Thanks to Afro Punk, I’m definitely feeling UK artist Andreya Triana and her voice. Her album debut “Lost Where I Belong” and his features her soulful elements. And yes, a curl spotter. We love the natural UK chics 🙂 Check out her live performance at Cafe Oto in London.
Check out her song “Lost Where I Belong” below. What do you guys think?
This past Monday I had a chance to sit down with Vallejo rapper, Moe Green, over Arizmendi pizza and what I thought would be just an interview turned out to be a very interesting conversation of goals, aspirations, and wisdom from an aspiring artist. Born and raised in Vallejo, California, Moe Green has given the bay area quite a buzz. With his debut album “Rocky Maivia: No Title Match”, Green shares to the world his thoughts and makes a statement with his performances. Moe Green has been featured in XXL’s September issue for “Show & Prove” and has been recognized by KMEL’s freshmen 10 for 2010. But he doesn’t stop there, Moe Green wreaks success and if you don’t believe him he will be sure to prove it to you.
Reesa: Where did you come up with the name “Moe Green”?
Moe Green: one day I wanted to paint my S. Carter shoes (when they were hot) so I flipped it around to “G. Carter” which is short for Greg but then I later changed it to Moe Green when I was listening to some God father samples and he was like “I’m Moe Green”. So I ran with it.
Reesa: When did you start wanting to pursue yourself as an artist?
MG: Seriously, when I was 15. That was the first time I went to the studio. I would always write raps in class during SSR (sustained silent reading) and just play around on my computer and one day my friend, this big rapper dude, read them and told me that I should start rapping. He invited me to the studio. And that day we did 17 songs in four hours.
Reesa: Wow. You did all of that? I want to hear some of those.
MG: No you don’t. They were crap (chuckles) I wasn’t rapping on beat, or had any flow, I had words but you can definitely tell that I have evolved as an artist.
Reesa: So I heard your latest project “Rocky Maivia” and I really do like your music and support you as an artist. When I saw you over the summer, I was able to capture a different perspective of bay area artists at the Fresh Steps event in Oakland. I like how you were really serious about what you were doing and you had the audience going.
MG: Really, thanks. I change up my set every show. I take so much pride on the shows because that is an artist’s calling card. So every show I critique myself and make sure it is perfect. The Out Crowd consist of my homies, and whoever supports me they come out and get me hype and make it possible each show.
Reesa: I told you what I think makes you stand out as an artist amongst your peers. But in your own words, what do you think makes you stand out as an out?
MG: I just told somebody that I play off the guilty pleasures. I was recently chillin’ with some people and backstreet boys came on and I knew all that words and it messed them up. They were like “How do you know all the words to backstreet boys?!” I don’t care, I’m just me. I want to represent that REAL human being.
Reesa: What are your influences?
MG: E-40, especially his son Droop-E. I’ve known him since this first day of pre-school. But as a kid I was really into MC Hammer. He’s an entertainer. My mom would not let me buy CD’s with parental advisory labels but E-40 was an exception. That’s where I get my entertaining influence.
Reesa: You remind me of Mase kind of. I remember him in the 90’s really just entertaining his audience. Putting on a show. I saw your interview with XXL in New York. How was that experience for you?
MG: It was dope; I can’t wait to go back. I love it out there. We were staying in the heart of Harlem and I met up with some kats that I knew. I met Dame Dash and had three shows. There were a lot of bay kats showing love out there. The New York crowd likes to post up but I was able to get the crowd moving. After that I performed a dope warehouse party.
Reesa: Now that your project “Rocky Maivia” has been released, what kind of feedback or responses have you been getting thus far?
MG: Surprisingly I’ve been getting a lot of love. Kats in the barbershop were playing my music, and my stuff is not really hood music that they would normally play.
Reesa: Do you put yourself in the category as a Bay Area artist?
MG: I’m an artist first. I don’t want to be just Bay Famous. My patnas and I call it Bay Famous, where you do shows every week and you’re just popular out here. I don’t want to be known as just that. But at the same time I want the Bay Area to notice me and give me that respect as I move forward.
Reesa: Do you feel that you have gained respect out here yet?
MG: Yes. I’ve got a lot of respect for my peers like Erk da Jerk, The Jacka, Mistah Fab, the Locksmith. It’s kats that I listened to that are noticing what I’m doing and now I’m on their level. Cause I definitely used to listen to their music on the radio and now I’m doing shows with them. It’s dope.
Reesa: like the song/video for “KIM” because it really defines you as an artist shows us that you are an every day guy with a hustle to follow your dreams. So, tell me a day in the life of Moe Green?
Moe: I wake up at 2:30 in the morning, throw clothes on and smash to Fairfield and go to work (FedEx) until about 8 am then I come home and yell at the Monique Show for a while. My studio is set up at the house, so when the house gets quiet I vibe out. I might dose off to sleep a few times. But no really, I’m constantly doing things like 24 hours days, working and doing my music. If you ever see me at Monday Soul just know that from there I go straight to work.
Reesa: Your grind does not stop. What your motivation to keep going? A lot of people will hit rock bottom with a hustle like yours. What makes you not give up?
MG: The fact that I don’t want to work at FedEx or sell fried chicken forever. I just don’t want to get caught up in a job; my parents always worked really hard and never really did what they were passionate about. I don’t want to get caught up in that so that what keeps me going. I want to enjoy what I’m doing for a living, and have fun all day.
Reesa: So what are you working on right now? Any Next Steps?
MG: I’ve got some shows lined up. And I’m actually working on this idea of my own TV show. I’m working on a page for video footage and to show my personable side even though I don’t like being in front of the camera and photo shoots.
Reesa: You should get used to all that, cause everyone is going to want to see you. Kudos to your XXL page. You were representing for Vallejo tough!
MG: Yeah, just like Wale put on D.C. I’m putting on for Vallejo!!
Reesa: What words of advice do you have to other aspiring artists who are working to achieve their goals?
MG: Just don’t be afraid to be you. If you work a job don’t be afraid to say it. I really liked what Janelle Monae said during her acceptance speech at the Soul Train Awards, “Don’t be afraid to be who you are”. That was a good speech, artists go through the same stuff. Don’t be afraid to love what makes you unique.
Let him prove it you:
http://www.twitter.com/MoeTheDreamer
http://www.facebook.com/MoeGreen
I’ve boycotted album reviews for a while now, but I had to give my girl Chrisette Michelle that respect she deserves. Her album debuted, Tuesday, November 30th and I absolutely fell in love again with her voice, look, and confidence. I’ve been a fan since the beginning and although I’ve heard a lot of her songs over the weeks I was pleased about how her album flowed on this cold November.
She gave ambitious women a bit of inspiration with “Number One” which I felt should be her next single. Lyrics exemplified a hard-working women being her one and only and loving oneself before anyone else. Chrisette has the ability to show her emotion through her dynamic voice range and its shown through “Goodbye Game” and “If Nobody Sang Along”. If I were to close my eyes I could picture visually how passionate she was about putting together these songs and because I can relate them to my own real life situations. She touches on being able to have her voice heard as an artist, and that could go a lot of ways with an individual who experiences freedom of expression. (You know those music videos where the girls is spending around and around in an open field with not a care in the world? yep that’s me right now lol) The song “Unsaid” has one of the best musical instruments, I love the guitar and the lingering effects kind of made me feel like I was in live concert.
Overall, I really appreciate Chrisette Michelle as an artist who has evolved over the years, everyone loves her and no matter how famous you think you are or regular you want to be you will relate to her music. Go get her album today, I dare you to prove me wrong!
Wednesday, December 1st, marks the 30th Anniversary of the AIDS campaign and there are many celebrities, organizations, and communities participating in this day to spread awareness. I have spotted a few that really stood out to me and may spark your interested.
Project RideRED:
The campaign begins with a series of organized and individual tribute rides on November 28, 2010. People from all over the world have committed to RideRED, meaning they will ride 30 miles (one mile for each year of known AIDS infection) while wearing red. These rides aim to increase awareness of AIDS and memorialize persons who died from AIDS/HIV. They will also have video pledges on their facebook pages to show a greater commitment to the awareness. You can send your video clips to info@projectred.org or upload them to the page. I think this one is dope cause not only am I apart of the “Bike Hype” it shows a different aspect of the community getting involved in a healthy and creative way.
“Hairdressers Against AIDS”:
500 hairdressers will take over the streets of New York City to launch their “Hairdressers Against AIDS” campaign where they will challenge other salon professionals, clients, and their community to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS. It will be sponsored by the L’Oreal Foundation D’Enterprise, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC). The participants will be dressed in red scarves, hats, and accessories and will hit the streets with flip cams to record videos of and testimonies in booths throughout Manhattan. If you are in New York, visit http://www.hairdressersagainstaids.com and get involved!
Celebrities turn off Social Networking to Raise Funds:
Artists like Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Kim Kardasian and even Justin Timberlake have committed to close accounts on social networking on sites like facebook and twitter until they have raised their desired amount of 1 million dollars in effort to promote awareness. Yes, fans will be abandoned but I think this is a great idea because there is so much marketing influences on social networking sites and fans and supporters should finally wake up and become more aware when they see there are less tweets or facebook messages. hmmm…
I can preach all day and every day but if you don’t get out there and get tested, you will never know if you are affected or affecting someone else. Enjoy your sex life, but just be healthy about it!
Raheem Devaughn puts a visual to his mixtape with the song “Single” and all I have to say is…….my GOSH!
If you haven’t already, download his latest mixtape “Jackin For Beats” at the link below:
I was doing some traveling a few weeks ago to Virgina and so when my mother suggested that I read “32 Candles’ by Ernessa T. Carter on the plane ride across country. I decided to take up on her offer and it was the best entertainment I’ve ever had 5,000 miles in the air. Traveling time was 10 hours and my eyes barely left the pages, as I read through countless hours cramped on southwest with peanuts and cranberry apple juice.
The main character “Davie” was very entertaining, and it was nothing short of a fairytale. The author redefined the “Girls Gets Boy” theory by building the story from Davie’s childhood until her 30’s so I was able to capture her dysfunctional relationship with her mother, to going mute until she moved to LA, and falling in love with her high school sweetheart that she used to stalk. I am not giving anything away at all because the descriptions and witty stories will take you on a roller coaster trough adolescent love, maturity, and life lessons that every women face growing up.
I found it very interesting that the author was able to paint a picture throughout the story of Davie’s natural hair. When she was a child it was untamed and everyone teased her about the way she looked but as she grew up and moved to Hollywood she didn’t buy into the perms and wore her hair in a big Afro. It will bring confidence to those who feel discouraged about their own looks. Not everyone starts out as the most popular girl in the school with the blossoming personality and the bright future. It’s not so often you come across black novels that portray the protagonist in such a way that all women can relate it to their own real-life situations. Ernessa T. Carter made sure to let the reader know that your fairytale will come true, you just have to learn to love yourself first and be comfortable in your own skin.
So if you are traveling this holiday season, or you are looking for a bit of entertainment to your mind, this will be a novel that you should pick up. Just check it out in the library!
From Thursday until Sunday baydestrains faced the winter storm to witness Oakland’s own Goapele at Yoshi’s restaurant and jazz venue in Oakland. Hands down, no beating around the bush; her band was amazing. The guitarist, pianist, bass player, and drummer definitely gave me a musical high this Sunday. I have never seen Goapele live so it was a treat to hear her elegant soft voice amongst her polite personality. It took a few songs for the crowd to warm up but after the first introduction of Dave Jackson on the keys, the audience began to clap their hands and sway to the rhythms that the handsome brothers were producing. Goapele gave us three songs from her upcoming album that she admitted to the audience she’s been working on for three years now. They touched on single-hood, love, and of course heartache. Goapele has the perfect voice when capturing true emotion in sound but when it came to stage presence I felt as if the band in the background took over tonight. The chemistry is there, and she’s still aspiring. Just give us that next album already, your fans are antsy!
Check out this clip from Dave Jackson on the Keys. This was on Saturday but he rocked the house just as good for us!
Photo Credit: Fred Shavies of 3680photography.com Check out all his latest flicks around the bay!
Lykke Li makes me happy. She’s definitely on the come up. Check her video for “Get Some” and tell me what you think?
Jazmine Sullivan really came with it full force with this video. Fellas if you were given “10 Seconds” to get the hell up out of relationship while you were strapped to a time bomb, how would you feel? You’ve got to really make a woman mad. Enjoy!
Take a listen to Alori Joh song off of her upcoming project, The Love Religion. The beat is dope. What do you think?
Reesa Speaks 