words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Joseph Xu

DOWNLOAD: Pharoah Monch vs the Black Lips - "Drop I Mayor" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Lips - Drop I Hold featuring GZA (MP3)

Pharoahe Monch @ the 2009 Pitchfork Fest

Though APW's addition of Jay-Z is rather notable (just a tad), it's the reunion of Organized Konfusion that sets the stage for a big hip hop weekend at APW. Organized Konfusion originally stepped away from the mic in 1997, flirting with a return as recently as 2004, but APW marks their first show back.

Since 1997, both Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch of Organized Konfusion have been busy as solo artists, with Monch recently logging time at the 2009 Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest (pics here) and Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. Pics from Pitchfork in this post, along with fellow hip hop luminary (who didn't send a decoy?) Doom. Chicagoist dug Monch, but Doom... not so much.

After that was Pharoahe Monch, who's hip hop set was everything Doom's Saturday set wasn't: intense, ferocious, and with a level of personality the masked wonder couldn't summon on Saturday. Drawing from the crowd, Monch gave props to those such as Rakim, Mos Def, and Michael Jackson. He was the act we knew least about going into the weekend and coming out he's left us only wanting to hear more.

Speaking of Mos Def, the routing for The Ecstatic Tour is solidifying more and more. Details are below. Tickets are still available for his show at The Beach at Governor's Island on 9/12.

Mos Def's partner in the recently reunited Black Star, Talib Kweli, is making his way back to the stage with Reflection Eternal at BB Kings on August 28th, a little more than a month after Rock The Bells. Tickets are now on sale.

Styles P, who provided direct support for Pharoahe Monch at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest, will headline the first night of the Rock The Block Fest at Southpaw (Aug 6, tix here), with Freeway taking over for the second (Aug 7, tix here). Tickets are also available bundled together (here).

DJ STV SLV (of The Hood Internet) recently remixed Pharoah Monch's "Mayor" with The Black Lips "The Drop I Hold". Hilarity ensues. Download that above. Black Lips' collaboration with GZA is is up there too.

The previously mentioned Ghostface, Redman/Method Man jumpoff at Nokia Theater on July 30th is sold out. We're still waiting for Diesel to announce who the special guests will be at the Roots Webster Hall show happening the same night. Speaking of the Roots, their Highline Ballroom residency has now been extended through November 24th. Tickets are on sale.

In other hip hop news, Q-Tip is paying tribute to Michael Jackson at Nokia Theatre, Jedi Mind Tricks and Brother Ali have announced tours, and The Cool Kids are playing SOB's less than a month after All Points West.

More Pitchfork pics, the Rock the Block flyer, and all Mos Def tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Pharoahe Monch (and DOOM) played P4K (pics), (Organized Konfusion) playing APW ++ tix on sale, Mos Def dates & more"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Metermaids - Nightlife in Illinoise Mixtape (Zipped MP3s)
DOWNLOAD: Hezekiah - Cure For THe Common $oul Mixtape (ZShare Link)

Styles P and Black Thought (The Roots) @ BHHF (more here)

Though daily tickets are now sold out, you can still buy tickets for both nights of The Rock The Block Fest going down at Southpaw on August 6th & 7th. The curiously Thursday-Friday festival scheduled the mighty Styles P (my favorite performer at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest) for Aug 6th, with State Property mainstay and recent Cash Money signee Freeway filling the slot for Aug 7th. Metermaids and NSR as well as Hezekiah and Kimberly Nicole get the assist for days one and two respectively.

The Metermaids released their Nightlife in Illinoise mixtape in the tail end of last year (download that above), featuring material sampled from Sufjan Stevens's Illinoise LP mixed with their Nightlife LP. The crew recently released the Live At Arlene's Grocery EP in the pay-what-you-want format and are scheduled to play Arlene's Grocery again on July 23rd with Prayers For Atheists.

Illadelphian and Roots cohort Hezekiah released his Cure For The Common $oul Mixtape (downloadable above). Featuring appearances by Freeway, Reef The Lost Cauze (Army Of The Pharoahs), and many others, Hezekiah rhymes and remixes tracks by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Will I Am, Zap Mama, and many others.

The Roots are scheduled to take on Highline Ballroom for the umpteenth time on July 8th (tonight), tickets are still available.

Styles P tour dates as well as a live video of "Come Through" at BHHF 2009 below...

Continue reading "Rock The Block hip hop fest @ Southpaw in August (Styles P, Freeway, Metermaids & more) "