Name: Adam Bernard Home: Fairfield, Connecticut, United States About Me: Entertainment journalist w/ over a decade of experience. Lover of good music, fringe movies, day baseball & chicken shawarma. Nerdy, but awesome. See my complete profile
Although she’s still acting and singing as much as she ever has, times have changed for Christina Milian. Acting-wise she’s outgrown the high school sweetheart roles for more serious fare and musically she’s gone from the major label confines of Def Jam to the independent outfit MySpace Records. This week, on the heels of the release of her latest film, The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, I caught up with the lovely Latina to find out more about what she’s been up to, which rumors about her are true and which are false (including that ever-present one about Rihanna’s “S.O.S.”), and how she’s been handling stardom’s oftentimes bumpy road.
Adam Bernard: Let’s start with the juicy stuff everybody wants to know. What happened with you and Dre of Cool & Dre? Christina Milian: We are currently on a break right now, but we’re still really really really close. I just got to a point where I just needed to find myself. It’s just a lot of self-discovery and opening myself to opportunity that’s in front of me. We have an amazing relationship, it’s just a little difficult when it’s long distance.
Adam Bernard: Your latest film, The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, which stars Matthew McConaughey, opens this weekend. Now be honest, does your taking a break from your relationship have anything to do with the fact that you were making a movie with someone who many regard as “the sexiest man in the world?” Christina Milian: No. {laughs} No, not at all. Actually I was with my boyfriend at the time and he was very patient knowing the type of scenes I’d be doing with Matthew McConaughey. He was very supportive.
Adam Bernard: Is there nudity in this film? Christina Milian: No, no nudity, but I do get very close with Matthew.
Adam Bernard: In addition to your film work you also have a new album you’re looking to release later this year. Other than being independent and on MySpace Records, what’s different for you this time around? Christina Milian: The independent approach to everything has kind of let me be an independent woman making my music, which is really awesome. I feel like there’s been a lot of growth and there’s been changes where I’m just becoming more of a woman and I know the specifics of what I like and what I want in my life, whether it has to do with myself, a relationship, or in business, so when you listen to a lot of the records that I’m doing right now they’re very much to the point. Even if it’s a love record, there’s no going around things like I’m trying to say this, but not really, and here’s the hook!
Adam Bernard: Is there anything musically that you can look at and say “they would have never let me do that on a major?” Christina Milian: At my previous record label they really would have been down my throat every day trying to listen to every song like oh what’s going on, what’s going on. In this case my label people aren’t showing up every ten seconds being pains in the butt about what we’re trying to achieve, because at the end of the day you can’t force something. Sometimes things take time and people have to have chemistry develop to build and make something and I feel that this label has been able to allow me to do that.
Adam Bernard: What happened at Def Jam? Why didn’t it work out there? Christina Milian: A lot of it was just budgetary reasons. The budgets that I had accumulated over the years, I had been bounced around from Def Soul to Island to Def Jam, and a lot of the time they were trying to change my style and my image. “Oh, your next single, we need it to be on these networks, so you have to be extra urban.” My first single (“AM to PM”) was a really pop record and that’s who I was. I grew up watching people like Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson and my whole idea was I wanted to be a big pop artist. So a lot of time there was a lot of shifting and changing. A lot of money was spent that I wasn’t aware of, also, and eventually it had just gotten to be so much that by the time my album came out we had decent sales, I think we had 55,000 albums sold that week and the highest for that week was 80,000, but I guess they just figured hey, it’s time to let her go. They didn’t want to spend more money on my project. Personally I think that project would have been worth spending the money on.
Adam Bernard: For a while there was a rumor going around that you turned down “S.O.S” and after that it was given to Rihanna. Is that true? Christina Milian: That one’s not true. People try to say that’s the reason why I got dropped from the label, but that wasn’t the case at all. When I heard that record it was already done and she had already shot a video, so when people try to blame it on that, or try to say that, that’s not true. At one point they did ask me later on to do a duet with her, but we never got to do it because of everything that happened with the label.
Adam Bernard: Is there any beef between you two? Do we need to get you in a steel cage? If we do I’m sure we could make some solid PPV money doing so. Christina Milian: {laughs} No, there’s no reason to. I’m not jealous at all. I’ve seen her a couple times since everything happened at that label and she was a sweetheart, we both said hi and she had really nice words because we had met before. It’s funny because before everything I remember one day I sat down and had a dinner with all the people at Def Jam and she was sitting there. I remember telling my mom when I left the table that day, I was like that girl is a star. Her accent makes her really sexy. She has a presence about her.
Adam Bernard: Finally, back in the day your videos would air on TRL. With all the changes that have gone on at MTV do you almost feel like you have to be a character on The Hills to get a few minutes of airtime on the network? Christina Milian: {laughs}Basically, it’s kind of funny, it’s exactly what you just said. It’s gotten to that point where you’re like hey, can I get a feature on The Hills, or maybe can you play at least 20 seconds of my video at the end of the credits. It’s so different now and it’s kind of shifty which kind of sucks because you used to be so excited about spending this money on a music video and having the world see it and now you’re just hoping that you get the opportunity to get it to the eyes of millions of viewers. Fortunately we have the internet now. I still feel it’s not the same because it’s not like watching HD quality and you gotta wait for something to load. It’s great that you can find things on your own, but to be real with you, TRL and 106 & Park made it really exciting. I even miss the days of Jukebox where you could just order em, which used to be so much fun when I was a teenager. There’s no more Box, which stinks. Even the promotion is different from the record labels. They’re not spending the same kind of money, but that’s also a good thing because it used to be such exaggerated amounts of money that used to be spent. It wasn’t about the music anymore. I definitely believe in having a great visual for a music video but the amounts of exaggerated money that were being spent were just kind of ridiculous.
Adam Bernard: All that money being spent and then OK Go blows up off of four guys on treadmills. Christina Milian: Right? It’s so crazy, you just never know.
Because I know you’re in need of some good underground Hip-Hop, today I’m here with your bi-weekly dose of The Adam B Experience. It’s the only place in the universe where you can get all the best tunes and the wittiest commentary. What more could anyone ask for? (Actually, I’m sure if there is something else that you want you won’t hesitate to tell me about it in the comments section)
You can download or stream the entire show at RapReviews.com.
Playlist
Rugged N Raw – The Ultimate AR-15 – I Get Movin Top $ Raz – King Kats – Here We Go New World Side Order - Bioweapons The Burnerz – Cops Hate Kids Will Preston – It’s Real Jake Lefco – Teeth Chatter Homeboy Sandman – Parallel Perpendicular P. Casso – Mr. Hollywood Coole High – Who Big Stat – I Gave You Everything Uncut – Still Standing Rabbi Darkside – The Last Boy Scout
For a commercial artist, a guest appearance on an album can simply be a representation of said artist buying someone’s time that they feel will help them chart a hit, or break them into a new market. For underground artists, however, a solid guest appearance represents a lot more. It represents the networking they’ve done, who they’re cool with, and most importantly, who respects their work enough to want to jump on a track with them. When The Day Laborers passed me their album, The Learning Process, and I saw two former Artists Of The Week, Homeboy Sandman and Louis Logic, were featured on it, I knew it was high time I found out more about the group. After giving the album a spin I caught up with The Day Laborers duo of Aspect and I.N.F. (pictured L to R) to do just that.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with some background info on The Day Laborers. Who are you, how did you meet and when did you start recording together? Aspect: The Day Laborers are made up of Aspect and I.N.F. I'm from East Meadow, NY, and have been involved with Hip-Hop since I was 14 when I first started DJing and writing. I.N.F. and I met through a mutual friend in 2000 and The Day Laborers came into play around 2004. I.N.F.: Our friend knew we were both starting to record and make music on our own. He suggested us linking up since we had a very similar taste in the Hip-Hop we wanted to make. The name The Day Laborers comes from our 9-5 jobs and it just fits. Plus we wanted to show something real and genuine and write songs people can relate to.
Adam Bernard: Long Island, to a lot of folks in New York City, is almost considered foreign territory. Anything past Queens is like a whole ‘nother world. So tell everyone about that world in terms of your Hip-Hop scene. I.N.F.: A lot of legends are from Long Island - Rakim, De La Soul, Public Enemy, etc., and I think the Long Island Hip-Hop scene is doing well. There are a handful of stores and college radio shows, like DJ Cut Supreme on 90.1 Stony Brook, that support the music. Aspect: Funny thing is back in the mid 90's all of Long Island was into Hip-Hop because that’s what was breeding in NYC and being played on the radio. Long Island has been down for a long time because of the small record shops spread all over. Big up to the old House of Hits in Hempstead (R.I.P.) and Eddie @ The Cop Shop in Smithtown L.I. It’s spots like those that help keep kids updated with the stuff you can't get in major music stores. The aftershock of the mid to late 90's underground Hip-Hop scene started a whole new group of followers that have multiplied.
Adam Bernard: What do The Day Laborers labor on most? I.N.F.: To eventually spread our movement all over the world and start a label where we can then put other talent on that we feel should be getting shine. Aspect: Right now we labor on booking shows and making ourselves look as professional as can be. Making music in the studio is the fun part!
Adam Bernard: If there was a mantra to describe the work and the goals of The Day Laborers what would it be? I.N.F.: Work hard, stay humble, and book us please. {laughs}
Adam Bernard: What do you feel makes each one of you unique as artists? When someone puts on one of your songs how can they easily tell one of you from the other? Aspect: I have a distinct voice and my clever wordplay makes me unpredictable. If you hear scratches on a Day Laborers track, nine times out of ten I did them unless we got a DJ that we both highly respect. I.N.F.: I work hard to write well structured songs and not just rap about rapping all the time. I help pick out a lot of the samples we use for the scratches and the placements for them. I think my style and word choice is very different then a lot of what’s out there.
Adam Bernard: Tell me about The Learning Process. What are listeners going to be learning about when they put it on? Aspect: They are going to see the result of two normal humans that make music with passion through expression. They will learn about how serious we are when it comes to getting in the booth and making music. I.N.F.: I am really proud of what we made and I think a lot of people are gonna be surprised by It. It’s good boom bap Hip-Hop with clever lyrics, dope cuts, and hooks.
Adam Bernard: You have some really noteworthy names featured on the album, including Homeboy Sandman, Louis Logic and Mac Lethal. How did these collaborations come about? I.N.F.: I’ve always liked Mac’s work so I hit him up on a whim and was surprised when he said yes. With Louis, our friend Kyle mentioned he could get him to do a song with us. He made it happen and since then we've become good friends with Lou. Kyle also told me about Sandman. We thought he was dope and just asked him, as well. He is also a really cool dude. It feels good to know people of this caliber respect what we are doing.
Adam Bernard: Finally, how do you define success for yourselves? Aspect: Success would be if we could make a simple honest living touring and doing music, we don’t need to be rich or famous. Doing what you love for a living is great though!
PreZZure has been a favorite among my Adam B Experience podcast listeners for a while now, which is why for this week's Vid Pick I'm hittin ya with his first video. The clip is for his song "Life" and it's shot in black and white, which gives it a really gritty feel. I think you'll dig it. Enjoy!
If anyone was wondering how far reaching our recession is I think I may have found the answer last weekend at Washington Square Park in New York City. Apparently, even the weed dealers are feeling the crunch.
It was a perfect day outside and I was walking around the city with my homegirl Q, showing her some of the important sights of NYC while she was in town. It was Record Store Day, so we had already hit up Fat Beats and seen the AOK Collective perform and afterwards the weather was so nice we decided to hit up the park. Of course, since the park in question was Washington Square Park we were offered weed literally the second we walked in.
Positioned like a Wal-Mart greeter, just 180 years younger and sans the blue vest, the dealer of the day was perched on a railing at the park’s entrance. Not exactly inconspicuous, but that wasn’t the point. He had product to move and it isn’t exactly a secret that such dealings go on in Washington Square Park on a minute by minute basis. Spying us walking in he immediately saw a potential sale, which I thought was interesting since I always feel like I look like the worst NARC ever. Perhaps it was all the talk of Fat Beats that led him to know that we weren’t 5-0. Regardless, as we took our third step into the park he said his greetings to us. Here’s how the conversation went:
“You smoke?” “Nah man, not right now.”
Short pause as he looks us over.
“Couple’s discount?”
It shocked me to hear it. The recession has gotten to the point where even the local weed man is offering discounts, and only two days before 4/20! Who would have ever thought a group of people who sell stimulants would need a stimulus package themselves? How far will this go? Sure, it starts with discount weed, but what’s next, BOGO sales on dime bags? Free giveaways with purchase?
“Get your weed now and we’ll throw in this free Shamwow! The Shamwow! is made in Germany, so you know it’s strong cuz German’s make good stuff. Speaking of good stuff, you’re gonna love my weed, it’s top notch!”
Actually, come to think of it, weed and a Shamwow! is a pretty killer combination. It’s almost as good as weed and a free bag of chips.
Ironically, earlier in the day another buddy of mine brought up the idea that since we’re in a recession strippers should be charging less. He had just been to a bachelor party and said twenty bucks was just too much to shell out for a lapdance right now. A cut rate would actually make sense for both the strippers and their customers. Rather than spending half their night calling people “baby” while wandering around a dimly lit club searching for a guy willing to pay them twenty bucks for 200 seconds of grind time they could be raking in the dough if they cut their rate in half and spent the majority of their time working their hips rather than working the crowd. Then they would have plenty to bring to their local drug dealer, who is clearly also busy trying to swing deals. Oh, I’m sorry, did I say they’d bring their money to their local drug dealer, I meant college tuition payment center. Yeah, that’s it.
The moral of the story – whenever the recession has you down just think of all the weed dealers and strippers it’s affecting, too, and shed a little tear for them… the real heroes.
It was just past midnight on the evening of Saturday, April 4th. The lights were low, many of the women’s dresses were short, and the music provided by DJ Gruv was thumping out of the speakers at Lady Luck in Bridgeport. None of the above, however, concerned the Nervous System trio of Polarity Plus, SolStorm and Eclipse, who were huddled together in a corner of the bar having a private conversation. The topic was Eclipse’s departure to California.
“We had a family moment,” explains Plus. “We have been through so much it’s ridiculous. We've dealt with shady indie labels. We almost inked deals at Warner Bros. and Universal. We went to number four on the CMJ charts and had one of the most requested songs on CMJ. We tore up a huge CMJ showcase and opened for artists from John Legend to Talib Kweli. Of course we fought, but that only made our trio stronger. Usually I’m a real private guy but I’ll let ya’ll in on what was said in the pow wow. I basically grabbed the both of them and just made it very clear that Nervous System was not a failure. So if those thoughts have come to your minds you should drop them. We have done more then a lot of artists have dreamed of doing and we should be proud. Yes, we got screwed and cheated by the indie label we were with. Yes, we couldn't secure two major label deals. And things got tough after we left our management company. But we should still keep our heads high because people will always remember how great Nervous System was.” Eclipse corrected Plus on just one thing, the idea that Nervous System should be talked about in the past tense.
“This will just be a pause button on Nervous System” says the Cali bound emcee, “We’re just venturing off as Wu-Tang did to see whoever gets picked up to do their solo work and we’ll come back together every some years and put together a Nervous System album.”
Eclipse, a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, officially made the move to California, where he now lives about 20 minutes from North Hollywood, only a few days after that get together. As an emcee he was considered one of the best, if not the best, freestyle lyricists in the state’s history. Plus beams with pride when he says “to this day people are trying to take it to Eclipse because they know when he’s in the club he’s the top freestyler in the room.” With the move to LA Eclipse knows he’s going to have to prove himself all over again, but it’s a challenge he’s looking forward to taking on. “The whole Hip-Hop scene is so different from over here and I know once they hear my east coast lyrics over some west coast beats I’m bound to get picked up by somebody major.”
While Eclipse is preparing for LA, SolStorm says LA should be preparing for what Eclipse is about to bring their way. “The LA battle scene better be ready,” she says with a smile, “Eclipse has always been full of never ending energy, life, and yo momma jokes. I know he will be easily accepted and equally hated, but more importantly he will bring a piece of the east to the quiet west and will livin things up a bit.”
Eclipse will definitely be bringing a piece of the east with him, but at the same time he says there are plenty of things he will be missing about Connecticut, from the friends and family he has here to the state’s close proximity to New York City. “There’s definitely some stuff I’m gonna miss,” he says with a heavy heart, “but you know what, sometimes you have to get rid of your emotional baggage in order to succeed.” According to WKSS Kiss 95.7FM on-air personality Prolifik, Eclipse is on the right path.
As someone who’s seen the scene from the inside for a number of years, both as a radio host and an emcee, Prolifik feels that in order for Connecticut Hip-Hop artists to find real success they eventually have to leave the state. “Eclipse leaving is really just a result of how underdeveloped CT is when it comes to Hip-Hop,” he explains, “I think the key to success when you hail from CT is getting out of the damned state! Clearly Eclipse isn’t afraid to go outside of his comfort zone and I know once it’s ‘all eyes on Eclipse’ he’ll bring the attention back to CT.”
SolStorm agrees that Eclipse’s taking up residence in Cali will “create a networking bridge across the country.” She jokes that there are a few things she hopes don’t come back across that bridge, though. “I just hope he doesn’t come back to visit in tube socks and talking lingo I don’t get.”
Eclipse changing his entire style isn’t very likely. Eclipse taking over LA, however, is a distinct possibility. In fact, he might just be the right artist to kick open the door for Connecticut emcees on a national level.
Some of my first Hip-Hop albums were of the Delicious Vinyl variety, so sitting down with the label’s co-founder, Mike Ross, was a real treat for me. We went over the changes the label has gone through over the past 20+ years, some of the new directions it’s going in with its current side projects like Delicious Gutter, and he even opened up about the lone act he feels he missed the boat on.
Most people know Louis Dorley as Louis Logic, the quick witted emcee who is a favorite among legions of underground Hip-Hop fans. This year, however, Dorley is putting his Louis Logic persona aside and introducing his latest musical creation, Spork Kills, which also acts as an introduction to a new genre of Hip-Hop, surf rap. The first single of off the Spork Kills EP Beaches Love Us is “Night of the Hip ‘N Dead” and it’s already getting airplay on MTVu. A complete album is in the works for later this year and this week I caught up with Dorley to find out more about the project, his adventurous musical ideas, and how he goes about putting together a set list with such a diverse range of work.
Adam Bernard: During your career you’ve been unafraid to experiment. Although you gained a name as an emcee you then went on to learn piano for your Kiss Her Stupid project and now you’ve created a whole new genre of Hip-Hop - surf rap. Where did the inspiration for this new style come from and how did it develop into what it is today? Louis Dorley: Well, first of all, thank you for noticing! I don't mean to give the impression that it's all about spectacle for me, but then again, I have been known to create those from time to time. It's really always been my goal to apply the highest artistic ideals to my career decisions. To that end, I treat my music like I used to treat my sex life... it's more fun if you haven't been there before. In truth, I can't take responsibility for going surf. I prodded my fantastic bandmates, Laust and Rolf, to go as far as they were willing to go and then when they've gone that far, go further. This is what happened.
Adam Bernard: Why did you name the project Spork Kills? Louis Dorley: With this project being hybrid, it was my initial instinct to call it Spork after everyone's favorite hybrid utensil. I found this especially appropriate given the goofy mood of the music. I did all the relevant searching and upon discovering that no one had such a band I unwisely closed my computer and waited a year to do anything about it. By the time I tried to sign up for the MySpace url, the .com, the gmail etc., some dorky death metal band from Utah had the name. Now, I'll be the first to admit, discriminating against death metal for being simply death metal is no different than the kind of discrimination that Hip-Hop artists have been experiencing for years, but these dudes even use umlauts over the “o.” I mean, come on! Anyway, I was bent on outgrowing these jokers and forcing them to change their name. I had to invent permutations of “Spork” in order to sign up for everything. I tried to think of cool adjectives, but last time I used that technique I got stuck with a moniker denoting a propensity for reason and a career in which I wrote songs about beer and sex (Louis Logic), so I went with verbs. I thought about Jerry Lee Lewis. I'm very fond of him. He was called The Killer. We commonly use language on tour to describe a particularly “on” night as a night we “killed it,” so I thought, what does Spork do? Spork Kills. Perfect!
Adam Bernard: Do you feel your audience grows with you each time you make a twist or turn in your career, or do you find yourself finding a whole new audience every time you release something new? Louis Dorley: I think I get a little "he's a genius!" and a little "he's a jerk-off," "an innovator" and "an idiot." I try not to worry about it. I can't say that's always easy. Sometimes some really sweet person will literally create a profile with no means of contact just so that they can write me a detailed love letter telling me how I used to be great and now I'm just a faggot and the worst ever and they hope I die slowly in a hot desert. {laughs} I love how people are so frequently posing those two things opposite one another. “You were great, now you're a faggot,” like that's the opposite of great! Humans are hilarious. Anyway, no one ever makes one of those when they wanna come to my house and lick me up and down till I'm clean and hairless, and yes, sometimes I get those letters, but they usually come with mobile phone numbers, so I wouldn't characterize them as anonymous.
Adam Bernard: I have never received a letter like that (whaddup Adam’s World readers!?!). Staying with your audience, how do you feel being a child of adoption affects the relationship you have with them? Is it almost easier to become close with them? Louis Dorley: I wouldn't know if it's any easier, I've always been adopted. If I had the opportunity to try out being the son of my biological parents then I might have an idea about this. I can tell you this, it's easier to get someone's attention. People are so curious about adoption. It seems like some sort of familial mysticism to them if they have no frame of reference. Most people know someone who's adopted, though. For the rest of you, I hope you're sitting down... I'm adopted.
Adam Bernard: Being that you have so many different types of music in your repertoire is it ever hard to put together a set list for your live shows? Louis Dorley: {laughs} No one ever asks me that. I don't know why that wouldn't occur to a journalist. A lot of times they're even interviewing me at my live show. I think the glue that holds the set together is that my particular sense of humor is omnipresent in my work, even in the darkest songs. Somehow they all reek of my personality, so whether I’m playing solo piano, or writhing on the floor to the “Diablos” beat, it all seems very Louis, which is to say silly and somehow still very morbid.
Adam Benard: So is Surf Rap going to be your genre now, or is this simply another branch on the Louis Logic tree and we should all expect something else totally unique the next time you release something? Louis Dorley: Well, more accurately, I would say that this is the first branch on the Louis Dorley tree, which, ironically, grew out of the Louis Logic tree. Every time I go over this kind of thing I feel like Marky Mark in that Boogie Nights scene where he's being interviewed and he says, "I’m Dirk Diggler, Brock Landers is just a character I play." You can expect that there will be more Louis Dorley projects than Louis Logic projects from here on. I will still do Louis Logic stuff; it's fun and I don't have to apologize for anything, I can blame it on him. Eventually, I think the two personas will grow fairly independent of one another and I will divide like cell mitosis.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of personas, I hear you’ve jumped into the world of acting. Tell me about the movie you just filmed, when we’ll be able to see it, and how having a mustache affected your life. Louis Dorley: I acted in Jed I. Rosenberg's indie short film Four Little Piggies. It was really hard work and fairly hilarious. I just saw it for the first time. I was alright in a few of the scenes and I was not so great in a few, too. {laughs} It was my first time and much more challenging than I thought it would be. The people at the screening I went to seemed to like it. As for the mustache, it got me a lot more attention from gay men. Is that the kind of life affect you were wondering about?
At the beginning of '09 E. Reece released a fantastic album with his band, Core Elements, titled L.I.S.n 2 This Live.In.Studio. "What U Need" is the latest single off of that album and the video for it is this week's Vid Pick. It's smooth, soulful, and just straight up dope. Enjoy!
After the tremendous response, both good and bad, to my I Will Not Listen to Your MP3s blog post a number of people, specifically artists, have hit me up to ask my feelings on a few other things. Mostly, they wanted to know what else irks me. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s amusing to folks, but regardless of the reason I’ve decided to answer that call and give you a short list of some of the things that get on my nerves. Enjoy!
Pay to Play
This week one of my artist buddies hit me with an email correspondence he had where someone claimed they wanted to feature him in their magazine, but they wanted to get paid for it… BY THE ARTIST. This is an epidemic in Hip-Hop and I’m here to tell you, artists, you should NEVER have to pay to perform or be in a magazine. These scams have been going on since the dawn of time… or at least even since shady promoters and “editors” found a way to take advantage of the starving nature of starving artists. There are so many issues with these things. First of all, if you’re a performer you should be getting paid for your services, not the other way around. Second, if you’re a fan these showcases and publications are terrible because talent has nothing to do with how the artists are selected, just cash flow. There is zero quality control when it’s 100% monetary controlled. In the case of magazines an editor’s credibility is diminished to nothing if he’s featuring artists based on who’s paying him (or her) and, once again, the product they’ll end up creating is going to be fairly worthless. If someone wants you to pay, or sell tickets, to perform, or be in their publication, they’re not worth your time. Same goes for any editor that says they want to feature you IF you buy an ad. Scamming artists gets me HEATED!
Over Tweeters
Here’s a little rule I go by; if someone is sending out tweets at a rate of more than half a dozen an hour I stop following them on Twitter, even if they're friends. I’m not really interested in hearing from people who can take the time to tweet every movement that they do. Tell me something relevant or funny, or if you’ve been silent all day just make a noise so everyone knows that you’re still alive. Seriously folks, that’s enough. Look up from your phone for a minute and realize the moment you’re taking to tweet that you “just had a kickin bologna sandwich” is a moment of life that you just missed. Perhaps Marisa Miller just walked by, but you’ll never know cuz you needed to get that ultra-important sandwich news out!
Side Note – “Look up from your phone for a minute” applies to much more than just this and is simply a really good general rule to have in life.
IM Etiquette
I understand that people are excited about their projects, but when people IM me with just a link, or a link and a note that says “check this out,” I can’t help but be on some Stephanie Tanner ish and think “how rude.” (Yeah, that’s right, Full House is gangster!) An IM of a link says a lot of things, not the least of which is that the person in question feels you, the receiver of the IM, have absolutely nothing better to do in your life than drop everything and look at what they want to show you RIGHT NOW. You know, there’s this funky little thing called e-mail and if you send me the link that way I’m a lot more likely to look at it. When you IM me the link I’m just going to delete it because it’s a nuisance on my screen. The internet is still a relatively new animal, and while there hasn’t been an etiquette book written about how to properly use it, maybe there should be. Who’s up for writing it?
BTW - As I was writing this I received a Facebook IM that was just a link to an event invite… and the event wasn’t even in my part of the country! Sheesh!
OK, those are three things that have been on my mind for a while. Anyone else have a gripe they’d like to shout about? Leave a comment and let me know what’s bothering you.
Ron Jeremy really needs no introduction. A legend with over 1,700 films to his name, Jeremy has gone from being a porn star, to being THE porn star, to being a pop culture icon. On April 28th Jeremy’s latest venture, the horror/comedy One Eyed Monster, will be released on DVD and this week I caught up with him to find out more about the movie, the reasons he feels he’s attained mainstream success, and the uncertain future of the porn industry. At the end of the interview Jeremy decided to lend a hand to the lovelorn and shared some dating advice that is not to be missed!
Adam Bernard: Let’s talk a little One Eyed Monster. The movie isn’t a porn, but a horror/comedy that takes place on the set of a porn. How’d you get involved in this? Ron Jeremy: The film was a long time in the making because the Fields brothers had this thing they wanted to do years and years ago, it was originally called Ron Jeremy’s Dick. They had connections with a company that was pretty big and they were trying to package it back then. It was a little too bizarre, though. But then South Park came along, and I was in a film called Orgazmo, and other quirky films came along, and finally they got an investor and they made the film. The storyline is so funny and so logical that you almost want to hurl. The logic being if aliens could really look at the earth what’s the first thing they would see? It’s satellite. And the biggest thing on satellite is porn and the biggest thing in porn is me, so they would look to infiltrate my dick. In the film my dick severs from the body and kills people in the funniest ways. It drills holes right through people’s heads and slices bodies in half. They got a fantastic actor, Charles Napier, who was so great saying “yeah, we’ve seen these before back in Nam. It killed people, dreadfully. This one’s a little bit bigger though.”
Adam Bernard: And it’s all deadpan serious. Ron Jeremy: That’s the whole idea. The film has so many deadpan jokes. The most deadpan one of all is the death scene. I’m lying there ready to die, the guy gets right next to my face and goes “are you OK,” you know, the Old Yeller thing, and I go “remember that time I fucked that chick” and I die. It’s a bizarre thing for me to say. Another great line is when after the penis severs from the body and runs across the floor the director goes “check the girl to see if her vagina walked away,” and the crew guy goes “how can a vagina walk away?” “Well I didn’t know that DICK could do it either!” I think it has the makings of being a real pop culture kinda movie, a real quirky, goofy, late night horror movie, Rocky Horror Picture Show kinda thing.
Adam Bernard: Hey, The Toxic Avenger is now a musical. Ron Jeremy: Yeah, I know. I know Lloyd (Kaufman) very well, I’m in a lot of his movies. I’m in Toxic Avenger Part IV, Citizen Toxie, and I’m also in Poultrygeist.
Adam Bernard: Do you like the non-porn experience? Ron Jeremy: Of course. I prefer it. I got into this business as an actor. I got a bachelors in theater, a bachelors in education and a masters in special ed. Acting was always my choice, but the job market was so abysmal for actors it was tough to get a job. When Playgirl magazine came along in 1978 I did it and one thing led to the next.
Adam Bernard: You know what else came along in 1978… me! Ron Jeremy: You popped out! When in 1978?
Adam Bernard: October 15th. Ron Jeremy: You’re killing me! Playgirl, October 1978, my first thing that I appeared nude in. John Ritter was on the cover. They now sell that magazine for a hundred bucks. They listed me as Ron Hyatt, then we changed the name to Ron Jeremy, my middle name. My first porn film was also in 1978.
Adam Bernard: I guess if anybody had filmed my birth it would have been my first porn film. Ron Jeremy: Yeah, there you go. I was going into a vagina, you were coming out of one. What’s funny is me and Playboy, my age is also their anniversary. When I turned 50 they did a big article that Ron Jeremy and Playboy are now both 50. This is like those SAT exams, I am to Playboy what you are to my Playgirl and no one else would understand it except us if we just said it like that.
Adam Bernard: Yeah, “what is that semicolon doing there!” Ron Jeremy: Get out of my colon! Semi or not! There are no cavity searches in this movie, I promise. Hey, nice segue.
Adam Bernard: Yeah, I’m impressed! Another impressive thing is the way you’ve become a pop culture icon. Why do you feel people have latched onto you and made you a mainstream celebrity the way they have? Ron Jeremy: I’m a character actor. What I think really made the biggest changeover was The Surreal Life. I had done a lot of mainstream stuff before The Surreal Life, but after The Surreal Life studios weren’t afraid to not only have me in the show, but also have me advertise it. In the old days I’d be in a film and it would be like alright, he’s in the film, let’s not push it. Warner Brothers took a chance on me knowing I was a porn star and my season of The Surreal Life ended up having the highest ratings for a Sunday night and they gave a lot of the credit to me and Tammy Faye (Bakker). They even had us on the TV Guide Channel as #83 on the 100 Greatest Moments in TV History. It was great how they said it, too; “how do a porn star and an evangelist become friends? Only God knows.” So that made the big difference. TV, especially network TV, that’s a younger demographic. All the ones after mine were shot on VH1 and I had already done a lot of VH1; I Love the 80’s, I Love the 70’s, all kinds of music videos. It’s good to be on VH1, and it’s a very popular channel, but it’s not the same thing as network. When a network takes a chance on you, and the affiliates and the advertisers take that chance, as well, that’s pretty good. So that was a good deal for me and it enabled others to say well, if Warner Brothers could take a shot, what are we worried about?
Adam Bernard: Earlier you mentioned you have an advanced degree in special education. In your career as an actor have you had the opportunity to make use of any of that knowledge? Ron Jeremy: Oh yeah. Are you kidding me? Learning special ed prepared me for a career in Hollywood. {laughs}
Adam Bernard: The porn industry has changed a lot over the past 30 years. What are your feelings on the animal that is the internet and how it’s affected the porn world? Ron Jeremy: The animal was originally helping the porn business because every major adult company had an internet site. Porn has been at the forefront of most technology. The first pre-recorded cassettes were X-Rated, then the major studios followed. The first CD-ROMs and DVDs were all porn. The biggest stuff on Pay Per View and VOD is porn. Now the internet is where porn has found a really good home. Some (major) companies tried internet sites, Spielberg tried to have pop.com, Eisner’s kid had romp.com, I even had something on there, and they didn’t do as well because watching mainstream stuff, you want to see it on your big giant TV set. The computer became a place where you could be by yourself. You can go into a little corner of a room and play with your computer. So while it was a big boon and it was very helpful, now it’s destroying the porn business. It took a total turn. Porn is down a third of its business. AVN magazine is now called Anorexic Video News magazine.
Adam Bernard: Believe me, I know about the magazine industry. We’re not doin so hot either. Ron Jeremy: Yeah, they’re suffering greatly, too, because when you can get it on the internet for free why are you gonna pay? Eventually your computer’s gonna make you breakfast, get your scrambled eggs and get you a girl. It’ll do your homework, it’ll paint your house, it’ll water the garden and cell phones will do that, too. Even cell phones now have a picture of a candle so you can wave it during a concert.
Adam Bernard: I hate that. Ron Jeremy: That did it. THAT did it! I mean, we’re fucked.
Adam Bernard: In terms of the porn film industry do you feel quality will be an issue? Ron Jeremy: No, because you can also put good stuff on the internet, but quality films aren’t necessarily gonna be a savior because these companies still rely on money from the internet, or money from the lesser films, the more gonzo amateur, pro-amateur, films. It’s going to be very tough, but they have to do the same things these freebies are doing, offer their stuff for free and make money on advertising. So (in the near future) you’ll be ready for a good sex scene and right before the guy’s ready to pop it’ll go “and now about Sony,” or “now a Coca-Cola break.” I don’t know if it even works, no one’s really done a decent enough survey or doctoral dissertation of what these little advertisers on the internet really do. On TV they break up a TV show with commercials. They do it in a very obnoxious, screwed up way, but they make money that way. What could a computer do to equal that? You can get rid of the commercial with pressing buttons. I don’t know how they’re making money, but they are. Youporn is making a lot of money and I don’t know how they can be if no one pays for it.
Adam Bernard: Finally, because of the life you’ve led on film you are viewed by many as a ladies man. That being said, do you have any advice for the lovelorn out there? Ron Jeremy: Yes. Nightclubs that have dancing are the best places to meet because it’s the only place, the ONLY place, where breaking the ice is socially acceptable. If you go to a Laundromat, a restaurant, a supermarket, you can meet girls there, but it can be considered impolite. “Hi ma’am, what’s your name?” “Go fuck yourself is my name.” Or you get her husband going “excuse me, sir, you’re talking to my wife.” You don’t get that at a disco, I always say disco, it’s an old fashioned word to use, because you’re allowed to approach a stranger and say “would you like to dance?” That’s socially acceptable, and if you ask enough girls to dance you’re gonna get a yes. If not, go to the next disco down the block. So you ask a girl to dance, now you’re dancing together. You can pick up a conversation; “that’s a beautiful dress you have,” or “you have a lovely smile. What is your name?” Then if you’re lucky the DJ plays a slow song and if you’ve already danced with a girl for a little bit then she might go for it. So you get closer, now you’re hugging, look at the fun you’re having! Bars are OK, but they’re just tough. Bars are like big meat markets and there’s no dancing, so what are you gonna do? “Hi honey would you like a drink?” “Yeah, it’s called go fuck yourself, I’m here with my husband.” Or if you’re at a restaurant, “you’re very attractive, can I order you some food?” “Yes.” “Let me guess, the name of the food is go fuck yourself?” “How’d you know!” A really good thing is like a Chippendale’s, if they have a male dancer review. The women go to that and they let the men in later on in the night and then you go dancing. That’s the fucking killer. All these horny women watched those Chippendale dancers and now you come along and they want to meet men and there you are.
Adam Bernard: That is the perfect situation. Ron Jeremy: That’s a great situation because the girls are all horny, they’re not gonna get the dancers, those guys leave, a lot of them are married, gay, or not interested, the girls are all turned on from Mr. Muscular, and then you come along and “want to dance?” “Why certainly.” Any club that has male dancers and allows the men to come in later when the male dancers are through, you want to be at that front door. You want to be first in line.
Adam Bernard: The ratio is very good. Ron Jeremy: Right. So that’s a good situation, but I’m telling you, any disco in America is a good place to go just for the simple reason that you’re allowed to approach a girl, because normally you’re not. Just be polite. A girl can say no, but not be mean about it. If she is you can tell her to go fuck HERself. Most of them are very nice, though. They might also say “my friend wants to dance.” That often happens and you dance with her friend. Usually it’s the ugly one. {laughs} “See that girl over there with no teeth and no hair? We call her hairless and ruthless toothless. She’d like to dance please.” “Hello, Miss Ruthless Toothless, would you like to dance with me?” “Sure.” “Just keep your mouth closed, thank you very much.”
Adam Bernard: As long as she doesn’t say “go fuck yourself!” Ron Jeremy: {laughs} Right. The dance is over. The ruthless toothless girl’s “by the way, go FUCK yourself!” Her, too? Oh no! She couldn’t even get the F out because of her lack of teeth. At that point, if a real monster dog tells you to go fuck yourself, perhaps you should. Nobody else will at that point.
In need of something new for your ears? Yeah, I thought so, which is why the latest edition of The Adam B Experience has nine new songs for your listening pleasure! As always, The Adam B Experience is 100% podsafe and all the songs are edited so it's cool to play around ANYONE (actually, this is encouraged!).
You can download or stream the entire show at RapReviews.com.
Playlist
The Burnerz - Cops Hate Kidz Rugged N Raw - The Ultimate Coolie High - Who Louis Logic - The Great Divide Vinnie Scullo - Blood and Chocolate Milk Big Stat - I Gave You Everything Nicholas Howard - My Hands are Rough Core Rhythm - 8AM Blues Homeboy Sandman - Parallel Perpendicular Incksalonius - Grown Another Day Lee - Sometimes Rabbi Darkside - The Last Boy Scout Hired Gun - Dedication Top $ Raz - King
When you see a gorgeous Korean girl with fire red hair and eyebrows to match, it’s pretty hard not to take notice. Frankie Finch is well aware of that fact, it’s pretty much what she’s been going for, and it’s been working. Over the years Finch has been in the public eye in a number of ways as she’s hosted a variety of television shows and launched a fashion company, but now she’s ready to put her fiery personality front and center with her fiery hair and show her talent as a recording artist. The other day I bumped into the California resident while we were both in New York City and we talked about her love of individuality, the sound she hopes to create with her music, and the many places people may have already seen or heard her.
Adam Bernard: Hit me with the Frankie Finch story. Where are you from and when did you get into music? Frankie Finch: I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and grew up speaking French, Korean and English. I’ve always loved music since I was a little girl, it made me feel good inside. I grew up with a brother who loved classic rock and a father who had live orchestra music playin throughout the house 24/7. Those influences made me appreciate the art of music.
Adam Bernard: The red hair, the individually painted fingernails with no two alike, the unique fashion sense… would it be safe to assume you’re not afraid to stand out? Frankie Finch: I’m not afraid of anything and I’m definitely not afraid to stand out. Frankie Finch would have it no other way! I love expressing myself, whether it’s through music, or fashion. To me it’s all creative and that’s who/what I am - creative.
Adam Bernard: From what I hear, I addition to your music you’re pretty deep into the fashion world. Give me the quick and dirty on your forays into that field. Frankie Finch: I have an independent clothing brand called Finch Clothing. We sell to high-end boutiques through out the US, Japan and Canada.
Adam Bernard: Have you always had this passion for creativity? Do you have any interesting stories regarding your individuality from when you were growing up? Frankie Finch: Growing up I was always trendsetter, whether I knew it or not. I just always “did me” no matter what people said. I remember goin to school sometimes wearing all my favorite pieces at the same time and next thing you know my friends were lovin how I put the “fit” (outfit) together. I’ve always enjoyed taking risks, visually, musically and professionally.
Adam Bernard: How does your want to be unique translate to your music? Frankie Finch: I’m always pushin the envelope. My music is usually up-tempo Hip-House meets Electro-Pop beats, but you will always hear me rap in the songs and sing most of my hooks.
Adam Bernard: If you were running a radio station which artists would you put your music in rotation with? Frankie Finch: I’d rotate my music next to Lady Gaga, or maybe LMFO, or MGMT, because most of my music is ready for the club, boat, or just a high voltage time!
Adam Bernard: Where might people have heard your work and when are you planning on releasing an album? Frankie Finch: People might have heard my music on MTV’s Laguna Beach, or as Nike’s lead campaign song for a workout CD in 18 markets in Asia and Europe. I also have some remixes in Australia by Chew Fu and my vocals are over some new school Easy Mo Bee tracks. I’ll be dropping an EP in the spring or summer that will be released digitally and I am currently workin on an official full length album.
Adam Bernard: You don’t see a lot of Korean girls in the music industry. Why do you think that is? Frankie Finch: I’m sure there are other Korean artists out there, we just don’t know of them yet. The Korean culture is not really set up for us to be outspoken/pop artists in the US. Our families usually push us to be doctors, or CPAs, or other conservative professions for the most part… so not Finch!
Adam Bernard: Finally, you were also the host of a television show a little while back. Tell me about your hosting duties and what the transition was like going from host to artist. Frankie Finch: I use to host a syndicated TV Show for the Source: All Access, which was produced by The Source magazine, where I would interview recording artists on the red carpet of all the music award shows and go behind the scenes at music video shoots. I also worked on a USA Network show called Farmclub that was created by Jimmy Iovine and Doug Morris, a celebrity cooking show called Half Baked that aired on the National Lampoon Network, Comedy Central’s Chinese Take-Out, and a few others, as well. It feels good to be on the other side of the mic with someone askin me the questions. Change is good.
Rugged N Raw has a history of coming correct and "The Ultimate," which is the latest single off his critically acclaimed 2008 release Truth Serum (it ranked in myyear end Top 25), continues in that tradition. For this clip Rugged N Raw's trademark tie and suspenders have been left at home as he takes a turn for the crazy. Enjoy!
2 in a Room, LFO, Sisqo and Paula Cole are four musical acts most people probably wouldn’t associate with each other, but they’re all together right here in the latest edition of From A to B 90’s Style! That’s right, fellow superstar journalist Bear Frazer and I are back to break down some more 90’s videos and flavor them with our unique brand of wit, wisdom and insightful commentary. Enjoy!
Adam: Let’s start with something funky.
Bear: That boom box is very red. Adam: And she looks unhappy. Bear: And there are a lot of dudes in bathing suits. Perez Hilton must be smiling at this. Adam: Whoa! Go go gadget boombox! Bear: Did air freshener pop out of there? Adam: Here we go now, booties and boobies, the recipe for music video greatness. Bear: It's not booty shaking, just booty wiggling, because, as we know, white girls can't shake their asses. Adam: Look at the Colgate smile on that white girl. Bear: And look at her white polka dot bikini. Adam: Wait, I don't want to see any KIDS wiggle it. Damnit 2 in a Room! Bear: Yeah, this isn't an episode of Barney and Friends! Adam: "Dancin by yourself is bad for your health." I never knew that. Thank you 2 in a Room. The more you know… Come to think of it, I haven't wiggled it on a beach in a while. Bear: I don't wanna know what you do on a beach. Adam: Wiggle it with white girls and red radios. What do YOU do on the beach? Bear: I shake it like a saltshaker, that's what. Adam: Holy crap that dude died! It was only a four minute party and he died! Moral of the story - excessive exposure to wiggling it can cause rapid aging. The more you know… Bear: Wiggling takes a lot out of ya.
Bear: I’m going to keep with “girls” theme with my first pick.
Adam: You have a hard on for Rich Cronin. Bear: But only Rich Cronin. Look at them walk around. They're like, "hi girl." Adam: And none of the ladies respond. Bear: Ha ha, exactly! Bear: So what do Larry Bird and Billy Shakespeare have in common? Adam: They're both mentioned nonsensically in this song. Bear: Exactly. Adam: Damn, that last lyric was kinda rough. Way to mention her daddy issues. The cops shoulda busted this up. "Chief, I'm gonna need backup, there's a shitty boy band on top of this building." Bear: These two other knuckleheads know this boy band is pathetic. They’re like, "do we really need to be here? I want to go watch Scooby-Doo." And did you see that? A big boombox, but it’s not red. Adam: There are A LOT of Caucasians in this video. Bear: And one dude who looks half Spanish. Adam: Damnit, Rich Cronin stole my bike! He just admitted it! Bear: Hey, I lost my Huffy bike when I was little. Adam: I bet Rich Cronin stole that, too. Bear: Rat bastard!
Adam: More beach scenes coming up with our next video.
Adam: This was a classic during my college days. As soon as the opening would come on every drunk girl got on the bar and turned into a stripper. Bear: I like thongs. Adam: You WEAR thongs. Bear: Well I got dumps like a truck. What do you expect? Adam: The only way this video could be better is if Sisqo wasn't in it. Bear: These chicks be wiggling it a little bit more than a little bit. Adam: That black light joint is EFFECTIVE! I think I'm gonna throw a blacklight bathing suit party and only invite girls. Bear: You can impress them by doing cartwheels and flips GSP style. And look, ANOTHER BOOMBOX! Adam: And the rest of Dru Hill! Bear: Boomboxes were made for beaches Adam: Dude, you should write ad copy. "Boomboxes were made for beaches." Bear: I think Sisqo would rather jump in the air than look at a girl in a thong. Adam: Ha ha! "Aaaah, girls! Cooties!" Whereas I would be like "hey girl, can I get your cooties." Bear: And I would be like, “hey girl, I'll get your cooties… after you dance in a thong and check my emails,” because at the end of the day that’s what's sexy, a chick checking hotmail in a thong.
Bear: I’m going to bring a little variety to our list with my final pick.
Bear: Paula Cole looked like a mess in this video. And I loved it. Adam: Way to bring the mood down, Bear. Bear: Oh come on, a chick in pigtails can't cheer you up? Adam: Remember how she was kinda hot till she showed she didn't shave her pits? Bear: Why did you have to remind me of that? Adam: And lady, I can handle the laundry, you help pay the damned bills. Hey, was that Chris Benoit on drums? Bear: Ha ha! Why the hell doesn't she want to pay the bills? Can't she kick in some? Adam: Yeah, for real, she has the singing career! This chick really wants to be a kept woman. Bear: And to my knowledge, cowboys didn't make money. They killed buffalo… and people. Adam: She wants a good cowboy to steal her some land and milk her a cow. Bear: She be a gold digger. Adam: Or a gold prospector. She wants a guy with a shiny gun. Missy wanted a "tote a glock boy." They should do a duet or something. Bear: Evidently, though, this video proves one thing - there aren't any boomboxes in the woods. Adam: Damnit. No camping for me!
We are officially one quarter of the way through 2009 and a lot of people are wondering – what happened to the urban music scene? It’s a fair question. There really haven’t been too many commercially successful releases this year and even the majority of the singles that have been in heavy rotation haven’t been overwhelmingly inspiring. 2009 has given us a few real gems, though, they just take a little bit of digging to find. The following are three albums that are well worth that effort.
P.O.S. – Never Better
P.O.S.’ Never Better isn’t just the best rap album of the year (as of now), it’s quite possibly one of the best rap albums of the past half decade. For those unfamiliar with P.O.S. he is a Minnesota emcee, a founding member of the Doomtree crew, and he grew up influenced by both Hip-Hop and punk rock, which plays significantly into both his sound and his lyrics. He has a rapid fire flow and topically he covers everything from the current state of politics to personal identity. An example of his political work can be heard on the song, “Let It Rattle,” where he finds a way to be both politically poignant and extremely humorous by referencing a joke made by deceased Minnesota comedian Mitch Hedberg.
Who got a fix for the fix Bush no more Nobody’s like Dufrane, search party of four
It’s that ability to make you smile while also making a point that makes P.O.S. such a great emcee. He also is totally unbiased in his political views, as in the same verse he rips on this, and quite frankly any, presidential administration:
They out for presidents to represent them You think a president could represent you? You really think a president would represent you? (Riiight)
On the song “Purexed” P.O.S. takes on matters of personal identity.
and that’s the skin again let’s blame the skin again stretching itself so fluidly over these awkward ligaments and I didn’t shave today I prolly wont tomorrow and its safe to say I’m never gonna shed this extra (yeah)
He then launches into the chorus:
So fuck it - back to the wall crush it - laugh at em all hush - let em try to find the beauty in your face
All of this is done over some amazingly intense beats that mix P.O.S.’ mutual loves of Hip-Hop and punk rock, making Never Better a five star must-hear.
Myka 9 – 1969
Myka 9 was one of the co-founders of the legendary Freestyle Fellowship crew, which is the west coast outfit that redefined freestyling in Hip-Hop. Creativity has always been at the forefront for all the members of Freestyle Fellowship and on 1969 Myka 9 keeps that tradition going by cultivating a unique concept – “what if somebody rapped the way I rap back in 1969?” He took that idea, teamed up with producer Factor, and the two went to work. The result is a melodic ride where Myka 9 chills you out while getting you to listen to his words.
According to Myka 9, “the album definitely has a nostalgic sound. Once me and Factor decided to do this album it took on that sort of vibe. For instance, I didn't want to curse that much, I wanted a hint of soulfulness, a hint of an older quality.”
Much like P.O.S., Myka 9 has a quick flow. Myka 9, however, uses his flow in a completely different way. While P.O.S. makes sure you understand every single lyric right down to the very last syllable, Myka 9, while still stringing together some truly impressive verses, uses his vocals as an instrument a lot of the time on 1969. So while the lyrics are still important, a large part of the appeal of 1969 is Myka 9’s use of flow. It’s definitely something all Hip-Hop heads will enjoy.
Nicholas Howard – God is in the City
Imagine if Robin Thicke suddenly decided he wanted to channel the old school legends of soul and started singing about not just love, but also the realities of life. If you can get that picture in your head you can start to imagine the tip of the iceberg that is the work of soul singer Nicholas Howard.
Yes, Howard still sings about women, but what sets him apart from a lot of his peers is the way he sings about the fairer sex. Forget the saccharine songs with clichéd subject matter we’re used to getting from R&B singers, when Howard wants to write about a woman there’s some true lyric writing and poetry involved. Two great examples of this are “Scotch on Her Lips” and “Blood from a Stone.”
Although Howard has an old school vibe when it comes to his writing style, the musicality of God is in the City is still modern, but modern in a good way, not an electronic way. An accomplished studio man long before he started singing, Howard knows how to put a song together and he worked with a dozen musicians to make sure the sound was right for God is in the City. The effort shows. His ode to blue collar work, “My Hands Are Rough,” is a fantastic example of what soul music can sound like when it’s done right.
Both P.O.S. and Myka 9’s albums can be found at major retailers, while Howard’s can be found at indie outlets such as CDBaby.com.
(I will now pat myself on the back just a little bit for introducing Ope and the producers of AOTS to each other. I think I love networking just as much as I love writing and it was great to see two people I love working with come together on something. Everyone involved in this totally rocks.)
The internet was set abuzz by Random in 2007 when he created Mega Ran, an album where all the beats contained samples from the epic Capcom video game series Mega Man, which is still an all-time fave among legions of NES fans. Not one to be put into a box artistically, Random also has plenty of influences that aren’t of the 8-bit variety. This week I caught up with the emcee/producer/teacher to discuss some of those influences which include everything from the music he heard coming from a local crack house during his youth, to his current students.
I’ve been a fan of Azeem since I first heard Craft Classic in 2001. Each one of his albums since then has either met or exceeded my expectations. Lyrically gifted, Azeem’s music is both politically poignant and fantastically funky and over the years I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him for a number of publications and websites. Just last month, in a huge accomplishment for a socially conscious artist, his video for “Open Em Up” was voted a favorite by BET.com users. This week I caught up with Azeem to talk about his life and his work and he opened up about dropping out of school at a very young age, the creativity behind another one of his videos, “Latin Revenge,” and what he sees in America’s immediate future. Azeem is known as a bit of a Nostradamus as many of his predictions from his previous albums have come true, so don’t take his words lightly, we might very well end up living them!
Adam Bernard: Let’s start with a little bit of personal history. Hit me with one or two events that you feel really helped shape you as an artist. Azeem: Honestly, the most influential event for me as an artist was dropping out of school in seventh grade. I was forced to go to other schools, but never made it through the year. That made me a free-thinker, less of a follower when it comes to my style. The other thing would be travel; from India and the Maldives to Myrtle Beach to Paris. If you don’t travel you’re missing a big part of life and levity. My mom worked for the airlines, so we were always going to Jamaica for the summer and she let me fly alone a lot as a teenager, too, so travel definitely had an affect on me.
Adam Bernard: You recently released a video for “Latin Revenge,” which is off of Air Cartoons. It’s an incredibly creative clip. What were some of the concepts you had for it and how did you go about bringing those concepts to life? Azeem: Man, that video is the BEST video I’ve ever had. To be honest, I can’t take too much credit for what Ben Stokes did. He is a master of animation and I’m honored to have worked with him. The most I did was make sure the video had black folks in it. He was going around the Mission District in San Francisco taking photos of people for the video. Then he would take peoples heads and put them on different bodies to give it that bugged out effect. Well, most brothas in the Mission District are about their business and don’t like skinny white guys taking their picture, feel me? Anyway, he found some real characters for it and it’s the best shit ever.
Adam Bernard: “Latin Revenge” got me to thinking, where the heck did all the creativity go in Hip-Hop? Has it faded significantly, or was it always just a select few artists who engaged in it? Azeem: My song did that? Cool. It must have been there, or it would have died. It must STILL be here cuz Azeem is still here. Groups like Little Brother, artists like Lupe Fiasco, Andre 3000, Jay Electronica, Styles P, etc. The list goes on. It’s just that RAP music is what is being presented as Hip-Hop to the people. That’s my own opinion, though. Also, the only music that is pushed in the mainstream is that which deals with things of people’s lower nature, like sex, lust, money, greed, ego, etc. How many “Girl I Wanna Fuck You,” or “We Get Money,” songs can a mafucka write?
Adam Bernard: So where would you like to take Hip-Hop and where would you like Hip-Hop to take you (that it hasn’t already)? Azeem: I took Hip-Hop into the theater realm with my one man play, Rude Boy. I wanted to expose people who are generally outside of our culture to the poetic craft and street philosophies that our music has to offer. The play was a success and got extended twice. I plan on bringing it forward again but Air Cartoons and the next Azeem and Zeph album has me busy. Hip-Hop has taken me to 25 different countries and counting.
Adam Bernard: It sounds like through both your teenage travel experiences and your touring experiences you’ve seen a good chunk of the world. What are your thoughts on some of the scenes you’ve seen? How do they differ from your own, what would you like to see incorporated from their scenes into yours and vice versa? Azeem: I like how in Europe, for example, people will go see Talib Kwali and Azeem one night, then go to a Coldplay or an electronic show the next. Music in America is more of a race thing. “Black” people have rap. “White” people have… guitars. Latin and Mexicans have horn and tubas. Things are more open now, but we still need to open up to other genres of music, especially when it comes to Hip-Hop fans.
Adam Bernard: Finally, since you’re a lyrical Nostradamus, any bold predictions for the next few years? Azeem: Of course. The Amero is coming. Obama ain’t all he’s packaged up to be, however he is slated to be the Disclosure President who will disclose basic information regarding extraterrestrials to the people. There will be another Columbine type “tragedy” which will push legislation to drastically change gun laws BECAUSE it’s goin down in 2011 and they want the population unarmed. The “War on Drugs” will place more inner-city males in prison than ever before. Hollywood is already beginning its series of 2012 doomsday type movies in order to shape people’s minds toward the protection of Big Brother while making people who KNOW something major is happening seem crazy. And as more and more trinkets are fed to people, hologram technology is going to revolutionize sports and entertainment. Bootleg Kanye concert anyone?
Check it out, I'm featured in Bear Frazer's Celebrity Smackdown 1: Asher Roth vs. Eminem feature!
Adam Bernard of RapReviews.com “Are you high? Who wins in a fight between a guy who raps about killing people with a chainsaw, and another guy who raps about being drunk and stoned at college? Although I will say the age differential might make things interesting.”
Life is hard. Just ask Core Rhythm as he expresses those "8 AM Bluez" with this song off of his 2008 release, Ronin. This one's for anyone who has ever had one of those days. Come to think of it, haven't we all had one of those days at some point in time? Talk about a video everyone can relate to! Enjoy.
There is really no nice way to say this, so I’m just going to be blunt about it – I will not listen to your MP3s. There are a myriad of reasons for this; some stem from the way things work in the Hip-Hop world, some stem from personal preference, and some stem from my respect for artistry. I’ve been asked hundreds of times about my non-acceptance of MP3s and every time I respond - “I’ll write a blog about it eventually.” Welcome to eventually. These are the reasons why I delete almost every MP3 sent to me.
The first, and possibly biggest, issue I have with MP3s stems from the fact that rap artists don’t need a studio to record a song. Whereas a band needs to get into a real studio, all a rap artist needs is a computer with Pro Tools, a beat making program and a microphone. With everyone and their grandmother now thinking they’re either a rapper or a producer, and computer technology making it super simple to create songs, suddenly everyone who ever thought they could rap or produce has a flaming buttload (actual unit of measurement) of tracks ready to email out to unsuspecting people who have no interest in hearing them. Incidentally, when you crash my Outlook Express with MP3s I didn’t ask for it doesn’t leave a good impression. If you insist on sending music out digitally you should do it by utilizing a content upload site and then passing along the link. This leads to my next issue; MP3 mass mailings are usually pretty useless.
In 2009 emailing an MP3 is like handing out a flyer. When you hand out a flyer, yes lots of people will end up with it in their possession, but how many will actually read it, and of that percentage how many will actually go to the show you're promoting? The same percentages apply to your MP3s. You can throw it in everyone’s inbox, but how many people will actually download it, and of those people how many do you think will then take the time to give it a spin? As an aside, how much do you think the whole MP3 game would change if it cost 50 cents every time you mailed one out? Just a thought. Moving on…
My next issue with MP3s comes from the fact that I’m on a laptop. This creates two problems and both of them affect the artist who wants their work heard. First, my laptop speakers are not optimal for listening to music. If you’re a real artist and you’ve created something you want people to hear, you want them to hear it correctly. A great example of this is a song a buddy of mine gave me to put in my podcast. After putting it on my computer I then put it on a mix-CD to play in my car. The bassline is audibly stronger, more lush, and more intimidating coming out of my car stereo speakers. In other words, when hearing the song correctly it’s far more impressive. Shocking, I know. So if artists were to really think about it they wouldn’t want writers listening to their work on their computers.
Another laptop issue is the fact that as a writer I spend enough time on this thing, now you expect me to listen to music on it, as well? Nope, sorry. I listen to music in an environment that is best suited for listening to music, either in the car, or in a room that has a real stereo with nice speakers. This is both a comfort issue for me and, again, a quality issue for the artists since I’m guessing they didn’t create their music to be listened to at a low volume in an office.
My final issue with MP3s deals with professionalism. I know a download only EP can be a great promotional tool for an artist, heck, I’ve written about how well they can work a number of times, but it should be remembered that it’s a promotional tool, not an album to send to press. There is still a level of seriousness that is created when an artist presses up an album, writes up liner notes, and has everything shrink wrapped in a nice jewel case. It says “I put my heart and soul into this and really care about the finished product.” That, in turn, makes me care about it more.
I know some folks out there might see this as a lot of complaining, but if you read between the lines you’ll see most of my gripes come from wanting what’s best for the artist; whether it’s the best audio, or the best presentation. Yes, I have a few issues that are selfish ones, as well, but there’s nothing wrong with that. We all have our preferences, right?
* Lone exception to these rules – When I go out of my way to ask an artist for something, i.e. “do you have something new I can play in my podcast? Send the radio edit.” Key words here - when I ask.
R.W. Goodwin is the visionary producer who brought television shows like The X-Files and Tru Calling to life. His latest venture is Alien Trespass, a feature film done in the motif of a 50’s sci-fi movie (in theaters with a limited release beginning April 3rd). This week I caught up with Goodwin to discuss going back in time for the film, his initial problems with the alien monster, and the major sci-fi motion picture he was a part of that he never received credit for.
Adam Bernard: Talk to me about Alien Trespass. After so many years of producing current science-fiction what inspired you to go back to the 50’s for this project? R.W. Goodwin: It was actually my friend Jim Swift’s idea. He and I have been friends for about six years and he was a big fan of these things as a kid. He’d gone to see em all and just felt the only thing missing was that there weren’t enough of them. He wanted to make another one, which I thought was a kind of an unusual idea, but I had seen em as a young kid, too, and had very fond memories, so I looked at them again just to refresh my memory and I was so charmed to find out that they were so funny. If you look at them now, 50 years later, there’s a wonderful funniness about them because they’re so out of style. It’s such a different time and that part kind of intrigued me. I felt that if we really stuck to our guns and did a true 50’s movie within the style and within the technique and technology that was available to people at that time that we might also be able to come up with a movie that was funny, but not funny by trying to be funny, but funny because it adhered to a past era, so I took it on hoping it would work. I also liked the idea of going back to the 50’s because it was just a more innocent time. It was before people became cynical about life. It was before the quiz show scandals and all the other things that kinda turned the world a little darker, so I thought that it would be a nice little time trip.
Adam Bernard: You literally just took the words out of my mouth when you mentioned the innocence of the time. What are some of the other qualities of 50’s sci-fi that aren’t as prevalent today? R.W. Goodwin: Well, you know it was a period where the vocabulary for sci-fi film was created and obviously on a much simpler and basic level, and because they did not have computers and other very sophisticated means of creating special effects or visual effects, the filmmaking itself kind of had a sweet naiveté to it, and I liked that. As a matter of fact, once we went forward I made a point to go through as many of those movies as I could and mine all those wonderful little nuggets of mistakes that go printed, or mismatches and things that they obviously did because of time or technical contingencies, and I just loaded the movie up with that and I think that gives it a certain kind of charm.
Adam Bernard: Did you avoid using the computer for this film? R.W. Goodwin: We used it very judiciously, usually only in spots where you couldn’t tell, where it would be invisible. A lot of the driving stuff, in the old days they used rear projection where they would have the actors sitting in the car, the grips were shaking and jerking and the background was the plate of the road moving behind them. We just used green screen because it was quicker. We had a very short schedule on this because we didn’t have a ton of money to make it and all the money went into creating the period, all the costumes and sets, props and all the other things that had to be pretty much manufactured or found. The green screen helped us in that regard. We used the computer for trying to copy the kind of animation that they used to do. In the old days there were two ways of doing the space stuff, they would either use models or animation and we opted for the animation way to go because we simply couldn’t afford the time and cost of doing models. Eric Chauvin, our special effects supervisor tried very hard to make the images look as if they were animated from the 50’s. When we came to make the monster we knew we had to have a rubber monster. There was never any thought of doing a computer generated monster.
Adam Bernard: Allow me to be a fly on the wall at some of those production meetings. What were some of the discussions like regarding how alien the monster would be and what its qualities would be? R.W. Goodwin: First of all, when I decided to get on board with Jim we had no script. We had a story outline that I liked quite a bit and we did a lot of modification on that and then spent over a year speaking with Steven Fisher getting the scripts. Steven had never written a script before, but he has a really good feel for dialogue and character. I worked very closely with him and Jim over that period of time and of course the monster kind of evolves in the writing process and then when we came to the producing of the film we added a whole bunch of other people, like the art department and the creature maker, and we included everybody else, like the cinematographer. I don’t think it’s any secret that the basic idea for the Ghota was derived from the creature in It Came From Outer Space, which is a one eyed creature that has since been copied by many people; The Simpsons, now Monsters vs. Aliens and everybody else. We then went to work with drawings and ultimately Joel Echallier, who was our creature maker, brought us over to see the full size model and it looked very much like a penis, a great big penis. I said “Joel, it looks like a great big penis with an eye in the middle of it,” and he said “I was afraid you were going to say that.” So we did some modification, I put those little feelers over the forehead. Of course Dan Lauria, who plays Chief Dawson, keeps telling everybody that it just looks like a French tickler, but we did our best to de-fallicize.
Adam Bernard: You mentioned Lauria, who most of us remember from The Wonder Years, but your entire cast is impressive. Did it surprise you that so many actors with such great resumes would be on board for a 50’s alien movie in 2009? R.W. Goodwin: Yeah, and especially a low budget one, but we started at the top. Our casting director, Susan Edelman, gave us a list of wonderful actors for Ted. He was a two part character, Ted and when he’s inhabited by the alien Urp we call him Turp, and I really felt it was a long shot to get any of the amazingly famous and great actors she had on the list. Jim and I just decided to go with our top choice and work our way down and our top choice was Eric (McCormack). Susan knew Eric’s manager and got the script to her and she got it to Eric and Eric read it and instantly was right on board. He loved the script, he loved the character and he completely got what we were doing, that we weren’t doing a spoof or a parody, or some kind of comic knock off, we were doing a real 50’s movie that if we did it true to form would end up being funny because it was sort of an anachronism in this day and age. Robert Patrick I’ve known for five or six years, so with Robert it was just call and offer it to him and hope he’ll do it, and he did. Dan Lauria, the same thing. So we got the three names in there and were just wonderfully lucky and happy to find Jenni Baird, who was just great as Tammy, and Jodi Thompson, who plays Lana, the wife. She just nailed it. And the rest of the cast, I think they were all great. The teenagers, the old man, the cops, it was just a great group of actors.
Adam Bernard: Jenni Baird and Jodi Thompson were both on The 4400. Can we glean a little bit about your TiVo habits from this? R.W. Goodwin: No, I’d never seen The 4400. After we cast it I noticed on their resumes that they had been on the same show together. And they’ve both had babies since we finished shooting.
Adam Bernard:Because of the movie? R.W. Goodwin: I think so. I think they’re probably alien babies.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of TV, with the exception of the X-Files movie you’ve done TV your entire career. Do you have another TV program in the works? R.W. Goodwin: Well, first of all, I produced a movie called Inside Moves that Dick Donner directed. That was in 1980. And a lot of people don’t know that I also worked on the first Star Trek feature. Gene Roddenberry brought me in on it after they had tried for years to come up with a features idea and couldn’t, so they were going to re-do it as a series again with the original cast and I came up with an idea for the first story which Gene liked and he asked me to develop it, which I did, and we went and pitched it and that became the first feature. I spent about a year building the Enterprise and casting the bald headed girl, Persis Khambatta, and then they finally got a director to come in, because it had switched over from TV to movies, and I was asked to change my credit, which I didn’t want to do, so I left. I never got any credit for anything because I was a dumb kid and I didn’t know that I should have asked for credit for the story and my agent, who was a great agent, a guy named Mark Rosenberg, quit agent-ing right at that moment to become the head of Warner Brothers Television, so I had no representation, I didn’t have anybody telling me what to do.
Adam Bernard: You were on your own and very young. R.W. Goodwin: Yeah, but that’s OK, it doesn’t matter. I can’t complain about my career. I just developed and shot a pilot for a half hour cable comedy, it’s called The Cody Rivers Show. It’s a couple of guys who do incredibly funny sketch comedy and we brought in a few equally talented and funny people to join a regular cast. It mixes song and dance with comedy and all kinds of bizarre, funny things. I call it Monty Python meets Moulin Rouge in the 21st century.
Adam Bernard: Sounds like my kinda show. You also worked with one of my favorite actresses, Eliza Dushku, when you did Tru Calling. Why didn’t that show stick? A lot of people have blamed the network for that. R.W. Goodwin: Here’s the thing, I was supposed to be on for two years. I did the first year and that’s when I really felt it was time for me to do my own stuff, I’d been putting it off for too long, so I left. I wasn’t there the second season, so I have absolutely no knowledge of what was going on over there. How is the new one doing? Dollhouse.
Adam Bernard: It’s a fantastic show. They have it in a terrible timeslot, though, Fridays at 9pm. R.W. Goodwin: Well, yeah, but that’s where we were with The X-Files for the first year, so it’s not impossible.
Adam Bernard: Fox now has two hours sci-fi on Friday nights. It’s almost like they’re assuming that the people who’d be interested in it won’t have social lives. R.W. Goodwin: I kinda got the feeling on The X-Files that they put us in there because I don’t think anybody had any high hopes for the show which was, in a way, good for us because at least as far as my point of view, producing it up in Vancouver I never really had too many suggestions or interference, they kind of let us do our own thing and by the time they actually started to pay attention we were getting good enough numbers that they didn’t want to mess with us, so for me it was a good experience.
Adam Bernard: I wish more television shows had that opportunity to grow. R.W. Goodwin: That’s what you need. If you didn’t have that you wouldn’t have had Seinfeld and a lot of other big hit shows. It’s unfortunately really scary times and the economics of the television business have changed drastically so everybody’s trying to desperately trying to figure out what the new business model is.
Adam Bernard: Before I let you go, any final words on Alien Trespass? R.W. Goodwin: Times have been so tough for everybody, so I think that the chance to take a couple of hours to escape to the past, to go back to a more innocent and sweeter world and have some fun and be able to laugh and get scared and get a little tear in your eye may be a good way to regenerate ourselves and realize that maybe life isn’t so bad and maybe we’ll all come through in the end.
B-Listers are a select group of artists that were featured in my Artist Of The Week series that ran every Monday from April of '06 to April of '11. All of these artists have two things in common; extreme talent, and a flight path far too under the radar for my liking. They took on the title of B-Listers as they embraced being featured by me, Adam B. Check out the AOTW Archives for all the interviews.
