Brother Ali

DJ Michael Ealey said he is playing Brother Ali on the Big Hop. Who is Brother Ali? He is a hip hop artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I really like him, his rhymes definitely has a positive message. OMG! Brother Ali is rapping about what’s going on in the world. His song “Mourning in America” touches a sensitive topic, but he is telling the truth. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of him. Brother Ali has a whole lot of soul. Brother Ali is white albino. When he was a child he experienced cruelty and exclusion from his white classmates because of his albinism. He said he felt "most at home amongst African Americans." It is a good thing that the African Americans community took Brother Ali in because who knows we probably would not have this amazing, fantastic talent. Some of the songs I really like are “Mourning in America”, “Only Life I Know”, “Take Me Home”, “Truth is” and “Uncle Sam Goddamn”. Tune into Streetwise Radio and listen to songs from Brother Ali. You can also listen to Brother Ali on iTunes, Pandora, Athen365, Live365 and MyGen365.

LM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKHsGh-y8d8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HwATJMeOYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxUQ07NXB4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF1FLZHTEYs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO18F4aKGzQ

Ryan Leslie

                                                       

There are a lot of hip hop and rap artists out there that are positive and underrated. Ryan Leslie happens to be one of them. My son introduced me to him a couple of years ago. I enjoy his music because no matter whether he’s singing or rapping, he has a message in his lyrics that you can relate too. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Stockton California Ryan Leslie is multi-talented and intelligent. He received a 1600 on his SAT score and graduated from Harvard at the age of 19. Ryan Leslie sings, raps, write songs, produces records, arranges music, plays the guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and trumpet. Ryan’s debuted in 2007 with his single "Diamond Girl" and he just keeps put out fantastic music. Ryan Leslie has been doing his thing since the age 14. He was tutoring kids and traveling as a musical ambassador. Ryan Leslie is the whole package, it amazes me how underrated he is. Some of my favorite songs are "Diamond Girl", "Addiction", “Pleaze Pleaze Pleaze”, "How It Was Supposed to Be", “Glory” and "Maybachs and Diamonds". Tune into Streetwise Radio and listening to Ryan Leslie songs. Also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, Pandora, Athena365, Live365 and MyGen365.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Leslie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjJiPIYPujM&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CK2_sP3ITvXSb8I6thRFXP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmsy61Xxe-8&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CK2_sP3ITvXSb8I6thRFXP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7On6s5sKmA&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CK2_sP3ITvXSb8I6thRFXP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Q8TTCBFw0&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CK2_sP3ITvXSb8I6thRFXP

Madlib

Madlib is an artist that blends jazz, funk & hip hop music with his beats and makes incredible music. Madlib’s giving name is Otis Jackson Jr. Madlib was born in Oxnard California and is living in Los Angeles. This 40 year old DJ, multi-instrumentalist, MC, and music producer has incredible amount of talent. I truly enjoy the way he takes his beats and mixes it into a hip hop, jazz and funk tunes. Madlib is has collaborated with numerous hip hop artists, including The Alkaholiks, Mos Def, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, A.G. , Madvillain, and the late J Dilla. Madlib has opened my eyes to a lot of different music and the way it is done. Madlib has a single out called“Shame” it is a real serious song. Madlib’s music just makes me feel elated. Listen to songs from Madlib on Streetwise Radio Big Hop. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on Live365, Athena365, MyGen365, iTunes and Pandora.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madlib

Wordsmith

Wordsmith has been busy building a loyal fan base and garnering critical acclaim over the past few years with a Hip Hop style that can’t be labeled. Boosted by the 2DopeBoyz/Frostwire.com sponsored, “Prelude to the King Mixtape” that dropped in April 2012, The Baltimore native released his life lesson album, “King Noah,” on June 19th, 2012. The independent album was released through his NU Revolution Entertainment LLC imprint in conjunction with a national distributor. Powered by four lead singles, “Music for the Masses,” Never Be the Same Feat. ELiM,” “Eye for the Spotlight Feat. Phil Ade,” and “On My Job,” Wordsmith has set out to prove he is ready to make an impact on the charts.
 “King Noah” is a life lesson album that I dedicated to my son Kingston Noah Parker, so he would have a blueprint for life through my music,” stated Wordsmith.  “Everything is coming together from the music and business side with this release.  I have a style that allows me to stay ahead of the curve in terms of musical creativity and hip hop fans are at a point where they want fresh sounds and energy from artists.”
Far from a Hip Hop newbie, Wordsmith originally caught the attention of critics within Hip Hop circles by teaming with the legendary Chubb Rock and the release of their “Bridging the Gap” album which was powered by the lead single, “OId 2 the New,” which had a huge following within collegiate circles.  Bridging the Gap sparked the release of his 2010 debut “Vintage Experience” which garnered him praise for his creativity, witty wordplay and soulful melodies.  Wordsmith followed that up with a 2011 ASCAPLUS Award, which validated him as a bona fide songwriter.
Recognized in the Allhiphop.com, “Breeding Ground” section for new artists, the acclaimed site states, “After only a few moments of speaking with Wordsmith one can see his advantage over other rappers.  He is not only a talented lyricist; he also has a keen business mind and a willingness to learn.”
In an era where both established and emerging artists struggle for economic prosperity, Wordsmith has been able to utilize his business savvy and songwriting skills to garner licensing deals with Nintendo, ESPN, VH1, Golf Channel, Six Flags, ABC, CBS and PBS to build his revenue and expand his fan base.  Wordsmith attributes this business know-how to his college education and experience running his independent label which taught him to be creative and resourceful.  
Fans new to Wordsmith will soon learn he is far from the typical rapper.  The German born artist and son of a U.S. Army Colonel traveled the world as a child and developed a broad musical taste which included commercial, alternative, hip hop rock and the pure lyricism within hip hop.  The heart of his devotion to lyricism can be attributed to his true influences within Hip Hop which include Redman, Tribe Called Quest and Rakim.  
To find out more about Wordsmith, please visit www.wordsmithmusic.com, Twitter @wordsmithmusic and www.facebook.com/wordsmith.

Sammie Coming of Age

When he came on the music scene with his 1999 hit single "I Like It", off his debut album "From the Bottom to the Top", this twelve year old seem to be the next rising soul and pop singer. Well that was not the case for this singer. Was it the management that was holding him back or the record label? If you fast forward to 2006 his debut single "You Should Be My Girl" off his second album “Sammie” shows that he still has what it takes. Sammie is coming out with his third album in 2013 called “Coming of Age”. Is this album that is going to push him into soul and pop star status? I was listening too “Body Rock” and “Come And Get Down” like both of these songs. Sammie has proven again that he can still hang with the new school R&B singers, Trey Songz, Bobby Valentino, and Chris Brown. He has the whole package talent and looks to be a star. He needs to stop coming out with an album every 7 years. This is not that good for a music career. You can listen to songs from Sammie on Streetwise Radio. Also listen to Streetwise Radio on Pandora, Live365, Athena365, MyGen365 and iTunes.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBnOH_K7f74

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyFwkZduDqY

9TH Wonder “Tutankhamen (Valley of the Kings)”

9^th Wonder says, “Hip-Hop is the voice of at least 2 generations. At one time, it was the POSITIVE voice. Chuck D was the black history teacher I never had, along with countless other black Americans my age. It can be that again, but with the right voices and the right players. As the late Curtis Mayfield said, “We must educate and Well as Entertain.” I agree. Over the years some hip hop artists have become so negative. There aren’t that many positive hip hop artist that are being played on the on-air radio stations. 9th Wonder’s given name is Patrick Denard Douthit, he was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on January 15, 1975. 9th Wonder’s started listening to hip hop when he was seven years old. He absorbed the music, culture of the art form while in middle and high school, gaining experience in music theory. He decided to pursue a music career while attending North Carolina Central University. 9^th Wonder is a master beat maker and sampler. He has sampled some great music from one of my favorite artists who was politically conscious of his times, the late great Curtis Mayfield. Al Green was also one of his big influences. The heavy bass lines in his songs were due to the production of J Dilla, Pete Rock and DJ Premier. 9^th Wonder has been sought after by some well-known artists like, Mary J. Blige, Jean Grae, Wale, Jay-Z, Murs, Drake, Buckshot, Chris Brown, Destiny's Child, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Ludacris, Mac Miller, David Banner, and Lecrae to name a few. 9^th Wonder has a new solo project out “Tutankhamen (Valley of the Kings)”. This album is a chill out album it has a soulful vibe it has my heading bobbing to the beat of the songs. My favorites are “WindyJamSoul”, “WhenLoveIsNew”, “ImABeastSoul!!!!”, “Fredathump” and “JustMyThoughtsSoul”. Don’t miss out on this album.

 You can listen to this album on Streetwise Radio. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, Anthena365, Live365 and MyGen365.

Actual Proof “Black Boy Radio”

What can I say about the duo Actual Proof? Outstanding and Talented! This Duo grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. Their music is a combination hip hop, classic soul, funk and jazz. Sundown and Enigma, the name of its members are both emcees. Actual proof came about when Enigma had the intelligence to enroll in the North Carolina Central University. Enigma took a class that 9^th Wonder, a Grammy Award Winning Producer, DJ, College Lecturer, and Social Activist, was teaching. The class was hip hop and context. 9^th Wonder invited Enigma and Sundown to his studio and the rest is history. Actual Proof’s album “Black Boy Radio” is about a young black boy growing up on the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina. I think the best song on this album is the cover title “Black Boy Radio” it has that jazzy, funky feel and the lyrics are incredible. It tells a story about a boy growing up in the 1960’s racial North Carolina.  I also like "I Got You", a song about offering support to someone going through personal trials and tribulations. 

I think "Black Boy Radio" is a talented, educated duo from the South that has something decent to rap about. Streetwise Radio is playing “Black Boy Radio”. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, Live365, MyGen365 and Athena365.

LM

http://www.last.fm/music/Actual+Proof/+wiki