Status: Single
City: Baltimore
State: Maryland
Country: US
Signup Date: 1/10/2006
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Monday, November 30, 2009
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Category: Blogging
" Dan [ Auerbach] was my only friend who gave a shit about any of that stuff," drummer Patrick Carney
said of his guitarist's shared appreciation for the New York rap group.
"And I was his only friend that gave a shit about that stuff as well.
We were neighbors, and we both played instruments, so that's kind of
how we started playing in the first place — our mutual appreciation for
that kind of stuff." GZA's second solo album, " Liquid Swords," (which features appearances by the entire Wu-Tang Clan) left a considerable impression on the pair as they recorded the Keys' debut, " The Big Come Up." The album's title is even lifted from a line on "Liquid Swords."
"When it came time for us to make a record together we were both 21
years old, we both dropped out of college and we were both listening to
'Liquid Swords' all day long," Carney said. "When we made our first
Black Keys record we turned it into the label and there were samples
all over the place, and all kinds of shit going on. The label was this
pompous, like garage-rock, label and the guy just didn't get it at all.
It's probably for the best because he made us take all this shit off.
We had nothing else going for us — two unemployed college dropouts in
Akron, Ohio, who had a record deal that we couldn't [afford to] fuck
up, so we had to take his advice.
"If you listen to the first record we left a couple things on there," he continued. "There's still ' The Breaks'
— it opens with a sample drum break and this weird vocal thing — and
every song has something like that going on. The very last song [" 240 Years Before Your Time"]
has this weird psychedelic beat with this weird vocal thing. I had this
digital recorder and I recorded this record, and when Dan and I
couldn't work together I spent time sampling shit." All this makes The Black Keys' latest project, Blakroc, a collaboration with Roc-a-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash and 11 hip-hop artists, seem like natural evolution. Couple it with last year's stellar " Danger Mouse-produced " Attack & Release" and this bluesy garage rock duo is more likely than ever to sound like psychedelic hip-hop beat makers.  "It
was something that Dan and I both talked about wanting to do for a
while," he said. "It's one of those things — I think there's probably a
lot of people who listen to hip-hop and want to make beats or
whatever." In mid-April, Dash reached out to Auerbach and Carney after hearing the band through his assistants.
"He was kind of interested in how we were able to make a living without selling millions of records," Carney said. "I think he was into our work ethic." The duo headed to Brooklyn for a studio session a few weeks later.
Dash supplied the emcees, who worked in the evening and the Keys made
beats during the day. Mos Def visited the studio the first night, returning the next day to cut two tracks — including one with Jim Jones. "At that point we were pretty confident that it would make sense —
that we'd be able to do it," Carney said."We were confident, I guess,
that we could make beats, but we weren't confident that anyone would
want to listen to them."
The Black Keys spent nine more days in the studio, and on Aug. 12 the record was done. " Blakroc" features appearances by Wu-Tang members RZA, Raekwon and Ol' Dirty Bastard (the latter by way of an unused Ludacris collaboration from O.D.B.'s last recording sessions). There are also guest spots from A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip, former Missy Elliot protege Nicole Wray, M.O.P.'s Billy Danze, Baltimore newcomer NOE and Pharoahe Monch.
The Keys' work is minimalistic: guitars, drums, bass and keyboards,
sampled and looped — a mix of gritty, jazzy and psychedelic beats that
occasionally sound like rock songs, but more often resemble those of
Wu-Tang Clan.
"I think the more we did it the better we got," Carney said. "The
first couple things we did we were doing more bass, drums and electric
guitar, and after five or six songs we decided to move from the guitar,
to starting with bass and drums — starting as simply as possible and
building up from there."
The Keys will ring in 2010 together, however, with shows in Chicago
on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The shows are a sign of things to come though —
after the "Blakroc" sessions wrapped, Auerbach and Carney went home, packed up a van and drove to Muscle Shoals, Ala.,
on Aug. 15. Ten days later, Black Keys record number six was done.
Auerbach and Carney produced it themselves, and it will be out in
April.
"Blakroc" debuts on Black Friday (Nov. 27), and Express asked Carney to take us behind the album, track by track.
"Coochie" (featuring Ludacris, Ol' Dirty Bastard)
Damon owns the last O.D.B. record that ever came out; O.D.B. made it
for Roc-a-fella. So that song we did the beat the third or fourth day
in the studio, and we ended up having this beat and we were playing it
for people and no one really wanted to touch it, so it was just a
leftover thing. And then Damon was mentioning that he had these O.D.B.
tracks and we should check them out and see what we could do with them.
So, we had a courier send over one a capella track from the set,
"Coochie." We listened to the a cappella thing and we were taping our
fingers and I realized — well, we all realized — the perfect
double-time of the beat to "Coochie," so we decided to sync it up. It
just layed on top of that track perfectly — all the changes and
everything.
[Ludacris] was already on the track; the original track was leaked
on the Internet like two years ago. So you can hear the original beat,
which was done by a producer named Damon Elliott. The original beat is so different — it's insane. "On the Vista" (featuring Mos Def)
That was one of the first songs we did, and at the time, we basically
played Mos like five or six songs we had and he was drawn to that one.
I think most of the beats when we were first starting all kind of fell
into that kind of [minimalistic and jazzy] category of beats. I played
the piano on that track and I cannot play the piano, but I can make
things sound like a Tangerine Dream sample sometimes — that's kind of what we were doing.
"Hard Times" (featuring NOE)
Dan had that song started; the hook we did when we were just doing the instrumental track. I think NOE
was just writing to the hook. As a guy from Baltimore and two dudes
from Akron, everything has to do with [the economy] right now.
"Dollaz & Sense" (featuring RZA, Pharoahe Monch)
The way it worked was when [RZA] showed up, Dan and I were blown away
because we've never met him. I've only ever met like four or five
musicians in my life that have blown my mind — he's one of them. We
were just like, whatever you want. He said he liked all the beats that
we had but wanted to do something from the ground up, and he said he
wanted to play electric guitar and Dan and I were like, "Absolutely —
whatever you want to do."
So, he picked up a guitar and I went to sit on the drums. I
basically learned how to play the drums listening to Wu-Tang records,
so I was really nervous trying to do something that would work. RZA got
on the talk-back mic and was like, "Do something like: one-two — I want
to do a stomp — one-two." He was constantly doing like: "Bong-bong, do
like the stomp, one-two, bong-bong." I knew exactly what he was talking
about. I'm not exactly sure how, but he gave the most weird, awesome,
nonsense instructions that made perfect sense, so then we just kind of
jammed together for five minutes. And we basically sampled that and
made loops out of it and the three of us just added shit to it. And RZA
had a mic set up in the control room and just flowed through it and
then we finished that.
"Why Can't I Forget Him" (featuring Nicole Wray)
I think Nicole Wray was in the studio for three or four days. She's on
like three or four songs, and I think Dan and I just wanted to do
something with just her because she has never had a song on a record
that was just her. Dan wrote all the lyrics for that.
"Stay Off the Fuckin' Flowers" (featuring Raekwon)
We did that around the same time we did the "On the Vista" track. It
was something sitting around that no one wanted to fuck with because
there was really no chorus, it was just this loose jam thing. That's
the one musician on the record I didn't get a chance to meet: Raekwon,
because he showed up at like 10 p.m. and I had to be somewhere — my
friend's band was playing in Brooklyn and I had to go because I put
their record out and I hadn't seen them in about a year — but Dan was
there and Dan said for him, that was the highlight of the record.
"Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" (featuring Mos Def, Jim Jones)
It's actually from the second day. The first day we just made beats and
Mos said he'd come back to the studio tomorrow because he liked it. If
that day didn't go well we probably wouldn't have finished the record.
"Hope You're Happy" (featuring Billy Danze of M.O.P., Q-Tip, Nicole Wray)
That's one of the first beats we did. I like the chorus on it; it was
something we were having trouble with the whole time because it sounded
so rock 'n' roll and we were trying to avoid it, but Q-Tip wanted to
use that beat. If he wanted to use it, we were gonna use it. It's the
most rock 'n' roll beat on the record, definitely.
"Tellin' Me Things" (featuring RZA)
[After recording "Dollaz & Sense" RZA] pulled out this weird
crystal out of his pocket. He was sitting right at the desk and I was
right behind him, and I don't think he could see me because I was right
behind his shoulder, and he slid this weird crystal out of his pocket
and I watched it change colors from yellow to green. And I was like,
"What the fuck is that? Is that some kind of mood crystal or
something?" And then he slid it back into his pocket and was like, "Yo,
you want to do another one?" We were like, "Yeah," and he was like,
"All right. Yeah, I think I'm all good for that." And that's when we
did "Telling Me Things."
And then he showed up the second day and we hung out and I don't
know for sure, I don't want to just assume shit, but I'm pretty sure
day one he was in Bobby Digital mode and then day two he was in
RZA mode. Day two he didn't want to record anything. He wanted to play
bass and jam with us, so we jammed together for like an hour-and-a-half
in the live room and that was the whole day. [Playing with him] was a
combination of nerve-racking and mind-blowing.
"What You Do to Me" (featuring Billy Danze, Jim Jones, Nicole Wray)
Dan wrote the hook. Dan wanted to do [a call-and-response thing]. At
first it was just Dan singing it and we had Nicole get on it because it
kind of mellowed it out a bit. Originally Bill D. wasn't on that track
and we made room for a second verse because I thought it was getting a
little too mellow, so we put Billy D. on it and it's fucking insane.
"Done Did It" (featuring Nicole Wray, NOE)
We sequenced [the record] out in about 20 minutes at a coffee shop.
That, "Done Did It," and "Hope You're Happy" are two of the most rock
'n' roll beats and also two of the earliest ones we did. It was kind of
like if you were to listen to this record in reverse order you'd
actually be listening to it in the order of recording.
It's also a testament to when you're sequencing the record, you're doing it in a fast fashion. Both the Drummer record and the Blakroc
record — I wouldn't say they were hastily made — they weren't like a
Black Keys record. We've been a band for eight years, at this point
were not just feeling each other out any more, we know exactly what's
going on. This project, even though it is Dan and I playing on it,
we're taking on a new perspective. It takes a little while to wrap your
head around it.
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Monday, May 11, 2009
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NOE Is Possibly One Of The Biggest Unsigned Acts Out There Right Now!  His Byrdgang are riding high with their debut LP and his links with Jim Jones are proving to pay dividends right now. Check out what he had to say about his background as well as his plans for the future and even about his ghost-writing when he recently spoke to Danielle.
For our readers who are not familiar with you already give us a little background info on yourself? My name is NOE. I have been in the rap game for about three years now. Much of my popularity and buzz comes from the underground and mix tape circuit. I am the lead member of the group Byrdgang, which was created by Sony recording artist Jim Jones. I was born and raised in Baltimore City. That’s my home and source of inspiration musically. I am featured on numerous major releases such as “MOB the Album (Byrdgang Asylum)”, “Harlem Diary of A Summer (Jim Jones / Koch)”,”Hustler’s P.O.M.E(Jim Jones / Koch) and “Prey IV Reign”(Jim Jones / Sony). There are more but for time’s sake, that’s the idea. Noe: You recently released “NOE torious Kid” what response have you been getting from that? It was one of the biggest mixtape releases of 2008. Its still getting downloaded. Lyrically, I bring it all to the table. It is what it is. I take on all comers. Whether be for the sake of the music or the streets. Its never mattered to me. “NOE torious KID ” dropped near the end of the year, which was a good time. And it just blew up overnight it seemed. I knew DJ Whoo Kid was major. But I think I didn’t have a keen enough sense on how major. The album was all over New York in a week. It gave me all the street credibility that I would need to take it to the next level. Shout outs to Whoo Kid and Nelson at G-UNIT on that.  Noe:
Your track Na Na Nana Na is currently #2 on Bets 106 & Park. That must be a huge accomplishment for you? In terms of having a shot at writing another single, yes. But its Jim’s record. So its a really really good look for him. My time is coming. I enjoy putting my creative writing into a project and seeing it come to life through another artist. Plus writing can be a very lucrative business. Either way I appreciate every time anything I’m a part of does well. Noe: You have written for Diddy in the past right, what song did you right and how did you get that gig? I wrote Diddy’s verse on “Showstopper” /Danity Kane. That opportunity came about when my business partner Nicole Chaplin played my music for Conrad Dimanche who at that time was Senior VP of A&R at Bad Boy. He said Bad Boy couldn’t sign me but that they were looking for writers for Diddy’s “Press Play” album. I didn’t take to the idea instantly, but after some thought, I knew I had to get in the game. As an artist - that should always be the focus. I stayed in the studio writing from 12 in the afternoon until 5 or 6 the next morning most times. So it was a challenge. But it was worth it. Noe: How did the Byrd Gang link come about? Noe: Nicole set up a meeting with Jim Jones. He took the meeting. We met him at his office at Warner about three years ago. The minute he put my CD in, we all could tell that he got it. He understood the vision. But he also knew it would be difficult to break an artist who sounded so similar to an already heavily established artist. Nonetheless he went into it heart first. In this business you can never say the wrong thing to the right person. He was the right person. I’ve been “Byrdgang” ever since. You have been interviewed by some of the big boys and girls in the industry, whats it like for you to be recognized by the heavy weights within radio and press? It has to be a good feeling right! I stay humble and grateful and enjoy all these beautiful blessings. I stay the same way through the adversities. It’s always a good feeling to be honoured for your talents and work ethic. Any artist should bow down when others take notice of what they are doing it. Even if you don’t like the feedback. Keep it moving. We are in a recession and I drive a new car. My children don’t live in the hood anymore. I own businesses. This is all because people take note. Noe: The KILLER question iswhy aint you signed to a major label mayne!!??Noe: Honestly. Its all political bull shit. I have to be one of the most almost-famous unsigned artist in the entire business right now. Its crazy. But its fun. But the bait has been tugged at. We got the big fishes biting now. Now the execs (Executives) are finally understanding my point of view. They are a little late, but then the big boys always are. Now I’m hot. And getting hotter. So my signature’s gonna cost. You wrote tracks for Jim Jones Pray IV Reign release, do you find it easier to write for others rather than yourself? Noe: Its always easier to write for myself. I don’t have to think about how I feel about a particular subject. I just feel it and then I write it. Writing for others can be challenging. You have to figure out a way to capture the essence of the artist and write the composition in such a way that the artist’s own style is not compromised. That’s a headache at times. Its almost like acting. You have to literally get in to character and become that person. Think like that person. Then spit it. Its all good because the publishing income takes care of that migraine. Easy. You literally wrote 90% of the Byrd Gang Album and it debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts, what went through your mind when you heard that? Thats a huge achievement for any artist but considering you are not signed to a major label that must make you stand even taller than the next man who is major?! The Byrdgang album was my heart. I took that project extremely serious. Maybe too serious. But I loved every record. It was life. The music moved. It didn’t stand still. The energy flowed throughout. It was a classic album. I have done and seen more than most artists have that have had major deals already. I am a firm believer in building your brand. If no one knows who you are and what you represent, then there is no demand. I’ve created a demand. Not only by putting out good music but by being consistent with the good music. I never ever stop. I record about five songs per week. Mixed and Mastered and ready to go. Noe: Whats going to be your next move musically? The next project is my single “Reaction” featuring Jim Jones and Jenny Red. We doing an album entitled “Basic Chemistry”. That’s the first single. Its going to change the way music is heard and formatted. Its groundbreaking. At least in my opinion. That’s where the focus is right now. You never know how I’m going to come at you with the music. But I go for the jugular every time. Noe: Any Shouts? Gotta send respect out to BACE Enterprise, Nicole Chaplin, TKM Management, Millz & Adrienne of Leverage Marketing, Akeem, Jimmy and the whole Byrdgang / Dipset / Skullgang squad and the whole city of Baltimore. Stand up. We in here! Byrdgang Babah!  Noe:
By: Danielle Fear
Interview for British Hip Hop courtesy of Underground Promotion UK. NOE The Name, NOE The Difference: http://www.myspace.com/noemoney 
   
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
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CLOUT EXCLUSIVE x NOE INTERVIEWSubmitted by LARRY FRESH on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 17:38.
 Shout out to NOE & his people at Carin Publicity for taking time to holla at us. I've been promoting this guy for a min now, check other blogs for songs and mixtapes...Larry Fresh: Explain to people who don't know you tell them who you are and what you do..... NOE: I'm NOE. Also known as the "Baltimore Bangah". I'm a hip hop lyricist and songwriter. I am a member of Byrdgang. Its a group whose members include myself, Jim Jones, super producer Chink Santana, Mel Matrix, Sandman and Freeky Zeeky. LF: How long you been rapping? NOE: I've been rhyming for about a decade now. When I was younger I used to rhyme against other MC’s in the streets for money. I was training. Of course I didn’t know it then, but that's what it was. I learned how to paint a picture using the English language. It became an obsession. LF: Was it hard getting a deal being from Baltimore? NOE: It was hard getting a deal period. I'm not really certain that being from Baltimore had anything to do with it. It’s hard to get a deal no matter where you're from. Technically speaking I still don't really have a traditional deal. I do records with Jim and the rest of the movement (DIPSET) because I'm loyal. I've been in the business now for four years and never signed a contract. I've been featured on some the biggest street anthems on the east coast not to mention the countless singles I've done with Jim that have received radio support and never sought a deal. That's what any artist would want but the deal has to make sense and for me. I won't ever sign if the numbers aren't right. I'd rather eat off of my publishing and show (performance) money, not to mention the street will always be good to me because I have been good to it. LF: What's the hip hop scene like in Baltimore? NOE: Its blowin’ up. There are a lot of artists that are beginning to make their mark. Si-Notes, Bossman, 100 Grand, Skar Akbar, D.O.G., Backland, Dave Da Barber, Labtekwon and a shit load of others. They’re doing their thing. I'm proud. LF: Most people only know Baltimore from what they seen on The Wire how legit was the show? And do you think that gave a shine to your city or made it something it isn't? NOE: The real Bmore is worst than "The Wire". Period. I won't say much more than that. But overall the show definitely put a bright spotlight on the city. It’s the home of one of the worst Heroin Holocausts to ever hit a city and destroy a people. Nobody really survived it. We all lost our lives to some degree. Now we're coming to get' em back. LF: What can we expect in 2009? NOE: I'm set to release my fourth street LP "Deal Or NOE Deal" on February 3rd of this year. Jim's (Jim Jones) LP "Pray IV Reign" drops soon and I'm all over that. That's gonna be a good look for me. I'm proud of that album. Jim is gonna win with that. We also have the Byrgdang Movie dropping mid-summer. That's gonna drive the hood bananas when they see it. So for now just be on the look out for the street heat that I'll keep servicing. Soon I'll be signing something worth some multi shit. Trust me. LF: Any other things your doing besides music? NOE: I've always had a fixation with cigars ever since I was a kid. I used to watch the old bosses around the city smoking them and comparing the different brands and leaves. When I was old enough I began to sample them. I loved it. It became my main method of relaxation and meditation. Through my travels I began networking with Cigar Aficionados. I eventually met a few well known Dominican cigar-rollers who taught me the art of rolling a fine cigar. I was taught about treating and aging the finest tobacco leaves in the world. So I decided to customize my own blends. Through trial and error I finally came up with a blend that is by far one of the best smokes ever by anyone’s standards. I call it the KINOPOLI. There are a lot of cats who smoke cigars but not many who know what they are actually smoking. VIDEO OF NOE SHOWING OFF HIS CIGARSTHE NOE KINOPOLI CIGARSLF: Any artist or producers you want to work with that you haven't got the chance to? NOE: Nah. I'll work with anybody who brings the heat. A $100,000 track can sound like straight ass and a $500 track can go platinum. It’s all about the sound. LF: Any shout outs or last words? NOE: First off thank you to my home, Baltimore. Shouts out to Jim Jones and the whole Byrdgang/Dipset. My companies BACE Enterprise and KINOPOLI Cigars. Much respect to my extraordinary business partner Nicole "Nicety" Chaplin. TKM Management, Parkside and my goons still holdin’ it down until we win. IT’S BYRDGANG BABAH!!! LF: Thanks for the time I will continue to support.  www.myspace.com/noemoneyNOE the name, NOE the difference
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Category: Music
NOE BOOKING INQUIRIES CONTACT - BOOKING@BACE-ENTERPRISE.COM
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Monday, June 23, 2008
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Jim Jones
Street Religion: Love Me No More Edition
  Harlem isn't known for gospel rap. In fact, if the topic of holy hip-hop comes up in those parts, the conversation will probably begin and end with rapper turnt pastor (turnt rapper, then pastor again) Ma$e. But ever since his 2004 solo debut, On My Way to Church, Jim Jones has been shrouding his spirituality in a deceptive, multilayered street swagger. First there was "Twin Towers," where he offered his prayers to 9/11 victims. Then there was the lyrical confession "My Diary," off of his sophomore effort, Harlem: Diary of a Summer. Lastly, there was the video for his 2006 single "Emotionless," which was shot in a Catholic church, leaving fans with visual evidence of Jimmy's everlasting faith.
Based on his highly publicized joint venture with Sony, Capo now has the opportunity to speak from a much larger pulpit. So, while prepping his first major-label solo release, the oft-outspoken MC teams with DJ Scoob Doo to give fans a unique brand of hood hymns on Street Religion: Love Me No More Edition.
Opening with the ghostly Chink Santana–produced "Streets Talkin' Funny," Jim delivers a cautionary sermon detailing the dangers of shining on New York's darkest blocks. His warnings hit home hardest on "Blasphemy," where Jones rides alongside his now-deceased protégé Stack Bundles, who was gunned down in June '07. In an ironic twist of fate, Jimmy reveals the going rate for a life in the inner city, spittin', "One phone call I can drop me like three niggas/Sandman said the price is runnin' like a G a nigga."
The Harlemite continues his crusade over the midtempo funk groove of "J.I.M.M.Y. Jones 2008" ("Relying on life's navigation/To guide me through a tight situation/Hope God let me reach my destination"). This theme continues on the standout "Jungle Street Religion," where Jim gathers Byrd Gang affiliates Mel Matrix and N.O.E. for a reworked version of the Pharcyde's 1992 classic "Passin' Me By."
Throughout the course of the 28-track disc, Jones calls in various backup to help carry the load. The bouncy "We Them Hustlers" starts off strong but begins to drag when lesser-known MCs Sandman and Riz grab the spotlight. To make matters worse, R&B crooner Rell's solo cut, "Street Religion Dreams," breaks up the tape's hard edge. But not all the features fail. Juelz Santana delivers superb performances on posse cuts like "Stack Paper" and "Byrd Gang/Skull Gang Blocks," proving that, even with their ongoing internal drama, The Dips still have synergy.
Despite the question marks surrounding Jim Jones and The Diplomats' unity, the rapper isn't necessarily trying to clear the air on Street Religion. There's no real mention of the controversial feud with Cam'ron (although Freaky Zeeky presents his side on "Big Brother") or his beef with Max B (sans a few scathing ad libs). Instead, Jones delivers a collection of self-righteous psalms aimed directly at his ghetto congregation. Unfortunately for Jim, the overextended track listing and plethora of guest rappers severely dilute his message and leave fans in limbo, as Jimmy never establishes a dominant presence of his own. Although he is most known for ballin', Mr. Jones's most potent messages are conceived on his way to church.—Rob Markman ..
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Monday, June 23, 2008
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written by Danica Dow
Saturday - June 21, 2008
Jim Jones is preparing to release a new album next month with the members of his ByrdGang crew. One of the members, NOE, has a voice that is strikingly similar to Jay-Z's. In this SOHH Exclusive Jim Jones and NOE discuss the Hov comparisons.
"The way they comparing him just ain't about his voice," said Jones. "They're saying they're comparing the content of his lyrics. That's a different comparison. That's a great thing."
But the Jay-Z comparisons were not always such a great thing for the 29 year-old rapper from Baltimore, MD. NOE recalls a time when A&Rs were reluctant to sign him because of his similarities to Hov.
"When I met Jim my self-esteem was damaged," he said. "I had A&R's throwing my CDs out of windows and sh*t like that."
After taking a meeting with Diplomat Records CEO Jim Jones, NOE's luck turned around. Jones, who describes NOE's lyrical skills as "dead nice," offered to sign the rapper.
"It wasn't a gimmick with him," said NOE. "I had skepticisms like damn, maybe he may be using me to get back at [Jay-Z]. None of that. He believed in me."
The Dipset Capo admits that he did get a certain pleasure out of signing a rapper who sounds so much like Jay-Z.
"I ain't gonna front," Jones said. "That tickled me too because I knew that would just irk a person like 'Oh God!' That gotta hurt."
"Now somebody else gotta worry about their guard. Not us, we ain't got nothing to lose and everything to gain," he continued. "I always tell [NOE] like, sh*t that's all money in the bank. Everybody sound like somebody in some way shape or form. It's just all about you take it. For us we gon' take it to the bank."
M.O.B. (Members of Byrd Gang) The Album which features Jim Jones, NOE, Chink Santana, Sandman, Oshy and Mel Matrix hits stores on July 1st.
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Monday, June 16, 2008
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Kiss My Ass: Jim Jones
 Familia. A group banded together by tradition, lineage, characteristics, occupation or origin. In the volatile and unpredictable path of life, sometimes all there really is at the end of the day is family. Entourages and crews appear and dismantle faster than wildfire, but only a strong unit can withstand the fickle and tumultuous road of this business called entertainment. Almost like the pages out of some epic storybook, five determined men united after battling injustice, poverty, incarceration, death and everything in between. As an ensemble, they again faced tragedy with the murder of one of their own, but just like a true squadron, this Dipset offspring triumphed over the insurmountable odds steadily stacked against them. Here to resurrect the raw, nitty gritty definition of hip-hop are the untouchables: Jim Jones, Chink Santana, Mel Matrix, NOE and Freekey Zekey. Welcome to the Byrd Gang.
HHNLive.com writer St. James sits down for an in-depth chat with Jim Jones about the Byrdgang movement, Diplomats, Dame Dash, NYPD, making millions, hustlin' in the music industry and much more.
Jim Jones on the NYC Hip-Hop scene: "when you press mute on the TV everybody looks like their from New York...we set the precedents for style, swag, sound, rap."
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St. James: Jim Jones, how you feeling?
Jim Jones: I'm feeling good, I can't complain. I'm back at it. I got some good music back out there. Dipset, Byrdgang, Skull gang, we going harder than ever. How you feeling fam?
SJ: I'm good fam, I appreciate you asking my dude. It's the 80s out here in Nap so I'm happy as hell!
JJ: I can dig it, I love summer time in NY. Matter of fact I'm about to go get me another drop top!
SJ: I just want you to give the people some brief background on the new Byrdgang Movement and what that's bringing to the hip hop game.
JJ: It's not necessarily a new movement; it's really an extension from the Diplomats. Diplomats is the umbrella and I'm blessed to have that, but Byrdgang is something that I've wanted to do for a long time. It's my own ideas, my own ambition, you know Diplomats we had partners so you had to come together to make decisions. And the group of gentleman and females that I'm working with are so talented but they come from crazy walks of life. Like it motivates me to see people that have had a hard life and I'm able to help them better their life and the music. Plus the music is crazy. The music is so crazy that people are not even going to believe it. A lot of times with artists, they have great music and you never hear it due to their promotions or the label, or them not working as hard as they need to. What we on and why I'm with you now, is that I'm trying to go so hard so that everybody hears the music. That's what's going to sell the ticket. Me introducing these 5 gentleman to the world.
SJ: So who are you bringing to the table and tell us a little bit about each.
Mel Matrix: Melly Matrix we call him "murder". That's my young G, and for the last 10 years I didn't know he could rap up until about 2 years ago. We was on the bus and he started freestyling and I don't know if he had been doing it for fun because he been around us for so long, but whatever it was, it was too perfect. He's from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. All these cats are ex felons and things like that with the law but he's trying to change his life and Melly is a monster. He is part of a group called "Top Gun". In the mold of aaaaaaaaa…..Mobb Deep…..LOL nah let me stop. He's killing the game. I tried to fill different lanes to capitalize on different parts of the game and Top Gun and the group he has with Hell Rell and Sandman Harpo boys, I think they are going to fill that void.
Sandman: He's from Brooklyn, Crown Heights, another deadly individual on them lyrics. These guys are all monsters and the thing that surprises me is the music. We've been doing the M.O.B. mixtapes for awhile so the street already know what they are about but I'm trying to get more people to latch on to the music.
NOE: He's from Baltimore and he's probably one of the more talented individuals I've met in my life when it comes to music. He doesn't just write raps, when it comes to rapping he can rap circles around anybody, I'll put my money on him. But I seen him sit there and write R&B songs for an artist, or go in the booth and reference the song as far as singing it. You go in the studio and it's hard to believe that they are studio rats now. We all used to hug the block. The block was everything to us. Now we hug the studio. Just to see people with that discipline, and know that it's not necessarily coming right now and the fast money slows up while you are working. But they realize that once it pops off it gets faster than drug money. So just to see them disciplined and fall back and work in the studio because they know it's gon come is fulfilling.
Chink Santana: Chink is from D.C. You might know Chink, he used to do all the hot beats for Murder Inc, he's got Grammys. The Ashanti joints whatever, so you've probably never seen his face, but you know him as far as creativity and what he does. First of all, he can play EVERY instrument. Period. Like I've seen him go in and play bongos and then turn around and start playing the guitar. He's that type of dude, he can go in and sing, rap whatever. So it's a group of multi talented individuals and I love to be a part of that and watch them grow. For me, I'd like to make people more richer than I'll ever be so that if I ever go broke I can ask for a helluva loan you smell me!!??
Jin: She's my pop artist. Pretty girl, her voice is outstanding and she has a song called "Louie Louie" that is semi sickening. I'm trying to plug all lanes and have R&B artists. She's on the first two singles I have going on. She puts you in the mind of a Jodeci. It's kind of scary. Everybody is mixed in on the music and the whole project. The whole vibe is lovely and the music is real soulful. It's instrumental to everyday living as far as being in the urban community and your back is against the wall and they ain't giving us any jobs so all we have to do is hustle hard. Hustle hard for that piece of mind and the finer things. You know what I'm talking about.
SJ: What's the difference in the space you've been in as far as the Diplomats to now Jim Jones the businessman again and running a label?
JJ: Well a lot of people are talented at the music and what they do. I'm talented at hustle. That is my talent. All of this that I'm doing is hustling this for this one brand. It used to be cocaine, now it's music. Or now it's just business. I been a businessman I was just in the streets. Now it's just a legal way for me to make money and I'm learning so much as far as this music industry in concerned. I couldn't wait to be in this position. To push buttons and sign artists and watch them flourish, and keep my bank account bigger. But it's all relative to business man. They tell you its 90% business and 10% talent, but you still need to have that 10% talent to get the 90% business. Did you catch that?
SJ: You already know! You've been rollin' with Dame. He's co signed your new album. Has he helped you or taught you things to help this movement along?
JJ: A lot of people don't know that I've known Dame since I was like 6. Like we grew up in the same building. But you know as you get older and become a man you take your own paths. Dame was always the man and a mentor even when we were young. He was flashy he was always getting money. What he did in this rap game is what I always remember him doing. Now that I'm more calm and everything is non emotional, like he told me I was too emotional, now I'm able to have him work with me, or show me different things. They claim the game is to be sold not to be told but in the case with Dame he's telling me everything. They've made history over and over again. Dame is the man. That's Flash Gordon. He been flashing on cats. You can't take nothing away from him at all. He's made two of the biggest artists ever. I mean he brought out Kanye. He brought out Jay Z. Diplomats. He did Cam'ron. He's got historical shit. And he sold. See when you talk about business, I don't know how many record labels or conglomerates that have actually sold. I don't know how many Roc-a-fellas or Ruff Ryders have actually sold. But he was actually able to sell the name brand. Roc-a-fella sold for a lot of money and that is what you are in the game for. We are not trying to run a label forever, you are trying to sell. Just like all these other businesses, you get your equity up and go in. People get caught up in being famous and all of that but when they buzz dies down they can't sell shit.
SJ: Is that what the Byrdgang/Jim Jones Brand is about?
JJ: That's why you see me working on so many labels and things working for me. That's why I got Asylum working for me. That's why I got Koch working for me, Columbia working for me. I have 3 labels working for me at once. I am working with all these labels to push MY brand. That's UN heard of. That's just a front they can't stop because I have 3 different record companies working for me.
SJ: Tell me about the project coming with Byrdgang. Any features, hot producers??
JJ: Well like I said, we've put out the M.O.B the mixtapes. And now finally comes the album. We finally got a chance to put the content we wanted out on an album so if you've heard the mixtapes you know what the album is gon be. To the third power. And our goals is to move units. Like everybody is a facade nowadays. People doing the music and setting a little bit of the wrong example because you niggas not getting money like that and living a facade that you turning on to people and then the people start acting like they getting money and they ain't getting shit either. Some of us are really balling and we can do things, but let's get back to getting that money. When I was coming up, I used to listen to the music when I was trying to get money, or going to do dirt. The music was everything. I'm trying to give that back and dictate so my niggas can really get some money.
SJ: So is that your motivation in this business to get cats back to that point?
JJ: That's exactly what I'm after. Like most of these cats in the rap game, they've only been around since 2003. I'm one of the few people that been here since like 96'. I've been in the game, and seen it really change a lot. So a lot of people don't know where it came from or where it started. Like shit, this rap was everything for us. This is what makes our world go 'round. And we get caught up in the bullshit and it's making me upset. I'm trying to get back to that space where niggas was really having money, niggas was having fun, niggas coming out with fly cars...whatever. But we are to the point where we are lying right now and if we lying then we need to not be doing that. If you on your grind then you need to be doing that. If you on your music then you need to be doing that. These niggas is talking about they got a yacht worth $40 million and a chain bigger than my head. And these types of shit these niggas is walking around with is blowing me. Like you haven't even made a gold record yet but you can buy a million dollar chain? Kiss my ass man.
SJ: How do you feel about the NYC hip hop scene right now? Do you see NYC regaining any of the lost ground in hip hop over the last decade?
JJ: I'll put it like this. You still have to go to Hollywood to make movies. You want to get a record deal. Come to NY. It's just like life, everything moves in a circle and 360. We've seen it go from the West coast, Midwest, to the South. And when you press mute on the TV everybody looks like their from New York. Not to take a shot at anybody but we set the precedents for style, swag, sound, rap. They making good music why not? For the most part, the people to sell 8 million are from New York. The 50 Cents, The Jay zs, The Ruff Ryders, like every huge cat from New York takes the precedent for the whole game. It's what we do. And the new one is me. I'm bout to go crazy on everybody in this game. Because I'm sick of it. We bringing it all the way back home because it never left. Just like New York hustlas, we always went out of town to get money.
SJ: I'm from VA, so I know what you talking about! LOL.
JJ: I used to dribble down in VA. OWWWWWW!!! Come through down Petersburg, Richmond. Selling them teenagers and all that! OWWWWWWW!! LOL.
SJ: How is everything with you and the Dips and everybody? You know Cam, 40, Juelz, how is your relationship with them since everybody is kind of branching into their own movements?
JJ: It's good to have everybody in they own movement. First thing we want everybody to be able to get money on they own. We want everybody able to branch out and make the movement bigger. We don't want no one boss, I want everybody to be a boss. And then we all bosses!
SJ: With your situation occurring at Summer Jam with the entourage and the Sean Bell verdict how do you feel about NYC and the police because everyone is looking at you all like "what are you going to do"? We can possibly riot.
JJ: Everybody is talking about we need to protest, etc. and yeah we need to do everything we can do. But we also have to be smart. This is 2008 not the times of Martin and Malcolm and they did their thing. They are not letting us do that type of shit anymore. We have to be smart about the tools that we use to make this bullshit better. Like the Sean Bell incident happens everyday. As you know, I just got into it with the police and had an incident where they pulled a gun out on me for NO reason. Undercover. And I didn't know who the fuck they were and they didn't come out with any badges until after they had sprayed mase, then they want to say they are police. Shit is crazy. It's tough out here. And they still out here profiling and they rap police out here. We don't get any respect out here. The more we get money, the more they want to take us down and it's terrible. And for the ones that don't got no money they are done from the get go. Cats with felonies and shit. The situation gets way too deep and it's been going on forever. And we ain't getting a break no time fucking soon.
SJ: So the HOT 97 Summer Jam incident was a reflection of that?
JJ: The police get scared, they get nervous. They don't follow protocol. I don't even want to even get into all of that because it's bug man. I'm not going to say all police are bad but there are police that really give them all a bad rap when it comes to us and shit. I feel like it's no justice, it's no fucking peace. So fuck them.
SJ: Who do you admire if anybody in the game?
JJ: Who do I admire in the rap game?
SJ: Yeah, if anybody! If you don't, you don't have to say anyone. It can be Russell Simmons, whoever.
JJ: I admire niggas like Dame. I admire niggas like Puffy. Any nigga that's making a whole shit load of money off this rap game. Because we started this from nothing and that's what I'm trying to do and shit like that. But there's not too many more people that got more money than me. The 50 Cents, the Jays and people like that. But they have everything I'm trying to get and to where I'm going. Let me fix that!
SJ: Tell the people something they don't know about Jim Jones.
JJ: I like Icee's in the summer time! I'm eating one now!! LOL
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Monday, June 16, 2008
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The Byrd Gang Crew Heat Up New York,
Jun 11, 2008 - By Mikey Fresh & Erica Lamar New York -- Forget ballin', Jim Jones is on pace to own the league. The Harlem-bred Capo is fresh off a surprise performance at this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam show and his latest single, " Good Sh*t," has summer anthem written all over it. To kick off the summer season, the self-made, working class super-hero recently gathered many of New York's elite tastemakers to dissect his group's latest endeavor– Byrd Gang's debut album, M.O.B.
Jim Jones (center) alongside Dame Dash (right)On what was, according to Jones, "officially the hottest day in the universe," Byrdgang members NOE, Mel Matrix, Sandman, and Chink Santana ignored the 95-degree weather and sweltering humidity to make their collective introduction to the world. A supportive Dame Dash also joined Jones in ceremoniously uniting the Byrd Gang's new and familiar faces. Despite all of regional sectarianism currently dividing hip-hop, all the Gang's members repped their cities and their set with complete unity, showing just how Diplomatic they truly are. Broken up and then all rolled up together, much like the constant "homemade cigars" Jones smokes, the Byrd Gang's material showed a varying state of emotion and the struggles of inner-city life. On " Only 17," featuring Jones, Mel Matrix, and deceased member Stack Bundles (RIP), the crew trade verses about the difficulties of surviving as a teenager when faced with extreme adversity, a far less-macho approach than most listeners are accustomed to hearing. While its conscious message is a nice change of pace, the album consists mostly of melodic anthems, ride friendly joints and flashy street staples like " Byrd Gang Money" and " Bury Me In My Gucci's." The crew's current wavy gem of a single, " Splash," finds Jones taking the lead as the track begins, with a common braggadocio/super thug message throughout. The Harlem native's swagger and overall attitude, though, is what clearly separates him from the ringtone rap dudes currently banking off the industry. With the bulk of the album's production handled by former Murder Inc. beatsmith, Chink Santana, the instrumentals carry a vibe that bring together the group's ability to sound like a single unit. "Its gonna be real street, but we have something for the ladies, too," Santana told DJBooth.net. "But not for your average chicks, for those who are ready to ride for theirs." Though the album's strongest tracks feature their ringleader Jones, the newcomers all posses unique personalities and contrasting rhymes styles. Avoiding the common flaw of most group albums, it's clear that this strong-armed steady batch of emcees is serious about their craft. M.O.B. is set to hit stores this summer.
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
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Category: Music
http://www.swaggnews.com/
NOE : You can sit there and criticize. You can call him a fake or a wannabe. You can say he'll never make it because he sounds too similar to Jay-Z. But the truth is, you'd just be a fool......
 
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Exclusive Interview With NOE
PUBLISHED JANUARY 15 2008
You can sit there and criticize. You can call him a fake or a wannabe. You can say he'll never make it because he sounds too similar to Jay-Z. But the truth is, you'd just be a fool.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, NOE is an upcoming artist who is already making a lot of noise in the music industry. If you're just hearing about him now, you're kind of late but its okay. Check out the interview and listen to his music at www.myspace.com/noemoney. NOE's lyrical flow and wordplay is phenomenal. His writing abilities are exceptional. His passion is undeniable. He's business savvy and articulate. These traits will not only help him conquer the music industry but more importantly, last. He's definitely the breath of fresh air we've all been waiting for and he's just getting started!
Sara: You grew up in Baltimore. Tell me what it was like.
NOE: Drug infested and a lot of crime. Growing up we didn't know how dilapidated it was. We were sleeping on mattresses. We were playing in the middle of the streets. Once we got into our teenage years, we started to understand where we were really in. Things got a little more diesel once we became teenagers. Baltimore is a real drug infested city. If you can grow up and not get touched by that, then you're good. A lot of us came out sort of tainted by the drug game. I'm just glad I made it out.
Sara: Why did you start rapping and how old were you?
NOE: I started writing officially I think at twelve. I started with short stories and poems because I read a lot. Growing up, my mother had me reading a lot. By the time hip hop took its hold on me, I think I was about 14 or 15. I just started to say some of my poems to instrumentals and it just became a marriage. Actually, I realized what I was doing was hip hop once I put it to the beats. I just kept going. I tried to perfect my skills and I just got better and better and better.
Sara: There's been a lot of comparing you to Jay-Z. I read somewhere that a lot of key labels were shutting you down because of the comparison. Nobody wanted to take the risk with you and they were scared. I mean the similarities are there but you can definitely hold your own. The problem I see is that without an opportunity your skills can't really shine. So how did you feel when everyone was turning their backs on you and you knewyou had the talent but nobody was giving you that chance?
NOE: Um…well, I would be dishonest if I said it wasn't frustrating. I had to mature to a level where I had to understand that even though I was facing the challenges that I was facing, I wasn't the only artist out here that was sort of going through it. I feel a lot of artists are getting shut down by a lot of labels and it isn't because they are being compared to Jay-Z. I just realized that if it wasn't the comparison to Hov then it was going to be something else. I just decided I was going to choke it up because I was going to eventually sign where I belong. I'm gonna get my shot when its time to get my shot! In the beginning, I was taking it personal. A couple A&R's got snatched up. It got real personal for me because A&R's sometimes belittle people, belittle artists and they try to snatch away your validation. I'm the type of cat where if I come to a business meeting I'm coming with the most honourable respect and that's just the way it is. When you sit behind your desk and you begin to disrespect a person's whole existence and what they stand for, sometimes you just got to expect to get snatched across the desk. I've matured now so I understand the business a lot more and because I understand the business rule 1 is never take it personal.
Sara: When you were banging on those doors and they weren't letting you in, did you ever feel like giving up?
NOE: Oh yeah…oh yeah. Sometimes I think about giving up once a week. Keepin' it real! Even when things get better you know what, there's a balance. You might have to deal with something that might pop off in the studio or money might not be coming fast enough. This money is different from street money. It comes at a much slower rate. There are times when I just feel like saying you know what, fuck it I'm doing something else. There are times when I deal with harsh criticism and I'm like, let me fall back before I hurt somebody. There are times you just got to be fair to that side too. You can feel like giving up but as long as you don't give up, that's the most important thing. You got to fight through those times when you feel like that. That's what I do.
Sara: You're already making a lot of noise and you just recently hooked up with the Dipset/ Byrd Gang Family. Tell me how that happened with Jim Jones.
NOE: I met Jim through Nicety Chaplin my business partner. She had a working relationship with him already. She used to deal with him at Roc-A–Fella when Cam was signed to Roc-A-Fella. She was working with Dame. About 2-3 years later when Dame and Jay went their separate ways, Jim had an A&R gig over at Warner and so she took me over there. We went label after label and nobody was biting. By the time we got to Jim she was sort of frustrated. She's a passive young lady. She's not too overly aggressive but the industry sort of turned her into an animal. Once she got to Jim she just walked into the office. It wasn't really a presentation. She just threw the cd on the desk and said are you scared to sign this nigga or not. Listen to him and if you're scared, say you're scared and let me go about my business. That's basically how it went down. Capo is the type of dude you know, it caught him off guard. He was like, let me listen to it. He was like, I ain't scared of shit and I'ma do what I'ma do. So he listened to the music for like an hour, every song. He didn't fast forward through nothing. In fact, we had snippets on the cd and he got mad at it because it was snippets. He wanted the whole song. He opened up his office door and played it for everybody on the floor. He just cranked it and then he was like yo, come to Harlem. I went to Harlem that night and we worked out all the legalities of the situation I wanted to come into and within 24 hrs I was Byrd Gang.
Sara: When did you finally say to yourself "you know what, I made it"?
NOE: I'm going to be honest, it happened a month ago. I mean I wrote for Diddy and that was big, don't get me wrong. Being on Jim's project that's big but it didn't hit me until I went to LA about 4 months ago. Jim had to do a session with Game. Game was working on his new album. Jim threw on a song him and I did together and Game heard me for the first time. Game was like, I gotta put this nigga on my album we gotta stop what we're doing right now. Right then and there, Game started playing me tracks and he was like whatever track you want to jump on hop on it. In an hour, I hopped on a joint and its going to be on his LP. Right there, that's when I knew I made it. You feel me? I had another established rapper besides Jim that solidified the fact that yo I'm coming for my spot and despite what the critics have said this is what it's going to be.
Sara: Having integrity, humility and respect is very important to you. Being an honourable guy is key. Is that something you learnt while being in this industry and seeing how people act around you?
NOE: In order to learn traits like that you got to be used to being betrayed. That's how you learn it. You learn it when it is consistently done to you. It's the same way if a woman is in an abusive relationship and her man is beating the shit out of her. Once she gets out of that relationship how much more can she appreciate the value of what love should really feel and how important it is to respect yourself. Those things are going to hold more value to her as opposed to someone who hasn't experienced it. Me, I've had my share of betrayal and backbiting on the streets. I've had best friends, cats I grew up with do things to me that I couldn't believe. I had to see it to believe it. Dudes snitching. You make packs on the street of brotherhood and then you just get betrayed all for the sake of a dollar. It happens in the business too. I learnt early on how important honour and integrity were. Those values are hard to hold on to especially in a climate where you do you and I do me. It was very hard to hold on to but in the long run they build character and in the long run you reap the awards of standing true to your honour and who you are and what you represent.
Sara: I'm a BIG believer in practice makes perfect. Treach from Naughty by Nature gave you the advice to write everyday. Do you still continue to do that?
NOE: Everyday for the last 15, 16 years now. I write every single day. Not a day that goes by that I don't write. I can't remember a day that went by that I didn't write something. It just doesn't happen.
Sara: Now in terms of what you are writing about…In a recent interview I was watching with Barrack Obama, he discussed hip hop. He said basically, that hip hop today works the same way a rear view mirror works in a car. Basically working ONLY as a reflection of the life the rapper used to live or is still living. It's missing the headlights. Rappers today are not speaking in terms of change and hope for the future. He said balance between both is necessary so that the youth today can work towards a better future but still understand what's going on today. Do you agree or disagree with him?
NOE: I agree. I agree from the standpoint that hip hop can be more retrospective if anything as opposed to looking forward. A lot of cats don't spit about the future and I agree with that. Do I think it's a bad thing? Not necessarily. I don't think it's a bad or good thing. I think with hip hop we still don't sometimes accept the fact that it is just entertainment. That's unfortunate because any other musical genre is not placed in such a political frying pan the way hip hop is. I think that's not fair. I can listen to a song by Maroon 5 or Gwen Stefani and it's never a question of whether she's talking about something she did in the past or is she looking forward into the future. I think hip hop comes under the gun because the lyrics are surrounded by so much violence and degradation of women. I think that's why hip hop constantly comes under the gun. I do think we need a balancing act in terms of that. I think if you are going to go street with it then at least the other half of the album can look more into the future in terms of telling cats how to get out of the gutter. That's why if you listen to my songs, a lot of my material surrounds what I did and what it made me. Are you going to let the streets make you? I try to do it in such a way where I'm not preaching. I don't want to come off as preaching. I do agree with him but I disagree too. I feel him but there's another side to it too. It's a whole lot of ways this thing can be attacked but at the end of the day, its entertainment and a lot of these cats have changed their lives and the lives of the people around them from this music. Hip hop has supplied a lot of jobs for black folks. I think soon you'll see a change but the political climate has to change. Hip hop has always been a direct reflection of what's going on politically. It's always been that way.
Sara: Are you hoping to be that voice of balance?
NOE: I can't really answer that. I just want to be heard. I don't know if I want to be that voice. I just want to be heard. I think I can answer the question that way. I just want to be heard and at the end of the day, as long as I can be heard then I've accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. I just want people to hear me.
Sara: Now I get the feeling that you're not in a rush to deliver an album. You've been on several mixtapes but you haven't dropped a solo album yet. Is it because you don't believe in second chances in this industry?
NOE: Oh of course not. I don't believe in second chances. It happens but not too many times. At the end of the day, I want to sell records. I don't want to come out just to say I had a record out. There are a lot of cats just sitting on that shelf right now in Best Buy and its like, damn whatever happened to him!!! I don't want to be that whatever happened to him. You feel me? Don't put me in that box. I want to take my time right now. I'm learning the business and working with a lot of artists right now. I have mentors like Capo and Dame Dash. I have mentors that I can listen to. I got Puff. A lot of these dudes know the business, they know the industry and I'm learning a lot about how the machine works. That way, when I put a project out I know what to expect and what not to expect. I'm just enjoying it right now. The interviews, people interested in what I have to say, they love the music. I love that! I'm not poor. It's not like I'm eating noodles everyday but I'm not eating steak everyday either. I'm not in a rush to get a big advance and then no album comes out. That's not what I'm about.
Sara: This might be a silly question but do you think the t.v. show "The Wire" is a proper representation of Baltimore?
NOE: Yeah it is but the thing about "The Wire" is that it's like 10 years behind. What the public sees is what it was ten years ago. In fact about 7 years ago. Now they're shipping out the inner city people to the county and bringing all the suburban people into the city. All of that is going on right now! In "The Wire" it's just starting but that plan has pretty much been in affect now for the last 10 years. The violence is still prominent. The drugs are still infested. Now they're just taking it out of the city and moving it to the county. It's still Bmore City. It's unfortunate. Until the government says enough is enough, they'll keep doing what they do!
Sara: What can we expect from you in the future?
NOE: Um…I guess pretty much what you're getting now. I'm trying to shoot straight from the hip. I'm trying to give you the music without watering it down. I'm trying to put underlying messages in the music and that is to take care of self first. You got to take care of your integrity first. You got to stop asking people for something you aren't willing to give. You got to build character to make yourself and your living conditions a lot better. Use the circumstances that we were born under to our advantage. I'm trying to show cats how to do that. I've been consistently doing that on an underground level for the last 5 or 6 years. This is pretty much who I am. They can just expect NOE to keep being the same. There's no need to change now. There's no need to get brand new now. This is it! Expect me to come lyrical. Expect me to be prolific. Expect me to be one of the dopest songwriters because that's my goal. That's what I want them to expect.
Sara: Any last minute words to leave for your fans?
NOE: Hip hop is not dead. Loud and clear. I don't think enough people are saying it. Hip hop is here to stay. I think until we take full responsibility of the music that we make and the way we choose to express ourselves on the record and the 4 minutes we get on the radio station, if we don't start using it with more creativity and little more purpose then its going to transform into another form of music. I just want people to know wherever I'm at, hip hop is alive. So if I walk into a room, hip hop is still breathing with all the energy. It's still vibrant. Look out for the music. Just keep looking for something better. Don't be satisfied with the bullshit. Keep on wanting something better. We'll be alright.
QUICK FACTS:
Sara: Embarrassing moment?
NOE: Booed in Baltimore while performing.
Sara: Favourite junk food?
NOE: Bran Crackers
Sara: One person you haven't worked with yet that you want to work with?
NOE: 50 Cent
Sara: Do you consider yourself more of a writer or rapper?
NOE: Definitely more of a writer
Sara: One thing you completely regret doing?
NOE: Having kids before I was financially able to fully provide for them.
Sara: If you could make one wish come true what would it be?
NOE: I would put A Tribe Called Quest back together
Sara: If you could say "thank you" to one person who would that be?
NOE: Definitely Diddy.
Sara: Baltimore or New York? Which one is better for you?
NOE: Baltimore
Sara: Given the opportunity, would you ever collaborate on a track with JAY-Z?
NOE: Yes. I'd be a fool not too.
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Friday, January 11, 2008
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| He can do NOE wrong!!! |
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"Im like coffee cause I did good off my last drop"
he he! I really liked that line.....
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Aiiiiight.......so yall know I am putting together a mixtape. I am sooooo excited!!!! I'm gonna offer you a ONE STOP SHOP FOR REAL!!!!
* One person in particular who not only stood out because of the prompt response I received when I requested material, but also because I really was feelin the music. Al of govt names wrote about him a few months back, but I am just now taking the time to really smell the roses. NOE is the name....
Some of you may also know him as NOE MONEY
Now let me get this out the way......
YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!!
If you were to close you eyes and just listen....you would swear he sounds like Jigga. I mean......SERIOUSLY.....its uncanny!!! There really is no getting around that so......
*
all that aside.....
* I pray that folk give him a chance. I can't really give a full review because I've only heard a few of his songs. But of what I have heard...... Dude can really spit. He is on that " yeah I'm cocky, but don't knock me" ish. I love it. We got a hell a lot of "crack slingers" and "pack movers" round here.... that catch hacks ....& people thinking its slick to talk about how dusty their azz is..... is gettin a little played out. We need more artists from Bmore that have a lil "slickness" about them. Erebody ain't poor and poverty is an un desireable condition everywhere, but Baltimore, apparently ... LOL! I like my men "CLEAN" aka no one that brags about wearing the same clothes for 3 days straight. A guy will tell you in a second that a female emcee, " needs to have lil boys at home with greasy palms in order to be successful"...well I want to counter that!!!!......guys need to know that we like a lil eye candy too. We like to do a lil fantasizing from time to time too!!! LOL! I love the guys who from the time they enter the venue ..til the time they leave the venue...you are clocking their moves because they have an aura about them that demands attention. He and D.O.G. are two artists that give me that kinda of feeling.
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I currently have his song, "Murda Murda Money", playi  ng in my MYSPACE player. The feedback has been really good. This is some mixtape ish fo sho! I believe that he is rockin ova a Jigga beat. Yeah Yeah Yeah...go awn and ask.....why??? I think he knows that ...it is what it is...so why fake like erebody ain't gonna already say he tryna sound or be like Jay. I would imagine that its a gift and a curse to sound like someon that is so beloved. But if you think about it Jay Z didn't always sound the way he sounds now. sooooo, I guess we would have to listen to old NOE to truly NOE the difference...LOL! Maybe.....just maybe that is the way his voice sounds. If we can just get past the comparisons...maybe folk will find that he really puts some effort into his bars. This track was a great introduction ....his flow fit the track perfectly. The violins in the back were constantly revving me up! I was totally into it. .......& anybody that knows me....knows...I am NOT into mixtapes like that. I am a HUGE supporter of original concepts. *
I mentioned to NOE that he needs to start coming out to events and things more. He doens't live in Bmore at this time, but he has assured me that he will become more visible. I told him that as a whole the scene is becoming much more reponsive to local talent. Not that he has to be here per se...cause if you check his page or google him...you will find that he truly does rep Bmore all day long!!! I just had to add this.... he has impeccable manners!!! OMG! this guy can really do NOE wrong in my book LOL! Oh yeah....& did I mention that he is signed to the Dipset????
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Message from NOE:
"THE STREETS AIN'T A 'PLACE' NO MORE. CUZ NOW THEY SELL IT AS A MINDFRAME. THOSE THAT HAVE LIVED AND SURVIVED ARE A DYING BREED. THERE IS NOTHING GLAMOROUS ABOUT STRUGGLE AND GUNS. TRUTH NEVER HAS TO BE SOLD MY NIGGAS. WE ARE GOOD BOYZ WHO LEARNED TO RIP CHARGE PAPERS INTO LOTTO TICKETS....."--NOE, HUSH MAGAZINE
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STAY UP MY NIGGA MY PULSE IS YOUR PULSE!!!!!!!!
NOE-DIPSET/BYRDGANG!!
*
A few folks hit me up wondering how they can get some of his music. I am going to find out what he has coming out in the near future, but in the meantime..... NOE has music on his MYSPACE page as well as a mixtape for sale on ebay called the "Brix Tape". Also, DJ J-Spin (Patapsco Flea Market - Sat. & Sun) has a few CDS of some of his older material at his stand. Speaking of J Spin, definitely stop in and let him know that you are interested in some Balimore Hip Hop. knowing J...they way I know him...him not selling a wide selection of local music has more to do with people not asking for it than him not being down for the cause!!! *
Also in my player ......
Silo - Betty Boo Getto (FIYAH!!!!)
The Boy Blesst ("We ridin 2 miles an hours...& erebody" ...for those that be on that lean)
E the Poet Emcee ("Life's Story"....he is spittin that real ish!)
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| posted by C Love "The Rap Addict" | ..>
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