3 CONTRIBUTORS
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7 EDITOR’S LETTER
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8 HEY MISTER DJ
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12 TOP 6 RAP ARTISTS
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WE’VE FOUND MUSIC ARTIST’S YOU’LL WANT TO LEND AN EAR TOO
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16 MUSIC MEETS FASHION ...........................
BEAUTIFUL DRESSES AND RHYTHMIC MUSICIANS
26 FEATURE
........................... RAHBI! RAW
32 HOW NOT TO GET YOUR CD PLAYED ...........................
WE GIVE ADVICE TO YOUNG EMERGING MUSIC ARTISTS
Abstract Blends of Allure Fashions by Jasmine Stocking
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c o n t r i b u t o r s
Curtis Taylor is the definition of a work in progress. He never realized that picking up a camera would make him a photographic sensation. His photographs of famous names in music such as, J. Cole, B.o.B., Wale, and Chiddy Bang have been featured in XXL Magazine. He is currently pursuing a degree in journalism with an emphasis in Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri. Check out his photographs in our fashion meets music photo shoot.
WHAT WE’VE SEEN
Art on the
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St. Louis, Mo.
Location: Saint Louis Art Museum Photographer: Dairon Forrest
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Chicago, Ill.
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Location: Downtown Chicago Photographer: Martilla Davis
PHOTOGRAPHY
WRITING PUBLIC RELATIONS ADVERTISING
GRAPHIC DESIGN WEB DESIGN FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS
e d i t o r’s l e t t e r
We want to hear from you. Send us your feedback our issue at sculptmag@yahoo.com Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @SculptMag
By popular demand—we’re back! Our first issue gave you a taste of emerging artists in the St. Louis metropolitan area, but this time we’ve sought music artist from the East coast, the Midwest, and even the dirty South who are striving to make their footprint on the music industry. It’s obvious that music would fit into the seams of my passion for art. I come across young people daily who are making a hard attempt to become the next music phenomenon out of their basements, makeshift studios, or even the pavements in front of their homes. So, this issue I’ve decided to pay ode to some friends whom I know well, and others who I’m happy I will know later on in life. Check out our feature story on Atlanta artist, RAHBI Hines. Hines is defining his own genre of music being noted as the next Prince (now that’s a big deal). He gives us details on his friendships with R&B artists we’ve come to love, and I’m sure after reading this story you’ll come to love him just the same. We combine music and fashion on our pages this issue as we spend an afternoon under a beautiful tree in the park and our models take on the sounds of marvelous musicians. If that isn’t enough, we’ve done some research and got the inside scoop on the art of the DJ. We’ve even searched around the nation for DJ’s that are getting their feet wet in the industry. Make sure to check and see if you neighborhood DJ is featured our pages. I hope that you find this issue as magnificent as you found the first. Continue to inspire, as we continue to evolve.
Rikki Byrd Rikki Byrd
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Hey Mister DJ!
We request songs and dance to the beats of our neighborhood DJs. We give you the pros and cons on the art of the DJ.
BY BRIDGET BOTCHWAY BRADLEY
The 1980s. The era that was full of thick gold chains and Adidas shell-toe tennis shoes. The era where the cool kids carried huge boom boxes on their shoulders, and ran home to watch “Yo! MTV Raps.” The era where hip-hop evolved and the parties bumped with the latest music. The era where your neighborhood disc jockey concon trolled the success of the party, and continues to do so today. From Madonna’s iconic song, “Hey Mister DJ” to Lil’ Wayne’s “Go DJ,” disc jockeys have played a crucial role in the foundation of hip-hop music. 16-year-old Ray Newby was credited as the world’s first radio DJ. Newby originated the art behind the DJ in Stockton, California with the help of long-time mentor and radio pioneer Charles “Doc” Herrold. Newby played records on a spark transmitter at his local radio station. The popularity and influence of the DJ would continue throughout the 1980s and 1990s as DJ masters such as Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Tom Lewis made their marks in Hip-Hop. Unfortunately, the groundbreaking music that used to blast through our radios has quickly been belittled by ridiculous dances and degrading lyrics to women, (think Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat” and Travis Porter’s “Make It Rain”). The laziness in the composition of song lyrics have also began to affect the art form of the DJ. Similar to the newspaper, the DJ community has suffered blows due to new technology in software and hardware that can make literally anyone with access to a Best Buy, iTunes, or simply the Internet into a DJ.
These recent advancements in music mixing and scratching have cultivated a new crop of “press play� DJs, who merely press a button and let the music play. This new crop of DJs present a slight threat for those who want to preserve the art form. Dr. Treva Lindsey, professor of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Missouri views the new technology with some optimism. Lindsey points out that even the legendary DJs use technology, but makes it clear that the greatest DJs know when the technology should stop and skill should take over. Despite the pros and cons of the DJ, young people around the nation are seeking to make their mark on the artistry behind the disc jockey. Now, get to know your neighborhood DJs: Audio, DJ Aries, and DJ Diva J.
audio
dj aries
dj diva j
WHAT WE’VE SEEN
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www.alisonnosila.com
WHAT WE’VE HEARD
We’ve searched around the nation for music artists that you’re missing out on. From boy groups to solo artists, we’ve found the top six rap artists to look out for this summer.
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#2 Declaring music as his first love, Phillip Scott has set out to make a career out of his passion for music. With childhood memories of listening to his father sing Stevie Wonder, Scott hopes to make a positive impact upon the hip-hop culture. His lyrcis are sure to uplift, and beats sure to keep your head bobbing and fingers snapping.
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Chicago natives, Eazy and “Be,� are two opposites that have collided by coincidence. Eazy was always at the forefront, singing in the choir and doing performance poetry. “Be� was an outcast who found solace in Hip-hop. Setting their differences aside, while at the same time merging them together, Eazy and “Be� hope to become the new normal. Together they plan to bring what they call “Chicago Hop-hop� to the forefront with fresh ryhmes and even fresher clothes.
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From the age of six the four guys of iLL-iteracy have formed their dreams collectively. Sitting in one of the group members basement in their hometown Roanoke City, Va., they began making music. Since then, Scott Dudley, Kirk Dudley, Corey English, and George Trent have attemped to reveal their lives through their lyrics. Though balancing school, jobs, and family is a difficult task, iLL-iteracy is showing no signs of slowing down their music.
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New to the game, Anthoney Ellis is winning many fans in the heart of St. Louis. Ellis has only been rapping for one year and has already had the opportunity to open for big name artists like J. Cole. Paying dues to his hometown Ellis works hard to give back to his commucommu nity. Ellis is hoping to move to Los Angeles in the near future and further pursue his career in Hip-hop.
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Kansas City, Mo. native, Tiio Watts is using his campus as his fan base. As a student at the University of Missouri, Watts continually promotes his music. With several mixtapes under his belt, Watts is no rookie to Hip-hop. He strives to illustrate and paint vivid images for his listeners to experience and enjoy.
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Download RAHBI’s new single today on Itunes!
www.theplaground.com
music is the universal language of mankind. henry wadsworth longfellow
timeless beauties find flaunt darling dresses while finding th emselves caught in the middle of an outdoor symphony. photographs by curtis taylor jr.
music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. victor hugo
S ’ R E M M U S S S KI
PHREDDIAMOND.COM
W A R
Atlanta native, RAHBI Hines wants fans to make sure they spell his name with all capital letters--he’s that big of a deal. He’s rubbed shoulders with Erykah Badu, opened for Bilal, and good friends with Janelle Monae’. RAHBI sits down with us for an interview and gives it to us RAW. BY JADE EARLE AND RIKKI BYRD
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARCUS MAYES
“my earliest memories involved music and entertaining people.�
-donna. SM: Now, you’re also mingling with some greats as well, like Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu. What is that like? R: It’s crazy because, yes, I was listening to Erykah Badu in college and one year, this company booked me to come and participate in the Dallas Soul Music Conference and Erykah Badu happened to be the host of that show and I was on stage singing and she comes out with her camera and was flashing pictures of me and I was like, ‘Wow, this is humbling’ and when it was over, she asked her manager, ‘Who is that little guy? He’s amazing,’ so I developed a relationship with her and we talk a lot. She encourages me and I love her. Me and Janelle met on a more regular friendship level. It wasn’t the Janelle Monae we know of today, it was the hustler. So, we were both kind of grinding together, I’ve known her for some years before the pompadour, before the black and white. But, to see her now and all the greatness going on in her life, I’m just so proud and the fact that she is out there telling people about me, I really respect that and thank her. SM: Is there a Rahbi that the fans don’t know? R: Yes, offstage, I feel I’m a lot more quiet and shy. I’m not shy at all on stage. I’ve heard people a lot of time meet me in person and say, ‘Wow, you’re so soft spoken.’ So, yea, it’s just a little different. SM: How did you come up with that whole concept of your new single, “Rollercoaster”? I know there’s a phrase that is the first thing on the album. R: That song was presented to me by an artist named P.J. Morton and he’s an amazing soul artist. So, I guess P.J. just took notice to the great things I was doing on my side of the playground. He asked if I needed a song for my album. So, he emailed me ‘Rollercoaster,’ and I just tweaked it a little bit and I just loved it. To me, it invites people to have fun and to let go. I know you’re scared of heights/but, no need to fear your life/cause I’ll be right there/And I’ll take real good care of you/If you want me to. SM: What is next? R:I got to finish this album, I got to finish “The Golden Child,” I got two more songs to record and then we’re going to blow your minds and conquer the world. SM: And when can we be looking for that album? R: [laughs] All in good time.
10 ways to NOT get your CD played Think you have what it takes to make it in the world of music? We’re giving you our advice on what not to do. -BRIDGET BOTCHWAY BRADLEY
10. Your album often features songs with artists who should no longer be making music I.e. Lil' Rapartist ft. Flavor Flav and MC Hammer
9. Your lyrics feature an over abundance of played out words that are better left in 2005. I.e. shawty, hater, hammer, or bammer 8. The number of features on one song should not exceed the number of songs on an entire album I.e. Lil' Rapartist ft. Rick Ross, T-pain, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Common, Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Nikki Minaj, Cam'ron, Big Sean, Plies, T.I., Wiz Khalifa, Wale, Jay-Z, Andre 3000, John Legend, J.Cole, Eminem and Ludacris. (There are only 10 songs on the album.)
4. Obnoxious/Obscene and Inappropriate CD art I.e. Kanye West
7. Complicated and difficult CD titles I.e. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Your album consistently tells of the struggle of the "hood life", but you were born and raised in upper middle class suburbia. I.e. The artist whose debut single is "Im SO Thug City Life" was born and raised on the corn fields of Tallapoosa, Missouri.
6. Your album offers more sound effects than actual music. I.e. gun shots, female groans and cash machine chimes
2. Your DJ screams at your listeners and has several DJ plugs throughout the song. Is it your DJ's album or yours?
5. Your artist name is either a) ridiculous b) obscene c) too random for words I.e. a) Waka Flocka Flame b) Old DirtyBastard c) Beeda Weeda 32
1. Your album is so auto tune; no one knows what you sound like in real life. I.e. If you are not T-pain and made an entire career off of auto tune, take a word from HOV and “put flowers on the casket for the (DOA) Death of auto tune.”