AWKWORD Interview with The Village Voice

Fittingly, on May Day, a day after the release — to critical acclaim and great fanfare — of the video for AWKWORD‘s World View single “Bars & Hooks“, The Village Voice‘s Sound of the City blog drops its interview with the Activist Rapper…

The Village Voice:

N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police” burst into Awkword’s life thanks to his baby-sitter. The Manhattan-based rapper visibly remembers the day when his part-time watchdog turned up with a copy of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s anti-establishment rant; hearing the song kick-started his first forays into writing his own raps. True to that song’s sentiment, today Awkward is as much an activist as an artist, channeling the idea of conveying a message and a viewpoint through rhyme and attempting to cause a change in the world around him. His upcoming World View project is the next stage in his mission, with all profits from the project going towards the Guns 4 Cameras (Aim To Live) anti-street-violence organization.

With the Occupy Wall Street movement set to snag more headlines today, we checked in with Awkword to speak about the potential for instigating social change through music, the dynamics of organizing a successful protest, and how his music is equally as inspired by Ill Bill as The Beatles.

Click here to read — and comment on or share — this unique, lengthy interview.

AWKWORD, Rickie Jacobs, more on RTD #onlybuilt4hulksharelinx

Rock The Dub:

This project has been a thing of comedy. It should’ve been out before 2012 even hit, but I was looking for either proper versions of tracks or promised jawns. Had to let this one go – the idea was too good. I broke the (skewed) science behind the title in the liner notes, and won’t go into it all here. Featured artists include Rhymageddon, Mr. Fickle, Rickie Jacobs, AWKWORD, BURNTmd, Touchphonics, Daniel Joseph, Dutch New York and more. A hair under 45 minutes or so. Fucked up part is, hulkshare wasn’t letting me upload a .zip (or a .rar!) to their site, so the punchline got merked. Sharebeast, thank you.

TRACK LIST:

1. Rhymageddon – Suck-A-Clip (prod. Edobeci)
2. Rickie Jacobs ft. Arctic – Gift x Curse (prod. Brainiac Beats)
3. Mr. Fickle ft. Fel Sweetenberg – No Apologies (prod. !llmind)
4. AWKWORD ft. GuessWho? – Doctor Doctor (prod. Major R.E. [Malaysia])
5. Dutch New York – I Don’t Know Y’all (prod. Broadway)
6. BURNTmd ft. Main Flow & DJ Grazzhoppa – Brain Tumors Part 2 (prod. Simmer)
7. Superlinks – Baraka O’Baman
8. Grey Granite & 90lbs – Critical Mass
9. Nato Caliph ft. Prince Ea & Sadat X – Identity Crisis (prod. STLLegend)
10. Chels – HIIIPOWER (Chels’ Account)
11. Touchponics ft. The Ragga Twins – Ragga Style
12. KRK! & Daniel Joseph – Right To Be Ill (prod. KRK!)

Click here to download the full compilation.

Click here for Rock The Dub’s review/post of AWKWORD’s World View record “Doctor Doctor”.

New Single Cover Art for REQUIEM from SweatShop NY

#Requiem THIS week…
[ ]==|==|==|==|==|==|==[]>–——–

New Single Cover Art by Andreis Costa for SweatShop NY. 

AWKWORD Soundcloud followers [click here, then click the 'follow' button] can hear “Requiem” NOW:

AWKWORD ft. SoulStice, Ess Vee & CuzOH! Black – “Requiem” (prod. ATG)

Switzerland’s Vinyl Digger Joins World View Movement

It’s in the name itself: World View is all about the global connections we make through Hip Hop music x culture. So, it should come as no surprise that we considered every continent when looking for the person/team to mix & master this important project. We went no further than Switzerland’s Vinyl Digger.

Vinyl Digger:

scratchin, blendin, cuttin, jugglin. remember hot 90s mixtapes? dats how i do!

And it doesn’t hurt that Vinyl Digger has the co-sign of two trustworthy World View participants, emcee Tenacity and Brown Bag AllStar-affiliate producer Tranzformer, each of whom describe Vinyl Digger as, simply, “dope”.

AWKWORD Talks Music, Politics & Death with HipHopDependency

HipHopDependency.com:

AWKWORD has a lot on his mind these days. He has been very busy pushing his music from the forthcoming album, World View. He has released single after single building the buzz for his 100% for charity project, letting us know, it’s not all about the Benjamins.

AWKWORD is a social advocate and a musician. With each release he puts out it becomes more and more apparent that his name deserves to be recognized for the talent he possesses. But more than that, Awkword is a son, a son who lost his mother earlier this year. He talks below about the special relationship he shared with his mother and his music. Enjoy…

Click here to read the full conversation.

AWKWORD Feat. on Gee-O’s THIRD AVE & 138TH STREET Podcast

AWKWORD joins KRS-One, Kool G Rap, Common, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Homeboy Sandman, Sadat X, Evidence, Mr. Muthaf*kin’ eXquire, Madlib, Mikkey Halsted and more on Gee-O’s THIRD AVE & 138TH STREET Podcast, released January 30, 2012, via Juggernaut Promotions.

Click here to download the full 29-track mix.

Tracklist

• Intro
• Common – Get ‘Em High (Nubbz Remix)
• Mr. Muthaf*kin’ eXquire ft. Goldie Glo – The Bear Trickz (Mishka Way Of Life)
• Mikkey Halsted ft. Sincere – My City (Chicago) (prod. No I.D.)
• Gangrene ft. Evidence & Roc C – Dark Shades
• DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles – We Are At War
• Blacastan ft. Emilio Lopez, OuterSpace & V-Zilla – Sand Storms
• Damu The Fudgemunk – What’s Next (Early Mix)
• Skillz – With You
• Fokis ft. Sadat X – #Justsayin’
• The BenchWarmers Clique – Droppin’ Bombs
• BURNTmd ft. Phil The Agony – GTDMIB: Phil Mad Burnt Anthem
• AWKWORD ft. KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127 – Radio 2.0 (prod. Vice Souletric)
• Spit Gemz – Highlight Real
• Homeboy Sandman – Angels With Dirty Faces (prod. J57 [Brown Bag AllStars])
• Mndsgn – Like
• Madlib – On A Mission
• FreshNerd of 100 Akres – Soulterlude #4 [Ross Munroe]
• Raekwon ft. Chip Banks, Ghostface Killah, Killa Sin, Polite & Trife – Cuttin’ It Up (Gee-O Remix)
• Madvillain – Papermill
• Elephant Man – Show Them How Fi Dance
• Damu The Fudgemunk – Faster Rhyme For Self
• Mndsgn – brgundy
• Peoples Logic ft. Chinch 33 – Breakin
• Mobb Deep & Kool G Rap – The Realest
• FreshNerd of 100 Akres – Soulterlude #3 [Alex Kidd]
• Detin8 ft. Sic’Nis – Gonna Cry (prod. Sampai)
• Mavado ft. Raine Seville – Cheating Game
• Wayne Marshall ft. Bounty Killer – Be on The Alert

Click here for more on AWKWORD’s World View single “Radio 2.0″, featuring the legendary KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127, produced by Vice Souletric.

Rainy Daze Featured by You Heard That New, 2 Dope Boyz, more

A week ago, Thursday, February 9, Buck Marley XXX world premiered “Rainy Daze“. The newest single off AWKWORD‘s DJBooth.net-sponsored 100% for-charity global Hip Hop project World View, “Rainy Daze” features guest 16s from Main Flow of Mood, You Heard That New freestyle alum Rickie Jacobs and Dujeous frontman Mojo the Cinematic, backed by beats from ASCAPlus Award-winning production team The Aqua League.

Within two days, #RainyDaze had accrued more than 2,000 plays off AWKWORD’s soundcloud player alone. The song has also been critically acclaimed, earning features from a number of leading Hip Hop sites, including You Heard That New (5/5 Stars), 2 Dope Boyz (37 thumbs UP, 5 thumbs down), Eastside Morales, The Bee Shine, Baltimore’s Very Own, 1134 Mix Show, Spellcast Radio, Streets Crack, Definition of Fresh, Jewish Hip Hop and Germany’s Trackblasters, as well as DJ Booth (4.1/5.0 Rating), Kevin Nottingham, rock the dub and Trap Rock Radio (see reviews below).

SOUNDCLOUD SONG STREAM/DOWNLOAD:

BANDCAMP NAME YOUR PRICE:

Download (highest-quality [.wav] sound file) — and donate 100% to World View’s charitable recipient Aim to Live, a 501c3-registered nonprofit dedicated to ending street violence through the Hip Hop-inspired education of at-risk youth.

REVIEWS:

Trap Rock Radio:

This track is too Dope! NYC hip-hop artist “AWKWORD” drops “Rainy Daze” featuring Main Flow, Mojo (of Dujeous), and Baltimore’s Own “Rickie Jacobs”. The word was passed that this song will be featured on Awkword’s project called ‘World View’. And guess what, Every last bit of the proceeds will go to charity. Now how trill is that? This is the first I’ve heard of someone doing so. Big Shout out to Rickie Jacobs for being apart of this historic masterpiece.

rock the dub:

This is the latest single from AWKWORD’s World View project, and it features the Bmore boy Rickie Jacobs (who also sorted out that Charlie Brown-tinged artwork) and others. BuckMarleyXXX got the world premiere on this, and I’m just hoping I avoid the rain. Or snow. I think it’s going to snow. This might actually be something dope to watch snow fall to. Fly shit.

Kevin Nottingham:

Another banger from AWKWORD! This time he enlists the help of Main Flow (of Mood), Rickie Jacobs, Mojo (Dujeous frontman) and the production of The Aqua League for the single “Rainy Daze.” You will be able to find the single on the upcoming DJBooth.net sponsored, 100% for-charity global Hip-Hop project from AWKWORD entitled World View.

DJ Booth:

Fresh off earning reader plaudits for Radio 2.0, the third release off his DJBooth-sponsored, 100%-for-charity mixtape, AWKWORD returns to our pages with leak number four off the highly-anticipated project. On Rainy Daze, The Aqua League serve up a cinematic, string/piano instrumental as the Big Apple underground spitter trades lyrically on-point bars with Main Flow (of Mood), Rickie Jacobs and Mojo the Cinematic (frontman of Booth-approved crew Dujeous). World View has yet to receive a drop date, but those who like what they’re hearing can keep it locked for more fresh tunes off the project.

EXCLUSIVE NEWS:

There is a Rainy Daze Part II. It features AWOL One, Bisc1 a.k.a. Bisco Smith & broke MC. It is produced by Cletus a.k.a. Romablaster of Rome, Italy. It will be available on World View, ONLY VIA DJBooth.net. Stay tuned for more news. Album drops 2012.

New AWKWORD Single Hits DJ Booth Indie Music Chart

We’re now at #20… Help us get to #1!

The newest AWKWORD x World View single, “Radio 2.0“, features guest verses from KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127, over production from Vice Souletric.

As noted here, DJBooth.net world premiered the cut January 19, 2012.

DJ Z, Editor-In-Chief, DJ Booth:

Great old school, 90′s era hip hop feel on the record, which is solidified by the legendary vocals of KRS.

To help us get “Radio 2.0″ to the top of the chart, go to http://www.djbooth.net/index/tracks/review/awkword-radio-2.0/ — and play, download, rate & comment!

Click here for the DJ Booth Indie Music Chart.

About the DJ Booth Ratings:

Welcome to the Booth’s Top Independent Chart! As always, your feedback has determined which songs made the cut. Each chart’s lineup is calculated using a special DJBooth Formula that takes into account member ratings and reviews as well as features’ overall popularity.

New AWKWORD Interview with WeGoinIn

Click the image above to read the full interview. See below for the questions I answer, in typically bizarro fashion.

1. For those who aren’t yet up on you, how would you introduce yourself?
2. Your “World View” project is scheduled to be dropping soon. Can you explain what it is, who’s involved and your motivation behind it?
3. Your music is very influenced by your social views and your activism. How important is it for those passions to be conveyed in your music?
4. Do you see your music as having a particular goal or is it more about communicating what’s inside you?
5. You’ve done a number dope joints with Harry Fraud who is blowing up crazy. How did you two initially link up?
6. Who are some of the artists who have inspired you and who you look at as role models in the game?
7. Any new artists that you’re feeling lately and are looking to work with?
8. What’s on the horizon for 2012 for you?

New Audio: AWKWORD ft. KRS-One – “Radio 2.0″ (prod. Vice Souletric)

AWKWORD ft. KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127 – “Radio 2.0″ (prod. Vice Souletric)

Check out the newest single off AWKWORD‘s 100% for-charity global Hip Hop project ‘World View’, a DJBooth.net Top Song of the Week (see below), produced by Ohio’s Vice Souletric, and fittingly featuring KRS-One, the legendary Bronx emcee behind the Stop The Violence movement, Chicago’s iconic rapper/producer Dug Infinite and fellow Jewish emcee/activist Brimstone127 of Miami.

Soundcloud Stream/Download

Radio 2.0 ft. KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127 (prod. Vice Souletric) by AWKWORD (@AWKWORDrap)

Bandcamp NAME YOUR PRICE

Download (highest-quality [.wav] sound file) — and donate 100% to Aim to Live, a 501c3-registered charity for urban youth.

Youtube Slideshow Video

Special Shout Out to DJBooth.net for WORLD PREMIERING “Radio 2.0″ last night. Click HERE to read the great song review and show support by rating/commenting!

DJ Z (DJ Booth):

Great old school, 90′s era hip hop feel on the record, which is solidified by the legendary vocals of KRS.