In my Own Words
It’s 2011, January 2nd. I’ve got grey hair now, according to Karen. I’m about to get on the plane in about three hours and head to Europe. I’ve only been to London and Paris before, but this time I’m going all over Europe on tour with Drake. It’s a blessing for me to be even able to do this.At this point in my career, it’s really just one single that came out last year and I already have such a strong fanbase. Before I go any further, I want to thank ALL the fans for the continued support – all the OG fans and all the new ones too. We still have a lot more special things in store. We really haven’t gotten started yet. With that said, I’m really grateful for last year because it was an incredible learning experience. My entire 2010 was just like training – a training exercise for what I think 2011 is going to be.I learned so much from just putting out a single, touring the radio world and doing radio promo and just really learning that world. It helped me as an artist too because it helped me figure out how to reach the masses more. Just putting that single out and going to all these different radio stations from the super urban ones to the super pop ones and then just TV and video. Then shooting my first official video and the BET Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, it was just so many things I did last year that I feel were like teasers for what this year is going to be. I want to thank the label – from Roc Nation to Columbia – and my management – which is ByStorm – and my whole Dreamville team.I told myself a long time ago I wasn’t going to put out another mixtape before the album. That’s one thing I’m learning: you never know anything in this game. I put out Friday Night Lights because the wait was long enough for people to get new music. The response was incredible. We broke the Internet, thank you very much all the Internet breakers. I’m in the shoe store right now and people are still coming to me saying Friday Night Lights was incredible, so I really appreciate that.My goal right now is just straight album. I’m still on the road a lot, but my number one priority is finishing the album and putting out the singles. I’m trying to win a fuckin’ Grammy. After that, my goal for 2011 is also production. That’s my next main goal after the oh-so-important album. I want to produce for other artists that I love and respect, upcoming artists that I love and respect, so yeah that’s where I want my year to be. I want to have a super successful year. I want to blow up into a totally different stratosphere by the end of this year.
2009 was my biggest year yet , I re connected with CTE And Young Jeezy . I was a very influential part of getting The Olympicks signed to Maybach Music. I started receiving critical acclaim for a lot of the the past grunt work I had put in the previous years. Trappin Aint Dead with Jeezy was very well received(XXL TOP 9 OF 2009) . It was the mixtape that kind of took me out the chitling circuit of mixtape dj’s. Press went up 110% regarding articles and interviews on yours truly. I brought along my DJ team, The Cartel, and watching them progress rapidly in 2009 was even bigger than any of my individual accolades. I got my network on a lot in 2009, building and starting new relationships. Connected with Birdman was a pretty big deal, the man has accomplished a lot from coming from nothing. The Cash Money experience truly motivated me that I can make a bigger impact behind the scene instead in the limelight. Me and Birdman worked on the oft-delayed Bigger than Life Project which now is the title to next album. I believe my A&R ear ( for new hungry producers) gave Birdman some new ammo to work with.2010 has been kind of a weird year. My professionally career is thriving. Personally, I was at my darkest point with the passing of my aunt in Jan. I was still working but actually I was detached trying to hold my family together. It was really a very turbulent time in my life and somehow I made it through. Slick Pulla finally was released from prison, got a chance to work back hands on with his projects. I was only one of the few people holding him down while he locked up. I helped get him back on his feet in this music rat race.Mixtapes are what brought me into this music industry, but as of right now its not my primary focus anymore. I believe this is my last year doing mixtapes. DJ Got Now , Digital Product, DJ EDubble, Papasmirf are going to continue what I started with The Cartel as far as mixtapes are concerned. TM103 has been one of Jeezy’s most talked about albums since the first album. Speculation has run rampant with the bloggers to the point my Twitter statuses served as updates for them. I have been working with him on it but I couldn’t tell you whats going on with it, who’s on it or when it drops. You can hear some of my A&R work via Trap or Die 2 ( “Insane,” “My Camaro,” “Just Saying,” “Talking,” “Grapes” and “My Tool”) joints came via my producers (Djay Cas, The Olympicks) or up and comers I have networked with tho.To finish out the year, look out for The Olympicks and Djay Cas to go into 2011 with a full head of steam. The Cartel we still here !
TM103 is going to shock people , Jeezy still got it, he ain’t going no where. I will finally get a job somewhere at a major finally. I will go 110% at my goals with no thoughts of losing.Mixtapes:Olympicks Gold Medal Series, Rain American Dreaming 3, Ransom, LEP Bogus Boyz, Slick Pulla Omerta 2, Kevin Cossom-Check the Resume, Trae the Truth- Cant Ban the Truth YM/CMB Official Mixtape and maybe Birdman Bigger Than Life yall tell stunna yall want it.lolLook out for my vlog reality series coming this summer. Everybody Loves Folk Tho.
2009 was a very interesting year for me as a producer. I got to do a lot of observing behind the scenes and watch a lot of my peers turn into superstars or on the verge to be as such. It was very interesting to see Drake have the year he had after all the hard work he put into himself. It was a long time coming. My partner Hit-Boy was tapped to work on the soundtrack for Lebron James “More than a Game” movie soundtrack in which he produced “Stronger” along with Polow Da Don, which was written by Chris Brown & Ester Dean, for Mary J. Blige. I can honestly say this was the slowest year I’ve personally had in my time as a producer. We didn’t place too many tracks this year but we got them in at the last moment it seemed. Through my homie KY of the Young Money camp I got Surf Club 2 joints on the “We Are Young Money” album released last December and what I hope to be the song of the year “Drop The World” by Lil Wayne Featuring Eminem produced by me and Hit-Boy. I was also surprised by VIBE mag when they hit me regarding a interview for “pardon the introduction” which was a great look.It’s amazing how things can happen out of nowhere. We literally went the whole year wondering what would come of this year for us. Fortunately God works all the time. I also put out an instrumental album “LOVEnd” that was released via www.TheSurfKid.com blog and it has been received pretty well. I would like to see where it goes in this new year.
Just a year or 2 ago me and Hit-Boy were pondering what could we do to show that we have the ability to be what they call “Super Producers”. I remember living on Don Cannons couch and floor and him telling us that we would be ok.
In 2010 I plan to help doing my part in Branding Surf Club and Hit-Boy & Chase N. Cashe. We’re working on our 2 artists Chili Chil & Stacy Barthe. You can hear both of their music via blog (www.thesurfkid.com). The main goal in 2010 for me is to continue to establish myself as a Producer and Creative mind in the music biz. Also, to keep bringing you the good music that you enjoy.
Look out for Game “R.E.D. Album” Hit-Boy has a track produced on there and we have more to come.
—-Chase N. Cashe
J.Cole: In My Own Words
Karen finally caught up with a nigga. I was supposed to write this three months ago, but I’ve been so busy. Let me give you an example of how my day has been:
-I had to go to the studio on Thursday, so I got there around 5
-I get home around 5 in the morning
-Then I had to catch a 9 a.m. flight only to have a show in Georgia at 11 p.m. which ended at 1:30.
-So IÂ drive back to Atlanta. Get to the A at 3:30 to catch at 6 a.m. flight to Upstate N.Y.
-I then ride to Long Island and do a show there.
That’s the type of schedule it is right now. The type of chaos I’m pretty much going through, which, please don’t mistake me, I’m forever grateful for all of it. But it is somewhat overwhelming when you go from a nigga that was doing beats in his bedroom, to try and write songs and you kind of looking for things to do. It’s hectic but its all for the best and all of this work is going to lead to something that will pay off in the end.
I’m working on the album. Oh my god! I’m like getting more excited about the album everyday that goes by, every week that passes by. People around me and my team feel I have a classic on my hands. They always want to tell me like, “Yo you good, you don’t really need anything else.” Honestly, I don’t feel like. I feel that I can drop another song that was crazier than all the other shit that was on the album. So, the album keeps getting better and better mainly due to the fact I’m not satisfied because I know all the people that are coming out this year. This is an incredible year for music. There will be a bunch of big albums in 2010. I just have to put my best foot forward basically because if not, these dudes are going to try and crush me. Like, for example, I just keep thinking Kanye is coming with some shit. I already know he is gonna kill the game, so I just want to come out and make a splash. A big splash.
SOB’s was ill. In fact, it was legendary. I mean that in the sense for my own career. I’ll never forget that I was scheming on it for so long. That was a real staple moment. You know when you got those definitive moments in your career that 10 years from now I can look back at that like it was crazy. I always say it’s wild because I used to put these shits up on my wall. I used to spend my whole Saturdays going through my XXL’s all my Source‘s. I would have a little razor blade cutting out all the pages in the magazine, just getting my tape together. I’d be figuring out who I wanted to put up, who I don’t wanna put up. Do I want Eminem over here? Do I want ‘Pac over here? Now, to be on those two covers on the same month, is ridiculous man. Only time can tell what’s classic really, but I want people to feel the album. I really want to make a dent in the game, be someone people are talking about 10 years from now. So hopefully that happens once I drop the album. If i think it’s crazy right now, it’s going to be more crazier by the end of the year.
All in all, I just want to say thank you to the whole Dreamville, my immediate team, RocNation and all the blogs that support a nigga because they’re showing love. And to all the people that go to the blog that show love, thank you too. I try not to read the comments so much, but sometimes you can’t help it. People are showing so much love. Thank you so very much….
My career is something special. I’ve seen the worst and been exposed to the best. The good thing is I think I have learned a lot. Life is about taking things you learn and becoming better. I continue to try to do that to this day.
 It started with the Roc. I was a big part of hip hop history. I realize it more and more everyday. I love them dudes. I really wish we could still be doing it, but there is so many things that would have to go right in order for that to happen. So where does that leave me? Honestly, I felt lost at first. But as I studied the game I realized that the more I don’t have the more creative I can be with my career. I have a solid team around me that continues to teach me the value of my leverage as an artist. Artist usually think, I don’t have a deal, distribution, pub deal or whatever is a bad thing. Well that depends. For somebody like myself it’s an opportunity because I have a strong customer base so it gives me a real chance to cut out the middle man. So that’s what I’m doing now. Putting together my solo deal myself. People respect that more. I know a lot of people man that truly want to see me win. I hate asking anybody for anything. Hate it. I rather let my work speak for itself. Everybody always asking me why I don’t ask Jay, Bron, or any of my boys for help. My answer is simple. I rather have them call me when they like what I doing rather than me asking for help.
 The game is wide open for me right now. I have all the confidence in the world. Whoever gives me a shot will be very happy. If nobody does, I will make it work myself. It’s now or never for real. I look forward to showing and proving. Until then, I’m going to keep going hard until the industry realizes what they missing. I don’t want to make music forever, I want to make forever music!
 Look out for me top of the year. YoungChris.com – Become a member! Love you all! Thanks for all the support!!!
-C
Nov 10th of last year my album dropped, with the critical acclaim I knew I would receive, it was hard to come to grips with the under shipped results. After a lot of soul searching , I realized that somethings are out of my control. I used my “break”, as a means of re evaluating my career, and public perception of “wale” the artist.
As soon as I got home I took it upon myself to lay out the next couple months, without roc nation, allido or Interscope driving the car. Not because I doubt their advise, but because I think ALL artist should drive the car in their career sometimes. Having said that, I partnered up with some of my friends from back home and have been workin hard to build my empire “the board of administration” is a company we run. Essentially its what I believe is the missing piece in artist-label relationship. The missing art of “artist development”. For fear of turning this into a “shameless plus”, ill just say…checkout for “the board”.
In addition to that I have been working vigorously on helping build the DC community anyway I can. After being away from home for roughly a year, I wanted to make my presence felt. “No days off” is the slogan I created where I pop up in random spots in the DC metro area, barber shops, basketball games, football games, Gogos, random neighborhoods. I think its important to touch the community as much as possible. I did a toy drive in NE DC with WPGC where I donated about 500 in new toys. I did another one one tomorrow in PG county on DEC 21st. I did a shoe drive with jive recording artist Raheem Devaughn and former NBA all star Steve Francis.
At the end of the day I’m happy with what I was able to accomplish so far, one single in and about 50k sold off that..Pretty girls video will be shot sometime in the next two weeks. And I am currently routing my tour starting next month.  thnx u evrrybody 2010 will be great
                                                                                                                                                                                             WALE!!!
So I have been selectively quiet in recent times, much to the (insert emotion here) of many. I can take this time now to be oblivious, or obvious when speaking about the time we’ve spent apart. I think I’ll write this like a 5th grade summer report.
I spent time growing up.
Blog entries were once my form of purging. Verbally, I’m a polemic white girl, and my emotions come out with every “create post” click. After a while, Eric Schmidt didn’t seem so deserving to get frequent updates on how I feel (the Google CEO, who also runs Blogger), despite the fact that my thousands of readers, do. Twitter isn’t exactly deserving of second-by-second updates either. Yeah world, it is as simple as, everything you need to know about me is in the music.
I wasn’t dropped, so much as I was escorted very gently into the Superintendent’s office with a pending expulsion from high school. I knew I had violated the student’s rights of others, but what can I say? I am the John Cutter of this institution of hip-hop (Breakfast Club anyone?). Such repercussions can never quell my desire to be the musician, rivaled only by the greatness of Georg Solti, John Williams and Quincy Jones. Really wanted a Grammy.
Some things got clarified quickly, and because of the nature of such clarification, I am not at will to speak on the status. So some questions will go unanswered for good. I am enjoying the fact that privacy is a right and a privilege that I can enjoy. Perhaps my lack of value for my privacy is what lead me to blog to begin with.
Well fret not, galaxy. Though a sharp decrease in mixtapes and albums will be noted, everything I have to say and deem necessary to share will come out in the music. Don’t ask about my current distribution situation. Just know I am here to hear and be heard. I thank family for being there for me, Karen for being the only (out of zillions of) blogger to have the proper outlet for me to speak, and everyone who found solice in my solstice.
Love.
Charles Hamilton
aka
Coyote August Rush
aka
Prof. Hamilton
aka
MF Bunny
aka
Sonic the Hamilton
aka
Big Bad Beat Ill Bored
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