Notes82 brings Life Beyond The Lights Album Preview

When one finds good music it stays within our memories for years and life times of memories are created by the sounds and rhythm of life matched to the joy we feel. We will remember songs about our first kiss, our first heartbreak, or even the day our loved ones came into our lives or left us in our own life's journey. There are times though when we get to hear music that relates to the eyes of a person, the beat of the street and the soul of the wind as time passes us by. Notes82 has done this on his new project Life Beyond the Lights.

Take a sec to think back...to sitting on a park bench and looking back into your mind at how the city, the park, the life being experienced can be witnessed in one setting. The park bench is where when one is in youth is a resting spot. In teen age and young adult years it is a spot to post to see and crave opportunity arise and in elder years a place to remember the good old days as life continues to move pass. Notes82 rhymes from the wise perspective of life is a message and by catching the vibe of the city many lessons can be given and learned from the sounds of the cars, the chatter of people on the block or in your area or the consistent stories the streets/life tells as the sun falls and the moon rises on the days of our lives.

This album shows growth as Notes82 moves beyond his award nominated project Watch the View, into a new era of word play and experience at the podium of Hip-Hop class. Life Beyond the Lights hits home with a sign of the times like music like, New York Times. With influence from Jay-Z, his family and life itself, Notes82 is taking the listener not only on a journey through his own growth but into the truth of what music is and that is evolution from the eyes, pen and vocals of the prophets that bring the news of joy, pain, dance, and thought to the listener. Notes82 not only comes out of his bag with beats by Tone Jonez Young Swisher and Dreamlife. He also brings an elevated production of beats and his song Detox will change the way you hear Notes deliver and flow.

This album shows you that bringing New York back is stupid to say because there are quality artists that are coming from the Big Apple and the game just has to pay attention. Notes82 is the elevation of 90s Hip-Hop music. Will he be mentioned with the best? That depends on you because the quality is there, are you strong enough to life up the sound that represents the culture and not just one pocket of it. Write Tonight on this project is an anthem that can life up the game and shine a light on not only Notes82 but the home of the Hip-Hop culture itself. Life Beyond the Lights drops June 9th. Preorder your copy and receive great Hip-Hop music. Your ears and your soul will thank you in the process.

Exclusive:

The Super Bowl Halftime Show was Hip-Hop's Stamp Of Power Towards The NFL.

This year the NFL has made it known that they have a serious issue with race relations within its' business and that has hurt relations that they have had with its' consumers and fan base. The Colin Kaepernick movement with kneeling against police brutality was turned into a whirlwind of political rhetoric that turned into a talk about a man kneeling showing an unpatriotic spirit that is disrespectful to the country when that was never the case at all. To be continued.

Then the NFL teamed with Jay-Z and the conversation was to move pass the the Kaepernick situation and move towards the next chapter of moving towards healing the combative sides of Pro kneeling and Anti Kaepernick that led to more urban halftime shows and the NFL stating that the Black National Anthem would play before games to acknowledge they are pledging to help heal with its' "Black Players and Coaches", to show there will be a working relationship to build positive long lasting unions between the league, them and the fans. Erase Racism was painted in the end zones and the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice, was never played not even during the Super Bowl. I guess that olive branch dried up and never fully blossomed. Yet the NFL failed once again in the healing it promised.

The Rooney rule was created so "minority" coaches and executives could get a fair chance to interview and obtain jobs in the NFL. After the 2021-2022 season Brain Flores was fired from his head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins, for peculiar reasons and considered the top coaching candidate. It comes to pass that Bill Belichick allegedly had inside information from the NY Giants office that made him text the wrong Brian to having heard he had the job and instead of the Brian he text being Flores, he text Brian Daboll instead, Race of the coaches is an issue I guess, but the real issue is the timing of the hire and the news when according to the Rooney rule 2 outside candidates had to be interviewed and Brian Flores said he did not interview yet, and received the text that opened up a lawsuit that can cause another martyr in this modern NFL era. Kaepernick has not quarterbacked in the NFL to this point if ever again, and now Brian Flores may never coach in the NFL again. All this while a High school coach that was a former NFL player was considered for a Head Coaching job and not given it to what seems as a save face hiring of "minortiy" coach by the Houston Texans. Now you may say what does this have to do with the halftime show?

The answer is Hip-Hop has always been the representation of the inner city or "minorty" voice that entertained the word through our pain and struggle. Fighting police brutality, unfair wages and hiring practices, has been a mantra in what is deemed as unfair social practices and civil rights violations in the United States of America since the colonizing of this land. So when when Hip-Hop was given its' chance to take the stage not only did the legends come to perform the message was sent that we will entertain and leave a mark on the stage you, America, will never forget.

Dr. Dre brought the soul of West Coast Hip-Hop and music innovation out with his sound while Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blidge Eminem, suprise guest 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar gave us the music we long for. While people will remember the feeling of music, 50 Cent's girth or how beautiful Mary J. Blidge looked. Kendrick Snoop and Eminem gave us the Hip-Hop feeling of saying F the system and be yourself, that the National Football League hoped did not happen. With rumors of Snoop being told not to crip walk or throw his set on the main stage he did just that to tell censorship F You he is who he is and he represents for his people. Kendrick Lamar was dressed as a King and Diplomat and performed his classic song Alright as if to tell the world we gone be good with you or without you cause we are Hip-Hop and God's heritage. Lastly Eminem was told not to kneel but showed agreement with Colin Kaepernick by kneeling and causing uproar in the NFL community and cheers for the people that are effected by the abuse of authority of those that are called to protect and serve. By kneeling Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, George Floyd, The Freedom Riders and so many more people are remembered and Hip-Hop made that happen.

As we move forward from the halftime show the conversation has moved from how good the show was to how dare they and what will the NFL do. Well, if the NFL does not fix it's problems with prejudice, racism, and unfair hiring practices the narrative may never change and while other genres of music does not have the guts and or heart to take a stand to show their stance on important issues that effect the communities that are used to create the number of athletes and student's looking for an opportunity to do more, than Hip-Hop will always be there to voice it's displeasure with the system and to show the world where it stands for/against it. I salute the halftime show for being great and salute the people in the performance for not only a great show but showing who we are and what we do. We ARE the salt of the eat that gives it flavor. We are also the voice of the underrepresented on the field, executive offices and ownership positions also. He ware God's people. If our culture is Hip-Hop then God's Heritage is Hip-Hop and we will be here...FOREVER

Super Bowl Halftime Show Link:

https://youtu.be/gdsUKphmB3Y

What I Will Say (Az Izz vs. Eminem)

If you have been under a rock you have missed the announcement of war that is being raged for respect and principal that leaked over into a music battle. For those of you that have not heard of Stanuary 20th let me clue you in. Az Izz of the Outsidaz waged war on Eminem to solidify his voice in the Hip-Hop arena as going against the machine. What does that mean? It means whether he wins or loses musically he won what many people fight and die for in life and that is respect.

Eminem is a lightning rod in Hip-Hop. We know he is "White" in a "Black" Hip-Hop culture that is built upon the backs of Inner city people of Melanin. Is that the issue? No not really. The issue I have seen is the main question we have heard for years in NJ Hip-Hop & Brick City Hip-Hop history: Why didn't Eminem look out for the Outsidaz when he blew up? Who was D12 and why does Shady/Aftermath not have the people that group he shouts out and is apart of on HIS label? This question has been posed many times and we never got the answer to this questions and so many more. The sad part about this is Em never addressed this and over time we saw a super group melt into the memories of people that know and become a legend to those that heard of but did not know. Az Izz's stand to against the grain in this case poses a question. Why now and what is he still doing this for?

If you don't get it let me explain. Respect is something that goes beyond music. It applies to music, the race card issue and even life lessons we have been forced to learn due to American law and society. But any way this is looked at RESPECT is the main issue Az Izz is looking for and he does have a right to speak out and let the world know how he feels. What I Can't Say was his first song to talk about Em and though it did not hit like a diss song his testament to the issue or being heard and listened to was made. Royce Da 5'9 was addressed on Soup Of The Day and now Pace Won Az Izz's group mate in The Outsidaz comes to bat with him on the track The Come Up. Once again is this about Eminem's response? No because whether he responds or not Az Izz has made his point.

This Battle was won before it even started This battle is not about Hip-Hop or music. This is a battle about principal and what side you choose to be on. Artistry is one thing but respect is a whole other battle to wage war for. Because we are talking about this battle Az Izz claims a victory but the final victory will come when this matter is closed, If Eminem does not ever answer the question of why and with the machine behind him no matter how many songs, views, streams, etc. he has this one issue will follow his entire career. This same issue was raised from people in Detroit by Esham, Champtown, and his older group and now by another group in NJ. Funny trend don't you think so? In my personal opinion Eminem can rhyme his ass off and has gotten the cosign of people in the culture as he does deserve them due to the music he has created. He has helped give people jobs and to celebrate the culture. See Royce Da 5'9, D12, Obie Trice, Slaughterhouse, Shade 45 XM Radio to say the least. Yet, in the end Em's legacy, as great as it is, will always have this open wound and it is on him to close it. Until then Az Izz poses the one question we want to know, Why? Until we get that answer Stanuary 20th is a yearly event until we finally get this answer.