The Recipe: Hip-hop as The Main Ingredient

Straight out of Dubai, UAE, embodying that breakbeat flavor through multiple hip-hop elements, is a crew known as The Recipe.  The ingredients being MCs, producers, DJs, and a beatboxer; the members go by the names DJ Flash B, Hirabeat, Jabbar, Kaz Money, Perfect Storm, and Swerte.

L-R: Swerte, Jabbar, DJ Flashbeat, Hirabeat, Kaz Money, Perfect Storm

They've rocked crowds with big international names like Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, etc. and have won over the hearts of their local listeners due to their collective high energy, original skills, and tastefully comedic live act.

Each contributor to The Recipe has a unique story of their own - from backgrounds to musical influences to achievements.  For this very reason, when you click on the "ABOUT US" portion of their website http://www.therecipedxb.com, they each have personal bios giving individual focus.  That being said, while it wasn't mentioned in his writeup, Manila heads may recognize half-Filipino, half-Indian member Hirabeat as one of the co-founders of Beatbox Pilipinas as well as beatboxer for People's Future. He actually has Manila to thank for birthing his passion for hip-hop and we have him to thank for giving us knowledge on this supergroup.

Check out their latest video "Shit Like This" front-lined by Kaz Money off his mixtape "The Ridicule - The Opposition", which can be downloaded via this link: http://www.mediafire.com/?lkidonw69pp7pat

Strictly reppin'. So much of what drew me to hip-hop in the first place was the self-expression, artists just going at it and not giving a what. Some humor in there never hurt either. These 6 heads bring just that, steady cooking up The Recipe, with hip-hop as the main ingredient.

For more info on The Recipe, check out their website (link seen above), on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/therecipe or on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/therecipedxb

I Fell in Love Through My Ears...

"A man falls in love with his eyes.  A woman falls in love through her ears". -Woodrow Wyatt


I'm not going to tell you about when Hip-hop took my heart.  See, it didn't take a day nor even a week, month or year.  Instead I'm going to tell you how.  It penetrated me to the very core over a period of time and once I began listening deeper and deeper, I was convinced that it would be not be a whirlwind romance.  As I lived through my growing glories and pains, Hip-hop had listened back.


I took to a pen and pad at the age of 14 and though I always second-guessed myself with each verse, I was determined to make a worthy contribution.  It wasn't a few years until I was ready to let others hear and soon enough, I had camaraderie with some underground heads.  Things started to happen for me at both a critical and vital time.  I was growing with people that allowed me to be exposed to an eclectic mix of music, which wasn't always made available to my ears on the radio or perhaps I had just been too ignorant about.  It even allowed me to appreciate my parents' musical preferences from their upbringing (which I had formerly shunned), because they were undeniably hip-hop's roots.  I was fascinated and absorbed the very essence.  


Fast-forward a few more years, at the age of 17/18 and I found myself high-speed rolling with an already established hip-hop/rn'b group.  Y'know, this little ol' group called 7 Shots of Wisdom.  Well, let's just say that it was the good, the great, the bad, and the worst.  That many personalities made to work together daily plus young mind-states? Chaos was inevitable.  Nevertheless, at the end of the day, despite our lack of control over our moves and collectively committing mistakes to the nth power, it was a life-changing and thrilling run with talented individuals that I had the opportunity to fly high with.  5 things that cannot be taken away from this experience: 1) I was launched into the industry, 2) Our music touched many, 3) I learned the business side of the game, 4) I met my husband (definitely can't take that one away, that's forever), and 5) I wouldn't be who I am today without them - mind, body and soul.


Post-group, I did take a breather, but I also took chances in lending my vocals to tracks by other artists and eventually, my flame for writing and making music was reignited.  This was around the time that I was a college student under the Bachelor of Arts - Major in Music Production program at De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde.  My course enabled my connection with the fundamentals and provided me with the ability to observe and be a part of what goes on behind-the-scenes.  I was a listener and learner once more and I thrived in that position.


Moreover, this was also when I joined with my current manager, Jigger of LockedDown.  He not only patiently (more patiently than you'll ever know) walked me through the path of a solo artist, but also guided me on how to extend what I knew unto others.  I decided that not only did I want to make my own moves, I wanted to assist others in their musical ambitions too.  Thus, he blessed me with a LockedDown imprint label called Dope Love Records roughly 2 years ago.  Within the same year that it was established, the first album by People's Future titled Headlines Issue#1 was released and notwithstanding the bumps in the road, it brought me joy beyond words to be able to play a part in this endeavor.


I believe that now brings me to present day.  I, who tend to be a hip-hop hermit, because "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans".  It's as if Hip-hop had become an old home; one that I had always kept, intended to keep visiting and at times still live in.  When in reality, I should be home to my own Hip-hop.  


I will always have it in me to produce music, for release or not.  But when I'm not doing that, I want to remain steady aware and listening to all the magic out there.  Let me listen to your music and I will be a medium to let others listen too so that they may fall in love through their ears, as I did.