ROSEBUDD (OF AMERICAN PIMP) ANSWERS FIVE QUESTIONS LIVE FROM I-5 WITH BOB JABLONSKEE

'...The Black PimP is an icon in the hoods across the country'

Rosebudd with Bob Jablonskee 

His name rings bells and brings a smile to the coldest kat in the room.  He has lived a life both admired and demonized...  With an infectious laugh and mind of a brainiac, Rosebudd has gained his fame by traversing the both a rich and treacherous terrain of the streets and PimPin'.  With his feature role in the highly anticipated film/documentary KINGS (Summer 2015) and his upcoming one-man-stage-show, Rosebudd took a moment to chop it up with business mogul, consultant and writer, Bob Jablonskee.

BJ: What is a 'PimP'?  What are the requirements to be a 'PimP' in your view?

RB: Most people think of a PimP as being a parasite, because of the way they see that life.  If you were a person who wanted to really know the truth you would have to look at who defined the word PimP. Did you know in other countries the PimP is respected?  Not until this country made the PimP part of 'trafficking' did any country other than the United States hate PimPs. In foreign lands the PimP is a national. In China the PimP is Chinese, in Paris he is French, in Germany he is a German.  Only in America is the PimP considered not to be a national. After slavery was over, the PimP was the first black person to stand up to white people and use their restaurants. The movie Cotton Club shows you that. The PimP was the first person to go into the Cotton Club, which was in Harlem, he was the first black person to go in the front door.  This is why the black PimP is an icon in the hoods across the country.

BJ: The term 'bitch' can be a lightning rod - turning people on and off.  What is the difference between a 'woman' and a 'bitch'?  How do you recognized the difference at the 'Drop Of A Dime'?

RB: You guys are so damn funny with these silly questions. If I was upset at a woman I might call her a bitch, just as if I was going to fuck the shit out of her, I might call her bitch, just as when I am in the most loving mood I can be in, I might call her bitch.  There is no difference, because a bitch or woman are the same thing. When I say it to my ho, she gets sexually excited, because she is in a lifestyle that uses that term in a sense of endearment.  It doesn't matter what you think it is or means, it only matters to us what we mean when we say it.  Everything about PimPs in the United States is based on the fact that the black PimP was the only black person to stand up to white supremacy in a way that urked white people. PimPs said, "Fuck you!!"

BJ: How does a PimP define success?  What tools do you use to measure success?

RB:  Success to a PimP is being recognized in every circle in the country that have PimPs. Success is money, and shit, possessions and all, but to a real PimP, he has reached the top when he goes to New York and is known by his peers, when he goes to Minnesota and is known by his peers, when he goes to Hollywood and is known by his peers. We do not equate success with what squares equate it with. If we thought light that, how could we be PimPs? Today, the media has everyone thinking they can be PimPs, they even have people thinking there is a such thing as corporate PimPin. This is all nonsense. Just like they said 'rap was crazy and would not last', they ended up selling cars and potato chips with it . . . they are doing the same thing with the word PimP. PimP my Ride, PimP my House Out.

BJ:  In the business world, the concept of Risk vs. Reward is a mandatory principle to consider... As a PimP, what are three risks and rewards that you consider vital in life?

RB:  There is only one risk worth taking and that is the risk you think is necessary to get where you are trying to go and the reward if you make it is, that field of endeavor will take care of you in the end. Be true to the Game and the Game will be true to you.  I am living witness to this fact and I can attest to being treated like royalty to this day, because I PimPed my black ass off, had hella hos and never made any kind of deal to have any one of them. Macaroni and the cheese, Swiss cheese if you please, because everywhere you look you see hos hos hos.

BJ: Talk about Loyalty and Betrayal.  How have each impacted your life?  What signs should one look for to quickly identify Loyal vs. Disloyal people?

RB:  In the streets, everyone's loyalty is to themselves. If a person follows your instructions to the letter for many years and never does anything out of pocket, how would you feel when you stick the key in her door and she and all of her shit is gone? PimPs live with that reality everyday. No woman is promised to you and when she is gone, you better have gotten paid. We believe most women come, going and if she stays, she has to pay. My loyalty is to me, just as her loyalty is to her. This Game is lonely if you play it correctly, no matter how many hos you have.  

KINGS (Summer 2015) Official Trailer - Extended (KhanMecca Films)

Bob Jablonskee is a business manager, writer and philosopher based in New York.

J$G.

WHAT THE DILLY, YO? with LUVVA J

BETWEEN THE BEATS… DJ MUSTARD 

THE MAN BEHIND THE SOUNDS THAT HAVE KEPT YOU GRINDIN’ ON THE DANCEFLOORS AND IN THE STREETS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS CHOPS THE GAME WITH LUVVA J, ON PRODUCERS VS. BEATMAKERS, JAY-Z AND WHO HE IS GUIDED AND INSPIRED BY SONICALLY 

It’s mid-week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one of the world’s most successful producers is up early in the city planning his next move. DJ Mustard is not new to the game, although his sound has taken over the sound waves of urban radio for the past two years. Hitters like ‘Rack City’, ‘I’m Different’ and work on Clyde Carson’s recently released thematic and trunk-rattling new classic, Playboy, have caught and kept the attention of DJs, MCs and fans alike… In other words DJ Mustard’s impact is one capable of lasting for a long time.   

Mustard started his career as a DJ in LA, but starting fiddling around with sounds himself whilst in his era of rocking parties and sets for his homies in Los Angeles. He hails from a notorious/famous area of LA – South Central is what they call it. ‘I grew up near the jungles and went to Dorsey High School – a lot of different races there – Blacks, Mexicans and Latinos… I got along fine at Dorsey’, says DJ Mustard. The heavy set, low-spoken soundman lets his music speak for him most of the time, but today he feels like talking about some of his pathways and pursuits and who and what influenced him. 

‘I grew up in an area where the gang life was deep’, says DJ Mustard. ‘It was hard, but even though I grew up in the middle of the gangs, I was supported with the thing that I was doing – music.’ Fortunate, no doubt, a lot of talented cats in the so-called ‘hoods wind up being sucked into the destructive and downward spiraling gang culture, despite their best efforts. Even as an affiliate or just related to members of the set, it is easier said than done to depart the ‘hood unscathed – especially in places like Los Angeles where the gang culture is an official institution – as institutional as UCLA, The Mayor’s Office and Disneyland. DJ Mustard’s support system had to be strong for him to elevate his game. ‘My people were very supportive and so was the hood – the gang life and politics didn’t affect me the same, based on that support and my focus.’ DJ Mustard was and is focused. He’s on tour now with his homeboy from Compton aka 'Bompton' (the age-old reference employed by Blood and Piru Gang sets from the in/famous city, known for references of NWA, Compton’s Most Wanted, DJ Quik and gang culture), YG. YG’s My Krazy Life Tour is in effect and DJ Mustard supplies more than the soundscape for the tour, he’s also DJaying sets, paying homage to his original position within the culture. Still… He’s about the beats. 

At the turn of the century digital audio production was a niche market – only a small percentage of musicians, producers and artists were competent and in proximity to digital studio equipment and access. Today, any and everyone is seemingly a ‘producer’, ‘beatmaker’ and/or ‘artists’. Which begs the question, who’s left to be the ‘fan’? So to refine the question – ‘what is the difference between a producer and a beatmaker – according to DJ Mustard?’ The line must be made clear with the game so oversaturated and such easy access to creative tools, digitally. ‘The difference between a producer and beatmaker is this: the producer is putting in hours of work in the studio for arrangement, mixing, mastering and [perfecting a finished product]. Anybody can make a beat, but a producer is more involved in the process of creating an entire track.’ DJ Mustard not only involves himself as a producer, but is adaptable with today’s version of studio sessions, where the session might be in-studio or the tracks may be recorded and then emailed. ‘Sometimes I send the track – I’m okay with sending the track or working in the studio – I have no preference.’ Rather than focus on the initial recording, DJ Mustard focuses on refining tracks, as is the case for his new project with RocNation entitled ’Ten Summers’.

Ten Summers (due Summer 2014) marks DJ Mustard’s debut offering to the world. As a featured producer on tracks by some of today’s most notable and sought after MC/vocalists, like YG, Young Jeezy and 2 Chainz – now DJ Mustard will feature his chosen MCs on his own offering. ‘I got YG, 2 Chainz, Nipsey (amongst others) – they’re all on Ten Summers’, says DJ Mustard with a grinning light laugh. Don’t look for Jay-Z on this one, Mustard relishes Jay-Z’s presence for more long-term goals. Ten Summers sets the stage for DJ Mustard to follow in the footsteps of his most influential and favorite soundmen who have released projects as executive producers more than as ‘vocal artists’. His role models are Dr. Dre, Lil Jon, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Kanye West. We briefly discuss what we both consider the genius of Kanye West’s sharp-'leftesque', popularly questioned and critically-critiqued project, Yeezus, with Mustard stating that ‘sometimes you have to do something different and sometimes the sound chooses you.’ Each of the ultra-successful producer/artists, whom Mustard admires, have designed and delivered sonic platforms for some of the most successful and/or critically acclaimed Hip-Hop/Rap projects ever released – guess where Mustard wants to go? 

'It's bigger than money for me [I can't let that change me], it’s really about the culture’, states DJ Mustard. For an artist lauded for his sound being overlapped by vocals that glorify the monetary, material, sexually exploitative and overall ‘lush’ life portrayed with such popularity in today’s era of Rap and Hip-Hop, it is a refreshing moment to hear DJ Mustard speak about ‘the culture’. Clearly intelligent, but soft (and quickly) spoken, Mustard values his current position and where it can catapult him for the future. Culturally speaking, DJ Mustard has a boss from the block to the boardroom as a mentor/coach – Jay-Z. ‘Jay says ‘stick to the culture [and change it], don’t let it change you [in terms of the fast-paced life that goes hand in hand with success in the world of entertainment and sport.]’


He has Jay-Z at his disposal at a moment’s notice and is part of one of the most popular and successful youth movements in Hip-Hop. He’s in motion and has his ears open as one of RocNation’s latest signees. ‘Being with somebody [Jay-Z and RocNation] who supports me and sees my vision – as a management group and helping with my sound and goals is big. The older homie, Jay-Z is teaching me the roots and culture – it’s cool. Anytime I have a problem, I have access and can just ask [Jay-Z], you know what I’m saying’, expresses DJ Mustard. When discussing the pitfalls and power moves experienced in ‘the life’. Preparing to exit his Philly hotel room, board the tour bus and be on to the next one, Mustard, in a moment of spitting wisdom, explains with his short life’s experience and game-gained that there are ways to be and not to be. ‘You gotta stick to what is true about you; stay true to the culture and what you represent, and what represents you.’ That’s GAME for you. 

A LUVVA J Conversation.  J$GJr.

KRS ONE TALKS LIFE & HIP-HOP ON LIVE FROM I-5 RADIO

On November 4, 2011 The Live From I-5 Radio Program was visited by a legend, pioneer, philosopher, guardian and father/son of Hip-Hop Culture - the great Blastmaster & Teacha' KRS-ONE.

Not only is KRS ONE one of my favorite Hip-Hop 'artists', but he is the father that many of my homeboys and I did not have. A wise man of color spitting game, knowledge, intelligence and raw MC skills was and still IS a rarity. He slayed sucka MCs and brilliant MCs during his hey-day and could still do it today if challenged. More than an MC, KRS ONE is a B-Boy, Graf Artist and embodies the BEST of Hip-Hop culture from its foundation.

Now in his mid-40s, once thought an age of irrelevance in Hip-Hop, KRS ONE is undertaking what he and others consider his most important and relevant work as the founder, leader and spiritual guide of The Temple of Hip-Hop - an organization which aims to solidify Hip-Hop as a cultural body that embodies all aspects of life, somewhat 'religiously'. KRS ONE is adamant about the part of Hi-Hop being a way of life (almost religously) because of how the culture itself saved and advanced his own life thanks to the gifts of The Jamaican-American founders of the culture, namely Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa & DJ Grandmaster Flash... Enough of me. Listen to The Teacha' spit his game and name on KAOS 89.3 FM - Olympia's KAOS Block Party on my Live From I-5 with LUVVA J Show... Audio DOPE!









Peace, Love & Courage,

LUVVA J, In A Real Way!
Winners Train, Losers Complain... Do Yo' Thang!

J-RO OF THA ALKAHOLIKS (THA 'LIKS) CHOPS THE GAME UP WITH LUVVA J ABOUT WHAT HE IS DOING IN SWEDEN

Ok, ok...
First of all, J-Ro and Tha 'Liks are one of my most admired groups period - any genre. They combine brilliant rhymes, flow, thought, Hip-Hop knowledge and fun mixed with a second-to-none ability to rock the crowd. Straight up - when The 'Liks throw a show ...You're gonna get wet if your in the front row, row, row... (echo out). And on top of all of the Hip-Hop factoids and accolades that their fans and followers heave upon them, J-Ro and I hail from our beloved Pacoima, CA in the East San Fernando Valley... Geah! If you don't know Pacoima, don't go to ...Well, y'all know what Treach said. Anyway...

So, J-Ro is out in Malmo, Sweden doing his thang in a major way. What that means is the legendary MC is making multiple moves as an ambassador for Hip-Hop, an educator, celebrity personality (although he is humble) and a goodwill ambassador for other Hip-Hoppers and artists who visit Malmo (just a short hop, skip and a jump away from Copenhagen where the fun be). "I love it out here", says J-Ro Skyping from his office in Malmo. "I hope everybody comes out here!" I laugh and let him know that by what I have learned in following his adventures, I might not come back to the U.S. if Sweden will have me. "That's cool - I want y'all to come." J-Ro's foray into the world of entertainment and now as an international and bi-continental professional and ambassador of Hip-Hop culture, business and education is a far cry from the challenging and sometimes treacherous streets of Pacoima, CA. The town is rich in heritage, but was intentionally situated in an almost isolated part of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley as a place to keep African-Americans and Latinos separate from the affluent Whites in The Valley (and yes... back on up... there is only one 'THE VALLEY' and it is San Fernando). Now, J-Ro is living and working in one of the world's most affluent and socially responsible nations. Nice twist.

"I love it here", says J-Ro. "I work of course in education, but I promote and am part of shows at The Warrior Club (a night spot in the area) and when I come home it's like a party all over again - I get to LA, love that and when I come back to Malmo - it's like 'J-Ro's baaack'." The party don't stop for J-Ro. And the enthusiasm he has in sharing his recent accomplishments displays the passion he has for his art, which has become his living. Ain't it nice to get paid doing what you love? I know about one or two of y'all don't like your job - switch it up, baby. J-Ro's loving his life and it gets better - he just dropped his exclusively European distributed EP, PAY THE PRICE which I got and will make available (with J-Ro's consent of course!) and he's working with Kurupt as a duo with the moniker, JK47. Whatchu think of that.

'Kurupt and I have been working together for a while now and we actually have a mini-mansion in The Valley where I stay when I'm in LA", says J-Ro. "We're working on several projects including with Pentagon Records a new venture, with a group called 1st Generation." 1st Generation is the definition of a 'SUPER GROUP' of legends - people throw that title around and ain't gone aluminum. 1st Generation includes King Tee, Jayo Felony, Sir Jinx, MC Eiht, Chill (of CMW) and Bokey Loc. Check it out... also J-Ro is filming and documenting his life in Europe. See footage of The J-Ro Show below.

Speaking of members of Tha Alkaholiks and Tha Dogg Pound - they are preparing to drop a DNA (Dogg Pound N Alkaholiks) album followed by a summer/fall 'DNA tour'. J-Ro is busy, but it's good to catch up with the OG and he's glad to let everyone know just how well he is doing with all of the amazing projects he has lent himself to. He's set to launch his new jromusic.com web page and will be directing traffic from Facebook to that site, so get'em while you got'em because unlike traffic in LA - J-Ro keeps it movin'.

Check out the trailer of The J-RO SHOW below:



'Doin' It Big'- J-Ro


'The Best U Can'- Tha 'Liks


Big shotz to J-Ro & Tha 'Liks - PACOIMA!


Catch him on The DNA Tour this summer with Tha Alkaholiks & Tha Dogg Pound!

Much love and respect for J-Ro for taking a moment to sit with me and break it down.


Peace & LUVV,

Know The Name, Peep The Game...

LUVVA J, In A Real Way!
WINNERS TRAIN, LOSERS COMPLAIN ...DO YO' THANG!

LIVE FROM I-5 w/ LUVVA J on The KAOS BLOCK PARTY PLAYLI$T for March 11, 2011

Here's what we rocked with on today's show! Special Guests were E-Dawg and Sash. We chopped the game up with our special guests who are both dropping new material this upcoming week - E-Dawg's new single 'Cars That Go Boom' and Sash with his album, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Peace the guests and our listeners!

Tune into The KAOS Block Party weekdays at 3pm on KAOS 89.3 FM (Olympia, WA) or on www.kaosradio.org or via Comcast Ch. 982 (Washington Residents).

1. Block Bots - Lyrics Born feat. Clyde Carson & Trackademics
2. My Posse... - Free Whiskey
3. This My One - Too $hort feat. E-40
4. Hydroplanin' - Khingz
5. Mind Sex - Dead Prez
6. Electric Tantra - Khingz
7. I Dip - E-Dawg
8. Pick Up Ya Flow - Dyme Def
9. Greatest Man Alive - 3X Dope
10. The Party - Macklemore
11. Paul Revere - Beastie Boys
12. I Gotcha Opin (rmx) - Black Moon
13. Money In A Bankroll - Sash
14. All Night - Tha Alkaholiks

LUVVA J, In A Real Way!
Winners Train, Losers Complain... Do Yo' Thang!

LUVVA J RECORDING SESSION FOR ULTRAMEGA PROJECT [011711]

I've been working on a major project for the past half year, which has me thinking and acting waaaay out of the box (good thing in my view of the world). This Drum and Bass/Jungle/GoREALLA project has me pretty amped. High speed/tempo tracks and grinding production that is outside of the box has peaked my interest. With so much redundancy in my beloved Hip-Hop culture/universe and with my love for Hip-Hop's relatives like electronic music (Dub Step/Techno/DnB, etc.), I wanted to re-engage in my MCing over Drum and Bass beats and production like I had been doing in the late '90s during my student career in Pullman, WA @ Washington State University (GO COUGS!).

I didn't always dig electronic music, but thanks to people like 'electronicologist', Jeff Helm and DJs like Gene Lee, Sean Majors, DJ Tee, Budget Money and other influential people in my life (shots to KZUU 90.7 FM in Pullman!) - I kept an open mind about all music, but with the help of some reading/research and Jeff Helm reminding me that Electronic music is a niece/nephew of Hip-Hop (thanks to Afrika Bambataa and Kraftwerk and many others), I had to be open to the history and culture of the music. The same way that Hip-Hop is a culmination of Jazz, Blues, Spirituals, Rock and Roll and other genres - electronic music is closely related to Hip-Hop (although you might not see the connection with an untrained eye)...

So, I am engaging in this album - LUVVA J as UltraMega: JungleLUVV. It's in its finals stages as I continue recording at Vertigo Studios in Seattle's Greenwood Neighborhood with engineer/producer, Brad Kaminski. Potato Finger out of Seattle's Capital Hill neighborhood is also a dynamic producer featured on the project. Recording as UltraMega is symbolic with the 'BIG NAME'. Everything on the album thus far is BIG. The attitude is WINNING BIG. The vocals ATTACK BIG. The beats are BIG - some fast, some grind, but all BIG. My intent is to create egotistical motivation music with JungleLUVV - basically the type of music that I (or you, hopefully) would listen to before a big game and/or athletic, business or social event where motivation, inspiration, ego and pursuit are key elements for success. This is PRIMETIME SATURDAY NIGHT music, WAKE YO' A$$ UP music and 3:38am music... That's what it is made for... As I complete this project (projected by the end of January) I anticipate the response of the people. Although the project is being marketed primarily to European, Canadian and African markets - where electronic music is almost consumed as Pop music, I am eager to test the open-mindedness of the US market... The quatrains are beginning to show slight visions! (Shots to Michele De Notre Dame aka Nostradamus, one of my heroes).

WINNERS TRAIN, LOSERS COMPLAIN ...DO YO' THANG!

LUVVA J, In A Real Way!

LIVE FROM I-5 w/ LUVVA J PLAYLI$T [011411]

LIVE FROM I-5 w/ LUVVA J on THE KAOS BLOCK PARTY
Friday January 14, 2011

Another great show with special guests: DJ B-Mello [KUBE 93 FM], King Pulse [Detroit, MI], DJ Drastic [two-time 25360 DJ of The Year ('09 & '10)] & Equipto [Bay Area].

DJ B-Mello discussed his 2011 Martin Luther King County Executives Award for Hip-Hop Leadership as well as his philosophy of DJaying at what the traits of a good DJ are. DJ Drastic gave his take on the art of the DJ and sat in for the show while King Pulse discussed his new projects and ambitions as an MC in The 253. Equipto called in from the hotel in Tacoma where he was performing at Gruv during the 'Rapping In The Mirror Tour' featuring he, Mike Marshall ('I Got Five On It'), Z-Man (one of the dopest MCs and showmen in Hip-Hop - PERIOD!), Boac and DJ Quest (a legendary Bay Area turntable wizard). Once again - another great LIVE FROM I-5 w/ LUVVA J on The Block Party! KNOW ABOUT IT!

PLAYLI$T [011411]
1. Keep It On The Real – 3X Krazy
2. 3 Freaks – DJ Shadow
3. We Can Freak It- Kurupt
4. Hold You Down – Afrok
5. God Bless Us All – NERD
6. Crazy – Snoop Dogg
7. Home – Jake One
8. Venus Vs. Mars – Jay-Z
9. Sucka Free Vet – Z-Man
10. Detroit Anthem – King Pulse
11. Never Too Late – King Pulse
12. Off The Pacific – TD Camp
13. Notorious Thugs – Notorious B.I.G.
14. The Coldest – Freddie Gibbs
15. Take It Personal – Gang Starr
16. Lovin’ It – Little Brother
17. She Only Sees Me – Mac Dre


LISTEN LIVE: [KAOS 89.3 FM / www.kaosradio.org / Comcast Ch. 982 / TCTV Ch. 22]