NYC: Co-star in the new Idle Warship video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Current mood: pensive
Category: Music
we will be filming Idle Warship's debut video, "Black Snake Moan," during my In The Mood party at Rehab on Thursday, October 30th. it's an uptempo, sexy song so we need stylish, fly people and great dancers to help fulfill the visual of the track. come thru in your sharpest gear and co-star in the video. post a clip of you dancing and show us your best stuff.
laptop stolen...
Current mood: annoyed
Category: Life
Hello friends and family,
On Sunday night the hectic pace of touring caught up with me and I had my lap top stolen. I put it down in front of a hotel for a minute, and a kid who just shook my hand and told me he was a fan was seen on a security camera picking it up and leaving with it. If you receive any fraudulent myspace/facebook messages, this may be the reason. This was tragic for me because I had important creative stuff I was working on in that computer, but I will bounce back. There will be a substantial financial reward for any email with information leading to the whereabouts of my black Mac Book. I don't want revenge. I just want my computer. Thank you for your time, and stay strong.
One! TK
Currently
listening
:
Jeanius
By
Jean Grae & 9th Wonder
Release date: 2008-07-08
Check out the new Strong Arm Steady video for "Can’t Let It Go"!!!!!
Current mood: focused
Category: Music
The Steady Gang drops the first clip from their upcoming album Arms & Hammers, directed by Dan The Man. The song was produced by and features Blaqtoven. We are very excited for SAS' project and this video is a vital part of launching the group. Please let me know what you think!
Take a closer look at the SAS gang - Mitchy Slick, Krondon and Phil The Agony. Featuring cameos from yours truly, Bun B, Queen Latifah, Michael Eric Dyson, Dilated Peoples, David Banner and a few more.
Strong Arm Steady's new album Arms & Hammers is coming soon. In the meantime, check out their new single "Can't Let It Go", produced by and featuring Blaqtoven
That's right folks the new single from the SAS gang is here, I just put it up. Can't Let It Go is a banger! It was produced by and features Blaqtoven, and it the video will be here soon, shot by Dan the Man. Shout out to the homey Skinhead Rob! Strong Arm Steady is Krondron, Phil the Agony and Mitchy Slick, classic west coast MC's, get a bar! Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag0V0e72his if you are not familiar. Then let me know what you think. Also. be on the look out for new Idle Warship material. Go to www.myspace.com/idlewarship to witness our takeover of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. We will do it again at Plan B in Detroit on Aug 14th. See you there!
Up early in the morning, taking the kids to summer activities, and lo and behold, it's July 8th, JEAN GRAE DAY YEA!! Jeanius album from years ago officially drops today, and I am very excited. In my humble opinion, no one is fucking with Jean. I said it in 98, and I'm saying it again in 08. When Corey and I got the opportunity to start a label, Jean was the first person we thought of. I am Jean's biggest fan. I tried to get her on Train of Thought and Quality, and finally got to work with her on Beautiful Struggle. With the exception of Liberation, she has been on every one of my albums or mixtapes since. I met Jean when I was fourteen, and have seen her go thru many changes. With all respect due to her parents, she is also the daughter of music and New York City. She is a woman that makes me proud to call myself an MC and a New Yorker. The first time I heard her spit was at Lyricist Lounge events in the early 90's around the city. As a member of Natural Resource, she rounded out the Makin Records crew, which included Bad Seed, OBS, Don Scavone and Pumpkinhead, who I was in 4th Grade with. Jean, as What What and Run Run Shaw, was producing music then that was ahead of it's time. She released a series of critically acclaimed projects on small labels (Bootleg of the Bootleg, Attack of the Attacking Things, The Grae Files, This Week) that cemented her status as super MC and underground fav. If you missed those projects, go back and check them out, she is spitting light years ahead of what dudes is doing now. I don't care who you think the best is. Blacksmith Music was started for two reasons, one for me to have more control of the marketing and promotion of my work, and two, to introduce other artists to a business model that works for me. I learned from watching De La Soul, the Roots and Common that you can make a living off of music, famous or not, if you are consistent with your shows and your product. We could turn in albums at a fraction of the cost of the big name rap stars, and create our own buzz even when the major labels don't see us as viable. It is this business model that keeps me on the road and in the news whether I have an album out or not. Our first signees were Jean and Strong Arm Steady, followed by Hi Tek for a new Reflection Eternal album. Last year there was confusion about the Jeanius album. We tried desperately to clear all of 9th Wonders samples, but it wasn't happening. A project that was made organically in 9th's crib in NC was now being picked a part by lawyers trying to cover they ass. What was worse was this album is not what WB paid for, they paid for Prom Night. Most of the money going into Jeanius is from Corey and I, because we wanted to have a release that generated more buzz for Jean before Prom Night. We took the cue from Liberation. Even as a more established artist, I needed to increase my buzz before Eardrum. Liberation really helped out, Eardrum gave me my biggest first week. We had all the samples replayed, and it still was a bitch to clear. During this time, Jean Grae kept having her release date pushed back. I can attest, that is very frustrating. Corey and I used to argue over the same thing in the months leading up to Eardrum. We used it as an opportunity to build the buzz some more. We booked shows, sent out 8 and Love Thirst. We filmed a video for Love Thirst (which she was not that pleased with, for good reason) and got Busta on the remix for a blazing verse. Everything I could do with my own pockets and two hands, I did. At some point, I stopped hearing from Jean and learned thru her myspace page that she was retiring. The idea of an artist retiring before the world really got to feel her did not make sense to me, but I did not question it because who am I to question that? Jean is not my employee, she and I have entered into a business partnership. She doesn't owe me an explanation for that. But my job remains the same, to get her music out the best way I know how. We had the video edited and added clips from Taxi Driver, began working on another video for my favorite song on the album, and figured out a way to lock down a release date thru the WB system. So now I have gone back to just being that fan, who thinks she's one of the greatest to do it. My only hope is that others purchase this album and can testify. I just visited Jean's myspace page to see what was up with her, because she seems to be able to communicate thru myspace. She has a dope new song up where she mentions my name, something about an email I sent her saying she had to earn respect to get it. I'm glad I am on her mind, because she stays on mine. She also said she is not retiring, which was music to my ears. I always try to figure out the best way to bring Jean's music to the masses. At this point, I guess the industry has to earn her respect. Everything is relative. I encourage all my friends and fans to get the album by one of the last true MCs left. Encourage Jean thru your support, she has been giving of herself for years. Let's see what happens when the business is forced to reckon with Jean. Blacksmith as a label is new, and hardly perfect. But we try our best to bring you the realest shit out. I know you will enjoy it. And the saga continues...
pensive
annoyed
good
imaginative