FreeHiphopNow: 2008

Influenced by everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Lauryn Hill, Farchild is an artist who defies categorization. Her debut album, Chivalry Has Died, is a testament to what can happen when a person refuses to allow themselves to be boxed in by genre specifications. According to Farchild, “I’d be as happy as a clam if someone popped my CD into a player and said, ‘wow, this is absolute madness, a Farchild kind of madness!’” The former University of Florida volleyball star was getting ready to fly to Puerto Rico to compete in a pro league this winter when I caught up with her to find out more about her music, the life story that inspired it, and why she hid her work from her friends for so long. Click Here...

Please send us captions to accompany this photo. We'll post'em if they're really funny.

Click on image for download link.

These are fan favorites, exclusives, ruff mixes and things we are working on. Download and enjoy. Check us here as well and subscribe www.highwaterISmusic.com

Tracklist:

1. Homeboy Sandman - Airwave Air Raid (Track available on the street album "Actual
Factual Pterodactyl", official debut album on HWM Summer '09)
2. Willie Evans Jr. - Rock Widdit (Track available now on the album "Communication")
3. Sputnik Brown - Super Ego (Track off the debut album Three Shades of Black,
coming out 2009)
4. Daniel Joseph - Pack Lite (Exclusive for this comp)
5. P.CASSO - Stress (available now on the album "For Your Consideration")
6. Ben Grymm & Shawn Jackson - Blood Sweat & Tears "Demo" (available now on the
"Back To My World" single on ITunes. Vinyl 7″ available in January)
7. Fresh Daily - Breezy Afternoon feat Outasight (off of "Tomorrow is Today" available
in January)
8. Señor Kaos - For the Cream RMX feat JAX (off of "Swagger Is Nothing…"available now
on highwaterISmusic.com)
9. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Preposition (Exclusive for this Comp)
10. Spec Boogie - Ghetto Mind (Exclusive for this Comp)
11. John Robinson | MF Doom - Black Gold (Track off the album "Who's This Man?"
available Jan 27th)

I’ve made it no secret that The Vincent Black Shadow is one of my favorite rock bands. They’ve been featured on this site a number of times, and now that they’ve gone the indie route they’ve become a perfect fit to be an Artist Of The Week. Cassie Ford’s vocals are some of the most amazing you will hear in all of rock, and the band, which is made up of the Kirkham brothers, with Rob on guitar, Chris on bass, and Tony on drums (pictured L to R), is truly an amazing group of musicians. This week I sat down with Tony Kirkham to find out more about TVBS’s latest release, El Monstruo, why they parted ways with their label, Bodog Music, and what the band ended up learning after spending the better part of a year and a half on the road. Click Here...

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B.A.N.I. is the computer system that the master has fallen in love with. Yet another sneak preview of things to come from the forthcoming LP, 'The Bronx Über Villaini'.

Sometimes an artist is associated with so many people I know I just have to find out more. VERSE*ALL is one of those artists. We seem to roll in the same circles. He’s worked with a number of former Artists Of The Week, including Rabbi Darkside and Core Rhythm. We just hadn’t linked up for anything… until now. VERSE*ALL is bit of a jack of all trades in Hip-Hop, but unlike the old saying, “jack of all trades, master of none,” VERSE*ALL has managed to master quite a few, including production and emceeing. This week I caught up with VERSE*ALL to find out more about his path in Hip-Hop, the differences between the two scenes he’s spent the most time in (NYC and DC), and some of the more memorable moments he’s had in his career so far. Click Here...

photo by : eklektic

Hello Everyone,

The track that I have for you is produced by Rip One and it is for his album called Grounded (which will be a combination of jazzy songs and instrumentals). Rip sent me the beat for this project awhile ago and I was feeling the jazzy sound. During this time I was watching Donny Goines B.A.R.S. series and I decided to hit him up. I hit him up and told him that I was interested in his music and asked if he was available for a possible collaboration. Thankfully Donny is a cool dude who decided to contribute a verse on the song. I sent him the beat and he penned and recorded a verse within two days, I added my parts to complete this track. I respect Donny's music a lot and I hope you guys cop Minute After Midnight (on Amalgam Digital's website) on December 16th.

"This track was conceived thanks to the lovely instrumental by Rip One. The scratch hook gave me the inspiration to write about etching my own path in this hip hop game. Donny Goines delivered an awesome verse that further solidifies his role in the progression of NY hip hop." - Praverb

Download Here

So it's looking like the folks over @ the Good Look aren't feeling as though UMC is one at all...

Imagine the playground at your local McDonald's was renovated and turned into a strip club, but they kept the Hamburglar statue on stage. Now, put a bookshelf in that strip club instead of a bar. Congratulations, you have successfully experienced Common's new album Universal Mind Control.

Read Full Review Here...

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Enter the Produce Section Intro (Prod. by Flying Lotus)
Ordo Ab Chao (Prod. by J Dilla)
Grandz (Prod. by I.D. 4 Windz)
1 of the greatest (Produced by J Rawls and DJ Rhettmatic)
N.Y. CA (Prod. by Madlib)
Makings of U (IG Culture Remix)
Mascot feat Peter Hadar (Prod. by K Dubble)
Why'd You Lie (Prod. by R.Thentic)
Rapsploitation (Flying Lotus Mix)
The UK feat Cymarshall Law & K Banger (Prod. by I.D. 4 Windz)
It's Worth It feat Tiffany Paige (Prod. by I.D. 4 Windz)
Cherish (Confusion) feat Wordsworth of EMC (Prod. by K Dubble)
2 Things (Japanese Import - Planet Groove/Jazzy Sport 12") (Prod. by Grooveman Spot)
The Big Picture (Prod. by I.D. 4 Windz)
Dap Feat. Farrah Burns (Prod. by Flying Lotus)
Science, Jazz and Politics (Remix) (Prod. by IG Culture)
Circulate feat Invizible Handz (Prod. by Flying Lotus)
On the Road Again (Prod. by I.D. 4 Windz)
C.U. (Prod. by Ta'Raach)
Hit Me (SP's Phone Home Remix)
Heavenly feat ID 4 Windz & Tiffany Paige (Prod. by J Dilla)
Rap Thing (Prod. by Flying Lotus)
Invizible Man feat 20/20 aka U George (Prod. by MF DOOM)
Its Jay ARE (J Rawls and John Robinson) Prod. by J Rawls (Album coming in 2009)
*Leaving the Produce section outro (Prod. by Flying Lotus)

WSTR's "THE HOP STEW MIXSHOW"

PreZZure is an emcee and producer that I’ve been running into a lot lately, both at concerts and online. Based out of Queens, New York, PreZZure caught my ear thanks to two mind blowing tracks, “Lost My Mind,” which is off of his upcoming album and features a sample from one of my favorite t.A.T.u. songs, “All The Things She Said,” and his beat for the AOK Collective theme, which features a sample from the theme from Sesame Street. In addition to being an emcee and beatsmith, PreZZure is also currently a college student majoring in Commercial Photography and a mentor with the Optimus Academy where he teaches junior high and high school students how to write songs. This week I caught up with PreZZure to find out more about the art of sampling, some of his favorite collaborative experiences, and what’s up with his “Bacon” nickname. Click Here...

When you see an emcee on stage with a sly grin on his face rapping an ode to prostitution with a thumpingly danceable beat behind it you can’t help but take notice. I know I did. The emcee in question was Kirby Dominant and the California native had the crowd hooked with his song about his appreciation for those ladies that partake in the world’s oldest profession. After the show I immediately got in contact with Kirby D to find out more about his music, what inspired the prostitute song, and why you’re more likely to hear Aphex Twin coming out of his headphones than DJ Shadow. Click Here...

3 Bands...

Workout - The Plaine Truth - Wooden Nickel & The Bronx Über Villain (Conscious) featuring Kalae, Coole High & Tzo (Of Black Horde)

Come out. The Show is free and early! Enjoy great music as The Knitting Factory winds down it's last performances...

Mix punk rock, reggae, ska and Hip-Hop, throw in a feisty female vocalist and add some lyrics with depth and meaning and you get Sonic Boom Six, Manchester, England’s favorite “Genre-Terrorists.” Recently, Sonic Boom Six made a rare appearance in the States and afterwards I caught up with Ben C, Laila, Barney, Neil (pictured L to R) and Nick (not pictured) to find out more about how they developed their sound, what “Genre-Terrorism” is all about, and what kind of crazy things they’re experienced while in their tour van. Click Here...

The music video for Convict Colony by Saul Williams aka Niggy Tardust! Produced by EagleHawk. Directed/Produced by Rob Leitzell & Chris Edley. 7/9/2008. Out on Fader Label

Some folks have noted that I have a predilection for featuring east coast artists as my Artists Of The Week. Well, you can’t get much further from the east coast of the US than South Africa, and that’s exactly where this week’s Artist Of The Week, Eyezon, hails from. Figuring an emcee who’s actually seen apartheid up close and personal might have a thing or two to say, I sat down with Eyezon this week to find out more about his early years in South Africa, when and how he made the move to America, and how he feels all of his life experiences help him connect with people as an emcee. Click here...

No it's not a mixtape. It's just the title of a new thread that will focus on some characters we find interesting enough and worthy of being discussed for their movements in music and performance.

In this installment, we shed light on the artist known as 8th 1. Reminds you of a better, more literate and less nasal Kanye West. As an emcee he has a lot more skill and much more to talk about. 8th 1 is also a graphic artist, he created the image shirt he's wearing. Very simple but a great marketing tool for his movement in the arts. Establishing his brand 'early'. Be on the look out for big things from this young man, a member of NYC's AOK's Collective; doing all the work no one wants to do in order to get famous.

If you’re an artist who is selling your music hand to hand you know how hard it is to convince someone who has never heard of you to shell out their hard earned money to listen to your work. Heck, people are barely willing to open up their wallets to purchase the music of the artists they are familiar with. There is a simple, and not too pricey, solution to this, and it’s one that’s almost as old as the music industry itself – the album sampler. Click here...

SumKid is the creative genius behind the song “Chuck Norris on Drugs.” A California based emcee, SumKid has built quite the career on being a creative and unique individual. To say he bucks the usual trends in hip-hop would be an understatement. From The Lil Folk, to The Nobody Beyond Race: You range quite a bit musically. How do you define yourself both as an emcee and a...
+ Full Story

Don't miss this show! The Knitting Factory is closing it's Manhattan doors this year and there are only a handful of shows left to see at this legendary venue. Just this past weekend Black Moon & Smif N Wessun performed for the first time with a live band to a packed house for an unforgettable night. Q-tip had his album release just a few weeks earlier, while Bustah did a special free show for fans. Even Kanye West made an appearance performing Love Lockdown from his forthcoming LP. Be a part of history. Don't you wish you'd have gone to CBGB's a few times before they closed their doors...?

(November 11, 2008 - Brooklyn, NY) K'naan returns to the road for his latest tour excursion, this time with Matisyahu. A survivor of war-torn Somalia, K'naan struck the industry head-on with the inspired tracks from his debut album The Dusty Foot Philosopher. With singles like "Soobox" and "Strugglin'," K'naan has garnered much attention from the media, meriting glowing reviews from sites like PopMatters.com and SkopeMag.com, who raved, "K’naan uses his unique voice and authentic style to bring an enormous dose of realness and urgency to the hip-hop world, in the tradition of great folk singers and protest songs he carves a new path filled with eloquent and thought-provoking lyrics." Check out what all the buzz is surrounding the release of The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition at one of his winter tour dates. The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition is available in stores and online now courtesy of Interdependent Media.

K’naan Winter Tourdates w/ Matisyahu:

11.26.08 8pm Harry O’s Park City, UT
11.29.08 8pm Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
11.30.08 8pm Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
12.06.08 8pm Headliners Music Hall Louisville, KY
12.07.08 8pm Cannery Ballroom Nashville, TN
12.09.08 8pm The Blue Note Columbia, MO
12.11.08 8pm Bogart’s Cincinnati, OH
12.14.08 8pm House Of Blues Cleveland, OH
12.16.08 8pm The Phoenix Concert Toronto, ON
12.17.08 8pm Metropolis Montreal, ON
12.18.08 8pm Higher Ground Ballroom South Berlington, VT

"In The Beginning"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-In_The_Beginning.mp3

"If Rap Gets Jealous"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-If_Rap_Gets_Jealous.mp3

"Strugglin'"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Strugglin.mp3

"Soobax"
http://www.audibletreats.com/download/Knaan/Knaan-Soobax.mp3

K'naan official site:
http://www.thedustyfoot.com/

Remember back in the day when east and west coast artists beefed with each other? Well, Fiyawata is the complete opposite of that. Composed of Brooklyn born emcee Ambessa the Articulate and Oakland songstress Zakiya Harris, Fiyawata and their music not only work to break down barriers and misconceptions, they also push the boundaries of Hip-Hop and work to expand its definition. This week I caught up with the male half of the married musical duo to find out how two people from totally opposite ends of the country ended up finding each other and what kind of journeys into sound they’re teaming has given birth to. Click here...

You must check out this show! Hosted by The Bronx Über Villain and AOK Collective's Homeboy Sandman. Plus spinning all night MTV Made's Rabbi Darkside... Come out, get some great food and rock out with a crazy lineup of artists and some guest appearances you definitely won't forget.

The Knitting Factory is closing this year so get out to as many shows as you can make it to!

Click On Image For Download

Winter Fresh, is the exclusive new mixtape project from the incomparable Brooklynite Fresh Daily and Dub MD, this AOK Collective presentation is available right here, for free download. This new project features rarities, exclusives, remixes, unreleased joints, collabos and freestyles from 2005-2008, it features tracks with Supastition, Jesse Boykins III, Substantial, Mickey Factz, SiLent Knight and more, with production from the likes of Illmind, Analogic, M-Phazes, 9th Wonder, Madlib the list goes on, all unlocked from the vault for your listening pleasure.

Be on the lookout for Fresh Daily's new project "Tomorrow Is Today", along with his long awaited new album "The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes Of Passion" both hittin shelves real soon, featuring Tanya Morgan, P.Casso, Cool Calm Pete, Substantial and many more, with a production list including Illmind, Oh No, DJ Spinna, Ski, 88 Keys, 2 Hungry Brothers and Analogic all holding down the boards. For more information on Fresh Daily make sure you hit up his official myspace page at www.myspace.com/freshdotdaily.

Also keep your eyes out for Dub MD's exclusive new mixtape project for the purest called "Hip Hop Renatus" which features the whos-who of underground hip hop emcees (44 MC's / 34 Tracks) doin what they do best over the greatest hip hop producers of all-times instrumentals, out later this month for exclusive free download!

01. Winter Fresh (Intro)
02. Raw Hip Hop (Produced By DJ Evil Dee)
03. How Good Is Ya Game (feat. Emilio Rojas) (Produced By Muneshine)
04. Next In Line (feat. Supastition & Outburst) (Produced By Analogic)
05. Assassination Tango (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
06. Fresh (feat. 8thW1) (Produced By Nas550)
07. That Damn Good (feat. Substantial) (Produced By Algorythm)
08. Kill A Brand (Produced By M-Phazes)
09. False Teeth (feat. Svengali Bros)
10. Keep Moving (feat. Mickey Factz)
11. Fast Lane (feat. East & SiLent Knight) (Produced By 9th Wonder)
12. Winter Fresh (Interlude)
13. Gimmie My Props (Produced By The Applejuice Kid)
14. HBO (Heart Barely Open) (feat. Jesse Boykins III) (Produced By The Architect)
15. Ricky Vaughn (The Major Leagues) (feat. XV) (Produced By Nottz)
16. Supaspectacular! (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
17. Rising (feat. Supastition & Deacon the Villian) (Produced By Tonedeff)
18. Get Over (Produced By Illmind)
19. Boom! (feat. P. Casso) (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
20. To My Homie (feat. 8thW1) (as Charlie Browns Field Goal) (Produced By Nas550)
21. Figaro (Fresh Daily Remix) (Produced By Madlib)
22. What It Is (feat. SiLent Knight & Shabaam Sahdeeq) (Produced By Erv Ford)
23. New Blood v2 (feat. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas & Torae) (Produced By Illmind)
24. Winter Fresh (Outro)

B-Real, a rapper of Mexican and Afro-Cuban heritage, is best known for being the lead rapper in the hip hop group Cypress Hill. Since the group's formation in 1988, the pioneering rap-rock quartet Cypress Hill -- founders B-Real, DJ Muggs, and Sen Dog, along with newest member Eric Bobo -- have come a long way from the streets of South Central L.A. Over the course of its 17-year history, Cypress Hill has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide, including more than 11 million records in the U.S. alone. The group has garnered 15 multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA; headlined Lollapalooza, Woodstock and the group's own Smokin' Grooves tour. B-Real has appeared on "Saturday Night Live," all the while breaking down the musical and cultural barriers between hip-hop, alternative, metal, rock, reggae, ska and Latin music.

Recently, B-Real, along with Cypress Hill received a VH1 Hip Hop Honors, to celebrate the vision and innovation that the group continues to bring to Hip Hop, strengthening its force around the world. Other artists honored in 2008 were De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick and Too Short.

In B-Real's first ever solo effort, "SMOKE N MIRRORS", he wanted to showcase his musical talent over beats produced by Alchemist, Scoop Deville, & Sick Jacken (from Psycho Realm). B-Real produced several songs on the project as well, including the lead track "FIRE" with Damian Marley. "Smoke N Mirrors" also features tracks with Snoop Dogg, Buckshot, Kurupt, Too Short, Sen Dog, of Cypress Hill, & Young De.

B-Real is confident his fans will appreciate "Smoke N Mirrors" stating: "I am excited to be putting out my first solo project. It's been in the works for a while now. I want to show my fans a different side to my creative abilities including my own production. I am also excited to have teamed up with Duck Down. They have a strong team and I believe they will push my project to the fullest.”

Two Videos will be filmed off "Smoke N Mirrors" for "Don't Ya Dare Laugh" featuring Young De and "FIRE" featuring Damian Marley.

SMOKE N MIRRORS is in stores February 24th, 2009, courtesy of Audio Hustlaz/Duck Down Records.

Tracklisting and credits for B-Real’s Smoke N Mirrors:

1.) Children of The Night f/ Bo Roc (produced by Scoop Deville)
2.) Gangsta Music f/Bo Roc (produced by Soopafly)
3.) Don’t Ya Dare Laugh f/Young De (produced by Scoop Deville)
4.) Everything You Want f/Buckshot (produced by Soopafly)
5.) 6 Minutes f/Young De & Tek (produced by Alchemist)
6.) Pyscho Revolution f/ Sick Jacken (produced by Sick Jacken)
7.) Fire f/Damian Marley (produced by B-Real)
8.) 10 Steps Behind f/Young De & Tek (produced by J. Turner)
9). Get That Dough f/Mimi (produced by Fifth)
10.) Dr. Hyphenstein f/Snoop Doog, Young De & Trace Midas (produced by B-Real)
11.) Stack’ N Paper (produced by J. Turner)
12.) 1 Life f/Send Dog and Mal Verde (produced by B-Real)
13.) Dude VS. Homie (produced by J. Turner)
14.) When They Hate You f/Mimi (produced by Salaam Wreck)
15.) When Were F*cking f/Too Short, Kurupt and Young De (produced by J. Turner)

To say I’ve known Fresh Daily for a while would be an understatement. I knew him back when he rhymed under a different name and was part of a totally different crew. Now he’s heading up the AOK Collective and the name Fresh Daily is well known and highly respected throughout NYC. He has a unique style and a personality which exudes zero ego. Fresh Daily isn’t just good at emceeing, he has a lot of fun doing it. This week I sat down with him to talk a little bit about his history, how the AOK Collective came to be, and the Fresh Daily album that’s nearly four years in the making. Click here...

Iller Than Theirs just released a new EP.
It is available for FREE download at www.RadioBelly.com

You can visit ILLER THAN THEIRS, whenever you'd like, at any time of the day or night at myspace.com/illerthantheirs

Every artist wants it. Donnie Goines has it. The “it” in this case is buzz and I know Goines has it because I’d heard, or read, his name over two dozen times before I’d ever met the man. Whether it was emails, YouTube clips, or songs, everywhere I was turning there was something with Donny Goines’ name attached to it. A little over a month ago we finally bumped into each other at a show at The Knitting Factory. We spoke for a while about all things Hip-Hop and the hustle it takes to get on. The conversation was fantastic, which is why I decided to sit down with him again to let him share some of those words of wisdom with everyone. Along the way we also discussed his own career and how he’s worked his way to being such a talked about emcee. Click Here...

DJ Sets by Smutvillian and Father Time!

Live Painting by M-Squared (who painted the cover of the album!), Atomic, EMA, RIZZ 22, Pesu, and Brandon!
FREE GEAR from WerdInk.com!!!
All Ages! $8

Location:	Death by Audio
Street:	49 S 2nd St.
City/Town:	Brooklyn, NY

Freehiphopnow.com invites you to a unique and awesome event on Tuesday October 28th 10PM at New York City's Bowery Poetry Club. It takes place only once a month and this being the inaugural show, you do not want to miss it. (As space is limited we ask that if you'd like to attend you rsvp at rsvp@freehiphopnow.com ) We look forward to seeing you there!

Admission is $5 before 11:30, $10 after. Come early, get in for less and enjoy two completely different shows. Now that's a bargain! This is an all ages event. You must be 21 and have a valid ID in order to drink. There will be giveaways. Everyone that attends, takes something home.

The Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery Street
(Between Houston and Bleecker)
F train to 2nd Ave, 6 to Bleecker

10:00 PM Open Mic Sign Up. (The list is limited. The taping is 1 hour)

DJ Ready Cee Spins from 10:00 - 10:30PM
10:30 - 11:30PM Bondfire: Mic's Open Show hosted by "The Bronx Über Villain"

11:30 Bondfire: Concert Series Begins

11:45 -12:30 1st Act: Preachermann And 'The Revival' - Soul Man
12:45 2nd Act: Kahlil Almustafa - Hiprock Spoketry
1:10 3rd Act: K Swift - Emcee

Bondfire: Mic's Open Show [Pilot Taping] 10-11:30

Think MTV Unplugged, Def Poetry/Comedy Jam & SNL. During Bondfire: Mic's Open Show, open mic participants are guest of the host, "The Bronx Über Villain". Like medieval times where kings were entertained by the likes of jesters and musicians, performers do the same for the audience as well as , "The Bronx Über Villain". Each performance concludes with a mostly humorous comment from the host. The official show once edited for televison and dvd will have a mix of the most outstanding open mic performances and out takes, live performances from the Bondfire: Concert Series, video interviews with various artists, comedy sketches and special ‘The Bronx Über Villain" commentary.

Bondfire: Concert Series 11:30-until

People aren't too enthused these days with live shows. They never seem to start on time. Artists either cancel or show up and aren't that impressive. New York is a great city that has a reputation for being the starting point, and place of discovery of some of the greatests musicians to ever do it. Bondfire: Concert Series is about regaining the confidence of music lovers and creating lasting memories. Simply having a wonderful time. We're saying, 'No To Mediocrity!'.

www.freehiphopnow.com

www.freehiphopnow.blogspot.com

Check out www.bondfire.freehiphopnow.com for free downloads and more information about the artists performing at Bondfire: Concert Series.

Bronx/Chicago based Hip Hop artists Rebel Diaz decided to drop a message to Obama about their concerns.. It comes on the heels of the bail out and their response song 'A Trillion'.... Hollar back let us know what you think..

Can It Be [Half A Million Dollars And 18 Months Later] by Murs (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.

http://www.mursmusic.com/

Bottletop is one of the most forward thinking and exciting charities in the UK. Since its birth in 2002, Bottletop1s dynamic approach to charity has generated funds in excess of £250,000 for grass roots health education projects and the support of leading recording artists and political figureheads from around the world ranging from Justin Timberlake and Dido to Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton.

In an industry that is content to live by their preconceived notion that all black female artists need to be either R&B singers or rappers, soul rocker Danielia Cotton breaks the mold. Being different has actually been one of the prevailing aspects of her life since day one. Cotton grew up as one of the only black kids in the mostly white town of Hope, New Jersey, and by the time high school was over she realized she could parlay her uniqueness into a college education, making her way to Bennington College in Vermont. She notes, “there were only ten blacks when I was at Bennington because at that point it was one of the most expensive colleges in the nation. I sought them out knowing I really couldn’t afford a college education but I could give them something they needed and they could give me something I needed.” Now firmly ensconced in New York City’s rock scene, Cotton sat down with me this week to discuss what influenced her to go into rock music, why we don’t see very many black women in rock, and which artist she’d most like to hit the bars with. Click here...

P.Casso is an emcee that first came to my attention when former Artist Of The Week Homeboy Sandman mentioned him to me. I was finally able to see him live a few weeks ago and it didn’t take long before I figured out why he was so highly recommended. A part of the AOK Collective with Fresh Daily, Homeboy Sandman, 8thW1, Nola Darling, 2 Hungry Bros. and Print, P.Casso wowed the crowd even though he only was only on stage for a few verses. It was technically Homeboy Sandman’s set, but since they have a group together, Dubble Dragons, the name being an ode to one of the greatest NES games ever, he had P.Casso join him for a couple songs. On November fourth people will be hearing a lot more from P.Casso as he’ll be releasing his latest album, For Your Consideration…A Hip-Hop album by P.Casso, which is why this week I caught up with him to find out more about his music, how he earned his title as the Earth-Tone King, and why he feels the visual aspect of being a musician can be just as important as the audible. Click here...

An up and coming emcee with some buzz is oftentimes described as being “hot in the streets,” so maybe it was a sign that during this interview with New Jersey emcee Hasan Salaam not one but two fire trucks interrupted us. Salaam recently released his second album, Children of God, and when one combines that with the work he’s been doing in his community Salaam truly embodies the phrase “hot in the streets.” During our fire truck interrupted sit down Salaam spoke about his work, both musically and within the community, as well as his thoughts on how people treat each other in America, and getting Poison Pen on the basketball court. Yes, you read that right, getting Poison Pen on the basketball court. Click here...

Recently, Shepard Fairey and I threw some fundraisers for the Obama campaign. We called them “The Party for Change”. (If you don't know who Shepard is—among many other things—he is the one responsible for the image on the right).

I've been wanting to put the mix I've been doing at these shows online, in hopes of spreading the word to people who need to hear it most. So, here it is: (zipped vbr mp3 / 84.7 MB)

Download Regular Download Radio Edit

I encourage you to download it and pass it along to anyone you think should hear it. Feel free to burn copies, share it with friends, family, co-workers, strangers, and especially anyone you know is on the fence about this election. I'm also putting out a radio friendly version, in case anyone wants to broadcast it.

Please share the message. Educate those who may not know what is really going on. There is still time.

If you, or anyone you know, isn't registered to vote, I encourage you to make it a priority and fix that before it's too late. This election is WAY too important for anyone to not get involved. If you need more information on how and where to register, vote, or participate, please check the links below.

I honestly feel if we make our voices heard, this time WILL be different.

Peace,

Z-TRIP

http://djztrip.com/

"Love - Produced by Ebonie Smith"

length: 00:44

play HiFi (mp3)

download (1.03 MB)

I love you to death , like slugs do to chest
in culture clubs there be vets
saturated, double wet,
that, flammable solution burn
pollution from the depths of a trouble soul left on the steps of st. anna
miracles don't survive they die and re-incarnate
I am just a fly up high that saw the carnage
iron eagle bondage, prisoner of mind
I will never tarnish, human statute
strongest, stand the test of time

Clip courtesy of The Underground Come Up. Shout out to DJ Sav One.

To say that the energy was tremendous last night at The Knitting Factory would be an understatement. The placed was packed, the audience on the main stage floor were human sardines. With a cap on the amount of people that could actually be admitted into the club, outside stood somewhere near 150 folks throughout the evening. A great night for Hiphop. A great night indeed.

The name T-Weaponz, which is short for Tomorrowz Weaponz, is meant to represent the coming of a new era. That era would be one of Hip-Hop that is both pleasing to the ears and good for the soul and Psalmz, Ark and IzReal (pictured L to R) are the three emcees of T-Weaponz that are working hard to usher it in. Ark and IzReal are brothers and after meeting Psalmz while in high school the three of them decided to form a group and start recording together. Over the years the Brooklyn trio has received a lot of love from Mun2, as well as a number of other Spanish language media outlets. This week, however, we’re keeping things in English as I caught up with all three members of T-Weaponz to discuss their work, their thoughts on the segregation of Latin Hip-Hop from the mainstream, and their campaign to find "XtraOrdinary" women. Click here...

Shock of Pleasure has to be one of the most aptly named groups in all of music. When their CD, it’s about time, was first passed my way, highly recommended by a trusted source, I had no idea what I was in store for. Within minutes my mind was, quite literally, completely at ease. I had been transported into the group’s downtempo / electro-lounge world and was, for the first time in a long time, relaxed. Lead singer Kelley Christian’s voice is both incredibly soothing and sensual and band members Robert Romano, Brent Irish and Josh Curry are phenomenal at creating a mood. I was hooked and wanted to know more about this group from Dallas, TX, so this week I caught up with Kelley (only woman in pic) and Robert (pictured far left) to find out all I could about Shock of Pleasure and their electro-lounge world. Click here...

Directed by Abe Heisler.

Nu Voices feat.

D-Cross
Shockwave
Adammatta
Zero Boy
Krussia
Grey Matter
Arjun
Cee Rock The Fury Anderson
Tah Phrum Da Bush
Conscious
Hyphen One
Semerock
Tzo
Breeze Evahflowin
MC Broke
Coolie High
Josiah
Frantic
Ill Spokinn
Jane Lecroy
Manny Oquendo
Marya Lawrence
Ja-tun
Malika
Menyu
DUV
Infinitee the Quadroon
Conducted by Kid Lucky

DJ Andreas spins the best of hip hop.

Kid Lucky's Hip Hop Café Birthday Cipha

10pm – 3am
Where Sidewalk Café 94 Ave. A (Corner of East 6 street And Ave A)
For more info contact Kid Lucky at beatboxerent@gmail.com OR visit www.myspace.com/acappellamc

Pikahsso yet again proves that creative folks do so still exist. They are not extinct as some have proclaimed.

Over the years, countless Wu-Tang affiliated producers, emcees and collectives have emulated the blueprint laid by the Shaolin progenitors, however very few have achieved both the critical and commercial success of producer/emcee Bronze Nazareth. Now, with the "Thought For Food" 2 CD collection, Bronze further solidifies his widespread reputation as the front running successor to the "new-Wu."

Serving as the creative bedrock for multiple solo and group releases (including The Wisemen and the supergroup Almighty), Bronze is primarily renowned for his contributions to legendary albums from the
RZA, GZA/Genius, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, Ras Kass, the infamous Immortal Technique & many more.

With features from GZA, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, Timbo King, Solomon Childs, Planet Asia, The Wisemen and many more, "Thought For Food Vols. 1 & 2" returns the listener to the
essence of the Wu-Tang experience: the rough and rugged yet soulfully poignant aesthetic that continues to serve as the hallmark of the Wu-Tang sound/legacy.

With the recent inclusion of Bronze's beats on GZA's "Pro Tools" LP and Immortal Technique's acclaimed "The 3rd World," Bronze's cache and profile have been growing exponentially. "Thought For Food Vols. 1 & 2" provides an ample taste of what is and what's to come from this underground producer/emcee extraordinaire.

For more information and to sample tracks from the forthcoming 2 CD
set, please visit:
www.ihiphop.com/bronzenazareth
www.babygrande.com

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