Jacksonville’s Ripp and Redd: Larger Than Life December 14, 2009
Posted by universalartists in A-Dub, Africa, AIDS, Beatmaker, BFG, Birmingham Alabama, Black Flock Gang, Christian Levi, Crunk, Dem Hardheadz, Dirty South, FAM Boy$, Hood Shuttlesworth, Hood Zone Productions, Jacksonville, Joe Stern, Joe Stern McGovern, Light Brigade Records, Lil J, McDonalds, Ms. Kesha Lee, Obama, Pure-Records, Quick Time Studios, Ripp and Redd, Shaka Productions, Stern McGovern, The Bionic Rapper, The Los Angeles Times, Tokyo, Uncategorized, Universal Artists International, Universal Soldier Records, www.endhivaids.com, Yung Breeze.Tags: 2 Step, 36 Mafia, 808, AIDS, Al Sharpton, Alabama, ATL, Atlanta, Bass, Best Buy, BET, Birmingham, Black and Haze, Britney Spears, C4, California, Casey Rankin, Charity, Dirty South, Disneyland, Disneyworld, DJ Funk Daddy, DTA, Explicit Lyrics, Federal Grants, Florida, Guitar Center, Heroes, HIV, Houston, Ice Cube, Indiana Pacers, Jacksonville, Jemison Flats, Jesse Jackson, Joe Stern, Joe Stern McGovern, Julia Roberts, Justin Timberlake, Light Brigade Records, Lil Jon, Los Angeles, Ludacris, Master P, Memphis, Miami, Michael Jackson, MTV, Myspace, NASA, NC-17, Nelly, Newsweek, No Limit Records, Nya, Orlando, Orlando Magic, Pan Handle, Pizzaro Photography, President Obama, Quick Time Studios, Redd, Ripp, Ripp and Redd, San Diego, Sarah Palin, Seattle, Shaka, Shaka Productions, Simi Valley, Spring Break, Success, Swisher House, Target, Tupac Shakur, Universal Artists International, Universal Soldier Records, VHI, Walmart, www.endhivaids.com, Yung Breeze, Yung Joc
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Ripp and Redd: Hustlers and Players
When it’s too early for the club to come alive, or perhaps too late and the crowd begins to wane, what would be any DJ’s ace in the hole, his one trusted trick up his sleeve? How to turn the evening tide from the worse to the electric, stimulating, intensifying pleasure all have been waiting for with baited breath the entire evening? In two names and one act, blood brothers from the Panhandle State, Ripp and Redd. Hailing from the greater Jacksonville, Florida area, this duo alone can generate the jumping sounds of bass, the enamoring melodies, and the adept delivery of lyrics unparalleled known to mankind. Who knows, perhaps even the extra-terrestrial are somehow tuned in to become part of the pair known as the life of the party.
Ripp and Redd came from modest up bringings, but it wasn’t their lot in life to be held down by anyone or anything. No, talent on their level simply could not be suppressed by man or circumstance. With a small loan to the local music shop, Ripp purchased his first keyboard, laid down some notes, and history was made. Within a matter of one year the duo had already taken an astronomical leap in the market under the moniker, 4 Deep. At some point, the unity of the act began to meander and the two brothers alone remained.
Scouted by Joe Stern-McGovern and Terje Himberg-Larsen of DJ White Shadow fame, the duo were swept to the west coast’s San Diego in a quest to create their first official album. Due to circumstances beyond control, all was put on hold for a year as various matters were straightened. Meanwhile, Ripp and Redd continued to forge their own destiny, never failing and never quitting at what they knew was their life calling. In the interim, Ripp and Redd put out no fewer than 4 outstanding singles which rocked the region from east to west, and north to south.
You Cannot Stop the Unstoppable
By the close of 2009, Universal Soldier Records, a division of Universal Artists, International, had undergone a change in their methodology through the assistance of the likes of the late, great Casey Rankin of Japan’s legendary Pure-Records, as well as fielding suggestions and tutelage from Sony Records and Warner Bros. insiders who had the skill and maturity to assist the struggling independent label.
With the reconstruction of Universal Soldier Records came the active partipation of Universal Artists, International. With the restructuring came the first great, official step for Ripp and Redd as the pair joined Birmingham, Alabama’s renowned, Black Flock Gang, also known widely as BFG, on their first compilation album, Radio. Featured fourth on the roster of hits, Ripp and Redd cut loose with their full momentum in the raucous single, Get 2 da Money. Even prior to the release of the album which would come to be known as Radio, word from insiders at EMI, Virgin, and Interscope assured us the album being an assured success, in part due to the continued and strenuous efforts of Ripp and Redd.
A force such as Ripp and Redd isn’t likely to play second fiddle to any act, although their bond with the Black Flock Gang will certainly be a strong one. Audiences can look for the future release of Ripp and Redd’s own debut yet to be named sometime early next year. Rumor has it the album will most likely be distributed by a major within the US, or some powerhouse from abroad. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, whoever backs the duo is one lucky entity, as these two cannot and will not accept anything less than full-fledged success on a level yet unimagined.
To obtain a download of any future single by Ripp and Redd, Black Flock Gang, or any other Universal Artists, International’s roster of talent, please visit the charitable site, www.endhivaids.com which is coming in mid-January with the latest classics and hits, courtesy of Joe Stern-McGovern, Universal Artists, International, Shaka Productions, and DJ Funk Daddy, with prices starting at $.99 per download.
For more information on Ripp and Redd, please visit Universal Artists, International at www.universalartists.net, and look for the coming Ripp and Redd profile, as well as their personal Myspace sites. Announcements of their future singles are soon to be released globally as the duo are heralded as the inheritors to Florida’s proverbial throne, if not the entire Deep South.
Platinum on Wax
If you wish to book Ripp and Redd domestically, please contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s assistant at joesternmcgovern@myspace.com. For international bookings, please contact Guy at guy@universalartists.net, or Joe Stern-McGovern himself at joe@universalartists.net. For all matters of A&R or production, please contact Shaka at shaka@universalartists.net. For information about the Black Flock Gang, please visit www.myspace.com/blackflockgang or write to blackflockgang@myspace.com.
Management
Christian Levi: Universal Artists, Intl’s Clark Kent November 5, 2009
Posted by universalartists in A-Dub, AIDS, Birmingham Alabama, Black Flock Gang, Christian Levi, Crunk, Dem Hardheadz, Dirty South, FAM Boy$, Hood Shuttlesworth, Joe McGovern, Joe Stern, Joe Stern McGovern, Johnny Get Your Gun, Lil J, Live Show, Ms. Kesha Lee, New York City, Obama, Pediatric AIDS, Shaka Productions, Stern McGovern, Street Sales, Street Teams, Tokyo, Uncategorized, Universal Artists International, www.endhivaids.com.Tags: A-Dub, Aerosmith, Alabama, Bessemer, BFG, Birmingham, Black Flock Gang, Brooklyn, Christian, Christian Levi, Clark Kent, Cocaine, Coney Island, Crystal Geyser, Def Jam, Dem Hardheadz, Denzel Washington, Dirty South, Disnye Channel, DO, Dublin, Ellis Island, Evian, Facts, Furniture, Gatorade, Gucci Mane, Hip Hop, Hood Shuttlesworth, Jemison Flats, Jerry Seinfeld, Joe Stern McGovern, Justin Timberlake, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne, Lo, London, Ludacris, Mason Dixon Line, Mazers, Mouf Piece of da City, Ms. Kesha Lee, New York City, NYC, Powerade, President Obama, Race Riot, Rooms to Go, Shaka, Shaka Productions, Spanish Harlem, Spike Lee, Statue of Liberty, Superman, The Bronx, Tokyo, UAI, Universal Artists International, Usher
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Christian: In Your Minds and In Your Face
Joe Stern-McGovern, global agent and President of Universal Artists, Interntional, and Shaka of Shaka Productions, have made of their smarter moves to date by bringing into the fold a young, quick tongued genius named Christian Levi, or simply put, Christian. Hailing from Bessemer, Alabama by way of Brooklyn, New York, Christian’s venture into the world of hip hop and Dirty South has certainly spanned polar opposites. He’s played both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, while sitting on the fence of neither, proving victorious on all accounts, in spite of his youth of only 24 years.
A short locked, tall young man, Christian cuts a handsome, light skinned figure fresh and ready for the cover of Gentleman’s Quarterly in a suit by Hugo Boss. While his looks are striking, it’s his deadly placement of vocabulary which stands out so poignantly, as he takes to the microphone like a young hellion fresh out of the nest, wings spread wide and ready to soar. Who will fall the next victim to this classic bird of prey?
While the idle and foolish of Birmingham, Alabama, rest on their laurels, Christian is fastidious in his consumption of language, a proverbial, “Walking thesaurus”, arming himself with the arsenal he will require for future hurdles, future battles, and the unwary opponent he will so easily bring to bow his head in shame with adept delivery and a curious, beguiling smile, as if to say, “Yes, you’ve just been handed your ass.”
You Talkin' to Me?
Featured on several of the Black Flock Gang’s soon to be released CD, BFG, as well as Universal Artists, International’s personal brainchild, World Mixtape: Artists Against AIDS, which can be found shortly at www.endhivaids.com, young Christian is proud to devastate the competition and rise like cream on such singles as, “Put Me in Coach,” and, “This is How Money Sounds”, where his language coupled with delivery crack the skin and skulls of his opponents like a bull whip.
Like Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral, Christian is more than prepared to mess up your day should you call him out or look at him sideways. Like the old serpent flag said, “Don’t Tread on Me”. To the adventurous MC, Don’t be unwittingly fooled by his casual manner or disarming smile, this double agent lives to shame the boisterous, scramble the brains of the thoughtless, and level the stage with his clarity and epic bounce.
For all the bounty of his labor and toils, or his stature as hip hop royalty, Christian is surprisingly down to earth, so to all of his fans, should you happen to come across this icon, feel free to approach him with a smile and expect one in return.
Again, make sure to look for Christian Levi to be prominently featured as he helps in the fight against HIV/AIDS on our coming site, www.endhivaids.com. You can also find more information about young Christian at www.myspace.com/universalartists as well as our main site, www.universalartists.net.
Don't Let the Glasses Fool You...
To book Christian for a show domestically, please write to shaka@universalartists.net, and for all international matters, please write to joe@universalartists.net, or feel free to call our San Diego/LA Metro office at 1(619)757-1301.
For the latest in Universal Artists, International’s videos, please visit us at www.youtube.com/universalartistsintl. To donate funds to the cause of building the www.endhivaids.com site for future generations, please go to www.paypal.com and submit your donation of $5 and up in increments of $5 to payments@universalartists.net. Your help in fighting the world’s plague known as HIV/AIDS is greatly appreciated and recognized.
Christian with Ms. Kesha Lee
Birmingham’s Sizzling Sensation, Black Flock Gang: BFG with Universal Artists Update October 10, 2009
Posted by universalartists in Beatmaker, BFG, Birmingham Alabama, Black Flock Gang, Christian Levi, Dem Hardheadz, FAM Boy$, Freestyle, Hood Shuttlesworth, Inside Information, Investment, Joe Stern McGovern, Lil' Juan, Live Show, Los Angeles, MADD, McDonalds, Ms. Kesha Lee, New York City, Quick Time Studios, Rodney Smalls, Seattle, Shaka Productions, The Bionic Rapper, The Los Angeles Times, Tokyo, Trap House Coalition, Universal Artists International, Updates, Wealth.Tags: 205, 36 Mafia, 731, 90210, 95.7 FM, A-Dub, Adam Sandler, Adamsville, AIDS, Al Gore, Alabama, Amazon Rain Forest, Bangkok, Bank of America, Best Buy, BET, BFG, Bill O'Reilly, Birmingham, Black Flock Gang, Brad Pitt, Chase Manhattan, Cheetahs, Christian Levi, Crazy Horse, D.A.R.E., Daylight Savings, Death Row Records, Dem Hard Headz, Disneyworld, DO, Elizabeth Glaser, Facts, Ferrari, George W. Bush, Go Go Dancer, Gucci Mane, HIV, Hood Shuttlesworth, Hood Zone Productions, Hummer, Hustler, India, Jemison Flats, JFK, Joe Stern McGovern, Kyoto Treaty, LA, Lake County, LAX, Lil J, Lil Jon, Lo, MADD, Mauritius, Mayor Langford, Media, Mexico, Michael Meyers, Moscow, Mouf Piece of da City, Ms. Kesha Lee, MTV, Mumbai, NAFTA, Netflix, NRA, NYC, O'Hare, Obama, Pakistan, Patrick Buchanan, Pediatric AIDS, playboy, Rebel, Rihanna, Rodney Smalls, Rolling Stone, Rush Limbaugh, Sam Goody's, Sean Combs, Sean Hannity, Seattle, Shaka, Shaka Productions, Sierra Leone, Simi Valley, Snipe, Sony BMG, Soul Train, Sting, Strip Club, Suge Knight, T Pain, Target, Tennessee, Tipper Gore, Tiptonville, Tokyo, Trap House Coalition, Uganda, Union, Universal Artists International, Universal Records, VH1, Walmart, Warner Bros, Wizards of Waverly Place
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Explore Your Future at Universal Artists
When the city of Birmingham, Alabama, was established as a potential hub in direct competition with the great city of Atlanta (ATL) for the title as capital city of the Deep South, little did the world know the city’s greatest achievement and note as a power on the world front would come through a vehicle of hip hop acts and producers known now globally as Shaka Productions.
Shaka of Shaka Productions
From the mind of Joe Stern-McGovern, global agent and President of Universal Artists, International, comes the largest smack on the richter scale since the volcanic eruption on Krakatoa, DO and Mouf Piece of da City, blood brothers of Dem Hard Headz, and lyrical shoguns on the mic, Facts, Lo, and Hood Shuttlesworth of the Shuttlesworth long line of blue bloods, collectively known as Black Flock Gang aka BFG.
The Noble Hood Shuttlesworth of BFG
It’s rumored through inside sources the Black Flock Gang’s smash debut might break all previous records of Dirty South acts such as T-Pain, TI, 36 Mafia, Gucci Mane, and Yo Gotti put together, with it’s down home, grits and sweet tea thumper, bumper, and shaking the trunker collection on the coming self titled album, BFG. These numbers have been scientifically gathered and analyzed not only by the industry’s top number crunchers, pocket protectors and lab coats, but registered with the moderators of good taste and etiquette, Trap House Coalition, also hailing from Birmingham. Look for the Trap House Coalition’s Rodney Smalls on the coming single, “Don’t Think About It”, accompanied by Lo and Hood Shuttlesworth.
DO: One Half of Dem Hard Headz
The debut of the BFG is certain to titillate, shock, awe, and jaw drop any who hear the magnificence of an album largely consisting of beats by Tiptonville’s, A-Dub, www.myspace.com/adubbeatz, and the mastery of Shaka of Shaka Productions fame, www.myspace.com/universalshaka, as well as the artistic engineering genius and attention to detail of Hood Zone Productions.
Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions
If you’re curious about the BFG and would like to check out a preview of the act, make sure to frequent downtown Birmingham’s art focused venues through the end of October, where copies of the hit debut, Black Flock Gang: BFG, will be sold in great numbers and all 5 of the act’s members themselves will be present following earth shaking shows to personally sign posters from their well known and much to do CD debut, BFG.
With Universal Artists, International’s expectations high in the firm belief they’ve hit pay dirt with the BFG, the agency has began to acquire new talent worldwide. If you think you have talent on the level of BFG, A-Dub and Lil’ J, The Bionic Rapper, Ms. Kesha Lee, or Christian Levi, please contact Universal Artists, International directly at either info@universalartists.net, or at universalartists@myspace.com.
BFG featuring Christian
If you are an investor in search of the chance to get in on the ground level of a company certain to rock even the most distant of the four corners of this earth, if you have a love for money, if you care about social conscience and humanitarian causes, or simply a fan of the genius of Shaka Productions and its acts, please write directly to France’s Guy Aeschelmann, entrepreneur, MBA, and counsel to Joe Stern-McGovern, at guy@universalartists.net.
Ms. Kesha Lee: Letting Her Hair Down
If you’d care to reach Shaka of Shaka Productions himself to pitch your talents and particular genius, feel free to write to shaka@universalartists.net. Only serious queries will be given attention. Please be prepared to submit photos, bio, and at least two songs as a demo, or the URL to your Myspace.Com profile. If your profile is set to private, make sure to add either www.myspace.com/universalartists, www.myspace.com/universalshaka, or www.myspace.com/joesternmcgovern.
Lo of the BFG: I'm Coming for You
If you are a videographer or film editor, producer, or director, please visit us at www.quicktimefilms.com, or contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s assistant directly at joesternmcgovern@myspace.com, or by adding Joe Stern-McGovern at www.myspace.com/joesternmcgovern with bids on future studio projects such as music videos and documentaries.
If you are a retailer, distributor, label, scout, or if you care to book the BFG for any show of merit, please write to Universal Artists, International’s info@universalartists.net attention Ashley M. Our acts are generally available 24/7 for the right gig, the right price, or the right cause.
BFG: In Concert Summer 2009
For information on how to donate to the favorite charities of the BFG, please write to their representative at payments@universalartists.net, or the act themselves on Myspace.Com at www.myspace.com/blackflockgang attention, “Hood Shuttlesworth”.
If you are interested in Universal Artists, International’s artists, wholesale products, or merchandising their retail items such as ball caps, T-Shirts, sweat shirts, posters, or special edition CDs, make sure to write to info@universalartists.net.
If you do not have ready access to the Internet, you may call Universal Artists, International directly at their San Diego office at 1(619)757-1301 anytime and leave a message. To reach our staff, call between the hours of 8am to 5pm Pacific Standard Time.
Preacha Boi: Mouf Piece of da City
For specifically European queries, you may write Terje at terje@universalartists.net or in Asia, Kiyotaka at kiyotaka@universalartists.net.
For comments of either praise or criticism, add Universal Artists, International as a friend at www.myspace.com/universalartists and drop us a note in the comments section of the profile, or write directly at universalartists@myspace.com.
If you are with the press, or if you have any interest in employment opportunities such as journalism, music management, high commission sales, acting as a scout, publicizing, if you are interested in charity or donations, or if you are simply destined for success through the arts, contact Joe Stern-McGovern’s assistant at joe@universalartists.net or joesternmcgovern@myspace.com.
A-Dub and Lil' J of the 731
Lil’ J: Lake County Joker or Pop Idol? October 4, 2009
Posted by universalartists in Lake County, Lil J, Lil Joseph, McDonalds, Tennessee, Tiptonville.Tags: A-Dub, Adub, Alabama, BFG, Birmingham, Black Flock Gang, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, Budweiser, Chevy Impala, Chewing Tobacco, Childrens Hospital, Chris Penn, Christian Levi, Corona, Corporate One Realty, Crackhouse, Dem Hard Headz, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Facts, FAM Boy$, Flophouse, Hennessey, Jemison Flats, Joe Stern McGovern, Keanu Reeves, Kill Bill, Kodiak, Lake County, Lil J, Lil Joseph, Marijuana, McDonalds, Mississippi, Ms. Kesha Lee, Paris Hilton, Patrone, Poverty, Race Riot, Riot Police, Section 8 Housing, Shaka Productions, Slumlord, SWAT, Tennessee, Tiptonville, Training Day, Uhaul, Uma Thurman, Universal Artists International, Wealth, Whorehouse
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I enter the Jemison Flats on 1st Ave. N., a $40 million renovation consisting of 3 buildings combined, one of them being the old Chamber of Commerce Building. Although quite a sum has been invested in the project, it is still surrounded by a notoriously perilous neighborhood just 3 blocks shy of the local downtown Birmingham Police Station. While the building is claimed to be the newest level for the nouveau riche, I’m not impressed. It smacks of a ghostly element, filled with snobs and low intellects attempting to escape their plot in life as largely disenfranchised struggling to break out of the pathetic caste they’ve inherited through genetics and personal ignorance.
I await Lake County’s Lil’ J aka Lil’ Joseph aka AK-47 aka J Glock of the 731, not realizing he’s seated in an ashtray he calls his, “Point A to B ride”, a low profile, souped up Impala. He revs the beast’s engine and I turn to escape the rigid, infamous halls of the Jemison Flats with a gasp of relief. Lil’ J honks the horn jokingly, shouting through the open glass, “Get a step on it”. Clearly, Lil’ J is either Lake County’s joker or the bone thug many portray him to be.
“Look at these hoes outside the Jemison Flats,” Lil’ J kids, “You’d better eat your carrots, silly rabbit, if you want to see these hoes. They’re elusive”.
I can barely decipher his Tennesse venacular, yet I shake my head politely as if to concur with the legend known as Lil’ J. A police squad car pulls alongside the white Impala, and Lil’ J just grins and revs the V6, as if to challenge authority. The officer chuckles, then speeds away. Was it casual disrespect on the part of the police, or fear of the dangers involved in messing with the likes of Lil’ J?
Lil' J: Pop Idol or Pimp?
We make a turn down 14th and roll towards McDonalds, where there’s a back up of middle class suburbanites frequenting the facilities of this hospital city. The line is a mile long, and it affords this journalist the perfect opportunity to hone in on the real issues facing society today as captured through the eyes of Lil’ J.
“Look at this back up”, Lil’ J mumbles.
“Is this normal?” I ask.
“Yeah, shit, what else is new,”…
I laugh inside at the bravado of this Casper the Ghost like legend, pale as a white sheet, yet filled with the soul worthy of the reverence of any hip hop fan. He spits out a lug of Kodiak chewing tobacco as he ponders the future.
Lil' J: Private Moments
“Yo, you eating your chocolate chip cookie, dawg? I’m only gonna ask you once…”
“Are you threatening me, Lil’ J?”
“I’m warning you. Just real talk…”
“Yes, Lil’ J, I’ll take a large Hi-C, fries, chicken McNuggets off the dollar menu, and 6 chocolate cookies which I promise to share with you.”
“That’s right!” Lil’ J mumbles.
“Lil’ J, please,” I reply.
“Naw dawg, just jerkin’ your chains, so chill.”
How is it this middle class youth of reasonable existence and higher than usual intelligence has come to live a life so tawdry and filled with the drama of a dirty homicide squadron? One can only wonder, but upon reflection, they’re left with the conclusion, Lil’ J is who he is, and there’s nothing that can dislodge or rattle his aura or mentality. We approach the drive-thru speaker.
“Would you like to try our new Angus burger?”
“How do you know I’m not a Vegan?”
“Is that a no?” the worker asks.
“Hell na!!!”
“What would you like today?”
“My man say he take da large Hi-C, four piece McNugget off the dolla menu, fries, 6 chocolate chip…”
“Cookies?”
“That’s right, bitch? Damn, she’s testing my nerves!”
“I can hear you, sir.”
“Good, then get me a double cheese burger with no cheese, no ketchup, no mustard, no beef, ya’ feel me?”
“So you’d like a burger bun?”
“Don’t give me lip, hoe.”
“Is that everything, sir?”
“Damn right, that’s everything, shiiit!”
Lil' J on the mic!
I can tell Lil’ J is upset with the cashier’s approach, and Lil’ J complains vehemently about the alleged brow beating. He pulls up to the window, guns the engine over and over again until the cashier gets the point he’s pissed off, he grabs the white bag with the golden arches, then spits some Kodiak onto the ground in full view of the shocked cashier.
“Clean that shit up…”
We drive back to the so called flea bag someone has called the Jemison Flats where I promptly exit the Impala. I thank Lil’ J for his time and the insight as he revs the engine. With my keys in hand, I make a brisk break for it. From behind me, I can hear Lil’ J barking with full bravado.
“That’s right, you better run!”
Freethrow Masterson, freelance
Birmingham, Alabama
Freethrow Masterson, Journalist
Universalartists's Blog 