J-zone’s new monthly mixshow. June mix, July mix, zonesite.net, myspace.com/jzoneoldmaid

What up, and welcome to my monthly mixshow Gator$-N-Fur$. Now that I’ve stepped away from the mic to focus on production and DJing, its only right I kick it off with a lil monthly mixshow for fun. Goin back to my roots as a college DJ -where I got kicked off the air a few times for playing NWA’s “I’d Rather Fuck You”- was inevitable. Every show will have a different theme to keep shit fun, versatile and cohesive. Somehow, I’ll find a way to cram funk, miami bass, gangsta rap, golden age hiphop, St. Ides commercials, hip house, pop, soul, rock and new wave into my repitoire. Somehow… The theme of the first edition is the soundtrack to my life if it were a movie (and if I were famous enough to have my life made into a movie, haha). Influential songs, personal faves and background music for my life events…the songs that created the J-Zone we all love/hate. I even threw in a bonus for this first show. For those of you who wondered what a 16 year old J-Zone sounded like, I put my first hiphop demo I ever did in the mix (beats, rhymes and cuts by me) and I was straight trash! Y’all think I’m wack now? Ha. Fuck it, embarrassment ain’t shit new. I put the first record I ever produced (the Preacher Earl joint) on there too. Enjoy, and check the JUNE GATOR (thats the link to download).

88Nine’s Diggin’ has two posts up exploring black music that does not fall within the hip hop and r&b genres. Worth checking some of the artists he points to but also nice to see someone trying to start a discussion on this topic. Pt. 2, Pt. 1

see also:
White Lies Black Sheep: What’s a young black rocker to do?

This video features the Blue City Crew, an early incarnation of the Boo-Yaa Tribe, who, if you ask them (and consult a calendar), were the predecessors to bands like Ice T’s Body Count, which achieved crazy hype and criticism due to their song “Cop Killer” in the early nineties, and pioneers of the gangster rap / rock style along with Suicidal Tendencies.

The Blue City Crew were then based in Japan, where the Devoux brothers escaped to avoid repeats of prison time (Ganxsta Ridd) and death (Youngman, the youngest Devoux brother - who was murdered). Gradually building a buzz overseas through performances and, I’m sure, the overall novelty of an all-Samoan rap act, the brothers were eventually able to make their way back to the US and sign to 4th and Broadway, releasing the debut “New Funky Nation” in 1989. Through their affiliation with West Side Piru and Park Village Compton Crip, two Los Angeles street gangs with heavy Samoan representation and on the opposite sides of the red and blue line, and their increasingly menacing image, the brothers built a legendary rep with both street credibility and real talent (you ever heard these brothers harmonize? - forget the actual song BTW, please). They supposedly combined the “Boo” from the blood slang “that’s boo”, and took the PVCC call ‘yaaaah’ and combined those, but if you remember kids were saying “boo-yah” all over the place back then from basketball courts to busstops, and Cypress Hill also had that lyric “shotgun go BOO-YAH” so who knows if that factoid was an afterthought, but that’s the word.

It’s a trip how far they came, no?

As far as the video you can see some original West Coast style shit, from the poplock which was born in Fresno to the Tut. Me and a friend in I think 10th grade or something had a old school dude show us how to put your back against a wall and strike your positions against that to keep your Tut very sharp and realistic.

Links:
Waveomatic talking about the LA Scene and Blue City Crew
Tutting

Not as good as gossiping b*tches. But still funny. Link

In a development that stunned Middle Eastern experts, the embattled Gaza Strip was seized by a shadowy group of heavily armed men. Yet it was not the incumbent Fatah regime or the isurgent Hamas but one of New York’s most respected rap groups. The Wu Tang Clan, a consortium of an estimated thousand strong rappers, producers, and others involved in hip-hop were well armed with Uzis and pinky rings. Flanked by a unit of masked ninja wielding liquid swords and heavily armed ‘homies’ from the Stapleton Projects, the GZA quickly led a unit of soldiers into the Hamas stronghold of Seijiya in Gaza City, iron flag in hand.

A final crescendo of gunfire in Beit Lahiya came to a halt as the Wu released a recorded statement to the press. “Straight from the slums of Shao-Lin, the Wu Tang Clan Killer Beez taking over densely populated areas, filling power vacuums, creating sustainable governments all up in the Middle East. Tical!” An unnamed diplomat in the region claimed the gravelly voice was that of Clifford Smith, better known as Method Man. Touted as the interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, Method Man has maintained ‘low-level style contacts’ with the PLO since 1991. Smith has been accused of torture in the past, having allegedly ‘put a hanger on a…stove and let that shit sit there for like a half hour’ before using it as a torture device. Method Man claims that he renounced violence in 1993 in the spirit of the Oslo Accords and was merely using a figure of speech deliberately taken out of context by critics.

Read more »

UnderGroundOnline interviews Monch. Pharoahe on Shady Records? Link

The interview is part of a three part series and was conducted by the illustrious Jason Rosario. In this part, Pharoahe Monch talks about his absence, label politricks, and about almost being signed to Shady Records! Download and Spread.

Video blog from J. Medeiros of the Procussions where he shows us some of his production techniques. He rocks an ASRx and likes to play the keyboard. Link (via)

see also:
J. Medeiros Of The Procussions Tackles Sensitive Topic

Scientific American doing some interesting things. His Mass Dstrction remix series are gaining popularity. Here’s an instrumental to one of his remixes from Mass Dstrction v.4. Link (via)



Download sticks instrumental by Scientific American



Download Mass Dstrction v.4 by Scientific American

radiohead
the books
wu-tang clan
dabrye
machine drum
slint
buju banton

Read more »



Nice high quality video of Raekwon and Ghostface performance courtesy of PithControl.tv. I like that Ruck freestyle too. Good to see him in the spotlight. Link

Episode 5 begins with Raekwon and Ghostface Killa of the Wu-Tang Clan performing “C.R.E.A.M.” at Houston’s Club ‘Engine Room,’ followed by a NYC Rough Ridin’ Bike segment from L.I.-Queens-Brooklyn. Next catch Sean P. aka Ruck of Heltah Skeltah in an Exclusive Pitch Control Freestyle. Dat Boy Grace of the Screwed Up Click takes us on a trip down I-10 in an exclusive Underground music video for “Interstate-10.” Finally catch Beanie Siegel performing several classics, live from Treasure Island in San Fransisco.

Download Piseas’ new mixtape here. Peep the video for Californiyay while you’re waiting.

thebashbros.com

(via)

Here’s a trailer for another documentary on the Wu, directed by the Gza. No word on release date. IMDB has it listed under post-production. (via)

see also:
Wu Movie Does Not Disappoint
Wu Movie at H2O Film Festival (NYC Sat 6/9 @ 9:30pm)

Click To Play

The essential documentary From Mambo To Hip-Hop is available for viewing (and downloading) in its entirety online. Apparently uploaded by the online component of the Bronx’s New Edge Theatre which contributed to the filming. Not sure if this is sanctioned by Mr. Chalfant but hey, this is too good to miss, especially considering the possibility that it may never get distribution. Link

Update: As you can see by Mr. Chalfant’s comment, this is an unauthorized bootleg version. New Edge Theatre apparently riding coattails. We’ll try to provide the official release information when available.

previously:
Update On Mambo To HipHop DVD
Mambo To HipHop Screening + Q&A (Netherlands 11/26 @ 7pm)
Henry Chalfant’s and City Lore’s Mambo To Hip-Hop
Film Screening: Henry Chalfant’s Mambo To Hip Hop
Mambo To Hip Hop Film Screening

It’s that time of the year again. Here’s the schedule for the full 29hrs. Link

Hip Hop TakeOver 29 Hour Schedule June 2007

Friday June 29th
7-9pm - Emskee and G-Man - Golden Age of Hip Hop 1995-1999 - Music from the lost/seldom heard songs of known/unknown artists during this time period. Mild conversation of how Hip Hop has changed since then.

9-11pm B.Boy Omega - The Originators - Hip Hop pioneers and trailblazers in the Hip Hop industry, past and present. Interviews with : Rahiem from the Furious Five, Kangol Kid from UTFO, Wyclef Jean, Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond, Ruby Dee from the Fantastic 5, Claudine Joseph from Violator Records and a few surprise guests.

11pm -1am - Mazi-O - West Coast

Saturday June 30th
1am - 3am - EOW (End Of the Weak)- Hosted by Big Zoo and Propayne. Excerpts from MC challenge competition and live freestyle from some of the contestants. Music from all new, exclusive Hip Hop from the best underground artist around the globe.

3am - 6am - Ife’ - The Mix Up- An eclectic mix from your old school, new school, and independent Hip Hop artist

Read more »

Was Good Lifer I Smooth 7 talking about the social ills and global ramifications of the rampant sex trade in Southeast Asia when he said this line? You be the judge…

I used to jack cassette singles (cassingles if you’re nasty) from Wherehouses when I was in Junior High. I was pretty good at it too, had my method all down [although I didn't use a staple remover like one of my homies], until I got caught by the rent-a-cops at Tower Records, which had a way more sophisticated anti-theft operation involving cameras with joystick zoom operators. I got caught stealing what else but the Ill Al Skratch album. How embarrassed I was, for I knew deep down that an Ill Al Skratch album was no good. Anyways, the I Smooth 7 single was one of the better ones I picked up in those days. And for all you snotty ladies (do ladies even read these blogs?) that might call me a scrub for doing this, don’t ever forget all those clothes you stole from the swap meet by wearing them under the outfit you walked in with. You see, I know these things.

The album this song was on, which was entirely produced by one of the most talented producers on the West Coast, and in the game period, Battlecat, was supposedly never released but I don’t remember if that’s the case. Although I Smooth 7 is not the best MC out of the Good Life ever, the beats you can check in these unreleased snippets from Westcoast2K are tight. Check Ab Rude featured on the bonus cut: “Strugglin”, and the shout out to Mass Men on “For Da Love Of the Ghetto”.

MF Grimm talks about his history and how it led to the autobiographic comic book, Sentences. Also, check out some sample images including the one above depicting the moments after the infamous shooting. Link

“It’s from five years old up, until the present time,” Carey said of the purview of the project. “It’s detailed, but it’s not very detailed to the point where every single second of my life from five years old, it’s just gathered bits and pieces of stories throughout my life, and some of the things I’ve been through that shaped me into who I am today. I touch on from five, teenage years, twenties, all the way up to now.”

“Sentences” is just the beginning for the burgeoning writer. Carey told CBR News that for his next project, he’ll be venturing into the DCU proper. “It’s a little too early for me to go into the details, but I am entering the DC Universe,” Carey said. “It’s a dream come true. I’m a DC guy. I don’t know if there’s a lot of us like me, but I’m very loyal to DC and to Vertigo. They took a chance with me, and I appreciate that, and I wanna show that and not just run around. I’m really about loyalty.”



previously

You know what this Saturday is. All day free show. Link

Ghostface
Large Professor
Sean P
Dres
El Michels Affair
J. Period
Consequence

previously:
BHHF Lineup Getting Better!
3rd Annual Brooklyn HipHop Festival (Jun 7, 14, 21, 22, 23 Dumbo, Brooklyn)

I always felt Havoc’s strength was his production skills. Not to say he’s not talented as a vocalist, but when I think of Havoc I think of beats. And not just any beat, but those bangin’, grimey beats that defined Mobb Deep (and arguably a major portion of mid 90s east coast sound for that matter). I would seek out his guest production on other albums, like La The Darkman’s debut or OGC’s M-Pire Shrikes Back. Now I’m not sure what to think. I understand he probably doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed and he wants to flex his pop-music muscles but c’mon? Is that really his fan base? Here’s an unimpressive track that’s supposed to be from his upcoming solo project. Link