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Rapper Capital Steez Of Progressive Era Commits Suicide On Christmas Eve
(AllHipHop News) A member of a rising Brooklyn rap group committed suicide early this morning (December 24).
Capital Steez of the rap group Progressive Era aka Pro Era, took his own life at some point early this morning.
The rapper posted a chilling, final tweet just before he committed suicide.
https://twitter.com/CapitalSTEEZ_/status/283074491498770432
Group member Joey Bada$$ took to Twitter, to mourn his fallen friend.
“Giving my respects to Capital Steez & his family,” Joey Bada$$ tweeted. “We should all be thankful for what he has done for the Pro Era family.”
The news comes on the heels of a breakout year for Progressive Era and it’s leader Joey Bada$$, who released several successful videos, including the one below featuring Capital Steez:
@Ludacris Ft. @Pusha_T & @TheRealSwizzBeatz “Tell Me What They Mad For”
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EXCLUSIVE: Cappadonna On “Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre” and Getting That Wu-Tang Feel Again
Cappadonna has had an interesting position when it comes to a career in Hip-Hop music. Always an affiliate, and eventually an official member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Cappadonna has had both a more outside and complete inside view of the Clan’s day-to-day relations.
Planning to drop his Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre album this coming February along with announcing the targeted release of his sequel to the 1998 classic, The Pillage, Capppa’s target is mass product in 2013. Like other veteran artists, he is also becoming more reflective in his music, something he says he believes is only inevitable.
“I just see myself basically settling down with it and really finding something that’s comfortable,” he says. “That works, and I really think that I’m on top of my mojo.” AllHipHop.com speaks to the Staten Island legend about his recent work, the happenings going on within the Clan, and more:
AllHipHop.com: Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre is coming near the top of 2013. Last year, you dropped The Pilgrimage. What was the mindset behind this one and what can fans be anticipating?
Cappadonna: I believe this one right here, I leaned back a little on it. I just got more into the message and the music man, and just tried to focus on that a little more – production by J. Glaze. I kind of was just really free in the mind when I did this CD right here – Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre – those are elements right there. That fire’a that truth, and that wind, that’s the substance, and the Earth is the strength that keeps me grounded. So these elements right here exist within my style and life, what I had to go through, so I got that and I got the other double CD with DJ Snips and J-Ronin and of those producers, good looking out for J-Ronin on A&R’ing the project. But yeah, things is right, man.
AllHipHop.com: A lot of veteran artists tell me that they are taking a step back and being more reflective over their music and their music careers. Is that what you’re doing with this one at all?
Cappadonna: Yeah, man. I always look at the kind of work that I was doing, and I definitely, from myself hear a little more maturity in this album and some growing. Even trap-wise, I sound like I’m really trying to put a little more together than usual.
AllHipHop.com: You were featured on Wu-Tang’s “Six Directions of Boxing” off RZA’s Man With The Iron Fists. What was it like recording that track and getting back onto a record with a bunch of Wu members?
Cappadonna: Man, it just felt like we were back to our old tricks again [laughter], so it’s like I definitely want to do more of that, and it was even more fun going to the Jimmy Fallon show and performing the song. It was a beautiful thing, man, and I had a lot of fun doing [it] and even more fun being with the fellas.
AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I remember actually seeing that [Jimmy Fallon] performance. Speaking of Wu-Tang, what’s the vibe like in the Clan right now?
Cappadonna: I think everybody is really trying to get back into the feel of everybody again. We had to do a little separating, soul-searching, but other than that, there’s still mad differences, man, that’s all. We just got a lot of different minds, and everybody don’t always agree on the same thing.
AllHipHop.com: A lot of people remember you as THE guy on “Ice Cream” off of Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. But I think the first time I heard you was when you killed that verse on “Ice Water”. What is your favorite Cappadonna verse ever?
Cappadonna: “Ice Water” is definitely one of my favorite verses, but I like the verse on “Camay”, I like “Winter Warz,” I like “Triumph”, so it’s probably a collaboration of a bunch of different verses, but the one that everybody loves the most is and caused me to love the most is “Winter Warz”.
AllHipHop.com: Maybe a more open and honest question…where are you at this point in your career both as an artist and as a person in your life?
Cappadonna: I just see myself basically settling down with it and really finding something that’s comfortable, that works, and I really think that I’m on top of my mojo. It could be a little sharper, though, but that’s just as far as the music go. But as far as the business, it could definitely use some sharpening.
AllHipHop.com: What’s next for you in the immediate future?
Cappadonna: Man, it’s that The Pillage 2 project, trying to drop that maybe September, and if that’s too soon, then I’m gonna pick another date, but that was one of my thoughts. We’re trying to do Hip-Hop the best way we know how, and balance it out one more time – Wu-Tang forever. Plus, we working on something and we’re just talking; hopefully, something pans out well in that we can all be successful in completing another album with the benefits of our labor.
Look for Cappadonna’s Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre album in February 2013.
#FreshHeat Dice (@OnlyOneDice) Ft. @WillieJoeWB & @Fiend4DaMoney “Dollars & Sense”
@MikePosner Ft. King Chip (@Chip216) “Back Home”
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#AlternativePick Cocaine 80’s “Higher Self”
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Kanary Diamonds (@KanaryD) #BGA “Clique Freestyle”
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@SouljaBoy Ft. BR “I.L.Y.”
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Daily Word: NEVER GIVE UP!!!
Happy Monday, my determined and persistent! And Happy Christmas Eve!
Welcome to the beginning of the best week of your life! The week where you are given a fresh start and an opportunity to do it better than ever! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to being persistent! There is absolute nothing that can stop you from reaching your dreams if you
don’t give up!
The difference between success and failure is that one wasn’t smart enough to know when it was time to call it quits! No matter what logic said they kept going and adjusting themselves along the way until they reached their desired result. The smarter one who gave up (I’m being facetious) has started something new or is working for someone who is following their dream, which has put their original dream on hiatus until further notice!
No matter how things are looking right now, know and understand that if it’s worth having, then it’s worth fighting for! Don’t be the smart logical person who knows when to give up! Be persistent and crazy and know that IT’S ALWAYS TOO EARLY TO QUIT!! And if ever you get the urge, remember these profound words from Richelle Goodrich which say….“Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give in. Don’t ever stop trying. Don’t ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off. But never, ever, ever give up.”
-Ash’Cash
“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” -James A. Michener
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston S. Churchill
“It’s not about what you’re capable of, it’s about what you are willing to endure.” -Orrin Woodward
“There is no such thing as helplessness. It’s just another word for giving up.” -Jefferson Smith
“No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.” -Greg Kincaid
“Do it badly; do it slowly; do it fearfully; do it any way you have to, but do it.” -Steve Chandler
“Rain puts a hole in stone because of its constancy, not its force. Just keep knocking on doors until the right one opens.” -H. Joseph Gerber
“As long as there’s breath in You – PERSIST!” -Bernard Kelvin Clive
TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.
Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.
Gee Roberson Leaves Geffen With LEP Bogus Boys, Hitboy, Launches New Label
(AllHipHop News) Music entrepreneur Gee Roberson has announced the formation of his own, new record label called Blueprint Group.
Roberson, who is currently the Chairman of Geffen Records, will transition out of the role, to run his own company.
In addition to being a full-service record label, Blueprint Group offers managerial and artistic development.
Roberson will put his time running Geffen Records to good use.
“I’m very happy about the knowledge and experience I gained at Geffen that will be very useful going forward in the future,” Roberson said. “Now it’s time to go back to my roots, that entrepreneurial spirit, wrap my arms around my own label and fold it into Interscope Geffen A&M. Based on the relationship I already have with Jimmy [Iovine] and everyone at the label, this is a very natural move that’s filled with synergies.”
Blueprint Group already has signed new acts on the roster, including rapper/producer Hitboy and critically acclaimed Chicago rappers LEP Bogus Boys.
The artists should benefit from Roberson’s deep rolodex, thanks to the success of his two previous companies, Rock Tha World, which managed Kanye West and Hip-Hop Since 1978, which merged with Cortez Bryant’s Bryant Management.
That company, now called Blueprint Group, counts Drake, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Nicki Minaj as artists on the roster.
Roberson and will Cortez Bryant remain co-CEOs of Blueprint Group, while Interscope Geffen A&M will handle the marketing and distribution of the label.
“Gee has an extraordinary entrepreneurial instinct and that spirit has always been an important part of our company,” said Interscope head Jimmy Iovine. “John [Janick, Interscope COO] and I are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Gee on his latest venture.”
Breath Taking: Black Thought Gives The Run Down On His New Film “Yelling To The Sky”
The multi-talented artist Black Thought recently sat down with AllHipHop.com to discuss his role in the new movie, Yelling To The Sky, starring Zoe Kravitz. This particular interview was an AllHipHop.com first, as we are certain it’s the only time a rapper has ever done an entire interview with us while running on a treadmill! Artists, take note – that’s how you work on breath control for your music!
The always impressive Black Thought talked about the filming of Yelling To The Sky, his secret girlfriend since the ’80s, the upcoming Grammy Awards, and some exclusive details about his other recent projects. Check out AllHipHop.com’s breathtaking chat with Black Thought:
AllHipHop.com: Thanks so much for taking a moment to speak to AllHipHop.com about Yelling To The Sky. Can you give us a little background on the movie?
Black Thought: Yelling To The Sky is a semi-autobiographical coming of age story that takes place in modern-day Queens. New York. It’s loosely based on the life of the writer, producer, and director Victoria Mahoney, who comes from a biracial, Irish and African American family. The character that is based on Victoria is played by Zoe Kravitz. Gabourey Sidibe is also in the film, who you know from Precious. She plays Zoe’s arch nemesis in high school. It starts off with Gabourey as a bully, and then they reach a level playing field, and then the tables kind of turn when Zoe Kravitz kind of becomes the bully or the toughie.
Yelling to the Sky clip 3 from MPI Media Group on Vimeo.
I play a character named Roland, who is like a neighborhood elder statesman/street pharmaceutical salesman. [laughs] There’s very much of a Robin Hood quality to my character. I’m selling what I sell, but I’m also taking care of very many people in the neighborhood. I’m paying for funerals and helping people with their tuition, giving gifts, and that sort of thing. You know, I’m like the black Robin Hood!
AllHipHop.com: [laughs] Wow, OK, so was it really interesting to work with Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet’s daughter?
Black Thought: I mean, it was wonderful. I already had a relationship with Zoe because she was in a band that my manager was working with and that my writing partner was working with for a while; the band was called Elevator Fight, and so she was rockin’ out with us at jam sessions and hanging around in the studio with us in Philly for a couple years before I even knew anything about this movie. And, of course, I already know Lenny from touring together and recording together, and I’ve met Lisa Bonet a couple of times. I mean, I’ve always been a fan, and I’ve kinda always felt like Lisa Bonet has been a girlfriend of mine since I was a young dude! [laughter] In my mind, you know, a young dude watching “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World” and yeah.
On another note, a funny note, years ago when we won our first Grammy Award in 1999, an 11- or 12-year-old Zoe Kravitz was seated right behind us in the theater. I actually used to see her all the time just rollin’ around with her dad, and it’s weird that now she’s an adult and she’s like the little homie. [laughs]
AllHipHop.com: What was it about this role that spoke to you and just made you feel like you had to work on this project?
Black Thought: What spoke to me about the role was just the fact that it was different from any other character that I’ve played so far. I’ve been in a few indie films, maybe eight or nine, but often the character that I’m cast as isn’t that far from removed from who I am in real life. They take like some element of my personality – it might not be like every dimension, but it will be some part of me that is like this person that I’m portraying. It’ll be something about this guy; he’s into music or this guy is from Philly, or he grew up as a Muslim or something that had to do with my real life.
And it’s not that I’ve never done anything illegal in the neighborhood, or that I’ve never held any drugs or anything like that, but I’m not from New York. I just felt like I’m a totally different sort of person in real life from than this character Ro was, so it made me want to rise to the challenge. I don’t know, it was like a no brainer to do this film after I met Victoria and I went to the table read, and I clicked with some of the other cast members, like Antonique Smith. With all parties involved, it was just like a no brainer for me to kind of do.
AllHipHop.com: Nice! And speaking of nice, and going back a moment in regards to the Grammys, there’s another Grammy nod for you guys [for Undun as Best Rap Album]. How are you mentally preparing or getting your mind around being up for another statue situation?
Black Thought: Oh, I mean, it’s cool. When we get a Grammy nomination as The Roots, it’s not even as much preparation that takes place for the awards as for the night before the awards where, almost every year that we’ve been nominated, we do a jam session on the night before the Grammys that people come through. And a lot of the nominees come through and other like-minded individuals that we’ve worked with in the industry, and we just rock out all night for like five or six hours. I don’t know if we’re definitely planning on doing it this year, but since The Roots got the Grammy nod and Jimmy Fallon’s Comedy Album got another nomination, I think we’re definitely going to do that event, so that’s what the preparation goes in to.
AllHipHop.com: Well, we wish you and the other members of The Roots the very best of luck on all of that! We know you’re a super busy man, so we’re going to let you get out of here, but before we do, is there anything else you’d like to let the fans know to be on the look out for?
Black Thought: I have another couple of films in the pipeline, one that’s actually on On Demand out there called On The Inside, where I’m playing a corrections officer at an institution for the criminally insane, directed by DW Brown, who wrote and directed it. Also, check out the trailer for a movie I did last year called Must Be The Music, and it was shot in Philly and this is one of those roles where the guy is very much like me in real life, where this guy is a musician and he has issues with his label, and there are a whole host of characters that everyone is familiar with that are gonna be in the movie. Check out On The Inside. That’s it!
Be sure to check out Black Thought and the rest of the cast of Yelling To The Sky, which can be found on Amazon and other online retailers. Watch the trailer for Must Be The Music below:
EXCLUSIVE: Run-DMC’s Christmas In Hollis: 25 Years, $109 Million Later
Almost 25 years ago, Hip-Hop pioneer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and group members Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell were faced with a dilemma.
The trio, which made up pioneering Hip-Hop supergroup Run-DMC, were asked to record a novelty record for a charity album being produced titled “A Very Special Christmas.”
After much contemplation, Run-DMC decided to record the single “Christmas in Hollis” and much to their surprise, the song became one of the most successful tracks in their lucrative catalog.
Every year since it’s release in 1987, “Christmas in Hollis” has been heard on the radio, in movies and especially in television commercials.
AllHipHop.com examines how group member DMC came up with his verse for one of the most popular Christmas songs in American history.
“Christmas in Hollis” is much more than a novelty record. The song has also helped raise $109 million for the Special Olympics, since its release on “A Very Special Christmas,” in 1987.
AllHipHop.com: So “Christmas in Hollis” becomes a huge hit every year around this time. How did you come up with your verse?
DMC: Well for me, it was all personal. First of all, we never thought in 1 million years that Hip-Hop could have a classic record like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby or Perry Cuomo. So 25 years ago they approached us, like “they want y’all to do a Christmas album with Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Eric Clapton.” There were two things: “What the hell you’re trying to ruin us?” Then we were like “yo could this work?” So when I was approached to do my Christmas lyrics, it was literally for me, like Christmas was like when I was a kid. My mother, she was cooking the collard greens, chicken, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, the biscuits, the ham, the sweet potatoes. So when I set down to write my rhyme, I didn’t have to make up a story or fantasy. That’s exactly how it was in my house in Hollis.
AllHipHop.com: Where were you at when you created your verse for Christmas in Hollis?
DMC: That’s so cool you asked me that. I was sitting in my house in my room in Hollis when I wrote my rhyme. You know this was a couple of years after disco was dead. Even those couple of years in, Hip-Hop as a recording industry was still relatively new. Even up to that point everywhere me Run and Jay would go, the question was “is Hip-Hop a fad?” You know you had your powerful songs like “The Message,” “Planet Rock” you know Kurtis Blow even did “Christmas Rapping.” But at that time, Hip-Hop was controversial. It was just becoming commercial, and we damn sure didn’t want to be corny!
AllHipHop.com: What finally sealed the deal for you guys to record the song?
DMC: Once Bill Adler (legendary publicist) finally came up with the idea to use that track. Bill Adler was like “you’re going to do this record for “A Very Special Christmas,” with Bruce Springsteen and all these other people. What do you think about this beat?” He played it for us and the beat was funky. So Jam Master Jay took the beat, arranged it and put it together. Me and Run did our verses, but we still weren’t convinced. But at the end of the first session, we heard the mix and we were like “this s**t is dope.”
AllHipHop.com: Speaking of Jay, do you have any memories of him during this time, since the 10th anniversary of his death recently went by? (Jam Master Jay was killed in his Queens, studio in October 2002 by unknown gunmen)
DMC: You look at a show like “CSI” when the people are in the lab, when Jay was at work, he was like a pioneering mad scientist. Jay is the reason why the song came out dope. DJ’s always make the best producers. If somebody else would’ve called and said they wanted me and Run to put down a Christmas record, I don’t think we would’ve done it and I don’t think we would’ve had a classic. We would’ve had a jingle for that Christmas and it would’ve been over.
AllHipHop.com: It’s definitely a classic, I mean after 25 years, it pops up everywhere all the time. I just heard it in a new commercial for a Honda minivan.
DMC: It’s everywhere right now. I can’t even go to the mall during the holidays cause everybody in the mall screams the lyrics at me. Every person in the mall, you know what comes out of their mouth. They start singing the lyrics to “Christmas in Hollis.”
AllHipHop.com: The song really has become as recognized as some of the more popular Christmas songs throughout history.
DMC: Right, it’s right up there with (breaks into singing) “Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire….” which is unbelievable for a Hip-Hop song.
AllHipHop.com: I know you’re out there on the road promoting is “A Very Special Christmas,” which came out 25 years ago. What’s it like being a part of the 25th anniversary of such an influential album, that has donated so much to charity?
DMC: It’s like being in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame all over again. Look at who I was on that album with. Whitney Houston, Bono, B.B. King. And all the proceeds go to the special Olympics and I just found out today, it’s the most successful benefit recording series ever.
@ChiefKeef “O’Block 4 Life”
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@TheRealStylesP “Been Around”
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#AlternativePick @Frank_Ocean “Wiseman”
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@JaeMillz “God Bless The Child”
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Reggae’s Khalilah Rose: “…Music Can Help Feed the Young – and Get Minds to Open Up…”
Khalilah Rose is Reggae’s songbird. This Roots & Culture Reggae artist surpasses any confines placed upon her genre; she soars along and continues to become a global presence. “Hail H.I.M.”, her international hit single stays atop the charts in several different countries. Africa, the cradle of civilization has enriched her Jamaican roots. If stateside in New York, or diligently working on uplifting music in Bull Bay, the hailed singer/songwriter’s creativity is reinforced with credible lyrics. And, though Khalilah has been blessed with life, health, and strength, the rising icon still experiences the human condition. Family, the nucleus of her world, at times brings stress, but is always there to demonstrate its support.
Unabashed candor envelopes her sincerity. Before continuing, Khalilah inhales a refreshing breath. A smile tugs the corners of her generous mouth, releasing it she continues, “With all honesty, one of my greatest motivations is my family. They want this just as much as I do. They can’t comprehend seeing Khalilah Rose without music; or, music without Khalilah Rose. So, as they see everything progress they keep pushing and inspiring me. They’re helping me so that my life can be balanced and I can keep pushing with the music…” – and with that we begin this exclusive AllHipHop.com feature interview:
AllHipHop.com: Where are you originally from, and where do you currently reside?
Khalilah Rose: Originally, I’m from Africa, of course. My family is from Jamaica. And I currently reside in New York and in Jamaica; I go back and forth.
AllHipHop.com: Since you were brought up the Motherland, I have a question. Is it true that you’re doing African shows for free?
Khalilah Rose: Yes, just as long as they can provide for my transportation and my accommodations. I’m willing to do shows in Africa for free, just as long as the proceeds are going to a charity, to help someone.
AllHipHop.com: That is beautiful. I heard something like that, but I was hating and didn’t believe that you were that altruistic.
Khalilah Rose: [laughs] I did it because I was looking into the amount of money that promoters have to pay to get artists to come to Africa, it was very high. So, you know, I decided that I should do that.
AllHipHop.com: Out of the plethora of things that you could be doing, why do you share your soul through music?
Khalilah Rose: Well, I feel so strongly about the things that go on around me, and the things that happen in the world. They just vibrate through my soul; it’s so intense. I felt like music is such a great tool to talk to a mass amount of people. Music can help to feed the young, and to get minds to open up in a different way.
AllHipHop.com: The Reggae community is known for its diligence stance against homosexuality. Sizzila Kalonji, Beanie Man, Capleton, and Bounty Killa were refused U.S. working visas because they oppose homosexuality. As a woman, and as an artist, what are your views on the subject?
Khalilah Rose: Well, my view is that I know how God intended us on how to live. I believe that the laws of God are very important for us to follow. We all should live for the Most High, and that’s it.
AllHipHop.com: No man is an island. Usually a collective may realize a dream more quickly than a solitary individual. As a Roots & Culture Reggae artist, how would you describe the factors that lead you to trust your career in the hands of a Hip-Hop manager?
Khalilah Rose: Being someone who has responsibilities, a family, I have to be there for them. I have to balance myself. In order to balance myself, management is there to take care a lot of the business aspect of the music for me. So, that way, I can be there for my family. That’s the most important factor.
AllHipHop.com: “Jah Is Living” and “Hail H.I.M” are a couple of your many songs celebrating God. What makes you reference God so much when we live in a society that likes to shun His existence?
Khalilah Rose: I pray a lot. And I’ve realized when I’m going through so many hard times, if I need anything, I can just ask God for whatever I need. I just want the world to realize that we have the power to achieve anything and to heal any wounds. And it is through God. I just wish He was more vocalized. In mainstream music, and the music that we hear on the radio, they always speak so much about being in a relationship, who looks cute, and who’s going to the club, but what happened to the most important element in our lives? That is the Creator.
AllHipHop.com: Some people may you view as having a meteoric rise to stardom. What do you say to those who view you as an overnight sensation?
Khalilah Rose: It was a lot of hard work, you know. I’ve been through so much. You know, I had a child at a young age. To me, that was very hard. It was a struggle. To also have to put myself through school while being a single mother, I had to work very hard to get to where I am now. So, that is so not true.
AllHipHop.com: To a point, you represent the “American Dream.” Yes, you started your family early, you had to be self-reliant while you put yourself through school, and you’re out here conquering your goals and reinforcing your dream. You serve as a symbol to what one may accomplish if he’s motivated….
Khalilah Rose: In this life, I see things that I want to achieve. What is the purpose of me being here if I don’t have goals and try to fulfill them? I’ve realized that it is a reality that we may accomplish anything that we put our minds to. You also have to carry God with you, and anything is possible.
AllHipHop.com: It seems as though your art is highly message-driven. How are you learning to arouse a genuine concern for different causes without sounding preachy?
Khalilah Rose: I try to balance myself. If you hear my song “Your Eyes”, it’s not really a preachy song. Because I’m a woman, it’s about an element of myself; in reality, I love to love. I love to be in a healthy relationship. I have to also embrace that part of me as well. And sometimes, I may sing a song about that part of me.
AllHipHop.com: Face to Face magazine and the Jamaica Star are a couple of the international media publications that have focused upon you. In your opinion, is there a difference between earning domestic and international acclaim?
Khalilah Rose: That’s something that I speak to my manager about. For me, I personally feel that I genuinely appreciate being globally recognized, rather than just being recognized in one area. I see the impact; I get a lot of messages from all over the world. From Egypt to Israel, from Israel to Nigeria, from Ghana to Guyana—all places— all over the world. That makes me feel that I can impact more people than those that are just immediately around me. But, globally, I’m very appreciative of that.
AllHipHop.com: Zion’s Lullaby, your first album, dropped earlier this year. What are your thoughts about what you learned while undergoing the process of recording and releasing it?
Khalilah Rose: Well, my thoughts are, I’m very happy. I’ve learned that an album is like a book. You know when you feel that story’s finished. Me as an artist, I have to stand firm to not let certain individuals around me tell me differently. As an artist, or a writer, you know, when your story or when your book is complete. So, I learned to be strong with myself; I know when my story is complete. And that’s what I did, I went with what I believed was the end. I’m happy that I did that.
AllHipHop.com: This year you won the Linkage 2012 Best New Female Artist award. Given that and your willingness to only collaborate with those who you think will complement your message – plus you’ve sidestepped convention with not doing dub-plates – how do you remain steadfast and not allow convention to forcefully guide your steps?
Khalilah Rose: That is something that has been a journey for myself. I had to break free from working with certain individuals, because they felt that I wasn’t sexy. That I wasn’t using sex to sell my music; people told me that I had to use sex to sell my music. [They told me that] I should look a certain way. They told me I should let my hair down. Most of these people were males who told me to this.
As a female that’s doing this, I’ve been through a lot. I just want to show everyone that you don’t have to look a certain way. As women, we don’t have to sell our bodies just so that we can sell a record. Knowing that, I’m keeping it in the forefront for everything. That keeps me going. Knowing that I’m not selling out my soul for any record, any popularity, or for any money.
AllHipHop.com: That is beautiful. From the female perspective, you’re showing us that we can win without a big dumb *ss booty, a saline enhanced bust, or a weaved-up dome. We can be talented and get noticed for that.
Khalilah Rose: [laughs] Exactly.
AllHipHop.com: Until the next time, what would you like to share with your supporters?
Khalilah Rose: You may contact me by emailing me at Kh**********@***il.com. That’s the best way to contact me, or via Facebook. And keep following Niki Gatewood.
AllHipHop.com: [laughs] I love you!
Mixtape Download: J NICS – J NICS x DJ Burn One | DarkSide
J NICS has established himself as one of the South’s most promising emcees, while DJ Burn One has emerged as one of the region’s most sought-after producers. So it was only right that the two joined forces for their new collaborative album, Darkside, a 14 track original project featuring lead single Wonderland.
Tracklist
#HeaterOfTheDay @TukiCarter “Patiently Waiting”
[ahh_audio src=/12-23-12/Tuki-PatientlyWaiting.mp3]