[[  November 2, 2009  ]]

What's Upper? 

Roxanne Shante' is fighting breast cancer & all of us at RAP ATTACK wish her well & that she will fight that cancer & come out victorious. Roxanne Shante (Lolita Shante Gooden) is widely recognized as the first female Hip-Hop artist to break through the male dominated industry. At the age of 16, she became a household name with songs including "Roxanne's Revenge" an answer record responding to U.T.F.O.'s popular "Roxanne, Roxanne"...
 

Gotta give props to DJ 3rd Rail (WNUR-Chicago) cause back on October 28, 1988, Curtis Sliwa founder & head of The Guardian Angels handed 3rd Rail a flyer & 3rd Rail's been a dedicated Guardian Angel member fighting crime, etc. for 21 years now...
 

Fans of Bruce Lee will be happy to know that the official Bruce Lee site is online at: www.BruceLee.com...

MICHAEL JACKSON "This Is It" is Definitely Worth The Price of Admission by: Davey D

As was the case with his death, the haters coming from places like the NY Post or so-called music critic Chuck Arnold of People Magazine, simply could not wait to find an opportunity to spit their venom on Michael Jackson the King of Pop. Lucky for us all of us got to see the movie at the exact same time as his critics, thus the negativity they spit will be overshadowed because folks who sat along side them have a vastly different opinion of the movie ‘This Is It’ and have been able to express it. How does one go to a packed theater see, people clapping and dancing in the aisle and just feeling it and then go back and write some garbage about it was ghoulish??

The first thing I tell people is go see this movie is bring your kids. Michael is incredible . Yes, its rehearsal footage, but having covered concerts for the past 20 years from U2 to Public Enemy and everyone in between, I can honestly say what you see with Michael is better than 90% of the folks have graced the stage. If you’re an artist, I strongly urge you to go see this movie, bring pen and pad, check your ego at the door and take notes so you can learn the real meaning of the word ‘ENTERTAINMENT“.

If I’m to believe the stories about Michael Jackson being a drug addict, out of shape and out of wack, unless this movie has some new special effects I never seen, than MJ puts that to rest. I want whatever it is he’s has, because he comes with a skill set very few will ever reach-and again this is just rehearsal. You can tell he’s hasn’t brought the entire package not by a long shot. MJ is off the chain.

Several things stood out We know that his staff was working his young dancers day and night. They were doing everything from ballet to spending hours perfecting complicated and grueling routines. These men and women are half MJ’s age, but when they danced together, MJ who was supposedly on drugs was not only able to keep up, he surpassed them. Just to see how he did his routines is worth the 8 bucks. To see his incredible work ethic and desire for perfection is worth the 8 bucks. Just to see how he was dedicated to bringing entertainment to his fans is reason enough for anyone who is an artist from any genre or discipline to pay the price of admission. If you’re an artist this film is required viewing.

It’s ironic that I saw the BET Hip Hop Awards just before seeing this movie. I gotta tell ya its gonna be hard to go back and see Gucci man or Souljah Boy hit the stage after seeing MJ.. It’s not so much that he spent money on his stage sets, it’s the perfection he demanded of himself and the people around him. It’s the precision in his dance moves. It’s him knowing every note and lyric to his songs. It’s him unwilling to come up short in his executions. You really come to appreciate good artistry and might find yourself getting annoyed and upset the next time you see someone do a half baked bullshit show.

What also stood out was the staging and sets he was going to unveil in concert. Wow. The way he flips Smooth Criminal, Thriller and my favorite Earth Song are breath-taking. In fact the Earth Song scene is something that President Obama and his fellow politicians who are hedging on getting a comprehensive impactful Climate Change bill, should see. Michael hits a home run with that and actually speaks to the issue in the film. He talks about the direction we are headed where we may do irreversible damage.

The film has a lot of bright moments. As I was watching it, I couldn’t help think about how Michael had saved and eventually transformed the music industry. His creativity especially when it came to videos saved the music industry. After seeing this film, I think many will use his film as a template and follow suit. Yes, we’ve had movies of band concert footage and their backstage rehearsals, but they pale in comparison to Michael Jackson. He raised the bar on this one. if the movie does well, I’m willing to bet that we will see the music industry rush to do similar films with other performers…

WHO'S REALLY BREAKIN HIP-HOP? COLLEGE or MIXSHOW & WHY IS COLLEGE RADIO STILL GETTING NO RESPECT?

DJ Jason-D (RadioBoise.org): "I've been noticing that you have a new tag line at the beginning of many of your emails where you talk about your dj's still being able to break records and not have to play tracks off a playlist. "RAP ATTACK DJ's STILL BREAK NEW Hip-Hop music without lookin' at a list of YES & NO records you can & can NOT play from their PD/MD"

The timing was kind of ironic because I just ran into a guy whose buddy works at a commercial station. I think it's even worse then you describe. He basically said that with the exception of shows with live call in's, the show's are pre-produced in an itunes playlist sort of way. He said that a program director loads all of the songs, commercials, and dj talk times, etc for that show into a computer program. The "voice talent" then comes in ahead of time and just records the dozen or so 1 minute spots that would be played throughout the 4 hour show. Those are then loaded into the program so the DJ is not even there when it broadcasts.

The DJ can usually bang out these recordings in less than an hour. So, The dj now only gets paid for the time it takes them to record those drops instead of the length of their show. And, because there are so many people willing to do this easy work, they pay only slightly above minimum wage. He basically said that most of these guys have other jobs and live thru the club guest appearances etc to get by. So the point is, they aren't even picking songs off a list. They are reading songs off a list with no influence over their show at all.

I had thought for a long time as you suggested that they just had to rotate certain songs with a certain frequency throughout the day. Thanks to computers, they can just force that to happen. It's no wonder that satellite radio and internet radio has taken off.

The matrix is real"...

Kazzeo (KHDC-CA): "The only true employees of commercial radio in the current times are station managers, engineers, sales team, and night janitors. Street teams get paid in t shirts, concert tickets, and cd's. As you said, "air talent" get just above minimum wage. "Mixers" are pimped out to clubs and whatever the club pays them, a percentage of that likely goes back to the station or the station negotiates a higher scale of pay than the dj would usually asks and has the club pay the station directly who in turn take the cut off the top and pass the balance off to the dj who has no idea what's happening. And it wouldn't be a shock to see a station then ask for a percentage of the dj's cut since corporate radio is bleeding from loss of advertising. Many booking agents do the same with independent artists. Shady as hell"...

DJ Chill Will (WCBN-MI): "Big week at the clubs and Jay-Z was in town  for a show with NERD, Wale and J Cole. But I'm not feeling some of the decisions being made about this tour. First it's a college tour and Sony is saying, "NO COLLEGE DJ'S" will be getting hook up for tickets during the tour. Now J Cole (this weeks RAP ATTACK NUMBER ONE MOST ADDED Record) is a new artist who they want us to support and that's how they feel??? And they're labeling this a "COLLEGE TOUR???" There are people who dj at these college stations who may not have the resources that I have to get in to the show and they will be left out. I think it's bad on the labels "SONY" and bad for the artist who doesn't know anything about what's going on. Things like that can turn people away from a very talented MC as in J Cole. I hope they get it together and remember, if it wasn't for college radio a lot of artist wouldn't be were they are today"...

Congrats & props to DJ Commando who is now  the Program Director for www.Raw973.com...

KRS ONE Presents "The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument" Legendary Emcee and Activist Launches the First Book In I AM HOP HOP Series

KRS ONE's The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument - the first book from the I Am Hop Hop/powerHouse Books imprint - is set for a November release. The philosophical masterwork of KRS ONE, The Gospel of Hip Hop: First Instrument is set in the format of a self-help book. The 800-plus-page opus is a spiritual manual for citizens of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge for a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Hip Hop as a life path. Known as "the Teacha," KRS-One developed his unique outlook as a homeless teen in Bronx, NY engaging his philosophy of self-creation to become one of the most respected emcees in Hip Hop history. As Hip Hop's true steward, KRS ONE painstakingly details the development of the culture and the ways in which we, as "Hiphoppas," can and should preserve its future.  

The Teacha also discusses the origination of Hip Hop Kulture and relays specific instances in history wherein one can discover the same spirit and ideas that are at the core of Hip Hop's current manifestation. He explains Hip Hop down to the actual meaning and liguistic history of the words "hip" and "hop," and describes the ways in which Hiphoppas can change their current circumstance to create a future that incorporates Health, Love, Awareness and Wealth (H-LAW).           Committed to fervently promoting self-reliance, dedicated study, peace, unity and truth, the Teacha has drawn both criticism and worship from within and from outside Hip Hop Kulture. In this beautifully written, inspiring book, KRS ONE shines the light of truth, grounded in his own empirical research over a a 14-year period into the fascinating world of Hip Hop.

 KRS ONE is a philosopher, activist, author, lecturer, and emcee. Since founding canonical Hip Hop act Boogie Down Productions in the mid-1980s, he has released a granite-solid catalog of 19 full-length albums, along with a star-studded list of collaborations. In 1988 he founded the Stop the Violence Movement, a collective of artists, activists, educators, and entertainers exploring the roots of violence while working to promote the development of positive conflict resolution methods. He is currently producing an album celebrating the organizations's 20th anniversary, with contributions by Nelly, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Game, Hakiem Green, Grant Parks, Duane "Da Rock" Ramos and many others. KRS ONE is an accomplished public speaker who has delivered lectures at over 500 colleges, universities and other venues. In addition to The Gospel of Hip Hop, he is the author of The Science of Rap (self-published, 1995) and Ruminations (Welcome Rain, 2003). Currently KRS ONE is touring the United States with Stop the Violence, urging America's urban centers to seek non-violent conflict resolution over revenge and war...

TurntableU.com - LEARN TO DJ - Register Now & Get 3 Lessons Free

www.TurnTableU.com  is "The World's Premier Online DJ School." Our curriculum is structured to sharpen your talents, emphasize fundamentals, and define your strengths and weaknesses in order for you to become a successful DJ. Beginning DJ's will be able to grasp the basics of mixing, blending and scratching within a few lessons. Intermediate and Advanced DJ's will be able to brush up and fine-tune their skills and stay up to date on today's cutting edge techniques and scratches. Whether you want to learn the basics, expand your scratch techniques, or learn how to be a radio DJ, Turntable U makes learning easy, accessible, fun and affordable.

Turntable U is the first on-line DJ school to provide DJ's around the world with access to dozens of world-famous DJs through high quality DJ tutorials. All lessons are presented through state of the art digital video production. We bring you unequaled access to turntable fundamentals that are essential to being a well-rounded DJ. In addition, Turntable U will help you to refine your own DJ style—which is the secret to success. Turntable U's world renowned faculty of DJ instructors takes the guesswork out of learning. All you have to do is PRACTICE! Learn to how to rock the party from DJ legends you know and respect. No matter what type of musical genre you prefer—or your skill level—with Turntable U you will be able to rock the party.

Please contact: info@TurntableU.com for more information...

WHAT'S BLAZIN' WITH BLAZE WONG? by: BLAZE WONG: 

These next 2 months are going to be pure insanity with all things 4th quarter. Records being worked up the ass, spins, spins and more spins. The 4th quarter is usually a test to my mental capabilities in this lovely industry that we're in and boy is it lovely! Lol......but at the end of the day, all I have is me and no matter what, this industry can't ruin it!

So for today's "Triple Freshness" I will be presenting a well balanced meal for the adventure we will be taking in the next 2 months, cheers:
1. Skyzoo "Popularity" (Jamla/Duck Down)
2. Timbaland f. SoShy "Morning After Dark" (Interscope)
3. Wale f. Jazmine Sullivan "World Tour" (Interscope)

Lastly, be sure to look out for Duck Down's Skyzoo and Torae on tour opening for Ghostface for the next month.....hit me up if you need any tickets!

The above are available for download at www.1200squad.com and always remember, "The DJ is The Cornerstone of Hip-Hop"! Please feel free to hit me up with anything.
Blaze Wong

Cornerstone Promotion / National Manager of Urban Promotion

blaze@cornerstonepromotion.com

www.cornerstonepromotion.com 

www.1200squad.com

www.twitter.com/1200squad  

Ok it started years ago with Friendster & then I joined MySpace & then FaceBook and now Twitter! Soooooooo follow me on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/NastyNes1...

WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST DJ's! THE RAP ATTACK DJ'S! GET TO KNOW OUR DJ's BY LOGGING ONTO:
www.MySpace.com/RapAttackLives  AND PEEP OUR UPDATED PHOTO PAGE...

Rap Attack takes a "WHAT'S UPPER" look this week with:

Chill Will (WCBN-MI): "What's up fam? Gonna be short with this one. Had a great week at the club, and seeing old friends in the place. As far as music I'm feeling the Raekwon and Ghostface albums. Can't get enough them but that's just me. Also I think I ruffled a few feathers with my comments last week. Well it is what it is!!! "RESPECT THE DJ" And realize his or her importance to this culture!!!! For more information about me DJ Chill Will go to www.myspace.com/djchillwill734...

Nate Abney (WKDU-Philly): "Well all preparing my self for the World Series. Here we go another chance to stick it to that other city I won't mention since they seem to throw a little disrespect our way this last week. The trophy is going to look nice once again. My Birds handled the Redskins and Penn State stomped Michigan. I'm happy you're happy we're all happy. Lookout for JJ BROWN's album Connect THE DOTS in stores Nov 10th on Well Done Entertainment. This comes out a week after my birthday so that is just one reason why its dope. Anyway a Phillies World Series win and JJ NUMBER 1 AT I tunes is a great birthday present...
 

Kevin Sakoda (KSPC-CA): "Hope everyone's doing well. If you're not in the LA-area, you can catch the show live (via iTunes) every Saturday, 5-7PM (west-coast time): http://www.kspc.org/popup.html   You can also find archived playlists and download links 24/7: http://blogs.myspace.com/kevsakoda   Enjoy!

Here is our address for 2009 to send material for review, etc (vinyl & cd's)!

 RapAttackLives.com

4750 Kester Avenue, Ste. 11

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Attn: Nasty-Nes

 (FOR MP3's): nastynes818@gmail.com 

Attn MySpace heads! If you haven't joined our exclusive RAP ATTACK page on MySpace, log on NOW & join at: http://www.myspace.com/rapattacklives...

SHOUT OUT TIZIME: Happy Birthday this week to Nate Abney (WKDU-PA) celebrating this Tuesday, November 3rd!... (R.I.P.) Jam Master Jay Oct 30...

PEACE, LOVE & HIP-HOP UNITY (God Bless & Isa Mahal),

Nasty-Nes

http://www.myspace.com/nastynes

http://www.myspace.com/rapattacklives 

(Pinoy Pride4Life / John 3:16)