New York, NY (July 29, 2008) – End of The Weak, the longest-running weekly open mic in NYC, with established chapters all over the world, is partnering up with Loud.com on August 3rd for a special event. Emcees, producers, breakers and fans should come down to The Pyramid (101 Avenue A between 6th and 7th Street) for a Ladies Night Special event. Host, emcee and co-founder of the event that has produced alumni like C-Rayz Walz, Iron Solomon, Jin and a host of others, chopped it up with us outside the afterparty for Rocksteady 2008. Check the vids below, I’ll have more info in the coming days.
Propayne talks EOW and world domination.
Propayne starts to give us his three favorites, but is appropriately interrupted and goes off in a nearly five minute freestyle.
New York, NY (July 29, 2008) – My man The Goose was busy parlayin with a few Rock The Bells cats this weekend (ahem, Rakim), and while his experience on a whole was stellar, he said that Red was not in the best mood when he met him. Disappointing considering how… Redman… this video is. If you ain’t peeped it, Red went in over the “Roc Boys” instrumental and this is the visual result. Props to World Star Hiphop and Grandgood, via Gotty. Blogs = the mob, if you didn’t know.
New York, NY (July 29, 2008) – Spotted at Nahright. The scoop:
K-Salaam and Beatnick will host the release party for their new project Whose World Is This on Thursday at Crash Mansion in NYC. Hit the jump for the flyer and an oppurtunity to win two tickets and an autographed copy of the CD, plus the special edition DVD.
Can’t wait for that project. AND the one they’re doing with Pharoahe. That will be a good day in hip-hop.
New York, NY (July 29, 2008) – Confidence is not something for sale, but if it was, believe that Jouce The Artist, our Round 1 Emcee Contest winner, would be able to sell you. We caught up with the California native and got to know a little bit more about his entrepreneurial side, his life on the come-up and relating his material to consumers both on and off-line. Read up:
Loud.com: What’s good, Jouce?
Chillin man, I’m hella excited right now. I’m excited, I want the deal, I got he deal. I flyered everything, everywhere, man. I got like over 5,000 MySpace friends, I hit up everyone on Loud.com, I’m recording material and doing a lot of new songs right now to keep it fresh, like, I produce and write everything. I’m getting songs out this deal, I want the deal. It’s mine.
Loud.com: Confidence is definitely good. What’s up with Cali in 2008, seems like they kinda got it on lock right now with Crooked-I, Game, Pac Div…
Cali music, it’s time for the West Coast to come back, and come back strong. Game, well, I mean, he’s doin his thing, but if you go in the streets, girls like him, but he don’t have a lot of respect. I got love for him, but on a state wide level, he’s not holdin it down like that.
Couple strong West Coast artists hold it down, though. I feel I fit that criteria, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a humanitarian, I wanna do outreach here in the U.S. and 3rd world countries. Like, I want a chain of businesses. I plan on having a technology company, an electronics company, a few different ones. Once the finances come in, I’ma make a lot of changes, music wise and community wise for my people.
That’s what Game is missing, that’s what it takes to become a mogul and make a difference on your coast. Nowadays, it’s not how hot you are. I’m talented and everything, but today it ain’t like that. If you can’t generate revenue, you ain’t shit. I bring more to the table, I mix and master my records, I do graphic design, I do photography, I do promotions, I don’t have to rely on anyone. Everything on my page, I did it.
Loud.com: Self-sufficiency is good. Now, this might be off-base, but I hear a little bit of Pharoahe Monch in your voice, pronunciation and aggressiveness. That could just be me. Who were you listening to growing up?
It was a couple artists. Tupac when I was younger, and as I was getting older, Jay-Z, Nas. Some of the newer cats in 2000, Ludacris, Eminem. And recently, Cassidy has had a large influence. I’m kind of a punchline-driven artist, and that’s how I started. But I as I listened more, I began writing in depth, talking through things, like I almost got an East coast swag. Here on the West Coast, we’re known for gangster rap, and I talk about things I’ve witnessed and all that, but I bring a lot more to the table, I’m not limited. I’m a fan of lyrical cats and dudes with messages, so that’s how I rhyme.
Loud.com: You mention punchlines… is that a conscious thing or is that just the way you’ve always written?
Yeah like, I started off as a battle rapper, and it often just leads you down that avenue to get descriptive; I’ve always been that punchline-driven artist. And the cats I listen to, I’ve worked to create my own original character, I’ve always worked to break down what I’m talking about to the smallest portion. So I don’t know if it’s subconscious, but it’s something I’ve always done, you know what I mean.
Loud.com: Definitely. Now, your content suggests that coming up for you was a little rough. Tell me about that.
Growing up, I mean, I grew up in a one bedroom on Wick, I was an only child and had a lot of issues, but you know, I stayed positive. I learned to differentiate from things around me. All my homies were in gangs, out in the street, doin whatever, so I had to learn to separate myself. Plus, my momma would have whooped my ass.
But I mean, I knew all of them boys doin dirt, we chilled, but I just tried to stick to the books. It’s funny, though, because if I wasn’t out with them, and this is true even now, I’d be listening to music or playin video games. And I’m not gonna say as far as my actions, that part of my life has always had an influence on me, and it inspired me to be creative, but when you pick up the pen, it becomes a part of you, the things you see.
Browsing around the web. I knew about it last year, but my computer was trippin, so I couldn’t get in. But I was looking for contests. I won a $1,000 on another contest, I’ve rocked sold out concerts, sold units in the street, so it was just another extension of that. I haven’t opened up for anyone huge just yet, mainly showcases and things like that. I go to Cal State Northridge, and last year, I was supposed to open for Ne-Yo, but that didn’t work out. I’m studying finance up there, so that’s why I know how to manage my own funds. I do all that myself, I keep everything internal. That’s very important to my success.
Loud.com: Word. And that’s definitely the demographic we want to see even more represented in the community. We’re seeking to build the most talented, intelligent and hip-hop minded community on the web…
To be honest, I live on the Internet. I stay on it. If you notice, I was #1 in the Emcee Contest, and when the Producer Contest ended, I was up there, too. At the end of the day, we’re trying to attract fans and hip-hop fiends to Loud.com. Being in my position, I can do that. If cats see my talent and what I implement through my music, not only am I marketable, but the concept of my music, you can get into it. Everyone can relate. This is life. You got East, West, South and wherever, and everything I talk about is an in-depth message I want you to take notice of. For Loud, I know I can generate a lot of revenue, I’ve proven myself, me bein up 60 or 70-something votes, it’s proven. I’m livin and rhyming through experience. I will succeed given the chance.
Loud.com: We’re looking for all our artists AND community members to keep up that momentum. So now, is there a mixtape or album that people should be looking out for?
Right now, I’m workin on the mixtape, it’s called The Black Compilation Vol. 2: Street Novel. I got a lot of collabs with local cats. I’ma be headin up to Power 106, try to land some rotation, get some features. I expect the mixtape to drop in early December, it could be January, though, you know how it goes.
Loud.com: Yes, definitely. Thanks for talking with us, Jouce. Anything else you’d like to say before we let you go?
Yeah, man, I’ma shout out Lex Butter, J-O-Smizzy, Ill Nature, all my cats in the Top 20 doin it, everyone else holdin me down. There’s a lot of cats on the board that I got love for. A lot of cats, The Hood Politician, people like that, they all grindin heavily. Jouce The Artist, watch for me!
New York, NY (July 29, 2008) – The inaugural Loud.com Producer Contest jumped off with a bang as Brooklyn beatsmith MDot took home a first round win. His layered, diverse production sound piqued the ears of the Loud.com voting committee and dude’s refreshing take on his craft was definitely evident when we got up last weak. Below, MDot offers some insight on gear, Scott Storch and how he turned tragedy to triumph.
The best thing about hip-hop in 2008 and beyond:
For me, it’s 50 and Kanye. They are both doing different types of music and it’s about being able to enjoy both of them. I like that the South music is maturing, coming out with more lyrical pieces, where guys like me who are a little older can get into it. Down the road, though, I’m looking for younger, talented guys that can take the place of our superstars right now. I’m a big Jay-Z, Nas and Biggie fan and I’m just waiting for the next. It’s a cycle, I guess. I can almost guarantee they’re coming. It would give guys like me opportunities to make things happen.
That’s actually what I like about Loud.com; it has both. Most sites cater to one or the other. At the worst-case scenario on Loud, you can network. You can play music for people who want to hear it. I’m glad I stumbled on it again, because normally I’m not up and down like that with the web.
On being a gearhead:
I used to be, and that’s a mistake I made. Now, I normally I do everything in Reason. I have different methods depending on what I’m doing, like if it’s on the R&B side, I’m using Cubase, rewiring things. Mostly I can do what I need to do in Reason, though; I’ve been with it for a year and half and have had no reason to deviate.
On hearing about Loud.com:
It’s funny because I have an artist that I’m messing with, and he was sayin ya’ll had been doin this for awhile. He sent me a link to like, help support him or whatever. And then someone else told me about it, and they were like, ‘yo you already have an account,’ so… (laughs) somewhere I jumped on it, and recently, I’ve just seized the opportunity. The last couple of months I’ve been networking really hard. Just off the site alone, I’ve gotten like 40 or 50 people joining my mailing list. The whole thing has been a blessing. Winning the round is more than I thought even going in, so everything is great right now. The site is good, the people are good, it’s easy to search for artists. Props to Loud.com.
Why 9/11 made him focus on producing:
I was in the South Tower. Nobody in my company passed, we were fortunate. I got out in 10 minutes, right after it happened. It’s tough, though, I mean, what happened, happened. If you live in NY, all you do is work, and a lot of times, you put things aside. I thought that I couldn’t DJ anymore because this and that, yada, yada… but certain things happen that force you to do what you want to do in life, and I’ve always wanted to do this.
So yeah, I can basically say I’ve been producing seriously since 9/11. I’ve been doing music of some kind since I was 7 years old, though. I was originally born in Panama, and came up DJing clubs and things like that. I eventually came to the states and found I was getting farther away from music. As it is now, though, I’ve just been working as part of different groups, and you know, I’ve made some mistakes but I’ve done a lot of good work, too. I’ve had a lot of success on MySpace, PMP, with mixtapes and just setting myself up for 2009. I’m taking piano classes, too, which takes a lot of time, but I’m just trying to progress.
The possibility of doing music full-time:
Through Dynamic Producers, I’ve had some connections, man. I was in the running for the last G-Unit album, almost got on Jim Jones’ album. I’ve got stuff on cartoons that hasn’t been released yet. So it’s always a possibility.
But those reasons are why I try and keep copies of my stuff, because out of the blue things will pop up. For instance, the track that won at Loud is three and a half years old. I do a lot of stuff on the net, I give away a lot of beats as part of promotions, and new people are sending me links all the time.
As it is, I’ll work with anyone, it doesn’t matter. I’m working with a few guys now, Chips the General, Jersey Mouthf, guys that I’ve met through the years, Kingdem in the Bronx, he was the one that sent me the link for Loud.com. PMP has done good stuff for me. I’ve been contacted by a few A&Rs, and was almost was in the running for Joe Budden’s album. It’s always tough, though. Just trying to make progress to close things.
On whether Scott Storch deserved his current fate:
It depends on the whole situation, really. I guess the issue is, if he just blew the money and the opportunity. In the past, people thought they had money and they didn’t. In the last couple years, artists can make money and know it. Now there’s also other avenues to pursue, and that goes for anyone. Stock brokers and rappers alike. I feel bad cuz I like his music. He made that music once, so I think he can always do it. And shit, it sounded good then and it will 10 years from now. But I think if anything, it just shows that music is a responsibility, and if people apply that to their life, it’s clear some people are responsible and some aren’t. Hopefully everything works out for him, he’s definitely got the skills. As long as you got that drive and passion, you’ll be all right.
Looking towards the future:
I’m going to be at the Dynamic Producer Conference this week. I’m going to become more active in the area, networking and all that. I am going to maximize the Loud.com opportunity and stay connecting with people. I’m very into my music training, too, man, I’m learning three instruments right now. I got a call from you and boom, like you know? Things all happen for a reason.
Basically, I’m going to continue to work. I understand the value of hard work and waiting. I’m working with the guys I mentioned earlier, and I expect to be really busy. My focus is going after the TV shows, the ads, the jingles, all that. I’ve got some connects that have matured to where I can close some deals next week, you know? I’m sittin on several hundred tracks right now, I’m ready to work.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – I was fortunate enough to get over to Newark, NJ on Sunday for the Rocksteady 2008 Festival in memory of Frosty Freeze and witnessed one of the greatest hip-hop moments I’ve ever seen: KRS-One spittin “Rapture’s Delight” and Crazy Legs doin what he does best. Shout out to End of the Weak, The Rocksteady Crew and all the performers who made it happen. Oh, and the city of Newark, for not snatchin my camera. Believe it got hectic for some folks…
KRS-One – South Bronx and some acapella dopeness
KRS-One & Crazy Legs Perform Together w/ “Classic”
New York, NY July 28, 2008) – Vibe is now entering the voting period for Round 2 of their NCAA-style, Best Rapper Alive Tournament. Looking back at the brackets, some of the top emcees were going to tool their competition anyways (Eminem vs. Soulja Boy), but others got a tough hand (Nas vs. Joe Budden). Rosenberg played Joe’s “Who” parts 1, 2 and 3 last night for like 13+ minutes, and while I might have liked an instrumental change somewhere in there, Joey kept my attention for the entire time. It’s been a hot minute since Nas did that. Just sayin.
Anyways, here’s your links to the brackets and a few random vids I dredged up from the web to give you my perspective on the brackets.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – Regarded as the first and longest-running conference of it’s kind in the industry, The 7th Annual Dynamic Producer Conference returns to New York this week from July 30th through August 1st, 2008 at New York City’s Radisson Martinique Hotel. The Dynamic Producer Conference has been attended by over a thousand up-and-coming producers since it’s inception, as well as many established producers like Kanye West, Just Blaze, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Brian Michael Cox and Rocwilder. This year’s event continues its legacy and will once again introduce up-and-coming music producers to the realities of what it takes it break into the music industry and how to develop the network to make that happen.
I had the chance to speak with Jim Bond, a producer himself and soon-to-be Executive Director of Dynamic Producer. With an eye on the future, he was instrumental in bringing together the panelists to be featured at this year’s conference.
“The three-day conference will cover every aspect of the music industry, including the business and creative sides,” Bond said. “The conference will be attended by Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum-selling producers and engineers, songwriters, artists, managers, lawyers, publishers, publicists, major and independent label A&Rs and more. Established music producers confirmed so far to share their insight to the next generation of producers include Easy Mo Bee, Jimi Kendrix, Amadeus, Devo Springsteen and the Heatmakerz. Also confirmed to participate this year are representatives from SESAC, Violator, BMI, BET, G-Unit, Warner Music Group, AV8 Records, Hitco Music Publishing, Bad Boy Entertainment, Shady Records, EMI Music Publishing, Atlantic Records, Dipset, ASCAP, Volition.com and Soundblaze.com.”
Along with panelists that include Skyzoo, Ali Vegas, Big Sean and Sadat X, there is the ever-popular beat battle that takes place. Without giving too much away, we asked Bond to elaborate on what attendees could expect from the conference and what membership with DP is all about. If you’re an aspiring ANYONE in the industry, this is the kind of information that’s more valuable than the talent you already have.
Loud.com: What’s goin on Jim, how’s everything coming with the conference?
Basically right now, I’m tryin to squeeze in as many extra panelists as I can at the last second. Some will confirm way in advance, some are last minute, most are in-between. So I’m jut tryin to lock in the stragglers right now.
It’s cool, though, because while I don’t have any super, SUPER stars this year, Just Blaze MIGHT come thru to do the beat battle. The people I listed above will all be in attendance; but we don’t go out of our way for the big name producers and A&Rs. To be honest, they’re not usually the best people to meet and build your network with, so we usually try and just get a good mix. Our conference is all about networking, and the fact that we don’t pay our panelists means that the people who are here, WANT to be. It’s a unique environment; we’re definitely lucky to have who we do.
Loud.com: You’re based here in New York and have done some good work. How long have you been producing?
I’ve been doin tracks for like nine years, since maybe like, late 1999. I’ve gotten to work with some cool artists, people like Jim Jones, Ghostface, Lloyd Banks, MOP. MOP were actually the first major rap group I was ever in the studio with. I love those guys, man, they’re real cool. They’re so thugged out in their rhymes but they’re just real good dudes. Lil Fame is funny as hell. I use Fruity Loops for my beats and Fame was buggin out.
Loud.com: What are some things people need to know about the conference?
Basically, any producer, no matter what level you’re at, even if you’re like me that’s placed a few tracks, you need to build your network. We wanted to have a forum for producers to network, and also have them learn about the business side of the industry. Most don’t know anything about it. It’s really crazy some of the stories I hear. Everyone knows that industry people will try and rip you off. There’s a ton of producers that are still getting ripped off, and if you know the rules, it doesn’t happen to you.
Being part of our network and coming to our events helps you be more knowledgeable. You’ll know more people, and more importantly, you’ll know other producers. There’s another producer, this cat, Versatile, he’s from Jersey; me and him came up together. Felicia Booker, she’s the CEO and founder of Dynamic Producer, she started everything. She took a few producers under her wing and helped them out a lot; me and Versatile were two of those guys. As the years have gone by, I can’t express how valuable it’s been to have that relationship. We’re friends first, but if we’re ever dealing with some shady business shit, if he gets a publishing deal, we could discuss it. Like, you can talk to another guy in the same boat. Not every producer is competition.
Loud.com: How did Felicia get involved?
She had a few industry connects, but she’s from Cleveland, so they weren’t that extensive. Really, she just knew a ton of producers that wanted something like it, and started grinding everywhere to build it up to what it is today. We have over 1000 producers worldwide; we’re the biggest organization of its kind. There are membership fees, but it’s not bad.
Membership includes an online forum exclusive to our community, which is cool because there’s a lot of guys who wanna get at me or whomever and ask questions. Industry opportunities, A&R or songwriter, people looking for songs… if people are in need, we can reach out to our community and try to help. We have events throughout the year, too. Some are free, some you pay for, and when I take over, I plan on bringing even more membership benefits to the table. I’ve been working out some things with our sponsors, we’re gonna have battles online, free sound uploads every month, get some nice free sounds. Sounds are good.
Loud.com: It’s been very successful in the past, but how has it changed over the years?
The first conference we ever had, we were called Ear to the Streets, and there were only 14 attendees. We generally get 100 – 130 producers coming in every year. And as it’s grown in prestige, we now have a name in the industry and people know who we are.
Loud.com: The beat battle is obviously the big draw on Day 2, but tell me about the other two days.
The panels are good. There are certain ones that are flashier, but most are geared towards those seeking insider knowledge. One of the latter is the Dynamic Producer Veteran panel. That might be the most important one, knowledge-wise. I might be biased cuz I’m on it, but there’s just so much that guys don’t know until they break into the industry. There are things that guys don’t even know that they have to know!
We have another one called the 30/30 Career panel, hosted by Wendell Hanes, he’s done music for like over 700 commercials. He has a book by the same name. His thing is, a lot of producers just want the sexy placement on so and so’s album. But there’s a lot of money to be made other places, so we’ll be delving into that side of things. We have a traditional A&R panel to come through. That’s usually a big seller, cuz everyone thinks they gotta know an A&R to get placement, but that’s not the case.
The most unique thing is the Major Label Sessions, though. We take them to the majors to play records for whoever is attending from the majors. It’s really hot, a lot of the guys have never been in a meeting before. We also have a publishing panel, a legal panel, a management panel, an established producer panel, and this year, we have a panel called What Artist’s Want. It’s basically a few guys with buzz and a budget to buy beats that producers can play tracks for. We have an Urban Beat Suite Session, where we get managers and A&Rs to come in and critique them on the spot. There’s a lot going on.
Loud.com: Are you cool with the trends you’re hearing in hip-hop production now? What are your thoughts on producers becoming as big as the artists themselves?
I don’t have a problem with any particular style of music, but I have a problem how one sound gets really hot and everyone tries to copy it. That bothers me, man. Everyone is chasing the previous guy’s hit record. You always hear a new sound, but it’s starting to get a little ridiculous.
As far as them getting big, actually, I’d say there’s probably a trend of the opposite. A lot of these new albums have unknowns on the boards. It can kind of be a problem sometimes, to be honest. Nowadays, artists will finish the song before you even know they wanna buy the beat, even if you have a name. They’ll two-track the beat you sent, and then if they like the song and it actually makes the album, only THEN do they call you up and tell you that they want it. It shouldn’t be like that. If an artist wanted a beat, he should call me. Cuz I’ma make that song hotter. Restructuring the beat the proper way could make it hotter. Most of the time you can’t really do that. If you’re Dr. Dre or Just Blaze, sure, it’s easy… but unfortunately, most of us don’t command that level of respect.
Loud.com: What are your pet peeves when in the studio? Anything rappers or other musicians shouldn’t be doing around you?
I’m the kind of person that, if I’m working, I want to work. I don’t give a shit about hanging out. I mean, if it’s natural, cool. But a lot of rappers waste a lot of advance money because they’re in the studio, smoking weed and hangin out. That bothers me. If you’re gonna spend money like that, that falls back to not knowing the industry and what you’re doing. I have very intimate knowledge of a certain project on a certain major label and it’s unbelievable how much money has already been thrown out the window.
Loud.com: Do you have a favorite beat from a favorite producer and what’s special about it?
Oh man, that’s like asking me what my favorite movie is. I think it totally depends on what my mood is. If I’m feelin action, it’s gonna be The Professional, if I’m in the mood for drama, Shawshank Redemption.
But uh… to your question… music… man, well, to be honest, it’s not hip-hop. My favorite song is called “Hard Times,” it’s by Baby Huey and the Babysitters. Curtis Mayfield produced it. That record is fucking ridiculous. I could listen to it now and I still hear perfect nuances, new things. That is perfect production to me, I could listen now and get chills. I’ve probably listened to that song 400, maybe 500 times. Probably twice that, I don’t know. I can listen to it any time.
Hip-hop wise, though, it’s hard to say. One record I always respect is RZA’s Ice Cream. To this day, people don’t know where that sample came from. The vocals, he actually got the singer to come in and sing the part and he recorded that and sped it up, so it sounded like a sample. And he mixed it up with some piano samples. But that record is one of my favorite beats. I know there’s probably something else that’s pretty obvious that I’m missing, though.
Loud.com: The industry has changed with the acceleration of the technology. What has been the piece of equipment that’s stood the test of time for producers?
I don’t know if you could say it stood the test of time because it’s still relatively new, but a solid computer is the centerpiece to any good studio these days. I have hardware, too, but you need a computer to make everything work. The kind of sound libraries I have, sampled 24 bit full orchestras, separated by every single note, I mean, it’s ridiculous how many sounds I have.
Besides that, I’d probably say the MPC. Some good pads are very important. Drums gotta be hard.
Loud.com: Word up. Thanks for hangin out, Jim, hopefully this puts a lot of people onto the conference and the organization as a whole. Anything else you’d like to add?
Well, I am set to take over the Executive Director role of Dynamic Producer after this conference, and they’ll be some aggressive moves forward for us in the coming years. We’re looking to start some partnerships, and we already have a lot of well-respected companies keeping their eyes on us. For more information about the conference, check out our website and get a look at the full schedule to see what events you’d like to attend. And if you haven’t registered for Dynamic Producer, it’s definitely worth your time.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – Two-thirds of Little Brother reunite for this track, a nice little flick for Pooh’s “With You.” Props to Nahright for the heads up.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – Asher stopped by the SRC offices last week and we had the chance to rap with him (literally) on his way to another meeting. Son hooked us up with three of his favorite verses, two from his recent mixtape with Don Cannon and DJ Drama, “The Greenhouse Effect.”
Check the video below for the breakdown of his “The Lounge,” “Cartoon Chicks” and “I Love College.”
And check out a live performance of Asher in ATL this weekend.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – Ludacris, who’s been quietly biding his time until the release of his next album, “Theater of The Mind,” dropped this one today courtesy of DJ Drama. “The Preview” is part of the Gangsta Grillz Mixtape Series, and features the recently leaked Luda records “Politics as Usual,” “Still Spittin” and his “Put On” freestyle.
Download “The Preview” here. You can read more about the mixtape and Luda’s decision to jump back in over at MTV Mixtape Monday here.
New York, NY (July 28, 2008) – Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference provided the backdrop for MySpace’s announcement last week that their long-talked about music store will launch officially in September. The service will be a streaming service that will “enable MySpace members to listen to free streaming music as well as purchase song downloads, ringtones, T-shirts and concert tickets.” Read more from CEO Chris DeWolfe here.
Sources inside TechCrunch are reporting that Amazon will be the backbone behind the system, though nothing has been confirmed yet:
…Downloads are going to be a big part of total revenue, and while margins on music sales are low, the volume could be massive as MySpace directs its traffic to the new site. The big three music providers are likely the only partners who can handle that kind of flow. And Amazon and Rhapsody need market share to effectively compete with market leader Apple/iTunes.
Another factor in bidding is likely the ability of the partner to easily handle signed, independent and unsigned artists. MySpace has 5 million bands with a presence on the site, so the long tail is a factor.
New York, NY (July 25, 2008) – Why’d I get chills listening to this song/watching the video and I’m not necessarily with Obama? Good music will do that to you, I guess. Shouts to Joell and Dante for making this happen, Ortiz is really on his shit, man, it’s a beautiful thing to see. Props to OnSmash for the vid.
New York, NY (July 25, 2008) – Donny got up with us for some food and hip-hop earlier this week and chopped it up about the future of the industry and a few of his favorite verses. Big ups to Donny and his movement, he definitely blacked out a few times. Check:
New York, NY (July 25, 2008) – Aspiring entrepreneurs and artists, take note. It happens more often than not, and if the blow-up is bad enough, or the communication breakdown is that severe, bad feelings are going to linger and could affect the name of your music or business for awhile.
I’m not sure who is right in this instance, but chances are it’s a bad look for both of them to remain sour. Shouts to UGHH.com.
New York, NY (July 24, 2008) – Two musical geniuses combine and sparks fly. I’ve been runnin around all day, so I haven’t had a chance to listen, but I can guarantee heat. Download “Sweet Lord” here, check the tracklist below. Smoking Section has some thoughts on it. Go here for more information.
1. The intro
2. Are you ready?
3. Nina Ross
4. Free
5. And I Love It
6. Pusshhhhhh
7. It’s For Real
8. Marry Me
9. Love the Way
10. Murs Inatra
New York, NY (July 24, 2008) – Nas and about 50 other people from Moveon.org and ColorofChange.org marched on the Fox News headquarters here in NY today with petitions signed by more than 600,000 people. USA Today has the story:
…Last month, Fox News referred in a graphic to Michelle Obama, the wife of the Democratic presidential candidate, as "Obama’s baby mama." Later, the network said a producer "exercised poor judgment" during the segment.
Earlier, two other Fox personalities apologized for referring to an affectionate onstage fist bump shared by the couple as a "terrorist fist jab" and, in another case, for joking about an Obama assassination.
Nas’ new song, Sly Fox, takes direct aim at Fox. "Watch what you watchin’, Fox keeps feeding us toxins … I pledge allegiance to the fair and balanced truth, not the biased truth, not the liar’s truth," the song says.
