The PUB Report

By Rodney K. Jackson

Today’s music industry executives will tell you that an artist has to “build a story” or an audience in order to compete in today’s market. Too few executives have the passion and love of the music they acquire or promote. Unfortunately, their inexperience and inability to develop and create true artists has left the music playing field stagnant and unimaginative. This is a true disservice to the fan and listener.At the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), I had the fortune to meet a label executive who defied the standard philosophy of “throwing product against the wall to see what sticks”. Charles Whitfield, VP of Hidden Beach Recordings, knows music. He has helped in the development of such artists as Jill Scott, Kindred The Family Soul, Mike Phillips, Darius Rucker, and Al B. Sure. Along with label head Steve McKeever, Hidden Beach projects have gained a reputation for their quality and ability to reach across the generational gap by integrating Hip Hop, Jazz, Gospel, and Soul.

A native of North Carolina, Whitfield grew up with an appreciation for all genres of music. He listened to the sounds of Parliament, Cameo, George Duke, Rodney Franklin, Stanley Clarke, Michael Franks, and Al Jarraeu, along with the Hip Hop classics . After a stint at record store, Charles went to family friend Michael Jordan and introduced him to McKeever (previously president of MoJazz Records). Jordan was presented with an airtight business plan and became a lead investor in the label.

Hidden Beach’s first release was Jill Scott’s “Who Is Jill Scott” in July of 2000. The album went platinum and launched one of the most storied careers in music. In 2002 the groundbreaking “Unwrapped” series landed on Billboard’s Jazz chart and stayed there for 72 weeks. “We wanted a CD of originals where Biggie sampled Herb Alpert, Lil Kim and Jeff Lorber, Summer Madness with Kool and the Gang, but since we where a new company, we couldn’t afford the rates” states Whitfield

“So later, one of the producers came in with this Biggie song and said he had Paul Jackson Jr. (famed session guitarist) play on it. We asked him to bring us back a couple more songs and that’s how Volume One came about. We wanted the concept as father and son could listen to the album together. So the kid would like it for the Hip Hop and the adult can relate because of the Jazz.”

Charles Whitfield also knows the importance (and challenges) of trying to reinvent an established brand. On June 23, 2009, Hidden Beach released “Honey I’m Home” by 80’s New Jack artist Al B. Sure. Sure, who hasn’t released an album in over 15 years, will attempt to penetrate an audience that is now older and mature. But as their track record has proven, Hidden Beach is well equipped to overcome this obstacle.

Giving Back

Whitfield, who used to handle Hidden Beach’s day-to-day operations from Los Angeles, now calls North Carolina home again. He coordinates the company’s internship program from his alma mater, North Carolina Central University, and teaches the importance of brand awareness for a new generation of music listeners. “I wanted to get in touch with youngsters, connect with them and get on their level in order to bridge the gap” states Whitfield. Charles Whitfield represents the old school mentality of artist development and passion, along with the new school tactics of surviving the digital age.

For more on Hidden Beach Records and their current releases, go to http://www.hiddenbeach.com

By: Letitia “Tish” Murray

Just as we head into the web 3.0 generation, to understand where it is going we need to understand where its’ been.

For rap artist Guru, having been in the hip-hop game for a while, he has built a nice following - being considered a pioneer for collaborating Jazz music and hip-hop with the album series Jazzmatazz. But what we call the next generation and what comes after it is where Guru and current creative/business partner Solar is headed.

There is no need to think about what comes next for the duo that met 7 years ago through a mutual friend. The two started their own label “7 Grand Records” in 2005 and has not looked back. Under the new label, has produced albums such as Version 7.0: the Street Scriptures, Jazzmatazz Vol. 4, The Timebomb/Back To The Future and the current Guru 8.0: Lost & Found where Solar makes his debut as an emcee.

Lost & Found combines more sounds of the new age with a touch of old school but don’t expect this album to be an infusion of hip-hop and jazz. Although Solar credits his East Coast New York roots for the “banging beats and drum sounds” certain loops on tracks such as “Best of My Years” and “After Time” are used just enough to add to the creativity of the tracks. It was important for the duo to keep the “originality” of true hip-hop that Guru says most current hip-hop music is lacking nowadays. ‘Hip-hop has been duct taped and kept under the floor” says Guru. But the tracks on this album is as we see New York in the future”.

Both artists believe that the album is a staple in branching out and attracting a larger audience although not losing its influence on the way American music has on the rest of the world. After spending some time touring overseas, Guru states that he wants people here in the states to “Embrace what we are doing taking those principles about hip hop and moving forward”.

It seems that for both Guru and Solar, being looked at as sources of information that can be contributed to, but not changed except to progress, is the new wave of their present thinking and future. But being that the future is uncertain, it’s too early to tell if this new duo will leave an imprint for years to come.

By Track Lacer

He had a solo album that sold more than one million copies by age 15. Its been six years since and now he has children of his own. His company is not the completely dominant juggernaut it once was, yet Cash Money Records is still a household name. There has been a feud with labelmate Juvenile. An arrest of labelmate Turk. And overall, the state of rap music has been questionable at best. Rampant bootlegging. Lack of originality. Slow sales for all but a few artists. Where does this leave the mind of the CEO of Young Money Entertainment. Is the beef with Juve dead? What’s up with Nivea?

What does he think about education? All Baller Blockers can leave now. We about to take a trip down to the land of crawfish and alligator tails on a stick to find out.

TL: Weezy, what’s the deal wit’chu baby!
LW: Chillin, man.

TL: I don’t think you gotta lotta credit for being original and having fun on the mic. Even at a young age you were making sound effects. Getting creative with the choruses instead of doing the same ol’ thing everyone else does. So wanted to start off by showing some love to you for that.
LW: Appreciate that cuz. I appreciate that.

TL: Exactly how old are you? What day where you born?
LW: I’m twenty-one. September 27th, 1982.

TL: Man, 1982? That makes your life a lot different. It means that you have accomplished a lot more at age 14 or 15 than cats who are 30 years old with their own local labels.
LW: Right.

TL: You from Uptown or Downtown? (New Orleans is always identified by either Wards…or Uptown /Downtown)
LW: I’m from Uptown.

TL: Okay. Okay. Did you move around a lot in the neighborhood or were you in mostly just one hood growing up?
LW: Naw, I moved around a lot in my neighborhood ’cause I’m from the 17th Ward. You know ’cause New Orleans gotta lotta different Wards.

TL: Okay. Now you were raised by moms?
LW: Yep.

TL: Okay so who is “Rabbit” because I hear you had a strong relationship with him. What’s that your Step-Pops or was that your real Pops…or…
LW: That was my Step-Pop. Put you can put that as my real Pops. Cuz I don’t even know him (his real father)…we ain’t even gone speak on that cat. But that was my real Pops but he passed when I was 14.

TL: Okay, that’s the one you made the song for called “I Know” right?
LW: Yeah.

TL: How did he pass away.
LW: Oh, he got killed dog.

TL: Man, I’m sorry to hear that.
LW: It’s cool. That’s how it goes with the game.

TL: Now going along with that, it seems like it’s a lot of rappers that claim allegiance to a crew. But when it comes to Baby, you seem to take that real seriously. He says “My son Weezy” in his songs. You say “Baby, my father”. Why is the relationship so deep with you and Baby and why are y’all so tight like that?
LW: The same incident you just asked me about with my real father…the day that happened to ‘em…Baby was around the corner to pick me up and told me to never look back.

TL: Okay.
LW: That’s why I call ‘em my father ’cause the day I lost my father I didn’t lose my father. You know?

TL: Right. ‘Cause Baby was right there.
LW: Right there. The same day dude.

TL: Now how old were you then?
LW: Fourteen.

TL: Man, so that’s like seven years you been with Cash Money.
LW: No. That was seven years ago that that happened…I been with Cash Money since I was eleven.

TL: Eleven? Then how old were you when you recorded your first song?
LW: Eleven.

TL: That is crazy! What song was that or what album was that?
LW: It came out on B.G.’s “True Story” album. It came out when I was twelve.

TL: I’m going to have to pick that up just to hear it
LW: I was on three songs on the album.

TL: That’s outta control. Now I hear that nowadays you spend a lotta time at WAL-MART man. (laughing)
LW: (somewhat surprised…not sure of how to respond) I mean…(laugh)…I mean, everybody gotta go there sometime. I guess ’cause I go like once a week is why they say that.

TL: The only reason I brought that up because I read that you were more of a family man now and instead being at the club every week you prefer to go to WAL-MART to make sure the family is straight at home.
LW: Yeah, like I said I gotta go in there once a week.

TL: Now when you up in there do you get hounded? Or is it cool and the people just say, “Awww … that’s Lil’ Wayne.”?
LW: It’s like…I guess I gotta appeal to me…that…when people see me they already know he ain’t the type for you to hound.

TL: Right.
LW: They know they could just walk up to me and it’s. whatever you want. Autograph. Picture. Its whatever you want its’ nothing because I know the whole damn store ain’t about to come ask for one.

TL: Right.
LW: But it’s like I never get hounded and I never got hounded. I ain’t that kinda star. I ain’t tryna be neither.

TL: Now since you got into the game at such an early age did you ever mess with a public high school in New Orleans? Did you ever finish up?
LW: I went to school all the way to the eleventh grade. I went to McNein Middle School and I went to Averson High School.

TL: Now when is the first time you left the United States with Cash Money to perform?
LW: WE never left the United States to perform. If they did, I haven’t with them…but I have…but not with them.

TL: Really? Where was the first place you went to?
LW: Uhhhh…(recollecting)…the Virgin Islands!

TL: Were you in Saint Thomas?
LW: Yeah.

TL: What was that like, man?
LW: It was cool because actually I was just a special guest. I was wit my homegirl Eve (formerly of Ruff Ryders now signed with Aftermath). It was just a vacation and she had a show. She just brought me along ’cause that’s like my big sister.

TL: Okay.
LW: She brought me along and I really wasn’t supposed to perform. I really didn’t want to and she was like “Please. Please.” And I…I did that for her, and man. We killed it.

TL: Now what are the people like over there? Were they really into hip-hop like we are here?
LW: Yeah they was showing her mad love, and then when I came out there they was showed me love on some gully shit. I was like, “damn.”

TL: Yeah you wouldn’ t think a place so beautiful would be into anything hardcore, but that’s the appeal of the music though.
LW: Right.

TL: Now right after that, did you touch back down at home after the Virgin Islands?
LW: Yeah.

TL: What was it like to look around New Orleans and realize that your gift to rap had just taken you outside of the country?
LW: I mean, it’s cool but I don’t dwell on things like that. That may be bad but I keep going and keep trying to get bigger and bigger and bigger. Like…I didn’t come home and was like ‘Damn I just left the Virgin Islands’. I’ll probably be like…come home and wanna own the Virgin Islands or own my own island or something. I think like Baby, man. We never stop. We gotta keep getting it. Ain’t nothing really too big. You know what I’m saying?

TL: Fa Sho’.
LW: Once you dwell on one thing, then you start to set a limit for yourself. You supposed to think bigger than that. You know what I’m saying?

TL: Yeah, that’s real. What was it like working on your first movie? Was Baller Blockin’ the first movie you ever appeared in?
LW: I mean, it was fun to an extent…because I was young at the time and I had other things I wanted to do besides be on that movie set. But now that I’m older when I do one, if I do one…it should be more interesting. I should be more into my character.

TL: Right. Now when it comes to writing your raps what’s your preference? Do you prefer to be alone when you write? Do you write on the tour bus? Can you write anywhere…..(cut off by Lil’ Wayne)
LW: Excuse me, excuse me Track.

TL: Yeah?
LW: I don’t write baby.

TL: Oh! You do the Jay-Z thing? (Jay-Z has been rumored to never write his songs
down)
LW: I do the Weezy thing.

TL: Okay, you do the Weezy thing meaning… (cut off by Lil’ Wayne again)
LW: Aye, aye Track.

TL: Whaddup?
LW: I told you I been with these guys (Cash Money) since I was eleven. So that means I was rapping before that. I been rapping since I was nine. I’m twenty-one now. I been rapping for twelve years dog. I don’t need a pen or a pad or a beat.

TL: So you memorize your whole album in your head when you go to the studio?
LW: What I do is, I just go to the studio and getta beat. I’m usually in my truck. In my whip…my girl takes a ride with me because I don’t listen to music with words. I’m always just listening to the beat. I’m always rapping to it. So when I go into the studio with the producer…when he cut on his beats…I already got some raps in my head…so whatever fit…or I’ll make it fit. If I don’t like it I’ll just make something else up. Because it come within fifteen to twenty minutes and then we drop the song. That’s how come I finish albums in like a week. To do my album Baby uh set me up for a week straight in Atlanta. And from Monday to the next Monday I’m finished.

TL: That’s crazy. I never seen how emcees was able to do that. I’ve always had to write my own stuff down so that’s just more props to you. PUB

By R.K. Jackson

In recent years, some of the most innovative and risk-taking artists have made Gospel accessible not only to churches, but to the street and clubs as well. So, if the name of Kim Burrell doesn’t instantly strike a chord, then you better get off the slow train and join the rest of us. To put it simply, Kim is one of the most sought after Gospel artists today. Kim has recorded or shared the stage with artists such as Ricky Dillard, Rev. James Cleveland, Marvin Winans, and was even tapped for the upcoming releases by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Missy Elliot.”Puff called my office and asked me to sing on a gospel album he had been working on for two years, and Missy Elliot called me and said a friend of hers had died and that I was her favorite artist and that God had really been good to her (Missy) and that she felt Missy should really give back to God.”

It’s easy to understand why so many people share a love for her music. Kim gives off a warm, sincere persona, but her focus and dedication is in spreading the word of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t bother her that some Gospel artists feel that the genre is becoming “too worldly sounding”. It is Kim’s belief that music is a universal language and that the spirit of a person determines what their music sounds like. “I don’t care who the artists are, as long they are spreading the message of God” Kim says.

Born in Houston, Texas, also home to two of Gospel’s chart-breaking artists (Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams), Kim looked to her pastor/musician father and evangelist/singer mother for influences and inspiration. “We really didn’t listen to a lot of music around my home, we spent a lot of time just creating.” Eventually Kim began to listen to radio and appreciating other kinds of music. Kim never made a conscience decision to pursue a career in recording, she simply went where there was an interest in her music. Eventually, she had an opportunity to record a Gospel album on an independent label. But due to inadequate distribution, she felt it didn’t really get the exposure it should. So, when she spoke to the executives at Tommy Boy Gospel about recording a live album, they jumped at the opportunity.

On her latest Tommy Boy Gospel CD and video, Live in Concert, the Stellar Award winner goes back to previously recorded songs such as “I’ll Keep Holding On”, “Try Me Again”, and “Calvary” but its the energy and the fusion of a live band that breathes new life into these favorites. Taped at the Bountiful Blessing COGIC church in Memphis, Burrell’s interaction with the band and her jazzy- gospel flavored riffs are something to behold. Kim’s nine song set shows that she has the gift of song and ministry all wrapped up into one. One gets the feeling that there is more in store for her.

“I look forward to the next project and there are several producers that I would like to work with, but most surprisingly, I would like to work with Beyonce Knowles”. Kim says. When Burrell made a trip back home to Houston during the holiday break, she had a chance to sit down and enjoy the company of Destiny’s Child members Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle. Two things she observed were the drive and determination of Beyonce. “God put something inside of that girl because she has the tenacity of a bull dog.” Burrell states. While it would be interesting to entertain the thought of a Destiny’s Child/Kim Burrell collaboration, we must first be able to digest the beauty and talent of the anointed Kim Burrell.