Vic Mensa's Top 5 Influences

Vic Mensa has the most potential out of any other up and coming rapper. Vic and his band Kids These Days are playing Lollapalooza on opening day. Here are five things that influence Vic’s music and life.

Photo By Brennan Schnell

Kids These Days

You may ask, "What’s so special about Vic?" The talent is what’s so special about him. He isn't just a solo rapper; he is in a unique band like no other; Kids These Days. The band has influenced Vic's musical sense because it opened his eyes and ears to explore past hip-hop. Vic explains, "Kids These Days opened my eyes to different styles of music. They showed me how all music coexists within the collective fabric of music.


Getting into Rapping

They opened my eyes a lot more to music than genre." Vic got into rapping through his friend Nico who is also a member of Kids These Days. He got into the world of break dancing. Hip hop was a progression for him. It was naturally a better fit. He was into the world of graffiti and that made a spark in his rapping career since everyone who was tagging up buildings would play rap music. Not during the actual vandalism but on spare time.

The Desire to Succeed

Vic has big dreams. Growing up in an area where all he saw was people not being able to live their dreams. He has family in Ghana that he plans to help out when the money comes. Vic says, "I would buy my family in Ghana jeeps. They have crap roads and old cars." Of course when he makes big money he said he would buy cars for himself too but his family would come first. He would also say that he would give back to his neighborhood of Hyde Park. But he isn’t all about the money. He’s more about the success that fame would bring. Some rappers have mottos such as ‘Blowing Money Fast’ while he and his friends have the phrase, “Get Money, Save Money.”


Connecting with the Fans

One year Vic was performing at a small music festival. He remembers one girl who went up to him while she was crying. She was a huge fan of his. She told him that she just loved his music so much. His thoughts on that, "If you can touch people with your music, you got to keep doing it because you must be doing something right. It keeps you motivated to know that people really love your music"


Chicago

"City is the landscape, its work of art in its own." Vic represents Chicago; it's his city, his landscape, his canvas.”

Common is an accomplished Chicagoan that Vic looks up to. He feels that Chicago connection with him. His reason, "He was once in my position, a young rapper from the 'Chi' that's trying to make it big and look at him now... That's going to be me someday" With Chicago as his headquarters, a microphone as his channel and time on his hands, Vic is only going to improve time after time after time. The best thing about all this, we get to see it all happen. Whether it is with KTD or his solo career, the journey for success for Vic has just begun.

Denver Spotlight: BLKHRTS

Denver, Colorado isn't known for having a strong music scene. To be honest, I don't think i've ever heard Denver mentioned in a song ever.

Just because there is no large scene of music there doesn't mean that no good musicians don't go there. The Denver Post has a yearly Underground Music Showcase which puts unknown bands and artists on the stage to get them known.

Fierce Rappers

BLKHRTS is a trio of indie rappers. They are Denver natives. BLKHRTS is the outcome of Denver's grittiest and aggressive lyricists joined together.

They are made up of King F.O.E., Karma and Yonnas Abraham. They all contribute their tremendous wordplay, hypnotic flow and old school feel production to make an eclectic stage presence.

Their style of rapping isn't radio friendly. They talk about the bad things in life. Although they do refer to violence and drugs sometimes, the words they voice are powerful.

Check Out Their Song BLK S BTFL (Black is Beautiful)

Top 10 Acts Lollapalooza 2011

Lollapalooza is the music fan's ultimate weekend festival. Being from Chicago, its very accessible and conveniently in Grant Park. To all those who can't make it or just want to know what the best acts this year will be, I got you covered. :D

Photo by: Fuzzy Gerdes

10. Tinie Tempah, British rapper who broke through the charts with his smash hit "Written in the Stars" with Eric Stone. Also has a great song with Kelly Rowland called "Invincible"

9. The Cool Kids, Hip-Hop duo, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish rock the mic everywhere they go. Their party music gets everyone pumped up and ready to party their life away. They certainly do live up their name. They have a wide array of songs that will be stuck in your head. Basement Party being my favorite.

8. Patrick Stump is the former lead vocalist of the now disbanded Chicago rock group Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy has always been one of my favorite bands. I haven't followed Patrick's solo career but Fall Out Boy wouldn't be so awesome if it weren't for his voice. Check him out and let me know what you think about him.

7. Skylar Grey is one of my favorite voices i've heard on the radio lately. She has a soft voice that still is powerful. She has sung on the chorus for the Dr. Dre & fellow Lollapalooza artist Eminem's song "I Need a Doctor" and Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home" song. She should be amazing up on stage.

6. Cee Lo Green made the most original song I have heard in a long time. "Forget You" is more straightforward on the unedited  version but you also get the picture in the clean version. His music isn't hip hop but you would swear the man is a rapper. He also made the classic song for the ages "Crazy" under the moniker Gnarls Barkley. Great performer. Expect the greatest spectacle from him, should I remind you about his Grammy's performance?

5. Kids These Days in my opinion is the best band to play "Lolla" but the namesake of the band is going to keep them at the bottom of my top 5. As i said in a previous post, KTD has a unique sound that avid fans of the palooza will just fall in love with. Don't be surprised if they someday headline the festival.

4. Coldplay is one of my favorite music groups. All that they have accomplished since their humble "Yellow" beginnings. I think ever since Viva La Vida they have been the most influential band in my iPod. Chris Martin continues to be one of my favorite voices.

3. Deadmau5 is a electro artist/DJ who I discovered at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. His signature mouse helmet is awesome. His music is vibrant and empowering. You will find it impossible to not fist pump to all his electric chords and digital drums. Some songs I hope he performs are "Raise Your Weapon", "Some Chords", "Ghosts n Stuff" and "A City in Florida." This guy will have you hooked on electro music after you listen to him live.

2. With all due respect to Eminem, he is second on my list of performers at Lolla. His career accomplishments certainly outweigh his current music but Kid Cudi is more current at the time. There is no way of denying the greatness of Eminem's music. No matter what music you listen to, Eminem has to be in at least one spot in your iPod. Whether you enjoy his comic efforts or his serious music, Eminem is the best to ever rap. Point Blank.

1. Last but not least, KID CUDI is my favorite act of the festival. Ever since I first heard "Day N Nite" I fell into deep admiration for the music Scott Mescudi makes. He is a rapper but he isn't the typical gangster kind of style like many others. Cudi makes music that speaks to that lonely kid you always see sitting by themselves. He speaks about things that people can actually relate to instead of flashy cars and partying the night away. Expect him to rock the crowd. The Man on the Moon has landed himself on the top spot of Lollapalooza acts for 2011.

Notable acts that didn't make the cut for my list: Muse, Foo Fighters, Damian Marley & Nas, Bright Lights, Collie Budz, Arctic Monkey, Ryan Leslie, and Sam Adams.
For complete line ups and information about Lollapalooza, just click on the highlighted links.

Chicago Spotlight

Kids don't play instruments anymore. All they do is click and download music. You're never gonna see a bunch of kids get together to make a band and let alone get famous doing it.

That is where you're wrong. Kids these days do make music, more than ever. Its a way of seeking fame. They see kids like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift and they want to be just like them. But no one wants to hear young people make the same kind of music all over and over again.

We are used to teens being in groups sort of like Glee. This group my friends, is far from that. I present to you

 

Kids These Days

They are an eight person group from Chicago. They each have a different style to contribute. Liam is the guitar player and the vocalist that doesn't rap, the rapper being Vic Mensa. They are both complemented by female vocalist Macie Stewart. 

They have an urban bluesy feel to their music which also has a jazzy vibe due to Lane on the Bass, J.P. on the trombone, Nico on the trumpet and Rajiv on the saxophone. The hip-hop sense of being is brought to you by Vic Mensa who in my opinion is the best rapper no one knows about.

The group won the Chicago's Congress Theater’s Next Big Thing battle of the bands in November 2009. Their fan base has grown tremendously ever since then. They will be playing Lollapalooza on August 5th.

Expect KTD to grow to huge levels because of the attractiveness of their unique sound which would be drastically affected by the slightest change. KTD is the best band that no one knows about. But one day, they will be worldwide. 

Download their debut EP "Hard Times" on iTunes.

Check Out My Favorite Song, Summer Scent

Photo Slideshow: Breakout Stars of 2010-'11

Alot of stars have shined since last summer. Many of them brought a new style of music and many of them just keep it old school but do it well. Here are my favorite breakout artists of the past year.

Photos By: Andra Mlhali (Wiz Khalifa); Andrew S Photography (Mac Miller); BigSean (Big Sean); Richard Drew (Bruno Mars); HD Photoshoots (J.Cole); John Marshall TME (Tinie Tempah); Chris Pizzello (Mike Posner); Evan Agostini (Tyga); Jason Redmond (Nicki Minaj)

The Bottle Rockets: Its Not All It Seems

Everyone wants to be a rockstar to have a flashy life and bask in luxury. Why wouldn't they?

The Bottle Rockets are the perfect example of a band who has recognition but instead of asking why wouldn't they have the fame, its "why couldn't they?"

The Bottle Rockets are a band from St. Louis.

They write music about their experience with life. They have a sort of Springsteen feel to them.

They have personalities in their music that are tough and rigged. That somehow survive in this gritty world.

They don't have to do much thinking to portray their message. They experience that first hand.

The lead singer Brian Henneman is a part time worker who rides public transportation. You would imagine a rock band like them that have ten albums under their belt and have a modest fan base would at least have their own cars.

This goes to show you that even though a band could be successful, they won't be receiving the glamour as the Rolling Stones.

They aren't the only ones. All around the world there is many bands and new artists with similar stories.

Photo By: Rich Anderson

Read More About This on http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-18/entertainment/bottle.rocket.soundcheck_1_band-keith-voegele-brian-henneman?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

These Rappers May Be The Best And You Don't Even Know Them

You have heard of Kanye West. You've heard of Jay-Z. The list goes on and on.

Rappers are as easy to find as your nearest Starbucks. But picking out the very best unknown rappers is like a needle in a haystack.

Some of these rappers have a relatively great fan base but they aren't really known by mainstream America.

Not in this particular order, here are the 3 best rappers who you need to listen to and my personal favorite song.

3. Chiddy Bang is a duo of crisp beat making and real world rapping.

This song Nobody Has It Down has the great element of the production sound and the nice melody that can be stuck in your head as well as rhymes.



2. Rockie Fresh is a rapper from Chi-Town. If you listen to this guy your going to wonder how in the world he is not famous. His songs are that music that put you in a relaxing mood. His voice gives the beat a nice complementary element. Listen to his song They Don't Understand Why



1. Vic Mensa- another rapper from Chicago. Vic is in a band called Kids These Days. They make good music that you would swear should be on the charts. Vic has a flow to his rhymes that make you think of Drake. This kid is young and the potential to be great is high. Watch out for Vic in the future. Check out his song Too Hard.