3345 Blog

Today in Hip Hop WuTang Forever 1997

Posted by thirty345live — Mon, 2 Nov 2015 22:55 GMT

Wu Tang Forever Album came out in 1997 ' This was the last good Wutang album

Today in Hip Hop History: JAM MASTER JAY

Posted by thirty345live — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:45 GMT

Jason William Mizell better known as Jam Master Jay died October 30, 2002 R.I.P.

"Gorilla Zoe" TODAY IN HIP HOP HISTORY

Posted by thirty345live — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 18:55 GMT

October 28th Gorilla Zoe released the hit single Lost, on Bad Boy South Records, on this day in 2008. , "Lost , , which was produced by Victor Alexander, featured Lil , " Wayne and was from Gorilla Zoe , " s sophomore album , "Don , " t Feed Da Animals , released the same year. 3345 live

On Its 10 Year Anniversary, Little Brother Remember The Minstrel Show With New Perspective

Posted by thirty345live — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 19:32 GMT

According to many Hip-Hop Heads, one of the most complete, cohesive Rap albums of the 2000s is Little Brother ?Ts The Minstrel Show. Released by Atlantic Records, the LP is a bittersweet moment for its makers and its legions of fans. Ten years ago yesterday (September 13, 2005), 9th Wonder, Phonte, and Rapper Big Pooh made their final studio album as a trio. Their highest charting appearance in a group career that spanned 2001-2011, the North Carolina-based trio delivered the kind of album that fans hoped would follow debut The Listening. In the decade since The Minstrel Show, much has changed for Little Brother and the complete Hip-Hop landscape. While that moment in musical time produces a lot of questions, what-if ?Ts, and warm general sense of nostalgia, one thing is true: all three group founders are making great music still. Although Phontigallo, Pooh, and 9th rarely go backwards these days, they ?"joined by former group manager Big Dho, Atlantic Records exec James Lopez, and Soul Council/Away Team member Khrysis, honored the group ?Ts lone major label LP with reflection. Watch Loud spoke to the men, and gathered some information that makes the remembrance all the sweeter. This comprehensive feature by Jerry Barrow recalls the storied (and sudden) meeting with Lyor Cohen, Big Pooh forgetting lyrics twice in one day (circa 2003), and the growth the group and its members made between 2001 and 2004. Looking specifically at The Minstrel Show, it is revealed that Kanye West, Just Blaze, Method Man, Sean Price, and Yasiin Bey (among others) were present for many of the album sessions (Dho provides photographs of the studio and the master DAT tapes). The famed cover art was shot at the label (by Dho), by mere happenstance ?"on an out-of-the-box camera. ? We ?Tre coming off the heels of Rawkus Records and that term ? backpack ?T was really thrown around and it was us against the ones we thought were too commercial, ? reflects 9th. ? I can honestly say us being on Atlantic [Records] we went in trying to be social misfits. We weren ?Tt trying to fit in in anyway shape or form. ?

GZA ?Ts Liquid Swords Is Platinum Just Before Its 20th Birthday

Posted by thirty345live — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 18:40 GMT

The Brooklyn, New York MC and one of the group ?Ts onetime leaders joins Method Man (Tical, Tical 2000) and Ghostface Killah (Ironman) with last month ?Ts platinum certification of Liquid Swords, as confirmed by RIAA. Released on Geffen Records November 7, 1995, the Words From The Genius follow-up work featured the title track single, followed by ? Cold World ? and ? 4th Chamber, ? all produced by RZA. The first two singles both cracked the Top 100, despite rugged beats and dark lyrical themes. Beyond featured Clansmen, the LP was a breakthrough for would-be Sunz Of Man MC Killah Priest. The album would be certified gold in January of 1996. In 2002, GZA would release Legend Of The Liquid Sword, an homage to the style emphasized on his sophomore. This album followed his only other gold-certified LP, 1999 ?Ts Beneath The Surface. Presently, GZA is at work on Dark Matter, his first solo effort since 2008. Although GZA has been one of the quietest Wu-Tang Clan members, is this moment an awakening of his greatness and commercial viability when high profile members such as Ol ?T Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, and RZA have not achieved this feat? Perhaps more evocatively, is Liquid Swords truly the strongest Wu solo LP?

Top 7 Producers if you Like KANYE WEST that is....

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 22:02 GMT

No matter what you think of his ego, we can all agree that Kanye West is one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. One of his best qualities is his ability to reinvent his style and find new forms of expression. Although Ye's production style of production has evolved from album to album, he's most famous for changing the game with soul samples. If you like that aspect of his aesthetics, then you're going to like the producers on this list. J. Dilla - 1. J Dilla Rakim influenced Nas (lyrically that is), just as J Dilla influenced Kanye West. Before he died from lupus-related complications on February 10, 2006, Dilla was well known as the man who pioneered the soul-hip-hop fusion that Kanye West and others later adopted. In the tradition of Pete Rock, Dilla tweaked, turned and transformed soul, funk, and blues samples into a realm that few producers could visualize. Choice Cut: The Pharcyde - "Runnin'" Essential Album: Donuts More 2. J. Cole J. Cole will be the first to admit that he gets his soulful style of production from Mr. West. You can see Ye's fingerprints all over the atmospheric sound of Cole World and Born Sinner. Choice Cut: "Hi-Power" (Kendrick Lamar) Choice Album: Born Sinner More - 3. Oddisee When Oddisee joined Halftooth Records as a producer/MC, one of his first tasks was to breathe some soul into labelmate Wordsworth's already poignant album, Mirror Music. Oddisee's version of the album yielded a superb ten-track CD, forcing Halftooth to re-package Mirror Music as a 2-disc album. Production-wise, he's probably the closest to Kanye West on this list. Choice Cut: Wordsworth - "Gotta Pay" Choice Album: The Good Fight Hip-hop has always been universal, transcending time and space with minimal restraints by the day, and Dutch producer Nicolay is a testament to this. Mainly recognized for his internet-stanchioned collaboration with Phonte (of Little Brother), Connected, Nic often employs plush piano loops and booming basslines to create melodious soundtracks. Choice Cut: Foreign Exchange - "Sincere" Choice Album: Connected - 5. RjD2 Producer/DJ RjD2 is one of the most effective at amalgamating soul, funk, and rock 'n' roll into one sound template. The Ohio native raised eyebrows with his stellar debut, 2002's Deadringer, before following it up with the solid Since We Last Spoke two years later. The alt-rap beat maestro recently teamed up with his Soul Position partner, emcee Blueprint, for their sophomore LP, Things Go Better With Rj and Al. Choice Cut: RjD2 - "Smoke & Mirrors" Choice Album: Deadringer 6. 9th Wonder Even if you've never heard of Little Brother producer 9th Wonder, you've probably heard his boardwork on Destiny Child's "Girl" and Jay-Z's "Threat." 9th has a signature sample-infested and bass-laden production style that has garnered him collaborations with the likes of Pete Rock, M.O.P., Buckshot, Murs, Memphis Bleek, and even Kanye West. Choice Cut: "Still Lives Through" Choice Album: The Minstrel Show DOOM.jpg - 7. MF Doom Metal Fingers Doom is another soul-jacking predecessor of Kanye West's. His beat-making style ranges from dark and nostalgic to stouthearted and gritty. Like Kanye, Doom works the mic as effectively as the boards, but his lyrics may come appear esoteric to new fans. Doom, hip-hop's favorite multiple personality disorder patient, has also dropped gems as Zev Luv X, King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, and DangerDoom.

A Quick Talk With Common

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 21:54 GMT

Common is an open book. He's never been one to shy away from tough, personal issues on wax. If you listen intently you could probably name most of the women in his life. His rough childhood and some of his questionable career (and fashion) choices have all graced his albums. But if you think you know the Chicago MC from his music, you're mistaken. On the heels of a memoir that boasts untold street stories among other things, I sat down with the elder statesman of G.O.O.D.. At what point did you realize that you've made it? Common: I had different points where I felt like I had made it. But, um, one of those points was when Prince invited me to perform at his birthday event. It was myself and Erykah Badu. You know, he's such an incredible musician and a genius and a tastemaker in music. For him to select me, that was a moment when I felt like that I've made some steps from coming from Southside Chicago. Another moment when it really struck me, like 'Man, I'm making progress' was when I got to perform in Cuba. And, it was representing the United States, but at the same time it was representing hip-hop and African-American culture and everything that I am. It was really a political and spiritual event to be a representative of that. Many of the rappers who came up around the same time you started out are no longer in the game. If you could name one reason you've lasted this long, what would it be? I know it sounds like traditional response, but I will have to say it's believing. Have you ever doubted yourself or career decisions? Yes, I've doubted myself. There are times I question myself like, 'Why doesn't my record get played on the radio?' And whoever is a hot radio artist at the time would raise doubt in you. Like, when I did the album Electric Circus. Not only was it not commercially received but even the critics and hip-hop community was like, "What is this?" At that moment, I could've been written off. But I had to believe because I really love what I do. I'm passionate about it. If 12 million recognize it, that's beautiful. If 12,000 do, that's beautiful. But I'm always going to put my heart and soul in it and I'm going to shoot for the stars and go for the highest levels of recognition and creativity. I definitely doubted myself at the time. But it always come back to believing what I do. Speaking of believing, that's also the title of your new album. So, you've got The Dreamer, The Believer coming out, but you also have a TV show, Hell on Wheels, and a book on the way. Busy year for Common? Yeah, man. I love these years. These are the years that I live for. For me, it's part of who I am. To have the album coming out and participate in the TV show which is really a great role...I'm loving it. I'm also working on some new film that's on the table. What was the hardest story for you tell in the book? I think it was the story of...you know, your dad not being around and...you know, really dealing with that and recognizing that that it's had an effect on your life. Some people who've heard my albums know that my father is present in my life now. But...you know, growing up as a kid, you yearn for that fatherly love. That was hard to deal with, man. Also, being able to be pure and honest about my love relationships and all the ups and downs I've had to conquer. Just showing everybody everything. I wanted to be as honest as I can be. The book is meant for people to grow from. It's not just a memoir. It's kinda like: these are the ideas of things that I've used to help me in my life, things that were passed on from my mother and my uncle. And this is what I want to pass on to my offspring. When you read it, I hope you can get the vibe.

Troy Ave Announces ? Major Without A Deal: Reloaded ? Mixtape

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:18 GMT

Troy Ave is currently working on a new mixtape titled "Major Without A Deal." Earlier this Summer, Troy Ave released his long awaited debut album called Major Without A Deal, which unfortunately didn ?Tt do too well on the charts as it only sold 4k copies in its first week. Since then, we really haven ?Tt heard much from the Brooklyn rapper after he was slandered on social media for those weak album sales, but it now looks like he ?Ts taking another stab at a new project. Taking to Instagram on Monday, Troy revealed that he ?Ts been busy working on a follow up mixtape called Major Without A Deal: Reloaded. No word yet as for when we ?Tll get to hear the project, or who we can expect to hear on it, but he did say that it ?Ts for ? the streets, fans, & 4 the REAL. ?

Jennifer Hudson, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Aloe Blacc to Fight for Education Equality in New York

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 10:16 GMT

A rally for school equality is proving to be a star-studded affair as Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson is set to headline the event at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, N.Y. this week. Hip-hop legend DJ Jazzy Jeff and ? The Man ? singer Aloe Blacc are also slated to spin and speak as well, respectively. ? I ?Tm standing for education equality because every child deserves access to a great school, ? said the Dreamgirls actress, who ?Ts expected to sing at least four songs, according to the New York Daily News. An estimated 15,000 parents, students and educators are expected to fill Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn on Wednesday (Sept. 30) to ? call for an end to New York City ?Ts separate and unequal schools. ? The event, titled ? Stand for School Equality Rally to End the ? Tale of Two School Systems ?T in New York City ? will also bring education leaders, elected officials, staples in the community and student performers to join the celebrities on stage in the rally for justice. Activists are also planned to cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan until they reach the steps of City Hall to hold a press conference. This won ?Tt be Aloe Blacc ?Ts only good deed this week. The ? I Need A Dollar ? singer will also perform to fight poverty at the Robin Hood Rocks Festival on Friday (Oct. 2) in New York City. DJ Jazzy Jeff isn ?Tt new to activism either. The famed producer is known for boycotting the Grammy Awards with his counterpart, Fresh Prince aka Will Smith, in 1989, after they refused to televise the two getting their award. Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff ?Ts ? Parents Just Don ?Tt Understand ? was the first rap song to win a Grammy Award.

Rihanna Covers The FADER Magazine ?Ts 100th Issue

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 10:11 GMT

Just when we thought there couldn ?Tt be another artist to match the unstoppable force known as Drake on the cover of The FADER, the music and lifestyle magazine wows us by unveiling the flip side featuring Rihanna. The double feature will coincide with The FADER ? s 100th issue. On the cover, RiRi dons an AWAVEAWAKE front slip dress layered over ROCHA ?Ts short-sleeved varsity knit. She completes the look by sporting her Fenty Puma design pink fur slides. Although it ?Ts been three years since the Rihanna Navy got a full album from the bad gal, there ?Ts little argument to be made against the 27-year-old ?Ts everlasting influence. Along with voicing the main character in Pixar ?Ts Home, the entrepreneur released her seventh fragrance, RiRi, and dropped one of 2015 ? s hottest bangers, ? Bitch Better Have My Money. ? Not to mention, she has all of Instagram drooling over every post from her risqu fashion choices to her winding at the Kadooment Day parade in Barbados. Unlike Drake ?Ts cover story, readers get no quotes from the singer. The FADER ? s Mary H.K. Choi calls Rihanna ? media trained ? and explains in length on why interviewing her can be more than difficult. The magazine was allotted a total of five questions to ask her, but she remained mum. However, the Roc Nation artist did let her creative muscles flex with photographer, Renata Raksha. The two collaborated to capture photos of the ? American Oxygen ? singer ? as she sees herself. ?

Happy Birthday, Jeezy

Posted by thirty345live — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 20:45 GMT

The patron saint of the hood and the hustle celebrates his birthday today (Sept. 28). His name is Jeezy and he turns 38 years old. Jeezy has long been considered one of the realest rappers in the game to most who aren ?Tt named Freddie Gibbs. It ?Ts partially because of his back story: He was grinding down in Atlanta before seemingly willing himself to mainstream success. The rapper was releasing albums independently before signing with Def Jam records. In 2005, he delivered his major label debut with Let ?Ts Get It: Thug Motivation 101. The album was a hit, and ? Soul Survivor ? featuring Akon (who ?Ts adept at making hood anthem hooks despite his bass-less singing voice) rose to ubiquity. His distinctive voice and his memorable ad-libs ?" basically common terms with the syllables stretched, as if Jeezy is willing them into catchphrases ?" stayed within the hip-hop consciousness through the millennium. He even ended up in unexpected places; you could argue that it ?Ts his laugh that truly makes Kanye West ?Ts best single ? Can ?Tt Tell Me Nothing ? stick. These days, Jeezy is preparing to uphold the title of hood savior. His eighth album, Church in These Streets, comes out Nov. 13.

Adidas Yeezy 950 Boot Preview

Posted by thirty345live — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 20:34 GMT

If you ?Tve been keeping up with Kanye West adidas collection, you ?Tve probably already seen the Adidas 950 Boost. Now we get a very generous look at the model in all of its glory. As usual, Yeezy delivers with a polarizing pair of winter-themed boots that are sure to be in as high demand as his other two sneaker releases. In keeping with the utilitarian theme of his clothing line, the model is a fully functional duck boot with clean simple lines and rugged materials. Elements of the shoe feel oversized and we ?Td like to think that this serves the purpose of protecting you from the elements along with making them a bit more stylized. This pair sports a tonal black build that gives the shoe a more timeless feel than a more jaunty colorful blocking would. From its canvas and nubuck upper to the knobby outsole, these are bound to be fall favorites whenever they arrive at retailers. In the meantime, shout out to Sole88nyc on Twitter, who is credited with snapping the images you see here. /Users/BlueRocksmac/Desktop/adidas-yeezy-950-boot-black-3.jpg

4 Gigs of Mr Magic and Marley Marl

Posted by thirty345live — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:45 GMT

4 GB of hip hop radio history: Mr Magic and Marley Marl I got some requests to re-up the Mr Magic tapes. So here they are to download https://www.mediafire.com/folder/93uma7qk9xn5m/Mr_Magic It contains many great shows with Marley Marl. It's a lot: 4 GB, dozens of shows, so take your time :-) And if this is to much old school for you, then at least listen to this gem: a mister Magic Disco Showcase from 1981 listen. Magic is talking about the making of the movie Wild Style. This is hip hop history!

NICKI MiNAJ and MEEK MILLS still an ITEM!!

Posted by thirty345live — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:36 GMT

It ?Ts no secret that Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill are the ? it ? couple in hip-hop. The two have been inseparable since linking up last year and it appears their romance is the real deal ?" this is no publicity stunt. Now they open up about their relationship in a new interview with GQ. The Queen Barbz told writer Mark Anthony Green that her relationship with the Philly rhymer is quite normal. ? I definitely think we have a normal relationship off-camera, ? she said. ? We ?Tre like any other couple in the hood. We ?Tre growing as a couple and as people and as human beings, but we still have our careers. ? ? And I think probably the only thing that makes it un-normal is that we ?Tre both successful artists, and that ?Ts probably not normal, ? she added. ? But other than that, our feelings are very normal. Like, if I were to speak to a hundred girls right now about what they go through with their boyfriend, we ?Td probably have stuff in common. ? The conversation then segued into what Minaj loves to do with her boo. ? Actually, I love kissing him. My favorite thing about Meek is kissing him, which is weird, ? she says. ? Just now I was like ? damn, you ?Tve been asking can I kiss you a lot now, ?T and it ?Ts contagious because I used to be always asking him to kiss him when we first started talking. I love kissing him. I love the way his lips feel. ? When Meek was pressed on how he was able to claim the hottest chick in the rap game he remained tight-lipped only stating that, ? I liked her. I felt her. I guess she felt me. ? Relationship talk aside, the interview was conducted during Meek ?Ts heated rap feud with Drake. Their rap battle put Minaj squarely in the middle of two men she respects very much. The ? Truffle Butter ? rapper stated she doesn ?Tt get involved in grown men ?Ts beefs. ? And that ?Ts the thing people don ?Tt understand, ? she explains. ? Meek is a grown ass man. I may not agree with everything he says. ? To which Mill responds, ? She likes none of that s ?". No matter who I ?Tm talking to. And of course you know Meek Mill don ?Tt regret nothing. ? Read More: Nicki Minaj & Meek Mill Talk Making Out, Drake Feud & More in GQ Interview | http://theboombox.com/nicki-minaj-meek-mill-talk-kissing-drake-feud-gq-interview/?trackback=tsmclip

Jeezy Preaches on CHURCH

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:19 GMT

On the Zaytoven-produced song, the ATL rapper asks his listeners to call him Pastor Young because he ? came to spread the word. ? The trap record is filled with dinging bells and the heavy bass instantly calls for shoulder bouncing and head nodding to accompany Jeezy ?Ts raspy voice. ? Graduated from the streets and I ain ?Tt had a tutor / If you see another day then just say hallelujah / Ain ?Tt no f ?"in ?T secret, know I came from nothin ?T / Told myself that I ?Tma go and grind for somethin ?T, ? he spits before adding that he ? gotta splurge when I can. ? He also makes sure to give a reminder that he ?Ts a ? God fearin ?T man. ? Preach. ? Church in These Streets ? is the first taste of Jeezy ?Ts Sunday Service, which will feature a ? sermon ? in the form of a song, video, letter or other unique content each week.

Kanye West Calls 2Pac ? Most Overrated Rapper in History ?

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:09 GMT

Five years have passed since Kanye West rudely interrupted Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards but he ?Ts back into the headlines for insulting one of the rap industry ?Ts most beloved performers, Tupac Shakur. In a statement that ?Ts sending shock waves across the music industry, Kanye West dissed Tupac Shakur by calling him the ? most overrated rapper in history ? while chatting after a celebrity showing of Jonathan Liebesman ?Ts newest film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, at the Hollywood Theatre in Hollywood, California. The gala was hosted by the movie ?Ts stars, Megan Fox and Will Arnett and attendees included a host of musicians and film stars. The topic of 2Pac came up in conversation when an undisclosed person mentioned to Kanye that his newest studio album, Yeezus, reminded him of Shakur ?Ts breakout record, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. Shakur is one of the top selling artists of all-time, with album sales in excess of 75 million and counting, but West is not impressed and didn ?Tt appreciate the comparison. ? How you gonna go compare my music to 2Pac? ? he said, ? 2Pac wasn ?Tt no musician. He was an actor. What was he in? Juice? Above the Rim? He was the most overrated rapper in history and you come up in here comparing him to me? A real rapper...a real star. ?

THE SECRET MEETING THAT CHANGED RAP MUSIC AND DESTROYED A GENERATION

Posted by thirty345live — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:01 GMT

Noisey just ran an interview with ? Freeway ? , a man who claims to be the original Rick Ross, it ?Ts a great read for lots of reasons, but it also touches on an anonymous email that rap journalists and bloggers received last year, which we ?Tve put right here: Hello, After more than 20 years, I ?Tve finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I ?Tve simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren ?Tt ready for. Between the late 80 ?Ts and early 90 ?Ts, I was what you may call a ? decision maker ? with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80 ?Ts and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren ?Tt accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music ?Ts new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I ?Tve ever seen. The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn ?Tt seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn ?Tt find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the ? unfamiliar ? group collected the agreements from us. Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of ? decision makers ? . At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn ?Tt know what a private prison was but I wasn ?Tt the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we ?Td be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we ?Td also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn ?Tt dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, ? Is this a f****** joke? ? At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the ? unfamiliar ? group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we ?Td want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, ? It ?Ts out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement. ? He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off. A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I ?Td like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn ?Tt talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn ?Tt remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I ?Td probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn ?Tt willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn ?Tt uncover anything about the music business ?T involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged. As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities. I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a ? quiet ? life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person b

UP ON IT WITH DR.ZAMIYA TUESDAY AT 9PM

Posted by thirty345live — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:15 GMT

The new show "Up On It" with Dr.Zamiya will now be syndicated on 3345 LIVE every Tuesday at 9pm. This is a great addition to the 3345 live Family. Her Topics are sharp and Her Interviews come with wonderful information from Great people in the Business of Everything from Relationships to Politics.. Please welcome Dr.Zamiya to 3345 Live.. This Tuesday the guest will be Dekalb Count district Attorney Robert James..

TAKEOVER ARE COMING BACK

Posted by thirty345live — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 19:01 GMT

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN!!! THE 3345 LIVE ARTIST TAKEOVERS ARE COMING BACK. SO AS OF MONDAY AT 8PM THE TAKEOVERS ARE BACK!!!

WORST BEHAVIOR RADIO SHOW

Posted by thirty345live — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 04:31 GMT

That Rabbit Brings to you ."WORST BEHAVIOR" RADIO with Dj Filthy Rich and Natalie Nicole.. WB is a fresh new look into todays social scape. also with games like "Celebrity Brain Fart" the audience will be drawn into the fun of the show.. Beats and Lyrics is a segment where Filthy Rich displays his "VERSE OF THE WEEK"