AutoBEATography Day 2!

Lots Of Love Already...

A lot of people have checked out the AutoBEATography and have told me they enjoyed it.  My mentor Vel (@seslim202) told me that it was 'creative' and he enjoyed the 'Price is Right' beat on Track 3.

My good friend Mark loved the new music and thoroughly loved the old beats that he remembered from our college days.

I did get some feedback about the talking... which I expected.  Not everyone will enjoy that part, but I condensed it down to the necessary amount to get my point across.  The main goal is and has always been to show the progression of the music.

I'm just happy I got something out.  I hope that this first offering really starts up something new in the music world.  People will appreciate it for what it is in the days to come.

At any rate...  On DatPiff I have over 350 views, 30 Streams, and 3 Downloads...
On Get Right Music I have over 100 hits
On Sound Click I have 40 Plays (and I put that on this morning!)

VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THIS!  I'm very excited and I hope more people will hear my first musical offering!

Please enjoy the AutoBEATography at any one of these fine websites!  Kindly leave me feedback here, on Twitter ( @ kennyjohnsoniii) or on facebook (kennyjohnsoniii).

DatPiff

 http://upload.datpiff.com/Kenny-Johnson-III-The-Autobeatography-mixtape.378641.html

Get Right Music

http://www.getrightmusic.com/mixtape/post/kenny-johnson-iii 

Soundcloud

http://soundcloud.com/kenneth-johnson-iii/sets/the-autobeatography/ 

Magnificent Monday! William Robi

MAGNIFICENT MONDAY:  WILLIAM ROBI

This Monday's feature artist is none other than Richmond's own William Robi.  He's a very cool and smooth brother who represents the 804 in an very stylish way. 

 William (aka CJ) and I met initially at Popkin's Tavern on Broad Street back in 2010.  He was hosting an Open Mic event and Rahshon and I (back in the Smooth Individual Clique days) went out to perform and mingle.

  

Instantly, I could tell that this gentleman had a different and refreshing style that was not common in this area.  His demeanor is very down to Earth, yet his wisdom and presence at such a young adult age allows him to take you to new heights right off the bat.

penmanship

William was kind enough to allow me the opportunity to feature his album this week.  I'm honored to have this be the first underground review and I must say, this album was a very good initial entry and solid addition to the RVA music scene.  Here's my full breakdown of 'penmanship'.

ENJOY!!!

To listen along with the critique, please visit: http://williamrobimusic.bandcamp.com/album/penmanship

NOW!

Entry
Nice Intro.  Spoken Word is pretty cool... not my cup of tea, but cool.

Tune Me Out
Attention grabbing intro that leads to some smooth listening music...
Then hell breaks loose! lol...  William starts going off. *Wait a minute... is this a Common album?!*
Hot...
"You're a king hold down your aces, life's a deck of cards when you playing hearts...
Call a spade a spade when all your Queens are changing faces..."  [O__O]
This intro track is extra dope.  Some cool wordplay all over the place to be heard.
The beat has a spiritual feel to it.  Very soulful.
B+

Shakedown
Again the smooth track comes in and sets a very mellow mood.  Makes you drift off into imaginations world... The spoken word transition throws me a bit and brought me back, but I respect the transition. I like the delivery of it though... Nice fade out.
B

[c.oa.c.a]
This reminds me of Outkast's Spottieottiedopalicious in a way.  But this is a standout track on its own.  Everyone's been down this road before.  This is a REAL track.  Mad descriptive.  I can see everything as its happening.  This is probably one of the best tracks I've heard on the new music scene.  Definitely an A+ Track.  MUST HEAR...

A+

Look Out Your Window f/ J. Dangle
Mellow Real Old School Hip Hop.  This sample screams classic hip hop.  Very chill and mellow track.  J. Dangle comes in with a very alluring flow.  Will follows the hook with reminiscing on hip hops glory days.  Cool wordplay.  The vocal double up feels a little over done.  Could have been more subtle.  It overcontrasts J. Dangles smooth approach.  Thats an engineering issue though... What he says is on point.  Can't take away from that.
I love when people intertwine a verse.  Cool.
Overall Nice Track though.
B

Interruption
Nice interlude break... can't critique it much... lol. (No Grade)

Allegiance
I appreciate what was said.  I also appreciate the audio snippets.  This was not done to be liked, but more-so to get a point across on an artistic vibe.  Not really a song, but... art. (No Grade)

Infantry f/ Michael Millions
This track starts off WAY TOO SLOW.  I had to wait through a very long and confusing intro.
The non music listener will skip this.
Then they hit you with a strong beat drop and Michael GOES OFF.  I love the energy in his voice. Makes me think I'm listening to Black Thought for a second.  William follows up with strong passion in his verse. Here the vocal double up is perfect.
The spoken word... I have mixed feelings about it's presence in this track.  I believe the track would have been a little stronger with a verse instead of a spoken word break.  Personal opinion.  Otherwise a very passionate track.  I have to take points away for that tiring intro though.
C+

Progression f/ J. Dangle
I love the beat.  The kid J. Dangle is ill.  Perfect choice for this feature.
William GOT THE SMOOTH FLOW ON THIS JOINT!!!!  I'm wit it... I can't stop bobbing my head.  Cool, ill, dope, fun, poppin, everything is good about this track.
The only throw is the terrible hiss in the background.  It's absolutely throwing to the overall quality.
B+

Church.Hill
HOT TRACK HOT TRACK HOT TRACK HOT TRACK!!!!
I love this joint!!!!  Respect to the sample!  The verse is extra hot.  This is by far the best full song on the album.  The break in the middle is cool.  I'm having fun listening to this one.  The flow is ill.  Love this beat as well.  The sample + flow is ridiculous.  The only bad thing is that this track gets really good and then abruptly ends...  Loved all 2 minutes... lol...
A

Good Music f/ Ooh of BF
I got a strong feeling about the first verse.  Good stuff.
This Al Green sample is very cool.  I'm with it.
Ooh comes in slowly... I feel what he's saying, but the delivery isn't on point at all. A little more life and word thought would have done more for me.
B-

Nodders
I love the way this track comes in.  Another classic type track. True Hip Hop feel.  Very simple yet meaningful beat.  William Robi def has flow.  No question about it.  Tracks like this are perfect for listening on a lazy afternoon.
YO... who put the banjo in the background?!?!  Give that guy an award.  This is absolutely beautiful.  I feel like I'm looking through a wheat field with a blue sky.  Random, but that's what music should do... take you away.
Love the verse after the break.  Simply love this.  Everything about this track is beautiful.  The percussion at the end is very welcome.
This track morphed four times and kept itself together.  Very impressive.  Solid work here.
A-

Departure
Spoken word to end the album.  William Robi is very poetic with solid imagery.  Much respect.
(No Grade)

Final Results:

To be very clear, I am NOT a huge fan of spoken word.  With that being said however, I thoroughly enjoyed what I heard on this album.  It was a good mix of imaginiation, fun, love, politics, and life... which is all what Hip Hop is supposed to be in the first place.  There are a couple of small breaks in continuity but it doesn't take away from the overall solid effort put forth in this album.

Overall Grade: B - AWESOME

Picking up this album will significantly increase your music collection.  This is a solid album with some great thought and energy.  You will not be upset with your purchase.  If you like classic hip-hop and spoken word, you will LOVE 'penmanship'.

Big Ups to William for a great contribution to the music scene! RVA all day!

To listen to/purchase it, please visit:

http://williamrobimusic.bandcamp.com/album/penmanship

Grading Scale:
A+: Flawless
A: Classic/Excellent
B: Awesome
C: Average
D: Needs Work
F: Complete Fail

THE AUTOBEATOGRAPHY IS LIVE!!!

THE AUTOBEATOGRAPHY IS OUT!!!!!!

I'm very nervous, and excited, and anxious to hear what people are going to say... will they enjoy it?  Will they hate it?  Will they even at least listen to every track all the way through once?!  LOL.

At any rate, I want to be honest and up front with everyone about who I am and where I've come from musically.  I want the world to know my real story.  Worst case scenario, everyone hates it and I come away with a great experience for the next go around!

This has truly been a fun endeavor.  I can't complain one bit about anything that has happened.

Now... we play the waiting game.

Check out The AutoBEATography here:

DatPiff

 http://upload.datpiff.com/Kenny-Johnson-III-The-Autobeatography-mixtape.378641.html

Get Right Music

http://www.getrightmusic.com/mixtape/post/kenny-johnson-iii

Soundcloud

http://soundcloud.com/kenneth-johnson-iii/sets/the-autobeatography/

@ kennyjohnsoniii

Three Days Til The AutoBEATography

3 Days Away...

THE AUTOBEATOGRAPHY

Well Family, it's officially upon us.  Monday, July the 30th, I will release my first public production, The AutoBEATography.  It has been a good solid 3 month production, and I'm happy to say that I've completed something that means alot to me and marks the beginning of my musical career.

Again, if you've been keeping up with the posts, this is NOT a straight forward music CD, but it is more of a profile with my beats and progression as a producer being the focus here.  Do not expect alot of rapping, singing, etc., but do expect the music to take the front seat here.

No one has ever done this before LIKE THIS, so please approach with an open mind and heart.  I want you to see where I've come from and then in a few more months I PROMISE I will drop SONGS... lol.  So bear with the narrative, because I promise it will continue to get better as you listen.

I am looking for critique and comments, so come Monday, I'm giving you full permission to let me have it!  If you loved it, say so.  If you hated it, say so.  I'm all about getting better, and this will help you get to know me and get a feeling for the type of person I am (which is something artists rarely do).  So it's open forum!  Let's talk and have fun together as I put out my first production.

Much love, and have an awesome day!

SN: WE'VE BROKEN 1,000 VIEWS!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Magnificent Monday: Corey Goss (aka P. Dot)

MAGNIFICENT MONDAY: COREY GOSS

It's another beautiful Monday morning (yaaaaaay... lol)!  Don't worry about all the crap you have to do at work!  Look forward to another excellent feature of an unsigned artist that you need to check out!

This week we're going to take a look at an exciting young rapper from Virginia.  Here is a young man who fully embodies passionate music and makes rap fun, exciting, and cool all at the same time.  Did I mention he's technically a "Christian Rapper"?

Introducing Mr. Corey Goss!!!

Corey Goss (or P. Dot as he likes to be referred to!) is a stand out underground artist.  This gentleman is an awesome performer, with good beats, solid stage presence, a good attitude, and an excellent work ethic. 

 I met this young man at Virginia State University and I heard him rapping at a couple of different events.  I instantly recognized that he wasn't cursing, he sounded intelligent, and his word choice sounded like it was coming from the Sunday Service!  BUT IT WAS DOPE!!  I could immediately tell that he was not out here trying to be like everyone else... rapping about nonsense (cars, money, women, cliche'...) and I immediately appreciated that.

The other wonderful thing about P. Dot is that he is 100%  NOT CORNY!!! This guy spits fire, and has legit hooks, concepts, and imagery in his songs.  Nothing wack about this guy and he still gives God glory in his verses.

I appreciate when someone comes out and is just honest.  No filler, no gimmicks, just an honest person doing what he or she loves.  This is what I enjoy about listening to P. Dot.  Everything is authentic, and you can tell he really enjoys and loves the music he makes.  

Visit his website: www.pdglobal.net

Twitter: @ dot757

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecuresssssss

Back to good music... Review of "Life is Good"

THE OFFICIAL REVIEW!!!

So, I've been doing some different things this week... listening to some new music and really studying the beats, breaks and delivery.  One such album that I have picked up is Nas' newest effort "Life is Good".  I am proud to say that I bought this on day one, which is something that I haven't done since buying a Ghostface Killah album! lol...  Music today has kinda got me down, so I was very happy to pick something up from an old favorite.

Today, I've decided to give a full but brief album breakdown.  I'll glance over each track from the non-deluxe edition (sorry, it was sold out!) and give you my personal opinion as to how I felt about this album.  Let's get right into it!

1.  No Introduction (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

1. No Introduction (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)


Classical inspiring music; gritty lyrics.  Nas is reminiscing over hard times and shares the tiring toll of fame.  Pours out pain.  Good overall intro and flow.  B


2. Loco-Motive feat. Large Professor (Produced by No I.D.)

Classic 90s style beat.  Train sample is cool.  Piano gives a lot of life to the track and the flow is ill.  B+

3. A Queens Story (Produced by Salaam Remi)

Nice Old School beat with ill strings.  Mad energetic song.  Nas puts forth some serious storytelling.  This song will get slept on though.  The Piano ending saves the track from being mundane and gives it a new facet.  You can tell Nas put heart and thought into this track. B

4. Accident Murderers feat. Rick Ross (Produced by No I.D.)

The first bangin' joint on the album.  Accident Murderers is a super legit track from top to bottom.  The beat is hot, the story Nas tells is cool, and RICK ROSS CRUSHED HIS VERSE!!!  Hot track! Cool effects and sample with the orchestra sounds.  A.

5. Daughters (Produced by No I.D.)

One of the finest tracks on the album.  Nas is a master storyteller.  Wisdom, skill, emotion, great word choice, and excellent delivery over a beautiful beat make this a fantastic song.  A+

6. Reach Out feat. Mary J. Blige (Produced by Salaam Remi, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Hot Day & Nas)

When this comes on you get that old school groove.  Mary comes in with the strong 90's style vocals and Nas brings the story and painting of 90's life back in this song.  Lots of energy and imagination.  Sounds like 3 different 90's samples blended together.  Cool track.  B.

7. World’s An Addiction feat. Anthony Hamilton (Produced by Salaam Remi)

This track I have a love/hate relationship with.  It is a boring track.  One of those one and done types.  However, when you listen to what Nas is saying, you appreciate it, but you have to get through a very tiring beat to get there.  C-

8. Summer On Smash feat. Miguel & Swizz Beatz (Produced by Swizz Beatz)

SUMMER ON SMASH!!!  Poppin track all the way!  Mad energy and fun song!  Swizzy stay with a banger on somebody's album!  Nas is bragging and killing his verses.  Love it... up until Miguel's verse puts out the fire.  Coulda done without him.  He doesn't blow the entire song for me, but Nas, you coulda got someone else for this.  This would have gotten an 'A+' had they not made me suffer through Miguel's verse. A

9. You Wouldn’t Understand feat. Victoria Monet (Produced by Buckwild)

Love the beat.  Simply love it.  It feels very smooth and classic. Solid verse... Solid hook.  Overall, makes me feel really good.  A.

10. Back When (Produced by No I.D.)

I can't describe how much I enjoy this track.  Very cool sample in the background on some 90s stuff!  Cool story about hood life and Nas' youthful days.  Very nice beat as well.

11. The Don (Produced by Salaam Remi, Heavy D & Da Internz)

This song SCREAMS New York 90's.  Everything about it says east coast rap.  Nas is going off on this track.  Super gritty beat.  I love the brief keys in the breakdown toward the end. Very creative track.  Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate this.  A

12. Stay (Produced by No I.D.)

Strong thinking music. First verse, cool story.  Second verse cooler story.  Wow...  Lost in thought.  A

13. Cherry Wine feat. Amy Winehouse (Produced by Salaam Remi)

Cherry Wine is the prettiest song on the album.  Amy Winehouse's voice is simply wonderful on this song.  Good chill music.  Makes you feel great while listening to it.  Multi Repeat song.  A+

14. Bye Baby (Produced by Salaam Remi & 40)

Now this song... This song right here... AWESOME.  This has been on repeat since the day I heard it.  Mad emotion and pain in the memories, but the song exudes a best wishes type of vibe.  The Guy sample is on point.  The way the beat drops in is perfect.  Love this song.  A+

Overall, this CD gets an A from me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I know people will be enjoying this album for quite some time.  Nas, you did your thing!  Proud and happy for you!

Updates for the AutoBEATography coming soon!

@ kennyjohnsoniii

BACK TO WORK!!!

After a small hiatus, I have gotten back on track with The AutoBEATography.  I have fully condensed the vocals on all the tracks and it sounds crystal clear.  Also, I shortened up, took out, and edited every song to take the play time down from 75 minutes to about 45... That's some serious editing!  I'm glad I let a few people critique it, because it would have been a lonnnnnnng endeavor to sit through.  I thought I was giving more, but sometimes, less is more!

Glad I listen to feedback!

A little more fine tuning and this project will be complete.

It will be put on Reverbnation again for the time being.  I'm also thinking that I will be doing shows again sometime in the very near future.  I'm ready to get back out there and enjoy the music world again.  I've been gone for way too long!  Performing and entertaining is amazingly fun, and I def miss that feeling.

More to come soon!  Stay tuned!

100 PLAYS!!!

So... as you can tell, i'm very hype! In less than one full week of being online, my first single "Tonight" has been played on my Reverbnation Page 100 times as of 6am on today 7/11/12.

That is huge.  No promo team, no advertisements... just word of mouth.  I'm very grateful to everyone who took time to listen to the song.  I really appreciate the time and effort that was put in to listening... because there are many people that didn't listen and saw the same messages that the people who did listen saw and clicked on.

I'm very thankful because I know that I don't have to have even this little bit of success.  So, thanks so much for helping one dream come true!

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

The AutoBEATography is still going on!!!  Don't forget that this nifty little beat compilation/audio story is alive and well, and will be coming out at the end of the month!  Again, it will be free... as all my stuff will be in the coming months, so don't be afraid to download it, burn it, then listen to it in the car!  It's really a cool little story, that is guaranteed to make you laugh, bob your head, and enjoy my pain, happiness, struggle, and overall joy that came from learning what it takes to make music.

All this is just the beginning!  Please know that there is so much more to come.

For those who have not heard "Tonight" yet... Shame on you!!! lol... just kidding.

You can listen to it at http://www.reverbnation.com/kennyjohnsoniii

Please feel free to follow me on:
 Twitter @ kennyjohnsoniii
Instagram: @ kennyjohnsoniii
 Facebook: www.facebook.com/kennyjohnsoniii or www.facebook.com/kj3music

Thank You!

MAGNIFICENT MONDAY RETURNS... (with 15 minutes to spare)

The Return!

So I promised that I would be introducing an underground artist every Monday, and last week, I failed to deliver!  I apologize for my rude behavior!!!  But no longer shall you wait!

This Magnificent Monday, we focus on an artist who actually helped me get started!  We're going to talk about the smack you and yo mamma in the mouth, disrespectful yet delightfully diplomatic, and of course trash-talking ladies man... the one, the only...

SOUTHEAST SLIM

Southeast Slim is one of the dopest acts in DC right now.  He's a lyrical giant in a small city.  This guy says some crazy and off the wall things, but fully envelopes the Washington D.C. lifestyle, culture, and swagger.  From his first mixtape to the current one M. A. F. (Maximum Amount of Foolishness).  You'll be rocking to the essence of D.C. and understanding how it is in the city life... and you'll love it!

Be warned... there should be about 7 Parental Advisory Stickers put on this albums cover and back... lol, cuz Slim says whatever the F*** he wants when he wants to.  That's all part of the nature of D.C. tho.  If you've ever been there, or you know a couple people from there, the in-your-face, IDGAF way of life is present, and it's no different with Southeast Slim.

Check him out:

Twitter: @ seslim202

Website: www.southeastcentral.com

AWESOME 4TH OF JULY!!!

So!!!  The AutoBEATography got delayed... my feelings were hurt... major setback right??!  WRONG... WRONG!!!!

Today was an AWESOME day as far as music is concerned!

So, this morning, I woke up, and as you know, I worked on "Tonight" and got the vocals sounding near studio quality... as close to professional as I could possibly get them, thanks to some ill YouTube tutorials...  I'm going to give that guy InfamousxSoljahh some cash if I ever see him.  Thanks to his tutorial, the music came out crystal clear!!!  HUGE THANKS!!!

So, I put the song on ReverbNation and got on my self promotion grind... Facebook, Twitter, Text Messages, Word of Mouth... etc. You name it, I was on it!

So in less than 12 hours, my page got 32 hits/listens...  not bad for a rookie!!!

I'm excited about this though... Got alot of good feedback.

Please take some time to listen if you dont mind!!!

www.reverbnation.com/kennyjohnsoniii

Thanks a lot!

And once again...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

Happy 4th!!!

Independence w/o freedom... yet...

Good Morning folks!

So again, The AutoBEATography has been delayed.  It will be coming out, just not today!  Sorry for the inconvenience...

As a token of my esteem for your patience though, I will be releasing the single "Tonight" written by me and produced by Corey of CorSoundz Beats.  

I am in the process of re-mixing the levels and making sure everything sounds tight.  A few listeners say that the beat overpowers the singing, so I have to fix that before I give it to you all.  Also, there is a red spike that I have to def fix.

As far as The AutoBEATography goes, I have allowed 3 more people to critique it and I'm awaiting the results today.  

Based on their critique, I'll give you all a little more of an idea as to the direction that I will follow.

We're almost there yall, just a little more work needs to be done!  Expect to hear "Tonight" soon!

Thanks!

Oh, and as for Magnificent Monday... I forgot! lol... We'll get back on track ASAP!

@ kennyjohnsoniii

Pushed back like a 30's something guys hairline...

Sheesh...

Well family, It's official... The AutoBEATography will have to be pushed back.  After a humbling listening session, I got a lot of good, positive, and necessary feedback that let me know that I could make a lot of improvements.

Body language is a killer, and watching people get bored while listening to your music is like someone stabbing you repeatedly with a knife!  Kills your soul!

But my soul is resilient, this let me know that I have some work to do.  

1.) Condense it and make it shorter.  I wanted to tell a story with words, but some listeners got very bored very fast.  I have to figure out a way to tell the story without talking you to death...

2.) Transition - The way I had it set up, I was going story, beat, story, beat... but I had no real fillers or transitional sounds.  Basically, I had to remember that more than just my friends would be hearing this.

3.) Can't give away the good stuff.  I had some bangers on this CD.  My mentality was to allow people to hear all the good stuff too... but I was warned about the reality of music theft and how easy it is to loop your beat.

So those three reasons combined = a delay in production.

I will still be coming out with something, but it won't be the 4th of July.

Sorry for the delay, but at the very least, I'll drop a single on ReverbNation, SoundClick, and BandCamp.  It will most likely be Tonight, but I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again for the support, and feel free to hit me up and give me crap for the delay! :-)

Final Touches

Putting something together takes a lot of time and effort!  I'm starting to see how real putting serious compilations together is!

I re-recorded "Tonight" and it came out sounding better than the last version I recorded.  Only thing is that I'm not 100% comfortable with the last half of the song.  I feel like it needs to be switched up a bit, or at least redone once more.  I want to send out something that I'm completely comfortable with, and not just "something to put out".

Also, I started up a ReverbNation Account and a SoundClick.  I'm looking for the best platform to put out my music AND have it easy to download it for free.  Having a bit of trouble there!  If you know of one such website, please let me know.

Last things are album art.  I think I have the main picture that I need, however, I do want to weigh my options.  I'll be looking through photos to figure out which one fits this album theme best.  If I had more time, I'd let you guys decide through a vote!  At any rate, the finish line is upon us!

The AutoBEATography is only 3 days away!!!

Ultra Excited!

@ kennyjohnsoniii
kennyjohnsonmusic@gmail.com