amirahrashidah Archives - Doc's Castle Media

Are you a music lover? I found another music blogger in Baltimore that could possibly address your craving needs for the love of hip-hop and R&B. I interviewed AmirahRashidah Blog’s very own Amirah Muhammad as another addition to my Blogger’s Rundown. It was a fun experience, indeed. I’ve known Amirah personally for quite some time now, and I’m pleased to say she such a wonderful person to talk to. I can always expect a conversation full of laughter when spending it with Amirah.

This interview was not like others as I had a special appearance from Shareese Williams, former beauty blogger of Doc’s Castle Media. She joined in my interview with Amirah to ask a few questions about Amirah’s love for singing. (Special audio is at the end of this post.) Amirah, Shareese, and I spoke of how AmirahRashidah started, Amirah’s plans in the future for her music blog, her participation in Janelle Monae’s Instagram contest, and her passion for the art of music alone. I learn a lot about AmirahRashidah, though I also am a contributing writer for her site, as well. It’s good to be refreshed on someone’s vision. She’ll reach a lot of success in the future. I’m definitely rooting for this one.

Doc: What’s the story behind AmirahRashidah? Where did it all begin?

Amirah: It all began in 2008. I started another blog, a personal blog, called Amirah the Uncool. Yes, I was into Lupe Fiasco. (Laughs) It became more of a blog where I posted music instead of for personal. I decided to take Amirah the Uncool to the next level by creating AmirahRashidah. I started that in 2012.

Doc: Awe, okay. What is your motive to keep AmirahRashidah going?

Amirah: So I have a huge passion for music. I sing and actually play two instruments. It’s something I’ve always loved. Eventually in the future once I get my law degree, I want to practice law and protect the rights of musicians and their work. That is what keeps me going. I have a good ole fan base and people to go to and say, “Heyyy, you need representation? I got chu!”

Doc: Right. It gives you more experience, too. So how many contributing bloggers do you have for your site currently?

Amirah: I have, right now, four. But three are active. That includes you.

Doc: (Laughs) Yes.

Amirah: (Laughs)

Doc: Are you looking to have more contributors soon?

Amirah: Yeah, I’m definitely looking to have more contributors.

Doc: Is there a way anybody can contact you about that?

Amirah: Yes, please. Hit me up at amirahrashidahblog@gmail.com.

Doc: In the meantime, do you accept guest bloggers

Amirah: I do. I do. They may contact that same email, as well.

Doc: So what made you decide to use your name as the name of your site?

Amirah: HA! Me and my lack of creativity. (Laughs)

Doc: (Laughs)

Amirah: I had Twitter before I had changed my blog name to AmirahRashidah and I just liked that name. It rang so I ran with it.

Doc: Okay, cool. I mean, I would have done the same thing.

Amirah: (Laughs)

Doc: I like my middle name. I use to use it a lot on stuff. So yeah definitely see what you were doing. (Laughs) Do you accept submissions from local artists?

Amirah: I do. I’ve actually posted a couple of submission for some local artists. I’ve done an interview for a local artist, too. I’m always looking for local artist to submit to the blog.

Doc: They do the same thing; email to amirahrashidahblog@gmail.com?

Amirah: Yup, same thing.

Doc: But with all of those emails coming to you at one time do they must have a specific subject line so that you can organize it differently?

Amirah: Yeah, with any email you send it should be like that. (Laughs)

Doc: (Laughs) I know but some people are oblivious to that. Sometimes they don’t. They just think they can contact you on anything and be like, “Hey! I got that fire!”

Amirah: I got a couple of those and I was just like, “NEXT!” (Laughs)

Doc: See? (Laughs) I like when people are specific so it can be filed somewhere nicely, you know.

Amirah: Yeah, on my website, I have a contact form. But on there I also have if you’re submitting music, make sure you email me at this email. You could use either or.

Doc: Alright. Umm, I recently saw some promotion on your Instagram about something new coming this summer to AmirahRashidah. Do mind letting us in on the scoop with what’s going on with that?

Amirah: Yeah, I’m so excited! Umm, I decided to do a video platform for AmirahRashidah, which it’s going to be called AmirahRashidah TV. I hope to have interviews mostly with local artists because they’re nearby. I’m not traveling too far. (Laughs) I ain’t getting paid for this yet.

Doc: (Laughs)

Amirah: It’ll be interviews and just random discussions about what’s going on in music. I’ll even have my guest contributors and bloggers do videos, too.

Doc: So you’re blog isn’t just for local artists. It’s for others too?

Amirah: Yeah, it’s for national artist and indie arts.

Doc: That’s good to know because people will be all over it. Do you have a favorite local artist?

Amirah: Ahh, lord! (Laughs) I so want to give the political correct answer.

Doc: (Laughs)

Amirah: My favorite local artist just might be this producer by the name of eu-IV. He does really well at mixing up R&B tracks. It’s this one track where he covered SWV’s Rain. He transformed it and I loved it. He’s one of my favorites. It’s another person. His name is Jonny Graham. He’s a Jazz musician. He plays trumpet and writes his own music. He gets people to sing on his mixtapes and albums. I like him, too.

Doc: Have you written about them on your blog?

Amirah: I’ve written about Johnny. I haven’t written about eu-IV yet. But I’m actually about to do an interview with him. Look out for one in April.

Doc: You should do a video interview of him.

Amirah: I know. If I do it then it’ll be pushed back to the summer to be on AmirahRashidah TV.

Doc: Is AmirahRashidah TV just interviews?

Amirah: It’s interviews. If we can get concert footage, concert footage.

Doc: …if it’s legal. (Laughs)

Amirah: Yes, legal footage. (Laughs) I’m not going to get in trouble for people posting stuff they not supposed to be posting. And…conversations about what’s going on within the music industry. I know you like to rant about certain things. (Laughs)

Doc: Yeah, I like to rant.

Amirah: (Laughs) So it’s a good platform for that, too.

Doc: Okay (Laughs)

Amirah: I can see you doing a video or two. “I just hate how R&B…” (Laughs)

Doc: HA! I like music rants. People listen to me. Hey, sometimes I make a lot of sense. But thank you for doing this interview with me.

Amirah: Thank you!

This is the point where beauty blogger Shareese Williams jumps in. Ha-ha!

Shareese takes the initiative to ask when Amirah will be dropping an album and doing a collaboration with her. Listen to what she says…

To view some of Shareese’s work, follow her on Instagram at @Uhhh_Shareese.

Did you read my last Blogger’s Rundown Interview? Check out my last interview with Shae of the UncommonRealist.

“If we create a group of strong individuals who’ll support each other, then we’ll create a power house of people that will exceed all expectations. We’ll change this city for the better,” says every person who forms a group full of talented people, expecting it’ll change the turn out of their shows. Womp Womp!

Too many people have this philosophy but in Baltimore it does not work. Content is key. Content is what brings people to an artist’s show! When was the last time you’ve decided to go to Kanye show because he had a power group with him there? The Jay-Z and Kanye power house was damn near three years ago. He’s currently standing alone. People go because of the content of his show.

I recently read an article from Baltimore Blogger Malika Muhummad titled “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal.” Malika talks of how many Baltimore artist lack originality. Why strive to be the next Lil Wayne when artists should be working to make a name for themselves? They should be striving to be unique. She also talks of how people should seek opportunities in the city that allows them to give support. There are multiple open mic events that happen throughout the city all days of the week. There are very few supporters of these events. She goes on to name a few examples. I’ve actually been to a number of 5 Seasons open mic nights, which is one of the example that she gives, and the crowd was dry each time I went, meaning there could have been more people there but it wasn’t. Majority of the crowd were artists waiting for their opportunity to have their shine on the stage.

What I see in Baltimore is a sign of doubt from the people artists hope would support them. Listeners in Baltimore doubt if an artist will bring what they enjoy so they stick to what they know. What they know is what they hear everyday, 24/7, on mainstream media. If a person was to listen to 92Q for the entire day, they’d hear the same 10-15 songs, minus the 12 O’Clock Rewind and the occasional rap songs they play on Rap Attack. Do people ever get tired of that?

When it comes to the individuals who claim they don’t listen to the radio or mainstream music, they continue to support people who have a larger followership than the artists from their hometown. Those artists are clearly closer to mainstream radio than ever. Take the Weeknd, four years ago we would have never heard him being played on the radio. Since Drake featured him on “The Crew,” the Weeknd’s spotlight has been heightened. We hear of him more because of the major support people had for him after that song, seeking his music wherever they could find it and going to his shows. Baltimore artists could have the same happen for them if their supporters became educated listeners. If they’d realized how supporting good content produced here can make talented people from Baltimore be heard on the radio, it’d be a greater selection of music to listen to.

But how I see it is it all begins with the content creators and their attitudes towards this city. Baltimore artists need an opportunity to come together in support of each other first. They need to realize they’re all thinking the same. They must show each other that the outcome doesn’t always have to be the same way. If your purpose is to create a city who supports each other, live by it. Building a crew that supports only the people in that crew, shows selective treatment for that group, not for the city. That clique way of thinking will not work for Baltimore. It may work for other places but not with the unique listeners of this city. It’s better if we seek opportunities to help one another because on-lookers will see what we’re doing and want to be apart of it.

This is a message for every artist for all genres to hear. We must seek out those who deserve support and help them because it’s the only way to gain what this city needs; Artist for artist, blogger for blogger, or poet for poet. Then it should turn into blogger for artist, artist for poet, and poet for blogger. Etc., Etc.. Each time a creator finds someone making a difference in this city, they’ll feel enlightened to be apart of it and that exact feeling will bring in more supporters and a bigger audience for everyone. It won’t be easy, but nothing is that’s worth trying.

With everything being said, let’s stop this clique mess and build upon a new Baltimore city.

To read Malika’s “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal,” click here. To hear great music from Baltimore artist, check out Vivid Visions or AmirahRashidah. Both blog sites take submissions.

If you’re looking to be a music highlight on Doc’s Castle Media, send me stuff. Let’s change the city for the better.

Tag: amirahrashidah

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