25 Magazine is the proud recipient of the 2009 Black Weblog Award in the Best Post Series category! A total of 8000 ballots were cast in this year’s awards and we got the popular vote for our Starving Artists series! Thanks for your support! There’s no trophy but we do get this cool banner thing. Check it out after the jump!

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

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