Geno & Skunk Boogie
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Geno & Skunk Boogie

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"B-town Rappers Get Praise From Nelly, The Game"

I met up with a pair of Bradenton rappers, Geno & Skunk Boogie, early last week to talk about the duo’s new album coming out in June. The guys told me about a music video contest they had entered on the site Music Nation. Winners are selected each week for 12 weeks total, and a video the two made (from the looks of it, in Bradenton) was selected by celebrity judges Nelly and The Game as the victor in Week 2. The clip offers a snapshot of what the B-town underground has to offer and while I can’t figure out how to post it here, for some God-unknown reason, you can follow this link to see what’s up.

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/the941/2007/04/17/b-town-rappers-get-praise-from-nelly-the-game/ - April 17th, 2007 by Cooper Levey-Baker in Music, News


"ColdFusion is going for the label"

Article Launched: 04/26/2007 08:28:26 PM PDT

DIAMOND BAR alternative rockers ColdFusion are hoping that fans and Music Nation judges will pick them to continue in the battle to garner a deal with Epic Records. The band — vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mike Oliver, lead guitarist J.T., bassist Taylor Ouellette and drummer Tyler Alcorn — has already been successful, opening for artists such as Nickelback, Fall Out Boy and Killswitch Engage and participating in the Nintendo Fusion Tour, Vans Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos. Their music has also been featured on MTV's "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" and Fox's "Sports Net."

More than 1,200 artists originally entered Music Nation's 12-week competition and 72 bands' videos were selected for public voting online, as well as judging by a panel that includes Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte; Charlie Walk, president of Epic Records; singer-songwriter Nelly; and Mark Pitts, president of urban music at Jive Records. Six winners go head-to-head each week, two in each genre — rock, pop and urban.

ColdFusion will be vying against Burning Tree Project from Buena Park in the rock category. Pop will be Sara Melson of Los Angeles and Pink Stilettos of Utah and urban will be Geno & Skunk Boogie of Florida and Muddy Advertisement Trenchez of Palmdale.

...

Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/entertainment/ci_5757403 - By Michelle J. Mills Staff Writer


"Geno & Skunk Boogie - "Fly" - Judges' Choice"

This Bradenton, FL duo's video lets the song speak for itself. Shot in simple black and white, "Life" relies on their rhymes, sung chorus, and the genuine enthusiasm of Geno & Skunk Boogie's live performance in this compelling homemade video.

Read this at:
http://empyrelounge.blogspot.com/2007/02/music-nation-second-week-winners.html - http://urban.musicnation.com/v690


"Rock the Vote"

If you haven’t headed over to Music Nation to vote for hometown hip-hop heroes Geno and Skunk Boogie, I suggest, dear 941er, that you do it. Now. The duo is competing for a contract with Epic Records and has already made it to the quarterfinals. I hate to proselytize again and again, but this duo has skillz.


http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/the941/2007/05/04/rock-the-vote/ - May 4th, 2007 by Cooper Levey-Baker in the 941, Web/Tech, Music,


"Redefining the hustle"

Cover: Cover Story

Redefining the hustle

A pair of Bradenton MCs prove hip-hop can be more than money, cash, hoes.

BY COOPER LEVEY-BAKER

Published 06.06.07

With a deft click of the mouse, rapper/producer Geno summons up a recent track. A deafening beat floods the small studio as colorful frequency patterns dance across a wide Mac monitor. Seated on a low futon a few feet behind Geno's torn office chair, MC Skunk Boogie snaps his head down in time with each digitized snare hit.

A screened microphone stands in a corner, a section of rippled foam mounted around it. A long silver keyboard sits atop the empty box the monitor came in. Underfoot, a rectangular rug softens the room's hard, dirty tile.

The track -- still unfinished -- pounds on. "Git 'er done!" commands the tagline. Both rappers crack up, getting off on taking a catchphrase associated with pickups and Confederate flags and making it their own.

Geno (aka Eugene T. Mays III) clicks off the song and searches his hard drive for another. Full of Friday-afternoon giddiness, Skunk (aka Darrius D. Yarn) makes a bold claim: "The way we're writing now, if we stay here Saturday through Monday, we could leave with 20 songs."

Mere braggadocio? Maybe. Maybe not.

The Bradenton hip-hop duo has been on a tear in recent months, prepping an album (Problem Solved) for a Sept. 11 release and making it all the way to the semifinals in an online video competition hosted by Music Nation, a website dedicated to exposing new artists. The prize Geno and Skunk -- both 25, born 11 days apart -- nearly landed? A deal with Epic Records.

The clip the MCs submitted, "Fly," may not have won, but it was selected to move on by celebrity judges The Game and Nelly, and the acclaim is well-deserved. The grainy, black-and-white vid features the two rappers in their Suncoast environs: 1-story ranch homes with modest sedans parked outside. They deliver defiant rhymes with an assured ease. "Every day I wake up I face stress," Geno spits. "Every night I go to sleep I face death/ Every step that I take I lose breath/ In the back of my mind like, 'What's next?'/ For too damned long ya'll niggas done slept/ Had me put away silent and kept/ Now the ball's in my court and I'm 'a break free/ No matter how you take me/ Love me or hate me, nigga, you can't break me."

Geno's production matches the tone of the lyrics: Piano chords lend the beat a mournful, bleary-eyed vibe. The song proves these guys are a step ahead of the rest of the 941 and that catchy, mainstream hip-hop can be about a lot more than the holy trinity of guns, paper and girls. "We trying to let them know that there's more down here," says Geno, the heavier built of the two, well-groomed and square-jawed.

While they may be just starting to attract attention, Geno and Skunk have been working toward their current status for more than a decade.

Both grew up on the Suncoast and met at Manatee High School, although they didn't realize they were cousins until they started hanging out. "He said, 'What's your last name?'" Geno remembers. "I said, 'Mays.' He said, 'What up cuz?'"

The two hit it off, personally and musically, recording hip-hop together almost immediately. "We always had that chemistry," Skunk says. On record and in person, the guys complement each other nicely: Geno relaxed and methodical, his buddy outgoing and flamboyant. Skunk squeezes his hands together, "That bond is like this now."

Still, things occasionally do get volatile. Skunk wigs out for brief spells, bitching out Geno and the group's manager -- Gregory Trense, who also runs Original Records, the label putting out Problem Solved. Skunk has gone through a tumultuous period: His mother, a cousin, a grandfather and an uncle have all died in the past few years. Geno and Trense easily tolerate the occasional freak-out. "They my brothers," Skunk says with a shrug. "Ride or die."

That sense of brotherhood also comes from a shared struggle to succeed after upbringings in drug- and violence-plagued sections of Manatee County. Skunk avoided getting caught up in illegal activity through work, earning for himself since age 14. Today, friends from the neighborhood look up to him for his steady 9-to-5, which he doesn't want named in print because the company may not approve of his lyrical moonlighting.

Geno -- who supports himself by producing rap, R&B and reggae artists -- learned about the price of tangling with the law by observing what happened to his older brother, who recently got out of jail after a five-year stint. Becoming an entrepreneur was a way to avoid that fate, hence Geno's production company, Hit Man Music (as in "hit song," not "hit man"). "It's all about business," he says.

As a result of their experiences, it's important for both guys to urge audience members to go out and do something for themselves. "Don't be slaves to the corporate world," Geno advises. With that in mind, both want to redefine the w - BY COOPER LEVEY-BAKER


"Music Nation Announces Second-Week Winners"

2007-02-13 11:14:39.073,

Celebrity judges such as the Game, Nelly and the Madden brothers (of Good Charlotte fame), along with votes from fans, have determined the second week of winners in Music Nation's video music competition. Two artists from one of three genres were selected to move on to the quarterfinals of the competition, which will commence April 23.??
This week's winners are: Burning Tree Project and ColdFusion in the rock category; Sara Melson and Pink Stilettos in pop; and Geno And Skunk Boogie, along with Muddy Trenchez for the urban prize.??Competitors post their music videos on www.musicnation.com to win the grand prize; a recording contract with Epic Records and a showcase on an episode of Stripped, a live show on Clear Channel Radio.??www.musicnation.com

- Story by: Elena Marinaccio


"Music Nation Judge's Comment"

I'd be interested to hear more from these guys. - Mark Pitts (President of Urban Music at Jive Records)


"Music Nation Judge's Comment"

I was feelin the track, that's that real sh_t,[...] - The Game


"Music Nation Judge's Comment"

This is song is banging. You can definitely ride to this one. Nice Flow. [refering to the song "Fly"] - Nelly


"Music Interview: Geno & Skunk Boogie"


Published: April 06, 2007 11:44 AM EST

We are pleased to introduce our Exclusive Interview with Geno and Skunk Boogie. Once you read this interview I think you will find out why we are excited about this hot act. Check it out--

Music Now: When and how did you first become interested in music? How long have you been playing music?
Geno: “I’ve been interested in music since my pre-school days, I even won a dance contest doing the Pee-Wee Herman Dance. My father was always pushing my brother and I to do something in music, he was like Joe Jackson, but he wasn’t abusive! I started rapping when I was 8 years old, and I’ve been writing and producing my own music, as well as for others, since I was twelve years old.”
Skunk Boogie: “I started listening to music at the age of 3, I would take my grandfather’s records and play them all day.”

Music Now: What are your musical influences?
Geno: “I have been influenced by artists like Nas, Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan, The Game, Outkast, Trick Daddy, and many more. I listen and get inspired by all genres of music. I like music that talks about everyday life, instead of superficial things.”
Skunk Boogie: “Life, the environment, and every artists that makes music inspire me.”

Music Now: Does anyone in your family play music?
Geno: “No, I am the only one as far as I know”
Skunk Boogie: “A lot of people in my family play instruments, and sing.”

Music Now: When you are making music, describe how you are feeling?
Geno: “Everyday I feel different, everyday is a different vibe and a different type of song. Music is my journal, I get to express myself, and people get to hear my thoughts. Also doing music with Skunk Boogie gives a good mixture of two different personalities. Skunk is more of a character that gets the attention with the things he does, and I get more attention for the things I say. So when you put the two of us together, that’s when you get Geno & Skunk Boogie: The MAN!!! Not the group. We are one!”
Skunk Boogie: “I feel a relief, it’s my therapy. I release a lot of stress, anger, passion, fun, and all kinds of other the emotions that go through my mind.”


Music Now: Why did you write or decide to play any of your songs?
Geno: “Music is life for me. I have been doing this for over 17 years. My career is in the music business, I am an artist, a producer, a musician, a recording engineer, and a CEO. I write and record new music everyday, whether it’s for me or other artists.”
Skunk Boogie: “Music is what I love doing. I love writing, recording, producing, engineering, entertaining. Music is my life.”

Music Now: Why did you choose to play this kind of music?
Geno: “This is the music I grew up listening to. It’s a part of me. But it’s more than music, it’s more than rap! It’s Hip-Hop, it’s a culture, it’s a way of life!”
Skunk Boogie: “I rap because I grew up listening to it. Rap music keeps the people moving. It inspires. ”

Music Now: What do you feel is missing in the music industry today?
Geno: “People like me, who live through the struggle, and fight against the cause of the struggle, to make a better future for everybody. Cause this shit is getting crazy. Corruption, greed, and selfishness is the roots of all problems. The youth is the most important thing of all, because what we teach them today, will affect them tomorrow. Today artists, especially Hip-Hop artists have a big influence on the kids, and I think that it’s my responsibility as an artist to give them guidance.”
Skunk Boogie: “Geno & Skunk Boogie”

Music Now: Do you feel like you are a role model to others?
Geno: “I know I am a role model. A lot of people that listen to our music have come to us and told us that our songs have inspired them to do more positive actions.”
Skunk Boogie: “Yes. Listen to the music, you’ll see.”

Music Now: What keeps you going even when at times you feel like giving up?
Geno: “My Daughter. My Mother. My Brother. Life. Creation.”
Skunk Boogie: “My family.”

Music Now: What are some of the big projects you are working on?
Geno: “The album ‘Problem Solved’, which will be released in June 2007 via Original Records.”
Skunk Boogie: “It’s a classic.”


Music Now: What can we expect from you in the next several years?
Geno: “Hits after Hits. Progress.” Skunk Boogie: “Be the new C.E.O. of Hip Hop. Keep the music going for everybody.”

Music Now: Any new releases, updates, or anything else you would like to tell our audience?
Geno: “We are in the quarterfinals of a contest on http://www.musicnation.com. It’s a 12-week competition, and we won Week 2 in the Urban Category. The judges were Mark Pitts, The Game, and Nelly. We need everyone to vote for us in April. Visit us at http://www.myspace.com/genoandskunkboogie If you need more info, you can write to our manager, Red Lion, at redlioni@hotmail.com.
Remember to keep it peace, but take no bullshit.” Skunk Boogie: “Much Love & Respect to everybody. Don’t ever let anybod - By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior


Discography

Geno & Skunk Boogie - Take it Personal (2001)
Geno & Skunk Boogie - Free Dem (2004)
Geno & Skunk Boogie - Problem Solved (September 11, 2007)

Geno - Graduation Day (2002)
Geno - Nollege(2002)
Geno - ...As Is (2006)

Skunk Boogie - Underground State (2002)
Skunk Boogie - Welcome to The Village (2006)

Photos

Bio

GENO & SKUNK BOOGIE
By: Rahiem Shabazz & Ms. Rivercity

The possibility of driving down Route 41 in SWF (South West Florida) without Geno & Skunk Boogie blaring from your speakers is slim to none. Where most hip-hop artists struggle to remain relevant in a fickle market that caters to urban radio top ten singles, Geno & Skunk are defying the norm by continuously releasing stellar albums and making significant career inroads, at the same time extending their appreciation of the art to loyal hip-hop fans.

The South West Florida natives formed an alliance at the age of fourteen and have been rockin’ together and representing, Bradenton (The Rotten Bottom) ever since. The noted chemistry is apparent in their uncompromised vision and attitude. “It’s like we’re brothers. He knows my every step; I know his every step,” says Geno. “We’ve been together every day since the first day we met.”

The two-man team, known to eschew introspective street rhymes, has already established a phenomenal underground and street presence on the strength of Take it Personal (2001), Underground State (2002), Nollege (2002), Graduation Day (2002), Free Dem (2004), As Is (2006) and Welcome to The Village (2006). They have shared the stage with the likes of Bone Crusher, Jadakiss, Acafool, and Chopper from No Limit Records as well as toured statewide with Supa D in 2003.

The Bradenton-bred duo realizes today’s music scene is obsessed with redundant sounding raps, so the Suncoast natives did things differently, and by all standards the fans love it. “It’s something new. It’s something different. It has a Southern twist to it but it also has a message. It’s not your everyday, common hip-hop,” Geno says, when describing the group’s sound. Their uncompromised sound has been highlighted on both the TJs DJs and the Tampa Music Conference compilations.

While, Geno possesses far-reaching talent as a producer, having produced Justice on Earth for 2X award winning reggae artist Junior Lion, it’s the group’s lyricism that make you pause and reflect while you enjoy their creative qualities.

As the duo readies another album for mass public consumption, their core fan base eagerly anticipates Problem Solved. The rhyme aesthetics and the art of emceeing that is missing from most acts are forever present in every song on the album.

The stirring yet mournful vibe is played out on the hook of “Fly”, as the duo furiously attack the piano driven track with poignant lyrics. "Every day I wake up I face stress,” Geno spits. "Every night I go to sleep I face death/ Every step that I take I lose breath/ In the back of my mind like, 'What's next?'/ For too damned long ya'll niggas done slept/ Had me put away silent and kept/ Now the ball's in my court and I'm 'a break free/ No matter how you take me/ Love me or hate me, nigga, you can't break me."

Dropping a handful of independent albums is but a small testament to the group’s hustler mentality. However, the ultimate goal is to help others. “I want to get to a bigger place so I can help a lot of other people get out there,” explains Skunk. “Big companies don’t come to small towns like where we’re from. I just want to live life and be free, be on top of the game and take over.”