Monday, January 30, 2006

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New Japanese graff film Taki 183
Director: ?
Stars: Shugo Oshinari, Mitsuru Murata, Takashi Tsukamoto.
Release date: 28 Jan 2006
Length: ?

Naming the film after the legendary initial graffiti writer of New York is a weird idea. Homage or another Japanese appropriation? We haven't seen many films, well in fact none, on the hip hop scene in Japan so it'll be an interesting viewpoint on the culture. Recently there was Hip Hop TKO, which opened up late last year in Japan. It's hard to tell from the trailer if it's a comedy or a drama, but it seems to look decent, cinematically at least.

Synopsis
About some graffiti kids in Shibuya.
Here's the google translation.
"Tommy of the graffiti * artist (Tsukamoto high history) the fact that in the wall of Shibuya town message is drawn with the spray was reason to live. He the can of the companion (patience forming learning/repairing our) and the ハッタ (窪 mound 俊 mediating/helping) and others with keeps making the work one after another, but..."

Website

Friday, January 27, 2006

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AIRHEADS 2. Australian Hip Hop compilation

Yes, our label has reached 10 releases over 7 years. Whoooheee... Amazed we even got this far. 3 CDs & 7 vinyl. We have another 2 albums due for release in 2006. So things are happening slowly, but surely. Our first compilation came out in 2001 & like that it has Australian content. Except for the UK's MR Wiz (Krispy III), who is on one track. Should be available from Checkoutwax & Next Level Records soon (see links on column).

I've upped my own track with Sleeping Monk. It's a silly midtempo boogie disco tune about dudes who crash your party. Super nice cuts from Murda 1.

And my favourite track is Brass & Sandro's 'Murder She Wrote'. An unbelievable tune that kills me every time I hear it. Glad we scored it for the compilation.

A big thanks goes out to everyone involved.

Track Listing.
1. DEF WISH & DJ SING ft. TOM THUM - Boogie Boy *
2. The OPTIMEN - Pirate Radio (remix) *
3. 13th SON - It’s Only Right *
4. HERMITUDE ft. JO NEW - The Conquistadors *
5. LOW BUDGET - Handle Ours *
6. BRASS & SANDRO -Murder She Wrote *
7. The MORLOCKS - All Good *
8. IDIOT PROOF ft. SLEEPING MONK & DJ MURDA 1 - The Party Crasher *
9. AX AKLINS - Desperate Man *
10. MOSTYN - By Mo’self *
11. SERECK- Too Damn Long *
12. MACROSS - Step Back *
13. MINDFIELD - A Day in the Office *
14. FULL THROTTLE ft PLASM & HUCKLEBERRY - It’s An Honour
15. A.P.E.X - ( ) *
16. OVERPROOF - Hard Act to Follow *
17. The COALITION ft LEN WUN - Make Beats
18. FAME - After Midnight *

* Exclusive to this compilation.

MP3: IDIOT PROOF ft SLEEPING MONK - The Partycrasher
MP3: BRASS & SANDRO - Murder She Wrote
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Next: A Primer on Urban Painting (2005)
Produced, directed & researched by Pablo Aravena. Canada. 95 mins.

Aravena travelled around the world for a couple of years to portray the global graffiti movement. Were emerged from underground activities in The Bronx developed into a mature art form that has found a place in the galleries all over the world.

Pablo Aravena travelled throughout the world for several years charting the global graffiti movement. The film shows how graffiti developed from an underground activity in The Bronx to a mature art form that has found its way into art galleries worldwide. While it has become an international visual language, at the same time graffiti still retains local accents. Opposing the geometric and neat styles of Holland and Germany are the more extravagant lines and colours of Spain. The minimalist graffiti of Japan can be traced back to the history of Japanese art, which lacked perspective. Aravena meets grand old men like Lee Quiñones, Doze Green & Henry Chalfant, pioneers of graffiti. However, he focuses equally on the contemporary artists who repeatedly reinvent this visual language. Aravena regards graffiti as the abstract expressionism of the 20th and 21st centuries. With his film, he combats the hypothesis that graffiti, originally characterised by anonymity on walls and trains, loses its vitality as soon as it is cherished by the art establishment. Every art form evolves. NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting gives us an insight into this vital evolution.

Filming took place in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Montréal, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Tokyo.
The budget was $250,000 CAD.

Website

Thursday, January 26, 2006

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PAID DUES festival

The first ever performance by Felt, [Murs 3:16 (Living Legends) with Slug & Ant (Atmosphere)] will be among the highlights of Paid Dues, a new independent Hip-Hop festival. Aesop Rock, Living Legends and EL-P will be among the acts taking the stage for the festival, which is the result of a partnership between rapper Murs 3:16 and Guerilla Union's Chang Weisberg, who spearheaded the Rock The Bells festival.

Paid Dues will take place Mar. 11 at the National Orange Show pavillion in San Bernadino, CA.

Murs came up with the idea for the Paid Dues festival as a way to offer something different for rap fans.
"After going on the Vans Warped Tour a few years back, I thought it would be great to do something similar for our fans-something outdoors during the day and at a great price, making it a refreshing change for our die-hard fans who are used to seeing us in the dark dank nightclubs. At the same time, it's a great and inexpensive introduction to live Hip-Hop for the young fans."

Website
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New Spanish book ALERGIA
200 pages. Full Colour. 22x22 cm. Hard Cover

Fresh looking book from Barcelona takes a peek at the current street art/graffiti scene in Europe.
Features art from Alëxone, 123Klan, Ankh, Cooler, Reso, Dran, Kern, Ogre, San, Pornostars, Zeta, Beto, Fasim, Sex, Skum, Fwc, Eox, Moockie, Puke, Xl, Dips, Realgraffiks, Sg, Rambo, Sam3, Dck, Spl, Belio, Sixe, Satone, Stohead, Daddy Cool, Viagrafik, Flying Fortress, Zwerg Burns, Cg, Dfm, Hitnes, Jaba, Recto, Rosy, Herbert, Vitche, Dzr Sone, Hanem Drim, Mets Noer, etc...

Website

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

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MIKE THE 2600 KING "Heavy Session" MIX CD

Yes yes yes... Another mix-CD arrived in the mail. And it's another quality 66 minutes from 2600 King of the Litterthugz crew. I can rant & rave about it, but I'll let him tell you himself. This is what he has to say about it, 66 minutes of funky rock, hard and groovy European psych beats, and plenty of rappin, scratchin, and handclappin - all cut up and reassembled in a hip hop type fashion.

Not sold? Well you should be. Mike is not only an excellent graphic designer, but a whiz on the decks, maybe not in the brilliant cutting edge scratch wizard stakes, but more in his eclecticism, humour, diversity & general all round fun-ness. All of his previous mixes are some of my favourites, so get your arse into gear & paypal the dude some coin. It's only $17US, yet worth a weeks pay in vinyl. The cover had me sold in seconds.

Litterthugz website
International orders
Listen to a snippet here
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Upcoming Swiss hip hop film, 'Breakout'.

Director: Mike Eschmann
Stars: Daniel Wellauer, Melanie Winiger.
Release date: 2007
Length: 90mins
Still in production.

Work is currently underway on Switzerland's 1st hip hop motion picture. Though a few years ago there was a film called Status Yo! that was a German/Swiss co-production, but it was set in Berlin so it doesn't really qualify. Trying to translate Swiss/German through Babelfish's German to English program means that I have not much of an idea what is going on. I also realised that it is still a work in progress & that roles for extras are actually occuring from 23 January to 4 March in Zurich. You just have to go to the website & fill in a form. The good news is that the director has already had some acclaim with a comedy he made in 2003 called, Achtung, fertig, Charlie!. It's not like the Swiss are crazy prolific in the cinema world, so it's with fingers crossed that Breakout turns out for the best when completed.

Website
7 page PDF file
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GRANDMIXER DXT restores lost jazz treasures

Orange, NJ (PROGRESSIVE ARTS ALLIANCE) - Noted Hip-Hop DJ GrandMixer DXT is no stranger to utilizing his prowess as a technical wizard to bridge the worlds of jazz and hip-hop music. His first foray into the jazz scene was with Herbie Hancock on the 1983 Grammy Award-winning hit 'Rock It.' Since then he has worked as a musician, DJ, and studio producer fusing work in a variety of music genres. His latest studio work includes restoring the highly acclaimed Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, recently uncovered by the Library of Congress and now available on Thelonious Records, distributed by Blue Note Records.

In 1957, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane formed one of the most important partnerships of jazz legends since the partnership of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Few well-recorded documents exist of this important partnership ... until now. In early 2005, Larry Appelbaum from the Library of Congress archives ran across mysterious unmarked tapes that simply said 'Sp Event Carnegie Hall Jazz Nov 29, 1957' and 'T. Monk' on the back. What he found was a live recording of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall at a benefit concert for the Morningside Community Center that was taped by the Voice of America, the US Government's international broadcast service, but never aired.

TS Monk, drummer and son of the jazz legend and executor of the Monk estate, secured a deal between Thelonious Records and Blue Note Records to distribute this important recording. The next task was to secure a producer who could effectively restore the nearly 50-year old tapes to modern day recording and distribution standards. TS Monk immediately thought of GrandMixer DXT, whose work he was familiar with and whose quality of work and expertise he confidently felt could meet the high demands of the job.

GrandMixer DXT was up for the challenge. In fact, he employed a process that he invented called Forensic Editing. This process utilizes the digital capabilities of today's technology to restore analog tapes of yesterday. His process nearly eliminates the tape hiss and distortion that most analog tapes possess, without compromising the quality or integrity of the original recording. He is currently working on a variety of restoration projects with his newly formed company, TransferMaster.

As more and more jazz aficionados, music industry professionals, recording industry gurus, performing musicians, and music scholars hear the recent release of the Monk/Coltrane album, the overwhelming response continues to resound that the work is a newly-found treasure with unbelievably clear sound, thanks to the cutting-edge restoration work of GrandMixer DXT. His work has surprised those in the jazz field for its impeccable quality and as a result, it is quickly catapulting DXT to new levels of restoration and production status as the 'must use' engineer for bringing older jazz recordings to life in the digital age.

Once again, DXT, known best for his work in hip-hop circles, has stunned audiences with his latest foray into the jazz community.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

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France's ARTHUR KING & UNCLE T's 'Gangster Boogie' mix CD

I love mix CDs. Well, good ones of course. I don't particularily care for the recent trend of the 'mixtape' albums that every blinging rapper & his pissant crew puts out to promote a forthcoming album, nor do I care for ones that just contain exclusives, nor do I like the style where the dj screams his name all over the damn shop. Nah, I like just mine with blends, scratches & dope music. Doesn't really matter the genre, though I much prefer a mix of hip hop, funk, soul, soundtracks, easy listening & scratched up dialogue. A bit of kookiness thrown in is also most appreciated. Something that will get a repeat listen.

I saw a post on this on Soul Strut (no-one responded) & thought I'd investigate simply because I liked the cover. It's an excellent mixed collection of not so rare tracks. One look at the cover & you would most likely say, 'got 'em all', doesn't matter, because the mix is super fresh, the cuts are tight & it's nice to have a funk mix that isn't by J-Rocc or Melo-D. Contains' mostly west coast gangster soul/funk. Having about 3 Expedits in my house as well kind of swayed me. I ordered it from this site, CD & LP (because it was 2 Euros cheaper) & it arrived 10 days later from France.

Click on the website link & then click 'buy' for a track listing.
There's also a 10MB 'snippet' download.

Gangster Boogie site

Thursday, January 19, 2006

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KOOLISM's new album is coming soon.

To be released on the 20th of Feb via Invada. I've heard the album, New Old Ground & it's a killer. It's their ode to the music they grew up on. Hence the cover look & the style of the tracks. I think they felt they needed to get it out of their system they did a terrific job. Loads of breaks & samples were used for this album, so it takes us back to the glory years of that classic hip hop production. I've upped the brand new single which is a song that talks about their love of the nearly extinct cassette format. Has a dope scratched up chorus for you freaks. This will only be availabe as an album cut anyway, so you'll have to cop the album.

To the overseas people. Have a listen & see what you think of one of our finest crews.

Koolism website
Invada website

MP3: KOOLISM - Tapes
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Belgian radio show LAID BACK.

Looks & sounds like they have their stuff on lock. Some great mixes are available for download. They also have a nice little section with snapshots taken around Europe. Investigate. I don't need to tell you everything about everything. Just have a goosey gander.

Okay, the great Grazzhoppa has a mix on there as well as those instrumental hip hop Dutch kids, 40 Winks. Convinced?

Laid Back website
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SERGIO MENDES' Timeless. Hip hop collaboration album

There is a heavy Black Eyed Peas presence, with Will I Am all over the damn thing, which kind of sucks. So I'll guess it will have loads of kiddy raps, though Q-Tip, Chali 2na & Black Thought also appear. Surprisingly Pharoahe Monch is on a track with Justin Timberlake? Sheesh! The only Brazilians I can see are Guinga & Marcelo D2. You can hear some tracks streamed & they sound exactly as one would imagine. Breezy tunes with guest raps on them. Was this really needed? It's all a bit...neh! Might go dig up some Brasil 66 instead.

Sergio Mendes website

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

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New Brazilian film FAVELA RISING.

Directors: Jeff Zimbalist, Matt Mochary
Brazil/ U.S.A. 2005
78 min. Colour. In Portuguese with English subtitles

A docu-drama with some amazing music & visuals from the US cable network HBO. Looks absolutely amazing. Go through the website to download tracks & see the trailer.

"FAVELA RISING documents a man and a movement, a city divided and a favela (Brazilian squatter settlement) united. Haunted by the murders of his family and many of his friends, Anderson Sá is a former drug-trafficker who turns social revolutionary in Rio de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the rhythms of the street, and Afro-Brazilian dance he rallies his community to counteract the violent oppression enforced by teenage drug armies and sustained by corrupt police.

At the dawn of liberation, just as collective mobility is overcoming all odds and Anderson’s grassroots Afro Reggae movement is at the height of its success, a tragic accident threatens to silence the movement forever."

Favela Rising website
MySpace Why not?
Force Theory Brooklyn musicians who did the soundtrack

Monday, January 16, 2006

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JAGUAR SKILLS new mix-CD.

That bonkers katana wielding, shuriken chucking black clad assassin of the turntables returns with his long awaited sequel, Ho! Revenge of the Ninja 2. It's a totally Sonny Chiba kookfest with Jaguar & his magic stick battling the evil DJ Nuptial the wedding party DJ & other assorted conveyers of bad taste. Tiger Chan & The Fat Boss Crew provide the additionaly vinyl support every time the Chuck D alarm goes off. Ha ha!

If you like the British sense of humour, Ninjas, scratching, theatrics, beats & a whole lot of insanity, then you'll regret not seeking this out. I have his 1st mix & his shit is hilarious. A lot of work has been put into this & you'll have a pisser of a time listening to the tomfoolery, especially by those bored of serious turntable mixes.

Listen to the phone call to NY's Fat Beats in the download section. Ha ha ha...

The Superninjas website
Juno.co.uk have it in stock.
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French writer, Woshe's 'Blackbook'.

Black Book: Les mains dans l'alphabet
Language: French
Published: 15 Sept 2005
143 pages. ISBN: 2862274615. Dimensions: 27cm x 2cm x 18cm. 25 euros.


Legendary French writer with 20 years behind him. Preface by Darco (FBI).

Another Babelfish translation
A blackbook different from those escapes till now. The structure would seem that technique of a school book, the writing and its letters come more analyzed in their hidden details, the all explained meticulously with some line of text and tantissime tables signed from Woshe, the author of this incredible publication. The book is divided in 3 distinguished sections. Before one calls Anatomy and extension, letter for letter, the structure, the loop, the weights and its evolution, with clear and chronological passages. In this section we find also a space dedicated to the tag, to the block, the flop, and the wildstyle, where they come analyzed inclinations, shapes and curves. The second section, Surgery, are taken care of the piece in its totality, facing of the infuences. Last part, Harmony, are dedicated to the style in its totality, with colorations, shapes of pieces and weigh. To the end of this section they are included sketch of others writer, many of the which French, that they put in practical the indications previous interpreting to they way and with their style, the lettering. A complete book, adapted to most inexpert and those most expert ones that they want to deepen the technical topic of letters. In order to understand when it can be still spoken about letters and not only about shapes.

Blackbook exhibition
Amazon France

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Paris gallery dedicated to graffiti writers

Since 1990, Willem Speerstra has presented works from American Graffiti writers such as Crash, Daze, Jonone and Sharp. The Gallery's permanent collection including works by Bill Blast, Rammellzee, Noc 167, Seen, Blade, Dondi White and Keith Haring. He opens his own space in 2001, specializing in French and Post American Graffiti. The gallery is located in the heart of old Marais Gallery area.

The gallery is located in the historic district of the Marais near the Picasso museum.
Address: 4/6 rue du perche 75003 Paris France.

Gallery space
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New book on the history of Graffiti in France.
English title: In situ: A panorama of the urban art of 1975 to our days
In situ : Un panorama de l'art urbain de 1975 à nos jours
Authors: de Stéphanie Lemoine & Julien Terral
Language: French
Published: Nov 1, 2005)
159 pages. ISBN : 2862274658 . Dimensions: 24cm x 2cm x 27cm. 30 euros

Another Babelfish translation...
Presentation of the editor a glance attentive with the walls of the large cities is enough to be convinced some: art conquered the street. In spite of the prohibition proclaimed by the Republic, posters, stencil key sets or graffiti raise colors the environment of the townsmen. The phenomenon is not new. For forty years, plastics technicians have questioned the city and their works expose to it. Today however, a new generation of artists, of which much grew Posca with the hand, revisits the esthetics of the street. After the effervescence of the Eighties and the repression of the Nineties, this "new wave" Marie the techniques, multiplies the supports and develops an original plastic language in margin of the official circuits. It is with a panorama of urban art that In situ invites us. The work reconsiders the appearance and the development of this plentiful mobility and draws up an inventory of fixtures of the practices. The artists there tell their course, explain their step, analyze and comment on a mode of expression whose vitality allures the townsmen.

Amazon France
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Pre-90s Hip Hop 12" vinyl rips. COLLECTION #1

Every once in a while I will up 20 old school tracks from my collection.
All at 256kbps bit rate. No pissy 128kbps from me. I'll see what the reaction is & if it is positive (ie: leave a comment you leechers. Ha!) I might continue it once a month.

1. D-RAP & K-FRESH - the moment is here.mp3 - 5.64MB 1987.
Non-Miami Bass from Florida. Scratches up children’s song, ‘Shortnin Bread’.
2. SPYDER D - smerphies dance.mp3 - 14.17MB 1982.
Early track with nice 808 production from Vaughn Mason.
3. PRINCE QUICK MIX & DERRICK D - good foot.mp3 - 5.76MB 1988.
Quick Mix became one half of The Nubian Crackers.
4. ONYX - ah and we do it like this.mp3 - 9.30MB 1990
Their debut single on Profile. Years before their bald heads & grimey style. This is smooth.
5. JEWEL T - rock nice.mp3 - 7.41MB 1987.
6. JEWEL T - ride the crossfade.mp3 - 6.92MB 1987.
One of the early white boy emcees. Co-produced by TKD with scratches by DJ Dollar Bill.
7. DEZO DAZ - its my turn.mp3 - 9.09MB 1987.
Produced by Unknown DJ & featuring DJ SLIP. Later became Yomo & released an LP on Ruthless with Maulkie.
8. THE FRESHMEN - who me.mp3 - 8.73MB 1986.
Produced by Man Parrish.
9. E-VETTE MONEY - e-vettes revenge.mp3 – 9.51MB 1987.
Nasty response record to LL Cool J’s ‘Dear Evette’.
10. The MIXMASTERS - dance.mp3 - 10.08MB 1987.
Early Tracy Kendrick & Courtney Branch track (DJ QUIK, Young MC, LA Dream Team, etc...).
11. The MIXMASTERS - girls.mp3 - 14.15MB 1987.
They were Tony G & Lady T. Produced by & featuring Kurtis Blow.
12. THE MANIACS - bum mcs.mp3 - 12.02MB 1986.
13. THE MANIACS - crack crack don’t do it.mp3 - 10.47MB 1986.
Both produced by Cutmaster DC. The label doesn’t state the artists name.
14. ACE LORD CHILLERS - living in a cracktown.mp3 - 10.29MB 1987.
Extended mix of early Bay Area crew. Non-NY anti crack song.
15. POSITIVE K - quarter gram pam.mp3 - 10.21MB1987.
16. POSITIVE K - aint no stoppin me.mp3 - 9.55MB 1987.
His 1st release on First Priority. Produced by Daddy O & Grand Puba.
17. THE MIGHTY MAESTRO - one man band.mp3 - 12.04MB 1989.
18. THE MIGHTY MAESTRO - stop selling me dreams.mp3 - 11.33MB 1989.
2 lesser known Tuff City tracks. The 3rd was a house track ala what 45 King was also making at the time.
19. THE UNION - the union.mp3 - 9.97MB 1989.
20. M.WALK & KING SAUL - im the king.mp3 - 7.88MB 1989.
12” versions from The Union album compilation. Produced by Grandmixer M.Walk. Became Tone Loc’s deejay & produced 2 tracks on Pharcyde’s ‘Labcabincalifornia’.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

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Brighton Hip Hop website revamped

Check out the lads & their new look website. Lot of downloads & info on the burgeoning Brighton scene. Join the forum & stir them fellas up. Just letting you know whats happening.

Brighton website
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New film IDLEWILD ft. Outkast

US Release Date: March 10, 2006
Genre: Drama - Musical
Director: Bryan Barber
Cast: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Malinda Williams, Paula Jai Parker, Jackie Long, Paula Patton, Paula Jai Parker, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen, Cicely Tyson.

Synopsis: Set amidst the backdrop of a 1930s southern speakeasy, the film follows two characters, Percival (Andre Benjamin), the club's piano player, and Rooster (Antwan Patton), the club's lead performer and manager, through intersecting stories of love and ambition.

Idlewild website
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Nigeria's Hip Hop World Magazine Awards

Coming exactly 10 years after the Hip-Hop World magazine made its debut on the newsstands, the publisher has concluded arrangements to organise a befitting awards ceremony. The event holds on Friday March 10, 2006 at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos starting from 7 to 11pm.

Says the organiser:
“Having witnessed first hand, awards in Ghana, South Africa, Portugal, London, including the MOB0, MTV Europe Music Awards, KORA and Ghana Music Awards, and ambitious of a repeat of such standards in our nation, it was just a matter of time before we took up the challenge to put up an awards that’ll be revolutionary by industry standards; and would stand at per with awards from other great countries.”

Expected to grace the awards are artistes from all over the world, record label executives, DJs, pilots of allied industries and media practitioners. “We have been in talks with some of the biggest hip hop icons in the world since August last year. The Hip-Hop World Awards is not a concert so, it cannot be centred on a particular artiste. However, we intend to have names significant to our course attend. Right now, we are rounding off with an artiste and DJ from America, two artistes from Ghana and one from South Africa. Their names would be announced as soon as possible.”

Sponsored by Guinness Nigeria Plc (Harp), Virgin Nigeria and TBA there are 20 categories of the awards including Best Vocal Performance (Male, Female and Duo Group), Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Rap Single (Solo and Duo/Group), Best Rap Album and Best New Arstise amongst others.

Taken from Nigeria's King of the Tabloids Daily Sun

Hip Hop World website

Saturday, January 14, 2006

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Graffiti material seized in Sydney raids

Seriously, this is absolutely fucked. I know of all the people involved & it sucks. Civil liberties have been severly violated by the police. They will find that the OFLC do not forbid unclassified material if it does not depict sex, violence or drug use. Nor does it prohibit the depiction of material that depicts the after effects of a crime. We are currently seeking information on the depiction of graffiti in action that are contained in numerous DVDs & videos. It is a grey area.

Unclassified film & literature seized during raids - Sydney January 14, 2006
Police have seized a large quantity of unclassified film and literature following two raids in Sydney’s CBD and inner west.

At 3.20pm yesterday, officers attached to Strike Force Chalk searched a paint supplies shop on King Street in Newtown where they allegedly found 51 unclassified videos and DVDs and 169 magazines depicting acts of graffiti. At 6.10pm yesterday, the second search was conducted at a record store in George Street, Sydney, where officers allegedly found 102 unclassified videos and DVDs and 97 magazines showing acts of graffiti. All the items were taken to Newtown Police Station where they will be handed to the Office of Film and Literature Classification for assessment.

Transport Corporate Spokesperson, Chief Superintendent John Hartley, said this is part of an ongoing operation targeting graffiti, vandalism and criminal activity upon our transport network.“NSW Police is working in conjunction with Rail Corp to reduce the incidents of graffiti upon the rail network,” Chief Superintendent John Hartley said.

“Strike Force Chalk is in the process of laying numerous charges relating to graffiti vandalism in and around the rail network.

“The cost of graffiti runs into the millions of dollars and also contributes to considerable delays to the public transport system. “I am warning those who chose to take part in this criminal activity will be prosecuted. “I would urge anyone with information about those participating in graffiti to contact crime stoppers immediately,” Chief Superintendent Hartley said.

Information taken from the NSW Police website

Graffiti attacks jumped from 8077 in November 2004 to 35,627 in November 2005.

Check this out...
Graffiti Reduction & Interception Programs & ICS help and assist in combating graffiti and crime in your area.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

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***New Hip Hop Video Blog***

Okay, Vinyl Addicts do a pretty good job with the odd video from time to time, but now comes another Dutch site that is this dedicated to videoclips. The classic early/mid 90s shit. Large Pro, KMD, Nine, Bush Babees, Ed OG, Pete Rock, Rakim, Lord Finesse, Gravediggaz, etc... They look to be taken from European version of YO MTV. Some have digital glitches. The only one of downloaded was the Large Professor Mad Scientist clip & it had a few screechy bits. Visually & sonically. Though they did state that it suffered from this fact.

They have even uploaded a 282MB QT file of the 1984 BBC produced 'Beat This' documentary with Herc & Bam, etc... Essential. Rapidshare hosting so be patient & keep trying. It eventually works.

I'm about to run out of hardrive space again. They've only been up since November so there's a good chance you can dl everything. Just make sure you say thanks. It's always appreciated.

VIDEO CRATES
Check his links... for more.
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A Hilltop Hustler to be executed???

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell signed an execution warrant yesterday for the lethal injection of rapper Cool C.

Cool C, born Christopher Roney, was convicted of pulling the trigger in the death of Lauretha Vaird, a nine-year police veteran who was responding to a silent alarm tripped during the Jan. 2, 1996, attempted robbery in Northeast Philadelphia. At the time, Roney was known as the rap artist "Cool C." Two accomplices were sentenced to life in prison.

Vaird, a 43-year-old mother of two, was shot in the chest just after she walked in the door of the PNC Bank branch. She was the first female officer slain in the line of duty in city history.

Roney was a member of rap crew The Hilltop Hustlers in the late 1980s bringing attention to Philly rappers through singles such as "Juice Crew Dis" (which was later used by Philadephia rappers Beanie Sigel & Peedi Crack on “When You Hear”), as well as 1989's hit single, "Glamorous Life."

Roney, an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Greene, is scheduled for lethal injection March 9.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed Roney's sentence on Jan. 20, 2005.
On June 13, 2005, Roney filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. Certiorari was denied on Oct. 3. Roney, 36, is an inmate of the State Correctional Institution at Greene.
Governor Rendell has now signed 47 death warrants.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his website

I'll look for some Cool C records to upload.

Cool C discography

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

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New live mix from QUANTIC.
Photo taken backstage at the QSO/Alice Russell gig in Sydney 2006.

Mr. Will Quantic with a mighty DJ set of raw funk and futureboogie at Native in Bristol on Friday 16th December. MP3 download here. Or go to the site & look for the Alice Russell show as well. Future Boogie archives.

Mad Matts mix of hip hop/broken beat/latin/boogie on Broken Beat radio 2004. Real Player stream.

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Sidewok Radio show
Asian-American online radio station & events website. The underground hip hop playlists look like my kind of stuff. Go there & figure it out.

Sidewok radio
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Download SUBWAY ART. The book in PDF format.

All I can really say is WOW!!!
You can also download Spraycan Art & a few recent graff videos. Not sure how long they will be up, but this was a surprise & I guess if you are that way inclined you'd better get in on the action asap.
The PDF of Subway Art is about 90MBs. Handy format to have it in, so don't front.

Graff downloads
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Sensless & Stebzal's 'Bon Rapetit' mix-CD

This sounds like French hip hop with a sense of humour. I have no idea what is going on, but it looks & sounds a bit goofy. Most hip hop from France seems to be all about posturing & looking hard, so I'd be interesting to know more about these guys..

Aaah, Babelfish. Thank you for this quick translation.

"A turntable. Play. 33 turns and half per minute. A hinged jib. A wafer. A crackling. "It is the history of... It is the history of... It is the history of... ". A sample. Poum poum tchack. It is the history of two MCs passionés of HipHop, music, writing. A cracking. Met into 2000 they rappent together since, and always take as much pleasure to release their rhymes for a piece, a impro or even a slam. Sensless & Stebzal, two blazes which still resounds as an echo in the streets that they traversed of their flows, acappella or helped of simple a beatbox vocal. With the wire of the influences, ideas, desires they approach Rap with their manner: style pêchu and good vibe between humour and writing with cold blood. Words soaked in some drops of sound... Presentations."

Go to the 'Sons' section for some MP3 downloads. Yes it does sound like 2 djs rapping over other peoples records. Sounds like they had fun though. Listen to the mix-CD teaser on the 'VPC' page.

Feels So Food website

Sunday, January 08, 2006

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FLAVOR FLAV's 3rd reality TV show
Geezus, this is his 3rd reality TV show. And boy does this one look wrong wrong wrong... The onetime crack addict looks like a...crack addict on this bizzare version of The Bachelor. Weird. Could go either way.

:::Press Release:::
20 Women Try to Win the Heart of Public Enemy’s Hype-Man in VH1’s ‘Flavor of Love’
Premiering January 1 at 10:00 PM* and December 25 on the VSpot.

NEW YORK, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- You may remember him from VH1’s hit shows “The Surreal Life 3” and “Strange Love,” but just when you thought you heard your last “Yeah, Boyeee!” VH1 is hitting you with a third dose of the Public Enemy hype-man who made sporting big clock necklaces famous. Flavor Flav is back once again, this time as an eligible bachelor where women will try to win his heart in the new series “Flavor of Love,” premiering Sunday, January 1 at 10:00 PM*. The series can also be seen on VH1.com at “The VSpot” on December 25.

After his failed romance with Brigitte Nielsen, Flavor Flav is ready for a new and true romance. In “Flavor of Love,” 20 single women from all walks of life, selected for their expressed love for Flav, will move into a “phat crib” in Los Angeles and vie for his affection. With help and advice from Big Rick, Flav’s gigantic body-guard and chauffeur, Flavor Flav will date all of the women, weed out the ones who are only after his fame and fortune ... and in the end will choose his one true love.

Along the way, Flav will put the ladies through several challenges including a lie-detector test administered by Brigitte Nielsen herself, a cooking contest judged by Flav’s own mother, and the dreaded blind-fold sniff test! Plus, there will be several other surprises throughout this ten-part series including clock ceremonies, dates at Red Lobster, and a new set of gold teeth signifying true love!

The Flavor of Love website
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ICE T's new reality TV show

The show will be the hip hop version of Gene Simmon's recent foray into reality TV. The KISS member's show was entitled Rock School, so naturally Ice T's will be called Rap School. No prizes for guessing what the show will be about then. Turning school kids into a hip hop crew perhaps? The 6 x 30 min episodes are to be filmed in New York & screened at the end of the year on the US cable network, the music oriented VH-1.
Dude turns 48 next month...

Coco's website
Yep, if ya wanna perve at a real live barbie doll, aka Tracy Morrow's wife, then this is the place.
Warning lotsa nudie bits & bad music...

Saturday, January 07, 2006

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COMMON on The Late Show

I just converted the video I taped from Dave Letterman to an MP3 file. Live version with band & deejay. Aired on 05-01-06.
Touring Australia in January. Go to his website & watch the video for 'Go'. Amazing clip.

Common website
MP3: COMMON - Real People (Live on The Late Show)
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2 forgotten films from the 80s

The Delivery Boys
Directed by Ken Handler. 1985.

Stupid film featuring members of the Brooklyn b-boy crew The Dynamic Rockers as pizza delivery boys.

PLOT: A women's underwear manufacturer sponsors the b-boy crew, while a rival team's sponsor tries to sabotage their efforts so they won't be able to perform at the upcoming neighbourhood b-boy battle. Some nice shots of them practising near the Brooklyn Bridge, but really it's just a terrible 80's teen comedy. Some utterly absurd situations occur while they are on the job delivering. Mario Van Peebles plays a gangster & Charlie 'Rock' Jimenez of electro rap crew The Fantasy Three also appears as himself. There are even a few Fantasy Three songs throughout the film. The Dynamic Rockers were a big crew & one of the splinter crews were the Dynamic Breakers. They had 2 singles on Sunnyview Records, Kim & the much better Dynamic. Niether are in the film, but dope nonetheless. So I upped one one of them because I just made some pancakes & they rocked, so it put me on a honey high & I was feeling generous. The trailer makes the film look even shittier than it is.

Trailer
MP3: DYNAMIC BREAKERS - Dynamic Sunnyview. 1984

Knights of the City
Directed by Dominic Orlando. 1986. Also known as Cry of the City.

The scriptwriter of the film was actor Leon Isaac Kennedy, probably most well known for the lead role in the black prison movie trilogy, Penitentiary. His 1st film role was in the Fred Williamson flick, Mean Johhny Barrows in 1976 & his last role was the final prison film in 1987. I have no idea what he was thinking with this corny stupid movie.

PLOT: Bunch of MTV looking thugs want to break into the rap industry & leave thier naughty days behind, but they find it hard to break away from the lifestyle. Well, that's how I remember it. You can tell it was directed by someone who worked in television. It's pretty cruddy. It's saving grace is when you hear some of the electro beats. Apparently Man Parrish had some involvement in the film soundtrack. The one track that I do remember that was in the film was Amos Larkins III's production of MC Flex & the FBI Crew's killer tune Rockin' It. This Miami b-boy crew had their dance scenes cut. The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow & RSC's Frosty Freeze all make appearances & are the best parts of the film. I don't think this ever had a soundtrack release.

I can't believe they even saw a DVD release. Only in the UK. Try Amazon UK. If I saw them for $10, then maybe I'd consider it.

Trailer
MP3: MC FLEX & THE FBI CREW - Rockin' It Posse Records. 1984

Friday, January 06, 2006

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CD ONLY CLASSICS
The FUTURE SOUND - The Whole Shabang Volume 1
East West. 15 tracks. 1992

Definitely one of my favourite early 90s albums. It never really recieved the attention it truly deserved & I've noticed a championing of it on various message boards recently. I remember the day I recieved this in the mail from the label. On that same day I also had the first time pleasure of hearing Original Flavour & Organised Konfusions debut albums. It was a good day. The 2 emcees/producers were 20 year olds Flashback the Rhythm Kingpin (son of an Ambassador) & Relay the Funky Tactitioner (son of a Nation of Islam minister) from East Rochelle, New Jersey. Musically it's very bright & exciting, with some excellent sample choices that on one hand are breezy & fresh, but still interesting & varied enough to be quirky & compelling as well as being hyperactive & infectious. DJ Clark Kent & Larry Lar also helped them out. Lyrically it isn't all fluff, they are well educated & have a very creative sense of rhyme construction. Though they are at their best when they just having fun. There's also a bit of knowledge of self & some black pride content, so it shows more versatilty than many crews of the time. If you like that KMD, UMCs, Black Sheep & early De La Soul kind of vibe then i'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this. It was a damn shame they never had a follow up, for this was major talent at work.

They released 2 singles, The Bop Step & Lady/Whats a Bro to Do. Although it was a CD only release (those years were bad for vinyl versions), the label did press up some promo only copies of the LP. Dig hard for it.

Let me know what you think. Should I up the occasional album in it's entirity or just stick to one MP3 at a time?
I just want people to appreciate what I already have.

Oh & the executive producers were Damon & Darron Dash. In fact this & Original Flavor were their entry point into the industry..
..and bloody Ohword.com. Aaargh. They also reviewed it. Beaten to the punch again. Damn!

MP3: FUTURE SOUND - The Whole Shabang Volume 1
The entire album. 192kbps. 72MBs
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RUGGED magazine. From Carhartt

Oh man, this might be a catalogue thing from the clothing label, but it looks pretty fresh. When art & commerce sit comfortably next to each other & looking this nice, I can only applaud. And I can't knock the label, for they have sponsored a lot of artists that I have liked in the past. They seem intent on sticking with them as well. Or at least the same kind of area. The actual magazine has a great layout with soem interesting content & who gives a fuck if it's a promotional mag. It's free. What's to complain about? I haven't seen a copy, but from 10,000ks away it looks aight! And when you get designers like Sellout Industries & Aevum contributing it's not a bad thing.
250.000 copies printed via Düsseldorf, Germany.

Heck, if they employed me to design a mag like that I'd jump at the chance.
I'm mean, they have RA the Rugged Man on the cover for craps sake. He ain't no oil painting or Pharrel.

Rugged magazine
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BURNING NEW YORK
James & Karla Murray. Gingko Press. 220 pages. Full Colour. US$39.95

A sequel to the best-selling Broken Windows, Burning New York is sure to please an eager audience clamoring for more. New York is the undisputed graffiti capital of the world, the epicenter of a vibrant international scene that attracts artists from all over the globe. Some make the pilgrimage to study old school forms, others to make their own individual contribution to the evolution of the craft. All leave their mark. Burning New York features the latest and most exciting graffiti art being created today. In the same vein as Broken Windows it is a collection of interviews, intimate portraits of the artists working in the streets and hundreds of stunning large scale paintings. Burning New York features contemporary works by genre defying graffiti writers, an interesting combination of those who are just beginning to achieve prominence and others who have been honing their skills for decades.

BurningNY website

LINK: AMAZON - Purchase here... well almost
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A blog dedicated to ADIDAS footwear

I'm sure some nutjobs out there will be interested in this stuff. Dude has just started a blog dedicated to his sneaker of choice. As for me, well I buy like one pair of shoes every couple of years. So just regard me as the messenger on this one. Though I do appreciate nice design & I like it when he posts up old adverts. I find myself looking at the box more than the shoe. It looks like it could fit about 30 or 40 cassette tapes.

Today in the store I asked this kid how he pronounced the word that is spelt like this, A.D.I.D.A.S. Not wanting to sway his choice of pronunciation, I thought he'd just utter the one he would normally use. Instead he said A.D.I.D.A.S. I said, 'No, say the word'. Again he said A.D.I.D.A.S. I said, 'No no no... The wooooord itself, not the spelling'. Sheesh! So he finally understood & said it, but then someone else asked what he just said & he pronounced it the other way. We all looked skyward & gave up... I also had to explain what the phrase, 'the horse has bolted' meant. It was a long day.

I love My Adidas
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CD ONLY CLASSICS
The LEGION - Theme + Echo = Krill
One Love/Mercury. 20 tracks. 1994

It’s getting hard to not post up an album that someone else has already done on another blog. So I’m not even going to google a look, I’ll just post away oblivious to the fact that what I’m doing has probably already been covered.

These dudes from the Bronx were mates with Black Sheep & appeared on their 2nd LP, but really, they couldn't sound any more different in style. They were the first (& only) crew signed to the Sheep’s label One Love. Using the capabilities of the SP1200, Cee-Low, Chucky Smash & Molecules aka Cutmaster Marvy D created a definite individual style. At times it is so damn crusty & caked in grime that you can feel the coarse texture in your ears. The sampled records that they have sourced get the lo-fi treatment & many times the bit-rate is extreme, resulting in an almost distorted feel on a few tracks. It all adds to their style & at times feels pretty experimental & left of centre, but still with some very strong almost MOP styled vocals over the top. Musically it reminds me of what Antexx was doing a few years prior. Mister Lawnge & Dres produce 3 tracks amongst themselves, while the Legionaires take care of the majority. Lyrically there are some black conciousness ideas going on, but basically they just seem intent on getting rough with it, even a bit sloppy delivery wise. The tempo never crawls over the 90bpm range, which I always found unusual considering the era in which it was made. At 73 mins it would probably make an excellent 40 min album, but strangely enough 12 years later I’m kind of grateful for the remainder.

This album did come out when Showbiz & AG's first album, Runaway Slave appeared & that has been rinsed, whereas this has been hidden in a box since then & is a nice surprise of sorts. For it was a CD only release so I seldom go through the boxes of discs as much as I look through the shelves of vinyl. Speaking of Show & AG, they appear on this album & at times I wonder why they never became a part of D.I.T.C. Their big track was the 12” Jingle Jangle & they also came out later on their own label, named after themselves.

I just noticed that Oh Word have recently reviewed it & they have 2 other tracks to download. Damn! I thought I got in quick. Must dig deeper.


MP3: THE LEGION - Who's It On Part 1 ft. Showbiz, AG & Ralo.
MP3: THE LEGION - Who's It On Part 2 ft Chi Ali, Black Sheep, E-Dub, CME, Smiley & Droopy Dog

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

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Denmark's DJ STATIC & NAT ILL's Teamwork album

I'll let them speak for themselves about their new album together.

"The concept of Stat & Nat is simple; to produce banging Boom Bap music that hits you right in the deepest chambers of your Hip Hop heart. Do it with originality, skills and without compromise. Put together some complicated and well-thought out puzzles composed of beats, rhymes, scratching and wordcuts. Bring it all to the stage or to the studio and there you have it - Teamwork!

We have been a part of this culture for many years and studied every aspect of it. We have been working together for more than 10 years through ups and downs, traveled the world with a big bag of vinyl and rocked a lot of shows. We have paid our dues the hard way and now it is time to take our experiences, knowledge and chemistry and put it all on wax.

Teamwork is born and we are very proud of the outcome. It is a detailed journey into rhymes, scratching, wordcuts and hardcore beats. The album is packed with pure, fresh B-Boy flavour. The content, the spirit and the style all follows in the footsteps of classic Hip Hop groups consisting of 1MC and 1DJ such as Cash Money & Marvelous, Low Profile, Eric B & Rakim, Fresco & Miz, Showbiz & AG, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Gangstarr etc. Teamwork is in many ways a tribute to these groups and the blueprints they have created but at the same time it is also a further development of the 1MC1DJ style of rocking".


Guests on their album include, Promoe, Slug, Blueprint, Pacewon, DJ Shine, DJ Noize, The Last Emperor & DJ Format's pal, Abdominal. As they say, it is classic boom-bap style. And they don't lie. Download the videoclip, Getuporgetout with Promoe off their site.

Static & Nat Ill website

MP3: STATIC & NAT ILL - 1 MC 1 DJ
MP3: STATIC & NAT ILL - Denmark's Finest ft DJ Shine & DJ Noize
MP3: DJ STATIC - 1998 DMC final
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New Helsinki funk/boogie night.
Club Solid Gold: Uptempo Soul! Classic Disco! Body-rocking Boogie!

New monthly night in Helsinki, started by Pablo Steffa have just upped their website. Yeah I know, it's pretty bloody useless information for most, but there is always a method to my madness. They have a page with label scans & lo-fi mp3s of the tracks they play. A handy resource for any soul/disco record nerd. 64kbps might suck, but at least eBay is only a click away if you hear something you do like. Or you just might be in Finland's capital city on the 20th of Jan to see & hear New York's Chairman Mao do his thing at the Club Rose Garden.

Sampo, who is one of the lads from the record store Lifesaver in Helsinki, has a dope lil' soul mix upped at the moment. Grab it before it goes.

Solid Gold website
• Sampo's Friday Morning Solid Gold mix 128kbps. 50mins.
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2 new DVDs: An A-Trak doco & new underground videoclips.

Awol One: Culturama Audio Visual Bombshelter Presents Culturama 666, Vol. 2
This is a collection of videos by some of the artists that influence the underground hip hop culture today in America. Put together by AWOL One & Peter Agoston, the creator of the Culturama phenomenon. Audiovisual bombshelter and Culturama's goal has always been to expose the cutting edge groups. In the past they are responsible for exposing such artists as MF Doom, Madlib, 2Mex and more. This DVD features The Shape Shifters, Masta Killa of wu tang clan, R.A. The Rugged Man, High N Mighty, Danger Mouse & Jemini ft. Cee Lo & The Liks, Busdriver, Awol-One, Josh Martinez, Radioinactive, Fat Hed Feat. Motion Man & Kutmasta Kurt, Dj Quest & Eddie K, and more.
Release date Jan 24th. 90mins. $12.95US.

Sunglasses Is a Must
This DVD is the long-awaited tell-all biopic about turntablism's boy wonder. Sunglasses Is A Must takes you from A-Trak's first purchase of turntables with bar-mitzvah money, up to all the battles he entered, all the continents he discovered, all the zoos he visited and all the wonderful people he met along the way.
DVD highlights include A-Trak coming up as a 13 year-old DJ, World DMC, ITF and Vestax Championship highlights, practicing and recording with DJ Q-Bert, Mixmaster Mike playing host on tour with the Beastie Boys, Behind-the-scenes pranks with The Allies, A-Trak in the lab with Roc Raida (X-Ecutioners) and KLC (Beats By The Pound), making DIY music with Money Mark & Peanut Butter Wolf, shoe shopping and private jet flying with Kanye West, and Globetrotting across China, Italy, South Africa, Japan and Australia.
Release date Feb 21st. .

A-Trak website with trailer

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

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The Future of Graffiti DVD
Letter Style & Painting techniques

This is an interesting take on the graffiti DVD concept. Personally I would only be inclined to watch something like this if it showcased major talent. I hate any 'How To' programs performed by hacks. Whats the point. Who wants to see some talentless unknown trying to tell others how to paint. So I was sceptical..until I looked at the gallery page. Dolt. How wrong could I be. It looks like New York's Eaz One stuff & it is. The clue was in the website url. Der!!! I love his style. In fact FX Crew are one of my all time faves. You can watch 2 trailers embedded on his website. Dope. I'm ordering this one straight away...

Also includes interviews with New York Graffiti Kings: Ces, Cope 2, Ovie, Zephyr & T-Kid 170.

Eaz One productions
FX Crew
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South African film, TSOTSI
Dir: Gavin Hood. Based on the novel by: Athol Fugard

Not often we get to see many films from the African continent, let alone South Africa, so i hope this film gets a local cinema release before it ends up on SBS in a few years. In fact I reckon I've seen more Slovenian films than ones from SA. It's won a heap of awards at international film festivals & the stills on the website infers that it is cinematically striking. It keeps getting compared to the Brazilian film, City of God, so that is also an indication of quality & intensity.

Synopsis
Set amidst the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto - where survival is the primary objective - "Tsotsi" traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking.

"Tsotsi" is a gritty and moving portrait of an angry young man living in a state of extreme urban deprivation. His world pumps with the raw energy of "Kwaito music" - the modern beat of the ghetto that reflects his troubled state of mind.

The film is a psychological thriller in which the protagonist is compelled to confront his own brutal nature and face the consequences of his actions. It puts a human face on both the victims and the perpetrators of violent crime and is ultimately a story of hope and a triumph of love over rage.

"Tsotsi" literally means "thug" or "gangster" in the street language of South Africa's townships and ghettos. "Kwaito" is South Africa's answer to American Hip Hop.

International release dates:
US-Feb 26, Netherlands-March 9, UK-March 17, Germany-May 4.

Tsotsi film website