Spitfire…

So Xolo & LifeRex never came thru, how someone doesn’t make a free trip to Hawaii is beyond me.  Much respect to them.  Still we had a vast number for performances for that ase!  The Gooks did a life set which i missed, Parlous & Moxxx ripped a nice set, Mic Sessions i’m assuming is from LA freshed it up as well.

Nabahe rocked a set with the help of EK.  The touring and hanging with undergrounds elite has done Bahe good. His set is on point. Mahalo for bahe for putting this one on.   I actually missed my set, but was able to rock a quick 3 song banger.  I actually noticed a gang of LS supporters; Asend, Disco, some guy in a LS soundwave shirt, and these guys below…

I am more fans of these guys than they are of my music.  I used to skate with them and they were the older guys who ripped the mini ramp.  Never thought that the older guys i used to skate with would be into underground Hip-Hop.  Big ups to you guys, Kailua mini ramp in the house.  Respect on the Paper Plates request.

2Mex got the merch, but he couldn’t find a signal…can you hear me now?

Thesis Sahib, he is one of those multi talented artists.  Homie can spit flames and his art is original and inventive.  I have been waiting to see him perform ever since i heard his project with Self Help – Bending Mouth.

http://www.myspace.com/thesissahib

I don’t remember how i learned about Bleubird, but i do own everything the has on wax, except for the one he brought with him to Hawaii, i was broke so i gotta cop that later.

Seening Bleu was inspiring the amount of energy he puts out to a crowd of 50 or so was tremendous! I am so pumped to put out new music and rock a crowd like dem.  Big ups. check out www.bleubird.org

There are a handful of people that constantly support!  One of them is Keoki aka SirSlouch aka Silentsir.  He live Nalo, he works a full time job, he works with autistic kids, he has as much reasons to not come out and support.  So whats your reason?  And don’t tell me Wife, Kids, I work early, or no mo money.  Sorry that holds no weight.  Funny how people can get all ready to drink at a bar with some dj playing the same old crap, and when heavyweight underground artists come thru they are no where in sight.  Auwe!  Big ups to Ian from BH/84 i always seem to see him supporting as well.

Mex bum rushed the stage for 30 minutes of pure accapella.  Flames.  I wish that he did a few more tracks with beats but it was an amazing feat just spiting rhyme after rhyme.

2Mex stepped off stage for most of his performance getting in the grill of the crowd.  Big ups to all who came thru and supported.  Mahalo to Bahe for putting on a dope show. Thanks to 2Mex, Thesis, Bleu, & Mic Sess for coming to Hawaii. Sorry the turnout wasn’t bigger.

G Bo the Pro: Kno Drop

If you never grew up in the 90’s and missed the mixed tape era, there are a bunch of cats that made the best mixes. One of those cats are G Bo the Pro and Double R. His tapes was on repeat all day up in the cassette deck. peep the tube. Knowledge drop!

40 KTUH!

Did you know that KTUH had a free showing of their 40th anniversary documentary?  I guess not too many people did.  Well, i don’t know if i am out of the loop but i didn’t really see a huge push for the showing.  Which is a bummer cuz i know for a fact that at we could of packed that theatre easy.  Oh well, maybe thats the way KTUH wanted it, quaint and special.

Really ill instrumental in the begin.  Overall i thought the begining and the birth of KTUH was exellent.  I love the old pictures and video.  The interviews with the OG Dj’s is priceless.  Also, the vast information was a geek fest for KTUH peeps.  There was alot of information , interviews, and events missing in the Doc, but seriously what do you expect when the producers made this in 1 semester, with borrowed equipment, and for free.  Mad respect for all the hard work they put in.  Mahalo.

There they are the brain children of this dope doc.  Respect guys, i would love to see what yall could of done with a year or so.  Peace

IntheVeinsUnit

Big ups to THNK for the flick.  This was taken at a 808 Giants event @ the old Source in Pucks Alley.  These were the days when MC cyphers were HOT i mean vicious.  There were battles but it was a combination of style, cadence, punctuality, punchlines, and flow.  Now a battle is a only racial slurrs, yah momma sex jokes, and slam poetry.  The worst part is now the battles are organized writtens, talented none the less, but i love the freestyle battles.  I remember when EP and i would drive into down to go to an event or KTUH to lurk outside, we would freestyle from the Stadium to the destination.  I don’t know if any other freestyle session would consist of this, but we used to try and rhyme: only the first words, only the last words, only the middle word, one word rhymes, every other word, and a gang of other styles.  What happen to the styles. *sigh* LIVICATED TO EP! Miss you mang!

North and Grouch!

This is some of dat good music. I’ll take Grouch over Jay-Z any day. Yes, you are probably thinking i am crazy but The Grouch been about the streets even when Hova was all cigars, cars, diamond, cryst, and all the material ish.

“it used to be stress, but now its Breath…it used to be broke, now its invest!”

Me and da Ohana is chilling at Turtle bay, well not the Hotel but at a Good Friends spot! I decided to use this picture because Who the heck wears shoes like dat to the beach?  Also, sitting in the sun at that time will kill your skin, aaah c’mon. “You break you stick you shred so bad!”

45 Yes.

Took this from Jeff Staple’s blog! Wow, first i didn’t know that Staple dj’ed.  According to his post he was in Japan and he got to dj along side of DJ MURO and DJ KENSEI.  Wow, those two djs are known to be huge diggers!

DJ Muro killing the 45’s and i mean Murder, with flawless mixes and on point fading. Wow!

Check the vid of Muro killing the 45’s according to Jeff Staple Muro does not use Serato or maybe he doesn’t majority of the time.  Domo Arigato Nomo Serrato!  Ehh, you like that one!  It really inspired me.  I only seen The reggae dj’s in Hawaii and Jus1oh rock only 45’s.  The reggae selectors can rock a whole set, but i never seen a Hip-Hop dj from Hawaii rock a only 45 set.  I think that might be the next goal.

Nosaj Thing!

Peeped out Nosaj Thing last night put on by KTUH and Organized by Trav15.  Heard of Nosaj thru Daddy Kev @ Alpha Pup.  LA got that grimy, glitch, electronic noise steezy going on, whatever the title it was great to peep game and soak whats new.

Joe Gosalvez, native to V town (Vallejo) but now he makes his home in Hawaii.  He entered a few Beatroots and is working with BriefcaseRockers.  His opening set was a banger, big things.

Nosaj, was dope.  He had flawless mixes and really knows how to work his equipment.  His beats were digital grime.  I would of love to see more versatility with his instrumentation, still his compositions were dope.  He reminds me of Matt Ratt, not really Oliver cuz Ollie got that analog soul.

He rocked this crowd of mixed goers.  I dig that it wasn’t bonkers packed, but i wish more heads, producers, and hip-hop enthuz came out to support these kind of events. If i hear that you choose Black Eyed Peas over this, shame on you, the Peas have left the pod along time ago and they smell like rotten natto or fresh natto, whatevers, they stink.  Nosaj was fresh.

O’reily?

Yes, check this out…this is a sample of an interview of Kid Cudi in the newest Complex Mag…are you serious?

People love to point out similarities between you and Drake—do you view him as competition?
Kid Cudi: I think it’s just that Drake and me are the most creative out of the new up-and-coming MCs. Me and Drake are here not because of anything other than two niggas that have their own flavor. I’m doing my shit, nobody else can do my shit. Nobody else can do Wale’s shit or Charles Hamilton’s shit. It’s like a bunch of Kool-Aid stands. It just matters whose flavor you like the most.

Yo Fam, Drake, Wale, Charles Ham, and Kid Kudi, yo Fam, its the jump off Fam,  Let’s add in Kids in the Hall, Cool Kids, Lupe, and Kanye.  Ninja please. Majority of their music is mediocere by far.  Lyrically blatant and carbon copy.  Seriously, they need to become “street wear” models and stop rapping.  I know this is the era we are in, where OK rap is the hotness, but with the new Qwel, Matre, Joe Dub, Ab Rude, Khule, Nocando, Ceschi, Braille, Surreal, and can’t forget Dose and Jel back together as Themselves. Hearing these cats make me sterile and bored, doesn’t challenge the mind. Well, theres my vent. Fools should check these cats and put em in GT or the Jungle.

Here is some new Qwel & Maker, yes they are from Chicago, Maker murders Kanye on the beats and Qwel drowns him as well.  Heads need to know that Chicago is more than ‘Good Music’-Galapagos 4 & Rubberroom!

Beatrooted.

Hawaii takes a while to wind up their motors and go.  It really felt like a drag to get this 1st qualifier going, i can’t say why, but it did.  Reguardless, of the drag i will always be bent that the show must go on.  Its like you rocking a crowd of 10 or 1000, it shouldn’t matter because if you love it just to have a platform to perform and test your skills is the only reason you need.  I am so glad that we kept it going…

Hows this, all the producers came early and was ready to go at 5:00!!! WOW! This will be a good season. In the picture is Vandal, then Ely, Make Jackson sitting, Chris I, Wade’s Hands, and Chastise.  I did not know what to expect with this bunch of producers.  Ely and Make i heard and knew their sound.  Chastise, came out with some bangers.  Vandal, had that murder music, seriously slash yo’ throat music.  Chris I, smooth style and came out of know where.  Last Wade of Nomasterbacks, YES!  He rocked Garageband with all dusty vinyl samples, super crunch, and he brought a different approach.  I notice MCs that produce always have a different feel to beats, than straight up producers.

Rhyme the OM, blessed the mic. I am diggin’ that MC song he did, incorporating MC in every line flippin’ it constantly. The R, the R, MC.

In the end, ELY was the the last man standing.  In the finals he edged out Wade.  Two different styles and theories.  Big ups to Ely he will be sitting back and scoping the comp for the Grand Finals!  Mahalo to all 3 that came thru, nah like 25. Whoever did show up got a shirt or CD, lets go against the grain and  the give. See you next month.

Trip the lights 2009

Big ups to Hesham & Jamal, the ones that put it down before me and also helped me shape Trip The Lights.  I took a break from TTL because i felt that at the time there was no venue to host the event.  For those that never experienced a TTL, it was a Hip_Hop multimedia explosion. Every month was themed different, a few examples were – 80’s Rap, 90’s Boom Bap, Bring an instrument night, Downtempo/Abstract Night, 90’s covers night, and live music night.  Along with the themed month we had live art and installation – majority of the Artists that blessed TTL has gone on to big things. Names such as Angrywoes, Matt Tapia, Kaso, StanStill, Eukarest, NeonBlack, Shaun Castro, KOAK, and the list goes on…

Super last minute riding off the wave of Undivided, we kidnapped Jus1o and his wife Cellski to bless the Turntables.

Jel of Anticon, murdered, i said MURDERED the MPC!  I will chop up the video, seriously next level.

Nocando, of GrindTime fame and new school Project blowed had an energetic and crowd rocking performance.  Proceeding to hit on the only girl in the room. You had to be there!

To top off the night. The Rifleman – Ellay Khule, served up a healthy plate of Chop!  He did a discography from 92 to 2000 or something.  Just as the lights went up, Joe Dub and I gave Khule a 30 second left sign and he proceeded to rap from 30 down to 1 and killed it with impromptu rhymes!

Yes the show was last minute, but it was the best show next to Aesop Rock!  Actually it was better only because there was no Pipeline foolios.  You knew everyone in the place was there for the artists. All the performaces were deadly!  Whew!