Keeping hip hop alive in 2012 |

The No Wackness crew recently interviewed Temp on his brand new debut album, Empty Stages, Hosted/Arranged by Doo Wop.  The album is a free download, so go grab a copy – you have no excuse.

What brought about the album? Why the title Empty Stages?

My manager/friend Dev called me to do a verse on the Ignore Pain track on the album. Got a lot of positive feedback and just got addicted to writing/recording. Started putting everything together and making an album just made sense.

The title came from me taking some time off of writing songs. Felt like looking back there were so many empty stages that I should/could have been on. Just decided it was time to start filling them up.

How long did it take from beginning to end of production, were there any obstacles?

I started this project in November and was done by March so the creating part took 4-5 months. From sending it out til completion was another 2 months. The biggest obstacle I had came in the process that followed. Long story short, if someone displays a lack of professionalism and lack of response from the start, trust your gut and don’t work with them. Some people just think that they’re doing you a favor when in fact you’re paying them for work. Won’t happen to me twice.

Anyone you’d like to give credit for helping make this happen?

I mean, there are always the typical answers of family, friends, etc.. and they all apply, but I especially credit Dev for calling me and really starting the ball rolling.

How was it working with DJ Doo Wop?

Nothing short of an honor. I’ve been listening to Wop since way back when. Dev really hooked the project up and when he told me about it I was buggin out. When I finally heard the whole thing and realized I had an album and a couple songs with a man who had a large part in helping to mold hip hop during it’s most important time AND I was already a huge fan of, it still feels unreal.

What has been the response to the album you’ve seen so far?

It’s been crazy. Really getting a lot of love from a lot of different places. I started doing it for fun. I’m still nothing more than a fan of hip hop and I love getting feedback from people telling me they like my stuff. Crazy that people send me messages with some of my own lines quoted. That’s shit I do for other artists. Just a big fan getting to be a part of the show. haha.

Do you have any favorite tracks, if so, why?

Honestly, Gymnasts in the Nude and Candy Girl are two of my favorites. Gymnasts cause I just really like the way it flows. Candy Girl cause I kinda impressed myself by making a song that uses all those damn candy names and really doesn’t feel like it’s forced. Liked the challenge. Plus the production on the two was sick as hell.

In this age, how do you think real hip hop will live on, because it is clearly not through mass-market or radio?

It’s tough man. I do consider my music in the “Real hip hop” category. I only say that cause I wouldn’t put it out there if I didn’t like listening to it myself. Again I’m a fan..That being said, I am now also an artist and I see the challenge in trying to get people to listen. It’s so hard to get people to give a minute of their life and that’s the reason that real music is going to suffer. Social media (Facebook, twitter and turntable) have been huge for me, but it’s easy to get someone to listen and say it’s dope, but when you ask them to download something or follow you, they seem to disappear. I either suck, or we’re just in a culture of people who are tired of being asked to do anything. Fan’s can decide that one. haha

Who influences you the most and what has hip hop meant to your life?

Honestly my biggest influence has been my family. None of us take ourselves too seriously. We all have the “roll with the punches” attitude and really make the best of everything. I try to put that into the music.

As far as hip hop in my life, it’s just as important as any other music I hear. I love all types. It’s my escape, release, prozac, etc..

Any favorite tracks/albums from the last few years that you think are worth mentioning?

Albums would be J Cole. You can hate all you want, but that dude puts it down and puts his heart into tracks. Love his stuff. I’m also a huge fan of the group Fun. Their music is so freaking creative and they put so much into the production.

How is the Tampa hip hop scene?

We’ve got some sick talent out here man. My man Eyeznpowa is just amazing. G3 is going to be such a big part of the future of music, you have no idea.

Personally, I love Tampa hip hop scenes, but I’m really focused on just getting my music out to as many people as possible. I see such an effort to put it down for your city and represent where you’re from that people forget the world is much much bigger…

Any advice to someone thinking of doing the same thing and going down the road to making an album?

Commit and get it done. Take chances with your music. Don’t be so stuck on doing something different that you forget to do something good. Oh, and you don’t have to kill 500 people an album either. That shit is played out to me.

Where can we pick the album up or see a show?

The album can be downloaded free at www.hulkshare.com/tampatemp. I will have physical copies for sale if anyone is interested for $10. I’d love to get paid, but just really want to develop a following and get some people onboard for more in the future. As far as shows, I put any updates on my Facebook and twitter pages.

www.facebook.com/tampatemp
twitter: @813temp

Huge thanks Temp for the time, and best of luck on the new album and building on this success.

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San Bernardino, CA
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PNC Bank Arts Center
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Miami, FL
December 2012
Bayfront Amphitheater
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It is in an indefinable, perpetual existence, and the latest example featuring John Cena and John Laurinaitis could not be duller. The autonomous authority figure has been a part of professional wrestling in one way or another since the sport’s very existence.

Even in the WWF’s heyday, there was the Jack Tunneys of the world, the Gorilla Monsoon presidency and the “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Sgt. Slaughter commissioner role, but they existed more times as figureheads than as decision-makers.

Tunney inserted himself only when necessary, most famously holding up a “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase WWF Title victory and kick-starting WrestleMania IV’s Championship tournament. Piper found himself in the spotlight when he ordered Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels to participate in an Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII, and Monsoon, then the WWF president, ordered the match into overtime.

Despite these examples, they existed as the voice of the company, but not the micro-managing, every-match-making general managers we have had in large part since the WWE’s brand split in 2002.

Unbelievably, there was a time when matches were just made—there was no explanation or credit given to the president or commissioner, they were just there. Now we are led to believe a multimillion dollar company, and one of the top-rated shows on cable television is booked and decided by the seam of the general manager’s pants.

“You people are brawling backstage, you get a match tonight!” “You were mean to me backstage—you’ll have to fight a monster.”

Often you are not going to want to run a company like this, but it’s professional wrestling. I guess we can look beyond basic logic. More importantly, the entire concept of the heel authority figure is beyond stale. The self-interested figurehead was once something unique. It was seen as revolutionary when done by Eric Bischoff in WCW and more notably Vince McMahon in the WWF.

These days, the horse is beyond decayed.

Since McMahon inserted himself into the highest-profile wrestling feud of all-time against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, there’s been a steady, almost constant stream of the heel figurehead atop of the company.

McMahon led to Michaels’ brief role as commissioner, who led to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, who led back to Vince McMahon, who led to William Regal, who led to Bischoff, who led to Jonathan Coachman, who led to Regal again, who led to Mike Adamale—you’re still with me, right? Adamale led to Stephanie McMahon again, who led to Vickie Guerrero, who led to—and I quote—the anonymous general manager, who has led us to the current Laurinaitis. Oh, wait, what about SmackDown? Paul Heyman led to Kurt Angle, who led to Theodore Long, who led to Vickie Guerrero. Oh, wait, what about NXT? Just kidding, I cannot even be bothered to look up that lineage on Wikipedia.

The point is, for nearly 15 years, the stream of heel authority figures has been constant.

Not only is the authority figure stale and done to death, it is downright detrimental to the wrestling business. Despite the perceived staleness of this character, they still get great reactions because they are protected. Where a heel like The Miz is losing on a constant basis, the heel authority figure, despite having their evil plans thwarted, are always in a position of power. A heel wrestling, without given proper direction or an ability to show dominance, is always on a level below the super faces of WWE.

Laurinaitis is great at what he does, but at what costs? He brought Lesnar in to stop Cena, but that booking is backwards.

Instead of the star being Lesnar, the star that has emerged is Laurinaitis. The issue is that one is being paid $5 million this year, and while I do not know Johnny Ace’s contract situation, I am going to guess it is less than $5 million. The heel authority figures, unlike any other heel in current WWE, is protected and constantly propelled to the top. Thus, they are still getting decent heel reactions despite the fact they cannot be presented as main event stars.

At this month’s WWE pay-per-view, Over the Limit, WWE is going to test this theory by putting Laurinaitis against Cena in the main event, and while McMahon vs. Austin brought Raw is War to the top of the ratings battle, I do not think people care enough about Laurinaitis to pay for a match of his. The issue has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The need to have that strong heel whose authority at the top of the company has come at the expense of a true top headlining heel. The yin to the face’s yang. The Andre to Hogan. The Rock to Austin.

These days, the biggest heel in the company is the person who has not wrestled consistently in 10 years but starts off every show with a long-winded promo.

He is the one who is in charge, who brings in Lesnar as a henchman, the person featured in multiple backstage segments. The stale authority figure has simply replaced the mega-heel as the counterbalance to wrestling’s hero—and not for the better.

Here’s Rick Rubin on the Beastie Boys: ”The Beasties opened hip-hop music up to the suburbs. As crazy as they were, they seemed safe to Middle America, in a way black artists hadn’t been up to that point in time.”  While I’m not sure I agree with Rubin, as I think it was less about color and more about the insane beats and rhymes, the force that was the Beasties, I do agree that the Beastie Boys brought hip hop to an entirely new level.

The Beastie Boys occupy an exalted place in the Nowackness vault. Today we all remember the first time we heard “Fight For Your Right”, “Sabotage”, “No Sleep Til Brooklyn”, and “Brass Monkey”, and hope the dedication that MCA brought to the game lives on through his music.

 
photo credit: Marilyn Roxie via photo pin cc

It appears that she enjoys some friendly hand checking with her canadian mates. The great one must be proud.

I wonder how many dudes are slipping it past her five hole?

Kate Upton is back with some brand new dance moves, the Cat Daddy I believe is a take the Dougie. Whatever you want to call it, it resembles somebody having a seizure in a wheelchair. Kids these days…

Try to keep it off your keyboard fellas, nobody likes sticky keys.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Standout tracks include Days of My Youth, Shining, Pass Me By.  Rumors of War is simply an outstanding assessment of the modern world from a perspective only great hip hop can shine light on, with powerful intro and outro samples of Dr. King speeches to set the scene.  Lyrics are on point, and Confidence puts in a solid effort with beats that bring your mind back to the glory days of hip hop.  This album gets our second-best rating here at No Wackness, so go grab it.

Track listing

01. Introduction
02. Brand New
03. The City
04. Understand
05. Rumors Of War
06. Days Of My Youth
07. Interlude
08. Pen On Display
09. Shining
10. Pass Me By
11. Interlude
12. They Keep Asking Me
13. Let Me Explain
14. All Year Round
15. The Breakup Song

Historians cannot pinpoint exactly what brought about Rome’s downfall, but we know what is going to cause the collapse of America. They are as ubiquitous in America as the Jeep Grand Cherokee is in the northeast, and yet they will not get you over the river and through the woods in comfort or style. Skinny jeans are a cause of consternation in many guys’ wardrobes.

Guys don’t buy skinny jeans. Girlfriends buy skinny jeans and sneak them into your closet. They tell you that they like how you look wearing them. This is their revenge for the thong. Sure, some women love thongs and how they look, but most complain that they are uncomfortable. Skinny jeans are a man’s thong, and worse than that- they look like leg warmers for men. What compounds the problem is that no matter what type of shoes you wear with them, you might as well have on rentals from the bowling alley, because everything looks like clown shoes with skinny jeans.

I wear jeans. Not baggy jeans. Not skinny jeans. Jeans. I wear jeans that fit. My legs don’t look like two churros stuck into a baked potato. Skinny jeans are wack.

Tupac Shakur just out performed every alive performer at this past weekends Coachella music festival, all thanks to the power of Technology.

The crowd went ape shit crazy. That would be one way to described what happend when a hologram of the late rapper appeared on stage next to Snoop Dogg during last nights closing performance of the Coachella music festival. It was both a bit creepy and awesome all at the same time as pac ripped the stage performing a solo rendition of Hail Mary and then joining Snoop Dogg for Two of Americas Most Wanted.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Never before had I thought that the warm-up act should be the headliner. When I first saw Colin Kane he was the opening act for a major headliner at Caroline’s Comedy Club and he killed it.

I had never seen an audience interact with a comedian in this way. To say he’s on another level would be an understatement. He gracefully touches taboo subjects and awkward moments to turn them into comedic gold. Is he offensive? Yes, but in a funny way.

You can delve into his biography and see that he’s a regular on Opie and Anthony. See that he killed it on Howard Stern. Find out that Dennis Miller is a fan and heaps praise on him. That’s all great, but you know what makes this guy special? He works hard for his fans. He follows his fans on Twitter. He follows his fans on Facebook. He interacts with them on the regular. He remembers big events in his fans lives and responds accordingly. He’s the new “Hardest Working Man in Showbiz.”
It’s comedy. It’s subjective. Do yourself a favor though- check this guy out. Go to a show. Check him on youtube. He’s that funny.
Do you need another reason to love him? He’s a huge hip hop fan and tours regularly with Cipha Sounds. Enough said.

Click here to view the embedded video.