HOW TO HELP before even contributing! Tell your friends & followers via this link: http://chopsmusic.com/support/
Growing up Asian American, it was hard to relate with pop culture - I watched The Simpsons and Spongebob to see yellow faces. Years ago, me & 2 friends broke barriers as the Mountain Brothers, the first Asian American rappers signed to a major. We had some adventures, including an industry-type suggesting we wear karate outfits and hit gongs, and an exec at our label saying he "didn't know what to do with a white rap group."
People respected that we were proud of our heritage, but didn't use it as a crutch, or a gimmick. Most importantly, the music was jammin, and people who knew hip-hop, dug it. We put out 2 critically acclaimed albums and got network video play.
I now produce music for some of rap's biggest & best including The Lonely Island & Nicki Minaj "The Creep" (78+ million views!), Bun B & Lil Wayne "Damn I'm Cold", and Young Jeezy "National Anthem". One of Kanye West's first rap appearances was my Virtuosity album, alongside Talib Kweli and Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan.
About 3 years back, I noticed amazing Asian American artists making waves, and rekindled an old dream: a project with ALL strong Asian talent! Artists today who go through many of the things my group did, overcoming the same obstacles, same struggles, pushing forward, and going beyond.
Strength In NUMBERS!
This is my chance, OUR chance, to make a statement together... with undeniably talented artists who stand for great music.
I spent 2 YEARS making music with over 30 of the best Asian American rappers and singers, with special guests from Japan and Korea. MBs even reunited for a new song & video with our friend, award-winning pioneer APA filmmaker Chris Chan Lee!
THE LINEUP:
Here's more names than you can fit in your homie's Honda Civic: Ann One (LA), Baiyu (NYC), Bambu (LA), Catzie of Yellow Rage (PHL), Connie Lim (LA), Decipher (PHL), DJ Bonics (PHL/PGH), DJ Neil Armstrong (NYC), DJ Roli Rho (NYC), Dumbfoundead (LA), El Gambina (NJ), Erika David (Bay Area), Hopie (SF), Hoya (NYC), J-Key (NYC), Joanlee (LBC), Kiwi (LA), Lil Crazed (MN), Matt Cab (Tokyo), Mic Barz (ATL), Mountain Brothers (PHL), Nikko Dator (LV), Paul Kim (LA), Prometheus Brown (SEA), Rekstizzy (NYC), Rocky Rivera (SF), Ruby Ibarra (Bay Area), Tasha aka Yoonmirae (Korea), Thai (PDX), Tiger JK (Korea), Timothy Flu (ATL), Verbal of M-Flo / Teriyaki Boyz (Tokyo), and Yellow Boyz (ATL)
Great people contributed much love and hard work!!! This is the most difficult project I've taken on, and the most worthwhile. I hope you find it worth backing!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND: THIS PROJECT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT TO HAPPEN!
If we DON'T reach goal, backers are not charged, no cool shirts etc. get made, and NO money gets received at all. Zip. Zilch. Nada. If we surpass, we'll make it more fun with remixes, video beatmaking demonstrations, more music vids etc.!
Where does the money go?
Recouping basic travel & equipment costs, plus daily cost of working, creating, tweaking, refining. New expenses include sequencing, mastering, item manufacture & fulfillment, video production, and promotion. Covering costs would be nice but Strength In NUMBERS is more about spiritual gain.
To really explore Strength In NUMBERS see below, we'll have news and updates for the rest of the campaign!
See & Hear EVERY ARTIST!!!
(clicking thru to YouTube lets you skip around to each, on computer):
Check out some of the awesome influential folks who support!!!
NEW MUSIC VIDEO! Paul Kim and Dumbfoundead aka PARKER, "No Turning Back" directed by JL Jupiter and Timothy Tau!
NEW ONE! Another of my favorite songs from the project "Top Down" - Mic Barz and Timothy Flu
Lots more videos are planned, some are even in the works now. Whether they get finished, and this project turns into a real movement, with cultural impact, with significance, depends on YOU!!!!
HEAR ALL THE MUSIC RIGHT NOW!
These are clean versions, tagged with website mentions at the end of each song. Backers at $10 and up will receive non-tagged Clean, Dirty, and Instrumental versions, plus bonus material including an unreleased song of mine that got played on Grey's Anatomy last week. UPDATE: Peril and Styles from Mountain Brothers said it's cool to give everybody our first album Self Vol. 1 too!
Strength In NUMBERS on BuzzFeed!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/asian-american-musicians-you-need-to-get-behind-right-now
Hat and shirt mockups:
For anybody interested in multiples of these items, for gifts! There's no option for it in the reward section itself. But let's add it here, and at a discount!
Anybody with a reward level that includes a poster, add as many more posters as you like by adding $10 each to your pledge. Same shipping address.
Anybody with a reward level that includes a hat, add as many more hats as you like by adding $15 each to your pledge. Same shipping address.
Anybody with a reward level that includes a shirt, add as many more shirts as you like (different sizes are ok) by adding $20 each to your pledge. Same shipping address.
Risks and challenges
Projects this ambitious rarely get off the ground, but together we made the music... and it kicks ass! As a backer you'll get it first! But that's only part of the job.
One challenge is getting physical items manufactured and in your hands. There will be a wait, but it'll be worth it. Everything's on track for holiday time!
The BIG challenge is spreading the word! This is a grassroots project that NEEDS all the word of mouth it can get. Most Reward levels include a way to support and legally share the music - we're counting on you! If you can't support money-wise, please help by SHARING this page with your friends and followers right now using this link: http://chopsmusic.com/support
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Funding period
- (45 days)