photos by Brook Bobbins

Okay, so everyone advertised did perform. But it sure was a nail-biter. Lauryn Hill, the eccentric erstwhile Fugee who has mostly stayed out of sight since her lone solo album, 1998's still-scintillating R&B masterpiece "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," was clearly the lineup's chief curiosity. When it comes to her behavior over the past decade there's been no rumor too bizarre to believe. Sunday's rumor was a doozy, and it was true -- she really was three hours late to the stage because she was getting a manicure-pedicure. Suddenly, the attempt by her former band mate Wyclef Jean to become president of Haiti doesn't seem quite so self-centered.

As her 4:30 start time approached, the elaborate stage plot was ready to go. And then . . . nothing. A 10-minute wait became a half-hour, which became a full hour. Scattered heckles became heavy boos as the stage was broken down at 5:30... Her toenails apparently dry, Lauryn Hill [finally performed later], but she probably shouldn't have bothered. The performance was a messy rush through highlights from "Miseducation," but they were hardly recognizable due to her hoarse voice, speedy delivery and clunky, overstuffed arrangements. Hill wasn't lacking for energy, just focus. The feedback on her microphone was ear-splitting; special guest Nas came out for a 45-second cameo, and his microphone wasn't working for half of it. After 20 minutes she departed to an equal mix of cheers and boos, seemingly oblivious as to why anyone might be upset.

...As headliner Snoop Dogg's stage props were assembled -- that would be a large video screen and a park bench covered in 40s in brown paper bags -- and the clock began ticking toward the venue's 11 p.m. curfew, the chatter started again. As a general rule of thumb, chatter at hip-hop shows is not a good thing. Where's Snoop? He was in New York performing at a Michael Jackson tribute show earlier in the day and at 10:45 p.m. was nowhere to be seen. Boos, again.

He did finally emerge, wearing what seemed to be your grandmother's old kitchen tablecloth and performed a truncated version of his iconic gangsta rap album "Doggystyle."... He mostly stayed true to character, never smiling -- maybe he was too focused reading his lyrics off teleprompters -- but his listless performance gave off the vibe that he'd rather be somewhere else. Like, New York. Snoop drawled over the atomic G-funk of "What's My Name?" as the house lights went on -- the venue's not-so-subtle way of saying, "It's time for you to go now." It's hard to think Snoop minded too much. -[Washington Post]

I was wondering if Snoop's afternoon appearance in Prospect Park was really a good idea. There were significantly less complaints from the Rock the Bells show that happened one day earlier on Governors Island in NYC. Lauryn was only 30 minutes late.

Pictures from Rock the Bells NYC HERE, HERE, and a third set continued (we don't have pictures from DC), below...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells DC didn't go so smooth ++ more pics from NYC"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Raekwon shows potential groupies his current relationship status

What kind of oldies concert draws a huge audience in its 20s? Rock the Bells, the daylong hip-hop festival that came to Governors Island on Saturday. This year's Rock the Bells borrowed an idea from the indie-rock festival All Tomorrow's Parties, booking groups to perform watershed albums in their entirety.

Two headliners, Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan, largely complied with the assignment. Snoop Dogg brought along most of the guests from his 1993 album, "Doggystyle," made back when he was Snoop Doggy Dogg. The others - A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Rakim and Slick Rick - went "veering off," as Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest put it, to play additional hits (which no one minded) or to plug more recent projects.

And then there was the wild card: Lauryn Hill, the singer and rapper formerly of the Fugees, appearing half an hour late. She hasn't released a studio album since "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998, and she has recorded and toured only sporadically since then while raising five children. "I miss you," she told the crowd repeatedly. Partway through the set she pulled guests out of the V.I.P. section and onstage: Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend. They missed her too.
-[New York Times]

A second set from the NYC edition of Rock The Bells (first is HERE), continue below...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells @ Governors Island - pics (part 2) (Wu-Tang, Street Sweeper Social Club, Yelawolf, Slick Rick & more) "

photos by Eric Townsend, words by BBG

"Can't NOBODY FUCK WITH A TRIBE CALLED QUEST LIVE! ROCK THE BELLS NYC WAS MAGIC!" -Carringtonworld

"#np tribe called quest-steve biko(stir it up)....what yall know about #RocktheBells 2010 live from nyc huh? -"NotoriousDIZZ"

"Some of my rap top 10 will be live on stage: slick rick, lauryn hill, wu tang, rakim, krs one, tribe called quest. nYc represent, represent" -LeRoyLive

A Tribe Called Quest on Governors Island Saturday

Linden boulevard represent, represent
Tribe called quest represent, represent
When the mic is in my hand, I'm never hesitant
My favourite jam back in the day was "Eric B. is President"
-[A Tribe Called Quest - "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)"]

Both A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, and the songs "Steve Biko" AND "Eric B Is President" were showcased at Saturday's Rock The Bells event at Randall's Island as the crews showcased their classic LPs Midnight Marauders and Paid In Full respectively. The two Hip Hop legends were part of a much larger whopper of a show that also showcased Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The 36 Chambers, Snopp Dogg's Doggy Style, Slick Rick's The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, KRS-One performing Criminal-Minded, as well as performances from Lauryn Hill, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, Wiz Khalifa, and many many others. On the paparazzi tip, celebs were out in full force to check out the show as well as Jay-Z, Chris Rock, John Legend (who performs at Bowery Ballroom tonight), newlywed couple Alicia Keys/Swizz Beatz, Mary J Blige, and many many others were all spotted at the shindig (some snaps are below).

More pictures (and video) from the show are HERE and below (, and one more set still on the way)...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells @ Governors Island - pics & video (part 1) (A Tribe Called Quest, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, Rakim & more) "

by BBG

Rock The Bells 2010? Um, awesome.

For the first time in the history of hip-hop entertainment, ROCK THE BELLS is slated to have headliners perform their most influential albums in their entirety. East-coast legends Wu-Tang Clan will perform Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers from beginning to end. Released in 1993, the group's debut album revived the New York rap scene and is widely-regarded as one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history. Considered one of the greatest MC's of all time, Rakim is set to perform 1987's, Paid In Full, his first full-length album with Eric B. Fellow Golden age, east coast rapper, Slick Rick will conquer The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Released in 1989, this debut album became a certified-platinum classic topping the Billboard's Top R&B/ Hip Hop Albums charts. Highly regarded as the "THE TEACHER", KRS-One is a hip hop culture advocate, music producer, MC and published author. Hailed as one of the best live performers, KRS-One will perform [the Boogie Down Productions classic LP] Criminal Minded. The 1987 trend-setting album sampled music from various genres including rock, reggae and funk.

In addition to that drooler of a hip hop lineup, Rock The Bells will also feature a rotating cast of also-awesomes, depending on where you lay your head. Lineups haven't been solidified by city but look for appearances from Street Sweeper Social Club, Murs and 9th Wonder, Wiz Khalifa, Clipse, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, DJ Muggs and Ill Bill, Big Sean, Yelawolf, and more TBA (but not Lauryn Hill).

So far only four festival dates have been released, LA (8/21), San Fran (8/22), NYC at Governors Island (8/28), and DC (8/29). Ticket info is forthcoming.

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Murs & 9th Wonder - "3:16 Part 2" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: One Be Lo - "The Pigs" featuring Mike Posner (MP3)

Some great upcoming hip hop shows in the coming weeks, starting with Murs who is back with producer 9th Wonder for a new album, Murs 9th Wonder Fornever. Check out the first track from the album, "3:16 Part 2" above. Fornever is due on April 13th, and one week later, the "Bad Man" will kick off a US tour in Arizona that has him crashlanding at Highline Ballroom on May 19th. Tickets are on sale.

DJ Hi-Tek has done beats for the entire G-Unit crew, so in that light, I guess it makes sense that the thematically different Hi-Tek project (with Talib Kweli) Reflection Eternal would play the "This is 50" (Cent) event at Nokia Theater. Although for the life of me, I cant figure out why Reflection Eternal would support Lloyd Banks. Ah, nepotism. Tickets for April 29th at Nokia Theater with Banks and Reflection Eternal are on sale.

One day before the "This is 50" event, One Be Lo will step back into his old role as a member of Binary Star for a show at Knitting Factory (4/28) with DJ Abilities, Pigeon John, Donny Goines, and Nyle. Tickets are on sale. One Be Lo is scheduled to drop his new solo album B.A.B.Y. on MYX later this year, which features appearances from Royce Da 5'9, Freeway, Zion I, Phonte, Jean Grae, and more. Check out a track from the upcoming LP above.

Though Before The Casket Drops has, um, dropped, Clipse is still on the road promoting the record, laying down dates in NYC at Highline Ballroom (5/6, tickets) and Baruch College earlier that same day. Ninjasonik is on board to get the party started. Full tour dates are below.

Finally, a few hip hop greats from the 90s are scheduled to play NYC in the coming weeks. Naughty by Nature and Black Sheep will team up for a show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 5/21 (tickets still on sale). Cypress Hill could easily play a room much much larger than SOBs, but look for them at the venue on 4/15 (tickets still avail) and the blastmaster KRS-ONE on 4/20 (tickets). Wait... shouldn't those dates be reversed?

Tour dates and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Murs, Clipse, Cypress Hill & other upcoming hip hop shows"

words & photos by Benjamin Lozovsky

The old Knitting Factory used to be a bastion for independent hip hop in New York City. The new incarnation just took a big step at continuing that legacy, as it hosted one of the most historic hip hop concerts in recent memory.

On Wednesday night (1/20), An astounding array of legends and rising stars rocked the stage to honor everyone's favorite five-footer, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest. The event, Mind Body Soul, was a benefit to raise awareness for diabetes (Phife just received a kidney transplant related to his trials with the disease). And while diabetes was often on the mind and tongues of the performers, the show was really more of a demonstration of the persisting camaraderie and mutual adoration within a genre too often beleaguered with battles and conflict.

After quick opening sets by Hook, Jasmine Solano, Scotch Davis, and Monica Rush, the venue went from a displaced chill to full on engagement as Talib Kweli lead off the roster of A-listers. Having just arrived at the venue and already sent out to perform, Kweli showed his undying humility and his utmost flexibility though microphone heroics on a short notice set. Greg Nice (of obscure but beloved group Nice and Smooth) then burst out with a virulent spirit, with the mohawked, larger-than-life OG launching himself straight into the audience to parlay with the youngsters up front.

Jeru Tha Damaja was glib and full of grimy charm; he laid down classic tracks and told stories from the tombs of Brooklyn Hip Hop lore. A soft-spoken Dres (from Black Sheep) smoothly enticed with new material to go with that little ditty about train derailment you might have heard.

Compared to the illustrious resumes of many performers preceding and following him, up-and-comer Jay Electronica might have felt a bit overwhelmed. But Jay's heartfelt thanks to his peers was the most touching moment of the night, and his outrageous performance - with help from Mos Def, Hi Tek, and Kweli (all of whom recently cancelled performances at Highline Ballroom) - resonated with the youthful segments of the crowd and proved his position as the brightest star on the hip hop horizon.

Jay might have been the showstopper if he wasn't followed by hip hop ambassador (and its greatest living performer) KRS-One. Accompanied by hype man BusyBee (of the original Zulu Nation crew), KRS got metaphysical with beyond-cerebral freestyles. But still being the most humble braggadocio around, he bumped out covers of Biggie and Tribe to continue the showing of utmost respect and brotherhood that categorized the night.

There were some awkward and antagonizing moments throughout: posse upon posse swelling to the width of the stage and getting shooed away numerous times by Heavy Sound (the presenter) organizers, strange interactions between host Michael Rapaport and house turntablist DJ D-Lyfe, not to mention an off-performance by a sheepish Mr. Cheeks (of The Lost Boyz).

But it wouldn't really be a memorable hip hop conglomeration if it wasn't just the slightest bit disorganized or sporadically contentious. Even without a single piece of original vinyl brandished throughout the laptop-swapping spree behind the DJ table, the event still felt like a storied Bronx block party or an impromptu Brooklyn corner concert or a Queens Native Tongue poetry slam.

As Consequence dragged Phife on stage, followed by Ali Shaheed Muhameed and then Q-Tip to perform the final set of the night as a united Quest, on display was a vivid demonstration of the greatest hope for the future of hip hop: its ability to nurture its own existence through such reciprocal love. It might take a village to raise a child, but on this night, it only took one Tribe to raise up hip hop.

Ghostface was on the bill, but didn't show. More pictures from the night below...

Continue reading "A Tribe Called Quest got together (w/ help from Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Hi-Tek & more) @ Knitting Factory in NYC - pics "

by BBG

"I know you got soul! If you didn't you wouldn't be in here"

Hip hop as we know it would NOT exist if it wasn't for the songs on one of the greatest of all LP compilations, Ultimate Breaks and Beats. During the early 70s, DJs would play loops from these classic tracks by everyone from The Monkees to Roy Ayers, but hide the labels from onlookers. The 25+ LP series helped to unmask these original tracks, making these songs available to the average DJ and changing the create-digging landscape forever. UBB is a must listen for any fan of hip hop/dance music, and BB King's is paying homage to the series with a show on Feb 24th featuring a who's who of great DJs including Maseo of De La Soul, Grandwizard Theodore, DJ Dummy, Kenny Dope, Da Beatminerz, Lord Finesse, and many many others (full list below). Tickets are on sale.

Though he never appeared on a UBB compilation, Gil-Scott Heron is widely regarded as one of the unintentional godfathers of hip hop due to his spoken word performance on tracks like "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". The 60-year old poet has a new album out in early February, and will celebrate the release of I'm New Here with a pair of MLK Day performances at SOB's on Sunday (1/17). Tickets are still available for both the early (7:30PM) and the late show.

While we're on the topic of pioneers, one of the greatest MCs that ever was (and he'll tell you so) is scheduled to play NYC; look for KRS-One to take on 1/29 at Southpaw (tickets).

Continue reading "Ultimate Breaks & Beats, Gil-Scott Heron & KRS-One shows"

photos by Tim Griffin

As Buckshot reminded the Nokia Theatre crowd at the end of his solo appearance opening for De La Soul on Thursday night (8/14), he has an album coming out with KRS-One called Survival Skills. That album drops on 9/15. On Saturday, August 29th, at 1PM, the duo will perform a free show at City Hall Park in NYC as part of J&R MusicFest, a three-day 'block party' in the Wall Street area (near J&R) that will feature multiple free shows including one by Clipse at 6:00PM on Friday the 28th.

Full J&R schedule with more pictures, and a bunch of videos, from the Nokia Theatre show, below...

Continue reading "Buckshot played Nokia Theatre (pics, video), playing w/ KRS-One @ J&R MusicFest (so are Clipse & the Smithereens)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Rakim - Holy Are You (MP3)

Buckshot @ Knitting Factory with Black Moon (more by Tim Griffin)

After looking at the number of great old school artists on the way to the NYC stages, I was reminded of this kick-ass Greg Nice (of Nice & Smooth) song:

"Let's take it it back to the old school
Let's take it to Union Square
Let's take it back to the LQ
Wave your hands like you just don't care" -[Greg Nice - "Set It Off"]

That song is pretty damn close to reality, as Irving Plaza (2 blocks from Union Square if you didn't know) will host "The Golden Age of Hip Hop Part II" on 8/29. Tickets are on sale. The show will feature a ton of old school notables such as KRS-ONE, Kool Moe Dee, Just Ice, and Grand Daddy IU (who I recently saw at BHHF).

KRS-ONE has an interesting project on the way, as the man who claims that he "is hip hop" will team up with Buckshot of Black Moon to release Survival Skills on 9/15. The LP is stuffed with killer guests like Mary J. Blige, Slug of Atmosphere, K'NAAN, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Sean Price, Smif N Wessun, and features production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, ILL MIND, Marco Polo, and many others. Dig on the video for the anti-auto-tune jam "Robot" available below, as well as video of the duo doing a surprise performance on 6/18 at BB King's. Stay tuned for more information on a "Myspace Album Release Show" in NYC on Friday, 9/11.

In the meantime, Black Moon are scheduled to team up with Smif N Wessun to perform ALL of their classic Enta da Stage and Dah Shinin' LPs (respectively) at Brower Park on August 12th for FREE. The show is one of a bevy of FREE shows in the parks of our fair city (featuring DJ Premier, Raekwon, Naughty By Nature and others).

Meanwhile, another notable old schooler, the one and only Rakim Allah, is doubling up on shows in the coming weeks, having scheduled a performance on 8/13 at Highline Ballroom (tix) as well as another as part of the "Hip Hop Legends Concert Series" featuring UTFO, Biz Markie, Lost Boyz, Jeru Da Damaja, Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde, and Lovebug Starski just eight days later at BB King's on 8/21 (tix). He should be playing new material at these shows...

. On July 28, 2009 the man many call The God MC [dropped] "Holy Are You" - the hypnotic lead single off of his long awaited new album The Seventh Seal, to be released early fall, 2009 on the artists Ra Records imprint in a joint venture with TVM and SMC Recordings and distributed through Fontana / Universal Music Group.

Rakim's new LP is his first in 10 years and first since his highly publicized split with Aftermath Records. The first single is available as a free download above!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention The Ruler himself (Slick Rick), who was scheduled a show of his own at BB King's on 11/13 (tix). Dookie ropes are required for entry to all events. OK, not really... but they should be!

The above-mentioned videos, and the KRS-One/Buckshot cover art, below...

Continue reading "Rakim, Buckshot & KRS-One - new music & upcoming shows "

Tickets are still on sale for the July 16th Dead Weather show at Terminal 5. Tickets are on presale and AmEx presale for the July 17th Dead Weather show at the same venue.

The Hip Hop Legends Series continues at BB King's on June 17th. Tickets are on sale for a show that will feature performances by Naughty By Nature, Nice & Smooth, Black Moon, Smif-N-Wesson, MC Lyte, Raekwon, Show Biz & AG, Lord Finesse, Das Efx and DJ's Funkmaster Flex & Chuck Chillout. Almost everyone on this bill also has shows coming up that are either free in a NYC park, part of the Brooklyn hip hop festival, or at Southpaw.

KRS One DJ Kool Herc (and friends) are playing Santos Party House on May 30th. Tickets are on sale. KRS One has a free show coming up too.

The Cult will perform "Love" in its entirety at Terminal 5 in NYC on September 11th. Tickets are on AmEx presale.

Vieux Farka Toure, son of Ali Farka, is playing Highline Ballroom on June 20th. Tickets are on sale.

The Roots keep adding shows at Highline Ballroom. Tickets are on sale for dates as far out as November.

Dredg and RX Bandits are touring and playing Irving Plaza on July 30th (tickets) and Bowery Ballroom on July 31st (tickets)

The Kiss Off changed their name to Arpline, and they're also on the bill with Crocodiles at Mercury Lounge on June 20th. Tickets are now on sale. Crocodiles' video for 'Neon Jesus' below...

Continue reading "Dead Weather, Vieux Farka Toure, The Cult, Raekwon, KRS One, The Roots, Dredg & other tickets"

view from St. Mary's Park in the Bronx (Big Map)

Man Man and the BCC crews are in great company this summer. The New York City Parks Foundation will again present its annual CityParks Concerts series of free concerts throughout the five boroughs. Those free events include shows by KRS-One, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Slick Rick, Naughty by Nature, MC Lyte, and even BCC collaborator Raekwon. (By the way... Cuban Links 2 on August 11? I still don't believe it - BB.)

Not every park is covered in this series (like Prospect, Central, and Asser Levy for instance), but I wouldn't be surprised if covers almost every one that doesn't already host its own larger series . Full schedule below...

Continue reading "free shows in NYC parks (2009 schedule includes a lot of hip hop - Raekwon, KRS-One, & Pete Rock included) "

by Black Bubblegum

Nas @ Rock The Bells 2008 in Jones Beach (more by villageslum.com)

OK, so it's not as much a big bang as last year (A Tribe Called Quest reunion) or the one before (Rage Against The Machine reunion), but Rock The Bells 2009 does have some interesting artists on the lineup. Besides a welcome reunion (Reflection Eternal) (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek), one suspect one (House of Pain) and some great repeat offenders (Nas, RZA, Raekwon, MOP, Sage Francis, Slum Village), this year's Rock The Bells also boasts an Outkast (Big Boi), a windy city fave (Common), and a true sicko (Necro). The full lineup is:

Continue reading "Rock The Bells announces 2009 hip hop fest/tour lineup"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Faith-Ann Young

Truth told, it was hard to pay any attention to any of the music because randomly, three drunk chicks in silver spandex bodysuits and green painted legs came onstage and did a little bizarre, nonsensical, inebriated dance tease (doubt they were professionals as they were having difficulty balancing or even standing still in their stilettos...while visibly wasted). When the crowd grew bored of that (after throwing beer cans and dollar bills at the girls' feet), men dressed as apes came on stage and freaked with the drunk man-woman-alien chicks.

I asked around if anyone knew if this was customary for N.A.S.A., but no one had a clue what was going on.... - Faith

That's a description of N.A.S.A.'s free record release party (1/29) for debut The Spirit of Apollo which came out on Anti in February. N.A.S.A. return to LPR tonight (3/12) for a show with DJ Stretch Armstrong. Tickets are still available.

N.A.S.A., the duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, will also tour the U.S. in February and March playing an official SXSW showcase at Emo's on March 19 (plus a few other Austin gigs - see below) and a performance at Coachella on April 17.

N.A.S.A.'s recent album, laden with guest spots from Tom Waits to M.I.A. and RZA, also sported interchangeable artwork from five artists - who seem to be taking turns illustrating the group's videos. Marcel Dzama (who worked on the video for Department of Eagles' "No One Does It Like You," to be unveiled at MOMA) drew N.A.S.A.'s "The People Tree," a song that features David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift Of Gab and Z-Trip. Artist Splunny created the video for "Hip Hop," below, and the band's newest video, for "Way Down," was illustrated by artist Sage Vaughn. Obama-artist Shepard Fairey (who will be at Coachella) made a video for "Money," discussed here. All of these and more will be collected on the N.A.S.A. documentary in the works.

All tour dates, videos, and more pictures from the last LPR show, below...

Continue reading "more N.A.S.A. videos & tour dates + pics from Le Poisson Rouge where they play again tonight"

Day-Long Festival Marks 5th Anniversary of Premier Internet Radio Station

Line Up Includes Awesome Color, Vivian Girls, High Places, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Flying Lotus, Ólöf Arnalds, and Devin the Dude, as well as John Oliver of The Daily Show

It's Saturday September 6, 2008. Free. The rest of the info is below...

Continue reading "South Street Seaport East Village Radio Music Fest lineup "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Truth Is (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Original King (MP3)

"People think I'm in the independent category by choice."

Brother Ali is a minority, but not in the ways you might expect. First, he's a white rapper in a genre filled with mostly black artists. Second, Brother Ali is an albino.

Ali, who was born Jason Newman, converted to Islam when he was 15. He says that he felt like an outsider among white people, and has never identified with the word "white."

"I was taken in, early on, by black folks," he says. "Those are the people who taught me the things that I needed to know to survive being who and what I am." [NPR]

Brother Ali came up in the same midwest hip hop scene that birthed fellow indie b-boy and Rhymesayers co-owner Slug, making a name for himself through his self-produced and self-released debut Rites Of Passage. On the strength of Rites, Ali signed to Rhymesayers and dropped Shadows On The Sun, followed by the Champion EP and ultimately The Undisputed Truth in 2007. He's not strictly a "booth" rhymer either. He battled and triumphed over freestyle champ and Rhymesayers MC Eyedea at Scribble 2000, and he has logged more than 500 shows on four continents.

Brother Ali will be back in NYC to play a free show at South Street Seaport on Friday, August 1st (8 pm) with notorious DJ Crew The Rub (7 pm). We cornered Ali for a moment before that show as he dropped two pennies on working with Rhymesayers go-to guy Ant, the follow-up to The Undisputed Truth, and why he thinks 50 Cent is ill.

---

BrooklynVegan: Ant has produced each of your last few records. Is there something about Ant's production that you feel complements your own style/flow? Are there any plans on working with any other producers and if so, who?

Brother Ali: Ant and I have been working together for several years and he's one of my closest friends. Not only do I love his beats but we share a similar outlook on music and life. He's a true producer in the sense that he sees elements of the people he works with as human beings and creates musical beds that allow those things to come out in the work. He has an ability to read people and help them present themselves in a really raw and personal way. There are other producers that I like and respect but I just can't believe that I could have the same creative chemistry with someone I don't really know.

interview continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with BROTHER ALI + 2 MP3s & a free show"

Continue reading "The 2008 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (KRS One, DJ Premier)...."

At the Band Shell along the East River
Between Grand & Jackson Sts. (Manhattan)

SA, Jun 07, 2pm: Lucky Dragons, John Wiese, Soiled Mattress, the Springs (ERMP show)

SA, Jun 28, 2pm: Titus Andronicus, Obits, Emperor X, Blood City (ERMP show)

TH, July 17, 7pm: TBA (CityParks show)
TH, July 24, 7pm: KRS-ONE (CityParks show)
TH, July 31, 7pm: Willie Colón (CityParks show)

SA, Aug 16, 2pm: TBA (ERMP show)
SA, Sep 13, 2pm: TBA (ERMP show)

All of the above listed shows are in NYC and FREE.

Obits also have a show coming up at Union Pool.

Titus Andronicus have a bunch of other upcoming shows.

DOWNLOAD The Gift of Gab - Way of the Light (feat VURSATYL of Lifesavas) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Guru ft Common - Clarity (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Atmosphere - Sunshine (MP3)

The Atmosphere song is from the latest installment in their limited edition "Sad Clown" series: "Sad Clown Bad Summer Accompanied by Piano". Common's new Finding Forever is an interesting album. It's getting really mixed reviews from really great, to mediocre, to worst album of his career. What do you think?

KRS-One (CRED)

Tonight (Aug 3) the legendary KRS-ONE with Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Blitz & Turntable Anihilists will be performing as part of Lyricist Lounge @ Prospect Park Bandshell, 7.30pm - FOR FREE!!

Tomorrow (Aug 4): Brand Nubian, Cham, MIMS, Joell Ortiz, Clipse & Large Professor will be performing at "Live at the BBQ", 3-10pm. RSVP here -- FREE.

Gift of Gab and Z-Trip are playing Highline Ballroom on Sunday (Aug 5, 2007). To win a pair of tickets, email us at BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Gift Of Gab). Include your first and last name for guestlist. One winner will be picked at random, and notified by Saturday morning.

NEWS

• No new Eminem album coming for a while. Maybe he's too busy suing Apple for copyright infringement.
• AboutRap lists their 10 Most Underrated MCs.
• TSC continues to provide excellent articles like this great write up on Gang Starr's Moment Of Truth. While BGDBoom looks back on 2Pac's Me Against The World.
• I mentioned Cause last week and offered up some MP3s. This week he performed at Pianos during Cross-Pollination.
• El-P and Aesop Rock will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live Friday August 10th.
• NY Magazing reviews El-P's Urban Outfitters show, as does Entertainment Weekly. Never thought I'd even say that.
• Disco D passed away a year ago. The Voice looks back.
• Ghostface will be making an acting appearance in the.....Iron Man movie.
• Raekwon shares his thoughts on the recent Ghostface ghostwriting rumors, the new Wu album, and more.
• The Lox are allegedly moving to Def Jam.
• Metal Lungies interviews Royce 5'9".
• Industry legend Steve Rifkin reassures us that Pharoah Monche will not be dropped.

Downloads, tour dates, videos, and more below....

Continue reading "Wes' Weekly Hip Hop News Roundup (August 3, 2007)"