JUICE
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JUICE

| INDIE | AFTRA

| INDIE | AFTRA
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"FSD Interviews JUICE pt.1"

FSD interviews another Chicago great, JUICE (8/09)
http://fakeshoredrive.com/2009/08/video-fsd-interviews-juice-part-1.html - Fake Shore Drive / Dallas Wright


"The True Story of an Emcee Called JUICE (Cover Story)"

By Stacy Dugan
April 2005

- UR Chicago Magazine


"Chicago: Hip-hop's tip top?"

April 18, 2004

In the next 6 weeks 10 of the best will perform right here -- that's because they are from right here.

Kanye West's performance at the House of Blues a few weeks ago was a triumphant moment for Chicago hip-hop.

The 26-year-old South Side native and red-hot producer had released his debut album, "College Dropout," on Feb. 10. Barely 24 hours later, the disc was already on course to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart.

At his celebratory homecoming gig, Kanye was joined onstage for a symbolic passing of the torch by the most successful rapper that Chicago had produced to date -- Common, who broke out of the Windy City in the early '90s.

The former Rashied Lynn accompanied his younger protege on several songs, and it was clear that Common couldn't be prouder of Kanye's success -- or happier about what it might mean for the local hip-hop scene.

"My man is singlehandedly bringing hip-hop to a whole new level," Common declared. "There are going to be 10 rappers from Chicago signed in the next six weeks!"

Common was talking about the truism that nothing breeds imitation like success. And the Chicago music world hasn't witnessed success on this level since 1993.

Back then, prompted by the critical and commercial triumphs of alternative rockers such as the Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Urge Overkill and Veruca Salt, Billboard, the bible of the music business, ran a lengthy front-page series branding Chicago as "the next Seattle" and "the new capital of the cutting edge."

The articles ran complete with a map of Wicker Park marking the location of every venue that booked live music. Major label talent scouts descended on our town en masse with their corporate credit cards drawn, wining and dining every garage band on the scene, and a dozen local groups were signed in the months that followed.

Many of these acts were dropped just as quickly -- the alternative-rock boom was already on the wane at the time -- but for a few months, Chicago was indeed as trendy as the grunge epicenter of Seattle had ever been. Suddenly, musicians didn't have to leave home and move to the traditional industry centers of New York, Nashville or Los Angeles in orders to take their career to the next level. They could try to grab the brass ring while staying in what Billy Corgan called "the city by the lake."

More than a decade later, Kanye's "College Dropout" is hanging steady at No. 8 after seven weeks on the Billboard albums chart, and it is approaching sales of a million copies. Meanwhile, another album, "Kamikaze" by Chicago speed-rapper Twista (which features several tracks that Kanye produced), is perched at No. 18. It debuted at No. 1 nine weeks ago, and it has already been certified as platinum, with more than a million copies sold.

As these two Chicago rappers maintain a presence at the top of the charts and on radio and video play lists, the promise that Common made onstage at the House of Blues several weeks ago hangs in the air, and rappers, DJs, producers and fans are wondering if he might be right.

Will Kanye and Twista at long last usher in a golden age for Chicago hip-hop? Will 10 acts really be signed from the Windy City in the weeks to come, and, if so, who will they be? Most important, who are the local underground rappers most deserving of the national spotlight?


A Second City of hip-hop?
In terms of the amount of national attention that its rappers have received -- though certainly not the talents that it has given us -- Chicago has long been a "second city" not only to New York and Los Angeles, but also to Atlanta and Detroit.

Those cities have all produced one or more readily identifiable styles of rapping and schools of hip-hop production. But there has never been one dominant "Chicago sound."

"In Chicago, we get influences from everywhere -- that's why it's hard to have a Chicago sound," says Chris Tannehill, a.k.a. DJ Cosmo, who hosts "The Hip-Hop Project" on community radio WLUW (88.7-FM) from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturdays.

"There are influences from [New York's] Wu-Tang [Clan], and a lot of people have the Tupac influence, and [Dr.] Dre and all that [West Coast] stuff. That's why it's so hard to pinpoint a sound from here."

Allen Johnson, the publicist for the local independent label Birthwriter, agrees.

"There has been so much talent that's come out of here, but it hasn't been as genre-defining as the 'dirty South' style, where you know right off the bat that this person is from somewhere in the South," Johnson says. "Whether it's Lil' John or OutKast or Ludacris, you know where they're from just from what they talk about or their vocal clarity or things like that."

Though Chicago has produced such staggering talents as Common, No ID, Rubberoom and Malik Yusef -- as well as novelty acts such as Da Brat and H.W.A. and one-hits wonders such as Crucial Conflict and Do or Die -- the city has often been written off in many corners of t - Chicago Sun-Times: Jim Derogatis, pop music critic


"Chicago's Top 10"

Dec 16, 2005
Section: On The Town

Our picks for the best local indie releases of 2005 - Chicago Tribune: Greg Kot, music critic


"Watch out -- these five could be about to blow up"

January 7, 2005

"It seems almost paradoxical to write that an artist already synonymous with Chicago could be one to watch in the New Year. But with a new label, The Conglomerate, and new CD, "All Bets Off." this should be the year that JUICE gets his." - Chicago Sun-Times: David Jakubiak


"Album Review: All Bets Off"

April 2005

Also throwing it down for the windy city comes the hometown battle rap legend with his first official full-length album All Bets Off (Conglomerate Music). Globally known as the dude who gave Eminem the business, JUICE displays his pen skills from jump, with "Conglomerate Music, and "Sick of Hustlin',"featuring Marvo. - The Source


Discography

NOW: "The Gift" album (CMC)
Release date: 12/25/2011

2006 "New Money" mix-tape (CMC)

2005 "All Bets Off” album (CMC)

2005 “Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme” DVD

2004 "Get Ready" single f/ Twista, Malik Yusef, Carl Tomas & Marvo - My Baby’s Daddy Soundtrack (Paragon/Universal)

2003 "Tip of the Iceberg” (CMC)

2003 "Listen2ThaWerdz" (CMC)

2001 "100% JUICE" mix-tape (NuGruv Alliance)

Photos

Bio

JUICE
That star with mass appeal, has arrived to breathe new life into rap music and restore order to hip-hop culture.

His razor sharp lyrics and countless flows have been respected by his major label peers for years. He is even more amazing live, having won numerous emcee battles across the country.

But after enjoying huge regional success, JUICE is now stepping directly into the national spotlight with a slew of highly anticipated releases slated for 2011/2012.

With its diverse blend of flows and styles, 'New Money' has all-star artists like Sean Paul agreeing that it's "The best mixtape [he] ever heard!" - while DMC (RUN-DMC) simply marvels at its lyrical content.

'All Bets Off' was released to stunning reviews. JUICE‘s first single, the gritty street anthem “What Up”, received heavy radio and club play in the midwest & west coast.

A true global personality, JUICE has a deep-rooted background in hip-hop. The witty, charismatic, street rapper with a conscience, will have millions of fans hanging off his every line for years to come.

Come take a walk into the mind of the self-proclaimed “Rap Hemingway”... JUICE