National Museum of American History Embarks On $2M Hip-Hop Exhibition

Smithsonian Institute is planning a great exhibition which delves into the founding aspects of Hip-Hop culture. This is a good opportunity to re-expose some of the earlier artists but hopefully it can also be structured in a way as to provide a balanced view of the varying sub-cultures that arose throughout the years. Link

The museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is announcing its plans to embark on a collecting initiative, "Hip-Hop Won't Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life." The project, which will collect objects that trace hip-hop's origins in the Bronx in the 1970s to its current global reach to form a permanent collection, is expected to cost as much as $2 million and take up to five years to complete. Museum officials have yet to raise the money, which will come from private donors. They plan to use the funds to pay for artifacts, record oral histories, hold consultations with advisory groups and mount an exhibit telling hip-hop's story. Hip-hop culture, whose main elements include rappers, disc jockeys and breakdancers, is considered one of the most powerful cultural explosions ever. Today it's incorporated into marketing to sell everything from cars and clothing to food and furniture.

Myka Nyne: Nine Lives by Gentle Jones

Gentle Jones gives us a nice revealing interview with Myka9. Citrus Sessions getting bootlegged? Ghostwriting for NWA? Link, previously: New Myka9 Album For Free - Citrus Sessions, [AUDIO] Myka 9 radio/interview in Hawaii (side note: can someone start a petition to get those annoying text ads out of allhiphop and sohh articles, c'mon! Do y'all really get clicks? Is it really worth it?)

Busdriver Will Release Next Album On Epitaph

From Busdriversite

Busdriver's new record Busdriver has signed on with Epitaph for his upcoming release. With production being tackled by Nobody and Boom Bip respectively, it's expected to exhibit a musical depth that has only been hinted at in the past. Expect it in the Fall.

Mike Patton Is A Peeping Tom

What do Kid Koala, Odd Nosdam, Doseone, Jel, Dale Crover of The Melvins, Massive Attack, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Rahzel, DJ Muggs, Amon Tobin, Bebel Gilberto, Dub Trio, DJ Disk and Kool Keith all have in common? Mike Patton. Link

Sony BMG Continues Dishonest Practices?

Although not explicitly stated, it appears SonyBMG intends to promote it's artists by means of hiring fake fans. Copied below is a summary of the job ad which describes the position. We don't mean to pick on Sony because it is pretty well known in marketing circles that "word of mouth" campaigns can be created by hired individuals very easily and I know from first hand experience that SonyBMG is not the only media company which employs this strategy. But what gets to us is that Sony has time and time again promised to stop deceiving it's customers. From marketing movies to selling CDs to promoting musicians, will media companies like Sony ever concentrate on developing talent and quality work instead of trying to dupe customers or pay off radio djs? nytimes brief, Sony admits fake fans on ad, Sony fined $1M for lying

Unpaid Shills Wanted Sony BMG, fresh from being exposed by a blogger for planting stealth, and potentially dangerous, antipiracy code in some of its CD's, is seeking interns to plug its artists online. The interns will promote artists in Web communities where many people go specifically to share music without the influence of corporate marketers. "Do you blog, have lots of friends at your MySpace page, and love music?" its ad at entertainmentcareers.net asks. Epic Records, a Sony BMG imprint, "is looking for skilled, motivated interns to promote artists on social networking sites like MySpace, Purevolume, Facebook and others." The ad doesn't say whether the interns will identify themselves to their online "friends" as agents of Sony BMG. But they'll get college credit (for this unpaid job, Sony BMG only wants applicants eligible for that) and a bullet point for their résumés, so what's the difference?

Jay Dee Will Be Missed

Jay Dee will be missed by many. If you're not exactly sure why, this is for you. Comprehensive compilation of his work, 3 volumes, 46 tracks in all. Link (via mental combat) update 021406: A lot of great mixes in his honor floating around hiphopmusic sophisticated and coarse straight bangin vinyl addicts

A Rolling Shout-Out To Hip-Hop History

A Rolling Shout-Out To Hip-Hop History, high tourism potential for the South Bronx? Link (registration required, or use bugmenot)

As the tour wound down and the bus headed south from Harlem down Fifth Avenue, Caz stood up at the front and regaled the crowd with rhymes extolling the old school. The tour de force is a rap called "Before," in which Caz makes a grand metaphysical boast in behalf of hip-hop itself: "Before Reganomics/ Before rappers got shot in their stomachs/ Before Britney, Mariah and Janet/ Before Soul Sonic Force rocked the planet/ In its lyrical form and in the essence of time, by no means get it twisted/ My name is hip-hop, and I have always existed."

NOGATCO - New Kool Keith Project?

Kool Keith is one funny dude. Link

We are a group of concerned world citizens that are calling for transparency and acknowledgement of a secret agency also known as NOGATCO (National Objectives for Governmental Astral-Terrestrial Covert Operations).

Natural Selection

In the same vein of the successful WuTang Meets Indie Culture compilation, Nature Sounds has seen the light and is planning on releasing an album featuring a wide array of artists. Link

A host of hip-hop notables have lent tracks to the compilation "Natural Selection," due April 4 via Nature Sounds. The 11-track set is led by the track "Angeles" from the buzzed-about collaboration between Ghostface and MF Doom and "The PJs," a Pete Rock track featuring Raekwon and Masta Killah that will be found on Rock's upcoming album, "NY's Finest."The collection is rounded out by two cuts from Strong Arm Steady (comprised of Xzibit, Phil The Agony, Krondon and Mitchy Slick), one which features Chamillionaire and Ras Kass, Masta Killa's "Ringing Bells" and a Raekwon/Tragedy pairing on "Guerilla Rap."

Do You Believe In Post Hip-Hop?

Confused essay trying to argue for the reevaluation of the moniker Hip-Hop. It fails, in my opinion, to recognize that "progressive" Hip-Hop has existed continuously since the 80s, you just can't come across it regularly on popular radio or tv. But it is there so what's the point in arguing that it needs to be reborn or something? Just because confused marketers use the term Hip-Hop without serious regard for what it means to the original generation, does that mean Hip-Hop itself has changed? Link

Fatlip - Worst Case Scenario Video

Props to Delicious Vinyl, Spike Jonze and Fatlip for making great videos. This one is for the optimistic song Worst Case Scenario, from Fatlip's recently released album Thelonliest Punk. Like my man says sometimes when things get rough, "...at least we're not in Serbia or some sh*t." Link, previously: Download Fatlip Documentary By Spike Jonze!, Audiocast No. 111105: What It's All About

Snippet Of New Masta Killa Single

Snippet of new Masta Killa single, Ringin Bells, from sophomore album Made In Brooklyn, courtesy of Nature Sounds. site, mp3

Ever Wonder Why Masta Killa Is A Vegeterian?

Ever wonder why Masta Killa is a vegetarian? Wonder no more (and if you missed it on our side bar, peep the Sage Francis interview also). Link (via wutangcorp)

Sage Francis + Sol.iLLaquists of Sound - Live In Philadelphia

Sage Francis + Sol.iLLaquists of Sound - Live In Philadelphia. Last show together. via updated strangefamous records site