L O N G
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DOWN MUSIC SOUTHREVIEW FALL EDITION
--LEADERS OF THE
----NEW SCHOOL
EDITOR’S THOUGHTS Every issue of the Down South Music Review magazine we make the attempt to shine a spotlight on independent entertainers who call the Mid South home. I won’t bore you with names of legendary artist who hail from the Delta, but for the record, Grammy and Oscar Awards winners and members of every major music and entertainment halls of fame has members who feed off the Mississippi River. In the two years since we published the first issue, growth and buzz has never been so high. Technology has leveled the playing field and now more independent artist can have cds, website, music videos and travel the world as if they where on a major record label. The reality is its going to be on a smaller scale and all expenses come directly out the artist pocket. For those artist that are real about it, success waits on the other side of the road and for many the dream turned out not to be all it was cracked up to be; and as those artist fade away to a life of the normal 9-5 rat race, they make way for new generations to spring up like flowers. We feature on the cover four such flowers, all different and all unique. Thanks to GF Nash for taking the photos, he’s still one of the coldest at getting the right look on graphics. We also decided to do something different and make it a 2 part issue magazine. 30 days from the release of this issue we’ll drop the snippet issue the 2010 year end review where we’ll talk to Playboy Shane and review the 30 best cd releases of the year. We’ve added some other components to the rating scale so look out for that as well. We want to thank you the readers for your continued support we welcome more input from you hit us up on the email or face book @ face book.com/dsmr publisher. In 2011, look for us to cover more artist in Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana in our pages. We plan to also include more features from our readers as well as adding more style and fashion updates, R&B, jazz, blues and gospel to our pages making it a complete urban entertainment and music source. We’ll also be taking the show on the road so look for use to bring some of the artist to you, so you the fan can see what we see. I’ll always say long live southern music and I mean it.
CONTENTS
4
J Fuego
6
Leaders of the New School photos of the month
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9
aint it man
DOWN MUSIC SOUTHREVIEW Fall 2010
PUBLISHED BY
LNORM Entertainment Holding inc. EDITOR
LNORM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOS
GFNashvisual JT Smith of RTLD Media Rod D Don Key of Fresh Music Trapper the Rapper downsouthmusicreview@gmail.com www.myspace.com/downsouthmusicreview PO Box 45272, LR, AR 72214 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the staff or publisher of The Down South Music Review. The Down South Music Review makes no implied or expressed guarantee of accuracy in the information included in this publication. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.
JFuego At first glance JFuego doesn’t look like your normal rap artist. He’s stay fresh with his dress, his picture is not on the cover of Slammers every other month. His CD didn’t appear in the Sunday paper style section..not yet, at least. But to pop his CD “Rarzorwetback” in the deck and turn it up you would think that the artist behind the music has been in the game since the game was. Hailing from Tegucigalpa, Honduras in South America, Little Rock is where he calls home. Off Tha Ricta is the label and John Barrow is where Fuego bases his hustle from. In the lab he is putting together southern funk style hits but spitting flame not only in English but alos in Spanish, giving him crossover appeal unlike any other artist in the mid-south. In a recent interview JFuego talks about the plans he’s working on for 4 |
Down South Music Review
2011 and big things are the only objective. including expanding into management and bringing up more Latino artist in the ever growing hip-hop scene in Central Arkansas. A recent live performance at Cornerstone Pub introduced him to some and confirmed what many all ready Knew. At the time of the writing of this article Fuego was ranked #23 and rising on Reverbnation.com.
Upcoming
EVENTS Cornerstone Pub is always a good spot to find independent artist performing live. Tho'd studios along with the A-Team DJS and D-Mite sponsor a monthly Tho'd Thursdays as well at Downtown Music
Hall , RTLD Media have a independent night jumping off. Hot Springs is getting ready for Mr. Ricky Bobby BHamp, Rod D is always rocking Shreveport and Big Piph is putting the OD down. Southeast Arkansas all roads lead to Dumas in the next couple of months as GSBOYZ, Sir Charles, T-Scott and TOO SHORT will be making stop at Reunion Gardens on HWY 65, we'll be in the house at alot of them so be there.
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LEADERS OF THE
NEW SCHOOL Central Arkansas’ hip-hop scene is much like any other small market in America. It has its crowd favorites, its one hit wonders and its underachievers who fell by the wayside. Its a fact! What it does not have is millions of potential fans living and supporting the culture that the music glorifies or represents. Because of this Arkansas has yet to add a representative to the Global hip-hop registry. Its a known fact that you can find money, sex and crime in Cabot Arkansas just like you find it in Atlanta, Houston or New York City. The reality is that a successful local artist in Arkansas can expect to sell 3000-8000 cds with the right marketing campaign and good music. An artist with the same budget in NYC will sell 25,000 cds because of the population density. Its sounds messed up, I know, but it’s simply how it is. One difference though is a artist in NYC if he finds that type of success will then travel to NJ, Va and on down the East Coast looking for the same results. Once they’ve gotten to Florida if still successful we start to see them on TV, Videos and we start calling them mainstream. the road to success in the entertainment business is tough but if worked at can be very rewarding, Arkansas too has a new breed of artist ready to shed the borders of the A-state and give us someone to look for at the Grammy, MTV and BET awards. Featured on the cover this issue are four artist who without a record deal or management company, promoter or label behind them have emerged as the new waive of A-State favorites. In her own words Kisha B states, “Don’t let the good looks fool ya!” she can go bar for bar with any female lyricist in the mid south. If she looks familier she is...you’ve seen her twice on BET’s 106th and Park and she more than held her own getting great feedback from all over the nation. Kisha encourages any artist to attempt to get on the show, its the new Soul Train, and we all know you where a nobody back in the day until you got on Soul Train. In the studio working on a new album and prepairing for Killer stage show sky is the limit for Ms. B. The only thing that seperated Little Rock is the Arkansas River; on the Nawfside Big Drew is the King, 6 |
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the police departments don’t play(at all!) and Royal Club Ent’s Lil Mac the Pike Boy is the crowned Prince of the rap game. Mac Ta and King have put the leg work in and Pike Boys stock is rising like gas prices. Pike Boy has also participated on 106th and Park making him a fan favorite whenever he shows up for shows. His self titled album opens up the world of Lil Mac and with guest features from Arkansas legends 607, Playamone and Ball Jones its one of those cd’s you get and someone get s you for it and you end up buying again. Theres a saying that big things can come in little packages. Diamond rings, gunpowder and artist like NINE30. To listen to her music without seeing her you would think she would be a statusque diva able to stand tall with any average size man and command respect for her ability to stand eye to eye. Well ,standing tall is not something she can do, but when it comes to spitting lyrics she can more than hold her own. With a Eve or Nola type delivery as NINE works on her craft once she’s ready to make a push she will be heard. Now there are alot of artist making moves in the A. Vicious is pimpin, Tho’d studios is bring out Big P who will be noticed and Light Show Ent’s TJONES are all putting in work to bring the A States to the top of the charts. Not enough words can be said about the improvement in the quality of production in the mid south. As Arkansas artist continue to use the internet to put themselves out there and welcoming the oppurtunity to get out and stretch their legs its only a matter of time. Our final cover boy burst on the music scene a little over a year ago. He was on stage with the winner of the 1st Arkansas Artist Showcase RaH Howard as his hype man and after non- stop grinding and performing ,SW Boaz found himself on the stage again with the winner of the showcase for the second year in a row. This time he was the winner! SWLR is his stomping ground but Pulaski County is at his disposal. three things you can count on when Boaz hits the stage, 1) Boaz will be dressed in Jeans, an fitted and sneakers 2) their will be a few extra ladies at the show! and 3) Once he gets the mic in hand and the music starts he’s going to power up like Green Lantern and give 110% energy for the entire set. shaking hands, taking pictures and getting the crowd into what he’s doing. its this showmanship that gives him the edge to take the A to Anartica and make it hot. just like in nature we have four season that give everything the oppurtunity to be born to grow, shine and fade so someone else can get their turn, that statement my raise some question on who turn it is to be the fall and who is the spring...I’m just sayin...
Any one can go to a department store and pick out an outfit and consider it fresh. Now the've also got to consider that 1,000,000 people shop at that SAME department store and saw that SAME combination. When looking the SAME no longer fits your swagg....Sophisticated Urban.
Sophisticated Urban since '05 Located in the Galleria Shopping Center 9700 N. Rodney Parham Suite D, Little Rock, Arkansas 501.661.8280 8 |
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PHOTOS OF THE MONTH SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10
LA CHAT, CAT DADDY AND ROD D BIG DREW WITH FANS
TRAPPER THE RAPPER WITH PLAYA CIRCLE RICKY D, DEVIN THE DUDE AND C.BREEZE, BIG DREW
LNORM WITH THE COVER STARS JT AND KWESTION
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PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
MOTIF, DON KEY AND DJ FATALITY
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SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 9
ROD D AND FREEWAY RICK ROSS
THINGS Ain’t
that make you say…
it Man!
1
Welcome Home! Ice Smilez, Playamone, Rod T. and Spot!!! now get back to work!!!
2
Welcome back to Arkansas TI
3
I think its time for a Mid South Independent Tour!
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