Archive for the ‘5000’ Category

True York City…

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

The closing of Brooklyn’s venerable Southpaw wasn’t anything like the funeral some of y’all might have imagined. It wasn’t about being sorrowful that this establishment which has been so instrumental (you see what I just did?) in bringing MySpace music acts to a real stage was going away. The Southpaw finale was a celebration in fact. That after all this time, we are STILL here.

Hip-Hop music was a fad thirty some odd years ago. Graffiti was simply people scribbling their names on a wall. The ways and means that poor people expressed themselves were always marginalized and discounted. This was even the case when Southpaw first opened their doors after the tragedy of September 11th. There was no way a spot in Brooklyn would survive booking independent and underground music acts. Southpaw did survive tho’. Southpaw thrived actually.

As the music consumer changed the constant was that there still needed to be a place which could present the up and coming acts still refining their craft. This was Southpaw’s mission. They were very much like CBGB in this regard because the Southpaw space had no design of being better than the people. This was music democracy if that ever existed. Everything happened in Southpaw’s building. Every type of music. Every type of party. Everything.

So when Combat Jack asked me to be a part of this historic event I thought it should be a celebration of the great times I’ve had in this building. Hip-Hop has been thru a whole lot these thirty-plus years and it is still alive and thriving because of the people who believe in its value and its ability to give a voice to the voiceless and disenfranchised. Hip-Hop will surely miss Southpaw, but Hip-Hop will survive and thrive as long as someone out there believes. Are you a true believer?

Peep The Great Zee pics from the event

Peace to Jah C and Chino BYI

Southpaw R.I.P.

DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE…

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

February is already a melancholy month when you think about the passing of J Dilla, but Please Don’t Stare and Hip-Hop Is Read bring some levity back into our hearts with this Dilla tribute mixtape using some of JayDee’s favorite sample source classics.

Thanks Dilla, and thank you Ben-hameen and Ivan Rott for keeping the legacy alive.

PleaseDontStare.Com x HipHopIsRead Presents Root Beer & Sour (Dilla Edition) by Ben Ha Meen on Mixcloud

Always An Angel…

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

What do you say when the queen passes away?

I hope she gets her due at long last. Her voice was raw beautiful power. The heir to Diana Ross’ pop music princess throne Whitney never really got her castle or her crown.

Long live the queen!

Action Bronson @ Southpaw 02.09.12.

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

The Southpaw countdown clock is ticking.

Action Bronsolino and Brooklyn’s own Mr. MuthaF’N eXquire take the stage to salute the venerable Hip-Hop institution on her passing.

Perhaps the homey Action Bronson will rapsing ‘Dear Heather’ as a pre-ValentiMe’s Day treat to all the ladies in the building?

Flying The Friendly (Fire) Skies…

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Congress just passed a mega billion dollar provision which allows the military and PRIVATE operators (read: defense contractors) to fly drone aircraft over domestic U.S. skies. WTF?!?

Pilots worry about safety of allowing domestic drones in US skies

If the pilots don’t think its a good idea and they are the people who actually operate airplanes, as opposed to Congressman, how is this shit going down? SkyNET is definitely doing what it has to do to be in full effect by 2020.