Intalek
Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2004 | INDIE
Music
Press
Trackademicks and Intalek are from two different coasts and have two different musical styles.
Before now they have never heard of each other. But some things they have in common are their Filipino and black mixture and the care they take in making hip hop music that is relevant and
representative of their cities and cultures.
To non-fans, hip hop all sounds the same. And then there the stereotypes about the culture as derogatory, violent, misogynistic or pro alcohol and drug use. Which it isnāt.
Granted, some mainstream artists prefer to make easy money by degrading women and bragging about bling and cars, but for the lesser-known artist, hip hop still maintains its original purpose: a platform by which otherwise silent and less fortunate people can speak. And what they speak about doesnāt always have to be poverty. Rappers can talk about anything under the sun; love, money problems, pride for their city or family. The topics are endless and donāt necessarily have to do with life on the streets or prison.
Artists who have cultivated a career for the right reasons, artists such as Intalek and Trackademicks, continue to make their way into Hip Hopās underground and garner respect and considerably large followings.
BAY AREA, VIRGINIA
From the page to the stage, Trackademicks, born Jason Valerio in the San Francisco Bay Area, was raised in a middle class home in a safe neighborhood in Alameda. He is college educated, very well-spoken and energetic.
Not the worldās stereotypical version of what a rapper āshouldā be, but successful and popular in the region nonetheless. He has produced for E-40 and has worked with Kid Sister,Teedra Moses and Phonte (Little Brother). He started doing music in his teenage years and eventually graduated high school and went on to attend and graduate from the University of San Francisco.
Like any typical college graduate, he sought fulltime employment and joined the rat race. While working for Youth Radio, he decided to pursue music full time.
Intalek, known among friends as Theo Jamison, hails from the Seven Cities area of Southern Virginia. Being a hip hop artist from a state not known for producing a lot of successful artist as compared to New York, Pennsylvania or California, Intalek keeps in mind that Virginia is home to artists who have made their way in alternative, pop and jazz music and allows this to expand his breadth of musical creativity and understanding. He has been climbing up the ladder of the indie music scene and recently opened for legendary hip hop group, Wu Tang Clan which only affirmed that his music is positively affecting his fans.
Virginiahip hop undoubtedly has its own style that is a dramatic juxtaposition to the Bay Area style, from where hyphe and the distinctive West Coast style are derived. Most hip hop fans equate West Coast music with the late Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Jazzy Pha whose buttoned down plaid shirts, Chuck Taylor Allstars and woven beanie hats have defined our assumption of what the typical West Coast rappers should emulate.
Trackademicks strives to preserve the bayās āBreezy soundscapesā as he calls them. He readily admits that the Bay is what has defined him as a rapper, āThe Bay is like my sun sign,ā he says, āItās the pair of sunglasses that I see everything through.ā In deep contrast to the trained eye, Virginia Hip Hop fans are familiar with Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams (Neptunes) and the Clipse. Virginiaās essence canāt be so easily pinpointed; itās more in the colloquialisms, twang and cadence with which they speak. Intalek would agree that itās not so easy to fit the Seven Cities neatly into a box, āI honestly donāt know what the Virginia sound is,ā he explains, āWeāre such a diverse state with so m many blends.ā
Any genuinely talented and well-rounded Hip Hop artist is a pragmatic voice of their community and both Trackademicks and Intalek, as different as their music is, harness this power. Whether the music is upbeat or somber, you find yourself mulling over their lyrics, picking them apart, putting them back together, breathing them and intellectualizing what theyāre talking about.
Trackademicks uses his well-trained vocabulary to his advantage. For him, wordsmith is an understatement and itās important to bridge all gaps with his words, āI see myself as bringing together musical tastes and crowds,ā he says. He produced all of his own tracks on his latest album, State of the Arts which dropped in February. Music lovers gravitate towards Trackademickās music. Whether they are into indie rock, electro or R&B, he appeals to all. He being the producer that he is, is able to manipulate instrumentals and beats in a way that conveys that knows exactly what heās doing in the studio, āInherently, my music is Hip Hop, but I feel it appeals to listeners who can appreciate many different types of music.ā
Intalekās laidback nature translates seamlessly into his songs. The beats he - PhilippineNews.com/ Andrea Macpherson
Trackademicks and Intalek are from two different coasts and have two different musical styles.
Before now they have never heard of each other. But some things they have in common are their Filipino and black mixture and the care they take in making hip hop music that is relevant and
representative of their cities and cultures.
To non-fans, hip hop all sounds the same. And then there the stereotypes about the culture as derogatory, violent, misogynistic or pro alcohol and drug use. Which it isnāt.
Granted, some mainstream artists prefer to make easy money by degrading women and bragging about bling and cars, but for the lesser-known artist, hip hop still maintains its original purpose: a platform by which otherwise silent and less fortunate people can speak. And what they speak about doesnāt always have to be poverty. Rappers can talk about anything under the sun; love, money problems, pride for their city or family. The topics are endless and donāt necessarily have to do with life on the streets or prison.
Artists who have cultivated a career for the right reasons, artists such as Intalek and Trackademicks, continue to make their way into Hip Hopās underground and garner respect and considerably large followings.
BAY AREA, VIRGINIA
From the page to the stage, Trackademicks, born Jason Valerio in the San Francisco Bay Area, was raised in a middle class home in a safe neighborhood in Alameda. He is college educated, very well-spoken and energetic.
Not the worldās stereotypical version of what a rapper āshouldā be, but successful and popular in the region nonetheless. He has produced for E-40 and has worked with Kid Sister,Teedra Moses and Phonte (Little Brother). He started doing music in his teenage years and eventually graduated high school and went on to attend and graduate from the University of San Francisco.
Like any typical college graduate, he sought fulltime employment and joined the rat race. While working for Youth Radio, he decided to pursue music full time.
Intalek, known among friends as Theo Jamison, hails from the Seven Cities area of Southern Virginia. Being a hip hop artist from a state not known for producing a lot of successful artist as compared to New York, Pennsylvania or California, Intalek keeps in mind that Virginia is home to artists who have made their way in alternative, pop and jazz music and allows this to expand his breadth of musical creativity and understanding. He has been climbing up the ladder of the indie music scene and recently opened for legendary hip hop group, Wu Tang Clan which only affirmed that his music is positively affecting his fans.
Virginiahip hop undoubtedly has its own style that is a dramatic juxtaposition to the Bay Area style, from where hyphe and the distinctive West Coast style are derived. Most hip hop fans equate West Coast music with the late Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Jazzy Pha whose buttoned down plaid shirts, Chuck Taylor Allstars and woven beanie hats have defined our assumption of what the typical West Coast rappers should emulate.
Trackademicks strives to preserve the bayās āBreezy soundscapesā as he calls them. He readily admits that the Bay is what has defined him as a rapper, āThe Bay is like my sun sign,ā he says, āItās the pair of sunglasses that I see everything through.ā In deep contrast to the trained eye, Virginia Hip Hop fans are familiar with Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams (Neptunes) and the Clipse. Virginiaās essence canāt be so easily pinpointed; itās more in the colloquialisms, twang and cadence with which they speak. Intalek would agree that itās not so easy to fit the Seven Cities neatly into a box, āI honestly donāt know what the Virginia sound is,ā he explains, āWeāre such a diverse state with so m many blends.ā
Any genuinely talented and well-rounded Hip Hop artist is a pragmatic voice of their community and both Trackademicks and Intalek, as different as their music is, harness this power. Whether the music is upbeat or somber, you find yourself mulling over their lyrics, picking them apart, putting them back together, breathing them and intellectualizing what theyāre talking about.
Trackademicks uses his well-trained vocabulary to his advantage. For him, wordsmith is an understatement and itās important to bridge all gaps with his words, āI see myself as bringing together musical tastes and crowds,ā he says. He produced all of his own tracks on his latest album, State of the Arts which dropped in February. Music lovers gravitate towards Trackademickās music. Whether they are into indie rock, electro or R&B, he appeals to all. He being the producer that he is, is able to manipulate instrumentals and beats in a way that conveys that knows exactly what heās doing in the studio, āInherently, my music is Hip Hop, but I feel it appeals to listeners who can appreciate many different types of music.ā
Intalekās laidback nature translates seamlessly into his songs. The beats he - PhilippineNews.com/ Andrea Macpherson
The power of the Internet is crazy, right? In just a click and an assortment of characters, you can meet all sorts of people, for good or bad, and in our case, itās great because this is how Intalek and Ritchcraft linked up. Had there been no Internet (in fact, thanks to the government for passing this along to us), thereād be no way for these two to get together to make music, unless they just so happened to meet each other in any other way. But yeah, props to Twitter for that. In any event, I finally got a chance to start streaming this project, well, today, and Iām definitely jamminā out to it. - JB Kang/ Ill-Vibes.com
The power of the Internet is crazy, right? In just a click and an assortment of characters, you can meet all sorts of people, for good or bad, and in our case, itās great because this is how Intalek and Ritchcraft linked up. Had there been no Internet (in fact, thanks to the government for passing this along to us), thereād be no way for these two to get together to make music, unless they just so happened to meet each other in any other way. But yeah, props to Twitter for that. In any event, I finally got a chance to start streaming this project, well, today, and Iām definitely jamminā out to it. - JB Kang/ Ill-Vibes.com
Intalek, a rapper from Virginia, collaborated with Ritchcraft, a producer from Halifax, N.S. Canada and created what is now known as Lives and Vibes. The two met on twitter and immediately began making tracks. In under 2 months the album was completed.
Iām listening to this joint now and itās definitely worth a download. Check it after the cutā¦ - KevinNottingham.com
Intalek, a rapper from Virginia, collaborated with Ritchcraft, a producer from Halifax, N.S. Canada and created what is now known as Lives and Vibes. The two met on twitter and immediately began making tracks. In under 2 months the album was completed.
Iām listening to this joint now and itās definitely worth a download. Check it after the cutā¦ - KevinNottingham.com
SoulFlows is proud to bring that brand new flavor for your ears, courtesy of Virginia Beach emcee, Intalek. With jazz filled instrumentation and poetic flows, Intalek continues to show the benefits of making music with inspirations that shy away from the love of money and focus on the art that is raw lyricism birthed from everyday situations Rather than present to you a situation in music, Intalek guides your imagination through the scenario at hand. I will never forget the song that made me the Intalek fan that I am today, āBand in My Mindā [and if you ask him, he will let you know that's my favorite joint]. With words lessened, I bring you Sir I.N.T., better known as Intalek. Bless the stageā¦
In your own words, introduce Intalek to the stage.
The one and onlyā¦Intalek! Period.
If you had to describe yourself with one song lyric/verse, what would it be?
Good question. I would have to say āDear Musicā off of my āSquare Oneā mixtape. I canāt necessarily pin-point a direct verse from the song because the ENTIRE track encompasses me and describes me and my journey into what made me jump into music. Iād be lying to myself if I had to choose one of the three verses from the song.
You would describe your style asā¦
ā¦lyrical and visionary. Iām for the listeners. I place more emphasis in what I say and whatās being broadcasted rather than hard beats and easily remembered hooks. So itās more lyrical, more thoughtful, more defined.
I know weāve talked about the different sides to Intalek, what are these different sides and how do they come together to make you the artist you are?
Well, this is something new to me as well! After making more and more music, I realized my approach to tracks varied. So I have three approaches: Intalek, I.N.T., and Theo-nious Monk. ā Intalekā is the thought-provoking emcee, who places more emphasis on lyrics and painting literary pictures. āIntalekā is the foundation for my music. āI.N.T.ā or āIntelligence Named Theoā is the wittier, wordplay-ridden, punchline driven, grittier style of mines. It more represents my battle and hustler era and my rapper approach, like freestyles are coming from āI.N.T.ā And lastly, āTheo-nious Monkā is the smooth, jazz lyricist. Tracks like āThe Band In My Mindā and āShiningā are more of this approach. Itās kind of like an in-my-pocket flow.
Most musicians get compared to other musicians, whether it is lyrically, in presentation, or even how you speak. What musicians do you get compared to the most? And what sets Intalek apart from those musicians?
Itās crazyā¦I get compared to Lupe Fiasco, mostly because my lyricism can go a bit deep like Lupeās. I see no comparison because Lupeās mindframe is deeper and crazier. I meanā¦I see it sometimesā¦it takes many listeners some time to decipher what Iām exactly trying to convey which is normally done with a Lupe track. Iāve heard other comparisons like Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, and Common. But I more see myself in my own lane and doing my own thing. Sure thereās an influence, but I take whatās around me and create this Intalek monster. The comparisons to others are cool, but I want my listeners to be like āYeah, thatās Intalek. He does his own type thing.ā
In the song āCloseā off the Square One mixtape, thereās a line where you say āspoken word what is dear to meā. What part has spoken word and poetry played in Intalek?
Man I had been writing poems as far back as grade school! I never jumped into hip hop at that time. It was more poetry and stories I was into. Robert Frost, Henry Thoreau, E.E. Cummings,Shakespeare, Langston Hughes. I really wanted to be an author or journalist when I was young, but that was just a phase. But spoken word and poetry always kept my interest. Music is poetry over instrumentation. Same scienceā¦different medium. Poetry and spoken word plays a huge part in me and my music. Thatās why I place more effort in lyricism and the art of words.
Now you got a few mixtapes, Square One, HelloSpaceWorld, and of course the one you have dropping now, Believe the Hype: The Best of Intalek. If you had to pick one joint from each mixtape to show your growth, what would they be and why?
Sweet question. From āSquare Oneā Iād have to say āRhythm of Rhythmā because it showcased what kind of artist I was. From āHelloSpaceWorldā Iād say āInternal Growthā because if you really listen the three verses in it are all constructed differently, which showcased I.N.T. on the first verse, Theo-nious Monk on the second, and Intalek on the third, all the while telling the story of how I wonāt quit making music. Itās deep! And from āBelieve The Hypeā Iād say the bonus track āDead.ā Itās just a crazysong! You got to hear itā¦basically about hip hop canāt leave me until Iām respected enough to be a great.
Describe to us what your dream song would be. [Who would make the beat? What would it be about? Who would it feature? What would it sound like?]
I donāt think I actually have a dream son - http://SoulFlows.Wordpress.com
SoulFlows is proud to bring that brand new flavor for your ears, courtesy of Virginia Beach emcee, Intalek. With jazz filled instrumentation and poetic flows, Intalek continues to show the benefits of making music with inspirations that shy away from the love of money and focus on the art that is raw lyricism birthed from everyday situations Rather than present to you a situation in music, Intalek guides your imagination through the scenario at hand. I will never forget the song that made me the Intalek fan that I am today, āBand in My Mindā [and if you ask him, he will let you know that's my favorite joint]. With words lessened, I bring you Sir I.N.T., better known as Intalek. Bless the stageā¦
In your own words, introduce Intalek to the stage.
The one and onlyā¦Intalek! Period.
If you had to describe yourself with one song lyric/verse, what would it be?
Good question. I would have to say āDear Musicā off of my āSquare Oneā mixtape. I canāt necessarily pin-point a direct verse from the song because the ENTIRE track encompasses me and describes me and my journey into what made me jump into music. Iād be lying to myself if I had to choose one of the three verses from the song.
You would describe your style asā¦
ā¦lyrical and visionary. Iām for the listeners. I place more emphasis in what I say and whatās being broadcasted rather than hard beats and easily remembered hooks. So itās more lyrical, more thoughtful, more defined.
I know weāve talked about the different sides to Intalek, what are these different sides and how do they come together to make you the artist you are?
Well, this is something new to me as well! After making more and more music, I realized my approach to tracks varied. So I have three approaches: Intalek, I.N.T., and Theo-nious Monk. ā Intalekā is the thought-provoking emcee, who places more emphasis on lyrics and painting literary pictures. āIntalekā is the foundation for my music. āI.N.T.ā or āIntelligence Named Theoā is the wittier, wordplay-ridden, punchline driven, grittier style of mines. It more represents my battle and hustler era and my rapper approach, like freestyles are coming from āI.N.T.ā And lastly, āTheo-nious Monkā is the smooth, jazz lyricist. Tracks like āThe Band In My Mindā and āShiningā are more of this approach. Itās kind of like an in-my-pocket flow.
Most musicians get compared to other musicians, whether it is lyrically, in presentation, or even how you speak. What musicians do you get compared to the most? And what sets Intalek apart from those musicians?
Itās crazyā¦I get compared to Lupe Fiasco, mostly because my lyricism can go a bit deep like Lupeās. I see no comparison because Lupeās mindframe is deeper and crazier. I meanā¦I see it sometimesā¦it takes many listeners some time to decipher what Iām exactly trying to convey which is normally done with a Lupe track. Iāve heard other comparisons like Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, and Common. But I more see myself in my own lane and doing my own thing. Sure thereās an influence, but I take whatās around me and create this Intalek monster. The comparisons to others are cool, but I want my listeners to be like āYeah, thatās Intalek. He does his own type thing.ā
In the song āCloseā off the Square One mixtape, thereās a line where you say āspoken word what is dear to meā. What part has spoken word and poetry played in Intalek?
Man I had been writing poems as far back as grade school! I never jumped into hip hop at that time. It was more poetry and stories I was into. Robert Frost, Henry Thoreau, E.E. Cummings,Shakespeare, Langston Hughes. I really wanted to be an author or journalist when I was young, but that was just a phase. But spoken word and poetry always kept my interest. Music is poetry over instrumentation. Same scienceā¦different medium. Poetry and spoken word plays a huge part in me and my music. Thatās why I place more effort in lyricism and the art of words.
Now you got a few mixtapes, Square One, HelloSpaceWorld, and of course the one you have dropping now, Believe the Hype: The Best of Intalek. If you had to pick one joint from each mixtape to show your growth, what would they be and why?
Sweet question. From āSquare Oneā Iād have to say āRhythm of Rhythmā because it showcased what kind of artist I was. From āHelloSpaceWorldā Iād say āInternal Growthā because if you really listen the three verses in it are all constructed differently, which showcased I.N.T. on the first verse, Theo-nious Monk on the second, and Intalek on the third, all the while telling the story of how I wonāt quit making music. Itās deep! And from āBelieve The Hypeā Iād say the bonus track āDead.ā Itās just a crazysong! You got to hear itā¦basically about hip hop canāt leave me until Iām respected enough to be a great.
Describe to us what your dream song would be. [Who would make the beat? What would it be about? Who would it feature? What would it sound like?]
I donāt think I actually have a dream son - http://SoulFlows.Wordpress.com
Clever wordplay, the ability to paint a picture in your mind with his words, and his deep-thought lyrical skillā¦ I bring you Intalek (also calls himself I.N.T. and Theo-nious Monk). Intalek is a 22-year-old emcee from Virginia Beach. Heās often compared to Lupe Fiasco by his listeners, in terms of his lyrical thought process. However, he doesnāt claim to be like anyone other than himself. He has 3 mixtapes out, for free download (after the jump!), that have been creating a buzz around the internet. Iāve never heard of the guy, until he recently emailed us. Itās never too late, right? He passed over the links for his mixtapes, and I sat down and listened to them allā¦ quite thoroughly. I think heās developed another fan (me), because Iām digginā what heās puttinā out there for the world to hear.
Anyway, I have a certain way of how I do things in regards to listening to albums Iām going to review. I listen to each song. If I like the track, Iāll write down the title, along with some notes (what I liked about it and such). If I donāt like the track, nothing gets written downā¦ unless itās so unpleasant to the ears, that something needs to be said. Haha.
SQUARE ONE (6/10 stars)
>> Going Down Freestyle ā āThey listen to you and wonder how many bars left // They listen to me and wonder why I aināt even start yet.ā
>> Close ā Itās a song about a girl, love and secret admirers. Whatās not to like?
>> Tour Guide ā āWhere military brats get raised to blue collars // where highways are built from government tax dollars // where drunk driving happens every night, not a bother // where somebodyās kidnapped or raped by a father.ā Itās a journey through Virginia type of track ā the people, the scenery, the history, the highs, the lows, and so on. I flew to Virginia in October of last year to visit my grandpa who had just moved out there. He was showing me the huge houses that were built because of tobacco. That their economy and agricultural production was dominated by the tobacco growing there. Interestingā¦
>> Dear Music ā This is an open letter to music, talking about when he first encountered music as a whole. From a young kid, while growing up, and where heās at now. Name drops like: Anita Baker, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Kriss Kross, Lil Kim, Nas, Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, and so on. He even touches on the days when heād go through chatrooms and forums battling against other cats. You know exactly what thatās likeā¦
>> Donāt You Baby ā Dope trackā¦ lyrically and the hard-hitting beat.
>> Other tracks I liked: āCode Magicā, āTake Noticeā, āWildā, āRhythm of Rhythmā, āMental Lapseā
HELLO SPACE WORLDā¦ (7 of 10 stars)
(Note: This mixtape is full of collaborations with DJs and artists from Myspace.)
>> Donāt Cry ā I smiled the second this track started. That upbeat, big-girls-donāt-cry beat. The track is really funny, youāve got to listen to it. You know when you meet somebody, and thereās a few things you like about themā¦ cool conversations, they look good, they have a dope personality, are beautiful inside and out, and all of that. But you come across one or two things that turn you off, and sometimes itās enough to make you say peace. Yeah, thatās this track. Hahah.
>> This Land ā Ahhhh, yes. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings sampling. I love her voice throughout this track. This is a patriotic track, that goes through the colors of the USA flagā¦ breaking down what they each represent. āBlue be the color of truth // And handicapped parking spaces made for the troops // who fought for the youth // who sought for the truth // to understand that shit President Bush has moved to // if it doesnāt move you, look into the true you // billion dollar debt, moneyās unusual// everybodyās paid, tv shows, and coo-coo personalities making thousands, boo-hoo.ā One of my favorites on the mixtape.
>> With You ā āI usually donāt fall so fast. For you, I fall from Godās hand just so I can land with you.ā Beautiful track. Itās about that special somebody that you want to be with and love.
>> Express Yaself ā It has that old school hip hop feel, which Iām liking a lot. Both emcees (Intalek & Basic) have quality verses over that beat, which is ace in my book.
>> Breathe Me ā When this track came on, my initial reaction wasā¦ āAw shit, a Sia sample!ā Two minutes into the track, I was thinking that he accidently slipped in a Sia track in this mixtape. Three minutes inā¦ hmm. Ohhh, there he goes. Hahah. Yeah, so the first 3 minutes and 10 seconds is the beautiful songstress Sia, and after that, Intalek drops in with a verse.
>> Band In My Mind ā I like this song, because of the cool, jazzy beat, along with the relaxed words laced on top by Intalek. Soothingā¦
>> Other tracks I liked: āPaper Planeā, āSet Me Freeā, āFeel Good Musicā, āI Will Not Loseā, āBand In My Mindā, āInternal Growthā
BELIEVE THE HYPE MIXTAPE (8.5 of 10 stars)
>> Juice 2009 ā I donāt know why, but this made me want to do the Kid-N-Play dance (even though it sound - http://CrayonBeats.Wordpress.com
Clever wordplay, the ability to paint a picture in your mind with his words, and his deep-thought lyrical skillā¦ I bring you Intalek (also calls himself I.N.T. and Theo-nious Monk). Intalek is a 22-year-old emcee from Virginia Beach. Heās often compared to Lupe Fiasco by his listeners, in terms of his lyrical thought process. However, he doesnāt claim to be like anyone other than himself. He has 3 mixtapes out, for free download (after the jump!), that have been creating a buzz around the internet. Iāve never heard of the guy, until he recently emailed us. Itās never too late, right? He passed over the links for his mixtapes, and I sat down and listened to them allā¦ quite thoroughly. I think heās developed another fan (me), because Iām digginā what heās puttinā out there for the world to hear.
Anyway, I have a certain way of how I do things in regards to listening to albums Iām going to review. I listen to each song. If I like the track, Iāll write down the title, along with some notes (what I liked about it and such). If I donāt like the track, nothing gets written downā¦ unless itās so unpleasant to the ears, that something needs to be said. Haha.
SQUARE ONE (6/10 stars)
>> Going Down Freestyle ā āThey listen to you and wonder how many bars left // They listen to me and wonder why I aināt even start yet.ā
>> Close ā Itās a song about a girl, love and secret admirers. Whatās not to like?
>> Tour Guide ā āWhere military brats get raised to blue collars // where highways are built from government tax dollars // where drunk driving happens every night, not a bother // where somebodyās kidnapped or raped by a father.ā Itās a journey through Virginia type of track ā the people, the scenery, the history, the highs, the lows, and so on. I flew to Virginia in October of last year to visit my grandpa who had just moved out there. He was showing me the huge houses that were built because of tobacco. That their economy and agricultural production was dominated by the tobacco growing there. Interestingā¦
>> Dear Music ā This is an open letter to music, talking about when he first encountered music as a whole. From a young kid, while growing up, and where heās at now. Name drops like: Anita Baker, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Kriss Kross, Lil Kim, Nas, Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, and so on. He even touches on the days when heād go through chatrooms and forums battling against other cats. You know exactly what thatās likeā¦
>> Donāt You Baby ā Dope trackā¦ lyrically and the hard-hitting beat.
>> Other tracks I liked: āCode Magicā, āTake Noticeā, āWildā, āRhythm of Rhythmā, āMental Lapseā
HELLO SPACE WORLDā¦ (7 of 10 stars)
(Note: This mixtape is full of collaborations with DJs and artists from Myspace.)
>> Donāt Cry ā I smiled the second this track started. That upbeat, big-girls-donāt-cry beat. The track is really funny, youāve got to listen to it. You know when you meet somebody, and thereās a few things you like about themā¦ cool conversations, they look good, they have a dope personality, are beautiful inside and out, and all of that. But you come across one or two things that turn you off, and sometimes itās enough to make you say peace. Yeah, thatās this track. Hahah.
>> This Land ā Ahhhh, yes. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings sampling. I love her voice throughout this track. This is a patriotic track, that goes through the colors of the USA flagā¦ breaking down what they each represent. āBlue be the color of truth // And handicapped parking spaces made for the troops // who fought for the youth // who sought for the truth // to understand that shit President Bush has moved to // if it doesnāt move you, look into the true you // billion dollar debt, moneyās unusual// everybodyās paid, tv shows, and coo-coo personalities making thousands, boo-hoo.ā One of my favorites on the mixtape.
>> With You ā āI usually donāt fall so fast. For you, I fall from Godās hand just so I can land with you.ā Beautiful track. Itās about that special somebody that you want to be with and love.
>> Express Yaself ā It has that old school hip hop feel, which Iām liking a lot. Both emcees (Intalek & Basic) have quality verses over that beat, which is ace in my book.
>> Breathe Me ā When this track came on, my initial reaction wasā¦ āAw shit, a Sia sample!ā Two minutes into the track, I was thinking that he accidently slipped in a Sia track in this mixtape. Three minutes inā¦ hmm. Ohhh, there he goes. Hahah. Yeah, so the first 3 minutes and 10 seconds is the beautiful songstress Sia, and after that, Intalek drops in with a verse.
>> Band In My Mind ā I like this song, because of the cool, jazzy beat, along with the relaxed words laced on top by Intalek. Soothingā¦
>> Other tracks I liked: āPaper Planeā, āSet Me Freeā, āFeel Good Musicā, āI Will Not Loseā, āBand In My Mindā, āInternal Growthā
BELIEVE THE HYPE MIXTAPE (8.5 of 10 stars)
>> Juice 2009 ā I donāt know why, but this made me want to do the Kid-N-Play dance (even though it sound - http://CrayonBeats.Wordpress.com
With the heavy increase on lyricism budding in the hip hop world today, artists find themselves standing out more and more by the hour. Music seems to be reaching a new renaissance with underground, independent, and rising artists placing more emphasis in what they say and how it is being conveyed. Intalek, a 22-year-old rising hip hop star from Virginia Beach, VA, seems right at home with the new wave of music. With the success of his two online underground mixtapes, Square One: The Mixtape in 2008 and HelloSpaceWorld earlier in 2009, Intalek links up with super producer Grussle of the DC-based production group The VilliaNz to create a compilation of his new and previous works to give his fans something to enjoy. The Believe The Hype: Best of Intalek mixtape hosted by me, Ray of Rbj-mag.com gives his fans more than they bargained for, with commentary from Intalek, himself, along with songs and freestyles that showcase his knack for lyricism, flow, and his uncanny yet witty foundation within hip hop. Fans and new listeners, alike, will definitely appreciate this breath of fresh air Intalek is giving the hip hop world. - www.TheCluh.com
With the heavy increase on lyricism budding in the hip hop world today, artists find themselves standing out more and more by the hour. Music seems to be reaching a new renaissance with underground, independent, and rising artists placing more emphasis in what they say and how it is being conveyed. Intalek, a 22-year-old rising hip hop star from Virginia Beach, VA, seems right at home with the new wave of music. With the success of his two online underground mixtapes, Square One: The Mixtape in 2008 and HelloSpaceWorld earlier in 2009, Intalek links up with super producer Grussle of the DC-based production group The VilliaNz to create a compilation of his new and previous works to give his fans something to enjoy. The Believe The Hype: Best of Intalek mixtape hosted by me, Ray of Rbj-mag.com gives his fans more than they bargained for, with commentary from Intalek, himself, along with songs and freestyles that showcase his knack for lyricism, flow, and his uncanny yet witty foundation within hip hop. Fans and new listeners, alike, will definitely appreciate this breath of fresh air Intalek is giving the hip hop world. - www.TheCluh.com
For rapper Theo āIntalekā Jamison, hip hop had long been a matter of secrecy when relating to his parents.
Acceptance
For rapper Theo āIntalekā Jamison, hip hop had long been a matter of secrecy when relating to his parents. As a young child, he would listen to his fatherās collection of rap albums on cassette tapes only after his father left for work. āHeād keep it from us,ā Jamison explains, āācause it was one of those, likeāthis is like late 80s, early 90s . . . It was strong, so the language was a little bit more heav[y] than it is now, maybe in a sense. It was politically driven acts. You had your straight hip hop actsāstuff like that. So heād keep it kind of from me because of the language use.ā But Jamison always found a way to his fatherās collection when he was away, so Jamison enjoyed listening to hip hop tracks every day. But the fun didnāt last long, as he was one day caught with a broken tape of MC Lyteās Lyte as a Rock record. His father was not pleased.
Later as a college student, Jamison began recording his own lyrics with his friends, but the secrecy resumed in a different way, as he hid all production activities from his parents. āI always hid it from them. Like I would record songs on the computer at the house with my friends, or go to my friendās house and do it. I never really let them listen to the music ācause it was rough. There was language I didnāt want my parents to hear at the time. So it was tough for me to do. But then on that end, it was like, I would be in the house and be somebody else but then go outside and get so much praise for the type of music I was making.ā
It was not until he made preparations to move to L.A. and expand his music career that he decided to break the news to his parents, as his parents wanted to know why he planned to move there. He presented his album Lives and Vibes to them and revealed his work as a rapper. To his relief, they accepted his career choice. āIt took some time. It took years. It was like years of just hiding it and trying to keep them from looking at me in a different way. But, you know, once I stood up and kind of said, āHey, this is really what I do. This is who I am. I get paid gigs. Iām actually out here doing something with it.ā And when I can present it to them that way, then it makes sense for them. āCause all parents donāt want their children wasting their time, you know. So, theyāre looking at it like, āAll right, well, heās doing something with it.ā So I think thatās what it tookāit took time for me to kind of build that resume and bring it to them.ā
With the acceptance of his parents earned, Jamison now hopes to gain the acceptance of critics who, according to Jamison, view rap and hip hop as distasteful music because of a misunderstanding of the culture. āYou have just regular hip hop styleāwhere . . . they kind of keep the actual art form aliveāthat get thrown into that box that you think is negative because of the language use, you know. So thereās a certain fear that I feel like thatās still in our area.ā Jamison goes on to explain that even though hip hop has a large presence in media and young listeners embrace its music, the older generations have trouble acknowledging it. āItās just a fear. And I want to break that barrier and take that fear down because weāre here, like Iām willing to talk to anybody.ā Jamison hopes that spreading awareness of hip hopās broader identity will bring more people to accept the genre.
In this episode of Stories in the Sky, Jamison talks with Victor Russo about his work on his recent albums, his life in Bahrain, and how he broke his fatherās Lyte as a Rock cassette tape. Theo Jamison is a rapper who goes by the stage name Intalek. You can listen to his music and find more information about him at intalek.bandcamp.com.
Note: The songs played in this episodeālisted in chronological orderāare Good Morning, Los Angeles, VA; Ecstasy; Purpose (ft. Pastor Steve Kelly); and Celebrationby Intalek. - Victor Russo
Discography
Discography
*Mixtape/ EP
2007 - Release of first online mixtape "Square One: The Mixtape" (June) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/square-one-the-mixtape
2008 - Release of second online mixtape "HelloSpaceWorld" (Dec) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/hellospaceworld
2009 - Release of third online mixtape "Believe The Hype: Best of Intalek" (July) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/believe-the-hype-best-of-intalek ; Release of fourth online mixtape "While I Was Gone" (Sept) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/while-i-was-gone
2010 - Release of fifth online mixtape, the experimental mash-up "The Fatboy Slim x Intalek Experiment" (Feb) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/the-fatboy-slim-x-intalek-experiment ; Release of first free online collaborative album "Lives and Vibes" with Canadian producer Ritchcraft (July)
2011 - Release of sixth online mixtape, "If I Was Industry: The Cliche Tape" (Mar) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/if-i-was-industry-the-cliche-tape ; Release of seventh online mixtape, "HelloSpaceWorld2" (Jun) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/hellospaceworld2
2012 - Release of seventh online mixtape, "WRKD" (Oct) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/wrkd
2013 - Release of Aspire To Inspire group compilation mixtape, "#orDIE" (Jan) http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/ordie
*Album
2010 - "Lives And Vibes" released through Jakarta Records, distributed in Germany through physical print, as well as online, and online in Japan and US via iTunes/ Amazon http://freelivesandvibes.bandcamp.com/
2011 - "Synesthesia" released independently with producer Kid Icarus http://synesthesiathealbum.bandcamp.com/
2013 - "The LA.VA. EP" released independently with producer E.O.M. http://intalek.bandcamp.com/album/intalek-x-eom-the-la-va-ep-los-angeles-virginia
Singles
2009: 'Watch This' produced by The Apple Juice Kid
2010: 'Say Hello To The Future' produced by KinoBeats
2012: 'Hammertime' produced by Kid Icarus
Streaming/ Radio Airplay
2009: 'Watch This' produced by The Apple Juice Kid
2009: 'The Band In My Mind' produced by Teckniq
2009: 'Dear Music' produced by Denn E. Decibel
2010: 'Say Hello To The Future' produced by KinoBeats
2010: 'Go Go Get It' produced by Kartel on the Beat
2011: 'Jada Pinkett' produced by Frontier
2012: 'Hammertime' produced by Kid Icarus
Photos
Bio
With a newly growing presence of hip hop coming out of Hampton Roads, one could only imagine an artist still sticking to the art of the genre while maintaining and balancing an almost commercial appeal that can seemingly break into the market. Meet Intalek (pron. "intellect") a Virginia Beach, VA staple that possesses just that. With a knack for witty, easy flowing lyricism, story telling ability, and overall raw talent, Intalek has shown growth since dropping his first ever mixtape back in 2006. With 8 mixtapes and 3 albums, including a successful internationally released album titled "Lives and Vibes," Intalek is now armed and ready to keep a steady flow of his music in the stream services of hip hop fans. Throughout his budding career, the two time nominated Norfolk Veer Magazine best hip hop artist has performed at colleges and universities along the East Coast, performing at festivals like Shaggfest, Localpalooza and Artistree, opening up for artists like KRS-One, Mos Def, Wu Tang Clan, Timbaland and Missy Elliot, Mr. Cheeks, Rah Digga and Nottz, and Rapsody. His cosigns span from not only his area code and beyond but also Grammy winning producers like Bink and Chad Hugo, world renowned DJ pioneer DJ Jazzy Jeff, and artists such as Wax, Dayne Jordan, and Skillz who most recently featured Intalek on his 2015 album 'Made In Virginia.' With a still growing fanbase and talent alike, Intalek is prepared to push his Aspire to Inspire brand and show the world that hip hop still exists in the 757.
Band Members
Links