“It’s funky, it’s hip-hop, it’s disco and it’s classic.” This is De La Soul’s Plug 1 & Plug 2 present ‘First Serve’; a dynamic hip-hop group, an album, a concept, the soundtrack to a movie that has yet to be made and a fable for our times.
‘First Serve’ is many things, but at its heart it is the story of two young boys from Queens, New York with big dreams and larger rhymes. Two friends, Deen Whitter (aka Plug 2 / Dave) and Jacob ‘Pop Life’ Barrow (aka Plug 1/ Pos), friends from seventh grade, are by their own admission, “different, but the differences seem to complement everything we do.” Their name ‘First Serve’ comes from their motto, “First come, First Serve, get what you deserve.” Years on the hustle, laying down demos and mixtapes in Deen’s mother’s basement sees them eventually taken under the wing of a flamboyant reformed coke dealer Ken Du, who took the position as their manager, and shopped their blend of hip-hop around.
The first instalment of this story is the jocular single ‘Must B The Music’, released on 26th March 2012 via PIAS Recordings. An upbeat, fresh track that finds the balance of a modern sound, with an old school feel that nods to the Hip-Hop flair of the late 70’s through the mid 90’s and beyond. Adding to the single are remixes from Zed Bias, Yuksek and Mr Chop amongst others, broadening the wide musicality of this exciting album project.
This album was made with the acclaimed French production team 2 & 4 (aka Chokolate & Khalid) who themselves first met through their love of turntablism. The album concept starts with their story: to fulfil their shared dream of recording a live hip-hop record. To do this they roped in the legendary De La Soul boys who created their alter egos Deen and Jacob for their part in this alternate reality. The four of them set about putting their hip-hop fable together in Paris, putting the producers’ live beats and electro flavours to the duo’s rhymes. The end result is a high-spirited, hilarious journey of hip-hop, skits and beats, where all the action takes place in a hyper-colour, animated world.
From the ‘Opening Credits’ through to tracks like the funky euphoric ‘We Made It’, the story follows our heroes’ original success, through the darkly-hung, break-up ode of ‘Clash Symphony’ to their eventual, tender reunion on the irresistible ‘Tennis’ and the call-and-response show finale, ‘Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out’ – Deen and Jacob find themselves “bound together with a handshake, not a contract.” and we can all take something from the message that threads the tale of ‘First Serve’ together.
De La Soul’s Plug 1 and Plug 2 present ‘First Serve’ drops April 2nd via PIAS Recordings.
Category Archives: Hip Hop
Planet Asia Returns with Black Belt Theatre
Planet Asia helped jump-start the West Coast independent hip-hop movement, releasing a slew of popular 12-inch singles on upstarts like Stones Throw and ABB Records in the late 90s that established him as one of the leaders of a crop of talent that included the likes of Dilated Peoples, Madlib, Murs, and Jurassic 5. Now a 15-year veteran, the Cali-based MC (born in Fresno, he’s spent most of his career living in Los Angeles and San Francisco) shows no signs of slowing down. The first decade of the new millennium saw Asia briefly sign with major label Interscope, go independent again for his debut album The Grand Opening, release full-length collaborative projects with both Evidence of Dilated Peoples (The Medicine) and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill (Pain Language), form his own label (Gold Chain Music), and work with everyone from Linkin Park to Bun B to Ghostface Killah. Now, Planet Asia is back with his first retail album in four years, the star-studded Black Belt Theatre, which hits stores everywhere via Daddy Real/Wandering Worx/Greenstreets on February 28th, 2012.
Named after a 1980s Saturday-afternoon TV show and inspired by Planet Asia‘s favorite films, Black Belt Theatre combines the violent precision of classic kung-fu flicks with the calculated cool of classic blaxploitation movies. “I wanted to make the album like a movie, something you would see in a theater,” says Asia. “That’s why it has so many features. All the guests feel like different characters in the movie.” These guests include veterans like Raekwon, Talib Kweli, Paul Wall, Ras Kass, Camp Lo, and Strong Arm Steady, as well as newcomers like Fashawn, Willie The Kid, Torae, and Nio Tha Gift. “They’re basically just all people I thought were dope,” says Asia. “Both young cats I’m feeling and veterans I’ve always admired.” Unlike on his albums with Evidence and DJ Muggs, Asia also got to determine the sonic direction on Black Belt Theatre, resulting in a soul-heavy, blaxploitation-influenced sound. “It was fun because I got to reach out to guys like Oh No and Khrysis for beats, find the best tracks and put together a masterpiece,” explains Asia. “It’s some esoteric gangster shit…a full plate for the listener.”
MC Pavy Explores Middle Class Ignorance
Progressive, ambitious and vigorous are just some of the words used to describe MC and self-proclaimed prophet, Pavy (Progressive Ambitious Vigorous Youngin’). Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Pavy began writing and rhyming at 14 and has grown into what will be known as “The Prophet”.
His passion and love for music isn’t hard to grasp when listening to his songs. What started out as a hobby for this young man became the one thing that others define as his “calling”. Two years ago he linked up with local label Straight Up Hustlin’ Entertainment to release his first project Jackin’ For Beats Vol.1. that spawned over 6,000 internet downloads. His main goal is to make music for the kindred souls who are orient of realness.
His latest album, Middle Class Ignorance, features appearances from Capital K, Vic Spencer, The Boy Illinois, D2G, JDP, Ashley Laschelle and Ca$hflow Ellis. “This project was crafted over a period of two years,” explains Pavy. “I was 18 when I started and when I finished I was what I am now, 20. So the idea of Middle Class Ignorance has changed as my mind frame has also changed. I feel ignorance – or the sense of obliviousness – is very important in life, because if I logically looked at the odds I would never attempt to succeed in music. I feel like this is the beginning of life for me and hopefully you guys like the music enough to tag along for the ride.”
For more information on Pavy, check out www.pavyworld.com and to listen to Middle Class Ignorance, visit http://pavy.bandcamp.com/
De La Soul’s Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present ‘First Serve’ Album
The last we heard of First Serve it was 3AM in a Parisian suburb at an out of control house party with ‘The Goon Time Mixtape’ blasting into the night. That was just a taste of things to come from De La Soul’s Plug 1 & Plug 2 present ‘First Serve’; a dynamic hip-hop group, an album, a concept, the soundtrack to a movie that has yet to be made and a fable for our times.
‘First Serve’ is many things, but at its heart it is the story of two young boys from Queens, New York with big dreams and larger rhymes. Two friends, Deen Whitter (aka Plug 2 / Dave) and Jacob ‘Pop Life’ Barrow (aka Plug 1/ Pos), friends from seventh grade, are by their own admission, “different, but the differences seem to complement everything we do.” Their name ‘First Serve’ comes from their motto, “First come, First Serve, get what you deserve.”
We get a glimpse into their world in the form of the ‘Mrs. Whitter’ skit where we see the duo during the early days in Deen’s mother’s basement, the location of years of laying down demos and mixtapes on the hustle in the hip-hop game. With Deen’s mother Eleanor giving them endless flack, the duo don’t get much peace and quiet to sip on a 40oz beer and smoke a joint in their hyper-colour, animated world.
Due to hit the streets in April 2012, the ‘First Serve’ album tells the story of two dreamers in a basement struggling to start their musical career, the battles they face, through to the point that they eventually release their debut single, ‘make it big’ and their hard work and persistence finally pays off. As we know that is rarely where the story ends and the story of ‘First Serve’ is no different. Taking place in an animated world that could have been imagined by Hawley Pratt on Magic Mushrooms, the high spirited and often hilarious journey is pure old school hip-hop; skits, disco, beats, funk, quips, burns and hustlin’ all included.
The 4th Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago’s Hip-Hop Arts
Over 2,000 people attended WBEZ’s Winter Block Party last year, and this year’s all day FREE Party will again feature a street art and graffiti gallery, a film screening, a literary event, breakdancing exhibitions, the Emcee Olympics, the Hip-Hop Barbershop, live painting by Ruben Aguirre, music all afternoon by some of Chicago’s best DJs, and more from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Metro (3730 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL).
First held in January 2009, this all-ages, all-city celebration of Chicago’s new and emerging artists of the hip-hop generation is truly a chance for everybody from anywhere to experience the breadth and style, multiple elements and forms of the hip-hop arts.
The 2012 culminating event: “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” beginning at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Legendary Brickheadz.
View the 2012 street art and graffiti gallery exhibition, curated by Believe Inn & Kevin Coval and featuring: Chris Silva, Lauren Feece, Krista Franklin, Ruben Aguirre, Kane One, Angela Davis Fegan, Justus Roe a.k.a djwhitelightning, Brett Whitacre, Stephen Flemister, Anthony Lewellen, Cove, Dustin Harris, Greg Penrice, Jourdan Gullet, Mario “Zore” Gonzalez Jr., Melon, Nerd, Peter Kepha, Robert Stevenson, Sam Kirk, Solo, Statik, Stef G, Roper Fuentes, B-Boy B, Qutress Trevino, and Trixter.
Shop the marketplace featuring Haymarkert Books and The Silver Room, along with works by participating visual artists. A complete Catalog of works-for-sale will be available at the door.
Listen to the sounds of the Vocalo DJ Collective – bringing music & the art of mixing & scratching back to the radio – showcasing Chicago DJs Pumpin Pete, Big Once, Trancid, Charlie, and Jesse De La Pena. Hosted by Vocalo’s Luis Perez and Dirty (formally of Liquid Soul).
1pm: FILM SCREENING (free – limited seating available): “The People Speak” is a film inspired by Howard Zinn’s books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Narrated by acclaimed historian Howard Zinn, and using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, this documentary feature film gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Click here to view the trailer.
3pm: “WORD: ACROSS GENERATIONS” (free – limited seating available): Listen in as some of the most prolific and profound poets in Chicago come together to perform their work and participate in a collective conversation about the power of words. Featuring Roger Bonair-Agard, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who is a veteran of the spoken-word scene and a two-time National Poetry Slam Champion. His most recent book of poems is Gully. Bonair-Agard will be joined by Chance, one of Chicago’s emerging hip hop talents, and Fatima Warner, a hip hop artist from Chicago’s South Side and a member of DatSkat. This event is a production of The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, which aims to foster debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Click here for more information about The Public Square.
4pm: “All-City 3-on-3” Prelims (free) – it was the most popular event of the Party last year, so we’ve moved it to the main stage and tripled the action: see some of Chicago’s best breakdancing crews in this head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle, hosted by Legendary Brickheadz. The top 8 squads will advance to the Semi-Finals/Finals, which will be held at 8pm (see below). Winning Squad gets a $1,000 cash prize! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP YOUR CREW FOR THE COMPETITION or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating dancers who do not advance to the Semi-Finals will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.
4:30pm: EMCEE OLYMPICS (free – limited seating available): Hosted by Urbanized Music‘s Amina and Coolout, Founders of Chicago’s Hip-Hop Heritage Month, the Emcee Olympics is a NOT a traditional battle – rather it is a competition testing ALL the skills an emcee should have: freestyle, bar writing, crowd participation, and more. Emcees need to prepare a 16 bar verse AND a whole song (bring a beat for your song or we will provide one for you), AND be prepared to engage in several skill challenges. No homophobic, sexist or racist language. Winning Emcee gets two hours professional recording time at the WBEZ Performance Studio. Elevate! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating emcees will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.
This year’s main event “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” will begin at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Brickheadz.
Admission is free from noon to 6:00 p.m.; 8 p.m. admission is $15/$12 for WBEZ members and $10 for students. For more information, visit www.wbez.org
Chicago Hip-Hop Makes An Impact In Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa
In August of 2010 Amina, Coolout Chris, and Ang13, three grassroots hip-hop artists from Chicago, were selected as United States Cultural Envoys by the U.S. Department of State. Representing the ‘Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative’ an artist collective, these artists visited 7 regions of the West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) performing, conducting workshops, and initiating dialogue on the many ways hip-hop can be used to promote and affect progressive social change. What follows is a cultural exchange, that changes everyone’s life forever! The American’s don’t speak French. Most of the Ivorians they meet don’t speak English, but fortunately for everyone they all speak HIP-HOP!
In her directorial debut, Nigerian-American writer, performing artist, and hip-hop activist, Amina Norman-Hawkins, also stars in the film. Amina has spent the past 15 years as an active member of Chicago’s hip-hop community. She is now half of the production and performance duo ‘Urbanized Music’, Executive Director of Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative, and Co-Founder of both Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month, & the ‘B-Girl Power’ movement. She is a community organizer, mentor, and respected national voice on women in hip-hop, and the progressive local urban arts movement in Chicago.
The film also stars Chicago based producer, emcee, dj, and activist ‘Coolout’ Chris Hawkins, who is the other half of the Urbanized Music production duo, as well as Music Director for Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative; And producer, emcee, b-girl, graffiti artist, and entrepreneur Angela ‘Ang13’ Zone.
Keep It Moving-The Movie chronicles Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative’s 2-week tour of Cote d’Ivoire where they were hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan. Completely shot with 2 Flip HD video recorders, and 2 smart-phones, this independently produced documentary showcases hip-hop artists and local music from around Cote d’Ivoire, and takes audiences on a road trip like no other. From a weaving village cooperative, to a night club where hip-hop isn’t allowed, to helping inspire a whole cultural movement… These 3-artists wind up affecting more change than anyone could have ever imagined.
For more information and to watch the movie visit www.keepitmovingthemovie.info or www.urbanizedmusic.com
Members Of A Tribe Called Quest And Black Sheep Form EVITAN
In 2010, Dres reemerged, releasing From The Black Pool Of Genius, and now the Black Sheep emcee is joining forces with Jarobi, one-fourth of the founding core behind fellow Native Tongues group A Tribe Called Quest. The duo will release a currently untitled album under the moniker EVITAN (NATIVE, spelled backwards) in early 2012, and the first single from that album is “P.T.I. (Occupy Wall Street),” a song that touches not only the specific happenings of the Occupy movement, but also on the broader feelings of anger, uncertainty, and a desire to mobilize felt by young and old people across the country.
“The 99% need to have not just a voice, but voices,” says Dres on what inspired he and Jarobi to write the song. “We need to have more voices that speak to our plight beyond what is given to us via the media.” And despite the logistical difficulties, Dres and Jarobi were adamant about shooting the video amongst the OWS protesters, noting that they “couldn’t be soldiers and not see the front line.”
Throughout the video are stark, and sometimes startling, images that show the passion behind the Occupy Wall Street movement and also how the NYPD is making sure their presence is felt at the protests. “Law enforcement is sadly overbearing and seemingly not understanding,” explains Dres. “Unfortunately, they’re desensitized to the plight of the people they’re supposed to protect. They can be so much more effective without billy clubs, pepper spray, and a militant attitude towards civilians that merely seek equality. There needs to be a deeper understanding of ‘us’.
Common’s new music video “Sweet”
Hip Hop star Common launched his new music video “Sweet” with an exclusive online premiere at www.ustream.tv/channel/thinkcommonlive on Monday, Nov 14th @ 8 p.m. EST/5pm PST. The music video captures not only the devastation left by the 2010 earthquake but more importantly the beauty and power of the Haitian people and the land.
The video can be viewed for a donation of $1, with all proceeds going to J/P Haitian Relief Organization. Founded by Sean Penn immediately after the January 12th, 2010 earthquake, J/P HRO is managing programs in Camp Management, Medical, Rubble Removal, Community and Education, Redevelopment, and Emergency Response Operations.
For further information on J/P Haitian Relief Organization, please visit: http://jphro.org/
M.O.P. & Snowgoons Collaborate For New LP “Sparta”
Hailing from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Billy Danze and Lil Fame have solidified their reputation as iconic lyricists through their years of hard-hitting rhymes and unparalleled tenacity. Never compromising their style and having shared the mic with industry greats such as Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Styles P, Guru, ODB, Busta Rhymes, and Redman, just to name a few, the duo has rightfully earned its status as one of the most revered acts in hip-hop today.
In Late July 2011, Billy Danze took to Conspiracy Worldwide Radio to break the news that M.O.P.’s upcoming LP would be a collaborative effort with German & Danish production team, the Snowgoons. Speaking on the album, Danze said, “[Snowgoons] just sent us some fire…those dudes are incredible…when you hear this project, you’re going to be satisfied as an M.O.P. fan and a Snowgoons fan.” Ensuring fans around the world that this will be one of their most diverse sounding albums, the Mash Out Posse member went on to praise the Snowgoons, proclaiming, “they’ve got everything…they’re blazing through and coming from different angles. These guys providing us with that dramatic sound, with those theatrical sounds, with that hard hip-hop…they supplied us with everything. I’m really psyched about this project.” Further, listeners can pr
Consisting of founders Det and DJ Illegal plus longtime affiliate and now 3rd member, Sicknature, the Snowgoons made their full-length producer album debut with 2007’s “German Lugers,” released on Babygrande Records. The Snowgoons continued their onslaught of orchestral and epic instrumentals the following year with their sophomore producer album “Black Snow.” Since 2007, the Snowgoons have developed a massive following, starting in Europe and spanning the entire world, becoming a staple in the underground hip-hop scene by working with approximately 100 lyricists. They have gone on to release four additional producer projects and worked with some of the most remarkable MCs in the underground. Danze says of The Snowgoons “We may get some features, but I think M.O.P. on a Snowgoons project and Snowgoons producing a whole project for M.O.P. is enough featuring.
“Those dudes are incredible,” he continued. “When you hear this project, you’re going to be satisfied as an M.O.P. fan and a Snowgoons fan. I think you’re going to flip your wig,” he continued. “They’ve got everything… It’s amazing to me because most of the time, producers have a signature sound. These guys already sent me like 50 tracks. They sent me 50 tracks and they’re blazing through and coming from different angles.”
M.O.P. and Snowgoons collaborative album is scheduled for release November 22, 2011 on Babygrande Records. Celebrating its ten-year anniversary, Babygrande has established itself as a pivotal New York label responsible for over 100 titles since 2001. After ten-years and counting, Babygrande continues to consistently work with groundbreaking and world-renowned artists.
Get Yours
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26292595″]
Big Pooh Dirty Pretty Things Coming November 1
Rapper Big Pooh is excited to announce the upcoming release of his new album, Dirty Pretty Things. Serving as the second official solo album from the now-solo emcee, Dirty Pretty Things will be released November 1st via Big Pooh’s newly formed label, For Members Only.
In 2005, Big Pooh first stepped outside of the Little Brother umbrella, releasing his debut solo album, Sleepers. Since then, the fan favorite group released a handful of highly regarded albums before finally disbanding last year, and so, as Big Pooh sat down to begin crafting Dirty Pretty Things, with his career as part of Little Brother was coming to a close, he found inspiration in a movie that he felt mirrored his own journey through music. “I always thought Dirty Pretty Things was a really dope movie,” remarks Pooh. “But it was overlooked for whatever reasons, the same way I’ve been overlooked as a solo artist.”
It makes sense, then, that an album intent on proving, once and for all, that Pooh can stand alone as a solo artist would also serve as some of the rapper’s most personal work to date. “This album is me; it allowed me to give listeners a piece of my soul and reveal a lot of what I’ve been dealing with over the past couple years,” explains Pooh. “Dirty Pretty Things is about looking past outside appearance and finding out what’s really going on inside. It’s about the truth.”
Joining Pooh for Dirty Pretty Things is an impressive cast of producers and rappers, but more than that, they’re artists that Pooh felt best complemented his own vision. “I decided who to work with based on feel,” explains Pooh, who enlisted the production efforts of Nottz, DJ Khalil, Focus… , and more, while Torae, Joe Scudda, Carlitta Durand, Darien Brockington, and others lent vocals. “I’m not into forcing music,” notes Pooh. “Everyone was chosen based on how I felt they would fit the puzzle I put together.”
One of those puzzle pieces was Family Biz, Ent., who lent their touch to “Medicine Man,” released as the first song and video from the album. Joining that track are a handful of other personal favorites of Pooh. “Free,” for example, is a track about learning how to be comfortable in your own skin. “Are You Ready,” featuring Torae and produced by Nottz, is another standout, as is “Real Love,” produced by Focus…. “‘Real Love’ is about the current relationship I have with my brother,” explains Pooh, and the song is just another example of how Pooh’s most personal work has translated into his strongest. “All of the personal and professional anguish led up to this moment,” says Pooh. “Dirty Pretty Things marks my progression as a man, my progression as a businessman, and, most of all, my progression as an artist.”