G. Jonz: The Man, The Myth, The Chef

Sneak Peek Beat 2

2012-02-03T03:33:00.002-05:00

Sneak Peek Beats are exclusive clips of music that I will occasionally "leak" just because I find something unique about them. They could be beats, they could be incomplete songs. Check the backstory to find out what they're all about... Also, the music that's posted will be up for a limiited amount of time. The post will remain on the blog, however.

The backstory:
I've always wanted to sample, but I'm not very good at it (yet). At the same time, I LOVE the Resident Evil video game series, RE2 in particular. No, I don't own every iteration of the series, but I do think RE2 is a classic.

The music, in particular, has a unique way of adding to the story. The Save Room theme, especially, had an uncommon quality about it where it would be calming because you knew your character was safe. At the same time, the dark piano chords would be played in such a way that it reminded the player that, eventually, you'd have to leave the safety of that room, and go back out into the nightmarish world of Raccoon City.

The Save Room Theme
In order to sample this theme, I asked Seth Chaos for help. It wasn't long before I got a cool loop of the song. I added drums to complete the beat... After we listened to it a few times, Chaos got the wild idea to add the acapella from a Craig David song... Yes, THAT Craig David... As in "7 Days" Craig David.

Ladies and gentlemen, take some time and listen to the Resident Evil remix of "Fill Me In," produced by Seth Chaos and G. Jonz!

Hold up. Hold up. Whoa dere... What happened to Sneak Peek Beat 1?
The first Sneak Peek Beat was released exclusively on the G. Jonz Facebook Page. Like it and be a part of the fun and see sexy pictures... of me. LAWL.

Just Badass

2011-12-14T01:33:00.000-05:00

Years ago, I wrote a blog entry about the toughest SOBs on the planet having the initials J.B. (Sorry, Chuck Norris.) Here's a shortened version of that entry:

Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne, hand to hand combat. Like a BOSS.

James Bond

This is part of the parkour chase scene from "Quantum of Solace." I wasn't able to link the entire chase, but if you want to see the whole thing, click here.

Jack Bauer
If you know me at all, you KNEW Jack was making this list. I had 8 seasons and a movie of Bauer-badassery to choose from, so I picked this one clip:
It's real simple: Talk or die.

In case I don't get the chance to blog before the new year, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

#GrandTheftAutoMemories

2011-11-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

This was a trending topic on Twitter a few days ago. Since I was going to do a post about GTA (well, San Andreas), I figured I'd go in a little bit deeper with a blog post.

1 The Feel of the Game
For those of you who have played any of the GTA games, you enjoy the sandbox-like atmosphere. The characters, as well as the cities, make the game that much more enjoyable. The fictional state of San Andreas is HUGE so there was always something to do there. You could start a turf war, play a few games at a casino, fly (via plane or jetpack)... or maybe get some Hot Coffee.

The trailer for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

2 The Soundtrack
GTA: SA was set around 1992, so you already know the soundtrack was jammin and full of great memories. The radio stations had everything from the Guns n Roses "riot" anthem "Welcome to the Jungle" to CJ bouncin in the club to "Hollywood Swingin'" and Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel." It played the classic America track "A Horse With No Name" and old-school hip-hop joints like "It Takes Two" and "Warm It Up, Kane." The game also features hilarious DJs (Michael Bivins from BBD and New Edition as well as George Clinton were the voices of two DJs in the game.) and radio talk shows!

3 Tenpenny, Ryder and OG Loc
LOL these characters are CLASSIC! They entertain me every time they're on screen. Officer Tenpenny is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, so that's already a win. Ryder looks like the San Andreas version of Eazy E. And OG Loc? Well, he has to be seen to be believed.

A hilarious video of the first mission with Ryder, busta.

4 The Impossible Air Raid Zero Mission
I hated Zero because the "Air Raid" mission was ridiculously tough. GTA fans probably forgot who Zero is because they skipped his missions. Rather than talk about him and his rivalry with Berkley further, I'll just post a video of OG Loc doing his thing.

OG Loc, doing his thing. It's Loc, baby!5 The Stunts

Just a tiny sample of stunts you can pull off in the game.

6 When I realized that CJ looked like the mastermind behind HNL Beats.

Oh yeah.

The Morning After album notes

2011-10-19T21:38:00.000-04:00

"The Morning After" is the sophomore album by Runna & Right Hook, and it's the follow-up to their "One Night Stand" effort. It is the second album from Sunspot Productions that features mostly R&B and pop songs. Executive Producer: G. Jonz.

Track listing information:
1. On My Way Home Intro
Concept by L. McClain. Performed by J. Runner III. Music by O'Brian Music.

2. Stop, Breathe
Written and performed by J. Runner III, C. Luk, and J. Warren. Produced by P.O.E.S. Beats (Check out his debut mixtape: People Only Envy Strength - Think POES).

3. Yum Yums
Written and performed by C. Sout and J. Runner III. Music by Swollen Drumz Productions.

4. Too Long
Written by C. Sout. Music by JuSaMeLoDy.

5. Soul Clap
Written and performed by J. Runner III, C. Sout and J. Warren. Produced by Seth Chaos (@SethChaosChoZen) for S.O.U.L. Music.

6. Have You?
Written by C. Sout and G. Jones. Performed by C. Sout. Music by SINIMA BEATS.

7. We Found Love
Written by J. Runner III. Music by T3K Beats.

8. Take A Walk
Written and performed by J. Runner III, J. Warren and G. Jones. Produced by HNL Beats (@YourBoyL).

9. Oh No (She Fo Sho)
Written and performed by C. Sout and V. Marrero. Produced by Bill Collectors Music.

10. Milky Way
Written and performed by J. Runner III, C. Sout, C. Luk (His ReverbNation page) and G. Jones. Produced by G. Jonz for Sunspot Productions (@sunspot781).
"Planet Guilt" interlude written and performed by J. Runner III.

11. Hungover
Written and performed by C. Sout and V. Marrero. Produced by P.O.E.S. Beats.

12. The Morning After
Written by J. Runner III and G. Jones. Performed by J. Runner III. Produced by G. Jonz for Sunspot Productions.

The Morning After by Sunspot Productions

My Michael Jackson Post

2011-10-11T23:21:00.000-04:00

It's October. That means people are into the apple-picking season, hoodies are being worn, and Halloween is coming. Michael Jackson, among many other things, was primarily known as the genius who made "Thriller." It's actually possible to think of Thriller without thinking about Halloween, but this post will be about his other songs that have a "ghostly" theme.

Ghosts"Ghosts," in its entirety, is nearly forty minutes long!!! This short film was released in 1997 and was in select theatres alongside Stephen King's "THINNER." A shortened (about 4 min) video was later released to music video networks. Because of the length of the video, it has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for longest-ever music video. Along with his other accolades, Jackson also (and still) holds the record for most expensive video - "Scream" with his sister Janet, cost $7 million.
These kids are dancing to "Ghosts" on the Michael Jackson Experience game for Nintendo Wii. They are puttin in WORK!

ThreatenedI always thought that, when this song came out, it was a decade too late. The entire feel of the song just screams "90s classic," which is by no means a bad thing. I just thought it was jarring that it was released on this particular album... On the other side of the coin, the electric bassline fused with a synthesized riff automatically makes this track a top candidate for "most played" on the project. "Threatened" is also the last song on Jackson's final studio album before his death. The 10-year anniversary of that album, "Invincible," is October 30, 2011.

This Is It: The Threatened ending to Jackson's Thriller set.

Life Is Always In The Mak'n

2011-09-25T19:49:00.000-04:00

If you're a dancer, or know anyone who's a dancer, tell em to clear their schedules on Sunday, October 2. The ITM Step Squad & Dance Team is holding their annual fall auditions at the Lynn YMCA at 12 PM.

No age limits. No creative limits. If you're in the North of Boston area, bring your sweats and be ready to work! Watch the video for more:

Shout out to BossLadyTee Films for this great video.

Make A Choice.

2011-09-18T14:04:00.000-04:00

By now, you must've heard about the latest Netflix pricing change (I believe it's the second change within a year.)If you're still a Netflix subscriber, those changes take effect this month if they haven't already, depending on when you get billed.Now I'm not going to get into analysis of the whos, whats, and whys of this situation. I'm just curious to know what you're going to do about this.Will you choose to subscribe to an streaming-only plan?

A DVD-only plan?Or keep your DVD & streaming plan and pay more for a dwindling library of movies?

One of the best features that Netflix has going for it.

It seems like some people have already made their choice: Netflix stock drops 8% more after news of subscriber losses (posted on Sep 16, 2011)

The Events of August 23, 2011

2011-08-23T23:42:00.001-04:00

I went to Stage Fort Park today in Gloucester MA. It's a great place to go for a family outing (or in my case, a day trip with summer camp kids) but the mosquitoes over there are like crack fiends! They hunt people down like they haven't had a drop of blood in weeks!

I swatted away 2 mosquitoes from my ankle. They were so full of blood that they popped right on my sock.

I felt something on the back of my head and SPLAT! ...Another dead mosquito. These things are deadly.

Also, an earthquake occurred on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. I hope everyone who felt it is okay.

Shark Week

2011-08-07T00:31:00.000-04:00

I learned some things about sharks this week.

In somewhat related news: gentlemen, keep chivalry alive, or you may not be for very long.

All We Needed Was One Night

2011-07-24T22:34:00.005-04:00

In two years, we've given you 4 albums/mixtapes: Check The Recipe, One Night Stand, Hood Certified and Clearly Outspoken.

After promoting them on the streets, Facebook, Twitter and through videos, the next move HAD to be to give you a live show!

I worked with almost everyone who has worked with us on those 4 projects to cook up A Night Out with Sunspot and I must say that the night was incredible! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

To fans, old and new: We will keep bringing you the music and entertainment that you love. Thanks for ridin wit us. Also, I wanna give very special shout-outs to DB, EP and the Twin Peaks and Pie crew for coming thru!

G. Jonz (in red) & Runna (in blue) Turning It Up for the crowd!

To the management staff at Tatiana's Restaurant & Lounge: I think I can speak for the entire Sunspot team when I say that we cannot thank you enough! Thank you for opening your doors to us and making us feel at home.

Right Hook reppin that cool spot in the heat - you know what it is!

To everyone who brought cameras/video equipment: THANK YOU! We probably should've taken a few ourselves, lol. (Shout out to Kevin D. for the pics in this blog entry!) Also, MASSIVE SHOUT-OUT TO BOSSLADYTEE FILMS. The video from the show is at the bottom of this entry. Subscribe to her YouTube page!

To ITM: Thanks for having that incomparable energy that you always bring! The dancing was great and we loved having you there! This won't the last time we link up!

Two hot Mamacitas from ITM join Right Hook on stage to give the show some added sizzle.

To everyone who brought home souvenirs, mixtapes, albums, etc: Enjoy yourself, especially with J-Dub's first mixtape, "Clearly Outspoken". He's only asking for 20 minutes of your time to listen. It'll be time well spent!
Pockets On Froze featuring Runna

Right Hook & Runna performing "Player" from One Night Stand.

All we needed was one night to show people that Sunspot can light up the stage and give you a great night of entertainment. A Night Out with Sunspot was the FIRST time that we've all performed together at our own show. On behalf of the entire Sunspot family, thank you for making it a success!

Now that that's behind us, things will go back to normal and we'll be working on new albums and new projects.

And another show...?

From left to right: J-Dub, G. Jonz, C.Luk, Runna, Right Hook, and DJ LT - toasting it up to A Night Out with Sunspot!

Favorite Summer Jams

2011-07-17T11:31:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone reading this is having a great summer! Enjoy a few of my all-time favorite summer jams! (in no particular order)

Aaliyah - Back and Forth
Even though this list is randomized, I HAD to put this track first. Every time I think of summer, I think of those initial squealing guitar sounds that kick that song off before "Let me see ya go back!" Aaliyah's first single always brings me back to the great summers of the 90s.

Lauren Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)

Justin Timberlake - Last Night

J. Holiday - Be With Me
This should've been one of the summer smashes of 2006. Unfortunately, it didn't even make a blip on the Billboard Top 100 charts. Odds are, you probably don't know this song and think that Holiday's first single was "Bed." It's still a cool, laid-back jam, though.

Janet Jackson - All For You

New Edition - Hot Tonite

(They need to come out with another album.)

Jagged Edge - Where the Party At

Both the original and remix videos are fun to watch. I couldn't decide which one to post, so I decided on neither :)

2011 has a good start with Chris Brown's "She Ain't You," Beyonce's "Run the World," "Give Me Everything" with Pitbull & Ne-Yo and "Dirty Dancer" with Enrique Iglesias, Usher and Lil Wayne. What are your favorite summer jams?

Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff - Summertime by oublierleracismeskyblog
You didn't think the list would end without this, did you?

A Night Out with Sunspot

2011-07-03T19:39:00.004-04:00

On July 16, the summer will get even hotter as Sunspot will host a live show at Tatiana's Restaurant & Lounge at 70 Market St in Lynn MA!

Songs from Check The Recipe and One Night Stand will be performed as well as brand-new music from C. Luk, J-Dub, Runna, and Right Hook!

The ITM Dance Team will be our special guests and we'll have other surprises as well! It's a 21+ event and you won't wanna miss it!!

Directions to Tatiana's
From North
I-95 South, Merge onto I-95 North/128 north via Exit 37A (towards Peabody)
Take the US-1 North/RT-129 East Exit- (Exit 44B- toward Danvers)
Take the RT-129 East ramp toward Lynn/Swampscott
Enter next roundabout and take 1st exit onto MA-129 East
Turn RIGHT onto Boston St.
Turn LEFT onto Franklin St.
Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto City Hall Sq.
Turn RIGHT onto Market St.

From South
I-95 North, Merge onto I-93 North/US-1 North via Exit 12 toward Boston
Take Exit 20 toward I-90 / LOGAN AIRPORT / WORCESTER / South STATION
Merge onto I-90 Eeat/MASS PIKE/MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE via the exit on the LEFT toward Logan Airport/South Station
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto MA-1A North/WILLIAM F MCCLELLAN HWY/EAST BOSTON EXPY. Continue to follow MA-1A North
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto MA-1A North/BEACH ST. Continue to follow MA-1A North Pass through 1 roundabout
Turn LEFT onto MA-1A / Market St. Continue to follow Market St.

From West
I-90 East/MASS PIKE/MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE via the ramp on the LEFT toward Boston
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto MA-1A North/WILLIAM F MCCLELLAN HWY/EAST BOSTON EXPY. Continue to follow MA-1A North
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto MA-1A North/BEACH ST. Continue to follow MA-1A North Pass through 1 roundabout
Turn LEFT onto MA-1A / Market St. Continue to follow Market St.

Hit up our Facebook Event page to RSVP. Not on Facebook? Then you can RSVP in the comment section.

One Night Stand by Sunspot Productions

A Road Block on the Information Superhighway

2011-06-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, before I start, I know I'm showing my age by using the term "Information Superhighway." Honestly, who says that anymore?

But at the same time, I couldn't think of a better way to use the term "Road Block" in relation to what I'm going to be talking about.

So, I'm not sure what exactly happened, but my computer caught a nasty virus. I'm currently looking for a Macbook (not Pro, not Air, just a Macbook) to go back online and to make video editing a lot easier and better. Until then, my blog post frequency will be much slower unfortunately.

I'm posting from the library right now, but I hope the next time I post home, it'll be from an Apple computer.

This is pretty close to what my PC is going through.

Behind the Scenes of Captain Asian America

2011-06-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

My first vlog! This covers:
-when we shot the film
-Walnut Da Lyrical Geni, who made a cameo in the film
-Alberto DeJesus, the man with the fancy camera equipment
-the One Night Stand retrospective
-footage of the FOB Asian scene and prepping the shot for Yellow Numbskull (both of which were shot in the same place)

First VLog

Captain Asian America

Happy Hump Day

2011-06-08T12:01:00.002-04:00

Much love goes out to L-bomb for sending me this picture! The turtles are Guns and Roses, representing the Man Lab from Boston University. They like to do it anytime, anyplace. They don't care who's around.

One Night Stand: One Year Later

2011-05-31T19:00:00.004-04:00

June 1, 2011 marks exactly one year since Sunspot dropped "One Night Stand." I thought it'd be interesting to get some insight from the lead artists from that project, Runna and Right Hook. I thought it'd be even more interesting to ask them the same questions about it separately. The video below shows what they said when I asked them these questions:

1. What's your favorite "Runna" track?
2. What's your favorite "Right Hook" track?
3. Has working with the other affected your singing/writing style? How?
4. What's next?

Listen and download One Night Stand for free.
One Night Stand by Runna and Right Hook

Holla Back If Ya Follow, Jack

2011-05-22T20:35:00.001-04:00

...Or whatever your name happens to be. (Yes, my flame suit is on for those who are ready to rash about the terrible "joke/rhyme" I just made.)

If you're interested, here's how to follow my blog. First, you have to be signed into Google. Then do this:

Or click Follow all the way at the bottom of the right column.

My Favorite "Office" openers

2011-05-19T20:40:00.010-04:00

With the Season 7 finale of The Office airing tonight, I wanted to share some of my favorite cold openers (scenes before the title credits) from The Office.

Season 6
The "Parkour" Opener
This was shown on the Season 6 premiere. "Parkour, parkour!"

Season 5
The "Cheese Puffs" Opener
This was during the Michael Scott Paper Company story arc of Season 5. I still can't imagine how many takes it took them to do this. Especially the trick at the 32-second mark!

Season 3
"Future Dwight"

Season 3
Entourage

Honorable mention:
The Super Bowl-episode (Season 5) opener of "Stress Relief" where the entire Dunder-Mifflin staff is trapped, and panic when they think they're surrounded by a raging fire that's "shooting at them." I actually wanted to include this one in the list, but I couldn't find it on YouTube and didn't feel like searching too hard for it elsewhere on the net.

I know there are other great openers than the ones I mentioned. Which are your favorites?

Walk For Hunger Shenanigans

2011-05-08T12:41:00.001-04:00

This post will mostly be pictures with blurbs about them. "Shenanigans" is a fun word to say.

I dedicated certain miles to certain things and people. Mile 1 was for Emely. Mile 20 was for Michael Scott. Mile 4 was for Big Jo and Little Jo. It seemed like Little Jo gave up at about Mile 12. We thought Big Jo had given up too, until we saw Jo's signature on the Mile 19 sign. It was an inspiration to our team.

Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The girl in the picture is my friend Sammee. Her blog is LoST.

Like "shenanigans," "tac0cat" is also fun to say.

Here's my fake smile. Take the picture and let's move the f*ck on. My feet are NOT happy feet.

Mile 17 was dedicated to my friend, Dave. There's no special meaning behind number 17. It was getting late in the Walk and I remembered that he really wanted to Walk For Hunger, but couldn't because he was working in a different state. This one's for you, Dave.

After I declared Mile 17 as "Dave's Mile," Mile 18 was declared John's Mile. The man actually took a bus to DC just hours after we finished this walk! Now, that's a hustle. John is also the mastermind and director of the "Kill Greg" film.

I just thought it was cool that there's a band out there called "Henry Gale." Did you know there's also a band called "Not Penny's Boat"?

Closing in on 20 miles, the cold air cut through us on the Mass Ave. Bridge. From left to right: Sammee, Huy and John.

And about those shoes...

Walk For Hunger

2011-04-18T19:05:00.070-04:00

For those of you who may not know, the Walk for Hunger is the oldest continual pledge walk in the United States. It's a one-day walk that's a 20-mile path in and around Boston.

This year will be my 8th walk in 10 years, but it will be the first time I've done all 20 miles in 6 years.

Oh boy.

Some may call this a fail. I call it a win.

To prepare for this, I've been training my feet and legs since the beginning of March to walk long distances. Sometimes, I'll jog and/or walk for a few miles on a treadmill. If the Walk was as smooth and straight as a treadmill, I'd be good to go in no time. However, the Walk is full of twists, turns, different terrains and changing inclines - I had to get used to that, so I've also been walking long distances outside (as well as adding an incline to my treadmill workouts).

Temptation - it is everywhere!
The training was going great until today. I decided to do 6 miles outside because I had stuff to do and I figured: 2 birds, 1 stone.

Anyway, towards the end of my walk, my right heel started to feel sore. I took off my shoe and discovered that the inner, plastic part of my shoe came out and was rubbing against my heel every time I took a step. It must've happened the entire walk because by the time I was done, my sock had a big hole where my heel was!

This tore through my sock and almost through my heel.

And yeah, I know. My sneakers are JACKED up. I don't care. The fashion police can suck it. Anyway, I wanted this year's Walk for Hunger to be the very last time I wear them, but they're hanging on by a thread! Well, not literally, but close to literally.

The pen is there to show you how JACKED sneakers can get when you exercise in them too much.

Despite all this, I'm excited for the Walk for Hunger! I'll be going with friends and I'll probably meet new ones. It's a great cause and if you'd like to donate, or walk yourself, you should!

Before I go, more new music is on the way!! Thanks to everyone who's been showin love to me and everyone who worked on the remix track: Still Raw.

This will not end well.

Kill Greg

2011-04-08T00:14:00.001-04:00

I was going to type out a backstory to this, but I think I'll just let the film speak for itself. I'll answer questions (if any) in the comment section.

Still Raw

2011-03-30T10:19:00.005-04:00

Still Raw - The Elite 8
WARNING: Some lyrics may be TOO raw for some to handle.

The Elite Eight (in order of appearance): Walnut, J-Dub, Caleb, Blak C, Shizzy, C.Luk, Chyna, Right Hook

Get ready...

Women's History Month

2011-03-29T00:39:00.001-04:00

To the women in my family - my mother, 2nd mother, my sister, my aunts, female cousins, grandmothers - who have been so incredibly supportive and patient with me...

To my little nieces, who will no doubt grow into respectable and successful women...

And all the women in my life who I've considered a friend and have a place in my heart...

Thank you for being beautiful, inside and out.

I put this up because Amy Lee, the female lead of Evanescence, has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. EVAR.

Sunspot Discography, Part 6: Hood Certified

2011-03-24T23:05:00.001-04:00

This is Part 6 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

August 20, 2010

"Hood Certified" is C.Luk's latest mixtape. This was his second mixtape while living out in Philly, so his time there had to be evident in his songs. It starts off by Luk checking his voice mail, hearing well wishes from Fat Joe, Maino, Cassidy, Mario and Chubb Rock, and Michael Bivins from Bell Biv Devoe/New Edition among others who have tasted success in the entertainment industry.

The man formerly known as the "Asian Vin Diesel" always shows his personality while flaunting his lyrical skill. Tracks like "I Wanna Rock," and "The Checklist" (produced by G. Jonz) are examples of this. Luk also deals with many serious topics such as his struggles growing up ("My Life" and "Feel the Pain 2") and the aftermath of the 2010 Haitian earthquake ("Hero").

Along with The Chef getting a production cameo on Hood Certified, P.O.E.S. also contributed by producing "This Is How We Do." That track, as well as "Luk Out," "Keep It Movin" and "Light It Up," features Right Hook. Other features includes Liva, Scarfo Live, Showfa, Rich Nice and D'Amonte.

Click here to check out the first video from Hood Certified: Born to Rhyme. (Before you go, have you seen the mixtape cover?! It looks like a circus nightmare with an apocalyptic lava storm brewing in the background!)

Get Hood Certified by clicking here and downloading the entire project for free!

Sunspot Discography, Part 5: One Night Stand

2011-03-06T00:20:00.001-05:00

This is Part 5 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

June 1, 2010

Production on "One Night Stand" started just weeks after the release of "Check The Recipe." Sunspot headed into uncharted territory as this effort would be its first completely R&B/pop album. Runna performed most of the R&B tracks while Right Hook performed most of the pop contributions.

Due to the personal & professional relationships we've built over the years, "One Night Stand" was created with help from many people. P.O.E.S. blessed the team by producing most of this album. An up-and-coming beatmaker who goes by HNL teamed up with G. Jonz to produce "Comfortable," which was performed by Runna. As far as featured vocalists go, Right Hook teamed up with Taina and Remy Redd for the slick dance jam "Come Home." Runna enlisted his lyrical cousin (J-Dub) to create the ambiant "If I Don't Have You." C.Luk, P.O.E.S., A-Class and T-Pain (yes, that T-Pain) are also heard on these respective tracks: "To Go On," "Your Body," "Mamacita," and "Everybody Else."

A few facts about "One Night Stand" that you may not have known:
A snippet of Right Hook's "Mamacita" was first heard on Check the Recipe as a prelude for the song "Just A Little Bit Closer." The beat for Runna's "Comfortable" was actually made in the summer of 2006 and was first used as a backing track for a local slide show. Finally, "Live It Up" is the only track on this album that features both Runna AND Right Hook.

Go to the Azn Wayz Bandcamp site to listen to and download One Night Stand now!

Sunspot Discography, Part 4: Check The Recipe

2011-02-21T15:32:00.002-05:00

This is Part 4 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

December 18, 2009

The thought of creating my own "album" had crossed my mind for a few years. Since I'm not a lyricist or a regular on-stage performer, I wasn't sure how to do it. I thought about some of my influences - The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland - they've all come out with mixtapes or albums. Yes, they're "household name" performers in a sense, but they are primarily known as producers. As the sole member of Sunspot who had no expectations placed upon him to put out a project, I decided to finally pull the trigger.

To start, I gathered 6 to 8 R&B and hip-hop beats and emailed them to the Sunspot team, telling them my plan for what was called my mixtape, then my album... then finally, my "mixtape album." Blak C, my brother, and J-Dub, Runna's cousin, were also asked to contribute to the project. I was obviously a little hesitant/unsure about this for a while; to make sure that I was held accountable, I let the public know that I was working on this project with 5 videos documenting the making of the album.

Halfway through the production, P.O.E.S. linked up with Sunspot and showed that he not only produces beats himself, but he's also a lyricist. P.O.E.S. illustrated his lyrical ability in "Huntin For The Game" (with J-Dub and Blak C) and "You Like It," (with Right Hook) a song in which he came up with the concept.

Ro$e Marie made her lyrical debut on the album with "Let The Beat Burn" (with Runna & Right Hook) and "We Cookin It," which featured Right Hook, Blak C, J-Dub and Quiet Storm in his only showing on the project. C.Luk also made appearances on the tracks "Raw," "Check The Recipe" and "Just A Little Bit Closer," which made its debut on the "DJ Kurt presents C.Luk" mixtape. Here's the original version of the song.

R&B and pop stylings were also added to Check The Recipe with "Turn It Up" by Runna and "Caught Red Handed" by Right Hook. Thanks to everyone who supported CTR, we received reviews from other blogs. We also put out a music video for one of the strongest singles from CTR. Shout out to Kevin's Bar & Grill in Lynn (they were very cooperative in the making of the video).

Go to the Sunspot Bandcamp site to listen to and download Check The Recipe now!

Sunspot Discography, Part 3

2011-02-13T23:20:00.005-05:00

This is Part 3 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. At the end of each entry, there will be a media player where you can listen to and download selected tracks from each CD. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

August 2004
Mixtape: "Opposites Attrack"

Coming off the heels of a red-hot release for "Blackface," Runna and Quiet Storm continued to make the summer of '04 even hotter with this mixtape. The name of the project obviously plays off of the phrase "opposites attract." However, the R&B crooner and the street lyricist did a little "give and take" on some of the tracks; sometimes QS gave you some hip-hop to rock to ("You Better") or on the opposite end of the spectrum, Runna would give you some R&B to groove to ("Hardly Breathe"). The entire mixtape has a "summertime-in-the-city" feel with tracks like "Caramel Lips", "Step Up (Show Me Where The Spot Is At)" and "Go" featuring C.Luk. He is featured on one other track and G. Jonz also makes a cameo.

July 2008
Album: "Extradimensional"

"Blackface" was supposed to be C.Luk's last album... HOWEVER, there was an offer on the table for a record deal. That offer didn't go over well. C.Luk explains why "Extradimensional" was created:

"Beatmart, a Christian subdivision of Warner Bros. Music (they eventually went to Sony), had offered a deal. They eventually backed out because they didn't have faith in the business side of C.Luk. True story: on "Live" ft. Right Hook, there's a line that was changed about three days before it was sent to be pressed. The current line is "Hey, C, there's a booger in your nose/ hey back up off of me dude man you lookin too close!" The original line was "Hey, C. Didn't Beatmart back out of the deal?/ Quiet man I'm in denial get that crap out of here!" The line was pulled at the request of Bobby Bishop, former Beatmart recording artist and mentor in the game, who thought that the line would unnecessarily burn bridges. If you're curious, Beatmart no longer exists."

C.Luk's fourth album includes appearances by BPC, G. Jonz, Nathan Martin, Bobby Bishop, Quiet Storm, 7:13 (formerly known as Grimm the Heatmeiser), Walnut, Alex Stoyanov, Runna, Right Hook, Miguel Urena and Howie Doo. Cover art was created by Ill Day. The lead single for the album was "Bounce Back." The music video for it can be seen here.
[Refining the Recipe (02.13.11): When I mentioned the "F Wit Us" mixtape in the Discography series, I said that it had the most features we've ever had on any project. I now realize that "Extradimensional" has that honor, with 11 features. "F Wit Us" has 8.]

May 2009
Mixtape: "DJ Kurt presents C.Luk"

Months after "Extradimensional" was released, C.Luk moved to Philadelphia where he currently resides. It was there that he entered the 1st Annual Music and Entertainment Conference held by 100.3 The Beat. This video quickly illustrates that the Happy Asian MC won the Conference and got a lot of attention. When it was over, he got new management and the decision was made to release a mixtape, hosted by Philly's DJ Kurt. The mixtape churned out bangers like "Temp," "Clap Your Hands," "I'm Like" and "Fake Rappers," which is a revamped version of "Eliminate Rappers" from Luk's last album. "Eliminate Rappers" earned C.Luk a nomination for "Song of the Year" at the 2010 Underground Music Awards in NYC.

To listen to 13 tracks from this mixtape, click here for his Soundclick link.

Four tracks have been added to the Discography playlist. Play and download them for free.
blog discography by gjonz

"I'm In There Like Swimwear!"

2011-02-03T21:42:00.005-05:00

That line is the only time people will refer to themselves as a wedgie, and be perfectly content with it.

All up in there.

Sunspot Discography, Part 2

2011-01-29T20:00:00.003-05:00

This is Part 2 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. At the end of each entry, there will be a media player where you can listen to and download selected tracks from each CD. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

August 2003
Mixtape: "F Wit Us"

The streets showed a lot of love for the cool spot in the heat after the first 3 CDs came out. Many lyricists and artists wanted to be involved with Sunspot, so "F Wit Us" was born. As of the posting of this entry, this is the only project (mixtape or album) to begin with one of our skit characters - Pookie. Along with Sunspot staples Runna, Right Hook, C.Luk and a young Quiet Storm, "F Wit Us" also has the most features we've ever had on one project. Matayo, KG, Shogun, Big Business & Shanks represented All Day Entertainment. We also had Big Brotha Sadi, Ana, and AB (performing with Runna as Mass Appeal). [Refining the Recipe (02.13.11): After thoroughly researching, I've found that "F Wit Us" actually has the most features for a mixtape with 8 people. The "Extradimensional" album holds the record for most features on any project - 11.]

March 2004
Mixtape: "Spectacles, Volume 2: Contact Lenses"

C.Luk wanted to release his third album, but it had been almost 2 years since "HIYA!" came out. The plan? To drop the second "Spectacles" mixtape to promote the third album as well as the latest singles from the Sunspot family. This mixtape was done in a radio show format. G. Jonz was the host, playing a parody of Boston radio DJ David Allan Boucher. Many topics were addressed in "Contact Lenses" including C.Luk becoming a Christian, the reason why he called his next album Blackface, and the "rivalry" between Sunspot and another music group. Singles from Runna (R U Wit Me featuring C.Luk), Right Hook (The Ho Down) and QS (Let's Go) were also on the mixtape with interviews from them as well.

June 25, 2004
Album: "Blackface"

(PAYPAL IS SAFE AND 100% SECURE.)
"Blackface" was billed as C.Luk's retirement album, unless he achieved a higher plateau of success. At this point, the Happy Asian MC had more of a conscious flow, but with a Christian twist. The track "A Message: In" (featuring Runna) and three of the skits exhibited this. These skits revolved around Luk and actor Cristian DeJesus, who did a hilarious old man impersonation in the last skit of the album. Runna also appeared on this album with guitarist David Mancinelli on the track "We Jammin." Right Hook is featured with the songs "Asian Americans Say Hello" and "Let's Ride." The cover art was created by My Thai Phan.

Six tracks have been added to the Discography playlist. Play and download them for free.
blog discography by gjonz

Sunspot Discography, Part 1

2011-01-20T01:50:00.005-05:00

This is Part 1 of the Sunspot Discography series. I'll be posting a short summary about every album and mixtape that's been released under Sunspot Productions. At the end of each entry, there will be a media player where you can listen to and download selected tracks from each CD. To read every entry, check the sidebar labeled "Discography."

December 2001
Album: "Uh... Yeah"

This is the one that started it all. C.Luk came onto the scene with this project that featured the songs "Dummy," "Substitute," "SKITS-O," and "Chinatown Ride and Stroll" among others. The sound was unique and had untapped potential to grow and mature. "Uh... Yeah" was also the beginning of the fan-appreciated tandem of C.Luk working with Right Hook (then known as Jah1Dah [jah-one-dah]). MACH-1 was the only other feature on this album.

November 2002
Album: "HIYA!"

Following a successful first album, C.Luk's sophomore effort had to show evolution in almost every aspect. "HIYA!" accomplished this with quality of sound, beats, song topics and even skits. This album marked the beginning of C.Luk's many run-ins with the BPC character and additionally featured "Flip" featuring Shanks (then known as Point Proven). Other features on this album include 5th Caliber ("Frustrated"), DOMINATION ("World Order, Tears"), and Right Hook ("Cambodian Love").

April 2003
Mixtape: "Spectacles"

Eager to continue building street cred, C.Luk put out his first mixtape featuring all industry beats (no original Sunspot beats). "Spectacles" really got people to notice C.Luk's lyricism. Tracks like "Street Fiends," "Something I'm Not" (featuring Right Hook) and "Why My World Is This Way" (featuring Runna) showcased the conscious side of C.Luk that would be prominent in the future. On the other side of the spectrum, tracks like "Lose Money" (featuring Runna) and "I'm C.Luk" demonstrated his sense of humor, while still being a great lyricist. This mixtape was the first time C.Luk worked with Runna and also debuted the skit characters of Pookie and the Old Man.

Four tracks have been added to the Discography playlist. Play and download them for free.
blog discography by gjonz

We Cookin It Raw - The Video Remix

2011-01-09T19:30:00.002-05:00

"We Cookin It Raw"
Written by C.Luk, Right Hook, Blak C, J-Dub, Quiet Storm.
Performed by C.Luk, Right Hook, Blak C, J-Dub, G. Jonz, Ro$e Marie, JL, AO, & CJ.

This video was a LONG time in the making. C.Luk spits his verse all the way from the streets of Philly. G.Jonz then bridges that to the new dance remix of We Cookin It, featuring 3 dancers from the ITM Dance Team!

By the way, welcome to my new blog! This is just the beginning.

A Taste of My Past Concoctions

2010-12-26T20:31:00.002-05:00

"Huntin For The Game" is one of my favorite tracks, performed by P.O.E.S., J-Dub & Blak C. I produced this for my debut mixtape album, Check The Recipe.

I believe this is Sunspot's first music video. Bounce Back by C.Luk - produced by me.

The Cool Spot In The Heat

2010-12-26T19:46:00.003-05:00

The story behind Sunspot Productions starts in 1999 when C. Luk decided to try the art of rapping. He chose G. Jonz to help him with beat-making. They started off simple, using the MTV Music Generator. Soon after, they named themselves the Plutos as a parody to the Neptunes.

A year later, The Plutos and Right Hook met through a mutual friend (shout out to Miguel), but G. & Hook knew each other from elementary school and lost touch with each other. This unexpected reunion was only the icing on the cake when it came to the musical chemistry the three had. Not only was Right Hook an MC himself, but he brought a new sound and new technique to beat-making. After a few months, the newly-established trio were known as Sunspot Productions. Right Hook has been a triple-threat (writing, producing & performing) for Sunspot ever since, including the hits "Let's Ride," "Seven 81s," and, more recently, "Light It Up."

In early 2001, Runna signed on with Sunspot, adding an R & B element to the roster. As the leader/founder of the ITM Step Squad and Dance Team, he brought an extra level of showmanship and an energy like no other. His protege, Quiet Storm, better known as QS, joined in the fall of 2002. QS gets his name from his demeanor being usually calm, but when he gets on the mic, his flow is lightning in a bottle.

Over the years, Sunspot Productions has brought a cutting-edge sound to the hip-hop scene of the North Shore and beyond. The Sunspot family seem to know no limit as to what they can do creatively and musically. C. Luk, Right Hook, and QS bring the lyrical flavor that won't make you say "it's just another rap song." Runna gives you that smooth R & B tip or the high-energy fire to hype up a track. G. Jonz, along with the other four, can cook beats "that's boiling hot."

Everyone brings something different to the table, but there's one thing they all have in common: delivering high-quality music & entertainment like no one else can.