In today’s economy, more than ever, having a grip on financial literacy is essential for everyone. For musicians and musical artists, building your empire starts with the financial know-how to make and manage that hard-earned dough. If you’re a musician or musical artist breaking into the world of financial literacy and working towards financial independence, you probably have lots of questions. Luckily there are plenty of resources from players in the game who have been where you are standing today. But, before we break down some different financial literacy strategies, let’s talk about what ..read more

The timing, the sound quality, the sample selections, the arrangements… It’s hard to find anything that’s not significantly dope! Freddie Joachim’s passion for music production and soulful vibes, shines through on almost every track he creates. Like a scientist, he experiments in the laboratory, discovering new techniques and methods to the madness; dope mad beats that is! He’s not restricted to any one machine or technique, the journey of discovery results in rewarding timeless music for our enjoyment. Deejay, super producer and new father, music producer Freddie Joachim hails from San Diego ..read more

Audio transformers are vintage audio components that were used in many commercial and consumer audio products. These passive audio components bring color, detail, improved sonic image, spatial separation and harmonics to audio signals. Their heyday was between the 40’s and the 80’s, even in the 90’s they were a critical component within pro audio gear, used by many professional recording studios, engineers and musicians. They convert electrical audio signals into magnetic signals, then back again to electrical signals. The sonic and electrical advantages gained by this conversion are ma ..read more

New York beat maker and b-boy Dface has been putting in work developing his craft, producing music for the underground hip hop scene. Dface has videos on YouTube, breaking down techniques using classic machines like the E-mu SP-12, SP-1200 and E-Max 1. Also the Akai S950 and Ensoniq EPS 16+ samplers, all essential gear in the history of hip-hop music. NY beat makers DXA share knowledge about D.I.T.C. and their passion for music production. IceRocks has built a strong following producing for top artists throughout the underground hip hop scene. In 2013, he collaborated with Meyhem Lauren to p ..read more

Conway the Machine’s recent project, La Maquina, dropped April 2021 and was well received. The mixtape project from the veteran rapper, doesn’t disappoint. Living up to his name, La Maquina is one of Conway’s best projects thus far. The brother of Westside Gunn and cousin of Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine is no stranger to making good music. His independent success provides the unorthodox blueprint. Bruiser Baby, the project’s opening track, is probably one of the toughest tracks on the album. With no features, just three minutes and twenty seconds of good production and bars. It’s li ..read more

Phoniks dazzles with the Time Goes By album… We’ve seen Phoniks produce tracks alongside his Don’t Sleep’s label mates Awon and Tiff The Gift. However, “Time Goes By” is special as it lets him show off his raw production skills. The first track Time Goes By opens with soft jazzy tones, even though it’s not a holiday record, the feeling it gives is so warm. It creates a mood similar to sitting in a living room sipping hot cocoa and watching the snowfall. The album’s vibe is calm and mellow in true Phonik-form. It’s riddled with soundbites and samples that are long enough to make an impact, bu ..read more

You may know eLZhi from his affiliation with his former rap group Slum Village, giving us hits like Selfish. Perhaps, you’ve followed him from his early days in Detroit’s rap circles, his first independent release Witness My Growth produced by Nick Speed. Check out the CD’s below, some of the first music purchased via Myspace Music for spins on Big Noise Radio, Detroit stand up! Or, you are in the rare audience that hasn’t yet had the pleasure of listening to eLZhi, the rappers rapper. Whichever category you fall under, Seven Times Down Eight Times Up is a stellar project! Trust us, your ears ..read more

Doctor Henry Louis Gates Jr is an amazing black literature archaeologist. Henry Louis Gates is a notable American literary critic, professor, historian, and change-maker. Born in West Virginia in 1950, Dr Gates is a true African American ambassador, born on the same soil farmed by slaved of past president Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson coincidentally fathered many children with his slave turned mistress Sally Hemmings. This makes Henry Louis Gates’ work with DNA tracing and ancestry that much more interesting. Raised by hardworking parents who often took on more than one job at a time to provide ..read more

Don’t Sleep Records is a new age jazz infused hip-hop record lable. Don’t Sleep Records is the underground record company founded by an amazing hip hop producer and emcee, Phoniks and Awon (pronounced A-1). The label kicked off in 2012, since that time it’s been dropping nothing but hip hop heat. It’s roots are in Newport News Virginia and Portland, Maine. The producer emcee duo came together to curate and produce several incredible independent artists. Some of the artists on the label include Anti-Lilly, Tiff The Gift, Mz Boom Bap and Dephlow. Don’t Sleep Records is a self-proclaimed modern ..read more

Audio transformers are vintage audio components that were used in many commercial and consumer audio products. These passive audio components bring color, detail, improved sonic image, spatial separation and harmonics to audio signals. Their heyday was between the 40’s and the 80’s, even in the 90’s they were a critical component within pro audio gear, used by many professional recording studios, engineers and musicians. They convert electrical audio signals into magnetic signals, then back again to electrical signals. The sonic and electrical advantages gained by this conversion are m ..read more