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
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 Chris Brown trading in therapy for chair tossing, to Ke$ha trading in her tour itinerary, to Canada trading in Drake for a better hip-hop artist, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Imagination can be a weapon. For Baby Doll it’s her only weapon. Being thrown in an insane asylum by her evil stepfather, and having that evil stepfather pay extra to get her lobotomized, which is set to happen five days after her admittance, is the load she has to bear. Baby Doll, however, creates multiple worlds through her imagination that feature giant samurais, steam powered soldiers, dragons, robots, a guide, and crazy weaponry as far as the eye can see. Her escape, mentally, she hopes, can help lead to her and her newfound friends’ escape physically.
This is the plot of Sucker Punch. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as confusing as it may seem once one figures out the multiple levels of imagined worlds. The action is fantastic, the visual aspects of the film are stunning, and the soundtrack is totally kick ass. The opening sequence has a creepy version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” setting the mood. The first fight scene, where Baby Doll is alone, features Bjork’s “Army of Me” (which I totally rocked out to in the theater), and the first war scene that features everyone, and a big steampunk war machine with a bunny painted on it, has Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” playing as accompaniment. The latter is an obvious homage to Alice in Wonderland since much of Sucker Punch deals with similar concepts, i.e imagination and a journey.
The action scenes in Sucker Punch are, to put it bluntly, really freaking awesome. Vanessa Hudgens, as Blondie, manages to get even hotter by being a complete badass. In terms of Hudgens’ former relationship, she’s the winner. Zack Efron did a tutti fruity movie about seeing his dead little brother. Vanessa Hudgens hit a steam powered soldier in the face with an ax. Yes, we have a winner! She sure as heck isn’t singing in a High School Musical anymore.
There were a few interesting twists at the end of Sucker Punch that I didn’t see coming, although the final piece of the puzzle was obvious to me because it was exactly the same as one of my favorite cult movies from the 80s. I didn’t, however, predict HOW that final piece of the puzzle would be used.
The lone downfall of the film is the way it, at times, holds your hand. Although I’ve admitted I didn’t see everything coming, during the first 20 minutes you can really tell you’re being led in regards to what was going to be important later in the film. I would have preferred the connections to be less glaringly obvious. I had a similar feeling at the very end of the film when there’s an unnecessary voiceover telling us exactly what the film meant. We aren’t given very much credit as viewers. Let us get the point on our own!
That being said, overall, Sucker Punch is the kind of movie that makes me want to go to the movies. The visual aspects of it require the big screen, it provides a ton of fun, and it has the kind of story that measures up with the visuals.
Being notoriously early for shows can oftentimes be a detriment. I find myself trying to create interesting ways to pass the time. Every once in a while, however, being early pays off. This was the case a couple of months ago when I was early for a Bondfire event and decided to get a bite to eat at the place next door. That’s where I met Kojo4eva, who was also early, and planned on performing that night. Kojo4eva is multi-genre artist who is part reggae, part R&B, part hip-hop, and comes to the stage with his acoustic guitar in hand (or I guess technically over his shoulder). His music is really beautiful, and meaningful, making it the perfect antidote for a bad day, or simply the perfect way to keep a good day moving. I kept in touch with Kojo4eva and this week I caught up with him to find out more about his music, his connection to the many topics he sings about, and the reason why he isn’t clicking the “like” button on Facebook.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with a little bit of your personal history. Where are you from and how did you come to be a musician? Kojo4eva: I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. I grew up around music because my entire, and I mean entire, family is musically inclined, but I didn't like doing music when I was a kid. When I got a little older and heard Bob Marley, I was like, I want to do that. So I got a guitar, began teaching myself how to play, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Adam Bernard: It interesting you mention Bob Marley because your music has hints of reggae and R&B in it. Who, or what, have been some of your biggest musical influences, and how would you define your music? Kojo4eva: I love reggae. The R&B, I think, comes with me being a black person from the south. {laughs} Bob Marley and Wyclef are definitely my biggest influences. I love their music, especially Bob Marley. I think I've heard every song he ever did. It's hard for me to answer the second part of your question because I don't really like genres. Not to try to sound deep or anything, it's just that, I don't know any musician who likes to do solely one type of music all the time.
Adam Bernard: I think one artist people might compare you with is Wyclef. How would you feel about that comparison? In what ways do you feel your work is similar to his, and in what ways do you feel it differs? Kojo4eva: {laughs} I guess I might have listened to Clef a little to much. Of course I am/would be honored by it. He's great already. I guess people should ask him because he's the great one, I'm working to get to his status. I just hope if he hears my stuff he doesn't think I'm trying to bite him. Of course he has influenced me, but I still want to add my flavor to music, even though nothing is original. I think it's similar by the eclectisity - even though that's not a word - of it, meaning our voices aren't amazing conventional voices like Stevie Wonder or Musiq, nonetheless we still are good at what we do. I think it differs slightly because of our backgrounds, with him being from Haiti and and growing up in Jersey and me being from down south. Plus, he's a way better guitar player than me. {laughs} I hope people don't see it as a competition. You can love us both!
Adam Bernard: Where might people have heard your music and what are you working on right now? Kojo4eva: Well, my video, “Rebel,” has been on VH1, C.I.N. channel 73 for Time Warner, Tempo TV, HDnet, NYmusic on channel 25, Mevio.com, TV J and CVM in Jamaica, etc. My new video, “Power of Blow,” will be on the same ones and I'm talking to the program directors at BET and Centric to get it played on those networks, as well. If anybody knows the program directors at MTV and Fuse, get at me! {laughs} My music plays on the radio all over the world, not like Lil’ Wayne and his crew, but hopefully soon. Plus I do shows all over the country and I'm going to London and South Africa this year to perform.
Adam Bernard: That’s exciting! The music you create is very topic driven, and I really like some of the subject you choose to sing about. What about you as a person can people glean from your lyrics? Kojo4eva: Thanks. I'm all about equality, justice, unity and women {laughs}. If people treated each other fairly the world could really be Shangri-La, or Utopia, or whatever. It could be great and peaceful is my point. And women, do I really need to elaborate on them? Goodness gracious, there is nothing like seeing a gorgeous Black woman with confidence walking down the street on a sunny day, the sun reflecting off her skin. As a Jamaican would say, Lawd av mercy!
Adam Bernard: Where do you hope to take music and where do you hope music takes you? Kojo4eva: I like this question. I hope to take music to a place it's been before, meaning I hope when people hear my music they are taken to a memory that is very enjoyable to them, or a thought that is serene and fun. I want people to dance when they hear my music and I want people to hear my songs and think/say, “this is the greatest music I've ever heard” and not want to stop playing it. I want music to take me ALL over the world. I hope with music I will have the opportunity to go to every country in the world and to space if there are beings out there. {laughs} I want to spread understanding, peace and love to the world. That's my message and I hope it's conveyed well, received, and practiced by everyone, to everyone.
Adam Bernard: Finally, speaking of love, why are you getting any from Facebook? I hear Facebook trying to shut you down. Why are they hating on you? Kojo4eva: MAN, I HAVE NO IDEA! It's crazy. I used to have a page with 5,000 friends, which took me some time to get, and I was in the process of setting stuff up to get my music to all of them. Then one day, I tried to login to Facebook and I kept getting a message saying my login and password doesn't work. Of course, I tried to contact Facebook and they ignored me for like three months. Then I got a response one day saying I was soliciting to many people regarding my music and my page has been permanently disabled and there is no changing that decision. So I created a new page and now they won't let me friend or message anyone unless they are my friend. So if you want me to be your friend on Facebook you have to friend me. Facebook is lucky I need them right now. {laughs} Oh yeah, before I forget, I do this this thing called Kojo4eva on the Road, which is a video chronicle of when I travel to different performances around the country and the world because people who like my music said they like it and it makes them feel like they are traveling with me. So everyone check it out on my YouTube and Facebook page and if you want me to shout you out in one of my chronicles just hit me up and I got you. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to be informed and entertained by this interview, I really appreciate it. Peace.
iAreConscious is one of the most creative artists in NYC's underground hip-hop scene. He's constantly working on a plethora of projects, one of which is titled Mon-Tag. He recently posted a trippy video, that uses footage taken from a live performance, for the Mon-Tag song "Simply." The song shows off some of his singing skills, which not everyone knows he has. PS - This is why he doesn't like being referred to as a rapper!
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is taking a look at the Black out that happened on the internet last week. No, I’m not talking about a power failure, I’m talking about the complete takeover Rebecca Black had with what many consider to be one of the worst songs in the history of music, “Friday.”
Bridgeport’s Fame City was one of the most celebrated graffiti spots in the country before it was shut down. Right now, New York City is in danger of losing its famed graffiti spot, 5Pointz. Graffiti artists simply don’t have many hospitable environments where they can practice their craft. What they need is a place where they can hone their skills, and a little re-imaging in terms of the public’s perception of them. The graffiti inspired art show A Beautiful Crime, which runs from March 25 to April 25th at the ground floor gallery in Read’s Artspace, hopes to provide both.
The show was conceived and put together by Razul Branch and three artists - Aisha Nailah, Gelator and Yves Wilson - as a way to clear up many of the misconceptions people have about graffiti artists. Fairfield County artist Pacer of IOF (Images of Fascination) points out “graffiti is normally something that’s secretive, hidden. You may see it on the street, but you don’t know what goes on behind it.” He adds that although a lot of negativity surrounds graffiti, “there’s also the creative side, always pushing yourself to do better.”
Pacer, who is currently working on something he describes as “futuristic collage work,” is just one of the many artists whose work will be featured at the show, which isn’t limited to just graffiti as it also includes graffiti inspired art. Artists range in age from 16 to 45 and come from all walks of life. Branch has appreciated much of their work for quite some time. “Some of these guys are extremely accomplished artists, they just don’t have as many venues to showcase their talent because the moment someone hears they’re graffiti artists a lot of times their mind is closed off right after that.” This was part of the inspiration for A Beautiful Crime.
The foursome behind the show also saw Bridgeport as a potential hub for artists. According to Branch, “we saw this would be a great opportunity to launch this arts scene here along the same scale as Hartford and New Haven.”
Nailah sees the show as something that can help younger graffiti artists get a better grasp on what they’re really doing. “I think it’s good for them to be able to see that it’s also a relevant form of art and not just a bunch of criminals out there doing stuff.” Gelator agrees, saying that there’s a lot to be learned from the older graffiti artists. “You got a lot of the older writers, they’ve been through a lot. They’re done runnin from the cops. We’re trying to legitimize it.” Nailah adds “(young artists) need to understand as kids that you can still be fly in the same way and still be a quote-unquote legitimate artist to everybody else.”
Jahmane, a Norwalk artist who began doing graffiti in his early teenage years, but now describes himself as “an evolved street artist” as he’s taken those talents and translated them to works on canvas, feels a show like this can also positively affect the entire artistic community. “I think it’s a good introduction for people out here to get a grasp on how street art is merging with fine art.” Just like Pacer, Jahmane will be showing pieces at A Beautiful Crime, as well.
In addition to the completed pieces that will be on display, and available for sale, the team behind A Beautiful Crime is also working with the city of Bridgeport to have a “legal wall” for graffiti artists to do live art on, giving people a real view of the effort and skill that goes into creating a piece. The live wall will also serve as a slightly unexpected example of the city’s support. Branch notes “one of the problems the city has had was with illegal graffiti and tagging around the city. I think the city actually approving this and embracing this, I think it will take the steam out of the more illegal side of it.” The event will also feature DJs, b-boys and beatboxers setting the mood, and opportunities to ask artists questions.
Emcees are not a part of the show, and that was a conscious decision by the Beautiful Crime team. Branch feels that emcees might sway people’s opinions before even getting to the art, and the point of the show is to help people have “more of an understanding of (the art),” so they decided to leave the rap aspect of hip-hop out of it.
A Beautiful Crime could be a large step for the area’s graffiti artists. According to Gelator, “we just want to enlighten people on these different types of art. There are different types of art out there. We have a whole lifestyle behind it.” It’s a lifestyle that A Beautiful Crime is looking to breathe new life into.
There’s a lot of music that I’m really excited about in this month’s installment of my Adam B Experience podcast. From killer collaborations, like the ones with Navegante and iLLspoKinN, and Doug Simpson and Coole High, to some really strong solo work from some longtime ABX faves, whether alone, or with a crew, everyone shines brightly. It’s 40+ minutes of music, and if you’re an emcee please pay special attention to the first few minutes of the podcast, there’s an opportunity in there for ya!
X:144 w/ Alias, Da @dkt, Illustrate & DJ SPS - Bitter Young Veteran Kats - You Owe Me Five Bucks The Rebel Ship (Navegante & iLLspoKinN) - Spark It Doug Simpson w/ Coole High - Above The Clouds Nyle w/ Fresh Daily & Mic-L - Dundiddit Premonition w/ Otis Clapp & Top $ Raz - Mind Games Creature - Human Error Truth Now - Unplug The Signal Jus Rhyme - Can’t Lock Us All Division X - Giant Steps
When I first received an email from Ashley Gold about her upcoming EP, Late Bloomer (due out March 22nd), I was interested for three reasons. First, the song that was attached to the email was fantastic, as is, as I would discover, the rest of the EP. Second, she has a connection with Dessa, who is an artist I really respect. Third, she’s from Minnesota, a state that has a music scene I’m honestly jealous of. Gold has a vibe that’s one part soul and one part pop, and this week I caught up with her to find out how she developed that style, her hard fought battle with shyness, and the ups and downs of the many jobs she worked while putting the album together.
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start me off with a little bit of your history? Where are you from and what has helped shape you into the person, and artist, you are today? Ashley Gold: Both my parents grew up in New York. My mother grew up in Queens. My father grew up in The Bronx. My parents moved to Minnesota for a job before I was born. I grew up eating matzo balls and meatballs. My father a Russian Jew and my mother a Catholic Italian. It has been an interesting ride growing up the aggressively passive mini-apple with two outspoken opinionated parents from the big one. My parents and my brother are extremely supportive of my musical endeavors. I try and give my familia love shout outs at shows or radio interviews! They mean the world to me.
Adam Bernard: In your bio you state that you didn’t sing publicly until you were 21 years old. How did you conquer your shyness? Ashley Gold: Wow! Way to do your research AB. I take it you got that from the bio off my website? Thank you for checking it out! To answer your question, yes it's true, I didn't start singing publicly until I was 21. As a kid my friends used to make me sing to them. I was so scared I had to lock myself in the bathroom by myself and sing through the closed door. As I got older, still shaking at the thought of singing in front of people, I would do so under two conditions - first they had to close their eyes. Second they had to turn their head away me as I sang to them. For some reason not having their gaze upon me made me feel safe and comfortable. I was weirdo. Still am. I wouldn't say I've "conquered" my shyness. I'm still a work-in-progress and learning how to work with it. I started attending an open mic in Minneapolis when I was 19 years old. Sat in the back for two years watching and studying the other poets, singers and musicians. Then one day I mustered up the courage to sign up on the long list and get up on the mic. I started with spoken word. Then after a fistful of poetry I started embedding melodies within the poems. From there, songs were born.
Adam Bernard: Some of those songs are featured on your EP, Late Bloomer, which is a mixture of soul and pop. Are these the two styles of music you listened to most predominantly growing up, or is the fact that you developed into having this style totally random? Ashley Gold: I believe my style happened by accident, or rather by default. When I was 20 years old I was exposed to an artist by the name of India Arie. I was so inspired by her intimate, yet universal, lyrics and absolutely fell in love with her beautiful voice. She is the reason why I started playing guitar. I wanted to be an acoustic guitar playing soulful songstress like her one day, so I purchased a crappy old Washburn guitar from a co-worker of mine for $40 and started to teach myself how to play. From there I started to take hooks or poems I had written and weaved them into the steel string melodies my sore fingers would stumble upon.
Adam Bernard: From what I understand there’s a lot more behind this EP than just the music. You’ve been working three jobs to bring it to life. What are the jobs and would you even recognize your loved ones if they walked by right now? Ashley Gold: Would I recognize my loved ones!? But of course! It was a dead run for the last year and a half, but I kept my chin up! C'mon AB! I was actually debating whether to put that information about working three jobs on my website and on the inside cover of my CD, but I wanted people to appreciate all the work, time, heartbreak, Jameson, caffeine, and cash money that went into this project. It would have been a dream to have a label, or someone, back me financially, but it wasn't an option, so I had to make this happen myself. Oy vey! The jobs I had! I had two serving jobs. The first job was slinging sushi at a Japanese restaurant for what I would call the "shi shi" downtown crowd. Martinis and black Amex cards. Perks of the job: I got to learn some sweet Japanese slang and got a discount on sushi. The second job was as a cocktail server for the hipsters in Northeast Minneapolis. PBR tallboys and vodka sodas all night. Perks of the job: the owners were rad and I got to see bands for free because it was a bar/music venue. My third job was the worst job I've ever had, and the only job I've ever just up and quit. Yeah I walked out. I was a fucking teller at Wells Fargo. I'm not cut out for corporate anything. I only got that job because I needed to fund a trip down to SXSW with the band. I wrote a couple songs on the back of blank deposit slips when I got bored. Perks of the job: paycheck and healthcare.
Adam Bernard: Wow, it sounds like you’ve been leading quite the interesting life. How much of that interesting life is in your music? What can people learn about Ashley Gold the person by listening to Ashley Gold the artist? Ashley Gold: Most of the songs off Late Bloomer are written from personal experiences dealing with life, love and having your heart feel like it's been stung by a bumblebee. What someone would learn about me from my listening to my music is that I am a painfully honest, earnest and passionate person. My live shows are a much different vibe from the music off the CD. I love to interact with the crowd cracking jokes and sometimes asking for words or colors and creating a "freestyle" song on the spot.
Adam Bernard: Is there anything that people would never know about you if they only listened to your music... and can you share it here? It’s deep dark secret time! Ashley Gold: Deep dark secret time? Whoa whoa Adam, we've just met. Let's wait until my next album. Hmm... let’s see.... I love green M&M's, wandering aimlessly through convenient stores on road trips, or on a random day, and my song “Reaching” was inspired from a late night text message from a now ex-lover.
Adam Bernard: I know you have at least a slight affiliation with the Doomtree crew. In fact, I’m guessing you got my email address from Dessa. How did you link up with Doomtree? Are they on every corner in Minnesota now? Ashley Gold: Yes! Doomtree is doing it big and has been for a while now. It's nice that people are starting to take notice of the crew's feverish work ethic and immense talent. They are on every corner in Minnesota, and soon the rest of the world, so look out! I first linked up with the illustrious Dessa to do some back-up vocals for a couple of shows she had. From there I sang with her at Paper Tiger’s CD release party and Lazerbeak's CD release party. I also had the privilege of being a part of the in-studio performance with them at 89.3FM The Current's The Local Show. Check out the video here.
Adam Bernard: Finally, is Ari Gold doing the Gold name proud on Entourage? Ashley Gold: Oh Ari Gold. I heart that little fiery ball of ambition. He reminds me a lot of my father. Hard working, passionate and always striving toward the next success in his life. I'm passionate and swear like Sailor Jerry's girlfriend, so yes, in many ways Ari Gold does the Gold name proud fo sho.
New Jersey is one of the most underrated, and unheralded, hubs of hip-hop in America. With foundation making, and groundbreaking, artists such as Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, Redman, Artifacts, and a host of others, hailing from the state, Jersey has meant more to hip-hop than many realize. Kalil Kash is the next great emcee in that Jersey lineage, and “Bang” is a shining example as to why.
Readers who can remember all the way back to the end of 2008 will recall Anthony David’s soulful debut album, Acey Ducey, having a prominent place in my year end top albums list. On March 22nd David will finally be back with As Above, So Below. Last month he released a mixtape to build some excitement for it, but I was already hyped, because good R&B can be hard to find. This week I caught up with David to find out more about the record, but the conversation certainly wasn’t limited to music as we discussed everything from kangaroo boxing, to yoga, to the original Karate Kid.
Adam Bernard: We haven’t heard a lot from you since 2008’s Acey Ducey, which we loved over here at Adam’s World. Other than working on music, what have you been up to for the past three years? Anthony David: That’s pretty much it. I was touring a lot and working on the album. Really I was handling the business of, I was on Universal at the time, I got off of it and got into this whole thing with E1, and my new imprint, and that kind of thing.
Adam Bernard: So it’s literally been all work and no play? Anthony David: Pretty much. My work is my play so I really don’t have a distinction. I got the chance to see Australia.
Adam Bernard: That’s pretty cool. What kind of stuff did you get to see in Australia other than the toilets going the wrong way? Anthony David: Ha! I got a chance to really see it. I was there for three weeks. I went to Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, I hung out on the beach for a week. I played with some great musicians, I just had a good time. I’m looking forward to getting back there.
Adam Bernard: I’ve heard in Australia they have boxing matches between people and kangaroos. Did you happen to run into one of those events? Anthony David: Unfortunately no, but I’m hoping that I get a chance to view something like that, besides just YouTube. I’ve seen it on YouTube.
Adam Bernard; I notice you said view, not get involved in. Anthony David: No, not at all. No Tom and Jerry over here. {laughs}
Adam Bernard: Talk to me about the new album, As Above, So Below. Is it a shift in any way for you? If someone liked Acey Ducey are they going to like it? Anhony David: Yeah, I think they’ll definitely like it. It’s an evolution, it’s a progression. I don’t try to make broad shifts. I think I started out with an interesting foundation. I consider myself a lyrical person, so I think it’s more of that. You have the characters and the storytelling in it mixed in with I guess what you would call traditional R&B. We try to expand on what that is.
Adam Bernard: You have a distinctive, mature, style. With that in mind, what are your feelings on the sexualized and party-centric turn R&B has taken? Anthony David: It’s limited, and there can be consequences to that. It really is hard for people to consider it a place where you can get more, which you used to. That’s what I hope to do with mine. There are other artists that I look to along those lines, so my music has some of the elements that people might look to other styles for, like a country, or a bluegrass, or a hip-hop. This way you can get the whole experience, the whole story.
Adam Bernard: Who is one artist you’d really love to collaborate with? Anthony David: There are a lot of artists I like, but the actual working with depends on a personal interaction with them. Me and Eric Roberson are good friends, so that would be cool. I’ve always been a fan of LaLa Hathaway, I love Brandy, I like Bruno Mars, I like B.o.B. There are so many that I like and I’d just unite with them, but Sting... he’s my favorite. I started doing yoga because of him. He’s my idol.
Adam Bernard: How long ago did you start bending and twisting? Anthony David: Two months ago. They teach Vinyasa at the gym I go to, but I did Bikram this morning, and when I go to different cities I go find a place. It’s a part of my adventure. It’s like a destination. It used to be, back in the day, going to find an internet cafe, but they don’t have those anymore, so now it’s the yoga spot, and on the way you can see stuff.
Adam Bernard: Moving to a different kind of collaboration, if you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why? Anthony David: You know what, that’s a good question. Right now I’m reading this guy Sam Harris, I’m reading his book, The Moral Landscape, and I watch his YouTube videos all the time. He’s super cool and he’s onto something I'm interested in, so him. He is, I guess you could say a free thinker, a humanist, and he looks at if it’s possible that science and things like that can actually start to address moral ideas. It’s really interesting. I’m not much of a religious person, so I spent a lot of time talking about what I wasn’t, and now, along the lines of what he’s addressing, I can tell you about, and I need to find more about, what I am.
Adam Bernard: Going along these same lines, What has been the best piece of advice anyone has given to you? Anthony David: You know what, man, this has driven my whole life; when I was in grade school this kid, my age, he was like eight, I forgot what I did, or what I said, and he was like “you know, you’re pretty funny, and you say stuff, but no one understands you. You really gotta work on that.” {laughs} He was basically like you gotta put your stuff together better so that people can understand what the hell you’re talking about. He was like, you’re on to somethin. He literally said this to me and it stuck with me forever, so that’s what I write for. I don’t remember his name, and he probably doesn’t even remember saying it.
Adam Bernard: Wisdom from eight year olds can sometimes be the best kind of wisdom. Finally, moving from the serious to the ridiculous, when was the last time you sang in the shower and what were you singing? Anthony David: I get it in in the shower. I go hard. This morning it was “you’re the best around, nothing’s ever gonna keep you down.” That song is just in my head. I think it’s Joe Esposito. The Karate Kid joint.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is taking a look at a Ke$ha song lyric that may, in fact, define a generation. Most people don’t consider Ke$ha to be much of a songwriter, as most of her music revolves around the party lifestyle, but one particular line in her latest single, “Blow,” perfectly describes both the party lifestyle AND what an entire generation is going through.
It’s a rain soaked Friday afternoon in New York City and Avery*Sunshine is in her hotel room fretting over whether anyone will show up to see her perform later in the evening at the BAM Cafe in Brooklyn with the weather being so bad.
Not only would a crowd show up to see her, but they would pack the place. There’s a reason fans brave the elements to see Avery*Sunshine perform – she brings them relatable music that features a heaping dose of inspiration.
Avery*Sunshine has been through the ups and downs of life, and much like the classic R&B singers of the past she brings her real life, a real life that has included everything from having kids, to getting divorced, to dealing with the taxman, into her music. In 2010 she released her eponymous debut album and people have been connecting with her reality based lyrics, and vocal talent, ever since.
I caught up with Avery*Sunshine on that rain soaked Friday afternoon to find out more about the woman behind the music, in what ways she considers her music therapeutic, both for herself and listeners, and why she decided the “bald is beautiful” look is for her.
The trio of North Star, Mad Dog and Dr. Dust have been a part of NYC’s underground hip-hop scene for quite a while now. They’ve experienced a lot more than just music, though. North Star notes “we've done enough living for ten lives.” Having that plethora of life experiences, and that amount of time spent making music, gives Division X a perspective a lot of groups don’t have. They’re veterans, and they’re more than willing to vocalize what they’ve been through and what they’ve learned from it. This week I caught up with North Star to find out more about the groups vast history, the generational split they see happening in hip-hop, and the unexpected results their work has brought them.
Adam Bernard: Hit me with some Division X history. When and how did you come together as a group? North Star: We decided to give music a serious shot at the beginning of the century. Before that, we really were all over the place. Survival tactics were more important than creating. School, work, women, artistic squabbles with old members, all got in the way of us being the next big thing. Once we started taking things seriously we really hit our stride. Things really came together when we recorded a track called “Against All Odds.” It was included in a magazine called AWOL that came with a free CD. We toured the East Coast off of that single. Then we performed at the first anti-war rally in front of 100,000 people in DC. We then started working on an album. Before we could release it the record labels came calling. To make a long story short, we got caught up in the major label vortex. Once we left the plantation we released our music in NYC only. Since then we've shared bills with Common, Pharoahe Monch, Large Professor, Immortal Technique, Saigon and Mr. Cheeks. The global market is calling us now. It's time to graduate.
Adam Bernard: How do you describe the music of Division X? North Star: The artistic side of (our) music is a three headed monster. You have the sonic aspect, the lyrical content, and the visual presentation. Sonically, our musical direction is based on emotion and movement. Songs are like scenes in a movie. Some scenes need that hard driving very serious DJ Premier, Just Blaze type of feel. Some scenes need the emotional soul of some 9th Wonder shit. When we are creating our beats we keep in mind that a good track can tell a story without the words. It's up to the lyricist to capture that story, by painting pictures with their words. The direction of our lyrical content has been influenced by artist like Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Guru, Chuck D, Ice Cube, KRS-One, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Nas. These are all artists whose music tells the story of their times. Who better to model your work after? Visually, we've always been into serious looking artists; Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Cypress Hill, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, KRS-One, Public Enemy, Pearl Jam. We're not into trends. T-shirts, jeans, sneakers, boots. Rugged men are not into fashion. Getting dressed up is for occasions. Look clean and don't stink, that's our fashion sense.
Adam Bernard: I’ve read you say you make music for the underdog. Could you break that down for everyone? What does that mean? North Star: Our music is a reflection of our lives. We all come from a working class immigrant background. We were raised with those values. In the same way Bruce Springsteen's music has come to be synonymous with working class America, our music is a representation of the lives of the working underclass in urban America. The America where school systems fail their children. The America where Black and Latino men are constant targets of police initiatives. The America where criminal activity is a way of life, and not a TV show. The America where adults have to work multiple jobs in order to secure housing. The America where families come together to do what it takes to improve their living conditions. The America where peoples lives are so bleak, on a Friday night, anything can happen. The America that loves stories like The Godfather, Scarface, and Rocky because they know that they will probably never do anything that big, but love it when someone like themselves gets a chance to live it up. The America that they don't show in the travel brochures.
Adam Bernard: You’ve been spreading that message for quite a while now. I’ve been seeing the name Division X on show flyers for nearly a decade. Having been involved in NYC’s hip-hop scene for so long, what are some of the aspects of it you’ve enjoyed watch grow? North Star: Well, there seems to be a bit of a renaissance in the New York City underground hip-hop scene. With very few strong independent record labels, and the cutbacks at major record label corporations, record deals are much harder to come by. With nowhere to go, folks have taken it upon themselves to make their own noise. You have two options these days, do it yourself, or quit.
Adam Bernard: Are there any aspects of the scene you wish had been stopped long ago? North Star: We wish promoters would do a better job. They need to be more attentive to the audience and artists. You have to give people a reason to want to leave the house and come back to your next event. Getting the word out about the event is important. Starting the show on time is important. Not having ten artists on the bill is important. Having giveaways is important. Giving people drink specials is important. A few drink tickets for the artist is important. A slice of pizza for us if we're performing for free is important. We also wish DJs would take more risks. Too many DJs spin the exact same shit they play on the radio, or are stuck in the 90s. No one seems to break records anymore. We love all that ol’ school shit, and we know people want to hear what they are familiar with, but a half hour of playing good indie shit at the beginning, or end, of the night isn't going to get you fired.
Adam Bernard: Hip-hop is a youth oriented culture. What are some of the advantages to being older, i.e. not a teenager, in hip-hop? North Star: We have to disagree with that statement. One of the biggest misconceptions is that hip-hop is still a youth oriented culture. The music industry constantly tries to sell this idea, but come 2013, hip-hop will officially be 40 years old. The more successful artists in hip-hop are closer to 40 than their 30s. Busta, Em, Jay, Talib, Mos, Nas, Luda, Rick Ross, Cam, T.I., Jim Jones, Common, Black Thought, 50, Kanye, Snoop, Puffy, Outkast & Dre haven’t been teenagers for a long time. The days of the serious teenage rapper are done. In a way, you can say that hip-hop music is going through a generational split. Teenage rappers are going to be running in the Soulja Boy lane. It makes sense. Why would a grown man or woman want to listen to teenage rappers? Soulja Boy is the hip-hop equivalent of what was Hanson and N*Sync were, and nowadays The Jonas Brothers, or whatever Disney-ready pretty boys pre-teen girls are screaming about now. Of this so-called youth movement, only Young Money's camp has broken through. The kids have their stuff, the adults have theirs. One of the advantages of not being a teenage artist is that you know who you are as an artist. You have so much more to talk about because you've experienced more. For years people have been complaining that all rappers talk about is money, cars, sex, guns, tough guy talk, and drugs. Well, that's what's important to people in their 20s. If you notice a shift lately it's because the artists are growing up. As the culture grows up, slowly but surely so will the art. You can say that it's time for an Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop section at the Grammys.
Adam Bernard: In the end, what do you enjoy most about being an emcee? North Star: One of the most beautiful things that has happened on this strange journey has been that our lyrical ability has been admired by many educators. Some of these educators have invited us into their classrooms to perform for their students. The look on their faces, and the questions that they ask after the performance, let us know that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing on this earth.
It took a while for Nyle to make a video for “F.A.N.G.,” but it was worth the wait. “F.A.N.G.” has been one of my favorite songs for quite some time, and it’s long deserved a video as great as this. The song, dedicated to idea that women should date nice guys, is a classic for those of us who qualify as such. With lines like “being nice ain’t the only thing that we’re nice at / why you think they say nice guys finish last,” you can’t help but love this one.
Rucka’s life is one that’s been full of disorder. The one constant has been his friendship with Beast. A little less than a year ago the Bridgeport duo decided it was time to put their skills on the mic together and they formed Mortal Conquest.
Now both seniors at Central Magnet High School, Rucka, who’s been rhyming since 2008, explains “it was only natural that if I’m going to make something that I’m going to dedicate my whole life to it would be with my best friend.”
What makes their friendship, and their music, so interesting is that their respective backgrounds couldn’t be any more dissimilar. “I’m from Bridgeport,” Rucka notes, “he’s from New Hampshire. I’m a little ghetto boy, he’s a little white boy.” When Beast moved to Bridgeport at the age of eight, a move that he says was “an adjustment overall” from his previous New Hampshire surroundings, the two quickly became friends. Rucka, however, was still experiencing some hard times.
“I was in raised in the projects,” he explains. “I had DCF come into my life. I had to move around. I’ve moved more than twenty times in my life. I’ve seen a lot of stuff that I shouldn’t have seen. It’s been a lot better lately, but when I was a kid my brother was a drug dealer and I had a lot of bad influences around me. A lot of people expected me to become a degenerate, but I just took that and tried to make myself better so I didn’t end up in that lifestyle.”
For Rucka, one of the things he decided he had to do to make his life better was cut his father out of it. “Me and my dad don’t talk at all,” he says. Rucka’s parents divorced when he was only three and he remembers “I had always looked up to my dad, but as I got older he didn’t fill the part.”
Having so many life stories to tell has helped shape Rucka’s style as an emcee. He notes that Beast is “more of a lyricist,” while he is “more of a storyteller.” This leads to an interesting dichotomy. “He comes up with the crazy wordplay and the punch lines and I’m conveying a story. They’re both entirely different aspects of hip-hop, but they come together so well.”
Two other aspects of hip-hop that Rucka and Beast hope to bring together are the fun and purposeful sides of the music. “We like to have fun,” Rucka explains, “but we don’t like to have fun all the time because you have to be serious, and there’s where the purpose comes in. There’s a giant message. We’re trying to show people you have to do both.”
That kind of variety is something that’s ever present in the lives of Mortal Conquest. Beast notes “we’re very diverse when it comes to music,” and Rucka adds “we definitely still listen to the radio, Lil’ Wayne is one of our favorite artists, but we (also) listen to Tech N9ne. I listen to Insane Clown Posse. I have Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold posters.”
That variety is on display both in their recordings, including their recently released The Mortal Conquest EP, and their live show, which has grown by leaps and bounds in the past twelve months. In February alone they played both the Lilly Pad and the main stage at Toad’s Place, and the Webster Underground in Hartford.
According to Rucka, “the first year I played shows I only played eight. Last year we did thirty.” The duo have found only one disadvantage to playing so many shows - it gives them little to no time to sleep. “The only bad thing is going to shows and having to go to school the next morning,” Rucka says, “that sucks pretty bad.”
Mortal Conquest are willing to go without sleep, though, partly because some very interesting things can happen when they’re performing. Rucka laughs a bit when he thinks about it. “We’ve been at Toad’s Place and there’s like girls biting their lips at us and stuff like that. That’s pretty cool, but I have a girlfriend and she’d rip my nuts of if I did anything.”
Rucka may be leaving the adoring fans alone for a bit, but what is in the plans for him and Beast is earning their high school diplomas and going on to higher education. Rucka hopes to further his education in graphic design - he designed the cover of their EP - and Beast is looking to further his music education. Both, however, will be working on Mortal Conquest at all times. “Music is my number one,” Rucka explains, “I will stay up for days straight doing something in music.”
Up next for Mortal Conquest is their Fatality mixtape, which they’re working to complete right now.
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 Bieber retiring his hair, to a guitar legend retiring some of his instruments, to a former Genesis frontman calling it a career, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
When a group is personally chosen by Janet Jackson to be her sole supporting act for 12 dates of her Number Ones: Up Close & Personal tour, which hits Mohegan Sun on March 16th, it’s a pretty big deal. For the four 13 year old young men of Mindless Behavior (think B2K: The Next Generation), it’s the latest in a string of big deals they’ve experienced over the past two years. According to Princeton, Roc Royal, Prodigy and Ray Ray, the excitement never gets old.
“We get excited for everything,” Princeton says, “we get excited to show one person, or two people, or three people what we got.” For this tour there’s another group that’s equally as excited - Mindless Behavior’s parents. “Our parents were really excited (to hear the news) because they were huge Janet Jackson fans.”
Having already shared stages with Justin Bieber, the Backstreet Boys, and Jason Derulo, the latter being their first UK tour, as well as having done their own tour of malls and schools across North America, the quartet are already veterans of the road. This doesn’t mean they don’t get butterflies before performances, though.
“We always get nervous before a show,” Princeton explains, adding those butterflies lead to adrenaline. “The minute the lights turn off, and the crowd screams... that’s the best part of the show to me.”
In addition to being veterans of the road, Princeton is also a veteran of music videos - he was the cupid in Gym Class Heroes’ “Cupid’s Chokehold.” Now he and the rest of Mindless Behavior have their own videos, and the clip for their single “My Girl” has racked up more than five million views on YouTube. The foursome have a remix on the way featuring Ciara, Lil’ Twist and Tyga, and they also just filmed a guest appearance for the Disney Channel show Sonny with a Chance that’s scheduled to air later this month.
Clearly Janet Jackson isn’t the only one digging Mindless Behavior.
The foursome actually have quite the impressive support system. The team at Conjunction Productions, along with Streamline Records head Vincent Herbert, who is credited with discovering Lady Gaga and executive produces all of her music, came up with the concept for Mindless Behavior in 2008. Princeton and Roc Royal met at an audition hosted by Conjunction. Their choreographer then found Prodigy on YouTube, and Ray Ray auditioned for, and joined, the group a few weeks after that. Mindless Behavior then spent two years developing as artists before Herbert introduced them to IGA Chairman Jimmy Iovine, who immediately signed them.
Right now the young men of Mindless Behavior are thinking about a development of another kind - putting the finishing touches on their act for the Janet Jackson tour.
“I’m really excited for this tour,” Princeton says, “we have a new intro and we’re excited for all the fans to hear it. It’s really cool, but I’m really nervous because it’s big crowds and a big icon to look up to.”
Princeton just needs to wait for the lights dim, and the crowd to start to scream.
Eminem is one of the most polarizing artists hip-hop has ever seen. I remember first finding out about him when The Slim Shady EP was making its way around the internet. I became an instant fan and loved his first three full length albums. Then he started to slide. It’s a slide that’s been constant, and, in my opinion, may have bottomed out with his most recent work, and the Super Bowl commercial for iced tea that turned him into nothing more than a caricature of himself.
The Chronikill trio of Charlie Cypher, Zerox One, aka Rox, and Keyno Speedz have been a staple on New York City’s underground hip-hop scene for quite a while now. Whether it’s been their own performances, or the Doin’ Alright series of shows they throw at the Bowery Poetry Club, they know how to pack a place, and they know how the keep their wall to wall crowds happy. I caught up with all three members of Chronikill this week to find out a little bit about their history, what goes into throwing a successful event, and what some of the wilder Chronikill and Doin’ Alright moments have been. Spoiler alert - stage diving and crackheads are BOTH involved.
Adam Benard: Why don’t you start me off with a little Chronikill history? Where are you all from and when and how did you all come together to form Chronikill? Charlie Cypher: We're all from here in the city and went to high school together. We spent a lot of time doing those quintessential kid things - forties on stoops, trips to the spot, freestyling, and trying to get up. Zerox One: We mean it when we say “NYC born and raised.” Charlie Cypher: When we decided we wanted to do shows, in 1999, we started using the name Chronicle, which eventually become Chronikill in a fit of marketing genius. Zerox One: Rapping, basically, was a more viable option to impress the ladies than continuing to get arrested for writing graffiti. Charlie Cypher: There was another kid with us back in the day who has since gone on to a career in politics. Speedy forced his way into the group in a coup of sorts back in '06 and that's been the lineup ever since. Keyno Speedz: They needed some hype – I bring the hype.
Adam Bernard: Do you all have similar musical backgrounds, or do you vary greatly? Charlie Cypher: I've played music my whole life. When I was a 12-13 years old I played the sax in the Brooklyn borough-wide band. We played at Carnegie Hall on two separate occasions. I played bass in some bands back in high school, as well. I listen to all kinds of shit but my iPod is straight mid to late 90s hip-hop; the Loud and Rawkus years. Zerox One: I can play both “Brother John” and “Frere Jacques” on the piano and the keyboard. I’ve been writing lyrics since as long as I can remember, but musically I don’t contribute much beyond the occasional suggestion for arrangements and saying “can we make the beat sound like DJ Premier made it,” which I’ve heard is not constructive. Keyno Speedz: I played the recorder in first grade.
Adam Bernard: You released an album titled Drinking on a Tuesday, which, coincidentally, is a pastime of mine, as well. Other than the obvious, what inspired drinking on a Tuesday, both the title and the album? Charlie Cypher: “The balance is right, smoking and drinking on a Tuesday night.” Zerox One: Yeah, the title is an interpolation from “Shadrach” off (the Beastie Boys’ album) Paul’s Boutique. Paul’s Boutique is a great album. The song “Car Thief” shaped my childhood. Anyway, we wanted to reflect the content of our live shows and the extracurricular antics of the day and the best way to do that was to make an album that was equal parts ignorant and eloquent, so we recorded the tracks and pulled together all those fun pictures in the CD, which summarize the mood of the album. Everyone should buy the CD for the amazing artwork and photos. Shouts to nedphoto.com and Zach Cooper, who helped us out with that. Credit to Cypher for a lot of the hard work and focus it took to make it happen. I’m pretty hard to work with and can be drunk and disorderly, so this was no small task. Keyno Speedz: And he’s gotten better. You should’ve seen him before he had a girlfriend. Charlie Cypher: Also, Drinking On A Wednesday is harder to rhyme with. Zerox One: MUCH harder.
Adam Bernard: As artists, what are you looking to contribute to hip-hop, and music in general? Charlie Cypher We want to make music that is first and foremost some get up and get down type shit; some head nodding, fast paced, onslaught to get you up for a big night out. Yeah, we drop some serious songs in there, too, and they are honest, as well, but that’s not the main aspect of what we're about. I think we just want to be known as good lyricists who kill it live, and while we respect and love hip-hop, we don't try to be all high and mighty about it. No pun intended. Zerox One: I think we’ve always focused on making songs we thought sounded good, and on making each song better than the last. I think we’ve done that. We try to have catchy hooks that will get stuck in people’s heads and also dense enough rhymes that each listen gives you something you didn’t catch before. My favorite hip-hop music makes you rewind it a few times to catch everything. I think sometimes, because we have this rah-rah lighthearted lunacy in the way we go about things, people may not know that we care a great deal about our rhymes. My rhymes are like my children in that sense. Also, I want to contribute bad analogies. Hip-hop needs more of those.
Adam Bernard: Hilarious! You also have a monthly event, Doin’ Alright, at the Bowery Poetry Club. When did you start this event and what has kept it going for so long? Charlie Cypher: We've been rocking Bowery since June 2008 when we got put on a bill by El Gant. We've done a total of 16 shows there, including 13 of the 14 Doin’ Alright's. We had to throw one at Don Hill’s, which is the worst. Zerox One: To be clear, Don Hill’s is the worst. Those promoters put their children through college on the backs of our hard work and we never even got a “thank you.” Charlie Cypher: We started Doin’ Alright formally in March ‘09 as a way to play with the acts we wanted to rock with. It's hard, trying to play only showcases and events put on by two-bit promoters who don't give a shit. Don't get me wrong, showcases can be dope, but we wanted to have our own thing. Zerox One: A lot of it has to do with choosing between the lesser of two evils – working with promoters who care only about the bottom line, or standing around for hours waiting to spit a verse at an open mic in front of an audience consisting of a dozen other people who are waiting to shine. We thought there was a void in the scene and we tried to help fill it by throwing shows where the artists and the audience could both have a great night. Charlie Cypher: So we spoke with Eliel at the Bowery Poetry Club, who is the man and has been very supportive since day one, and the rest is history. We've had an incredible list of artists come through, which we will release with the documentary, early next year. Our YouTube page contains links to almost every video from past performers.
Adam Bernard: Since you’ve been throwing shows for a while now, could you share a few of your keys to throwing a successful event? Charlie Cypher: Only work with serious artists who promote hard and rock a great live set. Be careful with the lineups, who is rocking and when. Be generous with the acts, but not to a fault. And don't get too wasted. Zerox One: Have a clear sense of what you are trying to accomplish. We throw the shows because we wanted control over the scene we are inviting our audience into. From that standpoint they have been very successful. Be respectful to the people who are good to work with. Don’t become one of those asshole promoters you hated working with. Having a good DJ holding the night together is also important. Shout to M-Tri and Iron Lyon, who have both held down Doin’ Alright events.
Adam Bernard: Finally, what has been your wildest Doin’ Alright, or Chronikill, moment so far? Charlie Cypher: A middle-aged crackhead lady rushed the stage in New Orleans, at Dixie Tavern, to grab the mic. We didn't have the heart to boot her so she kinda mumbled her own little raps while we did the rest of the show. Same basic thing happened with Speedy except he's still in the group. Kidding, kidding. Zerox One:Another crazy lady snatched the ski goggles off my head at the Five Spot in BK right in the middle of our set. I had to jump off stage to chase her down while Cyphe finished my verse. Another high point was when we played a show at Medusa in Philly. Our friends throwing the show never confirmed that there was a working PA, so we ended up doing our set standing on chairs and screaming our lyrics at the top of our lungs. The club was packed tight but not a single person heard us. It was like our career in a microcosm. Charlie Cypher: We once played a show in a pizza parlor in Baton Rouge and were attacked by a three legged dog. Zerox One: I believe that show was to benefit a hemp activist organization and they did not take kindly to our blazing an el on stage. Charlie Cypher:Homeboy Sandman doing “Lightning Bolt. Lightning Rod” with Louis Logic singing the hook at Doin’ Alright 2 was pretty sick. Zerox One: And there was the infamous piano jump performed by Warren Britt at Doin’ Alright 8, which was craaaazy. Thank God no one was killed... or sued.
We celebrate our superheroes, but rarely think of the daily trials and tribulations that they go through. Illus’ latest song and video look to address that aspect of their lives as “The Mask” follows the superhero and secret identity versions of Illus through his daily tasks. It’s one part pure emcee skills, one part incredible creativity, which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Illus. As an aside, I’d love to know where this superhero hangout is. I’ve been lookin for Wonder Woman!
Unless you were the captain of the football team, there’s a good chance you don’t have greatest associations with the word “school.” There’s a growing group of schools, however, where all the students are happy, and that’s because of instead of rocking gym shorts, and backpacks full of textbooks, they’re rocking out. This is the story of School of Rock.
School of Rock is the creation of Paul Green, a musician and teacher who, in 1998, while teaching in Philadelphia, turned his class of students into a band. It worked so well that the idea for School of Rock was born. Now, 13 years later, there are over 60 School of Rock schools across the US and one in Mexico.
I caught up with Terry Longhway, who owns six School of Rock franchises in the US, and Kristin Leigh, who has been the General Manager of multiple School of Rock schools, to find out more about the program, what it provides students other than musical instruction, and what a series of video games, and government cuts to our schools’ arts programs, have done for their enrollment.
Adam Bernard: How did School of Rock grow from a band of students put together in Philly to a nationwide series of schools? How’d you get from point A to point Z?
Terry: I kind of got involved at point Z. From my perspective as a franchise owner this is a concept, honestly, I’ve been thinking about it since I was like ten years old; why do sports for kids, why do they have practices and games and an interactive side to them, but they’ve never had that for music. I was always frustrated with that. My mom was a guitar and piano teacher and I always thought it was kind of ridiculous that I had to learn this thing by myself. My guess is once Paul started doing it people saw the rate at which kids were learning, and some people with some money wanted to start another one. When I joined three or four years ago it was pretty concentrated in the Northeast and was starting to spread. I think it was growing organically out there. It’s starting to really blossom.
AB: Being that you work with kids that are ages 7-18, do you think any part of your popularity may have something to do with a reaction to schools having their arts programs cut?
Terry: Oh for sure. No doubt about it. Understand, I opened my first schools in Detroit in probably the worst economy that city has seen in the last hundred years. It’s not viewed as a luxury by parents, it’s viewed as an educational thing. Parents see the value in it and they see that it is getting cut in normal schools. It’s not a frivolous type of spend to parents, it’s an important one for their kids and their families.
AB: Do you think the popularity of the program could influence people to bring the arts back to the schools?
Terry: That’s a tough one to answer. As a business owner I don’t necessarily want it to, but as a father I do. I think there should be more arts in schools.
AB: I don’t think the arts programs in schools would be doing exactly what you’re doing, so I don’t think you’d clash with each other.
Terry: I agree. My kids still have music programs in their schools, but they’re still learning about classical music, and not really playing anything, they’re just academically learning about music, and that’s not what we’re doing at all. It’s a performance program, and it’s learning their instruments in a real practical manner. Even when I was in school, as contemporary or cool as it got was like jazz bands, but in San Francisco, where one of our schools is, they have a rock band program, they actually have something called Rock Band, and I’m sure they got it from our concept, but they’re starting to do stuff like that.
AB: When you say Rock Band I automatically think of the video game. How much of an impact do you think kids playing a video game has had on them wanting to learn the instruments for real?
Terry: I kind of have a love/hate relationship with (those games) because they’re a little bit misleading in terms of playing. It’s a lot different to play an instrument, but at the same time kids come in and they know who The Doors and Led Zeppelin and Kiss and all the bands that we base our program on are. I especially noticed this when the whole Guitar Hero thing was starting, they had a pretty decent knowledge of rock music and I was like how do you know who that band is, or how do you know that song by Aerosmith, or Pearl Jam, and then I’d be like oh, it’s on Guitar Hero. Part of me kind of likes that. A lot of me likes it. It got em really interested in playing, so I think the video games have been awesome for us.
AB: Just don’t let them see any episodes of Behind the Music.
Terry: You need to see the first 30 minutes and the last 15. It’s that 30-45 where the drug use and inter-band fighting happens.
AB: Very true. Going back to what your schools do; other than playing instruments, what skills does learning how to rock cultivate in young people?
Kristin: That’s an awesome question. What I have seen just from being involved in this school for the last year and a half is these kids come in that don’t fit in in school and they don’t like sports and they’re outcasts or loners, or they’re teenagers and they’re rebellious, and they come here and all of a sudden they fit in somewhere when they never had before. The younger kids, they’re learning how to work as a group and work as a team and they get this self-confidence from being able to play music and have it sound awesome. Then you have these teenagers who all of a sudden fit in someplace. I’ve gotten countless emails and phone calls from parents almost in tears, just saying “you have totally turned my child around.” Who knows where they would be if they hadn’t come to the school because now all of a sudden they have a place where they fit in and they’re proud of themselves and they’re actually working and working on music has led them to have good study habits in school, so they’re making better grades or deciding they want to go to college. As cheesy as that sounds I have literally seen it with my own eyes with specific kids that I can relate to because when I was in high school I didn’t have something like this and I was the loner and the outcast because I hated sports and I didn’t want to do anything else but play guitar in my room. Now I’m watching these teenagers, and I don’t have kids personally, but I am at their concerts in tears because it’s so awesome. I’ve seen a kid come to us with severe issues and he did a concert with us and all of a sudden he was smiling for the first time in a year because he was doing something that he was proud of. You can learn a skill like a musical instrument in a lot of different ways, but you can’t learn life lessons unless you’re really given an opportunity to do it in a way that you like, and that's what I think is so important and so inspiring with what we do.
AB: It sounds like you keep in touch with a lot of the students after their time with the school.
Kristin: Oh totally. Not only that, a lot of these kids, they don’t like their (school) teachers, their teachers don’t like them in school, they don’t have any role models or anything like that. What we’ve found is our teachers are role models to these kids where before they never had role models. They don’t look up to their parents, they don’t look up to their (school) teachers, so we’re keeping in contact with them as they go through school and graduate. Maybe we’re even teaching them lessons to become teachers themselves.
AB: School of Rock has had a bevy of television appearances. Which have been some of your favorite on-air moments?
Terry: I was really proud that we were on this History Channel / VH1 documentary on Woodstock. I thought that was super amazing. It’s not just a heavy entertainment or news thing, but something that’s actually, to me, pretty weighty as far as a cultural event in the US and a huge historical thing in rock music, and there we are, a part of that, because we’re paying tribute to it.
AB: That’s awesome. Is there anything else you’d like to add about the school or the program?
Terry: A lot of times people see stuff with us and it’s usually like all-stars. Some of these kids can be just phenomenal, and I don’t say that lightly, and I don’t say that like they’re awesome for kids, they’re just straight up awesome, great, almost professional level musicians, but I want everyone to know that what we do is for everyone, all ages, all ability levels. Probably 40% of the students that start at our school literally just got a guitar or drum set, so it’s not just a program for people who already know how to play. What’s really been interesting for me over the past few years is the number of competitors that have popped up that have kind of stolen, or borrowed, our name. I get that people would want to do programs like this because the program is awesome, and I have no problem with that, competition is great, but I do hate when people are using our name, so I like to tell people to make sure they’re finding the real School of Rock and not Freddy’s School of Rock, or something like that.
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 a rocker getting out of jail while a rapper gets arrested (ah, the circle of life), to someone from TLC giving us TMI, to two chart topping songstresses giving us reasons to cheer, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have played a large part in making the midwest’s presence felt in hip-hop. Now, nearly two decades deep as recording artists, they’re continuing the path they’ve been on of taking their careers into their own hands. Layzie Bone just released two albums independently, and this week I caught up with him to find out more about the projects, why he feels he couldn’t have gone the indie route at the start of his career, and who among the current crop of popular emcees he feels could have survived when Bone Thugs first came on the scene. Layzie also shared a few, amazing, personal stories about Eazy-E you won’t read anywhere else.
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.
