BLACK GIRL DE MONTRÉAL

theloveinus – the love starts here.

2011-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

Yay! Finals are done! I can finally have space in my brain to remember things like go to bed on time and do your laundry! Nursing school is honest to God probably one of the most intensive things that I’ve done in my entire life. Professors have nothing else to do now, so I’ll figure out my grade and if I passed on to the next round within a few days!

This morning this shirt was delivered to me before my final nursing exam, and I was more than elated that it got here on time. It’ll join all of the other must haves (rasta wrist tie and theloveinus jelly bracelet) for exam time.

For the rest of you who haven’t gotten to finals yet, I salute you and wish you the best!

PLACES TO SEE: PAPETERIE NOTA-BENE *

2011-11-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

I’m a paper snob and I’m not afraid to admit it. At one point, I had my Korean and Japanese friends important paper products and pens for me when they went back home between school breaks.

While yes, it’s easy to get European brands (primarily Clairefontaines from France, amazing for precision and cursive writing), the line-up found in Montréal isn’t too extravagant, or cheap for that matter. I’ve travelled a bit and in the process picked up a few goodies, but in most cases I’ve stuck with my large ruled Moleskines. However, with the help of Yelp! and foursquare when I got lost (I have absolutely no sense of direction when it comes to downtown Montréal), I stumbled upon my new favourite gem in the city, Papeterie Nota Bene*.

Papeterie (French for a stationer’s, or a store that specializes in fine paper) Nota-Bene* is packed in a color coordinated and orderly fashion. A paper shop on the ground floor and an open concept gallery above, it`s obvious the kind of crowd the store usually attracts. Out of all the paper shops I’ve been to in Montréal, it’s the only one with such a diverse collection. From Whitelines (Sweden), to Leuchtturm (Germany), to Apica (Japan), and even the extremely colourful Pantone (USA) collection, the store brims with paper and store owner Russell can seriously go into detail about anything you question. Something I love the most about this place is they let you pick up anything, usually having an open book or sheet set, and they don’t harass you every two seconds. If any of you have been lucky enough to get to a Paperchase store in London, the vibe is pretty much the same. If anything, Nota Bene* reflects the European way of store handling. If you don’t live anywhere near Montréal, you won’t get to enjoy the store’s ambience, but you can always make an online order if you’re shipping to somewhere else in Canada or the USA.

Another thing that amazed me about the small store was that while on one half of the shelving wall there was an entire collection of Clairefontaines, right beside it was this. Cards, envelopes, and letter paper in all different cuts, shapes, and sizes. The art of the written letter or thank you note is basically extinct (I blame e-Cards, if anyone still even uses those), so to find some place where it still has value is pretty amazing.

Anyway, if you’re looking for Moleskines (they have the 2012 daily planner!), Rhoda, Clairefontaine, Pantone, or just random finds and Japanese paper, do yourself a favour and check out Papeterie Nota-Bene*. They`re also having a sale until November 13th (20% OFF!) so it`s a good time to stock up before the new inventory ships in!

(if you’re coming from place des arts métro, go to the rue de bleury exit and go up the stairs

and walk straight up towards sherbrooke. if you get lost, go in the other direction.)

neglectful.

2011-10-28T23:18:00.000-04:00

It’s week ten. I’ve gotten past midterms. The post before this (minus all the ones I slid in to fill up space) is dated March 20th. It’s October 28th. At least I managed to get back to this poor neglected blog before the year went out, right? I’m not going to make excuses; quite frankly school is the most important thing in my life, but this blog has suffered. And don’t get me wrong! I have been listening! I have been keeping my ear to what’s really good out there and I’ve done a little pushing on Twitter/Facebook and whatnot. Anyone who’s hit me up (e-mail wise) has gotten a response from me and a thorough listen. Unfortunately, one thing I couldn’t put out is a thorough review. Outlines in point form only go so far.

Anyways.

What’s good with me now? Well, I can’t help but wake up at 4:59AM every morning (yes, including Saturday and Sunday mornings), just moments before my alarm can go off. I’m sure the ungodly jolt I was getting every bright September morning was the cause of that. I’ve got five more weeks to go, one final, and that’s it until the new year! I can’t wait to sleep in, at least until 7AM. I graduated officially from high school with honours this past Sunday (October 23rd), so I’d like to first and foremost give a huge shoutout to the class of twenty-eleven!

Where’ve I been, besides school? Well…I went from Montréal.

…To London.

…And then ended up in Paris.

…Only to end up about a month later in Brooklyn for Labour Day Weekend with my pops.

So boom. There you have it. That’s what I’ve done these past few months. Worked (read: slaved), travelled, and did the school flow. That’s it. Seriously.

As far as the blog is concerned, I’m very serious about picking it back up (I didn’t pay ten bucks for a domain for nothing, that money could’ve been spent on food!) Direction wise, I know I’m not going to get far just doing music reviews. It’s impossible. Yes, I love music and whatnot, but is that going to hold my interest for too long? No. I’m not going to lie about it, s’what’s real. I’m looking to get out with my camera more, run around and make friends, and get more personal with this. Day by day I’m piecing more and more things together (you’ll always find that pink Moleskine Volant on me now), and as soon as the stress from school dies down, who knows what might happen.

Until then, I’ll see you in five weeks.

xo/bisous– leslie nikole.

meet kimbo.

2011-10-08T16:27:00.000-04:00

unfortunately, that sweet little face isn’t part of my family. this is little kimbo, almost four kilos (around eight-ten pounds), a cute little green-eyed pitbull puppy. it’s adorable to see him scurry around. well, until he peed on my walkway out of excitement.

LASALLE à trois heure du matin.

2011-08-31T23:33:00.000-04:00

Congratulations! you’ve been accepted!

2011-03-20T16:53:00.001-04:00

This isn’t one of those times where I just up and disappeared for no real reason. Senior mid-year exams in January and then trying to shuffle together last bits of work to prove myself for college applications due March 1st, 2011 was not easy. There was a lot of grief, coffee and sarcasm involved, which lead most of those in my graduating class, majoring in science like myself, stepping on each others toes. But in the past couple days, it’s proved to be completely worth it; the acceptance letters are floating on in.

With a nursing shortage in Quebec (the province which I live in, like a state, just a fancier term I guess), it’s not an easy program to get into because now everyone is trying to get in to meet the demands, which obviously would raise the bar for the caliber of accepted students. But I made it, and to my dream school at that. In terms of how Quebec manages higher learning, in all of my years I still haven’t found a proper way to explain it, but if you’re curious, Wikipedia can help you. Now that this is all over, all I have to do is keep my average on lock and graduate. It’s smooth sailing from here on out!

Not to mention all these mixtape reviews. Woo!

“ THE ROYALE WITH CHEESE ” – PRINCE SAMO

2010-11-21T15:35:00.000-05:00

*Okay fine, maybe that “Who To Follow” feature on Twitter isn’t that bad, because if it wasn’t for it, I would’ve never stumbled upon this gem. Hmph.

Pulp Fiction is one of my favourite movies. It’s one of those movies that my dad and I would watch when TBS was still TBS (yes, with back to back Seinfeld episodes and not reruns), so it’s obviously one of those cherished memories for me. To have that memory wrapped in up in an entire mixtape, and well executed in a mixtape intro is crazy for me. So on that note, I must say big ups to Prince Samo.

When I was little, on one of my many trips to New York City, we couldn’t spend the night with my cousin in Brooklyn, so instead we set it up with my Tantie (for the non-Caribbean’s, a Tantie is a woman that’s real close with your parents, but isn’t really your aunt, so you call her Tantie instead out of respect) in Jamaica, Queens. While still in the ever glorious 90’s era, Jamaica, Queens was an amazing place to be. Between the food, graffiti on the train, the people and the music, I no longer believed that only Brooklyn or the Bronx was the place to be. Prince SAMO (yes, as in SAMO, the infamous Basquiat tag), or Prince as he frequently goes by, brought that all back for me. So let’s kick this off the right way shall we?

TRACKLIST

A Number One (Introducing Casper Fuentes) 01:58
Sleep To Dream 02:45
Royale With Cheese 01:42
21 Gun Salute 04:18
I'm Leaning 04:51
Say What You Feel 03:58
My Favorite Actress (Feat. Jeff Donna) 04:55
4LOKO'S (Feat. Children Of The Night) 04:31
Dreams (Feat. Cody B. Ware) 02:18
Better Than Gold 04:14

This ten-joint tape starts off nicely on A Number One with probably the most well-known quote coming from Pulp Fiction; the excerpt with the name difference between a quarter pounder in America and France, only to be followed up by Casper Fuentes (who if anyone has any work from, please put me on) who pretty much goes in. Supposedly this tape was put out only this month in 2010, but I really don’t believe it. The whole vibe is really throwback. Don’t let those words put you off though, this isn’t your average overdone-hipster piece, this is a true salute.

Sleep To Dream begins with one of my favourite sounds: the MTA subway trains going over the tracks. The instrumental underneath is complete and the wordplay over it is just the same. Nearing the end, the subway sounds come in a little louder, and you get the feeling as if this is being preformed right in front of you on the platform as it slightly overpowers Prince’s voice. The whole song ends with a “beware of the closing doors please”, the iconic phrase heard all over the NYC subway lines.

Royal With Cheese comes in with reggae playing before it fades a little to let Prince speak. Prince gives his own little philosophy on the whole hip-hop theory and what it means to him, while hearing verbal props in the background every now and then, making you feel like you’re sitting amongst Prince and his friends while he spits knowledge. With the dub playing through, and a sure favourite, Barrington Levy’s “21 Girl Salute” (get that on vinyl, the sound is amazing) sampled at the end to transition into 21 Gun Salute, is nothing less than creative. With Barrington’s final chant of “21 Girl Salute”, the real song drops. Words can’t explain the jazz infusion that you’ll get when you hear the first ten seconds of this track. This whole song is just a huge swing, it’s something that you can jive too, especially the hook. It’s not what you usually hear, it’s not a techno beat or a simple boom-boom clap, it sounds like something straight out of a jazz club from an era past, only flipped with rhymes over it. But with every party, there is the fall down; which I’ve seen on countless Sunday mornings with a vast amount of tweets varying from “I’m wasstteedd stillll” to “Ughhh this hangover is not the bizzzz”.

I’m Leaning captures this easily. “The liquor was dark, the room’s spinnin’ round, don’t want to hit the ground, I’m leaning!” chimes in as the first part of the hook about a minute-and-a-half in over a slightly spacey instrumental. Storytelling is the focal point of this entire song, as it goes from the highs of partying, to having a few too many drinks, to falling asleep on public transit, and finally getting booked for the night. But of course, after it all, Prince says it himself, the process will repeat itself again soon.

As soon as I heard Say What You Feel, I was like, where have I heard this beat from before? Yes, this is the instrumental pulled from Drake’s “Say What’s Real” from his So Far Gone mixtape (that some of you quoted to death). Whether this track is entitled, Say What you Feel or Say What’s Real, it’s all the same. This is where Prince really shows a little bit of himself willingly, giving us his heart as he says himself. It’s not a song for me to speak on, it’s more of a just listen kinda thing.

My Favorite Actress has a completely different mood when compared to the joint preceding it. Featuring Jeff Donna, the instrumental has a warped dubstep / N*E*R*D on acid feel to it. The lyrics are just the same, but the listing of different actresses (does Kim Kardashian really count as an actress? Yes, that’s a serious question) one after the other is true simile-play. Personally, it’s a favourite.

Although the track is called 4LOKO’S (and I wouldn’t be surprised if My Favorite Actress was created under the influence of the infamous 4LOKO) it doesn’t really have that vibe. “Went from foreplay to tryna fornicate her” um, that’s pretty classic. That the easiest way to describe this song not to lie. While the whole track is extremely mellow, I can’t help but figure this is to be the ultimate Telly life-track if KIDS was to be remade in 2010 where malt liquor is no longer the official craze.

Dreams, featuring Cody B. Ware (the rapper behind Devil in a Blue Dress) has a real easy feel. After about a 30 second sample, this track is cut a little short, but the time left is still valuable. Now a days, because so much is accessible, everyone is chasing their dreams or at least hopes to some day. “I dreamt about eternity a timeless time”, need I say more?

Better Than Gold ends the tape unfortunately. The beat and the series of samples that fade in and out are an odd pair but they all flow nicely. The whole track revolves around a relationship and Prince’s appreciation for it, and the vibe coming from it resounds a lot louder than anything else on this whole joint. The tape comes to an end with another sample mentioning the Royale with Cheese, sealing the deal.

Stop reading this and listen here. You’ll be happy you did.

" MM4 " - IT'S HERE

2010-11-09T18:05:00.001-05:00

My sincerest apologies to the mailman that I snatched my autographed copy of Mood Muzik 4 from this afternoon. After having a slight mix-up in the mail, a month and a couple days later after my first post about MM4, I've finally got my copy in my little hands. Give me like a week to get back at y'all, I want this to be good.

(Oh yeah, I'm officially #teamnikon. I decided on the D3000)

Basquait: The Radiant Child

2010-10-22T16:12:00.000-04:00

As someone who lives in a city with a very high population of Hatians (the largest in Canada), Jean Michel’s work and references to his work can be seen everywhere in the city, especially in Montreal-Nord and St. Michel. I was put on at an early age, as my dad took me to a gallery that was showing his work when I was younger in Brooklyn, and I always associate jazz music, especially Miles Davis’ work, with Basquiat and the vice-versa. Seeing this documentary (The Radiant Child) coming out at Sundance, I really wish I could attend so that I could see it. When I watch Light it Up, I always wonder if Ziggy’s character was based off of Jean-Michel. Both artists, both abused, both gone away from the world too soon, whether it be fictionally or in reality.

“ BLACK CLOUD ” – JOE BUDDEN

2010-10-04T20:44:00.002-04:00

Anyone who really knows me, knows how much I love Joe Budden. Period. Black Cloud dropped today, and it’s an understatement to say that I’m excited. I’ve watched just about every UStream and have followed MM4’s build up for the past couple of months. On my momma, this will be the first thing I buy with my next paycheck.

ARE YOU IN THAT MOOD YET?!

Update: I still haven't gotten my paycheck, but I found twenty five bucks lying around and I've officially ordered my own autographed/limited edition copy of Mood Muzik 4. I can't wait for it to show up at my door.

“ renvoi ” – erick arc elliott

2010-08-30T22:09:00.002-04:00

Between the untimely death of a Mac (which put a halt to the weekly uploads) and a few shows, I wondered if the whole “ renvoi. ” project would be Erick’s version of Detox. Fortunately for fans, Erick decided against prolonging the wait.

While not being exactly what you’d call a mixtape or an album for that matter, “ renvoi. ” is not to be treated the way it is titled. Made up of cuts and edits, some of which that even date back to 2008, serve to be like a scrapbook. They aren’t exactly all on the same subject, quite frankly a few of them don’t match up, but it still brings something beautiful when it’s all put together. Not to mention the art is ~~d0pe~~ bless.

Nine tracks of well produced, proper and original Erick content just in time for me to go back to regular 7:45AM visits to the nearest subway station. I just really like the whole vibe of the project.

Erick kicks things off with It’s Your World, a track that in my personal opinion has a perfect production. Seconds in, there’s the wordplay that we all love. “When you struggle with your meal it brings a deeper understanding to the meaning of this game”, see that right there, that’s the truth behind all of the hustle, when it’s difficult, that’s when it’s appreciated. The beat is real crisp and if I could get the instrumental for it, I’d loop it constantly. Next up is Inside, another beautiful instrumental where Erick puts us on to his own little story, something that isn’t always the easiest thing for rappers to do now a days. “You can’t be number one cause I’m number four”, perfect, I’m pretty sure that everyone has felt like that before, especially with school being back in session. There’s nothing like seeing the class slacker having one of the highest grades on the bulletin board and you’re a ways down the list, despite your two whole weeks of studying; it can’t just be me. Smile comes third, and by now, I’m sick of writing about how well the beat is put together, despite the fact that it is the truth. More storytelling and imagery that you have to listen to to understand. Wait was the first (and only) track that was put up from this project that was originally to be a weekly thing; cleverly titled because originally, we weren’t going to get the nine tracks all at once. As usual, my favourite track is the shortest, so at the point where I’m just starting to vibe out to Crazy Breaks, it’s over. Whomp whomp. If there’s anything I could change about this project, or anything that I wasn’t completely satisfied with, it’d be this song. It’s a little livelier than the usual, but it’s only 40 seconds long; it can only be replayed so many times before I start hearing “You don’t know how hard this is, looking for love from a starship.” randomly. Last Place is the sixth track on renvoi. and I’m pretty sure that this will be one of the leading songs that I’ll be listening to in efforts to get me through senior year. Senior orientation is tomorrow (August 31st) and the hook “I refuse to come in last place” is basically what I’m feeling when it comes to the whole two-step across stage to get my diploma thing. O.M.G. is not pop-y or anything like that of that matter. Storytelling from Brooklyn at it’s finest I must say “But the rent’s due and the lights’ off and it’s dark, so they gotta spend they nights lost”. Second to last track Pen Pal is a result of what happens when you stay in the studio too long. Jokes, but Erick also does question his sanity (“am I buggin?”) humorously. With this track, the reason for the question is set out in the beginning; “friends” that basically tell you everything you want to hear, even when you need a little correction, become slowly unnecessary and cut off because they just can’t be real with you. Mrs. G might just be in Erick’s head, but quite frankly, more of her type are obviously needed in the world. Award Night is the last track out of nine on renvoi, and it’s basically the advance to the thank you speech. The imagery is perfect and well put together, no slip ups with any details.

So on that note, do you and your music library a favour, and go download “ renvoi. ”, it’s free and I promise you’ll love it.

( I’m getting e-mails about doing such positive reviews all the time; I must say something. No. No one is paying me to do these reviews. )

“ no sleep for the gifted ” – jay adams

2010-08-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

Oh. Is that why I’m an insomniac? I kid.

While I was busy running around downtown Montreal, grappling for fabric shops in St-Laurent, catching up with old blogs and watching Seinfeld all day (it’s my summer vacation, I’m allowed), other people were being productive. Cee-Lo made the internet explode with “F**k You” (I doubt that I need to post a link, it’s on every single blog), wav/es took off and last, but extremely not least, Jay Adams got his hustle on.

THE JAY ADAMS PROJECT

The only problem with hustling your way to the top is not getting the recognition that you deserve on the way there. It seems to be that the ones who put so much time, work and effort into their work are the ones who get the least applause. Between teaching himself to play the piano, putting his own work out there and collaborating with other artists, I personally think that Jay deserves recommendation. Lurking in and out of his Tumblr for the past couple weeks, it was needless to say that I was compelled to do a little shout out. Procrastination was pushed to the side with a couple morning tweets from the artist himself, I asked for him to send a little something over to bless my inbox. And boy did I receive.

“Blow It All” is one of the many tracks that will be on the up and coming mixtape #NoSleepForTheGifted that features Quik Kash. And for you researchers, yes, that “Whoa” by Chip Tha Ripper, Jay confirmed it himself; no speculation from yours truly. Be on the look out for updates about the tape, I’ll be back to school soon and will be needed to refill the iPod to get papers written and to deter my attention from crazy people on the subway.

Go download and hit him up on the website. He doesn’t disappoint.

“ you’ll be seeing her in the future ” – taylor mcfly

2010-08-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

This is the face of sixteen year old Taylor McFly. I would suggest that you remember it. When it comes to photography, especially portraits of others, her use of natural light perfects all of the shots she takes. She’s not a super huge photographer, yet, but I promise she produces ( and will continue to in the future ) amazing pieces, whether they be for the paper or the pleasure. Just don’t sleep on her; being from North Carolina, she’s bound to blow up. I mean, just look at what happened with J. Cole.

“ do not over look ” – artistic manifesto

2010-08-08T19:17:00.001-04:00

For this next little bit, I must quote Jay-Z: “ Thanks to… you know the woman friend, who, carry the work cross state for a gentleman.” Now, in this case, the work is not drugs or the paraphernalia that it’s commonly associated with, but a personal hustle all the same. And forget state lines, try country borders. A shorty named Brittani hit me up on the side, sliding me the link to her boyfriend’s blog when I made an open mention that I was looking for new blogs to follow. With a couple clicks, that sideline support carried me all the way to Artistic Manifesto.

Now, depending on who you’re following on Twitter, you might have noticed that the link to this new up and coming blog that is quickly gaining more and more fame, many must be wondering who is the face behind the madness. Michell Clark ( who was actually included in the shoutouts at the end of Wale’s “Rediscover Me” track ) is the sole force involved in Artistic Manifesto. But in a time where just about everyone has a blog and either claims to be a blogger or a journalist, it is obvious when someone truly puts their heart into something. What was once a interest, that grew into a hobby and now a “love that ( keeps ) growing”, thanks to the exposure which he refers to as “literally (having) friends coming to me like, show me some good music.” With good music on his side, and seesawing with the idea of blogging due to “so many other people were making them- I didn't want to be a bandwagoner”, Michell went for it with the feeling “that (his) experiences and viewpoints could let (him) create something different than anybody else's blog or website”.

“I felt that with time, over the years, I could show many other people the kind of music I love and possibly even make a connection with artists; which is just an awesome thing for me as much as I love the music that I write about.”

-- Michell “MCC” Clark, August 2010

Born in Lafayette, Indiana and bouncing around from Kansas to Georgia and Hawaii, Michell finally settled in Northern Virginia; the place where he considers his hometown as he was actually raised there. Coming from the DMV, he had much to say about the music scene.

“The DMV is a huge area for talent in the world of hip-hop music, whether the rest of the world knows it or not. Yes you have Wale, who is an incredible lyricist, but you also have other premier artists such as Raheem Devaughn and Tabi Bonney who have been around for a long time and have worked with the best in the industry. Their main concern isn’t fame, simply doing what they love and they do it with excellence. Then there’s a new crop of rappers on the rise who are beginning to garner some buzz, such as Phil Ade, XV, and many others. They have the talent, charisma, and desire to become huge. They’ve been rocking shows in the area for years and packing out stores and concert halls with their fans. It’s just a matter of time before they’re well known. And then you have the artists who are just getting started, that the vast majority of people might not even know about yet. People like Farma Wesley who get buzz just off rocking crowds at concerts but haven’t even dropped a mixtape yet. People like this will also rise in due time to get their due recognition. We have a premier producer in Judah who works with a lot of the artists around here. He’s immensely talented and has given many artists that “perfect track” to give them a step up on everyone else. Unity among the hip-hop community is pretty strong around here, as evidenced by tracks such as Phil Ade’s “Hollywood Remix” which featured Wale, Tabi Bonney, Raheem Devaughn, and Raekwon. Three premier Washington D.C. artists and Raekwon, which shows you the respect and clout these artists have in the hip-hop community, even if a lot of people might not recognize.”

-- Michell “MCC” Clark, August 2010

Now, everyone knows how biased I am when it comes to anything coming out of NYC due to my love for it, but I think that many should also begin to see the DMV as also another proper, if not blessed, place to focus the attention on. When speaking with me, Michell noted the difference between NYC and the DMV because he goes to school in New York, but he also assured me not to sleep on the talent erupting from the DMV: “DC is not historically known for producing hip-hop talent like New York- but what we lack in fame we make up for with a large group of unique, talented artists like none other.” And it’s obvious that opportunity is not only found in the music field, but also in the blogging one; even though Michell attends a military academy, he still was able to hook it up with producer Judah, whom most of you tracklist junkies should know of from numerous Wale tapes. Holding down his interview, he describes his developing formula as “do a lot of research on the people I'm working with and ask intuitive questions that surprise them and force them to give me more candid detailed answers because I hit a nerve or tapped into their passions.” Leading up to the end of our little conversation, Michell reminded me of one of the many things that matter the most when it comes to being successful in this game: lending a couple pointers to those who are just learning their way.

“My recommendation for approaching artists or producers about interviews is to just be persistent and polite, don't be surprised if you don't get a reply back from an artist. Let's face it, they're very busy people. Make sure in your e-mail or phone call or face to face conversation leading up to the interview that you distinguish yourself from the crowd. Show professionalism and show that you're a serious fan, not just someone hoping to ride their coattails.”

-- Michell “MCC” Clark, August 2010

" renvoi + the unedited freestyle " - erick arc elliott

2010-07-07T22:01:00.003-04:00

My eleven years of French classes has pushed me to understand that " renvoi " means to send back or to return unopened. So upon hearing that this was the title for Erick's upcoming project, building up anticipation for his EP " Almost Remembered " dropping some time in August 2010, I couldn't wait to here the first track, cleverly titled " Wait ".

Wait - Erick Arc Elliott

And if that's not enough to keep you, an unedited freestyle that was filmed and directed by John Ta was also put out for you.

Now, please excuse me as I slip back into vacation mode.

“houstonatlanta hold the vegas” – blackgirldemontreal goes city hoppin

2010-06-24T13:11:00.001-04:00

Yours truly will be on a plane to Houston shortly, so in the process of cleaning and packing, my attempts at writing a proper review will be minimal. However, I will leave you these videos from Erick Arc Elliott’s performance in Brooklyn, swiped swiftly from YouTube. I wish I coulda been there to support! Anyways, I take off the first of July, so between now and the 29th, I'll be trying to start up new posts. The Cinematic Experience, Greatness Opens Doors, and everything else I promised will be done on the plane, where I’ll be forced to work. Just me, an iPod, a pen and a notebook. Rock with me.

“ do not over look ” - shinoshis

2010-06-18T22:36:00.009-04:00

After the blog’s personal blow up after the Noir review, Producer extraordinaire, Shinoshis of Flash Frequency Music hit up my inbox. After showing a little love to one of the littler people that endorsed the Noir project, he asked me if I wanted to stay up to date with his work. Obviously since I was impressed, I said of course and allowed to be updated every week. Now, before I could get my first e-mail from him, I did a little Google work only to notice that not to many people were giving him his ups for the song production in their “reviews”; most only mentioning him in the tracklist. That ain’t right Joe. In a day and age where with the click of your fingertips, you can tell the entire world that you’re a hairstylist when the only thing you’ve done with hair is air-dry it; there are a lot of pretend producers out there. As a result, in times like these, people don’t recognize you by what you call yourself, but what your actions prove. That is what separates real from fake.

Born in Akron, Ohio and brought up in Clayont County of Atlanta,Georgia, Kevin was brought up around music. The Chambers’ family however did not keep little Kevin listening to one type of music; Pops didn’t discriminate between old and new school and sister Marie listened to everything. Marie played a large part in Kevin’s musical interests, becoming what he calls a “big inspiration” and “keeping (him) on (his) toes on what to look for in music.” Therefore, producing didn’t come as a shock when Kevin began at the age of 15, originally to help keep his head on straight when overstressed. On the subject of producing, he refers to it as “an outlet you might say that eventually grew as a passion and something that I can do whenever my mood is swinging.”

With social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm and all of the blogs, new rappers are popping up everywhere. They’re in your DM, working their way into your timeline, vandalizing your wall and taking a seat on your Last.fm profile. But what about the producers? They’re just about no where! When asked about if he ever thought about switching over to the rap game, the current Dallas resident comments on not finding it attractive. Although having a little of a past in rap and a current dabble, he notes that there are “too many rappers” and that to him, there’s no “point of expressing (himself) in that form” and would “rather produce to show more emotion and imagery.” Despite the lack of dues given to producers now a days, whether they be major or underground, Kevin remembers that “there was a time where we didn’t get no respect at all and no shout out or anything, but the respect have grown” but doesn’t just take things for how they are, as he pushes for more of what he and other real producers deserve.

“The respect is there, but not enough respect. We put so much time into our craft and they don’t see (it) as that. Just as a tool to make someone else better and that’s (the) artist. Not saying that artist are users, but just on the respect level in the "industry" it’s on that.”
-- Kevin “Shinoshis” Chambers, June 2010

Getting in the good books with Kevin has allowed me access like no other to his directory. From everything to psychedelic rock instrumentals to bass destroying hip hop beats, he’s got it all. I’m more than sure that his computer is pretty much a melting pot for sounds from just about every inch of the Earth and every genre in it. However though, despite being an “open box”, he mentions that there are “still boundaries you don’t wanna hit, but always think about the light that’s coming into the box and stay focused on the least obvious.”

From someone that’s worked with the likes of Erick Arc Elliott, N-Dex, Jeff Chery, K.Sparks, The Nationals, Avatar and P-Dubb and looking forward to doing working with a vast spectrum of different artists such as Bjork, SAGA, Jay Electronica, Little Dragon, Telepopmusik, LCD Soundsystem, Genesis, and RadioHead, Kevin Chambers, also known as Shinoshis does his best to follow the same advice he gives to other producers whether they be alumni or freshmen in the game:

“Do music that people normally don’t expect from you.”

“ the madbury club ” – the wait is over.

2010-06-14T19:46:00.000-04:00

While waiting for my English exam to begin, I made my way to my high school’s library. On the third floor in the main wing, I sat amongst Shakespeare and Sista Soulja as I snuck onto Twitter. And low and behold what I found. At 12PM, Monday Madbury Madness had begun. With the intense studying that took place over the weekend to help me attempt at a passing grade in math, I completely forgot to check when exactly Madbury would be unveiling for the first time. And when I clicked the lovely link, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

As I told Cory ( who so kindly hit me up to tell me that he liked my blog ), Philip was not joking when he said that Madbury would be “changing the game”, as seen in the right hand corner of the tagline. The entire site doesn’t even look like a blog. I mean, is it even really a blog? It doesn’t seem blog-y. It’s…it’s a Madbury. That’s what I’ll refer to it from now on.

The Madbury is everything in one. From complete spreads to in-depth music reviews, Madbury has it all. Especially eloquence. Throughout every post I’ve clicked on, the writing style that is seen in every article, review and spread is consistent, well thought out and witty.

Stop reading this and go look. Nothing I say could capture the sheer awesomeness that this Madbury is anyway.

“ the madbury club ”

2010-06-05T12:40:00.002-04:00

Now, if Kat Stacks still thinks she’s got the internet going crazy, she’s dead wrong. Obviously she hasn’t been brought up to date with the new up and coming project which is only know as “The Madbury Club”. Bloggers, tweeps ( ugh, that’s not even a real word ), message boards, streetwear fashion enthusiasts, artists and designers alike are all buzzing with anticipation. Anyone interested has already invested their time in following The Madbury Club’s separate Vimeo, Twitter and Tumblr pages just dying for a little insight. The navy blue and salmon ( at least I think it’s salmon ) striped banner has been popping up all over the place, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. Trying to keep up with all the different blogs and Twitters of those who seem to be a part of this little conspiracy isn’t easy. Jumping back and forth and constantly hearing the name Madbury Club but never learning anything about it has been crazy. I was starting to believe that this was some kind of Streetwear illuminati. I mean, hey, we all knew something was going on, but we could only be sceptical about what was going on with all the rumours going around and not knowing for sure who was part of this conspiracy.

However, with the direction and shots of Kellen Dengler and Phil, this little video was dropped two days ago ( June 3rd ) and I must say, it’s quite a beauty.

Now that the invitations have been passed out ( to everyone from fellow Montrealer Marcus Troy to Erick Arc Elliott and Mr. Theodore of bkCircus ), we’re all hoping that Phillip or anyone else will let us know what is really behind this whole Madbury Club since the suspense has been kicked up a couple more notches.

“ plane ” – erick arc elliott

2010-06-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

“Plane” was a video that many anticipated, so much that even the drop time, midnight, could deter fans. And as usual, Erick did not disappoint. Now for a little background on this video, the way you see it now was not how it was originally planned. After throwing a couple ideas up in the air, the concept of “Plane” went from a black and white video reel with Erick as the main focus to this beautiful compilation of New York City shots and the madness that some of it’s residents live.

However, as what usually happens in the pursuit of greatness, Erick encountered MANY problems on the way. Getting turned down for room reservations, loosing actors and high class equipment; he could have easily given up. But he didn’t. Erick’s a trouper! This video, which I find of much better quality than those of mainstream, was filmed perfectly. With the help of close friends and the anticipation of international fans, Erick and director Christopher Yoon created something that I find to be timeless. With all of that, this is “Plane”.

The video opens up lively, the bright colors of NYC drawing the viewer in. As a self-proclaimed New York City enthusiast that doesn’t get to visit as often as she likes, the scenes depicting the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Empire State Building are amazing to see. The focusing is perfect, everything is crisp and runs smoothly. None of the scenes blur and they all fall right into place, especially the scene in the subway. Now, anyone who’s been to more than a few of the subway stations outside of Manhattan knows how dark they can be, but still this shot came out sharp. The smoking scenes however were not only my favourite but a few others as well that I passed the video along to. All of them are completely detailed to the point where even when you pause, especially at the 1:35 time mark, you can see all of the lines in the smoke. Just perfect. More amazing shots lead up to the closing scene where the elevator doors close and the word “ P L A N E ” comes across the screen.

But trust, after watching this video, you won’t want those three minutes and twenty seconds of your life back.

(all images taken from theloveinus.com)

" ALL THINGS GO " - G.O.D JEWELS

2010-04-28T23:28:00.004-04:00

First time I ever heard of G.O.D., was June 11th 2009. Saw a post on Death of a Genius’s blog and pretty much liked the cover. At first though, when I saw the whole G.O.D. I wasn’t really down to hear the tape. Why? I was a little concerned about what kinda blasphemy I might hear when I pressed play after downloading. Now, I still read the review though. Laughed at some of his comments and seesawed back and forth with downloading the tape or not. I’m not gonna be slick with it and listen to it now and act like I heard it before, cause I didn’t. To tell the truth, I left homes out there, without giving him a chance.

And boy was I wrong. When I listened to “All Things ‘Go”, I was sitting on my couch like:

“Did I really just miss out on this from summer of 2009 to spring 2010?!”

Needless to say I need a slap.

Now, a little while back, with the help of Twitter, I stumbled back upon G.O.D. And this time, he wasn’t going away. The first time around, it was just a little stumble-shake yourself off and keep moving type of thing, but this time around, it was a get jumped and tied up before they haul you off into a warehouse someone where and beat you until you listen type thing.

Okay, that’ll be the last time I exaggerate in this review. Anyways, since every time I tried to unfollow, someone else I was following would retweet him. I couldn’t get rid of the G.O.D. So finally, I gave up and did a little Google-ing. For me personally, a person’s about me on MySpace is the deal breaker.

So trust, when I saw this: "A breath of fresh air is something that you can't truly appreciate until you've nearly been suffocated, taken a step out the house on an early spring morning, or until you've gotten so accustomed to low quality material that you find yourself tolerating underachievers because they sound better than what everybody else is putting out. If you have a room full of women, with ten of them being 3's, and then you insert a 6, yes she may look better than the rest of the women, but a 6 she still is." (ESPECIALLY THE BOLDED PART, HAD ME ROLLING), I felt entitled to give him a chance.

Now, with the dropping of this “All Things ‘Go”, I was excited. He’s from Chicago, I love Chicago. It’s a win-win kinda thing. So let’s do this.

So homes goes from scrolling past my screen to being smack dab in the middle with what I’m guessing is the Chicago skyline from a driver’s perspective. With street signs and bodega signs precisely placed, it’s pretty dope. The Obama, Sox, and Bulls references, I’m more then excited.

Now, this entire video is a personal touch. From the photographs of him as a baby (adorable yo), his mom and pops, a few uncles and his grandparents, G.O.D does something that many rappers now a day wouldn’t, showing and sharing memories. Which is exactly what this video made me do with my pops. I grew up watching the Bulls play. I remember being a toddler basically watching these games with my dad at like, ten at night; pissing my mother off cause I wasn’t in bed. Sneaking behind the couch so that I could stay up and watch Pippen and Jordan play; an experience I’ll never forget.

Thanks for bringing it back Joe.

All of those Jordans in the video! I freaking love it. Being an ex-sneakerhead baby (shoutouts to my aunties and uncles getting me kicks from 94-99), I love those extra touches. But the walking on snow in em, nah bruh, that made me cringe. By the way, all of those different varsity jackets are hella dope. If someone can get me one in small, that’d be dope.

Maybe not the Sox’s one though, I’mma Yankee girl.

Stop reading me. Please go watch the video while I listen to this last tape.

Did I mention this man is handsome? No? Well, he is. Very in fact. Nice voice too. Eh, I‘m being a groupie.

my day just got a whole lot better.

2010-02-16T17:18:00.003-05:00

Ah merci Erick!

(click to see the screenshot bigger)

" noir. IS BLACK " - ERICK ARC ELLIOTT

2010-02-14T22:33:00.002-05:00

I’ve been banging out to this mix-tape since the beginning of the year (January 2nd), and I completely forgot to do a review for it. I mean, I took notes on it and everything, I just forgot to type it. And then I forgot where I put them. I bet you after I post this, I’ll find them. Shame on me. Anyways, lets get into it shall we.

I heard about this dude after catching up with Phil on the Award Tour blog. I trusted that he had good taste, and had the plan to fill my iTunes with positive, non-garbage music, so I said, bun it, downloaded it and threw it on the iPod and went on my way. Now, I am extremely skeptical of mix-tapes, especially those done by rappers that I’ve never heard of. But I was like eh, he’s from Brooklyn and he’s gotten this far, can’t be that bad.

And can’t be that bad is right. I listened to the entire mix-tape, no fast forwarding for my entire commute to school. It got to the point where someone was trying to talk to me that morning, and I straight ignored them, something I don’t usually do, because what I was hearing was just that dope.

To the hip hop conscious, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Erick Arc Elliott.

I even changed up my format for him. That`s just how impressed I am. Rapper, photographer, graphic designer and poet ( I threw that one in ). Now, I`ve never heard of him before, but with this tape, Noir. is black, he`s such an amazing story teller that he goes back and shells out bits and pieces of his life, conveying an image to the listener of who he is. As Phillip mentioned, he`s not trying to convince the listener that he`s an alien or something from out of this world, just a normal person destined for greatness. On that note, let`s get into this play by play. I’m not going to get too deep into it, I want you to check it for yourself, plus it’s minutes to ten and I’m tired.

So we start off this tape with TRADUCTION. Starts off with a nice mellow beat, something I`d personally skate too. He throws a little french in there and then goes IN. Hype lines and a couple quick spits that you have to think fast to get so that you won`t miss the next one.
HUNGER (what I`m feeling right now) comes up next. Another dope beat and more lyrics. He`s straight tellin stories on this one. “being broke is a struggle, but it just made me invest more.” –> see, dope$#!+. and finally a rapper that isn’t singing the hook/chorus.
X & Y starts off with a little shout out, and he mentions that he can’t mix. But I don’t think anyone listening will really mind. Another dope beat, and I’m seriously wondering why I can’t hear something like this on a mainstream album. “girls are from mars” –> not what you usually hear.
12.29.09 this is like a little skit thing hil-ar-ious “uh, yo that $#!+’s wack…but it was wack.” I kinda wish that coulda been a little longer.
PLANE has a 80’s feel to it. The second verse goes in. The diction and the part where he breaks it down about what audience he might portray are all impeccable.
FANFARE is one of my favourites. Just because of the beat. It makes me think of everything urban. From basketball games, kids skateboarding in broken down pools, low-rider bikes, everything. “mom’s fell sick and I almost fell apart” –> How often do you hear someone telling their life like that? Exactly.
PINK COOKIES = FAVOURITE! “I’m in the booth still thinkin bout my first time.” –> DO I REALLY HAVE TO SAY MORE? Eh I'm a sucker, SO WHAT. Refreshing to listen to, especially after all of the “I beat/eat/smash the punnany up” type music I just can’t seem to get away from.
FIFTEEN MINUTES was a Kanye West, emerging out of the floor on a smoky platform type feel in the beginning. “time’s getting lonesome, before I plead insanity.” Oi. Can I see this dude’s rhyme book, pretty please? Just a glimpse.
SNOOZE BUTTON (what I’ll be hitting tomorrow morning at 5:30) “a car big enough to fall out, with the doors closed” –> Damm. What’s more to say?
EMPTY SPACE, just with the intro beat and the singing in the back, who I don’t think is Erick, makes me think of biking through the city. It has that chill, being mad calm while the rest of the world is rushed past type of vibe.
ALL OVER THE PLACE ; I can’t lie the song kinda is. “so they say I’m garbage, because I don’t bother to bother you, I’d rather you bother me with honesty, think on it.” –> I’m done.
PEDDLE MUSIC, now this is the one everyone is pushing. “Everybody wants that breakthrough Kanye West track, everybody. This is mine.” and it really does sound like it. Something Kanye would have produced before he fell off some. The beat + the lyrics + the delivery + the content = the reason why everyone’s pushing it so hard.
2005 FREESTYLE You doing a freestyle after having JAMES BROWN count you in? Do I really need to say more. Come on now.
ALL THAT I GOT IS YOU, he redid the intro 21 times. At first I’m like, look at this perfectionist. Then when he gets into the song, I get why. To speak on all a that and to not crack, no matter how many times done before takes effort and strength. I'll say it again. When was the last time you heard a rapper tell their life like this?
ORBITAL, I’m unhappy knowing the tape is done. The last beat on the tape has a common vibe to it. No Erick rapping on it, but it’s still nice nevertheless.

Now that I’m done, go download and check it for yourself. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

click the cover for it ; you’re all welcome.

2009-12-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

To anyone who has made an achievement, however small, congratulations. the little achievements help us build up momentum to conquer the large ones.