Fat Cap magazine

DJ Premier’s Top 25 Albums of 2011 (download)

2012-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Like every year DJ Premier presents to you
his top 25 albums of a year, also in 2010 he did that.
There’s always a big commotion around it
but check out Premos top 25 of 2011:

Rank:

25. Large Professor & Neek The Exotic – Still On The Hustle
24. Edo G – A Face In The Crowd
23. Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz – Heavy Metal Kings
22. Greneberg – Greneberg
21. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done

20. Apathy – Honkey Kong
19. The Away Team – Scars And Stripes
18. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
17. Torae – For The Record
16. Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah – Lyrical Workout
15. Common – The Dreamer, The Believer
14. Maffew Ragazino Sr. – Rhyme Pays
13. Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel
12. Drake – Take Care
11. Statik Selektah – Population Control

10. Random Axe – Random Axe
09. Malcolm And Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
08. Royce da 5’9″ – Success Is Certain
07. Phonte – Charity Starts At Home
06. 50 Cent – The Big 10
05. Reks – R.E.K.S.
04. M.O.P. & Snowgoons – Sparta
03. Evidence – Cats & Dogs
02. 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
01. Game – The R.E.D. Album

Fat cap magazine has put together a
DJ Premier’s
Top 25 Albums of 2011 (download)
A compilation of one track from each album.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Click image for tracklist;

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

VIA
DJ Premier

Related links;
DJ Premier's Top 20 of 2010
and
Fat Cap magazine 2010 rap albums roundup
and
DJ Premier's Top 20 of 2009
and
DJ Premier's Top 20 of 2008
and
DJ Premier picks his: Favorite albums of all time
and
DJ Premier Gives Backstory On Entire Gang Starr Catalog
and
Interviews from the past part 2; Guru of GangStarr (1992)
and
MC Eiht & DJ Premier is currently cooking up a album set to be released summer 2010
and
Guru tributes (graffiti)

Classic Hits book preview by Dokument

2012-01-10T02:43:00.000-08:00

The guys of Dokument Press put a trailer on the net of their upcoming book Classic Hits. It seems that we have to save some money for this Spring!

Classic Hits — New York’s Pioneering Subway Graffiti Writers,
is a book by Alan Fleisher and Paul Iovino, with Introduction by Phase 2.
Classic Hits is the most visual book on early 1970s graffiti ever published!
Early 70s New York saw the growth of a new phenomenon.
Graffiti is the greatest and most influential artistic movement of our time.
It was created by kids, for kids.
In Classic Hits, the key persons and pioneers tell their own story.
Classic Hits is an eye- opening first-hand story told in unique pictures and text.
From Taki 183 to Blade to Iz the Wiz.
Their names have garnered star status far beyond graffiti culture,
and without them, no Seen, no Banksy, no Revok.
In Classic Hits, the pioneers talk about
how they got started and where graffiti took them.
Together, the essays offer an invaluable picture of graffiti in the early, playful years.
Author Alan Fleisher started writing graffiti in the Bronx in 1972.
Un- like most, he always carried his camera with him.
Through his many adventures in the subway depots,
he got to know several of the greatest writers of New York.
His experiences give Classic Hits a unique insider view.
Essays and quotations by:
Ale One, All Jive 161, Blade, Cay 161, Checker 170, Clyde,
Death, Fdt 56, Flint 707, Iz The Wiz, Jester 1, Joe 182, Lava, Lsd OM,
Mico, Pnut 2, Roger 1, Ski 168, Snake 1, Taki 183 and Vamm.

VIA
http://www.lectrics.fr/?p=10963
and
http://dokument.org/

Debate: Is “5 Mics” In The Source Still Relevant? (Video)

2011-12-20T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Internet has changed the Music Industry forever.
Since fans and critics can access the music at the same time,
does this make “album reviews” redundant?
Where does this leave
The Source Magazines
classic album rating system “5 Mics”?
How should it evolve?

VIA
http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2011/12/05/debate-is-5-mics-in-the-source-still-relevant-video/

Utah & Ether X Sekt Cap Adapters

2011-12-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sekt cap adapter probably is one of the smartest inventions for Asia
graffiti writers in recent years.
For those who may not know, the local
cans from Asia are mostly male valve cans.
There were very limited cap choices
back then when graffiti was getting started.
Of course now the Asia writers
have more options like
MTN, Belton, Ironlak, Montana gold, and many more
other brands that makes you doubt
if there is such a big market in Asia?
Anyway, if you want to use the local cans
which cost cheaper (the quality too),
Sekt would be helpful as it is a cap adapter
which allows you to switch the cap system
of male valve cans
- turn it to female, like the ladyboy from Thailand.
So next,
plug any cap you want and you know how it works.
The following video
shows you the couple in crime testing out Sekt in Bangkok.

Buy the caps here;
http://www.oinkartltd.com/ez-catalog/X380376/188?x=62&y=17

VIA
http://www.invasianmagazine.com/graffiti/utah-ether-x-sekt-cap-adapters.html

Sites you should keep your eye on part 21; Inka CMD

2011-12-02T02:59:00.000-08:00

www.inkaone.blogspot.com/

Jackin' for trains on Tuesdays; Ree MTA (NYC)

2011-11-29T03:45:00.000-08:00

Related post;
Graff Wars countdown; 21 Weeks to go
Ree MTA, New York City 1976
http://fatcapmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/04/graff-wars-countdown-21-weeks-to-go.html

VIA
http://blen167.blogspot.com/2011/11/ree-2-mta-and-blen.html

Heavy D tributes by Keo & DJ Quik

2011-11-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

DJ Quik; Heavy Mr.Big Stuff (Heavy D tribute)
http://www.mediafire.com/?3pwwtf5xy2s6tvo

VIA
http://whatyouwrite.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/heavy-d-tribute-by-keo/

More Heavy D Graffiti tributes;
http://elanwonder.com/?p=2139

Bonus;
2011 Soul Train Awards: Heavy D Tribute (Video)
Doug E Fresh, Goodie Mob, Naughty By Nature,
Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow and a few more
Hip Hop all-stars shine a light for
Heavy D in a tribute for the late rapper at
the Soul Train Awards.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/2dopeboyz/~3/XgomP5wzjAc/

Music To Driveby 11.1

2011-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download link for Music To Driveby 11.1;
http://www.mediafire.com/?9rf5ca5o2ilu0cy

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Slim The Mobster; War Music (2011)

2011-11-09T02:27:00.000-08:00

War Music is a street album by Slim The Mobster through
Gang Module and Aftermath Entertainment powered by Crooks & Castles.
The street album features production from
Jake One, Nottz, and Siege Monstracity,
and is executive produced by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Sha Money XL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_the_Mobster

Untagged;
http://www.mediafire.com/?o2y3yf9vf3jh6t3

Color Scheme Designer

2011-10-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

http://colorschemedesigner.com

Music To Driveby 10.1

2011-10-06T01:09:00.001-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music To Driveby 10.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Innercity n°27

2011-09-28T06:30:00.001-07:00

-All City

Thurz; L.A. Riot (2011)

2011-09-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Available from;
-iTunes
-Amazon

Jackin' for trains on Tuesdays; Sabe & More (Copenhagen 2011)

2011-09-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

VIA
phluids flickr

Music To Driveby 9.1

2011-09-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download;
Music To Driveby 9.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

New UP issue 44 – preview

2011-08-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Get it from;
-Dokument Press

Music To Driveby 8.2

2011-08-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download;
Music To Driveby 8.2

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Kase2 (RIP) tributes

2011-08-21T04:37:00.000-07:00

VIA
the Morris Park Crew blog

Related links;
12oz Prophet; Rest in Peace Case 2
and
12oz Prophet; CASE 2 TFP "THE KING OF STYLE"

Magnificent Ruffians & Five O'Clock - Emerald City (Video)

2011-08-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Visuals for "Emerald City" from the album Wizards Of CA

Handstyles part 7; Bates AIO

2011-08-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

Music To Driveby 8.1

2011-08-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music To Driveby 8.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Jackin´for Freights on Fridays; Oase GVB (Amsterdam 2011)

2011-07-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

VIA
getnloose

International Store List
with information where to
buy the Graff Wars book

Schoolly d tribute wall by Romeo & Mega DNS crew 2011

2011-07-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

Tribute to the gangster rapper Schoolly D.
The background is made in the style of the cover of his old albums.

VIA
daddies nasty sons

Dead Rappers Return (Roskilde 2011)

2011-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

2Pac,Biggie & Eazy-E by Chucky120

For more Roskilde photos,
Soten SSH have collected ALL the links here.
(Toyscrew, Brask , Juse, Kim Mathiessen, Letterbenders and Molotow)

Related links;
Graffiti at the Roskilde Festival 2010
and
15 years ago we lost Eazy-E

Music To Driveby 7.1

2011-07-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music To Driveby 7.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Spray Beast; Askew TMD SUK Interview

2011-07-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

Read

Read

Read

Read

Read

Read

VIA
Ironlak

Related links;
Miami Art Basel 2010 Edition
and
Askew VS Smash 137?
and
Only time will tell AKA 4 seasons
and
12oz Prophet; Askew TMD SUK thread

Tech N9ne picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (underrated rappers)

2011-06-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

Tech N9ne knows about being underrated. The Kansas City rapper has been delivering mind-blowing rhymes and flows since the mid ’90s, but he didn’t put out his major-label debut album, “Anghellic,” until 2001.

Even then, Tech was been largely shunned by the mainstream for the next several years thanks in part to his appearance (he uses white facepaint when performing and he used to have red spiked hair). Yet that hasn’t stopped Tech from building his Strange Music into an independent rap powerhouse.

He’s also become one of rap’s biggest, most consistent concert draws due to his nonstop touring regimen and his status in the game has been steadily growing, as evidenced by Lil Wayne having Tech appear on “Tha Carter IV.”

With his new album, “All 6’s And 7’s,”
just released Tech N9ne sat down with red bull usa
to detail his Top 5 Underrated Rappers,
an issue close to his heart.

5. Brotha Lynch Hung

“Brotha Lynch Hung is one of the dopest brothers I’ve heard when it come to flipping rhymes or to telling stories, creating stories. I sit there and I think, ‘How did he know to say that word right there?’ The way he rhymes his words is totally different than I’ve ever heard and totally different than I’ve ever done, the way he does his rhyme flows and everything.

I signed him to Strange Music because I wanted people to know that he’s one of the top lyricists. I put him up there with Eminem. I did and I still do. I know Eminem has to know about him.

When Lynch did “Dinner And A Movie,” I just wanted people to listen, to listen to how he raps. When Lynch sent me back his verse for “My World,” at that moment, I said to [my business partner Travis O’Guin], ‘We’ve got to sign this dude.’ I want the best people on my team.”

4. Kool G. Rap

“I think Kool G. Rap is timeless. I think if he put out something right now, that people would flock to it. I think he’s way underrated. He’s a lyricist.

When I speak of vampires, artists that have been here since Day One, since hip-hop really started, Kool G. Rap is one of them. He’s been in every era. I haven’t heard him lately and I don’t know what he’s doing, but whenever he gets on something he murders it. Kool G. Rap is a vampire. He lives forever.”

3. Pharaohe Monch

“I think people know Pharoahe Monch is incredible. Maybe they don’t, but he’s had hits and everything. He’s a Godly MC. He’s somebody that people need to hear a lot of. He’s a breath of fresh air.

I just heard ‘Clap’ on YouTube. It’s so beautiful, talking about police brutality. He’s talking about shit. He’s a lyricist. I tried to get him on my new “All 6’s And 7’s” album, but time didn’t permit.

I tried to get him to do ‘This Is Hip-Hop,’ with me and Lynch. I talked to him on the phone and everything. I want to work with cats that people should hear more of. He puts thought into his lyrics and I love that. ”

2. Crooked I

“I think he’s been one for a long time. Maybe he’s about to get his just due with Slaughterhouse. On that ‘2.0 Boys,’ he murdered everybody, to me, with his rhyme schemes and how he was just flipping and rhyming everything. It was wonderful.

Crooked I has always been captivating, ever since I met him during the Wake Up Show, through Sway and King Tech. I think he’s way underrated. I think people should have heard him a long time ago and latched on to it. If he would have truly did the Death Row thing and had a fair run, he would have had a gang of fans.

I wish him the best of success with Slaughterhouse and I hope it puts him in a beautiful position because he deserves it. He should have millions of fans. He’s not just a rapper’s rapper. He can rap about shit.”

1. Chino XL

“He’s a suburb lyricist, man. He’s a really smart guy. He could be a professor. I think he knew it. On an ad for “Here To Save You All,” he was in all white on a beach. Anybody that can flow like that has to have a god complex. I got one. I see him. I hear him. That’s my brother.

I think more people should listen. I think he should have a gang of fans. He’s got a perfect voice, everything. Now they say he’s built like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

People like that need to be hear more. These intricate lyricists, I think they have a place to where they want to listen because that’s how my shit is being built. I think he should be right there with me.”

VIA
Soren Baker/Red Bull USA

Related links;
Just Blaze picks his: Top 10 dead or alive (producers)
and
Spice-1 picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
DJ KaySlay AKA Dezzy Dez picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Pharaohe Monch picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
9th Wonder picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (Rappers & Producers)
and
Scarface picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (Extended Edition)
and
E-40 picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Fat Joe picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
The D.O.C picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Large Professor picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (producers)
and
Ice Cube picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (films)
and
Jeff Yankey picks his: Top 10 dead or alive (Star Wars fan films)
and
Devin The Dude (of Odd Squad/FaceMob) picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Lloyd Banks picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (producers)
and
Top 5 dead or alive; Kendrick Lamar’s Top 5 Dr. Dre Beats
and
Just Blaze picks his:
Top 5 dead or alive (rappers)
and
Tech N9ne picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (underrated rappers)

Music To Driveby 6.2

2011-06-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Download
Music To Driveby 6.2

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Fantasy Creators by Sye & Vins (May 2010)

2011-06-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

VIA
Sye! Tc5 Flickr
and
Sye TC5s blog

Related links;
Handstyles part 5; Sye TC5 (NYC)
and
TC5; Miami Mice wall Art Basel (Miami 2010)
and
Graff Wars countdown;
9 Weeks to go (Lego Wars by the FC crew. NYC 2010)
and
Fame City Bros by Sye TC5 FC & Vins FC.

Music to driveby 6.1

2011-06-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

Download
Music to driveby 6.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Stylefile Magazine Issue #36 (Tropic File Cover)

2011-05-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

-StyleFile

Spray Beast interviews Score

2011-05-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Spray Beast interviews Score

Related link;
-Score´s blog

Bite It #1 (Magazine)

2011-05-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

The new Danish magazine is here,
the Bite It crew offers
a new well-made publication
with quality content including
-Cnopt
-PT crew
-Great AIO
-Carn
-Tower
-Flies
-Petro and more…

Some previews;
-thelondonvandal (reviews it)
-Lars ILG
-Getn´Loose
-HurtYouBad

-Fresh Connection
-Bite It blog

Music To Driveby 5.2

2011-05-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music To Driveby 5.2

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

The Infamous (magazine)

2011-05-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

SP.one & Augor (alternate covers)
will be gracing the cover of the forthcoming issue of
"The Infamous"
one of the hottest graffiti publications on the planet.

VIA
iRonlak

Graff Wars in stores now (promo week 10)

2011-05-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Music To Driveby 5.1

2011-05-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music To Driveby 5.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

INTERNATIONAL TOPSPRAYER Taps & Moses

2011-04-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

INTERNATIONAL TOPSPRAYER
Taps & Moses
ISBN: 978-3-939566-35-9
288 pages (30x22cm)
English/German
Hardcover, 30 × 22 cm, 288 Pages.
publikat.de

VIA
ekosystem.org

Graffiti Burners book (video preview)

2011-04-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

-Amazon

VIA
WhatYouWrite

Graffiti Magazine #16

2011-04-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

VIA
Graffiti Magazine
and
StyleFile

Photo Graffs Wane COD New York City 1983-1995

2011-04-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

Opening Friday 6 May 20;00
Dortmund Bodega Gallery
20:00 Schousplass 6 Oslo

Related links
Sites you should keep your eye on part 19;
WaneKnowsHims flickr
and
Graff Wars countdown; 4 Weeks to go
(Wane COD/FC NYC 2010)
and
Knows Skinard Space
and
Miami Art Basel 2010 Edition
and
Interviews from the past part 1;
COD crew (1992)
and
WaneKnowsHims
and
PhotoGraffs Wane COD Stockholm
and
COD crew & Wu-Tang Nintendo video 1993

Blast from the past 7; Fantastic Four (Munich 1990)

2011-04-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

Zebster,Ces53 & Loomit. Munich 1990

VIA
fotolog.com/spoorwegpolitie

Related links;
Fantastic Four (WikiPedia)
and
Sites you should keep your eye on part 8;
Loomit UA´s iLG blog
and
Graff Wars in stores now (promo week 2)
C-3PO & R2-D2 (Munich S-Train)
and
Graff Wars countdown; 18 Weeks to go
(R2-D2 by Drone, Munich, Germany 1997)
and
Munich Trains on Facebook
and
Blast from the past part 1
and
Blast from the past part 2; Strong Island
and
Blast from the past part 3;
Ice T & Chris "The Glove" Taylor in Breakin' 'n' Enterin'
and
Blast from the past part 4; QD3 in Stockholms Natt
and
Blast from the past part 5; Malcolm McLaren´s (R.I.P) Buffalo Gals
and
Blast from the past 6; UK Fresh 86
and
Blast from the past 7;
Fantastic Four by Zebster,Ces53 & Loomit (Munich 1990)

5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) part 12

2011-04-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

SPM; Power Moves The Table

Mack Lew; Living up my rep

Lil Raskull; Cross bearing

Killa Gorillas; True Gorilla Shit

GreenWade; Represent Yo Hood

Related posts;
5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) series

E-Mails part 1; Jeks THY (Stockholm)

2011-04-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Feel free to send us flicks and what not.
-Please note if you WANT your flicks publicized OR NOT.
-Add correct info in the file; > names,crews,city and year.
FatCapMag@Gmail.com

Related posts;
Just Writing My Name;
Subtopia Festival, Stockholm Sweden 2010
and
Stockholm, Sweden´s Jeks & Gouge
and
Just writing my name meets Jeks & Gouge
and
E-Mails part 1; Jeks THY (Stockholm)

Music to driveby 4.3

2011-04-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music to driveby 4.3

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Graff Wars in stores now (promo week 9)

2011-04-17T16:30:00.001-07:00

DJ Quik; The Book Of David (2011)

2011-04-16T15:41:00.001-07:00

Features;
-Ice Cube of N.W.A
-Kurupt of DPG
-BlaKKazz K.K. of 2ndIINone
-Bun B of UGK
-Suga Free
...and...
-Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Produced by
-DJ Quik

-Wikipedia
-Amazon
-iTunes

Bomber (Megazine) Tv Episode 01

2011-04-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Bomber (Megazine) Tv Episode 01 from Johan Zelissen on Vimeo.

Here it is, the first issue of Bomber TV; episode 01.
Also check BomberMegazine.nl

VIA
BerlinGraffiti.de

Related posts;
Bomber Megazine #37-38 out now!
and
Bomber (Megazine) Tv Episode 01

Jackin´for Freights on Fridays

2011-04-15T09:55:00.001-07:00

via
INFLUENCED BY DESTRUCTION's flickr

Jackin' for trains on Tuesdays (part 5)

2011-04-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

Doze IBM/TC5 & (Black) Seen TC5

v click images to enlarge ^

VIA
IBM crews blog

Sites you should keep your eye on part 20; the Bando (CTK/TCA) archives Flickr

2011-04-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Kool Keith; The Legend of Tashan Dorrsett (2011)

2011-04-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Kool Keith & Junkadelic Music presents
"The Legend Of Tashan Dorrsett" remix album.
Features productions and features by
-Marley Marl
-TR Love & Ced Gee (of Ultramagnetic Mc's)
-Domingo
-Agallah Don Bishop
-Junkaz Lou
-Ariel "The Cartel" Caban
-Mr. Sche aka Big Sche Eastwood
-Marc Live
-Raaddrr Van
-Chem & D. Eazy.

Album artwork by Chrome Angelz´ Mode2

-Amazon
-iTunes

Youtube snippets preview;

Related links;
Mode2 interview by Kay One (2010)
and
12ozProphet Mode2 thread
and
Kool Keith; The Legend of Tashan Dorrsett (album cover by Mode2)

Spray Beast interview with Sydney Australia’s Dmote (PS)

2011-04-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

Spray Beast interview with
Sydney Australia’s Dmote (PS)

Jackin' for trucks on Thursdays (Bates AIO/COD/TNB) 2011

2011-04-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

VIA
Bates AIO/COD/TNBs blog

5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) part 11

2011-04-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Just Ice; Kool & Deadly (Justicizms)

Kool & Deadly (Justicizms)
is the second album by
old school/hardcore rapper Just-Ice,
it was released in 1987,
and was produced by KRS-One and Just-Ice.
In 1998, the album was selected as one of
The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.
The song "Moshitup"
was the origin of the hip hop meme
"Suicide, it's a suicide".

VIA
WikiPedia

Scotty; kooler than a polar bear´s toenails

VIA
DatPiff

Tyght wayz; Comin' Down (1997)

VIA
RapMusicGuide

Rally Boys; Rally World

Rally Boys is a classic Texas
rap group featuring Kottonmouth and Six.

VIA
CD Baby

Chunky A; Large & In Charge

In 1989, Arseni Hall released an album on MCA Records,
Large & In Charge (ASIN B000008EAV),
under the moniker "Chunky A".
Chunky A was supposed to be Hall's overweight "little brother".
The album had one minor hit "Owww!"
and featured guest rappers
Ice-T and KRS-One of BDP and
guest musicians Cameo.

VIA
WIkiPedia

Related posts;
5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) series

Music to driveby 4.2

2011-04-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Download
Music to driveby 4.2

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Music to driveby 4.1

2011-04-06T11:43:00.001-07:00

Download
Music to driveby 4.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Big K.R.I.T.; Return Of 4eva (2011)

2011-04-03T17:59:00.001-07:00

Available for free download from Big K.R.I.T.s site

Related link;
BIG K.R.I.T BREAKS DOWN THE TRACKS FROM RETURNOF4EVA
(youtube video interview)

Brotha Lynch Hung; Coathanga Strangla (2011)

2011-04-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Coathanga Strangla
is the sixth studio album from Brotha Lynch Hung.
Released on April 5, 2011.
It is the second album released through Strange Music,
and second album of the Coathanga Strangla concept trilogy.
On March 9th the single and video Coathanga was released.

Video #2 "Mannibalector"

-Amazon
-iTunes

VIA
WikiPedia

Related links;
Brotha Lynch Hung Coathangastrangla HipHopDX review
and
2010 rap albums roundup (best of 2010)
Brotha Lynch Hung; Dinner and a movie
and
Brotha Lynch Hung; Dinner and a movie (videos)
and
Brotha Lynch Hung official website
and
Brotha Lynch Hung Twitter
and
Brotha Lynch Hung Myspace
and
Brotha Lynch Hung Facebook
and
Brotha Lynch Hung IMDB

CunninLynguists; Oneirology (2011)

2011-04-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Oneirology
is the fifth studio album by the
American rap group CunninLynguists,
released in March 22, 2011, on QN5 Music.
The digital download was released earlier on
March 15, 2011 in response to heavy bootlegging.
The album has all the production handled by
the group member Kno, and
features guest appearances from
Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs and Tonedeff.

-Amazon
-iTunes

VIA
WikiPedia

E-40; Revenue Retrievin’: Overtime Shift and Revenue Retrievin’: Graveyard Shift. (2011)

2011-04-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Featuring
-Devin The Dude of the Odd Squad/FaceMob
-B-Legit of The Click
-Guce
-Bosko
-Bun B of UGK
-Slim Thug
-Black C of RBL Posse
-Tech N9ne of The Regime
-Turf Talk and many more.

Buy;
-E-40 - Revenue Retrievin: Overtime Shift @ Amazon
and
-E-40 - Revenue Retrievin: Graveyard Shift @ Amazon

Preview 1;
Concrete (video)

Preview 2;
"Fuck Em" (video)

Related links;
Complex.com;
E-40 Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs
and
Good or bad rap album covers (?) of 2010 roundup
(E-40; Revenue Retrievin': Day Shift & Revenue Retrievin':Night Shift)
and
E-40 picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (rappers)
and
DubCNN interview with E-40 part 1 (March 2011)

Jackin´for Freights on Fridays; Sento TFP

2011-04-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

^click image to enlarge^

VIA
Mister 176's Flickr
and
12oz Prophet

Related post;
WhyStyle.com interview with Sento TFP 2011
and
Freights on Fridays; Sento TFP
and
mtn-world interview with Sento TFP
and
SENTO TFP, TRUE STYLE MASTER (video interview)

Rhyme Pays (Ice-T)

2011-03-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

By Artists;
Trixter, Phade & Aero 2011

...and a blast from the past;
Rhyme pays by Dream SMD & Green 1988

VIA
Blubber Colors
and
ExpreshLetters
and
Revok MSK

Related post;
Blast from the past part 3;
Ice T & Chris "The Glove" Taylor in Breakin' 'n' Enterin'

Jackin' for trains on Tuesdays (part 4) Mr. Maks (MOAS), Angel and Kine (TNB NK) in Southafrica

2011-03-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

Enjoy these fresh panels on Johannesburg´s subway 2011.

VIA
GoodFellasMagazine
and
iLG

Odem´s Stylism Alphabet

2011-03-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

VIA
BerlinGraffiti.DE

The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers 1955-1995 (book)

2011-03-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

^click images to enlarge^

Available @ Amazon

Product Description

Sexy, provocative, playful, beautiful:
from their earliest days,
LP covers have been objects of art and fascination.
This celebration of album artistry presents
more than 350 of the best covers,
and departs from the usual approach by
organizing the images by visual theme.
Many of us remember the iconic album-cover
images that defined our collective and
individual histories—such as the smoldering
pinup girl on the Cars’ Candy-O,
the plaintive baby following a dollar bill
through water on Nirvana’s Nevermind,
and Andy Warhol’s controversial zippered
pants on the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers.

From perennial classics to lesser-known gems,
here is the LP art that shook, rattled,
and rolled us through music’s early formative years.

Related posts;
5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) series

Jackin' for trains on Thursdays (part 3)

2011-03-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Year of the dragon by Lee of The Fabolous 5 NYC 1979

VIA
Jym-129

5 Good or bad rap album covers (?) part 10

2011-03-21T14:47:00.001-07:00

>>>> Just Ice & Mantronix covers by Gnome CWK >>>>

>>>> Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; White Lines >>>>

>>> FM Blue; Oakland Styles >>>

>>> Frank Foster; Manhattan Fever >>>

VIA
12oz Prophet; RECORD covers of graffiti
and
Blen167´s blog

Related posts;
Fat Cap magazines: Good or bad rap album covers series
and
Good or bad rap album covers (?) of 2010 roundup

Q&A with Shoe CTK by lettercult.com

2011-03-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

Q&A with Shoe CTK by lettercult.com

VIA
iLoveGraffiti

Related links;
Fat Cap magazine; Handstyles series
and
Graffiti Alphabets: Street Fonts from Around the World (book)
and
GrafFuturIsm;
A Look at Graffiti’s Evolution and
Progression 2011 in the Artists own words.
and
Calligraffiti site
and
Shoe’s Portfolio
and
Buy Calligraffiti (Amazon)
and
Shoe’s Old Sketchbooks
and
Unruly Silk Scarves
and
Q&A with Shoe CTK by lettercult.com

VIDEOS

Calligraffiti Throw-Ups, Los Angeles 2010
and
Calligraffiti Mercedes Benz for Pink Ribbon, 2010
and
Nalden meets Shoe, 2010
and
Niels Shoe Meulman at Post BG. By Sven Super, 2007.
and
Calligraffiti Gardena, 2nd wall / speed up, 2007
and
Calligraffiti Gardena, Musicmusic version, 2007
and
Calligraffiti Gardena, Wild Style version, 2007
and
Live Calligraffiti at Typo Berlin, 2010
and
Let it Rain / opening Imagining Mozambique, 2009 (Dutch)
and
Let it Rain / Calligraffiti book release, 2010 (Dutch)
and
AT5, Kort Amsterdams / De smaak van de stad, October 2006 (Dutch)
and
State Magazine / Patta Statement, 2007 (Dutch)
and
Hard by LeLe, 2007.
and
Hard Maken, by Sandder 2007
and
Adobe User Group lecture, Amsterdam, March 2010 (Dutch).
and
Chiens d’la Casse, Paris 2009
and
Patta X Shoe Interview part 1, 2007
and
Patta X Shoe Interview part 2, 2007
and
Patta X Shoe Interview part 3, 2007
and
Patta X Shoe Interview part 4 , 2007
and
Shoe at Witman & Kleipool, 2007
and
RTL Boulevard, 2007 (Dutch)
and
TEDxBrussels talk, 2009
and
Being superior to others is nothing
other than having people talk about
your affairs and listening to their opinions.
By Rutger Floor, 2006.
and
Kroonjuwelen, Hard Times, Good Times, Better Times. documentary.

Jackin' for trains on Thursdays (part 2)

2011-03-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

Copenhagen 2011

^click image to enlarge^

VIA
Toys crew

Batman wall BNA crew (Fajardo, Puerto Rico 2010)

2011-03-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

^Blen167,Spek BCK,Saree,DarQ 2010^

Batman is a fictional character created
by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger.
A comic book superhero, Batman
first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939),
and since then has appeared in many of
DC Comics’ publications.
Originally referred to as "the Bat-Man"
and still referred to at times as
"the Batman",
he is additionally known as
"The Caped Crusader",
"The Dark Knight",
"The Dark knight Detective",and
"The World's Greatest Detective".

More flicks @ Blen167 blog

VIA
Wikipedia
and
Blen167

Related post;
Graff Wars countdown;
1 Week to go (Puerto Rico 2010)

Music to driveby 3.3

2011-03-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music to driveby 3.3

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Urban Art Muralism Amsterdam (March 18th and runs until march 27th)

2011-03-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

A crazy festival is organized in Amsterdam next week.

This ' Urban Art Muralism ' festival or
Amsterdam Art Week starts on this
Friday, March 18th and runs until march 27th.
More than 36 artists are invited from
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and Austria,
to rock hudge murals on many different spots
all around the city, in the streets of Amsterdam.

Two fine art exhibition are also planned,
as workshops for the youth and the population.
Expect to see live painting and artworks from;

'Urban Art Muralism' festival

VIA
Greetings Club

Jam of the week part 5; RBX; Killa Cali

2011-03-13T00:45:00.000-08:00

Liverpool Transformers 2011

2011-03-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

^ Dead, Smug, Bonzai and KakDead, Smug, Bonzai and Kak v

^click images to enlarge^

Check the whole production here;
ErokIsm flickr

VIA
Lars ILG

Art in Streets

2011-03-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

Curated by Jeffrey Deitch, Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose,
the first major museum exhibition on
the history of graffiti and street art,
Art in the Streets, opens at MOCA next month.
These Delight
had the opportunity to work on the accompanying book
which traces the birth and dissemination of styles
through the stories of graffiti writers
and street artists all over the world,
and features interviews and discussions
with influential street artists.

These Delight was there for a few of the monumental
discussions in this book,
including the one on cholo graffiti,
for which Cheech Marin interviewed
Chaz Bojorquez, Estevan Oriol and Gusmano Cesaretti
(who fed Roger’s dog strawberries under the table).
These Delight also attended the one on Wild Style,
a discussion between Jeffrey Deitch, Carlo McCormick,
Fab Five Freddy, Lee, Charlie Ahearn and Patti Astor.
The discussion took place at Deitch’s home,
and during the lunch break, Lee swam in the pool
and These Delight dipped my feet in as we
discussed some of our experiences growing up.

In addition, These Delight wrote the
intro for the Los Angeles graffiti chapter,
“From Yards to Heavens,” for which Roger
and These Delight interviewed
graffiti legends Eklips, Prime, Risk,
Slick, Soon and Wisk.

Pre-order it here.

VIA
These Delight

Jackin´for Freights on Fridays; Mutant UAA

2011-03-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

International Store List
with information where to
buy the Graff Wars book

Sites you should keep your eye on part 19; WaneKnowsHims flickr

2011-03-06T10:44:00.001-08:00

Raptalk.Net: Interview with BobCat

2011-03-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

We all know about Ice Cube hooking up with
East Coast producers (The Bomb Squad)
to help make his 1990s "Amerikkkas Most Wanted"...
but what you don't hear about is years before that
LL hooked up with some West Coast producers
(L.A. Posse) to help make
his classic "B.A.D" album in the 80's.

DJ Bobcat talks about how he went to
New York to win a DJ battle in 1987
but ended up helping produce
LL Cool J's classic B.A.D. album
and also how he was the one who produced
"Mama Said Knock You Out" not Marley Marl.

by Tim Sanchez (Styles)

Styles:
How did you get a Production deal with Def Jam?

Bobcat:
Styles, I am glad you asked that question.
Because this is what I like for kids
to understand and a lot of people to understand.
You've got to be patient.
You've got to be patient.
Like Will Smith in that new movie "Happyness".
That guy was patient, you know what I mean?
Be persistent and patient.
It was some years before I got with Def Jam.
I DJ'd all over the place, you know,
at the time I was Southern California's #1 DJ.
I put together the California Cat Crew
and put Battlecat, Wildcat,
and a bunch of other Cats on.
So I had a DJ Network started already.
I had that kind of local success when
Darryl Pierce and Dwayne Simon of L.A. Posse called me,
they was in New York already because
we had known Russell Simmons from us breaking
their music at our Uncle Jamm's Army party's,
so they was out there doing
pre-production for a rapper named Breeze.

Styles:
I remember him… MC Breeze.

Bobcat:
Breeze was dope!

Styles:
He did the L.A. Posse song, right?

Bobcat:
Yes sir, yes sir.
So they (Darryl & Dwayne) was out there,
and Russell signed Breeze.
They were working on a project and they
called me up because they were having a DJ battle.
They were like
"Bob, you will smoke everybody out here"
because West Coast DJ's were always ahead of
East Coast DJ's especially at that time.
We still are!! (laughs).
So they were like
"Bob, you will come out here and kill them",
so I was like
"I don't have no money to come out there".
So I had to DJ over-time and I was working at this
place that was kind of like Wal-Mart at that time,
so I started working over-time there and was
just saving my money just hustling and doing whatever
I could to get my plane ticket, my round trip ticket.
So I ended up getting the money together
and I flew out there, Roger Clayton didn't
have any money so I ended up paying
half of his ticket.
Paying his way out there meant
that I didn't have a way back.
But I knew I was going to go out
there and win the DJ contest.

When I got there, I was a day late and a dollar short. They had already started the first round and wouldn't let me do nothing. I was like "Can I at least guest-spin so they can see?" and they wouldn't let me do nothing. Man, time stopped that day. I didn't know what I was going to do because I had no way of getting back home. It wasn't like now where you can pay-pal plus people in my family didn't have money or at least that kind of money where they could just fly me back home. So anyway, I just hung out in New York with no where to go, no where to sleep, I was out there for like 2 months! Just hanging out with them not knowing what I was going to do with my career or my life. So they was working on Breeze's record and I was like "Can I help?". They was like "No, you've got to ask Russell. You can't just start working on a record". So one day they went to the Hamburger stand down the street of the studio and I told the Engineer "Listen, let me put something on the record". He was like "No, I can't do that". I was like "Look, I know you can erase it if they don't like it. Let me put this on the record." When they was gone, he allowed me to put some stuff down and when they came back they started going bananas over it.

Styles: What did you record?

Bobcat: You know what? Back then they weren't using drum machines or anything like that. They were using something called a Bell, it was like a little sampling thing. You had to kind of go through the engineer to do something like that. It wasn't like we had SP's or MP's or any of that. So I did it with the turntables because remember I used to do mixtapes and stuff.I started putting all of this stuff on the record, and this is all pioneering, see what I'm telling you now is stuff that wasn't really happening until I started doing it. Like looping records, you know like "Shaft", like on LL's thing. I did a bunch of stuff like that and they went crazy. They called Russell up and let him hear it over the phone. Russell is like "Yo! That's crazy! Tell Bobcat that he's down". So I was down with the team, but I wasn't getting paid.

I was like that dude in Will Smith's movie "Happyness" working as an Intern so to speak just being patient. Well Styles, more months went by. I am hungry… (pauses)

Styles: Yeah, I mean you have to survive somehow….

Bobcat: I just kept on working and working and working. We made a gang of records. Dope records! We made like 2 or 3 albums at the time.

Styles: And this was just with Breeze, right?

Bobcat: Just with Breeze! And also, because we were like staff producers at the time so we were working on Alyson Williams and other R & B projects. I don't know if you know this, but I brought Nikki D over to Def Jam! She was the first female rapper to get signed to Def Jam.

Styles: Yeah, I remember her. She did that "Daddy's Little Girl" song….

Bobcat: Exactly! So we was developing stuff like that the whole time. One day Russell came and and said, "Bobcat, you are getting your first check". So that was the day, my breakthrough moment, the beginning of my entire career. Not long after that, Russell came to us and asked if we would like to do some pre-production for LL Cool J.

Styles: Ok… now the plot thickens…

Bobcat: Exactly.. That was our defining moment. We were like "Of course!" .. So we met LL, and this is a good story I am going to tell you right here. The first time we met LL we was nervous and excited because Jam Master Jay, I was always real close with Jason, he had always told me that if me and this rapper named LL ever hooked up it was going to be ridiculous.That's what he used to tell me, so I already had that in my mind. So anyway, and no disrespect to my man Cut (Cut Creator) because me and him still talk and as a matter of fact he's a part of our organization (The Foundation). So anyway, we was in the studio and LL was like "Yo, let me see something. Whats up?" so I got on the turntables and I acted like I couldn't cut. I would do like these sorry little scratches and then I would act like the record was skipping. LL, he's real impatient so he's like "Yo, yo! C'mon man, let my man Cut Creator show you. He's from New York!". So Cut Creator got on and he started doing his thing. So I sat back and watched, then I said "Yo, can I get another shot? Can I try one more time?" and he was like "Sure, ok, c'mon. What you gonna do?". I said, "Can I warm up first?" and he was like "Sure, I don't care".

Now in the studio normally you know you have just one turntable hooked up just for the purposes of scratching. So I asked, "Can I hook up both turntables?" and once again he was like "Sure, I don't care". So I hooked both of the tables up and I started cutting "Rock The Bells"…(Mimics Scratching) and I started going off on "Rock The Bells" and he, I can't even explain to you, and he'll tell you if you ever interview him and if you interview him ask him about this story. He…Went…Crazy! You feel me? Because again, we (West Coast DJ's) were like light years ahead of them at this time. I know DJ's in New York is bananas now, but then we was so far ahead. So he was like "You gotta join my crew and you gotta to on tour". I was like, "Naw. I DJ for Breeze" because I am a loyal cat. This was a life changing invitation but I was like "Naw, I DJ for Breeze". He said, "talk to Breeze".When I went to Breeze I was like "Morgan…LL wants me to " and he cut in "Man, I just knew he was going to do that" (laughs).

Styles: Now, were you guys known as the L.A. Posse at that time?

Bobcat: You know who named us? A lot of people don't know this, but check this out. You know who named us L.A. Posse? Jam Master Jay… That's who named us L.A. Posse. You know you had the Hollis Crew and we used to be with them dudes all of the time. Those were some fun times. Imagine hanging out with Run and them, with Public Enemy… We was all recording at the same studio. Heavy D used to be coming through there, you know what I mean? Anyway, yeah, Jam Master Jay named us the L.A. Posse.

Styles: Who was all a part of it?

Bobcat: L.A. Posse was originally Me, Darryl Pierce, Dwayne Simon who was Muffla and DJ Pooh. Then Breeze obviously was a part of The L.A. Posse as an MC. But the production team was who I mentioned.

Styles: Who came up with that hook in Breeze's "L.A. Posse" song.. The "Ooooh, L.A., Californ-I-A" hook?

Bobcat: That's Muffla! Muffla did that.

Styles: So what was the first record you worked on with LL?

Bobcat: Oh My God… (pauses) The first record?

Styles: Yeah… or did you just start working on "Bigger And Deffer" at that point?

Bobcat: You know what? I would probably say the first song that we did was "Get Down". Do you remember that record? I used "Shaft" on there like I was telling you earlier. I looped it on the turntables. Its just crazy if you go back and listen to that record, and I really want you to go back and listen to it, if you listen to that record I start off with jabs (mimicks the sound) …I was taking the turntable, like DJ's do now, I was taking the pitch and pitching it up and down and making the different notes with the stabs. Nobody was doing that.

Styles: Did this just all hit you in the head or something?

Bobcat:Well see I was already making mixtapes! All of that kind of stuff, well I wasn't doing it on that level because I wasn't making records then, but I was taking the things that I would be doing at the party's, you know tricks! Turntable tricks, and just incorporating them into the songs. Just little stuff like that.

Styles: Lets talk about the Bigger And Deffer album. You did "I'm Bad" right?

Bobcat: I did the majority of the record, period. I did "I'm Bad". I did "I Need Love". I wrote "I Need Love". The melody, not the lyrics. Styles, I had "I Need Love" before I even came to New York. Because I had melodies and stuff but I didn't have anybody to give them to. I had that before I left Los Angeles…

Styles: Wow……

Bobcat: "I'm Bad" that comes from "Courageous Cats". You know what I mean? Part of that, and from S.W.A.T. All of that stuff is just DJ stuff. Digging in crates.

Styles: I'm Bad was a crazy beat!

Bobcat: That's "Courageous Cats" (mimics the bassline)… I just flipped it. You see what I'm saying? I'm Bobcat (laughs).

Styles: What was your favorite song off that album?

Bobcat: Off the Bigger And Deffer?

Styles: Yeah….

Bobcat: You know, now you got me thinking because we got the "Doo Wop" on there. "Candy"… you know what? Personally, I didn't know what we was doing but we were doing a real well diverse album. We were one of the firsts to set the tone for diversity in Hip Hop. Because you had Run and them doing their thing. You had the Beastie Boys doing their thing. But a lot of records at the time were kind of one dimensional. On this album it was very diverse because you had the ballads. You had the story telling songs. You had "My Rhyme Ain't Done". You had "Get Down", a party song. But I don't really have a favorite.

Styles: Did you produce on his next album?

Bobcat: Now this is the business part, and that's why we are doing what we are doing now (with The Foundation).By me being so young and not understanding contracts, agreements, publishing and points, they didn't pay me and us what we should have made for the Bigger And Deffer record. I found out after the record came out. It sold 3 Million copies and broke all kinds of records. I wanted to renegotiate and get more points and the people that was representing LL didn't want to do that so I told them if they don't do that then I am not coming to the table. So they went and did the album without me.

Styles: The Panther album, right?

Bobcat: Yup, Walk With A Panther album, and it didn't do as well as it could have because Bobcat wasn't involved (laughs)…But then I came back for "Mama Said Knock You Out".

Styles: You weren't on 14 Shots To The Dome, were you?

Bobcat: Now, I hate talking about that one and I'mma tell you why (laughs). One of the greatest records that me and LL have ever done is called "Crossroads" and its on that album. I used a full harmonic orchestra on that record in New York. We used 105 tracks on this song. This song is the most complex and unbelievable masterpiece ever created. Go back and listen to that. I personally know that it would have taken LL's career to the next level, because you know you can only stay at a street level or mainstream level for so long and then its over with, so you've got to go somewhere else and that song I believe would have taken him to that next level.

Styles: Unfortunately it had to be with "Pink Cookies In Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings" (laughs)…

Bobcat: Yeah! Marley Marl talked him into doing "this is how I'm coming" and trying to do street. Treach was the hot thing at the time, so LL was trying to compete with Treach and you know what I do as a Producer is I try to keep artists being who they are. You know, trying to get them to staying away from paying attention to what the other people are doing that's hot.Because everybody spots a knockoff especially in Hip Hop immediately!

Styles: Lets go back to "Mama Said Knock You Out" for a second….How did you come up with that crazy concept?

Bobcat: It's interesting and I wish my mother was right here to tell you that part because she would be like (mimics his mom's voice) "Let me tell you something".. (laughs). First, and my wife is right here to testify, the concept is my concept. Not the lyrics, but the style of rap is mine. See… now its getting more interesting. What's interesting and deep about this, is that me and LL were beefing at the time. I wasn't working with him and when I say "beefing" I mean that we weren't working together at the time. Marley Marl, they (Def Jam) had hired him to do that album. Well, they was pretty much done with that album and in some kind of way, I don't remember who called who, but we started talking and I was playing him some beats over the phone. Mama Said Knock You Out track was already a track. That was, I had a crew called Microphone Mafia and on a lot of Pac records I say at the end "Microphone Mafia", and so it was a clique record for us. K-Born, Threat, Nefertiti they was all on that record and nobody had really wanted to sign them at the time, and me and Pooh was trying to kick doors down trying to get people to hear a new kind of West Coast thing and they didn't want to hear it.

To make a longer story short, I played that track for LL and he went crazy of course. I knew he would because everybody loved that track. We agreed that we were going to do a song so I flew out to New York. We were in his condo with his Farmers Blvd. Crew, a bunch of cats that were around his way, and we were all up in there freestyling and drinking 40 ounces. I used to have, because I used to rap to not saying that like I am rapping right now because you know every producer has some skills (laughs), but I had a rap that I used to say to that beat.So the rap that I used to say to that beat I was saying it that night just chillin'. So LL started doing the style that I was doing to the beat and I said , "That's how I want you to rap!"

See sometimes you can't tell cocky rappers, "do it like this" because they won't do it. So you've got to kind of trick them in to doing it. You feel me?

Styles: Wow… so that whole thing was basically you!!

Bobcat: The concept, the beat and the style, not the lyrics….There is so much to talk about with that song because its crazy. He was a point where people were saying "LL was washed up", so I referred to myself as other producers do as a "Coach" you know like in Boxing or whatever. I was like LL's custom model. Just like I did with "Jack The Ripper", I made him do that record! He didn't want to answer Kool Moe Dee!

Styles: (laughs)… wow… I didn't know that part.

Bobcat:So, you know, we got in the studio and he got around Marley Marl once again and started trying to rap cool. (Mimics in a cool low voice) "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years"…I said "C'mon man!"… "C'mon man!". So we got into a big beef, a big argument and then I said "lets just go to the store and get some 40's and come back, you know get the vibe back like we had at the spot". I was real mad because to be honest, and you can quote this, Marley Marl was trying to sabotage the project.

Styles: Wow…..

Bobcat: He was like, "This sounds like some West Coast whoopty whoop" and he'll even tell that to you! Marley Marl will tell you, because you know he didn't understand it. What he does is funky and I love Marley Marl's production but it was a different type of project. If you remember Bigger and Deffer we did "Go Cut Creator" and it was a rock type thing because we grew up under Run-DMC and them.So part of my things is to make hard heavy rap records that are explosive and slash everybody type of records and concepts. So we got in there again, and again Marley Marl was hating so we started drinking 40's and got the vibe back. Marley Marl, and you can quote this too, he went to sleep. Yes… because we were at his house. Marley Marl left the studio, went upstars and went to sleep while we were recording the vocals on this record. When LL says "C'mon" that's not part of the song. LL was mad at me because I was cussing him out and talking real sick about the way he was rapping. He was sounding ridiculous and I was pissed off.

Styles: So that "C'mon" at the beginning was aimed at you?

Bobcat: Yeah, because I kept saying "that ain't it, rewind it!!". Because when I am in the studio, I will stop you immediately and tell you that ain't it, just like a Movie Director. If an Actor is not in character you spot it immediately and say that's not it!

Styles: Next time I listen to that song I am going to think about all of that and picture it (laughs)…

Bobcat: Yeah, see that's all raw real aggression and that's what it needed. People were talking about LL and saying he was finished and washed up, you know how they do it. That's the real story.

Styles: So what did you move in to next after this?

Bobcat: With me, I ended up doing Ice Cube, me and DJ Pooh, on Death Certificate...

..and a bunch of stuff with Pac and with MC Ren…

Styles: Now that you mention Pac, I heard somewhere that you were like one of the first producers to ever work with him.

Bobcat: Oh man, let me tell you that story!

Styles: Please do…

Bobcat: My little cousin D-Skills, he is a pioneer and underground hero too. He had a show out in Atlanta, the Black Panther Hour. Skills and Pac used to be best friends and room-mate. This was when Pac had 2Pacalypse out.You know, he was still underground and he wasn't "2Pac" the way we know "2pac" yet. He was just a regular ol' underground rapper. So D-Skills came to me and was like "Yo Bob, man, can you take this kid under your wing?" and I was like "Who is he?". So I asked if I could hear him and I think I even went and bought the CD but when I got the CD I played that CD all night as I rolled down Sunset all night long. Just bumpin' 2Pacalypse. I said "This kid is sick! Let me work with him." So as soon as we got together we hit it off and at that time Pac used to be real kick back. He used to kind of come around the studio and just not really talk loud. I had my crew, the L.A. crew, everybody was in there talking loud and he was just kind of ear-hustling and peeping out the whole situation. On that album I brought Ice-T in. I brought Cube in, and Cube was at the stage where he was one of the most feared MC's in the game with all the controversy. So I brought Cube in on "Last Words" so you know Pac was excited about that, working with his heroes. Ice T came and did a song. I brought Threat in to do a song with him called "Peep Game". I did "Soldiers Revenge" on that particular record. Then later on after he got out of jail, on the All Eyez On Me album, I did "Holla At Me".

Styles: Did you maintain a cool relationship with him the whole time until he died?

Bobcat: You know what? Let me tell you what happened. When Pac started the "Thug Life" thing, I mean everybody saw, he went through a transition. He kinda started buggin' out a little bit. He and Treach got into some major problems out here on the West, and I ain't going to say the Gang but its one of the biggest Gangs out here, and I had to stop them from smashin' him.

I met them up at Echo Sounds and squashed a major beef that Pac and Treach had with them. People in the streets know what I am talking about, you feel me? It was that type of atmosphere, because I used to take Pac to all them clubs with Ren and them, imagine this, it used to be Me, Ren, LL, Pac and Eazy hanging out and doing all kinds of stuff. Even in this hotel (Universal Sheraton)!! Me, Pac, Eazy and LL had a Super Bowl Party ..and Yo-Yo. Again like I said I used to be taking him to the clubs, renting limousines and he was like one of my little brothers. Like a lot of us have done in the past he kind of got out of control with The Thug Life thing and all of that. I know this sounds a little crazy, but I say this a lot of times even about my own homies and one of my brother's that's in jail, he's been in jail 10 years and he'll be out next year (Irv Dogg), and I was happy when Irv Dogg went to jail and I was happy when Pac went to jail. Because they was on a course, a course that would have ended Pac's life sooner than it ended. He was just going in that direction. When he came out of jail, I did notice that he was a different person completely.

Bobcat then...

Bobcat now...

VIA
GearSlutz.com

Music to driveby 3.2

2011-03-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music to driveby 3.2

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Sites you should keep your eye on part 18; Prince Pro 176 (RTZ/Ultra Boys/Grim Team)

2011-03-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

Raekwon; Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang (2011)

2011-03-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

-Amazon
-iTunes

Raekwon - Ferry Boat Killaz from LRG on Vimeo.

WC; Revenge Of The Barracuda (2011)

2011-03-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

-Amazon
-iTunes

Preview sampler on youtube;

Bates solo show in Malmø Sweden (Opening; Saturday,March 12th 15;00-19;00)

2011-03-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

New works, new location at:
Hanna G
Ehrensvärdsgatan 10 (entrance; Kungsgatan)
212 13 Malmö Sweden
Soon more info here:
-GreatBates.com
-GreatGraphicsInc
-HannaG.se

VIA
Lars ILG

Jackin' for trains on Tuesdays (part 1)

2011-03-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ree MTA, New York City 1976

Darth Vader by Ker,Frok & Bexa (OH crew) Bonn, Germany January 2010

KyleStyle (156) wholecar early 80´s in
New York featuring a fresh Yoda.

C-3PO & R2-D2 (Munich S-Train)

S-Train Copenhagen

International Store List (and links) with
information where to buy the Graff Wars book

VIA
Graff Wars countdown; 21 Weeks to go
Ree MTA, New York City 1976
and
Graff Wars countdown; 14 Weeks to go
Darth Vader by Ker,Frok & Bexa (OH crew)
Bonn, Germany January 2010
and
Graff Wars in stores now (promo week 8)
KyleStyle (156) wholecar early 80´s in
New York featuring a fresh Yoda.
and
Graff Wars in stores now (promo week 2)
C-3PO & R2-D2 (Munich S-Train)
and
Lars ILG

GrafFuturIsm; A Look at Graffiti’s Evolution and Progression 2011 in the Artists own words.

2011-03-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

GrafFuturIsm put together a
post and commentary about 2011,
and where graffiti is headed.

The Question that GrafFuturIsm asked.

Question:
Coming back from Art Basel Primary Flight 2010
GrafFuturIsm was surprised firstly about
the turnout of so many talented artists in one place,
Secondly the direction it seemed many artists where taking.
GrafFuturIsm noticed a very Conceptual and
Abstract direction in many writers gallery and wall work.
GrafFuturIsm was very impressed.
GrafFuturIsm question is in this
Post-graffiti age as some like to label it,
where do you see the art form progressing and Why?
Second part to that question is how has
your personal work evolved in this current state
of post-graffiti if it has effected it at all.

SPone

Graffiti is an art form built on fast progression. If you put it in the context that 35 years ago people were still doing bubble letters and now people are creating elaborate pieces – we are still expanding on that simple idea. Letters are ripe for reinvention. The possibilities are endless for abstracting and fragmenting letter-forms. There are probably a lot of reasons for this but the one that sticks out to me especially being a NY graffiti writer is that graff has become a world wide art form and every region and country brings some of there own style into the mix. Even though you can still see the influence of NY graff all over the world there is something that other places and other people’s experience bring to the table that makes a unique individual statement and in turn pushes styles forward.

For me, I am somewhat of a purist and still truly enjoy a traditional NY style. That said, I do feel that creating my own unique style is paramount. And I, like many others feel that I have yet to do my best piece so to that I am constantly challenging myself to create new letter forms and connections that are part of my individual style while still part of the lineage of NY style. I also work primarily in collage which is not graffiti by any means but I do employ many aesthetics from graffiti and incorporate them in my collage work. Movement, colors, layering and of course letters all inform my studio work. I really try to push these ideas into new places and evolve my experience into something completely new.

SP One

Jurne

First, I’d like to say that I don’t like the term post-graffiti, or post-graffiti age. I think that it is important at a time when there are many influences from other art forms: painting, sculpture, photo, design, etc, as well as the influence of media on graffiti, and vice-versa, in a cyclical fashion so that media and advertising informs graffiti, graffiti informs these things, they are adopted into media outlets (television, print campaigns, etc) and in turn reshape graffiti as a response to them, and so on and so on…it’s important to call graffiti what it is: graffiti.

If it’s illegal and it’s main focus is the letterform(s), it’s graffiti. Calling it post-graffiti takes away from the potency that graffiti has as an illegal art form. We shouldn’t feel the need to re-describe what we do in light of aesthetic changes. What is important is the urgency and power that graffiti has, regardless of the image quality. I think that is the real power of graffiti and what distinguishes it from other art forms; this, and that it is letter-based.

I think the progression of graffiti is interesting to watch. The speed at which ideas are built upon is incredible. Style choices / style homages are the normal; regionalism is less prevalent. That’s exciting to see, and also begs the question: Where do style and references come from, and is it important to ‘cite’ primary sources? To what extent does the ‘citing’ of secondary, tertiary, quaternary sources actually lead to development of new styles? Are these in fact new styles, or a sort of bastard style hybrid in which the style lineage(s) are near impossible to sight directly? Perhaps this is what is referred to as ‘post-graffiti’. Perhaps this a question to be sorted out by the graffiti historians-to-be! Half kidding, I think the recognition of graffiti as a legitimate art form will in fact lead to it’s inclusion within modern art history rhetoric.

As to my own work: it’s an exciting time to be a graffiti artist…I think it always has been though! What we do is dope, it’s ours, it’s learned on the train tracks, in the train yards and on the streets of our cities. It’s ours for the keeping! There are so many dope and inspiring writers out there. In fact, I think with the speed and progression of graffiti in this day and age, there has been a marked interest and return to “simpler”, more traditional letter forms and styles. New techniques get applied to old formats: behold, the age of the visual remix! In my own eyes, I find myself drawn more and more toward “older”, more traditional styles as I continue to write. I think the current aesthetic of graffiti embodies both a “no-holds-barred” approach with respect to color/size/inclusion of non-graffiti references, as well as a push to keep things simple: a shape-based approach to letter-making. These two things can be opposing and complementary at times, and it’s interesting to see these concepts in others work, and to feel the push and pull of each in my own. In the end, I gravitate towards the “reserved/less-is-more/dont-lay-all-your-cards-out-on-the-table” side of things.

Jurne

Head over to GrafFuturIsm to read
Mare 139 and Shok 1 opinions.

VIA
GrafFuturIsm
and
Saber MSK
and
UrbanArtCore

Related posts;
Fat Cap magazine; Handstyles series
and
Graffiti Alphabets: Street Fonts from Around the World (book)
and
GrafFuturIsm;
A Look at Graffiti’s Evolution and
Progression 2011 in the Artists own words.
and
Q&A with Shoe CTK by lettercult.com

Music to driveby 3.1

2011-03-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

^click image for tracklist^

Download
Music to driveby 3.1

Related posts;
Previous Music to driveby mixtapes
and
The Fat Cap "In Rotation" mixtape series
and
Retail albums we recommend.
That can be purchased from Amazon and/or iTunes

Please support and buy their albums on
Amazon or itunes
or your local spot if you feel their shit ;)

Sites you should keep your eye on part 17; LA pioneer Soon got a blog

2011-02-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

illuminati2g interview with Chris "The Glove" Taylor

2011-02-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

If you don’t know who that is
ya might want to do your homework.
The legendary DJ/producer talks about his work with;
-Ice T (Radio crew,Breakin' (the movie),Reckless,Breakin' 'n' Enterin')
-Ruthless Records, Death Row and Aftermath records.
-Working with Eazy E and Dr. Dre.
-Po Broke N Lonely and so much more.

How’s it going?

Going great, how about you?

Good.
With those unfamiliar with your start,
tell me a little bit about how you got your
start in music and who are some of
your musical influences out there coming up.

Oh wow, I got my start in music 1983,
I became a DJ and basically
taught myself how to DJ. I had one person,
Tony Joesph, that showed me the ends and outs
and he was the only person I knew from
the east coast that had any understanding of DJing.

He taught me a few things and everything
else I learned how to do on my own.
I taught myself how to scratch, mix,
blend and all those good old things.
After that I moved along and kind of
conquered Los Angeles by doing alot of
house parties and moving on to the bigger clubs.

I ended up at this one club called Club Radiotron...
(It was located on Park View St. between
7th & 8th Streets, near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.)

...where I pretty much got my nickname The Glove
and it got me in the movie Breakin and Breakin 2,
hooked up with Ice T and a whole lot
of big things branched off from that.

That actually leads right into my next question.
What was it like working with Ice T
back at that time and being in the Radio Crew
and being one of the founding pioneers on the
west coast as far as DJing is concerned?

Well to answer the first part of that question,
working with Ice T was great,
that guy is a fun guy (laughs).
Everytime we got together it was a blast
and as far as being a founding member of
the Radio Crew and a west coast DJ,
you know you really don’t know you
are doing all that when you are doing it.

But as I look back on it,
it was really a great learning experience
and I am proud to be a part of that.

After that, you then started to work with
Ruthless Records with the group Po Broke N Lonely.
At that time for that R&B group,
that was a pretty groundbreaking
group and style that you had.
Tell me a little bit about your time
in being with the group and being with Ruthless.

Oh wow, yeah the whole thing with Ruthless
was also a great learning experience.
Me coming from a DJing background,
I wanted my music to be in the club all the time.
I wanted it in the clubs with BBD and all
those other groups that were out at the time.

But I wanted our sound to have more of a edge
lyrically as well as musically.
A friend of mine introduced me to Dr. Dre,
I would say around 1989,
and its funny because we never met even
though we were coming up at the same time in LA,
he was over in the Compton area
and I was on the west side.

Actually I was the first one to get
a platinum record out here for Breakin.
Me and Ice T, Breakin sold 4 million so we were
the first to go platinum before everybody else...

...Me and Dre met, and I told him about my
concept of the group and I let him hear a few things.
Him and Eazy jumped right on it because
Ruthless did not have a R&B group at the time.

RC, myself and Mike Lynn we just had another
party making those songs man and we did
alot of things that people are not aware of.
We have alot of stuff that
I like to call the Lost Sessions,
I probably have…., shoot, 40, 50 songs
that no one has ever heard that would still
be relevant today if you heard them.

Moving along though,
when we were just trying to break
loose with Ruthless through Epic,
there became a problem.
We discovered a issue financially that
Eazy and Dre were gonna fall into.
A friend of mine was looking over the contracts
and told Dre that Eazy was screwing
him on his contract and not
playing him what he was owed.

Dre and Eazy fell out and that left us in limbo.
Without a unified front to push our music,
we was just kind of stuck there swinging in the wind.
We decided to leave Ruthless along with Dre,
and I worked with Dre on the Chronic
in the meantime and we also worked
on a song called The Sex Is On,
which was on the Deep Cover soundtrack.

Deep Cover was the first
release from Death Row actually.
From there, we finally got our
release from Ruthless after Eazy E
passed and then he went on
and signed with Atlantic Records.
That is where we did our biggest work,
Twisted and all those other songs,
those were on Atlantic.

Like you said earlier,
Dre then leaves Ruthless
and goes to Death Row.
Tell me a little bit of the differences
working on Death Row as oppossed to
working with Dre at Aftermath.

Well I will tell you the thing
that was definitely different on Aftermath
than Death Row was you was not
seeing the beatings (laughs).
There was alot of beatings going on at
Death Row and none of that was
happening at Aftermath.
At Aftermath it was strictly business
and at first I was not interested in
joining up but the lead singer of
Po Broke N Lonely, RC,
convinced me to come on along
and jump on the train.

I agreed and started out as
a staff producer and co-collaborator
with Dre as I always was.
It was good,
interesting times in my life and
I believe that the first album,
Aftermath Presents,
it sold like a million copies,
that album was unheralded.

Musically there was alot of
good stuff on there and we
reached out and did some different things too.
The most that I can say about that
time period was that it was another
instrumental learning period leading up to
Chronic 2001 and everything after that.

Dre at that time did not work on alot
of albums outside of the label,
even when he was on Death Row.
The one album that he did do was The Firm,
which from the outside looking in had
crazy expectations that almost seemed unattainable.
What are your thoughts and opinions working
on that album and memories that
you have in working with The Firm?

I will tell you this,
Nas and AZ,
those are some great dudes man.
Nature too, but I’ll tell you the
thing that did The Firm wrong was that
their first release was the wrong release.
When they came out with Firm Biz,
that was not what people were checking out for.
When Phone Tap came out,
it resurrected that whole project and
if they would have released Phone Tap first,
all the expectations would have been achieved.

People would have been like woah
this is what they sound like,
I can’t wait to get the album.
That record was dead in the water before
Phone Tap and that single pushed it to
platinum on the strength of just that one single.
It was a real heavy political thing and
the releases were chosen by Steve Stoute.
He was trying to push his crew,
The Trackmasters,
and they wanted a more traditional
east coast sound and the first single
to not be a Dr. Dre one with a more west coast song.

We totally redesigned what
we was doing before that project.
Our music was all mob music,
we was not trying to be east coast or west coast,
it was just about the mob.
Firm was a family and we was coming with
mafia music and that is where my mind was,
being the co-creator of Phone Tap
and all that mafia music on there,
that came from my mind and Dre’s mind.

We sat there and brainstormed on a ton of stuff.
Bud’da was there and Mel-Man was there as well,
on the other side they had
Trackmasters and L.E.S. as well.
If you really listen to the records
you can almost hear the difference
in production styles and values throughout.
It does not have a cohesive sound
from beginning to end the way it should have been.

Even if you look on the back of the album,
there was like a thousand logos on it.
You had every record label in the world on there (laughs).

Right.

You had all these strange deals,
Foxy had to have her label and logo on there,
so on and so forth,
Cormega was not on the record because
him and Nas fell out so
we ended up going with Nature.
Nature is a beast on his own,
but that album really was not
a fair place for him to catapult
from because people were expecting Cormega.
We had fun making it and we
did the album all in Miami,
because back then they were not coming to
the west coast and we was not going to New York
so we did it in a neutral site.
Kind of like how they do the Super Bowl (laughs).

It was great times man.
I had nothing but good times doing all of that stuff.

So basically now after that album,
you transition into Dre’s sequel,
Chronic 2001,
which I consider the best sequel
to a debut album in hip hop history.
What was it like linking back up with
the artists that you worked with at
Death Row and then linking up with the fresh,
new talent, Timebomb, Knocturnal, Hittman?

Hittman was great and he did a majority of
Dre’s lyrics on that album.
He was a writer in A LOT of those raps
and that is why Hittman did not come out.
He was supposed to be released as a solo artist
but people would have said that he sounded like Dre.
Dre kind of swallowed him up because he needed
him for that album and after he got through with him,
you hardly ever heard anything from him.

On each album,
I have a signature song on there that
I co-produced or did work on.
For instance, on the Chronic,
I co-produced Stranded On Death Row...

...and on The Firm I co-produced Phone Tap.

At the time I was not getting the…,
I mean people always knew what I did,
I would get phone calls from different celebrities
or people that were in hip hop or in the business that knew.
But the credits were not in print like it should have been,
but I never had a problem with it.
I always compare it to a college education,
you learn and then you go out and do your thing.

In between that though,
I played the keys on Hello for NWA on Cube’s album...

...That was a comeback for them (N.W.A) at the time.
It was a big record out here on the west coast
but working with all those guys,
I got to say man, it’s like when people play the Lakers,
they bring their best game.
All these cats ALWAYS came with it,
even guys like Hittman that you never heard of.

I don’t know what is taking Dre
so long to come with this next album though.
This is a great sequel,
but if you have 9 years to create your sequel…,
you got to remember the first Chronic came out in 1992,
Chronic 2001 came out in 2000 and
Detox is still not out and we are nearing
20 years since the first one came out.

Dre has only done 2 albums but I expect that this next one…,
some kind of way his albums meet expectations.

Absolutely.
So what caused you then to leave
Aftermath and what have you been up to since then?

I wanted to strike out on my own and
I wanted to show that
I am a great producer without Dre.
People would always say oh you are
great when you are with Dre,
and that’s cool, I mean Shaq & Kobe,
when you are part of a team, you use teamwork.
But I wanted to get out on my own
and get out of the whole umbrella.

Eminem came out and his lyrics…,
I used to have to listen to
my music in my car and study it.
I had a young daughter at the time
who would repeat everything that she
heard and I wanted to get away from the words
and gangster rap can be very sick and sinister.
I felt like at that time, that is not
the direction I wanted my music to go.

So I decided to step away,
and I also had a medical situation and
I had to have brain surgery,
so that also made me step back for a bit,
and I also got involved in television.
I started composing for different shows,
but alot for the UPN Network back then.
I did all the shows on there,
I did Girlfriends, The Parkers, The Game,
not to mention network shows, Medium, NCIS,
you know all over the place.

It was better for me because
I got away and I was able to put together a different,
but more stable type of life.
I ended up meeting my future wife and
having another child and ready got core
family values and that is what happened
to me and got me to step away from that.

You are currently working with
a artist named Young Pistol.
What makes Young Pistol different from
the artists that you have worked with in the past?

Aww Pistol!
I am actually working with another cat,
Pimpin Ten aka John Wayne.
Young Pistol is actually my prodigy and
I will be honest with you,
he reminds me of Kurupt.
I think he has a million lyrics and
he will freestyle anybody and go in a circle
until everyone is done with lyrics and just keep going.

That is what I like about him
and cats are not doing that anymore.
You meet artists and they are about one thing,
they players, partying, banging,
and he is not about all of that.
Even though he grew up in the jungle,
the hood, he is a good kid.
Almost seems misplaced and he should
have been born on the east coast.

Being that you have worked with
so many west coast artists,
what are your feelings on this supposed
new west VS old west rivalry that is going on?

I love the new west,
I don’t know where the term came
from but I like it.
New, young talent infused into west coast hip hop,
but I don’t know the whole old west,
new west seems to me that there is
some bitterness coming from the older guys
that are trying to not let go or something,
I don’t know man.

When you are coming from the
perspective of a producer,
you can produce old west and new west.
If you are a rapper and you have what
people consider a old west sound,
that is what it is.
I can see Ice Cube’s point also and
I know he felt disrespected but also these kids
grew up listening to us and I think they have respect now.

They may not always say it but alot of
them know they would not be rapping if
they daddy was not listening to
Ice Cube, NWA or Ice T, King T.
They would not even know how to make
these records and in LA there is a studio
on every street because we showed people
how to put a studio in their house.

When I was coming up there was no
studios accessible like it is now.
I had to go the valley to work in a studio,
so yeah I believe in the new west and
I want to see someone come out and shine.
Like how Drake blew up and now he is everywhere,
I want someone from LA to come up and be that.

I mean this is LA,
this is not some small market,
we need someone that will stand up and represent us.
New west, old west, it does not matter to me,
they just need to be tight.

Do you see any new artists out there now
that can step in and take that role?

I will be honest with you,
I think Young Pistol could be something serious,
but there is so much politics out here.
Especially when your trying to
direct artists in the right direction
they need to be going, and that is causing alot
of good artists to fall by the wayside.
I remember when Glasses Malone
first came out and he is tight to me.
Guerrilla Black was cool,
and he could have been something,
but we don’t tend to work cohesively
with one another here on the west coast.

We don’t get together and band behind something out here.
We are like the 5 boroughs but all separate.
We are not trying to come together like say a
New York does, we don’t do that.
You have Los Angeles, Compton, South Central, Watts,
you know that is really just one city.
I mean Compton has their own mayor but
it is really LA County, but yeah it is really
alot of separatism here where it should be more unity.

I don’t think that it is ever going to change
and I think it is because of the diverse backgrounds
and where our parents were all from
different parts of the country,
nobody is really 2,3,4 generations
of grew up in Los Angeles.
They are 1 or 2 generations
removed from being somewhere else,
like I was born and raised here but
both my parents were from somewhere else.

Once you have some generations that
grow up and go to school together,
then we will have more unity.
But until we get unity,
we will have division,
we will have old west VS new west,
how stupid is that?

In being that you are a producer,
besides the obvious changes in technology,
what do you feel about the production game
that has changed the most now as opposed to
10, 20 years ago and who are
you feeling as far as new producers?

Well to answer your first question,
my first records,
I had to go to these lavish studios,
do all this work, spend all this money,
hire a engineer until I learned how to do it myself.
Now everything that I have is on my laptop,
including my pro tools,
which I can use without hardware.
I carry around 10 studios in one bag
and I really love that.

If this had been out when I was young,
we would have changed the game 10, 20 times over.
It would be something completely different right now.
When I started producing,
they did not even really have MIDI,
it was just instruments being connected together.
Then MIDI came out and I grew up during
that whole development,
it might seem like a long time ago
but we are only talking about the 80′s.

As far as producers,
I really have not kept up with alot
of producers that is new that stands out to me.
It seems like it is the same people
still out there doing it.
My favorite producer is Timbaland.

Yeah he is up there for me also.
He is incredible.

He is something else and he is the same way,
his studio is in his bag as well (laughs).

Last question for you,
if you had any advice to give to people
wanting to get into the music industry,
rappers or producers, what would you tell them?

I would say before you get into the
music industry, you have to have
a certain type of mentality.
You have to be dedicated because people
will hate on you and no one will believe in you.
Could be your girl or someone else
giving you a hard time.
Definitely stay in school and finish school.
With the technology out now,
you can work on your music in your house
and put it up on I-Tunes for sale (laughs).

I have songs for sale on Facebook,
but yeah it is so easy for people
to get their music out there
and for people to buy it.
If we could have went from the
roota to the toota like that and
sold records 10 years ago like that,
record companies would have BEEN out of business.
We were selling CDs literally out the trunk of cars,
now you can sell them out of your bag or your laptop?

But the problem is,
people do not have enough cash
to promote and really develop their art
and their craft the way that they should.
It is just a whole bunch of junk that is out there,
there is good stuff out there,
but you have to shift through
all the other stuff to find it.
When I used to go a dig in the crates
for records when I was a DJ,
I would go through 70 records to find 1 dope one.

The main thing I can say is be
tenacious with doing your craft.

That is words of wisdom right there.
Alright well that is all
the questions I have for you,
appreciate you getting down for the interview.
Is there any last words or
shout-outs you want to get out there to the people?

Yeah I just want to say what’s up
to anyone that I have ever worked with.
They know who they are and I also want to
say sorry it took so long for us to link up
for this interview but
I have been working but I am glad we linked up.
Everyone out there in the music world,
just keep working and hopefully things
will change and we will be
getting rich again like we was before.

All good, well worth the wait.
I appreciate your time.

VIA
illuminati2g

Related links;
Blast from the past part 3;
Ice T & Chris "The Glove" Taylor in Breakin' 'n' Enterin'
and
Download the "Breakin’ ‘N’ Enterin’" documentary
and
Weekend fun part 5; Jean Claude Van Damme´s scene in Breakin´
and
illuminati2g interview with Chris "The Glove" Taylor

Graffiti Alphabets: Street Fonts from Around the World (book)

2011-02-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Product Description
Claudia Walde spent over two years collecting
alphabets by 154 artists from 30 countries.
Each artist received the same brief:
to design all 26 letters of the Latin alphabet
within the limits of a single page of the book.
The result is a unique typographical
source book featuring over 150 specially designed,
original alphabets exclusive to this book.

About the Author
Claudia Walde, aka MadC,
is a German graffiti artist,
designer, and writer.
She is the author of
Sticker City and Graffiti Alphabets.

^Scien & Klor of 123 Klan^

Can Two of SUK

Kent TNB

Smash GTK

VIA
Amazon.com
and
AllCityBlog.fr

Related posts;
Fat Cap magazine; Handstyles series
and
Graffiti Alphabets: Street Fonts from Around the World (book)
and
GrafFuturIsm;
A Look at Graffiti’s Evolution and
Progression 2011 in the Artists own words.
and
Q&A with Shoe CTK by lettercult.com

InnerCity N°25 in stores now

2011-02-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Preview it over @ AllCityBlog

25 Pounds of Graffiti Photo History

2011-02-25T12:02:00.001-08:00

Carl Weston of Video Graf fame
is offering up his photo collection on e-bay.
This is like a graffiti estate sale,
nothing short of epic.

“In 1988 I started a
video magazine series called Video Graf,
the video came out a few times
a year until about 1995.
I went on to produce a few more
graffiti videos series like
Graf Core and Over Spray.
Graffiti writers gave video Graf productions
pictures for over 20 years.
I’m now putting the whole collection
up for auction on e-bay.
This collection of photographs represents
the 80’s and the 90’s
with a few shots from the 70’s.
I don’t know how many photos are
in the collection but is
weights approximately 25 pounds.
Approximately 60 percent of the
collection is walls mostly
from the 80’s & 90’s.

Approximately 40 percent of the
photos in the collection are trains,
including freights mostly but not
all from new york city.
Approximately 30 percent of the train photos
are New York subway shots representing
the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
The wall and freight photos come from
every corner of the USA and the world
and mostly represent the 90’s.

This photo collection is ideal
for someone wanting to start a
graffiti themed website or
publish a graffiti magazine.”

Bid here

VIA
TheWorldsBestEver

Just Blaze picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (rappers)

2011-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

The D.O.C.

You gotta remember with him,
there really wasn't a West Coast
vibe around his era.
He was from Texas [and] formed a group
with artists who were from the West Coast,
but his album just felt more universal.
I think what we consider these
days as the "West Coast" sound
was more so like the G-Funk era.
Up until that point,
everything that for the most part was
coming out in terms of rap was
still different spins on it.
It was like the East Coast sound
was more rhymes and imitation and
then D.O.C. kind of came out of nowhere,
relatively unknown, from Dallas, Texas
rapping the way he [did].
He's definitely one of the greats.
He put out one album and that one album
still stands the test of time even to this day.

Prodigy

I would have to go with '95 Prodigy.
I loved everything about him back then.
There was a point where he was
the best out, in my opinion.
You think back to how many
great opening lines Prodigy's had in songs.
From "Shook Ones" to
"Survival of the Fittest" to
"Godfather Part III" to
"Quiet Storm",
he was the maestro to the opening line.
So I would definitely put
mid-1990's Prodigy on the list.

Brother J

I've gotta keep it to what
I listened to growing up and so
I have to name Brother J from X-Clan.
If you listen to a lot of
those old X-Clan albums,
they specialized in just jacking
everybody else's beats and rhyming on 'em.
So listening to an X-Clan album
felt almost like you were at a house party.
It sounded like somebody was
just on the mic freestyling.
His rhythm, his flow, his vocal presence,
the knowledge he was kicking,
all those factors are important.
At the time, a lot of people were trying
to kick knowledge but not
too many could do it like him.
Whatever you listen to at 12, 13 years old,
it always sticks with you for the rest of your life.
Even though he was rapping over
everybody else's beats, his rhyme,
his cadence, his flow,
is rhyme patterns and just what
he was saying in general,
it's always stuck to me over the years.
I can still go back to
those first two albums.

Chuck D

My last pick would probably be Chuck D.
Public Enemy's concept and pride in
black nationalism at the time was important.
It was such a movement more so than anything else.
He might not have had the best rhymes or flow,
but his voice and his presence
made you stop and listen.
His voice was one of the few
that actually had the
ability to control the people.

VIA
HipHopDX

Related links;
Chuck D Pens Letter Concerning
American Hip Hop Culture
and
Just Blaze picks his: Top 10 dead or alive (producers)
and
Spice-1 picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
DJ KaySlay AKA Dezzy Dez picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Pharaohe Monch picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
9th Wonder picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (Rappers & Producers)
and
Scarface picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (Extended Edition)
and
E-40 picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Fat Joe picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
The D.O.C picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Large Professor picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (producers)
and
Ice Cube picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (films)
and
Jeff Yankey picks his: Top 10 dead or alive (Star Wars fan films)
and
Devin The Dude (of Odd Squad/FaceMob) picks his: Top 5 dead or alive
and
Lloyd Banks picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (producers)
and
Top 5 dead or alive; Kendrick Lamar’s Top 5 Dr. Dre Beats
and
Just Blaze picks his:
Top 5 dead or alive (rappers)
and
Tech N9ne picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (underrated rappers)

Little Shop of Horrors (2011)

2011-02-25T06:10:00.000-08:00

Rollcall:
Vans The Omega,Sofles,Tues,
Bates,Seikoe, Sauce, Linz,
Does, Reals, Meks & Sirum.
Hit IronLaks Flickr for
flick of the whole thing.

Little Shop of Horrors (film)
is the 1986 American black comedy
musical film adaptation of the
off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name
by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman,
about a nerdy florist shop worker who
raises a vicious plant that feeds on human blood.
Menken and Ashman's off-Broadway musical
was based on the low-budget 1960 film
The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman.

The film was directed by Frank Oz,
and stars Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene,
Steve Martin, and the voice of
Levi Stubbs as the plant.
Ashman wrote the film's screenplay,
his first and only one before his death in 1991.

Little Shop of Horrors was shot on the
Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage at
the Pinewood Studios in England,
where a "downtown" set, complete with
verhead train track, was constructed.
The film was produced on a budget of US$30 million,
in contrast to the original 1960 film,
which, according to Corman, only cost $30,000.
The film's original 23-minute ending,
based on the musical's ending,
was rewritten and reshot after receiving
negative reviews from test audiences and
has never been seen since besides
black-and-white workprint footage.

VIA
WikiPedia
and
IronLak´s Flickr

Related links;
IronLak´s Flickr
and
IronLak color chart
and
All In One crew presents Pac-Man Mania;
video 1 & video 2
and
Popeye the mosquito (Kid,Goal,Great & Bates,Copenhagen 2010)
and
Eazy-E tribute by Bates AIO
and
Sites you should keep your eye on part 1;
GreatBates.com
and
Bates blog (RSS feeds)
and
A is for... (All In One (crew)
and
B is for... (Bates AIO)
and
Let the music play

The All Ironlak Graffiti Competition 2010 - THE WINNERS announced!

2011-02-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Category 1:
Best Production.
Australia/New Zealand:

1st Place:
RASE, DV8TE and ASKM - Melbourne, Australia.

2nd Place:
GHETO, ARKAIN and PICK - Brisbane, Australia.

3rd Place:
KGB CREW - Sydney, Australia.

Head over to
The IronLak blog to view rest of the winners;
-Category 1: Best productions; America
-Category 2: Best.piece; Australia/New Zealand
-Category 2: Best piece; America

Related links;
IronLak´s Flickr
and
IronLak color chart

COD crew & Wu-Tang Nintendo video 1993

2011-02-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

COD CREW & WU TANG NINTENDO VIDEO from WEN1COD on Vimeo.

Wane, Reas, Wen, Jesto and Relm,
rock a landmark wall in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
in 1993 for Nintendo corp.
The wall was painted
entirely with spray paint and
live action sequences were filmed.
The music was produced by Prince Paul
with voice-overs featuring
Wu-Tangs RZA & Ol' Dirty Bastard.
The video was banned from
networks for being too ill.

VIA
Wen COD

Related posts;
Knows Skinard Space
and
Video game icons
graffiti juxtapoz
(Toulouse, France 2010)
and
Mario Bros graffiti
and
Miami Art Basel 2010 Edition
and
Graff Wars countdown; 4 Weeks to go
(Wane COD/FC NYC 2010)
and
Interviews from the past part 1;
COD crew (1992)
and
WaneKnowsHims
and
PhotoGraffs Wane COD
and
Interview With
Devin Flynn AKA Relm KSN/AOK/COD
and
Sites you should keep your eye on part 19; WaneKnowsHims flickr