For our innovator project, we were tasked with innovating, creating and devloping our own project. We made a proposal to our Freestyle teachers, which they approved so we could move forward. Once we had the ok from our teachers, we were to first research our topic extensivley - utilzing resources such as JSTOR, GALE, Easy Scholar, along with other databases and resources. After finishing researching, we were then assigned to write a 5-7 page research paper for English. Once this entire research process was complete, we then started on our main innovator project we had previously researched. We had almsot the whole semsester to work on our project, which was due April 29th, 2016.

When my innovator started, I had never attempted to create a Hip Hop track before. I was mostly into house music and other types of EDM, and was somewhat worried about if I would be able to do what I had signed myself up for, a Hip Hop album. Soon after starting the project, i realized my trepidation was unwarranted. I began to learn so much about the production, culture, and history of Hip Hop, I couldn't take myself away from the screen. After seemingly countless hours of fun in the studio, I managed to finish 7 tracks. 3 Hip Hop, 1 House, and 3 Hybrid tracks (Hip Hop/ Electronic). I orginally planned on making 5 tracks, but as the album continued, I felt like it could use more, so I added a House bonus track, along with a rework of one of my Hip Hop tracks.

After finishing this, i created my album art, something I felt matched what I wanted my album to be 'viewed' as, almost a visual sneak peak into my thoughts throughout the album. I concluded the project by mixing and mastering the tracks, assembling and naming them, and finally, exporing to MP3.

I learned more from my Innovator project then any project I've done before, and I enjoyed it immensely throughout. Being able to do what I want and turn it in for a grade was an amazingly freeing expierence that I am so glad the Freestyle teachers trusted us with. I hope you enjoy the album! Thank you Freestyle for this amazing opportunity.

Here is my album, with an embed link to souncloud. DRizzy, Fool, and DRizzy (Saadz Retwerk) are Hip Hop, Go Ham, Kombat, and Bazzar are Hybrid, and finally, Twist is a bonus house track. I hope you enjoy!

For my research paper, I researched the evoultion of Hip Hop proudction and 'Branch' genres. I started at the early ages of Hip Hop (late 70s), and progressed throught the rest of the 80s and 90s, past the early 2000s all the way to today. The paper encompasses the long and hard journey of Hip Hop, it's ever changing culture, sound, and personalities. Towards the end of the piece, I touch on bedroom producers and branch genres, two catagories I am in myself, that are key to keeping the ever growing digital expanse of Hip Hop and other genres branched off of it.

Throughout my research, I learned wealths of information about the founders of Hip Hop, the true game changing artists and records of each decade, along with touching on the modern side of production and new techniques. Spreading the word about the true culture and attitude of Hip Hop and eliminating stigmas about the genre was also a major aim of my paper. Many people today still believe the genre is only listened to minorities in impoverished and crime ridden cities - that isn't accurate, and I set out to to prove it wrong. I hope you enjoy the paper can gain some newfound knowledege!