I already posted the audio, and now here’s the amazing video footage of Nardwuar’s interview with our hometown hero Matisyahu (the ending is priceless). Shout out to Nardwaur for sending this over, and also for giving me some shine in the interview! And big ups to my brother from another mother Matisyahu. Also, check out Nardwuar’s latest interview with Snoop Dogg, which is also highly entertaining…
Also, check Matisyahu’s take on Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” RIGHT HERE. Have a good dinner!
Nardwuar the Human Serviette, my favorite interviewer on the planet (he’s interviewed everyone from Jay-Z to Kurt Cobain), recently linked up for an interview with Matisyahu while he was in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. I have to take credit for putting this together, as I reached out to both of them a while back suggesting they connect the next time Matisyahu was in Vancouver, which is Narduwar’s home base. The video footage is coming soon, but for now, here’s the audio segment from Nardwuar’s radio show which includes the very entertaining interview with Matis (Nardwuar did his research!!) and also some live and studio recorded Matisyahu and Stan Ipcus music. Thanks for sending me the exclusive picture Nardwuar, and also for playing my songs on your show! Have a good dinner (haha that’s how Nardwuar ends all his emails)!
DOWNLOAD/STREAM MATISYAHU INTERVIEW WITH NARDWUAR
*Bonus*
Check out Matis performing “One Day” and “On Nature” with the PS 22 chorus in Staten Island (I posted their original performance HERE)…
More pics and details about Matis’ collaboration with the PS 22 chorus HERE!!!!
If you drive fifteen minutes north of White Plains on Interstate 684 to exit 4 and make a right, you will find Fox Lane High School, the alma mater of Westchester’s hottest up and coming rock and roll band, Ten Feet Deep. Lead singer Alexander Craig, who I recently met in Mount Kisco while putting together an upcoming fundraiser, graciously gave me a copy of their new self titled album. And after hearing one song, I was an instant fan. Read the interview with Alex below to find out what’s going down with Ten Feet Deep…
IP: So what was the first CD you ever bought? Just trying to get a grip on how old you are without asking your age.
AC: Haha, well I’m 24. Not that you would know from my first album…It was “Led Zeppelin IV” on vinyl. We moved into a house where the previous owner had left his record player which became mine. I thought the artwork on LZ IV was cool enough to buy it so – bam! there I was, a proud music owner.
IP: You grew up in Northern Westchester. What was an exciting weekend night for you like as a teenager? Did you guys venture into NYC much?
AC: I wouldn’t say we spent much time in New York City. I’d say the average weekend consisted of a party somewhere. It seemed that there was almost always a house where someone’s parents had conveniently gone away for the weekend. Then I guess other typical westchester stuff, movies, malls, camping. We spent a lot of time in the woods.
IP: Can you remember what made you want to be in a band?
AC: I had always liked singing, and considered myself a singer. But I think I really fell into being in a band more than anything. It just sort of happened.
IP: So what is the story behind how Ten Feet Deep got together? You guys all went to high school together right? Must be fun playing in a band with all your besties from back in the day.
AC: Ha! Yes, besties indeed. We were put together by our former drummer Matt, who is now in the marines serving in Afghanistan. He met me, we played together a couple times and then he said “we’re starting a band.” I said, “Matt, there’s only two of us.” Pete and Brendan showed up the next day and that was that.
IP: What was your first gig?
AC: Our first gig was going to be the pool show, where we played in the bottom of an empty swimming pool, which is where we got the name Ten Feet Deep. But we were actually hired to do a sweet sixteen last-minute because another band dropped out. So our first show was at a sweet sixteen as a band with no name.
IP: You guys have done a lot of shows on the NYC club/bar circuit. What are the challenges of playing in the city for a bunch of guys from Westchester?
AC: It’s a lot of 21+ and 18+ clubs. It’s hard to convince people that age to come spend their money seeing you. Most clubs don’t care if you wrote the greatest song in the universe and can play thirty instruments, or if you’re making fart noises with your armpit, they just want to see people buying booze. Usually we show up at a new club and we’re just another band, the goal is to leave and have people remember you.
IP: You guys opened up for Justin Timberlake at Hammerstein Ballroom. How was that?
AC: It was incredible, probably the single greatest experience of my life so far. It was an surreal rush just being on stage in front of 3,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs, then we were allowed to play our music for them! That really sealed the deal for me – I walked of stage and thought, “okay, that’s what I want to do for a living.”
IP: Any favorite venues to play down there? Places you want to play that you never have?
AC: We love playing the Bitter End, and The Studio @ Webster Hall. Most places are usually pretty decent. We’re doing Hiro Ballroom this month, and Cameo in Brooklyn as well which is exciting. I think Crash Mansion may be on our list of places to play. Places I want to play that I never have…Madison Square Garden, even if it’s just on the sidewalk out front!
IP: You guys have a new album out, and I’ve really been digging it. Great songs, love the melodies and harmonies too. Are you guys excited about it finally being done and people starting to hear it? I mean, that’s what it’s all about right?
AC: We’re very very excited to finally have this album ready to show people. We spent a lot of time putting it together and making it work, which I will be the first to tell you was not the easiest thing to do on a pretty small budget, but It’s done! And hearing someone tell you that they enjoy your songs is really one of the greatest things in the world. It’s definitely what it’s all about, and we can’t be more grateful for the opportunity to be doing what we love.
IP: What was your writing process like for the album? You are the lead vocalist, so does that mean you write all the lyrics? Is it collaborative?
AC: Songwriting is a finicky thing. Pete Chema, Brendan Ryan, and I write the songs. I’m definitely the slowest songwriter of the three of us. Sometimes they are collaborations between all three of us, or just two of us. And sometimes Brendan just shows up with some music and says “here you go, it’s all done!” and we arrange it together. I tend to feel like each song has it’s own personality, even from the moment you pick out the first word, or the first chord change. Each tune grows and develops from its beginning in its own unique way. Sometimes you write an entire song in an afternoon, and sometimes you get stuck and need help from someone, it’s just how it happens.
IP: Did you enjoy the actual recording of the album?
AC: For me the first two or three days of each song are the most fun, it’s like writing a story from an outline of an idea that you had. You get to pick you tones and textures, you get to pick your tempo and arrangement, you shape and feeling, your levels. After that the rest is like spellchecking, weeks of spellchecking.
IP: For those that have never heard your music, can you try to describe your sound? It’s basically rock and roll, right? Alternative? Indie? I don’t know, when I listen to your album, I feel like I’m in a local pub playing darts with a group of friends.
AC: Really? I’ve never heard that one before…we could be pop-dart. It’s hard to describe your own music, I’ve thought of it like trying to describe the sound of your own voice. I can only come up with “I sound like me.” But I’ve heard everything from Maroon 5 to Elvis Costello to The Beatles, which are all incredibly flattering. A friend of mine coined a term for us; he called us “Backyard Rock.” I like it, I hope it sticks.
IP: Yeah I like that too. Actually, that and “pop-dart” to me are basically the same sound, though I’d probably call it “rock-dart”, even though it does have a pop feel. It’s music to listen to while hanging out and having a good time. Reminds me a bit of Pearl Jam too at times kinda sorta. I particularly like “Without Melinda”. It’s definitely the standout cut on the album. So catchy. It’s a hit in my book. Who’s Melinda anyway?
AC: Melinda is Pete’s brainchild. He decided he wanted to write a song about a character who was an unassuming mixture of all the annoying qualities he could think of. The type of person who shows up at a party with a negative attitude and just ruins the whole vibe. I think the song is brilliant, it sort of highlights our quirky side, and it’s important to write songs that aren’t always something like “oh baby I love you, why’d you leave me?”
“Cry Me A River” (Justin Timberlake cover)/”Without Melinda”
Live in Washington Square Park
IP: Any other songs on there that stand out to you as ones you’re really proud of, or that are particularly special to you in some way? I like a bunch of the cuts on there.
AC: I am very proud of the whole album – each tune has it’s own little history. I think “Easy For You To Say” has a lot of special meaning for me. But I especially like “Peach”. It started off as a song about Brendan leaving a party early. He showed up and then suddenly had to leave and I just started writing a song about it. Then, all of a sudden, it turned into a song about the video game princess from Mario, it was a strange and interesting course of events. Then again, she is getting captured all the time.
IP: She is! What’s your goal with this album? Are you guys looking to get a label deal? There’s so many options for bands nowadays to release music and tour and stuff without major label support. Is it better to be independent? I know you have your stuff on Itunes now. What else?
AC: Well, we seem to be in the same struggle as everyone else, trying to figure out how to make some money so we can keep doing this. So far every dime we’ve ever earned has been flipped around and invested right back into the band, obviously we can’t keep doing that forever. It’s hard to say if signing to a label is the way to go, I’ve heard a lot of horror stories. I guess our short term goal is to find the right booking agent, if we can get on some multi-city tour as an opening act and find some new fans that way it would definitely be a huge step in the right direction.
IP: If you could tour with any band right now as an opening act, who would it be?
AC: Probably someone like Rob Thomas or Maroon 5. I think their fans would get our music. So Rob, if you do end up reading this blog; email us, okay? www.tenfeetdeep.com – I’ll be waiting.
IP: Any other bands or artists you are really feeling that are out right now?
AC: Personally I like a lot of stuff that sounds nothing like us, I really got into Of Montreal, Hot Chip, Chromeo, Ratatat. It’s great stuff, but I don’t know if we could open for them. People would be thinking “did this band get lost and end up on this stage?”
IP: What about all time favorites. Give me your five desert island albums.
AC: The Beatles – White Album
Buddy Guy – Heavy Love
John Hiatt – Little Head
Weezer – Pinkerton
Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song… because you still have to have holidays on your desert island.
IP: Ha! Can we expect a video for “Without Melinda” soon? What else do you guys have on the horizon? Any big gigs coming up?
AC: Yep, we’re putting together the “Without Melinda” video in the next couple of months, we just finished shooting one for “Worry Out”(the third track on the album) which should be done soon. Videos are a huge part of being in a band, you’ve got to get that YouTube presence. Our next big shows coming up are Hiro Ballroom on Saturday, March 13th and Cameo in Brooklyn on Saturday, March 27th. They’re all up on our website and our facebook page.
Ten Feet Deep Official Website
*Best of luck to Ten Feet Deep! Stay tuned to Westcheddar for more from them in the upcoming months. They will also be performing in Mount Kisco on April 17th at the BGC (where I work) as part of a fundraiser for the Cultural Arts Center. More info to come. Speaking of the BGC, check out pics and video footage below from our first ever Open Mic to get a glimpse of some more rising stars coming out of Northern Westchester…
Peace out.
About a year after dropping his second album in 2004, Kiss of Death, 914’s raspy voice rapper Jadakiss took a trip across the pond to tour Europe with his D-Block brethren. On a sunny day during a stop in Germany, some super random white woman sat down with him for a lengthy interview. A well mannered and relaxed Jadakiss talks about how he started rapping, the importance of lyrics, his then feud with 50 Cent, and much more. Part one above, parts two and three below….
And if you missed it, check out my exclusive interview with Yonkers MC Genovese HERE.
Hollerrrr….
Back in 1996, a new wave of young street MC’s coming out of New York were making their way into the rap game. Many of them got their notoriety on mixtapes and went on to have successful careers with major labels. But some, like Yonkers bred Genovese, never caught the shine they really deserved. Genovese, first known for his appearance on DJ Clue’s classic Show Me The Money mixtape with his song “Genovese Thesis” featuring Styles P (and also his verse on the LOX posse cut “Love or Lust”), caught a pretty major street buzz and was set to release his debut album My America with Universal Records, only to be dropped from the label three weeks before its release. After stepping away from the game for a few years, he’s back in full effect, and is here to feed the streets that real shit. Peep the exclusive Westcheddar interview with Genovese, where he reminisces on the good old days coming up with the LOX, hanging with Biggie, what really happened with Universal, and where he’s at now…
IP: Let’s start at the beginning. What were you into as a young kid growing up in Yonkers?
GV: I was into sports growing up my whole life, then as I got older I got caught up in the street, and started rappin’ about shit I was seein’ out there.
IP: From what I’ve read it sounds like your father didn’t give you much of a chance to benefit from the success of your Genovese last name and the success of your family’s drug store business.
GV: Yeah he ruined his life doing drugs and drinkin’ and shit, he was never a father to me or a husband to my mother. He is one selfish dude, but you know not having a father around only made me stronger and it will make me a better father when I have a child.
IP: Were you always into rap music? What were your first experiences with hip hop?
GV: Yeah I always loved rap, started out listening to LL and Run DMC, I used to watch Yo MTV Raps everyday after school. Rap was my life growing up, I used to make tapes off the radio, I was the one who always had all the exclusive joints. Then the mixtape thing came out and I was all over that, I still got a ill collection.
IP: What made you want to become a rap artist yourself? Can you remember back to your first written raps, and what they were like?
GV: I remember being in school mad bored, just writing shit down, that’s probably when I first started like 15. I wasn’t serious back then, I didn’t have a good flow but I would write some ill shit, they used to call me the “street narrator”.
IP: The first song I ever heard from you was on DJ Clue’s Show Me The Money mixtape in 1996, the joint with Styles P on the hook “Genovese Thesis”. To this day, it is one of my favorite rap songs to come out of the 914. How did you link up with Styles and the LOX? Did you all go to school together? Were they the ones who passed the song along to DJ Clue?
GV: Yeah that joint is still a classic to this day, me and Styles went to Junior High together, but we weren’t rappin’ then. We met up years later in the streets through mutual friends. Styles, Kiss, and Sheek all went to same High School, I went to different one. I met Clue through Diehard Records, that was a indie label I was dealing with at that time. Clue used to come check us every week for new music.
DOWNLOAD DJ CLUE SHOW ME THE MONEY SIDE 1 AND SIDE 2
DOWNLOAD/STREAM GENOVESE w/ STYLES P “GENOVESE THESIS”
IP: What was it like hearing yourself on a Clue tape? I mean, back then, that was the biggest shine you could get as a rapper in New York. And he had you on Hot 97 with Nore and Nature too. Must have been thrilling. He looked out for you, huh.
GV: Yeah the mixtapes were like the highest ranking you could get back then, if you were on a Clue tape then you were a “ILL” cat. There was no paying for slots or shit like that, it was about talent. Yeah that was a good time, felt like yesterday. Nore is a good brother.
IP: Did people think you were black? I bet they couldn’t believe an Italian white kid could rap like that, especially before the days of Eminem. What were the challenges of being a white rapper back then? Did you get compared alot to Em?
GV: Yeah everybody thought I was black, I used to get people telling me that I’m not Genovese, that Genovese was black, shit was funny. Yeah nobody could believe that I was better than most black cats, but you know what back then I didn’t hear that “white rapper” talk. It was only ’til Em came out that they threw me in that category. If you ask heads like Nas or Styles, they will tell you that I’m not even in that category. I got compared to Em but I never looked at it that way, we don’t rap the same, talk about the same shit, nothing. He’s white and I’m Italian, so there is really nothing to compare.
IP: Did you ever meet him?
GV: I never met the brother, I do know that Dre was gonna sign me or Em, and he picked Em. So who knows what coulda happened if he went the other way. That’s history right there, either way Dre made a great decision, the kid became a icon.
IP: You spent a lot of time hanging with the LOX and Biggie at Daddy’s House, right? What are your memories of Biggie? I know he as a fan of yours.
GV: Yeah those were the days, I miss those days, it was all love. I was there for most of the sessions from LOX first album. Biggie was a real cat, he never fronted or acted like most of these corny rappers, makin’ movies and actin’ too hard. He couldn’t believe my name was Genovese, he was like “yo you gonna make alot of money, duke”. He wanted me in Junior Mafia ’cause he said he was gonna start something fresh, but he got killed before it could take place.
IP: What was it about that time that was so special? I remember it being exciting, with lots of new blood coming into the rap game. Did you feel like you were a part of a movement with all that new talent starting to surface in New York? Was there alot of love between all the artists from the different boroughs?
GV: Yeah it was just so much talent coming out of NY, cats spittin’ street shit, none of this nonsense thats on radio now. DJs were regular back then too, now alot of ’em act like they the ones with the talent, like c’mon dog you just puttin songs together, be real. Yeah I was definitely part of it, because to this day people relate me to that era. You had Mase, LOX, DMX, Cam, Half a Mill, Pun, Nature, Mobb Deep, you know I can keep going on for days. I got alot of love from everybody, always, it was a different time. Alot of cats I grew up listening to would tell me it was a pleasure meeting me, that meant alot, real shit.
IP: Tell me about DMX. Was he around alot back then? Did all you Yonkers guys have a local spot where you used to hang?
GV: Yeah X is the realest cat, whatever he talked he lived it, he would walk through Yonkers with his pit just like he raps about. I used to get all his mixtapes he would put out from his DJ Superior’s crib. That was the crakk back then, he was one of the cats that made me wanna rap.
IP: Were you always the only white kid around, or did you have your own Italian crew of friends separate from those guys? Were your family and friends outside of hip hop supportive of you trying to make it as a rapper?
GV: I mean most of my friends growing up were Italian, but in 7th grade they integrated the schools in Yonkers and then I had different friends from all races. Then you know being in the streets doing whateva, I was probably the only white kid around, but my friends from growing up were always supportive of me.
IP: Did you notice things change alot once Biggie got killed? That must’ve been a crazy time for all you young guys who were associated with Bad Boy.
GV: Yeah def it was pretty crazy, I was living with Styles around that time and they def took it hard, they looked up to BIG and BIG loved them.
IP: You got eventually got signed to Universal, but were dropped from the label a few weeks before your album My America dropped, even after they filmed a video, promoted you, and all that. What happened?
GV: That was crazy, most cats in the game told me they never seen anything happen like that where a label would put that much time and money in to you and release you 3 weeks before the album would drop. It doesn’t even make sense, but I never got a real answer, just alot of gibberish. Basically what happened was a combination of things. One, my manager at that time fuckin up the business with the label. Two, Universal was releasing alot of artists at that time (Rakim, Tracey Lee, Canibus, etc.). And alot of “important” rappers in the game blackballin’ my shit.
GENOVESE IN XXL MAGAZINE
PROMO AD FOR MY AMERICA
“MY LIFE” VIDEO FROM MY AMERICA
IP: How is My America? Were you proud of it? Where can I get a copy of it? The 914 needs that!
GV: Yeah that album was dope, classic shit, I am working on releasing it, so everybody gotta keep there ears and eyes open this year so I can give the fans what they should have gotten 10 years ago. There is no time on good music.
IP: What’s the story with the song you did with Nelly? They “lost the reel”? Sounds fishy.
GV: That was one of those crazy things that was going on, I can’t even imagine it. It’s probably somewhere stashed, I doubt they lost it.
IP: So after you got dropped, you fell back for a few years, right? Did you contemplate another career outside of hip hop?
GV: Yeah I was mentally destroyed with the game for a couple of years, didn’t write or listen to the radio or nothing. You work your whole life to get to a certain point and it gets shut down right before you’re supposed to shine. It’s fucked up for the fans too, they were waiting a long time to cop my album. I mean music is my life, I will always be involved with it in some way. I’ve gotten older but I’m still one of the illest to spit it, they dont make ’em like me no more.
IP: What made you want to get back into rapping?
GV: I still had the fire, that’s when you know you’re done, when that fire is gone. I can still give it yo ya, and plus I got like 150 songs I never recorded so it’s really nothing to go into the stash and pull out bangers.
IP: You started a group with your cousin, Gustapo, called First Cousins. You did the mixtape with Kay Slay, and got the album out This Ain’t Friends…It’s Family. And you got the Dats and Reels joint out, with a bunch of unreleased stuff. Is it nice to finally have your music out officially for people to hear? Are people checking for you like you would like them too?
GV: Yeah we put that album out indie, you know just doing some different shit, Kay Slay is the realest, if every cat was like Slay the game would be a better place. Yeah I just released the Dats and Reels album, it is all unreleased songs from years back, I got Half-A-Mill (R.I.P) on there, Nature, The Outlawz, Lord Tariq, Blood Raw, and my boy Mo Money who I came up with in the game. Go get that on itunes right now!
IP: What do you feel about the state of hip hop right now? Are there new artists that are out right now that you like? I know you did a song with Joell Ortiz. Who else?
GV: Yeah Joell is a throwback, he can spit wit anybody, I def fucks with him. I don’t like too many cats out right now, but I’m feeling Game, that kid makes songs. I cop his shit when he drops. HipHop right now is HipPop. Nuff Said.
IP: What do you think about the success of Asher Roth?
GV: I mean he sells records right? So I guess he has fans, but that’s not my cup of tea. I’m just sayin’, I like street rappers.
IP: Who are your all time favorite rappers? Like, give me some of your favorite albums.
GV: Favorite rappers, gotta say, DMX, Nas, Tupac, Scarface, G Rap. Favorite albums, It Was Written, Reasonable Doubt, DMX’s first and second album, Biggie’s first and second, Tupac All Eyes On Me and Tupac and the Outlawz Still I Rise and LOX first album.
IP: What about mixtapes? Do you remember any in particular that you gave a lot of burn back in the day?
GV: The first mixtape I was on Show Me the Money has been called the best mixtape ever. Alot of heads showed me love back then, Kool Kid, Kay Slay, Dj Self.
IP: Are you a fan of any genre of music outside of hip hop that might surprise people?
GV: Yeah I love 80’s music, I was raised off that, and plus that was the only thing on all day on MTV. And def old school shit like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
IP: What are you writing about nowadays? Probably not the same stuff as back when you first came out, now that you’re older and have been through so much. And I gotta ask, are you still using a pen and pad, or are you pulling out the Blackberry in the booth?
GV: Yeah I still spit that street shit, you know you get older but my mind never left the streets. I can rap about shit like I’m still there on the block. But I touch alot of things, like how the game is now, family, you know the deal. I still write on paper, but sometimes I have shit in my head, and yeah sometimes I do take the phone in the booth, or even the laptop.
IP: What should we be checking for right now from you? What’s hot, like, right now, from you. New songs? New albums? Videos? Shows? What’s good?
GV: Right now I’m just recording hard, working on this new album. Got some new shit wit Styles and wit my boy Blood Raw. Releasing Best of Genovese mixtape hosted by DJ Superstar Jay in March. Working on this documentary on my life and also writing a movie script thats about half way done. So there is alot of shit going on in Geno’s world. Follow me on twitter.com/TheRealGenovese and all inquiries to features, shows, interviews, email genvito@gmail.com.
Thanks Genovese for taking time out to do this interview, best of luck to you with everything. Westcheddar salutes you. 914 stand up!!!!!!
The new Broken Bells album was the featured review in the latest issues of Rolling Stone and Spin. I read them both, back to back, this morning. Spin gave it a 6 out of 10, and wasn’t really that complimentary of the collaboration. Rolling Stone gave it 4 out of 5, and seemed to be feeling the duo a bit more. Here’s my review. GO GET THE FUCKING ALBUM WHEN IT DROPS. You might not like every song (I admit I don’t), but it’s still the coolest thing popping in music right now. Period. Which is why I keep posting about them as we approach the release of their album next month. Okay, maybe I’m biased because I’m the ultimate Shins fan, but still. Now check this interview NME did with James Mercer and Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse, where they discuss how they met, their recording process, keeping the project a secret, what’s to come of their future, and much more…
*Bonus*
*This audio interview with James Mercer is worth checking too, conducted by the editor of Australia’s Reverb Magazine. It goes a tad bit more in depth. Here’s Part One and Part Two.
*Also, Broken Bells just played their first live show this past Friday Night in Los Angeles. Spin Magazine has a full review and the set list. Also, check the link to lots of front row video footage from the show!
Spin’s Broken Bells first show review and set list
Video footage from first Broken Bells show
*Looks like BB is coming to Brooklyn in March 10th! Follow them on Twitter to stay up to date with all show info and album release promo HERE.
*BB plays “The High Road” for a panel of kids. I love this. Watch it HERE.
*I’m just gonna keep updating this post with goodies. This may be the best of them all, for those of you who don’t have the leak of the album yet. Stream the entire thing at NPR!
John Mayer is who everyone was talking about yesterday after his already infamous March 2010 Playboy “tell all” interview was published online. I read the interview, and I’m not sure why everyone is so upset with the guy (other than Jenny). I guess anytime a white dude publicly drops an “N Bomb”, in whatever context, he’s gonna be scrutinized for it. But really, he was just being truthful about his life, just as he did in the other interview I recently read with him in Rolling Stone. He’s obviously going through some shit, but also having lots of fun being a celebrity. I mean, he grew up a regular guy in New England who wanted to be a rock star, and his dream came true. Now he has mad money, dates A listers, and has to deal with the paparazzi and the press and everything else that comes along with stardom. But he’s also a 32 year old guy, like alot of guys out there, who has a fear of marriage and getting older, likes to party and have his freedom, and sometimes would rather just get stoned and/or watch porn and jerk off than deal with his future (not me I’m married hahaha). Oh, and he prefers white girls. And he’s not afraid to pop off his mouth, crack jokes, and talk about it all in enormous detail (a little too much information on the wacking off bud). The only problem is, he cares what people think of him, unlike someone like Tupac who said whatever he was feeling and probably didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of him. So he has to go back on his words and fix them or apologize for them so that people don’t take what he says the wrong way. I’m explaining all this because I’m a John Mayer fan. He’s a guy I admire, a guy like me who grew up playing music and actually made it in the industry. He’s my age, represents my generation, makes great songs, and plays a mean guitar. Sure, he’s a bit cocky and arrogant, and as funny as he is sometimes, his jokes aren’t always told in the best taste. But whatever. That’s who he is. At least he’s being honest. Stop apologizing Johnny Boy. Keep telling it like it is. That, or just shut the fuck up, and keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. One or the other. Your call. Either way I’m still going to listen to your music.
JOHN MAYER PLAYBOY INTERVIEW MARCH 2010
*Bonus*
HBO’s newest series How To Make It In America starts this Sunday, but you can preview the first episode in its entirety right here, thanks to HBO leaking it on YouTube. I guess they’re trying to get a buzz brewing in the blogosphere (Green Lantern also made a promotional mixtape, get it at NahRight). The show follows a group of young men hustling to make it in Manhattan. Think east coast Entourage, except these boys haven’t blown up yet. Seems like it has potential to be pretty good. And it has a cool cast of young guys, including Kid Cudi. Check out the first episode below…
Well, what do you think? Any good? Let me know…
*Bonus*
My favorite interviewer Nardwuar recently filmed a one on one with Kid Cudi, and asked him about the new TV show, as well as a bunch of other music related questions (until Cudi abruptly ends the interview and bounces). Check it out. And keep your eyes open for Nardwuar vs. Matisyahu, coming soon…
I’ve been teaching a blogging elective class at a local jewish high school here in Westchester. My class is made up of a small group of senior boys who kind of remind me of the crew from the movie American Pie. To their credit, they’re cooler and smarter than those guys, and really passionate about New York sports culture. So I linked them up with my boy Tommy Dee from The Knicks Blog last week, and they proceeded to throw him in The Toaster, which is an interview show they created for their blog The Bagel’s Roar (a goof on their school’s literary journal The Lion’s Roar). Watch part one of the video above, where Tommy talks about how he got started blogging and his thoughts on The Knicks this season. And below, in part two, he discusses why Lebron James should come to New York, his history with jewish girls, and what he likes on his bagel…
I also brought in another prominent sports blogger and author, Adam Zagoria of Zag’s Blog (which gets over a million hits a month), to share some knowledge with my guys from The Bagel’s Roar. And he ended up getting toasted too…
The Bagel’s Roar is just getting started. They’re less than a month old, but they’ve got some pretty good stuff up there, including a pretty insane Toaster episode with a kid who got kicked out of school and had to live in the woods for the summer, and also an interview video where they go around asking people at their school who they would hook up with. Check out their blog HERE. Shalom.
P.S. Thanks for the RECOGNITION boys!
*UPDATE*
Check out this interview Tommy Dee did with Will Leitch of Deadspin, where they discuss new sports media. Interesting…
Nestled next to the Hudson River in Westchester County, just north of Yonkers and a bit south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, lies Dobbs Ferry. It’s a picturesque river town, with cute restaurants, some great schools, and a budding population of musicians. My friend and collaborator Marlon “Moshe” Sobol has lived there for a few years now with his wife and two daughters, and works nearby in White Plains teaching music therapy as a music therapist at the Schnurmacher Center nursing home. I’ve sat in on his music therapy sessions before with the elderly, and they are loads of fun and very inspiring too. He’s doing amazing things over there. Recently he was recognized in the Journal News for his innovative music therapy work. Check the link to the article below…
Journal News Lifestyles Section: The Power of Music
I paid Moshe a visit last week to get a behind the scenes look at how he runs his sessions. We could not film the residents, so Moshe gave us a simulated session of sorts, pulling out a ton of instruments, and showing us first hand his music therapy style. Here’s the two part video. Enjoy…
Thanks so much Moshe and keep up the good work!!!!!
JSWISS is another one of my dudes out of Dobbs Ferry. I first met JSWISS when he performed at River Ciphers this past summer, an event Moshe and I co-hosted in Dobbs Ferry at The Rec Room (a local clothing store shout out to Bahr). JSWISS came through and ripped a really nice old school type song called “Mammoth” over a slow drum beat that Moshe hooked up for him, and it was kinda ill. Turns out the two knew each other from playing one on one at the park one day, and I guess the story goes that Moshe got schooled. Ha! Check out the performance…
I.M.R.O.B.O.T. is the first mixtape from JSWISS (see cover above), and it features original production as well as him rapping over a bunch of different old school and new era beats. It’s a cool mixtape. Here’s an interview I did with him last week. Give it a read to find out more about him and his music…
IP: For those who don’t know you, where in Westchester did you grow up? And you’re a freshman in college now right?
JS: I grew up in the tiny village of Dobbs Ferry. I lived there from age 5 up until now after I moved from Yonkers. And yeah right now I’m at THE UNC-Chapel Hill, home of the national champs in basketball and I found pretty much every other sport too. I’m definitely hyped that I’ve been able to find lots of ill MCs and producers here, which is what got me motivated to do the tape.
IP: I heard you’re nice at ball. Moshe said you schooled him in one on one.
JS: Haha yeah I can’t deny it. It’s funny cuz I knew I recognized him at the River Ciphers! But yeah, basketball was my first love before music and still is. It’s been something that’s given me my highest highs and also my lowest lows, but that’s what happens with something you love that much. Right now I’m playing club basketball at UNC and I’m trying to move up and by the time my four years is up you’ll see me with the Carolina blue on TV!
IP: Nice. So the mixtape is definitely dope. I see you made some of the beats on there yourself. What type of equipment/programs do you use to produce?
JS: I used the fruity loops demo. Meaning I gotta download it again everytime I wanna make a new beat! Actually I gotta step back and say that “Mindframe” was the first beat I made when I got to college, and I did that on my suitemates Garageband before I looked into downloading fruity loops. So, I produced four songs on the mixtape, one was produced by Jae Monee, and the rest were from songs already out there. And I do have to give a shoutout to the four track tape recorder and 15+ year old drum machine and keyboard I used to use back home!
IP: You’ve got some skillful rhymes. The one where you go through the entire alphabet bar by bar is particularly impressive. Where do you write most of your stuff? Or do you even write rhymes? People seem to be typing verses now more than ever, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
JS: I used to write only in notebooks but now that I’ve had my new iPhone for about 6 months, I mix it up and write on that sometimes if I’m out and something hits me or I’m in the studio with with no pen and book. The “Alphabet Aerobics” one was written over a year ago so that was handwritten, and believe it or not that super long final track was too even though I had the iPhone at my disposal. I know people have made fun of Drake for his incident, me included, but that’s because it was
hyped up as a freestyle so…
IP: Tell me about that last track. It’s over sixteen minutes long, with you flowing over a bunch of classic beats.
JS: Yeaaa. When I rap I always try and be creative. So on “18 Years of Greatness” I decided to rhyme straight through a beat from every year of my life, 1991-2009, with no chorus. And yea it wound up being over 16 minutes and 350 bars, and it was the most fufilling and frustrating thing I’ve done musically. I first had to download each instrumental and piece them together cohesively before I even started writing, and that took forever. The frustration of never seeming to finish writing it didn’t take away from the quality though cuz I won’t allow that, but just as the lines were coming I could tell the song was gonna be so nice, but I just had to wait and wait until I finished the whole thing. But it came out just how I wanted, it’s one of my favorites, and now I can bang out a 16 like it’s nothin!
IP: Just from listening to your mixtape, I can tell that you are a student of hip hop. I mean, not many dudes your age know about Camp Lo and stuff like that. I grew up in that early 90’s era, but I know what it’s like to dig back in time looking for music. Do you spend a lot of your time doing that? What are you listening to right now?
JS: Man I pride myself on knowing my hip hop history, that’s another reason why the “18 Years of Greatness” track fit me. I’ll go back to the ’80s with you and I know some stuff from before that too! I’d have to say that before the past year, when I’ve been hipped on some of the blogs where you can discover lesser known artists out now, I rarely listened to stuff out currently. I stayed alive having A Tribe, and The Roots and some of them Big Daddy Kane songs to listen to on the computer or iPod. Now though, I like Lupe, Blu and Pac Div and U-N-I on the west coast and some others, Nas still rapping. But believe that I got a huge old school rap playlist that never ceases to satisfy.
IP: Okay, top five albums of all time. Go.
JS: Hip Hop? In no particular order: Illmatic (Nas), Midnight Marauders (ATCQ), Do You Want More?!!!?! (The Roots), People Instinctive Travels…(ATCQ), Desire (Pharoahe Monch). Overall? No order: Illmatic, Midnight Marauders, Action Figure Party
(Action Figure Party), Emergency on Planet Earth (Jamiroquai), The Brand New Heavies (The Brand New Heavies).
IP: Okay! Got some classics in there. What’s your goal with this mixtape? Do you have one?
JS: I don’t have a clear goal. It’s free, so I’m not trying to make money. I see a lot rappers get recognized when I know I bring more to the table as an MC, so I’d like to get noticed as someone who’s really doing real hip hop, and if I do get well-known off it, take the other MCs I’ve been working with and that have supported me with me. But honestly I probably would have made this tape if only me and my parents listened to it.
IP: What’s next for JSWISS? Will we see you at the next River Ciphers? We’re hoping to have one at the start of the new year.
JS: What’s next for JSWISS has already begun, and that’s just continuing to make music, and getting better at it. I’ve already started planning out new stuff from myself and working with other MCs who you will hear about. And I’ve been asking about the River Ciphers to make sure that it goes down when I’m home from NC! When I first did it I really had no quality songs, just a lot of separate verses, but I’ve got work to share now so let’s do it!
IP: Where can we find out more about you online? Let the people know son!
JS: Ah I get to plug myself haha. I have a facebook fan page for “JSWISS” which I love to get fans on who aren’t already my facebook friends. I also have a myspace page, the url is myspace.com/jswissmammoth, and my
youtube acount is youtube.com/mammoth365. Love to get those views and feedback. And check out Stan Ipcus’ “Young Professional”, and support that Westcheddar hip hop! Peace.
Westcheddar 