Male Artist of The Year
Juan Gambino
Female Artist of The Year
Kymberlee Ann Lopez
Duo/Group Artist of The Year
Fat Fish
Producer of The Year
Ben Q
DJ of The Year
DJ Jaski
Upcoming Male Artist of The Year
Kush
Upcoming Female Artist of The Year
Lil' Treat
Upcoming Duo/Group Artist of The Year
Shadows of Deception
Upcoming Producer of The Year
Savage Beatz
Upcoming DJ of The Year
<Toss Up>
The category of Male Artist of The Year, is clearly the crown jewel of the awards. Although, much has changed since female artists like Nicki Minaj have stepped into the rap-game, the Hip-Hop/Rap industry is still a predominately male genre. Because of this, much emphasis has been placed on this category, making it superior to the other categories. I picked Juan Gambino for my choice of who I think will take home the prestigious crystal microphone in the Male Artist of The Year area, because, when it comes to New Mexico artists, no-one pushes their music harder, nor have they a fan-base that can stack up anywhere near Juan Gambino. He has become an example to everyone in the music industry from Taos to Las Cruses, and has essentially created a pedestal where few in New Mexico will ever reach.
Runners up may include, D-Easy, and Profit. D-Easy, is an artist who from the streets of Cali, was able to turn any situation into poetry, a poetry that would definitely get my vote. There is a reason why D-Easy sits atop of the leader board in the number one spot on Reverbnation pure, not to mention, real talent. If Juan somehow does not continue his reign of New Mexico's Supreme, D-Easy will surely pick up the crown.
Profit is also a very talented and lyrical, well, profit. His lyrics run smooth and he carries a decent sized fan base. Look out for more of Profit in the upcoming years. The one dissapointment I have is that up and coming rapper Mobalous was not entered into the awards this year in either the Male Artist of The Year Category or the Upcoming Male Artist of The Year Category. This seems like a tragedy, because he is definitely someone I am keeping my eye on, and who I can definitely see crossing over.
As I stated, the Hip-Hop/Rap industry is not just for the boys anymore. Kymberlee Ann Lopez is one reason, why music in New Mexico is at a whole new level. Lopez, who holds the crown for top female artist in the industry here in New Mexico, may have to pass the throne to another very talented queen, in this years award ceremony. Envee "The Queen" is hands down one of the best artists in the 505/575 not just for a female artist, but for an artist in general. With her incredible lyrics and amazing charisma, this hip-hop styled bombshell is dropping nukes on the competition. If not this year than definitely in the near future, I foresee the torch being passed to this talented young lady. But, don't count Kymberlee Ann out yet. She still boasts a huge fan base, and I'm not talking just in the Duke City, or the surrounding area. Kymberlee Ann Lopez has fans in other states, other countries, and other continents that she can expect votes from.
Does Kymberlee Ann have her head in the game? It has been reported that The current queen herself is expecting a little prince or princess. If the rumors are true, than I can't imagine her even giving two thoughts about winning the award this year. My prediction still goes to Kymberlee Ann Lopez but I have very strong feelings that Envee may take it home this year.
Among the line-up of talented female artist that I think have a shot are also Jo Amber and Lady Explicit. Lady Explicit is actually an explosive female artist from San Diego, California. She has some pretty amazing songs, and appears to have a pretty big following. And finally, Jo Amber, who I think may also have a shot at the prize this year. Jo Amber's style is similar to that of Kymberlee Ann Lopez, which in my opinion should gain her some support from fans who already love Miss Lopez. The fine tuning however is not completely there. It is clear to see that Jo Amber has a ways to go, but don't count her out, I definitely see her taking the state, and maybe even the nation by storm soon.
The Group/Duo category is personally one of my favorites. This category allows artists to merge specific individual talents into one huge bombardment of "group therapy". My prediction solely based off of the pure influence and fan base of the group, without a doubt goes to Fat Fish. Their excellent management and presence in the hip-hop/rap industry is what I think will earn them their second NMHH Award. But I do not however think they will win easily. There are two other groups that stand out in my mind that should give Fat Fish a swim for their money. Blok Boyz and Burques Most Wanted are both very notable groups in the Land of Enchantment. Both with an increasingly large fan base and experience in the industry. I do not however think it will be enough to knock Fat Fish out of the lead, but I am very interested to see the outcome of this category in particular.
I don't feel I have to go much into why I think Ben Q will win his second award from the New Mexico Hip Hop Awards. Not to sound like a total bitch, but can we get anyone to compete here? Some possible suggestions I have vary from Nasty Beatz (Simes Carter), to Crunk Navajo Beatz, to Ransum Beatz, or I would even settle for a LockJaw Beatz entry to spice this category up. Unfortunately I just don't think C-Dawg or Roman B have enough of a following to even give Ben Q a hint of competition. Which I feel is the same story with DJ Jayskki in the DJ of The Year Category. His talent is undisputed in this category and I feel like DJ Rob has no chance.
Once again, we come to the most popular category, Male Artist of the Year, this time in the Upcoming division. Twenty talented artists grace this category, but only one will emerge as the Upcoming Male Artist of The Year. But who will it be? My money is on Kush. This young upcoming rapper has an excellent on-stage performance and a lot of charisma, which is vital for pulling in fans. Especially in this type of format, with fans voting for their favorite artists. Kush will definitely get my vote, although Diceman and Cloud Nine both have some heat following them. From what I've seen so far, Diceman is on the hustle and hunting for a 2011 NMHH Award.
Another exciting category will be the Upcoming Female Artist of The Year category. With only four entries, I still believe that this category will be one of the more brutal ones. None the less, I feel like it has already been decided, through shear passion, energy, and amazing talent. I think Lil' Threat will take this category hands down, with no competition. Lil' Threat is a name that everyone knows, and no-one will forget anytime soon. If their was someone to be worried about however, I would watch out for Lady Brown Eyes. This girl is very talented and seems to be on a popularity rise. The unique aspect of both of these girls is that they are flexible and enjoy rapping where-as most woman in these categories primarily sing.
In all honestly, I can confidently say that Shadows of Deception will take this one. Joker of S.O.D. has been around for a long time, and knows the industry. Not to mention the pure talent, that I can personally say has me voting for them, not only because I can respect their hustle, but because I am genuinely an S.O.D. fan, and for very good reason. If their is anyone I can say may possibly compete with them, I'd have to say MonSTARS have a decent shot. For presentation, I give them a strong B, however their music and style are honestly not my favorite. I think with an upgrade in beats and more experience, this group can be nothing less than amazing. With this in mind, I can see them making the top three in this category. Another group I feel might come close is, Unbreakable. Their style is real, and there vibes hit have an impact. Although hailing from a smaller city may hinder them severely in this fan picked voting style.
For the Upcoming Producer Award, I think Savage Beatz will take it, hands down. But in an industry that rides of image, I would say Dem Pizza Boyz and Diceman both have a shot. Primarily, Savage has done work with a wide variety of artists, which I believe gives him the competitive advantage here. Also, he is the primary producer for Lil' Threat, who I think is a shoe-in for the Upcoming Female Artist of The Year Award.
And finally, the upcoming DJ. This is a hard category for me to predict as I am not familiar with either of the two entries in this category. Neither of these nominees have caught my ear or my eye for that matter. I have not seen any type of promoting from either of them and I am not familiar with their work at all. I could not comment on their style or talent, so this one will honestly be a toss-up for me. However if I had to pick one, I would say DJ Natural has my vote, because she is obviously worthy of a nomination in a predominately male category, which I think will definitely catch the voters eyes.
I don't feel I have to go much into why I think Ben Q will win his second award from the New Mexico Hip Hop Awards. Not to sound like a total bitch, but can we get anyone to compete here? Some possible suggestions I have vary from Nasty Beatz (Simes Carter), to Crunk Navajo Beatz, to Ransum Beatz, or I would even settle for a LockJaw Beatz entry to spice this category up. Unfortunately I just don't think C-Dawg or Roman B have enough of a following to even give Ben Q a hint of competition. Which I feel is the same story with DJ Jayskki in the DJ of The Year Category. His talent is undisputed in this category and I feel like DJ Rob has no chance.
Once again, we come to the most popular category, Male Artist of the Year, this time in the Upcoming division. Twenty talented artists grace this category, but only one will emerge as the Upcoming Male Artist of The Year. But who will it be? My money is on Kush. This young upcoming rapper has an excellent on-stage performance and a lot of charisma, which is vital for pulling in fans. Especially in this type of format, with fans voting for their favorite artists. Kush will definitely get my vote, although Diceman and Cloud Nine both have some heat following them. From what I've seen so far, Diceman is on the hustle and hunting for a 2011 NMHH Award.
Another exciting category will be the Upcoming Female Artist of The Year category. With only four entries, I still believe that this category will be one of the more brutal ones. None the less, I feel like it has already been decided, through shear passion, energy, and amazing talent. I think Lil' Threat will take this category hands down, with no competition. Lil' Threat is a name that everyone knows, and no-one will forget anytime soon. If their was someone to be worried about however, I would watch out for Lady Brown Eyes. This girl is very talented and seems to be on a popularity rise. The unique aspect of both of these girls is that they are flexible and enjoy rapping where-as most woman in these categories primarily sing.
In all honestly, I can confidently say that Shadows of Deception will take this one. Joker of S.O.D. has been around for a long time, and knows the industry. Not to mention the pure talent, that I can personally say has me voting for them, not only because I can respect their hustle, but because I am genuinely an S.O.D. fan, and for very good reason. If their is anyone I can say may possibly compete with them, I'd have to say MonSTARS have a decent shot. For presentation, I give them a strong B, however their music and style are honestly not my favorite. I think with an upgrade in beats and more experience, this group can be nothing less than amazing. With this in mind, I can see them making the top three in this category. Another group I feel might come close is, Unbreakable. Their style is real, and there vibes hit have an impact. Although hailing from a smaller city may hinder them severely in this fan picked voting style.
For the Upcoming Producer Award, I think Savage Beatz will take it, hands down. But in an industry that rides of image, I would say Dem Pizza Boyz and Diceman both have a shot. Primarily, Savage has done work with a wide variety of artists, which I believe gives him the competitive advantage here. Also, he is the primary producer for Lil' Threat, who I think is a shoe-in for the Upcoming Female Artist of The Year Award.
And finally, the upcoming DJ. This is a hard category for me to predict as I am not familiar with either of the two entries in this category. Neither of these nominees have caught my ear or my eye for that matter. I have not seen any type of promoting from either of them and I am not familiar with their work at all. I could not comment on their style or talent, so this one will honestly be a toss-up for me. However if I had to pick one, I would say DJ Natural has my vote, because she is obviously worthy of a nomination in a predominately male category, which I think will definitely catch the voters eyes.
My Top 3 Picks For Each Category:
Male Artist of The Year
- Juan Gambino
- D-Easy
- Profit
Female Artist of The Year
- Kymberlee Ann Lopez
- Envee
- Jo Amber
Duo/Group Artist of The Year
- Fat Fish
- Blok Boyz
- Burques Most Wanted
Producer of The Year
- Ben Q
DJ of The Year
- DJ Jaski
Upcoming Male Artist of The Year
- Kush
- Diceman
- Cloud Nine
Upcoming Female Artist of The Year
- Lil' Treat
- Lady Brown Eyes
- Sassy Cin Cinnamon
Upcoming Duo/Group Artist of The Year
- Shadows of Deception
- Unbreakable
- MonSTARS
Upcoming Producer of The Year
- Savage Beatz
Upcoming DJ of The Year
<Toss Up>
For More Information Please Check The Following Sites/Resources:
http://www.nmmusicawards.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com
For Voting at the 2011 New Mexico Hip Hop Awards:
http://www.nmmusicawards.com/Online_Voting.html
Sources include:
Personal Friends/Fans/Relatives
Facebook.com
Musik 505 Reporters
Youtube
Myspace
Mocospace
Fliker
various other social networking sites
All predictions, I try to make with as little bias as humanly possible. What I say is truthful from what I have gathered and how I feel, however it is not intended to put anyone down in anyway or make them feel bad. If I voice an opinion, it is solely that, an opinion. I base my ideas and my writing over knowledge I have gained in the many years associated with the music industry and they are my personal and professional opinions in all cases. My intent is not to offend anyone, and I apologize if I have offended you or anyone close to you. I try not to post anything rude or mean in anyway, however if there is something not so nice in my writing, it is probably because I think you can improve with some advise and guidance. Please, take this as a tool to improve and/or constructive criticism. I encourage you to subscribe to my blogs and to send me feedback. If you have any information that contradicts anything I have stated feel free to call me on it so I can rectify and correct any mistakes or inaccurate information I may have posted.
Thank You,
-Musik505
For More Information Please Check The Following Sites/Resources:
http://www.nmmusicawards.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com
For Voting at the 2011 New Mexico Hip Hop Awards:
http://www.nmmusicawards.com/Online_Voting.html
Sources include:
Personal Friends/Fans/Relatives
Facebook.com
Musik 505 Reporters
Youtube
Myspace
Mocospace
Fliker
various other social networking sites
All predictions, I try to make with as little bias as humanly possible. What I say is truthful from what I have gathered and how I feel, however it is not intended to put anyone down in anyway or make them feel bad. If I voice an opinion, it is solely that, an opinion. I base my ideas and my writing over knowledge I have gained in the many years associated with the music industry and they are my personal and professional opinions in all cases. My intent is not to offend anyone, and I apologize if I have offended you or anyone close to you. I try not to post anything rude or mean in anyway, however if there is something not so nice in my writing, it is probably because I think you can improve with some advise and guidance. Please, take this as a tool to improve and/or constructive criticism. I encourage you to subscribe to my blogs and to send me feedback. If you have any information that contradicts anything I have stated feel free to call me on it so I can rectify and correct any mistakes or inaccurate information I may have posted.
Thank You,
-Musik505
