Jay-Z Look-a-Likes!!!! LOL!!!! This is funny as Hell!!!!!!!!!

SOME JAY-Z-LOOKING MF’s!

                       

Hip-Hop: A Culture of Four Elements?

When describing true hip-hop culture, the four elements (emceeing, DJ-ing, b-boying and graffiti) are always, quite rightly, mentioned with regards to the origins of the culture. The four worked together in the late 70’s and early 80’s to form a fresh youth culture, which has continued to inspire and educate even 30 years from its conception, and is continuously evolving and being presented to new audiences.
I have recently had a number of conversations that have taken the direction of discussing, how these four elements actually apply to the culture in 2010. One, an interview with Rakaa (aka Iriscience) of Dilated Peoples, Rock Steady Crew and Zulu Nation, one with underground emcee Pack FM, and others with my friends, Stefan and Flo, both b-boys. I am not denying the existence of the individual elements, but more the shift in the culture that has pulled them further away from one another.
In the early days, the elements brought people together, the DJ would be spinning, the b-boys would be dancing, emcees would be lining up to take the mic and hype up the crowd and the graff artists would be there supporting, drawing in their blackbooks or putting together a mural; or at least this is the picture that has been painted of the early days by the pioneers and journalists.  The culture was very much a table that was held up by the legs of these four elements (an analogy I learned from Grandmaster Caz).
Nowadays I would wager that a lot of the top emcees probably couldn’t name the other elements, many graffiti artists probably don’t even know that what they are doing links to rap music and the most of the top b-boys disregard the top emcees as pop music. I think that the separation of these elements is due to growth and evolution, the elements are now all art-forms in their own rights and do not depend on the support of the other legs.
Rap has by far surpassed the other legs in its evolution, to the point where many claim it is becoming corrupt. However it is also diversifying and is the most stand alone of all the elements, even to the point where it could almost survive without the involvement of DJ’s (the only element which I feel is still integral to connecting the culture). It is the most saleable element, and therefore has had the support and funding to develop the most. Although many would like to hear rappers stick to rapping over break-beats, cyphering and battling, we are at a point in the culture where, although I love all three of those things, most artists focus on putting together full cohesive LP’s and mixtapes that can be used to promote themselves worldwide, via the internet as well as physical CD sales, rather than a cipher which will only earn them local recognition; the target market for rap is a lot wider than that of any other element, due to the fact that it is more easily accessible.
Due to the anonymity of graff artists, it I hard to say whether or not they are regularly in attendance to support the other elements at rap gigs and b-boy jams, however it is fair to say that they are no longer as prolific within the culture as it once was. Commercially, graffiti has become infused with other forms of street art, and is often used to create branding for youth targeted companies, such as clothing brands, record labels and advertising. Sometimes this can be used well however I often find that it is used as a somewhat cliché youth visual; when marketing something to the youth that they probably aren’t really interested in, designers commonly resort to the graffiti aesthetic as a way of capturing the audience. Graffiti is seen as rebellious and is the only illegal element; legal graffiti doesn’t generally carry as much credibility, unless it is painted by a well-respected artist, who has gained some sort of notoriety by painting illegally. I think that the anti-establishment nature of graff has caused it to become attractive to other youth subcultures such as punk, and art school kids, who want to go against what they have been taught.
B-Boying as an art-form has probably went through the least evolution of the elements, this is more because it is the hardest to market. It is not possible to package b-boying up and sell it; therefore it is the element that remains the truest to its old school roots. Although the movements of the dance have evolved since the early days, the fashions, and music within the b-boy culture remains very old school; most of the music played at b-boy jams was recorded in the 80’s or earlier, and it is still common to see nostalgic fashions such as Puma Suedes, foam trucker hats, matching crew outfits and maybe even a Kangol here and there. I think that the fact that b-boying has stuck to its roots means that most b-boys are now disheartened by what they are seeing happen to the rest of the culture, therefore it is common to see b-boys who only listen to old school hip-hop or funk or breaks, and don’t really listen to new music. It is also common to see people becoming interested in b-boying through avenues such as marshall arts, gymnastics or other dance forms, as well as through hip-hop.
I think that DJing as a whole has remained the most relevant to all of the elements (apart from maybe graffiti, due to it not being a musical element) as DJ’s are required for both rappers and b-boys. However a DJ who plays at a rap jam, would not usually be the same DJ who would spin at a b-boy jam. The b-boy DJ has to ensure that the break plays continuously throughout a battle, if the drums suddenly disappear, the b-boy is going to be in trouble; meaning that the b-boys DJ requires a lot of knowledge of the dance, as well as what music is suitable, and plays in a way similar to how Grandmaster Flash would, juggling beats in order to elongate the break section of the record. The regular hip-hop DJ doesn’t have to deal with such a structure, and is used for many uses including clubs, mixtapes, production and radio. Aside from these is the turtablist, who is more of an artist themselves rather than just someone who plays other artists records. The turntablist manipulates recorded sounds using decks and a mixer; this art-form is more to do with showing off impressive technical skills and really pushing the use of the equipment to its limits, rather than necessarily aiming to get people dancing. So although DJing still links the elements, we no longer just have one DJ who runs all the jams, and plays to please the whole crowd, but different types of DJ who spin for individual elements.
Obviously what I have talked about throughout this piece is a major generalisation, and is all my own opinion. I am not trying to say that hip-hop doesn’t exist, that the elements are dying, or that there isn’t a DJ who has mastered spinning for b-boys as well as clubs. It is just my consideration of the evolution of our culture, and how the growth of its individual elements may be pulling the culture apart as a whole, which might not be a bad thing; perhaps somewhere during the evolution they might reunite into something way better than what was there originally. I hope I am there when and if they do, because I personally love what is happening within each of the elements. As long as I can still sit back and listen to some Eric B & Rakim, or some Wu-Tang, when I am in the mood, and as long as somewhere DJ Premier is still producing some dope boom bap records, I think it’s good for others to be pushing the culture, and searching for the limits of their element. I just hope they never reach it!


Credits:
Grant Brydon
 Published by Grant Brydon on September 30, 2010 at 6:59 am
abovegroundmagazine.com

Turn The Dial

“I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars,” rhymed Jay-Z in his track, “Moment of Clarity.” A slap in the face to some fans, but a reflection of truth for others. It’s common knowledge that some of the most bland, generic and un-artistic music tends to become most popular among the masses. It also seems clear that hip-hop is one of — if not the single — the most affected genres. Connoisseurs of hip-hop and even artists themselves regularly urge others to “kill the radio” because of the poor quality of music they play. But, the most important question is why radio stations continue to follow this trend, and maybe more importantly — can it be stopped?
“Radio isn’t about the music, it’s designed to get as many people to listen as possible to sell the advertisements, “ said DJ Hyphen, co-host of Seattle’s Kube 93’s Sunday Night Sound Session. “Skeet, skeet” and “Superman”-ing hoes may be a mainstay on most radio shows, but not on this one. While most hip-hop radio may be about as enjoyable as watching your girl go down on a dude clad in Ed Hardy gear, Sunday Night Sound Session (SNSS) is a prime example of how radio stations have treated local and underground hip hop.

Placed during a time slot that most are either sleeping before going back to work, passed out on the couch after a day of watching football, or taking off your nice church clothes, this show is more tucked away than your old velour  suit. “The reason that we are relegated to Sunday nights is because it is the lowest time slot of the entire week,” says Hyphen, “if they are going to sacrifice potential ratings, that is the time to take the risk.”

Hyphen’s co-host, and a well known leader within the music community, J. Moore explains the rationale, “it’s a way for the station to say that they are supporting commercial music, but they are doing it in a way that doesn’t engage or impact in the way that it could.”
Despite being shelved in the lonely confines of Sunday night radio, Hyphen and J. Moore continue to put in under-appreciated work in the name of good music.  “People [in the radio business] don’t necessarily love music,” says Hyphen, “they may have loved it at one point, that’s probably what got them into the business, but at some point it turned into a job.”
It’s easy to understand how the passion for music can be lost, when the primary objective of the station is to retain audiences until the next commercial break. To do this, radio stations play the same short list of songs on repeat, and for good reason. When Hyphen started at Kube, he himself asked why the same songs continued to play.  What he found out was that, “radio station statistics show that the tighter the rotation (the fewer songs that you play), the more money that you make.”
This could easily be blamed on the short attention span of today’s youth, or, as it’s often called, the ADD generation. It could also be attributed to people who love music not listening to the radio.
Hyphen points out that the music enthusiasts are looking to mediums such as Pandora, blogs and forums for the next group or albums to play, not the repetitive radio.  Even with music fans looking elsewhere, this doesn’t answer why the majority of music played on the radio is “dumbed down”.
Rarely on commercial radio stations will you hear the more intelligent or conscious hip hop artists such as Lupe Fiasco, Brother Ali, or even Black Thought.  J.Moore says the problem stems from listeners’ lack of education, so radio play targets what he calls “the lowest common denominator”.
America is going dumb; not a reference to Mac Dre’s role call.
“The average radio listener isn’t conditioned to understand these messages,” says J.Moore, “It isn’t intrinsically beyond their understanding, but they haven’t been conditioned to understand it, and this confuses people and makes them uncomfortable.”  This is not only attributed to a lack of formal education, but is also due to a lack of social understanding, or street smarts.  J.Moore best breaks it down by saying “You can have a PhD and not understand life, your understanding is just as broad as the bandwidth of the station.”
Most readers may view this all as common sense and are probably thinking I’m about as provocative as Mark McGuire saying he didn’t use steroids, but there is something that can be done to change this problem: don’t turn the radio off, just turn the damn dial!
The rotation of commercial radio is made up of music being pushed by the record labels. As Hyphen sees it, “radio and labels have a symbiotic relationship, where radio only plays music that [comes from] major labels. When the music machine gets behind it, radio is more receptive to it and will give it a chance.”
Despite what the commercial radio stations play, there are independent radio stations, which have the sole purpose of playing GOOD (not Kanye’s label) music. These stations are funded by donations, and don’t have to worry about getting listeners to focus on the advertisements.
National Public Radio (NPR) stations reach 27.1 million listeners weekly (http://www.npr.org/), but this number lacks a large base of hip hop listeners.  By supporting independent stations, many of which can be found through NPR, local and intelligent music is empowered and its audience is extended.  The music of Soulja Boi kissing people through the phone could be replaced by the smooth sounds of California MC Blu.
There are independent stations in almost every city, all it takes is a search on Google.  By listening to and supporting independent stations, the quality music gains spotlight. This is the only way that commercial stations could view this art as a viable product to put in rotation. We can’t get mad at radio stations for following what Wu-Tang said to be true (C.R.E.A.M), we can only blame ourselves as listeners for not taking action to help the culture.
A few independent radio stations to check out:
Boston: WERS 88.9 FM
California: KLBC 1610 AM
New York: WKCR 89.9 FM
Salt Lake City: KRCL 90.9 FM
Seattle: KEXP 90.3 FM

Credits:

Published by Jake Greene on September 27, 2010 at 10:26 am

abovegroundmagazine.com

The Big 3: Miami’s Got One, Shouldn’t Hip Hop?

On July 8, Lebron James put the world to sleep with his prolonged announcement (I want an hour of my life back) that he was leaving Cleveland to hit South Beach with his buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The trio has since been dubbed “The Big 3”. Hip hop has seen successful trios in the past with the likes of The Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest and Run DMC, but it’s debatable whether all members of these trios carried the weight equally.Sure Pras had a “Ghetto Superstar”, but it’s unlikely he would be mentioned on the same level as Wyclef and Lauryn.

With that being said, what trios (2 emcees and a producer) could be hip hop’s Big 3? We’d like to offer some suggestions.

1. Blu, Talib Kweli & Alchemist

Any fan of Talib and Blu would say that their styles are a perfect match. After Alchemist brought them together on “Therapy” (along with Evidence and Kid Cudi), this seems like a trio capable of bringing out an underground classic, we’d like to nominate HerFavoriteBlacksmith for their debut’s title.

2. Brother Ali, Freeway & Jake One

Another trio that has already worked together (“The Truth” off of Jake One’s White Van Music), Ali and Freeway are both underground stars that rap intelligently about their rough backgrounds. With these lyricists on top of Jake One’s hard hitting beats, we’re fiending to see a group album. The Stimulus Champion (oxymoron?) would be blasted on car stereos across the states.

3. Chali 2na, Cee-lo & Kno

Maybe I’ve lost it, but 2na’s deep voice with Cee-lo on the hooks? Add in Kno’s masterful production? I think we have a surprise winner. Might want to avoid the name Gnarly 2na though.

4. Evidence, Black Thought & Budo

Two accomplished emcees with raspy styles over Budo’s flavorful beats, especially the slower ones. This group would surely win over fans who crave lyrically-robust albums. Evidence of Thought could rise up the charts and be disrespected by radio stations simultaneously.

5. Big K.R.I.T., Andre 3000 & Ant

This may just be a mash up of one of my favorite up-and-comers and an all-time great, but put Three Stacks on some southern hood shit over the dark, melodic beats? I’d buy this in a heartbeat. Roses Really Smell Like K.R.I.T would sell faster than Justin Bieber’s virginity.



Maybe we’re asking too much, but wouldn’t a dope new group catch everyone off guard? There is an endless list of fantasy groups that would be incredible together, the real question is what group do you want to see form?
And, yes, we’re judging you based on your selections.



Credits:
Published by Jake Greene on August 23, 2010 at 9:00 am
abovegroundmagazine.com

City Arts Fest in Seattle!!!





On Oct. 20th, Northwest hip hop headlines the City Arts Fest at Seattle’s historic Paramount Theater with BLUE SCHOLARS, featuring Macklemore &Ryan Lewis, Fresh Espresso, Mash Hall, plus special guest Brother Ali, & hosted by Tilson.
This show marks the first time a Seattle hip hop act has headlined the historic Paramount Theater, a major accomplishment for Blue Scholars and a break-out show for the whole exploding Seattle hip hop scene. The Paramount show and City Arts Fest headline are more proof that the city has recognizes surge of talent and creativity in the local hip hop scene.



The show is one of the headlining events for the inaugural City Arts Fest, October 20-23, 2010, when 40+ events go down in 18 venues across Seattle.
Fest passes starting at $60, and individual tickets to the show at $25 are are on sale now at http://www.cityartsfest.com/.
See http://www.cityartsfest.com/ for the full line up and schedule.

Credits:
Published by Jake Greene on September 29, 2010 at 4:50 pm
abovegroundmagazine.com

The People's Choice- The Top Producers on Soundclick.com (Feel Free To Add Your Favorite)

SeriousSoundTrax
phase one on the boards
Vybe Beatz
G-Major
Young Federal Productions
inspired Minds
Black tee productions
DJ Yung Stylez
Kang Kong
Mev the producer
Young Heat
Zone
Vybe
Johnny Juliano
Superstar-O