Rapper and hip hop recording artist Bag of Tricks Cat just returned from a European tour with Mega Ran, so I was excited to get the opportunity to talk to him about the tour and hit single Dream Girl, which he recorded with Mega Ran and Brandon Michael. I love how the three mixed Bag of Tricks Cat and Mega Ran’s hip hop with Brandon Michael’s singing. I wondered how the three musicians came together for this unique project. Bag of Tricks Cat explained: “It was a great record to make. Brandon is a really talented singer, and I’m a fan of Mega, so for me to record a song with him…it’s awesome! I originally had Willy Northpole on it; he was signed to Ludacris. We recorded a version of the song together, but he wasn’t able to do the video, so I brought Mega in. We all got together in the studio, on my 22nd birthday, and we laid it down. It’s a record about finding that special person.” The video for Dream Girl is so much fun, so I asked him about it. Bag of Tricks Cat smiled when he told me that the making of the video was fun too, but a lot of hard work: “We had to green screen a portion of it for the animated parts. We had sets made for the dream sequence and the warehouse scene. Everyone had a great time. We had a lot of bloopers that you didn’t get to see in the final video.” El-JayBeats produced the song and directed the video. Bag of Tricks Cat talked about how El-JayBeats is a perfectionist: “He made storyboards and ensured everything ran on time. It took 48 hours, two days straight, to film everything. We...

Hip hop and rap recording artist A.J. Martin aka A Dot is a rising star on a worldwide scale. He’s currently balancing a music career with his career in the U.S. Military. Thanks to modern technology and Google+ Hangouts on Air, I was fortunate to interview view A.J. from where he is stationed in Bahrain in the Middle East. A.J. Martin has a new hit single titled Missionary, which talks about his plans for the rap game and his life: “I think rap should be more than a dope beat without substance. I feel that the rap game is missing the substance nowadays. The other side to Missionary is my personal experiences. One of my favorite lines is Doin’ this til the end of me, friends yeah they pretend to be, down til you make it then they forget the memories. This is talking about my friends saying that I’ve changed, when all that really happened is that I’ve grown up. With my music, I only write what I know. It’s an outlet and how I express myself. Missionary really captures that for me.” The single Missionary has an interesting back story. A.J. admits: “Missionary really started with a beat playing for 15-20 seconds and me saying My mission is to get recognition. Then, last year, I actually finished it. And two years later, Missionary becomes a hit. The song shows my growth as a rapper and a lyricist.” I love A.J. Martin’s single Take Over, so I had to learn more about this song: “That was the first song that I recorded professionally, about a year ago. I wasn’t sure about the beat, but I can take any beat and turn it into a hit. The song talks about how I want to...

My name is Davy Lansky aka Black Amser born on the 3rd of July 1989 in Gabon. I’m a 25 years hip-hop recording artist based in South Africa, Pretoria. My passion for music started when I was a kid. My father is passionate about music, so he is the one who made me like it. At my younger age, I was able to memorize and sing everything my father was listening to. As I kept on listening to music, I started to write lyrics for my friends and me. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, because I had to focus on my studies. But nothing is more powerful than music. Music is the only thing that can change your mood. It is the only thing that can come through your mind and do whatever it wants to do without your knowledge, whether you want it or not. When something is aimed to be, it will happen. As I grew up and felt more confident, I started to be more serious about the music industry, and I have decided to continue from where I stopped. My studies don’t have anything to do with my music career, because they don’t really follow the same path. So, at school I am just an ordinary student, and outside I am a musician who is dreaming to reach the highest level and help others. I have been in the professional music industry for years now, working with professional musicians from other countries. I have been taking advice from them, I have been learning from them and I hope that I will find a way to make it in Jesus name. My music is not always focused on myself. I try to touch all the aspects of life, so that older...

My name is Van Leeuwen and I am a 21-year-old hip-hop recording artist, certified audio engineer and producer from Grove City, Pennsylvania. I have been in and around the professional music industry for 10+ years learning everything I can while perfecting my craft. My passion first and foremost is making and performing music, but over the years, I developed a keen ear for sound quality. I recently went to school for Audio Engineering at SAE Institute in Atlanta, where I received my diploma as well as a few recommendation letters. I feel being an artist and an engineer only helps me, because I know what it feels like to be in the artist’s shoes, wanting someone to help make your vision come to life. My advice for hiring a good sound engineer is to find someone who is, first and foremost, knowledgeable with studio gear and, secondly, someone who has experience and a good ear. Listen to their previous works with a good set of speakers or headphones. Ask yourself, “Does this sound like it could be on the radio?” If so, you’re probably in the clear. The newest project I’m currently working on is a new single that I’m dropping tomorrow: That Weight produced by d’Millionaire, producer a few of my previous successful singles. The song is really upbeat, fun and totally written, recorded performed and mixed/mastered by me. It’s really dope, if I do say so myself! Another really dope project me and some fellow artists previously released is Fresher Than A Dead Man, which you can find on YouTube as well. This is a single by me and an artist from my area named Izzo and features Rhythm of RMA (the Ying Yang Twins new EDM group). I am on the...

Mighty the Gospel Hip Hopper is inspired by a higher power. His music is raw and open and touches the hearts of everyone who listens. The single I’m Not Perfect has a deep meaning for Mighty and sends a personal message to God: “This song is tough for me to talk about. At the time, I was really struggling. I was falling backwards, going through so much and I thought God wasn’t there for me. I felt like I couldn’t reach God the way I wanted to. I just want people to know that I’m not perfect. I make mistakes, but I still love God.” Mighty The Gospel Hip Hopper also has a positive uplifting side. I cannot listen to his single Feel Good Music and not smile. According to Mighty, “My friend brought me the music and asked me to take a listen. The song has a stepping beat to it. I thought everybody would really love it, and it came out making people feel good.” The smooth jazz singing voice you hear on the track is that of the singer-songwriter who introduced Mighty to Feel Good Music: Jamey Hatcher. His background singing sounds beautiful and it really enhances the song’s power. What does Mighty look for when he collaborates with other artists? “I just want to make beautiful music, music that sounds good, music that touches the soul. I look for somebody who’s going to be creative and somebody who has the same mindset that I do going in. That’s what I look for.” Mighty told me that he added hip hop to his music after listening to the rapper Nas. What is the Mighty The Gospel Hip Hopper music back story? Mighty explained: “Some of Nas’ music really inspired me. It...

I love rapper and hip hop recording artist G Soulja A.K.A. Da Vinci’s honesty. His songs are bold and brave and hold nothing back. Da Vinci’s music highlights how incredibly hard this music business can be. I agree with Da Vinci’s fans that his single Look At Me Now is my favorite too. When I asked him about this song, he revealed that it reflected his disappointment with his fan: “It’s one of those songs where I express a lot of aggression and anger towards my local support. Some of my fans were ‘sleeping on me,’ as we like to say. My worldwide fans weren’t showing much support.” Da Vinci collaborates with many other recording artists. I especially like the single and video he made with SyKotic Beatz, so I asked him about this project: “We made this single, because me and SyKotic Beatz went through a situation where we got played. We thought we were getting this nice record deal, and it ended up being some kind of scam. One of my other home boys, Tokyo Black, went through it with us.” Another great collaboration project is the single Did Dat, which he produced with rappers Styles and Skrapp. What does Da Vinci look for when he collaborates? “Styles and Skrapp are two artists with me on my label Loud Music Team. Mainly, what I look for is whether we can flow on the same pattern or delivery, and I look to see if we have the same kind of story line that will make a good song.” The recording label Loud Music team has been making records for about four years. Da Vinci started the label around the end of 2011. He worked alone for the first couple of months, then he...

Recording artist Jack Rank works hard and he’s grinding his way to the top of the hip hop scene. The name Jack Rank is a mindset that won’t allow you to give up. The name motivates and inspires him to keep pushing forward. Of course, there’s a story behind the name Jack Rank. “Back where I come from in Florida, we had a term for when we freestyle with each other: ‘Come jack this beat.’ It stuck with me. Then, I added the military term rank, because throughout life, you have to move from one level to the next. Your whole mentality has to be that you are trying to get to the highest level and reach your ultimate goal. That’s the top rank. With me, I’m jacking rank on anybody that stands in the way of my goal. That’s the mentality anyone should have, if they’re trying to achieve anything.” I love Jack Rank’s self-titled single Jack Rank, because he shares his life story. When we met for our featured artist interview, of course I asked Jack to tell me more about this song: “That song is one of my favorites as well. It’s an introduction track for me, so fans can get an understanding of who I am, what I stand for and where I’m coming from. That’s been my number one hit. It’s been a plus for me and plus for everybody who loves it.” I also like one of Jack Rank’s older tracks All About You, so I asked him about this one too: “The music I make is situational music, about whatever situation I’m going through at the current time when I compose the record. The song is about a female that I was dating at the time. It...

My name is Corey Miles Brown also known as DUKE on and off the microphone. I am an unsigned artist that was born and raised in Washington, D.C. I am currently twenty-four years of age and a high school graduate. I became Interested in music after high school. As an up-and-coming artist, I believe that pop music made the way for the hip hop and rap music of today. I give all due respect that these genres laid the way for an artist like me. When I first listened to Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, I saw my life playing through the studio system as the song Can I Live played on. As I heard the lyrics, I felt money, power and respect at a time when I was on street. I knew that I could spit a verse and write a bar or real hook. Even the name Reasonable Doubt gave me no reason not to give rap music a try. Before I could say “incarceration,” rap music got me to this point here. Now, I am an unsigned artist that is producing his own music. I have my first mix tape out named Trap Alive, where the ideas came from my dreams of money, power and respect. I reached this point in life because I believe hard work and dedication will get me anywhere in life I want to go. Today I believe in my own words. I am writing on paper, and I spit my verse. As my life has come to together now, I go to the studio and let the world know how I feel about life and myself and where I have come from. As a young male in a city of everything, having music was my only way out...

Wallfly Feedback is a musical duo consisting of emcee Drematic and singer/ songwriter and composer Tophboogie. Together they are recording music that fuses the rhythms of rock and jazz with the storytelling aspects of folk and hip-hop. Their first single tells the tale of some lost souls in a state of technologic confusion, but it also carries a theme of redemption. My Generation is now available at your favorite digital distributor. You might recognize the song title from somewhere. Indeed, this is a nod to one of the greatest rock bands ever:  The Who. They really did define a generation with their lyrics, hard rocking licks and crazy antics, and Wallfly wants to honor that legacy with an updated take on what it means to be working/learning/living today. Drematic had this to say about the group’s inaugural release: “I’m definitely glad that the song is finally out. We’ve been working quietly on a bunch of stuff. I honestly feel this is just a glimpse of what Toph and I have in store. You never know what to expect when you present your work to people. The response that we’ve gotten thus far has been overwhelmingly positive. We may actually be onto something, but I guess only time will tell.” “Dre approached me with the idea for My Generation. He wanted to do a project inspired by The Who,” added Topher. “We ended up scrapping the larger idea, but that idea was the foundation for us to get back together and make tunes again. It took some time to get it right, but I am excited to see that other people identify with Dre’s lyrics , and I definitely had fun producing and playing the track.” Dre and Topher initially crossed paths in 2008 after...

Tikki Famouz is fresh on the hip hop music scene, and I love her debut mixtape Freshman Seminar. She’s an amazing lyricist with a unique sound. My favorite single from Freshman Seminar is the autobiographical 80’z Babi Anthem, so I asked her to tell me the back story: “I get that a lot with 80’z Baby. It’s their favorite. They like to jam to that one, especially kids. For a while, it was just a tune in my head. After I put down a couple lyrics, I had my producer make the beat for it. He projected the beat around the words. We went forward with it, got it out and on the radio. We did a video. It was a dope concept that came to life.” What an exciting story. Tikki Famouz agrees: “It was my first song saying publically for the world to know who Tikki Famouz is. It was hard work, because it was my first song. I tried to keep my first mixtape brief, so people could know who I am as an artist. I have no complaints about how the process went. It was a good outcome, so I’m grateful, I’m happy.” Clef-Soul, the producer who made the 80’z Babi track is also a songwriter. Tikki Famouz collaborated with him on another track in Freshman Seminar. She also collaborated with an upcoming female artist ToyFinesse. What does Tikki Famouz look for when she collaborates? “I’m trying to collaborate with some new people. I make sure the artist is actually talking about something. I’m a big stickler for saying something in your music, bring hip hop back to where it originated: the storytelling.” Tikki Famouz has been observing music, dancing and singing her entire life. According to Tikki: “My music...

Part of the Dallas music scene, hip hop and rap recording artist JC the Genius is quite the deep thinker, as his moniker implies. Although he raps mostly about drugs and drug dealing, JC wants people to see the other side of his persona. “It’s so much bigger than what you might hear. A lot of street rappers get stereotyped. They may or may not be that way. If I have a conversation with somebody, they’ll come out of that conversation with a positive vibe about me.” I listened to all his music, and the single Laughing 2 da Bank is my favorite. JC the Genius labels some of his music as hip hop and some as rap. When I asked him to describe his music, JC told me: “I would describe my music as street music with a story aspect to it. I think of it as I’m Picasso, and I’m just painting a portrait of what I’ve been through or what I know about or what I see. You never know what you’re going to get, depending on the beat or the mood I’m in.” Being a painter myself, I love that analogy. Every JC the Genius song is produced by a different producer, so I was interested in learning more about what JC looks for when he collaborates: “When I look for producers, I try to look for a sound that only they can bring to the table. So, when we make music together, what we make is something that only me and this producer can make. I use producers who respect my music and know my sound.” In addition, JC the Genius shared his love for what he calls: “The dark sounds of music. You know, orchestra strings in the...

Hip hop and rap recording artist Emaximus is a rising star, who’s been living the hip hop lifestyle since age 4. I love his single Cruise Control, because I love its fast-paced back beat. For those who are not familiar with Emaximus, he describes his music as: “Aspect reality ~ Real music and real life in a creative fashion. My music describes real events and real thought processes in a creative form.” Emaximus started beatboxing and break dancing with his cousin Teflon Tysyn Jones after listening to music from New York and underground artists from Oakland. “After listening to my cousins play that music and watching them freestyle, that made us want to do it. When they became successful, we took it upon ourselves to learn how to write and how to freestyle. That’s how me and Teflon got into music. Now, he’s no longer with us, but we were the driving force amongst our friends who wanted to do hip hop.” In addition to his brother, Emaximus credits a long list of artists for influencing him to become a rap and hip hop artist: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Tupac Shakur, Eminem, Del The Funky Homosapien, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane, Eazy-E, E-40, Too $hort, Above The Law, Parliament, The Isley Brothers, Brand Nubian and Ice-T. “I learned from watching them and listening to them. Those are the people who pretty much influenced me.” The name Emaximus originated from a series of childhood nicknames. “It first started off being Emaculate. That’s what my folks and people called me in my neighborhood. Then, my brother kept calling me Maximus. As I got older and started to do music, since there were other people with that name, I...