In the midst of all the negativity that is always going on I just wanted to share something positive, feel-good and light. Here’s my version of Yuna’s Live Your Life produced by Pharrell. Yuna’s music was a positive light in my life last summer and I just wanna keep the flow going.
For the year 2013. Its all about forward movement. Pushing myself to stay in mental, physical, emotional good shape.
I’m showing gratitude for every wonderful moment.
I wanted to take the time to show off these great photos that were taken by my photographer friend See Sea two weeks ago. These images perfectly captured the performance I did with two other local artists. I was invited to play experimental music at this very secretive party. This performance was definitely a trip that changed my musical life forever and beyond. Watch performance below
Yukon Snakes also know as Timeshare has recently released an ep called Horse and the Hound. If you followed my blog you would know that I love his evolving new sound. This ep is really just an appetizer so get ready for the full course meal November 11. 2012. I guarantee Yukon snakes will make a listener out of you.
Brown Dollaz is a Miami native rapper who has over paid his dues and now he’s ready to collect. Check out his latest ep Est. 1981 which serves sorta like an demo. He decided to take the Indie route and recorded the project on a smaller project where he had more control over it. The ep rides like a G. The ep features all production by Miami native twin producers Urban Noize. Check it!
Urban Noize are twin producers hailing from the sunny side of Miami, Florida. I’ve been following their productions since they first started making beats for local artists in their Allapattah neighborhood to producing for rappers they’ve connected with via Internet.
Most of the duo’s major success has come from doing remixes of some of the biggest pop songs of the past year. Last fall Urban Noize dropped a mash-up album called Brooklyn.Chicago.London. which consisted of fresh beats and vocals from Jay-Z, Kanye and Adele. Each track seemly flows together as if All 3 of the celebrities shared the same recording booth. This album got them over 20,000 downloads. Who would’ve imagined that Adele, Jay-Z, and Kanye would sound so amazing together.
It makes sense that three mega stars from completely different genres would make a deadly combination. Urban Noize doesn’t mind mixing unusual and cutting-edge sounds. As a matter of fact, they mentioned that they only like remixing songs that sound really good to their ears.
P.S the single cover art for ” Brooklyn. Chicago. London ” project is Insane! Check out one of the covers along with the track below
Gotdion is a producer based out of the VA with a very unique sound. I started working with him shortly after I left high school (2005). I actually found out about his music through another high school friend and mc. Ever since then we’ve collaborated on count-less tracks and projects. so let’s get this interview started
CS: Hello Gotdion, it’s pleasure to be able to chat with you and find out little bit more about the guy behind the music
CS: I actually met you through myspace when it was the place to put up your music and meet people. Now myspace is a graveyard. What was your myspace experience like?
GD: Myspace deserves a pyramid. Most of the main artists I work with are people I originally linked with through Myspace back in the day. I know its kinda looked back on as a joke, but a lot of special shit happened because of it. It was weird having strangers think I was big stuff when I was just some geek with a computer who logged off and had to go to school the next day like everybody else.
CS: When did you first start making music? I know your a beat-maker and a mc at times.
GD: I first started making beats when I was 11 with that ridiculously ancient Sound Recorder program that came on Windows98. Moved on to Music Generator for Playstation then Fruity Loops etc. I only started rapping later on because nobody would ever finish their damn songs. They’d have a verse and a chorus and it would sit for months. Finally i’d just said “fuck it, i wanna put this out” and just do some mediocre 2nd verse to fill the empty space. Eventually I started actually enjoying it and getting a little serious, but I still prefer to stay behind the beats.
CS: I know when I chatted with you one day you made a metaphor to describe your sound. You said it’s like you take all of your influences and throw them in a blender, which I thought was very clever. Who or what are some of the influences you usually throw into your musical blender to make you musical concoction of beats?
GD: It always starts with Timbaland, which is such an uncool typical thing to say, but it’s the truth! I also love the melodies old school video games had. Those kinds of note patterns don’t happen too often in other places. I dig the darker atmospheres created by Massive Attack, IAMX, A Perfect Circle etc. And a couple years ago i fell victim to the rave scene, which shows heavily on my next project. The one after this will be more of what people are used to from me.
CS: You have a very interesting style kinda like gothic meets video games and anime. How would you describe your fashion style?
GD: I’m such a poser. I see stuff i like from cultures I don’t really belong to and add it to everything else ive collected. A lot of times shit just doesnt go together but I wont notice until years later. I guess it’s called having my own style. I try not to overthink it.
CS: I consider you to be a do it your self producer. What is best part about doing things yourself?
GD: Having complete creative control and being solely responsible for it’s success or failure is THE life. From the concept to the sequencing to the artwork to the promotion. It’s not JUST beats and words. The entire process is too much fun to share. Sometimes its way too much though, so help when needed is always appreciated haha
CS: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? (music wise life wise)
GD: I’m currently in the process of selling out and starting a “normal” career so I can eventually afford to put myself through school for all of this. So hopefully I’ll be in school, still doing this independently, and killing it! BUT, if somebody wants to sign me before then, that’s cool too!
CS: What’s a motto you live by?
GD: Fuck ‘em
CS: Anything else you would like to add?Any new projects?
GD: I’ve got a club inspired EP that’s turning into an LP in the works. It subtly and not-so-subtly speaks about the corruption within these higher powers who are fucking up the world, but its still fun and not preachy. I want people to walk away from it almost not even noticing at first. People need to hear these beats I’ve been sitting on for too long so I can move on to the next phase. Also, BUY INDEPENDENT MUSIC!
I wanted to take the time out to break down the philosophy behind my latest ep “D.I.M”. D.I.M is short for “Did it Myself”. I decided to go with this as the title because it really represents where I’m at and how far I’ve come with everything I’m doing in my life art, music, relationships,jobs and whatever.
Just to give a little background. I dropped my first ever solo ep in 2008. This was around the time I was still in college and I was living in my little studio in the ATL. My first ep called “The Oddity” was something that happened organically. I had just bought a myself a new computer, microphone and everything else I needed to build my little studio. But I did not know that the material I was recording would later be stringed to together to make my first ep. I thought I was just recording for enjoyment.
Prior to that,while I was in high school in the early 2000’s I started to record myself and my other rapping buddies for fun in my mom’s living room.From there me and my friends recorded a couple of mixtapes and we just shared them online, in school , and wherever else we could.Since then I’ve always had a serious interest in the process of writing, recording,and editing music.
So to fast forward back to the future. I’ve always took it upon myself to do what I wanted to do.Somewhere in my gut I always knew that if I wanted to do art ,music, or designing, I was going to have to get it done myself. Of course along the way I’ve had people encourage me and be really supportive but I still had to be my first fan and be my first source of motivation to keep going.
With that being said the “D.I.M” ep was a project that came together almost the same way my first ep did,very organically. With each song I recorded my intentions were to have fun and work on my craft of recording and writing. As I continued to work on the art and music things fell into place.
To listen to the D.I.M ep and download it. Here it is
This summer heat is seriously no joke that’s way I’m staying in and drinking lots of drinks. While I’m spending most of my time hiding from the sun I’m also staying creative. This past week and weekend I got the opportunity to hit up the art district to snap some photos of my friend GreatEclectic’s mural. I got some snap shots of his process, and we also took shots of beer during the unveiling party.
CS: Hello James Eugene, I first got a chance to to see your work at your
solo show at Apache cafe in Atlanta a couple years ago. As I continue
to follow your work I’m very connected to the images you create.
CS: Do your characters live on planet earth?
JE: Yes my characters live on planet Earth. But, they live in different times and dimensions, at the same time. But they never intersect. They actually talk about the existence of different characters in stories within the story. In other words, they know of each other through a story about the past, or the future, or a dream.
CS: I’ve noticed you work digitally and your very skilled at blending and
details. How long have you been working with the digital medium?
JE: I’ve been working in digital mediums since 1997. But there was (and still is) one goal, for my digital work, to match my oil painting style. This year, it finally happened. Now, my art shows can have physical paintings and huge digital prints all over, and the styles will be very similar. This was important to me because for years I’ve always said, “my digital work takes the same amount of skill and energy as my physical work”. But no one believed me!
CS: Why do you create art?
JE: I create art for a few reasons. First, I’ve been having visions of people since I was about 3 years old. These people came in the form of dreams; complete with their own worlds. I started drawing to capture what I saw. I would tell all my friends my dreams (like I was an African Griot of the block), and they even remember the number 114 (my sacred number) in my stories and art til’ this day. Those are the exact same character of today.
The other reason I create is because, I love it. My mind has always worked in and artistic mode, no matter what I did. I was like a creator robot (that’s why I tend to draw myself as a robot). I guess it was always my destiny to be an artist at something. I’m just happy it’s art and not war.
The last reason is because of the importance of what I’m doing for people of African descent. I didn’t start out to draw mostly people of color. As a matter of fact, as a mixed up kid from Elizabeth, New Jersey, I was brainwashed just like every other art-mind black child to only draw European figures. I just couldn’t see the importance of making figures that looked like me, and told my story, even though I had these massive visions of characters who looked like my ancestors. I never took account of Africa, Haiti, and even Elizabeth and New York (where the black people fought so hard for equal rights). I ignored their (my) amazing stories, traditions, history, and art. So, I had to let my visions speak for us.
CS: Do you remember the first piece of art you created that you were proud of?
JE: The first piece I was so proud of was my first real, full, and complete oil painting. Oils scared off almost all of my other art friends, and to an extent, me too. Yet, I knew if I was going to get the respect artistically, I was looking for, I had to use this medium. Remember, I was drawing teens in a future setting, and most people can’t wrap their heads around anything futuristic in anything of than a comic book. And no one in the art world really respects comics. So, by painting my characters in oils, I remembered the change in attitudes, right away! I went from cartoon artist to fine art painter over night. I even won a grant because of this change.
CS: What’s a motto you live by?
JE: My motto is, “I create. This society destroys. Perfect balance”.
CS: How long does it take to create and complete one of your paintings?
JE: I did want to say that my work style is called “NeoArtStyle”. And I realized that is takes me really about 7-10 days to create these new digital artworks. Plus all my work starts with traditional drawing and ink! I think it’s important to start with fundamental traditional skill even when painting digitally because, it shows!!! 
take me 2 weeks to 3 months to paint a painting in oils, 4 days digitally.
My complete series of work comes from a epic novel I’ve been working on since 1994.
CS: Where do you see your work going in the future?
JE: What I want to do for the future is spread my art, like a movement, to the masses.
CS: Anything else you would like to add
JE: I wanted to thank you, Corinne. You are one of the few artists to really walk in my shoes. For more info on James Eugene go here http://www.jameseugene.com/
© 2010 Corinne Stevie | Corinne Stevie Designed by
GreatEclectic
