Month: April 2007

Today I would like to address to all of you who share the same passion as me for music journalism, no matter of they are aspiring writers or very experienced in the job.
Many people do think that what only matters in writing jobs are experienced people who manage to write very well structured texts and who will bring brilliant demonstrations of literacy and musical knowledge on paper. Little did you know if you think those details will make a brilliant and acclaimed music journalist of you.
While it is true that you need to meet some basic requirements to attract a readership that will include a quite proper spelling, some obvious editing skills, a good knowledge of the subject you are talking about, you can count them as nothing if you are not motivated by a genuine passion for what you are doing.
You obviously have to write with your heart and soul in order to communicate the same intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm to your readership. It is not only about raising rap or music fans interest, it is also about managing to captivate a neophyte s interest, sharing a genuine passion with the world and making the reader feel that it is real.
I once read a story about an interpreter who was singing I Know My Savior Lives. Technically, her interpretation seemed perfect, until she got some objective criticism that sounded like : Very good, miss…but you don t seem to know that your Savior lives…
Do you get my point? No matter how excellent you are in mastering your craft, you must be able to put some real feelings in what you are doing.
As Proof stated it in one of his songs, I put my soul to the ink should be a writer s state of mind when he is addressing to a readership.
As an employer, if I had to choose between a gifted, impersonal writer and a person with a genuine passion who happened to make some slight mistakes, I d chose the second person with no hesitation. You can always perfect mistakes, but you could barely remove the coldness from a so called perfect article.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

With his dreadlocks that reinforce his cool rasta looks, Joseapher is repping North Valledjo, California. Joseapher develops his craft by combining different musical styles. His astute use of electronic instrumentals with rhythmic claps and a harsh instrumental background will allow the listener to appreciate the artist s craft. His verbal encription is enlightened by a confident flow delivery.
I m Always Stunting combines the qualities mentioned above and is rich of a good dose of humor.
Repetitive, cadenced flute sounds totally match with Joseapher s sarcastic humor. Joseapher intentionally targets the many bling bling rappers in the game. Everybody might look like a rapper, but very few actually deserve the title.
What They Talking ‘ Bout is beautifully rhythmic. Drumbeats, keyboards, dark electric guitar mixed up with light flute sounds will allow the listener to fully enjoy Joseapher s verbal dexterity.
Come into Joseapher s world. Discover more about him here.
Copyright2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Immortal Technique is certainly not your average emcee. Witty and rough worded in his lyrics, Immortal Technique doesn t speak out to please mainstream rap labels nor greedy politicians. The NYC emcee, who is a living underground legend, tells you things the way you are, no matter if you like it or not.
His message is a clear rebellion against a corporate America lead by a bunch of greedy, professional liar politicians.
CIA Murder Me RMx exposes facts in their nudity. With his gritty voice, Immortal Technique stands up against the American government s lies who is trying to blind the great mass of citizens. Massive lies come to light. A heavy instrumental background made of rhythmic drum beats and keyboard sounds leaves place for a lyrical rebellion. Instruments and lyrical mastery courageously reveals how much the average citizen is the victim of political and religious manipulations. Flashback to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, light on Bible stories, light on terrorism and bad political moves: you can t escape from Immortal Technique s clear vision of facts.
Caught In The Hustle starts with light guitar and violins notes mixed up with keyboards and drum beats. The astute wordsmith Immortal Technique actually is will introduce you into his revolutionary world.
Watch Out..who you fucking with is already an underground classic. The harsh musical background that enlightens Immortal Technique s raspy voice progressively reveals Immortal Technique s truth. Prophetic, harsh in his words, very lucid about the contemporary mainstream music industry, the clever emcee is the voice of the hood and of the underpriviledged of the Third World.
Pay attention to him: he has a consistent message for our contemporary society. His witty mind gives an objective analysis of our contemporary world.
Don t sleep on the talented emcee. Check him here.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

April 24, 2007
By BRIAN McCOLLUM
FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER
A pair of Detroit music institutions may join forces and reconnect a local superstar to his past.
Eminem’s manager, Detroit native Paul Rosenberg, is vying to lease and operate the St. Andrew’s Hall complex in downtown Detroit, sources familiar with negotiations told the Free Press this week.
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Entertainment conglomerate Live Nation, which has owned and managed the venue since the late 1990s, has chosen not to sell the property, after quietly placing it on the market earlier this year.
But sources said the company is hammering out a deal with Rosenberg that will likely give him control of the hall’s liquor license and day-to-day operations. Live Nation would retain the property and rights to concert booking.
The deal, which may be completed next month, would run to several hundred-thousand dollars, said a source. Like others, the source asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of negotiations.
Spokesmen for both Eminem and Live Nation did not comment today.
The extent of Eminem’s potential involvement remains unclear. Michigan law does not allow liquor licenses to be held by convicted felons. Eminem pled guilty in 2001 to a concealed-weapon charge stemming from an incident at a Warren club; he’ll be eligible to expunge the conviction from his record in 2008.
St. Andrew’s Hall and its basement room, the Shelter, comprise one of the city’s longest-running live music venues. Best known for its alternative-rock bills in the ’80s and ’90s — it was often the first Detroit stop for up-and-comers such as Nirvana — the hall has increasingly embraced hip-hop and dance programming.
It’s also got a special place in Eminem lore: The theater was a site for many of the rapper’s earliest performances, and went on to be immortalized in the semi-biographical film “8 Mile.”
Contact BRIAN McCOLLUM at 313-223-4450 or mccollum@freepress.com.

DJ Erupt puts fire and passion into his art wherever he goes. His undeniable talent and love for his art make a very noticeable artist of him on the current hip hop scene.
Back in 2002, DJ Erupt took a DJing job as a transition job while he was achieving his military service. He started organizing small parties and gigs in Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia. Very much focused on promoting hip hop underground artists, DJ Erupt saw his fan base grow as time passed by. The talented DJ decided to spend more time on studying mixtapes and increasing his knowledge of the underground scene.
After a little break, DJ Erupt moved to Detroit City where he grabbed the chance to pursue art studies. He then decided to collaborate with a local management company, Chopper City music. There he seized the numerous promotional and business opportunities that BG and his staff offered him.
DJ Erupt also collaborated with some colleges in order to promote some independent artists.
Rich of an experience of 6 years, specialized in digital mixtape DJing, constantly improving and working on virtual turntables, computer and CD, DJ Erupt has accomplished a lot.
DJ Erupt has worked on the following mixtapes:
All In One Series, Myspace Take Ova, Step Ya Game Up Series, Special Delivery, Urban Warfare (/w Elpadrino) Hip-Hop Compilation Series
Artistic promotion and a genuine dedication being constantly on his mind, DJ Erupt will be working on the following upcoming projects:
Hip-Hop Compilation Vol. 2, Myspace Takeova II (all female Artists) Street Talk w/Rog-D, Murdakkh, Sin, NOUS-T, Mr. Smakman, Menace, and Elpadrino, just to name a few.
DJ Erupt s remarkable work is definitely worth a look. Discover the dedicated artist here.
Copyright2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Credit to Rap Basement.Com
Rapper Eminem is in talks to buy St. Andrew’s Hall, a Detroit venue owned by Live Nation.
According to The Detroit News, Eminem is negotiating to buy the venue from Live Nation, formerly Clear Channel Entertainment, for an undisclosed amount.
Live Nation, which was created in 2005, owns or operates over 120 performance venues worldwide.
As part of the deal, Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg will manage the operation, while the venue’s current management would run the day-to-day operations of the club.
The venue was popularized in Eminem’s hit movie 8 Mile.
The battle scenes in the movie were filmed in an area of St. Andrew’s called “The Shelter” and Eminem name check’s the venue on the song “One Shot, 2 Shot.”
St. Andrews hosts performances by a number of up and coming rock and Hip-Hop acts.
Representatives for Eminem had no comment.

With his heavy, dark voice, his confident spirit, his dark basslines accompanied with some rapid, hammering piano notes in the background, Reddot aka Scootman knows how to raise his listeners interest with his astute wordplays in his Be Easy song.
Father featuring Lady Day is built on softer female vocals. The song exposes a dramatic situation of a son missing his father s absence in his life.
My City is based on some strong instrumentals. Reddot aka Scootman knows how to represent his area with pride. Philly, the original capital of gangsta rap, is put on the map. The instrumentals suggest a dark, rough struggling atmosphere that is reinforced by the female emcee rapping on the track.
Hungry to discover more about Reddot s talent?
Check him out here.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Read his full interview at All Hip Hop Com.

First of all thanks to you for coming and reading me!
I would like to make a little announcement:
Due to some personal happenings in my life and a busy schedule, the Eminem blog might take a little hiatus. Doesn’t mean that I will stop writing, though.
It just means that I will have less time to write, but be sure I will keep the passion alive, no matter what. The music and its interpretation through words will ALWAYS be part of my life. I might be posting less stuff for a little while, but please, keep reading me…I will always come up with some new stuff.
So no worries and no matter what: the Eminem blog will be kept updated regularly.
Your favorite writer (lol),
Isabelle

Rating of the product: 4.5 stars
Despite the fact he is a lyrical genius that made impression on his public at the early age of 14, Nas is probably one of the most overlooked mainstream artists. Usually people who don t like the brilliant artist are those who attach less importance to well constructed lyrics and who don t value his astute use of the instrumentals.
Nas is probably one of the few contemporary mainstream emcees who kept true to the roots of hip hop. His best of will allow you to appreciate or maybe to discover the incredible artist Nasir Jones actually is.
Nas is the magician who manages to make syllables collide and match together in a streetwise manner. There is always a subtle touch of Nas biggest influences that is noticeable with the astute use of his instrumentals. Not only by naming them, but also by remembering them on his musical background, Nas never forgets to pay tribute to great legends such as Ray Charles. The richness of his music is highly pleasurable for the attentive ear. The more you listen to him, the more you realize how much of a genius Nas actually is.
J Period and Nas will take you back to 1991 with an explosive freestyle that is enhanced with some intense scratch sounds. It will allow you to appreciate Nas astute way of handling words. Let him choke vowels and mix them up together in an incredible word cascade.
Made You Look is the first single out of Nas God s Son album. It is a brilliant demonstration of literacy and keeps the flame for real hip hop alive. How is Nas going to make them fake gangstas look? Probably like a slave on the page of his rhyme book . The intensity of the track is fully enhanced with the vocals and gunshots in the background.
Nas Is Like is one of hip hop s greatest jewels in which the gifted artist fully masters his lyrical dexterity. The classic is taken out of Nas I Am album.
It inspired many artists, including local Detroit talent Royce da 5.9 who used it in his recent The Bar Exam mixtape.
Soft violins and scratches totally match with Nas beautiful street poetry.
Life s A Bitch is fulfilled with ghetto rage. Nas excels at his game. The soft instrumentals and rapid drum beats combination will suggest an overheated situation. Trumpet notes conclude the thriller alike track.
I also recommend you the Make The Music freestyle that is a beautiful example of a full mastery of rhyming and flow.
Street Dreams is another well handled song inspired by Eurythmics Sweet Dreams converted in a, rhythmic, ironic, street version.
Globally, The Best Of Nas CD contains a wide range of Nas classics in which the Street Disciple will teach you his street wise knowledge.
Curious to continue your exploration and to go deeper into the subject? Go for it…cop your CD with no hesitation!
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved