CTC Spotlight: The Asian Persuasion
Hidey Ho good neighbors it's about that time for another addition to CTC Spotlight. This time were are going to get a little deep. We are going behind the Big Red Wall. There was once a phrase people use to say "Not an Asian man's chance". It came from when the Asians use to build the railroads, they would slowly lower them over cliffs with dynamite in their hands to make the tunnels and sometimes they weren't pulled up fast enough and they would die. I say this because the same thing can be said in the music industry "Not an Asian man's chance". There are countless of incredible artist that won't get any shine because they aren't the "right look" whatever that means. Since they can't get recognition they go to the new underground...the Internet. Here are a couple of people that you may have seen and some you may not, all I ask is keep an open mind and listen. I like to present to you Traphik, D-Pryde, Kat Badar, and Jin...
Tim Chantarangsu (Traphik) or Better Known By his Online Handle TimothyDeLaGhetto2 is a “self-made” celebrity, known for his funny YouTube videos and his hip-hop music. As he states often he is confused with the rapper Jin, making references to him in his songs and even made a skit about him in his first mixtape. His popularity sparked highly when he and his friends Pedro Flores and Eric Ochoa made a Music video entitled “The Kings Of Myspace” which has spawned a sequel. His YouTube videos spawn many topics, ranging from random references to pop culture, little songs and videos, and most notably an advice column known as Dear DeLaGhetto.
Contact Info:
Russell Gilbert Llantino (born October 13, 1993), better known by his stage names D-Pryde and Dukke, is a 16 year old producer/writer/rap artist. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, the son of Rosalie Llantino and Gilbert Llantino, and is of Spanish and Filipino decent. Three years after his birth, his father walked out, leaving Russell, his older brother Gabriel, and his mother alone. Russell never saw his father again when he was growing up, and neither did his older brother Gabriel. He had moved to Brampton with his mother and brother to pursue a new life. Two years later, as a small child he had been exposed to West Indies music by his step father Frank Ravello, who had come in his life, not a moment late. As a young child, he became interested in hip-hop, performing and lip singing to artists such as Biggie, 2pac, and Eminem. Around the age of Ten Russell had found the ambition to rap, and was under the name “ Dukke Wonder “ and joining the group “ Young and Fresh “ around 2005, where his first song was released. Within the community, he frequently participated in neighbourhood freestyle battles.
Through he would later struggle with the nature of his small fame, as well as lyrical expectations, D Pryde endured substantial obstacles throughout his young yet remarkably dramatic entrance into the rap game. Before becoming one of the most discussed Asian figures in hip hop, being compared to Asian rappers such as Jin the Emcee, D-Pryde had suffered through hatred and harsh critics which the public eye had given him. Entering the hip hop game, D-Pryde had been exposed to negative messages and comments, which pulled him out of the game for a while. Not knowing what he was putting himself into, he decided to take a break and learn the story behind Hip Hop. Stepping back into the game in the summer of 2007, he is experienced and ready for anything, following his goal to be in the rap industry. Hoping to make it one day. He has been in many collaborations in the past years and easy was the stand out in many of them.
Contact Info:
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter Page
YouTube Page
Jin was born Jin Au-Yeung on June 4, 1982 in Miami, Florida. He was raised in Miami by his Cantonese parents who ran their own restaurant. After graduating from high school in 2000, Jin decided to forgo college and moved his family to Flushing, Queens, New York City in 2001. He began performing freestyles and selling his own mix tapes on the streets, in hip-hop clubs and wherever else possible. His big break came when the BET program 106 & Park began inviting local rappers to hold battles in a segment known as Freestyle Friday. That same night of his Hall of Fame induction, he announced that he had signed a deal with the Ruff Ryders. His first single under Ruff Ryders was titled "Learn Chinese". It took a sample from the 1992 song "They Want EFX", from hip-hop group Das EFX. The second and final single for the album was originally supposed to be "I Got a Love" featuring Kanye West, but was later changed to "Senorita" because Roc-A-Fella Records didn't want to over-expose Kanye West. The album was originally scheduled to be released in the summer of 2003, but was delayed for over a year by the label. In October 2004, Jin released his debut album, The Rest Is History, which reached number 54 of the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Both of his singles, "Learn Chinese" and "Senorita", failed to be major mainstream successes. Nonetheless, Jin's music video "Learn Chinese" was the first video ever to be played on MTV. After his well publicized lost to Serius Jones on the Fight Klub DVD and a failed record deal with Universal Jin called it quits for a while. But has since came back with a few mixtapes and songs. Jin currently resides in Hong Kong
Jin has most recently been starring on frequent commercials in Hong Kong and also making numerous appearances in TVB like Big Boys Club.
He has recently thrown out a Hip-Hop Census in honor of the 2010 Census and Chinese New Year 2010. He released a mixtape entitled "Say Something", on May 15 2010. As said by Jin, this mixtape is open to anybody and will be mixed from the general population along with Jin. According to JinSuperGroup.com, Jin will be releasing a new album with his friend Hanjin in 2010.
Contact Info:
Official Website
Myspace
Kat is a 19 year phenomenal singer from San Diego, Ca. She has been making her way up and down the West Coast doing college shows and concerts. Her versatility is shown as she can seemingly hit every range on the singing scale. Kat's covers make you literally forget about the original artist that sings the song. She is in that category I like to call "real people artist". Only true fans of music know of her and when she decides to unleash her beautiful talent on the word look out! From her personable attitude to her quirky "just like us" ways to the inviting smile it's hard to not love her as a person. But when you get a chance to hear her sing you fall for the whole package. She is a rare gift given to the world I hope the rest of the world catches up and listens.
Contact Info:
Facebook Page
Myspace Page
YouTube Page
This if anything should prove that music is color blind. Everyone loves music and expresses it in their own way. So never judge a book by it's cover. Go to these artist pages and enlighten yourself. Because Drake, JadaKiss, DMX, Mariah Carey, and Kanye West can't be wrong they all endorses them. If you still doubting the Asian Movement coming here is one more thing to leave you with:
"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it
can only happen through music." ~ Jimi Hendrix
I'm Just Saying!
Coast to Coast
Hidey-Ho from the top of the globe.
This is the first of a couple of post about the current underground rap leagues. Their is KOTD(King of the DOT) from Canada, Grind Time which has a couple of divisions, URL(Ultimate Rap League), Ultimate Warrior in New Jersey, Lionz Den in New York, and the current champions Smack and the Legendary Fight Klub. They all stake a claim on who is the best, some have a valid point. If you listen to the rappers in each League you can hear shots being thrown at the others. Maybe one day we can have a best of the best tournament.
Today is about Grind Time. Gring Time has had many amazing battles over the years like Okwerdz vs Arsonal, Cortez vs anybody, and the now infamous Hollow Da Don Hulk Hogan shirt rip. This league has many divisions from West Coast to New York to even down south. They have a distictive sound, a wordy syllabolic tone in their rhymes. There is no discrimination here they have one rule: Bring your game! Because like most battles it is real easy to get embarassed quick. So enjoy let me know you think.
"We make war that we may live in peace." ~Aristotle
I'm just saying!
Ring of Fire
Hidey-Ho from the top of the world!
It's me your boy Molo. Well it's Monday and it's time for some me to give you my crazy view on life. This my favorite thing to do on the Internet besides talk to y'all. I watch battles on YouTube, I know you done it too at least once. Now battles aren't like what they use to be in the old days. Two dudes in a circle going HAM of the top. Now a days it's more like WWE with multitude of cameras and crowds rivaling Yankee Stadium. Plus scripted story lines cause like wrestling the battle is pretty predictable by the end. You need three major elements to have an successful(entertaining) battle.
1. A descent crew/hype-man: Now he can be your best friend from elementary school or your man from the block, but he has to know every word that comes out your mouth.
2. Lyrics: You can't come up there to the stage and stammer your words cause the moment the crowd is out of it you pretty much lost.
3. A name: Not in the sense of being somebody more like a cool name period. Can't be a name that can be clowned on easily. i.e. first day of school and your name is Mike Tinkle. You looking to get beat up.
So I gave you the basics now here are a couple of battles that shows you the do's and don'ts of battling learn and enjoy.
"Life without failure is just a dream"
I'm just saying!
The Cypher
Hidey-Ho from the top of the world!
I don't know about you but I love hip-hop, not rap but hip-hop...
...There is a great difference.
Any fool with an audience can rap, but hip-hop is a way of life. One of my favorite parts of hip-hop is freestyling. Often, freestyling is done in a group setting (called a cypher) or as part of a freestyle battle. In these cases, freestyle verses are often prepared in the rapper's head as the other rappers in the cypher or the opponent in the battle take their turn. Metaphors and similes are often used when freestyling and a good punch line is huge when freestyling in a cypher.
Freestyling is also often used by many rappers when beginning to write a song, in order to get a feel for the beat and to brainstorm lyrical ideas. Not everyone is built to freestyle. Like I said before any fool can rap, but to have the creativity and wordplay to think off the top of your head is a true gift.
A cypher can make or break your career depending on how hard you come with it. There are some who made there way by battling: i.e. Eminem, 50 cent, DMX, and others then there are some people you just won't see in battles or even a cypher. I won't mention it but you know who lol. So here are a couple of cyphers I found interesting. Dueces!!!!
I'm just saying!
