Archive for July, 2009

Love & Loyalty…

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

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The fabled stories of the Lo-Lives have been recounted in rap magazines already. Their place in rap music myth is clearly secured. When I had heard of the passing of Boostin’ Billy back in June I had to tip my cap. The Lo-Lives were one of many groups that I encountered with my youth collective back in my teenage years. Those were the days of living dangerously and Boostin’ Billy was one of the people that made the lifestyle work for him.

When I gained the contact of his surviving sister I asked her if she would talk for a few minutes on the impact that her brother made on her, his friends and his community. Aside from the urban legends and the street myths is the story of people trying to survive in the ghetto. The days weren’t promised to anyone and the youth in New York City could experience the world of abject poverty and despair in one minute and the aspirational wealth of Madison Avenue in the next instant.

I want to create a series of videos called Brother’Hood which describes the value of brotherhood and love from the people that knew these ghetto superheroes firsthand. There is a humanity that has been discounted from these brothers. They all believed in things much bigger than themselves. All of these brothers had family and community at the core of their sentiments. If their methods for displaying their community values are what you consider less than honorable then you aren’t considering what NYC was like when crack was king.

This episode is the third installment of the Brother ‘Hood series but the first one that I am broadcasting. MICHAEL CULLEY aka Boostin’ Billy deserves to be recognized as a friend, father, brother and son who put his family first and in the same breadth created an everlasting movement in the streets of New York City. Respect what it meant to be official in the 1980’s and definitely respect this man for all the people he influenced with his style and determination.

BBQ Reflections…

Friday, July 24th, 2009

byob

I’m just now starting to remember what the hell was happening at the Bring Your Own Blogger BBQ. Lack of sleep, copious amounts of alcohol and, erm, yeah have contributed to my recollection inability.

From looking at the pictures though it seems that folks enjoyed themselves. And more importantly, it looks like I enjoyed my own damn self [ll]. Wouldn’t it have been ridiculous to spend all my money and not have had a good time?

Good times, good times…

Shouts to the Flawless Hustle homie GABEROCKKA (who shall heretoafter be referred to as GABE SB) and his boy Forest Beats for holding the lens and a modicum of sobriety.

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The crew, RAFI KAM. DP, GABE SB and Forest

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That’s me surrounded by pretty little smellgoodes. Can you say ‘Win nah’?

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General Steele! BCC is in the hizzzouse!

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Superstar GABE SB

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Che Grand x GABE SB x GABE’s lady KATE (rawwwwrrr!)

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Someone here has clearly had too much Arnold Palmer on HGH.

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I think I might have been singing ‘Lean On Me’. [ll].

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No one was fuxing with my R.L. cabana boy shirt.

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Forest, GABE SB, Dre and his shorty.

In the future, if I tell you that I am planning an event, big or small, make sure you are up in that piece. So at least you can remind me what the fux happened.

All Day I Dream About Sneakers…

Friday, July 24th, 2009

ttk flyer

My homie from the BYOB BBQ that swerved off the road is back up on his feet and on the 1’s and 2’s for this party.

First come first serve basis.

Get in where you fit in.

SOLEFOOD
38 Lispenard Street
btwn Broadway and Church
7p-11p

FREE BEVERAGES PROVIDED

Growing Old With Friends…

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

def jam

As y’all read this drop I am at a function celebrating the 25th anniversary of Def Jam thrown by the folks at Dr.Jays.com. While not the oldest label to produce rap music Def Jam is the longest running and the most storied. It seems that no matter what label your favorite artist is signed to he or she had to come to the Def Jam offices for something at some point.

Def Jam is to rap music what Stax is to soul music or Motown is to rhythm and blues. The label clearly defines the genre.

I thought we could take a trip down memory lane and look at some of my favorite cover art from the greatest label in the history of Hip-Hop.

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Beastie Boys – ‘Licensed To Ill’
Quite possibly the best ghostwritten album of all time.

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Jay-Z – ‘Reasonable Doubt’
Jiggaman was renting Bentleys before it became all trendy.

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DMX – ‘It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot’
First disk from the incredible run that DMX had at Def Jam.

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Redman – ‘Whut! Thee Album’
Hard to choose between this one and ‘Dare’ so I gave it to the debut.

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Warren G – ‘Regulate’
The G Funk era at it’s zenith.

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Foxy Brown – ‘Ill Na Na’
Fox Boogie was not lying about her ill na na. Get well Foxy.

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Ludacris – ‘Chicken-n-Beer’
Not my fave Luda album but I love the cover art on this joint.

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Public Enemy – ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’
One of the most hardbody rap album covers of all time.

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LL Cool J – ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’
THE most hardbody rap album cover of all time.

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EPMD – ‘Business As Usual’
My fave all time cover because it was drawn by BILL SIENKIEWICZ. If you don’t already know about son you need to get familiar.

How I Got Over…

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

roots

The Roots have consistently been the best live show I have seen. They are so good and satisfying that I haven’t been to a GEORGE CLINTON and P-Funk All-Stars show in several years. There was a time that I never missed a P-Funk date in NYC. Evar! Now I have trained my live show energies on the Roots residency at the Highline Ballroom.

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If there was a complaint about the Roots it was that there studio album didn’t match the level of their live performances. I may have made that argument myself. I’m unrealistic to imagine that a studio album can contain the electricity of a venue packed with several hundred people. Still… I’m patiently waiting for the Roots album to drop that will be the undeniable classic that their talent deserves.

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This week’s Highline show was special to me because of all my friends that had made the trip to see the show after reading all the drops here on this site. My homey from the DMV and fellow sneaker fiend JaiSlayer came through with some of his homeys. Polotron finally made the trip downtown as well. I see you too TeLisa D.

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The Roots are going hard with their latest single ‘How I Got Over’. It’s a tour de force when you hear this song performed live. Black Thought goes in like James Brown x Kool G Rap x Al Green. The music defies description because it seamlessy blends soul music, rap, and R & B. It makes them all one sound. I fux with the Roots mainly for shit like this song which shatters the idea of what a Hip-Hop band should be.

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Live audio rip via 3030FM.com