Prepare to be dazed on January 2nd by an afro-punk individual with a powerful future ahead of her. Dolldaze wants everyone in her audience to get high and truly let go in order to feel the heart and enthusiasm of her music.
“My stage performance is my release so anything is bound to happen. I aim to blackout,” the alternative crooner says with excitement. Her one and only known comparison to Tina Turner leaves her wondering if she’s in a genre all her own. At the forefront of this different singing class, she expresses that “The leader will lead” and hard work is necessary to make that happen.
“I have been performing my ass off! The performance is the biggest factor in the spread of the music and the brand theDolldaze,” she emphasizes. Those performances may or may not have led Fadia Kader to her manager, but it certainly led her to a spot on the lineup for Perfect Attendance; however, her shows did get her kudos from another upcoming Perfect Attendance performer staHHr. “I’ve seen her performance many times. She's a great artist.” the Atlanta OG in hip hop adds.
Dolldaze herself would love to work with some other cool Atlanta ladies, Corinne Stevie and Richelle L. Brown. “They have pure honest vibes. I like the tunes and art they put out,” she shares.
And she does not ask for much. When she started taping her Dollhouse video blogs, her expectations lied no further than everyone getting to know her and her music. “I am just a down to earth chick from Atlanta trying to put some good vibes out in the universe. I am just out here trying to put dynamic music out. I love the alternative.” So far she’s received great feedback but there is always that one. “Everything is not for everybody so you will always have your naysayers. But it's all good,” Dolldaze explains.
Her work with the guitar creates meaningful and enlightening sounds of beauty, so the naysayers can say what they want. Lyrically, her “Words” are strong and flow fiercely with each cord she pierces. Her upcoming presentations include "Iluminate the Sky", a track on the “Noise Porn,” compilation from the online publication Art Nouveau magazine. It was her experience completing “Acid Report: The Missing Peace” that was the most thrilling. She was involved from the writing to the arranging to the mastering. It was her first attempt at production and work with a band, but it was successful. She looks forward to working with them beyond the EP. It was something special for her. “I feel connected because I feel I am doing something a bit outside of the mainstream.”
Coming soon is her “Mystic Novel” project, which may not be released all at once, but its separation will get you amp-ed for what’s yet to come. Until then, enjoy the new year. The dazed one “Sends dazed love and hugs your way for this Holiday season!”
Words
Unwrap You(for the holidaze ya'll)
Find more theDolldaze at her MySpace Music Page and Twitter. New website coming soon!
An email from Fadia Kader to become apart of what many are awaiting this weekend shed light on one of the most imaginative and inventive creatures in Atlanta. She can hang amongst the visual artists and roll with the musical punches. Miss Corinne Stevie does it all. Never a routine morning or evening, a day in the life of this artsy individual will show her versatility from all aspects of the industry. “A day in my life can vary. I could be doing anything from working on music to sketching for a painting,” Stevie tells me. The "Day in the Life" cut off her Beatles hip hop homage “Strawberry Fields in the Sky” explains the many things you can catch her doing daily. Stevie’s definition of art begins with her, moves to paper, jumps to canvas, and eventually comes out through her performances. She does admit that her dancing can be hit or miss. “My dance moves can be random. I'm all over the place when I perform.” Her dancing is not the only thing that can be all over the place. Her life between Miami and Atlanta puts her between her hustle and her family, but her dedication to what she does and who she is brings her the fan base she’s always wanted with her art and music. “I've been myself. I'm really passionate about my art and craft so any opportunity I get to share it I will,” Miss Stevie expresses. She definitely shares her gifts through Art Nouveau. The online publication is about people, culture, music, art, and life. As a major contributor and illustrator to the magazine, her work is displayed throughout the web site. Her collaborations do not stop there. Along with her EP covers, an upcoming children’s book, and being the first music artist on the publication’s music label; Stevie's doing a lot. She sees herself everywhere. Expect her to be all over the place on January 2nd. She’s excited about the performers and what the showcase is going to do for all of them. “It’s exciting to be apart of something like this. There's nothing like it and so much talent. It’s gonna be a good show and some good music.” Nothing more and nothing less. Too Shy (Gotdion Remix) See, hear, and speak more Corinne Stevie at her MySpace Pages(and www.myspace.com/corinnef), Blog, Twitter, and Art Nouveau.
“F.E.M.C.E.E.? I just stopped using it. Some people loved it and others hated it. Change comes as you grow.,” a well-known female MC of Atlanta hip hop tells me. She’s been on the Atlanta music scene since 1992, but she is far from done with her message to support, empower, and strengthen all humankind. Even since then people have somewhat tried to change her. “People have tried to change my name, add to my name. They’ll change the spelling of it, but I’m formally and professionally known as staHHr.”
Stahhr is known to many as a female wordsmith and an empress. The hook up with Fadia Kader for the Perfect Attendance showcase was as simple as a phone call and a common ‘my people will get back to your people.’
While she awaits an optimistic future collaboration with what she quickly considered the phenomenal Dolldaze, she is excited to see what the other women of the showcase have to offer on January 2nd. As for her, just straight Golden Era, love, life, energetic hip hop can be expected from the stage into the crowd.
Recently, more than ever, it is through her lyrics that she wants you to focus on the balance between content quality and quantity she is helping to create in hip hop.
“Music is really powerful. If you’re listening to something that’s calling you a bitch all day or telling you you’re good for sex and you keep listening, then you’ll start believing in that. It’s programming. That’s something that will always exist we can’t get rid of it. I just want it to be balanced. It needs to be balanced,” she recognizes in the current state of hip hop. But this does not stop her from acknowledging those, including herself, that are gradually making that balance happen for the people. “A lot of local people are doing a great job; Mike Lo, Supanova Slom, and Diamond District. Jay Electronica does a good job of balancing consciousness with royal lyricism and bringing a street edge to it.”
Her belief is that consistency was and still is the key to her gaining and keeping fans since actively performing on the Atlanta scene since 1998. “I’ve seen it go from two females in a cipher at Underground Atlanta to what it is now. I support people and I try to keep something out there, even if it’s just a collaboration or a mixtape. Internet promoting and I guess word of mouth promoting. Aligning myself with people who have an audience and open you up to new fans and other audiences. Consistency is the number one thing.”
Stahhr understands that relationships in this industry are important. One relationship that started over a decade ago, led her to what many believe, myself included, will be a heavy hitting, head-turning project in 2010. She the Hard Way is a master alliance created by Atlanta hip hop legend DJ Sol Messiah. “I met Messiah in ’93 and we were finally able to work together.” Rhymists Rita J, Saroc, Khalilah Ali, Boog Brown, and Stahhr share one mic bringing professional content and talent. “Every sister that’s involved brings their own unique style. They are all strong lyrically and they are all strong performance wise.”
In the baby stages of a new album with producers from Iceland and a mashup Cd of gifted and significant women in Atlanta hip hop for 2010, Stahhr is definitely be shining in hip hop now, but expect her to be uplifting forever. “I’m all for empowerment definitely because I think the female voice is not heard often and then when it is you only hear two extremes and nothing in the middle. I guess I’m that middle.”
Grandmaztaz
Check more of staHHr's music at her MySpace Music page or tweet her!
Her comparisons alone make you wonder and want to listen. “In no particular order, I’ve been compared to Cee-Lo, Beyonce, Erykah Badu, Kelis, Teena Marie, but they come so weird to me,” the earthy yet expressive being immediately begins to separate herself from the international talents.
Richelle Brown is some type of Soul. The singer has an energy that lives through her voice. “I’m full of burning bright fire that just wants to heat thangs up! I’m all about flying high, it’s my nature and it reflects in everything I am and in what I do!” When Fadia Kader, the head of Atlanta’s own Broke and Boujee, calls her to participate in the upcoming Perfect Attendance mixtape and showcase, she was game. Being familiar with the other artists on the mixtape makes her appearance on Perfect Attendance even better. “I’ve hung out with Eva Kennedy. She is really talented woman. I’ve also worked with Khaos and Corinne Stevie. We have not made a big deal about the track we worked on but we really should.”
Richelle Brown is some type of Blues. The first song she ever recorded was heart-felt and created a power in her to move forward no matter what others said about her in the past. “Swagga Black Country Queen is dedicated to my past obstacles and naysayers.” Her other songs and their concepts mean more than you can imagine. Just when no one can confidently criticize Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon, Miss L. Brown found inspiration from the movie’s soundtrack. “"Super Funky Sounds" was inspired by Vanity's "7th Heaven" from the movie. It started out as a poem,” she says. And remember that bass the dirty south kicked it to in the 90s; she’s inspired by that too. “"Electric Funky Girl" is a flirty song inspired by the down south Freaknic bass music and 70s funk.”
Richelle Brown is some type of Rhythm. When Brown performs, it’s a celebration full of color, life, love, and high spirits. On January 2nd, Brown says the crowd can expect “the uplifting of Ma’at[Egyptian principle] within myself, raising my Kundalini[channeling her energy], some therapy, and just getting the crowd up to jam.” As for her other upcoming projects, “The song “Take it to the Next Extreme” with Khaos and Corinne Stevie is hot! It has a real nice 90s, West coast Dr. Dre and Devin Da Dude vibe. Other than that, because of priority shifts in my life, I’m intending to become a spiritual scholar and sharing it in my music as well as being fly at the same time; taking that old consciousness in music to the next level in sounds and vibrations.” She’s also hoping to do some major work with SMKA after the showcase, so lookout for that.
Two of the most talented musical and entertainment masterminds, SMKA and Fadia Kader, keep it coming for 2010 with the Perfect Attendance mixtape and showcase. Perfect Attendance is one of the few talent showcases in Atlanta where the winner actually stands to win something worthwhile and get feedback from people who aren't artists just like them...
Perfect Attendance is a monthly showcase presented by SMKA & Fadia Kader... providing you the most talented artists in the region. The first Perfect Attendance of 2010 features 9 of the most talented female Singers and MCs in the Atlanta area. The Perfect Attendance Mixtape Vol 1-2-10 presented by SMKA & Fadia Kader features 2 songs from each performer, hosted and mixed by Dub Floyd. There will be 5 MCs and 4 Singers performing for a chance to win a promotion prize package including:
Video EPK by PhiltheGod
Photo Shoot with Dustin Chambers
Consulting by Come Up Kids DVLPMT
8 Hrs of Studio Time @ S-Line Studios
Music Production & Studio Time with SMKA
Licensing Opportunity with Affix Music
All this week, leading up to one of the most anticipated showcases of the new year, I will providing interviews from each performer you see above. Check in everyday to see what these ladies have already brought to the mic and will be bringing to the stage January 2nd. First up tomorrow we have:
Richelle L. Brown
staHHr
The mixtape came out about a month ago so you should have it already, but just in case you don't, download the Perfect Attendance Vol. 1-2-10 mixtape here to get a small taste of January 2nd. See you tomorrow!