A Message to Up and Coming Artists....

This blog is for you, I aim to showcase you. I also aim to showcase what music is all about. Help you get your name out and to help artists to never lose the quality of artistry, which is to show the world who you are through the art of music. You'll be surprised what the world can learn just by looking through it through your eyes. Sometimes they relate to it and it helps them not to feel alone. Sometimes they draw inspiration from it and apply it to their own lives in a positive manner. Sometimes they draw inspiration from it and apply it in a negative way.

That is why I think it is important for the artist to communicate with their listeners so that they can get the most out of it. You can listen to artists of all kinds of music and really it is a history lesson on what went on in the world at that time. It is amazing what you can do with music when you find the goals within yourself on what you want to accomplish through it. Through hard work and passion, you can accomplish these goals. Never give up!

Feature: The History of the Hip Hop Beef-Part One

Hip Hop feuds (beefs) have been around since just about the beginning of Hip Hop's storied history. It is when two or more Hip Hop artists defame each other based on their competitiveness. It has been a part of Hip Hop ever since MCs (master of ceremonies) took up the mic to hype up the crowd during various block parties. Sometimes these MCs would diss their rivals, which often resulted in violence. The famous feuds between KRS-One and MC Shan, the West Coast-East Coast rivalry in the 90s, Jay-Z and NAS beef of 2001, and more recently, Kendrick Lamar vs. New York; has often been credited for keeping Hip Hop in the public spotlight.

Beefs can be expressed through dissing their rivals on tracks, confronting one another at public events, dissing their rivals in interviews  on the radio or written publications, and dissing their rivals on stage during performances. The biggest feud in Hip Hop history has to be the one between the West Coast and the East Coast, where both Notorious B.I.G. and 2pac both were killed (both of which were the main representatives of their respective coasts during the 90s). Their open disses against the rival coasts on various tracks, fueled a violent culture in the Hip Hop community in the 90s and early 2000s. It appeared that an MC was dying every week because of street level confrontations (a lot of the record companies during this period, were connecting to the drug and gang underworlds which fueled local disputes).

The Feud That Fueled Hip Hop...

KRS-One and MC Shan, had a very well known beef that started in the mid 80s. It started because of Marley Marl and MC Shan's track The Bridge, which came out in late 1985. In the track, they claimed that Queensbridge was where Hip Hop started. KRS-One got offended about this and went on the attack, that was when he  and Scott La Rock came out with the famous track, South Bronx. In KRS-One's track, he claimed that the real home for Hip Hop is in the South Bronx. This feud got the whole Juice Crew involved and they began taking shots at Scott La Rock and KRS-One.

In 1987, Scott La Rock was shot and killed by one of Boogie Down Productions, D-Nice, over a domestic dispute. This caused a cease-fire between the two camps and KRS-One concentrated more on his Stop the Violence movement. Out of respect, the Juice Crew didn't release a diss until two years later in 1989 when MC Shan released a song Juice Crew Law that took many shots at KRS-One. KRS took one year to respond to the diss in a song off the Boogie Down Productions album release, Edutainment with the song, Black Man in Effect.

In time, the fans and artists in the Hip Hop community recognized KRS-One as the victor of the beef. KRS-One's Hip Hop career still continues to flourish, while MC Shan was sort of forced to retire because of loss of reputation. This beef, really brought a big spotlight onto the stage that is known as Hip Hop and brought a lot of new listeners to it. Nothing like this was ever seen before in music, so it was intriguing to many people.

The West Coast vs. the East Coast...

The coastal feud when you look at, was really caused because of the ever expanding market of Hip Hop into popular culture. In the early 90s, the West Coast started to take over the Hip Hop market through the record company of Death Row Records (which was mainly run by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight). It's biggest rival was one that resided in the East Coast, Bad Boy Records (which was run primarily by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs). When you look at this beef that seemed to only escalate as each day went by, it was all about money and control of the music genre.

Once N.W.A. created gangster rap, the world couldn't get enough of it. Once the group disbanded, each member ran their own respective record companies and movements with in the style that really helped take over the rap sales from the East. Suge Knight escalated the feud in interviews and at music awards appearances that led to the shooting of Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound's trailer while shooting a video for the song called, New York, New York, in Manhattan (1995). The video caused an even bigger rift between the two coasts because it showed them knocking down New York skyscrapers, which caused Capone-N-Noreaga to write a song called L.A. L.A. featuring Mobb Deep.

Once Notorious B.I.G. released the song Who Shot Ya, in 1995, 2pac took this as a track that openly mocked his '94 shooting and then came out with a track in early '96 called Hit 'Em Up, claiming he had an affair with his wife, Faith Evans. He also pointed out in the song that this was not a rap battle that they were coming to kill them. Pac dissed Biggie, Puffy, and Bad Boy records on numerous tracks for the rest of his career.

Notorious responded to 2pac in the track with Jay-Z called Brooklyn's Finest. This caused further escalation between Bad Boy and Death Row, that in mid 1996 at the Soul Train Awards, both Death Row and Bad Boy got into an armed standoff in the parking lot (Bad Boy had Crips as bodyguards and Death Row had Bloods). The escalation continued and resulted in the shooting and death of both Tupac and Biggie. That was when Louis Farrakhan got the two sides to meet which pretty much ended the beef.

I hope you enjoyed The History of the Hip Hop Beef-Part One, stay tuned for part two. Below are some links to relevant tracks from the early era of the Hip Hop beefs.

Here is a link to South Bronx:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kuEkNHTqDQ

Here is a link to The Bridge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqEt2WH53HY

Here is a link to Brooklyn's Finest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=393l5zWQULY

Here is a link to Hit 'Em Up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCVT7tqO-YA

Sources:
Wikipedia

written by: Craig Ludwig

Interview #4 With B. Free

B. Free grew up in Jamaica Queens, NY. He attended high school in Queens, Martin Van Buren High school. He began playing music at an early age, during the third grade, where he learned how to play the trumpet. His music interests continued to grow, later taking him into the realm of Hip Hop. As a youth, he used to write poetry and was intrigued by rhymes and wordplay. This interest paid off later on as he started to evolve into a Hip Hop artist.

B. Free currently has two mixtapes out and he doesn't know how to stop, he keeps going like an Olympic runner. Hopefully one day, he will get the notoriety and respect that he deserves from all his artistry coupled with his hard work. Hopefully after this interview, you will get a good idea of what he is all about and give  your ear his undivided attention.

Early Years...

How was it like growing up in Jamaica Queens, New York?

"I had a pretty good childhood growing up. I wasn't really a troubled kid I just always wanted to have fun. I had a bunch of cousins that showed me the ropes growing up… They never went easy on me."

What did you encounter and what did you do?

"I was very involved in little league baseball and rec basketball. My mother always thought extra-curricular activities were important along with education. That's how I found my 1st love in life… baseball! It was something i've always been good at and I very much enjoyed playing."

Tell us about your youthful years, what were you like and what did you do?

"I kept to myself pretty much until I got to high school. I was a three-sport athlete in high school. I played baseball, bowling, and indoor track. Aside from the sports, I was heavily involved with music. I learned how to play the trumpet in 3rd grade and from there learned how to play the tuba and trombone. I also wrote a lot of poetry from a young age. I always had an infatuation with rhyming and wordplay."

The Music...

 How did you get into the rap game?

"I would have to say it happened for me back in 3rd grade when LL Cool J and 112 were shooting the "Hey Lover" video on my aunt's block. The whole neighborhood came out for the shoot and just being there I thought was the coolest thing ever! It made me want to be in my own video!"

Who were you're main influences?

"My main influences growing up were LL Cool J, 50 Cent, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, and Jadakiss (No specific order). My life influences were my family as a whole. We are very close-knit and we always have each other's backs through thick and thin."

How was it like growing up in one of the areas where Hip Hop started?

"It was hot growing up in Queens during the "50 Cent come-up". You couldn't walk outside without hearing somebody bumping Fif through a pair of speakers! Dude was the hottest thing coming out of NY at the time. That's my most vivid memory because it happened when I was in high school and I had more knowledge about hip-hop. "

What were your earlier experiences in Hip Hop when it was going strong in the 90s? What were you doing then?

"My friends and I would record a lot of the mixes we heard on Hot97 on blank cassettes and rap along with them. I probably still have a lot of them in a shoebox I should see if they work."

How was it like working with kats like Tragedy and Kool G Rap?

"Working with Tragedy and Kool G was a lifetime experience for me. Tragedy spit a lot of knowledge out to me during the video shoot and I just soaked it up. 2 NY legends on my track? A year ago this would have never popped into my head so I am very grateful for the opportunity. I definitely have to give a shoot out my manager Rich and my brother Jay for putting everything together for me with the collaboration!"

What can we look forward to in the future from you?

"Definitely a more improved artist all-around. I think I've finally come into my own as an artist and there's only room for improvement at this point. I've built the foundation and now it's time to build!"

What do you represent in this Hip Hop game?

"I represent truth and positivity. You'll never hear me rap about violence or anything in a negative matter. I want to give my listeners a backbone you know? Something that can hold them up and keep them thinking positive when they think the last resort is to take negative action. We all are human…we all go through similar events in life and I'm just telling my stories because everybody can relate somehow."

Who is the person that pushes you the most?

"I would honestly say myself. I am self-motivated and self-driven in life. You can't sit around waiting for people to push you to find drive that's why I'm always in 5th gear. I know exactly what I want and where I want to be."

What gives you your personal drive to keep grinding?

"My family is my number one priority. They're my everything. I hate to see anyone in my family struggle. So every day that I grind it's for my Thompson & Taylor family!"

Who are the people we can look forward to you working with in the future?

"Producer wise, I started working with my dude Mychal Ray out of LA and my brother DJ Lez out of Philly! They got some crazy beats and I'm looking forward to finishing the tracks we're working on now! DJ Mestizo from NY is becoming my partner in crime! We've been friends for six years now and we share the same passion for music so I rock with my brother. My brother Light Mike will be featured on my mixture coming out late July! He's a childhood friend from Queens and the dude got ill flow."

What are you trying to accomplish in your career?

"I'd like to get my message out there. I want people to be able to say that B. Free helped them through their day. It's a good feeling. Anybody you want to mention that has helped you along the way? My manager Richard Jackson has helped me out tremendously. A lot of this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for him. My bro Jay Banga, KBee, Gio Priest, and my fans for listening! All of your positive comments about my music keep pushing me to make better music for your ears!"

Who are some of the people that you have worked with?

"Tragedy Khadafi, Kool G Rap, KBeeOriginal, Gio Priest, FoxaZ Beats, DJ Lez, Inspecta Morze, Digs Deep, and Aniki Beats. Shootouts to NYCEFLIX and DJ Big Bear."

If you don't know who B. Free is, now you know. Here are some links where you can get access to his music through various online entities:

B. Free- Behind the Smoke (second mixtape), download it!:

http://www.datpiff.com/B-Free-Behind-The-Smoke-mixtape.422239.html

"NY NY" - B. Free featuring Tragedy Khadafi and Kool G Rap produced by FoxaZ Beats and NYRich (link):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQunDd9N4dU&feature=youtu.be

"She Cool/ Love To Me"- B.Free ft. Airplane Erik 'She Cool' produced by BeatsbyJake (beatsbyjake.com) from the mixtape 'Behind The Smoke' B.Free 'Love To Me' produced by Kbee Original,(kbeeoriginal.com) from the mixtape 'Behind the Smoke' (link):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN1EF3xRhsA

"Jet Lagged"- B.Free (produced by KBeeOriginal (link):

https://soundcloud.com/bfreeqnz/jet-lagged-prod-by

written by: Craig Ludwig

Feature: Difference Between a Rapper and an Emcee...

"MC can control the audience, but a rapper is afraid of the audience or they can only sing their hit record."
 -- Ice-T

I have looked all over in forums and in interviews trying to answer this question. It appears no one has written articles to answer this question. People just write in forums, "What is the difference between a rapper and an Emcee?" Emcees started out hyping up the crowd for DJ's like the Herculoids for DJ Kool Herc. They were able to keep the party going in between breakdancing and what not. Emcees are aware that Hip Hop is a culture, a way of life versus just a job. Rappers use Hip Hop as a job and are really just artists that don't worry about anything but their interpretation of Hip Hop music. You can ask most rappers what the Nine Elements of Hip Hop are and they won't have a clue.

Like Ice-T has said, an Emcee controls the crowd and makes the crowd understand what they are trying to do whether they are rapping, dancing, or just hyping up people they worked with, whatever. An Emcee knows what he came there to do, and that is interpret his version of the Hip Hop culture. A true Emcee starts a movement that betters the people around them and brings them along with them. A rapper really just cares about themselves and their image.

A real Emcee is original and doesn't bite off other people's stuff. They don't get ghost writers, they handle their own lyrics. Their lyrics aren't just words, they actually mean something. A rapper is one that only writes club hitters cause he or she is just trying to make money. An Emcee is real, a rapper is just a gimmick.

I hope this article shed some more light on this topic. It seems that many people can't really answer this topic because they don't really know how to. This question has been lost in translation through the years. I once asked a youngster, what kind of music do you listen to?

"Hip Hop," they answered.

"Who's your favorite artist?"

"Kendrick Lamar."

"You ever hear of KRS-One?"

"Who's that?"

Enough said people...

                               This is KRS-One, for those who don't know. Here are some links to him...

                             A KRS-One and DJ Premier joint:

                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ojWsnQZ_4

                            A Boogie Down Production (KRS-One & Scott La Rock) joint:

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kuEkNHTqDQ

Interview #3 With Sean Dean

Sean Dean

Sean Dean is a Hip Hop artist from the UK, he lives in London (a mecca for many genres of music for several decades). The UK has spawned many legends such as, the Beatles, the Clash, and Led Zeppelin (to name a few). Very rarely do you hear of an artist out of the UK doing Hip Hop with rock still spawning from the region as well as many electronic music acts of various genres. It is safe to say that for the most part, the UK kind of skipped the whole Hip Hop music era because of its concentration on the electronic music movement.

The UK is a trend setter when it comes to music, but it is safe to say that they had little influence on the creation of Hip Hop music. Now that electronic music has flooded the music scene, it appears that more people in the UK are taking to Hip Hop because in many ways they are very similar but they are controlled by different vibes. Electronic music is all about the club scene and people dancing and having a good time, but Hip Hop is about real life (but it is also associated with its own club atmosphere). Don't get Hip Hop confused ladies and gentleman, the new school movement now-a-days is mostly about dancing, having a good time, and boasting about how rich you are (which doesn't make sense to me because most music listeners are not rich). It has moved away from the reality lyrics that it once was.

Sean Dean is an artist that brings it back to the old school, lyrics and reality. I think many people all over the world can relate to what he is trying to do with his music, which is to spit about his own views about what he sees in his life step by step. According to Dean, getting into Hip Hop was a complete accident;

 "One of my friends back in the day was producing music and asked me to come and check it out so I went round with a few other mates and they all started rapping. At the time it was not something that entered my mind , but because they put me on the spot I started free styling. I was terrible (he laughs as he thinks back) , but I loved it and so i continued from there I guess."

I asked him why he got into Hip Hop especially because electronic music was the thing in Europe and this is what he told me:

"There has never really been a specific element that I could say drew me to hip hop I just loved everything about it. I recall back in the day staying up late to catch Trevor Nelson and the late night hip hop videos that would get played afterwards. I found the likes of Wu Tang, Method Man, Big Pun, Tupac, Snoop, BIG,  and Bone Thugs are just everyone so amazing that I wanted to be a part of it."

When I do interviews with Hip Hop artists, I like to challenge their realism within their music because I think it is particularly important in this style of music to stay real. I was happy with his answer when I asked him, what are the life experiences that he draws from when it comes to his music? This is what he replied with:

"I think right now as an artist I am so comfortable in my zone of "self". I recognize that not everyone is going to like me and I recognize that I am a little different to the normal model of Hip Hop/ grime/ urban artist in the UK. I represent the guys who are just everyday Joe's , never sold white, never been gangster and never really been infamous for any sort of street activity. So the life experiences, I pull out are be yourself and pursue your dreams the way you were meant to do it."

Many Hip Hop artists are from the streets and rap about the harsh realities of their life encounters, but Sean Dean gives a more bird's eye view into a man that wasn't involved in street thuggery and gangsterism (if you will). It is safe to say that this is definitely different from the normal mold of Hip Hop artists, but at the same time you can feel the same attitudes and confidence bleeding out of his music as ones that grew up with a more street mentality.

I then went on to ask him what type of beats that he prefers to give you more of an idea of what you can expect when you listen to his brand of Hip Hop, this was his answer:

"Boy…. everyone knows I work closely with Kbeeoriginal who is easily the best sampler I know in the UK, period. Id say I'm a dude who loves that soul music, but nowadays  I like them weird beats that not everyone is necessarily prepared for, but overall soulful beats."

Usually artists have a direct influence from the music they listen to, currently and in the past. I asked him what music he is listening to now and this was what he said:

"At the moment I'm going through the Kendrick Lamar stag. I hate to sound like everyone else, but the kat has mad skills and I look to him for how I can deliver honesty and a sound so unique and reflective of myself." 

With that being said, it is on to his influences. To me, influences are important, they are like your musical parents. Here is who he gave his love to:

"My main influences go way back to the 90's. I swear like every kat in that era in my opinion was like mad, crazy dope. The list is gigantic to be honest but I'll cut it down to the likes of Big Pun, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, All of Wu Tang, Jay-Z , Scarface, Tupac, Nas, and DMX. These are the kats Id say made the biggest impact on me musically. I take it seriously when trying to deliver a message because these kats never flopped when it came to quality."

We can't forget their performances, a lot of people learn about artists through performances. Performances usually draw more followers or take them away. Dean talked about shows in a light in which he seemed to wish that he has done more of them, because in the recent months he hasn't performed too often. Dean promised though in June that he'll be rockin' more shows in London and other places with his new material.

I asked him to look back through his performances and pick the one that stood out inside his mind,

"Definitely BBC introducing just because of the reaction I received and the size of the stage in regards to reputation."

Who are some of the people you are currently working with?

"I'm making a mad effort to collaborate with my fellow sound cloud family who have proven to be major supporters of my music. Guys at the moment I'm working with are :

Kbeeoriginal

J1K

Mayheim

Calboy Keys

Saint Victory

Elliot Nizel

Khazmusic

Jack Light

Beats Daily

Kez

Foxaz beats

Dash the baptist

and he says there are loads more..."

What can we look forward to coming out in the future from you?

"Future wise you can look forward to so much more, as you can see I've taken the trouble to getmrseandean.com set up as well as branding; these are all signs i am mad serious. I just plan to keep pushing videos now man, new songs and new videos. No eps, I just want to generate a true following and see where it takes me from there and forward."

Well it was a pleasure doing this interview with Sean Dean. I want to leave you with some of his works (youtube videos) and his descriptions of them. Coming at you from the UK, Sean Dean, and thanks for your time. Good luck in the future.

"Alcoholic" (produced by J1K)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ips2cHaPuwU (Preview)

"My most recent song and probably my favourite so far. Its just based on my love for 'Jack Daniels' the whiskey; when I drink that stuff all my worries disappear and for that moment I'm happy, assured and totally removed from reality. A thing you will learn about me is I have a dysfunctional side to my character and its perfectly revealed in the video."

"Thats the Way it goes" ft Bex:

http://soundcloud.com/seandeanmusic/thats-the-way-it-goess-mp3

"My most commercial sounding song up to date which is just a cover of Asher Roth's G.R.I.N.D funny enough but we still doing a net video for it in a few weeks, hopefully. This song right here represents the type of crap I've had to go through in life and summarises it all with thats the way it goes."

"Everyday I Love" (produced by Kbeeoriginal)

http://soundcloud.com/seandeanmusic/sean-dean-everyday-i-love

"A song just reflecting on some of my episodes and relates them to the most important people in my life. Life is a journey and as difficult as it can be, sometimes, I try to love everyday."

Legends of Hip Hop #3: Wu-Tang Clan: Anatomy of a Group of Hip-Hop Geniuses

Wu-Tang Clan: Anatomy of a Group of Hip-Hop Geniuses

Open a browser, type in “the best hip-hop group of all time,” and check out any list of “greats” from the search results.

Five bucks says that all lists include this East Coast hip-hop group in their rosters, frequently near the top positions, if not the #1 spot itself.  

We’re talking about a group of musical and lyrical geniuses. A group with members that can shine brilliantly on their own – in fact, each one can (and has!) release an album of their own and have it become a certified hit. A group that, 20 years on from their formation, still continues to influence and be remembered by many of today’s big players and fans in the hip-hop world.

We’re talking about none other than Wu-Tang Clan.

That Special Thang

This legendary group’s appeal is not so much in the talents and abilities of each of the clan’s comrades. It’s the fact that they manage to bring forth music that is a cohesive whole despite the fact that each member is different and has his own distinct lyrical or musical style, not to mention quirks aplenty. This group showed that there is harmony and rhyme in chaos and that strong personalities and huge talents can work together.

Their Origins

“A lot of people don’t know this about Wu-Tang, it started from a focused mind. I was given total autonomy to do whatever I want with them.” – RZA, The New York Times

That statement pretty much sums up the beginnings of this iconic posse of hip-hop masters. Eight artists came together and agreed to let RZA head their group and provide leadership. The rest, Method Man, GZA, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Ghostface Killah, respected RZA enough to give them their vote of confidence and be their “dictator” for the first few years of their group. Masta Killa, by the way, joined the Staten Island group last.

The chaotic but symphonic beginnings of Wu Tang spawned an indie single in 1003, “Protect Ya Neck” – which broke them into the underground and helped them gain a significant following. They were also to tour with Cypress Hill and Kat Nu, as a result of their pioneering efforts. But despite this, no record company would sign them and allow each member to release their own solo efforts with other labels.

The Albums

Despite this unconventional and seemingly unfeasible arrangement for recording outfits, the group did not compromise and continued to push this groundbreaking proposal to any firm who were interested in signing them. Finally, they found an ally in Loud/RCA who did give them the artistic freedom they needed and demanded. Thus was born one of the most classic and acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). 

With the enormous success of the Clan’s first album, which was released late 2003, some labels must have slapped themselves over not taking in the legendary group under their wing. Nevertheless, the members each went on to record and release solo projects beyond the Loud stable, although Raekwon released his under the same label.

The group’s first concerted musical effort was followed by yet another hit album in 1997, Wu-Tang Forever. This was released after the first round of solo recordings was done by all members. This release also marked the end of RZA’s “term” as the group’s overall director for their musical and marketing efforts.

After this period of success, the Clan, although still a force to be reckoned in the hip-hop world, was not coming across as exciting as they were in the beginning. Oversaturation can be blamed for this, among other things.

In 2000, the group came together once more to create The W, although Ol’ Dirty Bastard was incarcerated at this time. Once more, this release became double platinum and produced a good number of hits.

Not long afterwards, in 2001, the Clan introduced Iron Flag, which was more of a crossover arrangement and featured well known producers and co-collaborators. This time around, though, fans did not receive this as well as the previous albums.

Then in 2007, Wu-Tang presented 8 Diagrams to the hip-hop world. Although this appeared to take longer to release than other previous recordings, the members of the group have remained active by releasing their solo albums. However, this one had mixed reviews, owing to the fact that this 5^th full length album was the group’s most experimental one.

Finally, in 2013, the Clans started working on their 6^th album, A Better Tomorrow.   As of July 2013, it has been announced that the new studio offering was still halfway done.

The Missing Member

In 2004, Ol’ Dirty Bastard passed away after collapsing due to a suspected drug overdose. Despite this loss, the group still managed to press on together and create new songs that still had its iconic and classic appeal.

What Now?

In later years, some members of the group started to resent RZA’s leadership and guidance. The former leader himself believed that this was down to the members learning what they want and do not want on a record, thanks to their own solo efforts.

Right now, as the group puts together its next album and work their old magical chemistry on it again, the rest of those in the hip-hop universe are interested to know whether the Clan still “has” it. For now, we have to content ourselves with their documentaries, books penned by some of the members, and live or taped performances.

Will the legendary hip-hop maestros deliver a classic again? We’ll find out soon enough!

by: Desiree Salas

Interview #2 with Herbert Grayson aka PT the Last Tycoon: CEO of 9 Deep Productions

Herbert Grayson (aka PT the Last Tycoon & Mr. International) has been in music since 1980. When I asked him what started it all, Grayson said, "It all started off by wanting to play the drums in music class in the 7th grade and I was put in the choir instead."  His mother influenced him the most, she introduced him to wide a very wide variety of music at a very early age. 

Who were your main influences in music?

" Parliament-Funkadelic, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, The Platters, Earth Wind&Fire, Sylvester, Frank Sinatra, Nate King Cole were some of the many artist that influenced me the most because of their great performances and artistry to me which was ahead of it's time."

We went on to talk about the people that supported him the most:

"There are so many people that supported that I hope I have enough time and space to name them all. First and foremost my late mother and step-father and biological father,  they always kept instilled in me to never give up. A lot of my former U.S. Marine Corps buddies(Ronald Majors, Abdullah Al-Amin, Jerome Watkins, Wazir Khabir, Dennis C. Muff, Ben Shaw). Many many friends: Connie Marie Banez, David Thompson, Holly Seward, Marcel Branch, Albert Smith, Marie Foster, Melissa Rodriquez, Monica Davis, Natalie Peisl, Monique Garcia, Philly Rob, Pimpin Reggie, Robert Campos, Salina Evans, Victor Owens, Willa McCord, Yadira, The Verduzco Brothers, GMoney, Mrs. Greer, Carmen Prado, Carmen Mojica. So many more to name but  they all know who they are."

He got into Hip Hop in 1980 when he started being an MC which later lead to making beats a few years later when he got his first drum machine for a birthday present. He went on to say, "I really enjoyed doing them both." Herbert has worked with many different artists in his time and some big names too. When I asked him to name the most notable ones this is what came out:

"Well I have worked with a lot of kats in my career, but the most famous ones people would know is;  R.Kelly when he was with Public Announcement, Ce Ce Penniston, Mary J. Blige, and Gangstarr. I was an opening act for these artists early in their career."

I was astonished by all these big names that he had worked with so I had to ask him about a time when he had an unbelievable experience. He smiled and laughed a bit, I think he has had more than a few. This is what PT the Last Tycoon said when he kicked into story mode gear:

 "One of the most unbelievable things that I have encountered in the music business happened back in like 1989 or 1990. Me and my crew members at the time were at an after party for Public Enemy. It was deep in the back woods of North Carolina. The club was down a long dirt road something like you would see in a Friday the 13th movie (he laughed). Anyway when we got to the club it was very small and overcrowded. Chuck D wasn't there he went back to his hotel after the show earlier so it was Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, The S1W's, and Terminator X. They let us do a quick song before Flav came on to do his thing. So we had to pile in this very small dj booth like four of us, the song we were doing at the time required me to do some scratching on the intro hook and outro of the song. The club only had one turntable but no mixer so i was like how the hell are we going to pull this off (he chuckled). On top of that the clubs a/c didn't work so it was like 120 degrees in the club and 180 in the booth. So with all of us in the booth trying to do this song and everybody bumping into each other, the record skipping, the instrumental show tape, remember those? (He laughed once again) The show tape started getting hot like it was going to snap, we were able to finish the song and got major love from the crowd. I will never forget what Flava Flav told me when we finished, he said,  'yeahhhhhhhh boiiiiii that's how you work that sh*t when you under pressure good job G!' "

Herbert has performed in many venues all over the country, Philly, New York, North Carolina, Miami, DC, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, and Hayward. His most memorable show was a Christmas showcase put on by a friend of his, Deebo from WeeSeed Records. There were a lot of prominent performers there from the Bay Area, but there wasn't a lot of people that showed up to see the show. He said that regardless of the fact, the artists came out with a lot of heart and performed like there was 500,000 people in the audience, "Now that is real Hip Hop." 

I went on to ask him some more questions about the things he is currently working on as well as things that are relevant to him and his business. Being that he is an artist with more than one name, I wanted to know how he got those names. 
Grayson told me he got his names from other people, he said PT the Last Tycoon was given to him by a friend in New York and that Mr. International was given to him by a friend in Budapest. He didn't elaborate on their names,but I am sure they know who they are. 

9 Deep Productions is a company that Mr. International started in 1988 when he was still in the service as a Marine and he sill owns and operates the multi-faceted company that produces music, beats, and artists. He said that the mission of 9 Deep Productions has been and always will be to continue to create great music. Under 9 Deep Productions, he has also been a sound engineer for just about every project he has worked on. He accredits his engineering knowledge to, Victor Owens of Digisonic Recording & Mastering and Phillip Hennen of Sepia Sound, and  others from Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco Ca. His nephew, Santos also works under him in his beat producing ventures under the moniker of Sir Perez. Grayson said he has been in the studio with him since he was 7 years old which is kind of a coincidence because at that same age Herbert really started to get into music. Grayson said that his nephew has a great musical upbringing which has allowed him to invent his own production style. 

Since Herbert has had a long and prosperous music career, I had to ask him about how he has been able to do so as well as what people overlook in their own journey towards success in this lucrative industry and who did he get his  business sense from. This is what he said:

"I give glory to God for blessing me with the gift of music and blessing me to prosper from it. My business factor was my late mother and stepfather they both owned businesses so that's how I learned. The biggest thing that people overlook about the industry is that it is and always will be a business, so don't come into it thinking that it is anything but that." He added, "The main reason some people fail in the industry is for one they don't have faith and patience and two they get into the music industry for everything else but for the love of music."

Since PT the Last Tycoon has done many shows, beats, and albums, I had to ask him about what projects we can expect from him n the future and this is what he said:

"Some of the current projects in the work are The Deep House Album Im releasing soon, The 9Deep Productions Compliation/Mixtape, The Rebelz 2Da Game Mixtape coming real soon. I also produced Dap Daniel of The Brohydez new album which will be dropping sometime this summer. Future projects: The Rebelz 2Da Game new group album, New album by So-Taren (of Rebelz 2 Da Game) no date for release yet. Also doing an international mixtape  with my buddy MassifBeats from Belgium we are producing the project jointly."

Sounds exciting, that is a lot of projects that are coming out! I hope you are as excited as I am to hear this line up of work that he has coming out in the future! New articles to come my friends, keep reading! 

I would like to thank Herbert Grayson for taking time out of his busy work schedule to make this interview happen, it was an honor and a privilege!