Post II

In this post Dirty Street brings you a blend of entertainment and info featuring:   More of the story of Rich and Famous; this week's episode is set in the homely surrounds of Arcade Studio's and an entertaining look at When Websites Go Bad!

RICH AND FAMOUS PART II - THE RECORDING
An ultra prepared Y.G and Lukas arrived at The North Star, an Indian restaurant on the outskirts of Hackney, London bang on 1pm.  And it occured to Lukas that this was part of the media and music industry which really suited him; whether it was shooting L'Oreal hair competitons, filming with sky or laying down some vocal tracks in Essex, the industry of media bursts into life about midday.  Albeit we work happily through the night, but anyone who takes it seriously is pleased to make the choice to be the nocturnal variety of professional.  The side effect of which is what Pete from Aracde Studio refered to as the 'Studio Widow'.  Basically this is the other half of the 'nocturnal professional' who knows their partner is still alive and they've smelt them recently, but not seen them in a while - Usually because they been in the studio working their little butts off.

After meeting the other two rappers Styla and Defy and Defy's brother we drove from Hackney to a rather desirable residence in Essex.  Along the way we were treated to a glimpse of 45 year old Defy's driving 'skills'.  After a 40 mph plod down a duel carriageway, Defy decided that he'd take us on a hair-pin off road attempt - which WAS all the satnavs fault! - but eventually we reached the converted bungalow.

Here we were greeted by producers T and Pete booker, who have previously worked with Madonna, Kylie and Iron Maiden to name just a few, and of course a wicked selection of munchies!  The rappers were then given the chance to write their parts, and each rapper would be have backing punches.  After the very short time they were given they each took their turn in the booth, kicked off by Defy.

Whilst in the kitchen I took a moment to relect at what I was doing.  I was making a cup of tea in a kitchen with a very random group of people, I felt like how Chantelle from the first celebrity big brother must have felt.  There was Pete Booker (producer to the many), David van Day (former Dollar singer and reality TV winner), Sue Moxley (former Sun beauty editor and cosmetic guru), Colin Evans (Sky guy and Jonathon Ross' best friend), T Green (Massive producer) and little old me.  I'd like to think that one day someone will be making me a cup of coffee thinking a similar thing.

When Mr. Y.G took to the booth the rhetoric of the session changed as he began to work at a professional level, nailing his flo and even editing himself as he went - much to the relief of T and Pete.  Even Defy's brother got in on the action as he enthusiastically joined in on the group punches.

Mr.Y.G got involved in the editing process as he prescribed his own brand of compression and computer audio wizardry.  You could see the meeting of minds plumbing the depths of music production.

As we saddled up to head back to the coast we took look at the set and decided that the standard had been set and we couldn't wait to shoot the video next.




WHEN WEBSITES GO BAD
You can see them now, all huddled around a laptop experimenting with different ways of naming their site.  Until the top man at a launderette decides, "lets call it touching cloth!......"  Some where inside the heads of the people around him, there was an agreement that this was a wonderful name for a shop which gets clothes clean.  Along these lines, there are people who haven't really read what they've written.

1. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at www.gotahoe.com

2. Therapists in the US merely wanted to offer troubled souls a shoulder to cry on. Let's hope their advice is not as short-sighted as whoever registered the URL www.therapistfinder.com

3. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is www.cummingfirst.com

4. There is one betting site that is way out in front as our favorite. With their name they are bound to attract a lot of people looking for each-way wagers: www.oddsexchange.com

5. "We're not just a printer," claims the American firm Tri-Plex. And they guarantee: "Short runs or long, we can handle both equally well." But it makes you wonder what kind of service they are offering from their website with a name like this: www.triplexbusiness.com

6. If you are looking for a place to download the latest songs you might think this one is a homage to bad digital music. Mind you, the site is flagging up the new Michael Bolton album, so maybe it does what is says on the tin after all: www.mp3shits.com

7. Law firm Morrison and Foerster have more than 1,000 legal eagles worldwide. Surely you would have thought one would have spotted the clanger in their site. They couldn't have been briefed properly that it contains a slang abbreviation for a rather strong swear word that would leave them in contempt in the courtroom: www.mofo.com

8. This drinks franchise has spawned a host of copycat stores around the US as it attracts customers by the barrel-load desperate for a schoolboy giggle and quick slurp: www.beaverliquors.com

9. Some say Americans don't understand irony and a site set up by Ingleside Vineyards of Virginia bears that out. They must be flushed with success if the name they chose is anything to go by: www.ipwine.com

10. The plant-growers of Mole Station Nursery in New South Wales claim to specialise in the production of frost- hardy native shrubs and farm trees. Sounds like they are more into deflowering: www.molestationnursery.com

11. If you need an IT professional to fix your broken PC this could be a great place to start, especially if you are having a problem with your hard drive or interruptions to your AC/DC supply: www.expertsexchange.com

12. Looking for an actor and want to get in touch with his or her agent? Then Who Represents is a database of contact names and numbers. But the site owners may well become brassed off by some of the unsavoury clients it attracts: www.whorepresents.com

13. The official site for Barnet Copthall Masters Swimming Club says it has a 12A rating to warn off young kids. It has all the club?s latest news. So why not a section on how to improve your breaststroke? www.upthebeavers.com

14. A building firm based in Ontario, Canada, promises: "No job too small, or too tall." They have even helpfully included some handy pictures showing exactly how they manage to get it up: www.mammotherection.com

15. Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company… www.powergenitalia.com

16. And then there’s these brainless art designers, and their wacky website: www.speedofart.com

Rich and Famous - Casting

Unbeknown to us, Y.G managed to bypass the majority of the casting process for a project called Rich and Famous.  This is how Dirty Street's Y.G begun his road to riches and proved there is a credible Urban scene beyond the capital.

Y.G was contacted by manager and producer Colin Evans regarding trying-out for a part in a track which was to be made alongside an unknown 80's pop star who was re-launching their career.  The brief was that Y.G, Lil Blak and Joavviva were to rap accapella to the celebrity and incorporate fame, fortune and the names Dave and Sue.  Colin asked Y.G to bring some other artists along so we borrowed a friends car and headed to The North Star in Hackney, London.  Although it wasn't quite that straight forward; Lukas only had a two seater van, so we had a choice of two other cars - Y.G's sister's car, which was consuming a lot of petrol, or the equally juicey Frontera from Lukas' mate Beefy.

Given the limited finances for the trip we chose the Frontera.  Unfortunately we had to go to Hove to pick it up, which meant driving passed the first pick-up which was at Portslade station, and they owner had popped out and was running half an hour late - too late to turn round and grab Y.G's sister's car.
Half an hour or so later Beefy turned up with the Frontera, we picked up the two other rappers and headed north to the M25 and London.

Because of a SATNAV being non-specific and the usual M25 traffic we arrived at The North Star an hour late, and we were greeted by the remains of the casting process.  It appeared that there was originally 200 people auditioning for the part, which included opera singers, guitarists, vocalists and rappers - even though the brief clearly requested an Urban rapper.

Each rapper was given three minutes to rap accapella, then six were shortlisted for the next round, where they were played the track which was to be recorded and they had to rap an 8 line verse over a certain part.  Of the three rappers we took, two (Y.G and Joavviva) made the final three.  During the final round they were reduced to the top 3 - Y.G, Styler and Defí.

The producers, David, Sue and the director got together and decided the outcome, during which each rapper filmed a piece to camera about their experience and what they hope to achieve.

After some deliberation the production team revealed that they would be using all three of the remaining rappers, each would have a section of the rap to perform.  The only problem was that the three parts weren't all of the same length,  there were two eight bar parts and one sixteen.  Styler, who was keen to push himself into alpha male position, begun his pitch for the sixteen.  I say pitch but it was more of a chain of demands, which alongside super-confidence, is one of Stylers strongest traits.

Following much picture taking and interviews, we were joined by Carole, one of the finalists from Big Brother 8, who spoke to me about her plans of writing and directing films (she claimed to have written 3 the previous day!) and release a track with heavy left-wing political messages.  Well, if there's money and exposure we'll be interested.

So, the final line-up was decided and they were given the date of the recording which would be on the following Sunday and would be working with producer T Green at Arcade Studios.

Welcome to Dirty Street

So what is Dirty Street all about?  it’s about setting a professional standard that says that you are taking yourself and your musical or artistic career seriously; its about getting smart about yourself as a business so that the right people will give you the right attention.

With the changing music industry making production more straight forward and accessible to all levels of ability, its critical to stand out from the crowd.  Now, more than ever, you need to have a full package for labels and management to take notice of you; whether its videos, virals, photo shoots, press packs or a number of costly requirements which are necessary to attract the right attention.  Remember that if you look like a victim you’ll be treated like one.

Co-founded by Y.G and Lukas, Dirty Street is a musician and artist development company specialising in preparing fresh talent for the real world and the demands of a changing industry.  The strategy is to take an individual or group and create a bespoke marketing package for them.  From mastering and producing tracks and videos to photo shoots and design, Dirty Street can manufacture the right package for you.

The future….the future’s Dirty, the future ‘s Street.