INSIDE THE MAKING OF CRUSH ON YOU
BY ARTHUR L. MACK
Picture this: An eight-year-old kid catches the attention of his parents’ eyes as he pens an impromptu rap song. Later, the youngster is eager to come into the studio where his father and uncle are spitting rhymes, and is invited to sit in and check out what is happening.
The youngster then writes out a verse of a rap tune and performs it, and his father and uncle are blown away by his swagger and style. So, they put out a three-song CD and sell it. The CD sells like hotcakes and before anyone knows it, the kid becomes a local sensation.
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| Yung Rob, performer of the single 'Crushh on You.' |
Meanwhile, a local entrepreneur has a great idea—put the youngster’s latest single, which is based on him trying to win the affections of a young lady--to a video. He enlists the help of an area high school, two hairstylists, two lovely dance girls, an independent producer and a local video genius to make everything come together.
Everyone who sees the video is amazed at the end result. The entrepreneur then embarks on a mission to make the young man known throughout the music industry.
Welcome to the making of the video ‘Crush on You,’ starring up-and-coming rap artist Yung Rob.
It all started when Yung Rob decided to show his father and uncle his talents.
“I was really shocked when he wrote his verse and performed it in the studio,” said Yung Rob’s father, Robert King. “So we decided to do a three-song CD and see how people would like it. I knew he had it when he had laid down that first track. The engineer said he did better on the first take than more seasoned performers.”
Yung Rob’s parents made 100 copies of the CD, and sold them to family, friends, and co-workers for $5.00. All 100 copies sold out quickly—so much so, that extra copies had to be made for those friends who were not able to buy one of the first 100.
“The CDs sold out fast,” said Yung Rob’s mother, Mytasha King. “Later, he did a couple of small shows for free just to get himself out there. One was in Mississippi, and the other was in Savannah, Georgia. He was even on TV on New Orleans on a private channel. We let him do that just to let him know what being on TV was like.”
Yung Rob’s performance was very memorable, to say the least.
“They all loved the show, both little kids and adults,” recalled Mytasha King. “They were just watching him.”
Later, the Kings got in touch with Mad Flow Records. Mad Flow decided to record Yung Rob’s hit, ‘Crush on You,’ and do a video to accompany the song. That meant picking out different sites for the video. Not only that, it also required the talents of Ratrice Knighton and Breyonna Powell, a pair of Williamson High School dance team members who were under the direction of dance team supervisor Lisa Kelly. Two stylists, Jonmon Bolar and Latasha Martin, provided the hair and makeup for the video, while JBD Productions and Jason Bradford of TallShortThinFatGuy Productions helped with the shooting.
In addition, Saraland High School was one of the scenes for the video, as well as Yung Rob’s parents’ house in West Mobile and the Fashion Forward Studios. Making sure everything came together was Wilton Terry of the Fashion Forward Group, the executive producer.
“Everything was very organized,” said Knighton. “They made us feel at home and we worked well as a team. At first, we didn’t know what kind of dance we were going to do until we did the shoot, but with the help of our fellow dance team members Lasondra Crews and Courtney Coleman, we were able to get it, and it turned out to be real good."
As for Yung Rob?
“He did a great job for his age,” Knighton said. “Despite being under pressure, he did real well.”
Mad Flow, which worked in collaboration with the Fashion Forward Group, turned out to be a perfect fit for Yung Rob, even though at first, Robert King was worried about the pace of producing the video.
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| Yung Rob looks the part of boss in this portrait |
“I was impatient for a minute, but when I saw how the stylists, photographers, and everybody else put the video together, everything was good,” said Robert King. “I got some strong vibes believing that they would do well. I would recommend them to anybody.”
“It was indeed a long, steady process,” said Terry. “But not many people understand what it takes to make a music video. Everything has to be in place. It required a lot of cooperation with the different people involved, but everything came together and we were able to do a professional job."
Radford (H.B.) Perry (right) and Eric (D-Dog) Crenshaw comprise Open Mind. Below, the duo rehearse for an upcoming concert.
OPEN MIND PREPARES FOR JUNE CONCERT
By Arthur L. Mack
Mobile-based rap duo Open Mind is preparing for a concert which will be held sometime in June--and they are anxious to make their mark on the city in a big way.
For local rap fans, it will be an opportunity to see home-based talent in action. For Open Mind itself, it will be an opportunity to make inroads into the music industry.
Since being affiliated with the Fashion Forward Group, Open Mind has learned to appreciate what it takes to succeed in the music business.
"Basically, we wanted to better ourselves," said D Dog. "We wanted to record, so we collaborated with Mr. (Wilton) Terry. We wanted to refine our image, all of that. It's about staying focused and being a family. It's just not about being for self, but about teamwork. Seeing everybody here being focused, you can't go wrong, 'cause two heads are better than one."
"We were looking for a new sound as well as imaging,' added H.B. "Basically, it was about going to the studios. We learned a whole lot, especially about chasing your goal. You don't try to be the whole package, just learn your part and take it seriously."
How then, did Open Mind come into existence? To get a better idea about the duo, just keep reading:
HOW IT BEGAN
H.B. got into the rap game at a relatively young age.
"I've been spitting rhymes since I was eight years old," he said. "Me and my sister's cousin used to rap and do karaoke,. It was a lot of fun.
Two years ago, H.B. hooked up with D Dog. As one would expect, it came about as a result of their love of rap.
"I was going to other people's apartments to do some recordings," said D Dog, who was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived for a while in Long Beach, California. "But I didn't want to get in other people's way, so I decided to invest in my own studio. I was introduced to H.B., and I let him come to my house and listen to lyrics."
"I spit out a litle something," said H.B., and he liked it. "I knew what his style was, and as soon as we heard each other, I knew he was real."
It only took a few shows before the duo knew they were on to something big,
"We rocked a couple of shows and the crowd loved it," said D Dog. "It made me feel good and gave me a good vibe."
"I was super happy," H.B. added. "Even the dudes were jumping to our music. It had chills going through my body."
INTROUDUCTION TO FASHION FORWARD GROUP
Once Open Mind got a few shows under their belt, the duo realized that in order to take it to the next level, they would have to seek professional advice--and also refine their image. So, they hooked up with the Fashion Forward Group.
That involved marketing--which among other things, involved picture-taking as well as filming for Fashion Forward's television show.
"It was a different experience, but still in a normal way," said D Dog. "It was just a matter of learning how to carry yourself, because we had to come with a lot of different poses when we took photo shoots." Added H.B.: "It opened doors for me because I never been in front of a camera before."
Being featured on Fashion Forward's television show was quite an experience, too.
"A lot of young fans saw us on TV and were shocked," said D Dog. "Even my grandmother was surprised to see me on TV."
With the exposure, however, came a lot of detractors.
People were saying things like, 'they ain't got no deal,'" said D Dog. "But an empty wagon makes a lot of noise."
There were a lot of haters out there," said H.B. "They were asking stuff like`, "Why they taking photos?'"
But being the focused individuals they were, Open Mind kept pushing ahead. And with wanting to be well rounded, the two also want to be successful with the business aspect of the industry, too.
"We still need to be schooled in a couple of things," said H.B. "But when you know the whole business, you can't go wrong."
"When we came down (to Fashion Forward), we didn't have all the knowledge," said D Dog. "We're learning as we go. The most important thing is making sure everything is on the right track.
