To be an Artist.

1. Charisma/personality/swagger
Call it what you like, but without it you're just a human reading off a paper. Believe it or not, 50 being shot in his mouth area gave him more style and personality from the straight forward, aggressive style he had during his Columbia days. It instantly stood out when his attorney played me his demo in the summer of '02
2. Substance
The ability to move people through words is a gift like nothing else. Add the right backdrop to that gift and you've got a winner. 50's "mang men" is a prime example of a street rapper taking audiences into the inner psyche of the stress that comes from living the life of a street cat.
3. Lyrics
I believe MC's make great artists (biggie, eminem, jay-z, big pun) it's just a matter of knowing the advantages and disadvantages of being a wordsmith in a climate where dumping down is widely embraced. When I got em's demo in '97, he not only exhibited the qualities of a top notch, battle ridden wordsmith, he knew how to use them without boring the listener, he now uses that ability to make some of the greatest records ("lose yourself," "why I am," "Stan") ever recorded by an MC
4. Uniqueness
Whether its perspective or style, I look for something thats going to stand out from the rest of the pack, and eventually appeal on a coast to coast level.

These Posts

They are just my thoughts. Upon inspiration I will write. My goal is to understand life to its fullest and influence the most influential people on the planet. Take care.

Free Write

So many people try to jump into the movement of being the next "rap star" or the "hot shot" who is envied by the masses. What they aren't seeing is the hard work and true talent every successful musician has. It's one thing to rhyme words in stanzas, but it's a whole different thing to paint a picture with those words, or consist of a hidden message, poetic scheme , or strategic play on words. I believe not everyone truly takes time to appreciate how creative and smart these people are. I do agree it's not always a positive message that helps make a change, but if you see the good inside of the evil then you begin to understand the beauty of the world, and what brings us together.

-J