Posts Tagged ‘Illastrate’

huh what

Every once in a while, I’ve gotta go into hibernation.  Just get away from the noise, the saturation, the bad vibes.  A cleansing, of sorts.  I’m not quite over my respite but I had to resurface to share this with y’all.

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Every Friday someone asks me, “what’s happ’nin’ this weekend??”  This will be the place for you to find out.  If you have an event you’d like to submit to be featured, email me with the subject “Event Submission.”  I’ll feature it, along with other events happening within the same time frame. If it’s particularly dope, I’ll feature a more detailed write-up of your event.

(Right now, most events featured will be in Atlanta, since that’s my base.  I’m open to events country and world-wide though!)


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ekundayo - everything

Love over everything.  Along with the moving visuals of Roni Nicole, the grand power of love is the inspiration behind this new song from Ekundayo.  With Illastrate on the beat and Boog Brown sliding in with her cool self, “Everything” becomes more than just a dope ass song; it’s theme music.  A soundtrack to perseverance and enrichment.  Check the track below and download it here.

boog brown - come alive

Ain’t nothin’ like a truly feel good tune.  Boog Brown had a release party for her latest project, The Late Bloom, and this video is a small taste of what went down.  “Come Alive” is smoothed out, but don’t let the smooth taste fool you; Boog rips shit per usual, in a fun, jovial manner.  I missed the party but I’ll act like I was there by pressing replay.  Cop that The Late Bloom, if you haven’t already.

Hip hop is a funny thang.  We’ve got rappers that spit bars about money, cars, clothes and hoes, as if these acquisitions are the fulfillment of all their desires.  Rappers that strive to cop a label deal in hopes that all of those aforementioned things will be bestowed upon them with the simple mention of their names.  Thankfully, somebody has come along to talk some sense into these lost souls.  Visual artist and hip hop head Fahamu Pecou  has released an EP to complement his All Dat Glitters Ain’t Goals exhibition, which is currently on display at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City.  One part case study, one part satire, all around poignant, All Dat Glitters is the impetus for a much needed discussion about hip hop’s role in pop culture and its massive influence through media depictions.

Hence, Fahamu Pecou is The Shit! The Shit is Pecou’s alter ego who exploits hip-hop vernacular to address the oversaturation of false images and mislead ideals of wealth and success. Appearing as a blinged-out, tatted-up rapper gracing the covers of art and pop culture publications. Fahamu Pecou is The Shit’s over exaggerated persona and swagger of is heightened by the use of subversive commentary, wordplay and colloquialisms scrawled atop these large-scale works. These quips directly engage the erroneous posturing proclaimed by today’s black pop culture icons and role models.

The EP provides the soundtrack to Pecou’s hard hitting displays of hip hop grandeur and extravagance.  Pecou recruits some of Atlanta’s most enterprising MCs to assist in ushering in some dialogue about what’s happening in hip hop culture.  Produced by Illastrate, the All Dat Glitters EP has been blessed by the likes of Stic.Man of Dead PrezClan Destined, L.I.U.N.S. Den, StarChile, Boog Brown, Great S.C.O.T.T., Methuzalah, Mike Flo and more.

Not only do you receive an awesome EP (for free!), Pecou has added a digi-book which includes art from his exhibit and lyrics from each dope track.  That’s the shit, right?

“Cooking Up” was the first track I heard from blctxt’s EP A Smart Black Boy | The Sonic Inception back in October 2011, and I’ve been hooked on this track ever since.  Produced by Illastrate, the homie blctxt spits so much fire, it’s impossible not to feel this one.  My favorite line:

“I kicked the bass in the face, slit the wrists of the sample, harmonies are leaking everywhere/that’s just an example of what I’m able to do, when given time in the stu”

Damn.

Stop by http://www.contxtclues.com/ to keep up with all things blctxt.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending one of the dopest hip hop shows my body has rocked to.  The Do For Self Initiative hosted its first show of its 2012 concert series.  According to the website:

“Do For Self is a community initiative aimed at promoting all humans to be self sufficient.  Free from brain wash, and tyranny of the mind, and body.   Applying the philosophy of “Every Option Every Variable” to every decision… I present direction – organized from each according to ability, to each according to need.” -GBK

Hosted by Methuzulah with special guest DJ Trackstar, with performances from the rhythmic collective Capacity Demo (DJs Illastrate, AmDex and DT, and flutist Rasheeda Ali), Tef Poe, Ekundayo, Gotta Be Karim, Clan Destined, Sha Stimuli, and Boog Brown, every act that hit the stage brought fire.

This showcase was what the culture of hip hop is all about: connectedness, vivid storytelling, self-sufficiency, and rhymes that move the crowd.  If what went down at 529 is any indication of what Do For Self has in store, I would definitely recommend anyone in ATL to check out the next show.  Check the website for any upcoming events.

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