JERO Brings Hip Hop Swag to Traditional Japanese "Enka" Music

OK I can officially say that African-Americans have truly stormed the global arena. My jaw dropped and I was stunned after first reading about JERO aka Jerome White Jr., then seeing the video of his performance. Jerome's maternal grandmother was Japanese and used to sing and teach traditional enka songs to him while growing up in Pittsburgh, PA. Enka were popular postwar songs of love, loss and hardship. Similar to American blues, enka had lost much of its popularity with the new generation of Japanese. Jerome's love for the music pushed him toward singing contests where he would stun the audience by singing in flawless Japanese dressed in the wardrobe of Hip Hop- baggy clothes, durag and a fitted.



Jero as he is known best to the Japanese audience, was named best new artist last year by Japan Record Awards — the Japanese version of the Grammys. His love for and skill at singing enka has played a large role in renewing interest in the genre. I will admit, I always wanted to be fluent in Japanese but Jerome took it to a "Whole....'Notha....Level!"



Read more about Jero HERE

VIDEO: CYMARSHALL LAW & MR. JOEKER " Love, Sex Or What?"

5 YEARS OF THE ZRO HOUR: NEW SHOW- RETURN TO ZERO

WOW..to think that five years have passed so soon. SO much has been accomplished. SO much has been sacrificed. Many tough times. Internal conflict. New life, New friends. Strong Allies. If you are a follower/fan/listener of THE ZRO HOUR, you know that we have been talking about this great show (for longer than a minute!!) that is being released today. Shout out to MEL STRINGER for her beautiful hand in the portrait of myself and partner in crime, ALEXIE F., above. Wait till you see the CD..more on that later..

THE ZRO HOUR: RETURN TO ZERO is a show celebrating the return to creative, independent and cutting edge hip hop. RETURN TO ZERO takes you back with two of hip hop's most influential architects-emcee/producer MILK DEE (Audio Two) and founder of BOUNCE magazine, DJ, and mixshow legend BOBBITO GARCIA (Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito) as they speak on their journey and contributions to hip hop and current projects. We have a great interview with two reps of the all-female ANOMOLIES CREW- PRI THE HONEY DARK & BIG TARA. Pri discusses her love for emceeing and establishing herself as a producer. The MISNOMERS (sisters Knewdles and Sos, beatboxer Chesney snow) drop in and rock a live joint with Sos on violin. The finale of the show features a special return visit from our first ever guest, soul /funk singer NUCOMME and an incredible freestyle session with Eturnal, ZEPS, Eternia, Mike Swift, Hasan Salaam, Kid Novice Randy Mason, J-Hon, Puerto Glok, Chesney Snow, Knewdles and MONSTER. These previously unreleased interviews and performances were recorded in the last half of 2008. It was an incredible session with no egos and all came together in the spirit of hip hop. The show is laced with great music from CYMARSHALL LAW & KRS ONE, BUFF 1, SAFARI, LADY DAISEY, JASIRI X, AAROPHAT, LIN QUE and SINSAY. VIDEO is coming Friday, March 27th and will be featured on a new site just for this release (details on that soon) as well as a limited edition promo CD, RESPECT THE ARCHITECTS VOL.1 due early April.

Real talk time- we need investors...We have worked hard with limited resources and have stayed consistent with a professional product. We have served as a voice and an outlet for the artists that are bringing world class talent but get overlooked by the mainstream. THE ZRO HOUR started out of love for the music and culture and wanting to see it move forward. Five years later we are still on our mission and have a great body of work to show for it. To everyone who enjoys our work, please pass it on. Tell your friends, family and co-workers. If they love hip hop and want to hear something refreshing and that takes them back to the golden era of hip hop..look no further. Many thanks to Danial from Galaxy Plus Radio for opening my mind to the idea of independent radio and to Alexie F. & DJ AMbush, I am proud to have you as brothers and for allowing the vision to manifest. To all the artists who have passed through our show, thank you for gracing the show with your skills and supporting us, supporting you.



THE ZRO HOUR: RETURN TO ZERO

DOWNLOAD (176 MB .ZIP File)

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TRACK LIST

1-Beat The Speakers Up- Buff 1 (produced by Labtechs)
2-Do It Big- Sinsay (produced by March 3:14)
3-Control- Cymarshall Law & KRS One (produced by Mr. Joeker)
4-Milk Dee Interview
5-Milk Dee Freestyle
6-Safari Freestyle (produced by Batsauce)
7-Aarophat Call-In
8-Sun Move On- Aarophat (produced by Illastrate)
9-Our Defining Moment- Jasiri X
10-Pri The Honey Dark & Big Tara Interview
11-Pri The Honey Dark Freestyle
12-Gotta Get Up- Lady Daisey (produced by Batsauce)
13-Who I Am- Pace Won & Mr. Green (produced by Mr. Green)
14-Lin Que Call-In
15-Godspeed (Ching Remix)- Lin Que
16-Bobbito Garcia Interview
17-Misnomers Interview
18-Woo Hoo!- Misnomers
19-Nucomme Interview
20-Nucomme Freestyle
21-Eternia Interview
22-Many Many- Eternia & Chesney Snow
23-Freestyle Finale- Hasan Salaam, Randy Mason, Kid Novice, Dashah, Eternia, ZEPS, Eturnal, J-Hon, Mike Swift, Chesney Snow, Knewdles, Puerto Glok, MONSTER
24-Day/Night- Chip Fu aka Jungle Rock Jr.

VIDEO: Termanology, Statik Selektah, and Lil Fame (M.O.P.) Discuss Upcoming Projects

Thanks to iHIPHOP for the video

VIDEO: U.T.F.O.'s KANGOL Interviews Celebrity Accountant Bert Padell

Thanks to ILLSEED From alliphop.com for the heads up to the above video by U.T.F.O. 's KANGOL KID. Kangol has launched an online video show,YO KANGOL, focused on taking the viewer behind the scenes of the music industry. Kangol interviews Bert Padell, accountant to the stars. It is staggering how many people he has represented or helped within the music industry. Mr. Padell proceeds to give very valuable advice and drops a bit of wisdom on approaching a music career. Must watch!

BIG DADDY KANE Documentary In The Works

From ALLHIPHOP:

For the first time in his illustrious career, the legacy Big Daddy Kane will be the subject of a feature-length documentary. Simply titled BDK, the biopic features Kane narrating on his humble beginnings growing up Brooklyn, and his first exposure to the culture that would define him.

“The first time I brought a microphone was because of Divine Sounds, Disco Ritchie,” Kane recalled. “He had his equipment out rhyming and I wanted to get on. So right after I was like ‘I’m an emcee, I wanna rhyme too.’” As with many pioneer artists, Kane learned early to stand on his own merits to gain respect.

Other topics outlined in the documentary will be Kane’s influence on Hip-Hop fashion and the visual presentation of the emcee, along with his lyrical impact through his solo catalogue and Juice Crew contributions.

The film will be directed by Anthony Marshall, co-founder of the Lyricist Lounge. Read more at the link above.

VIDEO: WHAT IF Barack Obama Got Angry, REALLY Angry?

He Hulks-out and becomes "THE ROCK" OBAMA! Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does a great impression of the President while channeling Lou Ferrigno on the latest episode of SNL (Saturday Night Live). SNL's Andy Samberg plays instigator, Rahm Emanuel.

VIDEO: SENOR KAOS- "Girls Rock Too " RMX

Señor Kaos - Girls Rock Too REMIX Video from Señor Kaos on Vimeo.

Great video by Alanta, GA emcee SENOR KAOS celebrating the contributions of women in every arena of life. Props!

VIDEO: U-N-I: A Love Supreme Sessions - Before There Was Love

A Love Supreme Sessions - Before There Was Love from DRG Films on Vimeo.

The highly anticipated "A Love Supreme" project from the L.A. based Hip-Hop duo U-N-I and producer Ro Blvd. will reach the public really soon. In this installment, we visit some of the contributors to the acclaimed "Before There Was Love" Mixtape: DJ's Mick Boogie and Terry Urban, Glenn The Engineer, Producer Dibiase, Producer Faahz, Producer Cook Classics, and El Prez. Also, make sure you watch the entire video to catch the bonus footage of Evidence after the Key Club Performance in January of '09.

B-Ball Magazine BOUNCE Presents Its "Puerto Rico" Issue

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN US SPORTS MEDIA HISTORY, A WHOLE ISSUE DEDICATED TO BALONCESTO BORICUA! READ BOUNCE #19 “THE PUERTO RICO ISSUE” ONLINE IN ITS ENTIRETY @ WWW.BOUNCEMAG.COM!!

FLIP PAGES, DOWNLOAD TO YOUR DESKTOP, OR PRINT IT—ALL FOR FREE!

Founded by Bobbito Garcia, Bounce Magazine #19, “The Puerto Rico Issue”, explores the history of the island’s favorite sport as well as reveals the Nuyorican playground legends who made names for themselves in their homeland. Read up on your favorite Boricua ballplayers including:

Carmelo Anthony
Carlos Arroyo
Mike Rosario
Cesar “Spanish Doc” Fantauzzi
Butch “BLT” Lee
Larry “The Terminator” Ayuso

Bounce print issue #19 is available for free at our NYC and Chicago orange distribution boxes, and can be ordered at the Bounce online store.

http://www.bouncemag.com

NEW SINGLES: HELTAH SKELTAH- "Midnight Madness" Produced By SHUKO

"Midnight Madness" is the lead single off of the Shuko's The Foundation, a production album which will be hitting stores this spring. Featuring Saigon, Papoose, Talib Kweli, Rakim, Doujah Raze, Big Noyd, Jedi Mind Tricks, Craig G, R.A. the Rugged Man, and more, this release will appeal to a wide range of hip hop tastes. For more on Shuko hit up www.myspace.com/shuko.

Download HERE

New CHUBB ROCK & WORDSMITH Download- "Back In"

DUB MD PROMOTIONS & NU REVOLUTION PRESENTS:
CHUBB ROCK & WORDSMITH- "BACK IN" (FEAT. KIMIA COLLINS) PRODUCED BY STRADA

Download HERE

Chubb Rock & Wordsmith will start releasing exclusive promo tracks that are unavailable on their album "Bridging the Gap," over the next few months for the fans, bloggers, major hip hop sites and tastemakers. This will culminate with a mixtape called "A Crack in the Bridge" due to drop in June, so keep it locked as Chubb & Word seek to bridge the gap between the old school and new school era's. Watch out for Wordsmith flooding the streets and online in 2009 with his HipHopDX sponsored mixtapes: Chubb Rock & Wordsmith "A Crack in the Bridge" / "The 2009 Mid-Year Review" and "The 2009 Resolution & Re-Cap."

VIDEO: CASUAL of HIEROGLYPHICS- "Put it in the Air"

VIDEO: Ain't Too Many Emcees F*cking With Cymarshall Law

The incredible Cymarshall Law demolishes DJ Premier's "Take It Personal" beat @ THE KHYBER in Philadelphia, PA on 02.13.09

Bring Out the Sound System: The West Indian Influence on Hip Hop

We previously featured a special ZRO HOUR dedicated to this same subject and now there is a panel discussion this month on this very same topic. From the press release:

When discussing the origins of Hip Hop, most agree that it began in the Bronx. Many also agree that it is an African-American artform with many antecedents. It is a known fact that the trinity of Hip Hop DJ pioneers have roots in the West Indies including DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. Other early artists who made significant contributions to the music include Kool DJ Red Alert, KRS-One, Doug E. Fresh, among others. The sound systems brought out into the parks by Jamaican DJs and the tradition of toasting are among the influences to be debated and discussed.

Post World War II Bronx had a growing community of West Indian immigrants, particularly after the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965. Recreation rooms at 1520 Sedgwick where Kool Herc deejayed and Bronx River Houses where Afrika Bambaataa held court as well as many local parks and early venues like the Black Door, where Grandmaster Flash rocked, mark the cradle of Hip Hop.

"Bring Out the Sound System: The West Indian Influence on Hip Hop" presented by City Lore and The Point CDC, will take place on Saturday, February 28th, 2009 from 3 to 6 pm at The Point CDC, at 940 Garrison Avenue in the Bronx NY 10474

Dr. Natasha Lightfoot of the Bronx African-American Oral History Project, will lead a discussion featuring Hip Hop pioneers and legends including Kool DJ Herc, Kool DJ Red Alert, Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box) and VP Records co-founder, Patricia Chin. VP Records (named after founders Patricia and Vincent) was founded 50 years ago as a record store in Kingston called Randy's Record Mart, and went on to record many of the DJ and Reggae legends in Jamaica.

The discussion will be followed by a presentation on Jamaican and Hip Hop sound systems from the 1970s by DJ Kool Herc and Brother Vincent. The evening concludes with a reception, where audience members can view: From Mambo to Hip Hop: The Exhibit, a photo exhibit which complements City Lore's award-winning documentary directed by Henry Chalfant, From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale; dance to the music of DJ Just Ice; and purchase West Indian fare provided by Bascom Catering with delicious roti, jerk and curry chicken, and salt fish.

thepoint.org