MUSIC IS LIFE: THE POLITICAL FORUM P.II

"The time has come that we choose hope, over fear"-

President Barak Obama



IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE-
known for controversial socio-political content, immortal technique has gone beyond the norm with challenging governmental structures, laws, exposing the ills and dark sides of pollitical establishments. Noted mostly as an underground mc, he has garnered a following giving insight beyond the veil.






"It is truly rare to find an artist like Invincible. Her spitfire wordplay has gotten her acclaim from Hip Hop fans all across the world, while her active involvement in progressive social change has taken her music beyond entertainment, and towards actualizing the change she wishes to see. Repping Detroit, MI, many are already familiar with her work with Waajeed and the Platinum Pied Pipers, Finale, the all-female ANOMOLIES crew, Black Star, and many others. Dubbed by XXL Magazine as "every A&Rs worst nightmare" for rejecting major label deals and general industry politrix, Invincible started her own record label, EMERGENCE, self-releasing her long-awaited full length LP, ShapeShifters, June, 2008."

SOURCES-EMERGENCE.NET

One artist that will open the minds and hearts of many..peep her soundscape as she goes against the grain in both american and international isssues.





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BALLAD OF LEGACY: NINA SIMONE

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone (/ˈniːnə sɨˈmoʊn/), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist. Although she disliked being categorized, Simone is arguably[who?] most associated with her performance of jazz music. Simone originally aspired to become a classical pianist, but her work covers an eclectic variety of musical styles that include classical music, jazz, the blues, soul, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop music. Her vocal style is characterized by intense passion, a loose vibrato, and a slightly androgynous timbre, in part due to her unusually low vocal range which veered between the alto and tenor ranges (occasionally even reaching baritone lows). Also known as The High Priestess of Soul, she paid great attention to the musical expression of emotions. Within one album or concert she could fluctuate between exuberant happiness and tragic melancholy. These fluctuations also characterized her own personality and personal life, worsened by bipolar disorder with which she was diagnosed during the mid-1960s, but was kept secret until 2004 after her death.[1] -
SOURCES WIKIPEDIA



The last week of the year we showcase a throwback..the late great Nina..from her own struggles in life the winepress filtered a legacy for generations to eat..the sound speak for itself...



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SOUNDS OF CONCRETE:THE TRI-STATES GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCERS

We close the week and jump off the holidays with the tri-states area's groundbreaking producers. Noted individuals that have been making credible stride throughout the industry, and have established ties and influence in both mainstream and underground functions. Bronx New York's Kay "killamessiah" mercer and Baltimore maryland's/philadelphia's "Street Orchestra". Moving with consistent ambition for ultimate success, but seeking to stay humble and in-tune with reality.




A bronx ny native, Kay mercer has been honing his craft since his early days, appreciating and aqquiring the elements if hiphop, from Dj'ing, Mc'ing, and production. Serving northeast bronx's unit paper $oilders, to groups as silent
rounds to Gunit's lloyd banks and Jersey city's Ransom. A unique sound grafted in soul, streets, & raw hiphop. Look for the name in the future, specifically on projects by Lloyd banks, and Ransom.



LLOYD BANKS THE RAW- PRODUCED BY KAY MERCER
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Hailing from baltimore MD, an exclusive producer residing in the philadelphia area,
with contemparies such as the roots, hezekiah(rawkus)and many others. He has showcased much of his work in beat production venues as beat society, and many others. A highly coveted producer, his style rings as his own, equipt with signature symbols, jazz and soul samples and strong drums. Definetly look for street orchestra's movements in the industry, a sound reckonized on ear shot.

S.O IN THE STUDIO



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SEEDS: SAVING THE YOUTH

John Forte Concert Benefits L.A. Youth Organizations
by ERICA LIEPMANN, Causecast Associate Editor




Singer and songwriter John Forté will be taking the stage at Hollywood’s Roxy Theatre over the weekend for a concert to benefit L.A. based nonprofit organizations. Although a New Yorker himself, Forté is bringing his show to the west coast and supporting L.A. organizations while he’s at it.

Forté broke on to the scene in the 1990s as a writer and producer on the Fugee’s Grammy winning album The Score, after which he released two solo albums. Personal problems kept Forté off the radar for a number of years – but now, he’s back with brand new music.

Just one of many artists that give back to the plight of the youth in america and abroad. With so many youth that has already fallen to the proverbial "wayside"..across the country there are many organizations and people sowing into the future of the youth. John is dedicated to the survival of the youth in future generations..a cause and purpose i also heavily believe in..in reflection of the plight i showcase one song off the "stylefree" ep "running up that hill".. a different appeal altogether..peep



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NY UNDERGROUND PII

Thursday's feature is Shawn "Da gif" folk's column..NY underground, a feature of artists and affiliates through NYC and the tri-state. Peep the humble bio of Da gif and the roster of NYC'S heavy hitter's.




I was born the sixth out of seventh son, twenty second day of the tenth month of the seventh sign in seventy-nine. Daddy wasn’t around, ain’t shed a tear, called him pops cause he popped in bout once every year.





Born in Bushwick Brooklyn and relatively raised in East Harlem, I never really felt connected to any particular part of town because I mostly lived in my head. Considered a rare breed cause I hardly if ever drink and find no need for weed. I remember a girl once told me, “You don’t drink, and you don’t smoke, what type of rapper are you?” Now before you think I’m a Gospel rapper, let it be known that I am flawed and can’t claim to have never indulged in the things prior mentioned in my past. I know it’s cliché to say you don’t write these days but I often don’t. I keep everything in my head. I work off of emotion and tend to rhyme more from my heart than my head and I like to move as creativity hits me and not take the time to sit down write it out.

My music is a reflection of me, maybe more so what’s going on inside of me. I’ve been told I’m much more passionate in song and debate than I am in general. Music, in a way, is like my psychiatrist. I pour out my soul lying on a couch in the shape of a cello to a note with arms and legs holding a legal pad and a pen. I’m passionate, I’m emotional, I’m philosophical, I’m sort of like an intellectual street dude so I guess you could call my musical intellectual street music.

People often ask, “What does Gif stand for?” They think I was aiming at Gift and just can’t spell, or maybe I was just doing that Hip Hop thing and spelling it how I say it. Really, though I don’t write in the form of an acronym, it stands for great influential figure. The concept behind it is that every minute of every day we all have the potential to profoundly impact the lives of those around us. As a member of society, I have the potential to profoundly impact the lives of those around me. My name represents that ability and stands in representation of the power of humanity rather than myself alone.

CAVALIER-BROOKLYN

DA GIF

DARU FT RENA- I LUV U


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STILLS OF LIFE: D-NICE

D-Nice is the stage name of beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer Derrick Jones (born June 19, 1971), who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. -WIKIPEDIA




D-Nice grew up in the Bronx, hip-hops birthplace, and emerged as a rapper and producer in the late 1980s. The late Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions mentored D-Nice as a teenager and offered him a place to develop his talent alongside rap legend KRS-One. He began to expand into production, producing The Stop The Violence Movement's number 1 single, Self Destruction, and later working with Queen Latifah and Kid Rock on their early albums. Ultimately, D-Nice released two albums with Jive records, including the 1990 hit single Call Me D-Nice, which reached the top of Billboards rap chart.

During a musical hiatus in the mid nineties, D-Nice began to delve into the emerging Internet industry. In 2000 he co-founded Boom Digital, a web design firm that worked on sites for Aaliyah, Queen Pen and Reebok, capitalizing on the dot-com boom. Seven months later, he started his own company, United Camps, which has created the web presence of Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, and Wyclef Jean, and is currently working with Violator Management on several projects.

This monday i note the progress of hiphop pioneer derrick "d-nice" jones. As you read its self-explanitory..I highlight journalism in all forms an important part of the industry, the behind the scenes, real to life we know and appeal to. Peep his movements then and now, and the current hiphop documentry projects.




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BROOKLYN VISIONS: BLACKSMITH LABEL

Blacksmith Records is a record label headed by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. Signees include Jean Grae and Strong Arm Steady, and Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp Lo and had expressed interest in Rakim. While Rakim has already procured a label release for his next album, he hasn't written off Blacksmith as a distributor. Hi-Tek is also signed through Aftermath Entertainment. Talib Kweli announced that there will be a 'BlackSmith TV' where people will get information about the label.-SOURCES WIKIPEDIa

-We go behind the scenes of Talib Kweli's Blacksmith label on thursday night.
The makings,trappings, and the movement itself. A spinoff from monday's jean grae's feature,
peep the world of talib kweli and the times of the some of the greatest minds/ artists of the industry.






THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

THA FEMCEE: PAST AND PRESENT

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To jump off the week we pay homage to the femcees of hiphop music, and culture. First saluting the founding mothers..then a peak and exclusive into some of the new school that is making an explosive impact on the industry. Brooklyn native jean grae.. and detriot's own invincible.






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PILLARS OF HIP-HOP: KRSONE & BUCKSHOT

Hip-Hop veterans KRS-One and Buckshot are set to release their collaborative album Survival Skills this September.

When asked how the two New York mainstays linked up, KRS, who recently signed to Buckshot’s Duck Down label, said the two were always fans of one another’s work.

“Ever since 1993 we’ve been passing each other on tour or in the studio saying, one day we should tour together, or one day we should do a record together,” KRS said in a press release. “Well finally myself and Buckshot have the chance to collaborate on a straight up and down MC’in project.”

The New York natives have recruited a wide range of guest appearances for the disc, including Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli, K’Naan, Immortal Technique, Slug of Atmosphere and label mates Heltah Skeltah and Smif-N-Wessun. Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, Nottz, Marco Polo Ill Mind and Khrysis, are among the producers handling the album’s sounds.

KRS and Buskshot are currently on tour as a part of this year’s Rock the Bells roster.-xxl magazine

Survival Skills hits stores on September 15. –Elan Mancini

A simple reminder/announcement of the september realease of hip-hop veterans Krsone and Buckshot, highlighting this thursday with the preservation of the roots of a culture..in your free time give a listen to this innovative project..





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