Hip-Hop & Rap Calabo: DJ Muggs vs GZA Grandmasters

The first Soul Assassins album was great. I hope Mugg's comes strong and gives GZA what he needs - dope beats. Link

Hip-hop’s Cypress Hill, founding member and architect DJ Muggs is releasing his latest effort, DJ Muggs vs. GZA: Grandmasters, this October on Angeles Records, an imprint on Fontana Distribution. The stunning collection contains 11-tracks of Muggs’ neck-snapping beats with the legendary rap master Wu Tang’s GZA on the mic.

Multi-source pause blend for GrandGood - first week of June (Re-upped)

I'm re-upping the audio originally posted by our mild mannered friend (I jacked the pic and added one word comments too) since I think it might have been slept on the first time around and to fulfill my selfish needs. If you like this at all just drop a line so we can beg for more. Link FIRST WEEK OF JUNE Young Zee with Lauryn Hill - Stay Gold [unreleased] Nice And Smooth - Blunts [classic] LoveBug Starski - Rappin [any of you heard this before?] Drums Bob Marley - African Herbsman [classic] StevieB - Spring Love Consciousness Change / EzElpee - Bloody Money

The man behind the infamous and ubiquitous images of BORF was caught recently. Link, post with tons of pictures, via no frontin'

KDAY-FM: First HipHop Oldies Station?

According to this article, Atlanta's L.A.'s KDAY is pushing itself as the first Hip-Hop Oldies radio station. I'm thinking this is probably true since "radio" would exclude dedicated satellite and internet channels, which we know have been around for a minute. I can't help but think that the emergence of a radio station serving this niche might not have come to fruition if it wasn't for Satellite radio's (and the internet's) ability to test the waters and prove their is a market. Link

7INCH Sales Up In The UK

British Phonographic Industry recently published their quarterly review of music industry in the UK. The report features sales numbers for 7inches which jumped 87.3% for 2004. By the way, the jump had nothing to do with our record (or hiphop). BPI Quarterly Review - July 2005 : 11:7:2005 > Download sales top ten million > British indie rock fans spark seven inch vinyl revival > UK music enjoys US renaissance > Second quarter round up; artist albums buck high street downturn > Download sales top ten million Vinyl gains add gloss to the single’s 2005 revival Meanwhile 2005 looks set to be a bumper year for the seven inch vinyl, with quarterly sales up by 87.3% on last year. Vinyl is not the only format to have improved in 2005. Impressive gains in DVD single sales have, alongside downloads, more than compensated for the decline in the CD single. Overall there has been a 52.4% improvement in single sales (including downloads). Seven Inch Vinyl 2004 154,216 2005 288,780 % Change 87.3% Source: The Official UK Chart Company > British indie rock fans spark seven inch vinyl revival Annual sales of seven-inch vinyl singles now approach 1.4 million units, representing a massive 64% improvement year-on-year and the best 12 months for the format since 1998, according to data compiled by BPI With vinyl firmly back in fashion, the seven inch’s improving fortunes have been attributed to fans of British indie and rock acts. Best-selling seven inch single in the year to March 2005 was a limited edition reissue of Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast. Elsewhere the format is dominated by a new generation of UK rock acts including the Libertines, Babyshambles, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand. BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson said: “Despite the incredible growth in download sales, there is still a huge demand for the collectible physical formats. It would be wrong to write-off physical formats just yet. Record companies are committed to meeting consumer demand in whatever format people want their music ” The Vinyl Top 20; 12 months ending March 31 2005 1 The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden (EMI Records) 2 Killamangiro - Babyshambles (Rough Trade) 3 Can’t Stand Me Now - The Libertines (Rough Trade) 4 Oh My God - Kaiser Chiefs (B Unique) 5 Matinee - Franz Ferdinand (Domino Recordings) 6 Wonderful - Brian Wilson (Atlantic Records) 7 An Honest Mistake - The Bravery (Polydor) 8 What Became Of The Likely Lads - The Libertines (Rough Trade) 9 Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day (Warner Bros) 10 American Idiot - Green Day (Warner Bros) 7 inch single sales, 12 months ending: March 31 1998 1,637,000 March 31 1999 910,000 March 31 2000 601,000 March 31 2001 504,000 March 31 2002 455,000 March 31 2003 530,000 March 31 2005 1,380,000

Tragedy Khadafi - QU Soldier

Received an email today with a link to Miranda Jane's short piece on Tragedy which somewhat describes the independent film based on his life in QueensBridge (which we've been trying to peep since we first heard about it).

Excerpt "The film reveals much about his personal life, his personal pain, and all that he overcame to become one of our generation's greatest unsung heroes of Hip Hop. With cameos from Poet, Delorean, Corleone, Capone, Havoc, Killa Sha, Littles, Marley Marl, Synysta, and many other QB MCs, artists, and 'hood legends, the truth about Tragedy Khadafi and his illustrious career thus far is finally revealed; as well as the real deal on how he lyrically fathered QB's most famous MCs."

And I also came across this project last week: Tragedy Khadafi - QU Soldier. Seems like Sandbox had something to do with the pressing since it's being pushed as a "SANDBOX & 25 TO LIFE EXCLUSIVE RELEASE." Can't wait to cop this or see the movie.

Sadat X - Experience And Education

I've always loved his flow - SADAT X ON FEMALE FUN! Female Fun Records is very proud to announce our next major project, the solo sophomore full-length release from Sadat X (of Brand Nubian)! The God is Back in full force, returning to the fold single-handedly in a fiery reemergence! Set to drop THIS Oct., Sadat's forthcoming Female Fun album is entitled "Experience & Education" – this will be released on sturdy 180gram 2xLP and digi-pack CD (with design layout handled by our friend Ray Johnson who did the Prince Paul album artwork). We've been working hard through the NYC Summer heat to finalize and finish this certified Bronx-bred banger! So hear `dis! From Uptown to your town, Sadat X is back just for you. Featuring stellar production from the likes of Diamond D, DJ Spinna, The P Brothers, Minnesota, Ge-ology, Scram Jones, Agallah, Ogee, DJ Madsol Desar and others – along with featured guestspots from O.C., Heltah Skeltah (both Sean Price & Rock!), Edo G., Money Boss Players, Agallah and Sean Black (Wild Cowboys fame)! "Experience & Education" is both the amalgamation of Sadat's worldly travels, alongside his extensive connections all throughout the Rap industry. Aged and matured, Sadat is not only a full-time MC, he's a New York City league basketball coach, Elementary school teacher and enrolled-student himself. He's played Point Guard for Howard University, toured the globe many times over with Brand Nubian, and collaborated with everyone from Biggie to Jay-Z to The Neptunes to Redman to Common to a countless list of other luminaries in the world of hip-hop. "Experience & Education" – OUT THIS OCTOBER on FEMALE FUN!

Waxploitation Auction To Assist Victims Of Ethnic Cleansing

I heard Waxploitation is putting out a new Tash record so I checked out their site and stumbled across this upcoming auction. Link

From Press Release:

( July 6, 2005, Los Angeles, CA) - Waxploitation, Inc. announced today it will launch its second online auction to assist victims of the 'ethnic cleansing' taking place in the African country of Sudan, a dire situation that the UN has called one of the worst humanitarian crises the world faces right now.The auction will launch on eBay on July 12th at http://www.ebay.com/the_wax_trust and will include rare and signed items donated by Angelina Jolie, OutKast, Eminem, Radiohead, BAM Margera, Bjork, Kanye West, Serena Williams, Trent Reznor, Ciara, Beastie Boys, System of a Down, Shepherd Ferry, Nelly, REM, Phish, Atmosphere, (Grateful) Dead, TV On The Radio, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Banner, Chad Muska, Sum41, Sage Francis, Will Oldham, Dropkick Murphys, King Britt, Nappy Roots, Paulina Rubio, Rob Zombie, They Might Be Giants, John Legend, Prince and Metallica amongst many others. Over 100 items will be auctioned.

Futura2000 dot com

If you've never been to Futura2000's website, I suggest you check it out. It's been online ever since I can remember and I'm not sure if it's ever been updated. It's presented like a seemingly non-sensical ring of sites with a neverending string of linked pages, but trust me, if you give it a chance you'll see 2 tons of provacative images and words. Futura2000.com

Bill Laswell & the Music Conspiracy (Article from 1997)

Interesting article I came across in Waxpoetic's online archives, featuring Bill Laswell. The article goes into the Altered Beats album (Assassin Knowledges of the Remanipulated) and touches on Laswell's take on certain elements of HipHop as a postmodern expression of that ancient desire to escape the confines of time, or at least that's part of it, I think. The album, which I've never actually listened to, features many djs and turntablists including Prince Paul, Rob Swift and Scratch Pickles. You can go here for clips. Here's an excerpt of Rammellzee's contribution to the liner notes:

When you stop from the last number of infinity, where is it? Zero repeating to positive, zero repeating to negaitve -- just because you've gotten higher, just because you went lower. Hyperbola to parabola to death. It's five on a dime -- can you spin it? -- rise to nine. I'm a gargoyle in argyle socks. Yes...I love syntax because it's natural, it flows, it's like a mountain turning into a molehill: it has to rain for thousands and thousands of years. What is old is old; what is new is very rare."

Link to full article Excerpt: By: Brian DiGenti-Originally published May 1997 // 12.03.01. 'References to "the business" and conspiracy theories—from government-alien pacts to the New World Order—abound in hip-hop and rap. Rappers often cite CIA scandals as proof of a conspiracy to control the black population, while others rap that the all-powerful, manipulative Illuminati is after them. These ideas rear their multiple heads in Altered Beats, especially on DXT's "Embryo," which features a speech about the supposed One-World Government that the United Nations is conspiring to implement—it's a recording made during the Vietnam War era, and it reminds us that these theories are not new. Laswell, however, sees these as less literal, and more symbolic. He connects "all those references to New World Order and conspiracy theories" directly to "a very real part of a systematized control mechanism that you have to filter any of this experimentation through in order to produce a result at the other end." For Laswell, as artist, the ultimate conspiracy is that of time itself. "Just to get out of time," Laswell ponders, "if we can move out of that sort of prison, then we're basically onto something else. That was the whole concept within Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs's work: Time is that which ends.' And as long as we're inside that, we're always moving toward an ending and we're always kind of stuck on the calendar or on the clock face, within the number." The employment of the Gysin-Burroughs cut-up technique (originally done by literally cutting up a finished manuscript and rearranging its parts, such as in the Burroughs novel Naked Lunch) is another way around ordinary methodology. "By using random elements to create new space, you're trying to erase a method, trying to erase a routine and a regimented process," he says. "And you can say you erased time by doing that."'

Lost Mikey D Album Produced By Paul C Found And Being Prepared For Official Release

Excerpt from press release posted by Robbie over at unkut. full post, 1st thought management

Lost Mikey D Album Produced By Paul C Found! QUEENS, NY – After many years of searching, the lost album by Mikey D & The LA Posse has been found. Produced by the late [legendary] Paul C with scratches by DJ Johnnie Quest, this masterpiece does not disappoint. The project was recorded while Mikey and Quest were signed to Sleeping Bag Records in 1989, but was never released due to Sleeping Bag folding and the untimely passing of Paul C.

Sole Video Interview

Recent Sole video interview by Dutch online zine HipHopinJesmoel.com. Link, via thosetwowords Update: I didn't notice this site actually has a lot of other good conversational interviews. Make sure to check them.

Picture of the setup at the Gazebo, from the Turntablist Sessions event in Jamaica Queens' Rufus King Park. Lord Finesse was spinning when we got there. Larger pic

Cope2 Finishes Time Magazine Billboard

Following up on our earlier post about Cope2 being hired by Time Inc., which included our silly comments prodding the authenticity of corporate sponsored bombing, we just learned that adrants has reported that Cope2 finished his billboard for Time Magazine. The billboard points to Time's recently launched Graffiti Archive Collection, which includes articles dating all the way back to 1968. I wish we had audio from Cope2's talk with the press.

Dday One - Loop Extensions LP/CD

I've just been introduced to the music of Dday One, a funky *ss producer from LA. Peep samples from his album on the Content Label. sample 1, sample 2, sample 3 (found via asita blog, good lookin' on that one Anasarca!)