The Life That Was Taken Too Soon

Brooklyn is often considered the origin of hip hop music.  Everyone from MC Lyte to the Beastie Boys has walked the streets of the borough the neighbored Manhattan. However, one artist has always been the representation of Brooklyn hip-hop.  Notorious BIG, known as Biggie to his millions of fans, grew up in the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant and rapped about his experiences of running the streets and selling drugs just to survive.

Before becoming the Notorious BIG, he was just Christopher Wallace; raised in a tough section Brooklyn.  His father left his mother when Wallace was just two years old, forcing her to get two jobs to support her only son. Wallace admitted it was not easy growing up in Bed-Stuy and he eventually got caught up with the wrong crowd.  He said in an interview, Growing up in the streets of Bed-Stuy, it was hard, yo. Being on the corners in Brooklyn in January and having to sell drugs? Come on. I hustled, that was my game.” 

Wallace went to school with fellow rappers Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School.  He never finished high school; instead dropping out to focus on his career as a street hustler.  He was arrested three times shortly after and decided to become a lyricist.  Wallace has rapped as a teenager, but decided to make a demo tape after his third arrest.  He never intended to become a rapper, but with a lot of help from his friend, rap DJ Mister Cee, his music started making it way around New York City.  It fell into the hands of the Source Magazine who featured the unknown rapper in their “Unsigned Hype” section.

BIG’s close friend, Damion “D-Roc” Butler spoke about those days when BIG was still unsigned, We would make the tapes for us to listen to and Mister Cee got ahold of one of them and put it out. Big was upset Cee got the tape. He wasn't looking for no deal like that. If you put Big on the spot like he could rhyme, he was like, ‘Nah, man." Big was shy. He would say, "I ain't one of them dudes looking for no deal.’”

 That demo was heard by an up-and-coming producer at Uptown Records named Sean Combs.  He was immediately signed, but Cobs lost his job not long after.  This started Bad Boy Records and Big’s debut album, Ready to Die.  That album featured hits like “Juicy”, “Big Poppa”, and “One More Chance”.  The album was a massive hit with his clever metaphors and infectious beats.  BIG says the album is about what he knows, which is living in Brooklyn. “In Brooklyn, I see hustling, I see killing, I see girls, I see cars — that's what I rap about, what's in my environment. Everything I did on the album was all about me. Me and Brooklyn. My Brooklyn representees know that. All that everyday struggle, waking up, check-cashing place, it's 9 o'clock in the morning, that's all Brooklyn, baby. That's all real,” he said.

Unfortunately, Ready to Die was the only album he ever put out while he was alive.  BIG was gunned down in Las Vegas in 1997.  He was taken far too soon from us, but his memory will forever live on.  He has inspired almost every notable rapper currently on the radio, including Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, a fellow Brooklyn native.  “There was a vow in that song about Big. So doing that was my way of always keeping him fresh and keeping his music fresh on everyone's mind,” he said.  Carter speaking about his song “What More Can I Say” off his album “The Black Album”.  BIG’s lyrics will forever live on as Jay-Z and many more continue to pay homage the late rapper.

No More Pictures Please

HZ The Forsaken signs the wall in Simmie Hayes' studio that signifies she has been photographed here.

A lot goes into becoming a successful artist in the music industry.   The look is almost as important as the talent in a selfie-obsessed world.  HZ The Forsaken, a female artist, understands the pressure on females to maintain a certain look in order to sell, however, she is trying to change that perception.  “You see Nikki Minaj and Beyonce dominating the charts and getting most of the attention and that is because they’re talented, but more importantly because of their look.  They are both gorgeous and understand the concept of ‘sex sells’ very, very well,” she said. “For me, I want to be judged on my talent and don’t want to believe the only way to make it is through sex.”  

HZ in the middle of her photo shoot today for her new single, "Kill It". 

Today, HZ, real name Gabrielle Burgos, had a photo shoot for her single “Kill It”.  Working with local photographer Simmie Hayes, she headed over to his apartment which doubles as his studio. HZ’s manager Floyd Abadia explained the concept of the shoot.  He said, “You know, the song is a feel good track. The lyrics are “Just know I’mma [sic] kill it” so it’s about feeling good about yourself.  We want her to look confident most importantly.”

A look at Hayes' studio in his apartment.

Currently a student at St. John’s University, Hayes hopes he can one day become a full time photographer.  He specializes in fashion shoots, but also works with Brooklyn artists from time to time.  “Photography is about capturing a moment and telling a story.  My job is to make sure I capture the story she is trying to tell in her song,” Hayes said after the shoot.  He continued by saying another task for him is to make people feel comfortable on set.  “Some people are nervous about having their picture taken.  You don’t know how self conscious you are until someone puts a camera in your face!” he continued.  

While some artists may be timid around cameras, others embrace their time in front of one.  Fellow rapper Ralph Burg was at the set supporting HZ and even jumped on set to loosen her up.  He volunteered to do the test shoot and tried to make her laugh.  “I guess it’s different for girls and guys.  I don’t care if I look like a fool, I know I look like a fool!  But I want her to have fun with photo shoots so if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it,” he said.  

What $500 Can Get You in the Music Industry: The Production Process

Making a record seems like a fun and exciting process.  While creatively it might be, unfortunately, your wallet will not agree. For most independent artists, money is not readily available.  Most artists are forced to work at least one other job just to survive.  Between studio time and marketing, releasing a single can cost an artist at least $500. So where exactly does all that money go?


While writing lyrics may be free of charge, the instrumental for a track is not. Unless you can create your own beats, you are stuck paying someone else.  While some of the greats like Timbaland and Pharrell can cost thousands and thousands of dollars, producers just starting out can run up to $500 for licensing of their track.   That is for the non-exclusive rights to beat meaning no more than 2,000 songs can be sold for profit.  The price jumps up for exclusive rights to a beat, but there are no restrictions on distributing it. 

A look at a recording studio in Brooklyn, NY that allows for live music as well as vocals to be recorded which allows for a wide array of music to be recorded here.  (Photo Taken: 11/1/2014)

Once you have your beat picked out and lyrics written down it is time to get in the studio! This is where all the fun begins.  Unfortunately, four hours in a studio will set you back around $200.  Hip-hop artist Ralph Burg uses Grammy Award winning producer Steve Sola when he is looking to record.  “Getting the chance to work with someone that has worked with P. Diddy and Wu-Tang it’s pretty cool.  It’s worth the money to work with someone with his experience.  I feel like I'm actually paying to pick his brain,” Burg said. 

One of producer Steve Sola's many platinum records proudly displayed in his studio.   (Photo Takes: 11/1/2014)

So now that you already a few hundred dollars out, it is time to start making money back!  Brooklyn-based hip-hop manager Floyd Hayes said, “We currently record, do minimal editing, and then send it to someone we know can mix and master.  If we own all the rights to the song, then after production is complete, we can jump straight to distribution”.  If you go that route as an independent artist, then your recorded track can be placed on various websites including Amazon, TuneCore, and iTunes.  

Ralph Burg performing last night in Brooklyn, NY.  One of the key ways to grow a following is to get on stage.  (Photo Taken 11/1/2014)

Don’t expect the money to start flowing in right away.  This is where the hard work starts.  Promoting your song is so important to success.  Making people care about what you have to say is the hardest part of the entire process because you cannot force people to like you and your music.  Brooklyn artist HZ the Forsaken explains how she promotes her material, “Shows of course are number one, but the internet is everything nowadays.  Everyone is always on one of their social media accounts and that’s how you attack the masses.”  Live showcases are another expense for artists looking to build their following.