​Nick Nittoli is carving out his proverbial slice of the pie in Los Angeles as a rapper/singer. Garnering writing and production credits, he's been fortunate enough collaborate with Snoop Dogg, French Montana, and YG, among others. He's also battled it out with other emerging artists on the former Bravo reality series, "Platinum Hit." JSaysOnline.com had a brief chat with Nittoli about his work and what he has in store for listeners.
 
How would you describe your artistry?
 
NN: Pretty different than most. I switch genres on almost every track. I am primarily a hip-hop artist; however, I have released country and R&B albums. I also do pop, and will be adding other genres to my resume soon! I like to keep people on their toes to the point that they never know what to expect when turning on a Nick Nittoli song or album. So, I would describe my artistry as eclectic! 
 
What recording artists are your influences? How are you similar or different from them?
 
NN: I am heavily influenced by Michael Jackson, Eminem, 2Pac, Blink 182, Bush, Nofx, and various others. I think that my music causes social change, and because of that factor, it resembles Eminem and 2pac. I also think that because of how different my music is, it can resemble a lot of different artists all combined into one. I take a bit from all of my influences and kind of make my own thing with it. I think the thing that separates me from these artists is my willingness to experiment, truly dive into different genres, and make people think...keep them guessing as to what's coming next. 

23-year-old singer-songwriter Junior Martinez from Casa Grande, Arizona is one of the newest aspiring artists to enter the R&B/pop online independent music market. Martinez dropped the deets on his background and current digital release, Not the Boy Next Door to JSaysOnline.com.
 
Well, hello! Let's start off by telling everyone a little bit about your background. Were you born on a warm spring day or a harsh, cold one? Haha. No, seriously, where did you grow up, what things are you involved in outside of music and how did music become something you wanted to actively pursue?
JM: [I] was born in a little town in Arizona called Chandler. Besides being a musician, I work in the medical field; I am a caregiver. I also raise my brother, who I adopted when I turned 18. I had a tough childhood; we didn't have much. [Also,] My grandma, who raised me, worked a lot, so that really forced me to be creative and that is how I fell in love with music...buying my first Michael Jackson album (i.e. Thriller)...made me want to sing and write. I was obsessed. Everything about Michael's music was alluring to me, so I literally spent night and day trying to learn everything; from his dance moves, to the way he sang. 
 
You have 3 full albums available for download on Bandcamp.com; the oldest was released last year. Did you produce all of them by yourself? If not, who else did you collaborate with? What resources did you use to complete the projects?
JM: I have written and produced every album. Some of the instrumentals are collaborations with a beat maker named DJSSR, who I have been working with since my first album. I started recording out of my bedroom in 2008, and released a string of horribly produced songs that I have erased from existence, haha. The 3 albums that are available...I'm pretty proud of them. I have grown lyrically and vocally. I'm completely self taught: no vocal or writing lessons, and the production has been learned pretty much through trial and error. 
 
What's the concept of and story behind Not the Boy Next Door?  Which song is your favorite?
JM: The concept is simply that I was tired of being put in the "R&B box." I literally would get comments about how I sounded like this or that R&B singer. Don't get me wrong; I really love R&B, but I also love other genres and really wanted to experiment. I wanted to make an album that was a little bit different and incorporated pop/dance elements, but still had the R&B that my supporters like. So, the title was my way of saying "Hey, I'm not just that R&B guy and I have more to offer than a couple of sappy break up songs." My favorite song is probably the darkest song I did this go round called "Battle Wounds."

Listed as one of the “Top 50 Indie Artists of 2012” by WWS magazine, Michigan-born, Atlanta based rapper James Lewis is seeking to hit the big time with lyrics infused with heart and thought, not superficiality. He describes his latest project, H.E.R., as “…a story that vividly depicts my love for hip-hop and dealing with the battles that come with it, by creating hip-hop into an "ideal" of a woman. It gives the listener many different views on the genre itself.”Lewis discussed his plans, music and latest video to promote the new album, “Fallen Ashes,” with JSaysOnline.com.

In my Sanaa Lathan voice, when did you fall in love with hip-hop? I’m kidding. How and when did your aspirations to be a professional hip-hop artist form?
JL: To be honest, I fell in love with hip-hop when I started actually listening to the verses and understanding rhyme schemes and flow! That wasn't until, like, high school! It’s funny, but the first hip-hop albums I bought [were from] Kris-Kross and Lil’ Bow Wow; haha, classics in my eyes!

In the “Fallen Ashes” video, you’re unfaithful to your girlfriend with an unbalanced mistress, who’s presumably a symbolic representation of hip-hop, to fall in line with the theme of your H.E.R. album. Have you ever sacrificed your personal relationships in pursuit of a music career? Why was hip-hop portrayed as a psychopath?
JL: You hit the nail on the coffin! I have definitely sacrificed personal relationships to pursue my music career. I think people in general have to sacrifice all types of relationships if they want to pursue the dream. Sometimes we are faced with those tough decisions; that will determine how far we go.  

How would you describe your stylistic approach and what do you think makes you stand out?   
JL: I would describe my style [more] as "song-writing" than "rapping," because I grew up in an era when we rapped just to get an immediate reaction and the "aw-factor" with punch-lines throughout the lyrics. My mind-frame now is to create composition that tells a story with a moral lesson attached.  

Who are your biggest musical influences and what are your ultimate goals as an artist?
JL:  My biggest musical influences are the people I meet every day. From my friends and family, to someone I just met today. I ask a lot of questions that really don't have a straight-forward answer. [Their] answer is usually an interpretation of the person’s upbringing. My main goal is to touch hearts and change lives with my music; I want to be able to raise a family off the financial opportunity that comes with the music.

What is your opinion on the current state of mainstream hip-hop/rap?
JL: The current state of hip-hop is where it should be right now. I think the hip-hop community is starting to realize how much influence we actually have, so it has to go through ups and down to establish that right path. People give so much down-play on the state that it’s in right now, but hip-hop is not that old! You can say it’s in the college years: where you’re trying to determine what you want to do, but at the same time, you’re getting adjusted to the popularity, party life and etc. It’s going o take time.

What do you want your listeners to understand foremost about you?
JL: I want my listeners to understand that I'm human like them! I want them to grow with me and experience my life as time goes on! I want [them] to know that life is all about helping others and that's how you receive your blessing and determine your future!

Why should people listen to your music?
JL: My music is created by nothing but passion for what I do. Every word that I say out my mouth is an attempt to bring the "love" back! 

*Listen to the H.E.R. album here
*More music and videos:
Soundcloud.com/iamjameslewis
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IamJamesLewis/videos
*Social Media
Twitter & IG: @iamajmeslewis
Facebook.com/iamjameslewis
Tumblr: Iamjameslewis.tumblr.com

Most people find the back-story of their parent’s youth less than riveting, but if your mother was once in an R&B band that was on the same recording label as Michael Jackson, you may be more curious. 'Tennessee Tribune' journalist A.J. Dugger’s 1st book chronicles his family’s drama-riddled path to fame as The Dealers in the 1970’s & 1980’s. Dugger provided an interview to JSaysOnline to discuss the biography and his experience with interviewing his relatives about their dark & astonishing past.

JSaysOnline: How did you learn that your mother was once a part of an up-and-coming band? Did you grow up knowing this?
Dugger: I grew up traveling the United States and Canada with these amazing people [The Dealers]. My earliest memories are traveling and watching them perform and rehearse. Sometimes they would put the spotlight on me and let me dance with them during the show! They were the best and I learned so much from them. I still do.

JSaysOnline: Your book promises a gritty story about the chase of fame-- sibling rivalries, negative influences and broken friendships. How were you able to get your mother and relatives to be so candid about their lives?
Dugger: Well, some things I naturally already knew about, but there was so much I didn't! Most people in my family were happy to be interviewed and share their perspective on things. Granted, they're more mature now than they were during their 20s and 30s, so some of them have a story or two that they're not proud of, but everyone was really open and that's what makes the book special; you get so many sides of the story that everything rounds itself out. Several people were a bit uneasy with me putting in the “juicy” stuff. Someone was murdered, several people were on drugs, someone was an alcoholic, people cheated the band, there were big fights, run-ins with racism, etc.  These were sensitive things to bring up. Also, old rivalries were brought back to the surface as I interviewed everyone. Thankfully, everyone can laugh about those things now!

JSaysOnline: Did you find any details startling? Did any of your discoveries affect your perspective of your family?
Dugger: Oh yeah! I found some details very startling and so will the readers. I guarantee that. You never know what to expect as you read these pages, but nothing affected my perspective of my family. In the end, family is family, which is one of the many lessons learned in the book.

These days, everyone is a blogger; logging their opinions on everything from politics to entertainment to express themselves and/or be an internet sensation. Art created one of the web’s best hubs for current music news (MadeToBeNow.com), Ronald (RonaldMatters.com) & Dio (It’s DiO!) operate as activists for the LGBT community all while commenting on pop-culture & daily life and Chike Evans is a burgeoning journalist on Blog Talk Radio’s “The Steven Knight Show” and YouTube with "Conversations with Chike Evans."  These online media personalities gave an interview to J.Says Online to reveal how they've managed to stand out and discuss the downsides of web success.

What brought you to online media and what were your initial intentions when you got started?
Art: Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a profound love for music; like an obsession. I always knew everything about everyone in the business, like the latest single, the latest video, the next album, the inspiration behind each record, I mean… I was crazy even back in the day. Then one day, I decided it would be fun to share all that. And here I am. 
Ronald: Superstar status! *throws hands up as if I see my name in bright lights* When I first started my blog, I had intentions of being the next Freddy O or Necole Bitchie. However, I discovered real quick that I would appreciate being a niche blogger more. Fame wouldn’t be all that great if the gay community hated Ronald Matters.
Dio: Online media has served as an outlet for me: my thoughts, worries and aspirations [it] has been used as a release. I was initially intrigued by the B. Scott character; he inspired me to put it all “on the table.”
Chike: My friend, now boss, Steven Knight, brought me to online media… [He] asked me to be a part of the project. There was no way that I could have said “no” to that.
J.Says: I wanted somewhere to express sometimes lengthy opinions, inform and start a dialogue with new people, especially Beyonce` fans, because I didn’t know any other dedicated fanatics.

How have your goals changed over your time online?
Art: The goal was always to have the best music blog “for me”; every little piece of it, from the…design, the way of writing, color schemes, everything. The only rule is that if I like it, then it’s ok. The goal was, is and will always be to make something I like. Something I think is fun.
Chike: Now I see my dream unfolding in front of my eyes. I see the prize, so to speak, and that makes me push even harder to achieve my goals.
Dio: I wouldn’t say that I ever had any goals as an online personality. It is merely a self-therapeutic platform.
Ronald: After a while in the game, you’d be a fool to say your goals haven’t been modified in some kind of way.

What do you know now that you wish you would've known in the beginning?
Dio: I wish I would have realized then that being an online personality would make my past and present public knowledge. I’m much more reserved in “real life”.
Chike: I learned that people are really willing to hear what you have to say as long as you present yourself appropriately. After all, it is about who you know. Right? 
Art: A lot about coding and HTML, website design, writing, social media, I mean… It’s a whole world of new stuff that would have been very useful to know at the beginning.
Ronald: Content is king, always will be. Promotion is the queen. Nothing else matters. Nobody cares about your blog design; hopefully it’s minimalistic so the content can shine and won’t load forever on my slow a** phone. Learn the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics up front. It sounds confusing, but you will appreciate it later…and start that Google AdSense account.

Artist on the rise Roxie Bardo is here to prove that the late Aaliyah was right when she said “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number.” With an eclectic sound, thought-provoking lyrics and a rather mature voice, it might stun people that she’s only 17 (song samples are below).

According to the biography on your official site, you relocated to Los Angeles, California in 2010 to further pursue a career in music. Can you tell us what your journey has been like since the move? What has worked and what hasn’t?
RB: The last two years have been, by far, the hardest and most rewarding years of my life. My family and I have become a tight unit. We've really been forced to adapt and accept some seemingly unusual circumstances. The 7-day move out here was when it really set in that, "Okay, this is going to be much more difficult than I realized,” but somehow, things have always worked out. We've moved a few times since relocating to California and the situation has always seemed so impossible, yet it still manages to unfold in our favor. I actually started high school when we first moved out here and quickly realized that I didn't have time for both. I couldn't completely focus on my music and my career with 4 hours of homework every night. So, I decided to start homeschooling until I could graduate early, which I did in March of this year. Even though that wasn't my original plan, it ended up working out for the best. That's really what the last couple of years have been; kind of rolling with the punches and figuring out what's best for that time and what needs to be done to continue to move forward. It really has been an incredible adventure, and regardless of what happens in the future, I am a better person today because of this move.

How would you describe your sound and writing style?
RB: I would definitely say that when it comes to my writing style, I tend to use some of the same arrangements. I like for the song to build up, or to go through a story. I want the listener to feel different at the end of the song than they did at the beginning; like a change has happened or a new level of understanding.  Genre wise, I kind of flow through different ones; I'm not too concerned with labeling my music as a specific type. It could be hip-hop or alternative, as long as I'm vibing with it, then I'm happy. However, I do know that my music always comes out with that same feeling of deep emotion and intense atmospherical energy- I often use the term "Out of this galaxy." Sometimes it's a sweeter, playful energy and sometimes it’s a bit darker and kind of deceiving. I just want my music to create a type of ambiance around the listener; a spell of sorts.  

Some would argue that because you’re just 17, you wouldn’t have much to sing or write about of depth. How do you respond to that argument?
RB: I feel like whether or not my music is liked by audiences is more based on if a particular person is feeling my song or not; not on my age, or the age I was when I wrote the song. I also feel that we all have different paths and journeys. People may assume I may not be very wise because I'm only 17, but that’s a misconception. I've been through hard times just like any other person. Just because I'm not 30, [it] doesn't mean I'm a fool about life and hardships. I also think my generation in particular is more up front about how they're feeling; my youth is also the reason I'm able to share my thoughts in such a straightforward manner. Naivety may play a part in my ability to say what I want; the fear of rejection isn't as prominent for me as it is in adults. In my opinion, writing or expressing yourself shouldn't have age restrictions. One could even argue that I'm the perfect age to be an artist and songwriter.

If nothing else, what do you want your audience to understand about you?
RB: The main message I want my audience to associate with my name or music is honesty. I would like for people to hear my songs and at the end be like, "That's truth; she is so real." I hope that people will feel happier after listening to me sing, as if they are doing something positive. The truth will indeed set you free.

What are your ultimate goals as an artist? Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
RB: I definitely do want to be a popular artist, someone who is known internationally. I want to touch as many lives as I can. I also hope to be known not only for music, but for film, television and philanthropy. I want to do good deeds and be an ambassador of light.

Why do you think people should listen to your music?
RB: Well, why not..? I'll listen to yours if you listen to mine.

4 years ago today, MTV’s "Making the Band 3" girl group, Danity Kane, released what would be their last album, "Welcome to the Dollhouse.” The group gradually fell apart after two members, Aubrey O’Day & D. Woods, were dismissed by the man who formed the R&B/pop quintet, Sean “Diddy” Combs. As most of the members have tried to maintain their music careers, still heartbroken, yet devoted fans have continued to support them along the way. Shannon Bex, known as the ‘mother figure’ in the group, gave JSaysOnline an in-depth interview, dishing about the downsides of the music industry, the DK breakup and her current endeavors.

​JSaysOnline: It’s been four years since Danity Kane’s final release, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and the group’s disbandment. What’s happened in that time for you professionally and what are you pursuing presently?
Bex: Since DK was officially disbanded in ’09, I took a full year to spend with my husband and focus on the next journey. Then I headed down to Nashville. Started writing and really exploring the type of sound I wanted. The process is still moving forward. I’m not working with a label, which means a lot of creative freedom, but it also means the process takes a lot longer if you want to do it right. 

JSaysOnline: What is your ideal goal as a recording artist and who inspires you the most creatively?
Bex: My goal is always quality of product and the brand I represent as a person and artist. Gwen Stefani is a wonderful representation of a well thought out brand: from her style [and] songs, to LAMB [Stefani's clothing line], to how she balances her family. Everything has a beautiful streamline and consistency. I’m very excited to see what she does next.

JSaysOnline: In 2003, you placed second on NBC’s Fame. You survived Making the Band auditions and got a place in Danity Kane, but the group ultimately disbanded. Starting and stopping seems to be a big part of pursuing a music career. How have the ups and downs impacted you emotionally?
Bex: The entertainment business is always starting and stopping. You have to find a good balance between investing into your work and personal life. You never know when your last gig, job, [or] concert will come. The consistency in your life will come from family and friends. A music career can break you emotionally. So be confident in who you are and what you bring. Don’t make moral sacrifices to succeed in the game. That way, when it’s all said and done, you know you did your best and you didn’t compromise.

JSaysOnline: In addition to emotional ups and downs, there might be financial ones as well. Do you have any suggestions on how aspiring artists can survive until they reach their goal?
Bex: It takes a lot of dedication and perseverance. If you’re looking to get into this business to make millions--or even thousands--of dollars, you shouldn’t be in it. Your focus can’t be monetary. In the height of touring and filming Making the Band, I would fly back home and work at another job on my time off just to make ends meet. I never had time off, still don’t. Haha! You have to love what you do first and foremost. It is a full time job if you want to do it right.

JSaysOnline: Speaking of financial matters, some would assume that an artist is wealthy because they have a gold or platinum record like Danity Kane had. How true is this assumption?
Bex: …I can’t begin to count how many people assume I have a mansion right next to Puff. Honestly, it’s quite sad how hard artists work and how the lack of support and good management and bad business can affect them. That’s why you hear so many stories of celebs going bankrupt. There is so much to understand and learn outside of the stage and nobody takes the time to show you. My time with Danity Kane was a crash course. It was a very educational, hands on experience. The number one thing I came to understand is that it’s truly 90% business, 10% talent. That’s why many extremely talented people don’t make it…they don’t understand business or have anyone around them to help.

JSaysOnline: Coming back to your experience in Danity Kane, I think there was a lot of growth between Dollhouse and the first album. Did you see this growth? What do you think Danity Kane would have blossomed into if not for the split?
Bex: DK was so excited when Dollhouse was finished. However, it didn’t start out sounding like the finished product. There were a lot of phone calls, meetings and frustrating conversations with Puff, A&R and the label. If we didn’t say anything, it would have been good, but more of a slow R&B album. We knew it had to cross-over and be an international pop-dance record. Thankfully, Puff understood what we were trying to accomplish on this record and he released a lot of creativity to us. As for our future, we would constantly talk about the vision of DK. That’s why when I say we didn’t know the split was going to happen, it’s an honest answer. Eventually, we envisioned releasing five albums down the line that would compliment each girl’s individual style. For example, Aundrea’s CD may have been pop with a Latin influence, while mine would have ventured down the country path. Giving each girl a chance to shine in their strength and style, while all five CD’s would have still shared all of our voices and a common DK thread.