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Redhead from PG County

August 28, 2007 | Tags: Redhead, Washington DC, Prince George County

Redhead is an MC hailing from PG County Maryland. Originally not taking rap seriously, a chance encounter with an A&R from MCA Records (now defunct) got the wheels churning in his head. Maybe he could actually do this. But first things first —college. The recent Howard University grad chatted with me on AIM and talked about his style, his name, The Washington DC Metro Area in relation to hip-hop, and how he made history.

Starr: You didn’t take Hip-Hop seriously until an occurrence with and A&R at the now-defunct MCA records. What happened that was so influential to you trying to rap for real?

Redhead: The situation with MCA was that I was performing at an open mic spot in DC and they approached me about it. They asked the typical stuff like "Did you really write that?" and all that mess. I was 17 just starting college at the time. I turned them down because I refused to be one of those heads that are doing records and don't have a decent education. Plus my mother would kick my ass. Now I'm wiser, more cautious, with a Bachelors degree from a top college in the nation. I have nothing to lose.

S: You went to Howard right?

R: Definitely

S: a lot of good people graduate from there but speaking of your mom (kicking your ass and all)...Your background is caribbean but you live in the DC area. Did all of those cultures influence you musically? How so?

R: It wasn't that much of a difference. My mother is from Jamaica and my father is from Grenada, so they would definitely speak in their heavy accents and play reggae and soca. In DC, they have Go-Go music, which stylistically is similar due to the drums and constant bouncing rhythm. It definitely shed new perspective on how to approach things musically.

S: It's funny u mentioned that. I was going to ask you about Go-Go. Are you a fan?

R: More or less [laughs]...there's some that I mess with, and others not so much. "Overnight Scenario" by Rare Essence is a classic. I'm so glad that it's getting recognition outside of the city nowadays.

S: Being that different types of musical sub-cultures like say Reggaeton, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, etc eventually seem to get exploited and played out, do you think there’s a possibility that this could happen with Go-Go and the “beating your feet” dance that goes along with it?

R: Absolutely. When people like something and consider it a trend, it's going to get played out. As soon as you see a bunch of suburban kids beating their feet in a Gap commercial, it's a wrap. But knowing how DC is, I wouldn't be surprised if something brand new was to get created the following week. After all, half the dances coming out now look like beating your feet. Have you seen "walk it out?”
S: Lol, yea! One thing about hip-hop that we can't escape is that it's regionalized. Where does the DC-Metro area fit in considering that although it's east coast, it's not exactly north, but not exactly south either?

R: That's the problem with the city. Because of those facts, I think there's people in the city that don't know what they are yet. At one point, I remember when people there swore that they were from New York. They were wearing fitteds with The North Face jackets and such, and today they're talking about they living in "the trap.” I feel that in order to even think about putting the city on the map, it has to have a style that represents itself effectively and distinctively. We already have Go-Go, but that's another genre. Hip-Hop is something else that needs to be taken into consideration for the city, as well as the corresponding areas like PG County, Montgomery County, and places in Virginia. It's all about distinction for good representation.

S: Who are some of your musical influences (across any genre)?

R: My favorite group has to be A Tribe Called Quest. Those dudes are legends and deserve a lot more recognition then they get. I’m also a fan of Nas and stuff from Big L. Artistically I really like Raphael Saadiq and alternative bands like Soundgarden and The Verve (especially "Bittersweet Sympony"). I listen to a lot of things, especially 80's pop from Prince and Modern English. It keeps me on my toes.

S: Has anyone ever compared you to Slick Rick? Not that you have a British accent (of coarse), but there’s something about the way you rhyme and tell a story that is sort of reminiscent to his style.

R: Actually, I have. Slick Rick has lots of style to him, and sometimes the accent of my parents and my DC-Metro accent kind of mesh together, so it gives a certain sound like I'm "British.” I definitely take that comparison well.

S: Cool. About your name…is your hair really red? It didn’t look like it in the pics I saw.

R: [Laughs]. Truth be told, "Redhead" has nothing to do with hair. My government name is Stephen Redhead. I decided to go by my last name because I thought that would have people pay more attention being that I'm the opposite of what one might expect. My hair is black as well as my race, [laughs].

S: Ah…makes sense. Your bio said you got blessings from Oprah Winfrey. Did she speak at your graduation from Howard or did you really meet her one-on-one?

R: She spoke at my graduation. I tried to talk to her personally but security was definitely on their job. One thing that I remember that she said during her speech is that all that we (the students) have to know is who we are, and that failure doesn't exist because there are several routes to success. I thought it was so fly that I sampled it in a song.

S: There was a track from your first independent EP that ended up on a mixetape called “The Next Big Thing” and was distributed throughout out the general areas of Atlanta and Texas, and you got props from Magnificent of Swisha House. How did that happen?

R: Basically when I was joking around, I had a track called "4 Da Broke & Sexy.” It was a joking type of party song. I wasn't really used to doing party records yet, but I had the track and I sent it to a friend of mine from Texas and he pressed it himself and shipped it around. Magnificent is a person that I knew for a long time. I even battled him twice. He's very talented. He's like the Big L of the South. We even did a mixtape style track before he got with Swisha House over an Alicia Keys track. I think he put it on his demo.

S: You made history. Please elaborate on what happened.

R: One day, my friend Opiyo Okeyo and myself decided to do a video for me. It was for a track called "I Like.” The video came out very well and it was getting a lot of attention on the Howard campus as well as the Internet and across the world. Over time, I contacted my friend in Australia. He loved the record and hustled his way into getting the song on the radio over there, which is a difficult thing to get an unsigned American to try. It turns out that he got it played on Australia Day, their biggest holiday. Now I'm the first unsigned American to get played in Australia, and on their "Independence Day" no less.

S: Do you see any gigs coming up in Australia soon? What about touring?

R: I'd love to go out there soon. They definitely have a good grasp on what hip-hop is like. They're not up on “Ay Bay Bay” yet. They're still interesting in the mid-90's era style of it. I want to tour soon, but right now I'm working on a project with my dude Versityle from Songbook Ent (Trey Songz's production company). We plan to make it with a really unique sound to attract new & old fans.

S: Is it going to be an LP?

R: I'm not particularly sure. Either an EP or LP. I definitely want it to be a full project. The majority would be done by Versityle. So far, the sound is very eclectic, yet it’s catchy. There's a lot of musical influence to it. I just hope that people would enjoy it as much as we do creating it.

S: Why should people fuck with Redhead?
R: Because Redhead is just like you. Redhead is like every guy on the block. He's not a thug but he knows about street things. He looks out for his people as well as himself. He's doing it because he loves what he does and is all about individuality. You won't see coonery coming out of that guy — none of that Pretty Ricky stuff. He's a fan first before anything else — a guy for the people.

S: Any last words?

R: Big shout out to Versityle, HipHopDX.com, HU, and R.I.P. to Kwasi "Misfit" Jones.

myspace.com/redheadpg

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Any Female Producers Out There?

August 21, 2007 | Tags: MTP, Beat Battle, Meet the Producers

MTP (Meet the Producers) is gearing up for their next all female beat battle this Sunday Aug. 26. One person dropped out so that leaves a slot open. If you're in the Newark, NJ area (or Tri-State), this might be a good look for you Miss Lady (or any Miss Lady producers you know). Peep the flyer below as well as the myspace page. Holla at them before it's too late. Serious inquiries only!

myspace.com/mtpjersey

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Donny Goines: Real Talk

August 14, 2007 | Tags: Donny Goines, Donald Goines, Disco D

Donny Goines, not to be confused with Donald Goines, wants to get his message out and to be heard however possible. A New York City-bred rapper who has been featured on allhiphop.com, sohh.com and other publications, he spares no one when it comes to speaking his mind.

No stranger to struggle, unlike some, his was real. Growing up with parents in and out of prison and losing his close friend and mentor Disco D, have taken a toll on him but still he rises. Steering away from the typical hood life scenario and other negative happenstances that can happen very easily, he continues to remain positive and pursue his dream of music. I caught up with him in an instant messenger interview and found out more about this talented young artist.

Starr: It’s funny you mentioned New York is going through a renaissance period. What exactly do you mean?

Donny Goines: I think that with the lack of quality music these days...a lot of people are really looking for great music and with hip-hop — I noticed that things are changing — not so much anything brand new, but more of a of resurgence of what has already past, just with a new generation; Sorta of like the Harlem Renaissance. They’re not really tearing Harlem down, just improving on what’s already there.

S: You know…I've heard a lot of NYC rappers saying that the key to improvement is unity. Remember back in the 90s when everyone had a crew? But then things fell off and everyone went for self. However, some other artists I've talked to said that they're seeing a change in that more artists are working together again (which they feel is better for the music). What's your take on this?

DG: I’ll give you an example of this...Remember that Sickamore party I mentioned from last year? I met an artist there named Skyzoo. At first I thought he was one of these cocky NY artists with a chip one his shoulder and got the wrong vibe, but then I recently saw his blogs on Hiphopgame and started to read them. I realized that he was a humble dude with the same kind of ideology that I had, and you just mentioned [so] I reached out and kept it 100 with him. I told him I made an error in judgment and I think he’s a talented artist. I went too support him at his mixtape release party and plan on doing something with him in the future now. It’s all about unit at this point. We all need to help each other and be more open to collabo’ing and working together. No one man can be king I think, but we can all be a part in the court and build a kingdom.

S: Speaking of building, you had a friendship/mentorship with Disco D. How did that connection happen?

DG: Via myspace (what doesn’t happen on myspace lol). You want the long version or the short?

S: Long.

DG: Okay, back in the summer of ’06 I was hustling hard but needed money to continue
so I had posted a notice on a popular forum board looking for employment in the music field. The very next day a person named Disco D had replied via myspace (I didn’t know who he was at the time) and asked if I would be interested in working as a part time runner (errands, etc.). I said “Sure,” and he invited me to his loft. The very first day, I impressed him so much he hired me on the spot, paid me, and gave me the house keys (he was just that kind of dude). My first day, I worked for 18 hours straight and the rest, as they say, became history.

S: How did that open up doors for you musically?

DG: Musically, in many ways...the funny thing is I never once actually sat down and worked with D on a track. We were all too busy. As time went on, I became his personal assistant so I was doing my career, helping with his, and managing a staff of interns. But one of the perks was unlimited studio time in his loft. Whenever he went to Brazil, Cali, etc., I was doing the bulk of my first recordings (which most have never been released). It was great because it’s still, to this day, the best studio I’ve ever been in and I had free reign of it — I learned a lot in that aspect as far as engineering, studio editing music etc. Another benefit came from attending meetings and sitting in on his sessions so I got the chance to actually watch high power deals being made — great artists crafting great music and a lot of things in between. He also helped to guide my career. A lot of people don’t know thins, but I actually turned down a deal from D.

S: Wow. Why?

DG: I’m just the kind of person that feels like if you can’t give me your all, I don’t want a part in it. He was being pulled in too many directions and I didn’t think it was a good idea for either of us.

S: Oh, ok. What helps you deal with his death?

DG: Music. Thats it…I just wrote something last night, as a matter of fact, and I said something to the effect of when I want to quit I know he’s looking from above and saying "Hustle Hareder," sorta like his mantra. I just let the pen bleed. That’s how I deal with all my personal problems; I let the music speak. That’s why I think a lot of people are attracted to it. It’s real and they can relate.

S: That's very true! I'm supposed to keep my opinion out of this but you
are dope.

DG: Thank you. That really means a lot to me. My last effort was kinda of a mixed pot. With this one, I’m going to really make people understand where my head is at. I might not get rich but that was never my goal to begin with.

S: When is it coming out?

DG: In a month or two. It’s very hip-hop influenced. I don’t wanna let the cat out of the bag just yet but I’m basically 80% done at this point. You’ll be one of the first to hear it though.

S: As an artist, you clearly and unapologetically speak your mind with songs like “I Am not a Rockstar” and “Niggas, Bitches, Hoes.” What goes on in your mind when you write and spit?

DG: Honestly, I’m all over the place mentally. The main thing that’s on my mind though, is the voices who can’t speak and feel the exact same way I do or very similar. I have always been an advocate for others (careers like healthcare, etc.), and I feel like if I don’t speak on certain things that I’m not doing my job. You see, not everybody uses the word "Bicth" to disrespect women; not everyone wants to be a rcokstar. Some people are content just being who they are, and that’s what I represent or at least try to. I don’t know any other way.

S: Let's talk about your name. Donald Goines was a very influential writer. How did you discover him and what inspired you so much that you decided to run with the name as a rapper?

DG: First off I’m an avid reader. Not just of him (actually James Patterson is my favorite author, sounds crazy right lol) but many others as well — it kind of ties into many things for me. For one, like I described earlier, I’m content with being myself my legal name is Donny, exact spelling, so I wanted to incorporate that into my stage name. Also, I’m as great of a wirter as I am an MC — that’s probably my best skill. I don’t like nicknames so I’m trying to figure out a stage name. One day my boy just blurts out "Donny Goines” and I’m like I don’t know about that one, those are big shoes to fill, but after a couple of days, I thought it was a great fit. I’m not trying to be like him, I just think it’s a great description of me as an artist so I stuck with it. His son gave me the blessing and it’s cool. I like it

S: How did growing up without your parents as they were incarcerated mold the person you are today?

DG: It affected me in several ways. To this day, my father is still in and out of jail (doing 8 years upstate now) and when I was younger, the person who I thought was my father wasn’t. I met my real father at age ten. Growing up, I had to learn things as a man on my own because even when he was around he was high or drunk most of the time. I made a lot of mistakes and I don’t care what no woman says, a boy needs his father. In some ways it made me very strong, but inside I was hurting for a long time. It comes out in the music sometimes.

S: Back to music, where's your place in hip-hop right now considering the state of the culture and the music industry?

DG: My place is where I make it. I could easily craft “hit” songs and follow trends, but my progression as an artist from this point to now has pulled me in a different direction.Now, I carry myself in music, as I would in life. I speak with candor, and from the heart, and I think this will lead me into the position that I am supposed to be in, wherever that takes me.

S: Aside from your album, are you working on any other projects?

DG: I’m all over the place right now. I’m doing whatever, whenever, however, as long as the music is good. I have many people coming at me with many different things but I’m very selective as to what I associate myself with, so everything is up in the air.

S: Who are some of your influences?

DG: Inspiration 2007. You heard it hear first.

S: That's the most non-cliché answer I've ever heard to that question.

DG: The song is even more against the grain.

S: Ok, my last question is cliché but I ask every up-and-comer this...what's your 5-year plan?

DG: Five years…I hope to be alive. I hope to have a larger support system (I think calling people who dig your music "fans" is corny), and I hope to have a situation where I can create great music and take care of my loved ones and myself. If I can do that in 5 years, I can consider my self a success.

S: Cool. That was my last question but do you have any last words?

DG: Thank you to you for conducting this interview. Thank you to all my supporters, and please help me to do what’s in my heart. Word of mouth is the best form of promotion. God Bless.

Myspace.com/donnygoines

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Dehaven Exposes Jay-Z?

August 13, 2007 | Tags: Jay-Z, Hard Knock Life, Dehaven

Peep this video where Dehaven, a name heavily shouted out by Jay-Z, speaks what he says is the truth about Jay-Z, Dame Dash and the whole Roc-a-fela empire.

Personally, I think it's way too late for this. Whether it's true or not, at this point it really doesn't matter. Jay and Dame are way too successful and it's going to take more than someone from their past putting out slanderous information to bring them down, if that's what the mission is.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Superhead Tossed in Trash

August 03, 2007 | Tags: Superhead, Video Vixen, Video Hoe

Peep this video of Superhead talking reckless to some dude. He tosses her in the trash. Am I late on this one?

P.S. Why haven't these industry men learned? Sigh...

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

I'm Black Ya'll and I'm Blickiddy Black and I'm Back

August 02, 2007 | Tags: A funny clip from CB4 for a good laugh.

The movie CB4 will never cease to crack me up! Remember this clip...

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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Lyrical PMS

Redhead from PG County

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Any Female Producers Out There?

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Donny Goines: Real Talk

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Dehaven Exposes Jay-Z?

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Superhead Tossed in Trash

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I'm Black Ya'll and I'm Blickiddy Black and I'm Back

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