We caught up with DC-based Ra The MC for a second to talk about her latest project, where she fits into the hip-hop game and her motivation to rap.
What brought you into rap?
I think it was a combination of frustration and inspiration. I always
loved to write because, as an only child, writing was my only outlet
when I was frustrated. I was also a big Fugees fan growing up so
eventually my stories and poems grew into raps.
What’s it take to be an emcee from your town?
Good music, a heavy grind and tough skin. DC is a city full of rappers
and critics – you have to have something that separates you from the
next emcee.
For the full interview with Ra The MC, visit TrackHustle.
Have you ever noticed how the first person to do something gets a thoughtful nod and then people look the idea and 
analyze it for its worth and point out the good and bad points? Have you ever noticed how the next person to attempt that idea gets mercilessly berated as if they have been caught burning the flag at a biker bar? Well, here is a note for the next person who has the idea of creating a mash-up album featuring songs and audio clips of Michael Jackson: Second place doesn’t always get a silver medal.
That being said, being a Michael Jackson fan (not just a fan of Thriller, I mean being a fan of MJ) is like a tight-rope walk ever since that accident that burned his hair. It’s like every year on his birthday, he celebrates by turning up the crazy. But the brave Chicago native, Che Smith, known professionally as Rhymefest is prepared to give us a look into his fanmail outbox. On the 2008 mixtape, Mark Ronson presents Rhymefest: Man in the Mirror, the most interesting rapper alive raps over the vocals of the Wacko-Jacko hits that he has grown to love. Read more…
For the first time, in a long time, I truly miss someone. A strange notion, realized between drags off a ‘once-in-a-while’ cigarette on a particularly introspective night for the proverbial bachelor type but as I exhaled my last nicotine cloud I couldn’t help but realize how out of character I was acting.
Nerve-wracked and anxious, I stood on my landing jealous of a location of all things – primarily one where I wasn’t. But as it goes, my smoke break was exactly that, a break. And as soon as I felt the heat of the flame reach the filter I walked my tobacco-supplemented self back inside to write.
The trick to writing isn’t in the diction or the syntax. Sure, those things help and keep you from being laughed at by other wordsmiths, but what writing really is about is connection. If you can draw a parallel between two things that most people can’t or wouldn’t have seen, you’re golden. An original thought is power. Read more…
Hello, my name is Wayne Watts and it’s my first day…sorry I’m late.
That’s the tag line-turned future album title of the artist that would like to be first to cover XXL magazine with a smile on his face. DK aka Wayne Watts is interviewing for a place in the game and he’s bringing Baltimore with him.
DK is an artist making moves, both in the world and in the world of music. His rise to what local fame he has (in addition to his growing national fan base) can be attributed to his relentless work ethic in the studio as well as his tireless “extracurricular” efforts that financially support his hip hop habit.
With a lyrical style that blends the storytelling of Slick Rick and the comedic flair of an early 90’s Will Smith with a powerful yet comfortable cadence, Mr. Watts delivers what he refers to as “old school meets new school rap”. We caught up with DK last week with a few questions about his place in the rap world:
For the full interview with DK, visit TrackHustle.
You don’t know Submit. You don’t understand him. You have never paid attention to him. His biography is a mystery 
to you. Unless you’re from Marietta, the chances are that you aren’t familiar with his catalog. However, judging from Mineshaft Vol. 3, it would seem that he is graciously offering you another chance. The third installment of the Mineshaft series by Georgia-born MC, Submit, is an introduction to the artist and a play-by-by of his progression. If you enjoy hip-hop, you will not be disappointed. Read more…
D. Julien: Post-Experiment (Prod. by K.I.D.)
Exclusive new D. Julien track called Post-Experiment. Get your headphones on.
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