Why Radio B started designing streetwear + How RVA Rap Elite is supporting an emcee's growth
Lyrical assassin, Radio B aka Radio Blitz sits down on 'Liner Notes' and reflects on his mother's legacy, how Richmond's music scene can grow and how to elevate your performance at rap battles. We consider this a "Master Class". Thanks Radio B!
Be sure to subscribe to Liner Notes on YouTube and continue to watch the rest of the episodes with amazing Richmond artists. Up next is singer/songwriter, Sam Reed!
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Season 1, Episode 5 Sponsored by:
Honestly Smoked - Craft Jerky -
Handy Woman Creations - Sweet Shop -
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Radio B Pop-Up Liner Notes (Season 1, Episode 5)
1.5.1) Rap Elite: Created by Radio B, RVA Rap Elite is considered the modern day battle ground for those proving their lyrical skill in Richmond, VA. The rapper who gets the most praise for his or her lyrics is the winner and gets a custom-made hoodie, a free studio session, and free entry to cyphers until the end of the year. Each cypher is an episode posted on YouTube and every person who signs up receives footage of their performance. https://www.rvarapelite.com/
1.5.2) A rap battle, also known as an MC battle, is a set up competition commonly held in leagues, in which two rappers either improvise lyrics or have written lyrics to insult the other rapper. Rap battles include a lot of braggadocio (bragging and boasting) content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses. Battling is generally believed to have originated in the East Coast hip hop scene in the late 1970s. https://rap.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_Rap
1.5.3) Nick F: Nickelus F is a rapper, songwriter, and producer from Richmond, Virginia. He is best known for being the Black Entertainment Television (BET) 106 & Park "Freestyle Friday" champion seven weeks in a row and being inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2007. Nickelus F is also known for his collaborations with rapper Drake and his high energy music videos. https://nickelusf.bandcamp.com/
1.5.4) Richmond City Map with FnF Chop, Red Rum, and Junnie Mac
Junnie Mac: https://junniemac.bandcamp.com/releases
FnF Chop: https://fnfchop.lnk.to/DrawDown
1.5.5) Radio B is originally from New York
1.5.6) Mason-Dixon Line, also called Mason and Dixon Line, originally the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania in the United States. In the pre-Civil War period it was regarded, together with the Ohio River, as the dividing line between slave states south of it and free-soil states north of it.
1.5.7) 757 area artist Timbaland, Neptunes, and Missy Elliot and 804 area artist D’Angelo: Over the past 20 years, Virginia has been a hotbed of musical innovation. Missy Elliott. Timbaland. The Neptunes. D’Angelo. So many more. Don't sleep on VA music.
1.5.8) All Art Ain’t Pretty: https://radiob.bandcamp.com/album/all-art-aint-pretty
1.5.9) Artist, Kehinde Wiley (painted President Barack Obama’s portrait in the National Portrait Gallery) created Rumors of War in response to the line of Confederate statues on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Itcan be viewed outside of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). Rumors of War is also the name of their series of paintings inspired by the history of equestrian portraiture. https://kehindewiley.com/
1.5.10) Mending Walls is a public art project that brings together public artists from different cultures and backgrounds to create murals that address where we are now in society and how we can move forward through understanding and collaboration. It’s an effort to express healing through connection and adding something meaningful to the conversation of Black Lives Matter. Created by RVA visual artist, Hamilton Glass https://www.mendingwallsrva.com/
1.5.11) ‘Say Their Names' mural by Richmond based artists, Silly Genius and Nils Westergard, created for the Mending Walls project. See it here: 3311 W Broad St., Richmond, VA https://www.mendingwallsrva.com/walls/say-their-names
1.5.12) Mama Jo’s Collection: An art gallery you can wear. There is only one of it’s kind in each size of the item. Mama Jo’s Collection is a special Mother & Son collaboration, w/ Mama Jo creating vibrant, rare, abstract art and Radio B turning those pieces into unique clothing designs. https://www.mamajocollection.com/
1.5.13) 13th RVA Fashion Week 2021: The Look Good, Feel Good Rooftop Streetwear Fashion Show was atop the Hofheimer Building. The show highlighted up-and-coming streetwear designers and their brands from Mama Jo’s, RJ Customs, Creation Lords and Museum Rejects. Hosted by Feel Good RVA and RVA Fashion Week. https://www.rvafw.com/
1.5.14) Michael Millions: Michael Millions is a rapper, songwriter and producer from Richmond, Virginia. He is the co-founder of Purple Republic Music Group and has collaborated with fellow Richmond natives Nickelus F and Skillz. https://soundcloud.com/michaelmillions
1.5.15) Southpaw Battle Coalition's "Legends Never Die 2": Battle between Radio B and JC on August 27, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eijsz9nqA5Y
1.5.16) A bar is a musical notation that depends on the time signature. Assuming that the time signature of the song is 4/4, a bar is four quarter notes. In hip hop there are 4 beats in a bar. A beat is a moment of time. Think about counting to 4 and that is your first hip hop bar. Most rap songs have 16 bars before a chorus.
1.5.17) Sign up for Season 5 Rap Elite Open Cypher, “Emcees Reign Supreme”: https://www.rvarapelite.com/sign-up-for-the-open-cypher
Episode Credits
Production
Host: Elijah Hedrick
Floor Director: Rian Moses-Hedrick
Audio Engineer: Gordy Michael
Camera Crew: Alex Bolton, Jason Devisser and Ian Ramprashad
Set Photographer: Tommy Caprara
Guest Coordinator: Jess Hedrick
Gofer: Jai Hedrick, Miles + Theo Hedrick
Director of Photography: Elijah Hedrick
Editing: Elijah Hedrick
Motion Graphics: Rian Moses-Hedrick
Stop-Motion Animation: Rian Moses-Hedrick
Short Animations
'Bandcamp Friday’ Animation by Rian L. Moses
‘City Scape’ Animation by Rian L. Moses
'Inktober26' Animation and Beat by Theodore Taylor III
'Tommy Riding Around' Animation and Beat by Don Jonathan Webb
Music Credits
"Never BE Perfect" from 'All Art Ain't Pretty', Radio B
"DeePer ThAn Art" from 'All Art Ain't Pretty', Radio B
"When 16 Ain't Enough" from 'Jesus Never Wore a Suit', Radio B
"TiMe oF ThE SiGns" from 'All Art Ain't Pretty', Radio B
"RuMoRs of War" from 'All Art Ain't Pretty', Radio B
"Mama Jo's Collection" by Radio B
"Liner Notes Theme" by Ant The Symbol
Honestly Smoked Diner Notes-"0.30" from album 'Dollar Bin Vol. 1' by Gordy Michael
HWC Sweet Shop Diner Notes- "0.14" from album 'Dollar Bin Vol. 2' by Gordy Michael
'Liner Notes' was created and produced by HearRVA LLC
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