"Jingle, Jangle"..You know I had to take it back to the classic BEAT STREET and the unforgettable scene of THE TREACHEROUS THREE performing "Santa's Rap" featuring the show stopping DOUG E. FRESH. How many pioneers can you spot in the scene? Big up Kool Herc!
Blessings to all and best wishes in this holiday season! Thank you for supporting and discovering us through this year, previous years and to the new visitors arriving daily. We have a gift coming VERY soon. You know how this economy is. Gotta do the after Christmas shuffle. But life is good..we have seen some amazing things this year. Obama is President and we are still in muted disbelief. Not in a bad way, but more like in awe. Below is a great illustration of Santa giving Barack Obama the "fist-bump" by Robt Seda-Schreiber (originally posted on ARTOFOBAMA.COM). Even Santa recognizes the real.
I was loving this DUO LIVE track featuring THE BROOKLYN ALL-STARS when I dropped it uncut on a recent episode of THE ZRO HOUR. The basketball analogies delivered like street beef was classic and the video above shuts it down. One of the nicest tracks of the year..
Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop by Adam Bradley
Most would agree that history's great poets include figures such as Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou. But what about GrandMaster Caz, Jay-Z, KRS-One, Nas or Grandmaster Mele Mel? A book of rhymes is where MCs write their lyrics and is thus, where Rap becomes poetry. In BOOK OF RHYMES: The Poetics of Hip Hop (Basic Civitas; March 3, 2009), literary scholar Adam Bradley explores the poetic intricacies of MC'ing, explaining how "My flow is in the pocket like wallets / I got the bounce like hydraulics" compares to "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Though art more lovely and more temperate." Bradley, who was trained in Black Studies by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West, and in poetics by poetry critic Helen Vendler, dissects the basic components of poetry, revealing the ways in which MC'ing not only conforms to, but has advanced the medium.
Follow a night in the life of new supergroup Idle Warship (Talib Kweli + Res + Graph Nobel) as they travel through NYC, hit the studio to record, DJ a set at a club, perform, and generally talk shit. You can also preview new songs from the group's forthcoming mixtape and album. Shot/Edited by Court Dunn for Restless Films.
The 2008 DMC World DJ Finals DVD includes never seen before footage of 27 national DJ champions battling in the eliminations for a place in the top 12, plus backstage interviews. Witness the top 12 DJs battle it out for the coveted title of DMC World Champion and the chance to win the gold Technics 1200s and the $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Ortofon. The story here: 1997 DMC US Champ, DJ Slyce (New Jersey) makes a surprise comeback, takes the 2008 DMC US title, travels to the World Finals and comes in 2008 World Vice-Champion! Incredible!!!! DJ Fly (France) takes the World title. DJ Co-Ma (Japan) takes 3rd followed by DJ Skully (UK), DJ Final (Norway) and DJ Shub (Canada) closes out the top 6! Very unique sets from 27 of the World's top battle DJs at 3 minutes each in the Eliminations and the top 12 for 6 minutes each, showcase style, in the Finals. A must see!
Featuring 2008 National DMC DJ Champions including: DJ Fly (France), DJ Slyce (USA), DJ Skully (UK), DJ Shub (Canada), DJ Impact (New Zealand), DJ Inquisitive (Singapore), DJ ALX (Sweden), DJ Rob Bankz (Germany), DJ Soak (Spain), DJ Perplex (Australia), DJ Brickfinga (Austria), DJ RM (Brazil), DJ Damented (Benelux), DJ Niky I (Bulgaria), DJ Cavia (China), DJ Mikey (Hong Kong), DJ Mesh (Israel), DJ CO:MA (Japan), DJ Jimmix (Mexico), DJ Final (Norway), DJ Craim (Italy), DJ Skin Khadafi (Philippines), DJ 4Tex (Switzerland), DJ 33 (Belarus), DJ RIZE1200 (Venezuela), DJ Nel-Assassin (Portugal), DJ Direct (Denmark), DJ Layzr (Malaysia) and more!
Christie Z-Pabon of TOOLS OF WAR, former DMC US Event Coordinator from 1998-2000, is now the franchise owner of DMC USA. Christie is the wife of Jorge Pabon aka Popmaster Fabel of The Rocksteady Crew. The couple founded the newsletter TOOLS OF WAR and are very active in supporting the Hip Hop community. Support the DMC DJ Championship by purchasing the DVD for $20 with free shipping here:
FLUD, launched in 2007, is the brain child of Doug "Sugarcuts" Cohen, who used to run big turntablist events called Tableturns and also helped design a mixer for Rane, the TTM-54, amongst other things. His background in urban music inspired the signature FLUD piece "Tableturns" which has driven much attention to the brand. Cohen offered his ideas behind the quest of FLUD, "I'm really into watches and I realized if I wanted to match my green uptowns with a shirt, I could. A hat, I could. A watch? Not so easy. So we wanted to come out with something that was affordable, but you could get fly with and really accessorize with the rest of your outfit." Doug hooked up with good friend Naim Brown, a streetwear and sneaker aficionado, and together they conceptualized the best way the manifest the vision of FLUD. Enter Scott Nowers, a 21 year old with a brilliant business mind to help cross the t's and dot the i's, creating a perfect storm...an executive staff which cover all the bases.
Flud's designs pay tribute to the culture the company lives and breathes. Speaking about the inspiration of Tableturns and its little brother, 33 1/3, Cohen adds "When I designed these two pieces, I realized they connect me to what I did in the past."
If you long for the days when the "JVC vibrated the concrete" (shout out to LL), cop the boombox model above. The above watches retail for an affordable $80-90.
Our latest show celebrates the influence of reggae upon hip hop music and features some classic dubs and tracks influenced by them. Many of our greatest hip hop performers hail from Jamaica or has deep roots embedded. DJ KOOL HERC, BUSTA RHYMES, NOTORIOUS B.I.G., KRS ONE and HEAVY D to name a few. Dub and dancehall music has been the foundation or sample source of many hip hop classics since the early 80's. There were so many joints that I wanted to play so I extended the show to feature over 2 hours of the wickedest tunes around. I set things off with one of the first hip hop/reggae collabo tracks, SEXY, by MASTERS OF CEREMONY and finish with the one and only TENOR SAW. Big up to YELLOWMAN, JUNIOR REID, LADY SAW, PATRA, SHELLY THUNDER, MICHIGAN & SMILEY, BARRINGTON LEVY, SHINEHEAD, SHABBA RANKS, and SUPER CAT!
Check out the video below of HEAVY D's "Long Distance Girlfriend" from his new album VIBES:
EDIT: Found this video from CHIP FU of the FUSHNICKENS LOVE MI SENSI FREESTYLE- Completely ILL!
SEXY-Masters Of Ceremony ZUNGGUZUNGGUGUZUNGGUZENG-Yellowman DISEASES-Michigan & Smiley ROUGH & RUGGED-Shinehead P IS FREE (REMIX)-Boogie Down Productions SHOOT TO KILL-Mad Lion TAKE IT EASY-Mad Lion DOLLY MY BABY (REMIX)-Super Cat, Third Eye, Puff Daddy & Notorious B.I.G. GHETTO RED HOT-Super Cat MACK DADDY-Bobby Konders Feat. Mikey Jarrett KUFF-Shelly Thunder SYCAMORE TREE-Lady Saw DEM NO WORRY ME-Super Cat & Heavy D TELEPHONE LOVE-Shabba Ranks & JC Lodge WINE WINE-Shabba Ranks WHO THE CAP FITS-Bob Marley WHO THE CAP FITS (LIVE)-Queen Latifah & The I-Threes CHANGE LIKE THE WEATHER-Bounty Killer, Busta Rhymes & Junior Reid ONE BLOOD-Junior Reid ONE BLOOD-THE GAME feat. Junior Reid BAD BOYS-Shyne Feat. Barrington Levy HERE I COME-Barrington Levy SOUND BWOY BURIELL-Smif & Wessun REGGAE MEDLEY (LIVE)-Boogie Down Productions NO MATTER WHAT-Heavy D LIFE WITHOUT DICK-Lady Saw ROMANTIC CALL-Patra feat. Yo-Yo RING THE ALARM-The Fushnickens RING THE ALARM-Tenor Saw
The screenshot above reveals Common in a featured role in next summer's TERMINATOR: SALVATION starring Christian Bale. Common may become the next Will Smith with all these high profile blockbusters- Smoking Aces, Wanted, Street Kings, American Gangster and a rumored role as Green Lantern in a Justice League movie. Common has a great screen presence and hasn't disappointed with his roles. Along with Ludacris and Andre 3000, they are proving to have some serious acting chops. Check the trailer for TERMINATOR: SALVATION
This is that classic hip hop that makes me fall in love again. It doesn't hurt that Jean Grae is spittin' and 9th Wonder is rocking the beats. JEANIUS!
First season MTV Real World cast member, writer and 2008 Brooklyn Congressional candidiate, KEVIN POWELL. is hosting his 8th annual Holiday Party and Clothing Drive tonight from 7pm-Midnight at The Madison in New York City. Admission is free with a donation of clean new or used clothes, which will benefit the SAFE HORIZON STREETWORK PROJECT, a program that assists nearly 10,000 NYC homeless young people each year with temporary or permanent housing and other services. Winter clothing is especially needed. You can RSVP at rsvp@kevinpowell.net. Must be 21 and over with an i.D. and there will be a cash bar.
The Madison 27 West 24th Street Between 6th Avenue and Broadway
Oh boy..you have to watch this video above where ?uestlove of The Roots breaks down his predictions for hip hop in 2009. He includes his thoughts on the hottest new MC, the '09 big dog and Twitter. There will be some names you may not expect him to mention (at least I didn't) but the music biz is about who excites the clubs and brings in the dollars not who is the most creative.
