I had the pleasure of previewing the Steal From the Rich mixtape over the weekend by Naptown artist, alpha.live.  For an up and coming rapper or a major artist, this was definitely a good release.  It is obvious that alpha takes his craft seriously and it is shown throughout the 12-track mixtape.  This was a joint collaboration between alpha and Dope Couture lead designer/producer, CMART.  On top of the preview, I was able to sit down (over the Internet) and ask alpha some questions that tied in his grind so far and the mixtape.. the interview, preview tracks, and download link is available after the jump.

alpha.live x CMART – Dope Couture Presents Steal From the Rich

alpha, give us some insight as to whom or what inspires you to “steal’?

LOL, Good question. Life, man, really.  MY life.  I get inspiration to write from stories that are shared, conversations that are had, sneaker heads worldwide, movie scenes, anime, TV shows, history, especially the swing era and prohibition era, chivalry, ancient cultures, Hip-Hop, and the artists I surround myself with, whether on my iPod or in my contact list. I draw from everything.

I steal from high fashion, high energy and passionate stage performances, legendary musicians and writers, authors, directors, playwrights, car designers, architects, random wisdom, the Bible, nature, anime/manga, DJ’s, producers, and other genres of music.

How would you describe your style/sound?  Being from the Midwest, it is easy to be influenced one way or the other, whether it’s South-influenced or East Coast-flavored.  How easy/difficult has it been to create your own lane?

It’s always been a struggle, because coming up in Hip-Hop you always heard about the birthplace out East, then the West, and more recently the South.  The Midwest actually has more in common with foreign and overseas than anywhere else.  We receive ALL types of Hip- Hop.  A mixture of family/friends, open/closed minds along with your own personal experiences will dictate what sound you will gravitate to as well as how well you relate.  It is not out of place to find everything from Outkast to Wu-Tang, De LA to UGK, Public Enemy to NWA and Nas to Lil Jon on any Midwest heads playlists.

Myself personally, I was always a writer, and an uber-geek as far as my interests.  I acclimated to lyricists more such as Rakim, T La Rock, Keith Murray, the Wu, etc.  As a geek, I always do the knowledge on anything I’m interested in, so I learned up on the culture and pledged myself to upholding the core values of Hip-Hop.  Given all that, my style does possess elements of East Coast lyricism, since that’s the birthplace of Hip-Hop.  However, my vantage point is from Indiana, so my perspective as a writer reflects that, while incorporating those values.

Do you aspire to have music played in the clubs or do you find the balance to keep your integrity too great?

I don’t know WHERE the concept that ‘MC’s Don’t Party.’  LOL! We ARE the party!!  True, we also are socially responsible with our bars, but come on; Hip-Hop was BIRTHED from BLOCK PARTIES!!  The MC was in the THICK of it all!!  Instigating, motivating, and entertaining.  There IS a way to rock a party, to have a record that has its place in a party setting, without illicit or demeaning content.  So a record like ‘Bounce’ has a place in the party scene because everyone is PARTYING.  No fighting, no nonsense, just WILDIN.  I aspire to INSPIRE, so having such a record allows me to give people a break, cut loose, cast away their cares for a bit, and have a BALL.  No, every song I make won’t be ideal party music, but that’s the point; it’s a facet of the diamond.  It takes every facet to refract light and make the whole diamond shine.

When you are in the studio, what is in your survival kit?  Talk about the connection w/Rhymefest, you’ve done a couple of songs with him now.

LOL! Studio Survival Kit:

-Blackberry (where the rhymes are that I don’t have memorized yet, LOL!)

-My engineer/producer Warren ‘ Three V’ Harris (because he can produce the best performance out of me when I’m in the booth)

-WATER. LOL!

-Laughter.  You have NO IDEA how much being at ease and laughing hysterically helps produce the greatest records.

As for ‘Fest, man, me and that kid go back to the Melody Inn battles in Indy when he first traveled down here over 10 years ago.  We used to HATE on him sooo bad, cuz he was an outta- towner.  As respect grew, a friendship developed. I remember we used to trade bars and test punchlines on each other over the phone.  Once he got his deal, although our frequency of interaction decreased, the bond still remains.  He has always looked out, always checks in on me via our manager Shadowkat Nightson, and as an artist and a MAN, I know he’s out there grindin’, not just for him, but for Hip-Hop!  I mean, this kid has gone OVERSEAS to debate foreign dignitaries about HIP-HOP!  I have nothing but love & the utmost respect for my brother and what he’s doin’.  That’s FAMILY, ALL DAY.

When the ‘Man in the Mirror’ project was coming together, Fest offered me a spot on ‘Breakadawn’. Thankfully, my bars were up to par (LOL!).  So when it came time for this project, I wanted to return the offer and do another joint, this time on my project, and thankfully his schedule allowed and it came together.

What was one of your earliest memories of loving sneakers?  What is your sneaker philosophy? Exclusives, uber-original, classics?

MAN. I remember bein’ soooo heated I couldn’t get Jordans as a kid; we couldn’t afford them.  So I learned at an early age how to find inexpensive sneakers that were not common and a bit harder to find.  I learned up (Geek alert LOL!) on sneaker construction, materials, and developed an eye for quality. I remember an art class in middle school (Shortridge) I drew a still-life of one of my BK’s (British Knights for the unfamiliar) and it actually was displayed in the hall display case for the rest of the year. (Proud moment LOL).

As I got older, I’ll be honest, I kinda had a ‘sour grapes’ mentality towards Jordans (cuz I never got to have them comin’ up) so aside from the 11′s & the 13′s (which I bought with my OWN cash) I never kept up. Plus, I never really dug havin’ on the same sneaks as everyone else.  So yeah, I tend to go for authentic rarities; the hard to finds, uncommons, off the beaten path joints. Or limited editions LOL.

Recently, in my maturing of age and tastes, I’ve started to move slightly away from the common run mall traditional brands (Nike, adidas, etc) and opting for the sleeker, classier & understated silhouettes of select adidas originals, Pumas, Creative Recs, and new, high end brands & collabos like Gourmet, Zara, keep, Raf Simon, Alexander McQueen x Puma, etc.  I study my sneaker game as much as my time and budget allow.  Avid Sneaker Freaker reader (strictly for aficionados; you amateur kids wouldn’t appreciate the detail of the content).  And I’m NOT a collector, I don’t catalogue, I ROCK my joints.  BIG difference.

Easy question.. Pike or Tech HS?

AHHHH!!! How did I know this was gon’ come up LOL!

Tech: For all the camaraderie developed Freshman & Sophomore year w/ everyone, the Math/Science magnet, the campus, the fights LOL and the after school loitering LOL!

Pike: Welll… let’s just say Junior & Senior year was the inspiration for the ‘High School High’ verse LOL. Shouts to Feso for comin’ thru in the clutch w/ the feature!

Did hip-hop blow you away like Kelley?  Or was it something that became an acquired taste?

LOL! Actually, this record is running joke!  Kelley is a friend of Dope Couture and DJ Action Jackson.  I had met her before and got to really meet her & hang out one night after a show I did at the Vogue.  My man was giving me hell that I didn’t have any SPECIFIC records, like actually naming people we knew.  So he challenged me to write a track about meeting a girl that just takes you away.  So, jokingly, I penned this record and recorded it along with the other joints.  When I sent it to CMART, he called me and was like ‘Is this song about KELLEY Kelley?’ and he thought it was funny as hell.  Once she finally heard the demo version, so did she.  But it was so vivid, fun and fit the beat perfectly, we ran with it.  For the record, Kelley is the homie, and she’s still single far as I know, so have at ye fellas!  She’s a fly chick that takes no ish, so come correct!! LOL

Now, as far as Hip Hop, I was always taken by Hip-Hop from the start. My aunt had a boyfriend back in the day that had a record store in Miller close to the house I was born in. She took me up there once and he let me pick out some records, and I grabbed a couple, my most favorite being the 12″, red sleeved Run DMC ‘Its Like That’ single. I. PLAYED. THAT. RECORD. OUT. Tried scratchin’ it like Jay and damn near ruined it! LO, but it was that BEAT, those DRUMS, and then the way they attacked it while just flyin’ over it… man.  Gives me chills just thinkin’ bout it.  I was hooked, from then on.

What inspired the English accent on Kicks Du Jour?  Was it the content (Kickin’ it all over the world) or just expressing your individual hip-hop style?

It was actually a HUGE risk. I’ve long been enamored with the UK, British humor, Bond movies, and cockney accents.  The mythos of the ‘English Gentleman’ and codes of chivalry have always been traits I’ve aspired to, so it came from a place of great, great respect and admiration.  Plus, musically, from drum and bass to grime, new wave to old rock, I’m a fan.

On this record, I put myself in character and really shot it as a movie in my head, totally getting into the role. The track had an international feel to me, and I have always prayed my music would help get me across the pond.  It was me taking a huge creative risk for something I believed in, which is my craft, as an ode and a tribute to English style.  Hopefully one day I’ll be able to shoot the video the way I picture it and everyone can see it as I do.  Much respect to my peeps in the UK.  Cheers.

Listen is a song I have liked since the FIXtape.  Vietnam vet as maintenance man, shit gets worse as the song goes on.  I think changing the track and adding the singer, gives it a Lupe-type feel to it.  Talk about how you & CMART linked up.

Yeah, I really felt the story of the maintenance man deserved a bigger audience, because it’s such a relevant take on a common subject, which is the condition of our communities and the projects many are STILL trapped in.  Adding the singer to me gives a bit of a dynamic contrast to the record, letting you kind of breather between each phase of the buildup.

CMART & I linked through Matt at the Dope Couture store in Bloomington. Dope Couture is, to my knowledge, the ONLY streetwear brand and flagship boutique in the STATE, which is BIG. Matt is co-owner and designer, with CMART as Lead Designer.  As I got to know them both, not only did we develop a mutual respect for each other, but a strong belief and motivation to see the other achieve great things.  The premise to do this project had been discussed before with other artists, but never followed through.  So for CMART and I to complete this project is a great blessing for all of us and it has been sooooo much fun.  We’re already beginning plans for our next project!

In Hip-Hop, it used to be one MC, one producer with a multifaceted style, and developing an organic synergy between the two.  It’s a tried and true formula that all but disappeared due to the ‘diversification’ movement of the late 90′s, but has seen a comeback here and there as of late.  And I LOVE it.  I can only hope that going back to these original formulas helps create more music of quality, and not so much how many songs and producers you have on your project.  We tried our best to ensure this project was a compact presentation of Quality, not Quantity, hence the only 12 tracks.  Ultimately, it’s on the people. ‘Put my heart & soul into this y’all… I hope you feel me.’ (c) Mos Def from Umi Says

Has the confidence as an emcee always been there or has there been someone/something that keeps you from being lost?

MAN. Sometimes I STILL have to dig deep and bring forth that confidence.  Because there’s a fine line between confidence and cockiness, and I strive for the former.  What keeps me from being lost is keeping a very small circle of people that keep me humble, tell me the REAL, and that truly have my best interest at heart.  They remind me of how far I have come, the things I have overcome, and how much they believe in me.  At the risk of sounding cliché, my daughter is the greatest light that motivates me and keeps me from being lost in the nonsense.  That’s what powers my drive, that’s what eliminates failure from being an option, that’s what pushes me to be my best.  I have to lead by example, not just for her, but I owe it to myself, my team, my community, and to any kid aspiring to make a career out of their talents. I HAVE to do it right, push on, persevere, and be that model of ‘how to’ be an artist, and a man, of INTEGRITY. I have a legacy to leave behind, and I WILL live forever and be appreciated BEFORE I die.  And that’s all the drive I need.

I want to give you a chance to speak on the incredible experience that brought you out to L.A. in the 1^st place and what being located in LA can do for your hip-hop journey.

Simply put: I moved to LA to look after my moms.  She had been on dialysis for almost 6 years and was finally blessed with a kidney, so I relocated to be her care taker during her surgery and recovery, along with my younger brother, who was already out here.  It’s been rough, but God is good, and her recovery has been the stuff of miracles and great blessings.

(Ed. Note:  You can contribute to the Valinda Jones Fund (alpha’s Mom) by clicking here – The Valinda Jones Fund)

Funny thing though; while out here, I was unable to find ANY work.  I mean ANYTHING.  And I’m no slouch!  I have ALWAYS had a go-getter mindset, but apparently God was trying to tell me something.  On a brief visit back home, I happened upon an epiphany: can’t find a job, you got bills to pay, family that depend on you, why aren’t you making your talent an asset and putting it to work for you?  From that moment, the decision was made to remove failure as an option from the equation and take my craft and my career, seriously.  I am a working artist and the drive to put my talent to work to EAT is what you have left.  And you know what?  It is the most liberating, the most terrifyingly exhilarating feeling I have ever felt.  I am walking by faith, so we’ll all see how this turns out.  LOL!

We all know you represent the Indy to the fullest (310 + 7, listen to ”The One and Only”)  Who/what do you makes you go so hard for Naptown?

The frustration of continually being neglected as a state.  The disappointment of being considered ‘fly-over country’.  The success of surrounding areas that seem to forget we’re neighbors.  The lack of EVER having a voice in the Hip-Hop scene.  The absence of being acknowledged within any mention of music topography.  The PRIDE we all have boiling over inside whenever we go out of town and REP.  The impatience with patiently waiting just to be RECOGNIZED.  I am the culmination of all of these things; the walking, living, breathing embodiment of felling like we have something to prove.  I walk with an Indiana shaped chip on my shoulder, but greet people with the grace and warmth of Hoosier hospitality.  I am country dumb long enough to give the detractors enough rope to string them up with.  I’m smarter than they think, more talented than they expect, and more driven than they will EVER be.  I steal from the unanswered screams of EVERY artist that ever had a dream.  I am the living proof that HARD WORK, intelligence, integrity, and ambition can CREATE your own destiny.  I am doing this not to be the first, not to be the Best, but to be a PART alongside all those that are PUSHing to put us in the spotlight.  I am unselfishly and unapologetically, INDIANA.

And THAT is why I do it.  I have an entire state depending on me not to fail. Dare I rescind such a burden?

Not even a little bit.

Here are a couple of tracks that I enjoyed from the mixtape:

Bounce

Roy G. Biv

Listen

If you like those or if you just want the whole joint here it is:

alpha.live x CMART – Dope Couture Presents Steal From the Rich

Wanted to shout out some stuff going on..plus my guy alpha. is on the ticket

Shouts to 2Deep and Metrognome on the 1,2 all night and J. Moore – the host doin’ the most.

Here are some of the shoes that we in the building:

Reeboks – Monopoly Money (I had to take a pic of those)

Not quite sure what these were – (Sneakerheads, educate me)

Air Jordan I – “Hare Jordans”

Nice Nike – China Edition (Sneakerheads, educate me)

There was a top three finish, but here’s my top 5 w/4th and 5th chosen by me

Fifth place shoe – Exclusive Dunks (sneakerheads, educate me)

Fourth place – My shoes – Jordan III True Blue (I’m claiming 4th unoffically)

3rd Place – Air Yeezy Net/Net (if my guy, @Mrbrando3, would’ve came with his, maybe I would’ve got 3rd w/all the Yeezys in the building)

2nd Place – Air Questos.. worn by one of my new sneaker mentors.. DJ 2Deep, and yes, he has two pairs of them

And the winner is…….

1st Place – Undftd x Converse (No Raw Dogs) Chucks

Dude said he was in L.A. when the shoes dropped, so he made a stop and picked them up. For his troubles, Revolver shoe store gave him two free pairs of shoes and some other goodies. Shout out to them for making that happen.

After the competition, we heard a couple of live performances. D-Win (3rd place) from the Rocketeers performed first. My man alpha., who came all the way from L.A. to be in the place to be did his thing as well. He’s got a new mixtape coming soon in collobaration with one of the great artists @Dope Couture called “Steal from the Rich.” alpha. got on a performed a couple of joints including a sampling of one of the tracks from the new mixtape. Here it is live and direct:

Dope track and I’m sure more to come. This was a great event and it shows that both coasts don’t have it on lock when it comes to real hip-hop. Check ya’ll the next time.

This year’s show to me was like an ode to mid to late 90s hip-hop.. some of the best acts performing were going strong through that period.

1st up.

Buckshot.. absolutely showed why he’s a true MC. Got on the mic and had the crowd going from jump street. This is a clip of him doing “How Many Emcees” w/KRS One as his hype man.

KRS-One was a host, setting folks up, but since he and Buckshot have an album coming out in September, he grabbed a mic and did a little bit for the crowd.. the quintessential emcee.Shouts to Rusty of the Mighty Mudkids.. “REAL HIP-HOP IS OVER HERE!!”

M.O.P. – Pure energy.. this is when I started to get hoarse, so I was done.. but 30 sec. of the “classic” is all you need to know about their performance…..

K’Naan – Slept on cat from Africa, but I see has the potential to be universal ala Akon.. nice music.. this is ABC.. most cats who play Madden a couple of years ago remember this track.

Slum Village – one of my favorite groups in hip-hop (with or sans J. Dilla R.I.P.)… the best thing they could’ve done once they lost one of the best beatsmiths in the business was get one of the best lyricist in Elzhi. Two clips.. one of a freestyle that Elzhi spit.. and the other is Raise It Up, one of my fav tracks.

Talib Kweli.. one of the best in the business.. I’ve seen him a couple of times and he stays dope.. he’s kickin’ a freestyle in this clip.

Slaughterhouse… the group I was most anxious to see because I like all these cats and it’s something new and fresh to the industry. Sadly, I liked them too much because their videos were too long and too big for Blogger. Their album comes out August 11 and they are Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I… check for the real hip-hop.

Raekwon the Chef – From my favorite group of all-time, the Wu-Tang Clan.. he came through and spit classics and some new stuff from OB4CL2. There as a guy that was standing directly behind me that knew every Raekwon verse old or new. He was so good and so loud that even Raekwon would stop and let him finish bars..pretty amazing if you ask me.

Busta Rhymes – Somehow overweight or not… stays the most entertaining performer in hip-hop.. non-stop energy, always wants the crowd into it. Something to behold…plus a ton of hits as well… this is a clip of what got him on. “Scenario”.. a funny story to me was always when one day Diddy told him to calm the “eff” down so the Ladies would love him… that’s when he dropped “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and the cool, laid back flow was invented for Busta.

Other people that performed who I wasn’t able to get video of included Tech N9ne, Mickey Factz, Big Boi, the Roots (show only last 35 minutes instead of a hour), and the co-headliners Nas and Damien Marley… all of them got down however. Overall, a pretty dope show, probably the best I’ve been to and I’ve been to some decent ones in the past.. (No Way Out tour, Spitkicker… ATL Birthday Bash (don’t sleep).. this is just another to add to the list..

Until next time…

Here are my top 10 albums/mixtapes/projects that I’m feeling for the 1st 6 months of 2009:

10. Eminem – Relapse. Glad to see Em making a return. Have loved him since Scribble Jam and his epic battles with Rusty and Rhymefest among others. Once he started making his own music, I never really connected with what he was talking about, but his lyrical wizardry as far as technique is hardly matched in the industry. Also glad he let Dr. Dre do the majority of beats. Not my favorite set of Dre beats, but they do the trick for Mr. Mathers.

9. The Grouch and Eligh – Say G&E! Honestly, this is the 1st or 2nd album I’ve heard from the Grouch. He’s a west coast guy, but once I put this in the deck, it was totally refreshing. I love the 1st time you discover an artist. There’s nothing like it. Ludacris, Slum Village, Blu, and Little Brother all come to mind. You never know what you’re going to get. The album goes pretty hard. Slightly away from my norm, but I like it.

8. Jadakiss – The Last Kiss. Glad to see reputable major label cats put out good music. Jadakiss’ 1st two albums kinda lost me after awhile with no cohesion. This one seems to be put together well and flows throughout. A cohesive album allows you to skip minimal songs because you want to hear it all together.

7. J. Dilla – Jay Stay Paid. I so wanted this album to be further down the list. However, as good as the individual songs on, it’s obvious what a posthumous album sounds like. It just doesn’t have that J. Dilla stamp like Donuts did. Pete Rock did a very admirable job putting it all together and the artists that rapped on it did their thing. Dang, we miss J. Dilla. R.I.P.

6. Method Man and Redman – Blackout!2. I admit I am an unabashed Wu-Tang Clan fan. Have checked them out on several occasions and totally wilded-out when I saw them. My favorite group of all-time hands down, they are one of the main reasons I mess with this thing we call hip-hop. That being said, I had low expectations for this album. Was not sure what Meth and Red were going to bring to the table. Boy, was I wrong! One of the better albums of the year they did their thing like they always do. Redman is criminally slept-on as one of the better/consistent emcees in the game. Meth goes in himself. His solo albums have lacked in the past, but when he’s with Redman, it’s always golden.

5. Asher Roth – Asleep in the Bread Aisle. Around a year ago this time, I was spazzing out to the Greenhouse Effect Volume 1. It totally slapped me in the face. He dropped one of the few good projects of 2008, fast forward to January/February when the album comes out. He proved he can manuver through the major label bull and put out a project that oozes indivduality. To me, he was like an Eminem from the suburbs who didn’t have a drug problem. Probably doesn’t do the freestylin’ as well, but is definitely dope. I am glad he did his thing because the new school is really impressing me with dope stuff (Pac Div, Asher, Wale, Kid Cudi, Mickey Factz, Cool Kids among others).

4. Tanya Morgan – Brooklynati. These dudes are dope. Point blank, period. When I first got this album, I was bumped it 5 times straight. It was that good to me. I enjoy these dudes. Down-to-earth rhyming and the beats bang. They won’t overpower you with the most amazing lyrics ever, but that is not their calling card. Sometimes, you can just hear stuff and know that it’s good music.

3. Mos Def – The Ecstatic. Yes! Yes! This is what I’ve been waiting for since Black on Both Sides. Madlib, Chad Hugo (Neptunes), Oh No! on the beats. Mos Def mainly rhyming and harmonzing here and there. I was in heaven when I was bumping this. He goes in and takes no prisoners on this one. If the other two projects that I consider better than this had dropped later, this may have been number one.

2. Drake – So Far Gone. The only non-album to make the list. That in itself is a testament to how dope this dude is. I was blown away from jump. When I heard this dude was affilated to Weezy, I just assumed he was some Southern rapper who Weezy signed. I actually blew him off at first. I gave this project a listen and I should’ve slapped myself for being so small-minded. Dude is so talented, it don’t make no sense. The singing, the rapping.. total package. It would’ve been number one, but…………..

1. DOOM – Born Like This. Might be a surprising choice for some. This dude drops consistently dope ish and this one is another in that lineage. I think his random rhymes put some people off, but I’m all about guys who can sound nice on the mike, period. He knows how to produce dope ish and pick beats that are dope. When I grabbed this, I was totally blown away and played it over and over again for 2 months. Definitely for me, the best of 09 so far.

Now on to the most anticipated projects I’m looking forward to for the rest of 09:

5. Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx 2. I put this as #5 cause I hope it finally comes out. He drops every couple of years, but it’s been 14 years.. can you believe it.. 14 years since OB4CL. He’s had two albums in between along with the Wu-Tang albums. His solo ventures after OB4CL have left a lot to be desired. If his mixtape “Blood on Chef’s Apron” is any indication as well as “New Wu ft Ghostface and Method Man,” he might have finally gotten it right.

4. Jay-Z – Blueprint 3. Every once in a while, the game goes a little awry and we need someone to bring it back. 1999, DMX brought it back to the essence. 2003-04, 50 Cent brought it back. Is it Jay’s turn with D.O.A. and a totally independent album he can put out on his own terms. We shall see. Here’s to hoping Jay-Z isn’t going out like Jordan with the Wizards.

3. Dr. Dre – Detox. Should I even put this album up here? It’s like a pie in the sky. It is taking so long to come out that people who have worked on it are starting to put out the work they did for the project because they don’t believe it’s coming out. Killer Mike just put out a song that supposedly was written for Dre and Detox. The only reason I’m putting it on here is because of 30 second commercial with a 3 or 4 second snippet of a beat that was hardly audible. This needs to come out this year with all the other stuff that’s been dropping. This is the year of no more B.S.

2. Slaughterhouse – Royce Da 5’9, Joe Budden, Crooked I, Joell Ortiz. The internet’s supergroup. This album was created by the internets, so you know I’m definitely looking for it to work out. Royce Da 5’9 has been too dope for too long not to get any love. He’s definitely one of my top 10 emcees. I can’t wait to see these guys do their thing on Rock the Bells.

1. Drake – When I say this and show this picture, don’t take it literally. Drake is retarded….

Wheelchair Jimmy has a chance to break open the game like 50 Cent did 5 or 6 years ago. The talent is apparent, so I hope he finds the best home that allows him to be himself. I was hoping he could the 1st cat to put out his own debut and go #1, but I think he’s going to be signing with someone here soon. Two dope projects within 2009 would be a cap on the game for him and let people know that some of these older cats can let the new guys shine and feel like the game will be alright.

Next week, I’m getting super geeked for Rock the Bells in Chicago. I will be meeting some of the artists that are going to perform, so I’ll have some pics of that and I’ll try to tweet as much as possible while the concert is going on. You can follow me if you like @kmiles5830. Hope to rap to whoever checks out my blog.

Peas

Welcome to Relapses of a Hip-Hop Junkie! This is a glimpse into the life of a hip-hop junkie. I live and breathe hip-hop all the time. I collect all types of hip-hop music like art, it almost seems like.

Let’s get right into it. It’s been a busy week for hip-hop this week. My next post will have my first reviews. There were some good albums that came out. I’m enjoying the quality of alot of stuff that has been coming out.

The two new items that caught my eye the most this week was 1)Jay-Z dropping the atomic bomb and declaring WWIII on “Auto-Tune.” He hit pretty hard with the extra grimy, “D.O.A.”

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6ghuua

Outside of a couple of guys (T-Pain, Weezy and Yeezy), he was telling everyone else to give it up and get back to the essence. I wholeheartedly agree. Albums ain’t selling like they used to, people are over the gimmicks. Either you got it or you don’t… I want to see the game get back to the skills. The independent scene has been coming with heat lately. Tanya Morgan, Grouch and Eligh, Jay Dilla, H.I.S.D., Mickey Factz and Drake all come to mind.

Speaking of Drake, I read an article on SOHH the other day that piqued my interest:

http://www.sohh.com/2009/06/drake_ignores_record_labe.html

In this article, he basically wants to put out his album without the help of a major label. He definitely has major label talent, but he probably has seen the headaches that come with being an artist on that level and the red tape that you have to go through to make everything happen. I wish he can pull it off. The marketing would be a major issue to get people outside the Internet to really get behind him and get his album. However, how many artists can have an internet mixtape equal hella airplay on the radio all over the country? I’ll play stuff from his mixtape and my wife tells me she’s heard it on the radio. Granted, I haven’t listened to the radio for music in years, so I have no clue how current they are with the music. I was shocked to hear that from her. Let’s get behind this thing though because for too long the majors have had way too much control over what’s been going on. We as fans and the artists need to get the control. And with that, I’m out