producer fran ashcroft…interview
This interview is incredibly interesting. He’s clearly very in tune to music and the way it reaches out. Fran Ashcroft produced for bands i’ve never heard of and The Gorillaz.
Interviewer: The record business is suffering alot from people downloading
Fran: Well that’s what they say! It’s true lots of people download stuff because they can. Lot’s of people used to tape music from the radio because they could. Do you know anybody who kept all the cassette tapes that they taped off the radio in the 70s? I don’t. And the same will be true of downloads, you delete them after a bit….what happens is the stuff that you like and you enjoy and that you would actually put your money down for is the stuff you want to…keep.
I think we’re going to see a big divide between…Top 40 music and everything else. On the one hand, Top 40 stuff will remain in the kind of position it is now with the same kind of money being put behind it…The other 98% of music that’s out there will be able to be marketed to its own particular niche.
EXACTLY!!! I completely agree.
When artists wake up to the fact that if they sold 50,000 albums with a record label, they have a listener base of 50,000 they can draw on. Then what’s the point in having the record label when you can sell it to your fans directly.
I agree though I believe it’s happening now with artists declining to sign with big labels and going Indie or making their own lane to distribute their music. It’s reminds me of a quote from The Office:
“Michael: No, we don’t actually cut the paper. That’s a good question. The paper is sent to us cut, and dyed, from a paper manufacturer, and then we sell it to a business for more than we paid for it.
Abby: That’s not fair. [the rest of the kids agree]
Michael: Yes it is, well, w-w–you need someone in the middle to facilitate…
Jake: You’re just a middleman.
Michael: I’m not just a middle… man…
Melissa: Wait, why doesn’t the saw mill just sell paper directly to people?
Michael: You are describing Office Depot, and they’re kind of running us out of business.
Dwight: We have better service than they do!”
Watch artists come to see this and cut out the middle man.
It’s a question of using the most appropriate tools for the work you’re supposed to be doing.
Autotune anyone? It’s about having tools to your trade and using which ones are appropriate for what you’re going for. It’s NOT about one artist telling the rest of the virtuosic populace that a certain tool is “dead” or out. Let the artist decide for themselves.
Peace and x out the middle love.
j cole…rapping “on top of the world”
Based on the 2 or 3 tracks i’ve heard from this cat…he’s my new favorite (coming up) rapper…
Here’s a video from the interview with Angela Yee where he spits to “On Top Of The World”, which is the song he tried to get to Jay-Z for American Gangster. It’s worth a watch! Because too many people deny music based on the fact that most of it is terrible…this is bananas!!!!!
Here’s the vid from the same interview where he is denied by Jay and his entourage. Pretty inspiring actually imo.
if you haven’t heard any of his music…here’s the song “Lights Please” which I think is what eventually got him on with Jay-Z.
yea, i’ve got my eye on him…
Peace, and on top of the world love!
royce & big sean…in studio
“back in this bitch like i’m puttin on a jacket”
-Big Sean
peace, and fresh love.
questlove…sandwich ep
via: nahright
Sandwiches are the sets they play before and after commercial breaks on Late Night.
In honor of making 1000 of those original compositions, Questlove liberated 22 of them on twitter and All The Way Live compiled it into an EP.
The Roots – Sandwiches EP
also. click on the twitter above, then click on the swift.fm link and listen and read the descriptions to each track…questo really knows music and it’s so interesting to see what inspires him and how it makes him feel and think.
peace, and be well rounded love.
Drake…talking Hot 97 freestyle
“I’m a writer man, I appreciate the elements of Hip Hop. I appreciate a guy like Common who goes city to city and just spits at the crowd for ten minutes about everything he sees. I admire talents like that because…That’s not really my creative process.”
Vodpod videos no longer available.
here’s the crackberry recitation he’s referring to…
he just sounds like a basic up and coming rapper in the freestyle i.m.o.
he’s still really dope and in my top 4 favorite new artists…he’s a writer!
peace, and remember to smile, love.
kweli, madlib, doom, ye…!
what!? check this tweet from kweli…
woorrrd?????

ooook…here we go then.
peace, and !, !, !, & ! love.
mr hudson…time [making of]
this cat is an incredible song writer! this video is a pretty rad look into the studio with little personal one-off comments, recognizing his focus to get the music right, watching him vibe out… but really it’s a better preview of a track from his upcoming album (Straight No Chaser 10.19.09 in UK). please be on the lookout for this shit, i have a lot of confidence this will be a great great album.
“someday, are we gonna wake up? a little bit older…are we out of time, time, time?…tell me where you want to be, when all your friends have settled down in the suburbs on the greener side of town.”
peace, and make time with love.
raphael saadiq…tiny desk concert
This is from this NPR featurette called a “Tiny Desk Concert.” It’s just Raphael Saadiq on acoustic guitar with Rob Bacon accompanying on acoustic. His voice is incredibly soulful and his songs are like old rhythm and blues pop songs from the 60s.
His most recent album ( The Way I See It(2008) ) is a serious classic. Pick it up if you haven’t yet.
Raphael Saadiq – NPR Tiny Desk Concert mini-album
I chopped up the three songs he does in the video and put them into this EP-style acoustic album. Here‘s the video if you want to watch them play through.
Peace, and sure hope you mean it love.
The Bassment…
Its that time again… Music Making Time (MMT) Im excited, a lot music in the works, its kinda scary… The Martians are working new material for “Nice & Clutch”… so fresh so clean lol, nah, but its some of that new new ish, smell me? The Studio is easily becoming one of my favorite places to be.. I honestly have a lot fun there, like a kid… Me, Max, E-Con & Wsquared had a magical studio session on the 4th of July Weekend down in B-Town… whipped up a lil crack for all them posers… two joints “Drumz” & “Instruments of Choice” But one of the most important things when it comes t making records is the vibes in the studio, you know… that connection between creative minds, also kn own as “synergy” is what molds everything together…Well, with that being said, here’s a few videos from the Big Homie Jay-Z who is also all about that “synergy.” Peace… Marz
DJ Khalil & Nas…recording “Colors” in studio
This is an unreleased track that was supposed to be on Untitled. Nas – Colors Produced by DJ Khalil feat. Danny Keyz.
Check out Khalil’s blog at imadeitinc.com/blog/
Vodpod videos no longer available.
It is so sad to say, but Nas has always had a very weak ear. This song is perfect, and not all the songs on Untitled were as close. Once again…we are just proved.
Peace, and much love.