The Badass of the Week.

The Badass of the Week.

Wesley Autry trudged through the turnstiles of the New York City Subway, headed for another boring, routine day. He was going to drop his two daughters off with their mother and then head out to his construction job where he would be helping to build a library downtown. It was all part of the daily grind, and he didn't really think anything of it. Then, all of a sudden, as he passed onto the Subway platform he saw a young man flip out, have a fucking seizure, and collapse on the Subway platform.

Autry, being the good samaritan that he was, rushed over to help the guy, who by now was flipping out like he'd been hit by a stun gun or just found out he won the lottery or something. Autry used a ball-point pen to pry the dude's mouth open to prevent him from biting his tongue off. After a few minutes, the guy seemed to come back to his senses. Autry helped the man to his feet, and asked him if he was feeling alright. The guy looked at Autry but said nothing. Seconds later, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed again.

This time, however, he didn't fall onto the relative safety of the platform. He fell off onto the fucking subway tracks.

Wesley Autry unhesitatingly jumped down from the platform to help the kid. He grabbed the semi-conscious seizure victim, asked him if he was alright, and then quickly tried to lift him back up onto the platform. The kid was disoriented, unresponsive, and only semi-conscious. Wesley continued to try and get this dude up off the tracks when he heard a noise that made him sick to his stomach.

Um... oh shit.

The train was coming down the track at breakneck speed. When faced with a split-second decision, Wesley Autry did what a true badass would do: He threw the kid down onto the tracks, jumped on top of him, and tried to get as close to the ground as possible.

But even this wouldn't be easy. The other guy was so disoriented that he just started panicking and trying to fight Autry off of him. So Autry not only had to worry about the train hurtling towards him, but now he also had to wrestle this kid into a complete body lock if he wanted any chance of making it out of this alive. They fought briefly, Autry slapped a hold on this kid and flattened both of them to the ground.

The train blew overhead so close to the two men that Wesley's wool hat was torn by the undercarriage of the subway car. It screeched to a halt, but both men were safe. Autry called out to assure his two daughters he was safe as the Subway Police went to work trying to extricate him from underneath the train. Twenty minutes later, Wesley Autry was being hailed as a hero.

It's hard not to respect how balls-out it was of this guy to not only jump down onto the tracks to save a kid having a seizure, but to try and squeeze himself between the tracks and the bottom of the train. He very easily could have abandoned this kid to save himself, and his plan could have just as easily failed, but yet he risked his life to try and rescue someone in need. His courage and quick-thinking not only make him a badass; They make him a hero.

Who Is Somobe?

Somobe is a duo that I had the pleasure of interviewing earlier this year of HipHopRemix.com; they have leaked out a new single entitled "Red, Blue, Green." It is free to download on their Myspace page; do yourself a favor and go and add them as a friend (if you already have not) and download the "Red, Blue, Green" mp3. Trust me, this hip-hop duo is pushing the envelop of what is considered "good music" with their first album, "The Great Communication." It was probably one of the best albums I heard in 2007 (by far). When paralleling Somobe with another group of hip-hop artists, I would definitely like to call them the "two-man Roots crew." I have nothing but great things to say about these cats and their great music.

Check out their Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/somobe

7 Daize

Hailing from the Bay Area comes a female/male duo with the talent and charisma to take them beyond the heights of many Bay Area artists that have come before them. Gyrl Ab'strakt and DJ Cleve have come together bringing the fresh new sound of hip-hop that this generation has been lacking; substance. With their release EP, "Mr. and Ms. Pakman," they take the listener on a auditory vacation that lasts far beyond the seven songs it displays. This group is gearing to drop their debut full-length album soon and will be dropping a weekly exclusive song to add to your iPod to keep you bang your head. With 7 Daize, you can expect to hear something that the game has been missing for a long time, a true essence of clarity. The hip-hop without the preservatives and fillers is what 7 Daize brings to the forefront. When listening to their music, expect only the true sheer elements of hip-hop music. Be expecting to hear a lot more from this group in the near future.

Check out their Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/7daizemusic

Where I'm From...(DC/Maryland)

I'm from PG County, where all the black people in Maryland who aren't from Baltimore live*. Wale's Mixtape About Nothing, was pretty nice especially the Seinfeld tracks I thought those were the highlights of the mixtape. When dropped it reminded me of something I've been meaning to do but only getting around to now. I figure I'd shine some spotlight on some area artists for the 4 people that read this.

pg county/MD

Kev Brown



Kev Brown's a pretty accomplished producer/emcee known for his signature boom bap sound. The Largo, MD native has been around for a minute, working with DJ Jazzy Jeff and coming to prominence after The Brown Album(the 1st to remix Jay-Z's Black Album). A friend of mine actually tried to put me onto him back in 06 I think, but I slept on him at the time. It wasnt until I heard I Do What I Do a few months later that I became a fan and started checkin for Kev. I related a lot to his struggles of being broke, single, love and life in general.

This is probably my favorite joint. Kev Brown - Alone Again

Versatility Joint



Hip Hop


Oddisee



Along with Kev Brown, Oddisee is one of my favorite members of the Low Budget crew. Oddisee is an insightful rapper who does his thing when it comes to observations about the area and everything else going on around him. In my eyes he really captures the essence of the area in a way others havent. A beast behind the boards and the mic, his debut album A Foot In the Door really showcased his skills. Tracks like "Gentrification", which sheds light on the problem affecting DC. And "Propa" which is like a lyrical tour through PG, DC, MoCo.



Oddisee 101

Oh and check his blog gives you a nice look at what goes into doin what he does.

http://www.oddiseemusic.blogspot.com/

?/MD

OOGenesis



I stumbled across OOGenesis after some hardcore music scavenging. An artist(i love his drawings) and a beatmaker from somewhere in Maryland, OO is on the experimental tip like Flying Lotus. OOGenesis is a part of the new wave of music I've started listening to and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he can do.



OOEpisode-Re-Runs


DC

Muhsinah



Muhsinah is the future. Or rather she's now. Not only is she a talented vocalist but she's dope on the keys and MPC as well. I had heard of her for awhile, but it wasn't until I saw her live, opening for J*Davey that I felt the need to check out her music and compelled to cop her album. I cant begin to describe how talented she is so I'll let "Construction" do it for me.



Check her website, Musinah.com lots of music treats.

---TO BE COMPLETED---

-Les

Damn, Erykah droppin' science!

Erykah Badu speaks on how to "make it" in the music business

This is some real ass shit right here though; even through all the sarcasm that she is speaking through this montage you can tell that she is serious about how female R&B singers have become more like whores than singers. In the recent ten years, R&B, hip-hop, rock, pop, etc have all had this "commerce over art" makeover where you now get models that cannot sing singing and dancing on your television screens instead of truly talented artists. It has become truly disheartening nowadays when you finally do find an album that has songs greater on it than the singles you've been brainwashed into loving from the radio and TV, you feel like you've had a breathe of fresh air from a truly talented LP.

I'm sick of going to buy an 18 track long album for $15 dollars and finding out that only 3 of the tracks (usually the singles) are the only good songs on the album. The music industry is not about talent anymore; it's about commerce. It's about having models that cannot hold a note singing off key with the Roger & Zapp robotic voice over 80's enthused house beats and making up a stupid dance to get kids to download your ring tone rather than buy your album. Everything has it's time, and the music industry is due for a huge makeover when these house niggas on TV are tap dancing in iced-out nooses and shackles to ignorant songs. Everything is due its time; real music will takeover the fake hella soon.

-Kevin Robinson, Jr.

U-N-I Interview

Los Angeles was been slated with the stereotype of “gangsta rap” since the early 90’s and there was recently been a resurgence of the region’s hip-hop that is looking to change this. I remember seeing the “K.R.E.A.M. (Kicks Rules Everything Around Me)” video on YouTube back in December and saying to myself that these two dudes right here (Y.O. and Thurzday of U-N-I) could definitely help bring back the true essence of hip-hop’s music that has been lost in the bling era. The true essence of hip-hop of having fun and living life can be seen and heard in their “Beautiful Day” video on YouTube as well. Together, Y.O. and Thurzday make up the hip-hop duo of U-N-I and are gearing to drop their second installment very soon. With over 4 million plays on their Myspace page, their music is being heard all over the internet. I was able to sit and have a good conversation with these two dudes out of Inglewood, and ask them a few questions regarding their music, their next album, and other shit about them as individuals.

What’s up with you cats, man? Introduce yourselves to the HipHopRemix.com world. How did you two meet and why did you pick the name “U-N-I?”

Y-O:

We met at St Bernard High School in 1999 in the courtyard [during] freestyle battles. We recognized each other’s talents and decided to move as a unit. We both played [basketball] ball too.

Thurz:

We came up with the name U-N-I after being inspired by The Roots “Illadelph Halflife.” They had a song with Common titled “U.N.I.verse at War.” It fit us as a first person statement where myself and Y-O go against all contenders while maintaining an “universal” goal in our music to not be “boxed-in” to 1 sound.

There’s been a huge resurrection of hip-hop going on in the Los Angeles area as far as with acts coming out such as Custom Made, Pacific Division, J*Davey, Blu, and as well as you guys. How do you guys feel about the recent wave of hip-hop music that is coming out of your hometown area?

Y-O:

Cali is where it’s at. There’s so much talent out here and we’re proud to be recognized in this new movement.

I seen in the “K.R.E.A.M.” video that you cats had a good deal of about 100 pairs of shoes in the main scene. For all of the sneaker heads out there, how many pairs of sneakers do you both have? What’s your favorite pair of sneakers?

Thurz:

I kind of lost count. My favorite kicks at the moment are my Lobster SBs. Them joints are fresh…I’m kind of upset I couldn’t get the special package from the Concept store in Boston, but it’s all good.

Y-O:

I’m probably approaching 200. My favorite kicks right now are probably….hmmm….I’m going with my Jordan IV’s

When I seen the “Beautiful Day” video on YouTube for the first time months ago, it definitely reminded me of Pharcyde. It was a feel-good joint, and I felt that I could relate to you cats. A lot of the hip-hop now that is coming out is about material things that most people won’t ever able to afford; it’s a breath of fresh air to hear some hip-hop that I can actually relate to. How do you guys feel about the hip-hop scene right now (both mainstream and independent)?

Thurzday:

I feel that a lot of independent artists are receiving more love than mainstream artists. Folks are tired of being force-fed the bullshit music on the radio, so the independent scene serves as a refuge for folks who want some authentic shit, and that’s what we provide. With “Beautiful Day,” we wanted to showcase a nice day in our city over a laid-back track with our own flavor.

Y-O:

A lot of mainstream artist are on their way out, and you definitely know that when you see cats like Nelly biting scenes and concepts from our music video. I think the independent scene is more creative.

Now, man…I gotta ask this! When you made the song, “Fat Girl,” did you guys have anybody in mind when writing it, or were you just making the song just because?

Thurz:

That song was inspired by our good lady friend. We won’t say her name, but the skit before the song is a true story. We started freestyling over the beat about our big ladies and we made it into a song. Lol!

Are you guys currently in the process of signing to a label, or are you going to stay independent?

Y-O:

If somebody comes with a correct offer, we’d definitely take that into consideration.

Thurz:

…Until then, we’re going to keep producing quality music and pumpin’ it out to the internet and streets.

I know that a lot of cats will look at the album title of your first installment and say, “What the hell?!” What made you cats come up with using the title, “Fried Chicken and Watermelon?”

Thurz:

Basicly, black folks are stereotyped as loving fried chicken and watermelon. The West Coast is seen in a similar light of being stereotyped as 1-dimensional and stuck on that gangster tip. The title is used to catch your attention and break the stereotype.

Y-O:

We represent a new movement and we showcase that with our street album.

My favorite song by you cats right now would have to be “Supreme Song.” Will it be on the next album that you guys put out, and when is the next album coming out? What producers and emcee’s will show up on the LP?

Y-O:

“Supreme” is going to be on our 2^nd installment titled “A Love Supreme.” It’s being totally produced by Ro Blvd. We’ll hopefully be dropping it in the 3^rd quarter of this year

Define your music in one word.

Thurz: Innovative

Y-O: Fuckin sick! LOL

Who are your top five all-time emcee’s and producers?

Thurz:

1. Emcees
1. Redman
2. Black Thought
3. Common
4. Jay-Z
5. B.I.G.

Y-O:

2. Producers
1. J Dilla
2. Premiere
3. The Neptunes
4. DJ Khalil
5. Just Blaze

Are here one of you working on any side projects? Are you guys sponsored by any clothing brands? How would you describe your clothing style?

Thurz:

No side projects. We’re down with Lemar & Dauley and Orisue.

Y-O:

The best way to describe our style is “comfortably fresh.”

Will you guys be going on tour with anyone this summer?

Thurz:

We might be doing something with Aloe Blacc real soon. Stay tuned in

If you guys could work with any artists, bands, composers, etc, (dead or alive), who would you both want to work with?

Thurz:

I think our ideal collab would be J Dilla on the production with a feature from OutKast

I would like to thank U-N-I for taking the time out of their busy schedule to conduct this interview with me; make sure to add them as a friend on Myspace and check out their first installment, “Fried Chicken And Watermelon” (which can be purchased on their Myspace page).

-Kevin Robinson, Jr.

The Carps "Heaven's Gates & Hell's Flames"

The Carps "Heaven's Gates & Hell's Flames"
I've been listening to this Toronto-bred duo, the Carps for almost a year now, and every time they put something out I'm truly impressed. Go get their "Waves and Shambles" EP on iTunes or any music site for the most part. Check out my interview with them on my blog:
http://dramaking510.blogspot.com/2008/01/carps-interview.html

Check out their Myspace:
www.myspace.com/thecarps

-Kevin Robinson, Jr.

N*E*R*D* "Seeing Sounds"

I had no idea that N.E.R.D. was dropping an album today until a friend of mine had told me about it yesterday. I woke this morning and placed “Seeing Sounds” on; I was completely blown away by the beautiful blending of vocals of Pharrell Williams and Shay Haley and Chad Hugo’s production. There’s no other group out that is hardly as eclectic as these two Virginia natives, and “Seeing Sounds” is definite proof of this statement being so true. The song, “Everybody Nose” instantly bangs through my stereo and is extremely reminiscent of production of hip-hop when it was in its Golden Age (1988-1996). This song is definitely something that you should add to your “Get the Party Started” play list on your iPod because it will for sure get your ass up and ready to hit the club.

“Seeing Sounds” is only 12 songs, and will have you wishing that it was 24 tracks longer by how complete and great it is. This album has something for everyone’s musical pallet; “Anti-Matter” and “Everybody Nose” for the hardcore hip-hop heads, “Yeah You” and “You Know What” for the soulful cats, and “Spaz” for the rock fans. The eclectic level of “Seeing Sounds” is damn strong enough to have music fans of all different genres to be able to find songs that will fit their personal preference. “You Know What” being one of those truly feel-good songs has the power to have to nodding your head for the 4 and a half minute vacation to a musical utopia of peace that it takes you to. With the smooth guitar and synth production and dramatic bass line in complete unison placed together with Pharrell’s contagious vocals and lyrical content, “You Know What” compliments “Seeing Sounds” completely. Another song that you can add to that “Get the Party Started” play list for your “getting ready for the club” mood is “Laugh About It.” Pharrell’s vocals over the party-driven beats of Chad Hugo on this song makes you feel at ease with whatever is stressing you in your life; it has that element to bring the most stressed day into an ideal one. By far every song on “Seeing Sounds” is great, but there’s something so incredible about “Sooner or Later.” The breakdown at the end of “Sooner or Later” is so dynamic that you feel invigorated by how talented all three of N.E.R.D.’s members are; a near seven-minute musical wonder it is for sure! Who would have thought a song about an annoying person sending you text messages and calling you all day could sound so smooth? Only N.E.R.D. on the song “Yeah You!”

Unlike most albums nowadays where you’ll buy an album with 15 songs and only 3 will be good, “Seeing Sounds” by N.E.R.D. will not be disappointing at all! Go cop that! NOW! “Seeing Sounds” blows most currently-released albums out of the water with its complete and utter sheer explosiveness of talent. This damn album will be in heavy rotation for a long time.

-Kevin Robinson, Jr.