Best Hip Hop Track of All Time.....

     First and foremost the title of this blog is a little misleading because I don't believe that there is one track that can trump them all in hip hop so I based my choice on one question. As a producer, writer, artist I have learned to appreciate every step that goes into making a song as opposed to just the final product so I asked myself one question... Of all the great tracks out there from Tupac, Nas, Jay Z, Big Pun, B.I.G., Big L just to name a few artists, of all the studio sessions in the past which one would I want to witness if I could turn back the hands of time and be a fly on the wall. Well.... One and only one track came to my mind. Over five minutes of a dope beat with all the Wu members spitting lyrics that make listeners cringe and screwface because each verse is just too nasty to comprehend and no chorus.... NO CHORUS, yet everyone in the club could rap the entire song. I am sorry but I don't think anyone could ever do that again. A toast to Wu Tang. TRIUMPH baby! Stay close.

N. Raina

Designing a Champion...

      When it comes to music the overwhelming majority will determine one's success based on record sales, money, influence etc. Artists themselves indulge in their passion to the point where they need to make money off of their art in order to pay their bills because they don't have time to work a 9 to 5. What usually happens is artists will start to compromise the type of music they create to make their songs more radio and club friendly etc. to earn a living. Fair enough... I respect everyone's hustle and grind so in a sense "it is what it is".
      I am encouraging you for a moment to imagine what music would be like if there was no money involved. What kind of songs do you think you would hear? I am sure we would still hear club bangers because there are REAL artists who REALLY enjoy making music that gets people hype and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I like listening to bangers and I like making them too. What I am trying to say is there would be a lot less artists straying away from there true identity for the sake of making money. I have busted my ass off to put myself in a position where I don't need music to make money. House, Cars, blah blah blah... I got that, I'm set. I have no desire for materialistic shit, yeah sure it's cool if I have it but at the same time I can live without it.
       So how does this have anything to do with designing a champion?... Well... I don't need anyone to buy my music in order for me to live. Music is my meditation, it is my journal, my therapy, my love so since I don't need money from music to live I am able to keep my music pure and real. No matter what I do in this music game or where I end up on any charts I have already won because I was able to close my eyes and let go of my art the way I wanted to. I was able to create a way where I can never lose. Becoming a champion is a result of a mentality as opposed to the result of an action. One.