Mixtapes
SPORTS Nite-Life
Behind the Artist
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
Strict9 Rap Sheets
CHETMEGA K-SPARKS + More
TAKASKI MURAKIMI Contemporary to Commerce 1
REAL Independent Hip Hop
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CONTENTS |
RAP SHEETS FEature
interviews
S.O.N 18 K SPARKS
Strict9 SIMMY 30
4 ROSANO 20 CHETMEGA 40
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook Twitter
hiphoprapsheet.com
Redshaydez 14 Gritty Boi 52
PUBLISHING: EDITOR IN CHIEF Monique Walker CREATIVE EDITOR Chien Chu GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carrot Rope
SPORTS
50
EDITORIAL: WRITERS Shawn Budd Luke Hegarty Mon’arq Jennifer Budd
YOUNG
EMERGING TALENT
Majikhoney 32
MIXTAPES
BEHIND
THE ARTist
davie darko 36
DJ MR PHANTASTIK 56
JAMSTERDAM 60
HIP HOP LEGENDS
BIG L 16
+MORE
dance sartsnite-life sCHECK IT OUT
HHRS DEPARTMENTS: ADVERTISING Chris Tong advertising@hiphoprapsheet.com MARKETING & PUBLICITY Monique Walker publicity@hiphoprapsheet.com MUSIC & MEDIA SUBMISSIONS submissions@hiphoprapsheet.com
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K SPARKS FEATURE INTERVIEW
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Feature Interview |
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Kď ł S P A R K hiphoprapsheet.com
Name: K SPARKS Status: CEO/Recording Artist Region: Queens, New York Who is K Sparks? An eclectic musician that does various forms of hip hop from underground and mainstream, to jazz hip hop, trip hop etc. What music are you listening to at the moment? My iPod has a lot of various artist such as Esthero; Dwele, Robert Glasper, Tonex, Jill Scott, A Tribe Called Quest, Ras Kass, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Jay Z, Norah Jones, Lecrae, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson etc. My musical taste is broad. I prefer to listen to various musical styles because that is what helps motivate me musically. Your mother recently lost her battle with breast cancer... How did that affect you personally and your music? It impacted me a lot! It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. My mother was essentially the glue that kept everyone together, it was extremely challenging. She started losing a lot of weight and it was apparent that things were not getting better. However, we have a strong faith system and belief in God, we chose to remain optimistic despite the obvious physical changes. In the end ultimately God chose to bring her home, she beat cancer. Cancer can no longer cause her pain.
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My mother was a fighter, she taught me to keep going no matter what. We all face challenges and obstacles, but despite anything we have to keep pushing. It also showed me how bad cancer is. Prior to my mother passing December 2013, I had never known anyone that passed from breast cancer. I heard stories, but to witness it first hand was terrible. It showed me that there is a serious problem in our society, because everything is based around money. Certainly a cure for cancer was developed a long time ago, but the developers of those cures never receive financial backing or support, why? Because cancer is big business. The money is in the sickness, not in the cure. When someone gets sick with cancer everyone gets paid. The doctors; surgeons, the people that make chemotherapy, the people that make the radiation machines, etc. If someone gets cured of cancer, that’s one less person they can charge to get all that nonsense done to them. As a result, they aren’t attempting to actually fix the problem. Have you noticed many changes in the music industry over the years? I’ve noticed that things are way more digital now, which is positive. When I first started doing music years ago, things were all about the physical market. Therefore everything we did was based upon mixtapes and getting product out to stores that would sell our product. Nowadays, all you have to do is send an e-mail and your content can be heard across the globe. It’s positive and negative. It provides talented individuals with an outlet to be heard, on the flipside it gives a voice to terrible artist as well.
“I honestly wanted everyone to win, but it came back to bite me.”
Can you tell us about why you moved away from your previous record label, moving onto HTNC? I moved on for two reasons. For starters, Double Up Entertainment was an imprint I created to provide people I believed in with a platform to be heard. I honestly wanted everyone to win, but it came back to bite me. I constantly provided artists and producers with an outlet to be heard and in return most of them consistently proved to be inconsistent. I would book studio sessions weeks in advance, and artist wouldn’t show. I spent thousands out of pocket promoting and pushing people on my own projects and in return for years, none of the artist put out any albums except for two artist. Essentially my time and money was being wasted. What’s the sense of putting an artist on a song that gets played on Hot 97 if they don’t want to do music. I had to come to the realization that I was carrying way too many people that had absolutely nothing going on outside of me asking them to do a feature, or give me a beat. The second reason was envy, which I experienced last year during the time my mother’s cancer went into stage 4. I was dealing with a lot and was attempting my best to hold it all together, one of the artist showed me their true colours, yet still knowing all the stuff I was going through on a personal level. So not only did I have to
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K Sparks Self Portrait
deal with the fact that my mother was dying, I also had to deal with an artist that I essentially spent years pouring time, money and energy into trying to promote every chance I got. It was the ultimate slap in the face that someone would even question my integrity or business practice after years of me showing nothing but genuine support for them. What it boiled down to is that I was winning and people took notice. But let’s be clear...I own a large property, my own recording studio, and two cars in my drive way because I grind like no other. People started acting stand offish, but yet on the other hand they weren’t willing to put in the kinda work needed to obtain the lifestyle I have. At that point I severed ties. I went from a squad of 12 people down to a team of four. I had to stop turning a blind eye to people’s lack of follow through and inconsistencies. I still speak with some of my old label mates and we are civil on a social level, aside from that, I’ve moved on.
What is the meaning behind HTNC? HTNC is an abbreviation for Humble’s The New Cocky. It consist of myself, my producer Kurser, my brother Nation, and my engineer Big Drew. Everyone plays their role and handles business to ensure we get things done effectively.
“Let’s be clear...I own a large property, my own recording studio, and two cars in my drive way because I grind like no other.” 9
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Autumn Blues
Vintage Art is going to be a classic! It’s entirely produced by my producer Kurser. We met on Myspace in 2007 and have been working together ever since. It’s deeper than music with me and Kurser, he’s truly one of my good friends. Hands down he’s my favorite producer, and his styles are just as eclectic as my lyrics are. Kurser actually produces records, everything sounds full and nothing is boring. We compliment each other and he works just as fast and efficient as me. Vintage Art will be the first to drop.
You have three projects using three different producers. Vintage Art (Prod: Kurser), Levels (Prod: Fero Navi), Blind Ambition (Prod: MDAK), all due for release this year. Can you tell us about your three upcoming projects? How you came to work with three producers for each project?
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Feature Interview |
Levels is the tentative name I created for the project with Fero Navi, more than likely that won’t be the title, either way it’s going to be dope as well. Fero Navi will handle all the production on that one and he has some killer beats. Me and Navi linked up in 2007 as well. When I released my project The Future Problem Volume 3 he handled the majority of the production. Blind Ambition is going to be a five song EP with MDAK handling all of the production. He’s a dope young producer on the comeup in Germany. Also, I have a fourth EP lined up with another dope producer named Jay Alpha, we’re going to do a jazz hip hop project entitled The Blue Tape 2. Since the passing of my mother I have a lot to say, time to work. What were you looking for in each individual producer to bring to your projects that was different? Kurser will bring an eclectic sound. He does it all, commercial, jazz, mainstream, etc. Fero Navi brings more of a gritty hip hop feel but still fresh. MDAK has a more melodic feel. Jay Alpha will bring that soulful vintage hip hop sound. How do you manage spreading your time across a hectic music schedule and personal life? I still don’t know (laughs). Everyday when I wake up I say a prayer and hit the ground running. It’s hard to juggle everything I have going on, it can be done and I know because I do it everyday. 11
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How do you feel Self Portrait stands up to your previous body of work? Self Portrait is the best album I ever did. I say that because content wise it’s on another level. I’m challenging people on every way to think. Regardless of the topic, I challenged people on everything from religion, politics, race, sexuality, etc. In addition Kurser killed it. Sonically that album is flawless. I gave Kurser the songs and he took them to a higher level. He’s a genius. Do you feel the importance as an independent to cross over to the mainstream to be a successful artist? Not at all. Staying independent is fine. I wouldn’t change anything about my situation. God is good!
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How did you manage to make a living out of music without being signed to a major label? My parents always taught me the basic premise of business. I understood if you don’t handle your business nothing else matters. I’ve released over 25 projects and I retain all the copyrights to all of my music. I also retain the rights to all of my publishing. Remaining independent allows me to remain in control, thus creating more revenue. I’ve dealt with Universal Records, Sony, and other labels in the past and I understood that ownership is key. Therefore I remained independent and created an infrastructure that continues to progress. I noticed you are ranked in the Top 50 freestylers on Spittin in Da Whip. Have you always been a strong freestyler? Definitely! I started out freestyling in cyphers growing up in Queens New York. Freestyling was always something I loved to do. Nowadays I still do it here and there to keep my mental sharp.
Official Website
K Sparks shout outs: Shout out to my HTNC team, Kurser, Nation, Drew, Reicha, and all of my supporters. Bless!
I noticed some of your tracks have an underlying jazz theme...What is your connection to jazz music? My father was a jazz player, I grew up listening to jazz all the time. Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, that’s real music. What’s next for K Sparks? Four albums slated for this year and music videos. In addition to that, myself and Kurser have music placements on the horizon with Fortune 500 companies. I also have a movie coming out this year that I previously worked on.
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RED SHAYDEZ Status: Emcee/ Songwriter/Aspiring Director/Editor Region: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Red Shaydez’ shout outs:
God, my mom, dad, grandma’s, all my cousins. My beau, my riders, Stephanie Milllions, Da Button Pusha, and everyone who supports Red Shaydez! hiphoprapsheet.com
Strict9 |
How would you best describe your sound? Red Shaydez: I would best describe my sound as a nostalgic storytelling flow mixed with new school flavour. What is Boston’s hip hop Scene like? Red Shaydez: There are many underground rappers in Boston. There are tons of videographers, promoters, fashion designers, and other people involved in the culture. There is a radio station called WERS 88.9FM that supports local artists and play their music and even give them on-air interviews. There are also a few venues that allow underground artists to showcase their talent. Your father, a former rapper in Killin’ Field. What was it like growing up with your his music career? Red Shaydez: It was fun to witness. Constantly traveling with him to the studio and around the neighbourhood while he was promoting, really influenced me to become an artist. Sometimes, around the house, I would catch him writing his lyrics and saw how dedicated he was about his craft. That really made me want to pursue a career in hip hop as well.
Have you done any collabs with your father? Red Shaydez: Yes, I have actually. Sometimes he even does background vocals on some of my tracks. We’re a great team. There will definitely be more collaborations in the future. On completion of your study of film directing and editing. What are your plans... will you be fusing film with your music? Red Shaydez: I am a part of this organization called SMPTE, which is the Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers and I hope to use this opportunity as a gateway to introduce me to high position within the film industry. I will be going on an internship very soon, hopefully I will be doing a lot of hands-on work on set. I already fuse film with my music, I edit and direct my own videos. I also plan to place my music in feature length films in the future. What projects are you currently working on? Red Shaydez: I am currently shooting a music video for Keep It Movin’ Movin’. I plan to shoot a video for Bad Newz as well. Both of these singles can be found on iTunes and on RedShaydez.com in the music section.
What’s your favourite track at the moment, by a known or unknown artist? Red Shaydez: Probably the song Never Never by Wale. I listen to a lot of indie artists and R&B/soul. But I would say it’s a toss up between Wale and 3D Natee’s Role Play as far as rap goes. Are there any causes/benefits within the community that you would like to raise awareness to? Red Shaydez: Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) is an initiative designed to make healthy living easier by promoting environmental changes at the local level. Through funding awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010, a total of 50 communities are working to prevent obesity and tobacco use, the two leading preventable causes of death and disability. What can we expect to see from Red Shaydez in future? Red Shaydez: A whole lot more videos, performances, films, etc! More surprises! The hard work never ends!
Red Shaydez links: Facebook Twitter Official website
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Hip Hop Legends |
Big L Harlem’s Finest
The first time I heard Big L (born Lamont Coleman) was 19 years ago in a Hong Kong hotel room of all places. I had what alcoholics refer to as a ‘moment of clarity’ when my older brother returned to our hotel room in Kowloon with a crateful of albums he’d just purchased and blasted me with Put It On the first track of Big L’s debut solo album, Lifestyles Ov Da Poor and Dangerous. That shit hit me like a freight train!
Up until that point in my life all I’d really heard in terms of hip hop was this bullshit chart ‘rap’ and perhaps some heavy gangsta rap which didn’t get my dick hard, I had never really given hip hop a chance up until that moment. Hearing Big L was like my baptism, so to speak, into the five elements of hip hop life. I listened to the entire album and then played it again back to back. L’s entire discography lives on my mp3 to this day…
Luke’s Selection
1.
Big L’s compounding flow was nothing like anything I’d ever heard. It blew me away! I got into it hard and after almost no time at all I was listening to Lord Finesse and Diggin’ in the Crates and anything that was associated with that kind of emceeing. hiphoprapsheet.com
93 'til Infinity
2.
Souls of Mischief
The Pharcyde Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
3. Ol' Dirty Bastard
Return to the 36 Chambers
4. Lord Finesse
Funky Technician
5. Main Source
Breaking Atoms
Big L’s unique voice and flow combined with his use of smooth bass lines and funky beats got me hooked. I’m a musician! Well…I’m a drummer, musically I was in awe at how well produced this shit was with such a silky balance between its elements and how it so perfectly complimented L’s vocal style. M.F. DiBella of AllMusic summed up L’s lyrical genius better than anyone, certainly better than I can, when she wrote: “Coleman was a master of the lyrical stickup, undressing his competition with kinetic metaphors and a brash comedic repertoire”. She went on to say "the Harlem MC was a master of the punch line and a vicious storyteller with a razor bladeunder-the-tongue flow." Like so many people, I was devastated when L was gunned down in ’99. I only wish he were with us so he could have laid down more than two albums and I could see him live and experience, again, what I experienced all those years ago in a Hong Kong hotel room being in the presence of a god damn legend.
Put it On Big L
R.I P. Lamont Coleman, 1974-1999 “If rap were a game you’d be MVP.” Luke Hegarty
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Rap Sheet |
Artist Dossier RAP SHEET - S.O.N. Name: S.O.N. aka MR. SHINING OV ER NEGATIVITY Status: International Emcee, Radio Personality/Videographer/Creator of S.O.N. Clothing/Commercial Mo del Region: Baltimore, Maryland United States
SnapShot: Quality is never an acciden t; it is the combination of good intentio ns, exceptional effort, intelligent directio n and skillful execution, all of which S.O.N. consistently achieves and delivers in his music. S.O.N., which stands for, Shi ning Over Negativity, is an extraordinary talent with an impressive catalogu e. The same year S.O.N. began rappin g, he would join the Air Force. Unable to focus entirely on his music, S.O.N. put his music on hold for a few years. In 200 4, and while in Japan, S.O.N. once aga in dived into his music; he channeled his energy into perfecting his sound, and honing his craft. S.O.N. completed his first project that same year; This Is Not A Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Demo. After this debut release, S.O .N. S.O.N., born Tavon Dyer began rap ping at remained diligent in pursuing his career the age of 17. Growing up in Baltim in music. The following year, while ore still in was difficult for S.O.N.; he experie Jap an, S.O.N. released his second pro nced ject, many obstacles and had few role mo dels. FaceMusic. While continuing to perfect His father was a drug addict and was his craft, and a few years later, S.O .N. absent for most of his upbringing. released, Harm City. These project s would S.O.N.’s mother; an Evangelist, trie help set the tone for his fourth pro d her ject, best to keep the family together, but his first full length album as a solo artist faced challenges taking care of him released in 2011, HisStory. S.O.N.’ and s latest his brothers on her own. S.O.N. kne project Bmore 2 France was release w d on what it was like to be without run February 1, 2013. ning water, electricity, heat, and the loom ing threat of eviction over and again. S.O.N.’s links: Although S.O.N. experienced many Email: Management@theSONzone.com hardships, he rose from it and wou ld Facebook find refuge in music. With fortitud e, Twitter S.O.N. would press on and develop his lyrical style. Website
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Westside Posse
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Feature Interview |
A Day In The Life
Part 1
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ROSANO MARTINEZ
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Name: ROSANO MARTINEZ Status: Designer/CEO Werdoff Mauthe Region: East Sydney, Australia What are you currently working on? Rosano: Working on a documentary called A Life In The Day, it’s about 80‘s hip hop and its impact on Australia’s multiculturalism, when hip hop came to Australia. It was the first time a subculture was formed, that was multiracial. Before that subcultures were pretty much anglo based, skin heads, punk. When we say hip hop we’re not really talking about the whole culture that exists today, really it was just breakdancing. What crews wanted was obviously the best crew, everybody wanted to be like Rock Steady Crew. To have the best crew you’re pretty much forced to look outside your own little ethnic groups of people and look elsewhere, you just wanted the best breakers in your crew. What would end up happening, a good 90 percent of crews in Sydney were multiracial, they were looking for the best breakers and that sort of forced multiculturalism on a street level and embraced as the politically correct shit we have today. What are your plans for distribution for the documentary, A Life In the Day? Rosano: The project will be a documentary alongside an accompanying book, a small limited edition clothing range which I would like to get out through Puma, who were my original sponsor. I was the first non-sports person to be sponsored by Puma back in the early 80’s, in Australia, that will tie in very nice with that. I’ve got bits and pieces of the designs that I did through that period to the 90’s, the Powerhouse Museum are purchasing for their permanent collection. This ties in with the subculture being... at the moment what I have found, a lot of people don’t really know where it came from. It’s just this thing now and nobody really knows... You got some of the older guys like Def Wish Cast and others chatting about old school hip hop. To me those guys were new school hip hop, they acknowledge that when they talk about my crews and stuff like that. United Break Team with Rock Steady Crew
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To people today, Def Wish Cast is old school, even though they are new school to us, they came after that all peaked. It’s really about setting straight how it occurred here and where it has got to where it is as a culture now, where its roots and base come from.
“I wanted to take it to a different level, we were more like a gang that liked breaking and the music as opposed a real break crew.”
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Lets go back to the beginning. Can you tell us about where you grew up and how you were first exposed to music? Rosano: Yeah that’s interesting actually, that tells a big part of how I got into hip hop. I grew up around areas of Botany, Eastlakes, Kingsford, Maroubra, South-Eastern suburbs inner, not far from the city. In terms of music, in my family, most of my brothers and sister are musical. So we had a big range of music happening in the house all the time, everything from the Rolling Stones to funk, Frank Sinatra and all that genre. We had this massive wide array of music played in the house but in the late 70’s probably about ’77, I had cousin’s that were DJing in clubs in the city, and they were buying imports. The first rap record I actually heard was a track called Blowfly’s Rap which was like a novelty rap using explicit language. I’d never heard anything like that, it was the first time I ever heard rap, all my cousins loved and use to play it in the clubs and obviously after that Rappers Delight and by the time Grandmaster Flash had come out with The Message in the early 80’s I had already heard heaps of rap stuff that was underground and a lot of it was novelty and party type rap as opposed to having a hard hitting message like The Message. You know about the life these guys were having. Did you discover breakdancing first? Rosano: It was the breaking for me...I grew up in Australia, I was three and a half when I came here. I’ve always considered myself Australian even though I’m not anglo. I had heaps of friends from different races, so I didn’t cop the racism too bad, I also had heaps of white friends. For a long time I wanted to be white, a lot of my mates were white. When breakdancing came along and I saw the Buffalo Girls film clip and the Rock Steady film clip, it was the first time I saw kids that look like me on television. You might see black people like the Jacksons and white people. You wouldn’t see mixed race and Latin people. A lot of the Latin kids that were in those two film clips specifically, looked like heaps of different races, you had guys that looked like Lebanese friends of mine, then you had guys that looked eurasian like myself. The first time you would see these sort of faces on TV on pop tracks, a lot of minorities grabbed onto it and were like these kids look like us! They really related to it. Until I was 16 I wanted to be white, at that point break dancing popped here and I got into it. I love the physicality of it and it was like nothing I ever seen before. As opposed to wanting to be white, for the first time I was quite proud of my ethnicity and my country and found a lot of my white friends were actually renaming themselves and giving themselves a bit of ethnic. Which was quite funny. It was this whole weird turn around through those formative teenage years, if I was a generation before I would still have that stigma attached to being a wog. When breaking came it was a badge of pride being a wog, the fact you weren't white and all these white kids wanted to not be white.
How did you get into your first b-boy crew and how did that transition into music? Rosano: The b-boy crew was one of those things. You have a couple of guys at school that were getting into it and you would hook up with them. I was a Kross (Kings Cross) boy, I use to go to the Kross. I had older brothers that were going there and I had friends of club owners in the Kross. My first crew was a Kross crew called Eastside Rockers. Japanese baseball shirts were our crew look, we use to steal them from this shop in Bondi Junction, they use to import all these Japanese baseball shirts. Thursday nights everyone would congregate at Burwood Park and that’s where everyone use to break, get their lino and ghetto blasters. The first time I saw people breaking on an international level, our crew weren’t there yet (Eastside Rockers), when I saw the United Break Team everyones jaws dropped, those guys were amazing! After four months of going to Burwood Park the boys asked me to join their crew the United Break Team. I jumped 25
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Rosano Martinez Interview |
We weren’t the best breakers but we were definitely the most feared breakers in the scene. I jumped ship to the United Break Team, they were professional and a few months after that we were sponsored by Puma. We toured with the Rock Steady Crew when they came out here.
“There was things happening in the west but in reality it all actually started in the eastern suburbs.”
The United Break Team boys hang out was in Newtown, at a pub called Stage 100. My hangout was all Kross stuff, so they use to get free passage through the Kross because I was a Kross boy, but before then you would have your different crews, you had your crews sticking to their areas. That was probably the crew I was most known being in, I am also proud of being an Eastside Rocker and also with The Electric Boogaloos from the Petersham area. Transitioning into music, how did you know the mic was your strength? Rosano: I didn’t really, lets say the rap sort of came later! While I was breaking I started getting into graff, I became the crews ‘graff dude’, I designed all their stuff. I hooked up with,
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probably my three favourite bombers from the period, I reckon’ they were the best dudes and I was probably the worst of the four of us. They were amazing artists, we ended up as Fab Four/Future Art Beat Four. We started bombing the lines, tagging up everywhere, we were in magazines and Ray Martin did a story on us for his program. That was about ’86. While I was doing that, breaking sort of died out a bit and a lot of the crews started affiliating with each other. Half of my crew started hanging at Concord West at a DJ mate of mine, Russ’ place and DJ ASK was the first proper Australian DMC champion. They were making beats. Me and a few friends, guys that were in the UT Rockers and Digit Dance Crew, we were all hanging out together and we just used to muck around because the boys were recording, they had a crappy little 4-track, we started writing and rhyming. We were already doing similar stuff but didn’t take it seriously. We were doing Def Jams which were events we were holding, petrol generators and turntables before anyone was doing dance parties or anything like that, it was quite different. We’d have a mic there and a couple of us would jump up and say a couple of rhymes here and there, nothing serious until we sort of formed Westside Posse. For me it was just another aspect of hip hop and I already liked the music. I came from a musical family and didn’t consider myself a singer, like some of my other brothers, I really got into the rap, I really liked it! I liked the fact that you didn’t have to write about anything specific. It was almost like free-formed thought, it was either a conversation, you could write about what you were going through, you could brag about yourself, just like you would do when you were bombing, tagging. There’s that preconception that is the problem with today, all that stuff started out west, which is absolutely false. There was things happening in the west but in reality it all actually started in the eastern suburbs. When we talk about the eastern suburbs now its this posh and cashed up area, it wasn’t like that, it was quite working class, heaps of islander kids. Half of the Kross boys lived around the Junction or at Bondi Beach. A lot of us who were in Westside Posse were actually Kross boys.
We called it Westside Posse ‘cause we use to call ourselves jokingly, Concord westies because that’s where we would hang out at DJ Russ’ and DJ ASK’s place, which was at Concord West. Today that’s not really western suburbs anymore, its inner west. So that in a way added to the myth that it came out of the western suburbs because we were called Westside Posse, we were probably the first hip hop act that people remembered the name of, all the new schoolers Def Wish and all those sort of guys when they talk about us they say Westside Posse. So other people now hear Westside Posse and think we’re from the same sort of area as those guys. Completely different, we’re like fifteen minutes drive from the city. (laughs) So its not really west. I thought that needed to be explained because there is still that fallacy, its a western suburbs phenomena. Do you recall other hip hop acts that were around the time? Rosano: Just Us were around back then, give them props, they’re my boys. AM/Anthony Manzi, he then went onto to do Parkside Killers/PSK, he was in Bad Reputation. Some of those boys lived out west but our culture was in the city. Me and AM use to rob peadophiles, thats what we use to do, we were in the Kross all the time, that was our hangout. I had friends that were homeless, they use to sleep in the racing car machines at the pinny parlour in the Kross and that was our old crew and our old haunt, pretty much the only teenage crew in the Kross, you wouldn’t want to go in there unless you were affiliated with us. How did you come up with the formula for your first hip hop group? Rosano: Westside Posse was the disintegration of breaking. We ended up recording a Westside track for Virgin on a hip hop compilation. If I take something on I go into it 100 percent. I found the other guys in my crew were quite lazy, I was trying to get them to a serious professional level. No one wanted to put in the time, they were like “no worries, we’ll hook up bla bla bla” and it would turn into a bonging session and nothing would happen. After trying with my crew to move forward I was like... I have to start fresh. I never wanted to go out and cherry pick people for what I can get out of them, I use the people around me. My sister Tina was already singing with a high school band. I had my best mate Alan Blue/K Blue, who was also in the United Break Team with me and my other best HHRS
Rosano and Afrika Bambaataa
mate Vlad/DJ BTL, who was in Westside Posse and Fab Four, from all those old crews going right back to ’84. People think Sound Unlimited just popped up...nah! All those dudes are from 1984 and then popped up in 1990, so we already knew each other, We were already a crew before we formed that. Kode Blue and myself were already tight from the United Break Team, me and BTL was with Fab Four and also my sister, we had a professional level of working. I’m not a loner when I do musical projects, I like having crew around me, the dynamics you get from having a bunch of people, the energy you have on stage. Sound Unlimited were signed to Sony, as time passed by we got an album out with them, the first Australian top 20 hip hop track on the charts. That sort of ended, everyone wanted to go their own direction. Me and Tina were already working anyway so we stuck together and we pulled in her husband Derek Antunez, who she met when the New Kids On the Block were out here. He was their drummer, he’s like a third generation multi-instrumentalist beast, he’s amazing! We pulled hiphoprapsheet.com
him in near the end of Sound Unlimited. I wanted a live hip hop band, so we made a live hip hop band with Sound Unlimited, the second half of its life. People were dissing us at the time because we were using live musicians. I love live music, so I thought, fuck you! This is the sound! we had a DJ still. When that stopped we took some of the live musicians that were in Sound Unlimited already but they weren’t officially in Sound Unlimited. We had a live band, we took some of those guys and made Renegade Funktrain and had them getting more involved, writing their actual parts, the bass player could contribute bass lines, and Derek could do a lot of the music producing. Ramesh Sathiah who now owns SongZu, which is a massive music company. We had these amazing players in there and my cousin Juan Gonzales who played for John Paul Young, plays amazing guitar of any style.
Rosano’s shout outs:
The Oceanic Kingz, DJ A$K, Teedo, MIK567 and 567 King Crew. Defwish Cast, C.I.S., FAB4, Afrika Bambaataa and the Mighty Zulu Nation. Rock Steady Crew, Westside Posse, MK1, Danny Chow, Mean, Micro 2. Sound Unlimited, The Hon. Luke Portman, The Antunes, Public Enemy. Ramesh Sathiah and the Song Zu Cru. Renegade Funktrain, Large Rabbit, Ted Vassell and Power Cuts Reggae, Steve Spacek, Techa Noble, Ron E, Basslines. General Maya and Admiral Heloise of the 101 Doll Squadron. Mistery and Claude - Brethren, Krosswerds Crew. All my Boyz past and present and those with The Lord - Rest In Peace!
Rosano’s links:
Website Sydney Graffiti 1986/Future Art Beat Four Part 1 Sydney Graffiti 1986/Future Art Beat Four Part 2 HHRS
Rap Sheet |
Artist Dossier RAP SHEET - SIMMY Name: SIMMY Status: Recording Artist/Sin ger/Songwriter/Rapper Region: Central Coast, Austr alia
There's a lot more to come leading up to the launch of her mixtape album T a k i n O v e r early 2014. SIMMY's dream of being a singer began at age 12 inspired by artists including Beyonce Knowles; Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim, Ke yshia Cole, Aaliyah, and Mary J Blige. It was at that age she began to realise tha t music is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
SnapShot: Word on the str eet is that there is an amazing female artist on the Central Coast that sings an d raps. Well its true! SIMMY officially signed to Urban Candy Entertainment, on the rise having released her first four mixta pe single's Takin Over, Where Th ey At, Im Back, Got's To Have I t , and has just had her very first internati onal independent music collabora tion called Come With Me, with J.R fro m Swag Addict Ent., California. Ea rly in her music career SIMMY has ha d some wonderful opportunities wh ich include supporting international art ists Savage and Spawnbreezie on stage. SIMMY doesn't keep quiet for long.
2013 SIMMY has performe d as headline act for the USS Military Br idge Parties at Trademark Hotel Sydney. Her first live international radio interview with Allan Samson from The Next Lev el and her first online interview in America with DJ Who Tha F Eva from JPBTV. SIM MY is also working on some local and international artist collaborations which will soon be released. I put my heart and soul int o all my music and I can't wait to share it with the world. My aim is to show people that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication, to gain acc eptance and respect throughout the mu sic industry. "To Sing & Dance Is The Wi llingness To Be Fearless" - SIMMY
SIMMY’s links: Email/Bookings: urbancandyentertainment@gm
ail.com
Facebook Twitter
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Name: MAJIKHONEY Status: Recording Artists Region: Sydney, Australia hiphoprapsheet.com
Young Emerging Talent |
Who is MajikHoney? MajikHoney: Two indigenous Australian and African American singing, rapping sisters. MajikHoney joined the Yabun Festival lineup playing on Australia Day. How did you managed to join the Yabun Festival bill? MajikHoney: Yabun contacted us because they were looking for a youth act to play on the main stage. Have you played Yabun Festival previously? MajikHoney: Yes we have! We did our first official performance as sisters on Yabun’s youth stage ‘Young Black & Deadly’ in 2011. That was pretty much our first official performance together as a duo, MajikHoney. How do you prepare for a live performance? Majik: We like to to warm our voices up and drink warm water or black tea and sometimes we do ‘words of encouragement’ before the performance. Do you ever get nervous before hitting the stage? Majik: I’m half confident, half nervous because I really want to kill it on stage. I lose all nerves when I’m finally on stage.
Who came up with the video concept for your latest music video Inception? Majik: Our dad, he first pitched it to us when we were taking a long train from Melbourne back home to Sydney, May last year after wrapping up our indigenous Australian shows in school tour, which we do when not performing as MajikHoney. What’s it like working with Jay Essassin/ producer and Poppa Sam Beatty/director of Inception music video? MajikHoney: Jay is really chill and fun to work with, he’s done the majority of our songs out so far. It’s been great so far! Working with our dad/ Poppa Sam/director of Inception music video was good. He took care of all the details of the shoot, along with our mum who was preparing everything backstage. Where was Inception shot? Was it a long shoot? Honey: Some night shots were underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge and others were shot at The Vanguard in Newtown. It took two days, both night shoots. It felt like it lasted longer than that but it was a fun experience. Is Inception a stand alone track or is it off an upcoming album? MajikHoney: For now we just put Inception out there so the world can hear MajikHoney.
Honey: If it’s big crowds, not really. I feel really comfortable on stage, when it comes to intimate performance I’m a bit more nervous. 33
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MajikHoney’s shout outs: We wanted to add shoutouts to our producer Jay Essassin, our dance school DanceKool and our main dance teacher Karen Sui. Our back up dancers Courtney and Lily, good friend and singer Ramon D Artist. Our parents and the main person who inspires us to sing...our grandma aka GMA.
Where do you draw inspiration for your lyrical content? Majik: For me I’ve always loved Alicia Keys because she writes her own stuff. Honey: For rapping I’m really inspired by other female rappers such as Left Eye, Eve, Azealia Banks and others. When it comes to singing, Miguel’s lyrical creativity really inspires me to write. What artists inspire you? Majik: we grew up listening to Beyonce, Michael Jackson and TLC. Our own grandma Cindy Drummond is a blues/jazz singer, she introduced us to really ol’ school music like Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Honey: I guess it’s not a particular pick of artist, I’m inspired by anything and everything. I’m very inspired by a lot of artist such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake. But at the end of the day, whatever catches my interest inspires me in some kind of way, which drives me as an entertainer and an artist! hiphoprapsheet.com
Is it hard to find the equilibrium between music, study and home life? Majik: Sometimes it can be hard to balance, our music is really important to us so it’s worth it! Honey: Sometimes it is a bit rough, juggling everything and still trying to do the things we love most...performing. Though if you really love something you will eventually come through so we always make time for all of our priorities quite well. What’s next for MajikHoney? Majik: I love performing live, it’s a real rush! Definitely planning to do more shows in 2014 as well as putting more music out. Honey: Definitely new music and hopefully a music video also! MajikHoney links: Facebook Twitter
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DAVIE DARKO Name: DAVIE DARKO Status: Emcee/Producer Region: Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney emcee/producer, Davie Darko is the definition of an artist on the comeup, releasing his debut EP, Heart of Fire whilst in preproduction of two up and coming projects. Davie Darko kicks off our chat, expressing the meaning behind the EP’s title...Heart of Fire. “My music is a reflection of my life experiences and all I see around me. While working on Heart of Fire I wasn’t sleeping, was stressed, working nights, working days and a degree. Mounting money issues added to my problems, I was struggling a bit. In the middle of all this I could not stop thinking about music. I grabbed all these things going on in my life and used them as fire and to vent, putting it all into the CD. I know a lot of artists are afraid to show their struggles and weaknesses, I want to embrace it. There are many people out there having harder times than you and me. Many use their hardships to drive ambition and to overcome difficult times. When the cards are against you, that’s when you find the Heart of Fire, that’s where the name came from.”
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Young Emerging Talent |
Davie Darko further adds, the five track EP, Heart of Fire are all very different in concepts, themes and sounds. Davie Darko’s express’ Heart of Fire being his first real project. “I wanted to use this as my introduction to listeners, to show them a little bit me.”
track with his plan and dream. Gestures like that are really powerful, really motivating.” Heart of Fire writing and recording process was an impressive three months. “I recorded two songs and a collab in one session. In saying that, there were many holdups, features, funding issues but the biggest was time. It was a real challenge to fit in recording and production with everything else going on at that time. Finding the time to write and record was the issue.”
Can you tell us about the collabs on Heart of Fire? “Yes! Vocal Irv Da Phenom from Tech N9ne’s Strange Music. Shizzy Six, a rapper from the U.S.. Jaz from Sydney and in relation to production Psycho Same from Ethiopia and Mozart Jones from the U.S.”
Davie Darko’s lyrical content is attributed listening to a lot of other artists that inspire him to make music. Davie Darko further comments. “The motivation comes from life, Davie Darko comes out when I need to vent. Lyrically, I am very big on concept writing and having a message.”
Davie Darko switches gear to artists/collabs he would like to work with. “So many collabs I want to do. I would love to work with Muph from Australia. This crazy guy called The Jokerr, Tech N9ne and Ghost Face Killah from Wu Tang. I’m not on their radar yet but I have already contacted a few of them and hopefully in time I can make it a reality, I’m hopeful. There is also a lot of talented guys from my hometown, they are all building a movement called ‘Local Flow’, I want to support that big time.
Davie Darko recently joined forces with Sydney independent hip hop label, TDS Records/ Distribution, the crew behind his upcoming release Heart of Fire. What’s the working relationship with TDS Records? “Great! TDS Records have been amazing. It’s early days, we are both starting out and have huge dreams and a big vision. TDS has taught me so much. I have the highest respect for DS Stanlee. We are always talking and planning, it’s all built on honesty.”
Love and War, the first single off Heart of Fire.. Why did you choose it as the first track to drop? “That song really means a lot to me. I wanted to drop it first because I thought a lot of people could relate to it. Heartbreak can really mess people up and change them. I knew the track was deep and from the soul, I wanted it to be the first taste of the EP. It’s a love song really, a realistic one, full of aggression, anger and fear.” Says Davie Darko.
Who are your favorite artists? “That’s hard, I have artists I admire and respect because of what they stand for, many others simply because I love their music. My biggest inspiration is Tech N9ne, I like his story and can appreciate his journey. He just never gave up and built the biggest powerhouse label, Strange Music. He had so many holdups but never gave in. He is in his forty’s now and at the top of his game. I really like Muph and Plutonic from Australia. I wish they would make more music. Immortal Technique, Ghost Face Killah, The Roots, O.C, Kool G Rap. I could name drop for days.”
What has been the response by fans and peers of Love and War? “Its been great! A lot of people like it. It’s a really deep song. I have received a lot of messages from people all over saying it hit them hard. I guess the best reaction for me was a phone call I got from someone in Sydney. The guy said the song hit him hard and inspired him to get everything moving again and get back on 37
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“Honestly, it makes me happy doing this. I want everyone to chase their dreams. Wouldn’t the world be so different that way?” hiphoprapsheet.com
For those that are not familiar with Davie Darko, how do you describe your signature sound? “Strange, production-wise. I love it to be something different to what people have heard, something new. I work on a lot of beats I get sent from a duo producer team called Psycho Same from Ethiopia, their beats are diverse and deep. I guess the sound is unpredictable, dark and theatrical. I want the songs to sound like scenes from a movie, I don’t want to be stuck in a sound genre.” Talking to Davie Darko about his personal connection to hip hop, he mentions a relatable topic of not quite fitting in and hip hop being the escape. Davie Darko explains. “One day a guy called Donovan, gave me a scratched up burnt disc, when I got home I listened to it. It was DMX It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. That album got me through a lot. I owe a lot to music. I guess that’s when the connection was made, after that I went back in time listening to everything made from eighties hip hop to the late nineties. I think I was ten years old maybe less.” Spending time reading up on artists, their careers and history, Davie Darko further comments on this leading to the discovery of Australian hip hop. “That gave me a way to connect to hip hop in general. I was judged and put down a lot when I was starting out, but that just gave me more fuel.” Nearing the end of our chat, I ask Davie Darko what keeps him working at his craft, standing his ground, his mantra? “I guess the fear of regret. I don’t want to be old and look back on what could have been. I’m focused now and very hungry. I want to reach people and motivate them in much the same way that music motivates me. I’m a big dreamer, not sure if it’s realistic or not, but I want to try. Honestly, it makes me happy doing this. I want everyone to chase their dreams. Wouldn’t the world be so different that way? Better! I know where I am and where I want to be, I know I have so much more to learn and to do. I’ll will always stand my ground if I believe in what I am fighting for.”
Heart of Fire Davie Darko featuring Jaz Davie Darko’s shout outs: So many people honestly I’ll name some I’m working with TDS Records camp, Hive Music, Greg Gava, S.P.U.D, Under Ground On Top, Wade Miles, Nic Martin, Biruk, Seif , Move Music, Jomeezius the Genius, Enflux and Mr Sinister, friends, all the people supporting me on my page worldwide. There are many. I appreciate the support so much!
Davie Darko’s links: Facebook Twitter TDS Records/Distribution
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Feature Interview |
Name: ChetMega Status: Emcee/Lyricist Region: Southwest, England
What are you currently working on at the moment? ChetMega: At the moment I’m working on a new seven to eight track EP (yet to be named), it will be a mix of rap and more house style beats. I’m about half way through and aiming to release for summer, so far it’s got a nice commercial vibe to it which is bringing out a new side to me.
MEGA
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I’m also getting back to my hip hop roots with my mixtape stuff, experimenting with more organic sounds and writing about my life experiences that will hopefully resonate with the fans on a personal level.
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What’s behind the moniker ChetMega? ChetMega: Truthfully that is quite a long and strange story but the short version is…I gained the nickname Chet from a friend of my older brothers, I had a flat top at the time and so did a character out of a film called Weird Science, the characters name was Chet! I was tormented with this nickname until I started rapping and decided to turn it into something I could use. The Mega part came from a game called Halo that me and my boys used to play, where we formed Clan Mega and hence ChetMega was born!!
Can you introduce VTKTM members and what they individually bring to the fold? ChetMega: Ok, so we have Ryan Inglis (Rhythm guitar, synth and vocals) who is the king of multitasking and an extremely talented acoustic guitarist and singer songwriter, not many people I know if any can sing whilst simultaneously playing guitar and synth at the same time. Then we have Bill Banwell (Bass) the king of basslines who is genuinely so talented it makes me sick! Rob Whelen (Drums) who is not only one of the most solid drummers around but is also the ideas man when it comes to writing songs. Our newest member is Toby Andrews (Lead Guitar) and the baby of the bunch, there was a certain chemistry that I had on stage with our original lead guitarist that I was worried couldn’t be replicated but I was wrong. Not only is that chemistry there and some, but he truly can rock out with the best of them.
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Do you recall the first track(s) you recorded? First gig? Looking back, how do you feel it stands up to where you are now? ChetMega: Funnily enough I stumbled across this the other day and truthfully was quite shocked at how good it was considering. Looking back, you can see there is skill there but I hadn’t at all found my style. First full gig I remember clear as day and just solidified where I felt most at home.
Your band VTKTM, how and when did you form the band? ChetMega: Well we formed the band roughly five years ago or so and basically it was a very natural progression. Me and the lead singer were working with the same producer on our solo projects at the time and he put us in touch with each other, we became very good friends, talked about putting together a cross over rock/rap band and fortunately some of the most talented musicians from my town were eager to try something new.
What’s your all time favorite rap/rock collab? and why? ChetMega: I have to say Jay Z and Linkin Park, simply because I think that Jay Z showed there is nothing he can’t turn his hand to, not only that but I’ve seen them live and it’s such a natural fit.
You have a good grasp of fusing old school rap with a modern sound. Is this something you consciously set out to do or an organic process? ChetMega: I’d like to take credit for that, but in reality I think it was just born from growing up listening to old school rap. I think an artist should be able to move and evolve with the times whilst maintaining their roots.
New Sound is a massive track, is this what we can expect sonically from the rest of the upcoming Four Seasons EP? or are the four different producers bringing their own sounds stepping outside of a single style/genre? ChetMega: The reason for calling this EP Four Seasons is for the very fact that it was four producers bringing four very different styles. I’m very aware that some people that like New Sound might find the other tracks are not to their taste. This EP was more a decision making process for me on what direction I wanted to move in and what the fans are digging. As I said before, I’m around halfway through the new EP where I’m working solely with Anakyn the producer of New Sound. I’m buzzing for this as I think I’m finally at the level of production that I’ve been striving for.
Cyber Sex track dropped in May, off your upcoming mixtape Mega City One. Any collabs on the mixtape? ChetMega: I’m trying to limit it to just a couple as I wanted it to be more of a showcase of what I’m capable of… however one that I am definitely excited about is collaborating with is two guys from Norway called BlueBloods that I’ve worked with before and have a very unique style. HHRS
Do you have a release dates for Four Seasons and Mega City One? ChetMega: We actually decided to only release three of the tracks from the Four Seasons EP, as we felt the fourth track was worth holding back and spending a bit more time on, it’s has the ability to be a really big track but just needs to be reworked a little. Mega City One we were hoping to drop around July time, I had finished in the region of twenty tracks for it but have since steered to a slightly different sound and wanted to hold off to see what tracks come to fruition in the coming months.
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What’s the creative process for you when writing and recording songs? ChetMega: The creative process of getting to the lyric writing stages can be very different depending on the project, once I have the track to write to, I lock myself in my personal studio, crank up the track and start pacing up and down until I find the direction I wanna take. I stopped writing things down a long time ago as it felt very restrictive to me, I much prefer to just keep going over it in my head until I have it nailed, as you can imagine it is then a case of getting straight in the booth and recording before I forget it all. I’ve alway been one for writing to the music too instead of the other way round as the track itself leads me in a direction. You mentioned in an interview, a bone of contention re: a line in a song you wanted to keep that may cause a bit of trouble. Is it still in the track? Can you say what track it is? ChetMega: Haha yeah! I battled that one out and it stayed in the song, the song is called Lambs To The Slaughter. A lot of my more recent songs have only shown the fans one side to me though and there is a more personal side to my music which I’m planning on delving into in the near future. In all the years that you have been playing live, have you noticed a shift in trends? Are people going out more or less to live shows? ChetMega: Most definitely there has been a shift! I feel a lot more people are going out to watch live shows of more established acts, equally a lot less people are willing to go out and watch an artist they have never heard of. It’s such a shame really because a lot of the music I listen to are bands I’ve discovered by going out to watch an act that’s new to me.
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What’s your favourite local venue, be it small or large? ChetMega: It’s gotta be a venue called Back Bar where I played my very first gig, a smaller venue, it’s a musicians hide out and somewhere I could venture to for an interesting night. A lot of artists say they don’t want the money and the fame, do you feel that comes out of fear of failure or fear of success and how other indie artists will see their success? As a noted artist do you concern yourself with what other artists think of you on the comeup? ChetMega: Fame is a difficult one for me as I’m really not interested in being a celebrity one bit. I think the majority of artists want to reach a wider audience and would be kidding themselves if they said they didn’t. As for money, let me say this…I got in to music strictly for the love and nothing more but as the years went on I quickly learned that love doesn’t pay the bills. I am in it for the money of course, that’s because ultimately this is my job and I’ve dedicated my life to the pursuit of doing something I love for a living. I really try not to concern myself with what other artists think, as the words “selling out” is predominantly bounced around by artists hating other artists success or artists that only believe in their genre. Will you be touring outside of the UK any time soon? Maybe thinking of a trip to Australia? ChetMega: We are currently in the process of putting the live show which has taken longer than we’d hoped as our attention has had to be focused on promotion. I have been itching to get back out live as that is where the rewards for all the hard work pays off. You’ll be glad to know that Asia, Australia and New Zealand are very much on our hit list. Townhouse Records, how soon will we get to hear of the new talent to sign with the label? ChetMega: We’ve already got a few exciting acts under our wing that we are working very closely with and helping with their development. The label itself though is still in it’s very early stage, we’re focusing more on getting the MegaMedia side of things moving, music video, graphic design etc. What’s next on the agenda for ChetMega? ChetMega: More debauchery I expect, but on the real though the coming months will consist of me hibernating in the studio trying to get the new EP and mixtape ready for summer. Alongside this though I will be working on my new DJ/MC set with DJ Kenyon. I’m so pleased with how the EP is coming together, I’m massively looking forward to getting out there and promoting it. Basically though more music, more videos and going live again. ChetMega’s shout outs: Yeah Bigup my brother RokMega the man behind the scenes, ZootMega, ZigMega, Tim Hutton, Anakyn, Alex Schmitz, Matty Watky, JCub, Benjamin Mills, without all their help and support I wouldn’t be where I am today. Most of all I’ve got to say a massive thanks and shoutout to all my fans/followers for all the support and love they’ve shown me.
hiphoprapsheet.com
Feature Interview |
The New Sound Chet Mega ChetMega links: Facebook Twitter Website Townhouse Records
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Sport |
Roy Jones Jnr
HIP HOP & SPORT - A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN In the 1970’s, an underground urban movement known as ‘Hip Hop’ began to develop in the South Bronx area of New York City. At the same time in New York the Knicks were winning NBA Championships, that was their only similarity besides being from the same city. While Jamaican born DJ Clive ‘Kool Herc’ Campbell was in the pioneering stage of hip hop music at his home in the Bronx, the Knicks players were earning seven times the national salary average and living in downtown Manhattan. How things have changed in the past 40 odd years since the birthplace of hip hop in DJ Campbell's apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue South Bronx. These days hip hop stars talk about what sporting teams to buy and every second professional athlete wanting to be a hip hop star. 49
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So when did this relationship start? Well I date it back to 1982, Chuck D who made the then LA Raiders cool with the new generation of hip hop fans. Wasn't long before NWA followed, sporting the Sacramento Kings and Seattle Sea hawks caps. Then finally the crossover to mainstream was complete when artists such as Kid ‘N Play and the Fresh Prince were wearing apparel from some of Americas most famous sporting teams. Of course athletes such as Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson had there hand in making Nike the most sort after brand on the street. I still don't think that they would have thought 30 years later, Jay Z's S. Carter from Reebok would become the world fastest selling sneaker, not the Nike Cross trainer or Air Jordan.
Now to the Athletes who have crossed over to the world of hip hop. Well sorry to say not many (well any) have had the success financially as their hip hop brothers and sisters have had. Shaq had a try with Strait Playin’ in 1997, which peaked at 33 on the charts. Even Kobe had a dip. I have to say that the most successful attempt at converting is former boxer, a four division World Champion and pound for pound number one, Roy Jones Jr. In 2002, released his first album Round One, the track That Was Then peaked at number two on the Hot Rap Singles chart. He also formed Body Head Bangerz who released I Smoke, I Drank and Can't be Touched in 2005. hiphoprapsheet.com
Outtala
So it’s unanimous, athletes can't sing! Hip hop artists who have now learnt that they to can have a fashion line, including their own sneakers and caps that have a very similar look to sports fashion. Oh... If only Clive Campbell and Chuck D knew back then what we know now, maybe they would be worth over $500 million just like the new generation of hip hop hierarchy, such as Jay Z and Sean Combs who saw that hip hop was more than just music and cashed in. Bo Jackson
New York Knicks
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Name: GRITTY BOI Status: Artist/Entertainer/Songwriter Region: Huntsville, Alabama, USA
Gritty Boi’s shout outs: First of all I wanna thank God, my mother, my kids. Tia Culver, my publicist. All the underdogs, Bloods, Crips, Vice Lords, GD’s, all the street activists like me. Huntsville, Atlanta, Dallas, Irving, Chicago. Every artist I’ve ever worked with, everybody I’m getting money with and shout out to Strict9! hiphoprapsheet.com
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What was the defining moment that lead you into the realm of rap? Gritty Boi: I’ve always been a realest and even if I wasn’t rapping I would speak on the things I speak on, even if we were just having a conversation. I feel like the more messed up the world is, the realer I have to be about changing it.
W.I.N (War Is Necessary) some may find the title controversial. What’s the meaning behind the albums title? Gritty Boi: I understand why but if you think about it like this; waking up in the morning is war, eating a meal is war, walking down the street or trying to make it safely to work is war… That’s where I’m coming from with it, everything is a battle. War is gonna happen and has to happen, so war is necessary.
Which artist(s) inspire you personally and as an artist? Gritty Boi: I get inspired by any artist that expresses their life in their music to the fullest. I would say 2Pac, Lil Boosie, Yo Gotti, Trae The Truth, Pastor Troy, Alley Boy, artists like that.
How do you feel W.I.N (War Is Necessary) tracks stand-up to your previous material and what we can expect? Gritty Boi: I think its probably my best project because I try to always do better than my last. Every mixtape and album I’ve done was just me speaking on what I was going through at the time, this is the most important time in my life.
What drives your lyrical content? Gritty Boi: My troubles, my spiritual beliefs and just my everyday experiences as well as my past. You’re riding the wave of two successful killer tracks Broke and 10,000, how does it feel knowing your music has reached fans outside of the US? Gritty Boi: I feel so blessed, but I feel like I gotta keep working ‘cause I have such a long way to go.
In brevity can you talk about your collabs, how you got to work with them? Gritty Boi: Well before I ever did a feature with a major artist, I made sure I got my name big enough for me to at least have the people in my city respect me enough. When artists like Juvenile; Pastor Troy, Alley Boy, Coo Coo Cal, Pimping Ken, 211 of CTE, Trouble, Veli Sosa comes here, they will demand me to collab, open up or rub elbows with them because I’m a boss like them. That’s exactly how I wound up doing songs with certain artist and the other artists I’ve worked with I had been a big fan of their music.
Can you tell us about the meaning behind 10,000′slyrics? Gritty Boi: Well as far as the hook goes…we wanted something catchy, as far as the verses we wanted to speak on these judgmental rappers and the people that have so many flaws but won’t reveal their shortcomings to the public.
Have you ever thought of a collab’ing with an Aussie on any future projects? Gritty Boi: I’d love to do a song with any overseas hungry and talented artists…I love networking.
Gritty Boi’s links: Facebook Twitter Official Website 53
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Name: DJ MR PHANTASTIK THE VERBAL & TURNTABLE MASSEUSE Status: Emcee/DJ/Songwriter Region: New York City, USA. How did you come up with your artists moniker, DJ Mr Phantastik?
DJ Mr Phantastik: I got it from the Fantastic Four leader who’s known to cover a lot ground with his longs arms. That’s how I feel about myself as an artist being a MC/DJ. I’m able to cover a lot of ground with my talents. hiphoprapsheet.com
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Mixtapes |
What was it like growing up in a creative home environment? DJ Mr Phantastik: It was actually very good for me growing up, my Mom is a poet and my dad was a DJ (this is where I get my dual talents from). I was always allowed to express myself creatively as a kid. When did you decide to become a recording artists and performer? DJ Mr Phantastik: I decided to make to become an artist and performer while I was in high school. A lot of my friends started to notice that I had skills on the mic, so I took the craft of MCing more seriously. What areas have you worked as a DJ? DJ Mr Phantastik: I have rocked in some of the hottest clubs and lounges which includes The Gishen Cafe; GreenHouse, Raine Lounge, Macy’s, Reebok Fit Hub, Citi Field, 305 Fitness, Club Cheetahs, Club Roam, The Corner Stone in Brooklyn, Justin’s/P Diddy’s Resturant, The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and Jay Z’s 40/40 Club as well as spinning at the South Street Seaport at the Pacific Grill. Did you have a favorite club to play at? DJ Mr Phantastik: I really enjoy playing at Jay Z’s 40/40 club in Manhattan. The energy is crazy all the time when I spin there. What goes through your mind preparing for a battle/freestyle? DJ Mr Phantastik: Studying my opponent and connecting with the audience is what goes through my mind when I’m preparing for a MC battle. Have you ever had a creative block while freestyling? DJ Mr Phantastik: Yes! I had mental blocks before, while freestlying. You just have to keep your focus and composure when your in that arena. What has been a defining moment in your career thus far? DJ Mr Phantastik: From winning Hot 97 MC Battle; a ‘single’ deal with Duck Down Music, freestyling on Spittin In Da Whip. Opening for Pusha T, Ace Hood, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, ASAP Rocky, Busta Rhymes, DJ Doo Wop... just to mention a few.
“Yes! I had mental blocks before, while freestlying. You just have to keep your focus and composure when your in that arena.”
Winning the Boost Mobile MC Battle in 2012 at Met Life Stadium is currently my defining moment as an artist thus far. Because winning that competition allowed me to acheive my dream of getting a deal with a record label such as Duck Down. It gave me the confidence to know that I can make it in this industry. 57
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How do you manage to keep your music fresh, setting yourself apart from other artists? DJ Mr Phantastik: I just stay true to myself and my art. Plus I know who I am as a person. I’m not out there trying to figure out my identity. How do you find promoting your music, getting the word out to the masses? Is there much help for hip hop artists in your local area? It can be a little difficult promoting. However, once your buzz gets bigger it almost goes on autopilot when people are checking for you.
DJ Mr Phantastik shout outs:
Shout outs to you Monarq, Kaiyzer, Beeez Music, AugustRiche. DJ Emmo and the whole ThundaGound movement, Gran Fortune, CB Wonder, Arcee Universal, !LL Mind, Duck Down Records, Yung Jooks, Industry Labs and everyone worldwide supporting my movement.
Which artists inspire DJ Mr Phantastik? DJ Mr Phantastik: I would have to say, out the gate, it was The Tribe Called Quest, Redman, DJ Tony Touch and Nas. All four of them have such a different way of doing their thing. The Tribe inspired me to write rhymes and freestyle. Redman inspired me to get crazy and rock stages. DJ Tony Touch because he can rhyme and DJ and Nas with his great ability tell stories. How did you land the host spot on The Global Takeover along with featuring on multiple tracks? DJ Mr Phantastik: Well it all started when I was on the Kaiyzernomics project in 2013 called The Final Curtain Call. We developed a great working vibe as well as friendship and took it from there. We both respect each other on a high level. How is it working with Kaiyzer? Working with Kaiyzer is real dope. He keeps it one hundred all the time. Can you tell us about your tracks/collabs on the album? DJ Mr Phantastik: Well first there is Legendary, which allowed me to work with well known established artist such as Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard and Casanova Rud. Get Busy Time featured J Blizz from Canada, Gran Fortune and CB Wonder. I have other songs on the mixtape as well like Audio Dope, The Come Up and Nod Ya Head. Legendary and Get Busy Time hit home when both of those songs cracked the Top 10 on Jamsterdam Radio in Canada, I’m very proud of that!
hiphoprapsheet.com
Song playing - Legendary - DJ Mr Phantastik, Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard, & Casanova Rud
What has the response to The Global Takeover from fans, peers and industry? DJ Mr Phantastik: The response has been great all across the board. It leads me to work on more projects with other artists, as well as hosting other mixtapes as a DJ. What do you want to have accomplished by the end of 2014? DJ Mr Phantastik: I look to put out as much work as possible, go on tour and increase the awareness of my brand, by hitting up bigger stages and audiences worldwide. Is there anything more you would like to add to this interview? I would like to say thanks for the opportunity promote my talents and share my experiences with your audience. I would like everyone to download my mixtapes Talk To The People and Us Vs Wu-Tang on Datpiff.com. My two singles that are on iTunes called God For A Day (Produced by @Augustriche) and Show Stopper (Produced by !LL Mind). DJ Mr Phantastik’s links: Facebook Twitter The Global Takeover
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Behind the Artist |
hiphoprapsheet.com
Status: Founder of Jamsterdam Radio Region: Ontario, Canada
Hip hop is one of the fastest growing music genres in the US and spreading rapidly throughout the world, as one of the most dominant forces in our lives. Rising from the underground into the mainstream arena, there is no shortage of hip hop artists. With that being said, hip hop artists grind daily trying to find avenues to be heard by unsuspecting fans.
What year did you create Jamsterdam Radio? Where are you situated? Jamsterdam Radio was created in the spring of 2011 and broadcasted on CFRU 93.3 FM in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Currently we are broadcasting from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. What inspired you to jump into the realm of radio? Is it a passion you have always had? I lived in Osaka, Japan for four years, while living there I was the frontman of a rap/rock band called the Kracker Japz. I will never forget the moment I heard our song on the radio for the first time. I created Jamsterdam Radio to provide underground artists an opportunity to have their music heard by a worldwide audience and to experience the same feeling I had when hearing my song on the radio for the first time.
Fortunately for indie hip hop, there’s a new sheriff in town and he fights the good fight, giving artists the respect they deserve, playing their music to the masses. Jay Hunt is a force to be reckoned with! Founder of Jamsterdam Radio. A songwriter and former emcee of rap/rock group Kracker Japz and having a heavy arsenal of music industry experience‌Indie hip hop has been tuned up a notch!
Do prefer to be behind the scenes? I had my moment in the spotlight. I loved writing lyrics and creating music, equally enjoying the process of marketing the music and pushing your product to an audience. Building a fanbase is an exciting part to the music making process. Twitter @JamsterdamRadio followers continue to grow by the day and it is rewarding to receive appreciation from an artist for simply giving recognition for their talent and hard work.
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HEAR &
Rap By Night airs nightly from 8pm – midnight EST (Toronto time). Listeners can tune in by visiting: www.jamsterdamradio.com • Sydney, Australia 12pm-4pm • Perth, Australia 9am – 1pm • Tokyo, Japan 10am-2pm • Amsterdam, Netherlands 2am-6am • Bangkok, Thailand 8am-12pm • Los Angeles, California 5pm-9pm
Can you tell our readers about bit about Jamsterdam’s creator. Music has always been a part of my life. For years while I was growing up, I couldn’t fall asleep without the sound of music. I started writing lyrics back in high school and formed a rap group with my friends. My love for writing lyrics continued with me to university, where I would spit my lyrics at local pubs to the sound of Wu-Tang instrumentals. After receiving my degree I had an itch for traveling. I went to live in Japan and had the opportunity to meet other aspiring artists, eventually forming the Kracker Japz. The band featured five musicians from separate nationalities, a Japanese guitarist, Australian bassist, Kiwi drummer, Italian beat-boxer and a Canadian rapper (myself). We recorded a couple EP’s, played some great festivals but all good things had to come to an end. One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to come back to Canada and split ways with the band. I was able to rekindle that passion for music with my former rap partner from high school Kevin aka K-Smooth, that’s when we started our hip hop radio show titled ‘The Sound Off’ in 2011. hiphoprapsheet.com
Why is Jamsterdam important to you on a personal level? It’s the minor leagues of music. It is an avenue for aspiring artists to have their music heard. I know the grind it can be to create great music and watch it dwindle into dust. It is important that good, unknown music becomes known and heard. Jamsterdam Radio gives artists that feeling of accomplishment for their hard work by being an outlet for exposure. Jamsterdam Radio has a designated hip hop show amongst other genres. What has been the response to your hip hop show by music fans and artists? Jamsterdam Radio plays rock by day and rap by night. Hip hop fanatics can tune in nightly from 8pmmidnight EST to listen to the latest and greatest from the world of unheard hip hop. Once a month, Kevin and I broadcast live to air on CFRU 93.3 Guelph, that’s where we expose some of the best hip hop we have received to a live audience. I have received several emails and tweets from listeners asking where they can find more information on a particular artist. It’s a great feeling when I’m connecting the dots between an artist and a fan of the music.
Jamsterdam Radio accepts music from all parts of the world. To submit your song, you can send an mp3 or two, to jamsterdamradio@gmail. com. Make sure to include the song name and any featured artists. It would be helpful if you include a web site or Twitter account as well. This way Jamsterdaam can refer listeners to the source.
How does it sit with you, knowing artists grinding hard, don’t get played on radio due to not having the money, the huge social network fan-base statistics and then there’s the artists that refuse to pay on principle? Forcing artists to pay to have their music heard defeats the purpose of what I’m doing. I am exposing talented, unheard artists. Forcing artists to pay creates a filter and restricts those artists without the money. These same artists may actually possess a ton of talent. Much of the money an artist earns goes right back into the music for studio time and production. Many artists do not have the time or money to invest into marketing. Jamsterdam Radio is a simple and free way for an artist to get exposure. Just send the music.
BE HEARD
Following Rap By Night, listeners can stay tuned in for the Jamsterdam Top 10. It’s the top 10 tracks you’ve never heard.
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Jay’s shout outs:
I would like to give a shout out to my Jamsterdam team; my main man and the one responsible for getting me into the game Kev aka @ ksmooooth, Tanker Wheels Thompson, Krystal aka @JerZGrlinCanada keep the onto-awesome, humorous yet captivating blogs comin’, Walz aka @WalzRantz intriguing, cunning, ruthless, keep the rantz rollin’. Kaiyzer aka @TheRealKaiyzer, thanks for the hook-up with HHRS! Much appreciated. My Debberz, thanks for being so supportive, caring and tolerant of my late nights. You’re the best! One love!
Jay and Kev
aka @ksmooooth
How do you personally choose what gets played on your hip hop show? Is the selection process difficult? Any artist may send their music. If the music content and quality sounds good and not like it was recorded at a house party, then it will make it to air. I also keep a close eye on those artists with active Twitter accounts, who are putting forth an effort at pushing their music. These artists get bumped to first in line when it comes to airplay. Rap By Night hip hop show, is it censored? Do artists need to send you tracks with bleeps and no cussing? Jamsterdam Radio is not censored but if an artist wants to be broadcasted on our live to air show on CFRU 93.3 FM, then we will need their radio edited version of the track. Do you personally listen to all tracks that come to you? Yes, of course, I am responsible for choosing who makes it to air and which tracks are worthy of making it to our live to air show. It is important to carefully select which tracks are played. It’s my duty to the listening audience to play the best tracks that have never been heard. Do you have any advice for artists promoting their music through Jamsterdam? A good media kit never hurts. An artist submitting a track has an opportunity of making the Jamsterdam weekly top 10. Top 10 track artists are featured on hiphoprapsheet.com
JamsterdamRadio.com. It helps when we can put a face to the name and gain a bit of knowledge about your past via a bio. Keep us up to date on upcoming events and video releases. The more active you are the more exposure you’ll get. Hit us up on twitter @JamsterdamRadio and say what’s up every now and again. What is the importance of supporting online radio, like Jamsterdam giving artists what they want and need at no cost? My advice to aspiring artists is take advantage of any opportunity you may get to have your material heard. The beauty thing about online radio is your music can be heard by a worldwide audience. Potentially, your music could land in ear of the right person and that person being a fan of your music. Who knows whose listening? What’s the best advice for those aspiring to becoming a radio personality? Check out your local community radio stations, they are always looking for volunteers to help out. It’s a great way to get some skin in the game and discover the artists close to home. Jay, is there anything you would like to say to your supporters and HHRS readers? Thanks a ton for tuning into JamsterdamRadio. com, tell your friends, send your music, hear and be heard. Coming soon to a speaker near you! Support hip hop peeps. Catch Jamsterdam Radio’s Rap By Night and get into something new. Contact Jay Hunt/Jamsterdam Radio: Blogspot Facebook Twitter
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505 the place to be
hiphoprapsheet.com
Nite-Life |
Name: CAMERON UNDY Status: Bassist/Composer and Venue 505 Owner/Manager/Booker/Barman/ DJ/Janitor/Delivery Boy/Bathroom Sanitation Expert Region: Surry Hills, NSW, Australia
What are some key features of 505? We are an artist run and curated space. Essentially this means we are not for hire and we book acts that we like. In my opinion, a really great bar selection that is equal to any hip, niche small bar in Surry Hills at a reasonable price. We have a super tasty food menu that is affordable. What genres of music can be heard at 505? Mainly jazz, funk, soul, reggae, flamenco, gypsy, ‘world’ music makes up the majority. But we will break any rule for the sake of great music of any genre (bar heavy metal/rock or otherwise high volume dependant music). What inspired you to take on the role as the venues booker? The club grew out of our warehouse were Kerri Glasscock (my now wife) and I lived together. It started as a Monday night hang where we charged five bucks and I had my favourite bands play. Being a professional musician since 1988, I had developed a strong network of musician friends, so booking the bands was easy for me and I never dealt with agents or managers. Hence the role of booker just came with the vibe of running the Monday night hang. Now I book six nights a week and have to occasionally deal with middle men when engaging higher profile acts.
Cameron Undy
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What are the main challenges you find running a live venue? Ha Ha!! Well there are many challenges but perhaps the toughest for me is keeping the program diverse enough to appeal to a broad audience while retaining a focus. I think that is what keeps 505 interesting with people coming back to discover the depth of local talent over several genres. There is of course the challenge of finding and keeping top crew behind the bar, in the kitchen and the all important sound engineer chair. That’s a very important component in making sure anyone who comes to the club has a great experience and feels like coming back and bringing there mates. In your opinion, how has the live music scene evolved in all your years in the music industry, as an artist and behind the scenes? Do you feel there is a life expectancy for nightclubs and live venues in Sydney? We live in interesting times with live music venues popping up every few months over the last couple of years. Some have not lasted already. Some of the old favourites have gone and others are in a crisis of identity it seems. When I started out as a musician in the late 80’s there was plenty going on and very soon after that the pokies took over and work thinned out. It has always been exhausting to try and get momentum in Australia with the extreme distance between major cities and the absence of conducive spaces to perform and that has not changed. What has changed in Sydney since the PoPE was abolished, is more of a live music culture. More places employing musicians to create a vibe in there cafe, bar or pub. That is a really good sign and it helps us because more people think of making a night of going out to enjoy live music. hiphoprapsheet.com
I don’t think there are any rules about life expectancy of a club. I believe if you work hard, constantly consider the community your entertaining and perhaps have a little luck along the way that a good venue can stick around for a very long time. In your opinion, as a community what can we do to support live music and artists? People have an opportunity to go out to a club, pay a small cover (or in some cases it’s free) and be thrilled, entertained and even inspired by an awesome gig. Have a few drinks, hangout with friends and make new ones. For me that experience has been the highlight of any week. It’s a beautiful loop of people, vibe, sound and imagination that happens at a good show. What do you want to see come out of 505 in the next 5-10 years? More of the same really. Awesome music, loads of fun and heaps of good people enjoying the bar and the food. It’s a simple thing that doesn’t need changing. What are some tips for artists in Australia and abroad, for booking gigs at 505? Ha ha! Have a personal quality in your sound. If you’re a dance band, make people dance. If you’re an art/jazz thing, be interesting, engaging and original. You need to have already built a following as well. That way the business ticks over as well there being great sounds emanating. Is there anything more you would like to add? If I had more time I could probably write a book!!
Venue 505 links: Facebook Official Website
Cameron Undy’s shout outs: My wife Kerri who is the driving force behind the club and the Old 505 Theatre. Our head barman Ben, who makes the killer Manhattan and Old Fashioned cocktails (and the rest). Sound engineers past and present for having to deal with my perfectionism. All the musicians who bring so much love and good vibes. My mum and dad for ‘always’ being there, questioning and supporting my ideas.
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Live your Life in Leaps and Bounds hiphoprapsheet.com
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Dance |
Name: MAYA SHERIDAN-MARTINEZ Title: Choreographer/Dancer/CEO Dance Studio 101 Region: East Sydney, Australia Who are the creative forces behind Dance Studio 101? I work on all aspects of the business from creating the ideas behind the workshops to creating new classes that target specific pockets of our clientele. I also spend a lot of time finding the best people in those styles to host the classes so that people get the most out of their dancing, keeping my ear to the street so to speak. Heloise is my right hand woman, sister, BFF, we tackle a lot of the stuff together. We also style and wardrobe all of our shows and we're known as the Glimma Twinz. Can you tell us about the features of your dance studio? Our business has been called ‘a gem’. I don't know if it's because we are hidden away with instructions to buzz a secret code into the door, our Fame-like walls with vintage records and Boombox’s, or our different dance styles and workshop courses that change up week to week. We've made a name for ourselves by always having offered niche, boutique and customised classes which encapsulate the joy of dance and not just the voyeuristic ‘rush to the front and look at yourselves in the mirror’ type experience. We currently have a monthly Beyonce workshop which has continued to be a sold-out event. 71
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Maya’s shout outs: Basslines, Techa Noble, Robin Claire, King Ted (Power Cuts Reggae Club), The Hon. Lukey P, Kofi Walker. Our gals 101 Doll Squadron and all our peeps that frequent the studio. hiphoprapsheet.com
Do you have any success stories that have come out of your dance studio? I do commercial work for TV and advertisements, last year choreographed Tina Arena on her come-back single You Set Fire To My Life, as well as delivered concepts to the producers of Underbelly, creating choreography for Jessica Mauboy and an ensemble of actors and professional dancers. Our show 101 L'Afrique was a sell-out success for the Sydney Fringe Festival and we were commissioned to create five pieces for the following year's festival by Clover Moore/Sydney Mayor for her launch. Rachael Beck is the head of our Musical Theatre Dept. and has starred in everything from Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Singing in the Rain, Les Miserables and most recently Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Seven Martinez, one of our students was cast in the lead role of Australia's Got
Talent's winner Andrew DaSilva's Miracle music video (Sony) and alongside other kids, hip hop students, sang backing vocals for his live performances for Sunrise morning show, as well as the annual Telethon. We have teachers on the past and current Australian version of So you Think You Can Dance. Let's just say the people behind the scenes at 101 have successful ongoing careers throughout the industry. We also have an interesting clientele of creatives coming in for classes, people in the know, that have designed and collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Sass and Bide, CEO's, music and advertising execs. Not only do we get hired for big brands such as Apple, Sony, Gucci etc....but these same mix of people end up seeking us out for dance classes, in their leisure time.
Have you noticed any particular dance trends that are on the uprise? There seems to be a lot of interest right now in ‘dancehall and reggae’ styles. We're proud to say we've been around from the start of it especially in the first nightclub nights and it's introduction in to the mainstream dance schools. I was the very first teacher in Sydney in 2000 and Heloise is the only dancehall teacher of Jamaican origin so we have seen a lot of students come through over the years, trained a lot of the current teachers and performers in Sydney. Next month we have Latonya Style coming to teach direct from Jamaica and look forward to more of these events that bring the ‘Dancehall and Caribbean’ culture together.
Dance Studio 101 links:
Email: maya@dancestudio101.com.au Facebook Website
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Dropout Bear (Collaboration with Kayne West)
hiphoprapsheet.com
Art |
Takashi Murakami is a prolific maestro of his field, likened to contempory artist legend Andy Warhol, mastering fusion of contempary art and fine art, whilst capaitalising on the profound and pornagraphic type art that comes at a hefty price tag.
C
reating a microcosm of visually engaging colour and depth, flowers, skulls, big busted waitress, lactating busty female and ejaculating male seven foot sculpures, the dark and the bizarre... shooting him to critial acclaim. Adding to his ever expanding portfolio, working with label giant Louis Vuitton and moving into the realm of hip hop working with Kayne West and Pharell Williams. Takashi’s humble beginings trace back to his birthplace in Tokyo, Japan, 1962. Murakami’s parents moved south of Japan to seek work in Tokyo, only affording to live in a low income area, living near a river. When in typoon season, Murakami states his family were forced to live waist deep in water. As a young boy Murakami had a keen interest in anime. Murakami’s parents educated him in impressionist art, taking him to museums, paving way to where he is today.
Originality
ONLY COMES ONCE!
Murakami attended Tokyo University of Arts majoring and attaining a Ph.D in Nihonga (tradional Japenese art). Having no real interest in Nihonga, moving away to his passion...contempary art. Murakami later went on to create his signature pop icon piece called DOB. Gaining positive attention throughout Japan. In 1994 Murakami was given a fellowship with the Asian Cultural Council in New York, which was created by the late John D Rockefella. Furthermore...Murakami foudned the Superflat movement, launching his career. In simple...the artistic creation of a Superflat artwork is seen as a flat surface but in the process to the viewer, looks three dimentional, this can be seen in his artwork ‘flowers’ and ‘skulls’. In 2002 Murakami was contacted by world renowned designer Marc Jabobs assistant, asking if he would design for Louis Vuitton. 75
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Method or Madness - Contemporary to Commerce
Name: TAKASHI MURAKAMI Status: Visual Artist Region: Tokyo, Japan
Image Title
With no knowledge of Jacobs and Vuitton and further speaking with his staff, he decided to take the job. The following day he started working with the label. Murakami turned his attention to merchandising his brand of art, noticing a market not many artists were doing at the time. His conceptual idea stayed within the margins of contemporay arts. Creating art as we know it, his art fetches in the millions. Miss Ko2 $6 million (pronounced Ko-Ko), My Lonesome Cowboy $13.5 million, Kaikai Kiki $2,696,030 million, Panda $2,376,840 million, just to mention a few.
Hiropon, Ko2 and My Lonesome Cowboy
hiphoprapsheet.com
Murakami’s vision and technique is intricate. Handcrafted works taking years to bring a single piece of art to fruition from the confines of his studio. Murakami admits his attention to colour was inspired by when he was a freshman in university, a female student addressed Murakami had severly lacked a sense of colour. Not being exposed to many colourful things and upset with the comment, he went on to study the fundamentals of colour, later adding it to his work. Fast forward...in 2007 Murakami was contacted by an editor of a music magazine, asking if he knew Kayne West and that he wanted to see
Murakami’s next hip hop venture was in 2009 with Pharell Williams and Jacob & Co/Jeweller, on his project The Simple Things. The concept is Pharell’s favourite things; a can of Pepsi, a
packet of Doritos, a cupcake, a bottle of Heinz Ketchup, Johnson’s baby lotion, a condom and a sneaker from Pharell’s clothing label/ Billionaire Boys Club, blinged out, encrusted with 26,000 diamonds and precious gems, placed inside the mouth of a 6-foot Murakami monster. The scuplture sold for a whopping 2 million in twenty minutes. Some debate whether this is capitalism, snobbery at its best or as Pharell has stated its to visualise the metaphor of value and what it means to them personally. As a fan of Murakami’s earlier peices, this is most definitely my least favourite piece. Murakami...method or madness, contempory art to commerce?! Love him or hate him, we can’t help but notice Murakami’s innate ability to create modern pieces, taking anime and contemporary art to a whole new level. Monique Walker
L-R: The Simple Things, DOB, Flowers, Skulls. HHRS
Method or Madness - Contemporary to Commerce
Hiropon sculpture. Murakami responded, stating he didn’t know Kayne. Murakami took Hiropon out of storage and into his studio, welcoming Kayne’s visit the following day. Kayne arrived with mother and entourage taking photos, followed by Murakami presenting Kayne with some of his merchandise as a token of appreciation upon leaving. Kanye’s visit was a disappointment to Murakami, due to no collaboration coming from his visit. A month later Kayne advised a meeting with him on his next visit to Japan and the rest is hisory. Collaborating on Kayne’s Graduation album cover and music video Good Morning, showcasing Murakami’s famed artwork named, Dropout Bear.
2. Nhostic Wake Up Call
1. Truth By Design Against the Grain
3. Toxsic Get Buck
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Check it Out |
4. Ant Bradford 99 Styles
6. Dona Li$a Call Da Police
5. DJ Mr Phantastik God For a Day
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“The doubters said, "Man can not fly," The doers said, "Maybe, but we'll try," And finally soared In the morning glow While non-believers Watched from below.” ― Bruce Lee
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