john said

Online Portfolio Posting

2009-09-09T14:14:00.007-05:00

For a potential Senior-Level Copywriting position, here are the PDF's:

Hip-Hop: A Toast

2009-07-31T10:07:00.002-05:00

Rewind life to 1997 –
Puff said there was No Way Out but Big left for heaven –
Missy Elliot was rockin garbage bags in videos with Hype –
Wu Tang was forever, and New York was bumpin Uptown Saturday Night -
Master P had the world sayin UGHH and Jay dropped Volume 1 –
Em took second at the Olympics, two years later the album’d come –
The Hootie phenomenon was dead and No Doubt was hot –
Gwen wasn’t dressin like Eve and Fergie wasn’t hip-hop –
Loud Records had shit on smash and SNL was funny –
Napster was still two years away from stealing all the industry’s money –
Princess Diana died, the Marlins won, Bill Clint re-up for round two –
But I ain’t Mad Skillz, this ain’t the rap-up, I want the Nod Factor, so where were you? –
I was up in Media Play buyin Mase singles like “Feel So Good” –
Listenin to old Pac shit that was new to me, froze me where I stood –
That experience brought me here now, to this stage, in these clothes, with these spits –
And through all the long nights, wrong chicks, Yeungling kegs in between that we’ve kicked –
I finally realize I can’t step out my lane to flip what I don’t know –
I hate hip-hop fashion, chains, wack lyrics and Obama was not my choice, but yo –
Before you boo me all unrulily for something I said up here truthfully –
Listen close to the punchline one time cuz the shit to me is beautiful, see –
The reason and season of 97 was one when ignorance was bliss –
When bloggers were DJ’s and most A&R’s actually knew their shit –
Hip-hop was fresh then, and dope was a word I learned the day before last –
Honed my craft writin raps and passing them around for feedback between class –
See, our views might differ and on another day we’d argue till we’re blue in the face –
But here in this moment, under these lights, on this stage, in this place –
We’re about hip-hop and unity in a time when really, we need it –
So… everybody out there in the audience – hold up two fingers as one and believe it –
And say hip-hop…
Say music…
Say love…
Word…

Kids Seek & Speak Truth For Hip-Hop

2009-07-30T14:39:00.002-05:00

Something I wrote after watching the video embedded below. This was originally posted on my blog at Loud.com but was removed from the database when DJ Vlad relaunched the site.

New York, NY (July 30, 2008) – We base a lot of what we do in our life on faith – relationships, the value of a dollar, technology. For some, it's faith in a higher power. But for most of us, the best example of how we live our lives is the faith we have in ourselves. It's odd to think about it that way, but self-esteem allows us to make choices, to help us understand that the quality of life we might obtain really depends upon our decisions to mix with certain external forces, like money, like God and so forth. You can argue where it comes from until you're blue in the face, but in the end, your own free will enables choice.

That fact makes us a community surrounded, guided, perhaps even confined, by the limits of our faith in the external. It exposes both the selfishness in people and also why we're so emotionally bound by a need for community at the same time.

Two important examples of how we divide up our faith are politics and personal satisfaction. How, you ask? It's called intrinsic value. Economics classifies intrinsic value as the following:

"The actual value of a company or an asset based on an underlying perception of its true value including all aspects of the business, in terms of both tangible and intangible factors."

For our purposes, in politics, there are certain issues that affect us on an emotional level, issues like equality, abortion and war. How much the issue gets under your skin and translates into action might not capture what non-economists think of as intrinsic value the same as say, a baseball card from your grandpa or an old ring, but the emotion is born from the same kind of economic force – "an underlying perception of it's true value."

Personal satisfaction, or music in this case, identifies more with the concept of intrinsic value that we ARE familiar with: a free will, faith-based belief that something is worth something, despite what the market (anyone else) says. While it's just as much an emotion as our views on equality, abortion and war, we characterize music as a tangible intangible, something we can recall and attach a memory or specific moment to. This sort of intrinsic value doesn't have a price tag associated with it, partly because we have faith that our music won't be exploited. Yet in today's day and age, that's exactly what has happened. More and more, hip hop has lost its identity in a sea of thongs, paper rain and rims.

And it's not fucking right.

Our culture of hip hop now is not the same one that was beginning to develop an identity in the late 60's and early 70's. It's not the same one that found a home in the fun-loving 80's or the blackness of PE, soul of Pete Rock and gangster of Tupac in the 90's or Eminem's angst that went deeper than his skin color on into the aughts ('00s). Truth be told, it shouldn't be the same. It's supposed to change, to evolve. But the surge of great music from those artists and artists like them came to life because there was passion. A value associated with the music that went beyond bitches, cash and glory. It's that element of authenticity that our greatest artists have and the rest aspire to achieve. Passion is a dying trait among today's artists, and to go further, maybe even in those listening. But it also begs the question: if you're not born with passion, does that mean you have to fake it?

According to today's market, yes, you do. And we've allowed that to be OK.

You can arrive at a million reasons why the mentality of our artists and community is fucked up, but that does nothing to provide a solution. And that's what we need: a solution. No more talk, but action. In the name of entertainment, Hollywood, TV, comedians, porn stars and baseball has all faked it. Yet we still consume it. Most of us understand that dinosaurs are extinct, Las Vegas CSI isn't THAT busy, life isn't THAT funny, she doesn't like it THAT much and Barry Bonds is a bloated cheat. But with music, it's different. Music is supposed to be an outlet to connect, something that comes from inside the rawness of ourselves. It gives us a platform to funnel a wide range of emotions into one concrete form and spit it back out a thousand different ways. Music was there in the beginning and has developed over time, taking on the power to elevate, to heal and even to change.

I'm not naïve enough to believe that all music has to be like that. But our music, hip hop music, is supposed to be a medium where we reflect the times, not create a one-dimensional, delusional version. Our music is supposed to be a blotter where the ones who fake it aren't remembered. And yet in our music, we more-and-more have a cinematic blend of fantasy with only hints of reality. It's numbed our senses and given rise to stagnant, complacent and formulaic expression. The worst part is, we're fed today's music and content by the pop machine and made to believe it is ALL FACT!

And THAT is where I have a problem with today's hip hop. Not with the wack dance songs or lame beats or shitty lyrics. When you spin something as fact that is not, you lose the distinction of impression derived from authenticity. It's one thing to call a kettle black… but it's another to act like it's the only shade out there.

Fortunately, there are still movements supporting true-school hip hop. One such voice, a dude by the name of Lavoisier, recently went to a middle school to talk with the very ears consuming today's music: kids. Whether you think he's dope or not is beside the point (personally, I'd probably bump his music). This video was originally posted at Real Talk NY, and in it, Lavoisier poses a series of questions to the students around a central theme: is it OK for rappers to be fake? The majority of the kids said NO! But yet they still consume it! So now… if our kid's generation… has been taught that it's OK to be fake and that rap is just entertainment… our culture has some VERY dangerous questions about authenticity and future implications that need answers immediately. Kids put FAITH in their elders, their role models, their politicians and their parents to do right by them, but by continuing to push a phony agenda across the airwaves, we are contributing to the delinquency of our own children.

And that is not fucking right, either.

I'm left to wonder at the end of all this: If hip hop is the most powerful, influential tool we have to reach out and connect with our kids today… what exactly are we doing?

Loud.com Favorites With Wordspit

2009-06-30T11:53:00.002-05:00

This is an old favorites I did while still with Loud.com with the homie Wordspit. If you've been to any event in NYC, you've likely seen him around in the cipher, talkin to people, mixin it up. Here, he goes in with a few of his favorites up in Steve Rifkind's office. He also talks about a show he did for Bombin Magazine and playin with a model's titties. Hey, I just report the stuff.

In Part 2, he gets into the origin of his moniker and gives us the rhyme for his track "JoystickMadness," the song he was spittin while playing with said model's titties in Part 1. Yeah so... the kid's got lyrics. Tune in, turn on, lets rap.

Be on the look for his upcoming project "The Coolest BBoi Stance," coming later this summer.

The Thrift Shop Experience Ep. 2: Thomas Jones (NY Jets)

2009-05-05T16:06:00.001-05:00

Thomas Jones, running back for the NY Jets, was nice enough to sit down and talk about his Thrift Shop Experience. As tough a guy as he is, and as much flak as he catches in the media for hold-outs and outspoken commentary, after this conversation, you might change your mind about where all that comes from. The interview inspired me to revisit a song I'd written awhile ago and add some new life to it. It's called "Sneaker Music," and you can hear a snippet at the end of the video. Download the entire song here. Thanks for watching!

* Thrift Shop Experience: the one pivotal moment that impacted your life the most, born from gains, losses, change, inspiration, a conversation or something you heard second-hand.

Joe Budden Talks Eminem, His Video Channel and Freedom

2009-04-24T08:12:00.002-05:00

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.

Tim Westwood Talks With Q-Tip

2009-04-10T17:46:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

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!

Reporter Who Reviewed Leaked Wolverine Flick Gets Cut

2009-04-07T11:53:00.004-05:00

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?

2009-04-07T11:35:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-07T09:25:00.002-05:00

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

MIMS Performing "Guilt" At Jamnow.com

2009-04-06T14:34:00.002-05:00

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.

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

2009-04-02T09:10:00.006-05:00

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

UFC Notes: W. Silva On Liddell/Shogun, Condit’s Debut, White Talks “Mask” and Training Camp With A. Silva

2009-03-31T18:52:00.003-05:00

Sherdog got the extra scoop on an interview with The Axe Murderer the other day. Here, Wanderlei talks about the upcoming fight between his buddy Shogun and the big homie with the looping (let’s hope it’s a CRISP) cannonball right hand, Chuck Liddell. Peep the whole story at ESPN swiping the content from Sherdog:

Sherdog.com: Your friend Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will face Chuck Liddell next month. What do you expect from this fight?

Silva: It will be a very important fight for Shogun. It will be a watershed for him. Probably for both, because Liddell has the rope around his neck. I have seen some statements by the boss [Dana White] saying that he could fire him. I do not know if he would, but he did say. The [word] around here on Liddell is that he got married, doesn’t hang out at night anymore and goes from home to the gym and from the gym to home. It seems that he is training like a madman. I hope that Shogun is preparing well.

I talked a lot with [Shogun], love him. That’s what I told him: Liddell is not Coleman. He is an aggressive guy, has heavy hands and does not give up. If he hits you on the chin, probably a KO. Shogun has a very aggressive style and has to be in very good shape, with much cardio, because he doesn’t stop. He goes with punches, kicks, knees and takedowns. With him there’s no asking to stop. So he has to give good attention to the cardio because his style requires much cardio. He is a very talented guy, but age comes for everyone, including him. Then with time he will realize that nowadays we … must have a higher preparation. The guys are always getting better here. Shogun is a guy who can win the belt soon. He is in the front of the line. I believe in him. I think he’ll have a great performance against Liddell. I would not be surprised if he knocks him out or submits him. If he gets a takedown, I think it ends in the second round by submission.

______________________________________________

Carlos Condit, jumping, kneeing, looking disgruntled. Now, I haven’t heard the whole story, but apparently dude jumped ship on his camp when he got bumped up to the UFC. Via email. Classless? Yes. Is he still a good fighter? We’ll be able to tell if Kampmann gets in his ass tomorrow night!

Download/Listen to the audio (props Luke Thomas at MMANation, via BloodyElbow) here.

______________________________________________

Dana White Talks TapouT Founder Charles “Mask” Lewis

______________________________________________

Anderson Silva Talks Leites, Talks Fedor & GSP

Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will defend his crown for the fifth time when he collides with countryman Thales Leites in the featured bout at UFC 97 “Redemption” on April 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Silva (23-4) realizes Leites presents many dangers, and he has enlisted the assistance of Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstars Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Andre Galvao, among others, as he prepares for his latest test inside the Octagon.

Based out of the Nova Uniao camp, the 27-year-old Leites (14-1) has never been finished in 15 career fights and has enjoyed a relatively stealth rise up the middleweight ladder.

“Thales is a new kid who’s just starting out, but he’s already proven that he deserves this opportunity,” Silva told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “He’s a dangerous opponent, just like all the others I’ve faced. He has this opportunity to fight for the title because he impressed the promoters enough to get this chance. The only thing I can say for sure is that, no matter who wins, the belt will stay in Brazil.”

Survival of The Chillest: Ice Drum Set vs. Ice Mouse Trap

2009-03-31T18:26:00.003-05:00

Spotted this on Questlove's Twitter today, pretty sick. I'm not sure how they did it, but I'd guess they froze the rims in place, or at least a place-holder and then added the real ones with the skins. Either way, to get any decent tension, they'd have to have some pretty strong ice. Reminds me of these dudes I saw on Discovery (ahem Wreckreation Nation what up!) on late-night and they had this completely ice castle version of the old Mousetrap game. Pretty dope. Both clips are below:

M-Rock + Russell Peters (Juno Awards Composition)

2009-03-31T18:23:00.001-05:00

My homie M-Rock from Canada composed the opening sequence of the Juno's this year (Canada's Grammy Awards) and he's got the intro and then the breakdown in the clip. Pretty dope, congrats man!

Jeter And His 3,000 Hit

2009-03-20T11:45:00.003-05:00

Tyler Hissy of MVN.com penned an interesting column yesterday about the probability of Yankee living legend Derek Jeter reaching the 3,000 hit plateau in pinstripes. And while I'm inclined to agree his defensive abilities have fallen off in the last few years, he's got certain intangibles that make up for those shortcomings and one of them is his offensive production.

I'm wondering what a switch to second base would be like, if Cano would make that adjustment, or even if it's worth doing. As long as his legs are still healthy, Jeter in left field would be amusing, though I'm not sure his legacy deserves that. But does he deserve to be a utility player in a Yanks uniform or pursue three stacks in another uniform? I'm not sure he'd want to go out like that.

Read the entire article here. Some snippets:

..."Jeter, as cool as he looks with his jump throws from the hole, simply lets too many balls to his left and right side that should be converted into outs go in for base hits, thus inflating the ERAs of every New York pitcher. Objectively, he has been hurting the Yankees, whose terrible defensive efficiency ratings as of late are not just a coincidence, while playing such an important up-the-middle position so poorly. The casual fan has a mental model of Jeter making exceptional defensive plays burned into their brain, from his in-the-stands grab against the Boston Red Sox to the infamous ball flip to catcher Jorge Posada to save a huge playoff game against the Oakland A's.

Mental models, however, are driven by biased, subjective thought processes, one or a few isolated images. Objective data, on the other hand, simply does not lie, nor does it give bonus points to certain players for perceived likeability or star appeal. Essentially, there is absolutely no conspiracy against Jeter because he used to date Jessica Biel and those "basement-dwelling stat heads" who frequently deride his defense only can do so in their dreams.

Statistical analysts do not call him Past-A-Diving Jeter for their own amusement.

Also, while advanced defensive statistics have some flaws, a number of scouts agree with the conclusions drawn in the statistical community. Many scouts have also documented how Jeter has difficulty getting to balls a few steps to his left or right; it would be difficult for a trained talent evaluator, or anyone looking for it on the YES! Network, not to notice.

Defensive deficiencies aside, the soon-to-35-year-old middle infielder has been a productive hitter since winning the Rookie of the Year and helping the Yankees to the World Series all the way back in 1996. He has put up a career line of .316/.387/.458 with a 120 OPS+ in 8,025 at-bats over 14 seasons. Not too many shortstops can boast that kind of an offensive resume, and, though he is a perhaps a bit overrated, there is no denying what he has accomplished with a bat in his hands--especially for a shortstop, even one who is so limited defensively. Despite his shortcomings with the glove, he has also been quite valuable overall; he has produced the following value wins totals (accounting for defense, offense and positional factors) since 2004, respectively: 5.0, 4.5, 6.4, 3.7, 3.7. While he has been on the wrong side of the dollars earned/dollars made chart, for the most part, he has been an excellent player who should not be faulted for accepted such an enormous amount of money from the Steinbrenner fortune."

MP3 Download: The Thrift Shop Experience

2009-03-19T12:44:00.004-05:00

This is the title track for my album that was originally “put out” in May 2008. I say "put out" because it never had the proper release I'd planned for it, and as such, I wanted to do it right. In the last year, I’ve met some dope cats that I've become fans of, and a few of them are spotlighted here...

"The Thrift Shop Experience 2.0" will feature the god Emilio Rojas (one of several special guests), along with new production from The Apple Juice Kid, Djay Cas and more. Juice and the others will touch up a few tracks with the remix treatment while I'm swapping out some joints altogether. And while it may not play out like the movie version I intended the first one to be, I'm also trimming many of the skits so the music is the main focus.

Lastly, as soon as this new version is ready to drop, the original will be available for free download. People can still scoop the remaining physical copies through PayPal for $10 or holler at a show/on the train for $5 if they dig what they hear now. At the moment, the original is still up at iTunes, as well, along with a bunch of other unsavory download spots and torrents.

Maintain. Hip-hop isn’t dead until we say it is. I appreciate all of your support.

Download: The Thrift Shop Experience (produced by Terminill)

Interview With Scram Jones

2009-03-16T19:35:00.000-05:00

The homie Jon Master chopped it up with Scram with the Favorites, now we get the actual interview. He talks working with Mariah, underground vs. mainstream, not cosigning new artists, why he'd work with Nas, Michael Jackson and Billy Joel and how his diversity has proven to be his biggest strength. Yup.

Loud.com Favorites With Scram Jones

2009-03-13T16:12:00.002-05:00

Man, some people have no idea how sick dude is! Scram went in with three of his favorite verses, and you can tell dude gets busy with the wordplay and punchlines. What you might not know is he’s produced for Mariah Carey and is a certified hip-hop triple threat: emceeing, producing AND DJing. Show some respect and be sure to cop the compilation when it drops. All signs (and those hard to ignore whispers) around the lab indicate it’s gonna be dope!

Exclusive: Knitting Factory Resurrection – J-Zone & The DJ’s Go In

2009-03-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

Got a dope interview here that the homie Jon Master from Same Plate Mgmt did with J-Zone the night of the show. This is Pt 2 in the Knitting Factory Resurrection series (Black Thought killed Pt. 1), with more goodies to come in the next couple weeks (Beatnuts & Rakim). Here, J-Zone talks about SNL, his new album "Live From The Liquor Store," his diversity in creating music and what it's like to help close down The Knit.

Below is the audio where you can peep all the DJ’s doin their thing before the start of the show. It’s broken down in three sets:

Exclusive: Knitting Factory Resurrection - Black Thought

2009-03-11T12:51:00.003-05:00

Hip-hop and The Knitting Factory had a good relationship the last few years. With former head of talent Peter Agoston heading up the charge, The Knit became a hub for local talent getting busy in The Old Office, graduating to the Tap Bar and finally, making some headway on the Main Stage as an opener for acts like Kanye West, Busta Rhymes and on it’s last hip-hop show ever, Rakim.

A few emcees became fixtures at Knitting these last few years, ushering in a resurgence of underground, New York hip-hop. Sav Killz, Homeboy Sandman, Hasan Salaam and others hustled their shows and built their buzz, sharing stage time with the likes of indie stalwarts Royce Da 5’9, AZ and The Cunninlynguists, among scores of others. Myself, I got to share the stage with the latter group, as well as Pack FM, Jeru The Damaja and Das EFX. They were incredible experiences and ones that have been burned into the back of my own eyes for future replay.

Which brings us to this first installment of our audio/video/picture/words series from that final hip-hop show at The Knitting Factory. The below stream consists of Black Thought’s entire set, with some occasional backspins by his Roots co-founder, ?uestlove. Props to Jamnow.com for the incredibly clean audio. If you were unaware, their technology allows you to both stream live shows and collaborate with other musicians in real-time across the web. They host a number of shows each month at their location in New Jersey and you can check them out anytime here.

For a more comprehensive and intimate (pause) on the event, get over to Adam Bernard’s spot here, and for the rest of these pictures on Flickr, get your right-click on here. Illadelph.

The Thrift Shop Experience Ep. 1: 88-Keys

2009-03-06T15:07:00.007-05:00

What's good ya'll? This blog was more like a testing spot for posts in the past, but I'm going to work to make it a regular thing. Random older writings from college will likely find their way here, as well as some newer ish here and there, along with any and all music-related videos, songs and pictures, with a healthy dash of Yankees and UFC notes, movie awesomeness and other assorted crap I feel like sharing. Walk with me.

Below is the first enstallment of The Thrift Shop Experience episodes, a series I'm putting together as sort-of personal inspiration towards the re-release of my album (more on that coming). My first guest is 88-Keys, he's produced for my favorite emcee of all-time (Mos Def) and his latest album, "Death of Adam," was executive produced by Kanye West. He's a great dude with a severe Polo obsession, and his beats are ridiculous. Here, he got open on his Thrift Shop Experience* for the camera. I included some raps cuz I thought they'd make sense. Hit me up on Facebook here. Enjoy.

* The Thrift Shop Experience is essentially a metaphor for life through a thrift store. When you visit a vintage or second-hand spot, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc., there's items there that have been around. They have history. When you drop your $2 on an old book or ill t-shirt, you're buying into that story, that history. That experience. So whenever you talk with someone, see something, are captivated somewhere... that's all part of you. And when it's shared, it's your donation back to the world. That's at least the long explanation.

DOWNLOAD: The Thrift Shop Experience (Album Version)

Here's a final hand-written draft of the "Heart of The City (Pt. 3)" rhyme:

Video: Loud.com Favorites With Peter Rosenberg

2008-12-10T15:34:00.003-05:00

New York, NY (December 8, 2008) – Host of Season 2 of Loud.com’s Finalists took some time out of recording the sequel to the first Oddisee, a few of the cats on it (shout out to Folk & Stress), his favorite releases from Loud Records, and a host of other gems. Peep the distractions at 7:22 that constantly force men in NYC to stay the course. Or not.

And for more on the Finalists, check out their full competition tracks below:

Camp Lo Remix feat. Q-TIp: Gettin Up

2008-10-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

New Camp Lo remix to Gettin Up

New Years Day Song & Video Preview

2008-09-11T09:58:00.006-05:00

Here's a video preview for a song I did off of "The Thrift Shop Experience" called "New Years Day" (thanks to Jacob Huddleston for hooking this up). Today is a sad day for all Americans, and our emotions often get twisted about it because of the aftermath - the politics, the war, the finger-pointing. Just stop what you're doing and just remember how we all felt on the morning of September 11, 2001; It's the best way to honor all of the heroes that died.

Download the song here. The full video should be ready by the end of September. You can stream the song below before you download. Let me know your thoughts. God Bless.

- JP

2008-07-21T15:13:00.002-05:00

Rasheed Chappell - "Project: Stance" Album Review

2007-07-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

Project Stance – Rasheed Chappell
**** ½

“We enjoyin the vibe, just enjoyin the vibe –
Relax yaself, let ya conscience be free and enjoy the vibe…”
- Rasheed Chappell from “The Vibe” off of Project: Stance

Hip hop in its purest form is escapism. In much the same way as the work songs of American slaves lifted spirits and propelled hopes to ultimate freedom, hip hop music is rooted in that same idea of speaking on reality to move towards triumph. It’s not removing oneself from something in the traditional sense of the word – this brand of escapism is hip hop sitting above the facts and offering a different interpretation. Call it pointless, call it naïve, but it exists outside of rap music’s majority today as a foreign paradox that most find hard to identify with in the current pop music plantation climate. Maybe that’s what Nas meant when he said Hip Hop Is Dead?

“Project: Stance,” the latest from the ever-busy, never-at-a-loss-for-a-verse New Jersey emcee Rasheed Chappell, is an album that attempts to unearth the roots of those work songs and breathe life back into a hip hop that’s confused about which way it wants to go. And for most of the album, he succeeds. Infusing lines with hard-nosed tell-it-like-it-is bravado while still delicately recalling the African-American struggle from slave-times to 2007’s gangster mental, Chappell gives us history as well as future within the same song. The true appeal for the listener, though, shouldn’t be the natural charisma oozing it’s way out of the speakers with each BOOM BAP that tells those stories – it’s Sheed’s ultimate belief that redemption and connectivity can shed light on each other and give rise to understanding that make this album so special.

Many emcees that actually have content in their raps are accused of being soft. Chappell is the answer. Each rhyme is edgy, and the sharp, staccato with which the lines are delivered belie his easy, fluid delivery. Think Kweli’s precision sharpness in annunciation with a voice and flow reminiscent of Q-Tip. But understand the catalogue of content is all his own. Sheed (or Sheedy for the ladies) bounces over topics with schemes that could probably match any beat you threw at him.

And the beats are, well… if you haven’t heard of Cassius Clay yet, you will. Already knee-deep in a project with M-1 of Dead Prez, Clay is a fucking beast, there’s no way around it. Each instrumental is crafted with a powerful, soulful thump that’s as distinct as it is familiar. The soundscape is lush and layered with usually a main sample and an assortment of carefully arranged chopped samples, strings and, of course, percussion. In the same way that Dre has drums, Clay has drums, too. Each pattern speaks to the emcee, guiding the flow not where it should go, but where it can go. There hasn’t been a better beatsmith and emcee combo since Gang Starr. And perfection is attained on several cuts, namely “Soul Possession.” With songstress Rae-Sheen on the chorus, Sheed gives his ode to music with a purity not heard in today’s music, by ANYONE, period.

There are several tracks that borderline on ridiculous. The swagger-laced “Fly” has Sheed channeling Slick Rick over a thunderous drumline. There’s even a “mirror on the wall” reference. If only Kanye had this kind of swagger. For real. “Child of The Ghetto” and “Gangsta Boogie” are two of my other favorites for true, gritty hip hop. If you’re looking for music to take you somewhere else, though, there’s the introspective “Who I Am” and “Not What You See.” From the latter, Sheed reaches back and pulls out memorable lines like, “How can you judge a man, without knowin his soul, knowin his heart and what pulls him apart? What builds him up, what gave him the spark?” And for unabashed commentary on the impartial hypocrisy of the ghetto, look no further than “Salvation” – a story about the parallel paths young men with no options are forced to choose. And yes, that last sentence is meant to be oxymoronic.

In truth, it’s incredibly difficult to find fault with any of the album. However, as it goes, there are a few, small flaws that prevent this from creeping undoubtedly into five-star territory. Like every great jazz song ever written or sex that was had, there’s an ebb and flow to the experience. Here, the tracking of the songs are a bit choppy and to me, it really prevents the story from unfolding, again, not as it should, but as it can. Additionally, songs like “Paint a Picture” and “Let Me Be Good To You (Spoiled)” could have been left out, as they don’t really add anything to the overall quality of the rest of the songs. The former reminds me of “Life’s a Bitch,” of course a classic in the annals of hip hop history, but one of my least favorite songs. Something about the way Sheed and his guest emcee have their voices hit the notes in the beat, the bare chorus, the monotonous sample… none of it resonates as well as the other tracks on the album. And because they’re all stand-out tracks, nothing less than that will do. Another thing that might have brought the album up was exploring third verses in a few spots. Instead, the tracks opt to go the 50 Cent route of two verses and a bridge/outro. My last request would have been to hear Sheed switch up the flow in spots – something over 120 bpm and a joint with some double-time would have given the album a more rounded, technical sound, something of which the emcee is surely capable. Minor details but they may have helped complete the masterpiece.

The only song I’m torn about is the last song on the disc, entitled “Pain.” It reminds me of “Raging Bull.” I liked the movie but it left such a strong feeling of distaste for De Niro’s character that it became almost unenjoyable and soured the overall experience. Same for Sheed’s “Pain.” It’s by far the darkest song on the album and can be seen to either end the album on the wrong foot or truly serve as an artistic statement, to leave that distaste of oppression, pain, frustration and confinement in the ears of the listener. Perhaps only the artist knows what was intended.

Bottom-line, Rasheed Chappell is a one-of-a-kind artist blessed with a gift of gab and an incredible collaborator in Cassius Clay. His years of grinding in the local area, countless hours in the booth and life experience show in each bar he spits, and as an obvious disciple of hip hop, this album is a beautiful homage to it’s purest form. It’s never more apparent that an understanding of resolution needs to be found than when “What Goes Up, Must Come Down” guest artist and Rasheed’s father-in-law proclaims: “wickedness provides no escape.” That line has never been more urgent. Because while his contemporaries toil with their backs to the sun under the threat of exhaustion, Sheed’s eyes, spirit and soul are turned steady upward, unafraid to stare-down and pursue the light that may ultimately provide him with the ultimate escape – eternal life.

Tracks in Order – (names may be incorrect)

1. Gangsta Boogie
2. Once Again
3. Die For Today
4. Let’s Ride
5. The Vibe
6. Let Me Be Good To You (Spoiled)
7. Soul Possession
8. Fly
9. Who I Am
10. Child of the Ghetto
11. Not What You See (Dream With Me)
12. Salvation
13. Paint A Picture
14. What Goes Up Must Come Down
15. Revolution
16. Pain (Live With Ours)

Hiphop - Is It Really Mainstream?

2007-07-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

This is an article I did for a pub called Backstage Pass Magazine down in Daytona Beach, FL. Shouts to company disorganization and being an ill journalist amidst chaos. Real shouts to the contributors of this piece. Czec -

When the Sugar Hill Gang exploded onto America’s dance floors in 1979 with “Rapper’s Delight,” partygoers were still trying to stay alive, but the soul of popular music seemed to be fading with each turn of the disco ball. Twentyfour years earlier, when Rosa Parks decided on that particular day that she was not going to relinquish her seat on that particular Montgomery city bus, historians penning a certain future were forced to adjust their journals.

If we rewind America so that we can see how the past has influenced who we are today, the human side of us should collectively concede that these events are not independent of one another – they are in fact synonymous. But they are synonymous only in the sense that they were both a result of larger forces at work.

Dr. Craig Bythewood is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. He was recently selected by ABC television to co-host the St. Petersburg Martin Luther King, Jr. parade, and he says that African American culture and hip hop culture are not synonymous in the way that most people view it.

“Hip hop is associated with music and an age group,” he said in a telephone interview with BSP. “It was created by African American males, and because society often jumps on the vilification of the black male, as a result, we see those two ideas put together.”

By pairing them the way that many people outside of hip hop’s inner circle might do, the perception is that the whole of African American culture advocates violence, drugs, partying, lavishly spending money and a subservient view of women.

Comparisons can be drawn to the stereotyping of bikers, rednecks, homosexuals, and ethnic groups – any groups of individuals who draw the ire and scrutiny of the whole for various reasons, largely do to their perceived behavior. In each group, a few can spoil it for the rest.

Bythewood attributes stereotyping partly to human nature, with the media shouldering some of that blame.

“For whatever reason,” he said, “the more negative it is, the more interesting it becomes. Movies, television, newspapers – it’s all there. You’d like to believe that artists and record labels would promote positivity, but that’s not what happens. Hip hop tends to put [the idea] in people’s heads that a whole race is bad, which isn’t the case.”

Dean of Social Sciences at Bethune Cookman College Dr. Sheila Flemming says that Black History Month was originally intended to dispel such views and educate the populace by integrating a race’s history that was largely ignored in textbooks and discussion.

“The goal of hip hop is to entertain,” she said. “But hip hop is not black culture. It’s American culture. Hip hop is the same as R&B and jazz music – it may have grown out of black culture, but now it’s an American form. Simply because it was born in a certain place doesn’t mean those particular individuals are doing it. We don’t live and breathe different air. Separateness is what destroys a society and to think about hip hop and black culture like that is to keep it separate from everything else.

“Hip hop is a genre [belonging to] young people, and every generation has a rebellious nature. As far as America goes, we haven’t lived up to our decree of freedom, of an equal society. Hip hop is their rebellion to an imperfect society. The negative side you see is not necessarily African Americans acting out – it’s individualism. I think that idea has taken over more so than race or a specific group identity. Young people are individuals and feel a need to express this. Hip hop is a result of the American experience.”

Rosa Parks’action on December 1, 1955, was a result of her American experience. Her decision, though spontaneous, was likely rooted in her beliefs developed as an active member of NAACPand a sense that being tired of something was all right. She was tired from work that day. In the subsequent speech that the newly elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association gave in the wake of the courtlevied fine against Parks, there rang the same message: “There comes a time,” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “that people get tired.”

Hip hop’s growth and evolution is a result of change within a population, regardless of its particular race. That is what makes it what it is – an expression of the soul that was fading from the music in a smoky, laser induced haze, and an expression of soul from a group of people tired of their situation.

The odd thing about music, though, is that it crosses boundaries – it just takes awhile before everything that comes with it is finally allowed to be mainstream.

Lifesavas - "Guttafly" Album Review

2007-06-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

Lifesavas – Guttafly
**** ½

It’s hard to define a classic hip hop album. I’m not sure if it’s because the music’s catalogue is only about 30 years old (if you count the release of “Rappers Delight” as the music’s official birth) and there aren’t many definitive works to compare new releases against, or if it’s because a classic hip hop album is so different than the best of other genres. Sure, there are a number of releases that sit on the bubble and can fall easily either way, but that said, I surmise it’s not necessarily describing the album so much as processing the feeling one gets from actually listening that is the truly difficult part of giving the creation that timeless label.

What’s easy to understand though, is that classic hip hop records launch stars from obscurity or solidify reputations more powerfully than other genres because so much depends on an emcee’s credibility. That fact makes hip hop unique, and it’s understood a classic album attains that status because of the story and character behind the music that’s already so good. “Guttafly,” the latest release from Portland’s brightest stars, Lifesavas, fits somewhere in between. Mainstream America has no idea who Lifesavas are, but their underground fanbase is huge and extremely protective, mainly because Lifesavas make accessible music. And that’s where the argument for “classic” begins.

“Guttafly” has been described as a concept album, but the duo, emcee/producer Jumbo the Garbageman and emcee Vursatyl, maintain that wasn’t the intent when they began recording it. More accurately, they’ve explained in interviews, “Guttafly” was inspired by Baraka Feldman’s obscure film concept by the same name, several blaxploitation films of the 70’s like “Coonskin” and of course, the Zatoichi series of Japanese cult films. The album allowed Lifesavas to step into the minds of imagined characters (Bumpy Johnson – Vurs, Sleepy Floyd – Jumbo, and Jimmy Slimwater – played by DJ Shines) and reveal more of themselves through that experience.

From jumpstreet, the album has a rich, hypnotic feeling. Interludes tie the songs/scenes together, and ratchet up the tension and overall mood quite effectively. More importantly, though, the beats bang with a tough organic, live-instrument quality that hip hop is missing today (think harder Soulquarians or Roots band music). But even then, Jumbo and the few guest beatsmiths are able to lace enough odd tweaks and clicks and blips in each track to remind you that hip hop production was born out of sampling. It creates a lush landscape here for the emcees, and they capitalize on it. Every song has a mature feel and evokes a swagger and command usually reserved for hip hop’s greatest storytellers. It’s a treat to hear Jumbo and Vurs, with two distinct styles, bounce effortlessly together over the production, from the staccato “Shine Language” to the syrupy-smooth “No Surprise.”

The choice of chorus’ are interesting, too, like a mix of underground lyricism and mainstream melody. “Serpents Love” is a perfect example. The title doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it’s a slick and sexy enough song that it was one of Stuff Magazine’s Top 10 Downloads. The track is gritty; I can see the instrumental providing a Bruce Lee film with some great stalking music or even have the lyrics explain a few frames of recon work in a Smokin Aces-type movie. There’s a sing-along and breakdown element to each song (“Dead Ones”), but it’s done so well that it does nothing to interrupt the flow of each song. Each part of the song works together to enhance another.

But I think the illest part about the album is that each track borderlines on commercial appeal. “Superburn” is a braggadocious joint with the right format and energy to be a hit, no doubt. Yet it’s comparable to all those De La joints that keep the crowd hyped at a show but still have pop kids driving home from school wondering if it is cool enough to dance to. The title track has the most potential for cross-over, and I’d go as far to say that if Kanye’s name was on it, you’d see it on 106 and Park tomorrow (he’d of course let everyone know that his name was on it, too, though, so it’s hard to imagine it not being a hit).

I can’t say enough about this album. There’s so much going on, but it’s all so simple and natural to the ear that all you can do is embrace the feeling in your gut and your chest, that tightness, that calm excitement that tells you you’re hearing something special for the first time. “Guttafly” is a tremendous achievement, ya’ll, it’s a collection of songs that spans the absolutism of obscurity and respect mentioned earlier, but beyond that, it acts as a coming out party for a group with the potential to put a new face on hip hop. It’s genre-bending because it’s accessible, sensible, sexy underground music. This album hit me like Mos Def’s “Black On Both Sides,” one of my fav albums of all time. And with Common, Kanye and Lupe all gearing up for impending releases, Joell Ortiz’s gem “The Brick,” and Talib Kweli’s “Eardrum” and Pharaohe’s “Desire” on the horizon, this year could be an excellent one for hip hop.

If you’re still lost, think of “Guttafly” as a more accessible turn of Little Brother’s “The Minstrel Show.” I loved that album, but there wasn’t the continuity that “Guttafly” has, or even the overall individual build-up with each song. Bottom-line, Lifesavas have turned in a record that’s classic with a lowercase “c.” I’ll let ya’ll fight over the true, correct grammatical nature of it, though. John said.

- john public

Satellite Radio - Orbiting Circles Around Tradition?

2006-12-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

This is an article I wrote for a local Daytona magazine in early 2005, right about the time satellite radio was really taking off. The pub itself was pretty bootleg, with the website (which still lists me as the assistant editor aha!) simply uploads of the issue's actual pages in PDF format (uh, no chance for archives), so this is me sharing. Word.

What's interesting to note is the leaps forward sat radio has made in the last two years. There's some really great programming available, and re-reading this piques my interest as to some of the newer stats on how the landscape has changed again. Definite props to Jay Clark at Sirius for a last minute interview, his input was crucial, really nice guy.

Oh, and for all you bastards lookin for the cliff note version, go cry about the length elsewhere, this ain't the 4th grade or an email to the boss. Haller.

........

“Satellite Radio: Orbiting Circles Around Tradition?”

by Bryan Munson
(originally published in Backstage Pass Magazine, Jan 1 - 15, 2005 Issue)

A long, long time ago, in a house not too far from where our Greatest Generation grew up, a large, hulking chunk of furniture entertained a family. Beautifully carved and often the centerpiece of a living room, this machine would bring tales of a “mysterious aide to the forces of law and order,” the CBS news with Lowell Thomas and a rousing game of Professor Quiz. Imaginations were captured, and communication grew in leaps and bounds. It was what many consider to be the golden age of radio.

Fast forward to the present. Somewhere in the office, the click of a computer keyboard plays a soundtrack to your day like cicadas would for a night outside. The lone television in the corner of the waiting room flashes in MSNBC-blues and yellows, blending a scrolling marquee with the talking head on the screen reporting the latest news in Iraq. An Usher song suddenly erupts from the young woman’s purse in front of you in line, and the whole supermarket turns to look as she pulls out her cell phone.

All around you there is evidence of our technological past. It’s the object in the user’s hand; it’s progress in the face of need. Everyone is affected by it, and either we adapt and overcome, or we fall behind.

Just as we are forced to keep up with what tomorrow brings, radio must now, too. But the challenge that terrestrial (ground-based) radio faces is a different one entirely from the one television posed in the 50’s and the one the dotcom boom presented in the early 90’s. This time, the competition has the potential to undercut radio’s financial backbone, the advertiser, right from within its own industry. Satellite radio is the future; and some predict it might just be the killer blow that ultimately leads to terrestrial radio’s demise.

But while some argue this is the case, others adamantly do not believe commercial radio is in dire straights at all. They believe that it will find a way to survive, like it always has, and that perhaps the age of consolidation among the larger broadcast companies is now over. To understand both sides of the argument and how the issue came about in the first place, though, you have to look at the past.

Radio wasn’t always like it is now – national sponsors, formatted programming and restricted content. You can call Janet Jackson a scapegoat for the latter part and Howard Stern a pioneer, but if you are a disgruntled radio-listener, the blame for the first two falls squarely onto the shoulders of a man named Todd Storz. According to the book Media Culture by Richard Campbell, Storz and his program manager noticed that bar patrons and waitresses would often play only their favorite songs from the 40 records available in the jukeboxes of the time. Seeing an opportunity, they began in 1949 to experiment with formatted radio. Storz came up with the idea of rotation – instead of a deejay selecting his favorite songs, only the top songs would get spins. Campbell writes, “the management-control idea had combined with the rock-and-roll explosion and Top 40 was born.”

As the format was modified and honed to rigid perfection, deejays talked less and day parts (the morning show, the mid-day show, the afternoon and drive home, the night show) became the norm. Ads, news, weather and station identification all began to blend into the music. By the mid-1960’s, listeners were only getting about 12 songs per hour.

All that is important because it shows how content began to take a backseat to revenue. Advertisers were clamoring to get spots on the air. And as they say, history repeats itself. Enter Clear Channel Communications.

Widely regarded as having ruined modern radio, Clear Channel is a throwback to the past. Their acquisition strategy and almost monopolistic approach to business draws parallels with the RCA group, a group formed under the watchful eye of the federal government in the 20’s, meant to develop and standardize radio in America. Legislation was eventually passed that curbed RCA’s continued domination, but years later with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, President Clinton’s signature enabled any company to, effectively, own as many stations as they chose. And the company that either leapt over or ate up the rest of the pack was Clear Channel.

In an article for Rolling Stone, Damien Cave writes: “Forty-nine stations joined Clear Channel in 1996, seventy more in 1997. (They) bought Jacor – owner of the Rush Limbaugh Show – in 1999. Then in 2000, the company paid $24 billion for AMFM’s radio holdings; $4.4 billion for SFX, the nation’s largest live-entertainment company; and $776 million for Ackerley Group, a major billboard company.”

The end result, he goes on to write, was a “behemoth that, at the end of 2003, controlled 1,182 radio stations, 788,000 billboards and 103 venues in the U.S., not to mention an event-promotion business that sold more tickets in the first half of 2003 than its closest forty-nine competitors combined.”

With the economic boom of the late 90’s, Clear Channel was running at full speed. Businesses were doing well, and as a result, advertisers became plentiful. The programming format changed again. But even after all of this, it seems, historically, radio revenue only grows slightly ahead of any economic growth. Despite their success, statistics show that Clear Channel’s share price has fallen by almost two-thirds since 2000, down 17% in the last year alone. Partly due to 9.11 and the stock market’s tumble, and partly because, as Sandra Ward writes in her article “Radio’s Long Term Decline,” “business (got) so good, there was no need to advertise.”

So how does satellite radio growing influence and commercial radio’s waning popularity fit into all this? Simple. As people have begun to migrate over to the commercial free and specific programming choices that satellite companies offer, there is the potential that radio may lose its financial backing. In essence, satellite to terrestrial radio is what HBO is to basic cable. It represents a creative threat and could be a venerable cash cow if a company was to market itself and it’s technology correctly. The problem for the AM/FM format is that if, for example, more people in Florida are flocking to satellite to hear what they want to hear instead of what the South Eastern Programming Director for Clear Channel wants in rotation, that means no one is listening to local advertisements and revenue falls for the radio station and the business. But with businesses doing well at the moment on their own, radio is still then left out of the loop. While most in terrestrial radio are reluctant to admit it, the possibility for huge losses exists.

But as with anything, there are two sides to the coin. The tricky part is that, between heads and tails, the edge of chaos is the only way to find a balance between them.

Sirius Satellite Radio has quickly become a major player in the world of satellite radio. Though having had to work through early technical problems which enabled XM Radio to gain a slight head-start, improved technology and an aggressive marketing campaign has allied Sirius with the likes of Howard Stern, Eminem, a good portion of the automobile industry, and the NFL, just to name a few, and has put them in a very good position with the competition.

Jay Clark, Executive Vice President of Programming at Sirius, has been around radio since he was 16. In terrestrial radio, he’s run the gamut, from news/talk to sports, to once even pitching a 24-hour comedy channel that didn’t fly initially, but has grown into two channels at Sirius, one of which performs consistently in the top 10 of stations being heard.

He believes satellite is a natural progression of several elements, and acknowledges that, as listener choice broadens with iPod and download technology becoming almost ubiquitous, there is evidence that might suggest radio is finally ready to stop fighting the good fight. But contrary to what you might think, he believes that satellite radio is actually healthy for terrestrial radio.

“I’ve been in this business a long time,” he said. “Radio morphs to its competition. Every once in awhile it gets stagnant, but when television came along, there was FM radio to save the day. Radio now has gotten a little heavy in their need for bottom-lining, and they’ve stopped putting money into developing programming. But there are glimmers of hope that innovation is on its way back.”

When asked about whether advertising dollars would be well spent on terrestrial radio when satellite looms larger overhead, his answer was a flat out no.

“There’s always localism,” he said. “Consequently, you always have advertisers who are going to pitch to them. And locals want to hear about their town. In my opinion, audio never really got a fair share of the pie. If you have one country station, and then add a second, the overall volume of country radio listeners grows but revenue doesn’t double. There may be a dip in advertising sales as satellite grows, but I don’t think it will be the end of radio. As long as they have a great product and not just inventory, they should do fine.”

While Clark is optimistic about radio’s future, others don’t share his same sentiment. Sandra Ward suggests that because consumers “are changing how they choose to receive music, news and talk radio,” that “trends like that are causing companies to reassess advertising choices” and could lead to the bottom falling out of terrestrial radio. She sites music downloading, streaming audio from the Internet and satellite options as the reason.

Among all people older than 12, she writes, only 14.6% are listening to radio during an average 15-minute period, down from 16% in 1998, in a survey conducted by Arbitron. While niche programming has found a warm spot with advertisers and programmers, “local advertising – the source of 80% of all radio revenue – has only shown a 4% jump instead of the predicted 6%.” The reason being? Advertisers felt their spots were getting washed away in a sea of promotional fluff, and as the market began to recover following 9.11, businesses started to rebound on their own.

Tom Pelchen, general manager of Mercedes-Benz here in Daytona, agreed with Ward’s assessment.

“We offer Sirius in our newer vehicles, and I always wondered what the implications on radio might be,” he said. “First and foremost, as an advertiser, I cater to the local people. But as the percentage of people using satellite grows in the future, it could definitely effect the way we all do business.”

Similar to how radio matured from the vacuum tube monsters that occupied a corner of the living room in the early part of the 20th century into tiny earpieces that you could slip into your palm to catch the middle innings of the Yankees game during 9th period, satellite is already there. Both XM Radio and Sirius are developing wearable satellite receivers, so now, just like the iPod, the listener has a virtually unlimited range, kept only from commercial-free heaven by the life of their battery. Developments like these only solidify the need for radio to adapt if it’s going to survive, because as choices expand, their slice of the advertising and listening pie shrinks.

Here in Daytona, Black Crowe Media owns and operates four stations, and is clearly an established powerhouse in such a small market. According to Arbitron’s 2002 Sales Insight report “Radio’s Biggest Local Spenders Speak Up!”, radio’s biggest competition now comes from local cable and the Internet. And although that data is two years old, one might presume that it still holds true today, especially since the stock boom from the radio consolidation phenomenon has waned and more people are spending money freely.

In the survey, radio was perceived as being the best medium to reach the audience and also the most cost effective. But if the number of people listening tumbles, what then? Print is not immediate, and the Internet is a faster form of print, but they both have the quality of being long term; you can put a newspaper down and pick it back up, and it says the same thing, days later. Television is almost instant, but it has to be seen in order to be effective. Studies show, though, that retention is better with both an audio AND visual medium.

Radio, on the other hand, is immediate but requires repetition, to the point where a search of the dial doesn’t always guarantee you’ll find what you are looking for. The combination of all three mediums, though, directs communication, commerce and entertainment in our society today. So when it comes to advertising dollars and consumer choice, one must look at the big picture facing radio: is it effective to advertise there anymore?

Kingbird, an on-air personality with 93.1 KRO Country here in Daytona, has been around radio for 37 years. He believes radio is still effective as an advertising platform, but like many others in the business, hinted that in the near future, that may change.

“Competition inside radio has always been fierce,” he said. “Clear Channel owns four fifths of the Orlando market. Stations are being forced to individualize. We’ve seen Howard Stern preparing to move to suit his needs. And look at how regular TV has lost revenue in the face of cable. There’s a possibility that could happen to radio.”

He than raised this reporter’s eyebrow as he wryly laughed and said, “I’m just glad I won’t have to deal with it.”

Maybe the answer is for local radio stations to in effect, “buy time” on an orbiting satellite and charge subscribers similarly to satellite, but instead, have a local playlist available anywhere. Have one button for announcements, broken down into files for your needs, so if you want to know what’s happening at the YMCA this weekend, you can do that, all on your own time. Buy one receiver, and get the channels you want locally. Impossible? At this point, the only thing impossible is traveling at light speed through outer space, but even once that’s figured out, there will always be more out there that seems impossible. Improbable is more the appropriate word in this case, but either way, it’s almost certain the technology could be developed if the demand was there.

The truth of the matter is that no one knows now, and they won’t know until the smoke from the rocket that blasted those satellites into space clears. But it’s assured that the industry and its advertisers will be watching to see how many listeners begin making plans for an outer space vacation. Will they enjoy the burn back into Earth’s atmosphere with Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” playing via a satellite radio, or will they pick up KKRW 93.7 Classic Rock as they streak over Houston?

History often repeats itself, but it’s never history until it’s history.

Welcome Me

2006-12-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

first post ever. i have no clue what this blog will be about. perhaps my quest to become a part of hiphop and save the culture from itself. quite a lofty and pompous statement. let me retract - re-insert - perhaps my quest to become a part of hiphop and show the culture what it's capable of. that works. in the meantime, holler at the god on the inevitable digital dwelling of - http://www.myspace.com/johnpublic and do yourself a favor - listen.

john said.