A lot of folks have been asking about the whereabouts of The 808’s B. Williams. Where is he? What does he do? Why don’t we ever see him?

Take it from me, B. Williams is very much alive. He is co-owner of The 808 and shares production responsibilities with fellow producer J. Rhodes. He is temporarily residing in his home state of Ohio (yeah, the state with the nut as a college mascot), and plans to return to Dallas sometime in the near future.

Still don’t believe me?

For a B. Williams siting, holla at us next month for The 808’s anniversary party (more info forthcoming). Not only will we be celebrating our one year studio anniversary, but it’s also B’s 25th bday!

To further prove he is alive, I have provided you with his most recent works. After taking on the role as co-owner/manager of The 808, I believe modesty is overrated… with that said, these joints is FIYAH! If you’re into that, come see me…

- Ro

B.Williams - Vain

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B. Williams - Revive

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Bangin’ Summer Youth Music Camp Intro

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Recap coming soon…

Congratulations are in order to The 808 Studio’s J. Rhodes for winning first place in the Houston Beat Battle last Wednesday!! The battle began with 12 producers and the competition was fierce, but Dallas brought home the victory. Props to the city of Houston and all of the talented producers who came out to compete. Special thanks to Naj-meen for the hospitality. Shout out to Swangin’ Beats, as well as Mr. Inkredible and BBC. Big ups to ATW TV, Montanta and Church. See y’all again in the finals this October.

Check back for video footage, coming soon!

J. Rhodes - Don’t Mess With Texas

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Peace
Ro

You can define hustlin’ in a number of different ways, but this is a 24-hour grind. - B. Williams

Shout out to Ray and Tege from Channel 8’s “Young Street” for featuring us on the show this past weekend!

J. Rhodes opened the show with a freestyle (more on that below). Fast-forward to about 14:20 to peep our feature.

And now for the disclaimer! I wouldn’t be fulfilling my manager duties if I did not let y’all know the dealy with the off beat intro (LMAO). During the taping, J. Rhodes was freestyling over the beat to “Get It In” from Sound of Music II, but the beat got replaced during the editing process with the “Young Street” instrumental. I promise you, J. Rhodes can rap. Cop the album for 10 bucks!

P.S. I kill at Rock Band.

-Ro Diggity

Props to Picnic, DJ Niro, and the entire Deadstock crew for their hard work on the 2008 Kixpo event and mixtape!

The mixtape features a gang of talented Texas artists. I listened to it today and I feel proud for my city. So… you should download it. Oh yeah, and the art is pretty!

The 808’s very own J. Rhodes collab’ed with King Kastro on “Dapper.” B. Williams on the beat! Y’all crazy for this one!

Look at these threads, peep the way I floss
Macy’s for suckas, this from sales rack Ross
White tee shirts, 808 logo
Wife beater under it, I call ‘em lifetime clothes
-J. Rhodes

My bench warmers look like the Pussycat Dolls
I’m way too fly for y’all
I go to business meetings in my Spiderman draws
I’m way too fly for y’all
- King Kastro

Click here for the official tracklisting and full album art.

The Kixpo Sneaker and Streetwear Expo will take place in Dallas on July 25-27. Peep the Kixpo website for more information.

We put on for our city.

- Ro

Big ups to the folks at OKP for reviewing J. Rhodes’s SOM II. The review reads 3/4 positive with that 1/4 jab, but when you consider the source, you gotta give the album and review an “A.” And I would know… I’ve been a contributing lover (read: hater) of the OKP fam since 2003. Peep the review below.

J. Rhodes
Sound Of Music II
(D-Factory Ent. : 2008)

Posted on 07/07/2008

Think of the best emcees out of Texas and who comes to mind? Houston’s Scarface? Bun B out of P.A.T.? Over the course of your deliberation, there’s likely one glaring omission. What about Dallas? While artists in other parts of the Lone Star State have garnered notoriety, hip hop in the Big D has gone curiously unnoticed. How could this be? How could hip hop in such a prosperous city be so bankrupt? Beyond Badu’s boundless blending of R&B and rap elements, what does Dallas have to offer? Ask producer/emcee J. Rhodes and he’ll tell you it’s the Sound of Music II.

The album kicks off with “J-R-H-O-D-E-S,” a re-introduction of sorts given this album is a sequel. The track enters like a dust storm kicked up in the midst of tornado alley leading to a crisply-produced theme full of aspirations. With lyrics like, “the world finna listen up when I speak/future hall of famer and I haven’t reached my peak…I’m underrated, overlooked, I’m off the radar/competin’ with yo top five no matter who they are,” J. Rhodes reveals to the listener not only that he knows precisely where he stands in the eyes of the industry, but also indicates where he wants to be; the standard-bearing emcee outta DFW. For the most part, Rhodes succeeds. Tracks like “My City,” “Where I Live,” and “Bottom To Top” are slices of Oak Cliff life, a Dallas neighborhood that reflects the gritty reality that bubbles beneath the city’s prosperous veneer. They’re each at times sinister and treacherous, and lovingly reflective.

But they’re also prone to cliché. Anyone who has listened to a radio or cd within the past decade knows that synthesized horns and speedy hi hats have become a way of life in Southern hip hop. And J. Rhodes doesn’t appear to be in a rush to buck the trend. Though the lack of innovation or originality doesn’t hinder Sound of Music II’s accessibility, it makes many of the tracks indistinguishable from anything currently in Mannie Fresh’s voluminous catalogue. For instance, despite J. Rhodes’ silky recitation of the hook, “we got speakers, heaters, tweeters, lots of hydro for the chiefers, bootleg liquor by the liter, cross them tracks, you’re bound to see us,” and verses that seamlessly shift from styles resembling M.J.G. to Andre 3K, the aforementioned formula threatens to drown “Personal” in its distinctly southern stew. And “SOM II” is weighed down by Akron Watson’s vocorder enhanced backing vocals which devolve into a series of cringe inducing ad libs that sound as though T-Pain was involved in a horrible car accident.

Carrying an entire city on your back is a difficult burden to bear. Artists bold enough to take on the task must eventually determine whether they should take a chance and stand out from the crowd or blend in with the masses. Until J. Rhodes answers that question, the query of what Dallas has to offer will likely remain unanswered.

- Adam Roussell

I’ma get on this tv mama
I’ma, I’ma put ish down
- K. West

Beautiful people of Dallas, tune into Channel 8 this Sunday, July 13 at 5 PM CT to peep The 808 Studio’s “Young Street” television debut!

For the non-locals, we hope to have a Youtube piece up shortly after the airing.

Photos from the shoot coming soon…

- Ro

Major props to Skin from Quick for featuring The 808 and our upcoming Bangin’ Summer Youth Music Camp in the Friday, June 19 issue (hard copy and online). The issue will be on stands throughout the weekend. If you are unable to pick up a hard copy, peep the story below.

Also, check back for more information on our channel 8 television debut airing soon.

Peace
Ro

This ain’t band camp
HELPING YOUNG HIP HOP HEADS

808 Studio covers everything you’d need to complete a hip-hop record from beginning to end – and then some.

The studio has in-house producers and writers. They can get you tracked, mixed and mastered. And if you’re a DISD student age 12-18, they can offer you the first steps in chasing a dream.

The week of July 28, the 808 crew will launch their first Bangin’ Summer Youth Music Camp. They’ll open the facility to kids to teach them hip-hop history, songwriting and beat production. The campers will get the chance to create their own original compositions using 808’s pro gear.

And it’s free.

It’s the type of community-oriented goals the 808 owners – Rosalinda Ruiz, J. Rhodes and B. Williams – envisioned when they launched the studio six months ago.

“We are hoping to set a philanthropic precedent from our business to the community,” Williams said via e-mail. “This is basically the camp that we would have wanted to go to when we were in middle school/high school.”

Williams and Rhodes are artists as well. Rhodes’ second album, Sound of Music II is the first release fully recorded and mixed at the facility. The record is a nice blend of current Southern stylings and vintage sampling techniques. “Poison” even uses the old BBD joint for lyrical inspiration.

If you’re looking for beats, Williams and Rhodes have a full selection as part of production packages.

Get all the information at the808studio.com, including an application for the camp. Or you can e-mail Rosalinda at rosalinda@the808studio.com, and she’ll get you all straightened out.

Calling all sisters, brothers (and cousins too) between the ages of 12-18 and attending a DISD school…

The 808 Studio is proud to launch its inaugural Bangin’ Summer Youth Music Camp for Dallas middle school and high school students in summer 2008. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about hip hop history, song writing, beat production and recording, as well as meet some of the city’s most talented producers, who will assist them in creating their own compositions using The 808 Studio’s professional equipment.

Personally, this is one of the most exciting aspects of the job - being able to give back, offering opportunities to the young people in our communities and creating a pipeline for future producers, singers, rappers… and maybe even entrepreneurs!

If you are a producer or artist and would like to assist with the camp or a parent or applicant and have any questions, please contact Rosalinda at rosalinda@the808studio.com.

- Ro