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.

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

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:

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

SKY PILOTS CHAPTER 5: MICHIGAN AVENUE from SKY PILOTS

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.

A Hummingbird

A Hummingbird from Ken Ross

Please excuse my hick-up on that "A Hum-ming-bird", it would seem I had something in my throat the entire take haha. Good thing its not an important line in the song or anything.

Estelle, Pharrell, and... Ken Ross!? 4 Rell??

Last week this side-band that I lead and arrange for, Rotimi and the Rainmakers, got the opportunity to open for Estelle, and N.E.R.D. at a music festival called Dillo Day.

Needless to say, I am so happy. I've been working real hard for this project writing out horn parts and arranging rehearsals, I'm really glad that things have come together and that people are enjoying the music the way I always hoped people would.

Way too much going on these past couple weeks, but I'm not going to lie I still haven't finished writing out/figuring out what exactly we're going to be playing on the gig, so I gotta wake up and finish all that before tomorrow's first rehearsal. I just want to make a big shout out and thank you to Rotimi and everyone in the band:

Brett "B.J." Johnson, Trombone
Mike "Beast Mode" Anderson, Tenor
Eric Seligman, Trumpet
Swingin' Swen Hendrickson, Bass
Lawrence Haskin, drums
and Matt Law, keys

These guys are all so talented, enthusiastic and a pleasure to work with!

All I know is that on May 30th I'm going to be back stage meeting and chilling with as many of those musicians that I mentioned above as possible. And word is we get our own green room!? suggestions on odd requests? I know I'm asking for a shit-ton of KY lube and a VHS version of Leprechaun 2: "Back to the Hood".
But for now I'll leave you all with some past photos of the band from our last show, and I hope you all make it out to check out the show next Friday if you're in the greater Chicago area.




^ ^ Ro and Alexia killin my "I'm Still" joint! ^ ^



photo props to Elisa Meggs and Justin Barbin

I'm Still featuring Alexia Blakley

Wayyy back in the Fall, I came across this talented Northwestern student and vocalist with named Alexia Blakley. The night I met her she killed a version of this Jazmine Sullivan song "Need U Bad". I was real into that joint at the time, and she sounded so good on it she ended up winning the Northwestern Apollo night. I got at her after the show all telling her how we should work together and this and that, she probably wrote it off, but I was for real. Staying true to my word, I wanted to expand my Rotimi and the Rainmakers set this spring, and I knew her addition would be amazing, so I wrote this contemporary Marvin-and-Tammi-like joint called "I'm Still".

I got at her through "the facebook", sketchy as hell transactions; but she ended up in my dorm room where I first showed her the song--just me and my keyboard. She was feeling the vibe and knew exactly where I was hoping to take it. I then brought it in with a dope arrangement for the band and that was that... I showed the recording I made (heard above) to some of the band members and most of them feel that it doesn't do the song justice, which may be true. Which is why you all need to see us come kill this song on May 30th, I'll have info about that show in a bit.

Let me just take a second to discuss what a pleasure it was/is to work with Alexia. Recording this was a ton of fun, and I'm so glad that she decided to work with me and bless one of my pieces with her voice. Honestly just kickin it and talking music with this girl makes the time fly, and I find that its a rarity that I run into people as naturally talented and energetic as her...

...Which is why you gotta come see her kill it live on May 30th!
& Let me know what you think of the track.