemingly at random.. The song structure is sometimes so complex you have to hear it a few times just for it to make sense to you. This is how I felt when I first started listening to Dream Theater, a progressive band. While I don’t have the production skills (yet!) to replicate what they do instrumentally, I do have the ability to progress my lyrical content, flow, and delivery to bring forth a progressive equivalent of this to hip-hop.

So talk to us about 2009/2010. What can we expect from you?
2009/10 will see the projects I’ve already mentioned and hopefully some video projects. I’ve been brainstorming on how to do some music videos and even some skits. Hopefully I can get a site up to link all my content together and some more merchandise to help promote myself. So far available for purchase I have is a t-shirt and stickers.

More Info: MC Faceman
Twitter: MC Faceman

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Nominees for the 2009 American Music Awards

Here are the nominees for the 2009 American Music Awards:

Artist of the Year
Eminem
Michael Jackson
Kings of Leon
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Pop/Rock – Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Michael Jackson
T.I.

Pop/Rock – Favorite Female Artist
Beyonce
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Pop/Rock – Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Kings of Leon
Nickelback

Pop/Rock – Favorite Album
Michael Jackson – Number Ones
Lady Gaga – The Fame
Taylor Swift – Fearless

Country – Favorite Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Darius Rucker
Keith Urban

Country – Favorite Female Artist
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Country – Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Zac Brown Band

Country – Favorite Album
Zac Brown Band – Foundation
Rascal Flatts – Unstoppable
Taylor Swift – Fearless

Rap/Hip-Hop – Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Jay-Z
T.I.

Rap/Hip-Hop – Favorite Album
Eminem – Relapse
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3
T.I. – Paper Trail

Soul/R&B – Favorite Male Artist
Jamie Foxx
Michael Jackson
Maxwell

Soul/R&B – Favorite Female Artist
Beyonce
Keyshia Cole
Keri Hilson

Soul/R&B – Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Day26
Mary Mary

Soul/R&B – Favorite Album
Beyonce – I Am…Sasha Fierce
Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
Michael Jackson – Number Ones

Soundtracks – Favorite Album
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana 3
Twilight Soundtrack

Alternative Rock – Favorite Artist
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Shinedown

Adult Contemporary – Favorite Artist
Daughtry
Jason Mraz
Taylor Swift

Latin – Favorite Artist
Aventura
Luis Fonsi
Wisin Y Yandel

Contempoary Inspirational – Favorite Artist
Jeremy Camp
Brandon Heath
Mary Mary

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Smack Talking of the Day: $ Cash Battle $

Facts of the BFG: Let's Do This

In 1985 or there close within, a young rapper named LL Cool J burst onto the scene with his fresh, innovative, and ultimately brash single, “Rock the Bells” under the label Def Jam. Who could possibly forget such classic lines as, “You bring the woodpecker, I will bring the wood”? Our favorite line from the single, however, would be that of, “I will battle anybody, I don’t care you tell…” And with such a boast, LL reigned supreme for years with Earl, the DJ whose hand was like a shark’s fin on the wheels of steel.

There has been enough smack talking from the likes of many platinum heavyweights to last a lifetime, and frankly, Universal Artists, International and Joe Stern-McGovern, global agent and President of the company, have decided it’s time to call all bluffs, to stop those who would deal from the bottom of the deck, to prove their own worth, and to reign supreme, just as their ancestor, LL Cool J, did in the mid-80s. With an eye towards cornering the rap market by somewhere around 2014, Universal Artists, International has announced to the world, “You think you can touch this, you talkin’ to me, well then let’s cash battle, sucker DJs”*.

Joe Stern-McGovern: A Challenge for Charity

Beginning January 2010, Universal Artists, International’s heavyweights, Black Flock Gang aka BFG from the self-titled smash CD, BFG, and their oft featured artists, Christian Levi and Ms. Kesha Lee, will set out on the road to battle all comers to prove their dominance in the highly competitive world market. Sucker DJs globally, be prepared to be shut down, to have your mama thoroughly disrespected, to bow your heads in shame, and to wipe those saline tears of miserable failure away as you have your proverbial asses handed to you Dirty South Style courtesy of the BFG.

DO: Ain't No Other

Is this a claim on behalf of the notorious, infamous, and supreme BFG that the South trumps east, west, and midwest? Certainly not. Why might one ask? Simply said, with the versatility of the BFG, they consider themselves masters of every variation, bringing due respect and paying homage to each in their own way. Not only will the Black Flock Gang break out in verse to make the hardest of the Eastern seaboard suffer whiplash, they will rock the richter scale until California falls off and into the ocean as the next largest island of the world. If they fail to show restraint, California might entirely become the next Atlantis.

Fans Awaiting the BFG Concert

Sucker DJs of every realm, bow down in reverence as the kings who came to save the game pass before your mortal eyes. You name the place, you name the date, you name the style, and watch yourselves stepped on like a petulant red ants on a picnic blanket. The BFG will demand nothing short of your full measure of respect. Show them a line and they will cross it in a minute. If you can see them, it’s too late to run.

The Honorable Hood Shuttlesworth

“Disciples of soul, godfathers of rap, our rhythm is down as your mama is whack,” claims Japan’s lead envoy for Universal Artists, International. Yes, the BFG have already made their way overseas and leveled the best the Japanese market has to offer in exhibition shows against some of the greatest styles in the manner of Ludacris, Lil’ Jon, Slim Thug, Ice Cube, and even the tattoed poet himself, Lil’ Wayne.

No one can bring the energy of the BFG, no one can match their verbal skills and delivery. The BFG will make a grown man cry to any of the numerous beats by Tiptonville, Tennessee’s own A-Dub, conqueror of crunk and his cohort, 731 joker of Lake County and pop’s answer to the age old question of the chicken and the egg, Lil’ J.

A-Dub & Lil' J: I Been On

Is this challenge by Joe Stern-McGovern of Universal Artists, International belligerent? Not at all, it simply underscores the supremacy and dominance of the BFG for any of the unenlightened, ill spoken, disrespectful, or simply “act a fool” MC. Like Hammer said in his time, “Can’t touch this,” and from the likes of Public Enemy, “Don’t believe the hype,” and Vanilla Ice…well, let’s not even go there…

In words of caution from those under the Shaka Productions camp in Birmingham, Alabama, “Man up, fool, check your D, because you’re ’bout to feel the fury of the BFG, B!”

In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern, he summarizes his own take on the legends come to be publicly, collectively, and individually as the BFG,

“You cannot hold down the human spirit any easier than you can surpress the intellect. Give it some time, and it’s certain to rise to the surface and beyond your wildest dreamsn and expectations”.

When asked about the BFG and their lyrics, methods, and take on life, the company’s President, Joe Stern-McGovern, gave the following response,

“When I was a youth myself, we realized we were doing many sectors and slices of society a disservice, socially and politically speaking. These children were fed on the lies, corruption, and propaganda of forces supposedly larger than themselves, but they’ve risen, risen from the plumes with a message which won’t be swept beneath the carpet.” 

Joe Stern-McGovern: President of Universal Artists, International

Joe Stern-McGovern continued to state,

“Their lyrics are a social commentary, a take on their lives in a society which has tried to mold them into what they wanted them to be, pawns and worker ants to the queen, but they have a message to send with their own take on the turn fate has handed them.

If the world, let alone any invidual has taken up issue with the BFG? In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern,

“Society has made their bed, now they can lie in it. If the powers that be cannot deal with the indignance of the disenfranchised who refuse to be categorized or smothered by sweeping generalizations, let them do better next time, and try harder with future generations”.

Lo of the BFG: The Usual Suspect

In a quote from Joe Stern-McGovern,

“The dye is cast with this lot, and now society will face their full fury, as well as their sometimes poetically beautiful take on the human condition.”

In one word from one journalist, “Wow!”

The black flock gang has arrived, and will continue to reign supreme as long as they care to carry their message, and once having done so in a manner of haughty arrogance coupled with humility, the saviors of the hustle many call rap will pass on the torch to their own sons and daughters for millions to thrill to in future battles. 

Mouf Piece of Da City: In the Penthouse

For more information about the Black Flock Gang, please visit them at www.myspace.com/blackflockgang or www.universalartists.net.

To book the BFG, either nationally or internationally, contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s assistant at joe@universalartists.net.

For more information on the BFG’s favorite charitable organization, please write to universalartists@myspace.com or blackflockgang@myspace.com.

For information regarding retail distribution or wholesale of BFG CDs and merchandise, please write to payments@universalartists.net.

*All cash battles are for purposes of charity.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

News: Eminem Uncovers "Relapse 2" Details, "Me & 50 Cent Did A Couple Of Records"

Eminem & 50 Cent

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Eminem has broken his silence on the highly-anticipated Relapse 2 album and said fans should expect to hear 50 Cent on the project along with production from Just Blaze.

While not naming any song titles, Slim Shady said his collaboration with the G-Unit leader features them exchanging eight bars.

“Me and Fif did a couple of records, couple of months ago in Vegas, one song for my record and another for his,” Em revealed in an interview. “We just wanted to like, I just had an idea to like ‘Yo, why don’t we do something we ain’t done yet.’ And kinda go back and forth, we’ve kinda done it on other records but not to the extent of what we’re doing on this one…The way that it’s going now, K’Naan has two [produced] tracks on the record and Just Blaze has four, possibly five…I definitely feel like I’m in a little different space right now. I don’t know, with the last record, it felt like a lot of it had to do with me being sober…With Relapse 1 — a lot of that album, I wanted to rap at fire and do punchlines.” (Shade 45)

DJ Whoo Kid recently spoke about what rap heads should anticipate from Relapse 2 and promised a return of the “old” Slim Shady.

“What I really laughed at was the Mariah Carey [diss record],” Whoo Kid said in an interview. “That was funny. But that’s nothing compared to Relapse 2. What I heard, that’s just 2 percent [of the intensity]. Eminem from back in the day has returned. The crazy, lyrical, maniacal Eminem is back. Maniac! He was maniacal, but that was like, ‘Let me come back now. Let me get my sh*t situated. Who I gotta go at? Let me see what’s going on. Let me get comfortable.’ Now that he’s comfortable, now he’s gonna be like [a monster] in Relapse 2. Good luck, people.” (MTV)

Reports last week revealed Em going one-on-one with Whoo Kid to discuss the upcoming project.

Eminem will sit down with Shade 45’s DJ Whoo Kid on Saturday, October 3 at 3pm ET, during the G Unit Saturdays program, to go in-depth about his highly-anticipated upcoming album, Relapse 2, his performance at Voodoo Festival in New Orleans on October 30th and his role in developing the new video game DJ Hero, scheduled to be released on October 27th. (Sirius Buzz)

He will conduct another interview with Tony Touch next week in honor of his Shade 45 radio station’s five year anniversary.

Sirius announced today that it will broadcast two in-depth and uncensored interviews with Eminem on his Shade 45 channel in celebration of his channel’s fifth anniversary. Eminem will speak with Shade 45’s DJ Tony Touch as part of the Toca Tuesdays show on Tuesday, October 6 at 9:00 pm ET. Shade 45 is SIRIUS XM’s uncensored, commercial-free hip-hop channel created by Eminem, Shady Records, Interscope Records and SIRIUS. (PR Newswire)