by BBG

The artist soon to be formerly known as Mos Def
at Rock The Bells (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Countdown is on. Only 3 months and 10 days left of "Mos Def":

Following a lengthy line of rappers that have hung up their show names, rapper Mos Def says he's definitely giving up his rhyme alias come 2012.... the artist born Dante Smith revealed that he's changing his name to Yasiin. After more than a decade in the business, though, he won't be mad is you slip up and call him "Mos."
"No, no, not at all... 'Mos Def' is a name that I built and cultivated through the years... I feel that I've done quite a bit with that name. It's time to expand and move on."
...He's usually credited as Mos Def during cast listings. But his several identities will soon just be that one.
"I also don't want to have to deal with having any moniker or any separation between the self that I see and what [people refer to me as]," he continued.
At press time, his publicist wasn't able to confirm what Mos' full name will be after it's changed or if he'll simply just be Yasiin. -[EW]

In other Talib Kweli and Mos De.. -ahem- Yasiin news, the pair will also cross paths on 10/8 at the previously mentioned Restoration Rocks! Music Festival on Fulton Street between Marcy & Brooklyn Ave. The FREE show, now with an expanded lineup, kicks off at noon and will close at 5PM, featuring appearances from Idle Warship (with Kweli), Pharoahe Monch, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra with Mos Def. Flyer is below. More Mos Def & Philharmonic appearances listed HERE.

Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch will also cross paths at the just-announced Duck Down vs Blacksmith CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 10/22 with Pharoahe Monch, Buckshot, Jean Grae, Smif N Wessun, Kidz in the Hall, Promise, and a Statik Selektah "Population Control" All-Star Set. Tickets go on sale at noon on 9/23, or you can use your CMJ badge (if you're one of the first 150 to try and do so). Flyer below.

All Black Star tour dates and flyers below.

Continue reading "Mos Def's new name, Black Star tour dates, free Restoration Rocks! Fest, a Duck Down vs Blacksmith CMJ showcase & more"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Kidz In The Hall - "We Gone" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Get Up" feat Prince Po, yU & DJ Clear (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Get Up" GoGo Remix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Endure" feat M.E.D. and Rapper Big Pooh (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Endure" EthNick Remix (MP3)

the happy (& prolific) couple: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins with their son

You may know Dudley Perkins by his nom de guerre, Declaime. The Madlib collaborator has released quite a few LPs under both of his pseudonyms as well as with Georgia Anne Muldrow aka Patti Blingh. The duo crafts some serious California FONK, and will unleash said booty-shakers upon SOB's in NYC on Feb 28th and at Fat Beats for an in-store earlier that day. Tickets are on sale for SOBs. The pair recently dropped the vinyl/iTunes only Heaven or Hell and will release the SomeOthaShip LP via Mello Music (digital 2/16, physical 2/23). Dig on "Endure" from the EP, and "Get Up" from the LP above.

Royce the 5'9 has recently been making moves with Slaughterhouse, the hip hop "supergroup" featuring Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, and Joe Budden. Both Royce 5'9 and Crooked I are scheduled to perform at SOBs on March 9th, but no word on if the NYC/NJ based half of Slaughterhouse (Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden) will make an appearance. Tickets are on sale

Kidz In The Hall's new LP Land of Make Believe lands on Duck Down Records on March 9th, and the duo will hit the road for a pair of dates with 88 Keys, Izza Kizza and Doonis including Highline Ballroom on 2/28 and Ram's Head in Baltimore on 3/4. Tickets for Highline are on sale.

Some videos (including KITH's "Jokebox" and "We Gone") and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "upcoming Kidz in the Hall, Dudley Perkins & Georgia Anne Muldrow shows - 2010 dates & MP3s"

SXSWeek 2010: March 12-21
Interactive: March 12-16
Film: March 12-20
Music: March 17-21

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 - dates & initial band lineup "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Wiz Kalifa - Flight School Mixtape (Yousendit, Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Souls of Mischief - "LaLaLa" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Souls of Mischief - "Tour Stories" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tanya Morgan - "So Damn Down" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tanya Morgan - "Bang N Boogie" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KRS-One & Buckshot - "Survival Skills" (MP3)

Saul Williams at Afropunk 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

NYC invented HIP HOP, so CMJ would be nowhere if it didn't rep the art form to the fullest. Over five packed days, our fair city will be set ablaze by the likes of Raekwon, Saul Williams, Souls of Mischief, and a host of others, as well as smaller, buzzier names that you can look forward to name checking in the future. So with all these great events going down, we figured we'd make it easy for you with the BV Guide to Hip Hop at CMJ 2009!

Speaking of Souls of Mischief, we have A PAIR OF TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR GIVEAWAY for that Audible Treats showcase that will feature them along side Tanya Morgan, Trinity, Finale and many more. Details on how to win those at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading "the BV Guide to Hip Hop at CMJ 2009"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo - "Popularity" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KRS-One & Buckshot - "Survival Skills" (MP3)

Buckshot at Nokia Theater (more by Tim Griffin)

With Buckshot and KRS-One's collaborative LP Survival Skills still making some noise, Duck Down Records have announced their CMJ Showcase at Gramercy on 10/24 featuring 9th Wonder, Buckshot, Smif 'n Wessun, Skyzoo, kidz in the hall, Sean Price, Marco Polo & Torae, Team Facelift, Da Beatminerz, Ruste Juxx, and Blue Scholars. Tickets are on sale, or you can try and get in with your CMJ badge if you have one.

Skyzoo & 9th Wonder played Santos Party House on Tuesday (9/29) as part of an album release party for Skyzoo's The Salvation.

"Skyzoo had a real dope performance with Dujeous as his live band and 9th Wonder on the 1's and 2's. Daru opened up with his amazing drum solo and J hatch was the host. Rule4080 was in the building peep the flicks and yes that is 9th Wonder in red lol" [Rule480]

Continue reading "Duck Down doing CMJ (tix), Skyzoo record out now (MP3)"

by Black Bubblegum

Q-Tip @ Knitting Factory, Sept 29th (more by Eric Townsend)

In the past couple months, we have covered quite a few hip hop events at CMJ, but let this serve as a total guide to the madness to come... Have fun...

Continue reading "the 2008 guide to Hip Hop shows & panels @ CMJ"

The T.I. show at United Palace is on sale. Rock the Bells hip hop festival tickets are on sale, and tickets are still available for Rock the Bells' cousin Paid Dues at Nokia Theatre.

Also coming up: Kidz in the Hall @ S.O.B's, the 'Hip Hop Anniversary Tour' at the Paradise Theaterin the Bronx (with AFRIKAA BAMBATA, KURTIS BLOW, GRANDMASTER MELE MEL, ROB BASE, DANA DANE, GRAND WIZARD THEODORE, FORCE MD'S, AIR FORCE CREW, POSITIVE K, DJ HOLLYWOOD, LOVE BUG STARSKI, and DJ KOOL HERC), Lil Wayne in CT, and Black Sheep at Knitting Factory.

Free shows this summer include KRS-One in East River Park, Jungle Brothers in Red Hook, and a Crooklyn Dodgers reunion in Prospect Park.

by Black Bubblegum

El-P & Aesop Rock @ Webster Hall - May 10, 2008 (jennyapplebaum )

"WHEN I SAY DEF, YOU SAY JUX! DEF!"
.....
"DEF!"
......

Okay, it wasnt THAT bad, but while fellow Cardboard City crew member Shia Labeouf (seriously) was readying his second appearance on Saturday Night Live (with My Morning Jacket), El-P was realizing he was in trouble by the first song. El-P tore into "Smithereens" with all of the frustration made apparent in the video, but when he commanded the Webster Hall crowd "Get the fuck up!" and "Jump!", he only got participation from a couple dozen.... for 30 seconds. Maybe it's all the darkness and post-apocalyptic doom and gloom, or the borderline paranoid "the government is going to get you" John McCain=Barack Obama=Hillary Clinton rants, or that a good portion of the crowd could have come to see Dizzee Rascal (though doubt it), but Saturday at Webster Hall was probably one of the most stoic crowds that I have ever seen at a hip hop show.

Continue reading "El-P, Aesop Rock & Dizzee Rascal played Webster Hall, a new blog & album, Cardboard City, Shia LaBeouf"

El-P @ NYU in April (more by Bao Nguyen)

Aesop Rock @ Coachella 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

The May 10th Webster Hall show keeps getting bigger and bigger. The lineup now reads "El-P with DJ Mr. Dibbs and The Mighty Quinn / Dizzee Rascal with special guest dj Aaron LaCrate / Busdriver / Kidz in the Hall / Special Guest Aesop Rock". Tickets are still available. All El-P tour dates below....

Continue reading "Aesop Rock added to El-P/Dizzee Rascal show, tour dates"

De La Soul, GZA, Rakim Nokia Theatre, etc....

Continue reading "Paid Dues Festival 2008 - lineup & tour Dates (presale)"

Ghostface Killah

"The 3rd Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival was this past Saturday (June 23, 2007), they had all day performances in effect and was free to the public for all hip-hop fans alike to enjoy. Wu-Tang’s own legendary MC Ghostface closed out the last day of the event along with artists like Cappadonna, Skillz, Consequence, Tanya Morgan, Emily King, Dres, Heltah Skeltah, Sean Price and more." [Clips and Kisses]

Continue reading "pictures of the 2007 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival"