The Blast Spotlight: Shinobi Stalin

Check out new music from Blast featured artist Shinobi Stalin!

Download the single "Nothing Like It"
Here: http://www.mediafire.com/?zzyg2xcyi4y


The Giant Blast interview with Shinobi Stalin

The Giant Blast: Why'd you decide to go with this name?
Shinobi Stalin: Shinobi comes from the video game obviously, he moved real smooth and threw darts, I took that and applied it to rhyming, the darts are the knowledge thrown. It was my rap style and aura manifested in game form. The Stalin part comes Joseph Stalin, when he had an enemy he erased them from history, I know that’s not really PC but fuck it the name comes off the tongue dope (laughs).


The Giant Blast: How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Shinobi Stalin: I guess I would have to say I'm myself, I am not trying portray anything that I am not. I want to fill the void of emcees who are scared to write about what they really know. Hip Hop has always been about being original and what’s more original and complex than your own life and experiences?


The Giant Blast: What inspired you to rhyme?
Shinobi Stalin: My brother was a big influence. I always wanted to do what he did. He skated and surfed so did I; he rapped so I had to also (laughs). I was born in the Bronx and grew up in Ozone (Orlando Florida) so Hip Hop is imbedded in the soul. The first song I remember is the Message by Flash and Furious Five. When I started hearing cats like Da Youngstas, Shyhiem, Nas, Lord Finesse, Rass Kass, etc.. I knew this was what I wanted to do.

The Giant Blast: What's one of your favorite songs that you've written and why?
Shinobi Stalin: I leave that up to the fans. All my songs have a favorite spot somewhere in my mind for some reason. I have a current one though, It is called "His Story" and was produced by Abbott. I talk about concepts, events, and themes from 3 different time periods. Its dope ‘cause a lot times when you research and put facts in songs the flow can suffer. I feel like I found a good balance.

The Giant Blast: What type of beats bring out the best in what you do?
Shinobi Stalin: I like sample heavy beats, loops, and simplicity. If the snare is good I am.


The Giant Blast: What producers have you worked with?
Shinobi Stalin: For My album Zombie Skool, I worked with Tone Blare, Juniali, AmIAm, Domingo, Vision Quest, and Reeplay of Civil Mics. Other Producers I have done songs with have been Abbott, Fundemental, Soy Is Real, K Delight, Evil Ed, The Drum Brothers, Codrum, Unselftitled, Ghetto Blaster, Bridge Beats, and a few others.

The Giant Blast: What producers would you like to work with in the future?
Shinobi Stalin: I really don't care as long as the snares hit hard and samples are fresh. (laughs)

The Giant Blast: Other than beatmakers, what artists would you like to work with?
Shinobi Stalin: Pretty much any artist that is gonna challenge and make me better as an emcee is who I want to work with.

The Giant Blast: What artist's have you worked with so far?
Shinobi Stalin: The Vets of Kin (Murdoc, Mygrane, J Biz, AmIAm, Tone Blare, John Street, P!, Clarity) Kap Kallous, Midaz, Sean J, Unique Assassin, Illustrate, Johnny Storm, Duck 13, Phantom Shinobi, Kronis the Ill, and Jay Diction.

The Giant Blast: What's next for Shinobi Stalin?
Shinobi Stalin: The Civil Mics Movement is putting out a Mixtape called B.R.A.I.L. Mygrane, Unique Assassin, and myself have an EP coming out real soon. Unique Assassin and I are the Overlords and we will put out a project called Nemesis. I am doing another EP with the producer Tempermental of Grey Matter, and my next album Invisible Man will come after all that.


The Giant Blast: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Shinobi Stalin: Touring, doing more shows out of state and country, getting more projects done letting cats know how Ozone gets down.

The Giant Blast: Where do you see hip hop in 5 years?
Shinobi Stalin: Hopefully in a better position than it is now. Sense music is becoming free the rappers that got in it for money are gonna go back to doing what should have been doing years ago. Look at rock and roll history and and you can see the parallels in hip hop.

The Giant Blast: What past projects do you have available and where can the fans listen?
Shinobi Stalin: My Last Album Zombie Skool is available on
http://www.cdbaby.com/shinobistalin. Itunes link http://itunes.apple.com/album/zombie-skool/id313035115?siteID=bKEBG4.hrDs-oUlt2dSE8L8IKKvm5bNV0A&ign-mpt=uo%3D5 or find a bootlegger who posted it up for free download i don't mind as long as ya'll are spreading the word.

The Giant Blast: Is there anything else you would like to plug?
Shinobi Stalin: http:// www.myspace.com/shinobistalin or follow me on www.twitter.com/shinobistalin Download Mygrane Mcnastee http://mygranehiphop.com/ Super Spic Memoirs mixed by Dj Ynot , Check out the Civil Mics Movement for updates on me and the crew, for more Ozone Hip Hop download the Ozone the Mixtape (c) of Potholes in my Blog http://potholesinmyblog.com/exclusive-potholes-in-my-blog-presents-the-ozone-mixtape/ or go to http://ujempire.com/ and click on the ourshow link they go live every Saturday afternoon. Also check out www.Ozonehiphop.com check the label http://www.dominationrec.com/

For more information on The Giant Blast and other Blast featured artists e-mail us at TheGiantBlast@aol.com

The Blast Spotlight: Fundamental (producer)

The Giant Blast's Interview with Fundamental.

The Giant Blast: Why do you call yourself Fundamental?
Fundamental: Well I'm all for originality and taking music where it hasn't gone before. I don't like hearing the same thing over and over again. So if anyone is to accomplish the task of doing what hasn't been done before, or at least expanding on something...they have to know the fundamentals. MJ would just be Harold Minor or Darvin Ham with out his work ethic and commitment to fundamentals. So I use that word to always remind myself of the right way to do things.

The Giant Blast: How would you describe your sound?
Fundamental: I know this is cliché, but I just describe it as my own sound. Yes you'll hear my influences in my music, but I make sure that I have something in there that only I can do. I'm just being me. With that being said, other people seem to say that my sound is what 90's hip hop would sound like in 2010 if it kept growing. "It just gives you that good feeling" is what I usually get from people.

The Giant Blast: What do you use to create your masterpieces?
Fundamental: FL Studio, Cool Edit, Yamaha DX7 mi di key board, M-Audio Firewire Solo, Neumann TLM 102

The Giant Blast: Are you looking to cop anything extra to go along with what you currently use?
Fundamental: I'm always looking to try new things. However, I'm more interested in getting live musicians to record.

The Giant Blast: How long have you been making beats?
Fundamental: 6 years

The Giant Blast: What secrets would you like to give aspiring beat makers?
Fundamental: Yes you should study other producers’ techniques. But study them in order to find your own. You're not helping anything by biting.

The Giant Blast: What's one of the worst experiences you've had as a beat maker so far and how did you learn from it?
Fundamental: My worst experience unfortunately has happened more than once and will continue to happen. Getting artists to pay me for my work. I’ve learned that you have to stay on people until the money is in your hand. Nothing is final until you have the money. People will bulls**t! It's part of the hustle though. I don't want to complain about it too much. I don’t get mad now. I just don’t guarantee anything with out the money in my hand or a signed contract. It show’s you who’s serious and who isn’t.

The Giant Blast: What is one of the highlights in your career as a beatmaker so far?
Fundamental: My biggest highlight would be getting a chance to form a bond with Ayatollah Jaxx and create Good Company. Musically we just seem to gel together. It's a blessing to have an artist completely trust your vision and creativity.

The Giant Blast: Who have you worked with in the past?
Fundamental: I've worked with Asylum 7, Carlitta Durand, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Theo, Shaya, M1 Platoon, G5 Clive, Major, Diverse, Green Fiend, and of course Ayatollah Jaxx.

The Giant Blast: Who would you like to work with that you haven't worked with already?
Fundamental: Oh man. A lot of artists. XV, J Cole, Drake, Wale, AZ, The Clipse,
Jay-Z, Nas, Little Brother, Common, Talib. Really and truly though, my life won't be complete until I get Greg Nice on one of my beats. His style is just like no other and he can make any song a song to remember.

The Giant Blast: What's next for Fundamental?
Fundamental: Good Company! We just finished Jaxx's solo album. I produced the lead single called "Ms 416". That track should be out in a week or so. After that we have our first full length Good Company album called The Stoic Renewal. In between all that, just working with my fellow Civil Mics artists on their projects. I’m always open to connect with new artists.

The Giant Blast: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Fundamental: What I'm striving for is to be about 3 or 4 albums deep with Good Company and have a cult like following. I want to be able to live comfortably (not necessarily rich) making the music I want to make. I honestly couldn't ask for anything more than that.

The Giant Blast: Where do you see hip hop in 5 years?
Fundamental: Well a lot could change between now and then, but from what I see, I really like where hip hop is going. I truly dig a lot of the new artists. I think in 5 years you're going to see artists on their own labels, with their own rules, putting out what they want a lot more than now. That's going to be the norm. With the ease of getting music out there, things are over saturated, but in 5 years I expect a lot of the mediocre s**t to phase out. People will just know how to search for artists by then. Right now there are too many hip hop fans that don't know how to find the music they like.


The Giant Blast: Anything you would like to plug, any shout outs?
Fundamental: Yea! Ayatollah Jaxx’s solo album Hello Hip Hop drops in March. Be on the look out for the lead single, “Ms 416”, in about a week. Then Good Company’s debut album is dropping late summer of 2010. Check the links to catch up on us!
Shout out to Twist and the whole Civil Mics Movement and my immediate circle. You know who you are.

Check out more of Fundamental's work at these places.

www.twitter.com/fundamental10

www.myspace.com/fundamentalproductions

www.myspace.com/wearegoodcompany

www.myspace.com/civilmics

www.youtube.com/mental05

www.facebook.com/therealfundamental

Good Company (produced by Fundamental)

"Might Not Make It" (DIRTY VERSION)

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?zjtnlwv0hzj

G5Glive (produced by Fundamental)

"Wasting My Time" (DIRTY VERSION)

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?qygznjyddzm

Civil Mics Movement

The Blast Spotlight: Ailee

Check out new music from Blast featured artist Ailee!!!

Download her new single "Shoe Game" here at http://www.mediafire.com/?zlwyz2qnxzy


Add Ailee on Myspace here at http://www.myspace.com/mzailee

For more information E-Mail us at TheGiantBlast@aol.com

The Blast Spotlight: Young Jinsu

Check out the new Blast spotlight of the week, Young Jinsu.

Young Jinsu
"Can't Get You"
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?dhyzzzeomig

Want more of Young Jinsu??
Check out these links....

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/young.jinsu
Bebo.com: http://www.bebo.com/youngjinsu
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/youngjinsu
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/youngjinsu4k

For more information e-mail us at TheGiantBlast@aol.com