Tag: T-Ran

Hiero Day 2012 – Instagram Recap

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If you were in the Bay Area this past labor day weekend, I’m sure you heard of lots of events happening whether through word of mouth or on social media.  The cloudy skies opened up on Monday and not only did sunshine bring happiness to Oakland, but the first ever Hiero Day; a celebration of independent artists in the community, kept us in warm spirits the whole day.  People of all ages, races, and cultural backgrounds gathered in downtown Oakland on labor day for a day of Hip Hop (and no work lol) put on by Hieroglyphics; an indie music empire. I had to do my homework on this one but instead of the normal google search I took to Instagram to find out how you guys enjoyed #HieroDay .

Check out some of my favorite photos from the instagrammers that captured some of the festivities:

Photo Credit by @mofozvisualz

photo credit @fstopssf

photo credit @rakarene

 

photo credit Rod Campbell (Dope Only)

photo credit @timheezy

photo credit @omgadrian

photo credit @trackademics

 

and of course, lima. the peruvian street food.

P.S. You're probably wondering where I've been... had to get my life together as usual but I promise I will post more. Thanks for supporting me and asking about my blog even when I've been ghost!

-Reesa

T-Ran x Outside The Box: Still Dreaming (Mixtape)

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I usually test out my new music while I’m working out in the gym since it always the most downtime for me and my thought process seems to work the most. T-Ran released his latest project Outside The Box: Still Dreaming this past weekend and I could tell that determination, thought, and true emotion went into this project. For those of you who aren’t familiar with T-Ran as an artist he is an Oakland Bred rapper currently residing in Washington, D.C. where he is actively pursuing his career in music. He has recently opened for Big Sean at the New Parish in Oakland and set a high standard for upcoming artists that followed him. I have also had a chance to interview him in a previous post that you can check out here.  His drive and determination is what makes him stand out as an artist and I have become an instant fan upon meeting him.

I love how Outside The Box: Still Dreaming tells real-life stories, it’s like I’m taking a trip through his thoughts. “Heart & Soul”, “Ohh Baby” and “I Need You” seems to appeal to his female audience but it picks back up with his dreams and aspirations as an artist with “Still Dreaming” and “By Any Means”.

T-Ran describes his inspiration behind this mixtape in his own words as, “chasing my dreams really asking myself is it worth it…meaning music. I was in a place of feeling like I was doing this all in vain because of how much I was puting in and not feeling like I was getting through. I was feeling like I was fighting a battle that was set up for me to lose.  I’ve been rapping since I was 7, and as I continued to get better I was just feeling like I could lose my dream at anytime. But through it all I know that music is the only thing I could see me doing and thats where the “Still Dreaming” aspect came from. From me loving hip hop so much I could never give up on dream no matter what.”

So there you have it, regardless of your own circumstances we all have a dream and T-Ran truly shares his dream through this project. Take a listen.

Download Outside The Box: Still Dreaming here

T-Ran to Open for Big Sean at New Parish

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If you are in the Bay Area there is no reason why you should miss this event.  I had a pleasure to feature this talented opening artist T-Ran and I’m so excited to see him perform, it will be my first time.  I saw Big Sean at Rock the Bells 2010 so it’s gonna be a good show for all you Hip Hop lovers.  Check out T-Ran’s feature here

Doors open at 8 pm tickets are $25 THIS SUNDAY!

The Opening Act: The Dreamer x T-Ran

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While other artists are in competition to be different, Ta’Darrell “T-Ran” Randolph, Oakland native, has already won and is taking the next step by breaking the barrier for today’s Hip Hop music.  At a very young age, T-Ran first fell in love with hip hop after watching the movie “Kush Groove”.  Inspired by the talent and culture the film progressed, he was determined to make his love for music his career.  He began pushing his music freshman year of high school where he networked with artists and participated in local events in his community.  When transferring to Howard University (the other HU lol) his support system was so strong that he dived right into the scene, performing opening acts for homecomings and participating in events in Washington D.C.

“I am an artist from the bay, but I am not a typical bay artist,” he says as he describes his versatility to not conform to a certain genre.  With an opportunity to attend a school with all kinds of cultures from around the world, T-Ran’s exposure outside of the bay area is what shaped him.  By looking up to artists like Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Wale, and R&B sensations Pattie LaBelle and Usher, I would say that he has developed his own sense of music in the genre of Hip-Hop.  It’s very rare that you come across an artist willing to build its own brand in an industry that has all been recycled and reused.

T-Ran currently has a mixtape that has been out since March entitled  “The Opening Act: The Dreamer” which includes poetic stories created over recognizable instrumentals.  One of his first songs “Give it To Me” was inspired while working at his job for Nike.

“They would give me stacks of shirts to fold, so I started writing the first verse in my head to kill time,” T-Ran made sure that his voice was heard in and out of the studio.  Whether it is an on-air personality for Howard’s radio station or an internship for a business executive, his constant dream is on rotation to becoming a reality.

I always ask artists to share advice because with culture rapidly advancing, it is always aspiring to know one’s journey to their dream.

“If you always stay true to yourself more doors will be opened then closed”- T-Ran

For more info on T-Ran visit:

www.twitter.com/T_ranhiphop

and Download his latest mixtape here: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/en/view-album/424-opening-act:-the-dreamer