Next month, Thunderheist will embark on another run of spot dates. They’ll stick to the eastern U.S. this time around.
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The Wrap Up: Short and super
- Slaughterhouse supergroup signs with E1 Music (xxlmag.com)
- Random Axe supergroup signs with Duck Down (allhiphop.com)
- Jay-Z buys out his Def Jam contract, leaves label after 12 historic years (mtv.com)
Downloads: Cage’s I Never Knew You EP (subterraneanblog.com), Donny Goines, The Breakfast Club (urb.com), Hollyweerd’s Candy for Kleptos (2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com)
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Daedelus tours with Ghislain Poirier
Bounce advocates Alfred “Daedelus” Darling and Ghislain Poirier are joining forces for a club-smashing run next month. Expect plenty of bounce, ragga, happy hardcore and, as Daedelus once told me, “clubbing baby seals.”
New Cage: Tour dates, EP, video
Chris “Cage” Palko is on a full-tilt promotional swing. On Monday he posted a free EP, I Never Knew You, on MTV2’s “Subterranean” blog. The next day, he unveiled his long-discussed video for “I Never Knew You,” directed by Transformers 2 star and BFF Shia LaBouef. More importantly, he unveiled the first wave of tour dates in support of Depart From Me, which drops July 7 on Definitive Jux.
“If you live in a major market not on the first round we will be hitting you later at some point. This is NOT the only tour for this record,” writes Cage in a blog post on his MySpace page. “If you do not live in a major market we will be trying to get as close to you as possible. I am itching like a junkie to get back on the road and play these new songs. Have some patience like Stoney Lodge. Trust I am working on it.”
While you wait for the album and tour, both of which happen in July, check out the itinerary and the video for “I Never Knew You.”
The Wrap Up: School’s in
Don’t call it a comeback:
- DJ Q-Bert launches online school for DJs (allhiphop.com)
- John Forte working on album, memoir (billboard.com)
- Jay-Z’s rider (sohh.com)
- M.O.P. signs with EI Music, works on new album Foundation (hiphopsite.com)
- Andre 3000 endorses Georgia’s Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue’s crackdown on speeding (allhiphop.com)
- XXL continues its upheaval with Datwon Thomas’ departure (sohh.com)
More, more, more: Passage’s Brothers Backword mixtape (brothers-backword.bandcamp.com), Raekwon & DJ Absolut’s Blood on Chef’s Apron (rapidshare.com), Method Man & Redman and Green Lantern’s Lights Out (zshare.net), Izza Kizza’s Wizard of Iz (zshare.net), The Cool Kids, Gone Fishin’ (coolxkids.com)
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Toki Wright launches RSE Spotlight Series
Next month, Rhymesayers Entertainment is launching the RSE Spotlight Series. The series will spotlight relatively unknown independent artists and, in its words, “provide select services and distribution to emerging artists ready to go to the next level, by expanding their fanbase and sales history.”
The first release comes from Toki Wright, who many will recognize as Brother Ali’s hypeman on his past several tours. Wright’s debut A Different Mirror features guest appearances from Ali as well as I Self Devine and Scarub. It comes out June 9.
Joyo Velarde’s solo bow
It’s been a long time coming for Joyo Velarde. The Bay Area singer has put in work for the Quannum crew since they were known as Solesides, first appearing on Lyrics Born’s Balcony Beach. Now, after appearing with husband Lyrics Born on all of her projects, Joyo finally gets a solo release of her own.
First up comes a five-track EP, which drops on May 26 via Quannum. A full-length album is slated for November. Here’s the press info:
Joyo Velarde, the female voice behind seminal hip-hop label Quannum Projects hits like “I Like It, I Love It†and “I Can’t Wait For Your Love†is finally hitting the scene with songs of her very own. On May 26, 2009, Joyo’s self-titled debut EP, an uplifting 5-song look into the singer’s vast repertoire, will be available at all digital distributors.
Pulling from the traditions of Minnie Riperton, Chaka Khan, and Tina Marie as well as contemporary R&B singers like Alicia Keys, Solange, Angie Stone, and Raheem DeVaughn, Joyo has truly mastered her craft. Her voice is clean and sure; even when she sings about personal struggles (“Feels Right,†for example) there’s a strength behind her words, the strength of someone who’s had to overcome difficulties to find herself. While Lyrics Born, Joyo’s husband, adds instrumental and production touches from time to time, as well as executively producing the album, these songs are her own. Even in the Bobby-Digital-produced “I Need You Boy†(available only on the EP), Joyo’s personality is never anything but front-and-center.
Tiye Phoenix’s “Half Woman Half Amazin'”
On May 26, Tiye Phoenix will release her solo debut Half Woman Half Amazin’ on Babygrande. She first came to prominence two years ago as the newest member of Polyrhythm Addicts on their comeback album Break Glass. However, her presence was overshadowed by questions over the female rapper she replaced, Apani B. Fly Emcee. This time, she gets the spotlight all to herself.
Producers on Half Woman Half Amazin‘ include DJ Spinna, DJ Scratch, Jazzy Jeff, Da Beatminerz and Apathy. Guest shots come from Chip Fu of the Foundation the Fu-Schnickens, Dynas and Phonte Coleman.
Tone Tank’s “King of Surf Guitar Rap” video
Here at Plug One, I’m pretty selective about posting multimedia content — videos and other promotional crap. In fact, I rarely post them at all. But Tone Tank’s video for “King of Surf Guitar Rap,” taken from last year’s similarly-titled EP, is pretty inventive. It’s directed by Paul Korzan and features Yoo Hoo chocolate shake, a girl with a Coppertone tan and a disturbingly painted face.
Tone Tank- King of Surf Guitar Rap (official video) from Tone Tank on Vimeo.
2Mex & LMNO mark Visionaries’ end
Last night, 2Mex sent out a MySpace message announcing the end of Visionaries. This may not come as a surprise to those who haven’t followed the group in a while (like myself); its last album, We Are The Ones (We Have Been Waiting For), dropped in 2006. Still, it’s unwelcome news.
The full text of 2Mex’s MySpace message is below.
Solillaquists of Sound’s “No More Heroes”
Orlando, Florida’s Solillaquists of Sound have finished their sophomore album for Epitaph imprint Anti-. Set for release on August 4, No More Heroes features more of the community-raising hip hop that marked their 2006 bow, As If We Existed. However, the group may be best known for “Death Of The Muse,” the benefit single it released last year for Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, mother of the late James “J Dilla” Yancey.
Grieves on brief solo run
While Mr. Lif takes a break from his ongoing tour in support of “I Heard It Today,” opening act and Mac Lethal buddy Grieves heads out on a brief run amusingly titled the Falling Off Your Shoes tour. The San Diego prospect just issued his second disc, the self-released 88 Keys and Counting.
Cage returns with “Depart From Me”
Influential indie rapper Cage has finally finished his long-fomenting album Depart From Me. Mr. Palko has drawn a lot of press for his budding friendship with actor Shia LaBouef (the A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints thespian, not the douche-y “No-no-no-no-no-no” Transformers twit). The Hollywood star is developing a biopic based on Cage’s tumultuous life, and recently directed the video for Depart From Me‘s lead single, “I Never Knew You.”
Lushlife’s “Cassette City”
Philly rapper/producer Lushlife has a new album coming out via !K7 subsidiary Rapster. Set for release on June 23, Cassette City features contributions from Camp Lo, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and Ariel Pink, of all people. While not as well known here as overseas, Lushlife may ring some bells — in 2005 he issued West Sounds, a popular mashup of Kanye West’s The College Dropout with the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. (June 19 update: The release date has been pushed back to July 7.)
Rock the Bells re-ups for ’09
As widely reported, Rock the Bells International Festival Series returns for a sixth year this summer. Produced by Guerilla Union, this year’s itinerary features ten cities, and a mix of established stops (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles) and new locales (including Denver’s epic Red Rocks Amphitheater).
For annual Rock the Bells attendees, the lineup blends regulars with new jacks. At the top of the bill is Nas, who was second in line to A Tribe Called Quest last year; this time he headlines with Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley. The two will support their forthcoming album, Distant Relatives, which is tentatively scheduled for release this summer.
On the “new jack” tip, so to speak, there’s Common, the much-hyped street-rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, and Tech N9ne. And just like Coachella, each go-round features an old-school crew getting back together. Past years brought back Wu-Tang Clan and the Pharcyde. This year brings House of Pain and Reflection Eternal. Since Big Boi’s on the bill, here’s hoping that Andre 3000 will show up for a proper OutKast reunion, too.
Some of the performers, however, will only perform in select cities. Check the Rock the Bells website to find out which performers will appear in each city. I’ll update this post, too, as that information becomes available. (June 25 update: The performer itinerary has been added.)
Method Man & Redman’s “Blackout! 2”
Ten years after their classic first outing, Meth & Red have recorded a sequel to Blackout! Due on May 19 via Def Jam, Blackout! 2 features the usual suspects. However, unlike so many would-be “sequels” to classic material (including Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2…prove me wrong if I’m not right), I’m actually looking forward to this based on the banging leaks that have come out since last fall. Thanks to Nah Right for additional info on the features.
J Dilla’s “Jay Stay Paid”
A new J Dilla album, Jay Stay Paid, is set for release on June 2 via Nature Sounds. Unlike the many authorized and unauthorized Dilla releases that have appeared since his tragic 2007 death, this one is executive produced by his mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey. Pete Rock executive produced the project. and his hero, the equally legendary Pete Rock. It features Dilla’s old collaborators (DOOM, Black Thought, Phat Kat, Frank Nitty) as well as new jacks (Blu, Diz Gibran).
Here’s more from thee press release:
Jay Stay Paid is a 25 track collection of unreleased Dilla beats mixed and arranged by Pete Rock. While mostly instrumental, “J$P” also offers a few guests vocals from artists that Dilla worked with or admired including Black Thought of The Roots, MF DOOM, and M.O.P.
Curtailing any notion of jumping on some sort of Dilla bangwagon, Jay Stay Paid was executive produced by Dilla’s mother Maureen Yancey (aka Ma Dukes) along with the musical supervision of Dilla’s only real musical idol, Pete Rock. “It wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t haphazard,” explains Ms Yancey. “This album combines what he did in the beginning of his career, what he did in some of our early hospital stays, which was very deep, and some stuff pulled from old floppy disks & DATs. Its mind blowing…this is like the missing links to Dilla’s legacy.”
The format of the album plays like a radio show with Pete Rock as the program director. With regards to Pete’s involvement, Ms. Yancey gets very excited, “Dilla wanted to pattern himself behind Pete. His dream was to become as close as possible to what Pete stood for. Pete meant everything to him. Dilla would have just been flabbergasted! ” Pete’s sentiments were the same toward Dilla, “Dude was amazing. He just kinda came outta nowhere and the more you heard his beats the better they got. He may not be here with us, but it’s all good we’re going to keep his music alive and well.”
Zumbi: “Let us make art”
This has been a tumultuous year for Zion I. In January, just as the group’s beloved Oakland was reeling from the murder of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer, which resulted in several protests and a highly publicized riot, Zumbi and Amp Live dropped their fourth album. The Take Over has both shocked and excited fans; its buoyant mix of electro jams, hyphy tracks and West Coast slanguage marks a long journey from the soulful beats ‘n’ bass of their acclaimed 2000 debut, Mind over Matter.
In part one of my interview with Zumbi, we discussed Oakland’s current problems, his new group the Burnerz, and their recorded response to the Grant shooting, “Cops Hate Kidz.” For this installment, we delve into the response to The Take Over, which has drawn surprisingly mixed reviews from print and online critics. (It currently has a rank of 58 out of 100 on Metacritic.com, an entertainment reviews aggregator, for “mixed or average reviews.”) “It’s going to have to grow on them,†says Zumbi of the album. “For us, for Zion I, we’ve gotta keep it creative, we’ve gotta keep it pushin’. We don’t want to regurgitate what we’ve done before and follow a formula.”
Unfortunately, the drama didn’t stop after our phone interview ended. That night, during Zion I’s concert at Berbati’s Pan in Portland, Ore., the nightclub cut off the group’s sound in the middle of their set. “I’ve got to take time out to apologize to all our fans in Portland who witnessed us getting our set cut off by the venue (Berbati’s),” wrote Zumbi on his MySpace page, where you can read more about the situation.
In spite of it all, 2009 looks to be a productive year for Zion I Crew. In addition to the album, they’ve released several mixtapes, including the 420 Mixtape with International Turntable Federation champ Vin Roc. Amp Live is working on a compilation for Om Records, and Zumbi has the Burnerz. “Give us space to make music,” says Zumbi. “Let us make art.”
Zumbi: “I Don’t Want To See A Bunch Of Lovelle Mixons in Oakland”
“Damn, this is getting crazy for Oakland,†says Zumbi minutes before his group Zion I performs a soundcheck at Berbati’s Pan in Portland, Oregon. Like so many Yay Area residents, the veteran hip hop artist is concerned about the terrifying rise in confrontations between local police officers and residents – a trend that arguably resulted in the January 1 murder of Oscar Grant, who was shot in the back by a BART police officer; and the March 21 killing of four city police officers by Lovelle Mixon, who shot the cops (and was subsequently killed himself) in a vain attempt to evade arrest for a probation violation.
The two incidents drew national attention, and led to riots and protests in Oakland. Zumbi’s response came in the form of “Cops Hate Kidz,†an Internet track he recorded with the Are, a producer out of Houston best known for his work with K-Otix. (Not coincidentally, K-Otix made waves in 2005 with “George Bush Don’t Like Black People,†a remix of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger†that excorciated the former president’s lame response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.) Released straight to the Internet under the guise of the Burnerz, “Cops Hate Kidz†bears a deliberately provocative title. But the song itself is reasoned and anguished, taking note of both sides – pro-law-enforcement and a community that feels it is under siege – before calling for a solution. It’s an approach that Zumbi feels compelled to take.
“I understand why people are saying fuck the police, those guys died,†he says in reference to Mixon’s deadly firefight with Oakland law enforcement. “But it’s not my sentiment personally. My thing is about people and community, and we’re all God’s children. We’re all here. All of our lives count equally.â€
Zion I is currently on tour in support of its new album, The Take Over. But the first half of my interview delves into Zumbi’s feelings about what has already been a tumultuous year for his hometown. In part two, which I’ll post tomorrow, Zumbi discusses The Take Over, which has drawn decidedly mixed reviews, the difference between East Coast fans and West Coast fans, and forthcoming musical projects such as the Burnerz album. Meanwhile, you can download a copy of “Cops Hate Kidz” at the bottom of the page.
(May 2 update: A link to part two of my interview with Zumbi has been added.)
The Wrap Up: MySpace malaise
Peace to the gods and the earths:
- Drake’s rise from Degrassi High star to Lil Wayne protege (nymag.com)
- Chris DeWolfe out at MySpace, Tom Anderson’s fate unclear (wired.com)
- Judge denies injunction for QD III’s Lil Wayne doc The Carter (allhiphop.com)
- Russell Simmons faces criticism over “Rush Cards” (hiphopdx.com)
Dip dip dive, so-socialize: Zumbi & Vinroc’s 420 Mixtape (myspace.com/zumbi), Skyzoo & DJ Drama’s The Power of Words (2dopeboyz.com), Reef the Lost Cause and King Magnetic’s King & The Cauze mixtape (welldoneentertainment.com)
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