LOS ANGELES (River Sity Alliance, Inc.) - There are many who would label hip-hop as nothing more than noise or an unrealistic portrayal of negative conditions. Some music fans would even go as far as to say it is misogynistic, violent, and void of true expression. Bigg Premiere, an international radio personality, and entrepreneur Markeith Williams strongly disagree.
After the formation of the independent record label River Sity Alliance Inc, the two men began a world wide search for the best talent in hip-hop and r&b. 'Our plan from day one was to bring together young artists from all over the world to create a powerful story,' says Williams in his normal professional tone, 'I wanted to tell a story that people could relate to, but from as many perspectives as we have fans.'
For the upcoming Bigg Premiere album release entitled 11901, the two have created a story line in which this album will act as the first act in their story. 'I didn't want to make an album where guys were rapping just for the sake of rapping,' added Premiere. Bigg Premiere grow up in Riverhead, NY which is were the album got its title '11901', which is the zip code for the Long Island, New York town. The well thought out story, was put together to include parts of both men's life and will bring forth a compelling story that many will compare to an Opera. 'I think it is very tough to say hip-hop is about violence,' answered Williams when asked about the current state of rap music, 'I think a lot of guys try to talk about what they know and feel, but in some cases it has become a marketing strategy. However, if people could not relate to the underlying feelings of frustration, they would not buy it.'
To add further depth, Bigg Premiere developed the idea of using mostly unsigned and independent artists for the project. 'There are a lot of people out there that can rap or sing, they just need some guidance,' commented Bigg Premiere, 'I personally want to help take some of them to a different level, and help them prove to themselves that they don't have to rap about the same things in every song.'
River Sity Alliance and its executives Markeith Williams and Bigg Premiere seem to be very focused on returning the impression of hip-hop to that of true art. Without a doubt, with some of the most talented artists in the industry in combination with the music industries most sought after young producer, '11901' will open a lot of minds this October upon its release. However, only the fans will know if it is truly a classic album. Stay posted at www.riversity.com , and find out for yourself if Bigg Premiere and Markeith Williams can revive the ancient art of story telling.
