Monday, December 31, 2012
2012 Best Albums
For the best albums of the year (with download links), Tweezy and I also came to a consensus on a lot of our selections below. Just like the Mixtapes of the year post…it’s important to keep in mind these are our favorites, not which albums we think should win a Grammy or anything like that (Although, we like to think highly of this list). Oh and for the record, we didn’t make Trilogy eligible for this list since only three new track were on the re-release. Again, let us know your picks either with a comment here, on Twitter (@Thisisbuckwild), or on Facebook (This Is Buck Wild).
1. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
This wasn’t even close. GKMC is hands down the top album of the year in our opinion. Incredible major label debut from the hottest MC in the game right now. Every track tells a story and this album will go down as one of the classics. The hype surrounding this album was through the roof and somehow Kendrick managed to exceed them. Last year the Compton phenom made our list at #2 with his Section.80 release.
2. Ab-Soul – Control System
This is our sleeper pick. Kendrick’s fellow TDE / Black Happy / high school friend comes in at #2 on our list. The content and body of work Ab-Soul put together with his second album release was too good to ignore. Double Standards!
3. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1
Lupe comes back strong after his highly criticized LASERS release (that he didn’t even like). Lupe got back to his roots, delivering strong socially aware lyrics with a flow that is hard to match. I can’t wait for Part II!
4. Nas – Life Is Good
Nassir showed us on Life Is Good that an old guy can still get it done in this day and age. There are no “misses” on this LP as Nas used his 90′s rap style to address some of the issues that Nas himself and we as a culture face today.
5. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
It’s always good to add a little R&B to your collection and Frank Ocean gives you every reason to do just that with his second project Channel Orange. This was arguably the most important album of the year in the Hip-Hop/R&B world. Expect this guy to do pretty well in the Grammy’s this year. This won’t be the last we hear from Mr. Ocean.
Honorable Mentions: Game – Jesus Piece, Dizzy Wright – SmokeOut Conversations, ScHoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions, Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream, G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer. Slaughterhouse – Welcome To: OUR House, Big K.R.I.T. – Live From The Undergound.
My Thoughts
1. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
2. Nas – Life Is Good
3. G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer
4. Big K.R.I.T. – Live From The Undergound
5. Slaughterhouse – Welcome To: OUR House
Jay-Z to Reportedly Score Upcoming “The Great Gatsby” Film
Jay-Z is reportedly set to score the upcoming film adaption of a classic American novel, The Great Gatsby.
Jeymes Samuel of The Bullitts confirmed on Twitter that he is writing the score with Hov, saying, “it is too DOPE for words!” Early clues of his involvement were found in the film’s trailer, where the lifestyle of Jay Gatsby was set to “No Church in the Wild.”
Back in April, cast members of The Great Gatsby leaked information about director Baz Luhrmann playing some Jay-Z on the set. The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire hits theaters on May 10, 2013.
Kirko Bangz Says New Album Due in Early 2013, Will Be “Deeper” Than Previous Work
The Houston native opens up about his new single, debut album, performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and more.
In the last year and change, Kirko Bangz has been able to string together a collection of radio records, positioning himself as one to watch in 2013. He had a strong close this year: He appeared on the lead single, “Young & Gettin’ It,” from Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares, and just dropped his own new single, “Keep It Trill,” in late November. But the Warner Bros. signee is eager to show both fans and critics that there’s more to him than smooth, syrupy records for the ladies. Though he has plenty of those too. With his debut album, which he discusses here, dropping in the new year, the 23-year-old is ready to offer a more personal side. Keep it trill. —Adam Fleischer
How’s the reception been to “Keep It Trill”?
Oh, man, the feedback’s been great on that so far. After “Drank in My Cup,” and the buzz we got goin’ now, and the Meek record, that built the momentum back up. And dropping the single on top of that, it’s a great look. So we just seeing where it’s gonna take us.
I’m sure you’ve been in the studio and have a bunch of records. Why’d you go with this one?
That’s what people love me for—that “Drank In My Cup” vibe. It’s that same type of vibe. I got a lot going towards the females. It’s really just the feel of it. I’m creating my own lane, so I was like, Why not just keeping what we got going and what’s working for us? Keep on doing that.
Who produced it?
Sound M.O.B. Same producer that produced my first single ["What Yo Name Iz?"] and “Drank in My Cup.”
Did you expect “Drank in My Cup” to be bigger than “What Yo Name Iz”?
Hell yeah [laughs].
I know that helped put you on the national scale at first, and there was a big remix with Bun, Wale and Big Sean. And then “Drank” came and kept it moving to a bigger level.
We gotta do the same thing with this motherfucker that “Drank in My Cup” did with “What Yo Name Iz.”
Do you have visuals lined up yet?
Of course I’m gonna do a video for “Keep It Trill,” and we gonna do a lot more vlogs and stuff like that.
You mentioned the Meek record earlier. You guys are labelmates. Tell me how that record came about.
Homie just hit me up like, “I got this record I need you on. It’s crazy.” I was like, “I’m down.” He told me it was the lead single off the album and I was like, “I need that look!” He shot me the record and we made it happen.
How was it performing it on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon?
It was dope, man. That was my first time doing some shit like that, so I appreciate it. I talked to everybody from The Roots, but not Jimmy. I’m just waiting on my moment.
Is this single just to feed the fans, or is it off of a mixtape, or the album?
That’s the single off the album. I got a lot of records done for the album already. We shooting towards that.
What can you tell me about the album?
Ah, man, I’ma give people what they always get with Kirko Bangz. I have records like “Keep It Trill,” “Drank in My Cup,” and then also have records like I had on my mixtape like “The Vent,” reflecting on my life. It’s gonna be a lot deeper than people have heard from me in the past. I feel like the album is really just time for me to tell my story and let people know who I really am. So really it’s mixing all those elements in with the H-Town element as well, and seeing where it goes.
I like “Drank in My Cup” and stuff like that, but I really messed with “The Vent” too. I think it showed that you’re maybe a deeper artist than people expected.
Yeah. A lot of my real deep records, real quality records, I’ve been holding ’em for the album. All the time that I had mixtapes, I had one or two big, quality records, and the rest was mixtape stuff. But I’m holding those records, so when the album come, everybody be like, He really is a artist. I just put out radio singles here and there.
You have a timetable on when you’re looking to drop the album?
Me, I don’t really know. I’m just working. But sometime in the top of 2013.
Is there a title yet?
Nah, I ain’t got a title yet.
Are you weighing any options yet?
Really just working on the music, see where the music takes me. Then, after that, come up with a title for it.
Are there any guests on there that you can talk about?
Not yet. I got some things I want to come together with a couple people. But really, I feel like this album is for me to really prove myself. I feel like a lot of people mess with a couple of my records, but I really wanna let people know that I’m an artist and I can do this on my own. And then, later on, I’ll get with everybody else.
It seems like everyone in Houston has embraced you. Has there been that love over the last few months, the last year?
Oh, yeah. I appreciate the love. But there’s some love, some hate.
http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2012/12/kirko-bangz-says-new-album-due-in-early-2013-will-be-deeper-than-previous-work/
Outtakes of Sean "Diddy" Combs from the Macy's Holiday Commercial "Sean John"
Just in time for holiday shopping returns, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sean
John release hilarious outtakes from their recent Macy's campaign today
via YouTube and Twitter.
Check Out The Top 10 Best & Worst Films Of 2012. What's Your Opinion?
2012 produced quite a few good movies and a few duds as well. ClevverMovies and Jeremy Jahns have put together their lists of the "10 Worst and Best Films of 2012."
Check out the lists and see if you agree. Sound off in the comment section and feel free to add your own choices for the worst and best Hollywood had to offer.this year.
The 10 Worst Films Of 2012
10. Ice Age: Continental Drift - Starring the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Legizamo
9. Battleship - Starring Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker
8. Total Recall - Starring Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale
7. That's My Boy - Starring Adam Sandler
6. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance - Starring Nicolas Cage
5. Piranha 3DD - Starring Danielle Panabaker
4. Silent Hill Revelation - Starring Adelaide Clemens
3. The Apparition - Starring Ashley Greene
2. Playing For Keeps - Gerard Butler
1. One For the Money - Starring Katherine Heigl
The 10 Best Films Of 2012
10. Wreck It Ralph - Starring the voice of John C. Reilly
9. The Cabin in the Woods - Starring Kristen Connolly
8. Lincoln - Starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field
7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Starring Martin Freeman
6. Argo - Starring Ben Affleck
5. Skyfall - Starring Daniel Craig
4. Django Unchained - Starring Jamie Foxx and Leonardo Dicaprio
3. The Avengers - Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson
2. Looper - Starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
1. The Dark Knight Rises - Starring Christian Bale and Tom Hardy
In My Opinion I would switch Loopers - Starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Worst Movie of 2012 with Total Recall - Starring Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale as Best Movie of 2012
Cassidy, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier, Tamar Braxton & More Pick "The Hottest Rapper Of 2012"
There were a handful of rappers who had breakout years in 2012. Picking which emcee was the hottest could depend on what region you're from, whether you like wordplay Vs. style or who you thought had the best songs.
VladTV asked stars like Cassidy, Tamar Braxton, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier and more who they would pick as the "Hottest Rapper of 2012."
Trigg- All Gold Everything (FreeStyle Video)
And check out the mixtape
Trigg New York Weed & Arizona Iced Tea
link belowhttp://blacksoulwithsoulblack.blogspot.com/2012/12/trigg-new-york-weed-arizona-iced-tea.html
2012 Best Mixtapes
With 2013 right around the corner, we decided to bring you our rankings for the best mixtapes of 2012 (with download links). Keep in mind these are our personal favorites. Tweezy and I discussed the projects and came to a mutual understanding on the list given below. Feel free to criticize all you want, and be sure to let us know your picks with a comment here, on Twitter (@Thisisbuckwild), or on Facebook (This Is Buck Wild). Tomorrow we will bring you our favorite albums of the year!
1. Chance The Rapper – #10Day
Tweezy discovered Chance with his very first post on the website and what a gem it was! Chance made this debut project when he was suspended from high school for ten days. He really made an impression on me…as I like the tape even more than Tweezy. The 18 year old Chicago rapper created a lot of buzz with this release.
2. Childish Gambino – Royalty
After Donald Glover dropped his very impressive Camp album in 2011 he returned on July 4th earlier this year and dropped an impressive body of work with his Royalty project. Anyone who throws Tina Fey on their tape gets mad love from me.
3. Big K.R.I.T. – 4EvaNaDay
Big K.R.I.T. continues to give us quality southern rap with an old school feel. Virtually every project he drops is gold.
4. Lloyd Banks – V6: The Gift
After claiming the top spot on our 2011 rankings, the punch line king came back wth one of the best tapes we heard in 2012.
5. Slaughterhouse – On The House
Before Shady’s boys dropped their Welcome To: OUR House they dropped some bars on a free release for the fans. Personally, I think it’s better than the album.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Budden – A Loose Quarter, Action Bronson – Blue Chips, Jon Connor – While You Were Sleeping, Fabolous – The S.O.U.L. Tape 2, Chuuwee – Chez!, Big Sean – Detroit, Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2.
Any thoughts leave a comment .
http://www.thisisbuckwild.com/?p=22072
Kendrick Lamar Performs “Westside, Right On Time” In Texas
K-Dot performed one of the most slept on jams of 2012, “Westside, Right On Time,” at the Houston House of Blues on Saturday. No Jeezy though.
Ace Hood Announces New Release Date for “Starvation II” Mixtape
Ace Hood originally had Starvation II set for a New Year’s Eve release date. Today, the We the Best signee announced on Twitter that he has pushed it back to January 10. “[PSA] “Starvation ll” is a classic mixtape and I won’t give my fans nothing less than a classic…”
If you missed it, here’s footage of Ace Hood working on the project with a few select producers. Look out for part two coming soon.
Ace Hood: The Making of "Starvation 2" [Part 1] from Edgar Esteves on Vimeo.
Girl Got Bars: Chayna Ashley (Under T-Rex's Dot Mob) vs Ms Fit! (Exposes Battle Rapper Cortez For Getting Robbed & Recorded!?)
BABS BUNNY & VAGUE presents QUEEN OF THE RING CHAYNA ASHLEY vs MS FIT
Be Heard Sessions with Hit-Boy + Exclusive Freestyle
From the makers of the Up Close documentary series and in association with Skee.TV, Boost Mobile Presents: Be Heard Sessions with G.O.O.D. Music Recording Artist Hit-Boy. In this episode, Hit-Boy tells the story about how he got discovered and transitioned to rapping.
Watch him end the session with an "off the dome" freestyle.
Directed by Mike Busalacchi
Follow him @mikebusa
Follow Us On Twitter @DJSkee
https://twitter.com/djskee@SkeeTV
https://twitter.com/skeetv@Hit_Boy
https://twitter.com/Hit_Boy@BoostMobile
https://twitter.com/boostmobile
Like Us On Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/djskee
https://www.facebook.com/skeetvonline
https://www.facebook.com/boostmobile
Sunday, December 30, 2012
A$AP Rocky Looks Back on His Biggest Moments in 2012
Miss Info had the pleasure to speak with A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg in Harlem at Black Star Music & Video. They discussed the A$AP Mob’s tremendous year, starting with their successes and moving on to some highlights. Rocky and Info touch on the growth of the A$AP brand, traveling, high fashion trends, feud with SpaceGhostPurrp and more.
We also get Rocky’s thoughts on the early leak of his highly anticipated album, Long.Live.A$AP.
“Can I keep it 100 with you? I’ve been waiting for people to hear this music for so damn long. Of course, I gotta be a business man, but before anything I am an artist. The album leaked and I am gonna leave it up to my dependable label, which I rely on to fix all that. That’s the business aspect. I made my art. Y’all love it and that’s all I care about. I just want to thank everybody who is anticipating this and who is waiting.”
Pretty Flacko addresses his album leak for the first time, high fashion trends, and more…
Iman Shumpert aka 2wo 1ne Th3 #Post90s
New debut mixtape from Iman Shumpert aka 2wo 1ne of the New York Knicks. With features from Chrisette Michelle & more! Follow on twitter @I_Am_Iman and please visit www.imanshumpert.com
Knicks Guard Iman Shumpert Talks New Mixtape, Disses Ron Artest’s New Song
After an outstanding rookie season, one that unfortunately ended with him needing surgery on a torn ACL, Iman Shumpert proved to every NBA fan that he can play basketball. What they might not know, though, is that the 22-year-old New York Knicks guard can rap, too.
“When I told my teammates last year, everybody sort of laughed,” says Shumpert, who raps under the name 2wo 1ne. “They thought I was going to go out there and rap like every other hooper-rapper. Carmelo Anthony, actually, was the first one to put his ear to it and listen. Like, ‘Oh, he can really rap.’”
A hip-hop head to the core, Shumpert, a native of Oak Park, Illinois, has been recording since he was young. What that means is, unlike some NBA players-turned-rappers, the 6’5″ guard has been honing his side craft for a very long time.
“It’s funny to me,” Shumpert says. “A lot of guys don’t rap ’till they get to the League; I’ve been rapping, and there’s a difference.”
After releasing Th3 #Post90s last week, his first official mixtape since putting out four in high school, Shumpert sat down with XXLMag.com to discuss what he listened to growing up, what music has influenced him, his rapping origins, his current tape and more. —Tzvi Twersky
XXLMag.com: So what made you decide to put your tape out now? Iman Shumpert: I would’ve put one out last year but my agent told me that New York is a tricky place. He said, “Yeah, I know you. You’re the big bad wolf, who’s fearless and will take on the whole city. You’ll put out music, cursing, doing whatever you want, and then not care and play the Miami Heat the next day.” He said that New York would appreciate if I went through a year, played, and in the offseason find the right way to put something out so people accept it and don’t think you’re doing whatever with your time.
In a weird way, it was actually a perfect time to tear my ACL, because now people know and realize that I needed some sort of outlet because I couldn’t even walk. It was almost like a good excuse, but honestly I was going to be doing that whether or not I was hurt. The thing is, I don’t fear what people think. If you don’t like the music, turn it off, turn on your TV and I’ll be back soon.
With the new tape, you’ve put out some heavy music, and yet the “Clique” Knicks remix seems to be getting the most burn. No offense, but that’s the corniest thing you’ve put out! That’s funny. That’s what’s funny about music period. People want something catchy that everyone can sing along with, that goes with something bigger, that’s piggybacking off of our team. It’s like, “Because it’s about my Knicks, now I can listen to a hooper that raps—but only because it’s about my Knicks.” Really in your head, though, you like my music and just don’t want to say it. That’s cool.
I thought about coming out under an alias. No one would know who I am and they could just appreciate the music. Just speaking with my people, though, it was like, No, this could be a game-changer. We should want people to know a basketball player is really rapping like this and is not even pursuing rap.
The other day they had Bernie Williams, the retired Yankee, play [guitar] before the game. I think if I played an instrument, everybody would be cool with it, and really, playing an instrument takes so much more time. You have to practice, and read the music, and write it out. That takes way more time than piecing together a simple verse about what I just did today. That’s so much easier, because I’m speaking on something so raw. How easy is that for me to talk about?! It’s just weird what people gravitate towards, but I think it’ll be dope to get this out there and let the people listen to the lyrics and judge me on that. Maybe that’ll buy me a week before people start asking me again about when I’m coming back [laughs].
One of my favorite tracks of yours is called “Progress,” where you go in with a couple of your homies, Ari Stylez and PhlyyB. It takes a lot of balls to sample Biggie. Oh, man [laughs]. I thought that song was dope because me, Ari and Phlyy have been doing this since eighth grade. When we kicked it, all we ever did was hoop and rap—Phlyy used to play football. I got a dude who used to hoop, rap, write poetry, runs a blog, does the fashion thing—everyone on our team is just into it.
So who’d you come up listening to? I came up listening to Jay-Z, Kanye, Nas, Biggie, Lupe.
That was on your headphones or were your parents bumping that around the house? Nah, nah, nah. Not my parents. This was more so my brothers. My mom and dad, they like The Temptations…
Motown music. You know what I mean? They want to hear Al Green. They want to hear all that old school, smooth with no bass sound. My dad is to the point where if you didn’t play that music with your own hands and sing over it, he doesn’t really think you’re that talented. My dad used to play the drums and stuff, so they appreciate music.
The cool thing about my parents is, they have an open ear for music. It’s like, we like Gnarls Barkley—I love Cee-Lo—so we played it and my parents couldn’t deny. They knew it was smooth.
So I’m guessing they’re not bumping Chief Keef. Nah, they hate Chief. But that’s another dude a lot of people look down upon but they don’t understand. 50 [Cent] came out with Get Rich or Die Trying. Yeah, it was thuggish or whatever. But the reason he told that story is because he’s sick of it. So, Chief Keef is telling you what he had to do to get to where he’s at.
You think he’s just getting it out of his system? That’s exactly what he’s doing. And what people don’t understand is, in five years do you think Keef is going to be talking about running around and beating people up? No! He’s gonna grow and he’s gonna be a lot smarter. What people need to do is really get off his back. People are talking about kids getting killed in Chicago and all that other stuff. It’s like, No, this is not the first year kids are getting killed in Chicago. My cousin got shot square in the head way before Chief Keef was here, so it ain’t have nothing to do with that.
Either way, the streets definitely connect to it, just like they connect to Meek Mill in Philly. Exactly. And I’ve been on Meek. Maalik Wayns, he plays for the Sixers, when I was in college and he was in high school, we were in Chicago at Adidas Nations, and Maalik was like, “My dude Meek is nice, real nice.” I’m thinking, I ain’t never heard of him, so I’m going to keep listening to this Lupe. He was like, “No, man. Listen to it.” I remember it was an “Indian Bounce” freestyle, and I heard this dude just go off for like three or four minutes. Maalik let everybody hear it, but I don’t think everybody heard it like I did. Everybody was like, “Yeah, yeah, but there’s no hook.” They weren’t really messing with him, but I remember telling Maalik how nice he was. I went and did research and ended up listening to all his mixtapes and saw him rapping on Youtube as a 12-year-old in dirty braids. I’m listening to all that.
Who do you think has influenced your sound the most? I think it’s geared towards a combination of Jay, Mos Def, Talib Kweli—but at the same time like Wale, almost. When I say that I mean, Wale has lyrics, can do poetry, but he also keeps things hip. Mos Def and Talib can sometimes care less about if you think they’re hip or not; they’re just really trying to get these words and messages out. What I’m trying to do is make sure I stay true to myself on what I want to do, but I still might give you a catchy hook—like maybe I give you a four-bar hook and 24-bar verses instead of 16. I just try to find a cool way to do it.
Is there anybody in the NBA you listen to? I support Stephen Jackson and Lou Williams and Ron Artest, though I don’t always like their music. Take Ron Artest: “Represented,” Ron’s new song, is horrible. But when I listen to it, I can tell how much he loves music. Even though it might not be my type of music, he clearly loves music and put a lot into it. And you don’t have to like it at all—he’s going to continue to make it because he loves music. He’s repping for his hood, and he’s doing what he wants to do, and I respect that.
Stack Jack (Stephen Jackson), the thing that’s so cool about Stack is that when he raps—I truly think he can rap—he does too much stunting on his tracks, but that’s what he wants to do. He’s almost like, “Yeah, I’m stuntin’. What you gonna do about it?” What I love about it is how he’s competitive. He’ll tell you in a second, “I rap way better than Shumpert.” I love that. I love that, though. I’m the same way. If you ask me, I’m not finna tell you somebody is better than me.
I’d say it’s the same thing in hoops. If I asked you who the best player in the League was, I’d expect you to mention yourself. Word. And some people are like, “He’s just crazy,” but I’m a killer. That’s what I’m trying to do. Carmelo Anthony is the MVP right now, right? I will make Carmelo’s life so difficult trying to score, trying to guard me, and he’s going to hear about it the whole time I’m playing him one-on-one. I can’t wait to play Melo one-on-one when I get back.
That’s what I love about Stack. He’s like that on the court, and off the court with rapping. Me and Stack are cool—he’s teaching me the ropes and everything—but he’ll diss me in my face, but you got to love and respect that. He thinks he’s better than you, and he’s ready to stand on those words, whatever he has to do.
I’ve heard some of your records with Maino and Chrisette Michele. How do you decide who you’re going to link up with? I actually did a whole mixtape with Billionz throughout the lockout and this summer—that’s probably going to come out whenever. But Billionz, he’s a rapper in Brooklyn, he had the connection with Maino. So Maino came to the studio and he heard “For The Win,” and he was asking who did the hook on it. They told him I did it; and he was like, “The Knick?!” He heard and realized that I really do music. Then, he heard my verse, and wanted to hop on the track. Maino is another dude, down to earth, chill, kicks it in the studio, talking for hours.
With Chrisette, I was sitting down for lunch with her best friend, who was supposed to throw a party for me, and Chrisette was coming, because after lunch those two were gonna go do something. So Chrisette’s walking in and I’m like, “So you weren’t going to tell me Christte was coming?!” She was getting ready to introduce me, so I told her I love her music, my momma loves her music, and Chrisette was looking like, “I truly didn’t expect you to be like that.” I told her I love music, but I didn’t tell her I rap, though. Her friend then told her that I rap, so Chrisette put me on the spot and she was like, “Oh, you can really rap.”
I sent her some music and she liked it. Later on down the line, she hit me up again and told me to let her know next time I’m in the studio so she can see me work. So she came one time, and she was just around the vibe. One thing led to the next, and I asked her if she would jump on a hook.
After the success of the “Clique” Knicks remix, are you going to do more toned-down stuff like that? Nah. That was more so a put on for the team. At first, that was a joke at media day, just to warn people that I could rap. People loved it so much they were like, ‘You’ve got to put out the full version.’ But there wasn’t a full version! Then the Knicks came to me, asked me if wanted to do a whole version and do a video and put it on the Jumbotron. I thought that could be cool, so I came up with something, shouted everybody out on the team, tried to keep it so that a 60-year-old Knick fan could understand it as well as little kids. I cornballed it out a little bit, but at the same time I put a little swag in it.
It was more about letting people know I love my team. This is the most fun I’ve played on. I love being around them, great group of guys, and I thought it would be cool to bring everyone to the light and talk some noise to the other teams. I can’t play right now, but at least I can give y’all something to get hyped to.
http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2012/12/iman-shumpert-talks-new-mixtape-hip-hop-influences-and-nba-rappers/
KY Engineering on Recording and Mixing Hits for 2 Chainz, Meek Mill and DJ Drama
You’ve heard his pseudonym in songs by the likes of 2 Chainz, Waka Flocka Flame and Lil Wayne. Finis White, also known as KY Engineering, is a Kentucky-bred, Atlanta-based recording engineer and Twitter personality (just check him at @kyfinis859) who is rapidly becoming one of the most respected and sought-after individuals in music. He’s the hard-working man behind albums by 2 Chainz, Waka, Lil Wayne, Young Money and DJ Drama. Having learned most of the mixing process from Weezy himself, the self-taught recording and mix engineer caught up with XXL to talk Meek’s recording habits, how he randomly came to mix DJ Drama’s Quality Street Music and 2 Chainz’ recent success. —Rachelle Jean-Louis (@RJL24)
XXL: You were just in the studio with Meek Mill working on Dreams & Nightmares earlier this year. Describe that process.
KY Engineering: It was an easy process. He’ll just watch some videos on YouTube, listen to his songs that he’s already done, pull up some beats and pretty much just go in and work. He doesn’t write anything down. He’s just sitting there thinking as the beat’s going, and as soon as I see him walk into the booth, I go sit down. We went to Miami to record. It was my birthday while I was down there. Me and Meek had been trying to link for a while now. The first time I actually talked to him was through Waka. I remember Waka got Meek on a song, so he was on Skype with him, like, “I’m in here with my engineer, KY.” And Meek san,g “KY Engineering!” A lot of artists do that. I be thinking a lot of artists don’t know who I am! It was the same thing when I met Kendrick. I met him and I told him my name, and he was like, “Man, I know who you are! You’re dope! You’re a legend.” I’m lik, Shit! [Laughs] That’s crazy. But [Meek and I] had been trying to link up for a while. So it was crunch time, I had been working on a lot of other projects, and he called and said, “We’re going to Miami.” It was just cool. The studio we worked in, when you go out on the balcony, the ocean is right there. So we just had good vibes in the studio, the door open, beats playing loud, ocean right there. Whenever he got something, we’d walk back in and he’d go in the booth and lay it down.
How is Meek’s process different from 2 Chainz’ or Wayne’s?
Well, Meek doesn’t actually mess with anything as far as plug-ins or EQs, but he’s knowledgeable enough to open up his own sessions. Meek is kinda in between both [2 Chainz and Lil Wayne]. He knows what he wants as far as his voice goes. That’s a big thing with him because he has a different kind of voice, so he wants to make sure while he’s recording, that he sounds the way he wants to on that particular song. But at the same time, with Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Waka, they all do what he does. He can tell me the little things that he does want, and I’ll go in and I’ll add some stuff. If he likes it, we keep it. If he doesn’t like it, we’ll go back to the drawing board. [Laughs.] Meek was a battle rapper. He changes stuff a lot too. He’d go in the booth, and the verse would be there—it might even be there for that day—and he’d come back in tomorrow and say, “Yo, let me change that whole verse!” The verse would actually be a really good verse, and he’d just delete it for no one to ever hear it again. It sucks for the fans, yeah. But if it’s really dope and I feel strongly about it, I let my point be known. But when I work with people, it’s never really a fight. I’ll tell you my opinion, if they agree, they agree. If they don’t, cool, no beef. At the end of the day, I want the artist to be happy.
Does your role ever fluctuate depending on the artist you’re working with?
No, not really. Most artists now pretty much have a sense of what I do because of what I’ve done for other people. So most artists really don’t bother me too much. Starting off, nobody trusts you or wants you to touch their song because they don’t know you. When you first work with an artist, you can’t go in there and try to do too much. You just got to get a feel for them and let them get comfortable enough to where they trust you. 2 Chainz, I’ve known him for a long time. I did both Playaz Circle albums and we’ve worked together so much that he does what he does, and I do what I do. Waka’s the same way. He trusts me. He knows that I’m gonna do what I’m supposed to do.
Speaking of 2 Chainz, describe the change he’s made from being Tity Boi to becoming 2 Chainz, as you’ve witnessed it.
He just didn’t stop. It was the work ethic. We would sit in the studio and never had a conversation where he was like, “I’m gonna give this up.” But we did have conversations like, “What’s going on?” We’d listen to what was going on in the rap game, and then listen to his music at the same time, but no one was calling 2 Chainz for features. So he kept doing his own thing in the studio. And now, in just a year and half, he’s done like 120 features. Basically he just never stopped. The name change thing was definitely needed too, but we always called him 2 Chainz. Now that everyone’s calling him 2 Chainz, we say Tit, for Tity Boi. He always said it over his verses, and I guess people caught on to it since it was such a catchy thing. Tity Boi’s kinda hard to say when you’re on the radio. People want PG. But yeah, the name change, and just not stopping. Being the underdog, really.
You went from mixing 2 Chainz’ album to DJ Drama’s—how did that happen?
Twitter! Drama had said something on Twitter one day; he said “KY Engineering.” I had to look and make sure it was really him! [Laughs.] So I responded and said, “I need to mix your next single,” and he was like “We gon’ work!” Shit, I ended up doing his whole album. He didn’t know who I was until he started hearing my name. I’d never met Drama, never been in the studio with Drama. I let my work speak for itself. That’s pretty much how I’ve met everybody. I’ve never been one to walk up on a star and say, “Yo, I’m KY.” I’ll be around them for like 20-30 minutes and then somebody else will walk up and be like, “Yo, KY,” and they’ll be like “KY? KY who? KY Engineering?” I be like, “Yeah.” They be like, “Oh, nigga why you ain’t say nothing!” [Laughs.] That’s just not my personality. No disrespect to those that do, I just don’t. You just gotta work. Most people now just think they gotta get on Twitter and spam everybody! Nah, it don’t work like that. It’s more about being around. When it’s game time for you, turn up! Let that work speak for itself!
So with Quality Street Music, were you always recording sessions in person, or were artists sending in their vocals?
Most of the artists—I recorded maybe some of the artists like Waka and 2 Chainz. The rest of the artists would send sessions over the Internet from wherever they recorded it at. With the Jeremih song [“My Moment”] Drama only had a hook. He’d booked the studio session with Jeremih and I was in there. Basically, he told Jeremih to come in and lay hooks for him, do whatever he wanted to do. So Jeremih was like, “I’m gonna start off by playing some stuff I already got.” When he played that “My Moment” hook, I was like that’s it! He played like two more. The other ones were dope, too. But that was the one. And you know, me working with 2 Chainz, I actually told Drama, that’s 2 Chainz. It was his, Summer [Walker]’s, and Leighton [Morrison]’s idea to put Meek Mill. I liked doing Drama’s album because it was actually different for me. Most people think I just do a lot of trap music, just stuff with heavy bass. I think that album showed that I can mix different kinds of beats. We had Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, T-Minus, Cardiak, and then different artists like Common, Cee-Lo, and Kendrick Lamar.
Recently you’ve worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. What are your future goals?
To be honest with you, I think the only thing that would make me happy now is branching out and doing more stuff other than the trap stuff everybody knows me for. As far as artists, more legends—people that I grew up listening to. I wish I could get Hov and Snoop Dogg because those were two of my favorite artists. I’m just trying to get to the next level. The mixing world is so hard to break into, so it’s pretty dope that labels will call and say, “We want you to mix this artist.” It wasn’t happening like that two years ago. [Working on] an album, I feel like that’s what I’m good at. You get way more than an engineer when you deal with me. I don’t actually write anything, but I’ll help you find beats. I help with song structure, everything like that. That’s why I like working on whole albums, not so much the mixtapes. I did Waka’s whole album, 2 Chainz’ whole album, Drama’s whole album.
It’s interesting, because you’re one of the more well-known engineers, and it’s not just because of your résumé.
It’s funny to me. Everything I do, I don’t think of it as being part of a brand. My Twitter trending topics like #RealNiggaHours or #WeAreUK are subconsciously there for people, you’ll remember them. But starting off, I wasn’t trying to be known because I don’t really care! I’m not shy, but I’m not the person that’s trying to be all in the camera. I’m not trying to be in your video, but sometimes I am in the videos. You don’t have to do an interview and say my name. It’s something where these artists will get a good vibe from me. Most people look at an artist and say oh, that’s the artist, they do it all! They don’t even think about the people in the back, until now. That’s the thing that I like about it the most. Some people are mad because I’m an engineer and actually known, but other people come up to me and be like, “I appreciate what you’re doing for us engineers, we’re an important part of music.” And we are! If you’re gonna be in the room with a wack engineer, your music gonna be wack. But if you’re in the studio with someone who knows what they’re doing, you’ll be good. That’s what people get with me.
http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2012/12/ky-engineering-on-recording-and-mixing-hits-for-2-chainz-meek-mill-and-dj-drama/
Raekwon - Lost Jewlry EP
Raekwon just unveiled the cover for his upcoming Lost Jewlry EP via Twitter. The Wu Tang Clan emcee plans on releasing it January 8, 2013.
On January 1st, Rae will reveal the title and release date of his sixth solo album. 2013 is looking like it's shaping up to be a big year for The Chef.
Ryan Leslie – Life Is So Exciting (Remix)
Producer/rapper/singer Ryan Leslie hops on Fabolous' "Life Is So Exciting" and gives it a remix. The original version appears on Funeral Fab's latest mixtape The Soul Tape 2.
Fabolous Ft. Pusha T - Life Is So Exciting
Fabolous and Pusha T hit up the Art Basel Miami Beach celebrations earlier this month to film the official music video for "Life Is So Exciting."
The song originally appears on Fab's latest mixtape The Soul Tape 2.
Directed by Jon J
DJ Kay Slay Ft. Jon Connor, Joell Ortiz & Cassidy - No Way Out
The Drama King is back with another nice posse cut. DJ Kay Slay teams up with Cassidy, Joell Ortiz and Jon Connor for "No Way Out."
The song is off of Kay Slay's upcoming mixtape Grown Man Hip Hop Pt 2: Sleeping With The Enemy.
Katt Williams Has Beef With Quentin Tarantino For The Liberal Use Of The N-Word In 'Django Unchained' & For Wanting To Be Black "When I See Him I'm Busting His A$$ On Site"
The controversy surrounding Quentin Tarantino's new movie Django Unchained continues to rage on. In the film Jamie Foxx stars as Django, a slave-turned-bounty hunter who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
Although the movie has received critical praise, some have been offended by it's liberal use of the word n*gger. The word is reportedly used over 110 times.
Spike Lee and Katt Williams have been outspoken in their criticism of the movie. Spike is boycotting it. Katt says he plans on physically assaulting Quentin when they cross paths.
"When I see Quentin Tarantino I'm going to take this fist and I'm gonna put it right in his mouth where he say n*gger at," said Katt, while holding up his right fist. "Quentin Tarantino thinks he can say the n-word, but I checked with all of N*ggadom and nobody knows where he got his pass from. I hope he didn't get it from Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx cause they aren't going to help you when I see you. I'm saying that's disrespectful, I don't call Spanish people sp*cs because that's disrespectful, who would do that? Let alone do it 186 times in a movie for profit. Like for real, and put it out on Jesus' birthday. Really? You better unchain Django."
When the TMZ reporter asked Katt to compare Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad to Django Unchained, Katt was ready with an answer.
"Quentin Tarantino is no Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg doesn't wanna be black," Katt told the reporter. "Quentin Tarantino thinks he is. So when he meets a real n*gga, we'll see if he is or not. {When I see him] I'm busting his a$$ on site.
katt williams vs quentin tarantino by PaperChaserDotCom
Soulja Boy & Lil Scrappy Exchange Disses On Twitter "Let's Go To War. I F*cked Your Girlfriend & You A B*tch" Says Soulja
A beef has popped off between Soulja Boy and Lil Scrappy. The two Georgia rappers have been going at each other on Twitter. The reason behind the beef could be female rapper Diamond, who is Soulja's current girlfriend. She is also Scrappy's ex.
Soulja makes mention of smashing Scrappy's girl, but Scrappy says it has nothing to do with a female. Check out their Twitter exchange below.
http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/soulja-boy-lil-scrappy-exchange-disses-on-twitter-let-s-go-to-war
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Giving Back: Master P's 15th Annual Toys For Kids At Calliope Projects
MasterPMiller Gives Back In Louisiana
Game & Tyga Donate Toys In Compton
Last week, Game and Tyga packed up their rides and visited families in Compton to hand out toys for the kids.
Joe Budden “No Love Lost” Album Pushed Back
Joe Budden’s No Love Lost album has been pushed from January 22nd to a February 5th release. You will just have to listen to A Loose Quarter in the meantime. Link below
http://blacksoulwithsoulblack.blogspot.com/2012/12/joe-budden-loose-quarter.html
Statik Selektah’s Capital STEEZ Tribute Mix
Last night on Shade45, Statik Selektah and Sammy Needlz dedicated over 20 minutes to Pro Era’s fallen man, Capital STEEZ.
Kendrick Lamar On His Favorite Albums of 2012
K-Dot sits down with Google Play and reveals his two favorite albums of 2012. Nas’ Life Is Good and Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange make the cut for Kendrick. Those are great albums, but we think GKMC is pretty good as well.
Bow Wow vs DJ Whoo Kid!! Mr 106 & Park?? New NWA?? Respect For 50?? Too Much Money??
Mr. 106 & Park, Bow Wow stopped by Shade 45 to speak with DJ Whoo Kid. Luckily over here at RadioPlanet.tv we were able to capture the entire conversation!
What’s it like to be a part of the BET family? Are they re-doing the network over? Is Bow Wow involved in the creative process at 106 & Park? Does BET mind when Bow Wow curses? Did Bow Wow find anything interesting in Terrence and Rocsi’s dressing room? How does Bow Wow stay out of controversy? Any new movies coming out?? What was it like working with Malik Yoba? Can Bow Wow cry on spot while shooting a movie? What’s more important…acting or rapping? How is Bow Wow’s relationship with Lil Wayne and YMCMB? Does Birdman really have too much money? Will Bow Wow be involved in the new remake of ‘Friday?’ Why does Bow Wow want to be in the NWA movie so bad? Any special plans for the New Year? Why does Bow Wow have so much respect for 50 Cent?
Swizz Beatz vs DJ Whoo Kid!! Renaissance N*gga?? Cool With Oprah?? Ruff Ryders Reunion??
Swizz Beatz stopped by Shade 45 to speak with DJ Whoo Kid. Luckily over here at RadioPlanet.tv we were able to capture the entire conversation!
How does Swizz stay so fashionable? Is it hard to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends? Is Swizz working with Mims? Is Swizz a Renaissance? How did Swizz get into art? What’s it like to be cool with Oprah? Why does Swizz listen to his music so loud when in the studio? Will we ever see a Ruff Ryders Reunion? Does Swizz have secret samples that he’s never revealed? What does Swizz think about 50′s new record, “My Life?”
Wale & Dj Clark Kent Folarin Mixtape Interview With Peter Rosenberg!
"In part one of this three part interview series, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Wale & Dj Clark Kent to go over a variety of subjects including...the relationship between the two, how Wale deals with criticism, plans for a new album, the collaborative process during the making of #Folarin and more." - walemusic
Wale & Dj Clark Kent Folarin Mixtape Interview With Peter Rosenberg! (Part 2)
"In part two of this three part interview series, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Wale & Dj Clark Kent to go over a variety of subjects including...Where #Folarin fits in with MMG, The perception of Wale inside the music industry, What has changed with Wale in the last year and a half and much more..."
Wale & Dj Clark Kent Folarin Mixtape Interview With Peter Rosenberg! (Part 3)
"In the third and final part of this interview series, Peter Rosenberg
sits down with Wale & Dj Clark Kent to go over a variety of subjects
including...how Wale deals with twitter feedback, the honesty behind
his public persona, what makes #Folarin so special and also speaks on
the Washington Redskins this season." - walemusic
T.I. vs DJ Whoo Kid!! Hustle Gang?? 5 Million Off YMCMB?? Gentlemen Before Gangsters??
The ‘Troubleman’ himself, T.I. stopped by Shade 45 to speak with DJ Whoo Kid. Luckily over here at RadioPlanet.tv we were able to capture the entire conversation!
Heavy is the aroma?? Does T.I. mind constructive criticism? Gentlemen before Gangsters? What can fans expect from T.I.’s album, Troubleman? What’s T.I.’s favorite song off the album? What do all the skits on the album mean to T.I. ? Where can fans find Hustle Gang merchandise? Is T.I. a big Atlanta Falcons fan? What did Birdman tell T.I. that blew his mind? Did Birdman really make over 5 million dollars selling YMCMB hoodies? Hoodies & Tees over Crack & Guns ?? Why is T.I. so close with Trae the Truth? Did T.I. really have a car that broke down on him in the middle of a police chase? What does T.I. think about Meek Mill’s success?
This Is The End [Comedy Red Band Movie Trailer]
"The comedy This Is The End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Eventually, they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
Starring: Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Micheal Cera"
Posted By http://www.PersistMuzik.com
Machine Gun Kelly "Lace Up: The Documentary" Part 2
@MachineGunKelly debut album "Lace Up" in stores now
Kendrick Lamar vs DJ Whoo Kid & ASAP Rocky!! Video W/ Janet Jackson?? Shyne Who?? No Problems??
Hip Hop’s rising star, Kendrick Lamar called in to Shade 45 to speak with DJ Whoo Kid. Luckily over here at RadioPlanet.tv we were able to capture the entire conversation!
How’s it feel to be so respected in hip hop? Why are Kendrick and ASAP Rocky so cool? Do ASAP and Kendrick get hated on alot? Did Kendrick really originally pass on ‘F’n Problem?’ Will Kendrick try to get Janet Jackson for the Poetic Justice video?
Tone Trump Gets Jumped In Philly By Meek Mill Affiliate Louie V Gutta, Chain Taken
The 2nd Annual Philly Hip Hop Awards was held Sunday December 23 and the City of Brotherly Love was anything but as a fight broke out between two local rappers.
Tone Trump reportedly dissed Meek Mill artist Louie V Gutta by telling him and Zay Diddy "I bet y'all n*ggas won't turn up" when he saw them at a store recently. "Turn Up" is the name of Louie V's new single.
Louie V spotted Tone outside of the Theater of the Living Arts where the awards were being held and jumped him along with several others and allegedly took his chain.
Louie V took to Twitter to talk about what went down.
"F*ck Tone Trump & Anybody that Love Him! #Str8LikeThat What ya talkin now f*** boy? Oh ard lol #BangBang," Louie V wrote. "N*ggas think cuz I rap n sing on these songs that its sweet Lol they ain't name me louie v GUTTA FOR Nothin. A! @ToneTrump u a p*ssy n*gga u hang wit rats! U sneak diss and it got ya f*cked up! & we took that fake a$$ chain streets ain't safe clown. @ToneTrump Got Hit Wit a right hook from hell!!!"
"Jet Life Chronicles" Series #2 - Curren$y & The Jets - Episode 03
Jet Life Chronicles are a vignetted look at the day to day life of Curren$y & The Jets. Episodes will feature appearances from other artists and events surrounding the set. Episode features: @CurrenSy_Spitta, @Mousa504, @Stan599, @CornerboyP, @whnimstanding, @Fiend4DaMoney, @Young_Roddy-
http://www.jet-life.com
http://www.fortyfps.com
Shot & Edited by CJ Wallis, @fortyfps
NBA Play Of The Week: Kevin Durant Going To Work!
"Durant's BIG block leads to posterizing slam!" - NBA
Wiz Khalifa vs DJ Whoo Kid!! Hates Blunts?? Movie With 50 Cent?? Working With Dr Dre?? Jay-Z??
The ‘Only N*gga in First Class,’ Wiz Khalifa stopped by Shade 45 to speak with DJ Whoo Kid. Luckily over here at RadioPlanet.tv we were able to capture the entire conversation!
Why does Wiz hate smoking blunts? How does it feel to have a hit with ‘Work Hard, Play Hard?’ Did the single really go platinum already? Is Wiz a sports fan? When is Wiz getting married to Amber Rose? How does it feel to be with one of the sexiest pregnant girls? Is Amber really rapping on Wiz’ album? After achieving so much, what else does Wiz Khalifa want in life? Why isn’t Snoop Dogg or Currensy on the new album? Are 50 Cent and Wiz really working on a movie together? Did 50 get a contact high when recording with Wiz? How’s it feel to see Juicy J’s new success? Will we ever see Wiz working with Dr. Dre? What’s Wiz favorite weed record? Would Wiz ever try harder drugs? Bad experience with Xanax? How does Wiz pick his beats? How did Wiz link up with Cam’ron? Is Wiz cool with ASAP Rocky? Is Wiz super human? What was it like working with Pharrell? Why does Wiz want Jay-Z to listen to his album? Did Birdman really call Wiz to congratulate him? Does Wiz have any big plans for New Years?
Rihanna - 55th Annual Grammy Awards Commercial
Rihanna is in a great position to bring home a Grammy at next year's awards. The Roc Nation star picked up three nominations including Best Pop Solo Performance for "Where Have You Been," Best Short Form Music Video for "We Found Love" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Talk That Talk.”
Check out Riri's commercial below for the show below.
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Brandy - How High
Brandy releases a new song "How High" that didn't make the final cut on her latest album Two Eleven. It's not too late to grab Two Eleven though. The album is available on iTunes.
MYA - Mr. Incredible [Official Music Video]
It's always nice to get new visuals from Mya. The singer's fans voted on their favorite song from her latest album K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) and "Mr. Incredible" won out.
Video directed by Derek Brown
Kid Ink - Poppin' Sh*t Ft. King Los
This dude Kid Ink is on fire right now with the music videos. He teams with Bad Boy artist King Los for his latest titled "Poppin' Sh*t." The track is off of his latest mixtape Rocketshipshawty.
Directed by Grizz Lee
Check Out The Preview Of Shawty Lo's New Reality Show 'All My Babies' Mommas'
G-Unit/D4L rapper Shawty Lo is a busy man. Besides handling his music career, the Atlanta emcee also has his hands full juggling 11 children and 10 baby mommas.
The Oxygen network reportedly thinks Shawty's story is interesting enough to give him his own reality show. The show is guaranteed to be filled with plenty of action and drama because of the very different personalities of all of the women in Shawty's life.
Seven of the mothers are profiled in the preview.
E’creia “The First Lady”: She controls Shawty's finances
.
Angela aka “Chocolate” the “Fighter Baby Mama”
Amanda “The Jealous Baby Mama”
Sujuan “Wanna Be-Bougie” Baby Mama
Tamara “No Drama Baby Mama”
Serena “The Shady Baby Mama”
Leiana aka Pebbles “The Baby Mama From Hell”
Also profiled is Shawty's 19-year old girlfriend Ashlin - A.K.A. E’creia's
"mini me"
Coming Soon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)