Month: April 2008

Street Dreamz has been doing the circuit for quite some time. It was at the top on the Channel U chart for 16 weeks, this being the first place I heard the full track. And my initial reaction was, I guess, similar to a lot of people. What the fuck? British MCs sampling back in the day electro pop with such a full on, thickly spread, high cholesterol attitude.

Going back to Kool Herc’s Bloc Parties, many things have remained the same when it comes to DJs. Their new scratches and breaks mixes create new breaker moves, inspire new graff designs and provide a foundation for new styles of spitting. But, when we reach the end of the weak ones, the thing that really makes the DJ the king pin is that he’s often the coolest cat in the joint.

Mr Bongo presents this amazing 2CD collection of classic originals from the Fania label and their first ever remixes. It contains the sought after and sold-out 12” singles, featuring remixes by such contemporary heavyweights as Gilles Peterson, DJ Format, Louie Vega, Bugz in the Attic and many, many more who have enhanced the catalogue with their own unique sounds.

The Single "Dropkicked" features La Coka Nostra member and star of movie "Gone Baby Gone", Boston's own Slaine and is produced by New Jersey producer Mr. Green. The video of the eagerly anticipated collaboration is already a youtube.com favorite, having secured over 7,000 views on popular video hosting site in only three days with minimal promotion.

One of the only European MC's with a tangible fan-base in the USA, Ireland's Rob Kelly dropped his official debut single on Friday April 18th on iTunes and all major digital outlets. Rob has delivered a track to put the Emerald Isle on the Map.

Young entrepreneur Sincere the rapper behind huge hit ‘That’s Not Gangster’ and last years mix tape movie extravaganza ‘So Sincere’ returns with a stupidly infectious single ‘Once Upon A Time’ featuring rising starlet and Atlantic’s latest signing Natty.

Former ‘Chain Of Command’ member Skandal isn’t just somebody you need to watch out for; he’s someone you need to sprint after and hold onto tightly all the way. He’s torn apart all the boxes everyone tries to place MCs in, laying them down and let his words stomp mercilessly all over them.

Hip hop has reached a stage where rappers, breakers and all other active members find themselves becoming increasingly labelled. The word rapper usually follows one of two prefixes - ‘gangster’ or ‘conscious’. Although few can truly fall entirely into one category.

Mariah is back and on top form with E=MC2 ready to make and break some new records. She has recently scored her eighteenth number one with the album's debut Touch My Body which accompanies a cheeky video with unicorns, laser tag and a compu-nerd as her co-star.

3Face aka Jamie is one of those acts that seems to burst out of nowhere, probably because I have not been paying attention. He is a product of the Gold Seal Project - an initiative which gives training and mentoring to youths in the areas of music production and DJing etc.