Landon Lands On Greatness in "Keep Pushing"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0rq8vEFGA0&sns=em

I haven't blogged here in a while. I've been in New York City working on KMCNY.blogspot.com, interviewing recording engineers and designing a high school music production class. It's back to local, solo sweat now that my GN Festival show is this weekend, but I was browsing my Twitter messages when Landon DeVon hit me up with this link.

Landon DeVon got my attention because of his voice. His YouTube covers feature him harmonizing with himself over Drake, John Legend, and Frank Ocean songs, sometimes via webcam, sometimes sans webcam and with a little more production.

This video, however, is strictly rap. DeVon uses his rap debut ("Keep Pushing") as a vehicle for a more edgy persona, and bashes hopefuls unwilling to grind and all too willing to complain about the industry climate. Langston "Arcani" Elvord can be seen dancing and hyping up the video as the song progresses, and provides contrast to DeVon's casual, un-rapper-like style of dress with his sleeveless jean jacket and OBEY cap.

That's not to say his style is bad. Individuality seems to be DeVon's trademark. YouTube commenters urge him to continue be himself. One user talks about the "chills" he used to get seeing Landon perform on stage. One thing is for certain, Madison wants to hear more.

Exclusive KMC Interview: Thomas Parkman AKA Lil Pacman talks mixtape delays, Chicago influence, designer clothes, and not feeling Ted Park

KMC chatted with Thomas Parkman, the hype man and recording artist behind projects with everyone from DMANDJA to DJ Victory.

Why are you holding off on releasing GAME 7 for the fall?

because i mean i just wanna really wanna take my time and do it right and make sure it bangs

Explain your work with flame the ruler and victory beatz

i been working with flame and vic since i was like in 3rd grade lol me and like 5 of my cousins made a song called yup in my nikes and every since then they told me that i had what it takes to rap so we been workin every since

If you could say one thing to people anticipating Live From Wisco or "Elite" what would it be?

man one thing i wud tell ppl is that the live from wisco joint is theeeeee best mixtape on the scene right now and it wud hard to top it cuz it has a major dj on it Trap-a-holics and its the only mixtape that he has produced in wisconsin but the elite tape is gonna have some of the hottest rappers from the midwest on it

What made you decide to take part in the Madison rap scene?

what made me wanna take part in the madison rap is scene is that i realized that every other rapper adedd swagg to it but i wanna add REAL to it because im from chicago and all ik is trapp and its how i actually live and when ppl see that they go oh Madison get it crackin too

Who are your main clients (producers, features, video editors) and how does your team as a unit contribute to the madison scene?

my main clients is my campaign first of all because thats who comes first like guttafoundation, soldier click, duce dilliotto YGF DmanDJA Black reedzand more but my main producer is DJVICTORY.. everybody contribute ion their own way because we all have different styles but if it came down to making one big track together it wud be fire cuz all our styles wud just compliment the beat

Who are your idols/influences in the game?

my idols in the game today is gucci mane TI Wayne my and my big cousins because they thought me the ins and outs f this game and what comes with it... and of course pac and biggie.

what brand names do you wear on a regular basis?

i wear true religion polo gucci nike i rock timberlands even in the summer lol ppl be lookin at me crazy out here when its like 90 ot side and i have on pants and timbs but its a chicago thing but i rock mixmatch designer

what is it that makes the madison scene unique?

what makes the madison rap scene unique is that all these rapper out here are from different backgrounds and when we come together and everybodys on the same page its real music and not that fsake shit,, cuz low key its alot of rappers like d.cord that can make things a waste of music and bring dead spots in the scene also im not feeling TED PARK right now cuz he dropped his group ARKND and i feel that was a bogish ass move to do.. and thats not being a real nigga but i do give him his credit when its due.

Shoutout to Thomas Parkman AKA Lil Pacman for participating in this exclusive Kid Melo Company Interview! Look out for Mixtapes Live from Wisco, Elite, and GAME 7

-KMC

Xyz - Dead Presidents (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9bSPzbqvs0Y#!

Xyz speaks from Italy; kills Jay-Z's classic "Dead Presidents" with sharp flows about smoking to stimulate his imagination, questioning his chances to graduate high school, self-evaluating and stressing about gaining exposure. He spouts: "Sad calculations reveal I won't see graduation, so fuck education kids can't wait to grab their diplomas impatient..." and his optimistic side quips back, "to me it's irrelevant cuz it's heavily evident I'm intelligent."

Even with the seriousness of the song, Xyz still doesn't ignore wordplay. He showers the track with lines like: "...get my weight up cuz I be so hot I'm burnin' calories" and "I stay above you pussies like a clitoris." Ah, the imagery.

The mix and the tone keeps it old school 90's New York, his trademark mixtape sound. "Cry it Out" is still my favorite Xyz track though.

Exclusive Interview with DJ Pain1

"Here we are with Pacal “DJ Pain 1” Bayley, a central figure in
Madison Hip-Hop who increasingly serves as Madison’s ambassador to the
upper echelons of the hip-hop industry.

Taken from his official site: “DJ Pain 1 is a Madison-based producer
(RIAA Gold-Certified), Violator All-Star DJ and educator. He has
produced songs for artists including Young Jeezy, Meek Mill, Chuck D,
Kirko Bangz, and Gucci Mane. He has also hosted notable mixtapes
including Trina's "Miss 305" and several volumes of Coast2Coast's
official mixtape series.”

How did you first get involved in Hip-Hop?

I was involved in hip-hop as a consumer for the majority of my life, maybe from age four and on.  I loved hip-hop music, loved listening to it.  I didn't know I could create it until age 14.  I knew some computer nerds in middle school, guys who were also musical and who had midi set-ups.  I tried making a few beats, then eventually started sampling at home and grew from there. 

What has been your favorite project so far and why?

 I like all of the projects I've been a part of, for different reasons.  

What is the importance of social media in your work?

Social media is the new arena for breaking new music, communicating with fans, building a fanbase and monetizing intellectual property.  This applies to all artists, so I'm no exception.  I started with youtube, as far as really promoting myself as a producer was concerned, years after I started making music.  It was inevitable and I wish I had started much sooner.

Explain your YouTube series about using social media to your advantage.

 

The concept is pretty simple:  I reveal all I know about self-directed promo and marketing.  I don't think the information I've providing in these videos can be found anywhere else on Youtube.  A lot of people will charge for that information or they will only give it out at conferences.  Keeping the information to myself wasn't making me any more successful.  Additionally, it would frustrate me, and it still does, to see so many artists wasting their time making bad marketing decisions with their music, spending their most valuable resource--time--on mass tweets or unsolicited emails, techniques that don't work.  I wanted to help if I could.  I hope I am, my knowledge is somewhat limited, but I share it.

 

What is your role as a producer?

Compose and "produce" music, have a creative vision for a song or a project.  But then I have to manage myself a lot, market myself, promote myself and keep my business organized.  That's the stuff I had to learn to tolerate.  I love music.  I'm not in love with being a business, but it's necessary.

 

What were your thoughts when The Recession went Gold?

I had known it was going to go gold after the first week sales numbers came in, so I wasn't too surprised.  I had to come to terms with becoming a professional producer a few weeks before the album was officially released.  It was a surreal feeling.

 

What is your role as a DJ?

To keep people happy at parties and clubs via my musical selection and mixing.  I really see it as simply as that.

 

What was your experience with Planet Jamz, your former radio show with 93.1 FM?

I believe that format, hip-hop mixshow on commercial radio, was something that had never been done in Madison.  It was great to be a part of it.  I was there for 4 years and I got to see a side of the music industry that I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise.  93.1 Jamz staff took a chance on that format and it worked.

 

What is your role as an educator?

My background is in Secondary Education.  I've worked mostly in pre-college and non-profit programs.  I've developed some production curricula for young people as well.  My preference is high school but I've worked with some elementary and middle school students, some of whom have become really talented artists.  David Yang and Colin Callahan, a recording artist and a producer respectively, are extremely talented.  I met them both at workshops I was teaching.  

 

What has your experience been like teaching Technology and the Arts?

Great.  I was able to combine two passions.

 

Explain the work dynamic between you, Shah and Ted Park and how
"Broadcasting Live" came to be.

That dynamic is still growing.  Shah and I have a good dynamic because it grew organically from him and I sharing the stage so often.  He would host parties that I dj'ed and so we just developed a rhythm and transferred it to other areas such as mixtapes.  Ted Park is somebody I'm still learning about.  Some of his friends were former students of mine, so they were playing his music for me years ago.  He reached out to me on his first mixtape and then again on his second.  He's growing, he's learning, and he's doing both really quickly.  I'm happy to be a part of his emergence as an artist.  Shah and him worked together independently of me, but since we're all connected, we had to converge.  

What is your role in the Madison Hip-Hop Awards?

My official title is secretary.  It's a big group.  We all have to wear a lot of hats to make sure that the events are successful.  It's hard to say what any one person's role is.

 

Who inspired you growing up?

It depends on my age.  My parents though, they are a constant.  Them and whichever artists whose music I was listening to.

 

Who are producers you look up to?

Successful ones.  I know how hard it is to be successful, musically and financially, as a producer, so anybody who has achieved that is somebody that I respect.

 

If you could collaborate with one industry artist you have not
collaborated with yet who would it be and why?

Mr. Jieber. 

 

 

If you could collaborate with one Madison Artist you have not
collaborated with yet who would it be and why?

Garbage... the band.  They're from Madison.

 

What makes the Madison Hip-Hop scene unique?

I'd like to think we're a talented group, but we're unique as a city just based on our size-- small but big.  I think the untapped talent label applies to milwaukee too, but you have the Jacob Latimores, Tanks and Rico Loves coming out of that city.

 

Who are hopeful young artists in Madison right now?

I'm sure there are a ton I haven't heard of, but the ones that I see making a big impact with social media numbers, shows and fan response are Ted Park, David Yang, Colin Callahan, and CME.

 

Rappers like Meek Mill from Philadelphia and Chief Keef from Chicago
are using social media to operate out of cities that are not
necessarily known as Hip-Hop hotbeds (at least not in the same echelon
as New York, LA, Miami, Houston, or Atlanta) Could Madison similarly
embody the "Small city, Big Dreams" archetype?

 

Madison doesn't have a choice.  Overall, artists in this city have a low web presence, and it's really tragic.  It sets the bar low.  Artists are wising up, but it's a slow process.  Really, it's the young artists in madison who really understand the importance of social media marketing.  I think the task of online marketing and networking is intimidating to a lot of people.  It's not easy.

 

What is the best advice you can give to aspiring music businessmen and women?

Learn how to learn.  Then start learning and don't stop.  And most importantly, implement the knowledge as often as possible.  There are books, conferences, online forums, videos, etc that teach artists a lot of important ways that they can focus their creativity into processes that benefit them as aspiring professionals.   

 

Where did you get the inspiration for compiling "Painkillerz" and
"Undressed 2" and what were your favorite tracks from each?

I thought they were catchy titles.  The "Painkillerz" title is funny to me.  I hate drugs.  The undressed concept makes producing sexy.  Sitting in a chair all day and hitting buttons and keys and pads isn't usually thought of as sexy.

 

Your beats range from orchestral (“Love this City”) to sparse and raw
(“Reppin for the Ocean”). Do you feel as though you are heading in a
certain direction stylistically?

No.  I need something to stick first.  I'm all over the place stylistically.  Once something really sticks, I'll be focusing more on reducing my scope and focusing my sound.

 

What advice do you have for producers and artists who wish to become
more versatile?

 

Input is output.  You have to listen and actually enjoy different kinds of music to build up your repertoire. 

 

There is a link to Scott’s Urban Wear on your official site. Explain
your ties to Scott’s Urban Wear and what they do for the Hip-Hop
community in Madison.

Scott's Urban Wear are huge supporters.  Scott is genuinely interested in seeing our city's hip-hop scene grow into something great.  He hosts a lot of benefit events and has donated to hip-hop related non-profit organizations and events.  He definitely deserves support back.  

Shout out to DJ Pain1 for participating in the fourth Kid Melo Company
Exclusive Interview! Visit his site http://www.djpain1.info/ and
download his Mixtapes "Undressed Instrumentals 2" and "Painkillerz
Vol. 1"

NEW ALBUM "ALL DAY EVERY DAY"

Kid Melo Company is not just a blogger site... but also a music production company.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-day-every-day/id539152988

For 3.99 purchase KMC's first independent album, "All Day Every Day" distributed by Makell Bird of ADE Distribution, featuring 7 tracks: Intro, All Day Every Day, Dippin', Grind, It's the Kid, Me, and When I Think About You. Singles can be purchased for .99. Stay tuned for music and performance videos!

Arcani's "Ghetto" Official Music Video

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=j3tgCHAhqco

Langston "Arcani" Elvord blasts this Jay-Z track with his unbridled lyricism and attention to flow. Done over DJ Primo's 1999 beat "So Ghetto," Elvord combines raw lyrics with internal rhyming to make the song dynamic and interesting. Although he talks about getting money legally ("clean cash") and getting educated ("rap is my second major"), "Ghetto" remains edgy: "Pockets flatter than a chick with no booty, n****s don't eat like cold sushi and no coochie" exemplifies the broke, hungry, sexually frustrated Pre-success artist.
Probably the most compelling part of "Ghetto" is the Acapella portion where Elvord manipulates Acapella into "Acapello" to rhyme with "my dad's a rat so I should carry gas like Donatello," adding to the angst of a song that lot of first-time Arcani listeners might underestimate. One thing's for sure: Arcani is not to be slept on.

-KMC

BlackReedz & Lil' PacMan "Northstar," "Elite," and "Game 7" Mixtapes Coming Soon!

Praises DMANDJA, disses DCord,  reps YGF Stuntgang, Shouts out Soldier Click and Chief Keef, Promotes Northstar/Elite/Game 7 Tapes that are coming soon!

Song played halfway through can be found on Hot New Hip-Hop:

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dmandja-foreign-song.862482.html

"Foreign" is a DmanDJA, Reedz and Lil PacMan song with offbeat snares and a super-based guitar loop produced by DmanDJA. The upcoming tapes, however, will be produced by Victory Beats.

Solo BlackReedz music can be found on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/blackreedz/blackreedz-mad-town-vybe?utm_campaign=timeline&utm_content=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fblackreedz%2Fblackreedz-mad-town-vybe&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=soundcloud

"Mad-Town Vybes" is an old-school sounding sampled beat, very anthemic and slow jamesque.

There is, however, a huge difference between these two BlackReedz songs, which leaves Madison wondering which will set the tone for the "Northstar" tape! (Or is "Mad-Town Vybes" a preview of "Northstar" and "Foreign" a Preview of BlackReedz & Lil' Pacman's "Elite"?) Stay tuned at Kid Melo Company anticipates these three tapes: "Northstar" (BlackReedz), "Elite" (BlackReedz & Lil' PacMan) and "Game 7" (BlackReedz and Lil' PacMan).

"Brighter Pasture" (Official Music Video) by K.I.N.G Kronos, his bandcamp project, and show at Inferno

Don't be fooled by the production value on the video-- K.I.N.G Kronos is a true poet and a huge contributor to Madison's Underground Hip-Hop scene. Check out his project:

 http://kingkronos.bandcamp.com/ - Download Rings Of Saturn Volume #1 : Tangible Metaphysics


Also don't miss K.I.N.G Kronos' show on 6/13/12 at 9PM at Inferno in Madison!

"It's the Kid" Music Video

I don't own any of these clips but they are arranged by yours truly to fit the title song of my upcoming album "It's the Kid." Tweet me what you think @KIDMELOCO!

-KMC

Datpiff Link to Ted Park's mixtape "Broadcasting Live"

http://www.datpiff.com/Ted-Park-Broadcasting-Live-mixtape.353386.html

Madison Hip-Hop Heads,

In all the excitement I forgot to post the download link to Ted Park's mixtape "Broadcasting Live" hosted by Dj Pain1. Over here at Kid Melo Company we apologize for all the pain it caused you.

-KMC

Exclusive KMC Interview: Ted Park talks the Fall Mixtape, Get Your Buzz Up interview, and Upcoming Performances

KMC: "What's the most recent state of your come up?"

TP: "Ted Park is rocking solo now. Going in with Pat and Fable though. It's gonna be a crazy summer."

KMC: "That's for sure, any idea what's in store after opening for Future on the 21st?"

TP: "Yeah we got a showcase in Rockford and we're opening for Juicy J, Chip the Ripper, and Smoke DZA in July."

KMC: "That's whatsup, any album prospects post-mixtape?"

TP: "Lowkey... I'm working on a fall tape."

***Parts of this interview could not be included for confidentiality reasons. Let's just say this: look for mention of Ted Park's fall tape, "Ambition," in big places.***

TP: "Also getting an interview in getyourbuzzuptv who interviewed Techn9ne, Diggy, and Big Sean."

Shoutout to Ted Park for being part of the Third Exclusive Kid Melo Company Interview! Look out for the second part of the two-part review of Park's mixtape "Broadcasting Live" hosted by Dj Pain1 and coverage of the Future show at the Rave including vlog posts.

Ted Park's Vlog: Opening for TECHN9NE and Machine Gun Kelly

Ted Park and Patrick Swift rocked the Rave in Milwaukee, WI not once, but twice! Starting with opening for Yo Gotti on May 26th and a week later opening for TECHN9NE and Machine Gun Kelly June 3rd, these two Madison artists are starting to sprout wings (in light of the "overnight success" feeling being experienced though, "ignite" is probably a better phrase). Upon disbanding his group Arkanoid, Park started a personal come up mission and will be opening for Future with Patrick Swift and Gabe Burdulis June 21st at the Rave. NEXT POST: Kid Melo Company interviews Ted Park about Summer and Fall 2012; big things coming for Madison rap.

-KMC

PART 1: Review of Ted Park's "Broadcasting Live" Hosted by DJ Pain1

     Dj. Pain1 (Pacal Bailey) hosts Ted Park's Mixtape "Broadcasting Live," and introduces himself as a Coast-to-Coast DJ representing 608 Music and Ted as repping Arkanoid in an echoey intro that segues into the second track, "Goodmorning," with vinyl scratches and shouts from Mark "ShaH" Evans AKA Mr. Get Your Buzz Up. "Goodmorning" is a sparse sample-and-hi-hat beat with staccato dial tones. Ted talks about baking up in the morning and drops a FIFA reference between DJ shouts and alludes to his balls at least three times before the scratches transition back into the sing-song hook. Park is torn between criticizing the industry that he feels represses young artists and smearing other young artists that don't walk the walk and continue to try to dampen his "come up."
     In "Dat Ass," which sounds like a transposed version of "Goodmorning" with some hot snares, Park recants and says "no disrespect to the other Madison cats that I work with... just these gimmicky dissin'-ass rappers that can't get on my level and shit." The beginning is him ripping on the rest of his competition though, describing what he sees as the "rap Special Olympics." Park vents about kids in his school who knock his credibility because he's not hood. Park just replies at 130 miles per hour: "Stop the nonsense like fat people calling people fat drinking chocolate shakes" and goes on flowing.
   "Go Home" is a hi-pass, autotune ballad with emotional synths that float across the track as Park sings about a girl he once had who wants to return to him now that his career is panning out ("Now she at my door because she see me counting money"). He launches into a bitter, distorted flow, sarcastically declaring "I guess no one else can be successful if you aint," and then explains that he found a good girl and is afraid of other people ruining what they have together. The hook softly ushers the song out and is interrupted by the transitional vinyl, which explodes into "Lights please."
     Suddenly a chipper, head-bobbing drum loop and a chopped horn stab enter, and J. Cole greets "Broadcasting Live" listeners before ShaH's "DAMN THAT HURT!" war cry reverberates into bar one, verse one. Ted starts with some sound advice over the piano chords that replaced the horns: "Now listen bro, never fall in love on the first date, these hoes just want a trending topic..." The rest of the verse is almost a rehash of Park topics; mistrust, killing beats, social confusion, girls, and success are analyzed and allegorized. Hook. Golden. Singing, not forced. The second verse is equally refreshing and deepens the scope of the song, especially when Park expresses frustration at his dad working overseas and mom not supporting his music.

"Payphone" new video by Ted Park

Ted's sorrowful falsetto cuts through on the intro talking about family and then launches into a lightspeed flow about eviction, alcohol, alienation, and struggling to "come up" in the music business. He promises "not to take a hit until he makes a hit," and sits by the lake contemplating whether his work will pay off. The vocals in the hook are pretty processed, but still strong. Park's flow is good and his lyrics are meaningful but sometimes I feel like the beat is too pop-infused to support it (it is, after all, a cover of Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa). The pain, however, gets across perfectly. Park straining his voice into the phone and spitting rapidfire lakeside like he's trying to come up with explanations makes the song seem very confessional. He even appears to be crying during the verse when he adjusts his glasses.

Cheer up Ted, you've got a new mixtape!

-KMC

"They Don't Get It" by C.A.M

Support the youngest in the game. 

7th Grade

Cam Moss AKA C.A.M

Cam gets lyrical and spits about the stresses of being young and being misunderstood

"Loud" by C.A.M (Official Music Video)

Bump C.A.M.'s remix of Mac Miller's "Loud." The initial "Strawberry Fields" Beatles sample is raw too. Cam Moss is a seventh grader in Madison with a talent for rapping. Subscribe to his YouTube channel OfficialCam100 and follow him on twitter @CAM_10000. Support the youngest in the game.

-KMC

"Nifty Fifty" Official Music Video G-Breez ft. IG

Already wrote about this song but here's the Official Video, enjoy.

One extra line I noticed was "Hoodie, ice tea, and some motherfucking candy... don't shoot George please don't shoot, I'm just a young teenager just doing what I do," which is a brilliant Treyvon Martin reference.

-KMC

Kid Melo Company Exclusive Interview: Xyz talks music, clothes, growing up in Sicily, food, reading the dictionary, and more!

KMC: "How do you contribute to the Madison rap scene?" 


X: "Even though I'm not originally from here and don't 'rep my city' I still support dope emcee's from Madtown. If you dope you got my respect and support! I make beats, rap, and record my own stuff. At times I definitely promote my crew's music and other rappers I'm cool with." 


KMC: "Who are your idols and influences in rap? Who are your mentors?"  


X: "Pretty much all my idols are my influences. Az, Big L, Nas, and Elzhi inspire me a lot and I really look up to them. And I guess you can say my crew are my mentors, goes from Commited, Ted Park, M-Free, Mi-T Flow. We are all each others' mentors you could say." *Laughs* 


KMC: "Who are your favorite producers and what are your influences outside of rap?"    


X: "Dj Hi-Tek, 88 Keys, Lord Finesse, Dr. Dre, and Stoupe. And I listen to a lot of soul since I also make beats and look for samples. But just about anything that sounds cool and has it's own flavor to it, bump it!" 


KMC: "Like what?" 


X: "Roy Ayers! That man's songs got indescribable chill vibes!" 


KMC: "What brand name clothes do you usually wear and what books and TV shows do you read/watch?" 


X: *Laughs* "I tend to wear a lot of Zoo York shirts, but also Nike. Even though I don't like reading, I would have to say my favorite book is the dictionary... I'm weird as fuck I know. And as for favorite TV shows-- Jackass, Family Guy, the Cleveland Show, Chappelle Show and Spongebob!"   


KMC: "What about food?" 


X: "Of course pizza boy, all that Italian shit. Ramen noodles... and that's it." 


KMC: "Okay. I have a ton of Italy questions." 


X: "Go ahead man I love interviews." 


KMC: "How old were you when you moved to Madison and what are your most vivid memories of Sicily?" 


X: "Man, I moved to Madison when I was about 11. Barely knew english *laughs* hard to imagine, but yeah the most vivid memories... my family and being a dumb ass kid getting in trouble with my friends. Exploring abandoned houses." 


KMC: "What was your first experience with music? How do you think 11 years in Italy influenced your music?" 


X: "Music has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I first learned the basics of playing the piano thanks to my uncle when I was about six and gradually mastered playing it by ear. Then my music just took off from there. I feel like where I'm from has really shaped my character in general. And the environment I was brought up in made me an aware individual but also the struggle puts that real touch to my music." 


Look out for Xyz's mixtape "White Rappers Suck," a project we will be anticipating via blog and hopefully dropping some singles! In the meantime, big ups to Xyz for the third Kid Melo Company Exclusive Interview. 


-KMC   

"Nifty Fifty" by G-Breez feat. IG

Gabriel Taylor AKA G-Breez and Irvin Gibson AKA I.G. exhibit their rapping versatility on "Nifty Fifty" off the upcoming mixtape "Hungry For The Fame," spitting over a soulful synth-piano R&B joint like it's nothing. After a long intro telling his partner Dman to shut up, Breez steps in talking about his musical roots from his dad who "always plays the sax" on the Southside of Chicago. After a hi-pass hook, Gibson flies through a second verse about getting brain and partying hard.

The best part of the song is verse three, when Taylor drops a Tiger Woods, Stanley the Steamer, Muhammad Ali, and Dragon-BallZ reference, then ends by saying "Crazy fast young n***a breathin' CO2, if I gotta take a piss, I'ma pee on you, just kiddin' sense of humor n***a this is how I do."

-KMC

P.S. Look out for "Hungry For The Fame" Mixtape download links from Young Swagg Militia via Kid Melo Company

"Go Home" by Ted Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWai2FqGFds&list=PL331692253DA53511&index=1&feature=plcp

New Ted Park video-- as opposed to his based style Park brings out his melodic side on this Fatir instrumental. Confession-song talking about friends who falsely believe they're "still cool," telling the rumour-tellers to "go the fuck home." Movie effects are broader as well, as opposed to just adjusting the focus Park creates multiple images of himself in motion, and simulates rainfall, lightning and earth tremors to express the rocky emotions of a come-up rapper and dealing with the perceptions of friends, competitors, and partners.

Mixtape drops 5/20 hosted by DJ Pain1!

-KMC

"I'm All In" Jay Mal feat. Chris Jack

New Banger from JayMal feat. Chris Jack produced by DJ Victory off their joint mixtape: "'94's Finest."

Mal and Chris talk loud, rocking Polo and Levi, Madison beef on this Luger-esque Victory beat. Chorus effects on the vocals and piano panned to the left as well as the crashes at the end make the production unique although the hi-hats and arpeggiators leading into the hook make it really Lex.

The best line is reiterated every hook talking about fucking a "dumb broad with a smart phone." Should put vivid pictures in listeners' heads, because let's be honest, we all know one.

-KMC

P.S. Somebody hook me up with the mastermind behind cover art

P-Swift at the Rave May 26th!

Percell Swinney AKA Patrick Swift is opening for Yo Gotti at the Rave in Milwaukee, WI Saturday May 26th! DM @producedbydhoot on twitter for tickets, they're going for $25 each.

-KMC

"Life Vs. Living" Ted Park feat. M-Free

Ted Park flexes his videography muscles on "Life Vs. Living" and throws in a feature from his Arkanoid Music Group; the Afro'd, lispy emcee M-Free, who comes in with a heavy, low flow, spitting out that he "handles bars like handlebars." Dope. Park also shows off some of his Based dance moves when he's not rapping. There's a slick few seconds of autotune reminiscent of Park's Drake covers, but mostly he goes hard, criticizing people who think he's a "carbon copy of these YouTube, yellow emcee's." You be the judge-- rap game Jeremy Lin?

-KMC

P.S. follow @ARKNDMusic on twitter and subscribe to TedParkOfficialMusic on Youtube for more.

Anticipation Mode: Fine Arts Week footage

This week was Fine Arts Week at Middleton High School and we are waiting for video footage of both our Hip-Hop Production Demonstration and Patrick Swift's performance of "Whenever I Ride" and "Unforgettable."

Follow @Patrick_Swift @producedbydhoot and @KIDMELOCO on twitter for more info! Watch out for #FAW tweets.

-KMC

"Mothafucka Up" by Xyz (Prod. by Cheko Productions)

Madison-Based Sicilian Rapper Xyz goes in on this Cheko beat originally used for Young Money's Tyga and Nicki Minaj, dropping references as far as "Bitches in Italia" and as local as State Street, talking being underground and offensive, taking risks, and being "the only defiant dude" in rap. He leans towards dark punchlines about midgets, wheelchairs, and bible-burning and proves that he doesn't need to like pop music to kill a Top 40 artist's beat.

"Rigamortis Freestyle" by Ted Park

Ted Park goes off on Kendrick Lamar's "Rigor Mortis" and shows us why he called his group the Epic Flow Movement before they emerged as Arkanoid Music Group. Let's get this 1,000 views! Don't forget to follow @ARKNDmusic on twitter.

-KMC

"Could You Imagine" by G-Breez of YSM

G-Breez of Young Swagg Militia follows up with an emotional, lyrical track about family and friends over an orchestral instrumental. The imagery is reminiscent of a drawn-out daydream. Breez remembers everybody who loved and hated him and the mental pressure he gets from chasing fame.

"I been goin' crazy, I might have ADHD... shit I've never owned an HDTV. You say you love me, but you have never seen me." Expresses the disconnect between true friends and people who are just followers.

Stay tuned as KMC anticipates the Young Swagg Militia Mixtape: "Hungry For The Fame"

Also follow @KIDMELOCO on twitter and watch for #H4TF tweets!

-KMC

Music. Matters. Most.

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/arcani-music-matters-most-mixtape.51261.html

Link to Arcani's "Music. Matters. Most." Mixtape!

Arcani's "Night After Night"

East High's Langston Elvord AKA Arcani's track "Night After Night" off of his upcoming mixtape "Music. Matters. Most."

Talking about loss and musical aspirations, the fear of losing his passion for music, being dependent on promises from supporters, and relationship problems.

Arcani's flow purposefully lags when he wants his words to sink into the listener and when his flow quickens you can feel the urgency in balancing his love for music and his love for people. He feeds off of the emotional instrumentation in the background and pauses at the right time to let the strings and the pitch-shifted samples dance over the hi-hats.

Too real.

-KMC

First Event Notice: Banger!

2005 Leland Drive is where it's at tonight folks! 11:00. In celebration of Alex Teuschler's Birthday. Peep his music and music videos at YouTube.com/alt1music. Playlist suggestions by yours truly. Also, tweet me your suggestions @KIDMELOCO!

-KMC

Happy 4/20! Sorry for the delay.

We've got new shit from Young Swagg Militia on deck plus plenty more Patrick Swift material and an upcoming interview with Commited! Your plate will be as full tomorrow as your bowl was today. Also, don't forget about my music production demonstration Monday morning! In the meantime, Happy Holidaze.

-KMC

"Bad Bitches & Good Weed" by JayMal and Chris Jack

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jaymal-and-chris-jack-bad-bitch-s-and-good-weed-song.755490.html

JayMal and Chris Jack hit #8 on HotNewHipHop's Top 100 with this straight banger off of their upcoming mixtape "94's Finest" hosted by Dj Double D. Mal talks copping 3 pairs at footlocker and getting trippy while double-cupping it, then being so hot he messes up the "lames" plans in life. Oh and the hook is fire. Produced by Demario.

-KMC

"Too Real" JayMal ft. Chris Jack prod by Dj Tank and Jayk

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jaymal-and-chris-jack-too-real-prod-by-dj-tank-and-jayk-song.782961.html

"Why you mad cuz you ain't got stacks in yo' habitat?" Mal and Chris Jack are straight animals on this Dj Tank beat. If you don't mean mug while listening to this you're softer than a pillow. I'd say more but I've got to download it and see if I can knock the rear view mirror off of my Honda.

-KMC

"One Night" by Commited

Ebraheem Haneef AKA Committed uses this instrumental from "The Game" to vent about the death of his friend. Hip-hop is his outlet for his worldview and philosophy. Interview with Committed comes tomorrow.

DmanDJA talks life, lyrics, clothes, family, tattoos, class, disability... ok everything! With KMC

KMC: "Ok, before we start I've got a couple lyrical questions. Verse one of 'Hold Up, Stop, Wait' has you talking about snapbacks and tattoos. Made me pause because whenever I've seen you I've never seen tats. Do you have tattoos and I just don't know about it?"

DJA: "On July 13th I'm bout to. But yeah I'm getting my bro's initials tatted on my left shoulder 'cause he has my initials tatted on his right shoulder. 

KMC: "Alright, another lyrical question. On 'Trap House,' you say 'disabled don't mean impossible, just not as able as possible.' What do you mean by that?" 

DJA: "It's about how everybody has a disability whether that be mental, physical, social, psychological, financial, etc. and that doesn't mean that life is impossible it's just a setback that's bigger than an obstacle but depending on willpower and hard work is at least partially able to overcome." 

KMC: "Do you have any personal disability?" 

DJA: "I have ADD, and some other stuff, but yeah mostly due to my social class and circumstance growing up in the "hood" people always labeled me a loser and lame and shit." 

KMC: "What programs do you use to record and where have you performed?"

DJA: "I use mainly mixcraft and FL Studio. I've performed all around the Madison and Middleton areas but my favorite performance and probably biggest so far was when I opened for Grammy award-winning legends Bone Thugs N Harmony at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI on June 20, 2011. 

KMC: "What are your influences outside of Madison? i.e. Rappers, singers, clothes and if you had to choose a favorite line of yours what would it be?"

DJA: "I don't really have any influences that are famous, my influence is my brother because he definitely played a huge role in how I developed socially growing up as a kid. I wear A LOT of Ralph Lauren Polo, Osiris, Nike, and LRG but I don't strictly stay to that it's just what you'll usually find on me. And I don't think I could choose one favorite line because I'm really a lyrical almost punch-line rapper and I'm also versatile so I have lines I like because they are real and I like other ones because they are tricky and clever and mean so many things at one time then I like different likes because they sound cool and unique." 

KMC: "Lastly, if you could collaborate with one other Madison artist, who would it be?"

DJA: "If I could collab with ANY Madison artist it would hands-down be F. Stokes, who I have actually talked to about doing such a thing with, if I had to choose a favorite rapper it would probably be him, he's the only real rapper who has had a lasting personal impression on me, I respect the man highly, and I think his talent puts almost all, if not all, other artists to dust in my opinion because of what he brings to the table. But I love collaborating and there are a ton of artists around here who I give respect to." 

KMC: "One more question-- why did you choose the name DManDJA?" 

DJA: "DMan is my nickname and initials are DJA, put them together and you get DmanDJA." 

Shoutout to  DManDJA for participating in the second Kid Melo Company interview. Look out for updates on his releases and performances! 

"Wait, Hold Up, Stop" and "Trap House" by DmanDJA

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/song.774946.html

I don't always listen to DmanDJA, but when I do, I listen to "Wait, Hold Up, Stop," his new banger that starts off with D's profession of love to all his listeners followed by a well-put-together verse about tattoos, snapbacks, and girls.

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/song.779885.html

He also released "Trap House" onto HotNewHipHop.com, stating it was a 'Super Hot Banger about life in the lower social class.'

After listening to both KMC had a lot of questions for DmanDJA about life and lyrics to be addressed in the next entry

-KMC

Interview with West High School's BlackReedz

KMC: "So how are you involved with the Madison rap scene?"

BR: *Laughs* "I'm always on the scene... I like a lot of local rappers and I'm one myself."

KMC: "What style of rap do you do?"

BR: "Hot bars that relate to my everyday life. I'm dropping my first mixtape soon, NORTHSTAR."

KMC: "What programs do you use to record and where are you performing next?"

BR: "My program is ProTools. I first perform in a few weeks at West."

KMC: "What are your influences outside of Madison? i.e. Rappers, singers, clothes..."

BR: "My influences include Fabolous, Wiz, and Chris Brown. As for clothes *Laughs* Polo and Northface."

KMC: "Lastly, if you could collaborate with one other Madison artist, who would it be?"

BR: "Rapper Xyz he hot."

Shoutout to BlackReedz for the first Kid Melo Company interview. Look out for updates on NORTHSTAR and BlackReedz' West House performance!

01 RObo TUSsin BlackReedz ft Fable by Black Reedz

01 RObo TUSsin BlackReedz ft Fable by Black Reedz

West House rappers BlackReedz and Fable go nuts on this psychedelic Flying Lotus beat. This track is a lyrical weapon: "She say she want another go, so I greet her in my Samurai bathrobe puffin' on some hash grown in Hawaiian ash..." Flies out of Reedz mic after Fable duets on the hook with a low-pitch voice extolling the virtues of "Robo Tussin." Funny the Robo is separate, later in verse 2 they drop an Optimus Prime reference. Fab and Reedz keep it laid-back but still remain clever and edgy wordsmiths. All 5 minutes of it is worth your time.

"Flamboyant (Freeverse)" by Xyz

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdCpaxhl6R1g&v=dCpaxhl6R1g&gl=US

Take it from Ian Evans AKA Xyz, a Madison-based Sicilian rapper: he has a story to tell. As you can probably tell from the name, he's all about linguinstics-- the rhyme schemes in this Freeverse "Flamboyant" don't disappoint.

Review of B. Ortiz's "The Pre-Tape"

This afternoon, recovering from a fever, I decided to finally tune in to Brendan Ortiz's latest internet release, "The Pre-Tape." Here's a guy who asks for 200 Facebook likes before a release and gets more. And there is truth in popular belief: dude has bars.

The tape starts with "Motivation," a low-key intro rapped in Ortiz's low sing-song vocals over a slower version of a standard industry beat. By starting with "It was all a dream, but I made it a reality,"Ortiz sets the tone for one of the more thoughtful tracks in his latest 7-song arsenal. It's not that he doesn't revert to his ongoing banter about money, sex, basketball and getting faded. It's just that the images he conjures up about posters of his idols in his high school locker, telling his friends he's about to "make it,"and handing out mixtapes at the gas station make us feel like we're listening to a person rather than a persona.

The entire down-to-earth attitude is washed away in "Rip the Beat Up," which is not entirely a bad thing. B doesn't want us to get bored. He kicks it off by calling his "haters" pussies and snakes and then launches into a hook where he brings back the acronym "TSM" for "Team Stillmatic," a group that has evolved from a jerk squad with a Myspace page to a rap crew that has come to represent the Madison Memorial scene. The TSM movement came into question when Ortiz and his friend Mikey Smith had a short-lived beef, which caused Ortiz to drop the diss track aptly titled "Mikey Smith." The bottom line is, the TSM roster is fairly fluid, which explains the ushering-in of Kane-O and Vell, who inhabit the second and third verses. Kane-O is more nasal than Ortiz but manages to flow better than Vell, who would rather lay back and slur his way from verse three to the reprise of "up, up, up, up"(rip it, what's, throw it, what's, in order). The three make a cohesive anthem, and this track foreshadows the expansion of the Team Stillmatic tradition.

On "She Gon' Go" Ortiz brings out the autotune, voicing played-out sexual innuendos over a slow, rhythmic beat dripping with guitars. The harmonies on the hook give it a less sparse feel than the verses, and the deep-voice at the end declaring "Sip it up, po' it out, TSM, you know what I'm about," might justify the dragging tempo for Chopped-and-Screwed lovers, but this song is a little distracting from the rest of the tape.

Then, without warning, we are transported back to the sounds of 2009. "Get it in" is almost straight jerk music, which is what Ortiz thrives in. It begins with an orgasmic female hum looped to the sound of 808 bass hits and a hollow snare. Rico, who turns out to be another Stillmatic member, raps a boastful verse until Ortiz comes in with a "I get it in" chant that serves as a hook (this is where the girl-hum drops and we're left with nothing but bass, snare, and Ortiz. You can almost feel your jeans tighten). Then a megaphone-wielding voice comes out of nowhere and announces "at the crib we get it crackiiiiin, bitches only come 'cause we attractiiiiive." After another round of gettin' it in, the girl-hum re-enters and Ortiz drops the megaphone to rap about how jealous you are of how well his clothes fit.  He drops a Blake Griffin reference and proceeds to rhyme "clap" with "bad" and "we don't care" with "over here," finally landing at another hook and descending into a low-pitched coda where he poses the question "real n****s what's good?" before letting the beat ride out untouched for the last 30 seconds ending in the girl saying "I can't feel no better."

Imagine what she would say about the fifth selection off of the "Pre-Tape," "Something," where Ortiz channels his inner Usher Raymond over a down-tempo synthfest of a beat. Using a combination of pitch-correction and peaking vocals, Ortiz lays down a short, sweet love song that falls back on too many cliches. It's hard to see him try to form a smooth R&B personality when his rap alias is so raw and scrappy. Until he can sing as well as he spits, "Something" is hard to swallow.

"Two Shots" is by far my favorite. For lack of a better term, Vell goes in. Far from versatile, he sticks to a big, slow flow about Berettas and women on their knees. The lyrics are cutthroat: "She said she had no daddy so I named the bitch bastard" falls into a bed of bass-- while rapping along to it feel free to practice your mean mug. Then silence. "Its B... Yeah, uh. I remember when I used to rock skinnies in this bitch, err body tried to do it so you know I had to quit!" The rest of his verse isn't as good except the reference to controversy surrounding his age, a hot topic around State Tournament time in Madison as kids from other schools desperately searched for ways to degrade him over Twitter. At the end Kane-O steps in, ending the song a lot less hype than it started but still with a significantly tight flow.

The last song on the tape is "Miles Davis," named after the trumpet sample it exploits to create the most interesting instrumental on the tape. The first rapper fails to identify himself, but also fails to annunciate well enough to keep up with his flow. Then B takes the mic and talks about putting wack rappers in their place and attracting girls with his nerd swag. He even throws in a line about independent clauses before pronouncing the beat dead. The final words on the tape are "amen" followed by a staccato "swag."

Bottom Line: Rip the Beat Up, Get it In, and Two Shots are what keep this tape moving. B. Ortiz's attempted thoughtfulness at the beginning of the tape was quickly overshadowed by the aggressive persona we've come to know as "B." On the "Pre-Tape," Ortiz is still feeling around, flexing his mixtape muscles as much as he can before he has to decide what kind of artist he really is.

-KMC

"The Pre-Tape"

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/b-ortiz-the-pre-tape-mixtape.50705.html

HotNewHipHop link to B. Ortiz's "Pre-Tape."

Bout to go listen all the way through again and I'll hit you up with my official review.

-KMC

B. Ortiz and the Catch-Up Game

As the blog was just launched, we're catching up on a lot of material that has surfaced over the past couple years! Here's "Mistakes," one of B. Ortiz's first professional videos shot by Chris Herr Media. People like to hate on his complexion at the time and the quality of the singing but few make the mistake to sleep on Ortiz. He would later release his "Pay Me in Gold" Mixtape and is now absorbing the positive reaction to his 4-2-12 drop, "The Pre-Tape," featuring tracks like "Miles Davis" where he works out a flow unprecedented in his earlier work.

-KMC

DEMONSTRATION MONDAY

This semester I started an independent study focusing especially on music production. On 4/23 I'm demonstrating the basics of LogicStudio at Middleton High School in the Performing Arts Center in Middleton, WI. The demo will include:

-Making an instrumental from scratch
-Using Logic Plug-ins to customize MIDI sounds
-Recording vocals from scratch on the LogicStudio interface
-Mixing: panning, volume levels, vocal equalizer and effects
-Bouncing .mp4's and sharing your music online
-A performance version of the music created

It's The Kid (Single) #2H4TV

http://soundcloud.com/derekhoot/its-the-kid

"It's the Kid" by Kid Melo. Produced on LogicStudio. First single off the the album Too Hot For TV dropping summer 2012. Follow the hashtag #2H4TV on twitter for updates on it's progress!

-KMC

Pat Swift's "Unforgettable" remix from the "Mixed Up Feelings" mixtape

Shoutout to the homie Patrick Swift for this remix, truly hot. Lyricism is key so listen up. You can find Pat at his youtube channel MrPatSwift or his twitter page @patrick_swift.

Fun fact: Swift can party, and is known to throwdown on Fridays. He's also started making homemade videos and posting them on his YouTube channel featuring the rest of his crew, including Robo "Merch" Williams and Antoine "Bon" Buchanan.

Welcome Hip-Hop Heads

Kid Melo Company is your number one stop for Madison-Area rap, hip-hop and R&B. Most of our posts will be links and info about rappers, singers, beatmakers, designers, videographers and other young entrepreneurs contributing to Madison-Area scene. DM us on twitter @KIDMELOCO submit work you would like posted on the blog.

Sincerely,

-The Kid