I am afraid I have to approach this post strictly as a FAN and nothing more. The things I know of most people I write about, or the encounters I may have had will not be in this post. I never had occasion to meet Nate Dogg. But I can tell you is that everything I ever heard him on was an absolute hit to me.

Not everything Nate Dogg sang was inherently catchy per se’. Still his approach is what made me remember every word. Nate Dogg kept it simple. He had a talent for boiling the tones down to their common denominator and creating unforgettable phrases.

When it was officially reported that Nate Dogg had suffered a stroke in 2007 I did not realize how crucial it was. Definitely prayers went out, but not a lot of information was released. He dropped an album, his third, soon after. It would later be disclosed that material was recorded much earlier. Another stroke in 2008 would leave him paralyzed on his left side. He spent the rest of his life attempting recovery, finally succumbing on March 15, 2011. He was only 41.

Nate Dogg began as a church singer. He was working with a Gospel choir again toward the end of his life. Rising to prominence in an era rife with confusing, multi-octave-running R&B vocalists, Nate caught my attention because to me, he sang like Dude SHOULD sing.

When I went to Israel, I was lucky enough to gain a few more fans. Among them it seems was the DJ from Radio Tel Aviv. Not only is he a DJ tho, Ori Shochat (pronounced: So-Hot) has been producing Hip-Hop, Dubstep and all related genres for the past ten years.

Links to: http://www.orishochat.blogspot.com/

The thing that I find most noteworthy is that while the world is constantly fed the image of Arabs and Israelis not being able to get along, Shochat (currently Tel-Aviv’s top DJ) spent 4 years as the official touring DJ for DAM.

Griffen might represent Chicago, but he has done it from all over the USA. He made a name for himself as part of Atlanta’s “hustle and bustle” music scene, doing show openers for the various radio personalities. Soon after, he turned up in L.A. collaborating with acts such as Ice T, Far East Movement, Filthee Immigrants and Aceyalone. Recently it was announced that Griffen was signed to Facemob Entertainment reportedly as a result of a Twitter DM he sent to Scarface of the Gheto Boys.

Today he is re-releasing his “Holladay” track over Soundcloud

Holladay by Griffen

Reaching back into the archives:
Griffen’s “Jacken Fa Beats” series of mixtapes was a Chicago scandal on the Hip-Hop scene of the late 90′s, as he expanded upon the Ice Cube concept, releasing a series of full albums on Riddims made famous by other artists. He was subsequently branded a “Biter” by

So many happy people at shows… and then a few haters. It’s always the bullies who think you won’t turn and deal with them.

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Dominique Rowland is a nice guy, a pretty good songwriter, but really nothing special for stage. MC ZULU is a circus clown with too much testosterone who will command a crowd’s attention at all costs.

Things are great now…. but I come from the days of not getting billed, or not getting paid, sometimes both. I would open a veritable Pandoras Box of self-promotion tricks… swinging machetes on stage, antagonizing everyone in attendance (especially hecklers) maybe even pull the damn fire alarm.

I have changed my ways somewhat, but unqualified critics who pretend to offer well-intentioned advice,
}} By All Means, hop YOUR SORRY ASS up on stage, and show me how it’s done, son.
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Tune in next time as I give CERTAIN MAGAZINES, (who commonly OMIT my name from projects I am featured on) DETAILED instructions on how to go out of business, evacuate their offices, and set their buildings on fire..

Altho I was pretty cool with Chamillionaire back in the day…
I should not presume to think that The Great Mike Jones even knows who a NOBODY like myself is…

But his STYLIST… is taking a bit of a risk, dressing him up like me.  

Mike Jones – The Voice Of The Streets (Released April 2009)
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MC ZULU – Parrish Lewis Photography – XLR8R Magazine Shoot (Published June 2008)
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Stylists commonly comb thru magazines and blogs to see what low level (influential but insignificant) artists they can swagger-jack. Then they work with established artists and use whatever mechanisms, styles, gimmicks they think are hot… Actually It’s quite a compliment ) 

But DAMMIT, I won’t be playing the chitlin’ circuit forever.lol

Anyway, big ups to Mike Jones, I copped the album and it has some straight cuts on it. Mr Jones has also grown considerably as an artist. His subject matter and delivery are vastly improved. I am sure it will do well, and I wish him the best…

ALSO…Let me add… I’m not the only one to grab a megaphone (Shouts to Jimmy Hart).. and hell, maybe I’m just seeing things.  BUT… everyone PLEASE do me the favor of NOT calling me a copy-cat, when I start to move my millions of units out of Best Buy  )   

In other words: Spare me the    “aww you got that from mike jones”    B.S….

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Watch The Closing Doors…
The ‘Subway Art’ graffiti book gets a shoutout on Paula Yates’ (80′s) show, The Tube.

Hip-Hop before it became a wholly owned entity of the corporate fat cats..
damn was that even necessary(?) lol

Well the SONG in the video is one I always read into, maybe more than was necessary.
To me the title is the epitome of Hip-Hop’s evolution.

• When one door is closed, another is opened
• From adversity comes opportunity
• The Doors Of Perception… (NOT Hip-Hop,, I know) but still..

I wonder tho… without the dismal backdrop of Reaganomics would Hip-Hop [a spinoff from Reggae, mind you] ) have evolved into the thriving culture that it has become?

Considering the events of recent times, I also wonder what’s NEXT and WHERE will it come from?

The whole universe is balance, so something good will invariably emerge from all this badness & madness.
Not saying that out of frustration at all tho…. just interesting to note.

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(Written April 19, 2008)

The ‘Top Ranking’ style of Reggae singing is a kind of old school method, which depends on borrowed cadences. These cadences have been used on so many occasions throughout the recorded history of Reggae, that they have become  standards. Singers like Count Machuki, U-Roy and King Stitt were among the originators of this style.  Yellow Man, Brigadier Jerry  and others would soon pick up the torch, adding in their innovations, which would influence future generations. (Supercat, Ninja Man, Burro Banton, Shabba—> Buju Banton)

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The Digital Screw Style, (or Reverse 16th) is my personal take on Reggae singing. It is a free-form style, which depends on natural lapses in a given rhythm. Singing is rhythmic, but it has to also make sense from a lyrical standpoint. It is influenced by artists like Shabba Ranks and Supercat, but then Jimi Hendrix. Bob Marley, but then Biggie Smalls, Andre 3000, Buju Banton, but then Curtis Mayfield and Bob Dylan. Influences I picked up from these artists (and more) make the cadences unpredictable.

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In the past the way I sang was radically different. People were still doing the Top Ranking style, but I was more Hip-Hop/Soul/Reggae/Rock influenced. There was a heavy degree of criticism. I had even been booed off stage.lol but in recent times artists are beginning to experiment, and develop their own styles, which have nothing to do with former methods. ”…therein lies his validation…”

(Not saying I influenced anyone necessarily. Just that experimentation is more acceptable.)

I am from Panama, influenced by artists like Nando Boom and El General (as well as the afforementioned others) so as a FAN of the Reggae genre, and NOTHING MORE… I sing things that I would have liked to hear others sing. I don’t usually imitate what the others are doing, because I feel that trying to pass myself off as Jamaican would be disrespectful. I CAN do the ‘standards’ tho, but I don’t record that way.

I am taking an experimental approach to a very traditional artform, and it made me kind of an outlaw…. I suppose time will tell; but one thing you DON’T need is a copycat doing something that’s already out there, right?.

Anyway, “Digital Screw” (Reverse 16th) style goes well with other types of music (not just Reggae/Hip-Hop/R&B). It is FORMLESS, with no preconceived constructs….like water. It is my opinion that we should be this way as human beings.