Below I have a fantastic interview with Jade Tidy who represents Relentless Studios, we have a video version but it was ruined due to noise from the expo. So I have worked hard at writing the interview out for all you fans out there. You can still check out the video version of the interview if you wish to however. Also check out the artwork from the game, and thanks again to Relentless Studios.

 

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Gary A Swaby Interviews Jade Tidy of Relentless Studios

Gary A Swaby: Hi jade, we had the privilege of checking out this game yesterday. But could you just tell the fans a little bit about the game.

Jade Tidy: Sure, its called Blue Toad Murder Files. It’s coming out on the playstation network, and will be available in December. You play as a detective; as you begin the game you are having a good time chilling out, until someone gets killed. You then need to figure out who committed the murder. You are introduced to four possible suspects, you then go around the village chatting to the suspects and gathering their alibis. In between this there are puzzles and all kinds of extra clues for the players to figure out.

Gary: That sounds like a very cool concept right there, also unique. Speaking of unique tell us about the art style, because I see it is very fun looking and cartoonish for a murder mystery type of game.

Jade: We made about four or five different prototypes of the game and came up with a bunch of different styles. Then we came up with the sort of Pixar/Disney kind of style and that was a really strong image for us. It was a great job by our artist, and I can’t take any credit for that. It looks great.

Gary: Exactly, I love the art style and the way it looks. So as far as the missions in the game and how the player interacts, could you tell us a little more?

Jade: As a company we like to make games that are easy to interact with, so the challenge should be playing the game aside from actually getting to grips with the controls first. We have controls that are a bit like moving around a board game, so sometimes there’s one location and sometimes there’s multiple ones. So once you pick the location you will then go on to interact with the characters in that specific location. You may then be presented with a scene, and then after that scene you may be presented with a puzzle for instance.

Gary: Just expand on the puzzles for me if that’s ok.

Jade: All the puzzles are different, so they all have their own unique element to them. There is a range of different difficulties on each puzzle, but ultimately it should not be hard for a non gamer to figure them out.

Gary: Ok so would you say this game is very complex, or would you say it’s a very user friendly experience that perhaps a family could enjoy together?

Jade: We really tried to create an element of fun, we don’t try to take ourselves too seriously. We like to work on games where everyone can have fun, so it’s not a serious story where there is lots of blood and gore, it is not that type of game. It’s more about having a laugh as you go along; so it should be a game you could play with your mates, or on a Sunday, or when you have the family around.

Gary: We heard that there will be multiple episodes for the game, so let the fans know exactly how this will work.

Jade: We have 6 episodes in total for the series, two of which come out December the 17th. So you could choose to buy just episode one, or you could buy both episodes together. Then we will be releasing the next four episodes in a similar manner after the New Year. The story continues through, you could play them by themselves as well, you don’t have to play the whole lot. However you will get the full experience if you play them all.

Gary: So is there any chance that the story will continue after the six episodes?

Jade: Maybe not for this particular series, we might move the series to a new location. However we cannot really confirm nothing at the moment, I hope that we will get the chance to though as it has been a great experience for us.

Gary: Ok thanks for your time Jade, the game looks exciting so congratulations. We at the Koalition will let everyone know about the game.

Jade: Are you going to buy it?

Gary: Hell yes, of course.

Jade: (Laughs), thanks guys.

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All images are property of Relentless Studios.

Global Agenda is a fast paced third person shooter MMO which utilizes the Unreal 3 engine, it takes a very futuristic approach which allows for many nice gadgets and technological advances.

In the wake of severe global disaster, the political face of 22nd century earth has changed and player-created factions scheme against each other for power. Traditional full-scale wars a thing of the past, factions must rely on covert agencies, teams of elite special operatives able to seize and defend key facilities. The future of humanity is their battleground, where knowledge is power, technology is a race, and everyone has an agenda.

As you can see the game has a very strong base as far as a storyline, I get the impression that it will be very engaging. The game will allow you to jump in with friends and team up with agencies to topple the common wealth government, which should provide a strong sense of achievement within the gaming experience. If you have a couple of fellow PC gamers to create your own agency (which is basically Global Agenda’s version of guilds) this will surely provide a very fun experience that you will no doubt come back to over and over again.

Game wise you could compare this experience to a franchise such as Unreal Tournament or Quake. It is an extreme player driven world that is only as good as it’s player community. Global Agenda is a seamless multiplayer experience which should provide months of entertainment building up not only your character, but your agencies, advances in technology, weapons, industrial facilities and much more. Remember however that this is not just a third person shooter experience, it is an ongoing MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game.

Global Agenda will be available with a one time purchase package which gives you the main portion of the gaming experience, and in buying this you are never forced into paying a subscription. However the option for a subscription is there for those who wish to take the experience even further. This subscription will give you tons of extra content; such as more customization options, player crafting with blueprints, a mail system, an auction house with bidding and buyouts, and access to Alliance vs Alliance world domination game play and more.

With that being said, watch the interview below with Stew Chisam the vice president of Hi-Rez studios to find out more. Also enjoy the range of images we have for you below in the gallery, and don’t forget you can enter the beta on the Global Agenda website.

 

The Koalition had a chance to speak with Joe Budden himself, and ask him some questions, so read on as we ask the man himself the questions that other outlets have never asked him before.

So Budden can you tell us the progress of The Great Escape thus far? Is there a date yet?

It’s coming out amazing thus far, I really do feel like it’ll bee the best Joe Budden album to date, at least that’s what I’m striving for. The label is pushing for a Febuary release, so hopefully we’ll make it.

With good beats being hard to come by, how have you been able to keep up with good production on your albums? And what can we expect from the great escape?

I try to find diamonds in the rough, I also try to work intensely with a select group of producers to establish a certain sound and I think that’s been working pretty well for me.

Royce Da 5’9’s album is right around the corner, do you feel like you and your Slaughterhouse crew inspire each other to do better album wise?

I think we inspire, as well as push each other to do better, not only concerning music, but also concerning life.

How did you feel about the recent MTV Top Mc’s List?

I don’t feel any way about it, I take it for what it is… Not many people are able to apparently, which is why they keep making these lists (laughs).

How was it hanging with Eminem out there in Detroit for the Forever video?

It was an honor, I hold him in a high regard so… It was definitely a special moment in my eyes.

At The Koalition we are the Hip Hop and Gaming authority. So I have to ask, what is your favorite Video Game?

I don’t really play games too much anymore, I use to be really big on Resident Evil… Now, I only play whatever my son feels like playing (laughs).

You have used Street Fighter and NBA Live reference’s in your rhymes before, have any other video games inspired your songs?

Hmmm… Not that I can remember, but I was really big on those games.

If there was a Joe Budden video game what would it be like, who would be the enemy?

Whoever the enemy would be, he’d be extremely difficult to beat… It would make people keep wanting to play it.

Getting back to hip hop, how do you feel about the state of hip hop right now?

I don’t pay enough attention to accurately be able to answer that question… I’m only concerned with Joe Budden & Slaughterhouse, everything else is none of my business.

The ‘This Is 50′ fest showed that MC’s can you unite as one for the good of the fans, how was that whole experience for you, especially speaking with Lloyd Banks?

I really enjoyed my conversation with Banks, I respect his work and speaking to him it let me get a better picture of the person and not just the artist… As far as uniting, I’m always for artists doing that.

Although many consider you one of the greatest lyricists out right now, you don’t have many awards. Many fans know not to take these award shows serious by now, but is it still a goal to try and get one?

Goal ??? No… Would it be nice ? Sure it would be… I’m at a point in my career where I don’t need those things to confirm the quality of my work… I’m on some other shit (laughs).

Any Joe Budden fan can sense how much you evolved as an MC, you used to be mainly about the punch-lines. However you have shown great growth in your music, what do you feel was the main reason for the growth? (no pun intended)

I think in order to have longevity in this game you have to grow, evolve as an artist so, I just try to make sure the music matures along with the person.

Thank you very much for the interview Joe, please feel free to give any shout-outs.

Shout-out to @mousebudden, joebuddentv.com, my blogtv.com fam and all the fans who’ve supported me through-out the years. Thank you, it’s highly appreciated.

[Co written by Gary A. Swaby]

Wizard of Poetry In Stores Now

Don’t forget Skepta’s new single Lush is out now available for purchase, as well as his latest album Microphone Champion.

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1. So Skepta your new album Microphone Champion is out, and we know its hot, but can you tell me how you feel about this new album personally?

I feel that it’s got more bangers on it than any other UK album that came out this year.

2. The Koalition has many UK readers, but even more US readers, so can you school them a little on what you bring to the table lyrically?

The sickest bars from the UK, no one can spit like me except JME, Big H, P Money and Tempz. But apart from them and maybe a couple others the clarity that I have on the mic is second to none. Everyone else wants to be American, you can hear I’m an MC from the UK who used to listen to Heartless Crew. Plus I produce, I bring nothing but vybz to the music I make … NEXT HYPE!!

3. How does the divide between US urban and UK urban music make you feel?

American culture is Hip Hop, they are always gonna be them. Everyone thinks they are going to go to America and blow but when I went there, there are youts on road trying to sell their music. If these people are out there everyday who do we think we are, trying to go over there for two weeks and blow up?

I want to be big in Europe, I don’t care about America right now before they take on grime there are millions of other hop hop artist that are gonna have to get recognized first.

Then again, the divide doesn’t stop anything because UK artists are number one in England AND America right now (Chipmunk & Jay Sean)

4. Tell us a little bit about how the UK grime/Hip Hop scene works?

You do music
You make a CD
Do videos
People get to know about you.

Basically you have to put A LOT of work in or QUIT!

5. The Koalition is the Hip Hop and Gaming Authority, So I got to ask you this. What was your earliest experience (that you can remember) with Video Games?

Duck Hunt on the very first Nintendo, I used to hide behind the sofa and pop my head up and try and shoot the ducks
I thought it was real!

6. Who is your favorite Video Game character?

Raiden (Mortal Kombat)

7. What would a Skepta/Boy Better Know Video game be like, who would be the villain(s)?

I would be the villian, I would be the boss. I’d be the guy you can’t beat and my name would be ……… Skepta!
The game would be an mc battle, and at the end of the level you have to mc in front of the crowd and whoever gets the most crowd cheers has to face me – the boss!

It will be called: Lyrical Assasins, the front cover would have me, JME & Big H’s faces on a white background with gold and black writing AND it will be available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

8. Has video games ever influenced your music, or have you ever wanted to do a video game project (such as a soundtrack)?

No but I wanted to made a soundtrack for GTA San Andreas, if they made the English GTA I’d want to make a beat for it
That would be deep!

9. Being a fan of your music for so long, I am fully aware of Boy Better Know, but can you tell our readers more about them?

Boy Better Know is a collective of friends that make anthems and we represent Grime
We’ve got a vibe that no one else has got that’s why we make the best tunes also everyone in Boy Better Know has a girlfriend except me.

10. You have a lot of hits on Microphone Champion so many that I cant even pick a favorite, but do you have a personal favorite?

Yeh, My personal favourite tune on my whole album is ‘Are You Ready’

11. What do you feel makes you a Microphone Champion?

Because I make hits, when I write a lyric I want it to be so clear that ANYONE can understand it
My clarity is impeccable and I have wit, plus every clash that I have – I win!

12. Ok Skepta thanks for the interview, shout outs to the whole Boy Better Know and JME (and your other brother and sister, your whole fam blud because I’m know your all talented), please feel free to drop any shout outs right here.

Hold tight my sister, Jamie my little brother Jason. Big up my Mum and Dad
www.twitter.com/Skepta – follow me until I do something wrong.
Always Ready

The Koalition Interview with Gamestaq Co-Founders, David Faham & Joe Gindi

1) What is Gamestaq?
About 18 months ago Joe and I were talking how we weren’t happy with the options out there for buying/selling our games.

There were some very cool new trading sites out, such as Goozex, but we were looking for something with a little less commitment, and dealing in cash.Our choices were pretty much Gamestop or eBay… which for obvious reasons we weren’t too happy with. So, we sat with pad and pen in the lobby of the Empire State Building and started writing out ideas… anything our crazy minds could come up with, big or small.

A few more mid-town brainstorming sessions and we ended up with the groundwork for Gamestaq.com
At the core, we’re a gamer to gamer marketplace where the game values/prices are set, and there’s no middle-man retailer marking up the games. Gamers buy and sell directly with each other at the set price, and Gamestaq takes a small transaction fee.

This way, the gamers end up with the best and fairest game values (whether buying or selling).
And it’s dead simple. There’s no trade tokens. No bidding. No store credit, or pain in the ass clerks asking about preorders.
Just a place for gamers to easily buy and sell their games at the best prices anywhere. Period.

2) Why is Gamestaq better then Amazon and Gamestop? How are you guys able to provide good quality rates for both trade-ins and used games?

Gamestop, Amazon, Walmart, Toys R Us, and the rest of the crew, all use the same old used-game business model.
They buy the game from you for as cheap as possible, and they sell it to the next guy for as much as they can. Buy low, sell high.
Their profits on used games are through the roof. That’s why we’re seeing more and more retailers jump on the bandwagon.
In the 1st qtr of 2009, Gamestop made $263 Million in Gross Profits on $548 Million in used game sales. That’s close to 50% markup on YOUR games.

Gamestaq is looking to reinvent the used-game business… by putting it in the gamers’ hands.
This is f#%’n 2009! We should be able to deal directly with other gamers anywhere in the country, instead of through a middleman company.

Using our value system, we provide the price for each game on the site. This way, every buyer and seller knows exactly how much they’ll be paying/receiving for their game just by browsing the site. Gamestaq takes a small fee to keep the lights on and servers running.

For example:
Batman: Arkham Asylum
@ Gamestop they’ll give you $25, and sell it used for $55
@ Gamestaq, you’ll buy or sell it for $38.

Again Gamestaq only takes a small fee to keep the lights on and servers running. Bottom line is we’re taking the profit that the retailers make on your games, and giving it back to you.

GAMESTOP is the main culprit in corrupting the practice of selling used games. The value you may think your getting by trading in your games is actually minimal compared to the profit they make off of you. Its important to remember that as a consumer you have options and therefore you should definately do your homework beforehand.

3) By charging a Gamestaq fee for every transaction, how are you guys making a profit thus to continue providing superior business to all your customers?

The Gamestaq Fee per transaction is $1 or $2 to buyer and seller, depending on the value of the game.
Right now we are focusing on building a strong community of gamers which will generate enough transactions to keep us profitable and allow us to keep pushing forward. At the end of the day, it’s the user that will make or break the system… and we believe it will be the former.

4) How often do you guys update your catalog? Once the site opens up to a full library of games how far back will your catalog go?

During Beta, our catalog is updated every week or so with new games in each console. Games that are added include new releases as well as games requested by our users. We pay very close attention to the requests of our community and many of our games added have come from user requests. As we go forward and increase our users, we will be listening to them on how far back they want the catalog to go. Of course we have the capability of going back to 8 or 16 bit gaming… but as much as we love our glory days, we don’t want to just overload the site with games from 1988. So, we will be watching for what the community wants.

5) What are your plans for the site beyond BETA?

We want to keep building on top of the core concept of the site.
Adding more features like, Buyer and Seller queues . Social interaction. Facebook/Twitter tie ins. PSN/XBL tie ins. Etc.

And to take over the world, of course! After all, we are gamers.

If you enjoyed this interview and would like to check out their beta catalog feel free to hit them up online HERE

Calling all hip hop practitioners, it’s that time again. As many gamers already know one thing that can make any video game stand out next to awesome graphics is an incredible soundtrack beneath it. Recently record giant EMI has called on game makers to feature more new artists in titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero to attract the younger user.

EMI synchronization boss Hywel Evans told MCV:?“ It would be great to see more new music used in games. To date, a lot of the success of titles such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band have relied on classic tracks, which obviously is great as EMI has a fantastic catalogue. But as more and more new and younger consumers buy games, providing them with the opportunity to interact with new music will engage a whole new audience.” An NPD report revealed in July that music game sales in America had fallen by almost 50 per cent for the first half of the year – yet Evans is still optimistic for growth in the sector, particularly thanks to new iPhone applications and The Beatles: Rock Band.

So what if you are a new artist who wants to figure out how to land a licensing deal within the gaming, television, or the motion picture industry? What should you do, where should you turn? Well the first place you should look to is the company Affix Music. Music has always flourished on a common interest and open collaborations. Affix is the premium music licensing company that understands the needs of both music creators along with commercial buyers and knows how to successfully execute the goods. One of Affix’s attributes is in its mission to make licensing easier and more profitable for everyone involved. Affix has a plethora of strategies catering towards new business channels in Television, Films, Advertising, Gaming, and Digital Media. The proprietary licensing platform can help clients generate new income streams and gain greater exposure for their work.

Affix works with the emerging and established talent behind some of the most successful urban acts. Knowing that The Koalition makes it a focal point of bringing hip hop and the gaming industry together, I hit up the owner of Affix Music Simon Horrocks in hopes of bridging the gap and inspiring the readers to expand onto the next horizon of your musical careers. Simon Horrocks is the giant of music licensing and to be the best you have to call upon the best.

S. Jeanine: Can you start off by simply telling the people who you are and a little bit about your professional background.

S.H: Absolutely I come from the artist side of the business as a writer, producer, and artist for a long time. I actually grew up in Detroit and Chicago playing jazz then I got involved with electronic music. I was in a band for about 10 years and practically lived on a tour bus while making a few albums for some major record labels. Once I tired of that lifestyle I moved into management and started working for a firm for the next 5 years. I worked with small groups getting them record deals and I started to see how the nature of the business began to change into something totally different. I then got involved with Ciara’s team and started working with her on her first record, which led me to working with Devyne Stephens who discovered the singer Akon ; this is where I came up with the idea of creating Affix Music.

S. Jeanine: How does music licensing work?

S.H: The music licensing works in a couple of different ways. Essentially music is protected under copyright law, and as the copyright owner you have the right to synchronize a master recording with the underlining composition with a moving image. For that there are actually two specific copyrights there’s the copyright for the master recording of it and you’ll get paid a fee for any specific usage. The usages can vary they can be for film, television, video games, a website or blog, or a number of different usages. Underneath that there is the territory and the term. There are a number of specific criteria that must be met in licensing for every specific license.

S. Jeanine: What role if any does a Publisher and PRO (performing rights society) play in music licensing?

S.H: They play a very big role. Traditionally if someone has a publishing deal than the administrating publisher generally negotiates the prices of the usage of the underlying composition. In the traditional licensing world under the old model if you’re an artist and writer signed to a major label deal and then a publishing deal, those two entities are the ones who negotiate the rights for licensing your deals.  But in the independent world the responsibility falls more in the hands of the creator so what we do is we actually act as a licensing agent for those independent owners of content.

Performing Rights Organizations play a role in licensing when they collect performance royalties and there are only certain types of usages for synchronization that generate those streams of revenues. Both of those roles are highly significant.

S. Jeanine: Can you explain on what it means to have your music “pre-cleared”?

S.H: With pre-clearing generally in the past when you were selling your music or entering into an agreement with a record company at that point the clearance process would occur being the point of monetization. When we pre-clear music we work with our music providers to identify who the rights holders are then get their consent to act on their behalf to license their music. It’s a bit of a process to go through on the front end, but it’s well worth it because of the way that production schedules have changed they’re a lot faster and people need answers a lot quicker than previously. By pre-clearing the music it allows us to act instantaneously.

S. Jeanine: You work with a lot of independent acts does it make a difference whether the artist is signed to a record label or not?

S.H: Yes with what we’re doing at Affix, we are really only are dealing with independent content owners. So we’re not dealing with the majors we want to work with those who are signed to independent companies or are out on their own.

S. Jeanine: Who are some of your former clients?

S.H: We’ve worked with a number of different entities that have really shaped our business. I helped Athletes Foot find some music for their commercial, which was the first deal that I did. From there I developed a relationship with Clear Channel and started to help them find content for a number of the major brands and consumer goods companies that they were working with. From there I ended up doing projects for HBO and BET then I landed a situation with Disney.

S. Jeanine: What criteria must a music creator possess before you’re willing to take them on as a client?

S.H: Well first of all they’ve got to have great quality music. It needs to be in the market place along side of the stuff that can be produced by a major label. The potential client also has to be able to account for the ownership of that music such as whether he or she owns it flat out 100% or being able to identify whom the other people are who own the music as well. Next he or she must be a member of a Performing Rights Organization ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Lastly the music cannot contain any samples at all because it affects the ability to control the entity.

S. Jeanine: When your take a persons music how do you know where to shop it, whether to go after the gaming industry, advertising, movies or television or do you just shop the material to all outlets and see who responds first?

S.H: Well in the past we’ve done some pre-selecting as clients request that we find certain music for them and their need. We kind of tried to solve their problem. Right now we are in the process of creating a platform that allows brands and companies to look for the music themselves. So the companies will be able to search through our system and find what they need for a project based on the criteria they are asking such as by genre or theme.

S. Jeanine: How long does it typically take to negotiate a licensing deal for a new client?

With the old model it could take weeks and months, but now the way we have set up our system it can be instantly. Our process is that any time someone comes and listens to music within our catalog it’s already pre-cleared and available for licensing. So literally once they’ve made their selection they go through a form of licensing matrix that can take as little time as up to 20 seconds to provide them with the cost to use the specified music. It would probably take you longer to put in your credit card information than it would to license the track.

S. Jeanine: Your motto is “urban music licensing made easy.” How or what does your company do to lighten the load for any artist who may be pursuing a licensing agreement verse attempting such on their own?

S.H: One thing we do is providing the pre-clearing process and we do non-exclusive deals. We take the considerable amount of time and effort making sure that we’re tracking everybody down and getting the job done. We have a lot of expertise in licensing music, but we also have in the process of understanding how the music was created. We’ve taken a wealth of knowledge and applied it towards providing an advanced service. We focus solely on licensing their music. We match them up with brands and other outlets.

S. Jeanine: Your system allows creators to keep their copyrights can you elaborate on how the non-exclusive deals work.

S.H: My partner Michael and I either have been artist or represented artist and as such we work very hard to protect artist rights. We champion artist and writers because we understand what it’s like to be standing on that side of the fence. Our company was specifically designed to be artist friendly while allowing us to still perform our jobs. As far as the terms are concerned our deals are one year long. They are completely NON- EXCLUSIVE. We assume no rights! The only thing that we do ask for is that we are allowed to act on behalf of the music as its licensing agent and make the deals happen.

S. Jeanine: Are there any upfront associated cost that potential clients may need to be aware of such as your fee for representation?

S.H: We operate on a NO FEE model. There are no fees for artist to get their music into our system. We have a standardized agreement that we do with each client. The only thing we encourage artist to do money wise is too make sure that they have an attorney look over the agreements with the new companies before they sign. We just want to be an advocate for good music, and we certainly don’t charge for that. We make our money on the brand side not the artist. We bring the artist money not the other way around.

S. Jeanine: What do you love most about what you do for a living?

S.H: I love working in the music business. I love building the company with my partner. I love the creativity of a great piece of product. I enjoy and get really excited each time we  make a song placement. I feel really proud of being able to generate revenues for people.

A: Pure, raw, unappreciated talent. By the masses, that is. Anyone who’s really listened to the artists out here, came to shows, listened to their mixtapes/EPs/LPs, they already know the amount of talent out here. It really holds a breath of fresh air for hip-hop, the roots of the lyrical MC, with
the twist of the new-age experimental artist. It’s a very dope scene.

Q: Let the people know what to expect when listening to a Lyriciss record.

A: Passion and cleverness. I wear my heart on my sleeve in my music and otherwise, so I tend to talk about personal topics a lot, but I also have the lyrical ability and sense of humor to make a casual fan still enjoy the music.

Q: What or who would you say are your biggest influences?

A: Honestly, my life experience has been the BIGGEST influence. There’s obviously artists I’ve always respected and looked up to while growing and cultivating myself as an MC, people like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, DMX, Jay-Z, AZ, Nas, Joe Budden, etc. Even nowadays, I’m a fan of the newer artists like Wale, Drake, J. Cole, XV, Phil Ade, and more.

Q: The Koalition is all about the fusion of Hip Hop and gaming; so tell me,
whats your favorite video game?

A: My favorite game of all time is Chrono Trigger for the SNES. I’m big on RPGs, which is why I’m a little disappointed with the new generation of consoles, because there aren’t many good ones out nowadays. It’s like RPGs kind of got lost in the mix of the technology advancement. Final Fantasy
VII, VIII, & IX also get honorable mentions. Nowadays, though, you’ll probably catch me on the 360, playing Madden 10 or Fallout 3. I’m playing both of those heavy.

Q: What would a Lyriciss video game be like, who would be the enemy?

A: It’d be an RPG, kind of in the same fashion as Fable or Fallout 3. You’d take me being born, have me grow up, put me through a bunch of random messed-up situations growing up in the DC area, pick whether I take the good route or bad route, and enjoy the positives and negatives of that. The
enemies would be dirty hustlers, crooked cops, wack rappers, & record label executives. (laughs)

Q: If there was one game you could do a soundtrack for, what would it be
and
why?

A: Whatever the next Grand Theft Auto game will be. Let me do that soundtrack…do we really need reasons when we’re talking about GTA? It’s an open-ended game, I can give an open-ended answer. (laughs) I’m just sayin’, though!

Q: What are your general thoughts on the state of hip hop right now?

A: It’s more quantity than quality. Everybody wants to be a rapper nowadays. I was rapping since age 9…I’m 21 now. When I was coming up and rapping, it wasn’t cool for you to be a rapper in DC, unless you were in a go-go band. You’re from DC and trying to rap? “What’s wrong with you? You from New York or something?” (laughs) Unless you were copying Scarface or UGK’s style,
that was the only way to get by in DC as a rapper. You had to sound like you was from Houston. But yeah…hip-hop isn’t what it used to be, from the art to the industry. Luckily, the corny rappers are sweating right now, because the record sales are going down, so they might quit soon, leaving the MCs that truly love the craft to move back into the shine.

Q: Which one of your songs are you most proud of?

A: “Welcome To Me”…that song is a song I hold very close to me for many reasons. I got extremely personal on that song…I spoke on my feelings about the industry, my daughter, and my ex. When I wrote that song, I was at one of the lowest points I’d been at in a long time, so it’s just a song I
truly deem special.

Q: Whats the highest level of success that you would be satisfied with, as
far as making music?

A: Sky’s the limit as far as success goes…the lowest I’d be comfortable with is the level where I can make the music I want to make and still live comfortable and have my daughter right. Anything less than that is unacceptable.

Q: Do you think that the constant emphasis on numbers makes it hard for
decent MC’s to be taken seriously?

A: Eh, possibly. Maybe by the mainstream crowd, but what people need to understand is that record sales are so minimal nowadays, especially with these 360 deals being given out as standard. The main focus should be grabbing up a loyal fanbase that will support you regardless.

Q: Anything else you want to say to the people? (feel free to give shoutouts
here too)

A: Look out for my new mixtape, “The Practice”, dropping in October. Shoutsout to Candice Nicole, EQuinox Professionals (Lord Vada, Tobari Fingal, J-Twizz, Kiersten, Miss Ice, Pro’Verb, NandoMcFlyy., Deron, Tae Barz, & Day-Day), DMG (NandoMcFlyy., Cayan, Deron, The Model Citizens, Sneaker V., & ShaunJay), the whole Inner Loop Records family, Aye Lifestyle, & my whole DMV hip-hop scene. Also shoutsout to my homies Fashawn & Shawn Chrystopher out on the West coast…much respect to the true artists. Love y’all…peace & hip-hop.

OK man thanks for taking the time answer our questions man, The Koalition wishes you much success in the future and let’s continue to support each other..

peace

Calling all hip hop practitioners, it’s that time again. For as long as we can all remember people have wanted to taste the unyielding pleasures of fortune and fame. Some would do just about anything to stand in the limelight yet many have no clue how to begin such a journey. If you’ve ever wondered how to attain success from the music biz particularly as a hip hop superstar then you should look no further than one man, Jai Hutcherson.

He proudly wears such titles as Record Producer, Audio Engineer, Drummer, Author, & Music Consultant/Manager. Mr. Hutcherson has mounds of credits to his resume like, Best Album of the Year – (World) Solas “The Words That Remain”?Grammy Nomination – Best Male Vocal – Rick Denzien “Exit 21″?Platinum Award – The Roots “Things Fall Apart” (Geffen)?Platinum Award – Whitney Houston “Heartbreak Hotel” (Arista)?Gold Award – Lil Scrappy “Money in the Bank” (Reprise). Let’s just say the man knows his stuff like the back of his hand. Even better he makes it his personal mission to equip those around him with the proper techniques and methods to succeed in the music world.

Jai is an accomplished and well-respected consultant and manager having aimed is business savvy knowledge towards aiding any and everyone who wants to take a stab at the music industry. He has a proven track record and what’s even more daring, he possesses the rare asset of humility in an entertainment landscape. Mr. Hutcherson has also just released his first book, “Hip Hop Business Advisor,” a step by step guide for hip hop artists teaching how to start, manage, market, and profit from their careers or independent record label. The book is a music business masterpiece and a must have for anyone who recognizes the talent of hip hop pumping through their veins. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in the studio and seen sessions get started late or halted in order to jump on the Xbox or Playstation. You might say that some are skilled enough to hold the mic in one hand and the controller in the other. As such I recently reached out to Jai to gain further insights for all of you gamers or simply admirers of the art who can spit a hot sixteen and feel that you may have what it takes to truly make it to the next level.

S. Jeanine: First and foremost I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to conduct this interview. I want to begin by allowing you to plug any new projects, ventures, or promotions that you’d like to make mention of for the public to be on the look out for.

J. Hutcherson:   The main thing that I want to make the public aware of is my hip hop business advisor website www.hiphopbusinessadvisor.com. It is a free resource that is updated constantly with new helpful materials. Very soon we are really hoping to have around 1500 radio stations, urban radio stations from all over the country not just internet but actual terrestrial radio stations to aid artist with their projects. We are trying to create a master list of all stations.  With all pretty much step-by-step instructions on how to submit your music to them to try to get play. But the biggest thing is just to focus on the hip hop business advisor website as a core resource for hip hop rap and urban artists. Also we have the book The Hip-Hop Business Advisor and we hope to sell it.  But aside from that, the website is our main focus for the company right now.

S. Jeanine: What type of credentials do you possess or what qualifies you to consult within the recording industry? What attributes should artist/ record labels look for in a consultant or anyone for that matter to know that he or she is legit and not a con before disbursing any funds?

J. Hutcherson:  Yeah there are a lot of them [cons] out there.  First and foremost, what separates me or how people can tell I’m not a scam artist is just do a simple search for Jai Hutcherson in Google and see what pops up.  It is nothing negative.  Everything that I claim on my consultant website is verifiable through Google or Yahoo searches.  I only put down and put out there what I have done, what I can do and what I am currently doing.  I don’t hype myself you know cause like you said there are a lot of con artists.  My credentials are 20 years in the industry and working with some of the top names in the industry from the regional guys to the start up local nobody.  Some of my biggest accomplishments are Millennium Records artist Taz.  I’m the one who got him his Def Jam South deal. I’m also involved with doing some of the largest Spring Break and Black College Promotional Radio tours.

S. Jeanine: What keeps an artist from staying at the middle of the road? Meaning we’ve all seen artist who do everything correct and by the book but only achieve a mediocre success. What elements do you think can push an artist all the way to the top?

J. Hutcherson: Once you get to that mediocre level there’s a lot of folks out there that decide mediocre is good enough. They say, “yeah I wanna be on the top, but I love what I’m doing here.  I’ve got change in my pocket so I can go out and party now, or I can do this, and be a big shot.”  I call them hood heroes.  These are the cats that have marginal success around their hood and the big boys on campus.  But in reality across the world or just the US, they’re nobody and nobody knows about them.  They get content with that.  The ones who take it to the top are the ones who continue to work those twelve-hour days because they can see what working that long day does.  They start working 16 hours a day.  That’s what’s getting people over the hump.

S. Jeanine: Typically artist would contact a consultant to render services but do you ever find yourself approaching an act and offering to represent them? If so then what type of characteristics would an artist have to possess in order to compel you to do such?

J. Hutcherson: Actually I do approach artist sometimes. In fact that’s the story of my latest act.  He’s actually a Christian artist, which I’ve never been in that arena before to be honest.  He had everything and didn’t have anything.  He came to me with ideas for songs.  I met him in the studio and I saw the drive, the passion, the wanting, and the look.  I saw that he was polished up and could actually go to the top.  Those cats are whom I start managing, instead of being a consultant.  Instead of just trying to direct them, I take them on as a full management artist and start handling things for them.  He had the “it” factor, the team, and the drive.  He had the songs and he had this charisma about him that allowed him to walk into a room and take command while staying absolutely humble.  To me that’s what somebody has to have.

S. Jeanine: At what point when working with an artist can you conclude that you’ve reached success within their project?

J. Hutcherson:  That’s a two-part question.  Is it success for me or success for them?  The first thing I do with a client is sit down and have a meeting to get a better idea of who they are and what are their objectives. I ask them a series of questions, it literally is a 100-question questionnaire and it goes from everything from “what’s your favorite color, to what they know about the industry, to their background?” It covers everything that I thought I’d want to know or need to know about a client to be able to take them to the top. The questionnaire, allows me to see their goals. The first thing I ask people are “What are your goals? What do you want to do? Define success to me.”  You get answers that people don’t really put a lot of thought into it.  They are diving in to be an artist or a superstar and they don’t even really know what defines that.  My questionnaire answers it for me so I know where they really want to be in the industry.  So the answer to part A is once I reach their goal that’s potentially 100%.

As for my answer B, I always try to take somebody at least double beyond his or her goal.  If an artist comes in and says we are releasing our first album and want to sale at least 20,000 units in the first four months.  Then we would have enough money to sign these other two artists that we want to sign, and get there.  To me that goal is to sale 40,000 units in four months.  That’s success, but in reality, success is people knowing who you are and someone selling enough units that they are no longer having to come out of pocket to do any kind of marketing or any kind of work, not paying consultants, etc.

S. Jeanine: What is the single-handed most common mistake that you see new artist/record labels make while trying to break into the entertainment industry?

J. Hutcherson: They think its party.  They think it’s a game.  They don’t realize that it’s 100% business.  Everything you do, everywhere you’re at, every corner you turn, every person you talk to, every email you send, every correspondence or social networking, blog posts, or anything you put out there is part of your business.  They don’t take it seriously enough to ever get past “you’re just a local artist.”

S. Jeanine: It is very important to have the proper legal representation as well as be cost effective as an independent record label, so how do outlets like Legal Zoom or Pre-Paid Legal measure up for someone attempting to cut a corner rather than hire an attorney on retainer?

J. Hutcherson: For setting up LLCs for your business, for standard contracts, agreements, for shows and things like that, I think Legalzoom and things like that are wonderful because you don’t need an inside look in the entertainment industry to set up a LLC.  You don’t need an inside look at the entertainment industry to have a contract for a show or even a mini tour.  But to go into a record deal, to go into an endorsement or distribution deal, or even a licensing deal overseas.  Licensing deals are happening every day now because major labels don’t want to sign an artist.  Instead of signing them they are licensing them to the rights of their masters.  Entering into deals like that, you have to have an entertainment attorney or you are going to end up getting screwed.  There is no paralegal that can understand these deals; you have to have an entertainment attorney.

S. Jeanine: With everyone using Myspace, Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking sites some times artist become overtly relaxed and content with this being the main means of promotion? What do you say to this?

J. Hutcherson: I say it’s the biggest joke in the industry.  I’m 100% a social networking freak. I love it and you can absolutely make or break an album on social networking.  The best way I can put it is, what I’ve seen these artists do besides just take it for granted is I have artists contact me every day “I’ve got 40,000 friends.  I’ve got 39,000 plays.  I’m known by everybody.”  What I say to those folks is to go into a restaurant, any restaurant.  Walk in the front door.  Have a boom box in your hand.  Walk up to every person in that restaurant.  Shake their hand and say “I’m Joe Blow. Listen to five seconds of my song.”  Then move on to the next person and go through everyone in that restaurant and then walk out the door.  Then tell me how many friends you have.  How many of those people you met you can call acquaintances? The answer is zero.   Some artists get it.  The majority of artists go out and they think that saying “Add me as a friend” and never talking to or noticing that person again makes them have a fan.  They think they have 40,000 fans.  They don’t even have acquaintances.  They’ve got people that want to have 40,000 friends.  The only way to do social networking is by adding that friend, talking to that friend and being a part of that friend’s life.  You treat them just like you would a real friend in every day life.  I think that people believe since they are at home in their boxers they can have 40,000 friends and don’t have to do any work to maintain that friend relationship.  I challenge every single artist out there to maintain any kind of real friendship in this real world.  Friends who support you buy your albums, go to your shows, and buy your merchandise. So to me, the way social networking is being used is a joke.

S: Jeanine: Let’s talk about your latest project Hip Hop Business Advisor; what inspired you to write this book?

J. Hutcherson: Music marketing and music distribution on the Internet or anything in the music industry online was something that only the major labels knew about.  I had learned about it and studied it enough to know what it was about and I just decided one day, this is crazy, you know as an engineer, I want to my projects to see the light of day too.  I started talking to people and doing market research and really seeing what people needed.  It wasn’t just information.  It was a step-by-step process.  There’s so much information out there now that it’s overloading people.  Hip Hop Business Advisor breaks it down and takes it to a step-by-step fashion that says, “Here’s what we’re doing.  Here’s how it works.  Here’s how to work it in real life and here’s what you need to do it.” It gives people a road map to getting a project out there.

S: I noticed your book reads as a manual for its readers. This makes it incredibly practical and so easy to relate. In general is there a one size fits all type of solution or blueprint that artist/record label should adhere too?

J. Hutcherson:  The book discusses that.  I don’t believe that there is a one size fits all.  But there is in the means at which you do it.  The process, the formula of putting music out there in the step-by-step fashion is a one size fits all.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a major label artist, an Indy with lots of money, or an absolute corner rapper that has no money.   It’s a one size fits all. If you’re an artist that has $50,000 behind you then you can go to the book and in no time do a lot of it.  That book is based off a 4-6 month process for someone who has very limited funds.  I talk about that in the book.  If you have money to do this, this, and this, you can jump and go ahead and start doing it.  So the one size fits all kind of scares me saying that because budget determines everything.  But definitely it is a one size fits all in the process of what you need to do and how you go about doing it.

S. Jeanine: Where can someone go to buy or order this marvelous material?

J. Hutcherson: It is at the website www.hiphopbusinessadvisor.com It is also available at www.amazon.com and it also available at www.iammusicnetwork.com

TheKoalition: How long ago did you produce your first beat and what or who inspired you to give beat making a try?
J-$crilla: I made my first beat by myself – back in 1999. I was inspired by whack DJs and peer pressure from my grandmother (who is the godmother of rap) but ever since 2004 I started taking this shit seriously and all my beats have been co-produced by Jesus so I can’t really take all the credit.

With technology advancing so quickly these days how do you feel about producers who make beats with no real equipment, just software like Fruity Loops?
I think they like dating online and they enjoy thin drum loops they cop off ALC, RZA and JUST BLAZE ebay cds.

Last year you were privileged enough to work on the soundtrack for Biggie’s “Bigger Than Life”, how did it feel working for a legend?
Man, that was dope. I did that back in like 06 I think, and it took a couple years to get it poppin. I stil havent even seen it tho! When it comes to making a hit these days, do you think the beat plays a bigger role than the actual lyrics? JI think it used to… now i see thin ass drums and gay raps gettin ringtone money, so really making a hit is about who has money to market it. period

Do you play or follow video games at all, and if so have they influenced your life or music in any way?
I play Brickbreaker like a mad man on my Blackberry! does that count? but, naw im not frontin on a gamer site. I used to get in heavy with Nintendo and Sega, but I got my playstation 2 stole in 2006. Some crackhead actually broke into my little ass window, and stole just my gaming system, no games. Apparently, my landlord said, he had like a fetish for that shit. But on another note I’ve had a few productions where I’ve loaded up games and sampled the gun noises or crowd applause etc., I’m tryna get some videogame money too. somebody holla at the kid!

That’s hilarious! Back To The Music; Which one of your tracks are you most proud of and why?
Probably “Life Of cRhyme”, that’s about to come out on K-Beta’s LP “Sober”. It’s a dope track. I definitely put my foot in it and we shot a video. Should drop this fall. As far as joints that came out? Prolly the NORE/Nature track “The Grimiest” because the way we made that happen in the studio and such was a fun ass day. Lots of delivery services and liquor got consumed by the liter.

What do you think differentiates yourself from all the other producers out there?
I have my own lane, nobody makes beats like me that i know of. My process is fatherless because nobody taught me. My shit is aggressive, emotional and hard. I usually throw some off the wall shit in that most producers don’t do.

You’ve worked with a lot of underground artist through-out your career, if you could work with one mainstream rapper of your choice who would it be?
Ghostfaced Killah and Nipsey Hussle (are they even main stream tho?) I’d cook up some shit for anybody – just know the beat will be my own shit not that thin drum hybrid house music shit the radio plays on urban stations.

Do you ever aspire to grab the mic and try out rapping for yourself?
Hell yea. I rapped a 16 on my album “Culture Of Honor” dropping Aug 25!

What do you do when you’re not behind the boards making music, how does J-$crilla spend his spare time?
Well, i recently became a father for the first time and i spend a lot of time with my son, changing his pissy diapers and showing him how to dig for records. My kid can outdig all of these 19 yr old e-diggers! haha. I’m just sayin… but for real I like food, I show mad respect to food. I’m a Fantasy Football guru, Holla at me for leagues that play for big money! you kno, I like traveling, football, baseball, climbing “trees” and drinking excessively. Congratulations on successfully bringing another life Into this world.

How serious are you about being a producer, do you see yourself still doing this in 10 years time?
Man. I’m serious as a motherfucker! look into my eyes! You see how serious I am? I do this. I will be involved in music forever. I’m not going anywhere folks.

What can we expect from J-Scrilla and the whole Guns-N-Butter movement in the near future?
My album Culture Of Honor drops Aug 25 on innerlooprecords.com. Shouts to Elekt 1, Overok, K-Beta and the rest of the Loopers. Shouts to Jenny Marie, Stu Bangas, Yan, Bloodsport and free my man CHOP-La-Rok who is 1/3 of Guns-n-Butter, Culture Of Honor features Reef The Lost Cauze, Oddisee, Block McCloud, Cassidy, JR Writer, General Steele, K-Beta, Sketch, Bloodsport, man and about 20 others…

Guns-N-Butter v. Reef the Lost Cauze “Fight Music” drops in the fall on ENEMY SOIL RECORDS, it feautures lots of dope underground hall of famers. I got my album that me and Sketch are working on called “Tommy Gunz” and that shit is gonna change the game. I got my homie K-Beta’s projects. Everything he does I got my 10 toes in it. Me and the homie Chop-La-Rok got a lot of stuff with Bloodsport who bout to drop on Universal. I got Laelo Hood and TEFLON projects. Ankh amen Ra and me are doing a project, my man Kevlaar 7 from the Wisemen, my homie William Cooper from black market militia got an album bout to drop we got some beats on…man there’s a bunch, just keep yer ears open for all guns-n-butter shit! please.

Damn, looks like you’re putting mad work in. Finally, where can our readers check out your music and/or get in contact with you?
Check out my rants on twitter.com/j_scrilla_dmv, go to innerloopuncut.com and download all the free shit we dropped last 2 years and keep up to date with the music, videos, parties we throw etc. and of course cop my album- like buy it- on August 25th, Culture Of Honor, and support a dude who tryna buy diapers and records so I can cook up crack for generations.

I appreciate you taking time out to talk to us, good luck with everything you’re working on, thank you.
THANK YOU!

Whats up Ev, I’m a big fan of work. I know you an alchemist are like (step)brothers. has your relationship helped you grow musically?

It’s actually made me realize what a complete piece of shit Alan really is. We used to be way cooler than we are nowadays.. I guess being around anybody too much is a bad idea. I do think the album will be great cause I’m going to be so much better than him on every song.

I think a while ago I read you were starting to use reason. Do you still use that in the studio? Whats your weapon of choices when making a track?

I am starting to really get reason now..it’s taken almost 2 years of going back to the mpc,back to the Asr10,before I actually said,”fuck it-this is it”

In a recent interview you and alchemist said that the rap game would come in full circle. Meaning the underground would be on top at some point. Do you feel like that time is coming now? especially since the internet is used to find new music more than the radio.

I not a historian or anything,but everything works in cycles-you don’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to figure that one out. People get tired if pop shit-want underground..then underground gets weak and people wanna dance again.

What new artist are you checking for? And who do you think we should pay more attention to?

Not too many “new” artists cause most “new” people are not new,but maybe now getting light.. Example-Crooked I or Jay Electronica…feeeeel meeeeee?(tupac voice)

So whats good with your next project? When can we expect to hear new music?

‘Cats & Dogs’ is my 2nd solo album coming top of 2010! Its got an amazing vibe so far….I am also still working “The Layover Ep” which did really well for an Ep… Those 2 are  really my main focus right now. Stepbrothers soon. Im producing some of Rakaa-Iriscience’s solo album-”Crown Of Thorns” and is coming out real nice so far. New Dilated is being discussed and I think it’s almost about that time for us 3 to really make a crazy 5th studio Lp.

I might be pushing boundaries with this one. But I know you went digging while out on tour. Any good finds?. You dont have to answer that if you dont want to. lol

Those future law suits will stay in the record bag for now.

So what kind of video games you played coming up as a kid?

Super Mario Bros,Galaga,Pole Position..all the basic requirements for a real 80’s baby.

Do you still play a little ( or alot) now?

Never!!!

Hiphop games are coming out heavy in 2009/2010. would you like to be involved musically with a game?

Not overly interested. But if chance came up I wouldn’t pass it by.

If you had the opportunity to design a game.What would a ideal Evidence game be like?

Bong hit video contest game. Like choose your bong/buy your weed/and go!–then could turn game,”virtual” and practice in your off time!

Any last words for the readers?

Rappers–Never plug your album in this space!  Use this space to plug your twitter page. Peace!

What makes this game different from the wealth of first person shooters
already released?

Rogue Warrior is an unapologetic, over-the-top, action game with stealth
elements set during the height of the Cold War. It’s a game that features
over 25 different ways to kill a man with a knife while Mickey Rourke
delivers the raw and gritty personality of Dick Marcinko perfectly.

It’s not about reading maps, plotting waypoints or picking what color helmet
you’d like your soldier to wear with his new uniform.  It’s about ripping
through two communist countries killing hundreds of enemies in the most
violent ways imaginable.  Compared to what’s out there right now, it’s
definitely different.

What multiplayer modes can players look forward to?

The game features Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch for up to 16 players. Two
cool things about multiplayer – one, it features the iconic kill moves from
the single player game so you can pull those same moves on your friends
online. Second, the best player in the game gets exclusive use of the Dick
Marcinko skin, so when you see Demo Dick running around your map, you know
he’s the top dog.

DLC has become a big part of a games longevity. Can we expect to have a
longer Rogue Warrior experience beyond whats already on the disc?

Right now we’re focused on getting the game done, and DLC is something we’ll
look at after the game is finished.

Will there be any content exclusive to a specific console?

No, in fact great effort has been taken to make sure that all versions look
and play similarly to each other.

What is it like working with Micky Rourke?

I have never dealt with an actor who could swear so creatively and
convincingly as Mickey Rourke. He is absolutely perfect as Dick Marcinko. I
can honestly say he elevates the experience of playing the game.  Check out
our new trailer and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

What did Richard Marcinko bring to the table to heighten the games
authenticity?

The best way to describe Dick’s involvement is that truth is stranger than
fiction.  The story I like to tell is that Dick is describing how in movies
when a man gets knifed, it’s one quick stab and he dies. In reality when
doing that you keep stabbing the victim over and over again until he stops
moving.  It’s not clean and simple, it’s brutal and violent. You can see that
reflected in the game through the various kill moves and finishing moves.

How big will the stealth element play into this game?

Just like the SEALS, you are going to be behind enemy lines and always
outnumbered. So stealth is a powerful tool that you can use to even the odds.
Creeping up on someone, slitting their throat and quietly dropping them
without anyone noticing is a very satisfying part of the gameplay that also
keeps reinforcements from flooding in.

That being said, what’s cool about the game is you don’t have to use stealth
at all. If you don’t like playing that way, you don’t have to. You can kick
the door in, roll some grenades and rip guys open with the SMG. We allow the
player the freedom to play the way he wants.

Big part of The Koalition is music. What can we expect as far as the
soundtrack anything special or is there a certain theme you went for?

I’m glad you asked, music is a big part for us as well. Part of the charm of
Rogue Warrior is that Dick is like a real life action hero and our action
game set during the height of the Cold War in the mid 80’s. We’ve decided to
go with an 80’s action movie feel for the music. It’s full of crunchy guitar
rock and heavy drums. It goes quite well with the Rourke VO and the violent
over-the-top gameplay.

This is a big story driven game. Just how much time went into crafting it?
Does any decision you make in the game affect you later in the story?

Actually I consider it more of a character driven game. The entire story is
designed to showcase Dick Marcinko, his personality and the crazy things he
does. We just setup as many cool scenarios as we can to allow that to happen.

On a given mission, the player will knife kill several guards, engage in a
major firefight with a patrol, and then blow up a large building, usually
within the first 20 minutes of play.

Anything not mentioned, you want players to know about this game?

I’d just like to summarize that Rogue Warrior is a personality driven
shooter, featuring a cool mix of both stealth and shooter gameplay set during
the height of the Cold War. To top it off we’ve got Mickey Rourke who
absolutely nails the personality of Dick Marcinko, a real life action hero.
Look for it in Fall 2009.

With the success of music games in other genres, games developers have now decided to come out with games such as DJ Hero and Scratch the Ultimate DJ. Do you think these games with be a good representation of the art form and can when expect a Clinton Spark track on either one of these games?

I am all for anything that helps to expose the DJ & the DJ culture. I’m excited that companies realize the importance & influence that the DJ has & has invested time & money into them. Unfortunately, I am not involved w/ production.

TheKoalition.com was created because of our love for video games and hip-hop. How did video games and hip-hop influence you when you were growing up? and what are some of your favorite old school video games?

Music & Video Games were a huge part of my childhood. All I did was sit in my room & listen to music or play video games.

The E3 gaming conference just took place and there are a lot of hot games to look forward to. What are some games that you might be playing throughout the year? I know Just Blaze might want to challenge you on that Fight Night Round 4

I’m not a Big gamer but to see the transition from 20 yrs ago to now is amazing. I was in Best Buy & thought the real Red Sox game was on the big screen & it was a video game. I own the WII & play sports games when I have time. Golfing, Baseball & WII sports.

The industry can always expect Clinton Sparks to drop some classic mixtapes just when the game needs it. What are some of the projects that you are working on that we can look forward to you dropping?

Thank you for that. I am working on multiple projects. 1st off my official album which will be completed produced by me. Ill be writing on it as well as showcasing my artistry & will feature some of the biggest names in the biz. I am also working another project w/ my partner DJ Snake from Paris, France. He & i formed a team & we call ourselves Logan De Gaulle. We will be dropping an album soon & our 1st single features Tyrese & is called “Take me Away”. I am also finishing up a totally free album completely produced by me for my hip hop fans featuring everyone from Diddy to Common to Ludacris & Fabolous. As I’m writing these answers I’m in the studio finishing Smashtimeradio Vol. 6 Las Vegas Edition w/ Lil’Jon & I’m trying to conceptualize the follow up to the Chester French free album we dropped titled Jacques Jams Vol.1: Endurance, as it stands the sequel will be titled Jacques Jams Vol.2: Stamina. Most of these projects are available for free download @ clintonsparks.com. I have so much more but the full answer would take up as much space as all the other answers combined. In addition to all of this I will be introducing the world to my artist Supastar L.T. By dropping a mixtape w/ him soon introducing our 3D music movement.

I know you heard Jay Z?s latest track D.O.A (Death of Auto Tune), how do you feel about the about that track and auto-tune in general?

I love the track. That’s Hip Hop @ its finest. Regarding Auto tune, I don’t have any problems w/ it. It is a tool that is & has been used for since I was a kid as an element in the recording process. Has it been a bit abused? Sure but literally every single thing hip hop introduces gets abused. Should people stop rapping about drinking,sex,drugs,partying,killing,etc.? Should we stop using 808 drums cause its been beat to death? Style & Lingo gets introduced & overused since hip hops conception. A lot of people have been vocal on expressing their dislike for auto tune so its pretty easy to get people to roll w/ you when u diss it but its also a little ironic that the biggest artist in the business have been making hits w/ it so it can’t be that bad.

Is there any other trend in hiphop you would like to kill off right now?

I don’t get mad @ trends & styles. To each his own. I have my preference on what I do & don’t like & if I have nothing good to say then I don’t comment on it. Who am I to hate or shit on what you like. We have different taste. Respecting each others taste doesn’t mean you have to like it.

You have worked with a lot artist throughout your career. Tell us who are some of you favorite artist to work with and why?

Akon because he gets it & he sees the world & not just one region so if I present something to him he gets it. Most do not & I have to make fake records to proove to them that it will work. I’m going to start putting my own records w/ me on them to show that I know what I’m talking about.

There is a lot of room for unique collaboration in the music industry as a whole. Have you ever thought about producing a whole album in another genre besides rap? Is that something you can see yourself doing?

Yes. One example of that transition is the Chester French project & merging the 2 worlds of hip hop/pop & rock together & another example will be the Logan De Gaulle project. That will be all Dance/Electro music for the Clubs.

There is a rise in new talent in rap game today. Who are some of the new artist that can get the official Clinton Sparks co-sign and why?

I Think Drake is super talented & I look forward to hearing his album & working together. I am also feeling Asher Roth. Both artist are the type of artist that make me pay attention & listen to what they are saying. I am obviously excited about Supastar L.T. & that is why I decided to work w/ him.

Sometimes it can be hard to continue to put out music once you been in the rap game for a while. What are some of the things that motivate you when your in the studio trying to come up with something new?

My biggest motivation is the people that hit me inquiring about me dropping new music & just my passion for wanting to be creative & do things that impress people. It really boils down to just wanting to work & the desire to please people.

Def Jam is about to release a new game called Rapstar where you get to rap to some of the best hip-hop tracks out. We all know that you got production skills, but have you ever though about jumping on the mic and putting out a track?

Well for those that know my history would know that I was an MC & put out several singles & performed all over before I was known as a DJ. You will hear me on the mic on all of these projects I’m about to put out. Get Familiar!! Oooow..

Any last words to the readers?

Thank you to all those that have supported & continue to do so whether its radio,mixtapes,clubs or on the daily ten on E! & those that except my experimenting w/ different ideas & music. I will continue to apply pressure to myself to put out quality material & I will not let u down. Hit me on twitter @clintonsparks, Facebook & clintonsparks.com & also subscribe to download the podcast to my smashtimeradio show on itunes every week.

Coincidentally, he was also an original level designer for the original Grand Theft Auto working alongside Rockstar. With an extensive list of impressive merits, it’s hard to refuse a game he was heavily involved in. CJS has already earned its stripes in the iPhone and iPod touch community, gaining critical appraise from various heavy hitters such as AppGamer and iPhone Game Network. If you haven’t picked it up yet, it’s currently on sale for a limited time in the App Store for $2.99. For those either convinced or unconvinced, you’ll want to read the interview. Paul Farley talks about a Car Jack Streets sequel and his experience working with talented, up-and-coming musicians from the internet. Hell, for those of you interested in getting your music out to the App Store, take some notes because this might help you out a little.

[Editorial: For those slow, TK = The Koalition and PF = Paul Farley]

TK: First of all, we at The Koalition would like to say congratulations and thank you for speaking with us. We know a little about you and Tag Games, but we really haven’t scratched the surface yet. Before we discuss how Car Jack Streets came to be, how did you actually end up with Tag Games?

PF: Before setting up Tag with my two business partners I spent five years at mobile publisher I-play as head of design. Before that I worked as a lead game designer for two prominent, but sadly deceased, Scottish console games developers Vis Entertainment and the legendary DMA Design. I was fortunate to work with very talented people at all these companies on great games such as the Grand Theft Auto series, State of Emergency and mobile hit My Dog.

TK: Do you think working with Rockstar in the past helped to create a more refined sandbox experience on the iPhone and iPod touch? What do you think CJS excels in that other games don’t in the done-so-many-times genre?

PF: It’s a difficult genre to work in because whether you like it or not you’re always going to be compared to GTA. To be fair to Rockstar they have developed the GTA series superbly and Chinatown Wars is simply stunning. Working with those guys at the start really inspired me personally, their energy, commitment and attention to detail is second to none. I think for Tag though working without the benefit of a large budget or big team we wanted to take the core elements of what makes games like GTA fun and add our own twists and innovations. That’s where real time play comes in and designing the game with the mobile device and mobile player in the forefront of our minds.

TK: Now that the 1.1 update is being pushed out of the shed, can you tell us more about it? What new features are going to be included now that you know what to work on?

PF: A good game is a like a piece of art, it’s very hard to know when it’s finished and ready to go out the door. With iPhone we have the opportunity to work with our customers listening to their feedback to make changes and improvements in future updates so perhaps that aspect is more relaxed! We have listen very closely to the constructive feedback of the CJS community and have a number of key additions in 1.1 these include a map on the GPS, the ability to carry more than one weapon, a safe house where you can store weapons, ammo and your vehicle, a new steering wheel control method, better responsiveness from the virtual buttons, a few key bug fixes and lots more!

TK: As you may have noticed, The Koalition is one of the largest Urban Gaming site on the internet; and we get ourselves wrapped in music practically 24/7. What sort of sound were you looking for in CJS? How vital was it that the radio stations were as diverse as possible?

PF: You know I remember the day we got the first couple of radio stations and the first couple of sound effects into the game, it was like the game suddenly jumped off the screen and came to life! I’m a firm believer that game audio is equally as important as the visuals. Sure good visuals draw people to the game but the audio helps to immerse them and keep them there. To that end we wanted the audio to embody the general approach to the game – all out action, over the top explosive game-play and a sense of humour.

TK: How did CJS come across the outstanding audio ensemble? Do you think the App Store has created an avenue for many talented musicians out there on MySpace or YouTube to submit their music to different developers for their games?

PF: Variety was important and due to that (and lack of a audio budget!) we decided to see if we could find some unsigned music of suitable quality in the genres we needed to fill. I have to say we were stunned at what we found. Every single track in the game would stand up to radio and MTV play in its own right. I think in Atom tha Immortal, Smudge and Laurelyn Carter we may also have uncovered some future global stars! Certainly a high profile game like CJS gives an artist a great platform to expose their music to a wider audience – you never know who could be playing! It’s a win-win situation from both sides – the game developer gets some great free music for their game without the licensing issues of dealing with a major record company and the artist gets to put their music in front of potentially millions of people!

TK: Most people have played Car Jack Streets and have enjoyed it (including me); is there any word on the confirmed CJS 2 yet? If anything, will a storyline be more prevalent in the CJS sequel?

PF: Right now we are weighing up a number of options in terms of taking the title forward but yes you can certainly expect a follow on! First of all we have a couple of updates and Car Jack Streets: Survival (a free taster mini-mission game)to finish and once those are done we’ll consider the next
steps.

TK: With the increasing trend of more hardcore/serious action games being available in the App Store nowadays (e.g. Assassin’s Creed, Terminator Salvation); how did you manage to balance the appeal of CJS for both the casual and hardcore gamers?

PF: This is perhaps the most difficult design aspect to the iPhone as it caters to both traditional and casual gamers. Addressing this issue is where we as a studio probably have the most to learn. CJS actually seems to have a very steep learning curve for casual players and that can hinder their enjoyment of the game. The problem we have is ensuring that the game becomes more accessible to new players but at the same time ensuring we don’t dumb things down for more skilled players.

TK: Last but not least, what would be your favourite game music theme of all time and why?

PF: I’m kind of biased but I think the original GTA 1 soundtrack still stands out to me as the best collection of original game music. The songs still make me laugh after 15 years – the DMA Design audio guys were a very talented team!

Thank you for your time Paul, it’s greatly appreciated. We at The Koalition wish Tag Games the best for the future and look forward to the upcoming updates planned for Car Jack Streets.

Thank you!

[Editorial: For those of you who are interested in getting your music out to Paul Farley or TAG Games for that matter, please contact our Australian editor Jeff Effendi either via his e-mail (jeff@thekoalition.com) or his Twitter here and he will pass it on directly to the creators of CJS.]

You’ve heard the man yourself, so for those still not playing Car Jack — what are you waiting for? The 1.1 update will be released very soon with major updates and this is currently the best time to grab the game for the lowered price. If you’re still searching for a sandbox-style game for your pocket, this one may be it.

TK: You have a song titled Contra. Does this have anything to do with the game Contra?

CB: I did love that game when i was younger but no. Contra was just the perfect title, it’s a rap song against rap songs, title just fit perfect. It’s also a strong word, maybe even stronger because i used to like that game when i was younger who knows, Subliminal as well maybe.

TK: You have a few songs really going in at the industry most notably “Contra” and “The Hulk”. Whats the main reason behind wiritng tracks like this?

Mocking, Exploiting, Defense of my definition vs there’s? You can only mock something in the face of people who really care for so long before someone or something breaks, I guess i broke. I understand all music has it’s place and i don’t completely bash it all. Like Lil Jon has his place, he makes his music to party and dance to, it may not be my thing but i understand it belongs here. There are few people who actually create instead of duplicate whether you like their music or not, from dance music to thug rap. But when idiotic and/or foul music is made and placed in your “category” continuously exploiting it, it can take its toll.

TK: Me and You are very similar with our distaste for the industry and what it does to musicians. With that said would you ever sign to a major label?

CB: It really depends, I wouldn’t be a thoughtful guy if i just said “No” because it’s a major. I’d have to hear them out, but for the most part it doesn’t look good, Epitaph has seemed like a good look, Sage, Atmosphere, and Solilaquist of Sound were/are on it. I’ve heard good things about them and I’m lucky enough to have artist like them out there paving the way and helping other artist out. We should support artist who get out there as long as they continue make a difference. People write off artist for being on MTV, why? Did Atmosphere start rapping about about shaking your butt? Or Aesop Rock, he certainly didn’t dumb down for it. So be proud and happy, finally all the hard work they did got them somewhere and maybe they can wake up the norm of people accepting the same old same.

TK: Artists have been known to get good exposure from featuring their tracks in video games. would you ever do a track for a game?

CB: That would depend to but sure. I wouldn’t see any bad in that plus I’d love to think someone can pop in Skate 2 and tear up the city to Contra.

TK: What would a Cubbiebear game be like? Who would be the enemy?

CB: Haha, I really would never want a game about me. I think it’s cheesy and usually a scheme of another route to drain your fans. I love games but I’m a rapper, I don’t do anything worth manipulating on screen. Unless people really want to win a game of being awkward and learning how to talk to people in a way that will stop them from telling Teddy they think “i don’t like them” and If they win they can come show me how in real life haha….. but im a nice guy i swear.

TK: You have a group called “The Rape”? How did all of your come together? Were you friends before hand?

Yea we were all good friends, we met through music but we became really good friends before we started The Rape. It all came together from the need of freedom and to be ourselves in this mess of music. I wanted to take my chance at really making the music i wanted to hear instead of what others were used to or told me that I should make. Teddy did as well. Teddy Faley was with Brakefast Records when we first met and I was with my old Dj(Dj J.Easy). Dj Addikt was with a group called Knomatic. Haylee Shifflett was a friend of mine and Mike Grace was an old old friend. We were just a crew and really loved each others company. We all wanted something fresh and new, and had things we could help each other with. Teddy is a Producer/Emcee, Addikt’s Producer/D.J., Haylee’s a photographer, and Mike is a well known BMXer in Baltimore and the greatest guy, he helped promote a lot and hype most events.
I love those guys.

TK: Do you own any of the current generation systems (ie Xbox 360,PS3,Wii) or are you more of an old school guy? And What are some of your favorite games?

CB: Yup I got Xbox 360, I only really play Gears of War 2. I play a few others but that’s my game. I just wish they didn’t crap it up. The first Gears was a million times better. The had an almost perfect game, and instead of just fixing the very few imperfections, they either tried to hard or they all went to take a poop together and a janitor shipped it out before it was ready. I still play it cause I love Gears but then end up pissed and just turning it off from frustration wishing it was like the first. I only like playing it online and the game play got muddy compared to the first, the first one was more fun and quicker, i want the old shotgun back. I only play horde for the most part now because of it.

TK: For the fans who are just discovering you, how would you describe your musical style?

CB: Depends on what they’re used to, If you like rock music, The Mars Volta, Deftones, things like that & rap, you might like my stuff. I might be a little out of my mind but it’s better then in a box. I use a lot of layers, and distortion and I say a lot of things people are afraid to say I think. I like to be able to get lost in my music, I want to step into it when i listen and have it surround me, but not everyone knows how to hear me. It’s to much for the average strictly Hip Hop listener sometimes who don’t understand a language of anything that’s not a simple boom bap. I was like that when i first heard Sole or El-p, I thought they we crazy and had no clue what they were doing, until i learned the language, soon as i could really hear them i was blown away.
When people listen to your music. Whats the message you’re trying to convey to them? What feelings / thoughts do you want people to come away with after listening to your music?

CB: As far as feelings, a high, a “about time someone said that” or get pissed whether at me or with me.

As for the personal ones I don’t care I make those for me and they give me chills. I hope they could connect or appreciate how i word things in my life but it’s for me.

TK: On your myspace there’s quote from Sage Francis saying “This guy came out of nowhere and has made a serious name for himself in underground circles. Not only is he a producer but he is a formidable emcee as well”. Has Sage been an influence on your career at all? Who else has been?

CB: Yea def, Sage has been a great inspiration, and just recently I found out a great guy too, at least over the internet. I entered a remix contest for his label and won. Got to talk to him a little over email from it and he’s a cool guy, he offered help when needed and some guidance. Show’s a lot that dude takes the time for that and still supports others so much. He deserves all the credit he gets and more, same goes for Slug and many other emcees.

All together i was influenced by probably the norm of people in my generation, Sage, Slug, Sole, El-p, etc. But believe it or not Cee-Lo Green got me to start rapping , back in his Goodie Mobb days when i was into different kind of rap he was the first I heard who dared to be a little real or weird about things. He was my gateway drug, he made me ease more comfortably into “experimental” rap at the time for me. With out Cee Lo there would have been no Sage, Slug, El in my life.

TK: What do you use to inspire you to write?

CB: I just kind of write. I really don’t know, I know it’s 99.99% things that piss me off or i don’t agree with. But I dont really know. I just express myself really.

TK: Any last words for readers/listeners?

CB: Yea , as corny and cliche as it sounds from over use. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks to the people who continually come to my shows, thanks to my crew “The Rape” and everyone who showed there friends my music or posted it anywhere, and for the interview man. I appreciate it.

Be sure to check Cubbiebear out on his Myspace