Kumasi

[SyNiKaL]

What happened to this guy? He joined up with BWS I think a few months ago. Everyone was saying nothing but good stuff about him, saying he was Kanye and Common rolled in one. Is he still apart of BWS?

[Djur]

havent heard of him in a while.. mayb because game's album is coming... i mean we aint hearing about juice neather

[Big Pete Productions]

just hit "members" and check at "featured members" on this page...he sometimes chillin here...why dont dont u ask him lol

[Three29Design]

Yeh he still affiliated. Dunno if he signed.
Hes doing his thing, just shot a video at his album release party few weeks ago. His albums on itunes.

[Da HunnyBee]

I seen him perform @ a bar in Santa Monica almost 2 weeks ago, & he was still claiming BWS, his performance was pretty DOPE 2!!!!

[lowkey]

wonder if scipio is signed to bws too?

[myspace.com/Kumasi]

GOD and BWS. Thats all that exist.
True indeed, it is Game time but the BWS family has so much love so there is room for us all to shine. I got something for yall coming really soon GODwilln. Timing is owned By GOD.
Game calls me the Common of BWS. Kanye has Common and BWS has Kumasi (praiseGOD). We are gonna win big GODwilln. There is no other place that has so much love and support. BWS is world wide. No one else can say they are worldwide. I wouldnt be suprised if i see BWS Mars. BWSup. GODup.

[BiDi_BWSBRAZIL.]

yo nice man so im a wait it ...

u gave a nice idea, we could make a group, BWS Mars hahah sup

peace

[S.G.V.]

A kumasi album on bws would be dope, we hope to hear more from you stay up!!

[lowkey]

thats whats up. kumasi is a real nigga, and a great addition to bws. shit i hope bws comes out with an album! kumasi, juice, clyde, southside, scipio, game, njd shit thats a solid line up right there.

hope to hear more from all them. hope they all get a verse on lax

[Three29Design]

Yeh! BWS need another journal out... with everyone currently on BWS on it.

[MDK]

I AGREE WITH THAT!!!!!

[BLACK 777JESUS]

Greetings to my supporters and fans. This is your boy M Petty. I'm known throughout Cali as Lil Squeak. I now go by Artist name Black777Jesus...I am one of the lucky ones who was born in Compton at Dominguez hospital in January 1980. My reputation is the past was known for being a natural born leader and never a follower. However because of my addiction to hittin' “licks” back in the 90's. Most of my teenage and adolescent years was unfortunately spent in juvenile hall, group homes, boot camp, and eventually state prison. (Santa Ana Boys Republic, Chino Hills Boys Republic, Ettie Lee Homes For Youth, Watsons Mannor in LA, and Dorothy Kirby Center in East LA. Camp Challenger/Onizuka, Camp Munz Mendenhall boot camp, Delano, Wasco, Tehachapi, Shafter CCF, Corcoran, Chino, Chukawalla, Ironwood. In prison stayed down with all my homies from the City of Compton and Watts, all the while remaining true to my homies from Los Angeles and surrounding cities. I even had love from the Brown Pride, SUR 13, and residents(at least I think I did). I earned my reputation in prison for being one of the talented who tatted up all the homies with tattooed tears. I probably tatted at least one brother from every hood in Los Angeles. I stayed positive and my vibe was strong on every yard I hit. Therefore, there was never ever a race riot because I built bridges instead of burning them. I can never turn my back on the hood, therefore I must represent the hood that I affiliated myself with Kelly Park Compton Crips. I don’t believe in gangbanging because I do not believe in what it has become a form of ignorance and genocide. You can hate me for hanging up my rags, but you have to respect this because family and gangbanging just doesn’t doesn’t mix. This brings me into the subject of Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap on the West Coast. I consider myself a part of this movement being an artist, poet, author, and writer since I was old enough to comprehend my natural and God given gift of the language arts.(metaphors and analogies) Since I was an adolescent growing going to private schools, I have been writing essays, journals, and personal autobiographies of my life and experiences there-of. Although I have written many songs, bars, hooks, poems, letters, etc; I have yet to have any of my material published, copywritten, or recorded in a professional studio. However, I have many friends and associates whom I’ve influenced, co-produced, mentored, and motivated to pursue a musical career. I have a professional eye for the image, an ear for the content, heart and soul for quality music of all genres. With that being said, at 28 I am at the point in my life where I have matured and evolved beyond most of my peers into a business minded intellectual with morals and values that I developed through personal life experiences, challenges and obstacles that were influenced mainly by the movement of Hip Hop, Gangsta Rap, Alternative Rock, and pop culture. This concludes my brief introduction and now I will proudly move on to the subject of “What are the 3 greatest challenges independents face in successfully competing in the music industry”. 1.) In order for independent Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap artists to successfully compete in the music industry, we must first keep up with the constantly growing trends in music. Keeping in mind the politics, self awareness, cultural differences, education, self education, musical history, and the dynamics of todays and tomorrows main-stream culture. As independents we need to learn how to follow and accept the leadership of influential artists like 2Pac, Kanye West, Common, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Dr. DRE, etc. Once we learn how to be good followers as independents, we can then become even better leaders for our youth and even society as a whole. 2.) Because of the influence Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap has on our youth and society; as independent artist, we need to be more diverse and be more conscious of our messages we portray to our youth and society. We need to alleviate or deviate from the promotion of drugs, guns, and violence in our songs, and promote more positivity and inspiration through the everyday trials, tribulations, and temptations we face today. Directing the thoughts of our youth towards self esteem, encouraging them to expand their minds and pursue their education. By creatively mastering this musical challenge, we will motivate our young brothers and sisters to become more involved in school and society, encouraging them to pursuer other possibilities and talents outside of sports and music. 3.) Another challenge we face and independents is bridging the cultural gap and promoting the end to stereotypes, statistics, racism, miseducation, and ignorance. As independents we need to be more versatile and diverse in order to bridge this cross cultural gap by collaborating with other genres like alternative rock, bluez, jazz and pop. This diversification and versatility will lead to each independent earning a larger fan base, increasing sales, and gaining the respect that we deserve. -Hip-Hop and gangsta rap is the most creative form of artistry that dates back 20 plus years. However the only thing permanent and constant in life is change. Therefore, WE need to allow room for change and encourage this change as technology and information technology advances advances and changes. Our society is changing, and this being 2008, the new election coming up, world events, we need to keep up with the times and challenge one another as independents to embrace and grow with these challenges. We need to keep up with world events and realistic issues other than guns, drugs, and violence. Even the degradation of our women from all races. Although a lot of artist have a lot to say due to tragic life experiences, troubled youth; for future references, record labels should screen their artists for content and not be so quick to invest into the normal average status quo artist that talk about the same old repetitious shit, and reinvest or scout out to other talents. For example, a lot of independents don’t have as much of a shot at success in main-stream Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap unless they have been shot, been to jail or been affiliated with a gang. I’ve even noticed that if you aren’t a known drug dealer, then you have no street credibility. There are a lot of intellectual artist that have been associated with gang members and drug dealers, but decided to go another route towards positivity that haven’t been given enough recognition and marketing. These “squares” are intimidated by your average artist, so they lay low in the cut like a sleeping giant ashamed of their own integrity, morals and family values as if they are doing something wrong. Hip-hop is dead and will die if we continue with the genocidal messages that have killed so many of our most influential and inspirational recording artist and actors. 2pac and Biggie just to name a couple. I have the right to speak on these issues as a 28 year old veteran and artist. I’m only one in a million voices that needs to be heard and deserves to be heard. I may not be the best, but I am one of the greatest unsigned artist just patiently waiting for my time. It’s been a long time coming and our work is never, ever over. Cheers to facing and meeting the challenges we face as independents in successfully competing in the music industry