Archive for June, 2010

Brand new track from my nig Fat Boy back in the hometown (Charleston, SC, for ya’ll slow nuccas). This sh!t is hard. Fat Boy has a point on here too. SC all day. Fat Boy – “Swagger Jackin’

Fat Boy – Swagga Jackin’ from Certified Films on Vimeo.

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Meet The Connect AKA Tia Taylor and the team of Wet Set Productions join forces with Graphics N’ Jeneral Corp., parent company of The Hip Hop Host. Tia and her crew will be joining forces with our main contributor, Nadejda (that would be Lisa to those who don’t know me as Nuh-day-zha), to expand on our Carolina Underground Section as well as contributing to the Underground 101 section. Wet Set Productions is a well known entity in the Carolina music scene and will lend her knowledge, connections and wit to our blog.
In addition to Wet Set’s contributions to our blog, Tia Taylor and Wet Set Productions will be joining forces with 5 Star Promotions as a publicity coordinator for artist website and social networking promotion.
Wet Set Productions is a force within itself, under the direction of Tia Taylor, Wet Set Productions is responsible for most of the online marketing and promotions for several North Carolina Independent Artists as well as numerous corporate clients and club venues.
5 Star Promotions and Wet Set Productions will be offering a limited roster of select clients our promotional and publicity services during the Summer of 2010. Stay Tuned to The Hip Hop Host for more details. To Contact Meet The Connect For Features Hit Her HERE To hear the Musings of Nadejda you can like me or not HERE.

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Could Drama Squad be North Carolina’s Best Kept Secret? Maybe they used to be but the secrets out now. Carolina and beyond are starting to stand up and pay attention to this young hungry group of talented lyricists from Enfield, NC. With a nomination for group of the year, the hard work and street grind these boy are putting in is finally starting to pay off.

When you hear the word “Drama” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Well, if you are referring to Enfield, North Carolina’s own Drama Squad you would think of Underestimated, Unintimidated, Most Anticipated, and Highly Educated. Coming from a small town plagued by poverty, drug abuse, and violence inspired a group of young men to proceed in life on a different path by way of song. Drama Squad consists of Q Duece, J-Smash, K-Rich, J-Play, Killa Kel, Killa Key and Dreadful Dre and they hail from Enfield, NC and surrounding areas. Drama Squad have been featured on several artists mixtapes throughout NC & other areas as well as their own mixtapes “Da Wait Is Ova: Back In Business”, “Strictly Business”, then hooking up with Shady/Aftermath’s DJ Woogie they put out a mixtape entitled “Sippin Southern 6.5” which is currently making heatwaves in the streets. This year comes a brand new album entitled “Coming of Age”. The 2010 video for the single “Ready For War” featuring Hugg E. Bear was Produced by Illy Rock with 9 gripping minutes of serious Drama and seriously good music certainly caught attention and opened the eyes of fans everywhere. The song itself, powerful and incredibly mature when combined with breathtaking cinematic vision announced the superb talent of both Drama Squad and the underground videography skills of Parallel Jets/TSGS Films.
Go vote for Drama Squad for they are hands down THE Hip Hop Group of The Year at The Carolina Music Awards, for they truly represent Carolina underground hip hop and what the real Carolina Movement is all about. Just Good Music. D a R ealist A nd M ost A nticipated.

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Bakeeba Ruffin aka Tef Kaluminoti was born March 12 in York, PA, USA. Raised in Rocky Mount,NC He first became interest in being a hip hop artist in middle school and there was where the dream began. He first started releasing records in the late 90’s. He appeared on records by his close friends Terror an Horror on(“To All My Peeps”), and later score a undergroud single (“Get Down”) ft. Bone Crusher. Drawing on his own experience Tef started his own label in 2003with an entrepreneur. His debute set, T2M Red Pill Blue Pill, Tef released the single “ Carolina”/ Down South”, featuring up coming producer Ablaze The Architect. The album which reached top ten on the charts attracted fans with a mixture of hard-hitting streets lyrics an beats made Tef loved by many. By the early 2005 tef had established him self an a serious artist. Although in demand as a guess artist, Tef found time to write an direct his own video’s for the album. There are only a few artist in the game that go as hard as Tef Kaluminoti, Ceo, Artist, Director wrapped up in one man. Tef is set to release his Second album “ Total Supremacy” in 2010, He honed his skills and aspired to become the Jay-Z, Tupac and Biggie-type artist that he idolized. Kaluminoti has opened up for many superstars such as Rick Ross, Young Buck, Yung Joc, Gucci Man , and O J Juice man just to name a few. Throughout his years of grinding and developing the mind state plus skill that he feels it will take to be a headliner – Tef Kaluminoti is more than ready to put North Carolina on the map the right way. Through his music you can most definitely hear the passion, hunger and desire to be a star.

With a street grind that is unsurpassed in the Carolinas and a firm grasp of the business end of running his label Tef is living up to that Teflon Tough Name of His. See more Tef Kaluminoti at Roc City Records.

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Payaduez Ent. In association with 5StarPromotions announces the release of the official video and single for “Everythings Alright” filmed and produced by Vandem Productions Films for Carolina Exposed DVD and Carolina Exposed TV. Listen to the single now, get your free ringtone for “Everythings Alright” and watch the video now at http://payaduez.com.
About The Song

“Everythings Alright” is a hustler’s anthem to his lady, denoting the trials and tribulations of a relationship complicated by street life. The song touches on feelings that are not unique only to the street hustler but for hard working men and women everywhere who are out there doing what it takes to put food on the table.

“Everythings Alright” was produced by Dr3d for Payaduez with samples taken from the O’jay’s classic “Loving You”. The catchy hook and heartfelt lyrics are sure to pull at your heartstrings as you listen and relate to what this couple is going through.
“Everythings Alright” was re-recorded at Midnight Recording Studios in Greensboro, NC by Quan McNair for Track Force Productions. Project coordination by Lisa Muse and Johnny Lee Mitchell of 5starpromotions.info.
About Payaduez Ent.

Jermaine “DR3D” Ingram C.E.O of Payaduez ENT. knows exactly what it takes to make it in the music business. It takes hard work, dedication and the ability to put out good music that the fans will enjoy. The past ten years and those experiences have built on Dr3d’s knowledge and survival and have molded him into an artist like nothing the Carolinas have seen to date.

On July 5, 1973 a star was born. Richard Jermaine Ingram was born the son of Richard and Mary Ingram in a small town called Maxton N.C. At the age of nine his father was ordained as a Baptist minister, and that is where his musical roots began. At the age of thirteen his parents bought a piano and enrolled him into piano lessons. He took lessons for five years and was taught classical music. Despite the hard time that he received from his peers he toughed it out and benefited from the hard work and dedication. At the age of 16 he decided that producing was very interesting to him so he began making beats. After he crafted the skill he took it to another level and in 1999 he founded PAYADUEZ ENT. Payaduez Entertainment has since grown, adding new artists and stepping into a management and production role as well as a featured and performing artist around the Carolinas and surrounding states. Payduez artists are Dr3d, S.L.A.M. “Sumthin’ Like A Million” and the seductive Ms. Va’K.
2010 brings an all new style and character from Dr3d. Watch as something brand new emerges from the Payaduez camp.

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From the bottom of the South Carolina’s Low Country, emerges and artist like the Carolina’s have never seen. With deep soulful lyrics and stunning delivery this is one artist you don’t want to miss out on. Carolina Slim has a long history with the music industry, inking his first deal as a teen with Bullet Proof Souls of Nashville, TN. After one national album release the group soon disbanded.

As time passed Carolina Slim kept the dream alive when he joined forces with Bluffton, South Carolina’s Pumphouse Music. Together with Pumphouse Slim dropped several mixtapes around the Carolina’s and performed in various venues along with Pumphouse.

In 2010 Carolina Slim linked up with Pumphouse Member and 5StarPromotions CEO, Johnny “Da Jeneral” Mitchell to record several solo and collaborative projects. Together with Pumphouse Music Slim recorded and filmed an official video for “Fired Up”.

Listen To Carolinas Finest

In May of 2010 Carolina Slim and Dr3d of Payaduez connected to record What We On”, a fun party jam just in time for summer. Watch for that official video filmed by Buck TV later this month.
Listen To “What We On”

For Booking Information Contact 5 Star Promotions.

Find more videos like this on ThisIs50.com

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As An Artist Do you know enough about 360 Deals? Original Article written By Trap (Reprinted with permission from www.reverbnation.com/IAMTHETRAPHOUSE)

As An artist myself that has been putting in a strong grind for some years now, and feel that I am a Refreshing change to the industry; Do I deserve or anyone for that matter Deserve to be treated as just another number in this fickle Music Industry? My quick response to this is hell Nawl.

The industry is at a great downfall, because wack artists are being signed to labels that can’t sell albums, or sell out shows, and it is creating hardships for Those few artists that have the talent to strive and shine in this music world. The Labels want to sign new artist to 360 deals? For anyone that doesn’t know what a 360 deal is… You’re going to get a quick lesson on this. Free of Charge! Thank me Later. a 360 deal is the 1st thing that a Label will offer an artist. It is just that 360, Just like a 360 degree circle. The label has there hands in all artist pockets when it comes to money making. They get a cut. So if you are making money doing a commercial, a show, getting paid for a guest appearance somewhere; the label gets a piece of your hard work and hustle.

Bottom Line to this, any thing that you and your talent does that generates money, or compensation, the labels getting a percentage. It definitely makes me think on the subject of being signed. Of Course I would like my hard work, and skillz to be recognized by a Major Label, or even and Indie Label with the ability to put me on a larger platform, but It’s not our fault as Artist that the industry is where it is today, Suffering with no immediate bright future ahead.

I think that these A&R Reps that put the music world in this predicament should be videotaped while receiving a massive beatdown by Talented Artist that could have gave life to the industry years ago.
As a Matter of fact there should be a law that allows the “True Great Rappers” to file a pain and suffering Lawsuit against these companies… Laughing, but very Serious. Learn about 360 deals. It’s awesome to be signed, but don’t let them Rape you. Get that Monster Lawyer to negotiate for you.

More On 360 Deals By Nadejda:

Quite simply, a so-called “360 deal” in the music business refers to the recent modern practice of record companies brokering deals with artists that are “all encompassing” in terms of revenue streams. Live Nation’s signings of Madonna and Jay-Z are high-profile 360 deals…the long-term success of which remains to be seen. The practice is novel and barely tested.

Traditionally, record companies were in the business of selling records (including all formats such as vinyl, tape, and CD). The CD (Compact Disc) was the most profitable for the labels as they are the cheapest to produce (compared to vinyl or tape) and, for the first few years of CDs at least, brought a retail price as high as $20 or more! That enormous profit margin (we now know that a blank CD costs just pennies!) provided record executives with the glut, the excessive lifestyles and the fame which from the mid-sixties to around year 2000 was synonymous with the “Music Biz.”

But the party is over. CD sales are on a downward spiral that many think won’t stop until virtually no CDs are sold through traditional retail outlets. Big established record chains, including Tower Records, have quit. Those massive traditional record profits are gone.

This fact of life has forced the enterprising record labels to try to get a piece of all the ancillary action surrounding a hit recording act: publishing, concert receipts, merchandise sales (which can be huge) and other related artist revenue sources. Thus the name “360″…as in the whole pie.
Like many innovations, these deals were born of desperation; after experiencing the financial havoc unleashed by years of slipping CD sales, music companies started viewing the ancillary income from artists as a potential new source of cash. After all, the thinking went, labels invest the most in the risky and expensive process of developing talent, so why shouldn’t they get a bigger share of the talent’s success?

In return for that bigger share, labels might give artists more money up front and in many cases touring subsidies that otherwise would not be offered. More important, perhaps, artists might be allowed more time to develop the chops needed to build a long career. And the label’s ability to cross-market items like CDs, ring tones, V.I.P. concert packages and merchandise might make for a bigger overall pie.

Not everyone is sold on the concept. Many talent managers view 360s as a thinly veiled money grab and are skeptical that the labels, with their work forces shrinking amid industry-wide cost cutting, will deliver on their promises of patience.
Bottom line is this, if a deal is put on the table, do nothing, consult with your management team, if you don’t have one now is the time. Consult and attorney and protect your rights. If it’s not the right deal for you get to steppin’.

Resources from NY Times and Music Row Lawyer.

Sidenote to Trap~ Beat down not necessary, we are going to expose and document cases of A&R Payola, name names and expose this shit to all who will listen….Stay Tuned…

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Trying to build your fan base but not sure where to start? It’s time to put more emphasis on the BUSINESS aspect of the MUSIC BUSINESS to gain new fans. Try alternative methods for amazing results.
First take into consideration how much money you’re spending on floss, gloss and image. Probably a whole lot. Now consider how much you are spending on marketing and promotion. Probably very little to none. Think about this. If you started a new business would you spend all of your start up cash on decorating the store without allowing and budget for advertising? That would be stupid right. You would have a great looking store without any customers.
Marketing and promotion for artists is no different than the marketing and promotion needed for any business. You can have the hottest tracks in the universe but without promotion who’s gonna hear em?
Your music is the product and the objective is to get as many consumers as possible exposed to your product.
If you are practicing the traditional means of urban promotion with flyers and handing out mixtapes without strong results think carefully before you repeat the process again.
Here’s why that method is the least likely to gain fans and establish your brand recognition. What do you do with mixtapes and flyers someone might hand you out in the street. Chances are that cd gets tossed into a purse, pocket or car somewhere. Some people may give it a listen in the car but for the most part all your time, creativity and money are tossed out like blunt guts.
Online advertising is not the wave of the future, it is the present. Right now over 75 million homes have high speed internet access in the US, that figure does not include schools, public internet cafes, or workplaces. Add to that the availability of internet access via smart phones and you have a whopping 73% of all Americans have daily internet access. Ask just about anyone where they hear new music and I bet Youtube, music related blogs, facebook or television will be named.
Why is it better to grab the attention of potential fans online rather than handing them your material face to face? Easy. People have short attention spans. You have 20 seconds to grab and hold someone’s attention. In the time it takes that potential fan to drive home, cook dinner, feed the kids or punch in for a workday, they have completely forgotten about you. The next time they clean out the car, guess where your hard work ended up?
Now here’s an example of great internet marketing using social networking. Yesterday an artist by the name of Mica Swain posted a teaser clip for her upcoming video “All BCuz”. The video player showed a “hot thumbnail” image that enticed me to click. Teaser is right, I was left wanting more more more….

In way less than 30 seconds I was clicking her profile, finding the link to download her mixtape all the while thinking that song better be on here. After a quick glance at the tracklist I was smiling and clicking download.
Now how did Mica Swain gain a fan in less than 30 seconds? Easy, she hit me with her promotional material right in my face, on my own facebook wall, a great visual made me look, a super high quality video from Mr. IFilm made me keep looking, a fire beat from Gav Beats and a great song from Mica had me hooked. Most important of all she hit me right there at my desk, speakers plugged in and ready to look, listen and download. Immediate gratification, everyone wants it!
By the way Mica you had me at “My swag is respectful, ugly and rude”.
Viral marketing and promotion through social media and video & blog submissions can be less expensive than that bottle of Rose you popped last night so think carefully about the dollars you’re spending on image and consider alternating your game plan.
For more information of Massive Video Traffic, Marketing and Promotion contact 5 Star Promotions.

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