Natelege Whaley interviews, Grammy award-winning hip-hop production super group, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

WORDS BY NATELEGE WHALEY

Every superhero has a signature. Batman had the glowing bat-signal, Flash a red suit with yellow lightning bolts, and Superman the distinguished “S” on his chest. But for the Tampa Bay producing trio, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, their signature lies in the pounding bass, strings, and old school R&B and pop samples. After producing ten tracks together in a single night, Rook, Colione and Kenny B. decided to form a group in 2003. The three knew the name was hardly original—a spinoff of the comic strip by the same name— so they switched it up, and added an acronym to, fully represent who they are: “Just Undeniably Some of The Illest Composers Ever.”

Rook, one-third of the team assures that the comic has nothing to do with the powerhouse producing trio. Yet, the similarities are clear: that three of the self-proclaimed best producers from the Tampa Bay-area have come together to “bring real music back to hip-hop.” A mission fit for superheroes.

The group didn’t wait long to use their super producing powers to gain recognition. They received their first break five years ago on Young Jeezy’s “Don’t Get Caught,” a track on his debut Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101. The same year, they won a Grammy award for production on Mary J. Blige’s album The Breakthrough. Last year, they won an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award for rapper 2 Pistols’s “She Got It.” Even Rick Ross has heavily used J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League’s production on many projects including the track “Magnificent,” off his LP Deeper than Rap, “Luxury Tax” and “Maybach Music” off Trilla, and “Aston Marton Music” on Teflon Don.

The three producers sample cleverly from a selection of old school R&B, pop and Motown artists (Think The O’Jays, Angela Bolfill, and Friends of Distinction). Moreover, their beats often have samples with a busy string and brass section; then they add a heavy bass that complements, and never overpowers the instrumentation. Time will tell what other songs the producers will uncover from the past and rebirth. What is certain is that the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League have not been distracted by their positive reception into the music industry. As they turn on their tunnel vision, they look to leave their imprint as ingenious contenders not only in hip hop, but across all genres.

25 Magazine: How did you guys form J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League?

Kenny: We were all producing in the Tampa Bay area in Florida and working independently with different artists. We ran into each other at the studio and heard each other’s work and we were impressed. We decided to get together. We made 10 beats that day. The chemistry was so natural that we decided to become a team.

25: The name J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League comes from a team of superheroes like Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman and others. How does this name and the acronym best fit you all?

Rook: Honestly the acronym has nothing to do with the comic superheroes. The acronyms stand for ‘Just Undeniably Some of The Illest Composers Ever.’

25: How did you develop into widely known producers?

Colione: It all happened because we had strong management who were there since the very beginning. We’re like a family. After we formed J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and began building our catalogue, our management was pushing and making sure we got our name out there. We didn’t just do this by ourselves.

25: And what is your creative process when you’re producing?

Rook: Sometimes we each have our own ideas, or we come up with ideas at the same time. We might be in the studio and we collab with an artist like Young Jeezy, and he likes to say what he wants. It’s our job to give the artist what they want.

25: How do you give an artist exactly what they want?

Kenny: I think it’s important to first sit down and vibe with artists and see what kind of person they are and what sound they like. That’s important because you can’t just go into the studio and blindly play tracks.

25: Of all the artists you’ve worked with who did you have the greatest connection with musically?

Colione: Of course musically we have a great connection with Rick Ross. Our sounds link well together. He is some of the best beats that we make. He actually uses our sound that we originated.

Rook: We have a great working relationship with Young Jeezy. We go into the studio every time and we come out with beautiful, great, epic  music. You know our first song was “Don’t Get Caught” for him and it got us a good reputation in Atlanta.

25: In hip-hop a lot of producers sample, and you all sample in some of your work as well. How do you go about choosing which songs you are going to sample?

Colione: We usually buy a stack of records and listen to each one until we find a gem. The music has to be up to par. We usually go back to the Barry White’s and the old school. We like artists who have done whole orchestras and also music with a lot of instrumentation.

Check out “Pledge Allegiance to the Swag” – T.I. (prod. by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League):

25: Some people think that a lot of sampling shows that a producer doesn’t have the creative ability to create their own beat. What do you think about that?

Rook: I think producers’ choice to sample songs depends on their own judgment and what feels good for them creatively. Earlier in our career we sampled heavy. But nowadays, we’ll sample, and we’ll take  the sample out and we’ll revamp the whole song, so it won’t be a sample.

25: As producers what do you feel the music industry needs and what will you all bring to the table?

Rook: We plan to bring music back to music and we also want the ability to change lanes. We want to produce for Ghostface and Rick Ross but at the same time do Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige. We were in New York working with Mary J. Blige, and then the next day we were working with a pop artist. We had to make the switch quickly from soul to pop, and from organic to electric.

25: Speaking more on the industry, what do you all think of the internet’s role as far as marketing and promoting?

Kenny: On the internet there are many ways to promote artists and to sell music. It can go both ways. A lot of people blamed the internet for declining record sales and it probably did have a part in it, but there’s so much opportunity on the internet.

Rook: A lot of it deals with bad music. If you make good albums you will actually sell.

25: Speaking of musical quality, Jay-Z made a statement with his song “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune).” Do you agree with his idea that rappers singing over autotune brings down the quality of hip-hop?

Kenny: You can make a song using the autotune effect and use it wisely and tastefully, but when you just start to abuse it, I agree with him [Jay-Z]. Think about it first. Does it sound good with autotune on it, or not?

25: What are some examples of songs that you think sound good or bad with autotune?

Kenny: I thought autotune was used well on 808s and Heartbreak by Kanye West. Kanye used a lot of autotune on there, but not to the effect that his rapping sounded like notes. He was actually singing and the songs were well written and well produced.

Colione: A bad example of autotune is a song in which you can’t tell who the artist is because the whole thing sounds like garbage.

25: Who do you think are some talented producers currently putting in work?

Kenny: I think Swizz Beats has always been consistent and he continues to evolve musically. Also I like Dr. Luke and his style as far as pop goes.

Colione: I have to say one of my favorite producers is Diddy, and he’s not exactly behind the keys, or working behind the drum machine, but he is a producer. I also like Rick Rubin. He’s really inspiring.

25: What are some artists you listened to growing up?

Kenny: My dad used to play a lot fusion and jazz like Al Viola, which is funny because when I met Rook, I found out his father was a percussionist for Al Viola and that was fascinating for me. Growing up I was listening to Radiohead, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and anything in between.

Rook: My father played with Al Viola and when I was younger he would play the records for me and I didn’t like them. They didn’t make no sense to me. I was always into Dr. Dre, Wu Tang, and Gang Starr, you know hip-hop. Later on when I started doing music professionally I gained respect for what he’d done.

Colione: My mom was a rocker and I listened to a lot of her stuff. My cousin introduced me to hip-hop. He bought a drum machine and he was making beats and I started making beats with him. Then I kind of drifted off and got better than him and did beats on my own.

25: When did each of you decide that music was going to be your life?

Kenny: I always loved the creation side of music. I remember getting whoopings by my parents because I wasn’t doing well in school, and I was so fascinated with establishing myself as a musician. Not saying that’s the right route for everyone.

Rook: I think when I was younger, I didn’t want to do music. When I got a little older and into high school, it just kind of fell into my lap.

Colione: I wasn’t really good at anything else but music. I got in where I fit in and I was challenged by it. But a lot people need to focus on school and try to get in that way. You gotta be able to work well under pressure, otherwise you go crazy.

Rook: It’s hard to be in the all-star league. You can be drafted to the NBA, but to be an all-star you gotta be the shit.

Check out “Trillionaire” – Bun Ft. T-Pain (prod. by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League):

25: With the passing of Michael Jackson, and reflecting on his legacy in music, has he had any impact on you guys? If so how?

Colione: It was a tragedy. He was a legend. When I was a kid, I remembered Thriller coming out. I was real young and all the older kids used to dance to it. I only used to listen to rock ‘n’ roll music but his music had a rock vibe to it.

Rook: I’m gonna tell you how real Michael was. Thriller came out in 1983 and by 1985 it was still the album to get. It was a phenomenon. He shut down primetime TV. They would have an hour special of the making of the video and have another 20 minutes of the actual video. “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Remember the Time”-Nobody does it like Michael.

25: Any last words or advice for upcoming producers?

Colione: My best advice for producers is to be consistent with every single piece you put together. Learn how to make music and learn what to do with the music that you make. If you’re really not getting your music out there, it’s because you need to make sure you have a great team behind you that can push your music forward. It takes a team, not just one player to get you to the next level. You need people that can talk for you, and have the best interest for you.

Photo courtesy of www.myspace.com/bhineslovemusic

Kylee Coney spends seven minutes in heaven with Brandon Hines.

WORDS BY KYLEE CONEY

Brandon Hines is a young multi-talented artist with plenty of passion. His sultry, smooth voice and passionate lyrics on love’s trials and tribulations create the perfect combination for the amatory appetite. Hines developed an early love for music and embarked on his career at a young age—he was previously a member of a Detroit singing group, Vybe. But his music career as a solo artist began when he entered Howard University.

Brandon Hines may be following in the footsteps of famous alum like singers Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack as well as music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, but he is paving a path of his own in R&B.

At Howard, Hines collaborated with other artists and producers to form Heavyweight Entertainment. His first single, “Overdose,” off his album Love Music: Fallin In…Fallin Out, was very popular in the D.C. area. The album was released in 2005 and sold over 7,000 copies.

Hines was also showcased on “MTV’s Total Request Live” as an “Unsigned Artist to Look Out for in 2008.” He later collaborated with R&B heavy-hitters such as Trey Songz, Troy Taylor and Johnta Austin. Currently, Hines is active in his efforts to conquer the music industry with his two new music projects, In Search of, which was released last February, and Higher Learning, which has yet to be released.

Read more as Kylee Coney spends seven minutes in heaven with Brandon Hines and chops it up on love, family and relationships.

25: How many siblings do you have? Is it true that your younger brother is an inspiration for a lot of your music material?

Brandon Hines: I have one younger brother, Chris Hines. He’s a musician as well. He’s very talented. We used to butt heads when we were younger but now that’s like my best friend. Yeah, he works really hard to perfect his craft. I try to encourage him to not make some of the same mistakes I’ve made [in the music industry]. It’s always magic when we get together to create. We feed off of each other.

25: What are some major goals that you set for yourself as an artist in 2010?

BH: It’s to be true to myself. To be real. I’m a human being just like the rest of us; I’m working on personal growth. I want to bring about persistent and great music.

25: The song “Overdose” is one of your most popular songs. What’s your definition of a girl who is your “perfect drug,” as described in the song?

BH: Well an irresistible woman who challenges me; who I can learn from; who’s very well cultured and well versed; a woman who is not afraid to let me take control but not afraid to speak her mind either. I usually like some type of conflict. I like a debate (laugh). Someone who wants to see me at my best.

25: A lot of your songs, such as “Fallin’ Out” and “Look Me in My Face,” deal with relationship issues. Are you a very romantic individual? Are you a strong believer in love, or do you more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy?

BH: There are always two sides to the story. I’m definitely more of a romantic relationship type. I can go with the flow, but I’m in search of love. You may fall through different things, but you’re searching for your soul mate. I’m very passionate kind of guy.

25: Who would you say is your biggest supporter? Who’s that person you can always depend on to be in your corner?

BH: I would have to say my pops, my father. He’s very supportive. When I first came to my family like “I want to leave school,” my father could have wrote me off or discouraged me. But my father stuck by me and believed in me. My family provided me with the support to grow in my field and feel confident.

25: So do you have a special someone in your life now, or are you still searching?

BH: I’m definitely looking. I’m still in search ladies.

WORDS BY KIAH MCBRIDE

At first glance, Shawn Chrystopher is the epitome of a California native. Skinny jeans and t-shirts from an expansive color palette adorn his small frame coupled with a “too-cool-for-school” vibe.  There is something about him that sends you cyber-surfing his name.  It could be that his infatuation with cartoons and jaunty demeanor or his staunch college boy bravado. Whatever the case, you find that Chrystopher brings a ferent perspective to west coast music. While his sound does allude to strong Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West influences, Chrystopher offers his own story and musical creations—he often produces his own tracks—that give him mainstream appeal.

It’s clear that Shawn Chrystopher isn’t your typical Cali artist. He grew up in Inglewood, CA listening to punk rock artists like Green Day, and graduated from high school at the age of 16. He scored a four-and-a-half year scholarship to the University of Southern California and by 2009, landed an ad campaign with LRG clothing line for their 10^th Anniversary.  Not bad for a kid in glasses.

His first mixtape titled Keep Your Classroom Vol 1. received over 10,000 downloads and was an introduction to what is now considered the “new age” sound of educated artists. In August 2009, he released A City With No Seasons—an album that he hoped would separate his sound from artists that he’s often grouped with like Wale.

Now Chrystopher is back with his upcoming EP, The Audition, scheduled for a March 23 release date. Unlike previous projects, Chrystopher comes with more light-hearted rhymes that will surprise fans accustomed to his intellectual lyrics. His first single, “Like A Kid Again,” boasts a fun, relatable sound, and tips a hat off to the art imitates life adage. Always ahead of the curve, Shawn Chrystopher is poised to take on the ever-evolving music industry and change the image of west coast hip-hop.

Check out his single “Can’t Take That From Me” off of his EP, The Audition:
Can’t Take That From Me – Shawn Chrystopher by  25Mag

25 Magazine: What separates your sound from other hip-hop artists old and new?

Shawn Chrystopher: I think of music as fingerprints. I don’t think that anybody can make the same music. I think that if you have a piano, a guitar, and a drum set in a room and you put 15,000 bands in that room one after another, neither one of them will make that same exact song. Even though you have the same instruments you all have different songs. I think with me, my music is different because it’s mine. I have a story that nobody else can tell because I’m talking about my life. When it comes to sound, I grew up in Inglewood, CA so I’m five minutes from some of the richest people in California and I’m five minutes from some of the poorest people, so I would listen to everything. I used to be really into Green Day and then I would listen to Bone Thugs-N- Harmony. I was really into 2Pac and I listened to John Mayer.  So you have all of that in me; I just mixed it all together so I think it’s unique because it’s mine.

25: In one interview you said that you studied rap like you would study your schoolwork. Who and what specifically did you study?

SC: I would study what songs were popular and why they were popular and which songs weren’t.  I remember one year when Juvenile’s “Slow Motion” was the number one song in the country. I was like, this isn’t a club song and it’s not up-tempo; it’s so hood but it’s the number one song on the Billboard. I would just sit and try to figure out why certain songs were big and others weren’t. Why certain artists make it and why other artists’ second album destroyed them.

Like A Kid Again – Shawn Chrystopher by  Jabari

25: Your latest single “Like A Kid” off your EP The Audition is a fun tribute to going back to your childhood days. What was your life like as a child?

SC: I have a seven-year-old sister but I was practically out of the house by the time she was born, so I grew up an only child.  I was a Latchkey kid so I would come home and my mom would still be at work so I had to entertain myself. TV really stimulated my mind because I would watch everything and I would learn how to talk, how to walk, how to act, and how to dress. Other than TV I had some of the best neighbors. I still talk to my neighbors that I grew up with as a kid; we’re really good friends.  I grew up in a house so I had a backyard, was able to go out and play, and have block parties. That made my childhood fun because I could ride a bike. That’s why I started the song off “I used to ride bikes” because I was the kid on the bike in my neighborhood. I rode the bike from sun up to sun down; I had nowhere to go most of the time I just liked bikes. Basketball and riding bikes was my childhood, and cartoons.  Actually, that still is my life. I need to grow up!

25: What should we expect to hear on your upcoming EP The Audition compared to your other EPs like No One Knows You?

SC: Really dope shit. I tried my best to create a different sound that I’ve never done before. My past music was really intellectual and I tried my best to not be like anybody in my area, and sometimes I went over people’s heads.  I tried to over think my music too much in order to stand out when really I could just be myself and stand out. So this project is more me than I’ve ever done. I have fun with it, tell jokes on songs—I personally don’t take life too seriously because I like to have fun. I think that it’s something that people can relate to; people can have fun with it and play it in their cars. I think people really are going to fuck with it.

25: Are you going to pursue production more than being an artist in the future?

SC: Not more so than being an artist but production can carry me a long way because I can produce until I’m dead. I can’t rap when I’m 50. I will never turn my back on either one of them—I love them equally because I love to perform, I love to be in front of the crowd, but I also like to create music. As a producer, the same way a painter paints a blank canvas, we make songs out of silence. We sit in the studio with nothing and we create something that people either love or hate, but at the end of the day we started from silence. That’s something that I thank God every day that I have the ability to do—that I can create art from silence. I would never stop producing or rapping; I would do both until people get tired of hearing me rap and then I can produce the rest of my life. 

Photo courtesy of Elitaste Management

25: What impact would you like to make in hip-hop music?

SC: The whole purpose of doing what I do is that I want people to see the west coast in different light. I think that with movies like Menace II Society and Boyz in the Hood people automatically think that’s all we are, especially in Los Angeles.  What the gangster rappers did for L.A., like 2Pac put us on the map, I want to do for L.A., just on the other side of the spectrum.

25: Where do you see your self musically in the next five years?

SC: I think I will already have at least one Grammy or Grammy nomination, I will be on the cover of a few magazines, and have foot in the door for pursuing fashion. I really love fashion. I don’t just want a clothing line; I want to design for high end line that’s already out. In five years I think I’ll be able to travel, meet people, and go to fashion shows. Then I’ll be able to do both music and fashion.

25: What is something that fans might not know about you?

SC: I watch TV on mute. It started out when I was little. I used to be up late watching TV on mute because I didn’t want my mom to know.  When I would watch TV on mute I would make up my own stories with dialogue and everything. It was all in my head and had nothing to do with the show, but it made me feel like I wrote it. Now people come over my crib and point out that the TV has been on mute for two hours, but I don’t even notice anymore. I love watching TV on mute because I can still do other things and at the same time create my own episode.

Check out Shawn Chrytopher’s commercial for upcoming EP, The Audition:

The Audition – Shawn Chrystopher | Download Here

Shawn Chrystopher releases EP, The Audition. Unlike previous projects, Chrystopher comes with more light-hearted rhymes that will surprise fans accustomed to his intellectual lyrics. His first single, “Like A Kid Again,” boasts a fun, relatable sound, and tips a hat off to the art imitates life adage. Editor, Kiah McBride recently interviewed Shawn Chrystopher, read it here. Download and tracklist after the jump!

The Audition – Shawn Chrystopher | Download Here

25 Magazine catches up with D.C. band, The Five One between sets at the “Our People, Our Haiti” benefit concert at the Warehouse Loft to talk upcoming EP, Deuce Day World. The video features their oldie but goodie, “Sak Passe.” Listen to The Five One’s last few LPs here!

Photo courtesy of Cubannie Links

WORDS BY BRITTANY EPPS

Annie Basulto’s Cubannie Links gives fashion lovers something that they can feel. Her jewelry line is sharp enough to cut and glistens brightly with an envy inducing edginess. Glitzy neon-colored leather, bold statement rings and high-gloss gold chains with funky charms are among the standouts of the Links collection. For those with a taste for foreign cultures, these Cuban inspired designs will make your mouth water. Whether dainty or bulky, metal or nylon, you can have it your way. Who doesn’t appreciate fashion that caters to the senses and the needs of the consumer?

Hailing from Miami, Florida, Annie is a Cuban-American jewelry designer who has been blessed with the Midas touch. The name of the line is combination of her nationality and first name—Cuban Annie, and has been picking up steam ever since the 2007 launch. Basulto first started jewelry making as a hobby and now the line has gained popularity amongst culture femmes Rihanna, M.I.A., Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks.

Bullet earrings, glock-laced rosaries and four-finger rings make the line both unconventional and alluring. Cubannie Links is known for its whimsical items and Basulto’s streetwear consumers have grown quite the appetite. The Fall/Winter 2009-2010 “Inner Goddess” collection is still blazing, but Basulto anticipates a larger response in her future lines. It seems as though Basulto knows exactly what the urban fashionista seeks, and proves she can deliver.

25 Magazine: Tell me what Cubannie Links means to you.

Annie Basulto: CL means happiness, financial opportunity and a legacy (hopefully)!

25: Where does your love for jewelry stem from? How did it all begin?

Annie: I’ve always loved jewelry and always owned tons of accessories, but to say I thought I was going to be a jewelry designer or own a company, I would have laughed at you for not knowing me well enough. Apparently I didn’t even know me well enough. But the truth is, as it will always be my honest answer, it all began out of desperation to not work at job I don’t love for people who don’t appreciate me. New York has a special air about it. You can really do anything. New York has that survival air you can breathe in and it changes everything. Desperation. Motivation. That’s how it started.

Photo courtesy of Cubannie Links

25: What is the inspiration behind your daring and edgy pieces?

Annie: I am obviously inspired by the same things many designers are inspired by, but I have to admit I don’t follow the molds for conventional thinking. I just make jewelry that I would wear and I do wear.

25: You’ve been receiving amazing notoriety to say your line is only a little under 3 years old, why do you think people are so receptive to your collections?

Annie: CL will be 3 in July 2010. It speaks to everyone. Although there are pieces that more mature woman wouldn’t wear, there are definitely pieces for every type of girl: conservative, edgy, and glamorous.

25: How does it feel when you have stars like Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Tyra Banks wearing your jewelry or your items are featured in top magazine publications?

Annie: It’s an amazing feeling. It’s a feeling you can describe as your child winning an Oscar or your sister becoming the President. It’s an achievement that happens through my work-its own entity.

Photo courtesy of Cubannie Links

25: What impact do you think Cubannie Links is making on the fashion and jewelry industry?

Annie: Gosh I wish an industry big shot would tell me what impact I am making in the fashion industry. As far as I can see, there are many supportive people who love the collection and those are the testaments that mean most to me.

25: Where do you see Cubannie Links going in the future?

Annie: CL has continued to expand internationally and that has really been a great fete. Mostly getting in department stores like Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s is something I hope to soon achieve.

25: Any advice for those with creativity brewing under their skin, but are too afraid to reach for their dreams?

Annie: Experiment, network, take risks, take classes, explore, travel, do research…anything you can do to expand you creative juices will be a great way to find your style and specific interest.

For more information on Cubannie Links, visit cubannielinks.com.

Photo courtesy of Kareem Black

WORDS BY REDONAH ANDERSON

Kareem Black can never predict the outcome of his day. On his desk is a list of clients who want him to shoot photos for their upcoming albums. The phone rings and on the other line is Verizon’s advertising staff asking him to shoot their Super Bowl advertisements. He does this every year. After accepting, the celebrity photographer continues to spend the day booking more shoots in his New York City office. He caps his night off with some bar hopping in Manhattan.

Black is living the life, but his success did not come easy. After receiving a scholarship to the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Black began shooting images of people in the local community, which led to his big break working for popular Japanese publication Warp Japan magazine. Black’s go-get-em attitude has rewarded him a widespread résumé featuring notable clients including Sports Illustrated, MTV, Spike Lee, Clinton Portis and Venus Williams.

Now as a successful photographer, Black loves the business and competition of the industry. By engaging in personal pow-wows and bonding before a shoot, Black is able to produce images that better cater to his client’s desires and keeps Black in their pool of personal contacts. A good sport on and off the scene, Black continues to be the shinning gem that will light up the photography industry.

25 Magazine: How was life like for you growing up?

Kareem Black: Life was good. I was born in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I had great parents. My mother is a doctor and my dad is a professor teaching political science. One of the things I liked was that I never felt constrained or restricted because we were not always financially stable. I never felt like we were struggling.

Before my mom was a doctor, she was a secretary who worked to put herself through medical school when I was in middle and high school. I get most of my motivation and inspiration from my parents. It’s very amazing that they instilled that “anything is possible” mindset.

25: What inspired you to pursue a career in photography?

Black: I’ve always been an artist. I started out drawing comics and elevated to paintings, particularly oil paintings. I would have models come and pose in front of me while I paint them.  But, because of the conflicting schedules and my lack of patience, I then moved on to taking pictures of the models and creating a painting from the picture. This is how I got into the desire of taking photos. I began to like the interactions that I shared with the models. From there I went to SVA [School of Visual Arts] in 1996 on scholarship and wanted to become a photographer, particularly for music and entertainment.

25: How do you plan the type of photo you want to take when shooting a particular celebrity? Is it based of their personality, profession, etc?

Black: Each shoot has different aspects and goals. My vision comes from the connections that me and the subject have. It is based on the level of trust that the subject has in my work and to know that I will make them look like royalty. Also, it depends on the theme of the shoot. For example, for the “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” photo shoot, there was a 1950’s theme, so we incorporated the 1950’s clothing, make-up, and the props related to that decade.

Photo courtest of Kareem Black

25: What do you enjoy capturing about a person when shooting?

Black: I love to capture pictures of faces. I love every detail of a person; every freckle, every mole, every line and every eyelash. A person’s face is a big part of the story that describes who one is.

25: How would you describe your style of photography?

Black: My style comes from the places where I’ve traveled. I love variety. That kind of gives me inspiration to keep my work new and fresh. I hate taking the same picture twice. It’s like having a desk job where you expect to do the same thing every day. I hate that. So I always experiment and explore new things and places. Also, I love to take pictures with humor and I’m currently into taking black and white photos because I think it’s beautiful.

25: What does a “top class” picture consist of?

Black: Well, I believe that a top class picture is at the eye of the beholder. You know what I mean? It’s all based on a person’s artistic style. Different people like different things. What does an image mean to you? Is it a picture of some kind of historical significance or is it more of a documentary that can capture an incredible moment?

25: What inspires you as an artist?

Black: Everything inspires me! I am fortunate to live in a place like New York that is full of wonderful friends who are artist and can arouse his creativity, which most of my ideas are formed. Additionally, competition inspires me to work harder on my craft. Whether it’s from other photographers or friendly rivalry (Whoever gets the photo shoot/client that we all were trying to get, the loser buys dinner).  Traveling is another inspiration for me. I enjoy seeing things I’ve never seen and going to places I’ve never been. Witnessing different cultures and people of different nationalities are amazing. This is what inspires me to create images and helps me to provide a unique vision.

Photo courtest of Kareem Black

25: What photographer do you idolize?

Black: Wow. I idolize many photographers. I love the work of Brooke Nipar and my ex-girlfriend Emily Shur, who is an amazing photographer and one of the people I admire as an artist. Also I love painters, Philip Corey and Phil Cotton.

25: What celebrity would you dream of working with in the future?

Black: Leonard Nimoy and Lindsay Lohan! I really want to shoot them both but for different reasons. Actually, shooting the two of them together would be amazing, now that I think about it!

25: What do you like to do in your downtime?

Black: I’m a big nerd. I love “Star Trek” and chess. I try to play chess every day and I’ve seen and/or own every episode of “Star Trek” and all its spin offs-except “Star Trek Voyager” of course because Voyager sucks! Other then that I love to drink. Is that wrong?

25:  Hey to each, his own. What advice would you give to someone wanting to or considering becoming a professional photographer that would help them in this regard?

Black: You know that reminds me of what my professors at SVA would say to me, “shoot what you love.” You have to a have a passion for what image you are capturing. I was going to be a fashion photographer but I didn’t like or did not know anything about fashion. So, I went to music.

Also, one would have to move into a hub; meaning go to a place like New York, Tokyo, London and Los Angeles, where you can prove your talents and where networking opportunities and chances of success are at its highest. Fish where the fish are. Also, one has to be open to everything and willing to learn. One should never be afraid to embrace their abilities, explore and try new things. I had a shoot for Nascar then after I began watching Nascar and became a huge fan. That probably never would have happened if I didn’t shoot them.

For more on Kareem Black, visit www.KareemBlack.com.

MTV Alexa Chung Times SQ Billboard from kareem black on Vimeo.

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

WORDS BY LAUREN MCEWEN

Cosigned by long-time friend, Kanye West and equipped with a nice flow, a gift for production and a hyphen in his name that he takes very seriously, 88-Keys is gunning for a spot among hip-hop’s elite. His first album, The Death of Adam, was a feature-heavy tribute to a fictional friend named “Adam,” who allowed his love and lust for women to lead him to his demise. Executively produced by West, 88-Keys’ debut was a virtual roll call of musical talent. Artists including Kid Cudi, Phonte of Little Brother, J*DaVeY, Bilal, Redman, Shitake Monkey and of course, Kanye West all paid their respects to Adam, the fallen “everyman.”

After the video for his first single, “Stay Up! (Viagra),” featuring Kanye West, began popping up on video playlists, 88-Keys gained a considerable amount of buzz in the music world. The Death of Adam made it’s way onto a variety of top albums lists, including MySpace’s “Top 50 Albums” and AllMusic’s “Top Hip Hop Albums.”

88-Keys’ latest song “Baggage Claim,” produced by multi-platinum talent Needlz, is themed after ABC’s hit show Lost, shows that Keys has more hits to offer hip-hop. He is currently working on a follow-up album to Adam and it should not disappoint.

Check out his new single, “Baggage Claim”:

Baggage Claim by 88-keys

25 Magazine: When did you decide to pursue a career in music?

88-keys: I guess it was ’97 or ’98 when I first got paid for my music, after doing it for a couple of years. I got about 700 or 900 bucks for selling my very first music that I ever made on a machine that I still use to this day. So I was like, “Ok, so, this is how this is going down. I see.” So I decided to make music my life.

25: Who are your major inspirations?

88-keys: Overall, my inspirations are my brother, Dr. Anthony K. Njapa, Q-Tip, Ralph Lauren and Pete Rock.

25: What’s behind your Polo obsession? Just loving the brand?

88-keys: It’s like you can’t go wrong with Ralph. I started buying the Polo brand back in ’91, but back then I was still buying other brands, but I always noticed that I was spending a long time rummaging through other people’s brands, and always coming up short because I didn’t really like the stuff, but by the time I went to the Ralph Lauren Polo section, of the department stores I used to shop in I couldn’t even decide which ones to pick because they were all fresh.

Finally I just said, “Why am I wasting my time trying to shop with other brands when I don’t love their clothing,” but I always love Polo stuff, so that was it, since ’92 until now. And then since ’06 is when I decided to wear Polo from head to toe. I don’t own any Nikes or whatever cats are wearing now days, Supras. I don’t own any New Era, or New York fitted hats, or anything like that. It’s just all Ralph Lauren Polo.

25: What made you choose dedicate entire debut album to your friend?

88-keys: It’s a story that everybody knows, and everybody is familiar with, but I felt like that story hadn’t been told through music in such detail. Sure, there are love songs, of course. There are songs about meeting that special someone. There are even songs about catching STDs out there, I’m sure, but I don’t think anyone has pulled it off quite the way I have: making the story very concise and fluid, almost.

25: Your bio on your website said that some of his other friends were upset that you dedicated your entire album to him. Why do you think that they feel that way?

88-keys: My bio is actually just a play on my album. Anything regarding myself on my bio is all true, but Adam is actually a fictional person, but he’s everybody. I do have friends who went through the same stuff that Adam went through, and I feel that every man has gone through some, if not all, of what Adam went through on my album—like what he actually went through physically and thought processes and his emotions.

And I feel that every woman of age knows an “Adam” in their lives. Whether they dealt with that person or their homegirls went out with that person and they were trying to steer them clear of that person. Adam could be mine and your father. So, Adam is every man in one way or the other.

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

25: How does it feel to be a family man breaking out into the music industry? Hip-hop isn’t always the most family-friendly of genres?

88-keys: I’m a father of two and a husband of one. That’s one of the reasons that I made the album because I’m trying to restore the traditional family unit. It definitely has its downsides. I don’t work on my music as much as I used to because I have other obligations to my wife and my daughters, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I love them, and we plan on making more to add to the clan.

We’re actually working on a schedule. The schedule has allowed me to have three free days to work, and then my wife helps out as often as she can, like holding the kids down while I try to bring home the bacon. But she brings in bacon, too. She actually might wind up bringing home more bacon than I am, because she’s awesome and she has her creative business going on that she started.

25: Doing what?

88-keys: I’ll just say that it deals with photography. My wife is a self-taught photographer. She’s pretty dope. She has a website up. She met another woman who shares her interest and is a self-taught photographer. They clicked and formed a business plan, and it’s crazy. I think she might wind up making an “M” before I do, to be honest. But we’re married so, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine.

25: What’s your favorite song on your entire album?

88-keys: My favorite song would be numbers 1 through 14. Had you asked me the same question before Kanye came in as executive producer, I would have said a song that no longer appears on the album, and everything else was secondary. But now, that the song was taken off I just love every song as much as the previous one. Yeah…my album’s pretty dope.

25: Who are three people that you would love to collaborate with in the future?

88-keys: Michael McDonald, Lupe Fiasco and, had he not passed so suddenly, I’d like to say the late, great, J-Dilla.

25: Do you have any plans for a tour in the future?

88-keys: Yeah, my management is working to get a meeting with a very well-known, reputable agency, but it’s been pretty hectic. The agency actually put me on tour with Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and B.O.B., and through them I also did a show with Lupe Fiasco a little while ago at Governors Island. As far as getting more touring gigs, that’s kind of up in the air right now. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen, but we just have to get the meeting. I’m actually happy that I’m not on the road right now because now I’m working on my next album, my next mixtape, and a bunch of projects, like some feature verses that I owe people, and my next beat CD—so I am a busy man!

25: Do any of your other projects have themes to them?

88-keys: They will. My next album most likely will, but I haven’t really decided yet. But I will say this—it’ll be dope! You heard it here first, folks.

25: Do you have any advice for other people who want to break into the music industry?

88-keys: Yes, don’t do it! Stay your ass in school! No, seriously. Be honest with yourself. That’s first and foremost. If you’re a rapper, and you know you’re not rapping as well as a Consequence, or a Lupe, or Kanye, or whoever. If you’re nowhere near their level of freshness, work on it behind closed doors, but don’t start putting songs up on MySpace, like “Yo! I’m the next Kid Cudi!” Be honest with yourself.

I have a feeling that people actually know that they’re not that fresh, but they’re just, like, throwing pasta at the wall. If you’re not that fresh then you’re just wasting people’s time. For producers, it’s the same thing. If your beats aren’t that crazy, keep working on it and actually surface when you have something buzzworthy. I mean, music is all a matter of opinion, but there are some people who should just know that they’re wack. I’m not saying hang it up completely—well, there does come a time when one should hang it up completely—but don’t like puff your chest out when there’s no air in your lungs.

For more on 88-Keys, check out www.eightyocho.com.

Peep 88-Keys’ video for “Stay Up (Viagra)” feat. Kanye West:

Photo courtesy of Blek Le Rat

25 Magazine interviews Paris street art pioneer, Blek Le Rat.

WORDS BY AMANDA KOGER

Blek Le Rek is one of the most unrecognized names to anyone outside of the art world. This 20th century visionary who got his desire from studying New York City graffiti artists has now transformed the simple love of tagging Paris streets into a full-blown movement. Prophesied as the “godfather of stencil art,” Le Rat has altered the image of graffiti in Europe into an art form. Studying painting and architecture in Paris during the 1980s Le Rat soon realized that he wanted to bring a bigger message of social and political issues to his audience, which makes this Frenchman in a league of his own. With over two decades of putting in work with his stencil in hand, the man behind a movement still has no intentions of slowing down.

Le Rek isn’t just some fly by night graffiti artist; one who comes then disappears before the paint dries. No, Blek has been drawing for years. Some could say for the love of the art but if they ask the artist he would simply say because of the freedom. Blek has given inspiration to many from Shepard Fairley to Oseas Duarte and Bansky. So with no ending insight Le Rek will continue to put the pencil to the wall.

25 Magazine: Your real name is Xavier so where did Blek Le Rat come from?

Blek Le Rat: It comes from a comic book for kids named “Blek Le Roc” that we used to swap with other kids in the 60′s. I changed “Le roc” with “Le rat” because I used to love to paint rats when I started to make graffiti art in 1981. There is also in the word ” rat” its anagram “art”; I loved the coincidence between the two words.

25: Can you describe the creative process behind your work?

BLR: The process depends the image that I make. Sometimes it takes a long time when I am researching through all my documentations and books; sometimes it takes only few minutes. I can also imagine in my mind a new image for any reasons and I sketch the image with a pencil on a paper. I can also work with a photo that I have taken with a camera or found on the Internet. I usually rework the image with my computer and then I draw it on a large piece of paper or cardboard and then I cut it to make the stencil.

25: You are described as the “godfather of stencil art,” do you try to live up to this title or do you simply draw what you feel?

BLR: The British artist, Pure Evil called me first few years ago the “godfather of stencil art.” I did not take this title by my own [sic] and I can say that I draw what I feel.

25: Your artwork is based out of Paris but you have stated that you were first inspired by NYC graffiti. Have you ever wanted to make a transition to the states?

BLR: I love the states since my youth (my first trip to NYC was in 1971) and since I have worked in the states as NYC, Miami, San Francisco, LA, I have also done some works in the desert of Arizona and New Mexico [sic]. It is one of my dreams to live in the States but unfortunately I am too old now to move over there.

25: Why do you choose stencil as your medium?

BLR: I have chosen stencil because I did not want to copy the American artists who were making beautiful pieces. I thought that the architecture and the environment in my city in Paris was totally different than in NYC. I thought that an image done with stencil would have been better integrated in French architecture and space than an American piece but it is only my humble opinion and I think that some American pieces done in Paris are really great and beautiful. But it is not my cup of tea considering my own work.

25: Do you think that graffiti has become more of a respected art form than when you first started?

BLR: Yes I do, it is more respected now by the new generation of people who grew up with street art as an expression of art. Although, I would say not enough well respected to become a legal art. It is still everywhere in the world an illegal act and I can have a lot of troubles if I am caught in making my art. There is still a huge contradiction between a certain respect coming from the art market and the fact that this art is completely illegal in the eyes of the people in power in every country in the world.

25: How do you define “street art?”

BLR: “Street art is a beautiful art.”

25: After completing each piece what message are you trying to leave behind?

BLR: It depends on the piece. Sometimes it is a political or a social message, sometimes it is a tribute to someone or another time it is just a joke.

25: You describe a rat as a “free animal,” do feel your work is a medium for personal freedom?

BLR: Absolutely, YES I feel free to work, as I want. This is the great strength of graffiti art and may be that’s one of the reasons this expression is still illegal because it is not controlled and it is impossible to control the message of people working as a street artist. We can do what we want in the streets the best and the worst can be said in the streets. This may be why so many people are scared of graffiti art. They do not admit that someone else can be free to say to the others things that they do not want to hear…

25: Why was it important to you to do the Florence Augends pieces?

BLR: I think it was important because street art should also be a vector of communication between an important event in the life of a country or a society and the people. Florence Aubenas was a French journalist kidnapped in Iraq. She was working for an important newspaper in France and expected her own newspaper nobody cared of her at the beginning of her kidnapping [sic]. When I decided to do something to inform the people I started to paste many posters around the important French media area. Thinking that the other journalists would write something about her kidnapping and that was exactly what happened. Few weeks after my first post, all the magazines newspaper, radios and television took the relay. This experience taught me that street art could be a very important relay to inform people of a message [sic].

25: Any last words?

BLR: Graffiti art started in 1969 in Philadelphia and 40 years later this art is still in its full development.

25 Magazine interviews neo-funk California native, Nino Moschella.

WORDS BY MAYA RHODAN

It’s 9 a.m. on a windy Tuesday and while other emerging California artists are turning over in their beds after a long night of gigging, soul singer Nino Moschella is on his way out the door of his O’Neals, CA home taking his wife and daughter to work and school. Not the standard morning routine of an artist days away from his second album release. But Moschella lives his life like any other Bay Area family man; the self-proclaimed house dad is the father of three-year-old daughter, Stella, and husband to indie artist Mia Birdsong. Despite his Danny Tanner tendencies, Moschella is a hardworking artist, dedicated to representing all things funky and soulful in his music.

In 2006, Moschella released his first studio album, The Fix, on the San Francisco based Ubiquity Recordings, renowned for their devotion to cult music lovers of funk, soul and jazz. On his debut, Moschella’s underground roots were revealed through his non-conventional use of beat-boxing and hand-claps instead of the standard drum kit sound. Critics and listeners alike were wowed by the west coast singer’s soulful sound and deemed his album a hit, despite low numbers and mainstream recognition.

Since the start of his music career, Moschella has taken on the challenge of trying to reacquaint the world with the power of pure funk. Heavily inspired by the greats such as Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown, Moschella uses his music as an opportunity to demand respect for the genre that is only subtly represented in mainstream music. His sophmore LP Boomshadow, is a testimony to the style, the sound, and the artists that defined funky but also an original, soulful and personal work of art.

Nino Moschella - Are You For Real

25 Magazine: It has been about four years since your first album, The Fix was released with Ubiquity, how have you progressed as an artist in that time?

Nino Moschella: Good question. I would have to say that there hasn’t been a specific way that I have progressed but my feeling about the music has taken me to the next level. This album is definitely a step up. My feeling about the music has helping me to develop a knowing of when to push through and make a song work and when not to. I recorded about 40 songs in the making of this album, but I let the songs tell me when to push through. I’ve become more in tune with the music.

25: We hear the title of your last album Boomshadow came from a fictional character you and some friends made up, how does this character represent the album?

NM: [laughs] The character doesn’t even really represent the music. About 10 or 15 years ago me and my friends would joke around, while drinking and talk about this character Boomshadow. I hadn’t even thought about it until after the record was done and for some reason the name came back to me. The title does represent the sound of the album, but it was definitely an afterthought-it doesn’t relate to the creation of the record but the name relates to the sound that is the music.

25: On your first album you were making beats with a broomstick and handclaps, can you break down Boomshadow?

NM: Yeah, none of the beats were actually made with a broomstick, that’s just something the label says, but a lot of the sound was created without the traditional drum kit–there was a lot of beat boxing. I still like beat boxing and a lot of the music on this album comes from the same place rhythmically, but there is a lot more drum kit and structured sound. The drum was my first instrument and I naturally gravitate toward it, so there’s a decent drum representation on the album. I guess you can call the beats homemade, but there were no broomsticks involved.

25: What in your life has the biggest impact on your music?

NM: I think just the day to day experiences with those that are closest to me has the most influence on me and what I do. I mean there are definitely the musical influences in terms of what I listen to and who resonates with me musically (Jimi Hendrix, Oscar Brown Jr, John Lennon, Etta James, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, prince etc), but I would say the thing that has the biggest influence on what I write about and where my desire to express myself comes from, would be all the challenges and blessings that I go through with the folks that I’m closest to. I feel that is where I’ve learned the most about myself, being around and sharing experiences with the people I love.

Nino Moschella (prod. Shawn Lee) - Kiss The Sky

25: Speaking of day to day experiences, what is a typical day like for Nino Moschella?

NM: Everyday I get up, get my wife and daughter ready for work and school. Work on music, rehearse…I’m a house dad.

25: How does being a Dad impact your music?

NM: Definitely hard to pin exactly how. But generally, [my daughter] has opened my life to new experiences. She has introduced to me a new capacity for a different kind of love. I have written songs for her; the affect that she has had on my life and my wife’s life is so great. We are constantly trying to view the world how she views the world, which is so different than how we do, and so unique. Stella has given me a different awareness. The thing about children is you have an instinct to take care of them, it’s so natural. Being a dad definitely impacts my music, but not in one specific way.

25: When did you first realize that you wanted to do this for a living?

NM: I didn’t realize that I wanted to until about high school. I always knew that I wanted to make music, but I had to realize that I needed to make money while I was doing it. I played the drums in high school, my dad was a musician, and my mom was a music lover; there was never a separation from me and music. But my becoming an artist wasn’t a conscious decision; it was the most natural progression for me. It wasn’t like I said ‘Either I’ll be a doctor or a musician,’ I knew it was going to happen, but I had to decide I wanted to make it happen for myself.

25: How have other artists influenced you?

NM: I love music, I have always loved music. Anything that perks my ears, I am attracted to. I do my thing and I appreciate other people doing their thing. Any music that I do is a reflection of what I like to listen to. My mom and dad met in Greenwich Village in New York at a time when artists were being openly creative and exploring their craft. I grew up listening to artists like Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson, and Etta James who were very soulful and Stevie Wonder, Prince and lots of California funk. I developed my style from what I love and I use my music as an opportunity to express myself the most openly-you create the best when you’re just being yourself.

25: How do you classify yourself as an artist?

NM: I try not to [chuckles]. My style has been derived from Funk, Soul, Rock, Folk…everything I grew up on, I draw inspiration from. I try to challenge myself not to create predictable music. When you listen to artists like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles and bear witness to how they were able to cross categories on so many occasions-even the Beatles did it. Music isn’t supposed to fit into a category, its experimental. I guess if I wanted to be classified it would be as funk or soul, but I its best not to get wrapped up in style and just do it.

25: How do you feel about marketing music over the internet?

NM: I think it’s great in that it gives so many people access to music and it’s great for independent artists. Marketing is too general- I don’t feel you can be completely represented by a paragraph written by a label. The words they publish shouldn’t be what lead people to understand me- that’s why I write the music. The marketing goals of record labels have purpose, that’s why the internet works so well for independent artists. Independent artists have to hustle, but you have to put in the work and make things happen. The internet helps people to push themselves and it gives them complete control-it’s empowering. And there is so much music out there! Back in the day there was a filter so only so much music could get out and only so many people could actually get in the studio to make it. Now everyone can make it, anyone can market it and there is a constant influx of new music and a lot of it is good! The only downside is that there is a lot of not-so-good music out there too.

25: So, do you have a twitter?

NM: I don’t have a twitter; I don’t think I will either. My friends have them, but I don’t think I need to tell everybody, everything I’m doing. I can’t remember my phone half of the time. It would be cool for when I’m in the road to be able to tell my family stuff like “It’s snowing in Denver,” but no twitter for me.

25: What has been the most challenging song you’ve recorded or written?

NM: Definitely Stella, it’s featured on this album. I wanted the words to be articulated perfectly because its about my daughter. I needed it to be a certain way both lyrically and visually, so that she could hear what I wanted her to know but at the same time paint a picture in her mind. The words were the last part I even wrote, the song was done for six months before I did the words. I had them in my mind, but it took me forever to commit them to a piece of paper. I just needed it all to mean something. After it was done my wife cried, so I guess it worked out cool [laughs].

25: Where do you see yourself in the future?

NM: Still here, making music. If people like my music, I’ll still be doing it for the next 30 or 40 years, and even if they don’t, maybe even 60 years. I think I can live to be 93…but I really hope people enjoy it!

Wale Speaks On Haiti x Charles Hamilton x 2010 from 25 Magazine on Vimeo.

We caught up with Wale after his performance for the Hands for Haiti benefit concert at Howard University for a follow up to this interview. Check it out!

It’s on youtube too!

We caught up with Wale after his set in the DMV Helps Haiti Benefit Concert at Club 930 for a quick interview, check it out!

Check out 25’s unsigned and undiscovered series, “The Breaks” featuring Poe Picasso.

Words by Tray Laws |Photo Courtesy: Poe Picasso

In 2006, Poe Picasso picked up his pen and began writing rhymes that he eventually recorded a year later. Once his project was finished, the Brooklyn rapper only shared his music with friends. He had no intentions of releasing it for the world to hear. But his friends felt the heart Picasso sculpted into his music, so they pushed him to release it publicly. Those tracks became Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project, released in January 2009. With Exhibit A, Picasso wants to prove that New York still has more to say. His flow is equipped with appeal, consistency, and intelligence. On the track “She Cries,” Picasso raps maturely about the many issues of Mother Earth, and how the people are contributing to her pain. On “Waste of Lead,” Picasso aggressively gives his view on the state of hip-hop and that it needs to be saved. This mixtape, a compilation of respect demanding, lyrical, feel good hip-hop, is a good start for Picasso as he makes his contribution to the ‘Hip Hop Museum.’

Although it took him two years to put out his first “Exhibit,” Picasso weighed his artistic scale, and realized he was heavy enough to put out Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny in November 2009. Picasso is aware of the load he carries in his aim to be the best out of New York. The city is home to some of the most well known rappers: Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and Nas. Yet, while proving he is worthy of being in the same realm as his predecessors, Picasso has figured out how to do it his way. The rhymes Picasso conceptualizes, paint the picture of his city in a different hue.

25: The name Poe Picasso definitely grabs attention, how did you develop the stage name?

Poe Picasso: It was simple. The Poe part I came up with, and the Picasso part my friend came up with. Me and my friends always use famous names or names of influential people; he suggested adding Picasso on the end of it and it just made sense. The Poe Part is from Edgar Allan Poe and the Picasso part came from Pablo Picasso.

25: A lot of your fellow New York Rappers talk about The Big Apple in their rhymes, how did the city that never sleeps influence your sound and your Mixtape Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project?

Picasso: New York was the main influence. New York was basically known for its lyrics that had some kind of toughness behind it. So, Exhibit A would just be a re acquaintance with New York; letting the people know that there are people in New York who are still lyrically in this who can make it. Plus, growing up in New York you have to, well not everyone, carry a certain prestige. I cant say I’m from New York and people hear my music and think ‘nah you don’t fit in that realm.’ I think that’s what motivated me more to push it to the next level.

25: In your song “Bask in My Glory” you say “the Internet makes a loser feel important,” and “Since when was it cool to be a lame, cornball, or a nerd, but I guess that’s what works.” What did you mean by those lines?

Picasso: Basically, when you’re online its different from being in person. When you’re online you can do and say whatever because you’re behind a monitor and no one can see you. So they can post stuff with no real credentials or post stuff in whatever look that works for the moment. Being yourself just doesn’t work anymore-now you have to have a story. Before, what made you stand out was your specific flow. Now it’s about what you’re wearing and what kind of watch you have. The music has become the secondary element.

25: On your Myspace page bio you describe yourself as a Messianic (mes•si•an•ic) Adj. 1. Relating to the belief that someone or something will bring about a complete transformation of the existing social order. How will you achieve this message through your music?

Picasso: I do so by keeping it as honest as possible. You can tell when a person is just rapping to rap by how many ‘cool lines’ they try to write. I write in honesty so I don’t feel like I’m just writing. So, If I’m keeping it as honest as possible and people feel that then the change has began and the message spreads. The way I use my words when I write, it’s poetry and that’s where the art form takes shape. I always have a message I’m trying to convey because as artists we have people that listen to our music and internalize the message we’re trying to convey. We’re the voice of our generation so it’s important for our listeners to get the message.

25: What’s your plans in the near future and where do you see the Poe Picasso brand in 5 years?

Picasso: My plans for the future are to be the number one artist. The best. If I’m not the best then I’m doing something wrong. As far as the Poe Picasso brand I see it being on the forefront carrying on the art form. I want my name to be the staple of New York, The flagship artist like when you think New York you think Poe Picasso. I know that sounds a little far fetched but that’s what I’m working for.

25: Anything else you would like to add?

Picasso: My next project, Exhibit B is one of the best bodies of work about to break. I’m very competitive and I’m not OK with being just OK and a lot of artists are OK with that. I think the healthy competition is lacking, not a beef type of thing, but by being the best it would push other artists to be the best.

You can find Poe Picasso’s Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project and Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny at myspace.com/poepicasso

Check out 25’s unsigned and undiscovered series, “The Breaks” featuring Coco and Breezy.

Words by India Banks |Photo courtesy of Hi-Def Photography

“Constantly on the grind” is clearly an understatement for identical twin designers Corianna and Brianna Dotson, better known as Coco and Breezy. The two natural born hustlers have worked their way from Minneapolis, Minnesota to the fashion capital of New York City at the age of 19, where they’ve resided since August. Recognized back home in Minneapolis for their eye-popping, neon colored patterns and bold style, they’ve both managed to piece together time as dancers and freelance models for Ignite Modeling Agency and Vision Model Management. And now with each other as their inspiration, Coco and Breezy have created an eccentric line of eyewear called “Gemela Amor.” Their clock seems to never stop ticking.

The idea for the trendy specs came about by mistake. One night, Coco and Breezy were experimenting with metal studs, one of their favorite accessory and they accidentally spilled them on a pair of shades. At this moment, the idea to create their own custom eyewear was born. Since April, the twins have been brainstorming and promoting their innovative creation and gaining exposure. Earlier this month the two were excited to see Ashanti donning a pair of their shades at the VH1 Hip Honors Award Show. These mysterious, dark, studded shades have become a signature part of the twins’ image which they use to mask their self-proclaimed coyness. Frequently designing new frames for their numerous orders, Coco and Breezy rarely get a chance to live like average teenagers. As newcomers in the big city, the two upcoming designers feel they have the drive to get over any hill no matter the height.

25: Tell me about where you guys grew up?

Breezy: We are Coco and Breezy, and we are from Minneapolis, Minnesota. We are now living in New York, and we’re 19. We are identical twins and we are very close like we haven’t been separated for more than 24 hours. Coco and Breezy are identical, but Corianna and Brianna are paternal. When we were 15 we did more dancing, then from 15 to 17, we focused more on modeling. Now we are focusing on just designing. It’s hard because we don’t get any sleep, but it works out because it’s two of us.

Coco: People know us for our style. We express our feelings through our style like people are intimidated by us, but we’re mad cool. We just have our own image.

25: Who/what are your main inspirations?

Breezy: When we first started designing, we would feed off each other and inspire each other. But now I would have to say Michael Jackson because of he was into all the studded jackets and metal.

Coco: He just had that look and Grace Jones too.

25:  Did you ever think coming from Minnesota was a hindrance in your ability to succeed in the industry?

Breezy: No not really, because it’s great to start in a small state. We were locally famous. We were in all the local newspapers, and everyone knew us. You have to make it in your state before you go to bigger states. Being in Minnesota helped us proceed in the big states.

Photo Courtesy of CocoandBreezy.com

25: With the industry being so competitive now, how do you see your designs for your eyewear different from those of other upcoming lines?

Breezy: Sunglasses are definitely getting big in this industry. I feel like ours is more different and artsy. It just comes natural, like we don’t have to think.

Coco: We just do what comes to mind. We believe that fashion is art.

25: What advice would you give to students who are pursuing the same goals as you?

Breezy: They have to go through hard work. We always have to be two steps ahead. Some people get to the top and become too comfy. Don’t wait or depend on somebody. You have to go hard and get what u want.

Coco: We don’t have a real management team because we did it all ourselves. Work hard now, play later. Everyday we grind!

The line “Gemela Amor” by Coco and Breezy can be viewed at cocoandbreezy.com

50 Cent is in transition. He’s perched on the cement roof of Camp Curtis in Manhattan with sidekick and G-Unit kinsman Tony Yayo at his back while a reality television show cartel anxiously anticipate his next move. The entrepreneur dons a navy pinstripe three-piece, royal blue tie and air of austere discontent. It is the pilot episode of his MTV reality television show “The Money and the Power” and Mr. Jackson is deliberating eliminations in an effort to teach his novice cast an important lesson in business.  He approaches the feisty contestant Precious, jaw clenched, perhaps too close for comfort, and stares intently into her eyes. To everyone’s surprise, Fifty decides to send home her faulty team leader, saving Precious from an early elimination—Instinct. Since the 2003 release of his freshman LP, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 has been fervently dishing out business advice to anyone who’d listen, and after topping Forbes’ 2008 “Hip Hop Rich List” (he tied with Akon at No. 4 in 2009), the world is all ears.

Fifty’s first lesson in business—invest smart and early. In 2004, he purchased equity in Glacéau and launched his own brand of VitaminWater, Formula 50. In 2007, Coca Cola acquired Glacéau in a $4.1 billion deal, leaving Curtis Jackson with an estimated profit of up to $400 million and continued partnership as the “Air Jordan of VitaminWater.”

His second lesson—no concessions. Despite extensive promotions, 50 Cent rescheduled the release of his third album Curtis in order to maximize on both U.S. and international sales in 2007 and reaped 5 million copies sold worldwide in the face of the dwindling music industry.  The shaky economy set up 2008 winter releases for financial failure and prompted Fifty to push his fourth solo project Before I Self Destruct to February 2009 and later September 29, 2009, promoting the LP with extensive radio play, single releases and download specials.

As for Fifty’s third lesson, you’ll have to buy the book—The 50^th Law; A Robert Greene collaborative project and 48 Laws of Power spin-off in stores today and lofty addition to Fif’s bevy of endorsements and products. In the past two years, Jackson earned over $170 million (Jay-Z  earned 30% less at $117 million) and has proved himself a savvy businessman despite what corporate considers a misleading thug-posturing music persona. He’s garnered money and power with his triumph of the entertainment industry and now that he’s risen to the top—is after our respect.

25 Magazine: Rumors are spreading like crazy on the value of the 50 brand but they’re all conflicting, how much are you really worth?

50: Like my net worth? I don’t even know. After taxes and everything we’ll figure it out. I mean as far as the companies I haven’t sold already you know what I mean? When you build, the object is to build the companies up to the point that you can actually sell em. [I] don’t want to underestimate or overestimate you know. If I overestimate then people gon say I was frontin’ and if I underestimate they say I’m just giving you a bullshit answer.

25: Hmmm, well it is without a doubt you’re doing well. Do you have plans to expand your brand further?

50: Oh absolutely. I mean I think that’s the big portion of what we do that artists miss. We’re in the music business. I think they just get stuck with music.  And they never know the business when they trying [to] make the type of interest to have the type of popularity and celebrity that’s involved. The marketing that was done and being spent on an actual artist…I just think that applies to my personal interests. I’ll make a commitment to VitaminWater as opposed to an alcoholic beverage because it’s more, a more visible representation of my lifestyle. I’m really health conscious.

25: Word on the street or the internet rather, is that you made the right choice investing in Glaceau. Do you ever feel the pressure succeed this hit or miss industry?

50: Well yea. On every level I feel pressure to succeed you know but not just from the label, from myself.  You know when you got the entire art form down 30% of course I like to be the turning point for a positive. You know what I mean, where you actually start selling records again based on a new album. But if not there ain’t much to look forward to so I mean while you got people out there that’d like to see me do bad, they can [revel in] the bad, they can also forget about their chances of making a successful career for themselves and this art form.

25: Rap sales have been down yet the interest still seems to be growing. Who do you truly feel dictates the trends in Hip Hop, the artists or the corporations?

50: I think the artists do but corporations, I mean ultimately the corporations do but artists they gotta turn their music in you know what I’m saying? The problem with Hip Hop right now is that no real artist control; there’s no creative control. They used to have, the A&R department used to be a lot stronger where they would help create a creative direction with the artist and now it’s like an artist will come in and if they got one good record they might get signed for that record…And do the single, I mean if the single works, ringtone will pay for your album. Now you give an artist in there a really good record…and it was a really good record you say okay well we got a single, all you gotta do is go in the studio mix and master the single, put the single out. If the single connects, the ringtone can earn enough to support them giving you a budget to create your album.

25: No more albums?! Seems as though artists are getting the short end of the deal. What would you consider your biggest grievance with the music industry?

50: You know what it is. You got a lot of people that don’t actually from an artist perspective…because you see an artist, you create all type of envy and negative energy for other artists because I come from an artist standpoint but these artists don’t actually wanna learn the business.

What I dislike the most about the music business is rappers see everyone else who actually raps as their peer. Even if you work yourself into a different space in business and financially they still see you as their peer so they begin to envy your space instead of just build on their own energy because Hip Hop is so competitive that the artists utilize whoever is in a good scene as a target or their competition. You understand what I’m saying? You know and I deal with that constantly and I feel like this like about this particular art form and I don’t think R&B artists don’t well…they don’t respond the same way like they don’t say. Like I don’t see um Pink saying “fuck Ne-Yo” you know what I’m saying because his record is good you know and that’s what happens in  Hip Hop space, so it’s different like that’s the only portion about the hip hop genre of music that you know ours is a little different.

25: Speaking of understanding the business, do you own your publishing? How important do you feel it is for an artist to own their publishing rights and side business ventures?

50: Yes I do. Well it depends on where that artist is at financially or what kind of deal they actually do it in. If you wanna do it in an Administrative deal it’s somewhat you know like a lot they held on to all the publishing and didn’t have anybody involved with collecting all their publishing then they probably wouldn’t pay the money they were supposed to pay anyway.

25: Well you have been doing pretty well for yourself, did you ever anticipate this much success?

50: I always had big ambitions. Big dreams you know what I’m saying. Well I always envision things. What I mean by that is before I used to think of something and just sit there and just be thinking of it. That’s dreaming. When you come up with something and you start figuring out how to execute it. That’s envisioning you know you’re actually attempting to execute it you know I take my idea and I roll with them.

25:  You came from humble beginnings, as a Black entrepreneur do you feel a responsibility to give back to the community?

50: Well I think everybody should, that’s in a position where they could actually do it. You know I come from the bottom so to be able to provide something that wasn’t provided to me to help someone else life experience or a small piece of it. I ain’t doing so much where I’m altering their life totally you know what I mean. To me the biggest donation is making a small dent in what needs to be done. You know so I guess… as far as all of the charitable things I’ve been involved in I didn’t want to create a non for profit organization I feel like that would be me running a whole ‘nother business. Because that is a business you know what I’m saying like there’s a lot involved in having a non for profit so what I did is I set up the G-Unity Foundation where I could actually take proceeds and my donation and donate to other existing charities.

25: Do you think other artists are contributing enough?

50: I think the ones that can are.  You know I think a lot of them…I think the perception of Hip Hop artists is a lot greater than they actually are and it’s because of what they see on television like rappers be superheroes within themselves you know they rap about the coolest stuff. It’s the lifestyle that they aspire to have. You know sometimes you gotta fake it until you make it. You know and that’s what they doing so there will be a lot more money around than there actually is and because they aspire to live life on the highest level they splurge early. So you see them with the nice cars when you see them in passing and big jewelry and everything else on and you think wow this guy is rich when he really doesn’t have a lot. He did what would be visible to make people get that impression but they don’t actually have it.

25: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years, music or business?

50: In ten for sure more in business. I’d be 44 years old. You know, not rapping. By 44, I will behind-the-scenes more.

25: Do you think you’ll ever settle down?

50: Well I can’t predict the future but I’d say right now to answer that question I’d say I see myself in business at 42. I know people who have families and they conduct, at a different pace but they still have businesses so and right now I’m off and running. I’m going to do what I got to do to sell a record and do different things but… after then everything starts to mellow down a little bit.

Hip hop is tired of being hip-hop. Kanye is diving further into fashion, Lil’ Wayne is engaged in a torrid affair with rock & roll, and everyday a new rapper starts a film career. Some fans claim that artists need to branch out creatively to express themselves, while some cynics scream that strolling down every media avenue is just a shrewd attempt at getting rich. Whatever the case, spreading talent too thin leads to a decline in quality music. Cliché rants about Hip hop being dead come to mind. Just as we were all beginning to dread flipping on the radio, fresh voices are pumping in new blood to revive the music industry.

Such is the case with U-N-I, a rap duo hailing from Los Angeles, California. Their music seems to immediately connect with people. After releasing their first mixtape, Fried Chicken and Watermelon in 2007, U-N-I has been receiving increasing amounts of recognition from both listeners and the press, with growing coverage and performance opportunities. Avid rap heads have greeted each offering with the same greedy anticipation. Their follow-up mixtape Before There Was Love caused the blogosphere to ignite with reviews and promises of free downloads, and their latest musical contribution, A Love Supreme, which features the insanely catchy single “Hollywood Hiatus” enjoyed a similar welcome.

The men behind the music are members, Yonas “Y-O” Micheal and Yannick “Thurzday”Koffi. They met in high school in 1999. After realizing their mutual love of music, they began to devote their lunch periods to defeating cocky upperclassmen in rap battles. They soon joined a four-man group called Rap-Ture Kamp, but in 2006 they splintered off and began to work together. They derived their name from The Roots’ track “UNIverse at War,” one of their favorites, and have been sprinting after their shared goal of rap fame ever since, using mixtapes and performances to get them closer to their dreams.

They have made significant progress. Not only have their Google hits risen to internet-celebrity status, but their developing resume includes making Billboard Magazine’s “Acts to Watch” list and the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards “Best Breakout LA Artist” award.

Although this heightened interest in the duo means they are successfully breaking into the music industry, it also leaves room for lazy comparisons and knee-jerk expectations. Some take a glance at U-N-I’s mutual appreciation for bright colors and Y-O’s mohawk and instantly label them as “hipsters.” Others immediately assume that they will spout the g-funk that is heavily associated with the Los Angeles area. However they seem to be different, more honest. Their music centers on their individual memories, goals, shoe fetishes, and celebrity daydreams. There is a certain level of self-awareness in their lyrics, as they allow their clever rhymes and well-delivered punch lines to speak for themselves.

Check out their latest release “Land of Kings”:

25: Where’d your love for music come from?

Thurzday: It comes from the people we grew up listening to Mos Def, Talib, Redman, Nas, Biggie; we were really influenced by Prince, listened to that reggae music and all that stuff, so we really loved music.

25: How did you two meet?

Y-O: We basically met in my freshman year and Thurzday’s sophomore year at St. Bernard High it was 1999. We met during lunchtime when we were either playing basketball, or on the courtyard doing freestyles up against upperclassmen and we just became the talk around campus, because we just demolished these upperclassmen who just thought they were just the ish and we did a talent show and joined a four man group during our high school years, we put out a couple of mix tapes, albums, and the request that they wanted to hear myself and Thurzday [do something together] so finally we made that division and we hopped out in ’06 and followed that with Fried Chicken and Watermelon in the year 2007.

25: What made you decide to really pursue a career in music?

Thurzday: Because 9-5’s are wack! I couldn’t see myself doing anything else that made me happy. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid. Some people wonder why –it was like, the only thing we wanted to do as far as having a career. I looked up to people who’ve done it and I could never see myself doing anything else.

25: What made you realize that a career in music was right for you? How did it make you feel?

Y-O: Well, music has always been a part of our lives. I can tell you that growing up as a kid there was always music being played in our houses. But, before I got deep into music, there was always basketball, and with basketball, you know, you warm up to music. So, I noticed as I got older music has just always been something that was a part of me growing up as a kid and it just always made me feel so happy. When you write rhymes it’s just a way of [releasing] some stress off, getting stuff off your mind, and just putting it in your own words, and it just makes you happy; makes you get through the day easier. So, when we did the talent show in high school and just hearing the people’s reaction that kinda, like, made me feel great and I said to myself, “This could be a future; something I could do later on down the line.” So, just getting older and older and doing more shows—I guess I just took it more seriously and people respected it.

25: Many complain about a lack of originality in the music industry. What makes you different?

Thurzday: We’re not anybody else. We’re only us. So that’s like the only thing that makes us different from anybody. Everybody hasn’t lived our lifestyle. Everybody hasn’t experienced what we’ve experienced. So, through our own voice, we project who we are throughout our music. And it’s nobody but us. So, that’s really what makes us original. We’re true emcees. You know, we’re not a gimmick act. We really have talent, and we display that.

Y-O: And just to back him up. Our music is about things that actually happened in our lives, but outside of that, our live shows. I would say that It should be mentioned that even though we don’t have the biggest amount of money backing us up, we’re able to put our minds together-myself, Thurzday, our DJ and sometimes our band-and we just put on a live [ass] show, which some artists are not able to do these days.

25: Speaking of your music, it seems that you have a thing for Lauren London?

Y-O: Yeah, that’s a true story, once again. The song was basically inspired just from me having a crush on Lauren London, and I brought it up in the studio, with Ro Blvd, and we were just all joking and laughing about it. Everybody was like, “Yeah, she’s hot”. So, we started laughing about it, and it eventually turned into a record. She actually heard the record, and I guess it put a smile on her face. I thought she responded on Twitter, and she hit us up, well a fake hit us up, saying she loves the music, and she was acting real brand new. Then I remembered months ago that she’d heard it, so I was like “This can’t be Lauren” so I asked her a question about a mutual friend and she had no clue who I was talking about, so that kinda like, brought me down cause I thought I was really talking to Lauren London and come to find out it was a fake, man.

25: And shoes? You like those enough to write a whole song about them, as well?

Thurzday: We basically got an idea to take the original “C.R.E.A.M”, from Wu-Tang, and apply it to our lifestyle and a lot of folks were into kicks at the time, so we changed it to “Kicks Rule Everything Around Me”. We shot a video for it, and it took off.

25: You’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback lately from the media, but what’s your career goal?

Y-O: To be bigger than Kanye, with more money than Bill Gates.

25: Any advice for aspiring artists?

Thurzday: Starts with quality music, and a quality team and you can do anything.

Y-O: Step outside the box, just be yourself, and have fun—always have fun.

Download their music at www.yothurz.com

Five years ago, Teedra Moses came on the scene with the potential to take over the R&B game. She had it all: the look, the songwriting capabilities (she’s wrote songs for many notable R&B songstresses), and her album entered No. 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. So what happened?

In 2003, Moses penned a song for Nivea, and in the following years, Teairra Mari, and wrote “Dip It Low,” Christina Milian’s most successful song, reaching No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, what seemed like the opportunity of her dreams turned out to be a nightmare. Moses received positive reviews for Complex Simplicity, but TVT Record’s lack of promotion for the album affected her record sales. Despite these hurdles, Moses proved that she was able to persevere. Even with the poor record sales, the songbird’s talent was not overlooked and she developed a strong following of fans.

Due to issues with TVT Records, Moses was unable to put out her second LP and was left to find her own resources. Working with the indie label left her with little experience. “TVT Records never quite grasped the R&B market and the necessity of maintaining good relationships in this business,” says manager Tamia Schannell. “It ultimately led to their demise.” Out of their list of artists, TVT had three active R&B acts.

As of now, Teedra is a free agent and has broken ties with TVT Records.  She released a few mixtapes over the years, her most recent effort in 2009, Lionhearted – Young Hustla Vol. III, sold out on her myspace. Never the victim, Moses self-reliance pushed her to overcome roadblocks. Now a few years later, stronger and experienced, Moses has never felt more alive, hungry to release from the pen, the lion she’s been taming inside of her.

25: A lot of your fans are awaiting your return.

Teedra Moses: As you know TVT went bankrupt, and they are totally defunct now. Before I go to a new label I basically want to put out some new music myself. I was supposed to put out a mixed CD last year, the Royal Patience CD from the Young Hustla Volumes, but I chose not to do it because I wasn’t in the right place. It wasn’t the songs that I wanted and I wanted to see what was going on contractually with record labels and now that’s cleared. So I’m just going to go ahead and put out a small mixtape titled, Young Hustla Volume 3. From that point on I’m going to shop for a new deal which I’m not even sure if I want at this point.

Rather than have a mass appeal to everybody and be a huge star on the cover of all the magazines, it’s more important to me that I get to do the music I want to do and that my vision gets out clearly to the people that are my fans already. Labels, sometimes try to make artists into packages. And you know its great cus God has blessed me with the record label at TVT. It’s given me a pretty broad fan base because they’ve been waiting around for a while. So I can’t really say right now, and unfortunately it’s been a couple of bumps and some problems with business situations, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m writing everyday.

25: You said earlier, that labels try to make artists put out packages…how do you plan to avoid this?

TM: I love that people love what I’ve done, but if what I do next doesn’t get pushed, I really can’t concern myself with that unfortunately. I love my relationship with the people that appreciate my music. It is on a level that most artists don’t get a chance to have. I’ve talked to them by AIM, or email or text messaging. Like I have connected with people with my music and I appreciate that and I appreciate every person that comes out to see every show I do.

And the promoter for the club would ask ‘Who is she?’ And by the time I leave the club it’s like ‘O that’s who she is. People were singing her song. Somebody loves her.’ And I love that. And the crazy thing is that when I’m performing I am that person for that hour or however long I perform, and I can’t pretend that I’m not that. So it is one of the most important things that I stay true to myself. That’s why I think about the idea of going to a label and whether that’s important enough right now.

25: How have you grown as an artist since your first album?

TM: My first album was just shoved out. It wasn’t quick, but it was. I started writing and recorded songs with that album. ‘Caught Up’ was one of the first songs I ever completely wrote, recorded, and arranged and it was like ‘Yo I can do this it’s kinda cool’. But then it all started coming so quick. Paul Poli and I had musicians, and other talented people around me and we kinda like had a little camp. You always had creative help, and you know things changed and everyone went their own way, and I’m here left to do my second album basically by myself. I had to learn so much, because Shaffer Smith taught me a lot about how to arrange.

He could arrange something in 15 minutes, which it would take me 15 minutes or it could take me 5 days. Paul Poli pretty much was the first person for me to start writing with, so I just chose some of the tracks that he gave me. And after that process, on the second album, I had to pretty much A&R myself and to learn to speak to the producers and to get what I want. I really wanted to get my side of it, like the lyrics, the melodies and arrangement, and get that as tight as possible. To me it seems like these past few years have been college for me.

The first album came out- I think it’s a great album and I’m very very proud of it. Not in an arrogant way, but you know you experience things in your life, and you don’t really care if people pay it any mind, it’s like you just fuck with it. But I’ve had to learn business wise about this industry, by running into brick walls and jumping over these hurdles that normally, you just have a record label that helps out for all that and I didn’t really have that. And I’m not disrespecting TVT, because I appreciate them, and I thank God for TVT, because I was able to learn so much and I was able to do all the writing on my first album and hone my skills.

25: So how does things look for the next album The Young Lioness?

TM: I’m gonna take my time, and unfortunately with TVT, there was nothing I could do, and I praise God that I didn’t get stuck with them because as much I appreciated them, that wasn’t the home for me. I really am a creative person and I love being in a creative environment, and they make club music and that’s cool, but I want to be around people that understand that there are still music lovers out there. Sometimes when you’re creative, people don’t understand it. And sometimes if it’s not something that’s going to be jumping in the club they just don’t believe in it. I hate that they had to fall so quickly apart but for me to get off, I don’t really care.

I’m free now. And a lot of people don’t understand what I went through over there hustling so hard by myself. My camp was hustling so hard because they [TVT] really didn’t believe in what I was doing. And I don’t know what they thought was going to happen with that first album without no promotion, but I think it did a great job with no promotion. But it’s cool cus I’m still here making music and people want to stay in tune. You know I’m the friend that’s always there. My music will always be there.

25: Is there any music, past or present that is influencing the music you are doing now?

TM: I like a lot. I don’t pick certain people, at least consciously. Even like older artists, like I love Shaka Khan, but I don’t go to be just like her. I love Janelle Monae, and Estelle, and its just so many people out there that I love what they are doing and I don’t literately take it but they inspire me. Jazmine Sullivan as well. I love her too.

25: Are there any other ventures outside of music that you would like to do?

TM: I really love and devote a lot of my time and my attention to making music because of how hands on I am with it. A lot of people are out making fashion lines, acting, and I think I have a slight case of ADD because I’m really focused when I want to do something good. I’m not the kind of person that can spread myself thin and be good at everything. I really love furniture and designing furniture and refurbishing things like that, but that’s really something that I have to wait for. I have so much responsibility with music and I really, really love clothing.

Before I started making music I had an accessory line called Sagittarius and I kind of stopped doing it because I had to start focusing on music. Now that I’ve gotten more comfortable with putting together my music, I am really considering putting Sagittarius back together, but these things will all follow. I just want to get my music out consistently and then those things will come. Another important thing to me is that I have to be a good mom. And I don’t care about making clothes or furniture if I can’t be a good mom. I don’t want to spread myself too thin if I’m not paying attention to that.

25: Would you ever consider doing more than one venture at a time?

TM: I can do more than one thing, I just have to master one first. I just feel like I haven’t had the chance to expose my abilities in music like I want to. So once I get that consistently going, then I’ll really start focusing on Sagittarius and pushing for my furniture store. But first things first my mom used to say, don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Parenting is the first thing I have to stick with and then music came. I think it chose me. It was something that was in my family and that I needed to make money but I never left it. You know, I have to be committed to this first and master it before I move on to anything else. I am a person that is multi-talented and I thank God for that. But I want to master it.

25: What is your motivation to keep doing your music?

TM: I really really love it. And second because I was writing for a lot of people and making money, and going different places, and it’s sad to say that making money was a motivation, but it was the truth. But after awhile that wasn’t fulfilling enough. I was pushing myself to get as much out of myself as I could, so I just fell back for a second to really start seeking my focus. My motivation clearly was to make hot shit. You must love to ride around and listen to your records. I love TO HEAR MY SHIT and say like ‘you did that’. And never stopping my dreams because I have twin boys and they know that this is my dream, and since they were little they’ve seen they’re father go after their dreams and they’ve seen me accomplish them bit my bit. I think for me to ever stop going after my dreams would make me less of a parent.

25: At the end of the day, what do you want people to say about Teedra Moses and your work?

TM: First and foremost, I’m a child of God, and I’m a mother that’s trying my best. I’m hoping that I do a great job. And I’m thankful for my mother because she did a great job raising my brothers and sisters. But I want to be better, because that’s what she raised me to be. Secondly I want to be a person that extended whatever I had to the world to make it better. Me and my best friend is starting a non-profit organization called the Young Legends that is based on building esteem for young people because it’s really hard to be strong in yourself especially these days, with everything that’s coming at you. Everybody wants to be famous, whether it’s Youtube famous, flawless skin, hair down their back, whitest teeth, and sometimes I look at the television, like ‘Are these human beings?’ And I think do what you feel.

If you change your whole look and just carve your whole body out, that’s your business. But I want to extend to younger people to feel comfortable in who you are, and even if you make a decision to change yourself, do it because its what you want and not because other people want you to do it. Musically I want to be consistent and I want people to say that as an artist I tried and she never said ‘hey fuck it I’m just gonna put out some shit’, she always pushed herself to the next level to do good work.

25: And will all these experiences come through on your future mixtape and albums?

TM: I hope so, I think I take a strong stance in my songwriting, on the Young Lioness especially, one of the reasons I called it the Young Lioness and the reason why I am calling my mixtape Lionhearted is a reminder to me that I am courageous. That I’m strong, that I’m not gone let a nigger run over me, that I’m not gone let this industry run over me, that I’m not the prey or victim but always the victor. It will come through in the music.

I work to make music that not just woman, but anybody can listen to and be like ‘that’s right I am good I can do this I’m confident and here I am out here in the world’. Because the world can be a very cruel place and you can have so many people that love you and still feel lonely. I’m not saying that’s my position. I feel very loved and I don’t feel lonely, but I look to see more than what’s just going on with me and it will come through. And I think when people listen to at least three or four songs you can tell who I am and where I’m coming from.

Check out the first installment of 25′s unsigned and undiscovered series, “The Breaks” featuring Yung Reno.

New York is not only the birth place of many music industry legends such as KRS-One, Jay-Z, Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kid Capri, but it is also the birth place of the music, the culture and the lifestyle that we know today as hip hop. Even with the title of being the birth place of hip hop, New York has lately fallen off the map and is constantly being replaced by the emerging hip hop scenes in Houston, Tallahassee and the Bay Area in California, but new up and coming artist and Queens native Nick “Yung Reno” Hamilton is determined to change that.

A reserved junior political science major at Howard University by day and a flashy emcee by night, Yung Reno shows the versatility of any successful artist on his mixtape, The City is Mine released in April 2009. On the track “Bars” he freestyles at a local radio station shouting out Howard University and the DC community, and shows his softer side with his track “Cupid,” a classic boy meets girl love story. With only his first mixtape under his belt, Yung Reno has a lot of work to do if he wants to put New York City back on the map and take his career to the next level, but with a heart full of determination, he doesn’t seem to mind.

25: Where did you draw inspiration from when recording The City is Mine?

I had the idea for the mixtape before I even got to Howard. The inspiration just came up basically from listening to a lot of different artists and by personal experiences from back home in New York and all around the city so that’s why I named it that.

25: Who is the person that inspired you to pick up the mic and start rhyming? How did you feel when you heard this person perform?

I would say Jay-Z being the New Yorker that I am and also UGK as a group. And Jay-Z being a New York dude and just seeing what he’s done. He started out like making himself as his own song like his own brand and you know who wouldn’t wanna do that?  And I just wonder if a little fella like me can do that. And UGK, they were just something different from what I was used to. They’re from Houston, Texas and I’m from New York and they had a different type of slang and different stories. I really think they kept it real on a regular. It was just what they said and how they put things together. Pimp C being more socially conscience. He’s more of the environmentally charged part of the group. They’re just really different from what I’m used to.

25: What sets you apart from the rest of the rappers that are out today? What is it about your lyrics or flow?

Well it’s the fact that I don’t have one type of sound. You know, some come out here gangster, some people be doing the social conscience rap. I feel like I’m good enough to be all around and talk about a little bit of everything and not just have one preference.

25: How different is Nick Hamilton the student and Yung Reno the artist? How do you balance both identities?

Well Nick is more reserved while the artist is more out there. Yung Reno the artist is the flashier one, not that it’s an act or anything, it’s just different kinds for different people. You can’t be Yung Reno in intro to political science or political science 101 or nothing like that. I guess I’m good at balancing both. Maybe because I’m not faking in either one of them. It’s all work and dedication.

25: Where do you see yourself musically in five years? What do hope to achieve?

Well I’ll be 25 then, and my sex appeal will probably be starting to fade, but in five years I see myself on top of the charts and a few million in. You know, I can see myself with a brand name because I started out early. I see myself in the upper echelon. As far as what I hope to achieve, I hope to change lives. Hopefully someone can hear what I’m doing and they can see themselves doing it. Just listening to my music and taking away from it whether its advice or just something to get through the day. That’s better than success.

You can find The City is Mine as well as new tracks from Yung Reno at myspace.com/yungrenosce

25 Magazine catches up with Von Pea and Donwill of rap trio Tanya Morgan on the heels of their LP,  Brooklynati.

Music has met its match, the internet, and over the past decade they’ve built a strong alliance and revolutionized music discovery and distribution. Many artists have benefited from the joining of the two mediums. Some notable offspring include Soulja Boy Tell’em, who has over 400 million views on YouTube; The Cool Kids, who formed after finding each other’s music on Myspace in 2005; and Asher Roth who was signed by Atlanta based manager Scooter Braun through Myspace in 2006. But long before these artists used the internet to network and share music, rap trio Tanya Morgan had already been there and done that.

Rapper Von Pea credits the internet for Tanya Morgan’s formation. Its connecting power brought Von Pea from Brooklyn, and Donwill and Ilyas from Cincinnati together. Back in 2000, Donwill was working with Ilyas in a group called Ilwill, and first heard Von Pea’s music on okayplayer.com. By 2003, the three emcees formed Tanya Morgan and released their first mixtape Sunlighting online in 2005, as well the EP Sunset later that year. In 2006, they dropped their debut album Moonlighting and took their career on the road. During the mid-2000s, Tanya Morgan made their presence in the indie Hip Hop circuit performing in Toronto’s NXNE Festival with Noveau Riche and performing in the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival with Consequence and Ghostface Killah. Just last week they headlined with Torae & Marco Polo at Southpaw in Brooklyn.

In the past six years, Tanya Morgan has received nods from rap notables De La Soul and Black Thought from The Roots for their affinity for both lyrical complexity and content. The trio has pumped a steady flow of music into the blogosphere over the past few years, releasing their mixtape Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group and The Bridge EP in 2008, and their LP Brooklynati in June. Although Tanya Morgan has not hit the mainstream Hip Hop scene, their focus is not on commercial cross over. They understand true success, and rather than define themselves through records sold and Myspace hits, they’d rather focus on making the best “intelligent car music” possible.

25: What is the story behind Tanya Morgan’s name?

Donwill: Pretty much the name was designed for a one-off project. It was to throw people off with the album so they discover that it’s rap. It’s kind of like a weird inside joke and the name stuck. We’ve adopted several meanings to the name but it’s to expect the unexpected.

25: How did you all form Tanya Morgan?

Von Pea: Donwill and Ilyas met in college. They went to college together in North Carolina and they’re both from Cincinnati. I’m from Brooklyn. They hooked up and became homeboys in college. I was just starting to try to get my demo together. I was working with DJ Brainchild and Phonte back when Phonte was a solo artist. Donwill was one of the first people to hear my music when I first started in 2000, I guess through internet music sites like okayplayer.com and mp3.com. From there we started working with each other, but as far as being a group, me and Don became a group and he and Ilyas were already working together. From there, I just started working with both of them. We decided to do what was supposed to be a one-off project and we got stuck together.

25: You guys merge styles from Cincinnati and Brooklyn, how does that impact your sound?

Donwill: I would say our music is a mix of the east coast boom-bap and the mid-west stump. We make intelligent car music. It sounds good in your truck bunk and sounds good when you think about what we’re actually saying. In short, we make smart car music.

25: What distinguishes Brooklynati from your other productions?

Donwill: I think if people have ever heard anything that we’ve done it’s just a progression of the things we’ve done. It’s just everything is on a more professional, better version of what we’ve done. More thought out. We just did our own production this time around.

25: Do you think your music would be heard without the internet?

Von Pea: It would be interesting to see that, because we would have never become a group if not for the internet. I wouldn’t have any way to meet them, [Donwill and Ilyas]. I would have to go to Cincinnati. I don’t have friends or family in Cincinnati. They’re like my family in Cincinnati now but before them I had no reason to go to Cincinnati. We wouldn’t even be a group.

25: Why did you sign with Interdependent Media?

Donwill: We were actually, since our first album, signed with a subsidiary label called Loud Minority and that label got dissolved into Interdependent Media, as opposed to switching up the whole team that was part of the creative line up. A lot of our ideas are unconventional, and we wouldn’t be able to receive that sort of creative control from other vessels. So we just chose to rock with what we’ve been rocking with, and try to see what we can do together on a slightly larger scale.

25: How do you feel about the music industry and how has it impacted your work?

Von Pea: I feel like the music that we make is influenced from our life, and is the music that we gravitated to and listened to growing up. As far as hip hop, it’s more of the same. It hasn’t really changed. It’s more of a financial or monetizing thing. You see less intelligent music and more commercial, mainstream music. It’s harder to find, but if you go into Fat Beats, I guarantee it is all there. I think hip hop is okay. I think the rap game is in crutch right now because we don’t have record stores. We have Fat Beats and your local mom and pops. You go in there to look around and they carry our products and many of our friends. Hip hop is alive and well. It’s not really dead, it’s just harder to find.

25: You have been making music for some time, how do you feel about your slow rise to recognition?

Donwill: Still waters run deep. Nothing is overnight. Even if it looks overnight, it was probably 10 years in the making. You can’t really name an artist that was just concocted and rose to this meteoric success, without understating the 10 years or 20 years of work they put in until they get to that point of even having a meteoric rise. Name any artist, and there’s at least 10 years worth of grind and hustle. They just don’t talk about it because it’s behind them; it’s the past. It may work to be slow and steady, but 10 years from now after all is said and done and we have our cult following-I’m not in it for the fast run. The quicker you get in the quicker you leave.

25:What has been the defining moment for Tanya Morgan?

Von Pea: I think every time we meet artists that we grew up on, they always seem to know us and show us love. Just to see emcees we grew up on and we’ve learned so much from have respect for us, gets me every time. It’s been De La Soul, Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Thought from The Roots, the whole Hieroglyphics [artist roster], and DJ Jazzy Jeff. It’s been so many people that you would think pay you no mind at all, and then they go, “Oh yeah! We know you! We like what y’all do! Y’all are dope!” They understand that you’re the next generation of what they do. They still have the torch and they’re still running, but if they say, “If I stop today, the torch will be handed to y’all,” that’s special to me. That’s defining to me. That’s how we know we’re doing the right thing.

25 Mag – Jabari Video Exclusive from 25 Magazine on Vimeo.

25 Magazine catches up with Jabari @ the premiere of his track “Dopeman” Ft. Nicki Minaj & Pusha T off the upcoming compilation album Famous on the Internet. Read more for download and cover art.

Famous on the Internet will drop in late 2009 and  feature Pusha-T, Wale, Nicki Minaj, Raheem Devaughn, Max B, Young Chris, Curren$y, and Charles Hamilton among others.

“Dopeman” Ft. Nicki Minaj & Pusha T (prod. Cookin Soul) – Jabari | Download here

Props to the NMC supporting a student from HU [the real HU that is]

By Kendra Desrosiers

It’s Yardfest. And while thousands of stylish undergrads, D.C. natives and proud alumni are commandeering the university courtyard for some hardly headliners and overpriced vendors, a band from Atlanta is a few blocks down the hill in a damp hallway, trying to make a name for themselves.

They’re six deep and just squeezed out of a “quaint” campus radio booth eager for exposure, and now two of Thunderkatz’ members are attempting to win over the few straggling Howardites with tales of their days at HU, Hampton University—clearly delusional.

Thunderkatz have been cross-country, pushing their dance single “3 a.m.” and are now in the chocolate city trying to cash in on some Howard love—seemingly they missed the Kanye censure of ’05. But this doesn’t faze the sextet. They were the unlikely victor at BMI Atlanta’s annual unsigned urban music showcase in 2006 so an aloof crowd of amateur critics are small potatoes. A few years have since passed and Tkatz have signed a brand-bending deal with The Inc., gigged nationally, dropped a radio-friendly single and despite their early success, few above the Mason-Dixon know their name.

There are thousands of great acts that have been signed that you’ve never heard of—a million maybe. Record labels are like family heirlooms. They grew dusty over the years, and like grandfather’s Vietnam transistor radio and Dad’s A-trak, they’re now obsolete and merely decorative antiques.

Everything’s digital and the 40 plus record execs can’t wrap their heads around it so your new favorite band never makes it to your myspace or the blog scours. It’s not in the torrents, on the ringtones or the late muxtape (darn RIAA). They get shelved, and according to Thunderkatz—a rock hop band you’ve never heard of— if a band doesn’t get on their viral hustle, they’re exiled to 2.0 oblivion—so much for getting signed.

Luckily for Thunderkatz, their timing is impeccable. Two years ago no one was on the hipster tip. We were still dancing. But now that M.I.A. can remix rap allstars, Janelle Monae has a mainstream audience and The Cool Kids are well, cool, “alternative black music” is no longer an alternative and genre meandering acts can join the ranks of their left predecessors. The industry is changing, as are the tastes of its consumers and now the band from Atlanta can finally get some play.

25 Magazine: How did you guys meet?

O8O (Vocals): We didn’t, I don’t even know these people [laughs].

Ginger (Vocals): Yea, I don’t know these guys. Him and I went to high school together, Del [O8O] and I. And they went to college together, Mel and Del.

Jive (Bass): John and Del worked together at the hit factory. And that’s how I met those two guys at the hit factory.

Ginger: Those two have been BFF since the womb or something and when he was working at the hit factory basically that was when everybody met each other up in New York City, and they were a band before I came along.

25: What have you guys been working on? An Album?

Ginger: Yea it’s supposed to be released sometime next year, that’s when we’re on the calendar. And right now we’re pushing our single “3 a.m.” We don’t really know what the impact is going to be on that but I mean we’re just trying to get out in clubs right now, get spun and any radio stations that you know have started to pick it up hopefully that just snowballs through.

“3 AM” – Thunderkatz

25: You’ve all come a long way from town band to signed artists, what was your big break?

Juno: We won a BMI contest.

O8O: and I think it was a big deal for urban music too because it was a urban showcase and kind of the fact that we came out with a band and killed it and it was the height of down south music.

Ginger: It was kind of scary. It was cool. It was really the point where things started rolling for us we decided to move down to Atlanta after that.

John: it was like a month later we moved down. Half way back up to New York and New Jersey we had sat down actually in D.C. wasn’t it and we’re like how do you guys feel actually the independent owners at the time we’re like how do you guys feel about moving down here and getting things poppin? So we were like let’s do it! A month later we came down, it was me, Jive and June and we came down and looked for a place to live and its [history] since then.

25: As a pop/rock/rap group what role do you play in the branding of The Inc?

O8O: I don’t think it’s ever going to be the same. Once we actually start impacting and spreading I think hip hops going to change. I think it’s already starting to change and I think that The Inc is one of the most solid hip hop labels outside of Def Jam and they work very closely with Def Jam so it’s like those two.

Ginger: I think it going to change them too a little bit because when this pops off its going to give them more leverage to do more things like us but sometimes now. Like Ja Rule and Ashanti are who you know and I think that once things start moving for us it’s going to open people’s eyes like to a whole different side of The Inc. it will be good for them.

25: What distinguishes you all from any other emerging artist in the hipster trend?

O8O: I’m not going to say way before any of that but we’re definitely leaders of those packs I know when those people were coming up and they came across our situation especially being in Atlanta a lot of hipster hop, hip hop whatever it is the scene has been budding there and a lot of those people have come across we’ve all crossed paths. The biggest difference between us and a lot of what’s going on there is that we’ve brought music into it and we’ve brought live music into it and that’s a big element we brought the band element into it and I think we kinda like, it’s just like…like Mcdonalds and Burger King. We’re kind of like what they listen to [when they get their start].

25: As an emerging band what would you describe as your most frustrating moment?

Mel: [There'a always something] especially with the business like the music business you know. When you’re new I think you have aspirations and reams of how an artist is supposed to get signed. How things are supped to magically unfold but it’s really just learning how you have to be very tactful and very mindful of what goes on with your business, how to handle it, really knowing contracts the actual process of breaking an artist so its like everybody looks at oh he’s signed I made it he signed a record deal and that’s realistically the very first step and it’s the beginning of the journey to really go up the mountain. I think that has been the frustrating part just learning the business and making it work for us.

John: On a new indie label that’s what it feels like. When we first signed as a band on a independent label it doesn’t feel any different than when we signed with a major label because now a year later we’re still footing it. Like how Mel said the way you thought it was is not how it is until they see a return from you.

O8O: The nature of music business has changed its all about an artist and their impact virally it’s all about the impact virally crossing over into the major media streams like radio everything is touchable now it’s not like before where it was all about a promotions budget and the street team it’s about the artist relationship with their fans.

25: Are you guys finding that you’re doing most of the leg work out there since the consensus is that label heads don’t understand digital?

O8O and Mel: they do not…

Ginger: it’s hard, it really is. We’re pretty savvy when it comes to things that we should do we’re kind of telling people what we want and that’s how things have sort have been happening and we’ve got to figure it out a lot of it ourselves but if we don’t do it nobody else will do it [laughs]

John: or it’s just not gonna get done the way it would. You know there’s like a million other great acts that have been signed that you’ve never heard of it. You’re shelved which is the worst possible scenario.

Mel: Unfortunately, record labels are like dinosaurs now they are used to working a certain way for so long that with the impact of like iTunes and downloading.

Juno: They’re playing catch up.

Mel: They’re really playing catch up and trying to figure out how to make it work for them so that’s a struggle.

25: With that said, what do you all think is the future of music?

Mel: Honestly I think the future of music is really what we’re doing in the sense that people are going to start believing in what they see, they wanna see somebody get in front of them and not be a studio product where you’re working with great songwriters and engineers and mixers but the talent isn’t being showcased. I think that’s what’s happening. People don’t buy albums anymore because they’re like I don’t wanna spend $17 on three songs that I like when I can go to iTunes and download the songs myself but when there’s it always speaks for itself when you fall on an artist who is putting the work in and giving the talent, hitting the road and actually giving shows and tours something that’s really tangible for people to hold on success happens i.e. Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Jonas Brothers.

O8O: I think lifestyle has a big impact on music now too. People buy into the whole persona of the artist they like everything from the socks they’re wearing to the type of toothpaste they use. If you buy, I think that if you’re an artist that has an interesting lifestyle that people can get down with you can also have a healthy career of providing all different aspects for your fans.

25: What would you say is your biggest grievance with the industry?

John: I think that the whole label thing like you know music in its self [inaudible] it’s become very dumbed down and a lot of it’s the same. I know when we first moved down south I was like I can cant event turn on the radio I was not really into that snap, crunk stuff you know what I mean. I guess even that starting to change even that is starting to get more musical. It’s up to you to see what’s positive and grasp that and not so much focus on what’s negative because there’s so much negative stuff in this industry, it will drive you crazy and make you not want to do it.

25: Anything you’d like to add?

O8O: Tkatzmusic.com check us out.

John: And come to the show wherever we play.

Ginger: yea check us out.

John: wear soft shoes.

Ginger: you need to see us at a show.

John: be prepared to have beers spilled on you, more or less thrown

Blessed is the only word he could come up with when asked to describe the current state of his career. Gangsta L. Crisis, better known as G.L.C is one of the most successful artists to come onto the scene without having dropped an official LP. Fresh off a tour with Kanye West and already two time Grammy winner, G.L.C. considers himself to be a “man of honor.” With an upcoming clothing line, cartoon, movie, and debut album in the works that doesn’t seem too far off.

Long time friend of Kanye West, G.L.C first came onto the scene with an appearance in his fellow Chi-town native’s Spaceship in 2004. Since his mainstream debut, he was hard at work behind the scenes in the mixtape game and eventually made his way onto yet another Kanye track, “Drive Slow“.

G.L.C began his music career at an early age as an escape, a release from the harsh real world in order to stay positive. “I went through a few things when I was growing up, like losing my parents, being diagnosed with diabetes, and certain things that make people say ‘man, how did he survive? His backs on the wall, he probably won’t get up right now’, but I kept it moving,” says the Chi-town native. His perseverance brought him out of this slump and closer to success every day. With his debut album Love, Life and Loyalty on the way he says that he couldn’t be more pleased with life.

He explains, “My album is going to make people aware of the consequences of their actions, but also, it’s going to make you smile, it’s going to make you feel good, and give you something to ride to. You know, when you’re on your way to work, when you really don’t feel like being bothered; something to take you away for a minute,” but don’t expect to be lectured by the gospel of this rhyme veteran, he swears he’s no preacher. “In my album you’re not going to feel like I’m talking down to you, you’re going to feel like I’m talking to you.” G.L.C’s personality and spirit set him apart from other MC’s in the music industry, and give him the ability to connect with his audience.

After gaining recognition from working alongside Kanye, G.L.C. is ready to have his own music heard, and have listeners understand who he truly is through his work. “I am the evolution of a G, the vision. I am a man of a legacy, a man who is built of legacy, and my legacy is to build up my accomplishments and bring hope,” which is exactly what the public should expect.

Check out G.L.C’s Official Myspace