Music
Press
"If you’ve been diggin’ on the tune “I Think I’m Losing My Mind” that we’ve had in rotation then be sure to join me this Friday at 5:00 pm for an in studio visit with the ShutDemDown Records crew. Label Owner/Producer Sam Winters and Label Manager Matt Warren will be joined by Producer Dave Miller and Shut Dem Down artists Blk Man, Nuncio, Panic, Face, Mystique, and Rachel.
http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/Article.asp?id=474398&spid=
- Scott Mullins
ShutDemDown had an article about them being the next biggest thing in Hip Hop in the November issue of 2007 - unknown
Golden Sounds of ShutDemDown
Local production studio showcases Midwest talent
By Howie Goldklang
Posted: July 19, 2007
"Dark Star is supposed to recreate the Ithaca show. . . . My brother and I are thinking of going," mused Sam Sumner (a.k.a. Sam Winters), founder of ShutDemDown Records. "It's the sickest Dead show ever."
Not what you'd expect to hear from one of Milwaukee's up-and-coming hip-hop producers.
With that, Sumner rolls back over to his studio console and hits the space bar. Boom: club banger "We In The Building" starts bumpin'. It's a preview from the upcoming ShutDemDown Records mixtape, "Cocky," set for a July 20 release.
"I was in a few bands through college and got to the point where I just wanted to be the one-man band and concentrate on producing. The first hip-hop track I ever produced was "Your Boyfriend's Got A Girlfriend, Girl" about some girl I liked, and I knew her guy had a girl on the side. I've been working on the sound ever since."
Tucked away on Pulaski Street on Milwaukee's lower east side, ShutDemDown Records headquarters is a one-room space where Sumner sits at the center of a range of keyboards, stacks of CD-Rs, guitars, patch cords - all brightened by a buzzing computer screen. The walls are lined with cushy loungers and a large framed ShutDemDown logo oversees the action.
Drawing from influences as diverse as the Grateful Dead and old school reggae to hip-hop giants Jus Blaze, Dr. Dre, Timbaland and the Neptunes, Sumner is quietly becoming one of the more well rounded hip-hopproducers in the Midwest.
Out to push the Midwest into the hip-hop mainstream, Sumner talks big about the soon-to-be-released ShutDemDown all-star mixtape, "Cocky," which will be for sale at independent retailers nationwide and online at iTunes and CD Baby.
" 'Cocky' is a seamless mix. It's not like other mixtapes where it's big names rhyming over industry beats - our album is all new tracks from our whole crew," said Sumner. "It's gonna be big."
"The Sound" is very important in hip-hop, especially outside of the East Coast/West Coast market. The Midwest has its share of success with artists such as Chicago's Twista and Common leading the way. More recently, the Rhymesayers Crew, Verbal Kent and King Hell Bastard have been keeping the Midwest underground hot.
Sam Sumner (a.k.a. Sam Winters, right) and Dave Derrilykt Miller, the founders and producers behind Shut Dem Down Records, use this one-room studio to create, mix and collaborate on their label, which releases the mixtape, "Cocky," on July 20.
Photo by C.Taylor
Sumner believes the Midwest is poised for a national breakout, similar to the Atlanta/Dirty South movement. Over the past five years, in an effort to help launch that movement here, Sumner has pulled together a select group of local talent to form the current ShutDemDown roster.
Sharing the producer's chair is longtime beat-maker Dave Derrilykt Miller. Rounding out the roster are MC's Nuncio, Face, Panic and Blkman - all of whom bring a unique perspective and sound to the mix.
In 2006, ShutDemDown released Nuncio's "Familia First," which thrust Sumner and his label into the spotlight. Since the release, ShutDemDown have been headlining shows throughout Wisconsin and building a network online. Sumner has also been making moves in the entertainment industry, hooking up tracks on the big and small screens.
While the Def Jam's and Rock-a-fellas of the world have PR, A&R and other abbreviated, important-sounding offices pushing their artists and tracks into ancillary markets, ShutDemDown has managed to parlay their street-cred into commercial deals usually reserved for those major labels.
Over the past year, ShutDemDown has licensed 35 tracks to MTV, most recently being featured on "Real World/Road Rules Challenge." The label also shops in the indie film market and landed the title track for the upcoming independent release "Street Ballin'." ShutDemDown regularly hosts events at Stonefly Brewery in Riverwest and books shows around Wisconsin.
http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=1402019
visit this link to see full story with pictures - Howie Goldklang
Discography
"Winters and Losers" - 2005
Produced entirely by Sam Winters with a collection of underground artists from Washington state.
"Main Objektiv" - 2006
Debut album from Objektiv, who is no longer with the label.
"Familia First" - 2006
Debut album from Nuncio.
"Cocky Mixtape Vol.1"- 2007- collaboration of all the artists from ShutDemDown Productions
Photos
Bio
ShutDemDown Productions was started by Milwaukee producer Sam Winters in 2005. Tired of trying to find his way into the industry with his beats alone, he decided to go the independent route. He soon hooked up with long time friend and collaborator, producer Dave Derrilykt. Derrliykt and Winters pooled together the best rappers they were producing and the ShutDemDown movement was born. Coming from diverse musical backgrounds, and each having their own distinctive style, the two producers form the backbone of ShutDemDown and give the music a sound that cannot be compared to anyone else. The goal for the ShutDemDown crew is to earn a distribution deal to establish an independent record label.
The gasoline fueling the ShutDemDown fire is, of course, the MC’s. This collection of 5 rappers are as dynamic and diverse as the production they spit over. Panic tha Fiyastarta - the gritty, larger than life MC/Singer, Nuncio tha Champ - the Texas born, Midwest-bred vato with the fiery flow, Face aka Jamaica - the truth from the mean streets of St. Louis, Blkman - Milwaukee’s favorite hustlin’ ladies man with the Midwest swang, and Mystique - the mind-boggling wordsmith from the hood.
Since the inception of ShutDemDown, this new school Wu Tang Clan of sorts has been tearing up the stage and studio all around Wisconsin as a group and also as individuals. Playing some major gigs including 2 years in a row at the annual “Vinyl Madness” festival in front of a crowd of over 1000, and headlining the 5th annual “Beermuda Bash” at the University of Wisconsin Stout for over 500 college party animals. These and the many other gigs in the past 2 years have kick-started the movement and started a growing fanbase.
In August, ShutDemDown was 1 of 24 chosen out of over 300 solo artists/groups for the major audition for V100.7 FM's Jam For Peace held in Milwaukee, WI. Only 7 solo artists/groups advanced and ShutDemDown was one of them. They took first place and showed the crowd how well of performers they really are. They've also been involved with Gorilla Productions in Battle of the Bands, which they had a major success with, and in the Bodog Battle which only 24 groups out of 250 were nominated. ShutDemDown is currently in Round 2 in which only 12 groups advanced.
ShutDemDown has also had two songs played on V100.7, the song "Losin' My Mind is in full rotation on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, and played every week on 91.7 FM in Platteville, WI. They even had a live interview on the air on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee on October 19, 2007.
Don’t call it a group and it’s not just a record label, ShutDemDown is a movement. With the hottest hip-hop around, their swagger, and their style ShutDemDown does not attract “fans”, they attract followers in the movement to ambush the industry. ShutDemDown is poised to take over Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Midwest, the country, the globe……
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