Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Brown Bag All Stars. Unsigned Artists of the Week.


Our Unsigned Artist of the Week are The Brown Bag Allstars from New York City. Consisting of a group of Rappers and DJs who bring a gritty sound back to the Hip Hop Genre. 

The Rappers all have grimey lyrics and crisp delivery that makes you screw up your face but yet still have enough talent between each of them to have there own sound. The DJs add to the group with beat selections that are made to get you to nod your head instantly and reminds you of classic Hip Hop Beats like "Ante Up". 

The group as a whole with there classic underground sound and talented lyricists give life to a sound that is lost in mainstream Hip Hop but far from forgotten.

My Favorite Songs from them are "Make Way" and "League of Intoxicated Gentlemen"


Friday, January 23, 2009

100 Point Forfeit


http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=903780

So apparently it is bad for one team to beat another team. Badly.

Now I'm all for fair play but when that fair play impends a team's ferociousness it just takes the whole meaning of competition.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Duke Nice. Unsigned Artist of the Week


Our Unsigned Hype for this Week is Duke Nice. A 21 year old from Delaware, he shows lyrical genius through the swagger of someone who has matured beyond his years. With his smooth delivery and Jazz heavy melodies he brings a new refreshing feel to the Hip Hop Game.

Don't mistake him for just another R&B type Rapper however. He has both the content and lyrical ability to spit about anything.

My Favorite songs from him right now are Fat Bottom Girls and Dear Winter.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Unsigned Artist(s) of the Week

This week instead of having one Underground/Unsigned Hype. I have ten, all of which are talented in there own right and like I said in a previous blog will become the standard for Hip Hop Artists to come. Links of all Artists below.

Ace Hood

Asher Roth

Blu (Official)
Blu(Johnson&Jonson)

B.O.B

Charles Hamilton 

Cory Gunz

Curren$y

Kid Cudi

Mickey Factz

Wale

Monday, January 12, 2009

Oh so Proud?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01112009/news/nationalnews/this_kids_a_text_maniac_149614.htm

The odd thing about all this is that I don't know if to be "Proud" of this girl for breaking what might be a record of some sort or to be ashamed at the detachment from the world that this girl has.

I mean come on she texted someone who was right next to her. 

I guess its all based on perspective.

Who knows how long it'll be till all conversation is text based, void of the emotions that make us human.

At least we'd be able to LOL.




Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Hip Hop Generational Shift

I'm not one for making predictions nor am I any kind of expert in the subject matter I'm going to touch on but I make this prediction on the basis of patterns.

I predict that MTV's MC's to Watch in 2009 will set the standard for all Hip Hop artists in the future.

Now this is not to say that all of them will be wildly successful but they will cement themselves as what everyone, whether fan or aspiring rapper will look to as MC's in the years to come.

Like I said before, I don't make this prediction based on any "expert" opinion but on the basis of patterns.

Changes in attitudes that keep Hip Hop moving (Fans and the Media) and changes in both the attitudes and techniques the artists use to express themselves are the patterns that are implementing this change.

The reason for this change is simple.

Anyone remember the quote, "Hip Hop is Dead"

Yes that simple quote uttered by Hip Hop Legend, Nas, sent the entire Hip Hop community into a frenzy. Some agreed, some didn't but what is important that quote forced the community to look at itself in the mirror.

And the result of this self analysis?

This...



And This...



And also this...



This is just an example of three of the five that MTV named MC's to look out for in 2009.

In their interviews, it is clear that they all believe themselves to be not like anyone else and they understand that being like anyone else is flattering but they would rather be themselves.

"I realized that, if I'm going to fail at doing music, then I'm not going to fail [by] doing what everybody else is doing,"  said, B.o.B, one of the MC's named by MTV to look out for in 2009.

And that's the attitude they all express, a willingness to be themselves and do what they want to do even if it fails.
 
Technology comes into play with the arsenal of new media weapons (Viral Video and Social Networking Sites), the rapid shift in how we receive and send information,  and mainstream media finally recognizing the potential of the Internet.

MTV reports that even though Kid Cudi, the last of the five, just recently got a computer, his hype came way of his friend and producer posting his songs on the Internet and the Internet did the rest.

"I think the biggest accomplishment so far with me is none of my — what they call — 'hype' is gimmicky or forced," he explained. "I didn't beat into the heads of people, like, 'Yo, you're going to listen to my music, and you're going to do this and you're going to do that.' I just kind of put them out and let them breathe."

This is the new "formula" of becoming a Hip Hop artist. The thing is not every artist or ever Hip Hop fan knows this or even understands how its possible. For these five artists to collectively be given such high media coverage from such humble yet tech savvy and sophisticated beginnings gives a lot of credibility to my prediction.

It takes the mystery out of the industry. You don't have to have loads of money or know people to get a chance anymore. You don't have to create gimmicks to sell and in the case of Wale, you don't even need an album anymore to get loads of press from big media outlets.

All you need is to be good at what you do, be determined and be yourself and everything will fall into place.

Just as things in any good art form ought to be.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

D-Pryde. Unsigned Artist of the Week


Our Unsigned Hype this week in the New Year is D-Pryde. Hailing from Ontario, Canada , this 15 year old rapper of Spanish and Filipino decent reps hard for his city and and even harder for his generation.

Not to be compared to former MCs under 18 like Bow Wow and Lil' Romeo, who are known more for their looks than their lyrics, he gives an amazing and witty lyrical performance in wide range of topics. His wit, humor and range also translate into music videos and comedic videos on his NHB Films Channel on Youtube.

My favorites from currently are "Still Fly" and "Heart of the City"