2007 VH1 HIP HOP HONORS Lineup and Tour

It's that time of the year once again for one of the best and most controversial Hip Hop shows on cable- VH1 Hip Hop Honors. This year's lineup includes an almost perfect selection of honorees and one that makes you scratch your head in confusion. The honorees for 2007 include Snoop Dogg, Whodini, A Tribe Called Quest, Teddy Riley & Andre Harrell (for the creation of New Jack Swing- check our Teddy Riley Tribute and Snoop Dogg Tribute from 2004). the film WILD STYLE's 25th anniversary and Missy Elliott. That's right I said Missy Elliott. Missy over Queen Latifah? Maybe Latifah could not make it. In a way I understand. Missy has made a powerful impact in the Hip Hop and R&B genres and her career has had more milestones and longevity than many other female Hip Hop artists. Still, it should be a great show. No other network has committed to exposing the pioneers and the most influential artists involved in shaping Hip Hop. I give VH1 props for that. VH1 Hip Hop Honors will be broadcast on October 8th at 10pm.

This year also sees the first Hip Hop Honors Tour. The Roots headline with special guests including Big Daddy Kane & MC Lyte. Check the listings for a city near you. Tickets for the October 5th, New York City show can be purchased HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: Brian Coleman's Check The Technique

BRIAN COLEMAN & EDAYE at the CHECK THE TECHNIQUE book release party


Are you like me? Do you ever find yourself wishing you were a fly on the wall during the recording and creation of some of the most impactful albums in all of Hip Hop? Just imagine seeing Marley Marl recording the Juice Crew's early classics such as Biz markie's "Make The Music", "The Symphony", Big Daddy Kane's "Raw" and "Set It Off". Imagine being in the same high school as Q Tip, The Jungle Brothers and Brother J from the X-Clan before they went on to make history. Throw in a few scenes of the formative struggles and you have the foundation for Brian Coleman's excellent book CHECK THE TECHNIQUE: LINER NOTES FOR HIP HOP JUNKIES. CHECK THE TECHNIQUE is actually an expanded edition of Brian's first book RAKIM TOLD ME. Some albums profiled in the first book were left out but there are many others that have been included in this version. Check The Technique is a collection of interviews of the artists and producers involved with creating their defining work. These are albums that have influenced an entire generation of current Hip Hop artists. If you are a true Hip Hop head, the book is hard to put down due to the amount of behind the scenes info. Many stories of the struggles, studio techniques and ambiance of the era (late 80's- early 90's) struck me intimately. When DMC speaks of how he and Run premiered the entire RAISING HELL album to a mouth watering Apollo theater crowd, I remembered being there that night. I lost my mind when they did the intro to PETER PIPER 3 times in a row before dropping the whole song. When Brother J of X-Clan speaks on beloved Hip Hop clubs of his era and running with Q Tip and The Jungle Brothers in Murray Bergtraum H.S., it took me back to my days in high school during that time. The creative energy in NYC was bananas then. Gearheads and MPC/SP1200 users can get the inside on which gear their favorite producer used to make that classic. The one thing that sticks out within all the interviews is a collective feeling of having fun while determined to express that calling from Hip Hop. It is an awakening when you truly feel the essence of Hip Hop culture as it compels you to get in where you fit in..

Pick up the book and make it required reading for Hip Hop heads old and new.