Listen to Em': Dirk Quinn

This is sort of an old clip but a great one that I recently remembered and thought was worthy of posting. Dirk Quinn is an amazing young guitarist who has been really making a buzz with his band (the Dirk Quinn Band) and gaining respect as one of the best new musicians on the scene. Here is an amazing cover of his cover of The Who's huge hit Baba O'Reily using a few loop pedals to make it happen.

If Star Wars had Facebook

Hope everyone had a great Holiday and has a good New Years. I've been doing a few shows with Grafite as of late, started a new job, and have been finishing up both the mixtape and album. The album will be coming out sometime in January, so please stay tuned for that because there will be a bunch of free shit to listen to, and it's hosted by DJ ILL WILL. Anyways, here is a funny thing someone created if Star Wars characters had facebook, check it out.

http://themovieblog.com/2009/12/if-star-wars-had-facebook

THE BLACK KEYS AND MOS DEF!?

This is what I have been waiting for. Dope musicians from all sides of the spectrum coming together to make something beautiful. Those who know me are well aware that although I do mainly rap music my interests don't stop at that genre of music. One of my favorite bands on the planet is a group called The Black Keys, a blues rock group made up of only a drummer and a singer. They have been slowly experimenting with hip hop style people, including having their last album produced by Danger Mouse (Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley). Now they have teamed up again working with Dame Dash to create BlakRoc: a compilation album of different hip hop artists rapping over black keys created compositions. Artists in the mix include Mos Def, M.O.P. and Jim Jones.

I highly recommend the Black Keys to anyone, and if you are fans of mixing genres this album is dope for you. Below are a few videos including the single with Jones and Mos Def accompanied by the melody of Black Keys singer/guitarist Dan Aurebach.





Blakroc Project from Myrhax on Vimeo.

Listen to Em': CAUSE

Coming out the heart of New York is one of those rare MC's that doesn't seem phased by the bull shit the mainstream artists seem to get caught up in. For those who enjoy hip hop music with more of a commercial feel, but still enjoy hearing an MC with lyrical talent, meet CAUSE. He has one of those voices that sound dope on any beat, and one of those recognizable signature-sounds you can identify as soon as he speaks a word on a beat.

CAUSE has already gained a large local and national fanbase earning reviews with AllHipHop.com, New York Magazine, BallerStatus.com, Rap Fanatic Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, Nah Right. In January 2009, CAUSE'S celebratory anthem “Banga” won a Billboard Songwriting Award for best Hip-Hop / Rap song as he released his debut album - The New Golden Era.

As long as the industry doesn’t let this one slip through the cracks, you should be hearing a lot more from CAUSE in the future.  For those in the New York area, he has got plenty of tour dates so it would definitely be worth going to check him out if you get the chance. Don’t sleep on CAUSE because when you wake up, he’ll be in your spot. At the young age of 22, I don't see much chance that CAUSE fails. He has planted his foot firmly in the game, and I am confident he will eventually leave his footprint in the world of hip hop music. 

check out the official website of CAUSE 

Updates

Hey guys, I wanted to keep you posted with what is going on with the music! Me and Josh who is my personal manager/partner in crime have been trying to organize all the music I've been writing and recording as of late. We've got a few great things lined up including a mixtape and an album in the works.

After searching around for the right person to host the mixtape, we've decided to go with DJ ILL WILL . He has a good presence on the internet which is where as an unsigned rapper, you need to have a name for yourself.  I've got a session next Saturday in which I will complete recording for all the mixtape tracks, and all that will be left is mixing.

As far as the album goes, I've got about 35 songs written and will be recording the remaining unrecorded ones within the next couple weeks. This month is all about getting some good talent on the album. In the works now are songs with Kristen (formally Rayne), Three Legged Fox's frontman Kyle Wareham and rapper CAUSE.

I've also been working with some dope producers for this album including recently Gabe Herman who has done work with JoJo and the hottest indie bands in Massachusetts.


So please keep spreading the word and pay attention for new shit soon!!

BEANIE SIGEL GETTING AT JAY-Z

There is a new record called Average Cat in which Beanie Sigel gets a few things off his chest, and a lot of those things are aimed at JAY-Z. He has spoke on the record as well, saying that basically, he was frustrated and needed to speak real talk, no diss record. The vibe of the record comes off a little aggressive, but it seems that Beans is basically just stating what needed to be said. Some of these things include him talking about how Jay called the cops on him. Beanie is one of those rappers that have been dope for a minute, and one of those dudes that is maybe too gutter to get the props he deserves in the mainstream, but regardless, a beast.

AND TRUE STORY, at the end Beanie talks about all the battles and bullets he took for the Roc instead of Jay, and if you think about it, he was the warrior of the click. We'll wait and see what Jay says about it...

heres the record:


Hear his comments about the record:

Listen to 'Em: Colin Munroe

It's a cool thing to see a live band collaborating with rappers and vice versa. It's also a cool thing when you hear a dude come out with something different. Colin Munroe has got a unique sound no matter how you look at it. He plays, drums, sings and keys all on the same song, each on their a tough feat, but together is pretty impressive. Despite his unique singing Indie Rock style, he has gotten a lot of recognition by the alternative and indie rap scene, doing tracks with rappers such as Joell Ortiz and Wale. If you are a fan of that type of mixture, this dude is someone you would enjoy.

Check out this footage of him and Wale in the studio rehearsing.

Listen to 'Em: Laws

In the current age of rap, it's not very often I come across a dude that makes me want to search high and low for his new material. But every once in a while I'm lucky enough to find someone who brings a sound like that, and this time around his name is Laws. He is your future favorite rapper as his mixtape claims, and I tend to agree with him. With a unique space sound to his music and flow, and a style which could be described as a mix between Lupe and Drake, this dude is definitely next up. He was just signed by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and is someone you should watch for. His song "Rain" is one of the hottest things I've heard in a minute, so check that out.


MYSPACE

Happy B-Day to the Ground

For some reason my blog is having trouble with the word wrap, so I am re-posting what I talked about with Andy Samberg a few days ago...

Andy Samberg continues to amaze me with his hilarious antics. Last week on SNL he came up with another great little segment with a song called "On the Ground". He is genius at taking something simple and pretty much stupid and turning it into something funny. Hopefully he can keep it up.Happy birthday to the ground! and enjoy! and according to Google, today was the invention of the barcode, something we don't really appreciate, but hey, it definitely has served more good than we can imagine, so happy birthday barcode.

Who Wants to F*ck a Millionaire?..host...

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? host Meredith Vieira has been known to say some stupid things without thinking. But, I'd say this has got to be one of the funniest encounters I've seen. It may be a little bit of a double standard that a female host can say she is horny on television and not get any shit, and men would probably get ridiculed, but hey, this is hilarious.

RUMORZ NOW ON TWITTER!!

So last night I went to a hip hop convention at Berklee, where I met a lot of great people in the industry. One person I met in particular was Dawaun Parker, producer and songwriter of some of Eminems newest stuff and one of Dr. Dres proteges. He was a mad cool dude and I was lucky enough to get some advice from him as well as hand him a cd. But yeah he told me I need twitter, so yeah, I've signed up. Follow me @RumorzMusic

Crocodile Tears on iTunes, JoJo's Producer...

Crocodile Tears is finally available on itunes after all the bull shit. Check it out by typing in Rumorz. Please support real hip hop and thanks for the love! Also mid october I will be working with Gabe Herman, who has worked producing with anyone from Dresdin Dolls to JoJo. Should be cool. Also getting Rayne back in the studio with a track nothing like my track with her called Stuck, something new and innovative.

peace,

Rumorz

VMA Report: Kanye-Taylor event Staged!?

There's a HUGE buzz going around about the VMA awards last night so I thought I would chime in with my opinions about all the big stories that went down. And unless you don't have TV, Radio, Email, facebook, or twitter... you know exactly which big issues I will bring up...Because everyone knows the biggest issue, I'm just going to go in order, so wait for that...

First thing that caught my eye was Lady Gaga arriving with Kermit (I think that's how it's spelled..not checking...) the frog. Now having Kermit attend the VMA's could be a decent idea; you know, get the younger kids excited, maybe promote the muppets or whatever the hell he is on now. BUT, instead they decided having kermit attend the event with Lady Gaga, a suspected transsexual (although I highly doubt that's true), a sex symbol, and an overall freak who admitted she doesn't care about who her man is, just if he has a huge dick. So if the people on Kermits camp thought this was a good idea, I don't know what the hell is wrong with this world now.

Next is the biggggg issue everyone got offended by; Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift when she won her award for best video or whatever and saying Beyonce should have won because it was one of the best videos of all time. Now people are pretty much outraged by this, and if this wasn't staged, I will honestly say he is a faggot and agree with everyone. But, I sort of believe this was a staged situation. Now hear me out on my reasoning:

1. Kanye West has been the bad guy before... He is notoriously over-cocky, and a great example of his bitching has been seen on PUNKED on one of it's earlier episodes.

2. Beyonce was about two feet away from the stage when this happened... If she honestly felt bad, she wouldn't have waited until the end of the show, but more likely walked up as Kanye did this and defended Taylor.

3. NO ONE bashed Kanye besides the crowds boos. You are telling e someone like Russell Brand who will make fun of Gaga for being a transvestite and the Jonas Brothers for being virgins TO THEIR FACES won't bash Kanye for a statement that was clearly in the wrong?

4. So Beyonce magically wins and for the sake of Taylor swift talk.. gives a Fairy-tell like ending to this so called tragedy when she calls Taylor (who was ready on cue back stage) to come out and re-do her speech. Seems fishy to me...

5. Lastly, MTV is notorious for trying to all types of absurd thing to promote the VMA's and try and make them as big an event as the Oscars and Emmys etc... Last year in order to have a Britney Spears come back they had her win like every event possible. And in order to make the performances perfect last year they only did like two live ones. This year thank God they through out the cheesy basically music video-version performances for the most part. But because of the history of this event I must say that what better way to bring a buzz to this show by having a RAPPER disrupt a country star and pop icons "moment"?

I will say this though... If I am wrong about this... then thanks Kanye. Thank you for taking rap music a GIGANTIC leap backwards in terms of respect. Your music is supposed to be the GOOD side of hip hop. Not just talking about drugs and all that, but the type the general public can enjoy. But instead you've just helped push back the respect of an already dwindeling genre in the respect category. Thanks.

updates.. LISTEN TO 'EM!: LB

Pardon the delay.. I just been slackin' on my mackin' so to speak. But now I'm back on it like I never left so be sure to keep coming back (Brett Favre). With this post I am combining a little bit of an update about whats going on with myself and so on. As far as Crocodile Tears is going, it has been selling decently well but with great reviews from all corners which is what has kept me going. CDBABY really dropped the ball with their new format and had a ton of problems, but FINALLY will be getting my album to iTunes very soon, so if you have not bought an album from me personally, itunes will be the best outlet...

I also want to take this time to introducer you to a collaborator on my next album: LB. LB is a dope MC coming out of New Hampshire, a place not really known for hip hop, but don't let the location of this new england rapper confuse you...HE IS A BEAST! For fans of real hip hop and soul alike, check out LB and get a taste of what NH is bringing to the hip hop scene.

As a close collaborator with Staik Selektah, this dude is a clear talent in the underground scene. don't sleep.


songs to listen for: Since Your Gone, NH to BK

Also check him out on myspace here

BALLERS WANTED!

Saturday August 15th will be the second annual 3on3 Basketball Tournament put together by my friends and founders of BudgetBallerz.com Chris 'Digits' Lamar and Nakware Howard. Those who live in the Massachusetts area are encouraged to go check it. If you want to sign up information is below and there is a 500 dollar grand prize. Food will also be available and live performances including a set from me will be going on, so check it out!



* Sign Ups

* Sign ups are at Nex Level 787 Washington St. in Stoughton Center. on August 6 - 8 from 12 to 4p.m.

* If you are unable to make the Sign Up dates contact Chris Lamar at (78.... The last late Sign Up Date is August 10th

* The Tournament will have a maximum of 21 teams. The First 21 Teams To Sign Up Play!!!

* There is a $25 Dollar Sign up fee per person playing or $75 per three man Team. There is also an allowance for 2 substitute players. It's a 15 dollar fee per each sub.

* The Tournament will be held on August 15th at the Capp Playground in Stoughton off of Park and Leach St. The Tournament starts at 2 p.m. Teams are expected to check in at 1 :30.


* Rules


* Age Limit to Participate is 14 and older


* 2 game Elimination


* Championship Game is Winner take all. One Game Elimination


* Games are Straight to 12. First to 12 wins, or The Team with the most points after 15 minutes wins


* Points are scored by One's and Two's


* 2 Referees will be Present. No Arguing with calls, and no Swearing. Referees can through players and teams out of the Tournament


* Tournament Starts at 2 P.M. If your team fails to be present by the start of the tournament it is an automatic Forfeit, and no Refunds will be issued.


* If the Tournament is to be canceled because of bad weather a 40% refund will be given to all participants



~Entertainment & Refreshments~

* Live Performers
* Free Cd's
* Memphis Style Chicken
* Kool aid and other Drinks
* Free Water for the Players


~ Inspiring Performers & Businesses ~

* If you or anyone you know Raps, Sings, or has any other skills that you would like to showcase call Chris Lamar at 781 975 6541


* If you have a business that you would like to advertise at our tournament also contact Chris Lamar at 781 975 6541


* All inquires must be made before August 10th for your Business or act to be showcased in our Tournament and shown on our Website

An Addiction reachs number 1 on Soundclick!

Recently my song An Addiction featuring Olivia Thai was the winner of SINIMA's song contest, and been featured on his page. A few days later the song has climbed all the way to number 1 on the hip hop charts!

check it out and please support the music and buy my album!
www.cdbaby.com/cd/rumorz2

Get Pissed. Go Green.

Brazil is also joining the forces on the GO GREEN campaign. But forget the basic simplified concept of just not wasting paper and cutting down on gas, they have taken a different approach: Peeing in the shower! Yeah that's right in an effort to save the rainforest Brazil has launched a new ad campaign encouraging citizens to pee in the shower to save water. I guess a lot of us have been going green for a while!


read more HERE

Rumorz is SINIMA'S Song Contest Winner!

A while back I did a feature on Sinima Beats, a producer out of Queens, NY. He is responsible for about four of the beats I used on my most recent album 'Crocodile Tears', and each week he has been picking a contest winner to feature on his page. This week, I was selected as the winner of the contest with the song 'An Addiction' featuring Olivia Thai...

Enter the Contest: SinimaBeats.com/contest

Eminem Soulja Boy diss?

So there is a track surfacing online that is apparently Eminem dissing Soulja Boy. Now I definitely wish this was true because I can't stand what he has contributed to rap and son but I've heard news it is not him, just something someone else put together. Either way, because I can't stand Soulja Boy that much i'm going to post it anyway.



Well while you're checking out that, if you have not heard the REAL diss Eminem released about Mariah, it is something you NEED to hear. This track has a little old school taste of Eminem back when he really got at people instead of the half-ass attempts he had on his last album. Check it...

Em dissing Mariah

Charles Manson.... the Musician?

"He had this kind of music that nobody else was doing. I thought he really had something crazy, something great. He was like a living poet." -Neil Young on Charles Manson the musician!

I found out pretty recently to my complete surprise that Charles Manson, the famous murderer whom I'm sure you've all heard of, was actually an aspiring musician before he became a very influential and powerful cult leader and committed all those murders.

But plenty of people aspire to be musicians... big deal right? Well Manson wasn't just some aspiring musician, he actually wrote a few songs for The Beach Boys (yes, a crazed murderer wrote The Beach Boy material) and became good friends at one point with Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. In fact, if you had just overheard these few tracks of his I will post for you, I'm sure you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between him and any other folk artist. His material content-wise is actually quite the opposite of what the public lifestyle we know him for as.

Another funny thing is that Phil Spektor (another murderer and famous producer ) just got transferred to the same prison as Manson, and apparently, Manson has been trying to contact him in order to work something out musically... Spektor apparently has been freaked out by the idea and denied Manson a collaboration...

check it out, and believe it or not, maybe, enjoy.

Home is Where You're Happy


Look at Your Game Girl




HERE is a link to the song ( a great song actually) recorded by The Beach Boys written by Charles Manson
Never Learn Not to Love performed by The Beach Boys

Rumorz footage!

haha I found this on my friend Sara's facebook page... it's about 6 months old of me spittin' over Oochie Wallie beat at like 3 in the morning after some party... Don't mind the weird reactions we just wasted... lol...

Also subscribe to me on YouTube because soon I will be adding footage of time in the studio, up comming shows etc...

Rock The Bells

On Saturday I hit up the Boston show of Rock The Bells featuring everyone in the underground hip hop scene from M.O.P. to Eyedea to Slaughterhouse with Nas and Damian Marley headlining. It was a beautiful thing for the hip hop world to have all the true hip hop heads in one place. The one thing I noticed about this show compared to most shows I see is how much energy these dudes all had. Every one of them knew how to perform well, not in the sing with the crowd type of way, but there were some artists where many did not know a single word and by the end of the song you were bumpin your head. That's hip hop.


Of all of the performers I must say my top 3 of the night were Nas, Slaughterhouse and Tech N9ne. Nas of course had all the songs I knew and grew up on, and he did them well for the most part. Slaughterhouse killed it, with a dope set of songs and Budden and Royce just tearin shit up. But Tech N9ne really impressed me. He came on at 4 oclock where many people were just arriving (and defintely not as drunk and amped as the later shows), and he absolutely rocked the house down. He took people who normally would hate his lyrical content and style and made them fans for the 45 minutes he was on stage, and that's what performing is all about. If seeing that show doesn't inspire a fellow musician, I don't know what will....

SomeThoughts...

I just got done watching the end of the MJ tribute and had a few things that came to mind I wanted to speak about. First off, it was crazy to actually see/hear his daughter Paris speak, seeing as his children have been completely hidden from the spotlight since birth. For those who didn't see it, she made a brief but very powerful statement about her love for her father.

Another thing I noticed was how amazing Martin Luther King Jr.'s kids were at speaking. It truly runs in the family, because his son and daughter made very amazing speeches and carry that pounding inspirational thing in their voice. That was cool to hear from them, because I havn't heard much of them ever.

Lastly, this kid Shaheen Jafargholi who is 12 years old performed an amazing cover of Who's Loving You, originally written by Smokey Robinson. This made a few things noticable: Smokey Robinson was probably the best or defintely in the conversation of the best song writers ever. Look up his resume, it's ridiculous, and when his songs are covered today, they still hold relevant. Lastly, you should check out this kid Shaheen. He has a future. I posted a video below of him on Britains got Talent. And for all you Simon Cowell haters, watch this clip and try and tell me that he isn't a very gifted talent scout and knows his shit whether you believed it before or not.

Crocodile Tears is finally here!!

That's right peoples, my new album Crocodile Tears is finally here! Starting Friday, July 9th it will be available for purchase from me for an actual physical copy, and starting next week it will be online (iTunes, CDBABY.COM, Amazon etc...) so look out for that.

I really hope and ask of my fans to spread the word about the album and please buy it! There is a lot of hard work behind it and good music to be heard! Please tell everyone you know!


ONE LOVE
-Rumorz-

Just a ridiculous cover of Rihannas Don't Stop the Music by Lola Astanova. Some skills right here.




check out more of her here

RIP MichaelJackson

As you all know by now, Michael Jackson passed away today of a heart attack. The sad thing is that his last few years he got so much criticism by people hating him cuz of how crazy he went. I think people forget he was arguable the best performer of all time along with the best selling of all time. No doubt in my mind he is among the top ten most famous people on the planet as well. So I don't got to say much except I always admired how amazing an artist he was, and I hope people remember that part of his life. I will leave you with a few videos of him performing live.






Jackson 5


Michael Jackson at the Superbowl



Billie Jean live

Lose Yourself cover by The Script

A while back I posted a piece about the band called The Script, a very talented group from Ireland. Here is a dope ass cover of Lose Yourself by Eminem that is def. worth a listen.

New Studio Pics: Where the Magic Happens

Thought I'd let you guys in on a few pics of the new studio I've been going to. Enjoy.




This is just a few examples of the footage I am going to be posting more and more often to keep you guys updated on what is going on behind the scenes.

The Life of Lemmons

What's good? Before I introduce a new blog a friend of mine recently started, I want to mention a few things about how the studio session went last night. It was the first time with a new producer so I was a little unsure who shit would go, but things worked out even better then expected. I got about 11 songs recorded which I can honestly say all came out hott. I got a bunch of footage in the studio too so look out for that to hit YouTube soon, and look out for a few mixtape tracks to hit the myspace too.

Next, I want to talk about a new blog I recommend called The Life of Lemmons. It follows the life of a friend of mine, Chris Lemmons. So why should you be interested in his life and thoughts? Well after knowing him since I was about 13 or 14 I can honestly say there ain't many people who think like him. It's pretty hard to explain, so I suggest you check out his blog for yourself, but his different perspectives are a breath of fresh air in a world of repetitive viewpoints and cliche concepts. So if you are looking to follow intelligently written stories from a unique angle, check it out...

The Life of Lemmons

Updates

So tomorrow I'm going to be in the studio with a new producer basically all night long getting a bunch of shit done including finally redoing a few tracks from the Crocodile Tears album and finally getting that out. And due to the lengthy delays with all the BS that been going on, I'm actually about 8 tracks deep on my next album haha so I will be recording some of those as well. Just to keep you guys updated, I got a bunch of things planned to get completed this summer. I will start posting videos of me in the studio, freestyles, and other behind the scenes type stuff up on youtube, as well as updating the myspace frequently with new freestyles and remixes. So check for all that, and I'll keep everyone updated on how everything goes tomorrow.


-Rz

Listen to 'Em: Todd Snider

Here's some different shit. If you know me you know I live for music, and because of that I go to all depths of the Earth to find new stuff I haven't heard in order to keep up with not only finding new different stuff, but continually be influenced from all over the place, because there sure as hell ain't much in rap influencing me anymore.

Anyways, I came across this guy Todd Snider when I was flipping through different XM channels on the way to my summer class this morning. This guy is definitely country/folk/comedy, so if you don't like any of those genres of those in musical form, I wouldn't listen. But if you do, and you are a fan of Bob Dylan (especially his song writing) and Johnny Cash (his story telling and delivery) then you will absolutely love this guy. He actually just recently released his 12th studio album, and is far from an unknown artist in his genre, but as someone who typically doesn't listen to this style of music, I had never heard of him. I can't lie though, after listening to more and more, this dude just got something about him. From his funny stories in between songs at live tapings or his very clever lyrics, he got something we can all relate to. Def. worth a listen.


Here is a funny story followed by a funny song he did. Check it.

Reality Star layed out

For those who really hate Brett Michaels and are sick of his washed up ass, here's a funny clip of him getting layed out at the Tony Awards when the set collapsed on him. That's what he gets for being such a fag.

Apparently he got pretty hurt too....oh well...

On a Boat

Haha Yeah so I have not watched Saturday Night Live in a couple years now but earlier tonight I got back from the Sox game and threw it on, and Andy Samdberg, who is known for his funny music remixes, had a hilarious skit with T pain who actually didn't make fun of himself, and it's called On a Boat. It's def. worth watching...good shit.

When in Rome....

Guess what Sublime fans? After a long awaited wait, the group is finally reuniting! As you may know the reason they stopped making music was due to lead singer Brads death of an overdoes right before their most successful cd was released. It was a sad situation because with their lead singer gone, Sublime was not able to cash in on their huge success on the album which included Santeria, What I got and Wrong Way. But, with their new lead singer 20 year old Rome, the group is going by S*blime w/Rome and is back to writing new songs and performing again.

No news of a new full blown tour is out yet.

check out Rome and sublime performing with singer Kat singing I saw Red.

Eminem gets Ass in the face.

This footage came from the MTV movie awards the other night.

There is a big debate going on over the internet about whether or not Eminem was in on this prank. Sasha Cohen (Borat) dressed as his other popular character Bruno, basically landed right on Eminems face wearing a thong. Eminem immediately storms off after it happens. If you ask me, I'd say it has to be staged. The cameras were already zooming in on Em and I'm pretty sure he would have punched him or some shit if this wasn't planned. It's just weird how much Eminem has changed. He went from "I never go to award shows" Eminem to not only going to award shows, but participating in them doing crazy shit. It seems to go against everything he used to stand for, but whatever...

Pitbull Punches Guy Makin' it Rain

If you guys have not heard or seen this yet, it's worth checking out. It's pretty funny. Basically the story is this guy was in the front row making it rain (for those who don't know that means throwing money around like you would do at a strip club). Pitbull apparently told him not to do that because he was bothering him. So when the guy didn't stop, Pitbull brought him on stage and let a nice little one hitter quiter rain on the guy right back.

there are longer versions, but this one gets right to the point.

Updates

I've been busy as hell finishing college. Finals, etc... but finally I'm done. That means I leave New York for good (unless I eventually find a job out here) and move back to Massachusetts... I'm happy to get back home and work as hard as I can on doing music. It's weird because New York definitely has a better music scene, but I find myself working a lot harder on music shit at home in Boston where I can hit the studio a lot. Either way I plan on fixing up the whole album problem bull shit and working on a bunch of music. I will be hitting the studio at least 4 hours a week recording probably 2 or 3 tracks (some mixtape, some album material). So regardless, I will be having a ton of being recorded and hopefully released this summer. I'm also going to be collaborating with some other musicians and eventually trying to work out a side project band. We'll see how that goes.

look forward to a few more artists to get some spotlights on here within the next week and a few of my top 10s as well.

-RZ

Rhianna's turn!

wow apparently this is R&B singers get nude week, cuz nude pictures of Rhianna have also just surfaced! Again I won't post them here, but you can check them out if you want at Egotastic!

Cassie topless pics!

If you have not seen or heard, everyone's favorite one hit no talent wonder has had her computer "hacked", and new pics of her topless have surfaced the net. She is know for one only hit Me & U, and now these pics.It clearly sounds like a promotions scheme to me seeing as no one has heard shit from her lately and her buzz had died out. A little desperate, but she looks good, so no complaints here...

click here and here to see the pics...

Olivia Thai

With YouTube bursting onto the scene over the last several years, millions of cover songs and originals have been performed, recorded, and listened to. In this sea of craziness very few musicians find themselves floating to the top of the ladder, but today I present to you one of the few. Olivia (who is not of Thai decent) is a twenty year old singer-songwriter and actress from Los Angeles. She got her start in acting starring in local plays and musicals and even touring with the Hereandnow Theater Company.

Olivia Thai can not only sing and act, she has a fun personality. If you learn one characteristic about Olivia by talking with her, it is that she strongly possesses is the need to do more, do it well, and balance it extremely well. Utilizing this characteristic to the fullest, Olivia has earned over 20,000,000 views of her videos, and performed the national anthem before the LA Clippers and Sparks in front of nearly 20,000 fans. Accomplishments such as these have earned her performances all across the country.

Miss Thai is now currently working hard in the studio. On top of doing a song for my album Crocodile Tears, she is working hard on songs for her debut solo album. Watch out for this one because she is as hard working and dedicated is one can get, and still has plenty years ahead of her. Give a listen to music or follow her video blog (and yea she is good looking on top of all this guys) where she can keep you updated on her latest adventures and accomplishments.


Olivia's Website

Her YouTube Channel

Spotlight: Sinima Beats

SINIMA is more than just a dope producer. As a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, banging out hot beats has become second nature to this New York Native. For those who are followers of my music, SINIMA is responsible for producing School of the Drugs, Do it Right, Kill that bitch and several other of my songs. Not to mention that I have purchased several of his newest beats for my next project already in progress. Bottom line: Dude is an animal. In 2003 he graduated with honors from the Institute of Audio Research where his production was selected to be used in their radio advertisement aired on Hot 97. He then went on to major in Piano and Business at Five Towns College.

His beats have a completely distinct sound to them, and in my opinion, there are few better in the sampling business. Many producers such as Kanye and company are amazing at the old school jazz samples, but SINIMA has an uncanny ability to take pretty much any track you can think of and make it into a bangin' hip hop beat.

So yeah I say he is dope, but where is his recognition? SINIMA's intrumentals have been featured on shows such as Road Rules and the Real World. And with credits including Silkk the Shocker, Stat Quo, Termanology and the Junior Mafia, it seems his production has been landing in the right hands. Not only is he a dope producer and instrumentalist, but he has also won awards in songwriting in competitions such as the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Don't sleep,SINIMA is here to stay.

check him out:

HIS WEBSITE

Spotlight weeks

For the next two weeks I'm going to be posting spotlights, interviews and reviews of all different artists I feel deserve recognition. What's cool about this week is it will all be people I either know personally or have developed some type of relationship with them or someone close to them via music collaborations of some sort.

if you are someone or know someone that I should include, let me know and i'll consider adding them to this as well...

-Rumorz-

Listen to 'Em: The Grouch

Most recognize the West Coast for it's chucks, dickies, and the Hyphy movement, but make no mistake; they got some lyricists! Introducing The Grouch, a dope hip hop head who stresses the importance of good lyrics, and everything else comes second. He teamed up with producer Eligh of his Living Legends crew on his most recent work, and has been blending a lot of the feel good old school hip hop with a new twist to it. For those sick of mainstream hip hop and looking for something a little more unique but still with it's roots, check out The Grouch.


Listen To: The Bay featuring Murs
Artsy

The Grouch Myspace
The Grouch and Eligh Myspace

8 Reasons to Release a Follow-up EP

Here is a great article by Brian Hazard I found on MusicThinkTank.com, a great site for music advice and basic discussion on the music industry for indie artists. Now if I could only take that damn advice and get my album out. More on that issue later this week...



You've just released the album of your life. The songs are honed to perfection, the production is top notch, and you found your true voice as an artist. How can you possibly top it with your next release? I suggest you don't even try.

Instead, follow it up with leftovers. You may call them outtakes, b-sides, or even rejects. You can come right out and admit that it's not your best stuff. Your fans will still want it, and some will delight in what they consider hidden gems.

This week I released Second Thoughts, a companion EP to my latest album, The Thought Chapter. It features the four original songs that didn’t make the album, plus six remixes of album tracks. Enough fans requested a physical release to justify a limited edition of 100 CD-R copies, signed and numbered in cardboard jackets. My graphic designer friend Todd LeMieux did the layout as a favor, and the discs in printed jackets cost $262 shipped from Disc Makers. More than half were sold as pre-orders at $10, and I suspect the remainder will sell in the next few months. The EP has taken in $100 in digital sales from my own mp3 store in three days, and will generate income for years on iTunes, Amazon, and the rest.

My first follow-up EP only came out on Tuesday, but I already consider it a success. Here are eight reasons to try it for yourself:

1. A better album. The most important benefit is that it forces you to record more songs than you need for the album. Knowing you'll have a few extras gives you the freedom to take chances, and relieves the psychological pressure to make every song a hit.
2. Revive your album promotion. A follow-up can renew interest in your album just as the hype begins to fade. I waited five months after releasing my album, but your timing should coincide with a natural lull in your promotion. Depending on how far you want to take it, the follow-up could spawn a new series of blog posts, press releases, or even a tour!
3. Show off the album in a new light. The follow-up pays homage to the album by demonstrating that you included only your best material. It invites fans to compare the songs that didn't make it to the songs that did, which can spark discussion on forums and blog comments. Even if they disagree with your decisions, they gain a deeper appreciation of the songs. After all, not every album is worthy of a sequel!
4. Stimulate sales of your back catalog. Whenever I release something new, sales of my back catalog pick up. In this case, a number of fans ordered the album and EP together. You might consider a combo offer for die-hards, like bundling the EP with a t-shirt.
5. Fatten up your discography. Some fans want to own everything you produce. Every couple of months someone asks how to buy all my albums at once. In that case, bigger is better! Even if you've only got one album, the follow-up EP dodges the whole issue of the "sophomore slump" by making your second release deliberately subordinate to your first.
6. Stay in touch with your fans. Before this album, I essentially disappeared for five years, while my mailing list declined from 1,200 to 500 subscribers. The follow-up EP shortens the perceived album release cycle and keeps you connected with your fans.
7. Provide a better return on your investment. You've already spent the money to record the songs. You can get great remixes for free by running a contest at Acid Planet or Remix Comps. If you go digital only, you just have to pay for mastering (you might consider me for the job), and maybe graphic design, though you can get away with using a slight variation of the album cover.
8. Expand your stylistic range. Though music sales are hard to come by these days, there is still money to be made licensing your music for film and television. My music falls between the cracks in genres, but now I've got legit club and trip hop mixes of my songs. If remixes aren't your thing, you can release acoustic or even instrumental or a cappella versions.

I'm convinced that the follow-up EP has lots of benefits and few drawbacks. What do you think? Anything I've overlooked, pro or con? Let's discuss it in the comments.

In a future post, I'll reveal my plans to turn the follow-up concept on its head for my next release.

Fav 5

On random nights when me and my friends are chillin getting drunk or whatever we do at college we often end up talking about which famous people it would be fun to just chill with for a day. So I compiled a list of the five celebrities that make my top 5 in terms of hanging out with. Oh yeah, the one rule is if you're a dude, you can't pick a hott chick just cuz u wana bang her or something, it has to be someone you'd want to chill with all day on a friend basis. That means if you say Jessica Simpson, I know u dudes are lying your ass off. Women, same with you, I know you don't admire Mathew Mchonahay (not even going to attempt to look up how to spell that correctly) because he is a great actor...



5. Dave Chappelle
I don't care if he went crazy or not, he's a funny dude. It would be dope to just hang out with this dude for a night and see if any of those crazy trips he talks about during his stand up ever happen.


4. Hugh Hefner
Any dudes fantasy life would be to be him obviously. From chillin at the mansion to the one or two good looking girls he knows, it'd be a good day. And if I can still get it up to get with women when i'm his age, never mind hot women 40 years younger than me, I'll be satisfied.


3. P.Diddy
I don't see me and Diddy as ever being good friends, but to chill with him for a day and see how big he lives would be dope. You this dude gets the best of the best in everything, and won't take no for an answer. I picture going out with him for a night basically being the shit. VIP everything, limos, fine women, and plenty of celeb cameos.

2. Conan O'Brien
This dude is hilarious. I'm actually finding myself going to sleep earlier lately since he has been off the air for the last few months while Jimmy Fallon transitions into his spot. Basically this dude can make a rock funny, so hanging out with him would be non-top entertainment.

1. David Beckham
No homo, but dude has the world on his nuts. It'd be crazy to walk through the streets of London or anywhere in the world for that matter, and see how he gets treated. He mine as well be royalty. Soccer fans of both sexes love you, and women would love you if you were a janitor. Can't picture a better life.

Jamie Foxx hates Miley

Jamie Foxx recently went off on Miley Cryus on his radio show. Not that I love Miley Cyrus, but I think it's sort of funny how at the beginning of the clip he acts like he doesn't know who she is. Come on Jamie. Stop lying. I don't care who you are, if you are up to date with pop culture even the slightest bit, it would be impossible to not know who Miley Cyrus is. And as a musician and actor, he would definitely be in that category. He does go on to say some funny shit about her though, so take a listen.

Listen to 'em: The Script

Here is a dope band out of Ireland. There sound is pretty much R and B/soul/hip hop based, and they really got some hot shit. They re for fans of Jason Mraz to Everlast. I can't stop listening to this one song of theirs called "We Cry" so I decided I should post it and let people know about this group. Although they have had some success in a somewhat mainstream sense, they are far from a well known band. Check em' out and enjoy.


tracks you need to hear: The Man Who Can't be Moved, We Cry

MUSIC FOR FREE?

For anyone interested in music, but especially artists, the topic of free music is almost always going to come up throughout your career. Since the days of Napster artists have been trying to defend the rights of their music, and companies have spent time trying to find ways to get music for free. The internet can be seen as a very important thing both positively and negatively for the music industry. It has basically eliminated actual CD's and the stores that provide them. Not only that, it has given people the impression that they should get music for free, and music sales have dropped dramatically.

This is all stuff I'm sure you have heard before, but I want people to really think about it. Musicians are now making the majority of their money off of ring tones and tours, and barely anything off the actual music they create. If you just think about that, it's pretty strange. Musicians are now more than ever just "entertainers" as opposed to artists. It's weird when you make your name by creating music and writing lyrics but you get paid for performing not for the rights to the thing you created. I can't really think of another industry like that, but I know there are not many business's or products that work that way.

The reason I decided to post about this is because as of a few days ago thanks to Google, China will now be receiving free music. That's right, they never have to pay for music again. That is crazy because as a musician, that means the window for making money off music is closing dramatically. I believe that hurts the hip hop industry more than anything. Hip Hop music is by far the most available genre of music online for free, and it is also the least popular form of music live. Bars usually don't book indie rap artists as often as they do rock acts. This means that as music becomes completely free, if you are not performing, indie artists will be unable to make anything off their talent. That's some scary shit to think about.

What you guys think about this issue?


peep some articles on it: Fox News

Seattle Times

BudgetBallerz.com

The first time I really started rapping was around the end of eighth grade when I was on a school trip down to Washington D.C., and in the back of the bus me and my friend Chris "Digits" Lamar freestyled the whole trip. He was the first person that I really did music with. We started making songs and formed a little group called the Klip Artists. As you probably know, we eventually went our separate ways when I continued to pursue music and he went on to other things. Regardless he was always one of the most motivated people I've ever met. and determined to succeed. The reason I mention this story is because Digits has continued to be an Enterprenuer and recently him and another friend from high school of mine (Nakware Howard) came up with one of their best ideas to date: BudgetBallerz.com

The concept of Budget Ballerz is simple; basically a site dedicated to the normal person who cannot afford to rock the fairly expensive Ed Hardy and Gucci products. The site focuses on a budget of 50 dollars or less, and carries almost any product you can think of within that price range, along with the links to the sites to find what you are looking for. So for those tryna ball on a budget, this is a site worth checking out. The great thing about this site is that it is still in the early stages and is making imporvements daily. There are new updates every day and the site has been gaining in success rapidly. If that doesn't get you there, I will be recording a song for Budget Ballerz some time late spring for the site, so atleast visit the site, get a feel for it so when I post the song you know what I'm talking about!

visit: BudgetBallerz.com

Listen to 'Em: Iconn

Iconn is a rapper outta Jacksonville, Florida who got one hell of a grind. This dude is great at networking and has made his presence on the internet known. A while back I recorded "There Go Them Dudes" with him, a track which came out pretty dope. Anyone who is a fan of DZK should check Iconn out because he has a similar "take the beat hostage" type of attitude on the mic, and doesn't take any prisoners when he's finished. Recently he has been hittin' the bar scene in the Jacksonville area ripping up shows and spreading his music throughout Florida. Check dude out he got swag.


Must Listen to: Patron, There Go Them Dudes, Monster

Iconn's Myspace