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
Big Stat is doin big things. I mean really big things. He just completed a stint on the eastern leg of the Ghostface Killah / Sheek Louch tour and released this video for "Open Up My Eyes" off of his Don't Quit Your Day Job mix CD. He is, unequivocally, one of the hardest working artists on the planet, and Adam's World has been supporting his cause since the days of HUSHH.
Download Don't Quit Your Day Job in its entirety at Big Stat's Blog.
Coming together late in 2008, Hotel of the Laughing Tree saw immediate success when they took home the 2009 MTVu Woodie award for Best Music on Campus. Since then it’s been an interesting ride for the sextet from Long Island. The band’s AJ Estrada, Brandon Peterson and Neil Scalesse sat down with me to discuss what they, along with their bandmates Mike Nixdorf, Anthony Arma, and Mike Solomon, have experienced during that ride, including the long wait to release their full length debut, a lip lock with a former MTV personality, and reading one website’s unflattering thoughts about their band’s name.
Adam Bernard: You are from Long Island and you formed quite recently. What part of the Island are you from and how did come together after the dissolution of Rendezvous with the Kidnappers?
Brandon: Me and AJ were in Rendezvous with the Kidnappers. I joined that band late in the game and then there was a whole situation. We decided to leave and form this band. Neil was in an old band with me so I asked him if he wanted to play. We added a couple more members two years later, and here we are.
AB: Other than music, what do you all have in common?
AJ: We watch a lot of Lost.
AB: What are you gonna do now that the show’s over?
AJ: I have no idea. {laughs}
Neil: We haven’t thought about that yet.
AB: I know you’re having an exciting week, so tell me about your big news.
AJ: Big news? What happened? Oh yeah.
Everyone: {laughs}
AJ: We signed to an independent label, Brookvale Records.
Neil: It was a crazy process.
AB: Without getting into details that would get you thrown in jail, what was that process like?
AJ: There were a lot of legal issues we had to work out because everybody's going back to school now, so it’s hard to figure out exactly what we’re doing.
AB: So you’re also all in school?
Neil: Three of us are. Two are in upstate New York and one goes to Delaware.
AB: How will that work out?
AJ: They usually come home at least once a month, but they’re trying to increase it now that we’re signed. They’re trying to take it a little more seriously.
Brandon: Basically, everyone has to come home every week. We’ll see what happens.
AB: Do you have an album ready to go, or are you now going to start work on a new project?
Brandon: We finished recording our album, Terror and Everything After, in January. That’s a long time ago. We were gonna self-release it, and then this happened like the day we were about to send it out. We went through this whole process and now it’s going through Red Distribution, which is part of Sony, and they’re (Brookvale’s) gonna release it January 18th. For now we’re just gonna ride that out and halfway through next year start demoing out some new stuff. Maybe later next year start recording.
AB: Terror and Everything After will be a year in the works by the time it comes out. Have you been making any changes to it?
Brandon: We haven’t made any changes. It’s pretty rough, but I think it’ll be worth it in the end.
AB: How will the album be different from your EP, Old Dominion?
Neil: I think it’s more mature, and when we did the EP it was just me, Brendan and AJ. It was just us throwing out ideas. Now we have six people. Five people recorded the new album. It has a lot of everyone’s flavor. It’s a more mature record, and it’s 13 songs.
AB: What flavors do the new members bring?
AJ: I used to play keyboard and guitar and sax and a bunch of crap at the same time. We got a full time keys and piano member, Mike Solomon. He helps out a lot live. He didn’t record the new album with us, but he’s been a great addition for the future.
AB: It sounds like your live shows are going to get bigger and bigger with so many new members.
Neil: We have such a theatrical sound, so we try to really bring it live. Mike plays all the different percussion instruments and he plays the glock. He’s just like a ball of energy.
AB: How would you describe the Hotel of the Laughing Tree vibe?
Brandon: We kind of appeal to any kind of audience - indie, progressive, rock. It can be poppy, but it also kind be really dark. Lyrically, every song tells an individual story. On this CD it’s actually kind of like a full theme.
AB: In your first year as a band you took home the MTVu Woodie award for Best Music on Campus. What was that award all about?
Neil: A whole bunch of college kids get to vote on the band who gets the award. All these bands enter, then they narrow it down to 25, then five, then the top two get to go to the awards. We were with this other band, Oh The Story!, and just took it home because we got enough votes.
AB: And you have people in your band that are actually on campus, so it makes sense that you’d take home that award.
Neil: At the time I was in school, too.
Brandon: I think college is a really important part of the band because we meet so many different people in so many different areas of the country, and as long as you can spread the word there it just keeps spreading. It’s a great way to get started.
AB: So even if someone just wants to be in a band they should consider going for a Liberal Arts degree just for the development of the fan base?
AJ: Yeah, that’s what Neil did.
Neil: I’m going back this semester just two days a week for that degree.
AB: What was the experience like of winning an award so quickly? Was it just fun, or was it daunting like “we’re an award winning band now, we need to come out with something new?”
AJ: Nah, I don’t think we really thought like that. We didn’t realize it was really happening. We were on stage like man, what’s going on right now? Why are we here?
Neil: There are 4,600 hundred people (in the crowd) and we’re just five people on stage looking out like, weird.
AJ: Alexa Chung presented the award. I was so excited at that point I just kissed her. I don’t know why, it just happened.
AB: Hilarious! You know, being that you’re a band with “tree” in your name it makes sense that the Woodie would be your first award.
AJ: Never thought about that.
AB: Speaking of the name of your group, does it have any connection with the Shel Silverstein book The Giving Tree?
AJ: No, but that’s a great book. Hotel of the Laughing Tree came from a short story I wrote a long time ago and I just took the name. There was a website that actually called it the worst band name they ever heard, or something like that. They had a whole blog on us, and then they couldn’t decide if they liked us or hated us. It was really weird.
AB: Well, at least they’re getting your name out there. Let’s close this interview with something fun. What songs, or artists, that are out right now, are you almost embarrassed to be addicted to?
Neil: Katy Perry.
Brandon: Natasha Bedingfield. AJ’s not embarrassed of anything.
AB: Is he like “I’m wearing a Ke$ha shirt right now!”
Brandon: Oh man, he is, how’d you know?
AJ: My shirt’s actually bedazzled right now.
SMP: Is there anything else you’d like to add about yourselves or your music?
Brandon: Support independent music. Terror and Everything After comes out January 18th, 2011.
Story originally ran on SubstreamMusicPress.com.
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 Katy Perry taking off to get married, to a 90s pop favorite coming back seemingly everywhere but America, to a major band being forced to cancel their European tour plans, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
With a musical career that includes his solo work, as well as group projects with La Coka Nostra and Special Teamz, and an acting career that includes one of the year’s biggest box office openers in The Town, Slaine has been extremely busy making a name for himself. Currently putting the finishing touches on a solo album, Slaine sat down with me to discuss his music, working with Ben Affleck and Blake Lively, and why Twitter isn’t always his best friend.
It’s almost Halloween, but the only thing people need to be scared of is the wackness that emanates from radios tuned to commercial radio airwaves. This month’s edition of The Adam B Experience will give you something to counter all that with as I have eleven new songs for you packed into a just under 40 minute show. There are three ABX artist debuts, and a couple other surprises, as well. Enjoy!
Ceschi - The One Man Band Broke Up Roc Doogie - Perspective Chaz Kangas - Young Gifted and Chaz I Are Conscious - Air Wave Jinesis feat. I Are Conscious - The Light (MyInline) Coole High - Walk Thu A Cloud Tah Phrum Duh Bush - Semi-Reserved Closet Maniac Homeboy Sandman - The Essence Jesse Abraham - Little Bit of Everything Big Stat - Open Up My Eyes Sole Blind - Back Down
Chances are you haven’t met a lot of people from the future, let alone very many hip-hop groups that hail from such a time. The New World Side Order, however, is bringing their style, and their lyrics, straight from their year of 2020. A lot has changed between now and 2020, and I caught up with NWSO emcees C.O.N.C.E.P.T. and Crazy E (L to R in Hazmat suits) to find out what the future looks like, why they’re back in our time, and how they’ll know when their mission has been completed. We also discussed their unique live performances, and why humor plays a role in their work.
Adam Bernard: The New World Side Order is, from my understanding, the future versions of C.O.N.C.E.P.T., Crazy E, and DJ MilkMoney from the Mindspray crew. Why have you decided to come back to this particular time? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: The NWSO also includes the producer of the beats Quazzar and an alien hype man who goes by the name Peepeekakatooey. We are not time travel scientists nor experts. That element is left up to Dr. Megabeatsbump an alien/human hybrid who developed the chronic dimensional fluctuation time travel technology. He believes that our skills are the savior for humanity. Do we believe that? I dunno all I can say is that we traveled back in time to make tracks and rock shows. In the year 2020 we were debating with Dr. Megabeatsbump if we should travel back to this current time or the late 1980s/early 1990s when hip-hop was at its evolutionary peak, with sampling, DJing and lyrics. Dr Megabeatsbump wanted us to come back at some point after 9/11 and before the control grid of the tyrannical shadow government in 2012. Our mission is to make as many people aware as possible. Crazy E: We saw it coming before but we did nothing about it (because) we were too into our own lives and would rather be big, but meaningless, rap stars, so we came back and we are right on time!
Adam Bernard: A lot of artists talk about trying to “save hip-hop,” but it sounds like you’re trying to save humanity through hip-hop. Why is hip-hop the perfect vehicle to try to save humanity through? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: Any art that you can communicate thoughts and ideas is the perfect vehicle. It just so happens for us the vehicle is beats, rhymes, and cuts. In our time hip-hop was the leading voice of awareness. It was set up to be demonized and outlawed. Only satanic soul selling artists were permitted to continue. They outlawed real hip-hop along with freedom of speech. Real hip-hop was exposing them. Hip-hop is a double edged sword it can be used to make people aware and tap into there creativity, or brain wash them with negative egocentric deceptive knowledge. It's like Star Wars, artists can use their talents for good, or they can join the dark side. Crazy E: Hip-hop also has a vibration that destroys the shadow governments plans of world domination. Hip-hop can’t be stopped, but it can be corrupted through different frequencies. The simple fact that we even made it through time is a sign that it will be a better future... we hope.
Adam Bernard: Talk to me about your Hazmat suits. Why are you wearing them all the time? Should the rest of us also be wearing them? Are we in danger right now? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: After the third world war and first nuclear war the secret rulers found a way to make you pay for basic life support oxygen, body temperature, bodily fluid filter, etc. We need to use the suits as a way to survive in the future. However, in the end you mutate to the point where even when there are no toxins you need the suit to survive. They make you dependent on it. Ever since they infected us our bodies have mutated to become one with the suit. If we aren't successful with our mission you and everyone else will reach a point where they need the suit. Crazy E: The fumes from 40 oz. of beer or malt liquor purifies the air for us to breathe in this time where the air is actually cleaner. Our lungs mutated and so did our respiratory systems but it also enhanced our hip-hop capabilities. That’s why we were the biggest threat. We didn’t know that when we were living in this time, but now we know, and we are gonna spread the knowledge to all we can!
Adam Bernard: Performance is a large part of what you do, and your live shows can get pretty insane. I should know, I hosted one of them. What goes into the preparation for your live show, and how does your live show incorporate your message to the people of the present? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: All of us have been doing these hip hop elements since we were teenagers. We started doing it cause it was fun, and challenging. No matter how bad things get we gotta stick to the reason why we started doing this in the first place. We have always put in ten times more than we have received financially and with popularity. Even before these suits that's the way its always been. We have the most fun when our show is successfully entertaining. That's the first objective. We could be using all these crucial messages in our music but if it’s not entertaining who's going to take notice and listen? Bottom line, NWSO rocks a show fo sho, hardcore, with a lot of bells and whistles, sticking to the original hip-hop of turntables and mics. We are from the future so our live shows and talents are highly advanced.
Adam Bernard: What’s up with your alien hype man? How did he become a part of the crew? Is he dangerous? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: Peepeekakatooey is awesome. He is not dangerous. He was left on earth by accident we met him wondering around all homesick and sad. We smoked him out, drank a 40 oz. with him, and busted a freestyle session for his entertainment. Now he's part of the family. He follows us everywhere. We explained to him that if he traveled back in time there is a chance that he will never get back to his home planet. He didn't care, he said he just wants to see GZA rock live. All he does is drink smoke and study the vast archives of hip-hop through out the ages.
Adam Bernard: You’ve filmed a number of videos, many of them are hilarious. How does humor work into what you do? C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: When you've seen 80% of the global population exterminated by eugenicists, and you have witnessed so much pain and misery, all we have left are our souls, our minds, and our nuts. Humor is what we use to stay upbeat. We are always out to make people laugh and have a good time. Crazy E: It also throws the shadow government off so everybody thinks this is just entertainment when it’s cleaning up the negative frequencies. C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: Plus, these days everybody wants to be a screw faced gangster. That's lame. Have fun, be positive. It’s OK to crack a smile, thug life. It's not even just thugs, its peeps who think they’re too cool to show any type of personality that might mess up their fake narcissistic, egocentric, lame image which is fed by social networks. Everyone just chill. Let’s kick it old school and bring the fun back to hip-hop. After all, ain’t laughter the the best medicine?
Adam Bernard: Finally, how will you know when you’ve completed your mission? Crazy E: If the NWSO just disappears, or we make it to 2020, all that we speak about, the really fucked up shit, does not happen. By that time we’ll need some doctors or something cuz those masks are annoying {laughs}, but you gotta do what you gotta do and we love humanity so much and so do the aliens. C.O.N.C.E.P.T.: If at one moment we have been defeated that means the shadow rulers have totally set up there control grid in the future. If that happens I guess we will just fade off, because they will have finally checkmated us with their endgame. As long as we exist in this time we are completing our mission.
A couple of weeks ago I told Jesse Abraham I thought he had a monster on his hands with his single "Yoga." Every time he performs it the crowd goes bananas, bouncing to the beat and chanting along to the chorus. Personally, I can't see a girl with a yoga mat without humming the lyrics. With the addition of this video thrown into the mix, I truly believe there's no ceiling for how high this song can go.
This, according to lead singer Andrew Volpe, is the ideology behind Ludo. The band, now a foursome consisting of Volpe, Tim Ferrell, Tim Convy, and Matt Palermo, recently released their fourth album, Prepare the Preparations, and in every possible way they’ve cranked it up to eleven. I caught up with Volpe (glasses), and Convy (five o’clock shadow) to find out more about the album, injecting humor into music, and their undying love for St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols.
Adam Bernard: You just released your fourth album, Prepare the Preparations. What’s different this time around and what about it is classic Ludo?
Andrew: I think more than ever we understand what Ludo is. We understand our identity, who we are. I think there’s a level of confidence that has never been there before. Basically, where as we may have been a little intimidated on our major label debut and possibly deferred on some things, or weren’t completely taking the bull by the horns on all the creative decisions, I think this time around we understand that it’s just like every other level, nobody knows better than you who you are, and I think we pushed everything so much further in every direction so that the part of Ludo that’s fun is crazier and hookier and more fun, the pop is poppier, the adventurous stuff is more adventurous, the weird stuff is weirder, the diversity is greater than it ever has been before, the darker is just as dark as it’s always been, and I think the personal stuff is more personal.
Tim: Everything’s turned up a notch. Everything is bigger and badder. I feel like with this one we got more comfortable that it was OK to be Ludo. It was like yeah, it’s OK to take this whatever direction we want to because we’ve proven that’s what Ludo does and, in some ways, that it works.
Andrew: Basically we had the confidence to just be Ludo.
AB: You have a knack for writing songs that tell stories and have a real dark humor to them. What have some of your musical influences been and in what ways do you think you’ve drawn on them as artists?
Andrew: Everybody likes different stuff. From Frank Zappa, to Prince, to Top 40 radio. We’re all over the map. The four of us, separate from each other, are into way different stuff. There’s some overlap, though. We definitely all appreciate The Beatles.
AB: So you have no problem with one member of the group bringing in Lady Gaga and another member bringing in Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention? You can throw those on and find something in both of them?
Andrew: Absolutely. I personally can find stuff in most pop music. There's some stuff where I'm like there’s nothing redeemable there, that’s crap, I don’t get it, that sounds like something people would chant on a playground, but for the most part there’s plenty to find everywhere.
AB: How do you handle having so many influences in one band?
Tim: I like it. It’s cool to have more weapons in your arsenal. People bring things to the table that you wouldn’t expect and I know that people are drawing from different places, and it’s so cool because you gotta learn to trust your band members.
AB: How do you toe the line of being a rock band, but not a straight up comedic act? Are there times when you have to change lyrics, or just throw away songs because they’re too farcical?
Andrew: It’s interesting. Frank Zappa posed the question, does humor belong in music? I think it does. I believe humor belongs in music and art as much as any other human experience belongs in art. Why is it that music has to be self-important? Why is it that music has to be serious? The gamut of human experience includes humor. I’ve never come up with something and been like “that’s too silly,” but I sort of reject the whole idea of humor and music being novelty. I think that people are just too comfortable with music being something to just indulge their skewed sense of themselves, or the prototype they wish they were. So if someone’s like “I’m a badass,” they’re gonna put in their Disturbed record and get in their truck and be like “I’m the badass, listen to me,” where they’re not really a badass all the time. Perhaps they cry when their girlfriend dumps them, or perhaps they’re just drunk idiots one night. You could also have some sad bastard in college who wants to just sit around listening to Jack Johnson imagining just how gentle the world is and everything. I think music should challenge people a little bit.
Tim: When rock n roll started, to a degree, it was fun. It was about fun things and it was about smiling and clever words. Chuck Berry is a hero of ours. He’s from St. Louis and he invented rock n roll and his songs are fun, ridiculous, and downright silly at times. Thank God the dark and rebellious side of rock n roll came along, too, but fun was still a big part of it and has been a big part of it from the beginning. You’re absolutely allowed to have fun in music.
AB: A lot of your humor has to do with relationships, many of them bad ones. Are they all based on your own lives?
Andrew: No, actually, I’d say none of them are. I’m used to writing with a sort of cerebral approach to emotions. I’m good at closing my eyes and taking a feeling, an emotion, that I’ve had in life that’s overwhelmingly strong, and imagining a scenario where that happens, and imagining what that would feel like in that scenario. With the humorous stuff I imagine... you know what’s hilarious to me, when you see that guy in the bar who’s creeping on a girl and he’s drunk so he thinks he’s being really smooth, but he’s just disgusting and he looks like an idiot. I think that’s more of an intellectual exercise. I think it expresses real emotions that I either feel or have felt, but the actual events haven’t necessarily happened to me at any point.
AB: Have you ever seen yourself in any of these characters?
Tim: Yeah, I think a lot of the emotions Andrew touches on, and Tim (Ferrell) in his songs, as well, are things that I think all kinds of people can identify with. “Love Me Dead” is a great example because everyone’s been in that relationship where you know it’s no good for you, everyone in your life is telling you it’s no good for you, you know it’s slowly eating away at you, but you can’t get away from it.
AB: The new album is Prepare the Preparations. How’d you come up with that title?
Andrew: I’ve always wanted to call something that. I imagine a tyrant, some obnoxious king, or some evil overlord in a space station somewhere, who just says stupid stuff all the time, but obviously nobody can speak up and say “that was redundant,” so I imagine someone saying with a perfectly straight face, this evil overlord, “prepare the preparations,” and all his minions sort of snickering.
AB: Finally, since you’re from St. Louis, are you Albert Pujols’ favorite band?
Tim: That would be amazing. I have a feeling we’re probably not, but I’d love to think he has us in his iPod. You just never know with Albert.
Andrew: Oh God I wish he even knew who were were. I love that guy. I’m such a huge fan of Albert Pujols. Nobody has ever hit 30 HRs, 100 RBIs and batted over .300 in their first three seasons and he’s done it in his first ten.
AB: I really hope he’s clean.
Andrew: I think there’s a better chance than not that he’s clean.
AB: He and Derek Jeter are the two players who cannot be on steroids or it will be the end of the world.
Andrew: They both personify what’s right about baseball and they’re about winning regardless of personal performance. It’s about the team. It’s all about winning.
AB: You know, Pujols may read this interview when he Googles himself and end up turned on to your music.
Tim: Because Albert Pujols is sitting around Googling himself. {laughs} That would be cool. You gotta think he’s heard a song or two, but I don’t care. I want him to listen to, or do whatever he does, to continue to be the best player that’s ever played the game and if that means no Ludo in his audio diet then I’ll be alright with that.
I turned 32 last week. For most people, 32 is still considered relatively young, but if you’re in hip-hop, or you’re a running back, 32 is downright aged. This started me thinking about one of the great ironies of hip-hop.
Hip-Hop is a youth culture. Its progenitors have almost always been young and its main audience has almost always been young. The best hip-hop, however, is found in places where kids can’t go.
Independent artists like hometown heroes Sketch Tha Cataclysm, Roc Doogie, and Chase Davis rock numerous stages every year, but those stages are almost always in bars. There’s something really wrong about the fact that artists who are trying to develop an audience are relegated to playing in places where the majority of the audience they’re trying to have hear their music can’t get in.
It’s hard enough trying to make it as an independent artist without being handcuffed to venues that don’t allow anyone under 21 inside, but this is the way it is, and it’s why there’s the occasional large disconnect between young hip-hop fans and older heads such as myself. We each have our favorite artists, but the younger generation hasn’t had the opportunity to hear many of the acts the older generation appreciates.
Previous decades saw artists performing everywhere from the street corner to the park. Remember, hip-hop was born from block parties and block parties don’t ID. Now, however, we see independent artists more concerned with booking a hot club than a finding a way to reach their true target audience. This is not to say there’s anything wrong with playing the bar scene, it’s a great scene, it’s just a limited scene, as most people who are able to get into bars are already set in their ways in terms of the music they listen to and their jadedness makes them doubly hard to win over.
The bar scene is also where artists can get a guaranteed payday. If they bring in enough people they’re taking home at least a percentage of the door. There’s no pay involved with a block party, at least not a real one, unless you move some merchandise. I have no doubts in my mind that Connecticut’s finest emcees could move plenty of albums and t-shirts after a great performance, but where are the places to play other than bars?
It’s time to start thinking outside the box. Despite what some people may have tried to turn it into, hip-hop has never been about following a pattern. If you want Lil’ Wayne’s audience (his album buying audience, not his current audience of prison guards and random inmates), go to his audience. Find them.
One of the strangest, but most honest, hip-hop moments I’ve ever had in Connecticut happened, in of all places, right in front of the Borders in Fairfield on the Post Road. I was hanging out with Chase Davis and Plus. Chase was playing us some of his new music from his car stereo with his doors open and the windows down. A couple teenagers walked by and one said his friend could rap. At first the friend, who goes by the name Synapse, or Syn for short, was a little reserved about it being that he was around two artists who, although he had just met them, he quickly realized were veterans with albums out. Eventually Chase switched the CD in his car stereo to a beat CD and a cypher started, and Synapse, along with Chase and Plus, all started freestyling.
It was a great hip-hop moment, although I’m sure it confused more than a few people who were coming out of Borders that evening, along with the folks who were just there for the free wifi. The point, however, is that it was two established emcees reaching a younger audience, by performing, albeit impromptu, in a place with no age restrictions. Everyone became fans of each other and we all grabbed a non-alcoholic beverage at Las Vetas and talked hip-hop for a few hours.
The internet was supposed to make these kinds of connections easier, but in reality, with every emcee on the internet it’s far too cluttered for anyone to be able to find anything without taking some serious time and doing the internet equivalent of crate digging. And besides, nothing beats a live performance, we just have to find a way to get our talented independent artists in front of all the young potential fans out there.
The hip-hop generation gap is real, but it’s something that can be bridged. I’m 32. I can go to any show I want to. It’s time to find new ways to bring those shows to younger audiences so our artists’ fan bases can grow.
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 T.I. heading back to jail, to Hootie & the Blowfish’s big anniversary, to a couple big name celebrities getting divorces, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
The first time I saw G.T.P, which stands for Ghetto Transcends Potential, perform I remember the distinct feeling that the boom-bap was back. Sure, a lot of artists talk about bringing it back, but G.T.P moved the crowd in such a way that it was undeniable. People were shouting the chorus by the end of their third verse.
The G.T.P. foursome of Ron Solero (producer/emcee), John Mega (emcee), Just A Poet (emcee) (pictured L to R), and DJ BooshWheelz (DJ/emcee - not pictured) have been recording individually and as members of different projects for years, but will drop their first official G.T.P album on Halloween. John Mega says “listeners can expect is a scary movie gone crazy with a twist of Che and a pinch of armageddon.” This week I caught up with three of the members of the group to find out more about who they are, how ghetto transcends potential, and what it was like for them to perform overseas.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with a little G.T.P history. How did you all come together to form the group? Ron Solero: The group started out with the core members of me and John Mega. Not too much later the decision was made to offer Just A Poet a slot in the group. John and Just grew up together in the same building. I’d been introduced to Just through his aunt and the connection made was instantaneous. Going through the motions of hanging out, having ciphers and what not, became the norm, so when talk of forming a group came up the chemistry was already there. Knowing that a DJ would complete the cypher, DJ BooshWheelz was approached at a Bondfire event and recruited to join the ranks.
Adam Bernard: As a group you’ve only been together since 2009. What were you all doing in music before this? John Mega: Before G.T.P Just A Poet and I were in a group called W.A.C.O Division during the mid 90s. Just A Poet was one of the big dogs of the crew and almost got signed to Rawkus Records. Just A Poet: Hip-Hop's been pumping in my bloodstream since its inception. After its “Golden Era” had passed, and the beginning of its decline, I knew what I wanted to hear and felt that I had to take matters into my own hands. After attempting to collaborate with two separate groups throughout the years, and a short lived stint at a solo career, allowing life to intervene, I continued to write to keep my skills somewhat intact. When approached with the opportunity to give it another go round and showcase my lyricism there was no question that I'd be ready and willing.
Adam Bernard: G.T.P stands for Ghetto Transcends Potential. Break that down further for everyone. How does ghetto transcend potential and how can everyone be G.T.P? Ron Solero: When you live in the ghetto, no matter which one you are from, you are automatically counted out. We want to show people that no matter where you are from you can become whatever you want to be with hard work. Most kids growing up in ghetto believe that they only have a few choices in life so they tend to idolize the local drug dealer. We are not trying to knock anyone’s hustle, but what you say and do is looked up upon by the youth. G.T.P is more of a mind state trying to show the youth in particular that there is nothing that you can’t accomplish if you work hard. There are very few people who live in the hood who have been outside the city, let alone overseas, so we are trying to show them that if we can do it so can they. Transcend the limits that others will place on you. Just A Poet: There are no limitations that are acceptable to us, even self inflicted, as one will continue to uplift the other if any doubts begin to arise. This is how “Ghetto Transcends Potential.” Possessing the willingness to not allow stereotypes of who you are thought to be from your surrounding environments, and the determination to continue striving for what you know you deserve from your own hard work and dedication make anyone G.T.P! John Mega: The truth is we are all G.T.P because we all been through rough times in our life. People from the ghetto want to transcend into something more then just thugs. Ron Solero: Anyone can be G.T.P as long as they never settle and smash through any barrier or obstacle stopping them from their goal.
Adam Bernard: You have a few years on you compared to some of the other artists in the scene. How much wisdom comes with that age? What missteps do you see young artists making that you know GTP won’t make? Just A Poet: {laughs} The age card. Of course there's more that we've seen/experienced having some years on a lot of these up and comers. Our generation had the sense to not be too heavily influenced by the calling of “fast money,” the so-called “easy way out” of doing nothing more than slinging on the corners and other petty nonsense that is so much more glorified nowadays. We've actually GROWN UP - though not completely; we've done away with childish things but remain “young at heart” - and expanded our trains of thought. Ron Solero: We do have a few years compared to most of the people on the scene but this is, in our opinion, an advantage. We are not worried or concerned with what other groups are doing. We remain true to what we have set out to do and that is to keep the essence of hip-hop alive. The biggest misstep that we see daily is when a new artists follow the latest trend. Hip-hop is about creativity and originality. Following a trend is the biggest mistake we think an artist can make. Take Auto-Tune for example. Everyone was using this as a tool until (Jay-Z’s) “Death of Auto-Tune” came out. Before this everyone was trying to make the hottest ringtone. Following in someone’s footsteps will only take you as far as they go. When you make your own path you decide how far you go.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of going far, you guys aren’t just making an impact in NYC, you’ve also been making noise in London and Germany. How did those opportunities come up and how would you compare the scenes in London and Germany to NYC’s? Ron Solero: We were offered a show in London by DJ Snuff, founder of End of the Weak UK, after he saw us perform at the Pyramid Club (in NYC). We went out to London in 2009 for the End of the Weak World Freestyle Championships and opened the show and introduced the UK to Ghetto Transcends Potential. From our performance in London we linked up with numerous movements in the UK, the biggest being The People’s Army. We were then invited back out to London and offered several shows in Germany. This was a valuable lesson that taught us every time you perform you are presenting yourself to anyone who sees your performance. Just A Poet: Another invitation, another trip, further performances and solidifying a fan base; what more could be asked for?! As opposed to what is a competitive environment here at home, where everyone is out for themselves, overseas hip-hop scenes seem much more receptive, respectful, and appreciative of other artists' skills. I wouldn't say that all artists here at home seem to look down on others, but you can feel the difference in the atmospheres when performing. John Mega: The overseas scenes are a lot like the 90s in New York. Ron Solero: Or what has become the Golden Era of hip-hop!
Adam Bernard: Finally, give me a few other things G.T.P could stand for that you’d be happy with. Ron Solero: Gifted Thought Process, Guidance Towards Progress, Generals Teaching People, Gods True Poets, and Gift to The People are just some examples. John Mega: If I were younger I would call us Get That Paper, or Get That Pussy {laughs}, but I’m cool with what we have.
The term "reality rap" gets thrown around a lot, but one of the few that truly embodies the style is Otis Clapp. The Queens, NY, native released a great album earlier this year titled Welcome II Nowhere and the latest single off of it is "Reflection," a raw, honest look into the mind of Otis Clapp. The song is deep, and very personal, and you will definitely be able to feel everything he's saying.
Side note: Big ups to iheartdilla.com for having the exclusive on this last week. There's no competition between us. I love seeing other sites cover the scene and she's a really dope person.
Not a lot of bands find their bassist by accidentally hitting on them at a party, or put a kielbasa in their guitarist’s pants during performances, but The Blue Pages aren’t like a lot of bands, they’re blazing their own trail and they want it one filled with loud music, wild dancing, and crazy hookups. The Blue Pages consists of Dave Rublin, Matt Sanchez, Zac Barnett and James Adam Shelley (pictured L to R), and they’re a dance band that wants to inspire everyone to have a good time. I caught up with lead singer Barnett as he was finishing up a hearty lunch and found out more about the group’s very interesting personalities, what role alcohol played in the formation of the band, and why you might want to bring a condom if you’re going to see them live.
Adam Bernard: First off, I have to ask, why so blue?
Zac: I’m so blue right now because my mouth’s on fire from Tabasco sauce and I have no water in my cup at Twin Donuts.
AB: You used Tabasco sauce on a doughnut?
Zac: I poured Tabasco sauce all over my home fries.
AB: That makes more sense. So, about The Blue Pages...
Zac: We have a few different stories behind The Blue Pages. One that we like to tell people is that when we first stated writing together we wrote all of our lyrics down in a journal that had blue pages in it. The second story that we tell people is that our guitar player, James, needed a phone book when he first moved to Boston from Florida and he was looking for a Yellow Pages but he wound up with a Blue Pages, which is actually the government listings. And the third story, our bass player Dave, he’s from Columbia, and when he was a child his parents adopted him from the adoption agency and he was only covered with blue sticky notes to keep him warm. We give all three of them and people kind of decide for themselves.
AB: I like the third one best. Now, I know you formed at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, but did you know each other before then?
Zac: No, we actually didn’t. I had been playing with our drummer, Matt, at Berklee on some little projects and stuff, and then my sophomore year I was the president of the Berklee songwriting club. James was a new student and he came up to me one day after a meeting and asked me if I’d be down to get up and listen to some of his songs. We started trading ideas back and forth. I started singing over some of his songs, and he started playing guitar on some of mine, and then because I already knew Matt we brought him in to play drums and then we threw Dave into the mix. We’re actually all from different places. I’m from Minnesota originally, Matt is from Texas, James is from Florida and Dave is from Jersey.
AB: You cover the country pretty nicely there.
Zac: Yeah, it’s not bad. It works out well on tour because we still have a lot of family and a lot of friends all over the place, so it’s really easy to find places to crash.
AB: What’s this I heard about how you found Dave? Did you really hit on him at a party by mistake?
Zac: {laughs} Yeah, we were at a house party in Boston and I saw Dave from across the room and he has this long black flowing hair and I went up behind him and started dancing with him and turned him around to go for the kill and it turned out to be this little Columbian boy.
AB: I will assume you had more than just water before that happened.
Zac: Definitely. There was definitely some whisky involved in that night.
AB: Which is a good warning to all the kids; if you drink too much whiskey you could end up hitting on a Columbian man.
Zac: But, you could end up finding a new bass player, so I look at it as a good thing. The more you drink the more likely you are to meet awesome friends. It’s kind of an added bonus if they turn out to be hot women.
AB: That’s always nice! Moving to your music, you define yourself as a dance band. What exactly is a dance band and how does it differ from a rock band?
Zac: I guess you can really dance to anything, but at our live shows, primarily it’s all about getting the crowd going crazy, getting everyone dancing, and basically getting everyone ready to have sex at the end of the night.
AB: Now I need to see you live and bring a date.
Zac: Of course. That’s the thing. I think with a rock band, I feel like nowadays people just head-bob and sway a little more to rock bands where as we try to get people as horny as possible.
AB: What have you found works well for that?
Zac: Short shorts.
AB: On you?
Zac: Short shorts on me, yeah. Stuffing a kielbasa is James’ pants. You know, give the ladies what they want. He wears really tight pants so the ladies come up to the stage and it looks like he has an armadillo in his pants. They like that. You’d be surprised how many times that works. The majority of women we get, which is few, is from the armadillo that they see in his pants. Then it all ties in together once you feed them that whiskey they completely forget about that and then when the kielbasa’s taken out of your pants they’re not as disappointed.
AB: That’s a great plan and I’m sure your local grocer loves it, as well.
Zac: Yeah, everyone seems to love it. What else? Sometimes we’ll oil Dave down before shows and get him real greasy looking.
AB: Like a pro wrestler ready to come out for a match?
Zac: Like a pro wrestler, exactly! We call him the chupacabra. Dave is very majestic, to say the least.
AB: Tell me a little bit about your albums You released Bear Fight in ’09, and Nighthawk earlier this year. How much do you feel those albums differ?
Zac: They’re a little bit different. When we first formed we were really pop-rock based. With the Bear Fight EP we were just starting to dab into electronics and all that goodness, so there’s definitely some electronics on it, but it’s a little more rock based. There are a lot more guitars going on. When we started going toward Nighthawk the electronic music theme became a lot bigger in our lives, so it’s way more dance and electronic based and influenced.
AB: Those albums have helped to put you on a bunch of major tours. What are some of your most interesting tour memories from the past few years?
Zac: On our first tour, like two years ago, we were in southern Jersey and we were driving to the venue and we had no clue where this place was. We ended up pulling up to a venue and we said this is a really cool place, this looks really nice. We were like “hey, we’re The Blue Pages, we’re here to play tonight,” and they go “I don’t know if we have you on the bill, let me check.” Then they came back like “hey, you guys actually aren’t scheduled to play tonight.” So we were like “well, that's weird.” So we went out and drove around a little bit more. It turned out the venue we were supposed to play was some really shitty hole in the wall bar down the road, so we ended up going back to the first venue and we made up some story and they ended up saying “hey, you know what, one of the bands dropped off the bill so you guys can play tonight.” It wasn’t the right venue but we ended up playing a really sweet show in Jersey at a really sweet venue.
AB: That’s awesome! What’s next for you guys?
Zac: We just got back off of tour with Let’s Get It and Down With Webster, which was frickin amazing. I think we were pretty much drunk the entire tour, but it was still an amazing time. Now the whole band is relocating to Brooklyn and we’re just gonna basically keep writing and we’re gonna be back out on tour this fall. We have a couple residencies booked around New York right now. For the month of September we’re going to be playing every other week at Bowery Electric, and then we’re also going to be playing every other week acoustic at Angels and Kings, which is Pete Wentz’s venue, which is always a good place.
AB: How much does your show change when you perform acoustically?
Zac: We keep it pretty stripped down when we play acoustic, but the energy is definitely there. We get everyone up dancing and going crazy even at acoustic shows. That’s our whole thing, we just like to have fun on stage and we like the crowd to be having fun. If the crowd’s not having a good time then I’m not having a good time. We like to keep that motto even at our acoustic shows.
AB: Is there anything else you’d like to add about yourself or your music?
Zac: We have a great fucking time doin shit. Everyone should add us on Facebook, and we got a shitload of new songs coming out soon. It’s gonna be mind blasting and flip your world upside down.
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 Parents Television Council’s reaction to Miley Cyrus’ new video, to one group of Malaysians’ problem with Adam Lambert, to an ex-manager going after Taylor Swift, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Before I get to the musical content of Donell Jones’ latest effort, Lyrics, I feel the need to make a quick point regarding the packaging. As you may know I’m a fan of the physical product, preferring CDs to mp3s. With that in mind, when I pick up an album titled Lyrics I expect it to come with the lyrics. Donell Jones’ Lyrics, however, comes with a fold out picture of Donell Jones. Had he named the album Fold Out Picture, maybe I wouldn’t have been do disappointed about not having the lyrics.
The music on Lyrics is a mixed bag, but for the most part it’s a good mixed bag, like really good party mix that only has one or two ingredients you feel the need to pick out.
If you’re longtime readers of this site you already know who brokeMC and Dyalekt are (picture L to R w/ singer Ihsan in-between). They’ve been featured here individually, and as members of the MINDSpray crew. Recently, they decided to team up for a project they’re calling Deathrow Tull. A funky hip-hop ride that manages to be both fun and timely, Deathrow Tull is already becoming well known throughout Brooklyn for their live performances, one of which even included an MTA piñata to help them express how they felt about the potential fare hikes. This week I took a swing at finding out more about Deathrow Tull, including how it will affect brokeMC and Dyalekt’s solo careers, the intricacies of working with a live band, and what they can’t stand about each other.
Adam Bernard: A lot of people know who brokeMC is, and a lot of people know who Dyalekt is. What inspired you to join forces to create Deathrow Tull, and when, approximately did that inspiration hit? brokeMC: Dy and I were drinking sake on the roof of the Opera House (lofts) one night last winter when an alien vessel hovered above us. It threatened to destroy the planet if we didn't create something ruthlessly funky. So we really had no choice. Dyalekt: The rude Humanist has it wrong. We were in the ship. Native & Zentwo made it.
Adam Bernard: Of all the people you could possibly team up with, why did you choose this particular person? Dyalekt: This shoulda been done happened, before my grammar got all bad and such whatnot. The first MINDSpray joint I recorded was a lil duet called “Muerte la Petit” with broke. Conscious, of eklektic gardens & Bondfire fame, was supposed to be on the track, but he balked when broke told him he wanted to rap about a girl on it. I decided to flip it and came with a concept that was darker and more fun. Deathrow Tull probably started there, broke just needed to get more rude and I had to find my inner explosiveness, figuratively speaking of course. That's how the rude Humanist & WMD Dubois, AKA Deathrow Tull, came about.
Adam Bernard: Where do you go musically with Deathrow Tull that you don’t with any of your solo projects, or your work with Mindspray? brokeMC: Production-wise I really wanted to make some danceable tracks. I think we both wanted some catchy hooks. Besides that, we kind of came up with a theme for the band, which I see as just an embellishment of our own philosophies, and dug in. Dyalekt: My solo work is often based in telling some form of linear story, my collaborative work with MINDSpray and others normally revolves around ideas, but with Deathrow Tull we're dealing strictly with the vibe. Maya Angelou said “people will forget what you said, or what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” I don't know the words to many of my favorite songs, but I can hum off key and dance to em. That heat in your chest when your jam comes on, and the sweat from your brow when it ends, that's what Deathrow Tull is about.
Adam Bernard: This summer you released an EP titled Little Taste, which was intended to be a little taste of what you’re up to. When will get a big taste, and how much will that big taste differ from the little taste? brokeMC: I believe that a delicious appetizer is an excellent indication of an amazing meal to follow. Expect plenty of gravy and pudding. Dyalekt: I'll be bringing the hot sauce. New music soon come, like the Neverclear project - we're gonna go all George Lucas with the CGI button with classic tunes - but we want to present Little Taste visually a couple more times. Oh and the next record's gonna be in 3D.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of visuals, your live shows have become talked about events. I know every show is different, but what’s a live Deathrow Tull show like? Where do you take the audience and why do you think they leave talking about it? brokeMC: We don't hold back. If it were like a Gallagher comedy show, we treat ourselves as the watermelon. If we didn't put on a show that had the audience floating out of the building then we wouldn't be doing our job. Dyalekt: We've been able to get Brooklyn hard rocks and BK hipsters alike to dance with their eyes closed. The MTA piñata at the last show didn't get out of hand, but it was close. We love having the live art too, usually with Marthalicia of M-Squared Art and The Artist's Process. We aim to do more than ask you to stare at bands for three hours.
Adam Bernard: I’m glad you mentioned bands, because Deathrow Tull isn’t just you two, it’s also a full band. What have you found to be some of the quirks and intricacies of working with a band? brokeMC: I made out with our guitarist's ex-girlfriend and then he left the band. That sucked, but I think he's coming back. Dyalekt: I love rhyming with a band. Beats are dope, but the rhythm is so static. Our drummer, Evan "Every Part of the Buffalo" Berg, is human and makes imperfect patterns, and that's a lot of fun to rhyme over. Plus we get to do cover songs. My favorite part is that it gives me license to dance on stage more. Gotta be cognizant of what everyone is doing, either by ear, eye contact, or vibe. It's a heckuva cypher that doesn't use words.
Adam Bernard: Do you see the band bringing in a new audience for both of you? Dyalekt: They better, or they don't eat. I don't do the politics of fandom too well. I always want people to have fun with me, whether thinking or feeling. This time we focus on the funk, and have longer hooks, so if you're into that, be our new audience. brokeMC: I think we're just at a point where our energy is really focused. We set out to make something awesome and so far people are responding positively.
Adam Bernard: Do you think there will ever be a time when Deathrow Tull will be your main musical outlet, overtaking your solo careers? Dyalekt: Nothing will ever overtake my shower singing career. I hope to be Tulling it up until I can't dance no more, even chair-dancing, but I'll probably have different ideas along the way, too. brokeMC: I see it more as an expansion than a replacement. Obviously, I think we'll be putting energy into what most people respond to, but I don't see our solo efforts being eclipsed by Deathrow Tull, hopefully just accentuated.
Adam Bernard: Finally, what do you absolutely hate about your partner in rhyme? brokeMC: Sometimes Dy shows up with cookies but no milk. I hate that. Dyalekt: brokeMC is a talented emcee, bassist, painter, playwright, actor, producer, promoter, & engineer. That's all the stuff he's good at that I can think of off the top of my head. That's what I hate about him. All can do good is rap, barely. I can't even tie my shoes without help.
A lot of people want to know where the great politically relevant hip-hop has gone. In Cali one of the emcees that's keeping it alive is Unity Lewis. His latest single, which features features Stic.Man from Dead Prez, is "Let's Ride." The song has a powerful message and the kind of beat that would sound great coming out of anyone's, well, ride. Enjoy the weekend energy.
For more on Unity Lewis check out our interview on RapReviews.com.
Inspiration can come from a variety of places. For Moedawg36, an emcee who currently resides in Pittsburgh, but hails from California, it came from cheating lovers. "I started going through all these breakups and cheating relationships," he remembers. "That kinda like pushed me to do something different."
"Something different" wasn't without its initial pitfalls.
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 Britney Spears still not being in control of her life, to a beef between two young actors that no one wants to see, to a seemingly unnecessary book by Jay-Z, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude. First, however, we have to address some sad news.
The news that DJ Pauly D is getting his own reality show focusing on his career behind the turntables has Jersey Shore fans cheering, and quite a few DJs sighing. That’s not a sigh of relief of seeing one of their own get recognition and earn a huge national platform to essentially advertise himself on a weekly basis. No, that’s a sigh of reluctant acceptance of the importance of celebrity.
That being said, Pauly D needs to be commended for his ability to create an image for himself, putting that image out there for the world to see, and marketing it all into, at the very least, a short term career.
Earlier this summer controversy surrounded Pauly D within the DJ community when he landed on the America’s Best DJ 2010 ballot. Z-Trip, who won the honor in 2009, was especially irked, taking to Twitter to type his concerns that stardom was beginning to eclipse skills. In the end the honor was taken home by the very highly regarded DJ Qbert, but Z-Trip wasn’t wrong in his assessment of society, we live in a Paris Hilton - Kim Kardashian ruled entertainment world where people are far more interested in fame than talent.
It’s hard to be mad at Pauly D for his fame, though. His working of every possible angle is exactly what any musician has to do to make it. Although nobody wants to hear it, the music industry has never been about being great, it’s been about being good enough and then working your butt off to find a way in. Great musicians will shine regardless of the industry. Case in point, anyone who is interested in DJing can easily reel off the names Krush, Shadow, RJD2, Mike Relm, and the aforementioned Z-Trip and Qbert.
Pauly D has a quality none of those artists have, though, he’s a reality TV star. In 2010, however, that doesn’t mean as much as it used to. It’s certainly no guarantee of notoriety past the lifespan of the show. Look at The Real World. Can you name any of the people who were on it three seasons ago? If you can it’s probably because they went on to do various Real World - Road Rules challenges. Reality TV fame isn’t just fleeting, it’s show-encapsulated. Once the show is over so is the fame. This is why Pauly D is smart to work Jersey Shore for all it’s worth.
It wasn’t too long ago DJ Jazzy Jeff gained extra fame from TV, albeit not reality TV, when he was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Even that kind of fame doesn’t last long, though. It’s akin to a fad, and unless one has the skills, which has never been an issue with Jazzy Jeff, the audience a DJ gains through non-DJ related fame quickly disperses and moves on to the next big thing.
Right now Pauly D is more celebrity than DJ, he just happens to know how to work the turntables well enough to get booked. By working his Jersey Shore fame he’s probably making more per gig now than 95% of the DJs out there, regardless of whether or not those DJs are more skilled than he is (for the record, I’ve never seen him spin, so I can’t speak on his skills). If he were to mix poorly the vast majority of his crowd probably wouldn’t even notice. They’re not there for the music, or to hear a great DJ rock, they’re there because it’s Pauly D behind the ones and twos.
For all the good Jersey Shore, and his upcoming spin-off show, do for his notoriety, however, they’re not helping him with his craft, which is why he should be concerned about the potentially short lifespan of his career. On a recent episode of Jersey Shore he mentioned that he hadn’t touched the turntables in a month. Most of the DJs I know practice at least a couple of times per week, and that’s in addition to their gigs. This is why one can understand why DJs weren’t too happy with Pauly D’s ascent to being mentioned amongst the top DJs in the country.
A native of Rhode Island, his number of Twitter followers is more than one third of the entire population of his home state. Clearly he’s doing something right, and although it may be cliche to say most DJs would bend over backwards to get those kind of numbers, it’s Pauly D’s bending over backwards that got them for him.
That’s really the long and the short of it, and not just for DJs, but for all musicians; how much are you willing to bend over backwards? How far are you willing to go, and what are you willing to do to develop a fan base? How many DJs out there would honestly have given up their bookings to live in the Jersey Shore house, work in a t-shirt store, (and then, in Miami, a gelato shop) and potentially embarrass themselves on national TV on a weekly basis? Pauly D was, which is why we shouldn’t be mad at him for turning the show into something much bigger for himself.
Both physically and musically Big B is a large man. He has to be to fit in all the genres that have influenced him and come out in his work. Big B’s latest effort is Good Times and Bad Advice, and I caught up with the very busy Suburban Noize emcee to find out more about his good times, the bad advice he’s received, and some of his non-musical artistic endeavors.
Don’t be fooled by the name. Hamden emcee godAWFUL is anything but, and his EP, Beats & Rhymes In The Key of Awful Vol. 1, is one of the strongest hip-hop releases you’ll find this year. Extremely lyrically adept, godAWFUL has a voice that may vaguely remind people of Slug from Atmosphere, just slightly deeper. On the seven songs on Beats & Rhymes In The Key of Awful Vol. 1 godAWFUL covers an array of topics, from his journey in hip-hop on the lead track “No Superstar,” to the intense storytelling track “Broken Author,” which truly draws the listener in. Beats & Rhymes In The Key of Awful Vol. 1 is one of those rare albums that gets you excited from the first line of the first song and keeps your attention all the way through. godAWFUL is equipped with all the skills, both lyrically and production-wise, as he self-produced the entire album, to be the emcee that people can point to and say “this is CT hip-hop.” More efforts like this one and I don’t think it would be a surprise to see him be the state’s first breakout hip-hop star.
Sometimes I say an Artist Of The Week feature has been a long time comin, and when it comes to L.I.F.E. Long that phrase couldn’t be more fitting. I first met L.I.F.E. Long in the very early 2000’s through Dyalekt, who introduced us when we bumped into each other on the street. L.I.F.E. Long hit me with a copy of the 2000 Writers Guild EP, The Writers Guild! (which I still have, red paper insert and all) and I continued to follow his career, as well as the major moves his crew, Stronghold, were making in New York City’s underground hip-hop scene. We saw each other at shows every now and then and kept in touch.
Now a heck of a lot more is on L.I.F.E. Long’s plate, so we sat down to discuss the multitude of albums and collaborations that he’s been working on, his thoughts on the development of New York’s underground hip-hop scene, and why he thinks the L.I.F.E. Long of today would really get along with the L.I.F.E. Long of ten years ago.
Adam Bernard: You are, of course, a part of the legendary Stronghold crew, but you also do plenty of other projects, both solo and with other artists. For those who many not be as familiar with your non-Stronghold work, tell everyone what else L.I.F.E. Long has been working on. L.I.F.E. Long: One project that I have been doing, actually from before Stronghold, is Writers Guild. Shout out to Loer Velocity. We’ve been doing music as Writers Guild since about ’95. We took a break from the project to concentrate on our solo projects, but are currently in the lab again, so expect to hear some new Writers Guild Material coming soon! Next up to bat is the Area 51 project that consists of myself, C-Rayz Walz, Elohem Star, and production by Hybrid of Room 5, and Sterling. It’s a real next level project where we focus on some straight next level alien shit. Seriously! You gotta peep the project, it’s insane. From lyrics to production it sounds like a movie! You humans will not be ready for Area 51! I am also working on a project with emcee Iomos Marad from Chicago and producer Aneeway from France. We form a crew called the Allies. We currently have a single out called “Winter” that has been appearing on compilations and mixtapes and are working on our LP. It’s coming out crazy! I met Iomos Marad a few years ago while he was touring in NY and I met Aneeway online about two years ago. Aneeway got a chance to visit NY last summer and then me and Iomos visited Aneeway in France this past Spring. We hope to have our LP ready in 2011. Expect some real dusty jazzy vibe. Grown people music. My next solo LP, Crossing The Globe, which was produced by Big Ape, will drop Winter 2010 on Domination Recordings.
Adam Bernard: The L.I.F.E. in L.I.F.E. Long stands for Living In Full Effect. Is this meant to be self-descriptive, a message to people to get up off of their couches, or both? L.I.F.E. Long: Basically that is what it means. Also it represents the state I'm always in, “Living In Full Effect,” meaning that I am always in effect, always aware, knowing and effective in what I do.
Adam Bernard: Being an underground, or independent, artist can be very difficult. You’ve been appearing on albums since 1995. Does the journey ever get tiresome, and if so, how do you deal with that? L.I.F.E. Long: It definitely gets tiresome, man. I’ve been doing independent music for over a decade, but what keeps me doing music is the love. Nothing nowadays would draw me into this culture. I hate the new hip-hop! To be honest I'm living through my past, man. I now make music for people who like my genre of hip-hop, and for myself. I give thanks that I am still able to do this. I also appreciate the real artists breaking barriers, going outside the box, and creating that real music with no limitations!
Adam Bernard: It sounds like you’re not a big fan of most current hip-hop. Does this include NY’s hip-hop scene? L.I.F.E. Long: To be honest, I'm not really too happy with the NY hip-hop scene. It has evolved to a world where we have egos instead of character. We have a lot of so-called artists who know nothing about being an artist, but instead have mastered Pro Tools and copying other artists. When Stronghold was running through the scene it was more about originality and skill. It has now become more on who you know and the resources you have to make you popular. I feel like the independent scene is no different than the majors now. There are so many cutthroats and people who want to bring you down. All I can do is shake my head. I mean, there are a lot of artists that are keeping it real and helping to carry on the torch that the pioneers left us, but a lot of emcees know nothing about the culture or history and have no talent at all, so it’s kind of messing up the game.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of carrying the torch, when you co-founded Stronghold, what were you hoping to do? L.I.F.E. Long: What I hoped for is now manifested! The vision of Stronghold was strength in numbers and to make an impact in the industry. Since Stronghold’s beginning in ‘97 we have accomplished so much. Stronghold has released two mixtapes and each member of the crew has put out numerous solo projects and appeared on many other projects, plus we are known worldwide, not just in NY. That was our vision, to be seen and heard word wide, and we accomplished that! Stronghold is really like a support team now. I doubt we will ever put out a Stronghold LP because of each member's hectic schedule, however we are always there for each other, and we are always appearing on each other's projects. Breez (Evaflowin) actually did the artwork for The Waiting Game and Crossing The Globe!
Adam Bernard: When you look at your career, and who you are as a person, now, in what ways do you feel you’ve grown both musically and personally over the years? How well do you think you’d get along with the LIFE Long from ten years ago? L.I.F.E. Long: When I first started I was straight out of high school, I'm a grown man now. Before I didn't really know the business, or how to create music. I learned so much over the years. I think I would of liked me ten years ago because ten years ago I was going hard and trying to get more of a name for myself. I think if I could talk to the L.I.F.E. Long of ten years ago I would put myself onto the business side of things and also tell myself nothing is granted!
Adam Bernard: What are you looking forward to next, both musically and personally? L.I.F.E. Long: I hope that my music will be appreciated more on a large scale. I think I would like to push myself more musically and do things I haven't done with my solo career. Personally I want to learn more. I don't think we can never know too much!
I received some sad news for hip-hop in a press release earlier this week. Apparently Breez Evahflowin's next album will be his last. Here's hoping he changes his mind, but in honor of his amazing career, which I'm sure will continue in some form or another, this week's Vid Pick is his live performance of "Dream" from earlier this summer at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Big ups to brokeMC for uploading the clip. Oh, and for everyone who goes to hip-hop shows, and for all the emcees out there, note how you can understand every word of the song. This is how it's done!!!
When most of us think about payola we get visions of unscrupulous major label executives sending large sums of money to, and showering gifts on, radio DJs and Program Directors in exchange for putting a mediocre artist they’re trying to push on the airwaves. The practice of payola, however, had its start in America as early as the 1890’s, when music publishers paid to have their songs played in beer gardens.
Throughout the early years payola, an act that was given it’s name as a combining of the words Pay and Victrola, went through various incarnations. Artists including Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor had a version of payola where they’d sing a song in exchange for a piece of it. Jolson even netted himself a race horse from one of such deal. In the 1930’s maestros of big-name bands that played new songs on network radio took a cut of the royalties. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that the act of payola became what we recognize it as today.
In the 50’s the landscape of the music industry was very different from how it is now. The major labels were focused on selling what they knew worked, which was, essentially, white music aimed towards an older crowd. They weren’t the borderline unbeatable giants that they are today (or, more precisely, were five to ten years ago, before the industry collapsed). Independent labels focused on catering to the crowds that the majors neglected and didn’t hesitate to sign blues, R&B, gospel, and country acts. Basically, the independent labels catered to the youth, while the majors catered to their parents.
Leonard Chess, the man behind Chess Records, realized that despite catering to a different audience, independent labels were involved in an uphill battle when it came to competing with the major labels, all of which had far greater means for getting their records to radio stations than he did. Chess, not having radio distribution, would fill up the trunk of his car and drive to various radio stations, walk in during a show, greet the DJ with a handshake and a smile, ask him a couple nice questions about his family, and while on his way out slip the DJ a record with a $50 bill in it.
Soon enough those $50 bills that were slipped into records by Chess and men of his ilk became not just bonuses for the radio men, but were also perceived as status symbols. DJs found great pride in being bribed because if they were being bribed it meant that they were thought of us being at the top of their industry. Nobody was going to bribe a nobody.
Variety wrote about their concerns regarding payola in a 1955 article titled “A Warning To The Music Business,” calling the action one of the roots of the pyramiding of evils of the music business. It was a pyramid that a great number of people helped to build and operate.
Two of the biggest names in the music business at that time were Alan Freed and Dick Clark. Both made plenty of money, but after that their stories differ greatly. Freed was essentially on the Chess Records payroll, with Leonard Chess paying him $100 a week and even crediting him as a co-writer on songs just to make sure Chess Records’ artists would get a high number of spins. Cohen wasn’t the only person hooking Freed up like this either. Freed, however, took a huge fall when the Federal Trade Commission did an investigation into payola in 1960 which led to Freed pleading guilty to two counts of commercial bribery and having a fine levied on him. A secondary result from this was that he lost his job. At the time the FTC estimated 250 radio DJs were on the take.
Dick Clark obviously did a much better job of protecting himself. Rather than simply accepting money, he had a far more complex system that involved numerous corporate holdings he had, holdings that included financial interests in three record companies, six music publishing houses, a record pressing plant, a record distributing firm, and an artist management company. Artists involved in any of these businesses were reportedly given preferential treatment, although Clark refused to admit to it, and couldn’t be convicted of anything other than playing the system correctly for the way it was set up.
Leonard Chess always feared a trial may one day happen, which is why he kept all his payments on the books. At the time there was nothing illegal about payola. What people were getting nailed for was tax evasion because they were making and accepting their payola payments off the books. By keeping everything legit, no case would ever be filed against Chess.
After the FTC’s payola trials a federal anti-payola statute was passed, making it a misdemeanor punishable by up to $10K in fines and one year in prison. The act, however, still lives on today, although it no longer is a way for independent labels to get ahead, rather it’s a way for major labels to keep everyone off of the airwaves except for their artists.
In 2005, then New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (who’s now much more well known for something else) thought radio was being manhandled by payola and launched an investigation into it. The investigation turned up a multitude embarrassing emails from Sony BMG that included information on payments made so that Jennifer Lopez, Good Charlotte, Franz Ferdinand, and Nas & Xzibit records would get plenty of airtime. One email exchange even featured a radio station director saying “I’m a whore this week. What can I say?”
In the end, Sony BMG was forced to pony up $10 million, but many in the industry say the act of payola is still alive and well today. In a recent interview, Hot97’s Funkmaster Flex said, “I think things do exist; I think people do plane tickets, I think people do gifts,” adding “I think they're a little more secretive because Spitzer cracked down on radio a lot more, so I don't think people do it as much, or as openly, but I think it exists.”
In a cruel irony, what was once the independent artists’ biggest asset when it came to getting radio airplay is now one of the biggest things shutting them out.
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.
