R*A*H*M Recordings & Institute

As fans anticipate RAHM Nation’s next big project, Ohene and Random surprised everyone with their respective announcements of themed LPs Nina Simone by Ohene and Mega Ran. While Ohene authored a heart-felt tribute to one of his favorite singer/songwriters, the late Dr. Nina Simone, Ran’s album is more fun and light – inspired by the 20^th anniversary of the original Mega Man game.

Available only via Internet, both releases are just in time for summer. Nina Simone by Ohene gives the hip-hop generation the opportunity to spend these less hectic months with their family members of an older generation, reflecting on the connections between hip-hop, soul, and jazz. Meanwhile, Mega Ran serves as the perfect soundtrack for a warm day outdoors with a PSP and an iPod.

Still in the mist of the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, another community of which I am a part was struck with tragedy. We here at Virginia Tech thank everyone for their prayers and sympathies. I've received literally hundreds of e-mails asking it there was anything I need. Well, there is something. Please help us create an environment of peace and love in this country. Not to deny that many are already doing this, but more of us need to contribute to this environment. We are spiritually sick. While Virginia Tech was and is a place of friendship, education, and safety, Tech was and probably still is a place of racism, disconnectedness, and corporatization. Many Black (including me), female, Muslim, Jewish, and gay students have had to endure emotional attack and insult. In the name of free speech, our student newspaper publishes op-eds calling for an end to affirmative action and Black History Month. The NAACP student chapter is practically invisible while Girls Gone Wild schedules a high publicized visit. Graduate students are brought in as a source of cheap labor but are unhirable upon graduation. Of course, I do not mean to imply any one of these things are the root cause of what we experienced, as certainly none of these things are unethical or illegal. But we shouldn't strive to be better than morally neutral? Shouldn't we be doing positive good? The oath of "do no harm" no longer applies. We should not go through life merely trying not to cause overt harm to other and remain ignorant to how our inactions do cause pain and suffering.

I would like to suggest that we can help heal by merely changing our thoughts and actions. Tell someone you love them, take a co-worker to lunch, donate time or money to a charity this weekend.

We at RAHM Nation try to create this environment with our music. If you are so moved by it to want to learn more, we appreciate your time & admiration. However, this is not a plea for support of RAHM Nation the company, but of RAHM Nation the movement. We are the Reform And Healing Movement. So long as I walk this Earth I will spread peace and love and do my best to correct injustice where ever I see it. You can join the movement. Just say out loud, "I am RAHM Nation!" Then do SOMETHING, anything, to make this world a better place.

with love,
G.

“I love it when they call me Big Poppa...”

These were the first words many of us heard from Chris Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. And if you were like me, you hung on every word thereafter. Biggie challenged the status quo in every way. No other emcee before or after had such an impact on East Coast hip-hop. After Biggie, everyone realized it could still be cool to make you dance. While the rest of NY was in skully hats, Timberlands and Bubble Goose coats, Big styled in Kangols, Versace shades and Coogi sweaters.

I can still remember the day I heard Ready to Die, and the effect it had on me. My jaw dropped from the intro and never recovered. It was raw, gritty, rough. it was tough to listen to sometimes. It was smooth. It was funny. It was Hip-Hop. I listened to it straight through, then ran to JonBap's house to listen to it again straight through. I've never done that with ANY album.

I copped everything he dropped for the next 4 years. Remixes, B-Sides, mixtapes, even guest features. I remember being pissed off after I bought Lil Kim's Hardcore and he wasn't on it, save for a hook.

Ten years ago this week, Chris was murdered. 10 years! I remember where I was when I heard the news. My mom called me and said, "Turn on the radio! Biggie Big (she could never get his name right :^) got shot!" I frantically turned on Power 99 to hear sobbing, frustrated callers, and the instrumental to 'Big Poppa' playing in the background. I knew it was over.

The word "swagger" is overused today in hip-hop, but B.I.G. personified it. Any man who would spit the line "Black and ugly as ever" in a verse just KNEW he had a confidence, charm, wit and skill that were completely undeniable.

On an even more personal note, he made it okay for bigger brothers like myself to dress fly, and feel good about themselves. Big's influence on hip-hop is immeasurable. For 4 short years, he strangled the charts, and ruled the roost as far as hip-hop went,. He was the undisputed King of New York, and dare I say, King of Rap.

During most of my shows, I do a short dedication set to B-I, where I don the Kangol, and the Faux-Sachi (fake Versace) shades in tribute. I don't just do it because it gets a reaction...I do it because his style, his words and his music has touched me in a special way, so I need to say
thanks. Thanks Big.

Is he the greatest? Was he the best? Were his albums classics? Would he still be the best if he were still alive? These are all debatable. But one thing is for certain, he was taken way too soon.

The Chancellor is back! RAHM Nation Recordings, LLC is proud to present the re-release of G.’s debut album, The Legend of … The Chancellor. G., a native of the infamous Ninth Ward New Orleans, chose to donate much of his promotional budget to Hurricane Katrina relief funds during the Fall 2005 release of the original Chancellor.

“I was more than happy to do it,” G. explains. “I was humbled by the utter destruction and subsequent lack of governmental response. My album sells suddenly became unimportant. Yet, I could help but wonder how many more hip-hop fans would have loved to add The Chancellor to their collection but simply had not been aware it was out.”

Such fans now have that chance. The Legend of … The Chancellor has been re-mastered and includes two remixes (“Fallen” and “Wait, Mr. Chancellor”) and as two brand new songs. Fellow RN artists Ohene (The Rapademics, Inner City Soul) and Random (The Call) are back with 16s and beats, while Philly underground vet Journalist (Scribes of Life [Motown], Off Season Vol. 1 [Hard Rout]) also makes a guest appearance.

Whether you are new to G.’s music or been down since day one, you’ll want to pick up this album! Click here to order.

RAHM Nation Recordings, LLC & Random Beats Music present The Call Re:Mixtape. This compilation includes remixes of the original Call tracks, some previously unreleased tracks, and couple brand new songs recorded just for this project. New guest features include Doctor Oscify, JonBap, Sabrina Cuie, and Oh!mega Watts, while Ohene, Wordsworth, DN3, and Hasan Salaam return. Remix producers include Raze, Darius Henry, Fingaz, & Random Beats himself. Click here to order.

I just wanted to share a few thoughts on Tupac though eventually I plan to pay a much greater tribute.

I first heard a Tupac song that made me really take notice of his work not until I was a teenager. The song was "My Block". I remember it being on The Show soundtrack and me sneaking into my uncle's room to use his cd player. I was rushing through the cuts when I heard the song. It was particularly his voice that caught my attention and I remember leaving the room saying “That guy is gonna be a legend". Honestly it was the first rap song I had ever felt. It wasn't long after I had heard that song that Tupac was shot, and days later died. I remember the feeling I had when he passed. I felt like there was the biggest void, like there was a hole in Hip-Hop. I believe that, every so often the stars line up and give us a Mozart, a Coltrane, a Bob Marley, a Marvin, a Bruce Lee and individuals like Tupac who are a blessing for those of us lucky enough to behold physically, and the rest of us only to wish we lived in their time.

Pac, I can't count the times I've defended you in debates; I can't count the times I have quoted your rhymes. I have both laughed and cried with a man I never met, yet refer to as my big brother. So this is just a trifle, I'll be thanking you for the rest of my life, every time I write a verse, every time I record over dubs; it's an ode to the rose that grew from concrete. I ain't mad at ya.

RAHM Nation Recordings, LLC is proud to introduce it's newest division, RAHM Soul. Bringing in veteran singer and song writer, Greg Soundz, RAHM Soul looks the bring the same level of intensity and originality to R&B that RAHM Nation brings to hip-hop. "He somebody I've known and respected for a long time," Ohene says of Soundz, who produced "RAHM Renaissance" on The Rapademics. "So I was very excited when he agreed to join the camp." Check back for more information on Soundz' inaugural RAHM Soul release.

Not since Marvin Gaye poignantly told of his inner-city blues has an artist commanded the attention of heartland, urban areas & gated communities alike. Ohene speaks to the masses with his latest release Inner City Soul, a follow up to his nationally acclaimed & worldwide recognized The Rapademics. Ohene not only shows maturity as an emcee but proves his production & song arrangement skills have advanced as well. Bringing the graceful & compelling vocal talents of Nesheeda Shockley on such Hip-Hop ballads as "They Killed Jesus" & "Hello Stranger," Ohene fluently delivers tales of race & social concerns with a concise tone & paints a clear & vivid picture. On other songs such as "Church Girl" & "Move" realistic & empathy-worthy scenes are embedded in listeners' hearts and minds. Inner City Soul reaches beyond the cities' alleys & cracked pavements; with tracks like "Say a Little Prayer," it graces the porches of every rural establishment & trots along even cobblestone laid streets of quiet communities. Not only bringing the past to light, Inner City Soul embodies the welfare of our current state & demands a change for the future, for the better. Music can only hope to be this powerful. Click here to purchase.