Underground Hip Hop's topics - tribe.net

Rock the bells

sarahblush — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:03:17 GMT

I post this with some trepidation as last years Rock the Bells was the worst run show i have ever been to. If this is a must see spring for the vip tickets otherwise plan on not having to go to the bathroom or buy food which you cant bring in with you.

http://www.guerillaunion.com/rockthebells/

Here's the lineup:

FEATURING: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, NAS, MOS DEF, THE PHARCYDE, DE LA SOUL, METHOD MAN & REDMAN, RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, DEAD PREZ, MURS, SPANK ROCK, WALE, JAY ELECTRONICA, SANTOGOLD, COOL KIDS, B.O.B, KIDZ IN THE HALL, AMANDA BLANK and HOSTED BY- B-REAL, SUPERNATURAL AND SCRATCH and DJ GREEN LANTERN

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Computer Space Sauce

bassobese — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:26:20 GMT

Hey friends! It's xjordanary here with some free fresh new jams for your eager ears! I feel it's high time to quit being such a perfectionist hoarder of the music I create, and give as much back to all my beautiful friends and family as I can. This is the culmination of the last few creative months in one 34 minute mix of all original tunes composed by yours truly.
I hope you all enjoy, and have a hot n sunny fun summer!
Mucho Amor,
xjordanary
aka Bassobese

Click here to check out Bassobese-Computer Space Sauce:

http://www.bassobese.dj/index.php?&page=beats

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Underground Group about to go Mainstream

inspeyere — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:52:10 GMT

The Flobots, the guys that brought us that cool song Handlebars are releasing their first cd tomorrow. Anyone want to go at 6 to see them? Sounds like a fun show, they've got live instrumentals, two mcs, a dj, and I'm thinking of bringing some cardboard so's we can break and pop and lock and whatnot. Who's down? www.myspace.com/flobots

People are waking up, defeat is impossible, your weapons are already in hand, reach within you and find the means to regain freedom, fight with tools, your fate and that of everyone you know depends on it...

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

R.I.P Notorious B.I.G

Baker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:28:39 GMT

Yesterday March 9th we lost one of the greatest MC's of all time .... Notorious B.I.G

My tribute to Biggie, with my own little twist...

Check me out here:

http://beyondsuccess.wordpress.com/

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Asian-Americans in hip-hop, my documentary idea

Le4Life — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:38:30 GMT

Thoughts and feedback welcomed for this documentary idea I've had for a while....

http://people.tribe.net/le4life/blog/c735cc0b-249f-4f9a-936c-ba7e63edd7a0

another documentary I want to write and direct someday is one on Asian-Americans in hip hop. In honor of that, here are some of the artists who are contributing to the movement, with links to pics. Read more info at my myspace blog...
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=116932167&blogID=230602282&Mytoken=E7CA7B56-C9D5-45F7-8E889865FE15193512761076

The Invisible Skratch Piklz, pioneers of the team battle and winners (3 yrs in a row in the early 1990's) of the World DMC's. Member Qbert has long been regarded as the best scratch artist on earth, and Mix Master Mike became the DJ for the Beastie Boys. They disbanded in 2000 and are all working separately now. Qbert recently invented the QFO, a single turntable/mixer instrument.
http://www.djtimes.com/original/djmag/may00/images/F1-b.JPG
http://www.hiphopslam.com/news/g/022/phot_Qbert-QFO.jpg

Tyra from Saigon: composer, pianist, guitarist, and scratch DJ, one of the many fine ladies featured on Femaleswitfunk.com
http://www.femaleswitfunk.com/fwf2/bioimages/tfs.jpg

DJ Mike Relm. If you're ever lucky enough to catch him on tour, you'll be treated to some synchronized music and cinematic montage. The fuker sets up a live system where he has edited footage (mostly from random films) that he can manipulate when scratching his vinyl.
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/12/04/lv_clubland20c_at.jpg

Kid Koala, scratch DJ and downtempo producer. I just had to include him cuz I don't know many artists (much less Asian-American ones) who do his style of music.
http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/4/0/7/6/506704_356x237.jpg

Mike Shinoda got his claim to fame with Linkin Park, but then went on to form his own hip hop band Fort Minor, whose debut album featured a track about his Japanese-American family's internment during World War II.
http://www.rafu.com/images/mike_shinoda_2.jpg

Lyrics Born, MC from Berkeley/Oakland (hooray!!!) who has worked with artists and producers such as DJ Shadow.
http://media.musictoday.com/store/bands/926/product_medium/IVCD118.jpg

Native Guns = two MC's and one DJ. In addition to their collaborative album, they also do a lot of community and youth work. And they're in Oakland, yaaayyy!!!
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e349/beatrock/c74d0ee5.jpg

Chad Hugo is one half of The Neptunes and one third of N.E.R.D. He produced his first song (Rump Shaker) with Pharrell Williams when they were both 18.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/collective/dnaimages/040319/nerd.jpg

If Solow is part of the Southern Cali-based crew featured in Hypen Magazine and the documentary Rize, then he must be a member of The Rice Track, one of the few (if not only) groups of Asians in the underground dance scene known as krumping.
http://www.krumpkings.com/images/bio/solow.gif

Several years back, Jin made his television debut on BET 106 & Park's Freestyle Friday competition and ended up beating seven consecutive challengers, becoming the show's longest running champion. He then got signed onto the Ruff Ryders label but his debut album flopped. He has been releasing albums with other labels since and continuing to win MC battles all over the world.
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/vlimgdata/4562134332762.jpg

I don't know if these fools are actually with any record label, but if you find any of their albums or songs online (I'm sure they have a Myspace) you might get quite a laugh. Three Chinamen from NYC rapping about the perils of being Asian in America.
http://www.escapist.net/receptacle/images/notoriousmsg.jpg

The Far East Movement, sort of like Notorious MSG but not as much absurdity and they're probably more attractive too. Passionate lyrics about what it means to be Asian-American. They got their first track deal by being on the soundtrack for Fast & the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift.
http://www.theplatform2006.com/photo/random/GROUP1.jpg

Miss Info, radio personality and host who got into an argument on the air with her fellow DJ's at Hot 97 in NYC. The station had recently released a song poking fun at the tsunami disaster which had just struck Southeast Asia. Apparently, she was the only one there who thought the song was too racist and insensitive.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c286/silentkilla_911/Miss.jpg

Jeff Chang, Berkeley graduate and hip hop author/editor. One of his recent books Can't Stop Won't Stop has been hailed as the best scholastic/literary work on this music culture.
http://mcc.studentaffairs.duke.edu/images/cantstop.gif
http://www.giantpeachnews.com/news/db/archives/jeff_chang.gif

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 3 replies

Help A Brother Out

DevastatorJr — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:53:28 GMT

Gah! I've just had a recent computer disaster and have lost a lot a great big chunk of music.
In particular, my coveted MF DOOM and KOOL KEITH COLLECTIONS!!!

Does anybody have any of this stuff ?

HELP!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Kamaal The Abstract

DevastatorJr — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:31:46 GMT

Apparently this has been floating around for a while, but I just discovered it and it's fantastic!
Q-Tip's second solo album, Kamaal The Abstract. It sounds more like vintage Tribe than the last two Tribe albums. Check it out --
goodbadunknown.blogspot.com/2008/02/unknown-q-tip-kamaal-abstract.html

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Got lyrics?

Killa Cham — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:04:43 GMT

anyone got sic flows? Got space?

I can post some shit from my-"space" profile

Bitch as Nigga said he was two steps Ahead.
Nigga I only take two steps to get Head.
I make hits, hustle to pay the Cost.
Niggas keep missin like an episode of Lost.
I'm cryogenically flowin like liquid Nitrogen Enemas.
spittin cold ass shit like I'm spiteful and Venemous.
I come quick wit it like Marion Jones.
Doped up to my motherfuckin Bones.
I compile certain rhymes-a mob scene in tha Booth.
To defile virgin minds with obscene Truth.
I stay on time like a priceless Time-Piece.
Niggaz way off tha beat like a pregnant Dyme-Piece.
I got mad lines like a magazine of Truth.
Shoot 16 times when I step in tha Booth..................
but Fuck Rappin for Money,
I'd ratha be Wrappin my Money

BTW I'm illiterate
http://www.myspace.com/theilliteratepoet

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Grand Jury Repression of Puerto Rican Independistas

Killa Cham — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:59:52 GMT

it's early on a Friday too nonetheless but if I can clear my schedule I'll be there. I hope that if this cause is important to others they will be there too.

RALLY AGAINST GRAND JURY REPRESSION
OF
PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE ACTIVIST
FRIDAY JANUARY 11TH, 9:30 A.M.

Brooklyn Federal Court, Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, New York
Take subways A/C Subway Train to High Street or 2/3 to Clark Street.

-Immortal Technique

CONSENTRACION CONTRA
LA
REPRESION / GRAN JURADOS DE ACTIVISTAS PRO LA INDEPENDENCIA DE PUERTO RICO
VIERNES 11 DE ENERO, 9:30 a.m.

Corte federal de Brooklyn, Plaza Cadman Este
Brooklyn, Nueva Cork
Tome el tren (subway) A o C hasta High Street o 2 o 3 hasta Clark Street

====================================================
El Diario La Prensa
PR: Denunciation of Possible Arrests of Pro-Independence Activists
Our Countries Section – December 27, 2007
By Jesús Dávila
SAN JUAN/Correspondant El Diario La Prensa – A diverse group of various tendencies of the independence movement are meeting in San Juan in an urgent call to elaborate plans to respond to the new offensive by the U.S. Justice Department, after receiving reports that various Puerto Rican pro-independence activists in New York have been subpoened to appear before a Grand Jury. Given that Puerto Rican pro-independence activists have traditionally refused to accept Grand Jury subpoenas or to respond to their questions, the serving of subpoenas usually leads to the imprisonment of pro-independence fighters from this Caribbean nation, a colony of the United States since 1898.
Reports received in Puerto Rico, as recently as yesterday, indicate that those served subpoenas at this time were identified as graphic designer Tania Fronters, social worker Christopher Torres and filmmaker Julio Antonio Pabón, Jr. In addition, there were unconfirmed reports that the F.B.I. was trying to locate and serve a subpoena to Héctor Rivera, one of the founders of the prestigious political/cultural institution, The “Welfare Poets”, based in New York.
The meeting (in San Juan) was convened by the group “La Nueva Escuela” (The New School), but it was pointed out today that organizations from different political sectors had already confirmed their participation. The organizers expected to use legal resources, to appeal to international law, in addition to working together with the campaign to demand that the FBI leave Puerto Rico.

Usually neither the F.B.I. nor the U.S. Justice Department provide information to the public regarding investigations being carried out, but in regards to the topic of the Puerto Rican independence movement they have made clear that there is an ongoing investigation against the Popular Boricua Army-Macheteros. The Special Agent in Charge of the F.B.I. in San Juan, Luis Fraticelli, has said that the agency intends to capture Commander Guasábara, who succeeded Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, as the head of the Macheteros, after he was killed by U.S. commandos in 2005.
The new Grand Jury subpoenas issued in New York call for those cited to appear before this investigative body on January 11, 2007, when in Puerto Rico the birth of Eugenio María de Hostos is commemorated -- a day that is of great significance for the groups that struggle for independence. In fact, initial rumors about the grand jury subpoenas began to circulate almost simultaneously as the White House Report on the colonial case of Puerto Rico, by the White House Working Group, began to circulate.

The grand jury subpoenas have not been entirely unexpected in Puerto Rico where at the beginning of the month a meeting was held by pro-independence groups to discuss precisely what was anticipated as a new offensive of police repression and possible arrests and imprisonments.
Draft Translation by: Frank Velgara, ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
El Diario La Prensa
PR: denuncian que se producirán arrestos de Independendistas
NUESTROS PAÍSES - 12/27/2007
Jesús Dávila

SAN JUAN/Corresponsal EDLP — Agrupaciones de diversas vertientes del independentismo se reunían con carácter de urgencia en San Juan para trazar un plan ante la nueva ofensiva del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos, tras recibirse informe de que varios independentistas boricuas de Nueva York han sido citados a comparecer al gran jurado.
Debido a que tradicionalmente los independentistas puertorriqueños se niegan a aceptar las citaciones del gran jurado o responder sus preguntas, los referidos emplazamientos usualmente desembocan en el encarcelamiento de los luchadores por la independencia de esta nación caribeña, colonia de EEUU desde 1898.

Los informes recibidos hasta ayer en Puerto Rico eran en el sentido de que los citados en esta ocasión fueron identificados como la diseñadora gráfica Tania Frontera, el trabajador social Christopher Torres y el cineasta Julio Antonio Pabón, hijo. Además, había indicaciones sin confirmar sobre que el Buró Federal de Investigaciones estaba tratando de localizar para emplazar también a Héctor Rivera, uno de los fundadores de la prestigiosa institución político-cultural con base en Nueva York “Welfare Poets”.

La reunión fue convocada por el grupo La Nueva Escuela, pero se indicó durante el día que habían confirmado su asistencia organizaciones de distintas vertientes. Los organizadores anticiparon que podrían usarse recursos legales y recurrir al derecho internacional, además de que se arreciaría la campaña para demandar que el FBI sea retirado de Puerto Rico.

Normalmente ni el FBI ni el Departamento de Justicia dan información pública sobre las pesquisas en proceso, pero en cuanto al tema del independentismo puertorriqueño han dejado claro que hay una investigación continua contra el Ejército Popular Boricua-Macheteros. El Agente Especial a Cargo del FBI en San Juan, Luis Fraticelli, ha dicho que esa agencia intenta capturar al Comandante Guasábara, que sucedió en la jefatura de los Macheteros a Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a quien mató un grupo comando estadounidense en 2005.

Las nuevas citaciones expedidas en Nueva York son para comparecer ante el cuerpo investigativo el 11 de enero, cuando en Puerto Rico se conmemora al prócer Eugenio María de Hostos por lo que la fecha tiene una gran con notación para los grupos que luchan por la independencia. De hecho, los primeros rumores de que se habían emitido las citaciones comenzaron a circular casi a la vez que se hizo público el nuevo informe de progreso del grupo de trabajo de la Casa Blanca sobre el caso colonial de Puerto Rico.

Las citaciones no han resultado del todo sorpresivas en Puerto Rico, donde a principios de mes se llevó a cabo una reunión de grupos independentistas para discutir precisamente lo que se esperaba sería una nueva ofensiva de represión policial y posibles encarcelamientos.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

DONATE KENYA RED CROSS HELP KENYA

Killa Cham — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:42:43 GMT

DONATE KENYA RED CROSS HELP KENYA
The Shit hit the fan in Kenya, and many people are dying on account of two rich greedy fucks. Please, If you can do somethin hit up the Red Cross. I'm gettin rid of all the shit I don't need, cause there's like over half a million people displaced, people dying every day like Iraq, and the country is on the verge of economic collapse. The situation is totally fucked, and people are still only interested in power rather than those who are suffering. People ask how could we sit back and let Rwanda, and Darfur happen? I will not, and I am trying to do all I can to help alleviate the suffering of the many innocent Kenyans. Spread the word copy and send out as an e-mail.

-One

KENYA RED CROSS SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 40712
00100-GPO,
NAIROBI, KENYA

TEL: (254-20) 603593/608681/13
FAX: (254-20) 603589
MOBILES: 0722-206958 or 0733-333040
EMAIL: info@kenyaredcross.org
WEBSITE: www.kenyaredcross.org

Map
http://www.kenyaredcross.org/contacts.php?subcat=73

Also:

Please contact your local government and demand that they put pressure on Kenya, and perhaps send aid.

To take action, call and express your views:
• U.S. State Department.
• Africa/Kenya Desk (202) 647-8913
• Krilla, Jeffrey Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Rights, Democracy and Labor, (202) 647-1783
• Ambassador Richard Griffin,Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security and Director of the Office of Foreign Missions (202) 647-6290
• Dr.Jendayi E. Frazer Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs (202) 647-4440
• Sean McCormack Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs (202) 647-6607
• Tom Casey Deputy

Those in Europe please contact the EU. The EU has been great during the whole fracas.
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/contact/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/index_en.htm
http://europa.eu/geninfo/mailbox/inst_en.htm

Kenya has ICJ jurisdiction, so they would also be a great source to contact:

International Court of Justice
http://www.icj-cij.org/
International Court of Justice
Peace Palace
Carnegieplein 2
2517 KJ The Hague
The Netherlands

If you can send a fax please do asap:
Telephone: (+31) (0)70 302 23 23
Telefax: (+31) (0)70 364 99 28

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Tickets for sale to Aesop Rock show in San Francisco

patrick — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:05:32 GMT

Hello,

I have 10 tickets to the the October 10th Aesop Rock show at the Philmore in SF. My friends and I are not going to be able to make it. The tickets are $24 a piece. Let me know. Thanks.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 2 replies

Anybody here try Dopetracks.com?

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 02:16:37 GMT

Dopetracks is an online recording studio where bedroom emcees and budding producers meet and collaborate.

If you're a vocalist you just pick a beat, plug in a mic and that's it. I tried it last night but the site seemed down or something.
Could be blowing up. But it's done well.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Japan's Music Scene

undergroundhiphop — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:48:43 GMT

Okay, so I bought a ticket to Japan to visit a few friends of mine that have recently left from New York. Thing is I need some music connects out there. I will be in the Osaka/Kobe area in Kansai. I would LOVE some contacts relating to music/art in general. Anyone here Nihon aware? Lemme know.

Peace,
Liver

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 5 replies

Cyphertown Throwdown.. SF 11/11 for Tibet!

neelabella — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:01:31 GMT

This is a night not to miss! A party with a purpose!! A dynamic crew
of artists are joining forces for Tibet on 11/11 at the Temple Club in
SF.

San Francisco is scheduled to be the only city in North America to
host China's Olympic Torch on it's way through Tibet to Beijing for
the '08 Games- and this is expected to be the most widely watched
event in the history of humanity (no joke). This is a make or break
moment for Tibet and SF has a disproportionate chance to be heard
around the world. In addition to the below line-up, we'll be having
Students for a Free Tibet activist Laurel speaking of his experience
on protesting at Mount Everest, dealing with Chinese authorities and
more speakers from the Bay area Tibetan community...
Hoping to see u there!
*******************************************************************************************************************************

Cyphertown Council and Wasfia Nazreen Present...

Cyphertown Throwdown "TORCH OF TRUTH" A Fundraiser for the Tibetan
Olympic Justice Campaign
Temple Nightclub
540 Howard @ 1st – Financial District
San Francisco

Please join us to stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their
struggle of freedom.

$15 before 11:11pm/$20 after
age 21+ only

Lineup:

Widsom w/ DJ Cocheze and Seasunz (Temple of Hip Hop)
Kraddy (The Glitch Mob)
Anasia (3WS/The Glitch Mob)
Lafa Taylor (Eugene/Tokyo)
Techung (World Renouned Tibetan Singer)
Goddess Alchemy Project (Soul Hop Sisterhood)
Shimshai (World, Reggae, and Sacred Music)
Isis & Luz de la Musa (11:11 Sacred Ritual Prayerformance)
MJ Greenmountain (Hamsa Lila/Mojoi)
PoM (Dirt Rhythems/Rootabreaka)
Malarkey (the Juke Joint)
Delphi (Goddess Alchemy)
Taylor Maiden Space (Goddess Alchemy)
KnowOne (Cyphertown)
Sleepyhead (Cyphertown)
DJ Divinity (Deep Vinyl Records)
Goodfelllow (Cyphertown)
Sudeesh (Cyphertown)

11.11pm ritual on 11/11 by Isis, at the end of which we'd be together
lighting the torch of truth & freedom.
(Olympic starts on 08.08.08)

Live Visuals by Andrew Jones
Visuals of the Tibetan struggle by Wasfia Nazreen

Speakers:
Laurel (Students for a Free Tibet activist, who will speak on his
experiences of protesting on Mount Everest and being held by the
Chinese)
Giovanni Vassallo (c100tibet.org, friends-of-tibet.org, tanc.org)
Wasfia Nazreen (Tibet activist and journalist based in Dharamsala,
center of Tibetan Govt. in Exile)

www.cyphertown.com | www.templesf.com | www.sfteamtibet.org

In April 2008, San Francisco will be the ONLY city in the US to
receive the Olympic Torch. Beijing, China will be hosting the '08
Olympics, legitimizing their gruesome genocide and unjust occupation
of Tibet.

Join us to raise awareness and send a strong message to Beijing that
San Francisco and America do NOT approve of this behavior!

Cyphertown invites you to be a part of this, our first event since
producing the premiere live hip hop stage at Burning Man 2007. We
believe that by channeling energy, raising awareness and money, facing
the issues and celebrating change, we significantly effect the world
around us.

This event is wheelchair accessible.
For more information contact:
Robin Tala aka Goodfelllow
812-345-9318
cyphertown@gmail.com
www.cyphertown.com

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

NCEF! Media sabotaged! Hijacked by lone wingnut! Accused of fraud and embezzlement!

White Rabbit — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:12:19 GMT

NCEF! Media in Humboldt County, Ca. is accused of fraud and donation embezzlement. Caution! Do not support this lone wingnut's scam! Other legitamate groups exist in the area. Caution! Do not be fooled by NCEF! Media and his fraudulent outreach. Shunka Wakan exists completely seperate from any active affinity group. Read about how he perpetuated a lawsuit under the guise of EF! against a legitamate environmental nonprofit:

Dog Days
From: http://northcoastjournal.com/100407/cover1004.html
October 4, 2007
Money On Trees

Big cash nearly fell into Shunka Wakan's lap. Other Earth First!ers are kinda happy it didn't.

by Heidi Walters

As the jury trial for the civil suit Kathryn Miller v. the Trees Foundation puttered to a start last week inside Courtroom 3 at the Humboldt County Courthouse, Shunka Wakan — a key witness for the plaintiff — spent mornings sitting on the hard wooden benches in the long hallway outside the courtroom. During breaks, Miller's attorney Linda Mitlyng, would come out of the courtroom to join him. But otherwise, as other people and their legal affairs swirled around him in a warm, odiferous bath of humanity, Shunka sat alone. Or, sometimes, he stood alone, straight-spined, his small, stocky body swallowed by the huge, stiff blue suit out of which his newly shorn, razor-scraped bald head poked vulnerably — as if, at any moment, the suit could gulp once more and he'd disappear completely. Always, he clutched a paper folder with a wolf's face on its cover.

The North Coast Earth First! Media guru had shaved off his woolly rust-tinged brown hair and beard the night before jury selection started, after discussing it with attorney Mitlyng. Now, it took an uncertain moment to recognize him. Then, of course: Shunka's light blue eyes in the pink-pale face, Shunka's closed-lip smile, Shunka's trademark husky murmur, "Mm-hmm, for sure," in response to a comment.

In Courtroom 3, the amiable but no-nonsense Judge Christopher Wilson's domain, the fate of a $185,000 donation dangled. Would the plaintiff, donor Kathryn Miller, prevail in her claim that the defendant, the Trees Foundation, was not in fact the intended recipient of her generous gift? That Shunka Wakan's NCEF! Media Center and the treesitters were? Or would the Trees Foundation convince the jury that, in fact, the money was intended all along for Trees, with no instructions attached for funneling it elsewhere?

Richard Idell, left, who is defending the Trees Foundation against a lawsuit filed by Kathryn Miller, confers with Doug Wallace, community support coordinator for Trees. Photo by David Lawlor.

In her opening arguments, Miller's attorney, Mitlyng, said the case came down to "fraud and broken promises." "She believed [Trees] would hold [the money] in trust, for the benefit of North Coast Earth First!" said Mitlyng. The defense's attorney, Richard Idell, countered in his opening argument that the donation was an unconditional gift and Miller never wrote letters of instruction — as Miller claims she did. "Ms. Miller ... didn't do anything. She took the check [from her mother's estate] and flipped it over and wrote on the back, 'Payable to the Trees Foundation,'" said Idell.

Miller's claim sought the return of her $185,000, plus interest.

Out in the hallway, Shunka waited to tell his side of the story. Maybe he thought about the magical donation that never materialized, and now probably never would. Maybe he thought about the other times he'd been in this courthouse — dozens of times, along with other activists, often before Judge Wilson, answering to charges of trespassing and other forms of civil disobedience in the woods. Likely, he wondered when they were finally going to call him in to testify — it was taking forever in there. He'd even sent out an e-mail prematurely to the several hundred subscribers to his NCEF! online group erroneously announcing he would be first up to testify.

By the end of Friday's court session, Miller was still on the stand. Perhaps Monday it would be Shunka's turn. Whenever it was, he would be testifying on Miller's behalf; but he wasn't a party to the lawsuit. And in the end, after hearing all of the evidence, the jury would be determining who was telling the truth about intentions and letters of instructions. Shunka was just there to provide context and evidence in a contract dispute.

But to a number of forest activists, including a half dozen or so who appeared in the audience last Friday to watch the trial unfold, that context matters more to them than the legal questions. They say this lawsuit has placed a strain on the environmental community that could do as much damage as an ill-felled redwood that takes down other giants in its descent. They disapprove of the lawsuit, and they blame Shunka for it. And, they say, it's just another example of how Shunka has commandeered the North Coast Earth First! identity and used it for purposes that nobody else in the amorphous but consensus-driven local Earth First! movement has agreed to.

"For a lot of us, when we read about the lawsuit, this is kind of like Shunka on trial," said long-time forest activist Deane Rimerman last Friday, calling from Olympia, Wash. "And, to what extent is he worthy of that money?"

Kathryn Miller wanted her money to go toward saving trees, she said on the witness stand last Thursday. The slender 59-year-old was dressed in a pink print skirt and white sweater, with her gray-streaked dark hair pulled back into a neat, thin braid tinted slightly green. (Little did the jury know that Miller had spent the night in jail, in blue jail duds, and then had been "dressed out," in court lingo, in her street clothes before being escorted into the court by the bailiff. Miller had been arrested the week before, on Sept. 17, when she arrived in civil court for the pre-trial readiness hearing; according to the misdemeanor criminal charges filed against her, Miller allegedly had made annoying phonecalls to Barbara Ristow of the Trees Foundation all hours of the day and night.)

On the stand, Miller described how she became an activist. She remembered how, when she was a child in Orinda, her mother decided to stop spraying the beautiful oak trees on their property after reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. "And then, when my son was 9, we were watching the news on TV about the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown. And my son said to me, 'I wish I'd never been born. I don't think I'll get to live a full life.'"

She protested the building of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. She started a peace action group in the late 1980s in San Jose. She did nonviolent protests at the Nevada Test Site. And in 1990, she came up with some of her fellow protestors to help set up the camp for Redwood Summer, and to take part in demonstrations. She's been on and off involved in Earth First! actions in Humboldt ever since, she said, including huffing in supplies for treesitters and huffing out their garbage. She'd also, at one point, bought a condo in Arcata.

In 2004, Miller sold her condo and bought an acre of farmland, already planted with coffee, in Guatemala. She put in fruit trees to shade the coffee. That same year, her mother, who lived in Sonoma, died. "The last time I saw her was in 2003," said Miller. "She told me when she died, she was going to leave me some money. I told her I'd use it to further my work for the forest. And she was pleased, because she loved the treesitters and the forest."

Shortly after learning of her mother's death, Kathryn Miller sought out Shunka Wakan in front of the food co-op in Arcata, where he "tabled" to raise funds for the North Coast Earth First! Media office — selling T-shirts, and stickers, offering pamphlets, accepting donations. She'd known Shunka for about five years, she said.

"I said to him, I was going to inherit some money: What was the best way to get that to the North Coast Earth First!?"

In the spring of 2005, Shunka Wakan was floating above the treetops. "I was so excited," the 32-year-old said in an interview a few weeks ago, sitting inside his tiny but colorful North Coast Earth First! Media office in Arcata, walls covered in art and topo maps — including one of Buckeye Mountain, where in 2000-2001, during the "Mattole Free State" action, Shunka and others hiked 14 miles through waist-high snowdrifts to save trees.

Kathryn Miller, he recalled, had come up to him excitedly as he walked along the sidewalk outside the Arcata Co-op and said, "I just donated $185,000 to North Coast Earth First!'"

She'd talked to him the year before about making the donation — she'd said she was anticipating an inheritance from her mother's estate, and she wanted to make a big donation to his group. He'd told her to make it through the Trees Foundation, which handled the NCEF! Media office's finances through an arrangement that had been established years ago. (The Trees Foundation is an umbrella organization formed in 1991 to assist smaller environmental groups. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, it can accept large, tax-deductible donations on behalf of affiliates, and provide professional resources. And it can lead large campaigns, like the one to save the Headwaters Forest back in the '90s.)

Well, now she'd finally done it.

Miller and Shunka agreed to meet at Fiesta Café in Sunny Brae, so she could tell him how she wanted the money spent: She wanted, straight away, for someone to organize a mediated workshop for the local Earth First! activists on ageism and sexism, issues she thought were fracturing the movement. And, she wanted the bulk of the donation to help support the forest activists who blockade logging roads and hunker up in ancient redwoods to fend off loggers' saws.

Not long after, Shunka was on his way to have lunch with some folks from the Trees Foundation, where they'd talk about Miller's wishes.

"Our media outreach was going to get a big boost," Shunka said. "The donation would keep the EF! office going for many years. So I walked into the Wildflower Café feeling elated, thinking we got all this money."

Barbara Ristow and Doug Wallace of the Trees Foundation were there. "I was super excited," Shunka said, "and I said, 'This is great, this big donation. Isn't it wonderful?' We ordered food, and still I'm all excited, talking about the money, but I notice they're looking nervously at each other. [Finally], they said, 'Well, we're just shocked that you think this money was for you.' And I was like, 'I just met with the donor, and that's what she said.' And they're like, 'Well, let's go ahead and plan the workshop and deal with that later.' I remember that, because it put me at ease."

After that, Shunka said he gave Trees a list of people he thought might benefit from the mediator-run workshop. "Some were people I knew had beefs with me, but I was willing to bring 'em into the circle and talk about it."

According to some vague accounts, the workshop was a disaster. One person who was there claims that Shunka, at one point, pounded his fists on the floor, blustered, then got up and stormed out, yelling as he walked away. Shunka says that's overblown.

"The letter from Kathryn Miller to Barbara Bristow said she wanted the mediation to be a safe place, safe to be emotional," he said. "And I think people are saying 'I freaked out.' The freak-out reports are exaggerated. It's just part of this ongoing character assassination. People say I was 'red-faced.' But my face is naturally red."

In late 2005, while Shunka was in Seattle, a friend called him from Arcata to say a woman had come by asking for the office key. She had a list of equipment she wanted to take away. The friend didn't give her the key.

When Shunka got back from Seattle, he discovered his reimbursement funds from Trees had been "frozen." He also learned about a letter someone in the NCEF! movement had circulated for signatures and then sent to Mark Knipper, who handled the Trees Foundation transactions for the NCEF! Media office. It said, in essence, "We don't want Shunka running EF!"

"I called the Trees Foundation," Shunka recalled. "I was sick, it was the middle of the winter, I'm trying to table, it's raining, it's cold. And Barbara Ristow told me, 'You just need to have a meeting [with the other Earth First!ers] and come to a group consensus on what the Trees Foundation funding should be used for."

The meeting never happened — nobody could agree to meet, said Mark Knipper, also in an interview last week. Knipper is a social worker and a long-time activist who had been the contact person between Trees and NCEF! Media. "So it ate itself," Knipper said. "And although I'm former Navy, a mariner, I said I'm not going down with this ship. So I divorced myself from it ... and signed it all back to Trees."

The NCEF! Media office was dropped from the Trees Foundation altogether.

Shunka and the NCEF! Media office never did see any of the big donation. Miller didn't even know that, he said, until she phoned him up in the summer of 2006, more than a year after she made the donation, to ask about a guy named "Jungle," who had been reported as missing on the NCEF! hotline. Miller was spending much of her time in Guatemala now, where she was raising fruit trees; after she'd made her big donation, Hurricane Stan had struck — she spent the ensuing year mopping up the mess.

First, Shunka told her Jungle was still missing. Then he told her about the money.

"I said, 'Yeah, they told me it wasn't for us,'" said Shunka. "And she said, 'I meant for all of it to go to you guys.' She sounded real upset. And I was like, 'I knew it! I knew it!'"

Shunka tried to sue Trees in small claims court, but it went nowhere.

Miller filed a claim against the Trees Foundation on Oct. 5, 2006, in Humboldt County Superior Court, seeking the return of the $185,000 plus interest so she could distribute the money herself.

And if she wins? "She may just spread it out more," said Shunka. "She's got tree planting ideas. Maybe she could buy a grove. She'd maybe not give it all to Earth First! this time. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Trees blew for us."

On an uncomfortably hot afternoon last week, four forest activists who'd agreed to an interview for this story — Jeff, Shaggy, Sparrow and Farmer — sat on the ground at the Arcata Marsh next to a log bench on which a teeming crew of red ants worked a splintered notch. Someone had come along here in 1999 and carved a grouping of faces — bearded, grimacing, possibly mourning faces — onto the log and signed it Daniel. The carving had been drenched in red paint, and burnished by years of sitters.

"It kind of reminds me of the memorial for Gypsy," said one of them. "With the red paint."

Gypsy was the forest name of David Nathan Chain, who in September 1998, during an Earth First! action at Grizzly Creek, was crushed to death by a tree felled by an enraged logger. Farmer, actually, was there — he was just 16, but had a year of activism already under his belt. And Shunka was there — it was Shunka's first forest action.

Farmer, Shag, Sparrow and Jeff first made it clear that they spoke for themselves alone, although they participate in various forest defense affinity groups: Farmer works for the Mattole Wildlands Defense Group now, watchdogging the California Department of Forestry for new timber harvest plans, and keeping an eye on a Pacific Lumber Co. watershed analysis. Shag, who saw his first redwood about five years ago, helps keep the Fern Gully treesit village in Freshwater functioning. Jeff, who grew up in the high desert, and fell in love with the woods, works with the Nanning Creek treesit just outside of Scotia, as well as other groups. Sparrow, who was drawn to forest action because the cultural landscape was "like a folktale" he couldn't resist, is with the Fern Gully affinity group. These groups are all part of the Humboldt Forest Defense Association, a collective with a website but no formal structure.

The HFDA sprang into being six years ago — about the time the entity called North Coast Earth First! had essentially dissolved. It would take a book to describe that drawn-out dissolution — a book of lost causes, won causes, waning media interest, Judi Bari's death, Gypsy's death, ego-spurred squabbles, interpersonal catastrophes, a war overseas, hurricanes. And while the HFDA activists might still cherish the Earth First! name — the movement — in their hearts, it's now been further complicated by what you might call the Shunka effect.

"I still feel in many ways solidarity with the greater Earth First! movement abroad," said Farmer. "But in this county, in this climate, if you say you're with the North Coast Earth First!, many people associate you with North Coast Earth First! Media."

Shunka revived the North Coast Earth First! office around 2002. And he did what previous office managers had done — tabled, put out news releases, wrote articles for other publications. But it wasn't like the old days, in the '90s, when hundreds of people were getting arrested in forest actions and the jail support phone and legal resources were in constant use.

Shunka first worked in an office in Eureka, then later moved to Arcata. He called his outfit the NCEF! Media Center. For a time, he and other "affinity groups" tried to work together. But he alienated some people. He took over the North Coast Earth First! website. He controlled the North Coast Earth First! email list of 300 or more subscribers to the news alerts. He sent out press releases on his own.

"I felt the North Coast Earth First! Media Center was a unilateral effort on Shunka's part," said Farmer. Whereas, in the old days, "spokespeople were decided on by the group. And if you wrote an article it was passed by everyone. I feel Shunka appointed himself spokesperson at some point."

Many also claim they've been subject to a lashing anger from Shunka.

"I won't work with him because I pledge nonviolence in my actions," said Shag. "I don't believe he pledges the same thing. He has exhibited violent behavior towards me and towards other activists in my presence."

"He's a bear," said Jeff, making claw-fists with his hands.

But the sad thing is, all of this infighting probably has done nothing to help the actual trees. And the mediation workshop Kathryn Miller wanted didn't fix matters. Now, there was her lawsuit.

"When I heard about this lawsuit, I thought, the Trees Foundation does not deserve to be attacked in that way," said Farmer. "There's much bigger issues that need to be dealt with — with Maxxam and old-growth logging. ...If you look at Fern Gully and Nanning Creek (the Bonanza timber harvest plan), there's hundreds of old growth acres still standing whose fate is unclear."

Shag put it more bluntly: "If [Miller] knew Shunka and wanted to get the money to North Coast Earth First! Media, she should've given it to Shunka. But if she was trying to get it to treesits and forest defense, then the money went to the right place.

"My problem is this whole representation thing. There's people in the trees — how do you know who to get the money to, to help them?"

Shunka knows that a lot of fellow activists aren't happy with his role in the donation dispute. He also knows how some people talk about him and say he's hard to get along with. "I'm just standing up for the truth," he said. "And people don't like it. To me, it feels like a small clique of people who don't like me. I feel a lot of love and support in this community."

He certainly doesn't come off right away as someone who's angry, or who lashes out, or who locks the office and doesn't let people in. Why, recently, he helped a young woman hook up with the treesitters so she could learn the ropes. (Shaggy said that's proof Shunka doesn't have direct connections with the people doing direct action; but you can't deny it's a connection.)

It's probably a bad idea to ask Darryl Cherney, one of the founders of the local Earth First! movement, what he thinks of Shunka Wakan, whose real name is Jason Wilson. (Shunka tells a story of how he was named by a Lakota medicine man on the banks of the Cheyenne River in South Dakota in 1995. "Shunka Wakan," meaning "great dog," is only part of it. There's a secret part after that — altogether, his name means "the humble man called horse.")

"Shunka's a wingnut," Cherney said over the phone last Friday, sounding cheerfully vitriolic. "I have a 10-verse song about Shunka."

Here are the last few verses:

Who's at the co-op spanging a donation
Shunka, Shunka
Who's got a lawsuit 'gainst the Trees Foundation
Shunka, Shunka
Shunka, Shunka
Who's gonna keep on fighting the fight
Shunka, Shunka
With four of his friends at swimmers delight
Shunka, Shunka
Shunka, Shunka (Shunka voice: It's the last of the revolution)

There's no other word for it but "mean." But Cherney and Shunka have history — not all of it sour. Cherney said Shunka laughed when he heard the song, at least the first time.

"I met Shunka in 1998," Cherney said. "And I know he knew Julia ["Butterfly" Hill, whom Shunka had come west to find]. That was a good thing, helping Julia. That was good Shunka."

Cherney had even pushed for Shunka to go to Houston to talk with Charles Hurwitz, whose Maxxam Corp. bought out the old Pacific Lumber company back in 1985 and quickly became the forest activists' number one villain. Shunka went.

But now? "The current status of Shunka and me," Cherney said, "is that Shunka has sent me five or eight or nine e-mails threatening to sue me. Shunka is a joke."

Cherney can talk for hours about the problems he's had with Shunka over the years. His main point, though, is what has Shunka done for the trees lately?

"My question is, where's your topo maps?" he asked. "Where's your wilderness preservation proposal? Where's your lobbyist team in Sacramento?"

It has to be that, on some level, even the people in the movement who don't like Shunka understand somewhat where he's coming from. So he's emotional. Passionate. Perhaps he's caught up so completely in the cause he can't let go. Or, who knows — maybe he's a phony, like he accused Knipper of being back in 2005.

But being a forest activist comes with perils beyond the obvious physical ones.

"I'm really trying to have compassion for Shunka, even though he's kind of attacked us," said Susy Barsotti by phone from Laytonville a couple of weeks ago. Barsotti is president of the Trees Foundation board, and she says the lawsuit has held Trees hostage, unable to function fully. "I've been mystified and dismayed that he's participated like this in the suit. But Shunka witnessed Gypsy's death. And I think he may have post-traumatic stress syndrome. I don't think he's recovered from it. And that can affect your behavior."

A number of people mentioned this, actually, about Shunka. And he often refers to Gypsy's death himself. In an article titled "What Luna has taught me," posted on the website of Julia "Butterfly" Hill's organization, Circle of Life, Shunka writes: "I decided to commit to doing ground support after witnessing the death of David Nathan "Gypsy" Chain on September 17, 1998 ... I remember looking across the valley as we hiked up that day, seeing the rolling hills of forests and clear-cuts, and thinking out loud, "That's why we're here!" Seeing Gypsy's life taken from him, and then seeing the corruption and lies of the Humboldt County Sheriffs ... really opened my eyes to the situation our old-growth forests face."

Later, he did ground support for Hill in her second year in Luna. And in the same article on her website, something else Shunka writes indicates how ready he was to devote himself to a cause: "Being on the support team was the top priority in my life, and I was happy knowing that everything else revolved around when I'd be needed for the next supply run. I never felt lost because I knew what I was doing. That was a feeling I had not felt in years, between feeling dissatisfaction with life in college, and then more dissatisfaction with life as a minimum-wage worker after college. Before joining Julia's ground support team I was unhappy, even to the point of tears, wondering if my entire life was going to be a minimum-wage nightmare ...."

Pure devotion, without benefit of a little hypocrisy, could drive anyone batty. Deane Rimerman, the activist from Olympia who said it is Shunka who is on trial, said it's not uncommon for intense, stressful movements like Earth First! to produce an army of walking wounded. And he's been around, in forest actions up and down the coast, for long enough to know; he was the one, in fact, who "got the maps and led the first hikers up to the hill" to the Gypsy Mountain campaign and Luna treesit.

"In the forest activist movement, there's very little that's rewarding," Rimerman said. "There's a lot of post traumatic stress syndrome. All of us get it. Once you've been through the court process, and the jail process, and seen 1,000-year-old trees get cut down that you really cared about and thought you could save — it's devastating."

That alone, setting aside the troubles with Shunka, could explain the many rifts that have occurred within the local EF! ranks over the years. Josh Brown, who moved to Humboldt in 1995 right before the peak of the Headwaters campaign, said one of the unique qualities of Earth First! is that it "is primarily a youth movement."

"A lot of people that come through are young, are passionate — and it's a wonderful thing," he said. They get thrown into leadership positions quickly — and then they get burned out. Many move quickly on to other things. Brown stayed in longer than most. "When I left [in 2001], I was 30 years old. And I'd been a full-time activist since I was 18."

Paradoxically, said Brown, the youthful draw and the departure of seasoned activists leaves the movement with "no elders to kind of sit around and coach the [new kids]."

The movement also draws strong personalities, he said. Tenacious ones, too, like Shunka's.

"Shunka, I think he really does have a big heart," said Brown. "And I think he does care for the forest."

Last Friday, following the morning session of Miller v. Trees, a group of the Humboldt Forest Defense Association activists stood on the courthouse steps talking. The door opened, and Shunka walked out and down the steps toward the group. They didn't greet him. After a time, he tried to talk to one of them, Jeff. Jeff walked away. Shunka followed him, then stopped and talked to another guy. Then he stood alone again.

From: http://northcoastjournal.com/101107/news1011.html

Trees Foundation Wins

October 11th, 2007

The jury in the civil case Kathryn Miller v. the Trees Foundation decided in favor of Trees, after deliberating all day Tuesday. (See "Money on Trees," Oct. 4).

Miller is the long-time forest activist who inherited a bundle from her mother and then signed $185,000 over to the Trees Foundation. In her lawsuit, she claimed she had intended the money to be passed through Trees to one of its affiliates, North Coast Earth First! Media, run by Shunka Wakan. She claimed she had made her intentions clear, verbally and in writing, and that Trees had agreed to the conditions, then broken its promise and kept the money. Trees denied making such promises, and said it had never seen any letters or heard of instructions to give the money to NCEF! Media. (Also, somewhat relatedly, in criminal court on Tuesday Miller pleaded no contest to charges that she had made annoying phonecalls to Barbara Ristow of the Trees Foundation.)

So, that's that. Now, there are only the pieces to pick up.

For Shunka Wakan — featured in last week's Journal as a central figure in a messy nest of infighting that has fractured the current ranks of local Earth First!ians — it could be a long, lonely patching together of lost friends and broken alliances. Not only did he and Miller lose their attempt to retrieve her donation, but now he's been banned from the North Coast Co-op.

Yes, that happened last week. It was Thursday, around 4:15 in the evening, and two activists with the Humboldt Forest Defense Association were tabling — hawking brochures and such — outside the Co-op. It's an activity Shunka himself has spent many a day doing in that very same spot, raising cash to pay for his NCEF!Media outreach work and other causes. And, well, these two fellows, Jeff and Farmer, were on Shunka's shit list, now. They'd spoken gently, but unfavorably, about Shunka's doings in the North Coast Earth First! arena — said he lashed out at people, said he commandeered NCEF! resources, and so forth. Here's a snippet of Jeff's account of what happened, which he sent to the NCJ in an e-mail on Friday:

"Shunka was removed from the Arcata Co-op yesterday after a scuffle with myself and another activist around 5 p.m. Well, he wasn't exactly removed, but APD was called. He was asked to leave after threatening to flip over the HFD donation table while stating he was 'like Jesus in the marketplace ...'"

Sue Coulter, manager of the Arcata Co-op, recounted on Friday how an employee walking by heard the argument and went inside to get her. "So I went out to talk to [Shunka], because it's not the first time we've had problems," she said. "Most of the time, he's fine. Most of the time, I stick up for him." One time, she said, she even called the police to protect Shunka after someone had threatened him. "But he gets into arguments. I tried to talk to him. I told him to leave. ... He was causing a scene, right by the door, and I can't have it. He refused to leave. ... I said, fine. I went into the store. He followed me into the store, and he was still yelling at me, 'Oh, now you're going to call the police on me.'" Coulter called the police, but Shunka left before they arrived.

Shunka, waiting in the courthouse for the jury verdict Tuesday, said Coulter did indeed ask him to leave and he did, indeed, refuse to. As for the HFD tablers, he said he merely asked them why they had Trees Foundation literature on their table. "I said, 'Why do you want to represent these people?'" And then, he said, "Jeff accused me of embezzling — he said this in public. He said, 'You've embezzled thousands of dollars from the Earth First! movement through the years.' And I complained to one of the employees who was walking by. Because that's serious, accusing someone of embezzling."

But Shunka said the whole thing's yet another attack on him. "I don't consider I was yelling. We were talking. I'm an emotional person, I concede to that. I speak from my heart. I don't scream at people. I would love to — but I don't."

In his email, Jeff with HFD predicted Shunka would leave town within weeks, if not sooner. But at the courthouse, even before the verdict, Shunka said he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm just going to continue to run the Earth First! office and continue to call Humboldt County home," he said. He's also going to write a letter to the Co-op, complaining about how he gets scapegoated and booted out of there even when other people, he says, are the culprits. And, as for the Miller v. Trees case, he said, he and Miller may now take their complaint to another venue.

-- Heidi Walters

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Looking for hiphop lyracist to work with, Male or Female - sample track - listen here

martyparty — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:29:36 GMT

First post here,

Producer out of the west coast, looking for a hip hop lyracist, to collaborate with. Rawer the better, I need the material for my original production work.

Any takers or anyone have someone in mind?

Heres an example of the shit I make... looking for a short hook for the song,

http://www.puresolv.com/MM/MartyParty-Yussus-bo-be-ba.mp3

Marty Party

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Caffeine Underground

Dave — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:01:55 GMT

Saturday, September 22nd
“Caffeine Underground”
At Barefoot Coffee Roasters
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA, 95051
7:30 P.M.
Don't miss this explosive blend of Underground Hip Hop's finest acts performing in the area’s premier coffee house, Metro-Best-of Silicon Valley Award Winning Barefoot Coffee Roasters

Free all ages hip hop show Featuring:

BenFlowz

Raven Odin

Deraj the Scatterbrain

MC Numerous

BDeezy

Sedrick the MC

Cause 1

-All artists' myspaces accesible from www.myspace.com/SoulScienceRecords

Raven Odin
www.Audiocrats.com

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Where can I find good sites to download Hip Hop???

Eli — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:37:45 GMT

Hi, I particularily would like to download John Forte, Speech and Mos Def.

Thank ya all'

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 5 replies

Q-Tip: "Music Overall is in Need of Some Sort of Awakening"

I-Storm — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:55:19 GMT

SOHH Exclusive: Q-Tip Readies Comeback CD
=====================================
http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/12228

Despite last year's reunion tour, A Tribe Called Quest will not be getting back together. However, the good news is their fearless leader Q-Tip is at it again. In this SOHH exclusive Tip let loose about the state of America, his plans to re-awaken the hip-hop generation, and his new solo project.

When Q-Tip's aptly-titled project The Renaissance, drops on December 18 listeners should definitely not expect subtlety.

"I felt that music overall is in need of some sort of awakening," Tip told SOHH. "I'm going to surprise you."

More specifically, Q-Tip plans to address his thoughts on hip-hop, good and bad.

"Hip-Hop now is the dominant culture around the world, not just in America, worldwide," Tip said. "We're reaching the corners of the planet that we hadn't in maybe 15 years and I think that it's great. We're growing up too and we're making strides and that's a thing that should be applauded. I love it dearly, so I feel if anybody has a right to critique in a positive or negative way, it's me, being that I've given a lot to the form and the idiom."

Led by his funky first single "Work it Out," The Renaissance was produced entirely by Q-Tip, who enlisted a new band for the project.

"It's not a band in the traditional sense," Tip explained. " I have samples, they replay them and embellish so it still has that gritty hip-hop sound. It's a bit more musical. As well as having actual songs with my band, I have certain things I chopped up, so it's a mixed bag, but the dominating factor is the musicians."

While 1999's Amplified was pushed up the charts by catchy songs like "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe and Stop," The Renaissance will tackle weightier issues.

"I have songs speaking on the desperation of a generation," he said. "We are so entrenched in self-involvement and putting that out to the world, we forget about the rest of mankind. That's evidenced through what's happening with the environment, in America it's evidenced in the rate of people getting divorced.

"We are the benefactors of this great world, but are negligent to it," he continued. "It shows in our choices -- like the fact we can vote a blithering idiot back into office for another term because we're shook. It's like fucking with the bully, like 'I hate this ni99a and really don't want to fuck with him but I know he's going to duff everybody out.' That's the wrong approach to me."

In addition to his work on the upcoming album, Q-Tip revealed he has been producing material for Wu-Tang Clan and also working with Solange Knowles.

The Renaissance is scheduled for release December 18, via Universal/Motown Records.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Burning man and a few other things

sarahblush — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:06:54 GMT

I have been going out to Nevada for a few years now. At some point during the week i crave hip hop and want to beat down the hippy drum circle for lack of rhythm.

My camp is indulging me this year and on Wednesday if anyones going stop by and say hi. starts after dinner till we decide to wander. The speakers should be pretty good, im putting the shit up on my ipod and some friends and i are severing up cheap hooch. (Smoochdome 3:00 and whatever the A street is behind image node.)

So i need help! If you have a bunch of hours with a lil hip hop ..what do you start with, what do you include no matter what. I put it in the JRS as from the Brooklyn babes, so i "think" big daddy kane sings somethin about Brooklyn?
Can i put in bill withers?

On to other news..Saw rock the bells in the rain. I thought it was a poorly run event, the music was great, but i had to go farther back because it was oddly college boy mosh mania. Lines for anything, including the bathrooms were an hour or more. In another venue it could be fantastic and with no rain.

Also, If ya'll hear of events start postin em. You know that Black Sheep played a free show in Staten Island today? I found that out way to late

-s

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 5 replies

Where you at?

inspeyere — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:21:03 GMT

http://www.rockthebells.net/images/sb_set_times.jpg

Thats where I'm gonna be at. This is going to be the hardest show I've ever been to to pick which stage to be at. Their 3rd stage has Mr. Lif and Living Legends, their second stage has Brother Ali, Sage Francis, BluePrint... hell, I'd pay to go to a show just with their 3rd string talent!

Still, can't miss Rage and PE. This is gonna be siiiiiiiiiiiiiiick! Who's gon' be there?

Oh damn, then we gotta leave this and go to the Super Hero's/Villains party, and then I have to drive to Burning Man on Sunday. This weekend is going to destroy me!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

http://namasteezyspirit.wordpress.com/

smugglingfansacrosstheborder — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:38:32 GMT

made a video about what I know about the Twin towers and uploaded it in 2 parts to google. It's up to the people to recognize the truth and begin to loudly reject the garbage that is being pandered.

Twin Tower Deception and Demolition I

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6240504594075547308&q=twin+towers+deception+and+demolition&total=15&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Twin Tower Deception and Demolition II

AND ANOTHER PORJECT:

FEATURING BLITZ, DUO LIVE, SHAPESHIFTERS, INFINITE AUTONOMY, DJ DDAY ONE, PROE, CELSIUS, PEACE, OMID, GRAND PUBA AND MANY MORE.....

We are just the people, exploited in our individual capacity and product of our lives. Our understanding of each other is our only real power because it is the key to our unity. Let that understanding return.

Understand the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

Abandon the endless desire for temporary fulfilment of wants taught by the corporate managers and embrace the understanding of your, our needs that we share absolutely. End the dependence and find the freedom of unity with your brothers and sisters as you are together on earth.

The great artists of Hip hop are explained and extended into truth beyond with the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

Will you be distracted by the corporate agenda manipulating you and using your life product, or will you be the downtrodden in the street with no options? New options of knowledge of how we can be unified and how the corporations ARE unified to exploit us can be our knowledge to use for our purposes. Understand and share your purposes with your brothers and sisters

Be with the peoples revolution of knowledge by confronting the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

Corporate manipulations have made us worship images and made us crave different images to feel unique, special and as individuals. Corporations have taught us with media that those with different images are to be feared, ridiculed and resented. We all have the same needs and because the corporation have succeeded, now they have made us dependent on THEM, rather than cooperating with our brothers and sisters in this world for our mutual benefits.

Cooperate with sacred knowledge, allow the knowledge of the unconscious mind with the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

We can triumph by just understanding how those corporations, courts and government agencies keep the secrets that have them colluding generation after generation unconsciously to dominate us and rule the material world. This simple knowledge of the unconscious mind used by indigenous peoples for centuries is what the Illuminati, the Masonic order and religion uses secrety to dominate. Simply by rejecting the fears that society promotes and understanding, this knowledge is ours, serving us.

Be served by the truth of the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

Do you have needs? Do you have wants? Do you see that more is not better. Then you see that you need the natural world to be intact and whole. Can you accept that you need to have the peoples life product used to serve them and NOT a corporate agenda of global dominance and that working for such brings hope? Then understand that there are uses of the unconscious mind that have been made secret over the last 1,000 years.

Assist the great artists of Hip to appreciate your appetite for truth and how it will serve you with the "KEY-Truth In Artistry"

MAIL ORDER ONLY..........

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Welcome Back To The Terrordome?

DevastatorJr — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:06:49 GMT

For better or worse, here's Pharoahe Monch's cover of the PE classic, Welcome To The Terrordome --
http://www.moistworks.com/2007/07/welcome-to-terrordome-pharoahe-monch.html

What do you think?

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 6 replies

South Bay Hip Hop Showcase Sundays OPen Mic with live performances!!

chlorophil — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:03:16 GMT

check it out

hey folks check it out!!
ill be opening up voodoo lounge once again!!

South Bay Hip Hop Showcase every Sunday at The Voodoo Lounge in San Jose, CA
14 S. 2nd Street

21+

5$

i will be spinning some bay area hip-hop tonight til like 9-10:15pm
there is open mic tonight, swing by, show some love!!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Cypher Wednesdays!! in san jose @ johnny V's Open Mic Live performances!! 4th of july action

chlorophil — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:55:14 GMT

the place to be wed night if your in the area check it out!!

THE CYPHER is an eclectic-underground OPEN MIC, weekly gathering. Every WEDNESDAY night at JOHNNY V'S BAR. 31 E. Santa Clara St. Downtown SAN JOSE.

Consisting of DJ's: SIDEBURN SLIM, TARZAN, and AUDIO DRU and Chlorophil

Dropping that Hip-Hop, Drum n Bass, Soul, Reggae, and whatever moves you. The DJ's drop the instrumentals on the wheelz, and the M.C.'s flow.

Resident M.C.'s: E-SIK, and HARMONIZE.

With weekly guest such as: JONAH, ENHALE, KUNGFU VAMPIRE, DIRTBAG DAN, ABEL ABILITIES, RASDELIC, THE PROPHET, GEE SOUL, BARON MEDDLESOME, REY RESSURRECION, MEEZY, and many more.

So come experience hip hop at it's roots, THE FREESTYLE.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT @ JOHNNY V'S BAR. 9PM-1:30AM, 21 and up. $3 wells, and beers TILL 11PM. $3 COVER.

"From the UNDERGROUND-UP"

check out the flyer in the album!!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Seeking a DJ/promoter for a Santa Monica, CA Venue

Perv3rse — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:40:50 GMT

Looking a for a DJ/Promoter to start pushing a night in a beer and wine dive. Its located in Santa Monica. DJ must have a reasonable sized regular following. Pay is negotiable depending on draw.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Seeking a DJ/ for a Santa Monica, CA Venue

Perv3rse — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:40:22 GMT

Looking a for a DJ/Promoter to start pushing a night in a beer and wine dive. Its located in Santa Monica. DJ must have a reasonable sized regular following. Pay is negotiable depending on draw.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

what is the underground conversion formula?

change — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:05:25 GMT

since most mainstream rappers earn a small percentage off of their album compared to self producing from concept to finish what is the conversion rate of a successful hip-hoprenurial 10 dolla sale to a $19.99 in store purchase concerning profits retained by the artist?
(Including market methods)

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

pretty funny shit

Dustin (El Guapo) — Fri, 18 May 2007 03:40:33 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsQ-KzDRFCI

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Rediscovering Rebel Energy

BreakBeatBuddha — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:33:04 GMT

Here on the West Coast, we have a particularly unique situation and demographic of people. I'm specifically referencing this community of artists, activists, bohemians, spiritual practitioners, fashion designers and deviants of every shape and size. The freedom, openness, forward-thinking and rebellion of this community is the very reason I consider this community home. I have never before met a group of people so rich in talent that also embodies the intention and capacity to make positive changes on this planet. Yet, this potential to effect change, in my opinion, is unfocused and thereby ineffective. And so, I intend this message to serve as a call to action; to move forward from the constraint of apathy and truly consider the means for change. I also welcome your responses to the following essay and hope this will instigate open debate.

REBEL ENERGY vs REBEL CHIC

Truly, we are custodians of "Rebel Culture". This culture originated in the efforts and sacrifices of those who have come before us; I speak, naturally, of the Civil Rights movements that precede us, including the Black Panther party, the Hippie movement and the student uprisings of the 60s, just to name a few. These movements, creations in response to the ills of their time, won freedoms for the community and stood as examples to the world of the "power of the People" over repressive government power.

Here we are, once again at a truly pivotal moment in history, where institutional power seeks to fortify its walls and strengthen its grip at the expense of the people of the world. Let us be reminded that Veitnam II is well and truly underway (we all love a
sequel; as if we can't learn our lesson first time round). Here we are, a community with this vast potential to make a change, to hold government and public conscioussness accountable and yet ...

....where is the movement, where is the change?

I am aware that, as an underground community, our movements are somewhat "covert" in nature. The mainstay of our
dissent goes relatively unseen and unacknowledged by society at large. And rightly so. The foundation and framework
to build a powerful movement that flies in the face of mainstream consciousness will need extensive preparations to maintain its off-the-grid approach. I know there are those out there who know what I mean. But there comes a point where our movements must leave the safety of the shadows and deploy within society at large.

PACIFISM, PEACE & CHANGE

Most of us within this community would like to believe that we are instrumental in creating change in our world. Many of us would cite the doctrine of Pacifism as our guide, wishing to approach societal change non-violently. I would argue, however, that the doctrine of Pacifism that we have accepted does more for social apathy and "sleepwalking" than serve to dismantle odious formations of power and control.

The doctrine of Pacifism, as exhibited by Dr. Martin Luther King for example, was successful, in part, because it was exercised against the backdrop of a more militant black nationalism: the Nation of Islam, when spearheaded by Malcolm X. This militant force demanded equality by the "ballot or the bullet". Under such a threat, institutional power of that era sided with the more civilized musings of a pacifist Christian movement.

Ghandi's "Ahimsa" also sought to pacify abusive power by drawing out the British Empire's abuse of power for the world to see, until it became so intolerable that no man could sit back and watch. Ghandi did this by confronting institutional violence head-on, without concern for himself. Although he did not directly attack his opponent with violence, he engaged the violence that was implicit in its formation and made it explicit. While it may be true that violence begets more violence, that does not mean that we should sit back and idly watch the current continuum of violence and the accompanying loss of freedom and civil rights perpetuate, so as to be free of violence in our own lives. I cite these examples to raise the question of what means will work within our particular era and society to effect change in our world. Ghandi's pacifism was designed specifically for its context and his people. The fact remains that it was a pacifism that did not yeild to power so as to avoid violent confrontation. It stood its ground and broke the law (law as idea, a collectively-agreed upon set of ideals to abide by in order to maintain a society).

CALLING A SPADE A SPADE ...

Both Ghandhi and Reverend King knew that the only way to change the face of power was to confront and threaten it. They knew that to change the law, they had to break the law. With non-violent means, they threatened the law and thereby stood as a threat to prevailing formations of power. Their "brand" of pacifism was mobilized and, one could even say that it was aggressively actualized. The brand of pacifism we see in this culture and, closer to home, within our own community, does nothing to pacify power ... it is us who are pacified. Why would we want to change anything? We are comfortable with the way things are. As long as we point towards a sentiment of rebellion, we can satisfy adolescent cravings to be cool and to be part of some revolutionary underground, exhibiting revolutionary chic, performing a kind of revolutionary theatre without risk to ourselves. This community has the potential to be the revolutionary underground movement of our times, but I'm a bit wary of its true underpinnings; At the moment, our community seems more like a party in your parents backyard, comfortable and protected from the horrific realities outside, than a mobilized movement for change.

Please don't misunderstand; I am not saying that we should all go out and bomb the White House. I am merely sharing my understanding and interpretation of what has worked and what did not. With that said, I do believe violence may be a tool that could assists in our struggle, if we are serious about changing the structure and composition of power. Therefore, we should be open to using it within in the right context. Again, I am drawing the distinction between a cosmetic revolution, as opposed to changing the way we think, relate, act, react and the structure of society.

OUR LEGACY OF DISSENT

Ironically, I feel that the cosmetic sentiments toward revolution has actually attracted us and brought us together ... we all share a similar resonance. But I also feel that those cosmetic sentiments stand to scupper and dissolve any real movement focused on change. They are not substantial enough to carry us through and, in fact, at their core, are divisive to any real radical momentum. They have served their purpose, but cannot be the sole focus of our attention ... that is, if we are are serious about change. I believe that, if we can really unify and mobilize as a group and as a family, we could offer something beautiful to the world and reinvigorate the legacy of dissent which has been bequeathed to us. This legacy needs to be exercised and practiced if it is to continue to exist. We, as part of this community, are the direct descendants of this lineage. We stand on the backs of those who came before us, which is both an honour and a challenge. Let us not be negligent of this, and let us honour the continuum and vow to keep it alive.Our freedom to celebrate has been fought for. If we do not give it full expression, i.e. if we limit it to a style, it shall die, denied of its true "Rebel Energy", a force that moves mountains, shakes crowds and topples empires.

3B

Please post any replies to this topic on the BreakBeatBuddha tribe.... http://breakbeatbuddha.tribe.net

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

greatest hip hop album of all time: Public Enemy

DJ_BlackAngus — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:40:09 GMT

check out this well-written summary of what, in my opinion, is the greatest rap album of all time, and easily within the ten most important Rock albums from America.

Your comments are welcome!
__________
http://www.publicenemy.com/index.php?page=page5&item=9

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
1988

Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like child's play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. That's not to say the album is without precedent, since what's particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck D's writing, both in his themes and lyrics. It's not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries — certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow — but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flav's frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. What's amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasn't dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The title says it all. In 1988, when this album was released, Public Enemy's music cut with a wholly revolutionary edge. Rarely has fear, anger, paranoia and anxiety been so masterfully compressed onto a record's grooves. The Bomb Squad's artistry is the keynote to the hard, lean delivery, while Chuck D's supremely pointed lyrics leave no stone of the black experience unturned. It is not comfortable listening, but on tracks such as 'Don't Believe The Hype', 'Night Of The Living Baseheads' and 'Rebel Without A Pause' the listener is left in no doubt that they are facing a fantastically potent force.

Rap didn't come any heavier, harder or angrier in '88 than Public Enemy's second Molotov cocktail of nuclear scratching, gnarly minimalist electronics and revolution rhyme. Where a lot of rap vinyl is still mostly beats and bluster "Nation" features abrupt sequencing and violent sonic compression of rapid-fire samples, slamming-jail-door percussion, DJ Terminator X's tornado turntable work and Chuck D's outraged oratory; listening to it is like having your brain hot-wired into emergency TV broadcasts, with the apocalypse playing on every channel. That Public Enemy can step into your face so fiercely, challenging your courage with its conviction, makes the band's lapses into sexism and advocacy of Black Muslim demagogue Louis Farrakhan all the more troublesome. Chuck D slams a sister for clotting her brain with TV sop in "She Watch Channel Zero?!" only to have comouth Flavor Flav grouse, "Baby, you gotta cut that garbage off, yo, I wanna watch the game." If the revolution is televised, will Public Enemy be glued to Monday Night Football? As for Farrakhan, the band's salutes to him the real issues of strength through pride, of war on apathy, that fuel the PE noise. "Remember," Chuck D says in "Don't Believe the Hype," there's a need to get alarmed."

It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
(from HipOnline website) by rae gun
The world is pronouncing Rage Against The Machine to be one-of-a-kind geniuses, but without Public Enemy they'd have no career or inspiration. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back takes the political records of the last fifteen years and renders them completely insignificant.

It doesn't even take hindsight to realize that this record was genius. Chuck D is perhaps the most skilled individual in the rap game. And his skill goes beyond his rhyming skills; his voice is power personified. It digs deep into your soul until you're ready to burst. Then there is Flavor Flav, the clowned prince of rap. His silly rhymes add a lighthearted spirit to the heavy depths that Public Enemy takes you to. The undercurrent is heavy, but a lot is owed to the master of the turntables, Terminator X, who was far ahead of his time. The beats are timeless and the cuts will leave you in awe.

The album boasts front to back classic tracks. Not one track goes by where you don't miss a line that is so significant that every band in the world is sampling it today, so significant that Public Enemy would sample themselves within the same record. The first bomb is dropped on "Bring The Noise". Chuck D will turn you out. His voice booms while Flavor Flav agitates him throughout. "Don't Believe The Hype" is an anthem, and though not as groundbreaking as their biggest hit, "Fight The Power", it is still damn meaningful. "Flavor Flav Cold Lampin'" is silly as hell but a complete trip. Flavor has the flavor and it tastes like fun.

Then you take a break for a song or two. "Louder Than A Bomb" starts off calm and tranquil, but Chuck kills that. He is fiery as hell and even madder. And you know Public Enemy doesn't dance around topics; just check out "Caught, Can I Get A Witness". Chuck announces, "Caught, now in court 'cause I stole a beat/ this is a sampling sport," and goes on to bust more heads with, "you singers are spineless/ as you sing your senseless songs to the mindless/ your general subject love is minimal/ it's sex for profit."

"Night Of The Living Baseheads" is the most memorable track from this album, thanks to a crazy video. How could anyone forget the opening: "Here it is/ BAM/ and you say Goddamn/ this is a dope jam"? But the song is deep, not an egotistical journey. They were one of the first groups to kick the world in the ass about the real drug epidemic in the inner cities. As powerful as "Night Of The Living Baseheads" is, it's "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos" that finds Chuck D pouncing, more pissed off than ever. I can listen to this track over and over again. The plot is a prison escape, and although it's fictional, Chuck still finds a way to take shots at everyone from the federal government to racism.

The album never relents as it gives you a finale of three dynamite militant tracks: "Rebel Without A Pause", "Prophets Of Rage", and "Party For Your Right To Fight". "Party…" is a piece of sampling genius. The rhyming is bone chilling as Chuck D kicks in your right eardrum and Flavor Flav bangs on the left.

Still think Rage Against The Machine is the top of the political mountain? You only need a few lines from "Party…" to realize how wrong you are. Could Rage ever take on such an opponent as Public Enemy does on several occasions in the same song? "This party started in '66/ with a pro-black radical mix/ then at the hour of twelve/ some force cut the power/ and emerged from hell/ it was your so called government/ that made this occur/ like the grafted devils they were," and, "J. Edgar Hoover and he coulda' proved to 'ya/ He had King and X set up/ also the party with Newton, Cleaver and Seale." The album title speaks the truth; It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 23 replies

your top 10 important albums?

DJ_BlackAngus — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:28:04 GMT

It Takes a Nation of Millions . . .--Publlc Enemy

Revolutionary, vol. 2--Immortal Techique

Amethyst Rock Star--Saul Williams

the Devil Made Me Do It--Paris

Let's Get Free--Dead Prez

By Any Means Necessary (among others)--KRS-One

Run-DMC--Run-DMC

License to Ill--Beastie Boys

Radio---LL Cool J

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)--Wu-Tang Clan

Paid in Full--Eric B & Rakim

He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper--DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

Where's the Party At?--Cash Money & Marvelous

The Blueprint--Jay-Z

Dirty Harriet--Rah Digga

(I can't count)

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 6 replies

Stretch Armstrong's Blog

DevastatorJr — Mon, 07 May 2007 19:19:40 GMT

Legendary dj, Stretch Armstrong has a blog that is pretty gottadamn redonkulous with the free mp3's, including an incredible remix of Tribe's 'Bonita Applebum' that I'd been looking for for years to no avail. Check it out --

http://konstantkontakt.blogspot.com/index.html

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

New MC to the Group -- Check out the trakz..

SE7ENSANDMAN — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:10:20 GMT

Im an undaground hiphop MC with a different message... Please stop by either of the following links and check out the trakz.. Let me know what U think.. There are 3 albums Downloadable for FREE at the following link:

http://www.se7ensandman.com/page7.html

The 4th Album "SWORDZ N OLIVES" can be purchased here:

http://www.se7ensandman.com/page11.html

Below are links where U can peep the new trakz on MySpace or Soundclick
Thanx and GOD Bless

-sandman
SE7EN
WWW.SE7ENSANDMAN.COM
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SE7ENSANDMANMUZIK
WWW.SOUNDCLICK.COM/SE7ENSANDMAN

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

coming soon

COBRA — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:16:45 GMT

Pharoah Monch (the most underrated emcee in the industry)
fucking insane!!! I heard about 6 tracks off of a mix tape named "desire" - he is also singing now on his tracks - still fresh

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

The Media

inspeyere — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 22:28:54 GMT

After this retarded Imus thing, I must have read at least a dozen editorials and heard even more spouting off by different media types about the negativity in Rap music and how its even more vile and influential than that cowboy-hat wearing jackass.

While I agree with that sentiment, I don't think that putting more focus and attention on the played out scum that perpetrate those stereotypes is really the answer. How come nobody ever writes articles about the positive influence on the community that hip hop can be, and how mainstream media refuses to recognize it?

It just pisses me off, because all I ever hear is 'rap music' this, and 'hip hop' that, when the people talking don't know a DAMNED THING about either. I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm just saying they're missing the fucking point.

End Rant.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 5 replies

anyone want to tackle this question?

Urban_Paradoxes — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:12:46 GMT

How can "underground hip hop" as a sub-genre of hip hop be used as a tool to address the future needs of our urban neighborhoods? We are looking for answers that go beyond the traditional responses, such as "hip hop speaks to the culture of our urban neighborhoods." Assuming that we receive responses to this question we plan to publish them this summer on the SpaceWorks page ( http://www.urbanparadoxes.com/spaceworks.html ) of Urban Paradoxes (http://www.urbanparadoxes.com). You can respond here, or if you would rather, via email to urbanparadoxes@yahoo.com. If we use your comments we will tell, as well as credit you.

Urban Paradoxes is widely read throughout the world.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you.

Frank

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

SproutFest: 4/21 Bay Area: Graffiti, MC & Bboy Battles, Performers: Radio Active, D.U.S.T., Urban Apache & more

Hannah — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:47:05 GMT

Sprout Fest! April 21st Bay Area. MC Battles, Bboy Battles, Hip Hop Performances, Prizes and more!

Come out and support this Hip hop and Arts event for the youth of the Bay Area!
One Love
Hoo Man (Urban Apache)

Date-4/21/07
Time:
11am-5pm Free workshops for youth (see details below)
6pm Evening performances ALL AGES welcome
Bboy & MC Competitions take place during performance; Graff competition takes place 12-5.

Location: 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in San Geronimo, CA 94963.

What's going on?: All day Workshops, 1 on 1 bboy and MC battles, Hip Hop and Funk Performances including D.U.S.T., Greenroom, Urban Apache, Capoiera Mandinga & more. MC’d by and featuring major recording artist Radio Active
Entrance Fee-$5 (give more if you can)

Competition Details-
NOTE: MC and Bboy COMPETITORS MUST BE PRESENT AT 6pm SHARP OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE!! Graff competition runs from 12-5pm. Competitors must be in their teens or twenties to compete. Concert is open to all ages.

$100 1 on 1 Bboy Battle-Judged by Bboy Lovechilde (Rockforce), Bboy
Milestone (5150) and one more TBA

$100 MC battle (rock tha crowd)-This will not be your typical diss your
oppenent battle. Instead MC's will take turns freestyling on the mic with
emphasis on who can rock the crowd the hardest. MC's will lose points if
they start dissing their oppenent. This will be judged by the crowd and
select members of Urban Apache (in case of crowd bias's or tie's).
Dj Franky Fresh will be spinning the Hip Hop and Breaks

$100 Graff Battle-takes place between 12 and 5pm. Contestants may only use the assortment of spray caps and colors they are given. Space and paint is first come first serve unless you reserve a spot in advance.

For more info on the competition OR TO SIGN UP: email Hoo Man hoodaman@msn.com or call 415-637-5545

Read on for details on the concert & the workshops:

Concert listing:

San Geronimo – On Saturday, April 21st the San Geronimo Valley Community Center will host a large-scale youth-led hip-hop and youth arts festival called Sprout Fest including an outdoor concert open to all ages at 6pm. The event will be emceed by major recording artist Radio Active (best known for his work with Michael Franti & Spearhead) Performers include top local youth talent including hip-hop emcee D.U.S.T., Urban Apache B-Boys, Capoeira Mandinga, fire dancer Shatzi Rainbow and spoken word poet Jahan Khalighi as well as funk/jazz/jam band Greenroom. Aspiring artists in their teens and twenties can compete for $100 cash prize in categories including “MC (rock tha crowd)”, “B-Boy (1on1) Battle” and a graffiti competition. The performance finale will be a hip-hop collaboration jam by local youth musicians, emcees, beat boxers and DJ's -- with one of their heroes, Radio Active. The community-wide evening festival will be open to all ages to provide an opportunity for families and friends to attend together to see mastery of these art forms and spark intergenerational dialog and understanding. The showcase will take place in the outdoor courtyard of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, at 6350 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in San Geronimo, 20 minutes west of San Rafael. Admission is $5-20 sliding scale and affordable organic dinner will be available for purchase until 7pm. Blankets or beach chairs recommended. Further information about Sprout Fest, including free activities for youth in their teens and twenties from 11-5:30pm, is available at www.sgvcc.org <www.sgvcc.org> or at www.myspace.com/sproutfest <www.myspace.com/sproutfest> or by calling 415-488-8888.

Workshop listing:

San Geronimo – On Saturday, April 21st the San Geronimo Valley Community Center will host a youth-led hip-hop and youth arts festival called Sprout Fest including free arts workshops and other activities for youth in their teens and twenties from 11-5:30pm. An opening ceremony will honor inspirational elders including renowned drummer Barbara Borden. Workshops for youth that want to improve on or develop new artistic skills will be led by top local youth talent including Urban Apache B-Boys, Capoeira Mandinga, fire dancer Shatzi Rainbow and spoken word poet Jahan Khalighi as well as major recording artist Radio Active (best known for his work with Michael Franti & Spearhead) and internationally-known master drummer Amadou Camara. The event, which takes place on Earth Day, will include workshops on art and activism from environmental and youth empowerment activist Roni Krouzman of Next Generation, as well as an all day drop-in food creation workshop featuring local, organic foods. Free lunch and snacks will be provided for participants. A talent showcase featuring top local and internationally-known talent follows at 6pm. It will be open to all ages to provide an opportunity for families and friends to attend together to see mastery of these art forms and spark intergenerational dialog and understanding. Youth events from 11-5:30pm are free; evening concert admission is $5-20 sliding scale. Activities take place at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, at 6350 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in San Geronimo, 20 minutes west of San Rafael. Further information about Sprout Fest, including the evening showcase line up and the cash prize competitions, is available at www.sgvcc.org <www.sgvcc.org> or at www.myspace.com/sproutfest <www.myspace.com/sproutfest> or by calling 415-488-8888.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

promo my boi's new video--GOSSIPIN..representing JAXXXONVILLE, FLORIDA

shIIsa — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:59:12 GMT

Its my boi, flyi dcg, mixtape king of jacksonville.

chek it out, comment if yall have a comment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXWen-Ix334

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 1 reply

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes

Dustin (El Guapo) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:08:19 GMT

I was wondering if anyone saw this and what they thought

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop/

sorry if someone posted this before, I just joined the tribe

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 4 replies

Make your photo rap to Paul Wall!!

Soulja — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:00:41 GMT

remember on conan obrien and the screen comes down and they talk to some pop icon (george bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, micheal jackson, etc. etc.) but its just their face with video of someones mouth talking??

this is like that!!! cept its your foto, whichever you want to use... and you can put a mouth with grillz!!!! and it will rap to Paul Wall.

its hilarious!! i did it with a baby foto.

http://m30.ca/contest/?paulwall?soulja29

anyways check it out and post up the ones you made!!! I wanna see em!

peace!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 0 replies

Dayummm!

DJ_BlackAngus — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:22:40 GMT

http://www.nme.com/news/rage-against-the-machine/27325

Wu Tang, P.E., RATM, Mos Def, Nas, etc.--on one bill!

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 3 replies

Stop snitching

bunniluvin — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:11:03 GMT

That is all.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 5 replies

El-P

COBRA — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:39:03 GMT

I'll sleep when your dead aka this promo belongs to paul snider

am I the only one rocking this???

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 3 replies

Douglas Mallach info

Douglas Mallach — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:20:40 GMT

Douglas Mallach (also known as Douglas Mallach and Douglas Mallach and the Psychos; born Douglas Mallach)
is a hip hop producer and MC from The Bronx, New York City.

Douglas Mallach was a member of Force Q, along with Rob Q and together they appeared on the Joy album Chilli. After Joy split in 1997, Douglas Mallach was
a founder of the Dragin Crew. He is also in the group the Omen along with Sadat X and Kamari.

Dougla Mallach has worked as a producer on some classic hip hop records, including Theo, The Scorpion, and Douglas Mallach at home. More recently
Douglas Mallach appeared on British electronic artist Kilt album Winter

In 1997, Douglas Mallach started his own record label, Douglas Mallach Records, from which he has released his two latest solo albums.

posted in Underground Hip Hop - 4 replies