on Tuesday, July 19th, it was announced that hip-hop’s living legend, Nasir Jones, more popularly known as Nas, will be bestowed the “Started From The Bottom Now We Here” honor at the 2016 REVOLT Music Conference Gala. The 2016 REVOLT Music Conference takes place October 13th through 16th in South Beach, Miami, at the Eden Roc hotel.
For more information on the REVOLT Music Conference and to purchase tickets visit www.revoltmusicconference.com.
Stone & Robert are back with their third freestyle off the up & coming “Us vs them” mixtape hosted by legendary DJ PF Cuttin. Stone & Robert are an alter ego group from Skanks & P General of Brooklyn’s Bankai Fam. The “Dropping Gems” freestyle portrays the dynamic duo offering knowledge for the misguided youth over the classic Mobb Deep instrumental, an additional stanza comes from fellow group member Shatike. Skanks is the co-founding member of the Brooklyn group & inked a deal with France’s Shinigamie records. Partnering with Kyo Itachi they released the “On My Side” EP by Bankai Fam & his solo LP “The Shinigamie Flowfessional” both to critical acclaim.
P General, was born in Barbados & emigrated to the United States in 1980 at the tender age of 3. His oldest brother, now deceased was a DJ and took a young P around with him to gigs exposing P to all types of music at a very early age. In 2007 P General showed an interest in writing lyrics to beats which led to his overall passion in becoming a hip hop artist. Look out for the Stone & Robert project which drops July 4th.
Many people have said that the hip-hop genre has pretty much died out and that what we are listening to today is merely commercial rap. Agree or disagree, there are still a few underground artists who are creating authentic hip-hop and doing a very good job at it. One such person is Jamaica born Toronto based MC, Tha Vor. Being a strong believer in the Rasta faith and culture, Tha Vor makes it a point of duty to produce songs that are not just for ones enjoyment but also for enlightenment.
In his latest single and video, “now you’re gone,” he touches on the very popular topic of cheating, but addresses from the standpoint of a man being cheated on, as opposed to being the one committing the act of indiscretion. When asked what inspired such an unusual approach, Tha Vor said: “we go through break up at times, different scenarios in life and this is inspired by real life events.”
“Now You’re Gone” clearly shows that although it is not talked about very often, women, much like men, are sometimes unfaithful in their relationships. The track is produced by Marcus Kane and features R&B song bird Keon Love.
Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0huMyb_qGM and DJs should send an email to mariajacksonent@gmail.com for a copy of the mp3.
Get ready to kick off Summer ’16 in grand style at the 12th Annual Irie Weekend benefitting the Irie Foundation on June 22 – 25 in sunny South Florida!
Irie Weekend continues to get bigger and better year after year, but the true success story revolves around the accomplishments of the Irie Foundation in large part made possible by Irie Weekend. The Foundation continues to positively impact the lives of hundreds of kids from South Florida all the way to South Africa. They have overwhelmingly successful programs like Cultural Passport, #InspIRIE DJ Academy, Mentorship, Pen-Pals, Impact Scholarships & the Irie Foundation Allapattah Music and Literacy Center… all of which are helping at-risk youth meet and overcome the challenges they face every day. Everyone is encouraged to visit iriefoundation.org to learn more about the Irie Foundation and how your support of the 12th Annual Irie Weekend helps make it all possible.
The organizers are thrilled to have chosen the luxurious Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach as their host hotel this year. And as they are known to do, they’ll be transforming the place into the Irie Weekend Hotel, which will serve as the backdrop for two of their biggest events, as well as home to a sweet tech lovers lounge powered by Samsung Mobile. You can also get a “bee’s” eye view of the festivities by visiting the Jack Daniel’s Lounge on the mezzanine overlooking the main stage and pool. Enjoy signature Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey cocktails along with an array of mixed drinks from the Jack Daniel’s family. Being the epicenter of all things Irie Weekend, you never know who you might see strolling around, as their official airline partner JetBlue will be flying in their celebrity participants and VIP guests from all over the country. Upon arrival to South Florida, guests will get a taste of the #STDLife as they are greeted by and transported in brand new Toyota vehicles courtesy of their friends at South Dade Toyota. Here is the official 12th Annual Irie Weekend schedule of events.
Rapsody
Earlier today Talib Kweli dropped the official video for the track “life ahead of me” which features one of hip-hop’s gems, Rapsody. Most people are familiar with Talib Kweli and his many accomplishments in the genre, but unfortunately, not enough people know about Rapsody and all she has done, not just for hip-hop but also for emerging female MCs. Check out the video and be sure to follow Rapsody on all her social sites. If you are a supporter of authentic hip-hop you will appreciate her energy.
Covers have often carried a negative connotation — they were once seen as a less talented or unsuccessful artiste act of “stealing” work from another composer, to make that quick buck. These days, music covers are recognized as one artiste paying homage to another in a show of love and admiration of the other’s music.
Released from toontoom studios, “Grind Time” is a cover of Desiigner’s billboard chart topper Panda. Written and performed by OBIBINI the song paints from an artiste’s perspective, a lyrical picture of a nation, intelligently describing the socio-economic landscape of the country. Obviously Black Infinitely Bold Intelligent & Naturally Inspiring, OBIBINI the lyricist from Africa Ghana, did not mix words, boldly pronouncing this song as the ‘illest of all covers’. Reality lyrics, no tricks or gimmicks; listen, it’s all about the money; “Grind Time”, a narrative of current happenings in Africa Ghana.
Story by: Adokwei Addo
Jasiri X (photo by Leah Johns)
On May 13th, Jasiri X was awarded the highest honor by the Chicago Theological Seminary, the Doctor of Letters degree. Fifty-nine years ago, the same institution honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the Doctor of Divinity degree. In his newsletter, Jasiri laments on how, “today, we still fight against the same injustices Dr. King fought against.”
Catch Jasiri X at the Hollywood Dormont Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on June 17 at 7pm; Allied Media Conference in Detroit, Michigan on June 18 at 4PM and the 2016 People’s Convention on July 8 at 1:30pm
