Bloggers

Mel Carter (Jay’s Nephew), Drops New Mixtape “Popular Stranger”

I had the pleasure of getting a chance to interview Mel Carter!  Of course, there is hype surrounding the fact that he is Jay Z’s nephew, but more importantly today marks a special day for him as he drops his brand new mixtape, Popular Stranger!  Mel Carter is originally from Marcy (Brooklyn) and has been pursuing his passion for music for quite some time.  Naturally, there will be comparisons between him and his super mogul uncle, but I’m excited (and curious) to see how he holds his own in the industry.  I was lucky enough to ask him a few questions…check it out:

How will “Popular Stranger” differ from your debut project “Certified”? What can fans expect?

1st I believe I grew as an artist… You know, flow got sicker (haha), experienced a lot since the 1st project. They can just expect good music!! HITS HITS HITS!!

Who are some artists that will be featured on “Popular Stranger”?

Just my home team. My producer/rapper/singer JDOT, my right hand Fly Rah, and the beautiful Sonyae Elise that was on Certified…

When did you know that music/rapping was a passion and a dream that you just had to follow?

Around 8 yrs old,  I remember I ran in the house crying cuz I think I cut my knee or elbow and my moms totally ignored me cuz they just had debuted Aint No Nigga and the video made the pain go away…hahah so that’s when I was like yeah this is it, music heals wounds hahaha!

Up-and-coming artists sometimes think that it’s all about the glitz and glamour.  How much time and dedication is actually needed to really make your way through this industry?

WORK HARD!!! PLAY HARD!! 1st part of that is WORK hard… Without hard work there is no glitz and glamour!

What’s a typical day in the life like for Mel Carter?  

Uhhhh I wake up to Sportscenter…catch up on the all the games I missed…Then we in the studio…Prank who ever falls asleep.. haha… sometimes we might go clubbing, go to a game,whatever.. then go to sleep to Sportscenter.

What is the first emotion/thought that enters your mind when you are being interviewed and the predictable questions about your uncle, Jay-Z pop up?

1st I’m counting how many questions it took for you to ask about him… then I’m thinking is this an interview about me, Popular Stranger, or HOV…go ask him about him.

What sort of hardships do you anticipate in setting yourself aside from your Uncle? 

I’m not worried about that…

Who are your musical/rap inspirations?

LL Cool J, Hov, Justin Beiber, everybody man I’m just inspired by good music!

What words of wisdom can you offer other artists on the come-up, based on what you’ve learned in the industry thus far?

Believe in yourself 1st then everyone will follow with the, “I knew you were the one!” haha deadass!

What is something funny/quirky about you that fans may not already know?

I’m a prankster!  A big one!

How would you like your fans to support you and how can they follow your movement?

Twitter.com/Kidcart3r

Facebook.com/K1DCart3r

MelCarterMusic.Com

He’s a bit of a smart a$$ and I love it (lol)!  Well, if you want to see for yourself whether or not he has the skills to last in the game, check out his new mixtape, Popular Stranger!  Thanks, Mel Carter, for visiting the Dreamworld!

http://www.datpiff.com/Popular-Stranger-Mel-Carter-mixtape.379720.html

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Racism is Still Alive! And it’s Right in D.C.!

This morning I saw a status on Facebook that one of my friend’s posted…to say that it was disturbing would be an understatement.  I am the first one to avoid pulling the “race card” because I think sometimes it’s pulled on purpose, to start unnecessary drama.  However, this story bothers me to the core!  Right here in Washington, D.C., racism has reared its ugly head into one of the local establishments.  Imagine being young, black, goal-driven, successful, goal oriented, etc. and you get turned away at a bar by a white owner, who did not want to serve you.  Check out Elijah LX Harvey’s Facebook status on what happened when he visited the Blue Banana on 3632 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.:

Gather ’round, Facebook. I have a story to tell of racism, drinks and a bar on 3632 Georgia Ave, NW DC called, “Blue Bananna” Please share and spread my story. I don’t want them getting our hard earned moneyI was going to Sweet Mango, which was down the street from Blue Bananna…but it was closed so I discovered a seemingly pleasant bar. I walk in and the hostess asked, “are you with the party”

 I said, “What party” she said, “Its fine, the bar is there” I said, “Sweet” I go to the bar, I see a few friends from college (who can vouch) and a group of white ladies (which were hot) at some tables. Anyway, I digress. I see a black couple and another black guy at the bar. The woman had her phone out. I’m thinking. “What is she doing” ….Then I realized, she was recording…I didn’t get it…anyway, the guy is fiddling with the remote (I guess trying to get the nat’s game). I wait patiently for service…a white girl comes up, he stops what he’s doing and helps her…then goes back fiddling..I wait some more… I say to him, “hey, how you doing, bro. Yall got any specials right now?” He says sharply, “No” and THEN goes to help someone else…I get what’s going on now.. Then the couple has the phone on me…and I realize…they are recording the whole thing and shaking their heads. They say, “It’s crazy, isn’t it” I was like, wow. I can just take my business elsewhere. I ask him again, hey bro can i order some food? THEN the black girl hands me a Happy hour menu…(he said no specials) and the white girl comes up behind me looks on MY menu and orders lol. We both LOL because she picked up on it…at this point, it’s kinda comical. I say, “Dude, you said you had no specials?” He slams the stuff down and says, “GET OUT!!!! GET OUTTTTTT” I go back to the hostess and ask for the manager…and she says she doesn’t know his name but describes him I’m like, “Aw sh**..HIM?!” So I go back up to the couple and ask, “Has this been going on a while”…before they could answer, two DC police came up. The owner then says, “All of them need to leave” …which happened to be the black people…. look at the police he’s like, “huh??” I said, “I don’t know bro, I’ll make it easy and take my leave…” The police were like, “you dont even look like you were doing anything” I told him, “I wasn’t” and he was like well, he’s the owner… So we all are outside the police was like, “What the hell just happened” I’m like, “i do NOT know bro” I’m not a troublemaker. I told him, I get that he’s a private business owner, but that’s CRAZY. The police said he’s normally not like that. I’m like…yea…aight I was SO furious inside. Like boiling! I still am…Like I’m not a vengeful type, but I want that place to go down. AND IT WILL….I will be going to the news with this. Please share and spread this story. Blue Bananna should not get our money.

Ok, I’m not sure about you, but ME personally…I would love to do a sit-in at this establishment. If nothing else, the word needs to be spread about Blue Banana…they cannot get away with turning blacks away as if we aren’t human! This story has already been spread to media outlets and I hope something is done! This is 2012 and if you think that people will remain silent while being treated like trash, you are sadly mistaken. Thank you, Elijah, for bringing this to everyone’s attention!

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***Special Feature*** Jarvis the Artist Interview and Album Drop!

It’s been much anticipated, but finally…it’s here!!!  The drop of Jarvis The Artist’s brand new project, Heartache!  He’s a major player in the Atlanta music industry and is getting so much recognition off of his hit, Make a Little Room.  He’s worked under Jermaine Dupri’s label, SoSo Def, as well as, Ludacris’ Disturbing the Peace and is taking the industry by storm with his latest and greatest!  Originally from Tulsa, OK, Jarvis relocated to Atlanta at a young age and has been non-stop ever since.  Now signed to Def Jam’s Starstruck Entertainment Group, he’s no stranger to major artists such as, Pitbull, Ludacris, Gucci Mane, Bow Wow, Waka Flocka and more!  I had an amazing interview with Jarvis and to say that he’s one of my favorite new artists, would be an understatement.  Check out what Jarvis shared with the Dreamworld!  He dives into how he started in the music business, what it was like to part ways from SoSo Def and what to expect on his latest album, Heartache!

How excited are you for the drop of Heartache?

It feels GREAT! On an excitement meter, from 1-10, I’m like a 20!  It feels really, really great, just because this is my first full body of work that I’ve been able to give to my fans. SO, it’s amazing…I love the feeling right now.  I love the feeling that we have a lot of strong records on the table, as well as, the single Make a Little Room…it’s out on radio stations across the country.  That just has me super excited really…sky’s the limit right now for what’s really about to take place

Aside from your excitement being on a level 20, what can fans expect to see from this new project? Are there any surprises that they can look forward to?

Well, some of the surprises have been given out; we just dropped a Lil’ Scrappy video for Wait Till You See Me.  A surprise is the Waka Flocka situation…they know the feature is there, but they haven’t seen the actual video yet, so that will be a bit of a surprise.  But, I think the biggest surprise will just be exposure…the new-found exposure that I have!  And just getting back out there to the public in a way that I’ve never been before.  There’s such a consistency with everything that we have going on right now….that’s the reason for a lot of my excitement too.  I can just feel it in the air! Things are just going to be really, really great!

What types of sacrifices have you had to make on your journey?

Wow!  The journey is the real deal. There’s definitely a whole lot of work and mine started at a very young age, in the church.  Singing was my first love…I started to learn, not only being a singer and a vocalist, but this business.  There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes…Before  I even had a deal I was in a bootcamp.  I was in school, right when I got out of school it was choreography, PR training and then writing, then in the studio then from the studio at 4, 5, 6 in the morning, back to school 7-8 o’clock.  It was a full-time job at a very young age just to prep everything that I’m doing now.  I went through a lot of different situations. I had different management…having to find the right people and the right fit for not only my situation, but my personality and just knowing how to find that person that’s going to be as passionate as I’m going to be.  I’m able to be on a label (Starstruck Entertainment Group) with a very good partner of mine.  You just have to learn to roll with the punches.  Being as though I signed my first record deal at 15, I had no clue about any of these things!  Everybody’s journey is different.  Some people get in and record a song and it becomes a hit overnight and they’re successful, but 90-95% of the artists that’s not the journey that they take.   I’m at a point where I’ve paid my dues and I’m blessed to still be young and talented and still have the love and passion for what I do, but also just have a whole lot more understanding of what it takes to take everything to the next level.

You mentioned different management and different labels.  After it not working out with SoSo Def, how did you manage to push through that?

Wow! In that particular situation I was still a kid when “label things” happened. Jermaine Dupri had another situation at another label and he kind of just picked up and left. He had other obligations (artists wise) on the roster.  It wasn’t just me…it was other artists like 3LW, Bone Crusher…he had a full roster of artists at the time that were left to fend for themselves.  At that time, a lot of artists had already been established.  People knew them, they had hits out before so, though they were left alone it wasn’t as bad.  For me, at that very young age, I hadn’t had a chance to get my start yet.  When that happened, it was heart-wrenching.  Every emotion that I couldn’t explain, I didn’t know what was gonna happen…I didn’t know what to do.  The way I got over it, first of all, was having faith and believing.  But also, the music.  At one point in time I was so discombobulated.  I wasn’t being creative anymore.  I wasn’t in the studio.  I was just out of it.  So when things kicked back into gear, that’s when I started being creative again.  It was like a new found love.

A lot of artists relocate to Atlanta.  What is so special about ATL and why is it such a great place for artists to be?

It’s like one of music’s meccas!  This is where everybody is.  This is where a lot of young, prospering musicians, artists, writers, producers, they’re coming here and they’re finding their stride.  This is where a lot of magic has been made over the past 8,9,10 years in music.  They just wanted to throw me in the mix! Everyone knows that if you’re in the midst of a lot of great talented people, you can kind of just get in where you fit in…ride the wave.  Also, it’s a lot of young, African American success out here. It’s a city for that!  I’m happy to be here! I’m blessed and it was one of the smartest moves I made in my life.

Do you think that you can remain a universal artist so even people in NY or even people in LA can relate to your music?

I think the main  key is to do what’s true to you!  Sometimes you can’t conform to what everybody else does cuz that may take you away from your element.  So, we just try to go in and make music that we feel will touch people.  The heart and your feelings and just natural things like love and emotion, those types of things are universal, no matter the song, no matter the genre.  I try to instill that in my music so that no matter what coast you’re on, no matter what walk of life you’re from you can feel these different emotions that I put into the song.

Do you plan on breaking out into other endeavors within the industry or is music the one thing that you know you’re hear to do?

Absolutely, music is the one thing I know I was put here to do, but also to help others.  At heart, I like to help people out so when I can lend a hand and have other artists up under me that will be the next step.  I went to LA for a while and was doing acting, but got pulled back into the music, but I kind of learned a lot and found another passion for the acting.  That will probably be something that I start to do a lot more of in the future.  All in all, music is my love and pride and joy so that will be first and foremost.

If there’s one thing that you could change about your journey thus far, what would it be?

Honestly, hindsight is 20/20, but for me I’ve embraced this journey and I wouldn’t change anything.  Everything that I know right now and learned, I can apply it later in life and not make the same mistakes.  I’m just happy and fortunate and blessed to still be around and be relevant.  I wouldn’t change anything…they weren’t detrimental to put me out of the game so I can’t be that mad at any of the mistakes or the wrong turns or the short comings…I’m better because of them.  (GOOD ANSWER!)

Off the serious stuff for a second, what’s something funny about you that we don’t already know?

Awww man!  I’m like one of the goofiest, funniest, craziest people to be around!  People kind of get this persona of me and they see the pictures and they’re like “oh, he’s a sexy guy or he’s a cute guy or he’s a serious guy!”  (Me: You’re pretty confident lol!)  I don’t mean it like that lol, but off of first glance they have their own opinions and the first thing you don’t think is “oh he’s goofy!”  I have a really bubbly personality and I like to have fun and you know joke around a lot.  For whatever reason, I’m taken as such this serious guy lol! I’m a huge sports fan!  Oklahoma City Thunder fan.  Dallas Cowboy fan!  (Me: Ohhhhh, we need to end this interview now!  Dallas? What?)  AND I REP MY TEAMS TO THE FULLEST!  (Me: Oh gosh! Just don’t ever wear a Cowboys jersey…I’ll be your fan as long as I don’t ever see you wear a Cowboys jersey lol!)  OH, YOU’RE GONNA SEE IT A WHOLE LOT! (Me: Well, then I’ll make sure I have my Eagles jersey on lol) OHHH, not the EAGLES! WOOOOW! (Me: So, when we beat you, I’ll make sure I Tweet you! lol)  Yeah, you make sure you do that!

Back to your project, how can fans support Heartache?

The main thing besides downloading it is word of mouth! Tell a friend to download it…if you are lucky enough to get a hardcopy in your hand, show somebody, Tweet it, Instagram it, I’ll retweet it!  Word of mouth will really grow the music for me and take everything to the next level.  Beam in on me!  Hit me on Twitter, @JarvisTheArtist and hit up the website, jarvistheartist.com.  Just be vocal about the music, what tracks are your favorite…you gotta support great music.   A lot of the stuff that’s floating around, it may get support not because of the music, but because of the hype or popularity.  I think it’s time to support artists because of creativity.

If you could speak directly to your fans, what would you tell them? How much does their support mean to you?

The support means everything!  Even over the years, the true fans have been their since the beginning since Radio (SoSo Def days). The support is greatly appreciated!  When it was rough, I would see comments or positive words from the fans and that would make me want to go that much harder so their support has kept me in this and that’s who I do this for.

Specific links or sites where the fans can actually download the album and your music?

Yes, the mixtape will be out on livemixtapes.com as well as my website jarvistheartist.com.  Also on YouTube (Jarvis The Artist TV)!  Also, shout out to Gorilla Promotions and Starstruck Entertainment Group.

***

There aren’t many “new” artists that I support, but I genuinely love Jarvis’ music!  It’s so refreshing to hear real R&B music and his amazing personality is addictive!  I can stand behind a grounded artist!  Thank you for joining the Dreamworld, be sure to download his new album, Heartache!

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/18772/jarvis_heartache.html

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***Hot Music*** Jarvis The Artist “Make a Little Room”

My interview for Jarvis The Artist drops tomorrow at 4pm, along with the release of his new album, Heartache!  His music is beyond HOT!  Make sure you check out his single, Make a Little Room, which is currently on heavy radio rotation in cities such as Atlanta!

Check it out:

http://soundcloud.com/jarvis-the-artist/make-a-little-room

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Become a Blogger Mondays: Spread Your Wings!!!

spreading-my-wings-butterfly-maria-martinez

Source: Fine Arts America, Maria Martinez

Hello, Dreamworld!  Welcome back for another segment of Become a Blogger Mondays!  As you know, I like to share my experiences and advice about what I’ve learned within the blogging realm, thus far.  By now, the new bloggers who began on this journey with me are not so new anymore!  They have a little bit of experience under their belt and are trying to boost their brand, their reach and their content.  I can’t stress enough how important expansion is for your site.  A couple of weeks ago I discussed consistency in posting, but once you’ve developed your consistency, it’s time to take it to the next level.  Here are some tips on how to SPREAD YOUR WINGS:

1.  You don’t just want to tap into your regular following.

It’s extremely imperative that you are dipping into unique pools of visitors, followers, readers, etc.  Gaining momentum is all about expanding past that group and making “new” people aware of what you have going on.

2.  So how in the heck do you do this? Well, social media will be your new BFF!

Writers, journalists, artists, etc. all have a distinct advantage in 2012.  We have the world at our finger tips.  Use what resources you can…that’s what I call the “low hanging fruit!”.  Don’t be afraid to post your links/articles on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.  As you know, word of mouth is POWERFUL!!! So a friend can pass along your site link to their friends and it creates a domino effect and before you know it, there are people you don’t even know reading your stuff.

3.  It’s not just a virtual world…get back to the basics.

There’s something to be said about people who still have the ability to speak in-person and network.  Sure, social sites are amazing, but be sure that you are still MEETING people and giving that good ol’ firm hand shake.  What do I do? I go to events, I volunteer, I work with other bloggers, I sign up for media coverage at events…there’s so many things that you can do to physically be in someone’s presence.  I must say, sometimes that can leave more of a lasting impression than just forwarding a link along.

4.  Don’t be afraid!

It’s hard to just put yourself out there and share your mind with the world, but don’t let that stop you.  Fight past the nerves and be open!  What’s the worse that can happen? Someone doesn’t like what you write? So what! You write for you and followers are just a bonus.  Be confident and don’t psyche yourself out.

I hope this has helped you on your blogging journey!  Feel free to ask any questions and/or add your own tips!  Thanks for visiting Danithedreamgirl!

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It’s Time to Get Real! F What You Think!

I’d just like to start by saying that I’m not sorry for what you are about to read.  This is my blog, this is my mind and it’s every bit of my prerogative to share what I want with the world.  Call it a last straw, call it the straw that broke the camel’s back, call it what you want, but that moment of clarity has arrived.  When you get to the point when all you want is total and complete happiness, you are willing to do any and everything to get it, including being selfish! YUP, selfish!  It’s all about me, me and me…me.

I’m at the point where I just don’t give a hoot about certain things such as:

-People who walk out of my life

-Judgmental people

-Misplaced blame

-Ungratefulness

-Being taken for granted

-DISrespect

-Immaturity

-Stupidity

I learned a very valuable lesson this past week and that is to not allow myself to be treated anything less than what I am worth, by anyone…family included.  If you choose to not support me, that’s fine…different strokes for different folks, but please step aside and let’s do away with the fake smiles.  If you can’t be genuinely happy for me, pack your bags, your belongings, your space, your breath and exit the building.  Sometimes people put up with more than they should and they keep negativity around and they fight for something that hmmm…wouldn’t fight for them.  I’m taking back control of my life, my circle, my bubble!  I’m so focused, I can taste the success.  I will not allow myself to be derailed.  My dreams are being protected!

Thanks for reading luvs!

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My Family & MTV…How They Crossed Paths

Photo by Lula Fotis

When you know where he’s come from…you’d never think it would be easy for him to succeed in this world.  Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Jonathan is 1 of 6 siblings and is beginning to find his way.  At a young age, he and his brothers and sisters lost their father (my Uncle) in what is still an unsolved murder.  Some odd years later, they would lose their mother.  Being raised by my grandparents, he has managed to graduate high school and get a full scholarship to Franklin & Marshall, where he won the prestigious award for the best documentary in his class.  It amazes me that he possesses so much resilience, determination and passion after everything that he has endured.  He probably doesn’t even know it, but he is one of my light sources.  To know that my baby cousin (not so baby anymore) is so strong…there’s never an excuse for me to not push hard as well.

Now, onto the exciting news!  Jonathan has managed to WOW the big-wigs and he was the winner of MTV’s Intern Army Mission.  In short, a selected few who made the cut, were able to compete for the number one spot and win a fully paid trip to the VMA’s in LA!  Each intern had to make gorilla style videos promoting the VMA’s and were judged on overall creativity (I’ve posted one of his mission videos below).  YES!  My baby cousin (I gotta stop saying that) came out on top!!!  I know for a fact that many people, young and old, can learn so much from this brilliant soul, so I wanted to pick Jonathan’s brain so that others could get an idea of how he got to where he is now!

Photo by Will Sampson

Briefly explain what you actually do for MTV.

So I interned with TV Land. I did a lot of editing and trimming of a variety of sitcoms such as Everybody Loves Raymond, The Nanny, and many other sitcoms in order to create promos. I resized and placed logos on these promos and sent them to be approved and aired. I pulled and recorded footage onto tapes. I also transferred footage from these tapes onto computers which I cut and put onto TV Land’s server for future use. I also attended audio/video sessions and performed production runs to deliver materials.  I even shadowed current staff Production Assistants and performed any production related duties needed for shoots, edit/audio sessions,or delivery.

What was the challenge that you had to succeed in, in order to win the internship?

Well besides overcoming the stress of the short deadline we were given for each mission, I had to really impose myself into large crowds, and really persuade new yorkers ( and you know how they can be) to listen to me for a second, and hear what I had to say. Although a struggle, I just brought forth my charisma and that took the crowds.

What did the prize include?

The prizes were: The Grand Prize winner (1st place) won a free paid trip to the Video Music Awards out in LA. That included a free flight, hotel, and tickets to the VMA’s, along with one friend.  The contest included 5 missions and we were judged overall on consistent creativity. Each round had a first place winner, and then all five were judged. MTV hires about 500 interns throughout all their networks, and all of these were a possible candidate for this contest.

What does this mean for your future affiliation with MTV? Does it guarantee an internship?

This win only proved to Viacom that I am a strong and hardworking individual. At the end of my internship, I was ecstatic to find out that I had a job offer after graduation. I am still keeping my options open, but this was an amazing offer.

How did you get such an awesome opportunity to work at MTV?

I got the job at TV Land through my scholarship program known as the Posse foundation.  A program that was recognized by president Obama, they recruit young/diverse leaders throughout several major cities, and put them in top liberal art schools. This program has a huge and very powerful network of companies and jobs, whom all love working with Posse students.

What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goals, besides get a job, is to be successful in anything I choose to do. Always be a thinker and find new ways to innovate. I want to direct films, and hopefully make movies. Even direct and write my own TV Series is another option. Whichever happens, I know for sure I want to show my experiences through the scope of film and help others tell their story when their voice is unheard.

How do you think you managed to find so much success, despite your tragedies/hardships in life?

I think I find my successes in just staying focused on the prize. What I went through was tough, and those tough things start to wear you down, but when there’s motivation for something bigger and better, then you refuse to be pulled down. Life doesn’t have to be sad or angry. I try to always focus on the best side of things which I guess makes me optimistic. And also realizing that patience is important keeps me focused. It’s easy to just give up because it doesn’t work out immediately. Success for me is a plant and pay off system.  You “plant” your opportunity and it needs hard work and time to flower.

It’s an amazing feeling to be able to share when things are going great for my family!  I am SO proud and honored to watch him succeed in life and be the happiest that he can be!

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