Dr Dreone of the most famous producers in Hip Hop history... Quincy Jonesone of the most famous producers, writers, composers... (the list goes on...) in music history!
They both have a signature line of headphones... Quincy's produced by Harmon. Dre's produced by Monster.
Maybe the more important thing to consider is... what is the depth of quality of music... you are using them to listen to?
Last Night Jay-Z was invited by New York Public Library's Director of LIVE, Paul Holdengraber to discuss his new book 'Decoded' alongside Princeton professor Dr Cornel West.
Jay started the event by stating why he found the need to indulge in such a book... "For me, we're all complex human beings... Nothing is simply black and white. There are multiple reasons why we arrive at such decisions. It's impossible without context to tell a story because you'll be telling some sort of lie. For me it was very important to give these stories context and not just give excuses to everything we've done."
I remember we talked about how tight the production was even from the way the drums were recorded down on certain tracks.
The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. Leagueproduced three tracks on that album and are responsible for the Maybach Music series of tracks that have featured on the last three Rick Ross albums.
Now producing again alongside Dame Dash and Creative Control his new 'Online Content Label' venture - working with a new roster of artists and boasting a strong philosophy of maintaining artistic integrity throughout the creative process.
The album - although originally scheduled to drop back in the Springtime - is now finally complete for it's release today...
Around 12 months ago one locally based Drum & Bass DJ that I know stopped me in the street and told me he was gonna open a record shop (in Gloucester!!!) I wished him luck, told him to keep me posted and to holla if he needed any help.
It was an ambitious idea but I knew he was passionate enough about music and had a good group of people around him. I also knew that any involvement with an independent record shop was always gonna be a labour of love - having served time at Gloucester's last independent record shop 45's Records back in the late 90's.
I went down earlier this week to get a sneak preview of the shop and was impressed to see the lengths that Lukie B has gone to ensure that everything had been approached in the right way...
Not seen or heard for near on half a decade... save a few cameo appearances on projects like Emmanuel's "D'Illusions Of Grandeur" (2006) & a guest feature on Ragz2Richez producer Diamond's genre-crossing underground anthem "Love At First Sight" (2008)
Terri Walker is back home in the UK with a new deal (a distribution deal with Dame Dash's newly resurrected Roc-A-Fella Records) & with more to offer judging by her recent first live performance back in the UK at Aesthetic Sounds.
Getting ready to drop her 4th studio album & with a strong street track already out... "Understanding" produced by legendary Hip Hop producer Ski Beatz (Original Flavor/Jay-Z/Camp Lo) she lookin set to make 2010 her time...
Couple years ago I remember a few of us went Brom with Action Jackson to link DJ Judge - he was doin a set at one club in Sutton with DJ Mikee Lazy & DJ Konn.
There was a special guest performance from beatboxer Faith SFX at the event but for me the performance of the night went to Adaggio...
Following him winning a local Under 18 MC Competition put on last year T-Why has gone on together with KDK - to drop a big mixtape "Still Young Vol 1" (download link on this page) as well as performing around the UK just having returned from a mini tour of Hungary and now currently working hard putting finishing touches in the studio on the new 2nd mixtape.
Last week they were invited on DJ Cage's Show on GFM Radio 96.6FM for an interview and freestyle:
They will also be performing at a concert at GL1 in Gloucester this Friday alongside some of the South West's finest up & coming talent...
01/06/2010
A Lil Gangsta?
Gotta call to go interview Tinchy Stryder recently... new single droppin this weekend & new album 3rd Strike on it's way...
Had an exclusive preview of the video for "Gangsta?" just before the interview & the first question that really stayed in my mind after watchin it was "...that the Roc Nation logo he got on his shirt?"
I first saw Mr Steen performing with Out Of Control on the Fresh 97 event video & was blown away by his original style - sick is a word that people all too often reach for when they see something impressive
before them...
I travelled to Stratford Rex in East London for Fresh 98 and saw him perform a solo showcase there & still couldn't believe some of the moves he was pulling off on stage. Today I heard that he will be performing with his Poppin crew Big City Brains at Jonzi D's Annual Breakin Convention at Sadlers Wells.
Was drivin back from a music workshop Monday night with Danger talkin bout rhymin patterns and we started talkin bout one style that has been gettin more prominent in many MCs lyrics lately & then Bashy drops his F64 on the same day havin recorded a whole six minute track in that style we talkin bout... who did it first tho?
Star... goes in on Nicki Minaj & Beyonce (Explicit Content)
Star and Buc Wild were killin' it for me all last year since I saw the "Chris Brown caught a bad one..." episode of their quick fire show on Vlad TV. Don't take it personal it's all in the name of Ojective Hate...
It's rare that a Hip Hop artist can break out from the pack and appeal to all sides of an ever expanding genre... from backpackers, to gangsters, ballers to shotcallers... the list is not long compared to the list of artists the scene has seen come and go!
Probably the two most easily recognisable on a worldwide scale have been Biggie & Jay... reaching back to the UK it's even harder to pick anyone! Most British artists clearly stand with both feet in either the commercial mainstream or the underground...
Fallacy has been one artist who at least on paper has defied the curse of 'Real UK Hip Hop' from signing a major label deal with Virgin records to producing club anthems like The Groundbreaker & Big N Bashy Ft Tubby T...
Everything looked set to blow for Fallacy in 2003, even with a rumoured Mercury Music Prize nomination (the same year that a young Dizzee Rascal took the award!)
Suddenly he disappeared off the scene just as the grassroots promo was supposed to begin for his debut album Black Market Boy. I had been booked to DJ at one of his promo shows in Bristol that September - but his management pulled him from the line-up last minute!
Rearing his head up every now & again to drop one-away promos & a mixtape (Clash Me) it is only now that Fallacy is officially releasing himself back into public. Having previously dropped tracks that have had impact in genres such as Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Dancehall, UK Garage & of course traditional Hip Hop...
Graceful In Death promises to be a welcome return for an artist whose base genre some feel has been made irrelevant by the emergence of the UK Grime scene and it's generation... though Fallacy is one artist who always sat comfortable whatever side of the fence.
