The Louisiana music scene has contributed to pop culture more than many people realize. From the classic jazz often sampled in modern music, to nearly two decades of Hip Hop and pop music, New Orleans, Shreveport, Baton Rouge and outlying areas of the Bayou State have produced some of our nation’s greatest hitmakers.

Asylum/Warner Bros. signee Lil Cali is on a mission to be the next great artist out of the Gulf Coast, representing for the new generation of music lovers. As an actor, songwriter and fun-loving performer, Cali has taken the hard edges of his environment and incorporated a sense of purpose and business to everything he does.

In September 2010, Cali will release his Enemy of the State 2 mixtape hosted by Trap-a-holics, The Empire and DJ 5150. Cali’s current single “Money Right” is picking up steam at radio and in the clubs, and an official video will debut soon.

Over the years, Cali’s work with the likes of Lil Boosie, Glasses Malone, Webbie, Nipsey Hussle, Young Dro, OJ da Juiceman and others consistently showcases the versatile rapper’s unique take on music, and Enemy of the State 2 will definitely inspire old and new fans alike.

As a teen, Terrance “Lil Cali” Callahan was inspired to write songs in his hometown of Ponchatoula, about 20 minutes outside of New Orleans, at a time when the Louisiana music scene was already abuzz with emerging rappers like Master P, Mystikal and Juvenile. While most of the artists in the early ‘90s were influenced by Bounce music icons like T.Tucker and DJ Jimi, young Cali was drawn to Tupac and Notorious B.I.G..

“A lot of people in the South say they came up on UGK and 8-Ball & MJG,” explains Cali. “I listened to them, but I wasn’t really into music until I got Ready To Die and Me Against the World. Then I started getting into Cash Money, No Limit, Mystikal and stuff like that.”

Cali looked at music as somewhat of a hobby, until he realized that his budding basketball career wasn’t really what he wanted. He studied at the University of New Orleans on a basketball scholarship, then played his junior year in Southwest Mississippi before he finally left school altogether. No more 6am practices meant more time for music, and the next phase of his life began with a call to longtime friend Lil Boosie.

“The first song I did was with Boosie called ‘You Aint Sayin Nothing’, and it caught on like wildfire. We knew each other before his fame, so our relationship never really changed. When he got big and our song was hot down in Jacksonville, Florida, he’d call me to do a show with him. He always stayed cool whenever we would see each other.”

Cali did so many songs with Trill Entertainment’s artists that people began thinking he was signed to the label.  Cali released his indie debut album Long Live tha Game with Yz Gyz Entertainment in 2005, followed by Bayou Classic in the summer of 2006. He expanded his horizons a bit, and did tracks with Hurricane Chris, Sean Kingston, B.G. and many more as word of his talent spread.

In late 2006, Cali’s single “I’m On My Sh*t” caught the attention of the New York music industry, and by the time his third indie album Mr. Louisiana was released in February 2007, there were deals on the table. By November ‘07, the confident MC signed with Asylum Records. He released his Live from the Trap mixtape in early ’09 with Bigga Rankin, and Enemy of the State in early 2010 with The Empire and 5150.

Despite breaks in the music, there was no downtime for Cali. He nabbed the part of Billy Blue in the 2008 movie Death Toll with Lou Diamond Phillips, DMX and Keshia Knight-Pulliam. Cali has plans to do more movies, and is looking forward to his next full-length album in 2011 with Asylum/Warner Bros.

When it’s all said and done, Cali wants fans to know that he’s prepared to go the distance, and he understands that repping his local scene doesn’t mean staying local.

“I don’t like to keep my music boxed in,” says Cali. “I want to step out and do more national sounding music. I know you have to cater to the area you’re from until you get where you’re going, but most people I’ve worked with already know I’m a real artist. I’m still going to have my music for the streets, but I’m including other types of music that everyone can feel just as much.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

For nearly a decade, Harlem, New York native Ron Browz has made it his business to bring the worlds of street and mainstream music together. From his early work with Big L and Nas to more recent work with Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes and Jim Jones, the talented producer-turned-artist has made his mark on Hip Hop and Top 40 music across the board.

On July 20, 2010, Ron Browz will release the Etherlibrium street album exclusively on iTunes, via his own Ether Boy Records. The 16-track project includes cameos from Maino, Red Café and J.R. Writer, with all production handled by the “Ether Boy” himself.

Influenced by the sounds of DJ Premier, Dr. Dre and Havoc, Ron Browz’ first big break came in 2000 when he produced four songs on the late Big L’s album, The Big Picture, including the classic track “Ebonics.” Big L taught Ron about the music business, and exposed him to a new network of contacts.

When he gave some beats to Queensbridge icon Nas during the recording of the 2001 double-platinum album Stillmatic, Ron Browz was not expecting history to be made. Nas used Ron’s track as the foundation for his lyrical battle classic “Ether,” a scathing comeback to Jay-Z’s “The Takeover.”

The credibility of “Ether” sparked a demand for the Ron Browz sound, and garnered him the nickname ‘Ether Boy’. His reputation for crafting impactful records grew with songs like Ludacris’ smash hit “Blow It Out” from the 2003 multi-platinum album Chicken N Beer. Other early career platinum-plus albums with Ron’s magic touch include Lloyd Banks’ Hunger For More (’04), DMX’s Grand Champ LP (’03), Lil Kim’s La Bella Mafia album (’03), and Snoop Dogg’s Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece (’04).

2005 began as another memorable year for the young producer, with a strong showing on Jae Millz’ street anthem “Who” and accompanying video heavily supported by BET. By November, Ron Browz’ production on “I’ll Whip Ya Head Boy” was presented in the opening scene for 50 Cent’s blockbuster film Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. The track also appeared as a special bonus track on the platinum soundtrack for the movie.

Browz stayed determined for the next few years, landing more tracks with G-Unit, Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks, Joe Budden, Remy Ma and more, although he had a bigger goal in mind for his own work. He released his own single “Pop Champagne” and caught a buzz on New York’s Hot 97 and busy club circuit. Soon after, Jim Jones jumped on the track, and landed at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on both the Hot R&B/Hip Hop and Hot Rap Tracks.

Riding the wave of success, Ron Browz soon found himself in an official deal with Universal Motown, and released the singles “Jumping Out the Window” and “20 Dollars.” By early 2010, a date was set for Ron’s major label debut album, however progress slowed with the promotion, and Browz opted out of his deal. Despite what some might think, the move was the best thing possible for the young visionary’s ever-growing repertoire.

“I was bumping heads with the label about what I thought was a hit record, and they didn’t think so,” explains Browz. “That made me go independent again, because I felt I made the decisions to even get on a major independently. My original success with “Pop Champagne” was something I put out independently, so obviously I know what I’m doing. But when you get with a major they act like you don’t know what you’re doing creatively. I had to take a step back.”

The decision to release Etherlibrium was a logical step forward in the new year, and it will definitely give listeners a broader spectrum of sound than the auto-tune laden singles put out in 2009.

“I feel like I owe the fans this iTunes release collectively, being that I didn’t get to put out the album as planned,” Ron says. “All the fans got from me was select singles, so this is more street records than radio records. Before Jay-Z’s “D.O.A.” even came out, I already had records without the auto-tune. People who really follow what I’ve been doing know that I was just experimenting and having fun. I made it creative and made it work.”

With the new project, Ron Browz wants to get back to the heart of why he loves music, and why making songs for the fans to enjoy long-term is so important.

“I want people to really get to know me,” he asserts. “I don’t believe in doing just one kind of music, and I’m just doing whatever I feel. I put my heart into this Etherlibrium project – it’s more lyrical than stuff people have really heard from me. It’s well put together, and I don’t think I was meant to be limited to releasing singles… I was meant to put whole projects together.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

Ron Browz Discography
Singles
2000 – Big L “Ebonics” b/w “Size ‘Em Up” (Rawkus/Priority)
2001 – Nas “Ether” (Columbia/Sony)
2002 – Fat Joe “We Run This Sh*t” (Atlantic)
2003 – Lil’ Kim “Whatz the Word” (white label)
2003 – Ludacris “Blow It Out” (Def Jam)
2005 – Jae Millz “Who” (Wanna Blow/Universal)
2006 – Lloyd Banks “Help” ft. Keri Hilson (co-prod w/ Sha Money XL – Interscope)
2007 – Remy Ma “Fresh” (SRC/Universal – for 2009 unreleased PunishHER LP)
2008 – Ron Browz “Pop Champagne” (Ether Boy)
2008 – Jim Jones “Pop Champagne” ft. Ron Browz & Juelz Santana (Koch/Columbia/Universal)
2008 – Busta Rhymes “Arab Money” ft. Ron Browz (Flipmode/Universal Motown)
2008 – Fat Joe “Winding On Me” ft. Ron Browz & Lil Wayne (Terror Squad/Imperial)
2008 – Jim Jones “The Good Stuff” (Koch)
2009 – Lloyd Banks “In Love With Ya Boy” ft. Ron Browz (G-Unit)
2009 – Nicki Minaj “I Get Crazy” ft. Lil Wayne (Young Money)
2009 – Ron Browz “Jumping Out the Window” (Universal Motown)
2009 – Ron Browz “20 Dollars” (Universal Motown)
2009 – Slim (of 112) “Heels On” Remix ft. Ron Browz & Deezo
2009 – Capone-N-Noreaga “Rotate” ft. Busta Rhymes & Ron Browz (Thugged Out)
2009 – Ghostface “She’s a Killah” ft. Ron Browz (Def Jam)
2010 – Foxy Brown “Ride Ya Bike” (Ether Boy)

Contributions to Albums
2000 – Big L “Ebonics”; “Size ‘Em Up”; “Casualties of a Dice Game”; “The Heist” Big Picture (Rawkus/Priority)
2001 – Nas “Ether” – Stillmatic (Columbia/Sony)
2002 – Fat Joe “We Run This Sh*t” - Loyalty (Atlantic)
2002 – Nas “Last Real N*gga Alive” –  God’s Son (Columbia/Sony)
2003 – Ludacris “Blow It Out” – Chicken N Beer (Def Jam)
2003 – DMX “F*ck Y’all” – Grand Champ (Def Jam)
2003 – Lil’ Kim “Whatz the Word” – La Bella Mafia (Atlantic)
2004 – Snoop Dogg “Oh No” ft. 50 Cent – R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (Geffen)
2004 – Lloyd Banks “Playboy” ft. DJ Whoo Kid – The Hunger for More (Interscope)
2005 – Tony Yayo “G-Sh*t” – Thoughts of A Predicate Felon (G-Unit/Interscope)
2005 – 50 Cent “I’ll Whip Ya Head Boy” ft. Young Buck – Get Rich Or Die Trying Soundtrack (G-Unit/Interscope/Paramount Films)
2005 – Jae Millz “Bring It Back” ft. Jadakiss – FunkMaster Flex Car Show (Koch)
2005 – Papoose “New Era” – Menace II Society, Part 2 mixtape
2006 – Lloyd Banks “Playboy Part 2”; “Help” ft. Keri Hilson – Rotten Apple (G-Unit/Interscope)
2006 – Joe Budden “Old School Mouse”; “Young Ni**az” – Mood Muzik 2 mixtape
2006 – Webstar “I Just Came to Dance”; “Get Higher”; “Don’t Stop”; “In My Video” – Webstar Presents: Caught in the Web (Universal Republic)
2007 – Lumidee “You Got Me” ft. NORE – Unexpected (TVT)
2007 – Cashis “Thoughts of Suicide” – The County Hound EP (Shady/Interscope)
2007 – Jae Millz “Horror Movie” ft. Al Doe & Remy Ma – Zone Out Season V.1 mixtape
2008 – Ron Browz – The Wonder Years mixtape (Ether Boy)
2008 – G-Unit “Money Makes the World Go Round”; “Straight Outta Southside” – T.O.S. (G-Unit/Interscope)
2008 – Killer Mike “Choose Me” ft. SL Jones and Scar – Ghetto Extraordinary
2009 – Jim Jones “Pop Champagne” ft. Ron Browz & Juelz Santana; “Rain” ft. Rell, Noe & Starr; “How To Be a Boss” ft. Ludacris & Noe (Busta Rhymes on Deluxe Edition) – Prey IV Reign (Koch/Columbia)
2009 – Busta Rhymes “Arab Money” ft. Ron Browz; “Give Em What They Askin For” – Back on My B.S. (Flipmode/Universal Motown)
2009 – Bow Wow “What They Call Me” ft. Ron Browz & Nelly, co-prod. by Jermaine Dupri – New Jack City II (Columbia)
2009 – R.Kelly “Club to a Bedroom” ft. Ron Browz – The Demo Tape mixtape w/ DJ Drama & DJ Skee
2009 – Fat Joe “Winding On Me” ft. Ron Browz & Lil Wayne – J.O.S.E. 2 (Terror Squad/E1)
2009 – Nicki Minaj “I Get Crazy” ft. Lil Wayne; “Kill Da DJ” – Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape (Young Money)
2009 – Capone-N-Noreaga “Rotate” ft. Busta Rhymes & Ron Browz – Channel 10 (Thugged Out)

Miscellaneous Artist Appearances – non-production
2009 – Ghostface “She’s a Killah” ft. Ron Browz – Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City – prod. by Anthony Acid (Def Jam)
2010 – Nicki Minaj “Stripping in the Club” ft. Ron Browz, DJ Diamond Kuts, Latif

As a top prospect for A&R’s across the country, Nickelus F has had his share of ups and downs on the road to success. After several years of shining in the indie rap circles, and working with the likes of other rising stars like Drake and producers Boi-1da and Lab Ox, the respected lyricist is prepared for victory.

Nick’s recent video for “Aggressive Content” positively raised the interest from his international fanbase, and as the May 31, 2010 release date for his street album Season Premiere nears, there is no doubt that the fiery MC’s spotlight is brighter than ever.

The Richmond, Virginia native has fined tuned his talent for nearly a decade. Nick, formerly known as Nick Fury, got his first big break in 2000 at just 17-years-old, and got chance to spit against 300 contenders in the regional Source Unsigned Hype Emcee Battle. He placed second in that competition with no formal recordings under his belt, and took on the top battle rappers with no background in battling.

From that experience, Nickelus F began to look at being a professional artist more seriously. Since 2001, he has been on the radar of several top record labels. He had one of his biggest breaks when he was the last “true” champion on BET’s 106 & Park Freestyle Fridays in 2007. The experience put him on center stage for over six million people, and proved that he has the presence, charisma and personality to be in the mainstream.

He is also no stranger to the radio, and has garnered steadfast relationships with DJs across the country. “I got radio spins with no payola or crazy marketing tactics,” Nickelus F explains. “They were just feeling the records, and my fans were hitting up stations to hear them. So I know when I’m ready to drop my official first single it’s going to be crazy!”

Nick has also frequently collaborated with Hip Hop’s hottest new star Drake, and has been heralded as a major influence by Drake himself. On his personal blog, Drake said of Nick: “This dude is a huge influence and basically the reason I started rapping. I consider him family and I thank him for everything he’s done for me.”

Nickelus F also helped up-and-coming producers such as Canadian beatmaker Boi-1da (Eminem, Lil Wayne, Maino, Drake, Jeezy) and Houston’s Lab Ox (50 Cent, Rihanna, Drake) get their signature sounds across to a wider audience.

With his band Silverust and a team of producers on his side that have already made a mark in the industry – M.Rell (G-Unit, Jim Jones), Bei Maejor (Trey Songz, Soulja Boy, Bun B), Lab Ox and Boi-1da - Nick has enough ammunition to take over a top spot in the game. The latest project offers a taste of the next phase of his career.

“Season Premiere is music to live life to,” Nick asserts. ” There’s catchy hooks, quality production and plenty of food for thought. Everyone that helped in making the album is hungry and highly motivated. They carry the same message in their lives that I try to convey.”

Back at home in Richmond, Nickelus F has a following like no other artist. Most, if not all, of the young artists from that region look up to his talent and strive to be on that same level creatively.

“Being from Virginia has helped make me a well rounded artist, mainly by location,” says Nick. “We’re technically in the South, so of course the city is heavily influenced by Southern Hip Hop, but we’re also only a few hours’ drive from New York, so we do have a serious East Coast influence as well. I am the product of cultural melting pot of styles.

“My inspiration comes mainly from experiences and emotions,” he continues. “I’m not a super thug, I’m just a regular dude who has seen and done a lot. I hope that by staying true to who I am at this point in my life, I’ll give Hip Hop fans the real music they’ve been missing.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

The Connecticut music scene has been thriving locally for decades, although few artists native to the small state have made an important impact on today’s Hip Hop and Pop music scenes. The men of Phar-City are focused on bringing their sound out of Connecticut, and beyond the realm of the Northeast region to touch the world.

With three strong Talk of CT mixtapes under their belt thus far, two hosted by New York’s Hot 97/Sirius Radio powerhouse DJ Kay Slay, the group is currently working on Part 4 of the series. The new mixtape is slated for release on March 30, 2010, and will be hosted by DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Dolla Sign.

Phar-City’s current single “Part Time Lover” features crooner Range, and is impacting their local radio stations as the group prepares for a February video shoot. Other recent collaborations with the likes of Ray J, Trey Songz and T-Pain have earned Phar-City new fans nationwide, and they are steadily recording fresh music for their upcoming debut album.

Each member of Phar-City brings something unique to the table, uniting the gritty witticism of Crisis, Sho-Off’s smooth lyrical hustle and Pro’s undeniable street magnetism with the innovative musical mastery of Beatdown.

Perfection-driven, the group works intently to get the right sound for each track they produce. “It just works, there’s no way to explain it really,” says Beatdown of their chemistry. “We just go in, and a few hours later a hit is made. We criticize each other’s verses and I think that makes us a strong team. We do this for the fans that don’t want to hear the same stuff they’ve been hearing for the past few years.”

Phar-City has a knack for reaching their fans that eludes most indie acts. “It’s crazy to me that people really f*ck with us hard because of how much they like our music,” Sho-Off expresses. “I don’t know why these Hollywood stars get aggravated with people stopping them to take a picture or to get an autograph. Not a lot of things beat the feeling of fans appreciating your work. You have no business if there is no demand for your product. The fans are your customers, so you always have to take care of them.”

The crew’s passion for their fans carries over into their performances, as they strive to connect as personally as possible. “Our live show is energetic,” says Beatdown. “We don’t hop on speakers or stage dive, but we definitely give people a show. We always bring a few goody bags to show the fans some love, like bringing girls roses and throwing t-shirts out.”

Throughout the development of their official debut album, Phar-City continues to regenerate their creative energies for each new song. “We want to have a well-rounded album, and touch on the things that we’ve gone through coming up in this game as artists,” Crisis explains. “We get across the struggles, but also the fun side of things. We definitely will have a fresh sound for the project, which in our eyes is definitely classic material.”

“A lot of new ideas come daily,” Beatdown continues. “As of now we have some sexual songs, some ‘get money and grind’ songs. I come up with a lot of hooks while I drive on the highway. Crisis knows. He was with me when I wrote the ‘Part Time Lover’ hook. Kids, don’t drive and text! As the producer, I just experiment with sounds and blend them together. I hate using the same drums twice, and I’m always getting inspiration from oldies songs.”

The importance of relating to fans outside of their region is vital to Phar-City, and their foundation with music in their home state thus far has definitely set the proverbial stage for success. “I think we’re important to Connecticut, because we’ve been the most consistent group out here,” Beatdown asserts. “Our Talk of CT mixtape series is serious, with over 50,000 sold. It’s to the point where we have to drop a new one, because the people in the streets are asking for it.”

Sho-Off concurs: “Connecticut’s music scene is special, in that it’s new and different. Phar-City has a sound that the rest of the world has not heard yet. We have been rapping for a while, and it’s time everyone understands that Connecticut is here to stay. We work hard, and we make music for the people. Phar-City’s sound will stand out in the forefront of this movement.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

“Part Time Lover”

Darkness. We’ve developed hundreds of solutions to combat it. However, high end powers are vulnerable to outages and even the brightest bulbs are liable to burn out. Sometimes the smaller, simpler solutions are best. With a careful combination of natural resource and creative chemistry, the darkness is banished. Illumination is produced with the potential to grow both in intensity and volume…

Whether your goal be a small, controlled artistic flame…
Whether your goal be a competitive imagination bonfire…
Whether your goal be an ever-propagating creative inferno…

Simply light a match.

Profile

LIGHT A MATCH is a small graphic design studio based in Ottawa, Canada. Founded and launched in Spring of 2002 LIGHTAMATCH.COM’s purpose then, and still remains today, is to utilize the web as an outlet to showcase and promote — focusing on visuals, illustrations, and of course graphic design. Plugged into contemporary culture, fashion, music and trends, LAM connects to its target market with stylish visual metaphors that are relevant to its audience.

Visit lightamatch.com for more info.