The Life Feat Bun B (Prod. by 14KT) by ChinaShopMag

Interestingly though, by a show of hands, a lot of the Metro audience had never been to a Red Bull Big Tune event. Still, it wasn’t hard for even the newcomers to get into at least one of the divergent sounds from the nine producers/production teams representing Seattle, Detroit, San Francisco, and six other major cities. For followers of the ultra left field, offbeat vibe, L.A.’s Dibia$e fit the bill while the Bay Area’s Hitmakers put a new spin on soulful, sample-based hip-hop (a “Mambo Italiano” flip anyone?) and Ypsilanti, Michigan’s 14KT (who competed in Austin at SXSW), repped hard for the Midwest with his foundation of off-kilter drums and well aged keys.

It’s fitting that 14KT gathered the most props of the finals and took home the title as he was the most balanced competitor—not only sonically, but stage presence-wise as well. While the runners up, NoSpeakerz (a duo also from Michigan), stood out with their dancing and stage energy, 14KT moved his arms just enough to show he was confident in his work without overdoing it.

Beyond the core of the final battle itself, this year, Big Tune saw some welcome additions, including the “Chicago flip” segment where the final nine each played an original beat based on the same Curtis Mayfield sample. New elements like this will no doubt help keep Big Tune growing. And of course the live production showcase featuring esteemed L.A. producer Exile and Dipset rep Arab Muzik was a highlight. As each artist took his turn tapping the MPC pads, it was helpful for new beat makers and average music fans alike to see how a track and riddims come together the true school way. And while some of the audience was already heading home by the time Just Blaze and DJ Premier closed out the night with a dual DJ session, it would be hard to find a more crowd-pleasing pair of prolific producers. But I’m sure next year the folks behind Big Tune will find a way to one-up themselves with the longest running beat battle in the country.

Words and photos by Max Herman

After only an opening set from DJ Sye Young, there was no long list of performers—Black Milk did a few interviews in the subteranneous green room of Reggie’s and then headed upstairs to perform. For a show that was only announced maybe a week beforehand, Reggie’s filled up nicely with dedicated hip-hop heads ready to see one of the culture’s most respected producer/MCs today—one who’s pushing his fourth and arguably best LP yet, Album of the Year.

Looking back, Black’s line from the 2008 track “Hell Yeah” especially rang true on this night: “I’m on stage rocking real shows / lookin’ at the fans with they hands up / taking pictures on they cell phones.”

Seeing the hyped crowd, it was easy to sense the loyal following Black has acquired in the past few years. The draw of his show is that he keeps unadulterated lyricism a focal point but balances the potent raps with a hefty sonic backing—a live band featuring keys (Aaron “AB” Abernathy), drums (Daru Jones), a DJ (Bill Sharp), and bass. While countless rappers have added a backing band to their set, Black’s band doesn’t seem tacked on—it’s seamlessly integrated. The free-flowing funk version of the track “Without You” was particularly cool to see how these guys bounce off each other sonically. It felt like a freestyle jam session. There were even points when Black just stood there with his eyes closed and arm extended feeling, for example, the keys and vocals of AB.

During the show, Black Milk admitted that he hadn’t performed in awhile, since his fall Europe Tour. But this cat was never rusty, ripping it with percussion-heavy versions of song like the melodic “Welcome (Gotta Go).” By the time the audience-requested booming single “Sound the Alarm” closed out the set, it felt like the future of hip-hop was being paved on the stage of Reggie’s. Representing the still overlooked Detroit scene, Black Milk avoids gimmicks while finding a way to make raw rap more musically rich than ever. Leading up to the Red Bull Big Tune beat battle finals in Chicago, this performance no doubt showed the up-and-comers how it’s done.

Words and photos by Max Herman.

The explosive competition featured freestyle rappers from New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Orlando, Greensboro, Houston, Atlanta and Detroit who fought to earn the respect the judges and the crowd. By night’s end, the youngest competitor 18-year-old Saffal “FowL” Tall representing the 313/D-E-T edged out the competition and won the coveted title of Red Bull EmSee National Champion.  “A rap battle in Detroit is no laughing matter and it seems that Fowl took it the most seriously tonight,”  said Eminem.  “So he goes home the winner.”

Red Bull EmSee has a unique format that challenges competitors to battle not only against each other but also against the clock and their mind’s eye.  In round one, the MCs are shown five random images and given one minute to deliver a sick freestyle incorporating as many images as possible. When the dust settled, Killa Chris, Phranchyze, D.N.A and FowL were on point to advance to the next round.  In round two, the stakes were high as the emcees were challenged to rap about themes that the judges and live audience texted to the screens on stage.  D.N.A. and FowL emerged as the winners and proceeded to the highly anticipated final round where they would face off in a traditional head-to-head format.  In the final battle, the emcees held nothing back.  D.N.A. and FowL lit the place on fire as they hurled non-stop lyrical blows.  In the end, FowL brought the house down.  His performance earned him the undisputed title of Red Bull EmSee National Champion.

“To be classified as the best in the nation… I’m pretty sure right now, I don’t fully understand it,” said FowL. “but I always told everybody in my neighborhood, I’m gonna’ be the best one day… to actually say I am the best right now, at 18, feels pretty good.”

The Red Bull EmSee Championships also featured guest performances by the charismatic D.R.E.S and tha Beatnik who served as master of ceremonies.  In between battles, the crowd was treated to DJ sets by The Alchemist and DJ Dez.  Rap super group Slaughterhouse, whose members include Royce Da 5”9’, Crooked I, Joe Budden and Joel Ortiz, delivered a riveting performance that capped off the night.

Next up, Red Bull Emsee: The Road to 8 Mile Mix Tape featuring lyrics by all 8 national finalists with beats provided by Red Bull Big Tune National Champion Frank Dukes will hit the streets this September.  The highly anticipated Mix Tape produced by noted Brooklyn-based DJ, Mick Boogie will drop on www.redbullusa.com/EmSee.  In addition to lyrics by the eight Red Bull EmSee national finalists, the limited edition compilation also features Ghostface Killah in a song called “Purified Thoughts.”  Mick Boogie has collaborated on mix tapes with artists such as Eminem, Adele, Kanye West, Coldplay, Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Photos by Nicholas Shrunk

I only got a few moments with the Toronto native but I did manage gain insight into his beat making process.  “I try and keep it simple,” Dukes told me. “I start with a vision, and I work from my MPC.”  Dukes is a connoisseur of sound and a veracious collector of records.  He loves hunting for obscure or “horrendous” discs because often, he explains, it’s these unlikely sounds that become the best samples.  While eavesdropping in the studio, I overheard a couple of Dukes’ other tracks, which proved to be heavy, yet uniquely sophisticated gems.  A recent collaboration with 50 Cent, in addition to winning the Red Bull Big Tune producer competition,  Dukes’ promise as one of hip-hop’s next generation of beat scientists.

Ghostface Killah, on the other hand, is a jovial, Dalai Lama-esque personality who puts everyone at ease. Upon being introduced to Ghost by a member of the Red Bull Big Tune team, Ghost kindly says, “Oh sh*t, what’s up Big Mike…,” and extends his giant hand for a grip. But don’t let his calm demeanor fool you because when he’s on the mic, this living legend spits fire.  With an honesty and ever-evolving style, Ghostface Killah continues to thrive as one of hip-hop’s most dynamic and relevant artists.  In a game when the average shelf life of an MC is about a year, that is a testament to who he is as an artist and a person. In March 2010, Ghost released Wu-Massacre with Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, and Raekwon.  I was fortunate to ask him a couple questions regarding his writing process and the collaboration with Dukes an the following is what he had to say:

How do you go about writing lyrics?

Ghostface Killah: The track sets it off…ya know what I mean? So once you got that and a sense of direction of where you wanna go with it… you just follow that.  You just take it there.  So the beat kinda’ brings a lot of the thoughts and everything out.  You know like if the beat sounds like it’s a happy beat… then maybe you should write something happy, or sunny.  You know what I mean? Or about something that goes on in the summer or what ever the case may be.  And if it’s [the beat] dark and gloomy, then you might write about a murder, or a robbery.  The beat tells it all, and you just follow that. That’s what works for me.

Let’s talk about the tune you just made with Dukes.  What was the vibe of that and how did it come about?

Ghostface Killah: Yea… On the hook of that beat, it says something like, “Am I a good man or am I a fool…” So, I just followed that and went off of that.  Deep down in the verse I started talking about God, and about me being in Africa feeding the children and doing this, that, and the third, and Mandela and all that- based it on the good things I did and that just lead right on into the hook.  But like I said, it’s mainly the beat. It always gives you a direction- if you’re open minded.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with ChinaShop.

Ghostface Killah: Anytime baby, no doubt, respect.

Words a by Michael Bucher, Photos by Nicholas Schrunk/Red Bull Photofiles

Considering the longevity of Red Bull Big Tune, I ask one of the event’s curators, Jake One, if he ever thought the battle would run this long. “After awhile, I believed it would last because of how much fun people have,” he tells me.

By fun, he’s not only referencing the crowd, but the beat-makers themselves. Lately participants have been seen getting more animated, hyping up their beats with wild arm and body movement. “It seemed like last year the antics were stepped up,” adds Jake.

As Red Bull Big Tune kicked off in Austin on a breezy night, there weren’t too many outlandish stage antics, but the talent was solid among the competitors. Ironically, the final two producers are both from outside of Texas: Michigan’s 14KT and Seattle’s Budo.

14KT, of the Athletic Mic League arguably had the harder-hitting beats while still maintaining a sometime left-leaning vibe. But Budo showed he had soul too with his classic-meets-alternative sounds and won the crowd’s support in the end—just barely getting more cheers than 14KT in the final audience verdict.

Coming off stage Budo was greeted with a barrage of hugs and pounds from his collaborator Grieves and the rest of his friends. When I caught up with him he says, “it feels incredible to be down here with the event that started in Seattle.”

On top of the great battle, appearances by numerous West Coast hip-hop acts, including rising MC Fashawn, true school trio Dilated Peoples and producer-on-the mic The Alchemist, made this is a first class kick off to another year of Red Bull Big Tune.

Words by Max Herman, Photos by Dustin Downing and Max Herman

Built within the sprawling, 100,000-square-foot industrial park that has recently become the new home to Red Bull Headquarters, the company’s own Red Bull Studios is barely two years old and already boasts not only the latest in state-of-the-art recording technology, but also the perfect amount of expertly-designed studio space.

Planning a world-class recording facility which could match the industry’s best was no easy task, so Red Bull wisely enlisted the help of two giants: Troy Germano and David Bell of Studio Design Group, the same masterminds who honed their skills at New York’s legendary The Hit Factory, once recording home to John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Michael Jackson. It’s a studio that has already earned the 2008 TEC award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in design, as well as acclaim from MIX magazine and some of the industry’s biggest critics. And with good reason: not only does this 3,500 square-foot studio boast an immense tracking room, the latest in Pro-Tools recording technology, an Exigy Monitoring system and top-of-the-line analog gear, but its designers know quality sound is invaluable—thus their custom red-and-blue SSL K-Series mixing board, the last of its prized kind. In addition to this, bands and artists have access to Red Bull Studios’ helmsman/engineering guru Eric Stenman, who has worked with everyone from Dashboard Confessional to Anthrax to Saves the Day.

Partnering with Red Bull, legendary Hip Hop pioneer Nas helped an aspiring young producer’s dreams come alive. Like something out of a Hollywood movie, Chicago native C-Sick was the last man standing at the 2008 Red Bull Big Tune Competition. The prize: the privilege of writing a beat which legendary hip-hopper Nas would rap over. With Red Bull Studios and his original song “Film”, 17 year-old C-Sick was suddenly a viable contender, one who had made a quantum leap from recording in his grandmother’s basement.

Nas wasn’t alone in his decision to work with the company. Earlier this year, Hip Hop Goddess Erykah Badu utilized Red Bull Studios to complete her latest record, New Amerykah Part 2 (Return of the Ankh). A Grammy-winning soul singer with several platinum records to her name, having access to the Red Bull’s advanced equipment only improved an already amazing signature sound, and soon the singer found herself with a new recording home.

In addition to these illustrious recording artists, Motown Universal Records’ sensation Forever the Sickest Kids (FTSK) took advantage of Red Bull Studios to produce their first album, Underdog Alma Mater, in 2007. With only one released LP to their name, the Dallas sextet are already Warped Tour veterans, and have earned critical acclaim from magazines such as Alternative Press. And when their debut went on to sell 100,000 + copies, FTSK decided to repeat the magic: recently the band ventured back into Red Bull Studios to record their follow-up, The Weekend: Friday, slated for release on November 17. Fortunately those of you jonesing for a clip of the band’s latest don’t have to wait– here’s an exclusive and unreleased clip of “Take it Slow”,  recorded in entirety at the studio.

Forever The Sickest Kids – Take it Slow

With the most advanced in digital equipment, as well as a fervent embrace of the analog sounds of old, Red Bull Studios has taken a completely unique approach to the recording process in its revolutionary design in space and sound. More importantly, it’s taken the time to personalize working relationships with its artists, something lacking in the fluctuating, competitive music industry of today. It is these same qualities, overlooked so often in the contemporary music world, which continue to earn the studio accolades from both the industry’s harshest critics— and more importantly, from those artists who have chosen Red Bull Studios as their recording sanctuary.

Words by Jeff Nau

First Avenue hosted the first Red Bull Big Tune to take place in Minneapolis.   More than 400 people flocked to First Avenue to hear these Minnesotan producers battle it out.  One participating producer was a repeat contender….he competed in Chicago last month! Unfortunately, he lost in the first round.

Home of Rhymesayers Records, a new generation of Minnesotans are becoming entranced by the sounds of Freeway, the featured artist of the evening.  The crowd went wild when Freeway started performing and adding the “Red Bull” touch even further,  Brother Ali joined him on stage and brought the house down.

An unusually mean crowd (Minnesotans are usually so nice….) they picked their favorite from the beginning and booed away the competition until only Nicademus was left standing.

Words by Jennifer Belongia

Nine albums later and the New Yorker is still one of the most talked about MCs in the game because he takes hip-hop where other rappers are scared to. Nas has never been one to shy away from touchy subjects and perhaps his unyielding approach to making music is partially why people to still check for him. But gaining attention by naming his recent albums Hip Hop Is Dead and N*gger (later instead left untitled) aren’t flashy gimmicks—they’re part of his creative vision that just happen to spark dialogue. “People ask me about controversial titles and stuff like that and if it just happens to be controversial because it just is, then so be it,” he tells me. “But there is no plan to make controversy. It’s just however it comes.” Keeping his career true to his free-flowing sonic path, it doesn’t surprise me when Nas says that he can’t remember how and why his upcoming collaboration with Damien Marley (Distant Relatives) was born. The one thing he knows is that the album with the Jamaican star was meant to be. And in the case of working with Red Bull Big Tune champion C-Sick, who is only 18 like he was as a rookie, it’s also hard to deny the fateful factor of this connection. To discover more about Nas’ current work, check out www.iamnas.com Words by Max Herman, photo by Robert Downs/Red Bull Photofiles