JooseBoxx.com | Inland Empire Hip Hop

RIOT GEAR (song) - Jay Kasai / Charles Hamilton prod. Oh Gosh Leotus

2023-02-14T11:49:00.007-08:00

Kasai is bringing in the new year real slick-like, with a sloopy bassline and reserved rhymes with swing. Joined by the multi-talented Charles Hamilton, this song starts simple and the layers increase as the instrumental progresses. A great example of doing more with less, the Oh Gosh Leotus produced track is a ponderous yet melodic snapshot of three stylists. There's almost like "Quiet Afternoon" from Stanley Clarke quality to this song.

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Untapped Hip-Hop, Jooseboxx contributor, and member of the Inland Empire, California based nerdculture hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers and the duo Fam Likely with D'zyl 5k1

NEW TRIZZ & MIKE SUMMERS LP - BASELINE CAVI

2022-10-04T09:45:00.004-07:00

Trizz - BASELINE CAVI Interesting what standing firm on your mountain can get you. It allows late arrivals like myself the opportunity to be introduced to someone on their continuous incline. The cherry on top is their present-day refinement, especially being 26 albums in.

Trizz gives you a classic west coast album this time around. Bias? Naw. West coast based ourselves in G Funk foundations and a first person POV. Trizz checks both of these boxes along with him sounding like he’s truly enjoying his craft right now. 14 tracks. Not one skip. I would name my favorites but that would be cheating you.

write up contributed by
RIEL PETERS

A Pen of a Friend

RAIN (Music Video) - CAM ARCHER PROD. ROCKWILDER

2022-08-07T19:03:00.004-07:00

Cam Archer's new video "Rain" is one of my favorite video singles from him ever. He's barring the fuck out, the chorus is dope and fun, the Rockwilder produced beat is hype AF, the content is a perfect balance of rap shit and smartassery.

I dig the staircase shot a lot, Daily Gems killed this whole boxing gym concept. I love that Archer is wearing a 1loveIE hoodie in NYC in the ring. Archer has gotten to the point where as a fan, he's given me at least a little bit of nearly all of the kind of content I'd like to see him make - he raps on all kinds of beats, he writes well, and he doesn't let his larger ambitions cheapen his craft. This shit is great, bump it twice.

Aye Sincere - Marie (Prod. by Nabeyin) Music Video

2021-07-12T08:59:00.004-07:00

Aye Sincere channels his inner trench coat-wearing (John Cusack) holding his boom box over his head serenading his would-be lover, Marie, in the form of Alectra Griffis a la “Say Anything”. The music video is a visual effects laden presentation that is complimented by the funk-pop sounds produced by Nabeyin.

"MARIE" is the first visual from Aye Sincere's latest EP, Jaded Pink. Listen to "JADED PINK" here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aye...

Aye Sincere: https://linktr.ee/ayesincere

Aye Sincere - Marie (@AyeSincere)

Song Produced by Nabeyin (@Nabeyin)

Directed & Edited by Victor Hernandez (@Director.Vic)

Shot by Vincent DeMaria (@Babydreamer_)

Marie Played by Alectra Griffis (@Alectrafying)

Friend Played by Noreik Thascool (@thascool)

Make-up by Rissa Witcher (@Rissasofar)

GUEST POST: Review of Tanjint Wiggy's You're Young For A Long Time

2021-02-22T12:27:00.016-08:00

Hi, I’m Richard Blacksher. I’m a musician.

I’m a firm believer in this musical truth: Hip-Hop belongs to the 19 year olds. OutKast, Ice Cube,

Mobb Deep, Carter era Weezy, the list goes on. But what sustains Hip-Hop is when it matures. It’s

The Blueprint that elevated Hip-Hop to the fashion houses. It’s 808’s & Heartbreak that allowed rappers

to sing over autotune. Like Naomi defeating Serena, the young rappers have the energy to keep the

work going, but it’s the older MCs that break down the barriers. Because when Hip-Hop grows up, as it

tends to do, rappers find it easier to express themselves off the mic. The appeal of superficial rhymes

turn to regrets, reflections, sometimes even remorse. Songs become conversations; therapy over

instrumentals. 4:44, DAMN , Because the Internet , are a few of my favorites. Something happens to a

rapper when they turn 30+. It becomes easier to observe the zeitgeist and “pop a wheelie” on it.

Tanjint’s latest album You’re Young for a Long Time, continues that tradition.

Tanjint’s album plays like the kind of Friday night kickback we find ourselves at this age with

nothing but a great playlist, wine, weed, and great conversation. Compared to the hatred I felt about

the house parties I went to in my 20s that were loud, crowded, and one joint for twelve people

(how did COVID not come in 2013?), You’re Young for a Long Time provides the kind of experience I

didn’t know how much I’ve missed through this pandemic.

Sonically: We are fortunate to be in a time where the IE has well-regarded artists in a multitude of

genres. From Cumbia, Rap, EDM, Jazz (yes I’m plugging myself), etc.--but damn does it feel good to

hear something that sounds underground. You’re … is not packaged as the most (dare I say) “polished” package of music, but that’s a huge part of why

I keep coming back to it. Whatever flaws that come across on the album seem only to be because of

how different it sounds compared to everything else that’s out. Charlamagne told a 36 y/o Kanye that

“Yeezus sounds like an incomplete album”. Hindsight.

Tanjint’s beat selection tastefully curates a journey through what feels like the days when Stones Throw’s only press were the classic mid-00s [adult swim] bumps. Remember when people didn’t know Nujabes, Fat Jon, Dilla, and Madlib? The music rings out like a playlist of the best unheard beats from that era while the blunt is being passed by the charcuterie board. And on a less confident MC, Tanjint’s accelerated flow would come with a “Don’t Try This At Home'' label; yet his approach on each track of You’re Young… is skillfully executed over variating cadences and tones. To be blunt (no pun intended), his approach is unparalleled to any contemporary rapper that I’ve encountered in recent years.

Thematically: Tanjint guides the listeners through what feels like a warm gathering of friends,

old and new. The intro “Welcome to the Late Show,” makes it apparent that this is a celebration of life!

For real, parties in your 20s often come with the unexplained expectations that you’re supposed to

leave with something: maybe a girl’s number, maybe some new friends, maybe just a hangover.

But, as someone who still hates parties, it’s different in our 30s: you leave with an unopened bottle of

wine, new insight about the article someone read on Linkedin, or sometimes just peace. And it’s that

aspect of hanging out with the same folks that you used to live recklessly with but now have gotten

more mature, more reflective, that Tanjint captures so eloquently in this album.

I have too many favorites to name. “Goji Brothers” reminds me of my own changing

relationships with my siblings as we’re living separate lives as separate families.

“To Come of Age” reminds me of the trauma I’m still processing of my father’s death ten

years ago. “May 5th” reminds me of my personal struggles grasping to my Latinx identity that

still never felt like mine. The title track, “You’re Young for a Long Time” voices how I feel on a

daily basis of dealing with all of life’s lemons; “I’ve kept it tight, I’m tired, I wanna unwind”.

But even based on the few tracks that I’ve listed, it’s obvious that this isn’t an album for everybody.

It’s introspective that requires a commitment to want to engage in not only the answers that Tanjint is

asking the listener but also for the listener to want to ask those very same questions of themselves.

With the advent of social media, youth is no longer wasted on the young. There is a fear within

millennials that we’re growing old and no longer valued the same way we did not value the generations

before us. We’re desperate to cling on to the trends, to be in the know, to face our inevitable 40s. But

the freedom Tanjint expresses here makes it apparent that growing up is a blessing, and youth is

found in your state of mind, not in TikTok influenced art. With that understanding, we all can be young...

for a long time.

Stream

Download

Buy

Richard “RnB” Blacksher is a writer, musician, composer, performer, MC and educator in San Bernardino, California. You can find his music on streaming platforms under “Richard Blacksher”.

LOOKBACK: YUNG MISS - IT'S COMPLICATED

2020-10-08T07:15:00.004-07:00

This is some of the most effectively sexy and melodic IE neo-soul records I’ve ever heard. It’s really sophisticated how it covers familiar territory of love and intimacy without sounding boring or repetitive.

One, the writing is full of sensory evocation and adult addressing of feelings in a way that is really appealing and resonant. Two, the production and vocal quality buttresses this piece in its undeniability.

Guest appearances from Curtiss King, Pheo, Ric Rahk, Dee Simone and others hit perfectly. This now about 2 year old 8 track album is brief and very worth revisiting.

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Zus Entertainment, a Jooseboxx and Untapped Hip-Hop contributor, and member of the Inland Empire, California based nerdculture hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers

JAMINTHEVAN - RECKLESS VOYAGE

2020-09-14T17:01:00.003-07:00

This piece is exactly what it sounds like but it delivers.

This minimalist masterpiece is musically satisfying with substantial twists and turns throughout. See the song go from electronic vibes to a full on rock jaminavan. I like the way the piece was shot as well, revealing exactly enough moment to moment, showing the viewer more of what's happening with this ensemble over time.

RIP REK 1

2020-08-04T21:51:00.009-07:00

Image by Mota Vate (@motavate on Instagram and Twitter)

We lost a pillar of the arts community this week with the passing of Rek 1. Many knew him as the founder and host of The Unity Project, his brand for throwing hip-hop shows and events in addition to beloved father and friend. I would describe myself as a friendly acquaintance who had very limited interaction with the man ultimately but to me he was one of the Inland Desert’s last priests of boom-bap. I entered this community somewhat through MC Lyfe’s Sunny Days & Vibes showcase so when SDAV show frequency diminished, Rek 1 filled that vacuum with creative ideas like mixtape compilations, benefit shows, producer/beat-maker team-ups and more. In retrospect, he was part of a movement of hip-hop Wynton Marsalises, defenders of the lost arts, appreciators and torch carriers for the Golden era and the art and artists he wanted to celebrate. He always valued artists, let them know it and ran his events with consideration for the audience and performers. It's fitting that he called his main brand The Unity Project, because it absolutely nurtured unity in the community. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say his loved ones and family are in my thoughts, watch this space for announcements on benefits and future projects celebrating his legacy and benefiting his family.

His family’s GoFundMe page can be found here.

Information regarding a memorial car wash and cruise on the poster below, I first saw it on Bside Show's instagram but have seen other friends of Rek's share it since as well:

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Zus Entertainment, a Jooseboxx and Untapped Hip-Hop contributor, and member of the Inland Empire, California based nerdcore hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers

RIP C-LO G

2020-08-04T21:08:00.004-07:00

RIP to C-Lo G, a beloved San Bernardino area hip-hop aficionado, DJ, designer, friend and much more who passed away this last week.

He is mourned by a range of friends and family from the Inland Empire and beyond, all recounting his kindness and friendship.

I did not know him well but in every interaction I did have with him he was kind, helpful and friendly.

His family’s GoFundMe link is here

ROCK IN THE IE: “MUDD” FROM RECKLESS VOYAGE

2020-05-17T22:17:00.004-07:00

I can’t even believe how hard this song rocks.

Bluesy husky vocals are undergirded deftly by a muscular hard rock ensemble.

Sometimes rock is just confidence – the song is earthy and familiar yet totally exciting, catchy and satisfying simultaneously. I’m gonna need a larger project from this Fontana-derived group.

15 VINYLS UNDER $30 TO BUY YOUR HONEY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AT SERIOUS CARTOONS RECORDS AND TAPES

2020-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yo, if you are not familiar with San Bernardino's sole record shop, get familiar. I've compiled here stuff I saw in the store THIS week that you can and should cop for your significant other for Valentine's Day before they get snatched up.

They have multiple copies of this? Your girlfriend likes Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, trust me. Get this now.

Aight it might be over 30 but somebody's bae wants this Rob Zombie vinyl.

You're welcome!

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Zus Entertainment, a Jooseboxx and Untapped Hip-Hop contributor, and member of the Inland Empire, California based nerdcore hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers

“loves company…” : write-up on INVISIBLE MISERY by CALMFIXUP

2020-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

“Shake them bones you’ll feel no sorrow / you may end up in a grave tomorrow”

The more I listen to the rock albums of my comrade in West Coast Avenging, Calmfixup, the more I feel like his singer-songwriter journey is a story of building emotional armor. His first album The Last Time I Start Over is this naked cry of the last moments of youth saying I’m still confused, I’m still figuring life out but I’m gonna be confident about it going forward.

His new record Invisible Misery is like Tony Stark built his armor – the lyrics are less nakedly vulnerable than the last album but they’re still honest, just with more craft. Meneses (the alter ego secret identity of Calmfixup) is a great singer who never falters but something I keep hearing from people is they want the vocals on these records louder.

Sonically, TLTISO reminds one of Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana while IM reminds me of the Beths and A Perfect Circle. Listening to his singer-songwriter arc over the years, Calmfix is like a petri dish of rock paradigms – it sounds to me like he has all the styles mastered and he gets to deploy them to express his own particular brand of thoughtful and plaintive poetry. The sound is bigger and more confident than ever before. The songs are catchy as hell from “Dubious” to the chill and hypnotic “Belle”. “Tad” is ominous, “Fell” is wonderfully poppy. The whole album is that strong albeit a bit brief – it’s a melodic tour de force with smart rhythm as ballast : witness the misery.

The Truth about Indica and Burritos: a brief essay about capitalism

2019-11-29T08:59:00.000-08:00

I remember probably 8 years-ish ago in Riverside chilling with my friends Elizabeth and Brian, having a conversation where Elizabeth showed me a story about a dystopian future and two signs: one said “get fucked senseless” and the other was “have love made to you tenderly” and the line for “get fucked senseless” was astronomical, included most of the population and the “love made to you tenderly” line had basically no one at it. There was some late-capitalism context to the story but the commentary it was making becomes clearer to me as I age.

I remember I used to be annoyed when I’d see a given ethnic food place joint only populated with people of that ethnicity. “Shouldn’t we be sampling other cultures’ cuisines?” I thought. Now I know people are so stressed out from the day-to-day grind of modern life that they are just seeking familiar comforts. Comfort food.

I remember I used to be into cannabis sativa because I could stay awake more on it, it helped me wake up happily in the morning, they made my thoughts a little trippier; kind of the more stereotypical version of what getting high in the middle of the twentieth century was like. Now I’m more into indica because I work, I’m older, my body hurts more, my stomach and head pain, my tiredness. Another part of why I and a lot of other people are more into indica as we get older (and our tolerances get higher...) is that an indica is more likely to give you that stoned-off-your-ass-spacing-out-couch-lock feeling that makes you feel like you’re 16 and trying this shit for the first time again. We like to let the feeling wash over us and have an excuse to do nothing. A related result of late-capitalism is that indica is more popular because it's the more "medicinal" of the types: everyone is convinced they need maximum CBD for muscle relaxation and pain relief, don't want the potential anxiety of the more cerebral sativas. This is all part of everyone feeling so rundown all the time trying to keep up with modern life's material demands.

The older and more battered by late-capitalism we get the more we just want a) someone else to do all the work of intensity in our lives b) familiar comforts that nurture us spiritually and physically.

Growing up I remember girls eager to dispel myths about penis-size preferences, often going on about a good mid-size fit is ideal, the intensity of feeling like you’re being stretched out not always being desirable etc. but as I age and in particular observe people who feel especially whipped about by the economy I hear more women talk about wanting a big dick to distract them, desiring something intense enough to make them feel fucking something, anything amidst the stressed numbness their day to day has become.

We want to be fucked senseless because we don’t want to have do the work of distracting our consciousness from what tires us. The idea of a big thing being done TO us becomes more attractive as we become more tired and jaded. We don’t think it will make us happy – just a comfy warm distraction, at least in the afterglow of detachment. We southwesterners want the massive burritos we grew up on. Capitalism wants us on indica because it's the one that makes us sleep and consume. We want indicas because we see ourselves as in pain, as tired, as needing our muscles to be relaxed. The psychedelic creativity stimulation of sativa falls by the wayside as it doesn’t provide the gut-hit THC-pleasure-blanket around your abdomen that indica does so we forsake the intellectually stimulating for the more obvious physical comfort.

For me this idea is also apparent in the classic Tool song “Stinkfist” which is about needing something more intense to get a kick/high/satisfaction after instant-gratification society has numbed our senses.

What made me want to write about this is the cannabis aspect and thinking about what I miss when I don’t indulge in the more physically subtle but still cranially rewarding sativa and observing mutability in social circle sexual dynamics that I didn’t previously expect.

Social media’s culture of bragging about being emotionally distant to me is reminiscent of the loneliness of the “be loved tenderly”-line in the story Elizabeth shared with me. It’s not just that people in their desire to have an experience happen to them want to be fucked senseless but also that the idea of being tender and intimate with a stranger sounds like a lot of work at best and intense discomfort at worst. What is worth having or experiencing is not easy and automatic and all that.

While I understand these aged weathered hungers for fuck, food and fun ultimately I don’t think any of it’s an excuse and I’m saying that out loud for myself as much as anyone. I’ve become an indica-monger for real and need to, at least from time to time, put more sativa into my herb diet so I can have those transcendent mornings again. I stay pretty adventurous in terms of food when given the chance and in terms of sex well I’m lucky enough to have a long-term partner and I don’t really have to pick between two anonymous sign-holders like in the anecdote above.

But the indica thing gets to me, I’ve noticed it about myself and I want to do better. It reminds me of a larger trend of age – that the optimal little touches I often enjoyed in my early and even mid-twenties just go by the wayside as life busily and loudly marches on. I feel the awareness of these forces and dynamics in life are a good start to resisting them and really want to encourage you to think about what the hustle and bustle of life’s stresses stops you from trying, experimenting and enjoying and resist it. Smoke that sativa, try that new food, make tender love. Might be worth the extra effort.

Mystic Talks with Beats on The Boxx After Winning the Whats Beef Beat Battle (Part 1)

2019-10-09T11:13:00.001-07:00

Mystic talks with King Dice about his career so far, switching from hip-hop to EDM, winning beat battles, and the equipment he uses to make music.

Follow Mystic @SoundsByMystic

Follow King Dice @KingDiceSays

Follow JooseBoxx @ http://www.JooseBoxx.com

BRAC: The Sacrifices Moreno Valley and San Bernardino made for global peace

2019-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wise up about the region’s recent history

Moreno Valley and San Bernardino used to have a big Air Force base employment sector due to March Air Force base. Then the Cold War ended and President Clinton, the first post-Cold War president, in recognition of this enacted BRAC, Base Realignment And Closure, because the country didn’t need to maintain so many full capacity military bases in the wake of the end of our decades long struggle for power with Russia. So the Inland Empire, being a politically not-that-powerful region for a few reasons ( as a conservative part of a liberal state, it was unlikely to be a factor in flipping the entire state in a given race) was on the chopping block. We were to help pay for America’s peace dividend: and so, March and Norton Air Force Bases two of the area’s most important economic engines had their operations drastically reduced and even partly privatized in terms of the campus’ use if I’m not mistaken.

So we laugh at San Bernardino and Moreno Valley for being ghetto and poor but these are the harsh realities of society: people don’t want to pay for militarism forever and Bill Clinton was actually trying to reduce the military industrial complex’s massive pervasiveness a bit in a time when that was politically sellable. Sometimes unpopular things are the right thing to do, sometimes the right thing to do has unfortunate consequences. Sometimes smaller pictures suffer in service of the bigger picture. I’m not justifying any particular side of a debate on these issues I’m just saying know the context. Know that it’s more than just “haha so ghetto and poor i could never”.

ReplyForward

Shots Fired: The under-discussed classism of dismissing California’s Inland Empire

2019-09-08T12:33:00.002-07:00

It’s hypocritical to yap about Reagan all the time and then leave poverty out of your analysis of the I.E.

It’s wild how we love to give rappers passes for stuff we don’t give anyone else passes for.
Jokes about how ghetto the Inland Empire and San Bernardino are about class, about making fun of
people who struggle economically, don’t have pristine environments and struggle with poverty.

To take the semantic stance of “oh he didn’t say the I.E was bad just that he was glad that he wasn’t
raised there” is to work very hard to ignore the class implications of dismissing California’s Inland
Empire a region that includes Temecula, Victorvile, Corona, San Bernardino, Muscoy, Redlands,
Riverside, Fontana, Ontario, Rialto, Highland, Colton, Grand Terrace, Hesperia, Lake Arrowhead, Lake
Perris, Crestline, Upland, Cucamonga, Bloomington, Alta Loma, Etiwanda and more.

photo of gathering at Serious Cartoons Records & Tapes in San Bernardino, CA; submitted by Noa James

As the word “ghetto” finally fades into tackiness, people look for other ways to make fun of people that
are poorer than them and for some Southern California residents, “San Bernardino” or something like it
are shorthand for that. This is why it’s important to educate people about social justice, socioeconomics
and numbers more broadly: it’s not like it’s a city of people who decide to be poor or “ghetto” or “dirty” or
“shady” or whatever: statistically over ⅓ of the population of San Bernardino is actually literally living in
fucking poverty. Half of the city is receiving government aid of some kind. People who run cities and
municipalities have to look at a region’s “taxbase” in other words, who is paying the taxes to fund a
government and a society: when half of your people are on government aid and ⅓ in actual life or death
struggle with real poverty then you have a very small taxbase to fund services and make things better
with. This isn’t hard to understand. But some people still want to joke about Sanbernaghetto like a bunch
of people just decided to make a shitty city.

There’s a lot to factor in: a city slow to take advantage of the potent cannabis economy, going through
bankruptcy, high rates of violent crime. In the last 35 years the Inland Empire has lost jobs at Kaiser
Steel in Fontana as well as military-base shutdowns in Moreno Valley and San Bernardino and these
are cited as the biggest factors in discussing the last few decades’ poor economic performance for the
region. During the recession we were hit particularly hard and were slower to recover. Countless people
lost their homes in Fontana, Upland and Cucamonga around 2008 and left to cheaper Bernardino,
Moreno Valley and Rialto in the decade since.

Dark city?

That’s something I don’t get: American media is so obsessed with both the stories of races co-existing
and post-industrial towns economic situations. The Inland Empire is all of that and more than most
places but still it is dismissed as dismissible, forgettable, “ghetto”, meth-ridden. It’s almost as if lots of
activists, media figures, corporations and more that say they care about minorities and quality of life for
the unfortunate do not actually care.

Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote the famous Atlantic Case for Reparations article in 2014, talks a lot
about how the dominant American narrative has always indoctrinated us to think that people of color
invite their challenging circumstances with particular short-comings in work-ethic, “family values”,
“strong male role models” etc. but all studies show that when you factor in structural barriers to normal
healthy economic and family life installed into the superstructure of our society by centuries of white
supremacy and imperialism, black and brown people are not intrinsically less likely to work or be there
for their kids or have good values etc. So to bash areas like the Inland Empire full of impoverished
brown people working their asses off is to victim-blame. When rappers like Tyler or Jay Z or whoever
dismiss poor people and poor areas firstly it’s not a coincidence that that is the area that they chose to
bash and secondly, it’s part of the same right-wing white supremacist ideology espoused by the old
white guys pictured with Reagan people are always meming about, the same philosophy that birthed
Trumpism, the post-Paul parts of the Tea Party movement.

This is not to say any rapper that says shit like this is a war criminal in the class struggle but rather
just to say be aware of this train of thought’s origins and context. Realize when framing is causing you
to elide class in your analysis of something.

THOPFest Ontario, CA photo by J. Sevilla

What does all this have to do with hip-hop?

Personally it doesn’t bother me that much that bigg-ish rappers say stuff like this from time to time.
I’m even starting to like it because it helps me find other social media accounts of people that live in the
I.E. but what does bother me when I see people co-signing the bashing of the Inland Empire because it
reminds me of how ingrained into us hatred of the poor is by American culture. It’s one thing to say it’s hot
or to complain about the struggle but I disagree with comments about the area or its people being
intrinsically uncool or whack and I object to comments about “it’s bad for creatives/we don’t support
creatives”.

Imagine going to the home of a family that is hungry and criticizing them for pirating music online or not
having nice enough art on their walls. That’s what it is to say the I.E. doesn’t support its creatives: yeah
Mo Val, San Bernardino, and many more have major economic issues, why wouldn’t support for the arts
be part of that context? That’d be like a city being on fire and you kept complaining about this one random
part of the city that’s on fire as if the rest of the city wasn’t on fire.

Anyway yes: there is less city by city support in terms of dollars for the arts in the I.E. than in an area like
Long Beach that is both more affluent and staffed by city leaders that prioritize a more progressive vision
of culture and the arts. Because so many people are struggling economically, it’s harder for artists to
make a living off of solely a regional customer base. Harder but not impossible granted. But in terms of
the people? In terms of the talent?

It’s just wrong to say there’s not opportunities. I’m from San Bernardino and the proximity to San Diego
and Los Angeles and my own diverse area has allowed me to achieve a healthy amount of my artistic
goals and has since given me as much of a platform or shot as I could ask for to try to tackle the rest from.
If someone wants to show me how per capita (controlling for population) compared to x, y or z region
there’s less opportunity, given the economic context I’d be very open to such an argument but to say
there is no opportunity and that “people don’t support each other” is factually incorrect.

photo credit: China Tokyo Japan, submitted by David Dee

Given the economic challenges of the Inland Empire, people should be amazed at what HAS been built: the Common Ground, a massive legacy continues, THOPFest, Punch Line Kings battle league, a cannabis friendly record store venue in Serious Cartoons and way more….this is just the stuff that’s still happening right now.

Stop twisting it in your head to something that it’s not: the I.E. is a region with talent like many others
and it’s also a region with massive swaths of impoverished people. These are two distinct categories
but these identities intertwine, so when people try to dismiss and then people try to say you’re crazy
because you’re feeling a certain way about it just remember your correct feeling of there being something
wrong about such dismissals is you knowing deep down that this is all part of the only argument that ever
really mattered: the one about valuing all humans regardless.

Stop twisting it in your head to something that it’s not: when they dismiss the I.E. they are spitting on what
they perceive as lower-class people. Class struggle is real and social media and the internet allow people
to tell on themselves about whose side they are on; we’re not haters for keeping note on when people
reveal themselves.

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Zus Entertainment, a Jooseboxx and
Untapped Hip-Hop contributor, and member of the Inland Empire, California based
nerdcore hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers

Leap of Faith by Aye Sincere- A King Dice Experience (Album Review)

2019-08-30T20:58:00.002-07:00

I won’t do this often, I’m not Anthony Fantano and I really have no desire to be. I’m an emcee, a producer, and a damn good artist. With that comes my ability to find, analyze, and promote good music. Aye Sincere is an artist I’ve had the pleasure of watching grow. I jumped at the chance when I was invited to his album listening party for Leap of faith. I pulled up to Serious Cartoons Records in San Bernardino and settled into a nice spot on the couch. As I became one with the cushions the lights were dimmed and Sincere spoke briefly about the project. Then he hit play…

1.Leap of Faith- The album opens with a skit setting the theatrical tone of the album. The opening track is an introduction to the “live instrumentation” feel this album has. This track feels like goodbye to rapper known as Young Sincere.
2. Are you Okay- the influence of Anderson.Paak is obvious, but with a twist. On the second track we get introduced to the new persona of Aye Sincere, shedding the veneer of Young Sincere for a more mature tone and higher level of artistry.
3. Let Go- Nicklaus Grey can be heard lending his voice to the hook of Let Go. Propaganda does a great job of complimenting the voices and styles laid before us on this song. The trio really create magic on this song
4. Leap Down- This song is an upbeat one.
5. Fall Away pt. 3- Aye Sincere creates a haunting vocal intro that bleeds into another upbeat song. By this song I was craving something new, not because the songs are bad, but I began to feel the diversity in the album was lacking. Had the song adopted the identity of Nicklaus Grey’s bridge It would have been a well needed break from the 1-2-3-4 up beat songs we’ve gotten so far.
6. Glide- Ask and you shall receive. This song is a demonstration of the ability for Aye Sincere to show his ability to craft songs from tapping in with Nicklaus Grey for vocals again to utilizing CJ Wesley’s ability to blend in with the established feel of the album.
7. Earthbound- another song you could hear at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe. There is definitely a deliberate intention to capture this specific sound. Instead of being another rapper in a sea of sound-alikes, Aye Sincere does a great job of setting himself apart in a way that I think will set him up for huge opportunities and future successes.
8. Come Back Home- if you go to buffets and like to get a little bit of everything, this song is for you. I mean, I like it, it IS a good song. I just feel like the artist I just spent 7 songs getting to know is lost on this track. Again, not a bad song but if I heard this song first and listened to the rest of the album, I feel like I would think they were two different artists.

Aye Sincere is Anderson.Paak plus Chance the Rapper times Childish Gambino circa Because the Internet with a generous helping of West Coast I.E. flavor people have come to expect from this region. This album feels like you’re sitting in on a well-polished band’s practice sets, the chemistry pours through the speaker even when guest features grace the various songs. It all just works. The growth can’t be ignored. All too often artists grow and change in name only but Young Sincere becoming Aye Sincere isn’t just a superficial transformation. The songs, the vibe, and the skill has evolved. August 30th the album drops.

The Politics of Bandana by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

2019-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s new Bandana, the sequel to the already legendary Piñata is remarkable in a lot of ways but one is the depth of political commentary in Gibbs’ stories, in comparison to the first record in the series. In songs like “Flat Tummy Tea” and “Situations” he refers to Jeff Sessions, Obama, Bush and more that have been involved in lawmaking that affected him or the characters he raps about.

In “Flat Tummy Tea” he says

Obama can't make the law retroactive, what the fuck
happened?

Congress cock-blockin' niggas from comin' home to they family
If you lucky, when he left out of office
You got a pardon, overtime cut

This makes me think…Gibbs probably would not agree with young leftists that say there is no difference between the two major political parties or even given actors within the parties: here he is describing a situation where the small difference between two possible versions of a law meant the difference between the protagonist getting out of incarceration or staying. The Obama administration was always pushing for more reforms than the Republican congress would cooperate in delivering and here Gibbs explains point blank how that affected him. Per Genius.com, Gibbs says he was locked up when he wrote this so I suspect this stuff somewhat applied to his situation.

On “Situations” he says
Motherfuck Jeff Sessions, I'm sellin' dope with a
weapon

Only union some of me and my niggas got is the Western
I'm they favorite rapper when niggas fucked up and they stressin'
Lot of niggas feel like I got my bucks up and I left 'em
Tell them pussy niggas come get the fuck up on my level, yeah
This how it feel to wake up and you don't owe nobody shit
Not an explanation, not no conversation, Drug Administration, suck a nigga dick

Again, he isn’t just saying “fuck all the politicians…” despite references in his songs to having been arrested on the day Obama was elected. He is saying fuck these Republicans- almost as if he knows the right-wing administrations tend to seek harsher penalties and set up the more draconian frameworks in the first place.

The specificity of the bind the protagonist in Bandana finds himself in is one of its innovations in relation to Piñata; a friend of mine, notorious tweeter Wavy Jones said he thinks Bandana is more of a Gibbs record whereas Piñata felt like more of a collaboration. The depth of the story telling in Bandana backs this I think, it’s like Gibbs is letting us, the listener, in more and learning about some real shit. Worth paying attention to, I think.

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is a staff writer for Zus Entertainment, a Jooseboxx and Untapped Hip-Hop contributor, and member of the Inland Empire nerdcore hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers

Movies Millennials Should Movie: Jim Carrey edition!

2019-07-28T08:18:00.001-07:00

Movies Millennials Should Movie

Yo, y'all have to get on this new King Dice / Parker Edison Movies mini-podcast "Movies Millennials Should Movie"! It's funny, short, sweet, to the point and it's about movies! This latest one will remind you of some Jim Carrey classics you may have to visit or revisit!

THOPFest 2019 Interview - Stop Dreamin' Records

2019-07-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

JooseBoxx.com caught up with Stop Dreamin' Records at THOPFest in April, check out our interview!

Stop Dreamin' Records on Facebook

Official Jooseboxx YouTube Channel

THOPFest 2019- Tanjint Wiggy Woo Interview

2019-06-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

JooseBoxx.com caught up with the Guardian of the I.E. and JooseBoxx.com contributor Tanjint Wiggy Woo, at this year's The Happiness of Pursuit Festival in Ontario California. We also get a bonus of having the one and only CalmFixUp too! Check it out!

http://www.instagram.com/TanjintWiggy

http://www.JooseBoxx.com

Demrick and more in Colton Saturday 06/22/2019

2019-06-16T19:53:00.001-07:00

with Kidd Dryden, Beezy, CJ Westley, PDRO and many more, info here !

Eddie Murphy Movies Millennials Should Movie

2019-06-06T15:03:00.001-07:00

Parker Edison and King Dice give quick synopses of movies most millennials probably have never seen. This episode is about one of the original ORIGINAL kings of comedy; Eddie Murphy.

Directed & Filmed by:

Eddie Rangel

http://www.instagram.com/oghiphopeddie

King Dice's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/KingDiceSays

Parker Edison's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Kackjing

Tolkienesque Triumphs of Greenery with Noa James & Nuglife

2019-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

“I’m drama freeee (yeah) I’m lovin’ meee (yeah ) / be a queen / BE A KING / SPREAD YOUR WIIINGS”

It was a chill mood when I walked into Serious Cartoons Records & Tapes to the smell of tacos and kiefy pre-roll for the Noa James / Nuglife listening party. Lesa J was there as ever being brilliant and facilitating new people meeting. Phantom Thrett had been so kind as to open his doors and cook while everyone soaked in the new album. I’ve only met Nuglife a couple times but he’s a really bright soul and fun to kick it with. It’s wild how Noa is always talking about something substantial with whoever is posted with him on a couch – the more I speak with him and hear his work the more it’s clear to me that this is a man very aware of the preciousness of time.

Their new album, The Majestic Travels of Orcamane and OGie, is a spiritual sequel to The Adventures of Young Orca, an IE classic that is now unbelievably over a decade old. It fits too – it’s chill, stony, melodic, positive and seeking of common ground between souls and artists. The intro’s synth sirens remind one of whale calls- Nuglife understand the James paradigm. Noa’s voice has been evolving from his grizzly bear growl of his early career to a more zen rap crooner of the 2020s and the album’s intro “Orcamane” is a great example of where his voice stylings are now and how subtle and thorough Nuglife's synergy with him is. Noa listened graciously as I shared my critiques and faves – I loved the Mescal and Cam Archer songs, the harder stuff near the end was less my thing but still really catchy and James is undeniably good at it. Berserk and Juggernaut continue the chronicling of Noa’s ever gradually increasing descent into the world of nerdcore while providing a positive space to crack concrete in. Noa’s ability to toggle between experimentation and musically chill comfort food is priceless and the triumph of control over one's demons and the emanating of positivity and generosity is an epic triumph. I've been listening back to James' older works and on each album he balances the beautiful and the darkness -in this album the heroes have returned to the shire in peace and success. Odyssean even.

“I just wanna roll up/ just wanna po’ up”

Nuglife’s beat tape The Beat Dispensary is more of a compilation than a beat tape and it feels like a great immediate follow-up to Majestic Travels - chill thick beats with lots of So Cal all-stars from the BrickToYaFace and EOTR Networks and beyond. A longer record with lots of Noa throughout, it’s a wonderful stony companion-piece to majestic travels. The Noa pieces are like motivational mantras that reflect the comfortable synergy the two have developed. The theme playing off the “dispensary” setting is fun and funny from the Rasta Doorman intro the songs that continue to play on the concept like “The Love Dispensary”. EOTR members Zzay and Don't Sleep are standouts on a collection of stellar and effective collaborations. When you consider his elegant and lush EP with Zzay in addition to these works it’s wild to think how much this cat Nuglife has done before hitting age 25 – he was one to look out for, now he’s one to listen to.

Tristan "Tanjint Wiggy" Acker is staff writer for JooseBoxx, a youth hip-hop and poetry tutor, and member of the Inland Empire nerdcore hip-hop group the West Coast Avengers. Catch more of their work at westcoastavengers.com, follow Tristan on Twitter @Tanjint or e-mail him at tristanacker@gmail.com

THOPFest 2019- Nemy Interview

2019-05-28T11:18:00.002-07:00

JooseBoxx.com caught up with Mr. Ouchy Himself, Nemy, at this year's The Happiness of Pursuit Festival in Ontario California. Check us out!

http://www.instagram.com/ItsNemy

http://www.JooseBoxx.com