Phoenix Rising... Introducing LISA ANITA

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a young aspiring female vocalists this past February. Now, normally with my job I get to meet a wide range of artists from all spectrum's of music. More often than not I walk away thinking "that artist needs some work", or "that artists needs to find another profession." But far and rare are the times when I meet an artist that can make the hairs on the back of my neck raise up and get myself covered in goosebumps. Well, it so happens that a late night in February while at the studio recording with the Trill Starr Mafia I heard a very promising young lady sing one of her originally written pieces. I was blown the fuck away! Nothing had prepared me for the pipes this chick had on her. WOW!
Now, only a short 2 1/2 months later. We have her first single. Ladies and Gentlemen....
Introducing... LISA ANITA

CLICK THE LINK BELOW.

LISA ANITA - INFIDELITY (PROMO VISUAL)

Shaun Mecca - No Sleep Till December (CD REVIEW)

Knockin On Mainstream's Door

            Shaun Mecca could have called his latest offering From The Streets To The Radio. The 48 minute masterpiece plays like a perfectly strategized assault on mainstream Hip-Hop. Which is not a bad thing for this reviewer, considering the current state of mainstream Hip-Hop. You can quickly summize Shaun Mecca is no longer satisfied with being just another rapper in the Valley as he puts on his big boy pants with No Sleep Till December. Mecca Man pours out his signature “from the hood shit” throughout the album’s 14-tracks but what separates him from his peers is his diversification and ability to touch on topics that the normal rapper does not. While most rappers try to paint portraits of Tony Montana-esque hustling and make listeners believe that they out ball Bill Gates, the reality of the situation is Shaun doesn’t have to resort to absurdities to entertain or enthrall the listener. All Mecca Man has to do is rely on his genuine content and his highly addictive hooks. And while there’s a handful of vintage Mecca on here, No Sleep Till December also veers into previously uncharted territory for the 25-year-old, who goes to great lengths to prove he’s the anointed one down in the Rio Grande Valley. 

           Let’s take the radio smash “You Know Me” for example, the album’s most commercial moment. Here, Shaun enlists the help of teen sensation Adrian Q, but you quickly learn as soon as you hear Mecca on the chorus that nobody outshines the star of the show. Mecca takes control and delivers what might be the best commercially viable song from a Valley Hip-Hop artist I’ve ever heard. Shaun’s true and tried formula of street verses over pop beats can be found throughout the project but don’t get it twisted, each track has no problem standing on its own two feet. Take the electronically soulful “Shooting Stars” where Shaun, Kid Rokket & Edinburg, TX native Sarah deliver a winner about the yearning for a success story and the almost futile attempt of it all. Or the track “Youth” where Shaun Mecca samples group Foxes’ hit song Youth and shows off his production skills as well as his up tempo delivery. On the good vibing “Positive” we hear Shaun Mecca reflecting on life and relaying the message that working hard and enduring the everyday grind can get you to where you want to be. While the message might be a bit cliché’ Mecca finds a way to succeed without having to sound corny. Then there’s the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow last song of the CD “I Done Came Down” where Mecca gets nastier and more sexual with it. 

           Switching gears and content appears to be no problem for Mecca as he transitions smoothly from tracks like “Shake It” the ambitious club song with Adrian Q on the hook to tracks like “Money Over Everything” which now that I think of it seems to be the Valley’s battle cry as of late, with more and more adopting the concept throughout the V. With this track here Jay Carrera comes on the scene on the first verse with a substantially lazy drawl which helps build on the anticipation the listener feels as they await the arrival of the songs star. On “King Shit” Mecca comes armed with more rumbling, triumphant backdrops and real talk. The chorus blends autotune with screwed music and works like a charm too. Be sure to check out Kid Rokket’s Kendrick Lamar style delivery on the second verse. “Let’s Go” finds the Donna native in Trap music territory but you won’t find any Atlanta ass kissing music here. Mecca Man lets you know he’s from the Lone Star State real quick as he spits out “check out how I do it, UGK influenced.” No Sleep seems to be workin so well that even Mecca’s little brother Alec Jay drops a fuckin bomb with a track called “Coolin.” A smoker’s delight with a catchy chorus, that’s obviously Drake inspired, but does the Toronto rapper justice.
            

           After driving from Roma to McAllen and listening to all of No Sleep Till December this past weekend I can’t help but think that this mixtape may have been as much of a call to arms for Mecca himself as it was to his listeners. He wanted to make sure that after listening to his new CD people knew that he is a force in the local rap game and more importantly that he is a real contender in the national rap game. Songs like “So High” & “Grindin” would have no problem being on the Billboard charts right now and competing at the top level. And the fact that those 2 songs aren’t the 2 best songs on the CD should tell you just how dope Shaun Mecca’s No Sleep Till December really is…


Reviewed By: Coke Barrera (Trill Starr Mafia)

RATING:\/ \/ \/ \/ \/

RATING SYSTEM: 

\/ = Not too Impressive

\/ \/ = Aight

\/ \/ \/ = Solid

\/ \/ \/ \/ = Dope

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ = Classic

5 Star Money Gang - One Hundred (CD Review)

The Mercedes Cocaine Cowboys… 

Strike Again!

            It’s no secret that the Rio Grande Valley is becoming a hub for Rap music. Every other day, I find myself hearing about new and promising talent from different corners of The V.  There’s seems to be so much new Rap music coming out of the 956 that sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Well, unless you’re the RGV’s 5 Star Money Gang.

            With so much drama in the R-G-V, you rarely see the entire Valley Hip-Hop scene artists and fans finding themselves in sync with one another as to what’s “Hot.”  Everyone is usually too busy into their own music to really pay attention to anyone else’s and no one really seems to give a listen to other artist’s music anyway. As if it’s a big taboo to like the music of your competition. With such childish notions and crab in a barrel mentality it’s no wonder why the RGV has yet to be placed in the Rap spotlight and shown off to the masses. But hey, relax and take a deep breath because all hope is not lost.

 Enter, 5 Star Money Gang.

            On Friday June 28^th, the announcement went viral and hit the social networks and the outfits own website www.im2rio.com. The announcement was that the long awaited and highly anticipated compilation ONE HUNDRED had finally arrived. And guess what boys and girls, in rare display of Valley Rap unification the whole internet was going nuts. (Yes, I just quoted a classic Paul Wall cliché line.)The buzz was on and the Valley Rap fans and Valley Rap artists were all paying close attention. Haters were hoping that the boys would fall on their faces with nothing but wackness while the fans were all hoping that the wait was well worth it.

            So let’s cut the suspense and answer the question on everyone’s mind… how is it?

Well.... ONE HUNDRED is composed of dope boy anthems that bang hard through the speakers and is bound to keep the 5 Star Money Gang as a known commodity in the rap game for some time to come. No Lie, even Haters won’t be able to deny it. It’s difficult not to nod your head to Curly Stone's songs that combine his trademark laugh and catchy slow delivery. My personal favorite off the mixtape "Cocaine Flow," finds Cheech and Stone exchanging verses about the addiction to fast money and the dope boy hustle over a melodic East Coast beat that just keeps you locked in from the start. Strife’s “In The Game” is a banger that finds the emcee going off bout the blood and sweat he put into the streets and the lessons learned along the way. Strife commands that he “wants the same devotion back” from the fans and presents a hell of a case as to why he deserves the love. "Screwed Up," enlightens the listener on the prolific lifestyle that comes with being in the streets and in entertainment which features a memorable verse from the multitasking G Moolah.
            Now despite having brought the stories of the streets to the music before, the Mercedes based group is rooted in making the listener follow a neverending epic that plays out like a Blow meets New Jack City type of adventure through the streets of the 956. The no holds barred stories throughout the mixtape paint the picture of a Rio Grande Valley that seems to be a hustler’s paradise and a dope boy’s playground. "My Last Swisha," tones down the brash technicalities that exhibit themselves DNA of ONE HUNDRED, gliding by as a banger on smoke, alcohol and sex; whereas "Dope Boy," which features Pistol and Stone, is harsh in its tone and detailed authenticity pacing itself as a reflection on wanting to move forward yet being engulfed in a web of immobility by the ways of the streets. "Get My Money Bitch," is styled towards finding the right type of breezy through a series of verses provided by Johnny Dinero & Curly Stone. Some women might find this one a bit misogynistic but it’s always good to remember that if you get their money then everything will be A OK.

            ONE HUNDRED’s main objective is to serve up the formula that first put the 5 Star Money Gang on the Valley’s Rap Radar. And they seem to do just fine as they elicit interest while creating a frenzied manifesto about moving weight, getting money and smoking weed. The group has no trouble dropping boastful raps that show snapshots of what a day in the life of a hustler looks like. "50-100," is brewed in a cocaine trafficking chorus "I’m Just trying to see my money grow, just like my kids/ Push em by the 50 bundles, just tryna live/ Turn that 50 to 100 and do it big/ And I take these trips like twice a week, thats on my kids/” with a suspensful vibe that finds Strife, Pistol and Johnny Dinero paiting pictures about doubling up in the RIO. The shameless "Miss America," is intent on firing a hardcore bullet about the crude ups and downs of what it takes to be a hustler down by the border. “Owna” doesn’t really cover new territory in the gangland tales delivered by the 5 Star Boys but still satisfies with a Strife anchored chorus. “Trafficant” gives us a nice switch in the tempo with a trap beat that is more mellow and melodic, that Stone has no problem owning. Speaking of beats The Trackstars the long time 5 Star associates drop a dope one on “Rolling Wit Me” that finds Pistol struttin his stuff and tellin ya what time it is. The chorus might not be the greatest but Pistol still makes up for it with a respectable verse and a feature from 5 star heavyweight Curly Stone. The mixtape plays out like a well orchestrated and organized project that’s fuelled by cautionary tales that are presented from a firsthand perspective. The autobiography formula pays off throughout the CD for the 5 Star familia and just when you think things might be winding down you still find gems like “How I Get It” and “Rest In Peace.”
            A half a year in the making, ONE HUNDRED was initially delayed; yet despite the setbacks it might have encountered it does not take away from the final product. While the mixtape might have one or two less than amazing tracks, overall the return of the Mercedes Cocaine Cowboys is much welcomed with their latest release. And thanks to the hood mindset of the individuals who draw experiences from their upbringing, their region and their experiences we find ourselves entertained for the entire 70 minutes of the CD.

Reviewed By: Coke Barrera (Trill Starr Mafia)

RATING: \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

RATING SYSTEM: 

\/ = Not too Impressive

\/ \/ = Aight

\/ \/ \/ = Solid

\/ \/ \/ \/ = Dope

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ = Classic

Pimp C's cause of death

An over-the-counter drug, along with a pre-existing health condition, led to Texas-based rapper Pimp C's death, according to an official with Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.Los Angeles County Asst. Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Promethazine/Codeine syrup and sleep apnea contributed to the death of Chad Butler, known in the rap world as Pimp C.Promethazine/Codeine, a cough syrup, is a drug that is frequently referred to in music lyrics.Winter said Butler's death has been ruled an accident.Butler was found dead in a room at Los Angeles' Mondrian Hotel, a longtime music industry hangout not far from the House of Blues on Sunset Strip, where he had performed Dec. 1 alongside rap veteran Too $hort.Pimp C and partner Bun B were pioneers of Southern rap and hit the mainstream with their cameo on Jay-Z's hit "Big Pimpin'." UGK, along with Geto Boys, are considered to be one of the people responsible for introducing Texas as the "third coast" of hip-hop.The duo's career was derailed when Butler was jailed for three years in 2002 on gun charges. He released an album while in prison and this year the group made a comeback with the critically acclaimed album "Underground Kingz," which included the hit "Int'l Player's Anthem (I Choose You)," featuring OutKast.

Heath Ledger drug party video

So, guess the honeymoon is over. The tabloid stories are flying fast and furious, with every weekly celeb mag putting the recent death of Oscar nominee Heath Ledger, his alleged drug use and his relationship with fellow Brokeback Mountain Oscar nominee Michelle Williams on their covers. And though Ledger's reps have been trashing the stories, a new videotape reportedly provides images that prove Ledger was indeed a drug user. The video, reportedly in circulation for some time, was shot the night of the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006 — the night both Ledger and Williams nominated for their Brokeback performances. Post-SAGs, with Williams and their infant daughter Matilda Rose staying in a Chateau Marmont bungalow, Ledger is shown taking drugs in another Marmont room, telling those around him, "I'm going to get serious s--- from my girlfriend … We just had a baby three months ago." Ledger, who's reportedly seen in the video snorting something from a table, also curiously tells his party cohorts, "I shouldn't be here at all … I used to smoke five joints a day for 20 years." Which, given that he was 25 at the time the video was made, means he was admitting to smoking those five joints since he was five?! The video, which was scheduled to be shown on Entertainment Tonight on Thursday, has since been pulled "out of respect for Heath Ledger's family." But a snippet of the clip, which is scheduled to air on an Australian TV station, can be found ina promo ET did air on Wednesday night …

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=373473

The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger, 28, ActorBest known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 ' s "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summer's "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight," in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the film's director, shared these memories:
One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I'd fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.
Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them. One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they'd really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It's tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there's plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they'd given him.
Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He'd brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he'd made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I've never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn't take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.
When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we'd have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we'd done with all that he'd given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it's Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can't help but smile.

New Batsuit, Director pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Though we all probably have a good idea of what The Dark Knight will look like, several more pics from the July 18 flick have hit the web, including one of richie Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, natch) standing in front of his newly tailored Batman costume. More industrial looking than Bat-suits of the past, it appears to be made of heavy black rubber with a big gold utility belt featuring the Caped Crusader logo. In other Dark Knight news, director Christopher Nolan has a tribute to Heath Ledger in the current Newsweek. It includes Nolan's memories of working with Ledger as he portrayed the movie's skateboarding Joker. "Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry," Nolan writes. "Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them … I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly."