The Adventures of Bobby Ray: the 2010 Summer Album
By Judge Mental | April 29, 2010
I’ve been a witness to B.O.B.’s eclectic musical and lyrical talents for at least 4 years and my expectations for this album where extremely high to say the least. I am not disappointed.
B.O.B.'s Highly Anticipated Album
From the opening track “Don’t Let Me Fall”, you’ll know that The Adventures of Bobby Ray is not your typical rap album. In fact, you may find yourself questioning the boundaries of defining music genre’s at all. Whether you are a fan of Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, or Rock, this album has more than a few songs to call your favorites. Beats, Melodies, Instruments, Hooks, and Lyrical journeys fill this project. The best aspect of the release is that the entire album has a “smile” which is distinctive of Bobby Ray (if you ever meet him in person, you’ll understand). Rap and Hip Hop has had a snarl and grimace on its face for so long that The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a refreshing new face of music.
At a time when Money and Politics have more to do with an artists’ success than true talent (see Track 4 – “Airplanes”), B.O.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray is bound to shine through as proof that Talent and Tenacity wins in the end. Bobby Ray is going to be labeled (Wikipedia says “Alternative Rapper“) and attempts will be made to pigeon hole his music, but after hearing this album, you’ll agree that no music genre can contain him and all types of music lovers will embrace him. This is an album that could define the Summer of 2010.
B.O.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray features appearances by T.I., Bruno Mars, Playboy Tre, Hayley Williams, Lupe Fiasco, Janelle Monae and others, but the Album is still ALL B.O.B.
For covering all of the bases including Lyrical, Musical, Eclectic, Thoughtful, and Entertaining… Judge Mental gives the album Four and 1/2 Gavels.
4 1/2 Gavels
For a sample of B.O.B.’s live performance, check out DJ Judge Mental Presents – Until the King Returns mix tape featuring Bobby Ray.
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T.I. Speaks on New Song and New Movie
By Judge Mental | March 9, 2010
Atlantic Records launches Atlantic Elite DJs website and kicks it off with a DJ conference call with the one and only King of the South, T.I.
Check out the audio as Tip (T.I.) shows appreciation and announces his return.
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The Biggest DJ Backfire of the Decade
By Judge Mental | December 16, 2009
Trademark Reg. No. 3,678,545
A couple years ago on a conference call, I brought up an idea to form an organization to serve as an advocacy group for the DJ industry on a range of public policy and rights issues. Turns out several other people had similar ideas and interests. One of them was very vocal and had a great gift of selling ideas. I choose to partner with this individual to start an organization called the International DJ Trade Association. We started out brainstorming great ideas, but as time went on, it seemed that my partner was more interested in making money than advocating for DJs. I should have known this could be the case from the start since this person was not a DJ and could not relate to my passion for the profession.
While the rogue business partner of mine went about devising ways to make money from DJs and the rest of the industry, I insisted on getting business handled first. Things like corporate filings, trademarks, bank accounts, etc. As time passed, I continued to handle business with the other members of the board that we assembled. For a year we wasted many conference calls trying to wrangle our rogue co-founder back into the realm of establishing an organization rather than the next get-money scheme. Several times board members came out of pocket to establish corporate elements. I paid for the trademark out of my pocket (which I registered in my name since no corporate documents had been finalized), another member paid for web graphic design, others paid for items for new members and postage.
As I kept trying to see the best in this individual and kept denying the fact that they would probably never align themselves with the original purpose of the organization, things began falling apart. Finally, when this individual took money out of the bank account to make a quick hustle selling hats with the logo on it, I awoke from my denial. When they broke their promise to return the money, I knew that this was the end of the International DJ Trade Association.
The moral of the story: No matter how genuine your intentions, if you choose the wrong allies in your efforts, your intentions will turn into a big FAIL. Now this individual is using the logo that is legally registered in my name, paid for out of my pocket, and designed by my hand to promote everything under the sun and is rarely (if ever) representing efforts to support DJs.
This particular effort to organize and support DJs, in my heart, has been the biggest DJ backfire of the decade and I apologize to anyone who saw this logo as a ray of organizational hope – only to see it backfire into another music promotions company.
Although I may never be able to redeem the integrity I hoped to establish with the IDJ logo and the initial organization, I still have my integrity and will continue to support and advocate for the profession of the DJ.
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The Truth About Radio
By Judge Mental | November 23, 2009
Every time I speak on a panel at a music conference, I find new people to convince that radio isn’t about music. I’m not surprised that it is such a huge revelation to many, because not to long ago, radio did a better job at fooling listeners into believing that they were in the music business. If you are serious about learning about the music business, radio, or their relationship you need to sit down and watch this documentary. Its almost an hour and 1/2 long, but consider it a class session with free tuition. If you are serious, you don’t mind taking the time to learn.
This documentary explores the reason why so few companies currently control the music played on the radio and for sale at retail stores, and whether corporations really have the power to silence musical innovation. Forward it and re-tweet it to anyone you know who has ever wanted to be heard on or work in RADIO.
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Your Music and Business – Mental Illness Required
By Judge Mental | November 17, 2009
Last week I had the pleasure of talking to a senior high school business class about my career. I started out by saying “Hi, my name is Judge and I have a split personality”. As you can imagine, that raised some eyebrows. Once I relieved their concerns that I might be Mentally ill, I went on to explain to them how at this point in my career I am able to bring my three personalities of Entrepreneur, Disc Jockey, and Tech Geek together to form my current businesses. Up until a year ago, any given day of the week you would find me pulling Superman wardrobe changes from a deal-closing suit (Mr. Judge), to college shirt and khakis to work on a client’s computers and devise marketing campaigns (Judge), to jeans, T-shirt, sneakers, baseball cap, shades, and jewelry ( DJ Judge Mental). My passion is DJing and the music industry, and although I have been deep in it for over 20 years, sometimes DJ Judge Mental has been the Batman to my Bruce Wayne business persona. (Ok enough with the superhero analogies.)
Now, because of the technological age that we live in, the DJ has to be a techie, the techie has to be an entrepreneur, and the entrepreneur realizes that a business wrapped around music and technology can be a lucrative combination. The result was the birth of Judge Media. No! Wait… I didn’t just say all that to promote my business, I’m going somewhere with this.
Who's Your Techie?
No matter what business you are in, and especially in the music industry, You better be tech savvy AND business savvy. Why? Because the hard-copy, low tech, tangible form of music (and many other products) is quickly coming to an end. Because in today’s industry, the use of technology and business are more important than talent and originality. Artists don’t want to hear that, but listen or not, it’s true.
What does that tell you as an artist, executive, or business owner? When you begin to build your team there’s a new member that cannot be forgotten. You know to get your banker, your business manager, your attorney, and maybe even your personal manager, but where is your Techie? Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Artist, Business, or Label Owner you need to have someone on your team who knows the best ways to communicate your talent through today’s technology. Without them, you most likely are not taking full advantage of the most valuable resource available.
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Why I fight so hard for DJs
By Judge Mental | October 26, 2009
This article is one that hit my heart so directly that as a career DJ, I read every word and had to re-post it. THANK YOU Claudia Jean.
Original Post By: Posted by: Claudia Jean 10/23/2009
A Letter to my DJ….
Whadddup stranger? Master of Melodies, Neo-Sound Explorer, Crowd Motivator, and Conductor of F-L-O-W…I miss you and I want you back. Lately you’ve been plenty predictable, sometimes not even noticeable…because frankly, the DJ is no longer the center of the universe. You are an accessory.
You’ve got me feeling empty, uncomfortable, unmotivated, and contemplating whether I should leave for good…
But back in the day you had me dancing in circles…flirting with me from your booth, playing record after record, giving me no other choice but to stay until the crack of dawn….”Okay one more song and we’re out!” But then 2 minutes later…”Oh-no-he-didn’t!” Suddenly I’d find myself willingly stuck…greeting you with a smile as both the lights in the room and sun came up.
I remember you in Junior High when the principal allowed you to DJ our school dances. You gave me my first of many musical experiences…which were rarely played in my home. Not that I grew up restricted, but music didn’t play an integral role in my upbringing. So when you came along, I was hooked! I was a fiend for your mixes and searched the radio frantically for the sounds you played. I practiced new dances in the mirror and my neighbor and I would get our routines together so when you dropped THAT record…we’d be on it.
In high school, life with you got easier and we had the ultimate connection. You influenced my style and had me walking to your beats in my head every time I hit the pavement. My mom was a bit more open to the idea of having you in the house and my sister and I danced to your mélanges in the attic. Once a week I took my allowance, bought a vinyl, and tried to copy your style. Friends would come over and beg to know where I got THAT from! Everyone wanted a dub! Let’s not forget the DJ-over-the-phone-game….Haaaaaaa! Remember those days? “I dedicate this song to you!” (Insert mix tape, press play, lay on the pillow, phone to the ear, breathe…)
But what’s a full high school experience without the House parties!? The chaperones were upstairs while us girls were in the basement, pinned up against a wall by a cutie grinding against our hips. The only light in the entire room came from the corner where your turntables and records were set up. I remember how hyped we’d get when we’d hear the hint of an instrumental creeping in while you faded out that last song, right before you put the record back in the crate. B.L.E.N.D.I.N.G.
In college you were the shhhhhhhhhhhhhit! You set the mood, pace, and dress code for all that was happening on and off campus. We didn’t listen to the radio to hear the newest hit…we went to the parties and witnessed YOU breaking records in for the first time. There were too many parties to choose from and it was often hard to commit to one. So we went to them all and watched you work the room with your hand maneuvering and musical selection. Your match-making skills were impeccable as well. You always seemed to know what to drop at that exact moment a Shorty decided to join another on the dance floor…singing all in each other’s ear…Who could hold up the wall with you spinning? And I remember back then…it was okay to sweat, (because it was a sign that you had a good time!) So we all went home W.E.T.
Later I learned more from you during my internships and various industry gigs. That’s when I decided I may want to try this all myself. I took notes and appreciated the fact that you came in many forms and gave variety its definition. Seems like in those days you had a bit more freedom to play what you thought was “hot” vs. what management dictated you should play. Now you seem to want to please too many people from record labels, to corporate America, to your critics who seem to get younger and more disconnected from what REAL music is. *sigh*
And don’t get me wrong…I know you feel the pressures of mainstream/commercial radio. You feel like you need to play what’s “HOT” right now. (Look at your sources!) Between the music video shows, radio stations playing the same song 2-3 times an hour at-the-same-time, manufactured BEEFS between camps just to guarantee a major hit, and club owners, promoters & PD’s choreographing your play list….I’m surprised you still have the energy or desire to keep going. But once we started to predict the order of songs you’d play….we discovered a bigger problem. Plus you squeeze in so many songs in one set! There’s no need to prove what you have in your collection! We know you have it…you’re supposed to. You’re a DJ.
Remember when you were the headliner? Today DJ’s doesn’t get the same amount of respect. It’s the year of the IPods and the new way to blend which we call…the UNBLEND: cutting off records which sound more like nails on a chalk board. Now what do we have to look forward to besides open bar and the occasional live performance from an artist? Shout outs over a Biggie beat?
Let me remind you of YOU and your worth:
YOU were the reason we wanted to get to the club at a decent time…not because of free drinks before midnight. YOU were the determining factor on whether or not we should even go! But if we saw your name on the flyer, not even the flakey door guy could keep us from you! YOU were what we talked about on the way there and when we left the party. YOU were the reason we didn’t necessarily need a dance partner…eyes closed, one hand in the air, following YOUR lead…vibing with YOU. YOU were the KING of the mid day mix and the surprise guest at the summer barbeques. YOU were the most important detail at the wedding, step show, after party, and yes….the club. Promoters didn’t tell you how much they’d pay you, YOU’d tell them. YOU broke records in a non conventional way and were the stamp-of-approval artists needed in order to get sales. The DJ’s cosign was like gold and you were respected because of that. Now artists are sh*tting on DJ’s like they sh*t on bloggers and in this day of technology….they need both.
So I dare YOU to bring YOU back. I double-dog-dare-you to play MUSIC vs. a slew of curses and derogatory terms disguised as a mix. I dare you to keep your shout outs to a minimum and I challenge you to NOT play that one current popular record more than 2 times tonight. Sheesh! Let’s see if you can get me up from my table, on to the middle of the dance floor. You think I wore these heels NOT to be seen? C’mon Son!
I don’t mean to be harsh, but I need you to know this…because I’ve no-ticed. I miss you, but not from a lover’s point of view, but as a fan. You taught me how to soul-clap like a mom teaches her daughter how to walk in heels. Played that record that made me say “daaaaamn…I haven’t heard that in a minute!” Don’t you miss that “ooooooooh” sound we’d all make when you’d throw on an import remix that no one has heard? How about that song on that album that wasn’t released as a single but you know is HOTTTT!?! Yeah…that one. And I loved it when you created your very own hypnotic fused melodies of wonderful vocals over that unsuspecting Hip Hop music bed. You did that and you did it well.
You love music and you love to DJ. Do what you love for the love of the craft and don’t lose yourself in politics, peer pressure, PDs, podcasts, and people coming up to you with peculiar requests. Because this new YOU isn’t YOU and I don’t know how much longer I can stay.
Love, M.O.C.H.A
*Much respect to some of the DJs I’ve followed over the years… Red Alert, Darrel James, SnS, Jazzy, Frank Ski, Cosi, Premier, Jazzy Joyce, Coco Channel, Sting International, Irie, Craig G, LSONE, Spinna , The old Funk Master Flex , Backspin, Lennox, Mustafa & Crime, Bizmarkie, NVS Styles, Severe, Bobby Konders, Rob Dinero , Naturally, Spinbad , Walshy, D-Nice and all the DJs who are hungry, humble and wholeheartedly trying to make their mark in the industry…SALUTE!
And my 1st adult crush: Qool DJ Marv….the only DJ I followed from club to club to club to club. Mica Bar, Ludlow, Bar 6, Izzy, 2 I’s, U.B.I.Q.U.I.T.A, Guernica and etc… Thanks for making sure I NEVER got carded.
ONE.
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Certified Fine
By Judge Mental | July 13, 2009
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Please listen to my demo? No – Commercial
By Judge Mental | July 9, 2009
Please listen to my demo Commercial?
Every since the sound of music has been recorded and delivered through a tangible form (something you can put your hands on), there has been a constant evolution towards a smaller and less tangible medium. In 1900 the vinyl record was introduced and although it took 55 years for it to become the most popular consumer container of music, only 30 years later, cassettes where the most popular container of music (and along with cassettes came the home made demo). Within 10 years CDs made cassettes obsolete and within only 8 more, most music (and demos) were no longer delivered on anything tangible.
Selling CD or Giving Commercial?
Why did I give this brief history of music mediums? To show that with a trend like (55>30>10>8) it isn’t hard to see that if you are in the business of selling music on something tangible (vinyl, cassette, CD, etc) the end of your business is eminent. We are in the very last years of selling music stored on a hard piece of material and considering that record companies were based off of the idea of charging you for the part of the music that you put your hands on (vinyl, cassette, CD) their business model is shot too!
So where does this leave the music artist? Well if they have a true talent it leaves them in a very good position. It means that now they can (or have to) depend on their talent as a performer to make their money. The CD then, whether its and album or a single, becomes only a commercial that says “this is what we sound like, get to know us and come PAY to see us live!” I can hear someone writing the new “Death of…” song now. It’s called “The Death of the Recording Artist” No wonder why record companies want 360 deals. Because they know that trying to sell your CD is not profitable. They know that the CD is only a commercial to get consumers to pay to see you live.
Bottom line – if you are an artist and your mind is set on selling CDs, the game is over. Use your CD as your demo, commercial or business card and quit trying to sell it. I would address mp3s, but come on – how many mp3’s did YOU pay for this year? A good attorney friend of mine, DR. WILLIAM ASHBOURNE said “there are 33 ways to make money with your music.” If this is true, I hope that artists are scrambling to learn the other 32!
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Dirt Law Dirt from GyantUnplugged.com
By Judge Mental | May 5, 2009
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Dirt Law Dirt with Gyant From GyantScoop.com
By Judge Mental | April 11, 2009
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