K'NAAN: Somalian born Canadian emcee.

K'naan was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, the only country on the planet that does not have an active government. His father moved to Harlem in New York to work as a taxi driver. Not only sending money back home, but hip hop albums as well. After his 11th birthday K'naan moved to Harlem then relocated to Toronto, Canada where he remains. Now at the age of 28 he can reflect on his past experiences & correlate or illustrate the absurd content of some rappers lyrics. The track What's Hardcore?, is an interesting song that politely untangles the vapid fantasy lyrics of American rappers who think they live ghetto or have it hard. He does come to terms with the fact that each of us are only able to determine our position by the surroundings we grew up in, but he does at least comment on some real war stories such as those of his own countries civil war.

It's a fantastic album, lyrically & musically & speaks so much more than many of those records in which the emcees are fooling themselves thinking that the battlefields of the American suburbs are harsh. If you want depth from a gifted, yet still growing lyricist, then this might just offer something different with a hefty dose of calories for your mind & soul.

• K'Naan website

• MP3: K'NAAN - What's Hardcore
• VIDEO: K'NAAN - Strugglin'
• LINK: Canadian article - Canoe.ca

HIP HOP CLASSICS #3
LONDON POSSE – London Posse 12"
BIG LIFE. 1987
A1 – London Posse
A2 – London Posse (Radio Edit)
B1 – My Beatbox Reggae Style
B2 – Posse (Instrumental Dub)

Their single Money Mad on Tim Westwoods short-lived label Justice, seems to get all the focus & some are led to believe that it was their debut single. A year before that record they released this excellent record on Big Life. The original members included the 1st appearance of an emcee named Rodie Rok, who not long after changed his name to…his real name, Rodney P. Bionic MC was also there from the start, but DJ Biznizz was on this record & then left not long after. The beatboxer was a kid named Sipho, he also left the crew to hang out with Derek B. Unfortunately he passed away in December 2004. Their name was coined when they were on tour with Big Audio Dynamite in New York. Because of their thick cockney accents, which was unusual & interesting to the Americans, this unamed crew of 4 were immediately called The London Posse. Cementing the belief that retaining your own identity is worth more than disguising it. These 2 tracks still hold up almost 20 years later.

• MP3: LONDON POSSE - My Beatbox Reggae Style
• MP3: LONDON POSSE - London Posse

COOL! - Dutch film about hip hop gangster kids
Directed by Theo Van Gogh. 2004

"Though his shocking murder at the hands of an Islamic extremist in November, 2004, has generated a worldwide interest in the films of Theo Van Gogh, he has long been a prominent filmmaker in his home country of the Netherlands. Known for his propensity to address controversial subjects that no one else would dare to touch--as well as his blood relation to Vincent Van Gogh--he was killed by an assailant reacting to his short film SUBMISSION, which condemns Muslim subjugation of women. The director's last feature effort before his untimely death, COOL! was made with the students at Amsterdam's Glenn Mills Reform School, as well as well-known actors Johnny de Mol & Katja Schuurman. The story follows a group of five young hooligans and best friends: Abdel, Mohammed, Hamid, Jacky, and Jeffrey. Mostly immigrant and all disaffected, their petty crimes are elevated to a new level when Abdel gets to know beautiful bank teller Mabel, the girlfriend of a gang leader, Prof, whom Abdel admires. Prof hatches a plan to rob the bank, but the boys are instead caught and sent to reform school, where they struggle to cultivate a sense of respect for themselves and society. Set to a hip-hop soundtrack, Van Gogh has crafted a hip crime drama that makes good use of its unprofessional cast, as well as presenting the other side of the often-glamorized gangster lifestyle".

I’ve been waiting ages for this film to hit DVD. It finally appeared in the UK & the US last month. I wonder how it was recieved by the Dutch hip hop community. Knowing how it usually pans out they probably hated it.

• TRAILER - Cool! wmv
• LINK: English film overview - Cool!
• LINK: A page with hi-res images - US press kit
• LINK: Dutch article on the music artists - Soundtrack

HIP HOP CLASSICS #2
ALPHABET SOUP – Alphabet Soup EP
AKIRFA. 1991 AR-2323
A1. Sunny Day In Harlem
A2. Uncle Sam – 1st Draft
B1. Girl You Got a Grip
B2. The Resurrection of Gertrude

Without question one of my all time favourite records. Another one that only the hard-core heads seem to know of its existence. If you like the sound of New York in the early 90s, ie, Leaders of the New School, De La Soul, Prince Paul, Organized Konfusion, Future Sound, KMD, then you really NEED this record. Straight-up drum breaks, the choicest samples & a rough rugged pure vibe that evokes. having fun. I’ve never had to look for it so I’m not sure what it goes for, but if I heard it & didn’t have it, I’d drop major coin on it in a flash. It’s that damn good. Anyone says any different, they are kidding themselves.

The 5 member crew consisted of producer Yasin (Brother Love) Gregg & emcees, Kiambu, Nubian, Deflon & Melkuan (who also provided the scratches). Recorded & mixed at I.N.S. Studios in NYC. Unfortunately that is all I know about them. They never resurfaced & as far as I know, there doesn’t seem to be any material from any of the members out there. Please do not get them confused with the West Coast’s Bay Area jazz/Rap band also known as Alphabet Soup. Couldn’t be anymore different…or weaker. Ha!

Trust me, you won't find them online via any P2P program.

• MP3: ALPHABET SOUP - Sunny Day In Harlem
• MP3: ALPHABET SOUP - Girl You Got A Grip
Upped: 7th December.
• MP3: ALPHABET SOUP - Uncle Sam - 1st draft
• MP3: ALPHABET SOUP - The Resurrection of Gertrude

HIP HOP CLASSICS #1
SOUND ON SOUND PRODUCTIONS
- The Incredible Hump.
SALSOUL. 1980. SG-327
A1: The Incredible Hump (8:47)
B1:The Hump (2:55)
B2. Son Of The Hump (3:12)
B3. Return Of The Hump (2:46

I’ve always wondered why this 12” never gets any mention, anywhere. Which is peculiar because this was the crew that Wonder Mike was in before he joined The Sugarhill Gang (Master Gee was in a crew called Phase 2). Big Bad Hank was the only ring in. Instead of 3 emcees, there were 7 of them in this other crew & from what I can work out their names are Daddy Right, Freddie G, Prince, Mr Ikey (I think this is Wonder Mike), The Sire, Keith La Feete & Master Mixer (who also mentions that he is the DJ).

Music provided by one of the in-house musicians at the label, in fact the bass player Gordon Edwards, from the Salsoul Orchestra. The drums are loose & mega-percussive, with a fat bassline typical of the era. About 110bpm. The only major flaw is that a couple of the emcees seem to be too far away from the mic when they appear. Not terribly, but annoying enough. Lyrically they play on the theme of humpology. So it is amusing at times. Seems to be the only production by Ron McBean. The only writing credits are to Dwight Horne & Donovan Lee. The b-side includes a radio edit, drums & an instrumental. I guess it’s pretty rare, because I never see it listed I managed to get my copy from an old Italian disco DJ.

• MP3: SOUND ON SOUND PRODUCTIONS - The Incredible Hump

Perspectives on the recent French riots

200 French politicians have backed a petition from one of the country's MPs calling for legal action against seven rappers and bands which he claims have fuelled the recent riots that have taken place around the country. At the very least the MP wants the named artists' music banned from having airplay on French radio stations.

MP Francois Grosdidier told France-Info Radio that he was not surprised young people had taken part in rioting in key French cities after being exposed to music which, he claims, incites violence. He told the radio station: "When people hear this all day long and when these words swirl round in their heads, it is no surprise that they then see red as soon as they walk past policemen or simply people who are different from them."
Published on 25 November 2005 | Source: CMU/Unlimited Media

The French Prime Minister dismisses the above claims - BBC news

You'd think that not one politician in France had ever watched the film La Haine, or even bothered to find out what is wrong in their country, in regards to it’s policy of non-multicultural integration. The you either become French or we ignore you rhetoric has surely had a wake-up call. How can a country invade another country colonise it, then get upset when the citizens from the 'colonised' countries want to go live in their land. Seems only fair trade for all the shit they went through. Would that be too much to ask? Seems as though the French's intolerance of anything from outside has now burst open irrevocably. Yet still people within the country are pointing at everything except for the root cause. As an outsider watching the film La Haine, it hinted at the situation that was the ghettoised areas of the outskirts suburbs of a Paris & beyond. It depicted immigrant families struggles & the abuse at the hands of the gendarme living in massive run down housing commission block apartments. Nice!

The French have always been so insistent on being French that it has obviously been detrimental to a huge section of the society there. And now the politicians & the jumped up right wing media have now started to BLAME hip hop or rather 'Rap Artists' for causing the problems. Not the other way around of course. That would be too logical. That the artists were reporting on the problems that were occurring in the first place in their lyrics. Nooo!! Couldn't be. Amazing. Lets shoot the messenger for he is the cause... Whew..!! Ya gotta love that screwy logic. There is obviously a huge problem & it needs to be addressed.


• The prophetic content of the film La Haine is discussed with director Mathieu Kassovitz - New York Times

AND IT DON’T STOP: Hip Hop Photography by Mika
Large format hardcover, 320 pages, 300 photographs, size 24 x 30 cm / 9.5 x 11.8", four-color / duotone throughout. Printed on luxurious, heavy, double-coated matt art paper.

Pretty fresh looking photographic project from Germany. Images taken by Swedish located Finnish photographer Mika Väisanen, specifically from between the years 1997 & 2004. Layout is designed by Gizmo, one of those responsible for the look of the long running German hip hop magazine Backspin. At 320 pages it really is quite a magnificent looking book. It’s a lavish hefty tome so obviously it doesn’t come cheap. Retails in Oz for about $130.00. (US$99.) Christmas is here soon, so it might make a great present for anyone into hip hop & portrait photography. Both the German & Australian distributors/publishers also carry Subway Art & several other graffiti related books. And it has German & English text.

• LINK: Australian distributors - Soundtrack
• LINK: German publishers - Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf

ALL-STAR ZULU THROWDOWN
I just wanted to post up this screenshot that my man C4 took of when Bam hosted our weekly music video show RAGE. I'm pretty sure that Excel from the Melbourne chapter of the Zulu Nation went to this a few weeks ago. Keen to hear how it all went down. Tim Dog & Bambaataa are doing a show in the city of Deventer, Netherlands on the 3rd of Dec @Burgerweeshuis.
• Zulu Nation website
Click on the images to see hi-res.

TOOLS OF WAR
If you have any interest in what is going on with true school hip hop & want to know when Grandmaster Caz is performing next or you are in New York & want to put in some b-boy practice, then sign up for the Tools of War newsletter. Every week they send out a very informative update on news events, show, galleries, etc.. Not only just New York, but also about overseas events. It's run by Fabel (R.S.C./Magnificent Force) & his always productive wife, Christie Z.
• Sign up for the weekly newsletter here - Tools Of War.

CATFIGHT - Chick graffiti/street art PDF magazine
The October issue of this Netherlands based mag is now up for download on their website. No 2 is 24 pages of artwork that highlights more contributions from the girls. And yes yes, They started at 0, so it's really No 3. Deadline for sending photos for next issue is Januari 15th. They are cool little mags with a quirky nature. Have a look at the ad for The Pony Project: An exhibition of art inspired by every girls’ favorite toy. Check out My Little Pony.

• Catfight website
• Link: Download - Catfight 02 PDF

SPAIN: SFDK - 2005
Zatu & Action Sanchez have been honing their craft consistently since the mid-90s & have surpassed their previous efforts with amazing results. This new album came out in March & has apparently sold quite well without much airplay, but then this is their 5th full length abum, so you'd think they'd have quite a following by now. Yet their style has just become so much greater. Wicked album, not that I understand anything they say, but I can tell they have the goods. They even travelled to New York to get Tony Dawsey @ MasterDisk to finalise the mix down. Sanchez was on production, but he had a lil' help from Jefe de la M, Big Hozone, Juan Profundo & Hazhe (Zaragoza). If you have any interest in current Latin flavours, then hook yourself up a copy, oh & if you do, would you get me one on vinyl. Please! That would be nice.

Guests include, Fernando Novi of PPM, Roberto Cantero, guitarist Carlos Cruz, Tote King, Legendario (Dogma Crew), El Puto Loko (H Mafia), Juaninacka & Jefe de la My Morodo.

Available on CD & Double Vinyl.

Discography
- 2005 (2005, SFDK Records)
- DESPUES DE... (MAXI) (2004, SDFK Records)
- 2001 ODISEA EN EL LODO (2003, Zona Bruta)
- DESDE LOS CHIQUEROS (2000, Zona Bruta)
- SIEMPRE FUERTES (1999, Zona Bruta)
- LLÁMALO COMO QUIERAS (1997, Zeroporsiento)

• SFDK website
• BOA Records website
• Nicely designed Spanish language website - Hip Hop Hispano
• MP3: SFDK - Duelo de Vikingos ft Promoe From the album Odisea en el Lodo.
• MP3: SFDK - Yo Qué Hago Aqui (con Jefe de la M) From the album 2005.

DJ CASH MONEY files
I had iTunes on random & a track came on & I thought, 'Hey, this is pretty cool' & then it dawned on me, it was The Music Maker, the instrumental/dj track on Cash Money & Marvelous' album, from Where's the Party At? So I thought I'd up a few tracks by the 1987 New Music Seminar winner (DJ competition). The Cut Killer track is from the French Double H DJ Crew album of 1999. It's pretty dope. Has a nice swing to the rhythm & it's pretty funny when Cash & Cut start talking. I'll have a look for the NMS audio & anything else interesting in my boxes here. I've seen him play a few times recently & all I can say is...not really my taste in music. More the jiggy/R&B commercial vibe. His history rules though.

• MP3: DOUBLE H DJ CREW - Cut Killer & Cash Money
• MP3: CASH MONEY - The Music Maker

SHA PO LANG
Directed by Wilson Yip.
Starring Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Simon Yam.
This has been one of the most anticipated films in recent HK history. Contemporary set martial art action films have been very thin on the ground since HK was handed back to mainland China. So all eyes have been on this one to ressurect the genre. It finally opened on Nov 18th. Lets hope it gets a local release soon. C'mon, it's got a 53 yr old Sammo. Bring it on.

Plot:
A crimelord (Sammo Hung) covers his tracks so well that he always gets away from all crimes he does, assisted by four fast-talking English lawyers. A professional assassin (Wu Jing), who never fails on his assignment, appearing out of nowhere. Four policemen so eager to nab the crimelord that they will stop at nothing, insofar as taking justice into their own hands. Standing in their ways is a new police inspector (Donnie Yen) who goes strictly by the book. Thus begins an intricately woven high-octane action thriller that is full of complications, of explosive actions, exhilarating car chases, intense shootouts and realistic fist to fist combats from the award-winning screenwriters Szeto Kam-Yuen and Wu Wei Lun...

• Film website • Trailer: SPL

More information here - Love Asian Film.
10/10 review from Toronto Film Festival: Here

EMBEE - Tellings from Solitaria
Finally it gets a local release. Almost a year later.
Not to be confused with the UK DnB producer with the same name, this one is Magnus Bergkvist, one of the producers in Sweden's Loop Troop. After a few side projects that culminated in some highly impressive EPS, Embee comes correct with an album of varying styles. He won best album of the Urban section of the Swedish Grammis. Among the guests we get acoustic guitar maestro José González of Gothenberg (who is actually in Australia this month), 21yr old female jazz vocalist Vanessa Liftig (her group BLESS also appears on the track Soulrain), the thoughtful Rhodesian born singer Rantoboko, the industrious emcee Timbuktu & of course Loop Troop. It's a deeply soulful selection with a sophisticated sound from a dj/producer that used to be known as DJ MC Marshall. A true gem worthy of any awards thrown at it.

Loop Troop website

• VIDEO: EMBEE ft. José Gonzalez - Send Someone Away Quicktime
• VIDEO: EMBEE ft. Vanessa Liftig - Not Tonite Real Player stream
• MP3: EMBEE - Brev Från Kabitten
This is an exclusive track that was on a promo only CD. It's a pretty fresh instrumental with kids & an old crooner dude singing.
• MP3: EMBEE ft Timbuktu - The Sallad Days
From the album, Tellings from Solitaria. DVG/Method. 2005 Sweden. Distributed by Shock

B-BOY DJ PROFILES #1
Dedicated to the deejays who play with the circle in mind.

DJ WOODO - Switzerland.
Pronounced Voodoo. Former b-boy himself, Woodo was chosen as one of the djs for BOTY 2002 & 2003. Also had the track, Remerciements included on the BOTY-2003 soundtrack. To be nice to everyone I've upped his amazing dedication track he did for his friend DJ Leacy's memory that was included on the CD, Together Forever We Are Number # 1. Leacy was one of the best djs on the b-boy circuit. Unfortunately he lost his life last year (I'll do his profile soon). Woodo is currently working with fellow countrymen & funky drummer JJ Flueck aka J:Loop. They recently released the EP Raw and Dirty Cuts from the Funky Kitchen. Woodo is definitely a digger & realises that there are far more gems to be unearthed & played than the UB&B catalogue. Keeps it fresh, original & forward thinking. His mixes are seriously some of the dopest ones you will hear. You can download a few of them off his website. If you like your funk up-tempo, skillfull scratched & mixed with vocal drops, then seriously, track his mix-CDs down. He recently played for the Chinese BOTY competition & is playing for the Swedish b-boy comp next month.

• DJ Woodo website

• MP3: DJ Woodo - A Tribute To Break - DJ James Leacy - R.I.P
From the CD, Together Forever We Are Number # 1 - DJ Woodo VS J:Loop.
Available here - Hiphopstore.ch
• Video: DJ Woodo, J:Loop & Freestyle (The Arsonists) - In the studio QT 2mbs

FADINGS: Graffiti to Design.
21 cm x 28 cm (8.27 inches x 11.02 inches),
Hardcover, 240 pages. Full colour + special-colour silver,
Bilingual (German – English), including CD-ROM
39,90 Euros

Graffiti, with its individual aesthetics and bohemian values has poured in many parts of visual communication for a long time. An exclusive selection of designers and illustrators, who derive their professional way from their graffiti past, documents this evolution.
»FADINGS« shows their latest works with the involvement of briefing and concept. Thereby it is enabled to relate the approach of design to the final product. At the same time – by examining the existence of graffiti – analogies and mutual influences are presented, which vitally have characterized the handwriting of the graffiti designer and graffiti illustrator.

Artists profiled: CMP, ZEDZ, 123KLAN, ATALIER, TYPEHOLICS, VIAGRAFIK, HELLO, BACKYARD 10, INKUNSTRUCTION, MISTER E., ESHER, NECK, BESOK, SUPERBLAST, FLYING FORTRESS, SAT ONE, STUKA, EROSIE, FINSTA, 56K, GOMES, DIBO, HITNES UND SHAWN-THESIGNER.

And no, that's not Mystery. Different person

• Fadings website
It can be ordered via the Style File website.

SHARON JONES & the DAP KINGS
All i needed was a flimsy excuse to put up this pretty cool photo of NY's finest funk outfit, so i did. Recently Kanye West sampled their track, Pick it Up or Lay it in the Cut for the Rhymefest track, Brand New. Then DJ Numark of J5 sampled their cover version of M.A.W.'s Nervous for Red Hot. I also upped the awesome anti-Iraqi war track, What if we all Stopped Paying Taxes, which isn't on either of their 2 albums, Naturally or Dap-Dippin. It was released as a 7" last year & has turned up on the fantastic new compilation from Freestyle label's Stay on the Groove. It seriously is one shit hot song. Amazing in all respects, Lyrics, rhythm, memorability. Straight modern funk classic.

• Daptone website

• MP3: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - What if we all Stopped Paying Taxes
• MP3: Jurassic 5 ft. The Dap Kings - Red Hot

PIECE BY PIECE: San Francisco graffiti film
Dir. Nic Hill US 2005. 78mins
Piece by Piece is a groundbreaking film that documents San Francisco's highly controversial graffiti art movement. The story offers an intimate journey into the most intriguing and misunderstood artistic movement of modern youth culture by detailing the last 20 years of San Francisco graffiti art. The film explores the history of graffiti in other parts of the country and elaborates on how San Francisco became an international magnet for innovative graffiti styles yet to be seen in other parts of the world. It also examines the wide range of public opinion towards this admittedly illegal art form by giving a voice to the citizens of San Francisco and law enforcement officers. The film captures the artists' heartfelt confessions of their love and addiction to graffiti art and typographic lettering, as well as their social activism and the short life span of their work.

The DVD version is scheduled for a December release, but looks unlikely.

• Film website
• Link: Piece by Piece - Film trailer

GET RICH OR DIE TRYING
Opens in Australia on the 12/01/2006.
Yeah, you know you'll go & see it, well I know I will anyway, strictly for review purposes of course. I still can't believe that Jim (My Left Foot) Sheridan directed it. Seems such an abstract decision to choose an Irish guy who's claim to fame was depicting the historic struggles of his own people. I haven't checked the soundtrack but indy producer Jake One gets in on the action with the track, I Don't Know Officer. The film has been lambasted in the US. It's made about 25mil at the box office so far. On Rotten Tomatoes & IMBd it has struggled to get more than 25% approval. I mean Fiddy is a shitty rapper at best, what the hell makes anyone think he could act? I taped the episode when he was on Letterman & he came off all quiet & humble, but he then launched into a track that was a diss towards Nas. Musically it was pretty cool, but geez he's crap on the mic. Where's the charisma? He actually comes across as, well...dull.

• Film website

• MP3: 50 CENT - Window Shopper - Live
From the Late Show with David Letterman. Nov. 2005.

• This is an excellent read from Ben Rayner of The Toronto Star on the attempt to ban Fiddy's film: Stop giving hip hop a bad rap

UK:GIACOMO - Building
Seems ages ago, but British lad Giacomo travelled around Australia when Celsius were recording their debut album. Sereck asked if he'd like to add some scratches to their album, so he obliged & ripped it on a few tracks. He then backpacked around the country with his MPC in tow visiting the many thrift stores looking for cheap records that he could sample to make beats in his spare time. A few years later he released the Fresh Air EP with Sam Sure. Then he later came out with his own instrumental album Programmed Percussion & has followed that up a few years later with this gem, Building. Of the 8 tracks, only one features vocals, the rest are lushly arranged straight up instro hip hop bangers. Tired Hand is my fave, but I thought I'd up the vocal track. Less eclectic & raucous than DJ Shadow & RJD2's latest work, but a pleasurable listen.
Only available on vinyl.

• MP3: GIACOMO - Changing Times ft. Sam Sure
From the album, Building. CANTEEN. 2005 UK. Distributed by Shogun

Yay, someone remembered.
Even if it was a computer generated database email. Ha!