RECALL: Break Beat Tues feat. DJ Cosmo Baker

i was scrollin thru the illness and came across some shit that i wish was still poppin. this is one of the features i used to run from my man, world renowned DJ and all around b-boy Cosmo Baker when he used to just drop the ILNESS on you dudes. but the music... ahhhhh the music.... feast on this solid blast from the bboycult.co, archives from truly, one of the BEST DJs in the world....

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Breakbeat Tuesday: I have so much going on right now that I can't get into a full in-depth thing about this next record. All I know is that it's a MONSTER, and that I played it somewhere and sometime in my set on Sunday to thunderous effect. I first heard this in the form of Kool G Rap's "Untouchable Remix" of "On The Run." Someone told me it was a Ray Bryant record so I spent the next 6 months buying every record by dude I could find, until I copped "Up Above The Rock." Like so many soul jazz records of the late 60s it was chock-filled with tepid standards of the time like "Little Green Apples" and Burt Barcharach jawns. But the title cut? Damn... So ill, and it's been a favorite ever since in my sets. The production is very unique in it's sound, as it's on Cadet and they had a very distinctive sound and feel to their records at the time, courtesy of producer Richard Evans. The composition of the song is very cinematic and matched perfectly for the storytelling prowess of G. Rap's mafia fairytales. And to me this was one of the first productions that made me think the Trackmasters had taken their shit to the next level. Anyway, a Philly DJ living in Brooklyn plays a jazz song by a Philly pianist sampled by a Queens MC at a party in Los Angeles, and all because of that, it being give to you.


Ray Bryant "Up Above The Rock" (Cadet, 1968)



And for good measure,


Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "On The Run (Untouchable Version)" (Cold Chillin', 1992)


Yeah I've been slacking on the posts. Whatever, man. It's summer. Who cares? Shouldn't you be outside instead of reading this? Anyway, if you've gotten this far, let me take the time to let you know I'm about to hit the road for a few days. Tomorrow I will be in Calgary rocking with DJ Fashen and the Smalltown DJs. Friday I will be at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver. Saturday I return to Seattle to rock at HG Lodge (formerly known as War Room) with the homie Fourcolorzack. Then Sunday, I'm off to Los Angeles for a few days, starting with me DOING a special top-secret daytime event in Hollywood. Whatcha Want To Do? Hit me on Sunday to find out... And peep the Events Page for all the details of the trip. Other than that, I am "this much closer" to the launch of the new site. Like probably to 4 weeks from now. Super psyched. The new site is crazy and going to change the game.


In the meantime me and The Rub crew have been full steam ahead with our History Of Hip-Hop series. We started chronicling our favorite rap songs for each year in hip-hop starting from 1979 and going all the way to 1999. 20 mixes in all, and we've just relaunched the series to tackle the first decade of the 21st Century. So peep us at www.itstherub.com for a new year every Thursday, and check out the archive of past years here.

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The Gushie: Camera Phone Flix

chix be wilden! i love em tho... and the fact that they like to share with us on the web... sis is gorgeous....

how would YOU like to run into that in the lobby????

if you love ass like i love ass, then you know it ain't got to be huge to be bangin. sis shit is nice, whatever she is (i cant tell if she Spanish or Asian... and i dont care). but whatever she is, she's brown...

DONKEY. and thats all i have to say about that...

and one SERIOUSLY THICK Asian girl... not really on the theme... but DAMN....

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Sure Shot Party, @UBQ, Philadelphia

this is a video of the release i posted about a while ago. that thing was major. you shoulda been there...

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Basquiat knew about the Illuminatti

"Melting Point Of Water" by Jean Michel Basquiat. what is the melting point of water? do i really have to spell it out for you?

now, i dont mean that as a way to sensationalize anything, but when i was looking thru pictures of his art earlier today, i couldnt help notice the signs and symbols that kept popping up in his paintings. it seems my man SAMO was up on the NWO. which strikes me because a lot of times, he's reflected on as a weirdo artist type who did a lot of drugs. he is a heralded artist, im not trying to say that he hasnt recieved the accolades he deserves, but there is little to no mention of this type of reflection in his work. and as i looked thru more and more of it, his collection of works are OVERTLY political and very conscious and aware of the nature of the power structure of the world.

for me, Basquiat means a lot because he's a graffiti writer. he has helped open these gallery doors to more graffiti artists seeking to make a living at what they love most. so this rediscovery this morning gave me even more reasons to respect an artist that i already admired. look closely, and tell me if u see what im talking about... and salute one of our own...

"Jackson" by Jean Michel Basquiat. an ode to the man that made the first stand against the Central Bank in this country. coincidence? 

"Liberty" by Jean Michel Basquiat. this one suggests a lot of things, all captioned in the color of blood...

"Price Of Gasoline In The Third World" by Jean Michele Basquiat. the title says it all...

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Bboy Fresh: Custom Made Levi Jeans

when i saw this, i had to jump on it. as a person that has designed and made clothes over the years, this just jumped out at me. because i used to turn down requests for jeans, because, as i told people then, youd do better just buying some cause im gonna charge u for real. these are beautifully done, and worth whatever they are charging. its definitely worth checking out.





click here. the video shows exactly how much craftsmanship goes into each pair.

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Cover Art: Kanye West: "YEEZUS"

Lets get the first part out the way.... the baw is gifted. nobody is gonna take that away from him. but dude is goin more and more the weirdo route.

let me take that back. i aint goin to call it weirdo, cause i understand what hes doing. or let me say i think i do. to me, i think hes doing that Prince/Madonna type controversy thing that looks like high art from the onset. i dont know, ill give him the benefit of the doubt, because dude is actually a real artist. so maybe he has grown into such. but something in me tells me that a lot of this is planning and not inspiration.

i remember seeing a video online of him when he was just gettin on, and he was quiet and humble and off to the side. but in that video he was talking about how he was gonna be one of those weird clothes wearing artists thats always in controversies and the press and followed by the paparazi. now mind you, this was when he had just started selling beats at Rocafella. he had it all planned. so i guess what im saying is, its not who he is, its who he always wanted to be. theres some pretention there.

now, what if im wrong? this picture is loaded with a bunch of symbols and occult leanings. what if thats his real agenda? now, i aint gonna get into everything i see... the man on his RIGHT side wearing the red gloves, the stairway, the inverted cross in the front, the inverted cross on the door, the 4 brides, the reptilian tongue...im leave all that alone... but he's trying to say SOMETHING to SOMEBODY.... stay tuned...

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Brian Williams Raps "Nothin But a G Thing"

aww man! this had me dying laughing when i saw it! i know u gonna dig it too! im a big Brian Williams fan (i know, some geek shit, right?), he's the closest thing to Peter Jennings left... cool, calm under pressure... but this was way too fly! only flyer if he would have actually did it himself! 


for more Jimmy Fallon craziness, go to http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com

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RATED X, Philadelphia PA, 2014

RATED X or RX is the alais of a Philadelphia legend, KING SUBMARINE or SUB for short. that hand stops one time to cross the X. CRAZY.

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Bboy Fresh: Sling Shox for G-Shock Watches

My man has done it again. Always the one to be on the cutting edge of hip hop lifestyle brands and marketing, my man Tramp has scored with yet another product line (read: check..probably a NICE one) with Sling Shox for G-Shock watches. As a continuation of their other products, including the toys and an upcoming graphic novel, this latest venture fits right in as a stylish and useful addition to the already impressive product line up. 

The launch party was held at Ubiq, the ill sneaker store located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia and hosted a variety of media, music, and style aficionados of various makes and model. Some was more make than model, but thats beside the point. Whether inspiring or aspiring, a little over 600 people came to dip in the pool of energy these products seem to create on their own. The party was co-sponsored by Reebok in conjunction with the release of the Reebok Pump.

Also on the bill, was this lil dandy of a graphic novel, The Adventures of The Untouchables. I have the pre-release and man, this thing is no joke. The artwork alone is enough to justify the purchase, until you get into the story and get hooked. This is no Marvel comic. There's nothin' comic about it actually. This is some real street life sh!t. Im sure many of you have seen the videos for the Untouchables on World Star Hip Hop, so the print form is bound to become a collector's item. For those who may be living under the planet rock, get hip, with the 2 MILLION plus viewers who have watched EACH of the videos. These are bound to be collector's items. Pre-order yours now.

 

I can personally vouch for the authenticity of the creators. These guys are responsible citizens of the Hip Hop republic. They are true bboys, in every sense of the word, and the products are created with a knowingness of what it means to be a practitioner of the form, and not someone just practicing. These guys have a storied stay in the upper echelons of hip hop media, and are always presenting something for consumption that is ALWAYS responsible to the culture and NEVER panders to it. for a guy like me, (that almost gave his daughter the birth name B-Girl), integrity means more than execution. It's what most of these other 'brands' don't understand. But you might... that's why i roll witchu...

Catch up with the crew and their usual antics at Starlightstudio.net, and catch varying acts of wisdom, advice and shameless self promotion with my man Tramp on Twitter and Instagram @trampizm

Sure Shot toys on display with Sling Shox at Ubiq, Philadelphia

Gangster Chronicle toy on display with Sling Shox

Reebok Pumps with Sling Shox

Plenty of variety to choose from.. go to theslingshox.com to see more

Be the freshest at the function with these Pumps and matching Sling Shox....alriiiiight! FRESH....

Ubiq's own Nehaa and the man himself Tramp

And you thought that was fresh... this is the packaging they come in

Tramp Daly, creator and big wig and Quanzilla, executive producer and world renowned thorobred.

"We got that work!"

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Graff Spotlight: MAD C

This sister here is SHARP. she is a graff writer from Germany named MAD C. and she is TUFF. i mean, she can really paint. 

it used to be a time when graffiti artists frowned upon the art students, because to us, they was cheating. graffiti was in the street, and thats where you learned it. but as the style progresses, it is only natural that it takes its place in the world of academia and in the galleries as a legitimate art form. im not MAD at it. (pun intended) enjoy these works of art.

and be careful homeboy... cause she will BURN you...

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Complex Magazine's Best Rapper Alive Since 1979

Here's something thats bound to have you ad your homeboys arguing. or not....

click here for the full list... and an explanation...

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Sadat X- "Hot Breeze"

hip hop legend Sadat X checks in with a hot one, Lo Life deep. this is the sound of classic hip hop music. get hip to a hot one. tay tuned. somethin tells me sun is gonna check in with a bunch of fire this summer...

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Nissan Skyline

Im West Indian, and as many of u probably see by the amount of people that you may see driving Nissans, especially Maxima's, that these particular cars have a special place in our hearts. just like Toyotas are favorites of my Puerto Rican brothers. so for me, a dude that done had more than a couple Nissans, this is THE CAR for me.  These shit is ill!!! imagine pullin up at the function like this... well, i can. if u don't know, please get hip to some REAL car game...

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Lo-Life 25th Anniversary

anybody woth half an ear to the underground can hear the crazy amount of noise thats coming from the Lo LIfe crew on a worldwide basis. its really fly for me to see exactly how far this movement has gone from its humble beginnings of a crew of crazy kids from Brooklyn to an actual worldwide movement, with chapters in major cities across the globe. crew leader and longtime hip hop vet, Big Vic Lo, aka Thirstin Howl the Third, announced earlier this year that the whole year is to commemorate the 25 anniversary of the founding of the crew. check out the trailer and keep ur eye out for the flood...

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Toddy Tee: "Batterram"

Ay mayn, i fux wit it all. and im always on to some dope ass old skool Cali shit. front if u want to, Cali niggas was spitin some REAL shit from way back. and maybe a lot of em wont make ur top 5 (but i DARE you to tell me King T and MC Eight aint have lyrics), but its some REAl music anyway. and if u like music with real musiciam than u have ni chice but to fuck with that ol skool LA. let me say, old skool West Coast. cause i fux wit the music from the Bay as well. ok, i may be a lil off topic, but u see what im sayin.  enjoy, and if it applies, get hip...

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Polo Lake Placid BobSled Team jacket

 This is one MEAN jacket! i mean this shit is TUFF. i got this photo from my man Mehdi Amazeal, a real Lo Life from France. sun KEEPS CRAZY Lo shit. FOR SALE. 2LLs... and enjoy what i like to say is a quality build. 

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Complex Mag 50 greatest NY Graff writers

Complex Magazine, a book i have mad respect for (a graff writer owns it) has released their list of The 50 greatest NY Graff writers. im sure this one got people talking... and arguing. i disagree with a few of the choices ,like my choice for this post's display, TRACY 168, i think should have been rated higher. if Phase 2 invented the wildstyle, TRACY definitely made it popular.  check the list out and see if u agree...

click here.

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