A-Trak challenges the hip-hop world to address the affects of drug usage even as many of its biggest stars affix themselves to a trend that finds rappers across the industry dropping the cool sounding monikers of the most dangerous controlled substances on their tracks and into their bloodstreams as faithfully as they don designer brands. A-Trak references the death of his friend and colleague DJ A.M. – a tragic end encouraged by a drug overdose – as a baseline for his overwhelming concern. He also mentions his difficulty balancing love with the concern he has for artists like Danny Brown, Trinidad James and others whose careers are propelled by catalogs littered with endorsements of hard drug usage. A-Trak mentions the reckless abandon with which artists have begun to approach the creative process as one positive side effect of the phenomenon, but counters that encouragement with a persistent concern that the behavior they are endorsing is not as cool or sustainable as they would lead themselves and the average consumer to believe. Take a look at his appeal below:

I don’t know anything about drugs. Never tried them. Yet as I write this, I am trying to sign a group with a song called “Bath Salts” and an album titled “D.R.U.G.S.”. Danny Brown, my record label’s marquee artist, calls himself the Adderall Admiral, openly does interviews high on Molly and raps, “it’s a miracle I’m living.” I happen to think he is one of the most enthralling artists out. How do I reconcile my respect for Danny and the fact that so many of his wildly creative and entertaining songs revolve around drug usage?

I believe hip-hop has entered its psychedelic age. Turn on the radio: Molly, Xanax and cough syrup references are ubiquitous. One of the most acclaimed new mixtapes out is matter-of-factly titled Acid Rap. The spiritual guru of the era is the Juicy J, a Memphis veteran whose group Three 6 Mafia helped shape the sound of Southern rap. His hedonistic songs are anchored by irresistible hooks, hypnotic beats and jovial rallying cries. I have no idea what he’s rapping about, but the lullaby cadence of his music draws me in. Not everyone is as light-hearted as the Juiceman though. In the R&B outfit The Weeknd, singer Abel Tesfaye spins disturbing, dark tales of cocaine and abandon, but that’s a genuine breakthrough in a genre that rarely strayed away from the themes of romance. Tesfaye is daring not only in his subject matter but also in his choice of avant-garde production, thereby pushing R&B forward.

It takes more than a reference to MDMA to keep up with the times, though. Hearing Ludacris and Juelz Santana’s Molly raps du jour make me cough up the word “bandwagon” – no promethazine needed. Just think: if Rick Ross said no to drugs he’d still be slinging Reeboks. But for the most part, what I’m noticing is a level of abstraction that has helped rap reach a further orbit of expressionism. The genre hasn’t felt this free since the Daisy Age. It may have started with Lil Wayne’s 2008 masterpiece of stream-of-consciousness rap “A Milli,” although I would also credit Lil B’s “based” style for opening this generation’s minds. Is it all due to the unshackling and relaxing effect of drugs? Probably not. But one can’t deny that the current climate of trippy and experimental mainstream rap has coincided with the breaking down of geographic and sexual prejudices in a notoriously territorial and homophobic culture.

That said, the closer I get drawn into it, the more I tend to wonder whether I am just enjoying this music from a safe arm’s length as I silently endorse it? Is there any hypocrisy in the fact that I, clearly not an advocate of drug use, made a track with Juicy J and Danny called “Piss Test”? We don’t appreciate rap songs based on the moral value of their lyrics, but rather on their artistic merit. Danny and Juicy are part of a long tradition of great, unhinged rap. Yet for all the talk about syrup and Molly, it seems like we’re only being exposed to a partial, romanticized account. Rap went from glorifying selling hard drugs to glamorizing their effects. And beneath the surface there may be a profound lack of understanding of these substances.

What worries me is the unspoken aspect of the story; that is the real elephant in the room. Just recently, Lil Wayne almost died from multiple seizures, yet he vehemently denies that there was a relation to his codeine intake. When legendary Houston rapper Pimp C passed away, the cause of death remained hush. Closer to home, my good friend DJ AM died from a drug overdose four years ago at the height of his fame. There needs to be more open dialogue about this. It won’t stop us from enjoying the music. A handful of rappers have spoken out: Kendrick Lamar ends his “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” video with a coffin lowered into the ground and “Death To Molly” written above it, and Rhymefest calls the drug a “crack pill.” While that analogy may be oversimplified, I believe that any conversation on this matter is healthy. I even think the pill popping Trinidad James himself deserves a smart interview (you know, make him sweat a little). He probably has more insight than we think. My stance is: we can rap about it, but let’s also talk about it.

Look out for A-Trak and Trinidad James live onstage at the 6th Annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 1st.

Spotted at HP

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Zo! drops a bit of insight on the creative process and his forthcoming LP ManMade, dropping tomorrow on Verse 5ive/Foreign Exchange Music. In an interview with Life + Times, he explains his working relationships with Phonte and musical kindred spirit, Sy Smith. He also touches on his personal influences, competitive spirit and the effect his Detroit roots have had on his sound. Zo! talks in depth about his work on the Foreign Exchange albums. His forthcoming LP is lead by the single “The Train” – a track that represents a maturation of his unmistakably infectious soul sound. Take a look at what he had to say about the project ahead of its May 21st release.

Life+Times: Tell me about your upcoming sophomore album, ManMade. How is it different from your first album and what can people expect to hear?
Zo!: It’s my sophomore full-length album with the Epic music imprint, a follow up to SunStorm, which was released in 2010. With this one, you probably hear a lot more musical growth as far as risk-taking, kind of being able to step out of the box a little bit. On the first single, “The Train“, it doesn’t really sound like anything I’ve ever done. A lot more uptempo, more of a dance-oriented feel. More growth, more maturity; I’m also a full-time musician now, so hopefully you’ll be able to feel that in it as well. I think it really came together and I’m definitely proud of the final product.

L+T: Talk about the creative process when you’re putting together an album that you’re not singing on but you have a lot of different artists featured. Do you make the instrumentals, then find the artists?
Zo!: It’s basically that. I usually come up with the instrumentals, the musical concept, and then once I finish with that, I call up Phonte. Me and Phonte talk about it a little bit, who he hears on it, is it a male vocalist or female vocalist? Once we narrow that down, then it’s “what tone of voice do you hear on it? Soprano, baritone?” That type of thing. We match it up and then reach out to who we really want on the track. On this album, Phonte wrote a lot of the album and the lyrics, so he and I shared producer credit because if he’s referencing, he’s also producing the person who’s on it, as well as giving his opinion on what should be added, taken away, etc. That’s pretty much the creative process. It was really the same the entire album. Looking back on it – it’s funny now in 2013 – we’ve [me and Phonte] been working almost eight years. So now that we’ve got into the rhythm and got into the groove, knowing how each other works, the pace and the process, it’s not something we’re trying to break anytime soon.

L+T: How has working with Foreign Exchange helped you grow as an artist and how you might have rubbed off on them?
Zo!: It’s both ways. It’s real dope because I come from a sports background – I played baseball through college – and that competitive spirit doesn’t leave. So even in making music, you want to have folks who are close to you, friends of yours, who can give you that edge as well. For example, if I’m on Twitter and I see Nicolay tweeting about “Just finished up a studio session,” or, “I’m in the studio,” it’s like, “Yo, what am I doing? I need to get down to the studio.” If ‘Te [Phonte] calls me like, “Yeah, I just finished up this verse,” I’m like, “Yo, I need to be working too.” At the same time, they’re also creatively free. They’re not afraid to break rules. On my end, it’s loosened me up a little bit creatively, made me a little less afraid of testing waters outside of my comfort zone. The saying, “iron sharpens iron”. When you’re around cats that are professional and just as hungry and competitive as you are, the last thing you wanna be is the weakest link. You wanna do your part and then some – “and then some” would be also inspiring them as well. You want to come with your A-game 100 percent of the time.

Read the full interview at Life + Times. Purchase Zo!’s ManMade LP via iTunes.

The post Zo! Drops The Science Behind His New ManMade LP appeared first on Okayplayer.

Melanie Fiona attended Lauryn Hill‘s surprise show in Brooklyn earlier this week and was so moved by the performance that she wrote The Fugees frontwoman an open letter. She expresses her gratitude towards Hill in a very eloquent way. Read what she had to say below:

I have had many blessed, spiritual, and unforgettable moments in my life… But none more inspiring and life altering than last night. For those of you have ever listened to my music as a full body of work, heard any of my interviews, or have been to any of my live shows… Knows, that Lauryn Hill is a driving force of inspiration in everything I do. There would be no first audition for me if couldn’t sing her version of “his eye is on the sparrow”… There wouldn’t be “Felony Miona” …. There wouldn’t be the artist you see today who isn’t afraid to bare her soul about life and love. And last night, I got to tell her that. After seeing her murder the stage…I personally got to express my teary eyed gratitude. A REAL dream come true for me. Lauryn Hill is the true essence of artistry that I aspire to represent… One who can break barriers, colour lines, industry standards, and ignorant minds… All while making amazing heartfelt educated music. My life will never be the same… It will be better… For what I received last night in energy and inspiration will most definitely make me a better artist and woman in this industry. You will feel it. Thank You #LaurynHill… You are singlehandedly, hands down, the greatest to ever do it ALL… Triple Threat… And to inspire a musical generation so starved that we still anticipate any and everything that you will do in the future. With Love, Respect, Support and Gratitude, MF xo

Spotted at FLOW 93-5

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Janelle Monáe preps to present two shows with the San Francisco Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestra this month. The special performances follow the release of “Q.U.E.E.N.” – her funked up dance single featuring Erykah Badu that recently broke 4 million views on Youtube.

Kicking things off with an epic performance in San Francisco last night, Janelle Monáe will perform again on May 20th in Chicago. Proceeds from the performance in San Francisco will benefit SFS Music and other educational programs. Janelle Monáe was matched with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after being asked to cover for Aretha Franklin, who was originally scheduled to play the performance. Proceeds from the Chicago show will benefit the orchestra and its educational programs. Both shows feature new versions of her critically acclaimed songs backed by lush arrangements provided by the orchestras. Given the financial struggles of symphonies across the country, Janelle Monáe’s appearance is likely to provide a major boost to the bottom lines and morale of both musical organizations.

Catapulting herself even further into the stratosphere, Janelle Monáe is primed to drive her fans mad with anticipation as she preps the release of her forthcoming LP Electric Lady. This time she drops the first press image from the project, further cementing herself as an unequivocal icon of unabashed individuality and class in style; her appreciation of line and pattern is only accentuated by the fact that her face is beat. Purchase Janelle Monáe’s latest single “Q.U.E.E.N.” via iTunes. Grab tickets to see Janelle Monáe with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra below.

>>>Purchase tickets to see Janelle Monae with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra here.

The post Janelle Monáe Performs With The San Francisco & Chicago Symphonies appeared first on Okayplayer.

Slum Village unveil the official artwork for their forthcoming LP, Evolution (I’m diggin’ it). Evolution will be released in celebration of 20 years of SV, currently featuring founding member T3 along with Young RJ and Illa J. While we don’t have the official tracklisting, we’re told the album will have guest appearances from Blu, Havoc, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Raheem DeVaughn, Rapper Big Pooh, Focus, and more. Evolution will be out June 25th. Check out the visuals for the lead single, “Forever,” and get their Dirty Slums Tour dates, below.

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Tim Dog faked his own death? You may recall back in February Okayplayer reported the passing of Tim Dog, ostensibly dead at age 46 from a seizure related to his battle with diabetes. That was scarcely a year after the “F*ck Compton” MC was in the news (via an exposé on Dateline NBC) regarding an online dating scam in which he was involved. Now Esther Pilgrim, a woman who was defrauded by Mr. Dog (government name: Timothy Blair) has come forward to assert her belief that reports of his death may have been greatly exaggerated–a scam perpetrated by Tim himself, in fact, to evade the $2 million in court-ordered payments he is liable for on various counts of fraud.

According to a news report on TV station WREG Memphis, Tim Dog swindled her out $32,000 in “A fictitious business deal,”

In 2011, a Mississippi judge ordered Blair to pay her back, “One hundred dollars per month.” Esther says she received those payments up until she got the phone call that Tim Dog was dead. Esther says at first, she believed it like everybody else. Then she did some digging, “There was nothing of what you would normally find.  What city? Who found him? There was nothing with any type of concrete details.”

WREG followed up by hiring private investigator Andy Wilson, who confirmed Pilgrims’s assertion that “They weren’t able to find any record of his death”–including a death certificate. Some sort of paper trail did turn up however:

A private investigator has also confirmed an active address for Blair in Atlanta as of April. Blair has allegedly been dead since February 14^th.

So is Tim Dog still out there somewhere? (<–insert overdramatic gerbil here, then pause yourself). Watch the full WREG news segment below and judge for yourself while we await more developments. And if you see a man who looks like Tim at your local convenience store, call the crimestoppaz. Or maybe the Gravediggaz.

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I’ve been itching to start up this Okay Sport column, and what better way to do that than with a story that ties the sports and rap worlds together so perfectly. MSU football signee, and highly recruited Exton, Pennsylvania Wide Receiver Jay Harris, has opted to withdraw from his football scholarship for a rap career (MSU claims this parting was mutual). My initial inclination was to file this one under “Not Okay,” but let’s not shit on this young man’s dreams before it’s needed.

As a die hard Michigan Wolverines fan, I’m in favor of anything that makes their rival, Michigan State, weaker, and this news seems to do just that. Taking my fandom out of the discussion, I would never advise anyone in life to pursue a career in rap (EVER), but honestly a career in the NFL is probably one of the few more fleeting career choices out there. Though a very gifted athlete at 18 (ESPN rated him the second best High School wideout in the state), he still would need to prove himself at the collegiate level for at least 3 years and hope to be one of the very few lucky enough to be drafted into the NFL (aka Not For Long) where he would be defeating the odds lasting more than 3 years. So it’s not as if he’s turning down guaranteed millions.

Below, you can get a sample of the kid’s music. Do I like it? no, not at all, but the reality is there’s music far worse in regular rotation on the radio as we speak (I don’t even think I need to name names) so who knows if it’ll work out. So if rap is what makes this kid happy, go for it, clearly his heart isn’t 100% in football, and you won’t make it far down that path without full commitment anyway. If you want to keep tabs on Jay ‘DatBull’ Harris, he plans on dropping his debut LP on June 1st (his vid already has 425k hits). Check out his video for “Datbull 4 Life,” below. What y’all think? does dude have a chance with rap? should he beg MSU for that scholarship back? or maybe see if UPS is still hiring? Really though, there’s nothing wrong with using college football to get a free college education while you rap on the side (that would be the wisest move IMO).

Spotted at yahoo sports

The post Okay Sport: Michigan State Signee Jay Harris Trades Football Scholarship For Rap Career appeared first on Okayplayer.

Google recently announced plans to launch an on-demand streaming music service, described by the web giant as “uniquely Google.” The announcement was made by Google’s Android Engineering Director Chris Yerga. The platform, called All Access, debuted yesterday on Google Play with a price point of $9.99 per month for the subscription service. Google initially announced plans to jump into the digital music game after clearing licensing deals with Warner Music Group in March, followed by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment over the past few months. Google’s decision to jump into streaming music is welcomed by the industry, though their paid-only approach has faced early skepticism. Scott Ambrose of X5 Music addressed those concerns:

“Anytime a mainstream company decides to invest in digital music that is good for the entire industry,” said Scott Ambrose Reilly, Chief Executive of X5 Music Group, a boutique label based in New York. “But seeing a mainstream advertising company like Google launch a paid only service does raise some eyebrows. Hope springs eternal and let’s all hope this product lives up to the Google reputation for worldwide mass market appeal. If not at launch then hopefully in the very near future.”

Despite doubts, it seems record companies are very eager to work with Google just for the sheer volume of people it attracts and what that could mean for potential revenue; Google’s traffic would likely offer a bump in sales and a much bigger platform as the recording industry continues to rebuild and redefine itself.

Spotted at BB

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Miguel recently sat for an interview ahead of the Billboard Music Awards, which airs this Sunday. He touches on a handful of topics to review the major events of the past year. Miguel talks about his own evolution and the moment when his ascent became palpable following a big night at last year’s Grammy Awards. Miguel also discusses his latest musical interests, including emerging artist Sohn and Compton MC Kendrick Lamar. He references Kendrick Lamar’s song “Sing About Me” as an influential track, touting the creativity of the raw lyricism K. Dot displays. He also mentions the death of Whitney Houston as a low point of the year and touches briefly on his penchant for spending in Las Vegas. Peep the full interview below.

>>>Read Billboard’s interview with Miguel here

The post Miguel Talks Kendrick Lamar + More appeared first on Okayplayer.

Drake took to his blog to announce the 4th Annual OVO Festival lineup, featuring Frank Ocean and James Blake. Neither Drake nor the official bill name any other artists slated for the event, but there is plenty of room for speculation with “+ special guests” printed at the bottom of the announcement. Drake’s YMCMB family will most likely be on premises for the two-day fête. The rest of the details remain under wraps for now. The festival runs from August 4th to the 5th in Drake’s hometown of Toronto, Canada at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. Tickets will be available on May 24th at 10:00 AM via LiveNation. Cop that. If you plan on crossing the border to catch this show, make sure you’ve got your passport.

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