Fatbeats closing up shop is a stab in the heart to Hip-Hop!

On August 18th, they announced that Fatbeats would be closing their two remaining stores in the U.S. Hip-Hop supporters, artists and fans were devastated by the news that Fatbeats LA and Fatbeats NY would no longer be around and open for business, although their online store and distribution will continue to run. Fatbeats has been a staple for many not just in those cities but those from other countries who come visit the store to connect with the hip-hop world and discover good music and artists that is beyond the mainstream world. As many will tell you fatbeats is a part of history and our music culture, it is definitely not your typical record shop, from the selection of music, to the in-store performances and appearances to the copious amounts of hip-hop history taped on the walls and ceiling of autographed pictures and posters. It is definitely an amazing place and I am more than sad to see it go.

As a farewell Tribute to the store they are having in-store performances and appearances all week everyone from DJ Premier and Pete Rock to the Brown Bag AllStars, Sadat X, AG, Breez Evahflowin, Rob Swift, J-Live, Cold Heat, DJ Scratch, Masta Ace and a slew of Duckdown artists as well as many more. It's never too late to support Hip-Hop. Check out the Schedule below and come visit the store before the week is up.

Fatbeats New York is located at 406 6th ave between 8th and 9th st on the 2nd floor.

10 Years of Hip-Hop for EOW.

A staple in the New York Underground Hip-Hop Scene End Of The Weak (EOW) is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this friday night at Highline Ballroom. Last year's show at East River Park had performances from Immortal Technique, Breez Evahflowin, Poison Pen, Vast Aire, Mazzi Soul Purpose, Punchline and Fokis, J Arch, Swave, Kay M, Iron Solomon and Dujeous, just to name a few so I can't imagine who will take to the stage this year at the solid 10 anniversary.

Thus far it has been announced that they will debut a B-Boy Challenge with an open cypher, Beatboxer Entertainment will put on an exhibition as well as a DJ Challenge with DP One, Fat Fingahz and DJ Wonder and judged by Eclipse, Teddy Ted and Mr Len. Kay-M and Rabbi Darkside are a part of the MC Challenge and performances and special guests are Homeboy Sandman, Evil Dee and DMC with much more to be announced. Keep posted on updates to the show this friday by checking their blog as they continue to announce more additions to the show.

Show Info: EOW 10 Year Anniversary at Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th st Bet 9th and 10th ave. 

$12 Advance

$15 Day of show

Homeboy Sandman's The Good Sun Album Release Show @ SOB's

The Classics Are Forever Fresh!!!

Forever Fresh Returns with a Throwback to The Classics. Kicking off the beginning to the Summer Hip-Hop festivities in New York City. Forever Fresh is bringing Keith Murray with a Live Band!!! and CL Smooth to the Homebase of Hip-Hop in Brooklyn at Southpaw. On June 3rd, 2010, We Stole The Show, Kalae All Day, YC The Cynic and Forever Fresh's Own Jah C and The Antidote will be opening up the show for Headliner Keith Murray and CL Smooth. Each artist stands on their own with different styles and sounds bringing a lil something different to the show while fitting perfectly for the entrance to the stage for the heavy hitting headliners.

If you have never attended a Forever Fresh Show then this is the time to start. If you're a fan of Hip-Hop then you can easily realize you are underpaying for a really great show. It is $12 in advance and $15 at the door with an incredible lineup that you pretty much would not be able to see anywhere else. The vibe at southpaw is genuinely hip-hop, everyone is friendly and it is really one of the best places to see a hip-hop show. Forever Fresh has yet to disappoint me with any of the shows they have thrown thus far with such banger nights as Idle Warship with Talib Kweli, Res and Graph Noble, Nice N Smooth, Smif N Wessum, Masta Ace & Edo G. Album Release, KRS-One, Styles P. and so much more. I always feel like I'm at home when I go there and some of my favorite and most memorable Hip-hop Nights has been at Southpaw and at Forever Fresh shows. There will be Red Bull Drink Specials all night and an after party by DJ Anubus.

So no more excuses...if you like real Hip-Hop then Forever Fresh The Classics Starring Keith Murray with a Live Band and CL Smooth on June 3rd, 2010. Thursdays are the new Fridays! Doors are at 8pm, showtime at 9pm. Hosted by End Of The Weak at Southpaw - 125 fifth ave, Brooklyn.
See You Hip-Hop Heads There!

-NattyNiGhT

Have You Sene It Yet?

I took an instant liking to Sene when I saw him perform at the High Water Music Showcase during CMJ week last year. I've "sene" him perform a number of time's after that such as at Daniel Joseph's album release in Newark, New Jersey, Homebase's Show at Santos alongside Don Will, Spree Wilson, Tiron and Ayomari and Homeboy Sandman and also performing at Brown Bag Thursday, with each performance delivering nothing to disappoint anyone in the crowd. Sene's newest project Reality Bites came out last month. It is referred to as a project because sene is not labeling it as an EP or an LP or a mixtape but just as music, which is really refreshing to have music displayed for what it is and nothing more than just that. You can Download Reality Bites and hear for yourself why people are putting his think before you record type of music onto their ipods.

Check out the Video for Sene's "WorkFlow" Directed by Mark Carranceja of Noisemaker Media

New York City Shoutout!

The New York City Hip-Hop Community is larger than many people may think and it consists of more than just the Emcees, Producers, DJs, Beatboxers, Freestylers etc. If you support the music, the culture and the movement of Hip-hop then you are a part of the community and the community is so tight and close that you usually assume everyone knows everyone else. Jesse Abraham made a track over an exclusively dope J57 beat to shout out a slew of New York City Hip-Hop players such as Bisco Smith, iLLspokinn, Farbeon, Hired Gun, 8thW1, Dyalekt, Kalil Kash, Fresh Daily, Broke MC, Core Rhythm, NSR, MLLTPhotos, IheartDilla, J57, Brown Bag Allstars, Wordspit, Rabbi Darkside, Ready Cee, Pressure, Adam Bernard, Grey Matter and an ongoing list of the Hip-Hop Heads that can be cramed creatively in this 5min-ish track..myself included =]

Are you curious to see if you were included in the 75+ Hip-Hop shout out..well take a gander and see...

-Shout outs to Jesse for making such a creative awesome track and shouting out me and my fellow Hip-Hop peers and props to J57 from the Brown Bag AllStars for the dope beat.

Still On The Scene With 4,000 Strong and Steady!

I'm BACK!!!! I've taken a little hiatus from blogging but not from the hip-hop and music scene. I have still been out at shows and events, some even out of town and of course documenting via videos and pictures, but somehow my documenting has fallen short when it comes to blogging. The videos are consistently being uploaded onto my Youtube channel and I edit pictures as much as I can, some distributed to other people and others uploaded mainly onto my facebook page, which isn't really fair to the people I'm not friends with on facebook, but I'm going to try to do a better job at uploading more stuff onto the blog to share with everyone. My sincere apologies to the people who have contacted me wondering why I have not updated in awhile, but thanks for asking and I appreciate you taking the time to check the blog and wanting me to update it with new stuff. With that being said here is a lil update, today officially marks my 4,000th video upload onto youtube. Who said I disappeared??? I'm consistently at shows taking videos and youtube is my proof.


It turns out my 4000th video coincidently are three really good friends of mine who are truly inspirational artists that I have a lot of admiration for. They are emcees, educators and three of the most positive, talented human beings you may ever encounter on the scene of music. The Emceeing, DJing, Beatboxing and Freestyling group that makes 3rd Party are comprised of Rabbi Darkside, Hired Gun and Farbeon. They have travelled the country and have toured overseas in Europe and Brazil, they are involved in workshops integrating hip-hop music with communities through positive experiences steering away from all the negative stigma that people label hip-hop with. Their style is eclectic, their beats are original, their verses are never repetitive and their talent is unlimited. The track "Best Minds(Remix)" is by far one of my favorites and they know this because I always bug them to perform it, but they are definitely not a one hit wonder. They have been on the block for a long time and have a slew of incredibly contagious music that will be set on repeat once played. I definitely recommend checking out their music...especially the newly released project Skillz To Take Brazil, that Rabbi D, Hired Gun and DJ Zajazza just recently released.“Skillz to Take Brazil” is an international collaboration of artists from New York, Brazil and France, coming together to express the spirit of Hip Hop, brotherhood and community. Imagine the pulsating energy of Samba and the rawness of New York City streets wrapped up in soulful jazz production. “Skillz to Take Brazil” is the result of collaboration, culture, connection, and community."  Taken from the words of their Myspace page  I couldn't have said it any better myself. It is a project that is in a league of its own and truly raises the bar when it comes to artists bringing something different to the hip-hop table. Please check them out, they are truly amazing artists and I can't thank them enough for being just all around dope individuals!





Shout out to Rabbi D, Hired Gun and Farbeon for being part of my 4000th video. You are one of the Best Minds of our generation.


- NattyNiGhT


http://www.saywordentertainment.com/
http://www.myspace.com/3rdparty
http://www.myspace.com/skillztotakebrazil

Headphones..Check! Mic..Check! Hip-Hop Is On The Air!

The ladies of Equilibrium Radio is taking over the airwaves tomorrow and have asked me to be one of their guests as well as fellow blogger GangstarrGirl and artist Demostina. Crys Breezy, Ms Nee-Nee and DJ Leecy T is welcoming us to the Premiere of their Ladies First Edition of 2010 to discuss influential women to hip-hop who document the culture from the artist themselves to photography, videography and writing.

It's an honor and I feel truly humble to be asked to be apart of this show's segment, because I have such a massive appreciation and respect not only for all elements of the hip-hop culture but also for being able to live these experiences and document it not only for myself but to share with others. This is my first on-air experience and it feels fitting that the topic is not only hip-hop but also the aspect of documenting it, which has pretty much consumed my life, in a good way. As much as people are grateful and tell me how much they appreciate not only myself but also my brother's sincere dedication to hip-hop through videos and photography and just general support of going to show after show, we are just as appreciative to those who allow us to take the pictures and the videos and to the artists and people who are building hip-hop to how it use to be. Without them we would not be around doing what we do and love. From the center of my heart, not the bottom because hip-hop is better than that...I want to thank everyone I know and everyone I have met through Hip-Hop and I sincerely mean everyone even if you're not an emcee or a fellow photographer, blogger, videography etc.. I want to thank you in advance for being who you are and being a part of hip-hop, because each and everyone one of you is part of the aspect of what I love about this culture.

The radio show is Tomorrow March 10th from 4-6 and our segment is around 4:20-ish (how appropriate). If you live in Harlem or the Bronx the radio station is 90.3 FM but anyone with a computer can catch it on www.WHRCradio.com


Thank you again for the support and if I forget to give you a shoutout on the radio please know I still hold you near and dear to my heart and that I'm a lil nervous lol


- NattyNiGhT

100 Proof of Hip-Hop At Statik Selektah Album Release!

 If you think New York and Boston are in a lifetime brawl over baseball then music is definitely the mediator. Boston Bred DJ and producer Statik Selektah celebrated the release of his album 100 Proof (The Hangover) last wednesday at SOB's in New York City. The lineup of emcees was truly incredible that you almost had to wonder if it was too good to be true for the price of entrance into SOB's. Google the name Statik Selektah and you will find a slew of Hip-Hop heavyweights linked with his name and work, not even having to rely on anyone's co-signs, statik's work speaks for itself. Jon Hope made the drive from Rhode Island just to rock the show. It was nice to officially meet him after seeing him perform a few months back at public assembly. He ended his set with one of my favorite tracks "Most Important Song Of My Life" from his debut album, Somekind of Wonderful. My only pet peeve was why did the DJ starting cutting up the ending to that soulful song? I turned to my homie Liz from EMAPhotography and Nobodybeatstheliz like nah you don't do that, not to that song! Donny Goines was next on deck to perform. We chatted for awhile before the show and i even managed to snatch his hat for a quick second...my habit of hat grabbing has adopted liz into the grab and snap a pic behavior and has evolved into a crusade that I like to call Hip-Hop Hat Snatchers...a video coming soon. In no way do we mean it out of disrespect nor would we do it to someone we don't know..our faces are too pretty to get punched. The beginning of the night I managed to get Donny Goines, it wasnt the first time I've taken his hat but I never had documentation...yup we take a quick picture and it is safely returned to you...we don't play for keeps. We made our way over to E Holla from the Brown Bag Allstars as well as DJ for Torae who was performing that night, Liz kept giving me the ok my camera is ready snatch the hat now look... it was only till later that night that i informed holla how close he was to becoming a hat snatch victim that night..yup I just could not go through with it. Holla is like family to me and as we stood there talking to him i kept feeling more and more guilty about snatching it, I just could not go through with it...at least not at that moment so he was pardoned for the night. We went on to snatch Packfm's hat who unsuspectingly did not know it was going to happen, but was a good sport about it. It was after the fact that he realized why I asked him if he would ever get mad at me for anything to which he replied "nah of course not...well maybe if you kicked me in my shin on purpose i'd be upset for a minute". He's always been such a nice guy that I truly felt guilty so it went down like this...."I'm really sorry Pack *snatch...picture snap...hat returned...and i'm sorry again". Emilio Rojas was my last victim of the night who was utterly clueless having arrived to the show towards the end of the night and not seeing the previous hat shenanigans that occurred.

Returning to the performances from that night, Donny Goines hit the stage with "No Apologies", the single off his upcoming album 20X. I really have a lot of respect and support for Donny not only as a friend but as an artist. He's known as a rapper that blogs love, but it is not something that has ever gone to his head, he appreciates the support and recognition but everything he does is really for his fans and works hard with his music. Donny Goines doesn't say he's giving 100%, he just does it and always commits to his word not wanting to disappoint anyone. I have seen him perform with his voice strained because he ran through his entire set during soundcheck because he wanted things to be perfect, I've seen him perform when his set was pushed back hours into the early morning running on little sleep and yet still delivering an energy filled performance, he will even perform sick and you would barely know it. With the zombie crowd at SOB's that night Goines Jumped into the crowd and starting performing his song to wake people up by interacting with them. This is my disappointment with Hip-Hop shows at times, people come to the show and it is almost like they don't want to be there which makes you wonder why are they even there? Throughout the night it was one amazing performance after another and even though SOB's was solidly filled with a lot of people you would'nt really know so unless you turned around to see who was back there. I have been to shows where legends were performing and people were golf-clapping, this is not a movie you are watching its a live show, enjoy the experience and live the moment. Just as Jeru The Damaja always says "when I say make some noise you make some muthaf**ken noise!".

The night got extra interesting when the stage was invaded by Minosaur who started going off about decepticons...transformers? I was a youngen in the early 90s so I was quite clueless about the rant this guy was going on. I had learned later on that decepticon was a gang in the late 80s in New York City consisting of kids from 15-22 year olds. After reading this old New York Times about decepticons I could somewhat understand what he was talking about on stage, "tuck in your chains and put away your pinky ring in respect because tonight is about real lyrics". Boogie Blind and Shucky Ducky attempted to get him off the stage after he went on talking and freestyling? for about 10 minutes. I had recorded footage of his stage ambush but am still in limbo whether to actually upload it. It was someone who had too much to drink,a lot on his mind and seemed pretty harmless especially when he saw shucky ducky come on stage to take the mic, his eyes lit up like a little kid... I say he seemed harmless but apparently later in the night downstairs he continued his rant and pulled out either 2 screwdrivers or ice picks as props or weapons? Not many people knows what happened or what was said that led to an altercation between the decepticon guy and Freddie Foxx a.k.a. Bumpy Knuckles...a nickname fitted for the night. There was video being shown after the show from someone who caught the fight downstairs, but the whole incident can be summed up as unfortunate and should not overshadow the performances from that evening.

Although I enjoy going to shows for specific artists I always appreciate the introduction of music and artists that I'm not familiar with or have only heard some of their work, but never seen them perform live. Such was the case with Truck North, Reks, Kali, consequence, and El Da Sensei who also brought out Tiye Phoenix, to name a few from that evening. Although it may be hard to reach out to an audience that primarily want to see the headliners, more people really need to be open minded and give all artists a chance despite where on the show lineup they are placed. Bahamadia came out and really held it down not for the women in hip-hop but for all artists in general. She brought out invincible onto the stage and together  they shattered any doubt people may have that female emcees don't exist aside from a select few. It was my first time catching Termanology perform and now I fully understand what people mean when they reference him, because his flow is smooth and definitely knows how to work a crowd. Joe Scudda came out and I couldn't help but remember mistaking him for my brother, Donovan Kasp at Santos Party House during CMJ week. In all fairness at the time my brother was rocking a thick reddish beard and Joe Scudda was at the bar, usually the first place I look when I try to find my brother.

Styles P. who just rocked Highline Ballroom two nights before for his album release "The Green Ghost Project" busted through the crowd and took the stage performing Come Thru, Shadows and Good Times as well as an acapella. As lackluster as the crowd was that night people really get hyped for Styles P. Statik Selektah went insane with the lineup and special guests, he truly did not hold back one bit. Lil Fame of M.O.P. came out and of course did Ante Up. I never got into Freeway's music, I'm not sure why it just kind of happened that way, but when he took the stage I was encouraged to try to make his upcoming show at Highline Ballroom later this month because I really liked what I saw that night. 

Sha Stimuli widely known for his mixtapes, especially in 2008 when he mapped out a plan to release one mixtape each month for a year, each with a different theme. A few months back he released his debut album "My Soul To Keep", which consists of a lot of gems, definitely an album to have for the collection. Duck Down was definitely in the building. Torae and Skyzoo who you could easily be mistaken as brothers since they always seem like partners in crime constantly on the same bill and supporting eachother at shows and in-store events, performed back to back that night. I really have to give props to Duck Down and their artists, they really put out quality music and never half ass anything. I can easily go to their showcases and any of their artist's shows and not grow tired of hearing the music and seeing the performances. The first time I saw Smif-N-Wessun was a year ago at one of the first Forever Fresh events that at the time was being held at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. My brother had said he never saw me smile as much as I did at a show before. I remembered being slightly disappointed because my camera battery had died so I wasn't able to get that many pictures and videos, but their performance was beyond amazing, because they have such great stage presence. Since then I have seen Smif-N-Wessun almost everytime they have performed in New York City, whether it was at the Brooklyn Hip-hop Festival, Brower Park over the summer, an encore forever fresh at southpaw, etc...They are an incredible duo and I recall one night outside of southpaw General Steele told my brother about being surprised and thankful that fans don't get tired of them to which my brother replied if they performed next week then he'd see them again next week. In truth I am actually thankful that these amazing artists are still performing and continuing to make music, because when you are younger you may not fully realize or appreciate the impact of music and experiencing the live music from some of your favorite songs and artists. 

How do you close out a truly amazing night of performances? After Smif-N-Wessun took the stage, Buckshot came out and immediately went into "How Many Mc's"as well as a Freestyle and wasn't allowed to leave the stage till he performed "Who Got Da Props". Simply amazing! Congratulations to Statik Selektah on a successful show and album. DJ Premier even came out which must be an incredible honor for Statik having someone you respect since you were young to give praise for your work.

*Check out the Snaps Below and Videos will be up soon!


-NattyNiGhT =)

Slideshow Set 1 of 3

Slideshow Set 2 of 3

Slideshow Set 3 of 3

"I'll Be" On That Intro!

I have definitely been off my blog game lately, even though I am rarely finding time to update that does not mean I have taken a back seat on the scene. I am still attending numerous shows and events each week, editing pictures and footage to upload onto my youtube channel and staying out till wee hours of the nights having crazy moments with friends. I still strive to get things done properly and only believe in putting my best foot forward, which means i'd rather take my time editing pictures properly than just throwing them up as quick as possible for people to see. In the meantime I'm going to throw a lil music into the mix. I previously mentioned the promo video of beatmaker/producer Jinesis from the boogie down bronx back in november for his upcoming album "I'll Be". Jinesis had called to thank me for the write up and at the same time convince me to come to the studio with him to record what I had written, apparently no thank you was not an option. Although I have come out of my turtle shell in the past few years, I will always be the quiet lil shy girl thats not looking for attention and recording in a studio and just having the sound of my voice heard over and over during the mixing process was truly intimidating. Despite my shaky nerves and hesitation we managed to pull it off and I must say it was a unique opportunity that I am thankful to be a part of and who knows maybe it wont be the last time you hear me on the mic. Despite his booty obsessed videos, Jinesis is consistent with delivering really great beats with "I'll Be" that I am sure many artists are going to try to rhyme over. The fella did good!


Download "I'll Be" Here
Twitter Contact Info --> Jinesis


NattyNiGhT

DJ Premier To Start Off The New Year!

I began the New Year with the unofficial music scene resolution of doing more with less. I spend most of the week at shows, parties, in-store signings and events until odd hours of the night, sometimes even running around to several different things all before the sun rises. I feel fortunate for the opportunity to be able to experience such memorable moments that I will always be able to reflect back on. However, constantly snapping pictures, taking videos and actually enjoying all these music related events with friends and family, there leaves little time for editing all the footage, posting it and writing about it. I wanted to start this year taking it easy and really making time to get things done, rather than footage just resting on my computer. I figured the solution would be to go to less shows and really begin to pick and choose that way I am not stuck going to everything and not really being able to get much done. I quickly learned resolutions were meant to be broken because some things just weren't meant to be as my calendar for the month of January alone is already completely filled. I am still picking and choosing but it is more of a process of substituting rather than eliminating events. That is the life of Hip-Hop I guess.

I heard about the Nike Launch party downtown on January 7th, for the sneakers release of DJ AM Dunk Hi and DJ Premier's Air Force 1's in which Premo would be DJing for 2 hours and all proceeds that evening would go to the DJ AM Memorial Fund. People go to see DJ Premier just to literally watch him spin, because I think he is one of the fundamental reasons why hip-hop exists especially on the east coast. He has worked with so many artists and is so influential that at most hip-hop shows you will hear at least one emcee say "this is a premo beat" and instantly its time to pay respect.

I was attending a show later that night at the Bowery Poetry Club, The Coffee Grind showcase featuring Rebelmatic, Sleepwalkas, Black Rebel Indians, Sinnagi, Guerrilla Mutual and Alive. I figured its one or the other and I was going to keep my word on attending the showcase. My homie Telisa D. then came calling about the Nike event and wanted me to go with her, my impossible resolution was instantly  broken as I am a pushover to change my mind. As I walked over to the Nike store on Mercer street I could hear hip-hop music blasting from a block away, I knew right away that I was glad I went down there. The Nike store was packed with people, drinking, eating, talking, taking pictures and just watching Premo on the 1s and 2s. If you expected good music then that is exactly what you had gotten and even Ed Lover was walking around with his signature "C'mon Son" shirt. It was the start to what I expect to be a great year in Hip-Hop! I guess I won't be holding back on being on the scene.

-NattyNiGhT

*Shoutout to the creative Lex Lewter who had fun with my camera and snapped some of the pics that night.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New York City is The City Life!

My Homie NSR blessed me with a surprise the other day... he showed me the unofficial video his friend Chris Diego shot throughout our humbling streets of New York City for my favorite track off of his debut Ep The Darling Limited, appropriately titled The City. It takes you on a journey through the upper west side neighborhood with shots of familiar places such as Zabar's, the 72nd st train station and probably the most well known Gray's Papaya across the street, Carmine's, Fairway, La Guardia High School and the random streets of New York City with the old school vibe of the late 70s-80s era. With only a few glimpses of the artist himself in his signature red sweater, the randomness of people encountered on the streets is part of what I love about this video from the little girl holding her mother's hand giggling to the toothless hobo dancing. Although it's an unofficial video and may have been made just for entertainment purposes, it is clear that the director really thought about each shot in accordance to the verses, which is not something that should go unnoticed. I am known for appreciating any kind of old school vibe that artists use with their music, video, personal style, etc and the video really complemented the track which would make anyone suddenly feel the urge to watch an episode of taxi or walk around the streets of our City to experience the cool vibe. Hopefully, I can do some kind of Marilu Henner knock off cameo driving a taxi cab if there's an Official video made.

Congrats to NSR for also unexpectedly releasing a new project when he collaborated with another emcee, Nickname to create the group Memory Laine. Catchy isnt it? I won't say too much about the project because an Ep review will be in the works shortly but in the meantime your ears can hear some fresh new music.

Download Memory Laine - The Spotlight Ep


As Always Enjoy The Music

NattyNiGhT =)


NSR - City Life [Unofficial] from Chris Diego on Vimeo.

East Coast Love For the West Coast Souls

The year 2009 is coming to a close and everyone is reflecting on memorable moments through out the year whether its personal or musically related memories. I feel fortunate and privileged to have attended an overwhelming number of shows and events this year, having encountered many artists, photographers, promotors, fans, etc and making some really great friends along the way. I have been able to discover firsthand how the stigma usually attached with Hip-Hop is far from the truth despite the media and any individuals implication that Hip-Hop music especially from the underground scene is the root of crime and all things negative within our society. For the most part the underground scene has been truly a bonding moment and displayed a lot of positivity in the New York City community, whether it was building a family amongst friends or showcases and events for fundraising. Some may say Hip-Hop is the heart of our city while it seems like it is more like the heart of our soul.

During CMJ week I had attended the Raekwon show at BB Kings, the same show where OJ Da Juiceman was booed after his performance. I personally did not care for his performance nor do I bother to listen to his music, but I do not take part in bashing or humiliating a performer when they are on stage. To add a lil more fuel to the fire, Miss Info called out the crowd on their reaction and tried to convince an audience who primarily went to BB Kings to see Raekwon and Styles P. and not OJ that they in fact know nothing about music as she tried to push her hip-hop preference onto others. It was quite an uncomfortable scene to say the least and turned out to be one of my least favorite CMJ shows that week for more than one reason. The OJ booing moment became the talk and gossip on social networks and blogs. I became even more annoyed when I had read on someone's blog review that New York Hip-hop fans are ignorant and only like music from their coast, which cannot be further from the truth. That false statement would linger in my mind throughout the next couple of months as I feel you can't blame east coast fans for not liking ignorant rap when so many emcees are working hard to show what hip-hop really represents.

The next night I headed out to my favorite brooklyn hip-hop spot, Southpaw for what became the redemption show from the night before. Souls of Mischief...*cough cough* from California were headlining what i feel was by far the best CMJ show that week. Southpaw was completely packed and was treated to opening performances from Jern Eye, Finale, Truthlive, Kam Moye aka Supastition, Oddisee, Tanya Morgan, Trinity (Sadat X, A.G. and DJ Jab) and hosted by Wyatt Cenac and Che Grand. As music fans, bloggers and photographers spent the week picking and choosing which cmj show to attend, this was undoubtably the one that was not to be missed. It was definitely the icing on the cake, cherry on top, have your cake and eat it too show amongst many of the other really great showcases occurring that week and even that night.

Souls of Mischief were celebrating their then upcoming LP of Montezuma's Revenge, which is now officially released. Audible Treats really deserves a high five, pat on the back, chest bump for putting together such a well organized showcase as each performer really complimented the sound and vibe for that night. It was my first time seeing Souls of Mischief perform as they usually make the journey once a year to the east coast. A-Plus, Phesto D, Opio and Tajai took the stage and performed as though they were unknowingly schooling other artists as to what hip-hop really is. There was no need for any gimmicks or flashiness or a 50 person entourage of people on stage just standing there. I respect their originality, setting themselves apart from other artists with their style and sound and reaching a point to where artists want to imitate them. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery and yet their will always only be one Souls of Mischief. Their ability to deliver a great show with old and new material and relying on their rhymes and instrumentals was what proved successful. It was also an emotional night as A-Plus paid respect several times throughout the evening to Roc Raida, whose tribute at BB Kings was being held at the same time.

Many people say they grew up on Souls of Mischief and wanted to replicate the sound and style of 93 'till Infinity and I won't pretend I was one of those people because as a youngen I was not an aspiring emcee nor was I engulfed or fully knowledgeable about hip-hop music 24/7 aside from what was being played on MTV or the Music Box or what my older siblings were playing in the house or talking about. Although it may seem as though I missed out on really experiencing the hip-hop culture fully growing up, I am thankful and privileged for the opportunity to be able to truly appreciate it now that I am older and recognize its significance in our society. I don't go to shows for the sake of saying I saw this artist perform or for bragging rights, but rather I go for the whole experience and I believe everyone who was at southpaw that night was there for the same reason or at least I would hope so.

Having attended hundreds of shows and events this year, sometimes even 4 in one night, I can honestly say that the Souls of Mischief show is definitely in my top 10 and probably even top 5 music experiences this year. I look forward to them returning to the east coast for another performance and perhaps even a trip to California to see them on their stomping ground will be marked on my calendar for next year. It's not about where you're born or what coast you're from or grew up or live in, Music is Music! The ignorant statement to say New Yorkers only like music only from artists that haul from our state or coast line is in fact ignorant itself. As Opio said that night "Its about Love, Peace and Unity"

Thank you Hip-Hop for an amazing Year. Best Wishes and Blessings for 2010 to everyone.

Much love and Respect and Happy Joyous Holidays

- NattyNiGhT =)

more photos below...enjoy!

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If Your Life Is a Lil Stress Then Welcome Back Some Organized Konfusion and Some Months of Monch Madness

Underground Hip-Hop can be found throughout the world, however, New York City is the birth place to its existence. This city is known for breeding so many legends and respected artists that have contributed to the existence of hip-hop. Any individual who are going to refer themselves as an emcee, rapper or hiphop artist of any kind then they really have to take pride in using that label to define who they are and bring quality to the table because the bar has already been set high by those who have come through and left their mark on the hip-hop culture. In 1991, the lyrical duo hailing from queens, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry debuted their Self-titled album Organized Konfusion and immediately took over the Underground scene with full force. They left no stone unturned as their album was inspired with various elements in their life, with comical tracks such as “Who Stole My Last Piece Of Chicken?”, Political with “Prisoners of War”  and religious with “Open Your Eyes”. It was evident that Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry’s debut was the product of a lot of hard work, having produced the entire album themselves and creativity as they set out to represent and conquer Hip-Hop in the heavily underground world. They set themselves apart from any other two guys from down the block who want and think they can rap, as they unleashed intelligent metaphorical lyrics that required listeners to fully engage themselves in the significant lyrical content to understand the real meaning of what they are saying.

      Organized Konfusion went on to produce two more albums, Stress: The Extinction Agenda and The Equinox, before parting ways to venture on solo projects. In late March it was announced that after over 10 years from the release of their last album, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry would reunite and grace the stage together at the All Points West Festival in New Jersey. The theme song to Welcome Back Kotter played in my head when I heard they were having a second reunion show in their stomping ground of New York City at BB Kings in Times Square. It was an opportunity to see some of the leaders of the pack in underground hip-hop take the stage one more time, even if it means for only one night. The question of a reunion has always been evaded with uncertainty, which made the performance even more memorable and unfortunate to anyone who had not come to the show.

          
           B.B.Kings was packed and with good reason, as this was an opportunity to take a step back into the 90s when Hip-Hop was completely different to what is being played today on the radio. This is not to say there isn’t good hip-hop music out there, because it does exist! However, it is necessary to broaden your resources to find it rather than simply relying on what the radio is playing or what music channels are suggesting is what you should keep in your daily music rotation. The Poor Righteous Teachers opened up the show, which was a fitting choice as they hailed from that era as well. PRT’s performance of such tracks as “Rock Dis Funky Joint” and “Shakiyla”, was a nice balance to what the audience were in store for once the headliners were to take over the stage. DJ JS-1 came out and paid a quick tribute to Stezo, who was then brought on stage to receive the proper recognition from the crowd that he deserved. JS-1 got up and pulled one of his signature moves of scratching with his foot and hands to the “It’s My Turn” track, while the crowd went picture crazy to capture his skills, even Stezo with a huge smile on his face took out his camera to take some pictures. As his set continued, JS-1 held up a photograph of the late great Grandmaster Roc Raida from The X-Ecutioners. His passing came much too quickly but his legacy will live on forever. It is said that some people wear their heart on their sleeve, but Boogie Blind came out clearly wearing his heart on his chest. Although he came out to DJ for Organized Konfusion, there were moments that were clearly difficult for Boogie Blind to be on stage while still understandably grieving for his friend.

      

           DJ JS-1 jumped into the crowd right beside me to watch the show as Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry took the stage for an epic performance. It became clear that those who truly support underground hip-hop music was in attendance that night as Monch and Prince Po performed their underground cult hits which included, “Somehow, Someway,” “Releasing Hypnotically Gases,” “Stray Bullet,” “Stress,” “Walk Into The Sun,” “Bring It On,” “Thirteen” and many more as it became clear that the crowd and the performers appeared far from becoming restless for the night to come to an end. It is really an indescrible feeling looking onto the stage and watching this performance happening live before my eyes and turning to the side and watching the crowd going crazy.  At times people may not realize that Hip-Hop shows mean much more than just hearing the music live, because the one thing you should expect is the unexpected. Longtime friend O.C. Joined Monch and Prince Po on stage mid-thru their “Fudge Pudge” performance to spit his verses, which became only the beginning of the “ohhhhhh” surprise moments to top off an epic reunion show. Rahzel came out for a little beatboxing, Chip-Fu took a moment to spit an acapella, Pharoahe Monch started a few verses of Simon Says in which then Prince Po proceeded to freestyle over it. If u lost ur way then the night showed that underground music has always been on the map and is here to stay and fitting enough the evening ended with a performance of the track “Then and Now”.

      Monch madness continued with the 10^th anniversary release of Internal Affairs. On October 17^th, friends and fans made the trip out to Greenpoint, Brooklyn for the show at Sputnik. Although it’s a smaller venue than BB Kings, nonetheless, it was packed to capacity.  Boogie Blind and Dj Evil Dee were on the 1s and 2s, while Monch was joined on stage with soulful singers, Mela Machinko and Showtyme. The vibe of the night was different as the room was filled with dedicated fans that made the trip on the always-unreliable “G” train on a Saturday at that. The night concluded with a memorable performance of “Simon Says”, when I received a warning from Pharoahe as he leaned down to me and said “If you’re a small Caucasian woman and you don’t wanna get your camera camera broke we’re gonna ask you to move back” I stayed put and owe my life apparently to Mr Mecca who was standing behind me and managed to protect me for the most part. I survived the night and may always be remembered as the one white girl who was front row rather than on the sidelines.

      A week and a half later I had gone to a special show at Le Poisson Rouge. Pharoahe was performing once again but this time with the cypher band. Hip-hop fans generally prefer a DJ rather than a live band and in most cases its either a hit or miss collaboration. Thus far this year I have seen the cypher band share the stage with Tanya Morgan and Black Moon and deliver successful performances. Soul Understated featuring Mavis Swan, The Crowd and Nyle opened up the show with solid performances that complemented the sound for the evening. Pharoahe Monch and The Cypher band that consists of the talented drumming skills of my friend Daru Jones took the stage with Mela Machinko and Showtyme with Boogie Blind on the turntables and delivered the best Hip-hop performance with a live band that I have seen thus far. When asked why I would go see Monch perform again in such a short time span from his last show, it is because you will never experience the same performance twice because he always manages to pull off something different and entertaining. He had not only performed a different set list than the last two previous shows mentioned but he also delivered a completely different sound. Pharoahe performed as though he was the offspring of legends, as he delivered the sound with the soul of James Brown, the funk of George Clinton and the Rock nature of Jimi Hendrix. He definitely still is a force to be reckoned with especially with his upcoming album W.A.R. (We Are Renegade) due for an early 2010 release.

Pharoahe Monch, Mela Machinko and Showtyme!

Liz from EMA Photography, Me, Pharoahe Monch and DirtySoufYankee!

Organized Konfusion and O.C. - Fudge Pudge @ BB Kings, NYC

Simon Says @ Sputnik with a Lil Warning for to the White Girl in the Front!

Pharoahe Monch and The Cypher Band Performing Body Baby @ Le Poisson Rouge!

More Videos can be found on my youtube channel NattyNiGhT

Additional Photos can be found on the top right side of this page as well as down below. Enjoy!
~ NattyNiGhT =)

Organized Konfusion @ BB Kings, New York City

Internal Affairs 10th Anniversary Show @ Sputnik, Brooklyn, NYC

Pharoahe Monch and The Cypher Band @ Le Poisson Rouge, NYC