Freestyle - The Essential Element of Hip-Hop

From the birth of Hip-Hop at 1600 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx during the late 1970s, “freestyling” has always been the act of performing memorized rhymes to syncopated music.  As the Hip-Hop art form has evolved throughout the 1990’s, the “freestyling” has to include a rhythmically poetic performance showcased with lyrics created within the spur of the moment inspired by the emcee’s surroundings. The rhymes are short but filled with an organic and overflowing energy.  In these gritty rap battles/ciphers, the emcee is as powerfully effective as a Sunday morning church preacher.  He is aggressive and he moves the crowd to systematically destroy their opponent. 

Posted 8 months ago — 1 note

Steve Stoute - Tan is the New Black

You might know him as “The Commissioner,” a name Nas gave to him back when he was managing his career.  He is also the former manager of Mary J. Blige, the Track Masters, and countless other music acts. Or, maybe you’ve seen him as the African-American man that is always standing next to Jay-Z on the step and repeat lines at major industry events.   But even if you aren’t familiar with the man, you are definitely familiar with his work.. 

Steve Stoute is the CEO/Founder of Translation, an advertising/marketing/brand consulting powerhouse of a company.  With a diverse client roster that includes brands such as McDonald’s, State Farm, Hewlett-Packard, Target, Reebok, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co and Lady Gaga, Stoute has greatly influenced the way big brand marketers and superstar artists connect with consumers. Whether he’s turning a jingle into a hit single for Wrigley’s (remember Chris Brown’s “Forever”… yeah, he did that!), or making Gwen Stefani relevant for mothers who are technology adverse (that innovative HP commercial featuring just Stefani distant aura was his); and some of today’s most memorable marketing efforts (all those State Farm commercials referencing that “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”TM) are all the brainchild of Stoute. 

From resurrecting Reebok with the record-breaking S. Cater and G-Unit sneakers, to changing the way McDonald’s would forever market its food with the iconic “I’m Loving it” campaign, to making Carol’s Daughter a household name and product, Stoute became a the official “Ambassador of Cool. ” And now he’s sharing how he did it in his new book entitled “The Tanning Of America: How Hip Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy.”  His first book that hits stores last week.

In the book, he shares how “Tan” is the new “Black!”  When he speaks about “tan,” Steve Stoute is speaking about the mental complexion of today’s consumer.  You might have thought that his reference to “tan” meant the darkening of the average American’s skin tone due to all the interracial relationships or the penetration of African Americans and Hispanics within the culture but he is not… “Tan” now refers to the urbanization of our mentalities, not just the physical DNA. 

And how does tanning occur? From reading this book, my best guess is through Effective Communication. By going back to core strategy, brand personality, and finding authentic connection that both registers with young adults and doesn’t seem to try too hard to capture the millennial’s attention, Stoute ensures that there is a two-way conversation constantly. It would seem that for advertising to be truly influential, you can’t push the message down consumer’s throats anymore.

Posted 8 months ago

Kendrick Lamar - Next to Blow

I first heard of Kendrick Lamar from a good friend who knows his new music.  After getting the official cosign to his organic skills, I decided to check him out.  While he may not be my particular cup of tea, I will say that this young dude hailing from Compton, CA is generating a lot of buzz from industry vets like Dr. Dre, The Game, Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams and is definitely the next to blow (pause). 

From his mixtape entitled “Section.08” here’s why… 

Lamar has a refreshing style of storytelling that has an uncanny way of connecting with his fans. 

He is an individual. Similar to a young Nas, he comes “from the streets” but is not “in the streets.”  He knows who he is, where he has come from and what he has to do to represent that truth while connecting with his fans. 

Section.80 is a personal album. The story of Kendrick Lamar is the story of a good kid in a mad city. It’s about a boy trying to figure out the world. His records don’t come off “preachy;” rather, they come off as a young man trying to find his place in the world. When you think of Compton, you think of the stigma of gangs and gang culture. That’s something I’ve been around my whole life. 

He makes music that represents his generation and their particular struggle. Whereas some of his favorite rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Nas are on their grown man sh*t rapping about money, fame, women and popping bottles, Kendrick Lamar is able to relate to the average 18-year-old getting out of high school–the kid who is still trying to figure what he’s about to do with his life. Whether its talking about getting messed up with drinking and drugs, or going to parties, or just being carefree, its all part of the “ADHD” mentality. 

His music is driven by the melodies. Its music you would make if you grew up in a household listening to gangsta music and oldies.  An interesting mix, that really works here. Standout records from “Section.80” include: “The Spiteful Chant;” “Ronald Reagan Era;” and especially “Keisha’s Song.”  

Posted 8 months ago

What's Beef - Trading Insults to Sell Records

It’s been a couple of days since superstar rapper Lil Wayne’s track “It’s Good” leaked and the Internets are going crazy.   Within a couple of hours, Lil Wayne was the subject of 5 out of the top 10 trending topics on Twitter.  Not an easy feat to accomplish.  Why you ask….  Well let’s see.

Posted 8 months ago

Jean Micheal Basquiat - An Artist for the Hip Hop Generation

Hip Hop has long given shout-outs to alcoholic beverages, foreign cars and jewelry. But recently, an artist has been added to that list.  Jean-Michel Basquiat, who got his start in SAMO, a graffiti collective in Manhattan’s early-’80s downtown scene, and became a famed painter before his death at 27, has been name-checked in numerous tracks in the last two years by the likes of Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West and Rick Ross, bringing his story and work to the attention of a new generation.

Posted 8 months ago

Watch the Throne - Setting a New Standard for Music Distribution

So there’s this guy, Jay-Z, who mentored another guy, Kanye West. They both became hugely, successful Hip Hop artists. One day, probably while getting drunk after a Parisian fashion show, they suddenly decide to do an album together. 

If that wasn’t enough to set the fans buzzing, they decided they are going to make it a digital exclusive for the first week. The only way to hear the album will be to purchase it through Apple’s iTunes Store.

Can you blame them, there aren’t any more Virgin Records Music Stores, or HMV, or Tower Records.  Hell, good luck finding independent retailers who sell music nowadays.  Even Borders is going out of business.  Which leave Target, Best Buy and Walmart as the retail chains for physical distribution.  

Posted 8 months ago

The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs

Like it or not, Jay-Z has a catalog of great songs.  Greatest rapper alive beyond compare.

Posted 8 months ago

Talking Contradictions - White Rappers and the N-Word

My thoughts on this phenomena can be summed up in a simple quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, 

                         “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” 

meaning that the names of things do not matter, only what the things are.  To me, the word “Nigga/Nigger” is not the true issue; rather, racism (and its cousins discrimination and prejudice) are. Words can never hurt me but belief systems and institutionalized behavior can. 

Posted 10 months ago