B-Girl Be Summit in Minneapolis

June 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment

B-Girl Be

If you are going to be in Minneapolis this weekend, go check out ‘B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop’ Summit. It is now in its third year, and last night at Foundation nightclub was the kick-off party with Bahamadia, Invincible (from Platinum Pied Pipers), Stacy Epps, and Minneapolis favorite Maria Isa.

B-Girl Be is an annual summit and series of events, workshops, exhibits, and performances that celebrate women in hip-hop.The mission of B-Girl Be is to influence and inspire leadership to change the perceptions and roles of women in hip-hop for current and future generations.

The summit features national and international guests aerosol artists Lady Pink (NYC), ZORI4 (Puerto Rico); spoken word artist Ursula Rucker (Philadelphia), lyricists Magia Emcee (Cuba), Sistaz in Rhyme (Stacy Epps, Invincible and Bahamadia), main stage host Medusa, (LA); DJ Shortee (LA) and DJ Pam the Funkstress (San Francisco); B-Girls Rokafella (NYC), Aruna (Holland), and Aiko (CA); keynote speaker Rosa Clemente (NYC); and photojournalist/historian Martha Cooper, who will all perform, present and engage in discussion ciphers and workshops alongside local Twin Cities artists.

The celebration continues throughout July and into August with The Art of T&A: Truth and Activism, an international visual art exhibition and a series of international film screenings. The Art of T&A: Truth and Activism is a multi-disciplinary, cutting edge exhibition that highlights the distinct aesthetics of hip-hop. The exhibit and film series feature the works of women who create new ways to visually represent themselves through hip-hop. These visual artists from all over the world paint on walls, wood, clothing, vinyl, canvas and metal. Female filmmakers direct, produce and edit their visual journeys. Inside Intermedia Arts’ main gallery, viewers can check out aerosol art, clothing, paintings, photographs, sculpture, and illustrations representing hip-hop inspired artwork from women around the world. The Art of T&A: Truth and Activism runs from June 21- September 1, 2007.

Find more about the Summit Schedule here. One of the founding directors of this summit is Desdamona. She is amazing mc and spoken word artist. She just dropped a new album called ‘The Source’.

Desdamona

Desdamona - “The Source (Sly & Robbie Remix)”

 

 

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music 

You Know You are a DJ When…

June 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I found this from ‘My Favorite Things’.  It is video from Karizma from Baltimore.  This is so on point.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under video 

Afropunk: I wish I was in New York

June 28, 2007 | 1 Comment

AfroPunk

Alright, who is going to buy me plane ticket to come out to New York between now and July 7? This festival is amazing. Organized by the director of the documentary AfroPunk, James Spooner, it is in it 3rd year. If you haven’t seen this documentary, you really need to. Because we don’t play punk or rock on our show, doesn’t mean we don’t love it.

The lineup is crazy. Bands like The Objex, CX Kidtronix, Philmoore Browne, Stephannie Mckay, Suffrajett, Taylor McFerrin, Rich Medina, and Tiombe Lockhart plus plenty more. A very diverse line-up. Check out Sound Verite for more information about the artists and festival in detail.

Also premiering is the new film from James Spooner called White Lies,Black Sheep plus many other cool flicks.

Afro-Punk Trailer

White Lies, Black Sheep Trailer

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Movies, Music, concerts, festivals 

Z-Trip and Charli 2na on Something Different

June 28, 2007 | 1 Comment

Z-trip

DJ Z-Trip is about to drop a new album entitled All-Pro Soundtrack for the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. The album will feature original, remixes, mashups with artists such as Faust, Slug of Atmosphere, Rakim, Dead Prez, and Deftones to name a few. Hear is the track he did with Charli 2na (of the now defunct J5).

Z-Trip & Charli 2NA - Something Different

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music 

Diplo Talks about Heaps Decent

June 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment

336459964-l-2.jpg

I am really impressed with what Diplo is doing with his latest project Heaps Decent (see my previous post). Pitchfork got a chance to sit down with Diplo and talk to him about the project and other stuff he is working on. You can purchase the tune in which the project produce called Smash the Kangaroo at Itunes. I will not post it here because I want people to buy it and support the program.


Heaps Decent featuring Diplo - Smash a Kangaroo - Single - Smash a Kangaroo

His concept would work well in a lot of cities and rural areas here. I am seriously thinking about doing something similar in Milwaukee. If anyone from Milwaukee (DJs, producers, artists, teachers, etc. would be interested let me know by emailing me at tarik@radiomilwaukee.org)

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, non-profit 

Lab Update: New Download shop

June 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment

 labrat

Hey y’all. Just a quick update we have updated our playlist section with the last two weeks shows. On the June 23rd show, we had music from Wagon Cookin’, Outlines, Madlib, and Tawiah(off of Gilles Peterson new compilation Brownswood Bubblers volume 2) . On the June 16th show, we had new music from Justice, Kanye West and the new collaboration between Dudley Perkins, Georgia Anne Muldrow and 2Tall called Beautiful Mindz. We also had the second ‘Karen P Presents’ episode

Check out our new digital download store(beta).

Store

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Playlists and Shows 

Hip Hop History? Sort of

June 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Ill Doctrine

I just found out about ill doctrine: the first hip hop video blog. The blog is created by Jay Smooth founder of hiphopmusic.com and who hosts a radio show on New York’s WBAI called Underground Railground. He also worked on this cool project called StoryCorps Griot(StoryCorps Griot is a one-year initiative, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to collect interviews from at least 1,750 African Americans.) It is pretty insightful and entertaining. Give him a look and show your support.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, blogging, video 

All Good Things Come to An End, But why this?

June 24, 2007 | 5 Comments

Straight No Chaser

I first heard about this from Beyond Jazz’s website. Our favorite magazine is shutting its doors in August. Straight No Chaser out of UK is, in my opinion, the finest music magazine period. The design, and the articles beat all other magazines in this niche. This magazine I found more about new music more than any other magazine. After 20 years or quality work, Straight No Chaser will issue it last magazine in August. The magazine is planning to get readers opportunity to leave a message in the final magazine for a price

From Brownswood Site:

One thing I wanted to let Brownswood know about first is that I’ve suggested that there’s a couple of pages for readers to give messages to chaser. As Paul’s got bills to pay, they’ll cost. But it’s going to be a part of history. It’ll be the last one. Like the first, I’m sure this will be a serious collectors’ item. I for one will want to be a part of this, and have my say.

This is going to go live on Monday. From then you can send an email with the text that you want to info@straightnochaser.co.uk and in the subject put “ATTN: BIG UP!”

The prices are super reasonable too. They’re going to be done in 20 word blocks (each block costing £15 - so £15 for up to 20, £30 for 20 to 40 etc…). I don’t think he’ll sell more than 3 blocks to one person though, as he wants to get as many messages on the pages as possible.

If you have not picked up this magazine, you really need to. They even sell back issues at their site. If anyone out there reads this magazine, let me know what you think or even better yet your favorite issue/story.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, magazines 

Diplo is Helping Heaps

June 23, 2007 | 1 Comment

Heaps Decent 1

Diplo is at it again. But this time by creating a non-profit called Heaps Decent. I found out about this over at Pitchfork.

The Hollertronix whiz kid has announced the creation of Heaps Decent a “non-profit music initiative” that “aims to connect current popular recording artists with students from underprivileged communities around the world and reinforce the positive influence of music education through technical skill development and public performance.”

Heaps Decent got its start following Diplo’s stint on this winter’s Big Day Out tour, when he headed out on his own on an Australian mini-vacation, visiting a number of remote locales. While there, the DJ/producer met a group of indigenous Australian youngsters interested in hip-hop…

…Diplo held a series of workshops for students from the Northern Australian locale Maningrida and from a Southern Australian juvenile justice center. These sessions resulted in the creation of the single “Smash a Kangaroo”, which will be available on iTunes soon and is currently streaming on the Heaps Decent MySpace page). Diplo plans to bring the project to other locations throughout the world, starting with a session in Rio de Janeiro’s Rochina favela in January.

He is even got corporate sponsorship from Obey, Apple, Ableton, Serato and Rane to name a few.
Heaps Decent

Heaps Movie

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, non-profit 

Bonde Do Role hits the covers

June 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Fader Cover

I found out about this from the Mad Decent blog. Bonde Do Role, a Rhythm Lab favorite are on the cover of the latest Fader Magazine. Everyone from Rolling Stones to Pitchfork are writing about this trio from Curitiba, Brazil(The poor man Fugees?). Congratulations to them. If you haven’t cop their new album ‘With Lasers’, what are you waiting for?

From Mad Decent Blog: Bonde Do Role - Gasolina (Crooker’s Crunk)

Bonde Do Role - Divine Gosa (from album ‘With Lasers’)

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music 

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