CORRECTION on EPH-SIX-11 PRESS STATEMENT

Press Statement CORRECTION

Eph-Six-11

Retraction On Release Dates For C-Scripture LP

Apologies to all 300+ readers of the “C-Scripture Set To Release LP Late August” publishing. Sharpiron has fired Rowland for his negligence and shall never again work for this organization that ensures that all publications are correct and thoroughly researched :D

For real y’all, C-Scripture BEGINS work on his LP late August. In addition to that, we should expect a single in November! Please take note on these date changes. Thank-you for your patience

Formerly @rowmasi

EPH-SIX-11 Press Statement! (PLEASE FIND THE RETRACTION ON THIS PUBLICATION)

Press Statement

Eph-Six-11

C-Scripture Set To Release LP Late August

(PLEASE FIND THE RETRACTION ON THIS PUBLICATION)
http://sharpironreview.blogspot.com/2013/05/correction-on-eph-six-11-press-statement.html

On 30 May 2013 Eph-Six-11 announced that artist Michael “C-Scripture” Chiphwanya (@scripture39) is to release his LP set to drop late August 2013. Though young, the rapper has shared the stage with U.K’s Jahaziel (Xist Music) and Tru-2-da-Name (Preacherboy Records) and has always impressed with his strength in delivery. Previous rap projects by the artist are Before Grace EP and Just to Let You Know. Of the upcoming project, C-Scripture says: “expect music, good music”. The producers list includes: Divine Sense (@justusbeatz), Patrick Manyozo (@patricmanyozo), Basssik, Pro. Lifik, and God’s Favourite.

The artist has featured Omri (http://www.isix5.com) and Perfect Marvel on his last project “Just to Let You Know” and promises an even more expanded feature line-up for his LP with Gosple…and a surprise feature! The project will boast all four hip-hop flavors: east coast, west coast, south-side, and boombap, and it promises to be diverse and dynamic.

For more on C-Scripture please see www.reverbnation.com/cscripture or www.soundclick.com/cscripture for an alternative link or follow @scripture39

For more on Malawi music please see http://www.elevationmg.net/arts/

@rowmasi

ANYTHING WRONG with Crossova's TALAKWA CHANI?

download at: https://www.box.com/s/5bmmmckia018ow23sz3e (copy and paste on your web browser if you cant click it)

               

If one of Malawi’s urban gospel founding members releases a track then naturally my ears perk up. Raphael “Crossova” Nyirenda has produced artists from David to Double-Zee and is well-known for his mixing abilities – but this track lacked a lot of the quality and technical experience you would have come to expect from the rapper who has been around for a long time! But that would be an unfair assessment because this song was done TWO YEARS AGO! There are 2 reasons why I am reviewing it now because I only review music 6 months or younger: firstly, it may have been done 2 years ago but Crossova has only released it recently and its message is still relevant; secondly…keep reading and you will find out.

The production is typically Crossova which has become a mark of distinction in Malawian music circles. If the song was poor technically then that is to be expected because Crossova has grown in the past 2 years into a truly talented producer. I truly love this guy’s works and efforts for our country’s music and for God.

                The first thing you notice is… “Alvin and the Chipmunks” as Crossova decided to pitch his voice high, but this is not entirely a bad thing for two reasons:-

1.       I played the song in the car with my nephews (14, 13, and 10 year olds) and niece (8 years old) and they absolutely loved it from start to finish! It was on repeat, it was blue-toothed, and it was enjoyed. The truth is, all age groups need to be reached, and this song does well to catch the attention of a younger audience. The older audience will feel as though the Alvin thing took away from a strong message, but the kids will love it.

2.       If you listen beyond the Alvin voice there lies very strong content – and I understand why he chose to pitch his voice: he takes on the role of babies that have been thrown in dug-out toilets, disposed of in plastic bags, and others that have been aborted :'( The innocent babies are asking their mothers “talakwa chani” (what wrong have we done towards you?). It warmed my heart on an informational and emotional level, and with all the worlds disasters that are going on – one of them being child abandonment and abortion – it will either break your heart or harden it. This was a personal song and telling my kids about the meaning behind it, I could see their eyes process a truth that is rarely spoken about in such a way. It was a musical miss but it was an eye-opening experience and for that I take my hat off to Crossova – a man who is a voice to countless voiceless victims!

The SECOND reason why I am reviewing it is because many Malawian artists do have music that is already made but they are sitting on it!!! Release it! You may be sitting on a gold mine of revelation! Who knows, maybe your song has the power to communicate a powerful message, or has the ability to make four kids and their uncle realize the importance of life. DO NOT SIT ON YOUR TALENTS – SHARE THEM!

@rowmasi

#sharpiron (you can comment or object on this review at this hashtag, spark up a convo)

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: GUESS WHO B'ZAK!!!

Dr. Dre disappears and even Cross Movement goes missing, but after 5 months out of the game – we’re back! And this time we are more relentless, less merciful, more brutal and – just kidding! The aim remains the same and that is to encourage the music coming out of our country.

·         I am not different: Ever heard a song and then think “that was dreadful”, or tell your friend: “I really like that song” – well, if you ever did then you are a reviewer too! We are all reviewers, only that I write my thoughts down for you to read!

·         I am still on the prowl: if you choose to put your music out on the market with a price tag (K700, or K1, 500, or whatever!) then you have officially given us a product. As is with any product I have the right to express my thoughts concerning how I feel about it. If you want us to buy it, then we have the right to review it.

·         I am still adamant: if you say you are doing it for God and His kingdom then you know God requires a work of quality. Quality isn’t how much money you spend to make your music, it’s the heart and effort you put behind doing what you love with what little resources you have – and I have the skill to hear that heart and effort in music.

·         I am sure: it’s a mini-service to our music; it certainly goes a long way to hype up a project and create an audience both in Malawi and outside of it. Four people who had never heard of C-Scripture e-mailed me after his review went out saying they were impressed – one was from America… Good review, bad review you always get publicity.

Here is what I would like for you to do…wait! I am coming out with new reviews from Crossover to Arthur, Li-Wu to Suffix, Gospo San to Lomuthi, S.A.M.U.E.L to Lawi and so wait for them. In the meantime:-

1.       Let’s start trending #sharpiron on twitter, keep the conversation goin. Argue with me, agree with me

2.       You can catch me there too on @rowmasi

3.       Divert my attention to music that is coming out, I can’t keep track of all of them

4.       Divert my attention to artists that are coming out, I can’t keep track of all of them

5.       Keep waiting…– it takes a lot of time to go through a project properly, do my research, ask advice from technical experts and other music heads – I take a project seriously because I assume the artist was serious when making it too!

Thank-you for the warm welcome back!

#sharpiron

@rowmasi

"LOVE IS IN THE AIR" with K.B.G's "CRAZY FOR YOU"

Title: Crazy 4 U

Artist: K.B.G ft. David and Lawi

Album: TBA (To Be Announced)

Arise Inc. / Nyali Musiq / LawiMusicGroup

               

                This is a season of “roses are red and violets are blue”; a time for “chocolates are sweet and so are you”. When stomachs the world over are filled with butterflies instead of solid food; when bees and birds seem to be the only two of God’s creation in existence! When there seems to be low levels of oxygen and high concentrations of “love in the air”. Love is a timeless theme, something that every generation has embraced and cherished. From the time that Adam looked upon his wife and said “WhOa-MAN!” then called her “WO-MAN”; to the time when Jesus gave Himself up for His bride – love is truly something to behold. Don’t be fooled though, there are no cupids in this particular story (except for K.B.G) and Valentines’ Day only serves as a flag-point to release something most spectacular: “Crazy For You”.  This is K.B.G’s 1^st single off of his up-coming album and it is a heart-tugger. The instrumentation is a heart-tugger. Lawi’s vocals are a heart-tugger. K.B.G’s and David’s raps are heart-tuggers. As a matter of fact, when two people fall in-love their hearts skip beats because they are each other’s “heart-tuggers” – I fell in love with the song. The song starts off as a sort of skit: the boys are getting suited up in a changing room of a classy hotel for a Valentines’ Day performance. It’s funny and I like it particularly because it creates a warm, positive and light atmosphere – which is what love is all about. Between the skit and when K.B.G’s verse begins lies a good minute or so of exhilarating musical production – I am so glad to hear the depth of artistry in Lawi’s instrumentation. Also Lawi’s vocals which are light and smooth accompany the instrumentation to good effect. In my mind, this one good minute allows you enough time to run, go get your partner and ask her (or him) for a dance; put on an award winning smile and watch her (or him) succumb to your charm.

“Who is this song for?” you might be asking. You might think it is for the “love-birds” but you would be quite wrong! When the song begins it is the married people that are extolled first. We tend to forget that love finds its fulfillment in marriage, in-fact, we tend to think that married couples do not celebrate the occasion altogether. EVEN BETTER: we think that the single cannot celebrate Valentines’ Day at all! But the song is not about Valentines’ Day…not exactly. The song is about LOVE. Singles can celebrate their singleness and married couples can celebrate their matrimony. Here is another 1 EVEN EVEN BETTER: those who had love and then lost it are encouraged in this song to celebrate love still. This song is all inclusive and it leaves no one out of the fray of love. Love is not some exclusive country club that belongs to the “dating”, it belongs to those who have hearts. I feel as though this single will heal some wounded hearts. Also, there are some that would feel resistant about “Christians and Valentines Day”, but Jesus takes advantage of every situation so as to glorify Himself whether at funerals, birthdays, Day of Pentecost (which is a Jewish celebration that was started when Israel left Egypt), and even Valentines’ Day. To celebrate God’s grand design of marriage is godly. The first thing God set up even before He set up the Church was marriage – and the first time God said something was “not good” was when he saw man was alone.

The song’s mood is well captured and K.B.G keeps up with the mood and tempo. Chichewa is no romantic language unless you are good at it, unless your tone and projection suit the attitude – K.B.G made Chichewa sound as good as French! One of those instances where ”Iwe daling” would  sound as good as “mon ami”. David’s rap is in English and his content is absolutely different from K.B.G’s. I appreciate that because it becomes a song for “the peoples” and not just a few “persons”. I am not talking about the language factor – a completely Chichewa song can be appreciated in Lagos or Jo’Burg – am talking about the subject matter. Subject matter is important because if it were just for the married then the “courting” would feel left out and more so the single. In addition to that, during David’s rap you will notice the instrumentation change and become a well-tailored suit to give you a classic “rap’n’ bop”.  

                 

          Finally, there is a small matter of K.B.G dealing with concrete themes, themes which tend to be ignored or under-cooked. Here is a timeless theme, not a fad; and a theme well presented, not misrepresented. I wonder why we have not taken advantage of themed holidays to release singles that suit them. Below are some holidays that I think require some attending to:

·         April fools day

·         Easter holiday

·         Mother’s day

·         Fathers day (although we don’t officially celebrate it here in Malawi)

·         Pentecost (which is 50 days after easter Sunday)

·         Christmas

·         New Years

·         Eid (an apologetic themed song)

…the themes are endless… Expect “Crazy for you” to be released via SoundCloud, it will be posted up on all your social networks.

Just To Let You Know ABOUT Just To Let You Know - The VERDICT!

Lyricism: 2 / 5

Style of Delivery: 2 / 5                                                           

Content: 2 / 5

Musical Production: 2 / 5

Quality: 1.5 / 5

Arrangement: 1 / 5

Concept: 1.5 / 5

Originality / Creativity: 2.5 / 5

Regardless of what C-Scripture proposes “Just To Let You Know” may be about, I have my own idea: it is a public service announcement that the young rapper has grown and is here to represent the Christ! Having said that, my earlier interview with C-Scripture about what the project is about and what it really is are two different things. I think the concept is lost on the project and it is a little vague. Am still not sure what the “big picture” is all about but I’ll comment on that later - if someone has to explain to me what the concept is then the artist didn't do a good enough job expressing it. The intro was up-beat, it contained qualities that I think skeptics will hear and change any misconceptions they may have about C-Scripture as an artist - he really is that good. It was a proper build up towards the project which I think creatively speaking on an individual basis, was unique; C-Scripture was himself on the project, he did not try to be anyone else. He has a strong personality and I am glad that he does because it gives him a flavor. Furthermore, the features are good. Perfect marvel and Omri did justice to the songs in which they featured and it is fair to say that C-Scripture kept up with them. But I am most impressed because he put in work to get these features with artists that are across the Atlantic Ocean! Whilst a “C-Scripture and Jeremiah” feature is not new, am glad that they switched it up with Jeremiah singing on the hook. The production was “ok”. The musical production is not “memorable” and I did not pay much attention to the mix either because it sounds like not enough work was put into it. I like the project because I see right before my very eyes the genesis of someone and something new and very promising.

Lyrically, C-Scripture has skills but he’s still a complicated rapper – his lyrics are very complex. With rhymes like: “celestial seizures and not medical/the end of ancestral leisure free from the bondage/living lavish, acting savage…” (60 Barz) meaning (according to C-Scripture himself) “a divine stop not a medical stop – where everything I knew and held to be “life” from the old days, things that worldly people around me believed...has come to an end.”  First of all, the Word of God is already a veil to unbelievers, a group of people that I believe are one of the target audiences of this project, and to hit them with lyrical gymnastics of this kind is an over-kill. Even belivers would get confused. Rap how you speak and keep it simple. I think David does this well but we don’t want another David – I want a C-Scripture who is simple, who would rap the way he would talk if he were to engage in conversation with you. As much as I believe C-Scripture's delivery is good in respects to projection and confidence, I think he either comes short of his bars or flows over them at times and it is imprecise. However, “Changes” and “Intro” are examples of precise flows and I appreciate “Changes” in particular as a flag-post of precision. In “Just To Let You Know”, on the other hand, C-Scripture’s first three bars are on point but thereafter he jumps all over the place. Please understand that keeping to bars is not a strict requirement, in-fact, it is most welcome to come short of them or flow over them because it tends to give the flow life and vitality BUT only when it is intended (an example of a rapper who does this perfectly is S.O, and I think a direct opposite is MC Jin who keeps to bars strictly). I think it is either the way C-Scripture writes or due to his delivery that this tends to happen, and as I write this am beginning to think it may be his style – in which case it will be hard for me to evaluate because that is who he is; if it is a case of personality then the precision element will be established in time, consistent with his uniqueness. Keeping to bars is like being able to know where punctuation marks are needed in an essay or speech, allowing your listener or reader time to digest and understand what you are communicating to them.

C-Scripture is smart; he has biblical knowledge without the compromise. Secondly, he is a serious rapper – he does not take his platform for granted. But concerning the concept, in our first interview with C-Scripture I got the impression that the album will have a lot of personal elements about his life and struggles especially those concerning his family. However, I did not pick that up when I listened to the project - and if it was in there then it as too heavily veiled for me in cryptic lyricism. So he did not actually let us know that which he intended to let us know in the first place. Thank God for this project though, it was a breath of fresh air for me! I hope he can really ride out this project: radio, concerts, outreach programmes etc. It really is a very good eye-opener to what C-Scripture is capable of and what he potentially can be. Lastly, here is the genesis of someone and something awesome and I encourage everyone to keep a watchful eye on C-Scripture because if he continues to grow then he will be a well-rounded rapper.

Follow On Twitter:

Michael “C-Scripture” Chiphwanya @scripture39

Rowland Masi @rowmasi

·         To see previous articles by Sharp Iron Review that feature C-Scripture please see:

http://www.sharpironreview.blogspot.com2012/12/c-scripture-just-to-let-you-know.html?spref=fb

or http://www.sharpironreview.blogspot.com/2012/12/artist-interview-c-scripture-wants-to.html?spref=fb

·         To download the "Just To Let You Know" ep:

www.dropbox.com/s/hz3kg54h2cq0qm4/Just%20to%20let%20know.rar (please note that you will require win-rar, 7zip or similar to open the file once you download it – but this link offers you a convenient download of the entire project).

C-SCRIPTURE: Just To Let You Know - Release Set For SATURDAY

First and foremost, here is the track-list to “Just To Let You Know”, feast your eyes:

1. Intro

2. Outside

3. Just To Let You Know ft. Jeremiah

4. 60 Barz

5. Tell 'em [Fire] ft. Perfect Marvel

6. Changes

7. Come Back ft. Jeremiah

8. Step It Up ft. Omri

9. Twilight_Bonus Track

            If you have not heard of Omri, then maybe you might be more familiar with Shai Linne’s album “Attributes of God” in which there is a single titled “The Omni’s” also featuring Andy Mineo and Giano. I think this is a very good feature and it does our Malawian music scene very well. As yet, ephsix11 seems to be doing very well and working hard in stretching its tent across the globe in featuring a variety of international artists. To check out more about Omri please see http://www.isix5.com.

The Single That You Have NOT Heard (THIS SINGLE WILL BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY):

            Just To Let You Know ft. Jeremiah: I won’t talk about the production aspects to this track because I was given an unmixed copy of it – one of the perks of being a reviewer is getting a first listen to many unreleased singles and only hope that by the time the track comes out for the public it will be a healthy mix. But I can talk about other technical issues: the song has two well-rounded verses by C-Scripture; it always amazes me that his delivery is as strong as it is. He keeps up in both verses without slacking but I prefer his first verse more than his second. I think he is a rapper who tries to bring you into his thoughts as opposed to bringing his thoughts out to you – there is a difference because it affects how the artist will choose to communicate himself, as a result, the second verse is a little trickier to understand because of his style. Or better explained: it is as though he gives you pieces to a puzzle and lets you arrange them into order instead of giving you an already arranged puzzle. Secondly, am glad that Jeremiah’s contribution to this track was restricted to the hooks. The hook is really addictive and addictive and addictive. It almost feels as though the song production was tailored around the hook because they complement each other very nicely. Bottom line: the title track is good!

The Single That You Have Heard:

            Tell Em’ (Fire) ft. Perfect Marvel: At first I was a little apprehensive at the feature but now I am a firm believer: the boy can hold his own! What you have on this track is today’s generation mixing it up with tomorrow’s mouthpiece and the dawn is almost upon us. C-Scripture has been busy indeed, to have acquired lyrical back-up of this caliber (and the Omri feature) is no small effort. I hope that many more artists in Malawi can pick up on this work ethic and do more to establish themselves. “Tell Em’” is such a sucker punch and after having heard two singles I am eagerly expectant of what is in store. I personally am waiting for the Omri feature, and “60 Barz” – if it is what I think it is then it should be an indicator as to C-Scripture’s lyrical capabilities.

            The project will be released on the 29^th of December, check out ALL social media for download links. You can also catch C-Scripture as he ministers at BBC (Blantyre Baptist Church) for Youth-fest 2012 on the same day.

For more on C-Scripture please see www.reverbnation.com/cscripture or www.soundclick.com/cscripture for an alternative link

To download “Tell em’ (fire) ft. Perfect Marvel see http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/155955496

Follow on twitter:

Rowland Masi @rowmasi

Micheal C-Scipture Chipwanya @scripture39

For more on Malawi music please see http://www.elevationmg.net/arts/