Best/Worst Recording Sessions
So DBIC caught up with a couple of artists in the industry. We have been wanting to ask about their personal best or worst recording session, and if there was a meeting behind it. It was interesting to listen to the answers we got.
Lil Flip
Lil Flip: “My best studio session ever was when I did the song “We Ain’t Scared”. I was working on the “Underground Legend” album and I got in touch with Bizzy Bone from Bone-Thugs-NHarmony. That was one my favorite groups besides UGK and 8Ball & MJG. The agreement was for him to do one song on my album. He got to the studio and said he needed some Hennessey. I sent someone to the store to get him a fifth of Hennessey. He was like no, I need a gallon! So I sent someone else to the store to get a gallon of Hennessey. He took the top off of the bottle, took his shirt off and he turned the bottle upside down and drank 1/4th of it. He was like “let me go in the booth, I’m ready.” I had only played the beat for him one time. He went in and sung the hook and I started writing my verse. He was like I want to put a verse on this too. It was only supposed to be a hook or a verse – not both. He ended up getting on the verse and the hook. After we completed that song, I put on another beat I was working on that ended up being “R.I.P. Screw” off “Underground Legend” as well. I told him it would be cool if we did this song and I was talking about DJ Screw and he was talking about people he missed that he had lost. He said it would be cool for him to do the hook. I’m not gonna’ quote what he charged me but he showed me a lot of love. The amount he told me for the hook was really cool.
Daz Dillinger: “My best session was when I first got in the studio with Dr. Dre in the early 90’s to do “The Chronic.” Along with 2Pac when he came to Death Row, that whole situation was a beautiful moment. Being in the studio with Dr. Dre & 2Pac was amazing. My worst session ever was being in the studio at Echo Sounds when it got shot up. One of my little homies got killed that night. This was when that whole east-west stuff was going on. Everybody was dissing and stuff.”
Daz Dillinger
Why Are The Nice Guys Finishing Last? By Mysheka Ross Well, i'm going to just get right to the point on this issue.i'm not going to bait you in, make you skip to the end to see what the verdict is! the magic question is why are, the nice guys finishing last? this is definitely a very broad topic and we can go on and on about why we think nice guys finish last, and who is to blame. i'm going to narrow it down to a few of the main reasons why nice guys finish last.when i think of this question its not solely the woman's fault why the nice guy is finishing last but she does play and important role in the matter, but if the guy used better judgment he wouldn’t have to worry about finishing last. nice guys finishing last have many key factors the woman is not just standing around hand picking certain guys saying “he is about to pay!” If every time this guy turn around he's finishing last he's doing something wrong! hey, nice guy you are attracted to the wrong women at the wrong time period! you are attracted to the woman that could have just experienced a break up,not sure if she wants to be single,baggage from the previous relationship,baby daddy drama, and everything else in between!so ,bruh its about time you do some serious shifting and take some responsibility somewhere for finishing last. at some point of being involved the person has some kind of idea what their dealing with to a certain extent. if the guy happen to encounter the problem that she wants to go back to the other guy there is no need in him getting bent out of shape about it, because had he used better judgment and not came with a captain save a hoe mentality (if the shoe fit wear it) he wouldn’t be in the situation, because he would have been able to recognize that maybe she was just with him to pass time which was the wrong thing to do, but he went along with it. so,who's fault is it?his!instead of him looking at the situation for what it was worth and realizing that the person needed time to deal with the current situation before entering a new relationship. she cant give 110% to someone else with unresolved issues in her past/present relationship. right then and there he's compromising himself and what he wants in his life.with better judgement on his end he could have noticed that she was still in love with the other guy, maybe she still wanted to be with the other guy but he didn’t want to be with her and she was having a tough time letting go and moving forward. at the time of meeting the new guy it was more of needing someone to talk to verses a new relationship.if the guy missed those key factors in the conversation he would end up finishing last because he failed to (listen) to what she was saying during their conversations.everyone you meet are not dating partners.also, if the guy is going in with a mind set that he is going to make her forget all about the other dude this, that, and the other he will come in last again, because he's not some great wonder! many people have thought the same thing and wasn’t successful. if she hasn’t gotten past or over the
previous relationship it’s going to be a problem in the new relationship.some guys will say “we talked and i asked her about the previous relationship and everything was kool” and if that was the case, did you stop paying attention after that? because you may have missed all the red flags pointing to the fact that she was done with you and was just waiting for you to notice. Moving right along to the next issue that ties into nice guys finishing last is the fact of the matter is some women don’t want a nice guy sad to say but true. they are content living a drama filled life.the nice guys need to have their radar on so they are able to detect these type of women so they don’t waste time and energy on someone that don’t have the same desires. Another reason nice guys are finishing last because these women need to wake the hell up and get themselves together.its not all women but it’s a large percentage that act as though they have lost their damn mind. they allow these guys to treat them any kind of way and run through their lives like a marathon and not all women are going to accept this behavior from them.some women are accepting and tolerating non sense just to have a piece of man.the crazy thing is that these women are kind,giving,patient and understanding with the guys that don’t give a damn about them and kicking the good guy to the curb.if the guy treated you like crap when you were dating him and now he's treating the new girl the same what makes you think he has changed or will change if you guys get back together?ladies have you lost your mind?wake up! don’t you want more for yourself?its up to the women to stop the cycle.when you break up with a guy be done with the situation don’t allow him to go back and forth its not that serious.when you allow this to happen you are compromising your happiness,peace of mind,and joy and its not worth it.some women say they want a good guy, but a good guy has to have an opportunity to approach you and if your are constantly allowing all your ex-boyfriends to have free rain who in the hell want to be bothered with that?nobody!besides, if a woman doesn’t love her self she will not be able to love in return.so, stop short changing yourself ladies.when you decide to love yourself whole heartedly you will not tolerate the non sense from other people and you will find how much happier and better off you are.when you disrespect yourself it leaves room for others to disrespect you also.if your going to settle, settle for a nice guy at least!
Can't Keep My Eyes Off U!!!
Name or Alias: Pepi Hometown: los angeles Likes; i love music, dancing and being with family Dislikes: I hate infomercials Contact Info: Tanez Henderson at Bell Management
Can't Keep My Eyes O U!!! Cont...
1. When did you first start getting into modeling? I started when i was 15 and it was my first runway show. 2. Although everyone does the modeling thing, what makes you stand out for agencies and people in the industry to select you for a gig? For one, I'm Pepi and I'm 5'4 3. What do you think is your best feature? My best feature is my eyes. 4. What was your worst modeling experience? Being experience but then hearing people discuss my height 5. What type of guys do you like? Tall and athletic all the way 6. What you would call a perfect fantasy for you? In detail... Perfect fantasy is a long walk on a beach to a picnic around 5 pm where the sun is setting but still bright. so romantic and yet subtle. 7. What are you career goals for the future? To make it to Victoria Secret
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Guilty Pleasure
byAdorable P
He is my temptation, being near him makes me weak and wet. When he looks in my eyes, he makes my heart race and I feel butterflies in my stomach. The chemistry is crazy between us and when he comes close to me I have to have him. I begin to blush when I hear his name mentioned and even when I deny I am hooked he knows the truth. He does not have to say a word to me to make me melt in his hands. He is my craving, my dessert after dinner. His touch, his kisses and the way he makes my body feel is so undeniable. Even though I can’t have him all the time when calls; I don’t hesitate to answer. The smell of his cologne, his touch and his kisses are so addictive. When I look down into his eyes, he allows me to take control and take him into my world; I don’t want it to end. When he leaves me, he stays on my mind but this is not good because he is not my dude. When I make love to my dude I close my eyes so I can imagine making love to him. He is my guilty pleasure. Why can’t I get her out of my head? Her pretty green eyes, light-skin, long hair and sexy ass legs and breast are burned in my brain. Her voice is so sexy and she has a smile that brightens up the world. I think about making love to her all the time. I dream of standing behind her and kissing her on her neck with my arms around her waist standing on the beach by the ocean as the sunsets. Just the thought of her makes my manhood raises. The sound of her voice is so relaxing and calming that she makes everything in my world fade away. I try to walk away from her but I have to have her in my life. I try to ignore her text messages and phone calls but it is so hard. I try to put distance between us but I find myself on her surfing the internet looking at her pictures. I try so hard not to want her but the chemistry between us is so crazy. I find myself typing text messages that she never gets but I can’t deny her. When she kisses me I don’t want her to stop. When she takes her time and makes love to every inch of me and I feel chills flow through my body, I wish our time never has to end. When I look down into her eyes, she makes me feel like a King. Dam, I can’t have her in my life 24/7 and I can’t have her to myself. What you don’t know is she has a man and I am married. She is my guilty pleasure. Guilty pleasures feel so good and allow us to get away from real life. A guilty pleasure can last shortterm and for some a life-time. The excitement of the moment and the time together that you know is so wrong but so right. The thoughts you take home to get you through until the next time you meet. It is your secret, your sanity; it is like being on a island in the middle of the ocean all alone. Is it wrong to have a guilty pleasure or is it the norm? No one has to know and who will get hurt? I sit back with my headphones on listening to Clarissa Rose, “Guilty Pleasures” and a smile comes across my face. What about you?
Hittman Interview Part 2 Cont from Part 1... DBIC: I think that’s really cool, the fact that you thought about that back then. Who knows, maybe if he could go back, he would have been more co-operative because a new sound needed to come eventually. That was evident because after “2001”, too many people tried to re-create what Dre did, and it got stale after a while. Hittman: It burnt out because Dre doesn’t put out albums every year so his new sounds don’t get introduced right away. In Dre’s absence, the clones do what they do, they bite. And in that event, Dre’s sound loses integrity. My albums executed the way I saw fit could have combated all of that. When it didn’t seem to be going that way, I lost interest. As far as working on “2001”, we had a fucking ball. That was some of the best times ever. DBIC: I’ve heard some great stories about that. Dre would be working on a beat and all the artists in the studio, whether it was you, Snoop Dogg, Knoc-turn’al, King Tee or whoever, would just start picking up pens and start writing instantly. Hittman: Yep, that’s how it would be. When the vibe was right & the beat was banging, there was no room for hating. Plus there was so much riding on "2001" from a career standpoint for Dre as an artist as well as everyone involved with him at that time. The critics were starting to say that Dre was losing his touch due to his first two releases on Aftermath. We were feeling that pressure so we responded by making sure that he had the most potent product possible because if it wasn’t, none of our shit was gonna’ come out anyway. I think that’s where the comradery was created. Everybody was pushing towards the same goal. Win or go home.
Eminem drops and boom. That was the C4 that blew the door open. The process of “2001” began and we’re all trying to make sure that shit was official because if not, none of our shit is gonna’ come out. I think that’s why that comradery was created. Everybody was pushing towards the same goal. DBIC: I think we’re on the same page here. I remember speaking to Timebomb about two years ago and he mentioned that it was a friendly competitiveness and it promoted positive energy. Hittman: Right, exactly. Xzibit would drop something and we would be like “oh shit, I have to change my verse now because it’s not fucking with that.” It made you raise your level at all times. And it still wasn’t hate. Motherfuckers would come out of the booth and we would give them a pound like “you just ripped that shit, I gotta’ go re-write my shit.” It was that type of thing. DBIC: And that’s probably why it turned out so great. Hittman: It came out beautiful because of that. DBIC: Whether it’s Dre or anyone, I think it’s rare to be able to bring in so many talented artists like he did and create that sort of comradery. A common goal was set and everyone pushed for it. Hittman: Totally. It’s very difficult. I don’t know how he did it to be honest. DBIC: I think what surprises people are that it was such a positive comradery and such a beautiful result, and many of the artists who were instrumental to the project hadn’t made it yet; You, Six-2, Knoc-turn’al, Timebomb and so on – they hadn’t hit it big yet. Outside of Xzibit and Eminem who were just starting to catch onto the mainstream, there wasn’t much of a resume with success there already. Hittman: Well we were pretty much like the team assembled for “The Chronic” in that right. I think what made our team special is that we were able to make a cohesive record even though the majority of the personnel that were not signed to Aftermath. We knew that “2001" would be our launching pad, we just could not foresee the drama that came with the success that sometimes destroys friendships. DBIC: Do you keep in touch with any of those guys? Hittman: I haven’t, but I do have Knoc & Timebomb’s former label mate Slip Capone on a song called “New West Affiliates” that will be on my “187.9 K.H.I.T.” album. I`m trying to get Crooked I on there to close it out but he is a very busy man. And now even busier due to Slaughter House signing with Shady which is a great look for them. I’m rooting for Crooked because I always wanna’ see the true west coast lyricist win. Straight up! I get angry at times because if he was from any other region he would already be a household name off of his Hip Hop weekly series alone. People don’t seem to embrace the west coast lyricist like they do emcee’s form other places. And I have never been able to figure out why. DBIC: It has worked for him in some ways though. He’s gained a lot of exposure from it, especially the first time he did it. Now he’s doing Hip-Hop weekly again. But I know what you mean. Hittman: He`s on that progressive shit I was talking about earlier. Him, Bishop Lamont, G. Malone, Nipsey Hussle, Jay Rock, Blu, Fashawn, Mykestro and so on.
DBIC: So you’re feeling the whole “new west” vibe? Hittman: Of course, it’s something that was spearheaded on "2001". Unorthodox rhyming scheme`s, vivid storytelling, land marking and so on. It’s the norm now but it wasn’t prior to the release of "2001". I remember Chris Rock was hanging out with us backstage one night and he said "when I first heard the record it was kind of strange to me". Dre gave me that look like you know he`s talking about you right? And I gave him a confident grin like "yep" (laughs). I also remember Dre telling me that he played Nas a few songs off of "2001" while we were still working on it. And he said Nas asked him "where were the songs like Bitches Ain`t Shit & Nothin’ but a G Thang”? I took it like he was saying that the only thing the west coast is good for is gangbanging war stories or backyard boogie type subject matter. It`s like every rapper that comes out of Southern California needs to have some type of gang backing or street cred to be accepted as real. And that just trips me out. Street cred or gang affiliation has nothing to do with what comes out when a niggas in a cipher or in that booth! DBIC: I was interviewing E-A Ski earlier and he mentioned that he feels like the west is flying under the radar. He feels as if the west coast is facing a backlash from the industry and maybe it has to do with the violent stereotype reputation it has. Hittman: Well for one, the last time I checked violence happens everywhere. It`s not limited to the west coast. And secondly, I don’t see that violence keeping the out of towners from recording out here, filming their video’s out here, buying property out here, stunting in the clubs & malls out here. You know what I`m saying? That just sounds crazy to me. DBIC: I can agree with you on that. Was “Bloww” featuring Dr. Dre and Knoc-turn’al supposed to be the first single for your Aftermath album? Hittman: No actually. “Bloww” was supposed to be one of the “2001” songs. But when it didn’t make “2001”, I was like fuck it, put that on my album. That probably would have been the street single. There was this other song called “Front Page” that I did with Battlecat that was starting to sound like the first single off my album. DBIC: What do you have up next? What do you want our readers to look out for? Hittman: I plan to start leaking freestyles here & there for this holiday season. I’m calling the campaign "Shooting the Gift". I will be dropping a song called “R.N.A.D.W.” very soon off the BIG HITT: The Last Days of Brian Bailey" album. I`m also working on a mixtape with my original crew the Smoke Skwod called “Skwods Honor.” Aside from that, I will have a few songs on the instrumental album that my man Mel is working on DBIC: And that would be Mel-Man? Hittman: Yeah! DBIC: It’s cool you’ve kept in touch with him. Hittman: Yeah man, Mel-Man is like a brother to me. He’s a good dude and very talented. We clicked almost instantly. When I first came around I kind of felt out of place. Here you have this guy that’s pretty much an underground emcee trying to get where I could fit in a house built by a man who pioneered Gangsta Rap’s signature sound, and with it he obtained a major amount of mainstream success. Mel would pull me to the side and put me up on key things and give me advice on how to approach certain situations. After that it was on. Me and Mel-Man bonded. I told him when I first got there, shit, I don’t know if my rhymes are gonna’ fit; I’m more of a Kool G. Rap and Rakim type of rapper. Special Ed; that was the type of shit I liked. From the day I said that, me and Mel-Man linked together. We went record shopping together; all that shit.
DBIC: And that’s right before you became the catalyst so to speak. Hittman: Yes, because up until that point I had not written anything for Dre yet. The personnel at Aftermath were shifting too. Eve, The Last Emperor, Fish, Punch & Diesel, one of Mel’s boys from Pittsburgh were on their way out of there. So before I could really feel out the other artists they were gone. Mel-Man remained as a producer & Eminem had been there for a minute. He was already knee deep in the “Slim Shady LP.” You should have seen the shocked look on my face when Dre revealed to me that Eminem was a white dude. I thought he was either a black guy from the suburbs or a black skater dude that ran with white boys. And since Em’s vocal tone & spitfire delivery reminded me of Opio from the Souls of Mischief back then, there was really nothing about hearing his material for the first time that said white guy. Seriously, Em & Scott Storch totally fucked my head up. When I first met Storch I thought he was a runner or something. Then Dre said "no dog, that’s the dude that’s been playing the grand piano for the last 10 minutes. I was like "get the fuck out of here"! (laughs). Later I learned that Scott was the original keyboard player for The Roots and that he was mentored by some serious musicians from Philly. I was impressed to say the least. So many stories man, I might have to write a book someday (laughs). DBIC: Speaking of Eminem, you were telling me quite an interesting story earlier about Proof of D12 and J. Dilla. Tell our readers about that. Hittman: Yeah man, Proof was a big ball of energy. Wherever he was at in a room that’s where the most fun was going on. Much like me & Mel-Man, me & Proof clicked instantly. He reminded me of my Skwod brother Spektacular Show that’s been locked down since 95. Like my man Spek, Proof was a spark plug. God bless him. Few people knew about this but me, Proof, Mel-Man, & the late great J. Dilla were planning on forming a group call Real Niggaz Revenge. Proof had been telling me & Mel that we should all do something together, an EP or something. Mel said if we do we gotta’ include Dilla because me & Mel had great admiration for Jay Dee’s talent on the drum & mic. Proof would tell Mel that Dilla had mutual respect for his choice in samples and that he was digging what I brought to the "2001" project. So he told Proof that he was down to do it. Once we found out Dilla moved to L.A. we were geeked up. It was just a matter of tracking him down and finding time to start the vibing process. One of the things looming over us is what will we call ourselves. In late 2005 I was driving around the city listening to music. N.W.A.’s Niggaz4Life & Jay Dee’s Ruff Draft were two of the CD’s in my 6 disc changer. Then bam, it hit me - Real Niggaz Revenge! And since all four of us were unsung heroes in the industry, that name made all the sense in the world. I called Mel right away & told him the name. Mel loved it. He called Proof while I was on the line to see how he felt about it. Proof didn`t answer so we left it on his voice mail. Sometime later Proof called me & left me a message free styling saying that he was with Pauly Shore (yes that Pauly Shore) and that we should hang out & make a toast to Real Niggaz Revenge. I don’t know where the hell I was but we didn’t get to hang that night. Next thing you know, February of 2006 had rolled around. Grammy time in L.A. and that’s when I got the sad news that Dilla had passed away. We were fucking devastated. I had a day job at the time. The next day I called in sick, bought a dozen donuts, put one in the air, drove to Zuma beach, popped in my “Donuts” CD by Dilla and rolled south bound down PCH. I was free styling all teary eyed at times wondering` why him and what could we could have accomplished as a group. And if that wasn’t enough heartache, months later of course, Proof was killed. I was at a loss for words. I met up with Mel and we hit the bars hard drinking and reminiscing about all the fun we had with that dude. To this day, I turn off the documentary BEEF IV when it gets to the segment about Proof. He and Dilla left here entirely too soon. R.I.P. to them man.
Oh, I almost forgot. The other idea we were playing around with was adding Devin the Dude to the group so the south could be represented as well. And with him added there would have had a three way concept going on. Both producers can rhyme and two of the emcees can hold notes (me and Devin) and the Funky Cowboys (Proof and Dilla) would’ve been reunited as a special treat for all the Detroit Hip Hop heads. But due to the turn of events we never got around to contacting Devin about it. And therefore the Real Niggaz never got their Revenge. DBIC: Wow, what a story. That’s crazy. I appreciate your time Hittman. Do you have any last words before I let you go? Hittman: First of all, I’d like to thank you for lending me an ear. Also, “Hittmanic Verses” & “Big HITT Rising” are available at www.CDBaby.com. Go get them if you haven’t yet. And to all my fans thank you, thank you, and thank you again for your support. Yall are the greatest! And I wanna’ give a special shout out to the Hittmaniacs in Australia, Germany, The U.K., All the heads in Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Seattle, Washington, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. I’m planning to hit your areas up real soon. Stay tuned. And remember, look both ways before crossing the street because you might get HITT. -Justin Melo
@mrsmithpp
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DBIC: We’re right here with up and coming west coast artist Young Maestro. Of course you have a record in rotation on Power 106 right now called “See Me Girl” with T Y Dolla $ign. We want to start off by getting some of your background information first off. Tell us about your childhood and what that was like. Young Maestro: I had a great childhood. I was raised into music. I began playing the saxophone at a very young age; in the 1st Grade actually. Eventually I learned to play the keyboard and other instruments. All in all, I would say I had a nice childhood. DBIC: And how did you learn to play those instruments? Did you take a music class? Did someone teach you? Young Maestro: I had a music class and I took music lessons. Some of my teachers really took me under there wing and helped me learn. I started playing in the 1st Grade as I said. DBIC: That’s a young age to start playing instruments. You definitely showed a lot of promise from an early age. Tell us about your father who is also your manager, Ron Z. Young Maestro: He’s been with me since day one and has always supported my music career. I started producing at age 12 and he made sure I had all the programs that I needed. I started rapping and he grabbed pro tools for me. He always made sure I had everything I needed. Wherever I needed to get to, he helped me get there. He remains my manager today. DBIC: That’s great; to have such a supportive father who you could also utilize as a manager. As you got older, what do you think it was about your personality that helped develop your musical talents? You obviously began playing at a young age but what was some of the key factors in making sure it saw progression? Young Maestro: I watched other rappers and producers. I paid attention to how they did there stuff. I was a real big 50 Cent fan. I tried to imitate everything he did; from him being on stage to the way he rapped. The way I used to produce stuff, I tried to make everything sound like a Dr. Dre beat or something like that. I had to find my own swag and personality within my music and I did that. DBIC: Speaking of names like Dr. Dre & 50 Cent, who are some of your influences? Young Maestro: 50 Cent & Dr. Dre of course as mentioned. I like Drake right now. Fabolous & Kanye West are phenomenal. I like a lot of producers like The Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri & Timbaland as well.
"...I can make all types of music. As an artist, I can influence other people as well. They can relate to my music if they’re going through something similar...." DBIC: How did you hook up with 319 Music Group? Young Maestro: I had this one song in particular called “Earthquake.” I ran into Big Wy, who is the president of 319 Music Group President. He did a remix to the first song I ever did which was “Earthquake.” Ever since then, I’ve been doing production for 319 Music Group. I’ve been doing songs with Cali Swag District and soon enough I’ll be doing songs with The Sanctuary as well. I’ve been with 319 Music Group for about 2-3 years. DBIC: Tell us about the “See Me Girl” single. It is your most successful song to date and is current of course. Young Maestro: We’ve been getting some nice radio play right now. It’s on Power 106 and is getting played across California. A couple of stations across the country are playing it as well. We’ve got stations in Europe and Japan that are picking it up. It’s doing pretty good right now. We’re gonna’ make a big push to make sure we deliver that as one of the biggest hits of 2011. DBIC: Did you produce the record yourself? Young Maestro: It was TY Dolla $ign. He did the hook and beat for “Toot It & Boot It” by YG. I’ve been in the studio with him and he did this song for me. Ever since then, we’ve been doing other songs as well. We’re putting out that fire. DBIC: You produce and rap of course. Which do you enjoy more? Young Maestro: I used to like producing more but now it’s 50/50. When I rap, I get to inspire other people and when I get to perform, I get to put a smile on people’s faces. I can make all types of music. As an artist, I can influence other people as well. They can relate to my music if they’re going through something similar. I like to make other people feel better. It’s about even right now. DBIC: Which do you find more difficult? Young Maestro: I’ve been trying to improve my pop production. I’ve been trying to make better pop music. Poly Rob has been showing me a couple of things when it comes to pop because he does all around production. He showed me something about pop. It’s nice and simple; not too many instruments.
DBIC: What are you working on right now? Young Maestro: Right now I’m working on my album. I did some production for Cali Swag District. I’m also working with other artists across Los Angeles and across California. I’m gonna’ start that in 2011. I’m gonna’ start collaborating with a lot of people. I want to establish myself as an artist and as a producer. DBIC: Cool. I definitely like that right there. What’s your current label situation like? Young Maestro: I’m affiliated with 319 Music Group, not actually signed to them. I’m currently signed to my pops independent label WestCoast Knockin Records right now. DBIC: You mentioned your working on your album. Are you looking for a label situation? Or do you want to remain independent? Young Maestro: We’re definitely looking for a label situation. But even if a label doesn’t come, we’re still gonna’ do what we gotta’ do. We have gotten a couple offers from Sony and other labels so we'll see whats up. DBIC: Cool. What are your current thoughts on the west coast scene? Young Maestro: The west coast is looking great right now. We have a lot of artists coming out. A lot of them are doing big things, have songs on the radio, going on tour and such. The west is definitely back. Young cats are bringing out that west coast swag. Even up North, they have artists coming out so it’s not just Los Angeles. The whole west, we’re making moves. DBIC: What do you think needs to happen or continue to happen for west coast hiphop to really come back to the forefront of the hip-hop scene? Young Maestro: I feel like everybody needs to collaborate and push that beef out of the way. Let the past be the past. There’s too much money to be made. People down south collaborate and don’t worry about how much money another artist is getting. They don’t hate on what a song is doing. They all collaborate and that’s how they all got so big. That’s what the west needs to do right now.
DBIC: Ok. I like that right there. Do you think the west even gets boxed in by the viewers? Or do you think people have an open mind? Young Maestro: We’ve been boxed in for a few years. They see a west coast artist and they automatically think it’s about gangbanging. They see hardcore gangsta rap before they see anything else. The last big artist that came out of L.A. was Game, and now they’re seeing young, fresh artists out of the west with a little swag. We’re changing the whole definition of the west right now. It’s not just about gangsta rap anymore. DBIC: For sure. What’s up next for Young Maestro? Young Maestro: I’m going on a radio station tour to promote the “See Me Girl” single. After that does what it does, I’m gonna’ drop a couple of more singles. I just did a record with YG, and he's gonna get on the "See Me Girl" remix as well. I just did some songs with Glasses Malone, The Game, and Nipsey Hu$$le. So that's big for me. That’s next up. DBIC: Good luck with that. I really appreciate your time Maestro. Do you have any last words before I let you go? Young Maestro: I appreciate your time and the interview very much.
-Justin Melo
s r a e Y w e N n o i t u l Reso 4
Rappers
Here is a list of things rappers should or should not be doing for the New Year. So if you pick up a mic, please take note. You don't want to end up being a telegraph artist. Or maybe you do??? 1. Stop giving away free mixtapes. It does not work!!! Train your customers by making them purchase the music you have worked so hard to complete. 2. Pick one single record to push through your entire campaign. If the fans cant identity the artist with a specific record they are known by, everything else you do is useless. Everything... 3. Treat your team with much Respect. They work just as hard as you. If not harder. So a thank you or a trip to their favorite restaurant wouldn't hurt. 4. Stop begging for a deal. If you were a multi million dollar company, would you give thousands and millions of dollars to someone who doesn't have a profitable buzz or clearly wants a handout. Yeah i thought so... 5. Its ok to still be a fan of music. It seems like the more rappers rap, the more they hate on other rappers. That almost never happened back in the day. Nowadays, rappers have more of an opinion then the National Enquirer. 6. Stop worrying about what other artists is doing. Their success does not equal yours because you claim to have read or followed everything they just did. You may not have seen certain business moves they do not care to share with the public. 7. Even when it seems to rough, fight harder. Rappers whom gain the best out of their careers have mastered the art of making a bad situation turn good. So no matter how close you are to giving up,tats just one more test closer to your dream.
@CDCsociety