Tyler Jacob Moore (2015)

The best way to get involved is to pitch ideas to us. We accept pitches at pitches@pigeonsandplanes.com and we're always looking to get new people involved.

My advice is to just be as consistent as possible and try to bring something new to the table. It's really difficult to start a new music blog in 2015 because so many sites have already established themselves, and bigger media outlets have learned to use the internet better. Try to offer something that you don't see anywhere else. Good luck!

Ahhh this is so hard. My favorites change so often. I know this is going to piss people off, but Young Thug is probably my favorite rapper right now. I'm excited to see what he does in the coming years. But I also love Chance, Pusha, Danny Brown, Future. And the up-and-comers are the ones who I get really hyped about... Smino, Ta'East, DP, Kevin Abstract, Allan Kingdom... too many to name.

I'm not sure about favorite producer either. So many good ones. I think London On Da Track is really talented. FlyLo is amazing. El-P is forever one of the best. This question is too hard, I hate picking favorites.

Hmm... I think you should just start with what you love. Write about the stuff that moves you. If you see something and immediately want to tell a friend about it, that's usually a great indication. To the second question, I was expecting Young Thug to be a lot more animated and talkative. He was pretty quiet and serious.

Make music we like! We only book artists who we're fans of and who we've been covering. Other than that, there are no requirements.

come back? like he ever left!? Lil Poopy is the youngest don for life

I hate to say it, but I think blogs are becoming less important. These days, everyone is a tastemaker, and everyone is finding and sharing music on social media. But I think there still is a place for blogs who really shine a light on new artists and give a platform to artists who don't have labels and big budgets.

I hate that some great music gets lost in the bullshit, but that's impossible to avoid. Can't possibly listen to everything. At the end of the day, I think great music almost always wins. Artists with PR teams and shitty music may get a little buzz, but the good stuff usually rises to the top eventually. I try to stay connected with people who have similar tastes and are also always looking out for new stuff, so if I miss an email, hopefully I'll get around to the good stuff via word of mouth.

It's expanded. Before Complex, we were just posting up new music and videos. Now we're creating more original content, making videos, putting on shows, plus we've got a staff of amazing people who help cover the news, keep social media active, manage the schedule, edit the features, etc. Complex has helped us grow a lot over the years, and with that growth comes a lot of new responsibilities.

It wasn't one artist or song that got me into music blogging, more the balance between different kinds of music. I loved rap blogs like Nah Right and 2DopeBoyz back in the day, and always wished there were more sites that covered popular rap but also got into other genres and mixed emerging artists with mainstream stuff.

That said, Charles Hamilton was really popular on the internet when I got started, and he was a pretty big part of what excited me about new artists and how they interacted with the internet.

Yes!! NO CEILINGS! See you there!

Just reach out. If we like the music, we're always down to pay attention.

Don't get caught up in the hype. So many writers are all writing about the same things, giving the same hot takes, and trying to keep up with whatever is already being talked about. Try to focus on what you know, what you like, and bring a unique perspective.

EVER!? Ahhh.... I might have to go with Yeezus. As far as performers, he's on another level. Seeing Jay Z was really fun too. Hearing an entire stadium rap along with "PSA" was a beautiful moment.

I'm definitely pro-streaming. We need to figure out how to build a sustainable music industry around that, but the idea of music as a final product is fading, in my opinion. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I think in the coming years, we'll see a lot of creative, exciting new things happen in the music industry. It's a really fascinating time to be a music fan. But yeah, if you really think about it, the idea of paying 99 cents for an mp3 is weird. Like, who needs to "own" a song?

To be honest I always hated the term lyricism. There are different ways of looking at it. Some rappers are super intelligent and have powerful messages. Others just have a way with words, even if they aren't saying much. Both can be really great. Kendrick is one of the best right now, however you look at it.

It's hard to keep up with submissions. I get over 1,000 emails a day now, and I wish I could listen and respond to them all, but I just can't. Try to make genuine connections. Find the people who you respect, and try to get your music in front of them however you can. If you ever want to tweet us a link, do it! Sometimes we fall behind on emails but if you notice we're active on Twitter and catch us at the right time, we'll listen! Some bloggers hate Twitter submissions but I never understood that. I'm always down to click a link if I'm in the mood to try something new.

We're doing these No Ceilings shows, so that's a big focus right now. Also been making more video content and we're getting ready to drop merch.

I'm not involved with too much outside of P&P to be honest. It's a full-time job, but I'm always trying to connect with artists and help where I can. I love being a part of the creative process, giving advice and feedback.

Back then, I didn't have to come into work at 10 am. I used to stay up until like 4 in the morning, and that's when some of the best ideas came up. I do miss staying up until 4am.

Nah, it didn't really affect us. I like everything we do at P&P to be organic, 100%. If we do what we do well enough, everything else will fall into place. I love everyone who has any part in P&P, and I trust them all to be professional and honest. We all do this because we love music.

absolutely not. it all comes down to this: a sandwich has two (or more) pieces of bread! a bun is just one piece of bread! FOH

I'm proud of everyone we've shared who has gone on to be successful. For me, it's always about finding the next one, not dwelling too much or trying to take credit for what we've done. I'm most proud when artists show us love. When Chance The Rapper referenced P&P in "Good Ass Intro," that was a really proud moment for me.

Such a difficult question! I love dogs and all animals. Always been a fan of mutts though. If I had to pick a breed, maybe pitbull or Rhodesian ridgeback or weimaraner

So many, but right now I think the band I'm most excited about is Hinds. For a while, I was really bored by straightforward guitar-driven rock, but they are so fun and they put on a great live show.

Hype Machine is a good place to start. If you can get something to pop off on Hype M, a lot of blogs will take notice. Once they all pick up on an artist, bigger publications start taking notice.

Make a good song, send it to us! If we love it, we'll post it.

We've been emailing with their team ever since they sent over that first video. When they were planning their first NYC show, we had to get involved.

I can't give away what they have planned, but it sounds amazing! Even I haven't seen exactly what this will look like, but it should be really unique.

Well, I wanted to write for Nah Right. I emailed with Eskay and he was cool, but eventually stopped replying. So I started my own blog. It was really just about combining all the stuff in one place.

P&P merch is coming so soon! Just approved all the designs and the store is being set up. I can't wait to share the new stuff. P&P merch for the holidays!

Do something nobody else is doing! It's so important to differentiate. And be active on social media.

To stand out, figure out what makes you different and emphasize that. Most of all, just make good music. If you make great music, other people will push it for you.

If I think an artist has potential but isn't quite there yet, I'll try to give feedback and explain what I like and don't like.

I dig for stuff. Always digging

Yes, we'll definitely be at SXSW this year! Not sure of exact plans yet, but we'll be there!

Thanks!

Thank you!

Iced

When Lindsay Lohan tweeted about us. Hahaha I remember sitting in my apartment that day, feeling like P&P made it. She tweeted a link to something we did, and I didn't see it because she didn't @ us on Twitter. I got a text from someone telling me.

She actually deleted the tweet later. I still wonder why. But I got a screenshot lol

Kind of.

Not really... there are some cool rock bands making great stuff, but I think we are in desperate need of some real rock stars. Even with just a couple guitars, a bass, and a drum set, the possibilities are endless. Since Kurt Cobain, there haven't been many true stars to really bring rock music into the future.

Shout out to the entire P&P team. The best group of people on the planet.

Dipset

Premier

Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick or De La Soul - Three Feet High and Rising

I have a hard time enjoying it too. Rap has evolved so much that some of the older stuff sounds dated to me. But there are some great albums, and at the time I imagine a lot of that music was mind blowing.

Thank you! That means a lot

I listen regardless of name. A lot of great artists and bands have shitty names.

But I would definitely check Beach Jesus out.

The name... I really just wanted to think of something that represented the balance we try to bring with P&P. We cover music from all genres, and try to keep up with emerging artists as well as mainstream stuff. So Pigeons represent the up-and-comers who don't get a lot of love and struggle to survive. Planes represent the mainstream artists with a lot of money and big business behind them. If I knew the blog would ever become more than a hobby, I probably would have picked a different name. I get a lot of blank stares when I try to explain the meaning hahah.

I'll check out your song later!

Chipotle

Thanks for reading!

Just try to connect with editors, send pitches, and publish quality work. If you pitch some good ideas and include examples of strong pieces you've written in the past, you'll have a great shot at getting some freelance work.

No Ceilings is coming West soon! We're already talking about it.

I definitely liked staying anonymous, but not for any good reason, really. During those years, all the major bloggers were pretty anonymous—Eskay, Shake, Meka, Legend... I thought it was cool that these weren't writers trying to get bylines and establish themselves as professional music journalists. Instead, they were all building brands, and they were a part of something bigger. Blogging was a different world, and I liked that world. I guess part of using my real name more is just that I think P&P has moved beyond that blogging stage. I used to say and write a lot of stupid shit, and I could kind of hide behind this online identity. I think that to be taken more seriously, there has to be accountability. Putting yourself out there is one way to hold yourself more accountable.

Thanks for sticking with us for all these years, and see you at No Ceilings LA!

I still consider P&P a blog. We're expanding into other things, but what we do online is still blogging. The downside of any expansion is that it takes more work, but it's always worth it. We used to be able to get away with a lot of half-assed shit, and now I think we lose a little credibility every time we do something stupid (we still do a fair amount of stupid stuff, though). Another downside is giving up control. That's been hard for me. I want to be in total control of everything, and that's impossible now. Thankfully I have an awesome group of people around me to help, and I've come to trust them.

Shout out to Frank Ramz. He really helped build P&P when we needed it most. He had a daughter, P&P kept moving into new directions and requiring different roles and time commitments, and he became less involved over time. There was never really a moment when we decided he would stop completely, but that's just how it played out. I still talk to him from time to time. He is a great dude and I hope we can work together again down the road.

I don't really know, I wasn't a part of those discussions. I will say that it takes a lot of resources, time, and energy to establish and grow an entirely new brand. But khal still works at Complex and he's killing it. He's one of the best people I know.

No, we don't have to. Sometimes we choose to run stories by editors at Complex so we can bounce around ideas, etc. but they give us all the creative control I could ever ask for.

By giving up control, I just mean that I now need to rely on other people. For a long time, everything you saw on P&P was just me. So it's been a shift to learn how to delegate, find the right people for the right jobs, etc. It's a good thing, just takes some adjusting.

omg maybe a hot dog is a sandwich. fuck

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