This summer was real busy,
On top of workkin the jazz guiitarr with groups around Chicago and teaching a bit out in Litchfield CT, I have been going harrrd on my production work.
Fortunately, I'm finally inspired enough to get my shit together and announce the coming of my debut release! I can't tell you how excited I am for this coming project, considering I haven't been on a publicly released product since... 2006? Wow. The hiatus is over, and I'm telling you now, the music that I release will be worth the wait. To the few ears that I have been trading rough drafts with; the reports are all real positive, and I've promised those ears and mine not to let these tracks slip through the cracks into a sad, lonely place on my hard drive like I have in the past.
So what to expect? Well I have some confirmed collabs to get your brain ticking already, Jo'Leon Davenue, Magestik Legend, Oddisee and otherrs are in the works. The music will be a cluster-fuck of everything that influences me, but... if I had to narrow it down...
It would be like if Jack Kerouac was cryogenically frozen (you know, a la John Spartan in Demolition Man) but melted and came to consciousness in Electric Ladyland Studios in 1998, (unfortunately without Wesley Snipes) where he began a tenure as a sound engineer until he got fed up with shitty R&B artists and waiting for D'Angelo to come out with a new album so he went on the road with Phonte and Nicolay last fall, & THHEEENN after that decided he'd try to make some music of his own to bring all the ne-yyoz, j-holidayyz and treyy-songz jokers of the music business to their knees.
But I digress, because that would be way to perfect. And I guess it might not be that dope, but it will be something worth checking out and showing to your baby momma--momma's momma... baby momma's momma. Just to get on her good side.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
photo-shoot
Thanks to my sister I got a nice photo-shoot the other day for some promotional purposes. Here are a couple of the takes,
My sis has been hard at work with her Fashion Agency, and is actually heading to Italy to promote the biz this weekend--first in my immediate fam to cross international waters in a looonnng time, of which I am both proud and yet ashamed of. Check her work out on the web and her blog: Global Fashion Agency
My sis has been hard at work with her Fashion Agency, and is actually heading to Italy to promote the biz this weekend--first in my immediate fam to cross international waters in a looonnng time, of which I am both proud and yet ashamed of. Check her work out on the web and her blog: Global Fashion Agency
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
pre-k identity crisis
i was convinced i was michael jordan until the third grade.
i found the kindergarten self portraits to prove it.
i found the kindergarten self portraits to prove it.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Featured on new Mixtape: Green Street's "Chess Moves"
Just yesterday Boston/NYC hip-hop group Green Street released their third CD/Mixtape entitled "Chess Moves".
The mixtape has some good stuff on it--from a variety of artists. I did some of the work for the album as well, I wrote/bassed/guitared/vocaled on one of the hottest songs on the album, "All I See", which features D.C. based rapper/producer Oddisee. I also got on there with Alexia Blakley on "I'm Still", which was posted on this blog earlier in May. I also wrote this track for NYC artist Lucy Liu entitled "6 A.M." and I play all the instruments on that track. I also did a transition from the end of "Top of the World" to "6 A.M.", Which you can hear at the end of that Top of the World track. Congrats to Renaissance and A-Live on the work, support and follow them at their blog and myspace.
The mixtape has some good stuff on it--from a variety of artists. I did some of the work for the album as well, I wrote/bassed/guitared/vocaled on one of the hottest songs on the album, "All I See", which features D.C. based rapper/producer Oddisee. I also got on there with Alexia Blakley on "I'm Still", which was posted on this blog earlier in May. I also wrote this track for NYC artist Lucy Liu entitled "6 A.M." and I play all the instruments on that track. I also did a transition from the end of "Top of the World" to "6 A.M.", Which you can hear at the end of that Top of the World track. Congrats to Renaissance and A-Live on the work, support and follow them at their blog and myspace.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Dillo Day Postgig/Photos
My computers been down since Dillo Day, but I just wanted to post up some photos. The show went real well, I can't think of anything that could have been better... maybe the weather? It was pretty shitty when we went on; but we are called "the Rainmakers," good thing those clouds held out cause we we're killin' it!!!
To the Band, Rotimi, Alexia, Loonz, Dre, Gebhardt, Mayfest staff, and everyone that came out to see the show--THANK YOU!!! "y'all the f**kin best, y'all the f**kin best, best I ever had..."
Click on the photos to enlarge them and get reeeall up close and personal...
Photo Props to Katherine Tang/North By Northwestern
To the Band, Rotimi, Alexia, Loonz, Dre, Gebhardt, Mayfest staff, and everyone that came out to see the show--THANK YOU!!! "y'all the f**kin best, y'all the f**kin best, best I ever had..."
Click on the photos to enlarge them and get reeeall up close and personal...
Photo Props to Katherine Tang/North By Northwestern
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Talented Filmmakers
Sorry about the brief hiatus, my mac hard drive died a week ago, I've been out of commission for a bit but I'm back.
Lately I've been meeting a lot of talented filmmakers and I figured I'd share some of their work with all of you.
This is my friend Midori's Documentary on the Politics of Race and Gender in Hip-Hop Culture. She has interviews with Big Sean, the Cool Kids, and FM Supreme on here, its interesting to see where all these people are coming from and their take on the questions Midori asks, check it out:
Lately I've been meeting a lot of talented filmmakers and I figured I'd share some of their work with all of you.
This is my friend Midori's Documentary on the Politics of Race and Gender in Hip-Hop Culture. She has interviews with Big Sean, the Cool Kids, and FM Supreme on here, its interesting to see where all these people are coming from and their take on the questions Midori asks, check it out:
Director's Cut from Midori McSwain
Also, In meeting Pharrell Williams the other night (yes, something I will write about in detail later) I got to meet up with these talented Northwestern Students and Independent Filmmakers representing Sky Pilots Chicago. Check out their interesting take on film on their website (linked above). My favorites are probably Chapter 4 & 5, but they all are really captivating. I really dug the music they used in their projects, and one of them actually got at me about possibly using some of my tracks in one of their upcoming episodes, we'll see what happens but for now check out: Chapter 5: Michigan Avenue
Friday, June 5, 2009
PEEPs.
beep. beep. beep. beep. beep. click. monday morning...
Although it is not Monday Morning, this morning, you need to peep Nate Smith cause I guarantee it will start out your weekend right.
Every once and a while you run into one of those musicians that can do it all. They can play something interesting on almost anything you put in front of them, whether it be a piano, snare drum, salt shaker, slide whistle, etc... Its a rarity but when someone has that kind of talent and has put in a lot of work to honing it, their gift is really something special to acknowledge and appreciate.
Which is why there is no way I couldn't write about one of the musicians I have a ton of respect for, Nate Smith. This guy is the real f***in deal, as not only one of the highest demand jazz drummers out there, but as a Soul/R&B/Hip-Hop producer. It seems like no matter who I show his music to, everyone can find something in his music that they deeply connect to. (whether a jazz head, R&B/Soul fan, hip-hop producer, rocker or just general fan of music)
Originally from Virginia, Nate Smith began touring with jazz legend Betty Carter while still attending James Madison University, which eventually led to his meeting with jazz bassist Dave Holland. Smith currently plays in Holland's Grammy award winning jazz quintet, The Dave Holland Quintet. You can hear him playing with them here. Definitely check out the 3 minute drum feature that begins 3 minutes in or so. This video doesn't even show you just how talented this guy is on the kit, I've seen him live twice and both times it was incredible. Not only with the Dave Holland group, but also with the Chris Potter Undergound.
As far as his production and song writing, Smith got one of his first breakthroughs back in 2001 when he co-wrote a piece on Michael Jackson's Invincible titled: "Heaven Can Wait." Not a bad start, writing for the king of pop? But some of my favorite work of his came off his EP that was released last year, Waterbaby Music, Vol. 1. This EP features MC and member of A Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and also talented vocalist John Gordon.
Definitely check out the single from the EP: "Monday Morning". Clearly Nate Smith draws from all kinds of music to create a fresh style. Honestly I think that if he gained more publicity he could really shake up the R&B/Soul scene, so definitely check him out and get the rest of Waterbaby Music, Vol. 1! let me know what you think.
Although it is not Monday Morning, this morning, you need to peep Nate Smith cause I guarantee it will start out your weekend right.
Every once and a while you run into one of those musicians that can do it all. They can play something interesting on almost anything you put in front of them, whether it be a piano, snare drum, salt shaker, slide whistle, etc... Its a rarity but when someone has that kind of talent and has put in a lot of work to honing it, their gift is really something special to acknowledge and appreciate.
Which is why there is no way I couldn't write about one of the musicians I have a ton of respect for, Nate Smith. This guy is the real f***in deal, as not only one of the highest demand jazz drummers out there, but as a Soul/R&B/Hip-Hop producer. It seems like no matter who I show his music to, everyone can find something in his music that they deeply connect to. (whether a jazz head, R&B/Soul fan, hip-hop producer, rocker or just general fan of music)
Originally from Virginia, Nate Smith began touring with jazz legend Betty Carter while still attending James Madison University, which eventually led to his meeting with jazz bassist Dave Holland. Smith currently plays in Holland's Grammy award winning jazz quintet, The Dave Holland Quintet. You can hear him playing with them here. Definitely check out the 3 minute drum feature that begins 3 minutes in or so. This video doesn't even show you just how talented this guy is on the kit, I've seen him live twice and both times it was incredible. Not only with the Dave Holland group, but also with the Chris Potter Undergound.
As far as his production and song writing, Smith got one of his first breakthroughs back in 2001 when he co-wrote a piece on Michael Jackson's Invincible titled: "Heaven Can Wait." Not a bad start, writing for the king of pop? But some of my favorite work of his came off his EP that was released last year, Waterbaby Music, Vol. 1. This EP features MC and member of A Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and also talented vocalist John Gordon.
Definitely check out the single from the EP: "Monday Morning". Clearly Nate Smith draws from all kinds of music to create a fresh style. Honestly I think that if he gained more publicity he could really shake up the R&B/Soul scene, so definitely check him out and get the rest of Waterbaby Music, Vol. 1! let me know what you think.
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