Written by Othello of D_Cyphernauts
In case you haven't been following the news, former Marine Sergeant Adam Kokesh, and Iraqi War veteran is in jeopardy of having his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps reversed because he took part in protests while wearing a stripped down version of his uniform. Essentially the Marine Corps is attempting to silence Sgt. Kokesh's voice in an attempt to keep other veterans and voices within the active military from speaking out against President Bush's war in Iraq. I have no idea what a soldier's discharge status has to do with his civilian activity AFTER HE HAS HONORABLY SERVED OUR COUNTRY during his service in the military. The fact that he opposes the war and chooses to exercise his 1st Amendment right to free speech has NOTHING to do with his military service. Is this how we repay our veterans???
The d_Cyphernauts had the honor of performing at several events at which the anti-war group Iraq Veterans Against the War spoke compellingly and passionately about their opposition to the war. You need to hear their stories. They are brutally honest and they paint a picture of this conflict that we, in America, are unaware of.
I reprinted an update about Adam's situation from the Iraqi Veteran's Against the War's website, www.ivaw.org below. Please visit their site for more comprehensive and timely information. I also encourage you to support Adam's fight to retain his Honorable Discharge status by visiting his blog at http://kokesh.blogspot.com/.
Adam Kokesh Hearing Update:
Iraq Veterans Against the War scored a victory for free speech today in Kansas City, MO. A panel of three Marine Corps officers recommended today that Adam Kokesh receive a general discharge under honorable conditions. Adam and his attorney will, however, appeal this finding on the grounds that Adam is entitled to his full honorable discharge. In a seemingly hypocritical contradiction, the Marine Corps panel, as well as the prosecution's key witness, Major Whyte, agreed that the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) does not apply to members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Regardless of this, several other honorably discharged IVAW members are facing a similar hearing based on their stance against the war. IVAW members will continue to tell the truth about our experiences in Iraq and in the military and fight to bring our brothers and sisters home from Iraq now.
Adam, Liam and Cloy appeared on Good Morning America on Sunday, June 3rd.
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) on GMA
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Workforce featured in the Fairfield County Weekly
Check out this video: Workforce Live - Best Foot Forward
Add to My Profile | More Videos
By Nick Keppler:
So it's been established that Danbury isn't the next Seattle, right? Anyone still waiting on that? Anyone? Good, that means the following bands can be judged on their own merits, not the unreasonable expectation that they'll blow up like Soundgarden. Recent shows at Cousin Larry's and the Monkey Bar have been pretty sweet, even if no one's coming in from New York, the fools, to see these Danbury-based bands and musicians.
...
Workforce
"I get down with the grit 'n grime/ so until I get mine I'm gonna stay on the grind/and use the rhyme as a tool to build/cause there's empty space that needs to get filled," raps Workforce's Hawl Digg (pictured) on "Set It Straight." Digg's lyrics are positive without being corny, confident without being boastful and old-school without being outdated. DJ and producer the Dirty Dutchman serves him well with samples from the Curtis Mayfield era of soul, one that's spiritually akin to Workforce's gangsta-free urban sound. Danbury natives and childhood friends, Digg and the Dutchman became addicted to hip-hop when "Rapper's Delight" swelled beyond New York City. "[W]e've seen all the good and bad that hip-hop has to offer," says the Dutchman. "We formed Workforce in 2004 to promote more of the good and less of the bad." www.myspace.com/workforce.
Add to My Profile | More Videos
By Nick Keppler:
So it's been established that Danbury isn't the next Seattle, right? Anyone still waiting on that? Anyone? Good, that means the following bands can be judged on their own merits, not the unreasonable expectation that they'll blow up like Soundgarden. Recent shows at Cousin Larry's and the Monkey Bar have been pretty sweet, even if no one's coming in from New York, the fools, to see these Danbury-based bands and musicians.
...
Workforce
"I get down with the grit 'n grime/ so until I get mine I'm gonna stay on the grind/and use the rhyme as a tool to build/cause there's empty space that needs to get filled," raps Workforce's Hawl Digg (pictured) on "Set It Straight." Digg's lyrics are positive without being corny, confident without being boastful and old-school without being outdated. DJ and producer the Dirty Dutchman serves him well with samples from the Curtis Mayfield era of soul, one that's spiritually akin to Workforce's gangsta-free urban sound. Danbury natives and childhood friends, Digg and the Dutchman became addicted to hip-hop when "Rapper's Delight" swelled beyond New York City. "[W]e've seen all the good and bad that hip-hop has to offer," says the Dutchman. "We formed Workforce in 2004 to promote more of the good and less of the bad." www.myspace.com/workforce.
Phenetiks Rawkus 50 LP Available Now!
Yes Yes. Hear ye hear ye.The Phenetiks CD:Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonderis officialy out through the long awaited highly anticipated Rawkus 50.(Yes. I changed the album artwork at the last minute. The one they had for 7 months wasn't "big" enough)
It's on :
iTunes
Amazon
Napster
Rhapsody
Mtraks
Emusic
... and a few otherThankfully, they completely ignored our song order, and the songs are now conveniently listed alphabetically. (which makes the album pretty close to inside out)Oh, and just for kicks...my two favorite tracks are misspelled. Devistation Ragga, and Epotome One, Two.Hope you enjoy it, and make us millions. Download like crazy you little circus monkeys.Peace. Sorry for the Sarcasm.~Phenetiks collectively opened a studio in Waterbury, CT in 2003 and are now standing strong on their 2nd LP.
iTunes
Amazon
Napster
Rhapsody
Mtraks
Emusic
... and a few otherThankfully, they completely ignored our song order, and the songs are now conveniently listed alphabetically. (which makes the album pretty close to inside out)Oh, and just for kicks...my two favorite tracks are misspelled. Devistation Ragga, and Epotome One, Two.Hope you enjoy it, and make us millions. Download like crazy you little circus monkeys.Peace. Sorry for the Sarcasm.~Phenetiks collectively opened a studio in Waterbury, CT in 2003 and are now standing strong on their 2nd LP.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Cee Reed EP Now Available! "The E.P"
The 3rd solo release from CEE REED brings the fuel to the fire. This album is raw hip hop at it's best. Old School, Underground, Raw, Political, what ever you want to call it it's good.
www.ceereed.com
www.littleax.com
www.myspace.com/ceereed
www.musicnation.com/ceereed
Some real dope shit right here!
Adam Bernard Interview W/The Rising Sun Quest
Sometimes an artist can just grab your attention through a performance. I had known The Rising Sun Quest for a little while, but it was during a show in Danbury, CT that I realized he needed to be featured on this site. The Waterbury, CT native is part of a collection of MCs and producers called the Ant Farm Affiliates, a crew that has come together to create great Hip-Hop music and attempt to show listeners that there's a lot more out there than current radio playlists might lead one to believe. Quest is currently working on his third solo effort, his first two being Stellar Evolution and Surviving Life, and with every song he writes he has one main objective, "to create dope songs with deep concepts and meaningful lyrics that are in my opinion timeless." Attaining that goal hasn't always been easy, though, as he readily admits "I'm human." This week I'm sitting down with The Rising Sun Quest to discuss his work, the meaning of his name, and how one of his songs has been saving lives.
Adam Bernard: On your MySpace page you have a comma in your name; Quest, The Rising Sun. I don't think I've ever seen that before. What's up with the punctuation?
The Rising Sun Quest: (laughs) Well the name is Quest. I believe I'm the original around these parts unless you can find somebody who got their name before 1994. Quest was originally a rap name given to me by an early rap partner. When it became the name people referred to me as "The Rising Sun" was added as a prefix to make the rap persona sound grand. So said properly there is no comma. It's The Rising Sun Quest. See you don't just say, "Quest is dope." You say "The Rising Sun Quest" is dope. I'm a big fan of astronomy and I love the stars and planets. But the star that means most to us humans is our Sun. So I thought when I became a big rap star I would be the most important one,The Rising Sun.
Adam Bernard: You noted you've been MCing for over a decade. Who have you drawn influences from over the years and how are they reflected in your work and life?
The Rising Sun Quest: I won't go crazy with this one. First off my music reflects anybody who lives life. So people in general inspire what I write. Musically my influences have been Redman, Wu-Tang, Boot Camp, Big Pun, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Gravediggaz, NWA, Kool G Rap, Mob Deep, Jeru, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, etc.
Adam Bernard: One listen to songs such as "Soul Merchant" and "Surviving Life" and it's obvious your content isn't all about partying like a rock star. What are you hoping to say with your music AND what do you feel can be gained by saying it.
The Rising Sun Quest: Well all I ever wanted to gain was the respect of those who hear the music. Whether it be from a street thug, convict, sexy lady, ugly lady, old man, Hip-Hop fan, rock fan or my mom. I want you to hear my music and relate to it. Maybe even see things in a different way. As the Sun it's my job to Shed Light on certain things, pun intended. I think music is very powerful and can be used to help people understand that they aren't alone, that they can do anything and that I'm making music for them always. On Stellar Evolution I have a track called "U Die?" and over the years people have told me that that song has helped them through situations that were awful. It's about contemplating suicide and then actually going through with it only to realize afterward that your situation wasn't worth ending your life over. That song's premise is that no matter how bad you have it, other people have it much worst yet still manage to get through.
Adam Bernard: Coming from a state that's traditionally ignored by the Hip-Hop masses how are you going about making sure songs like "U Die" get out to people?
The Rising Sun Quest: I think the key is to get people to recognize that we have a unique sound and then run with it by labeling it something and then branding it similar to "the Dirty South" or "East coast Hip-Hop." Like if we started calling music from this region "New England Hip-Hop" it would give our style of music its own bit of credibility even though its just "East Coast Hip-Hop" from CT.
Adam Bernard: Finally, Hip-Hop is in a one hit wonder phase with acts like D4L, MIMS, Shop Boyz and Yung Berg, but since music goes in cycles where do you see Hip-Hop going next?
The Rising Sun Quest: Right in the garbage if cats like that keep coming out. On the real, that to me is just pop music. I cant imagine that those radio DJ's enjoy playing that mess. Its possible mainstream Hip-Hop will take a turn for the better. But there will always be dope crews like the Ant Farm Affiliates and many others who will continue to make good music. We may not die rich but well die for the cause.
You can check out The Rising Sun Quest's music at myspace.com/risingsunquest, soundclick.com/risingsunquest & myspace.com/theafaff and some of his crew's thoughts and opinions at theafa.blogspot.com.
posted by Adam Bernard at 7:47 AM
Monday, December 24, 2007
AFA (Ant Farm Affiliates)
PHENETIKS has joined forces with some of the most promising hip-hop artists in CT.We are now apart of a much larger coalition call The "Ant Farm Affiliates". THe group includes:
PHENETIKS
THE RISING SUN QUEST
D_CYPHERNAUTS
SKETCH THE CATACLYSM
SPAZ "THE WORKING CLASS"
EXPERTIZE
HAWL DIGG AND DIRT E DUTCH ( WORKFORCE)
CEE REED
PRUVEN
We need all of our fans however many there are of you on this earth to please support these artists along with us. We all have very different styles with the same common goal behind our music. And that is to deliver hip-hop to the listener in its purest form.
peace
AF to the def fa real!
More to come Squad Up!
PHENETIKS
THE RISING SUN QUEST
D_CYPHERNAUTS
SKETCH THE CATACLYSM
SPAZ "THE WORKING CLASS"
EXPERTIZE
HAWL DIGG AND DIRT E DUTCH ( WORKFORCE)
CEE REED
PRUVEN
We need all of our fans however many there are of you on this earth to please support these artists along with us. We all have very different styles with the same common goal behind our music. And that is to deliver hip-hop to the listener in its purest form.
peace
AF to the def fa real!
More to come Squad Up!
Phenetiks Voted # 1 Hip Hop in CT
Straight out of Waterbury, the authentic and innovative hip-hop group Phenetiks is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Together for only two years, the men were life-long musicians, either as DJs or MCs, before they met through mutual friends. They mix edgy social observations and nostalgic explanations of music with catchy and experimental beats that immediately make you realize these guys are doing something completely different than what's "popular."
Deto-22, the group's producer, lays the beats down and, according to his MySpace page, Phenetiks is more than just a music group for him; it's a life-saving force.
"Phenetiks saved my life," the site reads. "I used to live in random parked cars and hustle Snickers to high school kids for drug money. I'd spend my nights with various homeless hookers playing setback and Scrabble and [I'd] eat cans of snowshoe peas." It wasn't until he haphazardly met Roc-one and JK1, both from New York, that he really tapped into his production skills. Then, after years of producing beats for local solo artists, the three men started Phenetiks with MC Protégé and DJ SirCumference.
Record label Rawkus picked them to be in their "Rawkus 50," a collection Rawkus calls "the 50 next important hip-hop artists," less than a month after Pheneticks submitted a demo to them. The label will get them a digital distribution deal along with promotional assistance and occasional shows in New York. Opportunities like this allow Phenetiks to "hardcore promote" their new album, The Revolutionary, Non-Pollutionary, Mechanical Player, along the East Coast, and each copy comes with the Rawkus seal.
Their songwriting is strictly collaborative. It starts with Deto-22's beats and then moves its way through the others in the group, sprouting lyrical legs until all the verses and hooks are nicely packaged and put together. "We call Deto-22 the creator and the originator because we can't make Phenetiks tracks without him, the Protégé says. "He has that certain sound." They bounce ideas off each other, and a song's not done until they all agree it's done.
Currently, aside from picking up as many shows as possible, they're collaborating with Smoke, this year's Best Hard Rock/Rock winner, on a live album to be recorded at shows between now and the end of 2008 and planned for an early-2009 release.
Hip-hop groups like Phenetiks show its struggle and passion to create art, not a struggle and passion to sell sneakers and over-sized hoodies. Listen to them and it's clear that if mainstream hip hop wasn't spoon-fed to the masses, nobody would eat it.
Check it out for yourself at www.fairfieldweekly.com
Deto-22, the group's producer, lays the beats down and, according to his MySpace page, Phenetiks is more than just a music group for him; it's a life-saving force.
"Phenetiks saved my life," the site reads. "I used to live in random parked cars and hustle Snickers to high school kids for drug money. I'd spend my nights with various homeless hookers playing setback and Scrabble and [I'd] eat cans of snowshoe peas." It wasn't until he haphazardly met Roc-one and JK1, both from New York, that he really tapped into his production skills. Then, after years of producing beats for local solo artists, the three men started Phenetiks with MC Protégé and DJ SirCumference.
Record label Rawkus picked them to be in their "Rawkus 50," a collection Rawkus calls "the 50 next important hip-hop artists," less than a month after Pheneticks submitted a demo to them. The label will get them a digital distribution deal along with promotional assistance and occasional shows in New York. Opportunities like this allow Phenetiks to "hardcore promote" their new album, The Revolutionary, Non-Pollutionary, Mechanical Player, along the East Coast, and each copy comes with the Rawkus seal.
Their songwriting is strictly collaborative. It starts with Deto-22's beats and then moves its way through the others in the group, sprouting lyrical legs until all the verses and hooks are nicely packaged and put together. "We call Deto-22 the creator and the originator because we can't make Phenetiks tracks without him, the Protégé says. "He has that certain sound." They bounce ideas off each other, and a song's not done until they all agree it's done.
Currently, aside from picking up as many shows as possible, they're collaborating with Smoke, this year's Best Hard Rock/Rock winner, on a live album to be recorded at shows between now and the end of 2008 and planned for an early-2009 release.
Hip-hop groups like Phenetiks show its struggle and passion to create art, not a struggle and passion to sell sneakers and over-sized hoodies. Listen to them and it's clear that if mainstream hip hop wasn't spoon-fed to the masses, nobody would eat it.
Check it out for yourself at www.fairfieldweekly.com
Sketch Tha Cataclysm...Ranked in Adam Bernards Top 25 Albums of 2007
21) Sketch Tha Cataclysm – Party Music 4 Pissed Off PeopleIf you’ve ever shaken your ass to the idea of a revolution then you were probably listening to Sketch Tha Cataclysm. Sketch is one of the only artists around who can make you party while spitting intense lyrics about American history, where the country is going and why the radio only plays certain artists. Heck, his album even has a suggested reading section! Production on PM4POP ranges from reggae inspired to mid-90’s Hip-Hop. The only negative about the album is its length, it’s only an EP and the world could use a lot more of Sketch Tha Cataclysm.Song you need to hear: Betsy Ross and the Miseducation of AmericaWebsite: myspace.com/sketchthacataclysm
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Phenetiks Interview w MusiqPromo UK
Protégé from Phenetiks Interview
I know you guys reading my interviews are going to start thinking I'm developing a bias towards Connecticut, but no it's purely coincidence that my next artist to interview is also from CT. With A new album out and getting a lot of good responses I catch up with Protégé from Phenetiks to talk about the Musical Journey.
Musiqpromo: How's it going? Why don't you introduce yourself to the people?Protégé: Hello there, I go by the name of The Protégé of Phenetiks. We are an experimental hip-hop group from Waterbury CT. Besides me there is the producer Deto22, the Dj Dj SirCumference, and the two other incredible MC' JK1 the Supernova and Roc one. Happy to be here.
Musiqpromo: How long have you been together? Protégé: Well we all kind of met through mutual friends and became friends before we actually started to do music together. Phenetiks has been around since 1994. Deto22 is the originator. We have officially been a five member group since my induction in late '05'.
Musiqpromo: How would you describe your sound? Protégé: Our sound is untainted, pure, original, lyrics, raw beats, raw scratching, concept driven, life motivated, dramatic nonsense, hip hop. Lol I can just say that each MC' brings his own persona to the table when it comes to making songs.Deto22 lays the beat and the concept and Dj Sircumference adds the special sauce. I dont even know what else to call it. It's just some good ol hip hop!
Musiqpromo: You have released your first album, can you tell the people about that?Protégé: Yes this is our first release wit Rawkus, but we put out our first album independently in 2006, "The Sandbox set" which is available on cdbaby.com and ITunes.com. Our second LP is called "Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonder". You can download it now at the Rawkus website, my.rawkus.com and the link is as follows http://my.rawkus.com/profile/PHENETIKS. We have merchandise links posted as well.
Musiqpromo: I saw that you have made it to the Rawkus 50, how did that come about?Protégé: We caught word of it on the net pretty early. JK1's girlfriend Erin spotted it and was like "you guys should enter that shit" so we did. I sent in the necessary materials and Slopfunkdust got back to us with a quick response. Hate to sound cliché but the rest is history. We got in.
Musiqpromo: Your from CT I've just interviewed MD-E, are you guys ever gonna collaborate? And what do you think of Redhead Kingpin & Apathy, who are CT's most famous exports. Protégé: Yeah M D.E is our people. We both from CT representin! We are gonna be doing a show with him next week @ Blaggards in Manhattan. (Peep the page for info)I'm sure we can get together on a track in the future. I personally have not listened to Redhead Kingpin ever. I'm sure he can hold it down because I have heard of him. Apathy is my people too. I used to be a Dj for WHUS the University of Connecticut radio station. He was always around with OneTwo of the Demigodz. He spit crazy then and he's only gotten better with time. I've seen him roast mics wit a freestyle. I'm glad he's doing his thing, I'm gonna check him out in concert in Hartford this summer.
Musiqpromo: Are you working with any other people?Protégé: Mos def! CT becoming really strong right now and we (Phenetiks) are all about the unity. We have aligned ourselves with some good talent from around the state, M D.E being one. We are apart of the AFA (Ant Farm Affiliates) which features Spaz,Cee Reed, Workforce-Dir E Dutch and Hawl Digg,D_Cyphernauts, Sketch Tha Cataclysm, The Rising Sun Quest, and Expertiz. We are planning to drop a mixtape soon. And shout out to my peoples The Basement Bastards, Subrosa, Smoke, Cousin Larry's, Maddsonn, Defynshn, Silent Touch, Wos, Dj Eros, and the Official IC.
Musiqpromo: Sounds very promising I'm from the UK, have you heard anything from over here that has caught your ear? Protégé: I personally can't say that I know as much about UK hip hop than I do about US hip hop. But I have caught freestyles from things like jump-off TV and mix tapes; Youtube also keeps me tuned in. I haven't listened to enough to pick favorites. I did however link up with a producer named Raze Brooks and we did a couple of tracks together. There are other UK artist's that I like outside of hip hop like Cluadia Jesse and Holly Ottignon. Great talents. Wait I like Slick Rick, he's from the UK right?
Musiqpromo: Yeah Slick Rick & Monie Love are our biggest exports, I've heard a few of Razes Tunes, his Hip Hop Years Mixes and the Stuff he did with Lava Flo, you got any plans to come out to perform in the U.K? Protégé: We would love to come out there and perform for the people! But we all have separate lives right now and it would take a big effort on our part. The only way I see that becoming a reality is if we can do a tour and make enough money to support our music. You know we still got jobs and kids support so all of that would have to be taken into consideration. If given the right opportunity though, we will be in the streets of London chillin wit the people.
Musiqpromo: It would be good to see you perform out here, now's the part of the interview for you to plug yourself and send a shout out to anybody you feel that has helped you along the way?Protégé: There's so many name and I said some of them already but we gotta thank anybody and everybody who gave a chance and listened. Major shout out to Maria Miiz, Divine, Lavoerevolt.com, John Vargas, The Aries Family...Brooklyn Stand Up! AFA, Slopfunkdust, and anybody who knows us and respects the fact that we do hip hop how we think it should be done. To everyone who bought The Sandbox Set and came to a show.
Musiqpromo: Thanks Protégé for taking part, it's been a great interview, I wish you and guys all the success in the world with your music, you deserve it.
Protégé: The pleasure was all ours. Thank you for this interview; it's been a while since I had the chance to have fun on a computer screen...Damn college exams! Peace to you and yours. Phenetiks for life...Now Eat Up!
Check out Phenetiks's music at http://www.myspace.com/phenetiks
I know you guys reading my interviews are going to start thinking I'm developing a bias towards Connecticut, but no it's purely coincidence that my next artist to interview is also from CT. With A new album out and getting a lot of good responses I catch up with Protégé from Phenetiks to talk about the Musical Journey.
Musiqpromo: How's it going? Why don't you introduce yourself to the people?Protégé: Hello there, I go by the name of The Protégé of Phenetiks. We are an experimental hip-hop group from Waterbury CT. Besides me there is the producer Deto22, the Dj Dj SirCumference, and the two other incredible MC' JK1 the Supernova and Roc one. Happy to be here.
Musiqpromo: How long have you been together? Protégé: Well we all kind of met through mutual friends and became friends before we actually started to do music together. Phenetiks has been around since 1994. Deto22 is the originator. We have officially been a five member group since my induction in late '05'.
Musiqpromo: How would you describe your sound? Protégé: Our sound is untainted, pure, original, lyrics, raw beats, raw scratching, concept driven, life motivated, dramatic nonsense, hip hop. Lol I can just say that each MC' brings his own persona to the table when it comes to making songs.Deto22 lays the beat and the concept and Dj Sircumference adds the special sauce. I dont even know what else to call it. It's just some good ol hip hop!
Musiqpromo: You have released your first album, can you tell the people about that?Protégé: Yes this is our first release wit Rawkus, but we put out our first album independently in 2006, "The Sandbox set" which is available on cdbaby.com and ITunes.com. Our second LP is called "Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonder". You can download it now at the Rawkus website, my.rawkus.com and the link is as follows http://my.rawkus.com/profile/PHENETIKS. We have merchandise links posted as well.
Musiqpromo: I saw that you have made it to the Rawkus 50, how did that come about?Protégé: We caught word of it on the net pretty early. JK1's girlfriend Erin spotted it and was like "you guys should enter that shit" so we did. I sent in the necessary materials and Slopfunkdust got back to us with a quick response. Hate to sound cliché but the rest is history. We got in.
Musiqpromo: Your from CT I've just interviewed MD-E, are you guys ever gonna collaborate? And what do you think of Redhead Kingpin & Apathy, who are CT's most famous exports. Protégé: Yeah M D.E is our people. We both from CT representin! We are gonna be doing a show with him next week @ Blaggards in Manhattan. (Peep the page for info)I'm sure we can get together on a track in the future. I personally have not listened to Redhead Kingpin ever. I'm sure he can hold it down because I have heard of him. Apathy is my people too. I used to be a Dj for WHUS the University of Connecticut radio station. He was always around with OneTwo of the Demigodz. He spit crazy then and he's only gotten better with time. I've seen him roast mics wit a freestyle. I'm glad he's doing his thing, I'm gonna check him out in concert in Hartford this summer.
Musiqpromo: Are you working with any other people?Protégé: Mos def! CT becoming really strong right now and we (Phenetiks) are all about the unity. We have aligned ourselves with some good talent from around the state, M D.E being one. We are apart of the AFA (Ant Farm Affiliates) which features Spaz,Cee Reed, Workforce-Dir E Dutch and Hawl Digg,D_Cyphernauts, Sketch Tha Cataclysm, The Rising Sun Quest, and Expertiz. We are planning to drop a mixtape soon. And shout out to my peoples The Basement Bastards, Subrosa, Smoke, Cousin Larry's, Maddsonn, Defynshn, Silent Touch, Wos, Dj Eros, and the Official IC.
Musiqpromo: Sounds very promising I'm from the UK, have you heard anything from over here that has caught your ear? Protégé: I personally can't say that I know as much about UK hip hop than I do about US hip hop. But I have caught freestyles from things like jump-off TV and mix tapes; Youtube also keeps me tuned in. I haven't listened to enough to pick favorites. I did however link up with a producer named Raze Brooks and we did a couple of tracks together. There are other UK artist's that I like outside of hip hop like Cluadia Jesse and Holly Ottignon. Great talents. Wait I like Slick Rick, he's from the UK right?
Musiqpromo: Yeah Slick Rick & Monie Love are our biggest exports, I've heard a few of Razes Tunes, his Hip Hop Years Mixes and the Stuff he did with Lava Flo, you got any plans to come out to perform in the U.K? Protégé: We would love to come out there and perform for the people! But we all have separate lives right now and it would take a big effort on our part. The only way I see that becoming a reality is if we can do a tour and make enough money to support our music. You know we still got jobs and kids support so all of that would have to be taken into consideration. If given the right opportunity though, we will be in the streets of London chillin wit the people.
Musiqpromo: It would be good to see you perform out here, now's the part of the interview for you to plug yourself and send a shout out to anybody you feel that has helped you along the way?Protégé: There's so many name and I said some of them already but we gotta thank anybody and everybody who gave a chance and listened. Major shout out to Maria Miiz, Divine, Lavoerevolt.com, John Vargas, The Aries Family...Brooklyn Stand Up! AFA, Slopfunkdust, and anybody who knows us and respects the fact that we do hip hop how we think it should be done. To everyone who bought The Sandbox Set and came to a show.
Musiqpromo: Thanks Protégé for taking part, it's been a great interview, I wish you and guys all the success in the world with your music, you deserve it.
Protégé: The pleasure was all ours. Thank you for this interview; it's been a while since I had the chance to have fun on a computer screen...Damn college exams! Peace to you and yours. Phenetiks for life...Now Eat Up!
Check out Phenetiks's music at http://www.myspace.com/phenetiks
Monday, April 2, 2007
Sketch Tha Cataclysm interview with Adam Bernard
Artist Of The Week – Sketch Tha Cataclysm
Can great Hip-Hop come from public access television? Well, if you’ve seen Sketch Tha Cataclysm you already know the answer is an emphatic yes. Sketch got his start hosting two public access Hip-Hop shows in his hometown of Waterbury, CT, performing what he calls, in retrospect, “terrible battle raps littered with inappropriate similes and varied other foulness for shock value.” It was during that eight year period as a host, however, that he learned how to write complete songs and released an album entitled Tao Te Ching. Tao Te Ching was a collection of songs about the world told in first person and third person narratives and in a series of editorials. During the close of this period he also rocked shows with a band called (Soda) Popinski at the Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport and started building his stagecraft. Recently he tore down the house at Cousin Larry’s in Danbury and this week I’m sitting down with Sketch to find out where his intense energy comes from, what he feels makes him unique as an artist, and what’s up with the “I Hate Rappers” hoodie he wears.Adam Bernard: After seeing your live show I have to say your energy level is incredible. I got tired for you at one point during your set. You seem fairly normal off stage, however, so I'm wondering where does this energy come from and how do you harness it while on stage?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: Wow man thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate comments like that. I usually go into a show fairly level and I just wander around the venue to feel out the crowd, this will usually tell me what I should rock for the night. As of the past six months I have stopped making a set list, so the crowd really tells me which of my songs to rock. Conserving energy usually comes from song choices and at this point I can tell when I will need a second to chill before pulling out a nice closer. Sometimes a chill point for me is a song that is just a bit slower or an a cappella done spoken-word style that has a little more space for me to breathe before the show's closer. I really like to keep the energy up, though.Adam Bernard: Other than your energy level, what do you feel makes you stand out in this very crowded Hip-Hop world?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The desire to constantly change and just be a little different always. There are many different interests I have and aspects to my personality. It's important to me to show those different sides of my character. Also, I love writing so I have experimented with different styles of writing and using different artistic devices. My first serious album was loaded with character based stories with first person narratives, personification, etc. The newest project I’m working on has more multi-syllabic rhymes schemes on political and social issues over funky party beats. The project following that will be more personal and dramatic.Adam Bernard: Speaking of personal and dramatic, you have quite the long name. How did you become Sketch Tha Cataclysm and what does it mean to you?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I was called "Sketch" because of an infatuation with drawing and never finishing pictures when I was little. "Tha Cataclysm" came due to a chance encounter with a magazine, legal purposes, Jeru, and to make my name become more of an artistic statement than a rap name with a subtitle. Basically, Sketch Tha Cataclysm = Design The Change.Adam Bernard: In climbing the ladder of success what do you feel is the next step for you and how are you going about making it happen?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I want to get to a point where I am able to pay my bills entirely from my musical endeavors. Getting better at the art of performance is another constant goal and also continuing to put out diverse and interesting product. For example, I walk everywhere so while I am walking I try spit some of the most complicated rhymes I know repeatedly and make all of the words as clear as possible. It's breath control, it's something I stole from the late Jeff Buckley, who used to try to hold his notes out longer and longer as he walked places. You expend energy walking so it’s a good way to practice for being on stage without rehearsing a song directly.Adam Bernard: Finally, I noticed you rock a hoodie that says "I Hate Rappers." This might be confusing to a lot of people, can you explain it for everyone?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The concept just comes from the fact that everybody nowadays spits rhymes. It just gets kind of aggravating. There are a vast array of biters and trends, and due to the amount of rappers out there all of those biters and trends get amplified by a billion and cause people to assume they know what I am like before they even hear me rhyme. The special ones, the original ones, the charismatic performers and musicians, the artists… I love. These humpty dumpty rappers that rap cat with bat I don't dig too much.For more Sketch hit up myspace.com/sketchthacataclysm.
Can great Hip-Hop come from public access television? Well, if you’ve seen Sketch Tha Cataclysm you already know the answer is an emphatic yes. Sketch got his start hosting two public access Hip-Hop shows in his hometown of Waterbury, CT, performing what he calls, in retrospect, “terrible battle raps littered with inappropriate similes and varied other foulness for shock value.” It was during that eight year period as a host, however, that he learned how to write complete songs and released an album entitled Tao Te Ching. Tao Te Ching was a collection of songs about the world told in first person and third person narratives and in a series of editorials. During the close of this period he also rocked shows with a band called (Soda) Popinski at the Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport and started building his stagecraft. Recently he tore down the house at Cousin Larry’s in Danbury and this week I’m sitting down with Sketch to find out where his intense energy comes from, what he feels makes him unique as an artist, and what’s up with the “I Hate Rappers” hoodie he wears.Adam Bernard: After seeing your live show I have to say your energy level is incredible. I got tired for you at one point during your set. You seem fairly normal off stage, however, so I'm wondering where does this energy come from and how do you harness it while on stage?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: Wow man thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate comments like that. I usually go into a show fairly level and I just wander around the venue to feel out the crowd, this will usually tell me what I should rock for the night. As of the past six months I have stopped making a set list, so the crowd really tells me which of my songs to rock. Conserving energy usually comes from song choices and at this point I can tell when I will need a second to chill before pulling out a nice closer. Sometimes a chill point for me is a song that is just a bit slower or an a cappella done spoken-word style that has a little more space for me to breathe before the show's closer. I really like to keep the energy up, though.Adam Bernard: Other than your energy level, what do you feel makes you stand out in this very crowded Hip-Hop world?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The desire to constantly change and just be a little different always. There are many different interests I have and aspects to my personality. It's important to me to show those different sides of my character. Also, I love writing so I have experimented with different styles of writing and using different artistic devices. My first serious album was loaded with character based stories with first person narratives, personification, etc. The newest project I’m working on has more multi-syllabic rhymes schemes on political and social issues over funky party beats. The project following that will be more personal and dramatic.Adam Bernard: Speaking of personal and dramatic, you have quite the long name. How did you become Sketch Tha Cataclysm and what does it mean to you?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I was called "Sketch" because of an infatuation with drawing and never finishing pictures when I was little. "Tha Cataclysm" came due to a chance encounter with a magazine, legal purposes, Jeru, and to make my name become more of an artistic statement than a rap name with a subtitle. Basically, Sketch Tha Cataclysm = Design The Change.Adam Bernard: In climbing the ladder of success what do you feel is the next step for you and how are you going about making it happen?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I want to get to a point where I am able to pay my bills entirely from my musical endeavors. Getting better at the art of performance is another constant goal and also continuing to put out diverse and interesting product. For example, I walk everywhere so while I am walking I try spit some of the most complicated rhymes I know repeatedly and make all of the words as clear as possible. It's breath control, it's something I stole from the late Jeff Buckley, who used to try to hold his notes out longer and longer as he walked places. You expend energy walking so it’s a good way to practice for being on stage without rehearsing a song directly.Adam Bernard: Finally, I noticed you rock a hoodie that says "I Hate Rappers." This might be confusing to a lot of people, can you explain it for everyone?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The concept just comes from the fact that everybody nowadays spits rhymes. It just gets kind of aggravating. There are a vast array of biters and trends, and due to the amount of rappers out there all of those biters and trends get amplified by a billion and cause people to assume they know what I am like before they even hear me rhyme. The special ones, the original ones, the charismatic performers and musicians, the artists… I love. These humpty dumpty rappers that rap cat with bat I don't dig too much.For more Sketch hit up myspace.com/sketchthacataclysm.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
AFA In the community
Hip-hop summit at Westhill High offers message of 'empowerment'
Greenwich Time
By Natasha Lee
March 11, 2007
There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical
STAMFORD - Aspiring young MCs, DJs and rappers got a behind-the-scenes glimpse yesterday of what it takes to get on stage, spit rhymes and get the crowd pumped.
Underground rappers, producers and artists from across the state gathered at the first Hip Hop Summit yesterday to teach young people about performance, technique and skill.
The all-day event was sponsored by Westhill High School and hosted by Ant Farm Affiliates, an association of more than a dozen Connecticut hip-hop artists and performers.
Their message was one of empowerment.
'There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical,' said Queen Godis to a handful of students following a performance. 'We have to rely on our minds, because they are underused as it is.'
Godis, a singer and spoken-word performer, and singer Kendall Johnson-Smith, both from Brooklyn, N.Y., kicked off the summit with a series of songs and poetry from Godis' recent album 'Power U!'
Godis said her message and the album are about the struggles and joy of womanhood. She said women should be 'unafraid to be who they are without fear or resignation.'
Music videos featuring scantily clad women or sexually explicit lyrics send conflicting messages about a woman's place in society, she said.
'In the midst of mixed media images, there's a lot of disconnect as to what it means to be a woman,' she said.
Westhill High senior Deidre Knight, 17, said she appreciates Godis' message.
'When I listen to a lot of rap, it's like females really can't get anywhere. All you can do is look good and be in a video,' said Deidre, an aspiring rapper. 'Even a lot of female artists are degrading themselves. We need more artists like (Godis). She's good, and that inspires me.'
The summit featured a series of workshops about gaining exposure through independent media, stage presence and breathing techniques. Leaders also spoke about turning 'tagging' (spray-painting a symbol or name) and graffiti into a graphic design career. Participants had the chance to showcase their own demo CDs and receive a critique from Ant Farm Affiliates.
The event ended with a concert featuring the artists.
Westhill English teachers David Wooley and Joe Celcis, who also are Ant Farm performers, said the goal of the summit was to introduce young people to another side of hip hop, a side less commercial and more intellectual.
Wooley said he occasionally will interject lyrics into lessons to get students hooked on expanding their vocabulary and to improve their interest in reading.
'I think that we have a lot of kids who are either artists or intrigued by the music and the culture, and they don't necessarily think it's a way they can express themselves and be successful academically,' Wooley said.
The artists with Ant Farm Affiliates have years of experience performing individually and together across the country, and they said they have knowledge and advice to share with younger people who are up and coming.
'There's a real subculture that most people don't know about,' said Celcis, who goes by the stage name Nemesis Alpha when he's not teaching 'Romeo and Juliet' to high school kids. 'For every thug rapper, there's three or four rappers that have a real message and keep it real.'
Sixteen-year-old Brett Clarke came to the summit hoping to hone his DJ skills. Brett, a Westhill High junior, said his hobby of spinning records has landed him gigs at sweet-sixteen celebrations and at parties. The enthusiasm of the crowd as they dance and sing along when he works his turntables gives him a rush, Brett said.
But the role of the DJ has been lost today, he said.
'You almost get into somewhat of a zone. It's kind of cliche, but you don't really hear the music, you feel it. It's a lost art,' Brett said. 'Now at school dances, you'll see someone getting paid to sit behind a computer and press play.'
The summit was advertised and open to the public, but only about a dozen participants attended yesterday afternoon. Nonetheless, the artists said they felt encouraged by the youths' reaction.
'I've seen nothing but smiles, claps,' said Manny Arias, an MC from Waterbury who goes by the stage name Rocone. 'Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves
Greenwich Time
By Natasha Lee
March 11, 2007
There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical
STAMFORD - Aspiring young MCs, DJs and rappers got a behind-the-scenes glimpse yesterday of what it takes to get on stage, spit rhymes and get the crowd pumped.
Underground rappers, producers and artists from across the state gathered at the first Hip Hop Summit yesterday to teach young people about performance, technique and skill.
The all-day event was sponsored by Westhill High School and hosted by Ant Farm Affiliates, an association of more than a dozen Connecticut hip-hop artists and performers.
Their message was one of empowerment.
'There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical,' said Queen Godis to a handful of students following a performance. 'We have to rely on our minds, because they are underused as it is.'
Godis, a singer and spoken-word performer, and singer Kendall Johnson-Smith, both from Brooklyn, N.Y., kicked off the summit with a series of songs and poetry from Godis' recent album 'Power U!'
Godis said her message and the album are about the struggles and joy of womanhood. She said women should be 'unafraid to be who they are without fear or resignation.'
Music videos featuring scantily clad women or sexually explicit lyrics send conflicting messages about a woman's place in society, she said.
'In the midst of mixed media images, there's a lot of disconnect as to what it means to be a woman,' she said.
Westhill High senior Deidre Knight, 17, said she appreciates Godis' message.
'When I listen to a lot of rap, it's like females really can't get anywhere. All you can do is look good and be in a video,' said Deidre, an aspiring rapper. 'Even a lot of female artists are degrading themselves. We need more artists like (Godis). She's good, and that inspires me.'
The summit featured a series of workshops about gaining exposure through independent media, stage presence and breathing techniques. Leaders also spoke about turning 'tagging' (spray-painting a symbol or name) and graffiti into a graphic design career. Participants had the chance to showcase their own demo CDs and receive a critique from Ant Farm Affiliates.
The event ended with a concert featuring the artists.
Westhill English teachers David Wooley and Joe Celcis, who also are Ant Farm performers, said the goal of the summit was to introduce young people to another side of hip hop, a side less commercial and more intellectual.
Wooley said he occasionally will interject lyrics into lessons to get students hooked on expanding their vocabulary and to improve their interest in reading.
'I think that we have a lot of kids who are either artists or intrigued by the music and the culture, and they don't necessarily think it's a way they can express themselves and be successful academically,' Wooley said.
The artists with Ant Farm Affiliates have years of experience performing individually and together across the country, and they said they have knowledge and advice to share with younger people who are up and coming.
'There's a real subculture that most people don't know about,' said Celcis, who goes by the stage name Nemesis Alpha when he's not teaching 'Romeo and Juliet' to high school kids. 'For every thug rapper, there's three or four rappers that have a real message and keep it real.'
Sixteen-year-old Brett Clarke came to the summit hoping to hone his DJ skills. Brett, a Westhill High junior, said his hobby of spinning records has landed him gigs at sweet-sixteen celebrations and at parties. The enthusiasm of the crowd as they dance and sing along when he works his turntables gives him a rush, Brett said.
But the role of the DJ has been lost today, he said.
'You almost get into somewhat of a zone. It's kind of cliche, but you don't really hear the music, you feel it. It's a lost art,' Brett said. 'Now at school dances, you'll see someone getting paid to sit behind a computer and press play.'
The summit was advertised and open to the public, but only about a dozen participants attended yesterday afternoon. Nonetheless, the artists said they felt encouraged by the youths' reaction.
'I've seen nothing but smiles, claps,' said Manny Arias, an MC from Waterbury who goes by the stage name Rocone. 'Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves
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