Live it, See it, and Write it because I know it

Woke up this morning with my inbox full... One in particular was time stamped at 4:47am, it was from my partner, T.  As I read it, I knew he was pissed. His tone came through loud and clear. It's my duty to share his experience with you all. Mind you, I knew he went to screening of 'Straight Outta Compton' last night. I could hear T reciting the bars from Easy-E as I read... "I live it, I see it, and I write it because I know it."

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I'll say it once and for all! Some of the sources of Hip Hop are not worth your time. It's not a black or white thing, hell I work alongside Leslie Mac who is arguably one source who is ahead of the curve and most definitely in tune with hip hop. But some of these messengers claim to be connected to the culture actually have no valid point nor do they need to add the words "Hip Hop" to their social media bios or screen names. Check your sources, check their playlist, quiz them when you see hip hop improprieties. Followers can be bought or just numbers on a profile. It's how they engage with the like minds. The culture is now being painted by someone who does a lil research on the web and has no idea of what the music feels like. Not the sound, but what it feels like. You can't download Hip Hop, you can't find it in an app on the App Store. IJS! I've read all these reviews and  feedback about Straight Outta Compton and they take the wind outta the sails. True hip hop heads can fill in the blanks of the moments that made NWA who they are. Magazines and shows such as Word Up Fresh, Right On, Yo, and The Basement were the pioneering sources of the Hip Hop culture. If you never read, touched or at the least heard of any of those contributing factors to the expansion of the culture...you should take your fingers away from the keyboard. They dove into the artist. 

Written by Terrence Dawson

WTF is Goin' On In Da Club?

Ok… I've said this before so this time I'm going to write it down. As I was visiting a club over the weekend, I watched artists commit some of the worst music sins known in the industry. These things will continue to drive the wedge in between Artist and DJ.

Don’t crowd the DJ, don’t interrupt (artists that means you too)and let them work! Should you be an aspiring artist, DO NOT approach the DJ during their set. They already have their playlist mapped for the evening. That is their “mes in plaus” or game plan for their show. If anything, the DJ will remember you as “the MF that has no respect” as they throw your CD in the trash. Want respect, then give respect… Be cognoscente and approach them AFTER their set. (Before hand they are in the zone)

Ask for feedback (be it good or bad) make sure it’s the genre of music that appeals to their sets. After all, the main objective is to get your music out to be heard…the more ears that listen the better. Just because one doesn’t care for it doesn’t mean it’s bad, they just can’t work with it. Respect and thank them for their feedback and keep grinding. You will get a lot more “no’s than yes’s,” but this doesn’t mean the DJ won’t cooperate. They have a right to choose what they play, just like you choose what to perform. Don’t get it twisted…DJs love to break records, it just has to fit their flow and ultimately their crowd.

Be different, be you…Don’t bite off someone else. There can only be one Drake, Jay-Z, or Biggie. Take it from Dr. Seuss - “why blend in when you were born to stand out!”

The conflict between artist and DJ can be resolved: build that rapport, respect each other and the art of music. So in the meantime and in between time, keep grinding and break some records.

You never know when our paths might cross, BOLO. 

#LeslieMac