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After several months of following and reviewing Maggie McClure’s music – I was far more than amazed with her talent.  Maggie is from Norman, OK and has performed over 100 shows throughout 2008 – 2009 – Maggie’s self-title album released in Feb 2009 in Japan was produced by several recognized names in the music industry that consist of Nick Lachey, Shane and Shane, Amy Lee of Evanescence and Will Hunt to name a few.  Maggie has music being used on TV Shows such as, MTV’s The Hill and The City, and soap opera hit The Young & The Restless.

I personally admire this talented artists – her music is so strong and she is definitely an example of what being a artists is all about.  I feel her heart and soul in her music and the work that she has dedicated to perfecting her craft is matched among the majors.  There is no excuse for success and each track, show and/or appearance proves that she lives to work, entertain and learn.  Maggie is expected to graduate college in December 09 – if that accomplishment is not enough – it definitely has not been an excuse for Maggie.  She has a presidential schedule every month not including the often so-called stress of finals…LOL.  I have been there and I understand exactly how Maggie is motivated.

Not only is Maggie blessed with fine musical talents – she is absolutely stunning, beautiful and very smart.  After having the opportunity to speak personally with Maggie – I found that she is very well mannered, respectful and humble.  I expect to see and hear many great things about this gorgeous young lady during her journey in the music industry.  I think she clarify what she is about in many of her songs.  You don’t have to be a punk rocker, R&B singer and/or member of a band to have totally cool music – Maggie is a step above her competition at all levels including understanding the music business and what steps to take next.  She is a very patient decision maker and seems to be making all the right choices during her successful career all the way to this point.

My personal message to all my fans is to take the time and visit Maggie’s website http://www.maggiemcclure.com you will be impressed with her music and beautiful voice.  I quote when I say this, “Maggie McClure is the truth when it comes to taking a dream to the next level expect to see a major record deal coming soon for her.  I admire her passion, consistency and professionalism in the music business.”   You can find Maggie McClure’s Fan page on Facebook located by clicking here (Maggie McClure FB Fan Page) – and don’t forget to become a fan and keep up with Maggie.  To Maggie:  “Continue your journey lady – God has blessed you with wonderful talents.  Never give up and keep pushing and learning – Your time is coming.”

I would like to personally thank Jason Blasco, CEO – JMB Publicity for introducing me to Maggie’s wonderful talent several months ago.  You can find Blasco on Facebook by clicking (Blasco on Facebook).  As always, “You heard here first on The Today With KJ Show – Keep coming back and showing support for unsigned artists.  You will always get the best in reviews.”

KJ

]]> http://redzonerecords.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/updates-%e2%80%93-we-%e2%80%93-12-05-09-from-hiatus/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:38:18 +0000 Iceman http://redzonerecords.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/updates-%e2%80%93-we-%e2%80%93-12-05-09-from-hiatus/ http://spacelounge.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/spacelounge-promotion-services-for-independent-labels/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:39:44 +0000 DigitalEGO http://spacelounge.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/spacelounge-promotion-services-for-independent-labels/

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So I’ve got ideas flowing with the streetwear and I thought I’d release a little bit of the direction i’m taking for Good Ink’s series 3 with the Good Ink series 2 shirts barely released…

Good Ink Clothing Series 2 Men’s Shirts Released!

Been burning the candle on both ends and making some headway with Good Ink.  Been a long road, almost a year now since Good Ink came out of hibernation, with this second series of mens (will be applied to women’s as well) shirts, its getting there.  One step at a time.

with love,

~ just ali

So I had to do some quick learning and by 2:15 a.m I figured it out and now the site has a flash based slideshow on the homepage.  Finally the site has some movement, series 2 should have been released a minute ago but I need it to be perfect.  About to take the next step, stay up!  (But for now Imma go to sleep!)

with love,

~ just ali

GOOD INK CLOTHING sneak peek at some of the shirts for 2009’s next season.  Check it out.  More to come!

This is the age of independence. Unlike the arts, generally speaking, independence is now validated within the arts. You are given more rather than less respect when you forge forward in your career as an independent artist. Musicians have clearly lead the way in this shift of consciousness and filmmakers, perhaps have been the more innovative of the lot. Yet, I still have conversations with the occasional musician looking to get signed or in one case a young man I bumped into on the bus some months ago who was just signed to Arista. He told me his “good” news with humility and a hint of pride. I mean he was going to be working with Timberland for goshsake! I was inclined to some how shout over the screams in my head “Nooooo!!”, but then thought any opportunity is an opportunity. Its not the make of the opportunity but how you work it.

I’m going to go on record here and say that getting signed does not have to be the Big Red story from The Heartbeats. I would even suggest to attempt getting signed as a supplement to your overall marketing plan! Am I crazy or confused you may think? Here’s what I said next to my friend on the bus. “If you’re in this then be in it. Save every business card and stay connected with any and everyone you meet along the way (press, promoters, soundmen, etc.). Help calculate and cultivate the free hype given to you by the label, because you are going to need it later. Essentially you should spend your time in the mainstream industry in preparation for leaving it.” That’s not what I said verbatim, but you get the bullet points.

MAJOR LABEL HUSTLE
Major labels are tricky because they can offer the luster of the hype machine but may be clueless of who (your market) to dish the hype to. They are big on using a broad net to catch more fish. There is also that issue of the bill they may stick you with to pay for all those fisherman. But if your album flops (which you should hope) you then become a tax write off. But from the dust made from your album flopping on the dirty shelves of any major label surfaces that niche market you ultimately want to have as an independent artist. The fans who latched on during your moment in the spotlight are the ones you should be cultivating while signed and stay connected with while struggling through your post hype withdrawal. Once you’ve returned to earth and actually look at the potential of a multi-layered and focused career you will see the value in having those 10,000’s of fans who fucking love your shit! Those 10,000’s of true fans are what an independent artist (who refuse to sign) aspire to have. I was signed in the mid nineties and released some other albums with another band that was popular overseas. There fans are also mine. And fans never degenerate with age. Once someone is moved by your art all they need you to do is holler when ready.

INDEPENDENT LABELS
The beauty about maybe getting signed to an independent label is that independents are more $ conscious and more likely to work in collaboration with you in creating a marketing plan. So yousee, signed or not, you better have a plan. You are on a perpetual budget with an independent but they still (if they are experienced) have a network of press, distribution and marketing people that they can draw from. There is still a machine at work. Independent labels keep you on your toes. At the very least they will simply distribute your work and get you some press. Still this is help you didn’t have before. I would look at independents as partners or even management (to which you hire them). Independent labels are open to 50/50 cuts (after they recoup) unlike majors. But again the value really is in what exposure they can afford you maybe couldn’t get on your own.

“Sometimes you have to go off and have a grown ass relationship with some one before you can return to your art” – High Priest Anti-pop Consortium

CASE STUDY

Some good friends of mine are in the alternative hip hop band Antipop-Consortium who just released an album “Flourescent Black” after taking a 2 year hiatus from each other. They initially acquired their fanbase in the late nineties while working with an independent. I’m not going to say that all was rosy all the time, but they still were able to get what was most important from the experience; an international (including the US folks) and dedicated niche market. A market they kept in touch with even if it was just through their myspace page. Now that they have reunited and released what I feel is their best and most developed work to date they have a ready made fanbase ready to receive! A fanbase that is open to change because they were cultivated on the premise of independence. They would expect no less because their base has grown with them. And growth is the present that keeps on giving and creating better art.

I say the above to say that getting signed is not death knocking, but an opportunity if you see it as such; all be it, an opportunity with a countdown. The current mainstream music industry is dying. But until then, getting signed is like an opportunity that stands at the crossroads. What direction you take and what decisions make delivers or decimates your career. Opportunites are much like fire. You can play with it like a child and get burnt or use it like an astronaut and take off in into the fluorescent black.

Buy Flourescent Black on Itunes, Amazon and online distribution sites near you.

====

I will be conducting an introductory online marketing class for artists Oct. 17th at the Astarea Foundation in NYC. Limited to only 20 persons.
Tickets can be bought here.

Weltbekannte Musikstars sind in meinem Musikblog schon oft Thema gewesen und trotzdem habe ich immer wieder versucht, euch auch ein paar Geheimtipps jenseits der Pop-Charts-Schiene zu bieten. Der heutige Artikel steht ganz im Zeichen zweier Talente aus Österreich –  Skero und Kamp MC!

Foto: trav1s

Wer sich die aktuelle FM4-Soundselection (Nr.20) besorgt hat, müssten die zwei Herren auf jeden Fall ein Begriff sein. Skero, Mitglied der Linzer Hip-Hop-Truppe „Texta“ und Kamp MC, aufstrebender Rapper aus Wien, gehören für mich im Moment zu den Top-Musikern aus Österreich. Sie begeistern mich mit ihren kreativen Rhyme-Spielereien und dem darin verpackten Schmäh, der dazu auch noch mit feinsten Beats unterlegt ist. Das absolut geniale Video zu ihrem gemeinsamen Song „Fuss vom Gas“, eine Hymne für die Fahrradfreaks, will ich euch nicht vorenthalten, hier, bitteschön:

Die zwei Rapper haben aber auch solo einiges zu bieten. Skero geht musikalisch sogar noch einen Schritt weiter – er scheut sich nicht davor, Reggae und Rap-Flows, mit ein wenig Heurigen-Schunkel-Musi im Refrain seines Songs „Künstler“ miteinander zu vermischen. Dialekt darf dabei natürlich nicht fehlen und der gewagte, aber gelungene Mix hört sich dann so an:

Kamp MC wiederum beweist, dass ein Lovesong nicht immer schmalzig sein muss. „Malinkaya“ schafft es immer wieder aufs Neue, mich von Beginn an komplett in seinen Bann zu ziehen, denn die in dem Song verwendeten Samples, sind der absolute Hammer.

Ich hoffe euch gefallen die drei Songs auch so gut wie mir und dass auch ihr das Potenzial der österreichischen kleinen aber feinen Musikszene erkennt – und hoffentlich auch tatkräftig supportet! Zum Schluss lässt sich also nur eins sagen – Austria’s got talent, baby and that’s for sure!

Max Herre – der gut aussehende und smarte Musiker aus Stuttgart hat wieder ein Album produziert. „Ein geschenkter Tag“ ist der Titel der neuen Scheibe und Max hat sich verändert und sein Sound mit ihm!

Foto: Oneshot.at

Meine Mission des heutigen Tages -> gönne dir nach langer Zeit wieder etwas Gutes und besorge dir ein paar neue CDs! Ja, und so ging’s los auf die Mariahilfer Straße. Ich ließ mir Zeit und häufte einige CDs an, bei denen ich überlegt habe, sie zu kaufen.  Da ich aber grundsätzlich nichts ohne ein kurzes Probehören kaufe, habe ich auch in den neuen Longplayer von Max Herre, dem Ex von Joy Denalane by the way, im Geschäft rein gehört. Die erste Singleauskopplung wird im Moment auf MTV und Co. ständig gespielt, aber hier noch mal für alle, die den Song noch nicht kennen:

Na ja, also ich kannte die Single schon und sie überzeugte mich nicht wirklich. Ich dachte, dass es vielleicht einer dieser Songs, der je länger und öfter man ihn hört, besser wird. Bei dem Lied von Max hat das irgendwie bei mir nicht so geklappt. Ich kann mit dem Lied nichts anfangen. Eigentlich kann ich es nicht ausstehen, um vollkommen ehrlich zu sein. Es mag schon sein, dass sich Max weiterentwickelt hat, Neues ausprobieren wollte, seinen Sound erweitert und revolutioniert hat, aber gelungen ist ihm das nicht wirklich, wie ich finde. Trotzdem wollte ich mir das Album kurz anhören, mir ein eigenes Bild davon machen. Die meisten Songs sind ruhig, langsam, fast schon zu soft, meiner Meinung nach. „Weg von hier“ und „Wir haben’s gesehen“ sind ganz okay, aber eben nur okay. Und okay, ist einfach nicht was ich von Max Herre erwartet hätte. Leider. Das Album wird also nicht in meine Sammlung aufgenommen, aber für alle denen die CD gefällt – Max Herre kommt am 4.11 nach Wien (Porgy&Bess)!

Mir bleibt nichts anderes übrig als in Erinnerungen an den „alten“ Max Herre zu schwelgen!

As an independent artist on a small independent label, the release of my latest single has been severely hampered by limited uptake of the track among radio. Unfortunately we don’t have the large-scale budgets needed to hire independent radio promotion, a type of person who performs the dark art of radio plugging, and therefore have had to approach this in a DIY manner.

The label devised a strategy which would incorporate both national and local stations in order to gain the maximum amount of exposure for the single possible on a limited budget, releasing a few promo copies to Programme Directors and DJs to try and get some feedback.

After attempting to follow up with the people we sent the copies of the single to, we were able to witness first hand, at just what a closed off system currently operates in UK Radio, as it was extremely difficult to the label to actually speak to anyone, and even if they did, they were met with the same responses each time…“it’s not my decision” (even though they phoned ahead of sending anything to make sure it got sent to the right person) or “we haven’t received the copy yet” (a response we still received after sending three copies to one station in particular!)

Radio is currently suffering as much, if not more than, the rest of the music industry, especially with advertising money, the sole vehicle of revenue for most stations in the UK, and also the sole reason for their existence, playing music merely entices people to actually tune in, shifts in focus to viral and e-marketing, coupled with the introduction of “free” streaming services like Spotify and We7, and all of the other ways of accessing music online through online/ satellite radio and MySpace, which has resulted in traditional radio receiving a reduced listenership, exasperating the paradox which radio already existed in, whereby radio stations only want to play records which are already hits, BUT, and it’s a big but, you can’t have a hit without radio airplay!

As radio stations are scrabbling around for any additional listeners they can get within the reduced pool, the format choices they make have become severely reduced. The trouble with Top 40 Format programming (a.k.a Contemporary Hit Format or CHF) is that the amount of singles released and the number of slots for new singles within the programming are about 10:1, which aren’t good odds when you’re a new, unproven artist in the eyes of radio programme directors!

This format makes exposure for new music impossible on day time, specialist shows are sometimes easier to get on, but with reduced listening patterns for evening shows, who is actually listening?!

I guess The Smiths were right on Panic, we should really “Hang the DJ”…Programme Directors are next

Heute war es wieder soweit – die Amadeus Awards wurden verliehen und die österreichische Musikszene hat allen Grund zu feiern. Es galt nicht nur das 10te Jubiläum und die heimischen KünstlerInnen selbst zu zelebrieren, sondern auch ein komplett neues, frisches “Outfit” der Austrian Music Awards!

Dieses Jahr bestimmten endlich die MusikliebhaberInnen selbst, wer nun einen der begehrten Amadeus-Awards erhält und wer nicht. Eine Fachjury wählte lediglich die Nominierten in den verschiedenen Genres aus. Damit das Ganze entwas anschaulicher ist – hier ist eine Auflistung der neuen Kategorien beim Amadeus 09 und den jeweiligen Gewinnern:

Allgemeine Kategorien

• Album des Jahre: HERBSTROCK
• Song des Jahre: VERA
• Musik- DVD des Jahres: SEMINO ROSSI

Genre- Kategorien

• Alternative/Rock: SOAP & SKIN
• Electronic/Dance: BUNNY LAKE
• Hard&Heavy: THE SORROW
• HipHop/R’n'B: TEXTA
• Jazz/World/Blues: DIE STROTTERN
• Pop: ANNA F.
• Schlager: DIE SEER
• Volkstümliche Musik: MARC PIRCHER

Weitere Kategorien

• FM4- Award: KREISKY
• Lebenswerk: HANSI LANG

Ich sah mir die Awards bei Puls4 an und war sehr gespannt, wer gewinnen wird und wie die Live-Auftritte der KünstlerInnen sein würden. Teilweise bin ich allerdings ziemlich enttäuscht von der Show. Erstens fand ich Michael Ostrowski, den Moderator, leider nicht wirklich witzig. Die Performance und die Art des Moderierens des Schauspielers, bekannt aus der glorreichen Komödie „Nacktschnecken“, wirkte für mich eher sehr steif, einstudiert und ja, einfach nicht komisch. Aber egal…
Zweitens, war ich enttäuscht von der Produktion der großen Verleihungsshow. Während die LaudatorInnen sprachen konnte man auch gleichzeitig einige Tischgespräche im Publikum mithören. Außerdem wurden die glücklichen Gewinner oft noch vor dem Ende ihrer Dankesrede mit der Musik übertönt, also quasi von der Bühne verdrängt. Manchmal zeigte man Erbarmen und schaltete die Musik wieder aus, was nicht nur die KünstlerInnen verwirrte, sondern der Show einen Touch von Unprofessionalität verleihte.

Na ja, trotzdem freut es mich zum Beispiel sehr, dass „Bunny Lake“(super Auftritt, by the way!), „Soap & Skin“ und „Texta“ gewonnen haben, die ich beim Online-Voting gewählt habe. In den nächsten Tagen werden bestimmt viele Videos der Award-Show, die dieses Jahr im Museumsquartier stattfand, bei YouTube auftauchen, im Moment gibt es nur dieses online – der Auftritt von „The Sorrow“:

“Ja, Panik“, “Gustav“, “Clara Luzia“, “Kamp & Whizz Vienna“, “Waxolutionists“, “Fatima Spar & The Freedom Fries” & “I am Cereals” sind leider leer ausgegangen – ich bin mir aber sicher, dass sie alle nichtsdestotrotz bei der After-Showparty ordentlich feiern werden und vielleicht wird’s ja im nächsten Jahr klappen!

Rumänisches Blut in den Adern, eine große Berliner Schnauze, ein rollendes RRRR, heiße Kurven, eine starke Stimme, ein enormes Talent und jede Menge Humor, ja, all das vereint das neue Sternchen in sich – die Rede ist von MISS PLATNUM!!!

Foto: Coilhouse

Mit acht Jahren zog Ruth Maria Renner mit ihren Eltern nach Deutschland. In der Schule kämpfte sie sich erfolgreich durch, galt sogar als Streberin, aber ihr Herz schlug für die Musik. Nach jahrelangen Gesangscoaching bei Jocelyn B. Smith, einer US-Jazz-Sängerin, und einigen Background-Singing-Jobs produzierte Miss Platnum 2007 ihr erstes Album. Der erhoffte Durchbruch in Deutschland mit dieser CD blieb aber aus, dafür machte sie sich in ihrer Heimat, Rumänien, einen Namen. Zwei Singles wurden aus dem Albumdebüt „Chefa“ veröffentlicht. Mit der witzigen Nummer „Give me the Food”, einem Appell an unsere im Schlankheitswahn befindende Gesellschaft, versuchte sich Miss Platnum Gehör zu verschaffen.

Die zweite Single aus dem ersten Miss Platnum’s Longplayer bei der sich Peter Fox nicht nehmen ließ mit zu grooven, war „Come Marry Me“:

Miss Platnum verkraftete den Misserfolg ihrer „Chefa“-CD nur schwer, tröstete sich mit Alkohol und Drogen, aber irgendwann spuckte sie in die Hände und wollte es der Welt zeigen. Sie wusste was in ihr steckt – Balkan Beats, Hip Hop, R’n’B und Folk mit einer explosionsartigen Stimme verbinden zu können. Jetzt ist ihr zweites Album mit dem Namen „The Sweetest Hangover“ seit Anfang September endlich draußen und die erste Single haut mich vom Hocker. Bei dem Video zu „She moved in“ hatte auch Peter Fox wieder seine Hände im Spiel.

Motor.de beschreibt Miss Platnum als eine „gelungene Musikglobalisierung“ und mich verzaubert diese starke Frau mit ihrem ungebrochenen Willen der Musikwelt zu zeigen, wo der Hammer hängt. Manche meinen sie wäre zu glatt, ja sogar, zu unrevolutionär, aber ich stehe auf diese Power-Frau und kann von ihr nicht genug kriegen!

EDIT: Anscheinend kann man das “She moved in”-Video nicht in Blogs einbetten, sorry! Dann bleibt euch nichts anderes übrig, als es auf YouTube anzusehen. Einfach in die Mitte des Videos klicken und los geht’s!

Milan

In celebration of our 1st Year anniversary, we are giving ViTRINE a facelift. There will be a new instalment “ViTRINE Style” in our 2-page quarterly.  This instalment is a fashion life-style page that features 72 Smalldive accessories, various independent labels and apparel or accessories that are stocked by our clients. This instalment is constructed with the help of our favourite NY-based stylist Pauline Toruan.  We hope to make the newsletter more informative for our readers, therefore please keep sending us your comments and suggestions to press@72smalldive.com. Once again thank you for your support!

News released by Research Group NPD Group reveals that iTunes now controls 25% of the American Music Market, meaning that in the five years since the Apple service was launched iTunes has upped its market share of Digital Sales (which contributes 35% of overall Sales across all formats) to 69%.

Digital’s 35% (a 20% increase on 2007 figures) is still not enough to dislodge CDs as the dominant player in the format arms race, it may have ebbed away a little of the CDs market share, but market research is consistently pointing towards the CD as consumers favourite format, maybe there is still life in the shinny little pieces of plastic after all, despite all the media hyperbole about it’s unstoppable decline in recent years.

While the growth in US sales may please Apple Shareholders, it may not be such a good thing for independent labels and, especially, unsigned artists, as the unstoppable “saviour of the record industry” continues to roll up the market. This may be because of a number of factors.

iTunes doesn’t like to deal with too many people, small indies and unsigned artists have to try to go through an Aggregator or Distributor (for a small fee of either royalties or via subscription) and most can’t guarantee that iTunes will put it in their stores as iTunes retains editorial discretion

iTunes doesn’t let you set your own prices (unlike the 7Digital indiestore system), so if you’re working within niche markets or don’t sell a lot of copies, it doesn’t make sense to use the subscription services of some aggregators, as well as the fact that iTunes takes the lion share of sales, 63p on every 99p track download, and if you don’t like them taking so much, your offered the option of accepting it or taking all the tracks down from the store and no longer selling through iTunes, which is an impossible situation because of their market dominance.

This is a sign that the marketplace is once again shaping up to favour the Majors and the larger Indies, seems the so-called ‘digital revolution’ hasn’t quite levelled the playing field after all…

When I first encountered Kevia’s jewelry collection, I was captivated by the craftsmanship of each piece and I instantly knew that Kevia’s designs mirrors her love for what she does – creating fabulous jewelry. But let me not forget to mention the affordability of her jewelry which celebrities have adorned themselves with. And so, when the opportunity to interview Kevia arose, I took it.

ABJ: When did you begin designing jewelry and what led you to decide to become a jewelry designer?

K: My career path has not been straight and narrow. While studying in Zimbabwe on an undergraduate study abroad program I found a store that sold loose stones. I began to collect locally mined and cut stones, sketch designs, and found local jewelers to make my creations. I returned two years later to do post baccalaureate research and again began to design pieces for my personal collection. I planned to become a university professor and was close to finishing my doctorate when I realized my hobby was where my heart was. I am not sure that I would have thought about selling my work if a local boutique hadn’t asked me to make items for their store after they noticed a necklace I was wearing. Within three months of selling to my first boutique the line was picked up by 20 stores. Once I decided to work on the business full time, the line continued to grow. We sold to over 400 stores in the last year.

ABJ: Where do you get your inspiration from when creating each collection?

K: I develop about five theme based collections per year. They all start with an experience (e.g. harvesting honey on a friends farm), a trip (my favorite Etruscan museum in Tuscany), or my fascination with a newly found raw material. Once I have the core concept, I design rings, earring, bracelets, and necklaces around the theme. Each of the collections tell a story both in the text we write for each collection and in the way the items can be merchandised together. When I first started out I made metal or clay based models for each new style. I now do must design work digitally.

When traveling or living abroad I visit museums, cathedrals, and learn about local jewelry techniques and aesthetic preferences. I am fascinated by ancient Egyptian and Etruscan jewelry, you really get the since that ancient gold jewelry was rare, precious, and revered. While I respect the advances we have made in modern jewelry fabrication, my preference is handmade work both because it feels strongly tied to the earliest jewelry making techniques and because each piece is slightly different and thus one of kind.

ABJ: You have a long list of celebrities that have worn your jewelry and your collection has been featured in popular publications such as InStyle and Lucy; yet, you sell your pieces at affordable prices when you could easily sell them for more? Please explain.

K: My goal has always been to offer fine jewelry quality designs that are affordable. I approach designing and cooking similarly: I prefer to make things from scratch. By prioritizing sourcing raw materials rather than buying components from manufacturers, I have been able to price my jewelry competitively. I want women to be able to collect my pieces without breaking the bank. I am mindful that despite the tightening of our collection belts during this economy, women want to feel beautiful without comprising their cost consciousness.

ABJ: I love the Artisan collection, especially the 3-layer necklace, because I’m intrigued by the carved details in each gem stone. What’s your favorite collection and why?

K: Each season I think the newest collection is the best I have designed to date. I fall in love with new collections over and over again. I am hopeless romantic when it comes to the design process. I would say my favorite, in terms of my work, is a category rather than a collection. I have a love affair with rings. For days I want to feel glamorous, cocktail rings are fantastic. My favorite cocktail ring juxtaposes 22K gold vermeil with high gloss stones on top of an earthy ebony wood base. I wear a set of three stacking rings set with diamonds on my right hand to add a little sparkle to my day.

ABJ: What are your future plans for “Kevia Jewels at your Fingertips”?

K: I am currently working on a line of handbags that incorporate some of the metal work from the jewelry collections. Our new website which will feature online shopping has just launched.

ABJ: Please provide any information you would like our readers to know.

K: Support for independent designers and green companies is more important than ever. I don’t think you need to sacrifice your environmental principals for fashion. I worked in the environmental field for eight years before becoming a designer so sustainability is important to me. Our Woodland collection features reclaimed ebony wood that we finish with lint seed oil, instead of conventional wood finishes which are chemical laden. Our factories filter runoff water, recycle metal, and we have a streamlined packaging system that reduces shipping, storage, and labeling materials. On the administrative side of the business we incorporate sustainability principles in our use and purchase of packaging materials, office supplies, and energy use. We recycled as much as possible to reduce waste. Each year I try to tackle a new way to green the business. This year I plan to set up a carbon off-set program to decrease the impact of our international and domestic shipping. Our new retail website will offer customers the chance to offset the environmental impact of shipping their order.

The chief executive of AIM Alison Wenham says an impressive seven of this year’s 12 nominees are signed to independent record labels. Adding that, “The UK independent sector leads the field in terms of new artist and genre development”. However that may not be quite true… let’s have a look at this year’s nominees and their respective labels.

1. Bat For Lashes (Parlophone)-Indie, I’m afriad not Palorphone is an imprint of EMI and has been for a long while
2. Florence and the Machine (Island) Indie, afriad not either, Universal currently run Island as a subsidary, however there are plans for Island to re-open the legendary Island Studios which had classic recordings by U2 and Bob Marley among others recorded there
3. Friendly Fires (XL)- Indie, Nope, another Universal imprint aquired a couple of years ago   
4. Kasabian (Columbia)- Indie, definitely not aquired by Sony in the 1980s
5. Glasvegas (Columbia) as above
6. Led Bib (Coneiform Records) Indie, YES…finally one of these famous independent labels
7. The Invisable (Accidental) Indie, YES an independent label
8. The Horrors (XL)-Indie, No, again aquired by Universal not so long ago
9. La Roux (Polydor)- Indie, No, yet another Universal subsidary label 
10. Lisa Hannigan (ATO US)- Indie, No, RCA own this label which in turn are owned by Sony
11. Speech Debelle (Big Daddy)-Indie, YES an independent label
12. Sweet Billy Pilgrim (Samidsound)- Indie, YES an independent label…But they have just agreed to be distributed by EMI so expect a takeover soon

Well, by my counting that’s 4 independent labels not 7, unfortunately it looks like the Mercury Music Prize is just another vehicle to help sell records for Big Music, and keep out the little guys, and event the independent labels which are listed above will surely now be looked at by majors and their subsidiary companies in a desperate attempt to boost catalogue and sales.

So you thought DRM was dead. According to a report written by Mehan Jayasuriya, a policy analyst for Public Knowledge (PK) as well as a Washington D.C.-based technology and music journalist and a regular columnist for PopMatters and DCist, this is not the case.

The “big four” major labels have not completely abandoned DRM protection schemes for CDs. Athough online music juggernaut iTunes now offers all of its music DRM-free, you might think that the era of restricted music files and rootkit fiascoes is now behind us. But you would be wrong.

Many labels–both major and independent–continue to utilize various forms of DRM and watermarking when distributing music in specific contexts and for certain purposes.

This is causing real head aches for music journalists and broadcasters everywhere.

For more on this matter;

http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/2556

You can visit his personal website at

Letzte Woche entschied unsere 4er-WG spontan ein paar Klamotten, Instrumente und CDs einzupacken und sich auf einen Road-Trip Deluxe zu begeben. Unser erstes Ziel war der Ossiacher See in Kärnten. Dort besuchten wir einen alten Freund, genossen die Natur, die Stille und abends lustige Skip-Bo-Spiele. Der zweite Tag unsere Kurztrips verlief unter dem Motto „Zuerst ins warme Nass und dann auf Italien auf a Pizza“. In Tarvisio, einer kleine Stadt gleich an der Grenze, genossen wir die heimischen Spezialitäten.

Da uns die Eltern meiner besten Freundin und Mitbewohnerin, Nina, vor unserer Abreise alle zum Jazz Festival in Ljubljana eingeladen haben, machten wir uns am Samstag-Nachmittag auf den Weg nach Slowenien. Unsere Vorfreude war enorm groß, denn wir würden nicht nur zwei Tage mit meiner hinreißenden Tante Amanda in der gemütlichen und wunderschönen Metropole verbringen, sondern auch den wohl herausragendsten, beeindruckensten und einflussreichsten Jazzmusiker der Gegenwart endlich live sehen – die Rede ist von John Zorn!

Foto: delaigua

Seit circa 12 Jahren ist mir dieser Namen ein Begriff. Zu verdanken habe ich das Mike, Nina’s Vater. Um John Zorn live zu sehen reiste er dutzende Male nach New York, besitzt alle CD’s & Platten und so kann man ihn wohl ruhig als einen großen Fan des brillanten Jazzmusikers bezeichnen. Mike war es also, der mich mit diesem talentierten Musiker „bekannt gemacht hat“, mir DVD’s von Konzerten gezeigt und unzähligen Songs vorgespielt hat. Live hatte ich allerdings noch nie die Möglichkeit John Zorn zu sehen, deshalb war ich vor dem Festival wirklich aufgeregt und konnte es kaum erwarten diesen Jazz-Gott aus Amerika endlich auf der Bühne zu erleben.

John lehnt die Bezeichnung Jazzmusiker für sich selbst übrigens rigoros ab, schließlich will er sich nicht einfach so „abstempeln“ lassen. In einem der seltenen Interviews äußert er sich zu diesem Thema: „The term “jazz,” per se, is mean­ingless to me in a certain way. Musicians don’t think in terms of boxes. I know what jazz music is. I studied it. I love it. But when I sit down and make music, a lot of things come together. And sometimes it falls a little bit toward the classical side, sometimes it falls a little bit towards the jazz, sometimes it falls toward rock, some­times it doesn’t fall anywhere, it’s just floating in limbo. But no matter which way it falls, it’s always a little bit of a freak. It doesn’t really belong anywhere. It’s something unique, it’s something dif­ferent, it’s something out of my heart. It’s not connected with those traditions.“…”I feel close to the avant garde. I would like to see the avant garde, experimental music being accepted as a genre in and of itself. I would like to see avant garde/experi¬mental sections in the major conglomerate record stores. Not just in the stores that have intelligent buyers like Other Music or Amoeba on the West Coast— small stores that are run by people who believe, who hire people who know the music, where you can go to the store and say, “Tell me something interesting,” and they will. Remember that? Those were the days of great record stores.”

Der jüdische Saxophonisten, Komponisten und Musikproduzent beschreibt seine Arbeit folgendermaßen: “My musical world is like a little prism. You look through it and it goes off in a million different directions. Since every genre is the same, all musicians should be equally respected. It doesn’t matter if it’s jazz, blues, or classical. They’re all the same.”

Okay, aber nun zurück zum Festival. Die Open Air Location in Ljubljana hieß Križanke und um kurz nach 20h ging‘s los. John Zorn kam in seinem „bekannten Outfit“ (rotes t-Shirt & Armyhose) auf die Bühne, war sichtlich gut gelaunt und performte in verschiedenen Ensembles. Die 10 „Band-Mitglieder“ können ruhig als die Créme de la Créme der Szene bezeichnet werden – Cyro Baptista (atemberaubender Percussionmusiker), Marc Ribot (der Gitarren-Gott), Jamie Saft (faszinierender Keyboardplayer), u.v.m. wechselte sich ab, meist wurde in Duos oder Trios gespielt. John Zorn kitzelte abartige Töne aus seinem Saxophon, wie es sonst wohl kein anderer schafft. Die Mischung war perfekt – auf freakige Sounds folgten sanfte, „leicht verdauliche“ Songs aus dem „The Dreamers“-Projekt…Der erste Teil des Konzerts war eine experimentelle Improvisation-Show. Nach der 15 minütigen Pause, legte der progressive New Yorker sein Saxophon auf die Seite und dirigierte lässig. Am Ende gab es dann sogar noch eine Zugabe!…Filmen war allerdings strengstens verboten, denn John Zorn ist bekannt dafür, nicht gern gefilmt oder fotografiert zu werden. Schade, aber ich war sowieso eher mit schreien und klatschen beschäftigt!.. Irgendwer hat es wohl doch geschafft ein kurzes Video zu machen… hier ein kleiner Ausschnitt des Konzerts:

Später folgten noch Medeski, Martin & Wood die ein paar Zorn-Komposition  zum Besten gaben. John Medeski beeindruckte mich vorallem mit seinen mitreißenden Keyboard- und Piano-Solos. Bei diesem Auftritt durfte sogar geknipst werden und das habe ich sofort ausgenutzt.

Komischerweise machen alle Bars in Laibach schon um Mitternacht zu, also machten wir es uns im Innenhof von Križanke gemütlich, stärkten uns mit leckeren Falafeln und ließen den unvergesslichen Abend Revue passieren. Am Sonntag wollten wir alle noch etwas relaxen, abschalten und in der Sonne faulenzen. Meine Tante und ihr Freund begleiteten uns nach Bohinj, einem See in der Nähe von Bled. Wunderschön!…Spät abends fuhren wir wieder Richtung Wien, entschlossen uns dann aber, wieder mal völlig spontan, doch noch in Kärnten Halt zu machen und noch eine Nacht in der 100 Jahre alten Hütte am Ossiacher See zu verbringen. Irgendwie muss aber alles mal eine Ende haben, auch der beste Road-Trip aller Zeiten, und so kamen wir Montag Nacht endlich in Wien an! Home sweet Home…

Having just returned from the 2009 Un-Convention in Salford (Greater Manchester) the birthplace of this little music conference that won’t stay little forever, I would be remiss if I didn’t say: try to time your tours around the Un-Convention. It is the voice for independents largely ignored in this part of the world outside of London.

For a start, you’ll get sage advice like this from people like Martin Atkins who wrote the book to have on touring: Tour Smart. It’s not for the faint of heart, if rough language scares you, but the author is sassy and straight on the mark in his first reminder to take care when planning a tour. Check out this video of Atkins, shot by Andrew Dubber, author and expert of New Music Strategies:

The man knows. Look up his credits. Now, back to the subject at hand…

Money for value, the Un-Convention – as a music conference and gathering point for working artists and independent labels – is the best thing going in the UK. Early bird prices were less than £30 this year. Get your tickets and get on site early enough to introduce yourself to the others who come from all over. It is vital to make friendships, not just hand out flyers or business cards. And on that note, a lot of people don’t do business cards over here. I don’t know why. Lack of money or professionalism might be two reasons. Certainly a sickening amount of flyers paper the streets, as ‘fly-posting’ or postering in many places is ILLEGAL, so it’s not about saving trees. You’ll stand out having a business card at the Un-Convention. Have a pen and a book to capture people’s contact details for those who don’t have a card. But get there early enough to spend time asking questions and, yep, listening. You’ll learn a lot as you figure out who might have something valuable to share with you by way of tips, resources, great venues to check out, distribution channels in this part of the world.

A side note: one promoter said something interesting yesterday that perked up my ears. “I don’t know what it is about Canadians. They have great websites, beautiful websites. But you can’t find their music!” He was speaking about the necessity of having a MySpace page. It’s essential in the UK. It is industry standard, and often it is the only webpage that artists have and promoters will look at.

Another thing to note: if you have a record label in the UK, and you’re going to be going at it hard here, there is a LOT of controversy around joining the PPL, an organization created for the purposes of collecting label royalties for performances – and I am no expert in this. But it was made clear to me upon further questioning that in the UK, if you run a record label, you can (without giving up your relationship to your own performing rights society ASCAP/BMI/SOCAN/etc.), collect further income that both the US and Canada don’t collect for and don’t talk about. Canada apparently collects one portion of the moneys I’m vaguely alluding to here, and that’s good enough for me to look further into this; the US organizations are not established to collect two-thirds of the pie. Therefore, there may be merit if you’re over here to look at what arrangements with the PPL can benefit you as a foreign artist living or touring regularly in the UK. However, tread with caution, as here’s where the debate raged deeply with the indies here who have said that they don’t receive what’s owed to them, due to faulty tracking systems, which is a raging debate worldwide with these societies; yet a number of the artists confessed they haven’t been organized enough to go after what is their ‘due’, I noticed. If I had not come to Un-Convention this year, I would never have had at least the vaguest notion of this aspect of the music industry infrastructure, and if you’re serious about gigging and touring at the international level, then it’s worth getting informed. In getting informed about PPL and another organization up for debate, the PRS (which seems to be a substitute for your own performing rights organization, so I won’t be changing over unless I immigrate here), there will be much fine print to sort through and, again, the point was driven home: being independent is no excuse for being ignorant. Certainly, this session within the Un-Convention really attempted to shed some light on confusing matters that matter to independent artists.

Now, I won’t pretend that the Un-Convention caters to the roots-folk market (which seems to drive more of the popular North American ’sound’ than in Europe). But it’s not that it doesn’t. It will expand more in this direction, I am certain, as attenders continue to give more input and as the volunteer base grows to get the word out to the more folk-based artists/labels in the UK not yet in attendance here. It is still a conference run by a small group of people with limited energy and resources to reach out to broader audiences, so if you’re folk-roots based, you might feel like you’re not quite in the right place. Look past the hair-do’s and first impressions, and listen to the music between panel sessions, and you’ll discover that even if an act is promoted in certain edgy alternative emo indie contexts, what you’ll hear when you shove past all the written hype…is the singer-songwriter. As one American friend I know has said about the raging Americana that is popular over here, in the end, it’s often just…yep…folk music.

Indeed, there were a few singer-songwriters mixed in with the bands at Un-Convention, and this year the artists were invited to play a central role in the conference by actually speaking on the first panel. An observation I made was that some of the artists, particularly those with management and working hard to fast-track their own careers forward, might appear to have  little time to talk to you – as everybody is jostling, whether they admit it or not, for that one connection that can help them further expose their music and get them to the next working level. But they might be willing if you catch them in quiet moments somewhere between a brew (tea!) or a beer. You have to be bold and up-front, and like anywhere, read the signals of the people you meet. Consider it an opportunity to find out how singer-songwriters in the UK go about marketing themselves to various audiences: the festivals, the urban venues, the college crowds. It’s an interesting study. I haven’t met one person yet who targets the traditional folk clubs that aren’t actually all ‘trad’. So, again, this is a good place to explore the alternative to that.

Finally, attend the after parties, of course, and most especially the convention wrap-up, which is a celebration of artists and labels. Running around with only a business card and a one-line no-time-waster of a request, “I’m just introducing my label and my music to people tonight” met with a favorable response from literally everyone in the room, even though the bands on stage were true blue British punk rock bands and a fascinating study in the level of output visually that may be required in England to reach stardom. I was amazed to come across a Manchester Evening News music writer who, it turned out, had attended my band’s gig at In the City music conference that happens in this city every October (read: major label driven and, uh, can I be candid? – bordering on boring as hell and full of super snotty people, unlike Liverpool’s new music conference Sound City or the nearby, massive, terrific and overwhelming Midem held in Cannes, France, the conference to go to if you’ve got serious money and want to connect with some internationally focused ‘tradesters’, big and small, in the UK industry from outside of the UK industry). Attending the closing night party and meeting up with this journalist who had nothing but good to say about the set, and notably she commented on how tired she was of ‘indie’ rock bands that all sound the same (and now you know what mainstream UK media is largely focused on), for me, it was yet another highlight from participating in the entire experience of Un-Convention. Be yourself and be there. You never, ever know who you might meet. Several promoters and the media are all in attendance, dressed as civilians!

So, Tip No. 4 is: Coordinate your tours around the Un-Convention.

You’ll meet people from all facets of the UK music industry, and most importantly you’ll hear from independents on the ground what their working experiences are like.It’s an outstanding opportunity to get ideas for getting “400 bums in seats” as one young music manager said to me, working the university crowd like I’ve not seen yet in this country. Good for him. You’ll be able to see the degree of shyness and swagger that co-exist in this world, and it’ll take some of the mystique quickly out of being a foreign artist here. Dive in. And bear one last thing in mind: if there was one universal message repeated time and again here at Un-Convention, it is to play, play, play and build your audience one fan at a time.

KJ: What’s up, man?  First of all – you are a jack-of-all-trades in the music industry, you produced, master, engineer, write and perform –plus you’re a businessman.  What inspired you to get in the music industry – producing, performing, etc?

Antagonist: Music has always been in my blood since day one. I started out playing piano when I was about 6 years old. I hated the structured training that young though, so I just began to play around and make sounds. That grew into learning guitar, drums, and ultimately vocals. It’s just something that’s in me, that I’ve always felt I was MEANT to do.

KJ: I understand that you have been producing for several years now, how is it producing on the East Coast versus West Coast- and was this transition a tough one – considering that the styles are totally different?

Antagonist: That’s a great question KJ. What I really felt different about the two mainly is the attitude towards music making. Cali is more grass-roots. What I mean by that is that a lot of cats work together, and indie dudes can always be found in the studio collaborating with each other. It’s very casual. Out here in FL, things seem a lot more glossy. The studio sessions are bigger, and so are the money factors involved. As far as my transition, it was natural for me. I have never considered myself regional, and always tried to push my music towards different sounds. I love them both, and I’m blessed to have experienced both. I think it has helped me tremendously.

KJ: I’m pretty impressed with your accomplishment in the music business – I also know how tough it is to make a name for yourself when you have so many producers/artists in the industry right now along with the struggles of hip hop.  How did you adjust to the changes in music today?

Antagonist: I think there’s 2 sides to that coin K- On one side the industry is very tight right now. With the economy, and music sharing, artists aren’t getting the deals that they used to. So you really have to stand out. On the flip side, the Internet has revolutionized the independent music market. You can now spread worldwide WITHOUT a major label’s backing. So ultimately I think it’s a good thing. My goal was to spread my name internationally on my own, and the current state of things, is allowing me to do that.

KJ: Tell us about the name, Antagonist – where did it come from or how did it come about?

Antagonist: LOL that seems to be the question du’jour lately. Let’s just say it’s a combo of the attitude I projected when I was younger. lol It’s transformed through the years though, as I try to Antagonize the best performance out of myself and others I work with by any means possible.

KJ: I checked out several of your tracks online and I did research on my own – one thing I noticed is that you have several mixtapes and/or tracks out there.  You made some pretty good connections in the business – do you feel that mixtapes are the best way for young artists to get in the game and/or what would you recommend to unsigned artists starting out in the music industry?

Antagonist: Yeah my dude, just this year I already have put out 100+ tracks on the street and it’s only April. I feel mixtapes are great for an artist to gain exposure. The key though is a relentless grind. I’ve been doing this thing for YEARS. I’ve had so many doors shut in my face, and had so many foul experiences, that I often felt like throwing in the towel. But I never gave up. I just busted my ass to improve my songwriting and artistry in general, and vowed to work harder than the next guy. I think up and coming artists need to realize that the “Overnight Success” story is a dream, and that behind every platinum artist was years of hustling, grinding, and working.

KJ: You have a unique style and floetry – floetry is what I call awesome lyrics with excellent skills.  How would you consider your style?  In a few words how could you sum it up for us?

Antagonist: I’m humbled by that comment, and I appreciate the words K. I just do me. My style is pure emotional music. You can listen to any track I’ve ever made and immediately know what I was feeling or thinking about at the time. I don’t try and hide myself, I just try and portray my life on tracks. I feel that’s how you truly allow the fans to relate to you and your music.

KJ: Let’s talk about “International” – You teamed up with one of UK’s top producers, DJ Ames.  From producer to producer how has your experience been working with Ames?

Antagonist: Ames is a real dude. We linked up and he believed in the movement. I’ve always respected his hustle, so it was a perfect combo. Especially since I wanted to push further into the overseas market after the success of my first disk “CaliFlorida”. The folks in Europe really seem to relate to my music, and Ames helped me set that off. We have already lined up another project, and look to drop it in Mid June to set the summer off right.

KJ: From what I understand you are expecting big things from this International release of this album – what are some of your goals and expectations of this upcoming release overseas?

Antagonist: Well to clarify, “International” dropped on April 8th, so all you folks who haven’t got it yet, go download it asap. My goal with this disk is to continue spreading the name further around the world, and make the movement even bigger. I took a lot of chances on this disk, and didn’t hold back on any concept I wanted to explore. The initial response has been nothing but positive. It’s great to know that the things I’m trying to give to the world, are being accepted in high regard.

KJ: Tell me about the upcoming release  What can we expect?

Antagonist: Well the next disk I’m going to do with Ames is in the earliest stages of production. As I said it’ll drop in June. Already there are some serious HEATERS in production. I am going to build upon what I did on “International” and try and make something even greater. With it releasing at the beginning of summer, fans can expect a lively, upbeat feel. It’s going to be the soundtrack for Summer 2009 worldwide.

KJ: What do you think people that know you, would say about you to someone that does not know you?

Antagonist: I’d like to believe they would say, “Ant is a real person, and a hard worker that’s dedicated to expanding his talents and perfecting his art.”

KJ: I have produced and performed on the West Coast for five years and I know the music industry out there is very unique and the style is something like nothing out there and it takes a determined artist to even get a chance.  How do you feel having this strong West Coast background has propelled you to the next level?

Antagonist: The west coast, and especially Northern California where I started out, have always been an independent haven. Folks out there have always taken chances and pushed hip hop. Look at Dre and the G-Funk era, look at Too Short and how he brought sex in the game, Look at E-40 and the slang he gave the world, not to mention bringing the West and South together. I just think the West has made me not afraid to take chances in my music.

KJ: For a few years now, the industry has been saying that most rappers are lacking real lyrics and they strive on the club bangers, as well as the “catchy cliché” hooks.  So they most have often asked, “What happened to the real lyricist?”  How do you respond to that question?  Do you think the industry is depending on catchy clichés, club bangers?

Antagonist: That’s a difficult question. I believe that Pop Radio has succumbed to Catchy Cliche’s and hooks, but I always believe that true lyrics will never die. Artists who have substance behind them are the ones who last and have longevity. Whereas those with catchy hooks/cliche’s and dances disappear.

KJ: absolutely, the true lyricist survive and don’t worry about that.

Antagonist: I really think dudes like Jay Z, Wayne, Lloyd Banks have proven there is still a place for lyrics.

KJ: Absolutely, If you had one thing to change about the music industry – what would that one thing be and why?

Antagonist: I would give more to the artists who sweat blood for these labels. I would also make it more accessible for people with true talent. Unfortunately lately I’ve seen a lot of instances where it’s who you know, and how much money you can spread around. There’s a lot of talented cats out there who could be huge, if they just had the promotional budget like the majors. Although these wishes do seem to be coming true, with the way the Internet and digital distribution is taking over.

KJ: Ant is has been a good one man, but before I let you go – what would you tell my readers and fans to expect from you in the future and where can they find your music?

Antagonist: K- It’s been trill my dude. I appreciate the support of Today with KJ. I also want to say that I commend your live chat way of interviewing. I think it’s very intuitive, and I wouldn’t doubt to see many others coppin your style. For the future from Antagonist, you can expect my quest for world-wide domination to continue to move forward. I’m going to keep making real music, for real people. Get ready for the new mixtape with DJ Ames in June, and an Antagonist LP to drop on iTunes just following it. In the meantime, fans can download all of my mixtapes at http://califloridaproductions.blogspot.com they can hit me on www.mrantagonist.com, www.twitter.com/mr_antagonist, and the CaliFlorida Productions & Antagonist FaceBook Group. My direct email is califloridaproductions@gmail.com PS All artists out there who need beats, I got you with the major sound for an indie price. I like to help the folks comin up!

Antagonist: Oh Yeah and subscribe to the YouTube Channel: CaliFlorida Productions right now!!!!!

KJ: Last but not the least, how do you respond to the media when they say, “Hip Hop is Dead?”

Antagonist: Hip Hop will never be dead, it’s just taken on many different forms. If you think its dead, listen to my disks, or come to one of my shows. You’ll see it alive and well!!!

KJ: LOL…that’s what I’m talking about!

Antagonist: Trill

KJ: It will never die the industry is to strong and talented artists like yourself will never let that happen!

Antagonist: You know it. Thanks for recognizing the movement KJ. I wish you much success with the site in the future. I’ll be back when the next disk drops 4 sho!

KJ: And I’m always gonna stay real with Hip Hop! It’s been real man and thanks for your time…

Antagonist: The pleasure is mine my dude.

KJ: Anytime…I got ya back! 100