BKS1 Radio Network

Hip Hop,

A place where separation may be better than integration

The current state of hip hop, Is it dead? Morphed into a new version, or Is it alive and kicking? Many say its dead, as well as a well noted Hip Hop Artist, and there are the masses that say it’s not dead but it evolved with the times and it’s catering to what the kids of today want.

A hamburger and meatball are made from the same meat, Beef. Do you say I am having spaghetti and hamburger or spaghetti n meatballs? Or do you got say I want a meatball with cheese on a bun or I want a hamburger with cheese on a bun. My point being the foundation is the same, but the form and structure are different so its categorized differently.

Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former member of BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz 'N Da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 was released. Its single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US.

The Inspiration followed in 2006, and The Recession followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.

Read more Jeezy Bio Here

Tonight on the Live In The Cipher Show we are reviewing an The Nicest Indie Hip Hop, Vol. 5. This compilation is compiled of various artists, with guest appearances from the likes of Styles P, Fat Joe, Joell Ortiz, Royce 5'9" and more. We have a nice mix of independent artists collaborating with established artists, hopefully we will be blessed with a solid contribution by all.  Indie hip hop artists are not signed to a Major Label, (ie Def Jam, Sony, Interscope), or are signed to an Indie label or their own independent label.

Tune in 9 pm est and give us your opinion of the indie artists that are on this compilation. Get introduced to the works of some MC's who you may have never heard of before, we need to keep the hip hop culture alive and well. Support the independent, underground artist. Tired of hearing the same 5 artists in rotation on terrestrial radio check out one of the few places to hear new artists and get  a dose of real hip hop.

Follow us on twitter @liveinthecipher and like our Facebook Fan page: Live In The Cipher Show. MC's call in 646-233-1302 and spit your hot 16, show the world what you got! Join the bks1 radio experience!

Naughty By Nature - Anthem Inc.

Live In The Cipher team along with you the listener reviews Naughty By Nature's latest release Anthem Inc. New Jerseys own Naughty by Nature gives the hip hop world its 7th studio released album. One of the few hip hop groups that stood the test of time, fought through adversity to comeback and deliver their fans what we have long waited for. Its great to see the trio come back and give us some real hip hop. Something the industry has been missing for a while now.

Tune in 9 pm est Wednesday and join our interactive review process, where your opinion counts. MC's call in and spit your hot 16, show the world  what you got!

Special Guests:

Papa Lock

“If an artist’s value is measured by the accomplishments he or she has accrued over their career, then 15 yr. old, Sherlock Anthony p/k/a “Papalock” must be priceless…”—BET 2010

The one thing you will notice when you approach this talented teenager, is the humble disposition that exudes from him when he is asked questions about the things he has done in the “business” over the course of 5 years. The Jersey City, New Jersey native has been recording and performing since he was 10, but actually started singing at the age of 4 when his father began to notice that he had a habit of singing songs from commercials on television. Fast-forward 7 years, a chance meeting with New Edition’s Michael Bivins and the rest is history. Whether performing in front of 20,000 people at the Verizon Center for the WNBA, or doing a school tour in Oklahoma, this artist has exceeded the expectations of even his most opinionated critics. And even as other artists’ have problems dealing with becoming an entertainer, Papalock seems to embrace the challenge, as evident with his performance on BET’s “Spit yo Game”, where he was nationally spotlighted for his lyrical prowess.

In 2008 under the tutelage of FunMusicGroup, Papalock’s song “Dreamer”, was selected for the National D.A.R.E. campaign, a program that is designed for kids against drugs, he went on to perform in various capacities from city events to being the opening act for various well-known artists. In 2010, and after being courted by many major labels, Papalock was at a crossroads on what direction to take with his music. It was during this time that he was called upon for a reading of the musical “The Lion King”. Always up for a challenge, Papalock took the opportunity seriously and soon found a new love of labor… the acting bug! After seeing the potential in his onscreen presence, FunMusicGroup began filming his first film, “Rush”, over the summer of 2010. Backed by his own soundtrack, and with the enormous buzz of the first single, “Heat Babe”, children from across the globe will know, “The King of Kids”.

Next Weeks Guest: Railroad Gutta

Ray Carter, was born on December 23, 1982 in Newark, NJ (Grafton Ave. Projects). Gutta has been influenced by some of today's top rappers such as: Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z, T.I., Beanie Sigel, THE L.O.X, & Snoop Dogg just to name a few. Gutta began rapping at the age of 14, performing at Newark Syphony Hall for a promotional showcase that he won 2nd place, two conssective times in April of 1999, editorial comments about him & his lyric's in Vibe Magazine's unsigned hype column also winning numerous Lyrical Combats & other Hip-Hop showcases airing on local cable t.v. stations. Gutta auditioned for B.E.T's very own 106 & Park Freestyle Friday and MTV's Rocafella Def Jam competition. The year 2005 was a good year for Gutta. Fed's Magazine, Universal Records had a promotional showcase at New York cities own Remote Lounge. Gutta won 1st place landing him a spot in Fed's Magazine. This experience open a lot of doors for Gutta, with the music Industry on his mind Gutta continues to stay on his grind. Working even harder, performing hit songs, writing, recording in the studio, & promoting his very own cd's throughout the streets of New Jersey. This well rounded artist is sure to become the next big thing to lead the new youth in the world of Hip-Hop. So lend Gutta your ears, let the music take control of your soul & remember RAILROAD GUTTA.

Krs One is a legend in the hip hop game. Known as the Teacha, KRS has constantly delivered conscious hip hop to the masses. Lets see if he can continue to bring us the music we have grown to love.

Not just a hip hop artist KRS-One is a published author with the release of The Gospel of Hip Hop, and the founder of The Temple of Hip Hop. The Temple of Hip Hop is a ministry, archive, School, and Society (M.A.S.S.) founded by KRS-One. Its goal is to maintain and promote Hiphop Culture. The Temple of Hip Hop maintains that Hip Hop is a genuine political movement and culture, as it has been accepted by the United Nations as a culture. The Temple of Hiphop calls on all Hip Hop fans to celebrate Hip Hop Appreciation Week, occurring in the third week of May. It encourages DJs and MCs to teach people about the culture of Hip hop, to write more socially conscious songs, and radio stations to play more socially conscious hip hop. Hip Hop Appreciation Week is celebrated on the third week of May each year. Hip Hop History Month (November), founded by the Universal Zulu Nation, is also recognized.

The BDP Album is his 12th solo album from Krs. Join the Live In The Cipher team as we rate and review The BDP Album, where your opinion counts. MC's call in spit your hot 16 or send your songs into This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and get your song played and rated.

Tonight's Guest:

Railroad Gutta

Ray Carter, was born on December 23, 1982 in Newark, NJ (Grafton Ave. Projects). Gutta has been influenced by some of today's top rappers such as: Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z, T.I., Beanie Sigel, THE L.O.X, & Snoop Dogg just to name a few. Gutta began rapping at the age of 14, performing at Newark Syphony Hall for a promotional showcase that he won 2nd place, two conssective times in April of 1999, editorial comments about him & his lyric's in Vibe Magazine's unsigned hype column also winning numerous Lyrical Combats & other Hip-Hop showcases airing on local cable t.v. stations. Gutta auditioned for B.E.T's very own 106 & Park Freestyle Friday and MTV's Rocafella Def Jam competition. The year 2005 was a good year for Gutta. Fed's Magazine, Universal Records had a promotional showcase at New York cities own Remote Lounge. Gutta won 1st place landing him a spot in Fed's Magazine. This experience open a lot of doors for Gutta, with the music Industry on his mind Gutta continues to stay on his grind. Working even harder, performing hit songs, writing, recording in the studio, & promoting his very own cd's throughout the streets of New Jersey. This well rounded artist is sure to become the next big thing to lead the new youth in the world of Hip-Hop. So lend Gutta your ears, let the music take control of your soul & remember RAILROAD GUTTA.

Follow us on twitter: @Liveinthecipher and like our facebook fan page: Live In The Cipher Show

We are back to the essence of the Live In The Cipher show. We are bringing you a couple of underground artists California's own Chuuwee and Sundown,one half of the duo Actual Proof, from Raliegh, NC. Let's see if they can bring the essence of real hip hop back.

Chuuwee Bio:

Born in San Antonio,Texas, Chuuwee has been rapping for eight years. Influenced by his mother and many great mc's like Jay-z, Outkast, UGK, and more Chuuwee blends the borders of underground, back pack hip hop and mainstream rap. During the first years of his career people tried discouraging him by saying music wasn't for him. Negativity hasn't slowed him a bit, doing shows opening for Mistah Fab, Rakim and Rymefest in Los Angeles, California if only fueling his fire. Chuuwee is becoming a well-known talent throughout Northern California. Between his love of writing, recording and releasing music, Chuuwee also enjoys to sharing his thoughts and seeing how people react to his ideas. He also likes performing and was told, If your live performance isn't any good then your music won't matter at all.

Actual Proof Bio:

Being raised in the projects, streets, or trailer parks have historically laid the foundation for dope emceeism. We now have Actual Proof that epic beats, lyrical acuity, and unique style knows no geographical limits. This duo consists of two emcees - Sundown and Enigma - raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and bred on classic soul, funk, jazz, and hip hop. Enigma was a student at N.C. Central University and the two of them would visit 9th Wonder's Hip Hop in Context course on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During a conversation after class, 9th found out they were major Talib Kweli fans and invited them to a free Kweli show in Brooklyn. “If y’all can get there, y’all can roll,” 9th told them. Sundown describes the experience as surreal: “We stood up in bassline studios, met Kweli, Buckshot, the staff at Duck Down, Marco Polo, Young Guru...” He says of 9th, “He was our hero.” Actual Proof has since rocked the stage with artists including Big Daddy Kane, Nice & Smooth, and Raekwon, and they plan to keep rocking stages, record stores, and the internet with their distinct brand of hip hop style. Enigma explains, "We’re hoping that with hard work, dedication, drive, and dope music, Actual Proof can make some noise.”

Tune in and join our interactive review process. MC's call in and spit your hot 16, don't be scared let your voice be heard. Follow us on twitter: @liveinthecipher and like our facebook fan page: Live In The Cipher.

Tonight the Live In the Cipher Team pays tribute to Big L. 13 years ago today the hip hop world lost a legendary MC who was taken from us way to early. Big L known for his word play and delivery was tragically gunned down on February 15, 1999, shot 9 times in the face and chest.

Big L gave us countless underground hits and commercial hits. From Put it on, M.V.P, Da Graveyard to Ebonics.  L was well known around the game and ready to take it to another level. Unfortunately for his fans and fans of hip hop he was taken from us before we were able to witness his full potential.

So tonight you will hear some of his well known songs along with some freestyles that L released during his time.  Join us in paying tribute to one of the best to do it while he was around.

The Team along with you will review Up and Coming MC Kaydensz tonight on the Live In The Cipher Show. Here is what Kaydensz has to say about himself. Taken from Kaydensz site:

What is music? To some, it is simply just a way to gain fame and fortune. To others, it is an entertainment outlet that you can utilize with the simple press of a button. To Kaydensz, however, music is much more. Born Chance McIntosh in Newark (Da Bricks) and raised in East Orange (Illtown), he was brought into a world full of confusion and anguish. Growing up, Chance was a very good student, consistently receiving high grades throughout his youth. Although his mother worked very hard to provide a good life for him, his environment as well as the relationship with his father, caused him to be quick-tempered and confrontational.

His love for music started to surface when he was 11, when he began turning his unfocused energy into poetry. When he was 14 however, his uphill progress suddenly took a turn for the worse when his father suddenly passed away after years of alcohol and drug addiction. That equipped with the pressures of dealing with a new environment (he attended boarding school), caused Chance to fall into a deep depression and also caused his intrinsic personality. Feeling like no one understood him, he began writing poetry again to release his pain. Influenced by the likes of Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas, as well as his oldest brother Ali Armz, Chance started writing raps when he was 15, initially as a means of fun for him and his friends. Chance kept writing, and his skills drastically improved, but it wasn’t until tragedy struck again that Chance fully connected with his music and everything became real. His uncle, who stepped in as a father figure after Chance’s father had died, passed away after a severe battle with cancer.

This devastated Chance, and not only caused him to fall into an even deeper depression but also plunged him to an alcohol and prescription pill binge. Some good did come from this, however, because during this time Chance began writing very introspective and intrinsic lyrics. By writing about his individual pains and personal pressures, he was able to realize that his story was not unique, and that it was his responsibility to tell not only his but the stories of others as well to the world, whether it be good or bad. After cleaning himself up, Chance set his goal on being the best and began writing even more profusely in order to master his craft. Soon after, Kaydensz Tha Savage was born. Kaydensz brings honesty, reality, diversity and respect to the game, with his style emphasizing wit, flow, cleverness, poetic structure, and wordplay. Producer/DJ Ja-Hi noticed his grind and talent and the two began making music together. With his help, Kaydensz will be releasing his first piece of work entitled The Twisted Soul EP, which released March 1st 2011!!!!!!!

So you ask, what is music to Kaydensz? It is a way to show the world the painting him and his peers call reality. Music is life.

Live In The Cipher brings you another up and coming MC for your listening pleasure. Tonight we introduce you to Jersey's own MC Aitch. We will be reviewing his The Umbrella Tape 3 project live along with you the listener.  We want to hear from you call in 646-233-1302, if your an MC call in and spit your hot 16, or just call in and let us know how you feel about hip hop in general.

Tonight's Guest: MC Aitch

The son of two Caribbean parents, 22-year-old Aitch has started his own company, The Umbrella Media Group, and is embarking on his journey to creatively bring a fresh breath to hip-hop. Rapping and recording since the 9th grade Aitch has took his time and energy not only start a company but a network filled with everyone from artist, business grads, clothing designers, and graphic artist. The network is better known as "The Umbrella".

Fresh out of high school, Aitch didn't make it to college and felt that it was a sign to pursue his music career and created his first official solo mixtape titled "The Umbrella Tape". Soon after he got himself back in school to major in marketing in order to better understand how to market himself and his soon to be established company. Due to the success of "The Umbrella Tape", Aitch began to write "The Umbrella Tape: Prequel", which was a collection that was meant to give his listeners a background of who he is to give them a better understanding of his material.

Coming from South Orange, a multicultural city in New Jersey, is what Aitch feels gave him such passion to stand out from the norm. Aitch's passion for creativity is what influences him to push the limits of hip-hop through lyrical content and production. Though he is not a "gangster rapper" you can still find him giving his listeners that hard edgy feel that the genre is known for.

After sharing stages with the likes of some of hip-hops most popular veterans and starting his own company with close friend and UMG artist J-Rok Aitch is still producing plenty of music for all us hip-hop heads can enjoy, expect to hear big things from him and the UMG family.

Lets get Live In The Cipher!!! Hip Hop heads!!

Follow us on twitter: @Liveinthecipher and like our facebook fan page: Live In The Cipher Show

Live In The Cipher brings you another up and coming MC from NYC. Join us as we introduce you to Fokis as we rate and review his latest release A Vintage State of Mind. Here is more about Fokis in his own words from www.fokeezy.com.

Fokis Bio:

An innovative force, Fokis continues to forge his path towards success through the frontier of a technologically advanced world.  Born William Heredia to Dominican parents, Fokis was raised on New York City’s Lower East Side of Manhattan.  It was during these formative years that Fokis developed a love for music and a work ethic that placed him amongst hip hop’s hardest working entrepreneurs. Fokis began rhyming at an early age and later began to produce beats of his own.  Seeking to enhance his career, Fokis pursued formal training as a recording engineer later opening his own recording studio Krystal Clear Recordings.  There, Fokis has recorded and mixed records for many artists including Kool G Rap, Trife Diesel, Mic Geranimo, Bubba Sparxx and Rahsaan Patterson.

His passion and commitment to success literally placed him on the “Road to the Riches.”  Early in his career, Fokis developed and produced an online reality show based on his own experience as an independent hip hop artist seeking to secure a record deal within a year’s time.  Consistent with reality, the “Road to the Riches” did not result in Fokis signing a record deal.  Not deterred, Fokis went on to release several albums collaborating with various established artists such as Joe Budden, Olu Dara (Nas' father), Deemi, Joell Ortiz and various producers such as Focus...(Aftermath Ent.) Charlemagne and Dahoud Darien.  Through his persistence, Fokis independently distributed over twenty thousand compact discs and digital downloads combined.  Projects like the “20/20” EP exclusively produced by Focus of Aftermath and “The Appetizer” LP with Punchline of eMC were well received by his fans.

Fokis has toured the United States, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic and performed as an opening act for Common, Busta Rhymes, M.O.P. the Beatnuts and many more.  Through his experiences, Fokis has developed a relevant broad appealing style and sound that remains true to the core foundational elements of Hip Hop with a commercial appeal.  Though achieving success distributing his own music, Fokis realized in this era it would take more than pursuing a career as a recording artist to rise to the level of success he sought to achieve.  As his experience with the business side of the industry grew, Fokis seized upon the marketing facet of the industry and opened his digital media company Loyalty Digital Corp.  Through Loyalty Digital Corp, Fokis has worked with various artists to develop, record and mix musical compositions and successfully market them online.  In no time Fokis managed to develop a strong and diverse client base for Loyalty Digital Corp. 

Working with that network, Loyalty Digital Corp. successfully produced and released two installations of “A Walk Through MySpace,” a musical collaborative effort of worldwide independent artists banding together to create a stronger market for their careers.  Loyalty Digital’s success with its marketing campaigns resulted in multi platinum producer Ty Fyffe reaching out and together they developed an online competition called “Raw N Uncut” which enlisted hundreds of entrants.    Fokis and Loyalty Digital’s many achievements have been recognized by not only many established industry members but also featured on various industry websites such as HipHopDX, NahRight, 2DopeBoyz, DubCNN and HipHopGame.  In his own words Fokis states that he is “a dreamer, a visionary, and a grinder with a capital G.”

MC's call in 646-233-1302 and spit your hot 16, let the hip hop world hear your skills! Follow us on twitter: @LiveInTheCipher and like our facebook fan page: Live In The Cipher Show

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter proclaimed that stars are born. Many recording executives feel that stars are created and curated. So what happens when a prodigy is born with celebrity DNA, but grooms themselves with such artistic passion and determination that their lineage becomes an afterthought? Answer: Daniel “Diggy” Simmons meets his destiny as the champion of rap’s new millennium generation. A boy genius with the pen, the 16-year-old son of Hip-Hop royalty Joseph “Reverend Run” Simmons and nephew of Russell Simmons, has already written himself a two-year career that’s surpassed much of his rookie class.

Having inked a deal with Atlantic Records in March 2010 (post a several-label courting), the Queens, NY native has since headlined his very own tour with Winter 2012’s The Life Of The Jetsetter Tour and co-headlined two previous runs––2011’s 106th & Park Presents: The Closer To My Dreams Tour and The Scream Tour: The Next Generation. As decorated as he is lyrically gifted, Diggy has been bestowed a plethora of kudos from premium brands in media (Billboard’s “Artists To Watch 2011,” XXL’s 2011 annual Freshman list and cover), television (2011 BET Awards “Rookie of The Year” and “Young Star Award” nominee) and culture (2012 NAACP Image Award winner for “Outstanding New Artist.”). Possessing a maturity and polished poise years beyond his ‘90’s baby status,’ Diggy’s comfort in his new fame is just as advanced. “I love making music,” says Diggy. “So because I get attention and praise off of my music rather than anything else, I’m happy.”

The best case made for the embryonic genius of this Hip-Hop Prince can be heard on his debut album Unexpected Arrival. An amazing showcase of what new generation superstar power sounds like; it could easily be labeled a cultural soundtrack for the worldly minds of today’s youth. Offering listeners a smorgasbord of subject matter, the young Jetsetter proves his album title dead-on by mixing motivational speech on cuts like the celebratory “Hello World” and triumphant “Glow In The Dark” with unflinchingly conscious dialogue as heard on “Unforgivable Blackness.” Clearly Diggy’s aim was for his fans to conclude his album better for having listened. “I want to be known as a person who inspired people to become what they aspire to be,” he says. “I wanted to make music that was relatable, that helped people that had an impact on society and culture.”

As inspirational as Unexpected Arrival will prove to be, above all, the album is unequivocally grade-A rap. Diggy possesses an amazingly seasoned delivery pillared by precision, imagination and education. A non-fictional wisdom can be heard on the Jadakiss-featured homage to Hip-Hop’s golden year, “88” (“You know my uncle taught Diddy, who turned around and taught Biggie,” while a Top 5 MC future can be heard on the b-boy treasure that is “Two Up.” Already a successive BET’s 106th & Park countdown champion, Diggy has begun his ascendance on Billboard charts with singles “Copy, Paste,” the Jeremih-featured “Do It Like You,” whose video boasts over 3 million YouTube views, and the most recent love letter to his female base “4-Letter Word.” The rhyme rookie’s effortless ability to simultaneously satisfy rap purists and the opposite sex in the same breath speaks for why he’s already platinum in the sphere of social network (Over 1.2 followers for @diggy_simmons; over 1.1 million Facebook friends). “My fans mean the world to me,” says Diggy. “Since I’m so thankful for them, I tweet them every day. The music is a part of them and they’re a part of me so I can’t wait for them to have this next phase that we’re going into. This is our journey together.”

(Read more about Diggy @ www.diggyworld.com)

Special Guest: Rob Scott

Truly one of Brooklyn’ s finest, aspiring musician Rob Scott was born in April of 1990. There is no question that Scott, with his eclectic style of music, is destined for greatness. Not restricting himself to just one genre of music, Scott possesses versatility and a unique and creative sound. His lifelong dream has always been to expose the world to his rare talent, so that listeners can not only enjoy it, but live vicariously through his lyrics.

Growing up Rob was heavily influenced by music. Whether it was his mother’s daily routine of playing tunes around the house, or singing sweet harmonies with his family members, music has always surrounded him. Singing was Scott’s first love, but at the age of 14 Scott was introduced to the rap arena as well. He didn’t begin to polish his lyrical gift until the age of 18, but always had a way with words. Music had become his great escape, the best way he could find to express his emotions and it all began with a pen and a pad. Never limiting himself, Scott has created everything from soulful R&B to up-tempo club bangers. Drawing from legends Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson, Scott strives to be poetic in his music as well as deliver punch lines you can’t forget. Scott is determined to be innovative and not just another artist, but an entertainer whose music means something to people.

Determined to set the standard, Scott is working hard to continuously progress at his craft. Having performed with entrepreneur Will Smith during the 1998 Grammy’s, Scott is more than ready to take the spotlight. Scott has also been recognized for his talents elsewhere. He was the winner of The Dream Big Hustle Hard Showcase. He has done voice over’s for the Nickelodeon shows Dora the Explorer and Little Bear, and made appearances on hit shows such as, As The World Turns and Saturday Night Live.

It all started with a dream that Scott risked everything to pursue, now determined to make his dreams a reality, he is hitting the scene with unstoppable force. Undoubtedly, Rob Scott’s journey has just begun and there is no question that in the blink of an eye, he will be at the top.

Follow us on twitter @LiveInTheCipher and Like our Facebook fan page: Live In The Cipher Show