The Evolution Of Kid Sister ÂŤ Clutch Magazine: fashion.beauty.life.culture

The Evolution Of Kid Sister ÂŤ Clutch Magazine: fashion.beauty.life.culture
The Evolution Of Kid Sister
(Born Melisa Young, in Markham, Illinois) has only been in the music game for about three years, but has already made quite a splash in the scene. While she’s worked with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, been featured in countless publications and appeared in a Converse ad, she still seems to maintain the silliness, charm and candidness that will no doubt aid her as she continues her rise to the top. Drawing from Hip Hop and House music, her debut album, Dream Date (Downtown Records) is slated for a November 4, 2008 release and features production from Spank Rock’s XXXChange, Trackademicks & Gant Man. The self proclaimed tomboy has (along with her brother’s DJ duo Flosstradamus) helped build upon the Chicago scene that artists like Common, Twista, Crucial Conflict and the aforementioned Kanye West have laid the foundation for. Melisa sat down with Clutch for a quick look at the evolution of Kid Sister.

Clutch: How long have you been emceeing?
Kid Sister: My first show was October 31—Halloween, 2005. I’d been writing a couple of songs and I was really, well you know! You’ve known me since I was poor! And before you knew me I was even poorer, if you can image that. So basically I was living in this one bedroom apartment, which was basically a glorified studio. Really overpriced and I thought the neighborhood was whatever.

So, I was in my one bedroom crappy apartment. I remember one time my dog boo boo’d all over the couch and I had to throw it away. All I had were these little foam cylinders to sit on. They were like $20 each and those are what I wrote some of my first songs on, these little cylinders. I had little time to myself cause I worked a lot. But the little time I had to myself, I would write these songs.

Clutch: It’s been a pretty quick rise.
Kid Sister:No kidding! It’s been really awesome!

Clutch: And since then you’ve worked with Kanye, you’ve toured the world, and had the video on MTV. You’ve been featured in a Converse ad and been nominated for a BET award.
Kid Sister: Yep! Worked with Kanye, worked with Pharrell, I’ve worked with David Banner, worked with Estelle. All these crazy big names, who would have thought, you know. It doesn’t even seem real to me, it’s crazy. I’m so flattered and so excited, it’s like I wake up every morning wanting to grab my pompoms, do a cartwheel you know what I mean? I’m just like, “Oh my god!” Sometimes it isn’t the ideal lifestyle, but most of the time I just have to have a really positive attitude because everything is so much better than before.

Clutch: Through the hard work and dedication, you’ve gotten that quick rise. A portion of that seems to come from the fact you don’t have the same label horror stories that a lot of artists have.
Kid Sister:Definitely not. Downtown Records has been amazing. They’re great because they have the money and backing of a major label and they give artist’s the freedom that an indie label normally would. So, it’s really the best of both worlds. And you know, I’m biracial so I keeps it the best of both worlds (Laughing)! But it’s true, everything about me is about keeping that balance, even down to the label I signed with. I really believe that it’s important to find that balance in every aspect of your life.

Fabio Bacchini - Mindtravel Recordings

» DJ-Blog.com ↔ Jackin MC « » [DJ-Blog Interview] Fabio Bacchini - Mindtravel Recordings
[DJ-Blog Interview] Fabio Bacchini - Mindtravel Recordings
Published by Jackin MC
Okt 02

Fabio Bacchini, also known as Darth Funk, is a DJ and Producer from Italy.
Recently he founded his own label “Mindtravel Recordings” and released two vinyl records already. The first record is “Fabio Bacchini - Skyscrapers” and contains beside Fabio’s Original Mix, Remixes from Digital Villains, Joey Youngman and Stacy Kidd.
The second record “Fabio Bacchni & Christian Malloni - First Flight EP” will be in the stores soon.

Why did you found your own label and why did you choose the name “Mindtravel Recordings”?
Well to me that was something natural after working with different labels for quite some time. I just had so many tracks sitting down and i wanted to speed up things. Also i like diggin for unreleased tracks from producers all over the world…and why not, i’m trying to do my part in keeping the vinyl alive. I’m still wondering why i choosed the name “mindtravel” . Maybe it’s something related to the feeling that people have when listening to good music? I’m still not sure about it. No drugs were involved during the conception of this name though. Seriously I just wanted something different from all the other labels when i came up with that shit.

Are you working on a next release on Mindtravel recordings already?
Yes, it will be a super ossum sampler. I can’t say more business tactic you know.

The style of your label is deep Jackin, junky and chicago house. How did you develop your passion for this kind of music and why do you like it?
I think it’s all started when i heard radio programs like “funky disco” and “club dance nation” back in the 90s here in Rome. There were DJs playing jazzy funk grooves in the early afternoon and then house music. Man, I was hooked. I used to record that kind of music on my stereo and listen to it all day and everywhere with my walkman. I still have some of those tapes somewhere in my studio.
Also a big influence for me was the “chicago-paris connection” …I mean artists that made the top chart in the late 90s like Daft Punk, Stardust, Paul Johnson, Stacy Kidd, Cassius, Etienny de Crecy etc.

Mark Farina gigs in Philly this weekend :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs

Mark Farina gigs in Philly this weekend :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Mark Farina gigs in Philly this weekend
Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
posted by a.d. amorosi

myspace.com/markfarina

In the house music game, there are few music makers and DJs who loom as large as Mark Farina. Chicago-born and San Francisco-bred, Farina practically built the downtempo music sound with his own two hands (or ears), turning OM into a formidable electro-jazz label and dropping spacey, soulful classics like Air Farina.

He’s made 2008 a wild house ride thus far with records like To Do/Soundtrack to the Soul, Imperial Dub, Vol. 1 and the 40th edition of the treasured Fabric mix compilation series — and he’s sneaking in a few Philly gigs this weekend. While many of you may know that he’ll join Paperstreet’s Mojito boat dance jawn on the Moshulu July 12, Farina also just jumped aboard Vango’s Sundance Sunday outdoor-indoor party on the roof deck with DJ Brendan BringEm for July 13.

Amy Winehouse launches DJ night

BBC - Newsbeat - Entertainment - Amy Winehouse launches DJ night
Amy Winehouse launches DJ night
By Katy Dartford
Newsbeat entertainment reporter

Amy Winehouse may not always be reliable but she did turn up to the Camden Monarch venue in London last night to launch her own club night called Snakehips At The Monarch.

The venue was packed out to see the star, who was meant to be taking part in a DJ-battle against DJ Bioux but actually just swayed behind the decks to 60s tunes while another DJ spinned tunes for her.

Anna, who was watching, said: “It was a really good atmosphere but she didn’t get on the decks at all.

“It was just the other guy. He was good, so good but Amy didn’t start DJing at all.

“It was a really good environment though and although Amy wasn’t DJing, her being there gave a point to the night so it was really good. I’d go back.”

Amy didn’t look happy throughout the night but she did remind the crowd of her loyalty to her husband by wearing a heart-shaped badge in her hair with the name Blake on display.

Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse had been due to have a DJ battle with DJ Bioux

Blake Fielder-Civil faces up to five years in jail after pleading guilty to GBH and interfering in a police case.

He’s sentenced on 21 July.

She was also surrounded by people taking photos of her.

News - Crime & Courts: Ex-DJ’s appeal attempt ’shot down’

News - Crime & Courts: Ex-DJ’s appeal attempt ’shot down’
Ex-DJ’s appeal attempt ’shot down’
Jo-Ann Bekker
July 11 2008 at 11:18AM

The state is opposing a former nightclub disc jockey’s petition for leave to appeal against his convictions for murdering two young women here in 2005.

Senior state advocate Christhenus van der Vijver said he was convinced that evidence placed before Judge Nathan Erasmus and his assessor, attorney Charles Erasmus, during the trial was “sufficient to justify the conviction and sentence”.

Heinrich van Rooyen, 25, is serving two life sentences for the murders of Jessica Wheeler, 18, and Victoria Stadler, 20. He was also sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for sodomising Wheeler, five years for setting fire to Stadler’s car, and three years for defeating the ends of justice.

Winehouse does DJ battle in London pub

Winehouse does DJ battle in London pub | Lifestyle | Reuters
By Cindy Martin

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - British jazz singer Amy Winehouse took part in a “DJ battle” late on Thursday at a pub near her home in north London, and while appreciated by fans in the crowd, the consensus was that she lost.

The 24-year-old, whose struggle against drug addiction and troubled personal life have made countless headlines in recent months, appeared at the Camden Monarch where she was expected to take on DJ Bioux.

But although she stood behind the record decks and chose the music for the 30-minute set, Winehouse did not don the earphones, mix the songs or try to interact with the crowd.

For some fans, it didn’t matter.

“There’s a big buzz around her,” said Emma from Watford. “I don’t know what it is about her, but she creates a massive buzz. As soon as she walked in there were flashes and it was great to see her.”

Winehouse’s selection underlined her musical influences, with the set including 60s classics like The Supremes (”You Can’t Hurry Love”), Curtis Mayfield (”Move On Up”), and Jackie Wilson (”I Get the Sweetest Feeling”).

But it failed to win over some critics, who felt Winehouse’s celebrity status dominated the event rather than the music.

Manuel Tur - Clusterd Mind Ep

Manuel Tur - Clusterd Mind Ep - Extremely House Musicehm003
EXTREMELY HOUSE MUSIC ehm003
EP House spacer
2008 stock limitĂŠ
Extremly house goes on…… we present manuel tur, german producer who in spite of being really young is a giant of deep house music all around the world…. after his successful tracks with labels like freerange records and compost records, presents his first work in spain: clustered mind e.p. a pure deep house maxi with two amazing tracks for those very fond of deep sounds. clustered mind is manuel tur 100%, playing his songs is to discover the real essence of deep music. there is absolutely no doubt, this maxi is going to fulfill the most exclusive ears. on side b there is a track produced by sendos fuera, owners of extremly house music, who manage to transform the deepest sounds into tech-house out of control. make no mistake, this track is determined to burst dance floors. a 7 minutes intense tech-track… do not miss it. played and supported by terry lee brown jr, the timewritter, solomun, pablo bolivar, nacho marco…

McKinney names hip-hop activist as running mate | ajc.com

McKinney names hip-hop activist as running mate | ajc.com
McKinney names hip-hop activist as running mate

By JEFFRY SCOTT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/11/08

Heading into the convention vote Saturday as the heavy favorite to win the presidential nomination for the Green Party of the United States, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on Thursday named her running mate — “hip-hop artist” Rosa Clemente.

McKinney’s campaign spokesman John Judge confirmed her choice of Clemente, who he described as a “hip-hop activist and journalist.”
ELECTION 2008
The Road to the White House

• Georgia Voter Guide
• Guide to 2008 election
• Tell us: What do you think of Biden being on Obama ticket?
• Photos: Obama, Biden campaign together
• Photos: Biden career

Latest Headlines:

Michelle Obama: Don’t vote because ’she’s cute’
Palin’s husband won’t testify in ‘Troopergate’ probe
Democrats say Georgia’s still in play
Rove on Palin: The excitement will subside
Palin expects Biden to be ‘great debater’
First Clinton, now Palin out of NYC rally
McCain, Palin change plans, tour Cedar Rapids

• Georgia politics page
• Presidential campaign
• Conventions coverage

Neither McKinney, who made the announcement in a news release, nor Clemente was available for comment. Both are in Chicago for the Green Party’s 2008 convention.

McKinney served six terms representing DeKalb County’s 4th Congressional District as a Democrat and now lives in California. She has a more than 10-to-1 lead in the Green Party’s delegate count over her closest rival for the nomination, Jesse Johnson, of West Virginia.

McKinney names hip-hop activist

McKinney names hip-hop activist as running mate | ajc.com
McKinney names hip-hop activist as running mate

By JEFFRY SCOTT
Heading into the convention vote Saturday as the heavy favorite to win the presidential nomination for the Green Party of the United States, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on Thursday named her running mate — “hip-hop artist” Rosa Clemente.

McKinney’s campaign spokesman John Judge confirmed her choice of Clemente, who he described as a “hip-hop activist and journalist.”
ELECTION 2008
The Road to the White House

• Georgia Voter Guide
• Guide to 2008 election
• Tell us: What do you think of Biden being on Obama ticket?
• Photos: Obama, Biden campaign together
• Photos: Biden career

Latest Headlines:

* Michelle Obama: Don’t vote because ’she’s cute’
* Palin’s husband won’t testify in ‘Troopergate’ probe
* Democrats say Georgia’s still in play
* Rove on Palin: The excitement will subside
* Palin expects Biden to be ‘great debater’
* First Clinton, now Palin out of NYC rally
* McCain, Palin change plans, tour Cedar Rapids

• Georgia politics page
• Presidential campaign
• Conventions coverage

Neither McKinney, who made the announcement in a news release, nor Clemente was available for comment. Both are in Chicago for the Green Party’s 2008 convention.

McKinney served six terms representing DeKalb County’s 4th Congressional District as a Democrat and now lives in California. She has a more than 10-to-1 lead in the Green Party’s delegate count over her closest rival for the nomination, Jesse Johnson, of West Virginia.

Hip hop crew gets the goods

Orleans Star / Weekly Journal > Local News > Hip hop crew gets the goods
Hip hop crew gets the goods
Local dance troupe receives city funding
Looking to encourage community outreach programs for local youth, a hip hop dance troupe based in the east end has received city money to bolster its programming.
Courtesy of the city’s Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program, Culture Shock Canada – which recently moved its home office from the Beacon Hill-Cyrville area to Orléans – has been granted $20,000 for its youth outreach hip hop program.

“It helps solidify our partnership (with the city) and the validity of our programming,” says Marc-André Clément, the group’s national executive director, of the funding. “We no longer have to wonder if we’re going to do three programs this year, or 10 programs another year. Now, we can shop around … and give it to somebody who’s ready to work for it.”

The first incarnation of Culture Shock was established in 1993 in the United States, with a chapter launching in Ottawa several years later. Its mandate promotes positive lifestyles, non-violence, physical fitness and community involvement, as well as accessible hip hop instruction.

The hip hop outreach program offers free, hour-long classes for local youth during the school year, culminating in a major showcase event every summer, explains Clément. Previously, Culture Shock ran programming through funding from other not-for-profits, he continues. Achieving official non-profit status two years ago, however, meant the group could start applying for funding, Clément adds – which they did, receiving $18,000 from the same city program last year.

Last year, the money helped Culture Shock offer five different hip hop outreach programs across the city, he says, in partnership with various facilities like local schools and community centre. The city funding also allows the organization to be more selective about where they host classes, since facilities no longer have to pay for their services, ClĂŠment continues, adding that locations for fall programs are currently being finalized.

Overall, the city’s allocations committee for the Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program approved 26 one-year projects and two three-year initiatives out of 72 applications received, resulting in a funding commitment of $453,600. As its primary focus, the program strives to improve access for people who face barriers to participation or obtaining services. This year’s goals included increasing participation in community activities for families with children aged zero to 18, promoting the healthy development of children between the same ages, upping involvement of low-income families in cultural programs and encouraging physical activity.

McKinney names her veep choice

McKinney names her veep choice — a hip-hop artist | Political Insider
McKinney names her veep choice — a hip-hop artist

Up in Chicago, former Georgia congresswoman and presumptive Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney named her running mate Thursday — hip-hop artist and activist Rosa Clemente.
mckinney.jpg

My AJC colleague Jeffry Scott reports that McKinney’s got a 10-to-1 advantage in delegates over her nearest rival, so her nomination seems secure.

(2Pac) & Hip-Hop Culture

ThugLifeArmy.com - A Total News Source for Tupac (2Pac) & Hip-Hop Culture
Harlem Born Hip Hop MC Immortal Technique Hits the Road
7/11/2008 12:44:59 PM by Robert
Comment? Email US

Underground hip hop legend, Revolutionary leader, accomplished battle champion, and an independent hip hop / rap success selling more than 135,000 units without a major label, Immortal Technique is now preparing to release one of the most anticipated hip hop albums of 2008 on June 24th, “The 3rd World.

Today, July 11th Immortal Technique begins his tour across the US, promoting his current release, ‘The 3rd World’, a collaboration with hip hop’s mighty DJ Green Lantern.

The Harlem born hip hop MC Immortal Technique will be traveling across Vermont, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, but that is only in the first week. Legendary hip hop MC Immortal Technique will remain touring until September within the US and then will continue on to the second half of the tour over seas.

Interviews Nas

The Hip Hop Chronicle Interviews Nas
The Hip Hop Chronicle Interviews Nas
2008-07-11 21:20:15 - The Hip Hop Chronicle had the opportunity to speak with legendary MC Nas about his upcoming album ‘Untitled’.

The good folks over at The Best Of Both Offices hooked up a fantastic conference call with the legend that is Nas.

Esco’s new album ‘Untitled’ is out July 15th. From the tracks we have heard so far, its a monster of an album. The current single from the album is ‘Hero’ ft Keri Hilson.

The album also features The Game, Busta
Rhymes and Chris Brown. With production credits from DJ Green Lantern, Polow Da Don, Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi, Stargate and Stic Man.

It was a great Q&A with Nas talking about his album, Fox News and Jesse Jackson’s recently comment about Obama. Nas also confirmed that Lost Tape 2 would be in the works. The first Lost Tapes was highly successful.

You can hear the FULL CONFERENCE CALL HERE - www.thehiphopchronicle.com/2008/07/10/nas-conference-call-presen ..

You can watch The Hip Hop Chronicle’s question HERE - www.thehiphopchronicle.com/2008/07/10/nas-interview-with-the-hip ..

Nas released his first album in 1994 called Illmatic. It recieved critical acclaim and has become one of the most important Hip Hop albums of all-time.

Nas has released a number of studio albums including ‘It Was Written, Nastradamus, God’s Son, The Lost Tapes, Street’s Disciple, Hip Hop Is Dead’.

Nas signed with Def Jam in 2006 when he ended his long time feud with rapper Jay-Z when Jay was Def Jam President.

Beatles Are an American Band,

Summer TCA: In Which PBS Asserts that the Beatles Are an American Band, And That’s Just the Start - Idiot Box - A Smart Look at TV by The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
Summer TCA: In Which PBS Asserts that the Beatles Are an American Band, And That’s Just the Start
Posted by Peter Ames Carlin July 12, 2008 11:51AM
Categories: TCA Summer Press Tour 2008, Television Subject Stories, Television Top Stories
They’re coming to your town, they’ll help you party down, they’re a…oh, you know.

What’s wrong with this session for “On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives”? Nearly everything. Let’s break it down.

1. The show presents as a documentary series about popular music, and its influence on culture at large. Cool. Only then the producer, Maxim Langstaff, kicks off the session with a rambling discourse on how it’s really all about American music. Only there’s no such thing as American music because American culture comes from everywhere else in the world, along with American citizens, and so. . . on and on and on.

2. And did I mention that the host of this American music show is the very famous British producer, Sir George Martin, who is most extremely famous for producing the most extremely famous British, e.g. non-American, rock group, The Beatles? This doesn’t make sense.

3. So Langstaff launches this absurd, absurd disquisition about how the Beatles are actually AMERICAN, given their musical influences (Elvis, Buddy, skiffle, so on). Which I’m not buying, entirely, because skiffle, while inspired by New Orleans house music, was adapted and twisted for the purposes of Lonnie Donegan and others. And anything that migrates across an ocean and into the brains of foreign nationals, becomes a product of those peoples’ culture. So I’m confused.

4. And even more confused when Langstaff loads all this on top of a whole other assertion that there is no such thing as American music, because America was “an empty bucket” that was filled by cultural info from all over the rest of the world. Which is sort of kind of true, or was slightly true (give or take tens of millions of, hello? Native Americans) until people had lived here for a year or two and got to know one another and creating their own unique culture. Because that’s how world cultures work.

5. So let’s say that this is truly a show about American music, despite the fact that there is no such thing as American music. Wrap your mind around that if you can, whatever. Is your host really going to be the veddy British Sir George? Sure, why not. He’s cool. He produced the Beatles! No wonder he’s the top-billled guy at this press conference. There’s Beatles music playing when we come into the ballroom. The video clip features Sir George going on in fascinating depth about the recording and scoring of “Yesterday.” (the famous American…oh, forget it). We’re all amped to meet Sir George.

So no wonder his chair is EMPTY for 30 minutes, while the ever-jabberiy Langstaff goes on and on and on about reams and reams of facts and information that strikes this music geek as being precisely wrong. He wants to blow the lid off of the whole L.A. session player story — the Wrecking Crew provided the music for everyone from the Monkees to the Byrds….who knew? Well, tons and tons of people, I’d argue…and most of them know that he’s flat wrong when he asserts that the Supremes recorded all of their biggest hits with the Wrecking Crew in L.A. Because a significant percentage, maybe the vast percentage, of their best-known hits were in fact recorded in Detroit, at Motown’s own Hitsville USA studios with James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin, and the rest of the gang. So….um….yeah.

6. And when Sir G does show up, it becomes quickly evident that the much-celebrated Beatles producer really would rather not be talking about the Beatles. Which I guess is his prerogative. Except for they’ve been juicing us in Beatle-vibes (the music, the ‘Yesterday’ clip, etc) all morning.

Legendary Rockers The Who Brought Down the House

Legendary Rockers The Who Brought Down the House at VH1’s Third Annual ‘VH1 Rock Honors’ - MarketWatch
Legendary Rockers The Who Brought Down the House at VH1’s Third Annual ‘VH1 Rock Honors’
“VH1 ROCK HONORS: THE WHO” PREMIERES ON THURSDAY, JULY 17 AT 9PM* ON VH1, VH1 CLASSIC AND MHD Show Features Tribute Performances By Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Flaming Lips, and Tenacious D. with Appearances by Rainn Wilson, Sean Penn, Adam Sandler, Mila Kunis, and David Duchovny Event Raised $1 Million For Multiple Charities Watch Sneak Peek Performances Online Beginning Tuesday, July 15 and Full Show Plus Exclusive Online Performances by The Who Beginning at 9PM on Thursday, July 17 at Rock.VH1.com

Last update: 3:01 a.m. EDT July 13, 2008
LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Flaming Lips, and Tenacious D took the stage to pay tribute to legendary rock band The Who and gave the audience a night to remember. The third annual “VH1 Rock Honors” honored the music and influence of revolutionary rock band, The Who. This was the first “VH1 Rock Honors” to salute just one band.
Taped in Los Angeles at Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA on Saturday, July 12, “VH1 Rock Honors: The Who” will premiere Thursday, July 17 at 9PM* on VH1, VH1 Classic and MHD. The full show, including exclusive online performances by The Who will be available online at Rock.VH1.com on Thursday, July 17 at 9PM* when it premieres on air. Sneak peek performances and celebrity interviews from the event will launch online at RockVH1.com starting Tuesday, July 15.
The show saluted The Who through spoken tributes and filmed packages featuring Sting, Dave Navarro, Billy Idol, Billy Bob Thornton, Noel Gallagher, Slash, Coldplay and many others. Throughout the show, VH1 gave viewers a nostalgic look at The Who through archival footage and interviews straight from the super-group themselves.
Introduced by David Duchovny, the Foo Fighters kicked off the celebration with an electric performance of “Young Man Blues” and were joined by special guest Gaz Coombes the lead singer from Supergrass, who is currently on tour with the Foo Fighters, for the fan-favorite, “Bargain.”
With pinball machine in tow, Rainn Wilson took the stage to introduce The Flaming Lips who rocked out with a medley of songs from The Who rock musical and Broadway hit, Tommy.

Son of late reputed mob boss sentenced in conspiracy case

Son of late reputed mob boss sentenced in conspiracy case — chicagotribune.com
Son of late reputed mob boss sentenced in conspiracy case
Ferriola had pleaded guilty before Family Secrets trial began

Tribune staff report
9:49 PM CDT, September 9, 2008

What Nicholas Ferriola offered the Chicago Outfit was trustworthiness, a federal judge said Tuesday as he sentenced Ferriola to 3 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy case known as Family Secrets.

Ferriola, 33, the son of the late reputed mob boss Joseph Ferriola and the alleged godson of mobster Frank Calabrese Sr., had pleaded guilty to taking part in the conspiracy before the landmark trial last year. Prosecutors said he helped run a gambling operation and was part of an effort to extort the owner of the Connie’s Pizza chain. U.S. District Judge James Zagel also ordered Ferriola to make $9 million in forfeiture payments, but said the financially ruined Ferriola would not be able to.

Slam Tent

Slam Tent: Reviews - The Sunday Mail
Slam Tent: Reviews

Jul 13 2008

SLAM TENT

DUSTY KID

One of the biggest artists of the last few years made his T debut to mass excitement and a visual display to match.

The Italian artist blew away the crowd with a series of top techy sounds.

CARL CRAIG

Another big hitter on the techno scene.

He played a longer set than billed and managed to cram in classics like Knights of the Jaguar and Strings of Life.

Throughout his set he was interacting with the crowd and had some choice words to say about Oasis’ spat with Jay-Z.

He finished on Dubfire’s rework of Spastik.

MODEL 500

The name is the moniker for Juan Atkins and is synonymous with Sublime Detroit Sounds.

Described by some as the godfather of techno, this live performance saw him on keys and vocals, with assistance from two keyboard players and a DJ.

DAMIAN LAZARUS

Deep house and techno beats as another minimal master took to the controls.

The crowd lapped up the sounds as the atmosphere continued to build.

DUBFIRE

Early spot for man of the moment Dubfire.

Since taking a back seat from his Deep Dish duties more than two years ago, Ali Shirazinia has gone on to define the sound of now.

With a string of fabulous releases and remixes in his back locker, he smoothly flipped the Slam Tent into full throttle.

Krip-Hop Project is looking for Disabled Hip-Hop Artists

Krip-Hop Project is looking for Disabled Hip-Hop Artists & Media Coverage : Indybay
Krip-Hop Project is looking for Disabled Hip-Hop Artists & Media Coverage
by Leroy F. Moore Jr. ( kriphopproject [at] yahoo.com )
Sunday Jul 13th, 2008 12:07 PM

My name is Leroy Moore and I produce Krip-Hop Mixtapes. Krip-Hop Nation is a project of disabled hip-hop artists. I’m looking for artists for upcoming Krip-Hop Vols. Read below for more info.

Why Wait Get your Music to me know for Vol.3 of Krip-Hop

If you miss Krip-Hop Mixtape Vol. 1 (that came out Jan 5, 2007 limited run), and Vol. 2 (coming out soon) please get on it for Krip-Hop Mixtape Vol. 3 You ask how? This is how it worked last time. If you’re a disabled hip-hop artist please send your CD to me at:

Krip-Hop/Leroy Moore 1370 University Ave. #316 Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
Krip-Hop Project is writing a book about Hip-Hop Artists with Disabilities. Please contact us!

chuck_d___me.jpg
chuck_d___me.jpg

Krip-Hop: Hip-Hop Artists with Disabilities Drop Knowledge will be a book of interviews Leroy has conduct with Hip-Hop artists with disabilities all over the world with pictures of the artists. It will also contain a collection of essays on the topic of Hip-Hop industry, artists statements. At the end of the book there will be resource pages of different merchandize, websites and contacts of disabled Hip-Hop artists and Krip-Hop Trivia. Krip-Hop will be one hundred and fifty pages and will be completed by the Winter of 2008.

We need Disabled artists to contact us with your story
We need a publisher.

Q-Tip is set for ‘The Renaissance’ - Los Angeles Times

Q-Tip is set for ‘The Renaissance’ - Los Angeles Times
Q-Tip is set for ‘The Renaissance’
The former A Tribe Called Quest front man readies his first album in nine years.
By Chris Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 13, 2008
NEW YORK — THE TANK-LIKE Mercedes SUV rumbled into Times Square one evening in late spring with all the subtlety of a space shuttle launch. It wasn’t simply the boom-bip issuing at ear-splitting volume from the truck’s bazooka speakers — although the sound of kick drums that loud was enough to get passersby wondering, even complaining, about the person behind the wheel. You could see something else happening: hip-hop fans of all stripes having a “Hey, isn’t that . . . ?” moment, connecting the music coming from the vehicle with its driver, New York “conscious” rapper Q-Tip.

The on-again-off-again front man-producer for seminal hip-hop quartet A Tribe Called Quest and one of the genre’s most transcendent MCs, Q-Tip largely has kept to himself since 1999, when his last album, “Amplified,” hit No. 4 on the national hip-hop/R&B chart. Outside of a scant few guest verses on other performers’ songs (including the Chemical Brothers’ European smash hit “Galvanize,” for which Q-Tip won a Grammy) and dribs of production work for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Mobb Deep, he’s remained virtually silent. Rap aficionados, meanwhile, never forgot him.

Bathed in Times Square’s neon glow, the Queens native nodded coolly in time with “Shaka,” the first track on his eagerly awaited second solo album; a song on which the voice of Barack Obama soars over a crushing beat, intoning his message of hope and change — a sound byte Q-Tip excerpted from one of the candidate’s campaign speeches.
“I feel like Obama in a way,” the rapper would say later. “His idea that hope means not shrinking from a fight; it’s the courage to reach for something. My music is that. Those are principles I try to embody. He said it so eloquently, I thought it would be a proper way to start things off.”

Appropriately enough, Q-Tip’s first commercially released album in nine years is titled “The Renaissance,” signaling both a reclamation of the spotlight and a rebirth of the hip-hop cool he helped create. But don’t call it a comeback. To hear him tell it, he never really went away. He simply recorded several albums’ worth of music without releasing it, waiting for the right cultural tipping point to reemerge on the scene. “Where have I been?” Q-Tip asked. “Working. Between you and me, I was waiting for the time to be right.”

Just weeks in front of A Tribe Called Quest reuniting to perform 10 dates on the nation’s top-grossing hip-hop event, the Rock the Bells tour (which hits the Glen Helen Pavilion on Aug. 9), the rapper-producer allowed a visiting reporter to preview the album while riding shotgun on an SUV crawl around Manhattan.

AZ & DJ Absolut Present N.4.L

AZ & DJ Absolut Present N.4.L. ÂŤ The Hip Hop Cosign
AZ & DJ Absolut Present N.4.L.

Posted by bigced on July 13, 2008

Only a few months after his most recent full-length, Undeniable, the legendary lyricist, AZ, is set to bless fans with an mixtape of historic significance, AZ’s N.4.L (Niggaz 4 Life) hosted by Heavy Hitter affiliate and HOT 97’s (WQHT-FM, New York) award-winning mixmaster, DJ Absolut, and produced by Absolut, Frado and Street Radio (Styles P, G-Unit, Joell Ortiz) hits online etailers and retail shelves August 5, 2008.

The guiding voice of hip-hop for nearly 14 years, AZ has connected the street-lore and mystique of the past with guidance and wisdom for the future. His newest album, N.4.L. is an edgy, controversial, yet relevant 16-track rap thesis on the word “Nigga” and what it means to be Black in the world today. The concept album expands on the movement started by his long-time collaborative partner, Nas, whose controversial album, Nigger, now Untitled, received so much backlash.

“I’m not doing N.4.L. to be in Nas’ shadow,” explains AZ. “I was inspired by the message behind the movement. I’m just adding to the concept because the message is so powerful. It’s about our culture and our people. He and I are cut from the same cloth, so I understood where he would have gone with it if the forces hadn’t intervened. The closest thing to us rhyming together for now is the N.4.L. mixtape. You’ll get him burning the candle from one end, [and me] burning the candle from the other end, [and] at the end of the day we gotta meet up in the middle. What you didn’t get from Nas, you can get from AZ.”

The historical significance of N.4.L. transcends the music and is reflected even in the shocking cover imagery, a historic B&W image of civil rights protestors violently hosed by firemen and the inside jacket’s illustration of AZ hanging on a noose, an obvious suggestion to the historic lynchings and the present day lynching of black men and hip-hop artists. Even a cursory glance at the track titles “Knowledge Freedom,” “Runaway Slave,” “Conspiracy,” “Negro Spiritual,” and “Self Savior” evoke reaction and provoke thought.

“The title N.4.L. has a dual meaning for me. The first suggests that no matter what you achieve in life, as a Black Man, even if you become President Of The United States, in someone’s eyes, you’ll always be looked at as a ‘nigga for life,’” explains AZ. The second he explains is a reflection of the generational divide, “I’m from the ’80s era and our experiences with the ‘n’ word are different. Growing up, ‘nigga’ was just our way of communicating and acknowledging each other. You might roll up on someone and say what’s up my nigga. Depending on who is saying it, you may not be offended. Although I understood what my mom and grandparents felt about the word, it’s not the experience of our generation. Hopefully N.4.L. will engage more dialogue, so both generations can listen to each other and understand how we both perceive the meaning behind the word differently. I express that meaning in N.4.L. from both a street and historic perspective.”