Andy Suzuki is one of my favorite people, even if you put music aside. The dude makes great music, he's really talented and he's funny as hell too!
His sound is hard to explain but his music is unforgettable. And while the dude exudes confidence, he's probably one of the humblest musicians I've ever met. Anyway, Andy decided to take the challenge this week. Check out how he answered five random questions.
Stats Hometown: Washington DC Current City: New York City How long have you been doing music: Singing since day 1, playing with my band for three years. Discography: "300 Pianos" - 13 track CD on iTunes/AmazonMP3/etc Label: Independent Describe your music in five words or less: Acoustic Pop
TMB: Aight, let's get to the questions. Who was your celebrity crush at age 10, 15 and now?
Andy: Age 10: Eliza Dushku. I saw "Bring It On" 5 times. Age 15: Apolo Anton Ohno. Long Story. He was my half-Japanese idol. Now: Mila Kunis. No contest.
TMB: What TV character would you be and why?
Andy: JD aka Zach Braff from Scrubs.
TMB: You're at dinner with five people from history (living or dead) who are they?
Andy: Mila Kunis, Jessica Alba, Adriana Lima, Scarlett Johansson and John Mayer. We would have a great time.
TMB: You're stranded on an island with one other album, which album is it? (not necessarily your own music)
Andy: Jason Mraz - Live At Java Joe's. It's his live shit before he got famous and it changed my life. Before listening to this album I exclusively listened to hip hop and RnB. This album put me on the singer-songwriter path.
TMB: Jesus and Kanye West are producing a track for you. What's the name of the song?
Andy: "I'mma let you finish but Jesus had one of the best Beatitudes of all time."
Shyne and 50 still beefing? About what? FOH with the rap beef. Truth be told, rap beef is fake. Fake, fake, fake. It's cooked up in boardrooms by record execs and scripted like a reality show. Seriously.
Shyne lives on an Island and 50 is doing movies. Neither one of these dudes are doing anything Hip-Hop should really be concerned about right now. Oh and the counting money thing 50, that shit was lame. Oh well, check out the 50 video and then Shyne's response. I'll say this about the videos, they both have some funny quotables.
“You’re on a fucking island. You can’t go to war from a fucking island.”
"I didn’t know he was so desperate. He’s gone from confidential informant, witness-protection program dude, getting order [of protection] on muthaf—as. Now he’s a stalker. I was in shock. He called up saying he was ‘Jamal from Harlem.’ He didn’t call up saying he’s Curtis Jackson, Hawaii 5-0. He’s a busta. I can’t believe it.
I've known the homie OnCue for a while. He's one of the few people who makes music that has my personal email address. Hahaha! I've definitely been a supporter of OnCue and his work for a minute. I'm excited for his newest project, "Cuey Sings the Blues," dropping September 7th! The young kid is dope. Definitely keep your eye on him. Check out the promo vid.
Get high. Have sex. Get high. Party. Drink. Did I say get high? Ha! Yeah, that basically sums up this album. It's a cool and fun project from beatsmith Mikey Fresh and emcee Digital Dao who collectively are Circa 87. The project is definitely worth a listen.
Check out one of my favorite cuts off the project. If you dig it, head over to DJBooth and preview/download the rest of the joint.
That's probably the easiest way to explain Lance Drummonds' "Time and Space" album. But his album is more complex than that. It's about the complexity of the "baggage" we inevitably carry from relationship to relationship. And quite frankly, the album is dope.
I had the opportunity to check out Lance's album well ahead of it's release date. It was back in June that I first heard "Time and Space." From the initial listening, the project resonated with me. Tracks like "Share My Heart", "Gon' Love Me" and the album's namesake "Time and Space", all spoke to my real life experiences.
It will resonate with you too. Lance belts out lyrics that touch home, over well produced tracks. "Time and Space" gives our experiences a soundtrack.
I reached out to Lance just after he released his latest offering for a Q&A. Check out Lance in his own words.
The Mad Bloggers: Who is Lance Drummonds?
Lance Drummonds: If the music from the 70's and the 90's had a baby that could sing, that is who Lance Drummonds would be. He's from Elmont, Long Island, a college grad, and loves to connect with a crowd.
TMB: Sum up Time & Space in five words or less
LD: Transition from pain to promise
TMB: How was the journey to creating and putting out Time and Space?
LD: It was a long, tedious but a fulfilling process. Creating the concept and idea was easy because it was based on life experiences that both I and Old Money encountered but executing the idea was what threw me for a loop. Because it was my debut album, it had to be to as close to perfect as possible, so I recorded it, didn't like the sound then re-recorded, re-mixed and had it re-mastered all on my own budget. I was just speaking about this yesterday, what many listeners may not understand is that it takes a singer at least twice as long as a rapper or musician to create a song from start to finish. From the writing to the recording to the mixing could take easily up to 12-24 hours for one song, especially if you are critical with its sound and delivery. But all in all this process was full of lessons that I will take with me for the rest of my career.
TMB: What's the one track that speaks to who you are as a musician on Time and Space?
LD: Well, I think "Gon Love Me" is my favorite production on the album. It shows my range as a producer. But because I am a pianist, "Selfish" may be a more appropriate answer.
TMB: What's the one track that speaks to who you are as a person on Time and Space?
LD: HANDS DOWN, "Share My Heart Again." This song is the true emotional - cancer, I just want to crawl up and be alone song. And sometimes we just need that outlet, that medium to address what we are feeling and with me, music is the way to do that. I think this is the best example of how I transform my inner emotions, concerns or thoughts into a song that not only allows me to release it and get it off of my chest, but allows me to connect with someone else who may have been or who is going through the exact same situation. Because as a 20 something year old man, I KNOW I am not the only one who has ever been afraid to love again, so I think people can relate.
TMB: Random ... you're stuck on an island with one record for a year, what record is it and why?
LD: Michael Jackson, "Thriller" -- It has a song for every mood you will feel, should you be stuck on an island for the rest of your life. There is the "I'm on an island" party song in "P.Y.T" and on the other side of the spectrum there is the, "I'm on an island" solitude song in "Human Nature." You can't go wrong with that album.
TMB: And last but not least, what's next?
LD: I plan to do as many shows as possible to promote the album. Im heading down to Atlanta from August 19- August 22nd. I'm going to head to LA in the fall and I plan to have a few more shows in New York. I want Time and Space to reach as many people as possible, not because I want to go platinum but because I know there are a ton of people who can relate to this story and it is my duty to let them know they are not alone.
This popped up in my stream on Facebook and I had to repost this because it is too cute. Aaron and his brother Pierre hit the streets and subways of New York to give impromptu performances. If you recall, I wrote my first blog article on Aaron Marcellus and The Will Band. This vid features one half of the R&B duo, Aaron, performing Stevie Wonder. Enjoy kiddies.
Spoken word has always been dope to me. I use to love Def Poetry Jam. There is something so fresh about spoken word. Anyway, I caught this from Guante. It's footage from a piece he did in the semifinals of the National Poetry Slam. It's dope and you should take a minute (or three) to check it out. Enjoy.
Pretty ill (no pun intended) video. The track is off the upcoming DJ Muggs vs Ill Bill "Kill Devil Hills," which will be released August 31 on Fat Beats Records.
Check out the fresh project from Vancouver emcee Jason James and producer Rodney Hazar presented by DJBooth.net, RefinedHype.com, PotHolesinMyBlog and Kevin Nottingham. Definitely a good listen. Enjoy.
