Press Rewind (T-Love & SLurg): Are looking for journalists, photographers and video directors for projects coming up in 2010. MUST read and write in English. Other than that, it doesn’t matter where you live in the world. Some of the work is for pay, and some is not. Our projects are based solely on the “love of music” and the “love of hiphop”–if you’re looking for/needing big bucks—try VIBE Magazine, VH1, Lucas Films, Arista Records, etc. This is a small indie operation we’re running here…

Send us a link or file attachment of your work, resume, reel, tearsheets, etc. to:

T-Love at Pickininny@aol.com

SLurg at Brawlrecords@hotmail.com

Thanks for responding to the previous want ads for our parent company, Pickininny/T-Love. We have added to our crew, some amazing and talented folks, from all around the globe!!

Review of M.O.P.’s first single in the Sure Shot section of the Source in february 1994. No writer credited here.

M.O.P. : How About Some Hardcore (DivShare)

Pickininny--where music is rootSOULdeep! Soooo deep...

Things are beautiful right now. I am almost finished recording the vocals for the next two T-Love hiphop-esque albums–the first one being titled “Strong Enough.” Cuz you GOTTA be: To Survive.

Me and my band [Vidableu] have started working on our first album, as of yet, untitled. Itz kinda hard to describe what we sound like. I bring hiphop, rhymes, spoken word and singing to the table. From there, the influences rang from Portis Head, Bjork mixed in with a little rock, blues, jazz and afro/latin rhythmns—mixing it all up. The groups members are: Cedric Moglia [upright bassist/composer/business], Benoit Crozatier [drums/music professor/business] and me [vocalist/business/composer/producer/group management].

We just added a guitarist. He is WICKED. His name is Francois and he also plays violin. AND he speaks better English than me. With a cute British accent. And girls—beware: The guy’s pretty damn sexy, too. We are still putting our budgets together, so hold tight. Just wanna say thanks to all of those who responded to the Brawl/T-Love “For Hire” blogs.

I recently started back managing beatmakers/DJs again—just for the love of my crew really. I kinda put my beatmaker/DJ management career after I moved to London, back in 1998. But Pickininny is officially back after a long, long maternity leave!! I made the decision to leave the music biz altogether and concentrate on my little boy.

And now that he’s doing is own thing now, the project on mommie’s agenda, is to release Pickininny’s first-ever compilation, Picki People Music Volume I. Due out February/March 2010 via Brawl Records, it features the music of all Picki’s people/family: Vidableu, DJ Dusty [from the Jazz Liberatorz], Breiss [Jazz Libz/Meauxtown Crew (pronounced "Mo-Town")], DJ Lyric [A Cat Called Fritz], vocalist/composer/producer Nelson Marquez (Venice Beach, CA/USA) and Pickininny’s latest sign, Katrah Quey. A very, very talented beatmaker out of Minnesota.

I do not manage MCs, but I have recently added some really dope MCs to Picki’s extend family: Preach Jacobs, Niamaj, Kai Swivel and Mercury Waters (USA). Other extended family that I am trying to represent on this album—are my boys Beyond There (UK) and a new bastard group called Soundsci (UK/US), comprised of Jonny Cuba [One half of the UK beatmaker group Dynamic Syncopation/NinjaTune, Audissey (formerly Tone from the USA crew Mass Influence) and recently-added UK DJ, Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser). I don't manage 20syl and his group Hocus Pocus either, but they are still apart of T-Love and Vidableu's extended family and they have given us TONS of love and support in the past couple of years.

From the immediate family, to our extended family: We are now the Picki People. A gypsy family of beatmakers/producers, DJs, musicians, music journalists, photographers, video directors---where WE do OURSELVES, our own marketing, accountanting, legal services, stage production engineers, mixing/mastering engineers, graphics, film/videos, music business consultants, etc., etc. All in-house. No 3rd parties. It is "we" the artists and our friends who run and conduct our own business--cuz itz to the point where we are companies working within companies. Really cool and rare dynamic, in both music and in business. Pickininny is not just a business, itz like my boy DJ Dusk [RIP] used to always say: “It’s a family affair.”

A change is definitely-a-comin. Don’t fight it. Just ROLL with it, boo…

with love,
love,
T-Love [aka "Taura Love"]

Classic article by Wendy Day of the Rap Coalition, breaking down the economics of a standard record deal. This was first published in On The Go, in the summer 1995 issue, so some of the figures might be outdated, but for the most part it is still relevant today.

 Boogie Down Production : How Not To Get Jerked (Divshare)

Unsigned review of Nasty Nas’ second single in february 1994.
The audio companion is an early demo with totally different lyrics and slightly different beat.

Nas : It Ain’t Hard To Tell (demo) (DivShare)

Bönz Malone interviews Tame One & El Da Sensei for The Source, back in august 1994. The freestyle is from around the same time, on the Stretch Armstrong Show, hosted by Bobbito.

Artifacts : Freestyle on 89 tec 9 (DivShare)

T-Love, Brawl Records and Vidableu are looking for some good folks to employ:

THANKS EVERYBODY!! We have found some really cool folks! Following are the positions still available:

GRAPHIC ARTISTS:
Must be able to read and/or write English. Doesn’t matter where you live in the world. Looking for artists who have experience with both creating and retouching old logos for stationary, merchandise (ie, t-shirts, backpacks, etc.). Send us a link, or send Jpegs of your work to: BrawlRecords@hotmail.com

INTERNS PART-TIME/FULL-TIME:
Can speak French, speaking English is helpful. Tasks vary. Looking for interns in/around Rouen and Paris. BrawlRecords@hotmail.com or Pickininny@aol.com

ROADIES/STAGE TECHS-VIDABLEU:
Must be available to tour. Looking for people who reside in/around Normandie or Paris. Must speak and/or understand English. Audio Visual (ie, slide projecters, lighting, computer-generated visuals, etc.) knowledge/experience is a BIG plus, but not required. Shoot me your resume at: Pickininny@aol.com

ALTO SAXO, TRUMPET, FLUTE, PERCUSSSION (BONGOS/CONGOS, BATA, TABLA, ETC):
Looking for musicians in/around Paris or Normandie for RECORDING ONLY. SPEAKING/UNDERSTANDING English is a BIG PLUS. Tasks are playing riffs to songs that have already been written and composed, however we do not mind input and always down to hear/play compositions that other musicans present to us. The more standards you know, the better. Touring not required. Contract wages.

MUSICIANS:
PLEASE SEND me MP3s of your playing and/or songs at: Pickininny@aol.com

Feel free to send me your Myspace link at:

http://myspace.com/Tauralove

http://Facebook.com @Taura Love

http://Twitter.com @Tauralove

In the early 90’s Tony Depula was the man, with more hits than what you might think. Actually even more than he got credited for.  He got ripped off by one of the most popular rap track of the 90s. The OPP case was exposed in the Source by Matty C in february 1992 .

Tony D : Adam’s Nightmare (DivShare) (sorry for the poor quality)

Tony D : Buggin On The Bass Line (DivShare)

Review of Yz’s first mini-album, entirely produced by Trenton legend Tony D. Written by Reginald C Dennis in the Source.

Yz & Tony D : Mixel Plic (remix) (DivShare)