MY INSPIRATION FOR BECOMING A SINGER SONGWRITER by Ryan Van Sickle

A few of you have asked where my inspiration to become a musician came from. In 2003 I bought a general admission ticket to a Springsteen concert, got lucky and ended up against the stage right below his mic stand. I didn't know what to expect as I had only ever listened to his music on the radio. Little did I know I was in for the rock n roll experience of a lifetime. From the moment he took the stage, strummed the first chord to The Rising I was hooked. The intense energy that buzzed through that arena was absolutely incredible! We were all invited to go on a musical journey with he and his band. The power of Bruce's storytelling through his voice, his musicianship on the guitar and raw emotion was really quite amazing. I knew that night I wanted to tell stories as well. 
So I picked up a guitar not to long after that and began to teach myself to play and I wrote and wrote and wrote. I heard Johnny Cash say once in an interview that if you don't believe in the story you're telling as a singer then why would you expect anyone else to believe it? As a singer songwriter I live by that quote and apply it every time I play. That night in a packed house in Charlotte, NC. Bruce believed every story he told and so did the other 20,000 people. That's inspiring and for me it was life changing. Who knew that 10 years later I would be on the same album as Bruce? ONE Campaign's Agit8 Protest Song album. Hard work and belief in a dream does pay off.......

Ryan Van Sickle is a brilliant singer-songwriter who can be found at http://ryanvansicklemusic.com/. Follow him on Twitter @Ryan_VanSickle. Follow him on Google+ at +Ryan Van Sickle.

The Package Tour: A Review by @heatherk330

The Package Tour is one that is filled with the music of the 1990’s, Boyz II Men,

98 Degrees and of course, New Kids on the Block (also known as NKOTB).   For the

Rosemont concert on 7/18, one of three concerts I’ll be attending on the tour, the

audience got three hours of fun and bit of nostalgia.  For me the day began with a 5 Star

VIP package which included a Meet and Greet.  The way the Meet and Greets operate

is that you get into a group of ten, many fans try to form groups prior to the show to

ensure they can stand by their favorite, and get to meet the guys in that group.   Now

every fan has their favorite, many refer to it as being a “insert their name here” girl

(personally I’m a Donnie girl), but each one of the guys usually holds a special place in

the hearts of their fans (myself included).


One thing I will certainly say, is that these five men do not disappoint up close

and in person.  Even in a few short moments of meeting the group and taking pictures

they make you feel as if you are the only person in the room during that brief moment.

They are happy to see their fans, and when they say they love their fans and appreciate

everything that we do for them, you can feel it.  Some will say that they can be rendered

speechless upon meeting them, which I can certainly relate.  Meeting the group you've

loved and enjoyed since you were a child in person can certainly do that.


After the VIP experience, I got to the hardest part of the night: waiting.  With

plenty of other fans around (NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men) you always have

someone to talk to.  I met some fans who had traveled from Europe just to see the

tour, others that had been to multiple shows just because they couldn’t get enough.

It’s easy to see how NKOTB fans (or Blockheads as we are also called) become friends

even though we may live on opposite sides of the country or around the world.  There’s

always something to talk about, whether it’s the possibility of a cruise for 2014 (yes,

there is an NKOTB cruise), which song is their favorite on 10 or what surprises might be

in store for us.

The concert in and of itself is an experience.  NKOTB’s set begins with the pledge

(as recited by Donnie Wahlberg) that we all repeat, “I do hereby pledge to spend the

next two hours having the time of my life.  I leave all the drama, all my worries, and all

my fears behind me.  I promise to celebrate tonight like there is no tomorrow.  For this

is my night! I worked hard for this night, I deserve this night!  I earned this night and

together we own tonight!” This leads immediately into “We Own Tonight,” the opening

track from their newest album 10.


There are of course their most popular songs, like “Hangin’ Tough” and “The

Right Stuff” and ones from The Block like “Summertime” and “Single.”  Mixed in with

songs from 10 like “Remix (I Like The)” and “Survive You.”  However, there are also

moments where each member gets to showcase their talent.  “Survive You” is a perfect

example as each member gets their own moment during the song, which elicits cheers

and applause from everyone.  Goosebumps and shivers are prevalent during Joe

McIntyre’s performance of “Please Don’t Go Girl,” showing just how much “the Kid”

(as Donnie playfully calls him) has grown up into a performer.  Jordan Knight gets to

showcase his incredible vocal range in “Kiss” and “Tender Love.”  One moment where

you may hear the loudest screaming is during “Cover Girl,” when Donnie happens to

tear off his shirt.  Danny Wood break dances, which is always a fan favorite, and Jon

Knight just has a blast on stage, but also gets his moment with crowd renditions of

“Sweet Caroline” being turned into “Sweet Jonathan.”


During all of the songs, the energy is electric, and fans are on their feet from

beginning to end.  There is really no sitting down at a NKOTB concert and no bad seats in

the arena. In what seems like the blink of an eye, you begin to hear Dropkick Murphy’s

“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” and know that sadly, the end of the night is here.  The band

dons their Boston jerseys (sometimes the Red Soxs, in this case the Boston Bruins) and

begins the closing number “Hangin’ Tough.”  For some, after the concert comes the

After Party experience.

In some cities, some lucky fans are able to go purchase tickets to the After Party

that takes place at the venue.  The party is usually hosted by Donnie Wahlberg and Boyz

II Men, with special appearances from other members of NKOTB.  (The Rosemont one

also included Danny, Jordan, and Jon.)  This part of the night begins with a quick photo

op before the partying begins.  The guys tend to circulate around the room, taking

pictures and mingling with fans, but a party hosted by Donnie is definitely one that you

should go to if the chance arises.  The best thing about the After Party is not only getting

to meet other fans but also seeing the band have fun off the stage.  Jon takes a turn

being the DJ, Donnie makes sure the party does not stop, and the energy from during

the concert continues on into the After Party.


If you've never been to a New Kids on the Block concert, it’s an event you will

not forget.  While they may have been around for 25 years, it’s as if the feeling from the

first time you heard one of their songs on the radio, or saw them in person comes back

ten-fold.  Thankfully, fans get to relive a piece of this through the new release of “The

Whisper” music video which was filmed during several concerts.

Magna Carta Holy Grail Vs Yeezus by Planet12LAW

Ladies & Gentlemen.....

Jay-Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail" Vs Kanye West's "Yeezus"

THE L*A*W OPINION IS HERE.....

Kind of crazy since Jay is partly responsible for Kanye's career while Kanye is the ONLY artist left from the massive MC/Artist collective that was once known as Rockafella. We have seen both these artists changed the hip-hop landscape in the last few years individually and with the classic "Watch The Throne", they did together. But thanks to Kanye's recent Papparazi attack, it brought the already popular opinion on his album to the forefront: YEEZUS IS WACK and I personally felt that Kanye did this stunt to bring more attention to the failing album which even had low 1st week sales after a groundbreaking worldwide building projections as well as a Saturday Night Live. The album itself is seen Kanye trying to adapt dark black lyrical philosophy to hard electronica based beats.

It's almost like he purposely tries to go there lyrically with a song "New Slaves" to show & prove that his partnership with Kim Kardashian hasnt softened him. For me, only 3 tracks out of the 10 stand out and my theory still remains: KANYE'S LAST BEST ALBUM WAS "GRADUATION"

Jay-Z......HAS DONE IT YET AGAIN !! While Kanye tries to explore new territory, JAY TAKES IT BACK TO RAW EDGE HIP-HOP ESSENCE !

Having Pharrell, Rick Rubin, Timbaland & Swizz Beats all in the same room producing tracks simultaneously is a statement within itself.

Jay addresses everything from Miley Cyrus Twerking to His Daughter in the same cool but rugged demeanor that made him who he is with no compromise. He even got tracks like "Crown" & "F*** Wit Me" that appeal to the current climate of Hip-Hop production but Hov displays his wit, sharp classic  cadence & still illmatic rhymes that complement the tracks. He's always had the ability to adapt in a current state of mind while not abandoning the basic components of his recording style

AND THE WINNER IS.....HOV ! #MagnaCartaHolyGrail

L*A*W* can be found on Twitter @Planet12LAW. Find him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planet12productions?fref=ts.  

The Love of Music Project Vlog #1

L*A*W PAYS HOMAGE TO KRIS KROSS (Chris "Mack Daddy" Kelly RIP)

It was the So So Def Records Anniversary in honor of its mogul/founder Jermaine Dupri who launched the label that would end up becoming a powerhouse in the 90’s all the way to the mid-2000’s in a very competitive industry. Though members of Xscape, Da Brat & other artists who were signed to the label or benefited from Jermaine’s production like Usher, Lil Jon, Dem Franchise Boyz & many others, THE MAIN BUZZ FOR THAT NIGHT WAS THE REUNION OF KRIS KROSS. After years of You Tube Footage & interviews which showed the trailblazing former teen rap duo in their separate different directions, many fans had been waiting to see Mack Daddy (Chris Kelly) & Daddy Mack (Chris Smith) in their adult stages performing the classics that made them a household name like “Jump”, “It’s Alright”, “Warm It Up Kris”, “I Missed The Bus”, “Tonight’s The Night” & “Live & Die For Hip-Hop”. When they came out, the crowd went crazy as the duo kicked ass & showed promise of easily being a great nostalgic touring Hip-Hop act.  It was almost like they never left & for a duo who hadn’t perform in damn near 20 years,  their timing, precision & breath control was super in point and would put many new artists to shame. That would make sense especially since Kris Kross was discovered just hanging out in the mall by Jermaine back in the early 90’s & almost overnight, they changed the game as teenagers in terms of their backwards clothing image (which was really their image) & carefully crafted songs which was rugged Hip-Hop production with serious Funk elements, strong catchy hooks & serious Pop appeal courtesy of Jermaine producing genius which enable their debut album to sell over a million copies. Later albums like “Da Bomb” & “Young, Rich & Dangerous” were critically acclaimed albums that showed they wasn’t afraid to grow whereas most labels would’ve tried to keep them as young cute teenagers but sadly on sales level (both these albums did go Platinum &Gold though), it didn’t resonate with the ever changing hip-hop public and before long, you would only see Kris Kross making rare appearances in Da Brat videos before falling out of public light with the exception of Chris Kelly who was reportedly dealing with drug related problems as well as a disease which had caused him to lose his hair over the years.  In between it all, There was talks of a solo career which also would’ve made sense because in all honesty, Kelly was the better MC between the two with his fiery delivery & rapid tongue flow & Smith’s laid back, down to earth complemented perfectly

Sad to say that this amazing reunion proved to be the last time we would see Kris Kross perform as a duo when the shocking news of  Chris “Mack Daddy” Kelly passing away soon after hit the music world. In his Eulogy, Daddy Mack said that he hopes the legacy of Kris Kross will always be remembered & never forgotten. The truth is us real hip-hoppers never did forget especially when you at a party & you witness the fact that the minute “Jump” comes on, EVERYBODY CAN’T DENY IT’S LONG LASTING IMPACT & IT BECOMES  ! All Hail The Daddy Mack & The Late Mack Daddy (RIP).




You can follow L*A*W* on Twitter @planet12LAW.  You can follow the fan page on Twitter @planet12nation.  

L*A*W's 7-Time Grammy Nominated Debut Album "Tha Planet 12 Syndrome" On ITunes: http://bit.ly/czbltc

If you want to know more about LAW, check out his profile L*A*W's Critically Acclaimed Mixtapes ! FREE DOWNLOAD ALL 4 ! : http://tinyurl.com/clkk36f.

The G.O.A.T (LLCoolJ) is releasing a NEW album...

Yes, you read that title correctly. LLCool J is releasing a NEW album with great LLCoolJ style which includes a great new single featuring Babyface.  Yes, for you late 1980's, early 1990's  R&B officiandos the official Babyface.  For those asking yourself, "What has Babyface been doing for the last 17+ years?"  Running his record label Laface Records as well as producing a few familiar artists, does Usher ring a bell?  Moving on, I am really stoked for LLCoolJ's new album. I have loved everything the G.O.A.T has done in his career, yes, that does mean the album "Headsprung" from years ago.

This brings up this interesting thought. It seems the music industry is starting to go through a re-building stage lately. Meaning artists that were gone for awhile are putting out GREAT new music, and proving to those who were not sure the industry was going in the right direction time to reevaluate.  I really hope despite all of the other albums coming out lately, you will pick up a copy of "Authentic" when it drops April 30, 2013!   429 Records-LL Cool J

Artist Highlight-The Gecko Brothas

In my everyday quest to find new music through upcoming artists, my attention was turned to this new hip hop duo The Gecko Brothas.  At first I was weary in checking them out, but upon listening to their music, I have found that these guys have flow.  A couple of samples of great songs surprisingly went well with that flow.

Check them out for yourself!



For more information on The Gecko Brothas, visit their website http://priestforever.net/!