Face It. Hip-hop is grown.

Written by Kool Kila - www.koolkila.com

Face it. Hip-hop is grown. Hip-hop has BEEN grown. And rap music is a full-fledged genre now. You can see hip-hop's influence everywhere, fashion, movies, food, toys, etc. with both young artists and veterans alike. Grandparents can recite Run DMC, T.I., Public Enemy and Snoop Dogg. A few select radio stations across the country now play classic rap songs lightly in their rotation. XM/Sirius satellite radio has a channel dedicated to "old school." And artists like Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Whodini, Sugarhill Gang constantly tour. As a matter of fact, Public Enemy tours abroad in Africa and Europe more than they do in the US.

For the past four to five years, I've found myself recognizing and enjoying the aging of hip-hop culture. Although I've been in the music business for nearly sixteen years, sometimes I veer from being with the "VIPs" and go to concerts just to stand amongst the crowd. If I'm at a club event, I anticipate hearing a DJ play A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, New Edition, Missy Elliott, Eric B. & Rakim and Drake. If I'm at a live concert, I love looking around to see if there are any twenty-somethings watching the legends do their thing. Examples of grown-up hip-hop I've noticed:

1. Essence Music Festival in New Orleans---every summer they invited one hip-hop artist, and Run DMC, LL Cool J, even the Fugees had everyone in the Superdome, 35yrs old and above, rhyming along with them.
2. Heineken's summer concert series---in the past, it consisted of up-and-coming soul music stars like Chrisette Michele, Teedra Moses, Musiq Soulchild. Ludacris and Bun B were featured stars last year.
3. Ebony Magazine's "Black Family Reunion" Tour---brought back R&B stars from the 80s, Klymaxx, Lisa Lisa, Atlantic Starr, but also hosted rappers like Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Kool Moe Dee.
4. The Glastonbury music festival in England---the largest in the world had Jay-Z as the first headlining rap artist.
5. Branding and marketing firsts---Snoop Dogg's "Snoop De Ville" Cadillac, E-40 owning "Fatburger" chain stores, Big Boi collaborated with the Atlanta Ballet, The Roots are house band on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," Queen Latifah and Ice Cube executive producers in film and television, etc.

I've realized that the average American between 32-40yrs old was a pre-teen when hip-hop started and rap music began. Pioneers of the culture are now in their mid-to-late 50s. To put it in layman's terms, (Read More...)

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer/songwriter Kandi Burruss introduced her new album Kandi Koated at a listening session at the WEA/Warner Bro. offices in Atlanta.

A lot of women will be claiming songs from Kandi's new album Kandi Koated as "that's my song!" As Kandi flexes her vocal agility to match her top notch song writing, she creates and album that speaks from a woman's perspective describing popular situations that women experience. Songs like "The More I Try" and "Give It To You" express trying to get over a relationship but not being able to let go. (Expect several songs like this). The song "Me and You" Co-produced by Ne-Yo, replays a familiar melody made popular by Outkast's "Elevators"...remember: Me And You....

Kandi says each song on the album is about a real relationship of hers; both the ones that we've all heard  about ("Since You Been Gone" about her fiancé who passed in 2009) and some we haven't.  Kandi also mentions that the album is full of soulful Xscape type ballads.  Her goal is to demonstrate her full vocal range and remove all doubts of her vocal skill.Although there are not many up-tempo songs on the album, there are several songs and interludes that will make you smile (like the one with her and her daughter and the one called "Leroy Jones", about her step father).

The album will come in 2 or more versions depending on where you buy. The album has about 14 songs (not counting interludes and 16+ on the Bonus Album)

Favorites:
"Single Mothers" ft. Tiny Cottle-Harris and "Me and You" Co-produced by Ne-Yo

Kandi talks about the inspirations for Kandi Koated

Kandi gets emotional while explaining the relationship between her and her step father Leroy Jones as she introduces the song named after him.

Dj Judge Mental asks Kandi about how Real Housewives of Atlanta has affected her recording career.

We have experienced forms of rap gain their prominence in a region, blow up, and move on after a season leaving the region wondering why they lost the spotlight.  Being a child of hip hop, I never lived in NY, never lived on the west coast, and moved to the ATL just before the South gained its dominance. I've been a part of its growth and have reveled in its popularity, but  now, unfortunately, my residence in the south during the growth and evolution of southern music will also allow me to witness first hand how a region inevitably cannibalizes itself and loses its dominance.  I'm here, and this is what I'm seeing and this is why the south's grip on hip hop is slowly slipping away. Each time hip hop picks up and leaves a region it doesn't leave unfruitfully however.  The true stars, the true artists will remain in the spotlight even after the region is no longer getting the most shine.  It looks like for now the list is pretty short (T.I., Outkast, Gucci, Ludacris, Jeezy, and B.O.B.) Do you really know of any others that will be significant once the south is no longer the hot spot?

Ableton and Serato bridge the gap between music production and DJing with The Bridge.  This software will be a big impact on DJs who understand technology.  If you think Serato alone made a change in how we do things, wait until you get your hands on this.  If you don't understand what "LIVE" DJing is, it's time you learn.  The line between DJing and Producing is once again blurred.  Check it out.