First 48

Da God 6EE <From http://theswellclub.com>

Da God 6EE's "First 48" single is finally here and all we can say is.... Watch out! From humble beginnings Da God 6EE  is taking his 'mission statement/motto' INeverRapped2BCool to higher level. You read his story here [Da God 6EE Interview] and now we're feeding his first single, produced by none other, No I.D. 

First 48 was his way of telling people what he's about... "The combination of will, wisdom and wittyness. I'm what you get when you mix conscious and griddyness.... Much love to my fans who understand me, cause they know its more than rap; its philanthropy." But enough of us talking about this amazing single, listen for yourself:

MLK Tribute

Today, we commemorate and celebrate the life, and work, of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A man who audaciously fought for civil rights, dreaming of a better day for our community. Years later, we see King's dream come into fruition with the election of America's first African American president. But of course, we have a long way to go! 


Around the world, many are celebrating this day in honor of this great man, even those in Hip Hop. Vibe Magazine conducted an interview with Talib Kweli, about Dr. King's dream, whether Hip Hop is fulfilling it and what he plans to do to celebrate the holiday [Talib Kweli Vibe Interview]. Vibe poignantly asked Talib, "do you think Hip Hop still cares about remembering his legacy"? Talib responded acknowledging King's work for the Black community and said Hip Hop could not exist if it were not for Dr. King and the culture recognizes that. And of course we do! 


Look back at Common's "I Have A Dream" song featuring Will.I.Am; a song that merges the lyrics of Common and that of King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech. "In search of brighter days, I write through the maze of madness... I have a dream that one day, Imma look deep within myself, I got to find a way". 

Or even look at the 'Rock the Vote' campaign the Democratic party used to mobilize youth to vote. This was a campaign that was influenced by music, art and pop culture; a campaign that significantly impacted the election of Barack Obama. 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockthevote/2817172303/" title="Pharrell Williams with N.E.R.D. by Rock the Vote, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3052/2817172303_5641d310d8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pharrell Williams with N.E.R.D."></a>


You can even look all the way back to Gil Scott Heron, the "Godfather of Rap" whose memoir was released today; the same man who established a year long tour to make this day a national holiday. [The Last Holiday]


It is obvious from the birth of this entity, those who contribute to it always recognized the great Dr. King. Talib closed his interview with Vibe saying, "Holidays are just another day for me because I try to celebrate in life". In March 1968, right before his death, Dr. King prolifically spoke about justice and work. "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence". As we move forward, don't only take January 16th to honor the work and legacy of Dr. King. Use all 365 days to uplift the community, whether it is within your Hip Hop lyrics, political work or teaching. 

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of HOPE"....

Dr. King National Memory <From http://history.com>

 

Glory

Recently, the mogul, Jay Z and Queen Bey gave birth to their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Jay Z took to the studio to give his daughter a "thank you" for giving him one of his greatest gifts!

Jay Z's simplistic record marks a beautiful day in Hip Hop as he shares his father-daughter love to the world, something we may not hear much in this realm of music. Take a listen to this beautiful record and ode to his child of destiny right here:

Gold Rush

 Nate “Richezz” Ford, Jr. has taken part of the music industry by storm through his zeal and dedication. CEO of All World Music Group and Richezz Touch Promotions, Assistant to Sony RCA Entertainment and General Manager of the Intern Showcase are just some of the many titles that Nate effortlessly carries. Through his love for all music, he never neglects his relationship to Hip Hop and through a powerful interview he demonstrated how he stood as an ambassador for the entity.

Nate was born and raised in Queens, NY, where music was rooted in him at a young age. Nate attributed much of his industry success to his parents. His mother, Laurie Kingsberry, implanted a love for music through her singing and even raising Nate in the church, in which he began to play the drums at the age of seven until he left for college. His father’s drive and passion was contagious and it was inevitable that his son would catch it. With these two seeds planted, Nate flourished into an all-around growing businessman in music and Hip Hop.

From high school to college he put his passion for music on the backseat while he became a rising football star. However, when Nate entered his junior year at Pace University he realized football was coming to an end and that it was time to hone in on his passion for music. In 2010, All World Music Group was established and it blossomed right away, opening shows for J Cole, Fabolous, Miguel, Gym Class Heroes, etc. By January 2011, Richezz Touch Promotions was born. This lifestyle promotions/marketing company began with the release of artist, Sto’mac’s mixtape To Infinity and Beyond. With 10,000 downloads, this project introduced Nate to the marketing and promotions aspect of the industry, establishing a company that focuses on unsigned projects and putting a “major label” effect on such projects.

Nate stands as an individual actively involved in the life of unsigned artists through the realm of Hip Hop, so it was only right to ask where he saw Hip Hop in years to come. In the coming years, Nate believed that this phenomenon would see a serious resurgence of New York City Hip Hop. A compelling statement because it showed the circular narrative of Hip Hop; how it was birthed in Bronx, NY, expanded globally but in years you would possibly see a resurgence of its roots.

Closing his interview, I asked to describe Hip Hop in one word and Nate boldly chose expression. “Hip Hop is the expression of all things. It expresses one's creative attitude, demeanor, style, wit, etc". Nate and I further discussed Hip Hop as a true art form and its "power to change the world".

Beyond the Lyrics thanks Nate “Richezz” Ford, Jr. for taking what he had, establishing growing companies and exemplifying the expression of Hip Hop; the very expression that he took to give life to unsigned artists in order for them to tell their story while empowering others.

Follow Nate and his amazing brands via Twitter --> @MrRichezz, @AllWorldStudios and @RichezzTOUCH.

INeverRapped2BCool

INeverRapped2BCool. A movement (and independent record label) that came to life in 2011 by Godfrey Henry, or better known as, Da God 6EE; a passionate, hungry emerging rap artist that devotes his music to the social consciousness of Hip Hop. I had the esteem pleasure to interview Godfrey learning about the man behind his music and his relationship to the art form.

Godfrey hails from the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, New York, in which he was raised in a Haitian single-parent household. He has been making and recording music since he was about 16, but it wasn’t until he began his college career at Syracuse University where he recognized his potential and the advantage of the collegiate market. Through the campus' Verbal Blend Open Mics, he met a young man by the name of Jason Adams. Since their meeting they worked together, establishing the duo Genesys. In the summer of 2009, together they created “What U Wanna Do” and by Fall 2009 they released their Lyrical Exercise Mixtape. Afterwards, they created a music video (produced by Tari Wariebi) for their single “Whateva U Want”. By 2011, they released their final work together, Genesys Live.com. With students enjoying his music, performances and interviews with campus publications, Godfrey yearned for more and was ready to take his music to higher heights. Spring 2010 was his last semester at Syracuse University and he started a new journey at Baruch College under the Business Management program.

While speaking with Godfrey, you could hear his gumption and drive. I became enthralled with Godfrey’s up-and-coming music journey, but he wowed me even more as he began to discuss the very thing that bought us together: Hip Hop. When he was asked about the state of Hip Hop and its future state in five years, he came with a response you don’t hear often. “To me Hip Hop never really changed. The commercialism makes it look more different but it’s the same culture it was when it first started”. He further delved into the difference between evolving and changing, and how he thought a person could evolve, but not necessarily change. This was his way of touching on the global, multi-dimensional aspect of the culture, in which it evolved into something greater, and larger, but its roots is still very present.

With our interview we engaged in our thoughts about music, his beginnings, his name origin and where he planned to go. Da God 6EE came from a mixture of what his primary school teacher, Ms. Owens, and childhood friend, Mark called him. Mrs. Owens would call him “Da God”, short for Godfrey and for his originality in the poetry that he wrote. While his childhood friend gave him the name “Gee” spelled uniquely with a 6. A name that embodies his life journey and where he continues to go…

He is working on his first solo body of work, My Perspective Is Rare, where it is entirely his vision – a 21-year old young man articulating himself about coming from the bottom and not conforming. With this piece of work, Godfrey “Da God 6EE” Henry is ready to deliver a message; a message where he tells many that he never rapped to be cool. 

For more about this growing, dynamic artist, check out his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter: @DaGod6EE.