Wanna collab with Hopsin or SwizZz?
If you are an artist and want to collab with Hopsin or SwizZz, send an email to Hopsin@myfunkvolume.com or SwizZz@myfunkvolume.com.
WTF! Hopsin wants your....Blood?
Hopsin receives a new sponsor - Blood Energy Drink. Seems a little out there, but it has been giving Hop the energy to stay up throughout the night to work on new music.
Good morning SwizZzle!
Preview of SwizZz's upcoming mixtape, dropping in Frebruary.
Stay up to date with all FV news on Facebook & Twitter.
Turn it up!
Industry Payback
Industry Payback
Funk Volume presents the newly mastered collaboration track, “Industry Payback.” After the success of the “Don’t Fu$k Up Our Beats,” rap contest the minds of the FV crew felt it necessary to feature some of the worthy competing artists on a track together. Furnished with an absolute gem of a beat, Seth Rock, SwizZz, Abyss, Cryptic Wisdom, Nayme Brand, Omega of 35th Regiment, and Hopsin, offer us a glimpse of the potential of genuine and uninhibited music.
This collection of artists makes easy work of such a topic and everyone goes in with a fury. The track flows effortlessly from one vocal to the next, each rapper showcasing lyrical talent (and straight Funk Volume!) that does not rely on the conforming sound of today’s commercially driven hip hop. Refreshing for an audience plagued with recurring waves of tactless beats and unimpressionable lyrics. The rappers are dope, no doubt about it, it is easy to see why they were chosen for this song.
This song is welcomed and exhibited proudly by Funk Volume, and serves as a reminder of what music production can sound like when barriers are non-existent and incentives to make good music are pure and creatively fueled. These artists will surely be heard again. Check out their MySpace pages for more music. The Volume hath been Funked Up!
Turn it up,
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
Create a Hot Song With an FV Beat?
Because we have gotten such a positive response from other artists in regards to our beats, we have decided to feature hot songs that have been submitted to us using our tracks. So if you have created a dope song using one of our beats, then email it to us so that we can put a spotlight on your work. With so much garbage out these days, good songs need to be rewarded!
The first song that we wanted to highlight comes from a team based in Arizona called Fresh Produce. The song is titled “Introductions” and presents a collective of individuals working together to attain a higher purpose – All organics no preservatives! The track features three dope MCs, Nayme Brand, Jeary Sylves, and Sam I Am. It was actually the song they submitted during the “The Don’t Fu$k Up Our Beats” Rap Contest. You can follow them on Twitter – www.twitter.com/freshproduceent.
Check them out because their “Funk Volume is louder than yours”….haha.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
What Is My Incentive
I am not sure if I understand KRS One’s argument completely, but I definitely agree that the major labels have dealt a crushing blow to hip hop. How did we get to a point where you only hear 5 different songs on the radio? How did we get to a point where you can only rap about money, drugs, and sex in order to get attention from a major record label? Well if we only look to how incentives are currently aligned, we can answer SOME of these questions.
As a record label (or any company for that matter) grows, more often than not they raise equity capital (money) to finance growth. When that happens there is a 3rd party (the shareholder) that has “equity” or an ownership stake in the company. From that moment on, the companies’ obligation is to the shareholders, not hip hop, or anything else. Investors want the highest return possible so they expect management to make decisions based on maximizing the money that they put back into their pocket.
Unfortunately, maximizing profit and preserving the creativity & diversity of mainstream hip hop has not proven to be completely correlated (yet). Record executives don’t feel they have a responsibility to hip hop. Their responsibility is to their shareholders and to the new Mercedes they want to buy.
How can we change this? Support independent companies that are dedicated to making good music (i.e. Funk Volume…haha). There are a lot of companies that are designing new business models that strive to preserve the creativity and originality of hip hop, and be profitable as well. At the same time the owners of these smaller companies need to be mindful of how they align incentives as they grow and do business with third parties.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Funk Volume volunteers @ VCHC
Funk Volume in the Community has done it again. For our September event the Funk Volume team offered our volunteer services to the Venice Music Festival hosted by the Venice Community Housing Corporation. Although Funk Volume is a musically oriented organization, we are always happy to offer volunteer support to other worthy and noble associations which may or may not be involved with the instrumental and lyrically charged world.
The Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC) is one such worthy non-profit organization. The goal of the VCHC is to encourage the economic, social and racial diversity of the Venice community by maximizing affordable housing opportunities and offering other support programs and services to assist the low income population of Venice. It is nice to read and hear about the optimistic goals of non-profit organizations, however it was a pleasure to see that the VCHC really backs up their mission statement with effective programs and tangible results. Over the course of the day a number of former homeless families were courageous enough to get on the microphone and share their stories of struggle and perseverance, and how the VCHC was a vital part of their personal success in finding homes, jobs, and educational opportunities.
The Funk Volume team really exemplified the volunteer spirit at this event, showing that in the name of helping those less fortunate no task remains too much identified with the proletariat, as most of our work was done behind the scenes and out of the limelight. So thank you to everyone who came out and helped a worthy cause and thank you to the VCHC for their hard work and righteous ambitions. Remember, Funk Volume has a community service event every month so there is ample opportunity if anyone ever feels like giving back, and it’s always fun with us because there is always some funk with it.
Turn It Up!
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
The Obama Effect
I want to believe that what Common is saying is true. And to a certain extent, I can see what he is talking about. I have noticed that there are more artists trying to create songs that have a hopeful message. I think it is a combination of Obama, the recession, and just the fact that rappers have finally run out of metaphors for how many diamonds are in their chains. But we have a looooonnnnggg way to go.
Where I see the biggest challenge is on the radio. As I am writing this blog, I am trying to think of a positive, uplifting song on the radio, and I really can’t come up with one. I guess you have Drake’s “Successful”, but even that record is a stretch because he defines “success” as having “money, cars, clothes, & hoes”. If you can find a positive song on the radio please email me. But it is probably going to be extremely difficult given that Gucci Mane seems to be the hottest artist on the radio right now (smh!).
Will the corporations that control the airwaves give the green light to more positive songs? Will artists create, and push for more positive songs on the radio, even if it means a fewer number of spins and a little less money in their pocket? Will listeners boycott the radio in order to demand a change?
I know it may seem pessimistic, but I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical. Change requires sacrifice, persistence, and resilience. I want to believe that our communities still have these qualities. I hope that there are artists and fans that are willing to take the necessary actions to create change. Obama can communicate the importance for change, but ultimately it is up to us to deliver.
What are you willing to sacrifice in order to make this happen?
Turn it up,
