Ra SHAWN-DA-PROFESSOR

Ra SHAWN-DA-PROFESSOR

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

SINGER'S VIDEO RELEASE PARTY HAD A CLASSIC DANCE FEEL


Singer/songwriter/dancer Farrad hosted a party to premiere the video for his new single "The Way You Do" last night at La Pomme NYC, and I have to say that this performer knows how to throw a party. Dance music came out the speakers, while waitresses served us mini-burgers dressed as waitresses (I had 4 of them and don't try to throw shade at me for doing so either. I know many of ya'll who would be doing the same thing). After greeting and posing for photo opts, Farrad appeared on a stage and thanked the crew for putting his video together and after counting down, the video came onto the screen and it was a hot and cute piece which featured him in dressed as a chef in a diner and riding on a boat and car, giving it a Archies and Josie & The Pussycat feel. After the premiere the performer took to the stage to perform his single with his male dancers donned dressed as waiters performing various forms of dancings from the different eras, while his female dancers were dancing with blouses and mini-skirts on another portable stage gaining attention from the crowd. One great moment was when Farrad took off his shirt and threw it into the audience.
Farrad is a talented performer who knows how to throw a party and knows how to be the life of the party (he got loose when the DJ played a House version of Bell-Biv-DeVoe's classic "Poison.") and from the loved he received from the crowd, he should throw more parties more often.

LGBT MUSIC FAMILY TURNED OUT FOR AWARDS SHOWS

For the past twenty years, the Out Music Awards have honored many talented Openly Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender artists, for their music and living in their truths, and Monday's night award ceremony was a great event to attend, seeing those being honored for their talent. When I heard about this event I was determined to go, and I'm sure glad that I did because it felt like being a family reunion and I have to add that everybody was looking fierce! When I arrived I saw LA Based rapper Foxx Jazell looking like a Supreme with her hot Pink dress being interviewed, and after greeting each other she asked was I doing press. I wasn't; this was my first time attending and my goal was to enjoy the ceremony and do some networking, but that changed towards the middle of the ceremony where I started to post bits of the event on facebook and while I didn't have my notebook and pen, I'm gonna do the best I can to write about what I remember and liked.
Rock singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge was honored with a award and she send a video message taped from her home where she expressed and gratitude of being honored by the organization, as well as stating how she wished she was able to attend, but was unable due to business she had to tend to on the West Coast. Jazz Legend Paula Hampton was also honored for her career in Jazz and she expressed how she felt about being honored. "It's about time" she said while she accepted her award followed by hostess comediene Tammy Peay, adding that at 73 years old she can say anything she wants to and that she was glad that she wasn't honored when she was dead. Speaking of the famous comediene, she kept the crowd in stiches with her outspoken sense of humor, and when I tell you she didn't hold her tongue, she didn't. In fact, she constatly reprimended the audience for not applauding loudly when she introduced the acts who was about to perform. She also spoke about how she has gatherings where the only genre of music that is being played is those by Out artists and when guest asks her to play artist like Nicki Manaj, she tells them of Nicki's being gay when it's convient for her. Another highlight was when Deepa Soul the head of the Out Music awards came onstage, and performed a tribute to the Freedome Fighters with a group of LGBT youth she mentors at an organization, and when I mean they performed, they rocked, singing background, playing instruments and dancing earning a standing ovation. A great and crazy moment was when DJ Baker host of the award-winning Doo-Dirty Show presented the Best R&B Single to Nhojj with Lovani, but another highlight was the tribute to Sylvester where singer singer BSlade performed the late Icon's classic award winning classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real" and when I say he turned it, he turned it out! From dancing to jumping into the middle of the audience. Nobody was out their seats. Other great moments was seeing Rock/Pop singer Lori Michaels perform as well as the Hip-Hop seagment where rappers Foxx Jazell, Shorty Roc, Last Offence and Milan performed their award-nominated hit "Ride or Die Boy" with Infinite performing her joint and Baron closed the set performing the remix of his hit "Party With B."
The show also honored Former Villiage People member Randy Jones for his career and he accepted his award with a cocktail and spoke about the honor and how he was greatful for being able to be 59 years old and still doing his thing as well as sharing how far the Gay community came from the past with it's activism.

I had a great time attending the event and it showed me that being a Black Gay Man with a learning disablity shouldn't stop me from living my life and pursuing my goals.

Monday, May 16, 2011

ONE OF HARLEM'S FINEST RAP DUO'S RELEASE HOT SINGLE


CAM'RON & VADO
HEY MUMA
10 ON A SCALE OF 1-5

For the past nine years, Harlem-born rapper/actor/executive Cam'Ron had recorded several hot hits with rappers Juelz Santana and singer Mariah Carey, which gained lots of heavy rotation on radio. Well Killa Cam joined forces with fellow Harlem-nite Vado for their single "Hey Muma" which is already getting spins on radio and downloads from kats who like hot joints. What makes this joint hot are the Middle Eastern beats, strings, flutes, bassline and a hot hook that men will be saying to sexy women and men who cathces their eyes at the clubs throughout the summer.

Hey yo, muma!
I'm saying
Can I come over? Cause
I'm not playing
Bend your ass over, uh, I'm not waiting
And if I'm sober, I'm blazing. Hey!

The song also showcased each of the rapper's individual flow with Cam rhyming mellow, and rapsy while Vado comes hard and rapsy which makes the song even more hotter.

One of the hottest joints of 2011.

BEYONCE'S NEW SINGLE SHOWS HER LACK OF UPGRADE


BEYONCE KNOWLES
GIRL (WHO RUN THE WORLD)
COLUMBIA RECORDS
2 On a Scale of 1-5

In 2007, former Destiny's Child lead singer Beyonce had scored a hit with her single "Upgrade." Well it seems that she failed to follow her own advice on her current single "Girl (Who Run The World)" which sounds like a mash up of "Lose My Breath," "Get Me Bodied" and "Single Ladies (Put Your Hands Up)." Since she released her 2003 debut single "Crazy In Love" Knowles had became popular with releasing tunes that makes people dance, which is cool, being that she's been in the game since 1997, you would have thought that she would have did something that was more mature. Instead she did something that an average and up and coming artist would have done for their debut single. Not Beyonce who feels like she has to keep doing song that can make the kids dance. There is nothing wrong with Beyonce releasing somne hot dance tracks, but it would have been better had the song had more instrumentation and it would have been better had the lyrics been more mature (come on B you're gonna be 30 years old this year and you're a married woman. Don't you feel it's time for your music to mature)?
I feel that whenever an artist comes out with new material they're supposed to evolve and/or adapt withouth losing their identity, and it seems that Beyonce did something really quick to keep her name out in the public, but this single doesn't cut it and it's about time for her to listen to her advice and "Upgrade" her style and sound.

AWWWWWWWWWW..........A COOL AND HISTORIC CHAT WITH LEGENDARY AND NOW OUT HIP-HOP PRODUCER

Whenever you’re in the presence of Producer/DJ Swanny Rivers, you’re automatically drawn to his Latin Accent, swagger, charm and is trademark scream “AWWWWW! YEAH!” He’s also a man that has a great legacy as well as a great love and appreciation for Hip-Hop, which is something that he and many feel are missing from the music industry. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Rivers was surrounded by music through out his childhood, but quickly fell in love with Hip-Hop, and like many kids who saw the birth of this popular genre, he became involved by DJaying, making beats and producing for many of today’s Hip-Hop legends, but when he decided to come out as a Gay Man, he was shunned by many due to their ignorance and homophobia. Down, but not out, Rivers began to search for openly Gay Rappers, and after discovering that Brooklyn-based Gay Rapper Shorty Roc was emerging on the scene, Rivers reached out to produce some tracks for him, but that was only the tip of the iceberg; Roc introduced him to fellow Hip-Hop head, DJ Baker, host of the award-winning DA-DOO DIRTY Show, who added him to his staff as a producer and co-host giving the show more heat and listeners. “Swanny is not only a super producer, but a super producer, engineer and a super friend” Baker said via text message.”I love working with Swanny for his work ethic. That’s why he is a part of the show. He also puts in long hours of work for Da Doo-Dirty Show and him.”
I addition to working with the show, Rivers is also running his record label with several talented artists, who will help keep his name in many music listeners and musicians mouths. I had the opportunity to chill with the outgoing Legend during a break at the BCAT studios in Brooklyn where he spoke about his career, his feelings on the state of Hip-Hop and working with the LGBT music community.

DA-PROFESSOR: Hey Swanny how’s it goingDA-PROFESSOR: Hey Swanny how’s it going?
SWANNY RIVER: Everything’s good. Working an a new project (and you know) trying to do some positive things. I’m trying to leave the negative behind me. Staying in the positive.

DA-PROFESSOR: How did you become involved with music?
SWANNY: Let me tell you something brother. I’ve been doing music since I was in the crib. My mother told me I used to get excited when my father used to play records. OK? And in my house there was always music playing. I learned how to DJ and my mother and father brought me my first turntables, and I learned to DJ from this crew from my neighborhood called the Dance Masters and DJ Scooter Love. I learned from him and I just learned to do blends. Then scratching came around. I saw Grand Master Flash for the first time. It was an instant love affair. Then I brought my first drum machine and started making drum beats and putting accapellas over it adding that to my mix and here I am (laughs).

DA-PROFESSOR: Which producers influenced you?
SWANNY: Oh. Dr. Dre. Just Blaze. Swizz Beats. The one and only Quincy Jones. I love me some Quincy Jones. I just love him period. That’s about it. The newer dudes, everybody sounds alike.

DA-PROFESSOR: How did they influence you?
SWANNY: They influence me with their style alone. Dr. Dre is that West Coast flavor that make you wanna sit back, smoke a blunt and bop your head. I like that. Swizz Beats with your club shit. I love that! Then you got Just Blaze. When he samples and how those hard drum rolls. All that good stuff. When I hear one of those joints, makes me wanna make a beat and get my artists to do their thang.

DA-PROFESSOR: What was it like being a Gay Latino in the Hip-Hop industry back in the day?
SWANNY: Well, I didn’t come out until the early 90’s. I’m not gonna say who, but I was working with certain kats and when I finally came out, they turned their backs on me. It was hard. It was hard. But now I’m happy where I’m at you know? In the Out Hip-Hop industry. I’d rather be here because I’m among my peers. I’m around people that are just like me.

DA-PROFESSOR: What prompted you to be a apart of the Out Music Industry?
SWANNY: When I was at home one day (and) I said to myself “I wonder if they’re any Gay Rappers. So back then there was my space so I went on my space and I typed in the search Gay Rappers and the only one that came up was Shorty Roc. So when I hit him up and he hit me back and were talking for a bit (and) I invited him to my studio and I heard him do his thing. Two weeks later, he introduced me to DJ Baker and DJ Baker doing Da-Doo-Dirty show and I loved it! I wanted to be involved with it. I’ve been doing that ever since. It’s the love for Hip-Hop really and I think Hip-Hop losted it way because everybody’s too commercialized. I like that real gritty, back packing, that real Hip-Hop. Not that (other) stuff you hear on the radio.

DA-PROFESSOR: Which Out Rappers have you worked with?
SWANNY: I worked with Bry’nt. I worked with Boneintel. I worked with Sonny Lewis. I did a track with some new rappers Splash Tea, who’s my artist. I’ve done work with Quentin Adams. He’s my artist. I’ve done work with Kin4Life, Shorty Roc, Tim’ M West, Verbal Science. Anybody else you wanna know (both laugh).

DA-PROFESSOR: You have many artist. Do you plan on forming your own label?
SWANNY: Well I’m working towards that. I used to have SR Productions, but I changed it to SR Music; Swanny River Music and I have Splash Tea. I have Bille Bad. Dirty Hanna. I call them Dirty Hood because of their name. Then I have Clover B. I have my songbird Quentin Adams. This kid is amazing!

DA-PROFESSOR: It was interesting how Quentin was searching for you. How does that make you feel having an artist seek you out?
SWANNY: It’s amazing. It’s bugged me out. I hit him up on facebook without hearing his music and he hit me back and when I heard him sing, It was like wow, he can (really) blow. And he sounds better than anybody I heard in the R&B world. I’m not gonna sugar coat it. I’m gonna tell you straight up. It felt so good and I’m willing to work with anybody, but you gotta be up to par.

DA-PROFEESOR: You brought up a good point about Hip-Hop past and present. Many artists wanna be original, but they can’t due to the corporate politics and bullshit. Tell me from your opinion why is that?
SWANNY: It’s sad. I can bring it out of them. They can do anything they want, but you got to work hard. Those straighties. Those heteros, they’re not gonna accept us, but if we put in the hard work and we put out good music. Stop talking about nonsense like what goes on in the bedroom. That’s why they’re not gonna give us any respect. Talk about everyday stuff like your block, the club and I’m sure if we work hard, they would respect us. They’re looking at us now.

DA-PROFESSOR: It seems like the industry accepts Gays who are flamboyant, hair dresses and fashion stylists,
SWANNY: They think we’re all hair dressers and fashion stylists. That’s what they think. We’re rappers, we’re doctors, we’re politicians. We’re all over the place. Those heteros need to open their eyes and see that we’re the next big thing.

DA-PROFESSOR: Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?
SWANNY: 5-10 years. Honestly 10 years, I’ll be retired by then. My company will be a driving force for the LGBT community as far as my music is concerned because that’s what I’m aiming for.

DA-PROFESSOR: How do you feel that you’re making an impact on the LGBT community?
SWANNY: I don’t know if I made an impact yet, but if I did, that’s good. I want everybody to step their game up (you know). I mean Da-Doo-Dirty show. I don’t see it yet.

Swanny River's mixtape "It Is What It Is: When The Beat Drops" is avaliable for download.