Wednesday, October 31, 2007

This Old House!
Low-Bee in Houston!
Willie D's Birthday Party!

Talk about neighborhood beautification! Check out this old house, all painted by the Aerosol Warfare dudes. I don't know the entire story but word is someone donated this house to Diverse Works (if ya done know it was a day care before this transformation, if you look close you can even see the outline of Big Bird underneath part of the paint on one of the sides) and they decided to let them Aerosol Warfarerers get busy. Check the pics, what a party!

Oh yes and it is located at the corner of Alabama and Almeda.






Elena was feelin' it






Eva doesn't like pictures anymore






Christamonster!


DJ CHill finna put this pic on a mixtape called THIS OLD HOUSE - CRUNK REMIXES OF HOUSE DIVA JAMS FROM THE 80'S! Watch his feet!




Gonzo of Aerosol Warfare and ZIN!


DJ Mieshach!


Now you don't have to worry about keeping track of your neckerchief hipsters.


Brandon Holley


Dusti Rhodes




This dog is dressed like a hot dog.


Shana and the Reverend Butter!









Know'm sayin'? Oh yeah and Happy Halloween you freakin' pagans.

And this Friday do not miss out on this EXXXXXXXXCLUUUUUSIVE M.I.A. Afterparty with Low Budget, CeePlus and Yogi! It's at Deco, which is where the Bun B MFAH after party t'was.





Be up in thurr. Paul Wall performing with M.I.A. earlier that night at Verizon. That's some monumental stuff for H-Town right there. Hope I am in town, but I doubt it.

Also to all my people in Los Angeles, I'll be out there next Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday. Whut it Dew? Holler at me cuz I want to see some thangs.

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WILLIE D! A TRUE PIONEER! Do not miss this!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

An Event for your heart and Some Music for your soul

IT'S GOIN' DOWN THIS EVENIN'! Them boys from Aerosol Warfare, our originators out here, done did this whole house up and it's time for the unveilling. Lets meet for some drinks round about after work. O.K.?


And lookee here, if you're not up on the FIRST MISSIONARY CHURCH CHOIR - well then I've said it before and I'll say it again right up here on this blog here, YOU DON'T KNOW MUSIC!

Cuz this right here is real.

http://www.myspace.com/thefirstmissionarychurchchoir

Check it out, add her/them as a friend and leave a comment for them on thier myspace and here letting the world know how you might feel about such a thing.

Blogger Mutual Appreciation

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Bun B's 2 Trill Coming Soon to well basically save YOU

Alright, I'm being over ambitious once again with the titeling. One reader even recently called me "Hip Hop's Ignorance At It's Finest" (T-Shirts coming soon and all over print hoodies too!) I don't know. I do know that I ride for my people, and I also know that I have listened to this music and have been immersed in this culture for over twenty years and I listen to pretty much everything that comes out. Everything from everywhere, serious, real talk, I'm comin' real, never fake, just sayin', word up, to the extreme, I rock a mic like a vandal, o.k. lemme quit. I've had too much pumpkin juice.

Anyway yesterday afternoon I had the distinct honor of being able to join Bun B and Cory Mo for a lil private listening session to the tracks Bun has already knocked out for his next solo album, 2 Trill.



I know, I know, I know, I know, I already know already that you already know already that I am a huge Bun B fan. I admire the dude as a writer, an all around artist and a person and well yes he's one of my favorite MC's in the game, and well he's hands dow THE best MC in the game, no question no comparison on any level ever whatsoever, go ask yo mama.



Those are just facts, if you happen to have an affinity towards someone else, go ahead and have that. I'm just sayin'.

Maybe I'm just geeked to have been one of the first people to heard all this stuff yet. Call me a hip hop nerd, but I am excited. Dude has taken them to the next level. Anyway, I don't have any mp3s for you, but I did take some notes and will tell you what I heard so far.

Dude is killing it. I'll say straight up that I of course loved Trill, but personally there was a little something missing from it. Listen to it close and you'll hear all sorts fo messages and meanings and such, cuz Bun doesn't just drop a bunch of pap and hope to sell. But see, I talk to Bun sometimes. We talk about politics, we talk about the environment, we talk about the war on art that America hath waged, we talk about a lot of shit and dude is extremely informed.

So when Trill came out, honestly I was hoping to hear a song in which Bush was beaten like a pinata on a birfday, the Iraq war was reduced to a blip in our history books, and one where Bun teaches the kids in the hood why styrofoam cups are contributing to global warming. But alas and alak, I didn't hear it.

On 2 Trill, the President of the South is at his lectern, telling fools things they need to know. He's still Bun B, the underground king of the gutta, yes, but on 2 Trill he's bringing more knowledge than any rapper you can name right now. And that's a good thing for me and yooooooooooooooooooooooooooua.


Anyway, the listening session went down at Cory Mo's spot. I tried to get Cory to smoke a spliff mixed with a lil tobacco like how we did in Canada, but he wasn't havin' it on this side of the border.


He don't have to on this side of the borda.

Anyway here's the breakdown of what I heard:

"City of Syrup" - Produced by Cory Mo and featuring Mike Jones and Slim Thug.
Apparently Cory pitched this song to Mike a couple years back and Mike was with it but in the end it didn't make the album. Bun was going through some old stuff with Cory and heard this beat and immediately reacted. He got Mike and Slim to come in and round off the track and honestly, the beat is fire and it's a great Houston anthem, on par with Still Tippin', but it's really only the tip on the iceberg.

"Gangsta" - Produced by JR Roten and featuring Sean Kingston.
O.K. This was song number two for me to hear, and while both are jammin' in a basic song kind of way, I was a lil nervous. The song is real, if you really listen to it. Bun breaks down a lot of realities, but it; sjust radio ready enough to possibly be a big one. Not my favorite by any means, but it's good.

"Get Yo Issue" - Produced by Big Time
My favorite by all means. Big Time is one of the most slept on producers in the game. I don't know what happened between him and Swisha House, but he's the dude that helped form their whole sound back in the hey day. When he left them he kind of slowed down a bit - by todays standards anyway - but time and time again he keeps coming with that real fire. On this one, Bun takes crooked cops, preachers and politicians to task over a raucous, maniac, out of control beat that goes every which way but loose. He starts off each verse with a line like "Hey (Mr. Policeman) I hear you're trying to save some people today." Then proceeds to break down said policemans, politicians and preachers on points that nobody could ever argue with him. Like,he comes realer than I have heard anyone come in a while on this one, and the beat just SLAMS!

"My Block" - Produced by Jazze Pha
This is some classic hood shit from a classic combo.

"2 Trill" - Clinton Sparks camp?
The title track is a soulful, yet sinister jam that I will assume is gonna be a big single at some point.

"If It Was Up To Me" - Produced by Blackout, Junior Reid on the hook
WOW! "Get Yo Issue" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and this one right here is the most meaningful and poignant track on the disc. Dude goes ALL OUT on this one blasting all the ills of the world. He tackles politics, the environment, the lack of education in this country, man, he goes all out. He says some shit like we need to go to the "Doors of City Hall and Kick Them Hoe's Down," and even says some shit like "Since no one else is gonna do it, it's gotta be me, mayne." Which is true, hardly anybody else with a voice to the people is gonna say shit. Dude even talks about how so many places are ripping down projects and replacing them with condos and goes real deep into that whole situation. It's real mayne, a real look at America 2007.

"My Paper" - Produced by Big Time
This is pretty much the hardest song I've heard in ten years. Really.

"Damn I'm Cold" - Produced by CHOPS and featuring Lil Wayne
Gotta say I got real excited when I heard that my dude CHOPS was gonna be on this album. Seriously, I beenknowing him and his manager for some time now, and like 4 years ago he started really pursuing working with some of the folsk down here. Through sheer persistance, he's made it onto two of the hottest rap albums this year, and I'm pretty sure both songs are gonna be singles. If Cham doesn't make "We Breakin' Up" a single, he's nuts, and honestly I can't see Bun NOT making this a single. He and Lil Wayne both kill their verses and then trade off line for line in the third. Mayne, this shit is real mayne, I'm trying to tell you. What I've always liked about CHOPS is that he doesn't sample, he plays everything and makes his songs really melodic and musical, this one is no different, and it knocks.

"22 or Better" - Produced By Enigma
Another one of them straight up classic anthems.

"Unititled" - Produced by Mr. Lee
We've heard a lot of Mr. Lee production in the past couple years, but none on the level of this one. The shit is over the top. You'll hear it.

Anyway, I just feel crazy good to have been able to hear some of this shit in advance. It'll be out in early 2008 on Rap-A-Lot and it's gonnan change das game.

Listen to me now, believe me later on. In the future.


Also, Bun said this is what hath been fueling his fire. Ya don't kneaux beautx that Frenchy's, you better ask somebody from this town right here.

Anyway, that's that, wish I was as eloquent as Bun is coming on this record, but I'm not. I'm also a lil tired from a wild Halloweekend with these buddies right here. It's been a while since you've seen the girls, so here they go....


And Eva wanted you to see the skull on her face.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

I been waiting all my life for this

My sister Mona B and the fine folks at NRK in Norway have got all of the Lydverkets from the last year or so on the internetseses!



Which means that the HOUSTON SPECIAL is online as well. Man, seeing this special was one of the finest moment in my life. At the height of the um, Houston thing that happened, seeing a special on all the real cats out here on a Norwegian TV station means a lot to me.

CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE THE NRK LYDVERKET HOUSTON SPECIAL!!!

On here you'll see Devin being interviewed in my backyard, me and Elena in my kitchen and living room. Bun B and Scarface at 7303 and Bun B in Norway and way way more.

WATCH DAT! WORD TO MONA B! When fore art whilst we meet in Norge again? Grit Boys and Trae need a show in Bergen Bergen Bergen.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Houston Premier of INSIDE THE CIRCLE This Friday at MFAH

“If you can hold yourself down in battle, you can hold yourself down in life.”
Romeo Navarro, founder of B-Boy City



After a critically acclaimed world premiere at SXSW earlier this year, the award-winning documentary INSIDE THE CIRCLE will have its Houston premiere as part of the MFAH “Premieres and Revivals” series. The film will screen at 7 pm and 9:30 pm on Friday October 26. The film’s director Marcy Garriott will participate in an audience Q&A after each screening, along with the film’s subjects: dancers Omar Davila, Josh Ayers, and Romeo Navarro.

Capturing the raw power of a grassroots hip-hop movement, INSIDE THE CIRCLE tells the story of two strikingly talented Texas b-boys (break dancers.) Josh and Omar are former best friends who become rivals when they join competing dance crews. Immersed in the b-boy culture of defiant creativity, Omar rises to international renown while Josh tangles repeatedly with the law. Both of them struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives, and the “B-Boy City” competitive events thrown by visionary street dancer Romeo Navarro serve as emotional milestones in their journey to adulthood. As Romeo aptly observes: “If you can hold yourself down in battle, you can hold yourself down in life.”

INSIDE THE CIRCLE reveals a hip-hop culture sometimes invisible to the world at large, full of love, acceptance, hope and creativity.

Director Marcy Garriott is a Houston native and Rice graduate who now lives in Austin. Josh Ayers (Masterz of Mayhem/MIND180 crews) and Omar Davila (Jive Turkeys/Mighty Zulu Kingz crews) are world-class b-boys who regularly win international competitions; Josh also tours with Black-Eyed Peas vocalist Fergie.

INSIDE THE CIRCLE takes us across Texas, and around the world, with a few stops in Houston along the way. The innovative Houston-based non-profit Youth Advocates is featured, along with members of world-renowned Houston dance crew HaviKoro. The film’s short animated sequences and its website were developed by Houstonian b-boy Mario Jaramillo and his graphic arts company Robot Agency.

The film is very character/narrative-driven, but at the same time deals with universal issues felt by the b-boy community worldwide. The three b-boys that it focuses on (Romeo, Omar & Milky) will be in Houston also for the screening, available for interviews, etc. And Houston’s HaviKoro crew shows up through-out the film, as the established “role models” for the younger up & coming b-boys. The film has other strong Houston ties as well, such as highlighting the unconventional youth intervention organization Youth Advocates.

www.insidethecircle.com

So come out and see the HOUSTON PREMIERE of the award-winning documentary INSIDE THE CIRCLE at THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON (Same place the Bun B screening of STyle Wars was held)

Friday October 26, 7:00 and 9:30 pm

1100 Bissonnet Street

Director Q&A after each screening, plus b-boys Josh, Omar & Romeo

After-party till 2 AM with DJ Comp1, 2609 Dunlavy

Praise for the film:

** SXSW 2007 Audience Award **

** San Diego Film Festival 2007 Audience Choice Award **

“Amazingly good…”
www.aintitcool.com

“Easily the single most inspirational and gripping film of its kind I’ve seen in quite some time...”
www.film.com

“An absorbing documentary about two Texas b-boys that not only features the most sizzling breakdancing to be seen on the big or small screen, but also does the only lucid job I've yet encountered of explaining the aesthetic of this street art without diluting its power...”
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun

“It’s a film about perseverance in life and transformation through art that gives a message of hope to everyone.”
Nancy Schiesari, Award-winning filmmaker and Professor, University of Texas Dept. of Radio-Television-Film

“… a MUST-SEE film…”
Adrian Harewood, CBC Radio, Ottawa Canada

(PS We will be giving tix away to new members tonight on Damage Control so tune in).

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

TRAE LIFE GOES ON OUT TODAY!

Real talk for my peoples on the block...


New Trae in stores today so run and go get that. I'm only gonna endorse the realest and once again the realest is coming from Houston. What other region - seriously answer this in the comments with real examples cuz I wanna know - has put out rap records as real as Houston in the past couple months?

Seriously, tell me. And I'm talking about real, not dance music.

UGK
Chamillionaire
Grit Boys
Trae

All real.

And there's more coming too.

But for now go get the Trae, do yourself a favor.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Grit Boys Release Party Last Night at Venue!

Where were the TVT Execs????? Anyway man, it went down, super good to see Paul Wall in the place and all the good supporters of this great music. Real talk, y'all are missing out on some real music if you miss this Grit album. They put themselves waaaaay out there.

I stayed as long as I could. The party was cool, but I can't sit and listen to radio music all night or I die inside. But the crowd was really off the chain, nice vibes, lots of ladies, and Venue is quite top notch.

Anyway, heres the photos...


I took this just before getting to the club. In a daze/haze.


Unique of the Grit Boys


Poppy of the Grit Boys


Scooby of the Grit Boys


Calvin Earl and Pretty Todd


Paul Wall and Pretty Todd


Chase Money, Paul Wall, Gu-U and Scooby


Great Scott!


Gu-U, Paul Wall, Mike R. and Pretty Todd


MY PEOPLE RIGHT HERE!








Diedre and Todd


BP of Street Pharmacy and Sparkdawg


DJ Rynos new Trae tape is one of the only mixtapes I can listen to right now. Real talk.












InDMix was indmix!










Ricky Baby!


Starchy Arch!





It went DOWN!