by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Azealia Banks - Jumanji (MP3)

Azealia Banks at Coachella 2012 (more by David Andrako)

Azealia Banks, who recently canceled a bunch of summer shows due to "recording commitments," has now added more shows to her summer schedule. Most of those are in Europe, but she was just added to the Hot 97 Summer Jam lineup which goes down in East Rutherford, NJ at MetLife Stadium on June 3. The rest of the lineup includes Nicki MInaj, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Waka Flocka Flame, Young Jeezy, J. Cole, Wale, and more. Tickets for the fest are available. The full lineup is listed below.

UPDATE: She actually plays the Summer Jam pre-show in the parking lot with the even more impressive lineup of Pusha T, Big K.R.I.T., A$AP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and Fred the Godson. Your Summer Jam ticket gets you into the pre-show.

In addition to her fickle live schedule, Azealia Banks continues to move around her schedule of releases as well. As of right now, she's planning to get her delayed 1991 EP out on May 29 digitally and June 12 physically via Interscope. The cover art for that EP is below. She'll follow it with the Fantastic mixtape, which is due out on July 4, and includes her recently dropped track, "Jumanji," which was produced by Hudson Mohawke and Nick Hook. Grab that track above or stream it below. Finally, her debut full length, Broke With Expensive Taste, which is presumably the album she's been working on with Paul Epworth, is due out in September.

In other news, fresh off her feud with Iggy Azalea (who plays SOBs TONIGHT [5/17]), she's taken a stab at Lil Kim, who refused to collaborate with Azealia because Lil Kim wanted to write her own verse. Azealia had written it for her and insisted, "Everybody knows Lil Kim doesn't write her own raps." We already know that Kim's got beef with Nicki Minaj. Azealia, however, seems down with Nicki and would possibly collaborate with her, but thinks she should ditch the "ugly wigs and ugly costumes." Maybe they'll meet up when they both play Summer Jam next month. On the other hand, Azealia Banks has collaborated with Missy Elliot and Rye Rye on a remix of M.I.A.'s "Bad Girls." Look for that soon.

A list of all dates, Hot 97 Summer Jam lineup, 1991 cover art, and the "Jumanji" stream are below...

Continue reading "Azealia Banks added to Hot 97 Summer Jam lineup, prepping EP, mixtape, and LP"

The Roots on the Intrepid (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The Roots have unveiled undun, the band's latest LP due via Island/Def Jam on Dec 6th. undun is, as described by the band, "an existential re-telling of the short life of one Redford Stephens (1974-1999) that plays in reverse, retelling the intersection of free will and prescribed destiny as it plays out on the corner." Sounds heavy, and you can check out the lead track to surface, "Make My" featuring Big K.R.I.T. which is streaming below.

You can obviously catch The Roots virtually every night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, or you can see them in person at Highline Ballroom on Nov. 29th & 30th and Dec. 5th as they celebrate undun. Ticketing info is forthcoming, but we're guessing they'll be late shows based on the currently full calendar on those dates (Corey Glover, Basya Schechter's Songs of Wonder, and Corey Taylor of Slipknot respectively). Meanwhile those with a CMJ badge (or a ticket to the sold out show) can head to Highline Ballroom to see Alice Smith & Gary Clark Jr tonight (10/18).

The Roots recently played a live show aboard the Intrepid with The Hold Steady. Questlove has since opened for Little Dragon at Terminal 5, and CMJ badgeholders can see him DJ for free at Brooklyn Bowl this Thursday (10/20).

Check out "Make My" featuring Big K.R.I.T. below.

Continue reading "The Roots announce concept album, shows at Highline Ballroom (listen to a new song ft. Big K.R.I.T.)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin, words by BBG

Lauryn / Erykah

Last year Rock the Bells, the touring hip-hop bonanza, picked up on the voguish festival concept in which an artist performs an old record from beginning to end. It went well, and this year's edition bought in twice as hard. On Saturday on Governors Island, amid other, more ordinary sets, 11 albums were performed in their entirety.

What a gorging! What an obligation! It seemed to weigh on the crowd. It meant that listeners weren't in the here and now, where they might be fratty or selfish or mean spirited. They were deep in the been and gone. They weren't just listening to hits, or to sustained works of art, but to their own pasts. The exercise cooled them out. Saturday's audience was truly racially mixed, with a heavy representation of the 30-to-45 age bracket, grown-up New Yorkers at their casual and courteous best. Many of them high, but still. -[New York Times]

Rock The Bells 2011 took Governors Island by storm on 9/3, and according to reports, ran smoothly and generally on time. There was a barrage of classic LPs (Nas's Illmatic, Mobb Deep's The Infamous, Lauryn Hill's Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu's Baduizm, Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, GZA's Liquid Swords, Cypress Hill's Black Sunday, and others), and performances from some of independent hip hop's great up-and-comers. Though it was clearly elders day, younger crews like Slaughterhouse, Big K.R.I.T., Fashawn, Blu & Exile, Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano and others also had the ability to shine on the Paid Dues stage (DOOM, an elder statesman via his days in KMD, was scheduled to play the Paid Dues stage but cancelled his appearance).

In true hip hop fashion, guests abounded. Nas capped the day off with a performance of Illmatic, and he didn't hide the men/women behind the curtain of his first LP; MC Serch, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor (of Main Source), Akinyele, Fatal, AZ and many others who either blessed the LP or were instrumental in his come-up all made appearances (yes, they performed the Main Source classic "Live at the BBQ" featuring Nas's first recorded appearance). Pras of The Fugees joined Lauryn Hill for "Ready of Not", Big Noyd joined Mobb Deep for "Give Up the Goods (Just Step)" and other tracks, and Black Moon brought a full band.

More pictures from the whole day, below...

Continue reading "pics from Rock the Bells 2011 @ Governors Island (Nas, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Raekwon, Ghostface, Mobb Deep, more)"

Lauryn Hill reacts to reviews from her Saturday appearance
at Rock The Bells in Mountain View (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Any music event that pins its hopes on Lauryn Hill -- one of the most maddeningly disappointing performers of recent years -- is fighting an uphill battle right from the very start.

Fortunately, the 2011 Rock the Bells festival tour, which stopped Saturday (8/27) at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, has so many other things going for it -- so many, in fact, that it's a shame to have to even bring up the headliner. But organizers made their bed, by picking Ms. Hill for the prime time slot, and now they have to sleep in it.

What's ironic, however, is that this was arguably the best performance locals have seen from Hill in many a moon. And it still sent thousands scurrying for the exits, with some complaining loudly about the 36-year-old soul singer's poor outing, midway through the set.

That's how low Hill has set the bar -- basically at ground level -- and anything greater than a complete train wreck will clear it. That fans weren't demanding refunds, like they had when Hill performed a 2007 show at Oakland's Paramount Theatre, can be seen as a kind of victory for this troubled performer.

Still, it was disappointing, especially for those die-hard fans hoping against all reason that Hill can someday return to the heights she reached in the '90s. And it was the only disappointment during an otherwise splendid day of hip-hop, which ran some 12 hours.
-[Mercury News]

I'm guessing he didn't like Lauryn Hill. Judge for yourself when she headlines the upcoming Rock The Bells date in NYC this weekend (9/3). The shows goes down on Governors Island (may the weather gods be nicer to hip hop than they were to Dave Matthews) Tickets are still available and set times have been announced, though NOTE:

"DOOM will no longer perform on the remaining scheduled festival dates. He extends his apologizes to fans for not being able to make the US shows but looks forward to performing on Rock The Bells soon."

Curren$y also had to cancel the 8/27 show in California due to a broken ankle sustained at the 8/20 California date.

In related news, Erykah Badu (who is on board for Rock The Bells) will be in NYC early to spin at Le Poisson Rouge on September 1st with Adrian Younge. The event is FREE with RSVP (send to waxpoetics@lprnyc.com..Please include date of show in subject line). The event is one of two FREE Wax Poetics/Skullcandy events at the venue, with the second taking place on 9/29 with DJ Premier and Kendra Morris. RSVP with the same email to that show as well.

Check out some videos/interviews from California below...

Continue reading "Rock The Bells (controversial Lauryn Hill included) hit California, coming to NYC this weekend (sans Doom)"

Smoke DZA

"The Smokers Club" tour is returning this October and November. This year's tour is being headlined by Curren$y and Method Man with support from Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, Fiend, The Pricks, and Corner Boy P. The tour kicks off on October 12 at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT, hits House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ the next night (10/13), NYC on October 14 at Best Buy Theater, and Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ the following night (10/15), before hotboxing venues across the US and Canada. All dates are listed below.

The NYC show includes Curren$y, Method Man, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and The Pricks. Tickets for the NYC show and the Starland show go on sale Friday (8/12) at noon with an AmEx pre-sale starting Wednesday (8/10) at 10 AM.

Curren$y followed his Alchemist-produced EP Covert Coup, released earlier this year, with his sixth full length album Weekend at Burnie's, which dropped at the end of June. The album was mostly produced by Monsta Beatz and features guest spots by Fiend, Trademark, and Young Roddy. Check out the video for "She Don't Want a Man" off the album below.

Big K.R.I.T. is following his incredible Return of 4Eva mixtape, released earlier this year, with the Last King 2 mixtape on August 18. You can grab lead track "Happy Birthday Hip Hop," which features fellow Southern rapper Yelawolf at K.R.I.T.'s website while you wait for the tape to drop. Album art and a video for "Dreamin'" off Return of 4Eva below.

Smoke DZA will release the follow-up to his free mixtape The Hustler's Club (THC) with his album Rolling Stoned on August 30. You can pre-order the album from iTunes now. It features guest appearances by fellow Smokers Club tourmates Big K.R.I.T., Curren$y, and Fiend, in addition to Kendrick Lamar, Dom Kennedy, Bun B, and others. Check out a stream of the track "On the Corner" with Bun B and Big K.R.I.T. below, along with the album art and tracklist. Also check out a video of "Gotta Get Paid" (feat. Big K.R.I.T.) off the THC mixtape below. DZA also recently collaborated with The Pricks, who are also on the Smokers Club tour, for their song "Ghettoblaster" with B-Real. Video for that below too.

Fiend recently released the free mixtape Cool Is In Session, which you can grab at his website. The mixtape features guest appearances from DZA and Corner Boy P. Check out a video below of "Type of Cat" feat. Big Sant and Smoke DZA off the Life Behind Limo Glass mixtape, which dropped in May.

All dates, videos, tour flier and album info below...

Continue reading "Curren$y, Method Man, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA & friends are Smokers, going on tour (dates, videos & stuff)"

Allo Darlin @ the Rock Shop in 2010 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Internet Week
* Sketchfest @ UCB
* Big Terrific @ Cameo
* Barbara Benary @ The Stone
* Peter Murphy @ The Delancey
* Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
* Hall & Oates @ PNC Bank Arts Center
* Eric Burdon & The Animals @ BB King's
* Allo Darlin', Freshkills @ Mercury Lounge
* The Postelles, The Dig @ Mercury Lounge
* Stephan Crump with Rosetta Trio @ Barbes
* The Barr Brothers, Bizi Gara @ Littlefield
* Keren Ann, Chris Garneau @ Bowery Ballroom
* Special Ed @ Betsy Head Memorial Playground
* Doug Paisley, Old Calf, Hans Chew @ The Rock Shop
* Chico Mann, Hess Is More, Tiffany Roth @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Joe Kubera (The music of Michael Byron) @ The Stone
* Tyburn Saints, The Dirty Lungs, The Above @ Union Hall
* Alina Simone & John Wesley Harding @ WORD Bookstore
* Radian, Sawyer/Yeh/Wooley Trio, Koen Holthamp @ Union Pool
* Thao and Mirah, BOBBY, Led To Sea @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Cellular Chaos, Tiger Hatchery, Mushroom Cloud, Decimus @ Death By Audio
* Sandra Bernhard w/ guests Liza Minelli, Rufus Wainwright, Justin Bond @ Town Hall
* Ken South Rock and Adam Amram, Adira Amram, Alana Amram & The Rough Gems @ Bruar Falls
* Donner Party Picnic, Just Jumps, V Ultra Lounge, Bad Credit No Credit, 2s & 4s @ Shea Stadium
* Sons of Jupiter Daughters of Venus, Kaoru Watanabe/Matt Kilmer/Tim Keiper/Chris Dingman @ Zebulon
* Asa, Clayton Mathews, Amber Rubarth, Clare Burson, Chelsea Lee, The Dirty Urchins, Maya Sharpe @ Rockwood Music Hall

Duncan Sheik and The Watson Twins @ Highline Ballroom is cancelled. Refunds available at point of purchase.

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe @ Brooklyn Bowl is cancelled.

John Grant is not playing Joe's Pub tonight.

Sketchfest begins.

Josh T. Pearson is playing Joe's Pub LATE Friday. Win a pair of tickets on our Facebook page.

Cults' show at the Box tonight is private.

Big K.R.I.T. has a video for "Country Shit" (Remix) Featuring Ludacris and Bun B. Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

today in NYC
* LAL8 @ The Stone
* Yuck @ Other Music
* Ice-T @ Barnes & Noble
* Roe Enney @ The Stone
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Big K.R.I.T @ Santos
* Bill Frisell @ Village Vanguard
* Brazilian Quarter @ Barbes
* Tell All Your Friends @ Lolita Bar
* Femi Kuti, Nutritious @ Highline Ballroom
* Oh No Oh My, Landlady @ Santos Party House
* Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter @ Bowery Ballroom
* David Johansen of the New York Dolls @ City Winery
* An Horse, Nik Freitas, Secret Music @ Knitting Factory
* Balkan Beat Box, Uproot Andy, Joro Boro @ Webster Hall
* Greensky Bluegrass, Spirit Family Reunion @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Martial Canterel, Automelodi, Dream Affair @ Death By Audio
* Jesse Harris, Kaki King, Thomas Bartlett & many more @ Le Poisson Rouge
* C. Spencer Yeh, Ben Hall, Jon Irabagon, Mike Pride @ Zebulon
* Millionyoung, Zambri, Beige, Rarechild, Bear In Heaven (DJ set) @ Pianos
* Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, Smoke DZA, Jah C & The Antidote @ Southpaw
* The Submarines, Pepper Rabbit, Yellowbirds @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Toby Goodshank, John Houx, Kung Fu Crime Wave, Jenn Kelly @ Silent Barn
* Atmosphere, Blueprint, Grieves with Budo, SAB The Artist, DJ Abilities @ Terminal 5
* Wires Under Tension, Ghastly City Sleep, Mussels, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire @ Glasslands
* Extreme Animals, Publicist, DJ Dog Dick, Sewn Leather, Shams @ Monster Island Basement
* Strange: A Patsy Cline Tribute, Abby Payne, Rebecca Haviland, Building Pictures, Sophie Auster @ Pete's Candy Store
* Dred Scott Trio, Triangle Shirt Factory, Michael Daves, Shira, Christopher Paul Stelling, Terje Nordgarden, Rod Picott @ Rockwood Music Hall

Right now on the BrooklynVegan Facebook, we're giving away tickets to tonight's Pepper Rabbit, Yellowbirds, Submmarines show @ MHOW, and to tonight's Balkan Beat Box show at Webster Hall, and to the upcoming Yacht show.

If you can't get into Emmylou Harris tonight at Bowery Ballroom (now with Josh Ritter opening), there's always Summerstage.

If you missed Yuck at Webster Hall last night, check them out for free at Other Music tonight (8pm).

Atmosphere plays Terminal 5 tonight, and is on the just-announced Lollapalooza lineup as are A Horse who play Knitting Factory tonight and then Bamboozle soon just like Freddie Gibbs and Big K.R.I.T. who play Southpaw tonight.

Big K.R.I.T. also plays Santos tonight.

Get Big K.R.I.T.'s new ReturnOf4Eva for free.

What else?

Big K.R.I.T. & Freddie Gibbs

Mississippi MC Big K.R.I.T. recently dropped a new mixtape, ReturnOf4Eva, which is available for the price of your email address. K.R.I.T. is currently out on tour with Freddie Gibbs & Smoke DZA. That tour hits Brooklyn on April 26th at Southpaw. Tickets are on sale. The tour ends a few days later in NJ at Bamboozle. All dates are listed below.

Freddie Gibbs has a mixtape of his own out right now too, Str8 Killa No Filla. Download it for free via mediafire. AND:

"XLMag.com has learned that 2010 XXL Freshman, Freddie Gibbs, is on the verge of signing to Young Jeezy's CTE Record label.

Rumors broke out months ago that Gibbs was in talks with the imprint, but according to sources close to the deal, the agreement is done. All that is left is the paperwork."

Some videos and all dates below...

Continue reading "Freddie Gibbs signing w/ Young Jeezy?, on tour w/ Big K.R.I.T. & Smoke DZA (2011 dates & mixtapes) "

Lupe Fiasco is currently in Australia as part of the Big Day Out Festival, touring with names like Iggy Pop, Deftones, Grinderman, and countless others. After returning back to the states, he'll get ready to welcome his new LP Lasers into this world, due on March 8th. The Chicago MC will celebrate the release with a date at Webster Hall the night before it hits the streets and tickets go on sale at noon today (1/28). Lupe recently released the first single from the LP, the Modest Mouse-sampling "The Show Must Go On" via iTunes.

Tickets also go on sale at noon for Rick Ross at Best Buy Theater on March 4th, and fortunately if you can't make that show you can make it out to see him support Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj at Nassau Coliseum on March 27th as part of the I Am Music II tour. Ticket info for that show hasn't been released yet. All dates below.

Those of you who want to see Lil Wayne but might prefer to see him in a much (much) different setting than the third of three hip hop acts (instead with Motley Crue, Waka Flocka Flame, Insane Clown Posse & Bruno Mars?) can catch the recently freed MC at Bamboozle 2011 in New Jersey. Tickets are still available for the festival in multi-day, and single day pass increments.

And lets say, for some godforsaken reason you felt like a double dose of Insane Clown Posse.... that can be arranged. Insane Clown Posse has taken time off of their busy wrestling schedule to shower New York City with Faygo on April 29th at Gramercy Theater. Tickets are still available all of you Juggalos and Juggalettes!

Full Bamboozle lineup and all Lil Wayne tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Lupe Fiasco adds record release show, Rick Ross playing NY before tour w/ Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne (who plays Bamboozle w/ Insane Clown Posse) -- lineups & dates"

by BBG

Curren$y at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest (more by Brook Bobbins)

Forecasters are predicting a "partly cloudy" Santos, as the Smoker's Club Tour will roll into town to play the NYC venue tonight (10/5). The show, which you might have caught when it kicked off at the Rock Yard in September, features an appearance by the great and highly-prolific Curren$y, and will also include appearances from buzzy MC Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, Mac Miller, and Boaz. Tickets are still on sale. All dates below.

Curren$y hits the NYC show circuit seemingly as often as he hits the mic these days which, considering his 9 mixtapes and LPs in two+ years, is pretty frequently. His latest project is his new and critically acclaimed LP Pilot Talk, out now via Roc-A-Fella.

Big K.R.I.T. is offering his latest LP K.R.I.T. Wuz Here for free download. The LP, which features the Mississippi MC on the rhymes and the beats, features tourmates Smoke DZA, and Curren$Y, as well as Wiz Khalifa and Devin the Dude.

Full tour dates and some video is below...

Continue reading "The Smoker's Club Tour passes through NYC again (dates) "

SATURDAY DAYTIME STUFF
* FYF FEST in LA
* Warm Up @ PS1
* ATP NY @ Kutscher's
* hip hop @ the Rock Yard !
* Monster Island Block Party
* Electric Zoo on Randall's Island

! Bun B doesn't appear to be playing the Rock Yard anymore

Robert Plant tickets go on sale.

also see: What's Going on Friday?

What else?

So, remember those six free shows that are happening? Here they are....

Continue reading "Jelly presents Saturdays @ Rock Yard (6 free show lineups) "

DOWNLOAD: Big K.R.I.T. - Country Shit (MP3)

On "Country Shit", [Big KRIT] borrows Pimp C's twanged-out elastic sneer and just rides the everliving hell out of his own woozy thump: "I was riding my Screw shit, rims chop-choppin'/ Top droppin', throwing breadcrumbs, crows start flockin'." As a producer, he's an expert sample-chopper, and his track weaves in theremin peals and stuttery sighs and vintage 808 destruction. It's the sort of track you want to use to make sure your car stereo's bass pounds just right. If you don't feel like a superhero while this is playing loud, you need a new system.
[Pitchfork - Best New Track review for "Country Shit"]

Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T., who is signed to Def Jam, is in NYC for a show tonight (6/30) at S.O.B.'s where he'll be joined by Curren$y & Smoke DZA (both guests on his album). Tickets are still on sale.

Big K.R.I.T.'s debut LP/mixtape, the self-produced K.R.I.T Wuz Here, Gorilla vs Bear's third favorite album of the first half of the year, is available for free online. Check it out if you're looking for some soulful Southern rap. The above "Country Shit" is on it, as are the two songs in the videos posted, with the full tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Big K.R.I.T. is here - NYC show tonight, free album online"