French blog FakeForReal.net recently posted the english translation of their interview with TOCA. Xololanxinxo, Tommy V, Ceschi Ramos and David Ramos discuss their music, influences, a slew of upcoming releases and more. Link

Interesting write-up following the moves of Jay-Z as executive. $50,000 employee prize to sign a fictional deal? Champagne in the office? I thought the music labels were losing money? Link

So he set about to improve morale. He organized several retreats and a weeklong team-building exercise inspired by Donald Trump’s show The Apprentice, in which several teams competed for a $50,000 prize. Their task? Land a record deal for a fictional artist. He has also held a bowling night and a movie night at the private Manhattan club Soho House. And because there’s nothing like Champagne to bring people together, bellinis are served in the office on Friday afternoons.

From their website:

We are currently hiring an Office Intern and Office Manager’s-Intern position, here at Female Fun/Culturama. Are you motiviated? Interested in learning about the Rap Music Industry? Want to meet your hip-hop hero’s, get into events as a VIP (or SVIP*), garner numerous stacks of free music and promotional items? This job may be just what you’re looking for! Work in a friendly, spacious environment, with a tree-lined enclave right in the heart of Brooklyn as your break-area! You’ll have weekends off. Looking for girl or boy ages 21-31 that’s ready to get their hands dirty, their Nikes’ scuffed up, and their experience on! Email: peeay@hotmail.com

The 1959 Irving Fields Trio jewish-latin fusion LP Bagels and Bongos has been reissued by Reboot Stereophonic, a new label founded by a professor at the University of California and random music executives that specialize in Jewish music/culture. Irving Fields is a pioneer on the Moog synthesizer and still plays 6 nights a week at Nino’s Tuscany, a restaurant on West 58th Street at 90 years old.
NYTimes review
Press Release/Order

I wish someone had audio of this:

Peter Vallone. This is Cope2. What is your fucking problem, bro? We are painting subway trains that you are not paying for motherfucker… Just because you have money doesn’t give you the right to do what you think the fuck you want just for elections, just to get elected…This is Cope2 motherfucker… from the Bronx. Bring the cops, I don’t give a fuck… You ain’t no fucking body on this planet Earth…We’re trying to do something honest, and you out to be putting your nose in your fucking ass and shit… We’re graffiti artists, we’re trying to make it in this world… That’s it… You don’t live forever so do what you want motherfucker. All right?
—Message on Astoria Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.’s voice mail, last Wednesday

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_Kev

Anonymous sent in short piece describing the fairly recent trend of permission-based graffiti programs, created by graffiti artists and placed only on leased surfaces. Article directed towards marketing professionals. Legal Graffiti: Ads or Icons, Consumers Wonder

Flash-based interactive timeline of popular hip-hop history starting from the late 1970s. Not that comprehensive. Link

Unexpected niceties. I am very pleased. The only reason I say unexpected is because I had not heard anything about this project previously. Stumbling onto refreshing music is one of the grandest joys in my life. This collection of music is heavily spiked with sounds I would consider electronica but with some very welcomed hiphop influences. I suspect many people will enjoy. I will certainly be keeping an eye on this apparently new netlabel, If Else Then.

My picks:
Don’t Let The Tweekers See - Muthr
Root Suit - Frost featuring Ceschi

Full Album (zip file - 95megs)

Good interview with AZ from NobodysSmiling.com. Link

NBS: What are some of the most memorable moments in your career?
AZ: Just getting the love. From “Life’s A Bitch” when I was like, wow! Nas was the critically acclaimed MC at the time coming out with Illmatic, and I had one little sixteen bars, and half the world knew me. That was like, wow! I figured it was an album filler, you know? Just the tail end of his album, like oh yeah that sounds good, hey fuck it. Then the love that I got from it, that was the most shocking, to be honest. …And just everything else that came with it. “Sugar Hill” went platinum, that was a good thing. I never even brag or boast about that, you know what I mean, but I’ve been platinum before most. So when “Sugar Hill” came out that went platinum, even though it was the single that went platinum. Just enjoying the fruits, being able to leave one game alone and go into the next. It’s a blessing.

Video for 2Mex’s Minors Into Fire, featuring Bus. Link

Cool video for “We Ain’t Singin It.” Link

Bob Moog passed away yesterday. To read about his last days and to read comments from appreciative fans from all over the world, please visit the official site set up by his family - CaringBridge.com

Peep the trailer for the 2005 Scribble Jam DVD. Includes clip of a funny *ss battle and Dibbs skeet shooting?. Link

I can see Grandmaster Flash now, cutting up in his kitchen with white earphones on or Chuck Chillout with no crates for Funkmaster Flex to carry. link

August 12th was Vinyl Record Day and no one told me! Link

Profile America Friday, August 12th. Listening to a favorite song can bring back fond memories. That’s the idea behind Vinyl Record Day, celebrated annually on the anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph. Vinyl records both 33 and 45 RPM brought Americans their favorite music for more than half a century. Today, computer downloaded music means that each of us can put thousands of songs into a tiny, portable device, so we can hear our favorites anywhere. While I-pods and mp3 formats are increasing in popularity, compact discs still make up nearly 90 percent of sales of recorded music. And vinyl LPs haven’t entirely gone away they still account for half a percent of total record sales each year. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov

Very heartfelt thank you to VinylAddicts. Someone please hook them up with proper hosting.