Recently in Artists Category

The Czech Republic-based hip-hop webmagazine Cream.cz recently posted an interview with Buff1.

READ: BUFF1: I am the Buff1 of Detroit, the Buff1 of the world!

LINK: BUFF1 MYSPACE

Here is video footage of Danny Brown freestylin' at Fat Beats LA. Courtesy of Sweeney Kovar.

Courtesy of Sweeney Kovar.

Directed by Jay Edgar.

LINK: NAMETAG BLOG

(source: press release) - After innovating the new genre of "docu-music video" with the acclaimed Locusts film, Invincible applies the same treatment to her award-winning song, "People Not Places."

The People Not Places docu-music video will premier on the closing night of the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival, Saturday, March 14, 8PM, screening alongside Slingshot Hip Hop.

Featuring Abeer, Suhell Nafar (DAM), and Shadia Mansour, People Not Places takes the listener on a "birthright" tour of Israel where the buried Palestinian significance of each location comes to light. Along the route the video exposes the process of historic and continued colonization as being even deeper than land seizure and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, but one that is invested in erasing the indigenous language, culture, and memory. Intertwined between verses are interviews from various perspectives exposing the the myth of a "Jewish birthright" to a land to which Palestinians are denied the Right of Return. These insightful voices break down the importance of Palestinian Right of Return, how it can be actualized, and how it connects to the resistance of displaced communities from Iraq to New Orleans.

INVINCIBLE TOUR DATES:
Mar 5, 2009 - Judson Memorial Church - NYC, New York
w/ Climbing PoeTree, Ganessa James, JODA!, and more.

Mar 6, 2009 - OneTaste - San Francisco, California
w/ DJ Emancipacion, Mahaliya Ayla O, Lubna Morrar, Maria Poblet

Mar 7, 2009 - Trocadero’s - Minneapolis, Minnesota
w/ ?uestlove feat. Black Thought, King Britt, Ursula Rucker

Mar 10, 2009 - Activism Right There (ART) Festival - Berkeley, California
w/ Zion I, K-Salaam, Bambu, and more

Mar 14, 2009 - SXSW Film Festival - Hideout - Austin, Texas
Locusts docu-music video feat. Invincible & Finale

Mar 14, 2009 - Ann Arbor Palestine Film Fest - Ann Arbor, Michigan
People Not Places docu-music video feat. Invincible, Abeer, Suhell Nafar, & Shadia Mansour. Screening alongside Slingshot Hip Hop.

Mar 19, 2009 - SXSW Film Festival - Paramount - Austin, Texas
Locusts docu-music video feat. Invincible & Finale

Mar 20, 2009 - SXSW Music Festival - Austin Convention Center - Austin, Texas
"Hip Hop In The Age Of Obama" panel discussion

Mar 21, 2009 - SXSW Music Festival - Back Alley Social - Austin, Texas
w/ Mr. Lif, Pigeon John, Buff1, Truth Universal, & more

Mar 28, 2009 - Muhlenberg College - Allentown, Pennsylvania
w/ ANOMOLIES

Apr 4, 2009 - Elements Gallery - Detroit, Michigan
w/ Finale - A Pipe Dream and a Promise release party

Apr 11, 2009 - Ohio University - Athens, Ohio w/ Finale

Apr 16, 2009 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
w/ Leo Tardin and Mr. Lif

Jul 9, 2009 - Hultsfred Festival - Hultsfred, Sweden

July 16-19, 2009 - Allied Media Conference - Detroit, Michigan

Aug 1, 2009 - Hip Hop Congress National Convention - Seattle, Washington

Aug 10, 2009 - Under The Volcano Festival of Art & Social Change - Vancouver, Canada

LINK: EMERGENCE MUSIC

Detroit hip-hop filmmaker Nic Notion just supplied us with a sneak peak into The Danny Brown Movie, a musical documentary about a unique hip hop artist from Detroit.

Out in my home away from home, Toronto, clothing company 88Back just released a new t-shirt commemorating J. Dilla, and it can be purchase at Livestock Toronto on 116 Spadina Ave. Below is more information regarding the tee.

88BACK COMMEMORATIVE DILLA TEE:
From the city of Motown to creating a new age sound, the legend of J Dilla
is honored. This commemorative edition tee-shirt is in memory of one of
hip hop’s greatest contributors - James Dewitt Yancey. His legacy has been
set in stone through his passion, work ethic and revolution in Changing
Beats as we know it. With a sound so uniquely distinctive that appeals
directly to one’s emotions, one can only attribute those sounds that
resonate, as that of Dilla.

With the world in peril and in desperate need of change, the people
elected a new man to lead their country to help change the world. Just
like in hiphop, where disposable music, comprised of meaningless lyrics
and unoriginal beats, Dilla, the man from Detroit brought that same needed
change. The man’s ability to capture the essence of hip hop’s roots and
merging it with the relevance of the day will forever remain of his sure
genius. Mating original sounds and producing numerous timeless tracks that
keep hip hop being hip hop, we honor Jay Dee.

With the purchase of this commemorative tee-shirt you are helping support
Ma Dukes who has been diagnosed with Lupus, the condition which J Dilla
himself had suffered from. All proceeds will be donated to the Ma Dukes
Foundation. We at 88Back thank you for your support in honoring Dilla.
Forever a prolific icon to the music we love, with his sound echoed within
us, J Dilla is one for the ages and never to be forgotten.

In memory of James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006)

PURCHASE INFO:
Available at Livestock Toronto - 116 Spadina Ave

Men's
Color - Asphalt/white
Size - S,M,L,XL,XXL

Women's
Color - White
Size - S, M, L

Price = 40$ CAN

LINK: 88BACK OFFICIAL SITE

Here's footage from DJ Dez's birthday bash at Alvin's in Detroit from January 7th, 2008 of Phat Kat performing "Nasty Ain't It" with the Gorilla Funk Mob.

The Beat Junkies' DJ Rhettmatic, who also was J. Dilla's DJ on his last tours, released the WhatUpDoe '09 (The J Dilla MiniMegaMix) recently in honor of Dilla Month. You can download it for free.

DOWNLOAD: DJ Rhettmatic - "WhatUpDoe '09 (The J Dilla MiniMegaMix)"

On Stones Throw's site, they have audio for free download from the first Jaylib show at the Hnery Fonda Theater on April 4th, 2004. Download, read about it, and see pictures at the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Jaylib Live Aparil 2004

On February 12th, NPR interviewed Eothen "Egon" Alapatt, Stones Throw's general manager, about the life and legacy of J. Dilla.

LISEN: NPR - Honoring J Dilla's Music and His Legacy

(Source: Press Release) - Luminary drummer and hip-hop producer Karriem Riggins will be in good company, performing with Herbie Hancock, Elton John, and Diana Krall on Sundance’s new series Spectacle: Elvis Costello With…. Riggins was called upon to play drums on two of the season’s episodes, first with Herbie Hancock (airing February 4th 9:00 PM EST), and second with Diana Krall, with whom he tours, on an episode also featuring Elton John (airing February 18th 9:00 PM EST).

A virtuoso, Riggins has taken love and molded it into life through his talents and passion. He moved from Detroit to New York City at 19 where he played with, and was mentored by jazz great Betty Carter.

From there his career-to-date has been spent playing with legends of Jazz and the most influential voices of Hip-Hop. From recording with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown to touring with Kanye West, Common, and more, he has spread across the gamut between genres. He has produced songs for Erykah Badu, The Roots, and Talib Kweli and played drums behind Bobby Hutchinson, Donald Byrd, and now Herbie Hancock.

Riggins currently lives in Los Angeles, and is working on his first self-titled album, showcasing his unique range as a producer, drummer, and emcee. His collaboration with Los Angeles native multi-instrumentalist Madlib entitled The Supreme Team is slated for a 2009 release on Stones Throw Records.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… showcases performances by legendary music acts of the past 40 years, as well as discourse on topics between music and life; from one-on-one interviews to themed panel discussions. Spectacle, about halfway through it’s first season, has thus-far featured President Bill Clinton, Tony Bennett, The Police, and Norah Jones among other sonic dignitaries.

LINK: KARRIEM RIGGINS OFFICIAL SITE

Classic Drug References just posted an interview with one of Detroit's top shit-talkers, international badass, and manager of the likes of Black Milk, Elzhi, and Guilty Simpson - none other than my big brother Hex Murda. If you know Hex, you already know this has to be pure comedy and it is.

READ: Classic Drug References Interview With Hex Murda

L.A. Weekly ran an article highlighting the troubles with the J. Dilla estate and the battle on copyright infringement of Dilla's material.

READ: WHO'S BITING J DILLA'S BEATS?: Hip-hop producer's legend ascends posthumously; estate struggles to maintain control BY JEFF WEISS

Red Bull Music Academy Radio has posted audio from the Dilla Day event last February with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Mrs. Yancey.

LINK: RBMA Fireside Chat - Dilla Day Special

The Smoking Section over at Rawkus.com just posted an article were Skillz reconstructs the making of his classic 1996 album From Where??? including stories of working with J. Dilla.

LINK: Reconstructing From Where??? With Skillz

By now, most of you are aware that material from the shelved MCA Records album from J. Dilla has leaked on the Internet. Personally, I’m extremely angry and disappointed by the leak, and more disappointed by the actions of people and other web sites with their perpetuation of this unfortunate act. Everyone is so blinded by the hype, that no one sees the reality of the situation. It isn’t time for this material to be out here like this. This is it. This is the final chapter in the story of James Yancey. After this material is released, there is nothing else. These are the final pieces of music fully overseen by J. Dilla. Anything else – beats people purchase from now on and I believe there is a whole album or so worth of material that was suppose to drop on Operation Unknown – will have to be finished, mix, and touched by someone else. The MCA material is it, period!

The leaking of this album is not like any other album. Its not like there is a ton of material for this project recorded. There are probably additional tracks recorded that haven’t leaked yet, but the ones that did constitute a great deal of it. If 50 Cent or Snoop Dogg material leaks, they have avenues to combat it. The Dilla/MCA situation is completely different. This is unreleased material from a specific period in J. Dilla’s career, and the release of it takes time to get through on the legal and ownership issues. There is no going back in the studio. There is not remixing these tracks. There is nothing. Once this material leaked, the damage was done.

I’m greatly disappointed in the lack of responsibility of web sites and DJs regarding this situation. If a DJ plays or web sites leaks material of an up and coming artist that is creating a huge buzz, that does nothing but help the artist build that buzz. This is a totally different situation folks! We don’t need to build anticipation or buzz for J. Dilla. The linking of these joints on your sites or playing on your show is only self-serving, trying to earn your J. Dilla brownie points. I couldn’t get away with ANY of the things all these sites and blogs have been getting away with and the site I’m most disappointed with is Okayplayer. They should know better but they have openly linked in their daily new updates to other blogs that have CD quality tracks to download. You would think people that are fans of J. Dilla would understand the situation, but I guess they don’t. Not just them but everyone. Do we have to lay out all the facts again? Do we have to lay out the medical bills figures again? What do we have to do, really?

I have faith that when this material is properly released that most of your will purchase it, but that is not the only point. Its just not time for this material to be out here like this. This is the final chapter and it was all suppose to come when the time was right. Whoever the person who leaked this material, are you a Dilla fan at all? Would you like to look Mr. and Mrs Yancey in the face and tell them what you did? They would probably be disappointed in you and even more, KILL YOU WITH KINDNESS.

Isn’t it ironic that this material has been labeled Pay Jay? In no way are you paying James Yancey anything. You are not paying him any money. You are not paying him homage. You are not paying him respect.

Now I don't really have much time to just go on and on about anyone in Detroit, but I wish I could. For the most part, my audience knows about many of the people I cover, but I should worry more about the new eyes glancing on the page and educate more about the best of the best in Detroit. With that, I introduce Danny Brown. As an emcee/producer from Detroit, he is the type of artist that could easily relate to the underground crowd while touching the hood/commercial listeners. Danny Brown is so dope recently he had House Shoes ending every sentence he spoke with "Danny Brown is the shit". A few years back, Brown scored a Detroit radio hit with the song "Yes" with his group Rese'vor Dogs (Danny Brown, Mike Green aka Mike Luke, Chips). Brown would also spend some time out in New York recording in all the legendary studio with Roc-A-Fella, but that unfortunately didn't pan out. Recently, Danny Brown dropped three mixtapes titled Detroit State Of Mind (download them below) filled with original material and productions. Right now, Danny Brown is working with G-Unit producer Nick Speed on his solo album Hot Soup along with a collaborative album with 87 called Profit Jones. Below are download of a few tracks and the Detroit State Of Mind mixtapes. Please leave some comments in the feedback area (it's fixed now)

DOWNLOADS:
- Danny Brown Detroit State Of Mind (zip file)
- Danny Brown Detroit State Of Mind Vol. 2 (zip file)
- Danny Brown Detroit State Of Mind Vol. 3 (zip file)
- Rese-vor Dogs "Yes" (mp3)
- Danny Brown "Gun In Ya Mouth" (featuring Chips & Marvwon) - [MySpace link]

VIDEO: Danny Brown performing "Gun In Ya Mouth" with Chips and Marvwon

LINK: Guilty Simpson @ Midigi.com

Guilty Simpson Performance Part 1:

Guilty Simpson Performance Part 2:

Royce Da 5'9" Performance:

Today, February 7th, is the birthday of the late great J. Dilla. Let's remember all the great music this man has created while existing on this Earth. He changed the game and brought inspiration to a whole city (Detroit) and to the whole world of music. It's a time of celebration as the works of James Yancey live on through all of us that truly appreciate his craft and all the wonderful pieces of music he created. Our thoughts go out to the whole Yancey family during the celebration of Dilla's life and let's continue to carry on his legacy.

Ann Arbor's Buff1 just posted a few new exclusive tracks on his MySpace page for the new year.

LINK: OFFICIAL BUFF1 MYSPACE

Real Detroit Weekly named Black Milk 2007's Artist Of The Year in their current issue. Read the cover story online.

LINK: Black Milk - Real Detroit Weekly Artist Of The Year

Ghostly International founder Sam Valenti IV recently posted a update on his MySpace blog on the ongoing memory of his dear friend Dave Shayman aka Disco D. The blog entry in its entirety is below.

SV4 MYSPACE BLOG

Disco D - new flickr page, more.

An update on the latest in Dave's ongoing memory.

-The Neutral Zone unveiled their excellent live performance space, the B-Side and revamped recording studio last month, much of which was acquired from your donations and goodwill. The night featured a variety of live performances from One.Be.Lo, Great Lakes Myth Society, Fred Thomas, James T. Cotton, etc. and a touching speech by Dave's father.

You can keep up with the live performance schedule at the B-Side here:
LINK: www.myspace.com/thebsidevenue

The studio space is shown here:
LINK: youthownedrecords.com/studio

-You can see a couple pics of the B-Side event and the mural painted in Dave's honor at this Flickr page. I set up this group for anyone to share any pictures/flyers/etc that reminds you of Dave or to just stop by and have a look. It makes me sad, but also helps to stay connected to Dave by remembering good memories with him. If any photos are mis-credited or you would like removed, please let me know.

LINK: SV4's Disco D photo set on Flickr

-There have been a slew of high profile articles that have come out recently in Penthouse, Spin and the Village Voice, some have failed to fully represent Dave's spirit, but the fact of their existence is evidence of the amount of lives that Dave has touched.

-Also here are two great DJ mixes of Dave's here to download if you haven't already:
DOWNLOAD: Disco D - Bootybar Lueven (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Disco D - Live @ Nouveau Casino, Paris (mp3)

More to come in the new year. Feel free to email me any updates you may have about Dave or thoughts/pics/etc.

Have a good holiday and let's keep what Dave taught us close to heart, you are never too busy for your loved ones.

-----------------------------------

Disco's Equation - read it again

(PosEn-NegEn)(NT)^i=R

"positive energy
is your positivity
honesty, love, friendship, etc
neg en
is your negative emotions
hate, fear, jealousy, envy
N is network
virtual, personal, spiritual
T is time
i is ideas and indivituality
R is results
the only thing you cant make more of is time."

Hezekiah just posted a video from Black Milk's recent performance out in Philly. Enjoy.

House Shoes On Chocolate City

House Shoes will be back in Detroit for Thanksgiving, spinning at Northern Lights Lounge on Wednesday, November 21st, and at Oslo on Friday, November 23rd.