Producer Timothy Lee Conley Partners with Clapit & The Hype Magazine in Nationwide Open Call Auditions for Hip Hop Documentary “N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo”
Producer Timothy Lee Conley Partners with Clapit & The Hype Magazine in Nationwide Open Call Auditions for Hip Hop Documentary “N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo”
Television and film producer, writer, and director Timothy Lee Conley (Agency Submitted)
Producer Timothy Lee Conley will choose three actors for roles in his documentary film “N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo” from the top voted, eligible video audition entries submitted through the Clapit social media app, a new talent discovery platform. The chosen winners will be flown (all expenses paid) to Los Angeles to film on location.
Television and film producer, writer, and director Timothy Lee Conley announced today a nationwide open call for actors to submit auditions for three roles in his new documentary, “N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo,” via the social media app Clapit, an increasingly popular and innovative talent discovery app that partners with film and television productions to discover aspiring actors. The documentary will be shot in Los Angeles in October 2017. All auditions must be submitted through Clapit in accordance with Clapit’s competition rules, terms and guidelines. For information on the Open Call, in partnership with The Hype Magazine and sponsored by Actors Connection, please visit http://clapit.com.
Conley’s documentary is about the advent of West Coast Hip Hop. It features Grandmaster Lonzo (Alonzo Williams) and is slated for release in 2018. It will highlight the years 1975-1988 prior to the rise of N.W.A., an American Hip Hop group from Los Angeles.
“N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo” cover art
Legendary artist, producer, and club owner, Grandmaster Lonzo, the star of the documentary, began his career as an early West Coast Mobile DJ under the name “Disco Lonzo.” His knack for club ownership established him as a music industry heavyweight, with a roster of successful venues that include: Eve After Dark, Dooto’s, The Penthouse, The Current Affair, and Club Hall of Fame.
The World Class Wreckin Cru (Agency Submitted)
By 1984, “Grandmaster Lonzo” (nicknamed by the Hip Hop community) transformed his in-house DJ’s to a group called “The World Class Wreckin Cru” (W.C.W.C.), comprised of Alonzo “Grandmaster Lonzo” Williams, Marq “Cli-N-Tel” Hawkins, Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby, and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young. Grandmaster Lonzo used the money generated from Eve After Dark & Dooto’s to finance his new record label “Kru Cut Records.” He built a recording studio inside his home garage where W.C.W.C. could lay tracks, including their first recorded singles “Surgery” and “Juice.” Both singles became electro-rap favorites in the West Coast club circuit with hit sales.
After releasing World Class, the group’s debut album, they caught the eye of Larkin Arnold of Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS records. Cli-N-Tel decided to leave the group at this time for personal reasons, including finishing his bachelor’s degree at California State University, Fullerton. He was replaced by Barry “Shakespeare” Severe. Arnold signed W.C.W.C. to their first and only major record label deal after Cli-N- Tel’s departure. With this signing, W.C.W.C. released a string of singles and their second album, Rapped in Romance. In addition, Stereo Cru, the first group initiated by O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson which was later renamed C.I.A (Cru In Action), was signed to a single song deal.
As with many major record labels, with a busy roster of major artists, Epic Records did not put in the time to aid in the development of W.C.W.C. and C.I.A. Both groups were released from their contracts after one year with the label and went back to releasing music independently under Kru Cut Records in association with Macola Records. W.C.W.C. released the Cabbage Patch album featuring “House Calls” and “Must Be The Music.” Shortly after, the Cru decided to go their separate ways, but not before Grandmaster Lonzo penned and recorded “Turn Off the Lights” featuring Michel’le. C.I.A. released a song produced by Dr. Dre, “My Posse” before disbanding.
During his more than twenty-five plus years in the music industry, Grandmaster Lonzo was instrumental in the rise of some of today’s hottest talents such as Dr. Dre, DJ Battle Kat, DJ Rectangle, Ice Cube, L.A. Dream Team and West Coast Record Distributors. He also launched the careers of Rodney-O and Joe Cooley, as well as Compton’s Most Wanted.
By the early 2000’s, Grandmaster Lonzo was invited to share his industry experience and knowledge with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and countless universities. He tours extensively to conferences and workshops and is a prominent fixture on entertainment industry panels across the United States. He has also been featured on MTV and VH1, along with news media such as The Los Angeles Times, The Source, and Vibe. Grandmaster Lonzo is also an integral figure in the best-selling music industry documentary Welcome to Death Row, an exposé on the most newsworthy Hip Hop label in the world.
Grandmaster Lonzo remains a steady fixture in Hip Hop today, expanding his credits to literary author and radio show host. On the heels of the August 2015 release of Straight Outta Compton (which vaguely chronicled his role in the formative years of the world’s most dangerous rap group, N.W.A.) Grandmaster Lonzo released his memoir, N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo: The Roots of West Coast Hip Hop in October 2015 (available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon). What followed is a raw and uncut internet radio show entitled The Not Without Alonzo Show,”which broadcasts every Wednesday on the Morris Media Network.
Grandmaster Lonzo continues to diversify his career as an author, speaker and Hip Hop historian through his new company, The Lonzo Infotainment Company (The L.I.C.), with a view to mentoring aspiring young artists interested in pursuing a career in entertainment.
Timothy with Lonzo, Arabian Prince (NWA), and Cli-N-Tel (WCWC) (Photo Agency Submitted)
Timothy Lee Conley, the producer of the N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo documentary, is a Los Angeles based film and television writer, producer and director. He is the owner and Executive Producer of 67 Entertainment and has produced eight films over the last seven years. Concurrently with his work in the film and television business, Professor Conley is an adjunct faculty member at California State University, Northridge, Santa Monica College, and Rio Hondo College. He teaches courses in Media, Film Studies and Hip Hop Culture. Timothy Conley is a graduate of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the USC School for Cinematic Arts.
To support the open call for his documentary, Conley has partnered with the social media entertainment app Clapit, where emerging actors can be discovered via an innovative, community-driven audition process from their mobile devices.
Actors can apply for the roles of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Female Cashier by uploading a 20 second video audition to Clapit, showcasing their acting talent in accordance with the character breakdowns posted on the app. The most clapped audition videos, ranked by the Clapit community, will be showcased on Clapit’s “Best” feed. Conley will select the winners from the most clapped submissions for each role at the end of the voting period – a democratic crowd-sourced voting system to provide three actors their first big breaks.
Entrants download Clapit for free from the iTunes App Store, shoot and upload their videos, hashtag their entries #notwithoutalonzo, and then spread the word by asking friends to download Clapit and “clap” for them. All entries are subject to eligibility requirements and the official contest rule. The open call wraps on October 11, 2017 at 11:59 P.M. EST.
“Clapit is an innovative new casting tool for film and television, and it’s an honor to work with their up-and-coming actors that have so much talent,” said Conley. “By teaming with Clapit, we are able to expand our search for the best of the best, and with such ease.”
”We are thrilled to partner with Timothy Conley on his story of Alonzo Williams – one of the most renowned figures in Hip Hop history,” said Clapit co-founder Paul Joshua Bedwell, who will be making the trip from his hometown in Australia to Los Angeles, CA to be on set for the filming. “We are excited for the opportunity to discover new stars on Clapit and to cast three unknown actors straight into roles in the film with Tim.”
Bedwell also stated, “With a powerful partner like The Hype Magazine and sponsor like Actors Connection, Clapit continues to expand its ever increasing audience to aspiring actors, giving them a unique opportunity to break into Hollywood, regardless or prior experience.”
Clapit is launching it’s #notwithoutalonzo Open Call in partnership with The Hype Magazine, the #1 digital magazine in the world since 2002. More than just an average urban music magazine, Hype services their readers and subscribers with a diverse collection of stories, interviews and impactful editorials. Hype’s audience range includes the Hip Hop community, fashion fans; gamers; movie buffs; MMA followers; EDM; and rock and television personalities. The Hype Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jerry Doby will be on set covering the filming live and direct as part of the magazine’s official #MediaStop tour.
Actors Connection is also a proud sponsor of Clapit’s #notwithoutalonzo initiative. With over 200 seminars, classes and special events each month, Actors Connection has been connecting actors with leading talent agents, casting directors and personal managers since 1991.
For more information on Clapit’s open calls, rules and prizes, visit clapit.com. To enter the open call or to follow the competition, download Clapit HERE today!
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About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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