Hollywood Undead

whodat

thu 11/6/2008

 
whodat-hollywood-undead

Hollywood Undead could be the new face of rap-rock. Only no one knows what they look like.

Formed in 2005, Hollywood Undead was one of the first bands to build its fan base primarily through its MySpace. Comprised of Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz, Deuce, J-Dog, Johnny 3 Tears and Funny Man Kurlzz, the band's Linkin Park-meets-screamo track No 5 was included in the MySpace Records Vol.1 compilation featuring fellow MySpace favorites like Weezer, Fall Out Boy and Tila Tequila. But Hollywood Undead didn't play a live show until this year, when it won Virgin Mobile USA's "Book The Band" contest and opened for artists like Foo Fighters, Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails.

Known for its crude sense of humor and for wearing eerie masks, Hollywood Undead's politically incorrect approach appears to have as many haters as it does fans. Some praise the band's ability to tell stories about Hollywood's ugly side while others argue the sextet's over-the-top lyrics about sex and partying make it difficult to take them seriously. Hollywood Undead insists its music is no laughing matter: "Elton John was considered a joke. Eminem was considered a joke. The people who are known for something different take a lot of criticism early on."

Hollywood Undead's long-awaited debut, Swan Songs, was released in last September. Its current single, City, is streaming on MySpace.

 
 

stuntin' is a habit

daily dos

mon 10/27/2008

 
daily-dos-stuntin Daddy Yankee throws up the peace sign.

Listen to a preview of John Legend's new album, Evolver, on MySpace. (via Nah Right)

 
 

out of gas

daily dos

mon 7/7/2008

 
daily-dos-out-of-gas An elderly woman looks out of a window.

(image by borya via flickr)

Dr Himanshu Tyagi of West London Mental Health NHS Trust says kids "used to the quick pace of online social networking may soon find the real world boring and unstimulating." Psychologist Graham Jones disagrees: "In my experience, the people who tend to be most active on sites such as Facebook or Bebo are those who are most socially active anyway."

 
 

lean means green?

daily dos

mon 5/19/2008

 
Beach belly. A large man sits shirtless near a beach.

(image by Mr TGT via flickr)

MySpace is rumored to be trying to sign 50 Cent to MySpace records for an estimated $300 million. (via The Daily Swarm)

 
 

the buck stops here

daily dos

wed 4/9/2008

 
Ursh. Usher in a dark brown leather jacket.

MySpace has expanded MySpace Latino. In addition to translating the site to Spanish, the revamped site will include new communities featuring Latino bands, celebrities and sports.

 
 

nobody beats the biz

daily dos

fri 4/4/2008

 
Busy Bisbal David Bisbal dressed in white perfoming live.

(image by jorgemejia via flickr)

MySpace is teaming up with Universal Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group to launch a new version of MySpace Music that will sell downloadable, DRM-free MP3s like iTunes and Amazon MP3.

 
 

Royalty

let's talk

tue 3/25/2008

 
Don't call me "Prince, Jr." Royalty wearing a fitted New York Yankees hat.

Los Angeles rapper Royalty has built an remarkable fanbase on MySpace with a grassroots hustle and unofficial remixes of hit songs like Rihanna's "Unfaithful" and Chris Brown's "With You." The self-proclaimed "King of MySpace" talks to us about his grind, why he posted his phone number on MySpace and getting sandwiched between Baby Bash and Pitbull.

Why Royalty?

I'm glad you asked this question because I love to answer this. People on the street always ask me this question as well. My biggest inspiration and idol in music would be the legendary Prince. I love everything about this dude – his style, his swag, the way people hate on him for being different. Yet they still love him. His presence just demands attention and respect. I've always wanted to walk in the same footsteps and could only hope my career to be like 10 percent of his. I couldn't take the name "Prince, Jr.", so I took the next closest thing, Royalty!

Are you Latino?

My father is Puerto Rican, he came from the island when he was 20 years old. He fell for this amazing white woman who nine months later would become my mom. Haha. So I'm mixed, Puerto Rican and white.

What makes you different from the thousands of "MySpace MCs" out there?

Other MCs try too hard to become accepted. A lot of people expect fans to just fall in love with them and praise them. That's not the way the game works. Instead of focusing all my time and effort in my local area, I've spent hours upon hours on MySpace, reaching out to fans from all over the world. So while these other artists sell 100 copies of their mix-tapes or albums to friends and fans in their neighborhood, I'm selling my records to people in different countries.

How do you plan on taking over the world?

As an artist, I just want to have one or two great years and have a worldwide hit record. Then I will branch off and pass the torch to the next in line. I don't want to be in the spotlight when I'm 30 or above. I'd rather be doing TV and movies at that age. Or sitting back being the CEO of a record company that gives people with real talent a chance. Because these days, major labels seem to overlook talent and sign artists with some bullsh** album sales or radio play. I'm in the industry to make great music and I want to help those who want to do the same.

What's up with all those remixes popping up on your MySpace?

Remixes have always played a huge role in my career. My first huge opportunity actually came from an unofficial remix of Rihanna's single Unfaithful. The song blew up on Myspace, receiving over 1,000 downloads per day. It soon crossed over from MySpace to radio, and over 30 radio stations across the U.S had the remix in full rotation. Def Jam was not to happy about that! Haha! I now have five mix-tapes full of remixes available for sale. I only make remixes to songs that I truly vibe with and feel it would sound better with a Royalty verse on it.

Is MySpace the only way for an independent artist to survive?

I don't think it is the only way for an indie artist to survive, but I do feel it is vital. I have booked over 200 shows and appearances through MySpace. I have sold over 10,000 albums through MySpace, I have a clothing line for sale on my page. MySpace has given me an opportunity that would have taken me at least five to 10 years to achieve. I have over 115,000 fans worldwide on the site. Over 10 million plays and six million profile views. MySpace is helping me become a household name.

You have 115,000 friends on MySpace? Are you using bots (computer programs that add friends)? Be honest.

Honestly, when I first started MySpace there were no bots. I was putting in about eight to 12 hours per day, going through the "browse" section just begging women to check out my music. Eventually people started to grow a bit curious about me when all these girls suddenly had me in their "Top 8" next to Baby Bash and Pitbull.

I've never used a bot, I wish they would have been around when I started. Not to spam people, though. But they do make it a lot less time consuming. With 115,000 friends, it's hard to reply to every message and comment, a lot of people get upset that I don't always respond. I just try to tell everyone that I do appreciate and love every time they reach out to me, it's just impossible to respond to everything. That's why I have my cell phone number on my MySpace page now. I'm in the studio so much or traveling – I can't always get on MySpace. But I love my fans enough to want to stay in contact with them. So I gave them access to reach me directly. Holla!

Visit Royalty on MySpace.

 
 

served

daily dos

fri 3/21/2008

 
Solo. A green toy soldier rests on a rock.

(image by nugunslinger via flickr)

Facebook is set to pass MySpace in international traffic. (via The Daily Swarm)

 
 

arrested development

daily dos

thu 2/28/2008

 
That's the ticket. A person with a red hat speaks to a police officer.

(image by digitalshay via flickr)

The parents a 15-year-old who committed suicide are suing MySpace for the web site's alleged role in their daughter's death. (via geeksugar)

 
 

nouveau sheesh

daily dos

thu 2/7/2008

 
Ballin' A little boy holds two twenty dollar bills.

(image by billy verdin via flickr)

MySpace users will soon be able to add outside applications like games and email to their profiles without having to leave the site, as they already can on rival site Facebook.

 
 
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