photos by Tim Griffin

Talib Kweli @ Mohawk Friday night

As previously mentioned, Black Star will return for a pair of dates at Best Buy Theater, and on the same night. Saturday December 3rd will see Yasiin and Talib Kweli perform their only LP in its entirety at an 8:00 show and an 11:30 show. Tickets are on sale for both. Talib Kweli joined Res and band to form Idle Warship, at the BrooklynVegan Day Party on Saturday (10/22) before heading to the Duck Down vs Blacksmith showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg next door. Pictures from the BV party are on the way, but we have a set of pictures in this post from the show Talib Kweli played at the Mohawk one night earlier (yes he was in Texas playing a show after midnight the night before he headlined our show at 5pm in Brooklyn!).

In related news, Wu-Tang Clan (billed as with Method Man, RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa) will also head to Best Buy Theater in the coming months, hitting the venue on December 18th as part of a string of live dates that will also include Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on 12/15 and Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY on 12/17. Tickets are on sale for all dates.

Inspektah Deck will also HEADLINE his own show at 285 Kent on 11/4, joining Ava Luna, DJ Dog Dick, and a DJ set from WFMU'S Marty McSorley. Tickets are on sale. The show is meant to wave goodbye to Babycastles, a collective of independent gaming designers that built an arcade inside Silent Barn.

In other "hip hop at Best Buy Theater" news, Jadakiss, Lloyd Banks, Juelz Santana, Fabolous, Meek Mills, French Montana, and Red Cafe will team for a Funkmaster Flex Presents event at the venue on 11/24. Tickets are on sale.

J Cole plays there tonight (10/25).

Talib Kweli's show Friday night at the Mohawk in Austin, TX was with G-Eazy and Franchize. More pictures from that 10/21 performance, and Wu Tang dates, below...

Continue reading "Wu-Tang Clan tour dates, Talib Kweli live pics & stuff"

Clipse photos by Brook Bobbins

Nas & Damian Marley at Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Samantha Marble)

Distant Relatives Nas & Damian Marley will team up for a summer show in NYC this year just like last. They'll hit Central Park Summerstage on August 11th. Tickets go on web presale at 10AM on Thursday (5/19) with regular sale hitting Friday. One difference from from last year though, they're calling this one their "grand finale," so don't sleep if you've been wanting to catch the pair together. THAT SAID, they were also just announced on the lineup of ACL which is happening a month later.

Wiz Khalifa also has a Summerstage show coming up.

In other hip hop news, Q-Tip will DJ The Fort Greene Festival kick off party on May 28th at Sanders Studio (525 Waverly Avenue in Brooklyn), a benefit to raise money for the forthcoming annual event. Tickets are $10 or $15 at the door.

As previously mentioned, Q-Tip will perform at the annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival on July 16th where he'll be joined by new additions Homeboy Sandman, Eternia, Shad, Nitty Scott and Kid Glyde. Get your tickets.

Rock the Bells is going to announce some news from a "launch party" at House of Blues in LA on May 24th.

Talib Kweli will link back up with his side project Idle Warship to play BB Kings on June 10th. Tickets are on sale. And don't forget Kweli will also play a free show in Red Hook Park on 6/21.

Edan plays Southpaw on May 25th.

Clipse @ Terminal 5 in April

Clipse made a NYC appearance at Terminal 5 on April 30th. They opened for A-Trak, and pictures from their set are in this post. More of them below.

Ghostface & Raekwon supported Mobb Deep at recent show at Best Buy Theater. Pictures from that show are HERE. Some upcoming UK Wu-Tang dates are below.

The previously announced "Salute to Hip Hop" show that was supposed to take place at Best Buy Theater in Times Square in April has been rescheduled. You can now catch The Lox, EPMD, and Brand Nubian at the NYC venue on June 30th. Tickets are on sale.

The previously announced Curren$y show happening at Irving Plaza in June is still happening, but now so are many more tour dates around it including the Pitchfork Festival. They are listed below.

And finally, Beastie Boys have no tour dates in support of their Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 yet, but you can catch Ad-Rock hosting/DJing as part of a day long Children's Museum of Art benefit. Tickets for both events at Webster Hall on 5/22 are on sale. Meanwhle check out "The Greatest Beastie Boys Lyrical References To New York, In Order."

A recent video by Nas & Damian Marley for "Nah Mean," those Clipse pics, and tour dates, below.

Continue reading "Nas & Damien Marley shows, BK Hip Hop Fest, Curren$y, Rock the Bells, Q-Tip, Clipse pics, Ad-Rock & other hip hop news"

Wu-Tang Clan @ Rock the Bells over the summer (more by Brook Bobbins)

Wu-Tang Clan are touring in December. That includes two NYC-area shows around Christmas and New Years. They hit Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on December 23rd (one day after Big Boi plays Terminal 5), and Best Buy Theater in NYC on December 29th. Tickets for both of those shows go on sale Friday at noon.

Their California dates are at the beginning of December. Between NJ and NYC they hit Toad's Place in CT on 12/26 which is one day before Raekwon opens a show at Terminal 5. They end the month with a New Years Eve show at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale, PA (population 4028) (it's close to Pittsburgh) (Cloud Cult plays there this Tuesday night).

Wu-Tang last played as a group on the summer's Rock the Bells tour, but both GZA and Ghostface played shows in NYC during CMJ. Raekwon showed up to assist Ghostface at BB King's on 10/22. One of the GZA shows was a surprise appearance at Brooklyn Bowl with Kanye "penis on the Internet" West and many others.

Some videos from CMJ and all dates below...

Continue reading "Wu-Tang Clan touring in December, playing 2 NYC-area shows, New Years Eve in PA & other shows (dates) "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Guilty Simpson & Madlib - "Coroner's Music" (MP3)

'Coroner's Music' off O.J. Simpson

Before we go any further, no, Mr. Bloody Glove has not released a solo record. Yet. (More on that below). BUT, Jedi Mind Tricks frontman Vinnie Paz is prepping his. Vinnie Paz recently dropped the early-Wu-tastic single "Drag You To Hell" which is currently streamable here and available via iTunes here. The track comes from his upcoming solo LP The Assassin's Creed, which features appearances from Beanie Sigel, Clipse, and Freeway as well as production by Madlib, Lil Fame (M.O.P.), Da Beatminerz, and 4th Disciple (Wu-Tang) among others.

Jedi Mind Tricks will hit the road in mid August for a west-midwest-east tour with Esoteric (of 7L & Esoteric) and Reef the Lost Cauze that includes an NYC show at Highline Ballroom on 9/13 and a show on L.I. at Crazy Donkey the night before. Tickets for Highline are on sale.

Speaking of Madlib, the Beat Konducta has announced his collaboration with Guilty Simpson for an album named, er, OJ Simpson (Madlib's real name is Otis Jackson). The new track "Coroner's Music" (available above) comes from an LP due on the mighty Stones Throw this fall (and a 12" that is out now), and features Strong Arm Steady, Elzhi (of the recently reunited Slum Village who played Rock the Bells at Jones Beach on July 19th), as well as cuts from the great J.Rocc.

Speaking of Rock the Bells (and Wu-Tang),

Between the end of Wu's set and the beginning of Slaughterhouse's, Method Man and Joe Budden were seen walking together in the parking lot. The two took their time quashing the beef.

When Slaughterhouse, which also includes Royce da 5'9", Joell Ortiz and Crooked I, took the stage, they publicly announced the end of the short-term feud.

"It will never be a beef with Wu-Tang clan," Royce said. He then revealed the convo between Meth and Budden, saying the situation was "squashed." [MTV]

Annnnnd while we're on the subject, Evidence (who performed At Jones Beach with The Alchemist as Step Brothers) will hit the road this coming fall with Brother Ali, BK One and Toki Wright for a US tour in celebration of Brother Ali's new LP on Rhymesayers, US. Evidence recently signed with Rhymesayers, and will release Cats & Dogs via the label in 2010. The Alchemist's new album, Chemical Warfare, is out NOW and features appearances from Kool G Rap, Eminem, Prodigy (of Mobb Deep - recorded before he hit the lock-up I'm assuming) and many others.

The NYC Brother Ali date is November 7th at Irving Plaza. Tickets for the whole tour are now on presale. All dates below.

Founders of the Rhymesayers crew, Atmosphere are on tour, and hit Webster Hall in NYC TONIGHT (7/27).

Stones Throw badass Peanut Butter Wolf is scheduled to perform at All Points West this weekend (July 31 - Aug 2). Jay-Z, KOOL Keith, Q-Tip, Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Cool Kids and others will also be part of the Jersey City festivities.

Esoteric of 7L & Esoteric will release his solo debut Saving Seamus Ryan on 9/22 featuring appearances by Masta Ace and DJ Premier.

Video of Step Brothers @ Rock The Bells, as well as all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "OJ Simpson (Madlib+Guilty), Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, Atmosphere & other hip hop news (with tour dates) "

watch out squirrel, it's a killer bee (CRED)

Tickets go on sale Friday for a Wu Tang Clan show at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC on January 12th, 2008. It's the show that was rescheduled from this week. They've also played there before. Ghostface plays Nokia on November 16th.

a guy & Ghostface Killah's current tour bus (CRED)

"Reunited rap group Wu-Tang Clan has announced a list of locations for a fall/winter tour behind "8 Diagrams," the hip-hop collective's first new album since 2001.

Preliminary scheduling for the tour has the outfit kicking off Oct. 20 in Miami, FL, and hitting a total of 26 cities through late November. Specific venues--and, in some cases, specific cities--are still unconfirmed." [Live Daily]

UPDATE: Wu-Tang cancelled their tour, and Ghostface added more dates...

Also, don't forget GZA is playing two special shows. All dates below....

Continue reading "Ghostface Killah - 2007 Tour Dates (Wu-Tang CANCELLED)"