Camille Kaye Nominated Best Female Artist.Midilord Inc. is proud to announce that Camille Kaye has been nominated as “2011’s Best Female Artist” at the Official Mixtape Awards for her mixtape “Bad Nuh…!
Camille Kaye’s nomination as “2011’s Best Female Artist” by the Official Mixtape Awards further endorses how amazing her mixtape is. The Bad Nuh…! mixtape is a refreshing half hour collection of classic reggae and dance hall instrumentals, remixed by Duane “Midilord” Summers who has worked with artist like Sean Paul, Shaggy and Slick Rick. These remixed rhythms were then layered with Camille’s signature style of blending R&B singing with dance hall chanting. Download your copy at www.camillekaye.com/music “Camille fills a void in todays music, she is Lauryn Hill, Diana King, and Patra in one package.” – Duane “Midilord” Summers-Manager
Camille Kaye was first introduced to Dancehall producer Supahype of 007 Music. She worked with him along with other local producers until leaving for Florida to attend Florida International University (FIU) in 2007. While attending FIU, Camille worked with Dancehall producer Nynex of Calibur Entertainment who pro produced “Ring Di Alarm”. Then she met Duane “Midilord” Summers, a producer/engineer and former production manager and engineer for Dancehall/Reggae superstars Sean Paul and Shaggy. Midilord produced her other release “Not Like This” and is now closely working with Camille to further build her career.
The Official Mixtape Awards is the first initiative to actively recognize, promote, and celebrate Mixtapes and its contributors. The Official Mixtape Awards is based in the UK and mainly recognizes mixtapes in the UK. Camille Kaye is the only Jamaican artist not based in the UK to get this prestigious nomination. The awards show sets it self apart from others because we displayed artists that continuously freely express a hunger, rawness, realness and uncompromising lyrics.Camille Kaye is available for phone interviews. Please contact Duane Summers at 786 423 6500 to set up a time that is convenient.
Anissa “Anna” Walton promoted to Festival General Manager. Festival Founder and ED Wes Jackson joins faculty at Emerson College – banque populaire des alpes
The Bodega Agency and Brooklyn Bodega, producers of the annual celebration of Hip-Hop music and culture returns this July 10th through the 14th. 2018 marks the 14th installation of the acclaimed Festival – a week of lectures, workshops, exhibitions screenings and of course the world famous concert. Full line up and programing will be announced later this month.
Organizers are ecstatic about the headliners of the finale concert as well as the expanded programming of the Hip-Hop Institute. In a world where Hip-Hop headlines festivals all over the world, dominate the Grammys, leads the new streaming economy, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF) is proud to be one of Hip-Hop’s longest-running cultural festivals.
This year will also see a return of the much-loved Family Day, a key element of earlier Festivals. Family Day will consist of programming for the Hip-Hop family, from the babies all the way up to grandma.
—————
The Festival is also happy to welcome its new General Manager, Anissa “Anna” Walton. Anna is a long-time volunteer and staffer. Anna will be joining senior management, assuming much of the day-to-day responsibilities of Festival Executive Director Wes Jackson.
Anna joined the team in 2014 as a volunteer as the Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since then she has worked as production coordinator, as well as production manager working directly with Director of Production and Finance, Ebonie Jackson. In her new role, Anna will have expanded production, developement and execution responsibilities. She will also work closely with Wes managing the creative, communications and marketing side of the Festival.
The Brooklyn native and graduate of Virginia State University holds a master’s degree from Long Island University-Brooklyn. Anna has been a critical member of the team as the Festival’s footprint has grown in the last 4 years. As a core member of the team, her positive attitude and work ethic has been an example to volunteers and staff alike. We look forward to her new role as we continue our mission to serve the Hip-Hop community.
————-
Anna’s new role comes on the heels of Festival Executive Director and Founder, Wes Jackson, joining the faculty at Emerson College in Boston as Director of the Business Creative Enterprises (BCE) program and executive-in-residence. Wes will help to develop this unique and one-of-a-kind business program at the Boston institution. The BCE program focuses on the interconnection between business strategy, creative thinking, and ideas, helping students learn about and adapt to an ever-changing economy. BCE prepares students to become executives, managers, and innovators in new or existing creative enterprises in Arts and Entertainment, Communication, Media, and Publishing sectors.
Read more here
———
“I am thankful for this new position as General Manager. I’d like to thank Wes and Ebonie for believing in me. It is such an honor to know that all my efforts have and continue to be acknowledged. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to and be valued by such a great team’. This one is definitely for Brooklyn.” – Anna Walton
“This is an exciting time as new chapters in people’s lives open up. Education and advocacy have long been a part of my, and our, story. Working with Emerson allows me to pursue that passion while still helping our baby, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, grow and thrive. This also opens up a new chamber for Anna to grow and develop. She is a bright mind and a tireless soldier. Giving her and the rest of the team room to grow as executives is what it’s all about.” – Wes Jackson
I went down to Franklin, Tennessee for a convention last week and was put onto Muscle Shoals – the studios, the sound, and the documentary. I came home and watched the documentary. Loved it until all the footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Confederate Flag backdrop, but that’s another story. (It must be what a white Hip-Hop fan feels when listening to old Brand Nubian or Public Enemy.)
For those not familiar with Muscle Shoals or the documentary, the premise was that this group of mainly white cats were responsible for some of the most iconic Black music in America – Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Cliff, Percy Sledge and more. The film confirmed a feeling I had while down in Franklin. I was deep in Trump territory. I checked the NY Times just to see how deep in the MAGA I was. (64% for Trump in Williamson County where your boy was staying). Nevertheless, the spirit of Black people, specifically Black music and culture, permeated the air, the conversation and the industry.
As is the case with many of these events, not only was I the only Black person, but also the Hip-Hop representative. It’s an unsettling, but not foreign feeling of all eyes on you when you walk in a room knowing that you embody many of these folks’ primary interaction with members of either group.
During the first day of the convention I realized this was in many ways a discussion of Black people without Black people (save for one) present. The Muscle Shoals sound, Memphis, Stax, Jimi Hendrix, The Swampers, Justin Timberlake, The New Orleans/Memphis/Nashville Triangle – all are rooted in Black music. Even the in-depth discussion of the difference between Outlaw Country, Country + Western, Pop Country and Bro Country could be traced back to mixing of Africans and the Irish and Scots of Appalachia.
Rock is Black music. We have heard that and I felt I knew that, but after a couple days a few hours outside of Nashville and I learned that fact.
In the Muscle Shoals film there was great archival and current footage from Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones. While I was watching, I realized I have never really listened to the Stones. The songs and brand (one of the best logos ever) are so ubiquitous I always felt like I knew their music, but I really didn’t. So after the credits, I opened up my Tidal and dug into the Stones catalog.
1) these cats have an amazing catalog that goes deeper than the commercial stuff; 2) the fact that their music is not labeled as Blues or some derivative of Black music is one of the great crimes of this industry; and 3) Keith and Mick do not hide the truth of my second point. However, they are complicit in the crime in that ‘they didn’t charge me for the second round of drinks and I’m not gonna mention it to the server’ kind of way.
As is my way, I tried to bring this back to Hip-Hop. What was the connection? Then I realized that Eminem is The Rolling Stones of Hip-Hop. Not the Elvis or Taylor Swift as he has been accused. The latter are artistic thieves and culture vultures who have and continue to pull the wool over our eyes. The British Invasion – The Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, are white cats who sat in their mainly racially homogeneous enclaves enthralled by the magic of Black music. They studied and copied while still honoring the culture.
Just as Mick Jagger will give all praise due to Wilson Pickett, so will Eminem honor Rakim. This mutual respect has done much to honor the legacies of the Black artists These white artists are, in the best sense of the word, talented artists in sophisticated tribute bands. In Hip-Hop, we can put 3rd Bass and The Beastie Boys in the same bag. The jury is still out on the Asher Roths and Action Bronson’s of our world. They have a foot on each side of the fence with the magnetic pull of the Vanilla Ice, Taylor Swift, Elvis pole getting stronger and stronger. They may go full Kid Rock. Time will tell.
The ironic thing is in many ways, The Rolling Stones model has given the world a more authentic snapshot of Black music. Middle class, empowered and well funded white musicians eager to capture the rawness of the Mississippi Delta or impoverished Detroit are given more oxygen than the Black artist who spends an inordinate amount of time justifying his/her existence in a corrupt industry. Motown took the Black experience and smoothed it out for white people. Berry Gordy was a tried and true assimilationist who was not overly eager to bring the dark struggle of Detroit to the masses. He was tailored suits and choreography, not sex, drugs and heartbreak. And I get it, if a Black man doesn’t code switch it makes it hard to eat. And I imagine that was the case even more so in 1950’s and 60’s America. The Stones, however, were not bound by such rules. They could get as raunchy as they wanted. And rather than vilified they were praised. While their inspirations languished in anonymity and poverty they were vaulted to the highest rung of the ladder.
We see a similar thread with Eminem. MCs have been battling in clubs and corners since Hip-Hop was known as the ‘dozens’. Cold Crush translated the experience for ‘Wild Style’. Eminem does the same thing with ‘8 Mile’ and wins an Oscar. America loves the Black experience. Black people telling it? Not so much. The Rolling Stones of the world serve as cultural translators. And while the danger of cultural appropriation is ever present, We cannot ignore the possibility that without them the story of the original blues musicians or Bronx Park jams may have been forgotten or re-written.
The people responsible for this co-opting of Black music is not Mick or Marshall. I hold the largest system of Black exploitation responsible. The industry that could not or would not push the beauty of our Black music are always too happy to put a white face on it and authorize larger budgets and pull unseen levers of power. Clarence Carter will not take you as far Keith Richards. Big Proof is not as marketable as Marshall Mathers. Not to the larger American marketplace, anyway. There was a self-imposed earnings cap on Blues that its gentrified cousin Rock N Roll was unburdened by.
So why is this not happening in Hip-Hop? Jay-Z, Chance The Rapper, J. Cole, Kanye West, Andre 3000, Migos, Cardi B, Nikki Minaj, Snoop, Kendrick. These and so many more are Black men and women from the communities where the art is forged – Compton, Marcy, Southside (Queens and Chicago), the SWATS, The VIlle, The Bronx. Granted, we may get the stray Post Malone, Hoodie Allen, or the aforementioned Action Bronson but they are not, by any metric, the commercial or artistic leaders of Hip-Hop. Why?
I think the answer to Hip-Hop’s protection from these invaders is simple. Lyrics. Our MCs write our own lyrics. Rock has a more segmented artistic class. Singers, songwriters, singer/songwriters, composers, producers, session players and so on. In Hip-Hop it is normal for one or two people to handle all those responsibilities. A DJ Premier or Metro Boomin makes your beat, records and mixes the song, lays down the scratches then goes on the road with you. All they need is a Guru and a Future.
Hip-Hop is powered by duos and small collectives, which means the workload is heavy but shared by few. Havoc and Prodigy, The RZA and Ghostface, Marley Marl and MC Shan, KRS-ONE and Scott La Rock, Snoop and Dre, Hov and No ID. In some cases you will get a Kanye or Cole who will lock themselves in a room and do it all.
This means that Action Bronson can copy Ghost but he will never secure permission to use Ghost’s actual lyrics to pass off as his own. This was the very strategy of The Rolling Stones – to record classic Blues in their own voice. In their early days they and their peers were cover bands. The Black songwriter long regulated to the sidelines and often in need of cash was happy to have the white rock star with the pouty lips spit his rhymes. Hip-Hop seeks no such justification. In fact, it appals it. If Mac Miller were to cover ‘Exhibit C’ I think Jay Electronica would run him off the road. And they are friends.
I have long argued that the ‘one man gang’ mentality was holding Hip-hop back. I always felt that Lil Wayne kicking Lupe Fiasco rhymes would be the greatest MC of all time. But now I think the Herculean responsibilities Hip-Hop artists put on themselves have protected us from the evils of any present day Elvis and the muddying of the water by any Rolling Stones-like act.
We built this and are not really sharing. Much like the Muscle Shoals Studio that made people come to them, Hip-Hop forces the mountain to come to Muhammed as a part of its artistic mission. We may like to live in their gated communities and eat at their restaurants but that’s just on the outside. We are not giving this up to the next generation of Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler that easily.