When Coachella first started in 1999, Coachella was a couple of stages and a dance tent. Tickets were $65. A couple stands sold hot dogs and Cokes. Now, tickets start at $375. Gourmet menus and VIP packages. Coachella seems to take over the music industry every year, at their Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Coachella have always gave us great music and unforgettable performances.
You may remember in 2011 Coachella brought back the west coast king Tupac via hologram to join Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre on stage. Tupac also performed some of his classic's like "Hail Mary" and "Amerikaz Most Wanted". Even if you were fortunate enough to see Tupac live in concert while he was alive. Seeing Tupac even though it was a hologram I am sure it was a unbelievable feeling to see a legend along side his old label mates again. Coachella is also a good plateau for artist like Asap Ferg or groups like Blood Orange who performed at the 2014 Coachella, to expand their fan base. This allow for artist to get their music in a different market. It also help broaden listeners music horizons, listening to different artist and genres. This year at Coachella they once again flexed their power bringing out the some of the hottest artist like Pharrell Williams and bringing back one of the greatest rap duo's ever Outkast.
The legendary Outkast back together again on stage,my original post was gonna be "ATLiens", but i thought i should touch on Coachella as whole. The reunion of Outkast had everyone excited especially the hip-hop heads at this year Coachella. After a six-year hiatus Outkast finally took to the stage again. Giving us two great performances, at both cochella weekends performing their classic tracks like "B.O.B", "Ms.Jackson", and "So Fresh So Clean".
Jay Electronica is a rapper, but some my call him a Wizard, Poet, Activist, Philosopher, or a Preacher. I call him mysterious because you may know what most rappers are working on, or doing in their spare time but not with Jay Electronica. Jay Electronica first gained significant attention in the industry after the release of the musical composition Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), which was made available on a MySpace page in 2007 and has been called a "timeless classic" by Vice Magazine. It is fifteen continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion's soundtrack to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind where Jay showed his unorthodox style and deep revolutionary lyrics.
In 2009 he linked up with legendary producer Just Blaze and released two singles "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit C". "Exhibit C" which won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic and was my first in counter with Jay Electronica's music. The beat was what first caught my ear, produced by legendary producer Just Blaze you would of thought he'll save a beat of this stature for a multi Platinum artist and not a underground rapper with one mix tape with four tracks. As I heard it more and more I realized he was the perfect artist to rap over this amazing instrumental mixed with a Billy Stewart sample. Just Blaze understood only a special artist could make you forget how great the beat was and only focus on the incredible lyrics.
Jay Electronica was born Timothy Elpadaro Thedfordon September 19, 1976, in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans. Jay began rapping after hearing his nephew Akeem Pryor rhyme. By the age of 19 Jay Electronica left New Orleans to pursue his musical career. Living a mostly nomadic lifestyle, he found refuge in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, New York, and shortly in Atlanta. From club to club, and stage to stage, Electronica had gotten booed because of his Southern accent and slang. "In my earlier years when I first left home, I was embarrassed from being from the South," Jay said "not in general, but as a rapper because all of the negative things that people in the States put on the South."
Jay's career really took form in Detroit when he linked up with Detroit native Johnnie Last, a friend he had spent a lot of time with at Darp Studios in Atlanta. In Detroit, Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both the late great J. Dilla, and Mr. Porter. It is here that he recorded his Style Wars-era music with several J.Dilla beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. In November 2010, Jay-Z announced that Jay Electronica was officially the newest member of his Roc Nation imprint. Before signing to Roc Nation in 2010, Jay Electronica was a prospective signee of Bad Boy Records, a label owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs, with whom Jay is professionally close with.
Jay Electronica has yet to release a full-length album, but he keep teasing us with leaked singles. Recently he appeared with Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar on the "Control" track that had the rap game going crazy because Kendrick took shots at the upcoming artist including Jay Electronica. I still hold my ground saying that Electronica had the best verse on "Control" Kendrick verse was hot but if he didn't name drop it would of been another hot Kendrick verse. Jay leaked his first song in 2014 in March "Better In Tune With Infinite" Ft. LaTonya Givens. Giving us what he always do which is bars and knowledge combing the two so eloquently over a slow soulful beat with Ms. Givens harmonizing in the background. Now the rap game is just waiting on Jay Electronica to drop an album or another single anything to hold the fans off until he's ready to take the game over he has all the potential to, but will he capitalize from it do he want to?
This week I finally watched the rap battle between Hollow Da Don & Loaded Lux. If you know anything about battle rap or the rappers then you understand the magnitude of this particular match-up. This battle was long over due the fans been asking to see these to go after each other. Both rappers are veterans and well respected Hollow Da Don is very clever with his flow as well as his lyrics and Loaded Lux has a great delivery and conscious lyrics. Even though I watched the battle I still have not decided who was the best overall but they both represented.
Wassup this post just a update of whats been going in music lately. A lot of mixtapes is being dropped but the one that stands out the most to me is G.O.O.D Music artist CyHi The Prynce We Haven't Hear from CyHi since earlier last year when he dropped his 5th Mixtape "Ivy League: Kick Back". He finally gave us some of his brilliant ryhmes, crazy flows, and wild stories in his latest mixtape dictated to February Black History Month, its called "Black Hystori Project " executive produced by head of the label Mr. Kanye West himself blessing Cyhi with amazing beats and samples, they made a perfect collab to honor some of our great Black icons with songs like Huey, Nelson Mandela, and Coretta. On the other hand Rick Ross dropped his sixth album the critically acclaimed "Mastermind". With guest appreances from,Jay-Z, Jeezy, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Big Sean, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, French Montana, Diddy, Scarface, Sizzla, Mavado, and Z-Ro he's flexing how much respect he really has in the rap idustry bringing out some of the best artist for this project. I haven't had the chance to listen to the whole album but the tracks I heard has that B.I.G 90's bad boy feel to it. This album has alot of pressure on it after Ricks last album "God Forgives I Don't" was classic.
What's up bloggets I'll like to take this opportunity in Black History Month to shed light on some brilliant black musicians of our past. First great musician I'll like to talk about is Gil Scoot-Heron (The Godfather of Hip Hop) his name may not sound familiar and that's fine, it didn't to me neither until i watched his story on "Unsung" a show that comes on the TV One network that tells the unheard stories behind music artist. Gil Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s. Scott-Heron attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, inspired by his biggest influence "Langston Hughes" this is where he met fellow musician,who would become his partner Brain Jackson. Although Gil Scott-Heron never received his undergraduate degree, he received a Master's degree in Creative Writing in 1972 from Johns Hopkins University. His 1972 masters thesis was titled "Circle of Stone". He was a great a artist who didn't fulfill his potential but his work still has an impact and a timeless message that could be applied to my generation. Long story short his music was on such a level even now you tube wont allow his videos to play. Now why is that? He spoke the truth why can't that be shared with the generations to come.
Hello bloggets, don't really know how to address my readers so for now i'll call you guys and gals bloggets. Since this is my first post as well as my first blog it's only right I introduce myslef before I speak on the Grammys. Sup my name TorrDollas welcome to music on a dolla where I will speak my mind and tell the truth about music and anything containing to the industry or the artist in it. With that said I would like to speak on the blatant robbery and disrespect that occured at the Grammys this past sunday on national television, I still can't beleived what happend. Before I speak on the bad I guess i'll talk about the good. The performnces sunday was incredible and defintely the best part of the Grammys, mashing artist and different genres together like only the Grammys could, giving us some legendary performances from Draft Punk ft. Pharrell Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, and Robin Thicke and Chicago, but the performance of the night came from a grammy nominee who alot of people feel should of won both categories he was nominated in and a group who ended up taking a grammy home (well deserved). Kendrick Lemar and Imagine Dragon put on a show for the ages mashing together Kendrick's M.a.a.d City and Imagine Dragon's radioactive the performane was captivating, well executed, and even had Taylor Swift rocking in the front row. This performance shows Kendrick Lemar's range and that he can rock the stage with the best of them, plus he probably had extra motivation to put on a amazing show after being robbed out of two Grammys he deserved more than the winner. Kendrick was nominated for best new rap artist and best rap album he lost both to Macklemore. Hold up, I understand Macklemore came out of nowhere, built his fan base, and had a couple hit singles but is he even hip-hop let alone rap? I don't know who does the voting for the grammys but I need them to GET REAL! Kendrick was by far the best in both of them categories or am I being bias and over looking the creativity of Macklemore.
You may remember in 2011 Coachella brought back the west coast king Tupac via hologram to join Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre on stage. Tupac also performed some of his classic's like "Hail Mary" and "Amerikaz Most Wanted". Even if you were fortunate enough to see Tupac live in concert while he was alive. Seeing Tupac even though it was a hologram I am sure it was a unbelievable feeling to see a legend along side his old label mates again.
