Choke PhotographyWonka's music? Don't ask me. Jnota will leak something when he feels perfect timing. HAHA He manages the old archive (with my consent) so don't thank me for music, thank him. I know he's planning something soon. Probably another track with vocals and extras. Please DON'T think I'm an MC. It's only self entertainment. I will not be rapping regularly. I will not be making a full length. Thanks to everyone who dug "The Bright Side" by the way. Personally the artwork was better than the song. Joe did his thing! That cover is ill. While I'm being honest (my bad another rant). Why does music suck? Why am I not feeling anyone? Why do most of my peers make wack shit? I'm no GOD and they're are plenty of people not feeling my stuff, but yo I hate music right now. I'm tired of going to record stores leaving empty handed. Buying weak records just to support the shop. I'm not compromising my taste because the standards of music have gone down. All these new hyped blog Internet rappers are wack. The beats are wack too. Dudes are getting over on the audience. I'm saying it. Eff it. They all suck in my book and its a good thing most of them don't have any 12"s. No need to waste wax. I'm barely feeling any producers. Yeah they're cats with skill, talent and decent product. It doesn't mean "I" FEEL your music. I'll give credit where due. New or old, these "artists" need to step it up. I'm uninspired and getting really lazy right now. I don't feel the need to share new music. Of course Jnota will force me to, but I'm beating around the bush until I hear something motivating. My new stuff stays home til then. I've lost my excitement. Thanks for reading. Sure the hate mail will increase.
"If I don't like it. I don't like. That don't mean that I'm hating. I just wanna elavate..." Common is wack too. I don't care who or how nice you are or were 10 years ago. If your current recordings suck, then that's my verdict. I have a long list.
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27 comments:
This makes me reealllly sad because it's hard to find a bunch of new music that is good which is very true. I'm running out of great hip hop records from the 80s and 90s to find and bump. Your music is pretty much all I have to look forward to when it comes to new music. I guess I will just have to entertain myself with my own stinky beats until you feel its right to release your stuff. I respect everything Damu does, and I just hope I get to hear your stuff in the near future because I don't think my music would ever come close to yours since you are the reason why i got a mpc. Anyways, I hope someone can inspire you too release your stuff. Thanks for all your music, and bringing that real hip hop to the 21st century.
i wish you were more positive damu, you are an artist who i really respect. just trashing other peoples music, no matter how shitty it is is just low in my opinion. still i respect your decision to step back from the game for a bit, i look forward to your new music whenever you feel like sharing with us. peace and love
i absolutely understand damu, because i feel like him for about 10 years now!
what i do is digging for old music that's hot. funk, soul, latin stuff, jazz etc. this music is exciting me for years now. so i'm switching between originals and my 90s hiphop favs.
but on the other hand, i was excited like back in the days when i found damu's clips 2(?) years ago. was like there's somebody who really shares my taste. so i think that's what makes damu special AND important for the last survivors of the hiphop music. so, i can understand his depression about music today. i'm ok with it, because i had this period about music like 8 years ago. but he shouldn't underestimate his influence and you could say importance for beatmakers and lovers of the original hiphop sound. and his career hasn't really started yet.
and his critics about producers and mc's are right!
premier & pete rock are legends/pioneers of hiphop music, but today they sound just wack. just like common and nas are wack artist today. there shouldn't be restrictions of criticism just because i love their old work.
hope damu blesses us soon with more of his inspirational work!
He's right to hate! I agree! They all suck in my book too!
I don't think it's low at all to trash the shitty music! I wish more people did!
I do hope you will continue making nothing but great beats(&rhymes)! Cause i need that inspiration!Like you said there's nothing else!
ok ok, long post coming...
i know a lot of people choose not to say what they REALLY think, but personally i dont see anything wrong with being honest and expressing ones opinion.
i think one of the more frustrating aspects of doing what damu does is that a lot of people sleep on his work, for a variety of reasons. we dont have any major affiliations and he's not producing songs for a "whos who" list of mcs or "up and coming" artists... and he's "not a rapper," like he said himself (ignore him, LOL), so unless your flying lotus, madlib or dilla, it seems that its kinda hard to get by doing instrumental hiphop. and thats cool, i mean, we dont even shop beats. he kinda does his own thing, and the result is great music (i think so at least) and the fact that you guys are here discussing it proves that there is an audience that appreciates his work. we dont have a publicist or anything like that.
we're kinda focused on our own stuff and building with the people who are most receptive, which obviously includes you guys.
it can def be a lil annoying to know that we can do something GREAT and that it might be ignored by many while someone else can come along and easily get far reaching get props for doing lesser.
but really, thanks to all of you for the support and for your time. we're looking forward to dropping new projects and RECORDS in the future and hope that with your support we can continue to do so.
we have a couple interested parties in our corner, so in addition to more redef projects, youll very likely see us doing projects with other labels too.
with that said, the new music he's been making is amazing... we have some ideas for upcoming projects, we've done photoshoots for some album covers, more revisions, we shot a whole lot of video content which you'll soon start to see, and of course we have some surprises on deck too, so its just a matter of going about it in a way that allows us to be successful and allows damu to leave his dayjob (im not leavin mine anytime soon in this economy!) so he can transition into a full time musician.
im excited about what we're doing and know you'll appreciate the effort, so while he could do spare times and overtimes all day, hes gotta do whats in his best interests.
thanks again to all of you guys and everyone else who helps spread the word and shares damus music.
please put someone else onto what he does and link em to some of his projects, thats all we ask.
wrapping it up, yes we'll post a new song and some video footage in a week or two.
thx again!
one question:
what is REALLY interesting me is how "oldschool" MCs, you know some of the 90s "legends", react on what Damus is doing. I don't mean just saying "hey i like it", but more if you really had the chance to get in contact with people like rakim for example and ask poeple for making a project.
is it more the problem of finding real acceptance and support from artists or are the major labels the hurdle to make a project with a "known" MC to really spread the word?
if you guys already got in contact with some "legendary" MCs, but their answers were "no, sorry", i can really understand your frustration about the situation.
I wanna see the long list. Maybe those artists will see it too and step their game up.
Normally, I would agree with you on this, but I have to say that by your logic, a lot of MCs and producers would fall under this "wack" category. My theory is that a lot of shit that people put out that are wack are actually done for the money. For example, I think that Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Pete Rock, Dilla, Madlib, and several other people who were celebrated in the rap game at some point are amazing. The one characteristic they all share, however, is the fact that they have all, at one point, put out a track I absolutely cannot listen to.
Here is a list of what I mean:
Great Dilla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyO2mQA2dUo
Not so great Dilla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=871pJcNrfKI
Great Fat Joe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=falp3jzyOOQ
Not so great Fat Joe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7qNAbcibZU
Great Busta Rhymes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p3y5dIwu4w
Not so great Busta Rhymes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K07H7o2aMCM
thanks jnota!
i really appreciate your off guard infos and these "hot" topics.
i mean i have to diss pete rock and a LOT of guys. because they came to a point where they are trying to make big bucks, claiming to make real hiphop and talking bout saving hiphop. bring back new york blabla etc.
saying there's a lot of fake hiphop they have to be the saviors. i mean the story sounds right to this point, but when you get in contact with them and ask for opinions about certain artists and lps, suddenly everybody is "dope" and well respected. even the dirty south artists or diplomats...
for example kanye west gets mad respect from pete rock to dj premier. what the fuck?! you'll se then that it's just a business concept that supplies a different customer base.
so, in my opinion it's fake bullshit, because they trying to get a huge piece of the cake by adjusting beats and even trying to copy or get influenced by artists and sounds that slowly destroyed hiphop as we knew it. it's always a dance on the razorblade in hope of having a hit by mixing commercial drumsets and electronic effects with some "real hiphop" ingredients. on the other hand they are trying to sell their product as the last stand for hiphop... seeing that even premier and pete rock did that i stopped listening to new releases years ago.
it made me sick when i listened to beats by diamond, buckwild nd showbiz from the 00's. i was actually shocked when i heard showbiz doing jiggy electronic beats on his 2005 (?) lp. so, the answers of the artists you got don't surprise at all.
especially the legendary ditc guys.
i feel like too many people really lost their backbone and still didn't manage with how much money guys like puff, jay-z, kanye made with hiphop. they still haven't regenerated from it and never will. the music comes into 5th position today. and i'm not talking about backpacking or idealism, but being who you are and having a backbone.
so, knowing that damu does it from the heart and for the love of music i have a totally different motivation to support. but of course, in first position comes the quality of his output, that is outrageous. so, in my opinion damu didn't had his big breakthrough yet, but for me he's the most important and influencial hiphop artist today since the first time i saw him at youtube.
s.bap
I had a panel of hip hop characters of the community (DJ, Rapper/Community Activist, Music video assistant) come in and talk and dropped gems on the class's hip hop questions.
When I asked if the art of creative sampling is much rarer these days, they all agreed that it is rare (they just said Dj Premier and Pete Rock are people they confident in).
Peace and keep doing what you're doing.
just for the record j.
pete rock is my fav producer of all time and i consider him as "genious" when he was in his long prime.
btw: would be nice if damu or others would pick up a bae or start a project with live/jazz musicians.
i really liked the jazzmatazz project until it wasn't jazz anymore but all kinda stuff.
s.bap
i hear u damu... u know i know all too well as im in the same boat... i feel like the panacea sound should be ut there more, and after the bullshit that happened with Rawkus and now Tasteful licks...its left myself and Raw P very jaded.... BUT i neevr got into making music to make anyone other than myself happy so as long as i like what i doing, and i do, hell...i love it! i wont stop, cant stop... word to P. Diddy!
i feel like we got a good fanbase, and we just need to cater to tham and all try and spread the word... as long a sim around, i'll make my music as well as the music i love and people i love and respect musically will get saluted and of course one of my fv people to aways support is my lil brother aka Damu aka Early D aka the street akrobat!
you and J nota got a good thing, keep pushing man and just do you... i have watched ya growth and honestly u inspire me to step up my stuff so keep soldiering homie!
Kyle
I feel what your sayin about the state of music, especially hip hop... Pete Rock is putting out a new J Dilla album with fresh beats in July. Hopefully once Ganja is legalized Music will change...
yo, much respect to damu for keeping that original sound and outstanding creativity. ive been makin beats for 6 years using just turntable, some dusty records, and my 2kxl. i definatly agree with damu, hiphop is just not what it used to be and i too shut myself out from all this crap music. but i do think as a hiphop community we should always stay positive and look to each other for inspiration and motivation. Damu has definatly motivated and inspired alot of cats out there. i too make music in the same way, i definately dont try to jump on any bandwagon, hype, or what is "HOT" right now. keep ya head up damu and release your work whenever the time is right....peace
i feel the same way, im tired of the state of music nowadays, i don't like it at all, but then when i tell people that, im looked as a hater, they're right, i am a hater, i hate garbage music
I definetly agree with Damus statement. Music blows nowadays and I havent heard a "classic" record been released in years.
But I really hope that Damu finds whatever he needs to make that good music because me and the people who loves and appreciate quality music gotta hear it to keep flame burning.
Personally Ive stopped listen to hiphop because of all the pollution going on in the music biz.
I really hope that Damu can turn the lack of motivation into something really powerful.
Make an instrumental diss to the whole industry is my advice.
Peace / Fred
I feel you on that one Damu, especially what you said about Common, this is the guy who made love Hip Hop as a kid, and I see what he became and it fills me with sadness. Raashan Ahmad said in a song "What happened to my heroes?", and this is really how I feel for many years.
Bullshit is everywhere, creativity is slowly dying, Hip Hop is not what it used to be. And I don't give a fuck being called a hater, because my love for music is much stronger than that.
But this what I gotta say: fuck these wack Mc's and shitty producers. Let's do it for the love, just the love for music, this is what matters. If nobody hear my shit, it doesn't matter, I put my soul into it, and that's what it's all about. Givin' life a sense, and a direction, throughout music creation.
We are in the belly of the beast, and if we let the beast kills us, things will be fucked up.
So Damu, maybe things don't go as you wish, but just remember one thing, there are people all around the world, just like me in France, who love your music.
I first heard your beats on the Y Society Lp, and it made realize that Hip Hop was still livin', it gave me the motivation to keep doin' my thing and spreading the word about good music like yours.
We've got to organize this movement for good music, and this is my agenda in life!
Peace!
"please put someone else onto what he does and link em to some of his projects, thats all we ask"
Here is my suggestion: The Afeeliated. A Norwegian hiphop group, the stuff is dope!
My favorite track is "On My Way"
Check them out on myspace!
http://www.myspace.com/theafeeliated
Peace!
BRIGHT SIDE'S THE BIDNESS!!!!
I don't care what Damu seems 2 think of his rhyming skills, if u ask me I believe he's being modest but 2 say the least there ain't no one, & I mean NO ONE saying ish like "Negroes dissolve into niggas 4 the money, I evolve 2 something ... Prince of all things, the dark days are upon thee" WHAT!? Negro, u could've had the instrumental runnin' with u repeatedly saying Dark Days are upon thee & I'd be complacent... with those words it's almost as if you've revealed a revelation 2 me ... shit's dope being measure.
N e hoo, Hold ya head Damu I do understand where u r coming from on the note of inspiration but I ask if you decide 2 power down ya MP what about the others that you inspire? In fact, I was watching Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins on Red bull music academy just yesterday & GAM said somethin' that rings true 2 your outlook on the current music scene & lack of inspiration...If you've heard n e of GAM music then you should know this is worth the gander if u have the time. Now that I think of it, what's up with collab'n with Stones Throw artist? They've got a bevy of dope artist there, hmm? how bout it?
Peace
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/video-archive/lectures/georgia_anne_muldrow_and_dudley_perkins__the_universe_according_to
y'all not gonna believe this http://www.zshare.net/audio/593765782f2255f0/
guru of gangstarr on autotunes, his career is beyond finished, he needas to get back with primo
Good LOOK!!!! ive got better ones up on my site..... lol http://Chokephotography.blogspot.com
hey damu checkout Blu's album below the heavens please i promise it will inspire and you ODed on common but i feel you
never give up
never surrender
I feel you 100%. looking forward to hearing some new shit from you.
It's the inevitable slide of artist into craftsman; what once was exciting and fresh has now down-moded into habitual product creation. I've been feeling this downtrend in music since 2005... the first year I was really completely bored with music. I think alot of what this malaise is based in is the lack of power and reciprocation that it music once used to bring when it was still a commodity that couldn't be stolen and stock-piled by millions of dilletante collectors. Bigger audience, great, but everyone's so busy trying to just -get- stuff that they aren't feeling it. That's another issue: people have no place to feel it anymore. Be it there's less motivation to go out (myspace into bars, desperation to connect has been diluted into mere consumption of "cultural events" and bottles, etc.) or feel enmeshed in a local scene (since the scene is always somewhere else, somewhere better), or there's a real and massive sense of disempowerment (same old issues being talked about in rap yet not a damn thing's changed, a million and 1 ways to bitch and boast has to get tiresome after a while; perhaps the medium has played out all possibilities for communicating ideas and needs to look to new topics and contexts in which it needs to apply itself since you've heard variation-x-to-the-z-power in so many ways for such a long part of your life...desensitization?), or just no time to even put hobby-time energy into enjoying/creating music because the stress and demands of workaday life seem to be constantly trumped higher and subsequently that little slice of air to breathe and grow has been painted as squeezing ever tighter(in general, and in broad public opinion, groupthink dragging us down; looking for the new-New, even categorical variables can get played out in one's mind after time).
Something's gotta bust and wide open, too. It's partly the world, partly you, partly the audience and scene, and who knows, maybe all new terra obscura has been found and just needs to be cultivated, cross-pollinated, and gene-spliced at an even more foundational and elementary level. Consider audiology research and acoustics-cum-neuroscience developments as new musical tools.
Maybe it's just a little mid-career depression. In which case it may not be the music at all but the nature of your personal life. Take stock, re-vamp, clean-up, and count your blessings on the beautiful days and especially the bad ones.
Much love and thank you for willfully standing up as a pillar of mindful quality against those that slouch in the name of mindless quantity.
word fam. agreeing with a lot of what everyone is saying. There are some gems out there being dropped today BUT you really got to dig for that shit, and I mean DIG FAM...its not as abundant as back in the day where there is literally endless gems to be found (12" indy rarities). My theory on the shit music today is that cats nowadays just dont do there homework. Because of the digital age, computers are making it relatively easy to make a beat with fruityloops and Reason, and all the other software. Cats think if they can navigate a web browser, update there blog and myspace page they can make a beat. No diggin ever involved in understanding what there forefathers have done. You gotta gain perspective on what has been done before so then you can find your own niche in what you want to produce/do. If at the end of the day you still want to produce club bangers fine, but ya gotta do some homework.
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