One of the best journalists doing it today, Tavis Smiley, gives some tips here on how to get the most from your subjects while interviewing them. These are all tactics that I use, and they produce great results, so I suggest y’all do the same.
via GangStarr Girl
The motivation behind this post is a conversation I had with a friend who hates gimmicks in hip-hop. I explained that any artist who is signed to a major label and getting a push is going to have a gimmick – a unique or quirky special feature that makes something “stand out” from its contemporaries. The most important thing, in my opinion, is if your gimmick is going to represent a facet of who you really are, or if it’s something that you don’t believe in at all.
Several record labels wanted to market Detroit’s Invincible as “the female Eminem.” But since her music or image wasn’t similar to his at all, she turned them down and went the indie route, in which she could express herself freely without the limitations of a record label. Everyone isn’t as brave as Invincible, though; many artists regularly compromise their beliefs and personalities with the hopes of reaching a broader audience.
I’ve been a Lupe Fiasco fan since the homie Sharifa put me onto “Kick, Push” a few years back. And one thing I’ve always liked about him is that he’s seemed to incorporate a lot of who he was not only into his music, but into his image. His gimmick is being a rapper known for being socially conscious, a skateboarder, a Muslim, and a fashion/anime nerd – and all in all, that is who he seems to really be. He’s established a loyal fan base, critical acclaim, and award nominations based on that honesty. This trailer for his upcoming album, Lasers, embodies all of this perfectly.
Nas & Damian Marley, “As We Are” (Snippet)
The globe is ready for change. This is the soundtrack to all of that.
Seems like it’s been a while since I’ve made a post that was solely about music, but this got me excited. As much as I’ve been pissed about Nas not doing an album with DJ Premier, watching this video and listening to this snippet made this collaboration project between him and Damian Marley make so much sense. They’re both just as socially aware (aside from the occassional factual slip-up from the homie Nasir) as they are talented, and their solo catalogs have reflected that.
I’ve said time and time again, that music is getting back to the way that it used to be. Sure, there’s still B.S. out there. But you see more and more artists not letting politics and egos get in the way of dope music. Nas and Damian Marley are doing an album together, and with an EPK, a snippet, and shows together on this year’s Rock The Bells Tour, it may actually come to fruition. Nas and Damian Marley are both huge artists who could’ve kept their solo thing going for monetary reasons (which is a main reason for the near extinction of the rap group), but they’re letting their musical chemistry and their passion for Africa guide them. The same thing for Slaughterhouse – normally, supergroups are limited to urban legend and bootlegged demos. But Royce Da 5′9″, Joe Budden, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz buckled down and didn’t only make an album, but found a deal for it and maximized their coverage leading up to it. Call me overly optimistic if you want, but I think these are good signs.
Under the jump, check Nas & Damian Marley’s previous collaboration, “Road To Zion.”
Continue reading ‘Nas & Damian Marley: EPK x Snippet x Press Photo’
The immensely talented Smack! posted a couple of speed painting videos on his blog. Click play on the above joints to get a sneak peak into the creative process of one of Identical Variant clothing’s designers, the co-creator of Revolutionary Times, and the illustrator of the back cover to Kanye West signee Big Sean’s Finally Famous: The Mixtape.
Fledgling web site 360MainSt.com figured I was kind of a big deal, so they interviewed me as one of their Featured Faces. I’ve never been interviewed this in-depth, and it was a great time. An excerpt:
GM: So again it seems like you are in the role of connecting people with other people…
WK: I never thought of it like that, but yeah. With my managing, with mentoring, with everything, I try to help people do what they are best at. I try to help people be the best that they can be: whether it is telling a writer how to make a certain article better, or telling one of my artists how to make their song sound better in the studio. I guess ever since I was younger, people have trusted me. They have said I have really good logic. I make logical decisions, and I try to help other people make logical decisions.
To read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE.
My artist P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. was also featured as an artist on LivLuxMag’s Music Week by the lovely Doni W. It’s a short interview, but it gives its readers a decent idea of who he is as an artist and a person. I won’t give any excerpts from that since it’s so short, but you can check it out HERE. Also, follow P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. and LivLux on Twitter.
I’ve always been a fan of Pharrell’s music – whether it’s his N.E.R.D. material, his solo productions and his work with Chad Hugo as The Neptunes, or his underrated solo album In My Mind. (I’m especially a huge fan of Out Of My Mind, the unreleased version of In My Mind remixed by “The Yessirs,” which are Questlove and James Poyser). And after seeing him rock the stage twice with N.E.R.D., I’m convinced he’s got one of the most energetic live performances in the biz. But I’ve mentioned on this blog before that one of the more underrated aspects of Pharrell’s career is his appreciation for art and fashion.
Extravagant clothing, accessories and jewelry have been a status symbol in hip-hop for what seems like forever. But what makes people like Pharrell stand out is that he doesn’t settle for simply rocking expensive gear. He makes sure that every piece he rocks is truly part of who he is by helping design it on his own, but he’ll usually work with a something that’s already out there and tweak it and customize it to his liking. To me, this shows that not only does Pharrell love being creative on his own, but that he also respects the creativity of others enough to where he doesn’t have to start everything from scratch.
I’m a huge gadget head and a burgeoning sneaker/gear coniesseur, and while I’m not big on jewelry, I’ve got a piece or two that tends to turn a few heads. I say this to say that I’m not nearly as enthusiastic about these fields as Pharrell does, but I still respect the hell out of his passion for it. What’s funny is that while I’m not a big fan of his BBC/Ice Cream clothing line, I always find myself falling in love with his other projects. And what’s even better is that he’s encouraging others to hone their creativity by launching ARTST.com, an online community where artists can meet, share and collaborate.
After the jump, I’ve posted a bunch of photos and videos of custom work he’s gotten done on jewelry, clothing, art, and more. I know I’m going to get some flack for this, but I don’t care: dude combines creativity with appreciation, and you can’t ask for anything more.
Continue reading ‘A Tribute: To Pharrell’s Creativity and Appreciation for Art’
We know that Charles Hamilton has messed up, big time, with my state. This definitely wasn’t his first time though, and I think that as usual, the homie Jay Smooth with Ill Doctrine comes through and makes the most sense out of anyone I’ve heard speak on it.
This will be the last Charles Hamilton post on SpeechIsMyHammer.com that doesn’t speak on music. I still stand by my claims that he’s a talented dude, but I can’t support these drama queen acts anymore. I hope his The Perfect Life album is dope, and I hope he learns from this experience.
via Ill Doctrine
And one of those reasons is because of “journalists” like the kid above. I’m not the type to really throw shots out at other writers, and two things seem appparent from this video. 1.) Homie is getting started at a young age, and 2.) He really does have a passion for hip-hop. That being said, I’m going to give homie a couple tips on conducting an interview.
That said, it’s still good that homie’s doing his thing early. I jumpstarted my journalism career in my freshman year of college, and it worked out pretty well – I can only imagine how good this cat is going to be if he keeps growing.
Spotted at 2DopeBoyz
In this interview with Billboard, P-Double talks about Susan Boyle, how aesthetic plays too much of a role in how gatekeepers act, and how record labels haven’t caught up to where the music industry is actually going. I think record labels are doing a little better than they had before, but for the most part, I agree with Pharrell’s assessment of where things are headed.
via NahRight
One of my favorite bloggers, Marcus Troy, recently made a post from his Berry about the decreased value of co-signs. The game – and not just hip-hop, but “the game” as in everything – has really migrated from co-signing people who you thought could capitalize on a chance, to just putting on people you’re cool with and/or barely know. I’m personally pretty careful with who I give the Ketchums Stamp of Approval, though I’ll admit I’ve made a few mistakes. People who don’t take their clout seriously make me wanna do what Mr. Troy’s doing in the pic above: take a damn drink. Follow the homie’s rules, and you should be in good shape.
1. Only Co-sign someone or a movement if you have done your research
2. Only Co-Sign someone or a movement you believe in
3. When it comes to people, not everyone is who you think they are be careful who you co-sign
4. Be decisive! Don’t just co-sign something because everyone else is co-signing it. Make up your own mind.
5. Really consider who is your friend and your homie. Is he a friend of yours or a friend of ours?
The whole post is rather on point. Check it out HERE.
