Fuck the NW......

[Mr. D-Sane]

Maybe you should come harder....i'm not sayin youre not doin ya thang, but maybe you should grind harder cuzzin......cuz maan if niggaz ain't feelin you niggaz ain't feelin you, ain't nobody buyin cds just to support....niggaz is to broke to jus be spendin lucci like that....it's not the consumers fault.....

It ain't that people ain't feelin' us. I just don't understand the mentality of people around here. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the NW......but Seattle is NOT a trend-setting city. Seattle is a FOLLOWER city. We get everything late.....from music to fashion to slang. By the time shit hits Seattle.....it's already played out wherever it came from. We have NO style. Everything around here is a rip-off of somethin'. Fools around here can't even make up their own gangs......they gotta bang some other shit from Cali or wherever. There's just no pride in this place. It's like people in Seattle wanna be like people from other places anywayz.....so why don't I just bounce out of here and go to the places that they all wanna be like????? Feel me?

I dunno.....I could rant for days about the 99 problems we have here from chicken shit program directors who are scared to take chances on new music and strictly stick to the programmed playlist from Clear Channel......or how these CDR rappers are ruining it for those of us that are serious about this shit and didn't produce our shit with Fruity Loops and Cool Edit.

 

[Tribal]

Who wants to start a band? A crew of Emcees, Voclists, Drums, Bass, Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards, Turn Tables, etc. On a stage in front of folks, I can definately rip it, and have the crowd goin crazy. Me plus some of the other cats in here should look at puttin a HipHop band together. I'm down fa sho, and I'm sure it would be way hot. Anybody else wanna get down on this. From Seattle to Portland artists and musicians. We could start with a couple cover tracks just as practice and to start feelin the chemistry, then start writing/producing our own tracks for live performances. It would be hot as hell, and there's more consitant money being able to do live sets. Let me know ya'll if this sounds good to you. I could come up with several live musicians. Oh, and I also play saxaphone, so that might add a nice twest. Let me know ya'll. Word?

 

[xpanther206]

D-Sane putting SLR to rest

If D-Sane shuts down SLR I suppose it wouldn't be too big a deal AS LONG AS his beats are still rocking the town and its artists.

 

[xpanther206]

REP YO CITY

Seattle is NOT a trend-setting city. Seattle is a FOLLOWER city. We get everything late.....from music to fashion to slang. By the time shit hits Seattle.....it's already played out wherever it came from. We have NO style. Everything around here is a rip-off of somethin'. Fools around here can't even make up their own gangs......they gotta bang some other shit from Cali or wherever. There's just no pride in this place. It's like people in Seattle wanna be like people from other places anywayz.....so why don't I just bounce out of here and go to the places that they all wanna be like????? Feel me?

Those were some excellent points. That follower shit drives me CRAZY and I don't think its that way in the greater music community which is frustrating b/c Seattle pioneered Grunge music. Everyday at school, in the weight room, wherever I see kids bumping Pearl Jam, Sound Garden you know all those grunge bands from Seattle and I'm thinking 'MY motherfucking city started that shit.' So I think Seattle has demonstrated the ability to be a trendsetting city in music that is 1) outstanding and 2) the population feels reflects them/represents them in some way.

As for the "There's just no pride in this place" that is SO TRUE it drives me crazy, it's like an inferiority complex of some sort when it comes to a lot of things. Whether it's the Seahawks, the weather, street/hood/gangster credibility, folks (outside the black community i've observed much more "Seattle nationalism" in the black communities) just do NOT REPRESENT. I also think people downplay black creativity in the town b/c maybe there aren't as many Afro-Americans in the NW as in other parts of the United States. People need to be reminded that this is the home of Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Jackson St. Blues clubs, numerous athletes, Rainier Beach destroying the entire nation in basketball etc it goes on and own and on.

I don't mean to downplay the multi-racial nature of the NW rap game (the best beats come from D-Sane and of course there's Notes and Bullet AKA the White Buffalo lol, im a honkey myself) but bottomline, when people think "rap" they think "black music" so when they think "Seattle rap" they probably kind of scratch their heads a little. I think this could have a little to do with why they don't embrace the local rap scene.

 

[xpanther206]

And the worst part of all this for me

is what the fuck do I do? I don't rap, don't make beats, don't work for anybody I'm just a fan so what can I do besides the things I've been doing FOREVER which haven't worked like:

- Buy all the local shit that I can get my hands on (that isn't complete horseshit that is)
- Promote local rap music among my friends by playing the CDs in my car, making them little compilations here and there, just telling them how good the shit is
- Try to contact artists via in person or online to get information and also to encourage them, give them their due on how the hard work they put in has produced a good product

All this has more or less faiiled except a few small victories (1 friend was really into Livio, 1 friend really into some of the compilations, my little brother really into Lac of Respect) but in none of these cases did these guys go buy the albums I play for them so that could be a microcosm for part of the problem right there. Lots of the people who dig the shit don't buy it.

I feel like posting a list of 30 or 40 NW albums that you MUST have or you can't call yourself a fan of NW rap, I'll probably do that sometime in the next couple weeks.

So what the fuck can a whiteboy college kid fan living in the Midwest for 8 months of the year like me do?

 

[Mr. D-Sane]

So what the fuck can a whiteboy college kid fan living in the Midwest for 8 months of the year like me do?

Honestly....this cat is one of the realest die-hard Seattle/NW fans I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with and knowing. And when he asks that question above......he's serious as a heart attack.

Any suggestions?

 

[I AM]

Send him some flyers, posters, and snippets.....Start a nationwide street team.

 

[Sick Wid It]

I don't know what it's like in other parts of the NW......but Seattle is NOT a trend-setting city. Seattle is a FOLLOWER city. We get everything late.....from music to fashion to slang. By the time shit hits Seattle.....it's already played out wherever it came from. We have NO style. Everything around here is a rip-off of somethin'. Fools around here can't even make up their own gangs......they gotta bang some other shit from Cali or wherever. There's just no pride in this place. It's like people in Seattle wanna be like people from other places anywayz.....

I couldn't agree more. And that's the harsh reality that a lotta dudes in that area refuse to acknowledge. I've talked to some many mutha fuckas from there that think they're already some kinda superstar when half of them have never even released anything, and most of the ones who have ain't doing anything impressive. It seems like being realistic is what cats fear the most!

D-Sane is right when he says you need to STEP IT UP. Fuck all that talkin' about being oh so serious about it. PROVE IT or kill all that drag.

 

[YOUNG KRIME]

All i know is when i'm in Houston texas i hear houston texas artist on rotation in the streets and radio when i'm in ATL i hear ATL artist on the radion But in Washington SEattle i hear everybody and They Moma But no washington artist exept bullshit ass future flavors I know That the Lac of respect album,Product of Da Ghetto album MO X LIL G ALBUM AND SO ON AND SO GOT ATLEAST 2 CUTS THAT COULD BE EMBEDDED IN YOUR MIND IF KUBE,CLEAR CHANNEL WAS DOWN WITH THE MOVEMENT ENUFF SAID I'M TIRED OF THE EXCUSES I'm not saying everyones album deserves to be in rotation but there are some that do and have paid they dues.MAN THEY KNOW BOBBY O AND THEY OTHER JOCKEYS MORE THAN THE ARTIST FROM OUR STATE???

 

[xpanther206]

All i know is when i'm in Houston texas i hear houston texas artist on rotation in the streets and radio when i'm in ATL i hear ATL artist on the radion But in Washington SEattle i hear everybody and They Moma But no washington artist exept bullshit ass future flavors I know That the Lac of respect album,Product of Da Ghetto album MO X LIL G ALBUM AND SO ON AND SO GOT ATLEAST 2 CUTS THAT COULD BE EMBEDDED IN YOUR MIND IF KUBE,CLEAR CHANNEL WAS DOWN WITH THE MOVEMENT ENUFF SAID I'M TIRED OF THE EXCUSES I'm not saying everyones album deserves to be in rotation but there are some that do and have paid they dues.MAN THEY KNOW BOBBY O AND THEY OTHER JOCKEYS MORE THAN THE ARTIST FROM OUR STATE???

Well put. Fuck KUBE I hate that goddamn radio station.

If I'm ever rich I'd start a radio station NW rap music 24 hours per day but then again even that might not happen b/c I know back in the day Sam Perkins and Ken Griffey Jr. tried to get a radio station but there was some logistical/corporate/racist bullshit that prevented them from doing that, they had the paper that's for sure.

 

[HERESY]

D-SANE I HAD TO STEP AWAY FROM PRODUCTION AND FOCUS ON THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF THINGS. SO FAR THAT STEP HAS BEEN MORE REWARDING. I ALSO MAKE MONEY FROM MY LAB AND IT'S HARD WHEN YOU HAVE TO MIX YOUR SHIT, MIX YOUR ARTISTS MUSIC, MAKE MUSIC FOR MC SUCH AND SUCH WHO MAY NOT BUY THE TRACK, MAKE MUSIC FOR JOE BLOW WHO WILL BUY A TRACK BUT ONLY HAS HALF THE LOOT.....YOU AREN'T ALONE BUT YOU SAID TWO THINGS THAT STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB.





D-SANE SAID:
but Seattle is NOT a trend-setting city. Seattle is a FOLLOWER city. We get everything late.....from music to fashion to slang. By the time shit hits Seattle.....it's already played out wherever it came from. We have NO style. Everything around here is a rip-off of somethin'. Fools around here can't even make up their own gangs......they gotta bang some other shit from Cali or wherever. There's just no pride in this place. It's like people in Seattle wanna be like people from other places anywayz

Seattle has a need. The need to "belong" to be a part of something. The fact you made this thread (and post) supports what I'm saying. If you see seattle is lacking in these areas why not EXPLOIT it?


d-sane said:

or how these CDR rappers are ruining it for those of us that are serious about this shit and didn't produce our shit with Fruity Loops and Cool Edit.


That right there should be an eye opener to a prospect or buyer. That right there should be enough to drive people to your studio:


"At street level studios we don't use fruity loops. We use state of the art XYZ, cubase sx and ABC. we record with the best audio cables so your sound is pristine and clear. You do want a clear sound right? At street level studios we don't slap a reverb from cool edit, pan a track and call it a mix down. We strive for balanced equalization yada yada yada. All this at an affordable price yada yada yada. Call us today or stop by. Let us fill your recording needs."



Think about it. Why the hell should ANYONE want to buy a street level cd? In fact why should anyone buy anything period? People arent buying to help you out. They could give a damn about helping you out. People are buying your cd's to ESCAPE the life they live for 60-80 minutes (or however long your cd is). When they buy street level shit they arent buying MUSIC. They are buying ENTERTAINMENT. Get inside the mind of teh consumer. I've been doing that for the past year and it's paid off more than I could imagine.




:hgk:

 

[I AM]

That's a good point, Seattle's market hasn't really been tapped into...Somebody just has to find a good way to get everyone to pay attention....I still think a show with all the big NW names would be tight....But posters and flyers would have to blanket the whole region, and that's a lot of work for not so many people....

 

[djbuttnaked]

There is an event like that coming up at the end of the month (October) in Portland. If Seattle could do something like that it would be dope. Its not like we don't have the talent.

 

[I AM]

Who all is gonna be at that function? Maybe what needs to happen is a NW BBQ.....It's been talked about, there just needs to be a time when people can all do somethin about it....

 

[Mr. D-Sane]

@Heresy......remind me to have you do my studio press release when I go commercial....lol. I feel you...but it's easier said than done though.

Ya'll are missing a big point I made earlier though. This whole area is on some other shit right now. Like I said.....the Usher (you know....one of the biggest artists out this year) tour ain't comin' any closer than Oakland. Why is that? Because the NW is full of what they call "B Markets." Basically the Usher tour is just hittin' the "A" markets.....which obviously didn't include any city in the NW.....in particular Seattle. Are you kidding me? The Puget Sound area has easily 1.5 million people! They're cancelling all kinds of semi-major shows because of poor promotions.....poor ticket sales and basically just an overall lack of support from people in the area.

What in the hell is goin' on????

 

[Mr. D-Sane]

All i know is when i'm in Houston texas i hear houston texas artist on rotation in the streets and radio when i'm in ATL i hear ATL artist on the radion But in Washington SEattle i hear everybody and They Moma But no washington artist exept bullshit ass future flavors I know That the Lac of respect album,Product of Da Ghetto album MO X LIL G ALBUM AND SO ON AND SO GOT ATLEAST 2 CUTS THAT COULD BE EMBEDDED IN YOUR MIND IF KUBE,CLEAR CHANNEL WAS DOWN WITH THE MOVEMENT ENUFF SAID I'M TIRED OF THE EXCUSES I'm not saying everyones album deserves to be in rotation but there are some that do and have paid they dues.MAN THEY KNOW BOBBY O AND THEY OTHER JOCKEYS MORE THAN THE ARTIST FROM OUR STATE???

I feel what you're sayin'. But it's not "KUBE" itself....or all the people that work there. Because those DJ's can't just play anything they want......they don't sit there and say "Hmmm....what song should I play now?" They have a huge 3 ring binder that sits in front of them with computer generated playlists that are printed out daily and dictate what songs are played and in what order. The "Request Line" is a sick joke that they play on people. People call in and request some song from the playlist.....they record the call.....then when the playlist says it's time to play that particular song they play the recorded "request" before it.

Anywayz. My point is this.....I know alot of the KUBE personalities personally. In particular the Future Flavors crew because they have played 7 songs of mine over the past 4 years and we've had alot of dealings. All the people that I've had the pleasure of meeting from KUBE are hella cool. They're all real supportive and many of them would love nothing more than to see local music gettin' some more exposure. So it's NOT their fault.....they're just doin' the jobs that they get paid to do. It all comes down to 2 people at KUBE.....the head Program Director ERIC POWERS and his assistant KAREN WILD. Ultimately though.....it comes down to ERIC POWERS because he's the shot caller. HE is the one who decides IF and WHO gets played from our local Hip-Hop community. HE is the one to blame for the lack of support from KUBE. But on the flipside.....how many people DESERVE to get played on the radio? Who has material that is even radio playable and with a sound quality to match up with the national acts they're playing. Not very many. The Clear Channel factor is also a part of the problem too....but that's another can of worms.

Does anybody remember how KUBE was actually playing local artists back in 1997-98??? Anybody know why? (if I remember correctly?) Because 2 gentlemen by the names of Curtis Ellerson and Gordon Curvey organized a protest against KUBE. Shit.....Gene Dexter might have even been involved too? But basically they picketed and protested KUBE until they gave in and forced them into some closed door meetings where KUBE finally bowed down and agreed to give local cats airtime at night. This is when 2 Tyght's "Let's Get Toasted" was gettin' play.....and is one of only 2 local artists (Neema/Unexpected Arrival is the other) to EVER.....EVER make it to #1 on the Top 7 At 7 Countdown. They were also playing Squeek Nutty Bug and Baby-C too....along with some other people. KUBE also went to Sam Goody and started a promo agreement with them for local cats to do consignments and get their stuff in stores.

You ask me??? I think it's about time to organize the troops and post up in front of KUBE 93 until they give in to our demands. But ain't nobody gonna do shit. Everybody would rather be passive.....sit at home playing PS2....smokin' weed.....drinkin'.....tryin' to fuck some bitches and COMPLAINING about the problem instead of doin' somethin' about it.

In order to go to war.....you must know your enemy. I have named that enemy. I have offered a battle plan that has worked in the past. Now what?

 

[Mr. D-Sane]

Send him some flyers, posters, and snippets.....Start a nationwide street team.

OK. And your part in all of this will be to pay for all of those things along with the tremendous amount of money it costs just to mail that shit out. People don't think about that shit though. Do you have any idea how much it costs to ship shit??? No.....you don't.

If it was really that easy....don't you think more people would be doin' it??? And my next point is....WHY? If your shit ain't on sale in any stores wherever you're sending it.....what's the point? So now.....not only have you paid a bunch of money to print all those things and send them out....you did it for no reason. You just wasted your money.

Next ingenious plan.

 

[EvilWayz]

i dont care what yall say...........
I LOVE THE NORTHWEST!!!
itz some of the realest shit out..........i dont even live in the NW, & I cant listen to anything else......and itz all your fault D-Sane :devious:

 

[I AM]

OK. And your part in all of this will be to pay for all of those things along with the tremendous amount of money it costs just to mail that shit out. People don't think about that shit though. Do you have any idea how much it costs to ship shit??? No.....you don't.

If it was really that easy....don't you think more people would be doin' it??? And my next point is....WHY? If your shit ain't on sale in any stores wherever you're sending it.....what's the point? So now.....not only have you paid a bunch of money to print all those things and send them out....you did it for no reason. You just wasted your money.

Next ingenious plan.

Good point, but I never said it would work, I was just making a suggestion Well then I'll take some flyers and shit, put them on every car at school....lol....

 

[YOUNG KRIME]

I feel what you're sayin'. But it's not "KUBE" itself....or all the people that work there. Because those DJ's can't just play anything they want......they don't sit there and say "Hmmm....what song should I play now?" They have a huge 3 ring binder that sits in front of them with computer generated playlists that are printed out daily and dictate what songs are played and in what order. The "Request Line" is a sick joke that they play on people. People call in and request some song from the playlist.....they record the call.....then when the playlist says it's time to play that particular song they play the recorded "request" before it.

Anywayz. My point is this.....I know alot of the KUBE personalities personally. In particular the Future Flavors crew because they have played 7 songs of mine over the past 4 years and we've had alot of dealings. All the people that I've had the pleasure of meeting from KUBE are hella cool. They're all real supportive and many of them would love nothing more than to see local music gettin' some more exposure. So it's NOT their fault.....they're just doin' the jobs that they get paid to do. It all comes down to 2 people at KUBE.....the head Program Director ERIC POWERS and his assistant KAREN WILD. Ultimately though.....it comes down to ERIC POWERS because he's the shot caller. HE is the one who decides IF and WHO gets played from our local Hip-Hop community. HE is the one to blame for the lack of support from KUBE. But on the flipside.....how many people DESERVE to get played on the radio? Who has material that is even radio playable and with a sound quality to match up with the national acts they're playing. Not very many. The Clear Channel factor is also a part of the problem too....but that's another can of worms.

Does anybody remember how KUBE was actually playing local artists back in 1997-98??? Anybody know why? (if I remember correctly?) Because 2 gentlemen by the names of Curtis Ellerson and Gordon Curvey organized a protest against KUBE. Shit.....Gene Dexter might have even been involved too? But basically they picketed and protested KUBE until they gave in and forced them into some closed door meetings where KUBE finally bowed down and agreed to give local cats airtime at night. This is when 2 Tyght's "Let's Get Toasted" was gettin' play.....and is one of only 2 local artists (Neema/Unexpected Arrival is the other) to EVER.....EVER make it to #1 on the Top 7 At 7 Countdown. They were also playing Squeek Nutty Bug and Baby-C too....along with some other people. KUBE also went to Sam Goody and started a promo agreement with them for local cats to do consignments and get their stuff in stores.

You ask me??? I think it's about time to organize the troops and post up in front of KUBE 93 until they give in to our demands. But ain't nobody gonna do shit. Everybody would rather be passive.....sit at home playing PS2....smokin' weed.....drinkin'.....tryin' to fuck some bitches and COMPLAINING about the problem instead of doin' somethin' about it.

In order to go to war.....you must know your enemy. I have named that enemy. I have offered a battle plan that has worked in the past. Now what?

I'm down for this so let's get it crackin tell me when??