We haven’t been sleeping for the last 2 weeks, and we haven’t moved to a country with no internet. But Stix and myself (Aimee) are pretty busy with real life stuff, and have had to concentrate on that for past fortnight. Rest assured though that we’ll be back next week to make fun of Chris Brown and post only the finest in underground, and GOOD hip-hop from the UK and all over the world. Thank-you all for your support and love. Blessings!
So much B-iLLA TV! If you didn’t know before, then get to know now. B-iLLA TV is run by yeah you’ve guessed it, the B-iLLA boys. It’s their own company set-up to help give shine to new MCS/groups/DJs and all that other good stuff. They’ve been blowing up over the couple weeks, so I suggest you hop on the bandwagon. You need to check out everrrrrrything!
To check out the B-iLLA boys (Dillah and Mistah Biggz) themselves have a look at the first video, then have a gander at the freestyles of all the artists they’re giving props to.
Today is the 16th anniversary of the death of Tupac. He was, and still is one of the most influential rappers of all time. Before I even knew what hip-hop was, I knew that I liked Tupac. Cut down in his prime, he was only 25 when he was murdered (by who is anyone’s conspiracy, although don’t give me that east coast, west coast bullshit who do you think was making the most money out of all the beef? Cha), he wasn’t just a rapper but actor, writer and of course revolutionary. His music was full of substance and sincerity, instead of simply talking about bitches, bling and guns he wanted to find a way of freeing the poor black and hispanic Americans.
We’ve stared a new segman called “ClassicsSunday” and already featured Tupac with a few of his tracks and an interview, but well who doesn’t like a bit of Tupac, so here’s some more. In my humble opinion he was the greatest rapper all of time, and even now his legacy has more foundation than half of these studio ‘gangstas’. Rest in peace.
Peep P.O.S’ new vide for ‘Fuck Your Stuff’ from his fourthcoming album ‘We Don’t Even Live Here’. As you’d expect P.O.S goes in and doesn’t disappoint one bit.
Butterscotch Espinosa is the latest creation from rapper/producer Nicky Spesh, a veteran of the music scene who produced tracks for Est’elle many years ago. His debut album ‘The World I Know’ received critical acclaim getting 5 Stars in IDJ Magazine & DMC Magazine, and his follow up EP “Return to the concubine spaceship” was again awarded 5 stars.
He has composed music for documentaries on Sky 1 and Channel 4 and is now making jingles for the itunes top 10 sports podcast Americarnage whilst juggling a family and fixing computers for ‘the man’. Undergrowth Entertainment is determined to encourage him to make records even if he barely gets out these days.
The summer of 2012 saw a number of high profile DJ’s getting sacked for being ‘too old’ and a new and horribly untrendy demographic of ‘festival dads’ was identified. Is it possible to grow old and remain current in the internet age? This is the dilemma that Butterscotch Espinosa faces in his new single ‘Middle Aged Rap’, a record that embraces the onset of age like a drunk embracing a lamppost.
“Its harvest and the cats come in, laid back red eyes “what’s happening?” Homework boy! Get the Latin in, no chips tonight ‘cos they’re fattening…”
Another Classics Sunday post today, although now I think about it I think prefer Sunday Classics. What do you reckon? Answers on a postcards please.
Anyway, whilst I tussle with that existential crisis let’s get on with some Craig Mack. I first came in contact with him when I rented a ‘hip-hop mix’ CD from my local library (SAVE OUR LIBRARIES, FUCK YOU DAVID CAMERON. Sickening) and taped it on a blank cassette with my little stereo. I was about 10 or 11 and had just gotten into hip-hop, and I can safely say this CD was probably one of the biggest catalysts to my new musical awakening. It had ‘Flava In Ya Ear’ on it, and since it didn’t have loads of swear words I could play it super loud in my house. I didn’t really get what he was talking about because well, well I was ten but it sure sounded cool. This right here is how you do good hip-hop. Remember, if there’s some old skool artists you think we should be repping on our Classics Sunday segment; rappers, DJs, Beatboxers, graff writers, whoever then drop us a link on Twitter or Facebook, or comment this post.
In Skyzoo’s words “The theme was to show the parallels between me as a 9-year old aspiring emcee and me now as an accomplished emcee and artist, and how the things around me that groomed me haven’t changed. The song is a 3-minute auto-bio of me as a kid in Brooklyn.
The ending is a clip from Video Music Box, the legendary NYC video show run by DJ Ralph McDaniels. This episode in particular was the debut of Chi-Ali’s ‘Age Ain’t Nothin But A Number’. Seeing that video that day on this episode of VMB made me start rhyming. This clip was literally the moment that changed my life. And the Chi-Ali tee shirt is pretty amazing. They’ll be on sale soon. Enjoy…”