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)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Blu - "Amnesia" (MP3)

Blu

Jazzy West Coast rapper Blu plays Public Assembly on September 23 with Ari Why & The Invisible College and Voli. Blu released the Amnesia EP earlier this year, which included the track of the same name. You can download that track above and watch the video below. He is set to release his major label debut LP, NoYork! at some point this year, though no official date has been set yet. The album features production by frequent collaborator Exile, Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Madlib, and Daedelus and guest vocals by J*Davey, Edan, and others. Blu & Exile also play Rock the Bells in NYC this weekend with Fashawn.

Sean Price will also play the Brooklyn venue on September 30 with Natural Elements, Maffew Ragazino, Rasheed Chappell, Johnny 3 Rounds, Stark the Dutch, Zeps, and Ugly Brains. The flier for this show is below. Sean Price will also be at Rock the Bells this weekend as part of the supergroup Random Axe with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson.

Video and show flier below...

Continue reading "Blu & Sean Price playing Rock the Bells & Public Assembly (dates, MP3 & video)"

by BBG

Sean Price at Southpaw (more by BBG)

"I like no female rappers. Not like I don't like them personally; they don't hold my interest. Except MC Lyte," he told Vlad TV. "I haven't bought a female rap album since MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock. That album? I haven't bought one since, straight up. I like none of 'em."

P was quick to clarify, explaining that he holds a soft spot for Digga. "Let me take that back. Rah Digga. She get busy too. But other than that, none of 'em. I'm not buying none of they albums. All of 'em. That's just me. I be fooled. You have a nice single. If the single is good, I'll buy the album. I got a fooled a few times. Who did I get fooled by? I was so pissed. Boss. Remember Boss? I was so pissed, b. I fell for a few, but I like no female rappers. None." -[Hip Hop DX]

I guess we won't expect to see any female MCs as special guests when Sean Price's not-supergroup Random Axe (with Black Milk & Guilty Simpson) supports Smif N Wessun with Maino TONIGHT at Highline Ballroom (6/21). DJ Envy will be on the wheels of steel in between/before the show with Angela Yee hosting. Tickets are still available.

Can't make it tomoight? Tomorrow (Wedneday, 6/22) Random Axe to play a ANOTHER NYC show, this time a headlining date at Southpaw with labelmates Black Moon and SkyZoo. Tickets are still available. The pair of shows are in addition to the crew's upcoming appearances at Rock The Bells and Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest. Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest's lineup recently expanded with the additions of Shad, Homeboy Sandman, Nitty Scott MC, Eternia, and Twilite Tone.

Random Axe is celebrating the release of their new and self-titled LP out NOW via Duck Down Records while Smif N Wessun will release their new collaborative LP with Pete Rock, Monumental, via the label on 6/28. Stream the entire Random Axe LP at Complex, and check out two recent Random Axe videos, "Random Call" and "The Hex", below.

And while we're on the subject of Duck Down Records, Black Moon, and Smif N Wessun, look for the two crews to join fellow Duck Down affiliates Heltah Skeltah, OGC, Pharoahe Monch, and Black Rob for a "Hip Hop Legends" night at BB King's on July 12th (Black Rob & OGC... hip hop legends?). Tickets are still available.

Reminder: Duck Down signee and collaborator Talib Kweli will play a free show at Red Hook Park TONIGHT, a day before he hits The Colbert Report.

A bunch of videos and song streams are below.

Continue reading "Random Axe released LP on Duck Down (stream it), playing shows w/ Smif N Wessun & Black Moon & more"

by BBG

Black Milk celebrated Album of The Year (stream it) with a headlining show at a packed out Southpaw on Tuesday (9/14). In addition to a Besides a bouncy and big-bang performance from Black Milk (one of the few hip hoppers that understands the art of the live show), there was a killer lineup of supporting characters that included the pure hilarity/unstoppable rhymes of Sean Price, a super energetic Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, and a surprise appearance from Roc Marciano (his first since the release of his incredible LP Marcberg on Fat Beats in April).

More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Black Milk played Southpaw, Roc Marciano stopped by (pics) "

by BBG

Black Milk at SXSW (more by Samantha Marble)

BrooklynVegan is proud to announce the release party for one of 2010's most highly anticipated underground hip hop albums, Black Milk's Album of The Year. Brooklyn's Southpaw will be the venue and September 14th is the date (also the album's release date). The show will feature appearances from the man himself along with Sean Price, Elzhi of Slum Village, and Guilty Simpson among other special guests still to be announced. Tickets are on sale.

UPDATE: DJ Spinna, who is also spinning the Michael Jackson birthday party in Prospect Park this Sunday, has been added to the Southpaw show.

Individually, Sean Price, Black Milk, and Guilty Simpson is an incredible lineup, but in addition, the threesome combine to form Random Axe. Ramdom Axe have completed an LP that, according to a recent interview, will see a release in "October/November". Keep on the look out for that one.

Elzhi is 1/2 of the current Slum Village, who recently released their new album Villa Manifesto via E1 Music, the first since the passing of Slum Village founding member Baatin and ex-SV member J.Dilla. Elzhi released his (almost entirely) Black Milk-produced solo album The Preface in 2008.

The rest of Random Axe has been busy with their own projects, as well. Sean Price released the Kimbo Price mixtape in the tail end of last year, and is prepping to release Mic Tyson on Duck Down. Guilty Simpson's new LP, um, OJ Simpson hit stores in middle May via Stones Throw. The LP features production by Madlib on all tracks.

Some video, including the recently released Black Milk clip "Deadly Medley" is below...

Continue reading "Black Milk will celebrate 'Album of the Year' at Southpaw (w/ Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, Elzhi & more) "

by BBG

De La Soul at Coachella (more by Rachel Carr)

Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest 2009 was a blast (with one notable exception) and so far 2010 is turning out to be similarly interesting with the addition of the great De La Soul to headline the shindig on July 10th alongside Buckshot, Evil Dee and Smif-N-Wessun. Tickets are on sale.

The show is part of a week long celebration:

The calendar for the 6th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival kicks off with Show & Prove on Monday, July 5th. This Hip-Hop showcase of independent and local talent is the final event of Brooklyn Bodega's three month Show & Prove competition,
Tuesday, July 6th will feature the Bodega Education Initiative, a day of panel discussions and seminars about the legendary producer, J Dilla. Speakers include Q-Tip, Ma Dukes Yancey, DJ Spinna and more.
Wednesday, July 7th is a mini Film Festival that features a variety of Hip-Hop films and a Q&A with established and burgeoning filmmakers.
Thursday, July 8th is a night dedicated to the backbone of Hip-Hop: the DJ. It will feature performances by the best DJs, from NYC to LA.
Friday, July 9th is the kick-off party to formally welcome Festival goers, past and current artists and community leaders to the 6th Annual BHF.
Saturday, July 10th is the culmination of the 2010 Festival. De La Soul, just ahead of a new album to be released this year, will headline on the DUMBO waterfront. Earlier in the day, we set it off with Family Day - a block party for families and children that celebrates the core message of Hip-Hop - social change and individual empowerment.

De La Soul recently played Coachella, are scheduled for NXNE, and recently announced that they will provide a remix for the forthcoming Here To Fall Remixes EP by Yo La Tengo!

YO LA TENGO have worked with a huge variety of artists from different genres over the years.... In 2010, the band presents an EP of remixes of "Here To Fall," the lead track from last year's "Popular Songs," by De La Soul, RJD2 and Pete Rock.
"Here To Fall" is the most popular track from "Popular Songs," a couple having a tense conversation about the future over the background of menacing, descending chords and distorted wa-wa guitar. Each of these legendary hip hop performers has taken the track and the story and made it their own.

De La and Yo La? Quite the fascinating collaboration...

Buckshot, Evil Dee, and Smif N-Wessun will be celebrating 15 years of Duck Down Records at the BHHF show, a milestone they'll also celebrate at BB King's on July 13th with the addition of Sean Price and Pharoahe Monch (who headlined the Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest last year). Tickets for that NYC show are on sale.

Pharoahe Monch also plays a free show in Queensbridge Park on July 21st.

Duck Down also partied for their 15th down at SXSW, during which time Buckshot and Smif-N-Wessun both made appearances at our Attitude Adjustment party at Red 7.

While we're on the subject of classic hip hop artists playing NYC, Slick Rick has scheduled a show at Knitting Factory on June 13th. Tickets are on sale.

Tons of classic video below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest 2010 lineup w/ De La Soul, Duck Down Records celebrates there & @ BB King's w/ Pharoahe Monch"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Random Axe - "Monster Babies"

Sean Price aka Ruck of Heltah Skeltah

Congrats to the clown prince of Duck Down Records and the king of Ruck Down Records, Sean Price, who is celebrating a major milestone.... the birth of his daughter! In celebration, the Heltah Skeltah representative will play (I am not making this up) a "Performance/Baby Shower" on March 2nd at Santos Party House. No tickets, the only way to get in is to by bringing a baby gift or purchasing one on his Babies R Us registry (# 44767770) and bringing your receipt. Roffle.

Besides creating online gift registries, dropping mixtapes (like last year's Kimbo Price), preparing solo records (like his upcoming Mic Tyson), and preparing for the birth of his new daughter, Sean P is also involved in indie hip hop supergroup Random Axe. Featuring three underground illuminaries in Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and Price, the new album is due later this year on Duck Down Records, but you can check out one of those tracks, for download above.

Sean Price, Black Milk, Buckshot, Kidz In The Hall, Oh No, B-Real, and many others contributed to the recent Duck Down mixtape Download The Right Thing. Download that for free.

Check out some videos below, including Sean Price's newest video for "Figure 4" which uses one of my favorite samples of all time... Lee Mason & His Orchestra's "Shady Blues" (also used by Lootpack and Pacewon among others). In addition, don't miss the video for Sean Price shopping in the grocery store, also below.

Continue reading "Sean Price had a daughter (everyone's invited to the shower) "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Black Milk - Music From The Color Purple (ZSHARE, ZIPPED ALBUM)
DOWNLOAD: Black Milk - "The Matrix" featuring DJ Premier, Pharoahe Monch, & Sean Price (MP3 Excerpt)
DOWNLOAD: Black Milk - "Give The Drummer Sum" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Madlib - "The Ox (805)" featuring MED and Poke (ZIPPED MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Madlib - "Go!" featuring Guilty Simpson (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Madlib - WLIB AM... Preview mixed by J-Rocc (MP3)

MC/Producer Black Milk announced a show at Southpaw on Oct 24th with U-N-I (tickets are on sale), thats four days before he drops his sophomore solo LP, Tronic, on Fat Beats featuring Pharoahe Monch, DJ Premier, Sean Price, and fellow Detroiters Dwele & Royce Da 5'9". Both "The Matrix" and "Give The Drummer Sum" are from Tronic and downloadable above. Black Milk is also encouraging the hip hop community to help "mother of the greatest producer of all time J Dilla":

This is "Death of the Muse", the first single off the upcoming Solillaquists of Sound album, No More Heroes. It's available as a download for a minimum donation of $2 with absolutely 100% of the proceeds going directly to Ms. Maureen Yancey a/k/a Ma Dukes (J Dilla's mom). You are encouraged to donate more than the minimum by upping the quantity in your shopping cart before checking out.
The track features J-Live, Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5), as well as Ma Dukes herself.

Pick up that single here.

Speaking of MC/Producers, Madlib dropped his long threatened entry to the Beat Generation series, WLIB AM King Of The Wigflip, on Sept 30th. You can check out a few tracks from WLIB... streaming and we have both "The Ox" and "Go!" available for download above. Madlib joins a long lines of hip hop luminaries who have dropped heat on The Beat Generation, including Marley Marl, J. Dilla, Jazzy Jeff, King Britt, and Pete Rock.

Sean Price recently played SOB's with Heltah Skeltah. His Boot Camp Clik breathren, Black Moon & Smif N Wessun's "Tribute to The Classics" rescheduled their sold-out Knitting Factory show to November 8th due to Buckshot's emergency trip to the hospital. We're happy to hear Buckshot is now doing okay.