Published: January 31, 2009 6:44 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight February 2009 Edition
LB
LB
LB is pouring his heart and soul into his passion and it clearly shows through his music. In a recent interview, LB shares some of his success, struggles, and rewards as an artist. Enjoy this fun spotlight with the entertainer.
Isaac: Thanks for the taking the time to complete this online interview. How do you sum up 2008 for LB?
LB: To sum up '08, I would have to say it was a new start, people say when a new year comes in it means new beginnings and I really have to say that's what 2008 was for me. It was the year that I realized that music just wasn't a hobby any more but something that I was getting serious into doing. It was early in the year where I found myself struggling the most. I had no steady place to record, and I did not have a job. I had just gotten off a pending case, and problems just continued stacking up. I decided to stay at the dorms at my school to try and stay away from the problems I was getting into out in the streets; something good had came out of this.
I love to network. In meeting all the new people on campus, I would let people know about my music and to contact me if they're were any other artists on campus or if the school were to host shows. The word got round to the right ears and a close friend of mine heard about my recording situation. To quote what he said to me, "I want you to be able to do this all for yourself, you're a cool cat and I've heard your work, you are good." With that being said, he had given me all the programs I needed to run my own studio and get my own work done. All I needed to do was purchase the mic and keyboard. With that being said, as the months passed by, I just started looking into producers on Soundclick. I found one producer (who I still to this day work very close with) who was hosting a competition. So I leased a beat and entered. The track that I had submitted "Love Was Something Good" came in 2nd place as a runner up, granting me 5 free leases to his work, some of which have been used on tracks off my up coming project.
This was when I realized that I had talent, and I became motivated to push myself to the max. The competition had over 150 submissions and for me to come in second place had been just relieving, especially since I was struggling financially the free leases helped me out. Toward the middle of the year, I decided just to focus on my album work and get as much done as possible that I could afford being that I was a full time student. I really wanted to build up my library so when I feel I am done I can have a wide selection of tracks to chose. It was toward the end of the year that I linked up with A&R Select and Sonicbids.
I had submitted a few tracks to A&R Select I had found them out the web while just surfing around. A few months passed by and I had completely forgotten about my submission, but I was contacted by them and they liked my work. I decided to sign up with their artist launch program to help my development a little more. I had made submissions for competitions such as Makin It Magazines 2009 Beat Game, which I still have works in progress going on and the International Songwriters Competition (how I got linked up with Sonicbids). So in a nut shell, '08 was very hectic and I feel I was able to get a lot accomplished, especially since I am self managed. All I'm looking forward to is what 09' has to bring. It's not going to be easy but I've been known to stay on the grind so I'm going to just keep on doing what I do and hope for the best.
Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?
LB: I would have to say it was the building up of my own studio. I had no instruction on how to use the programs that were given to me. I really had to teach myself everything from scratch, which at the time was very difficult and time consuming. Here you have a full time college student who's dedicated to what he does and is striving to make a name from himself on the side learning how to use and master two of the most difficult programs to start recording and producing with.
I was hit off with a copy of FL Studio 7.0 for the audio recording and Reason 4.0 for production work. FL Studio was not really designed for audio recording but more for production but I spent the time, hard work and dedication to master and tweak what is needed within the program to develop a professional sounding track, and my work shows it. On a single track alone, I spend anywhere between 3-5 hours after recording is done to make sure everything is mixed right and on point with how I want it to sound. So yea, this by far would be my biggest accomplishment due to the fact without this movement I wouldn't be able to bring everyone the music I love to create. Now you can understand why I'm nicknamed the "Self Made Jack Of All Trades".
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
LB: Growing up I was never really into hip hop to tell you the truth; ironically, I have become a hip hop artist. I really was mostly into hard rock, which is why I love it when songs that I work with contain guitar riff samples or anything that can give it a little bit of a mellow or hard rock feel such as my song "Love Was Something Good". I started branching out into hip hop slowly. I was really into Rammstein, KoRn, Nirvana, Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock while growing up.
Certain collaborations by artists such as KoRn's song "Children Of The Korn" featuring Ice Cube was when I really started to expand my genres of music I would listen to. I was introduced at first to Eminem actually on Kid Rocks' album "Devil Without A Cause" and I really loved the song they did together, and at the time Eminem was just starting become big and I went out and purchased his 2nd LP and loved it. As an artist, he really influenced me I love his styles. The whole triple persona of Eminem, Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers is genius. I had started listening more to hip hop and artists like Dre, Nas, Jadakiss, Cassidy and Pac. I can't really say that all my influence comes from music industry personnel because my main influences are my life experiences. Without any of these, I wouldn't have the themes of my songs. They say everything happens for a reason, and I stick by this quote.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
LB: True tasteful hip hop about real things that my listeners can relate too. I feel that there is too much of that shoot'em up. I'm so hood this I'm so hood that, bang bang bang my crews the hardest in the music industry today and especially in hip hop. These morals are getting played out; take a look at mainstream radio. The majority of the song are about the same things how much cash I got, how gangsta my crew is, I get this many hoes, look at all my bling & the sad part I feel is that it's selling.
Granted these artists do talk the truth, and I give them respect for that but where is the diversity; I maybe able to relate to your hustle but nothing else. I will bring diversity to the industry along with hit songs that everybody can relate to. Take a look at my track "Movin Out" that song was designed for when I moved out of home to go away to college, but people that have heard the song have told me damn that reminds me about the time me and my girl and I got into a fight and I moved out the crib. That too was my intentions of the song for the fact that no everyone has been close to their mother. Everyone has their own way of interpreting music and I try to hit my lyrics when I write at all different angles.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
LB: There are too many too list, but I would love to work with some of the big names to help me gain some recognition in the industry, obviously if you go under them chances are you gonna go somewhere. Some artists would be Jay Z, Nas, Jadakiss, Eminem, T-Pain (for those crack hooks I don't care what any one says). As far as producers, I would love to work with Dre, Swizz Beats, Timberland, Kanye (just cause his style is crazy and he makes some sick beats from time to time) and I would have to say that's about it off the top of my head.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
LB: Tasteful and true. Being a fan of all genres of music, I love it when producers sample songs, especially songs that have been revised with that hip hop feel while still keeping classic vibe. I am very picky when choosing what instrumentals I want to use as I feel that it is important to get a connection with a beat. As far as my lyrics, everything I state in my songs are factual as I see no point in making a rhyme or song about something that is not true to me that isn't an artist. I try to do things out of the ordinary when making a song. All of me music comes from the heart.
Isaac: What is your definition for Hip-Hop?
LB: An art. Hip hop in my eyes is a form of poetry used to express one's inner emotions and reflect on themselves as a person. In my eyes, it is something that has grown a lil too played out and commercial, but that's the whole point of the underground. But even with the underground, you have your issues in being able to find true hip hop. Half the stuff you hear today I don't see as hip hop because why, so many claimed MC's have rhyme with no reason due to the fact the stuff they spit about ain't true.
I mean not to get all hostile but last semester at my school, once word got round I was a hip hop artist wanna be claimed MC's wanted to battle and see what I was about. Now I am not a battle rapper I feel that today in the industry battle rapping will get you no where in the rap game unlike the past, hip hop today is about what sells... hit records. So this dude comes up to me and keep in mind he's from the rich part of New Jersey and starts flowing trying to get at me talking about how he's got a *shottie that's gonna blast me and how he pitched crack rocks for a living, meanwhile the other day I had just seen his pops hand him over *gwap for the semester. So when it was my turn, I just got at him bout that shut him up and made him look real stupid. Now was that Hip Hop, what he was spitting.....NO!!!! It's one thing to be able to rhyme words together and make something sound a lil dope, but another to have the words actually be true talking about real stuff and that is what I believe hip hop is.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?
LB: From the heavy metal rockers to the punks to the hip hop lovers to the hood mostly the response from them were all the same, "Why haven't you been offered a deal yet?" The majority of these crowds have loved my work and glad that they purchased the CD, but of course you have those haters who say, oh this cat is garbage this that and the third, but the masses speak. My feedback from professionals G Flexx especially the "original mix master" he digs my work but just thinks that my production could be a little better on some of my songs as well as the way that I mix them down.
DJ Supreme "The Silent Assassin" of The Fleet Wood DJ's had hosted some of my work on his station for a week at no charge and a song he really loved was "Love Was Something Good". He had stated to me "Now this one right here is an art, you need to work with this producer more the two of you shadow each other styles and you are compatible to his beats. See an artist can flow over any beat but to receive a track that symbolizes your style is the truth." I am still waiting for my consultation team to get back to me on the demo I sent them, but I am pretty optimistic about what their feedback will be.
Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, you are working on currently? What is the inspiration behind the CD?
LB: The title speaks for itself I am gonna bring them "One for the Money". The project is going to contain some of the most diverse tracks that I have done, so that there is going to be something there for everyone. I have the street tracks, the sentimental songs, the songs for the ladies, the club bangers and the down south vibe songs. The project is yet to be completed and I am patiently taking my time on it.
I am trying to appeal to the masses. I want fans of all types of music, even those who despise hip hop to listen to me. I placed several songs that have samples from older songs by Funkadelic and Billy Joel even Chuck Jackson. I don't want my CD to just be something that you would listen to, I want parents to love this too. So I feel I have done that, my father who hates hip hop listened to the CD and actually truly likes it. The projects inspiration is really solely based on my life events, it contains nothing fictional.
Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?
LB: I'm everywhere man but these are the networks I use most frequently & in relative order:
LB: Promotion, promotion, promotion and more promotion. It's been a while since I've been on the stage working on my project and all so I'm going to take a break for a bit and just promote what I have out right now. With being at school full time and looking for a job, I'm not really going to have as much studio time as I did for the month I was on break and banged out 5 hit songs like its nothing. I'm planning on getting my account back up on numberonemusic.com, I had a subscribed fan base of about 125 which I lost contact with due to the fact I only had a free trial period, hopefully if the job I'm looking into right now falls through that's one of the first things I'm going to do when I get that check.
I'm in the process of talking with clubs and trying to get some bookings out in several clubs in Yonkers including Level and Razzous. But other than that, I'm going to continue to submit my work to publications like yourself through sonicbids to establish more of a buzz for my name. Between spring and end of summer I plan to finish up the project, hopefully, not sure when because I will be working full time at that point. They can expect a new variety of beats also. I am currently seeking out new producers aside from the main three that I work with so if you can light up some fire on those boards and wind up reading this shoot me an email. I'm also going to be developing my artist image more with A&R Select I have a consultation for that set up early February; I'm really looking forward to that. So as it looks '09 is going to be a very busy year for me and that's just how I love it; keeping on the go.
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans…
LB:
God if you're up there for blessing me with everything that I have and for the open opportunities that have came my way.
My mother one of the strongest people I know who has never criticized me as a person and who has always been there for me.
My father who has tolerated all the stress I've put him through while still helping me get through higher education.
Tom DePaoli who had made my whole studio possible by providing me with the programs I needed.
Anthony Bommarito who in the near future is going to be helping me get a few gigs at clubs he promotes.
G Flexx who took the time to review some of my work and for his entire aide.
A&R Select Team who scouted my work out and will be helping myself develop more as an artist.
LoS Production Team, Nebula of Champ Entertainment & Ansane three of my main producers who provide those blazing tracks.
Pop Wizzy who had taken the liberty of airing my work on his online radio station and granting me my first interview.
DJ Supreme The Silent Assassin who aired my tracks out on national radio for a week.
DJ CJ and DJ Medlar who in the past gave me a on the spot shot to tear up club Aura.
Ms. DJ Hoodie who aired my music out in some of her past shows out in Arizona.
All artists that I have worked with in the past for collaborations, keep doin what we do ya'll already know.
People who've seen me on the streets and purchased a demo CD supporting an unsigned artist knowing how hard the industry is.
The promoters who helped branch off my Facebook group (Dora, Abish, Breezy, Christina, Connor, Ian, Hyder, If I 4got ya my bad).
Everyone who sits down and takes the time to listen to my music.
All my friends, fans and supporters remember I do this all for ya'll.
Last but not least the haters who take that much time out of their life to envy what I do and how I do it.
Isaac: Final words from LB …
LB: Too all the unsigned talent out there keep in mind that we are the future of what's going on in the industry, it's just that they haven't found us yet. Keep ya'll heads up and stay on the grind, don't stop cause some hater's telling you your garbage and what not. The industry is not something easy to get into but if you love what you do man pursue it; you could just be one of the luck ones who make it. I would like to thank you Isaac for taking the time for preparing this interview. Everyone keep ya heads up and God bless.
*gwap is a slang term used in Harlem meaning money.
*shottie is a type of home-made bong.
