Debonair Samir {Thanks Milkcrate}

I said I’m cool/like some ice cream
Wit them cherries on the top/cause them haters wont stop

Swizz Beatz
“I’m Cool”

Those four bars, along with that undeniable baseline from DJ Debonair Samir, will probably be the catalyst to get the party started at your favorite mid-summer barbecue. Hip-hop heavyweight Swizz Beatz is the latest mainstream constituent engaging in the new-found musical glory that Baltimore club music has become for pop music artists. But for Samir Singletary, there’s nothing new about the beats and rhythms that he has helped bring to the club music faction since he migrated to Baltimore City. Born in Newark, New Jersey and spending some of his formative years in New York City, Samir used the elements of hip-hop {rapping, dee-jaying, graffiti, break dancing, etc.} as the focal points for his creative direction. It wasn’t until he heard the infectious tones of European house music making its rounds in his hometown’s hottest clubs that he found his true calling as a club music maverick. Read the rest of this entry »

Eddie P {Thanks USM}

Virginia has brought us some of the greatest producers of all time: Timbaland, Missy Elliot and The Neptunes, just to name a few. For 2009, Norfolk, Va.-bred boardsman Eduardo “Eddie P” Pearson looks to add his name to that list of legends. As he began to walk the path towards musical precedence, Eddie P was captivated by the Native Tongues movement; as groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul blended Jazz and hip-hop to create a new class of boom-bap tonics. After releasing his album, Sound Wandering, on the Baltimore indie label Under Sound Music late last month, Eddie P has  fashioned his own brand of hip-hop soul while looking back to the Golden Era for inspiration. As he completes production work and remixes for several DMV [Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia] artists, Mr. Pearson hopes his sound wanders past the borders of Virginia and into the ears of the masses.

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Aaron Lacrate {thanks, Chloe Silverman}

From today’s b, the paper

As an East Baltimore kid riding the bus through the city, the blurs of diverse scenery from Aaron Lacrate’s window seat inspired all the essential mechanisms for his sense of creativity. Taking part in Baltimore’s hip-hop scene from its early days, Lacrate made a name for himself as a hip-hop junkie. Today, the world-renowned DJ has created an avant-garde clothing movement, Milkcrate Athletics, and has helped introduce Baltimore club music to a wider audience. With the new album, B-More Club Crack, making its rounds in the media and on the airwaves, Lacrate and his producing partner Debonair Smith have been provided a platform to present Baltimore hip-hop on a primary stage; by way of E1 Music (formerly Koch Records). With a slay of multiple projects coming forth this year, Lacrate looks to serve up an addictive musical drug that will provide an innovative high. Read the rest of this entry »

Hip-hop documentarian, radio personality Civil Jones {thanks, Kelly Connelly}

There seems to be a burning question lingering in the circles of hip-hop lovers everywhere: Where are all the female emcees?

Look no further than Baltimore, where talented wordsmiths such as Jade Fox, the Get ’Em Mamis and Ms. Stress bring the equality of verbal combat to their male peers. This is exactly the reason Tasha “Civil” Jones decided to capture some of these ladies in her groundbreaking documentary, “Even a Man Can Do This.”
The documentary is an in-depth look at the contributions women make to the blossoming hip-hop scene in the city. As a military brat who made Aberdeen her home, Jones’ main gig is serving as a rotating on-air personality for 1010 WOLB AM and 92Q FM; contributing stories about local and national issues and also interviewing various celebrities. As this innovative thinker gears up for her second documentary and another radio-hosting gig, Jones shows that women make the world of hip-hop go ’round and ’round.

Where did you get the name Civil from?
In high school, they used to call me Civil because I hung around a bunch of rowdy girls, and folks used to say I was the only civilized one out of them. … Jones is my real last name though, so I combined the two together because I’m a balance of what the hip-hop culture is missing: commercialism and conscience.

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Entreo {thanks, ENTREO}

As people eavesdrop for new sounds in a stagnant musiconomy, the artist known as Entreo hopes his blend of reggae and hip-hop satisfies starving ears. Born Theodore Kitson Jr. in Baltimore, Entreo spent most of his childhood traveling to the homeland of his parents, Kingston, Jamaica. Influenced by the decadent sounds of classic reggae rhythms, Kitson decided to take his musical craft more seriously, specifically at the behest of his late brother, who encouraged his early potential. As he gears up for an album release in June, Entreo hopes to engulf the masses with his Caribbean heat, all while providing a signature hint of Baltimore grit.

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Irko mans the boards {thanks, SHERIDA MORRISON}

As the culture of hip-hop has become a global symbol for innovation, Maurizio Sera watched everything unfold from Venice, Italy. Starting out as a producer for his own group of musicians, the man known today as Irko (pronounced ear-ko) found himself wanting to takeover engineer duties as well, Irko went to European Audio Engineering School to become one of the most sought engineers in the industry. As he looks to bring his gifts stateside, Irko chose Baltimore to build a project he hopes will bring some of the city’s hottest artists together as a burgeoning collective. As he completes projects with 88-Keys, Ox and La Miss, even a young dude from Italy recognizes the Baltimore hip-hop movement is stronger than ever.

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Shaquan D.O.N., on the cover of his album “Death Before Dishonor” {thanks, SHAQUAN D.O.N.}

For 2009, the term “Yes We Can” will justly serve as the maxim for the Baltimore hip-hop scene. As there have been many stops and starts to the movement, artists are now beginning to band as one for the better good of letting their talent shine on a national platform. An artist that’s part of this coalition is emcee/producer Shaquan D.O.N. A musician versed in various types of instrumentation, the man born Elbert Gaynor has used his own funds to create an entertainment and distribution company. Looking to blend an abundance of styles with his sound, he’s planning to drop his new album, By Any Means Necessary, in April. It’s a fitting title for a city waiting for a chance to show the world what it can do musically.

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Kneel Knaris and his partner-in-rhyme Jurawd Simpson have been destined to make music together ever since meeting in the sandbox. The Baltimore natives began as solo artists, but after coming together to hit the studio with a case of Guinness, the two emcees joined forces to create the group Parts Unknown. After independently releasing their album, Hood Therapy, the two lyrical giants have again chosen solo projects as a way of bringing their own unique brand of imagination to Baltimore hip-hop. Kneel Knaris talks about his plans for solo and mutual success.
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Kessino {thanks, LIEZEL 127}

Like many of us, hip-hop impresario Kessino was captivated by music while listening to the radio early in his life. While growing up on the west side of Baltimore, Justin Kess not only paid attention to the emcees, but studied the DJs, carefully listened to production and memorized the components that would structure his fondness for any genre of music. Kessino created Triumphant Music Group, a label featuring talent on the mic and behind the boards. Having come full circle, Kessino is a producer for WBAL 1090AM, a position that allows him to understand the music business inside and out, all while feeding his tuneful appetite. Click to read my interview with the Baltimore rapper.
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Hotspitta and L.J.

From today’s b, the paper

You can call it a hip-hop traveling road show of sorts. Andre “Hotspitta” Allen and George “L.J.” Gray have formulated the YoTrakz Mobile Recording Studio as a means to gain the street’s ear to their distinctive sound. After putting out cassette mixtapes in the late ’90s, Hotspitta has moved on to form his own label, Infinite Green Records. Their hard work has paid off, with numerous media outlets curious about their progressing climb, including getting a feature in The Baltimore Sun this spring. With their mobile studio continuing to flourish, Hotspitta and LJ are determined to flood every neighborhood with their thunderous food for thought.

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