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.