I am a musician, producer, emcee, and indie CEO: Yalloppin Entertainment/Soulkid Records , also leader of the Yalloppin' Hounds (modern swing band), rayzd (hiphop alt pop) , lost secret (hiphop). I own, and produce, Chambermusik.com , which features the best underground Hip-Hop on the net. Chambermusik Radio broadcasts 24-7, on live365.com. listen now!
G-Clef Biography -
Joey
"G-Clef" Cavaseno was trained under the strict tutelage of some of the
last living masters of Jazz Music, such as Doc Cheatham, Illinois Jacquet,
Panama Francis, and Arvell Shaw. He stayed in these bands for over a
twelve year period, studying, performing, observing, and paying dues, so
that one day, he too might lead a great band. While many of his
peers scrambled to acquire record contracts before even having
played professionally as a sideman for any length of time, he followed the
great example of so many reedmen in the orchestra of his idol, Duke
Ellington, and stayed as long as he could, soaking up the experience
and learning the craft first-hand, in a time where such experiences were
all but gone away. In all three of these bands, his talent blossomed
and he was given heavy responsibilities oftentimes as a featured
soloist, lead alto, straw boss, and musical co director; often called upon
to write musical arrangements. Jazz Music brought him to over thirty
countries before reaching the age of thirty.
During the
same time period, a revolution in music was happening all around G-Clef's
New York, circa 1986-88: Hip-Hop. It was the dawning of a new age in
this brazen Black artform, known as the new skool. The huge beats
coming out of car systems were becoming more musical and at the same time
revolutionary in tonality and timbre. G-Clef heard something in it that
attracted his heart, and he followed it, humbling himself 100% to a new
type of training: the unlearning of music as he had come to know it!
G-Clef did the unthinkable for any accomplished jazz musician of his day,
he achieved total submersion into the culture and artform that was
Hip-Hop. He joined up with several rap crews in the Bronx area known
as Gun Hill, where he trained and mastered all the musical elements of
this ground-breaking revolution, experimenting with various drum machines,
samplers, 4-track recorders, eventually rhyming as well. He sought to
unite this new technology and sonority with his jazz training and
eventually scored a deal on Tuff City Records in 1992 with what was beyond
a doubt the first Jazz-Rap fusion group, Ghetto Philharmonic. A
single was released in 1993, called "Don't Bite the Concept", in
conjunction with a video, and was easily the first example of real jazz
being played over Hip-Hop beats. This song, despite its stark
newness, did create a buzz within the music industry. Ghetto
Philharmonic was invited to perform in the New Music Seminar, where many
people in the industry got to hear G.P.'s fresh new approach to
hip-hop. Jazz-Rap acts began being signed by all the majors that year
and unfortunately, Tuff City released the album very late, in 1994,
severely damaging the timeliness of the innovative aspect of this music.
Without proper promotion to compete with the majors, the Ghetto
Philharmonic album, "Hip-Hop Bebop" while received well by critics, sold
poorly. A crew of talent had by now amassed around him and became known as
the Soul Kids, some of whom were featured on the G.P. album.
G-Clef, now
tied down to his Tuff city contract as an artist, began to produce music
for other artists he knew as a possible alternative route to success. But
after disappointments reminiscent of many other Rap artists of the
day, such as very limited budgets, little to no promotion, lack of
artistic control, and missing royalty statements, he felt compelled
to construct a plan to forever liberate himself and his peers from the
trials of being a slave to the music industry. After shopping demo after
demo of his artists, he had scored some near-misses, and even some
development deals, but when the dust cleared, still no secure home for his
artists.
After his
experiences with Ghetto Philharmonic, he had no money, but had made some
contacts in the form of other artists and producers he met on shows and
various promotional events. He met the Genius/Gza while they were doing
radio shows together to promote their respective releases. After seeing
the G.P. video on Video Music Box in New York City, one of Gza
Entertainment's management team called G-Clef, and asked if he needed
representation. G-Clef directed their attention to his new project, the
Soul Kid Klik, a group of all his artists together-as-one, as well as
solo. G-Clef became active as a part of the Gza Entertainment team of
producers, and through him the Soul Kid Klik became associated with the
Gza, and the Wu-Tang Movement of hip-hop. However Gza's efforts were
mainly focused on video productions, and without being promoted by the Rza,
(Wu-Tang's central figure and creator), the Klik soon felt very much on
its own. In 1995, G-Clef formed Soul Kid Records and released a banging
cipher cut Mortal Combat, an exploration of the "Deadly Video Game"
chamber of lyricism. He produced this single, featuring himself, four
other emcees, as well as DJ Spinbad from Ghetto Philharmonic. The single
did well, and the the Klik had some success in the underground hip-hop
scene, and despite finishing an album's worth of material, never
really realized its fuller potential, due to various logistical,
managerial, and internal issues. Soul Kid Records continued on, to put out
about seven records, ranging from SKK singles to break beat LPs, but
distributors eventually owed G-Clef so much uncollected funds, in
1998, the label went under.
Notably. all
the while, and for a period of about twelve years, this musical Gemini led
a true double life, nicknamed G-Clef da Mad Komposa in Hip-Hop, while
still referred to as Joey "G-Clef" Cavaseno Cavaseno in Jazz. In 1998,
several members of the Illinois Jacquet band, past and present, began
jamming on their own to create a smaller group. Tapes were sent out, and
the Yalloppin' Hounds were born. In 1998, the new band he formed was
performing at the same series at Lincoln Center as was the Jacquet
band, with himself at the Lead Alto chair, and it was then that he
realized the time had come to break free. Doors swung open like mad for
the Hounds, as it was the height of the modern swing craze and young
people were rediscovering Swing culture. Gigs were abundant, and in no
time, G-Clef found himself working six shows per week, with little
or no time for his straight jazz or hip-hop careers. He was now a musical
pioneer in a strange new idiom: Modern Swing. G-Clef knew what his
contribution had
to be, and he began, for the first time, combining his talents as a rap
lyricist/producer and jazz composer/arranger, writing complete songs in a
style he called "ghetto swing". He said, "The term Ghetto Swing in our
mind refers to the rich history of African American folk music. Whether
one calls the style swing, jazz, new jack swing, funk, hip-hop or
rhythm and blues, if there is a 'swinging' feel to it, it can be Ghetto
Swing." The Yalloppin' Hounds achieved fame and success, riding the wave
of a new movement, and a strong New York City following, and a series of
limited "hit" songs like "Oops, My Bad", " Hot Dog", and "Thugbrat".
People all over were now singing G-Clef's songs without the benefit of a
major label or radio play. G-Clef brought forth a new independent label
called Yalloppin Entertainment, and recorded and released five albums on
CD with the Hounds, with participation on three movie soundtracks.
After the
tragedy on September, 2001, the live music scene all but died in New York
City, but G-Clef turned more and more towards developing his record
company, Yalloppin Entertainment, finally re-releasing all his back
catalog (Soul Kid Records) in CD format, as well as constantly producing
and releasing new material/groups such as Rayzd (alt hip-hop pop), Lost
Secret (hip-hop), and various break beat and jazz albums. Through the next
few years, G-Clef continued to develop his talent as well as the
talent of new artists,many of whom benefitted through his tutelage. He had
attracted his own loyal online fanbase for anything he does. Slowly and
surely people have realized the high quality and integrity of his
artistry in a day where true artistic honesty seems all but dead.
In 2004, he
initiated a new business model for bridging the gap that existed between
the Hip-Hop streets and the internet, with Chambermusik.Com. Not
only did he make available his own products from the 1990's on CD
and digital formats, but he did the same for countless artists of his
generation, specifically many from the "Killabeez" movement of the 1990's.
He successfully brought forth a resurgence of this music on the internet,
centralizing a fanbase, and even procuring an International
Distribution deal for his new label, Chambermusik Records, with Koch
Entertainment Distribution in 2008. G-Clef still manages to
contribute his music to his company, but is additionally running things
on the business side as theC.E.O. Chambermusik Records continues to
release new music to date.
10-10-2008
Lost Secret
presents
Queens Hall of Science
(the long-awaited debut album)
Legendary Producer, Emcee, and general musical innovator G-Clef da Mad Komposa (Soul Kid Klik / Ghetto Philharmonic), brings forth his first self-produced Hip-Hop project in years. This time is no exception to innovation, as G-Clef, who ushered in both the "jazz" and "Italiano" movements in Hip-Hop, brings a new concept album, and a new group. Lost Secret features his young protege/collaborator, Archangel Metatron, and this young-meets-veteran duo drop their own groundbreaking blend of knowledge mixed with ironic hilarity. Tapping into the mind of the conspiracy theorist, as well as the "Da Vinci Code" reader, Lost Secret explore the mysterious world of Masonic Hip-Hop with some very special guests, including Buddha Monk (O.D.B. - Return to the 36 Chambers), Allah Real (Rza - Birth of a Prince), Ced-Gee (Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown), Christbearer (Northstar - Bobby Digital presents), as well as members of G-Clef's Wu-Affiliated crew Soul Kid Klik (Soul Kid Klik - Invisible Army).
This is a fully manufactured compact disc, featuring a full jewel, 4 panel foldout complete with lyrics!
We guarantee you this is REAL HIP-HOP MUSIC, you WON'T be disappointed.
HELP US PROMOTE, TAKE THE BANNER!