Jordan's Tumblr

Production Memo

 Jordan Voron

Chris Webby, the Future of Rap Music?

            In all honesty, I am so relieved to have this project done, it took a lot but, I got it done, and I’m proud of the end result. I had some lucky breaks, and I also faced a lot of challenges during the course of making this story.

            I had everything worked out, I had a set schedule and had it all set up with when I would interview Chris, and when I would be able to film. But of course, everything on my schedule was turned upside down and I had to improvise a lot.  

For some reason, I thought, I don’t need to use a flip cam, I don’t even need to use the Hofstra cameras and equipment, I can just use my housemate’s camera and I wouldn’t have to worry about checking out equipment and I could go at my own pace. It didn’t turn out so easy after all.

Since Chris had his concert coming up, he had a very busy schedule, and he would only be available at only hour or half hour intervals. And whenever he was ready to shoot, my friend of course would leave the camera locked in his room, or he would give me the camera and the battery would die and the charger was locked in his room. So I had a limited window of time that I could have the camera and have Chris available to film. It was a real challenge to get the footage that I needed at times but the worst was the concert.

I wanted to emphasize how important this concert was that he had at the Student Center Theater so I filmed the entire concert but only wound up using about 5 seconds of it. But that wasn’t the problem, the story was due on the 10^th, and the concert was on the night of the 9^th of course. So I had to shoot the concert footage and the shots of him before the show at night time because I could only film him an hour before the show and during the show because he was not available at any other times.

So I finally had all of my footage, everything I need to shoot I got. So I was ready to edit, where I ran into my next set of problems. Since the show ended at 10 I had to get to Dempster as fast as possible so I could at least capture the video or get started on it or hope Dempster would be open 24 hours. Turns out all the doors were locked at 10. So I went back to my house and ask my housemate if I could use his editing software because I could only hookup the camera to a mac because it needs a fire to connect. My housemate was nowhere to be found and turns out he’s at the bar and won’t be back till the next day because he was going to stay at his girlfriends.

I thought I was completely screwed. Everyone I knew who had a mac and editing software was at the bar and wasn’t coming back for a long time. I didn’t know what I was going to do, so I just worked on the rest of my tumblr and just leave the video out and be forced to do it the next day. But then my friend Sam came back early from the bar because he wasn’t having fun. I told him about my situation and he told me that he has editing software on his mac. So he generously lent me his computer, and I got the project captured and edited.

So now I can finally write my Production memo. The current time right now as I write this is 6:26 am and I am finally done. There were times I didn’t think I wouldn’t get it done, but there was no way I was going to just give up and not do the project.

Even though there were many challenges that I faced in the making of this project, I picked up a lot of things on what to and not to do next time I need to do a project like this. It was fun and I enjoyed making this story at the same time that I hated doing it if that makes sense. It was a good learning experience and one that I benefited greatly from.

Transcript

Jordan: Hi, I’m Jordan Voron, and I’m here to tell you about how the next great white rapper might be right here in Hempstead, New York. His name? Christian Webster, but you may know him as the one, the only, Chris Webby. And he is going out there to prove that he is a force to be reckoned with in the rap world.

Chris: Rap music and you know I was a smart kid, so I figured put all the words together, started doing it myself. And I started to free style when I had a grasp on really writing lyrics and just got nasty at it. And everyone told me to keep doing it.

SOT Jordan: Why are you different from all the white rappers out there?

Chris: Cause I went to private school in Connecticut and I go college, I’m in a fraternity, I’m like a pothead. There’s no one else really rocking that style right now ya know?

Fade back into Chris

Chris: I mean last year I opened for Lupe Fiasco, I’ve released 4 albums, I’m working on my 5th. Tomorrow I have a huge performance at the Student Center Theater, which a lot of people are coming to.

Fade back into Chris

Chris (with music beat in background):

Chris: This is what I’m gonna be coming out to tonight to my concert, you know it’s just like obviously not my beat but ya know it’s gonna be fire. I’m just gonna spin a little verse. Get everything warmed up so here it goes…ugh…yo…check, its Chris Webby…ugh…yo

Cut to concert footage of song

VO: So what does the future hold for Chris Webby?

Chris: The day after that I got meetings with Capital Records, I had a meeting a couple weeks ago at the Ecko Headquarters, and sat down with the manager who might be working with me. So, been making moves.

VO: So whether Chris Webby makes it in the rap world remains to be seen, but what we can be sure of though is that the future is bright for the young rapper from Connecticut. Only time will tell if he dream becomes a reality. I’m Jordan Voron 

Chris Webby, the Future of Rap Music?

White music is more popular than ever before.  Twenty years ago, the rap genre was dominated by black rappers and a large majority of those buying and listening to rap albums were black urban males. Although now, over time, particularly over the past 10 years, rap has began to evolve not as not just an urban form of expression, but a form of expression for white suburban teens as well.  (http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/onion_imagearticle1118.article.jpg).

More and more white rappers are in the mainstream rap culture like Eminem, The Beastie Boys, Everlast, Paul Wall, Bubba Sparxx and others have gained popularity as their music reached a whole new audience as became a part of white culture.

With the influence of these white rappers in mainstream society, a new white rapper is emerging right here in Hempstead, Long Island. His name is Chris Webby, and he is trying to become the next big thing in rap music. He has been all over the under ground rap scene whether it be in rap battles or with his four albums that he has released.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=69930177&albumID=762467&imageID=37508120

Chris Webby, formerly known as Vindictive, is trying to move up from the independent scene to becoming a major force in the rap world. Less than a year ago he opened up for rap star Lupe Fiasco at Hofstra University, and that memorable performance has led him to where he is now. He has been involved in numerous rap battles which can be seen on youtube as well. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqOmLQxWbl4). 

He is now in the process of trying to make his dream of being a major rap star into a reality. Chris Webby has been working tirelessly to book concerts (one of which was on December 9^th at Hofstra University), trying to make contacts, gaining representation with an agent, and holding meetings with music labels among many other things. Chris Webby has upcoming meetings with Capital and Atlantic Records to try to get a record contract that he hopes will help bring him closer to his dream.

Chris’s rising popularity is largely due to the growing popularity of rap music among white teens. Alvin Poussaint, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and coauthor of “Raising Black Children” (Plume), says that 70 percent of white teens listen to rap. As Ellen Feig wrote

 (http://chronicmagazine.com/public.php?level=1&page_id=169) rap is more a part of white culture than ever before.  More and more suburban teens are listening to rap and are so influenced by it that they pursue careers in rap. What was once considered music for only urban teens is now embraced by popular white culture.

Rap has not just come into the mainstream with music. The rising popularity of white rappers and rap in white culture has even led to a reality show entitled The White Rapper Show (http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/reality-show-seeks-white-rappers/2007/01/08/1168104898884.html)The creation of this TV show only cements and confirms rap’s place in our mainstream culture whether it is black or white. Rap music is part of our culture in more ways then people may realize, and with shows like The White Rapper Show, having rappers perform as well as host Saturday Night Live, and rappers getting their own reality TV shows like Run’s House on MTV.

Along with there being more white rappers than before, it is now easier for these artists to get their name out to the mass public through websites like myspace.com, youtube.com, purevolume.com,  these artists who would not of been able to get exposure can make their music be heard all over the world. Chris Webby has embraced the power of online exposure by having his own myspace page which features him as well as his music, and currently has nearly 24,000 views and his songs the website have over 8,000 total plays. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=69930177

            http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=69930177&albumID=762467&imageID=22290260. What the future holds for rap, no one cannot predict, but if the past 10 years gives us any indication, its popularity will only rise among white suburban teens across the country and beyond. Although there is also no telling if the trend will continue and if white rap will continue to be popular, but don’t tell that to Chris Webby, because he has his sights set on stardom and is on his way to accomplishing what he has set out to become.