C4 vs BIG POPS PT 1
C4 Vs BIG POPS PT 2
OTHER FOOTAGE FROM FINALS
C4 vs. BIG POPS
More matchups coming soon!
Congratulations to everyone who participated and especially everybody who came out!
Your boy,
Bumpy nose Joe
It’s finally here! C4 has produced a new street anthem for JD Era. The song features NY rapper Donny Goines ( 2008 UMA Buzz Factor award and imyourproducer featured artist) . So far, ” 9 to 5″ has been a success as it was released on escapemtl.ca and a few other blogs late last night. With 4000+ downloads in 24 hours, the truth is in the numbers. C4 would like to thank JD Era, Donny Goines, Dutch at Escapemtl.ca and everyone who has posted the song on their blogs, sites, facebook or chest. Here is the official download link!
JD Era featuring Donny Goines - 9 to 5 (Produced by C4 Entertainment)
Feel free to comment let us know what you think of the track!
<Hey everyone¡
I just wanted to give you some good news! Over the weekend, C4 participated in New Industry Canada’s Producer Challenge featuring 16 of Canada’s top up and coming Hip Hop producers. The event was judged by none other then signed artist Mic Boogie, The super talented Richh Kidd ( Who also performed that night) as well as Toronto’s own D-Sisive and London representative, Shad K.
Here are my personal thoughts on the event :
Judging system
Instead of numbers, judges had mics so that they could give their feedback properly and interact with the crowd. I think that numbers are stupid. No beat is a 10 and no beat is a 1. It might be good for hurting someone’s ego and getting them to work even harder but it doesn’t say much about the work. I think this system was made by producers who know that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Audience:
The london crowd was pretty hype and respectful even if they didn’t like your beat. Everyone was there for hip hop and the growing interest in production. Last but not least, I am so happy that the crowd included ladies for once! I’ve been to a few battles now and the girls usually look like they were beaten and dragged there. Thank you to the ladies who were in attendance and made the crowd just a little less intimidating to look at.
Competitors:
Overall, I think that the competitors were well picked. There were some crowd favorites who hailed from London but in the end Toronto took the cake as Big Pops faced C4 in a 3 beat final battle for the title. Like all battles, there were some bruised egos, some questionable calls and some upsets. I have to say big up to Mr Magic who got upset in the first round against Neena. Both had crazy beats. I’d also like to send a shout out to Vokab who held it down even though he lost in the first round. He’s dope and could’ve made it further. You never really know what can happen at these battles and that’s why I keep going back wether I win or lose.
Here are the videos which have been released so far.
Thanks to Tony Tsvardaris for his support and abundance of technological toys.
C4 VS. VOKAB
C4 VS. NEENA
C4 vs J STAFFZ
FINALS AGAINST BIG POPS COMING SOON!!
Congrats to Big Pops, HNF and all of the competitors, performers and judges. Big shout to Ruggedone from New Industry Canada who organized the events .
I’d like to say a huge “kiss my ass” to the sound guy who kept messing around with my volume. Once during the Neena battle and the next ( and worst time) in the finals again Big Pops. I heard he was trying to get more money from the promoters because of the night’s success. Gross.
Yours truly,
Jimmy Sweatpants
New York, NY - 4th Pyramid is part of a small group of Canadian producers/rappers who have been fortunate enough to tour around the world without ever signing any major record deal. If you’ve followed him since the year 2000, when he first released an instrumental album called The Light Is But The Shade Of Darkness, there is no doubt in your mind that his success has come from hard work and the will to make some of the most original hip-hop music coming from Canada. 4th Pyramid has rocked at least 250 live shows which he’s performed with acts such as De la Soul, Wu-Tang Clan and Pharcyde. In the last couple of years, he’s teamed up with producer and secret weapon Simalahk (Bully Records/ Audio Eesearch) and is now ready to release his first full length album Twice as strong. I caught up with 4th Pyramid to talk about the project.
HipHopCanada: What’s up 4th Pyramid? It’s great to see you doing your thing. Good luck with the album. I just want people to know a little bit about where you’re from and how you came up with the name. What does the name 4th Pyramid represent to you?
4th Pyramid: What’s up brother? I was born and raised in Toronto and have been bouncing back and forth for a few years now. After I graduated from college, I lived in the Bronx for a bit and then back in Jersey. The name 4th Pyramid is an extension of my heritage and culture. I’m an Egyptian dude so the pyramids have a symbolic role in that culture. It’s a statement. They’ve got the 3 big pyramids over there and I’m trying to make the 4th pyramid with my music out here.
HipHopCanada: So you are a rapper and producer. What did you get into first?
4th Pyramid: The truth is, I started writing before any of that but I got known as a producer first. I did an instrumental album in 2000 (The Light) and that was my start as far as getting my name out. After that, I started writing again and started putting some singles out with Def Jux which kind of established me as a rapper in the city. Now it’s been all about where I can get work. Whether it’s on the production or the vocal tip, I’m always keeping busy. I also do a lot of engineering. I just do whatever’s clever, you know what I mean?
HipHopCanada: Yeah. It’s important to be diverse and get as much exposure as you can. I checked out your new website at www.4thpyramid.com called the “One Man Gong Show” and saw that you’re really involved in different aspects of the industry. You just finished hosting Scion’s Hypeman Competition over in ATL. What was that like?
4th Pyramid: That was a fun project. I do a lot of stuff for the Scion people in the states because they do great things for the music industry. It was a serious competition with serious judges but myself and Ricky Powell (photographer from NY) were just trying to have a good time with it. It was comedy for me. My music is usually pretty serious but people who know me, know that I like to joke around and have a good time. I just had fun with it and didn’t take it too seriously. I was able to show my personality with that project. It wasn’t really something where I was 4th Pyramid doing that. Comedy was really the only way that this was going to be entertaining to watch and I think it worked out in the end.
HipHopCanada: I saw the show and laughed my ass off. That being said, If you could have anyone as your hype-man, who would it be?
4th Pyramid: Man, I guess I’d go and get someone like Rakim. To me, the best hype-man in the bizz is Spliff Starr. He always gets that crown. He kills it. Him and Busta work so well together. Fat Man Scoop would be dope too. [Laughing] Lil Jon might be a pretty good hype-man to have on your side too.
HipHopCanada: So here’s the question nobody can escape. What’s your comment on the hip-hop scene these days? On your blog, you talk about the decline of lyricism in hip-hop. How do you feel about the content of most hip-hop songs that get wide commercial exposure?
4th Pyramid: It all depends on whom. I’m not one of those guys who is just going to put a blanket statement and say it all sucks, but compared to what I grew up listening to, I feel sorry for the kids. I remember being 13-14 years old, and I was listening to Wu-Tang, Nas, Biggie and artists like that . . . the usual suspects. At that age, you really take the words literally because you don’t really know any better. I won’t lie; I like Lil Wayne and I like some of the guys out. I like Lupe and I respect his lyricism but I’m not that type of guy who is going to go buy a Plies or Rick Ross album. I don’t have anything against the music either. I think the big problem is that the true school guys like myself (I call myself a true school head for lack of better terms) is that we are always trying to recreate the glory years. And that’s just as corny to me also. 1995 was 13 years ago and you just can’t bring that back. I think Kanye is dope and I think Pharell got some hot shit out. I also feel like they aren’t trying to be 95-96, or whatever the fuck you call the golden years; 1988 even. We’re not going to bring that shit back. It’s just not going to happen. On a positive tip, hip-hop is making more money right now!
HipHopCanada: That’s truth my man. You’ve released quite a bit of work but this is your first album. When is Twice As Strong coming out and what do you hope that this project says about you and your work?
4th Pyramid: I’m aiming for a winter release. This is my first album where my focus is really on rapping and my plan is to really push it to the next level. I’m just trying to make music that I like; banging drums and heavy bass lines. Real neck crackers man. I want you to hear the music and say, “this shit feels good right here.” I’m not trying to make it sound like any era in time. Lyrically, I think this is my best work. Every 4 or 5 years, I change my whole character when I’m writing so this project is more up to date with the person I really am. In my early days, I liked a lot of the stuff I was doing. I don’t want to call it aimless rapping, but by the time the record was done, you didn’t necessarily know anything about me on a deep level. I think this album is a lot clearer and it’s just about getting the ideas I want out, with the right production. I’ve been working with this kid out in Montreal, Simalahk, who is down with that whole Audio Research camp. The kid is gifted. He’s like a Jus Blaze or a Kanye. He’s got that type of talent in him and I’m really trying to push his production to the light on this album. He’s one of those guys that I feel didn’t really get the shine he deserved and I think he could eat a lot of people’s food down south and I’ve been there to know that. I want to bring his stuff up to the forefront. I think together, we made some really impressive music.
HipHopCanada: It’s important to respect the work your producer puts into the project. How do you go about finding beats and writing your songs? Do you have a lengthy process or formula or do you just come up with ideas in the studio?
4th Pyramid: Yeah, lately it’s been taking a little longer. Back in the day it was a lot quicker but I think it’s become way more of a tedious process. There’s a lot of music out there and if you aren’t going to spend the time and be meticulous, then who is going to give a fuck? I don’t give a fuck about most new rap to be honest. It’s about really sitting down and making shit that is flawless and if it isn’t, then it doesn’t make the album. It does take a longer time these days but the concept still comes the same way. I might just hear the beat and go in or I might have some shit written and tweak it around that. In the last few years, I put a whole lot more energy into the writing. I also try to produce my own stuff but I like to have a slightly unknown dude help me out. In the past, reviews have been favorable to my own produced stuff but lately my focus has really been on the lyricism.
HipHopCanada: And all the work didn’t come without any pain. I understand that you recently had a pretty serious hip injury which required you to go through a lot of surgery. Are you back to 100% now?
4th Pyramid: Yeah. My hip is still fucked up right now. It only happened a few months ago so it’s been a rough summer. Either way there has been a strange energy vortex that has helped me get through it or I’m hoping for the best.
HipHopCanada: You were still doing your thing even though you were injured. On that down time, you were running your blog of course but you also hosted a party with Sammy Bananas, Simalhlak and the Tasc called 151 Proof. You did the whole party in the wheelchair am I right?
4th Pyramid: I started a monthly event with this dope magazine in NY called Frank 151. They helped me get my foot in the door for a bunch of shit in the last few years. They stepped to me to create a league, with teams in NY and LA. They also have a successful fitted hat line which a lot of emcees have been wearing all over the country. They said they wanted to get something done in Toronto and so my business partner and I came up with ways to make it happen out here. This was the first party that they did outside of America. The concept is to bridge the gap with what’s going on in the scene and what’s going on now. I put so much work out there so when that injury happened, I said “fuck it, I’ll do it in the wheelchair anyways.” The last party was August 7th and Now Magazine put a good review in there about us, so I’m happy about how that is going.
HipHopCanada: So what is next on the plate for 4th Pyramid? Where do you plan on touring and promoting the album?
4th Pyramid: We’re really hoping to go worldwide with this and land our first Canadian tour. I’ve done a lot of US shows but for some reason, Canada has eluded me up until now. The plan is to hit up Europe and Japan and just stay on the road. That’s where I like to be and I really think that we can do it with this project.
HipHopCanada: Do you have any people you’d like to shout-out or projects you’d like to promote?
4th Pyramid: Shout-out to UB Nation (my click, my collective, my spiritual brothers). Simalahk of course. I’ve got a joint coming out on the U God album with WU. I’ve got a few beats on that Theology 3 project right now too.
HipHopCanada: Flash round: 5 questions, one word answers. Ready? What’s the most overused word in Hip-Hop?
4th Pyramid: SWAGGER
HipHopCanada: What are nicest shoes you’ve ever bought?
4th Pyramid: AIR CANADA DUNKS
HipHopCanada: If you could work with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
4th Pyramid: JIMMY HENDRIX
HipHopCanada: How would you define your musical style?
4th Pyramid: AWESOME
HipHopCanada: Where does the music come from?
4th Pyramid: THE SOUL
Editor’s note: For more information on 4th Pyramid, check out http://www.4thPyramid.com and http://www.MySpace.com/4thPyramid.
(Interview by King David )
Hello world
It’s been quite some time since the last post so I figured I’d tell you a little bit about what’s been going on lately.
I’ve been keeping busy in Toronto and working on a few projects for advertisers such as Telus , KFC and Rogers. Christmas ads have to be ready to drop as soon as Halloween finishes so we’ve spent more of October working on our holiday spirit.
Jd Era and C4 are back at it once again with “9 to 5″ featuring Donny Goines. Although the song is way too explicit to end up on the radio, you will be able to download it here and on many other sites within a week. Thank you to Donny Goines for putting the work in. Here is the preview of the track as Jd Era records his part for the hook.
Thank you to everyone who supports us, reads up on our moves and supports unsigned hype.
