RH First Look: Miguel
Miguel presented some troublesome issues to industry exec and A&R's. His bi-racial background (Mexican and Black), singing voice, and subject matter didn't quite fit the mold of "R&B superstar", so Miguel was told to stick to writing for other artists, rather than seeking the spotlight for himself. It was get in how you fit in for Miguel, who didn't let definitions deter him from his dream of making music.
"It was hard for them to place, they didn’t know what to do with that," he told me via phone. "But fortunately, times have changed and with the advent of the Internet, our spectrum of music and the palette of music that we’re familiar with and able to pull from is a lot broader. That’s what has changed. Also as a person I’ve grown more aware of myself and comfortable in my own skin, so that definitely helps. I’m sure they can feel it more now."
Miguel's music has been felt from a growing fanbase, as well as a collective of emerging Hip Hop artists ranging from his high school friend, Blu to NYC's Emilio Rojas. We caught up with Miguel to put him under the First Look Microscope. Here he talks about his entrance to writing as a way to deal with his parents divorce, the buzz term that is genre-defying, and what it means to be level-headed. Check it out below.
Read more
RH First Look: Dessa
If you are familiar with Minneapolis' underground outfit, Doomtree or its most recognizable member, POS, then you surely know its first lady, Dessa. One of the most impressive things about Doomtree is the productivity of all of its members, as many of them release their own material, using the larger collective as an anchor to show off their skills and set the table for their individual creative endeavors. Dessa's solo works include a book, Spiral Bound, as well as a new LP, A Badly Broken Code. She goes under the First Look microscope this week with Kosha Dillz and we learn about both. Check it out.
Read more
RH First Look: Rockie Fresh
He's too hipster. He's just trendy. I just don't like his music. Say what you will about the kid, and all those previous statements have been, but Rockie Fresh has definitely created a buzz for himself. His point was proven December 15th when he released his debut mixtape, Rockie's Modern Life, which recorded over 1,000 downloads in just one day. Not too bad for a cat who just started rhyming in 2006.
"All of these new age rappers are changing the direction of the genre and creating something for our generation to call our own," said Rockie on the new generation of artists to hit the Hip Hop. RH correspondent, Ashydakid, caught up with Rockie Fresh for a full interview, digging into his family background, the new generation he identifies with, and the importance of versatility. Check it put right below and see why another thing people are saying is, "that kid's got talent."
Read more
RH First Look: Lazlo Supreme
Lazlo Supreme is a Hip Hop band from Minneapolis, and contrary to some preconceived notions, it's not Atmosphere and Rhymesayers that have had the most influenced on the aspiring trio. The band's leader and emcee, Toussaint tells us, "The main inspiration for our direction comes from The Black Keys... heard them while The Blend was on tour in Philly. I came back to Minneapolis and saw them in concert. I thought, 'Damn, these two dudes can rip it up by themselves, there has to be a way to roll with just drums and keys.'"
Toussaint found a way in Lazlo Supreme, a band also composed of keyboardist Linden and drummer Patrick. The band is readying their official debut, and will be releasing an EP, Evil Made Easy, in late January. All of their music appears to come with healthy doses of comedy and cynicism, something which Ashydakid explores in this exclusive RH First Look. Learn up on Lazlo Supreme via the full interview below.
Read more
RH First Look: Kam Moye
"I've always taken pride in being a humble person. That's just how I was raised. Even when I was making those cocky Supastition songs, I was a humble person in real life." Those words pretty much summarize the man that we know as, Kam Moye. Fed up of dealing with the stresses of being the everyday label artist, he jumped ship and decided to start his very own label, Reform School Music. From marketing, booking shows, fan merchandise sales, and even some of album sales, Kam Moye controls every business aspect. No middle man, just him. The business change accompanies his name change (Supasition to Kam Moye), which is a representation of his inner growth. All of that is on display on Kam's most recent piece of work, Splitting Image.
RH correspondent Ashydaykid caught up with the Charlotte, North Carolina native, Kam Moye for this week's First Look. Check out the full interview right after the jump.
Read more
RH First Look: BBU
Is revolution music supposed to be this live? The answer is an emphatic yes for Chicago's BBU. The three-man trio who's three letter moniker stands for Bin Laden Blowin' Up use the vehicle of Hip Hop mixed with Chicago house to "make music with the hope in mind that it will inspire people to want to change the world," at least that's the mission according to BBU's Jasson Perez, who like his fellow bandmates, took time to speak with us for a fresh First Look. Finding time isn't something that comes too easy for the Jasson or fellow members Epic and Illekt. All three members devot themselves to music, as well as a variety of day jobs and community work.
"We have full time jobs and still put our blood sweat and tears into it because we feel making music, and making good art period, is just as important as going to a rally to stop the war or knocking on doors for people to come and vote, or setting up a free HIV clinic," Perez continued. The group has been making headway using their name to grab people's attention and their unique flavor of music to keep listeners intrigued. After building their name through performances and word of mouth, BBU is readying their first official release for a winter release. Before the BBU blitz is in full gear, take some time to get to know BBU and their music in this week's First Look.
Read more
RH First Look: Diamond District
Diamond District is three man wrecking crew made up of Oddisee, X.O., and yU. The three come from the DMV, a tri-state area of D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The area is becoming or more correctly, becoming recognized as a new hot bed for Hip Hop and depending on what the success of Wale's Attention Deficit does in terms of opening the door for other DMV artists, could be on the verge of capturing Hip Hop's full attention. After the physical release of Diamond District's introduction LP, Diamond In The Ruff, we caught up with Oddisee and X.O. to find out more about the group and the region on the rise. Check it out below in this week's First Look.
Read more
RH First Look: D. Black
D. Black came up in a musical family. Both his mother and father were member of the Emerald Street Boys and Girls, Seattle's first Hip Hop crew. The music took permanent residence in D. Black's heart, and at the young age of 14, he went under the guidance of Seattle's Vitamin D. and later Jake One. When asked about his relationship with D. Black, Jake One, who featured D. Black on his own LP White Van Music, describes D as his little brother that he didn't necessarily want to listen to who then became the little brother who couldn't be ignored. Any reluctance Jake had about putting D. Black on the album quickly disappeared after DJ Premier and others would ask the Seattle beatsmith, 'yo, who is that kid on the track "God Like".
With last month's release of his sophomore album, Ali' Yah, Damien Black caught our attention as well. The album's title is Hebrew for "ascend", and as Jews know, and Black explains, the word "is used when a Jew migrates back to the Holy land (Jerusalem) or when one is called up to read from the Torah," he tells us. "In a sense they are ascending to commit a very Holy act, both in the physical and spiritual...Ali’Yah is a reflection of my heart and nature just as the “Torah” is a reflection of G-d’s Heart and essence." Our own Ashydakid goes heart to heart with D. Black in this week's edition of RH First Look. Check it out below.
Read more