About Synopse: It wasn't long before he realized rhymes without a beat were missing a needed element, and thus Synopse the producer was born. The passing years would see both skills honed and ready to be delivered to the masses. Although he can spit, he is quick to make known he is "not an Emcee".
"Emcees live and breathe to spit rhymes, that's not the situation with me. I just love making music, and it just so happens I use rhyme form to accomplish the task." However, producing is another case. He states, "making beats is like breathing to me." Relocating to Orlando, Florida would only give birth to something bigger, the forming of the Paradox Unit.
Paradox is a cooperative of Emcees, DJ's and producers whose sole purpose is to move the crowd. Group members include, TzariZM, Nemo aka IMAKEMADBEATS, J Freedome, Midaz The Beast, Rugged, Relz One, Intelx, Ponce, Phantom Shino, and Vis Major. The P-Dox Unit took the local Orlando hip-hop scene by storm, bringing raw and gritty, yet unique, sounds to the south. Songs such as ,"Spirit," produced by Synopse, dominated underground radio, solidifying his production stripes. Now poised to make a formal attack on the industry, Synopse brings varied elements to the table to be consumed.
The single "More Fiya" is soon to be released digitally in April on Doxside Music / Domination Recordings!
Jersey rap act teams with Lil' Wayne's Young Money producer on aspirational track.
NEW YORK, N.Y., April 2 (MUSIC NEWSWIRE) -- Underground Music Award winning indie band MONEY FIRST (moneyfirstonline.com) announces the release of "Lamborghini Lifestyle" as an online promotional single this weekend to encourage tri-state hip-hop fans and families feeling the current economic pinch.
"One of my goals in life is to own my own personal custom made Lamborghini, but when you come from where we come from, it's something people grow up thinking they'll never have," says Trenton, New Jersey native and MONEY FIRST group leader Ronald "Boom" Blakely of the song's title. "Not only do people think they won't own one, but many believe they'll never even see one, especially with the economy down."
According to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 224,220 jobs were eliminated in the New York City-Northern New Jersey-Long Island area in January 2010. Meanwhile, according to police department data, New York City's homicide rate rose more than 20 percent from the same period last year with the first 11 weeks of 2010 seeing 103 murders in the city, compared to 86 in 2009.
"When you lose the belief that you can do something great, it's easy to get involved in negative activities," says Boom. "The goal of this song is to get young people to set lofty goals and devote their time to achieving what they want in life. We encourage our young fans to believe in themselves."
"Lamborghini Lifestyle," which will be available for free download at the band's Web site and indie music promoter Block Starz Music ( www.blockstarzmusic.com) on Good Friday, was crafted by J. Glaze of Manhattan-based T-Rex Productions, who most recently co-produced "Roger That" from the top ten We Are Young Money album featuring rap star Lil' Wayne's Young Money Entertainment roster.
"Most people think of a Lamborghini as an expensive sports car. I think of it as a mark of success," says Boom, who's pursuing a degree in Business Administration. "Who doesn't want to be successful? I know I do."
About MONEY FIRST: Formed by high school friends Boom Blake, iLL Kayn, Tranzatick, and JP in Trenton, New Jersey, MONEY FIRST won "Best Rap Group" at the 2009 Underground Music Awards held at world famous BB Kings Concert Hall in Times Square and has appeared on the Rutgers Radio show MNMixture (88.7 FM) and Next UP Radio (91.9 FM). The group released its debut mixtape, Blog Goon, in January and also appears on the album East Coast Block Starz, currently available at all major online retailers.
*(From left: JP, iLL Kayn, Tranzatick, and Boom Blake.)
"This Brooklyn-Cincinnati hip-hop trio summoned old-school cheer, goofy skits and indelible hooks for a left-field masterpiece." - Rated #1 Album across all genres for 2009 by Steve Smith, Time Out New York's Music Editor
Brooklynati featured in dozens of Best Of 2009 lists including AllMusic.com, The Village Voice, eMusic.com, Amazon.com, Onion AV Club, Time Out New York, PopMatters.com, LAMusicBlog.com, TheSmokingSection, CokeMachineGlow.com, TheUrbanDaily.com, and more.
The Song:
Following the recent release of his highly lauded solo debut, Don Cusack In High Fidelity, Donwill's "Love Junkie," one of the album's recent singles, also now holds the distinction of being the first leak off Mick Boogie's Changemakers Mixtape for his Nike Asia campaign. The track features Ca$he, formerly Harlem's Cash, The Park, and Wallpaper. reworking the track with a totally new feel complete with a retro beat, a pulsing drum line, and an infectious guitar vamp courtesy of Wallpaper.'s production work and the live sounds of The Park. Recorded at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco, The Park drives the song with their musical licks while Donwill trades verses with Ca$he. Wallpaper., serving double duty as producer and singer for the track, graces the song with a catchy hook: "I'm addicted to your touch / When you're near me I lose control / And we ain't never met / Baby I need you tonight / I'm addicted to the feeling / But somehow end up empty inside / And I can't find the love…" While "Love Junkie" has experienced a massive makeover with its refurbished and upbeat vibe, the remix maintains much of the gumption of the original. Donwill's lyrical dexterity shines through as he raps, "A well done fling is a beautiful thing," and "If love is a drug, then I need a new prescription." The smooth transitions and fluid lines lead to The Park flexing an instrumental breakdown to close the song.
"Love Junkie" (Wallpaper. Remix) will be available as a Limited Edition 45 single with TRUTHLiVE's "Ready Set Go (Featuring Moe Green)" this April.
Donwill's Don Cusack In High Fidelity is available now at all digital and physical retailers via Interdependent Media.
Donwill is one-third of hip-hop group Tanya Morgan, formed in 2003, who recently released their third full-length album Brooklynati in 2009. With the high praise from Rolling Stone and Time Out New York that Brooklynati garnered,Donwill is now ready to release his own album, Don Cusack in High Fidelity. The maxi-single of "Laura's Song," complete with the album version, radio edit, instrumental and a couple of remixes is now available for purchase on iTunes. Don Cusack in High Fidelity is now available everywhere via Bay Area label Interdependent Media.
About Interdependent Media:
Founded in 2006 in the Bay Area by Evan Phillips, Interdependent Media has built unique strengths in the development, production, and marketing of recorded music via new methods of marketing and promotion. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and emerging methods of marketing, iM has successfully created multi-faceted methods of raising awareness and interest in their projects. Industry veterans Ian "ID" Davis and Dominic Del Bene head operations at iM and are credited with discovering and/or developing artists such as 9th Wonder, Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, Blackalicious, Del the Funky Homosapien, the Hieroglyphics and more. In 2010, iM will be releasing multi-media projects from artists Donwill, TRUTHLiVE, Canibus, Von Pea, A-Plus, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.imculture.com
The second single off rapper and producer Filip Filipi's upcoming project Design & Origin of Stars is titled Can You Rock and features Young Money's own Shanell aka SNL! The project is highly anticipated, with features from; Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Styles P, Ace Hood, Mickey Avalon, Collie Buddz, Shanell aka SNL, Passion Pit, Forever The Sickest Kids, Lemar, and Shane Sparks to name a few. Be sure to check out the official Design & Origin of Stars commercial and be on the lookout for the release in April/May!
Count Bass D & J Sands (of Lone Catalysts) will be heading out to Europe this week for a 8-show tour. Here are the dates, cities and venues:
Tour dates: March 31 - Paris (France), Le Glazart April 2 - Copenhagen (Denmark), Rust April 3 - Berlin (Germany), Bohannon April 8 - Köln (Germany), Subway April 9 - St Etienne (France), Avatarium April 10 - Nancy (France), Barsibarla April 17 - Wien (Austria), Roxy April 19 - Amsterdam (Netherlands), Paradiso
During a recent show in Atlanta w/ Count Bass D, J Live and Jay ARE (John Robinson & J Rawls) Rawls and Robinson decide to link up with Dvid films to shoot another video from their latest and incredibly innovative album, John Robinson and J Rawls are Jay ARE "The 1960's Jazz Revolution Again...."
"It's JAY ARE" was directed by Rick Foy of Dvid Films and features cameos by Miss AZ, "Count Bass D", "H2O", Flux of BINKIS RECS and "Dj Pocket"
John Robinson and J Rawls give us a sneak peek into the amazing world of Jazz-Hop and stimulate our collective appetites for what's next on the horizon of this revolutionary musical movement... Stay Tuned http://johnrobinsonmusic.wordpress.com/
If you've never seen The Big Lebowski, it's time to change that. The 1998 Coen Brothers directed film is considered by many to be the their best work, and has since risen to cult-classic status. Twelve years later, interest in the movie still soars with frequent special screenings of the film in cities across the country and the film has even inspired Lebowski Fest, a yearly celebration of all things related to the movie. It was at one of these screenings on April 20th at the Red Vic Theatre on fabled Haight Street in San Francisco last year, while smoking some inspiration, that producer Unjust of Chosen Few and Opio of the mighty Souls Of Mischief (both big fans of the movie) got the idea to make a tribute album dedicated to The Dude and his movie. "Every scene and nuance of the movie began to speak to them creatively - especially the soundtrack." says Unjust. "This is one of those cult classic movies, so the people that like it LOVE it." Coming full circle a year later to the day, The Big Lebowski-inspired album from the duo, titled Mark It Zero, drops on 4/20 via Hieroglyphics Imperium. The album will consist of stories loosely based on their own "dude-like" adventures with all of the beats sampled directly from the score of the epic film. And so as not to be perceived as "goldbrickers" (to use the parlance of our times), the fellas have decided to give it away free, well, pay as you will. We really think it will tie your 4.20 together.
The Song:
"Aggression," the first single off the album opens with one of the many memorable lines from the movie by John Goodman's character Walter Sobchak, "Life doesn't start and stop at your convenience you miserable piece of sh*t." True words. As that line fades out the song opens into a short and sweet smooth jam featuring slick production by Unjust who uses choice orchestral cuts and drum samples from the movie to paint a rich backdrop for Opio, who drops cunning lyrics about Mary Jane and the seemingly unwarranted aggression towards it. The vibe on the track practically pulls you into the movie. So, if you're unfamiliar with the movie, go rent it, download "Aggression", and get ready for April 20th.
And be on the lookout for Opio's upcoming 2nd solo album, Vulture's Wisdom Vol. 2, and Chosen Few's highly anticipated Hieroglyphics Imperium debut album New World Symphony, in stores May 25, 2010.
Chosen Few is Cold Showda, Unjust, Charles Cooper... and You. The mission of the group is to empower listeners and make them realize that they alone have the power to decide what music they listen to, instead of just picking up everything the powers that be are putting down. Originally from Ohio, the crew hooked up with regional talent like Hi-Tek, DJ Kweli, and Slum Village before moving westward to fulfill their musical manifest destiny. Cold Showda and Charles Cooper began their Bay Area careers by performing under the name Greans, collaborating with the likes of Mos Def, Common, Hieroglyphics, Pharcyde, Grandmaster Flash and more, while Unjust used his skills as a graphic artist to work with Dilated Peoples, Little Brother, Strong Arm Steady, Planet Asia, J. Dilla, Nappy Roots, and Dizzee Rascal to name a few. After achieving their respective separate successes, Chosen Few regrouped in 2008 and began building energy towards reviving the emotional range that seemed to missing from lady hip-hop at the time, and thus the idea that was New World Symphony was born. The sound of today's social consciousness is Unjust's soul and psychedelic rock laden beats, Cold Showda's relentlessly aggressive lyrics, and Charles Cooper's masterful saxophone playing and wordplay. Rounding out the album are guest appearances by Del The Funky Homosapien, Pep Love, Rakaa Iriscience, Phat Kat, DJ Babu, Tajai, Opio, Piakahn, Word4Word, and more. As Cooper says, "we are trying to encourage people to stand up, be your own individual and BE one of the chosen few." Become part of the movement at http://wearechosenfew.com and prepare to tune into New World Symphony on April 6th, 2010, via Hiero Imperium Records.
About Souls of Mischief:
Souls Of Mischief is an alternative hip-hop group from Oakland, CA that is also part of the hip-hop collective, Hieroglyphics. The group consists of emcees A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai. With classic albums like 93 'til Infinity, No Man's Land, Focus, and Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution, all of which were critically acclaimed and have been certified Gold by the RIAA. The Souls Of Mischief have recently released their first album in almost 10 years, entitled Montezuma's Revenge. Produced by Domino and Prince Paul, the album is available now via Hiero Imperium Records.
KOOL G RAP JOINS CHICAGO'S VERY OWN CHI-ILL ON READY FOR WAR
With his Last Chance Lounge album only days away from release, Chicago lyricist CHI-ILL's collaboration with Rap icon Kool G Rap has found its way onto the net. The Rena1ssance produced anthem merges the established and the emerging with the end result a track able to shake the foundations of Hip-Hop. A true advocate of lyrics and storytelling CHI-ILL and music partner O-zone have simply cooked up a classic album which will certainly add CHI's name to the Windy city's Hip-Hop Wall of Fame.
To support unsigned artists who take the time out to create projects of substance please post this widget allowing readers and fans the opportunity to hear select tracks from the album.
We've been on a tear w/ remix contests as of late...here's our latest contest for the single "The Weather Man" from the Portland-based hip-hop crew, Mesh Pro. We've got a dope prize package for this contest which includes gear courtesy of the good people of IM KING as well as a digital distribution imprint courtesy of Diamond Music Group.
Mesh Pro - "The Weather Man" (Remix Contest)
Here's the latest remix contest courtesy of Diamond Music Group (DMG). This time, DMG pairs up with the Portland-based hip-hop crew, Mesh Pro for the remix of their single "The Weather Man", which will be released as a digi-12" through DMG along with the winning remix. There's a dope prize package for this contest which includes gear courtesy of the good people of IM KING as well as a digital distribution imprint courtesy of DMG. The deadline for this contest is: Friday, April 9th. Clink on either of the links below to download the files & instructions...GOOD LUCK!!
Please post this footage we got from SXSW. It's an entertaining mix of show footage, weird street encounters, and some snippets from other shows in Austin.
![[Authentic]](coverart/ll-Authentic.jpg)
Sam Hanna Strikes Back.
