Goldenchild feat. THE CHOSEN

Welcome to another episode of the Hip Hop War Report. Today's episode features interviews JR, the Minister of Information, from the Block Report. JR interviews Flava Flav and Chuck D. from the world renowned hip hop group, "Public Enemy". JR and Flava Flav discuss the legacy of "Public Enemy", as well as Stanley "Tookie" Williams and Flav's reality show.
The second segment features our independent artists spotlight. Today's spotlight will feature Brooklyn's own DaDa the Golden Child. This interview will be conducted by Akir. In this interview Akir and Golden Child discuss the collaborative effort known as The Reavers. The Reavers is a group comprised of eleven independent hip-hop artists from across the nation. The Reavers' album is an incredible effort boasting many great names such as: Golden Child, Hasan Salaam, Akir, Billy Woods, Karniege, Keith Masters and Priviledge, just to name a few.
The Reavers first single is entitled "The Slums"and was produced by Golden Child. "The Slums" is a recording reality that delves into the lives of people in the hood. The emcees performing on this song express their views, good and bad, about the places where we dwell. "The Slums" communicates how the people in the hood fight back. The creative lyricism displayed on "The Slums" illustrates how the poor neighborhoods and projects were designed as traps. These traps keep people contained in a distressed state and fighting amongst themselves despite what the media may tell us. We highly recommend The Reavers' album "Terror Firma".
They go on to discuss DaDa the Golden Child's hip-hop/reggae band "Plan B". Akir and Golden Child talk about how progressive hip-hop is becoming as it pertains to the live show. Golden Child also discusses the Original Sessions' Band Showcase, in which Plan B is currently involved. We are also pleased to announce that Golden Child will be a new correspondent for the Hip Hop War Report.
Finally, this episode concludes with an interview between JR and Chuck D, in which they discuss independent labels and freelance media. Chuck D expresses his opinion on the record industry vs. the music business.

click below to here podcast:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/payshir/HipHop_War_Report_Episode_10.mp3 - PAYSHIR MUSIC GROUP

Goldenchild

When literally hundreds of press kits move through the in-box, it’s refreshing to get a press release whose promises are actually borne out by the music. Hey bands, take a cue from Goldenchild and don’t over-promise! While there’s nothing earth-moving here, that’s okay — Goldenchild isn’t promising bold innovation. Instead, Goldenchild offers up a reminder that good strong beats, clear and honest lyrics and forays into soaring vocal harmonies are just the right thing sometimes. There’s something so airy and casually cool about these songs. The music is uninhibited, open and brimming with expression. And, like any good urban artist, Goldenchild has got a message. “Whatever happened to that hip hop music? Back in the day we communicated through it,” he sings on “Whatever Happened.” These honest, simple lines embody the pure essence of Goldenchild — contemporary hip hop that’s about truth and consequences and a reminder that you don’t need to resort to the whole “bitches, ho’s, money and guns” thing to make a good record. Standouts are “Y2K” and “Beautiful Love” featuring Sirena.(http://iamgoldenchild.com/) (Review date: Sept 4 2007)

go to "http://lowbudgetsuperhero.com/?page_id=680" to read more - LOW BUDGET SUPER HEROES

YOU ROCK, I’LL ROCK

Bobby helps Bambu choose their new band of the year. When I didn't have the scratch to enter last year’s Reefer Poker tournament, my
friend Sarah (owner of Bambu rolling papers) came to the rescue and fronted me the
$100 buy-in. Well, she called in her marker this February, when she enlisted me as a
judge for the Bambu Band of the Year Final Battle showdown. The contest--co-
sponsored by Roc-Elle Records—was Bambu’s first such foray into the indie music
scene. Every few weeks throughout the summer, bands competed at Manhattan’s historic Bowery Poetry Club and were voted on by the audience. Now, the competition had been narrowed down to four bands: Vicio, Captain Coconut, the Chosen and the
Communication Corporation. Whoever won tonight would receive a prize package
valued at over $5,000—including cash, banner ads on bambu.com, a record deal with
Roc-Elle, plus a photo shoot modeling Bambu’s hip new clothing line for an upcoming
ad campaign. And of course, a shitload of rolling papers.

When I arrived at Santo’s Party House that evening, Sarah welcomed me with a
fistful of drink tickets, then led me to the elevated area toward the back, where she
introduced me to my fellow judges; stylish electro-rocker Jen Urban and her bandmate,
Alan D; and Jen Nuccio, an associate vice president with the Susan Blond PR firm. I’d
actually met Nuccio a few years back, when she introduced me to rock queen Joan Jett
the last time she played in New York. I ordered the first of many beers, got acquainted
and reported for duty. As I’ve learned over the years, serious judging requires serious
drinking.

The first band up was Captain Coconut. They were a funk/jazz/jamband fusion
with a horn section and a groovy sound that got everybody’s booty moving. They looked
pretty young and were a bit lacking in stage presence—just standing around shoe-gazing
most of the time—but there was some genuine talent there.
“You guys sound like you could be Steely Dan’s little brother—like, Steely
Doug,” I commented, finishing my second beer. “I’m known mostly as a rock/metal guy,
but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m all about the funk, and you guys bring it. All you
need are some matching rhinestone jumpsuits and you're all set.”

Next up were female-fronted pop rockers Vicio from Brazil (by way of Long Island). From singer Samira’s zebra-print top to the bassist’s Tufnel-esque hair and tight
white jeans, their image was an eclectic mixture of ‘80s glam and British mod with a
dash of punk. The vocals were a bit reminiscent of Benatar, and the fuzzily ‘froed
guitarist Rickardo ripped out some killer solos. Overall, they put on a high-energy show
with lots of action and style. “Well, its nice to see someone’s bringing back the mullet,” I
joked, popping open my fifth beer.

Then came the Chosen. Normally I’m not much for hip-hop, but these guys blended phat rhymes and irie rhythms with soul and finesse. And more importantly, they were the first band to publicly hail the leaf onstage, when dreadlocked bassist Young Natty gave a shout-out to all the pot smokers in the crowd. Obviously, that earned them some big points in my book.

The last band of the night was the Communication Corporation. These guys were
a gimmick band—one wacky businessman character dressed in a suit and glasses, another dude with a hat made of playing cards. They had bullhorns, monkey masks, hard hats,
jumpsuits, flashlights—you name it. By this time, I’d used up my last drink ticket and
was starting to get rowdy.
“What’s this supposed to be, some kind of Devo hoedown?” I chided. “I’m into
Mr. Bungle and all kinds of weird shit, but if you’re gonna be weird, you gotta be good.”
I went Simon Cowell on their asses big time, soliciting boos and howls from the crowd—
but that only fanned the flames of my derision. “You guys are all shtick and no
substance.” I railed. “No balls!” They probably didn't deserve the fury I unleashed on
them, but I was shit-faced and having fun, so l let ‘em have it anyway. Ain’t I a stinker?
Afterwards, the judges all headed backstage to confer with our corporate counterparts and cast out votes.

After a passionate debate, we ended in a spilt decision—a tie between retro rockers Vicio and reggae rhymesters the Chosen. Sarah brought us all out onstage and announced the winners. Afterwards, I grabbed one of the many packs of papers lying around and rolled a few celebratory joints backstage, treating the winners to some Bubblegum Skunk.
- Bobby Black of HIGH TIMES MAGAZINE

The Reavers
Terror Firma
Nature Sounds/Backwoodz Studioz; 2005

The term “hip-hop supergroup” has been thrown around a lot lately. I am a little wary when I hear about any new “supergroup” because often what looks so good on paper does not live up to the hype once I hear it coming through the speakers. But with the release of their debut album, Terror Firma, the collective known as The Reavers buck the trend. This group of eleven emcees has put together a well-crafted, politically charged album that is surprisingly cohesive.

Don’t let their name confuse you: The Reavers are not a rock band. Though there are no really big names in the group, most of the artists have been making noise in the underground for a few years; like Cannibal Ox’s Vordul Mega, Wu-affiliate Dom Pacino, Immortal Technique associate and touring partner Akir and Monsta Island Czars members Kong and Spiga. Still, one of the things I like best about Terror Firma is that it introduced me to a number of gifted emcees I had never really heard of before. Relative-newcomers Hasan Salaam, Keith Masters and Karniege deliver what are probably the most impressive performances on the album.

However, the key to The Reavers’ success is not their individual performances but how well they have combined their different styles to make complete songs. Terror Firma does not just showcase eleven emcees passing a mic around and spitting verses. The Reavers have taken the time to craft songs with interesting themes and creative lyrics. The rhymes are solid but they also show that they can do something that “underground” acts often overlook: write an original song with a catchy hook.

Terror Firma offers an explicitly political critique of empire and the so-called War on Terror but is not preachy. They effortlessly move from the historical to the contemporary, connecting issues at home and abroad, cultural and political. Most importantly, The Reavers do not allow the political content of the album to take the place of good music.

The album kicks off with the Bond-produced “America” which features Spiga, Hasan Salaam and Akir setting the stage for the rest of the rebellious, defiant songs. The group does not let up at all through the first half a dozen tacks. Karniege proves he can hold it down solo on “Dusted” while they take the posse-cut approach on the soulful “Slums.”

Due to the unusually large size of the group, each emcee makes only a handful of appearances, but you can tell that it made them bring their “A” games when they got the chance to shine. There are a few solo tracks and Masters, Salaam and Karniege take these occasions to really prove themselves worthy of the opportunity.

There are a few tracks on Terror Firma where the beats get a little too cerebral and not every single verse on the album is knocked out of the park, but the missteps are few and far between. For the most part, the team of producers led by Bond and Goldenchild deliver the goods and the emcees respond accordingly. This album should definitely add to the buzz-factor of these individual artists and lend anticipation to their future projects. But Terror Firmaalso shows that the Reavers have the chemistry to truly garner the label of “hip-hop supergroup.” I look forward to hearing more from these emcees, not just as individual artists, but in the form of a group follow-up to Terror Firma.

– Patrick Morales-Doyle - Patrick Morales-Doyle of Okayplayer.com

Golden Child
Brooklyn , NY
Metropoliz Musak LLC – Indie Label

www.northeastintune.com/jan06/reviews/gold.html
By: Alex Rubic

First things first: most of us hopefully know that hip hop is overrun by materialistic babble, and that fake gangsta posturing and gun talk have mostly replaced actual MC skill and acknowledgement of hip hop culture. At the same time, I’m not about to come out and say that Brooklyn ’s Golden Child is the new messiah here to save the crippled state of a genre as we know it, but he does deserve props for a number of reasons. Producer, MC, and actor, Golden Child has worked with mainstays of the NYC underground scene ranging from Immortal Technique to the legendary Cannibal Ox. His crew the Reavers’ new album, which can be found on www.ughh.com features Akir and Pumpkinhead, as well as production from Golden Child on three tracks and his MC presence on seven. With a debut LP set for release early in 2006 (and about 2000 friends on his myspace, that’s word up), work is clearly being put in.

Seeing as myspace does in fact serve as a major medium for new artists to spread their word, http://www.myspace.com/dadathegoldenchild is worth checking out. His site features three self-produced joints as well as Slums, the single off the new Reavers album. Beautiful Love is your standard guy-and-girl trade-off jam, sexy piano riffs and all contributing to a smooth, positive vibe. Babylon Smokes and Slums both touch upon the reggae flavor Golden Child throws into some of his production, the former offering a smoke two blunts in the morning nod to Sublime, and clearly an acknowledgement of Bob Marley’s influence on Golden Child’s style and image (peep the dreads). The one-two reggae backbeat of Slums also provides ample fatness for Golden Child, Vordul Mega (of Cannibal Ox), Billy Woods, Priviledge, and Akir to flow over as the chosen posse cut. While not the most revolutionary shit to come out of the New York scene in recent years, Golden Child’s clean production and vocal style that ranges from Mos Def-inspired to smooth Marvin Gaye-era singing is clearly contributing something positive to a genre overrun with negativity and tired imagery. - Alex Rubic

Goldenchild
(www.sonicbids.com/Goldenchild)

The Hip Hop world has recently been bombarded with opposition from several groups, claiming that the music promotes violence, domestic abuse, and the degradation of women. Goldenchild and Plan B a group of multi-talented musicians focused on using their talents as springboards, as opposed to going solo, take the stereotype of mainstream rap, and make the music an inspirational message to a younger generation.
“Slavery” dealt with the sensitive topics of de-facto social institutions that have historically excluded African Americans from the possible wealth and prosperity described as the “American Dream”. Goldenchild called others to action in the bold cultural statement. Through an underground style and a keen awareness of the problems plaguing the African American community today, “Slavery” is a motivational piece inspiring greatness.
“Hold You” unpacked the stereotype of African American men and their role in their families. This change of pace keeps listeners interested as Goldenchild sung frank lyrics that summarize the plight young men of color face when socioeconomic instabilities threaten the wellbeing of their children. The song beautifully depicted the struggle a young father experiences: his responsibility to his child, and his obligation to support that child financially. It was a case of give and take, work the 9-5 and overtime hours to make ends meet, or spent the time and neglect the financial needs.
Visit myspace.com/dadathegoldenchild. - Chelsea Harmon - Chelsea Harmon

Goldenchild

Whaaaat? With original ideas on some of his tracks Goldenchild lays it down! A soul shaking endeavour punching the heart with authority, the musical warrior Goldenchild brings it on the track "Slavery"! Fun, love and a daily dose of life's blessings is felt when this cat delivers his unique vocal styles. It's cool to bring the music that promotes life and it's about time we gettin' some. Good on you Goldenchild! Keep bringin' that life music...

Standout Tracks: Slavery, Beautiful Love
Genre: Hip-Hop
Sub Genre: Reggae
Artist Site: www.myspace.com/dadathegoldenchild
EPK: www.sonicbids.com/Goldenchild
Rating: 5/5
to view review visit: http://www.catsask.com/hop/musicreviews/index.htm - CATSASK.COM

GoldenChild embodies the soul of Hip Hop. Strong lyrics, a unique expressiveness and a story. It is still good to know there are artists who are pushing music with substance even if for many it is not so popular. For those who are looking for Hip Hop that will make feel good and is void of the "drug tales" and "booty" poppin' then GoldenChild has something for you.


check out the rest of the article @
www.urbanmainstream.com/Aug22vol26
- SHINOBI from UrbanMainstream.com

WOODSTOCK, NY- If you missed The Chosen's events last week, you're in luck, the opportunity to see them rock the stage is right around the corner. For what promises to be one of New York’s biggest reggae events this summer, The Chosen will be performing at Reggae Woodstock on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bearsville Theater.

Upstate Reggae and WDST presents the Summer of Reggae Love to celebrate 25 years of Reggae Woodstock. And with plenty of reggae love to share, The Chosen will be featured at this Caribbean-flavored event. Flow freely through the night with the opportunity to meet The Chosen and experience their dynamic performance. Enjoy the reggae vibes and, of course, the authentic Jamaican cuisine.

The Chosen's Live album release party and performance at Best Buy last week was a huge success. The momentum continues with various events coming throughout the summer. So take advantage of Reggae Woodstock to experience The Chosen's hip-hopreggaelutionary takeover. To miss it would be a tragedy.

The Chosen's authentic sound of roots, rock, reggae, funk, jazz, soul, and of course hip-hop can now be found on ITunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. The band has gained notoriety opening for Erykah Badu during an appearance in Brooklyn, and becoming Bambu’s Band of the Year. Many are flowing with The Chosen’s hip-hopreggaelutionary takeover, now it’s your turn!

For more information about The Chosen, Reggae Woodstock, and to listen to music from their Live album log onto www.reverbnation.com/thechosen.

For press credentials please contact Ayesha Nele Bernardo @ 862-520-8309.
- Ayesha Nele Bernardo@Related Concepts

THE CHOSEN HAVE ARRIVED

Brooklyn, NY- How many times have you heard the saying, “many are called, but few are chosen?” Who knew it was true?

The Chosen Band, a flavorful montage of lyrical talent mixed and blended with roots, rock, reggae, funk, jazz, soul and of course hip-hop juices creates the taste your palate has been craving. New York has been feeding on The Chosen’s appetizers for awhile-becoming this year’s Bambu Band of the Year and opening for Erykah Badu in various parts of the city, now its dinner time! ITunes, CD Baby, and Amazon are dropping The Chosen’s “Live” album on July 21, 2009. It contains eight tracks cooked with a bit of everything to satisfy the most discriminating tastes. In celebration, Sprite Green will sponsor their album release party on July 22, 2009 at 7p.m. at the eclectic Amarachi Lounge located in downtown Brooklyn.

To further prove that this is not your average group, the Chosen’s first performance after their “Live” album release party is an in-store at Best Buy located at West 23rd St. and 6th Ave. The Chosen will perform and showcase their “HipHopSoulReggaelutionary” style at 7p.m. Most artists need a major record label backing them before they could ever do an in-store at Best Buy. They’ll be signing CD’s, meeting with old fans, and making new ones.

The Chosen Band is a touring group that have been rocking mics and blessing stages for over two years in places like the Bahamas, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Canada. The group is made up of five serious musicians: Goldenchild who produces, rhymes, and sings; Poet the drummer; Young Natty the Bass player, freeman Soul on Guitar, and Hicoup the MC. Originally recorded in January, mixed and mastered in February this enigmatic combustion of music has been marinating, waiting to release its intoxicating aroma. The “Live” album surpasses expectations and blends together multiples genres. The Chosen aren’t concerned with categorizing their music; instead they create what comes naturally for a sound that is always a treat. Even to them.
- Related Concepts