Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambataa

The Universal Zulu Nation is an international hip hop awareness group formed and headed by hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s as reformed New York City gang members began to organize cultural events for youths, combining local dance and music movements into what would become known as the various elements of hip hop culture. By the 1980s, hip hop had spread globally, and the Zulu Nation has since established (autonomous) branches in Japan, France, the UK, Australia, South Korea and the Cape Flats in Cape Town South Africa. -[wiki]

Afrika Bambataa celebrated the organization's 38th anniversary last night at Le Poisson Rouge (11/9) with Tony Touch , Doo Wop , DJ Mell Starr , Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box) , Timbo King (Wu Tang) , Rock of Heltah Skeltah , Maffew Ragazino , Rival and Ramon CNN 199 and host DJ Hektek. The celebration continues on Saturday (11/12) with 9th Wonder, PMD from EPMD, Dinco (Leaders of the New School), Statik Selektah, Boogie Black, Latin Hip Hop, Calle Cardona (DJ O Incredible), Bisnelly La Loca, Blu Room Therapy, The Welfare Poets and Smif n' Wessun. Tickets are on sale.

The 38th anniversary of the UZN means that we'll also be celebrating the 37th anniversary of hip hop which will get its own night of remembrance. Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E Fresh, Grand Master Melle Mel, DMC, Cold Crush Brothers & more will join DJs like Q-Tip, Kid Capri, Jazzy Joyce, Lady Love and others at SOB's on 11/13. Tickets are on sale.

Phife Dawg

In related news, BB King's is the home for many upcoming shows with similarly great hip hop notables. The most interesting of the bunch happens on 2/23/12 with Phife Dawg (of A Tribe Called Quest) "and friends". No details on who "the friends" are, but tickets, go on sale today (11/10) at 2PM.

Another major event goes down a bit sooner at the same venue, on 11/23. Featuring EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Black Moon, Special Ed, Black Sheep, and Black Rob, the show is part of the "Funkmaster Flex Legends" series and tickets are on sale.

The venue will also host interesting shows with Digital Underground on 1/22/12 (tickets) Mobb Deep on 11/22 (tickets) and Slick Rick (featuring rare performances from his The Ruler's Back LP) on 11/25 (tickets) in the coming months.

Ghostface will also be on hand when the Wu-Tang Clan hits Best Buy Theater and Starland as part of a December tour.

And last but not least, M.O.P. will hit Santos Party House on 11/21 as part of a record release celebration for their new collaborative album with The Snowgoons. Sparta is due on Babygrande the next day. Support will be announced, but tickets are on sale. Stream one song from Sparta, and watch some videos, below...

Continue reading "Phife Dawg, 9th Wonder, EPMD, Ghostface, M.O.P. & other upcoming hip hop shows"

photos by Leia Jospe

"We're not together anymore. Rock the Bells was our last tour and we won't make any more records. We're still friends, I'm going to be working on Phife's solo album. Everyone's chilling and the tour was great -- Nas, De La Soul, Redman, Ghostface, Raekwon -- it was great to see old friends. You know, to be out there doing our thing." - Q-Tip

Q-Tip and The Cool Kids are on tour. Tuesday night (12/2) that tour hit NYC's Highline Ballroom (instead of Nokia Theatre where they originally played it). More pictures and video from the show below...

Continue reading "Q-Tip & the Cool Kids @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - pics"

photos by Eric M. Townsend

Q-Tip played a FREE album release show last night (September 29th) at the almost-extinct Tribeca Knitting Factory in NYC. Earlier this month Q-Tip (and Kanye West) made an appearance at a Consequence show at the very same club. Last night Consequence returned the favor. Busta Rhymes also joined Q-Tip on stage. More pictures and video below...

Continue reading "Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes & Consequence @ Knitting Factory pics"

by Black Bubblegum

Q-Tip, Maryland, 7/27/08, and lookie what he's wearing... (seoulchild)

"The Abstract", aka Q-Tip, has announced The Renaissance - due October 14th (but let's not hold our breath). The new track "Gettin Up" is currently streaming at his myspace. The new album marks Tip's (not T.I.P.'s) first album since the almost-entirely-J.Dilla-fied Amplified that came out nine years ago.

"The Ab" along with Phife Dawg, Jarobi, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad will reunite at the Rock The Bells Festival as A Tribe Called Quest, flanked by fellow Native Tongues members De La Soul and Mos Def, as well as Nas, Raekwon & Ghostface (playing tracks from their FOREVER upcoming, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II), a reunited Pharcyde (!), Immortal Technique, Method Man & Redman and dead prez. The NY date is this Sunday (August 3rd) at Jones Beach. Set times are below...

When they aren't reuniting, Q-Tip & Ali Shaheed Muhammad have been busy spinning records at Triple Crown, APT, and most recently, Santos Party House among other spots.

And in case ya missed it, Nas hates Rupert Murdoch. Check out those set times...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells Sunday set times, new music by Q-Tip"

FEATURING: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, NAS, MOS DEF, THE PHARCYDE, DE LA SOUL, METHOD MAN & REDMAN, RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DEAD PREZ, MURS, SPANK ROCK, WALE, JAY ELECTRONICA, SANTOGOLD, COOL KIDS, B.O.B, KIDZ IN THE HALL, AMANDA BLANK and HOSTED BY- B-REAL, SUPERNATURAL AND SCRATCH and DJ GREEN LANTERN

There are four different presales going on for the Rock the Bells show at Jones Beach. The Nokia presale password = band.

No NYC date again (sort of) (yet?)......

Continue reading "Tribe Called Quest reuniting again for Rock the Bells tour! - Summer 2008 dates w/ Nas, Pharcyde, De La, Rakim..."

Q-Tip

KRS-One

Common

* Todd Barry on Conan
* last Invite Them Up EVER
* Henry Rollins is speaking at Warsaw
* Big Head Todd & The Monsters is playing Bowery Ballroom
* Liam Finn is playing w/ Pela & Apollo Sunshine @ Music Hall
* The Acorn is playing w/ Bowerbirds & Phosphorescent @ Union Hall
* Marc Ribot, Sean Lennon & Yuka Honda are playing Knitting Factory

Q-Tip, KRS-One, Common and Furious Five played that private Smirnoff event which was in NYC last night. That's where the three photos above are from (courtesy of Ryan Muir/Metromix).

Human Giant (who recently cancelled some shows) released a new video from their upcoming season 2 on MTV. That's below. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday? "

...or so says the press release....

Continue reading "KRS-One & DJ Premier is like a glass of Smirnoff Raspberry flavored vodka and pineapple juice...."

Q-Tip & friend @ Gramercy/Blender Theatre, NYC - OCt 16, 2007 (CRED)

Of course there was something Q-Tip brought that most other CMJ strivers didn’t: an unsinkable catalog. As the driving force behind A Tribe Called Quest, he helped shape alternative hip-hop in the 1990s, earning a lot of good will along the way. And he was in the mood to please on Tuesday, jumping into “Excursions” – the lead track from “The Low End Theory,” Tribe’s breakthrough album – within the first few tunes. [NY Times]

Q-Tip is (unfortunately only) DJing @ Love in NYC tonight.

I already posted some of these dates, but that was when they were just Common shows. A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip has a new album coming out in early 2008 - it's called The Renaissance. He's also a character in the video game NBA 2K8, and is on the soundtrack. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Q-Tip - 2007 Tour Dates (w/ Common) & a new album"