Month: September 2005

Obie Trice's life story rhymes with street experience, hard work, determination and patience

One of the greatest misconceptions about Obie Trice is that he is « the guy who raps for Mr Mathers » and that he had it all easy to become the successful rapper he is now. Many people think that Obie became Marshall’s protégé and that his way to fame was easily traced.
That’s totally untrue. Obie had to struggle and to earn street experience a hard way.
If you have bought Cheers, you are probably aware of Mr Trice’s beefs with his mom that are expressed in the Don’t Come Down song (and video).
Rapping Skills
Obie describes him as an introverted kid: « I was kinda like an introvert »
Since the beginning, the talented rapper possessed writing skills:
« As a real young dude, I used to write my short stories and just listen to music and chill. »
Obie has always been a skilled pupil at school. While being at middle school, he started writing some rap lyrics. At 14, he became a regular visitor of the hip hop shop.
Drugs and pistols
The young man dropped from school in the 10th grade. The greed for money made Obie peddle drugs:
«  Seeing dudes getting money, I wanted that. In my mid-teen, I would be high as hell off weed.
The situation worsened and Elnora Trice had no other choice left than kicking her youngest son out of her house:
« My mom would find rocks all in the crib. I just became a problem and she had to let me get up out of the house. »
Street life
In constant need of cash, Obie was struggling each evening to find a place to rest. When he didn’t get a sufficient amount of cash, he would sleep in the streets of Detroit City:
« I used to sleep on the corner of my man’s street . »
Juggling between minimum wage blue collar jobs, Obie’s future didn’t look bright:
«  I had the real blue U-Haul blankets-on the corner »
When his daughter Kobie was born in 1998, Obie decided to use his « hustle » money in order to get his music pressed.
The start of a musical career
Obie’s first track came out in 1999. It was entitled « The Well Known Asshole » and was promoted on the local scene. « The Well Known Asshole » was followed by « Dope, Jobs, Homeless ».
Despite his numerous efforts to promote his work, the young, yet unsigned rapper wasn’t really welcomed by New York producers.
« I rocked the local nightclubs and the hip-hop shows. I sold records out of the trunk. We traveled to New York and got doors slammed in our face. That’s what I had to go through. I didn’t come straight from high school into the pros. I had to go to college and put it down for a minute. »
Bizarre made it happen
Rufus Johnson aka Bizarre has always been convinced of Obie’s amazing talent. He is actually the key person to introduce Obie Trice to Marshall Mathers in 2000.
The talented rapper managed to impress Eminem (which is far from being easy).
Bizarre was like, « Why don’t you spit for him right quick . »
« I think he spit a verse and then the other half of a verse and I was like, I heard enough. It was a wrap from there. I was pretty much filling out the paperwork. »
(Eminem)
Signing with Shady Records and Interscope
In 2001, obie was eventually signed to Shady Records. However, he had to wait for 2 years before his first record would be released.
Patiently waiting
When an aspiring rapper gets signed to a major label, he is often very eager to hold the mic, to jump on stage and to get his record released straight away.
Even when you are as gifted as Obie actually is, you ought to know that the music industry follows its own rules and principles. The best way to handle them is to be armed with an infinite patience.
Obie didn’t really feel comfortable at his arrival to Shady Records:
« I really didn’t feel safe, ’cause I didn’t know Eminem and I didn’t know the business part of it.”
In 2002, Obie made his first stage appearance at the Anger Management Tour 2002.
The public started noticing him a little bit with several tracks like his skit on the Devil’s Night album (track Nr15) and his verse from the Love Me song from the 8 Mile soundtrack.
At the time Cheers came out, people didn’t really know about Obie, particularly in Europe. I remember that I was looking for his album around September-October 2003 and some clerk asked me : « Obie Trice? This guy does rock’n roll music, doesn’t he? ». I nearly laughed my ass off in front of a man who was supposed to sell records in the rap section of our music shop.
In 2003, 50 Cent outshined many other raising stars. The overwhelming success of Get Rich Or Die Trying left nearly no chance for another rapper to get noticed on a large scale.
However, Cheers sold platinum. Obie ‘s talent overcame, despite the unfavorable conditions he was facing with the huge promotion around 50 Cent.
2003 was 50’s year. But Obie has conquered a lot of rap lovers’ heart and he is getting more and more recognition for hard work that eventually paid off.
Second Rounds On Me
Obie has nearly completed his second album. He will come up with more personal stuff and show his true character in his next album. Be prepared for some good music written in a unique style of his.

Wreckidz Perfect Storm mixtape review

Rating: Four stars and a half
Mr Nash and Shuteye introduce the first track, Holla Back, a nice hood anthem.
While both emcees spit with enthusiasm and call out their rival emces, light toothing-stone sounds and drums introduce you into a euphoric atmosphere and make you feel the pleasure of being a player in the rap game. Throw your hands up and Holla Back at the gifted emcees.
Step up in the colorful world of addiction and discover Jimmy Gattz’ talent in a very energetic flow delivery. Drug Music, either you love it or lose it, hate it or use it. Jimmy Gattz spits for criminals and produces some raw energy through his presence. A track that will get you hooked in no time. Instrumentally rich (pianos, drums, violins, keyboards), rhythmic, Jimmy Gattz’ rapid flow and amazing lyrical ability will probably enchant many of you.
Fuck The Radio is probably one of the most interesting tracks from the whole mixtape, because it raises the interesting debate « mainstream rap vs. underground rap ». True hip hop lovers know that the roots of rap music are to be found in non commercial tracks.
Fuck The Radio raises the problematic of the labels forcing rappers to be commercial. Hip Hop is in the state of 911 , Sham and Poseidon perfectly know it. Against a cliché hip hop, both emcees are determined not to follow rules made by the FCC and they will flow the way they are used to. Fuck the Radio breaks the dictatorship of the media. Sham and Poseidon’s way of expressing it is very moving, because they obviously want to stay true to hip hop rather than making big money. Fuck The Radio, and let true hip hop invade you space and rock your universe. No place for bling bling rap, both rappers made it perfectly clear.
Mat Pat introduces you into a nice track, Kid Named MP that is all about a skilled rapper. Good lyrics, an emcee who flows with confidence and a soft melody reinforced by some nostalgic notes won’t leave the listener indifferent.
Blazey Blah is the anti blah blah blah song that is aimed at people who run their mouths in vain brought to you by D.O.G.
Short piano sounds represent the menace against all those people who talk in vain.
Don’t miss Ground Zero a very well lyrically handled song featuring Sham.
Globally the Perfect Storm mixtape is a masterpiece of work. Big props to Mr Dilligence for producing this great CD. Lyrical masters like Mr Nash, Jimmy Gattz, Sham, Shuteye and many other very valuable emcees have contributed to this musical jewel. Instrumentally, very original work has been done and I the album deserves much praise for that too.
You can check all those amazing Massachusetts artists here.

Psychology of the poser

I have been confronted by so many posers since I became a fan of Eminem in 2001. Fake Eminems, people pretending to be Nathan Mathers, girls pretending to be in touch with Marshall Mathers etc…
I might have been naïve in the beginning, but after spending several years on the net, I think that I have managed to penetrate posers’ psychology a little bit. Today I intend to expose posers’ strategies and silly behaviors.
What are the main reasons why posers pretend to be somebody else than the person they actually are?
Usually, those persons are bored and have plenty of time. I’d say mostly bored teenagers with no life or who are going through such difficult situations that they really want to forget about who they are.
Posers are, most of the time, big attention whores. They target the places where they can get a lot of attention from people. (I’m taking Eminem’s example, but I am sure that there are many Britney Spears and Snoop Dogg posers as well…)
Then they post a message that resembles this one:
« Yo, peeps. This is Em. Just wanted to say hello to my fans. Email me any time at rapdogg75@hotmail.com. »
O my God, what a silly trap! Does this kind of poser really think that a man like Eminem or any other artist would display his email publicly? Are you aware of the many mad emails he would get?
I am just a fan of his, but through my personal website, I get many scary emails from fans who think I am Eminem, despite the fact that make a full presentation of myself on my Eminem dedicated website (including photos).
I often get mails like « Em, you are sooooooooo hottttttttttttt, please answer. » or « Is this Eminem? I love you soooooo much I wanna blow you »
Crazy, ain’t it? If I was Eminem, I’d freak out!
Sometimes, those people get so much obsessive that I have no other solution than putting them on a block list. So, if somebody pretends to be Eminem and includes his screen name or his email on a public message board, you can be sure this person is not him.
I am addressing to very young girls in particular. Be very careful about giving your email to a person who pretends to be Eminem. It could be a pervert or even a murderer, you never really know who is who on the internet, unless you have met the person you are corresponding with.
Among the bored teenagers, some also pretend to be in touch with Eminem or with his brother. Their motivations? It is quite obvious to me…those boys or girls are so much bored and feel so lonely, they want to become popular and make a lot of friends on the net. Of course, they will manipulate those friends with fake stories.
Most of the posers are unsatisfied and manipulative people. They feel the great need to be considered as important because their personality is like split between the insignificant and boring person they actually are and the celebrity they admire.
They have often studied their idol’s life and details and some of them posers are very good at their game.
However, posers have to be aware of several things:
-sooner or later, they will make some mistakes…you might have studied your idol, but you don’t know everything.
– they should consider that people will become suspicious sooner or later. It is possible to trace your IP and to prove where you actually come from.
No need to say you’re from Detroit when you live in the UK. Our modern technologies give us the means to make you drop the mask.
– also, don’t be so sure that you have played your victim. Your « victim » might have doubts and could make your mask drop very easily.
Sometimes, it is not easy to prove that a person is a poser. But even if you want to play with the poser and make him believe you fully trust him, there is one rule to follow on the internet: never trust anybody a 100%.
Eminem doesn’t like the internet. He stated it. Why would he spend like 5 hours on the net when we perfectly know how hectic his life can be? Ever thought about that?
Don’t allow the posers to play with you. Play with them and trap them.
Fuck those bored people who should definitely get a life!

Charlie Watts, a fan of Eminem

CHARLIE WATTS LOVES EMINEM
SIR MICK JAGGER has exposed his ROLLING STONES bandmate CHARLIE WATTS as a huge EMINEM fan. British rocker Jagger, 62, has revealed that Watts adores the musical works of the controversial rapper – and he’s particularly fond of his latest album ENCORE.
Jagger tells Maxim magazine, “You know who likes the new Eminem record? Charlie Watts. I haven’t even heard it, but Charlie keeps telling me I have to listen to it. There’s just so much music out there.”
And Jagger also has a few surprises in his own playlist: “I like a real mixture. I download everything from classical music to country to folk music to New Age music to young British bands to blues bands. I listen to absolutely everything.
“I just listened to the new MISSY ELLIOTT album, and I’m not sure if it’s that great. I’ll have to give it a few more goes. I’ve been playing a lot of this new English band the 22-20s. They’re really good, but they do sound a lot like the Stones.”