Rabbi On The Road: Global Hip Hop Tour Blog

TOUR DE FORCE: France 20 Avril - 2 Mai

2011-04-21T06:29:00.002-04:00

Press/Booking: rabbidarkside@saywordentertainment.com
http://www.twitter.com/rabbidarkside

"Visas" Music Video!

2011-03-28T14:30:00.002-04:00

*****For Immediate Release*****

Say Word Entertainment

Presents

“VISAS”

Music Video

YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/rabbid

“VISAS” is RABBI DARKSIDE’s tribute nod to the international network of Hip Hop artists, educators and fam that make the touring world go round. From stages to couches to classrooms, the Say Word network spans 6 continents, 5 elements and countless languages. It’s all one crew, and this is the musical shoutout.

During summer 2010, Rabbi D had the fortune of hitting the road heavy. While touring, he shot a series of handheld one-takes of “Visas” on a FlipVideo camera. Upon returning to Brooklyn, he passed the footage off to an editor who cut this postcard-esque music video chronicling those travels.

CREDITS

“VISAS” from the album “Skillz To Take Brazil” (Say Word Entertainment 2010)

Written and Performed by Rabbi Darkside (S. Sellers / Emcee Scrolls Music (ASCAP))

Produced by Zajazza (C. Serge)

Video Edited by Rahum Brown

Filmed Summer 2010 in:

Amsterdam, Berlin, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Lyon, Marseille, Paris, Prague, Seattle, Toulouse, Washington, DC

Featuring Appearances by:

Farbeon, Gildas, Hired Gun, Jaro Cossiga, Kuzell DaSka, Locita, Lokey Photography, Zajazza

Contact: Samuel J Sellers / 646.733.8390

rabbidarkside@saywordentertainment.com / www.saywordentertainment.com

Darkside of 2010 - FREE Mixtape Download

2011-01-03T02:02:00.003-05:00

Darkside of 2010 Mixtape is a compilation of the additions to the Rabbi D catalog from 2010: unreleased new material, collaborations, live freestyles, tour-only releases, international jams... I took the best of the best and created a 65 minute continuous play mix that I also DJ'd. Following up on last year's precedent, I rap, DJ and beatbox on this project. It features some of my dearest friends, comrades and favorite emcees, not to mention some gifted musicians in improv and overseas vibes from France, Denmark, Germany and Spain. Thanks for taking the time to stream or download!

http://rabbidarkside.bandcamp.com

Darkside of 2010 Tracklisting

1) Darkside of 2010 Intro

2) L’Essence – Rabbi Darkside & Fish Le Rouge (prod by Zajazza)

3) Visas – Rabbi Darkside (prod by Zajazza)

4) The Best (Dirt E. Dutch Remix) - Breez Evahflowin’ feat. Core Rhythm, Infinito 2017, Freestyle, Rabbi Darkside, Homeboy Sandman, Atari Blitzkrieg, Agent 23 & Dacapo

5) Thank Hip Hop (Hip Hop Megamix) – Rabbi Darkside (prod by Rabbi D)

6) Greener Grass – LMNZ feat. Rabbi Darkside, Mauikai, Cory Braun (prod by LMNZ)

7) Ex-Patriotism (Santos Party House Mash) – Core Rhythm feat Rabbi Darkside (prod by Core Rhythm; live accompaniment by Yako 440 & DJ Marcus)

8) Who Got The? – Above/Below feat. Rabbi Darkside (prod by Above/Below)

9) Let’s Get Ill Remix – BadBoe feat. Rabbi Darkside (prod/cuts by BadBoe)

10) Shithappens – Rabbi Darkside & Farbeon (prod by Rabbi D, Farbeon, Tim E.I., , Fly)

11) Deep End – Doron Lev, Rabbi Darkside, J-Essential (prod by J-Essential)

12) Like It’s Easy – Rabbi Darkside, Tidal Friction, Rhyson Hall (prod by Mista Mayday & Unpaid Bill)

13) 2^nd Last Freestyle Mondays @ Sin Sin Freestyle – Rabbi Darkside, Nyle (music by FM Band)

14) Running With Scissors – Gravity feat. Ill Spokinn & Rabbi Darkside (prod by Gravity)

15) Waiter – Josiah Hotwire, Rabbi Darkside, Fayabraz (prod by Fayabraz)

16) Scared of Hipsters (269 Edit) – Heywood feat. Rabbi Darkside (prod by Heywood)

17) Pharaohs of the 80’s – Kamikizae Picnic, BS, Rabbi Darkside (prod/cuts by Kamikaze Picnic)

18) Rap Acelerado Outerlude – Rabbi Darkside (prod by Zajazza)

19) Thank Hip Hop Remix - Mista Mayday, Hired Gun, Angel D, Appl Juic, Farbeon, Rabbi Darkside, Doron Lev, Dyalekt, Caits Meissner (Produced by Mista Mayday & Unpaid Bill, alto sax by Kevin Thornton)

Berlin Get The F**K UP: Czech this out

2010-09-29T09:02:00.002-04:00

In the span of a week, we've gone from 80+ F degrees on the Mediterranean in Marseille, to Toulouse, to Paris, to Berlin, and now have landed in the 39 F degree Czech Republic. Fortunately, the shows keep getting hotter and hotter, so I ain't complaining! 5 shows and 5 cities (not to mention 3 countries) in 7 days. Train to a car to a plane to a plane to a train. Much love to the Hired Gun (freshrootsmusic.blogspot.com), who bounced back Stateside after we demolished Berlin. That was damn near the most fun I've ever had on stage in my life! In fact, why don't y'all take a gander at how it started... (just the intro; saving the set footage for the highlight reel:)

We've got a flat in the outskirts of Prague for the time here. It's been great to catch up with the ever-evolving Man/Brand that is Jaro Cossiga. He's currently on tour with the FIBA World Women's Basketball Championships here in the Czech Republic, staging a beatbox exhibition outside the games on a streetball court. Last night he had us up to his weekly radio show on Radio Spin, "Street Cypher," where we brought the cypher inside and had a cool 2 hours to rhyme, DJ, chop it up on a range of Hip Hop topics and just vibe. Streaming audio coming soon.

Looking very very forward to seeing the rest of the Beat Apetit/Hob-n-Nob/DaSka family tonight at the show at Klub Kostel. First time back rocking the Czech in over a year... Bringing it hard tonight! Then on Friday we're off to the mountain hometown of Jaro (Mimon) to rock it out for the small towners.

DNES, PRAGUE: STAND UP!

Marseille: Ooh La La!

2010-09-23T12:07:00.005-04:00

Another completely FOU show in Marseille; packed out house, sold out bar, 2 hours+ of live music. More highlights on the way, but to start, Zajazza pulled off a move he's been working on live in concert for the first time: pulling off his shirt while juggling doubles! Check the video out below, at the end of the post.

We made it Toulouse for the gig tonight despite a French railways strike. Merde! Fortunately we found a nice (large) carshare to cover the east to west trip. Gearing up to hit Toulouse radio before the show. Everybody is staying up, getting rest where we can and killing the stage. 2 plane rides on tap for the next 2 days. Looking forward to reconnecting and revisiting the familia at Mama Shelter in Paris. Ready to turn it out tonight at Mr. Big Stuff in Toulouse tonight!

DJ ZAJAZZA KILLING THE ROUTINE, PULLING HIS SHIRT OFF WHILE JUGGLING DOUBLES

Rabbi D, Hired Gun, Zajazza, and Gildas

doing our best Swingers/Entourage/Goodfellas impersonation

(Photo by Farebon Photography)

Highlight Video #1 from Lyon

2010-09-21T15:29:00.003-04:00

"The Show" by Hired Gun, "State of the Union" by Rabbi Darkside, both produced by Zajazza.

"Best Minds Remix" by 3rd Party, produced by Mista Mayday

Brushing Up On My French, Le Concert Complet, Les Devoirs du Tournee: Lyon

2010-09-21T10:10:00.003-04:00

21.9.10

It begins with a sleepless night. Consistently. The Art of Sleep Deprivation. (Perfect time in my life to be reading and listening to Tah Phrum Duh Bush’s “Luminous Dark Alleys: The Insomnaic Works.”) A night flight forward in time steals the sedative hours, especially when the Atlantic transverse is on an American airline. Seriously, what ever happened to complimentary (and unlimited) drinks on an international flight? Or movies, for that matter? Continental gets the gasface. The cheapest flights are the cheapest flights for good reason…

So the sleepless flight preceded by an almost sleepless NYC night. It ends with a mad dash to the finish line, the finish line usually being the security line at an airport. Loose ends tied, said most goodbyes, subletters arrived, bag regulation compliant. Made the 3:07pm NJ transit by 2 minutes, caught the Hired Gun at the Newark Airport where we began the decompression process that accompanies every trip outside of New York. Counting my blessings, embarking on my third European tour of 2010, fourth in 12 months. This summer has evaporated quicker than any I can recall. Ironic how working on the road provides the most time to reflect, rebuild and resolve.

Set to kick things off in Lyon, France, we had one small leg of travel before arriving there. We flew into Geneva, Switzerland, and had to take a train through the mountains to get to France. While having a coffee across the way from the rail station, Hired and I saw this young woman walk by, do a triple/quadruple take back at our table, and walk on. 45 minutes later she passed back by, walked directly up to me and was like, “I have seen you on MTV, right? On the show “Made,” right?” I timidly and hilariously smiled, nodding yes. Apparently the episode was on MTV Europe 2 days prior. Pretty incredible vibe to set off the tour. Her name was Orphy, she was half Swiss/half Greek and was going back to Senegal to continue doing social work. And she’d even tried beatboxing after seeing the show.

Upon arrival in Lyon, we were received by hostess superb Chris Bou. We were invited for a lush lunch at her house, and were granted the green light to fall out into the inevitable nap. Long day of travels, lack of food… that first meal will send all the blood rushing right to your stomach. We woke in time to meet Zajazza, relocate our gear to his place and head directly to Radio Canut. No time wasted. We hit the Hip Hop/Breaks show called “Ante-Chambre” for an on-air interview, performed a couple of tracks and spit an epic 12 minute freestyle. The show that night was dedicated to Herbie Hancock. Pretty sweet, especially since we have the same alma mater. There wasn’t much promotion to do for the concert the next night, as it was already SOLD OUT IN ADVANCE!

It always takes a few days away from New York City to recalibrate my pulse and pace. People elsewhere on planet actually take time during the day to chill with friends, have a leisurely lunch, take a walk… We are so overwhelmed by time management in NYC that your body literally vibrates with anxiety when removed from the whirlwind and chaos (no tornado pun intended). Fortunately, this is life preparation for days like Friday: up at 9:00am for a 10:00am radio show, prepping and packing for the concert, moving gear, soundchecking and rocking. We hit our second radio station in 12 hours, appearing on Radio Cap Sao with DJ’s Alpha and Jimmy. Pretty much the same routine as the night before, with a heavy dose of comedy. All the DJs have been showing the “Skillz” project mad love and have been duly digging the freestyles.

Friday’s flow from the radio show to a spontaneous nap to a jog along the Rhone river moved smooth. We were back at 21,22 Rue Imbert Colommes, the same spot Core Rhythm, Appl Juic, Zajazza and I rocked on the Boombox Effect tour in April. It’s a literal speakeasy, flashing light buzzer and all. The owner, Francois, is tres tres gentile and a true music aficionado. It was a real honor to be back in his spot, and an even greater honor to know that Zajazza and his team of friends had sold out the show in advance. Much love and credit to Core and Appl Juic for killing it so hard back in April; it really set up the hype for this show, as has Zajazza’s push of the album in Lyon.

Alongside us on the bill were DJ Old School (who set the night off with a bout of crate digger classics, all vinyl) and the incredible Fish LeRouge. Fish rocked with us in April as part of the trio Les Pirates (Fish, world champ beatboxer Tiko from team Under Kontrol, and flutist Celine). This time around, Fish was making his solo debut on produced tracks with producer/DJ Dudz aka Head War holding him down. I was literally bugging out during his soundcheck shit was so dope! This cat is a rap scientist with more flows than most crews have collectively. We had a chance to chop it up while walking around before the show commenced. He broke down how he’d written a 100+bar rhyme that includes every possible syllable variation, just to practice his double and triple time. Rap scientist I tell you!

FISH LeROUGE (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

DUDZ, DJ OLD SCHOOL, ZAJAZZA, FISH LeROUGE

DJ OLD SCHOOL

Arriving back at the venue, the crowd was equal parts kicking it on the street and in the spot. Lots of familiar faces, lots of anticipatory looks. Got to reconnect with Tiko from Under Kontrol (whose partner, Fayabraz, I got build with heavy in Paris), and meet a bunch of folks vis a vis that I’d just known from Facebook. Curse the social network, but man, there is no 21st century feeling quite as warm as dapping up someone you’ve connected with online in person. Shouts to Ben Keep On (Under Kontrol’s manager) as well as Zajazza’s friends from Lyon. Inspiring to see how they all pull together to help make the night go off as smoothly as possible. Much love to Victor for shuttling us around and to Julien for letting Zaj use his TTM 56!

VICTOR & JULIEN

Onto the show. DJ Old School had the crowd hype, and Fish LeRouge and Dudz completely killed it. Maximum de Bordel! Fish’s set was comprised of songs produced by Dudz and by Zajazza. Zaj even got his hypeman on, backing Fish on a track he produced. By the time we hit the stage, the spot was smoke-filled steamy hot, and the crowd ready. We proceed to rock a 90 minute set, covering material from “Skillz To Take Brazil” to our solo projects to crowd favorites produced by Zajazza (I am getting chills right now thinking about how it felt to rock “State of the Union”). Tiko joined us onstage for a beatbox rendition of “Somos Assim,” and Zaj unveiled a blazing DJ routine. It’s a tribute to Zajazza to know that we have built a real fanbase in Lyon: peoples who come to the shows, support the merch, check us online and know the freakin’ lyrics in a foreign language! Incroyable! We ended this epic set with Very Good, and then started freestyling and then… they wouldn’t let us off stage. 20 more minutes of freestyling slid into object freestyles into blindfolded freestyling… Finally we had to just call the ball and get to the merch table. After catching some fresh air outside (the second hand smoke will kill you), I came back into to find Zajazza rocking the party back up into a frenzy. I got on the mic just to hype, toast-style, and by the time Hired Gun was back inside we’d sparked up another cypher. We were joined onstage by a host of local badass emcees, including Fish, Sami (who came with the reggae stylings) and ridiculous jungle/drum-n-basss MC Alkaline, who brought the much-appreciated female energy to the cypher. We were rocking over classic funk and breaks, and then I got seriously busy on the 2880 looper lacing drum-n-bass beatbox tracks. We basically did an entire 60 minute set, all freestyle. And again, the crowd wouldn’t let us off stage!

DJ DUDZ (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

ZAJAZZA (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

RABBI DARKSIDE (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

HIRED GUN (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

TIKO from UNDER KONTROL (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

MC ALKALINE (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

ALEX KICK (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

SAMI (Photo by Patricia Peignault)

Finally, Francois kicked everybody out, we broke down the gear and set off on the much-need walk home. Breathe.

The next day we were all pretty much dead-tired. Ran the follow-up errands (picking up the gear, settling up monies), took a nice stroll and had a great Japanese dinner. We got back to Zajazza’s place where I began to chip away at the mountain of “homework” I have on this tour. Upon returning to NYC, I jump right into 2 days of intense rehearsal with impresario cellist/trombonist/band leader extraordinaire Dana Leong, in preparation for a gig in Los Angeles at the Asian American Music Festival on October 15 (yeah, 3 days after I get back to Brooklyn). Dana’s project “Milk and Jade” is usually fronted by super MC Core Rhythm; in his absence super MC IllSpokinn sits in; neither is available in October, so I got the call. My homework is to write and memorize 10 NEW SONGS while on the European road, ready to hit in rehearsals starting October 12. Pretty daunting, totally inspiring. (Fortunately, scribing and recording 51 songs/4 albums in 12 months for the "Fresh Prep" project has got my chops where they need to be). Been living inside these tracks that Core has recorded, both studio and live, and in case you didn’t know, the man is a certified musical genius. Outside of his massive solo catalog, he’s a monster with the live projects and a well of lyrical erudition. So I caught wind on Saturday night and stayed up till near 4:00am penning songs. 3 down, 7 to go…

Sunday, Hired Gun bounced for Paris. Zajazza and I rented some Velibs (public bicycles), biked around the Parc de la Tet d’Or, shot another scene for the “Visas” video clip, and caught some lunch. Back in the lab, I kept the writing wheel turning while Zajazza was getting busy producing new beats. Late afternoon, the homey Fish LeRouge rolled over and we got cracking on a collaborative track. Zaj gave us two options: a sample heavy straight track, or one that he prefaced by saying, “This one is really challenging for emcees to rap over…” Fish and I were up to the challenge. What we laid down might be the craziest track I’ve ever been a part of. It’s called “Dab the Nuance.” I think you’re going to have to wait for the new album to hear this one. Big ups to Fish for being completely ridiculous!

So, here I am, enjoying the incomparable French café lifestyle. Sipping espressos and small beers perched on the sidewalk, intermittently distracted by passerbys and bicycle traffic. In the midst of writing an albums’ worth of new songs, my own musings and keeping the stage game tight, setting aside a few hours to journal is the sanest thing I can imagine. I keep a calendar noting the events of each day, but it’s so healthy and filling to review them, peace by piece, and find their memory in words. Lyon is wonderful wonderful town, scenic as can be, completely French yet structured like an Eastern European city, spanning a river and 2 millenia. This has been a summer of re-upping my high school French and really catching the linguistic groove. Another month or two in France, and some grammar review, and I might be in fluent effect. Certainly helps to keep the “feeling at home” feeling alive.

One last day in Lyon, then it’s off to Marseille tomorrow, where we’ll link up with Farbeon and Hired Gun to rock a show. Rumor is Tiko and 2 more members of Under Kontrol will be there as well, which will complete the cypher. And leave it to France: on Thursday we travel by train from Marseille to Toulouse, but there is a pending train strike on Thursday, so wish us luck. Damn labor politics! One of those things that sounds revolutionary till it screws up your trip☺

A+,

RD

*Big ups to Patricia Peignault for these amazing photos. Check the rest out

HERE on Facebook

SKILLZ TO TAKE BRAZIL EUROPEAN TOUR FALL 2010

2010-09-16T18:21:00.004-04:00

The SKILLZ TO TAKE BRAZIL crew is getting busy all over the European map from September 16 - October 11. RABBI DARKSIDE, HIRED GUN, FARBEON and ZAJAZZA are rocking the new record and repping Say Word for 3+ weeks. France, Germany, Czech Republic & Netherlands. Stay tuned for details on shows, photo and video blogs and general tudo beleza updates.

www.facebook.com/rabbidarkside

www.twitter.com/rabbidarkside

www.saywordentertainment.com

NYC: Skillz to Take Brazil Album Release Party 4/16/10!

2010-04-15T10:42:00.003-04:00

Back in Brooklyn, safely returned from the most successful European tour yet and gearing up for the release of the world's first 'Multi-lingual, International, Documentary Hip Hop Album:' "SKILLZ TO TAKE BRAZIL!"

On April 16, 2010, we will celebrate the release of this album (in deluxe
CD packaging) by performing the record in its entirety accompanied by a
live Latin arrangement. The evening will feature a number of guests,
including Zajazza from France, as well as the Hip Hop Game Show The
Freestyle Pyramid, hosted by Farbeon. Copy of the CD with admission.

In February 2009, two partners in rhyme, Rabbi Darkside and Hired Gun set out from Brooklyn, New York to rendezvous with good friend, beat maker, and fellow world traveler DJ Zajazza in Brazil. Over the course of two weeks, several shows, three cities, and much cachaca, a sound emerged. From the late night sessions, community building in the favelas of Porte Alegre and Passo Fundo, what started as “The Skillz to Take Brazil” Tour soon took musical form. “Skillz to Take Brazil” is an international collaboration of artists from New York, Brazil and France, coming together to express the spirit of Hip Hop, brotherhood and community. Imagine the pulsating energy of Samba and the rawness of New York City streets wrapped up in soulful jazz production. “Skillz to Take Brazil” is the result of collaboration, culture, connection, and community.

Say Word Entertainment presents
“SKILLZ TO TAKE BRAZIL” Album Release Party
The world’s first international, multi-lingual, documentary Hip Hop album
Starring Hired Gun (BK), Rabbi Darkside (BK) & Zajazza (Lyon, FR)
Hosted by Demostina & Tah Phrum Duh Bush
Featuring Live Latin Grooves by Doron Lev and friends
and the Freestyle Pyramid with Farbeon

@

The Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery btwn Houston and Bleecker
F to Second Ave/D to Broadway-Lafayette
$10 (includes copy of the album)
10pm doors
All Ages

More info www.saywordentertainment.com

Video for “Little City” in Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlQSK5WAkuk

The Boombox Effect Tour Poster

2010-03-24T11:04:00.005-04:00

THE BOOMBOX EFFECT in Effect.

It all gets started this Monday night in Hamburg, Germany. We've got a crazy run coming up, and an even crazier stage show to unleash. A melding and juggling of lyrics, control surfaces and skills that pushes into the future while riding the timeless boom bap. And when it hits you, well, we just call that feeling THE BOOMBOX EFFECT.

THE BOMBOX EFFECT TOUR: Europe Spring 2010

2010-03-12T12:41:00.005-05:00

We're baaaaaaaaack... Dates TBA soon!

"Little City" Music Video from "Skillz to Take Brazil" Album

2009-09-28T13:23:00.003-04:00

"Skillz to Take Brazil" preview week in NYC: 10/10/09 & 10/16/09!

GUSU #5: Berlining for a Living

2009-09-12T18:43:00.002-04:00

It’s been said before on the road and I’ll say it again: “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” is a lifestyle. After smashing the set at Chapeau Rouge and rocking the dance party till early morn, I had about 2 hours to get my things packed, vacate DaSka headquarters, say peace to Kuzhell and Locita, and get to Prague Holsovice to meet the fellas for an 8:40am train. We were heading back to Berlin for the last run of shows, beginning almost immediately upon arrival with an afternoon outdoor jam on the Alexanderplatz. I felt surprisingly good in the voice, considering we played a mosh-pit status show the previous night.

Berlin has emerged as the European epicenter of positive Hip Hop music, progressive culture, community and social justice through the arts and elements. Not just in our eyes, but really in the context of the EU at large. There is a significant Old School history dating back to 1980 (if not earlier), a True School aesthetic that drives youth development, arts education and freedom of expression, and a New School generation that possesses cutting edge skills. Farbeon deserves all the credit for plugging us into this scene. He has put in serious work, both this past February and the early part of the summer tour, not to mention building meaningful online relationships. It felt like family immediately upon meeting heads. I had actually gotten familiar with some of the big dogs (and dog-esses) when I was in Berlin before Kemp, but this time around was more extended, in depth and performance-based.

HG and I slid back to “Hotel Mary-land” to drop our bags and freshen up before the jam. I understand the benefit of hospitality as much as anyone (especially when it comes to international rap travelers) and Maria Kapix held us down way beyond good old-fashioned crashing. Some peoples’ generosity is really humbling; I’m glad I’ve put some good hosting karma out into the world, cause it came back in spades in Berlin.

We didn’t really know what to expect upon rolling up to the Alexanderplatz for the show. It was the warm-up party for the big EOW benefit the next day, was being held down by the EOW Berlin crew and was supposed to be a “live mixtap” cypher style event. What we discovered was a classic outdoor Hip Hop bash in the middle of one of Berlin’s most historic sites: two turntables and a PA getting power from a generator, a grip of MCs, DJs, and a lovely mid-day crowd. DJs Bulet and IGadget took turns holding down the decks as the host, Furious (current EOW Berlin Champ) kept it moving with a variety of acts and some incredible freestyles. You know it’s a bonkers rhyme when you don’t understand 80% of what an MC is saying but the flow is so ill that you’re enraptured. It was hours of that, between Furious, Amewu, S-Rock, Rino MC…

This event was actually a collab between EOW and Gangway Beatz, a Hip Hop Youth Development organization run by this cat named Olad. We got to build with Olad for a minute while some of the young folks from Gangway Beatz rocked the mic. This man has a firm grasp on Hip Hop activism and is a real global visionary; in fact, he’s bringing a group of young Berliners to NYC this fall and we’re working on connecting them to some of the folks we work with here.

Having the kids rock the mic at Alexanderplatz was a really beautiful aspect to the event, and tempered the almost incessant and extremely hilarious stream of drunk dancing old men. All in all, it was enough inspiration, comedy and skilling to keep the endurance coals stoked. 3P rocked a couple of joints and a bunch of freestyles as the rain held off and the crowd stayed with it. There’s some great video of this day floating around Facebook.

From the jumpoff we went to catch some dinner and rehearse for Saturday with DJ Bulet, who was going to hold us down at Cassiopeia. Bulet lives (and grew up) in the Kreizburg section of Berlin, a predominantly Turkish neighborhood with lots of flavor and underground energy. He’s a husband, papa of 2 and has been DJing for over 30 years. The man is a living library of German Hip Hop history, and has been in the mix for most of it. His understanding of the power of this culture is inspiring, as are the incredible beats that he produces. We had a mellow night of building and chilling in preparation for the final 3rd Party show of the tour.

Saturday rolled around and we took it easy, to say the least. Maria took HG and I to a dope Thai spot in Mitte, and we leisurely made our way to Cassiopeia for the soundcheck. 3rd Party was rocking the bill with Smith & Smart (an upbeat electro-Hip Hop duo that incorporates V-drums and turntablism), 4XSample and the Berlinutz (two local crews, the former a beatbox group and the latter 3 MCs and a DJ who rocked a mash-up set of the two in combination) and special guests Qwazar and John Robinson. IGadget, Fresh Fluke and a couple other DJs were rocking upstairs as the live acts were on the main stage downstairs. It was a packed packed house and everyone brought the thunder. Smith & Smart were extremely dope and fun, moving back and forth from the front of the stage to the instruments at the back and turning the party out. My man Mando from 4Xample might be my favorite beatboxer in the world right now (2009 German champ). The combo of 3 beatboxers and 3 MCs with a DJ was sick. They balanced it all out smoothly and put on a skills clinic with a nice dose of theatrics.

John Robinson and Qwazaar dropped guest solo sets before we hit the stage. It was great to build with some American MCs with a work ethic bigger than their expansive reputations, hearts in the right place and years of experience. Really disparate styles, but both outstanding performers and mic controllers. Once we hit the stage we were ready to take the energy through the roof. We literally left it all out on the stage. I even took a shot to the back of the head from a hanging speaker when HG and I were stage jumping. The set ended with a massive freestyle session featuring a bunch of EOW MCs and us. But that was hardly the end of the night…

I’d heard that Berlin parties till forever, and got to experience it on Saturday night. IGagdet and Fresh Fluke had the upstairs jumping till 8:00am! It was surreal and slightly emotional getting outside to a cloudless Sunday morning feeling the end of the tour on the horizon and getting hit by instant nostalgia. And the knowledge that we had a studio session at 5pm that evening☺

So Far and I caught some Z’s, woke up late afternoon and rolled over to Feuwasche, which is part youth community center and part recording studio. EOW MCs throw an open mic called “Cypher Camp” every Friday there. Bulet had put the call out to Berlin MCs to come through for a recording session and they rolled up en masse: Diamond Dog (who brought to BBQ to us!), S-Rock, Rino, BadKat… in fact, more rappers than names I knew. In the studio, iGadget was running through potential beats and we settled on an uptempo breakbeat joint. While walking around outside, I noticed some graffiti that read “Aste Blat” in the shape of a tree. When I asked for a translation, someone told me “leaves and branches,” which then became the topic for the song, appropriately enough recorded in a community center studio. Peep the fire:

http://soundcloud.com/igadget/no-means-no-eow-collabo-ny-berlin

When the session and BBQing wound down, it was time to bid farewell to my 3rd Party comrades, who were heading back to NYC the next day. I had two more days to kick it in Berlin and relax, record, rhyme and DJ. Monday was a consummate recovery day; Kapix and I walked the streets of Berlin, caught some live music and called it a night. Tuesday I spent all day with Bulet, writing and recording with BadKat, John Robinson, Rebel 1; got to meet Bulet’s two kids and have some ice cream☺ Then to wrap it up, we headed to Vinyl Lesson, the weekly EOW open mic, where I DJ’d and rhymed for the last time on this trip. It was a remarkable stretch run to the end and kind of a mental blur. When Wednesday finally rolled around and I began my epic journey home, I was looking forward to some reflective isolated time in transit.

And so it was: 8 hour train from Berlin to Paris, Gare du Nord to Charles DeGaulle, 7 hours in the airport, 8 hours from CDG to JFK, Airtran to the LIRR to the R train to BK. Still kind of reeling from all the travels, the weight of the tour, and the look down the road at the impending school year. Recollection and reflection comes in many forms, hopefully musical and grooving for me. But it was symbolically appropriate that while traveling from Berlin to Paris at the end of this tour, I edited the video to promote our “Skillz to Take Brazil” album coming this fall. As one voyage ends, the next begins, and the vision is always forward and expansive…

GUSU #4: Praha-ha-ha: the Whole Soundset's 3P

2009-09-03T18:21:00.002-04:00

I was looking very forward to getting back to my European homebase in Prague. This was going to be my 5th time in Prague in less than 2 years, and the 3rd Say Word tour visit in 12 months (Far and Core Rhythm’s “Winter Soulstice” tour passed through back in February). Individually and collectively, we’ve put a ton of work into building a rep there. We work with DaSka Records out of Prague, who organized the European release of “Building the Better Bomb,” and has produced and promoted both Jaro Cossiga releases that feature myself and 3rd Party, “Beat Apetit” and “Hob-n-Nob.” Everytime in Prague it’s a non-stop hustle of radio promo appearances, street teaming, freestyling, interviews… This time around we were scheduled to rock 2 shows in 4 days: “Freestyle Nandej” at Pantheon (the Prague version of Freestyle Mondays), and Chapeau Rouge on Thursday with Beatburger Band, Philip TBC and Alesh One. After an ultra-tranquil Sunday of recoup, we hit it hard on Monday for the Prague leg of “Get Up Stand Up.”

Monday started with an appearance on Radio DJ. We promoted both shows and had a great interview with host Mary. We met up with Philip TBC for the interview and discussed the history of our NYC/Prague collaboration, and the new single from his album, “Czech Yourself.” It was also the first time a radio DJ asked us about the education work we do in NYC and globally; very refreshing and invigorating. It was a wonderful conversation that we capped off with a dope on-air freestyle. What’s really hilarious is that she was playing a beat, but we couldn’t hear it on our headphones, so I started beatboxing. The beatbox was coincidentally nearly layered on top of the beat, so she thought it was supposed to be an added rhythm. Makes for a great in-studio video, but must’ve been a funny listen for the folks at home. (Sidenote: Mary is a badass electric violin player, and on Monday we planted the seed to have her roll thru Thursday’s show for a jam session…)

Monday night, Far and I caught some vegetarian Indian food with TBC (vegetarian eats in Prague? What? Spare the dumplings and goulash, at last!) before rolling over to Pantheon. The big homey Dowis started an event modeled after Ill Spokinn & Mariella’s “Freestyle Mondays” at Sin Sin in NYC, the 7-year running Lower East Side staple that has been the breeding ground for some of the illest cats I know, and the hub of my Hip Hop family. The Prague event goes down at Dowis’ club, Pantheon, which is a 24/7 Hip Hop venue. Sketch battles, open mics, DJs every night, a white gallery; it has evolved into THE place in Prague for the underground Hip Hop community to build. Freestyle Nandej differs from Sin Sin in that it is a sign-up open mic, rather than a cypher. Each MC gets 2 minutes to rock, and the host, Constantin, holds up a “Stop” sign, with “Keep Going” on the flipside. So, if you’re ripping it, you get to continue rhyming longer.

The house was packed. The main homey Jaro Cossiga was in the building. The roster of MCs that rocked the mic really put it down, especially young cats like Jimi, Shark Ass (the 16 year-old female phenom!) and Lucie (promoter/manager and MC?!?). The room was jumping by the time we hit the stage. I pulled double-duty for the first and only time this tour as MC/DJ, but the Pantheon stage is so small, it was a breeze. We really had our rhythm and instincts aligned after 3 shows in 3 days. The set at Pantheon was extremely tight and extremely well-received. It was a shorter music set, serving as promo for Thursday, and was capped off with a long freestyle. I then spun instrumentals for the rest of the open mic session, bringing some BK underground flavor to the cypher. After the freestyle session, some incredible B-Boys hit the floor and ripped it until after 3:00am. The novelty of seeing top-notch breakers up close never wears off for me. Helicopters, headspings, the whole nine… We were primed for the big show on Thursday at Chapeau Rouge, and looking forward to a couple of mellow days before to re-energize.

Tuesday began with a lunch rehearsal with Philip TBC. He’d be holding us down on the decks and rocking a showcase, as Thursday’s party would also serve as the release party for the first single from his upcoming album, “Audible Thoughts.” TBC is a legendary Drum-n-Bass producer/DJ in the Czech. We got to build last summer during Hip Hop Kemp and later in Prague. I went to Budjeovice to rock a D-n-B party with him last September; we really hit it off on the MC/DJ tip as well as the interpersonal. He is fascinating dude and has spent extensive time traveling India, Tibet and the Himalayas. A spiritual man with a knack for the uptempo banger. Kuzhell had facilitated the collab between us (as DaSka artists), and I’d written and recorded “Czech Yourself” in Brooklyn during summer 2008. It was now mixed, remixed and ready to hit the airwaves.

We had a relaxed rehearsal, an excellent home-cooked lunch and good build session. Afterwards, we met up with Nasty from the Beatburger Band to catch up. He took us to the Prague “Beach Bar,” which is a summer hotspot for the young and nouveau riche. There was some pretty hilarious Czech Dirty Dancing going down to keep up entertained, but we were all spent. Farbeon had about 60% of his voice, I had about 75% of mine, and Hired Gun was sick as a dog, literally falling asleep at the bar table. I kicked it with Nasty back to his place, where I got to sleep on a real-live mattress, which was an extreme upgrade from the doghair-covered studio floor I’d been sleeping on for the previous 2 nights.

Wednesday was a heavy promo day: we hit Radio Spin with Poeta in the afternoon, then rolled back to Radio Spin in the night to guest on DJ Trusty and DJ Negativ’s show with Alesh One. We dropped a dope freestyle and Alesh did a hot 30 minute funk guest set. Gotta love the DJ who shows up with 20 records in a grocery bag to rock the spot. We stopped by Chapeau Rouge to check out the performance space before calling it an early night. We were looking at the beginning of a 3-shows-in-3-days slalom from the chute and wanted to be on point for all of it. Other than Kuzhell’s car catching a flat (donut changed and ratcheted on in 6 minutes!), it was smooth day.

Thursday was all about tempered preparation. Kuzhell and I finished mixing and mastering the single, and did some CD duplicating. I took a nice long run through Zizkov park, overlooking central Prague on cloudless 85 degree summer day. We loaded in for soundcheck at 8:00pm and had a couple hours to catch up with the Beatburger Fam. Chapeau Rouge is one of those prototypical European venues: very old space with 3 levels, the lowest being a cave-like stage space. That’s where we’d be rocking. It’s also a heavy tourist watering hole, with a bunch of pub crawls stopping by each night.

The stage room itself is capacity 100, and by the time the Beatburger Band hit the stage, it was 60 deep. Beatburger Band is the Vice-World Champion beatboxing team, having placed 2nd at the 2009 World Championships. Everytime I see them rock, they are growing and improving. Jaro, Nasty, Ivanhoe and En.Dru were representing (minus young buck Johnny Typek). Their stage show is a brilliant mix of team and individual showcases, and their cover song selection is a hilarious trip through the “Jock Jams” catalog. “Pump Up the Jam,” “Whoomp There it Is,” “I Like to Move It;” and then they hit you with “In the Air of Night.” You haven’t lived till you’ve seen Ivanhoe crush the Phil Collins’ vocals. By the time they finished, the room was packed and a number of tourists from upstairs had paid entry to the show and were wildin’ out in the front row. Fantastic warm-up.

This was going to be our most extensive set of the tour. We had a full hour planned, and knew we’d rock longer. The crowd needed a breather from the steamy hot room after Beatburger, and after a 15-minute intermission, we took the stage. After 10 minutes, the crowd that was there had returned and grown. The room was packed out, and the front rows were simply going crazy. It was so hot and humid that shirts were coming off all over the place. We were feeding off the crowd and they were eating up the energy and giving it back tenfold. It was great to see some kids that knew “Building the Better Bomb” get crazy to “People of My Nature” and “The Better Bomb,” not to mention the fantastic reactions to doing “Time Travelin’” and “Justwhatodo” from Jaro’s projects. This was one of those shows that you dream about, where you can’t give the crowd enough. We had a ridiculous guest appearance from Mary (from Radio DJ) on the ELECTRIC VIOLIN, which evolved into a beatobx D-n-B jam with Jaro and TBC. After our set, we freestyled for a bit, then announced the premiere of “Czech Yourself.” When TBC dropped the beat, the bounce was in the air. I ended up rapping the second verse from the floor, jumping around with the sweat-mob of Prague teenagers. It was a tremendous debut for the song. After that, HG and I freestyled over TBC’s original D-n-B beats, then I finally took over the turntables and rocked the dance party for another hour. The breakers were back, and the bulk of dancers from upstairs at Chapeau had slid downstairs. By the time all was said and done, it was 4:00am. I was drenched, spent, psyched and totally fulfilled. Farbeon said it best: “It’s crazy when you do all this promotion, have a team of peeps posting and re-posting on Facebook, flyers, posters, hype… and then the people actually show up!”

We had the intent of making this a quicker, more efficient hit of Prague. 2 insane shows, a bunch of new Say Word family members, new music dispersed to the media… and travel back to Berlin bought for us? Sure made getting on the train on zero hours of sleep a lot easier. Till the next time Praguers: “DaSka Records DaSka Records DaSka Records DaSka Records DaSka Records DaSka Records…” ☺

GUSU #3: Hip Hop Kemp

2009-09-01T02:47:00.002-04:00

(Notes: check out the video highlight reel I cut in the previous entry for the A/V experience. And also check out the amazing Kemp pics by Farbeon (http://www.myspace.com/farbeon) and Lokey Photography (http://www.myspace.com/lokeyphotography) They are simply bananas.)

The key prefix here is “RE-:” REmembering, REcapping, REflecting, REvisiting, REliving, REconnecting, REcollecting, REviewing and REfreshing. It’s REally wild to REcall how much has happened in the span of 2 weeks, let alone an entire month, and hard to separate days from nights and shows from shows, but that’s why I take life notes and blog chronologically. So take it back to the Czech REpublic for Hip Hop Kemp…

Hip Hop Kemp is the second largest Hip Hop festival on continental Europe (and vying to be the first). A 3-day all-element extravaganza on an old air force base in the Czech, outside of a lovely town called Hradec Kralove. Last year, Farbeon and I painted the festival Brooklyn with Baba Israel, Yako 400 and the Beatburger Band. We vowed to come back large in 2009 and rock it super official (check the “Summer Breaks Hip Hop Kemp” video on youtube for last year’s take). So this year we came back wth J-Live and Truemaster, a hotel room, transportation and momentum.

We arrived in Hradec Kralove after 3 hours sleep and a 6-hour train from Leipzig. We were greeted at the rail station by a driver with a sign for all of us, and were quickly buzzed to the luxurious Hotel Podvice. Leather couches, flat screen TV, a bed for everyone… this was living! I had an extreme super-rap-fan moment within 15 minutes of checking in: out in the hallway, I bumped into our nextdoor neighbor and introduced myself. He was like, “Peace, my name is Chee,” and I was like, “cool.” And his voice echoed in my head for a moment and I was like, “oh, as in SONNY CHEEBA from CAMP LO” and my college freshman self had a mild heart attack. This was obviously going to be a fantastic experience.

J-Live was rocking the mainstage at 7pm on Friday night, and 3rd Party was rocking the Music City hangar at 12:30am, so we headed out to the festival for soundcheck. Lamping backstage we bumped into Blu & Exile, B.O.B., Reef the Lost Cause, Torae, German DJ Marc Hype, Maria Kapix, Le Bob, John Robinson, DJ That Fucking Sara, Qwazzar from Typical Cats, Alesh One, Lokey Photography, Ghonzales, The Berlinutz… a nice mix of Hip Hop luminaries and our European extended family. It was pretty humbling and amazing to see J-Live reconnect with the circuit of underground heroes, here in the middle of Central Europe. Wild to think that you’ve got to some halfway around the world to catch up with peoples from back in the day.

By 5pm, the mainstage crowd was about 1,000 deep. Blu & Exile rocked a butter set. “Below the Heavens” has obviously made tracks around the globe. We got to catch up with Exile and reminisce over rocking The Pussycat Lounge in NYC with Aloe Blacc back in 2005 (hard to forget playing a strip club/music venue to a crowd of 10 people). On stage, this guy freaks the MPC like very few. He plays the pads with one hand and it sounds like a DJ rocking doubles, cutting and scratching while being backed by a band. Unbelievable skills flex. Blu has a real easy vibe on stage and works the mellow jams to perfection. Great performance, up and down.

J-Live was rocking after Blu & Exile. By the time Justice hit the stage the crowd was 1,500 deep. J had Truemaster on the wheels and Hired Gun to help hype. He was going to rock a self-proclaimed“competition set” (raising the bar and making it hard for the next acts to follow). The man has endless classic records, which makes it easy to pack them a 40-minute set with sing-a-long gems. Words can’t really capture the frenzy he had the crowd in, but fortunately I’ve got it on video. It was really heart-warming to see HG rock the hype-man role (perfectly suited for his raucous stage style) and to have J & True drop “Get Up Stand Up” and give 3rd Party a shout.

We had a few hours to kill before our set time. As big and dope as this festival is, it is quite a logistical spiderweb. We had a hell of a time getting fed, getting our meal stipend, really getting any kind of info… note to artists: make sure you advocate for your damn selves! Farbeon is the man when it comes to looking out for us, and delivering straight-talk in a most admirable way.

Now, the hitch in all of this was that we were scheduled to play directly after Method Man finished headlining the mainstage. In a perfect world, he would wrap up, the crowd would roll to the Hangar and we’d rock a packed house. In the Hip Hop world, we knew Meth would start late, finish late, and we’d be left rocking to a smaller crowd. It’s a Hip Hop world baby. So, we delayed for a bit and started to rock to a thin crowd, but with all of our dear friends in attendance. Method Man hadn’t even started on the mainstage yet, meaning folks waiting to see him could have caught us, but hey, it is what it is. We rocked a super-tight 30 minute set with J-Live in the front row holding down the crowd, along with Maria Kapix, Maria from Dresden, Le Bob, Ghonza, Marc Hype, K984, Alesh Uno, John Robinson and a bunch of heads we’d get to meet later. Truemaster held us down airtight on the decks, and as we blazed through the set, the crowd doubled, tripled, quadrupled in size. By the end, we had built a very nice sized audience, which unfortunately was catching the last 10 minutes of our show. As we closed with a freestyle, the “More! More! More!” chants came out of the crowd, now really filling in. The stage manager gave us the emphatic thumbs up to rock for another 15 minutes. Having only planned a 30-minute set, we had Truemaster drop instrumentals and we freestyled/jammed for 15 more minutes, working the crowd and still leaving them wanting more. Every show we’ve done on this tour has finished with a bigger crowd than it started with; I can’t be mad at that.

(Unfortunately, Truemaster's camera had all the photos of this set and the flash memory card died. Lost to the rap g-ds...)

We stuck around for a bit Friday night and caught a late-night set from Berlin super-emcee Amewu with DJ Werd. I was totally entranced by this cat’s flow and breath control. Simply astonishing (more on the Berlin EOW fam later). We called it a night after an epic Friday and headed back to the hotel. We all slept until after 2pm on Saturday, caught a late lunch courtesy of J, and got geared up to head back to Kemp for the closing night. We kicked it at a restaurant in the Centrum, getting busy on Pilsner and Becherovka before finally heading back to the Festival at 6pm or so.

While we were gone, our main homegirl Maria Kapix had worked some magic. Peoples were really feeling our set from the previous night, and feeling bad that we didn’t get to rock the whole set for a bigger crowd, so Maria worked it out for us to do a special guest set with Marc Hype and Jim Dunloop at the closing party for Kemp, also their record release party (this woman is unrivaled in generosity, warmth, and hospitialty). So after all of it, we were going to be doing another full set at 4am to wrap up the whole jam. We spent the evening checking out Devin the Dude, Killa Kella, wildin’ out to Camp Lo, and trying to maintain till 4am. We ended up going back to the hotel for a couple of hours to chill before coming back to rock. Yes, we passed up seeing La Coka Nostra to kick it in the hotel room freestyling with J-Live and catch laughing fits. Good trade☺

We got back as the mainstage was shutting down and the closing party with Marc Hype, Jim Dunloop and Lady Daisy was jumping off. Marc is a siiiiiick DJ (former German DMC & ITF champ, ITF World Finalist), and Jim crushes the keys. They put on a tremendous dance party, lacing irresistible uptempo funk/breakbeat joints. Lady Daisy guested on the vocals to take it to a next level. The dance floor was jamming, the vibe was amazing and I danced my ass off. The break circle was in effect and everyone got busy in the middle (even Far and J). We were invited to the stage to follow all this, and rocked a balls-out set till 5am. At the end of our set, 3rd Party invited J-Live to the stage, and the late-revelers got a special treat as J did “Them That’s Not” for about 65 people at 5am. Out of this world.

So, we got back to the hotel at 5:30am, packed, slept till 8am and jumped in the van to Prague. We dropped off J, True and Torae at the airport, said peace, took the group photo and headed to DaSka headquarters to begin the Praha stretch of the tour. J and True were off to London to rock one last show that night. Superheroes in the most genuine sense. A week for the record books and the personal Hip Hop annals. My 19 year-old self is freaking out somewhere in 1998, beaming with pride, staring in amazement and loving every minute of it.

Get Up Stand Up Video Journal Vol. 1 - Leipzig & Hip Hop Kemp

2009-08-27T10:13:00.001-04:00

If it doesn't embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfBtGe5F5l4

GUSU #2: In Full Effect

2009-08-24T11:04:00.004-04:00

“My role models are my peers now/been doing this ish for years now”

Where to start, where to stop? Well, maybe best with a quote from the very man with whom we’ve been sharing the stage and road for the last week, one Justice Allah (see “MCee” from “All of the Above”). It has been a hurricane of 6 days, and a rarity to be sitting in the eye long enough to collect my thoughts, let alone blog them down. Sofia to Berlin to Leipzig to Hip Hop Kemp, finally to Prague today. It fortunately feels enough like home here to catch my breath and capture this past week in words…

Far Photography 2009

Arrived in Berlin and got right into the mix of the local underground scene. Farbeon has been building with the Berlin heads for a minute and is really plugged into the happenings. On Tuesday and Wednesday we hit some nice spots: Tuesday was EOW Berlin, a cypher style open mic in the most pure sense. Two turntables, one mic, a circle and a bunch of sick emcees. We rocked the jam for 4 straight hours, no break, no fresh air. DJs IGadget and Bulet hold it down weekly and the MCs who rock it are fire! We kicked it hard with Alibi, the EOW Berlin champ and an insane freestyler. Next level, 10 styles, tri-lingual. The Germanic syllabic structure is not the prettiest, smoothest on the linguistic scale, but there were a few MCs knocking the sauerkraut out of it. We’re rocking next weekend both Friday and Saturday with these cats, outdoors on the Alexanderplatz Friday and on the main stage at Cassiopeia on Saturday night!

On Wednesday the 3rd Party Voltron formation was completed on a foreign continent for only the second time ever, and the first for an extensive run. The Hired Gun arrived and we spent the day at the Jewish Museum before we all rolled out to Berlin’s finest weekly Hip Hop party, “Beatevolution” at Cassiopeia (which Get Up Stand Up rocked back on August 12). The party has been running for almost 6 years and is organized by Le Bob, who is a 5 Star dude. He has had a complete run of the underground “who’s who” roster bless the stage during this time, and it is a real pleasure building and chilling with him. The feature this week was one Miles Bonny, a soul singer/horn player from Kansas. This cast brought some serious chops to the stage, both as vocalist and trumpeter. He killed a set full of original joints and some tasteful covers, and was then joined by saxophonist Charles Cooper (of J. Rawls “Liquid Crystal Project”) for some riffing. Le Bob worked it out for me to jump on stage and do a bit of beatbox/jazz horn improvising with them. Check the footage for the result!

Far Photography 2009

Thursday we hit the ground running to reconvene with J-Live and Truemaster, who had just arrived back in Berln after a 4 day trip back to the U.S. to rock a show after 4 days in Europe. We all rendez-voused at the Berlin Hofbanhohf and jumped the train to Leipzig, 90 minutes southeast of Berlin, to rock a venue called Conne Island (pronounced just like “Coney Island”) and roll out the full-force GUSU show.

We were met at the train station by Roland, our driver, in an 8-person Mercedes van (let’s call it a “cargo limo”). We didn’t have much time before soundcheck, so we dropped our bags at the hotel, took a 15 minutes Leipzig stroll and headed over to Conne Island.
Much like Cassiopeia, it’s more than a concert venue: skate park, café, restaurant, small stage, big stage, graffiti everywhere. We were slated to be rocking the smaller stage (it’s festival season, so the clubs economize) to a packed house on a blazing hot day in Leipzig.

The promoter, Andre, had dinner and a stocked fridge waiting for us in the Green Room. Hotels, hot meals, cold beer…. I could get used to this style of traveling. Local DJ Anna held down the decks before the show, dropping lots of underground classics and keeping the vibe very Dilla-esque (a similarity to both Berlin parties; they love the progressive underground out here!). 3rd Party hit the stage with Truemaster and rocked till the walls were sweating (it was literally 96 Degrees in the space). The stage itself was pretty cramped, but we kept it dynamic and moving with a set of group joints, half-versions of solo cuts and some lovely beatbox/vocal jamming. Had the crowd worked up into a seroiosu frenzy. True Huey kept it crisp on the decks for us, and then kept it moving right into Justice’s set.

It’s pretty mind-blowing to enjoy this tour from the artist perspective, the global traveler’s journal and the Hip Hop superfan’s stageside seat. I have seen J-Live rock probably 15 times in the new millennium, and it never gets any less fantastic. The man is a stage scientist, blazing through his catalog, mastering hooks and call and response, pace changes and freestyle… then he DJs and raps at the same time. Give him 30 minutes or 2 hours and he builds a climactic set that never fails to leave the crowd calling for more. 150 or 1500 fingers tapping the air to “Them That’s Not,” or one person seeing “Braggin’ Writes” for the first time; it’s a bar-setting Hip Hop show that gives me equal parts elation, education and inspiration. The man never really stopped teaching.

So the blog action is in catch-up mode right now, and 2009 Hip Hop Kemp is going to get service all of it’s own. It’s on to 4 days working out of DaSka homebase in Prague city with the Hob-n-Nob familia, rocking Pantheon tonight and the big show at Chapeau Rouge on Thursday with Beatburger Band and Philip TBC. We’ll be celebrating the single release from TBC’s new album that I feature on called “Czech Yourself,” and 3P will be rocking an hour-long set. Brrrrrap!

Far Photography 2009

Live Beatbox, Sax and Trumpet freestyle from Beatevolution, Berlin, 8.19.09.

2009-08-20T07:48:00.001-04:00

GUSU #1: Bloggin-A-Right!

2009-08-12T13:23:00.002-04:00

Bloggin’-A-Right!

Get Up, Stand Up, sit down, drag bag, take-off, touch down, passport, speak French, Paris, re-lax, birthday, par-tay, board train, high speed, Chunnel, England, Far B, Zaja, accents, no sleep, much rain, two shows, Ap Juic, Hackney, Baba, Contact, move merch, stickers, picnic, hit road, Get Up Stand Up!

Week 1 of the tour in a two-syllable comma-laden-prose nutshell. The legs and back are a bit weary after 7 days of being the object in motion until another force or object acts upon that object to affect its movement. Despite the fact that I’m zipping underneath the English Channel aboard the Eurostar at the moment, the ride is smooth enough to compose my thoughts and reflect on a tremendous jumpoff to this European adventure, as much personal as professional, friend-tional as fuctional.

After a barn-burning couple of weeks in NYC leading up to departure, I crossed the Atlantic as I did for the first time ever, at age 17: alongside my homey Stephen. We flew into Paris, which I hadn’t set eyes upon since 1996. We arrived just in time to celebrate his birthday, rent bikes and get re-acquainted with the breathtaking streets and sites (and dust some of the rust off of my school-age French). It was an utter throwback to the days of backpacking and Eurorailing: logging 10’s of kilometers of walking, sipping wine by canals, rolling by futbol stadiums, running through parks and practicing off-beat tourism. We made serious tracks from the Louvre to Le Boit de Vincennes to the Eiffel Tour to the Parc de Prince, following the seductive curves of the Seine well into the early morning hours bathed in fullmoonlight. The quirkiest/nerdiest/coolest thing we did was check out the 35-year residency of Corbusier, “the father of modernism.” He lived on the top two floors of a building he designed on the outskirts of the west of Paris, very close to Stade Roland Garros and Parc de Prince, homes of the French Open and PSG soccer club, respectively. It was a fantasy domain of geometric shapes, self-defined practicality, studio space, incredible rooftop vistas and modern convenience. Bless Stephen’s Francophonic fetish and endless pursuit of the brilliantly bizarre.

After two days in Paris and a rekindled fiery desire to resettle in France, it was off to England to launch the tour in London. In light of last summer’s overweight baggage fiasco, I was determined to only fly major carriers or take the train. So I boarded the hyperspeed Eurostar, and two and half hours later, arrived at King’s Crossing in London. I relied on sensory memory to guide my bus travels to Hackney and Appl Juic’s pad, where I was set to rendez-vous with Farbeon. I managed to roll up on the “Rapping Supply Teacher’s” home right around midnight, drenched and spent and thrilled. The three of us, along with Juic’s lady Sarah, stayed up till the wee hours writing a track called “The Nothing,” trading teacher tales and laughs.

The next day, Zajazza arrived from France to join us for the jumpoff at Pangea Project. Pangea is a grassroots live music/poetry venue is East London, very reminiscent of the Bowery Poetry Club in layout, vibe and staffing. The bill was Appl Juic, 3P with Zajazza, local Grime cats Conrad Scoundrel and Spitfire, and an 8-bit Atari producer. Appl ripped a set with songs from his solo record and gems from “Revision Raps,” a state exam test prep album he’s written, amazingly enough at the same time I’ve been scribing and recording the “Fresh Prep” project for the Global 10 regents. He’s got jams like “Electricity” that break down circuitry, wattage, voltage… wow. Conrad Scoundrel and his crew ripped it as well, bringing the raw energy and tongue-twisting skills that come with Grime to the intimate venue. Serious skills.

Despite the light-ish crowd, we put down the perfect set to get things rolling. Far and I rocked for a cool hour, finding our stage legs and working out the set we’d been envisioning for the last month. It was totally bananas, and felt great to go in deep with a very engaged crowd. Personal highlight included getting to see Deenal and Yitzak, who I met last year when I rocked Pangea. They came back in full force to represent, along with Liam, whom I met on the Eurostar and built with. “As likely to meet your fam as we are to make a fan…”

The next morning was a blur of Iphone alarms and quick hop rides to the train station. We cabbed it to Euston station and jumped the train to Manchester. Baba and Core Rhythm met us at the other end and we walked the few blocks back to Baba & Dawn’s new crib.

Baba recently accepted the position of Executive Director/Creative Director of the Contact Theater, a progressive youth-oriented experimental theater group/venue in Manchester. And let me tell you, the man is living a well-deserved hard-earned dream. Before he took the job, Contact already had a decade-old tradition of youth-centered programming based on workshops and rising possibility (youth move from attendees to junior trainers to workshop mentors). Contact is also a pioneering venue in the world of Hip Hop Theater, both in the UK and internationally. To hear Baba’s story of his interview is one of pure inspiration and straight balls, but that is his story to recount…

Baba and Dawn have an amazing pad on Canal St, kind of the West Village of Manchester. We settled in there, relaxed for a minute and all headed to Contact for soundcheck. The building itself is incredible: a 300 person capacity main space, a black box theater, a rehearsal space, a café/bar and youth-friendly nooks and crannies at every turn. In the time it took us to get the sound right, it was clear that Baba has found a new home. The most inspiring moment of this young trip was when this cat Fabian was chatting Baba up about his desire to “become an arts educator and run workshops, cause , you know, I might not make it in the music biz but want to represent Hip Hop culture and pass it on.” He’s 17 years old.

We caught a quick bite on Curry Row and got back to Contact to get the night rolling. In Manchester they have been rocking a “Freestyle Mondays” event (directly based on Sin Sin Mondays) for 3 years. On this night, we were going to debut “The Freestyle Pyramid” in the UK. The show was hosted by Baba, held down by Zajazza, featured an Open Mic, Appl Juic, Core Rhythm, and Farbeon and myself. The Pyramid broke up the sets and went over extremely well. 8 competitors, 3 rounds, the final between Chronicle and Visceral. Chronicle took it in splendid form.

Everyone killed their sets. Core tore it down, Appl Juic slayed a poem and the “Chewing Gum” joint, and Far, Zajazza and I brought a polished, crisp, concise version of the previous nights show to the stage. The night ended with an outdoor cypher that was all peace and love, highlighted by a teacher/student chide between us and a 14 year old Mancunian, a Hip Hop trivia freestyle and a Q&A freestyle that was siiiiiiick!

We spent yesterday recovering and chillaxing, and went to a magnificent backyard BBQ at the cottage home of the President of the British Black Arts Coalition, a tremendous woman named Sue. It was a bittersweet affair for her, as the Coalition’s state funding was just terminated after 19 years of consistent production, prudent and profitable financial management and groundbreaking race relations work. I mean, this woman founded Black History Month in Northern England. It was quite humbling, educational and inspiring to be in her presence and converse, as well as to peep her BBQing/hostessing skills. As a backyard party afficianado, I was incredibly impressed and left very full.

Today was just gearing up to leave. It was the third continent (or, island off-coast of a continent) that Zajazza and I have blessed, and a great start to the second European tour for 3rd Party. Going global with the NYC family never ceases to amaze me. This was literally the dream incarnate: NYC MCs with a British MC held down by a French DJ in England. All represented on the “Get Up Stand Up” Compilation, all acquainted through positive Hip Hop culture and heavy cultural digging.

So I’m lamping in first class on the Eurostar, buzzing back to Paris for a few hours before boarding a plane to Bulgaria tomorrow to dive into Percy and Masha’s wedding festivities, the other primary reason for this trip. It’s going to be an adventure of it’s own, uniting my best friends from high school as far east as I’ve ever been. There is a potential DJ gig or two lined up, but I am looking very forward to some genuine vacation time, which I haven’t had in many moons. Then it’ll be off to Berlin to reconnet with 3P and hit the heavy stretch of this tour alongside J-Live and DJ Truemaster. In the meantime, Farbeon will be setting it off with two shows in Germany with J, in Cologne and Berlin.

It’s a verbose recap of 7 days, but I’ll be dammed if it wasn’t as loaded as it sounds. I am simply looking forward to being static for a few days and not lugging around 40 kilos of luggage (getting lighter with every gig). Anybody know a good Bulgarian chiropractor?

Get Up Stand Up Tour Kicks Off this Friday in London!

2009-08-05T05:14:00.002-04:00

Peace, Paix, Paz, Cheers, Ahoj!

Say Word Entertainment is proud to present our 2009 European Tour: “Get Up Stand Up!” This tour will feature the entire 3rd Party (Farbeon, Rabbi Darkside & Hired Gun) alongside the legendary J-LIVE with DJ Truemaster. As we hit venues and festivals from the UK to the Czech Republic, we will be joined by a massive of special guests and collaborators, including Baba Israel, Core Rhythm, Appl Juic, Zajazza, Beatburger Band, and more TBA.

This weekend we get things rolling in the UK. Friday night August 7, we will be rocking the Pangea Project in East London hosted by fellow artist/educator APPL JUIC! This tour jumpoff show will feature Rabbi D, Farbeon, Core Rhythm, DJ Zajazza and the “rapping supply teacher” himself, Appl Juic. Check out the Pangea Project here:

http://www.pangeaproject.co.uk/

Then Saturday August 8, we head up to Manchester to rock with our newly relocated NYC homey BABA ISRAEL at the incredible Contact Theater. Baba recently accepted a directorial position at Contact, and we’re blessed to be welcomed into his new creative home. This show promises to be legendary; it features Farbeon, Rabbi D, Core Rhythm, Appl Juic, Baba Israel, DJ Zajazza, as well as an Open Mic for local Manchester cats who we have heard rip it! Hip Hop culture is thriving in Manchester and we can’t wait to get busy! Check out the Contact Theater here:

http://www.contact-theatre.org/

If you are overseas or have peoples here, please help spread the word! We need all the support we can get. Check out the tour poster and schedule.

Let ‘em know we’ve got a ridiculous new tour compilation: Say Word’s “Get Up Stand Up” featuring 3rd Party, Breez Evahflowin, Core Rhythm, Baba & Yako 440, Doron Lev, Eagle Nebula, Gr& Phee and Rhyson Hall, Dyalekt, Oddy Gato, Appl Juic, ESP Collective and J-Live with Posdanous from DE LA SOUL!

Let ‘em know we’ve got bananas tour t-shirts designed by our main homey J-SKILLZ!
(merch will be available stateside when we get back in September… if there’s any left☺)

Stay tuned to www.saywordentertainment.com for updates, footage and blogs.

You can check my personal blog at rabbirapsontheroad.blogspot.com.

It’s going to be a heck of a trip. Stay in touch and keep an eye on the updates!

Get Up, Stand Up, Come on throw your hands up!

GET UP STAND UP 2009 Summer Tour w J-LIVE & 3RD PARTY

2009-05-21T23:58:00.003-04:00

Skillz to Take Brazil: Paz Interior

2009-03-01T12:44:00.002-05:00

3.1.09

Paz Interior

It’s March that comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, right? Well, on this first day of the new month and last day of the tour, that same adage aptly describes Skillz to Take Brazil. After 8 days operating at a fever pitch, we wound down the last 7 in comfort and placidity, following a combination of plans and whims.

Last Monday, we took an overnight bus to the coastal island of Florinapolis, 7 hours north of Porto Alegre. During the night we whisked up the 101, the South American equivalent of Highway 101, coincidentally a road bearing the same numeric designation as the legendary U.S. West Coast thoroughfare. Floripa is a 70 km long island known as a Brazilian vacation destination, as well as a popular getaway spot for Argentines. The island is bent into a series of cove towns and beaches, and we headed north to Canasvarias.

Zajazza had been to this town previously, and fortunately, we ran into a hotel proprietor friend of his, who happened to have a vacant flat. We scored a lovely apartment for a mere 180 r$ pr night (less than $90) split among the 3 of us. It was steady luxury, complete with kitchen, wifi, and a block from the beach. Considering this was the only time on the trip we’d be paying for accommodations, it was well worth it.

Our casa at Solar Isla Verde very quickly became the Skillz to Take Brazil laboratory. Zajazza set up his MPD and continued his prolific production streak, churning out 2-3 new beats a day. Hired and I wrote at least 1 new song daily, some collabs, some solo, and built the catalog of possibilities for this record. It is the rainy season in Southern Brazil, which bode very well for our indoor productivity, and not so well for our beach time. But I managed to kick it outside quite a bit while, soak up some rays, chill by the ocean, take some long beach runs, and simply scorch tracks when at home.

We had planned to venture to Sao Paolo by bus from Floripa, but all of our contacts there had sketched out or fallen through. This was mainly attributed to Carnaval aftermath, when everyone is exhausted and broke at the end of summer. With no guarantees and no place to crash (not to mention a 10 hour bus ride there and 17 hour return trip to Porto Alegre) we opted to stay in Floripa an extra 2 days and keep the engine running. It was a wise decision, as I feel pretty well rested and very accomplished. After a first week of wall-to-wall madness, it was nice to have a home of our own and a schedule we defined. We ate well, stayed merry, wrote exorbitant amounts and slept in beds. We even hit the streets to record some hilarious drops for the album.

Friday we spent the day in Floripa centro, doing some digging and wandering. Friday night we hopped to overnight bus back to Porto Alegre. The big homey Edhino was kind enough to let us crash at his house one last night, which was huge. We showed up at 8:00am, weary luggage bearers, and proceeded to fall right back to sleep. I woke up a little early, wrote a bit, caught lunch, did laundry, and headed to the city centro to dig some more. Zajazza knows the record spots in Porto Alegre, and knows how to bargain. He has scored some serious Brazilian jazz/samba/afro records on this trip. I scooped a couple good finds as well, but man, this cats digs. A true craftsman.

Our ambitions to hit the town on our last night faded into freestyling at Edhino’s and into a pitcher of Pitu. All well and good by me, as I sit here at 9:00am, readying to head out to the airport 8 hours from now. This trip took a number of unexpected and magical turns, and most importantly, we made some serious friends. We didn’t get everywhere we set out to visit, but we got to know Rio Grande do Sul very well. We didn’t rock quite as many shows as we’d planned, but we wrote an entire new album. The closeness to Carnaval actually hurt our ability to book, so we know better for next time, when we come back to tour the North and release the album.

There’s so much reflecting and digesting to be done, two things which life in New York City doesn’t really allot for. Lesson plan scribing awaits me on the plane, and I will be back at Canarsie High School 4 hours after dropping my bags at home. Then it’s into throes of teaching, DJing, promoting our show with J-Live March 11 @ Mercury Lounge (see?) and hunkering down for the tail end of winter. Fortunately I will be getting into full swing with my new gig at the amazing Facing History School, and falling back into the arms of my wonderful lady.

This has been an eye-opening educating inspiring trip, filled with affirmation, human beauty and resilient spirits, coupled with sad news from home and the glimpses into favella life that are so simultaneously sad and stirring. The transformative light of Hip Hop culture is shining bright in Estados do Sul. We have managed to catch some of that light in the form of song, documenting the dichotomy of Brazilian life and the experience of being artist-tourists though writing, recording, photo and video. To call this a “learning experience” would be an understatement, for these are the experiences I learn to live for and live to learn from. It would not have been possible without the kindness of so many Brazilians, the organizational drive of Zajazza, his prolific ingenuity as a producer (and quad-lingual skills), the synergy that Hired and I share, and everyone’s general goodwill and bravery. The most wonderful thing is that we get to spend the next 3 months finishing the “Skillz to Take Brazil” album for late summer/fall release, and we can spread the kinetic energy of this tour infinitely.

Tudo bem?

Tudo beleza!

Acredito no Hip Hop, tamos juntos!

Skillz To Take Brazil: Short and Sweet, Fatigued and Drenched

2009-02-23T19:39:00.003-05:00

Short and Sweet, Fatigued and Drenched

This will be a short and sweet entry, as we are finally taking our leave of soggy Porto Alegre. It has been raining on and off for 3 days, but fortunately it was sizzling hot and crystal clear yesterday for the “Hip Hop Compromissa Festival” in the Alvarado Favella, just outside of Passo Fundo.

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Once again, I find words unsuitable to capture the positive energy and community spirit that surrounded us. This was an all-day, all-elements festival held in an outdoor amphitheater. There 30+ groups/artists that performed, along with a mass of breakdancers, graf writers, beatboxers and MCs. Nego Prego brought us along to rock a short set and enjoy the vibe. The whole day flowed like one long cypher; at every circle, the local cats were anxious to jump off a freestyle session with the “New York rappers.” Always ones to oblige, we spent a great part of the day under the sun coming off the top. I got some great video and great pics, and we met some really passionate, skilled artists.

At its late afternoon peak, there were probably around 1,000 people in attendance. Nego´s crew invited HG and I onto the stage to freestyle, which was dope. We did encounter another ramshackle sound system… Check out the pics to see the tangle of speaker wires, taped-up mics, stacked amps and homemade woofer casings. Seriously, they may have been diverting the power for this stage from a city lamppost, Boogie Down Beat Street style. Another inspiring cyclone of energy and a serious study in multi-elementalism: the b-boys were beatboxing and rhyming (sometimes simultaneously!), the graf artists were DJing, the MCs were breaking… Full circle.

We finally got to rock late in the evening, debuting “Little City” with Nego Prego, and then sending the stage into a freestyle frenzy. Selling CDs is particularly difficult in the heart of the favella, where asking 5R$ (the equivalent of about $2.50) is still asking a lot. We gave out boatloads of stickers and ended up giving out a lot of albums as well. We had to basically be shuttled into the car to leave, caught up signing copies of our CDs and trading email info with the latehangers. It was so worth it to hang around an extra two days to see the local Hip Hop community pull together and rock the roof of this outdoor stage. All love, much improvising and lots of diversity. Pretty much the story of this tour so far.

Tonight we´re hopping a midnight bus and heading to the coastal island of Florinapolis, an 8 hour trip away. We´ll arrive tomorrow morning, just in time for the last day of Carnaval, which is celebrated large in Floripa. We really need a couple of days of natural beauty, ocean air and steady sun. After that, it´s up to Sao Paolo wrap this trip up and lay down some more tracks for the album. 6 more days to flex the Skillz in Brazil…

On the road again,

RD

Skillz to Take Brazil: Bom Dia in Bom Jesus

2009-02-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

2.20.09

Bom Dia in Bom Jesus

I am half awake at midday Friday, a week into this tour, completely humbled and amazed by the experience that we had yesterday.

Thursday night we were subjected to what could be termed a disastrous show. After a fantastic soundcheck at Garagem Hermetico, we grabbed a bite to eat and returned to the venue to rock. The crowd was far from thick, but is was peppered with Porto Alegre’s finest Hip Hop artists, all of whom came out on the strength of Zajazza’s reputation and affiliations. We spent some quality time building with them before our set, which didn’t hit until nearly 2:00am.

As soon as we started, Zajazza had issues with the turntable outputs. Songs were cutting out in the middle, then the sound was disappearing entirely. Next, our microphones took turns trading electrical interference and distortion. Then one began to completely cut out, followed by the other. Halfway through the set, we had one mic between the two of us (three of us when Alessio guested for “Nao Tem Preco Nao”). By the middle of the last song, we had no working mics. During our final number, “Playback,” I unplugged the mic from the cord, jumped off the stage and rapped into the crowd wielding the detached mic as if it was wireless. Then tried to wrap up the set by sparking a beatbox cypher in the middle of the floor. We never stopped throughout, gave 200% of our energy, tried to remedy the sound from the stage while performing, and never flinched. We left everything out there despite being totally discontented as it was taking place.

Fortunately, Thursday brought salvation. One of the local MCs in attendance was Nego Prego. He is a local Porto Alegre artist, and has one of the most popular albums in southern Brazil right now. We spoke with him for a while at the show, and, with the hope of getting into the studio with him, exchanged contact info and music. Apparently, he recognized the heart and energy that we put into our set and invited to come chill with him on the following day.

DJ Only Jay, Nego Prego, Rabbi D

Porto Alegre EOW Crew

The plan was to call Nego in the afternoon, meet up with him, and have him escort us into the favella, where we’d visit his studio. We finally got in contact and met up with Nego at around 7:00pm. He met us (HG, myself, Zaja, Alessio and Zoio) at a gas station just outside the favella, and we proceeded in a two car caravan into the favella as dusk settled.

Nego Prego translates “Black Nail.” Nego Prego is from the largest favella in Porto Alegre, known both as “Bom Jesus” and “470.” 470 is derived from the bus route that goes to the favella. There are really no words to describe the scene that unfolded as we extended past the end of this bus route. As darkness descended, we wove through narrow streets, uneven and pockmarked, lined by children running, wild dogs barking and folks chilling in the evening cool. Zajazza noted that we were probably the first Americans to ever enter this favella, a little city that is currently besieged by a war between the upper and lower neighborhoods.

Nego´s guidance was our pass. There was no way we would ever set foot within the walls of Bom Jesus without him. On this occasion, we were welcomed by warmth and Hip Hop camaraderie. We spent the first 2 hours meeting his crew, “A la Dos Pretos Ducorre” (“Circle of Black Men”) and walking the streets. We handed out our CDs and stickers to his peoples, posed for pictures holding a “470 Bom Jesus” sign, and were introduced to local folk in their homes, businesses and housefronts. The barber, the market owner, the bar proprietor, the independent newspaperman. Children looked on curiously and excitedly. Nego is clearly a local hero of sorts, and more than that, a favella diplomat and O.G., keeping the peace between warring parties and representing 470 to Brazil through rap music.

There was no way to misunderstand the sense of community that Nego and A la Dos Pretos nurture, and the righteous path that they walk. They are collectively planning a big Hip Hop event for March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day. This was the buzz amongst everyone we met. We were introduced to Santa Casa, a local journalist who publishes his own newsletter that focuses on the positive community work and youth development done by people like Nego. As we conversed through translation and broken language, we were passed by rickety carriages drawn by horse, by kids zipping by on bicycles, by the stench of excrement, by the continuous smiles of roadside favella residents.

We finally made our way to the studio. If entering the UR$ Fundao studio in Passo Fundo was humbling, this was nothing short of awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping. Proceeding one at a time up a shaky handmade wooden staircase, we entered the house of crew producer/engineer Abolicionaise. Within the confines of the unfinished brick, glassless windows and uncovered electric, we wove through hanging laundry and his daughter’s bedroom to emerge in a fully furnished, fully sound-proofed, fully professional recording studio. The walls were layered with Hip Hop posters and noise dampening materials. The mic was installed on the far wall, the monitors, mixboard and computer stationed on a workdesk. It felt like Hip Hop home, Anywhere, Universe.

We sat down to listen to some of Abolicionaise and Nego’s studio work. But the plan was to use one of Zaja’s beats to record. Zajazza had presented us with a track called “Little City” while we were in Passo Fundo, and Gun and I were instantly drawn to it. An intro that makes the song cry, thunderous horns and thumping drums. We had been methodically soaking up our experiences, preparing to sit down and pen this song. As soon as he played it for the Dos Pretos crew, we knew this was the song we would record right then and there. For the second time in less than a week, we were holed up in a Brazilian home studio, collaborating with the city’s finest artists, zoned out and locked in.

The entire song was written in about 45 minutes. We took turns spitting our verse for Zajazza who then mapped out the order. The chorus was co-written in Portuguese and English. The mic was fired up and we started to lay it down. I was the leadoff hitter, followed by Nego, then the hook... and that was as far we got. The studio computer’s Cubase couldn’t handle the processing weight of the session and the microphone began digitally distorting. We took a break from the hot humid studio. Zajazza & Nego made the call to keep the ball rolling on this incredible experience and drove back to our crash pad 20 minutes away to retrieve his laptop and redo the session in Ableton Live.

During the break in recording, we had a chance to really talk with Nego, and interview him informally. The first rap song he heard was “Colors” by Ice T. He noted Nelson Triumph as the Brazilian artist that brought American funk and Black Music to Brazil in the late 1970’s. He spoke of the intra-Favella war going on right now, and how he and his crew are peacekeepers, fostering a light truce between the upper and lower regions of 470. We sang lyrics to classic songs. He spoke of Tookie Williams, Mumia Abu Jamal and Bob Marley. His first hat was a Signature Chicago Bulls cap. He had the same reverence for Brazilian rap group Raciones MCs that we saw in Passo Fundo. While in the confines of the studio, shooting the breeze and drinking brews, it felt like home. Then as soon as I stepped into the two-tiered living room and gazed out over the spotted lights of the endless favella, my breath left my body and my pulse froze. Abolisionaise’s daughter, Evelyn, walked about, button-cute and up way past her bedtime. I did my best to converse in my nascent Portuguese. “Eu so uno professoro…” His mother made us all a batch of deep fried Brazilian goodness, which was just what we needed to fuel the rest of this marathon session.

Zajazza returned at around 2:00am. We had to redo the whole song. No problem. We were all so hyped on the topic, the verse and the experience that the time flew by. We laid down what is probably the greatest song I have ever been a part of. 7 MCs, each with a completely different style and vocal timbre, over a top-notch beat with a spitfire chorus. At around 5:00am, we wrapped up the session, Zaja did a rough mix and we called it a night. Just wait till you hear it on the "Skillz to Take Brazil EP.":)

We bid farewell to the crew, all of whom had stayed for the entirety of the night. Nego guided us back out of Bom Jesus, stopping along the way to drop off his boys. They have a show in the favella on Sunday and have invited us to perform. It looks like we might just stick around Porto Alegre for a couple more days and build on the spirited experience that we had yesterday. After dealing with utter unprofessionalism and strung out posturing on Wednesday night, we were embraced by the heart of the little city and exposed, again, to the transformative and redeeming power of Hip Hop culture. A bom dia in Bom Jesus, indeed.

Skillz to Take Brazil: Strength in Numbers

2009-02-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

Strength in Numbers

(Note: I had to slightly change my blog address to rabbirapsontheroad.blogspot.com. For some reason, rabbiontheroad.blogspot was showing us a Bible study group. Ironic much?)

We are quarantined in a tiny internet booth, sweating it out in the scorching heat of Porto Alegre. Yesterday we drove with Alessio and DJ Dossantos from Passo Fundo to Alegre, 5 of us crammed into a tiny ride. I had my Dj bag on my lap for the whole 4 hour ride, which was basically like having a 12 year old kid sitting there the whole time. Tingling legs, to say the least. We’re here in Porto Alegre to rock the underound Hip Hop show tonight with the End of the Weak Brazil affiliates. We’re bringing the raw BK style to the set tonight, and our very excited to get in front of a crowd of heads.

I’ve been collecting a serious amount of photos from the Passo Fundo show at Giba’s house and the last two days in town. Check out the lot of them on my myspace photo álbum @ http://www.myspace.com/rabbiraps. You can access them even if you’re not logged into myspace (respect to you facebookers:))
Skillz to Take Brazil Photo Album

The remainder of our time in Passo Fundo was magical. We got in very deep with the UR$ Fundão crew, from the backyard barbeque to the studio to their family homes. Overwhelming hospitality and amazing comradery. On Sunday night, they prepared a giant churracsurria at Giba’s house, where we cyphered and sang the night away. Monday, we holed up in the UR$ Fundao crew studio, which they built up over the last 2 years. The studio is a humbling handcrafted lab, plywood wall, a mic booth, empty eggcrates on the walls and a computer. The studio is in the house of Paulhino aka E.T., the crew baby. He is 16 years old, and already a monster on the boards. We spent 8 hours there and recorded 2 songs: “Não Tem Preço Não” (roughly translated to “priceless moments”) and “Somos Assim” (“I am like...”). The first is a straight boom-bap banger, the second is a melodic narrative of everyone’s answer to the question: why are you an MC? The “Skillz to Take Brazil EP” is shaping up lovely:)

It is so reassuring and inspiring to see the cycle of Hip Hop creation replicated around the world. Through what other means could two MCs from New York and a French DJ end up in small town Brazil and instantly connect? It is truly remarkable and warms my heart. Not to mention, it’s the most fun I can imagine. Their families opened up their homes, put food in our bellies and laid down beds for us to sleep. These cats are so gracious and so dope. The mutual thrill is unbelievable. Fortunately, we captured that spirit with music on tape and photos galore.

There is such a rich rural culture in Rio Grande du Sol, the land of the gaúchos, the Brazilian cowboys. From the churrascurria to the chimarro drink to the football passions (Internacional and Grêmio are the regional clubs), we have been immersed in it, along with the nuevo Hip Hop legacy that UR$ crew is establishing. I think the best way to sum it up is to lift some musings from my journal.

Paz y Amor from Porto Alegre!

Strength in Numbers

As HG said, “In a town of 200,000 with violence issues, rampant poverty and a crack epidemic, it’s no wonder these dudes have a crew of 20 heads.”
We have seen this massive Passo Fundo Hip Hop platoon pull together to pull off a barn burning house party, handle the promotion, the sound, the security, the drinks and the booking. They put it together, built it up, broke it down and cleaned it up.
I have seen them in a living room with a birimbau sing traditional songs and play capoeira.
I have sat with them in a cypher accompanied by two guitars and the same birimbau, sing covers of Raciones MCs like they were traditional Brazilian anthems.
They have been jumped by the cops together for wearing baggy pants and Hip Hop gear.
They have lost dear friends to crack.
They have collectively invested in building a studio, from the plywood to the PC to the egg cartons lining the wall, glued and stapled.
They are always welcome in the studio, housed in a room in their youngest member’s family home. He is 16.
The love the underground and the classics.
Their mothers all feel like den queens, and we were fed by three of them.
Giba’s dog Pachine catches grief from everybody.
I have heard their voices meld as one in my ears and on car stereos.
I have seen them in my living room in Brooklyn.
I have stayed with them in Strasbourg, France.
I have lived among them as a brother in Prague.
They have proven and re-affirmed the theorum that is founded on the transformative power of Hip Hop.
I Passo Fundo, they are known as UR$ Fundão: Unionado de Respecta y Sabadoria.
The Union of Respect and Knowledge.
And they mean every word of it.

Skillz To Take Brazil: Passo Fundo - Kid & Play, eat you hearts out.

2009-02-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

Kid & Play, Eat Your Hearts Out

As any good rap tour should, Skillz To Take Brazil began with a might bout of travel. After a sleepless Thursday night, Hired Gun and I rendez-vous’d at the Flatbush LIRR to set out on our epic journey to Porto Alegre. I slept the entire 12-hour flight from JFK to Sao Paolo. We then hopped a quick 2-hour plane to Porto Alegre, where Zajazza had arranged for a hotel. We crashed out, got a nice night’s sleep, and rose to hit the bus to Passo Fundo.

The bus ride was a pretty glorious 4-hour trek through the highlands of Rio Grande du Sol. Lush green mountains resplendent with exotic flora and cowhides hung out to dry on all sides. We couldn’t get on the noon bus as it was sold out, so our arrival was pushed back till 6:00pm. I couldn’t get my local calling card to work despite help from a friendly café worker, which left us with no way to contact Zajazaa. But fortunately, he was waiting for us right at the bus terminal (Rodavarios) as soon as we pulled up.

We were immediately introduced to a couple of Passo Fundo’s finest Hip Hoppers: David & Alessio. The plan for the night was to rock a “house party” at this cat Jiba’s house. Now mind you: this party was promoted on local radio all week (along with our music!), flyered all over town, and was reportedly the only thing going on. His house was beautiful, and he has his own party sound system called “Stomp.” There were 3 security guards hired for the night. Needless to say, we had the greatest soundcheck I’ve ever been a part of.

We whipped around Passo Fundo in David’s classic tinted VW Passat, got a quick bite to eat (Brazilians eat French fries with every meal), and headed back to the crib. By the time we had worked out the set with Zajazza, the peoples were arriving. We had obviously been greatly hyped up, as our first 2 hours of the party were spent as participants in photo-ops and signing autographs. Seriously, signing autographs before we even hit the stage! There were over 300 heads packed into the house and backyard, guzzling Skol and Crown Royal and Vodka Red Bull and anything else they could get their hands on. We finally hit the stage at about 3:00am and ripped into the set. It’s such a pleasure to have a full-time DJ rocking with us, one who also uses live MPC drumming and has routines for days. We played a damn near 2 hour set and really got our tour feet wet. Soaked in fact. The party people in the front definitely had some favorites they were ready to hear. The sound deteriorated a bit over the course of the set (as the soundman/party host disappeared), but we kept it going live. I’ve been starting to get loose with my new loop station, really figuring out ways to subtly inject it into the music, in addition to showcasing on it. Fantastic sound system for beatboxing.

By the time the set wrapped up and I rocked a short DJ set, we had jammed with local songstress Camilla (aka the Karaoke Queen of Passo Fundo), a bunch of local MCs, and seen the run rise. The crew here is so tight; a massive of 20, they all share a studio, record together, promote together, and keep the peace. If you didn’t know, Brazilians have the greatest disposition on Planet Earth. I’ve experienced nothing but sheer kindness and overwhelming hospitality from folks. Maximum props to all the DJs and MCs who rocked: Marava, No Leis, Dossantos, Zappa on projections, and Jiba for holding the sound and the crib. We rocked a house party for over 300 heads, got the royal treatment and got paid. Kid & Play: eat your hearts out.

Today we’re scheduled to jam with some samba musicians in the town square, then head to their studio for some sessions over the next two days. Oh, it’s 87 degrees, by the way. Grande du Sol for real!

PS - Check out all the photos as the accumulate at www.myspace.com/rabbiraps

Ciao Brachos

2008-10-01T13:21:00.000-04:00

The remains of the days, or rather the remaining day, sit perched on a balcony atop the valley in Barrandorv. The last two weeks have been perpetual motion; from the day I arrived back in Prague from London, the speed of life has been in overdrive. The arrival of the Brooklyn massive brought a serious case of energitis, to borrow a word from Tah Phrum Duh Bush. It all climaxed yesterday with the epic "Hob-n-Nob" release event, which began on the Prague subway, blossomed at the Archa Theater, and wound down at Pantheon. It was an unparalleled experience for me (and for most of the participants and the crowd I think) in terms of the artistic diversity, international flavor, pure talent and sheer enormity.

Friday night last, Dowis, Kid Lucky and myself rolled to Czeske Budejovice for a show at Marty's Bar. We left Prague immediately after another appearance on Beat Case with Ghonza and drove 200km, arriving at the spot right at midnight. Suffice it to say, it was jumping. 200+ heads packing the spot out, and a variety of Czech rap groups and DJs killed it. Kid and I rocked a full-blast 90 minute set, with some guest spots from the ill ensemble of Czech MCs in the house. I did triple duty on the mic, beatbox and the decks, and we took turns as frontman. The crowd was peppered with heads who were familiar with Beat Apetit, "Just What to Do," Nocs'Andel, 5th Element and Ocko TV, and Hip Hop Kemp. I opened my set with "The Better Bomb" and cats in the front completely knew it from drop. The Budejovice Hip Hop community showed us much love, copped CDs and rocked out the set. I jumped down into the middle of the crowd for a part b-boy/part mc rendition of "Believe it or Not" and got some of the "Budweiser Boys" B-Boy crew to get down. Ridiculous.

So, while all was good on the stage and in the crowd, the hostile iron was sitting on the coals. Over the course of the night, we saw 3 different fights; from what I gathered, it was all graffiti-related beef. By the close of the show, I felt like half the people I was talking to were covered in blood! No joke. I watched one of the DJs walk from behind the turntables and plant his foot in some dude's face at the front of the stage. While backstage there was an out-of-nowhere-blindside KO, and another late-night melee outside. But the craziest shit must've been the waaaaaasted drunkard who, while blindly stumbling for the bathroom, stopped short, opened his pants and damn near pissed on Kid's back! Unbelievable. But somehow, all the madness fit perfectly into the energy of the night, which was extremely high. We killed it, chilled for a minute, and eventually left for Prague at 4:00am. I was zonked for the ride home, which found me back at Casa Nasty at 6:00am. A few hours sleep before the Nasty alarm clock woke me up for the Hob-n-Nob extravaganza, beginning with soundcheck at 11:00am…

11:00am call time found its way to 12:30pm reality. The Archa Theater is the most incredible performance space I have ever seen. I knew this last year for Beat Apetit, and had it confirmed this time around. Mechanized stage, insane sound and lights, wireless mics galore, a sliding catwalk, and most importantly, a hyper-talented staff of stage craftsmen and women, sound/light engineers and stage managers. To witness a show of this magnitude and grand vision materialize is fascinating. But waiting around for it to actually get rolling was exhausting☺

Functioning on 5 ½ hours of sleep and a Jim Beamed brain, we ran the tech rehearsal and wrapped up just in time to make the Subway Series at Namesti Republiky at 5:00pm. It was a pretty surreal scene: the core of the NYC Subway Series transplanted to Prague, accompanied by Czech beatboxers ranging in age from 11 to 27, the incredible vocals of Charli One, Carli Jefferson on tap, and a carload of confused and excited Praguers. The series was necessarily brief, as we needed to get back to Archa to get ready to start.

I was on double duty for the show, as both emcee and deejay for the NYC cats. We set it off with a "Prague vs. NYC Poetry Slam." Everyone did an acapella piece, EnDru rocked the looper, and Dyalekt wrapped it up with an abridged version of his one-man Hip Hop play, "The Sqaure Peg Syndrome." Tah nearly lost his shirt during a steamy poetry rendition of "Touching Myself Touching You." Sizzle. Freaky Jezus and Nasty both did some amazing beatbox standup comedy. All those crazy sound effects put into narrative hilarity. But the highlight of this whole segment must've the Czech beatbox young guns, Misha and Adrian, killing it. These kids are 12 years old, and nothing short of prodigal. It is so riveting to see them rock, and so inspiring to see the way that Jaro and Ivanhoe have taken them under their wings. They are in good hands for sure. I know they were loving the experience of hanging with all the heads, but truthfully, they stole the show before it even got going. Magic.

Then the Beatburger Band tore shit up. Beatburger is the official ensemble of the dopest beatboxers in Czech: Jaro, Nasty, Ivanhoe, EnDru, Johnny Typek, with special guests. Their human rendition of "I Like to Move It Move It" is quintessential Euro-box, but is a fucking crowd rocker. People were losing their minds. A most excellent showcase.

It was onto the Hob-n-Nob release set. It commenced with two video clips expertly edited by Nasty, whose Final Cut skills are right on par with his beatbox. The highlight reel of the beatbox expedition segued into the video for "Beatbionic," performed on video by Baba and then finished off live by Core Rhythm. Core then went into "Glide" from "Ronin" and got the crowd amped. Dyalekt then came out to drop "The Knock," then my favorite joint from "Sqaure Peg," "Spectacular Failure." Perfect sing-a-long hook.
Carli followed with "Hope and Custard," then joined Tah for a verrrry theatrical rendering of "Tag Team Torture," in lieu of Demo G. Tah and Carli got two volunteers from the crowd and literally tied them up on stage. Tah then dropped his new "Semi-Reserved Closet Maniac" before finishing it off with "Lay That Pipe." For the finale, Tah, Hired Gun and Kid Lucky triangulated the patented one-armed floor hump. Poetry.

I then stepped from behind the decks to grab the mic. We first dropped "Just What To Do" from "Beat Apetit," then "The Better Bomb." The crowd response to both of these joints was really positive and made me feel like heads knew both of these joints a bit. Farbeon came on for "Open School," rocked some solo joints, followed by Hired Gun rocking "Gone is the Thrill" and "Dedication" from "The People's Verses." We then get busy as 3rd Party large with "Best Minds" and "Time Travellin." It was completely natural and totally unbelievable to be rocking with the whole group on foreign turf. But most of all, magnificent.

The show closed with the epic posse cut "Milki Way" featuring Dyalekt, Farbeon (in lieu of CONCEPT), myself, Tah, Ivanhoe and songstress Charli One. This was followed by the official CD birthday, which consists of pouring an entire bottle of liquor (Jim Beam, as a nod to the sponsors) on a copy of the album. We also did it retroactively for "BTBB."

Last but not least, we had a massive Nu Voices International Human Symphony, conducted by Kid Lucky and featuring all the performers. Brainsplode. This evolved into a monster cypher that included Hired Gun and myself getting all Red and Meth and climbing to the top of the speakers. And of course, on to Pantheon for the afterparty till 6:00am, where I got to spin classics for the energized post-show crowd. The Pete Rock Remix of "Jump Around" is a timeless global banger.

So there's the slightly delayed look back at the last 48 hours of performing in Europe. The following day was a chilled out deep breath; caught Dowis lacing a burner, BBQ'd for the crew at Nasty's, packed, slept for 3 hours, rolled to the airport and made the extensive (and once again, costly discount airline) trip from Prague to London Stansted, then to Heathrow, then to JFK. A cool 19 hours later I was back in Brooklyn, zipping along the Belt Parkway back to Park Slope. Back at home, recalculating, configuring, adjusting, sleeping, unpacking (sloooowly), gearing up for the teaching and DJ hustle and push the album domestically hardcore. Good thing it is still 70 degrees in New York. Chilly weather might have completely crippled my withered body.

There is a blog of reflections to come, along with some other bits and bundles of great news. The best news is that the Czechs are coming back to BK this Friday! We will ba having a "Hob-n-Nob" NYC Release Party on 10.10 @ Asteriks in Bushwick. Jeah. It was a relief to not have to say goodbye to everyone all at once. It was tough enough to bid ciao to Nasty and his incredible family, without whom I'm not sure I would've made it through this trip. I am forever indebted to their hospitality and warmth. They opened up their house, conversations and refrigerator to me as if I was one of their own. Beautiful people. I can't wait to be your tour guide in NYC.

Okay, so I'll save the emotional closure for the final blog entry, which appropriately enough, will be written from the vantage point of home. Special shouts out to Mareka, Lokey and Maria, three wonderful folks who cosmically came together for the release party to document and enhance. And big ups to BeeLow from Beatboxbattle.tv for making the trip to Praha from Berlin!

This photo collage by Lokey (lokeyphotography.com) pretty much sums up the vibe and energy of the event, and the trip for that matter. Dig this:

Grime and Loveliness

2008-09-18T10:24:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the cold front just rolls down out of the mountains, blows across the channel or swoops down from the skies with no warning. Such is the current case in Europa. When I left Prague last Saturday it was a steady 75 degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as I stepped off the plane in London, I was hit with the 50 degree brick. Not to say that it’s all that cold, but I’ve been rocking the summer wears and mentality for the duration of this trip, so the chilly welcome was a bit of a shocker.

But warmth was quickly found in the form of good company, crazy cyphers and overwhelming hospitality. My mellow Appl Juic had an action packed couple of days lined up, promptly starting with a late night session at the very dope new Hackney spot called Pangea Project, proprieteered by the very dope newlyweds Rosie & Selim. We broke out the looooooong freestyle cypher for the heads, blazing until early morning, or until the Wild Turkey and pints got the best of me. The epic day of travel and spitting found me grateful to bomb out on the cushiony coze of Appl J & Sarah’s Hackney flat. Big ups to DJ Slepton, Deenal, the Pangea staff, Isaac, Ronald and any else one slipping through my memory…

Sunday brought a slightly warmer London day. We set it off proper with a pint and “”Sunday Roast,” which, if you don’t know, is a solid way to steady to Sunday stomach. It was then on to Café Oto to rock the poetry vibes at Watchwords. Juic held down the hosting, I held down the decks. It’s an upstart poetry reading/open mic at this other new spot. We had a nice crowd and some really ill young grime emcees that ripped the freestyle over drums by Eddie. We kept the evening pretty mellow with some neighborhood pints with the Oxford boys. How British…☺

Monday I got hit with a bit of the sniffles. It was cold, drizzly, the market crashed; kind of a slow day all around. AJ and I starting working on a new track, which would eventually morph into ”The Tetris Effect,” the new banger we laid down. We capped off Monday night by watching Aston Villa score a 2-1 victory over household favorite Tottehham. Downer, but being from Buffalo, I was able to empathize with the sports suckery.

Tuesday was just right: we took a long stroll around the East End, from Hackney all the way to Shortage. It was great to meander, philosophize and see some sites. App Juic is truly my brother from another. Not only is he an incredible writer and performance poet, he has also been working in a school a block from his house, straight MS 88 Park Slope style. Walking around the neighborhood, uniformed schoolkids greet him with a “Good day Mr. Appl Juic” or “Hello Sir.” We kicked some corner freestyles for a few young chaps, which was a nice throwback to the BK block.

The walk gave us a chance to really build on the state of the credit-crunched economy, underserved public schools, life in gentrifying regions, youth in public estates, grime, indy Hip Hop, electoral politics, football loyalties, international collabing and The Tetris Effect.

Yes, The Tetris Effect. Wikipedia it for yourself, but basically, the Tetris Effect is a physical/psychological product of playing too much Tetris. As in, seeing block shapes everywhere, unconsciously thinking how real-life shapes fit into one another; really bugged stuff. So this became the topic for our new joint.

Here’s my half of the lyrics (we trade 16 bar verse twice) below. This is gonna be a sick track.

Much love to Appl J and Sarah for putting me up for the stay, to all the venue owners for holding us down and to the good peoples I met along the way. And wait till the NYC schoolkids peep the Grime DVD (“Barcode”) that the Juic hit me off with. Talk about young kids spitting fire, on some straight skills. Woooo…

Back in Praha it is. Kid Lucky, Tah Phrum Duh Bush and Dyalekt touched down yesterday, with Farbeon, Hired Gun and Core Rhythm on the way. We hit national tv this Saturday on the Pavel Andel show, warm up to Hob-n-Nob with a Prague Subway Series or two. But before that I’m heading to Czeski Bujdovice with Philip TBC tomorrow night to rock a Drum and Bass Party! TBC is an original head and basically regarded as the illest d-n-b DJ in the Czech, so this shit is no joke. We have been working on some tracks together and I have been freestyling over so much 150+ bpm beatbox beats that it is prime time to set it off for the dance crowd.

Send some East Coast Indian Summer to Central Europe. We need some sunshine.

Starve a cold, feed a flu,

RD

The Tetris Effect

As the climate changes and the crime is contagious
I maintain and still rely on the kindness of strangers
Lie on the pullout couch and chillout for days
Record raps with Appl J and be jacks of the same trade
While the Union Jack mastheads manufacture blame
Till you think every Hackney schoolkid is packing a blade
All this crap on the brain is a capital gain for the
cackling cash registers with a catheter’s aim
And that’s to redirect the piss and moaning of the brick-toting opponents
Who tip toe towards the moment of overthrowing
I build Brooklyn Bridges like John Roebling
Have charges ready to roll like time zones phones and roaming
Fine combing the grays relaying the layman’s struggle
4000 miles away from the rubble of Lehman Brothers
Among the toppled blocks are stairways to new heights
Maybe it’s just a question of rotating the shapes two rights

Blocks keep dropping
Lines keep locking
Heads keep nodding
That’s the Tetris Effect

Trapped by the habit
Always trying to stack it
Trying not to panic
It’s Tetris Effect

An exercise in lifestyle sacrifice call me Lil Dap
Trying to get my group holmes with scarcely little cash
Carrying a cache of brash statements
Dirty socks Turkish kebabs
And the weight of American hatred
If you thought Marion Barry was scary with cocaine
Then he pales in comparison to Sarah Palin and McCain
The calendar might say we have 44 days
Left until the polls register we voted change
But blowing my brain is the American way
Coupled with arrogance merriment and general disdain
My hope hangs on good faith and the need to prosper
And the time I took to read Obama’s “Dreams From My Father”
And I’ll tell you I’m too cynical to claim he’s apostle
But I’ll be damned if I the vice-president’s a blanking Pentecostal
Speaking in tongues is my job and I’ve been rocking the road
Opening doors wondering if I want to go home

I heart PRG

2008-09-12T07:23:00.001-04:00

Phew... Noon o'clock the day after "The Better Bomb" dropped on Prague City. I am utterly depleted, wiped out, sore, spent... elated, exuberant, relieved, thrilled... moved, mystified, gracious, humbled...

The entire day yesterday was an end to end burner. DJ Rectape didn't arrive from Strasbourg until 6:00pm. Soundcheck stared with the band at 5:00pm, so we had to hustle to get to Lucerna by 7:30pm to check the DJ sound and, um, rehearse our part of the show together. We got to run the essential transitions and feel it out. I wasn't really worried; just wanted to get on the same page. No problem. The 2 hours leading up to the show were a blur of interviews with Bedna TV, meeting and greeting all the industry heads (clothiers, radio DJs, sponsor reps) and keeping tab on the time.

When the needles dropped, it was all butter. 90 minutes of ascending Hip Hoppery, commencing with the classic MC/DJ formation, sprinkling in the beatboxers, showcasing the beatboxers and the DJ, then bringing out the band and the lovely vocalist to bring down the house.

All the artists that rocked with me were so professional, so ill and so chill. It was such a treat to work with y'all. The show looked like a well-rehearsed machine, when in fact it was a seat of the pants snowball. I'd have it no other way. There was so much potential energy unleashed on Lucerna. Truly magical and completely cathartic.

The crowd was tremendous; not quite as large as we'd hoped, but for my first solo billed show in a foreign city, it was overwhelming. Knowing how hard it is to get 100 heads to a show in New York City (after 8 years of grinding there!) leaves me awestruck in light of 150+ heads on another continent, during only my third visit to Prague and first European tour. We busted our asses promoting, got a lot of love from the media outlets, had a ton of good friends in the building and put on a magnificent show. It felt like a treat for everyone there to get such a heavy dose of balanced live Hip Hop; the most humbling thing is the crowd's response: despite not understanding 75% - 100% of what I'm saying, cats were showing so much love and really rocking to the vibes.

So many of the struggles within the music world and entertainment industry are the same everywhere: the true school ethos pitted against the commercial faux gangsters; the big money pork barrelers versus the independent idealist; the party for the ego or the party for the people... It is affirming and uplifting to connect with so many dope human beings from around the world and put together another dream show. The international vision is surely being realized, and every passport stamp is a badge of courage, determination and connectivity. I said it last night and I'll say it again today: best September 11 ever. It was not just coincidence to have the chance to release "Building the Better Bomb" on this unforgettable and shamefully mis-appropriated day. The gravity of the timing was very real for me. For the last 6 years, the last place I wanted to be on 9/11 was NYC, or America for that matter. It is with complete and total gratitude that I bow to to all the musicians that rocked with me (Tomas, Jan, Split, Velocity, Noemi, Jaro, Nasty, Ivanhoe, Dowis, Rectape), to everyone who came out and built, and to my mellow Kuzell. We are on the way brother. Da Ska makes me Say Word.

Thanks again Praha. I loves me some CZ. Can't wait to have the BK crew deep here for Hob-n-Nob on Septmeber 27.

The audio, video and pics from the show are forthcoming. Of course, I only took pics before and after, and neglected to give anyone my camera or flip video. But Bedna TV shot the show with 3 cameras, we recorded separate 16 track audio off the sound board, and there were mad other photographers there, so please hit me off with pics if you have any. I'm saying: this tour DVD is going to be awesome.

Again, much love to everyone who had a hand in making last night so special.

Peace, Love and Blessings,

RD

Summer Break Tour Journal Part III Vol. 2: Hip Hop Kemp

2008-09-10T13:12:00.000-04:00

"Summer Breaks" adventures at Hip Hop Kemp in Hradec Karlove in the Czech Republic. Farbeon, Rabbi D, Baba & Yako, Beatburger Band...Part III Vol 2 coming soon... Hollers!

Band-tastic

2008-09-10T05:08:00.000-04:00

I had the first of two rehearsals with the band for the release party last night, and good lord... Not like I wasn't excited enough already. Now the anticipation is through the roof. Crazy arrangement: drums (Tomas from Navigators), bass (Jan from Toxique) and TWO KEYBOARD players (Split & Velocity from United Flavor). These cats rolled up soooo professional, with music transcribed from album songs (yes, they broke sample-based songs down into individual instrumental parts), with samples from songs pre-loaded into keyboards, and amazing energy. I'm so grateful for all of the hours at Sin Sin and the band from the BTBB NYC release party, all of which have helped me develop the ability to communicate with musicians on stage, even when we don't really speak the same language. Big ups to Tomas for holding down bandleading duties, and huge props to Kuzell for masterminding this ensemble.

After the rehearsal last night I had the pleasure of being the midnight guest on Radio One with the legendary DJ Kaya. Word is that this cat was the original Czech reggae selector, going back 22 years. He is hella revered here, and has deep stacks of the irie vibes. But apparently, he was a little reluctant to have a Hip Hop guest. With some convincing from original head Alesh One, we were able to make the spot happen. And I was loving Kaya's face throughout the interview. He played 4 joints off of the album, and then we cyphered; first, I put Alesh on the spot for his beatbox debut, and then I spit a verse acapella from this new joint "Believe it or Not." I never get over the sensation of debunking Hip Hop stereotypes, and last night was an exercise in exactly that.

Much respect to DJ Kaya, Alesh One for working it out, Gee Haad, Sharka, Linda and Dowis for rolling thick.

And Dowis: my heart goes out to you. My man was telling my the story of a dog fight breaking out at his parent's house, between their own two dogs! Basically, the big one clamped down on the little one's neck over some KFC bones, and tore her apart. Some people have an incredible knack for animating story telling, and seeing him replay trying to corral the injured, shivering little one ("Bubble") was intense. But they got her to the vet, and he thinks she will be okay after a month's recovery. Some folks have lived the lives of ten before they turn 30. Strength to you, my brother, and get better before tomorrow. We've got a show to rock!

Ayight, commence le jour. The final countdown begins: laundry, work on a track with Philip TBC, rehearsal part II, await DJ Rectape's arrival, and visualize.

Boudejeme lepshe bombu.

Believe It Or Not

2008-09-08T06:56:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not we’re reaching your spot
Gonna bump the speaker box
Till we’re reaching to the top

I’m reaching across the media frost the immediate costs of crossing seas and seeing like broth
The ingredients to mediate the chicken noodle cream of soylent green
Developing the buoyancy to point me free
The point of being human is meeting humans and reconvening to exhume the ruins that’re a product of years of moving
Gears and shifting evolution is a mission not a fact of nature
Live right now then ask me later how I stayed above the equator
Never catered to haters
Still managed to skill the scratch and fader
Masquerader rapping in a native tongue to raise the young
If they can work a PSP then they can probably program drums
Tommy run home
Connie Chung’s on
Plug in bug out to the world of the dumb zone
You done no wrong what’s right is easy
It’s hard to see the light through the Yeezys and Weezys
I call them all Cheesy
Chester like the cheetah
Bonita Bonita Bonita

Believe it or not we’re reaching your spot
Gonna bump the speaker box
Till we’re reaching to the top

It all starts with the cypher catch me in the middle
Where the world turns slows and the forces are centrifugal
Words like longitude beatbox axis
Latitude skats on years of practice
So many miles logged that the maps are useless
Days into shows and the shows to rubrics
Rated on acoustics the food the peeps
The head count the merch sales the hours of sleep
But when the crowd is deep
I’m going in going in
Calling Card Rabbi D do you know the pin
Plug it in to the Vodaphone lock and send
For that Brooklyn Babylon like Spragga Benz
Now the Gods ascend and we’re rolling with Goddesses
Knotted with the novices Unity and optimists
Community and consciousness awesomeness
Now get your head up out the ground like an ostrich

Believe it or not we’re reaching your spot
Gonna bump the speaker box
Till we’re reaching to the top

How mics can I rip on the daily originality is my sickness
So ch-ch-check out my malady
Second class travels for the first class working class
Lou Reed perfect day pray like church and mass
Dirty hands from tags and old cans
Promoting in foreign streets bi-lingual on programs
To visit this old land a blessing like romance
Connect with my Old Earth bewilder my old man
The fact of the matter is it just a stones throw
Away from the culture that we grow in our own home
It’s a Hip Hop Hostel save the hostility
Build with me as verse 3 completes the trilogy
Russian graff heads Swiss beatbox queens
French Turntableast and German emcees
Mujik in Prague where we kick it in Zizkov
Ex-pat rappers who left because they’re pissed off
Dutch producers and Italian B-girls
Old school writers new to the free world
Legends in their own right a pleasure to chill
International relations: Real Recognize Real

Things Europeans Do Better

2008-09-08T06:19:00.000-04:00

In alphabetical order:

Beer: Pivo. Bier. Cerveja. The further east I go, the better it gets. It’s pretty tough to beat a Pilsner Urquell draft, though the Czech bartenders swear it is better in the bottle. Seriously, when do you savor the head of a beer? “Oh please, top off my Miller Lite draft with some more foam…” Nope. And it is true: the beer is cheaper than water. 20 KC for a half-liter (about $1.20). Czech Republic is not for the weak-hearted carb counter.

Bread: cheaper, multi-grainier, fresh baked. The diet of the peasant is the diet of the touring rapper. Toss in a couple pieces of fresh fruit, a half-liter of pivo and a hunk of cheese (see below) and I’m sated. The baked goodness also contributes to the superiority of Tabac/Trafika/Bodega pre—packaged sandwiches. You wouldn’t expect to get a decent salami hoagie from a Shell gas station at 2am, but let me tell you, it’s possible. Pizza, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. I mean, seriously, you don’t have to put salmon on everything.

Dairy Products: milk, yogurt, chocolate, cheese. Couple this fact with the variety of great breads and you have some dietary irregularities, but some fantastic snacks. Your household isn’t complete without a non-stick sandwich maker. Grilled cheese 5 times a day☺ And you know how Canada/Britain had the “Aero” bar but we didn’t? Multiply that jealousy ten-fold. Lion bars, Lindt and Sprugli goodness, Lykodors… I could go on. The milk bugs me out a bit: non-refrigerated and boxed. Seems very space age, but it gets the job done.

Graffiti: it is everywhere, first of all. I know there are some spots in NYC that are laced, but lord, every train ride in and out of a city is like rolling by a living museum. Berlin was out of control, a fact that one can connect to the history of visual artistic expression on the Wall itself; Holland was wild as well, but everything was slightly “enhanced” there; Prague is simply incredible. Mind you, I’m getting the graf tour from my man Dowis, a pioneering Hip Hopper who is regarded as probably the greatest writer in Czech graffiti history. The Praha “Walls of Fame” are 2 km long stretches of murals and LEGAL SPACES! The throw ups around town are incessant, and the burners at the legal galleries are incredible. At Dowis’ club “Pantheon” (maybe the only underground Hip Hop & graffiti club in the world of its kind: see “Sketch Battle Mondays”) I have met writers from Germany, Russia, Holland, UK… They share their stories, pictures and black books as they wait for the morning to snap a pic of the train cars that they bombed earlier that night. It’s inspiring to see youth culture so hellbent on getting up. And seeing true school Hip Hop in it’s nascent stages, based on graffiti, beatboxing and jamming, is kind of like time traveling. I have had this sense that the development of Hip Hop culture repeats itself in nearly every country it reaches: begins with graf, breaking and DJing, then becomes MC-centric, co-opted and commercialized. The progression is expedited based on precedent, but the resistance to corporate stylings and marketable bullshit is omni-present. Hence, the kids stay loyal to the spray can. And I think this also explains why American “underground” rappers eat so well in Europe. The True School aesthetic is valued here, so artists like Masta Ace and Redman and groups like EMC and Non-Phixon are huge! When I give my friends the low-down the domestic (un)popularity of these cats, they are like, “W-w-wait. EMC is not on the radio?” The graffiti mentality runs constant through Hip Hop culture here, which explains a lot. No one lives Hip Hop quite as ruggedly as writers, and that lifestyle is oozing into my soul. Maybe it’s because I did my first piece on the Prague “Wall of Fame…”

Environmentalism: bikes bikes more bikes, economy sized cars and efficient public transportation. What more can you ask for? NYC does it right for the most part, but I also do my part to bike my ass off around town. Come on: how hard is it to have a display clock in each train station telling riders when the next train is due? You haven’t seen a bike rack until you’re seen them in Holland: Amsterdam has BICYCLE PARKING GARAGES for crying out loud. 3 levels and thousands of bikes. They (along with Berlin) also have public bikes, which you can access by calling a number, punching in your pin, and unlocking the chain remotely. As far as the cars: rarely do I see anything much bigger than a 4-door hatchback. Comparatively, European roadways make U.S. streets look like exercises in idiocy. Downsize, bike more, strive for fuel efficiency. Or wage oil war against the third world. Oh, oops.

Music Festivals: Granted it is festival season, so I am getting my fill, but heads know how to do it right. From the sound systems to the venues to the diversity in acts (and the cheap beer; did I mention the cheap beer?) they are a blast. So far in the CZ I have borne witness to Hip Hop Kemp (the biggest Underground Hip Hop Culture Fest in Europe), Semtex Culture and Joyride. Joyride was yesterday, and is an extreme sports and music festival. I saw some motorcross jumping, waveriding, dope reggae from United Flavor and BMX tricksters. Did I mention it was free? The sound is always banging, the crowds are love-filled and the people always eager to grab a promotional flyer. Yes, I said it. Folks are actually coming up to me to grab flyers.

I’m sure there’s a lot to be said for Universal Health Care and public assistance, but thus far, fortunately, I haven't had to experience either one of the aforementioned. This list is also a reflection of my reading material on this trip: Bukowksi, Neruda, Chomsky. Some boozing, some romanticizing, a whole of political sciencing. My kind of living.

Video Journal Part II: Berlin to Prague & Live from Kemp

2008-09-06T09:35:00.000-04:00

A couple more videos from the road. The footage is stacking up and the clock is always running, so I've been running low on time to edit, but I'm up through our first stop in Prague. Working on the Hip Hop Kemp highlight reel, but here's a clip of Farbeon and I rocking "Hustle" at the Vestax Hangar on Sunday night.

It's been a mad media tour leading up to the release party next Thursday, on top of the DJ grind in Prague and party planning. But the good news is that my man DJ Rectape is coming from Strasbourg to hold me down on the 1&2s at Lucerna Music bar, and the band is going to be off the meter. The insanity of it all is that Rectape doesn't arrive until the afternoon of the day of the show, and rehearsals with the band don't start till Tuesday night. But I'm not worried; the beauty of the power of Hip Hop improvisation always prevails.

A more comprehensive literary update is in the works. Just some multi-media for the meantime...

Say Word "Summer Breaks" Video Journal Part II: Berlin to Prague

"Hustle" Live at Hip Hop Kemp

Prague to Kemp to Holland to Berlin to Prague

2008-08-29T13:24:00.001-04:00

If the subject is any indication of the kind of week it's been, then bear with me. This is the first time I've been able to sit at a computer sans the Internet Cafe clock running since last Friday. It has been an amazing and exhausting week that took us from Prague to Hradec Kralove for the mind-blowing Hip Hop Kemp, then to Den Haag and Amsterdam on 0 hours sleep. Farbeon and I parted ways on Tuesday, when I headed to Berlin to rock alongside Baba, Yako and DJ Kevlar at Casseopeia for Beatevolution, chill for 2 days with some fresh folks (shouts to Maria, MC Bad Kat, Eyesiss, Stef la Chef, B.SKi, Akrobatic) and catch lots of live music, live graffiti and breaking. Finally left Berlin on 0 hours of sleep this morning and headed back to Prague, where I'm DJing tonight with Tempe, AZ homey DJ Geehaad, and then rocking a double-booked day with Beatburger band tomorrow, first in Prague and then in Brno. Needless to say, I'd really dig on a shower and a pillow. Someday, someday...

I'm working on a much more in-depth recap of the insanity of Hip Hop Kemp and Berlin Part II, so in the meantime, check out the sick photos (courtesy of Far-tography) and the video of Farbeon and I rocking "Hustle" at the Vestax Hangar at Kemp (the whole festival is held on an abandoned Air Force Base).

For now, peace, love, endurance and self-assurance. All fatigue and fuzz aside, this is the time of my life. Much love to Farbeon. My brother, we made it. The road is long, hold your head up high... You may need to come back and extradite me in 5 weeks:) And Baba & Yako: you are gurus and laughing buddhas with an amazing haze around your Subphonik aura. Thanks for hospitality, skill-age and build-age. Kevlar and Pix: mi familia. If we run into each other anywhere else in the world we're gonna need to invest in the 269 European Annex.Till the next...

(Cue Young Hova voice)"I'm focused maaaaan!"

Blessings,

RD

Stef la Chef, Eyeris, Akrobatic, MC Bad Kat, Rabbi D in Berlin @ Baambi

"Hustle" Live at Hip Hop Kemp, Hradec Kralove, CZ

Hip Hop You Don't Stop

2008-08-24T08:56:00.001-04:00

The fact that I haven’t had a spare second to write (let alone sleep) is a sheer indication of the madness that has ensued since leaving France. Hip Hop, you don’t stop. After a lengthy foot tour de force of Berlin, with a rest stop to cypher with some kids and sell some product, we ended the night with a doner kebab and a mostly decent night’s sleep at the Hotel Karibum. Truthfully, Berlin was looking a bit glum and quite expensive after 1 day.

Day 2 in Berlin proved much more fruitful, enjoyable, and entertaining. We roamed the museum district early on, which is nearly all under construction. Then we caught up on our newly developed tradition of working in the internet café while draining Berliner Pilsners. We had been planning on checking out Beatevolution at Club Cassiopeia, and Far also caught wind of a Yarah Bravo “UNITY” show the same night. After logging some mileage, we managed to make the rounds and hit both shows. Cassiopeia was slow goings, as it was early, but what an amazing space. A graffiti playground, skatepark, two stages and an outdoor café. Bam. Hopefully we’ll make it back to Berlin this week to catch Baba & Yako rip it there.

The treat of the night was found at Bohannon, a live music club with a sick sound system in Alexanderplatz. The “UNITY” Tour is an all-female road show of international superstars, curated by Yarah Bravo. In Berlin, we got to check Marya from Italy, Stacy Epps from ATL, Miss Flint, Shania D and a slew of other amazing women. Then it opened up into a jam session, and Far and I got the chance to rock it alongside this amazing collective. A magical moment of coincidences and connections falling into place to result in a sweet night.

The following morning, we bought tickets for our 10:46am train to Prague at… 10:48am. So we caught the 12:46pm train to Prague, which is a beautiful ride through mountainous German countryside, past Dresden on the way. Upon arriving in Prague, we were tossed right into the mix at Pantheon with Dowis, where there was a graffiti installation opening Thursday night. We were able to chill, get acquainted with the newly minted “Pantheon” (formerly “Sabotage”) and ease into Praha. The rest of the Beat Apetit crew was already out at Hip Hop Kemp setting up shop…

On Friday, we slept in and had to rush to make a radio show appearance at Radio Spin 98.2 with Dowis and the big homey Alesh One. Had to get the promo in before the show at Pantheon that night with the Brooklyn posse. Baba & Yako arrived in the afternoon, and we all convened at Pantheon for the show. Very dope night, great crowd, ill sets from everyone and a lovely spin on the turns by DJ Kevlar.

So Saturday. We packed up again and headed out to Hip Hop Kemp, courtesy of Kuzellski. Now, Kemp is the second biggest Hip Hop festival in Europe, something around 20,000 people. It is held at an old Air Force base, with stages in hangars and people camping everywhere (“Kemp” = “Camp”). Based on those few facts, we were entirely unprepared for the scene upon rolling up. It is literally a Hip Hop playground. Music everywhere, breakdance battles, beatbox battles, 3 sick side stages, a huge mainstage, and incredible heartfelt Hip Hop energy and love oozing from every country in Europe. The crowd represents so many nations, and the performers do the same. Pretty unbelievable to have to travel to the middle of the Czech Republic to have to find an event of this magnitude and caliber, but, wow.

The Beat Apetit crew is holding down the Beatburger Health Food tent, with mad cyphers in the mix. The whole set is in effect: Jaro, Nasty, En.dru, Kuzell, Alesh, Ivanhoe, Johnny Typek… Deep. Over the course of yesterday, we rocked 3 different stages for about 3000 different heads, popping up on guest spots and beatbox cameos. Also got to check some very dope shows: Akrobatik and Mr. Lif, The Navigators on the main stage, and another slamming series of sets at the UNITY stage: Stacy Epps, Invincible, Eternia, DJ Shortee, DJ Sarah Love and Yarah Bravo. Simply bananas. As Farbeon keeps saying, if you want to see the avant garde in Hip Hop, you need to check these ladies for real. Big ups to Eternia for hooking us up with the mic at the UNITY stage, and maximum respect to Yarah Bravo for seeing her vision realized. Inspiron!

Well, this is merely my attempt to chronologically organize the insanity of the past 4 days (4 days, 5 days?). Today we will be holding down the Beatburger stage, catch the UNITY ladies on the main stage, check The Roots, and then rock the last sets of the whole festival over at the Vestax Hangar at midnight. Then Farbeon and I head directly to the airport in Prague to catch a 6am flight to Amsterdam! Not quite sure how this is all going to work out, but the power of Hip Hop and the strength of brother and sisterhood is getting us through everything.

Kemp Kemp and more Kemp,

Rebbe D

Definitely gonna have some time to edit all this incredible video footage in Amsterdam, so stay tuned for the Video Journal, Part II. And probably III with all the crazy HHK footage!

Video Journal Part I: BK to Stasbourg

2008-08-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

Just gonna let the video (and my mediocre yet improving imovie skills) do the talking... Enjoy!

8 Gold Medals later

2008-08-17T21:13:00.000-04:00

If it weren’t for the river driven fresh air permeating Strasbourg (aka Bourgstras), I would be having a difficult time catching my breath. A whirlwind-crab scratch-freestyle cyclone touched down when we hit the cobblestone, and finally whirs to a slow hum tonight.

We hit the ground running on Wednesday night, chilling with the incredibly hospitable Turnableast Crew. Farbeon has been crashing with DJ Q, while I’ve been kicking it at DJ Rectape’s. The whole crew lives in the neighborhood Neudorf, within walking distance of each other. We woke on Thursday to plaster the town with party flyers and take the walking tour of Strasbourg, courtesy of l’homme extraordinaire Perco Loco. Before we knew it, it was time to pack gear for the soiree a La Grotte. And it ain’t called the Grotte for nothing. One of those straight dungeonous European clubs, underneath the street and sweaty as the man in the iron mask. The crowd filled in pretty quickly, and Turntableast rocked the party silly. We hit the stage at around 1:30am and did a full blast 40 minute set. Worked out some kinks, had Rectape hold us down on the decks, dealt with some sound issues… and tore it up. It was mostly a relief to get the first show out of the way, figure out how to read the foreign language crowd and test-drive some new routines. But enough about us…

The real treat was the turntable tactics on display by the fellas. One of Turntableast, DJ Nelson, is a 2007 & 2008 French DMC Finalist, and winner of France TKO Battle. Basically, this cat has the illest scratches I’ve ever laid eyes on. I mean, like, Q-Bert status. Riveting stuff. So, the crew rocked the crunk/club/booty bass dance party as we proceeded to get, um, toe up. Once the club closed at 4am, we kicked it backstage boozing, beatbox karaoke-ing, freestyling and building. After packing up and sneaking out through a back door (to avoid le police posted out front), we made it back to Rectape’s at 6:30am. And then hauled all the DJ equipment up the 3 floors to his apartment:) Good vibes go out to DJ Swa, whose car was towed and impounded by le flics. Po-po’s wreaking havoc everywhere…

So, rising Friday at 3:00pm, we met up with Rec’s homey Niko, aka Hon. Hon is a producer/AV engineer at a high-end studio in Keil, just across the Rhine River in Germany. We went to check out the lab and made studio plans for Sunday. And then just like that, it was time to re-pack all the DJ gear and hit the highway to Colmar, where we were booked to rock “Cimarron Lakside Soundsystem 2008.”

About 40 minutes into the countryside drive, it got a little nervous. Sort of like driving into the woods a la Brothers Grimm. The only directions instructed that the party was “avant le maison d’eau” (before the water tower). Okay. So we arrived to a pretty disheartening scene. It had rained all day, the party was not even close to set up, and it was 9:30pm. I will make a long story short and let the soon-to-come pictures and video do the talking. DJs didn’t start playing till midnight, the other live act was a French folk guitar rap act, and the keg tap was busted. Finally the beer started flowing, the merguez sausages were grilling and the peoples partied. By the time we hit the stage at 4:30AM heads were either slumped near the bonfire or hepped up on dancehall. Far and I hit them with a reggae-centric half hour that had the woods howling. After blowing the roof off of the outdoor party, the organizer walked back up to us with two microphones, nodded to the soundman, handed us the mics and simply said, “Freestyle.” So the cypher blazed until le matin, and for the second straight day, we saw the sunrise. The only difference was that we were 60 kilometers from home, and had to be at DJ Q’s radio show at 10:00am!

We pulled into Strasburg at about 8:00am, caught a shower, hit the boulangerie and rolled over to RBS Radio 91.9. Still 5 deep (Q, Rectape, Far, Perco Loco, Fred aka DJ Deriv and myself), we took turns passing out on the “couch of mysterious stains” until the needles dropped. Then Far and I did an on-air interview, rocked the freestyles, and I DJ’d a 30 minute set. Hotness for the underground broadcast radio. Afterwards, there was no option other than passing the fuck out.

Saturday night was our chance to give back to our divine hosts. I cooked a feast for the crew, and we chilled at Q’s, listening to jazz, eating, drinking and moroccing. Then we hit the Strasbourg streets deep along with Lyrics, DJ Nelson and Rom One (ill beatboxer) for a Hip Hop stroll. Strasbourg is a city with small town vibe, so every 4 blocks we ran into someone who someone knew. Without even trying, we found ourselves up at 4:00am again. But our timing was perfect to return to Q’s, eat leftovers and watch Michael Phelps win gold medal #8.

Semi-caught up on sleep today, waking at 1:30pm in the afternoon. We promptly met up with Niko and hit Time Code Studios. In a 6-hour session, we knocked out 3 tracks. Took an intermission to Niko & NoNo’s (his lady) house, where we were fed, overfed, and sensory satiated entirely. NoNo even called ahead to Berlin to hook us up with a hotel she recommended. Seriously, this girl cooked a fantastic feast, speaks fluent French, German, Spanish and English, and politicked U.S. foreign policy with us for 2 hours. Magnifique. When you guys come to New York, you are getting royal Rabbi D backyard BBQ treatment.

Back to the lab to catch the rough mix bounces. Outstanding session. Far and I did two tracks together over beats by Hon, one (tentatively) called “Timecode” (aka “Currency Exchange”) and another called (tentatively) “Yes He Is.” The first, we had been writing on for 2 days. The second, I devised the hook on Friday, and we full-on freestyled the verses, trading off and punching in on each other. Far also laid down the beautiful ode, “Shape My Life,” over a sensational sentimental track by Rectape.

So as I bed on Sunday, we have tomorrow to relax in picturesque Strasbourg. The plan is to edit some photos and video, and ready the multi-media tour update. We’ve got some incredible footage thus far, and I’m sharpening my chops on imovie:)

Nearly off to Berlin…

Bon soiree,

Schooly D

Time Zonin': The Dollar vs the Euro

2008-08-14T13:36:00.000-04:00

After a monstrous day of errand running, luggage buying, rapid packing and rushed departing, we made it JFK with Budweiser time to spare. As pictures and video can only partially illustrate, we have massive bags. As I would later find out, my two pieces of checked baggage ring in at 55 kilos combined. Lugging the luggage was a mere formality under the spell of adrenaline and optimism.

On the way out of NYC, we laid eyes up the fullest, brightest, most magnificent rainbow I’d ever seen. Simply breathtaking. A good omen?

The Air India flight was about what I expected, complete with chicken curry and mini-samosas. Smooth trasn-Atlantic journey, but, oh, that was merely the beginning of the day. Arriving at London Heathrow at 8:00hr, our next task was to change airports. We had to get to Stansted to catch the Ryanair flight to Karls-Bande, where we would then rendez-vous with DJ Rectape and T-Killa and drive to Strasbourg, just over the German border in France. The airport jaunt turned out to be a nearly 3 hour bus ride. Z’s all the way. Walking into Stansted was a like entering Ellis Island on a light day in 1898. Utter madness. Lines with no end, passengers yet no airline employees. Fortunately we had about 6 hours to kill before our flight.

We enter Stansted swinging.

Somewhere around hour 4 of time killing, I read some of the fine print on the Ryanair e-ticket. It is a “discount” airline, designed for the European day commuter, and built to royally screw anyone with over 15 kilos of luggage. Basically, the fine print read that the overweight charge is “12 GBP per kg over 15 kgs.” Considering I have over 55 kgs of shit, the “overcharge” was painful, to put it mildly. If you needed anything else to slam on the Bush administration, tack on the weakness of the U.S. dollar. Cringe-worthy prices. Big shouts out to Jacob from Ryanair. But be forewarned: “discount European” airlines can quickly become anything but cheap. If you have a choice, avoid Ryaniar at all costs. Real talk.

But we are here, all the merchandise made it overseas, and we’re readying to rock Strasbourg ce soir. Incredibly beautiful border city, across the Rhine River from Germany. Magical streets, lovely hosts. Turnableast crew is great peoples; it’s a dream realized to chill with global Hip Hoppers in NYC, then rendez-vous with them in their homeland. But, hey, that’s the theme of this trip.

“Summer Breaks” is taking on more meanings than I ever could’ve imagined…

Ciao for now,

RD