Problem Interview - HipHop Saved My Life (Rise24.Com 2012)

Cali rapper Problem breaks down his first encounter with E-40, and the making of his mainstream welcoming track “Function”. He also reminisces on working with Snoop for the first time, being a triple threat – rapper, producer, and engineer, and also finding his niche in the realm of music

Rockie Fresh Interview (Rise24.Com 2012)

Rise24.com was on hand at SOB’s recently to catch up with Rockie Fresh as he was the night’s opener for a Casey Veggies and Rita Ora show in New York City. The Chicago native was open to answering all questions as he spoke about performing at the legendary SOB’s, the difference between The Otherside and Driving 88, and which artist would he do a Watch The Throne style album with. Watch as we drive with Rockie Fresh…

Lecrae Interview: God’s Son (Rise24.Com 2012)

Rise 24 sat with rapper Lecrae who just released his mixtape Church Clothes, to discuss his working relationships with 9th Wonder, and Boi1da, similarities with Kendrick Lamar, Jeremy Lin, and Tebow, plus many more topics. By: CL (@therealcl24) Carl Lamarre Rise24: With this being your first mixtape, talk about the approach you took considering the process of making a mixtape is far different from constructing an album. Lecrae: You know with the mixtape man, it was like; I wasn’t even trying to think about some big radio single or commercial song. I was like, “Lemme go straight Hip-Hop.” That’s really the perspective I had. I wanted to give them raw, uncut, no crazy A&R involvement or something like that. And then just grinding, straight grinding. Rise24: I also seen for this project, you decided to have big time producers like 9th wonder, and Boi1da. How did those collaborations come about? Lecrae: Those are my dudes. That’s one of the things that I’m fortunate to have, and that’s real relationships. It’s not just like, “Hey. Send me a beat.” You know what I’m saying? 9th {Wonder} is like a big brother. We definitely vibed, and are both advocates of putting some substance in the music, and the stuff that matters. And then, with Boi1da and I, we’ve known each other for a few years. So we definitely get it in every so often. You know, with his busy schedule, he was able to send me some music as well. So it’s home. Rise24: Production wise, because you do Christian rap, would you say there’s a vast difference between the types of production you get in contrast to regular hip-hop records? Lecrae: You know, what this mixtape is really aiming to do is close that divide because a lot of people see this as a Christian rap genre. I always in my mind been Hip-Hop. So, I never was like I’m a Christian rapper. I was always like I’m a Hip-Hop artist, but I’m a Christian. It’s the same way like how Lupe is a Hip-Hop artist, but he’s also a Muslim. So that’s how it always been in my mind. It was like, “Oh. How can I get a gospel sound mixed with some Hip-Hop?” That was never my thing. I think anybody who really was able to get familiar with my music was like, “Yo. This sounds like Hip-Hop,” until they would hear the stuff that I was talking about. Then it’s like, “Yo. It is Hip-Hop. So that was my aim. Rise24: Is it hard trying to cater to two different demographics with that being Hip-Hop, and also the Christian community? Lecrae: The thing I always loved about Hip-Hop is that it was authentic. I always say I’m authentic in Hip-Hop, but I’m also authentic in being a Christian. If you’re for real about yours, you could rhyme, and you respect the craft, they’ll be rocking with you. So I haven’t heard a problem with Hip-Hop really. They get it. The traditionally church had issues, but they’ve grown. Now it’s made up of individuals who look like me, dress like me, who are serious, don’t have all these earrings, and all this fluff. It’s like the world has collided and met. Man, it’s really been a beautiful thing. It’s been real authentic. Rise24: You mention authenticity, and one rapper who happened to resembles that was in your video. That’s Kendrick Lamar. You guys would be considered polar opposites. What similarities do you think you two have that people may not know? Lecrae: I think the similarity both of us have is that we are transparent artists. Kendrick is not a rap artist that is going to pretend that he’s something that he’s not. He’s going to be who he is. He may talk about things that go on in his environment but he’s going to be who Kendrick is, and not be like I have to put on a front for people to accept me. I’m the same one. I’m going to be who I am. I’m not going to front for people to like me. I’m gonna talk about what I believe matters. I think that’s what people respect, and that’s how we really connected. It was on some “You got some issues with this, and I got some issues with that”. Let’s talk about it. It was a good dialogue, good conversation. Rise24: Have you ever encountered a point when rappers shied away from working with you because of the type of music you’ve made? Lecrae: Not really. Most of my collaborations are based on relationships that were genuine, and respect. There’s a presupposition. That’s really what happens. A lot of people expect one thing more than other. A lot of people expect when they meet me that all I know about is The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and Mary Mary. But then, we’ll get to talking about Nas the whole day. It’s like “Whoa? How did you…?” It’s because this is who I am. Hip-Hop is the culture that I’m a part of, and brought up in. Christianity is my faith. It’s not the genre my music is in. It’s my faith that I believe in. Rise24: If you were to choose one record in particular from your mixtape that would appeal to the mainstream audience, and appreciate you as Hip-Hop, what would that track be and why? Lecrae: Probably Rise. It’s a record that I did with 9th wonder, because it kinda chronicles what it’s like to grow up in Hip-Hop. It talks about the pitfalls, the ups and downs, and some of the messages that have been handed to us through Hip-Hop. I think that would give people a picture like “Ok. I get it. I get where he’s coming from.” In the song, there’s a line where I said, “Where Biggie is still breathing//Nas is street dreamin’//Cash rules everything around me, creaming.//” When people here that, they’ll be like, “Oh. Ok he still knows about Hip-Hop.” Rise24: If your kids grew up, and wanted to Hip-Hop, but in a raunchier explicit manner then you deliver it, would you be ok with that? Lecrae: Well for me, the issue wouldn’t be the music. The issue would be their outlook on life, their hearts, and their perspective. That’s what I would wanna wrestle with, and deal with. I’m not gonna try to tell them to not put on earrings, and make that kind of music. If that’s who you are, and that’s where you heart is, of course you’re gonna make that type of music. It doesn’t mean it’s ok. It doesn’t mean that it’s good for you to rank, but I’m not surprised. So if my daughter is like “Her daddy doesn’t love her, she has daddy issues, and she doesn’t feel valuable, so thereby she’s a loose woman, of course she’s going to be making songs like that. My hope is that I could show her that she is valuable, that she’s loved, that she’s cared for, and that she doesn’t have to throw herself around. That’s the outlook. Hopefully that’ll be the outlook, and I won’t be shocked. Rise24: You’ve had athletes like Tim Tebow, and Jeremy Lin, very open in showing their faith in god. How encouraging is it for you to see big name athletes praising god and their religion? Lecrae: I respect them man because it’s a lot. You get ostracized a lot when you articulate your faith in the public eye. I respect them for just having the boldness to do that. Also man, its good weather for people like me because those dudes are in crazy environments where there’s a sense of tolerance for individuals who can demonstrate what they believe in in their field of work. Nobody calls Jeremy Lin or Tim Tebow Christian ballplayers. Nobody is like “Oh. He plays Christian basketball or he plays Christian football.” So in the same way, it’s good for me because it keeps people from saying “he’s a Christian rapper.” It’s now; he’s a rapper whose faith happens to be Christian.

Los: King Me (Rise24.Com From 2012)

By: CL (@therealcl24) Carl Lamarre Talent speaks for itself. With tenacious wordplay, and an infectious flow, one could only wonder why it took so long for Baltimore’s very own Los to blow up. In the jungles of Baltimore, valor and a massive backbone is needed to walk out alive. With drugs ubiquitously being sold in a town where The Wire originated, one could only commend the rapper’s strength to make it through such a rigorous environment. Lauded by many – especially industry honcho Puffy – he now has a new home in Bad Boy records after just releasing his mixtape The Crown Ain’t Safe months prior hosted by DJ DRAMA. Many were enthralled by Los’ recent endeavor which supplied punch line junkies their fix, as his mind-blowing lyrics casted a spell upon those who were skeptical of his talents. “I heard nothing but good things. It’s just a blessing man. We did 100,000 downloads in the first week on an independent scale which is crazy man. I’m just thankful that everybody is receiving it well. So I’m just happy,” said the DMV native. Many veterans would be baffled by the rapper’s bombastic attitude especially after donning the title The Crown Ain’t Safe. As some would see it as an errant attempt to gain attention by the masses, Los proved his critics wrong, and showed immense promise as he stated in the intro track “Make It Fly” that his “presence is a present”. And though many fans have dubbed this new found era as the “emo –era ” in which polarizing figures are the Drakes of the world, Los is completely comfortable with his position, and is sure that the game has room for his type of style and voice. “First and foremost, I think what you have to understand is there’s different dimensions, and different genres of all this. I don’t think of a lot of this emo stuff is hip-hop. At the end of the day though, I respect and I appreciate the other forms of music because it still makes Hip-Hop have value. With Hip-Hop there’s different stuff. When you do come with authentic hip-hop, plus the drive and motivation, those are all the things that hip-hop is really set out to do. You learn to have an appreciation for it. It makes certain people special. I still respect and appreciate the other forms and facets people are doing. It’s definitely emotional, heartfelt, and personal, and in another lane, but I definitely respect and appreciate it though. Hip-Hop is in a good place.” With an ambitious mindset that Mr. Wale Folarin would be proud of, the DMV native has always been out here grinding since Diddy let him go in 05. Originally he was signed to Bad Boy after impressing Diddy with a 10 minute long freestyle. But in 08, he was dropped from the label without even releasing an album. Rather being deterred by the setback, Los would attack the game virally by hopping on a myriad of beats, especially Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” which disseminated through the web like wildfire on YouTube. “Talk doesn’t mean anything if there isn’t action being done. Talk isn’t really as effective, especially in a time where not everybody is believers,” said a hungry Los. The man of action would continue to raise the bar for his adversaries with head scratching punchlines especially through his mixtape The Crown Ain’t Safe which not only cemented his reputation as a lyrical titan among the newcomers, but also inked a deal with his former Boss Diddy at Bad Boy. After pre-establishing himself independently with a cult following, Diddy has granted Los a second chance with a new slew of young talent featuring Machine Gun Kelly, Red Café, French Montana, Cassie, and much more. With Los joining forces with the young gunners in the game, and finding himself at a different state now than seven years ago, he gives aspiring artists some useful advice in regards to joining a major from his previous experiences. “If you do go to a major, the only thing I would recommend is that you go with a mogul. Go to a label that has a mogul. Don’t go to Universal just to go to Universal. It’s all about that person behind you. We’re in a day and age where it’s all about the team. You need that stamp. You need Ross saying that. You need Jay-Z saying that. You need a Kanye saying that. ” And the return has been advantageous for him as he has continued to develop a strong presence by collaborating with the likes of Meek Mill, and Fred the Godson. In addition, he would of course supply his fanatics with a handful of freestyles over Drake’s “Lord Knows”, and Jeezy’s ode to the streets “I Do”. He also would continue his streak of videos with his tribute to Treyvon Martin entitled “With My Hoodie On”, and also his “King Los” collaboration with Taylorgang’s Lola Monroe from The Crown Ain’t Safe. With a promising future, and a solid starting lineup, Los appears ready to grab the highly coveted crown from his opponents. And with Diddy there by his side, the young rapper appears ready to die for the title.

Editorial: Centers of Attention

By: Carl Lamarre (@TheRealCl24)

To be frank, the NBA has a lackluster line-up of big men in contrast to the 90′s. We don’t have a velvety smooth Hakeem, a compassionate Patrick, an indomitable force in Shaq, nor a leader in David Rob. It kills me that Dwight and Andrew – the #1 & #2 centers in the league lack the immense drive to be the force that they can be.

This past year, we’ve seen a multitude of episodes consisting of the soap opera between Dwight Howard and his former beau the Orlando Magic. As entertaining as the drama was, the man was a cancer point blank. You got your coach fired – who did lead you to an Eastern Conference title – your point guard’s confidence diminished because of your banter in regards to having an elite PG a la Deron Williams, and you placed the league in shambles because my man, you were the most talked about player who ended up not even playing all the way through the season. Don’t get me wrong, Dwight Howard is a manchild. He’s a relentless defender and rebounding machine. Still, after serving close to a decade in the league, I still don’t believe Dwight’s postgame is favorable to an Andrew Bynum or dare i say Demarcus Cousins. Dwight’s extended episode went for a whole year, and guess what folks, he’s been mum ever since he went to the Lakers, but, if the Lakers fail at a title, or Kobe gets in his ear, best believe this episode will return back to your television. Do I think the Lakers can get a championship this year? On paper, hell yeah. But, realistically, I’m not counting out OKC for the simple fact, you have Kevin Durant who is virutally unguardable. You have Russell Westbrook who will annlilhate Steve Nash and place him in a nursing home. You have a front court consisting of Ibaka and Perkins. Perkins has tangoed with Dwight in the past back in the day when he played for Boston, and did a splendid job on him defensively. So, Dwight is going to have to bring his A game, and leave all the drama behind as he welcomes himself to Hollywood, because as a top 5 player, you don’t get judged by who many views you get on Youtube or by how many people laugh at your press conference. Ask Lebron.

Now Andrew, you’re a talented dude. You’ve earned everything that came to you this past year. You were an All-Star, All-NBA, and posted career numbers as a second option. Now, you’re going to be the cornerstone of a Philadelphia franchise who hasn’t reached an NBA Finals since the Allen Iverson days. You have the tools to be the most dominant big man, but mentally we need to know you’re here. Bynum is capable of posting monstrous numbers as he has before having 20-20 games in the past. But then, he’d revert back into the rookie he was and give you 6 points the next day. I can’t lie, Andrew you’ve gotten real cocky my brother. Launching threes when God knows you’re from for being Peja from deep. That’s just god awful. Laughing in a game at your teammate after Blake postered him against your in city rivals isn’t cool. Now, Doug Collins recruited you. He brings you back home. You’re an hour away from your old stomping grounds in Jersey. You’re with a young core consisting of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thad Young, and more. This is your team. This is your time to shine. Leave the crazy antics for Metta and LA. This is your time. Lets work my man.

Editorial: NYK Basketball Is All Messed Up

By: Carl Lamarre Everything is looking crazy in New York. Lin is on the verge of walking. Felton has just returned. You have Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, and Jason Kidd as essential spokespersons for Jay-Z’s “30 Something” campaign by advocating to still be in the league. Now, you have Grant Hill interested in possibly joining the old folks home in New York.

Landry Fields is gone – you can’t be mad at that – and the Brooklyn Nets are looking well equipped and prepared in taking over Gotham. It’s all messed up at the Garden. Then, you have Jason Kidd being arrested on a DWI. You haven’t even suited up Jason, and already you popping bottles? You already bsin’? I respect Amare, but damn man. We giving you 20 mill a year and you start phasing out of offense, punching fire extinguishers, and then had the audacity after Miami handed NY our asses, to fly out to Miami, and watch their games during the playoffs courtside? You think KG would have went to the finals in Miami to watch Bron Bron close out?

If you look at the Knicks summer league roster, there’s nobody even remotely talented enough to be on an NBA practice squad, let alone a roster. James “Flight” White is the one person who has been granted a roster spot, and is said to possibly be a key rotational player. Well, hopefully Grunfield knows what he’s doing, because Donnie Walsh is back in Indy, feeling comfortable and stress free.

My Nets are looking quite real I must say as far as having the best backcourt in the league. If you wanna contest that and say Nash and Bryant, then fine. But, understand, this tandem will fight off anybody in the league, even Nash and Kobe. Knicks should be afraid, because these Nets are about to roll up in style in November.

By the way, for the safety for of my colleagues, this does no reflect their views, just mine Sincerely yours, CL – Brooklyn Nets Fan

Editorial: We Need Real R&B Back

By: Carl Lamarre and Nadine Barthole Remember the good old days when MTV was all about playing the classics and not reality shows? Or, when you were driving doing 80 on the freeway, and you were bumping those classic R&B summertime tunes? Better yet, when you broke up with your counterpart and needed that one song to help you get over? Well, we all remember and miss those times gravely. These artists were the ones in the 90′s and early 2000′s who had the game on smash in the R&B circuit. Here’s a list of who we miss, and need dearly back in this very limited genre of R&B.

1. Craig David – Before an influx of imports from England rushed over to the US for a promising musical career, one paved the way more than a decade ago. Craig David, known for his signature hits “7 Days, and “Fill Me In” carved his way into R&B with his musical opus Born To Do It. After crushing the competition in the UK with a whopping 6 million copies sold, he was able to deliver a platinum cd in America. But since, he has returned back to the UK, and changed his sound to accommodate the new changes in the era. Known For: “Fill Me In”, “Seven Days”, “Walking Away” 2. Joe – He made innumerable classics throughout his career yet is undervalued and under appreciated. His album My Name is Joe certified his cred as a legitimate R&B crooner in the early 2000′s. With records like “I Wanna Know” and “Stutter” serving as the paradigm for the game, Joe’s poignant records delivered him instant success. Let’s not forget his collaborations with G-Unit, Mariah Carey, and N-Sync. Known For: “I Wanna Know” “All The Things” “Stutter” 3. Avant – The Chi-town native introduced himself with his debut My Thoughts in 1999, and had the world head over heels for his collaboration with Keke Wyatts. There’s no doubt Avant had his fair share of hits stemming from his albums Ecstasy, Private Room, and Director such as “Read Your Mind”, “4 Minutes”, and “Makin’ Good Love.” Ever since Director, Avant slowly faded to black as his two follow-ups Avant and The Letter didn’t fair as well as his previous endeavors. Known For: “Read Your Mind”, “Separated”, “My First Love” 4. Donell Jones – “Where I Wanna Be” was every player’s anthem. This ode to the indecisive men fumbling in love and relationships elevated Jones tremendously. Because the record connected so much to the fans, he was able to solidify his position in the game quickly. He was able to work with the talented Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes on the remix to his smash “You Know What’s Up” while also delivering Pun’s farewell record “It’s So Hard.” He attempted to make strides on coming back to the game tracks like “I’m Gonna Be”, but still, the game is wishing Donell could have a shot at redemption. Known For: “Where I Wanna Be” “You Know What’s Up” 5. Mya- A DC native who is internationally known among many other talents as a songwriter, singer, dancer and model. Her music career blossomed when she released her self-titled album in 1998. Aside from her solowork she was featured on many other successful collaborations with the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Jadakiss and Jay-Z. The Ol’ Dirty Bastard hit “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” was up for a Grammy in 1988. Jada and Jay were featured on the hit remix to the song “The Best Of Me”. No one can forget the smash single “My love is Like Wo”. Known For: “The Best Of Me”, “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)”, “My Love Is Like Wo” 6. Jaheim – A true soul man who wooed women with his smooth voice and through his lyrics made men think twice about putting their ladies first. It comes with no surprise that this vocalist was often at the top of the charts. Jah’s 2007 album “The Makings of a Man” has some of his most impressive work. If you feel like you’re missing great R&B the answer lies in one of the most overlooked artist. Known For: “Just In Case”, “Put That Woman First” 7. Tamia – A Canadian born singer who is best known for her massive hits “Stranger In My House” and Fabolous’ “So Into You”. Tamia’s music attracted a huge female fan base because of her relateable lyrics. The ladies sang along to her verses feeling like Tamia was one of their own girlfriends. The songs spoke to relationships and it was not difficult to resonate. The singer had multiple Grammy nominations and a long list of awards. She even dove into the acting scene and left her mark there. Even after battling many personal and family illnesses, Tamia continues to be an inspirational woman and is currently working on her next project. Known For: “Stranger In My House”, “Officially Missing You”, “So Into You” 8. Jon B- Rhode Island born musician captivated R&B fans through his romantic style. He’s been compared to some of the greats and has worked with some of the hottest names in music. The Grammy nominated singer and songwriter created some noteworthy tracks such as the hitter “They Don’t Know” and “Are You Still Down” (with the late Tupac Shakur). Known For: “They Don’t Know”, “Don’t Talk”, “Are You Still Down” 9. Brandy- Music runs in the singer and songwriters family. Brandy had many successful records shortly after the hit “The Boy is Mine” a collaboration with singer Monica. She peaked after the release of her second album “Never Say Never” leaving her as one of the most renowned female R&B artist of her time. Brandy also soared in her TV and film career. She has received a number of awards and accolades for her talents. Although she spent some time on hiatus she has recently been popping up as a feature on several tracks and landed a role on the hit TV series “The Game”. Known For: “I Wanna Be Down”, “The Boy Is Mine”, “Top Of The World” 10. Ginuwine – This kid had bangers point blank. I’m talking before he made the cameo on Honey and Juwanna Mann, Ginuwine melted the hearts of women with this extensive catalog ranging from “So Anxious” to the inescapable “In Those Jeans”, to the captivating “Differences”. Even his feature game was as admirable as he grace Diddy’s I Need A Girl Pt II. Recently, Tyrese indicated a reunion of TGT which consisted of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank. If Tyrese’s words are bond, then this could be something special. Known For: “In Those Jeans”, “So Anxious”, and “Differences”