NEW YORK, NY (January 15, 2007) - Save the dates! The Hip-Hop Association [H2A] in its sixth year proclaims freedom, justice, and restoration. Tackling some of the most important issues affecting the Hip-Hop community today, they intend to elevate women, heal the community, and celebrate the positive messages within Hip-Hop culture.
Setting it off this year will be the HHEAL [Hip-Hop Educates and Advances Lives] Festival, a 2-day festival happening on April 18-19 at Raphael Hernandez IS 217 in the South Bronx. The festival will focus on the fusion of social justice in the Hip-Hop movement, exploring the role of women and immigrants, and teaching how everyone can be an agent for change. Through numerous community partners, the H2A will offer a day of Freshest Youth workshops in media literacy, Hip-Hop aesthetics (mcing, djing, graffiti, beat-boxing, and break-dancing) to cultivate a new generation of Hip-Hop youth. While the next day, the Hip-Hop Education Summit will provide a series of professional development workshops to exchange educational models, practices, and theories in order to build inter-generational relationships and future education leaders.
The first Kings and Queens Classic (KQC) will be held on May 18th during Hip-Hop Appreciation Week, at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial & Education Center. The KQC is a celebration of Chess, Art and Photography. The goal of the KQC is to promote the powerful influence of using Chess, Art, and Photography as a viable teaching tool to empower youth to develop important skills such as creative expression, intuition, memory, and problem-solving abilities. The KQC is being hosted by the first and only African-American International Grandmaster, Maurice Ashley, and will include a panel discussion, a youth speed chess tournament, celebrity games, performances, photography exhibit, and a silent art auction.
The Sixth Annual H2O International Film Festival [H2OIFF] will take place from June 25-29, 2008 in New York City. One of our hallmark events, the H2OIFF works with independent and established filmmakers to provide an alternative wide lens into the culture of Hip-Hop. H2OIFF offers networking opportunities, educational resources, panel discussions, and an exhibition platform for video and filmmakers to display and define the variety of images and stories that depict Hip-Hop and its communities. This year a portion of the film festival will be streamed online.
On June 29, 2008, all the stars come out to participate in the infamous Odyssey Awards at BB Kings Club and Grill in Times Square. The Odyssey Awards is the closing ceremony for the H2OIFF, where we announce the winners of the festival and acknowledge the most important Hip-Hop filmmakers, industry professionals and pioneers.
Additionally, the H2A will be teaming up with a dozen community partners to offer film screenings, workshops, seminars, and live webcasts, so stay on the look out for these events all-year-round.
For more information on these events or press coverage, please contact Nakia Alston via email at Press@hiphopassociation.org, by phone at (646) 229-3648 or visit our website: www.hiphopassociation.org
New music, "Mogadishu," from HERO (E-Dot and Darp Malone)!! Anyone who is a fan of conscious music will feel this! And am I the only one who gets a "Refugee Camp" vibe from this track (big compliment!!)?
"Mogadishu" is taken from HERO's self-titled debut that will be released on 2-26-08. For history buffs, E-Dot was born at St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica--which just happens to also be the birthplace of Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey and Darp Malone has recently been in the studio with Ill Bill (Non-Phixion, La Coka Nostra) working on his solo-LP.
Please feel free to liberally post and distribute the track.
Lady Luck swang beauty in her favor Blew 14 candles and out popped womanhood. Long locks begged to be stroked eyes melting down her back to the curves and swivel of hips tasting their first drop of power. Nights spent flashing Cinderella tales over teddy bear borders-- Believed prince called charming would find her disarming but he locked doors, spilled his semen on the floor to memories of Pretended panties pulling off in his fingertips As they stroked his own developed manhood.
Daytime games she wanted to learn Cat calling Didn’t see prick eyes poke her behind plotting sex traps for street walking girls in school dresses. boys with beards hunger for the newest, unused flesh. Lady Luck caught in the jungle of phallic tree traps- Sweetness drip drip drip from her pores He ties burlap through un-kissed mouth to keep her from “no!” mis step--he dictated and amen she lost her hymen as single act penetration coursed deep beyond her arteries
Struggling to keep mouth above neck above memories of not enough air thick body forces screams below pillows Before, untouched except for the stolen kiss on her secret’s back porch Now Lady Luck’s love is stolen. naked and shamed body remembering childhood. As she watches the holy “and 2 shall become one” dissipating into fog spots on his rearview mirror bruises form on her body in shapes she will declare and name tomorrow to distract herself from chemical invasion as Dr. (Rosen) forces body to reject what she will never forget.
Tears tangled in knotted hair Over keeper of precious diamonds ripping jewels from sacred places. left ceiling now flashing rotted flesh. Maggoty Corpse kissing private dreams where little girl memories become big girl fears. Sleep calls for limbs writhing can’t grasp anything While she tries to cover closed eyes from flashbacks and thick blankets rotted with anger. love is twisted tangled in oak branches hovering over his someday grave.
morning wakes rays shining blood memories in her eyes needing someone to fight the last nights that shout out her belief in words like “tainted” “unworthy” “ruined” ‘cause now mirror reflects just enough to touch and melt and leave in a mess on the floor. Sees eyes bloodshot and heavy Whispering, “Lady luck, victim of flesh traps, who’s gonna find you now?”
How many MCs do you know of were signed to their first label after responding to an ad that simply said “Emcee wanted. Abstract, not commercial?” The real surprise is that’s not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the uniqueness of Rabbi Darkside. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Rabbi D has been living in NYC since 2000 and after a short stint on Sit-n-Spin records, the label he rhymed his way onto thanks to the aforementioned ad that he spotted in the Village Voice, he found his true home when he discovered the club Sin Sin in 2003 and with friends Farbeon and Hired Gun created both the group 3rd Party and Say Word Entertainment. Rabbi D’s solo debut, Building the Better Bomb, is being readied for a spring release, but I had to sit down with him now to find out more about his journey both to and within Hip-Hop, his travels to the Czech Republic to work with artists, and the video for his song “Bill Muthafuckin Murray” that’s been making the rounds on the internet. [Click - Here]for full story.
So we're hanging out at Fubz's party at 205 Club earlier this week to celebrate the good man's success with photography, publishing and general hustle. We took a few flicks. Smif N Wessun shook the building! It's a pretty good night. Anyway we're gonna get back to dropping photos on you good peoples. By the way, are you guys telling everyone you know about the FHHN syndicate blog? Please spread the word. We have great things in store for the duration of 2008. Thanks for staying tuned into our movements. We do it all for you!
Here is the new Kidz In The Hall single, "Drivin Down The Block" (word to Masta Ace) from their forthcoming sophomore LP, The In Crowd, which will be released on 4-29-08 by Duck Down/Major League. The In Crowd is entirely produced by Double-O and Naledge will be joined on the mic by the following guests (as of now anyway): The Clipse, The Cool Kids, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Travis of GYM CLASS HEROES, Camp Lo, Sean Price, Buckshot, Masta Ace, Wale, The Pack, Phonte and Skyzoo.
See this is what you call ridiculously creative promotion. Homeboy Sandman releases a free song to promote the fact that he has music available on itunes. The key thing is that it's really a good song that doesn't suck. A very catchy tune to say the least. I just hope that Sandman gets smart about it and pitches the song to itunes, that way it'll be more then just a great idea but a genius marketing pitch that will land him a featured spot on itunes.
“If you like to Visit I-Tunes I invite you To try my tunes I’ll excite you I’ll entice you I’ll ignite you I’ll incite you I’m just like you You’re just like me You not liking me’s unlikely So I’m asking you politely Buy my mp3s Or bite me”
This song was produced by the 2 Hungry Bros., Deep and Ben Boogie.
(Brooklyn, NY January 16th, 2008) Queens-based emcee and graphic artist Bisc1 will be releasing his first full length album, When Electric Nights Fall, this spring on March 11, 2008 via the Brooklyn-based indie hip-hop label, Embedded Music.
Bisc1 recorded the majority of WENF in the evening hours, not only because of the demands of his day job as a graphic artist but also because this is when his creativity thrives. Nighttime is a time when most of us relax and try to make sense of our day, with all our successes, failures, conflicts, celebrations, doubts, and stresses. With When Electric Nights Fal,l, Bisc1captures these emotions we all share with a blatant sense of urgency. Just as a train takes passengers on a ride from borough to borough with varying landscapes, WENF brings listeners on a nighttime ride through the realms of our psyche. The album ventures from our feelings of highs and lows in "Parallels," being thankful for getting though another day in "Pandemonium," the beauty of having loved ones in "Fire and Ice" and "Unconditional," the perverse passion of pursuing our vices in "Strange Love," and dreams, illusions, and escape from daily routine, in "Great Escape." WENF is a glimpse into Bisc1's personal journey but he deftly touches on emotions we've all experienced in our lives at one point of another.
A native of Massachusetts by way of Connecticut, Bisc1 moved to NYC 10 years ago and quickly made a name for himself DJ'ing at clubs, distributing mixtapes, and in graffiti circles. Soon, Bisc1 picked up the mic and won several battle raps including the Whose Line Is It monthly at the Knitting Factory in NYC 4 consecutive months in a row. His debut release, The Basics EP (2006), gained the favorable attention of music critics and his subsequent release, The Stay Up Project mixtape (2007) was downloaded over 5000 times. Bisc's penchant for capturing our chaotic reality with his narratives, images, and collaborations has earned him a reputation as one of the most honest and creative artists of today. Going beyond music, Bisc1 is also an accomplished graphic artist. He's done cover art, designed promotional materials and spearheaded art direction for artists such as Aesop Rock, The Perceptionists, C-Rayz-Walz, Murs, El-P, and others. His art has been featured in several magazines and art house coffee table books and in galleries, such as Danny Simmon's Rush Arts Gallery. When Electric Night Falls, for which Bisc did all the art direction, will be available March 11th on Embedded Music.
Nicolay is best known as the producing half of The Foreign Exchange (the other half being Phonte Coleman of Little Brother), whose debut album Connected made a huge impact on the underground hip-hop and soul scene. Since then, he has produced for Little Brother, Supastition, Masta Ace, Strange Fruit Project and Zion I and remixed tracks for Roy Ayers, Bob James, Candy Dulfer and many others. This time around Nicolay has teamed up with Houston emcee Kay to release the concept album Time:Line, which is the loose story of one person's history, taking the listener from birth through the ups and downs of life, death, and even the afterlife. In 2007 Nicolay launched his own label, Nicolay Music and Time:Line will the label's first full length release. Over the course of twelve tracks, Nicolay & Kay present their case for what the future of hip-hop sounds like. I recently got in touch with Nicolay and Kay to get a little more insight into their new project.
Lee: Last time I talked to you, you were about to release "Here" and were about to move to North Carolina. A lot has changed. How's NC treating you? Nicolay: It's treating me good, I can't complain. At first it seemed like a little bit of a random place for me to end up in but it's making a lot more sense to me now. L: How so? N: Well, if you look at it on the surface you'd say that New York or Los Angeles would maybe make more sense but from a standpoint of productivity, I get much more work done being over here in more "quiet" surroundings. L: I can't lie. When I saw the album cover I thought it was going to be an R&B album and that Kay was a girl. Obviously I was wrong. Kay can you tell us about yourself? How you got started. Kay: Well, first of all I'm a dude. L: Yeah I got that part now. N: Some people thought the same of me, at first. (laughs) K: I met Nicolay around 2003. I met him on the OKPLayer.com boards. At this time I was on Ali Shaheed's Garden Seeker Imprint. Nicolay blessed me with a couple of tracks and was a good person to get an opinion about music. Very honest. L: I'm from Texas myself and I went to P. V. [that's Prairie View A & M for those of you that don't know] for a couple years and I know when people think of Houston they think of grills, pouring up, and tippin on 44's. Obviously there's a side of Houston that the mainstream is missing. K: Wow. PV! L: Yep yep. So, what's the underground scene in Houston these days. K: Yeah, Nicolay is gonna help expose the underground of Houston which I'm really grateful for. It's kinda stagnant now but we are gonna fix that. L: Who else should we know about? K: The 12" features Mic of the K-otix. The Luv Bugz are featured on the Tight eyes song. L: How did you guys go into this album? Did it start off being a concept album or did it just become that after you started working on it? N: We kinda rolled into it. We started working on tracks left and right and then kind of along the way, Kay came up with the context after that, we kinda made everything fit into the "Time:Line." L: What made you decide to create your own record label? N: Well, basically my experiences with record labels. (Laughs) Over the years I have kind of come to see that you depend on a record label for things you can do yourself, as well. You cut the middleman out, so to speak and so it seemed interesting for me to just be able to release my albums through my own channels from now on. L: How is this album different from putting together "Here?" N: Its totally different because "Here" was a solo album in the sense that, I put it together and had the overall concept behind it. This time, its me 50% and Kay 50% and so every decision is a decision we made together. L: Did you try anything new production-wise? N: Most definitely, I always try to keep improving. L: Without revealing any trade secrets can you tell us how you grew as a producer? N: Well, I think the main thing is that I kinda no longer censor myself when it comes to music where in the past sometimes I'd get ideas and I think "Nah that's not what people know or expect from me." Nowadays, I'm doing everything and anything that comes up. L: Is "Time:Line" autobiographical? K: Vaguely. I speak on things that I've seen at times. However, the "Time:Line" concept really speaks to capturing different moments in time even if they are not my experiences. L: So, when does the tour start for this album? N: The experience starts on the 12th. We're still looking into doing shows at this point but we're both looking forward to doing some. L: You'll have to let me know when you guy'll be in LA. N: Mos def. L: The album comes out Feb. 1st? N: Feb. 1st in Europe, Feb. 12th in the states. L: Well, I appreciate everybody's time. Good luck with everything. N: thanks man, our pleasure K: peace
01 TIME:LINE (snippet) 02 Blizzard feat. Toby Hill (snippet) 03 Grand Theft Auto (snippet) 04 Tight Eyes feat. Oh No and The Luv Bugz (snippet) 05 The Lights feat. Myth & S1 and Nicole Hurst (snippet) 06 Through The Wind feat. Stokley Williams (snippet) 07 The Gunshot feat. Chip Fu (snippet)
The full length album in stores February 1 (Europe)/February 12 (USA) 2008
They say perception is everything. In an era where seemingly forced collaborations come a dime a dozen, DJ K.O. brings together some of Hip-Hop's finest emcees & producers to offer an ode to what the game's been missing - genuine music. DJ K.O. Presents: Perception Is Everything clocks in as nine track EP tapping the likes of renowned artists such as Masta Ace, Phonte (of Little Brother), Royce Da 5'9", Elzhi & Wordsworth to name a few.
All Dee Jays and tastemakers world wide we are offering a Free Download of the entire EP for your Spinning PLEASURES!!
Street Knowledge/Cheap Thrills Prods. was in the house to capture Nas live and in rare form at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. The show presented by Live Nation produced a sold-out and eager crowd, who stood out in the shoddy weather to see their favorite m.c. God's Son aka Nas. After a warm-up performance by DJ Mister Cee and introduction by Funk Master Flex, Nas came out to the sounds blaring through the sound system of DJ Marley Marl and was warmly greeted by his loyal and diehard fans. Nas started the show with the classic cut " New York State of Mind" and continued to run through his catalog from the beginning of his career to his most recent album Hip hop is Dead. Briefly speaking on his most anticipated album to date, the still to be released "Nigger", Nas promised the hip hop faithful that the album would be packed with thoughtful and controversial themes and that the title had mainstream Americas's "panties in a bunch".
On February 12, Blue Note Records will release Droppin’ Science, a unique collection of the legendary label’s classic late 60s through mid-70s jazz-funk tracks, all of which have featured prominently as samples in some of the greatest hip hop cuts of the late 80s, 90s and beyond. Hip hop artists ranging from Dr. Dre to the Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest have sampled Blue Note grooves by such jazz greats as Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Donald Byrd, and Lonnie Smith. All of these original Blue Note tracks have been compiled for the first time on Droppin’ Science, which Blue Note will release as a 10-track CD, a 13-track digital album and vinyl LP, as well as individual ring-tunes that are based on the exact sampled loop.
Little known to most of the general public, Blue Note is home to some of the most widely used samples in the history of hip hop. Sampling and the use of breakbeats has been the foundation of hip hop since its advent in the late 70s; yet, during the late 80s artists began looking for the first time into the world of jazz for new and creative sources of music. Blue Note’s extensive catalog quickly became the go-to location for innovative groove based samples. What resulted was an explosion of classic hip hop tracks featuring Blue Note jazz. This explosion is best experienced in the music of A Tribe Called Quest, who used 4 out of the 10 tracks on Droppin’ Science in numerous groundbreaking classics.
Taking the name from a cut off of Marley Marl’s 1988 LP In Control Vol. 1, Blue Note’s VP of A&R Eli Wolf conceived the Droppin’ Science project as a way to connect what he calls the “golden age of hip hop” to the now classic jazz-funk tracks recorded for Blue Note during the late 60s through mid-70s. Selecting from over 25 Blue Note tracks, Wolf has assembled the best of the best from the Blue Note sampleography.
The list of artists both sampled and sampling includes some of the most famous names in the world of jazz and hip hop, and covers a large breadth of time. In 1992, Kool G Rap used Joe Williams’ “Get out of My Life Woman” in his classic cut “Ill Street Blues;” then, nearly a decade later Jill Scott used the same sample in the song “Brotha” featured on her seminal neo-soul debut Words and Sounds: Vol 1. Landmark tracks from Brand Nubian (“Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down”), De La Soul (“Bitties in the BK Lounge”), and Lox (“Get This $”) all feature a groove from Lou Donaldson’s “It’s Your Thing.” A Tribe Called Quest used Jack McDuff’s “Oblighetto” in their smash “Scenario.” As recently as 2001, Dr. Dre sampled David McCallum’s “The Edge” in the infamous cut “The Next Episode” which featured Snoop Dog. The list continues, with Biggie Smalls’ “One More Chance” remix and Mary J. Blige’s “Everyday It Rains” featuring a sample from Lou Donaldson’s “Whose Makin’ Love.” Blue Note’s influence has even been felt in the pop world where Madonna used a Lou Donaldson sample (“It’s Your Thing”) in her song “I’d Rather Be Your Lover,” as well as a sample of Grant Green’s “Down Here on the Ground” in her song “Forbidden Love.” For a full sampleography, please see below.
These innovative hip hop artists and beyond did their part to bring to light some of the gems of the Blue Note catalog. Yet, these tracks deserve to be heard in their entirety; complete with ripping Lonnie Smith organ solos and David Axelrod produced sound-scapes. Blue Note’s aim is to re-introduce these classics to the public and to highlight the innovative ways in which these artists and producers utilized jazz material in their work. Droppin’ Science brings these jazz tracks together for the first time in a truly distinct, soulful, and funky way.
AUDIO From Blue Note's Droppin' Science: "It's Your Thing" by Lou Donaldson.
Sampled by Madonna, Brand Nubian, The Lox and De La Soul
1. Lou Donaldson “It’s Your Thing” – Originally on the album Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969). Brand Nubian “Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down” (Elektra) De La Soul “Bitties In The BK Lounge” (Tommy Boy) Lox “Get This $” (Bad Boy/Arista) Real Live “Day You Die” (Pirate/Big Beat) Madonna “I’d Rather Be Your Lover” (Warner Bros.)
2. Ronnie Foster “Mystic Brew” – Originally on the album Two Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972). A Tribe Called Quest “Electric Relaxation” (Jive) Rell “Real Love” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) E.T.A. “Ayia Napa” (Flex)
3. Donald Byrd “Think Twice” – Originally on the album Stepping into Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1974). A Tribe Called Quest “Footprints” (Jive) Main Source “Lookin At The Front Door” (Wild Pitch) De La Soul “Simply Havin” (Tommy Boy) DJ Krush “Big City Lover” (Instinct) J Dilla “Think Twice” (BBE)
4. David Axelrod/David McCullum “The Edge” – Originally on the album Music: A Bit More of Me (Capitol, 1968).Dr. Dre “The Next Episode” (Aftermath/Interscope)
5. Jack McDuff “Oblighetto” – Originally on the album Moon Rappin’ (Blue Note, 1969). A Tribe Called Quest “Scenario” (Jive) J Dilla “Oblighetto Remix” (Blue Note)
6. Joe Williams “Get Out Of My Life Woman” – Originally on the album Presenting Joe Williams and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966). Kool G Rap “Ill Street Blues” (Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros.) Biz Markie “Funk Is Back” (Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros.) Cadillac Tah “You Loose” (Def Jam) Jill Scott “Brotha” (Hidden Beach)
7. Grant Green “Down Here On The Ground” – Originally on the album Alive! (Blue Note, 1970). A Tribe Called Quest “Vibes & Stuff” (Jive) Madonna “Forbidden Love” (Boy Toy/Warner Bros.)
8. Lonnie Smith “Spinnin Wheel” – Originally on the album Drives (Blue Note, 1970). A Tribe Called Quest “Can I Kick It” (Jive) Pete Rock And C.L. Smooth “Act Like You Know” (Elektra) Brian Austin Green “Didn’t Have A Clue” (Yam Yum Entertainment)
9. Jeremy Steig “Howling For Judy” – Originally on the album Legwork (Solid State, 1970). Beastie Boys “Get It Together” (Capitol)
10. Lou Donaldson “Who’s Makin Love (To Your Old Lady)” Originally on the album Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969). Biggie Smalls “One More Chance” Remix. (Bad Boy) Marley Marl & Craig G “Droppin Science” (Cold Chillin”/Warner Bros) Mary J. Blige “Everyday It Rains” (Def Jams)
BONUS TRACKS (Digital album and LP version)
11. Ronnie Laws “Tidal Wave” Originally on the album Pressure Sensitive (Blue Note, 1975). Black Moon “Who Got The Props” (Nervous) Jackson 5 “I Want You Back (Remix)” (Motown)
12. Monk Higgins “Little Green Apples” – Originally on the album Extra Soul Perception (Solid State, 1969). Gangstarr “Code Of The Streets” (Chrysalis/EMI)
13. Donald Byrd “Wind Parade” – Originally on the album Places and Spaces (Blue Note, 1975). Black Moon “Buck Em Down” (Nervous) 2 Pac “Definition of A Thug Nigga” (Columbia Pictures/Sony) and (Amaru/Interscope/Jive) 2 Pac “Late Night” (Interscope) Organized Confusion “Stray Bullet” (Hollywood)
An instrumental album centered around cartoon theme songs from The Milkman of One Funk Production, Saturday Morning is freely available for download. Grab it, share it, listen, and enjoy.
FreeHiphopNow Syndicate Blog is giving away an autographed copy of Dirty District Vol. 3 Produced by Young RJ. If you can answer the following 2 questions and are a subscriber to the blog you are eligible to win this collector's item. You must email us from the address you subscribed through.
1. Who are the original members of the Hiphop group 'Slum Village'? 2. What is the title of Slum's Village's very first album?
Email your answers to blog @ freehiphopnow.com...
Good Luck! We may pick your name out of the digital hat.
Had the entire Embedded crew instudio to help raise funds for WPKN/WPKM. Didn’t do much of that, but had a fun time anyway. Talked with Ese about the orgins of his label “Embedded”, his new effort “Side Two” and recording tips for up and coming MCs.
Up and coming rapper Astronautalis paints vivid pictures through his thoughtful rhymes on his debut album “You and Yer Good Ideas”. Talked with him at length about the dangers of being categorized as an “abstract” rapper and having diverse musical influences as a youth.
First and foremost thank you for downloading The Gospel is FREE,
The Gospel is FREE is a statement directed at how some people use the bible as a monetary platform, it also correlates with the sale of mixtapes with copyrighted material (for example: Dj Drama). The Gospel is FREE is a 15 track offering that is composed of freeverses, freestyles, and songs. I am offering this mixtape as a free download and eventually it will be available in CD form (for FREE). I would
love for you to share this mixtape with at least 3-5 people and if you are willing to review it great (I am open for criticism). All I ask is that you listen to the words. I would like to thank all the people that have been supportive of the music so far, continue to support and help spread the name.
Please be on the lookout for "The Center of Attention", which will
drop digitally on Domination Recordings.
In promotion of his soundtrack to the unreleased film “To Love a Hooker”, I had a chance to talk with J-Zone. Touches on some interesting topics; mixed label rosters and under promotion of artists on the indie level. A bit long but I tend to ramble…Good Stuff, take a listen!
“The Nobody Hole” is a fantasy-genre epic set primarily to hip-hop. More than just a musical piece, it is closely related to its recurring visual art theme. It follows the story of a young boy by the name of Paul Lowenfall (also known as “Pygmy Paul”) who spends much of his lonely life sketching masterful portraits of characters from his imagination. A traumatic run-in with his mentally fragile mother breaks his heart and forces him into an alternate dimension. This alternate dimension is a halfway-world, full of the sad, lonely and broken. Nothing is what it seems, everyone is a figment of their own imaginations and nobody is whole. Once he arrives in The Nobody Hole, he runs into a cast of characters who he hopes will help him get back home. Among them are a pumpkin-headed sorceress with a past as dark as void in her face, an old man with a rickety ship, and a mysterious thief with silver eyes. To make it worse, Paul’s being stalked by a psychotic killer in a panda mask that he drew with his own hands. As the journey unfolds, Paul discovers a secret deep within his blood and hidden in his drawings…
This is the first album of its kind; a Halloween tale told from the voice of an authentic emcee and involving a transmedia experience. An entire universe has been created, and this chapter is the first story in the new legend of our generation. Step over Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings… The Nobody Hole has arrived.
The Players:
The Emcee – Sum Majere, member of the hip-hop crew, The VJC, journalist, writer, publicist, biologist and mystic. Creator of ‘The Nobody Hole’. Also released ‘Cool Hand Luke’, ‘BatMilk!’ and ‘The Lil Folk’.
The Musician-BadTouch, also a member of the hip-hop crew, The VJC; producer, jazz musician, sound engineer, physics teacher, songwriter. Co-creator of ‘The Nobody Hole’. Has produced for the likes of LoDeck, Jak Progresso, Zeps 1, Vintage Imperial and Collective Efforts.
The Narrator-Nzinga Kadalie, Playwright, poet, writer, screenwriter, director, actor.
The Artist-Doug Hoffman, member of hip-hop crew The Boxer Rebellion, visual artist, painter, graphic designer, toy, movie and shoe connoisseur.
Audio
