BlakRoc Studio Sessions Video Series

Urban music is developing in complexity and diversity. As previous hybrid hip-hop and name your genre projects have seemed to lack authenticity the new BlakRoc project provides an organic success that feels true.

A collaboration of Dame Dash and soulful blues indies The Black Keys, BlakRoc represents an authentic blend that seeps of blissful creativity and skillful musicianship. The Black Keys bring their soulful sound mixed with haunting guitar riffs and virtuoso simplicity on both white and black keys.




"What You Do To Me" is a new age soul, that registers as almost familiar as it grooves so well. With an ode to the Doors Ray Manzarek, the song struts with a storied organ, bass and snare. The video "Welcome To BlakRoc" that accompanied the album purchase on iTunes intrigued me. Married to the track are belting diva Nikki Wray with Jim Jones bringing his signature timbre and steady flow that settles into a cool. Nikke Wray's vocals seem effortless and have the retro appeal of Chrisette Michelle with a fuller vibrato. MOP, Triple O.G. Billy Danze elevates the track to a different energy level as he laces his verse into the cut.



All the while Dame Dash is seen dancing in the back ground with his signature moves and smile of knowing redemption. Almost at times in celebration of this unique project triumph that is leading iTunes sales upon the second day of release 3 spots above Jay-Z's masterful Blueprint 3. It's good to see Dame launch a successful project that has broad appeal without being metal rap. There's enough out there for everyone Rocafella differences aside. BlakRoc has the makings of an instant classic.

The BlakRoc album launched a viral video series that details the studio sessions with the industry heavy weights including, Q-Tip, Raekwon, the RZA, NOE, Pharoahe Monch, Mos-Def, Nikki Wray, Jim Jones and Billy Danze.

Mos-Def recording Session


Throughout the video project there are several recurring themes, the most impactful for me is the creative freedom that The Black Keys employed with their veteran list of collabo captains. The segments are peppered with creative indulgences and almost playful creativity forming into great music. Best of all they captured it all in a smart web video/documentary series that captivates and with every video connects the listener more to the tracks of the album.

Jim Jones recording session.



RZA - Webisode 4


Nicole Wray and Jim Jones Recording



NOE Recording Session


Q-Tip Records with BlakRoc


Billy Danze from MOP


Pharoahe Monch Sessions


Nicole Wray Session


Final Episode 11 - Raekwon



BlakRoc is a great album that expands hip hop culture while remaining true to it. Further inspiration comes from the masterful assembly of guests on the project. For more information on BlakRoc you can visit their site at http://www.blakroc.com.

Lil Wayne Uses The Secret?

Lil Wayne hasn't said it but he has exhibited that he is a master of "The Secret". The multi-platinum artist reached double platinum status in 9 weeks. How does he do it? The law of attraction I suspect.

The Secret began as a movie and grew into a global phenomenon by sharing what is positioned as an ancient knowledge of the "Law of Attraction". In essence the Law of Attraction defined in the Secret shares that your thoughts drive and create reality. In essence if you visualize, think and speak about something it comes into being.



How does this fit with Weezy F. Baby? I remember when Jay-Z announced his retirement and Lil Wayne came out with The Carter II. Cash Money was going through it's own challenges. On one of Wayne's tracks he said, "I'm the greatest rapper alive since the greatest rapper retired." and I remember thinking that it was a bit of a stretch. Nope simply him exercising "The Secret" at work.

Granted Lil Wayne started a grind that has been unparalleled in recent years. He was lacing cameo's on everyone's tracks and amassing mixtape tracks by the pound. Over time his respect was raised significantly and the whole Greatest Rapper Alive moniker seemed a bit more appropriate.

Still don't buy it. What about his breakout hit "A Milli". He releases C3 and sells "a milli" copies in the first week. The Secret at work again? Perhaps.

Lastly on the track "3 Peat" from The Carter III, Wayne boasts about how he used the "Law of Attraction" to hook up his mother as a result:

Yeah when I was fourteen I told my mom we will see better days
And sure enough I got Miss Cita in a better place
When I was fourteen I told my mom we will see better days
And sure enough we did exactly what I say

Years ago, I would have never thought Lil Wayne would be in my list of one of the Greatest Rappers Alive but he's grown on me.

I don't endorse The Secret in any way but I am trying to figure out Lil Wayne's meteoric rise to stardom.

What are your thoughts. Leave a comment and subscribe.

Submitted by Edward Cates, info@nuancemktg.com

Yo! MTV Raps 20th Anniversary - Please Bring it Back

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For the entire month of April, MTV is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Yo! MTV Raps. Yo! MTV Raps blazed the trail for showcasing hip-hop and urban culture through the mainstream video giant MTV. Yo!MTV Raps also provided one of the clearest and widest connections between urban and suburban America.

More impressive than the historical significance of this show was the authenticity and sincerity of the show. Over the years of broadcast, Yo!MTV Raps covered the growth of hip-hop from coast to coast. Covering the full spectrum while maintaining a connection with the up and coming street artists.

While the burgeoning BET had RAP City, the production and level of talent that came on Yo!MTV Raps eventually made it no contest. I remember rushing home or over to my friends house to see Yo!MTV Raps and pick up the latest in hip-hop, the haircuts, clothes, music and dances. I identified with the show and enjoyed every episode. At the time, it was one of the few ways you could catch the latest hip-hop videos.

Since Yo!MTV Raps was dropped from the line-up in 1995 there has been a void that hasn't ever been filled the same way for hip-hop and videos. If there's a petition to bring back Yo!MTV Raps please put my name at the top of the list.

Click here to view the recently taped Yo!MTV Raps Roundtable that brought together MTV VJ Sway facilitating a sit down with Yo! royalty Fab 5 Freddy, Dr. Dre & Ed Lover. Also commenting are Fabolous, Doug E. Fresh, Nelson George, Nekesa Moody, and Elliott Wilson. They chop up the power of the show and have a dialogue that is memorable.

PlanetMogul.com - New Professional Networking Site For Urban Users

Earlier this year, I made my second run at entrepreneurship. My last consulting firm was developed and launched while I was fully employed and was designed around a singular opportunity that didn't come through. Since I was moonlighting, I never had the time to promote and build my business. Moreover, there weren't nearly the tools there are today to encourage professional networking.

This year, I launched my marketing and communications agency, Nuance Marketing, LLC. As I endeavor to grow my business and brand, I've embraced new mediums such as blogging and networking sites. I set up profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Xing.com to promote my business and dabble in new age networking. I was fortunate enough to catch up with some great college friends but no immediate business leads.

PlanetMogul.com launched October 1, 2007 and is an innovative site that brings an aesthetic feel to the networking scene and put a professional twist on the platform.

Membership is free and registration was easy. Upon sign up members are encouraged to create either a personal or business profile and become a "Mogul" (I like being called a Mogul, nice touch). So this is when I really got excited about the functionality, because instead of asking questions about my favorite song or artist, I was asked for a Mission Statement, Areas of Expertise and Affiliations. I was also able to add a Blogger HTML button to link to my blog and upload a portfolio of my work and create a dynamic link to my profile page www.planetmogul.com/Edward06 .

Another unique feature to the site is the wealth of business information that's on the site. There is a diverse collection of success profiles called Moguls on the Move (MOTM). In this group there are Entrepreneurs, Executives, Celebrities, Politicians and Community leaders. The site also plans to host live chats for members with this group. For me it was unique to see the "Makings of a Mogul" for a range of people from Jay-Z to Michael Lee Chin (a true Mogul on billionaire status). It looks like these Moguls On the Move will be posting job opportunities and internships for their organizations. While there are recognized hip-hop moguls, you also have global Moguls like Sir Richard Branson and a number of music industry executives with true industry juice.

Planet Mogul also has an impressive collection of corporate profiles, with HR contact information, CEO Words of Wisdom and information on their corporate culture. Like the MOTM page, the corporations will be posting jobs directly to their profiles on the site.

This gives corporations a chance to recruit for diverse talent among the Planet Mogul membership.

The Education section has a collection of colleges, universities and trade schools with admission requirements and scholarship information.

The organization section for me was one of the highlights. As an Alpha man I was proud to see profiles of historically black greek fraternities and sororities but also much more.

Information on professional affiliations like the National Black MBA, 39 regional Minority Business Development Councils, philanthropies, etc.

There is a wealth of resource information including a Business Corner, Mogul Money (with a real time market watch) and a general lifestyle section and reviews called Mogul Essentials.

PlanetMogul.com will be hitting the road with their Moguls On The Move Tour hitting a number of college locations this winter and also a Mogul Makeover awarded on a quarterly basis to Moguls with the best business profile.

Previously, It took profiles on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and also a lot of time on Wikipedia in order to do what I did so quickly on PlanetMogul.com.

Important for me is that PlanetMogul.com is owned by Niche Marketing, Inc. an African American woman owned business based in Louisville, Kentucky. Niche Marketing is also the company that produces the Kentucky Derby Grand Gala the elite black celebrity event of the spring.

PlanetMogul.com fills a needed gap in the networking world. Visit the site at http://www.planetmogul.com/ and build a profile. That's another connect point. Also, the next time your brother, sister, or cousin comes to hit you up to promote their "label" or business, send them to PlanetMogul.com, it's free.

PlanetMogul.com has a sound theme for their membership campaign, simply put as "Build the Planet". Let's show our support for a site that's created to showcase this generation of Moguls that reflects the diversity of our urban experience.