I Never Knew Needlz Produced this Record

2nd Annual Eufaula’s Got Talent

It’s that time again…The 2nd Annual Eufaula’s Got Talent talent show. If you are interested in participating, please download an entry form and official rules from the link below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7eezfb8otel08

The Realest Blog I Ever Wrote

If you do music, please read every word that follows. If you don't do music, this applies to you also. You never know who may cross your path or who you may meet. Network, Network, Network. Many people have most likely heard the saying "your network determines your net worth" or a slew of other statements that reiterate the importance of establishing a network in your field or area of expertise. Well, those statements are true. Whenever you watch a Tyler Perry production, do many of the actors/actresses look familiar? They should. He uses the same people and has done so for years. How many songs have Wayne, T-Pain, and Rick Ross done together? Too many to count. You may not be in the same circles as a Tyler Perry or T-Pain, so start your own. Seek out people who possess the same ambitions and drive as you. Nurture those relationships. Those same people may have contacts that can help further your career. Now it's time for my real life examples of the importance of networking, forming relationships, and not burning bridges.

About 4 or 5 years ago, I went to a recording studio in Atlanta with a group of my cousins. I think it was 2High Recording Studios or something like that. Only one of us had been there before and that particular cousin said a guy that goes by Kato has a studio in the building. We needed to record a couple of songs and didn't have alot of money to do so. If I remember correctly, I think Kato charged us $15 for two songs. You can't beat that and for him to do it on the low like that showed that he was in it for more than money. On another occasion, we dropped by the studio and Kato wasn't there, but one of his associates was...Brandon of the production team Nard and B (We didn't know that fact at the time). We didn't record any songs that day but Brandon played some of their beats for us and they had that heat and their signature sound way back then. Brandon told us he could work with us on the prices. Long story short, there was a small incident a month or so later (We blew it) and lets just say the bridges were burned with those guys. Nard and B are doing big things in Atlanta now and I can only imagine all the things we could have learned from those guys. Here's one of the songs we recorded:



Fast forward about 6 months in the same year. I found a studio in Gwinnett county that was decently priced and decided to purchase some studio time for my cousins. This time we called up a couple more people who came to town to go with us. I met a guy that went by Shawty Fatt from Gadsden. He told us about a dude he met from Eufaula (My hometown) while doing a bid. I actually grew up with the dude. Small world. He was also telling us about a white rapper named Yelawolf that he kicked it with. Anyway, we went to the studio and Shawty Fatt got on one of the songs. I never saw him after that day. Fast forward to today. Yelawolf is huge and I came across the picture below on the Supahot Beats blog. If I am not mistaken, Shawty Fatt is the guy to the far left. Yelawolf is the white guy. Need I say more?

Here's our track with Shawty Fatt:


Once again...Network, Network, Network. Stay in touch.

The G.O.A.T. - Mic Kill Jordan



Check out the latest installment of classic mixtapes by the world famous Stess The Emcee. Appearances by Kool G Rap, Big Boi, and others. Download the FREE mixtape HERE.

Hot Yella...The Triple Threat

Bama Boys Entertainment: What are some of the drawbacks to being a female artist in the male dominated rap game?

Hot Yella: I think the good in every situation out-weighs the bad, I try not to focus on problems- but rather the solutions. I do feel sometimes that I have to work harder, image-wise than a lot of male rappers as a lady, my hair, make-up, nails, heels, skin, jewelry all must all be on point. There are so many products that go into the beautification process, and it can be a long process! I am not saying that being a girl isn't amazing and a wonderful experience, but we definitely work harder on our image, so that's a little unequal in my opinion.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Has there ever been any specific situations that tested your desire to be a hip hop artist?

Hot Yella: I will always be creating music, it is not only a creative outlet and habit, but it's also my job and I'm not a quitter. I think the battles, situations and setbacks inspire me to strive for betterment as a hip-hop artist and personality. To me it's the 'tests' that make me want to study, and I want all A's!

Bama Boys Entertainment: What do you think has been the key(s) to Nicki Minaj's success?

Hot Yella: Her unique lyrical ability and delivery has a lot to do with her success. Also her image and style helped her become a female rap icon. Oh yeah...and her voices! She's very animated, different from most female emcees I've heard lately.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What emcee is the male version of you?

Hot Yella: I have been told Nas, Jay-Z, Fabolous, Eminem and even Pac. Personally, I cannot answer this question, I'd rather leave it up to the listener. I have a difficult time perceiving what I look like or sound like to others.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Finish the following sentence: In 2011, I will_ _ _ _ _ .

Hot Yella: ...continue with the same work ethic as December 31, 2010! I will wake up every morning of 2011 as I normally would--striving for mental clarity and strength, as well being focused on making musical strides.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What is the most personal song that you have written thus far? (briefly describe it's content).

Hot Yella: Each verse or song is a piece of me, I would be a traitor to one song if I said another was more or less me than the other. At this moment I would say my new single "Dream Too Much" is personal because it is a sneak peek into my mind. The content of the song is very playful much like myself, but it also has deep meanings about life and growing up as an artist and person. It's for young people, especially those who are misunderstood. I absolutely love this record and cannot wait for the world to hear it! Keep yourself updated on http://www.hotyella.com/ it will be released soon. ;)

Bama Boys Entertainment: If you could work with any one producer, who would it be and why?

Hot Yella: I like working with a variety of different producers, including up and coming producers. They too are hungry, talented and creative. I would not limit myself to only working with platinum selling producers just because they are a platinum selling. I would say one day a record with Swizz Beatz would be bananas thought, so I'll say, "Swizz, Let's talk beats!" ;)

Bama Boys Entertainment: What do you think it will take to get music to a place where all the regions in the U.S. are poppin' at the same time?

Hot Yella: Power to the people, as they say! I think its is up to the people to fall in love with an artist and their music--whatever type of regional genre or sound that entails, I really couldn't answer that. I'd just say it's up to the people to decide what's good music.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Where's the weirdest place you have ever performed?

Hot Yella: There is no such thing as a weird place to perform, the world is a sage! I can say performances that may be slightly awkward are when they happen during family BBQs or cookouts for example, when my family or friends want me to rap or sing for them. It's spontaneous, but I am always down to perform, it's my gift and I like to give!

Bama Boys Entertainment: Describe your creative process when writing a song.

Hot Yella: Concepts come out of the blue, at any moment I can become inspired. The key is being continuously inspired! I also listen to tracks when I'm writing because a hot record must have a hot beat. Also, when I am writing a song I prefer to be alone, in my own comfort zone, not forcing my thoughts or lyrics.

Thank you Bama Boys Entertainment for taking the time to interview me! I also want to thank all my fans, supporters and all the DJs, radio stations and bloggers who have helped me share my music with the world! Contact my management, 26Talent at 704.910.9185 or 26Talent@gmail.com for anything you need from me or check out HotYella.com!

T-Pain Contest: Get On His Song, Come Up With The Hottest Version

Download Track Here: http://www.mediafire.com/?bfnusha7je5m2xk

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum of The Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Bama Boys Entertainment: How has radio changed over the past 5 years?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: I think it is actually more music driven. With Arbitron (a media and marketing research firm) changing from survey booklets to actual PPM (Portable People Meter), it has made stations far more music intensive.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What are your thoughts on the Performance Rights Act legislation?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: Well, from my understanding and this side of the board, I do not feel as if it is a good thing. It is an additional tax on music that stations would have to pay to the artists and record labels. But the thing is, we already pay....And I think this additional charge could have a bad chain reaction.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What do you feel contributed to Soulja Boy's low sales numbers?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: Not sure, I mean it is hard to read sales in today's market because are you looking at the big picture for all sales. Plus, I don't really feel as if he had a solid single out and there have been alot of really big albums dropping these past weeks.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Speak on your path to becoming a radio personality.

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: I was in High School in Marietta, GA and started an internship here at Hot 97.5 (before the name change) in 1998. Ryan Cameron gave me a shot as his intern/assistant in 2000 and of course came up with my moniker "Beyonce Alowishus I'm Sorry" because he said I kept messing up and saying "I'm Sorry." So, I then started doing my own on-air shifts over nights and on weekends. And then was a member of the A-Team Morning Show, and now currently with the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. Life is good. I have been beyond blessed in this industry and I am truly thankful for all of the amazing opportunities I have been blessed with here at Radio One. The A-Team was such an experience because we actually had to build and create our own show (Rashan Ali, CJ, Akini and Griff). But it was definitely fun times. Now, working with Rickey is amazing. You also have Ebony, Headkrack, Rock T, Special K, Gary with the T, Juicy , Hollywood, and Chica. Again, I can't be more thankful to work with such great people.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What song or album can you not go without listening to throughout the day?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: Um, there is not a favorite song or artist for me, I love music. I am a big B.O.B supporter though. I really love his music. But I like everything from Hip Hop to Rock. I am a music lover.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Being into technology and gadgets, what is the hot item for this Christmas season?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: 100 percent, the iPad and the Xbox Kinnect. I have the Kinnect and me and my younger sisters (12,16, and 20) play it all the time. It is a great family party game.

Bama Boys Entertainment: The radio play list can sometimes become repetitive. How can listeners get their favorite artists played that aren't as popular as say Rick Ross or T.I.?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: Well, here at Hot we have a great programming team who actually meets with local artists and hold a DJ meeting weekly to find out what's hot in the clubs and do alot of research, which includes a database of daily requests that the listeners call in and request. We have actually broken alot of national artists here. If you think about it, Rick Ross and T.I. were first played here in Atlanta on Hot.

Bama Boys Entertainment: What has been your most enjoyable interview?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: I have lucked up and had some pretty awesome interviews over the years. Suge Knight was an interesting one, Snoop was fun, T.I. always drops the bizz, But the most incredible was Barack Obama.

Bama Boys Entertainment: Emperor Searcy was recently awarded a community service award at the March of Dimes Achievement in Radio Awards. In what ways are other Hot 107.9 personalities involved in the community?

Tonya "Beyonce" Clackum: Well, everyone contributes alot of time and effort to the community in their own way. Some are heavy in the schools with various outreach programs and so fourth. And then as a team, we are also working on some kind of effort to give back whether it's bullying in our schools, Hosea Feed The Hungry, Toy Drives.... and more. But the community here is our top priority. We don't do it for recognition or accolades, we just genuinely want to do what ever we can to help those who need help.

Follow Tonya on Twitter @Beyonceatl and check out the Rickey Smiley Morning Show online at www.http://hotspotatl.com/, every weekday from 6 to 10 am.