Go DJ.

so i went to a spring splash concert with Common headlining and this DJ just blew my mind. He did a different set but he still used the 10 crack commandments. Watch and learn. If you dont understand or like this, you dont like hip hop. 'nuff said.

.. and the crowd goes wild

I dont know if its genetics or something, and it might not seem like it, but i kinda like being the center of attention. I find it kinda ironic because i give off a vibe of the kind of timid shy type. But my dads side of the family is known to be the outgoing, performer types in the Philippines. I know, I know, this isnt the Philippines but still. Im just amazed at the idea of being at a place where everyone is there for you. It sounds hella sick to me. Im not a FAMOUS musician or a 3 sport athlete or anything. The closest thing I've experienced to a crowd is a low end club performance, a senior vs staff basketball game, and emceeing a school talent show. They were all pretty exciting but none of these comes close to the type of sensation that I have in my head.

Although I would love to be, Im not a frequent concert goer. Ive seen concerts on DVD and TV and Ive been to 2 concerts in my life. The first one doesnt really count cuhz I was basically dragged to it by one of my friends. Switchfoot. Not really my band of choice. It was still pretty sick. Crowdsurfing is a blast. The second one I actually made an effort to go with my friends all the way to Riverside from San Diego. Wale. Ehhh, hes new he needs to work on his stage presense. But Common Sense. Mos Def worth the trip there. And this is where I make my point.

For the duration of that 1 hour performance, there was a couple fights (that was hilarious btw. Chris knows what Im talking about and your lucky you got a better spot because of that) There was a lot of bass bumping, weed smoking, a lot of hands waving, bodies bouncing to the mutha fuckin beat. And it was packed. And it was pretty outstanding to that fact that for the people who were actually there for Common, were singing every single lyric of every song the whole time. Well the parts where he wasnt doing cover songs or freestyling. But the fact that all those people are there for you to perform to them. And they know all your lyrics. And they appreciate the whole performance. Not a hater in the crowd and that idea just attracts me. The crazy thing is that this was only a college concert. Imagine sports arenas full of people singing your songs. Madison Square Garden. Staples Center. MGM Grand in Vegas. Wow is the only thing I have to say really.

I guess I just have that performers mindstate. Its funny to say that I wish I could be in that position rockin' the mic. Maybe if Im lucky and people stop hatin' on the Movement. HAHA.
Fuck it check it out anyways. Our music isn't bad at all. It just needs to be appreciated. I mean, people like soulja boy. Try something new. www.myspace.com/manzanamovement

Money, Poets and Rappers

Really, I'm nothing near a hater. But I'm tired of the same club based, mainstream radio music that is overplayed every single day. I completely understand that people are hustlin and that type of music is what people listen to. Maybe I'm picky. Maybe I expect everything to be to my liking. Thats totally unfair but at least play some decent music from time to time.

I have come to the conclusion that what attracts people to a song or artists is beats. Whether it be a laidback beat, bass knockers, sampled beats, club music, the beat is what keeps the listener hooked to the song. Take for instance, Dipset. Not to diss them, but they probably aren't the type of lyricists that i would enjoy listening to. To me, they're just another group of artists of bling bling, money spending rappers like everything else on the radio. But as far as beats, Heatmakerz gets it done most of the time. I say whatever gets your head nodding or foot tapping is pretty much on point. Most of the time, the delivery or lyrics just kill it. But beats are far from the point I am trying to make.

What brings me in usually is an artists way with words. Their delivery, rhyme scheme, the content of what theyre saying. The artist has to make me believe that he feels what hes spitting. The reason that I "dislike" most of the music that is released recently is because these artists have lost the passion for music. I have a reason to believe that more than half of the artists now-a-days are doing it for the money. Hence, this "ballin" rap that we hear every single day of our lives. I have fallen in attraction for "old school" rap. Im not saying that its better. Im just stating that it has more depth and reason to be listened to than this other music. Story tellers, spitters, ARTISTS painting pictures with words. There is a difference between "artists" and "rappers."

Way before I was a supporter of "intellectual" rap, I started listening to and watching Def Poetry Jam on youtube. People with a way of words that can sway a crowd with their delivery. Id like to think of it as music without the beat in the background. I was always inspired while watching these videos at the way you can feel that these poets feel every single word they are saying. Even got me at a point where i would blog poems that i would come up with from time to time. But thats the stuff i like to hear. ( This is the part where i name drop people to look up on youtube so you can see where im coming from. Poetri, Shihan, Gemineye. There you go) On a sidenote, I find it sick that Mos Def hosts that show. What a great idea.

In that comparison, I dont really suggest that all rappers start rapping like poets or start telling stories or anything like that because that would just take away the whole culture of hip hop. There is a reason that there are different genres and types of rap making it what it is today. What Im posing is that artists should start start making music for a reason other than financial gain. I find myself respecting underground artists more in a sense that they arent making anything close to what these mainstream artists are but they are still making soulful songs from the heart. Spit something meaningful. Its possible to be mainstream and something worth listening to. The rap in the early '90s were all about having fun, telling stories, having something interesting to say. An example of a good mainstream artist is the group Outkast. In my opinion, you could say theyre in a league of their own. No one is really spitting anything like them. Beats nothing like them. But at the same time, you can still see them on BET and MTV. Well not now, but they got better shit to do. Haha I dont believe hip hop is dead, I just think it has formed into something that people who know what real hip hop is cant really recognize. Its sad to say but its true and being that were in our current recession, people are still gonna be greedy in getting more money. And still gonna be spitting their bling rap that people like to get their money.

Im still hoping for glimpses of the past. Hopefully it comes back. Until then, the only radio Ill be listening to is Pandora.