Sigur Ros at @ Celebrate Brooklyn! 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We've known about a few Celebrate Brooklyn! shows already (Belle & Sebastian / Yo La Tengo, The Roots with Jim James, Beck), but festival has announced their full 2013 schedule which includes Big Boi, Amadou & Miriam, Calexico, Mavis Staples, Cody Chesnutt, Os Mutantes, The Waterboys, Jamie Lidell / Dan Deacon, and They Might Be Giants... all of which are free. Celebrate Brooklyn! kicks off the season with a free show with Patty Griffin on June 5.

The full Celebrate Brooklyn! schedule is below.

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn! announces 2013 line-up (Big Boi, Calexico, Dan Deacon, Waterboys, Mavis Staples, TMBG + more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Lil Kim in Austin in 2012 (more by Tim Griffin)

Lil Kim, who made a welcome return last year, is playing a NYC show TONIGHT (4/26) at Gramercy Theatre. Tickets for tonight's show are still available.

Shabazz Palaces' tour with THEESatisfaction hits NYC tonight (4/26) for a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom.

Chicago rapper ShowYouSuck is coming to NYC for a show on May 3 at Knitting Factory. That bill also includes Bronx crew B.I.C. (Bitches Is Crazy), Goldie Glo, D Stunna, and Hipster Rogers. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Bitches Is Crazy just released a free album for 4/20 (but it actually came out on 4/16), Influence. It fits right in with the recent influx of NYC weed rap we've been getting from Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers and A$AP Mob. Pretty cool stuff. Download it at bandcamp or stream it, along with the videos for "DOPM" and "Yo Soy Widdit," below.

As just mentioned, collaborators Flatbush Zombies and The Underachievers, who are currently on tour with Joey Bada$$, are playing a free show in Red Hook Park on June 4 as part of this year's Summerstage season.

Miami rapper Gunplay is set to release a new mixtape, Bogota this year (not to be confused with last year's Bogota Rich: The Prequel mixtape), and is also talking about a new album, Medellin. He recently revealed the video for "Pyrex," which will presumably appear on one of these releases. You can watch that below. Gunplay will come to NYC for a show at SOB's on June 10. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Hip hop collective Phony PPL are doing a residency at Brooklyn Bowl which includes shows on May 1, June 5, July 3, and July 31. Each show has different special guests. For the May 1 show, it will be Allan Kingdom and Roofeeo. Guests for the other three shows TBA. Tickets for all four nights are on sale now.

Casey Veggies at Bamboozle 2012 (more by Leia Jospe)

Another good Brooklyn Bowl show happens when Casey Veggies and XXL Freshman Travi$ Scott bring their tour to Brooklyn Bowl on May 19. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

You can download Casey's recent mixtape Life Changes, which features appearances by BJ the Chicago Kid, Dom Kennedy and others, and production by The Futuristiks, Harry Fraud, and others, over at DatPiff.

The Brooklyn Bowl show is two days before Travi$ Scott and the rest of the XXL Freshmen class (Schoolboy Q, Joey Bada$$, Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, Angel Haze, and others) play the XXL Freshmen show at Best Buy Theater (5/21). Tickets for that show are still available.

Another XXL Freshman, Logic, who recently signed to Def Jam, is playing a NYC show on June 22 at Irving Plaza. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Dizzy Wright, Nitty Scott, and others are playing The Studio at Webster Hall on May 22. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Not exactly hip hop, but Kelly Rowland and The-Dream are playing Best Buy Theater on May 30. Tickets for that show go on sale today (4/26) at noon.

All streams and videos below...

Continue reading "upcoming hip hop shows in NYC: Lil Kim, Bitches Is Crazy, Gunplay, Casey Veggies, The-Dream, ShowYouSuck & more"

A$AP Ferg at Brooklyn Bowl in December (more by Brook Bobbins)

Talib Kweli, who just played SOB's earlier this week, is playing two nights at Brooklyn Bowl (3/17-18) with a live band this March with Cory Mo. Tickets for night 1, night 2 and both nights are on sale now.

A$AP Ferg and Fat Trel are teaming up for a NYC show on February 12 at SOB's with Da$h & Retch and A$ton Matthews. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Ratking, who play Mercury Lounge on February 1 with Bryant Dope and JeanDeaux (tickets), also play a Brooklyn show on January 27 at Public Assembly with Show Me The Body and Tippwork. Admission for that one is $10 at the door.

Nitty Scott, Dave East, and Panama are playing SOB's on February 7. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Phony PPL play Brooklyn Bowl on February 21. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Dipset are celebrating the tenth anniversary of Diplomatic Immunity at BB King's on March 25. Tickets for that show are still available.

Check out more upcoming hip hop shows in NYC HERE and HERE.

Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Edie Brickell, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, James Taylor, and more are playing the Children's Health Fund 25th Anniversary Concert at Radio City Music Hall on October 4. Tickets for that show are very expensive and on sale now.

When we mentioned that Easy Star All-Stars put out a Michael Jackson tribute album called "Thrillah", we didn't realize they were also performing from it at Irving Plaza on 10/4. Tickets are on sale.

As mentioned, tickets are on sale for the Afghan Whigs show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets for the Delta Spirit, FIDLAR, and JEFF the Brotherhood show at Irving Plaza are on sale now.

Tickets for Lady Gaga's upcoming shows at MSG and Barclays Center go on sale at 10am.

Prong is playing Rocks Off cruise during CMJ on October 19 with Eminence and For Sleeping or Jumping. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Speaking of CMJ shows on boats, Tickets for the El-P CMJ Rocks Off cruise (also happening on 10/19) are on sale now.

If you noticed El-P's friend Killer Mike in the initial CMJ lineup, that's because Mike is opening for GZA as part of a tour that hits Irving Plaza on 10/18. Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets to see High on Fire's two upcoming NYC shows (Bowery and MHOW) go on sale today at noon.

Sam Sparro plays Webster Hall on November 30. Tickets go on sale at noon.

Tickets to see Field Report atMercury Lounge go on sale today at noon. You can also get tickets to Union Hall.

Tickets to see The Waterboys' Mike Scott at Music Hall of Williamsburg go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see Anais Mitchell at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see Diamond Rings at Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

BAIO (aka Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend) is playing Glasslands on October 26 with Germany Germany. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Iggy Azalea and Havana Brown are opening for Rita Ora at Highline Ballroom on October 30. Tickets for that show go on sale today at noon.

Theophilus London is playing Gramercy Theatre on October 20 with Chip Tha Rippa and Phony PPL. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Tickets to the Owen shows at Mercury Lounge and Union Hall go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see The Frank and Walters at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Kelly Hogan show at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Petty Fest tickets go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Callers and Sam Mickens show at Mercury Lounge go on sale today at noon.

Sam Mickens also plays as a duo with Mike Pride at Death by Audio on October 14 with Aurora and Glockabelle.

Tickets are still on sale for the Jens Lekman/Taken By Trees show at Terminal 5.

RSVP to the BV Austin CMJ Party with Robert Ellis, Wild Child, The TonTons, Shakey Graves, Josiah Hall, and New York City Queens, or just show up with your CMJ badge to get in for free.

by Andrew Sacher

As mentioned, Kilo Kish will be supporting Odd Future's The Internet on their upcoming tour which kicks off Saturday (8/4) in DC and hits NYC at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday (8/5) with Phony PPL. Tickets for Sunday's show are still available.

Kilo dropped the HomeSchool EP earlier this year (which you can stream below) and just followed that with a new song, "Watergun" (prod. The Internet), which you can also stream below. Her flow is similarly conversational (but less sarcastic) to Kitty Pryde (who also has an upcoming NYC show).

Kilo Kish will also be supporting SBTRKT on part of his upcoming tour, including the Red Bull-sponsored NYC show at Termnal 5 show on October 11 with Koreless. Tickets for that show are still available.

A list of all dates and song streams are below.

Continue reading "Kilo Kish touring with The Internet, and then SBTRKT (dates and streams)"

Odd Future's The Internet (aka Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians) will be going on a tour this summer which hits NYC for a show at Bowery Ballroom on August 5 with Phony PPL and Kilo Kish. The show was announced at noon and tickets immediately went on sale (why does everyone in Odd Future do that?).

As mentioned Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator & Earl Sweatshirt will be in NYC for a show with Raekwon and Asher Roth on July 26 Best Buy Theater. Tickets for that show are still available.

Odd Future also recently posted a short film to their website called "Sam Is Dead," which was directed and scored by Tyler, who also stars in it along with Domo Genesis, Lee Spielman of Trash Talk, and others. You can watch that video below, along a list of all dates...

Continue reading "Odd Future's The Internet touring, playing Bowery Ballroom (tix on sale)"

Ultramagnetic MCs at ATP NJ 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

As mentioned in What's going on? last night, Prodigy's upcoming "Queens Day" show at Irving Plaza, which was supposed to happen next week (6/19) has been cancelled. Though he did play a private Rock the Bells kickoff show at Santos Party House last night (6/13) with (according to the flyer) Ghostface Killah, DMX, Jadakiss, and Hit Squad

Q-Tip's "Offline" party (a DJ gig), also scheduled at Irving Plaza, is still set to happen this Friday (6/15) at the Manhattan venue.

Ghostface Killah's other upcoming shows include the free Prospect Park show on 6/23, a Wu-Block party at Highline Ballroom (8/8) (tickets on sale 6/15), and Rock the Bells with Wu-Block. The Highline show is only with Ghostface and Sheek Louch, but for Rock the Bells, the whole crew will be there (Ghostface, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, and Styles P).

Meanwhile, Raekwon will be in NYC for the previously discussed Best Buy Theater show (7/26) with Tyler, the Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (6/15) at noon.

Ghostface and Raekwon play a free show together, and much sooner, in Toronto as part of NXNE on Sunday (6/17). Action Bronson, who plays a free show in Red Hook Park (6/19), will be at the Toronto fest too. The entire music portion of NXNE kicked off yesterday (6/13) and runs through the weekend.

Killer Mike will be at NXNE too, and his tour with El-P, Despot, and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire kicks off on Tuesday (6/19) in Atlanta. It hits NYC on July 13 at Irving Plaza. Ticketsplayed SOB's with Spaceghostpurrp in celebration of Purrp's new album, Mysterious Phonk. Purrp's also got a couple Shortcuts parties under his belt. Speaking of, one of those (sans Purrp) goes down at Santos TONIGHT (6/14) with Fat Tony and Fat Trel (tickets).

While NXNE is going on in Toronto, Brooklyn will be getting its own multi-venue music festival with Northside Festival, which also happens this weekend.

As mentioned, Kool Keith plays a Northside show at Brooklyn Bowl TONIGHT (6/14) with Lushlife. Lushlife recently dropped a remix of "She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist" with Angel Deradoorian, Cities Aviv, G-Side, Big Baby Gandhi, Deniro Farrar, and KDz Kenny Dennis. You can stream that below Tickets are still available for the Brooklyn Bowl show and we're also giving away a pair. Contest details are below.

As usual, Questlove will DJ the Brooklyn venue after that show (tickets).

Kool Keith also plays as part of Ultramagnetic MCs at a Northside show at MHOW on Sunday (6/17) with Phony PPL. Tickets for that show are still available. Phony PPL also play SOB's on July 24 with Blackbear. Tickets for that show are on sale.

GZA & Grupo Fantasma @ Bonnaroo 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

And speaking of hip hop Northside shows at MHOW, GZA (backed by Grupo Fantasmo like he was a Bonnaroo) plays two (early and late) shows at the venue TONIGHT (6/14). Both are sold out, but you can try and get in with your Northside badge.

Aside from Kid Sister at Sugarland on Saturday (6/16), not much more hip hop is happening at Northside, but there are other good hip hop shows tonight and this weekend.

Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) plays the previously discussed show at the Apollo Theater TONIGHT (6/14) as part of Blue Note Jazz Festival. Tickets for that show are still available FOR THE SHOW THAT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 28th.

Blue Note Jazz Fest also gives us a free Central Park Summerstage show on Sunday (6/17) with Groove Theory, Soulive, Riq and Rah with Strings (Black Thought + Rahzel), and DJ Questlove.

EPMD and DJ Scratch play a free show at Herbert Von King Park TONIGHT (6/14). They also team up for a NYC show at BB King's on July 18 with Marley Mari and Big Daddy Kane. (tickets)

Hip hop producer RJD2 DJs a party for the ongoing 'One Step Beyond' series at the American Museum of Natural History on Friday (6/15) with Cosmo Baker, Import/Export, and visuals by Glowing Pictures with special guest Shantell Martin. Tickets for that are available.

You can also catch Tech N9ne and Machine Gun Kelly on the Hostile Takeover Tour which takes over the NYC area on Saturday (6/16) at Starland Ballroom in NJ (tickets) and Sunday (6/17) at HIghline Ballroom (tickets). Be careful during Machine Gun Kelly's set though; TMZ reports that he was just sued $15,000 for slicing open a bouncer's finger. Ouch.

Apple Stores are hosting hip hop in-stores all month.

Once all the Northside craziness ends, you can catch Ab-Soul at his previously discussed NYC show on Thursday, June 21 at SOB's. Tickets for that show are still available.

In other hip hop news, you can stream Black Milk's Live at Third Man Records in its entirety and J-Dilla's posthumous Rebirth of Detroit in its entirety below, along with other song streams and contest details for tonight's Kool Keith show.

Continue reading "this week in Hip Hop (Northside, NXNE, Kool Keith, EPMD, Yasiin Bey, RJD2, Tech N9ne, Black Thought + Rahzel, GZA & more)"

Smif N Wessun at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest 2010 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Sean Price will team with his Duck Down associates Smif-N-Wessun, as well as Maffew Ragazino and Phony Ppl for a show at Highline Ballroom TONIGHT (1/18). Tickets are still available.

Phony Ppl recently made their new LP Phonyland available for free download. Get a copy at Mediafire. As previously mentioned, you can also catch them opening for Theophilus London at Webster Hall.

In related news, Skyzoo (of Duck Down Records) recently released his new video for "Could've Struck the Lotto" from his recent The Great Debater mixtape (downloadable here). Check that out below, alongside some other videos including a video trailer for tonight.

Continue reading "a Sean Price & Smif N Wessun show tonight (and related stuff)"

DOWNLOAD: Smoke DZA - "Less Smoking More Rapping" (MP3)

Smoke DZA/SpaceGhostPurrp

SpaceGhostPurrp and Smoke DZA are teaming up for an NYC show this month at Highline Ballroom on January 23 with support from Joey Bad@$$, Jay Muthafuckin Steez & G.R.A.M.Z. Tickets are on sale now. The show flier is below.

Both Kushed n Purrp have already kicked off the new year with new tracks. DZA dropped "Less Smoking More Rapping," which you can grab above and SpaceGhostPurrp put a stream on YouTube of "Sucka D&#*$)*#))#(#&#)cck 4 2012," the "followup" (if you will) to "Suck A Dick 4 2011." Listen to that below.

SpaceGhostPurrp also recently produced a track for A$AP Rocky, who is heading out on tour with the A$AP Mob and hitting NYC's Irving Plaza on February 1. Tickets are still available.

Smoke DZA released a free EP on Christmas Eve called SweetBabyKushedGod. It features verses by Domo Genesis, ASAP Rocky, Danny Brown, Freeway, Action Bronson, and more, and production by Lex Luger, Flying Lotus, 183rd, Kenny Beats, A-Foe and Maki.

In related news, a video was recently posted of A$AP Rocky working in the studio with Theophilus London (who was previously spotted in the studio with AraabMuzik). Nah Right says that the "track called "Big Spender" which will presumably appear on [Theophilus's] upcoming Lovers Holiday II: Rose Island." Theophilus previewed some of that new material at Lincoln Hall in Chicago over the weekend, and is presumably doing the same now at other shows on his tour that hits Webster Hall on 2/9 (a NYC show that Phony Ppl is now opening).

Action Bronson also has a new track ("CONTEMPORARY MAN" Produced by Party Supplies).

Flier and songs below...

Continue reading "a Smoke DZA & SpaceGhostPurrp show, new releases & related hip hop news"

photos by Brook Bobbins

Ali-Shaheed Mohammed will return to the tables this weekend at Dekalb Market after spinning at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest last weekend, along with (former?) bandmate Q-Tip and tons of suprise guests (like Busta Rhymes & Kanye West). You saw the videos. Here are the pics. More of them below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest pics"

Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn (1698 Bergen Street) is hosting a 'Garden Party every Saturday in July. The free shows will open at 4pm, except the first one on July 2nd which opens at 2pm. Pharoahe Monch (who plays a few shows in July) and Baolji play that Emancipation Day Celebration.

Theophilus London (whose last NYC show was at Music Hall of Williamsburg during the Northside Festival) plays the Garden Party on July 23 with Phony PPL (who also opened for Theophilus at Brooklyn Museum). The free show is two days after Theophilus plays a not-free show at Bowery Ballroom on July 21. Tickets for the Bowery show are still on sale.

Theophilus' debut LP Timez Are Weird These Days comes out July 19 on Warner Brothers and features contributions from Holly Miranda and Sara Quin.

Full Garden Party lineup below...

Continue reading "Weeksville Heritage Center hosting free shows, Theophilus London playing other shows too (Bowery included)"