JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta), Author at AllHipHop

Jamal Simmons: Political & Media Guru Gives Back

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: AlternativesOctober 6, 2011

Over the past three years, with regular appearances on CBS News, CNN, and MSNBC, Jamal Simmons has become one of the media’s most recognizable political analysts. Simmons’ candid commentary has established him as a “fresh voice,” and he has been featured in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and Politico. Channeling the power of social media, Simmons has launched an innovative fundraising campaign for the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation: “$40 for 40 Kids.” With his help, 40 high school graduates in Detroit and surrounding Michigan will receive financial assistance to attend college. Simmons received a Parks Scholarship in 1988 and enrolled in Morehouse College; he graduated from the college and recently received their Presidential Award of Distinction. Simmons also earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. As he prepares for the official launch of the “$40 for 40 Kids” campaign, Simmons squeezed time out of his busy schedule for an interview with AllHipHop.com, reflecting on the value of strong communication skills, his evolution as a political analyst and the importance of receiving his father’s “tough love”: AllHipHop.com: When you reflect on your personal life and the decisions you’ve made over the years, what can you attribute to your upbringing and parents’ influence? Jamal Simmons: I have been influenced in two primary ways. My parents and my grandparents loved me unconditionally. They told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be, and they expected me to do the best I could at whatever it was I chose; but they never told me what to be. And I think having the freedom to make those choices for myself was incredibly important, but I also had the discipline of expecting me to perform at whatever it was that I was doing. AllHipHop.com: Since you were never explicitly told what to do, is there a particular life event that catapulted you into political journalism? Jamal Simmons: My dad has always been involved in politics. My grandfather was also, but he was more of a union organizing guy, and my dad was involved in electoral politics in Detroit where I grew up. My dad worked for then Mayor Coleman Young back in the 1980s. So I grew up around it. I grew up handing out leaflets, going door-to-door on Saturdays for hot dog money! [laughing] As I got older, it was something I had then developed an interest in myself; and so I continued to volunteer on campaigns and do all those menial tasks that really mean so much in a campaign, like door knocking and phone calls. Before email, letter stuffing. AllHipHop.com: Having started out so young, when you look at your experiences, are there any lessons or pieces of advice that have guided you through the years? Jamal Simmons: Yes, I’ve had a couple. First of all, despite the fact that I really did come from a loving family; it wasn’t really very traditional. My parents were never married. They split up when I was less than two years old; but I lived with both of them at different periods. I lived with my mother until I was 13, and then I went to high school. I was getting a little rambunctious, so I went to live with my father. We went to see Boyz N the Hood, and we were laughing about how similar the story was. Where we grew up in Detroit, was a similar neighborhood to the neighborhood in that movie. It was a pretty tough neighborhood. You grow up in a tough neighborhood in the inner city and all the things happen that happen. You get robbed and you get in fights and friends die, and there’s drugs and all that stuff that goes on. But again, I came from parents who exerted a lot of discipline on their kids. And the second thing I’d say came from experience. I got in trouble when I was in college. I got cut off from my parents and had to sit out of school. I had a false arrest that ended up getting taken care of. All this happened at the same time, and I think there was a moment where I had to look at myself in the mirror and decide what I was going to do. And I credit my dad now – for having the will to cut me off – despite the fact we got into a huge argument and we stopped speaking to each other for months. I had to go out and get two jobs; go to work and save money; and eat potatoes and ramen noodles every night. One of my jobs was in a restaurant on the weekends. At the very least, I knew that I would get two good meals on the weekends. During this time, I really learned how to take care of myself. If you don’t work, you don’t eat; and that’s an incredibly important lesson in life. AllHipHop.com: Is there a particular obstacle that kept you grounded? Jamal Simmons: Other than being hungry? [laughing] Well, you have certain problems that come along with being young. You have roommates that cause you trouble. We had problems paying the rent some months. It’s just all the stuff that happens when you don’t have any money. So I certainly went through a lot of that. I had another experience when I was a little bit older and I was in graduate school. I did a summer at Citibank. I thought at one point I may want to go be a banker. But after I got into trouble, I got myself into school with the help of my parents, and we decided we were going to split the cost. I had to pay for all my living expenses, and they paid for the tuition. I made the honor roll every semester after that. I really just kind of buckled down and got my act together. So, by the time I got to graduate school, I thought I […]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Flea Talks Hip-Hop

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: AlternativesOctober 6, 2011

Honestly, I’m not sure if rock-n-roll enthusiasts debate over the G.O.A.T. in the same manner Hip-Hop junkies discuss the best MC. If there is a raging discussion, I’d definitely throw the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in the arena of candidates right there with acts like The Rolling Stones and U2 (personal preference, people!). Now, it is safe to say that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers (presently comprised of Anthony Kiedis, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer) don’t care about those trivial matters so we won’t walk down that path. However, AllHipHop.com had the unique opportunity to talk Hip-Hop with Flea, the master bass player of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The result is a really cool interview with a legend that likes Dilla so much, he shed tears of inspiration. Enjoy this conversation as Flea extols Hip-Hop from Grand Master Flash to Ghostface to Odd Future and check for part 2, where he delves even deeper. (Editor’s Note, the rest of the conversation with Flea continues in a separate piece, where he explains The Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ new album, I’m With You.) AllHipHop.com: Definitely. Um, since this is AllHipHop.com I have to ask you, how do you, you know, you guys have always had a slight edge of hip hop to your music. And even more so depending on who you ask, um, what are your thoughts on hip hop? Who do you like? Who do you appreciate, you know? Flea: I go through phases, you know? I’m actually, right now, I was doing this thing. I was playing with Erykah Badu a while ago, you know, and she really…(got me into J. Dilla) AllHipHop.com: Yeah? Flea: …and I know about J Dilla a little bit and she really… AllHipHop.com: Yeah? Flea: …she got me hooked. And for, like, the last month that’s all I’ve listened to. AllHipHop.com: Really? Flea: Actually, like, I was up in his house in the mountains? And I was up there listening to, I think, the rough draft EP of J Dilla? AllHipHop.com: OK. Flea: It was like brought me to tears because of how beautiful it is. And then… AllHipHop.com: Wow. Flea: …and then (as a kid) I discovered – growing up Jimi Hendrix was my big thing, you know? And it was like, as a kid, it was almost, like, what raised me, you know? Like almost, like, almost like a guiding light to believe in. AllHipHop.com: Right, right. Flea: And that’s how it started out with Dilla, man. It’s just, like, right now it’s kind of consuming me. AllHipHop.com: Yeah? Flea: Like the depth and the width and the long, the far-reachingness of everything he did. The different styles within the, you know, Hip-Hop beats. You know what I mean? AllHipHop.com: Definitely. Flea: There’s so much just within that music. So lately, that’s my big thing, but man, I love Hip-Hop and I go in and out. There hasn’t been – I’m trying to think – like things that have, like, recently – things that have really excited me. But, um, uh, you know, these kids, uh, um, The Goblin and… AllHipHop.com: Odd Future? Flea: Yeah, the Odd Future kids. I can [relate] just, in terms, like, it’s like wild, you know AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: That real, exciting, you know, type of feeling? AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: But, um, through the years there’s things that I, like, love. Often there’s things that, often, things that to me are really popular and I don’t want to hear it. It’s like one of those things where I’ve got my, like, my tendency is to run the other direction. AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: So it may sound crazy to you, but just recently I’ve gotten into Jay-Z. And it’s new for me! Like, I would hear songs before… AllHipHop.com: Oh, Jay-Z? Flea: Yeah! AllHipHop.com: (Laughs) Flea: Like, I would hear songs before and would know that it was good, but because it was so popular and so huge and on MTV every other minute I would just run the other way, you know? AllHipHop.com: Right. (Laughs) Flea: But, recently I’ve gotten into the Blueprint stuff, but I love Hip-Hop. You know, Wu-tang has been, like, a big thing for me a lot through the years. AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: You know, all the solo records, and I love Ghostface and The Apollo Kids he came out with this year. It was good. Um, you know, I go back to all kinds of stuff that I love, like, I’m sitting here with my five year old and turning her on to music. I pull out my Grandmaster Flash and my Sugarhill records, you know? AllHipHop.com: Right, right. Flea: ‘Cause for a little kid it’s so colorful. AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: And exciting. You know, because she’s sitting there in the morning and I’m making her breakfast and she’s like, “Papa?”, and I said, “What?” She said, “I don’t like to brag, I don’t like to boast, but I like hot butter on my breakfast toast.” AllHipHop.com: (Laughs) Flea: So it’s like that, you know, for me, like I said before, it’s like there’s music that’s artistically exciting, and timeless, and there’s music that isn’t. AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Flea: And categories just don’t really mean a lot to me. You know? I love Hip-Hop and always have, you know? Since I was in high school and Sugarhill Gang was really big I’ve always been into Hip-Hop, you know?

Ryan Leslie: The Rapper?

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: AlternativesOctober 6, 2011

Jaheim, Musiq Soulchild, and Tank – some rappers just seem to fit better with rappers than others. Then, there’s Grammy-nominated Ryan Leslie. The Harvard-educated music man, Ryan Leslie, originally from Washington, D.C., has been known over the years for his Hip-Hop flavored anthems such “Diamond Girl” and “Addicted” with Cassie. The fact that he plays the piano and has an Ivy League educational background may have lumped him into a certain lane with his R&B peers. Still, Leslie says fans should get ready to see him in a whole new light – as a rapper. MC-ing isn’t new to the crooner, he says – it just hasn’t had its turn in the sun. AllHipHop.com interviewed Ryan Leslie as he prepares for a special “Black Music Month” performance on June 15 at the 14th Street Apple Store in New York, and later, Tunisia, North Africa on a goodwill mission. He also dropped us his Top 5 Dead or Alive before signing off: AllHipHop.com: Hi Ryan, how are you? Ryan: I’m good, Seandra. Thanks so much for having me at 11:30 on a Monday morning! I’m actually going to be talking to London and Paris coming up so…they’re six hours ahead of me, so I’ve been up since about 6 already. AllHipHop.com: Oh my goodness. Well you did a good job performing at [Hot97] Summer Jam recently, a super quick job, but good. Ryan: Thank you very much. AllHipHop.com: Was it your first time at Summer Jam? Ryan: Well, that was the longest I’ve ever been on stage at Summer Jam. I came out with Jim Jones and Dipset in 2009. I made a record with Jim Jones called “Precious.” AllHipHop.com: Right, ok. Well, I want to backtrack a little bit, and just talk a little bit about your background real quick for anybody who’s been living under a rock for the past few years and doesn’t know a lot about you. The thing that always stood out about you for me was your musicianship. You play the piano, you know, and you’re not just a guy who walked into the studio without some training. So tell me about your early music years. Ryan: Well, I come from a musical family. My parents are both musicians. My father, his main instrument was the trumpet, and he still plays from time to time, and my mother’s main instrument is the piano. She still plays and loves it to death. So it was just only natural that me and my sister would be drawn to music as a way to express ourselves and as a way to just have a bond with the family, I mean, we would sing together and it was a really big part of my childhood, and you know, my parents are Salvation Army officers so we didn’t really have the money to have formal training. I mean they tried to pick and choose what they could afford to send us to in terms of education, education and extracurriculars. So my father really, you know, he wanted me to go to karate school (laughs)… AllHipHop.com: You said karate? [laughter] Ryan: Yeah. Japanese karate. And my mother, who’s actually half Chinese, her cousin in Canada actually ran a karate school so there were many summers that they would just have me go up to Canada to train. And my sister was actually the one who got the piano lessons. I was so jealous. But what I would do is I would take her piano books, or take my mother’s piano books, you know, and I taught myself all of the musical proficiency that I have today. And you know that’s not to say I didn’t have an environment to practice in because the Salvation Army has a really rich musical tradition, so I was in band camp for a week out of a year or something like that. Really a lot of the musicanship and my ability to play instruments just comes from my own curiosity and approach to learning which was “hey, if I can’t take classes I’ll teach myself.” AllHipHop.com: Right. You have a pretty impressive educational background, too, that people might not know about. What did you study when you were in college? Ryan: Well, I actually went to went to…I concentrated in…I majored in Government at Harvard with a concentration in Economics (Macroeconomics) and Political Science. AllHipHop.com: But the music, I guess, rose to the surface as what you really felt your passion was. Is that it? Ryan: Absolutely. Absolutely. AllHipHop.com: Ok. So I want to ask you about the new album “Les is More” and first I want to ask you to explain the title. Why is less more? Ryan: Why is less more? Well less is actually a play on my name, L-e-s, and in a lot of my productions or when I’ve actually mentioned my tag in songs that I produce or I’m a part of, I use the shortened version of my name RLES and so this album’s title is actually that everyone’s always toyed with when they hear my nickname RLES. “Oh RLES is more. You should do an album like that.” And at this juncture in my career, I really, really feel strongly about sharing more of myself, and what I mean by that is I feel like there are so many other dimensions to me that I really haven’t shared as an artist to this point, and one of the most probably obvious changes from everything you’ve heard from me is that this album is a Rap album so to actually go from being a Grammy-nominated contemporary R&B artist to deciding his next album is going to be a Rap album may catch some people off guard. But I’ve been rapping ever since I was a teenager and actually you know that’s because my sister always had the beautiful voice in the family, and I just always had an affinity for Rap as a medium of expressing myself. So I […]

Musiq Soulchild: Traveling Down the Wise Road

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: AlternativesOctober 6, 2011

Album after album, Musiq Soulchild never fails to deliver. And with the release of his sixth album, musiqinthemagiq, the world has been reminded that there is quite a bit of “magic in the [music].” His latest release pays homage to the traditional elements of R&B, while incorporating contemporary elements of urban music. During a promotional campaign for musiqinthemagiq, Music Soulchild managed to squeeze some time out his schedule and settle down for his second interview with AllHipHop.com – reflecting on a decade of recording, stepping outside the R&B box, and embracing fatherhood. AllHipHop.com: During our last conversation, in promotion of onmyradio, you were in the midst of a move to Atlanta. How have you enjoyed the transition? Musiq Soulchild: Although I live in Atlanta, I have not spent that much time in the city – especially within the last year. I’ve been all over the place – New York, Atlanta, and I was out in L.A. for a little while. But Atlanta has a real calm pace, which allows me to see things from one perspective, compared to New York, which has a different pace and sense of urgency. AllHipHop.com: Since you are constantly on the road, traveling and performing, how does that wear and tear on you as an artist? How do you keep yourself grounded? Musiq Soulchild: Being on the road is a challenging thing. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it always wears and tears on me. But there is some wear and tear. I just don’t wear it like that. Like life itself, anytime you’re up and you’re moving around and you’re doing stuff, it’s going to be taxing on you. I try to relax as much as possible. I try to get as much rest as I can. Whenever I’m out, I try not to stress myself out or allow myself to be stressed out. A lot of people question sometimes about how come I don’t like to go party. Because I don’t really have the energy for all of that after I get done doing what I’m doing. So I just try to maintain myself and stay focused on what’s important. And whenever I can, any time the opportunity allows, I really like to do nothing. If I’m not at home and I’m staying at a hotel, then I just try to go to my hotel and get me something to eat and just chill. AllHipHop.com: With age comes wisdom. With over a decade of experience in the music industry, do you find it challenging to stay true to your roots while remaining competitive in this current music landscape? Musiq Soulchild: My whole career has been a mix of very challenging things but also some very inspiring things, as well, and I’m grateful for them; even the things that were a bit of a hassle. You’re not going to like everything about everything, but it do help you to appreciate it all. If everything was all good all the time, you wouldn’t really appreciate it because you would just take it for granted, you would take it as a given. So besides that, I do have those otherwise moments to contrast the good moments. It’s helped me to appreciate the good moments that much more. But overall, the fact that I’m where I am ten years removed and I’ve accomplished the things that I’ve accomplished. I’m nothing less than grateful and honored, even to the fact that people still care about me for my albums; that they still are looking to go get them and spend money on them and still come to the shows and still asking for me; not just recognizing that I’m still here or whatever, but they’re still asking for me. That’s really dope for me. AllHipHop.com: Your latest project is entitled musiqinthemagiq. Going off of what you just said, I’m going to flip the title around a little bit: “magic in the music.” As a long-time listener of your work, I have always found magic in your music. When you look back at this recording experience, what does this particular album mean to you on a personal level? At this point in your career, do you feel like you have to prove anything? Musiq Soulchild: I guess it’s just that it gives credit to my credibility. I never felt like I had anything to prove, but I do recognize that because there’s so many people out there doing it and there’s a lot of competition; at least in the beginning, nobody really knew who I was. You’ve got to give people a reason to care. That’s just the basic laws of business. You’ve got to give them a reason to want to invest in what it is that you do. I mean, anybody doesn’t just spend money on anything just because you say so. You might think that you’re dope but the rest of the world is not obligated to, unless you give them a reason to remember that. When you’re consistent in what you do, that generates confidence, with your audience and within yourself. People don’t like that unstable state of mind when they go to invest in something. Is it going to be good? Is it going to be in a way that I like it? When you can reassure them every time you come out that whatever you do they’re going to like it and they’re going to enjoy it; that’s what motivates me as far as that’s concerned. As far as like the title of the album, you flipping it is actually what I did with that turn of phrase, “magic in the music”. I just flipped it because a lot of people say, “the magic in the music” but nobody’s ever really talked about what that magic is. And I started thinking about that saying and starting thinking about how it would apply to a whole lot of people in a lot of ways and I couldn’t really come up with anything. I mean, I came up with the idea as to why and what it was as […]

Hip-Hop Rumors: Black Star Returns?! Shakurs to Sue Over Sex Tape! Palin A No Go for 2012!!

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: RumorsOctober 6, 2011

Blacksmith vs. Duck Down If you’re in the NYC area for this year’s CMJ Festival, you might want to catch the Blacksmith vs. Duck Down show on October 22 that will be featuring Jean Grae, Buckshot, Talib Kweli, Smif-N-Wessun, Pharoahe Monch, and more! In the meantime, enjoy this clip of Black Star from The Colbert Report… [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExQwLyJDp64&w=560&h=315] The Shakurs Are Ready to Sue Over Sex Tape: TMZ spoke with a spokesperson for Pac’s estate, who was VERY clear, “We will sue anyone who tries to sell a Tupac tape”  The rep insists … only the estate has the power to authorize the use of Tupac’s image for commercial use … and there’s NO WAY the sex tape will ever get the proper approval.   We’re told Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, is aware of the tape — and has told her spokesperson, “Get the legal team ready because [we] will not allow someone to put it out.”   Currently, the Shakur estate is trying to single out the person(s) responsible for the marketing of the tape. It is believed that the female featured in the video is behind the sale. For those that don’t know…the tape is said to be from 1991, is 5 minutes long, and features a woman going down on Mr. Shakur. How exciting! Not. Jay-Z Has Some Words for J. Cole Who Has Some Words For Fans: “J. Cole’s success is testament to amazing artist development and Cole’s hard work,” Jay-Z said, via press release. “I want to congratulate him on a #1 album, and more importantly, a great body of work.” [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta31f36ECxw&w=560&h=315] Cole World: The Sideline Story is in stores now! Illseed’s Quickies: Irv Gotti wants the Def Jam President job. Thoughts? The Transporter’s Jason Statham will be joining the cast for the next two Fast and Furious sequels which will be filming back-to-back for release in 2013 and 2014. The theme song for ESPN’s Monday Night Football has been dropped after Hank Williams Jr.’s remarks about Obama and Hitler on a nationally televised news show last week. Williams has since apologized, but uhhh… America can rest easy for another four years. Sarah Palin WILL NOT be running for President in 2012. Thank God. Ron Artest Metta World Peace is taking his skills from the NBA to the “Laff Mobb,” a comedy group based out of L.A. His first big show will be on 10/28 at Planet Hollywood in Vegas.

Mobb Deep: The Infamous, Touring and The Black Cocaine EP [Video]

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: FeaturesOctober 5, 2011

AllHipHop.com was on hand at the Red Bull Music Academy’s “Five Out of Five” discussion and concert series that kicked off last week at the Studio at Webster Hall in New York City. The series’ first guests were the infamous Mobb Deep members Havoc and Prodigy. You can check out videos from that discussion as well as detailed breakdowns of The Infamous songs like “Trife Life,” “Shook Ones Pt. II,” and more here. In between the discussion and concert, AHH got a chance to sit down with the legendary duo for a few minutes to speak on what The Infamous means to them and their career, their favorite track from the album, as well as their plans for future touring and their memories of this past summer’s Rock the Bells music festival. The Mobb also spoke on their upcoming project, The Black Cocaine EP, which will be dropping on Black Friday, and that plans have not ceased for their self-titled new album, which is still slated to be released sometime in early 2012. The Black Cocaine EP will feature a total of eight songs, two of which were produced by Havoc, as well as production from The Alchemist, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and more. Check out the video below: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP5wQ5UcDzE&w=560&h=315] Mobb Deep’s The Black Cocaine EP will be in stores November 25th!