CJ the Genesis: The Beginning [WFSL Interview]

CJ the Genesis is many things, a lot of them self-proclaimed. Not to say that the things he says aren't true, what he says is what he does. He's an intelligent, focused, hard-working individual who has nothing but a bright future. I usually wouldn't sugar-coat the background, but it's kind of hard not to. It didn't even feel like I was speaking with someone so young. Mature for his age, true to his roots, and eyes on the prize - Genesis can be described as all these and more. WFSL (http://beatwizemusic.blogspot.com) is proud to present another artist that makes the future of hip-hop a hell of a lot brighter.

Beatwize: Watup CJ! Before we start, hit us up with a quick introduction of yourself..
CJ the Genesis: What up Beatwize! Umm..To make a long intro short, I'm an up and coming artist out of the DMV who's trying to bring something new to the game! I rap, produce, a little singing here and there, and I'm very versatile. Thats about it, haha.

Beatwize: Versatile is right - you're 4 mixtapes in now. Do you feel like you've accomplished as much as you think you would have or did you expect more at this point in time?
CJ the Genesis: Honestly, I never thought that I'd have 4 mixtapes out within a year. Maybe 2 and a progressive third, but not 4! And you know, maybe its just my impatience but I did kinda expect more going for me at this point, but things are different now, so I'm trying to adjust for lack of a better word.

Beatwize: Good to hear you're ahead of schedule. You seem to like to switch things up a bit and try different things, so you obviously have numerous inspirations while writing. What are they and where do you inherit them?
CJ the Genesis: Good question! Well, I only really write about what I know and go through, and although its a cliche answer its true. The only time you'll hear me making a song about something that has nothing to do with me is when I'm telling a story, but I grab general inspirations from anything, whether its a TV show, video games, something my parents talked about, something dumb my dogs did outside lol ANYWHERE.

Beatwize: That imagination really shows in the tracks. Being an 18-year-old rapper who's getting decent fanbase must be something you're proud of. What do you expect for yourself in the next few years?
CJ the Genesis: Ahh being labeled 18 is gonna take some getting used to cause my birthday was on Sunday haha but within the next few years I expect to be doing some bigger shows and actually getting paid for it! I also wanna do more mixtapes of course, and then actually put out an album and work with people and all kinds of cool stuff like that. Im about to be a freshman in college (I actually move out tomorrow lol) and I wont be recording on campus, but I'm still going to produce and get my name out there more as a producer. Hopefully some opportunities (and money haha) open up during that time period.

Beatwize: Now, 'Genesis' means 'begining'. I'm assuming your name suggests the start of something?
CJ the Genesis: You know, you're actually the first one to just pick it up off the bat. Yes it does mean that. I am the 'Genesis' to a new era in hip hop. Stop comparing me people lol

Beatwize: That name struck me from the first time I heard it, so I had to find out, haha. What artists do you love to work with? What artists do you hope to work with in the future?
CJ the Genesis: I love to work with anybody with a creative mind. There are only a few specifics in mind such as M-Trey, Criss Chords, Kevin Abstract, The Rezon, Vulcan Vocab who share the same mindstate I have with this music. If I have a track with those 5, its gonna be good. No questions. As far as the future is concerned, I'd love to work with people I meet on campus this year (who are good haha) and some of the dream artists Id love to work with are people like Kanye, Nas, Common, Jay-Z, a lot of those people. But you know, I'm liking this new class of artists too and out of them I'd love to work with Mickey Factz, Asher, Cudi, Curren$y, XV, J. Cole, Big Sean and etcetera etcetera etcetera haha The list goes on with them.

Beatwize: A lot of good names on that list. Tell us what's currently on CJ's playlist.
CJ the Genesis: Pshhhhh...that XV "Everybody's Nobody", Big Sean's "U Know Big Sean Vol. 2" Pac Div "Church League Champions", Kanye's "Late Registration" SLAUGHTERHOUSE of course, and lately Ive been listening to some more Crystal Castles than I usually do haha More electro and techno stuff in general. I NEED that new Calvin Harris CD in my life ASAP lol

Beatwize: Again, great names. You just recently dropped "Yea...I'm A Nerd" and are already hard at work on your next EP. What switch-up can we expect on this project?
CJ the Genesis: Well, this EP is gonna be called, "EuPhoria" and what Im gonna do on that is make songs that make people feel good and euphoric in general. That was my main goal on "Yea, I'm A Nerd" because nostalgia brings a GREAT feeling to people. Artists these days make too many of these emo and depressing songs, and they dont really do too much good for their listeners (at times) Granted, Ive made my share of depressing songs, but whenever I do, I try to give it a better outlook, such as my song "Start Of Something New" which will be on the EP as well. Anyways, this will be happy music in general, and I'm sure that everyone that listens to it will get a good feeling out of it. I promise you that.

Beatwize: Interesting; any other projects other than yours that you'll be participating in?
CJ the Genesis: Me and a friend and producer 5th Element are working on a project titled, "Open Mic" which will comes out Lord knows when. I wouldve been done by now and it would've came out in September, but I had to get ready for that big move. Besides that, I'm only gonna be a production credit on artist's mixtapes. Not so many features without a mic on campus. Im gonna write like crazy up there and record when I get the time, but for now, its only production.

Beatwize: I'm definitely excited for all of that. Thanks for coming in! It was nice speaking with you.
CJ the Genesis: Haha anytime Beatwize!!!

D-Sisive: Joker with a Mic [WFSL Interview]

D-Sisive is a hip-hop artist from Toronto, Canada. If you haven't noticed yet, he is currently WhatFeelingsSoundLike (WFSL-beatwizemusic.blogspot.com) Artist of the Week. To fit the week's theme, I got to ask him a couple questions. I already knew this was going to end up different than most interviews. Not only was I right, but I was glad to get something more than the usual, generic answers one would usually hear. This dude D is definitely something different, not only in his music, but also in his personality. He's the type of guy you'd chill with at a bar, have a beer or two and just have a good time talking. And to top it all off, he's a great artist with a very bright future. Here it is - Joker with a Mic: An Interview with D-Sisive..

Beatwize: Hey, what's good D? It's good to finally have you on the blog. To start off, let's get a quick bio of you for the readers.
D-Sisive: Go to http://www.myspace.com/dsisive and read the boring, drawn out bio. Haha.

Beatwize: What got you into hip-hop music?
D-Sisive: A Nightmare on Elm Street. My obsession with Freddy Krueger led to my obsession with anything related to the film. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's Nightmare on my Street being one of them. A glow in the dark t-shirt being another. I bought He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper for that song only. Until then, the only music I owned was Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic and the La Bamba soundtrack on cassette. I no longer wanted to be Richie Valens. Will Smith was it. 19 years later, my new sitcom is finally in production.

Beatwize: Wow, that's definitely something different. "Let the Children Die" came out earlier this year, one of my personal favorites. What can current and future fans expect from you next?
D-Sisive: Jonestown. November 18/09.

Beatwize: Who and what are your greatest inspirations as an artist?
D-Sisive: Who? Argar & Joan-Anne Christoff. Kalpna Patel. David Bowie. Lou Reed. Rufus Wainwright. David Lynch. Brian Wilson. Crispin Glover. Randy 'Macho Man' Savage. And the list goes on...What? Sewers. Boa Staffs. Turtles. Headband-FaceMasks. Sai's. Nunchucks. Swords. Red. Yellow. Blue. Purple. Pizza. And the list goes on...

Beatwize: That's..interesting. You've worked with numerous Canadian hip-hop artists, some much more known than others. Who do you think was the most enjoyable to work with?
D-Sisive: Muneshine and The Arkeologists. The Arkeologists are responsible for waking me out of my hibernation. If krates never leaked Kneecaps, none of this would have happened. Muneshine is an amazing Rapper-Producer. Our chemistry is insanity. We knock out songs like nothing. Written-Produced-Mixed-Mastered-Marketed-Released-Billboard top 100 all in one day. Last night Muneshine and I were eating macaroons and watching the Jack Nicholson film, Wolf. The macaroons looked like dog shit. When bitten, the coconut made them look like white dog shit. Mune said 'if dog shit tasted like this, I'd eat dog shit all day, son.' That was pretty amazing.


Beatwize: Which artists would you want to work with in the near future?
D-Sisive: Jason Schwartzman. He's an incredible talent. I'm obsessed with his music right now. Andre 3000. Tom waits. DangerMouse. Grafh. There's quite a few.

Beatwize: What artists do you dream to work with?
D-Sisive: David Bowie. As far as I'm concerned, he's the be all end all. The king.

Beatwize:Who is your favorite artist at current, and why?
D-Sisive: Coconut Records. Jason Schwartzman's project. I just recently found out he made music and I love it. Also, the new DangerMouse and Sparklehorse project Dark Night of the Soul with David Lynch. Everything about that project is brilliant.

Beatwize: Are you currently working on any projects?
D-Sisive: I'm always working on new projects. Building my Prince Vault. I'm also focusing on getting the world to listen to Let The Children Die. It's my baby. He's going to be a boxer someday. I can tell by this picture of him with his hands up. Isn't he cute? He's going to be in next months Sears' catalogue.

Beatwize: Anything else you would like to say to the fans?
D-Sisive: Thank you for being a friend. Travelled down the road and back again. Your heart is true. You're a pal and a confidant. And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew. You would see the biggest gift would be from me. And the card attached would say...Thank you for being a friend.

Beatwize: Lmao..thank you so much for your time.
D-Sisive: No, thank you...For being a friend.

Coming Soon: WFSL Artists

Are you a talented up-and-coming artist that wishes they had the time to promote their music through blogging? Don't have the time to do so? WFSL has the answer.

Free of charge, WFSL will blog FOR you! All you have to do is send updates on a regular basis to post up on the blog. But, like every free thing - there's a catch. You have to make and continue to make good music. If you slip and change direction for the worse, I most probably won't keep you on the list. Reputation is everything, keep it right.

By being a WFSL artist, you will have the following advantages:
-updates of your music on this blog and that music sent off to other affiliate blogs
-your name will be in the WFSL artist list on the sidebar; by clicking on your name, all of your updates will come up
-you will be promoted on numerous other sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, HipHopBlips, IndieBlips, TheUrbanBlock, and many more!

Why? Because good music deserves the shine.

So, are you interested? Get at me - beatwize@gmail.com

The WFSL Artists will being later this month. Thanks for all the love & support so far!

Shad: Passion for Music [WFSL Interview]

Canadian artist, Shad, was recently on his "Warped" tour, where he went to numerous cities across North America to promote the US release of his second album "The Old Prince". He is currently WhatFeelingsSoundLike (WFSL-beatwizemusic.blogspot.com) Artist of the Week. In light of this I, Beatwize, had the honor to have a chat with him.

Beatwize: Hey, Shad! Good to have you here. To start off, tell us a little about yourself.
Shad: Whattup! I'm a hip hop artist from London, Ontario. I've been fortunate enough to make 2 albums so far: When This is Over which came out in 2005 and The Old Prince in 2007.

Beatwize: You just finished the Warped Tour; how did that go?

Shad: It was a great experience and a great opportunity for us. Big shout to everyone who helped us out along the way!

Beatwize: For sure, I was so disappointed when I had to miss your Toronto show. What's your favorite city to perform in?
Shad: There's some towns in Canada - Guelph, Victoria, Peterborough; always a blast. So far San Fran and Hartford were a lot of fun too.

Beatwize: It must have been a struggle to strive in hip-hop music in a city like London, Ontario. How did you overcome these struggles?
Shad: I wouldn't really call it a struggle. Ever since I started out, the people in my hometown have been behind me which has been great. At the end of the day, getting to do something you enjoy and something that matters to you is such a blessing that you dont think too much about whatever challenges might be around.

Beatwize: Real talk. Your album "The Old Prince" has been acclaimed by pretty much everyone and it's one of my personal favorites as well. What were your inspirations during the making of this album?
Shad: Thanks man - I appreciate that. My main inspiration for that album was/is the daily struggle to be a certain kind of person. A more honest, more compassionate person. That's what the Old Prince is a metaphor for - spending your life in search of that 'quality of character' for lack of a better term.

Beatwize: You definitely did a good job of showing that on the album. It released in USA just a little while back (June 30th). That's a big gap between the Canadian release (October 2007). Does this mean we won't be seeing new Shad tracks for a while?
Shad: I plan on recording again when I get back from tour. Definitely itching to put some new ideas down!

Beatwize: That's great news! In 'I Don't Really Like To' you say "I'm down with that pirate stee..pirate me". Do you think piracy has a positive impact on lesser-known artists? Do you think it's particularly important for Canadian musicians?
Shad: I never thought about that connection. Maybe because we don't sell a lot of albums up here in Canada anyways, we dont care as much! I think overall I'm just looking to get my music out there to as many as might enjoy it.

Beatwize: Are there any Canadian artists you feel have paved the way for you?
Shad: I think theres been canadian hip hop artists going back to Maestro Fresh Wes that opened up Canadian audiences to hip hop music. More recently guys like k-os and Kardinal have been exposing the world to Canadian hip hop. Artists in the indie rock scene too that have changed the global perception of Canadian music recently - arcade fire, broken social scene, etc...

Beatwize: Any Canadian artists you've been wanting to work with?
Shad: Lots. I dont do too many collaborations - mostly just 'cause they're annoying to coordinate - but theres lots of Canadian artists that I love listening to: k-os, Feist, Chad Vangaalen, Shaun Boothe, City and Colour, just to name a few.

Beatwize: I personally would love to hear a Shad/k-os collaboration, and I'm sure most of yours and his fans would too! How about outside of Canada? What artists do you look up to and what artists would like to/would have liked to have worked with?
Shad: I respect Lupe Fiasco's music a lot. Mr J Mederios put out a great album a little while ago too many to name!

Beatwize: Lupe is definitely one of the best out. My favorite tracks from you are probably 'Exile' and 'Voice Like an Angel'. What song of yours do you personally think is your best?
Shad: Thanks! Angel is definitely one that took some time for me to pin down. Off the last album, thats probably the deepest one for me. Tough question...I'd probably go with Angel though 'cause I worked pretty hard on that one.

Beatwize: Anything else you would like to say?
Shad: Thanks for the time and the support! Peace!

You can grab both his albums on iTunes and a music store near you!

Beatwize - Live Your (Good) Life [Beatwize Blend] - T.I. & Rihanna

So one of my friends told me I don't mix enough T.I.. So I did. This one mixes T.I.'s "Live Your Life" and Kanye's "Good Life". Off the next Blank Tapes release entitled "Give Me My Green Tea!!" which comes out next Thursday (July 16th). It will also include a leaked track off of "Classical State of Mind", so definitely check it out. Anyways, here's this track. 'Like we always do it this time'...

DOWNLOAD/STREAM

Hope you enjoy it!

Beatwize - The Blank Tapes Vol. 1: Where's the BlendMaster?! [WFSL Exclusive]

It's here! The first of the Blank Tapes, the blends trilogy by yours truly. The download and stream links are after the covers. Don't forget to leave feedback!!

SHAREBEE DOWNLOAD
IMEEM STREAM
DATPIFF DOWNLOAD/STREAM -- will be up in a few days!

Hope you enjoy!

Peacepeace,

Beatwize

Beatwize - I Gotcha [Beatwize Blend] - Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell

Here's a track leak from the WFSL exclusive tape by yours truly. The tape is called "The Blank Tapes Vol. 1: Where's the BlendMaster?!" and comes out June 30th RIGHT here, first! The tracks being blended are "I Gotcha" by Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell off his "Food & Liquor" over the Just Blaze produced track "Storm Remix" by Lenny Kravitz and Jay-Z. Enjoy it and spread the word!

DOWNLOAD/STREAM

In the next few months...

So I'm steady making music right now. On break from school, so other than working and chilling, I'm doing a lot of music-related things. I have a couple projects planned for the summer, so check out what's to come:

• June 30th - 'The Blank Tapes Vol. 1: Where's the BlendMaster?!'
• Mid-July - 'The Blank Tapes Vol. 2: Insert Clever Title' (will include an extra track off 'Classical State of Mind')
• Mid-August - 'Classical State of Mind'
• Early September - 'The Blank Tapes Vol. 3: blEND'

Now from the above, you probably don't fully understand what these are. Let me explain.

'The Blank Tapes' are going to be WFSL exclusives (unless other blogs like it and copy it on theirs..bootleggers ftw!). This trilogy is going to be a blends trilogy that has a little different taste. The BlendWize series always started with Scarface openings. This one is going to literally be a mixtape. Tracks will start by mixing with the last one. Plus, I blend artists I've never blended before like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common along with others I always blend like Jay-Z and Kanye West. The trilogy is called the 'Blank Tapes' simply because the cover will be plain white with some text. In other words, it's time we focus on the music rather than the graphics. It also means I'm too lazy to make new covers.

Now the main release is going to be 'Classical State of Mind'. If you've been following my music lately, you know what this is. Inspired by the feedback I got from the first single off of X, Y, J-Z, I decided to branch out to another mash-up style. This time I'm grabbing classical music from Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and many more and sampling their hard work over my own beats. Who's going to be rapping over these dark and vicious beats? Well, if you didn't already figure it out from the title, it'll be Nas. I felt that his and only his delivery style could match the tone of the beats I was making. Plus, what better way to follow up a Jay-Z mash-up album other than a Nas mash-up album?

A single off 'Classical State of Mind' will be released June 22nd pretty much everywhere you find my music already, and maybe even more places! We'll see time goes on. More information will be released when I feel necessary. If you want to know more, get at me -- beatwize@gmail.com.

It's Beatwize season again guys, so get ready. Until mid-September, you'll be seeing a hell of a lot of me so get used to it.

Peacepeace!

- Beatwize