Here’s a quick interview I did with LMS, one of the artists performing at tonight’s THE RISING show over at Transit Lounge (click here for the flyer). He discusses his involvement with the show, along with his upcoming plans. Click below to read the interview…

Photo by David “DRO” Rosario

I was listening to DJ Obscene’s mix this past Friday on Y100 (100.7 FM), which he started not too long ago. Every Friday and Saturday from 10PM till Midnight, he’s on the tables and on air for a 2 hour session of various music genres. More on the dance/party type of thing, but up-beat nonetheless. Well, I did an interview with Obscene for the New Times (and took the above photo as well) and here’s three questions that didn’t make the cut. So I decided to bring those unreleased questions on over to The305.com. A top 5 rendition, his latest mixtape collabo with Ice Berg (which you can download here) and his recollection of his time spinnin’ at Miami Live at Santos a couple years back – which was hands down one of the best parties in recent memory.

How was it working with IceBerg for Strictly For The Streets Part 2?
I used to see Iceberg in the club all the time back in ’06, ’07 just hangin’ with Trick all the time. At that time he was just one of the Dunk Ryders, but shortly after “F The Other Side” came out, he began developing and focusing on his solo career. I have tremendous respect for him being young as I am, and having accomplished so much on his own without a deal or anything. He’s taken the approach from the ground up and has gained thousands of fans, (not to mention actually being BOOKED for shows in cities all up and down Florida and the south). How many artists from Miami are doing that on their own? Exactly… I did the first installment of SFTS last year with DJ Kronik, and he utilized it to build his buzz even more. Once it came time for Strictly For The Streets Part 2, Berg reached out, we linked with the big homie Sam Sneak and the rest was just two turntables, a mixer and some solid music.

And you used to DJ for Miami Live…the legendary party held a few years ago by Michael Madd and Abebe Lewis. What was one of your best memories from doing that party?
There are so many great memories from those years. Miami Live was a 2-year long weekly party with a live band and myself as DJ, thrown by Michael Madd & Abebe Lewis, which was named Best Weekly Party – New Times 2008. One night, Lil Wayne had stopped by the party, and stayed a couple of hours, which wasn’t unusual. Mind you this was at a time when he was currently enjoying his big mixtape run between Tha Carter 2 and 3 so he was quickly becoming the hottest thing out. After the party had cleared out Wayne was still there with Brisco and a few ladies and he came up and sat down on a speaker sitting right in front of the booth, asked me for the mic and simply said “Obscene play some beats.” So for about 15 minutes I was there basically doing a live rendition of jackin’ for beats with Wayne just spitting off the dome. It was an incredible moment that was only shared by about maybe 10 people. I’ll never forget that experience. And I would also never forget to take my video camera to the club after that day.

Lastly, Top 5 Records you’re playing now….?
1. Flo Rida & David Guetta- Club Can’t Handle Me
2. Dennis Ferrer- Hey Hey
3. Kanye West Feat. Dwele- Power
4. Duck Sauce- Anyway
5. Robbie Rivera- Rock The Disco (David Guetta Remix)

Moreinfo: www.ObsceneSounds.com

Filming & Editing by DRO (www.davidrosario.com)

Ghostwridah has been one of the many Miami based artists that The305.com has had the pleasure of following throughout the majority of their career. And its crazy to see where he’s come from, to where he’s at now. Signed with a record deal and has just released his free album In Love With My Future (download here).

Our first interview with Ghostwridah was back in 2004/2005. And I’ve personally worked with Ghostwridah on many photoshoots. Each one being completely different and  better than the last. I can also say that Ghost was pretty much the person that got me into the sneaker culture side of things. He did that while we were setting up this shot.

Watch and listen to this brief but telling interview we did with Ghost not too long ago where we discuss the new album, South Miami, Fashion and he opens up a little about his brother, who’s currently locked up. And after you watch the interview, download his album In Love With My Future by clicking here. Enjoy.

Pitbull interview with The305.com back in June 2003
Interview Conducted by: ENAGEE
Photography by: DRO

Back in 2003, Pitbull was starting to emerge as a local miami hip-hop powerhouse. His Unleashed series of mixtape flooded the mixtape scene and his song “Welcome 2 Miami” was taking the city by storm. At the time, Pitbull was also fresh from working on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack and at that point, was also starting to work heavily with Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz. His deal with TVT was in its final stages and the start of a soon-to-follow career of being an international superstar was months away from kicking off.

We got in touch with Pitbull back in ’03 shortly after the Miami New Times named him as the Best Local Artist of that year. He sat down with us at Fademasters Barbershop and we did an interview and brief photoshoot. I was like 17/18 at the time and this was one of my first big photoshoots. I had a little expensive film camera that I bought with money I earned saving in high school and we went off shooting in and around the Fademasters Barbershop area. That I know of, it was probably one of Pitbull’s earliest photoshoots.

And as far as the interview, we did it in the back of the barbershop and we got into everything that was on his mind. Its actually weird reading it 7 years later and see his outlook of things back then. And what was funny about Fademasters was that someone had tagged up P. Diddy’s cell phone number on the wall of the shop. So I can bet that for a while, P. Diddy’s phone got enundated by random people from Little Havana messing with him. That also reminds me how not too long after this interview with Pitbull, some people I was cool with stole my phone and started prank calling different celeb numbers I had in my phone including Pitbull and Lil Jon. I don’t even know what they said to them, I just saw all these dialed numbers at like 2am in the morning. Needless to say, I’m not friends with those people anymore.

Either way, this interview was definitely what kicked off a lot of things for me and for The305.com. Read the interview below and see all the photos from the shoot at the end up the interview. Click below.

Here’s an interview with Carol City’s Phatz. We met up with Phatz during a studio session for a quick couple of questions. Press play to dive into the life of Phatz. And don’t forgt to download his latest mixtape, Palm Trees & Bomb Weed click here.

Please note: My computer crashed with all my files. Therefore the only edit I had of the interview was this one, which has choppy transitions in between his answers and the question frames. Sorry about that.. Its still easy to watch though.

Filming & Editing by DRO (www.davidrosario.com)

Me personally, I’ve supported Mayday since their conception and loved their music along every bit of tranformation that it has gone through. I recently, got a chance to stop by their “headquarters” to chat with them a bit. We discussed a variety of topics including what to expect on their new album Stuck On An Island. As well as what role the city of Miami plays into their sound. The band is becoming one of Miami’s staples and our proving that good music still exists. And at the very least, if you don’t agree – just know that Plex will destroy you.

For management and booking inquiries:
Drea – twitter.com/maydaydrea
DJ EFN – twitter.com/djefn
Kether – twitter.com/latchkeykid

Take a tour of the “wall of fame” over at local nightclub, Sobe Live. Micha Porat discusses some of their most memorable photos that hang up on their wall that’s right by the entrance of the club.

Camera & Editing by DRO (www.davidrosario.com)

Phresh James is a Miami based rapper. Born and raised in Carol City. He brings a different approach to the music that comes out of the “305”. His smooth sounds and laid back tunes definitely set him apart from his peers. Watch as we dicuss a little bit about his background, his fashion sense and upcoming projects.

More info: twitter.com/phresh_james

In what has to be my favorite and most meaningful interview I’ve ever done, I recently got a chance to talk with New York City based and famed hip-hop photographer Jonathan Mannion. I mean, if you’re a fan of hip-hop then I can tell you that YOU HAVE seen his work at some point or another. And me, as a photographer in a similar realm, speaking to him and interviewing him was definitely an honor and a great experience for me.

Jonathan is working with Tanqueray and is contributing to a campaign and website called WeResistSimple.com. Basically it’s an online platform (a blog of sorts) that is giving artists like him and other celebrities an outlet to speak their mind and speak their thoughts.

Well, I caught up with Jonathan to discuss the new blog site and campaign. Then of course, we also got to know him a little better – as well asked him a few other questions like his involvement with Miami and Miami based artists like Trina, Trick Daddy and Rick Ross. And we even slid in a The Carter IV question. Read below….an interview with photographer Jonathan Mannion.

Camera work and editing by DRO – www.davidrosario.com

Allright, so here’s a behind-the-scenes video I shot a couple weeks back for UK based artist Nathan. Its for his single called “Caught Me Slippin’” and featured Flo-Rida. The video had a seemingly retro theme throughout and was directed by Malcolm R. Jones. The video also featured a couple cameos like Shanell artist on Young Money, Michael Madd and LOTS of beautiful ladies, including Karelix, former Miami Heat dancer and member of the Fly Khicks dance crew.

Nathan’s video hasn’t released yet, but here’s the behind the scenes that’ll give you a good idea of what its going to look like. Shouts out to Randy, Shameka and the entire Monalis 360 staff.

For more info: www.nathanofficial.com

Pitbull “Maldito Alcohol” (BTS) – Hopefully the first of many of these that I do for The305.com. Here’s a video I put together of the behind-the-scenes and making of Pitbull’s video for “Maldito Alcohol”, which is one of the singles for his spanish album Armando, due out sometime in 2010. We started the day off in Studio 27 – located in Wynwood, and then we wrapped up the shoot over at Mia Lounge in Downtown Miami. Press Play and make sure you check out the always beautiful, 305 Honey, Sagia!!!And a big shout out to director of the video David Rousseau with CreativeSeen for allowing me on set. Thank you!

Camera and editing by DRO – www.davidrosario.com

And click here to see the photos/stills I posted last week.

Photo Direction & Editing by DRO (www.davidrosario.com)

Its amazing to see the eclectic vibe of the new generation of artists coming out of Miami. Jovi Rockwell is no exception – she is the epidemy of being versatile. She sings. She deejays. And, she raps. Born in Kingston, Jamaica – Jovi Rockwell lives in Miami and spends her time working between The305 and the island of Jamaica. I recently caught up with Jovi in Downtown Miami for a new installment of our The305.com Artist Series video interviews. We talked about her early life. The difference between living in Miami and living in Jamaica. A little bit about her influence. And of course, we talked about her new Psycho Therapy which is out now and available for download by clicking here. Enjoy.

More info on Jovi Rockwell, over at myspace.com/jovirockwell and twitter.com/jovi_rockwell.

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BONUS FOOTAGE: Catch extra bonus footage from this interview where Jovi talks about a memorable tour story in Europe. Click below to see it.

Allright, so its been a long time in the making, but here’s the first video in our “Artist Series” of video interviews. This first one features local R&B singer Adela. Her music is a blend of soft melodies with soulful beats provided by her longtime collaborator and producer, StreetRunner. She recently released a single by the name of “No Other Love”. You can purchase it on iTunes by clicking here.

We caught up with Adela over at Mix Studios, a state-of-the-art facility that just opened not too long ago. We talk about various topics, including family, fashion, music and tons more. Be sure to check out the outtakes at the very end of the clip. We definitely had a blast putting this together and look forward to more interviews in our “Artist Series” with local South Florida artists. Click here to watch the HD version.

Camera/Editing by DRO
Camera assistance by Phillip Riggs

Photo by Tara Inc Photography

We recently caught up with Adrian “Drop” Santalla (left) and Phenom (right), of Miami-based production team Drop Dead Beats. They have had production placements through a span of genres and have engineering credits in a diverse list of projects as well. Having worked with artists like Pitbull, Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Gloria Estefan and Trina to name a few – and in 2010, they will surely take the industry by storm. Most recently they produced “Triumph” for Pitbull’s newest album Rebelution – a song that got picked up and licensed by ESPN, as well as NBC’s The Office. Read on as we dive into their humble beginnings, their musical direction and even end it off with a little bit of music industry talk. Click below to read more….

We recently caught up with Charles Reed for a quick interview. Charles Reed is the man behind “Jook With Me” (listen here). We discussed a couple things. 10 things to be specific. Read below…

Rosa Acosta in Miami | Exclusive Interview
brought to you by The305.com & DerickG.com
Since Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” video premiered earlier this month. Everybody has been talking about the girls featured on Team Drake. We here at The305.com featured a little tribute to The Girls Of Team Drake with a post that went everywhere. And the girl that everybody could not stop talking about was Dominican beauty, Rosa Acosta. You know, she was the one doing all the fancy “stretching”.

Well, Rosa Acosta recently made a trip down to Miami this past weekend and of course we had to make a couple phone calls to make sure we had an interview with her before she left town. So The305.Com, along with DerickG.com, bring you the exclusive “Rosa Acosta In Miami” interview. Shot at her hotel’s pool area 10 stories up, overlooking the city of Miami skyline.

She talks a little bit about her Smooth Magazine issue in stores now (which is just a preview to her Smooth Girl appearance next month), a little bit about what she’s looking for in a guy. And a whole bunch of other things. Press play and be amazed.

Check more of Rosa on www.RosaAcosta.Com, which will relaunch with a brand new look next week.

A break from the norm, Miami-based group, DMG, fuses hip-hop with a mix of all genres to become one of the brightest up-and-comers that are coming out of the city. Members, Q and Kalli just shot their first music video and are preparing the final touches for their debut album Left Field. Their mixtape, entitled Revenge Of The Nerds Volume 1, should be out for the public to hear, later this summer. In the meantime, read on as we discuss a couple things as well as what a live DMG show really brings…

On August 22nd, Miami-based entertainment blog site, iBlog126.Com will be celebrating their One-Year Anniversary. Its been an interesting year for founders Napps and Prima-Bloggerina. They’ve put in countless hours a day and sometimes posting like 20 stories in one day on the blog. Which in blog-terms, as easy as it might sound, takes up an insane amount of work. And its good to see that they’ve weathered the storms and kept up with iBlog on a consistent basis and will hopefully bring many more yearly anniversaries to celebrate. We invited the crew over to our office to take a couple photos (photo-booth style) and to talk and discuss a variety of things including Myspace Stalker stories, where the “126″ suffix comes from, and their opinion on what it takes to be a blogger. Read below…

Photo by DRO (DavidRosario.Com)

Da Bottom clothing represents not only a brand with its roots implanted in the South Florida area (hence the name), but it also signifies a movement of creative fashion ideas in starting from a “bottom” point that are all working their way up to worldwide recognition. Young entrepreneurs by the name of Toib “T” Olarinde and Courtney “Six” Taylor are the owners and founders of Da Bottom Clothing, which they started on January 1, 2008. Their brand is fresh, edgy with a touch of artistic thought put into each design. This week they’re getting ready for two appearances – one in Miami (Okay Player WMC show) and the other in New York (DunkXchange). We got a chance to catch up with them and learn a little bit about the brand and how it came about…

Photo Credit: TITS Brand

If you’ve shopped at Karmaloop.Com, then you’ve seen Kelly Karloff. She’s easily the main reason why most guys go back to Karmaloop on a regular basis. Well, after many requests from you all, we got a chance to interview Miss Kelly Starr (aka Miss KarmaLoop) and get to know Kelly a little better. She discusses her ideal man, her shirt collabo with T.I.T.S. brand (which 50 Cent was spotted wearing recently) and…how she got started over at KarmaLoop. Enjoy…

This weekend on Saturday February 21st, one of the only hip-hop gaming events out in existence will take place in Downtown Miami – Community Vibes IV, presented by GamerTagRadio.Com. Its going to be held at Club Ecco, a brand new venue located in the heart of the Magic City (click here to view the flyer) and its FREE – plus, they will have tons and tons of free giveaways. We got a chance to talk with Godfree and Pete, the hosts of GamerTag Radio to talk about the upcoming event and a couple other things. Read below…

This April, Teairra Mari will make a return to the limelight with her new album At That Point. Its her first album release since her departure from Jay-Z’s Rocafella Records a couple years back. She has since, grown from being a teenager trying to find herself – to being a woman who knows exactly what she wants. Teairra is living in Los Angeles now, but does find herself coming to Miami every so often for business and…for pleasure. And I don’t mean “pleasure” as in Pleasure P – she assures us that they’re really good friends. Her first single, “Hunt For You”, actually features him. We got a chance to catch up with Teairra after the Super Bowl events for a couple minutes to see what she’s been up to…

Whether he’s working on a wall, a canvas, or in the digital realm, Dekal’s pieces jump out at you. Sometimes they tell stories of betrayal or illustrate just how heavy the world can weigh on your mind, but when Dekal’s not busy telling stories, he’s showing you the world in a new light. A light that he’s meticulously crafted over the years and is uniquely his own.

As you’ll discover, Dekal is not one to hold his tongue, but why should he? His work is raising the bar for South Florida’s emerging art scene and in the end, we’re better off for it.

We got a chance to talk to Immortal Technique, who performs on August 2nd at Rock The Bells Miami. Find out what the craziest rumor he ever heard about himself was and also find out what he’s going to bring to the table during his set at Rock The Bells.

Photos by Eye Candy Exotic. Interview by DRO – Maria Milian is a South Florida based model out of Miramar, Florida. She’s half Armenian and half Spanish. Just recently, we found out that she was going to be featured as the next Eye Candy of The Month for XXL Magazine for September…and we had to interview her to get the details. And trust me, I saw some of the pictures, and they are real dope! So read on as we discuss the new XXL issue she’s in, as well as get to know her a little better and get to know what kind of guys she’s into! Read below.

Interview By DRO – DJ Clark Kent. He’s a legend in his own right. He discovered the greatest rapper alive…Jay-Z. He’s worked with hip-hop royalty including Biggie. And he’s Foxy Brown’s cousin. Oh yeah, plus he’s a major sneakerhead if you haven’t caught on. Read on as he we met up with him at Miami’s ultimate sneaker destination..Shoe Gallery. Clark discusses his latest 112 Pack with Nike, his relationship with Mi Gente Clothing and also lets us know exactly what Clark Knows!!!

Story By Yahnilet Colon and Photos By David Rosario

Spend an hour with the fellas at Ocho Placas and it becomes obvious why the tattoo shop radiates creative vibes. The four artists’ personalities are reflected on the Eighth Street shop’s walls, lined with encased hand paintings, masks and drawings. Religious symbols easily find their place alongside women’s figures, but there isn’t even a hint of the typical frames with tattoo designs found at other Miami spots. That’s exactly how owner Jose Carrera wants it – far from typical.

MURK’D is a monthly event showcasing the best in Miami’s local music and art scenes. One month they focus on performances, and the next month they focus on art. This month, the art focus will fall into place via the aptly themed “Live Fast, Die Fresh” show going down this Thursday May 29, 2008 at PS14 in Downtown Miami.  According to one of the show’s organizers, Parable, they wanted to “bring a gallery show to a music venue and incorporate the live music element while having art available and accessible.” Besides the traditional art pieces that tend to appear at an art show; you can expect easily affordable pieces via the cleverly conceived “Art Fleamarket.” Read on as Parable dives into the inner-workings of what makes “Murk’d” and a couple words by one of the night’s featured artists, PointTooSicks. And check out a few of the featured pieces of artwork from the show at the bottom of this article.