Who I think should be a XXL Freshman Pt.2

5. King LOS
King LOS should've been a freshman sooo many years ago. LOS is probably one of the best rappers today but he doesn't receive the attention he deserves. No shade being thrown but Diddy should invest in his artist more. LOS has a sound that sounds like he plays with his words while spitting bars. Combined with his flow is amazing. I cant see him being over looked again this year.






4. Alex Wiley
The 21 year old MC out of Chicago has been really moving. First, you might have heard of him was from Chance The Rapper's "10 Day" mixtape but thats old news. He's been all over the net and in all the magazines. If that isnt enough to peak your interest then check out his new EP titled "One Singular Flame Emoji" and see why he deserves the spot on the list.

3. Lil Herb (G Herbo)
The 19 year old Rapper from Chicago has done songs with major names early in his rap career and it makes you wonder how far he will actually go. Already since starting in 2012 he's dropped 4 and working on his 5th project and has collaborated with acts such as Nicki Minaj, King L, Chance The Rapper, Common, etc.

2. Bobby Shmurda
The 20 year old Rapper from Brooklyn, New York had us doing the shmoney dance with his hit single "Hot N*gga". Then followed up and finessed the listeners again with his "Bobby B*tch" single. He's built a fan big enough to boost him into the top 10 list this year.









1. Mick Jenkins

Who could say he would'nt be on the top of the list? With one of the best albums of 2014 that boosted him to worldwide popularity, Mick Jenkins is hands down the best lyricist on the list. The 23 year old Chicago Native has made sure Chicago is still on the map and isn't fading anytime soon. Give him a listen and he will take you by storm just like the rest of the world.

Who I think should be a XXL Freshman of 2015 Pt. 1

The XXL nominees for 2015 are in and the list is more competitive than I thought and since only 10 can make the list per year I thought I should keep you all posted and updated on the artists I think will win the vote. So the nominees for the XXL freshman 2015 are...

10. O.G. Maco
The 22 year old screamo Rapper from Atlanta, Georgia rose to fame with his single, "You Guessed It". The song really caught on because of its spontaneity and the energy O.G. Maco exudes on the chorus and adlibs. He's been dropping tapes left and right and collabing with some big names from Rome Fortune to the Migos. If he doesnt make the cut I'll be suprised.

9. Vince Staples
The 21 year old rapper from Long Beach, California gained attention from his "Stolen Youth" mixtape but rose to fame from his collaboration with Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt on "Hive". Vince Staples lets it be known through his verses that he's not one to be played with. One of the best flows in the industry today Vince Staples should be on your list to keep up with.







8. Casey Veggies
The 21 year old rapper from Inglewood, Los Angeles was originally one of the founding members of Odd Future before splitting and becoming a solo artist in 2007. Nominated for his Joint Mix tape with Rockie Fresh called "Fresh Veggies" and his solo mixtape "Life Changes", he brings a certain swagger to his music. Its hard to explain but its pleasant to the ear. Check him out.





7. Father

The 23 year old Rapper From Atlanta, Georgia rose to fame from his single "Look at wrist" with fellow atlanta artists Key! and ILoveMakonnen. He's been making noise everywhere with the release of his "Young Hot Ebony" mixtape. Often drawing comparisons from Odd Future because of its dark but catchy sound, he has earned his clout and a spot on the freshman list.

6. Kidd Kidd
The 23 year old rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana has been fading on and off the radar with a glimpse of him from Lil Wayne's "Mrs. Officer" he faded again until 50 cent recruited him to G-Unit following the incident where he was shot six times outside his mothers house.. Now, the newest member of the Unit is making noise and appearing all over the internet and is expected to release "Fuck the fame, I'll take the cover" mixtape this year.

My 5 Favorite projects of 2014

I listen to a lot of different music but I have a set list of favorite artists who have earned that spot because of unique traits about their music. In this post I'll explain who these artists are and their sound if you've never heard of them or any of their songs.

5. Alex Wiley - Village Party

Chicago Native Alex Wiley is on this list because his songs are kind of like an alternative hip-hop opera. His newest project, "Village Party" is built of these Opera like songs and its something I've never heard before so I just naturally drifted to it. With so many mood shifts in one song because of transitions, it's hard not to feel something when listening to his songs.








4. Saba - Comfort Zone

Another Chicago native Saba is on this list because of his Rich, melodic sound. He often reminds me of the bone thugs with his rap style. His Comfort Zone mixtape is one of the best because it has the sense of nostalgia, like actually taking a look back on his life up to that point and realizing all of the bad stuff in life really wasn't that bad in retrospect.

3. Lil B - Ultimate Bitch
Berkeley, California's Lil B fails a lot, but that's a good thing. The BasedGod has always thrived on taking risks, and on Ultimate Bitch he took a risk as well. There are, of course, songs that could be singled out as "the best" or tracks that are "the funniest," and thats basically what it is with the BasedGod, its all about having fun and if he can make you laugh then its a successful project in his eyes. Hip-hop fans often misunderstand this and call him weak or whatever but you cant misunderstand his originality and how he pioneered the Based hip-hop rap scene.

2. Travis $cott - Days Before Rodeo

Houston's Travis $cott is an artist most people overlook because of his weird, gothic, like sound but if you actually gave it a chance youd see how big this tape was and still is. Travis, on more tracks than not, is his own Producer, giving him more creative control over his already dark, eerie, emo sound. In my opinion he deserves to have a grammy already or atleast be nominated for one.

1. Mick Jemkins - The Water[s]

Last but not least, the Project of 2014, Chicago's own "Mick Jenkins - The Water[s]". This project is on a level of its own with Mick's ability to tell stories about life in a southside Chicago type of way. If you actually pay attention in his songs, you'll see he actually includes bible scriptures in his songs about our lives in a way that makes you look at the situation different and actually pay attention to the people and the signs around you. Actually pay attention to his lyrics and tell me what you think because you will think if you understand it.

Top 5 High songs

For those of you who don't know, I used to be a smoker, and when you've reached that level where you just want to sit-up and chill all day, nothings better than music to compliment that feeling. We all have different tastes in music but my 5 favorite songs to enjoy while I am high are as follows.

5. Electric Feel - MGMT
Electric Feel starts off the list at number 5. It's trippy synths and groove make it so much more wavy when you're in the right mind set. It gives me more of an acid trip experience than just weed. Try it either way and you'll feel wonderful.

4. Dazed and Confused - Led Zepplin
As soon as you turn the song on you feel the trippiness of the bassline. It also gives you an acid trip type of feel with a walking bassline, paranoid lyrics, and a cool, spooky tone to it. I encourage everyone to smoke to this song at least once in their llifetime

3. Witchcra - Lucki Eck$

Lucki Eck$ whole "body high" mixtape is one of the best over all projects to smoke to in my opinion. Lucki's chilled out expression on the track is complimented by his trippy beat selection and this track is by one of my favorite producers, "Plu2o Nash". The song tells a story about a girl Lucki let into his house and did drugs with and when he woke up she was gone and so were his drugs. 

2. Pussy - The Brazilian Girls

This is one of my favorite songs because of smoking. One day I got high before work and listened to this on the way. Long story short it was one of my favorite days at the old job. The trippy guitar and the trumpet along with the wavy feel make it a great song to blaze to for a feel good, groove type of high.

1. Feelin' Groovy - Harpers bizarre

Lol I know a lot of you will laugh when you hear this song but it's worth it. It's such a happy song and it makes you happy just to listen to it while you smoke. Picture a sunny day and you've got straight A's in school, the bills are paid, no worries and you're just out enjoying life and listening to this song while chilling at the park or something. The perfect smoking song for sunny, happy days.

Let me know the songs you guys like to get blazed to and I might try them lol.

Musical Therapy

Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways. The following are some of effects of music, which help to explain the effectiveness of music therapy:

State of Mind: Music can be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay. This can help prevent the stress response from wreaking havoc on the body, and can help keep creativity and optimism levels higher, bringing many other benefits.

Breathing and Heart Rate: With alterations in brainwaves comes changes in other bodily functions. Those governed by the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate can also be altered by the changes music can bring. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response, among other things. This is why music and music therapy can help counteract or prevent the damaging effects of chronic stress, greatly promoting not only relaxation, but health as well.

Brain Waves: Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state. Also, research has found that the change in brainwave activity levels that music can bring can also enable the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening to it.

Creative Environments

I read somewhere that certain colors trigger certain responses in a0. humans brain. I'm a firm believer that the environment you're in plays a big role in the quality and the over all feel of a persons work. If you've ever been in a bright, vivid setting, you'll notice that you feel different depending on all the colors you see. This is because of the brains trigger and the connection to the color spectrum. If you don't believe me go, and check for yourself but for most peoples brains, the colors has the following effect on the brain and over all emotion.

Red - the first primary color of the spectrum. It emotionally triggers the sense of power, impulsively, sexuality and increases one's appetite. Be careful how you use red. It can also shout anger, forcefulness, impatience, intimidation, conquest, violence and revenge toward your site visitors.

Blue - The second primary color. It is the easiest color for the eyes to focus. It generates feelings of tranquility, love, acceptance, patience, understanding and cooperation. Its negative qualities if used inappropriately are fear, coldness, passivity and depression. Blue is a favorite color choice among all age groups.

Yellow - The third of the three primary colors. It triggers the following emotions: intelligence, joy, and organization. Its opposite effects when used in the wrong manner or with the wrong combination of other colors can create feelings of criticism, laziness, or cynicism. It's also the easiest to remember (that's why notepads and post-it notes are more than likely yellow).





Orange - a secondary color comprised of the primary colors, yellow and red. It emotionally triggers steadfastness, courage, confidence, friendliness, and cheerfulness. Its opposite effects are ignorance, inferiority, sluggishness and superiority. Orange is generally considered a social color but used in the wrong manner and with the wrong color combinations could create the opposite effects listed.

 


Green - a secondary color comprised of yellow and blue. It includes all the qualities of yellow and blue and the emotions it triggers depends on which of the two primary colors is dominate. Green triggers the following positive emotions: hope, growth, good health, freshness, soothing, sharing, and responsiveness. Its negative attributes are envy, greed, constriction, guilt, jealousy and disorder.






Purple - a secondary color comprised of the Primary colors, Red and Blue. It emotionally triggers intuition, imagination, Universal Flow, Meditation, wealth, and creativity. Purple is considered the color of royalty and is used to calm or relax the brain but used in the wrong manner could create opposite.

Music Garage and the Interview.

Keeping up with us, we were at the music garage last week for The Boy Illinois studio session at the Jungle. Now the night started off horrible and I'll recap it for you guys. So me and my fellow FH2E partner were heading to the automatic lofts to get in the automobile to head to the music garage. We get off the train and walk over to where the car was parked, BUT, the car wasn't there. We were looking around for signs the indicate if it was a tow zone or not and there were no signs, so we had to take the first L and take the train from UIC- Halsted to Illinois Medical District and walk back to Ashland. We were about a block away from Ashland and the bus came, I knew since it was around 10PM that buses were running every 30 minutes and so it was either chase the bus or freeze to death. I saw my partner start running so I had no choice but to follow his lead and we both chased the bus for about 2 blocks just for the bus driver to tell us to go to the next bus stop to catch it... which was about 5 blocks away. So now we're running like our lives depended on it and I look down and see my Auxiliary cable from my headphones dangling and turn around and my phone was in the middle of the street, so I had to turn around, run back to my phone and run even faster to catch up with my partner and the bus but we caught it and heres the funny part, when we got on the bus, we were about 2 blocks away from the place we were going to. So in reality we almost ran the entire way from the blue line to the Music Garage but it was all worth it. We met people and networked with a lot of different Artists, Producers, and even met up with Twista's Road Manager and DJ. Though the night started off bad, It was still a fun experience.

My top 5 favorite Productions

5.  Beanie Sigel - Feel it in the air


Beanie Sigel's "Feel it in the air" track is one I still play from 2004. It was produced by the legendary Heavy D who passed away in 2011. The piece catches your ear immediately with the smooth melody, the laid back high hats of the sample from Raphael Ravenscroft: Whole Lotta Something Goin On. Along with Melissa's voice in the background and on the hook its a beautiful work of music.
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4. Nevelle Viracocha- Astral Hour

Nevelle Viracocha's "Astral Hour" is in my opinion the most slept on underground song of 2013. Produced by Silent Mike, it has a fluid, smooth, feel on the intro and when the beat drops the transition is so smooth and brings the track to life when the kick's come in on the verse. It keeps the same feel throughout the verse and after the verse, you get a spacey, beautiful composition. Check it out here.







3.  Missy Elliott - On & On

Missy Elliott's "On & On" is such a cool track and was my favorite song back when I heard it back in 2005. Pharrell Williams and the Neptunes produced this track for her for her "Cookbook" album. The track is crazy because of the wobble and how the bassline flows with it. The punchy kicks bring the whole track to life, and the DJ effect on the hook with Missy's voice is what makes me love it so much.

2. Drake - Over My Dead Body

Drakes "Over My Dead Body" was so cool to me because at the time back in 2011, I had never heard anything that smooth before. The vocal stylings of Chantel Kreviazuk on the hook and the production by 40 noah make this song beautiful. This is the song that made me a Drake fan and it was only the intro. I got a feel for how the album would be from the intro and it didn't disappoint.








1. Kanye West - All Of The Lights

At number 1, who could forget the song that made the world love Kanye Again after the Taylor Swift incident. This track is one of my all time favorite songs, not just productions, but the whole song. With production by Kanye with a full roster of personnel on the composition along with the vocal stylings of an even more impressive roster, it's no wonder Kanye won multiple grammy's for it.

FH2E: Whats been going on.

If you've been keeping up with me, you'd know I recently joined FH2E and along with Shakari Granberry, we've been making moves. Recently along with the blog work, we've been shooting videos and working with a few Chicago artists shooting videos, making beats, graphic designing, photoshoots, interviews, and recapping shows. Currently, we're working with a number of various artists but  The Boy Illinois and shooting his single called "Winter and Construction" from his new "The Yer Tape" mixtape that dropped last month. Today I can show you all photos from the Photo shoots and from the actual shoot on the set of the video. If you ever want to know what I'm up to, add me on snapchat: icekillab, but for now, if you would like to hear the song, you can check it out here. 

Roast Session

Thought I might as well take a break from the Student Led discussion project and check my Facebook and one of my best friends from high school uploaded this picture. He knew I was gonna get him lol I don't know what he was thinking. He think he a rockstar with the nut huggers on. I swear I think I see bro blood pumping thru his legs in those. I pray nobody make him mad, he might turn super saiyan wearing Vegeta's pants like that. I think he did summersaults with Gabby Douglass in the olympics with those on. When he farted I bet you can see the air bubble travel down his leg and blow a hole out his socks. My man's the new Jimi Hendrix. If Jimi Hendrix was a Rapper this would be him. Lol no but in all seriousness this was the guy that inspired me to produce music back in high school. I have the upmost respect for this guy and everything he's doing. Lane Tech Indians forever.

Jaymz V - Either Way (Prod. by Lo B Jones)

Jaymz V is an artist I've really connected with over the past year. We met thru a song I heard of him with my favorite rapper Supa Bwe. I reached out to him to do a collaboration and after the first collaboration was a success, we figured why stop? We're currently working on an EP with my production, his lyrics, and Supa Bwe's engineering. This is the first collaboration we did and I loved how it turned out. The chemistry we have and that we both compliment each other's styles only add to the bond we share as artist and producer.
The track I sent him is actually a track I had made for Atlanta rapper Deante Hitchcock because of his alternative rap style, but there was really no follow thru on his part so I just kept it moving. I sent it to Jaymz and he loved it. He makes alternative hip-hop as well and me being an alternative hip-hop fan, I actually prefer to make those types of tracks. I know we can do big things if we keep up our work but for right now just check out the track we collaborated on called "Either Way". Take a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/tharealjayv/eitherway

Making of a Beat

Today I'm gonna tell you all how I get in my zone to make my music. My go to DAW is FL Studio for making beats because of its wide variety of plug-ins and effects, not to mention its easy to maneuver and to operate. Usually, when I'm making a beat, it has to do with the mood of the day. If its rainy/cloudy, I might take a conscious approach, if its sunny i might take a uptempo, bright, dance approach, if it's night i'll take a dark approach. At the start of the process, I set my tempo, 130-175bpm for the sunny days, 100-130bmp for the nights, and 60-120bpm for the rainy/cloudy days. I always start off with the melody first because I'm really no good at making bass lines from scratch. From there I experiment with sounds until i find the right sound to fit the melody I played. I like to layer my melodies with at least 3-6 different sounds including the feel of the beat. The feel is usually a pad or something that can go in the background that won't really disrupt the vibe. Once thats taken care of i throw in the drum tracks. Kicks, High Hats, Snares, and a low frequency oscillator to side chain to the kick drum to create a 808. When the drums are done, melody is done, it's time to add effects and mix it so nothing peaks. When everything is done the finish project is worth feeling myself.


https://soundcloud.com/lo_b_jones/anyway-preview

My top 3 Producers

As a progressing producer, its only right that I have Producers who I look up to. These three producers have helped me get better at what I do by taking little elements from each of their production styles and combining them in certain tracks that I make. If you listen closely, you might be able to depict what kind of sound comes from which producers work.

3. Wondagurl Wondagurl is a producer from Toronto. I first heard of her from Travis $cott's "Uptown" (Feat. A$ap Ferg). I caught on to her catchy 808 manipulation the first time I heard the track and it had me stuck listening to the same track for about a week straight. The thing that really surprised me about her was that she was only 14 when she got discovered at the Toronto Battle of the Beatmakers in 2011, meaning age really doesn't matter as long as you put your mind to it.

2. Plu20 Nash Plu2o Nash is a producer from Chicago, IL. I first heard of him from Lucki Eck$ track "197 Trap Talk" most recent Mixtape "Body High". He uses spacey, atmospherical, dark pads and samples to come up with interesting combinations. He's really been moving working with acts such as A$ap Rocky, Chance the Rapper, and even Pharrell Williams. I think 2015 is his breakout year, he's headed for Young Chop numbers.

1. K.E. on the Track K.E. on the track is a producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He's responsible for sparking a movement in hip-hop with the bright sounds and gentle melodies combined with party type of futuristic hip-hop. Remember Yung L.A., J Futuristic, Travis Porter, Roscoe Dash, etc.? The whole movement from ATL came to Chicago and Chicago brought up the tempo and turned it into the bopping movement.

Video Post

Whats up welcome to audiocain.com. As you all know this is a blog where I keep the fans updated on whats going on with me and my music. Might as well tell you guys a little bit about myself. Im an Audio Producer and a Blogger trying to make a name for myself in the Chicago hip-hop community. I've been interested in music since I was little but just started producing at age 15. Since I was a kid I was always around different typer of music. All my father would listen to is Rock, my mother was a big R&B fan but I became attracted to Hip-hop and Rap because its what really stuck to me. Coming back into when I first started producing, that feeling you get when you play a beat and you see everyone bobbing they head, I loved it. People actually liked what I had put together. figured today I'd just upload a preview of one of my new tracks instead of just talking about it. I tried to combine the Chicago bop scene with a 2008-09 futuristic Atlanta type of feel. Of course it's not finished yet but I think I'm off to a good start though. Let me know what you guy's think. Also if you're looking for more of my beats you can look on soundcloud.com/Lo_B_Jones. For inquiries feel free to contact me via email brandongeorge7619@gmail.com.

I don't like (Part 2)

1. Kids Bop 25? Who bought the other 24? -____-
2. MF's who say they don't need college because Bill Gates and Steve Jobs dropped out and still became rich. Ok try it and let me know how that works out for you.
3. When you use non-stick spray and the food still gets stuck in the pan.
4. How cooking takes like 30-40 minutes but only 5 minutes to eat plus another 10 to get off your a$$ and wash the dishes.
5.  When you in a public bathroom and look down and see a pubic hair. -____-
6. How Beyonce sings "All my single ladies" but goes home to her husband while the rest of y'all women still believing the hype. -___-
7. How everybody on twitter think they a Psychologist.
8. When you go to a store and they got everything BUT what you need. >:(
9.  How women dance so slutty on the dance floor but when the song ends they magically become "CLASSY" again. -____-
10. People who can't control they kids in public and you wanna beat the kid's a$$ but you're legal and can go to jail.
11.  People who use long, dumb-a$$ hashtags like #igot5kidsandidontneednomanbecauseimsuperwoman. -_____-
12.  Women at the gym with make-up on. You looking for a workout or a husband?
13.  How in Call of duty MF's complain about snipers camping… Do you honestly believe a sniper runs around the battlefield, what do you think they're supposed to do?!? >:(
14. When a sexy female sneezes, a guy will jump from the 47th floor doing backflips to say bless you but when a ugly woman sneezes you can hear crickets. -_____-
15. When I started growing my hair out, I started getting treated differently, like people look at me in fear like I'm a thug now. -___-
16. When people say opposites attract, thats not true because I hate stupid people. ;) lol
17. In sitcoms' theres a laugh track every 5 seconds when nothing was funny in the first place.
18. When someone asks for your help but questions you every step of the way -____-.
19. People that yell "TURN UP" but won't show up for their court date.
20. People that flex on instagram and snapchat like I'm not sitting right there watching you flex with my sh*t. -_____-

I Don't Like (Part 1)

This is the "I don't Like" Series, where I let you all in on my personal dislikes.


1. When you warm up a Hot Pocket and bite into it and its still cold in the middle. -____-
2. Playing Call of Duty and shoot a MF like 10 times and get hit markers and get killed by the same MF from 1 bullet. -___-
3. How people with the most disrespectful breath got the most Sh*t to say. -___-
4. MF's that can wait in line all night for some new Jordan's but act like they can't wait an extra 5 minutes for a bus. -____-
5. How fox news always finds the most ignorant (Ghetto version of ignorant) MF on the scene to interview to make black people look stupid. -_______-
6. How people talk about IOS vs. Android like its Tupac vs. Biggie. -____-
7. How MF's can make fun of the homeless but… think about it… that could be your future. -___-
8. People that call my phone. Just text me. -___________-
9. Mike Vick kills a dog and goes to jail but Sarah Palin kills a moose and gets to run for President. -__-
10 When Chap-stik leaves white stuff around my mouth and your homies try to bake. -____-
11. How Canned food drives post up outside of the store so you feel bad about spending YOUR money on YOURSELF. -____-
12. Digiorno's pizza says it tastes like delivery, to who?!? -____-
13. How TV can show a fat dude's titties but censor's a woman's. -_____-
14. Stuck up people who think they too good to drink tap water. -___-
15. How Virgil Hawkins was the only black dude with dreads in North Dakota, yet no one knew he was Static Shock. -_____-
16. Females that take pictures with they sexy friends. We all know you're the ugly one. STOP IT!!! >:(
17. How when I was a kid and I drunk Capri-sun's I never turned into water and flew away. :'(
18. When black people think they're activists because they wear Malcolm X T-shirts. -_____-
19. Give Chief Keef some Legos and the first thing he'll make is a gun. -_____-
20. When people go jogging in the middle of the day with bright, blinding colors on. MF we can see you!!!