We all agree SD got heat, but how do they get on top???

MaddDogg · May 19, 2003

In my opinion, both the bay and SD got a lot of talent. I think both areas could blow up, but how is SD gonna do it?

Right now the bay is doin' HUGE things. E-40 got a video getting rotation on BET and is gonna do at least his typical numbers with Breakin News, Quinn is gettin radio play like a mutha fucka not just on KMEL but also on the other station WILD 94.9, he has dist. companies hollerin @ DD night and day and might get a tour sponsered by sprite. His song also was used on a TV show and Rawkus used a song from him last year. Balance just got on MTV and placed 2nd in a battle with 500 MCs thats some heat right there he is gonna have labels hollerin left and right to sign him Balance and Zackwood. Cellski got a song with Llyod Banks and 50 on a new eastcoast mixtape, it might be KaySlay but not sure. And him and Killa Keise did a song for NBA Live 2004 supposively. Killa Keise also is getting his play on KMEL these days.

But it seems like in SD aint NO MEDIA SUPPORTING HIP HOP! I went to school down there for 9 months and let me say the only impression musically SD made on me is that it is a punk rock town. They have tons of punk rock stations, concerts, venues etc and their population seems to be real supportive of the alternative rock movement. The only way I heard of San Diego hip hop was through this board. I've met dozens of locals, black white latino whatever, who are SD RESIDENTS and arent up on any of the talent in rap. So my question is, with the talent you all have, how do you plan on making it profitable. Several cats that even post here definitely make some good material, but the material needs to be heard. I went to SDSU, thats a college with 35,000 people aged 18-27, and I didnt meet ONE other person who knew or appreciated SD hip hop and rap music.

I think its time to make your talent known. I dont really know how to do it. I guess makin profits from mixtapes and using funds to promote a solo is a good start. Maybe getting your shit heard free first to get the name out? Everyone holla with some ideas you can think of to help get peope up on game...

ChopShop · May 19, 2003

MaddDogg- what's crackin' mane?? I go to SDSU now and I got an album coming out in a month or so.. I've gotten nothing but good responses from the people who have heard it so far, and I've performed at the fashion show and a couple fraternities... next year it will really crack off as far as my album dropping (I'm having a release party as soon as school comes back in), plus doing frat shows, clubs, big shows, and hopefully radio play (which I'm working on). You will definitely hear next year!! Are you coming back for fall to SDSU??

GRANT THEFT

GRANT THEFT- AUTOMATIC (coming this summer)

1/2 ounce · May 19, 2003

wuz up grant theft remember me? i came to you house wit eboni and shit and we was spittin

LIL C.S. · May 19, 2003

First off re: the Bay, they've had more than one artist in the national spotlight before. All we had was one. To me the Bay blew up already, because they have platinum artists and we don't have one. BUT up until now I would say we're just releasing dope music as a WHOLE. Not just one person now. Radio play is payola period! And some artist have paid that out here. It didn't help though, because their shit wasn't tight, and NO OTHER station follows Dago stations. So if you're in rotation out here it doesn't mean you're going to get signed, or get put on other stations. Also, video is only for majors (except for BET uncut), and believe me it's payola in that too, but the majors have deep poccets.

You haven't been to the right spots dog. This is not a punk roc town. Have you ever been up to fam bam, or to any of the clubs like Pure, Blue Tattoo, Club Hollywood etc. And as far as State 35,000 people is a lot of people, so maybe you haven't talked to all of em'. Because I know for a fact I have sold at least 150 cd's up there myself hand to hand, and I have received all positive and SURPRISED respones, but most of those people weren't from Dago. Most Dago people go to the community colleges. SDSU has a big population of non SD residents. But word is starting to get around out here, and people from Dago are starting to believe in their artists. I hear it all the time, from fans (people I only know from music) not friends, CS keep goin' you're going to blow up. As far as profitable, EVERY album I've released has been profitable. Two of em' I doubled my money spent, and some. If you think this is a punk roc town, you should've went to the 50 Cent concert at UCSD on Sat. It was so many hip hop fans out there. All races. And I sold every cd I had (only 27 w/me), and I was signin' autographs out front like I performed. I'm just sayin' this to say that there are people in Dago that know their artists. Maybe they don't all go to state. I feel I have to tell you all of this dog, because otherwise you wouldn't know. Feel me?

As far as you're actual topic. You made some good points. How can we get media exposure? Well some of us have been in national mags(me and mitch both been in the Source, RIME and Murder Dog mags). I've had interviews on Z90 before, so has a few other artists. Some artists have been in rotation (not me though). Now as far as what we have to do, I really don't know. All we can do is keep puttin' out dope music, keep grindin' and hope for the best. Because we are one of the only Cities in Cali that hasn't really blown up yet. The Bay is just tryna' blow up again, and I hope they do. I hope we all do. But it's hard for the virtually unknown West Coast artists right now (or City), especially if the known artists from the region haven't went gold or platinum in the last few years, so why would the majors give the unknowns a chance. So until the West has more than 1 or 2 platinum artist (that's not Snoop), then I don't think we'll get the chance we deserve! But we definitely have the product. But I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have, or anyone else on what we need to do, but like I said it's going to be hard if the West Coast as a whole ain't goin' gold or platinum. With all them artists from the South goin' platinum, labels are at least givin' people out there the chance (like T.I. etc who didn't blow up). All we need is a chance. But I feel the region has to blow bac up for us to get the needed media we need to blow up. Just my 4 cents.

C.S. Heat

San DIEgo OG · May 20, 2003

It's all about that Distribution homie. A nigga can't slang CD's on the streets 4 ever. No dis-respect to CS Grind and none of the other homies that's gettin they grind on with this shit, or nothing like that, But Lil CS is more than ready to be Major in the rap game and we should be seeing that nigga on BET and all that old shit, Him Cricet, Mitchy, E-Cay, etc..are primed and READY to blow the town out the water. But without proper Distribution (And of course Marketing and Promotion Money) it's like running on a treadmill in a ways, You make money and whatnot, But not the money niggas SHOULD be seeing with this shit. it's cool I guess for a couple thousand to cop yo shit and see some dividends from that but that label of "Underground Rapper" gotta get shook if niggas wanna TRULY blow or at the very least really stir some shit bacc up for the West, it don't help that the general consensus is that West-Coast Rap is dead, So that make's it even harder for Dago to really come through. It's almost like the West-Coast been "white"-balled or some shit. You don't see no west-coast shit on 106 and park or none of that shit, Except maybe a Snoop vid or something..My take is this, Niggas gotta take it bacc to the beginning, when niggas had to blow up their own City, then The Region and finally? The NATION!! The only thang about selling CD's hand to hand is that no matter how many copies you sell these bitch ass Labels ain't trying to hear it if you don't have Solid Sound-Scan numbers to bacc yo shit, That's the game. Niggas like Master P and E-40 literally BOUGHT their way into the game with bull-shit Sound-Scan Numbers so did South Park Mexican, Don't really matter HOW they did it bottom line? It got done, Niggas gotta just take it bacc to the essence with this shit one City at a time. That's GAME!

NoDollazNoSense · May 20, 2003

@ everyone
wasup to all the dago cats!
first off, dago got heat fasho - more talent than most mainstream- and is climbin in tha game. But cats other than tha Dago B's and C's is where the big $ comes from. If yall are expecting mainstream coverage and support, there needs to be a bit of mainstream material nah mean (not that its not tite enough already). I would luv to hear z90 or any of dem stations play real street rap such as lil cs's "Bang this shit", "transactions", or real emotional shit like "thug tears". These are the type of slumps that many of the dago cats and I listen to and respect, but unfortunately that aint what the radio / tv tends to support. More danceable slaps, even more mainstream(!) would help catch attention to a wider audience, then they can learn to respect tha realness and true talent of it.

But it takes scrill to get mo scrill. i dont know what you're puttin in to advertisin, SD OG is right, most big cats in tha game bought their way in or were paid for.
Other than this, pushin yo album, preforming and gettin your name out in dago is helpin, and most of ya'll are steady grindin.
Everyone keep doin ya thang, lets brang bac tha days of havin real west coast shit strike platinum. STAY UP

LIL C.S. · May 20, 2003

@No dollaz, have you heard Dollars & Sins album? Have you heard "Faded & X-Rated", and "Make It Crack". Those are danceable tracs.

@SD OG, I feel you homey. I had distribution on both of my albums, so it sold in the stores and on the street. I didn't take it as disrespect, cuz I'ma hustler and if I can't get on a major RIGHT NOW then I'm going to make some money off this shit, instead of niggaz spendin' a grip and not makin' their money bac, and SOLEY waitin' on a distributor to pay them. I know a nigga can't sell cd's on the street forever, but what a nigga gon' do in between time? Sit on they units, and WAIT AROUND to blow up. Not me. I'ma work it from the bottom to the top. Slang hand to hand (out here with the fans), in the stores etc. and at the same time still try and get up in the Source etc and get major exposure other ways. But EVERYBODY has their own formula, and NONE are FOR SURE, so good luc to all. I feel you on real money, but anytime you profit and even double your money that is real money. No matter what the amount is. And ain't too many niggaz makin' REAL money in the rap game that's even on a major. It's very few that are REALLY eatin'.

As far as sound scan, for an indy it really don't mean shit to a major anymore, cuz they know niggaz BUY sound scans. They created that game, so you can't beat them at it. They have 2 different kind of scans. They have major retail scans and indie scans. They treat the indie scans as less than half of the actual number, and THEY KNOW if you have 8000 indie scans and 200 major retail scans, and 7000 are out of ONE store they know that shit is fake.

And let's look at the most current success stories. Eminem, Nelly and 50 Cent NEVER charted on billboard or sound scanned a gang of units to get their deal, and they blew up and sold millions. It just got into the right person's hands SOMEHOW. That's the only thing I like about the rap game right now is that all you need is somebody in the industry who has a name (label, producer etc) to really believe in you. Look at that artist "The Game". He got signed to Aftermath, and NEVER even had a solo album. Look at Clipse they wasn't underground sound scan sellers. Neptunes believed in them, and got behind them and blew them up. Same with Em, Nelly and 50.

I just feel there's NO SURE way to blow up nowadays (like it used to be). It just has to be destiny or some shit. If it's meant to be it will, and if it's not meant to be with me, I'm gettin' out of this game with some money. Real spit.

Probably more money than some dudes who were on majors once, and now they're career is on the down slope, and can't get bac. 1

C.S. Heat

HC1 · May 20, 2003

Like CS said, you havent been to the right spots. You gotta focus on the area of SD south of the 8 freeway. If you went to a community college like Southwestern, youll see a huge difference between those students and SDSU's. Check out downtown, plaza bonita, chula vista mall, shit like that. Honestly, if you go to places like PB, Mission beach, etc, you might not find too many rap fans. You just probably havent meet the right people.

San DIEgo OG · May 20, 2003

LIL C.S. said:

Nah CUZZ, Let me clarify a little better.. I think you focused too much on the "slangin CD's on the streets" Line I spit, but that wasn't my point LoCCo, what I was basically saying was that without a bETTER Distribution method aside from the hand to hand deal it's gonna C hard as fuCC for Dago to really blow now, Especially sinCe the general consensus is that West-Coast rap is dead, Feel me? by all means Continue to get yo grind on like you bEEN doing wayyyy be4 this rap shit, Hustlers stay Hustlin and bustas stay bustas and that's no doubt, You right doe there ain't no sure way to "break-through" now-a-days, without a big Name or somethin who believes in you. I agree with that 100 Cuzz! But peep, yo shit is mashin (I'm blastin "Lyrics" off of Dollars and Sins as I'm typin this shit, that muthaphuCCa tight than a mug!!.. so just keep smashin like you been doing and you gon break through Cuzz. Rather it C you, ECay, Cricet, VMF or Mitchy..I'm gon support it and that's on The "C"..

SD OG

spadejackjp · May 20, 2003

by the way,
CS,you sold every cd you had at 50 Cent concert, right ?

do you feel that more people've been getting attention to you and San Diego than before,day by day ?

LIL C.S. · May 20, 2003

@SD OG I feel you homey, but let me explain a little bit about distribution now. Dist. don't mean shit! Only if it's through a major who's going to pay for marketing and promotion, and already has all the channels in place (stores, radio, video play etc). People used to think (including myself) that if you get dist. that's the answer, your shit is nationwide. NOT TRUE. Only thing a distributor can do is solicit your product. The stores have to order it. If you're name isn't C-Bo, Lynch etc (for underground rappers) you're not going to get that many orders. Especially if you have no famous features (even that isn't working anymore). When the distributor solicits your product to the stores all they send them is a catalogue, and the one stops send out a catalogue to the Mom & Pop stores. All they see is YOUR NAME, ALBUM TITLE, FEATURES, AND MAYBE THE COVER (SOMETIMES). THEY DON'T HEAR THE MUSIC. So you can think your shit is the tightest shit in the world, but they don't order it on the sound of the music. So the chances of an unknown new artist gettin' 10 or 5 thousand in orders is gone! So how is niggaz that ain't hustlin' they shit realistically selling that many if they didn't even get that in orders! Especially with Wherehouse filing bankruptcy, Tower and Sam Goody shutting down stores. You're luccy if you have 1 to 3 cd's in some of the stores. These distributors know the game too. They know how much they pressed, so to then how can you scan thousands more than they pressed. The actual people in the business can't be fooled anymore, that's why I said it's no longer a FOR SURE way to blow up, like Master P and whoever did it. The record label has to make the demand for the orders. That also has changed though. It used to be triccs like havin' people go in and ask for it, or callin' the stores like you're a customer. That shit doesn't work anymore either. They don't care if a few people come in asking for it. Unless it's thousands asking, and if it's that many then they most likely already know about you. The game is so saturated now, that the shit that used to work doesn't anymore. And nowadays finding a dist. for an indie is harder than ever, especially if you're new. Southwest wholesale just filed for bankruptcy too.

The bottom line is this you need a major label distributor to blow up. One that will provide marketing, promotion, radio, video etc. All the channels and connects in place. That's the ONLY distribution that will blow you up, and I hate to say it, but right now major labels aren't lookin' at the West Coast right now. That's a fact. Just by Def Jam not bein' able to blow up WC that made it harder for us, cuz the other majors seen that. And Dago's shit doesn't sound like WC's music, but it's all West Coast to them.

I feel what you're sayin' though homey, and I'm just tellin' you all this shit, so you and others can see it's not as easy as it looks or sounds. The game ain't the same as it was, especially for the West Coast. Like I said we need to just keep puttin' out good product, keep grindin', and hope for the best. That's why my next solo is called "The Struggle, The Grind, The Hustle". If it's meant to be it will, cuz that shit that happened to Nelly, Em, and 50 was fate, because out of them 3, Em really is the only one with real skills.

@spade, to answer your question EVERY sell counts. You never know how many people hear you after that 1 sell. I don't turn down any sells. Just like I paid part of the shippin' myself to send you my cd. EVERY fan counts. EVERY sell counts, and shit EVERY dollar counts too. Believe me that shit adds up.

Sorry for writin' books ya'll, but I want everybody to get a little insight on how the game is, so they can understand why it's not that easy to blow up, or get the needed media attention to attract a major. You remember how if someone got in the Unsigned Hype in the Source, they were gettin' signed. When is the last time someone from Unsigned Hype got signed. Years...That's my point things that used to work and mean somethin' don't mean shit anymore, or it doesn't mean ENOUGH to get that deal. So Dago (that's all I can speak for) keep puttin' out good product, keep grindin', and I hope for the best for all of us. 1

C.S. Heat

MaddDogg · May 20, 2003

Dont get me wrong, Im sure theres some crackin hip hop areas, what I mean is the only thing people know about from SD is the punk music. Your alternative Rock scene gets A LOT of exposure and play from radio stations, concert venues, etc. while the hip hop is relying strickly on underground and word of mouth type shit. I dont know SD very well but some places Ive chilled at are around the college, around UCSD, around Pacific Beach, downtown, and near all the different beaches, and their seems to be a lack of hip hop culture or hip hop direction. Ive seen hip hop clubs out in these areas or heard hip hop DJs but they all seem to be spinnining the typical shit. This dude I met said he DJed at Cahonas or something and threw some local and bay area/sac shit in his mixes, but for the most part i been finding it difficult to even find out about albums/concerts because there is no promotion: no flyers, no posters, no club promotion, no artists out on the streets promoting their shit, etc. I heard you have been around St. selling your cds and whatnot, what I mean is that I meet a good number of people every week that say they are hip hop fans that are SD/El Cajon/Chula Vista etc. natives and they don't seem to be up on game they dont even know who you or Mitchy Slick or Ecay are which kinda annoys me that me an outsider is sitting at these parties and hip hop events schooling people on their own city! it seems like most of them WANT to hear more but dont know how or dont know WHO or whats good etc. Thats why I was saying it seems like a punk town, because everytime you pick up a flyer or goto a club or see someone slangin cds its a punk rock group I dont seem to see the same promotion/interaction with hip hop acts out here. I never been to some of the clubs you are talkin about so maybe when I come back next summer I will check that shit out.

@ Chop Shop- Yea dogg ill be out in SD next semester. Let me know whats up with your shit. What year are you?

LIL C.S. · May 20, 2003

MaddDogg said:

I understand where you're coming from, but I don't agree with you dog. I'm in all of them places. When I go to the Parkway plaza mall (in El Cajon) mostly ALL rap fans know me. I've just walked through the mall, and people have came up to me asking for autographs. Kids that go to El Cajon Valley high etc. I'm all in Chula Vista and National City. Same thing happens at Plaza Bonita mall. And when I went to the PB Street Fair (sold 21 cd's) so many people knew who I was, that I was SURPRISED. I swear to God on my son everything I'm sayin' is true. I don't know maybe me and you are just running across different people, but I swear to God on everything I love I'm recognized by THOUSANDS of fans, and I get love everywhere I go in all parts of the City. Thousands of SD natives know who I am. Shit I just ran my commercial during Spring Break on BET. But it's all good. Just stating the facts from my side. I don't know maybe it's me, but it seems like you're tryin' to down play the artists out here on the cool by sayin' we're not known in our city (which aint' true, proof above). I'm NOT sayin' you're hatin' though. PLEASE don't mistake that. And as far as shows out here, we have that gang problem real bad, so a lot of clubs don't want the locals to perform. Some shit almost always happens. But if you really are spreadin' the word about us to other locals, thanks dog. 1

C.S. Heat

Tooper · May 20, 2003

thats cool.

i like the insight cs is givin us on the underground cause most the time no one cares whut the underground is doin.IF THEY ARE the people who pay money for radio and video music (mainstream).for sum reason they think it's good enough if it is (on there).

i'm opposite.

but lynch said once that the underground will always be here.

making it in the industry is a up hill battle.

but if the product is quality.the music will speak for it's self and turn into sales.

to put my perspective basicly.

the music gotta speak for it'self let the fans embrace it.

keep grindin.

the more people that know the more sales you'll get.

one lable that surprised me by the advertising they were doin for their artsits is killa valley.

for all the trades and deals i've done in the mail i always got a flyer for the next projects.

and if the music is tight your gonna wanna peep that BUT IF IT'S NOT.

then you won't go back to it.

so PROMOTION and QUALITY MUSIC is whut i think will get you whut you want out of the industry to me.

thats the way i see it.

BUT THE MUSIC GOTTA BE TIGHT FIRST AND FOREMOST

MaddDogg · May 20, 2003

LIL C.S. said:

oh naw dogg, dont get it twisted, Im not trying to downplay any artists. Like I said, I like a lot of SD music, I try to school folks up on what I know about SD music. Its weird that you say you've hit up all those places, I musta just missed you cause I was at the PB festival and other places around El Cajon. Part of it is probly cause I aint a local maybe. We are in two different worlds. Im a college student that really only knows the bay so I dont know what SD has to offer in terms of hip hop culture. Ive been to a few hip hop shows/hip hop venues, but what I saw was nothing compared to what we have up north, but then again I wasnt at any of those spots you talk about... Like I said, from my perspective, what I tend to see/hear is a lot of hype/promotion love for the punk rock/alternative scene despite the hip hop talent that you guys have down here. Do you have a promotion crew? It sounds like you do a great job personally promoting your shit but do you got a gang of people helping you out?

And that sucks about the gang problem and people not letting locals perform...thats bullshit. But in some cases Im guessing artists are also part of the problem...maybe not you specifically, but if an artist shows up to perform and starts throwin up signs or talking shit to people of another gang that would definitely start some problems. Does that kinda shit happen, or is it more of a fear factor? Frisco and Oakland have been having similar problems, recently though Frisco seems to be opening its doors and embracing its artists...Artists also go off to smaller cities where gangs either wont follow or will behave themselves...Oakland still has a lot of problems...

ml2niceguy · Jun 2, 2003

i think jayo had a good ass chance being on def jam but he got fucked over by russel

ChopShop · Jun 2, 2003

What's up MaddDogg?- I'll be a junior this next year and got my project coming out this summer. I got alot of things planned for this album.. hopefully it meets my expectations. Are you living on campus next year? Stay in contact and I'll holler. Grant "Theft"

GRANT THEFT- AUTOMATIC comin this July...

Bullit_Tooth · Jun 3, 2003

the west has always been ahead of its time...it was when nwa and ice t first came out and it still is ahead of its time right now...east coast records are starting to sound more and more like west coast records...the newer west coast rappers coming out these past few years have skills on the mic...all we need is that one rapper to blow up...and they'll be checkin for the next new west coast rappers to help them make there money...you gotta expand your music to the places your not known...any west coast rappers figure how to do that and the west will be in the game again...

MrWB · Jun 3, 2003

I didnt read all the replys and shit, but I think Damu can get on top with the right beats... His flow is the shit and I think the mainstream will like it too, hes got a really unique voice, thats necessary if you wnna get on top.. I mean, take B's & C's, or Touchin On Everybody, thosae songs are straight hits...

MaddDogg · Jun 3, 2003

whattup Chopshop. Not living on Campus next year but a couple blocks away near Ralph's in some apartments. I aint gonna be down there till end of August though. Keep me updated on your cd i'd be interested in givin it an ear...

We all agree SD got heat, but how do they get on top???

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Member

Artist

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Artist

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Artist

Sicc OG

Artist

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG

Sicc OG