We returned to Las Vegas yesterday in a hail of gunsmoke and bass drops...
Or at least with a SUV full of equipment and smelling of the stinking desert.
The night before I spent shooting for Cinque out in Surprise, doing promo pics for his new single "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll" (irony?). In typical rap fashion, there were plenty of scantily clad women, weapons, guitars, and vitamin water... Didn't get done with that until 3:30 am, then didn't get back to Tempe till 4:00, and we hit the road to Vegas at 8:00... Got in town, handled business, shot photos for a rap group out here, and then began to settle in.
Today I got new equipment for making beats, settled in and made 8 new beats, searching for the club formula, taking a break from the soulful hip hop for a while, and replacing it with gritty electro drums and basslines. Everyone's been telling me to not be afraid to go out on a limb and get my own style when it comes to club material, I have my own style for regular beats down pat, now I get to expand and develop.
We recorded all week in AZ, including a number of actual hit songs, club bangers and the like. Everyone dumbed down their style, I finally perfected the half-singing half rapping thing I've been working on for going on two years now, and we made some simple, catchy records. Next up is the mastering, and then the videos, things are picking up. As the money begins to come in and the music gets better, everyone's getting antsy, and everyone's starting to go chain shopping and look at cars, its pretty exciting if exceedingly typical. Pics from the last shoot are below. One day I'll find some clients who ask for wholesome photography of them and their pets frolicking while reading Kant in the wilderness, until then, we have Cinque.
