The LES rising star is on Road to the Riches

That’s a wrap…well almost Fokis in final stages of reality show

After giving himself a task that to many might guarantee sleepless nights and extreme stress, Fokis, the Lower East Side’s current noise maker is in the final stages of his Road to the Riches reality show. The show has featured him networking at the Power Summit in the Dominican Republic; it has showed him hard at work in the studio, recording and producing, it has featured appearances by DJ Absolut, DJ Nasty, Saigon, The Clipse and his LES neighbor, Tru Life. The ideology behind the Road to the Riches reality show which you can catch on Fokis’s myspace page, youtube and HipHopGame.com, was he gave himself a year to get a record deal. Throughout this project, the camera has caught Fokis in the gym, getting himself in shape, it has captured him on stage performing and it has delivered a side of Hip-Hop that many know about but very few really understand. “This show has been a life changing experience,” Fokis explains about the determination and dedication he has displayed over the last ten months while tackling this show and prove project about what it takes to make it in the recording industry today. “It has made me a stronger person and really helped me develop a tough skin and regardless of the outcome I know I will end up in a better position then when I started, ” he digresses. Hoping that people not just see what he has gone through to get to wherever the Road to the Riches leads, Fokis hopes people learn from the experiences he depicts. “I realized while shooting this in its infancy that sometimes you have to throw your self in the water to learn how to swim”. And with his recent track Pandemonium featuring Joell Ortiz and the Focus of Aftermath produced Can’t You See becoming firm faves on the internet, that road which he is travelling looks like it might just be proving lucrative. The upcoming shows for the Road to the Riches which will be becoming more frequent now he is in the closing stages of the time frame he allocated will feature him working with Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden and Deemi as he records for his album of the same title. “We have covered a lot of ground  with this show so far, but what people don’t realize is the best is yet to come” Fokis concludes. To watch Episode 13 of the Road to the Riches, click on the link below http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezr0X-DSGAA Check out the Dollar Circulate freestyle featuring Punch of eMC below http://www.sendspace.com/file/9rwtgc

Maxwell D returns!

Maxwell D is a familiar name to many people from the Drum & Bass to the UK Garage scene. Maxwell was first introduced to music by his father, DJ Natty B from Choice FM. Maxwell used to perform at his fathers sound system gigs where he would MC and soon learned the skills that he would use later in his career.               

 

It was the emergence of the Drum & Bass scene that captured the heart of Maxwell and his friends, “We used to sneak into clubs and watch the MCs; they inspired me to be something.” He could chat to reggae dancehall, but realised a dream of being an MC could be reality through Drum & Bass.

 

His dream soon began to come true, Maxwell was in demand at every house party in his area and also many club events. He managed to get a slot on a pirate station, Rinse FM, with his friend, Nikki Slimting. Their regular hangout was the Orange Club at the Hippodrome and by 1997 Maxwell was a regular on the Drum & Base circuit.

                                                                                                               

In September 1999 Maxwell was introduced to Relentless Recordings who immediately noticed his talents and signed him to their label. Maxwell’s debut single “Serious” was released and tore up the UK Garage dance floors. It also successfully made it into the national UK charts. It all happened so fast for him, from coming out of prison, to being a big name on the garage scene, to starring in his first solo music video within a year and a half.

 

In 2001 he joined a group of friends Wiley, Target, Ace, and Plague and formed the Pay As You Go Cartel. Their underground status was massive and their debut single “Champagne Dance” was signed to Sony Music. It was a huge success reaching number 13 in the UK national charts.

 

By this time Maxwell was in high demand, he collaborated on a remix with Ms Dynamite (Mercury Music Prize Winner) and top selling international artist Ludacris, with his number one smash “Southern Hospitality” which was released on his UK edition album “Chicken and Beer.”

 

Still in demand, Maxwell was signed to EMI publishing, who sent him to work in New York with US producer Punch. Meanwhile back in the UK negative publicity meant Garage became unpopular in clubs, so the scene began to lose popularity. Inward divisions caused the spilt of Pay As You Go Cartel and Maxwell D Returned to his solo career.

 

Not only is Maxwell D a talented musician, he is also involved in a variety of organizations. He is a spokesman for “Kidscount” who raise awareness on gun and knife culture in society today. He recently spoke at a seminar with David Cameron leader of the Conservative political party in the UK, about strengthening families. He also regularly visits schools giving talks on issues of life and music trying to encourage kids to follow the right path.

 

Maxwell D is currently on tour with Nana and will be stopping at venues in Luton, Birmingham, Coventry, Los Angeles, Ayia Napa and many more. He is also working on his album which will be released later on this year.

 

Maxwell D’s new single “I Don’t Need This” and mix tape “You’re Not Serious Vol. 2” featuring Brat Kid, 2 Nice, Target (Roll Deep) and Jookie Mundo released July 25th 2008. Available from HMV.

 

For more information check out Maxwell D’s Myspace: www.myspace.com/maxwelldmusic

 

TO CELEBRATE BLACK MUSIC MONTH, KFC & MUSIC INDUSTRY EXEC BRYANT REID COOK UP ‘HITMAKER’ CONTEST FOR MUSICIANS

Everyone knows KFC delivers hot, finger-lickin’ meals. For the second consecutive year, KFC will also generate hot, finger-snappin’ beats with its “Hitmaker” song contest. To celebrate Black Music Month, KFC invites aspiring musicians to submit their best beats to win national exposure and great prizes as part of its Pride 360° program.

  Musicians who enter the contest will get a chance to be one of 12 artists featured on the Pride 360° CD. KFC will also team with music industry veteran Bryant Reid, president and CEO of B Street Entertainment, producer of B Street Live, and former vice president of A&R for LaFace Records and Atlantic Records, to pick one grand prize winner who will receive a home recording studio.

Award-Winning Music for a Good Cause

  Musicians will have their songs on the Hitmaker Web site www.KFC.com/pride360, where they can be downloaded as mobile phone ring tones. KFC will donate all profits from ring tone downloads to Little Kids Rock, a national non-profit organization that supports music in the academic lives of public school children by providing instrument instruction, free instruments and trained mentors.

  “This year’s KFC Hitmaker song contest is bigger and better than ever,” said KFC’s chief operating officer Harvey Brownlee. “We are proud to salute those striving to make Black Music Month a celebration this year and in the future. By helping Little Kids Rock, KFC hopes to have a positive impact on those who will add to the universal language of music for years to come.”

Notes from a Hitmaker

  During his tenure, Reid demonstrated an eye for new talent. He discovered the young talent of Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum artist Usher and worked on Toni Braxton’s multi-platinum selling debut album. He has continued to find ways to expose deserving talent by producing and creating a television series called “B Street Live,” which aired on a regional cable network.

  “I listen for artists who bring a unique style and sound,” said Reid. “I look forward to seeing the creativity and pride that Hitmaker 2008 will inspire.”

Tune Up and Tune In

  To enter, any musician can create a song about Pride 360°. All winning song entries will use the key words Individual, Family, Community, and Heritage. Artists may upload their audio submissions (and artist/musician photos) at www. KFC.com/pride360 or mail them by August 1 to KFC at 1900 Colonel Sanders Lane, Louisville, KY, 40213, Attn: KFC Hitmaker. All visitors to KFC.com can vote for their favorite versions of the Pride 360° theme song from August 4-18.

  The grand prize winner and the other winners whose music will be featured on the CD will be selected on August 31. For more information and official rules, please visit www.KFC.com/pride360.

GROUP HOME’S LIL DAP ANNOUNCES HIS LONG AWAITED DEBUT, “I-A-DAP,” STREETING AUGUST 5th ON BABYGRANDE RECORDS

A founding member of legendary hip-hop crew Group Home, Lil Dap is a product of the renowned New York mid-nineties “golden age” of hip-hop that spawned such classic groups as M.O.P., Gang Starr & many more. Group Home’s widely hailed release, “Living Proof,” solidified Dap as a frontrunner of this widely renowned and respected era and has since seen him touring the world in preparation for his highly anticipated solo debut.

With “I-A-DAP,” Dap brings the sound pioneered by such groups as Group Home and Gang Starr (of which Dap also had a hand in forming) full circle, with a little help from such contemporaries as Guru (of Gang Starr). Also featuring production by Large Professor, Big Noyd and Alchemist, “I-A-DAP” is Lil Dap’s long awaited solo opus and a reinvigoration of the classic “golden age” sound that both defined and continues to influence an entire generation of emcees.

For more information including music, please visit:
www.crackspace.com/lildap
www.babygrande.com

Group Home presents:
Lil Dap
“I-A-DAP”
In stores August 5th, 2008