Archive for the ‘The Zone Column’ Category

The Zone
by Origix
(March 3, 2010)

In the Metro Detroit Area, we are fortunate to have a wide variety of places to go out and experience live local and national music.  Being that we have one of the most thriving music scenes in the country, talent is easy to find but sometimes it is hard to find a place to play.  You can find bars on almost any major road, on the other hand finding a quality venue is a lot harder.  Many people have to visit Downtown or go out to Ann Arbor to get that feel, unless you know about the hidden gem downriver; “The Rack-N-Roll” a concert venue with a local bar appeal where you can meet good people and have good times.  Unlike many bars that have to go by an eighteen and older age policy The Rack-N-Roll is able to open their doors to fans of all ages depending on the show, giving the younger generation a chance to witness upcoming music as well as play pool with friends. “We want to be The Machine Shop (well know, metal venue in Flint) of Downriver. We want to be the place everyone wants to play and we are getting there”. Club promoter Tiny states.

What sets The Rack-N-Roll apart from other places?  Tiny answers, “we book everything from rock, metal, hip-hop, rap, country, death metal, acoustic music, whatever. We do not discriminate musically”.  With a nice sized stage and top-notch sound, this place is somewhere you need to see a show.  Artists like Bizarre, Pistol Day Parade, Crackjaw, Ikkurruz, Ray Street Park and so many more have played there. The Rack-N-Roll is involved in doing many community events with upcoming charity shows, A Tribute to the Troops show will have all profits going to The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on March 27th    The “Cancer Sucks” benefit is supporting Tiny’s dad, Tim Cook on April 10th.  This Friday, March 5th see Mo-Town Rage, Origix & D.C. along with Waste Management, The Red Hour and Rtkul8, this will be a show you do not want to miss.  Doors are at 9pm, all ages, more info visit www.myspace.com/racknrollnightclub The Rack N Roll is located at 13634 Sibley Rd in Riverview, MI 48193. MCB

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm Visit 2raw4fm.com

The Zone
by Origix

(February 24,2010)

Shaun Vega and Skillitean have what some duos just do not have, what is it you ask?
Natural Chemistry; one would think they have been a group for years but that is not the case. They have known each other for some years now through mutual connects and
they knew the day would come that they would work together on what was supposed to be an S.Vega’s solo album “Hate it or love it”. After constructing and recording a couple tracks that Skillitean produced and was featured on, they decided to combine forces. S.Vega say’s “The vibe is great when we are in the studio working. Skilla is on my heels about different thing’s I say and how I put my words together, and I’m the same way about his flow as well as his beats”.

The Album, “Hate it or Love it” is a tribute to the critics who felt they should have gone a different direction with the album content, but these Michigan Natives will not conform to the norm. “If a track is banging it draws my attention right off, the muscle in my brain just starts to spaz out and I’m on the pad or flowing half bars out loud until I get to a pen and paper”, Vega explains. From doing their own thing in music to hooking up together to do this project they are far from done pushing each others limits .Visit www.myspace.com/skillitean and www.myspace.com/shaunvega16bars. See them live this Saturday February 27th at Simons After Dark in Allen Park.

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm Visit 2raw4fm.com

The Zone
by Origix

(February 17,2010)

Rtkul8 is back with his sophomore release “Rebel8shunz” after making a statement with his debut “”Rtkul8 808″ where his passion for hip-hop would give him the motivation to strive to keep going and record another album. “Rebel8shunz” is based on The Book of Revelations as well as his own research into counter-culture and “esoteric”/ conspiracy movement. Rtkul8 explains, “It is basically my modern re-telling of prophecies that entire cultures have been formed around since the beginning of time. It is told from a narrative and first person perspective in which the main character Tommy/Rtkul8 falls asleep and has a vision of the world the way it was, the way it is, and the way it will be. It is basically the story of my journey over the last few years, including my little brother Chad’s suicide, my family falling apart as well as forced self reflection. That’s where I came up with “Rebel8shunz”; it is my animal instincts and human nature to rebel against these revelations”.

This Downriver resident was born in California and raised in the Detroit area, giving him a different look on music influenced by G-Funk, So-cal punk, and Detroit Techno. All the sounds that came from the West Coast and Mo-town have given him a social awareness of the power of lyrics. “I love all of that music but I would have to say the best sound as far as hip-hop are Detroit MC’s , they are hungrier than most, especially in the Downriver/ Southwest area.” Look for projects he has in the works with producers overseas from U.K. and Australia. Plans are in the work for an April release party at Division Street Art Gallery in the Eastern Market. See him live with Mo-Town Rage, Origix &D C., Waste Management and The Red Hour at the Rack N Roll on Friday, March 5th in Riverview, MI, all Ages. More info at www.myspace.com/rtkul8. |MCB

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm Visit 2raw4fm.com

The Zone Column appears weekly in The Motor City Blog (MCB)

The Zone
by Origix

(February,10,2010)

What Uncle Mars is doing in Inkster and has been doing since 2006 is what other business owners would be crazy to do; opening a store that caters to Rap music and a majority of it being from the area, is unheard of in this day.  That’s why Uncle Mars “The Hustlers Depot” in many ways is ahead of the game.  The store is not only a place to cop hot music, they have Open Mic’s, an on site recording studio, customized t-shirts, a video production service and many other ways to get heard.  Uncle Mars says, “I’m always looking for talent to do business with, from booking for shows to producing and recording.  I wanna link up and network with real movers-n-shakers in this entertainment business.”

Uncle mars himself is an upcoming Mogul of the rap game, operating with his company, Plugged In Entertainment being a Producer, Promoter, C.E.O.,  Engineer, Music Store/Studio owner among other things sure does help.  “I see the Metro Detroit, Michigan music scene as growing and developing, we are trying to get that national respect.”  Uncle Mars states. Working with local artists is his goal to get them seen by the world and with his web site www.thehustlersdepot.com he can get the word out beyond his Inkster Rd. store front.|MCB

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at Visit  whfr.fm 2raw4fm.com

The Zone
by Origix
(February 3, 2010)

Reppin’ the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and keeping the streets clean, Waste Management is on the job cleaning up garbage rappers around the area. Group members JRN and Pig Pen go back to middle school where they first met. “We both were into making music a little bit on our own, nothing serious, until we started making tracks together in about 2005,” JRN explains. “Then, we got expelled from school for a track we did and it was on!” Now, both 20-years old and full-time college students, they’re working on overcoming album set backs. For the last two years, Waste Management has been working on their second and most solid album to date, First Things First. They did drop a debut album, My Town, when they where 17 in 2007, but now they are focusing on the best elements of hip-hop from the past and present.

On First Things First, Pig Pen handles production while JRN kills mics. Only a few collaborations appear, one being with C.Reid and the other with downriver natives Aztek the Barfly as well as Da Bash Brotherz. “It took two years, but both of us are on a much higher level, talent-wise. Besides getting better, nothing’s changed — same mindset, just hungrier,” JRN concludes. The album is available now on I-Tunes and at myspace.com/wastemanagement313.  | RDW

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm • Visit 2raw4fm.com

The Zone
by Origix
(January 27, 2010)

When you recollect hip-hop pioneers of the late-’80s, many names spring to mind. One of them, Awesome Dre, a Detroit native, laid the blueprint for the cutting-edge hip-hop music that we are so familiar with today.

In 1987, he released his first 12-inch record, Hardcore, on Jorlands Records, an independent Midwest label; back in the days when labels still had a looming presence in the music industry. Even his chart topping 1989 album/single, “You Can’t Hold Me Back,” is worthy enough of Motown Museum status. In explaining what he’s up to these days, Dre says he “got frustrated for a minute,” but was kept focused by the blessings of close friends and family. ”Almost everywhere I went, my fans would ask me when I was coming out with some new music.”

Back on the scene with new material and an even newer passion for music, Awesome Dre has released a new album, Top Tens, and has poured plenty of his muscle and sweat into his cousin Doe Dubbla’s Stackn double albums. Because of his friendship with ICP’s Violent J he has been opened up to a new fan base: the Juggalos.

In addition to his musical masterpieces, Dre has appeared alongside Todd Bridges (he of Different Strokes fame) in the feature film Big Money Rustlers. You can hear him monthly on his Internet radio show on wfuckoffradio.com.  | RDW

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm • Visit2raw4fm.com.

The Zone
by Origix
(January 20, 2010)

Off the blocks of Detroit’s Westside comes Fes Roc. You may have heard him on most of Elzhi’s albums or with Nick Speed, iLLite or Ro Spit getting a verse in on their music. But the time has finally come to focus on his own music. A packed release party at the Blind Pig for his new EP, Audio Visual, was something like a 3D listening experience of raw street-edge music with different color concepts thrown together on audio. Fes Roc explains, “This EP will introduce me back to the game because I’ve been around since the hip-hop shop days. Then life got real, so I took a hiatus from it. But I never stopped writing.” A couple years ago, Fes Roc and his partner iLLite formed Kic Sounds, an independent label to push each other’s releases, inspired by Slum Village, Phat Kat, Magestik Legend and others that have given them the confidence that they can get heard.

What you can hear on Audio Visual are stories of the block — raw rhyming over cuts and beats by Zhaoski, Vitamin D, Jay Hask and other Subterraneous crew members. Check it out and be on the look-out this spring for his full-length: Hustle. Visit kicsounds.com.  | RDW

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm. Visit 2raw4fm.com.

The Zone
by Origix
(January 13, 2010)

Downriver’s own Pig Pen got into producing after becoming a DJ seven years ago when he got his first pair of turntables. Then, with a growing obsession for the Beastie Boys in their Hello Nasty days, he wanted to be like Mix Master Mike. The first step towards following in his footsteps would be doing his own thing. After he got the Roland Sp 303 a year later it was on, and he was learning production. Now strapped with an Akai MPC 2500 and beat battle credentials from the Red Bull Battles to the Lager House, he’s on the path to good things. Pig Pen is already making a name in the Detroit scene with his group Waste Management and by doing the bulk of the group’s production as well as beat placement on The Regiments, Bash Bros and many other 2010 releases.

What does Pig Pen want out of producing?  “Honestly my goal is just to be a respected producer from this area.” Now that Waste Management’s album First Things First is finished you will soon hear more of him.  Look for an instrumental album, Beaties, of all his favorite beats made throughout last year and see him spin live Friday, January 15 at The Bullfrog. Visit myspace.com/pigpen313.  | RDW

Pig Pen • 1/15 • The Bullfrog
The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Monday’s 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm Visit myspace.com/thezoneradio

The Zone
by Origix
(January 6, 2010)

Happy New Year, D-Town! It’s a new decade; separating this moment in time from the past will be the quality needed to expose our city to the industry’s front line. It feels like now is our time to step up and take control. Behind the scenes, Tim “2 Phat” Smith is in the cockpit controlling the mixing board with 22 years of recording music experience. This risk taker has been a part of many hip-hop and rock assemblies, from C-Lit to 2 Phat & The Family Funktion and has also been the drummer for Zug Izland. His ear for music cannot be denied.

Now as grown-up as the music he produces, he took a big chance when he opened The Soundscape in Royal Oak. Opening a professional studio in the day of semi-pro home studio’s is not easy but Tim explains the difference: “As far as home based studios go, it’s honestly no comparison to what I do at The Soundscape. There is a demand for quality and creativeness but also knowledge, I think this is one of the big things that sets me apart.” In 2010, The Soundscape will be part of a the reality TV show titled Detroit Demo.  | RDW

For more: TheSoundscapeStudio.com

The Zone
by Origix
(December 30, 2009)

Hope you got a bigger iPod for the holidays, because another year of hip-hop has come and gone. Wow, time flew by in 2009; we have seen Eminem make his return to the public eye and ICP drop a cult classic.  Royce da 5’9″ tied Detroit to super group Slaughterhouse, giving our area shine on a worldwide level. Representing the underground proudly, in no particular order here my top 15 of ’09.

Zo and Asylum 7 — Overdue Process
Twiztid — W.I.C.K.E.D.
United States of Mind (USM) — Kill the Bullshit
Stoopz N Breeze — Turn Up the Smooth
Royce da 5’9” — Street Hop
Ro Spit — The Oh Sh#t Project
Finale — A Pipe Dream and a Promise
The Lyricists — Transmittin Live!
Stryfe — City of God
D.Allie — Live @ The Get Up
Dub MD & Nametag — Classic Cadence (Vol. 2)
J-Bone — Bone Appetit
Kodac — UnClassified
GozGod — GozGod
The Regiment — A New Beginning  | RDW

The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. 89.3 fm, stream at whfr.fm & myspace.com/thezoneradio