Spring 2013 Edition by VRS Magazine

Vrs Magazine Spring 2013

Versus Interviews : Michal Dziekan 04 Tech Guide : Spring 2013 10 Google Glass : Worth the hype? 13 Versus Showcase 14 be inspired Spring 2013 20 Freelance : Get on with it! 22 Versus Interviews : Kode LGX 24 Notorious B.I.G : East & West 30

Versus Introduces : K.Flay 32 Versus Interviews : Smokey Robotic 34 Mac Miller : Fall From GRace 38 Strange Music Versus Young Money 40 hip-hop beyond american borders 46 Versus tracks of the quarter 48 Versus Reviews ; The 20/20 Experience 50

The contents

34 40

from the editor This issue we have searched far and wide for the best and most interesting designers to speak to and we have hit a jackpot both with Polish born illustrator Michal Dziekan and the extremely energetic Kode LGX. While we have grabbed the up-coming supergroup Smokey Robotic, to talk influences, direction, production and their latest EP ‘Musium.

Our quarterly showcase is packed with talent; with multidisciplinary artists Joshua Zaragoza and Pawel Durczok, whom we had the great pleasure to collaborate with on the outstanding cover homage to Smokey Robotic. Calvin has a look at the up-coming piece of sci-fi innovation ‘Google Glass’, while I talk about the best ways to get yourself working as a freelancer.

Spring 2013 Recently the infamous Notorious B.I.G has had his 16 year anniversary, a perfect time for an insight around the perilous issues surrounding his death. We face of the dark, lyrical powerhouse of Strange Music versus the biggest posse in hip-hop Young Money. JB has a look at the rise and fall of the grassroots pioneer Mac Miller while Justin has a look at hiphop beyond the borders of the USA. The brilliant, multi-talented K.Flay gets a short introduction from us, as well as a feature in our favourite tracks from this past quarter, while Justin Timberlake’s latest album goes under the spotlight... and let’s just say you won’t be disappointed.

the team konrad ziemlewski

jonathon bartletT

I have been fascinated by design from a very young age, currently studying Graphic Design New Media at UCA I am passionately pursuing design. Also I have a massive love for hip hop, loving its eclectic mix of genres and lyricism.

I’ve been listening to hip-hop music for along as I can remember, and the massive variation of samples and styles have led me to appreciate almost every kind of music you can imagine. Incredibly passionate about everything sartorial, creative or innovative.

justin prince

calvin ncube

I’m a Senior Broadcast Journalism major at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. A huge fan of Hip-Hop since my youth I’ve been listening to and enjoying Hip-Hop for over 15 years.

I’m studying Graphic design New Media with a love for typographic design and hip hop music. I really think music and design go hand in hand and Versus is the perfect example of this.

twitter : @vrsmag facebook : facebook.com/vrsmag

web : www.vrsmag.com email : versusmagazine@hotmail.com

get in touch 02

interviews dziekan

Michal dziekan is one of the most talented illustrators to have come out of poland, thats overflowing in talent in the past few years. his mix of raw unadulterated emotion and high-detail draw you into his pieces and dont let go. how did the likes of Terry Pratchet influence this? read on to find out.

Michal, where and when did all of this doodling start? Probably as usual, when I was a kid, my parents encouraged me to draw, they signed me to some drawing classes when I was very young. Then came drawing in the back of the notebooks and that’s how it all begun. As for more conscious period, I started to make my illustrations as a rebound for unsatisfying job in studio. Did you decide to go to university and get a degree in design, or go straight in at the deep end?

I’m self taught. Though I went to university to study architecture, as in high school I loved math equally to art, but eventually math lost the battle and I left school for a job in the studio. Do you have a particular go to theme when designing? I found a lot of your characters in your illustrations seem to have animalistic features.

I like my characters a bit raw but I try different solutions all the time. I’m still learning so I need to experiment a bit every time. At the beginning I mostly trusted my gut, but now it’s all about finding balance between knowledge how the stuff should look (anatomy, proportions, poses etc.) and feeling the piece deep inside.

You clearly have a very distinct taste in humour, looking at your illustrations. What would you say are your favourite comedians and comedy films? Monty Python. Terry Pratchett. A whole bunch of polish comedians from the past and old polish comedy films. They were describing harsh reality so well and at the same time they were extremely funny, that’s what stood out to me. How did your time at Platige develop you as a designer? Did you regret leaving the studio or do you believe it was the right decision?

At Platige I got the opportunity to work on many different projects which broadened my horizons, though I only developed myself through my own hard work and dedication with things that were done after hours. Leaving the studio was one of best decisions in my life but I don’t regret the time I spent there. I like to think about Platige as the school where I took some useful life lessons. You also dabble in character design for the majority of your personal projects. Do you have a particular reason for focusing on character design, such as one day possibly designing for a game or comic book?

I already did a lot of character designs for games and commercials, it was my job for some time, but designing characters for animation is what I would love to do someday.

Is there any sort of medium you would still love to explore, such as motion graphics, 3D, typography etc? If only I had time to try everything. I’ve already tried motion graphics ( you can check my stuff on my vimeo page), it was a lot of fun, maybe I will get back to it someday. Also I started my adventure with zbrush sculpting and it was also very satisfying. But it take me too much time to focus on other things and there’s still so much to learn in field of illustration and character design. As for now I got a plan to work more with traditional mediums - pencil and ink. What does your design studio look like? What can’t you do without?

Recently I moved to a new apartment where I have a cozy room adapted for a studio. Simple, but I got all I need there - my computer and cintiq. But what I really need for work is my tablet and laptop connected to the internet so I can do my work almost everywhere.

“They were describing harsh reality so well and at the same time they were extremely funny, that’s what stood out to me”

“I like to think about Platige as the school where I took some useful life lessons.” Are there any designers you would love to work with and why? It would be great to work among such great artists as Nico Marlet, Carter Goodrich, Paul Felix (and many more, but the list is too long ;)), just to see them drawing or ask them for advice. If you could design an album cover for a musician of your choice who would they be?

Doesn’t matter, designing covers would be nice but I could do it for any band, I’m really open minded when it comes to music and choosing only one band isn’t possible. Name your 5 favourite websites? lines and colors illustration age unofficial paul felix characterdesign.blogspot.com behance

What do you get up to when you’re not designing? My wife Emily, movies, books and good food.

What would be the one tip you would give an aspiring designer? Draw. Read books on art. Draw more. Expand horizons, experiment. Draw even more. Never give up. Any last words?

Thanks for having me. Take care!

You can find the brilliant Michal Dziekan on his website, or follow his adventures on Twitter @MichalDziekan

Minimal Float Wall Desk

Felt Case by CLoud&co

Cord Taco’s

The ‘Minimal Float Wall Desk’ is one clever bit of product design. Sporting either wallnut or rift oak, the wall desk mounts on the wall at any height you choose (allowing both for sitting and standing work), as well as opening up floor space for you. It features soft rounded edges, a pull out tray for your keyboard, mouse and such, with the downside being that such minimalist design requires your best efforts to hide any cables. Prices start at $700.

iPad’s and tablets are expensive business so the last thing you want to do is get them scratched or damaged. The Felt Case by Cloud&Co helps you keep your expensive gadgets safe and in style. The outside is made from polyester felt, while the label material is made from polyurathene; the outside being grey while the inside tan. Cloud&Co have crafted each case instrinsincly by hand, which is incredible with them starting at such as low price $55.

Everyone knows the paintstakingly annoying feeling, when you spend 5mintues trying untangle a pair of headphones or a charger cable etc. To counter that nuisance buy yourself a pair of Cord Taco’s ($25/5pac). A small metal button holds everything in place, while being able to choose either a black or tan taco, helps you mix and match your perhiperals.

spring 2 10

Table & Tennis

Sharetapes

Audiowood turntable

Do you run your own studio? Do you have $6,600 lying around? Why not make boardroom meetings more fun with the lavish and aptly named Table & Tennis. This gorgeous table serves (no pun intended) as a boardroom table and a regulation size ping-pong table. The base is made from stainless steel, while walnut veneer sits on an MDF base. The table offers pull out draws to hide away your rackets and balls in between board meetings. Stock is limited so order in a hurry.

Back in the day when you wanted to introduce someone to a new artist you would make them a mixtape. Sharetapes aims to recreate that experience 2013 style. For $7 you get yourself 5 tapes, where you can create your ‘mixtape’ using a range of websites ; Spotify, Youtube etc. and then click record on Sharetapes’ website and give it to anyone of your friends. All they have to do is tap their phone or any sort of QR reader to have it in their grasp.

When I mentioned a while back how nice it would be to have an oldschool turntable, I didn’t mean one made of wood, but thats exactly what concoction Audiowood have come up with. This expertly designed piece of equipment comes with a hefty prictag of $1,300 but for that you get a Rega arm, Rega Cartidge and a glass platter (not mentioning your wooden base). Hell if I saw a DJ rocking this at a show at least I’d know he has good taste.

2013 11

google Glass

By Calvin Ncube One of the most talked about pieces of tech that is heading our way soon is the innovative Google GLASS. You can have it too, if you have £1500 lying around and are a creative mind that has been hand picked by the company. The selection process would have finished by the time you’re reading this unfortunately but do not despair, it shall eventually become readily available to everyone with time. That time looks to be a lot sooner than you think. GLASS is shaping up to be the next must have trendy piece of tech, it has a lot of potential to be strong in the popularity and staying power contest thanks to being marketed and developed by the beast that is Google. It’s safe to say on paper everything looks like its going in GLASS’ favour. I’m just going to provide a few words that speak about the hype machine behind this product and whether it is really all worth it.

In my opinion Google GLASS presents an interesting new direction for human and tech interaction. A new dimension of freedom, creativity and productivity is available to us through this new gadget. Being able to use the interface hands free allows for the user to carry on with their daily life. All of these things fall safely into the “Pros” category. The creators of GLASS want for the user to be able to carry on with their normal life whilst wearing the piece of tech since it’s been designed not to intrude on normal life similarly to normal spectacles. The idea is to instead enhance life our everyday lives with its applications.

It looks to me that society will take to this pretty well. Since the design is essentially a much techier set of spectacles, essentially we should be used to seeing a pair of those on a trendy person walking down the street. Granted the first few people you may notice with GLASS will stand out but eventually it will become part of culture and disappear into our everyday lives. The glasses are exciting because they look like something out of a sci fi film but are also quite familiar at the same time. Isabelle Olson the lead industrial designer behind Glass says

“we need to remove technology but still wear it”, kinda makes you think of glass not as a piece of tech, but an item of clothing or again a pair of spectacles. Not having to adapt or adjust your way of life for a new piece of technology is an important selling point for GLASS. This means when it becomes available to us hopefully we wont be imagine our lives without it.

“A new dimension of fredom, creativty and productivity is available to us through this new gadget”

Its not all roses though, I do have a few niggling concerns. The first being this: you are wearing a piece of technology on your head. It may very well be lightweight and stylish but it still highlights you from the rest of the crowd. Is that what you want everyday of your life? Another worry that was brought up to me while having a “GLASS hype” related chat was: would wearers of GLASS begin to fall into that stereotypical “arrogant bluetooth” headset user group? Members of this group consist of that person you see, most likely in the city that makes a point of wearing the headset in unnecessary situations. Most of the time just to highlight that maybe they think their life is that important in comparison to everyone else’s or they need to constantly need to be able to talk, hands free, just in case. No one likes that guy. I personally don’t want that for GLASS. I’m hoping to be surprised by this gadget’s success. I secretly want the GLASS to ignite a new sense of creativity in people, making the trendy creative minds shine and give them a new tool that should with time allow for some innovative pieces to come from it. Its safe to say in a way that I am fully aboard the Google GLASS hype train patiently waiting for the day when I can get myself a pair.

S howcase

J.zaragoza How about you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? Hi, my name is Joshua Zaragoza. I am an multimedia artist from Pangasinan, Phillipines. I graduated with a degree in B.S with an Information Technology major in web development. Whilst broadly I am a web and graphic designer my passions lie in producing digital art and this is something I want to pursue more going forward.

My passion for art is deep rooted and first started in highschool where I discovered software such as photoshop. Since,I have collected photos, manipulated them into something cool. My dream is to carve out my own little niche as an artist and be renowned for a particular style of art. As an artist I am refining and constantly evolving my style. I have experimented in mixing different media like 3d, photos and digital painting to produce surreal, sic-fi and sports inspired art. Whom and what inspires you. Has your upbringing in the Philippines at all inspired the sort of work you create? My surroundings and with that my family have shaped me to be the person I am today. So in that sense I have been indirectly inspired by those around me and of course directly because I enjoy spending and seeking their counsel. I also think that internet has propelled art at a faster pace than ever before. To ability to see and draw inspiration from so many artists and sources also motivates me. Quality art moves me and fuels my day. My sense of belonging to our great nation is also what motivates and drives me. You work in a number of mediums, showcasing your brilliant versatility, but which one is your favourite and why?

I prefer using mixed media because I find it so unique and moving. I feel that the canvas is broad enough that my expression is not confined to the limitations of one art style. I feel free, I feel like i can do anything. Who would be one designer you would love to collaborate with and why?

It would be an absolute privilege to collaborate with a Filipino concept artist like Bpsola or Ferdinandladera. Their themed artwork genuinely inspires me. With time I hope to gravitate and follow in their footsteps. I admire their technique and unique eye for detail, they are my digital artist idols. So yeah, I would love to spend some time with them.

@joshuazaragoza 15

T.gutteridge Hey Tom, let’s start off by telling us a little about yourself and what you’re up to at the moment? Hey! My name is Thomas Gutteridge and I’m currently in my second year of University studying Graphic Design. I’ve been drawing since I was out of the womb and love to doodle. I also got very interested in T-Shirt and other clothing graphics, which has led me into creating my own clothing company, which originally expanded from a design company where I did commissioned work for bands and other clothing companies. Your style is clearly defined in your work and it is visually very strong. How would you describe it to our readers?

Thank you, I’m glad you think so! I would say it’s quite bold at times, but also quite rough in the way I do a lot of my line work. I like the sort of style I get from it as opposed to point perfect slick line work. I like to try and be as imaginative as possible with my work, coming up with completely random

things, although a lot of the time I enjoy drawing skate culture related stuff along other interests... What gets the creative juices flowing and where would you say you get inspiration for your work?

There’s lots of different areas, I always pop on the T-Shirt designing website ‘Mintees.com’ which has lots of incredible artists showcasing their work, which never fails to inspire you into creating something awesome. A lot of the time ideas will pop into my head, or there might be a specific theme that takes my fancy and gets me really creative. Failing that good ol’ Mary Jane comes to the rescue. What is your favourite piece of work and why does it stand out to you over the others you have created?

Never really sure what to say to this, but I would probably say it would be my more recent work, the ‘Late Night Illo’ and the CD artwork I did for Perry Hood’s album ‘Ropes’. I think they stand out for me because they show me how far I’ve come with my illustration and the improvements that have been made along with my capabilities when it comes to using Illustrator.

What is your favourite output for the designs because I noticed that you have a clothing label called spillyourgutts, care to tell us a little more about that? All sorts really, I love drawing/designing most things, especially ones where my client gives me creative control. That’s always fun. CD covers are a personal favourite, I love the prospect of creating CD artwork, with the front cover, back cover spine, booklet, the CD itself. Something I really enjoy.

Yeah as I mentioned previous, Spill Your Gutts is a clothing company I started up that grew from my design company. I got heavily inspired by seeing Johnny Cupcakes and loved what he was all about. So managed to get the ball rolling, starting with T-Shirt designs, moving onto Jumpers and Hoodies. Hopefully the future will hold much, much more, which I am excited for! With the name I wanted something that related to me personally, so the phrase ‘Spill your guts’ came to mind, adding the extra ‘t’ in ‘Gutts’ to make it relevant to me. A lot of people end up correcting me on the name, saying ‘You’ve added an extra ‘t’”, which is something I quite like as once the customers get into the brand they get the spelling mistake,

with its link to my name. Originally I was designing shirts based around puns, but as my illustration style developed so did what I wanted Spill Your Gutts to be. I have lots of ideas where to take it next, which I can’t wait to put into action. Do you have any mantras or inspirational words that inspire your work flow, if so could you share them with us?

Not really, I just get down and draw. Although there’s something another illustrator told me once, when I was struggling with where I was going with my illustration. ‘Draw what you want, draw for yourself,’. Simple words but ones I rather like, and when I’m having trouble thinking of what to do, maybe thinking ‘What’s new?’, ‘What’s already been done?’ I always think back to those words and just draw what I feel like drawing!

@spillyourguts 17

P.Durczok Let’s start off with a little introduction. Who is Pawel Durczok and what makes him tick? I’m a 29-year-old guy who happens to live in a small town in Poland called Żory. I’m also married and have a baby daughter. Professionally I’m a self though graphic designer/ web designer/front-end developer who started in Flash but expanded to other disciplines. I have close to 8 years of experience in the business; having a passion for my job before I really took it as such. What makes me tick is a broad question and I think it would be easier to answer what doesn’t as things that drive me are plentiful. My main inspiration and motivation is definitely my family - what I do, I do for them. But I get inspired by all sorts of things - video games, films, music, nature, space, people. I try to keep an open mind and that helps me to do my work. Although your focus is illustration, your work clearly has a wide range of styles and influences. Who or what influenced your design development?

I’d like to say that it’s all me , but the fact is that I get influenced by a lot of other artists and designers, and by their works. Take my early posters as an example - they were inspired by the works of James White of Signalnoise fame and Scott Hansen. My vector work is influenced by artists like Ken Taylor and Josh Smith. The styles may be different, but the inspiration is there. I had a period when I was very influenced by Olly Moss and I tried working in that style. The only thing I would consider really mine is my geometric work. When I started using it there wasn’t too much of that stuff around. Now I see it crop out all the time, but about two year ago it was rather rare. Recently I’m also doing some interface design. It’s definitely not my forte, but it’s something that interests me. All that is part of the reason that I don’t really have a recognizable “style”. I like to experiment with a lot of different things and I get bored easily when I do the same thing too often. If you could collaborate with one musician who would they be?

That is a very easy question for me. It’s Jamiroquai. It really is one of my dreams to design something for those guys. What would be your ideal ‘design led’ job?

In all honesty I’m happy with what I have now. There are no ideal things in the world, but when it comes to jobs mine is probably as close as it gets. I do what I love and it gives me enough financial stability to take care of my family without having to sacrifice my independence. I also have enough challenge and variety to keep developing my skills and not get bored.

“I was very influenced by Olly Moss and I tried working in that style. The only thing I would consider really mine is my geometric work” @Leukocyt 19

Free Lance

By konrad ziemlewski

Procrastination is the bane of any and every freelance designer. I am no different, having spent countless afternoon’s staring at my computer screen, cleaning my room, going out, gaming rather than working. I do think it is an important part of the creative process anyhow, the ability to escape one’s ‘studio’ and having some time to just think out loud and run around can stimulate a myriad of ideas. There are times though where you simply have to buckle down and get on with it.

Nearly all of the jobs I get go down to the wire, partly because the turnover times are incredibly short; I have in the past gone myself to the client, rather than hand it to a courier just so I can get a bit more time to work on a certain project.

The amount of times I have fooled myself into thinking I’m not wasting time is ridiculous, deciding I should try and learn a new software, a new language or start running. All of these things and more I have done during my ‘procrastinating’ stages, what I have found though is giving yourself structure does help. First of all give yourself a time-frame day to day, when will you work, when can you mess around. Getting rid of these all nighters where you know you will be up to 5am will get rid of needless procrastinating and wasting time, while if you know you will work 10-3 you will force yourself to produce, because you know when you can go out and be free.

Music is also a massive, massive help to me when I am struggling to produce work. I, like most people see music as an extremely enjoyable medium, it makes work less tedious, stopping you from feeling bogged down under stress, time constraints etc. Often I end up listening to movie and game OST’s (Original Soundtrack) rather than actual music; Mass Effect, Moon and Sunshine being some of my favourites, due to the lack of lyricism.

This might sound preachy, but keeping healthy is another major part that I feel helps anyone finding doing work difficult. Often I will try go outside for a bit before I begin to work, or take a 30minute break in-between working to take a stroll outside and let my head clear. Also having a bottle of water (whatever drink really) and something you can nibble on while working always helps, keeping your hand eye coordination up and keeps you moving and not starving. At the end of the day no one can force you to work. It’s not easy getting organised when you have worked last minute all your life, but hopefully some of these tips will get you on the right track and getting rid of those extremely entertaining ‘zombie’ phases.

interviews Lgx

Kode lGX is unlike many designers out there. Born in syria, raised in australia, his cultural diversity has hugely impacted the way he looks at the world around him and the sort of design he gets up to. Deciding to have an eclectic colour palette, an interest in a load of different media, and great nouse of the social networks, kode is unlike many designers i have met before.

Let’s get all the formalities out of the way. Could you give us a little introduction to yourself and what you actually do? Whats up world, name is Kode Abdo aka Logic aka Bosslogic. I know so many names, I got like 5 more but thats a whole other interview!

Im an artist from Melbourne, Australia, born in the home land of Syria, what can I say about myself you may not already know? I make pictures, tell stories, write rhymes and play video games, just your everyday average designer on your local internets. I have read you started ‘drawing’ around the age of 6. How has your work with this medium developed and transferred into the digital spectrum you now work in? Just started re-drawing now, but I use my drawing skills to draw concepts and blueprints of ideas I have, these are a must for me. How has your childhood and growing up in Australia, impacted you as a person and your design development?

I feel it limited me, not that Australia is not the top tier country for design, but I believe if I were to be in NY things would have been a lot different. Whom or what have pushed you towards a design field? What are your go-to inspirations behind your work?

My dad inspired me to draw. From there I went on to art, where i found my favourite artist Fatoe, he’s amazing, provided me with inspiration, work wise and talked to me, gave me words of wisdom, forever grateful for that. Looking at your work it is extremely varied, ranging from photo-manipulation to illustration and typography. Is there a particular reason you have not decided to specialise in a specific direction?

I dont want to feel limited, I like doing all types of design. Although the things I am working on now, such as illustration and digital painting, I want them to define me.

Is there any property (film, game) or musician you would love the chance to work with and why? My dream is to work for Marvel one day, even though we have nothing in common, I feel we are family. They raised me up to believe in heroes.

Could you talk to us about your ‘Iron Mash’ series? What was the inspiration behind it? Which one is your favourite? Is there one you still want to do? And what the process behind them was? The ironMash series came from seeing so many crossovers with Iron Man, so I said im just going to mash everyone, my fav is the Wolverine x Iron Man, the colors came out real well. Now the process is that I get a few dozen images of Iron Man, metal parts and everything I can manipulate into one single image, in these blending and layering is key.

“Bro, why did you ever put the pencil down, you could have been the king of your castle by now”

Has there been any piece of work you have wanted to go back to, and re-do? Most definitely. All my work has great ideas but my skills are always limited, so every few years I go back and test myself at it yet again. What do you prefer doing, client or personal work, and why?

Personal work. It is the only time I can have a conversation with my own mind and depict what it is trying to say for others to see visually. Personally I believe all your heart goes into personal work, client work all your skills go into that. If you had to tell your 6 year old self one thing you wish you did to prepare yourself for this crazy industry, what would it be? Bro, why did you ever put the pencil down, you could have been the king of your castle by now.

Is there anything in your studio environment you can’t live without? Well we all know the obvious things, computers, mouse, camera and what not, but the thing I cannot work without is music, I need my music or I start to stress. Any designers to look out for?

I am learning illustration now, so expect to see a whole new me! Also you will be seeing some stuff for DepthCore coming soon.

What do you get up to when not designing?

Any last words?

On the side I am a photographer. I love taking images, we need the memories for when our tickers fade away.

Just in case you forgot from the start of the interview im Kode... I kid, I kid.

What are your plans for 2013?

Stay Fresh, Stay humble, Stay positive, Stay you.

I am also an avid gamer, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you would know I im in love with Street Fighter, I am also the co creator of Shadowloo Showdown, fighters would know what that is. To be totally real, my plans first and most important is to get my life in check, get all my priorities in a row, health, sleep, design and play. I have to manage these better and 2013 is that year to do it. I am also planning on doing some work in LA and NY test out the waters in the states.

Being creative is also a skill we have to work on, I always think of ideas that are out of the box whenever I get one I draw it so i donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget it, so keep your mind working and keep those ideas flowing. The ever available Kode LGX can be found at his website, or trolling on his Twitter @Bosslogic day and night.

Notorious BIG by justin prince At approximately 12:40 am on March 9th, 1997 Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, is gunned down at a red light in downtown Los Angeles. Sixteen years later his murder remains unsolved, shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories. To fully understand Biggie’s murder and the perplexing situation that surrounds it, you must understand Hip-Hop in the mid 1990s.

A rivalry had sparked between rap artists from the East Coast and their counterparts from the West Coast. Rivalry was nothing new in the world of hip-hop dating back to its earliest days of battle rapping, which pitted two MCs against one another in a test of skill. However, it would soon become evident that this East-West rivalry would not be a friendly competition but an outright war that would fast turn bloody.

Biggie found himself at the center of the feud by the end of 1994 after West Coast rapper Tupac publicly accused Biggie and his label executive Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs for an attack on Pac at a New York recording studio. During the attack, 2Pac was shot five times and robbed, he claimed that B.I.G and Puff had set him up and orchestrated the attack. Then came the release of Biggie’s track “Who Shot Ya?” the track was recorded prior to the shooting but many fans and 2Pac himself believed it was Smalls’ way of taunting Shakur. Pac retaliated with “Hit Em Up” a song in which he claims to of had a sexual relationship with singer Faith Evans, Biggie’s then wife. From there the feud was on and with media involvement was only getting worse as other artist from the West and East were dragged into the fray. In September of 1996, Tupac Shakur was killed in a shooting in Las Vegas following a Mike Tyson fight just six months after an armed standoff between Shakur’s Death Row label mates and Biggie’s Bad Boy crew at the Soul Train awards in Miami. With Pac now dead, the feud between the coasts began to fizzle. Still, speculation of who may of killed 2Pac ran rampant. One prominent theory is Combs, Bad Boy’s label executive, put a hit on Pac and Death Row CEO Suge Knight (Knight was also shot in the shooting that killed 2pac but survived).

Fast-forward six more months to March 1997 and B.I.G. for the first time since the feud between him and Pac had escalated, was in California. Biggie who was promoting his upcoming album “Life After Death” did several radio shows throughout

the state before coming to Los Angles on March 8th for the 11th annual Soul Train Awards. Biggie, who was presenting an award to Toni Braxton, was booed as he walked on and off the stage by a large majority of the crowd, many who believed Bad Boy was involved in Pac’s death. The incident was perhaps a bit of foreshadowing as just hours after the awards Biggie was gunned down in the early morning of March 9th as he left an after-party to return back to his hotel. Witnesses to the shooting placed the perpetrator in a black Chevy Impala. Some even gave descriptions of the shooter as an African American man in a blue suit with a bow tie. The eye witness accounts seemingly lead nowhere and the case was eventually put on the back burner at the LAPD office until 2011 when new evidence and the involvement of the FBI reinvigorated the search for Biggie’s killer. Amongst the new evidence were that the bullets used in the crime fit German produced handgun rarely found in America, as well as speculation that the Genovese Crime family may have been involved. In the end, these new leads again ran cold and for a year little to no movement occurred in the case. Then in 2012, fifteen years after Small’s death the LAPD released the autopsy report hoping it would produce some new leads. According to the autopsy of the four bullets that struck Biggie only one produced the injuries that lead to his death. The fatal bullet entered his hip and exited through his shoulder tearing through his colon, liver, heart and lung. Now in 2013 many of the same questions that family and fans were asking in 1997 remained unanswered. Primarily the question of who killed Christopher Wallace? Theories and speculation of who is responsible are abound, implementing everyone from Suge Knight to the LAPD itself. Even Biggie’s friend and boss Sean Combs has been accused of being involved. Still the most enduring aspect of B.I.G’s legacy isn’t his unsolved murder but the music he left behind. With only two true albums Biggie was able to cultivate his place in Hip-Hop history with his guttural sound, and gritty lyricism Small’s painted a vivid picture of the Brooklyn Streets he grew up on. Recognized by his peers and hip-hop fans alike as one of the greatest emcees of all time, his legacy is sure to endure. Hopefully the unanswered questions surrounding his death don’t persist as long as that legacy.

the streets either you

k.flay

Versus Introduces you to the 27 year old, stanford educated kristine flaherty, who took her hobby to the world stage.

K.Flay

“from the high to low, gotta hide from the light of day / feeling like i might just float away”

There is a sort of duality to San Fran emcee K.Flay. Their is Kristine Flaherty, a Stanford University graduate in Psychology and Sociology and then her polar opposite, K.Flay, an artist signed to RCA Records. A 27 year old woman who recently moved from San Francisco to Brooklyn to further her career, while as a rapper straddles boundaries between hip-hop, indie and electronica.

She didn’t set out to be a rapper, seeing it as a fun extracurricular activity during her sophomore year at Stanford. She now as a catalogue that consists of numerous mixtapes and a brand new EP released last month called ‘West Ghost’. Her age, cultured education and ability to sing, produce and rap has clearly influenced the sort of music she makes; constantly treading the line between rap, rock and electro. Even with all these loud layer’s in her production, there is no denying her quick fire rhymes, full of clever wordplay about suburban discontent, delivered through her twenty something turmoil filled smugness. This incredibly unique, auditory blend, explains why she has opened up for acts ranging from the likes of Snoop Dogg to Passion Pit. Though most interestingly is her opening up for fellow genre-bending artist Theopilus London, a collaboration we all hope to happen one day.

What connects most with me are her introspective lyrics, the sort you expect from the likes of Grieves or Macklemore; she definitely wouldn’t look out of place signed under the Rhymesayers banner. ‘Say, say what I want when I don’t even know then apologize after / Seems like the pace I’m on and my mistakes keeps us celebrating faster’. Although very much a bubbly personality in person, her lyrics reveal a much more complex person under that persona, frustrated with youth, parental approval etc; that’s not to say she hasn’t got a party track or two in her. Kristine has a bright future ahead of her, with a debut album on the horizon at some point this year, and a number of artists trying their best to be able to work with her, the world is her oyster. Unlike Nicki Minaj, that came before I don’t see her toning down her style to fit in, rather she expects everyone to tailor their ears to her sound. There is nothing wrong with that.

Versus Interviews : Smokey Robotic Groups have been the staple of the hip-hop diet from the begging; be it public enemy or the roots. smokey robotic are another of these supergroups on the rise, mixing crazy lyricism, electronica and hip hop with bonkers visuals to deliver their own brand of what they like to call superfuturemusic.

Who are Smokey Robotic and what do you guys do? Konrad OldMoney: We are wild dreamers and we dream wildly. Seer: Smokey Robotic consists of Father Dude, Konrad OldMoney, Illmind and myself. We make planets. !llmind: We do tings. What on earth is a Smokey Robotic?

Konrad OldMoney / Seer: The question would be more like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who on earth is Smokey Robotic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smokey is a two foot robotic creature who jumped out of a jukebox in 1972 . Your music hits a number of genres, essentially creating its own. Who or what has influenced this journey? Who are your favourite artists? Seer: Kurt Vonnegut, Andre 3000, Italo Calvino, Al Green, Otis Redding and recently Frank Ocean. As far as music, I am inspired by soulful tones and melodies such as those you find in Motown music. In terms of content, what turns me on most is a blend of wild imagination and real life truths based on experience.

Konrad OldMoney: Our genre is called Superfuturemusic. We have been running with that name since day one. Essentially it is exactly what you described. A blend of all of our musical influences. Structure in music is a really fun playground. And nowadays in the iPod generation you can experiment more freely as people are more open to having playlists of various genres of music. We do that on records. For me I focus on global bass and hip-hop . I have roots in a lot of dancehall and kuduro , as well as electro and hiphop so I kind of pull all that together into one. My favorite artists are Buraka Som Sistema, The Very Best, Mavado, and my mom.

FD: We all have influenced each other really. I see us as four forces that have a good understanding of our individual sounds. Putting together an eclectic group is one thing but finding the balance to let each other creatively breathe is another. Personally, I am influenced by a wide variety of music having grown up on Doo-Wop/early Rock and Roll, Motown/Soul and classic rock. I cut my teeth playing drums in Rock, Jazz and Progressive bands. Some of my favorite artists/composers are Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Mike Patton, Phil Collins, Soundgarden, YES, James Brown and Elvis Presley.

!llmind: As far as production, I’m influenced by pretty much everything. My roots are strong in Hip-Hop, so regardless of the genre I’m creating, there’s always that Hip-Hop energy involved somehow. Clearly all of you bring something different to Smokey Robotic to create its unique sound. What does your studio process look like, working between the four of you?

Seer: I mainly dance around and move my hands in frenzied motions babbling melodic and lyrical ideas while Konrad and Illmind create the beautiful noise. Konrad OldMoney: That’s pretty much it. Seer described it perfectly. Illmind and I just sit down at a console and both plug into the same audio outputs and go to it. FD: It’s different all the time having some sessions beginning with Seer and I writing with Illmind or Konrad separately but we work best when all four of us are in the same place. !llmind: I think we like to base a lot of it on how we feel at that very moment.

Left to Right; !llmind, Konrad OldMoney, FAther dude, Seer

Recently I managed to give a few listens to your latest project ‘Musium’. This latest EP seems to have gone even more eclectic in music direction, but it feels much more honed and polished. What was it you were trying to achieve with this latest project? Seer: With this L.P. we strove to bring our poetic and imaginative content into the realm of dance music.

FD: I was trying to really trying to update/improve upon our previous baroque records. !llmind: I think we were in a space, creatively, to create upbeat bassy music that makes you move. Favourite track from Musium? Seer: Calling Konrad OldMoney: Gandhi FD: Really tough.. tie between Unlike Anyone/Secret light of my soul/In your bed. I can’t make decisions. !llmind: It’s hard to pick a favorite, but currently it’s Gandhi. I know you guys have had a past in graffiti and such. How do you go about your visual process, be it music videos or album covers? That’s one thing that always hits me with you guys, their so unique and clearly been thought about for a while. Seer: I have no past in visual creation but I love to conceptualize ideas for paintings and art. Working with amazing artists from around the world, giving them inspiration and helping to coax wild visions out of them has been a great joy.

Konrad OldMoney: I have lots of prior graffiti and breakdancing experience etc. My roots lay heavy in visual arts. We all kind of pull different resources and artists into the process of making our music. Sometimes we do the art ourselves, sometimes we collaborate with other visual artists whom we appreciate. Every song is a different approach both sonically and visually, therefore we don’t ever have to deal with our music feeling stale. And hopefully neither do our fans. What was it like working with Redman on ‘No Reality’. How did that come about? Seer: I self-promote the hell out of us. I was sitting in on a session with !llmind and Red and played a bunch of our records. Red was inspired and wanted to jump on the No Reality record that Ill and I had just begun. He’s a super humble, down to earth cat and it was definitely an honor to be in the studio with him. Did any of you have a plan b had music not worked out? Seer: Teaching kids which I do on the side. Konrad OldMoney: Ninja. Which I do on the side. FD: What do they call it again... death? !llmind: Plan B’s are for b*tches.

The four of you come from different backgrounds, each of you having your own side projects. Who has been your favourite person to have worked with on your own solo projects and Smokey as a whole? Konrad OldMoney: On a solo project so far ? hmm... The Very Best, Lady Leshurr, Afrikan Boy. Those would I guess be my top three. But I love working with Smokey the most. Working with Smokey is intense. My favorite work we have done together with another artist would be with Redman and Tiger Jk and his wife Tasha Yoon Mirae. FD: I enjoy working with different genres because of my instrumental background. The guys at SoundAssociation and I have worked on my solo stuff in the past and present. My favorite collabs we’ve done so far are with Yoon Mirae and Skyzoo. !llmind: I like working with people that like working with people that LOVE working.

I heard Konrad has worked on a game for EA a while ago. Is that something that interests you guys, working with other mediums? Seer: Definitely.

Konrad OldMoney: * cough cough * couple games... ;) haha ! But yes, definitely. We have collaborated with various brands already as Smokey Robotic. Movado Watches, Topman clothing, Converse, Journeys, and some others. This allows us to explore other approaches as to what we do with our music. It is very fun. If you want us on some video games, start emailing EA Sports all demanding-like.

“He’s a super humble, down to earth cat and it was definitely an honor to be in the studio with him.”

Strange Music vs. YMCMB ? Seer: Strange music Konrad OldMoney: What is with kids and their acronyms these days? !llmind: YMCMB What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done or said to you guys? Seer: Tattooed my lyrics on his arm. Konrad OldMoney: Has slept with me. FD: Said “fuck me Father Dude!” during sex.

What is it like going between New York and Vancouver?

What are you guys listening to right now?

Seer: Amazing to be able to travel from one unique city to the other. Best of both worlds.

Seer: Efterklang and Frank Ocean. Konrad OldMoney: My harddrive spinning. Oh and beeps and clicks... Beenie Man. FD: Kendrick Lamar and The Band !llmind: The last song we did.

Konrad OldMoney: I get to complain about TWO cities now! FD: Love Vancouver. Already feels like home away from home. Same goes for LA. I have to give !llmind props on the beat he crafted for Hoodie Allen’s ‘Cake Boy’. How did that relationship come about? What do you think of the final outcome?

!llmind: I met Hoodie through my good homie Jared Evan. Hoodie approached Jared to collaborate, and Jared called me to produce the track. I guess I sort of clicked w/ Hoodie after that, and now I’m working pretty heavily w/ him. Cake Boy was one of the first songs I did going into his new project CrewCuts. Who would be one artist and producer you would love to work with, dead or alive?

Seer: Otis Redding. Konrad OldMoney: Currently?... Lil Wayne. Tomorrow? idk.. FD: Mike Patton !llmind: I wanna work with Adele.

What does 2013 have in-store for Smokey Robotic? Seer: tours, videos, a short book and lots of music. !llmind: More fun.

It’s been an absolute pleasure having a chance to talk to you guys. Any last words? Seer: “If on a winter’s night a traveler ...” Konrad OldMoney: Smokey for mayor. FD: Spay and neuter your animals.

The incredibly talented and active foursome can be found on their collective Twitter @Smokeyrobotic

Mac Miller Mac Miller was every white kid’s idol, following the success of his early mixtapes. Sour Hour, Jukebox & The High Life all purported Mac to be someone who was deeply in love with music and was striving to make as much as possible, to the highest quality as possible. Following these, the mix tape K.I.D.S dropped, and the internet went crazy. This was the perfect set of songs for a teenager wanting to live vicariously through music and appreciate the hedonistic lifestyle of someone who not too long ago, was in their exact same shoes. This was the pinnacle for Mac, tracks like Senior Skip Day, Face in The Crowd & Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza (Yes Finesse, you were right) were some of my favourite pieces of the time, it even highlighted the eponymous film to my then naive attention; a film that I would now call one of my favourites.

In contrast to the aforementioned tracks that got your head bumping and mouth moving due to the simple rhymes (Still got my training wheels in the garage/But I ain’t gonna need those imma go hard), tracks like Poppy and Face In The Crowd highlighted the introspective side of Mac, noting the difficult periods in his life where he felt dejected and unimportant, something that nearly everyone can relate to. The fact that this mixtape, almost single-handedly, lead to his success should have shown the innate businessman within Mac that this is the route that he should continue to take in order to retain credibility, in addition to success. However, he’s strayed from these values to such a degree that he’s verging on being a completely different rapper to what I initially thought.

To compare him to an artist in a similar vein, during an interview that I conducted with him in mid 2011, Mac mentioned an upand-coming artist that I, and my readers, should check out. ‘I dunno if you guys are up on him yet, there’s this dude out of Harlem called Asap Rocky. Someone you guys should check out, he’s my homie, the illest, trill as hell’ A$AP is the antithesis to Mac Miller as far as I’m concerned, his initial music was almost identical to that of his Pittsburgh counterpart, they both came up as a result of mixtapes (LiveLoveA$AP & K.I.D.S respectively), both had an unprecedentedly short road to success in comparison to many other artists and both rely heavily on features from other artists to create a buzz. The TDE roster in particular. The difference is, Rocky’s music is still in the same vein as it always has been. Yams, his manager, has a firm control on the direction in which Rocky should be going. Mac on the other hand decides who he wants to collaborate with and as a result,

he’s created a style that’s almost impossible to pinpoint. This, in the generation which we’re currently in, where the internet is inundated with hundreds of hungry rappers wanting to make it, is an inherent flaw in the long term nature of Mac Miller. To elaborate further, his upcoming album ‘Watching Movies With The Sound Off’ will feature a guest verse by Gucci Mane, perhaps the least likely candidate for a track with a middle class white kid from Pittsburgh who attended a private school, trying his utmost to make himself less clean cut. That ain’t ‘burr’.

This year, he’l be dropping two mixtapes/EPs. One with Pharrell, one of the most influential producers of the noughties, and one with DJ Jazzy Jeff, someone synonymous with the 90s. As much as I’d like to say that these legends are working with Mac due to his music, it seems that as publication after publication continue to hang off this guy’s belt (Complex Man of Next Year, featuring in the XXL Freshman List, Woodie of the Year), it’s more than likely it’s for the money, and to seem relevant in a time where both former icons have fell off. Everyone on the come up at the moment has their crews behind them, a group of artists who surround them and keep their style similar, particularly when gaining huge exposure. However, as Mac dips into Odd Future and TDE to try and keep his relations tight with those artists who are genuinely creating their own lane, he becomes less and less impressive, and more and more like a generic white figure head that pales in comparison to other known caucasian rappers. Asher Roth and Macklemore, who still aren’t as popular as Mac, even Apollo Knox and Nyck Caution - rappers on the up who have a distinct style that people can expect from one track to the next. The initial shock of a white rapper having good flow and decent bars has worn off, in the upcoming years we will see less of an importance being placed on race as hip-hop becomes a power in it’s own right in the charts in countries other than the USA, the outrageous success of ‘Thrift Shop’ only adds more credence to this prediction. I feel inclined to conclude by making sure that my comments aren’t misconstrued, Mac Miller will continue to gain more twitter followers, more fans, and make more money. But if he continues on this route; as far as I’m concerned, there is no chance that he will ever make a collective set of music as influential or impressive as K.I.D.S, his initial stepping stone into the limelight. For someone who’s been on record saying he wants to be ‘as big as the Beatles’, he’s going down the Long and Winding Road of attempted legacy on the wrong side.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The initial shock of a white rapper having good flow and decent bars has worn offâ&#x20AC;?

By Jonathon Bartlett

Versus

presents strange

Music

“So what you ask of me? you get no tax from me, I got white, native and mexicans and blacks with me, Im tryin to get up there with master p, pass the d cause thats the way it has to be”

Tech N9ne - Slacker In terms of record sales the roster over at Strange Music is nowhere near the numbers that Lil Wayne and his Young Money cohorts are producing. However, don’t judge the talent that Tech N9ne has put together on sales alone. Strange Music led by Tech himself has slowly compiled one of the deepest and most talented rosters in not only the hip-hop underground but the mainstream as well. One of Strange Music’s longest tenants Kutt Calhoun has been able to amass a strong following even seeing his 2010 release peak at number 15 on the Billboard independent charts. Calhoun’s bravado seems to make him fit more on the Young Money roster but lyric for lyric Calhoun can match up withjust about everyone. In 2009 Strange Music went out and signed Brotha Lynch Hung and it was a match made in Hell.

Brotha Lynch’s dark, gruesome, and sometimes much too vivid lyricism made him fit right at home on the label. Lynch a Hip-Hop veteran and of the first rappers to prominently feature the horror core style is a legend in the underground and has served as a strong influence for several artist. Eminem has even cited Hung as an inspiration for some of his darker tracks. Hung has been able to sale over 1.5 million records independently showing his ability to draw and keep fans. One of the more recent signees of Strange Music ¡Mayday! had garnered a large fan base online before Tech picked the group up. Their first release on Strange Music “Take Me To Your Leader” was critically acclaimed receiving a 4 star rating on HipHopDX.com. Strange Music cofounder Travis O’Guinn called the release the best album outside of Tech’s “Angelic” to ever be released on the label.

Then you have Tech N9ne himself who is renowned and universally respected in the world of hip-hop as one of the genres best lyricist and storytellers. Record sales aside the artist at Strange Music can stand toe to toe with any label in hip-hop. And what they may lack in brand recognition and Twitter followers the label more than makes up for with substance and imagery. In an on wax battle I can’t think of one Young Money artist that would come out unscathed in a head to head much up with someone on the Strange Music roster. Tech and O’Guinn have built the largest independent label in the United States and they’ve done it through quality talent and a feverish, loyal fan base that has been steadily growing since the label’s inception in 1999.

by justin prince 43

“Pull up in the monster automobile, gangsta With a bad bitch that came from Sri Lanka / Yeah I’m in that Tonka color of Willy Wonka You could be the king but watch the queen conquer”

Nicki Minaj - Monster Young Money include some of the biggest artists in the world right now, with Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne all being known by nearly every person under the age of 30 in the western world. Take into account their sales, well over 10,000,000 at the point of writing and you have commercial success hand in hand with a revered reputation.

Nicki Minaj after initially coming out as the new woman of hiphop, taking the reins from Lil Kim, put out one of the best verses on Kanye West’s MBDTF, arguably the best album of the year. Her verse, widely rumoured to have been ghost-written by Ye himself, surprised everyone so much it lead Rick Ross to say ‘I knew then she’s one of the greatest’, as well as inspiring swathes of articles mentioning how she overshadowed two of the GOAT’s, Jay and Yeezy. As much as she tries, this period of her being a respected hiphop artist is well and truly over, much to my dismay. However, she has instead took up the more financially rewarding position as one of the top artists in the pop game, sitting comfortably in the trifecta along with Rihanna and Beyonce, two staunch cogs in the world wide Top 40 machinery.

YOLO. That in itself must tell you why this crew has such significance in the modern day. Drake’s use of this well-known term has (unfortunately) become a world-wide phenomenon, the track Hell Yeah Fucking Right - strangely also acronymized - was played in nearly every club over the UK to the point of over saturation. Their music is inherently catchy, Lil Wayne’s ‘A Milli’, Drake’s newer ‘Started From The Bottom’, Minaj’s ‘Super Bass’ and Tyga’s ‘Rack City’ have all been heard by every single one of you reading this article. While there is little to offer in terms of conscious content, that isn’t what is being aimed for by the crew. They want to make the jams that get you peacocking in the club, and they do it incredibly well.

Where Minaj and Tyga have very little credibility in the scene, Drake and Wayne are the two members who continuously keep the true hip-hop fans interested in what’s going on, as much as they’d love to deny it. Wayne’s including of these artists in both his roster and his own projects shows his entrepreneurial skill, and though he’s fallen off to an extent since The Carter 3, there are still little gems which standout amongst his deluge of inane grunts and shameless product placement - ‘Sorry 4 The Wait’ being the most recent, memorable track.

by JOnathan Bartlett Drake’s smooth style allows him to round up fangirls like some kind of divine shepherd, the entire album ‘Take Care’ was widely received by critics and fans alike as being a great attempt from someone trying to grow in the industry. Though I feel he’s made a drastic mistake by not keeping up relations with current talk of the town ‘The Weeknd’, his tutelary role in the promotion of the aforementioned artist shows that he’s taken after Wayne in a similar vein to the way in which Wayne did with Birdman all those years ago. This brings me to the head of the pack, Grammy award winning Lil Wayne. Someone who’s widely regarded in the game as being one of the most influential in terms of his following worldwide. He’s recently pipped Elvis Presley to the title of ‘most entries on the Billboard Hot 100’ - with a staggering 109 tracks that have featured.

He’s divisive. Most recently choosing to actively to include his new brand, Trukfit, in his lyrics much to the dismay of his fans. There certainly has been a change to Lil Wayne from the artist we knew who pumped out hit after hit, and wasn’t afraid to take a chance on a new sound (see Rebirth), though the few standout tracks from The Carter IV show that he isn’t completely done yet. As he’s said that he will be retiring at the age of 35 to focus on looking after his children, and presumably the outrageous stacks of 100’s he’s got resting somewhere in an off-shore bank account, I hope this will lead him to create music that he enjoys again. His style is so distinct with his lean induced voice that if he were to find that ‘vein’ that we’ve seen Kanye mine at for the last 9 years then he could be a force to reckon with once more.

Though Wayne has somewhat conceded his seat as the most popular rap artist amongst the roster now, with Drake arguably stealing his spot, he’s one of the artists that will still have a dedicated army of stans listening irrespective of it’s quality. I Am Not A Human Being II’s track listing is underwhelming to say the least (Soulja Boy, really Weezy?), but Drake’s ‘Nothing Was the Same’ is set to be just as popular as Take Care, meaning Wayne can sit back and rest on the fact that even if he does fail - and believe me he will- his ‘children’ so to speak will still be providing that crucial financial stability. Being able to shift over 2 million copies with an album is something that three of the four heads of Young Money can claim to have done, something which isn’t echoed by many, if any, of the other crews around today. Their music isn’t the most thought provoking, and it certainly isn’t exemplary in terms of skill, however their beats and bars are so catchy that it makes hip-hop accessible to those who aren’t inclined to throw on a Stones Throw vinyl, and that alone highlights their importance to the future of our beloved genre & scene.

Versus

presents young

money

Hip-Hop Beyond

american

borders 46

Hip-Hop was born in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s. Today Hip-Hop has grown past the five boroughs into a worldwide art form taking on cultural aspects of the regions and nations it resides in. This grass roots like movement of Hip-Hop is not unlike other musical genres, yet it wasn’t until recently that Hip-Hop musicians from outside of the United States had started to gain the appeal of American audiences.

Hip-Hop in Europe most notably the U.K. has been around for decades yet a true cross over had yet to occur. Then in 2010 British rapper Tinie Tempah finally seemed to cross the radio waves and actual waves of the Atlantic Ocean with his hit “Written in the Stars” which the RIAA certified platinum in the U.S. Many people thought perhaps this was the opening of the door for a second British Invasion this time with Hip-Hop music as opposed to Rock. Two and half years later and no such invasion has occurred but something unique has happened within the world of non-American made Hip-Hop. Artists are fine with not reaching American audiences. There used to be a time when being able to sale albums and fill concert arenas in America was a sign of making it. Today artist seem fine with reaching their local fan bases through shared cultural, social, and economic experiences. U.K artist Genesis Elijah who has a loyal following that includes British comedian and original “Office” star Ricky Gervais has stated that he has never been concerned with “making” it to America. “I really have never set down and thought how can I reach the American fans,” Genesis said. “I have some they tweet at me from time to time but I didn’t actively pursue them it just kind of happened.” Perhaps this kind of natural border crossing is now the way of music in becoming international. After all today is the time of the “Indie” label, artist using tools such as the internet to build their fan bases and distribute their music without the involvement of a corporate label. Now the process is much more organic allowing artist to create their own images and

art, as opposed to in the 1950s and 60s when talent scouts and label executives where playing Frankenstein to create bands of mix matched parts that were built to sale and particularly to sale in America. “I think that is certainly a big part of it,” Genesis said. “In those days you had to have a label to succeed it was impossible to get your music distributed otherwise.” “But now, with technology the way it is I can reach fans in America, or Paris or wherever without having to have my song played on the radio in those places,” Genesis elaborated.

Most recently South Korean rapper Psy was able to tap into the American audience with his hit “Gangam Style. Genesis Elijah says he feels it was no surprise that it was this type of record that was able to cross over even if South Korea is the most unlikely of places. “First that song has a catchy beat, second its accompanied with this funny and vibrant video,” Gensis said. “But most importantly he didn’t make this song for America or anywhere else except for where he’s from.” “The song is talking about an area in Korea he’s talking about what he knows and the rest of the world caught on to that thanks to Youtube.” So there it is, Hip-Hop as an art form has always started from the people working its way from the street up by word of mouth. This grass root movement of Hip-Hop is what helped spread it across the United States giving it unique regional slants as it went along. It’s also what helped it spread beyond America’s borders to Europe, Africa, and Asia. So it should be no surprise that it will be this type of grass roots movement that brings it full circle and allows for non-American artist to breach American Hip-Hop airwaves.

By Justin Prince 47

Calvin recommends

Jonathon recommends

versus tracks of the quarter kid cudi - immortal

Lupe Fiasco - Jonylah Forever

Immortal by Kid Cudi is potentially the last single that will be released before INDICUD drops. The track solidly encompasses Cudi’s nurtured, unique sound. Immortal sticks vividly in your mind with it’s simple but effective atmospheric beat accompanied by a catchy hook. Opening with the line: ‘I’m the smartest man alive!’ from Billy Madison, Cudi gives us the impression that he has found the right balance between hard work and chilling out. The trademark sound that was crafted on Man on the Moon II has evolved into a more mature piece; Cudi showing he is still able to refine and experiment with his sound even with so many releases behind him. This joint creates a sense of déjà vu, pleasing the die-hard fans and potentially appealing to others who haven’t listened to work by him before. Written and produced by Kid Cudi , this song brings a new feel and personality and it will be interesting to hear how this record will fit in with the rest INDICUD when released.

I couldn’t pick any track other than ‘Jonylah Forever’ for my pick of the quarter, simply because of how heavy it hit me the first time that I heard it. Lupe is a bard, whether you like it or not, he is one of the best story-tellers of our generation; that’s what made The Cool one of (in my view) the best albums of all time.

This track sees a return to the class act that was/is Lupe Fiasco, the Soundtrakk produced beat features a hauntingly beautiful piano intertwined with a classic hip-hop drum combo. As the hook’s vocals cut off, Lupe considers what could have been for the little girl Jonylah, who was 6 months old when she was shot to death in Chicago. fictitiously creating an alternate realm where she lived, and and went on to be an altruistic soul who cares for others.

The repeated utterance of ‘You Live’ by Lupe only goes that step further to pack an additional punch. This is a track worthy of assuming his new album Tetsuo & Youth could be a return to glory. If you put this on, on an overcast day, and don’t stop pensively to consider the grave injustices and sorrow which affect people on a daily basis - then I think you can truly refer to yourself as a stoic.

Justin recommends

Konrad recommends

K.Flay - West Ghost

On “No Love Lost” Joe Budden carefully picks tracks and constructs songs to get him that mainstream appeal he’s lacked since Def Jam days with his single “Pump It Up”. But as always Budden is at his best when he’s being introspective and shedding light on his own personal demons. On the album’s best cut “Castles” he delves into these inner demons vividly depicting his struggle with fame, women, and drug addiction. Budden may never reach the name recognition of acts like Lil Wayne, but regardless whether its on his own or a part of Slaughterhouse Joey is one of hip-hop’s best dark poets.

When I heard Allen Stone had a feature on a track with a Stanford educated femcee... I mean I had to check it out. After my first listen not only have my views about Stone’s brilliance been cemented but, K.Flay’s wordplay had me intrigued. The beat steals the show; a mix of funk and retro futurism, with one hell of a bassline that no true hip-hop party track could do without. The timbre’s and cadences K.Flay goes through on this song are nuts, ripping grooves through that thumping base. What amazed me even more, was the fact that this rip roaring track was produced by her.

Versus recommends

joe budden - Castles

Big Boi - Apple of my eye This track has all the elements of Outkast which we’ve come to love as fans of hip-hop, Big Boi doesn’t let us down with his ingenuity, using a kicking baseline reminiscent of the XX juxtaposed wonderfully under crisp snare drums.

His album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumours was a let down, but when you’re comparing any piece of work to the likes of Aquemini or Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (and breathe), then there’s only a very select few that are remotely close to that level of excellence.

Jake Troth’s accompaniment makes this track one of the most infectious of the year, reminiscent of Big Boi’s biggest solo hit ‘Shutterbug’. With the right air play, this track could be a mainstream success, and who better to have one than one of

Dungeon Mob’s finest, following Janelle Monae’s huge Grammy Award winning smash last year when she featured on ‘We Are Young’.

The song itself is let down by a frustratingly lacklustre video, seeing Big Boi entertain the Epic Meal Time boys at the beginning for some baffling reason after which he proceeds to jostle around in an underground room with no audience at all. The track itself is the shining highlight of a disappointing album, showing that as much as we’ve come to expect features on songs from one half of the formerly-formidable duo, his solo work is just as good, if not better than when it’s diluted by the likes of B.o.B or T.I - names that are almost synonymous with Daddy Fat Sax now.

Justin Timberlake The 20/20 experience Prod. Timbaland

It’s truly amazing, having been in music for over two decades Justin Timberlake has only released three albums. Each one taking him and us as the listeners in different directions, with 20/20 being no different; Timberlake has matured, so has his music, everything he learned on FutureSex/LoveSound’s has been expanded on and improved. You can tell while listening to 20/20 music is his passion; which is one of the only criticism’s I would aim at this record, that it is just slightly too self-indulgent. It’s clear by the running time of the album (10songs and a 70min run time) ; which even I found difficult to adjust to, let alone an average music listener. A lot of this comes from Justin and Timbaland expanding on their two part song concepts from their last album; on songs such as ‘What goes around’ etc. The 20/20 Experience open’s with ‘Pusher Lover Girl’ , with Timberlake cranking that falsetto to an all time high over a more subdued Timbo beat. After about 5minutes the song shifts into an extended mix of beats and synth’s - something that is

repeated a number of times. ‘Tunnel Vision’ is the albums coolest and best track; rich with classic Timbaland production and wailing, and excellent vocals; essentially an extension of FutureSex/LoveSounds but on speed. The two other stand-out track’s are the already massive ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Dont Hold the Wall’; an incredibly sophisticated affair, with suave, minimalist production and a vocal showcase from JT.

This album is as much about Timberlake as it is about Timbaland. The baby sound used in ‘Spaceship Coupe’ is clearly inspired by Aaliyah’s ‘Are you that somebody? (a throwback to her hardly a surprise knowing the connection between her and Timbo). While the LTD sample in ‘Suit & Tie’ for the lack of a better word, is perfect. This is why ‘The 20/20 Experience’ is such an enjoyable experience; the relationship and ability between the vocalist and producer is uncanny - taking cues from a time when pop music had meaning and feeling, creating something that can be enjoyed by any generation.