Real Rad Magazine : Spring Quarterly 2015

THE ZOMBIES • EAN K. PEGRAM
RAPPERS & THEIR NBA COUNTERPARTS
TRENDS AS OF LATE • MAKING BETTER MUSIC

THE ZOMBIES
6
EAN K. PEGRAM
RAPPERS & THEIR
NBA COUNTERPARTS
TRENDS AS OF LATE
8 10 20
THE BODEGA BROVAS
MAKING BETTER
MUSIC
14 24

CELEBRATE THE “NEW” AS WE COMMENCE REAL RAD RECORD’S
AMBITIOUS ENDEAVOR WITH VOLUME II OF THE SPRING
COLLECTION, AVAILABLE NOW ON SOUNDCLOUD, BANDCAMP,
AND YOUTUBE. IT’S FREE, IT’S ESPECIALLY MADE FOR YOU AND
YOUR FRIENDS. YEAH, YOU COULD DONATE SOMETHING FOR IT
AND IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED BUT DON’T LET THAT
STOP YOU FROM ACQUIRING THE RADIANT MELODIES. SIMILAR
TO THE THE MORNING DEW, FRESHNESS ABOUNDS WITH A NEW
MAGAZINE, NEW MUSIC, AND NEW APPAREL. PEEP IT.
1

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
From beneath the surface, seeds burst through the dirt to reach
for the sun. The energy from the mind boggling gas giant travels
through the intergalactic to feed the blooming tentacles. The majesty
of death into life. The death of the suns energy feeds the plant, the
death of the plant feeds the animal, the death of the animal, feeds
the human, the death of a human feeds...Where do our soul’s go, our
essence, what gives us life, energy, personality, what makes us human,
where does that go when we die? Is it a trancendence to another form?
Energy cannot be destroyed, only transfered. The fire burns the wood.
A chemical reaction occurs. The wood that was burned is not gone, it
didn’t disappear. It just changed.
Utilizing this logic, birth is a change, a reinvention. Real
Rad Records has reinvented once again with our Spring Collection
Volume 2. We got the legendary British Invasion band, The Zombies.
Their haunting psychedelic tunes are looked at from a ethnological
approach. Our cover is blessed by one of the most live and dopest Hip
Hop Acts in the game. Yes, yes y’all, the Bodega Brovas give us a peek
inside their cranium for an insightful interview after a recent show in
Dallas, Texas. Our Artist Spotlight is sure to please with visionary work
from EKP. We take a stab at the ballers vs. rappers arguement and
meticulously pinpoint the most accurate comparison between the two
professions. Look further and you’ll also catch the latest trends that we
identify that speak volumes on the market and where culture is shifting
towards. Somewhere in the magazine us a few tips in our reoccurring
series of, “Making Better Music.” Which I feel is valuable information
for all aspiring engineers and producers. So, sprout out of your shell.
Reach for the sky or in this case click on the screen and check out the
new collection. Listen to the ripe jams, eyeball the website, aquire the
attire and Enjoy Real Rad.
Editor,
Francisco Leal
2

FRESH NEW MUSIC FOR YOUR EARS.
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD THE NEW COLLECTION.
CLICK HERE
3

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MUSICA RAD REALES
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RAD GIRL
SPRING 2015 APPAREL
CREATIVE · ORIGINAL · CLASSICS
THE SPRING 2015 APPAREL COLLECTION:
MUSICA RAD REALES
ENJOY REAL RAD
RAD GIRL
TO PURCHASE VISIT
REALRADAPPAREL.COM
4

The Zombies are a UK rock band that was
formed in the 1960’s and is credited as one of the
influential musical groups that included, The Who,
The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles that were
at the forefront of “the British Invasion.” Rock
and Roll was rebel music of the baby boomers.
It became immensely popular not only in the
United States but in England as well. During that
time period The Zombies toured North America
behind the success of their singles, “She’s Not
There,” “Tell Her No,” and “Time of the Season,”
and obviously still tour today.
at 35Denton
At this particular concert in Denton, Texas, The
Zombies headlined the 35Denton Music Festival.
The setting for the performance was outside,
on a huge stage with bright colored lights and
giant speakers. There was a mass of people from
nearly all spectrums of the local community at the
show. I saw people that probably remembered
The Zombies from their teenage years singing
along to the songs in the crowd. I saw kids that
had to be still in elementary school as well as
twenty-somethings littered throughout the sea of
concert viewers. It was a grand affair. I imagine
The Zombies are probably use to these type of
performances considering their catalog of hit
songs and their longevity of performing. A lot of
bands that came out of the “British Invasion” still
command a huge draw and The Zombies seem
like they are still one of them. The crowd amplified
the performance with their awe and wonder that
propelled the musicians to put on a great show.
The audience received the performance with
applause, hoots, hollers, and exclamations of joy.
When The Zombies played their most famous hit
“Time of the Season,” I saw people singing along
6

with all their might. When the song was finished
the people around tried to start an encore chant
but were too far away from the stage for the
musicians to hear before the band went into the
next composition. It really seemed like everybody
was having a great time and enjoying the concert.
I even saw security guards tapping their feet along
with the beat.
The band was comprised of a lead vocalist,
electric keyboard, lead guitar, bass guitar, and
drums. From where I was standing it looked like
the keyboardist and the bass guitarist were the
only people singing into microphones besides
the lead vocalist. I assume they were providing
back ground vocals and harmony. The vocals
from the lead singer were a dynamic tenor that
soared beautifully throughout the night. The
electric keyboard player was tenacious on the
ivories and proved his phalanges dexterity often
in his performance. The lead guitarist had some
fantastic riffs that really added personality to the
songs and the bass guitarist kept it thumping as
the entire ensemble came together for the musical
display. I can’t help but think of the contrast but
also similarities a Psychedelic, Pop, Rock and Roll
group like The Zombies have with other musical
ensembles from different parts of the world such
as Gamelan musical ensembles of the Balinese
in Indonesia and the Carnatic music from South
India. At first glance it may be a little odd to make
such a comparison but music is the language
of the world. In some instances music can be a
ritualistic experience that can open the mind to
new perspectives and serve as a commonality in
different cultures. For instance, yes, The Zombies
are a band that is more in line with Western Culture
and have some stark differences to Gamelan
music from the East such as type of instruments,
time signature and even notes as well as scales.
But, in order for the music to be played in a band
such as The Zombies and in order for music to
be played in a Gamelan ensemble, there has to
be people to come together and play the music.
Not only does there have to be people to play
the music but in order for musicians to command
any prolonged positive attention, these musicians
have to play their respective instrument well. In
order for a musician to play their instrument well,
the musician must practice and develop skill on
their instrument. Then multiple musicians have to
come together and practice as a complete band
or ensemble to get ready for a performance. It
doesn’t matter if you live in the West or the East,
music brings people together.
The Zombies concert at the 35Denton Music
Festival was an experience that I am sure will
be a lasting memory for me. The songs were
delightfully haunting. The crowd was diverse,
enthusiastic and full of glee. I saw a band that has
been playing together for over 50 years put on a
show that seemed so effortless and natural that it
mystified the audience into wide-eyed followers.
We all clapped when The Zombies told us to clap,
we all yelled when The Zombies told us to yell,
and we all left with a sense of togetherness when
The Zombies were done playing their music.
7

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
EAN K. PEGRAM
If you have a curiosity of the surreal, if you wish to be enchanted by the hypnotic, if you seek to see through
a kaleidoscope of dreams, look no further than self-proclaimed Visionary Artist Ean K. Pegram. His skills
allow him to jump from video production to installation artwork but Pengram explores mostly in the field of
photography and graphic design. Pengram’s art dives into the psyche of the mind and it’s connection with the
universe as a whole. His “Visionary” title reflects his style in that he sees more to an image, often exploding
the concept to a blooming lotus of digital display. Pengram has shared his work through the manifestation of
album covers, canvas art, and is currently working on a highly anticipated 3D Projected Gallery Show in Dallas,
Texas that is due out Spring 2015.
If eyes are the window to the soul. Feed your soul through those eyes on the artwork of Ean K. Pegram.
To see more work visit EANKPEGRAM.COM
8

THE MOST ACCURATE COMPARISON OF
RappersAND
THEIR
NBA COUNTERPARTS
TUPAC SHAKUR - BILL RUSSELL
BY: FAL
Men lie, Women lie, Numbers don’t. Let’s look at
the line and the sheer numbers. First, Bill Russell. 11
NBA Championships, 5x NBA Most Valuable Player,
12x NBA All-Star, 2x NCAA Champion, and that’s
just four categories in terms of accolades. How
does 2pac compare? Well, if platinum plaques
are equivalent to NBA Championships, Pac has 11
of them. That’s right Tupac Shakur has 11 albums
that have each sold over one million copies. What
about MVPs? Russell had five? Well if number
one albums are comparable to MVPs then it is of
some merit to know that Pac has five number one
albums to date. All-Star? Is that even debatable? How about NCAA Championships?
Remember Digital Underground? Yeah, call it Pac’s college days which spawned songs,
“Same Song” and “I Get Around.” Proof is proof and proof is in the numbers. As the
saying goes, Numbers don’t lie.
THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. - WILT CHAMBERLAIN
10
If you type in Wilt Chamberlain into Google,
followed by just the letter “V,” Google will
automatically guess that you are trying to type
Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell. The rivalry of the
ages. The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Tupac Shakur. There
was competitive tension no doubt, ultimately,
these are the statuesque heroes of the cultural.
Wilt and Bill, Biggie and Pac. But, how does Big
compare to Wilt besides the obvious rivalry? Well,
Chamberlain had two championships, Biggie has
four Platinum plaques. In terms of quality of work,
and most likely entanglement, it seems that the
first- two of the works carry the weight of the trophies. Also, Chamberlain was a four
time MVP. Big has four albums that were number one in the U.S. considering Rap and
R&B charts as well. Plus, who scored 100 points in a game? Wilt did. Who averaged
50 points a game in the 61’, 62’ season? Wilt did. Who in head to head rivalries beat
Bill Russell in terms of more points, rebounds, and assists per game? Wilt did. What
about Notorious? If you had to rate rappers in a video game, Biggie would be 100. If
Big’s raps were considered points and each verse was considered a game, he would
average roughly 50 points per verse in compared to most rappers who’s value per
verse is at most 20 points per game or lower. And, Biggies beef songs were the best.
“C4 to your door, no beef no more.” Big.

JAY-Z - MICHAEL JORDAN
It just looks right. Just look above and look at
the names. The icons. Michael Jordan is the
greatest basketball player to play the game.
Why? Because, he is so influential that people
pay money just to step inside his shoes. Because,
he has transcended the game to the world to a
global audience through avenues such as fashion
and popular culture. Because, he ascended the
game itself. Because, he made winning look
badass. Now, Jay-Z? Well, the war is over folks,
Shawn Carter is the crown holder. Why? Quality
of Work, Influence, Money, and Innovation.
These are the commonalities that make royalty. “Jay-Z made Rocawear, a clothing
company so influential that the company sold to Iconix brand group for 204 million
dollars, spreading the brand through channels all over the globe. Jay has transcended
to fashion and popular culture as a brand himself. He has elevated the game as a
rapper, mogul, and entrepreneur. Jay- Z is the quintessential “rap artist.” Jay-Z is the
Mike Jordan of recordin’.” You know it, I know it, we all know it. Plus, they’re both from
Brooklyn.
KANYE WEST - KOBE BRYANT... BUT MAYBE... DENNIS RODMAN.
Hear me out on this one. We all know Kanye is
trying to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.
Considering the blatant comparisons in regards
to championships and platinum plaques as well
as media sensationalism of situations involving
them and their personas, it is easy to say that
Yeezus is to the Black Mamba as Hova is to Air.
But maybe... just maybe, Kanye West is the other
5x NBA Champion, the intangible Dennis Rodman.
Maybe it is not a far off projection to contemplate
Rodman’s flamboyant fashion sense and model
wife as a reflection to Kanye West’s interest
in the world of style and his model wife. Jordan did a 3-peat then went to baseball,
came back and 3 peated once again with one of those seasons being the famous feat
of the NBA record for the most wins in a season in 72-10, but not
without the help of 7x rebound king Dennis Rodman. In parallel if
Jay-Z is MJ then examine this scenario. Jay-Z had several platinum
plaques before creating what would become his magnum opus of
“The Blueprint” with the help of non other than Kanye “The Worm”
West. If Mr. Carter is Michael of Hip Hop, just maybe Kanye West is
the intangible hustler, Dennis Rodman. Kanye is the dude that runs
up on stage and steals a moment from a famous pop star which
creates a disruption big enough to talk about. Dennis Rodman will
whisper sweet nothings in Karl Malone’s ear to cause disruptions on
the court. All to win. All to tell the world, Hey! I am here and I am a
champion. You will yield.
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CHECK OUT OUR OTHER RELEASES!
11

EMINEM - JERRY WEST
The immediate thought on comparing Marshall
Mathers to any NBA player is always Larry Bird
and sometimes, Dirk Nowitzki. But we really need
to review who Eminem really is. He is the best
selling rapper of all-time. If platinum plaques
are NBA Championships than what is a Diamond
worth? 10 million records? 10 fucking million
records sold on one project. Eminem has done it
twice. Eminem has released 13 albums with eight
of them being solo studio albums and five of them
compilations. Out of all 13 albums, 10 have gone platinum with most of them selling
three million copies or more. Shady has sold over 155 million records worldwide to date.
Nas famously dissed the MJ of rap with, “Eminem murdered you on your song.” If Jay-Z
is Jumpman then Eminem is the NBA Logo. As cliché as it sounds, Em is the epitome of
what every Caucasian rapper models themselves after. He represents hip hop culture
as the logo for white people. Although, by sheer skill, character and vulnerability he is
beyond these labels. Slim Shady is the Jerry West of rap.
DRAKE - LEBRON JAMES
When Lebron James told the world he was leaving
the Cleveland Cavaliers and taking his talents to
South Beach it was like the rumored bidding war
for Drake when he eventually left Toronto to go
south and follow Lil Wayne with Cash Money /
Young Money Records. Lebron James dominates
with his power which is complemented by his
surprising finesse. Drake is no question the leader
of the new school with songs that have emotional
power and he utilizes finesse to create big time
hits. Lebron is a two time NBA Champion and has been to the finals three times. Drake
has three albums and one mixtape that have sold over one million copies to date.
Lebron has been MVP of the league four times. Drake has four number one albums
considering his latest mixtape. As far as who is “it” right now, they both are in their
respective disciplines and they are both each other’s counterparts.
LIL WAYNE - DWAYNE WADE
12
First off, they share the same first name. Also,
Wade has three NBA Championships and Wayne
has 4 platinum albums. Dwayne Wade was Lebron
James’ mentor when James came to the Miami
Heat after his first stint with the Cavs. Lil Wayne
was Drake’s mentor at Cash Money / Young Money
Records. I guess if this logic was followed and
Drake played Lebron and Lil Wayne played Wade,
I guess that would leave Nicki Minaj as Chris Bosh.
Yikes! They were certainly a championship squad
that spawned multiple platinum plaques. Now, with Lebron going back to Cleveland,
Drake creates OVO Sound. Lil Wayne sued Cash Money and quite possibly got a huge
multi-million settlement after a nasty mudslinging bout. Wade, had an infamous twoyear
$42 million dollar contract with the Heat during the time of Miami’s back to back
Championship wins. Chris Bosh piled up more internet memes, as did Nicki.

J-COLE - KEVIN DURANT
These guys are the underdogs that prove to
be consistent winners only to be one upped by
flashier names. J-Cole has released 3 albums.
They all went number one with two of them
bringing in gold plaques with over 700,000
records sold each and his latest garnering him a
platinum plaque. Kevin Durant has been the NBA
Scoring Champion four times and would of won
an NBA Championship if it weren’t for King James.
The storylines of the James being the high banner
champion vs. under the radar Durant has the Drake vs. J. Cole saga written all over it.
DR. DRE - PHIL JACKSON
Dr. Dre has really only released two solo albums
to date with The Chronic and The Chronic 2001 but
both have been monumental to hip-hop culture
and have both went platinum. Phil Jackson played
for a New York Knicks team during the 1970’s
and won two championship as a player with
them. Now, that we have those initial accolades
accounted for, let’s examine what Dr. Dre has
done in comparison to Phil Jackson in terms
of production and development to Jackson’s
coaching titles. It’s no secret that Jackson won 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls as the
head coach and five as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers for a total of 11 NBA
Championships. How does Dr. Dre compare in that regard. Well, consider every artist
Dr. Dre produced or mentored over his illustrious career. There is N.W.A which includes
Eazy-E and Ice Cube, then there’s 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and
recently Kendrick Lamar. Each collaboration landing multiple platinum plaques for
each respective project. I guess we could also mention Beats Audio headphones and
the multi-billion, yes, billion with a “b” deal to Apple Computers. Dr. Dre is certainly the
Zen Master counterpart to Phil Jackson, no doubt.
TIMBALAND - PAT RILEY
This man has laid down the sound bed for a ton
of massive hits and has accumulated platinum
plaques from mainstream juggernauts such as
Nelly Furtado as well as Justin Timberlake. This
man has constructed signature sounds for stars
such as Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and Missy Elliot. This
man is Timbaland! Pat Riley is known for his
slick back hair and fashionable Armani suits.
Timbaland is known for his slick sounds and stylish
approach. Pat Riley won a Championship as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers and
with the very same organization won one as an assistant coach, then four more as the
head coach. Pat Riley went on to win another NBA title as the head coach of the Miami
Heat and two more championships as an executive within the Heat organization for
a total of nine NBA titles. After review on Timbaland’s number of platinum singles, his
impact on the rap game, and his impact on popular western music in general, it is a no
brainer to declare Timbaland as the musical embodiment of Pat Riley.
13

According to their website the Bodega Brovas are “Three mc’s from various parts of the
country that went to the same party one night, got cool and started working on music together. ”
Yet, in my experience with them over the years, there is far more to it then that. They’ve continually
created some of the most polished, fun, and entertaining music I’ve had the pleasure of coming
across. They’ve opened for artists like Common, Black Moon, Smiff and Wesson, Souls of Mischief,
Del, Ty Dolla Sign, Statik Selktah and many more. All while Traveling around the United States,
England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, & Canada. They have great chemistry both on and
off stage, as they create an infectiously fun atmosphere for every crowd they perform for. We got
to sit down with them after a performance and they were gracious enough to answer some of our
questions as well as make us laugh in the process. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW AS YOU READ
Random person: Oh my Oh my...(towards Bodega Brovas)
(Handshakes and Congrats to Bodega Brovas from a fan
can be heard in the backround)
TLiT: Are you guys ready?
(The sound of a bustling club permeates)
TLiT: Alright...Huh, first
question. How did you
guys get your nicknames?
HeadKrack, Keynote, Travii.
I’ll start with you HeadKrack.
HeadKrack: Ummm, my name
came from, I use to shoot dice
all the time in school.
TLiT: Yeah
HeadKrack: Because I was
like...like I went to school
young. Like when all my
friends were working, I
couldn’t work. Yo! to get
money, I would take all my
lunch money for the week
and shoot dice with it. And
whenever you roll a four,
five, six in a game of Cee-Lo,
they call that a HeadKrack.
TLiT: Yeah
HeadKrack: So - And there
was a really popular song at
the time by this group called the Double X Posse,
Keynote: (exclaims in a nostalgic, celebratory manner)
Haaac!
HeadKrack: (sings) called The HeadKrack, The HeadKrack
yeahhhh Headkrack Headkrack! (stops singing). So every
time you see me I had dice in my pocket. So you walking
you get that clickety-clack sound
TLiT: (laughs)
HeadKrack: So like I just took the nickname and just ran
with it.
TLiT: Hell yeah! Keynote?
Keynote: Word. Umm my friend, Abram Valdez game it to
me. He was my old rhyme partner man, umm we were in a
group called technology and
my name kept getting taken.
Even when we were kids like
I’d have a name and then a
rapper come out with that
same name. Man, it just kept
happening... He was like, yo,
you’re the keynote speaker
of the group, man. So what
you mean? Every time
there’s a cypher or any time
there’s something going on
in school and I see a crowd,
you’re right in the middle
of everything, like even if
you’re not saying anything,
your right in the middle of it,
and then you’ll start spittin’.
You’re the keynote speaker
of the group, man. You’re
Keynote! So, everybody start
calling me Keynote, even my
family calls me Keynote.
TLit: That’s what’s up, so...
Travii?
Travii: Word up. So, my name
is Travis, a nickname coming up everybody use to just call
me Travii. So I just took that, put two “i’s” at the end of it,
took the “s” off and the Roman Numerial of seven, so it’s
Tray-seven. VII. Mines real technical. This is what I was
thinking when I was a teenager. I was like so I’m
just gonna call myself...You know a lot of people go
through a lot of rap names.
TLiT: Yeah.
15

Travii: I had two. I had Mack-T! I had Travii.
Keynote: (Chuckles)
Travii: So I picked... I left Mack-T behind and umm
Keynote: Nah, we bringing that back!
Travii: No.
Keynote: You messed up!
Travii: And I stuck with Travii.
Keynote: Ahh...
Travii: So, basically it’s the opposite of six, six, six, it’s
three sevens.
TLiT: Alright, uhhh if you guys could pick three musicians,
producers, artist to work with on a project,
who would they be and why?
Keynote: Ummmmmm...I know me... Keynote speaking, I’d
like to have Herbie Hancock, on something. Just because
he does jazz, (laughs) he does all kinds of things. And, I
just wanna’ redo “Rocket” with him.
TLiT: Right.
Keynote: Herbie Hancock!
HeadKrack: Ummm if I could work with any producer, I
would like to work with Rick Rubin, cause dudes been in
the game for a long time and he still freakin’ gets it. And I
think that’s great! Uhh, artist wise, man listen man, Prince
be still be figuring it out from time to time, so yeah...
Keynote: Oh yeah!
HeadKrack: So you get him to whip something up on the
guitar. Rick Rubin direct a little something. I think we could
put together something nobody ever heard before.
TLiT: What about you Travii?
Travii: Ummm, as far as like artist. Producers I’d like work
with JustBlaze, umm cause I like rap and he makes rap
beats that I like. Also as far as artist I’d like to work with
umm, I’m really into like jazz and old school sounding
stuff. I like Charles Bradley a lot. If you’re not familiar with
Charles Bradley, check him out. And, I’m not talking about
the... Shawn Bradley from the Mavericks. I’m talking about
Charles Bradley the singer, the soul singer. That’s pretty
much where I’m at right now.
HeadKrack: I would also like to work with Paul McCartney
because I’m really into giving “new artist” a shot.
(Everybody breaks into laughter)
Keynote: (jokes) The new guy, the new kid
TLiT: Alright, if y’all were gonna rock a hat, snapback,
fitted, kangol, or fedora?
Keynote: Me, Keynote, I’m snapback.
Travii: Travii, Fitted all day, seven and a half, seven and a
half.
HeadKrack: Fedora but Fitted! I got to specially order my
joints. I got a gigantic head. They stop making people like
me. Like I got to wear an eight and if I’m really lucky, I go
to a new era store and they can stretch it out a little extra
for me so when I braid my hair back, I can get that extra
16

half an inch, inch and a half.
TLiT: I remember that hat we gave you. It was on the last
one.
HeadKrack: It was on the very last thing. I posted a picture
on Instagram of me wearing that hat and I caught a lot
of slander because I had the hat facing forward and they
could see that it was on the last snap and that last snap was
holding on for dear life.
Keynote: Whooooo!
(The guys laugh)
HeadKrack: But I like that damn hat, (jokingly) and fuck
you people!
(The group all laughs)
TLiT: Alright, Alright, uhhh, The ladies want to know are
you guys single and how does that effect ...How
does the Hip Hop lifestyle affect your relationships?
(slight pause)
Keynote: Uhh yeah, I’m Keynote, I’m very single. Yo! it
works out because I don’t have any kids, I don’t have a
chick anymore, I’m just on the road. Kind of sucks though
because you’re not getting trim on the reg.
Travii: He’s like a German Sheppard, he’s impregnating all
the strays. (laughs)
Keynote: Well, I’m working on it. I’m working on it. I’m
trying to spread my seed around this good planet earth
and doing it on tour but that’s what it’s like with me ya
know what I’m saying. (Dramatically) But, I am looking for
that special somebody. “Whoever you are.”
HeadKrack: The mic’s my wife and these rappers can’t do
what we do. And that’s life
Travii: MARRIED!
Keynote: (jokes) Travii’s gay for pay.
(They chuckle)
Travii: (laughing) Whatever.
Keynote: Mack-T is gay for pay.
(Everybody burst to laughter)
TLiT: (still laughing) That’s definitely going in the article.
(more chuckling)
Keynote: He’s gay for a price.
(cackling)
Travii: Do it for the vine! Do it for life.
(still laughing)
TLiT: If uhhh, If you were a cartoon character, who would
you be and why?
HeadKrack: Me, personally, to this very day. Optimus
Prime, Transformers the Movie. Not the Michael Bay wack
shit. The actual cartoon. There was a scene when the fucking
Decepticons were attacking Auto Bot City. This muthafucker
jumps off the ship, he was like MegaTron must be stopped,
no matter what the cost. And then he transformed into a
truck. You seeing all these different Decepticons hitting the
17

grill of his truck. He fucking plowing over them.
TLiT: Ha Ha!
HeadKrack: He knocking them over, back to back to back.
Optimus Prime, all day. And he was so bad he came back
in a future episode of the Transformers, twice!
One of the guys: He did! He did do that.
(laughter and banter on Optimus Prime)
Keynote: Awe me I’m Voltron all got dang day! Cause
Voltron was a robot that he could break up into three
different lines or wreck shop by himself and get back
together. It kind of reminds me of the Bodega Brovas , man.
Everybody can wreck individually and then can come back
together and just completely kill shit. And he had a castle.
TLiT: Ha Ha, nice.
Keynote: He had a fucking castle. Anybody with a castle is
official, man. Big ups Voltron. That’s who’d I be.
TLiT: What about you? (gestures towards Travii)
Travii: Elmer Fudd, I love hunting ducks.
(chorus of laughs)
TLiT: (To HeadKrack) Alright, Ummm I’ll save this one for
last since you’re the foodluminati.
One of the guys: Alright
TLiT: What’s your favorite snack food when you’re out on
tour.
Travii: I mean recently the last five years of touring I’ve
been like more on my wrap sandwiches. Like, anything
with a wrap. You know, cause when you’re on tour, you
try to do anything you can do to stay healthy. You can’t
just eat gas station food.
TLiT: Yeah.
Travii: You gotta eat like... You gotta get your vitamins and
your B12’s and stuff like that. So, you don’t...Look I eat a
lot of healthy stuff. I just eat fish and umm... this is a very
boring answer but yeah I just eat fish and lettuce, spinach.
Keynote: Speaking of fish. This is Keynote. Vagina and
Smoothies.
TLiT: HA HA!
Keynote: Vagina and Smoothies on tour.
TLiT: (To HeadKrack) What about you?
HeadKrack: Umm. When I’m on tour. If I’m in the UK.
Nando’s, Nando’s, Nando’s, Nando’s. They make Peri
Peri Chicken and a bunch of other stuff. And, like grilled
asparagus and snap peas. Those are bangin’. The rest of
the city or the rest of the country, rather. When we’re in the
states. I like to try to find, like whoever has the best, dope
pizza and dope hamburgers. I’m at these spots.
TLiT: Hell Yeah!
TLiT: Well, do you guys have any last remarks?
Travii: Praise God and...(funny reference or remark)
TLiT: Project coming out?
Travii: Don’t tread on me!
HeadKrack: Go head Key!
Keynote: Awe yeah! We got L.G.A. The project coming
out. The freshest facade. The single is out right now with
the video. That’s on the album. And were about to drop
another single and a video coming up in the next couple
of months so that’s what’s going on. And, we each have
individual projects we working on but everybody’s on
everybody’s projects man so you seen me speaking of
Voltron and that’s what it’s about to be.
Travii: You know!
HeadKrack: Word up! Basically the process that we using
right now to similar to how rabbit be in a cage and it goes
up to that little spout to get the water. We just trying to
spout feed the world our music cause you got so many
records and like a lot of times people make their music by
like giving out like fucking mixtapes and stuff like that.
TLiT: Speaking of...
HeadKrack: Even though I just handed you a mixtape a
little while ago. Umm....
TLiT: Ha! And I handed you four.
HeadKrack: It be like that sometimes.
TLiT: (chuckles)
HeadKrack: But like ya know, the thing is we as artist got to
take our music more seriously and treat it like more special.
TLiT: Yeah.
HeadKrack: Don’t just throw away entire projects. Like ya
know so we gonna’ like tea spooning the fans music.
TLiT: I think that’s the right way to do it.
Keynote: Bird, Bird, Feed them.
18

One of the guys: We’re gonna bird
the fans.
Keynote: That’s a sexual term. Bird
them, Birding.
TLiT: (confirms) Birding.
All the guys: Yeahhhh! Birding
HeadKrack: You know what I’m
saying, just so you can digest it and
appreciate it. One thing at a time.
Cause if I throw like... just imagine
if like a plate of various foods. Like
whoa whoa there’s a lot of food here.
TLiT: Yeah.
HeadKrack: But, if I gave you one
morsel. You gonna eat that morsel very
slowly and you’re gonna appreciate it
more.
Keynote: (jokes in a comical voice)
And you’re gonna want more and
more.
HeadKrack: Exactly!
Keynote: (continues) And you’re
gonna want more and more.
TLiT: The carnivore’s dilemma. When
you go to the store.
HeadKrack: Damn right!
TO GET MORE INFO VISIT
WWW.BODEGABROVAS.COM
LIKE THEM AT FACEBOOK.COM/BODEGABROVAS
FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER @BODEGABROVAS
LISTEN TO THEIR EXCLUSIVE TRACK ON OUR
SPRING COLLECTION BY CLICKING HERE.
CHECK OUT THEIR LATEST VIDEO
“The Freshest Facade” (ft. Astronautalis)
BY WATCHING BELOW
TLiT: Too much shit to choose from.
All the guys: True, True.
Travii: And then you end up with the
shit you’re familiar with.
Keynote: The low hanging fruit.
TLiT: Yeah.
HeadKrack: We gonna make you
work for it.
TLit: Well, I appreciate it guys. That
was an amazing show.
19

TRENDS AS OF LATE
SPRING 2015
BY: HARVEY S. GRANT
come served on a cloud, it doesn’t have to crash down like a lightning
bolt. Greatness can be normal. Greatness can be the “every day.”
We are full fledge in the digital era with its ubiquitous modern devices
that have made our screen obsessed society more connected than any
generation before. This access gives people front row seats to how the
world thinks and feels about current events plus reveals an abundance
of information about why certain trends occur in popular culture
today. Over the past year we have seen many ideas, wave lengths ,
movements, and/or trends rise & fall. Among these phenomenon we
have some that were really good, some that are bad and some that are
just plain ugly. Let’s explore some of the most influentially schools of
thought for Spring 2015
GOOD
Norm Core: Normal shit is in. Neutral colors and clothes you would
wear on a regular, boring Saturday afternoon. Worn in sneakers, plain
colored shirt, some jeans, maybe a flannel if its chilly. It’s comfortable,
reliable style. It’s practical fashion. No sparkle, no sheen, and never
trying too hard. It’s idealism, it’s exemplification that greatness doesn’t
Self-Worship: This should not be confused with Narcissism. We’re
not here to talk about staring in a lake at your own reflection until you
fall in. We aren’t speaking on a God Complex, But, it is the belief that
we are made up of the same stuff as God. That we are star dust and
we are all one. We are in the image of God. It is being so confident
of yourself that you are a fan of yourself. You believe you can do
anything if you can conjure up the required energy to accomplish what
you are trying to do. This belief is believing that others should feel
the same about themselves. That they are made up of all the same
properties. There is a respect there because everybody is actually one
being, like one organism striving to survive in the cosmos of space.
Not to be confused with The Borg in Star Trek, although there is a
collective consciousness in some aspect, regardless, the human race
is one race, all encompassing. This increases empathy for others, this
instills confidence in people. If you had to choose between two doctors
to perform vital surgery on you or a loved one, would you want the one
that believes in them self or the one that doesn’t? Believing in yourself
is believing in others. Be as you are, in the image of and strive to meet
that image in your actions and how you treat people.
20

Hair: As corny as this sounds hair is big. Girls are paying hundreds of
dollars for the latest styles and to keep their dew in tip top condition.
Coloring, Styling, Products all contribute to a hefty charge at the saloon.
This trend may have been going for a while but with quantitative data
we are starting to discover how big the market really is for hair. It
is obvious that people get haircuts fairly often but some hair stylist
are becoming out right celebrities by utilizing social networking such
as Facebook and Instagram to boost their profile, their reach, and
their pocketbook. What is known as “Mermaid Hair” is micro-bead
extensions of high quality hair extensions. This procedure extends the
hair of a client that is willing to shell out over a thousand dollars that
fancies the extra length in hair. This booming business doesn’t just
apply to women. Gentlemen Saloons and Barbershops have opened up
across the country with themes that rival “Breastraunts” to sports bars
and old timey barbershops. The hair business is a trend that will reign
for what may be existence.
A Sound Other than Trap in Hip Hop: This isn’t an
attack on trap. There are bonifide jams that were birthed from the
trap movement. Trap is the quintessential modern Dirty South Hip
Hop Sound. It has exploded from its inception in Atlanta, Georgia to
a worldwide phenomenon that transcends even into other genres of
music. The signature sound of trap is the booming 808’s and those
rolling or “water sprinkler” hi hats. Artist like Gucci Mane and Young
Jeezy have become Rap Trap Gods and the sonic qualities have been
the soundtrack for the dope game with its highs and lows. In a recent
documentary on Trap music by Content leader, Vice, Trap Music was
described as to be sounding like the crack is bubbling in a pot. While
Trap is definitely leading the way as the dominate musical focus for Hip
Hop right now, up and coming Hip Hop producers are always looking
for a new way to break away from the pack to differentiate themselves
from everybody else and be innovative. Maybe a Hip Hop sound other
then Trap is a good place to start.
Dad-Bod: The Dad-Bod is the ex-sport star that scored 5 touchdowns
in a game at Polk High. He’s the guy tending the grill at the weekend
bbq. He breaks up little kid fights by stating, “If you want to fight,
put on the gloves.” No, he doesn’t have a perfect six-pack but that’s
because he’s busy living his life rather than trying to obtain the perfect
physic. He may spend his evening eating hot wings and drinking a cold
one but when it comes down to it, he protects what’s his. The Dad-Bod
is non-threatening to the ladies but not in the sense that the Dad-Bod
man is scrawny but in the sense that he’s not trying to compete with
the women to be the pretty one in the relationship. The Dad-Bod is
the guy that gets shit done, regardless. The Dad-Bod man builds fires,
changes tires, lifts stuff, and doesn’t complain about.
BAD
Anti Social Networking: We all have seen these memes and
motivational videos exclaiming for everybody to put down their phones,
take a break from social media and interact with one another. I mean
yeah, we are engulfed with technology and we are enamored with it,
21

we definitely are, but rightfully so
because it’s absolutely fascinating.
We have wireless access to a device
that has all the world’s knowledge
on it that can also be used to
make a call, message people
and send funny pictures to one
another. Remember Encyclopedia
Britannica’s? Of course you don’t,
I mean who cares? But, at one
time people had to look up facts in
books. Remember house phones?
As great as an invention that they were, they suck compared to what
we have now. There’s always that one person that has already ran
through their newsfeed and checked whatever they like to check on
their phone. Now, they’re bored with the situation so they decide to
take it upon their self to tell everybody to take a chill pill with the
phone. Leave me alone, person. I’m writing an email to a client! We
live in a 24 hour business world and staying connected as well as up to
date is essential to keeping pace with what’s going on. This is the world.
This is the future. This is now. Personal interaction is obviously vital but
some people have important matters to address on their phones and
some people just feel more comfortable behind a keyboard. People
that utilize their smart phones shouldn’t have to welt to the commands
of traditionalist just because they are pressured to do so.
Devaluation of Music: First, there was vinyl, then magnetic
tape, then compact disc, now there is Mp3s. The evolution of the sound
recording created what was once a booming business but now with
file sharing sites, YouTube sound rippers, single’s downloads, and
streaming services, music has been severely devalued. Technology has
brought access to millions of people to be able to produce and record
professional quality sound recordings at home with digital multi-track
recorders and digital audio workstations. This is something that could
never be done in the history of mankind. The internet has provided an
unprecedented forum for aspiring musicians to publish the music that
they make at home to the world. All of this is remarkable and fantastic
for the creation of music but it has also saturated the music market
to the point of exhaustion. People just don’t value music like they
use to anymore. It is quite possible that with such a saturated market
that there maybe less of a percentage of quality music compared to
available music and that people have access to so much music from
the past that this attributes to the devaluation of modern day sound
recordings. With avenues of entertainment such as television, the
internet with Netflix, video games, and life in general, could it be that
people’s attention is just fragmented and music has simply slid down
the totem pole of entertainment to care about? Despite the causes of
such an epidemic, quality music still takes talent, expertise, skill, time
and money to make. It’s a shame that music isn’t valued as it once
was.
Fringe: We established the everyday look with “Norm Core,” but we
about the ladies that want to add festival style to their look. Flowers
in your hair is a summer time delight but more and more women
are rocking the fridge boots, fridge shorts, and the fringe cross body
purses that seem to be popping
up everywhere. It may be silly to
think of fringe being a trend and
who gives a shit, right? But, once
again trends are indicators in the
market and could be linked to other
trends and/or potential streams of
revenue to be made by capitalizing
on. So, is it important that fringe is
in. When it comes to the moolah,
everything is important.
Bell Bottoms: It’s evitable that bell bottoms make a comeback.
When a huge trend hits like the way skinny jeans hit then your
eventually going to have a fall off on the bell curve of that popularity.
Eventually something else takes the place of the once favorite variety of
denim. Bell Bottoms are rising to capture that holding. They are totally
disco and there is no hard data on bell bottoms’ rise being linked to
the popularity of any disco “activities” in the night culture but one
thing for sure is they are coming back. Out of sight bell bottoms can
be seen recently worn by more and more trend setters and celebrities.
In a subtle way, differentiation is a representation of individuality. If
22

everybody is wearing what you are wearing, that individuality and
sense of uniqueness that makes us human slips away. Bell Bottoms are
a minor differentiation that expresses as an antagonist to following
the herd. Although they can be funky fresh the reason for the “bad”
category is because the bell bottom could possible lead to the jnco.
UGLY
Processed food, fast foods and GMO’s: If you don’t
know by now, just Google what processed foods, fast foods, and GMO’s
do to your body if you eat them too often. They are not good for you.
There is boat loads of information clearly linking these foods to an
array of health problems such as obesity, diabetes and even cancer
with long term consumption. The frustrating thing for most people is
that these foods in question are usually cheaper to buy and have a
longer shelf life than fresh foods. Another disturbing fact is that a lot of
the companies that own these processed food brands and that produce
a lot of these sugary foods and/or foods packed with preservatives
are the same companies that owns cigarette companies and/or beer
bottling companies. Talk about a conflict of interest especially when
most of these processed foods are targeted to kids, teens, and young
adults. Take for example Phillip Morris, a cigarette company that own
Kraft Foods, a giant in the processed foods category. Companies such
as Phillip Morris are sometimes accused of targeting low income areas
that don’t have access to fresh foods and preying on the naivety of
young consumers due to that very conflict of interest. It can be argued
that junk foods truly are a drug that are being pushed at every corner
store in America.
obsessive behavior and obsessive behavior is creepy as fuck.
Labeling: Everybody does it. Labeling is a form of judgment and
while necessary it can be a deterrent to growth and understanding.
This particular trend can be painted in many forms, let’s “label” a
few terms of labeling. First, there’s racial profiling, racial division,
bigotry, there is assumption, character assassination, finger pointing,
false accusations, and slander. These are the spores that grow on the
ugly side of labeling. It could be argued that labeling helps make
quick judgments in a fast paced world based on previous information
but for some reason America has to put everything in its own little
compartment and each compartment has been defined generations
ago. I find this notion, when considered with the hot button topic of
race in America, to be extremely relevant. We say “Hispanic/Mexican
American” or “African American” and with other ethnicities other
labels are given. In this regard it is not a negative label but it may
be a little outdated. With all due respect to cultures and ancestry, if a
person is born in America and they are raised in the American culture
and believe in the values of America, then they are an American. Yes,
another label but at least that label conveys togetherness opposed
to separation. America is and always will be a melting pot. America
cannot be represented by just one face. There are many faces and
many colors that make up the red, white, and blue.
Bingeing: Who hasn’t stayed up till 6am on a Netflix Marathon.
An Empty Pizza box, a bowl of cereal and an empty bag of popcorn
littering the landscape. Bingeing is a high born privilege. It is the
spoils of our time to be able to get more than your fill on a consistent
basis. Bingeing on movies or a TV show is innocent enough but the
entire notion of bingeing is more readily available to those that have.
The behavior of bingeing sounds eerily similar to addiction. Binge
drinking can lead to a plethora of dangerous scenarios. Bingeing on
video games has lead to multiple child neglect cases and even death as
captured in the documentary “Love Child.”.Yes, video games! People
failed to care for their child to play a video game. Bingeing behavior is
23

MAKING BETTER MUSIC
MIXING AND MASTERING TIPS • PART II
by Harvey S. Grant
I n volume one of Real Rad’s Winter Quarterly we talked
about the notion that the music industry and quite frankly the
entertainment industry is more fragmented than ever before. We
discussed that cheaper technology has made it that damn near
anybody with a laptop and a microphone can figure out a way to
record music. Unfortunately, this fragmentation as well as to the
ever growing number of bedroom recording engineers has flooded
the internet with shitty music. This has made the music landscape
a vast wasteland of low quality musical endeavors. With all the
gunk that is out there, how does an ambitious mind separate itself
from the herd? The answer is simple. Make better Music. We strive
to help you on this monumental task by offering tips that we have
learned along the way.
24

APPLYING EQ BEFORE COMPRESSION
We covered the utilization of the high pass filter in our
Winter Quarterly. For the spring we continue this natural
progression and offer tips on using the EQ on a recorded
vocal.
Now, assuming that you read our vocal chain tip from
volume one and proceeded to record a solid vocal, what
is the next step in making that vocal sound better. Well,
even amateur engineers know that at some point they
want to EQ and Compress the vocal but which one comes
first. This is a decision that a lot of engineers debate on in
the early morning hours when the sun is still down. But,
here are a few reasons why we believe EQ is a better choice
to apply before compression in the vocal chain. There is
a school of thought that dictates a set of ordered steps
to the createion of art. It goes, collect, clean, and then
prepare. In cooking a meal, a person would collect the
food they were going to eat, clean the food, then prepare
the food for consumption. This applies to all art forms in
general. For instance a guitar player would collect his
thoughts and after many years of practice, he would
clean it up by organizing his skills into a song, and then
the guitar player would prepare to perform. Engineering
records is no different. First a recording engineer would
collect the music and the vocals, then the engineer will
clean up the music and the vocals by taking out anything
that is not suppose to be there, and then the engineer must
prepare the tracks. After recording a vocal for instance,
it is time to prepare it. This is like a cook adding salt and
pepper then cooking the meal that was collected. Putting
EQ on the vocal is like adding spices or ingredients to a
recipe. Alright, why do we want to put the EQ on before
the compressor. The first reason is:
COMPRESSION MAGNIFIES FLAWS
Compression evens out the loud and the quiet parts
in a recording. It literally makes the sound wave more
even throughout the take by making the quietness of
a recording become more loud and the loudness of a
recording become more quiet. Harsh or problematic
frequencies that are not cut will be amplified by the
compressor. This can reveal nasty segments of the
recording that can be distracting to the listening
experience.
unnecessary processing for the computer as well as the
DAW that is running your session. The low frequencies
that are moving through the compressor use a lot of
energy that can affect the compressor in such a way that
pushes the compressor to excessive compressing. When
an EQ is applied before a compressor, harsh frequencies
and unnecessary low end are cut before they have the
opportunity to go through the compressor and cause
mixing issues later down the line
USING EQ ON VOCALS
Once the EQ is applied we must prepare it to go through
the compressor. Considering that the compressor boost
frequencies it is important to cut unnecessary frequencies
from the recording take before the compressor is applied.
Here is a quick overview of where you might want to
make cuts, relative to where your recording needs them.
HIGH PASS FILTER TO ABOUT 100HZ
If you are still hearing to much boom in the vocal, try
sweeping a bell curve between 200 and 400 Hz, then
cut accordingly. Vocals from 400 to around 550 Hz can
cause a “boxy” sound to the recording. If this is the case
with your vocal, sweep a bell curve and cut accordingly.
Sometimes a vocal can be “nasal” or even “honky”
sounding. Try sweeping a bell curve between 700 Hz
and 4.5 kHz then cut accordingly Cutting frequencies is
the most effective way to shape a vocal to sound better.
Boosting frequencies shouldn’t be considered unless the
vocal is dull or could use a little
brightness. In today’s digital era of producing music
sometimes vocals can be lost in the mix. There are few
times to boost a vocal’s frequency to stand out in the mix.
This technique is called “adding air.” In the recording try
sweeping a bell curve around 12 kHz and boosting around
there to create a sense of air to the recording.
LOW FREQUENCIES ARE
UNNECESSARILY LET THROUGH
If an EQ is applied after the compressor it creates a
scenario in which all the low end that will be rolled off
with a high pass EQ will first run through the compressor
even though it will be cut out later. This causes
25

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