So its my Birthday in a few weeks and I don't say that to remind those of you who don't already know... ;-) don't mistake this for an attention seeking ploy, rather a nostalgic and hopefully rewarding blog/note thingamajig...

Remember when you were in school and it was your Birthday and you'd bring in sweets for everyone? Some kids would bring in those mini Snickers or Mars bars , others would bring in Quality Streets or Roses but my favourite sweets during "School Birthday Time" were those sugar/sherbet/artificial colours and flavour filled tuck shop ones!

Well take this as my 2008 version of handing sweets out on my Birthday..

As many of you have asked and have heard from me, we have been working on a Raxstar mixtape for a long time, unfortunately I can't give anyone a release date that can stick because it is constantly being pushed back for various reasons.

Therefore I have put together a collection of tracks Sunit & myself have worked on over the past year or so and called it "LOST ONES" and I am freely distributing to anyone who wants it. Some of these songs have been up on Myspace over the past year, some of them were never going to see the light of day and a few of them havent been heard or released at all.

This is mostly for those of you who have stuck by me and are truly supporting my music, I just want to say thank you for having patience with me and if it was up to me I would have released a lot more material by now and hopefully there will be a lot more released real soon.

So at the bottom of this note you can find the download links for Raxstar - Lost Ones.

Feel free to bootleg it, upload it to Limewire, send it to your cousins in India and spread it out as far as wide as you can...

The tracklist is as follows:

01 - Raxstar - Lost One
02 - Raxstar - U Don't Love Me
03 - Raxstar - Too Strong
04 - Raxstar - True Story
05 - Raxstar - Sirens (Remix)
06 - Raxstar - You & Me
07 - Raxstar - Creep Fast Freestyle
08 - Raxstar & RKZ - UMC
09 - Raxstar & RKZ - Everybody Nose
10 - Raxstar - Unexplainable
11 - Ciara ft Raxstar - Promise (Sunit Remix)

Hopefully those of you who have some of these songs will be happy with the newer unreleased tracks included and those who don't know anything about me can get to know me and my music a little better...

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zkltztnnndl

or

http://sharebee.com/61650566

Please take the time to join my fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raxstar/14959216341?ref=ts

And feel free to leave feedback on this note, on the fanpage or even a message, I'll try my best to get back to you when I can.

Peace and Respect

Rax

Earlier this week it was the video shoot for RKZ's single Renegades.

Check my top friends and visit RKZ myspace for more behind the scenes pictures etc

Stay tuned for the video and track which will be updated to both of our myspace pages soon

And check out the behind the scenes making of video below for a sneak peak..

Rax

Sunit & Raxstar proudly present The Official Launch Party for their new fledgling label Dream Warriors. Showcasing the very best in young British Asian Talent; affiliates of the label will be performing on the night include;

RAXSTAR
Performing songs from Fulfilling Ambition – 'Keep It Undercover' 'In Perspective'
As well as the recently released to radio 'True Story' taken from the Dream Warriors Mixtape

RKZ with DAS
Performing tracks from forthcoming debut RELEAS'D

ESH
UK's R&B Sensation

SHEZI
Playing 4X4 & Niche

+ MORE SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMERS & DJ's on the night

REVOLUTIONS in LEICESTER

For More Information & Tickets – 07877 037 918

Tickets available online from -

http://www.dholaholic.com/events/index.php?event_id=164

Email – dream-warriors@hotmail.co.uk
Websites - www.myspace.com/raxstar1
www.myspace.com/sunitbeatz
www.sunit.biz

GET YOU R TICKETS ASAP!

Whats goin on people

Just to let you know that there is a new freestyle just uploaded.

The original track is by Twista ft T-Pain.

Its just to let you guys know there is lots more coming from us real soon, I know we havent had anything out in a while but we have been working hard behind the scenes. I hope the wait will be worth it for everyone.

If you need a Sunit & Raxstar fix then get yourself the EP! Check the other blogs for more info and also the Renegades Vol.3 Mixtape.

Until the really new stuff (mixtape!) is available I hope this keeps you satisfied.

All comments and questions welcome so just leave them here and I'll answer when I can.

Rax

 

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.                                              

 

-  Edgar Allan Poe

Renegades III: Desi Hip Hop Revolution

 

Washington D.C. – One producer is on a mission to bring forth the best talent to emerge from the South Asian community. Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions  is working with some of the freshest and hottest talent this scene has to offer.

 

Renegades III: Desi Hip Hop Revolution is the third part in his musical mission. By mixing hip hop rhythms with Indian beats and adding an array of exceptional vocalists, Sureet is able to create a musical masterpiece by bridging the gap between these two musical cultures. Balancing a professional career and having the time to sit-down and produce music requires immense skill – which we're aware Sureet possess. Not only does he work with top urban Desi artists, Sureet also looks for the opportunity to give these artists a chance to shine in the limelight.

 

Renegades III: Desi Hip Hop Revolution is one of the biggest releases of the year. After months in the making, Renegades III is a 43-track, double-disc monster!

 

AG Dolla, Ajaxxx, Kaly, One Signata Nach, Raja Wilco, Raxstar, Sir Aah and Swami Baracus are just a few of the many artists you'll hear rocking over Sureet's beats. After you hear Renegades III: Desi Hip Hop Revolution, you'll know what the future of music sounds like.

To download, please visit:  www.desihits.com/promo_renegades3/raxstar

Renegades Volume 3 - 'Desi Hip-Hop Revolution' Mixtape

Sureet Sandu of Digital Desi Productions and producer Sunit, have collaborated to bridge the gap between the US and UK's South Asian Urban music scene, with their latest release, "Too Strong." With such impeccable musical production, along-side the vocals of Raxstar, "Too Strong," is a track which breaks away from the norms of Hip-Hop music.

 

"Too Strong," will be releasing in September and featured on Renegades Volume 3 - 'Desi Hip-Hop Revolution' Mixtape. Carrying the track with a melodic beat, lyrics such as, "No, I won't let you break me down," repeat throughout, reiterating to the listeners that nothing and nobody should ever bring one down. Throughout this track, Raxstar is able to put his thoughts into rhythms that flow passionately. Sureet Sandhu. Sunit. Raxstar. No matter what you want to call these three, they are what they are: a devoted producer, a focused composer, and moreover, a fierce emcee.

For more information:

tirushadave@gmail.com – bravura.artist@gmail.com

Visit:

 

www.digitaldesi.com

 

www.sunit.biz

 

www.myspace.com/raxstar1

Sunit & Raxstar - Fulfilling Ambition EP

Ok I wanted to do this blog just to give people an insight into the tracks on the CD and just a bit of background info on them and my opinions etc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 - Make It Home (Intro)

I think the intro is simple and effective. We wrote and recorded it quite quickly. Tried to use different flows and word play.. kinda like a little showcase of skills.

2 - Keep It Undercover

Where it all started.. this is the FINAL version! Its different to whats been on radio in the past and even to whats on the video version.. its been mixed and mastered properly and we've added some female vocals to it. Before anyone tries to be smart I will say it myself.. it was inspired by Common's 'I Used To Love HER'. The chorus was supposed to be

"I think I love you.. keep it undercover...
Common used to love her.. keep it undercover"

but we changed it so people wouldnt guess the ending when they first heard the track.. but yea anyone who knows me knows I'm a big Common fan and I'm not pretending to have come up with the concept. Everyone borrows from the greats.

3 - SH1

First thing I'll tell you is what it stands for... Spiritually High 1.
Again the track has been properly mixed and mastered so it sounds a lot better now.. especially if you have a sub in your car.

4 - Majestic

This track leaked out onto the internet a while back. The beat was quite lighthearted so I just wrote something that would compliment it. It was written and recorded a little while ago, so some of the references sound a little bit dated. Some funny punchlines in it though I think.

5 - My Hearts Like

Neo-soul kinda beat and I'm back with the storytelling vibe in this one. I'm sure everyone has been through this kinda thing before. I wrote the lyrics about 5 years ago, just something that I had made up while I was at Uni. Thought it went really well with the beat.. Jon who mastered the EP for us said this was his favourite track that we have done.

6 - Strictly Business (Skit)

Hmmmm.. this one is a bit raw and the beat is just amazing. When I wrote it I just had to get some things off my chest.. the reason it's called strictly business is because thats all it is. There's no hard feelings or malicousness in what I'm saying.. just keeping it strictly business.

7 - Split Personality

At the beginning of the track we have vocalist Surina speaking in Japanese. Shes saying something like 'Introducing Sunit & Raxstar...' the concept of the track is speaking as different characters. The lyrics are included in the booklet for the CD if you want to know exactly what I'm saying. But the verses are from different points of view about how people feel about "Sunit & Raxstar".. from a "Internet Hater" an "Established Artist" and then just me venting. We've had a lot of good feedback for this track.. also the ending is just some random things Mr Nice was saying in the studio.. quite funny and I thought it rounded the track off nicely.

8 - In Perspective

The next single. Video should be out soon and I'm going to put this up on my myspace player this week. Wrote this as a response to the current state of affairs within the music scene generally. I'm sure I echo the sentiments of a lot of real music lovers, because first and foremost I am a fan of music. Hopefully the message of the track will be understood by everyone.

9 - No Regrets

My favourite song. No regrets is very personal to me. I'm sure when you hear it you'll understand. I wrote it about situations that I've been in and gone through.. still I think its quite relateable. The overall message of the track is to move forward and not have any regrets. Hopefully you'll like this one as much as I do.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure there was more I wanted to say but I'll just add to this blog as and when I remember.

Feel free to leave comments or questions about specific tracks or the EP in general within this blog... and if you haven't got it yet go to my main myspace page and click the paypal links to get your copy!

Rax

'Scardin we are a family' - Mr Nice

I have a track "Forget What Divides Us" which was produced by Manpreet Singh and features on the latest Shaheedi album..

Check out samples from the following website and check the press release below -

http://www.shaheedi.com/panjfive/

Immortal Productions alongside Jagowale, Kulwinder Singh Johal, Shveta, Surinder Singh & Narinder Singh, Tigerstyle, XS-BASS
and introducing
Bhai Balkar Singh Chola Sahib, Crative Boy, Des-C, G.N.E., Kanwar, Manpreet Singh, Money Spinner & Raxstar
proudly present their next addition to the revolutionary Shaheedi series: Panj

After the phenomenal impact of the previous four albums, the Immortals team have released their latest offering. With this album the purpose remains the same, to remember the sacrifices of the brave Singhs and Kaurs who stood tall against the face of oppression and injustice and to inspire a whole new generation of Sikhs, proud of their history and heritage. Dedicated to those who died for the faith, this fifth album explores issues of identity, equality, courage, strength and the self sacrifice of countless saintly warriors who abandoned the comforts of their homes and loved ones, to walk on a path where mortal death was a certainty.

Traditional dhad, sarangi and kaveeshar have been fused with modern and western sounds along with some of the best rapping talent in the western Sikh hemisphere to create a captivating and innovative sound that is unparalleled. Not only are the tracks enthralling to listen to, but the depth of the lyrics instils a sense of pride that both links us back to our sisters & brothers-in-arms, who have sacrificed their present to secure our future but also questions our own roles in the faith today

We pay homage to the sons and daughters of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who have coloured our history with their blood and have inspired generation after generation to walk defiantly on the path of the Guru whilst facing all challengers, tyrants and oppressors. This album is devoted to them, and to all the future Sikh Soormeh who will, without doubt, keep the kesri nishaan's of the panth hoisted proudly in the skies.

Available across the World at Vaisakhi celebrations in April 2007. The album can also be purchased from the Immortal Productions website at www.shaheedi.com. Press and media can claim a free copy from the Immortal Productions team. For distribution enquiries and to claim your free copy email info@shaheedi.com

"If you hate me, why you hate me? Just for writing rhyming words?

Pull out fightin words, brothers lightin herb, another fight occurred,

You'll be biting kerb, when I rap thunder's seen & lightning's heard"

Woke up week before last with a multimedia message from Mr Nice telling me..

"We're going going... back back… to Newcastle Newcastle".

Funny shit trust me. Anyway I thought it was going to be a good trip. We'd had a gig up there before and it was live, crowd was hype, good people and promoters, big up Zak! Anyway we're not living like stars at the moment, so we had to rent a Zafira, so we could take the 5 hour trek comfortably. Told them dudes we needed it for 2 o'clock. That was the day before, however that night the plans changed and we decided to leave earlier. So we got ready and went to the rental place at half 12. These mans laughed at us when we got there. Told us the car was coming from ..Cambridge and it would be here for 2 o'clock. Anyway 2 hours later, got the car, picked up the rest of the Scardin Family and we made our way to Newcastle…

Now it wasn't really a gig we were going to. It was someone's birthday thing and we were going to do a live PA. I'm not really into the performing at party's thing, and this was the first time I was doing it. I didn't expect it to be much, but like I said we had fun in Newcastle last time we went so we decided to take another road trip up there.

Because of traffic and delays we arrived at about 8. The party had now been moved out of the first venue for some reason (I shoulda clocked on then that this was going to be trouble). But we made our way to the new venue….

It was the 2^nd floor of a pub. We walked through downstairs where I swear they were Morris Dancing or something but upstairs was where the "party" was at. Walked in and it was what we term in the industry as a "Sausage Fest". For those not familiar with that term, the ratio of men to women was about 5 to 1. Trust me no man wants to perform at a "Sausage Fest" but this was supposedly a girl's birthday party so it had to be done.

 

Got on the makeshift stage and I'm sensing the jealousy from some mans. You get used to it… every man is a rapper or at least a wannabe… but one dude there was either so pissed out of his head he didn't know what he was doing, or he was looking for a kick off.

 

So I'm on stage going through a few tracks and that dude is dancing on stage next to me. Now that doesn't bother me, he wants to show off to his mates and try to get some attention from the females, it is what it is. But I'm watching him and he's holding an imaginary mic in his hand and rapping as well so I think… 'just a minute' (inside joke)…. And I tell the DJ to wheel up the track… and passed the waisman the mic.

 

Now there's 2 things that could have happened, he could have passed it straight back because he knew he was a waisman or he could've tried to rap and proved he was a waisman… guess what he did?

He's stuttering a mumbling and everyone's booing, so he finally passes the mic back to me and steps down from the stage. How did I feel? I wished he was good, then I could chill and he could've finished the set for me, I suppose its easier to rap with an imaginary mic than a real one.

 

Anyway I carry on and then I go into November 21^st (Bigup June 25^th!) and the atmosphere changes…I'm sensing a kick off. The imaginary mic man jumps back on stage and starts movin his 'body like a snake ma' and his boyfriend jumps up as well and starts grinding him and this is happening right in front of me while I'm trying to perform. Next thing I know my Scardin family jump up to get these mans off the stage and then EVERYMAN that was in the room jumped on stage… it was US against 30 of THEM.

Yea so there's arm flying, tempers flaring...  and like I said in Nov 21^st "I don't promote violence but don't push me" luckily no-one did push me so I'm tryna calm the situation down. Then I realise that half the mans on stage aint starting with us, they're trying to calm it down as well. 'Imaginary Mic' and his boyfriend's got kicked out (apparently they were party crashers and there were only 5 of them). Pub owner walks in... 'Party's over, you aint got to go home but you got to get the hell out of here.'

2 hour wait for the rental car. 5 hour drive. 10 minutes on stage. End of the night.

"…Everybody wants beef these days… and I aint got the patience to teach these breh's"

God bless

Rax

"… And we aint just always fighting… just the bouncers that think they're Tyson…"

This past week we went to Manchester, club was called M-Two.  Now I know the routine, keep it sweet with the bouncers, refer to them as 'Boss' if you want, I do. At the end of the day they decide if you're coming in or not, and if you're performing you want the bouncers looking out for you.  Anyways I know the drill, you aint got ID you're not coming in, same for if you're in a big group of guys or if you're not wearing shoes or if you're wearing a hat (don't get me started on that one). But for the first time in my life I was given the biggest bullshit of a reason as to why the bouncers didn't want to let me and my boy in…

'Your clothes are too dark, you can't come in'

You what mate? My clothes are too dark? I didn't know it was Hawaii 5-0 night. You sure it's my clothes that are too dark and not my skin colour? That's what I was thinking when Grant Mitchell's long lost brother moved us out of the queue and to the side. If one of us wasn't getting in then none of us were. There were about 11 of us altogether, 6 men 5 girls. So we all stepped to the side and tried to figure out how we could get us in. Tried getting the girls to flirt a bit with the Goomba's, but it didn't work. So I took my black jumper off and luckily I had a white t-shirt on underneath and my boy had to put on a t-shirt that was in the car. We got back in the queue and stood boy-girl-boy-girl. After 5 minutes we were all in!

Now we were amidst the slickly gelled spiky hair and partially clothed hood rats. I don't mind going out, I don't smoke or drink so some people find it hard to believe I can have a good time but I can. As long as the right music is playing and there aren't too many heroes in the venue, I'm having fun dropping stupid moves on the dance floor with the boys.

Anyway it was a good night; everyone was having a good time. That was until one of my boys was manhandled out the club by one of the bouncers. I think some bouncers have issues, deep seeded ones. They have that 'short man complex'. Can't remember which comedian it was, may have been Kat Williams, but he said he doesn't mess with short cops. They've been shitted on since they were in school and now they've got a badge and some authority they've got something to prove, think Eric Cartman in a police uniform. I think it's the same with some bouncers, give em some authority and they think they're Clint Eastwood.

 

Back to the story though; We had decided we were going so we moved to the exit, next thing you know the DJ drops Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It. So we all go running back to the dance floor… two of my boys had already left the club though. He asked one of the bouncers (who had just watched him walk out) if he could go back in and get us. So the bouncer told him 'yea 5 minutes'.

 

My boy comes in and back to us on the dance floor and the DJ is really going for it, pulling out all the classics so we aint leaving just yet. A few songs later and I see 2 bouncers running towards us and doing some Goldberg Vs Brock Lesnar moves on my boy and dragging him towards the back exit. You would've thought he had pulled out a gun or something the way they reacted. He had paid his entry and said he was coming back in to get us. He didn't sneak into the club. He wasn't serving up. What was he doing... dancing? Since when can that get you kicked out of a club?

So we all followed suit and left a few minutes after that, but you kick someone out of a club who's had a few drinks and there's bound to be some repercussions. In this case it was getting verbally berated by Mr Nice in his own unique way, 'Your mum is ugly'.  He could've said a lot worse but we were out of the club so what could they do. Personally I think those bouncers were itching for a kick off, if there wasn't one going on they were going to start it themselves.

That's just an abbreviated version of what happened, maybe I'll write a book one day but if you read through all of it then well done! Drop a comment and let me know about your issues with bouncers or anything funny that's happened to you on a night out.

Watch out for part 2 of this blog… a blow by blow of what happened at a 'gig' in Newcastle.

Rax