I Miss Biggie Smalls...

Summertime 1994. Bed -Stuy, Brooklyn (Chauncey Street). I was 8 years old. A curious youngster with an appetite for mischief and tormenting girls I liked by doing things like knocking ice cream cones out of their hands.

My older cousins used to rock with this cat Biggie Smalls religiously. You name it, they had it. Posters, tapes, magazines.....The single I'd later come to know as "Juicy" blared from their speakers frequently with the flipped Mtume sample providing a backdrop for Chris Wallace to paint his picture of success for inner city denizens....

Fast forward to Summer 1997. I'm now 11 years old at a family BBQ STILL tormenting girls. B.I.G. had died before the album had come out but the first single from "No Way Out" aired on MTV. I didnt have cable @ the time, so I always soaked up the chance to go to my family/friend's houses and watch music videos and the cartoons that my classmates had always talked about. I always like engaging videos (even at a young age) and this video captured me from the jump.

Something was wrong. The dominating voice did not have a presence to match it visually. I sorta just shrugged it off. Typical of me, even till now. I was engaged by the Danny Devito cameo and the Blade Runner allusions as well as Busta Rhymes shrieking....

IMO, this song, "Victory", contains B.I.G.'s most lyrically adept bars. Even to this day, I get chills listening to the dramatic build up and B.I.G. getting ready to execute verbal perfection. Top 5 B.I.G. song-EVER:

"Excellence is my presence, never tense, never hesitant, leave a nigga bent real quick/Real sick, brawl nights, I perform like Mike ,anyone-Tyson, Jordan, Jackson, Action, pack guns, ridiculous/And Im quick to bust if my ends you touch/Kids or girl you touch, in this world I clutch /Two auto-matos, used to call me fatso Now you call me castro, my rap flows/Militant, yall faggots aint killin shit, Ooops cristal keep spillin shit, you overdid it homes"

It all began here. I listen to this album and it just brings back memories of the times. It is a visceral album-full of ambition ("Juicy"), lyrical dexterity ("Unbelievable", "The What" featuring Method Man as the only guest star of the entire album) and the consciousness of an inner city young Black male who admittedly did not keep to the straight and narrow ("Gimme The Loot", "Suicidal Thoughts").

The instrumentals were provided by DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, and Puff, among others....certified classic. The public agrees and the album gets critical acclaim and multiplatinum sales.

1997. B.I.G had gone through a lot. A marriage to Faith Evans. So called beef with you know who. Carrying the entire borough of Brooklyn AND the East Coast on his back. Awards and critical acclaim.

Pressure to live up to "Ready To Die". Puff's perfectionist approach. Crew love and looking for out for his family. Conflict with other rappers (Jeru The Damaga, Rae/Ghost, Nas).

All of these factors formed the masterpiece that is "Life After Death". I spent my Saturday listening to the album from start to finish and I'm convinced that had B.I.G. is arguably THE Greatest Rapper Of All Time-and that's from a die hard Jay-Z fan. 24 tracks-with arguably the greatest songs ever to close an rap album ("Sky's The Limit", "My Downfall", the scathing "Long Kiss Goodnight" and "You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)").

The collabs were on point especially "Last Day" featuring The LOX and "Fuckin' You Tonight" featuring R.Kelly. I'd say the top three songs on the album (no order) were

• "Notorious Thugs": B.I.G took the BTNH style of delivery and flipped it with superb breath control and command.
• "Story To Tell": Best story telling track ever? Well it's gotta be up there. The attention to detail is second to none. The ending dialogue between B.I.G. and his friends has to be some of the funniest audio ever record. "I used to fuck with her cousin, but you aint know that!"...what a good friend
• "Sky's The Limit": obvious reasons.

"Long Kiss Goodnight". Brutal. Reportedly the song was not addressing Tupac Shakur...but when you listen to the lyrics and Puff's frantic ad-libs...it speaks for itself. It's up there with "Who Shot Ya", "Kick In The Door" and "Victory" for me.....

Very well rounded album. Diamond. 1 of 3 rap albums to garner such sales and is the second best selling rap album of all time. Nominated for 3 Grammys in 1998. Posthumous release as B.I.G. rests in power on March 9th, 1997.

To this day, I dont think anyone can go toe to toe with B.I.G. Jay-z obviously has the track record...but it's been said that if B.I.G. was alive, we'd be listening to hip hop through Morse Code. From what I've seen, B.I.G. sorta wanted to get out of the game and there was a rumor of a triple album in the works. Imagine.

I miss Biggie Smalls. Thanks for reading.

Goodies: I have for you all the XXL article about the making of "Ready To Die" and the making of "Life After Death"

Bed Stuy's Finest taking one last trip through his hood. We'll always love Big Poppa

^ Copped that book last year. I've read it multiple times and each time it's gotten better. It gave insight into Chris Wallace, the man, as opposed to the Notorious B.I.G....

• B.I.G. used to eat, sleep and "BS" in the studio before recording his verses. He did not write his verses on paper. For the man to write songs like "Kick In The Door", "Story To Tell" and ESPECIALLY "Notorious Thugs" IN HIS HEAD, I'm amazed.
• B.I.G. seemed to know that he was not going to live for long.
• B.I.G. never learned how to drive, leaving that duty up to Faith Evans or Little Cease. He got into an accident and his time in rehab gave him time to reflect on his life to that point.

There's more but I suggest you all get the book and read for yourself. :-)

I also have some ill shit for you all to DL if you havent already. Here's the "Original Version" of "Ready To Die" plus some bonus tracks, including a dope freestyle B.I.G. did for Pepsi.

Here

Politics and Bullshit.......

"You rap niggas made me laugh/Ya'll crazy ass, and I dont give a fuck what you sold, that shit was trash......"

This is gonna be a controversial post...but fuck it, I want the hits....

I'll be discussing cosignage (ya'll like that?) and such. Ya'll ever see an artist get signed and you're like "How the fuck did he get on? Whose cock got sucked for this shit to get out to the public!!!!"?

When asked, I keep my personal feelings about the music to myself and give people my POV from a professional standpoint. I dont talk on things I dont know about because people can smell bullshit from a mile away. People know that I'll be objective and honest. I'm glad my opinion means so much to a lotta people, but hey if asked, I owe it to someone to be real with them. It's the Golden Rule; if I were an artist, I'd want the same. My opinion is just one of billions, and despite the rush it gives me on the inside (muahahahaha/pause), I hate to see people living and dying by MY word. You were doing what you were doing before you asked for my input and you'll be doing what you're gonna do after I give my input so it is what it is...

The thing is....a lotta artists are so used to having yes men around them. Their entourage is usually 

• artist
• weed mule
• the one jumpoff who the artist and maybe the whole crew can run through at any given moment; she usually says things like "The artist is a good friend of mine", "I'm not a groupie, we're just friends", etc. Usually gets defensive when other groupies get around said artist and the denial of the groupiedom they portray is so hilarious ("We only did it once and he gave me a bag/cash, so no I'm not a groupie").
• the livewire who provides "security" services....
  
• artist's "boys" who he doesnt want to leave behind "in the hood".....although that "hood" may actually be a suburb in Long Island....
• insert affiliate (producer, dude who gets groupies for artists in clubs, DJ, etc)

My very first conflict with having to work a campaign for an artist I didnt like was during one of my first gigs ever in the biz. We were doing a marketing campaign for an artist from the Left Coast and I had to do some online marketing. I heard the tracks and was immediately turned off...In my head, I'm like "Who the fuck cosigned this shit? I gotta work this shit?" I did what I was assigned (and more) but I told one of my bosses that I wasnt feeling the artist AT ALL and that duke was trash. My boss looked at me and said "That's the business bro....I dont like all the artists we market, but you gotta do what you gotta do"....

Off top, I can definitely say that a lot of artists get on for a lot of the reasons like

• favors owed
• their manager and some label exec fucked around and that caused the signing of said artist
• network. I dont knock anyone's hustle.....but this game sometimes can definitely be about who you know...

A lotta people throw the term "A&R" around quite loosely. Off top and to keep it simple, the job of an A&R is basically to find talent for a label to market and push. They handle dealing with an artists sound and the day to day process of making an album including legal, finding production, choosing singles, etc. I personally think that without a strong A&R team, a label is fucked because 

• if you have no talent to market, you have no incoming revenue stream; in this day and age of 360 deals and such, no artist=no possible endorsements, sponsorships, merchandising, licensing, etc
• many (read: scores and possibly hundreds) of labels have folded because the quality of artists signed and marketed were simply not appealing to the public.
• when people see that the acts a label signs are subpar, this will kill the label's chances of survival.

Music is a funny thing. Brand loyalty is such an unguaranteed thing in music (especially urban music) that you can be here and gone tomorrow. IMO, a key thing to remember is that you as an artist are a business and brand first. All of the top artists in their respective genres (U2, Jay-z, etc) know their branding and how to place themselves in the public forefront. I sometimes listen to Volume I: In My Lifetime like "Goddamn this is a prophetic album"....its like the Jay we know now knew he was headed for that path if you really listen to that album....

But at what point does an artist learn how to balance sacrificing their art and wanting to blow? Can't answer that but I can tell you for sure that a label is concerned with the bottom line and money first just like any other business. 

It's a helluva gamble. I personally dont know man....A&R, it's a bit crazy...the industry itself is a revolving door, but with A&R you have a shitload of more pressure on you. I personally work better in marketing an artist when I really believe in the artist. Like "NO one can fuck with him/her right now. Their potential is off the meter". My thing is, are artists ready enough mentally? 

• Your whole life has the potential to be in the public eye.
• The label, especially now, aint gonna invest $ into an artist that wont bring back revenue. A lot of ya'll think that it's just "I'm signed, this is it right here, lets put out an album now I can eat"....Money. That's all it comes to. A label has to recoup the budget it gave you then you can "eat". 
• Money hungry "family and friends"
• Groupies, whores, skanks, etc of all sorts. If you cant turn pussy down, good luck. 
• Thick skin. Artists need to know that not everyone will like their music. It doesnt make me a hater. It gives me $10-$12 that I can save by buying music that I really will feel and you goddamn right I reserve the right to be discriminate. It's like if you dont like someone's music and say why, you're branded as a "hater". Artists aint perfect...but it's like if everytime you see them perform on TV or live/hear their music and they continually suck, why the fuck should I, the consumer, support their music? They obviously dont take their craft seriously, so why should I?

Its funny because there was an act signed during one stint and we had to market them. I totaly tuned them out thinking to myself "Are they serious signing these people? This HAS to be politics..." Apparently I wasnt the only one who felt so....said artists had footage of their entire audition at a label on Youtube. They put the footage on Youtube and got roasted online (dozens of negative comments), and from what I heard, their Soundscan numbers were ABYSMAL. Not gonna go too much into it but I ended up at another company and their campaign was up to be worked on. I stayed away like the plague. 

All personal bias aside, if niggas cannot perform, it kills my respect for them. Live performance can be the key way an artist can make $, especially on the college scene. If an artist doesnt have stage presence they might as well choose another career path. If they dont recognize the $ that cant be made on the road by giving an ill show, thats on them and their management. I've been won by artists as well as lost by me going to a show and then seeing how they translate live. If I'm interested in working with an artist, I will see how they perform. Look at it from a customer's POV: I spend $20 to get into this show+drinks+weed $ (if you smoke at shows); I want my fuckin' money's worth. I'll give it to Wale that he knows how to have some semblance of mastery over a crowd, even without UCB behind him. (The live band aspect is sort of overused by a lot of urban musicians IMO).I've seen Kid Cudi perform live numerous times (if i remember correct, the Highline Ballroom show a while back with Wale headlining was his first time in NY performing) and it's like each time, he got worse; I was actually lost from the first time I saw duke; it's like I'm seeing him for the first time after hearing so much and then I got disappointed. Not only his lack of presence (it's bigger than just physical appearance and clothing to me, so he can wear skinny jeans all he wants) and nervousness (I do admit that NYC can be a BEAST, but if you aint built for Cuban Linx, it aint for you), but I actually wanted to hear something other than "Day N' Nite" and all of its 1000 variations, like "Can they get him in the studio and make some MORE music? This is some one hit wonder type shit." (I do like how the guy artistically expresses himself sometimes; his visual asthetics aint that bad artwork wise, etc. If ya'll are fans of his, you should support his album and cop. Im not so I wont be coppin'). I've also been to shows where I felt like the artist's performance was so good that I shoulda paid more than I did (Raekwon, J.Cole, Wale, etc)...and some of those shows I've gotten into for free.

I learned to not go by who/what mainstream publications say is hot. They do the same list every year and out of 12 or so, only 2 or three keep their relevance up to par. 

Its all relative. I might not like an artist. You may.We can agree to disagree (or not). It's your $. Thanks for reading.

Random Laughs

I'm a huge clown. Moreso sarcastic, but I like laughing. Until someone says something dumb...

Lately, I've sorta been going through a lot but I had a good convo with a loved one that put a lot in perspective. Back to the clownery. A lotta these are random but they make me laugh and it's MY blog so POW!

^ Me in environmental class earlier this summer messing around.

This made me laugh for some odd reason. Mad random. Musta been from the Charles Barkley vs. Godzilla ad campaign Nike ran a while back.

^Clayton Bigsby's yearbook pic. 

^I used to post this in message boards whenever people would say dumb shit. Ultimate blank stare

^ the irony is staggering. This is why we can't have nice things.

^ LOL

Off that.

^ that's from Religulous, Bill Maher's take on world religions. There's a part where he's just going off about how how the Christmas story was actually taken from an Egyptian myth with bullet points and then abruptly they cut into this scene, where dude with the staff says "STOP, BLASPHEMER!!"....guess you'd have to see it to appreciate it..

^Im not even gonna bother to rationally explain this.

Helluva combo.

Irony at its finest

"Striving For Perfection"

*Cue violins*

There's a saying that till 25 you're judged by potential. After 25, you're judged by what you do with that potential. 

As a young black man, I'm petrified of failure. Like I piss my pants thinking about it. I'm 23, a college graduate (Baruch FTW), lifestyle marketer and stand up guy (when I'm not being grouchy). I've always had in my mind the way I wanted to do things in my life (money, house, down ass chick, family taken care of). I wasnt even supposed to be born. I apparently had a heart problem when I was in the womb, so people always told me I'd be someone special for me to have survived through that. My name is Karsten, which means "blessed one" in Greek. I shrug all of that off but deep down, I know I'm here for something other than money, cash and hoes. 

Stasia (business partner/"sister") told me that I need to be mentally and spiritually prepared for success and the path to such. My problem is that I'm so used to doing everything myself. I've lived with just my moms and brother/sister since the age of 13, so it's like I always had an "old man" mentality during my formative years to adulthood. Even before that, I was a quick learner and I worked best when operating by myself. I worked my way through college and even now, I have my hand in multiple pots. I dont really have regrets but I do wonder what it woulda been like to have had an outlet for those bad times....I used to write poetry a lot, but I'm thinking stuff like art or even athletics. I was always more inclined to books and such though......Recently, I've been wanting to go to shooting ranges to let off a couple of shots....

Admittedly, I haven't prayed in quite a while or read my Bible. I dont wanna go though some dramatic life changing event for me to start praying to God or something. I have my vices.....so it's like I dont wanna keep doing the same stuff over then praying to God/going to church on Sunday then end up doing the same thing every week.....I think if you're gonna go with God, you should go all the way and do whatever you can in your power to go all the way. You're human and will slip up but if it's a conscious choice, you shouldnt slip up. I just dont see how people can claim to be religious and still drink, smoke and fornicate like the rest of us they try to preach to. I cant reconcile that at all. 

I also tend to see the worst in people instead of the good in them. I definitely have to change that.  I trained my mind not to be shocked whenever something out of pocket goes down because people (including myself) have a great potential for good as well as bad. Its like when its work related, I like finding solutions, but when it's personal, I tend just have a nonchalant reaction to a lotta things. If you dont care about something, it has no way of affecting you should it be taken away. 

What can I do?

I just want it all to work out. It will. It always does. I'm good at figuring things out. If not, I'll make the most of what I can get.

The Blueprint III Outtakes

I hate rehashing stuff other blogs post....but this caught my eye. 

Apparently a producer named Alex Goose submitted beats to a A&R for the BP III album. None of the beats made the album, but damn near all em are straight fire. "Hova's Back" in particular is a problem.

Here's the link to the site: http://theblueprint3outtakes.com/

You can DL it from there. I highly recommend it. Straight fire.

Tired of Partying?

This is a topic I'm continually dealing with. I just got back from a night of events (Lee Charm's Listening Session @ Negril Village and the Ill Banger Party @ White Rabbit). Special shoutouts to Warren, Charles, Antoinette and Tiffanie and everyone else who came out. Big shoutouts to my OG homie Mizz Parker.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting tired of the continual parties. Maybe it was a summer thing. I can recall that the record for most parties/spots attended in one night was 5; I think I got home at 6 AM or some shit that night.. Its getting colder now, so I dont wanna be all over the place like that.

Its amazing how people network.  We're walking up Houston St. to White Rabbit and I see these fellows projecting an ad for a liquor company. Naturally, I approach them, introduce myself and get their contact. Later on, I hear a young lady singing and then network with her...outside of the club. Her body language read that she was defensive till I introduced myself to her on a professional level. Some people network better at parties/lounges; I dont knock it. i just like a more controlled environment away from noise where I can see ppl and read their body language, etc.

My point is that, I'm getting tired of partying. It's like that summer jumpoff who you have a bunch of fun with and jump off with.....but come winter you wanna just get that one quality chick and just stick to her and not go out unless you have to.

I wanna do new fly shit. Art. Seeing how some of the artists I know make their music in the studio. all types of new fly shit. Tired of fuckin partying all the time. Only party I regularly attended in the summer was Moomia as that shit was POPPIN'. White Rabbit is cool and has a pretty diverse crowd, but maybe it's just me. I naturally get tired of doing the same thing or being in the same situation (Side note: Ladies, I admit that I have commitment issues and I constantly need to be challenged for my interest to be constant.), I sorta miss SoundCTRL panels. They were informative and I met a ton of people.

I can have fun at a party too....but I guess I'm @ the point in my life where I wanna just be more selective. It's about going to the right ones.

We'll see how this goes. Back to work.

"Grammy Family Freestyle"-Jay-z

Old footage of the "Grammy Family Freestyle @ Hot 97"....IMO this is Hov's best freestyle. That the man writes all of this in his head is brilliant....listen to the lyrics. I posted it because it's something I can sort of relate to...people reach that point where it's either their souls or success and the trappings of the game...not to mention other things...

JAYZ OUT OF RETIREMENT!! BK STAND UP

JAYZ OUT OF RETIREMENT 2

JAY Z DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST IN THE STUDIO WITH US

"Same sword the knight you they gon’ good night you with
Sh.., Thats only half if they like you
That aint even the half what they might do
Dont believe me ask Michael
See Martin, see Malcolm
You See Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome
See Jesus, see Judas, see Caesar, see Brutus
See success is like suicide
Suicide is a suicide
If you succeed, prepare to be crucified
Media meddles, niggas sue you, you settle
Every step you take, they remind you, you ghetto
So its tough being Bobby Brown
To be Bobby then, you gotta be Bobby now
Now the question is, 'Is to have had and lost
Better than not having at all?'"