I was first introduced to Rita J by a close friend of mine, Dotnificent. We were talking about female emcees and I mentioned that I had finished writing an article about Stacy Epps. He replied that he had heard of Stacy and mentioned Rita J in the same breath. Due to his super slow internet connection (slower than dial-up), he was desparately trying to connect to her MySpace page to listen to her music. We had a sneak preview (I’m not talking about the album snippet) of her song, “Dreams & Aspirations”. I was instantly blown away by the cadence of her words. I began making a mental checklist. Delivery. Check. Wordplay. Check. Content. Check. She had me!  Female artist in the hip hop community are for the most part clones like their male counterparts. If it’s not violence, it’s sex, if it’s not sex, it’s disrespecting other artists for publicity. So to hear a female artist come along and bring something new to the table is always refreshing. However, if she has class, charisma, substance, wordplay and delivery like Rita J, she has my support as a commited fan. I have dreams and aspirations and as an artist myself, Rita J brings that much needed inspiration to fuel the fire for me to write (and only a few have the ability to do that). Below are what others are saying about Rita J. 

“Hip hop fans desperate for an intelligent, positive, and versatile female MC need to look no further than Rita J”

“In a hip-hop world where female MCs often put skin ahead of artistry, Rita J is a breath of fresh air, and is more than ready to join the ranks of elite female MCs.”

“Her father, who introduced her to a diverse collection of music including hip-hop, soul, disco, and rock, fostered in her a sense of self-knowledge and a love for the arts, which serve as the cornerstones for her work.”

Rita J Live @ Estrojam

Senor Kaos – "Swagger Is Nothing, Talent Is Everything"

I was first introduced to Senor Kaos a couple of months ago while surfing the net to see what was going on in the Atlanta music community. I stumbled upon The Kaos Effect and Vintage Imperial websites. I saw that Senor Kaos was the person behind the behind the efforts. So I began to search around to see what else Kid Kaos was doing for the community. I found his MySpace page, some press, reviews and watched a clip of him as a panelist at Music University, an event hosted by Patchwerk Studios and I dO Music. I said to myself, “This kid is everywhere!” Fast forward two months, while searching for an artist for this weeks feature, Senor Kaos name popped in my mind. I went back to his site to get some updates. To my surprise, there was a video called “Girls Rock Too”. To be honest, I was skeptic about the title. I said, “Is this a club record?” Well, a wise woman once told me, “Never judge a book by its cover.” I gave it a listen and I was stunned. In a world ruled by male chauvinism, “Girls Rock Too” is an ode to all of the women who have played an important role throughout history and Senor Kaos is acknowledging their worth. For his effort, he receives much respect. From blogging, promoting, being an entrepreneur, recording, performing, lecturing and so on and so on, Senor Kaos definitely deserves acknowledgement for his endeavors. Below are what others are saying about Senor Kaos.

“Content, Delivery, and Showmanship are the three core values for Atlanta emcee Señor Kaos, an emerging lyricist whos unique approach to hip hop has sent him around the Globe.”

“What you are all witnessing is the metamorphosis from a young hopeful to the leader of the new school. Señor Kaos is a true undergound monarch.” – Performer Magazine

“Maybe someday he’ll help lead a revolution of artistic integrity in Hip Hop, but for now he’s an explosive and eclectic force to be reckoned with.” – Southeast Performer Magazine

Senor Kaos – Girls Rock Too (Remix) Video

Verb Sap is smart, funny and absorbing -- makes you want to move around, read it out, a strange kind of aural knowledge. Magnus' writing calls up the familiar, even the absurd, and twists every observation or overheard fragment into a play of sustained revelations. 

    -Thalia Field

Reminiscent of 20^th Century Russian absurdist poetry, with its wild wordplay and philosophic underpinning, Verb Sap’s 13^th hour ruminations, break-of-day transpositions, and in-your-face midday tagging, make it irresistible work-a-day sneak reading. This book has a skewed rational or disorderly relationship to American Daily Life. It is itself a life-form—for the gobbling. Me, I broke it down by way of post-industrial nucleotides. To great effect. 
    -Rodrigo Toscano

Word to the wise:  read this love letter to what language can do for you.  M. Magnus’ VERB SAP taps the very blood of language – the textures here get at the many-fingered roots, the “crossweave fabric” of rhizomatic namings that thrust ever outward, always “by way of a word.”  Here, the “Elfic D’oracle” signifies how a “single word can change your life.” 

    -Lee Ann Brown

          Author ∙ Poet ∙ Spoken Word Artist

Katrina L. Shanks a.k.a. Queen Unique was raised in a small city where creativity such as the arts and poetry was taboo.  It was not "hip" to be artsy and different in Fort Myers, Florida.  While the children in her neighborhood wanted to play house, sports and to dance...Katrina wanted to play school, write and read.  This soon made her an outcast to the other kids and her social involvement decreased. Eventually Katrina conformed to her friends and neighbors beliefs and suppressed this true gift that was granted to her by the Creator.

After experiencing many of life's ups and downs Katrina secretly continued to use poetry as her private outlet and as a result, her talent continued to flourish.  In late 2005 (as corny as it may sound) Katrina had hit rock bottom and resorted to a simple prayer over a fortune cookie.  Her faith in God and herself had been tarnished to a point where she believed in only what was tangible.   She asked the Lord to make the paper in that cookie deliver any message that she may not be hearing from Him because her senses had been impaired by worldly things.  When she opened that cookie, it read, "Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams."   This   simple epiphany helped her to emerge from her shell, restore her faith into the “Invisible to do the Impossible” and finally release her passion to the masses.  In 2007, Queen Unique published her first book, "A Mile in My Heels: A Personal Compilation of Wordplay", is currently working on the second book, "The Tracks of Life: Inside-Out", her third book which is a fiction novel, "Chastity Belt" and her fourth book which is a young girls’ motivational short-story series, "This Little Light of Mine" with illustrations by her daughters.  She is also recording her debut spoken word C.D. trilogy, "Queen Speaks: Spirit, Heart and Body", is the co-owner/hostess of a vocal and visual performing arts venue, "Acoustic Affairs", is implementing her own book club, "Erudite Aphrodite", and runs her freelance journalism and creative writing company, "Queen's Pen" and airs a monthly online radio talk show at BlogTalkRadio.com all while being a very involved mother.  Queen was recently a featured speaker at The Bridge Youth Center, has written articles for magazines, done various radio interviews, has an upcoming interview on Lee Pitts Live scheduled for May 2008 and was recognized as TimBookTu.com's writer of the month for March 2008.  Katrina has been writing since the age of nine and her key weapons are the power of her voice, her unabashed honesty, confidence, style and uninhibited viewpoint.

Ms. Shanks is a volunteer for the N.A.A.C.P., a member of the National Black Writers and Artist Association, Black on Black Rhyme, The Black Poetry Café, and plays a role in many other companies.  She is a single mother of two girls whom she takes pride in being their role model and is also a full time student working towards her degree in Graphic Design.  Queen is married to reality, therefore, she can compose a diverse array of prose ranging from love and sex to heritage and black history...from religion and politics to life and parenting so obviously, there is no limit to her subject matter.    What Queen Unique does is in a genre of its’ own.  It bridges the gaps between all styles into that perfect equilibrium.  Her spirituality dashes a hint of gospel, her heritage and ethnicity brings the depth of soul and jazz, heartache and love dashes in the flavor of R&B and her beauty, intellect and sexuality are undeniable. All of these components plus more combine to make her into true spoken word royalty. 

This is QUEEN UNIQUE.

I’m your host Wisdom Supreme and today’s show is going to focus on Hip-Hop music, art & culture!  Where it’s been, where it’s at most importantly what direction it’s going in!  Hip-Hop may mean different things to a lot of different people!  To some it’s just a cool form of music.  To others it’s a fly way to express one’s self through your style and fashion sense, your slang and the way you speak and communicate with friends & fam. & way to show how you feel and let others know who you are through rhyme and song!  And to others still it’s a culture and movement that’s a voice for the voiceless, courage for those in fear and wisdom for those seeking knowledge of themselves, the people around us, and the truth about things going on in the world!  Or maybe it’s a little bit of all of the above! 

But the one thing we can should all agree on is that it is not, is the selfish, self centered egotistical, materialistic, misogynistic, pop chart saturated, ignorant minded, material wealth blinded art form, that has become a shadow of it’s former self!  Chubb Rock once said in his record “What’s Beef” feat. Das Efx and PMD, “how’d Black Power go sour, where’s Brotha J.”!  Speaking of Brotha J. from the highly respected crew X-Clan from the early 90’s, I couldn’t agree more Chubb!  While we’re at it, where’s Chuck D. (from the legendary Public Enemy), where’s Rakim, where’s Jeru the Damaja, where’s Gangstarr, where’s a Tribe Called Quest, where’s the Jungle Brothers, where’s OC, where’s Show Biz and AG, where’s Bahamedia, and where has true school Hip-Hop gone?

Now I’m not here to bash on every new artist out today, that’s not my point or intention with today’s show!  But what I do have a problem with is any artist or fan of today, who don’t have a healthy respect, knowledge and understanding of the forefather’s who paved the way for artist of today to even get in the game let alone eat well of it and prosper!  I recently had a heated debate (ok it was more like a flat out argument with some guy/girl on YouTube who left some crazy sounding disrespectful comments on a video clip I had showing footage of Rakim performing Follow the Leader at BB Kings Bar & Grill in NYC!  I’ll read a brief quote from the first comment this person stated for you to get your take on it:  “fuk this fiool rakim, he aint shit , faggot ass east coast bitches, fuk ny and the east coast, you know nothin bout hip hop, you wak ass r & b bitches, damn this shit hurts my ears, fake fuks!!!!! quit tryin to act like g;s you all aint shit!!!! tupac forever, sincerely a WEST COAST G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we are headed toward a scary and sad state when so called Hip-Hop fans don’t even have a respect and appreciation for the elders who paved the way for the new generation to do their thing today!  I’m not saying you have to think or believe an artist like Rakim is the greatest rapper who ever lived (even if some do believe him to be the true poetic equivalent to Michael Jordan in Hip-Hop, sorry Jay), but you must respect the man and the undeniable talent and ability he brings to the table!  I mean Rakim’s style, slow flow delivery monotone smooth vocals and advanced lyrical wordplay were light years ahead of it’s time!  That’s why you still have lyricists from Nas to Common, to Black Thought to Canibus still reciting and deciphering his rhymes to this day!  Can you imagine if I or some new artist came into the game thinking fuck Rakim, Fuck RUN-DMC, the Hell with Kurtis Blow and LL Cool J, old bitch ass East Coast bitches!  How long do you think I would last in the music industry?  Probably not more than a week or 2!  The first week would be the initial shock and everyone wondering if I was serious or was this some kind of a sick gimmick.  The 2^nd week is when all the stations and record companies would put the blacklisted ban on all my stuff and I’d be pretty much booted out of the industry quickly and swiftly!  So why would anyone deem it appropriate to go after the likes of Rakim makes no sense! 

Now one of the biggest problems I also see in the game today is the materialistic love affair with money, jewelry, cars and other items of so called prestige!  It seems as if we’ve all sold our souls for diamonds and gold!  Ice grills, iced out watches, spinning and floating rims, etc.  Let me say this, there is nothing wrong with wanting nice things, or liking a material item, but when it becomes your main goal or objective to the point where you have young kids running around thinking they ain’t shit unless I got those diamonds on my neck, and my watch iced out and rocking the latest $200 pair of Air Jordan’s, we are in the serious state of emergency! 

I mean don’t get it twisted artist from back in the day from Slick Rick, to LL Cool J, to Big Daddy Kane and more all loved their jewelry and fresh gear, pocket full of money, fly ladies, big whips and all, but they also knew the importance of taking care of one’s community and uplifting the youth with positive msgs. too!  Whether Slick Rick’s Hey Young World, Big Daddy Kane’s Word to the Mother (land), or I’ll Take You There, Brand Nubian’s “Slow Down”, & “Wake Up”, Queen Latifah’s “Ladies First” The Jungle Brothers “Straight out the Jungle”, Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”, “Night of the Living Basshead”, and anything else damn near off their catalogue of classic albums! 

The point is there was a balance, so for every 2 Live Crew, or N.W.A., there was a Public Enemy, or Boogie Down Productions, or for every Jungle Brothers, there was a Heavy D & The Boys or De La Soul, or EPMD or Kool G Rap, or Masta Ace to give you some diversity!  Now everyone pretty much sounds the same, spitting up and regurgitating the same old lame, half ass flows at their ass & tittie shows, looking to duplicate whatever sells, no matter how far or low they have to go!

I think KRS-1 from Boogie Down Productions “Love’s Gonna Getcha” put it best, “it’s alright to like or want a material item, but when you start fending and carrying on for it, just remember, it’s gonna get you!  The greed for material wealth, always leads to a mighty downfall eventually!  You can strive to get rich, but don’t stop trying to put out and create quality music and material that yourself and your fans and people can be proud of!  Remember if you can’t look yourself in the mirror at night and be proud of what you do, then is it really worth all the millions?  There are some things, that shouldn’t be for sale, and your people’s pride, musical history and culture is some of them!

I also think that the Independent industry or way of music has been a double edged sword that’s been a blessing and a curse to the game!  On one hand I think it’s great that anyone who loves the art and wants to do music or create an album can do so now, without having to go the major label route, if there not showing them love!  It worked wonders for everyone from Masta P, T.I., to Nelly & Papoose!  But the downside to that is that the every Tom Dick & Harry wants to start up their own label and start putting out albums independently, thinking they’ll be the next Nelly or Masta P to blow up!  Or hoping they will be the next underground MC from their region that will get the attention of a major label who will be willing to give them a plush 7 figure deal!  That is great if these artist are all talented & gifted, but when a lot of them or the majority or shaky or mediocre at best, you leave the floodgates open for a whole crop of wack MC’s & suspect artist!  Which in the long run, such weak, low talent artist dilutees the quality of the culture and art form as a whole. 

Back in the day you had to be nice as hell to get a deal or to get put on, because there were only a few outlets that allowed new artist to even break into the game, especially breaking into the industry if you were from NY!  I remember the story Chris (KRS-1) told of his struggle to get put on back when he & Scott La Rock were shopping for a deal and got dissed by Mr Magic back in the day!  Mr Magic (a DJ who played in NY during the mid and late 80’s was like “The Man” to speak with if you wanted your record to get any kind of spins in NY back at that time!  So if Magic wasn’t feeling you, and if you weren’t cool with or down with cats from the Juice Crew (MC Shan, Roxxxane Shante, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Biz Markie, etc.), or if you didn’t have production on your project by the legendary Marley Marl, then it was difficult to really get on!  But if that crew dissed you or thought you was wack, it was even worse!  That was like the kiss of death to someone’s career, especially a new artist, who hadn’t even proven themselves yet!

That’s what makes KRS and Scott La Rock’s classic debut “Criminal Minded” that much more remarkable because they had to be nice in order to get in the game, go up against the Mighty Juice Crew and rock they way that they did!  The average candy coated bling wearing rapper of today wouldn’t have stood a chance against those kind of odds!  Can you imagine if a Young Jeezy or Rick Ross getting into the industry or getting a deal depended upon them coming into the game and having to take out the likes of a Jay-Z, Nas lyrically?  Or to get your 7 figure deal you had to go round for round in a all out lyrical showdown with Papoose, Immortal Technique or Canibus?  Half the people in the game right now wouldn’t even exist!  But I guess sales overshadow skills these days so will never see that happen now will we? 

But alas people I do believe there is some hope for the future generation of Hip-Hop even as we speak!  It’s been brought to my attention that the latest Billboard numbers show that rapper Common (one of Chi-town’s finest) currently has the number 1 album in the country with Finding Forever!  Which is a hot album by the way, so if you haven’t heard Common’s latest joint yet, I highly recommend you check it out!  But what I think this maybe a sign of is letting the industry know that mediocre lyrics, no substance, lack of original subject matter or creative flow and style type of artist won’t be tolerated anymore!  Common has been a well respected and talented MC for years, so for him to continue to build and grow in his popularity and exposure this late in his career is truly phenomenal!  Now all we have to do as consumers is to continue to support quality artist that we feel are worthy of our dollars and support, and stop listening & watching the low rate, mind numbing, ass shaking, garbage spewing, shucking & jiving minstrel show madness, that these TV & radio stations pump in our heads on the regular! 

Instead of if it doesn’t make dollars it doesn’t make sense, how about if it doesn’t make sense, it’s not getting our dollars!  Until next time ya’ll I’m Wisdom Supreme reporting live from Supreme Entertainment Blog Talk Radio Show!  Good night & God Bless!

Peace!