Hip-hop artists dish out food instead of music
A dozen local hip-hop artists put aside thoughts of record platters last night in favor of platters of steaming fried fish, collard greens and sweet potatoes to serve nearly 100 area residents who could use a hot meal.The artists, who are featured on the hip-hop segment of Polish Radio WRKL 910AM, answered a call from radio personality CT for volunteers to collect coats for needy residents and serve food to the hungry and homeless. The idea, said Christopher “CT” Torres, was to show hip-hop’s bright side.
“A lot of time, the image people see, or the perception of the young kids, are always doing something negative to attract attention,” Torres said. “I asked them to donate their time – it’s the most important thing there is. The young people came out and showed everybody what they can do, what they’re made of.”
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Full Story Via The Journal News
Review: Wu-Tang Clan drops hip-hop excellence
When the Wu-Tang Clan fire on all cylinders, they simply operate on a different level from everyone else in hip-hop.
It’s on display throughout “The 8 Diagrams” (Loud/SRC) – the hip-hop conglomerate’s first album since 2001′s “Iron Flag,” as well as its first since the death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2004 – in the moments when RZA’s dense, meticulously crafted beats get surrounded by the dark, gritty rhymes of the rest of the Clan.
The centerpiece is the epic “The Heart Gently Weeps,” based on a sample from George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which is augmented by guitarwork from Harrison’s son, Dhani, and Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante. Over the fuzzy-dream riffs and between pretty, female-driven hooks sung by Erykah Badu, Raekwon and Ghostface take turns telling a terrible tale of how staying in on a snowy night to watch “Raisin in the Sun” devolves into a murderous rampage and how revenge shootings play out in a Pathmark. It drives home the theme of darkness lurking around every corner, a feeling echoed in “Life Changes,” a touching tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard, built around the haunting soul hook, “I go through life pretending that time will change the ending.”
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Full Story Via NewsDay.com
DJ Jazzy Jeff Interview
DJ Jazzy Jeff is best known for his collaborations with Will Smith, aka The Fresh Prince, on songs like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.” After they ended that duo, Jeff has produced for a number of hip-hop artists and done a number of solo records. His latest is The Return of the Magnificent, with guest artists like Rhymefest, Big Daddy Kane and Method Man.
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Full Story Via UGO
Simmons, Wife In Libel Rap
Music and fashion mogul Russell Simmons and his wife have filed a libel action against the publishers of In Touch magazine, but details of how the pair was allegedly maligned by the celebrity weekly are not contained in a court filing. In a New York State Supreme Court summons, Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons name Bauer Publishing and In Touch’s two top editors as defendants in what is described as “an action for libel.” However, the court file does not contain a corresponding complaint, which would normally detail allegations made by the plaintiff.
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Full Story Via TheSmokingGun
DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid @ Black Cat
Artist? Junglist? Selector? Hip-Hop DJ extraordinaire? DCist cannot answer this question. Maybe the best title, should DJ Spooky choose to pass out a DC style business card, would simply read, “Paul D. Miller, Turntablist.”
Because, if a turntablist uses the tables to create new music and improvise, and not just play records, then Washington, D.C.’s native son Paul D.Miller (nom de disc, “DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid”) claims the title without a doubt. Over his prolific and genre-bending career he has mixed all styles, from jazz to jungle, most recently putting together reggae compilations for Trojan records, Riddim Come Forward, and In Fine Style. And how much more can one man rock the decks than to record 2005’s “Drums of Death,” with the drummer from Slayer, Vernon Reid (Vernon Reid?!), and Chuck D? We will hazard a guess — not much.
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Full Story Via DCist.com
Yo, ‘Project’ spits rap without rhythm
“The Hip Hop Project,” a grainy documentary about troubled kids being rescued by the power of music, is missing something movies can’t do without: rhythm.
Director Matt Ruskin’s journey with the Project, a nonprofit New York City program, switches between slow, emotional interviews and fast-paced drama that will leave your head spinning. There are some sweet spots in this story, but the jumps cause the picture to lose its beat.
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Full Story Via Boston Herald
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