A bunch of new hip hop is dropping or coming up… and it’s driving me nuts trying to keep up with it. A good kind of nuts though (hah, that sounds really bad). Let me start off with two really dope videos/songs.

Harlem-based producer/MC Jah-C is 1/3 of a group called The Project (of Glow In The Dark Records). Go ahead and peep their album “The Truth Today”, because from what I’ve heard on their myspace, it sounds pretty good. Listen to that “I gotta go” track and tell me the instrumental with the guitar-licks isn’t sweet music to your ears. Same goes with their dance-hit, “Light Feet“. The beat is laced with hand-clapping and ill guitar-playing, with some similarly versatile lyrics. The video is fresh and it’s probably one of the very few new-hip hop, dance-based tracks that I dig (fuck that “chicken noodle soup” or “crank that” bullshit). Anyway, back to just Jah-C. He dropped his solo debut, The Soul Banger EP (Coalmine Records), on June 24th. His self-produced, lead single called, “The Soul Banger” is just that… a soul banger. It’s on some Golden Era-influenced, club-rap, feel-good-with-positive-vibes type ish. Tune up that, Saxamaphone! I swear, the saxaphone plays nothing but a blend of beautiful, harmonious sounds… and if I could learn how to play one instrument, the saxaphone has always been my instrument of choice. Anyway, allow your ears to listen to this track and… let your soul be free.

Jah-C - “Soul Banger (remix)” (ft Baje One , Scott Thorough , MC K-Swift , Stimulus & Cavalier) [MP3]

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The Mighty Underdogs is a trio featuring Gift of Gab and Lateef the Truth Speaker (whaddup, Quannum Projects!), over phenominal beats produced by Headnodic (see: Crown City Rockers and Moe Pope & Headnodic). I’m surprised that I just recently heard of this group, being that I’m a fan of the QP artists, CCR & own that Megaphone album by Moe Pope & Headnodic. But it’s better late than never, right? RIGHT! The group’s debut project, “The Prelude EP“, features the “Gunfight” video shown below. It features MF Doom, too. The animated video made me laugh-out-loud, due to the old western setting and the artists animated as cowboys, with their heads on the bodies. Hahahaha… I love it, it’s perfect. The song is on point too – Gift, Lateef, and Doom never fail me. It’s a gunfight, don’t bring no knives! “The Prelude EP” is good in its entirety. Now the folks at Def Jux will be releasing The Mighty Underdogs‘ full-length album, “Droppin’ Science Fiction“, on October 15th. The album will feature artists DJ Shadow, Mr. Life, Damian “JR Gong” Marley, and MF Doom, of course. I’m definitely looking forward to that. You can peep freshly-leaked track on their myspace titled, “The Anthem”. If all of it sounds this good (and is as good as Prelude)… you can guarantee that I’m gonna buy it.

The Mighty Underdogs – “Gunfight” (ft MF Doom)

Yet another Youtube post from me. LOL I’m such a youtube whore…gosh. But what can I say? It’s addicting! Anyways, here’s a couple of play lists that I’ve put together to highlight two of my favorite songs, sung by some pretty rad Youtube Musicians. <33

1. Marshall Bang: I put his first because instead of making me cry, his video put a big smile on my face! ^^
2. afaeldlfd:I love the tone of his voice..it’s so full and warm! <33
3. Passion & Melvin:Who doesn’t know about Passion?! Well, imo, I thought Melvin was adorable, and his voice is another <333
4. evin Achas: OMG, totally beautiful voice. Very powerful!
5. hotlikefire03: I liked his cover, his voice is sweet!

All in all, there were a whole lot more guy singers who did their thing, but I think these are my top 5!

Now the ladies! WOOT! This playlist is of the chicas singing OneRepublic’s “Apologize,” a song that totally took me over the first time I heard it. I like the original, but I gotta say, these ladies did the song justice while putting their own spin on it. In order of appearance:

1. Laura Broad: OMFG! she KILLED IT! I totally subscribed to her channel after seeing this video. She’s amazing!!! I’m really surprised she’s not signed yet LOL. If I had a label, she’d be on board! Go LAURA!
2. Angie Girl & Kristen Dela Cruz: TOTALLY THE CUTEST! haha I loved their bantering, so funny, and their cover was rad as well. Angie Girl did her thing with the guitar and beatbox, and Kristen handled the vocals. Great duo!
3. Kristin Plater: I loved her acoustic guitar version as well. She’s got a unique voice, and I wouldn’t mind hearing a cd from her either!
4. Modee19: Her version doesn’t get REAL good until about the second verse. In the begining it’s OK..but then when she puts herself into it, girl gets down. <3333
5. Elise McKenna: I love how husky her voice is. She’s also got some sort of accentage going on, which is always fun.

OH yeah!

Let me start off by saying… hello CB readers. My name is Tiffany (but this one is from Arizona), and this is my first post. Wow, that sounded like AA-meeting material. Haha. I am choosing to start if off with a Youtube video I saw earlier today that was produced by Will Hatcher.

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Last night, I was on Youtube (yes, again) and as usual, I had no real aim, just browsing around. I came across some videos of Def Poetry Jam. After watching five or six videos, I was ready to move on, but I decided to click on one more video. It just so happened that the video I chose was of Carlos Andrés Gómez, titled “Man Up,” the video is about 10 minutes long. Now, at 3:00am, 10 minutes is a LONG time, as I was dead tired. However, I totally woke up as I continued to listen. His performance made me tear up, and even better, it made me click on more of his videos.

I was and am in LOVE with his poetry, with everything he has to say. His poems and performances are so passionate, and full of feeling. After each and every video, all I could say was “woah”.

I wasn’t going to post about him, though. What changed my mind was, the very last poem of his that I watched before bed. It was titled “All We Have” and I kid you not, I had to walk away from my laptop because he took me there, y’all. Check it out:

“What’s Genocide”

and here’s “Man Up”

photo cred: www.carloslive.com

If you don’t know, I absolutely love Japanese fashion sense. But I lean more towards the “urban” trends also known as “B-style” or “B-gyaru”(gyaru=girl). I’m not really into the Harajuku/Lolita look that’s more world known. Anywho, the “B” in the phrases stands for “Black” so I’ve been told, because it’s based on African American and Hip Hop styles from the US. However, please don’t get it twisted, it’s still very Japanese, and VERY fly.

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Last night, The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) hosted a charity event to raise disaster relief funds for the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake that hit China in May of 2OO8, the deadliest earthquake the country has seen since 1976. MercyCorps, one of the key organizations in providing relief in China, was also apart of this event. Co-Sponsored by Verizon, APEX, iaTV,ICON Philadelphia, LeeRehab, ningin,World Journal, HOT 97, THEME, and others; the event was held at Pace University in New York City.

Asian American and American performers from Hip Hop to R&B, spoken word, and dance all came out to raise awareness, and money as well. Hitting the stage was:
Ken Leung: actor(ABC’s Lost)
Councilman John C. Liu
DJ Cipha Sounds: HOT 97 personality/DJ
DJ Delinger
JUST BLAZE
Miss Info: HOT 97 personality, and host of the event-love her, she’s adorable, and hella funny!
Ryan Leslie: R&B singer, and producer
NAS:rapper
Andrew Choi: singer/songwriter
Beau Sia: spoken word artist
J-Lim: K-pop singer, and future American chart topper
G-Soul: future American chart topper
JYP: singer,songwriter, producer, dancer, cook, magician,author, dammit the man has probably done it all, and is still doing it (go ‘head Mr. Park!)
Planet BBoy: Directed by Benson Lee, effing awesome flick. if i do say so myself.
Dynamic Rockers: BBoys–effing SICK!
Breaks Crew: BBoys–equally effing SICK!
Jabbawockeez: lol like you don’t know.

anywho, I’m kinda tired now, so I’m not gonna give a WHOLE rundown of the show (you shoulda came =P) but I will post a few of my crappy videos and pictures for you to enjoy..or complain about whatev. Oh, and I’M SO PISSED.MY PICS OF BEAU ARE BLURRRRRRRY AND MY VIDEO OF HIS FRAWESOME POEM WON’T PLAY!!! i love him..this sucks. ={

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VIDEOS
J-LIM:IMAGINE

J-LIM: Music Is My Life ft. G-Soul

Andrew Choi

NAS with Miss Info & Director, Rik Cordero

PHOTOS

Last night, The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) hosted a charity event to raise disaster relief funds for the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake that hit China in May of 2OO8, the deadliest earthquake the country has seen since 1976. MercyCorps, one of the key organizations in providing relief in China, was also apart of this event. Co-Sponsored by Verizon, APEX, iaTV,ICON Philadelphia, LeeRehab, ningin,World Journal, HOT 97, THEME, and others; the event was held at Pace University in New York City.

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