Meet Your Selector: Illvibe Collective

Dear Chicago, the Midwest and World, please meet Philadelphia. Oh, yeah, I know, you know about Philly. Sure, they won the World Series a couple years ago, have the Liberty Bell, and one of the greatest 80’s movies ever to shine light on the most popular flight of stairs ever (…Rocky, of course). But the City of Brotherly Love has always been so much more than they really get credit for. Much like Detroit, their music history is so thick, it has been a backbone for the cultural and creative fabric of the people locally and beyond. The soulful roots that uplifted the world in the 60’s and 70’s morphed into the cream of the crop hip hop and soul in the 90’s and 2000’s. Now meet one of the primary crews whose responsibility is bringing the music to you: the Illvibe Collective (IVC).

3/5 of the IVC sat down with me to discuss a few items turntable and production related.

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Willy Joy: Real Name... No Gimmicks

Photos By: Virgil Solis

I'll never forget the first time I DJ'ed with Willy Joy at Lava Lounge.  Willy opened that night, and my set began somewhere between 12 and 1AM.  As I unpacked my computer, needles, headphones, and relocated my drinks to the DJ booth, I noticed that Willy had something different sitting next to his computer.  It wasn't a strange mixed drink, or an imported beer I had never heard of.  No, just at arms reach sat an opened box of blueberries.  So, while I (and many DJ's like me) are getting loose thanks in part to Corona and/or Heniken, Willy Joy was re-fueling on necessary vitamins and getting in a daily serving of fruit, all while rocking the party.

"I think I'm pretty transparent when I DJ," says Willy Joy, who was born in Minneapolis and came to Chicago after a short stint in Boston. "I was feeling very stagnant and unproductive in good old beantown," he said.  Transparent and productive are two words that seem to fit Willy Joy with ease. He DJ's regularly in Chicago, the greater United States, and recently spent time spinning throughout Europe.  His rising production skills have been featured by DJ Benzi, as well as found on the new Mad Decent "Free Gucci" Mixtape.  He is unassuming, and straight-forward in terms of the music he plays, how he treats others, and even uses his real name when DJing.  Yup, the dude struck gold at birth with a name like "Willy Joy".   "I was DJ Fun Size for about 2 weeks," he tells us. "You know, like the candy bar? Because really, there's nothing "fun" about a candy bar the size of your fingernail."

There is definitey something fun when you step into a Willy Joy party and in this new RH exclusive we talk to Chicago's Willy Joy about the DJ scene, his entrance into production, shouting obscenities with Mic Terror, and his alter ego: Ol' Dirty Rabbi.  Check it out below.

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Nneka: Welcome To The Jungle

Nneka's first U.S. LP, Concrete Jungle, will be released on February 2nd, and she will undertake a headlining tour to match.  For the Nigerian born anthropology student, one of her main travel items is love.  That's Nneka's self-described x-factor, and one of the reasons she feels her music has been able to spread across countries, languages, and genres.  "I think it's cause of the love I put into it," Nneka says about her success throughout Europe and the UK, where her 2005 release (Victim of Truth) was named one of the best releases of the year.  "I never really cared about record sales and charts, but God is taking me there and I am happy the message of love is spreading faster and coming across borders."

Before releasing her debut album, Nneka caught people up to speed with a re-release of her Uncomfortable Truth EP, as well as a mixtape with DJ J. Period.  The crash course seems to be working, and Nneka continues to find her name and her music on many 'most anticipated of 2010' lists (including ours).  We caught up with Nneka as she prepares for the road, and the new release.  Check out our full interview below.

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FLuD: FLuDing The Market

FLuD makes a dope turntable watch... That's the first thing I found out about FLuD, and really since then, the rest has all been background noise.  There fresh designs, attention to the full watch, and Hip Hop aesthetic make their wrist pieces a powerful megaphone for the NYC-based brand with a funny looking name.  Find out why FLuD is fresh, the origin of the name, and their upcoming projects in the exclusive interview below.

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Natalie Oliveri: A Little Bit Of Everything

Natalie Oliveri introduced herself musically via her EP, Eclectic Soul.  The Chicago born songstress went deep into her shared Colombian and Italian heritage, and mixed with American musical influences to produce a soulful sound that caught our attention.  We think she has enough to catch yours, and talked to Oliveri about her EP, her upbringing and more.  Check it out below.

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Freddie Gibbs: Setbacks to Comebacks

Photos: Jonathan Weiner

Lets face it, we have all had our share of setbacks, and if you haven't, keep living because they are soon to come. Often times these unfortunate experiences mold you into the person that you are today, whether good or bad. Gary Indiana's Freddie Gibbs, has has had a fair share of disappointments, from teenage felonious activity, label mishap's in his freshmen year in the industry, to even a current LA gun charge for which he is on probation. As Gibbs told us, I've been fortunate that s**t on the streets hasn't caught up with me to the point where I gotta do some years.  Ni***z look at going to jail as a badge of honor, it just means you was dumb enough to get caught that day."

What Gibbs does wear as a badge of honor is his skill as far as making music, and the buzz that is coming his way after linking up with DJ Skee and attacking the online world.  With Gibb's newly released 80 track mixtape, "Labels Tryin to Kill Me", fresh to the streets, RubyHornet correspondent Ashydakid caught up with him for a full in-depth interview on his hometown of Gary, the military, a luke warm response from Kanye West, and of course the thing that matters the most, the music.  Read the full interview below.

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Outlasted: A Tribute To Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson retired last week Wednesday.  His announcement, which was first reported by Stephen A. Smith, fit away conviently amongst Thanksgiving dinners, shopping, and a weekend full of football.  But, on Monday morning, after everything has worn off, we're left to face an NBA without A.I.  The Answer has left the building, never to cross-over dribble, take a hard foul, or complain about practice time again (at least until he announces a new deal with a new team).  Perhaps Iverson will reunite with Larry Brown, the coach that understood him best.  Maybe he will stay retired, and now without David Stern to get in his way, release that Hip Hop album he finished years ago and begin a burgeoning rap career.  Maybe he'll just sit back and chill for minute, as we have over the holiday weekend, reflecting on Allen Iverson and the rest of his 1996 NBA draft class.  Iverson wasn't just a basketball player, but a cultural symbol and indeed a sign of our times.  We say peace out to A.I. through this look at some of the other cultural symbols and icons that have also come and gone during the course of his career.

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Thoughts of Fela

I want “Expensive Shit” and “Africa Center of the World".  Can that wish coexist?

I wonder if Fela ever felt like how I and millions of other people felt yesterday, right now, and most likely tomorrow, and the day after that. We're not half-man half-mammal, we haven't mastered the drought, and jeez, we've graduated but we still feel stupid. Solidarity slowly continues to show me that unity is all about agreeing to agree. I want to feel like I'm graduating by degrees but s**t, I feel late, already. I'm not home, already.

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Snoop Dogg: Creative Control

I found it somewhat ironic that as I made my way out east to NYC, the king of the West, Snoop Dogg, made his entrance to Chicago.  Timing and location being only a minor setback, I frantically worked my Blackberry magic to coordinate a cross country interview with one of music's most recognizable figures.  Thanks to modern technology and the help of a few key people, we were able to talk with Snoop as he prepared for his show at The Congress Theatre.  With a face and brand that stretches beyond music and into general Americana, Snoop seems to be operating at a different level than most, where the music is only one part of the machine, only one vehicle for the message.  It's reasonable to wonder what motivates such an artist, one with nine studio albums, a clothing line, TV show, movie roles, commercials and more, to continue to make full-length LPs and tour, especially given the current money-making scene that is the music industry 2009.  For Snoop, the answer is easy.  "When you are the best at doing something, it's tough to give it up," he said.  "Look at Michael Jordan.  I'm still competing and on point with all these younger artists, so I have to continue to step my game up and stay on top, ya dig?!?"

We can definitely dig it as Snoop readies his 10th LP, Malice N Wonderland, an LP that Snoop says is "extra exciting."  We dig into the new LP, the new West Coast artists on the rise, his new position as creative chairman at Capitol, and more in this RH exclusive interview with Snoop D-O-Double-G.  Read it below.

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Lupe Fiasco: Don't Forget'em

Lupe Fiasco has been on a tear lately.  Once staunchly on the wrong side of leaks and giveaways, the Chicago emcee who once printed a list of reasons why he's upset with the current leak-heavy music scene has been releasing a tirade of freestyles via blogs and websites.  The reason for Lupe's surge in activity can be traced to MTV's Hottest Emcees list of 2009, and Cornell Westside's (as he's been dubbed) absence from the list.  But for Lupe, inclusion on MTV's list wasn't just about ego or the current standing of Lupe Fiaso.  As he told us during an exclusive interview, 

"For me, another part was ‘I gotta make that list because the kids have to see that you don’t have to do this to be successful.’ If you look at it and 90% of it is negative, it’s like we gotta have something positive on the list.  That’s not taking shots at anybody.  All those people are my homeboys, but if we come down to the nitty gritty and what’s effecting the streets, you got kids getting beat to death in the streets. You really have to take the responsibility to step up and be like, ‘I have to show my success.  I have to work this hard.  I have to be to be looked at as this top ranked dude and top ranked Emcee.  It’s not because I want the glory and fame, but so kids can have a different role model or choice of role model.'  If we’re excluded from that, the top pop culture thing for Hip Hop is devoid of anything positive, oh naw, we got to go to work.  The conscious backpackers have to go to the club and go to work." 

Lupe's current work includes his forthcoming album L.A.S.E.R.S., which also represents a new found clarity for Lupe in terms of what the emcee wants and doesn't want, as evidenced by the L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto. Lupe spoke to us about the manifesto, the new album, his changes at FNF, and how preparing for his Halloween concert showed him how to get his swagger back.  Check out the full interview below.

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Masta Ace & Edo G: Slow Burn

So, people saying that the younger generation, which happens to be my generation, has a short attention span or no attention span at all. We are constantly on our Blackberry or iPhone, or Facebook, or Twitter, always waiting on a quick response to something we said, wrote, sent, posted, tweeted... You get the idea. It's almost in our blood to expect instant responses to whatever we're doing, but maybe the slow burn approach is better for us. Well, at least that's what Masta Ace thinks about the direction of his career, and the music that he and Boston native, Edo G, have created in their lasted album, Arts and Entertainment. RubyHornet's Ashydakid, caught up with the duo to chop it up about their latest album, fans, and the importance of social service. Check it out right below.

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Black Dynamite: Bringing That Old Thing Back

Paying homage to Blaxploitation films that came before them, Scott Sanders and Michail Jai White bring us Black Dynamite.  The recently released feature film, which stars White as the crime-solving, hood-protecting, kung-fu knowing, and Black Panther-leaning character of the same name was shot to resemble the aesthetics of the 1970's sub-genre.  The duo did this so well, that early trailers of the movie had people thinking that Black Dynamite was a re-release rather than a new film.   "The whole thing, I think it's fun.  The confusion is fun," director Scott Sanders told us while in Chicago for a screening of the film.  I met Sanders as well as the film's star and writer, Michail Jai White for an exclusive interview.  Read on as they talk about Black Dynamite's character, the making of the film, and how to shoot a 1970's style film in 2009.   

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Jay Are: Renaissance Rap

Jay Are is a duo composed of John Robinson and J Rawls.  The two met musically, listening and hearing each others tracks.  The audible encounters lead to a real life meeting in which the two instantly bonded, as J Rawls told us,  "Me and J.R. are like family. We hit it off from day one and when we did we started working together right away."  The first full piece of their partnership is their recently released LP, The 1960's Jazz Revolution Again... a piece designed to pay homage to, and evoke the spirit and the scene of Jazz music produced during an especially volatile and exciting time in American history.  Part of the puzzle is also Jay Are's hopes of getting the younger cats to "do the knowledge" and study up on music from the past.  We caught up with Jay Are to study up on their new album, how one can fake an appreciation for Jazz, and much more.  Check it out below.

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Tyrus Thomas: The Big Assist

To whom much is given, much is expected. Many times what we hope and expect is that the most fortunate among us will reach back and help those most in need. America places its athletes and entertainers amongst the country's most wealthy, thus placing them in position to have a great impact on and off field, in front of or away from the camera. Chicago is no exception, and various members of the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Sox, and Blackhawks have established charitable foundations that aim to assist others in securing a good education, a good meal, and finding shelter. We've written previously about the efforts of former Bears All-Pro Jerry Azumah and his ASAP Foundation (click here). On October 28th, Mr. Azumah will host Athletes Across Borders, a fundraising event he is co-hosting with Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas. We spoke to the former LSU Tiger about the importance of charity work, what kind of role athletes can take in philanthropy, and the windy city as his home away from home. Read the full interview below.

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Saigon: You Play To Win The Game

I was just days away from my college graduation in May of 2004 when I interviewed Saigon for the first time.  He talked in-depth about the origins of his name, his time in prison, and his hopes to better his life and the lives of others through his budding music career.  He also spoke excitedly about his debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told, which he expected to be released sometime in the year or so that followed.  Since that interview I graduated college, taught for three years, started a full-time DJing and writing career, and now find myself in the RubyHornet offices typing up our second interview, recorded just a month ago.  Saigon, well, while he turned in a recurring role on "Entourage", and released a handful of critically well-received mixtapes and an album made in 24 hours with Statik Selektah, he's still waiting on The Greatest Story Never Told to be released, and his career to really take off.  

The album was supposed to be released on Atlantic Records, but Saigon left the NYC's label offices before his completed debut, something he attributes to his unfamiliarity and nonacceptance of "the game".  "Now I understand this game," Saigon told me just a few weeks ago.  "And how everybody says, 'yo we run the game we got this game on smash.' It's a f**king game man, it's really a game. It's like playing Monopoly and you're the only one taking it serious. You're the only one who acts like you're going to really own this property and everybody else understands it's a game. I always approached it as 'OK, I'm going to use this to get my message across to the people.' But I chose not to realize that this was a game all along."

It's a tough position to be in for Saigon because so many of his fans respect him due to his unwillingness to bend or break.  But when critical acclaim doesn't pay the bills, you're forced to make some changes.  "I don't want to play the game. But I've put myself so deep into this s**t as far as depending on this s**t to make a living," Sai concedes. "I could have had a Masters degree in the time that I spent locked up. I gave this s**t 17 years, so now this has to work for me." 

Saigon tried a new approach on the October 6th release, Warning Shots 2.  The new approach, the game, and Hip Hop is all the focus of this RH exclusive with Saigon...

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RTC's Hottest Emcees In The Game: A Rebuttal

MTV revealed their Hottest Emcee's In The Game this month via a round table moderated by Sway.  Sway and company picked ten to make the list, all of whom they said dominated Hip Hop over the past 12 months.  They were careful to clarify that the list was not so much based on talent, but on buzz, and for the most part, the list is very solid. Topping MTV's list was Jay-Z, who returned with the Blueprint 3, his 11th number one solo album.  Also in the top 5 were Lil' Wayne, Drake, and Kanye West all of whom can lay claim to the title.  But, there wouldn't be an article if MTV was completely right.  MTV says that they picked the list based on an artist's accomplishments, the relevancy of their raps, their sales, spins, and ability to create buzz.  Here we take a look at MTV's list, find the holes, then plug in the missing pieces.

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Miike Snow: No Second Thoughts

I don't know how I came to hear about Miike Snow, but somehow I did.  I started to see the name pop up on Pitchfork, and Gorilla Vs. Bear, and other more indie rock leaning spots.  I saw Miike Snow in Rolling Stone, and finally on the bill for the 2009 edition of Lollapalooza.  After seeing the name so much, I decided to check out this guy named Miike, and figure why he spelled his name with multiple 'i's.   Almost instantly after my google search I found that the band is not one dude named Miike, but three guys, none of whom are named Miike.  I also realized that two of the three members, (Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg) form the production duo of Bloodshy and Avant who are behind hits for a wide range artists including Britney Spears' "Toxic".  The third member of Miike Snow, Andrew Wyatt is a singer/producer from NYC and signed to Downtown Records.

What hooked me in to Miike Snow's music soon after that was the group's appeals to human desires, emotions, and confusions.  Those three things appear to be at the heart of songs such as "Animal", "Black and Blue" as well as "Funeral".  I talked to Miike Snow's singer and American tour guide Andrew Wyatt to match my interpretation against there's as well as discuss his place in the band, cooking compared to making music and so much more.  Check it out below. 

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Fashawn: Second Look

"Come holla at me, I'll be just as inviting as I am in my music. It's as simple as that," says Fresno's Fashawn.  While it may be that simple to Fashawn, who spoke to us from his Cali home, there's nothing simple about the kid's music or the way he has captivated his peers as well as elders to gain respect and admiration as a young kid with grown up skills.  Such skills were on full display on The Antidote, a mixtape fully handled by The Alchemist, and one that featured Fashawn taking on old school breaks, with knowledge and wisdom filled raps that reminded us of Rakim. Indeed, Fashawn has been inducted into "The New West" a collection of left coast artists deemed to take the throne once occupied by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Souls of Mischief, The Pharcyde and others.  Humble as always, Fashawn credits his musical elders before slyly accepting that the future is his.  

We cast our First Look spotlight on Fashawn nearly a year ago, and spoke to the emcee for a second look the day he was named to Ghostface's tour.  Read the full interview below, and see what difference a year can make.

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Anjulie: Personally Speaking

"When you decide to be an artist there is no map of where to go," says Anjulie, the beautiful and beautifully talented singer/songwriter from Toronto.  "You're kind of left to fend for yourself, which is a lot of what I still do."  So far so good, as the former high school football player (on the boys' team) released her debut-self-titled album in the summer of 2009, and has since had to fend off the accolades coming from critics and fans as well as one of her musical heroes, Nelly Frutado.  In fact, Anjulie is often compared to Nelly Frutado because of her style of music, as well as their shared hometown.  While some artists hate having such comparisons, Anjulie welcomes them and even enlisted some of Nelly's former musical collaborators to help her craft her own debut. 

We caught up with Anjulie while on tour with Shwayze and asked her about Nelly, her football past, the openness of her music and more.  She answered all our questions, and you can read the full interview below.

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Slum Village: Fresh Cuts

"We're still keeping that legacy going, man", said T3, the last of the original members of Detroit's staple Hip Hop group, Slum Village. T3  knows a thing or two about loses and perseverance.  He dealt with the loss of super producer and Hip Hop legend JDilla, not only as a member of the group following Dilla's exit in 2002, but also mourned his death in 2006.  T3 also lost fellow founding member Baatin in the same sequence, first as a group member then as a friend as Baatin passed away in the summer of 2008. While no death is easy to handle, Baatin's unexpected passing on July 31st also came on the heels of a new Slum Village album, one that served as reintroduction for Baatin into the SV fold, which now includes Elzhi who also joined the group in 2002.

RH's Ashydakid caught up with T3 for a personal interview about the history of the group, their earlier albums and Hip Hop on the Internet, which T3 lamented, "The bad thing about the industry now is its too many motherfuckas in it. It's over saturated..." We cut the fat with Detroit's favorite delicatessen in the full interview below.

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Married To The MOB: It's The Real Official

Streetwear, much like the music biz, is heavily a man's world.  But stricly for the ladies streetwear brand, Married To The MOB (Most Official Bitches) has risen to the top thanks to dope designs, clever slogans, and an aesthetic that appeals to the core of the female experience.  "All girls can relate to the brand,"  MTTM's Lourdes Castro told us.  "I don't care who you are, deep down inside every girl is proud to call themselves a most official bitch."

We sent RH contributor Alexa Thompson on a mission to get the specifics on the MTTM brand, what makes a "Most Official Bitch", and much more.  Read on to see why it's ladies night all day everyday for this NYC-based brand that went from a Chelsea apartment to the top of the Empire State Building. 

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