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
He has a deep voice, smooth delivery, and lyrics that feature an incredible amount of honesty. His name is Lee. Some people are familiar with him from his role as the lead vocalist of The Square Egg. Still others may recognize him from his 2008 solo effort, Meet Lee. Now he’s looking to strip down for everyone with his follow up to Meet Lee, which will be titled Naked, and is due out this summer.
When he was living in Miami, this multi-talented artist, took home the Miami New Times’ awards for Best Rapper and Best Male Vocalist in the same year. As a part of The Square Egg he has upwards of a dozen other musicians on stage with him, and as a soloist he sometimes has even more, the only difference is with his solo work he’s writing and arranging everything himself.
Now residing in Brooklyn, NY, Lee sat down with me to tell me a little more about who he is, why he’s getting naked, and what some of the most rewarding aspects of his solo career have been.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week, with the B.o.B - Bruno Mars collaboration, “Nothin’ On You,” reaching number one on the Billboard chart, Pop Shots is taking a look at the always interesting world of pop singers and rappers collaborating. It’s a tough line to toe for both the singer and the rapper. While both are obviously looking to expand their audience, as B.o.B. certainly has from his “Haterz Everywhere” days, both sides risk damaging their reputations in the process. Has the rapper gone soft? Is the pop artist trying too hard to be something they’re not? Are BOTH sides selling out?
In the annals of pop music history there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of such collaborations, many of them due to the fact that Jennifer Lopez would have had a hard time getting on the charts any other way. Some of these collaborations are memorable, while some of them qualify as something else entirely. The following are prime examples of the best, worst, and most confusing pop singer - rapper collaborations of all-time.
You count on me for great music every month, and this month’s podcast won’t disappoint. I even have an added bonus for you this time around, because this month’s ABX podcast isn’t just packed with great hip-hop, it’s also freakin hilarious. Apparently a total lack of sleep and the complete exhaustion that comes from writing a 32 page paper for grad school left me in a mental state where I’d say just about anything. So today I present to you 45 minutes of awesome. Enjoy!
Homeboy Sandman - The Carpenter Mr. Beatz - Remember The Name Jake Lefco, Kats, Ryan-O’Neil, Domer & iLLspoKinN - Little High/Little Low Jesse Abraham, BS & Premonition - Hold On Deathrow Tull (Dyalekt & brokeMC) - Big Jon Braman - Tip Top Ciph Diggy, K. Gaines & M-Tri - Unstoppable Invisible Bullies w/ Coexist & Milli810 - Do It godAWFUL - King’s Path Sav Killz - Success Is Inevitable
I’ve known Kosha Dillz for a few years now, and everywhere I go I see at least one of his “Oy Vey All Day” stickers posted up. The man is a promotional machine. He’s also pretty nice when it comes to putting lyrics to beats. His most recent release, Beverly Dillz, was a bit of a departure for him, but people seem to have connected nicely with it as ever since it hit stores he’s been experiencing departures of a different variety - from airports. Kosha Dillz has been touring non-stop over the past handful of months, but I caught up with him to find out more about his hectic schedule, including how his tour with Matisyahu went. He also discussed his thoughts on hip-hop’s relationship with religion, and why Beverly Dillz has a bit of a party vibe.
The Season of Sole comes to a close this week, and for the fourth and final feature in the series I’m bringing you an emcee whose kick game is just as sick as his lyrical one. His name is Taajwar and his song on the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, titled “Kick Game Sick,” is no joke. A Crown Heights, Brooklyn, native who’s experience on the mic dates back well over a decade, and even includes recording at Chuck D’s home, Taajwar is just as serious about his music as he is his sneakers. In fact, it’s his love of hip-hop that keeps him rhyming, as he explains “once I started seeing it devolve I had to do something, cuz if we don’t steer the course of our own music its gonna change into something that we hate instead of something that we love and built.”
Taajwar has built something great with his music, and this week I caught up with him to find out more about what he’s done over the years, including the boost he received from his brother, how he’s looking to pay it forward, and the delivery he hopes to get from Nike Chairman Phil Knight.
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start me off with a little bit of the Taajwar story? What’s your history in music, and how do I correctly pronounce your name? Taajwar: Me and music go back forever cuz it’s in the blood, but me and hip-hop go back to the 80’s when Moms wouldn’t let us listen to it if it wasn’t conscious. (My parents) were educators and activists in the 60’s till now, so we grew up on a healthy diet of KRS-One and Public Enemy. I started rhyming in fifth grade because my older brothers, Visual Poetics and Forge, used to rhyme. My cousins Wiz and Wordsworth used to push me into battle ciphers any chance they got, knowing that I was shy. I went to junior high with Omar Epps, Sha Stimuli, Jimmy Cozier and a host of others. Jimmy used to try to hook me up to do songs with Biggie when Jim was an A&R at Arista. Then in the 90’s me and my family, Bravestar, Forge, Visual, Water, Khordz and Specs formed Little Egypt. We were like Menudo switching line-ups and touring all around the US collegiate circuit. We even did international tours in Poland and Brazil, with albums and singles in Australia, Russia, England and a few other countries that didn’t give us all of our doe. It’s all love though. It was hard to track sales then. As far as the name, I get that a lot, but it’s just like saying “Dodge car” really fast.
Adam Bernard: How did you land on the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack? Taajwar: I’ve known Ope and (Benjamin) Hooks and Substantial from the music game for over ten years. Damn, I ain’t supposed to put numbers on it like that. My bad fellas. We did joints together and actually had 9/11 derail a project we were doing with Little Egypt. When Ope had a sneaker joint coming out it was a natural thing. Me and kicks go way back to Nike Air Stabs and Mowabba. I remember Playboy kicks, Ballys and British Knights, Troop sneakers with the jacket to match, or some Diadora...
Adam Bernard: Damn, man, that’s a lotta sneakers. I know your song on the album is “Kick Game Sick,” and it sounds like your kick game really is sick. Taajwar: Well, that’s kind of like a question of endowment. I mean, I would hate to brag about my massive collection, but you know, If you got it, flaunt it. But seriously, I’m from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, which is arguably the flyest neighborhood in the city. Franklin Ave., where I’m from, everybody dresses fly. That’s actually why I’m probably such a Lo-life and a J-rocker, that’s Polo head and Jordan lover for the uninitiated.
Adam Bernard: What else are you working on right now, musically? Taajwar: For starters, I can finally say my long awaited solo project, which turned into a double CD, has now morphed into two and a half albums. I have a lot on my plate, so we’ll focus on the first, which is called TAAJwarstories. That’s gonna be a collection of joints letting people see how I view the world. I’m also in group called the Brooks Brothers with my partner in rhyme K-Dot, and that album is the truth. We keep it very gutter and experiment with the music at the same time. I’m also working on an album with Ben Hooks and Ope called BEN at WAR.
Adam Bernard: You’re a busy man. Obviously you love what you do, so hit me with what you feel are the most enjoyable, and the most important, aspects of being an emcee. Taajwar: The most enjoyable is twofold. For starters, I just love making music; from back in the day ciphers in the hallway, to bringing random musicians on stage for a jam sessions at a music festival, to freestylin at an open mic, or anywhere, and I mean real freestyle. I built a studio in my crib so that I could record, but also cuz, like my older brother Visual Poetics, I wanted to have a spot where all my goons from the Heights can focus some of that rage and make good music. That’s how I had it so that’s how I want to do it for others. The other half is the satisfaction you get from somebody listening to your music and liking it. No matter how long I’ve been doing it, it’s like no other feeling when you get somebody hearing a new joint and saying that’s hot, or get a standing ovation. And as far as the most important aspect of being an emcee, I think it’s being true to your art form. Whatever that is, just do you. It’s the same philosophy I have with people, just be yourself to the best of your abilities. Never try to be someone else. You can incorporate good characteristics, but be you, because you’ll never be as good as they are at being them.
Adam Bernard: Since this interview is part of the Season of Sole series, tell me about your favorite pair of kicks. What are they, where did you get them, and why do you love em? Taajwar: I can probably spend all day running down a list of favorites. I mean, all time, we’d have to throw in the navy blue Stan Smiths, a low top cream Fila from ‘92, black and zane grey Air Flights, re-released as a Jordan 4 retro color way, maybe the grey and red Jordan number 10’s, maybe the black and white Pippen A I R’s, maybe even a pair of white and black Foamposites with the check. But seriously, let me focus. If I had to pick one pair of kicks that I could have right now that I used to have but don’t anymore it would have to be the Ray Allen Olympic Jordan’s number 6. Hands down, I have the Olympic number 7s with the 9 on the back, but they re-released those so they’re less exclusive, so yeah the Ray Allen joints are my favorite.
Adam Bernard: Although you kind of already answered this, just in case a sneaker manufacturer is reading this, why don’t you close this interview by hitting everyone with the one pair of kicks you’re still dying to get your hands on and your feet into. Taajwar: Well, Mr. Phil Knight, if you’re listening, and I know you are, I really do appreciate your graciousness in re-releasing the Carnivores, but if you could send me those Ray Allen’s and a pair of Carmine number 6s, I got you. P.S. - thanks for the Carnivores.
Since it’s the Season of Sole here at Adam’s World it only makes sense that I feature the second episode of OSD’s sneaker comedy show, Just Blame Chad, which, just like the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, is the brainchild of Sean “Ope” Williams. This episode was filmed just after Christmas, hence all the Christmas references and hilariously misplaced “related” ads for Christmas music (thanks YouTube). If you ignore those ads it’s all kicks and comedy, with the fake news segment being my personal fave.
Most DJs don't get enough shine, which is why when my former radio show co-host, DJ Halo, put up an amazing 45+ minute booty shakin mix to preview his upcoming May 12th show at Good Life in Boston, MA, I decided it was something I should post here (FYI - he also spins at Karma in NYC every Friday and Saturday). We've both come a long way since our Hip-Hop Headcases days, and if you've never experienced Halo rockin a party, this mix will give you that experience.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with a special edition of the column dedicated to a battle between two 80’s teen queens that is still raging on today in a new, and very enjoyable, way.
If you were alive in the 80’s the music of Debbie Gibson (pictured right) and Tiffany (pictured left) was completely unavoidable. Whether you were shaking your love, celebrating your electric youth, or simply thought you were alone now, you had at least some of these ladies’ lyrics ingrained in your brain in ways that even the maddest of mad scientists couldn’t imagine.
The constant radio airplay and mall tours ended a long time ago, though. Debbie now goes by Deborah, the two posed for Playboy, with Tiffany appearing in the April 2002 issue and Gibson in March 2005, and in 2010 they’ve found a new way to take each other on - in B-movies involving giant creatures that have a love of destroying things. For this installment of Pop Shots I’m going to compare the qualities of Deborah Gibson’s and Tiffany’s sci-fi flicks.
Those who’ve partaken in Fairfield County’s nightlife scene are already familiar with the work of DJ Semaj, who spent six years behind the turntables at Bravo and donned a mile high mohawk. Both Bravo and the mohawk are gone now, but Semaj is still manning the ones and twos, now spinning at the Ash Creek Saloon in Bridgeport on Fridays and spending two Saturdays a month moving the crowd at Marisa’s in Trumbull. His story, however, starts as youth in Fairfield who couldn’t stay out of his father’s and brother’s record collections.
Inspired by his father’s love of 80’s music and his brother’s love of rock n roll, Semaj found himself attracted to hip-hop thanks to a third influence; a group of local break dancers. “When I was very young, maybe five or six years old, the whole break dancing thing was going on and I remember seeing everybody stealing cardboard from behind Caldors (where Kohls is now) to go breakdance at the car was parking lot. Being a little kid, I wanted to tag along.”
When Semaj hit 15 he formed a goth group, The Black Attic, with some friends, playing the drums and the keyboards. After the group split up he felt a big loss, and wanted to find a way to keep making music. “I decided to buy the PA system,” he remembers, “and I got some old turntables, some old records, some old needles, and a crappy mixer, and decided that I was going to start DJing and practice ever single day in my basement.”
After plenty of practice, and some significant upgrades to his equipment, Semaj would break out of the basement and make his way into the clubs of Fairfield County, highlighting his nights with unique mixes of popular songs with beats the crowd may not have heard before. “Lately I’ve been trying to mix in a lot of David Guetta’s underground stuff with the mainstream music, the Ke$has and the Beyonces and the Jay-Zs and the Lady Gagas, and take the darker beats and mix in the mainstream stuff.”
A big fan of house music, Semaj learned early on the crowds in Connecticut aren’t quite as enthusiastic about the genre as he is. Another distinctive feature of the local scene is that it’s commonplace for people to approach the DJ to make requests. Although it took a little time, Semaj says “I think I’ve grown into a place where I love when someone comes up to me and requests a song. I’ll break their balls a little bit, but then I’ll put it on anyway. When I play the song and they turn around and you get that look and they’re so happy, that’s a reward to me.”
One reward that he doesn’t need is for anyone to buy him a drink, as Semaj gave up the libations nearly three years ago, trading them in for a healthier lifestyle, “so I can keep up the energy to continue performing.”
Semaj also has plans to expand his audience by utilizing a website he’s currently building that will allow music lovers who aren’t old enough to get into a nightclub to listen to, and even see, his live performances. He’s working on compiling a performance DVD, as well, noting “I want to be able to cater to the kids who are in it for the music.”
Those who are old enough to get by a bouncer can check out Semaj Friday the 23rd at Ash Creek Saloon in Bridgeport and Saturday the 24th at Marisa’s in Trumbull.
When Greg Ginn & The Taylor Texas Corrugators play the Heirloom Arts Theatre in Danbury on the 23rd, and Two Boots in Bridgeport on the 27th, Ginn says he can guarantee one thing - the two shows will be nothing alike, because he has no idea what he’s going to play at either of them.
“On this tour we’re doing all improvised stuff,” Ginn says.
Improvisation is something his band, which for the tour includes JAMBANG’s Gary Piazza on guitar and New Monsoon’s Sean Hutchinson on drums, along with Ginn on bass and guitar, truly enjoys. “I think it makes us open to the mood, and to try to tune in to where the audience is and make that direct connection as opposed to us presenting the music,” Ginn explains, “the audience is a very important part of creating the atmosphere and vibe that we play in, so I think it makes the audience more important in that sense. I like the idea that there’s interaction rather than us just presenting a fixed program.”
While there’s no fixed program, there is a distinct sound, and it’s one Ginn describes as jamband-funk-psychedelic. Even though that’s not exactly what people who are only familiar with one of Ginn’s more historically well known projects, Black Flag, might expect, Ginn notes there is a common thread between the groups. “Black Flag was always something new,” he explains, “we always were doing new things and added a lot of improvisation in that band.”
Ginn isn’t looking to recreate any other kind of Black Flag magic, though, as he’s not a big believer in nostalgia. He feels that when bands come together for reunions, “there’s a spark that’s missing.” That spark, according to Ginn, has a lot to do with the newness that makes bands great. He notes, “there are a lot of people who maybe didn’t have a chance to see bands that have been broken up for a long time, so it’s understandable that they would for an opportunity to see that, but the problem is, you can’t. It’s a different time. It’s a different place. A band can come back and approximate it, but even if their musical abilities are better, and there are a lot of bands, they come back from their reunions and they’re not so messed up and they actually play better, but there’s that spark missing. It’s just kind of a rehash.”
In fact, Ginn doesn’t even pine for the good old days of his own former groups. “I don’t think ‘back when I saw that show and I was doing this, remember those times?’ I just don’t do that. I do understand it, and I don’t have a problem with that, it’s just not of my particular interest.”
As a huge music fan, and the founder of SST records, which has been the home to such acts as Sonic Youth and the Meat Puppets, Ginn goes to plenty of shows, and he definitely knows what is of his particular interest when it comes to bands. “I tend to like groups that have been together a dozen years or less,” he explains. This would have to do with the aforementioned newness factor, and his appreciation for unpredictability. “I see where people are stuck in some kind of old rut, I just think that must be horrible and terribly boring.”
Thankfully for Ginn, there are never any ruts in his life, because when you hit the stage with no set list and a desire to go wherever the vibe takes you, no two shows are ever alike.
Sometimes there are numerous roads that lead to the same destination. The paths singers Jann Klose and Willy Porter have taken to get to the stage at the Fairfield Theatre on April 22nd is perfect evidence of this.
Klose has been a traveling man. Born in Germany and raised in Kenya and South Africa, Klose came to Cleveland as an exchange student, eventually moving to New York. Essentially living on the road, he’s performed over 200 shows in the past two years. “I think the need to travel,” he explains, “I think it’s part of the reason I became a musician.” Porter, on the other hand, credits his career to his deep Wisconsin roots. “Wisconsin is cold in the winter,” he notes, “and people are forced to stay in their houses.” For Porter this meant plenty of time to work on music. “The weather was really a good thing for me that way as a kid.”
Although both Klose and Porter have full bands, they’re going to be doing solo sets, armed only with their guitars, on the 22nd. According to Porter, “for the musicians there really are no limitations to where they can go musically in a solo performance. The audience also has the opportunity to be more involved in what is happening because there is simply less to focus on visually.” Klose second this, adding “it’s just the guitar and the voice. Strip everything else away and leave it up to the imagination of the listener.” Porter continued “we listen so much with our eyes now that a solo show can be pretty amazing to witness. It takes a lot of skill to pull off a solo live show. In a band you can hide and fade into the fabric of what is happening in the tune.”
The visual element is something both artists are keenly aware of. In fact, Klose is about to release a video for the latest single of his album, Reverie, titled “Doing Time.” The video was done in stop motion, “so it took us two days to shoot three minutes and forty seconds,” and he shot it in New York with students from the New York Film Academy.
Musically, both are men with guitars, but Klose and Porter have some notable differences when it comes to their work. Klose leans more towards the pop end of the singer/songwriter scale, while Porter is closer to the folk side of things. Porter’s latest album, How To Rob A Bank, illustrates his love of good satire and differing opinions. He notes, “posing questions and developing strong characters in my tunes has always been the key for me. I don’t claim to have any answers, but I do see that we have, as a culture, been repeating ourselves over and over. I find that interesting.”
One thing Klose sees that’s been repeating itself over and over at his shows is the reaction crowds have to his music. Some artists want standing ovations, but Kose likes the snuggling ovations he oftentimes sees. “Not to brag or anything, but when I see couples, when I start playing they get a little closer to each other.”
Different paths to the stage for Klose and Porter have led to different ways of connecting with people. The 22nd will also mark another kind of connection for the two performers - it will be the first time they meet.
By the end of the night it’s more than likely that won’t be the only connection each them has made.
April 20th doesn’t fall on a Tuesday very often and I felt there was no better way to celebrate this occasion than by sitting down with the king of 4/20 himself, the man who is releasing the album Suite #420 today, Houston legend Devin The Dude. Obviously we spent a little bit of time talking about the Mary Jane, but Devin also discussed his new vibe for Suite #420, his behind the scenes look at Dr. Dre’s Detox, and how his ‘Lacville ‘79 went all ‘Lacville ‘79 on him.
I’ll admit it, I was a little late jumping on the Helixx C. Armageddon bandwagon. Although I first caught a taste of her work on the 2001 Fat Beats compilation album, where she had the song “My Time,” it was her guest appearance on her brother Loj’s 2007 album, No Labels, on the song “365,” that gave her name, and her style, a permanent place in my head. Hip-hop is definitely a family thing when it comes to the siblings, as Helixx notes “I paved the way as the eldest, but he brought the fireworks when he began his journey.”
Getting her start at a young age, back in 1995 Helixx co-founded the Anomolies, an all-female hip-hop collective that also includes DJ Kuttin Kandi, Invincible, Pri the Honeydark and Big Tara. Since then she's made her voice heard on a plethora of albums alongside everyone from the X-Ecutioners, to Dead Prez, and her independent single, “Blacklisted,” which featured Jise from the Arsonists, was dubbed the #1 hip-hop song for the summer of 1999 by Time Magazine.
Helixx's latest single, “Kicks Talk For Me,” is off of the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, and with this month being the Season of Sole here at Adam’s Wold, I caught up with her to find out more about her love of kicks, the ways in which her relationship with hip-hop is a true relationship in every sense of the word, and the subject she feels she deserves a PhD in.
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start me off with a little bit of the Helixx C. Armageddon story? I know you’re Loj’s sister, but what’s your history in music? Tell me a little bit about your background. Helixx C. Armageddon: I’ve been writing poetry ever since I could hold a pencil. I love the sound of words! I love how the art of storytelling over music allows you to connect with someone intimately for the duration of a song. I started writing music as a kid and truly enjoyed the art of lyricism. I was part of a few hip-hop groups during my childhood, but didn’t get serious about music until I became a teenager. I embraced Hip Hop as a career during the mid-1990’s and pursued it wholeheartedly. I took on the name Helixx C. Armageddon because I felt the meaning was powerful and reflected exactly who I was and what I brought to the table. Helixx is an adaptation from the double helix DNA strand which infinitely flows and C is the Roman numeral for 100. My last name is Armageddon because that single word signifies the end of all things. So my name means “100% flows until the very end.” My flow has been my trademark since I began rhyming, so this moniker fits me well.
Adam Bernard: I know Loj has been slightly disillusioned with the game recently. Do you share that feeling? What are you current thoughts on life in music? Helixx C. Armageddon: I think everyone has their moods and moments with hip-hop at different times in their lives. Music is as vital to my existence as the air that I breathe. It keeps me balanced, provides me with a platform to discuss all that makes me who I am, and allows me to show a side of myself that is always bubbling right below the surface. My relationship with music is exactly that - a relationship. As a teen in the music industry I was madly in love with hip-hop and all that it represented. It provided me with a space to call my own and a voice I didn’t know I had. It was the summation of every joy and every pain I had ever experienced, seamlessly fused with your typical teenage angst. I grew up with hip-hop, I couldn’t get enough of it, and eventually I absorbed myself entirely into the culture, consuming everything it had to offer. Hip-hop became my sound, my style, my world. Hip-hop began to change and I began to change, too. As I matured, hip-hop evolved. I’ve grown to understand that my relationship with hip-hop will forever be riddled with change and transition. I’ve grown to respect the fact that I won’t always be on the same page as hip-hop. I will have times that I love it, times that I hate it, times that I can’t live without it, and times that I’m not sure why I put up with it. Nowadays I treat hip-hop just like any other relationship. I’m never mad at myself anymore when I need a break. I’ve had many breaks throughout my 17 years and always return to it with fresh ideas and a different perspective.
Adam Bernard: How did you land on the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack? Helixx C. Armageddon: Sean (Williams) and I have known each other for a long time. He is definitely a mover and shaker in the entertainment industry. We attended many of same events, had many of the same friends, and rolled in the same circles. Our paths crossed for years before we actually got to know each other. Eventually, we wound up working at the same company. The universe works in mysterious ways! It then became inevitable that a musical collaboration would ensue.
Adam Bernard: Your song on the soundtrack is “Kicks Talk For Me,” which chronicles the ENTIRE history of sneakers in four minutes. How did you come to have so much sneaker knowledge? Do you teach a course in sneakernomics? Helixx C. Armageddon: I actually did research on the history of sneakers for this song. I could have written the song solely based on experience, but I figured a combination of both experience and history would be a nice addition to a solid compilation. When I sat down to do the writing, I wanted to approach the topic in a way no one ever had. I actually had outlines, summaries and all. You would’ve thought I was writing a term paper on sneaker history! I enjoyed the experience and think a sneaker PhD is in order.
Adam Bernard: Aside from that degree, what else have you been working on? Is a solo album on the way, and if so, what can we expect from it? Helixx C. Armageddon: I’ve been working on an album that will merge elements of rock and hip-hop. I really enjoy live instrumentation and music that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. When music is live it wakes up something inside of you that is very real and primal. My project incorporates the best of both genres. It will introduce another side of Helixx C. Armageddon yet to be seen.
Adam Bernard: Hip-hop likes to compartmentalize its female emcees. How are you going about avoiding categorization? Helixx C. Armageddon: I’ve had a strong foundation in music since 1995 as one of the Anomolies. The Anomolies consists of females expressing their art forms in their own way, without conforming to industry norms. I’ve never apologized for my art or adapted my art to the formulas and roles the industry has assumed for females. I think having a solid network of female artists is one reason I have been successful at avoiding some of the pitfalls that have taken others off the same path.
Adam Bernard: Since this interview is part of the Season of Sole series, tell me about your favorite pair of kicks. What are they, where did you get them, and why do you love em? Helixx C. Armageddon: My favorite pair of kicks would have to be the Nike - Dunk Low Pro SB - Brown Pack - Baroque Brown/ Hay Maple. I got them from Elements Skate shop a few years ago. Whenever I skateboard those come out of the box and get burn. They are soft and feel like butter in my fingers when I touch them, yet they are rugged enough to handle all types of skateboarding debauchery.
Adam Bernard: Just in case a sneaker manufacturer is reading this, why don’t you close this interview by hitting everyone with the one pair of kicks you’re still dying to get your hands on and your feet into. Helixx C. Armageddon: The main kicks I would love to get my hands on are the women’s Nike Vandal High GS – Rock N’ Roll Pack – Black / Gold / Studded. I was happy they finally released these kicks for the ladies! I’ve had my eye on them since 2008! There’s just something wicked about them.
As you all know I'm fairly opinionated when it comes to music, whether it's hip-hop, pop, or rock, so when Josefina Loza of The Omaha World-Herald hit me to ask me my thoughts on Ke$ha, the pop world's current favorite party girl, and whether or not she qualifies as hip-hop, as one reporter claimed, I was more than happy to give a comment or three.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Hopie Spitshard is friggin awesome. I actually came to this conclusion a while ago, but I figured I’d let you know since you’ve seen her here a few times before and will be seeing her here again, including right now. Hopie's latest video is for the remixes of “Trunk,” a song that happens to have one of the best ground shaking beats of the past ten years. Donwill, of Tanya Morgan, spits a guest verse on one of the remixes and those of you who are familiar with the original will recognize when he works part of it into his 16. It’s those kind of things that make hip-hop great.
You know her as a former WWE Diva. You know her as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, where she’s been kicking butt and taking names. Now, with the release of Sevin Sins, Maria Kanellis is also an independent recording artist. This week I caught up with the multitalented beauty to get all the behind the scenes info on her many projects, including what’s been going on in Donald Trump’s boardroom when the cameras are off, the details of the rift that caused the split between her and the WWE, and the interesting way Maria’s found she can get people’s attention on a crowded red carpet.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from the pricey passes for Lollapalooza, to the sales dip the labels didn’t see coming, to potentially costly legal troubles for Erykah Badu and Kanye West, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude. Truly, it’s a miracle, like f*ckin magnets.
Some people have made the claim that it seems like I’m everywhere. While I may not have quite that impressive a travel schedule, I will admit I do get out a lot, especially to shows in New York City. The other day I was telling RapReviews head honcho Flash about going to four events in one night last week and he said, “it’s nights like these you should blog about on RapReviews.” I liked the idea and created Travels With Adam B. It’s something that will give people an inside look into my occasionally crazy nights covering shows and roaming around New York City bumping into artists. Today’s debut column will cover the four shows I hit up in one night this past Thursday, April 8th, 2010.
A lot of emcees feel the fact that they recorded their music gives them some sort of right to everyone’s time. Proper sees things a bit differently, saying “the process and challenge of proving I’m worth being heard is what I’m dead set and focused on.” Proper’s latest offering is the song “Mirror Mirror,” which is off of the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, and in a continuation of my Season of Sole series of Artists Of The Week, I sat down with him to find out more about his music, the step by step process he’s taking to reach his goals, and why he feels Nike needs to put him on speed dial.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with a little bit of the Proper story. Where are you from and what was life like growing up? Proper: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I grew up in Bed-Stuy/Crown Heights during the height of the 90’s crack epidemic, so I witnessed the carnage and mayhem first hand. In fact, I had a front row seat being that both my mom and dad were drug and alcohol abusers. I was fortunate and blessed to have had a positive support system in my aunts and grandmother who are responsible for raising me. I got the name Proper from the fact that I carry myself with a certain style, pride, and dignity often not found on the rugged streets of Brooklyn, NY. Young Proper displays the demeanor of an Ivy League college scholar, but also posses the genetics and makings of a corporate crook {laughs}. But seriously, my upbringing during that pressing era shaped my perception of the world around me. I never wanted to become a product of the hood, or ghetto. I always dreamed of being a representative for the people living in these harsh environments who didn’t succumb to hustling, jail, death, and all the other unsaid underworld poisons that are alive and well in the ghettos across this country. Although I got into trouble, my grandmother had been through enough grief watching her own daughter succumb that, I couldn’t bear to put her through another round of heartache.
Adam Bernard: When did you first become interested in music? Proper: My affection for rhythm began in the Jackie Robinson after-school program marching band. I played one year and quit because I was hard headed and didn’t possess the discipline need to participate on the level they wanted me to. I had the concept of rhythm down pat at an early age, so beats became my second voice. If I wasn’t talking I was creating beats on anything I could. During my troubled days as a kid my favorite pastime while on punishment was to make beats on the windowsill and window guard in my room. I would sit on my radiator for hours and just make beats. It was so crazy that people would stand there and listen and then ask me to make more when I was done. I should have been charging them {laughs}. I would say my music career modestly began on the windowsill of the projects.
Adam Bernard: OK, so you found yourself on punishment a few times as a kid, but is there anything about Proper now, in 2010, that’s improper? Proper: At this point, I try to live my life in the most positive light I can. I have a son who adores and looks up to me, so I have to be careful of what I get myself into. There are more than enough negative images coming out of Brooklyn already, why add to them?
Adam Bernard: One thing you added to recently is the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack. How did you initially become involved with the project? Proper: When Sean (Williams) approached me and pitched the concept I didn’t quite see his vision at the time, but as the project unfolded I gained a deeper respect for his hustle. I was on my way home from recording one day and Sean popped out of the woodwork and was like “you’re going to want to get on this. NO, matter of fact, you’re going to be on this!” When it came time for beat selection I heard that track and it was on. “Mirror Mirror” was born the next night.
Adam Bernard: Would you say “Mirror Mirror” is a good mirror into your style? What do listeners usually get from a Proper song? Proper: My music is all based on my truths. I feel like the truth of a Proper track is the soundtrack for many people’s lives. I know we share the same pain, experiences, and dreams, they just can’t express them through rap songs, or at least as well. “Mirror Mirror” is a good look into my attitude, and it’s a chance for me to flex a side seldom seen from me, which is cockiness and reckless bragging {laughs}.
Adam Bernard: What else do you have in the works? Proper: I’m co-owner and founder of Icon Society Global, which is the parent company for several other ventures I’m currently building. Icon Society Music Group is my label imprint, which will be the launching pad for all my independent music related business. Another successful venture under the I.S.G umbrella is our fashion house, Social Club NYC, which is an upscale luxury urban powerhouse. I’m currently in the process of wrapping up my first official album, Audacity to Dream, which will drop late spring, or early summer, and last, but not least, my film company, By Any Means Film Works, will debut this year with our first music video projects shot and directed by me based on the Audacity to Dream album. We definitely have a full plate moving forward.
Adam Bernard: You are certainly a busy man. When it comes to your music, are you looking to change the world, change your block, or simply change what’s coming out of people’s speakers? Proper: I want to eventually get to one day making that Bono type world music {laughs}, but in rap, especially NY rap, it’s very hard to capture people long enough to have those types of effects take place. That being said, I would love to be that kid from Brooklyn that changes the world with his music. I would settle for changing what comes out of people’s speakers first, that’s a start. I’ll murder the speakers, the block will then catch on, and then the world will take notice. That’s the true break down and it will all happen quickly, quietly, and humbly; a smooth stick up.
Adam Bernard: Since this interview is part of the Season of Sole series, tell me about your favorite pair of kicks. What are they, where did you get them, and why do you love em? Proper: I’ll give you my top three; the Jordan 7 Dream Team edition, Jordan 6 Carmine, and royal blue Penny Foamposites. And mind you, this was before they all were a retro. I loved the era each shoe represented during the 1990’s, they just embodied that time period so well. There was a time when each one of these shoes were a rare treat before the good folks over in Oregon decided to let the LAMES, I mean public, have access to such greatness. I don’t really have favorites with Nike these days, I just buy shit to match the clothing I create for myself. And another thing, I don’t buy basketball sneakers. I think the era of rocking ball shoes fashion is long gone. I do a lot of lifestyle kicks like Y-3, upscale New Balance, shell toes, stuff like that. You know, a little more mature and laid back. But as a side note - once a junkie, always a junkie, cuz when money really start flowing I just might relapse and show the world what a true sneaker junkie really looks like {laughs}.
Adam Bernard: Just in case a sneaker manufacturer is reading this, why don’t you close this interview by hitting everyone with the one pair of kicks you’re still dying to get your hands on and your feet into. Proper: Truth is I need to get that Kanye action popping. I want my own shoe. My marketability will soon be unmatched so you might want to holler now, Nike. I know I helped to boost your quarterly numbers just by rocking certain joints and making them hot on these cold streets of Brooklyn. Holla at ya boy!
If you’re having a hard time getting up this morning Breakestra’s “Come On Over” may be the inspiration you’re looking for to get up and get movin. Fun, funky, and soulful, Breakestra is a band that can even get those of us with two left feet off their asses and dancin around... I should know, since I qualify as one of those people! I call this happy, fun, motivation music, because you can’t help but enjoy it and be inspired to move.
Although it’s raining outside as I write this, the previous two days were absolutely gorgeous. They were a little slice of summer in early spring, illustrated perfectly by all the kids at Fairfield U being out on the grass, some playing catch, enjoying the sun and the warm temps. When the sun starts making its presence felt and the days become longer I’m always reminded of a very important part of my youth (despite my mother’s occasional claims, I actually do remember some things from when I was a kid), and that would be the many weekend nights I spent with my parents having family dinners on our old screened-in porch while listening to oldies on the radio.
On really nice nights, of which we have many here in CT during the spring and summer, my dad would fire up the grill, we’d set up the porch furniture, clean the pollen off of the glass top table, bring the portable radio out, tune it to 101.1 WCBS-FM, and enjoy the night.
What I remember most about those nights were the oldies countdown shows. WCBS-FM would take you back to “this date in...” and count down the top forty songs from that week. Some of the songs were classics, others were a little less memorable, but the point was it exposed me to something that wasn’t what was currently on pop and hip-hop radio. On more than a few occasions I’d hear, and recognize, the original version of a song that was redone by a current group. I may have been the only kid on my block who knew “Venus” was a Shocking Blue song long before Bananarama turned it into an 80’s classic (and Gillette turned it into an ad campaign for a razor).
This was the real start of my music education. There was never any debate about which station we’d listen to at dinner. It was always WCBS-FM and my parents would make sure to talk about the bands and the songs while they were playing and reminisce about the group if it was one that they had a personal story about. When dinner was over we didn’t all run into the living room and turn on the TV, we hung out on the porch, on the old green furniture that had the 70’s flower design on the cushions, and just listen to music, talk about it, and read whatever we had in front of us. To make it a true family event, my cat and dog also made their way in, with my dog nuzzling next to my mom and my cat making his presence known as the king of the castle. We were all on the old screened-in porch listening to music.
Many of these nights ended with a little bit of Don K. Reed’s Doo Wop Shop, followed by my parents breaking out some of their own extensive record collections and me eventually going to bed to the faint sounds of everything from The Who, to Frank Zappa, to John Cougar Mellencamp, to Jim Croce.
I still keep WCBS-FM as a preset on my car’s radio. When I listen to it now, however, I hear a different kind of “oldies,” my “oldies.” Bands like Bon Jovi, Blondie and UB40 are now in rotation and I start to imagine a future dinner table conversation where I tell my kids (note: I currently have zero) about how when Slippery When Wet came out on vinyl it had a garbage bag cover, and how Blondie’s “Rapture” had a huge impact on hip-hop, in hopes that they, too, will end up showing an interest in music.
I’m 100% sure that was one of the biggest reasons why my parents tuned the radio to their favorite oldies station when I was a kid and started those conversations on so many beautiful summer evenings. When it comes to their plan I think it’s fairly safe to say - mission accomplished.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from an elementary school looking to bring the King of Pop’s name back into its title, to Justin Bieber’s assault on the charts, to Madonna not knowing when to tell her kid to shut up. I also have a very interesting version of Lady Gaga’s “Telelphone” for everyone that you should definitely not let the kids see, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Freddie Mercury probably never imagined, in his tragically shortened life, that the music of Queen could be made into hip-hop beats, but when emcee/producer, and Trumbull High and Wesleyan graduate, Domer (pictured bottom center) started playing around with the name “Bohemian Rhapsody” and came up with Bohemian Rap CD, an idea was born, and Domer wasn’t about to let it slip away.
“It all started with the name,” the now Brooklyn resident who co-founded the free music site freeicecream.net with fellow emcee Kats, explains, “I had thought of the name and thought it was a funny idea and started joking around with Kats about it and formulated this idea of making all the beats out of that one song. Then we thought of copying the Queen art and it was just too good a package not to do.” The duo then gathered a few of their friends who they’d been wanting to do a project with - iLLspoKinN, Jake Lefco and Ryan-O’Neil. They were all instantly on board. “The hardest part,” Domer explains, “was taking one song that’s all in the same key and trying to make six interesting, unique, beats of out it.” It took him a little bit of time, but he accomplished that goal, the EP was born, and they released it for free on freeicecream.net.
A lot of artists would balk at putting out such a project for free, but around two years ago Domer and Kats decided that all their music was going to be free, which is why they launched freeicecream.net. One of the first events they threw under the FreeIceCream name was a fan appreciation show that featured free music and free food. “It was basically a lot of friends, fans who’ve bought our CDs and paid to come to our shows, and you just get tired of charging people money. I don’t want it to be about me making products so they’ll pay me for it. I love making music and I just want them to have it and enjoy it. That makes me happy.”
The music of Bohemian Rap CD, and some of the other releases Domer’s been on recently, have been a bit of a departure from his previous work. “There was a turning point for my goals with my music when I started working with Kats where I had really poured my heart and soul into some very personal records for a while,” he reflects, “I was sort of exhausted from it, so when Kats came along with some hot beats and just wanted to write some party songs and battle tracks I was like that sounds great!” Domer didn’t leave the emotions at the door, though, as he also wrote and released Underbelly during this time, which is an album he describes as “a more introspective, musical kind of record.”
Bohemian Rap CD and Underbelly are just the latest additions to Domer’s long musical history. It’s a history that started as a kid in Trumbull whose mother encouraged him to play the piano and whose father taught him how to play the guitar. By the time Domer was in his mid-teens he was going to The Beanery in Fairfield for local ska and punk shows, eventually working his way up to playing there as the guitarist and part time singer of the band No Exit, a band he describes as “Nirvana knock off grunge kind of music.”
When Domer moved to New York after college he met brokeMC and the duo formed brokendomer, a hip-hop tandem that specializes in mixing social issues with funky production. The two then became a part of the MINDSpray crew and performed all over the country. During this time Domer was also working on developing his voice as a solo artist, and released a number of projects on his own.
It was his rock background, however, that Domer feels helped him most when producing Bohemian Rap CD, noting “I grew up playing rock music, so I like working with stuff that has interesting chord changes and figuring out how it goes and writing my own bass lines. I really enjoyed that part of it.”
The next move in Domer’s life is going to be back into the hallways of a university as he’s starting classes at Fordham Law School in the fall. Music will take a backseat for a little while, but Domer feels he’s accomplished enough to be happy making this move at this point in his life. “I feel like I’ve really gotten the chance to 100% pursue my dream and do a lot of things that I never would have dreamed would have been possible,” he explains, “I never thought I would have been able to go on tour and open up for KRS-One, and rock these giant shows in New York, and be a part of this whole scene that we’ve been developing. It’s all been amazing.”
Don’t let Domer’s speaking in the past tense fool you, he’s currently working on a number of projects and although music won’t be the biggest thing in his life once law school starts, he notes, “we’re gonna have records set to go at least through next January.”
The next Bohemian Rap CD show, which will feature all five artists doing solo sets followed by a performance of the entire album, will be on April 29th at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC. The album, as well as much of Domer’s other work, is available for free at freeicecream.net.
Let’s be honest, when it comes to Erykah Badu it doesn’t matter what you read here, or anywhere else. Her fans will always support her no matter what she does with her music, and those who aren’t fans of hers are probably never going to be fans. Whether this review is glowing, or vitriolic, Badu is far too polarizing a personality to make anyone waver in their views. The sad thing is, her latest effort, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, is just as stuck in neutral as her fans and detractors are.
It’s officially spring, so your kick game better be on point. Benjamin Hooks knows a thing or two about sneakers, he’s a featured artist on the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, and he’s leading off my Season of Sole series here at Adam’s World. Season of Sole is a monthlong co-promotion with Ope Entertainment where all throughout April I’ll be featuring artists from the Ope Ent. project, Know You Got SOLE, as Artists Of The Week. The album has three previous Artists Of The Week on it in Substantial, Fresh Daily and Loj, so you already know the caliber of the talent is high.
This brings us to Benjamin Hooks, who was actually the first artist signed to Ope Entertainment, way back in 1996. Credited with discovering Pack FM, Benjamin Hooks had an album ready to go in 2002, but it was completed just a little too late for him, as at that point he was ready to leave music, which he did. Know You Got SOLE brought him out of retirement and relit the fire in him.
This week I caught up with Benjamin Hooks to find out about the ups and downs of the game, how and when he discovered Pack FM, and how Q-Tip stopped him from buying a pair of Jordans.
Adam Bernard: Your song, “Ill Back Then,” on the Know You Got SOLE soundtrack, is your return to hip-hop after quite the long hiatus. Tell me what led to you taking a break from the game and also what made you want to come back. Benjamin Hooks: Frustration finally set in after numerous setbacks and roadblocks. The bad started outweighing the good and the business started affecting Ope (Ope Ent. founder Sean "Ope" Williams) and my relationship as friends. Being that he was promising a lot and not delivering had me blaming him for everything. At the time I didn't realize that a lot of those things were not in his control. Ope speaks in a “this is a sure thing” tone at times, but that is only as a motivating factor. Back then I took it as, “this cat lied to me again.” After we gave each other a time out for a few months we started to rebuild the friendship. Now the ironic thing is the reason I left, which was Ope, is the reason I came back. When he called about the Know You Got SOLE music project, it was a no brainer. It was a chance to ride out with my boy again. Once back in the studio that spark came back. I recorded the same night Taajwar was recording his song and we started clicking and actually recorded a song together that night.
Adam Bernard: In your estimation, what about the scene has improved, and what about the scene has deteriorated, since you first became a part of it? Benjamin Hooks: I think the underground scene is accepted more and there are many more opportunities than say ten years ago. Pretty much our only way of getting our music heard was on the AM stations, i.e. Awesome Two, Red Bandit, Faith Child, college radio. The internet was starting to take off with MP3.com and 88hiphop.com, but it was nothing compared to today. Where it has deteriorated is in the music itself. I just don't hear that genuine love coming from these cats’ music. Granted, you have to have a certain amount of bravado and be braggadocios, but does it all have to be about how much money you have? How are cats popping up with the jewels and the $500K whips in their first video? That’s just bogus to me. The overall lack of creativity is what is hurting hip-hop music. Every second and third record sounds the same. It's what I like to call “see do” music, as in “monkey see/monkey do.”
Adam Bernard: On June 21st, your birthday, you’ll be releasing your album, It’s About Time. The reasoning for the title is fairly obvious, but let’s dive a little deeper into the project. What are you bringing people, both lyrically and musically, that they can only get from Benjamin Hooks? Benjamin Hooks: Ahh, It's About Time! I have honestly never worked so hard on a project in my life, ever. The title has several meanings. There’s the obvious “it's about time I'm finally dropping an album,” but it’s also about taking it back to a time when the music was fun and exciting. This project is a “time piece,” retro music if you will. I make no secret of the fact that I am a child from the Golden Era of hip-hop, so what Ope and I did was try to channel the sound and feel of that era. I don't want folks to think that I’m stuck in that era, it was just a way to put a different twist on this music thing. Seventy percent of the production is done by Ope with 30% done by another one of my producers/good friend Mister A, whom I know through Ope, of course. Lyrically you are going to get that Benjamin Hooks excitement, along with witty lines and great stories. Musically you are going to get that knock back in your music. I truly hope your speakers can handle Ope's boom-bap style.
Adam Bernard: I know for a fact your skills go far beyond rhyming. You actually discovered QN5’s Pack FM back in 1997. How did that happen, and what’s your relationship with him now? Benjamin Hooks: Well, I discovered Pack FM in a “Christopher Columbus discovered America” type of way. He was a young buck in Brooklyn College, where we were regulars on Fly Ry's Boiler Room show. I think Pack was working with another DJ at the school, but he was always at the station. Ry's show used to broadcast through Brooklyn’s Public Access cable channel. One night my old partner Chris Dubbs was being featured on the show. I stayed home to record it while he and Ope did the interview. During the freestyle session a hot young spitter by the name of Pack FM caught my attention. I called the show on some “yo, I love this kid, we have to have him.” I convinced Ope that we really needed to have this kid in the crew and he became the fourth member of Poor wit'a Fortune. Ope, aka O*Asiatic, was “The General,"” he spit that knowledge. Chris Dubbs was “The Muscle,” he brought that dude in the street element to the table. I was “The Underboss,” bringing the energy and excitement, and Pack FM was “The Soldier,” the off the top thinker. “Who wanna battle?” Sic' em Pack. That’s what it was until it all came crashing down. I said all of that to say that I've never once heard Ope Entertainment mentioned in a Pack FM interview or bio. Why is that, Pack? I guess Jay isn't the only rapper to rewrite history without a pen. Apparently Pack beat him to the punch. Our relationship today has been reduced to friends on a social networking website. Yo Pack, holla at'cha boy Hooks, same cell number since '96.
Adam Bernard: Damn, now that’s a story I’m sure very few people knew! Moving from the serious to the sneakers, since this interview is part of the Season of Sole series, tell me about your favorite pair of kicks. Benjamin Hooks: I just copped the Air Max '90s and the Air Trainer SC 2010s. It's between those two, but I'm not sure yet which are my favorite. For arguments sake, I'll say the Air Max because they're all black and I'm simple, I like all black shoes. It’s also a very comfortable shoe. I don't have OSD (Obsessive Sneaker Disorder), I'm not in it as heavy as Ope is {laughs}. However, It is important to have on a good clean shoe to go with your gear. I must quote myself from “Ill Back Then,” “I don't go here and there in search of the rare, just gimme a fresh pair to pair with my fresh.”
Adam Bernard: Just in case a sneaker manufacturer is reading this, why don’t you close this interview by hitting everyone with the one pair of kicks you’re still dying to get your hands on and your feet into. Benjamin Hooks: You are not going to believe this, but the one shoe that continues to elude me is the Air Jordan VI (Infrared). I had a chance to get them back in '92, my moms was gonna buy them for me, but I had seen Q-Tip on Rap City's Spring Break and he was rocking this dope leather jacket, which I spotted in Wilson's Leather. Being that I had a fresh pair of the AJ VIII (Aqua/Flower Power), I went for the jacket. By the time the VI's were originally retro-ed I was onto something else, but I would still love a pair. I should just get them, right?
We got the jazz, we got the jazz... Solomon Jazz, that is, and his clip for “Sometimes I Do.” This song is a fantastic example of Solomon Jazz’s personality and what makes him great as a songwriter. When most emcees write a song about three girls it’s all about the conquest, or the artist makes claims to having all three at once and playing them. With “Sometimes I Do,” however, Solomon Jazz has managed to write a song where he’s simply reminiscing about what made three women special to him at different times in his life. It’s really quite the beautiful ode. Enjoy!
I know we’ve all been taught not to judge a book by its cover, but how about just judging the cover? Today I’m going to start doing just that, only instead of books it will be with CDs. First up to bat is Woodie’s Demonz N My Sleep (see the full size image here).
Note: This is not a reflection of the content of the album, or the skills of the artist, it is SOLELY about the album's cover art.
* With all due respect to Woodie’s gangster, he was not given the looks of a thug. He was, instead, given the looks of a high school physics teacher, and no matter how hard Mr. Pacelli’s class was back at Prep, I never thought I was ever in any danger of having him pop a cap in my ass.
* Woodie’s death stare is classic as it screams “I’m angry at my class for doing poorly on their midterm!”
* The man has a porn stache, which is actually quite fitting considering his (hopefully) unintentionally pornographic name.
* Somebody in Woodie’s camp must have believed that gardening was going to be the next great gangster pastime since Woodie is donning what look to be gardening gloves. I’ve never really considered gardening gloves menacing, but then again I’m not a patch of dandelions in the middle of someone’s basil. Perhaps the “demonz” in Woodie’s sleep are really just nightmares about bugs on his azaleas.
* Thanks to the gloves his wristwatch has been pushed further up his arm so as not to be covered. Woodie probably isn’t interested in knowing when it’s Hammer time, but he definitely wants to know when it’s time to use more Miracle-Gro.
* What’s the deal with the 14 on his belt buckle that shows up in the center of the second O in Woodie? What does it mean? Is it a mystical number? Is it meant to show he’s a big fan of Pete Rose? Or is it simply there to distract me from the fact that he’s a rapper that shares a name with a cartoon woodpecker?
* Crude photoshop jobs have been a staple of hip-hop cover art since the mid-90’s thanks to every crew having at least one guy who thinks they’re a graphic designer simply because they’re the only one on their block with a graphic design program. The sloppily added guns at the bottom of Demonz N My Sleep are actually a double dose of awful because not only do they look terrible, but they have nothing to do with the rest of the album cover! Something tells me the meetings regarding the guns went a little something like this; “Woodie doesn’t look gangster enough, let’s add some guns.” “You mean do a new photo shoot?” “Nah, just go to the clipart folder that came with the program and add em in somewhere, anywhere will do.”
To be totally fair to Woodie, it should be noted that when Demonz N My Sleep was re-pressed he changed the cover art to something significantly better, but this original version will always be a classic piece of Album Cover Fail.
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.
