THE RETURN OF THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER AND MORE…
On Sunday September 20th, NYC was treated to something very special at Lincoln Center’s Hearst Plaza during the 3rd annual Shinnyo Lantern Floating Ceremony For Peace. You might say that the free of charge event that encouraged attendees to participate by creating their own lanterns with messages of peace inscribed on them so they can be then released into the Paul Milstein reflecting pool was special, and you would not be wrong. You could also say that the great performances throughout the day by The Shinnyo Taiko Drummers, dance students from The LaGuardia High School of Music, Arts & Performing Arts, The Dalton School Chorus, and Bolo Bolo Blauweh Djembe African Drumming Ensemble were all special, and you would be right in saying so. The performance by the first African American principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland, along with the public address made byHer Holiness Shinso Ito could be considered special as well, but I’m not talking about any of those things. The one truly special thing that New York City was treated to was the return of The Hip Hop Nutcracker (or at least a glimpse of the return).
Last year was just the beginning with performances that were limited to New York and New Jersey. This time around, starting in November The Hip Hop Nutcracker will be on tour.
THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER TOUR
2015-2016 DATES
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Thursday November 19th United Palace of Cultural Arts
Friday November 20th United Palace of Cultural Arts
Saturday November 21st United Palace of Cultural Arts
ST. PAUL, MN
Tuesday November 24th – Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Wednesday November 25th – Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
ATLANTA, GA
Saturday November 28th – The Fox Theatre
JACKSONVILLE, FL
Sunday November 29th – Ritz Theatre and Museum
NEWPORT NEWS, VA
Wednesday December 2nd – Ferguson Center for the Arts
NORTH BETHESDA, MD
Thursday December 3rd – Strathmore
MIAMI, FL
Saturday December 5th – The Studio Theater at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday December 6th – The Studio Theater at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC
Thursday December 17th – North Charleston Performing Arts Center
NEWARK, NJ
Saturday December 19th – New Jersey Performing Arts Center
SCHENECTADY, NY Monday December 21st – Proctors Theatre
CHARLOTTE, NC
Tuesday December 29th – Blumenthal Performing Arts
Wednesday December 30th – Blumenthal Performing Arts
Thursday December 31st – Blumenthal Performing Arts
Friday January 1st – Blumenthal Performing Arts
Saturday January 2nd – Blumenthal Performing Arts
Sunday January 3rd – Blumenthal Performing Arts
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA
Tuesday January 12th – Region Drama Theatre
Wednesday January 13th – Region Drama Theatre
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Friday January 15th
Saturday January 16th
VORONEZH, RUSSIA
Sunday January 17th
I’ll also be looking for DJ gigs in the cities where we do multiple dates. So if anyone’s interested in booking, please feel free to reach out.
All joking, and shameless plugs aside, the Shinnyo Lantern Floating Ceremony For Peace was truly an incredible event that brought together hundreds upon hundreds of people to put some positive energy out in this very tumultuous world.
Photo by Boo
It was a great means for participants to do something fun, creative, and cathartic. While at the same time, enjoy performances by some of New York’s talented artists.
Photo by Boo
Djembe Player from Bolo Bolo Blauweh Djembe African Drumming Ensemble Photo by Boo
Water Dancer Photo by Boo
Whether you’re a native New Yorker or just here visiting I advice, that if you have a chance, to participate in this event that you take full advantage of it. It’s a great event for all.
Kudos to Laurie DeJong and LDJ Productions for running this memorable event.
Until next time.
Thanks for stopping through.
-B-
Goodbye Hip-hop Nutcracker
Last Saturday, December 13, was the encore performance of The Hip-hop Nutcracker. It’s was a short an intense ride from the moment we got the green light to produce it about 3 months ago to the final performance last week. I think all of us involved knew it would be something special on an artistic level, but I don’t think we really could foretell the impact it would have or the reaction the audience would have to what we presented.
When I first met Mike Fitelson, it was at a DECA performance at 3LD, where Jennifer Weber collaborated with multimedia artists to perform Decadance vs The Firebird. After a brief introduction, Mike expressed that he had a great interest in what Jen was doing as a choreographer, which was creating pieces that married Hip-hop dance movements with Classical music. He then explained his idea of reinterpreting The Nutcracker and give it a modern twist and infusing it with Hip-hop. Being the executive director of cultural arts at The United Palace, his vision was to have it take place in the NYC, to be exact in Washington Heights, where The United Palace is located. More importantly what he wanted to do is create something that could be annual tradition for the Washington Heights community and help draw more people to this Northern Manhattan neighborhood.
After our premiere at The United Palace on December 7th, I think it would be safe to say that he achieved that. I posted that over 3000 people attended the performance, what I did not know at the time is that 1/3 of those attendees were from Washington Heights.
Before the performance Jen looked out at the empty theater and said to me, “That’s a lot of people to perform for.” I commented that I had actually performed for much more while on tour with Nomadic Collective. What I didn’t say is that although this audience maybe smaller, it was an audience in my city ,in my neighborhood. The neighborhood where I grab my breakfast sandwiches, the neighborhood where I grab my fix of mac -n- cheese, the neighborhood where I lay my head to rest. If I fail out in Africa or whatever country I can find comfort in that I may never ever go back to that place again, failure in my back yard would haunt me for the rest of my days.
I can say with great ease that working on this show and performing it has been a highlight of my year. The only regret I have is that it’s a seasonal show and comes once a year.
Goodbye Hip-hop Nutcracker.
See you next year.
The NY Times called the performance a gift to Northern Manhattan.
Elle’s story, Inside 3 Very Different Versions of The Nutcracker featured The Hip-hop Nutcracker and profiled our very own Sylvia Clark.
Broadway World said that my “…turntable scratching and undertones oddly complimented the classic notes..”. (I think that’s a compliment.)
The Hip-hop Nutcracker
“It has been way too long since my last entry.” will probably be the opening line for all my entries for now on, being that entries come at an annual rate. Anyway, I’d like to take this time to emerge from laziness and procrastination to actually write something.
Last weekend The Hip-hop Nutcracker made its world debut with two nights at NJPAC . It then crossed over the river and made its New York City debut at the place where it all started, The United Palace Theatre. Using the original score by Tchaikovsky, the story of the The Nutcracker was adapted by The United Palace’s own Mike Fitelson to fit the modern and urban setting of Washington Heights. It’s choreographed by Jennifer Weber , of Decadancetheatre, who has become known for adapting Hip-hop movement to classical pieces. I was brought in to create a musical bridge between old and new.
In preparation for the show, my life was literally eat, sleep, and make music. I would wake up (if I slept) listen to Tchaikovsky’s score and then stare at the computer screen. The words, “Come on inspiration!” or “Music………NOW!” would frequently be shouted in my head with the hopes that something would be produced. Of course, living inside my head and having mental debates whether this or that idea would work would produce nothing. So I had to just do, and start creating. Using samples from his music, I wanted to make an effort to have the parts I created stay relevant to the score while at the same time pay homage to Tchaikovsky. I also wanted my contributions to reflect the ingenuity of Hip-hop with the use of technology to sample sounds and turntables to manipulate those sounds. By doing that it really gave us a means to break convention and create something new from the old. Eventually, after a few months of toiling away at the turntable, Pro-Tools and Reason, the music was finished and with the approval of Jennifer, The Hip-hop Nutcracker had a completed working score.
With the score in place and rehearsals well on its way, it was incredible to see how the music and movement came together. The music informed how the dancers moved and those movements told the story. Love, conflict, and redemption all told through music and Hip-hop dance.
From the principals to the ensemble, everyone’s performance was exceptional. Each dancer capturing and portraying their role brilliantly.
And to see it all in that incredible theater was truly something to behold. This past Sunday night, nearly 3,000 people did just that.
It’s been an interesting rider me, working on this show. I had been so focused on finishing the pieces that it is only now that I’ve been able to check out the press for it.
The coverage it got on The Huffington Post’.
The listings in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Both which mention my name and brought to my attention when someone posted it onto my FaceBook.
And the Time Out NY coverage and interview with Jen
It’s been a great blessing to be part of this project. And I can’t help to be grateful to Jen, Mike and everyone involved who trusted me to do what I do.
Special thanks to the Hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow for believing in this show and getting involved.
If you haven’t seen it yet, there is still one more chance to do so with an encore presentation this Saturday December 13th at The United Palace Theatre.
Goodbye 6th Avenue Gray’s Papaya
After any long night of partying or DJ’ing there was 3 spots I would hit up on a regular for an after hours meal; Cozy’s Soup & Burger, Hop Kee, and Gray’s Papaya. It looks like, after a $20,000 hike in rent, the 6th Avenue location has sold it’s last hot dog and will be replaced by Liquiteria (Is that a euphemism for a gastrointestinal ailment). With the closing of Gray’s Papaya I can’t help to reminisce about all the times I capped off the night by polluting my body with those tasty hot dogs. One particular night stands out for me.
After one particular outing I headed over there with my brother Ted for a hot dog fix. As he parked the car I quickly got ready to run out, and mentioned how hungry I was. I step out of the car and while the door was still open he asks, “How many you getting?” I pause for a quick second, “I don’t know. How many do you want?” I respond. He then pauses for a quick second, and looks me square in the face and says, “I’ll get as many as you get.” And in some kind of food challenge stand-off I stare right back at him, and I think to myself, “Challenge accepted!”. I break off my gaze and run down 8th Street to the corner of 6th Avenue and stand on line with the rest night owls waiting to satisfy their late night cravings. I make my order, pay, and make my way back to the car. There must have been 12 to 14 hot dogs between us. That night I slept well (and probably woke up with regret).
Although there is another location on Broadway by 72nd Street, the 6th Avenue & 8th Street location holds the most memories for me. Goodbye 6th Avenue Gray’s Papaya, for me this is another loss of an establishment that, may not have defined, but did contribute to this neighborhood’s character. Another win for the blandification of NYC….
Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival (2013): GLOBAL CIPHER #1
The Global Cipher is an ongoing series from Nomadic Wax that showcases some of the best and brightest voices in international Hip-hop. It is another platform Nomadic Wax utilizes to allow these artists to be heard. This latest installment was filmed at the 8th Annual Trinity International Hip-hop Festival and features:
K-Swift
Mandeep Sethi
Humanist
Mr. Lif
Kama
Lah Tere
Hosted by Self Suffice
(By the way, I’m playing drums on this.)
The 9th Annual Trinity International Hip-hop Festival will be April 3rd-5th 2014. They are accepting submissions for artists and presenters now: CALL 4 ARTISTS & PRESENTERS
Mixtapes With A Message
It’s been long overdue for a new entry.
Over the past year I have been honored to be involved with a couple of great mixtape projects. The first, HOME, is a collaborative effort between Nomadic Wax and Housing Is A Human Right that addresses the growing dilemma of housing rights. Through their network of artists, Nomadic Wax was able to assemble a roster of lyricist and poets to contribute verses and music that dealt with displacement, gentrification, and other issues surrounding housing. To further drive the message of this project, actual testimonials from those who have experienced and/or experiencing this problem are interspersed throughout the mix.
On a personal note, I laid down the foundation of this project during the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy making the process of putting this mix together incredibly poignant. At the time of the storm, I was out in Long Island but because of the power outage, I was forced to relocate to Brooklyn where I was taken in by Jennifer Weber director of Decadance Theatre. It was there at DECA HQ where I sat on the floor with the turntables, mixer, Scratch Live, and Pro-Tools and listened to the tracks and the stories of those in the housing struggle. While piecing together the mix, news outlets and the internet flooded my eyes and ears with the stories of people struggling without power, or displaced because their homes were in ruin from the storm. Many people were lucky to have a network of friends and family to go to where we could have a warm place to lay our heads and have a hot meal. Others were not so fortunate and resorted to dumpster diving and toughing it out in cold dark apartments.
The most recent project that I’ve been involved in was just released. It’s a collaborative piece with Omar Offendum of Hip-hop and Arabic poetry entitled OO vs PP. Mostly known for his work as a lyricist OO vs PP showcases Offendum’s production. Last year Offendum approached me about doing a mixtape using his instrumentals, and I gladly accepted the job. We went back and forth on a concept for the mix. Originally, I thought of using his own poetry to be showcase along with his beats, but then while watching news updates and scouring for samples on Al Jazeera English’s YouTube Page I came across a preview for the documentary series, Poets of Protest. Each week the series profiled a poet from a different region in the Middle East, told their story, and shared their words with the viewer. With each episode I was reminded about the power of words and how they are, not only, cathartic but also inspiring for others during difficult times. The words were a source of comfort and a rallying point that reflected the opinions and emotions of the public. After watching each episode I approached Offendum with the idea of using pieces from the series in the mix. The idea was to set the words of these poets to Offendum’s beats, somewhat like what The Last Poets had done with their socially conscious verses over music.
The end result is this:
I’m always amazed by the power of words. I’m even more amazed when words are coupled with the right music.
Both these mixtapes are free to download. If you like them please share them.
Thanks.
-B-
Summer Stage In Brooklyn, International Hip-hop In The Bronx
This Friday, June 8th I’ll be joining Decadancetheatre at Summer Stage at Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn. This is a free event open to the public and will feature an excerpt from When The Sky Breaks and their new piece “4” which is a continuing project based on Anonio Vivladi’s The Four Seasons.
Along with the performance the dancers in Decadancetheatre will be offering a master class for all those who to learn some Hip-hop dance basics. This will be at about 7PM.
The following Friday (June 15th) I will be be joining Nomadic Wax at El Fogon Center of The Arts in the Bronx.
It will be an international Hip-hop line-up headed by Zero Plastica of Genoa, Italy.
For about a decade now Zero Plastica has been using Hip-hop as a vehicle for their thought proving words to be heard and to convey a conscious message.
Also on this line-up is
Eli Efi of Brazil.
Eli Efi was born in Sao Paula, Brazil and in 1988 founded the politically charged rap group DMN. During his time with DMN, the group received critical acclaim from the Hip-hop community and music industry. They were nominated Best Video and Best Rap Group at the MTV Brazil Video Music Awards,Best Rap Song at the Hutus Hip-hop Awards Festival, and won best music video at the São Paulo Shorts Film Festival.
In 2004 Eli Efi parted ways with DMN and continues his musical journey alongside DJ Laylo.
DeLaCeiba of Honduras
DeLaCeiba is an MC/poet/writer/educator/activist/critical thinker who uses his craft to address and deal with issues of injustice, racism, and inequality. He has performed at top universities such as UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Columbia, UMASS, and worked with several grassroots organizations such as MOVE in Philadelphia and the End-Dependence Poets Collective. In 2006 he moved to New York to solidify his love for Hip Hop. He has shared the stage with underground greats like Eli Efi (Brasil), SieteNueve (PR), Bocafloja (MEX), and Ana Tijoux (Chile). His message is simple; create the way even though the odds are against us. He currently works as social worker, helping high school youth in Upper Manhattan.
Self Suffice The Rapoet of Hartford Connecticut.
Self-Suffice the RapOet is an unsigned MC who turned down a record deal with Def Jam in favor of a scholarship to Trinity College. After graduating, he remained in Hartford, CT (at the heart of the New York Tri-State and New England area) where he continued to win rap battles, feature on Hip-Hop compilations, and serve as a DJ (as well as Music Director) at 89.3FM WRTC. Wanting to create events where he could strengthen the community and share his success with others, the RapOet transitioned from battling other MCs (putting them down) to hosting showcases and open mics.
His insightful, positive and energy has allowed him to share the stage with some of the most inspiring wordsmiths of our time, from Talib Kweli to KRS-ONE; from Jessica Care Moore to Alice Walker. Besides “wowing” crowds with both Rap and Spoken Word lyrics (hence the name “RapOet”), he developed the popular RapOetry Workshop to teach Positive Self-Expression (within parks, libraries, and cultural centers), as well as enrich Math, English and other curricula (within middle schools, high schools, and colleges). When not performing, hosting, or leading workshops, Self Suffice collaborates with other performers through his RapOetry coaching/partnership program.
Hache St of the Dominican Republic
Hache St is an Hip-hop artist born and raised in the Dominican Republic and a member of the Quilombo Arte collective.
Hosting this night of international talent will be Hired Gun of Brooklyn, New York.
Hired Gun is an artist and educator born and raised in New Jersey and resides in Brooklyn, New York. He’s veteran of the New York underground Hip-hop scene and has shared the stage with the likes of Rob Swift formerly of the The X-Ecutioners, Slick Rick, Fat Lip of the Pharcyde, J-Live, WordsWorth, Breezevahflowin and The Last Poets.
As a youth educator and mentor in New York City Hired Gun is able to spread his message to question what’s going on in the world around you, to recognize the real, and work to make things better, starting with yourself. Emcee, Writer, Educator, Poet, Performer.
Hired Gun brings whatever’s needed to get the job done.
With all that said, come out Friday June 15th to the borough that birthed Hip-hop, and bare witness to the evolution of Hip-hop at an international scale.
Paz, Salaam, Peace!
Songs For Syria Wrap-up
On Thursday May 31st I had the honor of participating in a fundraiser to help provide humanitarian relief to those suffering through the ongoing revolution in Syria. It was good to see that the event was well attended and that people were generous with their donations. All the artists involved (Dylan Connor, Omnia Hegazy, Ghuydar Beshmaf, The Zikrayat Ensemble, Christine Moore, and Omar Offendum) donated their time and talent to provide entertainment, create a rallying point, and lift the spirits at what is a dark and somber time for the Syrian people.
Christine Moore opens up the night of performances
Although the event has ended the Network of Arab American Professionals is still accepting donations until midnight today (Monday June 4). Please feel free to check out the page here: Songs For Syria: A Humanitarian Fundraiser
Thursday May 31st – Songs For Syria at DROM
On Thursday May 31st I will be backing my friend Omar Offendum at Songs For Syria: A Humanitarian Fundraiser at DROM in NYC.
For over a year now there has been a revolution in Syria claiming the lives of men, women, and children. The government has engaged in a brutal crackdown against demonstrators in the form of arbitrary detention, and civilian killings. It has escalated to the point of indiscriminate assaults on residential areas.
On Friday (May 25th) there was an attack on the town of Houla claiming the lives of about 100 lives many of them children. And before that an attack on Idlib. All this happening as the UN makes attempts to negotiate a peace plan.
The humanitarian situation is dire and this event will hopefully will raise funds and continued awareness about the situation that continues to unfold in that region.
Also performing:
– Ghuydar Bashmaf
and more…
For more about this event please check out:
Songs For Syria: A Humanitarian Fundraiser
If you’re on FaceBook:
FB Event Page – Songs For Syria: A Humanitarian Fundraiser
Hope you can support.
-B-
Never too late to get mushy….
Originally I intended to make Mush as the second installment to a Valentine’s mix I did last year, but because of other projects I was unable to get to it to finish in time. So after working out the playlist and getting the music ready, the mix laid dormant. It was after some coaxing (pestering) from of a friend that I actually decided to make it an actuality.
Complete playlist for Mush:
Barry White “Playing Your Game, Baby”
Big Daddy Kane “Very Special” featuring Spinderella
Usher “Throwback”
Adele “I’ll Be Waiting”
Robin Thicke “Jus Right”
Lauryn Hill “Ex-Factor”
D’Angelo “Lady”
John Legend “No Other Love” featuring Estelle
Minnie Ripperton “Baby, The Love I Have”
Barry White “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up”
Michael Jackson “Never Can Say Goodbye”
DeBarge “Stay With Me”
Mtume “Juicy”
Maxwell “Ascension”
Janet Jackson “That’s The Way Love Goes”
Sade “Kiss of Life”
Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing”
Michael Jackson “I’ll Be There”
Bill Whithers “Just The Two of Us”
Stevie Wonder “I was Made To Love Her”
King Floyd “Groove Me”
Bee Gees “Love You Inside Out”
The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back”
Doris Troy “Just One Look”
If you dig it you can download it here:
Checkout the 1st installment here:
Tongue & Cheek The Valentine’s Mix
DECA at Joyce SoHo!
“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. It is not for unsteady souls.” —Merce Cunningham (1919—2009)
A friend of mine posted that quote a little while back. And conceptually I got it, but it wasn’t until I started working with dancers that I really understood. Conveying ideas and telling stories without words. Using their bodies as the brush to paint the stage with their movements. But unlike music or paintings where notes can be written and read off of staff paper, or repeatedly seen in a museum, dancers create their art live on stage each night leaving their impression of once on an audience member and exposing them to a moment of fleeting beauty.
Throughout the month of April Decadancetheatre (aka DECA Crew) performed a series of shows at NYC’s Joyce SoHo and I had the honor of joining them on stage as their DJ. Decadancetheatre is a Brooklyn based Hip-hop dance crew and under the direction of Jennifer Weber, DECA has been able to fuse Hip-hop movements with contemporary dance. One piece that they became known for is their interpretation of Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird.
My introduction to DECA was when I was invited to back them at last year’s Fringe Festival, where they performed When The Sky Breaks.
Fast forward past a couple local shows and gigs in Tennessee and Miami and we arrive at Joyce SoHo. It is here that Jennifer Weber and company performed a series of shows that consists of 3 pieces one of them being a brand new piece inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
I wish I could say that we hit the ground running but we did encounter some technical snags in the form of, not one, but two faulty VGA cables for the projector, a problem we were trying to remedy all the way up to the opening of the doors. And although we were able to have the video element of When The Sky Breaks, there was no time to fine tune it’s presentation. Stumbling out of the gate with our shoelaces bound together wasn’t exactly the start we were going for, and it set the mood for the night. But that’s what happens when you borrow a pair sneakers with knotted laces instead of running in your own. What’s more it was the night New York Times came to review our performance. Luckily the author was sympathetic to our technological plight and reflected it in their review of the performance.
After getting through that rough part we started the next shows anew with a brand new VGA cable and a much more powerful projector. And every show after that first one progressively got better by leaps and bounds. Our mood and energy were focused and there was fine tuning by Jen every night during the few hours before the doors opened each night.
Being that I am new to the dance environment, this time before the shows allowed me to see a little bit of what goes on to make a show like this work. And by doing that I saw that the process is like the process of any form of art. Whether it be music or painting, a single note may be too much, or a particular shade may not compliment the bigger picture. Watching them dance I see that each movement has its place and meaning in the entirety of the piece.
This time before each night’s opening also allowed me to appreciate more the role of lighting and how it helps complete the dance pieces. As Jen tightened the movments of the dancers, lighting designer, Erik C. Bruce, fine tuned the lights. During these pre-show moments I saw that the type of light, its color, how it fades in and out, its brightness, its placement, and of course, whether it’s on or off are all carefully choreographed to create mood and context to the dancer’s movements.
The preparation and the continued hard work led us to better performances, and although we felt good after every show and proud after our performances we were happy to see that our pride was solidified by a review of the show in The New Yorker’s Culture Desk. I personally have never read a review that was so thorough and detailed that the author picked up on smiles and facial expression from the dancers.
Read entire review here
Music, movement,and lighting are the elements of the show and with the guidance of Jen, the eye of Erik and the talents of Taeko Koji, Adaku Utah, Megan “Megz” Alfonso, Sylvia Clark, Casandra “Defy” Rivera the pieces are given life and soul.
Thanks you for allowing me to be a part of this.
And to our absent family: Lucile “Frak” Graciano, and Nadia Lumely, we miss you and hope to be reunited on stage soon!
SULU DC Turns 2!
On Saturday November 19 I will be down in Washington DC to perform at the Artisphere as Sulu DC turns 2. Sulu DC is an off-shoot of The Sulu Series, an event I was involved with from 2005-2010. Named after the Star Trek character played by George Takei and a remote island in the Philippines, The Sulu Series, was a monthly showcase in New York City that featured Asian American performers in music, spoken word, video and multidisciplinary performances from the local and national scenes. It was hosted by Regie Cabico, curated by Artistic Director Taiyo Na, and I was the house DJ.
Although much has changed the one thing that remains true is that this event, this movement, helps provide a platform for artists of Asian descent. Saturday’s line-up consists of:
CHIP HAN
J. PHARAOH & THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
And then there’s me
Looking forward to this show and seeing my DC Fam.
See you there.
IRVING PLAZA with ETERNIA, SAGE FRANCIS, DECA & More
Irving Plaza NYC, I’ve been there a handful of times as a spectator and as an all-access guest courtesy of some musician friends. I’ve walked the stage and seen it, before, during, and after the aftermath of some great shows, but Friday night was my first time there as a performer, backing up Eternia as she opened up for Sage Francis.
Door’s opened at 7PM and Eternia hit at 8PM but before that, being that it was a new crowd and venue for the both of us, I decided to warm up the room and set the vibe off with a bit of spinning. After a little Gang Starr, a bit of Brother Ali, some Tribe Called Quest, and Public Enemy, I cued up Etta James’ “At Last” and Eternia took the stage. If you haven’t experienced Eternia live, know this, she is one of the most energetic Hip-hop performers I know. The music on her album “At Last” is engaging, at times heartfelt, but that isn’t enough, when she hits the stage its as if its for the first time and she has everything to prove, rhyming with every bit of her being even going into the audience to be amongst the people.
Also on the line-up that night was The Metermaids who gave a solid performance. They were backed by DJ Rob Swift of The X-Ecutioners, who showed the audience, through his beat juggling , scratching, and all around sonic manipulation, why he is a turntable pioneer.
The end of Rob Swift’s performance marked the end of the opening acts and meant it was Sage Francis’ time. With the banner for his record label, Strange Famous Records, draped around him, Sage took the stage. Throughout his entire performance its evident that Sage doesn’t shy from emotion. During his performance, Eternia mentioned via Twitter, “Enjoying Sage Francis bare his soul.” With songs like The Best of Times its clear that Sage Francis’ music is merely not just an exercise in good writing but a means of catharsis that he is willing to share with all those willing to listen. In these highly politicized time its also not surprising that Sage is ready to express his opinions of what is going on with the Occupy Movement and big corporations when he states, “I’d rather see you occupy Wall Street than occupy Wal-Mart.” (You can read more of his views of the Occupy Movement on his website) The one thing that I found, not so much surprising, but refreshing was his humanitarian work. One of his closing pieces included an a cappella verse that was inspired by his travels earlier this year to Durban, South Africa where he participated in outreach work for HIV infected orphans.
A little while back I had a discussion with a musician friend of mine about art and activism. They told me that they would like to be more involved but didn’t know how to be an activist. After telling me that they had received a message from a fan who expressed that they went through a similar experience my friend wrote about in one of their songs, I told my friend that their art, their music can be their form of activism. I then told them that as artists the moment we do something, say something, or share an experience that resonates with someone and affects them in a positive way we’ve become, in some way, an activist. Whether its inspire or inform or merely allows someone to know that they aren’t alone, artists can rise above frivolity and be activist through their art.
Thank you Sage for having all of us there and allowing us to be part of the experience.
I’m going to end it here but before I close out this entry I want to congratulate and give well wishes to my friends in DECA who have been invited to participate at the San Francisco Hip-hop Dance Festival.
CMJ Wrap-Up & November 4th
My game of “catch-up” continues with some words about this year’s CMJ experience. This would be my 5th time I’ve been at CMJ. The first time was in 2002 with The Juggaknots. I clearly remember that event because in the midst of our performance Sugarcuts came on stage and whispered something into Breeze Brewin’s ear. Next thing I knew Breeze looked down took a deep breath, shut the crowd up, and then announced “Jam Master Jay was shot and killed.”
In 2006 I was at CMJ one more time with The Juggaknots. The next three times I hit the stage would be as the house DJ for the international Hip-hop showcase which was produced and organized by Nomadic Wax.
In 2009 I did a online promo mix for the event which featured a few tracks from all the performing artists.
On Saturday October 22nd I partook in Planet Hip-hop, CMJ’s international Hip-hop showcase at 92Y Tribeca. Although the name of the event has changed, this would be the third time I have been involved with this showcase, which was produced by Nomadic Wax in conjunction with World Hip-hop Market and The Bloom Effect.
Like the 2009 event I put together a promo mix for the event which gave a taste of things to come on the stage.
Each year the stage is blessed with great, but not often heard artists. Past showcases featured the international collective from Canada, Nomadic Massive, Ghana’s Blitz The Ambassador, At Versaris from Spain, Chachi of Cape Verde, and more. This year was no exception with the likes of RahZemos (Lebanon/Canada), JMNI (Ghana/Canada), Krussia (Russia), Masia 1 (Singapore/Canada/Jamaica), The Reminders (Congo/Belgian/US), and Omar Offendum (Syria/US).
It was a night packed with great energy and maintained by host, Kokayi, who not only presided over the event but also blessed the audience with a couple songs of his own. All the acts brought their “A” game, reminding the audience that there is a rich world of hip-hop talent beyond the music force fed to them by commercial radio and MTV.
At the risk of sounding biased, highlights, for me, were Omar Offendum who moved the crowd with a combination of his music and spoken word and The Reminders who took the stage like the pros that they are and rocked the crowd. I’ve shared the stage with them before on separate occasions and they just get better each time I see them.
Top notch performances were also given by Masia One with her combination of Hip-hop and Dancehall and Krussia with his band who performed in Russian and then was convinced by the crowd and Kokayi to do an encore, impressing the audience with his skills as (what I first knew him for) a beatboxer.
In my opinion, this year’s international Hip-hop stage was not only the best attended but the audience had the best energy. Its great evidence that people are still seeking out good music not only in their backyards but in their attics basements and also over the big ponds.
Ok. Just as a reminder, Friday November 4th, I’ll be performing alongside Eternia at Irving Plaza as she opens up for Sage Francis. Also on the line-up DJ Rob Swift of The X-ecutioners and The Metermaids.
Hope to see you there.
Left Handed Saint 