CONCRETE Nashville 49 by CONCRETE Magazine

concrete615.com 6-8 ............................ Stalley 10 ..................... Block Beattaz 12 .......................J Dot Mason 14 ................... Music Reviews 18 ........... Nashville 10: April Daze 20 ............... Producer: Band Play 22 ......................... DJ KDSML 24 .. Tattoo Profile: Elisheba Israel 26 .............Skater: Levi Franklin 28 ............Graffiti Profile: Panda Published by: CONCRETE Marketing Ad Executives: Bryan Deese, Capo Art Director: Rex2-tm Cover/Stalley Photography: Kyle Dean Reinford Nash 10 Photography: Tavell Brown Photography: Tavell Brown

CONCRETE Magazine twitter - @CONCRETE615 concretebryan@gmail.com © CONCRETE Magazine 2012

Photo by: Kyle Dean Reinford courtesy Warner Music

It was a banner year (2012) for Stalley. The Ohio native earned plenty of buckeye stickers for his helmet. He joined his MMG label mates and showed out on Self Made Vol. 2. His mixtape Savage Journey to the American Dream grew his fan base and garnered critical acclaim. He teamed with Kendrick Lamar and rocked shows across the country on BETs Music Matters Tour. Now he’s taking some time at his home base in New York to reflect, recharge and record. The new year will bring new music. Maybe a mixtape first, but a solo, major label (Warner Music) album is coming in 2013. And his thirsty fans can’t get new music soon enough ... Stalley’s got the juice. CONCRETE: Is there a set date or title for your album? Stalley: There’s neither one. There’s not a date or a title. I’m just working on music before, during and now after the tour. I’ve been in the studio for the last couple of weeks. Every time that I don’t have any shows or any type of performances or guest appearances or anything like that, I’m in the studio working. That’s the main focus right now. But it’s looking like it could be an April or May release. CONCRETE: The Block Beattaz production team from Huntsville did most of the production of Savage Journey to the American Dream. How did you link up with them? Stalley: They spent all summer with me working on my album in New York. That was one thing. But I started working with them because G-Side (rap group) had reached out to me about doing a record on their mixtape (iSLAND) which ended up being the “Gettin It” record. They were fans (of me) and I’m a fan (of them). They wanted me not only to do the song, but to come down there with them and be in their environment. So I flew down to Huntsville and spent three days down there with them just recording. We came up with that record there. The chemistry was there. The Block Beattaz were there. They have this compound they was working in that had like six different studios and seven different producers. They were taking me from room to room listening to beats, and I was just picking them from everyone that I liked. I had the beats for a while. I’m weird when it comes to selecting production for my projects. One day I was just sitting around like, ‘Man I’m about to start working on some new music.’ I opened up the computer and I have all of these different producers in different folders, and their name being Block Beattaz it came up first cause (the list of producers) was in alphabetical order. So I just started listening to them, because I hadn’t continued on pg 8

Photo by: Kyle Dean Reinford courtesy Warner Music

really listened to them when I first got them. They just spoke to me, every track. I didn’t even have to skip. It was just going down to the next track. I was like, ‘Man I’m about to just do the whole project with them.’ It ended up being that they have done the majority of the project. I think I have 14 tracks and they did 10 of the 14. CONCRETE: So the Block Beattaz will have placement on your album? Stalley: Oh yeah, definitely. I got some joints that’s undeniable with them. I got a lot of music. I know my fans are always asking me when I’m going to put out another mixtape or when I’m going to put out things. They’re going to be happy when I do start putting out music. I got tons and tons of music. CONCRETE: The LA based artist Patrick Martinez did the cover art for Savage Journey to the American Dream. How did you two link? Stalley: I was a fan, and I reached out. I’m a fan of all art, music, visual. I’m a big fan of fashion. Those things I try to always incorporate into my music and what I do. Whether it be visually or musically. Just being that I was a big fan of his and a fan of Known Gallery which he works out of in LA. I just reached out like it would be dope if he could be part of it. He didn’t really know much about me at the time as far as the music goes. He took some time to research me, and he ended up being a big fan. He was like, “I’m definitely down to help you out and work with you on this process.” That’s how that really came about. You know just like the Block Beattaz and myself, my homie Rashad who did the whole Lincoln Way Nights, Intelligent Trunk Music and Patrick Martinez, guys like this, I think we all come from a similar background and have a similar story. With our art we have a vision and idea of what we want to come across in our art. I think that’s why it relates and connects so well, and it meshes so well. CONCRETE: You were manager of the influential street wear store ALife in New York. What years did you work there? What was it like? Stalley: It was maybe 2007-2009. They were someone who reached out to me. Being in that scene and part of the culture of street wear and just bouncing around New York City and meeting everybody. I used to just go in the stores. And once you become one of those “regulars” who come in the stores from buying things, you get to start having conversations and hanging out with certain people. They liked me I guess, and one day I just got a call out of the blue from them. I was working at another job, and it was weird because I had a friend who worked at A-Life. The job I was working at was going out of business at the time. My friend called me on the same day as my last at that job. He was like, “Yo, you want to work at A-Life? These guys really want you to be a part of the team. They love your vision. They love your style.” I thought it was crazy because I was just about to leave the other job. I went in there a day later and had an interview and got hired. I was there for a year and a half, maybe two years. Full interview at: CONCRETE615.com

CONCRETE: Can you give us a history of the Block Beattaz? CP: Back in 1999 I started doing production out of the house. When I finally set up a physical studio in 2001 I met Mali Boi through another artist. He came through, he started asking “Let me try it” and he has been doing it for the past 12 years. Over time as we grew, the demand for our music increased, we brought in more producers. Me and Cees were actually friends, from playing ball through high school. He started doing music and I heard the progression and brought him on. The other guys, over time, I thought they had a similar style and wanted to give them what I had and put them on. CONCRETE: What is Block Beattaz’s affiliation with the record label Slow Motion Sounds? CP: I’m actually president of Slow Motion Sounds, and we are a distribution company for all the independent artists, it started with Huntsville (artists) but has moved into national. The Block Beattaz were the in house production team for Slow Motion Sounds, so that’s why you may hear a lot of Slow Motion artist over Block Beattaz production. CONCRETE: How did you get connected with him? CP:: We were actually fans of Stalley first and foremost. The guy that was handling my PR had a personal friendship with Stalley, and he told him that we were fans. They called him, he agreed to do it, we flew him down, did the verses for us. Before he left, at that time we had a facility with 6 studios. I had one, Mali had one, Cees had one, Bossman had one, and he went from studio to studio getting beats. When he left, he left with like 50 or 60 beats. When he called again he had 2 mixtapes ready and he wanted to do both of them with us. That’s what we did, and that’s how the story began. CONCRETE: Stalley had you guys in New York for a good chunk of the summer working on his debut album. What can you tell us about that experience?

CP: First of all I would say in my opinion, Warner was really behind Stalley and supported his vision, because the way we recorded the album people don’t really do it like that any more. He had a house and we all lived together. Imagine DJ Quik, he’s cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was that type of situation. Pete Rock came through for a few days. Lupe’s producer SideTrack was there for the whole 3 months. One of No I.D.’s engineers was there for the whole 3 months. With that many people there just rockin’ the music can’t not be great. Stalley might wake up at 2 a.m. and wake us up like “I got it. Lets go!” I wish they still made music like that. It was a great experience to be our first experience like that. It was in upstate New York in the Hudson valley. It was owned by a playwright who won a Grammy and had 7 Toneys. It was a great studio. His name was Duncan Sheik. Everyone had a studio in their room and would make beats in their room and bring them to the main studio. CONCRETE: And you did that for 3 months? CP: 3 months night and day. June, July, and August. The first few days we were just trying to feel each other out. Nobody had egos. Especially DJ Quik, hats off to him, he is a true professional, he is great at what he does, very humble, and a genius. He knows music, he is probably one of the most humble people you will ever meet. CONCRETE: How many songs did you complete? CP: About 20. I think he recorded 40 songs total. CONCRETE: The Maybach Family and Curren$y wer on the project, a lot of big names. What has the response been from that project? Has that brought a whole new group of outsiders away from the south calling you for production? CP: I think of course with all of them being excited about the production, it opened a ton of doors; from Rick Ross to R&B singer Anthony Fumea (CHECK), to Skrillex artist Birdy Nam Nam, it’s been all across the board. Recently we have been picking up a lot of electronic music requests, a lot of remixes for the pop and electronic artists. It’s been an easy transition, I think our music fits that. We’re able to do it and still be cool and comfortable with that. It opened a lot of doors, a lot of interesting doors to say the least.

CONCRETE: Where are you from originally? J Dot Mason: I’m from Clarksville originally, right down the road, but I stay in Nashville. CONCRETE: When did you start working on projects and recording? J Dot Mason: It was around 2008 I started doing a project with a mutual friend I met through high school. Things happened, and he ended up passing away, so I put everything on the back burner. I put everything away, but in 2010 I ran into a producer friend of mine who threw me some beats and I got to writing. My album was Time Machine Music, which I put out last year. CONCRETE: Has the new project dropped yet? J Dot Mason: A week ago I dropped a project, Just in Time. CONCRETE: Can you tell us about Just in Time? J Dot Mason: Really it was just accumulating the past year, different beats, different thoughts. I have been networking a lot since I moved to Nashville, meeting different artists, producers, blogs, people in the music business just to get relationships built. I went down to the SEAs and the conference really helped build my relations. I got to link up with a few different people. I recorded the album at Ducko McFli’s house and got a few different features on there from people I met over the past year. I like how it has come out with really good music. CONCRETE: Who did the production on Just in Time? J Dot Mason: I got a group of guys on there from Jacksonville, Florida, and a couple from out in Antioch who go by Speaking to Existence. They got about 3 or 4 tracks on there. I produced one. I also had Bill Breeze produce one. I don’t want to leave anybody out, but that’s all I can think of right now. CONCRETE: Do you have any videos? What are the songs you are going to push? J Dot Mason: For the past couple of months when I was putting it together, I decided the song I’m going to push is one called “Open Letters” I got featuring Young Quell that I produced that has a little Sierra loop that is smooth. Using that beat, I actually had it for awhile and was supposed to sell it, but they ended up not getting it and I had it in the stockpile and used it. I got a good reception from it and decided to push it, so were going to make a video coming up. CONCRETE: Any last words or shout outs? J Dot Mason: I want to shout out Ducko and the whole P.U.S.H. crew, F.U., Petti, and all them, Flyer Learning, Kaby, I got a couple songs coming out with Drupee McFli that I want to push. Sometimes with the cliques here, it’s kind of hard to get in being from out of town, but everyone has been really cool to me and I just want to say thanks.

Starlito - Funerals & Court Dates

Lito never left, so we’re back reviewing his new project. Funerals and Court Dates dropped on his birthday (Dec 15). He’s become on of the best story telling rappers in the game. While an occasional brag is there, these songs are movies, every line a picture. His bars paint vivid scenes. His delivery varies from relaxed/baked on “Coke Can Music” and “Grew Up So Fast” featuring Young Dolph to wide awake and fast on “Golden Girls & Grahams” where he spits on top of Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything”. He jacks other beats from Lupe Fiasco/ Soundtrakk, Chief Keef/Young Chop, but much of the production is from Houston’s Cy Fyre who did 4 of the tracks. Lito is carrying that Nashville torch high!

The Kickdrums X Dee Goodz - The Higher EP

Dee Goodz continues to make moves, teaming with top producers who are pushing the envelope and constantly experimenting. On his new, 9 song The Higher EP he teams with Brooklyn based producer/singer Alex Fitts of The Kick Drums with co-production from Tilla, Trouble Andrew, Sza, and Anna Yvette. Fitts sings many of the hooks with a haunting, indie rock (almost/maybe emo) delivery. This project bends multiple genres into one melodic, trippy sound. It’s apparent from the first high pitched tone on “Go” that this ride is more mushrooms than molly. Dee fits nicely on the tracks pulling back some of his harder delivery for a smooth, laid back flow. Definitely a departure from his previous work, Dee shows his ability to adapt his sound while staying true to it. Just add this to his already impressive resume.

$$G EDDYNIZ - One Eight Seven

SSG EDDYNIZ introduces his self to the Nashville music scene with his One Eight Seven - Every Beat Murdered Murdered.. He delivers raw street but very witty lyrics over some familiar industry beats. The cd ﬂows well and the classic movie clips sampled between songs helps paint a movie like feel. Salute to EDDYNIZ for a creative intro.

J Dot Mason - Just In Time

J Dot Mason delivers us his newest project titled Just In Time. Soulful production under a laid back melodic ﬂow ﬁlls the majority of this 12 song project. In the song “A Problem” he lets the game know, don’t be fooled by the laid back style he will red dot that ass. But he follows up with feel good tracks like “Beautiful Creation” and “T.A.G.” Young Quael drops in and does his thing on “Open Letters”. Over all a dope project worth rollin’ up and checking out.

Coop - Produced by Coop: The Starlito Tape

Flat out, Coop (Take off on ‘em) is one of Nashville’s top producers. His new project is half a “greatest hits” that he produced for Starlito. The other half are new bangers with Lito. Some of the new music is, “Shout Ur Name,” “Magic And Bird” featuring Don Trip, “Right Now” and “Drunkin” (parts 1 and 2). Lito is going as hard as ever. He and Coop have a chemistry built from years of crafting songs together. Some classics you may recognize include “Grind Hard for the Money” (2008), “Ridin Gettin Blunted” (2009) and “Thinking Of U” (2011). Also included is “If I Have To” a Young Buck track featuring Lito from 2009 which originally made headlines for a line about Eminem (that was taken as a diss, but was not) and has been removed from this version. This piece connects the dots for Lito’s fans about exactly who Coop is in Star’s long list of projects.

Photo by: Tavell Brown - Brown-Photography.net | Make-up by: Sherry “FancyFace” Waller

CONCRETE: Where are you from? Band Play: I’m from Columbia, Tenn. CONCRETE: How long have you been producing and how did you get your start? Band Play: I been producing since I was 14 under the wing of my older brother, Chris King. And from there i just took ﬂight. CONCRETE: Where did you get the name Band Play from? Band Play: I got the name from my sound. I arrange my music in harmonies just like a Band. CONCRETE: How do you describe your production? How do you approach making a beat? Band Play: I have a big sound. Normally I’ll play around with a couple of sounds until I get a loop or some type of riff, and everything else falls into place. CONCRETE: So you recently landed placement with French Montana, How did that come about? Band Play: Through out the entire year I’ve been sending out tracks to different A&Rs, one in particular to Grand Hustle’s Bruce “Jagger” Billingly. I made the track back in April of this year and sent it to him and he in turn shot it to French and hell I found out myself Thanksgiving morning when it was all over the Internet. CONCRETE: Any other placement in the near future we should be looking out for? Band Play: Since the joint with French dropped I been contacted by several other highly ranked A&Rs. Things are in the works... All I can say is be on the look out for #lettheBANDPLAY. CONCRETE: What do you use to make beats? Band Play: Currently i use Protools, Reason, and FL Studio. CONCRETE: Do you have any advice for a young producer trying to get placement on big projects? Band Play: The advice I have is just keep making beats and stay consistent as far as your work ethic and networking. CONCRETE: Do you have any shout outs? Band Play: Shout out the whole Squad #BANDPLAY, HooleGunz, GreenLight Gang, TroubleMakaz, Haylo Ent, Proliﬁc Music Group, Moss Da Beast, Gangsta Alliance, Bizzness in da Fast lane. And my Mother whom I love to the all of me.

CONCRETE: You are doing a monthly called Kidsmeal Review. What is it and what goes into the planning? KidsMeal: I guess it started as the homies that are all doing similar stuff, we thought it would be appropriate to do a show that I am a part of. To give a voice to the culture I have been cultivating. It started as a local thing, and is all about what I am trying to do with music and DJing. It is primarily EDM but we have hip hop artists associated with it. It has expanded to Nashville, Atlanta, Florida, Colorado. CONCRETE: You are doing a new type of EDM called “trap”. Can break down what EDM trap music is? KidsMeal: There are common components that make it trap. Its influenced by the early gangster rap music in the South, “hood” music. It has the same tempo as dubstep, so it lined up there. A lot of people don’t see that dubstep evolved into trap because it’s a similar tempo and fast hi-hats. A lot of 808s used, always the fast percussion and hi-hats that make it exciting. Typically between 70 and 80 BPM. That’s the thing about trap, it goes in all kinds of different directions. Its influenced by southern hip hop. CONCRETE: For trap then is it not as defined a drum pattern and more defined by the sounds? KidsMeal: There are definite patterns that make it trap; triplets on the fill, kick drums. As opposed to dubstep being a swing fill, it’s a straight feel, it’s not swung. I guess it can be, but usually it is more hip hop influenced. It’s a rap beat with electrionic sounds. Everything is boosted to a higher degree where snares and hihats and kick drums are kicked up to a higher degree where you can really hear them. Rap trap compared to EDM trap is more boosted, where the bass is the feature. Vocal hits involve samples of Gucci Mane and T.I., the original trap. CONCRETE: You have done a mixtape series that has gotten a good response nation wide, and you have really embraced the trap movement. What is the mixtape series about? KidsMeal: It’s called TrapJaw TrapJaw, and it’s a reference to He-Man. There is a character called TrapJaw TrapJaw, and I am big on 80s cartoons and comics. I thought it was cool nobody thought about this rising trend, not because I jumped on the trend, but because I was making it happen for a long time. I have been into dirty south hip-hop for a long time. It’s a lot more minimal than dubstep, so it is more conducive to scratching. Tons of new producers came out of the woodwork in 2012. People making good solid tracks, a good solid energy; hip-hop energy and EDM energy. I started out on hip-hop and felt all these tracks needed to be put together in a way that makes sense.

CONCRETE: Before tattoos, how did you get into art? Elisheba Israel: I have been doing art since I came out the womb, my kindergarten teacher said I had artistic talent. I started taking extra classes in kindergarten. I have been doing it ever since. I started selling my art in the 5th grade, and I was doing full time art with no other job for the past 6 or 7 years. I graduated from the Memphis College Of Art, moved here in 2007, and started a tattoo shop about a year and a half ago. CONCRETE: What makes your shop (One Drop Ink) unique? Elisheba Israel: One Drop Ink is the premiere place for anybody of any skin color to get tattooed. We don’t have the same ideas as other shops. We don’t come in with the same basic tattoos as other shops. We give each person a unique tattoo. We don’t repeat the same work twice. Your skin tone; you are going to get the brightest color. We don’t turn you away because we think you are too dark. We have had so many people say that other shops told them they wont do this or that. We give the same quality tattoo that you could get at any other place, and we work with you as far as price. My art studio is in there, I produce my canvasses in there which I also sell out of the shop. CONCRETE: What is your favorite type/style of tattoo to do? Elisheba Israel: Painting. It’s a painting style, it’s my own unique thing. I really like to do every style, but it always comes out as my flair, which is like my paintings and my artwork. It’s not something I see with other styles. I do portraitures, I do graffiti, I have done this, that and the other, but it always has my take on it in the end. Just my overall layout, design, and color theory, it comes out like a painting because I am an artist first. Then tattoo is just a tool, a paintbrush I use to make my art. My specific style, I have been asked to pinpoint it, and I don’t know. They will come in with a traditional and I will add something and make it my own. CONCRETE: Any last words or shout outs? Elisheba Israel: I want to give a shout out to Denise, Kyle, Ol Skool, all those people who helped me, all the Crutchers who helped me get my shop so I could get my license, who saw that I do what I say that I am going to do. Tell people don’t give up. Nobody is going to give you a free pass. If you aren’t willing to work and you didn’t pay your dues before hand, you can’t talk about you’re “the shit” and this and that if you haven’t did shit.

Photo by Spencer Peters

CONCRETE: Where are you from? Levi: Right here in Gallatin, Tennessee. CONCRETE: How old are you? Levi: I’m 21. CONCRETE: Do you skate goofy or regular? Levi: Regular. CONCRETE: What size board do you ride? Levi: 8”. CONCRETE: Who do you ride for? Levi: Notorious Skateshop in Gallatin, Tennessee. CONCRETE: How long have you been skating? Levi: I’ve been skating right about 6 years. I started when I was around 15. CONCRETE: What tricks do you have on lock? Levi: I love my tre-ﬂips, everyday. Front blunts are cool. Back tails are always cool. CONCRETE: What’s your favorite type of stuff to skate? Levi: I almost don’t want to answer that, because I like to skate everything, but, transition, I like transition. CONCRETE: Have you entered and placed in any contests? Levi: Too many in Gallatin. I went to Alabama, back when Imperial was still in existence, and won a competition at Insanity Skate Park in Huntsville. I’ve actually won 2 competitions there. I’ve done a few contests around Nashville. I need to skate more of them. CONCRETE: You have a board company Tiki. Can you tell us about Tiki? Levi: Well the skateboard side, I do nothing but skateboard. But Tiki as in design, I’m also an artist. I always have been. I love designs. So Tiki is a way for me to put my skating and art together and make some pretty cool boards and designs. Right now I don’t have as much time as I wish to focus on it, but it’s moving along. I’m on my second graphic. I’ve been doing it about a year. I’m still kind of new to it, but I’m excited about it.

CONCRETE: What do you enjoy about graffiti? Panda: The main thing I enjoy about graf is the fact that it is present. Graffiti, for the most part, has no material reward or benefit, which is why most people don’t understand it. It’s one of the most expressive things in my life because there is never any pressure to do something, I only do it because I want to. The fact that I know it will never make me money or bring attention to myself keeps it pure. It is just there for anyone to look at and take whatever they want from it. I’ve always been more about the spot because I like knowing hundreds of people see it. I’m definitely attracted to the hype and adrenaline that comes with painting. I wish Nashville was still pushing graffiti as hard as it was 5 or 10 years 28 ago, but there’s some new guys coming up that are looking real good. So thanks for having me.