WELCOME to BOSSTOWN
Can battle rappers make good music?
The stigma that has saturated the battle rap community since its genesis is that battle rappers can't make good music.Sadly to say in America stereotypes are our truth so no matter how many battle rappers bust out on the scene with dope music nine times out of ten it gets over looked but not today.I take my little Mixtape/Album of the Week section serious and if you frequent this site you've seen Chilla Jones "Welcome to Bosstown" going on its third week, because before I pull it down I want to make sure it gets its just do.People, people, people Mr. Bosstown himself has crafted a classic! As I shifted pass Datpiff.com and proceeded to download this gem I had no idea what was in store here.
Dj 2 Thirteen creates a Boston backdrop and arranges these tracks like a pro.
There are twelve tracks on Welcome to Bosstown and every track holds its own and tells a story about Chilla Jones and how Boston has help chisel the man we see today.Chilla is the most simple-complicated emcee in battle rap as well as in music.WTB unfolds like this
4.Deja Vu: produced by Surefire Brady: This track is simply dope; Chilla sees himself and rap career flourishing greatly in a vision.He notices all the ups and downs but satisfying on its own.It's so surreal he feels like he's already done these things he's envisioned but he has been living it in some way shape or form, creative.
5.Money: produced by Surefire Studios and Riznut.This is not a story we all haven't heard before but ya boy Chilla slows it down and flows over this beat with excellence, schooling you about the evils of money and what too much love for it will get you.Showing you your own reflection in the mirror of MONEY.
6.Karma: produced by Maggbeatz feat.Mann Terror and Easy Money this beat alone carries itself being so grimey and demanding.Chilla picked the right two emcees to go to war on this beat with him because everybody shined and held their owned on this.The sixteen bars each emcee spit expressed how when you do the dirt that same energy you put out will come right back plus some.
7.Rider: produced by Movie Muzik Marshall this track is one of my favs, Chilla lets you know how much his girl is a rider and if you have a girl or a wife that's down for you this is going to be the anthem when you're riding in the whip with your significant other.This track right here is a home run.
8.Straight Spittin: produced by Billy Loman feat. Easy Money & Termonology the title speaks for itself.This is the that track you'll hear on Juice 2 if they ever made it.This was straight east coast spittin at its best over a head nodding east coast beat.Chilla and his cohorts dismantled this track,"Straight Spittin" nuff said.
9.How the Game Go: produced by Virus Productions feat. Riznut This track's vibe snatches you as soon as you hear the drum pattern, and Riznut's flow and the way he rides this beat for Chilla is superb; "It's me you got the hook up through - look at you I brought all the food and you want me to cook it to".Then Chilla pours his Boston persona all over every kick, snare and hi hat.Props to Chilla on this track how many rappers glorify that they got a full time job?
Respect.
10.Uncle John: produced by Surfire Studios deep dope song right here.Chilla expressed some strong feelings for his uncle that passed and shined some light on other areas family wise.This is the type of track that separates the emcee from the rapper.The type of track that makes heads go "you hear what he just said?"
11.Saint or Sinner: produced by Reckless Dex feat. Mickey Factz This that track that echoes I'm grown I know whats up out here I know what I want and it better hurry up and get here because its been a minute.You know that struggle between right and wrong descisions, you going in so deep you start out a Saint you look in the mirror and start looking like a sinner.
12.DILLIGAF: produced by Movie Muzik Marshall This track steals the show,not only is it the perfect outro song it just helps you release at the same time.
Courtney Bennett absolutely destroys this hook, she makes you feel everything she's expressing and saying.Chilla goes in and out of the walls of this beat like a prison inmate that just got parolled letting all the naysayers and haters know that Chilla Jones just dont (insert hook here).
The stigma that has saturated the battle rap community since its genesis is that battle rappers can't make good music.Sadly to say in America stereotypes are our truth so no matter how many battle rappers bust out on the scene with dope music nine times out of ten it gets over looked but not today.I take my little Mixtape/Album of the Week section serious and if you frequent this site you've seen Chilla Jones "Welcome to Bosstown" going on its third week, because before I pull it down I want to make sure it gets its just do.People, people, people Mr. Bosstown himself has crafted a classic! As I shifted pass Datpiff.com and proceeded to download this gem I had no idea what was in store here.
Dj 2 Thirteen creates a Boston backdrop and arranges these tracks like a pro.
There are twelve tracks on Welcome to Bosstown and every track holds its own and tells a story about Chilla Jones and how Boston has help chisel the man we see today.Chilla is the most simple-complicated emcee in battle rap as well as in music.WTB unfolds like this
1.Introduction: produced by Surefire Studios this beat seems like it was crafted just for Chilla because he flows over it like he's sprinkling powder sugar over funnel cake.Lyrics were projecting telling the world just who Chilla Jones is right now.This was a marriage and I could have easily took in two more minutes of this, excellent intro.
2.Bosstown: produced by Reckless Dex feat. Lee boy with Lisa Bello on the vocals.
What made this dope from the start is how after you hear Chilla's voice on the Introduction track the next voice you hear is his man Lee Boy which I thought was humbling and a nice touch.The hook is so melodic and pulls you in instantly and Chilla lays out the schemes on this track like there's no tomorrow.
3.Things Change: produced by Surefire Brady with Ben Carew on the chorus, this track could arguably be an around the clock hit all day on the radio.It has everything, great production, spirited lyrics and the number one thing for a hit which is the hook, its all here.Chilla is focused and he breaks down how people used to front on him and now everyone is awake and wants him on board, he's just letting them know yall know better than that .
Hook- "You didn't like me then but you like me now,I wasn't welcome then but you invite me now,you used to have it all now you have nothing and now I'm stuntin ain't it funny how things change."
4.Deja Vu: produced by Surefire Brady: This track is simply dope; Chilla sees himself and rap career flourishing greatly in a vision.He notices all the ups and downs but satisfying on its own.It's so surreal he feels like he's already done these things he's envisioned but he has been living it in some way shape or form, creative.
5.Money: produced by Surefire Studios and Riznut.This is not a story we all haven't heard before but ya boy Chilla slows it down and flows over this beat with excellence, schooling you about the evils of money and what too much love for it will get you.Showing you your own reflection in the mirror of MONEY.
6.Karma: produced by Maggbeatz feat.Mann Terror and Easy Money this beat alone carries itself being so grimey and demanding.Chilla picked the right two emcees to go to war on this beat with him because everybody shined and held their owned on this.The sixteen bars each emcee spit expressed how when you do the dirt that same energy you put out will come right back plus some.
7.Rider: produced by Movie Muzik Marshall this track is one of my favs, Chilla lets you know how much his girl is a rider and if you have a girl or a wife that's down for you this is going to be the anthem when you're riding in the whip with your significant other.This track right here is a home run.
8.Straight Spittin: produced by Billy Loman feat. Easy Money & Termonology the title speaks for itself.This is the that track you'll hear on Juice 2 if they ever made it.This was straight east coast spittin at its best over a head nodding east coast beat.Chilla and his cohorts dismantled this track,"Straight Spittin" nuff said.
9.How the Game Go: produced by Virus Productions feat. Riznut This track's vibe snatches you as soon as you hear the drum pattern, and Riznut's flow and the way he rides this beat for Chilla is superb; "It's me you got the hook up through - look at you I brought all the food and you want me to cook it to".Then Chilla pours his Boston persona all over every kick, snare and hi hat.Props to Chilla on this track how many rappers glorify that they got a full time job?
Respect.
10.Uncle John: produced by Surfire Studios deep dope song right here.Chilla expressed some strong feelings for his uncle that passed and shined some light on other areas family wise.This is the type of track that separates the emcee from the rapper.The type of track that makes heads go "you hear what he just said?"
11.Saint or Sinner: produced by Reckless Dex feat. Mickey Factz This that track that echoes I'm grown I know whats up out here I know what I want and it better hurry up and get here because its been a minute.You know that struggle between right and wrong descisions, you going in so deep you start out a Saint you look in the mirror and start looking like a sinner.
12.DILLIGAF: produced by Movie Muzik Marshall This track steals the show,not only is it the perfect outro song it just helps you release at the same time.
Courtney Bennett absolutely destroys this hook, she makes you feel everything she's expressing and saying.Chilla goes in and out of the walls of this beat like a prison inmate that just got parolled letting all the naysayers and haters know that Chilla Jones just dont (insert hook here).
Welcome to Bosstown
was created to be a mixtape but blossomed into what we used to call an album.I enjoyed this project immensely and as we speak I have it playing in the background.Chilla Jones has made something that you can pop in and let it ride. So go download this musical work of art I guarantee you'll have it on repeat.
Download here --> Welcome to Bosstown
1.How you get the name "Chilla Jones"?
CHILLA: The name "Chilla Jones" was given to me early in my rappin days... before I started to take rap serious. "Chilla" was short for
"Chinchilla" which at a point were in style, being mentioned in every rap song, etc. Eventually, it took on a couple of other meanings, one being that I am extremely chill and laid back, and the other meaning that I was cold as they say, which in Boston and other places is just slang for being a great lyricist.
So, I just ran with it.
3.What song do you feel as though you "went in" the most on?
CHILLA: Honestly it's hard to say. It wasn't my intent to "go in" on any song really. I wanted to stay away from being overly lyrical because battle rappers sometimes have this complex where they just battle the beat. They write verses to songs that sound like their battle verses. I did try to incorporate some schemes here and there just for kicks, and I definitely can get busy lyrically on wax, but I tried not to do that so much on this project. With that being said, my favorite verses on here were on Bosstown, Straight Spittin and Saint or Sinner. On each of those records I worked with other great lyricists and felt I needed to bring my A game lyrically to keep up with them.
5.What went in to choosing who was going to be featured on Welcome to Bosstown?
CHILLA: You know I really didn't want to have so many features because I wanted people to get familiar with me as an artist, but I felt so strongly about every record I elected to be on the project that I just ran with it. Volume 2 won't have so many features, maybe 3 or 4. But the rest will be mostly me, maybe aside from a hook or two. But I chose my features based on who I felt I worked well with and who I sounded good with. I feel like everyone I worked with on the project i have a good chemistry with in the studio and we have a good understanding of how to approach records together so, that was big in my selection process of who to include.
7.Most say battle rappers can't make good music or can't excel past battlerap, what's your take?
CHILLA: Honestly, I agree. Most battle rappers can't. But, in their defense there is a lot of battle rappers who just don't make music. Battling is their music so to speak. Like, people like myself, Marvwon, Lottazay, Cortez, Calicoe, Surf etc. We're using battlerap as a platform for our music to take off, or gain exposure. Some people...battle for that exposure, they don't battle to expose another craft or to market another talent they have, because battling is their talent. And, there's nothing really wrong with that I guess. But I always feel like, ok when battling is over, are you going to just fade into the shadows? If you are out of the ring for a year, are you going to lose relevancy? See, I have so much going on that I could take 2015 off battle wise, but still drop 2 mixtapes, throw 2 battle events in my city, shoot video cyphers, and push my t shirts, hats and mixtapes online, I could still remain relevant without even thinking about battling, and that's what I want to put myself in position to do when I decide to slow down with battling. I'm careful about saying the word "retire" because if the opponent and money is right, I probably will always have that itch to do it, but eventually i'll slow way down and focus on my brand as a whole, not just through battling.
8.Who has inspired Chilla Jones musically and battle rap wise?
CHILLA: Musically, I'd say Eminem, Big Pun, and Jay-Z are my biggest influences. There are a ton of other emcees that I like alot, but as far as who influenced me and my style musically, those 3 the most. Battlerap wise, Mook Lux and Rex are my influences. The true OGs of battlerap really inspired me to get in this game and cause hell. Before performance mattered. When it was bars and wittiness and creativity and confidence that people gravitated too.
9.A 12 song Mixtape is solid and it gives off an album type feel,do you feel as though you left anything off of this record that your fans would have wanted to hear?
CHILLA: Yeah, I mean I think some people would have wanted to hear one 3 minute record where I just go crazy with bars. Schemes, Punchlines, Flow switches, you know, just a song to dumb out on. The next project will definitely have that. But my goal for this one was to shake the battle rap mold most people naturally have placed me in and show myself as an artist. Hopefully this project has done that, and now on future projects i can't walk the line between the two without being put into one box.
10.You're stranded on an island Chilla and you can only can have three things what are they?
CHILLA: Hmm. If we are talking like inanimate objects, I'm gonna go with an Xbox One, my cellphone and probably a TV. I need to be able to play my shooters and sports games, get my tweets off and keep up with battles lol. I think those are the 3 things i'd go with.
Lets talk to Mr. Bosstown himself and get some insight on this CLASSIC.
1.How you get the name "Chilla Jones"?
CHILLA: The name "Chilla Jones" was given to me early in my rappin days... before I started to take rap serious. "Chilla" was short for
"Chinchilla" which at a point were in style, being mentioned in every rap song, etc. Eventually, it took on a couple of other meanings, one being that I am extremely chill and laid back, and the other meaning that I was cold as they say, which in Boston and other places is just slang for being a great lyricist.
So, I just ran with it.
2.What was your vision or intent for this mixtape.
CHILLA: My vision for "Welcome to Bosstown" was to create a project that had mass appeal, no pun intended. A project that people everywhere, in every town, who graviatated toward any type of hiphop could really get into and appreciate. I tried not to box myself into making one type of song or having one sound, I wanted to really show some versatility on this project. For the people in Boston familiar with me locally, I also wanted it to have a theme of "look how far i've come" because my city isn't a battle rap city so, there's tons of people who still only know me or music who think I've just been idle since my last release in 2010. So I wanted to speak to them too, get their attention and let them know, "hey, you havent noticed but, i've been putting in work in the battle culture under your radar, and now I'm back to business making music".
CHILLA: My vision for "Welcome to Bosstown" was to create a project that had mass appeal, no pun intended. A project that people everywhere, in every town, who graviatated toward any type of hiphop could really get into and appreciate. I tried not to box myself into making one type of song or having one sound, I wanted to really show some versatility on this project. For the people in Boston familiar with me locally, I also wanted it to have a theme of "look how far i've come" because my city isn't a battle rap city so, there's tons of people who still only know me or music who think I've just been idle since my last release in 2010. So I wanted to speak to them too, get their attention and let them know, "hey, you havent noticed but, i've been putting in work in the battle culture under your radar, and now I'm back to business making music".
3.What song do you feel as though you "went in" the most on?
CHILLA: Honestly it's hard to say. It wasn't my intent to "go in" on any song really. I wanted to stay away from being overly lyrical because battle rappers sometimes have this complex where they just battle the beat. They write verses to songs that sound like their battle verses. I did try to incorporate some schemes here and there just for kicks, and I definitely can get busy lyrically on wax, but I tried not to do that so much on this project. With that being said, my favorite verses on here were on Bosstown, Straight Spittin and Saint or Sinner. On each of those records I worked with other great lyricists and felt I needed to bring my A game lyrically to keep up with them.
4."Uncle John" is a deep song bro, what provoked you to make this record?
CHILLA: Honestly, man, like, my process when it comes to developing ideas I think is different than most. Really, I let the beats speak to me. I dont know if that sounds weird to people but, I let the beats talk to me man. When I hear a beat, I hear the lyrics in my head for the most part, as far as how I want to approach it, and what I want to say. So when Brady played me that beat man, I could hear a story. I could hear this picture being painted where I'm expressing how I'm feeling about this situation that I feel like others can relate to. My uncle had passed away last November and, i'd been having flashback dreams of how that day transpired, the same way I spoke about in the song. That was exactly how the day went. I remember coming back a week later after Brady emailed the record to me and recording this record, and Brady had goosebumps. He told me "This is my favorite joint right now." Y'all gotta understand he works with alot of talented musicians all over the country so for him to say that, I knew I had a solid record. But really it was about creating something in memory of one of the greatest men in my life, who probably didn't even know he was that for me. I'm not a very expressive person emotionally I keep alot of things to myself so, I hope he's hearing it everytime someone plays it in their ipod or in their car, and I hope he's nodding to the words and smiling.
CHILLA: Honestly, man, like, my process when it comes to developing ideas I think is different than most. Really, I let the beats speak to me. I dont know if that sounds weird to people but, I let the beats talk to me man. When I hear a beat, I hear the lyrics in my head for the most part, as far as how I want to approach it, and what I want to say. So when Brady played me that beat man, I could hear a story. I could hear this picture being painted where I'm expressing how I'm feeling about this situation that I feel like others can relate to. My uncle had passed away last November and, i'd been having flashback dreams of how that day transpired, the same way I spoke about in the song. That was exactly how the day went. I remember coming back a week later after Brady emailed the record to me and recording this record, and Brady had goosebumps. He told me "This is my favorite joint right now." Y'all gotta understand he works with alot of talented musicians all over the country so for him to say that, I knew I had a solid record. But really it was about creating something in memory of one of the greatest men in my life, who probably didn't even know he was that for me. I'm not a very expressive person emotionally I keep alot of things to myself so, I hope he's hearing it everytime someone plays it in their ipod or in their car, and I hope he's nodding to the words and smiling.
5.What went in to choosing who was going to be featured on Welcome to Bosstown?
CHILLA: You know I really didn't want to have so many features because I wanted people to get familiar with me as an artist, but I felt so strongly about every record I elected to be on the project that I just ran with it. Volume 2 won't have so many features, maybe 3 or 4. But the rest will be mostly me, maybe aside from a hook or two. But I chose my features based on who I felt I worked well with and who I sounded good with. I feel like everyone I worked with on the project i have a good chemistry with in the studio and we have a good understanding of how to approach records together so, that was big in my selection process of who to include.
6.As a die hard battle rap fan and as much as this mixtape is a classic I wanted a surprise feature from 40 BARRS being as though she's from Boston; was that ever an option?
CHILLA: Definitely. 40 is my sister man. It's like, I feel like people box us together so much that we're trying not to let yall see us do everything together, even though we hang out regularly and just kick it and spar rounds and get in the studio together. We're trying to show yall are individuality both battle wise and musically but on the real man I love 40. We've always been cool even before the battle shit popped off and we always been close. We definitely have some music in the works and she also has a crazy project up her sleeve ready to drop. When you hear her project you are going to realize that her and I are a different breed in terms of making music and battling. We can do both with the best of them, for real.
CHILLA: Definitely. 40 is my sister man. It's like, I feel like people box us together so much that we're trying not to let yall see us do everything together, even though we hang out regularly and just kick it and spar rounds and get in the studio together. We're trying to show yall are individuality both battle wise and musically but on the real man I love 40. We've always been cool even before the battle shit popped off and we always been close. We definitely have some music in the works and she also has a crazy project up her sleeve ready to drop. When you hear her project you are going to realize that her and I are a different breed in terms of making music and battling. We can do both with the best of them, for real.
7.Most say battle rappers can't make good music or can't excel past battlerap, what's your take?
CHILLA: Honestly, I agree. Most battle rappers can't. But, in their defense there is a lot of battle rappers who just don't make music. Battling is their music so to speak. Like, people like myself, Marvwon, Lottazay, Cortez, Calicoe, Surf etc. We're using battlerap as a platform for our music to take off, or gain exposure. Some people...battle for that exposure, they don't battle to expose another craft or to market another talent they have, because battling is their talent. And, there's nothing really wrong with that I guess. But I always feel like, ok when battling is over, are you going to just fade into the shadows? If you are out of the ring for a year, are you going to lose relevancy? See, I have so much going on that I could take 2015 off battle wise, but still drop 2 mixtapes, throw 2 battle events in my city, shoot video cyphers, and push my t shirts, hats and mixtapes online, I could still remain relevant without even thinking about battling, and that's what I want to put myself in position to do when I decide to slow down with battling. I'm careful about saying the word "retire" because if the opponent and money is right, I probably will always have that itch to do it, but eventually i'll slow way down and focus on my brand as a whole, not just through battling.
8.Who has inspired Chilla Jones musically and battle rap wise?
CHILLA: Musically, I'd say Eminem, Big Pun, and Jay-Z are my biggest influences. There are a ton of other emcees that I like alot, but as far as who influenced me and my style musically, those 3 the most. Battlerap wise, Mook Lux and Rex are my influences. The true OGs of battlerap really inspired me to get in this game and cause hell. Before performance mattered. When it was bars and wittiness and creativity and confidence that people gravitated too.
9.A 12 song Mixtape is solid and it gives off an album type feel,do you feel as though you left anything off of this record that your fans would have wanted to hear?
CHILLA: Yeah, I mean I think some people would have wanted to hear one 3 minute record where I just go crazy with bars. Schemes, Punchlines, Flow switches, you know, just a song to dumb out on. The next project will definitely have that. But my goal for this one was to shake the battle rap mold most people naturally have placed me in and show myself as an artist. Hopefully this project has done that, and now on future projects i can't walk the line between the two without being put into one box.
10.You're stranded on an island Chilla and you can only can have three things what are they?
CHILLA: Hmm. If we are talking like inanimate objects, I'm gonna go with an Xbox One, my cellphone and probably a TV. I need to be able to play my shooters and sports games, get my tweets off and keep up with battles lol. I think those are the 3 things i'd go with.
Check out everything Chilla @ chillajones.com
Note: If you think your mixtape or album will impress me like Chilla's did then hit me with a link and you just might get featured and praised for your efforts.
BATTLERAPICS
Note: If you think your mixtape or album will impress me like Chilla's did then hit me with a link and you just might get featured and praised for your efforts.
BATTLERAPICS
Love this blog ! You gotta review that Tsu Surf vs Hitman thoo. Much love to battlerapics
ReplyDeletethanks, Hitman and Surf coming soon!
ReplyDelete