There is nothing typical about Jorge Pabon. He may be a hip-hop D.J. and dancer from the mean streets of Spanish Harlem, but he keeps the lyrics clean and women dancers at arm’s length. As a teenager he emerged on the scene as PopMaster Fabel. But today he prefers to be called Shukriy, “the thankful one” — the name he took 20 years ago when he converted to Islam.
Now he is part of an “Islam and Hip-Hop” movement in the United States that is reaching out to Muslim young people via the hip-hop beat. (more…)
Big ups to the fellas at Backwoodz Studios for sending this over. Ever since the Super Chron Flight Brothers dropped their ’07 banger “Emergency Powers: The World Tour,” I’ve been anxiously awaiting another project from the group. Finally, the duo released another album last week … and they’re giving it away for FREE! ”Indonesia” is definitely worth the free download, so click below to pick up your copy:
San Bernadino, CA – Tech N9ne understands fans attending the independent hip-hop Paid Dues Festival might not be used to a performer like him with an eclectic mix of hip-hop, rock and energy headlining the bill. “I’m the one ridiculed like `oh he paints his face.’ I don’t think people take to that,” Tech N9ne said in a recent interview. “But I do my thing. My world is getting bigger.”
Besides Tech N9ne, Atmosphere, Living Legends, B-Real from Cypress Hill, Brother Ali, Blu & Exile, Slaughterhouse and other groups will perform Saturday. (more…)
Big ups to BeatRoot for sending this over. “Orangutan Slang” is an EP that Serge Severe put together while he was recording his dope 2008 album “Concrete Techniques.” If you liked the album, you’ll definitely want to download it. If you haven’t heard the album, check this out and maybe you’ll want to pick it up. Click below to download the EP for FREE:
Written by Gary Lapon, Northampton, MA – A few weeks ago, I saw DAM perform at Hampshire College, where they expressed solidarity with Hampshire Students for Justice in Palestine for pushing their college to divest from the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.
The show was amazing, as DAM brought an energy and achieved a synthesis between MC and audience that gave weight to their statement: “Hip Hop is not dead. It is alive in Palestine.” (more…)
Jacksonville, FL – Rona Brinlee, owner of The Bookmark in Atlantic Beach, was featured in a New York Times story last fall about Nikki Giovanni’s new book, “Hip Hop Speaks to Children.” Brinlee was quoted as saying how popular the book had been at her independent book store. And now Giovanni is coming to the store Saturday to read from it, as well as from a new book of adults poems. She’ll be at The Bookmark, 299 Atlantic Blvd., at 6 p.m. (more…)
San Francisco, CA – Rapper/activist Paris’ Guerrilla Funk Touring and Promotions, LLC officially launches this year’s biggest hip-hop concert series, the Hard Truth Soldiers Tour 2009, on May 1st in Eureka, CA.
Boasting an impressive 45-city schedule, the tour is not only noteworthy for its scope, but for its lineup of today’s most focused and socially aware hardcore hip-hop talent – talent which includes Paris, dead prez, Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, Kam, Pete Rock, Planet Asia, T-K.A.S.H., The Conscious Daughters, Uno the Prophet, Jasiri X, NYOil, Sellassie and guest performers in select cities. (more…)
This is a new video for Use Your Confusion, the title track and one of my favorite songs from the Juggaknots super-dope 2006 album, “Use Your Confusion.”
