UPCOMING FEATURED ARTIST

 "DYNAMIC DUO" FEATURING THE COMPOSER AU79 & FTSO'S 1ST BONGO MO

AU79

BONGO MO

With the Wu Tang sample "Bring the Rukis" these two create their own "Rukis" by taking the distinctive sound and talents of music composer AU79 and adding the raw and uncanny lyrics of Bongo Mo.

 Bongo Mo, is a N.C. native, born and raised in a town called Wallace, in the Duplin County area.

AU79, contributes his music to this area, but is a Wilmington, Del. native. 

Both are in their twenties, with Bongo Mo being the oldest. 

They met through mutual friend of Bongo Mo, (AU79's brother), the rap artist Nixxstyles. 

 

Well, I met Bongo thru my brother, because he was interested in my beats. Bongo has been working with me and with my beats now for so long, he was there when I had my Dr-880; which was my first drum machine.---AU79

Bongo Mo confirms this by mentioning Nixxxstyles as his "Homie." I then had to ask the both of them, where the inspiration sparked from.

AU79 said,"I was listening to the Wu-tang Clan and at first the Rukis track was going to be a remix.  My project really was trying to remix enter the Wu-tang album, but then the track jam so much, I decided to make a nice rap beat.

Bongo Mo said,"The beat sparked me with its gritty bass."

 From there we discussed the Wu-tang influenced.  AU79 mentioned,"The Wu tang, in my opinion, represents the integrity and originality that is missing not only from hip hop but from artists but people in general.

Which reminded me of what Bongo Mo said from our previous interview. Bongo Mo said," I think music is coming back to a better place now, for awhile it was like people wanted the glamorous rap bunch of false truths about false occasions...now its getting back to the art and its raw rugged but much more on the lyrical side of things."

Simultaneously, we all decided to go out and get a bite to eat, from McDonald's.  There Bongo Mo explained to me what the "Rukis" meant to him.

"Musically, this means we have to bring everything up, we have to bring it, the intensity, the bars and the high energy and place it right in peoples faces. My Rukis is raw bars, raw energy and speaking on the reflection of  how I move" said Bongo Mo.

AU79 remained quiet through the meal.

After a few laughs, I then remembered in the past AU79 was also known as, QeyzPersuasion. So I asked why did he have multiple names and what are their meanings?

 " AU79 stands for gold but that's just a throwaway name just another moniker I go under, and my fiance coined the other names; such as, Qeyz tha Digger, and cute nicknames," answered AU79.

 Just the following month we learned what Bongo Mo's name meant.

I call myself Bongo because I walk to the beat of my own drum. Bongo is the drum and mo is only a man.--Bongo Mo from Mar. 13 2014.To see that interview click http://ftsoradionews.blogspot.com/2014/03/upcoming-featured-artist.html

Both concluded the interview with very powerful statements, 

"Alot of artist need positivity around them and a extra push, my music goals is to unify with artist I admire, I feel you can be happy doing what your doing when its for yourself and others around you,with us its Family First, Double F, and its actually a couple of us related in the set.---Bongo Mo

Artist is smoking a Black and Mild.

"Its like my names, ..limitless amounts,of altruistic goals, with integrity, and most importantly RESPECT,"---AU79

To view the Debut of the collab "RUKIS" click video below.

 

FTSORADIONEWS FEATURED ARTIST

KAMUS THE LEADER-FTSORADIONEWS FEATURE STORY

Reported By Bella-Jasmine Nduku

 

With his arms open stretched out and hands open towards the sky, Kamus Leonardo, announces himself as a true born leader.

This young man, 21, was raised in the hard-hitting streets; otherwise known as Bull City, Durham, N.C.

How we met was through fate. I had recently interviewed another artist for my blog FTSORADIONEWS. The artist was Bongo Mo. And at the time he was preparing to have a collaboration with other artist.

Bongo Mo said “Kamus is…a good crossing of the raw hip hop we know and love. He is the positivity we try to maintain as people, he is very good at establishing that in his songs, keeping it on the plus side of the industry, Kamus and I are from the same cloth just different textures.”

 Immediately, through social media website Facebook, we were able to exchange emails, where I conducted this interview.

 

Kamus Leonardo interest me.  My fiancé, producer AU79 had in the past heard Kamus.

AU79 or Marquis Wilson said, “Its been a while since I heard someone go back to the roots, he has that originality and integrity being conveyed thru his music.”

Kamus song, Angelic Views; produced by Nes, made me want to know directly from the source, the message being borne in Leonardo’s lyricism. 

I asked, “What exactly is the message that is being made lyrical in this song?"

 From there I was astonished with the answer.

Kamus wrote, “The message for my song "Angelic Views" is to show that we all have dreams we want to achieve, but sometimes we let our current circumstances take control and lose hope.”

He then continues to passionately talk about the arrangement of the song.

Kamus said, “When the song starts off its sounds like I'm on top of the world. As the song progresses you can sense the climax with the chorus, and with the second verse I snap back to reality of what's really going on.”

I noticed that Kamus Leonardo, although being very goal oriented, had a lively side to himself.

He showed me this as he discussed the producer of the sound he raps over, Nes.

Kamus said, “As far as the interlude at the end of the song, it's a skit that the producer Nes had for a while. I added it to the song to show that it doesn't get easier yet, the woman speaking is amazed on how I make it look so easy. Big shout out to the homie Nes for seeing the vision I was going for, too.”

From there, noticing the difference between Kamus the Leader and Kamus Leonardo, I then wanted to know the meaning of the two and its origin of those titles.

Kamus has so many meanings it's ridiculous ha-ha, but how I came up with the name is from playing Super Smash Bros. a Nintendo game console with the homie Jones Michael back in the day. Samus was my favorite character in the game, and I just took out the S and added a K with the name. One random day, my friend Dita, had hit me up and schooled me on the actual origin of the word "Kamus." Come to find out the word is Indonesian and it means dictionary; thesaurus. So it works out because it’s almost like saying I am my own definition. Later on down the road, I decided to add Leonardo to pay homage to one of my favorite artist, Leonardo Da Vinci. Kamus the Leader was a name I came up with for my email and social media stuff,”Kamus said.

While reading his answers, I began to notice a lyric in the song that struck a nerve of curiosity once more.

The lyric in the song was “and by view I meant what my mind’s eye see’s.”

I then asked, “What exactly is one thing you see in your mind’s eye towards life as a rapper? Life in general? And the very near future?”

Kamus then responded flawlessly stating, “I feel like with life as a whole, perception is key. As far as what my mind's eye is seeing, I just try to be aware of the present moment. I used to have a problem with living in the past and being anxious for the future, then I realized that neither exists. It is always good to be prepared though.

In response to my question, “What is your day-to-day struggle within yourself? Your music life? And the business of that music life?”

Leonardo continued, “A day to day struggle I have within everything as a whole, is realizing that I am my own worst enemy.”

In relation to the topic, I continued to wanting to know a few of his views on life and certain people.

Therefore I asked, “What do you feel when dealing with those that are trapped or lost.

Leonardo said, “It depends. If you take full responsibility, state that there's a problem, and you're working towards a solution...then more power to you. If you're one of those people who's always getting into something and you’re blaming someone else as an excuse for your actions, then I have no sympathy for you.”

Asking this question, can also help my readers identify the type of artist Kamus is. And a trap-rapper is not one of them. Kamus is more in the genre of “conscience worthy” music.

“It’s time to reflect,’ one of your songs.’”I began to question. “What is your belief that you feel exist? And what’s the reflection of your life in the past 5 years is your music a sort of view into your own life’s process?” 

“My belief is that you attract what you are. However, you're feeling at the moment is what you're attracting into your life. One thing I've noticed with a lot of people, (even myself), is that we all want to change our circumstances, but we're not willing to change ourselves. My reflection of my life in the past five years can be broken down into one word, progression. The best part about having music that is an insight of my own life, is that my audience will be able to grow with me and I know they'll be there for the long run,”Kamus said

From there I decided to lighten the load, with humor.

“I promise I won’t call you lyrical. (Joke) Even though you’re artistic with words,” I joked.

 
“But why do you think you’re “from the 70s’,” as quoted in the song “Lyrical?”

Kamus concluded, “I really like your questions,’ Laughing-out-loud to the joke about the song lyrical, really makes me laugh. Ha-ha, why thank you. I always thought the culture in the 70s’ was dope. The generation as a whole was open to newer thinking and revolutionary ideas. Also the water bed was invented at the time, and I used to have a water bed...”  Purposefully leaving behind a trail for the mind to wonder....

To hear Kamus click video below