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The Tea w/ Dee: “So Long Farewell to You My Friends”

This summer has been filled with excitement. I have learned so much here at Phillybassd and I am just grateful for the opportunity. I know people are use to me discussing topics about hip hop in my blogs but this time I just want to share my experience during my internship this summer. Interning here at Phillybassd really opened my eyes to all the various aspects of the entertainment industry. It also taught me…

Who am I kidding!

What I really want to talk about is Queen Bey’s new hair

Some people cannot Bey-lieve that Beyonce changed her hair after all these years with her long locks. Maybe that “Fan Incident” inspired the look….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRFncbJ-Pw

In other Carter News, Jay Z reunited with Damon Dash

Jay Z and Damon Dash were old friends who happen to be the founders of Roc-a-Fella records. They later fell off and this is the first time they have been seen together since 2004. Hip Hop History!

Okay Okay but seriously, I really had a great time this summer and I hope you all will continue to read The Tea w/ Dee…the saga will continue.

Jams of the Week

Jay Z- BBC

Young Dro- FDB

ASAP Ferg- Work remix

2chainz- Feds Watching

Kanye West- I’m In It

Michael's Cycle: Researching Your Creative Outlets

As the summer closes out, as well as my time here at Phillybass’d my thoughts wonder as to what I will be doing once the next chapter in my life closes out. Finding an internship has been a constant issue of mine since beginning classes at Temple University. Upon transferring I lost my footing in school and felt as if I was behind everyone else at the university. I almost felt insignificant coming from a community college. Everyone at Temple was so well developed and had a lot going for them, and I was determined to excel in school and secure an internship. Now completing my time as an intern I feel accomplished that I have finally did it. I passed the biggest challenge in my curriculum at school. I have dreamed about the day where I can continue on in the working world and now apply for a second internship opportunity, something that I never saw coming. I feel that I have successfully passed the biggest barrier in my curriculum and now am that much closer to graduating.

Thinking even further ahead, what would I do for a job down the road? I know that through this internship I have definitely have some sort of direction I would like to go into securing a future job. Through my work at Phillybass’d I found that uncovering research and data was something I really enjoyed. I love digging through information and finding little facts that can help increase our creative approaches. Through this, research has become a heavier part of all my work even when executing a creative assignment. Phillybass’d has engraved research into my head, and into my strategic approaches with any assignment, and can continue to see myself working within the research realm. Although my ideal job would be working an Art Director or a designer in an agency, research is a necessity to creating an effective graphic that can communicate back to consumers.

For a creative, they don't have all the power so people are usually handing down information to them. Creatives are sometimes told what to design by other people within the agency, so information is being transferred to create an ad. With information and data being transferred down the line to the creative they can be called a research user in a sense, but creatives also conduct research. A creative might want to incorporate something significant in an advertisement, and to do that they must do research. Creatives might have to research supplies needed to create an impressive ad, and without proper knowledge their tactics may not work in the end. Research would help in the creatives position because you can look at other companies advertisements for inspiration, or to see what your competition is working with. Being aware of what’s out there, and knowing what your competition is about will help build knowledge on the advertising world.

Top 5 Tunes

Up and Down I Go- Pretty Lights

Moron TV- Primus

One Day I Wish To Have This Kind Of Time- Ott

Darlene- Led Zeppelin

Born In Babylon- SOJA

@GetDevOnIt: Overcoming It All

With only 10lbs to go till I reach my goal weight, I can't help but become emotional. After years of struggling with body issues and a disease that had complete control over my life, I can proudly and confidently say I have overcome it all. Not only has this left me with a sense of accomplishment and pride I never thought I could possibly feel within myself, it has taught me that if I can do this then I can do anything.

It started in my sophomore year of high school just after I lost all of my baby weight. I had just landed my first kiss that summer and honestly thought it was because of my newfound skinniness. Boys in school never liked me much and it wasn’t because I was very introverted, or so I told myself, it was because I was heavy. I wanted oh so badly to be able to wear the low-rise jeans and t-shirts that showed your belly. You know, the kind that showed off your dangly belly button ring. And I made myself believe that no boy would ever notice me until I was skinny enough to pull off this look, so I convinced myself that I needed to loose weight. There was no reason for me to think this way. I had a family behind me that thought I was the most beautiful girl and that my body was fine, but to me this wasn’t enough.

Now, I don’t want to discredit my family in any way, but I was never taught proper eating habits as a young girl. Looking back on my high school days, my dinners consisted of Wendy’s chicken nuggets and fries or pizza and fries from the local pizza joint. While oh-so delicious, this lifestyle was nothing but unhealthy. Because I honestly did not know how to take control of my lifestyle, I turned to very unhealthy ways of loosing weight. The summer before my junior year I would eat only 200-300 calories a few days out of the week and the other days I would binge eat an excessive amount of calories. Food was my comfort, it was my best friend, and it was my worst enemy. I had a very bipolar relationship with food up until just this year (I’m now 24). This habit of eating whatever I wanted one day and starving myself another was just the beginning.

During my junior year of high school, about a month before prom, I remember watching a favorite movie of mine, Never Been Kiss. There is a scene where the popular girls talk about their diet leading up to prom of consisting of laxatives and water. The next 4 years of my life are years I am very ashamed of. I took this statement and thought of it as advice as to how I should loose weight. My mother at the time had a box of laxatives that I stole from her and began taking. I thought it was gods gift to me. I could eat anything I wanted without gaining a pound, better yet, I could eat anything I wanted and loose weight. I knew it was wrong and was so ashamed of myself for taking these pills that I was embarrassed to purchase them, so I started stealing them from my local grocery store. For 4 years I stole all in the name of being skinny. At the time I had never had a boyfriend, not because I was over weight, but because I lacked the confidence in myself. I would tell myself “Once you’re skinny, all the boys will want to be your boyfriend”. So for years I put my body through some of the most uncomfortable pain it has ever endured, and tried to fool all of my friends and family. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in college where my roommate came to me and told me she knew what I was doing and begged me to stop. I stopped for a brief time not because I knew it was bad for me, but because I was embarrassed she had found out my deepest, darkest secret. That summer I started again.

It wasn’t until my junior year of college when I fully stopped taking the pills. I joined Delta Phi Epsilon, a sorority whose national philanthropy is ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders), which was the help I needed to overcome the pain I was putting myself through, but my struggles didn’t end there. I still faced the unhealthy, bipolar relationship I had created with food. Food was still my comfort, it was still my best friend, and it was still my worst enemy. At this point in my life boys had started taking notice to me, but that wasn’t enough. I needed to look like those girls with the flat stomachs and gaps between their thighs. I still binged ate one day and starved myself the next. This struggle has been continuous up until this summer.

This summer I have taken control of food instead of allowing food to take control of me and my relationship with food has changed for the better. I set a goal weight for myself and understood that this goal weight won’t come overnight. Realizing that it will take time was the first step to recovery, because in the past I had always wanted results in the quickest amount of time possible or I wasn’t trying hard enough. The next step I took to recovering was realizing that while I don’t need to step on the scale every day, I do need to keep track of my weight, and what foods I consume. I downloaded an app on my phone called MyFitnessPal. It is a food diary that keeps track of the calories you eat and the calories you burn. MyFitnessPal has become my best friend. I am on this app more than any other because it has put into perspective what I was putting on my plate. Being conscious of the calories I would intake and the serving sizes of my meals has allowed me to loose 18 lbs since January, 10 of those pounds lost this summer. Exercise has become a daily routine, but I have also become realistic about exercising. If I miss a day at the gym, I wont gain those 18 lbs back. It’s okay to eat that cheeseburger as long as it isn’t everyday. Understanding things like this are what have enabled me to say that I have FINALLY overcome the disorder that had control over me for so many years. For the past two years I tried convincing others and myself that I as over it, but looking back I really wasn’t, but now I am, and the sense of accomplishment and pride that over takes me is nothing I had ever thought I could feel. I did it on my own and I did it not to be one of those “skinny girls” but to become a happier, and healthier version of myself.

Now here are my top 5 songs dedicated to the feeling of pride and self-esteem:

Dog Days are Over: Florence + the Machine

F**kn’ Perfect: Pink

It’s A Great Day To Be Alive: Trivis Tritt

Anthem: Superchick

Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down: Puff Daddy and Mase

JENNA GIG'S: LET'S TALK VENUES!

Concert going has become a regular hobby of mine since my first concert in 2002 at the First Union Spectrum; I saw Incubus (still one of my favorite bands)! With the Spectrum no longer standing, Philadelphia still offers a great deal of music venues, including arenas, amphitheaters, and bars that have a stage and sound system!

In the future I hope to continue to travel and experience my favorite bands live in the most mind-blowing venues around the world.

So in no particular order, here are my 5 favorite music venues I have visited:

The Mann Center

5201 Parkside Ave. Philadelphia, PA

The Man Center is my absolute favorite outdoor venue in Philadelphia. A premier outdoor cultural arts center; this amphitheater boasts breathtaking views of the Philadelphia City Skyline.

This Beautiful music venue opened in 1935 as Robin Hood Dell Concerts, the summer venue for world famous Philadelphia Orchestra. Keeping the tradition alive, the well-known Orchestra holds their permanent residency through out every summer. The Mann is also highly involved with educational and outreach programs designed to serve the community in Philadelphia.

The newly added Skyline stage gives yet another unique element to this historic venue in Philadelphia. Also, The Skyline Stage allows The Mann Center to host more Festival like concerts, much like City Bisco on 11/27 &28th.

Upcoming Shows:

The Black Crowes & Tedeschi Trucks Band

Umphrey’s McGeee & STS9 @ The Skyline stage

The Avett Brothers W/ Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Vampire Weekend @ The Skyline stage

For more information, or how to order tickets visit;

http://manncenter.org/

Tower Theater

69th & Ludlow Upper Darby, PA

The Tower opened their doors as a music venue during the summer of 1972 & believe it or not their very first event was a sell out.

Throughout the years Tower Theater has upheld a reputation of hosting some of music’s most popular and unsurpassed artists that are still touring. A prime example of this would be their recent booking of one of Indie’s legendary bands, Neutral Milk Hotel, on their comeback tour slated for January 29th.

Their Sound system has been known to be the absolute best. So good in fact, many artists chose to do live recordings and film during their performances, including Neil Young and David Bowie.

My first show at the Tower was Smashing Pumpkins in 2007. I had great seats and was able to see Billy Corgan’s baldhead shinning in the lights! What an incredible night!

Upcoming Shows:

Jack Johnson 9/26

Two Door Cinema Club 10/2

Brian Wilson & Jeff Beck 10/13

Neutral Milk Hotel 1/29

Check out their website for more info.

http://thetowerphilly.com/

The Louisville Palace

625 S. 4th Street Louisville, KY

I was extremely fortunate to travel to Kentucky this past July for Forecastle Music and Arts Festival. This type of festival offered “late-night” shows after the music stopped on the festival grounds at the beautiful Waterfront Park. On Saturday Night (7/13) The String Cheese Incident held their late night show at The Louisville Palace, hitting the stage around midnight and finishing up around 3am.

The grand opening of the Palace took place on September 1, 1928. Around the town of Louisville, The Palace was well known as an architectural marvel, designed by noted architect, John Eberson. One of the most fascinating aspects of the Palace is the marvelous ceiling design, which makes it seem as though you’re outdoors on a clear summer night.

Despite originally being used as a movie theater, The Palace was restored in 1994 and began hosting entertainment acts of Broadway, local, national, and international performing arts, classic films, and concerts.

I believe The Palace was the most beautiful venue I have been in, and made the trip to Louisville unforgettable.

Upcoming Shows;

Umphrey’s McGee & STS9 9/13

Moody Blues 9/26

Amos Lee (a Philadelphian!) 11/2

Rain, a tribute to the Beatles 11/17

Visit Louisville Palace Website for more history and events:

http://louisvillepalace.com/

Union Transfer

1026 Spring Garden St. Philadelphia

One of Philly’s newest venues, Union Transfer has had an immediate impact on the Philly music scene. With a capacity of 1,000 and a state of the art sound system, UT has become somewhat of a beacon for on the rise alternative / indie acts as well as unique shows capable of selling out venues 3x their size (I.e. Jim James, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Animal Collective). Their success is no surprise though, part owner Sean Agnew (owner of R5 productions) has been a part of the Philly DIY scene for years, and his networking abilities are clear in their ability to continually book top tier talent.

Upcoming Show’s;

Mayor Hawthorne & Superhumanoids 9/10

Washed Out & HAERTS 9/19

Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears 9/22

Foxygen 10/4

Animal Collective 10/27 & 28

Man Man 10/30 &31

Check out Union Transfers Website for ALL of their Upcoming Show’s!

http://www.utphilly.com/

Johnny Brenda’s

1201 N. Frankford Ave Philadelphia

Johnny Brenda’s built their reputation as a staple bar, restaurant, and music venue in the heart of FIshtown. Always serving delicious food and local breweries, JB’s also provides not 1 but 2 stages for performances! This is my favorite small venue in Philly. It delivers an intimate feeling for the audience and artist, and has a world-class sound system along with a balcony!

They mostly book local artist throughout the Philadelphia region, but will also book international touring acts like, Jim James, Dr. Dog, White Denim, and Portugal, the Man. I’m sure you can guess, those tickets go FAST!!!

Upcoming Show’s;

Cold Fronts, DRGN KING, & The Shakes 9/5

Toy Soldiers & Kingsley Flood 9/13

Neil Hamburger & Tim Heidecker, Tim Heidecker, & Carla Rhodes 11/8 & 9

The Paper Kites 11/11

Visit Johnny Brenda’s website for more concerts, and their food menu!

http://www.johnnybrendas.com/

The Tea w/ Dee: “F**k it, Me and Nicki Nick Gettin Married Today”

DJ Khaled must really think “He’s the best” !

Last week the popular DJ sent out a new video to MTV. No it’s not what you think; it wasn’t a new music video. Khaled sent out a marriage proposal video for Nicki Minaj. He expresses in the video how they would be perfect for each other and how long he has been thinking about proposing to her but he felt like he was not ready. Take a look at the video below…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7Pk0-3i4Tsg

Now the whole time I was watching this video I was thinking “Is he serious?”, “I thought Nicki had a boyfriend” and “I wonder what Nicki is going to say or if she’s even going to respond?” Well that same day Nicki did retweet the video to her followers so we all knew that she did see it but it wasn’t until days later when she responded during an interview with DJ Funkmaster Flex…

“Q: On whether she’s spoke to DJ Khaled since he proposed to her

Nicki: No, I was shocked just like the rest of the world and I was cracking up laughing with the rest of the world because Khaled is a master at what he does and you know he is a DJ, Hypeman, entrepreneur, all of those [things] wrapped in one. He was just like ‘Yo! that’s how I was feeling! It’s just an extension of the song yo!’ Everyone was just like ‘Whatever, Khaled.’”

So basically the whole proposal was just a promotional strategy for Khaled’s new song featuring Nicki Minaj call “I Wanna Be With You”

I heard of fake “beefs” and maybe surprise appearances to promote a new album or song but never a fake marriage proposal. But it came to no surprise that it was joke hehe

Check Out DJ Khaled feat. Nicki Minaj, Future, and Rick Ross- “I Wanna Be With You” in the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMqV8pV3uRg

Top 5

Lauryn Hill- Lost Ones

Jay Z- Party Life

Ne-Yo- Let Go

Lil Wayne & Birdman- Leather So Soft

Lauryn Hill- To Zion

Michael's Cycle: Ads From Springs Past, Men's Health

While flipping through a magazine I decided to right up some reviews on print ads, since I am an advertising major. These were four ads, that I thought did a pretty good job at getting their message across, all while making it look visually appealing. I tend to always critique advertisements inside my head while going through any magazine, but figured I should right down my opinions and put it to use! The Men’s Health Magazine was something I picked up at my friends house that was collecting dust, The issue is not very current, but it was interesting to look back on what type of advertising was circulating, and what proved to be the most promoted products.

Brand: Raymond Weil Geneve

Tagline/Slogan: “Precision is my Inspiration”

Response: Ad was about half way through the magazine. It has a very dark layout with a black background, fading into a gray. The watch is in the middle, and has settings for the date, temperature, minutes, and altitude. It looks like a very versatile watch, with lots of options and operations the user can manipulate. The slogan fits perfectly with the ad because a watch is suppose to give you the time of the day, but this watch also gives you loads of other gizmos and information for you to use. They stress that it is a Swiss made watch and claim that it will keep your life on track.

Brand: California Almonds

Tagline/Slogan: “A Handful of Jet Fuel”

Response: The ad is split in half, the bottom have has a close up of almonds placed on a table, and above that is another visual. It has a father lifting his child in the air with his arms spread wide, pretending to fly. Once again this slogan relates to the ad because it is stressing the health benefits of almonds, and how it is a quick delicious snack for your children. The copy adds that almonds have 6 grams of protein for every serving size, and can reduce heart disease. Almonds fuel you through your day, and can be a snack your child loves.

Brand: Lexus

Tagline/Slogan: “Introducing a Stunning Feat"

Response: I was surprised when reading this ad because it was one of the first in the magazine, and I couldn’t really relate it to the copy. Lexus is introducing the new Lexus ES, which is, know for its luxury looks and exceptional quality both inside and out. The copy gives an excellent description of the car and its features, the visual is sleek and has the sunlight beaming down on it, but just does not show enough of the new technology embedded in the car. All in all the ad looks great, the tagline just doesn’t make that much sense to me.

Brand: Planters Peanuts

Tagline/Slogan: “The Manliest Mix We’ve Ever Assembled”

Response: The visual for this ad is hilarious and matches the tagline. It has peanuts and other mixed nuts riding a pirana and recreating a amphibious march on to the shore. It is a great recreation of our favorite war movies in a print ad, and embraces the most manliest of careers ou there. It mentions that this mix have 6 grams of protein and 6 vitamins and minerals, perfect for pushing you through your work out routine. The ad is placed next to a fitness section in Men’s Health and is recommended by them. This ad is targeted to men who love nutrition and protein in their daily diets and is a healthy snack.

Top 5 Tunes

Smoked Glass and Chrome- Ott

Tessellate- Alt J

Immersive Music Mixtape- Bassnectar

21 Questions- 50 Cent

The Fire Man- Vibesquad

The Tea w/ Dee: Practice Your First Amendment or Make an Amendment to Your Lyrics?

The first amendment in the Bill of Rights states that we as Americans should have freedom of speech. But when it comes to today’s rappers it seems to not apply to them. During this year there have been a few incidents where rappers received criticism for their lyrics.

Rick Ross in “U.O.E.N.O”

“Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it, I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it”

Rick Ross received a lot of backlash for these lyrics. People interpreted the lyrics as Ross using a date rape drug and taking a young lady back to her home and having sex with her without her knowledge. These lyrics cause a lot of controversy; people started writing petitions for Ross to apologize for the lyrics. This situation also resulted in Reebok dropping him from his endorsement deal, now I know that had to hurt!

He later did release an apology, well sort of…

“I want to make sure this is clear, that woman is the most precious gift known to man, you understand? It was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation where the term rape wasn’t used. I would never use the term rape. As far as my camp, hip hop don’t condone that. The streets don’t condone that. Nobody condones that. So I wanted to reach out to all the queens that’s on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, the beautiful ladies that have been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding. We don’t condone rape and I’m not with that.”

Lil Wayne in Karate Chop (remix)

“Beat the p***y up like Emmett Till”

Lil Wayne received backlash from the Till Family for this very metaphor. He is comparing having rough intercourse with a woman with the terrible tragedy that happened in 1955 when a African American boy was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman at a store. He was killed by the woman’s half-brother and husband. After the dust settled Wayne ended up getting dropped from his endorsement deal with Mountain Dew.

Airickca Gordon-Taylor, a cousin of Till’s and the founding director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, said:

“To compare his murder and how beaten and how bullied, beatened, and tortured he was to the anatomy of a woman was really very disrespectful. We found it dishonorable to his name and what his death has meant to us as a people and as a culture. It was offensive not only to us, but to our ancestors and to women and to themselves as young, black men. I just couldn’t understand how you could compare the gateway of life to the brutality and punishment of death. And I feel as though they have no pride and no dignity as black men”

Lil Wayne later sent out a very personal [sarcastic voice] apology to the Till Family and Foundation

“Dear Till Family:

As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play. My lyrics often reference people, places and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists.

It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family. As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt, as well as the letter you sent to me via your attorneys.

Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner. I fully support Epic Record’s decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the version that went to retail. I will not be performing the lyrics that contain that reference live and have removed them from my catalog.”

J.Cole in Jodeci Freestyle

“Go check the numbers dummy, that's just me gettin' started I'm artistic, you n****s is autistic, retarded”

This recently happened and it was immediately handled unlike the other two cases. As soon as Cole realized how hurtful his words were to people in the Autism community he addressed it. Even actress Holly Robinson Peete expressed how hurt she was about the lyrics. She explained how her autistic son heard the song and came up to her and asked “What does he mean by that?” The Autism community even started up a petition to have the lyrics taken out of the song and apology from both artists (the song featured rapper Drake).

Cole’s apology seemed really sincere and from the heart…

“Recently there’s been a trend that includes rappers saying something offensive, only to be attacked for it in the media and pressured to apologize. I have to be completely honest and say there’s a part of me that resents that. I view rap similar to how I view comedy. It’s going to ruffle feathers at times. It’s going to go “too far”. I do not believe that an apology is needed every time someone is offended, especially when that apology is really only for the sake of saving an endorsement or cleaning up bad press.

With that said, this is not the case today. This letter is sincere. This apology IS necessary.

In a recent verse on the song “Jodeci Freestyle”, I said something highly offensive to people with Autism. Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better.

To the entire Autism community who expressed outrage, I’m moved and inspired by your passion, and I’m amazed at how strong you are as a unit. I have now read stories online from parents about their struggles and triumphs with raising an Autistic child and I admire how incredibly strong you have to be to do so. It’s touching. It also makes what I said even more embarrassing for me. I feel real shame. You have every right to be angry.

To anyone suffering from Autism, either mildly or severely, I am sorry. I’m bound to make mistakes in my life, but in my heart I just want to spread Love.

I want to educate myself more on Autism, and I’ll gladly own my mistake and serve as an example to today’s generation that there’s nothing cool about mean-spirited comments about someone with Autism. People with this disorder and their loved ones have to go through so much already, the last thing they need is to hear something as ignorant as what I said. I understand.

To the parents who are fighting through the frustrations that must come with raising a child with severe autism, finding strength and patience that they never knew they had; to the college student with Asperger’s Syndrome; to all those overcoming Autism. You deserve medals, not disrespect. I hope you accept my sincere apology.

Much Love

-Cole”

Now I've come to ask the question, do you think rappers should have the freedom to express themselves through their art and say what they want to or should they be attacked for saying something offensive? But isn't expressing yourself part of the rap culture? What are your thoughts?

Tweet us @PhillybassdIN

Fave 5

Jay Z- Crown

Jay Z- Somewhereinamerica

John Legend- Another Again

Lil Mo- Superwoman

Big Sean- Mula

Michael's Cycle: It was All Good as a Volunteer :)

Hey all,

Summer seems to be dwindling down and it is all hitting me now. Since May, all I have been looking forward to was volunteering at All Good Music Festival. It served as the high point in the summer, and the most anticipated event to vacation to. Now that it is over, the beginning of the semester is one of the closest things to look forward too, which is both a positive, and slightly negative thing.

All that aside, I wanted to share my long and hot volunteer experience with all of you. I highly encourage any of you to participate as a volunteer at events like these because there is a list of benefits from doing so. A free ticket, new friends, free merchandise, and back stage access, just to name a few.

Upon arriving to All Good Music Festival I checked in at the booth, was handed a t-shirt and was sent off to work within 20 minutes. My primary job was to guide and direct traffic to campsites, and to search cars and luggage for any glass bottles or weapons. After I would clear the cars, I would slide their wristbands on, lock them in and send them into the festival. This process continued for the next 4 hours in the sticky, hot and humid weather. When my shift ended, they handed me a case of water to which I handed out to others, and drank a few for myself.

My first shift was painful in the heat, but luckily enough my next shift was late night for one of my favorite performers Beats Antique. Before their set, I was running back and forth from different vendors trying to bring in some sales for them, interact with the festivalgoers and see if any of the vendors and employees needed anything. I met some really talented artists and a handful of awesome people from all around the U.S. The night started to creep in around the festival, and it was time to move to the Dragon Stage where Beats Antique would be preforming.

Beats Antique truly puts on a performance when they play. They have Zoe, their belly dancer accompanied by a vast amount of costumes and props she dances with. It was my job to just prepare these props and costumes to bring to the side of the stage before each one of her acts. After I finished moving all of what they instructed, they let me stand to the side to enjoy the set. Volunteers that have been participating for years were able to work on stage with them while preforming which was an awesome, yet funny thing to watch. While closing out their act, they had a giant inflatable squid take stage and all the volunteers were struggling to balance it, but they did a successful job.

After Beats jaw dropping performance, the festival grounds were wrapping up and ready to close down the venue for the night. My final job for the night was to clean up the loads of trash that people left behind with a team of people called Clean Vibes, who recycle and organize trash for the greenest results. The land that the festival was held on is a sacred and historic, tracing back to the Native Americans so we were advised to be respectful of the grounds and leave it spotless every night.

Clean Vibes and the volunteer crew did a fantastic job cleaning up the mess every night, making the venue look brand new everyday. I couldn’t of asked for a better experience, especially with a festival with so much diversity and history. This year was the 17th annual All Good Music Festival and can assure you that I will be returning as a volunteer next year. I really encourage anyone to participate, there are no skills you need to poses, just be yourself and help out with anything you can. The experience is more rewarding each time and can’t wait to continue to work and volunteer on the upcoming fall tours.

Stay Safe Everyone

Top 5 Tunes

Beats Antique: Crush

Pretty Lights: Cold Feeling

Primus: Tommy The Cat

Papadosio: Direction Song

Lotus: Spiritualize

JENNA GIG’S: A TRIP DOWN MUSICAL LANE

Hello y’all!

The other week at Phillybass’d Entertainment Robert Don Rico, music producer extraordinaire, was in to discuss one of our current clients with CEO Paula Webster. While he was waiting, some of us interns wanted to pick his brain about his long successful years being in the music business. After we touched on his travels and whom he met and worked with, a certain topic came up; “how do you listen to your music? “

This got me thinking how musical engineering has evolved throughout history.

I have a record player and purchase vinyl. My collection is pretty good so far, but one day I plan to have an entire room filled with records!

I also stream music via my computer and Iphone. I mostly use Pandora and Spotify. I love Pandora because almost every time I play a radio station it introduces me to GREAT band or song. My favorite stations are The Beatles (obviously) Dr. Dog, Regina Specktor, Greatful Dead, and Creep Radio (90’s jams!)

Spotify has been a life savior ever since my boyfriend showed me this new streaming service. You are able to stream entire albums from almost any artist. And most of the time they have every album that artist created. Like Pandora you are encouraged to pay a fee to avoid commercials and the ability to stream on a mobile device anywhere. I believe that Spotify has a reasonable monthly fee of only $10! For any kind of music at any time, I’ ll take it!

So lets take a trip down musical history and revisit the numerous devices we have used to listen and play music.

The Phonograph

² The Phonograph was the first record player invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison.

² It was able to record and reproduce sounds

² The recordings were placed on a device that consisted of waveforms that were engraved onto a rotating cylinder or disc. As the cylinder or disc rotates, a stylus or needle traces the waveforms and vibrates to reproduce the recorded sound waves

² This saw a decline in mid 1980’s

Records!

² A record (or vinyl) is a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove.

² Manufactured from polyvinyl chloride

² Described by their diameter in inches (ex/12in or 7in.)

Eight Tracks!

² The eight track was invented in 1964 by Bill Lear

² 8track is a magnetic tape sound recording technology

² Popular from the mid-1960s to early 1980s

² Most popular use in the car industry, most Ford vehicles were made with 8track players in the car.

Cassettes

² Compact Cassette Tapes were invented in 1966.

² Magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback

² The Cassette came in forms, a pre-recorded cassette or a fully recordable "blank" cassette.

² Made popular in the 1980’s when the WALKMAN was introduced.

Compact Disc

² The compact disc is an optical disc used to store digital data

² Developed to store and play back sound recordings

² Later adapted for storage of data up to 80mins.

Portable Media Players

² The World of Apple and ipods!

² iPods serve as external data storage devices (Ex/ 2GB - 35GB)

² 1st ipod (Classic) was invented in 2001 a couple months before iTunes was released.

² Currently there are four versions of the iPod: iPod Classic, iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch.

² Made extremely popular for it’s ultra compact form.

We have come along way from the old school Phonograph to the mini-sized iPod!

What are the ways you are currently listening to music?

TOP 5 ALBUMS I LISTEN TO @ HOME

1.) The Beatles- Sgt pepper's lonely hearts club band

2.) Dr. Dog- Easy Beat

3.) Nas- Illmatic

4.) The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow

5.) Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

The Tea w/ Dee: Tired of All the Kiddie Talk, Give Me “The Real” Deal!

Do you know anybody in their late teens or early 20’s that are excited to watch The View every morning? Or do we rather watch reruns of Martin or Boys Meets World? All the daytime talk shows are targeted at stay at home moms or mid-age women. There was an open space to start a morning talk show targeted at girls in my generation.

Tameka “Tiny” Harris was the first to discover this open market. She had a pilot for her talk show “Tiny Tonight” which featured R&B singer Tamar Braxton, rapper Trina, Apprentice Claudia Jordan and Tiny’s longtime friend and hairstylist Shekinah. They discussed topics appropriate for women our age, such as celebrity gossip, relationships and fashion. I enjoyed the show but it did not make it as regular programming on VH1.

So I guessed FOX picked up this open market and introduced the new talk show “The Real”. It is filled with a diverse group of ladies, just like The View, but instead of older women they are women who are more relatable to our generation. The panel includes Tamera Mosley-Housley, Tamar Braxton, Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love and Jeannie Mai. These are all ladies with different careers, cultures and walks of life. The show will be having a 4 week trial run to see if it will get a permanent spot on FOX.

They have topics that vary from beauty to fashion from sex to relationships. I haven’t been able to catch the show but from what I heard it is giving other daytime talk shows a run for their money. Catch it on FOX every weekday at 11am !

Check out some excerpts from the show in the links below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A_Sib3vs-Tc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nyXIKIV33l4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ngq8EbNkZsI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3JDiRGyWJA4

Top 5!

Jay-Z- Oceans

Maxwell- Fistful of Tears

J Cole feat. Omen- Enchanted

Trey Songz- Jupiter Love

Beyonce- Speechless

Michael's Cycle: Communication Breakdown

This past week has been an awfully quiet one, at least through my perspective. Despite the constant ruckus that Philadelphia produces, there has been a covering over my community of people. Throughout my daily walk on Temple’s campus, I try to talk to anyone I can. Whether it is a complete stranger or a long time friend, I am always looking for some type of interaction since I spend the summer in Philadelphia alone. As we move further into the future, technology continues to improve, expand and inhabit the lives of people around the world. With that, a barrier develops between each person through their cell phones and other technological devices.

The smart phone revolution has undoubtedly changed the way we communicate and do business, but there is a negative aspect to this. People have become so interested in their phone and themselves that verbal communication has dwindled down to our secondary approach for communication. I feel as if we live in a time of fear and solidarity where we hide behind our cell phones, computer screens, and televisions. Due to this, people don’t really interact anymore, and it is coming increasingly noticeable as time continues. Everyone is so involved with updating their lives thorough these technological devices, it seems that people are only concerned with themselves and not what is going on around them.

I am not trying to say that smartphones are a bad thing; they have pushed the standard of innovation higher. Literally putting information at our fingertips. I own a Blackberry, which is a semi “smartphone” and has made my life easier with school information and emails. I know that the useless scrolling on phones won’t stop, but would just like to see more conversations and interactions happen within the city. We are surrounded by countless numbers of people on a daily basis, and approaching someone and having an actual conversation is something you cannot replace. I want our generation to become more active to pursue a connection with someone. My first boss told me some wise words when I was 16, and still sticks with me. He always stressed that an email wont land you a job, a conversation and a handshake will. His tactics may be a little old fashioned, but this approach has not failed me yet.

Stay safe everyone.

-Mike

Top 5 Tunes

Pretty Lights: Done Wrong

Pretty Lights: Always All Ways

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Around the World

Emancipator: With Rainy Eyes

The Disco Biscuits: Great Abyss

The Tea w/ Dee: They can never take her “CROWN”

Imagine being 16 years old and under the experience section of your resume it says “produce beat for Jay –Z”. Ebony Oshunrinde doesn’t have to imagine because to her it’s a reality. Oshunrinde, who also is known by her stage name “Wondagurl”, produced the track “Crown” off of Jay-Z’s new album Magna Carta Holy Grail.

I know your probably wondering? What? Huh? How did a young girl from Canada receive this opportunity? Not only is she working with Jay-Z but she is also on an album that features producer legends like Timbaland, Pharrell and Swizz Beats.

Well here’s her story…

Wondagurl became interested in beat making at the tender age at nine. She then began watching youtube videos and teaching herself how to create beats. When she was only 14 she entered the Battle of the Beatmakers competition and made it all the way to the semifinals before getting eliminated. The next year, after only her second audition, she made it all the way to the end and won the competition. Winning the competition really gave her some exposure because Wondagurl was then signed to Black Box, a Canada based record label. After creating the future beat for “Crown” she sent it to DJ Travis Scott who somehow managed to get it into Jay-Z hands and the rest is history.

Check out an interview with Ebony Oshunrinde and the song “Crown” in the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GHcbhY8o7hg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Oi5xkuXNl20

Wondagurl has accomplished something at 16 that many producers that are twice her age wish they can say they did. She’s like the Gabby Douglas of hip-hop.

[Yes I just compared working with Jay-Z to winning a gold medal, but that’s just how I feel]

Dee’s Jams of the Week:

Mario feat Nicki Minaj- Somebody Else

Robin Thicke feat Pharrell & TI- Blurred Lines

Jazmine Sullivan- Bad

Miguel feat Kendrick Lamar- How Many Drinks

Jay-Z feat Rick Ross- F**kWithMeYouKnowIGotIt

JENNA GIG'S: THE BEATLES, MOST INFLUENTIAL BAND EVER!!

Ello’ chaps!

In honor of Ringo Starr’s birthday, I would like to share with the Phillybass’d readers of how all of the music we are listening to today has been influenced by one very exceptional band, obviously, THE BEATLES!

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr created something so powerful through their music, and delivered joy and happiness to whoever listened. Personally I love The Beatles so much because of how beautiful and relatable their songs are. Almost every single lyric written, (which is around 214!!!) has a very impactful meaning coming through under flawless melodies and sounds. The Beatles shaped the way music can be produced in the studio and during live performances.

Here is a little blurb of how The Beatles are the most influential band, EVER!

The Beatles arrived in the U.S. on February 7th, 1974 and performed live on the Ed Sullivan show, to an estimated audience of 73 million viewers, making it one of the most significant performances of all time. The Beatles trip to the U.S. signified not only the start of the “British Invasion”, but the launching of “Beatlemania”.

Throughout their career, The Beatles continued to reinvent themselves as musicians, and their stylistic impact can still be heard in a great deal of music today. Not only did the Beatles expand on current genres, but also they frequently used in-studio experimentation to create new sounds and melodies.

The Beatles created so many unique sounds throughout their career, that it is impossible to label them under one genre of music. The group started their career in Liverpool as a skiffle group, which had a pre rock and roll, pop sound. However this was only the beginning. Over their 10-year career, they excelled in numerous genres such as: rock, blues, psychedelic, folk, reggae & heavy metal. In fact, when Paul McCartney wrote “Helter Skelter”, it was labeled as the very first heavy metal song ever recorded.

One of the main reasons The Beatles had such a unique sound was their innovated approach to in-studio recording. Their producer, George Martin, influenced many of these in-studio techniques. George suggested ideas such as varying tape speeds, which could slow down John Lennon’s vocals or make his voice sound higher. This is evident on songs such as “tomorrow never knows” and “strawberry fields forever.” Other studio tricks used by the Beatles include unconventional microphone placements, tape loops, and double tracking.

Aside form these tricks; The Beatles began to augment their recordings with instruments that were unconventional for rock music at the time. Some of The Beatles music was inspired from their time in India, where they practiced transcendental mediation, and introduced the sitar in songs like, “Norwegian Wood.” We can all thank Mr. Ravi Shankar, who taught George Harrison how to play the sitar. The band also used a Moog synthesizer on several songs for their album, Abbey Road. Today, Moog synthesizers are the basis for the majority of electronic music.

Not only were The Beatles one of the first to use in-studio experimentation, they also made songwriting popular. In the 1960’s, the majority of artists had their music written for them by others. The Brill Building, located in New York City, was where most popular American tunes were written, and then sold to performing artists. The Beatles however produced and performed original songs and lyrics since their very first single, “Love me do.”

Throughout their career, The Beatles achieved incomparable commercial success. Only months after they arrived in the U.S in 1964, The Beatles occupied the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the Beatles have four of the 10 greatest albums of all time, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was voted the best album of all time. Despite only spending 7 years in the U.S. The Beatles have sold over one billion records. Even today, there is still a high demand for their re-mastered work on both CD and vinyl.

So all of the artists we listen to today such as, arena-rock bands like the, The Black Keys, or every boy band created in the 90’s we can thank the ‘Fab 4’. They have influenced and helped create every genre music has to offer, and were talking about a band who has not made music in over 40 years.

THE BEATLES FORVER =)

FIRST 5 BEATLE SONGS THAT COME TO MIND..(could never pick top 5 favorites!)

1. Something

2. Penny Lane

3. Don't Let me Down

4. Fixin a Hole

5. Golden Slumbers

The Tea w/ Dee: Anything Can Happen, Anything! *Chris Tucker Voice*

I know I wasn’t the only one who had my eyes glued to the television last Sunday night. The 2013 BET awards was full of surprises and exciting performances this year. I was so anxious to see the likes of Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Ciara. But there were some other artists that I wasn’t expecting to see that really put on a good show. Here are my favorite performances…

Kendrick Lamar & Erykah Badu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPmSA8HUIJY

This was an amazing performance! Erykah’s voice is an amazing addition to any song she is on. Her presence is felt just by being in the corner, just her and her mic. And let’s not talk about her swag! She killed that song and was great company to Kendrick.

R. Kelly:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=renVKnmjNtM

The pied piper is back! Having us relive the 90’s! Even though I was underage when these songs were popular I was still singing along with every track. This was a performance nobody expected. I personally did not like his outfit, porcupine much?

Ciara:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bGWNzz-Um0

“My Body is your Party” Ciara killed it with what she does best! She went on that stage on started dancing her a** off. It reminded of when she first hit the scene with “Goodies”. I was waiting for Ciara’s comeback and oh she came back!

The Reggae Set:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xhQhVSPUYM

I was jamming to all the old school reggae songs that I use to hear when I was little at the family cookouts. When this set came on the television I was hype! I got out of bed and starting dancing and singing along. The set features Beenie Man, Elephant Man and many more!

Charlie Wilson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwE0IhmZpj8

Have you ever heard a song or listen to an album and realized that you knew more songs than you thought? That’s exactly what happened to me during this performance. Mr. “Charlie last name Wilson” is an artist that people from many generations can enjoy. After all these years his voice is still flawless, a lot of people in this generation can learn a few things from Uncle Charlie.

Top 5 of the week

1. Jay-Z- Tom Ford

2. Fabolous feat. Joe Budden and Teyana Taylor- Want me Back

3. J Cole- Crooked Smile

4. Fabolous- We Get High

5. Ciara feat Nicki Minaj- I’m Out

Michael's Cycle: A Volunteer in Mid-City America

As the summer continues, I keep finding myself heavily involved with music and the work that surrounds it. Unfortunately I believe that I can only make it to one music festival this year, which will be All Good Music Festival out in the valleys of Ohio. Although some people may think it is all fun and games when it comes to camping out at a music festival, this year will be different due to the fact that I was just accepted to volunteer at this year’s event. I have been volunteering in this line of work for about a year now, and I am excited to see as to what I will be helping out with when it comes to a large-scale event. Despite my experience, I am traveling to an unfamiliar area and an unfamiliar festival. This will be my first year attending, I can’t wait to help out around the grounds and build an experience for other festivalgoers.

All Good Music Festival, has just recently changed their iconic venue grounds in West Virginia to Legend Valley in Thornville Ohio. The change in location brought some disappointment but continues to be a primary festival destination for many. In regards to volunteering, All Good has a reputation for having a diverse and interactive program, which brings returning, volunteers year after year. For this years event, they have increased the number of volunteers and have opened activities and stands for us to work and keep everything in order during the day hours. Currently I do not know what the All Good Team has planned for individual volunteers, but will be finding out at the end of this week to set everything in order and get the ball rolling.

All Good starts on the 18th, but I personally may have to head out to Ohio earlier to check in with my volunteer team, and set up any remaining props, decorations and stands. I really do not know what to expect because I am completely unfamiliar with all aspects surrounding the festival. I have never been out to Ohio, or alone and separated from my group out in an un-known land. It is going to be nothing but an individual journey, and that’s what I am most excited about. I’ll be able to work and interact with people I have never met before, undoubtedly make new friends and even have the privilege to meet and greet some performers. I will absolutely be documenting this experience, including all of the volunteer work and projects the team puts together for the festival.

I love volunteering at events like this because it brings a whole new type of experience, opens doors, and can make connections. I always look at volunteering as a networking opportunity within a niche in the music industry. I volunteered at all different types of musical events, and this one will be another experience to add to the books. I’m always looking to expand in whatever way I can, and volunteering has always provided room for me to grow. I will undoubtedly be documenting the people, and the projects I am involved with so stay tuned for more to come.

Stay safe everyone!

-Mike

Top 5 Tunes

Pretty Lights: One Day They’ll Know

Flying Lotus: Spin Cycles

STS9: Scheme

Discovery: Osaka Loop Line

Beats Antique: Colony Collapse

The Tea w/ Dee: If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail

In my first week of blogging I addressed the topic of Kanye West’s Yeezus album and J.Cole’s “Born Sinner” album and how they were both being released on the same day. Like every other album that hit the shelves they both had projections of how many copies they would sell. It was predicted that J.Cole will sell about 270,000-290,000 copies while Kanye was predicted to sell about 360,000-380,000. Well the actual numbers are in…

*Drum Roll Please*

J. Cole came out in the first week selling 297,000

Kanye West sold 328,000

Meaning that Kanye only surpassed J. Cole by 30,000

[I bought J. Cole’s btw]

Now think of it this way, Do you think the numbers would have been that close if Kanye West had chosen a different marketing plan? Based on Mr. West’s track record this is his lowest first week sales to date. Do you think it’s because of the way he promoted the album? Maybe his city wide promotion wasn’t effective enough. Do you think Kanye would have sold more copies if he had a radio single or a music video? He still managed to have the number 1 album, so compared to everybody else he was successful with the marketing strategy he used. But based on Kanye’s usual numbers he did fall short with “Yeezus.”

But he is not the only rapper trying different ways to promote and sell an album. I explained in my previous blog that Jay Z is releasing an album with a cross promotional deal with Samsung. We are just going to have to wait and see how those numbers turn out.

Ironically, this week at the office during our staff meeting the CEO of Phillybass’d, Paula, gave us a presentation of marketing plans and how effective and important they are for a business. She explained that you have to be flexible and adaptable because things can change at any moment. Do you think Kanye West should have made a change when he saw the projections of how many albums he might sell? Do you think he should have released a radio friendly single or did something to make all music lovers interested in his album like he did with his previous projects?

Tweet us with your thoughts! @PhillybassdIN

Fav 5 of the week

1.Solange- Lovers in the Parking Lot

Pusha T- Trust You

Rick Ross feat. Jay-Z- Free Mason

Lauryn Hill- Lost Ones

Elle Varner- Sound Proof Room

JENNA GIG’S: SIR PAUL, IN THE FLESH.

On Friday June 14th 2013 Sir Paul McCartney performed in front of 80,000 or-so music fans on the main stage of Bonnaroo. This was absolutely the best moment in my life.

The 70 year old Beatle (now 71) played for a whopping 2 ½ hours and came out for 3 unforgettable encores. This man still has it.

At certain points in the set Paul shared with the crowd memories with his loved ones that passed away. Paul began singing “Here Today” for his dear friend John Lennon. This heart-warming song was written about their musical partnership and loving friendship, RIP John. "Something" was played on a ukulele in tribute to the remarkable George Harrison. Also Paul shared with the audience a beloved memory he had with the guitar god, Jimi Hendrix, and performed “Foxy Lady”. I was wondering, “What about Ringo!?” Paul did not speak of my favorite little drummer, but its okay we all know how awesome Ringo is.

Bonnaroo festival goer’s were even more blessed to hear a live sound-check from Sir Paul Thursday Night. Even though the gates to the “What Stage” were closed, fans were able to hear beloved Beatle classics like, “Penny Lane” and “Magical Mystery Tour” that were not performed on Friday night. This 30 minute sound check created a massive sing along to begin the countdown of seeing Sir Paul McCartney perform live.

For some reason I was born in the 21st century and was literally unavailable to see my favorite band of all time in concert, so the memory of seeing Paul McCartney live will forever stay in my heart. In my opinion Sir Paul performing at Bonnaroo was easily the best performance in the 12 previous festivals, I’m not sure if they will ever be able to top Sir Paul, maybe a LED ZEPPELIN reunion!!

Paul ended his 2 ½ hour set with the incredible uplifting song; “In the End”. This spiritual ballad will forever leave a lasting memory of a true legend.

Thank you Sir Paul McCartney.

“And in the end The love you take is equal to the love you make.”

Paul McCartney’s Set List @ Bonnaroo 2013

1. Eight Days a Week

2. Junior's Farm

3. All My Loving

4. Listen to What the Man Said

5. Let Me Roll It ("Foxy Lady" Jimi Hendrix tribute)

6. Paperback Writer

7. My Valentine

8. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five

9. The Long and Winding Road

10. Maybe I'm Amazed

11. Midnight Special

12. We Can Work It Out

13. Another Day

14. And I Love Her

15. Blackbird

16. Here Today (John Lennon Tribute)

17. Your Mother Should Know

18. Lady Madonna

19. All Together Now

20. Lovely Rita

21. Mrs. Vandebilt

22. Eleanor Rigby

23. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

24. Something (George Harrison tribute)

25. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

26. Band on the Run

27. Back in the U.S.S.R.

28. Let It Be

29. Live and Let Die =Fireworks!

30. Hey Jude

Encore:

31. Day Tripper

32. Hi, Hi, Hi

33. Get Back

Encore 2:

34. Yesterday

35. Helter Skelter

Encore 3:

36. Golden Slumbers

37. Carry That Weight

38. The End =More Fireworks!!

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