Thursday February 23, 2006 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily. com TeiSligan tilg 5A . . . .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .... --- - -.- BEAT MAEJOR UNIVERSITY STUDENT BECOMES PRODUCER FOR HIP-HOP STARS By Anthony Baber Daily Arts Writer In modern hip hop, the producers, long thought of as the stoic guys behind the mixing board, qui- etly arranging melodies, are quickly becoming just as famous as the lyricists. Artists go looking for spe- cific producers because simply having Kanye West, The Neptunes or Just Blaze attached to a song can thrust the track immediately into heavy radio play. Joining the pack is LSA sophomore Brandon Green - better known as Bei Maejor - a University stu- dent who's already producing beats for artists such as Trey Songz, Jim Jones and Bun-B. In his dorm room in the Baits II Residence Hall, he's created a small studio perfect for crafting his finished arrangements. On his desk sits his MPC, a sequencing sampler workstation and the centerpiece of his equipment. Above the MPC is a turntable and against the wall, a keyboard. These tools, along with Maejor's own ear and mind, are crucial elements in his production process. Sitting back in his chair, he recalled his already- impressive accomplishments in music. "I did 2 songs with Lil' Mo - a song with Peedi Crack on Def Jam. I've been doing a lot of R&B," Green said. "I did a song with Chris Brown that, unfortunately, didn't make the album. It was real hot, but I guess the label didn't want it. They'll probably use it on a soundtrack or something." As a music-industry rookie, Green is rapidly gain- ing experience. Working with different artists, going to different places and meeting important people are all at the top on his agenda. "My first song that came out on a major label, for Trey Songz last summer, 'Ur Behind,' was one of my favorite songs," he explained. "Not only did it get the most coverage, but I got to go to L.A. to work in the studio, so that's the most excited I've been." Signed to industry giant Atlantic, Green is able to work with other Atlantic artists such as Twista and Trey Songz. "I'm saving a lot of my best stuff for Trey Songz; he's one of my favorite artists. We first started work- ing together and we're on the same label. (His album is) gonna be hot." The feeling is mutual: In the current issue of Vibe magazine, Trey Songz lists Bei Maejor as one of his courtesy f UMS Pappa Tarahumara will perform tonight at 8 p.m. at the Point Center. Japanese performer sidestep conventio1n By Priya Bali and Shiori Ito Daily Arts Writers Nothing is certain in Pappa Tara- humara's performances. The group will come to the Power Center at 8 p.m. tonight Ship in a View to perform a Tonight at 8 p.m. modern, multi- $16-36 media theatrical At the Power Center piece, "Ship in a View," choreo- graphed by famed Japanese director Hiroshi Koike. Koike's inspiration for his modern dance pieces come from Japanese Noh theater, a traditional genre dating back 1,300 years. Koike has remixed the Noh into his own modern vision. The movements of the 12 Pappa T dancers are a slow, meditative mix of acrobatics reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil, while still evocative of the Noh theater. They also incorporate a vocal element - not with sung lyrics, but rather with raw gurgles and howls. Koike makes a point of using as many media as possible, emphasizing interactive sets, costumes, lighting and props to go with the synthesized sound of his composer, Masahiro Sugaya. The lighting designer, Yukiko Sekine, also plays -a major role in the productions, winning the Lighting Designers and Engineers Association of Japan in award 1991. The fusion of kinetic lighting, intense voices and fluid dance m'ove- ments allows the audience to interpret the story through their own imagina- tions. While keeping these traditiondl aspects of theater, the groups also explores new-age technology through video art. This is perhaps what gives Pappa T its uncommon universality. The group has performed a number of productions in exotic locales such as Taipei, Amsterdam, Vienna and Paris. All pieces have been unique in their performance and strive tQ dis- cover truth through time and motion. Each Pappa Tarahumara performance is an exchange of ideas among people across the world. Koike will bring his multi sensory experience in this evening's "Ship in a View." The production is set in the 1960s at a town by the sea. The.ship in the performance will symbolizes a connection between the town and the outside world as the citizens coiem- plate their seclusion. Expect characters to paint the stage with both defined' and abstract dance movements. Through allegory and the beauty of the dance, Koike sets to explore various relation- ships of humans to the exterior world, in which he finds a common ground. ; Koike's works suggest the possibil- ity of performing arts that transcendi cultural boundaries and conventional performance genres. IO ASO GOMEZ/aiy LSA sophomore and Atlantic Records producer Be! Major discusses his career Monday. favorite producers to work with. Green's stunning level of visibility at such a young age is the result of a lot of hard work, talent, and inspiration from some of his favorite producers. "J Dilla, who recently died, Just Blaze, The Neptunes and Troy Taylor, an R&B producer ... Those are the main people who have influenced my style," he said. One of his most Tecent creations is featured on Bun-B's latest, Trill. "I produced a song on there featuring Mike Jones, Birdman and Trey Songz, called 'Hold U Down,' he said. "It's set to be the next single, but I don't know when they're recording the video. The song has been doing well and moving up the charts all over the country from requests by people who just have heard it." Though Maejor is a rising star in the music indus- try, he still thinks of himself just another University student. "I consider myself Brandon Green most of the time. I can't just call myself Brandon Green, that's a terrible name," he said with a chuckle. "It's not catchy at all, not exciting. But there's really not a difference, I'm always Brandon Green, but I give somebody a beat I say, 'Yo, I'm Bei Maejor"' Web star comes to Skeep ers By Kimberly Chou Daily Arts Writer Student band loaded with talent By Derek Barber Daily Arts Writer Given reader feedback on his popu- lar, self-titled website, www.tucker- max.com, it's obvious scores of Tucker Max impressionable Book Signing undergrads and professionals alike Wednesday regard Tucker Max At Scorekeepers as some kind of liquor-guzzling, skirt-chasing god. They had chance to pay homage as Max was in town last night at Scorekeeper's from 6 to 8 to pro- mote his book, "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell." The 30-year-old Duke Law School graduate-turned-writer claimed his various stories aren't that unbeliev- able to anyone else his age. "I'd say this to any 19-year-old: You don't have any idea what you're talking about in terms of life. When you're 30 years old, you're not going to think my stories are incredibly unbe- lievable," Max said. This is assuming that by 30 you not only have a decent set of drunken road trip stories, aug- mented by sexual exploits that run the gamut from disgusting to impressive often featuring spectacular details involving bodily expulsions. Honestly, it's questionable whether Max shooting his load in front of a Las Vegas crowd unbeknownst to his partner - but not to the burly, 6'5" bouncer - is more outrageous than vomiting behind a girl's bed and evading discovery even after her dog consumes and later violently shits the vomit all over the carpet. It's not hard to envy him, dislike When he's not cranking out bluesy guitar lines for Ann Arbor local bands like Toolbox, Music sophomore Theo Katzman is probably laying down a thick groove on his drum kit, piano,T acoustic guitar or even harmonica. Theo Katzman Performing Thursday night as part of Thursday at 8 p.m. the Canterbury House Concert Series, $540 singer/songwriter Katzman is a man At Canterbury House of many hats. And although the term "multi-instrumentalist" seems to be thrown around, Theo Katzman is no doubt worthy of the title. A New York native and the son of highly regarded jazz trum- peter Lee Katzman, the musical life came naturally to Katzman. Often praised for his characteristic sensitivity as a supporting musician, Katzman is also no stranger to stepping out as a truly dynamic frontman and singer. Clearly, he's comfortable in a variety of positions. "I'm really used to it," said Katzman, who once headed a high school band while assuming drum duties as well. "It's really all about knowing where the music needs to go and doing whatever you can to help it get to that place." After crafting a batch of songs far too rich to put aside and despite several other musical obligations, Katzman recently set out to form a band in support of his own work. Fortunately for Katzman, he didn't have to look very far. His band showcases some of the sharpest talent the University's School of Music has to offer. The group features Music freshmnan and virtuoso guitarist Tomek Miernowski, Music sophomore bassist Christian Carpenter and Music junior Mike Shea. Although still a considerably young band, the chemistry between these four friends was the result of their mutual respect for one another as well as their sincere apprecia- tion for all music. "I remember when I first heard Led Zeppelin," said Katzman. "I was just blown away; they were my first love." As far as the music itself is concerned, the material is almost as complex and diverse as its composer. With an innoyative and intricate sense of chordal harmony, many of Katzmnan's tunes take on a Stevie Wonder quality. But then again,, it's not uncommon for the band to tackle an intensely emotignal blues number. Perhaps even more surprising are Katzmiin's sympathetic and heartfelt folk-rock originals. Katzman's Ann Arbor performance debut should be an inspiring and passionate performance at the intimate'Can- terbury House. Clearly, the band is planning to set th'e bar high for themselves. "I remember grooving to John Bonham on drums 'but then I'd also want to play guitar like Jimmy Page. Or even sing the way Robert Plant sang ... But no matter what I'm doing, I'm still all about maintaining that sense of groove, even when it's challenging." Tucker Max has a student do push-ups at Scorekeepers yesterday night. month writing, touring, drinking and fucking for TuckerMax.com and the recently published "Beer In Hell." He started documenting his vari- ous exploits three-and-a-half-years ago online. Unfortunately, before his site, there was a brief dalliance with fiction. "When I first started writing, I started off writing fiction and it was terrible. I'm awful at writing fic- tion ... The (stories) are all kind of wincingly bad," Max said. "They're overwritten, with too much detail in certain places, not enough in other places (and) I kind of write the way I think I'm supposed to write and not in my voice." If you choose to locate these early attempts - tucked away but still avail- Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club" on his online list of book favorites. But those who only idolize him for his debauched episodes and way with women, need not fear a shift to the highbrow: You'll still be able to discuss his book's aptly titled chapter "The Blowjob Follies." "I tend to engage people on their level, or maybe within somewhere close to that level. So if someone wants to come up and talk about low- brow things, I talk about low-brow things. If someone can talk about the Melian Dialogue, I'll talk about the Melian Dialogue with them," Max said. Reviled by conservatives and championed by college kids as a modern-day Dionysus, Max is noto- rion.0v hint Tis su~rely, served ]him Choose from a wide variety of courses - Fairfield University credit and grades! Summer '06 ' Galway, Ireland. - Managua, Nicar " Florence, Italy - St. Petersburg, F " Altinxin It-nits, ragua Russia I 11