What about your friends? Will they be—O.K. I think you get the point. When the going gets tough, our humanly instincts instruct us with strict commands in our muscles and joints to look out for numero uno. Who else but YOU can know what you need to do exactly the moment it needs to be done. Read the rest of this entry »

Gotta Be Karim is a man’s man’s; a rapper’s rapper so he wastes no time when it comes to renewing his grind. Barely removed from the head shot homework found on Bullets & Books, he’s making it a point to Do For Self like any respectable earner would do. The first leak, “Beverly Click,” flows like those scenes in the Spike Lee movies where the characters move without moving a muscle. It’s effortless. It’s fluid. It’s Gotta Be Karim. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past few years, the collective talent and consistent production of the St. Louis underground has become an unstoppable force in the Midwest. Leading the march on Atlanta are Black Spade, Vandalyzm and Gotta Be Karim, three MCs who share the scene’s dedication to musical purity. All three capitalize on The Lou’s status as a transit city, mixing the best of sounds from the Chi, to the Dirty South to coasts East and West. And all three focus on winning hearts and minds with their lyrical chops—no gimmicks here.

Despite these shared principles of artistry, each artist maintains a definitive style that sets them apart. Spade acts the part of the older wiser sage, equally adept snapping off a casual verse or crooning a soulful chorus. Vandalyzm’s cockiness and confidence on the mic obscure that he’s one of the hardest working artists around. And Karim’s sunny but street personality shines through on every track he makes.

The tracks selected here show both these MC’s collective talents and unique skills. Revolutionary Bullshit” features Karim and Spade swapping stories over a head boppin’ beat. “Get Dough,” finds Vandalyzm behind the mic and the boards, and the result is pure hustle music. Enjoy, and come see them at more at A3C.

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Download — Black Spade Feat. Gotta Be Karim – “Revolutionary Bullshit”

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Download — Vandalyzm – “Get Dough” (Prod. by Flying Lotus)

Download — Union LA, Trackstar The DJ & TSS Present Black Spade – Build & Destroy Mixtape

Download — Cobblestone Rock Music & The Smoking Section Present Gotta Be Karim – Bullets & Books

Download — Vandalyzm – Megatron Majorz Redux

Another week brings more dopeness from the shores of the Mississippi, as TSS proudly presents to you Gotta Be Karim’s full-length album Bullets & Books. The aptly-titled record features the expected combination of brawn and brain. Featured tracks such as “Hello St. Louis” and “Early” epitomize Kareem’s mentality, a man capable of intimidating bravado and thoughtful subtlety behind the microphone. Read the rest of this entry »

This is not a love song. But that shouldn’t take away any of the artistic merit related to unexpected soft rock sample used or the strong sentiments that Karim sends back to his hometown of St. Louis. Making sure The Force is always well represented, Karim operates under the guise that with growth comes change but there are certain sentiments that will always remain the same. So while he traded in his Cardinals cap for one with a Braves logo, he proves home is where the heart is with “Hello St. Louis.” Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the SXSW weekend, I had a chance to politic with plenty of artists and managers, exchanging information and opinions about the nature of rap and the music business as a whole. When asked how they could increase their online presence, my biggest suggestion was that they invest in a video or two. Perhaps even greater than a solid mixtape or a hot song, a strong video can go full blown viral within a few hours of posting.

On a smaller scale, fans are still fans and they like to connect faces with voices, which videos allow them to do. Even though there’s the perception that outlets are few because BET & MTV don’t show videos anymore, it’s grossly untrue. YouTube and Vimeo can be the most powerful allies of an artist on the rise. Adopt a DIY mantra, find a solid but equally hungry film crew and you’re on your way. Why? Because @ the end of the day, YouTube is still one of the most powerful online tools for music discovery. Read the rest of this entry »

Ahhh…the daily hustle ‘n bustle surviving in these United States. Who would know better than a couple of Midwestern MCs, rapping on an empty stomach. Over a bare-bones palette crafted by Black Spade, the one whose Gotta Be Karim gives you a healthy dose of chicken soup for the soul. Read the rest of this entry »

“Cause if it’s like that, I can get right back wit’ a bet first, I aint the type to let me a tech burst, I’ll pull out the Ruger get to reppin’ respect personally, then show you the type of hustler that you heard me to be.”

Just when you thought you’d heard everything St. Louis had to offer, Gotta Be Karim steps up next to bat. With a distinct style that’s equally influenced by his hometown and current residence of Atlanta, Karim’s approach is grounded in showcasing his surroundings, his rhythmic delivery punctuated with words and bars that mesh together seamlessly. The production by Triffeckta only drives home the point that “Early” is here soon enough to give you fair warning before Karim’s Bullets And Books project drops in March. Read the rest of this entry »

Sit and think about the insurmountable odds you have to face to get attention as a rookie in the rap industry, let alone on the Internet. First you have to prove you can actually spit (or at least do a damn good job faking it .) Then it’s either make a hit of your own that sweeps across the board or hijack the latest, greatest song of the moment to get your buzz circulating. But considering that there’s already a thousand or so treading the same boulevard, sometimes you have to wish upon your lucky star for that extra boost.

In Gotta Be Karim’s case, there isn’t an instrument in his arsenal that resembles the sounds of “routine”…or run-of-the-mill. Free of frills, fake, gimmicks and goofiness, his…LP 10,000 Apples (dare not call it a mixtape) is the exemplification of the Hip-Hop movement down to its core. His deliberate yet detailed delivery, flow across the music with the power of reason as well as the rhyme and with the majority of the production helmed by Black Spade of jack-my-beat-and-lie-about-it fame, you know the total package is equally soulful as it is stimulating.

Enough of this intro shit. Proceed for your fruit for thought. Read the rest of this entry »