Posts

Hiphop Ex-Sample?

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Just when you think nothing else can possibly go wrong, the Universe decides to throw yet another curve ball, and this comeback lark is starting to feel like trying to do a triathlon in a straitjacket. What am I talking about ? Sampling that's what and the latest dilemma to halt the process. You can't think of Hiphop without sampling, it's the lifeblood that flows through its veins and yet the future of Hiphop is in jeopardy and  set to get far worse thanks to the digital age, meaning that even Fred Bloggs with 3 followers isn't immune from being sued if he samples a track without clearance from all parties involved before posting  it online, digital technology means that it's far easier to pick up any suspected copyright infringements these days .  When I talk about ALL parties, this means you could get permission off the songwriter, but then the songwriter may not actually own the song, it could be the publisher or record company, so getting permission from one pa

On the Comeback Snail trail ?

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  Oh boy, when I said I was making a comeback after 8yrs I didn't realise at this rate it could quite possibly take me another 8? Okay so slight exaggeration, but I really wasn't expecting so many setbacks and bumps in the road. Anyhow for those that have followed over the years you'll know I like to be honest and share the good the bad and the ugly part of my journey because for most of us life really isn't a perfect photo off Instagram.  🤣 I've been feeling quite poorly recently, well, more poorly than my usual M.E level of poorly, I've been trying to shift a bit of weight and chewing gum instead of snacking, but yesterday I had a light-bulb moment and checked the ingredients of both  Wrigley gum flavours and was shocked to see they both contained Aspartame. I normally do my best to avoid this because,  for those that don't know, it's been well documented over the years that this low calorie sweetener can cause a heap of problems, although low calorie

Music Distribution...It's a Steal.

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I thought I would write a little  update as to what's been happening and to also give warning to anyone who uses an online music  distributor  to get their music on platforms such as Spotify, Apple etc. I'd been with Tunecore for 15yrs, they were great in the beginning, the founders, two of them, bent over backwards to personally  help artists/bands get there music out there but then they eventually sold the company and....well, as with alot of these situations the rot set in and the more the company expands the deeper and wider the rot spreads.  Those who've followed me over the years will know that after losing my brother and sister in 2015, music and life came to a standstill, I've been struggling to get my arse in gear but recently signed back into my Tunecore account only to see that I'd been blocked from withdrawing money from streams, sales etc.This is the only message shown:     " Withdrawals on this account are temporarily being held, This may be due t

What's In A Blue Tick?

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I was so gutted to hear about the passing of Gift Of The Gab from Blackalicious the other week. I'd followed the guys from the early days and was so impressed with their sound, you know, every now and then something special comes along and makes you stop what you're doing and sit up ? That was Blackalicious. I contacted Gab a couple of times because he'd gone unusually quiet and I knew his health had taken yet another nosedive but he was such a strong, positive upbeat guy I was sure he'd pull through. What made it even harder was it was only in January this year we lost another hugely talented artist in Double K from People Under The Stairs, another band of whom I remember exactly where I was when I first heard San Francisco Knights and was as excited as a kid at Christmas. With both P.U.T.S & Blackalicious I always purchased their music and would recommend them all day long. If you've never heard of them? Where have you been hiding ? Go take a listen and

In The Queue?

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Well, where do I start? It seems such along time has gone by that I thought I should write an update? Not alot has changed externally or internally but I know that by some way, shape or form I have to come back to Music, it's what I wanted from the moment I popped into the world, it's where i'm happiest...I think?  I'm not sure of much these days, it's been 5 yrs since the passing of my brother and sister and pain has always held me back  from going forward, I hoped that as time went on the pain would maybe lessen or something, i'm not really sure what i expected ? But what's becoming clear is I'll always be in pain and will just have to find a way to live with the shadow that follows, many do.   Chuck D said something recently that struck a chord, he said that his father had always said something like, when it comes to Life, we're all in a queue and at the end of the day there will be those who fall at the front, if you're still standing?  I

Runnin On Empty...Again?

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Hi  For those following my journey so far, you might already know the story? In which case feel free to depart and head back over to Facebook.... for those who don't?  This is what's been happening since the last Album back in 2011 & the reasonings for my musical absence and the decision to release 2015's E.P  Runnin On Empty properly......Sitting comfortably?  So the first album "Nobody Wants To Know Ya When Ya Nobody" took 5 yrs to make due to a combination of poor health including Myalgic Encephalomylitis, Fibromyalgia and Osteoporosis & also finance, but with some motherly support and selling my rap/hiphop vinyl collection  it was finally released mid 2011 & I spent the rest of the year promoting it.  I was still constantly writing and already had enough material for another album and so the recording process continued in 2012 and I hoped this time with the learning curve of  the first album I could manage my health better & speed thin

UPDATE: EP Launch Delay

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1. Jus Human   2. ToolBox  3  Give U-Jmoya ft MamaChill 4 .Tears 5. Bus Stop 16 6. The World & His Wife  Hey Lionharts & Chillsters, apologies  on a slight delay with dropping the EP. The Runnin On Empty EP, will drop  next weekend now and not tomorrow as planned. With everything that's been going on,  I'm traipsing through a thick fog like a fart in a trance, so even with  working my ass off there's no way humanly possible i'm going to get it dropped tomorrow as planned. There's only one of me...which is a good thing coz the world couldn't handle two i'm sure. I don't have management or anything, which I prefer because I get to control what I do and how and It means I get to have a more personal connection & banter with all of you sharing the journey . But the downside means I have to sort everything myself & while I'm usually disciplined & focused in the main, since my brothers death  I've just lost my mojo &

Oh Poop!

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Hey Lionharts & Chillsters, I suddenly had the realisation yesterday that I was meant to release the “Runnin On Empty”  E.P next week and I haven’t even started organising it … I will be pulling my finger out this week to pull it off…not my finger, the EP. Truth is  my head is so mashed right now it’s hard to think at all let alone clearly. As some of you will know we’re still reeling from my brothers sudden suicide in May, it will be his inquest and his birthday this week so things are still very raw, painful  and very difficult for the family. Tears are still-a-plenty. Then Last week my sister was given the devastating news that she has terminal cancer, we are all praying daily and hoping for a miracle, it’s all too much for the family to deal with but deal with it we must. In my previous blog “Follow me down to the end of the road” I stated that I would be putting down the Mic for good at the end of August and explained that I didn’t want to drag on and on until I

End Of The Road

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       Hi, well this is an update and an au revoir all at the same time. There will be a track release for you to hear on Monday 3rd August "Jus Human" although don't listen to it if you don't like swears  & an E.P release exclusively via digital download  on Bandcamp for £3.99 on the 23rd August which will also include the clean radio edits and then the journey will come to an end.                                  Many years ago when I first became ill with M.E there were those in the medical profession from doctors to councillors who said that I needed to give up trying for a music career because  firstly  I would be too sick to fulfill the criteria needed to be a music artist and secondly the stress of that life style would only worsen my condition.  Now from the moment  I slid  into the world and was able to use my lungs I sung and never shut up, just as soon as I could hold a pen I wrote songs worked hard and never lost the  hunger and passion to su

Step Up Or Step Out

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Well it’s been awhile since I did an update so…er…here’s an update. While being creative is a blessing it can also be an absolute mother of all nightmares too and I’ve been rolling around in said nightmare longer than I care to roll, I dont care much for excuses, so I guess I’ve reached a crossroads where it’s time to change things up. If you’re not happy with things as they are then it’s only going to change if you change them, because sure ain’t nobody else going to do it for you. When I started out it was never my intention to be a solo artist, the dream & focus was always to front a band, and there began the problem, trying to find like-minded people, with the same focus, passion and commitment. It seemed band members could talk the talk, but when it came to action, most of them couldn’t even spell it.               I’m often told I’m a perfectionist, and if doing something to the best of my ability and expecting that from others that I’m working with is asking fo