Album of the Week: Chester French - "Love The Future"

So, Chester French has dropped, and man...Can you say Future? These dudes are by far the cleanest rock act out right now, and I don't listen to much rock, so you can trust me lol. They are the first rock group to release a Hip Hop oriented mixtape prior to their album. If The Neptune backing doesn't get you, these guys got P. Diddy to do a mixtape song!!! I don't even think diddy did mixtape songs with Biggie...lol I'm lyin', but you get what I'm sayin'. Below is an interview my bruh Gax Mibson over at WineandBowties.com did with the duo. Catch the album after the jump...

Conducted over the phone, I was the first interviewer in a line of five for the day, and was given 15 minutes to chat with the band. One thing that I noticed about CF is their incredible self-awareness. They know they're good. They're also aware that they could be great. They probably really became aware once they became involved in an intense bidding war between Kanye, Pharrell & Jermaine Dupri to sign them...

CF looked back at the process and commented on the improbable situation, "They were all amazing opportunities for us so we couldn't really go wrong. But Pharrell & Startrak were just a great fit creatively. Because the Neptunes have sat on this boundary of all these genres for a long time. And the fans that follow them and look out for their music are similarly open minded fans of creativity."

With a record deal set, the group is currently touring the country, building a stronger fan base by connecting with fans at shows and impromptu autograph signings. When asked about achieving longevity within the industry D.H related the main objective, "The only thing that matters at the end of the day is how many people really support what you do and your ability to communicate with those people."

It seems as though this connection is what will truly matter in the years to come, as the role of the middle man (the record industry) falls by the wayside. IMO a much more authentic relationship is developing between musicians and fans, which previously might have been defined as a relationship between artists and consumers.

Often times I question those who travel off the beaten path to pursue their dreams. Before they have made it, what keeps them on track? What keeps them focused on their goals, and what compels them to continue when the light at the end of the tunnel is dim. To these questions, Max responded with a simple reality, "What we do is fun. So even if it sucks its ok."

When I asked the group about their upcoming projects, they told me about their most recent work, "Jacques Jams. We've got a mixtape coming out in the next week or two with DJ Clinton Sparks out of Boston. And its all original music, but instead of it just being us, we made it more of a hip hop mixtape where we produced beats and we've got collaborations with folks like Diddy Pharrell Travis Mccoy Talib JD and Janelle Monae. A bunch of artists who we really love."

Chester French will win if they continue to get their music into the ears of like minded listeners. Finishing the interview, CF commented on the transcending quality of their music, and the diverse make up of their fan base, "In our culture people are so type casted. Ok so you dress like this so you have to listen to this kind of music. Or you have to talk with this kind of dialect. And its all kind of arbitrary to us. We like all different types of people, which makes our shows so fun for us. We've got skater kids and punks and gang members so its like a complete mix. It's really great."

For more information on the group visit their website chesterfrench.com

Chester French - "Love The Future"

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated 1 on 1: DJ Chuck thE oLd SouL W/ H.O.P.E

So its 5:44 in the am. I got class at 11. Above is part 1 of a 4part interview Honor Flow's DJ Chuck thE oLd SouL in conjunction with Hyphenated Life conducted with H.O.P.E. on the release day of his debut album, "Follow The Leader". This was a funny FUNNY day (LMAO @Julien...No Twitter). The interview speaks for itself. Parts 2-4 under the cut...Vimeo > Youtube smh...Enjoi.






Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated L.A: H.O.P.E.- Follow The Leader (Album)

I introduced you guys to H.O.P.E. a while ago, you may remember him from the BMI Cipher. Now I bring you, a day late...I know, the highly anticipated debut from the Compton representative, "Follow The Leader" I sat down with H.O.P.E. on the big day to chop it up about the project and where he's headed in this music industry(Footage of that coming sooner than you think). Tracklisting and download under the cut...



H.O.P.E.-"Follow The Leader"

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated Vets: Reflection Eternal - "Back Again"

"This Is Nelson Mandela"....Visually Clean Piece From Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek. Welcome Back.

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated at Its Best: MUTO

Walk with me for a second. So we're sittin' here watchin' this youtube, cuz we all fuck with clean youtube videos from time to time. We stumble on a video, courtesy of Gax Mibson. The title says "MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU". I fuck with art, you fuck with art; we watch. A hand pushes a brick out the wall, then more hands come out, then more hands. We keep watchin'. The hands become a guy, who becomes another guy, that then becomes some strange cube. At the 2:37 mark the robot kicks a log, yeah, he kicks the log. We keep watchin', then we realize.....This Shit Is 7 minuets LONG!!! I don't know what else to say but...Dope. Blu is definitely Hyphenated...

For more on the artist gander over here

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated Canada: K'Naan

The music industry has run amuck with gimmicky acts and lackluster production, and it’s time for change. Out of Africa comes a refreshing new face for hip-hop: K’Naan Warsame.

K’Naan has seen it all: bombs, bullets, dead children in the street. Growing up in the war-torn country of Somalia made K’Naan tough.


As a result of his upbringing, K’Naan’s music “is really about me, rather than a persona. If I get to a stage in my career when I’m done with my biography, the stories in my life, then maybe I’ll develop something, but for now it’s just me.”

Due to this awareness and grasp of what really matters in life, K’Naan’s latest release, Troubadour, is motivational. K’Naan has created his own lane in music: passionate, rousing and entertaining. His music is a salute to the old school foundation of hip-hop with a new school twist; a nod to the eras of hip-hop where a dance party breakbeat was lined with socially conscious lyrical content and a human life meant more than a gold chain.

“Everybody has a different way they see the world. In songs like ‘[T.I.A] (This Is Africa),’ I’m trying to put things in perspective. I know the ’hood. I’ve lived in the ’hoods in America for half my life, but the other half I lived in a ’hood that’s like the mother of your ’hood. Everybody has their struggles, and that’s all legitimate, but I just see things differently,” he shares.



Thanks to his hard work mentality and lyrical wordplay on Troubadour’s lead single, “ABC’s” (a play of Chubb Rock’s “Treat em’ Right”), K’Naan has garnered buzz in the industry and amongst his peers, recently being featured as MTV’s artist of the week. However, with success comes hardship, and K’Naan is not exempt from the effects being on a major label has on a new artist.

He says, “When you put music out independently there are fewer opinions on your music than there is in major labels. The stakes are so high that a lot of people have a say on what you put out as a single and how your music sounds. I’m not egotistical about many things in my life, but I am about my music. It’s not easy for me to hear opinions.”

Though the industry can be stressful for most, K’Naan has used his past as an example that in adversity one can still rise to the top. His music is reflective of his life: raw and real. Every man has his story. The stage is set for K’Naan to tell his.



Troubadour is currently available. K’Naan will perform April 19 at Coachella. For more information, visit knaanmusic.ning.com.

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated Vets: Method Man & Redman - A-Yo

Oh Yea, They're back...Blackout 2 Drops April 28th, 2009.

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated L.A: U-N-I -"Hollywood Hiatus"

First Video for The Love Supreme Album. Simply Dope. T. Whittmore on the Direction.

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Guess Who's Back, Back Again: Eminem Edition

The Visual is classic Em. The Flow Is Classic Em. The Beat Is Classic Em. Dare I call this a Classic? Probably not.....

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Young Money: "Every Girl"

"I Wish I Could Fuck Every Girl In The World"

Pretty Much...

Behind the scenes footage courtesy of Tha Bizness after the jump...


Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated BAY: Stickup Kidds: "Turf Banga"

When I think of Oakland, this is what comes to mind: Fly cats,dipped to the toe, Chicks wit Gaws to the Tee, hittin' it in the parking lot. "Put some heels on ya like diamond cuzzin' ebony...". This is a Turf Banga...

More on the Stickup Kidds @ http://www.myspace.com/sukmob
Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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Hyphenated BAY: Young Bob- Skinny Jeans

The bay has been in a slump for a while. Short and 40 are really the only cats doin' it, but they're vets... It's time for the youngin's to take this shit back. I introduce you to Young Bob, East Oakland Representa, front man of Go Dav, my bruh bruh from anotha mum. In this Aris Jerome assisted video, Bob brings the Gaws of the Bay back on the scene. Young Bob has never stopped grinding, and won't do so soon. Bobitto, your are Hyphenated...



more on Young Bob at myspace.com/robertocabobby

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa The Writer

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