Last night I spent my evening drinking beer and chilling with two of London's heaviest graf artist, Teck1's show on Thursday is gonna be sick, I've got a couple of pics, but promised not to post anything giving away the show.
Check this little video about the Tube & Graf, spotted over at toomuchposse!
Reminded me of one of my favorite UK Hip Hop records of all time.
"If your backs against the wall, turn around and write your name on it!"
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Just For Kicks
L.A brand The Hundreds embarks on its first foray into footwear.
I'm feeling these! They have taken on a classic silhouette and incorporated great colours and material to represent a fresh interpretation of a stalwart style for the skate and street scene.
I'm feeling these! They have taken on a classic silhouette and incorporated great colours and material to represent a fresh interpretation of a stalwart style for the skate and street scene.
"Jigga what, Jigga who?"
Tonight on BBC1 @ 10:35pm the 'Imagine...' series follows Jay-Z! The concept behind the program is to offer a candid insight into the lives of those who shape our outlook on the world through art. Alan Yentob spends six months with the Jigga Man, including the build up to the infamous Glastonbury gig, backstage at several of his U.S shows this year and segments in the studio this is one not to miss! But if you do, you can always catch it on the BBC iplayer for the remaining week.
Monday, 27 October 2008
It's A London Thing
Superlatives are often over used, become redundant and thrown out there like nobody's business. But when it comes to UK acts all should be savored and showered upon two of the greatest Rappers this country has ever produced - Rodney P & Bionic. The duo became the mainstay of London Posse and created the greatest UK rap record to date, bar none, if you don't know about 'Gangster Chronicles' then in my book you're simply not serious.
A classic album in every respect, the art work is probably my favorite of any UK release, well maybe it gets tipped by Klashnekoff's 'The Sagas...' and the 'Murda In Parrowdice' 12", but album art work is another story for another day.
So why is 'Gangster Chronicles' the greatest British Rap album of all time? Firstly the album set the foundations for the style that truly would dominate the scene today, a move away from the yankeefied voices of the mid 80s of the early rappers struggling to forge their own identity, towards the reggae soaked London patois so regularly used today in a diverse array of MC driven street music. It's a natural progression though, especially for the likes of Rodney P and Bionic, due to the city's relationship with Jamaica and the personal heritage of many UK artists with the island, it was only a matter of time before the slang would morph into a truly distinct London voice. With such a long line of artists working on Soundsystems, the dominance of the Soundsystem culture has morphed into all elements of UK street music from Drum & Bass to Hip Hop the trail always leads to the Soundsystem.
'Gangster Chronicles' not only sparked a change in style, it was also a pinnacle time for many prominent members of the London Hp Hop community. Regular readers will know I have a penchant for posting classic Westwood material, 'Gangster Chronicles' for me is a classic Westwood moment. Very little people recognize the impact Westwood has had over the years on the scene, its often overshadowed by those who only acknowledge the here and now. In 1988 Westwood released the heavyweight single 'Money Mad' on his Justice label before the Posse moved to Island Records' imprint Mango. I first came across Justice when I bought the very first Westwood compilation album, scrawling the sleeve notes I noted the label, delved a little deeper and its heritage is steeped in UK Hip Hop history. Check out this clip of Westwood and London Posse, a feature for BBC Open Space in 1987. See if you can spot the cameo of a certain Trevor Nelson.
London Posse's 'Gangster Chronicles is a certified classic, I could go on and on and develop this post in to a whos who of UK Hip Hop, the history the sound and the development, I won't. Perhaps I cut this post a little short, and what started as a review of the album developed into something else...
London Posse classic - 'Money Mad'
'Hows Life in London'
Cop 'Gangster Chronicles' Here
SHOUT OUT TO SLINGSHOT FOR THE HEADS UP ON THE FOOTAGE!
A classic album in every respect, the art work is probably my favorite of any UK release, well maybe it gets tipped by Klashnekoff's 'The Sagas...' and the 'Murda In Parrowdice' 12", but album art work is another story for another day.
So why is 'Gangster Chronicles' the greatest British Rap album of all time? Firstly the album set the foundations for the style that truly would dominate the scene today, a move away from the yankeefied voices of the mid 80s of the early rappers struggling to forge their own identity, towards the reggae soaked London patois so regularly used today in a diverse array of MC driven street music. It's a natural progression though, especially for the likes of Rodney P and Bionic, due to the city's relationship with Jamaica and the personal heritage of many UK artists with the island, it was only a matter of time before the slang would morph into a truly distinct London voice. With such a long line of artists working on Soundsystems, the dominance of the Soundsystem culture has morphed into all elements of UK street music from Drum & Bass to Hip Hop the trail always leads to the Soundsystem.
'Gangster Chronicles' not only sparked a change in style, it was also a pinnacle time for many prominent members of the London Hp Hop community. Regular readers will know I have a penchant for posting classic Westwood material, 'Gangster Chronicles' for me is a classic Westwood moment. Very little people recognize the impact Westwood has had over the years on the scene, its often overshadowed by those who only acknowledge the here and now. In 1988 Westwood released the heavyweight single 'Money Mad' on his Justice label before the Posse moved to Island Records' imprint Mango. I first came across Justice when I bought the very first Westwood compilation album, scrawling the sleeve notes I noted the label, delved a little deeper and its heritage is steeped in UK Hip Hop history. Check out this clip of Westwood and London Posse, a feature for BBC Open Space in 1987. See if you can spot the cameo of a certain Trevor Nelson.
London Posse's 'Gangster Chronicles is a certified classic, I could go on and on and develop this post in to a whos who of UK Hip Hop, the history the sound and the development, I won't. Perhaps I cut this post a little short, and what started as a review of the album developed into something else...
London Posse classic - 'Money Mad'
'Hows Life in London'
Cop 'Gangster Chronicles' Here
SHOUT OUT TO SLINGSHOT FOR THE HEADS UP ON THE FOOTAGE!
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Manchester
Just got back from Manchester in time for Match Of The Day. Saw Robinho score his first hat-trick in English football, the first of many I hope, not a bad game today, could have won by 5 or 6! After re-watching the City game I've just flicked over to BBC2 and Oasis' Electric Proms gig is on the box. I used to have a near-obsession with Oasis as a kid.
The reasons for - I was born in Manchester. In an attempt to form any sort of identity in Southern Suburbia, I clutched hold to as many Manchester specific moments of Northern nostalgia as physically and mentally possible for a pre-pubescent boy, who knew a lot about nothing and nothing about everything. This all added to the spice of the North-South divide heightened by the Oasis Blur beef. The Gallagher's are City fans this has added greatly to the mix, me being a Southern Blue and all that. They are also from Burnage, some of my close family live there; around the corner from Sifter's Record Shop (one of the greatest record shops in the world), the famous Chalky White's barbers with its incredible array of pornos, baseball caps and more than one Chris the barber. Pars Wood Shops along with my Gran's house have featured in numerous Oasis clips and maybe a video, although I can't think of which one.
One of my favorite Oasis tracks:
And before I go - ** Some Blog News ** - I've got a few interesting posts in mind, starting to seriously think about some nice little features I want to write, got a lot to do, new job starts next week but before then I'm going to pull out the quill and pad, the pen and paper, the biro and beer-mat and start a new era of new blogs. Oh and more content a long the lines of items and such forth... You know the usual online gems that tickle my fancy and hopefully yours. Chiao.
The reasons for - I was born in Manchester. In an attempt to form any sort of identity in Southern Suburbia, I clutched hold to as many Manchester specific moments of Northern nostalgia as physically and mentally possible for a pre-pubescent boy, who knew a lot about nothing and nothing about everything. This all added to the spice of the North-South divide heightened by the Oasis Blur beef. The Gallagher's are City fans this has added greatly to the mix, me being a Southern Blue and all that. They are also from Burnage, some of my close family live there; around the corner from Sifter's Record Shop (one of the greatest record shops in the world), the famous Chalky White's barbers with its incredible array of pornos, baseball caps and more than one Chris the barber. Pars Wood Shops along with my Gran's house have featured in numerous Oasis clips and maybe a video, although I can't think of which one.
One of my favorite Oasis tracks:
And before I go - ** Some Blog News ** - I've got a few interesting posts in mind, starting to seriously think about some nice little features I want to write, got a lot to do, new job starts next week but before then I'm going to pull out the quill and pad, the pen and paper, the biro and beer-mat and start a new era of new blogs. Oh and more content a long the lines of items and such forth... You know the usual online gems that tickle my fancy and hopefully yours. Chiao.
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