You can find out more about him at:

www.badnewsbrown.com

www.e-stunt.ca

www.myspace.com/brizbrown

Bad News Brown- Melody ( Produced by C4) 

http://www.zootwoman.com

Zootwoman ft Jd Era- We Won\’t Break ( C4 Remix) 

JUSTICE-THE BEAST ( PROD BY C4)

Justice- The Beast ( Produced by C4) 

Any rapper will tell you that one of  the harder challenges for anyone trying to make it in the music industry is being everywhere at the same time. In an age where Myspace pages and blogs allow anyone to log on and get to know an artist’s music, the key is to turn as many heads as possible. 

Donny Goines is a man who fully understands this trend and is mastering the art of self promotion one website at a time.

Born in Manhattan, Donny spent most of his early years going back and forth between Philly, the Bronx and Harlem. He quickly realized that the only way to surface from his surroundings would be to turn his circumstances into something positive. Fueled by his passion for writing and performing music, Donny set out to get his message heard, and subsequently succeeded by being awarded this years’  Underground Music Award Buzz Factor award.

KD) So let’s say it how it is. You’re name is everywhere these days. From blogs to websites, it’s clear that you’re working your ass off to get heard. What is it that keeps you wanting to take it to the next level and what’s your ultimate goal in this industry?

DG) Thank you for recognizing that because I do work very hard at this. My motivation is simple, I want to make great music and be remembered for doing great things. Money, fame, women, all that’s cool but at the end of the day when you die none of that goes with you. A legacy does tho, and that’s what I am trying to build.  

Hard work is nothing new to you. I heard that you served 3 years with the navy before deciding that you belong in the music industry. What made you leave the military and pursue a career in music instead?

DG) Well I decided to leave that motherfucker waaaaaay before music really came to mind haha. It was a real controlling envoirment and I didn’t enjoy myself there whatsoever. They believe and practice many principles that I don’t normally embrace such as conformity and things of that nature, so I really had a hard time adjusting to the whole thing. Although the Navy taught me alot of invaluable lessons such as a strong work ethic, discipline and drive it really just wasn’t for me at the end of the day.

KD) Everyone and their mother have a record out these days but once in a while, a true artist has his work come to the light. You’ve been grinding for a while now, what do you hope to bring to the table that is different then what we hear every day? How do you plan on standing out amongst all the rappers we see out there nowadays?

 DG) Well I just finished recording all the tracks for my debut album “Minute after Midnight” and I think people are really going to be impressed with the creativity and concepts within it. When making music, I always try my best to make clever songs and speak on subjects that anyone can relate to. I think about how people feel when I write and try to capture “emotions” within my records. When you listen to many of the artists today, you honestly just don’t believe them most of the time. There’s no conviction in their voice, or meaning in thier words. I on the other hand, try to do just that so when listening to my music you can expect a certain feeling or mood to come along with every song.

KD) Technology has played a huge role in facilitating the promotion of music. You have set up many blogs to show people what you’re up to. In fact, I noticed you call yourself the suicide blogger. Can you explain where you got the name?

DG) Hahahahahahaha I just love that name. To be honest that blog wasn’t intended to be just a personal one at first. I was going to talk about many subjects within it (and will do so more often in the future, I’ve just been very busy as of late) and just “bomb” people but I decided to chill with that haha. I don’t like to offend people too much, just a little bit (I’m kidding) and some things are better left unsaid I suppose. I am just the type of person who speaks my mind and thats where the idea came from. Shout out my man Bigga Threat hahaha.

KD) Can you talk a little bit about the “Bars” segment you’ve been working on?

DG) Bars is something that I wanted to do for many reasons. Basically its an online video series which showcases myself and other up and coming artists just spitting “Bars”. At first I did it to show unity within New York’s underground scene but once I felt that was properly done I reached out to other artists from all over (Rain from North Carolina, Jon Hope from Rhode Island, Blu from the LA) to appear because its bigger then New York at the end of the day. Bars is simply a vehicle used to promote myself and other artists who are doing their thing in the game. I’ve always been the type that likes to share the spotlight so to me it was a no brainer. KD) You’ve released quite a bit of work so far. “The Non Fiction EP” hosted by Shake & HipHopDx came out and made a lot of noise for you, as did your first studio album “The Prologue”. Can you tell us a little bit about how those projects came together with the different artists and producers you worked with? DG) Well as of now I have 5 under my belt. The Prologue was my very first studio project. I did that with no one and was just getting my feet wet with that. The second was “About the Author” which featured Production from Kwame, Scram Jones and Fury to name a few. That one was more Producer driven. The next one after that was called “The Excerpt” Pg. 1 which was the first of a trilogy. That one was a concept album which focused on one aspect of my life. The Artist. After that I dropped the “Off the Books” mixtape just to show people I really gets in lyrically and just spit my ass off. The last project I did was “The Non Fiction” EP with my boy Shake and HipHopDX. We had a contest for producers to send in the beats, I then had to pick the best of the best and make a cohesive EP. That one was fun. All of these projects are available for free download on my Myspace page so check them out if you get a chance. KD) This year, you won the 2008 UMA Buzz Factor award. What was it like being recognized for the moves you’ve been making and all the hard work you have done? Do you feel like you can finally relax or does this motivate you to work even harder? DG) It feels very rewarding when people start to recognize you for your hard work and sacrifice. Thats exactly what it is, hard work and sacrifice. I have given up so many things to pursue this career and when people actually praise me for the work that I do it makes me feel like the pain was worth it. As far as relaxing, I NEVER relax. I could win a Grammy tomorrow and I would still have the same exact attitude I have today because there’s always work to be done. I never rest on my laurels and really give a 110% in everything I do, and will continue to do so as long as I am still passionate about the music.

      Flash round: 1) If you could work with any producer, who would it be? Dr. Dre 2) If you could have anyone as your hype man, dead or alive, who would it be? Busta Rhymes 3) What’s the most over used word in hip hop? Movement (Grindin’ falls at a close second) 4) What’s the name of your favorite song off any of your releases? Do it for Hip Hop 5) How do you know when you’ve found the right beat? Divine       Don’t forget to checkout Donny’s official websites… The Suicide Blogger (Official Donny Goines Blog) Donny Goines MySpace       Interview by King David

When you name yourself after one of most powerful guns available on the street, chances are you know a thing or two about living in dangerous surroundings. For Magnum 357, also known as the voice of the streets, surviving is only part of the hustle.Born and raised in the borough of Little Burgundy in Montreal, Magnum’s quest for recognition started at the young age of 14. As his buzz grew, the rapper’s mission to rise out of Real-City and gain international respect only became stronger. A few years ago he teamed up with some of Canada’s hungriest producers, street teams and hustlers and has managed to bring attention to his movement by strong arming the industry one radio station at a time. In 2007, Magnum dropped his first mixtape Revolver Music Volume 1 and began to open for acts such as Mobb Deep, Lloyd Banks, Juelz Santana, Papoose, Boot Camp Clik and Planet Asia.

Featuring tracks by Mazaradi Fox, Hell Rell and Max B, Volume 1 turned heads on the street and on the internet with the release of street videos for “Cake” and “Hold up.” Now, with the New Year well in progress, it’s easy to see that Magnum’s team is set to make big strides and bring his presence to a whole new level.January 2008…Magnum has been hard at work all day and, incidentally, kept me waiting for our scheduled interview. It’s now 11PM and I’ve been told that he’s running a little late and should be arriving for his interview right after a photo shoot. An hour later, he pulled up to my house along with his producer Primal and was ready to get the interview started.HHC: What’s up Magnum? Glad you could make it. I know you’ve had a busy night. How are things? Are you enjoying your stay in T-Dot?Magnum: Life is good right now. I’m glad to be in T-Dot where there’s way more opportunity for artists to get noticed. I’m just out here trying to make some noise and show people how we do it in Montreal. It’s only a first step for us. We’re making key moves right now and the plans are to hit the rest of Canada and the world real soon.HHC: The streets have spoken. The word is that they’ve elected you as “the voice of the streets.” What does that mean to you?Magnum: That’s what they call me around Burgz [Little Burgundy]. I mean, you’ve got to understand that I represent the real people who you never hear about. I’m trying to show you where I come from and not only from the angles you always see. Beyond the street violence there is people like me; trying to get out and get their voices heard. I represent for those people so I guess that’s why they call me the voice of the streets.HHC: So what do you think of the state of hip-hop right now? Is it a big challenge to get your music heard?Primal: Right now, I think hip-hop is in a state of emergency and not only in Canada. There are way too many artists claiming to be things that they’re not. Too many artists are getting away with making hits off gimmicks and not talent. It’s almost as if you don’t need credibility anymore. So many rappers make up stories about themselves that nobody can really check out.Magnum: At the end of the day, I’m only being real with the people. The street wrote my music and we just out here trying to get this money whether they like it or not.HHC: Fair enough. Let’s rewind a little bit. 2007 was a big year for you and your camp. Revolver Musik Volume 1 dropped and you got some videos out that generated a buzz on the Net. It has to be hard to match the buzz that’s been surrounding you since Volume 1. What can we expect to hear from you in 2008?Magnum: Bigger moves and more music. Our team is solid I’ve got my U.N.C.B Inc. Independent label, my Star Money Ent. camp, Dutch from Escape Entertainment putting in work, plus Primal from DirtWork on production, and we’re going to be bringing in some new members. I don’t want to make anything official just yet but I can tell you that “Luck” from Cream World is going to be a big part of the changes this year. On the musical tip, we’re about 80% done with Volume 2. We’ve been really putting in a lot of work on this tape to match the hype behind Volume 1. People have learned to expect some heavy music from me and that’s exactly what they’re going to get once again. That’s going to drop in February. The full album The Revolver Story is supposed to drop this summer. We’re really focused right now and if we can’t get it we’re going to be breaking doors down this year…straight up. [Laughing]

HHC: Big things. So what do you feel you bring to the game that’s different than others? Is there anyone out there right now that you feel isn’t credible?Magnum: The game is filled with fake dudes but I’m going to stay reserved for now. When it’s time, I’ll start kicking these cats out the game. The bottom line is that I bring a breath of fresh air. Most of these artists just imitate what they see and can’t back up their words. I’m making my own moves, my own choices, and my own style of music. What really sets me apart is that I’m really about what you hear on tape. Ask me about it, I live it. This isn’t an act for me, it’s a true story.HHC: Primal, you have worked with artists such as Bad News Brown and have been around for some time now. What is it about Magnum that made you dive into the project at full force?Primal: Magnum is the full package. There are tons of dudes out there that are street but can’t actually rap. They might have the credit, but they don’t have the talent. Others make up their stories and make sure nobody can check into their history. Magnum is like an open book you know? Look and you’ll find out. The man has got delivery, the lyrics and the credibility to really make it out here. It’s not just a formula, its real talk. He’s by far the most versatile cat I’ve worked with because he isn’t scared to push the boundaries. I can respect that.

For more information on Magnum 357 please visit his MySpace page athttp://www.myspace.com/mag357.

Saschali ft Akon- Tomorrow ( Prod by C4) 

The life of a producer has many challenges. 

It’s fueled by powerful dreams and driven by the determination to succeed. There are many characteristics which define a producer, but none which is more common then the will to create something publicly known as amazing.

 1  To be a producer is to use the same amount of agility in coordinating a feature length film as you do making yourself the ultimate dinner. To be a producer is to love the struggle so much that you work even harder knowing that you’ll never really be content enough to quit. To be a producer, you have to hate things that suck and recognize things that make our life better rule. 

  If you are a producer, chances are you that you feel you could probably do a better job of producing this essay. It’s what we do. We analyze, we understand and come up with ways to create a superior product. To say that producing is all about competition would only be telling part of the story. Although there is a clear line between the good and the bad, a real producer knows that the most influential critic lives inside of him. His creations differ from the rest because they were brought into the world by his ability to make them happen and is the only one who can dissect them with as much accuracy.

  A producer’s strength depends on his sensibility and understanding of how the world works. It’s safe to say that most producers are on an ongoing quest to figure out what they can do with the skills they have developed. As every new idea surfaces, the producer’s mission is to figure out the best way to apply them using the resources which he can tap.

  To be a producer is to declare that you are ready for opportunity because of the amount of preparation and trial you have endured. You take on projects expecting issues to arise, which could demand all of your capabilities at the worst possible time. You may be committed to many causes knowing that none would ever become stronger then your will to accomplish something once you’ve agreed to.

 In the heat of a battle, a producer knows that being fierce is wiser then being reserved as he has he has learnt that weakness is the strongest odor.

A smart producer will recognize how elements compliment each other, whereas a less skillful producer will force elements to blend.

A producer lives, eats and breathes his job because life and mind are the only requirement needed for him to work. He might let all of the harmful side effects of high expectations eat away at his soul, but every producer knows that what keeps him coming back stronger then any high, is his will undoable will to say: “ I did that”.

–Best of luck to everyone who is trying to make their mark in this world.

Didier Tovel 

“Canada is currently the sixth largest market for the sale of legitimately produced sound recordings in the world. In 2003, the total retail value of all legitimate sound recording sales exceeded $940 million CDN. Based on industry statistics and international comparisons CRIA estimates that sales of pirated sound recordings drains an additional $23.5 million CDN from the legitimate Canadian market.” ( Canadian Recording industry association: antipiracy)

Do you know what that means for all you artists out there trying to get signed by a major label?

Pack your lunch. Labels don’t make as much money as they used to and they aren’t looking for any risky business. The Canadian Recording industry association claims that only 1 out of 10 new canadian releases actually generates revenue. This is how labels raise money to invest in your dreams. The more money they lose, the less money they have to invest in new talent.

Welcome to the music business. Labels might say that they only look for groundbreaking talent but the bottom line is that they would give Shamu a 50 cent deal if whale music suddenly came into style. They are just looking for what works and what’s going to bring in the most profit.

Here’s a scary statistic:

William Hung’s album sold about 30-50 000 copies it’s first week.(MTV.com). His label was able to release CDs, DVDs and make a killing. What’s really sad is that most Canadian artist could only hope to sell that many albums this country after working their asses off for years. Unless you’re NickelBack or Avril lavigne, who make most of their album sales out of the country, you’re chances at selling millions of records in Canada are extremely slim.

It’s been said time and time again: Canada does not have a lot of love for Hip Hop. There are tons of fans but not enough funds generated to support the whole infrastructure. We’re the downloading generation. We go through music like underwear and it really ends up killing production budgets and focusing most of the efforts on promotion while offering a lousy product in return.
Most of our artists need to go south of the border if they want to “make it” but nobody has yet to really bridge that gap.

“You know what my boys in Brooklyn tell me? ‘Americans don’t want you to win,’” says Saukrates, the Toronto MC and producer who, along with long-time friend Kardinal Offishall, leads Can-hop’s latest crop of ace MCs. “And they don’t. A lot of the artists will suck up all the energy at their labels because they don’t want nobody to come and take their position, especially not a Canadian who can do it better than them. You gotta fight for your shine.”(Saukrates)

Too many Americans think Canada is a french winter wonderland somewhere near the north pole so labels aren’t really that interested in us.
When A&Rs look to sign a new rap artist, they usually look for a hard luck ghetto story that symbolizes the American Dream( Eminem, Jay Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West). The new era of rappers don’t even need to have that credibility.

(The Game was once on a dating show called change of heart )
“I can’t get no love in public”
“I want to be with my girlfriend all day every day”

THE GAME ON CHANGE OF HEART
American artists can pretend to be gangster in their songs but Canadian rappers are just not believable for the mass public. So many artists have gotten close to breaking into the states like Maestro Fresh Wes ( Let your backbone slide) Michiee Me, Choclair, Saukrates but nobody has truly been able to blow up. Kardinal is now signed to Convict music which is a giant step for Hip Hop in Canada. If his album sells worldwide, people might actually start looking at Canada in a new light.

So this brings me to my last point:

What is Canadian Hip Hop?

Hip hop is a culture and a genre of music that has now exploded into the mainstream on a worldwide level. By calling what we do Canadian hip hop, we’re setting ourselves apart based on our geographical location. If we had our own style like the Brit invasion it would make sense but the truth is that what we do is not that different then what’s going on in the rest of the world of Hip Hop. I understand that we need to create an identity for ourselves in the world but if we are so concerned with promoting our own artists, why does the number of featurings you have on your mixtape or album way heavier then the content or merit of your art?

There are amazing projects produced every year which get overlooked because magazine rather cover yet another rapper trying to make it with a big named American rapper on a hook , hoping that a couple of gs will make you famous by referal. We need to earn our own stripes, make our own moves and stop calling our music Canadian if it’s meant for the whole hip hop market. Let’s concentrate on the quality of the work and make it marketable by innovating instead of doing the same old thing.

Yours truly,

Jimmy Sweatpants

True Hip Hop

The Roots: