• More Progress

"I'm back in Philly for some time. I have a long list to tackle that just seems to keep grow'n...no matter how much I go at it. I have collaborations, graphics & web pages to design. It never seems to end. The street album is still in the works and is coming along great. When I'm done I'm have enough material in the archive for about 4 LPs. Artists & producers I'm currently work'n with in the Philly area include Danny Ca$h, JL & Mackey, Franchise, Kidd Drama and you know......the MakeSure crew. I'm going strong in 2010. New decade, new year, new life. There's too much money circulating around you not to have any..."

• Death To Mixtapes, DTM™ ...

"If you ever see me post up DTM then...yeah...that's what it means. Everyone & their kid has taken commercial instrumentals and heavily abused 'em over these last 10 years. Now that we are enter'n the 10s, us artists need to end this. Mixtapes have got'n old & doesn't separate the REAL artists from the trash ones. Any artist who's serious about their music isn't gonna pass up the fact to have exclusive tracks that they can market, promote, perform & distribute how they please without have'n to worry about copyright violations. And those artists keep their cover songs to a minimum. Commercial & already establish'd artists are the ones that release mini projects with a compilation of cover songs (a mixtape).

Welcome to the Street Album era. All you new artists need to separate yourself by find'n your own sound. Come on now, do you want the listener to always think of the original artists of the track every time the hear a beat that you record'd over? Of course not. You want them to focus on you since you are try'n to get out there & be heard. SO! All you serious artists, head over to soundclick, myspace or wherever you know hot producers are, if you can't afford exclusive rights then LEASE. Still better than use'n someth'n that's already used..."

• iKENJ's Fan Box

"I'm start'n to promote my fan page on Facebook. If you're on there, then show some love & add yourself as a fan to my page..."

iKENJ on Facebook

• Progress

"I bought a couple beats from two hot producers. Also I completed TWO tracks today. Both completely from start to finish. I'm feel'n real good right now, lol. Btw, did I mention that I'm look'n for Curtis Jackson & Brian Williams?"

• Back Into Go Mode!

"It's been a year & a half since I work'd on The Foundation, my debut mixtape but was discontinued because I felt that I didn't go my hardest. I then spoke of start'n a street album series call'd "Lyriphysics" after my style of Hip Hop. However, that was last December when I stated that. Now ELEVEN months later, I feel as though I am in the right mindset to finish all the songs I start'd and left incomplete. PLUS begin work'n on the press kit & album material. I got the lyrics, beats that are instant hits, and together will have the potential to sell merchandise, ringtones (& hopefully albums bcuz right now, EVERYONE'S album is flop'n!) in the millions all while build'n up the international BUZZ that I am aim'n for. I am CONFIDENT & all I need now is to catch the attention of someone in a position to put me in THE position..."

• Install'd Windows 7 Ultimate x64

"I finally decided to install Windows 7 on my Macbook Pro. I deleted the XP partition & tried to re-partition the hard drive but Disk Utility kept say'n that there were files it couldn't move. So I had to backup my HD to my Time Machine drive, wipe my hard drive and restore from the Time Machine backup. That right there took about 3 hours. After I was back up and running, my computer had restored to a state from a few days before and not the most recent. I wouldn't have mind'd but I was work'n on a new track and I had count'd on Time Machine to back up the text file i was write'n it in. I checked the Time Machine backup for the file and it was nowhere. Now, I had did the backup THREE TIMES in a row right before I wiped the drive. BS!!! Because of that, i was furious. I remember all the set parts of the track but I can't recall all the brainstormed ideas I had typed up. Just another thing to set me back, but it's okay. I'm a monster. So in the end, I got the 64-bit of Windows 7 Ultimate running right along with the 64-bit Snow Leopard on my unibody Macbook Pro...and Windows still comes with the BULLSHIZZ...!"

• I'm Come'n Home...

"So...I'm about to head back to the Tri-State area (DE). South Carolina was fun but I'm ready to return home. I'll come back at a later date. Back to business, I gotta get up with DJ AABB & "The Magnificent". I see good things happening for myself & the MS Team..

• Musicians Ditch Studios For Macs

Better for us Independent and unsigned musicians, technology has made it possible that with $500 - $2000 you can make high quality music in your basement or bedroom. The days of having to invest mass amounts of money in studio time are quickly fading. I myself record vocals with a MacBook Pro (like T-Pain), AT4050 condenser mic (like Trey Songz) & an Apogee Duet (like Bryan Michael Cox). For producing I just need my Korg NanoKey plugged into Logic Pro. Simple...DIY. Although you will need to take time to master your DAW. And for all you Apple haters, just know that Apple computers are INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Check out this article on USA Today.

• Myrtle Beach, SC: Day TWO

"Wow, I was up drive'n from 11pm - 7am on our way down here to SC on Friday night/Saturday morning. I didn't get much sleep these past couple days because of my night owl schedule. We all went out to Ripley's Aquarium and walk'd around the surrounding areas. Seen a lot of cool sea life, went on a few rides, and basically just had fun. We got a lot of pictures & video footage of the day's event so I'll be post'n up on YouTube soon.

-- It's official, I'm upgrade'n my Kodak V1253 to a Canon XHA1 or 5D Mark 2. Moment like these I gotta get in "Motion-Picture Perfect 1080p" and not consumer grade 720p. This upgrade is gonna run me anywhere from $2000 - $3000. My standards are high and I'm too technical, I know; but hey, I ALWAYS GET WHAT I WANT..."

• OOT: Myrtle Beach, SC

"I'm get'n away from the Tri-State area, finally. I been everywhere this last month or 2; DE, PA, NJ, NY, and now I'm head'd to SC for about a week. I plan on get'n a lit'l work done & have'n a good time w/ the fam. I'ma take pix and flix nd I'll be post'n up on the site during the trip. I still gotta pack my bags. Lata!"

• So Long Gritty City...

"I just spent the last 3 weeks in Philadelphia, PA. I got a little work done, finally. I didn't get to link up with everyone I planned to get up with, get ya'll next time. Spent a lot of time with my lady, however (her book'n azz) :) . Got the website redesigned & work on a few beats. Finish 'em up when I get back to DE though. My little cousin had a sweet 16 B'day party which was great ( awww). I got a LOT of food to take home with me, haha. Also, exchanged numbers with the DJ that was there, we gotta link up and make something happen definitely. As far as anything else though, my "To-do" list remains long, and there ain't enough time in the day, damn 2009 is almost over. Danny Cash just came back after a one year hiatus...Rook been kinda quiet, and I myself most definitely has been behind the scenes all year long. It's cool though, we still around. Lyriphysics Vol. 1 will hit sometimes in Q1 or Q2 2010. Look out for me..!"

• Grab The Cash Talent Competition

Do you have what it takes to win $1,000? Then, on November 15th, 2009 come “Grab The CASH! We are looking for talented comedians, singers, dancers, poets, and hip-hop artists to showcase their skillz. Every contestant gets paid and the winner receives an $1,000 CASH prize! In this competition contestants will:

· showcase their skillz in front of a panel of entertainment professionals, who will provide feedback on their performance

· have the opportunity to network with other entertainers and professionals in their respective fields

· have the opportunity to purchase a edited copy of their performance

· receive a percentage of their ticket sales

· and of course have the opportunity to walk away with $1,000!

Auditions are by APPOINTMENT ONLY and will be held on October 18th 2009 in Manhattan, NY. Location will be given upon registration. NO WALK-INS WILL BE ACCEPTED!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!! To register please send your first and last name, number, age, email address, type of talent, and preferred appointment time (listed below) to grabthecashtalent@gmail.com before October 10th 2009 or call (973) 444-5127 as soon as possible, APPOINTMENTS ARE LIMITED!! There is a $10 non-refundable audition fee. The winner will be chosen by crowd decision, so make sure you bring your family, friends, fans, and supporters to increase your chances of winning! For your convenience you can also pre-pay your audition fee at http://grabthecash.eventbrite.com ...

Appointment Times:
1st Slot 11:15am-12pm
2nd Slot 12pm-1pm
3rd Slot 1pm-2pm
4th Slot 2pm-2:45pm

**Further details will be given after registration**

• THE NEW iKENJ.com

"Well here it is & it's right on schedule. The new [ ikenj.com ] has been stripped down, redesigned, and rebuilt. The website is now 5MB lighter & the source files are arranged in a more organized fashion. Noticeably, there's a much sleeker & cleaner look & feel to it. The (somewhat annoying) welcome page is now gone (although I might create a new one in Flash) & the audio intro has now been moved to the main page. The PayPal checkout is now set up properly and also there are sponsored ads being promoted on the site. Soon a flash mp3 player will be embedded into the layout and will auto-play music when the site is loaded. The Audio, Image, Beat Library, & Store pages are still down because I still have yet to have any content that is ready to be placed on them. That's something else on the short term "to-do list". So...I will place before & after photos (screenshots taken in Vista but I use a MAC!) of the website up for comparing. Give me your feedback & tell me what you think..."



THEN





NOW





But instead of just checking the photos, why not jut visit the site? ikenj.com or as I always say... "GOOGLE iKENJ"...

• iKENJ.com Needs A Makeover

"I've been saying for some time now that I'm gonna redo the website because personally it resembles my MySpace page's design too closely. Now I've finally decided on a layout and have time to work on it. Hopefully it'll be done within the week and no later than October 1, 2009. I've got a long "To-Do" list waiting to be tackled and this is the first of many..."

• Visit To Traffic Court (From The June Incident)

"So I went to traffic court & just as expected, I WAS A VICTIM OF RACISM!!! The Judge was kind & immediately tossed out all charges & tickets against me without me having to say a word.

If you didn't know the incident, I was pulled over 11 o'clock at night for driving down a dead end well after I came back out onto the main road. Cops be bored, smh. I briefly explained it in this video posted back in June...

• Follow Me, Stalk Me

"Everywhere you look ( especially on MySpace ), you see someone that has "Follow Me" on their display name or on their page somewhere. I mean, enough is enough. I see that there is some MAJOR HYPE surrounding this site that based it's whole purpose on ripping off Facebook's status feature. However, wherever the hype is...Ike is. You can follow me @ twitter.com/ikenj. I'll be looking forward to seeing you step in line, lol..."

• iKENJ @ Christiana Mall

Right after a trip to Philly is cut short, iKenj briefly explains the situation after hitting up the Christiana Mall in DE to shop at the Apple Store...

• MAKESURE ENT. PRESENTS GIRLS NIGHT OUT EVERY THURSDAY AT CLUB 27

Come join us (MakeSure) as we host the Girl's Night Out party EVERY THURSDAY at Club 27 in Center City Philly! Joining us will be Q102's Joey Brooks & Shauniee Stylez. Also DJ Dre Day & DJ Nitro will be spinning. Must be 18 to enter and 21 to drink. Say "MAKESURE" at the door for $10 Admission. - - FLYER

• New Macbook Pro (Mid 2009)

"My prayers have been answered. Apple has just released it's new line of Macbook's. Now the whole line up are of the "Pro" series. All include a Firewire 800 port (finally,), LED backlit display, and now for the first time ever...an SD card slot & it comes in a 13" widescreen model. I have already placed my Black Macbook on eBay and it's made $600 already. I'm trying to hit that $1000 mark to at least make back most of what I spent on it. I'm definitely excited, maybe a little too hype...!"

• 2009 PHILLY HIP HOP AWARDS

The Philly Hip Hop Awards were created to showcase the Hip Hop scene in Philadelphia PA. The PHHA is here to award those Pioneers who helped lay a foundation, for the Present and Future generations to stand on. We will also give out awards in over 30 catergories to recognize the Current Generation of Artists. The 2009 Awards will be held June 14, 2009 @ 6pm at the First District Plaza (38th & Market St), Philadelphia, Pa. It will be a Star Studded Affair, All guests will arrive and walk The Red Carpet lined with Videographers and Interviewers, then enter into The First District Plaza, for what will be known as "The Hip Hop Event Of The Year"

• iKENJ: MySpace Top 100 Lyrical Artist

Chillin' in the relaxed suburbs of DE, iKENJ finds out how he's just recently made the Myspace Music Charts as one of the Top 100 Lyrical Artists on the site...

• ROOK: Coke On Da Gums Vol. 1 Mixtape AVAILABLE

FREE DOWNLOAD - CLICK HERE

• iKENJ NOW ON BLOGGER...

iKENJ  (AHY-kenj) is a recording artist, music producer, songwriter, and designer based out of Philadelphia, PA. Through talent and originality he is out to make a name for himself, and in a short time iKenj has left a footprint in the cyber world musically and creatively. iKenj was introduced to the keyboard at age three and by sixteen he was producing his own music. His craft soon developed into songwriting in 2001, and in 2008 he began to record. Around this time he also began to create web pages and graphic designs for other local artists and businesses.

Residing in the Tri-State area, iKenj has been able to create a fan base that spreads all the way to the west coast, and even as far as the Netherlands. This blossoming artist has successfully rose and maintained a place as one of MySpace's top ten lyrical artists in the state of Pennsylvania. Networking via MySpace and through other artist networks has allowed him to connect with many notable independent artists and producers for musical collaborations. These connections have also led to live club performances and appearances on radio broadcasts.

His music is influenced by both R&B and Hip Hop genres, and his unique style of rap is produced using lyriphysics or “a complex wordplay” that creates a style all his own.

The young, smart, and eager artist is dedicated to bringing change. iKenj represents a fresh approach to art and music, and the iKenj & MakeSure Entertainment movement is one that is spreading quickly.