enve february 2011

NEWAND IMPROVED LOOK

ENVEOnline

enveonline.com/February

enveonline.com

p10

+

A SPECIAL

ISSUE ON THE RISE»RELAUNCH

p6

TONETRUMP

+

Exclusive!NOVLEGSHORT DAWGTASHAN NEWSOMEAnd more

PHILLYSWAG

BRINGIN HIP HOPBACK!

HIP HOP'SNEWCOMERS

ceo/publisher

azarr johnson

vice president of operations

deshaun jones

editor-in-chief

chloЁ mister

graphic design

alvin grant

richard harris

photography

alvin grant

abraham aaron lafleur

web designer

ken vermille

contributing writers

steve bryant, jesse hagen, dan rowe, damion trent

contributing editor

karen graziano

Enve Online/Masthead

2 | enveonline.com | February 2011

LORE’L10

TONETRUMP6

14 Novleg18 Short Dawg21 Masspike Miles25 Jag29 Beauty&the Beats

32 Tashan Newsome36 Amafia40 Felony Fame

44 What has happened to Hip Hop since the golden age of 84- 94 18


Enve Online/Inside Features

Enve Online/Cover

Well here it is the re-launch of Enve Online, after months of hard work, late nights and a few venting sessions (I’m being polite) we the staff of Enve Online bring to you the “On the Rise” issue, hip-hop’s newcomers. The hip hop community is no different from Hollywood in that we look at some our celebrities as immortal for many they are archetypes, heroes, even role models. This issue aims to bring some attention to the Dick Graysons and Cassandra Cains, the super

heroes in training if you will. We here at Enve thought these artists deserved a little shine for what they do in and outside the booth and we’re honored and most thankful to all of them for gracing this issue.

“On the Rise” doesn’t just feature hip hop artists, be sure to check out our features on Novleg, the technology company that’s changing the face of production with one single invention and college basketball standout Tashan Newsome from Colonie, NY. We thought it would be fitting for the re-launch to feature artists that haven’t quite reached the promise land of Grammys and double platinum status but who certainly have the potential and talent too, because Enve isn’t yet one year old and we’re sort of newcomers too. I want to say a special thank you to the staff you are a very talented bunch. I for one am very proud of this issue, and to our readers please enjoy the “On the Rise” issue.

Chloe MisterEditor-in-Chief, Chloe Mister

Yours,

EDITOR’S NOTE

Enve Online/Editor's Note


Enve Online/Title Page

Hip Hop's New Comers


T“ MY GOAL IS TO REPRESENT PHILLY ON A UNIVERSAL LEVEL. I THINK WITH ME TRAVELING SO MUCH THIS EARLY IN MY CAREER THAT’S ALLOWING ME TO DO THAT. ”


(BY: JESSE HAGEN AND CHLOË MISTER)

Fresh off of his Worldstar Tony promo tour Tone Trump, the Phil-adelphia-based rapper took a minute to sit and

talk with Enve about why he doesn’t mind answering ques-tions concerning his religion, the important work he’s doing in his community, how he’s going to put Philly Hip-Hop on the universal map, and what makes him stand out among other artists. Oh and did we mention he raps too.

Enve: So you’re staying busy you’ve been touring promot-ing your new project, does the road get tough for you?

Tone Trump: I love it, it’s the best part of the business to me, I love going to every city every hood, seeing the differ-ent vibes, the different ener-gies, the women, the Gs, I love it.

Enve: You were born to a Muslim family, are you a prac-ticing Muslim?

Tone Trump: Absolutely.

Enve: What do you see the correlation between Islam to Hip-hop is? Do they go well

together and does it bother you when artists have Islamic references in their lyrics but aren’t necessarily practicing Muslims?

Tone Trump: First I think the correlation is so preva-lent because a lot of young Afro- American males identify with Islam and Islam is one of the most growing religions worldwide. Hip-hop is al-ways growing so I think when people come to do to hip-hop a lot of them are Muslims, have been around Muslims, are influenced by Muslims or look up to Muslims. As far as lyrics, I think with rappers a lot of things they say you can’t take too serious. So when they make references to Islam and are not Muslim it’s the same as when they make their fake drug references. It’s not reality-based music, so why get offended when they make a fake reference about the religion Islam.

Enve: Do you think you get pigeon-holed because of your faith?

Tone Trump: With every interview I think it causes a lot of questions. I understand people identify me so much with Islam because of my

WILL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS NOW.


beard and because I speak on it. I don’t want to be the face of Islam, but at the same time I can let people know that we’re not blowing up buildings and we don’t hate non- Muslims or white people. There are a lot things I can do with my voice. I’m happy that people want to talk to me so you can talk to me about whatever.

Enve: Philly has a rich hip-hop legacy how do you see yourself continuing that legacy and how will you keep it uni-versally accessible?

Tone Trump: That’s my goal to represent Philly on a universal level. I think with me traveling so much this early in my career that’s allowing me to do that because I’m working with artists all over. I’m spending time in different markets learning the sound and creating my own version of it. That’s something a lot of artists in Philly never got a chance to do. I feel like I’m the first artist to bring an-other level to the Philly game, because I have a chance to learn from the Beanie Segals, Black Thoughts, and Free-ways. I have a chance to do things that dudes at my level haven’t had a chance to do and learn from them, so I feel like I’m bringing a superstar aspect.

Enve: What aspects of your lyrics or your artist persona are distinctly Philly?

Tone Trump: Just looking at me you can tell I’m Philly, everywhere I go people say what’s up Philly. I carry it with me, I have a Philly swag, I walk in a room and they say that’s Philly.

Enve: Are there schematic things and artistically that you touch on that are west Philly?

Tone Trump: Honestly yes, I’m very known for my visu-als. Most of my visuals are in Philadelphia, I’m taking you to different neighborhoods, I have different people in my videos. I talk about what I know and I know my city. I got

someone of every race in my video showing the different parts of Philly.

Enve: Do you ever wish your career started at a different time in hip-hop history?

Tone Trump: It’s 50-50 I think you could say that artists who did some of the same things that I’m doing right now would have had a lot more money. I’m on MTV, I’m on Hot 97 and it’s still a grind, but at the same time back then it was harder for an artist to get on MTV or Hot 97. With me get-ting so much fame on the web and Worldstar it’s kind of good for me so for someone like me I would be a fool to complain about today’s hip-hop I love it, I’m getting booked in other states because of these sites.

Enve: Do have any other pas-sion besides music?

Tone Trump: My biggest pas-sion is helping my community. Helping people that grew up like I grew up and also deal-ing with the schools and the prisons. We have the site We Ship to Prisons we make it where you can send books and magazines and differ-ent things that are allowed in the penitentiary you can send to your family, all over the country, all over the world shout out to Black and Nobel {Books} http://blackandnobel.com/ we have the biggest music and bookstore right in north Philly, we just trying to get people to read and em-power them so we can have better opportunities and get this money.

Enve: What inspired the com-pany?

Tone Trump: Basically real situations, mostly every one that works with me are ex-cons. I started my staffing company Top Notch staffing where we’re trying to get jobs for ex-cons and keep people out of prison. The best way to keep them out is to get them employed so they can make some money to feed their families so that’s what in-spired it. We go to the schools

and the prisons and we go to the community meetings to listen to the people and hear how they’re feeling, and we put it together, shout out to Tyson and Hakim.

Enve: Who are your musical mentors?

Tone Trump: I look up to a lot of people {Dj}Kay Slay, Raekwon, Noreaga, Jay- Z, 50 cent, I like what Rick Ross is doing right now, I like what Drake is doing right now, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, anybody that’s ever made it from Philly, cause I know how hard it is. I’m inspired by a lot of new artists.

Enve: You mentioned Rae-kwon, and you mentioned you’re known for your visuals. Do you think that’s why you’re drawn to him?

Tone Trump: Yea but Rae is one of my mentors he’s on my project he reached out to me and that was one of the great-est honors of my careers he hit me up and told me he had been watching me for a while and that touched me that let me know that I was really doing something. It’s always been love he supports me heavy via Twitter, he leads by example.

Enve: What’s your most distinct quality that makes you stand out from other artists?

Tone Trump: I’m smarter then them I work smart, people say I work hard, but I work smart. I think my moves are more calculated and more effective because of that. We all do freestyles and shoot videos, but I do mine in a way where I know there are going to get noticed.

Enve: What can we look for from Tone Trump?

Tone Trump: Be on the look out for that Worldstar Tony, the Shootout hosted by the Drama King Dj Kay Slay got a lot great features on there, shout out to B. Roc, this female{MC} from Philly whose crazy. I got the movie


North Philly Hustla starring Me shout out Kenneth Williams who wrote the book. I’m just going to keep working, shout out to Top Notch. Let’s win shout out to all the winners!

FOLLOW TONETRUMP ON TWITTER

@TONETRUMP

“Just look at me, can’t you tell I’m Phillyeverywhere I go peoplesay what’s up Philly. I carry it with me, I have Philly swag.”


BRINGING

BACK

HIPHOP

REAL

LORExLORExLORExLORExLORExLOREx

BY DESHAUN JONES

LORE’LSHA

KE

DOWN!!


Enve: You began your career by creating a big buzz by doing songs with Lyfe Jen-nings and other artists like Red Café and DJ Spin King. Besides Shakedown, were there any other label deals on the table at the time?

Lore’l: I had a lot of people trying to contact but I knew a lot of people already and I worked with a few people but all that really matters is my situation at hand that got me the furthest and it’s helping me the most. All I really think about is now but shout out to the people who

helped me as far as develop-ing me as an artist. If I didn’t work with any of them it would probably be little dif-ferent.

Enve: Before you fully got into rapping, you went to Miami to study entertain-ment law.

Lore’l: Well, I love Miami. I always visited and had friends that lived there so I wanted to relocate to Miami but school down there was good at the time. I was in between working at the

AT THE AGE OF 16 LORE’L was doing promotions for sony records, now the leading lady of hip-hip is back in the business this time proving to naysayers that there’s always room for one more. signed to red café’s label shakedown she “welcomed us to the movie” with her first mix tape hosted by superstar jay and is looking to break down doors and continue to show us why she’s an elite lyricist.

LORE’L


labels. I worked at other labels too but the longest time was with Sony so after that I was like, “I’m not do-ing anything so let me just go down there and focus on something else,” but at the same time, Red{Café} hit me and was like, “ Let me hear something for this “hottest and the hood” verse so it just went from there. I was like “bye school, hello dreams.”

Enve: You are coming up be-hind one of the greatest MC’s on the east coast right now with Red Café. The saying goes “when you spar with a great sparring partner you become a great boxer.” What have you learned under him?

Lore’l: How to make a record, like a real record. I could always write verses. I write verses for days. He has a formula for making them records, the hooks and every-thing, how to pick a record, toning down something. I learned a lot like how to be a real artist. Sometimes peo-ple think artist development is just in the music and it’s not. I learned a lot, he taught me a lot. Thank God.

Enve: So in your opinion what’s your greatest contri-bution to Shakedown?

Lore’l: Well, looks for one. I’m a girl. I just feel like I bring something new and young. Red Café been around to us in New York for awhile

and now that he’s getting out there it’s just something to add. It’s not something that’s missing or it wasn’t great al-ready it’s just here I am here to add my addition.

Enve: You are one of the main Female MC’s who is getting a lot of attention be-sides Nicki Minaj. Do you feel any pressure? Like you said, a lot of female MC’s don’t get enough credit or the indus-try is hard on them.

Lore’l: No, I just really feel I was born to do this, at the end of the day. People ask me “when you heard your song on the radio did you get excited?” I was like, “no, I wanted more you know, I’m grateful.” Don’t get me wrong, I never think “no, thank you.” I’m so grateful but at the end of the day I’m like that one verse that was cool. How am I going to get three back to back songs. How I’m going to get people to be sick of me that’s what I want. I want to be the artist that you put on the radio and be like “her again, her again.” You’ve got to love it.

Enve: Are there any other female MC’s you would like to work with, such as the Jean Grae’s, Lady Lucks, Rah Digga or Nicki Minaj?

Lore’l: Yea, I’m looking forward to working with everyone. To be a female in this game we already know it’s not easy. They’re all tal-ented for their names to be mentioned at the end of the day I’m looking forward to working with all of them and

I have respect for all of them.

Enve: MC Lyte put together the female documentary which gave a timeline of females MC’s from the past to now. What do you think you add on to the history of female rappers?

Lore’l: I’m really fighting to be a rapper right now. There are certain people right now that might be more melodic or they might do more sing-ing. I can sing as well but I really focus on those lyrics and I want to be one of the best not a just female rapper but just the best lyricist. You know I spit, you can hate, you can do whatever you want but I spit and I write my shit. I put everything into it and I just want to get to the point that I can really rap and I don’t have to worry about if that gets played on the radio. I’m willing to make the changes and take my pay cut. I’m just trying to bring the lyrics real Hip-Hop back.

Enve: For the people have not heard of you yet, what can the fans expect to hear from your music? For exam-ple I think people identify to Lauryn Hill because she was talking about a lot issues that females could identify with.

Lore’l: Well I want to get to the point where I can do that where I can identify with women’s issues but for now I’m just spitting straight bars because that’s what’s going to grab the attention. At the end of the day I’m always go-ing to have songs that will


empower women because there is no way I would just put us down I’m nam-ing my next mixtape “The Leading Lady.” I’m saying, “I’m the star, I’m the leading lady of the show” but at the same time that can mean anything like the “head lady in charge,” “the first lady,” “the girl in class that’s get-ting all A’s, she’s the leading lady.” I just want to have the message to girls and also let them know that you don’t re-ally need a guy to put you on. You can do it yourself.

Enve: What do you want your legacy to be in Hip-Hop?

Lore’l: Just that fact that I came in and shut it down. Right now everyone thinks there only can be one female rapper. A lot of people can be focused on one female rapper and that’s cool but at the same time there always can be other people so you can’t ever think or let people tell you there is no room. They’re just going to know that I step in and kick doors down. I don’t care, I’m here and that’s it...Lore’l Shake-downnnn!

SHE IS ANELITELYRICIST

FOLLOW LORE’L ON TWITTER

@STARRINGLORE’L

Everyone Thinks There Only Can Be One Fe-male Rapper. I Don’t Care, I’m Here And That’s It...

»

»


“TWO FRIENDS STARTED A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY CALLED NOVLEG

AND INVENTED

THE PROSTUDIO

APPLICATION.


NEED TO MAKE A HIT RECORD…THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. YEP, WE SAID IT THERE’S AN APP FOR IT, AND TWO PRODUCERS ALEX KISSI AND GILBERT “LEGEND” RENEAU INVENTED IT. THE TWO FRIENDS STARTED A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY CALLED NOVLEG AND INVENTED THE PROSTUDIO APPLICATION. PROSTUDIO IS THE FIRST APP THAT ALLOWS A PERSON THE ABILITY TO MAKE A RECORD DIRECTLY ON AN IPHONE, IPOD, OR IPAD GIVING ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LAY DOWN BEATS AND VOCALS ON A CELL PHONE WITHOUT EVEN STEPPING FOOT IN A STUDIO. WITH THE U.S. HOLDING THE NUMBER ONE SPOT FOR MOBILE DOWNLOADS AND APPLE HAVING SOLD 85 MILLION IPHONES AND IPOD TOUCHES OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS NOVLEG IS ON TRACK TO CAPTURE AMERICA’S ATTENTION.

Enve: How did the company NovLeg start?

NovLeg: It basically started in 2009 around October

we started to make up our own technology business

company making high-end mobile recording

software for mobile platforms.

Enve: How did you guys come up with the idea for

the ProStudio app?

Alex: The app came about because we were

dedicated musicians ourselves I worked in and out

of studios with various major recording artists doing

ghost production, playing keys and stuff. Also my

partner {Legend}, he’s been doing production on a

hip hop scale. So we know the nature of working

in the studio, getting tracks done, people having

to wait for engineers, people not knowing how to record. So it was pretty frustrating at times so we decided to come up with this application.

Enve: As a producer what are some of the big time records you have produced if you can say?

NovLeg: At the time I was doing a lot of ghost production so we can’t say, but we worked with artist at Bad Boy, a few at Sony. My partner as well has produced for some up and coming rappers in New York.

Enve: What were your favorite aspects about being a producer?

NovLeg: It was pretty interesting because you can see different ways of how you can create music and collaborate with an artist. It’s was pretty magical these guys come in and know what they want and sometimes it was just scratch.

Enve: Let us know what exactly the Pro Studio

App does?

Music Made at your Finger-tips[By: Deshaun Jones]

“we got into the business of bringing software for people to make music”


NovLeg: ProStudio App is a multi track recording

software for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, pretty

soon we are expecting to have it for Google

phones such as HTCs, and the EVOs the market

was pretty big for us so we already went in

development. It basically allows you to record your

vocals onto various instrumentals that we provide

or you may have yourself. You can basically make

your song in a matter of minutes.

Enve: What do you guys like most about hip hop?

NovLeg: It’s so amazing when we got into the

business of bringing software for people to make

music it was kind of like we jumped out the lane

we already was in. Instead of making music we

are now providing software for people to make the

music. When we stood out of that area we started

getting emails from people in France, Europe, and

Germany. We get downloads globally sometimes

we get emails that we can’t even respond back

because we don’t understand the language. We

tend to have people send us their music and

we post it on our Twitter. There’s an artist out in

California name Miss. Cross she did a song and

sent it to us and we posted it up and some of the

labels that follow us was asking “who is this artist?”

So we like to connect with everybody on the music

scale. I have good friends in Japan which is one

of the reasons why this started we just love the

music aspect of people sending us music thinking

we are a power label but sometimes one hand

washes the other. We are able to show people that

“this person in France or Czechoslovakia sent us a

track” the music is weird but it sounds good.

Enve: What market do you think your app is

benefiting most?

NovLeg: Very much our number one downloader’s

are the United States, number two is the U.K. then

there is a long list of random countries that we never

heard of.

Enve: What were some of the adversities in making

this app?

NovLeg: We started the business at the end of

2009 and started developing in January and it came

out around August. It was stressful financially Apple

was tough with certain licensing and there was a lot

of rejections. It was a struggle we almost gave up on

this business but God is God so we’ve been able to

connect it’s a blessing now.

Enve: Is there any other apps that NovLeg is in the

process of making?

NovLeg: No actually this is our first software that we

developed second would be ProStudio app for the

Google phones.

Enve: Technology is consistently changing, how do

you plan to add on to your app to keep it current?

NovLeg: We have an update we are working on. I

don’t want to send a misunderstanding but it allows

certain effects to be added kind of like sounding like

T-Pain. It’s not going to be Auto-Tune but there’s

a plug-in that we customize to sound like Auto-

Tune. In fact we called Auto-Tune to see if we can

throw them on the app and the owner of Auto-Tune

already knew who we was and we had just dropped

the first week. We just did a deal with SoundCloud

once you’re done with your tracks you can email it

to your friends or your engineer. It’s something easy

for the people to do.

Enve: What do you guys want your legacy to be in

the technology culture?


NovLeg: Well coming

from a musician stand

point. We want someone

to be able to say “hey I

created a hit on ProStu-

dio App and at the time

I had no studio access.”

Just to hear people

to tell us we created

something so cool and

mobile.

“We get downloads globally sometimes we get emails that we can’t even respond back because we don’t understand the language.”

- [Novleg: Alex Kissi and Gilbert Reneau ]

FOLLOW NOVLEG ON

TWITTER@PROSTUDIOAPP


i put

hard

work

in

whate

ver

i do.


oung Money’s Short Dawg had the streets on fire with his Southern Flame Spitta mixtapes.

Growing up in Houston, TX he was influenced by the “chopped and screwed” culture that originated in Houston. Now with his alter ego Elvis Freshley in tow Short Dawg has ventured to the alternative side of music expanding his repertoire and giving his fans more than just rap music. He’s gearing up to release his “Fresh” album and plans to show why he’s one of the freshest to every do it.

Enve: How did you get into hip hop and what are your influences?

Short Dawg: Hip hop has been around in the Houston area for a long time. It was something I picked up at an early age from seeing people freestyle and making beats on the table. My influences are artist like Jada{Kiss}, Fabolous, late great Fat Pat, Big Mo and all the “Screw Heads.”

Enve: How has the “Screw” culture influenced your music?

Short Dawg: I’m a big part of the screw culture you know I gotta sample the Big Moe’s, the Fat Pats, my slang I do have different types of lyrics but I think my slang overall brings it back to my culture.

Enve: How did you hook up with Lil Wayne to get sign to Young Money?

Short Dawg: Me and Wayne

been friends for a few years we had a similar interest in a certain substance which put us together. We started to record together one thing led to another he told me he was building this Young Money roster and he wanted me to be a part of it. Once I got out of my Def Jam situation I came right over.

Enve: When Wayne went to jail you with the rest of the Young Money roster managed to keep Young Money afloat and make it seem like he never left. How did you pull that off?

Short Dawg: Well he (Wayne) managed to do that Wayne records every night. With him having an abundance of music and us having features and staying together and focused we were able to stay relevant for those ten months.

[ By: Deshaun Jones ]

Y


Enve: What kind of advice

does Wayne, Mack Maine, and Birdman give you to help your career?

Short Dawg: Me and Birdman work together a lot he always tells me to keep putting out them Southern Flame Spitta mixtapes. Just staying focused by watching Mack and Wayne rubs off on me. You don’t want to be around nobody that works that hard and has so much and you’re trying to get there but you’re slacking, it just doesn’t go well together.

Enve: Your latest mixtape was a classic (Southern Flame Spitta Vol. 4) how did you make that such a success?

Short Dawg: Just hard work I put hard work in whatever I do. A lot of my peers will tell you I’ll go in the studio at 11 o’clock and won’t come out to 7am in the morning. When I come home from the studio some people are just going to work.

Enve: Also with that mixtape it was hosted by Dj Don Cannon which is a major stamp of approval how has that helped your career?

Short Dawg: Cannon been doing my tape since Vol. 1 we started the series together between 3 and 3.5 we lost touch because he went to the west coast but we sat down and said we was going to bring it back and do volume 4 together and he also made a

pact with me that I can’t do no more Southern Flame Spittas without him. It is always great to have someone who was one of the first believers in my craft to give me such a big cosign and stay down with me all these years.

Enve: You go by the name Short Dawg but also Elvis Freshley tells us something about Elvis Freshley?

Short Dawg: Elvis Freshley is when I get into my alternative blend if you check out the House Party 4 joint those are some of the Elvis Freshley influenced songs right there. That’s just a little something extra I give to the public to let them know I’m not just a rapper.

Enve: What attributes does Elvis Freshley bring to Young Money?

Short Dawg: A different sound as you see when you hear Young Money there is no limitation. When you hear Drake he has the r&b feel, Wayne has the rock feel, Nicki{Minaj} has the pop feel now you have Fresh with the alternative feel.

Enve: What does hip hop mean to you and what do you most love about it?

Short Dawg: Hip hop means everything to me because that’s what I wake up and go to sleep doing. My whole way of life is hip hop from the way I dress to the way I act it pretty much means everything to me.

Enve: Young Money has the game on smash, Drake went platinum, Nicki is heading to platinum status what’s next for Young Money?

Short Dawg: We got {Lil}Twist and Tyga coming, me, Gutta Millz coming, we going to keep pushing Lil Chuckie, Wayne’s coming back, Drake’s coming back we just going to keep grinding ain’t no telling whose going to pop up. There’s another Young Money album coming again.

Enve: What’s the next project you’re working on?

Short Dawg: At the top of the year I have my Fresh album which is all new joints and is based on the motion picture film “Fresh.”

Enve: What message are you giving your fans in this album?

Short Dawg: I took the character Fresh in the movie and sat down and put myself in that character and gave you my life and my story.

Enve: How can your fans keep up with you?

Short Dawg: They definitely can follow me on twitter - @elvisfreshley I’m very heavy on the internet I got freshmusic.com.


HUSTLERSWAG

GENTLEMAN

[MA

SSP

IKE

MIL

ES]


Masspike Miles was born

to be in music. With jazz

musician for a father and

his namesake coming

from one of the jazz greats Miles Davis, it was

inevitable. At age 11 he was in the R&B group

“Perfect Gentleman,” but now he’s all grown up

and expanding on his musical talents. Masspike

Miles is one-half of the producing duo Tha Track

Dealers and has appeared in the Come Up and

Cheddar DVDs. He would attract the attention of

Rick Ross and under his guidance the Maybach

Music member gears up to help take the

Maybach sound to new heights and orchestrate

a takeover of the music industry.

Enve: How did you hook up with Rick Ross?

Masspike Miles: I had a homie named Shank that

would tell the homie about me. He caught wind

when he came to Boston. He blessed me with a

record while he was up there. We sat down talked

business and shot a video. He liked the fact that

I was a hustler he knew I was willing to spend my

last dollar to get where I had to go as far as music.

That’s how our relationship came about, real recog-

nize real.

Enve: Coming up you were affiliated with Smoke

Bulga are you two still affiliated and making music?

Masspike Miles: Yea that’s my brother we’re still af

Enj

oy

the

Rid

e C

OU

RTE

SY

OF

MA

SSPI

KE

MIL

ES[B

y: D

esha

un J

ones

]


filiated he’s signed to the label Life 4 Life enterprises

which happens to be an independent label out of

Boston. He’s signed to the label as well as Roc Du-

kati and some other acts that hopefully you will be

able to bear witness to in the future.

Enve: Can you tell us about the underground hip

hop scene in Boston that’s on the rise?

Masspike Miles: Yea there guys like Roc Dukati

he’s another artist on the come up he speaks that

real street, fast life, white boy Milly, there is a lot of

acts but other than that I’m just worried about my

team for now.

Enve: Was there a lot of adversity for you making it

out of Boston?

Masspike Miles: It wasn’t as hard for me as other

people because I actually utilized my talent to push

forward. As far as becoming mainstream that was

a real hard road. To get outside of a 50 mile radius

was a real hard road.

Enve: You produced a hot record “Money on My

Mind” what were some others?

Masspike Miles: I did “What it is” with Stack Bun-

dles, I did Smoke Bulga first singles when he was

on Sony, and “Act Like You Know” with Fabolous. I

also did a lot of mixtape joints. I was not only doing

beats I was rapping and singing hooks I was a self-

contained package.

Enve: What attributes does Masspike Miles gives

Maybach music?

Masspike Miles: Just realism, swag, a hustler am-

bition, real music, I’m what Maybach is. The brand

Maybach was built around niggas like me and that’s

real loyal niggas. I bring loyalty to this squad I’m

going to be here to the bottom, good or bad. I rode

it out when Rick was going thru it with “50.” Most

people would have ran but we going to ride this

bitch till we can’t ride it no more we going to fight

until we can’t fight it no more and that’s it.

Enve: Who are you feeling in hip hop and who influ-

enced the sound that you have?

Masspike Miles: I grew up listening to a lot of rap,

as well as my dad being a great jazz musician I kind

of infused a lot of different sounds and rhythms.

The way life went for me molded me into what I’m

doing now. Honestly I been doing it, R. Kelly came

with it before others came with it but I’ve been doing

it. See if you can find old footage you’ll see singing

with the hip hop, if I was to come out back in the day

I would be looked at as one of the originators.

Enve: You, Rick Ross, and Diddy have the smash

record with the Bugatti Boys how has that benefited

your career?

Masspike Miles: It’s benefited my career in a major

way. Diddy, I mean he’s a God that cosign alone is

ridiculous. Besides it’s a great record produced by

my producer the Olympicks on Maybach music, and

Rick Ross is on it. Maybach music sound is captivat-

ing the music industry right now so just to be a part

of that is a blessing.

Enve: What were some of the monumental mo-

ments that you’re having on the tour you’re on with

Rick Ross and the camp?

Masspike Miles: Just have people across seas

chanting your music and to know who you are and

are aware of the music you put out or the mixtapes

you put out. The fact that I can go somewhere

where they speak different languages and they

know who Masspike Miles is or who the team is, and

they can sing my songs word for word. That’s the

crazy thing even if it’s only one person those are the

defining moments while I’m on tour.

Enve: What is your next project you’re working on?


Masspike Miles: Hopefully I can drop my new

mixtape by the top of the year, and by the summer

I can drop my album. I’m about to take it to different

levels. I’m older I’m about to do some mature stuff

with this music. Music is heading in a lot of direc-

tions and I want to be a part of that. It’s not just hip

hop because hip hop is music now it’s always been

music but to the world it hasn’t been music. Now it’s

being respected in a whole new light. So I wanted to

show the diversity in Masspike Miles. Watch out for

the surprise I have in store next year.

FOLLOW MASSPIKE ON TWITTER

@MASSPIKEMILES

»"MUSIC is heading in a lot of directions and I want to be part of that. Hip Hop is being respected in a whole new light."


BY DESHAUN JONES

OVER THE LAST DECADE WEST COAST HIP-HOP has been on the decline in terms of record sales,

media attention and successful artists. All of the above is about to change with the emergence Cali’s

newest lyrical giant (we mean this literally) a 6’6” rapper named Jag. Jag’s flow, unlike the traditional west

coast sound, would find an ear in East Coast veteran Cassidy the Hustler. It’s clear from his appearances

on Applied Pressure 2 and Cassidy’s album C.A.S.H that Jag is here to revive the west and here’s how

he’s going to do it.

WelcomeTO THE


(Enve): You started doing

songs on the West Coast Block

Starz album. Let us know how

this came about?

(Jag): Someone had contacted

me from a website and let me

know that they had been follow-

ing me earlier it sounded like a

good thing to do. There was a

lot of other west coast artists on

there so I did my song and they

liked it from there it was a wrap.

(Enve): You’re a very talented

rapper how do you plan on

bringing some of the dominance

back to the west coast?

(Jag): Well for starters that’s

where as a west coast artist we

fall off at, everybody’s trying to

bring back the west coast and

we all end up having the same

sound no disrespect to other

west coast artists. I feel a lot of

us go down the same road as

far as gangsta rap and there is

really nobody doing anything

as far as hood shit, real hip

hop shit, and some shit for the

ladies. There is not a west coast

artist that tackles every cat-

egory. I feel like in order to take

over the west somebody gotta

bring something new to the

game. There is nobody really

rapping like me as far as lyrical-

ly ability. I can take it west coast

and then take it east coast and

hop on a song with one of the

greatest east coast battle rap-

pers of all time.

(Enve): Now that you’re do-

ing your thing has any of the

west coast vets such as the

Mack 10, Snoop, or Ice Cube

reached out to you and of-

fered any advice to help you

out.

(Jag): Not really, none of

them has reach out to me and

I haven’t been in the same

facility to run into them I guess

we have not cross paths yet.

Enve: You’re from Cali how

did you link up with Cassidy?

(Jag): You know how the

saying goes being in the right

place at the right time, and

that’s what it was. I was here

doing my thing spazzing out

doing battles, going to basket-

ball games and rapping, pass-

ing out my shit and I had ran

into a lot of people. I ran into

a basketball player out here

NBA player Bobby Simmons

who is Cassidy’s brother, he

told Cassidy and let him listen

to my music on his iPod. We

got in the booth together and

haven’t stopped since.

(Enve): Applied Pressure pt.

2 was a classic mixtape tell us

what is was like working with

veteran Cassidy?

(Jag): Me and him have a

workshop where we just lock

ourselves in the studio. We

basically call it “lock-in” we

lock ourselves in the studio with a whole bunch of dro, some food and a beat and we exer-cise everyday. At the time we were getting ready to drop the mixtape we were preparing, it was a building process. We started off small to where at the end everything we was putting out was flames. That was a new experience for me we really went in I can see why you call it a classic even if I wasn’t on it. If I heard the same thing I would have called it a classic.

(Enve): How has rapping along side of Cassidy sharpened your skills as an emcee?

(Jag): It sharpened my shit to a “T”, just him teaching me certain things like how to rhyme bet-ter in certain parts of my verse. He never wrote anything for me or pushed anything on me. He always let me do me and just then he would help out where I need it. Being from the west coast our lyrical ability is shut down for some reason. The stuff they are playing on the radio isn’t popping right now. He just helped me out piecing up certain rhymes and helping rhyme on a whole. He helped me sharpen my shit up as far as going in and taken my time. For the people who don’t know I haven’t been rhyming that long this is only going on my 8th year. I have also been into music but for me to be going on my 8th year and to



(Jag): I get a little more love on the east coast but the west is showing me love. You know how it is when you’re a “box-er” you have to jump in the ring and knock a few people out to get some respect.

(Enve): Who are you follow-ing in the hip-hop game and who do you want to work with?

(Jag): Whoever people think is nice I want to work with before I work with who I think is nice. We can go ahead get in the ring and spar and see what everyone is talking about. A lot of the people I want to work with like J Cole, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa as far as everybody else I’m willing to work as long as it comes out right. Joe Budden is one of the people that inspired my flow when I first started rap-ping that would be somebody I would want to get on a track with. Joell Ortiz and whoever else is willing to work,

sound how I sound is ridiculous.

(Enve): What do you bring to the Larsiny Family?

(Jag): I bring versatility, I bring the monster out that Cass had when he first came out. It’s like having a monster in the cage but I’m not in the cage. If Cas-sidy doesn’t feel like rapping he knows he can come to me and ask me to shut it down for 20 minutes or whatever. I bring originality to my songs and free-style’s, as well as bringing the west coast side to the Larsiny family. I bring a whole new fla-vor to the camp showing them stuff we do on the west coast, different words, as well as a whole new swag he already had his stuff popping I just wanted to be able to add on to that.

Enve: The new mixtape is called the Suffocation can you tell us about that?

(Jag): That’s the new mixtape Cassidy came up. I wanted to be able to apply pressure without saying applied pressure so I wanted to be able to suffocate the game so I called mine the Suffocation.

(Enve): What other artists

are you working with on your

mixtape?

(Jag): J.R. Writer, Bad Luck,

Cassidy of course, A.R AB

of course, I’m in the midst of

working with Meek Mills. I’m

still looking for other features

it’s just hard to contact people

because I’m in the studio all

the time. I’m about 80 percent

done I just need a few more

features and we’re solid.

(Enve): In one of your rhymes

you say “Cali mad at me

cause they say I have a jigga

flow/ little bit of B.I.G in me/

Henny with a twist of Dro” Do

you get more love on the east

coast than the west?

(SWAG)


JFOLLOW JAG ON TWITTER

(Enve): Besides music are you

trying to get into anything else?

(Jag): Without a doubt. I also

write R&B I want to get my own

artist and build my own label

as well. I also want to act, me

and Cassidy are thinking at the

end of 2011 of going to acting

school after we drop a Larsiny

Family album.

(Enve): What do you want your

stamp on the game to be?

(Jag): I want them to say that I

was the coldest of all time that’s

what I live for. I want to be rich

but it’s not all about that. I don’t

want them to say I’m the best

of all time because there were

other artists like Pac, Cube,

and other artist that paved the

way for me. I definitely want to

be one of the top West coast

artists of all time. Shout out to

Larsiny Family, my west coast

family, Pdubb, and all my fans.

@JAG_LARSINYI bring versatility I bring the monster out that Cass had when he first came out.


BEAUTY iuioioBEATSBEAUTY New York’s Trendsetter


Don’t look at Beauty@the Beats and think she’s just a female producer. She’s an artist, a painter really, figuratively speak-ing. Born and raised in

the Bronx, the New York native al-ways had an interest in music but it wasn’t until she worked on a school project producing an aspiring rap-per’s album that she realized it was something she could do profession-ally. Armed with her first piece of equipment and the tutelage of mega producer Buckwild and Denn-Ice, a member of Buckwild’s production team, she has launched her own pro-duction company, and is preparing to paint her masterpiece.

Enve: So you started producing in col-lege?

B@B: I graduated in 2001, I went to school for Communications but I had a concentration in audio production. During my senior year we had a project to record someone’s album. That year I was surrounded by different aspiring artists we worked on someone’s demo album and just by being around that, that’s when I really played around with the idea of being involved with the cre-ative aspect.

Enve: It’s been said that East Coast rap isn’t what it used to be and the New York sound isn’t really around anymore. What are your thoughts on that? Do you feel any pressure being a producer from the East Coast?

B@B: I think that it’s true at some point and you have to kind of seek it out. I think that the main reason why it is the way it is right now, in my opinion, people are putting out what they think is going to sell. It’s kind of bad coming from New York and feeling like that because New York is a trendsetter state and everyone in the past was looking to New York, like “what’s New York doing” and that was the big thing. Right now New York is looking at what everyone else is doing, and that kind of goes against hip hop it was never cool to try and copy someone else’s style in hip hop you’re suppose to set the tone.

Enve: A lot of people think that a producer just makes a hot beat, what goes into to pro-ducing a track?

B@B: There’s a difference between a beat-maker and a producer. A beatmaker will just create a beat which can be done in a number of ways. But actually producing a beat you track it out, you mix it, you actually sit with it, you may come up with a hook, and if you play it for an art-ist you may work on constructing a concept.

Enve: What’s the difference between you going into the studio and creating a beat for someone and you going in to just to do some work to build your cata-log? What’s the difference in you creative process?

B@B: Sometimes I’m just in the mood to create, I always have a good amount of vinyl. I’ve gone through most of them but I’ll throw on a record and if I hear something I’ll make a note that I want to sam-ple it. If I’m working with an artist I always like to have a conversation with them and get to know them if it’s a singer I want to know their range if it’s a rapper I want to know the song content. I like to get to know them musically so that I can


@BEAUTYNTHEBEATS

listen to what I have to suit them or so that I can tailor something to fit them. I want to make sure I’m sending them something that fits them.

Enve: There are some producers out there, that when you listen to a song they have produced you know immediately who it is because they have created a “sound.” Do you have a sound like that and if not do you want to have a distinguishing sound?

B@B: No I don’t want to be like that, I don’t want to be that type of producer. I pride myself on listening to every type of genre of music. I draw from every type of music. I want to think outside the box, I want to keep people guess-ing. I’m constantly changing it up.

Enve: What’s your favorite genre to work with?

B@B: I love alternative, I don’t really do much alternative, but I have sampled some alternative songs and flipped it and to make it more hip hop. I love it cause it’s from the heart it’s very authentic, everything from the instrumenta-tion to the lyrics to the way it’s laid out, it’s very story book you can feel it. That’s how I want my music to be something you listen to that takes you to a place that’s makes you think about something you’ve been through or that you can picture yourself somewhere.

Enve: What do we have to look forward to when you produce a track?

B@B: More so, diversity, anyone can draw from it. I can play a track for multiple people, I have people that personally that don’t listen to hip hop and some hard-core hip hop heads and they all like it for different reasons.

Enve: You’ve talked about Buck-wild how he took you under his wing and showed you some things so is he a mentor to you?

B@B: He’s more like a big broth-er I’ve gone to many of his studio

sessions and just watching him doing what he does I knew that every time I went to studio I would get something out it, I would leave with another piece of knowledge. It could be just him talking to someone else and me listening, him as well as Denn-Ice, I’ve learned a lot from both of them.

Enve: Let’s talk about the pre-conceived ideas about your music. Do you think it’s because you’re a women or where you’re from?

B@B: It’s all about me being a female producer. I remember a music manager heard my beats and he wanted to meet me and the group was not for it before they any heard my work because I was a women. I’m not going to say that’s how it always is, but you know I’m sure as a rap artist they’re not going to expect to get anything hard from a female.

Enve: What are they expecting?

B@B: I heard someone say they expected my music to be very Backstreet Boys, and I don’t have a problem with pop music at all but in the hip hop world it’s kind of frowned upon, so it wasn’t a compliment.

Enve: You have a production company Knockturnal Entertain-ment, that’s just started in Octo-ber how many producers do you have?

B@B: It’s four producers, one singer and one rapper, it’s a full service production company, it’s primarily music but we do other things. It’s a full package that goes into an album, I wanted to mesh together all the elements that goes into putting together an album and provide a service that I don’t think is out there.

Enve: Anyone that is in the limelight, they are motivated by the fame, but for a lot of produc-ers they don’t get those acco-lades because you’re behind the scenes. At the end of the day what is it all about for you.

B@B: I’m happy that producers are behind the scenes I’m very comfort-able behind the scenes. What drives me is the music I have a just a natu-ral love, desire and passion for it. When it’s all said and done whether I’m making money from it or not at the end of the day it’s still something I enjoying doing.

“There’s a difference between a beatmaker and a producer.”

FOLLOW BEAUTYnTHEBEATS ON

TWITTER31 | enveonline.com | February 2011

Enve online had the pleasure of interviewing one of college basketball’s brightest and upcoming stars. After a stellar high school career at Colonie High school in Colonie, NY this hometown hero is now poised to seize the spotlight and showcase his

talents on the national scene. After a transfer from Mississippi Valley State to Gardner-Webb University Newsome’s time is now and failure is not an option.

Enve: Take us to the beginning, how old were you when you first realized that you really had a talent, a true gift?

TN: I would say I was around 7 or 8 years old.

Enve: Who were your early influences in life? Who pushed you to be the best that you could be?

TN: I would definitely say my fa-ther he was the one who really got me into basketball. He supported me with that at an early age.

Enve: What accomplishments or awards that you have received throughout your career are you most proud of?

TN: It’s really hard to pick out one, I made numer-ous all-star teams, all-tournament teams so I guess making the area all-star team both my junior and senior year would probably be my greatest accom-plishment.

Enve: Now is there any players in the NBA that you

pattern your game after, is there anyone you try to emulate when you are out on the court?

TN: I don’t really try to play like one person, I feel that my game is unique when I play I am just me. But I do think that LeBron James is the best player in the world so I definitely try to take some things from him and Allen Iverson is my favorite player of

all time so if there was anyone that I would emulate it would definitely be him.

Enve: Take me through your recruiting process, what made your choose Mississippi Valley State?

TN: That’s actually a long story, due to the injuries that I suffered in my junior and senior years that required

surgery I lost a lot of the schools that were after me. I was go-ing to go to a big-time prep school, South Kent, but in late June when I was about to enroll they informed me that they would be unable to give me the full scholarship like they said they would and

kind of left me out to dry. So after that I began scrambling

and I worked with Antoine Mor-rison who I call my big brother who

handles all of my situations regarding schools and he began contacting schools

and then Mississippi Valley State came about. They had seen video of me on YouTube and after that they didn’t want me to keep searching for schools they wanted me to come there. This was in July and school started in August so when they told me that I just committed to it. They were a Division 1 school like I always dreamed of and I had no intentions of sitting out a year so that was the move that I had to make.

Tashan Newsome: He got next

By Steve Bryant

You may not have heard of Tashan Newsome before but there is a great chance you will hear about him in the future.

“I had no intentions of sitting out a year”


Enve: What was your freshman year like? What were some of the highs and lows of your 2008-2009 season and how difficult was it going through a season and finishing 7-25?

TN: It was really tough, first being all the way in Mississippi and then being on a team that was that bad record-wise. We had a lot of talent but it wasn’t getting used correctly and I was bumping heads with the coach so it was tough at times but the positives was that I learned a lot, I matured, I played numerous big name pros such as Blake Grif-fin, played at some of the biggest universities in the world and I grew a lot as a person and a player. I also learned how hard I had to work

to become productive and a big-time player on this level.

Enve: What did you do in the offseason to prepare yourself for the 2009-2010 season?

TN: I worked extremely hard, always running, conditioning, liv-ing in the gym. I really didn’t take any time off because I wanted to be so much better the next year and prove that I could play on that level. I even sent my coaches a text that offseason telling them that I would be the best player in the SWAC conference.

Enve: What was that season like?

TN: I came into the season much

bigger and stronger and was praised by my coaches for that so when we touched the floor in the preseason everyone saw a difference in me and I was playing like it. Unfortunately the same problems that I was hav-ing with my coach my fresh-man year began arising again and it bothered me. I was try-ing to get through it but it came to a point that it was hurting me more than helping me and he was hurting my career. He wasn’t helping me as a person and it just wasn’t right for me to be there and I felt it was best for me to leave and continue my career elsewhere so that’s what I did around December and didn’t return.

“I play both sides of the floor and I feel like I am a piece of the big puzzle.”


Enve: Now what does your current situation look like?

TN: My current situation looks great, I transferred to Gardner-Webb University. They have a great team, coaching staff, campus, facility and it’s beautiful out here. I am red-shirting this year which means that I can’t play this year because I transferred from one Division 1 college to another but everything is great out here, I plan on graduating out here and getting some conference rings.

Enve: What is Gardner-Webb getting in Tashan Newsome as a player?

TN: They are getting a versatile player, a player that will do anything for the team to be successful. I play both sides of the floor and I feel like I am a piece of the big puzzle that we are trying to put together here.

Enve: That’s what’s up, now Gardner-Webb has made it to the NCAA tournament in the past do you think that you have what it takes to make it back?

TN: That is a big-time goal that we have around here, I definitely plan on it and that we have the tal-ent to do it and that in due time we WILL do it.

Enve: Where do you see yourself after your college career is over? Will you attempt to pursue a career with basketball albeit semi-pro, overseas or on the world stage of the NBA?

TN: That is my main goal so after college I plan on and dream of playing professionally so that’s what I am pursuing.

Enve: Is there anything that you want our Enve readers to know about you that we haven’t covered?

TN: No not really except that I am from Albany, NY and that I will always rep Albany!

@TUSHPAYPACHASA

FOLLOW TASHAN ON

TWITTER

“ I worked extremely hard, always running, conditioning, living in the gym. I really didn’t take any time off because I wanted to be so much better the next year”


JUST RELEASED FROM PRISON, HARLEM BRED RAPPER A-MAFIA STEPS BACK INTO THE GAME AND HAS ONE THING ON HIS MIND: “OUT HUSTLE EVERYBODY.” WITH FOUR RELEASED MIX TAPES, OVER 16 MAJOR MUSIC VIDEOS AND MILLIONS OF VIEWS ON THE WEB, A-MAFIA IS LIVING UP TO HIS NAME, THE DIGITAL HUSTLER. NOT WAITING FOR A RECORD DEAL, A-MAFIA IS HUNGRY AND ON A NON-STOP GRIND TO MAKE MONEY. HAVING MAJOR CO-SIGNS FROM HIP-HOP SUCH AS CAM’RON, DUKE DA GOD, D.J. KAY SLAY AND MANY OTHERS, A-MAFIA HAS A MAJOR STREET BUZZ AND A JUMP START IN THE INDUS-TRY. IF YOU ARE AN UP AND COMING RAPPER WITHOUT A RECORD DEAL TAKE NOTES AND LEARN FROM ONE OF THE BEST “DIGITAL HUSTLERS” ALIVE.

Enve: You’re from the neigh-borhood Hamilton Place in Harlem, how has that shaped you to be the person you are today?

A-mafia: Everybody tries hus-tling up there, the whole Har-lem, period. I’m from all over Harlem but my hood is Ham-ilton. It’s a hustling area and that’s where I get my hustle from. I’m a hustler. That also

inspires my music. I make that hustler music.

Enve: It’s noted that a few years ago you faced a few hardships and did some time. When you came home from jail was returning to rap auto-matic?

A-mafia: No question. When I was in jail I was setting up shop. You got to realize I been

Out Hustle Everybody

[ By: Deshaun Jones ]


home for 10 months. I probably wrote like four rhymes since I been home.

Enve: Let’s talk about being an unsigned artist. I think you’re taking that to a whole new level. How does being inde-pendent benefit you career?

A-mafia: I’m a hustler. I’m go-ing to get it. You can’t stop me from going out selling my own cds and spreading the word. You can’t stop me from being on my Twitter, my Facebook, or my MySpace. You can’t stop me now and I’m going to put it out. Everybody’s dream is to be on a major label; that’s not my dream. I’m going to put it out with or without a major label.

Enve: Let’s talk about your website.

A-mafia: I came home and got the website www.amafiadigi-tal.com. We’re selling stuff on there. We’re moving man. I

didn’t come home to play with them.

Enve: Your last mix tape was a classic. I know the DJs are showing you love. How has that benefited you?

A-mafia: Shout out to Kay Slay, a real Harlem DJ. I’m grateful for him always playing my music, that’s big for me. I’m the underdog. I’m the big-gest underdog out there. A lot of people counted me out but I’m still here. Shout out to Kay Slay.

Enve: You always have some major songs and videos on the web like “Fidel

Castro” and “Street Soldiers.” What the next major track you have coming?

A-mafia: By the time this drops “Rolling it up” should be out. But I’m about to shoot a video for this song I have coming out, “I Believe I Can Fly.” You know me, I try to do what they

not doing. “They” meaning the masses, the mass public. I try to do the A-Mafia thing. When I make a song I don’t think “I wonder if this guy is going to play it on the radio?” I think what would Biggie think if he heard this, would Pac want to jump on the record if he heard this? That’s what I think.

Enve: You’ve been around a lot of important people in the industry such as Cam and Duke Da God. How has be-ing around them shaped your career and what advice do you take from them?

A-mafia: First of all Cam and Duke are the reason why I’m out there because they gave

me the opportunity. Cam put me on those right tapes to do songs with me. You got to real-ize this is a man that probably get $20,000 a verse and for him to be like “mafia, I want to do some records with you,” I’m grateful for that. Duke

When I make a song I don’t think “I wonder if this guy is going to play it on the radio?” I think what would Big-gie think if he heard this, would Pac want to jump on the record.


FANS CAN FIND AMAFIA

ON TWITTER - @AMFIA140FACEBOOK - AMFIA140MYSPACE - AMAFIA 140

WWW.AMAFIADIGITAL.COM

“I’M A HUSTLER, I AM GOING TO GET IT”

Da God is connected in the game and I’m grateful for him wanting to work with me.

I just watch what they do.

They inspire me by being where they’re at. They’re in the game I’m trying to get in the game. I don’t ask for much. I like to work for everything I get. Shout out to Duke and Cam.

Enve: I hear you got an EP coming up next year. Tell us about it.

A-mafia: April man. My whole thing is this: I got to keep it moving. I got to keep it moving man. Right now you can put an album out yourself man, real talk. I’m not waiting man, I’m not waiting for no label to try to find me people listen. I got lis-teners man. I might not have a million listeners but I got a few listeners that will spend that ten. So we’re going to capital-ize. I’m from Harlem and what I don’t know I got some people that will take care of that for me I got a nice lawyer.

Enve: Where can your fans find you?

A-mafia: You can find me on twitter. I’m on twitter all day. I be getting in trouble behind that I’m on twitter all day. I’m digital man hit me up, I’m ready.

I’m not waiting man, I’m not waiting for no label to try to find me people


ELONY FAME“ IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO BALANCE but difficulty is nothing, I am used to it. I am going to balance it out.”F »

40| enveonline.com | February 2011

Switching Lanes: Starring

Felony Fame[ By: Deshaun Jones ]


TO GET HIS STREET BUZZ UP, FELONY FAME USED THE PARTIES HE THREW IN NEW JERSEY TO SHOWCASE HIS LYRICAL TALENT. EEnveE MAGAZINE SAT DOWN WITH CAM’RON’S NEW-EST MEMBER TO HIS U.N. MOVEMENT TO RAP ABOUT HIS VERSATILITY ON THE MIC, HIS QUEST FOR DOMINANCE IN THE HIP HOP ARENA AND WHY MUSIC ISN’T HIS ONLY ENDEAVOR.

Enve: You come from Jersey, how did you meet Cam’ron and his U.N. movement?

Felony: I was born in Newark, NJ but I was back and forth between Jersey and North Carolina. I had family in the south and family in Jersey. I made the decision to stay in my Pop’s house in Jersey and that’s how I linked up with Cam. I use to see him when I used to have huge parties

in my area; a whole bunch of people would come through, like a 1,000. That’s how I got my buzz up around town and me and Cam started talking.

Enve: You work with Cam and he’s a leg-end, you work with Vado who has the streets blazing and Skitzo, a great produc-er. How do you guys complement each other’s styles? How has it been working with each other?

Felony: I don’t look at it as a competition but being around these guys has definitely made me better and stepped my game up 100 percent. I see their work schedules and work habits; it’s crazy they are in the studio every night for weeks at a time just recording. Everybody’s energy level is through the roof right now. Everyone is feeding off of each other’s energy and it’s a great thing. Especially being by Cam, just him in the room is a great feeling.

Enve: So what sets you apart from most rappers?

Felony: At the end of the day I’m different from artists because I focus on every aspect. Some people just do music just because they think it’s hot. I think you have to look

at the audience’s per-spective as well and what are they going to think and what is this audience going to do when they hear my music? I try to appeal to every audience that I can. That’s why I change my flow up here and there. Some people hear my tracks and ask “is that the same person?” That’s just something I do. I appeal to everybody.

Enve: For the people who don’t know, you got a chance to ap-pear on “Heat in Here” and “Dipset West Mix Tape” with Stone Star. Tell us about that?

Felony: I was on there with Stone Star, courtesy of Ice Man who is the C.E.O over there. I’m doing a lot of work with him. I have another movie com-ing up with him called “Crime Wave.” It’s featuring him, Sticky Fingaz, Gloria Valez and a lot of other art-ists. I’m actually flying out next month to work on that. For those of you that don’t know, I was in 50 Cent’s new movie, “Before I Self Destruct” and that was my first film role. That’s how I built a re-lationship with 50 over there. He helped me out with my film career and I’m doing a movie on my own right now that’s going to come out with my CD “Dirty

Laundry.” It’s going to be a double disk; it’s going to be the film and my CD.

Enve: Is acting some-thing you would like to do while you’re in the music industry?

Felony: Definitely, I want to extend, I don’t want to be that person that’s known for one thing I want to be that person that’s doing everything. I want my foot to be in the door. Every opportunity I get to expand I’m going to take it. I don’t care if it’s making shoe strings; I want to do it all.

Enve: In your mind what’s the difference between an artist and a rapper and what category do you put yourself in?

Felony: A rapper is someone who just raps with no mean-ing and who’s rapping because he’s doing it. Everybody starts off as a rapper first before you develop into an artist. Once you get into your artist mode that’s when you start tackling your perfor-mances. You’ve got to learn how to grab the crowd. You’ve got to learn how to work the stage.

Everyone Starts Off As A Rapper And Develops Into An Artist.


These are things that an artist does. A rap-per goes in the booth and just raps.

Enve: Is that going to be hard to balance?

Felony: It’s going to be hard to balance but difficulty is nothing, I’m used to it. I’m going to balance it out.

Enve: If you weren’t a rapper, what would you be doing?

Felony: If I wasn’t rapping I would prob-ably be in college playing ball or trying to play ball. I lost my skills but I would be trying to do something positive.

Enve: Let’s fast for-ward and imagine a little bit. Twenty years from now when it’s said and done, what do you want the Felo-ny Fame legacy to be?

Felony: I just want to be remembered by my music. I just want my music to mean something. I still listen to “Life After Death” and it means so much. I listen to Pac. Their music means so much. It’s like it’s 2010 but that music was re-corded over a decade ago. When I pop it in now it’s like it came out yesterday. As long as I have that impact on people the way

they impacted people {Biggie, and Tupac}, that’s all I want. I can’t ask for anything else. I want my music to touch people like their music touched me.

FOLLOW FELONY FAME TWITTER

@FELONYFAME

»

“A rapper is someone who just raps with no meaning and who’s rap-ping because he’s doing it.”


What has Happened to Hip Hop Since the Golden Age of 1984-1994?[By: Damion Trent]

Hip Hop is thought to have begun in 1973 with Jamaican- born Kool

Herc on the turntables in Cedar Park in the South Bronx, NY. The golden age of Hip Hop according to Hip Hop historian, legend, artist, philosopher KRS- One is the seven-year period from 1987 -1994. This was a time driven by the explosion of MC’s who started to become more prominent than DJ’s as opposed to the earlier period. Also the past times that became associated with hip hop like break dancing and graffiti would be exported across the globe. A lot has changed since this era and when compared to the present we may be witnessing a progression, stagnation or digression of hip hop culture.

The golden age saw the rise of the most diverse and lyrically gifted emcees Hip Hop has ever seen. Lyrical poetic giants like Rakim of Eric B and Rakim and KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions emerged on the scene during this period. Rakim brought poetic genius to

the forefront with his calm jazz influenced flow utilizing alliteration, and assonance in his rhymes.

KRS-one introduced the gangster realism of street life and social commentary infused with Pan-Africanism, Humanism, Buddhism, Rastafarism, Hare Krishna, philosophy, and activism to teach the masses. LL Cool J emerged with his rhymes filled with masculine, braggadocio, bravado and lyrics for the ladies that would make their hearts melt making him arguably Hip Hop’s first sex symbol.

Increasing lyrical genius was introduced to us by Public Enemy who used James Brown samples remixed by the Bomb Squad, the ultimate hype man in Flavor Flav and the distinctive rhyme flow of Chuck D to merge the Black Power era of the 1970s with hip hop. Big Daddy Kane also emerged with is rapid fire pace rhymes filled with complex metaphors and similes that caused many to destroy their cassette tapes because they kept rewinding them to breakdown how fresh him rhyme was. Also let’s not forget the ladies MC Lyte would surface with her no nonsense rapid fire rhymes, which made many male emcees want to battle. Queen Latifah and Monie Love taught us that ladies weren’t just first but had the power to uplift people as well as if not better than any man.

So exactly what has changed since the golden era of Hip Hop? The DJ that was once a vital part of a group as in

the case of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five has diminished. This has also caused the art of DJing to disappear from the scene to the point that it is now an anomaly to hear scratching on a record or a DJ actually mixing with the proficiency witnessed on the BET show Master of the Mix. Despite all of the new innovated technology such as laptop DJing where you can carry thousands of songs with you and automatically match songs with others of the same tempo the craft has been rendered uncreative at this point.

One of the main differences between the golden age of hip hop and the new generation is that the protest that was in the music is no longer giving significant air time. Whereas in the golden age most rappers even if they were not as politically and socially aware as BDP or Public Enemy they would have at least one or two songs in which they at least addressed pertinent issues affecting the community. Now it seems like everyone wants to be a gangster and that is what is played on the radio and promoted in videos that are shown. Sure there are conscious rappers like Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Nas, Jay Electronica and Coney Island’s Torae that make uplifting thinking music but with the exception of Nas they do not receive the airplay that their predecessors in the

golden age would have received.

The days of Kid and Play doing the kick step and chanting the parties at the fun house have eroded into thin air. Unless you count Cali Swag District’s hit Do the Dougie or Soulja Boy’s Crank that but the latter has been criticized by Ice-t for killing hip hop with that song. Now Gucci Mane, Waka Flaka Flame, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and TI are the leading artists of this generation.

Diversity of the performers is now gone because as in the past people did not rap about how much drugs they sold or used. Now it seems that rapping about it, doing it and going to jail for it or any other infraction is now seen as a rite of passage in the rap game and Hip Hop culture. KRS-One and Marley Marl album makes that point that Hip Hop Still Lives and all of the four elements survive underground or in other countries. It just needs to have a chance to shine and that means the underground cats like Black Milk, Omega Watts, and Torae will have to find innovative ways to get their messages out to the buying public. We must always remember what KRS-One always says, “Rap is something you do and Hip Hop is something you live”, so we find the best way to live it in 2011.


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