Friday, April 24, 2009

Joe Budden Talks Eminem, His Video Channel and Freedom



I was over at Monclair in Jersey for Day 2 of their music festival, and caught up with Jumpoff after he went in for over an hour. It was good to see people still know lyrics, as the mostly white crowd, dressed in tight jeans and uglier shirts, rapped right along with Joe to tracks from Padded Room, his Mood Muzik series and duke's most notable hit, "Pump It Up" (that shit STILL slams). Here, he talks about Eminem's new album, the freedom he's experienced during his digital resurgence, and the future of JoeBuddenTV.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Tim Westwood Talks With Q-Tip

A long interview, but getting Tip to open up isn’t easy. He was either baked or exhausted when I spoke to him, but none-the-less, he’s a hiphop icon and deserves some leeway. Here, he goes in with Westwood on a bunch of topics, mainly, getting him to breakdown the entire Tribe discography. Yes!

Planet Asia + Pete Rock = Planet Rock

Tunji put folks onto game with this one. Apparently, they’ve got an album coming out. SICK! Asia could use them soul samples, you know Pete gonna freak ‘em!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Reporter Who Reviewed Leaked Wolverine Flick Gets Cut



LOS ANGELES - Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is out after posting a review of a leaked full-length work print of " X-Men Origins: Wolverine ." Fox News said Monday that the company's representatives and Friedman "mutually agreed to part ways immediately."

Friedman had been an entertainment writer who has contributed to FoxNews.com for 10 years. He wrote in his Fox 411 column Thursday that downloading the 20th Century Fox superhero prequel was "so much easier than going out in the rain" and that the movie "exceeds expectations at every turn."

The early review of the film, which 20th Century Fox described as a "stolen, incomplete and early version," was later removed from the Web site Friday. Fox News and 20th Century Fox are both units of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

____________________________



Read the rest here
. I'd heard from a friend that as soon as the leak hit the web, the FBI got involved, and this was several days ago. Shouldn't they be doing other things, though, like cracking down on drugs and finding Bin Laden? I digress. I suppose it's this reporter's own fault. And while I'm not sure if his severe lapse in judgment to download a movie produced by his employer ILLEGALLY merits being discredited as a journalist, he does deserve to lose his job. It's strange tho, the double standard between the movie and music industries collectively. In music, it's great to have positive reviews before the product launches, and that it's considered an honor to be even granted permission to hear anything.

The film business, as I'm coming to understand, operates differently. They market differently and they seem to protect their projects and contacts a little more fiercely. But are the two really that different? Both are creative industries and involve sensitive, ego-maniacs in control (or out of control, depending on who you talk to). Was it Roger Friedman's ego that got the best of him in this case or was it the suits not wanting to look bad? I'm sure the controversy will only help stoke interest in the movie, which, even before the leak and the review, have been generating very positive buzz. But why did this guy get crucified for doing what music bloggers do every day?

My guess is it comes down to money. The film business isn't bleeding cash as quickly as the music suits and they are still operating on a very old-school, good-ol boy system. It's almost elitist. Blogs, however, have been stealing and reviewing/posting music early for years online and it's allowed the bottom to drop out of those big, impressive Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI offices without looking back. Hollywood is concerned, but maybe their guarded-ness has prevented the Internet from taking control of their pockets. So far.

I'd be interested to talk with someone on the subject and how they've managed to stave off the cultural evolution of wanting everything now. Perhaps a scene-by-scene download doesn't make for good entertainment as much as a song would. Psychology be damned.

Stealing Music: Wrong Or Right?




As I post Eminem's newest song for free below. The irony. Well, this entry comes from the god Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch, I've been meaning to put it up for a week now. But he talks about the argument for free music in rather intelligent terms. Peep the excerpt below or the entire article. I can't take credit for the photo either, he pulled that one, too. Damn it:

...Music used to be so simple. You listened to it on the radio for free, but you didn’t get to say what would be played, and there were lots of commercials. If you went to a concert, you paid. And if you bought a record, tape or CD, you paid. People copied CDs to cassette tapes and passed them on to friends. That was just about as far as P2P music piracy got. Stealing music was when you shoplifted a CD or cassette from the record store, and it was pretty clearly understood that it was “wrong.”

Maybe that’s why so many people who are older than say 30 think that downloading music is ethically wrong. They remember that music is something that you pay for. They still download the music, of course. But they know they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing.

But if you’ve discovered and come to love music in the last decade, I don’t see how you can be expected to know when listening to recorded music is ok, and when it’s wrong.

_______________________________

As an independent artist myself, I understand both sides of the argument. I'd like my music to be in the hands of as many people as possible and I know that, until that happens, I need a day job. However, there would come a point in time where I'd like to not have to work that day job and be able to focus all types of attention and money at making the BEST music possible. For me, that involves traveling, talking to people, drinking and in general, living. Maybe the stresses of the job provide that sort of inspiration, but a musician should be able to work for himself and be paid for what he does. Whether that's thru the labels or not, I can't say. Anyone with more money than you and that's willing to help, all good by me as long as their best interest isn't put before mine (sometimes, you have to be selfish).

Let's face it, the age of the rock star is dead, and none of these newbies are likely going to enjoy the same financial success as those that came before them, unless they reach that Kanye/Eminem/Jay-Z stratosphere. And who out there will? Sure we all believe we will, but some want it for the dollar bills attached, not for the fact your music hits more ears. So until something happens like that, you can find me here, blogging, trying to dig up a 9-5 and booking studio time around trips to see my girlfriend and washing dishes. Hallur.

MP3/Video: Eminem - We Made You



I've been defending this shit all morning. If you're a fan and can get past the Encore-voice, listen a few times; his flow is actually incredibly on point, and the lyrics in reference to the chorus make sense. "We Made You" is his typical celebrity "you suck" affair. His first singles are always like this. But the production is purposeful - there's a bridge, Dre gave it some swing, it's big and bombastic. The whole thing aims to create a place for him to play. And when he's at play, he's joking around. Everyone of course wants to hear Eminem RAP, and I'm sure he will on the album. In fact, on BOTH albums he's releasing this year. Have faith.

Download: Eminem - We Made You

Monday, April 6, 2009

MIMS Performing "Guilt" At Jamnow.com

Caught up with MIMS over at Jamnow.com's Chop Shop, and he went IN with the title track to his new album, dropping tomorrow, April 7. Most of ya'll know him from "This Is Why I'm Hot," but dude is a straight-up lyricist. When you're gettin love from Pumpkinhead at End of The Weak about how you hold it down, you KNOW he's paid his dues. Props to MIMS for bein an intelligent cat knowing where he's goin in this music shit.



Visit jamnow.com/MIMS to listen to his entire interview and set. Never seen an artist so comfortable going back and forth, dudes a pro. So tune in, talk back and act like you know.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Exclusive: E.Ness Talks New Album + MP3 + Show Announcement



I was over at Jamnow’s Chop Shop not too long ago, and talked with Bad Boy’s Ness, one of the original members of Diddy’s Making The Band cast. He talked about his new album, “Nessessary,” and why he still stays heavy on the mixtapes. Listen to his entire set and interview at Jamnow.com here. On another note, myself and a few other dope artists will be opening for Ness April 20th at Don Hills in NYC. Stop through and show support!

Here are some excerpts from his Jamnow interview, with my video interview below. And be sure to download the new track, “Slingshot Ness.” Props to Chelly and Kevin!

Topics of Interest
“This album is going to have a new sound. I’m pushin the bar, talking about politics, Katrina, the government, current events people are going through, the murder rate in Philly is still crazy, the U.S. recession, and of course, you know, things about myself. What it was like comin up in Philly, the reality show, the whole MTV experience, man, there was a lot of spinoff shows. I’m just tryin to make substantial shit, like, all this fast food music, this microwave music that’s hot right now, I don’t do it. I make soul music.”

Religion & Hip-Hop
“I was raised in a religious family, man, goin to church, prep school, I was pushed along thru school to do the right thing, all that. But how I got into hiphop, I mean, I loved reading and writing and I used to read front-to-back and analyze things, like the psychology, that’s how I penned my rhymes, a beginning, middle and climax. I always enjoyed English and reading and writing and, I mean, if you’re illiterate and you’re proud of that, that ain’t grown and sexy, man, there’s help you can get to get over that. So, you know, I applied that love for words with the breakdancing and the culture, and it all eventually led to the flows and rhymes.”

Writing & The Album
“My mood swings and whatever I’m feelin, if I’m in the studio, man, that’s what’s gonna come out, that’s what it’s gonna sound like. When you’re on a label, like, people got a misconception that Puff doesn’t push or take care of his artists. The Internet is a big outlet so you ain’t gotta fish in stores, and that’s worked it’s way into the industry. For me, it’s the right timing and the right record, I don’t wanna put out a record in the recession, cuz people gotta pay light bills over buying a Ness song. I’ma wait til the economy goin good and then make a push for people to cop Nessessary.”



Download: E.Ness - Slingshot Ness