Family Business

got introduced to this group by my counterpart CL from southern California FamxBiz (family buisness) and couldnt help but notice the inspiration I get from young individuals on their thrive to greatness all from their own creations, its pretty cool. The group FamxBiz has put togather their Sophmore project ‘Hardwork&Hennessy’. One quick introduction and I instantly became a fan and it didnt hurt that the group also resides in the same area as me. Make sure to give this young group a listen and you might just enjoy it as much as i did. Fyi.. my single of choice ‘across the room’. - Us Versus Them

From Southern California Arises Three Driven Young Men Under The Group Alias ‘Family Business’. Popularly Known as ‘FAM BIZ’ The Trio Consists Of Just Jae, Matt Mann & Steve Sincere. After Dropping Their Freshman Mixtape ‘Hunting Season’ FAM BIZ Proved To Be A Name To Look For In Their Area. Recording Entirely In A Make-Shift Studio, Over The Process Of A Month, Their Sophmore Project Came To Be ‘Hardwork&Hennessy’. The Album Was A Concept Developed By The Group In An Effort To Convey The Real Life & Times Of Three Young Men. Touching On Vast Subject Matter, FAM BIZ Establishes Their Versatility As Artists, Breaking The Mold Most Follow. Hardwork&Hennessy Is Much More Than Just Your Everyday HipHop Album, It Stands To Be Set Apart And Favored Over The Saturated And Often Cliche Rap Subject Matter ‘Created’ By So Many Today. Hardwork&Hennessy’s Can Attest That FAM BIZ Is Definitely Worthy, Pour A Glass, Hear Them Out. - Originality Kills

Track List:
1. Lisa's Poured Words
2. Hardwork&Hennessy
3. No Chase feat. LaVi$h
4. Sweet Jones
5. Across The Room feat. Lamar Jay
6. Champagne Room feat Lamar Jay
7. Lay Up
8. No Conscious feat Stevie Crooks
9. Rich Nigga Shit
10. FVCK YOU
11. FVCK 'EM ALL
12. Touch The Sun feat Dez
13. Rosey
14. Letting You Go feat. Lamar Jay
15. Limo Glass

Check out the latest project from the FamXBiz team... Hard Work & Hennessy. I have to say that this album is very impressive. They have taken new age beats and mixed that with sharp lyrics to create this new great sound. This album has been on my daily rotation since it came out. FamXBiz is taking hip hop to that next level for sure. Download them here for free. - Donuts and Milk

The cannibalism of the 90's has begun. The ten year gap between 1990 and 2000 has begun to manifest itself in contemporary culture. The childern born in th late 80's and early 90's are now in the beginning stages of adulthood. These MTV babies are now the trendsetters of today. Their sensibliites for music and culture are rooted in the 90's,when music and television merged and pop culture became as important as current events. The tendency of society to go backwards to find inspiration is not a new concept. Historians point to the Italian Renaissance, a period remembered for it's rediscovery of long forgotten art and design. There are several examples, such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Retro Movement that validate this writer's assertions. Hip Hop is by nature a culture of renaissance. It borrows from the past and recreates the known into a something "fresh".

The problem that the internet age has created is that nothing lasts long enough to be appreciated. Fresh lasts as long as the spilt second it takes to click a mouse and download new content. This writer argues that one of the reasons the 90's is being harvested for new material to recycle and reproduce is because it occurred in a ten year period that was influenced by the 70's and 80's while simultaneously paving road for the information age. There is a "freshness" about the 90's that is attractive to the young adults of the new millenium. It is a hyper renaissance that has allowed contemporary Hip Hop fans to rediscover some of the music and culture that they were probably too young to understand and appreciate.

When a group like FAMxBIZ teams up with Stevie Crooks for the new video "No Conscious", one can begin to see the influence of the 90's resurfacing. The posse cut was a staple in the 90's and the collaborative enterprise created memorable cuts like ATCQ's "Scenario", EMPD's "Headbanger", and even a posse group of nine emcees known collectively as The Wu Tang Clan. To witness new artists taking cues from their predecessors can be viewed as blatant copying, but this writer believes some new artists are actually paying homage to groups because now they are at a level in life where they can actually relate to the music that served as a backdrop to their childhoods. This is no more than what many of the pioneers did with the music of the 60's and 70's. The "No Conscious" track is a throwback to the 90's and a reminder of the street corner Hip Hop that was missing much throughout the first decade of the new millenium.

FAMxBIZ consists of Just Jae, Steve Sincere & Aston Matthews. The Lakewood trio is a nostalgic nod to groups like 3rd Bass and De La Soul. There is a terrific lyrical synergy between Steve Sincere's gruff devilery and Aston Matthews high energy vocal pattern. This group has a chemistry that most A&R's have spent millions trying to create and a certain dancing New York Hip Hop Mogul duped MTV into marketing. The addition of the no frills lyricist Stevie Crooks is the icing on the cake and by current standards the "No Conscious" single is worthy of radio play. This writer's concern about groups like FAMxBIZ and artists like Stevie Crooks is the irrelavancy factor that Blog Hop has caused because most causal fans will no doubtedly rush though music that is multi-layered with meaning and significance. This writer will continue to give respect and appreciation to those who share a love for the 90's era and it's influence. - Riverside Examiner