Satellite Feed: The Roots: Whole Album Stream

this shit is crazy. the current model of the music business is made for this album. this shit just may be a superstar album. we'll see.

stream here.

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Fresh Spit: Jeff Spec interview

this an interview i did with the baw Jeff Spec. as a small business owner, i can respect his hustle. and i respect the way he came at his latest project. had to get some details. maybe you might dig the conversation...

what up Spec? its been great watchin ur growth. i mean, this new album is really done well. it really has a strong sense of traditional hip hop in it. what was your first encounter with hip hop? what made you love it?

- Thank you sir. I got into hip hop in the late 80s - my neighbor had a copy of Licensed To Ill, which made me want to check out more. I got really into it when I heard artists like Special Ed, Rakim, Chubb Rock, Kane, etc. The concept of rhyming was just crazy, especially getting into it in that middle-school late 80s era, when the majority of styles people use now were being created.

as an MC, who was the early influences for you? who were the hot dudes from up where you're from was the shit back them times?

- Beyond the artists I just mentioned, I was also heavily influenced by artists like Hieroglyphics and Freestyle Fellowship, being from the west coast. We loved Outkast a lot too, the early 90s were a crazy innovative time for production and lyrics.  Around my way, the pioneers are guys like Incredible Ease, who was in a group called EQ... The Rascals had records out real early too. Moka Only, my mentor, is one of the most successful hip hop artists from Canada to date, and has like 50+ albums out... Our crew City Planners has been holding it down for Vancouver since '98, and I can say that I laid a lot of the foundation for hip hop around my region too.

album is done really well. where was it recorded?

- I recorded the whole thing on my laptop, in my bedroom, on the most basic mic that's worth using... That's Specnology right there!

who's the mix engineer?

- My man Elijah, who goes by Hajahbug, did all the mixing. It's my firm belief that the recording is important as far as getting a nice clean level and all that, but the mix engineer makes the overall sound what it is. We mixed everything from 2-track masters of the beats, which is a huge part of giving the album the unique sound that it has.  I'm not a stickler for industry-type sound, and actually try to veer away from it.

who's the mastering engineer?

- Same dude... He did the mixing so much justice that I thought it would be a good look to have him see it through to finalization.

what was the primary microphone choice for your lead vocal?

- I have a really introductory level Audio-Technica mic. It does what I need it to do! We did use a nice Neumann mic for David Morin's vocals on Strange Land though, for no other reason than I had one on loan from the big homey Moka Only when we recorded the tune.

who were the producers on the project?

- I did half of the record myself, as per usual... Also, the homies Impossible Nothing, Deezuz, Engineer, and Muneshine lent some pretty serious contributions to the project.

what is their main production tool?

It's different for everyone - I've been chopping my beats right in Pro Tools a lot of the time, but also use an MPC 2000XL quite a bit... Most producers I encounter are using software these days, but I like to incorporate some outboard stuff when I get the chance.

ur grind is real. everytime you sent me shit that i didnt like, u kept sending shit. now im recommending you to people. thats what grinding it out is all about! do you have formal training in marketing? how did you figure the game out?

- Man, that's a good question... I think I'm still in the process of figuring it out, and always will be to an extent. I have no training or education in marketing, but a genuine interest, and it's a big part of being able to continue on as an independent artist - I'm not interested in letting anyone put their hands on how my music is made, so I have to do it myself.  And you know, I'll probably make more stuff that various people do and don't like in the future, all I can do is present it and let it receive the reaction that comes naturally! But thanks for recommending me to folks, that's how the word really gets out.

and now you're on tour. congrats. hope everything goes well. and ask for ID from the groupies or them bitches thats lookin for a story or an opportunity! you put this tour together?

- hahaha thanks B.  I helped put the tour together, along with Muneshine, Ghettosocks, and Timbuktu, who are all artists on the tour as well.  The key to getting out on the road properly as an indie artist is synergy. Four heads are better than one!

as a purely independent artist and company, how do you approach touring? how do you come across tours like the one you're on? 

- These things are all built from the ground up... I've been touring for about 12 years now, and building a list of contacts, in terms of promoters, DJs, radio hosts, etc, and eventually you realize you have an extensive enough list that you can just head out and do 25 dates in one swoop, which really makes it worthwhile if you do it right.  Getting onboard with other like-minded artists and mutually helping each other is always a good look too.

who's your manager and do you guys have a business model/plan for your company?

- I manage myself. I've worked with managers in the past, but I never feel that anyone pushes me like I push myself, so it's a matter of finding someone who's as motivated as me.

how important is social media for your marketing strategy? if you had to choose, which would u prefer? the blogs or social media?

- Wow, that's a tough call.. The two work so well together. I probably couldn't make one totally worthwhile without the other! Social media is great, because it helps me get the word out to people I've met personally, and people they've put on to me, but reaching out to blogs has been really valuable too, because heads like yourself who run them are usually really into music, and your word carries some weight... That gets me out to people who may not have heard of me, which feeds back into social media, etc, etc..

what else would u like the fam to know?

- Right now I'm planning to head out with the same team on tour in the spring, through a lot of the US, planned around SXSW. I've already started work on a new record called Speconomics, for release next summer/fall, and have a couple collaborative albums in the works too.  The new record, Specnology, is up on Bandcamp http://www.jeffspec.bandcamp.com 

thanks for your time. i know it gets rough on the road.

- Thanks for your time too my man, and for helping me get the word out and the voice heard. Always appreciated!

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B-BILL OFFICIAL RECORD RELEASE! ON SALE NOW!!!!

everything has been settled, worked out, agreed upon and understood. Mom dukes is good, sis dukes is a CANNON, Auntie, Uncles, even lil B-Bill is all on board. only person missing is YOU. i know a lot of Lo-Lifes have been anticipating this, as i've gotten numerous messages from LLs all over the map inquiring about the status of the project. i aint got nothin but love and respect for how you guys have displayed respect for your fallen comrade. nuff respect due.

and i'd also like to apologize for any confusion that i may have been the author of in this process. but im West Indian... when i see somethin need to be done, i move out. but it was never my intention to cause confusion. the devil is the author of confusion. and i'm god. i'm actually the one who gave Bill his lessons, in the Criminal Justice Center in Phila., PA in 1995. i hope that helps to explain why sun means a lot to me. to all of us.

as always, love and loyalty.


BUY HERE.

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Two of The Funniest Hip Hop Moments...EVER!

this is just the illest, realest shit ever... RIP ODB...


now, i looked at the title twice when i put this video up. hip hop? lil B? naww.....he somethin else. but this joint is funny than a muhfucka...

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Inside J-Dilla's Studio

yall know i love some studio shit. and this is one of those joints thats like not only dam, he got some shit, but damn, that man is no longer with us. such is the circle of life. its wild cause we startin to see now that the 1st generation of hip hop is startin to return to the essence. i really hope that all who were around individuals like this really took some time to get the history strait from them. it really counts. because as the years progress and the generation that rediscovers itself will want to know what made them great. i mean we did it in the late 80s early 90s, tracin our steps back to jazz, after it had left us for so many years. maybe we left it. but it was taken care of, like so many things of ours, by others. and to their credit, they really did take care of it. so when that happens to hip hop, let it be known by those who were there, protected by those who love it, and spoke on by those qualified to speak.

take a peek at a portion of our collective legacy. and really dig on the conversation, when they start talkin about the places and events that shaped the experience of an individual that shaped the tracks that became part of the soundtrack to our own personal histories.

feel honored to say that you saw it. here. for yourself...

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Jay Electronica-"Mind Detect Heart"

where is this dude? we all know sun got somethin special wit him. or do he? takin this long on an album is the direct opposite of organic hip hop. this much planning and doing over is not helpin things but so much. i hope sun dont come out n drop the ball.

either way, here is a air of aces i found on the Tube today. check em out. they sound like he mean it. if his album come out with a bunch of synth sounds, im thru wit sun, word up...

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The Gushie!!!

           to get a real ill ass view (pun intended), click on any picture for a full screen slide show...

been a while since we went into this chamber. and i got some heat. and i stole it all from the deceased Facebook group i used to belong to and cant remember the name. regardless, this is the legacy of our collective lust...

 sis is sooo fine! so brownskin, so well put together. its unclear if shes on set waitin for some actor or rapper to finish, is in the video or just a groupie waitin to set somebody up Kat Stacks style. if either of these are true and in any case, id glady go along for the ride. if black is beautiful, brown proves it. this that "as long as i get some, i'ma watch how far u go to get my money and dont mind" gushie...

i mean, who can deny an ass like that???? and on a white girl???? im no racist, but the white girls used to be boob factory issue. not anymore. they renegotiated the contract. and they come equipped! imagine walkin along and seeing this just standing in the walkway? shit, Farrakhan would try to get these digits! this  that "you just made me forget i'm a rascist, let's have kids" gushie...

                                      

spanish girls? nigga please! then been fly! and are willing to get whitegirl nasty! u know, open the backdoor for you... and sis is fine. look at the waistline. as an deserving observer of ass will tell you, its all about the ratio of waist to ass to thigh. i validate her as valeDICKtorian. all pigeon toed n shit... this that "yo hablo 'spanol por un dia solo" gushie....

fuck wit that... any of you... and she got the ratio of ass to tit right as well! as any bonafide observer of the female form will tell you, really nice ass NEVER comes with really big tits. they got this one right at the factory. this a limited edition for sure. blonde hair? and ass? she gone drive one of these whitebaws into debt... they love ass too now. this that "you need that? i'll get that! sure!" gushie...

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There's Hope For You Yet...

this is a joint i caught that features Pharrell and Timbaland in their group from high school with the baw Magoo. their group was called 'Surrounded By Idiots' and this is what they sounded like before they developed their own style. its an interesting listen. just for the fact you can hear them strait takin styles from other places and eventually developing styles that others emulate now. i guess Picasso is right... "good artists borrow. great artists steal." check it out...

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Torae-FREE TRIPLE DOWNLOAD! tracks produced by Large Professor, Pete Rock and DJ Premier!!!

a

damn... i was just gettin ready to type "underground spitta" to describe my man. but i erased it. then i remembered... that shit is becoming a badge of honor again these days. SO, underground heavy spitta Torae has a new album out called "For The Record". check it out on ITunes when u get a chance, but when my man Matt sent me these, i had to post all 3! ill shit! from three of the greatest to ever drop shit! and yall know im a critical mothafucka. shit is hot... enjoy....

• play
• pause

volume

ThatRaw

That Raw (Produced by Pete Rock)

this is a BANGIN beat. i aint heard Pete come this ill in a minute...

• play
• pause

volume

DoTheMath(produced by Large Professor)

Do The Math (Produced by Large Professor)

• play
• pause

volume

Torae and Primo ForTheRecord

For The Record (Produced by DJ Premiere)


don't ever say i aint give you shit...

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When Keepin' It Real Goes Wrong

me, around '93, '94. my nigga Bill caught those Guess jeans. he caught almost 50 pair that day, all in the back of my Cherokee. Helly Hensen, DKNY, Guess, Vasque Goretex, yarn West Indian belt, white gold, and Polo cologne. we was more than just Lo. we were no one trick pony...

i was really proud of myself for puttin out my nigga B-Bill's record. if you notice, its not for sale any more. thats cause one of the family members, who was very misinformed, posted a message on Facebook condemning my right to put out Bill's music. that was Don-Lo who said that, somebody who i've known for years. instead of coming to me, he made a public spectacle of the issue. and sun, know me. he could of easily gotten clarity from me. when i met them comin thru Fairhill and Somerset in '93, i met him BEFORE i met Bill, because he was aware of my graffiti game. i was gettin it in back them times. i was aware of them from part of my NY experiences as a youth. he was fucked up when i asked him, "whatchall, Lo Lifes?" cause i aint know they was in Philly. HE introduced me to Bill, and we started rockin from there. what i'm sayin is, it woulda been EASY for sun to talk to me.

i actually got the album from Bill's uncle, Dave-Lo aka Dolla Bill, and Don-Lo's older brother. i asked for the album with the intention of putting it out to honor my fallen comrade. he actually gave me around 30 tracks that i broke down to what i thought were the flyest and that were in the best shape. that was the ten i put for the album. a lot of them are in horrible audio shape. i told him then that i might have to take a dollar or two out of the money because the downloader would want a cut. u know, those joints like blastmymusic.com which make it easy to sell music, but they just want their cut for lettin you use their service. sometimes as much as 25%. cool wit me. but sun was like, naw, that might cause people to ask about the money. so i said cool. so i paid for a monthly service, so that there would be NO deduction, and it would be easy to track the money, and get out of some tax issues. 

my whole intention was that i wanted to do somethin for my homeboys kids for the holidays. there are now Lo Lifes all around the world, and dudes is out tourin, makin money from what my man helped build. i mean, i ran wit them... but he actually was one of the dudes who STARTED the shit. i saw some of his music on YouTube, and i was like, man, let me hurry up and get to this, cause  niggas is gonna give his shit away for free. and the audio was awful. and im like, naw, i got to represent my man better than that. so i turned down a few jobs to get it done. what really lit the fire to get it done was reading his sister Michelle's comments on Dallas Penn's site, where she was blasting another member of the team. but in her comments, she was like, aint nobody doin nothin for Bill's kids. so i said fuck it, imma schedule this to get done, cause i been sittin on it for over a year. because the audio was in such poor condition, it took me longer than usual. but when his voice started pokin out, it had me a lil fucked up to hear his voice, knowin he aint around. but it made me proud to know that he still was, in a way, and that i was introducing him to a whole new generation that may not know who he is, or may have heard and didnt know sun had lyrics like that. i mean sun had spit! and im not sayin that cause thats my man. sun could really serve it. 

there are a whole lot of Lo Lifes that didnt struggle for that name like we did. part of my case log when i went upstate in '95 was a few cases behind this Lo Life shit. now, i aint mad at that. i'd never want the next generation to feel like they had to do crime to be accepted. but it is a boostin crew at its heart. so those thats not gonna go get dirty, should pay homage to those that made Lo Lifes more than what dudes did to get somethin out of a fucked up life. its now a lifestyle. shit i threw away and gave away are collectors items now. and i just wanted my man Bill to get his just due. he deserves it. plain and simple.

so, i have it no longer for sale. i really dont need any more drama after the year i've had. its been a wild ride, trust me. im built for impact, but i wasnt really ready for a meteor shower. but im still standin. and im proud that i stood for somethin.

they say there's no honor amongst thieves.

you cant prove that by me.

now air it out...

"Lo Life For Life" by Boostin' Billy 

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