To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Shlohmo amidst the mist.
Earlier in the day I had watched Tom Krell p/k/a How To Dress Well perform, and having done some research before the festival about different projects he had worked on, I found a video on youtube of a track How To Dress Well performed on produced by Henry Laufer p/k/a Shlohmo called “Don’t Say No”.
Intrigued by the sound and the fact that he was apparently working with Tom Krell, I decided to buy his latest LP “Bad Vibes” and after a couple spins on my record player, I decided that I’d put him on the list of acts I wanted to check out at the Festival. I’m not a big fan of DJ sets- I’m more of a live band kinda guy- but having enjoyed Flying Lotus in the past year at the Hollywood Bowl, I decided to swing by the tent where he was performing to check out a bit of his set.
As the “house lights” dimmed, and the smoke machines started pumping out a thick mist over the stage, Shlohmo came up to his DJ console and started his set. His live set was a little different than I had expected. “Don’t Say No” and “Bad Vibes” are very moody records, extremely ambient in there overall approach . The live set still carried the eerie mysticism of the music that I had purchased and watched before the festival, but during the fifteen minutes that I watched, it didn’t feel as lo-fi as maybe I had wanted. Missing was the interstitial feedback and ambient hisses that gave “Bad Vibes” its unique sound. The live show was almost too “clean.”
Don’t get me wrong. The music was good … the filled tent of bobbing heads was proof of that, and I love “Bad Vibes” (which sounds amazing on vinyl) …. but like I said, I’m more of a live band kind of guy.
The first time I ever heard of Mistah F.A.B. was while I was working on Snoop‘s ninth solo album Ego Trippin’. Snoop recorded a song called “Life of da Party” featuring Too Short and Mistah F.A.B. It was a hot single, due in large part to the stellar features, even making it onto some of Billboard’s charts.
A buddy of mine forwarded me a link (on 8/29/13) of Mistah F.A.B.’s freestyle on the radio show “Sway in the Morning”. He absolutely killed it. The freestyle also seemed to come genuinely off the dome as Sway even threw out topics during the freestyle for the rapper to ruminate on. Mistah F.A.B. didn’t miss a beat. He killed it.
To me, this is what hip hop is about. A true M.C. does what Mistah F.A.B. did. He’s definitely set the bar high for the rest of the year. I doubt we’ll be hearing any other rappers freestyle in the immediate future. There’s really no way you can compete with this.
My client Phaze has been putting out a lot of dope content these days. The latest two videos he dropped recently are, in my humble opinion, top notch. It starts with the music. Phaze has really been stepping up his lyrical game as of late, and it really comes through with the content and flow. The slick beats certainly add to his game.
Though he doesn’t appear in the video for “Arrival” (released May 24, 2013), the edits and cuts of the video (which was shot in India) are visually amazing. I actually feel that by not appearing in the video, it sets forth a confident statement by Phaze and the director that the music speaks for itself.
The video “Legendary” was released earlier in the month (May, 18, 2013) was shot in Los Angeles and already has over 16,000 views (as of May 31, 2013). Shot at the Tar Pits in Los Angeles, the video again used terrific visual imagery. The beat, produced by C Ballin, is smooth and steady, matching the lyrical flow.
If you like what you see and hear, spread the word. If you want to keep up with Phaze and his music follow him and his label respectively on twitter at @officialPhaze_ and @MrSobat … Ohh yeah … you can follow me too if you’d like here @Methodman13. I’d like to think I post some cool stuff too … LOL.
The Boss Dogg (or these days, the Boss Lion) has a storied relationship with firearms. Whether it was when the home of his family was raided while he wife and children were present, or whether it was friends or family falling by an intended or stray bullet, the recent mass shootings seems to have inspired him to shed his gangster image, thus his evolution to the Lion from the Dog.
Quoting his recent interview with Piers Morgan:
“It affected me to where I wanted to say something and I wanted to make some music to try to help the next person who was thinking about loading a gun, going into a school and then shooting and maybe helping him put that gun down and think about what he was doing or what she was doing before they did that.”
The Lion has assemble amazing musicians to contribute to this recording. The track was produced by Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid with additional production from Dre Skull. Beirut’s founder, Zachary Condon, inspired the keyboard chord progression. The song was co-written by Angela Hunte, and Drake and Snoop’s daughter, Cori B, are featured vocalists. Oh, and Stewart Copeland play drums on the track too. Talk about a power ensemble.
The laid back reggae flow contrasts with the song’s strong social commentary, adding to the sense of how Snoop is simply worn and weary from the years of gun violence. By using his daughter as a featured artist, it also shows that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with for both the present and future.
The lyrics are poignant and moving. Snoop introduces the song with, “Money makes a man, and that’s a crime. If we all were rich, we’d spend more time with our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds. We all feel hurt, here’s mine… No Guns Allowed.”
A strong message embedded in a powerful song. Let’s hope the world listens.
Lyrics:
[Intro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
If we all were rich, we’d spend more time
With our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds
We all feel hurt, here’s mine… hear me now
[Hook]
No guns are allowed in here tonight
We’re gonna have a free for all, no fight
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight
I need to hear my thoughts, turn the music up loud
[Verse 1: Snoop Dogg]
Let the music play, me no want no more gunplay
When the bodies hit the ground, there’s nothing left to say
We don’t want to see more innocent blood shed
We don’t want to more youth dead (come hear me now)
[Hook]
[Verse 2: Drake]
News from back home, it’s when it hurts to be gone
Two more young names to be carved out of stone
One summer day that went horribly wrong
Got my dog on the phone, cryin’ and sayin’ to leave ‘em alone
But I’m not leaving his side, I know that somebody died
Somebody’s child, some people duck down and some hide
Some people just cannot react in time
Bullets do not choose a victim, it’s the shooter that picks ‘em
They just can’t wait to get you in the system
The district attorney could use a conviction
Told you no guns in there, you didn’t listen
Life is so heavy with that on your soul
Dedicate this to Shyanne and Josh
And pour something out for the lives that they stole – 416…
[Hook]
[Outro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight
I had purchased a ticket to see a show at The Roxy on December 29th, 2012 that was titled “Bizarre Ride Live” at the suggestion of a friend. He told me that it was a performance of The Pharcyde’s “Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde” by two of the original members (Phatlip and Slim Kid 3) and others.
Earlier in the day, on a whim, I decided to check out a record shop that I hadn’t been too before in West Los Angeles called Touch Vinyl. As I was flipping through the racks, I stumbled across a limited edition, colored vinyl set of the album that I had intended to see performed live later in the evening.
It seemed that fate was calling, so without hesitating, I decided to purchase the LPs.
Feeling that fate was on my side, I decided to bring the new purchase with me to the show. As chance would have it, I happened to have a silver permanent marker in my bag.
The show was great, and I was able to relive some of my youth. The album had come out while I was in high school and, at the time, I could recite almost every lyric from the album. I still think that the sequencing of tracks 7-13 is near perfection. To this day, I can listen through that section of the album without having to skip anything.
The show had ended and I while I was talking to Mellow Man Ace (who performed with his son Cazal Organism as The ZZYZZX earlier in the evening), I saw both Slim Kid 3 and Fat Lip step out. I was able to cajole them for their autographs, and there you have it. Some music treasure.
Back in 2011 I had the pleasure of being introduced to a hip-hop group based out of Toronto, Ontario. A company I was working for was interested in bringing them in as clients, and my friend forwarded me a few tracks to check out. I’m very picky about the hip-hop I listen to. Continue reading →
I’ve always prided myself in being a jazz aficionado. I’ve tried to educate myself in the history (I’ve watched Ken Burns’s documentary twice) and cultural significance (I wrote my senior Anthropology paper on the influence of Jazz Music on society and culture) of Jazz Music.
I don’t listen to much radio these days, and the music that I “discover” tends to be through word of mouth. I’m a Jill Scott fan, and one day she posted a tweet that caught my attention:
Now, I had heard good things about Robert Glasper (I knew that he was nominated for a 2013 Grammy), but I really didn’t pay too much attention to his music, so this tweet caught my attention. I mean, Jill Scott is so incredibly talented, that if another musician were to give her musical fits, that musician MUST be as, or more, talented than she.
I started pulling up some video from YouTube, and was instantly hooked. It was like a modern day version of Guru’s Jazzamatazz albums. I noticed in one of the YouTube videos a link to purchase tickets to an upcoming show he was to have at the Roxy, and with the Grammy’s that same weekend, I thought it may be a good idea to purchase a couple of tickets to catch the his show. After all, his latest album “Black Radio” had tons of features on it, and who knew how many musicians may have decided to swing through that evening.
I went to the show with a friend, and I’m glad I bought tickets ahead of time I smirked a little bit when the people in front of me in the box office line were told that tickets had sold out.
We got inside while DJ Shafiq was spinning, and were relaxing comfortably when Taylor McFerrin took the stage. It was my first time listening to Taylor McFerrin’s music. He’s a talented producer/vocalist who is signed to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder Label. His show consisted of a freestyle improvisation where he riffed on a vocal pattern, stored it in his computer module, and looped it while playing keys or singing over the looped elements. All of a sudden, he started to sing Bobby McFerrin’s “Thinkin’ About Your Body”. I mentioned it to my friend in passing. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized he was Bobby McFerrin’s son. LOL.
After Taylor’s set, The Robert Glasper Experiment took the stage.
My friend trying to sneak a peek of the Robert Glasper Experiment setting up.
The set was amazing. I do not, unfortunately, know all of Robert’s music by heart (yet), but I think that they MUST have played the following songs, because the featured artist’s came on stage to perform as well:
Bilal: “Letter To Hermoine”
Bilal and Lupe Fiasco: “Always Shine”
LaLah Hathway: “Cherish The Day”
Ledisi: “Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)
And although they weren’t featured on any of the tracks on “Black Radio”, Marsha Ambrosious and Elzhi (of Slum Village) stepped up to the stage to perform as well. Ms. Ambrosious was kind enough to snap a picture of me after her set.
Lalah HathawayBilal and Lupe FiascoMarsha Ambrosious
The vibe and setting in the Roxy was intense. Whenever the band started going off an a jazz riff, I kept thinking to my self, “This is what it must have felt like to be at a John Coltrane or Miles Davis show, back in the day.” People were entranced. The music enraptured.
The Robert Glasper Experiment performed with an intensity and focus that is impossible to measure. The beats were on point. The solos amazed. The performance was brilliance animated. Here are a few snippets.
And the kicker was that it was all accessible. Though Jazz is the foundation for American black music, people seem to lack a certain appreciation for it. This evening, the people in the audience ate it up with a spoon. Maybe it was because all of the guest artists made it seem to be more of an R&B or Neo/Soul show, but at the heart of it, it was all jazz. Pure, unadulterated jazz put through an R&B filter. The results? Amazing.
The Robert Glasper Experiment won a Grammy the following night. I’m glad I got to experience the music before the win.
A lot of people don’t know this, but before I went to law school, I worked at a small boutique entertainment law firm in Santa Monica, CA. One of our clients was the production company that had signed Slum Village as an artist. One of the first albums I got my entertainment law hands dirty with was “Fantastic, Vol. 2”. I took great pride while working on the project because I knew there was something special with the talent in that group, particularly the talent of the producer J Dilla, who produced the ENTIRE album, which is amazing.
When I entered my second year at law school, I decided to work part-time, splitting my time hustling in the class room, and hustling in the office. Though J Dilla decided to move on from Slum Village, he produced a couple tracks off of Slum Village’s next album, “Trinity (Past, Present and Future)”.
James Dewitt Yancey, pka J Dilla, born February 7, 1974, passed away February 10, 2006 from a blood disease, and I remember feeling a great sense of loss. He was part of my professional evolution and maturation, and is a reason why I love this business so much. To work, albeit somewhat remotely, with talent makes it all worthwhile.
His instrumental album “Donuts” and his first solo album “The Shining” are 4 and 5 star albums based on my own personal rankings. NPR, in their obituary, stated that J Dilla “was one of the music industry’s most influential hip-hop artists, working for big-name acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, The Pharcyde and Common.”
This is a terrific four part interview of J Dilla from back in 2003. You want and in-depth take of his come up and the way he produced, and what inspired, his music? You need to set aside 40 minutes of your day and listen to this interview.
Here’s a great video of man who lucked out and scored a storage unit of J Dilla’s record collection. I hope all of that wax is being taken care of.
Below are some of my favorite J Dilla Tracks. RIP, Mr Yancey. Truly a visionary. Lost but not forgotten. “We Reminisce Over You”.
Note: If any of the links don’t work, let me know, and I’ll find an alternate version:
My client Phaze just released his newest mix-tape titled “From Me To You”. Click through on the following link and click the photo on the webpage to automatically download it to your computer: http://officialphazemusic.com.
We’ve been hustling since last year trying to make some good music and getting it out there to the masses. You may remember me pushing the song “Kosher” hard last year (over 40,000 views!). After all, I did have a 3 second cameo in the video 😉
Every so often, I meet artists who really impress me. Every so often, I meet an artist who blows me away because not only are they musically talented, but they also possess a personable and self-assured aura about them. Something more than just music. Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been wrong more than I’ve been right, but just trust me when I say that I’ve hit the nail dead on the head a couple times with a handful artists who turned out to be pretty damn big (too bad I wasn’t making client decisions back in the day… lol). These days, though, working alone, I can pick and choose my projects. Now, I don’t just dole out free work left and right, and I know that I shouldn’t really gamble with business, but where’s the fun if you never take a risk and go with your gut.
A few years ago I met Frank Freeman, pka “Phaze”, through another client of mine. He was a kid just finishing high school, whose parents, bless their hearts, wanted their kid to at least have a chance to chase the music dream. But there was something about him that really made me pay attention.
Don’t get me wrong, the music and videos he put together with his high school friends … let me repeat …. high school … were really good.
Exhibit “A”:
Exhibit “B”:
I could just see it in his eyes that he wanted it and wanted to hustle to get it done. I hooked him up with some of the people that I work with on the regular, and we started turning out more music [you can download a free copy of Phaze’s mixtape “Dead Memories” here: http://www.datpiff.com/Phaze-Dead-Memories-mixtape.320575.html] and more videos to showcase Phaze’s evolution.
I hope that you’ll support independent music and hip-hop that’s as true and pure as it gets. “From Me To You” is now available as a free download. Again, click through the link and click on the photo on the page for the free download: http://officialphazemusic.com. Feel free to hitch a ride.
#DKLPHOTOS 