Official RAW Promo
FV vs. ????
As soon as Funk Volume gets a little more well-known, and adds an artist or two, we will have NO problem challenging ANY label to a battle. Not on some disrespectful ish or actual beef, but as a competition to push all artists to be the best they can be. And the fans will decide who wins.
Because everybody will have their own opinion, there will not be a unanimous winner, but in the end both sides will gain because of the exposure and energy the competition will create. I’m not sure who won the battle between LL and Canibus, but I think it was great for both of them…and for hip hop.
We understand that we have a lot of grindin’ to do and we have to release more music before we can offer the challenge, but don’t get it twisted…we are confident in what we do and we will have NO problem sending the challenge to ANYBODY.
Every artist wants to say they are the best, but will they accept the challenge? We shall see…haha.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
JC Crump in Singapore
Gerald "JC" Crump is an up and coming director currently honing his skills in Singapore. He is part of the FV family, and we can't wait to get him back so he can start turning out some videos for SwizZz and Hopsin.
The video above was shot for Monkey King, a young hip hop artist making moves in Asia. Like FV, Monkey King is on his independent grind under a label called 1OR8FACTION, consisting of Singaporean DJs and rappers from Japan and Korea. Lets keep it real, the song is commercial, but even in Singapore people feel they need to make a song for the radio.
JC's website is currently under development - http://gettcrump.com/.
Turn it up,
Dame
What kind of music do you do?
Don't be afraid to compare yourself to another artist so that people who have never heard your music can get a better idea of how you sound.
This is very important!
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Battle Rap
I think battle rappers are just as much a part of hip hop as artists that make music, but I also think they require two different skill sets. Just because you can clown some cat very cleverly and make a crowd laugh does not mean you can make a dope song...and vice versa.
It has been pointed out to me that many of hip hop greatest MCs have emerged from the battle rap scene [i.e. Eminem, Black Thought, Mos Def, Jay Z, etc]. This is very true, but I would argue that the battle scene back then was different than it is now. It seems like battle rap today is all written, and is limited to "yo mamma" jokes, telling the other artist how you are going to kill him, or calling him gay.
Some battle rappers are dope, but I don't think we will see the same caliber of MCs [Eminem, etc.] emerge from the scene and make classic albums.
What do you think?
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
The best album of the year will be...
You heard it hear first...Kanye will drop the best album of the year. He may be an asshole, but he is dope. "Good Ass Job" will live up to its title.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume
More potential on the WEST...
I was told this cat has been around for at least 3 years, but I was just introduced to his music the other day. His name is Kendrick Lamar, formerly known as KDot, from Compton, CA.
Nice flow, real content, production on point....let us know what you think.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
F.A.S.H.A.W.N.
He deserved to be on the 2010 XXL Freshman List, perhaps more so than some of the others, well that’s my opinion anyways. But Fashawn is one of the only rappers (besides of course Mr. Cole) on that list that is able to rap about a number of subjects and flow effortlessly through different beats. Accompanied by some serious production by Exile, his first official album, “Boy Meets World,” has a little bit of that old school hip hop flavor, and needs to be listened to all the way through. He has a number of mixtapes, including my favorite, “The Antidote,” and is currently on tour with Brother Ali. Give him a listen for sure. If you don’t know, now you know…
Link for “The Antidote” - http://www.mediafire.com/?y0ywoqvuny2
Turn It Up!
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: Not Afraid
Slim Shady is in full effect. Think what you want to about his previous music and career, but even from an objective stand point it sounds like his flow is still evolving, and the Eminem sense is undeniable. Look forward to hearing his new album for sure, if the rest of it is as good as this song then its shaping up to be pretty funkin’ solid. New Eminem track, “Not Afraid,” off his upcoming album Recovery. If you don’t know, now you know.
Turn it up!
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
Happy Mother's Day
Funk Volume wishes all the mothers a very Happy Mother's Day!!!
J. Cole is a Beast
In my opinion, J. Cole is the best new artist out right now. If Drake wasn't too busy trying to be something that he isn't, he might be able to compete.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: Ice Cube
Westside!!!!...Ice Cube is back with a new single off his upcoming album, “I am the West.” I welcome this new joint, because 1. Cube is one of the originals and 2. I am a born west coast native. Funk Volume reps that west coast, and we all know Mr. Ice Cube does as well, as he makes perfectly clear in this single, “I Rep that West.” So if you are in need of some west coast love, turn this jam up. And oh yeah…if you don’t know, now you know!
Turn It Up!
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: 400 Bars
Game is one of the better artists on the West Coast, but this gets kind of boring after a while. What do you think?
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: Big Boi
Drake the Next Jay - Z?
In an interview with Complex magazine Drake called himself the “young Big Homie” aka the young Jay-Z. While Drake has found success throwing out his pop hip hop in the last couple years, his comparison to Jay-Z is at a minimum completely absurd.
I struggle to find anyway that they really compare except that the both make music. Have you heard Drake's new song 'Over?' or watched his video 'Best I Ever Had?' Any one of those two songs remind you of Jay-Z? Jay-Z would quit rapping before he ever released a song as bad as 'Over'. The young Jay-Z came up in a time where to get on the radio he had to come up with an actual song. Now any garbage Drake, Lil Wayne and TI release gets automatically pushed onto the radio. Drake was handed his success in hip hop. He didn't face a grind like most artists had too. From the aspect alone he could never be on Jay-Z's level.
The way an artist has to grind to reach success gives his/her music character, gives him/her a uniqueness that artists like Drake will never have. The Drake's of the industry could never touch the level that the artists who had to truly fight and grind their way to get success.
Turn it up,
BR
brenton@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: Distant Relatives
Diss Marketing?
We've seen artists start calling each other out, either on stage or on a track that is set to be released on their upcoming album. The most famous one was probably the rivalry between 50 cents and Kanye West's albums. In a show last week Ice Cube called out Lil Wayne in his song 'I Rep that West' and sent shots at Kanye in 'Drink Ya Kool Aid.'
Ice Cube calling out Lil Wayne and Kanye is not the interesting part of this new movement of “diss” marketing. Either past artists or new artists are calling out the present hip hop stars of that time. Looking at the album sales of Kanye's Graduation album, even in this pirated era, you have to admit that the rivalry with 50 worked. Did this use of “diss” marketing exist back in the 80s and 90s?
Is this what you have to do to get attention?
Turn it up,
BR
brenton@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: The KnuX
If you don't know about a group called “The Knux,” then it is time to stop pressing the snooze button. Two brothers originally from New Orleans, now relocated in La La Land, have recently released a free Ep (available on their myspace page) and are currently working on their sophomore album. “Their debut album sounds like Outkast, Juvenile, Tha Pharcyde, and The Strokes,” which sounds just about right to me and does not disappoint.
The Knux are another group that has strayed from musical conformity and have drawn their own road map to navigate the roads of the industry. What is nice about their music is you do not really know what is coming next, I suppose that you could say that about a lot of artists but in this case the unknown is a welcomed surprise. If you are in need of some new music while awaiting some new SwizZz or Hop tunes, then I’d say give them a chance. So if you don't know…now you know.
Turn It Up!
Myke
myke@myfunkvolume.com
New Music Review: Vado
As my fellow blogger Myke outlined in his last post, XXL magazine in January released its Top Ten Freshmen of 2010. Among the cast was Jay Z’s new artist J. Cole who was voted most well rounded, but among the other contenders I could maybe pick out two that I had actually heard of. In an interview with True Stories Radio, Young Money artist Jae Millz pointed out this exact phenomenon and was very disappointed that up and coming artist Vado was not placed on this list.
Vado’s song “Kick in tha Door” was featured at XXL magazine not too long ago and encompasses Vado’s smooth and lyrical style, while representing the East Coast as he paints us a picture of streets. Myke’s last blog presented artist XV as a candidate for the freshmen 2010 list. I am presenting Vado as a force in the East Coast who is putting in hard work and paying his dues among the Dipset crew and amongst today’s ever-changing rap game. Take a listen of Vado and tell us who you think should have made the list?
Check out the list here.
Turn it up,
Dylan
dylan@myfunkvolume.com
FV @ The Los Angeles Food Bank
As the recession has deeply impacted our economy, the demand for food assistance in local communities has skyrocketed. In need of food and aid, the Los Angeles Food Bank has partnered with charities and agencies to help alleviate hunger within our neighborhood and receive more than 39 million pounds of food and products to distribute. With the help of volunteers the LA Foodbank has been able to increase the distribution of food to families and individuals struggling to ease their hunger during these grueling times.
On Saturday March 13, 2010, Funk Volume had the privilege of volunteering at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Every week, the Food Bank receives thousands of food packages mounting up to 700,000 meals a week from local restaurant suppliers, packers, processors, and brokers that need to be sorted, cleaned, repackaged and distributed to families and individuals in need through charities. In order to assist this gleaning process, we were assigned to open, prepare and package canned foods for families and seniors in need. With the help of volunteers like us, close to 1 million people receive healthy meals each year.
One out of eight people in Los Angeles is at hungers risk and over 400,000 children in Los Angeles face hunger and with the increase of population within L.A. it will only become more difficult to help those in need. However, even with these difficult times, we should learn to embrace the act of volunteering and see it as a time of hope to build awareness within immediate communities. Making a difference within a community depends on the volunteer work of people like you and I and Funk Volume encourages you to make that change! Whether it’s visiting an elderly home, cleaning your neighborhood, or packaging food for those in need, take a hold of these opportunities and as Ghandi once put it, be the change you want to see in the world.
Funk Volume in the Community volunteers at a different organization each month. If you would like to join us, then join our Facebook group.
Turn it up,
Natalie
natalie@myfunkvolume.com
Bow Wow...SMH
Cash Money must have put Bow Wow through their boot camp. He is starting to rap just like everyone else in their crew...SMH.
BE YOURSELF!
New Music Review: XV
If you don’t know about the artist XV, then it is time to stop sleeping. The, “Kid with the Green Backpack,” as he calls himself, was absolutely snubbed on the new XXL freshman list, along with a couple guys from FV, and represents the kind of work ethic and originality that we all admire. Dude went 40 days releasing a new song every day a couple years ago. Armed with a slew of mixtapes and a knack for clever wordplay, XV undoubtedly sends a message to the main stream musical repetition which clouds the airwaves.
While he is not quite gangster rap, not quite hipster, XV is carving out a nice unique spot for himself in this outrageous musical arena, producing most of his own music and spitting out some creative rhymes. Peep his myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/xtothevizzy) to educate yourself, and download some of his music to hold yourself over while we all wait for that new FV! If you don’t know, now you know….
Turn it up,
Myke
Myke@myfunkvolume.com
Diddy's Ciroc Starts Beef
Diddy is starting beef with other vodka companies. That man sure knows how to keep his name in the streets...haha.
Get Your Reality Checked!
I posted this before, but after witnessing a TERRIBLE showcase this evening I had to do it again....
Bottom line, too many cats think they can make a living being a rapper. The truth is that only a chosen few will have the opportunity to make this dream a reality. Hip hop needs more reality checkpoints so that artists like Steven (above) realize that a career in rap is probably not in his cards. So either he works on becoming successful at something more realistic, or he gains a precise understanding of what he is going to need to improve in order to compete against the 2.6 million hip hop artists on MySpace.
What do I mean by reality checkpoints? Let me explain by comparing basketball to hip hop. If you played basketball growing up and you dreamed of playing in the NBA, there were many reality checkpoints that gave you insight into the odds of whether or not your dream would ever be fulfilled. If you did not make your AAU, junior high, or high school teams, then you probably started to realize that the NBA was not going to be in your future. Tryouts are a reality checkpoint that let you know whether or not professional sports are in the cards that you were dealt.
Hip hop doesn't really have any reality checkpoints. There are no team tryouts or physical requirements. Before the X Factor, Steven could just keep on believing that he was going to be the next Eminem and there was no one that would tell him any different. As a matter of fact, the folks in Steven's inner circle were probably hyping him up, making him believe his music is hot. Steven could have been 35+ before he finally realized that he is not going to be selling out Madison Square Garden any time soon.
This is not a message to everyone. I think hip hop is for everybody and should be enjoyed and performed by any and every person that respects the culture. This message is for the artists that aspire to make a career out of music. It is not meant to be discouraging, but enlightening. Make sure every aspect of your music is on point, from the lyrics to the production, and then create your own reality checkpoints so that you know you are not wasting your time.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
FV Rap Contest - Promo Video
There are over 10 million rappers on MySpace alone. So you have to know at least a couple....haha. Forward this contest to any and ALL rappers that think they can spit.
The contest begins April 1st, and the winner receives $500 + the option to join FV.
Get all the contest updates on our Facebook page.
Turn it up!
New Music Review: Billionaire
Travis McCoy from the underground group The Gym Class Heroes has just released this new song with up and coming singer Bruno Mars. Mars can also be heard on B.o.B’s latest hit single “Nothing On You.” This new song called “Billionaire” might throw some people off with its title, but Travis takes a different approach. This song does NOT support the fake rapper mentality that we see so much of today, but instead relays everybody’s dream of having money for themselves and their family. It is part of the human condition and is healthy to dream big, and to want to better ones self.
I appreciate this song, because along with having a great melody and catchy hook, it retains a positive and fun message about getting successful. Instead of spending our millions on lavish lifestyles that we ultimately can’t live up to, there are always positive ways to use our money, the first being to take care or our family and friends. “Billionaire” combines a reggae vibe with a hip hop swag and is another example of where music will be going in the future as styles mesh together into new genres. Take a listen, and tell us at Funk Volume what positive changes you would make if you were a “billionaire”.
Turn it up!
Dylan
dylan@myfunkvolume.com
The Dont Fu&k Up Our Beats Contest II
On April 1st we will be launching “Don’t Fu$k Up Our Beats” Rap Contest II, a contest that allows aspiring artists to get additional exposure, and compete for $500 and an option to join Funk Volume.
The last time we did this we received over 80 entries, and we are expecting an even bigger turnout this time around
Keep up with all the contest updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Wanna collab with Hopsin or SwizZz?
If you are an artist and want to collab with Hopsin or SwizZz, send an email to Hopsin@myfunkvolume.com or SwizZz@myfunkvolume.com.
WTF! Hopsin wants your....Blood?
Hopsin receives a new sponsor - Blood Energy Drink. Seems a little out there, but it has been giving Hop the energy to stay up throughout the night to work on new music.
Good morning SwizZzle!
Preview of SwizZz's upcoming mixtape, dropping this Spring.
Stay up to date with all FV news on Facebook & Twitter.
Turn it up!
Industry Payback
Industry Payback
Funk Volume presents the newly mastered collaboration track, “Industry Payback.” After the success of the “Don’t Fu$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
STOP HATIN'!
Why is there so much hatin’ in hip hop? Are rappers threatened by the success of another rapper? Do rappers believe the success of one rapper takes away opportunity for their own success? Does the hate stem from something deeper in the black community?
Katt Williams says to embrace haters, and I agree, but why does hip hop have to be the only genre of music in which artists try to tear each other down? We very rarely see new rock bands step on the scene and take shots at Aerosmith or Guns N Roses. As a matter of fact, it is the complete opposite. New bands have the utmost respect for the older bands, and the older bands show the same respect and support for the newer bands.
I understand that hip hop has always been about competition. Furthermore, most rap feeds off of ego, with everyone claiming that they are the best, or talking about what they have. But let’s just be real, most artists are living in a fantasy world when they talk about being the best. There are over 5 million hip hop artists on MySpace, and everyone claims they are the “best”.
Funk Volume supports and respects good music. If you are making good music, then we are behind you 100%. We will never try to tear down another artist just because we envy their success. We are going to celebrate the success of others, and continue to make and support others in making good music. We don’t have the time or energy to hate. On top of that, it just creates better relationships, and is better for business.
So if you do catch us hatin’, then it’s just because your music really isn’t that good…haha…J/K.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
The Don't Fu%k Up Our Beats Contest
We have recently sent out an open call to all hip hop artists looking to win $500. The best part: it’s free to enter. Funk Volume is starting to create a small buzz in the hip hop world, and now we want to share the experience with other rappers. Along with the launch of our remodeled website, we are now promoting our “Don’t Fu%k Up Our Beats” Rap Contest.
Anybody wanting to show off their talent and get paid for it is asked to participate. This is a great opportunity for aspiring artists and hip hop enthusiasts. There are only 5 steps:
1) Download one of four original beats from the contest homepage
2) Record a video of yourself rapping to the beat
3) Post your video to YouTube
4) Submit the entry form on the FV website
5) Reach out to your fans, friends, and family to vote on your video
Funk Volume encourages the creativity and authentic self expression through music. Feeling that music has lost its originality, FV wishes to restore innovation. Through the contest, we hope to get artists’ voices heard as well as creating a forum for new talent. So grab your mic, and enter the “Don’t Fu%k Up Our Beats” Rap Contest.
We will also be using the contest as an opportunity to find artists to feature on our next mixtape!
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Leave Soulja Boy Alone
Everybody seems to be taking a shot at Soulja Boy these days. And although I think it is perfectly fine to call artists out when you think they are suspect (provided you do it on a track), the fact of the matter is that if Soulja Boy existed 15 years ago, then he would not be catching the flack that he is getting today.
Dancing and gumball pop rap has always been a part of hip hop. I grew up doing the Running Man, Cabbage Patch, Roger Rabbit, Robocop and everything else. No one ever said that those dances weren’t hip hop.
The problem is that we have lost the diversity in hip hop. So when younger cats are dancing around, it is foreign to what a lot of people call “real hip hop”. But let me remind you that MC Hammer was hip hop, Heavy D was hip hop, Kid N Play was hip hop, Salt N Peppa was hip hop, and so on and so on. The only difference is that back then we had so many artists representing a different style that no one got called out for dancing on a track.
Soulja Boy created a lane and for the most part he stays in it. He may not be a lyricist, but you have to respect his grind and his talent for creating some catchy beats and hooks. And I’m not sure if it is him or his camp, but he is a marketing genius.
Personally, I don’t think he can rap at all. I tune out all of his songs until the hook comes in. But instead of hatin’, why don’t you create your own lane and help bring back what hip hop used to be about…being different.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
I Got a Big Ego!
On one hand an artist might say that you need a big ego to be successful in hip hop. There are over 5 million hip hop and rap artists on MySpace. If you don’t think you are the best, then why even try to compete? On the other hand, however, your ego has the potential to create a fantasy land that will trap your mind in a false sense of reality.
In the clip above Mos Def says that our fiercest enemy is our self. What he is saying is that we often tend to make decisions that we know are harmful, but we let our egos get the best of us because of how we think others will look at us. When artists are rapping about things they do not really have or situations they have not been in, they are only doing it because they want to portray a certain image. I would imagine that it probably gets to a point where they are so used to telling lies, that they get trapped in their fantasy and actually start to believe it.
There is a difference between having confidence, and having a big ego that creates a fantasy world to boast about in your raps. We are getting demos sent to us all the time. Many of the artists are talking about their “stacks” or how they have “money to burn”. Let’s just be real, if that really was the case, then why are they even submitting demos to us asking for a deal?
It’s time to put our egos aside so we can stop perpetuating fantasies, and focus on the truth so we can move forward in hip hop.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Fake Freestylin'
I can’t really say that I am an Asher Roth fan, but I do respect that almost every time I have seen him in a cypher, his rhymes are off the top. Because nowadays it seems like there is some confusion between a freestyle, and a written rhyme. If you have written down a rhyme it cannot be considered a freestlye! If your boy is standing behind you while you are battling, finishing off your lines because he heard it before, then that is not a freestyle! Don’t pass written rhymes off as freestylin’ because you don’t really know how to come off the top. Stop disrespecting cats that really can spit!
When did freestlyin’ become a written art? It is cool if you can’t freestyle. There are very few people that can think fast enough to put together hot rhymes [that makes sense] on the spot. If you are an artist and you were not blessed with the gift to come off the top or not willing to invest the time to work at it, just stick to writing. But when you write, call it a written. Do no fake like you are freestylin’. If you are giving an interview and the interviewer wants you to freestyle, but you don’t have that skill, then just step up and say, “freestylin’ is not really my thing, but I definitely got a hot 16 that you have never heard”.
I understand that a lot of cats don’t want to look stupid or mess up. But hip hop is not supposed to be a culture of fake artists trying to hide their weaknesses. Hip hop is [or should be] about self expression and giving a voice to folks that have never really had one. Artists should boast and brag about actual talent. If you are a fake, then you will be exposed. Hip hop has always had a way of exposing fake artists.
So if you can’t come off the top, just stick to writing your raps. Perfect your song writing and make hot songs. Hip hop needs more artists that actually put some thought into what they are saying. But if freestylin’ is a part of what you do, don’t disrespect the art form and the artists that really do freestyle. Call a written a written, and a freestyle a freestyle.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Get Back to the Music!
Tubesteak is hilarious! What is not so funny is that there are videos that look exactly like this, but the cats that make them are dead serious. Since we have been working on launching Funk Volume, I have been watching a lot of the videos on sites such as World Star Hip Hop. What I've noticed is that there are a lot of videos that just have cats talking to the camera, beefin' and talking crazy.
We all know that there are not many men that can take being disrespected on the chin and keep it moving. So a few days later they submit a response making threats back at their counterpart. And then they go back and forth for weeks without releasing any music!
The reality is that beef has always been a part of hip hop. In my opinion it is one of the best aspects of the culture. But beef in hip hop is supposed to be about the music and who is the best artist. If you think a cat is suspect, then you call him out in a song and wait for the response. When both sides have been heard, the fans decide who wins. At the end of the day it is usually healthy for both sides.
My personal opinion is that hip hop needs to get back to the music. All that woofin' in the camera just makes cats look bad. I recognize that there are some that will follow through on the threats that they make, but why would you put it on camera if you really are going to start something outside of music?
If you don't have any beats to get at cats that you think are suspect, then just holla at Funk Volume. We will help you start some ish....haha.
Let's get back to the music!
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
Get Your Reality Checked!
Bottom line, too many cats think they can make a living being a rapper. The truth is that only a chosen few will have the opportunity to make this dream a reality. Hip hop needs more reality checkpoints so that artists like Steven (above) realize that a career in rap is probably not in his cards. So either he works on becoming successful at something more realistic, or he gains a precise understanding of what he is going to need to improve in order to compete against the 2.6 million hip hop artists on MySpace.
What do I mean by reality checkpoints? Let me explain by comparing basketball to hip hop. If you played basketball growing up and you dreamed of playing in the NBA, there were many reality checkpoints that gave you insight into the odds of whether or not your dream would ever be fulfilled. If you did not make your AAU, junior high, or high school teams, then you probably started to realize that the NBA was not going to be in your future. Tryouts are a reality checkpoint that let you know whether or not professional sports are in the cards that you were dealt.
Hip hop doesn't really have any reality checkpoints. There are no team tryouts or physical requirements. Before the X Factor, Steven could just keep on believing that he was going to be the next Eminem and there was no one that would tell him any different. As a matter of fact, the folks in Steven's inner circle were probably hyping him up, making him believe his music is hot. Steven could have been 35+ before he finally realized that he is not going to be selling out Madison Square Garden any time soon.
This is not a message to everyone. I think hip hop is for everybody and should be enjoyed and performed by any and every person that respects the culture. This message is for the artists that aspire to make a career out of music. It is not meant to be discouraging, but enlightening. Make sure every aspect of your music is on point, from the lyrics to the production, and then create your own reality checkpoints so that you know you are not wasting your time.
Turn it up,
Dame
dame@myfunkvolume.com
