Brand New Single From The Holstar Featuring Chisamo and Produced by Thugchuld
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
FRESH MIXTAPE- BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS AND YEARS| PHEROWSHUZ
Pherowshuz is proud to present his new mixtape 'Blood, Sweat, Tears and Years' which represents his grind to the top layer of the rap game. If anyone has doubts concerning Pherowshuz's abilities both as a rapper and a producer- this mixtape will lay them to rest. Phero (for short) showcases his impeccable rap skills and credible production on #BSTY. He takes the art of sampling higher on several tracks on the mixtape.
"This mixtape has been a while coming. I am happy it is out. I am confident that it will make an impact in the game. I just put in my best so that the name Pherowshuz will mentioned when it comes to quality rap music" says Pherowshuz.
The mixtape features acts like Terry Tha Rapman, Beazy, Yung 6ix, Morell, 5 Mics, Maytronomy, Fecko, Olamide, Davey Jones (USA) and AT.
Now that he has wrapped up his mixtape, Pherow will continue working on his next album and the BANS compilation album.
E.C.H.O Presents First e-Mag
ECHO stands for, Energy, Culture, Hip-Hop, Originality.
On the E.C.H.O platform they have Live video cypher recording sessions, exclusives videos recording for different talented artists, spoken word, photo shoot session and poetry.
On the platform they’ve had Rapsodee, Choice, Provabs, GameMan, Wallz WordCykic, Protek, Damage, Pathogene, D-Truce, Fecko, just to mention a few
Teck-Zilla - Chicken & Chips/ Crackers & Cranberry Juice EP
Montreal,
May 30, 2013- Montreal based Nigerian producer, Teck-Zilla is at it
again as he drops his latest instrumental tape titled "Chicken &
Chips/ Crackers & Cranberry Juice EP".
The
EP is far removed from what he is known for as he ventures into the
dubstep/electronic/trap/Hip Hop region. The project is essentially a
collection of ideas and concepts that brewed over time as he immersed
himself in the electronic scene in Montreal.
"I've
always been of the school of thought that one should endeavour to
push your limits whenever you can. I learn everyday by trying out new
things and building with people who come from different musical
backgrounds. This work I feel is definitive in that it not only shows
you another side of my musical tastes but also hints at where my
production skills might venture to."
The EP contains 5 solid tracks, hard hitting, grim and off kilter and pretty much unique to say the least.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
PRODUCERS LOUNGE: MEET TECK-ZILLA AND SENCO
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| TECK-ZILLA Teck-Zilla is a Nigerian born emcee/beatmaker/producer. A founding member of the Hiphop group "Str8Buttah" with members in the UK and Nigeria. After graduating from the prestigious technical school "Recording Arts Canada, he proceeded to work with like minded artists in Montreal and beyond. He's worked with African artists such as Zone Fam and The Holstar. |
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| SENCO Babalola Oluwaseun a.k.a Sencosonic is a Lagos based Nigerian producer whose vision for the Nigerian music industry is for it to grow to a point where there is a formal distribution channel within and outside the country, anti-piracy implementation and intellectual property protection. He started music production in 2005 and have worked with the likes of Victoria Kimani, Terry Tha Rapman, Godwon, Fecko, DJ Atte et al. HOW DID YOU BEGIN PRODUCING? Teck-Zilla: A friend of mine gave me fruity loops 1 and I struggled with it for a while until I discovered how to sample and all, so many aspects to how I started producing. Senco: I started out as a singer and a songwriter with a strong passion for music. I hooked up with a couple of hot producers at the university where I was studying Architecture but I was too broke to pay those producers to make a beat for me. I decided to hang around them to learn the art of beatmaking. I developed a good ear for music and I would spend about 6hrs on a stretch exploring new sounds and methods on my favourite beatmaking software FL studio. That was when I was 16. Over the years I've purchased more gears and produced a lot more tracks. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE Teck-Zilla: At the stage I'm presently in, I must say I can do anything. I won't categorically say I have a style. I just go with the flow though most people would say I make hard core hiphop beats but I just do what I want at this point. I got a dubstep/electro ep dropping soon by the way and do check out my house/tech track called 'Fire' with Canadian singer Peggy Hogan!! Senco: I would say my style is eclectic. I could start out making music with a riff, lick, bassline, chord progression or percussion. My most prominent style of production is sampling Afrobeat/highlife music and fusing them into a hip-hop groove. It's creative and I enjoy flipping those heavy brassed samples because it comes natural to me every time. I don't limit myself to any genre of music. I love to explore my world and create new ideas every time I sm about to make music. I think everything around me affects me in a certain way and inspires me in a certain way to make the music I make. ARE THERE ANY TRADEMARKS YOU LIKE TO EMPLOY ON THE BOARDS? Teck-Zilla: I don't really understand this question but I do live sound and I sometimes DJ using the apc40, a dj mixer and the soundboard at the same time so I can do a lot of crazy stuff but recently I have been sticking to just virtual dj for the fun of it. Senco: I love my sound to come out crisp and heavy through the speakers and Izotope Ozone 5 has been helpful in achieving that. I love to treat my lowend/bassline appropriately with a matching kick and once in a while I like to employ some sidechaining/ducking. WHAT ARE THE NEW TRENDS TO HIT PRODUCTION IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD AT LARGE Teck-Zilla: New trends? Heavy synths and drum/snare rolls…seems majority of producers are trapping out. Trap is the new trend now. Senco: In Africa now, I think there's an eclectic mix of synthesised sounds, pulsating beats, and groovy samples with hip-hop kicks. Electronic dance music is taking over the mainstream music in the world at the moment with the likes of Daft Punk, Avicii, Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex to name a few. HOW DO NIGERIAN PRODUCERS COMPARE TO PRODUCTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD? Teck-Zilla: I won't necessarily compare Nigerian producers to others, we all have different styles and what may work in Nigeria may not work elsewhere. All I can say though is, there has been a lot of dope producers coming out of the wood work. Ain't gonna mention names but I know y'all. Senco: I think we have got our own unique and creative style of production but there is a need to work on the quality of our production output so that it can match the world class standard. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT? ANY CHALLENGE SO FAR? Teck-Zilla: Being selected as one of the contending producers in the last Canadian beat battle in Toronto last year. I didn't win but to be recognized is definitely a plus. Challenges, well everyday is a challenge so I do what I can to surmount whatever obstacle life throws at me. Senco: I wouldn't consider my biggest achievement an achievement at all. I'm constantly hungry, wanting more and more till I get to the tip of the top. Crossing the borders of Nigeria with my production style would be one of the things I want to achieve. The Nigerian music industry gives very little respect for music producers and most of them are never well paid for a well produced song. The industry still needs to be structured so that everyone involved can get properly paid WHAT TRACK BY FECKO WOULD YOU SAY 'YO I'M PROUD I PRODUCED THIS TRACK'? Teck-Zilla: Hmmm, so many but for now I would say "The Future". We still got so many dope collabos to create Senco: Oh yeah! Chill and Relax is a fantastic song. It's fresh, it's hot and so urban afro. |
Friday, 31 May 2013
BEHIND THE SCENE: TERRY THA RAPMAN - TESTING 1,2,3
Present on set were Vector, Ketchup, OverDose and a host of others. With the sexy appeal in the video, is terry gradually stepping off ‘real hardcore rap’? Time would definitely tell.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Fecko Presents 'Raw African Poetry 2.0'
Promising African rapper, Fecko, is back with another heavy
collaboration. His style has been compared to the like of K'Naan and
this time he's waving the 'green and white' flag on this classic rap
song titled 'Raw African Poetry 2.0' produced by Teck-Zilla.
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Hiphop births the 'United States of Africa'
Africa is the second largest continent in the world with a population of 1.0billion people and a total number of 54 sovereign states "countries".
Is it me or is Hip hop not playing a major role in terms of bridging gaps between all the geo-political zones in the continent. Hence, giving birth to what I call the "United States of Africa".
As I write this article, I am seated at a windy balcony listening to "All In" by Camp Mulla featuring Manifest and "African & Proud" by Banky W featuring L-Tido, Camp Mulla, Vector and Sarkodie. For me, it spells out one thing and that's 'Unity'. I am glad to see a lot of cross-border collaborations within the continent. If you have been a long time follower of my music, you will recall that I released a song with a similar concept, titled 'Raw African Poetry' which featured various rappers from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya. The track was even mentioned in SA's number one Hiphop magazine, HYPE. I am presently working on a reloaded version of that song by the way.
If African artists keep chunning out collabs like that, perhaps someday you might bump in to Nigerians in diaspora speaking Swahili eloquently and also find Kenyans conversing in Pidgin. It is our duty to embrace and nurture our different cultures.
Hip hop shouldn't be the only music genre saddled with the responsibility of uniting Africa. What about Pop, Jazz, Reggae, RnB, Afrobeat or Kwaito? Won't it be awesome to hear Asa and Freshly Ground on one song? Or imagine Femi Kuti teaming up with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I am sure there is a newer generation of music lovers that crave a breath of fresh air in the kind of songs they listen to.
Apparently, the African music industry is fast evolving and this is evident in the way most record companies operate these days. For instance, Kenyan-based record label Taurus Musik has Zambia's award-winning group, Zone Fam, under its stable. To further illustrate my point; Kenyan songstress, Victoria Kimani is signed to Chocolate City Music (Nigeria). Distance is no longer a barrier, especially when A&Rs are dealing with pure talents. Label executives now go all out! So it is seemingly possible that I could get signed by Sony Music Africa someday...'you never know!'
Late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikpolakpo Kuti once said "Music is a weapon...". Senegaleese singer Youssou N'Dour knew he held this power in his hands and decided to organise a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela in 1985. N'Dour also discovered Somali rapper, K'Naan during a speaking engagement before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where K'naan performed a spoken word piece criticizing the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia. N'Dour's goodwill was not only restricted to his home country, but was felt in other parts of the continent. He believed in the 'United States of Africa'.
I was interviewed on a radio station in Malawi a while back, where I extensively talked about 'Unity in Africa' and the need to produce more African Hip hop TV shows. The media can serve as a catalyst in the process of bridging gaps. Don't you think it will be better if the next BET cypher in Africa features different African rappers under one umbrella? Just a thought! The world is looking at the motherland for inspiration. Viva Africa!
Why I went M.I.A...
I owe it to my fans to explain why I seemingly went on hiatus. Actually I
have been occupied with academics through out the past first quarter of
2013. For the recs, I attend Yaba College of Technology (the same
higher institution where popular Nollywood actress Omotola graduated
from). I am studying Agricultural Technology and I am also the Vice
President of the A.A.T.S ( Association of Agricultural Technology
Students) in my school. It is said that with great power, comes great
responsibility. Hence, I have been a very busy young man lately;
juggling my personal life with school, while serving the interests of my
fellow students. Notwithstanding I have been trying to keep up with the
social networking age. Yes, I used the phrase "Keep Up" because my case
is somewhat similar to a scenario where we have a group of Native
Indians in the deep woods gathered around a laptop (laughs). My campus
is situated in the out-skirt of the city and far away from the concrete
jungle. Thanks to the roar of aeroplanes flying in the sky, which
occasionally remind me that I am still in the 21st century. Recently I
just completed my first semester exams, now I am back to civilization.
It's time to chill and relax and also record new tracks!
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