The Music Tip

Photography by Clay Duda

Written By: Clay Duda

Video and Director: Matthew Charof

Artist: Kalae All Day

Location: Harlem, NY

Release: “AFROMATIKNEOHIPPIEROCK*SOLEMUZIK“

Date: March 17, 2010

Genre: Hip Hop / Undefinable

Website: www.KalaeAllDay.com

“If you’re in the pursuit for being an artist for money just stop right now. Stop right now. Stop wasting our time. Stop wasting your time. Only if music is what you want to do for the rest of your life, and you would do it regardless of if it could make you money or if it could make you successful and all the other shit and glamorized nonsense that is viewed about artists in the entertainment industry… I don’t know, if that’s what you’re in pursuit of go be in PR or something.”

Damn. Maybe that’s a harsh introduction, but it’s real talk. All in all that may sum up the package that is Harlem-based artist Kalae All Day. She’s not about bullshit. She doesn’t rap about big cars and flashy rings. She pushes the rhymns she knows.

KALAE ALL DAY – INTERVIEW from The Music Tip on Vimeo.

Even today she is pushing. Over the past two years Kalae has made her way to the head of the NY hip hop pack, and had to devote about 95% of her time to the business side of things in doing so.

“It’s uninspiring,” Kalae said. Read the rest of this entry »

Circa ‘87s party amped hip hop LP doesn’t drop until August 9, but the dynamic duo has already leaked a few tracks in hyped anticipation.

This is the first full-length from the producer and lyricist collaboration of Mikey Fresh and Digital Dao. If it’s any prelude of what’s to come, TMT has every intention of holding our collective breaths.

The creative faucet continues to drip. Check out a TMT exclusive, sneak peak and free download of “911” from the album /Dreams and Dream Killers/ before it ever hits the shelves.

Circa ‘87 – 911 (Free Download)

“911 what’s your emergency?” Bumping this track as loud as possible.

Check back next week for an album breakdown, pictures, and fresh insights. /Dreams and Dream Killers/ is available Monday for donation based download. Follow us on Twitter (@TheMusicTip) for up-to-the-minute info. and exclusives.

Reviewed By: Clay Duda

Rating: 8.5/10 
Replay Value: High 
Release Date: April 20, 2010 
Cheapest Prices: www.trayonpass.bandcamp.com

Growing tired of ghetto Atlanta music? Well, you might just need a refresher course.

Trayon Pass’s release “Closed Caption” is a witty conjunction of collar-poppin’ club beats and gritty tongue twistin’. That’s not all of course. It’s hard to sum up a 22-track release in just a few syllables.

With some lyrical exceptions, it’s not your generic trap-star banger. It’s A-town down, no doubt, but is blazing a new path through a city that has already produced so many greats. And in essence that’s part of what Hip Hop is. It’s pushing in a new direction – just like the founders back in the day – and not spewing a sound defined by other artists.

Trayon may very well have found that path. Hailing from College Park, he’s doing a good job of towing the line between the new and old, the hood and mainstream. To provide an unnecessary comparison, his sound may be most parable to early Outkast with a 21^st century undertone.

Read the rest of this entry »

Photography by Matthew Charof

Written By: Clay Duda

Artist: Adrienne Mack-Davis

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Release: “Music in Me: The Process”

Date: May 27, 2010

Genre: R&B / Hip Hop

Producer: Mikey Fresh

Website: amackdavis.bandcamp.com

Adrienne Mack-Davis called from a noisey hall outside her artist loft in Brooklyn, NY. I should have known what she was saying, but the slamming doors and crackly reception made me ask 3 times, “You studied what?”

“Oper…” she said.

“Oprah?!”

“No opera. I studied opera.”

And that makes sense. Anyone who has ever seen her live can attest to that. Adrienne’s voice has the volume of the opera and the tone of a song bird. It’s powerful.

With a degree in Studio Composition Adrienne’s making her first solo stretch into the lime light. It’s rare that a freshman release would illicit such coverage, but the product’s far from mediocre. This girl has a degree in performance.

Adrienne Mack-Davis – B-Cuts from Matthew Charof

“I love like the process of sitting down with a producer and writing to a beat. I love the fact you can put a beat to anything. It’s like really versatile, that’s what I love about hip hop.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed By: Clay Duda
Rating: 7.5/10
Replay Value: High
Release Date: May 15, 2010
Cheapest Prices: www.GigioRaps.com

Bay Area rapper Gigio dropped “Culture Shock” back on May 15, 2010, but I’m still in shock. In fact, I’m just getting my head around the whole thing.

Its melodic world beat meets West Coast Hip Hop. Wait, is it world beat? The first track is more Americana than any of us – borrowing a Native American tribal vibe – and the rest just aren’t what you’re hearing from many of today’s producers.

“I just wanna keep growing, evolving and pushing the envelope as far as I can,” Gigio said in an online interview. Lyrically infused, many of the beats set the album apart themselves. It’s not too far a cry from his past releases, but is still an artistic stretch in the right direction.

“Culture Shock” marks G’s 8th release since “officially” starting in on the hip-hop grind in 06’, but by his own account 22-year-old Gigio has been rhyming and recording since age 9.

“I hope I can inspire the next generation of emcees and songwriters in general to come with it and push to do that next level shit … I don’t feel like there’s a lot of us doing that right now.”

From rapping about wizard beards, Masonic symbols and street slang to testing the candor of newbee emcees and Hip Hoppers stuck in 92’, G comes with original content. And that’s what it takes to be a 21st century entertainer. It’s not about playing to a niche but creating your own, just like the pioneers did back in the day, and G is well on his way.

Keep an eye out for Gigio Cordova and the rest of the Associated Fresh crew in the near future. Feel left out? You can pick up many of his past releases for FREE @ www.GigioRaps.com.