JQ - SUPER FLY GUY CHOSEN FOR 1200 SQUAD CORNERSTONE MIXTAPE - SEP 2009

Congratulations to DJ Boogie Boy as this is the first Cornerstone mixtape in the almost 12 years of its operation being mixed and presented by one DJ instead of two!!! So sick...

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

Proving Yourself as An Artist

I recently re-discovered the greatest cereal on the planet.

CURRENT LOCATION: My brother's computer (for some reason in my life, I never wind up using my own computer even though I have 3 of 'em lol)

Ok, it's 6:48 in the morning... And I've been thinking about this post for like two days now.

There have been so many sacrifices that have been made in the past 10 months to get me where I am. I can't count them on my ten fingers... Like Spinning off the highway going 70 MPH in the middle of nowhere Indiana after almost hitting a deer at approximately 4 in the morning on a Sunday night because I had left the studio at around 2. Or the time "we" spent 36 hours straight in the studio... Or when I had to skip school to get my mixtape crackin'. Or the 4.5 hour drive I took home every weekend both semesters, missing the greatest college weekends of my life that can never be replaced at the dopest fraternity in the country -- what up ZBT Beta Gamma?

I've heard some of the nicest things in the past few days... There's no better feeling to an artist than people connecting to their music. In just ten months, many who work with me or close to me believe I have made the impossible happen -- and I am proud of that despite it being just the beginning. We all have dreams when a new year begins and I think if you could show me where I am right now, I'd be satisfied.

With all that being said, never underestimate the grind of an artist. Don't think it can't happen or will never happen for someone... Cuz first off, things change, people change. I've changed... I used to not believe in God. Now I believe in God. I used to be anti-smoking weed... Now I'm promoting it. LMAO!

But a lot of people think these things "just happen" to me cuz... my parents are rich? Or cuz I live in a big house?

They really have no idea.... And it doesn't really matter -- I don't need them to because in the end, their hate will bring me to the top so I'm not standing in their way from trying to bring me down -- it's more fuel in my tank really. I wanna thank Vince Lawrence -- cuz despite all the shit I go through to get my music done, in the end, it's fucking dope, but that's not what I'm thanking him for... He was kinda the first person to believe I could be "that dude". He really helped me grow and a lot of my humbleness is owed to him.

On the other hand, there's one thing that nobody can give me and nobody can take from me... And that is my hustle. So for anyone that's ever talked shit or anybody that came out with some whack shit that never got played or to anybody with a dream that's sleeping right now and will sleep all day tomorrow or call me to party every night of the week but say "they wanna do this" -- let me tell you right now. that's not how it works. You can think that's how it works, but you're only biting yourself.

Boogie tells me almost everyday that whatever we do, we're gonna smash what anybody else is doing... He calls it being on smash. And I wanna thank him too... I got a bigillion things to thank this dude for, like y'all don't even know. I'm gonna make it its own post in the next couple days or something cuz this entire blog entry will turn into a Gangsta Boogie thank you note. Anyway, I think that's a cool way to live -- striving to beat expectation and the competition. Telling yourself that you're doing that and doing it are two different things -- I don't "need" others to see the struggle, but if you're reading my blog, I thought you might be interested:

I spent the last 6 hours putting them together and I have more to do so that means I won't be getting any sleep... Then I'll be headed straight to the city where luckily I have great street teams to distribute them -- shoutout to Ruben and his Smash Bros team. And coming home to sleep won't be an option, cuz I gotta get fitted for the music video this weekend. Then I'll probably wind up in a studio or something or a meeting -- and you get the picture. THIS IS A GRIND.

And I'm not saying I grinded like everybody else, cuz I didn't. I grinded smarter. Don't always try and take the shortcut, just make the best cut. Track. Rap.

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

P.s. Fuck I'm tired. And now it's 7:25... lmao... took longer to write this blog post than a verse.

P.s.s. One click MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD: www.files.burbetto.com/JQ_TheOfficialBurbettoMixtape.zip

Yo Q, where the fuck have you been?

The Official Burbetto Mixtape Trailer

Current Location: Sitting on my brother's love sac

Is what my friend Alex Alessi asks me week after week... "Why aren't you posting on your blog?"

Me: Man, you read that shit.

Alex: Yeah dude, I look everyday for that new post.

Well, here it is my dude. Thanks for the support!

And to all my other blog readers, who I probably lost over the last month during my "waiting" period -- which basically consisted of self-realization and TV -- AKA one of the worst months of my life. People are probably reading this like, "WHAT HAPPENED?"

More like WTF didn't happen?

I sat around and waited... For other people to do things that I couldn't possibly do. Yeah, I know -- I'm that kid that thinks he can do anything, but when it comes to music and politics, I'm learning to be patient. I can go into it, but honestly... it hasn't been that exciting. It's been the typical teenage start to summer. But this week changes that.. as you'll see.

So the mixtape... will be released officially this Friday: 6/19/2009. It will be released and available for free download through my BRAND NEW official website: Burbetto.com .

If you haven't watched the trailer yet, the mixtape is presented by none other than my dude, and when I say my dude, I mean MY DUDE, Boogie and is hosted by none other than the MIXTAPE KINGS -- DJ Khaled and DJ Drama -- Their first mixtape ever hosted together.

By virtue of that, it's another first... It's the first "Heavy Hitters", "We the Best", and "Aphilliates" collaborative mixtape ever. 'Nuff saidddddd...

I'm gonna blog a bunch over the next couple days to get back in the swing of things and cuz I owe y'all a step by step look at what will happen prior to the release!

We'll be leaking a track tomorrow morning so let's see if you can find it on the internet before I post it!

As always, I appreciate your continued love and support! Without it, I would've stopped this craziness long before -- not just blogging -- music, believing, etc. All I ask of you, is that you enjoy the free media and help SPREAD THA WERD. What up Mani?

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

Fuck School, Chase Bank, and... Aghz... I'll save it

Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

CURRENT LOCATION: The "fucking" library

FUCK SCHOOL!

Ok, school is stupid. I can prove it. What university other than Indiana has tests only on the weekends? The weekend is defined in the dictionary as "a period taken or given regularly as a weekly rest period from one's work" -- So can somebody please tell me why I have an accounting test on fricking Sunday? I mean damn... If I was gonna be an accountant, this would all make sense: creeping up into the stacks on the east side of the library (this crazy uninhabited area of the library where one of my friends got head while studying haha) to do math problems for hours on end.

I know in order to make it in the music industry I gotta be a businessman, but I've been getting that education since I was 13 from reading real business books not TEXT BOOKS! And there's only one thing I need to know about accounting as far as I'm concerned -- Stay in the black... In other words, as Weezy would say, "MAKE MONEY". I'm gonna be a boss with or without this accounting class... Period.

FUCK CHASE BANK!

Ok, next on my list is Chase Bank. I'm getting more and more calls everyday for interviews and big events, etc. As you already know, I'll be opening for Soulja Boy on the 24th and negotiations are in existence for other shows around that date as well.  I've been steady at work on my debut album, but despite not being the typical rapper I feel I do need a way to get my music out there. I can't release the album for free because of the production costs associated with it, so I need to create a mixtape.

When I mentioned doing a mixtape to Boogie Boy, I was impressed by the names that were interested in being a part of the project. I am honored that while other artists have to pay large sums of money to get these figures to host or rep them, these figures have shown major love and cut these costs after hearing the album material. They must see me.

After hearing the names that could be involved, my mind has been doing whirlwinds. The whole point of the mixtape would be to show people who the fuck I am. In fact, that was our mixtape name: "WHO DA FUCK IS JQ?" before B.o.B. stole that shit from right under our feet -- I guess great minds think alike. Be sure to check out his dope new single "I'll Be in the Sky".  I'd attach the video, but the labels are taking sound off all the youtube videos :( -- I don't know how they possibly think that's good for the artist or their pockets for that matter.

So in order to show people who I am, especially when they witness the One Man Show LIVE! at these performances, I need to give my street teams the proper materials -- aka actual CD's and cards to promote the mixtape. These things do cost $ :(

My producer always says there is a line between the fan and the artist, but I don't necessarily support that argument. I've spent my hard-earned $ in production costs thinking I could get signed just because I had dope material. WRONG!!! The only thing labels wanna see you is you reading this... IS IT WORKING? hahah, I hope so. But it's not about that... If it was, I would've started this a long time ago, but I didn't. I started it when I thought it was time for y'all to know what the fuck I'm on (I can see my mom being like "watch the language" right now).

So what am I supposed to do? I don't fucking know. But I do know that if I do a mixtape, I'm going big. It's either go big, or go home. We either MBM (Make Big Moves) or we don't make moves at all... In other words, I gotta manufacture 100,000 of 'em.  I don't know how I'm going to come up with the kind of money necessary to put 100,000 of these things in the streets, but I am going to take off the next week of school to try and figure it out -- maybe move a piece of ONtheCOURTSports -- that's the kind of dedication you gotta pull. I know someone is out there reading this saying, "STAY IN SCHOOL!" As my girl would say, "Relax!" but on the realz, this is my life. Not school... Music.  I'm 20 years old. I'll do what I want... And right now, I wanna make a mixtape -- so fuck you.

So why are the last six paragraphs under a category title of "FUCK CHASE BANK" -- Let me tell you. My best friend told me that I should get a college loan from Chase -- He got $20,000 for being in state and I could probably get $30,000 for being out of state. Since my parents pay for school, I figured I could put my own ass on the line. The last thing I wanna do is be another broke artist. When I told my producer what was going on he mentioned how Robert Townsend funded his first movie, Hollywood Shuffle, on credit cards. I was shocked. Wikipedia said:

"Hollywood Shuffle was created on a very tight budget. Townsend personally financed the movie with his own credit cards, and, in order to avoid obtaining permits, he asked his crew to wear college sweatshirts to pose as students."

With an estimated budget of $100,000, the movie went on to have gross revenues of over $5 million. If you're smart, a tight budget can work.

Anyway, when I called Chase, they informed me they currently don't accept applications for uncertified student loans. This policy was enacted on the 26th of March, like a week ago. With an ailing economy, I'm sure this was done with good reason. I respect business as much as the next businessman, but why the fuck was I holding money in a bank for years to not get approved for a student loan? Shiyattt...

So anyway, after this 6:00 P.M. accounting test on Sunday, my journey begins. I have UNDER three weeks, to come up with the money, make a mixtape, and manufacture it. I don't even know if it's possible, but my friend R. Kelly says, "I believe that if we believe, the unbelievable can be achieved." Then again, Kelz believes he can fly! hahaha, he probably can. Shoutout to my dude: www.myspace.com/rkelly .

It's off to the races.

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ

P.S. In the future, longs blogs of "BITCHING" will be summed up into one sentence at www.twitter.com/burbetto !

P.S.S. The third "FUCK" is lucky I'm not calling him/them out. Refer back to my "American History X" post: Hate is baggage.

Only love.

Just got back from New York -- Part 1: Who am I?

What's in My Pockets

CURRENT LOCATION: My room in Northbrook

I just got back home from Bloomington for Spring Break and since I just started blogging a couple days ago, I figure I'd bring you back a couple weeks:

So I just had a great first day in the Big Apple... We met with Universal SRC and Mo-Town and we'll meet with the rest of the major labels tomorrow or the next day. I'm chillin' in the W hotel room when I realized I just left my cell phone in a cab. I make a $44.30 hotel phone call (which I got my money back, fuck yeah... who do they think they are charging forty bucks for a five minute phone call?) to the New York 4-1-1 or whateverrrr. Vince (my producer) gets a call on his cell phone that a woman found my phone so we arrange to meet up for it the next day. There's only one reason I'm telling this story: the girl that left work to give me my cell phone was mad sexy -- definitely going to meet back up with her next time I'm in NY -- think she'll see this by then?

By the way, that hotel is dope; the fruit cider that comes out of the water jug is ridiculousssssly good ! If you ever get a chance, just run up to the lobby and grab some. I promise you won't regret it. Don't tell the W I sent you though!

So I'm back chillin' in the room with Vince and DJ Boogie Boy of B96 who helped put the whole trip together and get word that we're about to make a move over to the other side of town. On this special night, Boogie decided to introduce me to his Heavy-Hitter brother, the emperor of the HOT 97 traffic hour, DJ Enuff. It was an honor for me because in the eight years that Boogie's known Enuff he's never brought an artist or song to him... EVER! So for that opportunity Boogs, thank you.

Not only was I lucky enough to receive an introduction, but we also had the pleasure of sharing a great Italian dinner with him. So after dinner, we're back at Enuff's crib. He hears my records out and asks me who I am? What kind of person am I? And who do I wanna be?

The first thing that came to my mind was the greatest artist in the world. It's weird cuz I think about stuff like that so much, but the way it was phrased just put me on the spot. Not that there is a correct answer, but since then, the question has been on my mind. So if I could go back, here's how I would answer it:

The three most important priorities in life are my family, my music, and my future. Thanks to my mentor, Tatiana Kolovou of Indiana University, I understand that these three priorities translate respectively to relationships, creativity, and vision. With every person I meet, I have a goal to establish the first and use the second to create the third in order to then, execute. While execution might be the most important, it rarely if ever happens successfully without the first three.

Over time, family has become more important to me. I guess when you do something the world disapproves of: aka a white kid becoming a rapper -- you see who is really there to support you.

My music is important to me because it's my creativity speaking. It's my voice. It's my life. It's what I live for everyday -- like why do you wake up? I wake up to make music. In fact, I love music so much that my #1 passion as well as previous success being business was overshadowed - I just jumped right in!

The music I create is universal: I'm a college kid who spent much of his time growing up chasing autographs in the city but originates from the suburbs. Now, I live half the time at school, half in the burbs, but most of the time that I'm home I'm in the city recording at Slang -- so... I feel like I'm part of all three in a sense -- and can relate with a lot of people because of that.

People can interpret making music for the general population however they want... yes... Pop music. You can judge, but in Hip-Hop 101 I'm pretty sure Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc were trying to get as many people to listen to them as possible... In fact, that sense of competition, seemed to stir hip-hop whether it was DJ'ing or breakdancing or rapping (MC'inggggg, ya dig) didn't it? What's different today?

For the past few years, I've realized hip-hop is empty. Tupac and Biggie ring in our ears... still. And most of today's stuff... well, just doesn't -- not the same way at least. But when artists come out with new music that sounds like Pac or Big's era, it doesn't feel the same way either. On this special trip, I think I might have found the answer.

The day after Enuff, one of the A&R’s at Interscope who has worked on projects for Eminem and 50 Cent enlightened me when he said, ‘hip-hop isn’t what it used to be… the guns, killings, money, bitches. That was so 10 years ago. A lot of people in the hoods got their kids in school and made better lives for themselves and their families. The demographic of people buying those old hip-hop records isn't there anymore.  Burbetto – I get it -- This could be the next big thing…”

As far as my future, I don't know what it holds... Except BURBETTO!

"See No Limits. Hear No Limits."

-JQ