Talking with Sincere

In the business of hip hop everyone plays a position. Historically the most vocal of those positions is the MC. Sometimes media outlets reach out to the those behind the scenes arms of the industry that don’t get the change to voice themselves everyday. Sincere is one of those folks. Her company Added Bonus Entertainment has had its hand in numerous events and release in the Cleveland scene and we thought we’d give her a chance to speak her peace. …. and yeah there was a LOT pent up. So much so that we had to condense the interview into a shorter version with a clickable version of the interview in its entirety. Hey who are we stop somebody who’s on a roll. I5’s Jay Floyd polly’d with Sin on her thoughts about Hip Hop and the Cleveland Scene in general.

I5: Whatsup Sin! Thanks for taking the time out to build with us. Ok, so we see your name all over the place…tell everybody how you got started in the biz?

I actually started just taking pictures at shows I never EVER expected all of this! I had a bit of knowledge about events and PR from my past work with athletes, I have a best friend who has been in the music industry with his own label for over 10 years, and I have (sometimes) a lot of common sense (laugh) and I pay attention. The more I was in the scene the more I learned, the more I learned the more I realized I could help and do what I love, and that’s being around music 24/7.

I first  stepped in working with Shimmy from the Main Dealer, met a bunch of good people, I was with him for a really short time but learned a lot and had doors open for me because of him. When I left I had already known Quincy Taylor of ITW and liked what I had seen him do so I asked him for a job, I ended up working directly for Quincy as his right hand woMAN for a while.
I started from the bottom up. I booked events, took pictures of promos ITW was working on, worked the door, checked artists in, all of it. I worked mostly on The Underground Show when it was held over at the VIP area of Metropolis and then onto bigger events ITW would have in the city. Working for Q gave me a lot of courage to be the person I am today. He will always be one of my mentors.

I5: That’s whatsup. So tell us about Added Bonus Entertainment…who’s down?

Our client listing is CRAZY! Officially A.B.E handles PR and more for:
K.justice-Artist (Painesville OH), Jay-Five-Artist (Warren OH) Gotta Husle (Group) and Gotta Husle Ent. (Youngstown OH) Klassik-Artist (Tampa) The Beat Moguls (FL) A Klassik Design ( FL) LBS Clothing Co. (FL), Kalam aka Killah Beats (Zoo Boyz) Producer-(OH/NY) MR 44-Artist (Cleveland OH), The Sound Teckz-Production DUO (Cleveland OH), Raphead.com(World wide, based out of Chicago)
I as also an independant Publicist am the publicist for the following, who are obviously affiliated with the brand A.B.E but are not directly working with the company A.B.E: Paulie Rhyme (Bay Area, Cali), Young Yonny-Producer (OH), L.T. mOE-Producer(Atlanta) Hunned Buck-Artist (Erie PA) DJ Nitro (Pittsburgh PA)

I5: Aight with that, tell us about yourself…have you ever sang or rhymed…any youtubes we can find out there of you freestyling?

(Laugh) I love to be BEHIND the scenes so NO you will not see me on camera freestylin’ or singing UNLESS I’m just clowning. I am the biggest goof ball in the world. I love to laugh and make others laugh, but as I can plainly say it HELL TO THA NAW! (laugh)

I5: We got wind of some heated discussions you had with someone from out of state regarding Ohio and its current impact on hip-hop. Tell us how you feel about the current state of Ohio hip-hop…the good and the bad.

I think people need to chill the F* out and GROW UP! (laugh) Ohio hip hop is a very different breed then any other scene I have EVER been around. I have heard it said and I have to agree the Ohio hip hop scene is like “crabs in a barrel” but there is hope, I have faith like many others in not only the scene here but hip hop in general, but if we don’t want it bad enough we will continue to be stuck on Idle.

People don’t like to hear the truth, and fool themselves into believing BS and wonder why they don’t get ahead…LOOK IN THE MIRROR! Maybe if you stopped pointing the finger for one second and looked in the mirror you would find the problem! It can’t be EVERYONE around yous’ fault for whatever BS YOU got yourself into! People are LAZY at times (yes I said it!) Hate it or love it it’s the truth! I hear artists complain all the time why they not getting paid or why they not getting booked or getting spins, but YOU have NO fan base you are not SUPPORTING the DJ‘s you are not BUILDING relationships (knowledge reinforced from attending the NMS in NOV)  YOU (the artist) don’t do any proper promotions for the shows you booked yourself on, you don’t help the situation YOU got yourself into, then they book again and again with the same person they bitched about taking them for a sucker…WTF? Does that make ANY sense? Or they compain the DJ wont spin their music, BUT you have never ever gone to one of their events, talked to them, hell got them a drink or held a convo with them but you EXPECT them to play your music or even know who you are? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

People act as if they are OWED something, but for what? Just cuz you can rap? I can find rappers all over the state and world that would give anything to be on a stage just once, NO one asked you to rap so why does anyone OWE you anything? COME ON!
People tend to take advantage of situations and if you that sucker they lickin on that’s all on you!

I am going to say it, A LOT of people are straight dick riders! Prime example, I came back from NY last year and had heard people in the NYC talking about Cleveland native Kid Cudi, (I had NO IDEA who he was til NYC) but NO ONE (expect Chip and a very FEW select artists producers and DJ’s) was saying anything about him out here, from the bottom to the top of the Cleveland hip hop scenes food chain I had come into contact with No one was talking about Kid Cudi, NOW all of a sudden the SAME people I said something to who had NO love for him before, are now screaming KID CUDI! He left OH, got on in 3 short years with one of the biggest hip hop super stars on the planet and NOW you want to scream his name, COME ON! FAKES and dick riders make up 50% of the scene, and the other 50% are hard working, true to the core, love what they do, good people, it just seems sometimes the dick riders and fakes have better budgets (laugh)

I5: You stay active and keep your hand on the pulse of the local scene… Who is the best artists we HAVENT heard yet (in or outside of your crew)?

WOW! Local talent you havent heard, I know you hear everything and it all comes across your desk because you also keep your hands in the scene as well, but some up and comers in the scene that I think are WAY over looked or underestimated and are INCREDIBLY talented. Jesty Beatz, D.Roof, Scheme D, Lost Nation, Johnny Givens, Machine Gun Kelly, Carlicia (mark my words she will take over the R&B game) J.Bang. They are all from Cleveland, and in Ohio, Team Tuck (Akron), Zelakhan (Painsville), Young Reese and Blaze (Columbus), Slick Watts (the OV) and so many other talents all over Ohio, it is Ridiculous! Just travel a little and you will see what I am talking about. I think DJ’s like Scratch Master L and Steph Floss and DJ G-Spot are over looked way to much by the artists in our scene, but they are amazing DJ’s to connect with. And People like Marlo Jackson, Fresh and X of Nublud, Suave Goddi, Poomanchew, and many others who have industry or other kinds of knowledge and tools that can help you are way unappreciated in our scene!

I know you all heard of Pheonix Jones, King.Dom, Ray Cash, Go Live Grizzles, Rime Royal (and I am not just saying that, I heard the last album full scholarship got a copy of it and it STAYS in my regular rotation!) and Jus Mic but they would be on my list as well.

I5: OK, plug time…what can we expect next from A.B.E.?

We will be helping to put together a few events this year, We will be bringing back the H.I.V/aids awareness show working with Nappyhead Ent. I really needed 07 to regroup and do the event total justice (thanks to everyone who supported the event in 06!) We will be helping the Grind Hard DJ’s put on event this year in Cleveland, as well as Raphead.com, Mine and MJK’s Bday Bash. AT that bash I have booked NYC MC Donny Goines (just google his name he THAT MC!) to headline so you all know that’s going to be crazy and the Bday Double Bash will be back in Cleveland this year so it’s ON! We will be finished up the video for “Love You So” (thank you for dropping the track on the site by the way!) and it will be edited and mostly filmed by Trillvision/Velocity’s own David Velo Stewart, who by the way is one of the MOST incredible human beings on this planet!

As far as our clients: OMG (laugh) not even sure where to start on that one, let’s see, MR 44 will be back and forth from Ohio to NYC which he has been doing the past few months, and really getting a LOT of love in the NYC so we are excited to see what happens he is also working with Legendary DJ Showtime to create from FIRE for 09! Klassik in Rapfanatic this quarter has an EP, LP, and new mixtape coming out this year, Hunned Buck will drop his first mixtape in 2 years through us and exclusive to Datpiff.com, DJ Nitro is nominated for a Pittsburgh Hip hop award this year again in Feb are the awards so get out an VOTE for DJ Nitro and Plan B (grind hard Djs) for Best Mixtape DJ’s of the year. Paulie Rhyme has 2 tours planned for 09, the green giants tour 2.0 and another for later in the year and will be dropping music all year as well as an up coming mixtape with DJ Nitro called Style Warz Vol. 1, Kalam officially remixed in late 08 S.E.A nominee Jackie Chain’s song Rollin with Modesty XO and has a ton of work coming out and beat placements, Young Yonny will continue his exclusive Vblog for yoraps.com called producers corner which is Biweekly, but he just landed a deal today as a matter of fact, working with MAX GOUSSE (Def Jam) & LIVIO HARRIS, and has a lot of placements coming including Na’Shay’s first single “Lovin You” coming in Feb. L.T. mOE has some crazy projects I can’t talk about but when I can I will be SCREAMING them, I can tell you that his group The Plague (he rhymes under the name Buddy Boie) will drop an album this year.  Gotta Husle is coming out with a new album spring time, The Sound Teckz are working with a ton of artists from OH and even out in NY getting their extraordinary beats heard and placed, they will also drop a project with A.B.E late spring early Summer along the lines of a street album. Kjustice should be back in the studio by June, Jay-Five going to Tampa for a show this month, and getting new music out, we just dropped 5th element themixtape hosted by the League Crew’s own DJ Fresh, I hear there is a mixtape in the works with DJ Panic as well.

I5: Any parting words to leave the INDIEFIVE readers out there with?

Yes.. I’m going to give advice that I have been given by people throughout my career things they have taught me…
STAY HUMBLE!
Support websites like Indiefive.com who support you and your scene back.
Stop letting people who don’t know what the hell they doing take you for a sucka! Support local music
RESPECT each other
Some people need to realize that THEIR opinion of what Hip Hop is isn’t FACT!
Love yourself and your scene
When times are down and you think it’s time to throw in the towel…dig deep and go harder!
DON’T GIVE UP!
STOP stabbing other in the back!
This is NOT high school! If you have a problem instead of running around running your mouth, confront that person in a professional manner!
Invest in yourself, no one else will!
Stop taking advantage of each other, you don’t need to work together but you do need to respect each other I cant stress that enough!
Support college radio.
STOP BEING LAZY!
Your biggest enemy is YOURSELF!
Be as fair as you possibly can.
This business only gets harder every step you take, but it is worth every inch you fight for if you truly love what you do!
LOVE YOUR HATERS!
Be able to take constructive critism from those who are honestly there to help!
Just because your homeboys or your mama play your music doesn’t mean you hot!
TRAVEL!
NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK
Treat everyone how you would want someone to treat you!
Whether its 5 people or 5000 people ROCK THE STAGE LIKE A PACK STADIUM!
Try and have some FUN!
Be YOURSELF!
Seek out Knowledge, people are around who know what they are talking about and are willing to help you!
STOP thinking people owe you something or you deserve something, NO ONE asked you to be in this business or do what you do no handouts in this game!
Respect those that came before you and laid the foundation for you to do what you do (shout out to Suave Gotti, Al Porter, PoohManchew, Paulie Rhyme)
and last but not least…
THANK YOU goes a long way, when its hard felt and genuine!
Thanks to Speed and the entire staff at Indiefive.com for doing what you continue to do and this interview.

Click here for the full interview!

Colossal Collab

Sincere brought this one my way. Produced by The Sound Teckz and mixed by Xtro of Team Tuck (get me some music bruh) you got the 6 man collab joint featuring Buddy Boie, Catalyst, Paulie Rhyme, Phoneix Jones, Machine Gun Kelly and Mr. 44. Its called Love You So. These kind of tracks make me happy. Check it out. Drop a comment and let em know what you think.

Oh and on a related note Phoenix dropped this one on my doorstep. Family Guy. w/GSpot. Whoa!