Esohel has dropped another hot video off of the “Industry Series Vol.1″ mixtape.  In this song, Esohel raps over Slaughterhouse’s “Microphone”, and gives it his own Chitown edge. The video was directed and edited by R.Raven. Check it out!

Name 10 classic albums of 2009 as quickly as you can…

I attempted this earlier today. I tried to think of all the material from 2009 I felt has classic potential. It was difficult and shocking. I’m sure if you think long and hard enough, you can come up with something, but why should it take so long to think of all of a sudden? There’s good music out there right? Sure….just not as much great music.

That’s when it hit me…..

What happened to all of the GREAT music? Don’t get me wrong, there are still some greats out there today, both tenured and amatuer. I feel it’s a lot harder to find….yes, I said you have to go and find some of it! I’m still not really clear on some things however. Is it just that there isn’t as much great talent out there anymore? Or is the talent out there in the same porportions as before, yet rarely showcased by the industry powers that be. You would think with the internet making it so much easier to put  music out, classic albums would be falling from the skies!  On the other hand, this easy access to upload/download music could be killing our chances of finding the gems, since there is so much material to filter through. For decades, artists only had an LP every year or two, with less than 11 tracks on average. Now an artist will flood the net with so much music in such a short time, that you have no idea which songs come from what album/mixtape! Is this good or bad for how we consume music in 2010 and beyond? It’s arguable whether or not this advance is good or bad for artists. They have more control, yet won’t make as much money unless they really grind…..like….a whole lot. It’s also arguable whether or not it’s good for us, the consumers.

Something else to ponder….the talent aspect of everything. Are most artists of today doing what they should do to really be an artist???  Do they truly work hard to perfect their craft and their presentation? When you hear their music, are you getting their best? Do you anticipate more of their work, and are willing to pay for it? Do they take the time to perform each and every song like it’s something classic? I wonder if the art of music is becoming somewhat lost for the sake of business and/or image alone.

Surface vs Substance.

What IS great music anyway? Timeless music that connects to the soul in some way is what I consider GREAT music.  It’s the album that you can put on and just let play from beginning to end, over and over again….for years. I see some of it out there (which gives me hope), just not as much. What do you think?

Yet ANOTHER really cool Writers Wednesday event goes down tonight at 5pm! Watch your favorite Chicago MCs battle it out for a cash prize.

Directed by Impakt Studio’s Chris & Blaq, here goes the first video from Lungz off  Sean Mac’s ”Go Sk8 of Mind” project. Enjoy.

Often referred to as a “female Jack Johnson”,  Daphne Willis is NOT one to sleep on if you’re looking for a new gem. Check her out below.

Futurgarb boutique, Chicago Guitar Lessons, and Martyrs’ Restaurant & Pub will be hosting a performance on April 2, 2010 by Chicago based accoustic singer/guitarist, Daphne Willis. ChiStateofMind.com is partering along to help offer 3 different great prizes! You can enter to win either a pair of free tickets to Daphne’s upcoming show, a $25 gift voucher to have dinner at Martyrs Restaurant & Pub, or a free guitar lesson with Chicago Guitar Lessons!

ChiStateofMind.com has teamed up to help you win one of these prizes! It’s really easy.  All you have to do is post a ReTweet on Twitter that says “ChiStateofMind.com – Daphne Willis Prize Giveaway @KristianEliz I want to win _____ ” and you will be entered into a drawing to win. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can send an email to chistateofmindblog@gmail.com. The winner will be selected by Monday, 03/28/2010! This awesome giveaway would not be possible without The Musebox (http://themusebox.net/). The performance is right around the corner, so act swiftly!

March 26th, 2010 is the date for the premiere of the first video, “Skateboard G” off of Sean Mac’s ”Go Sk8 of Mind” mixtape. The release featuring Lungz, will go down at Lumen (839 W Fulton, Chicago IL), and will get things going with a hosted cocktail reception from 9pm-10pm. You’ll probably see me somewhere in the building, as well as ton of other people!

Here are some visuals to go along with the recently premiered “Model In The Mirror” by Nikki Lynette. Pay close attention! The format of this video is almost collage-like. Many pictures were taken from online and/or submitted from fans and friends of Nikki, so you might be in it! Enjoy.

Check out this new video from Nephew, which was recently shot for the “Neph-ology” project.

NEWPHEWFROMTHEGO.COM

Nino Punchlines & Philosopha are back at it again to release their 2nd leak, “Moonlight” off of the soon to be released, ”Nightmare on Lexington Street” mixtape. You can download the entire mixtape on March 24th, 2010.

Nino Punchlines & Philosopha – “Moonlight”

Esohel just released his anticipated first video from the “Industry Series Vol 1″ mixtape. In this song, Esohel rhymes over a Jay Electronica instrumental. Big props go out to Satellite Images! This is their first attempt at this type of video and editing work, and much more is yet to come from them so stay tuned!

Also, check out www.UDotFam.com and download Esohel’s Industry Series Vol.1 for FREE (gotta love that!), which is brought to you by U Dot Fam, Satellite Images, @LRG Studio, and Sofa Chitown!