Stricklee Hip Hop Artist Promo & Mp3 Pool

So far mostly all of my music has been released with Neblina Records. I've been putting music out with them since about 2004. I'm not in a contract at moment. I'm just in the studio getting all the new projects together for all future releases. The Serenade For The Moment EP (A+R) was released by Soulspazm Records. That's like the only other label I've associated with. As far as groups go i'm a part of Chapter 13 and we're trying to release something this year. I'm also part of The United Center (Rashid Hadee, Mick Luter, Big Wiz, Que Billah, and DJ Scrap Dirty) and we're working on an album called Under The Act.

For the most part, I'm pretty happy with today's Hip Hop. I feel like a majority of everybody has been doing their thing. I like to keep my ear open and exposed to the many different styles of Hip Hop. Just to stay on my toes to where the music is going next. Lately, I've been most happy with joints produced by The Runners. They got sick beats. What I haven't been feelin is those groups that peeps label as "hipster" or whatever. Not really into that shit at all. Also, I don't like the images of a lot of MCs today. Cats aint being they self. It's a lotta swagger thiefs out there. It's bad because some of them be having some nice beats. But why shoot a video that look like the video that came on before yours? Is it really that easy to make a hit record these days? Take notes from the next man? Now that right there is what's wack fam. I guess if people accept that and buy they shit, why not? LOL Maybe I should revise Crank That Solja Boy too.....or one of my favorite T.I. joints or something.

Good question. As far as today, yeah it is a little bit harder to get music out there. At least to a mass of people at a time. Now I dont really know how they get down outside of Chicago, but in my opinion it is kinda difficult to get the music outside of the local scene. It's more difficult for a lot of Chicago's artist to make it to MTV, BET or whatever.....Unless you on some Jeezy or Lil Wayne type swag. Or even, unless you have a well known co-signer or somethin. I dont feel like anybody out there owe anything to the next man or nothing, but if you invest in someone, invest in someone with some talent! I feel like good music can sell just as good as, or maybe even better than bad music! It just has to get a chance to see the light of day. It's messed up you gotta be something you not just to live out your dreams of being an MC. Remember they had My Block: Chicago on MTV? Yeah you didn't hear nothing about the cats that's out here rockin shows and not makin it home til 3 or 4 in the morning. You didn't hear nothing about the cats that's selling thousands of CDs right out they hands or on the internet and packing these venues full of people. The cats with more than 3 albums out. The pioneers of the Hip Hop here, the mentors. Nothin! People didnt even see the Chicago Hip Hop scene that I see, straight up. I mean come on, they didnt even have Crucial Conflict on there? No Psycodrama? No Rashid Hadee? And what makes it even worse, I live right across the street from where Final Phaze used to be at!! It's cool to show peeps doing footwork and shit like that because that's apart of our history, our scene. But damn, it's more to the story.

Oh mixtapes are great in my opinion. They just have to be done right. Don't let no DJ mix that shit if they gonna irritate the shit outta the listener, or even that's gonna let you to put something wack on the mixtape. That fucks everything up. You might as well put out 2 or 3 EPs (with no DJ) with the material you have and get more money. Yeah a mixtape is a mixtape, but it still needs to be sonically correct. At least for a majority of the whole joint. That's why I got together with The Hip Hop Project and we put together the best mixtape done in a long time. We had to show the people how it's really done. From the artwork to the host to the music selection and everything the shit is straight classic. I really went in there and spit fire on the whole joint. I just want people to recognize that I'm out-rapping all of their favorite MCs, and also hanging with the best of them on the beats too.

Yes and No. I'm sure you've heard the internet called a double edged sword before when it comes to music. And it is. But it's cool because you dont have to depend on if someone at Def Jam is listening to your demo or not. We all know they throw our shit in the trash at these record companies. Especially if it's unsolicited. If not that, they steal our songs or image or even both. But the internet is a good way to bypass all the dream-shattering frustration, and disappointment. Now we sell our shit directly to our fans anywhere around the world. With no distribution deal. Thanks to this I was able to go locally gold last year with my album Dedication (US Version). We even have sites like Youtube where they can see our videos whenever they want. Fans can stay in contact and get updated at anytime. People like you can hit me up outta nowhere for an interview and not have to deal with an asshole manager. With the internet, you dont have to be let down when you check The Source every month to see if you made Unsigned Hype, only to find yet someone else less worthy of it has made the cut once again. But ultimately I'm saying, internet aint killing Hip Hop, actually everything thing else other than the internet is destroying Hip Hop. Yeah cats might download your shit and never pay for it, but if your music is good, they definitely will come out to shows and cop something.

I'm very happy for the most of it. I feel very successful. People have been showing my music love and actually enjoying it. I do wish I could get more press, but I'm content right now. I've released a lot of music in the past 4 years and haven't had a major complaint about something being wack yet. I feel my album Dedication could have been a bigger success. Don't get me wrong, it's been very successful so far. We've sold more copies independent than a lotta cats out there, and I didnt have to play myself in the process. It just so happens that the whole Kanye West/50 Cent shit was going on at the same time of my release so it was kinda ignored by the media. Remember, that's what everybody wanted to write about day after day around that time. Luckily, I had that spot on Little Brother's Get Back album (Dreams) and that put me back into the light a little bit. That turned me in the direction of a lot of brand new fans that probably still wouldn't know about me if I didnt get that opportunity. I can't help but thank everyone around the world for buying my music and enjoying it. But where I wanna take it is just more success. Leaving my mark on Hip Hop and going down in history as one of the greatest, just like J Dilla did for example. I want to sell millions of records and be a household name. Whenever somebody talking about music, I want to be mentioned.

My favorite 2pac joint will have to be between No More Pain, Pain, and My Block. These joints are my 3 most favorite out of many. I'm just a fan of lyrics, beats and technique. 2pac came all around strong on these joints. He painted pictures with words on them.

Now that's a tough decision! Damn! But I think I have a bigger crush on Sanaa Lathan. Why? Because she's just gorgious. Then again, Nia Long, shit she's extra gorgious too. Damn really a tough call. I'd go with which ever one I meet first, how bout that!

Long as it aint no naughty jungle of love, its all good. If I can smell where you're comin from, That aint cool!!

At the moment.... Rashid Hadee, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Young Jeezy, Kanye West.

It is negative, it's also positive, but it is negative. Hip Hop is whatever you want it to be. It's whatever YOU make of it, whether you create it or you're just a fan of it. It's your world. You can't really knock nobody's artistic expression. It's an individual's choice of the music that they let into they life. Because if you love Hip Hop, you can call it when you hear it and say "That is or is not Hip Hop".

Most definitely. I think all promo sites are a definite plus. It's cool because dealing with magazines for promotion is very nerve wrecking at times. It's so frustrating to go from feeling one day like...damn i'm gonna be in *fill in the blank* magazine, and then only to never ever get a response. People dont even have to buy no magazines anymore thanks to sites like this. That way us artist who dont have a name like a 50 Cent, or who dont wanna pay them dudes off for a good review or write up can still get our names out there. They should be paying us! Yall the real people with the ears ready for new music. Now dont get me wrong, it's some sites out there who be on that same shit too. Believe me I know. It's definitely no reason why my album Dedication, still to this day, hasn't had a review.

I'm ready whenever! Just let me know what you need.