"Growth in the health care industry will account for 3.6 million new jobs from 2004 to 2014. Almost 20 percent of the new jobs added in the next decade will be in the health care industry..."
I know it's on a lot of people's mind, particularly since it's a hot topic in the White House right now, but I'm honestly concerned about our general health.
I can't speak on it too much as I'm not in the know of health issues like that but I really wonder just how much we are really taking care of ourselves when 20% of new jobs over the next 10 years are going to be in the health industry alone????
Does this bother anyone else?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Video Game Shit
Here's a track that me and V-Jay did back in '06. It was supposed to go on an album that I was working on back then but since I scrapped it, it's been sitting in my hard drive/ on my BlackBerry as one of those "previously unreleased" joints that rappers always drop outta nowhere. It doesn't even have a name on it HAHA. In my notebook, I had it as "Video Game Shit" so that's what I named it. Generic as hell I know. Ah well... We both kinda went in on this joint. I will post the lyrics to it later for now just... enjoy!
http://tinyurl.com/videogametrack
http://tinyurl.com/videogametrack
Tips to Be An MC
I wrote this up to help a friend of mine who wanted help with his craft and figured I should share this with everyone I know who write rhymes. These are not the be all to end all of MC'ing, rather tips I learned a long the way that have helped me. Leave thoughts. Peace
1- Have influences, Don’t be influenced. Don't listen to the songs you're writing too/ stay away from beats you heard the song to. It makes your song sound more original as you have nothing to influence you and the way you come off on a song. There's nothing wrong with having influences. There's no such thing as an artist who never had someone or something inspire them to create but use them as a resource, a template. Study them. Study their flows, the way they craft their rhymes, when they take breathes, they fuck up, how they perform etc. But DON'T become their clone! Be yourself, which leads me to my next tip.
2- Know who you are. Posers may sound good but the rappers who lasted the longest are the ones who stayed true to themselves. Some things work for you, some things don't. The things that don't, throw them away. They're going to slow you down. They will hinder you from making GREAT music. Anyone can make good; GREAT is what you want to aim for. Think of it like this, Jay-Z did "I Can't Get Wit' That". It was a good song. But "Dead Presidents" is GREAT. How can you tell? Which one was his breakout track? Exactly.
3- Don't be afraid to be yourself! Knowing who you are as a person is one thing. Writing it out is another. Don't be afraid to be YOU. If you can honestly look at yourself in the mirror and be confident in who you are, put it down on paper. If you can't honestly look at yourself in the mirror and be confident in who you are, put it down on paper. People are going to relate to you regardless. Here's why: As much people say that there is no one like them, there are. You wouldn't have friends if you didn't. We all have shared experiences. Your job as a rapper is to connect people who have your shared experiences through your words. I'm going to throw a word out there and what is the first thing that pops in your mind. Ready?
“Super Nintendo”
Do you think of playing Super Mario World as a kid? Do you remember not having one growing up because your family couldn't afford it? Do you remember being "rivals" with someone had one because you had a Sega Genesis? Do you think of the third verse from "Juicy"?Regardless of your reaction, there's someone else in this world who will have the very same reaction to that word. And other words. Your words.
Capitalize off that.It will help you to develop your sound, your style, your delivery, your you.
4- Have range. As cool as it is to spit a hot 16 with a bunch of punchlines or do a club banger, you need to have substance. Without substance, you're just another mixtape rapper. And I don't need to name names. You know them. Do you honestly see them going past battle DVDs? Do you want that for yourself? And this is not to say that you need to have a cause or be "conscious" and want everyone to hug each other. That's crap. Be who you are but be more than someone with a lot of metaphors and do rock the club. You'll gain longevity when you do.
5- Have vision. You need to have a plan for whatever it is you want to accomplish. Period. I can't tell you how to have vision or develop and neither can anyone else. Find it for yourself. How RZA made Wu-Tang into a legend they are and how 50 Cent made himself into a legend are two completely different things. They went completely different avenues but regardless, they achieved success. Figure out what steps fit you, define what success means for you (both in the intrinsic and extrinsic sense), THEN you write.
6- Have purpose. More important, really before any of the tips, why are you doing this? For fun? To make money? To change lives? Whatever the case may be, you need to have a reason to write; otherwise you're just scampering. Running around throwing away your money and time. Use your talent, time and money wisely.
Now go write.
Peace and Love...
VW l8-)
ASTERISK – Have no hate! There’s nothing wrong with not liking certain artists. That’s fine. You didn’t like everyone you’ve come across in your lifetime. Pay them no mind. Don’t sit there and talk crap about another MC. Hip-hop is the only artform where there is constant hate. Whether it’s some underground schmuck or a mainstream schmuck, rappers are the only ones who constantly hate on each other over nothing. Hate will only slow you down. No one connects to haters in the grand scheme of things. Sure you’re ripping some open mic somewhere and people rock with you here and there but in the larger sense, who cares about what you have to say if you’re only spewing hate for someone else? Get it out of your blood. Prince didn’t get where he is today by saying “Fuck Michael Jackson” every 5 minutes. The Temptations didn’t come out with songs completely disrespecting The Blue Notes. Show love and love will be returned. Point blank. Period.
1- Have influences, Don’t be influenced. Don't listen to the songs you're writing too/ stay away from beats you heard the song to. It makes your song sound more original as you have nothing to influence you and the way you come off on a song. There's nothing wrong with having influences. There's no such thing as an artist who never had someone or something inspire them to create but use them as a resource, a template. Study them. Study their flows, the way they craft their rhymes, when they take breathes, they fuck up, how they perform etc. But DON'T become their clone! Be yourself, which leads me to my next tip.
2- Know who you are. Posers may sound good but the rappers who lasted the longest are the ones who stayed true to themselves. Some things work for you, some things don't. The things that don't, throw them away. They're going to slow you down. They will hinder you from making GREAT music. Anyone can make good; GREAT is what you want to aim for. Think of it like this, Jay-Z did "I Can't Get Wit' That". It was a good song. But "Dead Presidents" is GREAT. How can you tell? Which one was his breakout track? Exactly.
3- Don't be afraid to be yourself! Knowing who you are as a person is one thing. Writing it out is another. Don't be afraid to be YOU. If you can honestly look at yourself in the mirror and be confident in who you are, put it down on paper. If you can't honestly look at yourself in the mirror and be confident in who you are, put it down on paper. People are going to relate to you regardless. Here's why: As much people say that there is no one like them, there are. You wouldn't have friends if you didn't. We all have shared experiences. Your job as a rapper is to connect people who have your shared experiences through your words. I'm going to throw a word out there and what is the first thing that pops in your mind. Ready?
“Super Nintendo”
Do you think of playing Super Mario World as a kid? Do you remember not having one growing up because your family couldn't afford it? Do you remember being "rivals" with someone had one because you had a Sega Genesis? Do you think of the third verse from "Juicy"?Regardless of your reaction, there's someone else in this world who will have the very same reaction to that word. And other words. Your words.
Capitalize off that.It will help you to develop your sound, your style, your delivery, your you.
4- Have range. As cool as it is to spit a hot 16 with a bunch of punchlines or do a club banger, you need to have substance. Without substance, you're just another mixtape rapper. And I don't need to name names. You know them. Do you honestly see them going past battle DVDs? Do you want that for yourself? And this is not to say that you need to have a cause or be "conscious" and want everyone to hug each other. That's crap. Be who you are but be more than someone with a lot of metaphors and do rock the club. You'll gain longevity when you do.
5- Have vision. You need to have a plan for whatever it is you want to accomplish. Period. I can't tell you how to have vision or develop and neither can anyone else. Find it for yourself. How RZA made Wu-Tang into a legend they are and how 50 Cent made himself into a legend are two completely different things. They went completely different avenues but regardless, they achieved success. Figure out what steps fit you, define what success means for you (both in the intrinsic and extrinsic sense), THEN you write.
6- Have purpose. More important, really before any of the tips, why are you doing this? For fun? To make money? To change lives? Whatever the case may be, you need to have a reason to write; otherwise you're just scampering. Running around throwing away your money and time. Use your talent, time and money wisely.
Now go write.
Peace and Love...
VW l8-)
ASTERISK – Have no hate! There’s nothing wrong with not liking certain artists. That’s fine. You didn’t like everyone you’ve come across in your lifetime. Pay them no mind. Don’t sit there and talk crap about another MC. Hip-hop is the only artform where there is constant hate. Whether it’s some underground schmuck or a mainstream schmuck, rappers are the only ones who constantly hate on each other over nothing. Hate will only slow you down. No one connects to haters in the grand scheme of things. Sure you’re ripping some open mic somewhere and people rock with you here and there but in the larger sense, who cares about what you have to say if you’re only spewing hate for someone else? Get it out of your blood. Prince didn’t get where he is today by saying “Fuck Michael Jackson” every 5 minutes. The Temptations didn’t come out with songs completely disrespecting The Blue Notes. Show love and love will be returned. Point blank. Period.
Monday, September 14, 2009
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