eighty9 radio | We Betta x FSO

The fourth quarter of the year has arrived and my good friends 1989 Wolfklan are delivering like Michael Jordan against the Cavaliers in the playoffs back in ’89. For my non-sports heads, please reference The Shot to understand my analogy. With a nice rotation of new releases in full effect, Eighty9 makes me proud to be a fan with their growth in production and lyricism. Their sound hasn’t conformed to mainstream’s opinion, instead, it’s slowly transforming into the mirror of truth that mainstream needs to witness. Check out two new releases from Eighty9 called We Betta’ and FSO below, which features members A.C. Osiris, Don $ucio, and producer Shearz, who graced We Betta' with some nice bars of his own. 

underground sounds | Shearz

The sound of Virginia is a vessel of hip-hop that exhales veracious breaths over soul-fueled beats. Well, at least that’s the case for Virginia native and producer, Shearz. When I was first introduced to his sound, I didn’t have the slightest clue who he was or what he was all about, but as I’ve always said, an artist’s truth comes from their art and that’s what I’m learning about Shearz. As a producer, he builds the foundation for V.A. hip-hop group, 1989 Wolfklan, by allowing their members to infiltrate bars beyond measure; so, get to know the tiers of one of Virginia's underground sounds. 

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The Influence 

It all began in the summer of '87- '88. My uncle bought me my first vinyl [disc]. I believe it was "Mary Mary" by Run-DMC. The only thing I knew how to do was play and spin the platter backwards. Originally, I wanted to DJ, while my homeboy Reggie wanted to produce. Over the years of listening to various types of music, it amazed me how producers could take segments from a record, chop it down, loop it and do whatever to create these new symphonies. 

I respect every producer, no matter the genre. My main influences are the legends: Marley Marl, Premo, Wu-Elements, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger, Havoc, DJ Muggs,  the whole DITC [Diggin’ In The Crates] Crew, Large Professor, Nottz, J-Dilla, Q-Tip, Trackmasters, and Alchemist; mainly, anyone who keeps the music at its essence. Listening to these individuals over the years gave me the inspiration to do what I do. 

The Obstacle

Being from Virginia has its obstacles. We’re not mainstream like artists from NY, LA, ATL, and other major cities, however with the amount of talent we have, we can be an unstoppable force. The problem is that we lack unity. If crews would come together and actually build, then the outcome would be monumental. It's like it's every artist for himself though. Artists only want to deal with the people inside of their camps. Individuals will tell you they'll contact you just to say so, but they don't really want to spend any money. Life's not about handouts and nothing is free in this game. You gotta’ pay to play and that's real. 

eighty9 radio | Breathless by Donte

The arrival of Summer is closely approaching and Donte of 1989 recently released a perfect introduction to Her seasonal soundtrack. With producer Shearz orchestrating the sound, Donte gives a laid-back vibe that’s beyond reminiscent of 90’s hip-hop on his new track titled Breathless.  If you remember, there was a time in our culture where you could always tell the season by what type of records starting dropping on the radio; and I’m happy that artists like Donte are breathing a new air that brings that feeling back, which indeed calls for a Breathless journey this Summer.

Source: Eighty9 Wolfklan

words from the Don | Virginia's Presence in Hip Hop

Written by Donte 

Today, Hip Hop is a genre that is ever evolving. It’s not only changing with the times but shaping them as well. However, throughout this transformation, a few things remain. New York will forever be the Mecca of Hip Hop, Los Angeles will be remembered for introducing the world to gangster rap, and Virginia will always be the underdog, who undoubtedly gave birth to some of Hip Hop’s greatest minds. Virginia first made a name for itself in the early 90’s when Teddy Riley hit the scene with Wreckx-N-Effect. Who can forget their hit single “Rump shaker” and the scantily clad sax player on the beach? Since then, we have seen countless acts rise out of V.A. with aspirations of making it big. Some did and some didn’t. For the ones who did, they managed to keep the torch burning for the entire state. Now when we speak of Virginia in terms of Hip Hop, the usual may come to mind: The Neptunes, Timbaland, Clipse, Missy Elliott, Nottz Raw, Skillz, and many others. That is fine though because they were the artists who became the masters of their crafts. They each created a sound that was genuine to V.A., which included a melting pot of sounds that ranged from the ethereal realms of space to the hard pounding of the streets. They pushed the envelope of rap music by stepping outside of their boundaries in order to leave marks in other genres as well. Now mind you, these trailblazers all got their start in the mid to late 90’s. Now it’s 2012 and they’re well established in the rap world, and also venturing out into new endeavors; but they left legacies that created a lane for newer V.A. acts to come along and do their thing.