Welcome to B.S.R. Magazine Black Shepherd Records Magazine is finally here to represent as the Premier Urban Hip Hop magazine around the 757. We understand that marketing for Hip Hop music and urban businesses can be challenging in Virginia. We are starting this magazine for those who want the public eye to notice your company or your talents. BSR Magazine believes that in order for VA as a whole to successfully tap into the hip hop market, we need to support our own craft and come together as one. Now we would like to introduce BSR MAGAZINE! CEO MIKE WATTS BLACK SHEPHERD RECORDS
Contents Pg. 4 - 7 Vince Loyal Interview Pg. 10 - 11 Top Shelf Interview Pg. 12 Who Are They To Judge Pg. 14 - 15 Bernie Burns interview
Contact To advertise contact B.S.R. Mag at www.blackshepherdrecords@yahoo.com To hear the music right now visit us online at www.myspace.com/blackshepherdrecords Š 2009 Black Sheperd Records. All rights reserved.
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Vince Loyal Interview with B.S.R. Magazine B.S.R . Magazine: This is VA’s very own Black Shepherd Records Magazine and for this take of the magazine we will be doing a interview with Vince Loyal. First, we will open up by letting Vince Loyal have this time to introduce himself. Vince Loyal: Yo…, what’s going on world this is your boy Vince Loyal, man…..A.K.A. the “Black Mortar”. Representing F.T.S. if you don’t know what that is….its for the supreme beings, free the slave mentality, and free thy self. It’s a movement and a part of life always representing for BLACK SHEPHERD RECORDS……Mike Watts that’s how we do it…….Mannn!! B.S.R . Magazine: We would like to start off by asking you where did the name Vince Loyal come from because we know you use to go by the name Meta Nova? Vince Loyal: A take back on the other name “Meta Nova”, ya know I loved that name that was my young style when I was coming up in the game. It was who I was at the time and I wasn’t ready back then. Last year, I felt as though I finally developed my craft and I wanted to present myself to the world with a name that I felt more comfortable that describes me because my name is Vince and it means loyal. I’m a loyal dude for anybody that’s around me and loyalty is what’s lacking in this world. B.S.R . Magazine: Where are you originally from and let us know who
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you’re representing now and where do you plan to take this? Vince Loyal: I was born in San Antonio TX. I moved to New Jersey in the projects…., so I got like a southeastern style. I’m a southern boy with a east coast flavor. I rep VA…..I stay in VA beach to the fullest. Southside!!! I’m trying to take this worldwide….you feel me. It’s an international flow. B.S.R . Magazine: What are your goals for the rest of 2009? Vince Loyal: My goals for 2009 is to team up with my boy Mike Watts from Black Shepherd Records and then just put out this F.T.S. movement. Put out some good music. Some music that everybody can relate to, music with good beats, good hooks, flows, and story telling. This year I’m just trying to get my name out there more. Everybody have to be patient because nothing is going to come fast. Actually I don’t want it to come fast because the people that came out to fast just went away. I want loyal fans….that’s why my name is Vince Loyal so this is just the beginning. B.S.R . Magazine: What really inspires you to write your lyrics? Vince Loyal: Day to day life…….the struggles, happiness, people I meet, situations I’ve been through, and just a regular conversation you might have with someone. One of my songs which is called, “She Can Get It”. You know
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Vince Loyal Interview with B.S.R. Magazine when you see a girl walking down the street you say “she can get it”. I was like mannnnnn…….., let me put that in a song ‘cause a lot of dudes say that. So its like things I go through on a daily basis help me write my songs. B.S.R . Magazine: I’ve seen you perform several times so I want you to give us an honest rating on how well do you think you perform? Vince Loyal: Oh my performances are a number 10. I put time into my performances and if it’s a story with that song you will see something that will show you that story in my performance. I don’t just come up there to yell in the microphone and have fifty thousand people on the stage with me. I believe when
you come to a show, people expect to see a show. They pay their money to see you perform. I put a lot of time and pride into my shows. I love it!!! If you have a chance to see my shows come and check me out. I’m telling you, you will not be disappointed. B.S.R . Magazine: Can you tell us about some of the biggest challenges you faced so far in the rap industry? Vince Loyal: The biggest challenge really hasn’t been the rap industry. It has been an inside battle with myself. A lot of times I use to doubt myself because I didn’t think I was ready. I always
Vince Loyal Contact: myspace.com/blackshepherdrecords blackshepherdrecords.com mail: blackshepherdrecords@yahoo.com or mike@blackshepherdrecords.com
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thought I wasn’t good “I don’t want it to come fast enough because I wasn’t on 103 jamz, 104.5, because the people that came or BET. Now when I out to fast just went away. I start to look at it like nowadays….. you don’t want loyal fans….that’s why really have to take that my name is Vince Loyal so this route in order to be heard. I’m good now. I’m is just the beginning.” just taking the time…….. slowly but surely I’ll get it out there. When people hear it, they feel it. My He is a good dude, for real! I want to music creates a snowball effect. let the world know in this interview right now…..there has been times B.S.R . Magazine: What type of where I wanted to give up on this messages are you trying to send to your rap game “real talk”, but this dude listeners? Mike always put me in my place. He was like naw man…..you got to Vince Loyal: I have all types of keep on going man, and I would not messages in my music. Like I said, it’s be sitting here right now having this a story of my life and the people lives interview with yall if it wasn’t for this I’ve touched. I don’t think anybody man. That’s real talk and that’s why I can say they came up with a song no go hard for him so I would definitely one has touched on. In some ways, like to give a big shout out and every song is connected to each other. thanks to Mike Watts. This is going I feel that way about my music and to be a label to deal with….. BLACK my message……I’m just going to say it SHEPHERD RECORDS mannn!!! from a person that has a open mind to Vince Loyal, F.T.S. all day like I said, the world. With the situations I’ve been and that’s for anybody that really feels through, I use that to put out a very that way. That’s what F.T.S. is, it’s a clear and positive message. movement…..free thy selves of what was going on with you when you were B.S.R . Magazine: Do you have any younger. It allows you to open your last words? mind up and see what you really want in your life, because it is your life and Vince Loyal: I would like to give your decisions to make. I would also a shout out to everybody that took like to give a shout out to Top Shelf.!!! the time to listen to my music and (understand) over stand me. I like to B.S.R . Magazine: This is Black think my family. I would like to think Shepherd Records Magazine signing Mike Watts for always believing in me. out with Vince Loyal! www.blackshepherdrecords.com
Top Shelf Interview with B.S.R. Magazine B.S.R . Magazine: This is Black Shepherd Records with Top Shelf, one of VA’s top producers. Share with us a little bit about yourself. Top Shelf: What’s good Black Shepherd Records!! This is your boy Top Shelf. As you know I’m a music producer in all genres like R&B, rap, pop, and I also dabbled a little in the country world as well. I’m a real passionate producer with a musical background. From 2nd to 8th grade I was in the orchestra also through elementary and middle school. I played the drums in church, and picked up a little bit on the piano keys. My father is the lead guitar player in church which I picked up my love of music through him and added my own feel. B.S.R . Magazine: Give us a feel on how you came up with the name Top Shelf? Top Shelf: Well, I actually come up with that name myself. Everybody use to call me T.C. because of my initials. My boy who passed away last year….. Sonny Black, said that was to boring so you need something like Top Contender. I rolled with it because being new to Virginia I felt I had something to prove. As I got better with my beats Sonny Black, cousin, Mac said you got to lose that “Contender” name because you’re on another level now. So he came up with the name Top Shelf because he said one day I’m going to be on the top on the charts with my beats. I also feel I make Top Shelf music.
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B.S.R . Magazine: Tell me about any VA artist you produced for around the 757 area. Lately, I’ve done Vince Loyal 5 song demo F.T.S. I met him in a guitar center 4 years ago doing what we both like to do (Music) and we hooked up. At the time, Vince Loyal was doing what he do best and I didn’t know him as a rapper so we just hit it off on the beats, and I lost contact with him for about 2 to 3 years. We ran into each other again later on and he asked if I still did beats and I told him I’m on a whole different level. He said like wise, with his rapping, so we worked on a demo. I did beats for Zoe apart of Kingz Nation with Quan, Sonny Black, “A.C.T. Squad” and rap artist Cape. Also I worked with an artist name, Q.B. a young kid from downtown Newport News. We had a song on the radio called, “VA anthem” about two years ago with DJ Jack of Spade on the Sunday night rotation for a while which was my first time on the radio. B.S.R . Magazine: Do you sample beats? Top Shelf: Well, first and foremost I don’t sample other people songs. If anything I might sample sounds. But I do listen to other producers to get an idea like with the Thriller album produced by Quincy Jones. I feel that just the ideas of the feel could fit into my productions. B.S.R . Magazine: I want you to clear up right now on whether or not you are signed because that’s the word
on the streets. Top Shelf: Yeah that came along from me going to a Sha Money one stop shop producer conference in May. Me and my crew ran into Ty Fyffe and if you don’t know who he is, he produced… “Rump Shaker”, 50 cents “Straight to the Bank”, and his recent work is “Hustlers Anthem ‘09”, which is Buster Rhymes and T-Pain. My boys was talking to him about music and beats so he asked me if I had some beats? I was like yeah and I handed him my CD and he said I’m gone check you out. To make a long story short, I came
home that Monday and Wednesday he called and said this is Ty Fyffe, I heard your music and I was interested in your work. Needless to say, the rest is history. I signed with him….“Tybu Productions”. We just getting it in right now getting these placements up. Currently I’m trying to work on some productions with Plies, Trey Songz, and Jeezy right now. You know… hopefully you’ll be seeing me on one of those albums! B.S.R . Magazine: So, how can someone looking for Top Shelf beats get in contact with you?
Top Shelf To reach me contact: Manager Darrell Bryant, dbryantjr@gmail.com topshelfbeatz@gmail.com www.myspace.com/topcfe or visit myspace.com/ blackshepherdrecords.
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Short Story
Who are they to judge? Why must that guy hate me because I don’t look like him or his sons or daughters. I appreciate myself so why can’t I get the same respect from that lady at the register. I didn’t ask to be here. My father or mother didn’t mark me as a target when they had me. So I know if they didn’t mark me then I am for sure God didn’t either. When I turn my résumé in and I know its going to be the best and then when I get that interview and the interviewer looks at me and then she goes and say I will call you when the position is ready. I never get the call. Instead I get the letter in the mail telling me that they enjoyed my time but unfortunately they are finished hiring for the position. How does that make me feel, not good. The only thing I can think of is the nature of my skin because everything else was perfect. How about when I go into an Asian Store and it feels like I’m being followed around by eyes and not camera’s. They watch me so much it feels like they become a part of me. I wish things could be different but how can it be when they misjudge me for something or someone else. I am not the prey but I feel as though am being hunted. When is it that they will see that we didn’t ask for this type of treatment. Our character only defines them because that’s who we learned from. So when they call us killers or thieves we can only say that we learned from the best. They taught us. Then some say that we shouldn’t blame others for the mistakes that we make. Yeah, we got a choice, and the choices we make are sometimes good and sometimes bad but did we have a choice when we were made to do what we didn’t want to do or what we didn’t want to have done to us? I guess, I shouldn’t look at the situation in this manner but again I ask who are they to judge us?
~ Author Unknown
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Bernie Burns Interview with B.S.R. Magazine B.S.R . Magazine: How did you come up with your stage name Bernie Burns? Bernie Burns: My stage name is derived from my actual name, which is Byron Byrd. After going through several names like Big B., Bumble Bee, and Black Bastard one day I was listening to my grandfather call my name because he could never pronounce my real name so he would call me “Burn Byrd”. Eventually “Burn Byrd”, evolved into “Bernie Burns”. B.S.R . Magazine: What age were you when you began rapping? Bernie Burns: I have been rapping since age 11. I was 12 years old when I really discovered I could do it and pursue a rapping career and just try to make something happen. Ya Know!! B.S.R . Magazine: What motivates you to continue rapping? Bernie Burns: Boy there are so many things, it’s not only just a hobby but also it’s something I think I’m good at. You can change people lives, you can influence positive ways of thinking. I think it’s just a form of creativeness. It’s kind of like Picasso; he can paint until his arms fall off. It’s an art. B.S.R . Magazine: Who inspires you? Bernie Burns: Man when I first started it was most definitely Wutang, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Big L, Lord Finesse, and Method Man. B.S.R . Magazine: Do you think its 14 B.S.R. Magazine
difficult getting your music heard in Virginia? Bernie Burns: In Virginia it is difficult. Well you can get it heard but it’s just the fact of making it stick. It’s saturated right now with people who are just doing their own thing. Everybody is trying to rap so it’s kind of over flooded with a bunch of nonsense. The people that’s really serious about their craft got to work extra hard to be able to stand out. That’s how myself, and Brandeesh, Double XL, and other guy’s peak out and stand out amongst all the rest. B.S.R . Magazine: Do you think hip-hop music beBernie Burns Contact: myspace.com/empirestrikesagain blackshepherdrecords.com email: bernieburns95@yahoo.com
ing played on the radio has a meaningful message to it? Bernie Burns: Not at all, I don’t think they have any message whatsoever besides party because that’s the thing that’s hot. I’m not mad at the down south movement at all but I mean it all comes around in a certain season but you know right now its not giving out any kind of message. Very few artists are even putting out songs with messages and I can name them on one hand: Common, Grand Beast, Bernie Burns, and some of Kanye West stuff. For the most part everything that’s going right now is what it is.
B.S.R . Magazine: What do you think about the support of the local radio stations for the local artists? Bernie Burns: Ha…Ha…Ha… Its some support, but you have to be connected with the end crowd. With who’s who? I can’t really say any names but if you get in good with such and such its like a back door kind of thing. I approached a great number of DJ’s and a great number of program directors and asked them personally. They told me what I needed to do to get my stuff on the air, which was no problem but I know plenty of other people that did not have to take that same road that these guys were telling me just to get my music played. They support you to a certain extent but for the most part they all have their own means. B.S.R . Magazine: What type of message does your music have and can you elaborate on that some? Bernie Burns: Absolutely, Bernie Burns, Empire Entertainment, my whole message is about life, living, thriving, staying positive, uplifting women, having the brothers doing what they are suppose to do. Of course its all Christian based with a real sharp message. I just want to keep everybody on a good thinking path, think before you react to a lot of things. You don’t have to do what everybody else is doing. You don’t have to do it because everybody else is in the club jumping up and dancing. I personally don’t like to dance and the only time I go to the club is when I’m performing. The message is true…”if it ain’t true it ain’t real so it ain’t right”.
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