Friday, December 31, 2010

J.Rhodes year in review

2010 had so many blessings for me, I'll run through a few... egh emmm (holds up paper)

Dropped my Sick - Tape Gloria's Sun .5 on Jan 29th

Executive Produced Many projects for my label

Won the Ascap/Istandard producer Showcase

Featured Producer at the TUMS

Participated in Red Bull Big Tune St.Louis

Rocked House of Blues twice! 10/9/2010 and 12/30/2010

Dropped my second sick-tape of the year "The Talented Mr.Rhodes" on 10/11/2010

Video for Hello over 40,000 youtube views in less than a month

Hello Video featured on MTV rap fix

Included in the top 10 producers to look out for in 2011 blog

DFW Quick year in review top 10 Hip-Hop act in Dallas

I'm proof that hard work pays off! I thank the Lord for giving me these talents and for bestowing me with perseverance of the highest kind. I thank and love all of my supporters and everyone from my label! 80's Baby Ent! without you guys none of this would be possible! Lets keep it pushing in 2011!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Is this what Success All about??? - Jay-Z

Ok, so I live downtown in a decent looking spot... Ok, who cares... (not me I can PROMISE you that) .Obviously my patnas do though. They always be like, "Man, you just don't know what I'd be doing in this bro" or "Man I know you be acting a fool in here!" lmao. Ugh, no... Not really. Between constantly working, trying my best to perfect my craft, making beats, writing songs, getting things together for my label, parental responsibilities and just my normal day to day... I usually end up like I am at this current moment... Alone staring at these four walls with my lap-top and my MPC. I'm usually deciding on should I make a beat, or should I lay it down to do it all over again... Sleep gone win tonight.

Just got back from Arlington looking at Christmas lights with my daughter and fam. So cool to see her growing and becoming a little lady. She asked where we were and I told her we were at the North Pole... she bought it! Was great to see her smiling, happy and just experiencing the world from a youthful innocent perspective. I Remember those days... Now I'm so jaded with life it's ridiculous. At any rate, Prophet Bar show was coo... but now we focused on House of Blues... It's gone be a MUUUNSTA! On to the next one. For now though... On to the bed!



Thursday, December 16, 2010

Know my Glory, but don't know my story

Just had a little something on my mind to share with all 2 and a half of you that read my blog. lol. All praises going to the Lord for all of my recent breakthroughs. It has truly been a long hard fought road. My mentor Cheese hit me up the other day to congratulate me on the love MTV had been showing me and he said something that was so real. He said just think about all of the hours and hours and days and years and years of honing your craft that it took to be ready for that 6 minute interview. I flashed back to the day I dedicated my life to pursuing this dream, if people only knew the sacrifice! The loan money I still owe to Sallie Mae because I choose to spend my disbursement check on monitors and not Books. The parties I missed out on because I had a beat to finish. All of the hours studying my craft. All of the trial and error it took to learn how to chop a sample. The creative growth that you fight to maintain year to year. The relationships that suffered due to so much time being allocated to music. I decided long ago that if I was going to do this I was always going to keep my musical integrity and my integrity as a person. I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm proud that in the end I have maintained both. That makes it all that more rewarding. I think I'm ready to take my place as a major player in this industry now. Still have a long way to go and so much more work to do, but I feel like I'm ready all the way around. Talent wise I was ready seven years ago. If I would have made it in the game at that time though... it would have been pure disaster. My mind wouldn't have been ready for all of the trials and tribulations of this industry. I think the Lord did me a great service by making me work so hard for every single thing I've ever gotten in my career. That makes me a lot more appreciative and humble knowing that at any moment what he giveth he can snatch away. Typing all this because I have a show tomorrow and I'm up burning DVD's of my video "Hello" to give to the fans! lol. The grind never stops. Prophet Bar tomorrow! ME and the band gone KILL. So any way, just sharing my random thoughts with yall. Until my next blog-----

Friday, December 10, 2010

MTV ? WHERE THEY DO THAT AT? Dallas Mofos! lol

Let me start off by saying that Jesus Christ is Lord over my life and without him nothing is possible.........

NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT THE WAY! (JK)

Yesterday, I didn't even have to use my AK, so... I must confess it was A good day. It started out like any other. I wake up and debate between starting on a beat and twitter promo. So my brain was like (Make a beat, Twitter promo, Make a beat, Twitter promo #lookingleftandright) I chose Twitter promo. lol. What a good choice this was on Dec 9th 2010!

Short Story Long, I saw MTVNews saying they were going to interview 9th Wonder (one of my favorite producers) and David Banner (one of my fav artist). So I "jokingly" tweet, " you should feature my video HEllo" ... and they "seriously" tweet back, Tune in at 4:00 Et, you're on!

HOLD UP! Let me read this again... YUP! It's one of those defining moments in your career. It's like you hustle daily throwing a lot of jabs here and there, but you do all that to set up a big knock out punch. Happy it landed!

The experience was great! I got to get my video viewed and critiqued by 9th Wonder and Banner... They clearly loved the song and had some great constructive critique.

Banner called me a triple threat and told me I need to get to pushing that song E-Mede-At-Lay. 9th one of the greatest producers that ever lived said and I quote " I would have never thought to flip that beat in that way"... HUMBLING in a word.

The Hello project is near and dear to my heart. It's my baby and it's great to see it grow and develop. It started with an idea, then a beat, then the concept. It then moved on to me storyboarding, shooting and editing the video. (Shouts to Demarcus and E.KElly for helping). Then the promo of it was key. Shout out to Calvin Collins for helping me with my YouTube campaign, and UBER BIG shout out to Pikassho for recommending me to the team over at MTVRapFix. Much love to the legendary Sway for all he does to keep hip hop alive and break NEW artist!

It's great to celebrate an accomplishment and have everyone celebrating with you! I actually was trending in Dallas Fort-Worth! Glad I was trending for ALL THE RIGHT reasons and not because I was on Papi Thugz or some ish (if you get the joke you'll laugh... Hard).

But really, as I look over my life, the places I've been, the mistakes I've made, the people I've met etc... I wouldn't take ANYTHING back. I'm a better artist, man, father etc and I thank the Lord that every year I look back on my life... I see progression in ALL areas. In closing, this victory is all about my fans and loved ones who have watched me grow and progress every step of the way. How should I end this........ Ummmmmmm

AYE!!!