A Few Photos From the Proton video Shoot

Great weekend of shooting, All day Saturday and Sunday.

Here are a few gems from the weekend with more to come throughout the week.

Thank YOU Latasha and Alex


808 Blake dressed up as Boss Man a.k.a. Petey McCracket

Larry of Proton looking like he is about to spit some game?

BONFIRE BITCHES!!!!

SMKA interview on AREA84

"SMKA was formed in August 2008 and is composed of Atlanta native producer Blake “808 Blake” German, guitar player/engineer/producer Kyle “7King” King, and business manager Mike Walbert.

How is the SMKA crew today? This week? This month? This year?
I’m doing lovely actually, I mean there’s always some bull shit to deal with, but for the most part I am enjoying every second I have.

Wanna give a shoutout? Give some recognition?
Uh, I guess I’ll shout out the homies Motion Family for the Vid, and all my dudes from the A…Also want everyone to be on the lookout for new projects from A. Leon Craft and Young T.R.I.M.M.

What does the acronym “SMKA” represent?
If I told ya I’d have to Kill ya haha nah Super Market Knife Attack (Don’t ask me Why just go w/ it).

Each production team has their trademark “sound” how would you describe yours collectively?
As far as a trademark i guess It would be that hard hitting 808, but I also don’t believe in doing just one type of sound my goal is to be able to flow through different genres of music, so the more you can’t tell it’s our production the better.

Let’s talk about some of the featured artists in your latest release. How do the following fit into your overall flow?
These artist each represent a crazy sense of creativeness, which allows us to push the envelope with our sound, working with each of them is exciting because they all share an open mind from a musical standpoint.

What does your crown and serpent symbol represent?
The Crown is part of the 7King Mystique or whatever and the “serpent” well Myself, Kyle and Mike all went to high school together and our mascot was a python haha…sorry we didn’t really get to deep on that one .

Explain to us “The 808 experience…-ence…-ence”.
Basically amoeba music is our ability to not be clearly defined in one sound (Science lesson: An amoeba is a shapeless organism) I mean like I talked about earlier it’s not being pigeon held in one genre rather the ability to experiment with all types of sounds. For instance I have been heavy into making alot of alternative and somewhat punk beats as of late, which is a clear difference from the beats used on the 808 Experiment.
In an interview with Roll Out, they highlighted the phrase “amoeba music” can you indulge us with the meaning of that phrase?

We are looking at your video “Caddy’s”. Tells the readers what were you trying to do with the sound in this joint? What are you trying to envoke?
I mean Caddy’s is basically meant for you to be riding on top of your old chevy impala and just lose it. This song took me back to high school when you basically don’t really give a fuck and everyone is outside partying and stunting in there old ass cars. Its kinda like ode to my southern roots i guess.

In ten years where do you see yourselves?
10 years from now shit I hope to have blurred the lines between what is considered hip hop …. as well as revolutionize a new sound using robots and shit haha.

Random: Do you guys ever take a vacation?
I mean at this point in my career I can’t really afford to take a vacation because there is always someone working."

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

ATLiens phone home with SMKA's The 808 Experiment, Vol. 1 - CREATIVE LOAFING DEC 24-30

Sometimes Atlanta's new wave of underground hip-hop seems like a motherless child. Or an alien that lost contact with the mothership.

In a galaxy far away from the finger snaps that made Bankhead go pop and the traps that turned T.I. and Young Jeezy into hot commodities, there exists an alternate universe where beats are measured by the blogosphere instead of the bump produced in your trunk.

Over the past year, an emerging underworld (filled with hipster-leaning hoppers, second-generation ATLiens, and otherwise unidentifiable but fly MCs) seemed poised to forsake an authentic Dirty South sound for more of the same cocaine-laced synth lines and recycled computer love à la Kanye West. It became a desperate state of affairs.

But the new compilation The 808 Experiment, Vol. 1 from SMKA Productions proves there's still hope. By bridging the city's slicker, hipster derivative and its indigenous red clay swagger, the album may bring Atlanta's rap legacy back to the future. And a burgeoning scene could get the chance to redefine itself before some random blogger does.

The 808 Experiment features more than 25 MCs, including Gripplyaz, one of the artists on the standout track "Caddys." Once he says with a laugh, "I am not a fucking hipster" for the umpteenth time during a recent telephone interview, it becomes clear not only how frustrated he is with the label but also how much he embodies the sentiment behind the compilation. Grip, like a growing class of local acts, occupies that rare, hard-to-define space within Atlanta's underground between straight-up hood and hipster-hop.

Raised in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, Grip "grew up around the dope game [and] the skateboarders," he says. "We all hung out together."

Reconciling those two extremes through music is exactly what primary producer Blake "808 Blake" German, producer/engineer Kyle "7" King, and business manager Mike Walberg had in mind when they decided to form SMKA Productions over lunch one day at a Midtown Chick-Fil-A. The trio immediately began work on a project to highlight the range of local talent.

The three Atlanta natives and former Paideia classmates "wanted to come up with something new," says German. So they started with something old – the Roland TR-808. Introduced in 1980, the drum machine produced the menacing, trunk-rattling beats that became synonymous with the earliest strands of Southern bass music and booty-shake later in the decade.

From the outset, it's clear The 808 Experiment intends to resurrect that classic period and update it with an array of samples and melodic keys. "The Instrumental Introduction" is constructed around a 12-second loop of Rose Royce's 1978 classic "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," with its midtempo, gurgling bass line and eerie keyboard melody that almost sounds paranormal taken out of its original context. Then the voice of OutKast's Andre, sampled from 1996's ATLiens song "Elevators (Me & You)," repeats: "Now everyday we looked up at the ceiling (yep)/watching ceiling fans go 'round trying to catch that feeling off instrumentals." By the time the first 808 beat kicks in one minute and 25 seconds into the track, the curtain has been raised.

"It was almost paying a little homage to the dudes that came before us," says German. "OutKast, to me, they represent a very creative side of Atlanta that we forget about and I wanted to definitely showcase them because they provide a little bit of light sometimes [compared to] a lot of other stuff on the radio."

The CD offers a range of voices, from street-worthy (J Beans, Double R, Young Trimm) to rowdy (Supreeme, Tom P) to quirky (Rome Fortune, Wil May, o8o of Thunderkatz). With both natives and transplants represented, the album's unifying factor is its diversity.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE!!!

Thanks CL and Rodney Carmichel

The Red & Black - Producer showcases Atlanta music scene

Big ups to John Barrett, The Red & Black, UGA and the Rest of the World.

FROM THE ARTICLE
....Music producer and University alumnus Blake "808 Blake" German has a love for underground hip-hop, and he is dissatisfied with occupying the homogenous and well-trodden ground of present-day mainstream rap culture.

German graduated from the University as recently as 2007, but his production team, SMKA Productions, is quickly garnering a reputation within the Atlanta music community.

Alongside co-producer and engineer Kyle "7King" King and business manager Mike Walbert, German uses the project to shed light on some of the city's less recognized talent.

"These days, everyone is releasing music products like mixtapes all the time, so we wanted to showcase the underground scene in Atlanta," Walbert said.

"With his style, Blake bridges the gap between the hipster movement in Atlanta and a strong southern feel."

Elaborating on this unusual crossover appeal, German commented: "I was born and raised on UGK and OutKast, as well as the hard-driving southern bass that has been synonymous with the South and hip-hop. Then the next step is to mix those roots with different samples and influences - whatever sounds good to me."

But German acknowledged that King played an equally important role in the team's process.

"Mixing the soulful samples, taking a ragtime piano sample and being able to make something new from it ... It's the diversity of the music that we hear and the music that we put out," he said.

So far, the production trio's efforts to deliver a unique approach to the hip-hop scene have been met with a substantial amount of success.

This triumphs are embodied in the team's new compilation album, "The 808 Experiment," featuring collaborations from Atlanta hip-hop artists such as Supreeme, Gripplyaz and Jay West...

For the Whole Article Click Here

SNEAKER ME STUPID meets 808 BLAKE

One of the fastest growing and best sneaker sites on the INTRONET caught us with 808 Blake to discuss The 808 Experiment, and of course Sneaker fashion.

"This project was put together by Atlanta native 808 Blake & 7King, musically they really did there thing. This is a must hear if you love hip-hop/rap music. You can download the tracks here and get a listen all for free. I know 808 Blake from way back in the day in Atlanta and dude was always making music.



He has brought and uncovered a lost sound in the A. Everyone was speaking and sounding like they had the million dollar fye hot trap. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that but hip hop and music has more to offer especially in the A as we were raised off Goodie Mob & Kast. 808 Blake has surrounded himself with other producers, musical engineers, and even business men to get this 808 Experiment along with SMKA Productions off the ground. 808 Blake had a chance to take time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about his music and of course sneakers."

Check out the Article HERE

Rolling Out: "The 808 Experiment: producers keep ATL hip-hop on the map"

There is no denying the bourgeoning underground hip-hop culture in Atlanta. Whether it’s hister-hop or gritty traphouse rap, the ATL has been serving up a bevy of unsigned and underappreciated artists until now. Enter 808 Blake and 7King, two virtually unknown local producers who have created a vehicle for promoting the music they love so much. Entitled The 808 Experiment, their indie release paints a perfect picture of the eclectic musical nature of the talent coming from the Dirty. From classic Roland 808’s to playing with elements of live instrumentation and extraterrestrial synths, anyone who wants to know about what the A has to offer, needs to look no further than this exceptional release. Rolling Out caught up with the producers and their business partner Mike Walberg to talk Atlanta hip-hop, the meaning behind “amoeba music” and naming themselves after Andre 3000’s offspring....

For the Full Article

Rolling Out Interview

First off, if you haven’t downloaded this CD yet, do it now. With that said, ladies and gentlemen I’m proud to announce that hip-hop is still alive. I mean come on, you can’t believe everything Nas says (hello, Oochie Wally anyone?). Thanks to producers 808 Blake, 7King, and their business partner Mike Walberg, a slew of up and coming talents in ATL have been able to showcase themselves to the industry. Not bad for three guys who were virtual unknowns 48 hours ago. The boy Billy Blog caught up with two producers via phone and the homie Walberg via, well, that part’s not important, just know that I got his version too. Below is the clip from my interview with 808 Blake and 7King and the interview with Mr. Walberg that followed. Hip-hop ain’t dead you suckas!

For the Full Interview CLICK HERE

Thanks Rolling Out and Billy Bob!!!

Creative Loafing Interview - "SMKA Productions’ The 808 Experiment: Vol. 1 reclaims Atlanta’s hip-hop identity"

Thanks to Rodney Carmichael and Creative Loafing....


"God bless the child that’s got his own.

From the outset of SMKA Productions‘ newly released compilation, The 808 Experiment Vol. 1, it’s clear that Atlanta has finally arrived.

Surely, you say, the hip-hop capital of the world is no newbie to rap’s all-encompassing map. And you’re right. But among Atlanta’s emerging rap underworld — filled with hipster-leaning hoppers, 2nd generation ATLiens, and otherwise unidentifiable but objectively fly MCs — that original, Dirty South sound had been all but bleached out and forsaken. Until now.

With The 808 Experiment, SMKA accomplishes the seemingly impossible: It bridges Atlanta’s slick, hipster-hop derivative with the indigenous, red clay swagger for which the A has always been known.

Beats simultaneously swim in bass-drunk, 808 kicks while dancing between melodic, pastel-colored keys. Even when SMKA dares to sample esoteric pop songs like Sting’s “Englishman in New York,” the resulting track ["Alien (When in Rome) feat. Jay West, Savage and Gilles] is certifiably stamped “ATL.”

Their secret weapon? SMKA producers Blake “808 Blake” German and Kyle “7King” King, along with in-house “hustler” Mike Walberg, are all Atlanta natives. Damn near unheard of in this day and age, right? Meanwhile, the compilation features plenty among the city’s rising crop of natives and transplants alike, including Gripplyaz, A. Leon Craft, and Young Trimm (”Caddy”), trio Supreeme (”I’m On Fire”), Wil May (”Sweet Confusion”), and o8o of T!Katz (”Fire in the Hole”). But some of the biggest surprises come from lesser known cats who turn in equally stellar performances, including Double R of Miami, Nuff Sed, J Beans, Dee Rail, Fat Tony, Niko Villamor, Jay West, Rome Fortune, J Young, Radcliff Hyphen, Crysis, Brandon Michael, Toussaint, Alexandria Lushington and Tom P of Decatur. El da Sensei of New Jersey-based Artifacts is also featured.

With only 48 hours since it’s release it’s impossible to say just yet, but here’s hoping The 808 Experiment represents a truly formative moment in what’s already proven to be a watershed year for Atlanta’s slightly off-the-radar hip-hop movement.

Needless to say, I had to talk to the guys behind SMKA to find out where the heck they’ve been hiding. Oh, and you’ll never guess what SMKA stands for?"

DOWNLOAD: The 808 Experiment Vol. 1

For the Full Interview....Click HERE

Back in Blake - The 808 Experiment

SMKA production (MYSPACE) will be releasing there first music project titled "The 808 Experiment" on November 8th... 4 days after Obama gets elected President of the US. (hell yeah)

The artists on the 808 Experiment include:

Grip Plyaz
Young Trimm
Supreeme
Wil May
J Young
T-Katz
Yelawolf
Sean Falyon
Disciples
Alexandrea Lushington
Niko Villamore
J Beans
Double R
Fat Tony
Dee Rail
Nufsed
Tom P
Gilles & Jay West
Rome Fortune
Toussaint
Radcliffe Hyphen
Brandon Monteith

STAY TUNED...
We will be releasing a few songs before on our myspace so keep checking it out. And will be throwing a release party on November 8th. More details coming soon...