Mixtape Review 7.7.15

DJ Mike Mars The Street Politician & DJ Chill Will bring you "Just Landed 7." Cool America host the 7th installment in the JL series which features: Scotty ATL, Yo Gotti, Beatking and many more. Don't hesitate, download it now!

Well the "I'm That Ni**a," mixtape has an all star track list featuring great artist, but on this one we pay attention to the production styles of, Tre Trax, Inomek in the Kitchen, Bobby Kritical and DJ Spinz. It's 32 tracks of heat produced by some of the best in the game. 

"Open Bar 2" is wide open. DJs; Tephlon, Mook, Ace, and Esudd serves the top shelf from Cap 1 on this one. Put it n'Rotation and ride out to this. 

Audio Molly 4 (Hosted By Project Pat) is brought to you by 3rdy Baby The DJ. The follow up to Audio Molly 3 features; Fetty Wap, Rick Ross, Chief Keef and a track produced by Kanye West that's been laced with bars by Tyga and A.E.

Uploaded on 7/06 the "Young Thug Barter 6 (Chopped Not Slopped)," mixtape turns the most anticipated mixtape of the year into one of the most downloaded chopped file in a day. S/O to DJs; Slim K, OG Ron C, and the ChopStars!

Yep we all want the next Lil Tunechi album to drop, but the powers that be keeps us in limbo. Fortunately NoDJ keeps the balance with the 4th of July release of Lil Wayne's FWA (Free Weezy Album)

DJ Carisma hosts Zairrion's October 8th mixtape. From the opening track "Unsigned Hype" to the closer track "H.U.D.S. (Heads Up Don't Stop)," this L.A. Artist is throwing up a "W" (win) on every track. 

DJ New Era is brings his skills and his "Fitted Cap Low" brand to Birmingham's own 4-Way LMG mixtape "On IV." Jac Trip, J-Lew and JukeHeisman are just a few of the names off of this July 4th release. Keep'em on your radar. 

The Glory is packed with your favorite artist and brought to you by DJ Plugg, DJ Schoolboy and Guy ATL. The Tony Tone featuring Fetty Wap track "Activated" is an exclusive and will be your turn-up song. 

Audiophile's XXL Summer Compilation is for all my Club Heads! Aaron Jackson, M.O.B., Intermodal combines their individual creative styles. Pop you one 😉and dance!

Top 10 Mixtape Reviews 6.24.15

@triggadadj @djlogangarrett @djbenfrank - #ProductOfTennessee4 Should become a mixtape series. From Juicy J to Young Buck and everything in between, I get why this hotbed of hip hop has and will always be here twisting up the genre and giving it a flavor that'll be craved globally. 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34725/product-of-tennessee-4.html

@mixxmobbradio @chilligrindwill @frenchiebsm - #MixxMobbRadio28 is a strong mixtape series that takes the "in the lab" tracks to the street. B.O.B. And Chanel West Coast (Yung Money) join up with Frenchie on the 1st track to let you know that Mixx Mobb Radio is here to stay. 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34704/mixxmobb-radio-28.html

@therealdjnewera is definitely a force to be reckoned with. You ask about Alabama music...here's the DJ to let you know Bama is on point and in many ways ahead of the curve. n'Rotation stamps this one Hard. @BobbyV host this banger and you will be ready for the 14th installment like you're waiting for the sequel to your favorite movie franchise. Check out   - #MoodMusiq13 on Live Mixtape now.

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34674/mood-musiq-13.html

@dj_hard_hitta - #RespectTheDJ3...That's all that needs to be said. 23 tracks is not enough! We want more! If Boosie Badazz "Black Heaven" featuring Keisha Cole and J Cole, doesn't get you to respect the DJ...get off my blog! http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34659/respect-the-dj-3.html

@posterchildj1 @ludacris @amberpriddy - #RedZone12 If this is the Red Zone...The score will melt the wires of your headphones. Atlanta stands up on this one. Migos, K-Camp and Rich Gang artist are just a few bringing the heat. 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34684/red-zone-12.html

@djsmoothmontana @djdiggz @djalamonj @djarabmixtapes @djwispas @sosdjseast - #WhoRunNewYork6 is testament to the streets of NY. Fat Joe, Fabolous, Uncle Murda and more of your favorites come put it down for their Burroughs. The 35 tracks reminds on this one reminds me of Krush Groove. 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34679/who-run-new-york-6.html

@trapaholics @trippdahitmajor - #TrippYouDidItAgain2 is a great follow up to #TrippYouDidIt #LiveMixtapes I thank you for the great app update, now I can rock the Trap-A-Holics offline.

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34692/dj-tripp-da-hit-major-trippyoudiditagain-2.html

After a week of riding to @therealdjstatic #iCantThinkOfAMixtapeName, I agree. He didn't need to name this heat. Every track delivered! Put it n'Rotation

http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34712/i-cant-think-of-a-mixtape-name.html

You will want to personally thank @dj_tephlon & @young_lexicon for #DoYouHaveAPlan

This mixtape is slowly growing on tastemakers. The "Here I Am" video gives you a preview into the quality of this project. http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34707/young-lexicon-do-you-have-a-plan.html

@wegotthiscrew if you didnt like club music...this will have you changing your music listening likes.  #WeGotThisCompilation3

http://club.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34670/we-got-this-compilation-3.html

@dr.13eight and @slimpolk dig through the crates to put together a track list full of unreleased bangers.  #SlimPolkChronicles

https://soundcloud.com/leslie-macevent/keep-it-real

The Mixtape Issue

A Change Gonna Come!

There's a serious need for a Bullshit Regulatory Commission on music. DJs control the night and they have a reputation to uphold and that's 1 reason that new track of yours isn't getting a spin when you walk it in the club. 

Let's explore the word ‘Ritual.’ A Ritual is a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. 

Now with that little bit of knowledge we can explore this "change". What is a DJ if he can't scratch, what is an MC if he can't rap? Those lyrics were directed at the future. Now we have "Push Button" DJs and songs are being pumped out of the studios faster than I

can listen and write my reviews on Fluence. Now, I will never knock talent or the attempt there of, but I will call attention to quality! So to answer the second question, a MC that can't rap is someone who hinders the movement. These MCs have unintentionally created the politics of the industry. Politics have their own place but in Hip-Hop? NO! What do we say to that? In the words of Hip-Hop legend Chuck D, "Fight The Power."

As the records, CDs, or even the colorful graphics display on your installed DJ program

have a revolution, the industry must have a Re-Evolution. An indie artist is born faster than

mothers delivering a baby through natural child birth. "There's a song and a remix in your inbox," is what just displayed on my computers desktop as I type. There’s passion in the production of these songs, however there's a lot of bad quality projects that are being put out. These projects hinder the good music from gaining its momentum to move from emails to ears. But that's a blog to be discussed at a later day. 

ATTENTION ASPIRED MUSIC ENTERTAINERS

Quality is priority #1! You absolutely, positively cannot cut corners on this part AT ALL. 

1. Get to a studio, with a booth and a engineer… get the sound A-1! 

2. Everyone with PhotoShop thinks they can do graphics, so not the case. Find that 1 graphic artist that really does know how to give you that quality...keep going to them. If it doesn't look good, what are we going to expect from the music?

3. Seek out a lot of good, consistent business relationships. DJs, promoters, Bloggers, fan engagement, and most of all treat your projects and talents as if they're the love of your life. 

This brings me back to Ritual… Imagine having to set the mood or tone for 100s even

1000s of people who want to hang out after work or after a long week or after monumental occasion. Well that's what DJs are tasked with when the club doors open. When fansstream mixtapes to their devices they're looking for that mood changer and motivation. Consider the daily and weekly Ritual of the DJ. Don't think you're going to just walk in and drop off some music and hear your song in the middle of the DJs set! Create a Ritual for your music and then you may fit into the DJs moment. 

I want to end with two finds that I have discovered. 

1. Next 

Next combines Instagram, Tinder, Twitter and Facebook all into one app and lets the artists, DJs, and Music fans discover new music without the garbage that can litter the information highway. Hence one way to regulate the bullshit in music. If you're not delivering a good Listening experience, they will swipe to the left. You have 30-seconds to preview your skills. New fans can view full-length videos and full profiles. No ads and it's free! Next boasts that it's app is, “A real, dedicated music community for mobile.” This is the app that requires you to look good and sound good. You have 30 seconds...GO!

2. Bandcamp 

I'm going to start with a fact....Bandcamp has paid $100 Million to Independent Artists and labels. This direct to fan (DTF) music sales platform, has been the new version of "out the trunk" since its launch in 2008. While the industry reports record sales declining, Bandcamp reports the opposite. In a interview with Billboard Co-founder Ethan Diamond stated, “Bandcamp  has increased 30% in sales last year and now average $3.5 million per month in record sales." That "works out to about 16,000 records a day...One every five seconds, twenty-four-seven." Oh by the way, it's free to join Bandcamp. The site is planning on some major add-ons, so it behooves you to get that project right or the consumers will continue with the 'boo' action. 

If you're looking for a start, submit your music to me at Fluence for immediate feedback. Be a part of the change or end up sounding like the artist that says, “ …I’m just trying to get my music played."  

#LeslieMac

On Your Grind... Here's A Piece Of Advice!

There's many ways to get your music out there. Just putting your music up on Facebook, YouTube, or an internet radio will help you get a few new fans, but this is what I call a slow dance and can be repetitive and eventually fade to black. This is normally a one time interaction with these new fans. These platforms may keep your current fans up to date and give you direct interaction with them, but when it comes to actually growing your fan base these methods are lazy and are not really engaging you with your new audience. 

If you want to get more fans I suggest a couple of things. There's no 100% guarantee to growing a fan base online but I'm sure any advice should be welcomed. But before you even think about following this advice, get the material right before it hits anyone's iPod or inbox. No matter how many of these strategies you use, if the quality isn’t there, there's a good chance you’ll be dissed more than reposted or retweeted. 

1. The No Brainer

Sharing your music with anyone and everyone is not the end all solution. You want to get your music in front of the audience that is already listening to it. 

Some artist will fight this idea but...get to the hood, to the open mics, R-n-B showcases and any place that opens its door to independent artistry. There’s a little work to this step that hardly ever gets done. I know this because it involves communication and a strong relationship with a music blog and other media outlets. Pick up that 10 pound phone and CALL a DJ, a blogger, radio personality and anyone who is in direct contact with the public and has their own network of promotional outlets. Music bloggers and media influencers share their music experiences, you have a much better chance with this media than the crowd who is directly in front of you. 

2. Don't do that...Do something like this! 

The ears and eyes that you need to hear your material does not check the random hundreds of emails they receive every other hour. The influential industry people and music connoisseurs like DJs and bloggers are constantly being pitched "Hot New Music" all day long. If you want to be successful, you need to be more personal and not the "Check out my new Banger." Do your research, make it a personal message. Send your music to people who would actually be interested in hearing it. I can’t stress enough…do your research.

3. Friends Do Let Friends Perform 

This business is a really personal industry and I've seen first hand that opportunities will  

come from the connections you make. With that being said, 
you can't buy ‘friends’, you can't buy a genuine following. If I see a artist with tens of thousands of Twitter followers or YouTube views or even thousands of Facebook Fan Page Likes, I have to question why they're not hitting in every market around them and even beyond. Don't get caught looking like a fake. Establish a network that's effective, not defective. 

Short and sweet. Get your music tight, get "Real" connections. And most of all don't believe if you buy likes and followers that it will bring you the shows and exposure you're looking for.

#LeslieMac

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