Padded Booth Experiment

The 1st version of the promo piece.

Merk Murphy was having a conversation last week with a client speaking on the possibilities of what could happen if he got ALL of the talented EMCEES in the studio, gave them a hot track, and let them have a writing session for a few hours. What exactly would happen? Would there be an old school based song about the upliftment of our people, bars and metaphors showcasing skills, or the status quo about the goings on in Chi Raq Dilla Noise? My opinion was to put the invite out there and see what happens...and at that point, I invited myself into my next assignment. (Sighs)

The 1st thing that I had to do was to come up with a list of people that Merk would like to hear on a song. The 2nd thing that I had to do was to come up with another list of WHO from the 1ST list would agree to be a part of the event. 3RD, I had to get in touch with the people. 4TH, I had to create the artwork to attract the artists. And 5th, I had to get all of this done in less than 36 hours! WOW!

Heavy task, but I knocked it out!!

I created a list of 30 people. I got in contact with 26 of them, and 15 participated. I actually only thought that 10 would show up. 

The event was scheduled to start at 11pm. Thus the reason why I told everyone that it started at 9:30pm. Everyone that was scheduled to be in the building were all there by 10:30pm. This gave Merk 30 minutes to explain how we were going to organize everything, and by 11pm, the artists were writing.

I was fading out by 4am, but the writers were STILL writing!! But seeing that Cayex had gone home, and that the other engineer had to leave, the decision was made to stall out the actual song until Saturday the 27th.

Saturday night came. Cayex was on board to engineer. The artists were back and ready. No one was really aware of what the other had written, but Cayex organized everything and it all came out nicely! 

(At this point, Cayex hasn't mixed the song. Thus the reason why there isn't a link to it.)

Next up is this damn NBA 2K15 basketball tournament. Another one of my BRIGHT ideas that I have to put together..Stay tuned for next week.

The 2nd and FINAL version of the promo piece. 

Finished Artwork for "Dope Baby"

My designated assignment for this past week has been to come up with the artwork for the Bennie Franks/Cayex Illah project. For the past 3 weeks, I have created 3 different versions that used photos that were taken at the photo shoot before the video. The 1st version, Cayex liked because he liked the pic of himself. Unfortunately Bennie didn't like the pic of himself. The artwork was denied. The 2nd version, Bennie liked the pic of himself. And of course, Cayex did NOT like the artwork of himself. The artwork was denied.

For the final version, I decided NOT to add a pic of either Cayex OR Bennie, and made the focal point on a stock photo that I had of a straight razor cutting into a Baking Soda form of substance. Why would I have stock photos of baking soda? Because at one point and time, I was a part of a music production team called the "Baking Soda Boys". Just in case you were wondering, It was a drug dealing reference. (At one point and time, having a slick drug dealing name was a very popular trend in rap music.) 

The only direction that I was given after the fact was to make the razor the same color gold that Bennie are wearing in the video. Not a problem! Done!! Keep your eyes open for the video. I am currently in the editing phase of it which has had me very busy. It will be up very soon...God willing...

Fight Night @ COMPLEX 2010

Do you see all of the people in this room? Well one of my jobs for this past week was to get in touch with the "premier clients" of COMPLEX 2010, and to invite them to the Floyd Mayweather fight on Saturday September 13, 2014. Premier Clients refers to the fact that they have spent a nice amount of income towards the services of Complex 2010. During the week I had to call, text, email, return calls, return texts, and return emails concerning the event.

The overall question of concern was "how much" and will there be food. The price was $10 per person and YES there was chicken...supplied by Sharks on Cermak & State and PLENTY OF IT! 

Not that anyone would care, but my day started off by watching two wonderful people get married at the Mosque Maryam; Mr & Mrs Edward & Leslie Muhammad. After the reception, I changed from my suit, and made sure that I got down to Complex 2010 to make sure that everyone that was in attendance, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE!! If I aint call you or speak to you, then you could not get in. It was more of a space issue.

The event was successful. Everyone ate and enjoyed the fight. I didn't get a chance to really see much of it because I was making sure that no chicken graveyards were on the floor, and that everyone had somewhere to sit. Indeed everyone had a chair of some sorts, but most chose to stand. 

I was happy because I got to take home a half of a tray of lemon pepper chicken wings to my family. 

We ate on it for 2 days...

"Dope Baby"

My 1st official day of Internship at COMPLEX 2010 started on Monday September 1st, 2014. The 1st day was a very good day and very action packed! I was part of the video production crew for a video that Cayex Illah (who is also a rapper/producer/engineer) and Bennie Franks did together called "Dope Baby". Several suites were rented out for use for performance scenes at the Hard Rock Hotel on North Michigan Avenue. 

Half way thru the process, I realized that I shouldve been taking pics of the massive event. Cayex doesnt really mind taking pics, but he MOST DEFINITELY makes sure that he approves ANY and ALL photos of himself that go up publicly. 

The pic below is the only pic that he approved! LOL!

I was also put in charge of coming up with an idea for the artwork for the project. I don't really know yet what my concept is going to be, but i've been noticing lately that the more basic image, is the more popular. So i'm going to stick with something very clean, very basic, professional fonts, something white....YEAH!, I think that i've just come up with something. Im gonna work on it! If it's approved, then you'll see it in my next entry. LOL!

(Left to Right) High Beam, Bennie Franks, Cayex Illah on the set of "Dope Baby".

Chicago's Own Roger Ebert - Dead at 70.

Longtime Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert has died at age 70, the newspaper reported on Thursday. 

Just this week, Ebert announced that he had been diagnosed again with cancer and said he'd be taking what he called "a leave of presence" to undergo treatment. 

I always enjoyed watching his show "At the movies" when it aired from 1986 to 1999. 

Gotham Ville, Illinois.

View Gotham, Illinois in a larger map This is my final news item for my Intro to Interactive Media class. This Blog entry is about 3 major items that have been highlighted on my map. One is about a Man that was critically wounded in a Humboldt Park shooting. Maybe I should express more about the matter, but its pretty much open and shut. The second story is about how Cook County Board President put Mayor Rahm Emmanuel on blast about how he and the Police Chief are handling the shootings in the city. And last and certainly the LEAST; the 3rd story is about local Chicago embarrassment entertainer "Chief Keef", and how he had an interview filmed of him at a gun range....Can you say Duhh?? You're on probation DUMMY!!

@JoeBlacula Presents - Sylva Maria @SylvaMaria8

Sylva Maria

Click here to download Crash Landing

“Crash Landing” is brought to you from the uniquely chameleon styled mind of Chicago Artist Sylva-Maria.  Also known as Star, Rasta Child Morning, and The Lioness, Sylva-Maria uses Crash Landing as a bridge to a new era is Music.  Labeled by Sylva-Maria as ’Rhythm & Rhyme,’ her manner of sonic projection leaves nothing to be wanted no matter what genre of urban music you prefer.  

https://sylvamaria.com/

When ‘Star’ emerges, you are hit with bars from a talented lyricist.  Tracks like ‘Promise’ and ‘Note to Self’ from Crash Landing deliver classic Hip Hop with metaphoric bars stimulating any listener.  ‘Real Fire Spitters’ featuring Kadar is meant to guarantee her position as someone who knows how to lay down bars. 

Always incorporating melody into every thread of her music, ’Sylva-Maria’ is the songstress that adds the R&B element to every song.  Her sound and her voice is not your normal take on R&B.  There is a rough passion that hollows out her soul when she turns her words into melodic representations of her thoughts.  

http://www.gowherehiphop.com/node/21423

What is masterfully evident when ‘Rasta Child Morning’ settles in on the Mic’, is Sylva-Maria’s Jamaican heritage.  With her father being born and raised in Jamaica, and her American mother having a genuine passion for the culture, Reggae is a big part of Crash Landing.  Tracks like ‘Keys To The City’ and ‘Trippin’ infuse Jamaican Patios with common Hip Hop, giving it a blended sound of her two cultures.  Using her father, Reggae Artist Michael Black on the hook for the track ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ gives a trail to her lineage.  ’Too Experienced’ is laid over an energetic island style rhythm, bringing together the singer Sylva-Maria, with the rapper Star, providing an exact mesh of what Sylva-Maria is all about.  

https://sylvamaria.com/

When needed, Sylva-Maria draws even more energy into her music by featuring members from her Crew, “The Knights of The Mic.”  Being diverse in sound is a consistent theme in any Sylva-Maria project, and her Crew only adds more to that sound.

https://sylvamaria.com/

As a single Chicago girl with no children, Music is Life for Sylva-Maria. Crash Landing has the soul purpose of exposing the world to intelligent, heart-felt music with a meaning.  Sylva-Maria’s views on Religion, Love, and Life are represented equally in her music to not only educate people on who she is, but to have others have a point of view to relate to.

All photos taken by @ladonnaraeh