eZine Feb-Mar 2011 by Big Dre

» CULTURE MAGAZINE | 02 | February/March 2011 «

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 / Issue NO. 2

p10

Contents GRAFFITI

2 . Starting from Zero

PHOTOGRAPHY

14 . Flix from Bahrain

5 . EJ Von Lyrik

Eleanor Williams - Doing it for the love of music

18 . Jean-Pierre Universal language

GRAPHIC DESIGN

ARTICLES

20 . More dusty than digital: The sample section - What is the sample section?

27 . In the Mix

ILLUSTRATION

EVENTS: 2010 RETROSPECTIVE

The darker side of fantasy

Purest Form. African Hip Hop Indaba. Kool Out Live. DMC SA Champs. DJ Premier. Public Enemy. Vast Aire.

10 . Vincent Sammy VERSE

Co-founder / Creative

Nash

Contributing Writers

Eleanor Williams Rosh G

Cover photo by Big Dré

24 . Movie Reviews 25 . Music Reviews

7 . Elske Nel

Big Dré

1 . Letter from the Editor

17 . Rosh G - What I know for shhhhh

We feature Sly & The Family Stone. Who are they and why did we feature them?

Co-founder / Editor

IN EVERY ISSUE

Pictures by Gavin Bloys

MUSIC FEATURE

wordup.ezine@gmail.com

28 . Classified

21 . Highlights from 2010

13 . SOUL LOVE LOUD Life for sale 2011 Design Indaba Expo

EDITOR’S LETTER

To quote the urban poet, William Griffin,

"It's been a long time..." Did you miss us? Well we're back and when we do it, we do it right! We have emerged from our self-imposed exile to bring you our latest and greatest creation. For your viewing pleasure allow us to present to you our February 2011 issue. For this issue we have quite the collection of visual artists (Elske Nel, Vincent Sammy and Mr Zero), each with their particular unique talent, speciality and eccentricity. Jean Pierre answers a few questions about his Universal message CD, Gavin Bloys displays his skill behind the lens with photos taken while working in Bahrain, and we have contributions by Rosh G and Eleanor Williams, (who gives us the inside dope on EJ Von Lyrik’s new album). Soul LOVE-LOUD has a very potent verse for the issue. We relive some of the best moments of 2010, via a photo retrospective and pay homage to Sly and The Family Stone for their contribution to and influence on modern music. Of course there are the regular weird and wonderful happenings at the movie theatre as well as ear candy recommends (erm that would be the music reviews) but we are proud to introduce our first Classified section, sadly we didn’t get any plumbing or flower arranging ads (we’re crushed). Thanks for the feedback and support, keep it coming. We’re on a mission to recruit more souljahs, so please keep passing along the link to view and download the magazine and if you enjoy reading Word Up eZine please send us a message and recommend that your friends (creatively inclined or otherwise) subscribe by simply e-mailing us on wordup.ezine@gmail.com with ’subscribe’ in the subject line.

feedback Sisanda Sipamla Word up! Congrats visually stimulating mag 4real haven t seen something this graphically pleasing since levitation graph mag .I m lovin it! Stay Blessed, 1love & Peace Editor — Thanks for the positive feedback. Lunga Guza Great Magazine, where can I get a hard copy? Editor — For the time being we re strictly an electronic mag. Zenaida Martin I am slightly shocked that the article still made the final cut of your publication - and when I get over myself all I can say is WHAT A GREAT contribution you’re making. Love the look, the feel, the words & all dat. Please allow me to make MO’BETTA contributions in future. Now that I am out of my writing hiatus. Editor — Thanks, we re looking forward to your next contribution. Perspektif Yo Yo Yo...Big up and thanks for the article you did on me for the Feb. 2010 issue. Overall the ezine was a very good read, like it a lot. All the best for future issues. Peace, Love and Respect 4 the Love of Hip Hop!!!! Editor — Word up!

Onward and upward!

The views expressed in Word Up eZine are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the eZine and its staff.

If you or anyone else you may know is talented, spread the magazine and the word. We welcome all submissions (photos, graffiti, design, fine art, tattoo art, articles, music for reviews, etc.) Please help us make it easier to expose your art. Send all submissions and info on upcoming events to: wordup.ezine@gmail.com Sign up for the eZine by typing ’subscribe’ in the subject line and emailing it to wordup.ezine@gmail.com Submissions: Artwork — high resolution PDFs or medium to high resolution (150 to 300 dpi) RGB Jpegs. Articles — 300 to 500 words in a Microsoft Word document.

Word Up eZine welcomes new contributions, but assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, etc. Word Up eZine is produced by Word Up Productions CC.

GRAFFITI

(Starting from Zero) View more of his work at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrzero_cfs/

Hungarian graffiti artist/graphic designer, Mr. Zero, started out spraying on walls in 1994 and after a few years of doing tags, outlines, steel (trains) and some street pieces, he decided to take it to the next level with 3D style. "These 3D forms are my evolution of letters. Other people may think these are flowers, bugs, shells or whatever but they are my letters." He's painted numerous skateboards and canvases since 2002, and had some exhibitions both with his crew (CFS) and on his own. He "found" his own style around 2004 and successfully completed graphic design studies in 2005. The connection between humans and animals is very special to him. His human-animals project is not just colourful and entertaining; it relays serious messages through its different characters. 2

A Model train - One side of a model train from a collector in New Jersey who collects different types of model trains and sends them to writers around the world (acrylic + marker)

GRAFFITI

Wroclaw (A, B, C & D) A combined piece with CFS during the Graffiti Non Stop/Meeting of Styles jam '07 at Wroclaw (Poland). The concept was evolution, there were many writers from all over Europe and we worked on the future visions part.

What sparked your interest in graffiti? I liked drawing since I first got a pencil in my hand. Like most children I loved to draw cartoon characters, comic book heroes and after that I tried to create my own characters. I remember the first time I did letters was when we mashed some sloe and painted metal band logos onto the pavement in front of our house. I did my first stuff with a marker and spray paint in '94 at the age of 12. At that point I became infected with this 'virus' that gives me the feeling of freedom more than anything else in my life. Please give some names of the exhibits you did, on your own and with your crew, tell us which gallery they were held in, what year etc (if you can remember). I did a few exhibitions together with the crew (CFS), maybe 5 or 6 at different places. Did 3 expos at the Kiszsinagoga-gallery in my hometown Eger, for one installation we built a 3D graffiti letter designed by my crewmate 'Hepi'. It was 3 or 4 meters high, made of wood, cardboard and canvas. If I remember correctly we did 2 exhibitions in Budapest (Hungary), in 2009 we participated in a group expo in Lublin (Poland) during an international jam, I did some more exhibitions with some other guys in the past as well as a solo exhibit at the Kiszsinagoga-gallery. What attracted you to graphic design? I've been interested in it since childhood as well. I started out doing some graphics in Art studio, on my C-64 (old Commodore 64 home computer). It's just another technique I like to use. You can do some cool things with it.

Where did you study design? In my hometown and I just attended those schools to get the papers. These schools aren't the best to learn enough about design to be really good at your profession. So would you say that graphic design influences your graffiti or the other way around? I think they live in a perfect symbiosis. ;) Are there any pictures that show the evolution of your lettering? Yes, I have some, but I don't like to show them to just anyone... :) I'm proud of some of my past works that helped me evolve to the next level but the present and the future are more important to me than the past.

Detail '08 Eger's hall of fame

Detail '09 Eger's hall of fame

Sofia (Bulgaria) Meeting of Styles '09

Tell us about the human animal project? I use animal stereotypes to show the character of human beings in certain situations. People may think they're better or smarter than animals... I don't think so. Just look at some TV shows for example or just open your eyes when you walk the streets, watch them, listen to them. People are the poison of this planet. We kill animals for sport, destroy their habitat, use them for all sorts of laboratory experiments, and we call what we've done civilization?

GRAFFITI

3D graffiti letter installation in wood, cardboard and canvas

Don't panic cover & envelope design '08 Soulofanewmachine Graphic design for a website '05 (3dmax & Photoshop)

Evilization T-shirt design (Nov '09)

Skateboard decks '07 (spray paint, stencil & marker)

Fallen Angel T-shirt design '08

Pyrami[n]ds A do-it-yourself paper toy project by Ciah-ciah from Poland Feb '09

?? 4

FEATURE

by Eleanor Williams EJ Von Lyrik is a ferocious emcee who loves being on stage. Anyone who hasn’t witnessed her lyrical prowess has to check out one of her shows to experience how she shares her passion for music with both her established fan-base, as well as those who merely come out for a night of fun but inevitably end up in awe of her live performance.

“...spotted by a European festival agent at the Rocking the Daisies festival in 2009. “Next thing we knew, we were invited to Europe,...”

It’s this electrifying stage presence that got EJ and her band, The Champions, spotted by a European festival agent at the Rocking the Daisies festival in 2009. ’’Next thing we knew, we were invited to Europe, so I concentrated on finishing my album in time to promote it while we were there,’’ explains EJ. The timing was perfect. Shortly after the SA launch of her 2010 album entitled, The Human Condition, EJ and her band left for a 6-week tour. They performed shows in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, where they delivered their musically informed lyrical content at a number of festivals and famous clubs, including the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. In France, they performed at the very popular Rio Loco Festival in Toulouse, which showcases an eclectic mix of events, from art and architecture exhibitions, to the very best in world music. On her return trip she jetted off to the Reunion Islands with Cape Town dance DJ’s ’Mix ’n Blend’ to perform at the SAKIFO music festival. After which,

FEATURE

she returned to Switzerland with long time production partner, Grenville Williams, on a Producer’s Exchange project to record an album with the best Swiss musical talent including ’Meisterbeatz’ from the hiphop crew ’Whodis’, ’DJ Ilarius’, ’Michi Scherer’ and ’Fidi’ from the hip-hop outfit ’Fidi ’n Flink’. This may have been EJ’s first European tour as a solo artist, but her versatility as an emcee and singer is well known throughout Europe. She’s performed on albums by German Hip-hop group; ’Each One Teach One’, Polish metal band; ’Sweet Noise’ and Dutch reggae group ’Roots Riders’. Back on home soil, she’s worked with Josie Field, and popular Ska band, ’The Rudimentals’. Equally as impressive was her performance as the opening act for Public Enemy’s show in Cape Town at the end of 2010. ’’There’s so much wrong in this world, so much heart ache and pain, which is why I called the album, The Human Condition’’, explains EJ. ’’The subject matter touches on relationships, social issues, messages of encouragement, introspection, keeping the faith during tough times as well as some feel good fun vibes.’’ ’’Best of all is [the fact] that my music doesn’t have to be pigeon holed as Hip-hop anymore. I’ve always loved mixing genres and on this album the production flips from Funk to Hip-hop and from Dancehall/Reggae to Rock. I simply perform music. This means that my message reaches a wider audience, from young to old and black to white,’’ smiles EJ. ’’I love the fact that it has such a cross-over appeal — whether a DJ is playing one of my songs in a club, at one of my live gigs, or simply listening to my music at home, it can be enjoyed equally.’’

“There’s so much wrong in this world, so much heart ache and pain, which is why I called the album, The Human Condition”... Produced by Grenville Williams, its instrumentation is a futuristic blend of sample based sequences, hard hitting drum programming, fat bass lines, old school guitar riffs laced with effects and segments of psychedelic keyboards. EJ’s vocal ability remains extraordinary as she flips effortlessly from singing to rapping within the blink of an eye. Listening to this album, there’s absolutely no mistaking EJ’s ability as a versatile, passionate performer. In an industry as competitive and challenging as the SA music scene, she could only have done this through her intense love of music.

DESIGN

Elske Nel Elske's design proficiency and her skill behind the lens combines beautifully to present her range of brooches, called Trinket, in the best possible light. Within a short space of time she has managed to garner several prestigious awards with her variety of skills in the design field (see achievements). Her stall at the 2010 Design Indaba jolted me out of a haze induced by mostly disappointing exhibits. I reckon it's only a matter of time before she makes her mark. The imaginative Ms Nel started working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator in 2009, after four years of Information Design studies at the University of Pretoria. In June 2009 she decided to produce her own brooch range because she simply adores them and it's quite difficult to find interesting and unique ones. The brooch project originated from her final year at University when she had to create a fictionalised brand that specialised in designer brooches. She produced a few mock-ups and the positive feedback was overwhelming. Her brooches are made of stainless steel, perspex and wood with each one accompanied by its own small handmade mushroom pouch. She loves designing quirky characters and stylised flowers and this range certainly shows that.

DESIGN

Elske's design achievements: In 2009 she entered the Loerie student awards for the first time and walked away with three Loeries. Her group won a Gold award for their Mixed Media Campaign. She got a Silver Loerie for one of her typography projects and a Bronze for a publication design project. In 2008 Elske received silver at the Sappi think awards, for two of her projects and also passed the ISTD awards (International Society of Typographic Designers) with merit. Elske is inspired by: Melissa shoes, typography, music and the work of illustrators like Marc Boutavant, Sara Fanelli and Maurizio Quarello. You can view and purchase these and other designer brooches at: www.trinketdesign.co.za. Elske will also be exhibiting at this year's 2011 Design Indaba Expo.

DESIGN

Elske Nel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Typographic Project

ILLUSTRATION

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Depth Cover illustration for 'Something Wicked' magazine – 'ISSUE 5'

ILLUSTRATION Dogtooth Violet Illustration auctioned off for CANSA cause – 'SA Artists Unite'

Vincent Sammy is a full-time graphic designer and freelance illustrator who has written and illustrated comic book stories in productions such as, 'Igubu Zero', 'Igubu Helix', 'Clockworx' and 'The Outline Project'. He has also illustrated magazine covers and interior art for 'Something Wicked Magazine', and book covers and commercial artwork for various companies. Alternative worlds, horror, sci-fi, slice of life stories and dark fantasy are his primary subject matter. He has created websites for 'Dark Kontinent Productions', 'Insurrection Studios' and 'Oneironaut' and has a couple of zombie projects in the pipeline. You can view some of these works and more at: http://www.somethingwicked.co.za/cms/artists_index /sammy_vincent.html

The Guitar Case

Megan

Illustration for 'Something Wicked' magazine story – 'ISSUE 10'

Character Illustration – Appeared in 'Brian Wood's LOCAL'

Deception Illustration for 'Something Wicked' magazine story – 'ISSUE 9'

ILLUSTRATION

Genesis Lantern

Ceremony

Cover illustration for 'Something Wicked' magazine – 'ISSUE 8'

Illustration for 'Something Wicked' magazine story – 'ISSUE 5'

VERSE

Verse by Soul Love-LOUD

Life for sale... Lack of self-confidence turned arrogance made-made men pull down their pants, the young sag their pants as they crave slightest attention from mom/dad. Good is not the best option, even when it is not for them...we certain stars are planets too hot to be touched, as the sun is too bright and is still looking down on everyone when the perception of depth is pain, now your words are becoming projectors, ideas overhead....(they go over their heads)...we know that just because a person will do anything for you, never meant they love you....as one person may not even move the world for you...may not mean they do not love you.....you love you before allowing anybody else to....Mind you I was attempting to elevate your mood by uplifting your spirits, self worth escalating down a pile of moving stairs....had to snap back to moving stares. Moving stares that glance at your reality when my thoughts had to be user-friendly and I had to whisper radio-likened words....Society is not affected by what we do, but what we say, that being said, my deeds spoke for me. When she fell into pain, she thought that she fought for his ears-but he never listened. The more she paid attention to the kitchenhe never ate, full plate, empty chair...burnt candles, romantic-less dinners made way to cold beds. People saw her with stab wounds on her back. 'An Autobiography of a Suicide Survivor' Ntsika Tyatya E-MAIL: Ntsika.soul@gmail.com Blog: http://www.soul-loveloud.blogspot.com/

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bahrain World Trade Centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Photo by Gavin Bloys

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bahrain Financial Harbour â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Photo by Gavin Bloys

PHOTOGRAPHY

The city of Bahrain – Photo by Gavin Bloys

“...an ex boyfriend asked me: “Must you always quote from a book, don’t you have your own opinion?”

What I know by Rosh G

My name is Rosh and I'm an addict… Yes, I confess, I am addicted… not to alcohol, or drugs, but to motivational books! I noticed people giving me strange looks when I read those kinds of books. I always get the feeling they are thinking, ''Shame wonder who disappointed her?'' But that of course is only what I perceive they are thinking. And very much later in life I would realise that what you perceive you will believe.

Dementia''. They will produce little Bimbolians. Both parties have different values and each one gives their set of values top priority. All we have to do is accept one another and respect each other's values. But we don't. Why?

It started after I matriculated when I was a shy 18-year-old searching for my true self; as if I had lost my cute 56kg self (current status: reverse the figure). I was seeking the answers to lots of questions about self-esteem, relationships, finding happiness and what my role is on this planet. I married eighteen years later, gave birth to two laaities and new questions started popping up whenever I was faced with marital or parental challenges. I am a little over a year older than the editor (in dog's years) and I finally found an answer, as Oprah Winfrey would say, an ''Aha! Moment''. I call it my: ''Bizarre! Moment'' because Oprah gets her inspiration in the bath and I sometimes get mine on the throne. LOL.

The answer is in all the books written by the authors of 'Being Human' (Ramesh Ramkumar), 'The Heart of Love' (Dr John F Demartini), 'You Can Heal Your Life' (Louise L Hay), 'Happiness' (John Kehoe), and many others say: ''Love yourself''.

My obsession with these books made me a book junkie. One day, BM (before marriage), an ex boyfriend asked me: ''Must you always quote from a book, don't you have your own opinion?'' He had a point, I realised, long after I read it in a book – the people who influenced you when you were a child, were giving you negative subliminal messages and it was recorded in your sub-conscious mind. You are now living 'their' lives or what you've PERCEIVED to be true. While reading the book ''Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus'' (John Gray), I thought I already knew most of what he wrote. I even wanted to write a book myself and call it ''Men suffer from Bipolar and Women suffer from

Because our belief system is created by all the negative subliminal messages stuck in our subconscious mind and we have to RELEASE them.

In most communities children are taught to love and respect their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunties and uncles, but they are rarely reminded to 'love themselves first'. It only makes sense to have self love in order to express love. Louise L Hay says in 'You Can Heal Your Life', that she teaches her clients to solve any problem by looking at themselves from within. If you look in the mirror every morning, she wrote, while saying these affirmations, ''I love myself and I radiate selfrespect'' for 28 days, you WILL start BELIEVING it. Sounds cuckoo, but it works. (Of course I tried it... I'm addicted remember?) Dr John F Demartini wrote: ''What are loving relationships? Ones that help you SEE YOURSELF. Where do you discover bonds of affection? WITHIN YOURSELF. And how do you find lasting connections? By BEING YOURSELF. When you are being true to your heart and what you love, you will attract those who are living in that manner''. If everyone believed in themselves, it might be a step towards making the world a better place. Now that's a ''Bizarre! Moment''. Respect! Rosh G

FEATURE

Jean Pierre Compassionate, humble, respectful...Not usually the words used to describe an emcee. It’s a common misconception that emcees are not everyday people. Maybe it’s the glitz and glamour surrounding the more popular ones that make them seem larger than life and immune to problems. Urban music pioneer & former Supadan front man, JeanPierre experiences all of the everyday struggles we know all too well, but somehow still manages to express his feelings honestly. Despite the popularity of rap music that glorifies violence, Jean-Pierre’s music offers a fresh alternative to this stereotypical perception of Hip-hop. A Universal Message, Jean-Pierre’s debut album was launched at the end of 2009. He worked closely with singing sensation; Garth Links on the album, the result, is a body of work that steers Hip-hop music back on course. Some of Cape Town’s top Hip-hop beat makers contributed to the album, providing the 14-track album with their signature sound to compliment Jean-Pierre’s socially aware and thought provoking lyricism. At live shows he is assisted by the All Elements Band, which includes drums, guitar, bass and keyboards.

“...my greatest strength as an MC is the combination of versatility and longevity...”

Jean-Pierre with the All Elements Band

Obviously we’d like to know why you named your debut album ‘A Universal Message’ and what is the message? The ratio of our existence is 99.999% spiritual and 0.001% physical. Therefore our priority should be to secure the closest relationship possible with our creator. Whether you are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc, is beside the point. A strong spiritual life is the universal message... ’A universal message’ is also the theme of the album; of course there is the play on the artwork, the space interludes, and the fact that all the songs carry strong social messages that are relevant to the majority of people in the world. How did you develop and maintain a relationship with the creator? I was raised in a Christian home by two God fearing parents, and my father who is also my hero is a pastor and the spiritual leader of a community. I follow my parent’s example by trying my best to remain spiritually sound and living a righteous moderate existence. You are spreading the message through music. What's the relationship between spirituality and sound? In Christianity the earliest trace of a human musician is a man called Jubal, he used music to praise the Lord. Therefore in my humble opinion the original purpose of music was to give thanks and praises to the Lord. What else is important to you besides the music? What influences you on a daily basis? My compassion for people is what first got me involved in music. My goal has always been to add a higher quality of life to the human experience for as many people as possible. I want to see people live up to their

full potential and realise their greatest dreams and ambitions regardless of their circumstances and obstacles. What do you intend to do through music etc to add a higher quality of life? I hope to inspire people to achieve their dreams. Who handled the distribute for your album? KMD welcomed me with open arms and I appreciate the opportunity they offered me. Another name I see is High Voltage, what did they bring to the project? High Voltage was responsible for the mastering of my album, they also administer my publishing. Going through the credits it seems like you kept things pretty close to the family, working with people you already knew. How did this impact the making of the album? Like minded folks engage one another. Working with people who were familiar to me, made the process very smooth because we could engage each other on a very honest and direct manner, so there was no miscommunication or delays. The most difficult thing you had to do in order to grow as an artist and person? Remaining true to myself and, not following musical trends and fashion. Here’s an interesting story. I was speaking to the music manager of a certain radio station and he reckons that I should start listening to international trends to keep up to date with what the pop stars and American rappers are doing musically so that I can copy them. I disagree, my advice to other musicians is to follow your heart, remain original because your sound

is unique to you and it’s what makes you special. It’s a difficult stance to take because that’s not what the mainstream wants [to hear] and therefore opportunities may be limited for those who choose to be true to themselves. But on the flip side, ironically, musical trends and fashion are set by people who remain true to themselves. Your greatest strength as an emcee? I’m a versatile MC, and I’ve been able to remain relevant for a very long time. So I’d say that my greatest strength as an MC is the combination of versatility and longevity.

FEATURE

“...ironically, musical trends and fashion are set by people who remain true to themselves.”

Any music or philosophy that has influenced your life? I love Bob Marley’s music. I can listen to ’Redemption Song’ over & over. What are some current affairs that have caught your attention? The decomposing moral fibre within humanity, it’s really heart breaking. Have you read any books that help to keep the vibes positive? I love biographies and African historical literature. How do you continue being creative with everything else that needs your attention? We’ve all received a talent or talents from the Lord, and because our talents are divine gifts we should show our appreciation by using them frequently. Of course there are loads of other things that require our attention so I try to maintain a healthy balance between my priorities, but that’s not easy at all.

DUSTY FINGERZ

Who sampled Sly:

Cypress Hill — Insane in the brain (organ)/ Real estate (sampled vocals)

Big Pun — Twinz Arrested Development — People everyday

A Tribe Called Quest — Jazz (we got) rmx/ After hours/ rap promoter (drums)

Sly and the Family Stone Sly & the Family Stone are an American band from San Francisco, California who were active from 1966 to 1983. This band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have a multicultural lineup. Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) in 1967. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie’s sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Billboard Hot 100 hits which reached the top 10, and four ground-breaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American Pop, Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly & the Family Stone’s influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. During the early 1970s, the band switched to a grittier Funk sound, which was as influential on the music industry as their earlier work. The band began to fall apart during this period because of drug abuse and ego clashes; consequently, the fortunes and reliability of the band deteriorated, leading to its dissolution in 1975. Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating

lineup under the "Sly & the Family Stone" name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987, Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, after which he went into effective retirement. However, Sly and The Family Stone were announced as being in the line-up for the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA., USA. History The Stewart family was a deeply religious middle-class household from Dallas, Texas. K.C. and Alpha Stewart held the family together under the doctrines of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) and encouraged musical expression in the household. After the Stewarts moved to Vallejo, California, the youngest four children (Sylvester, Freddie, Rose, and Valetta) formed "The Stewart Four", who released a local 78 RPM single, "On the Battlefield of the Lord" backed with "Walking in Jesus’ Name", in 1952. The eldest sister, Loretta, was the only Stewart child not to pursue a musical career.

N.W.A. — Somethin to dance to

De La Soul — Eye know/ Say no go

Digital Underground — The humpty dance LL Cool J — Mama said knock you out

Sly Stone

Queen Latifah — Dance to the music

While attending high school, Sylvester and Freddie joined student bands. One of Sylvester’s high school musical groups was a doo-wop act called The Viscaynes, in which he and a Filipino teenager were the only non-white members. The Viscaynes released a few local singles, and Sylvester recorded several solo singles under the name "Danny Stewart". By 1963, Sylvester had become Sly Stone, a disc jockey for San Francisco R&B radio station KSOL. During the same period, he worked as a record producer for Autumn Records, producing for San Francisco-area bands such as The Beau Brummels and The Mojo Men. One of the Sylvester Stewartproduced Autumn Records singles, Bobby Freeman’s "C’mon and Swim", was a national hit record.

Public Enemy — Fear of a black Planet/ Power to the people/ Air hoodlum

"there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone,and black music after Sly Stone"

Fatboy Slim — Weapon of choice

Joel Selvin - For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History

M.O.P. — G Building Beastie Boys — Finger lickin good/ Sex machine

Black Eyed Peas — Weekends Del — Worldwide Dr. Dre ft Snoop Dogg — Deep Cover

(All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners)

J88 — Stupid *ss lies

Party people in the place to be...

Metabs, Macho & Planet Earth ...this is serious business

2010 RETROSPECTIVE

PUREST FORM

Mingus, Uno and The Camo

DJ Eazy finessing the turntables

B-One tweaks the controls

KOL

Rattex, Hipe and Brazuka in full effect Kanyisa... love and peace!

The Block of Writers caught in one spot

The Camo on a solo creep

AFRICAN HIP HOP INDABA

Mingus performs for the launch of his CD

Selekta: gelo Thee An

Emile YX officiates the emcee battles

Hemel Bes em vs MC Cole

Hipe with his digital music box

DJ Codax cutting up the competition

Handstand freeze

B-Boy Bennie (winner) and The Curse

HIP HOP Indaba crew members

2010 RETROSPECTIVE DJ Codax

DJ Niffty is number 1

SA DMC CHAMPS

DJ Azhul On-Q spins behind the back DJ Shameless

DJ Premier in deep concentration

Raiko plays a surprise set DJ Juice

DJ Calculus Marv D

I run this Up close with the fans

DJ PREMIER

Skillz, skillz, ILL Skillz that is Host, Carl Wastie in the winners circle

After the battle everything's cool

tist, Premo's new ar

Nick Javas

Peace...I'm out This guy is feeling it

2010 RETROSPECTIVE

DJ Raiko

Vast chills with some fans

VAST AIRE

Ready D introduces the Legends

Hey listen...

Double AB with Vast Jimmy Flexx (ILL Skillz)

Cold lampin with Flavor

I'm Public Enemy

number one!

Hold up...wait a minute

Public Enemy baNNed member, guitarist Khari Wynn

Believe the hype!

PUBLIC ENEMY

Flav...yeah

Handling business

Tommy Jinx (ILL Skillz)

Chuck D... the hard rhymer

You know the words

boyeeeeeee e

e people Power to th

DJ Lord and Big Dre

Saturn meets Double AB

23 22

MOVIE REVIEWS

We review movies currently on circuit and a few forthcoming attractions

How Do You Know?

Just Go With It

Saw 7 3D

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson Director: James L. Brooks Genre: Comedy Release Date: Fri 18 Feb 2011 Age Restriction: 13LSMA Lisa (Witherspoon) is a woman, whose athletic ability is the defining passion of her life, having been her focus since early childhood. When she is cut from her team, everything she has ever known is suddenly taken from her. Not knowing what to do, she stumbles toward regular life. In this mode, she begins a fling with Matty (Wilson), a major league baseball pitcher, a self-centered ladies man a narcissist with a code of honor. George Madison (Rudd) is a straight-arrow businessman whose complicated relationship with his father, Charles (Nicholson), takes a turn when George is accused of a financial crime. Before Lisa’s relationship with Matty takes root, she meets George for a first date on the worst evening of each of their lives: she has just been cut, and he has just been served. When everything else seems to be falling apart, they will discover what it means to have something wonderful happen.

Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker, Dave Matthews, Bailee Madison, Kevin Nealon, Griffin Gluck Director: Dennis Dugan Genre: Comedy Release Date: Fri 18 Feb 2011 Age Restriction: TBA In this movie a plastic surgeon, romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistant, Katherine (Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. Anybody could fall for the object of Danny’s (Sandler) desire – schoolteacher Palmer Dodge. The role is played by Brooklyn Decker, who makes her big-screen debut in the film. Palmer is a really sweet girl, a naïve, compassionate, and hopeful math teacher. She falls in love with Danny, and he decides this girl might be the one for him. So he gets caught up in this whole web of lies to try to convince Palmer that he’s a decent guy. When more lies backfire, the assistant’s kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.

Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Besty Russell, Cary Elwes, Sean Patrick Flanery, Chad Donella, Gina Holden Director: Kevin Greutert Genre: Horror, Mystery Release Date: Fri 18 Feb 2011 Age Restriction: 16LVMA This February, the most successful horror movie series in history arrives in theaters in vivid, chilling 3-D with the release of Lionsgate’s SAW 3D. The SAW films follow the machinations of Jigsaw, a terminally ill cancer patient with an exacting moral agenda and a genius for gruesome games of survival, “played” with those he believes have ceased to value and appreciate the gift of life. As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror... The first theatrical feature to be shot exclusively on the cuttingedge SI-3D digital camera system, SAW 3D brings the horrifying games of Jigsaw to life like never before.

Black Swan

Fair Game

The Warrior's Way

Release Date: 04 February 2011 Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder Director: Darren Aronofsky Classification: 16LSV, 108 min BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the Swan Queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect. Nina (Portman) replaces the prima ballerina for the opening production of the season, “Swan Lake”. But the role requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Release Date: 04 February 2011 Cast: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Sam Shepard, Ty Burrell, David Andrews Director: Doug Liman Classification: 13LVD 106 min A riveting drama inspired by the experiences of real-life undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame, whose career is destroyed and her marriage strained to its limits when her covert status is exposed by a White House press leak. Valerie Plame (Watts), a covert officer in the CIA’s counter-proliferation department, discovers that Iraq has no active nuclear weapons program, contrary to the belief of many in the U.S. government. Meanwhile, her husband Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), a former ambassador to Niger, is sent by the State Department to Africa to investigate rumors of the possible sale of enriched uranium to Iraq. After the White House ignores Joe’s findings that no such deal took place, and declares war on Iraq, Joe writes a piece in The New York Times outlining his conclusions and ignites a firestorm of controversy. Fair Game is the gripping account of one woman’s struggle to overcome a staggering betrayal and reclaim her life.

Release Date: 11 February 2011 Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush Director: Sngmoo Lee Classification: 16V 100 min The world’s greatest swordsman abandons his warrior clan to start a new life in the American Badlands in The Warrior’s Way, a visually dazzling modern martial arts adventure with stunningly choreographed fight sequences and gravitydefying stunts. He arrives to find that his friend has died and the once-thriving Gold Rush town is in shambles, inhabited only by a few dozen eccentrics including Lynne (Kate Bosworth), a beautiful, spirited knife thrower-in-training, and Ron, a worn-out drunk (Geoffrey Rush). In order to make a safe home for the child far from the reach of his murderous clansman, Yang decides to stay on as the town’s new laundryman, sealing his sword for good.

The King's Speech Cast: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Robert Portal, Richard Dixon, Paul Trussell, Adrian Scarborough, Andrew Havill Director: Tom Hooper Genre: Drama Release Date: Fri 11 Feb 2011 Age Restriction: 13LMA After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING’S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch’s quest to find his voice.

MUSIC REVIEWS

These days most album releases aren't great but on the rare occasion you could stumble onto valuable treasure, (an album with more than 5 good trax). Purist DJs and salty record companies beware: MP3s are here to stay, so get smart or get left. Here are some releases we recommend.

Dice Raw Dice Dilla Pregunta (mixtape)

John Legend & The Roots Wake Up Label: G.O.O.D. Music, Columbia, Sony Music Format: CD, Album Genre: Funk/Soul, Hip-hop, Reggae Production: Ahmir ”?uestlove” Thompson, James Poyser, John Legend We’ve been waiting for this for awhile, John Legend and The Roots eventually collaborating on some kind of project together. Never did we expect it to actually happen, however, a full length album of funk/soul covers of the 60’s and 70’s. The idea behind Wake Up was to capture the spirit of the Black community that was prevalent in those years, and apply it today’s generation as a whole. While Legend’s own material is held in the highest regard by itself, the music on Wake Up finds him leaving his seducer’s suit hung up, as the songs here have a much broader message. It begins with “Hard Times”, a cover of the Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters track, which will immediately resonate with hiphop heads thanks to it’s familiar horn section as sampled by Diamond D and Ghostface Killah. As an added bonus, Black Thought surprises the listener with his own rendition of the song’s message, as the band ”loops” the breakdown for his rhymes. They employ this tactic once again later on in the album on “Our Generation”, the Ernie Hines classic used for Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “Straighten It Out”, featuring bonus rhymes from none other than C.L. himself. The addition of guest rappers is not needed, but makes things a bit more fun, also adding Black Thought to “Little Ghetto Boy” and Common (cringe) on “Wake Up Everybody”. While this arguably gimmicky approach to selling the idea of this album to the more stubborn hip-hop heads works, Legend’s buttery voice is the true highlight of this record. His twelve minute rendition of Bill Withers’ Vietnam-aftermath track “I Can’t Write Left-Handed” carries eerie relevance to today’s postIraq America, as Legend pours his heart out on both vocals and the keys. The only seemingly out of place cover here is that of reggae band Prince Lincoln Thompson and the Royal Rasses’ “Humanity”. Same era, but a completely different sound than the rest of the record. The original track, “Shine”, caps things off; a poignant addition taken from the Waiting For “Superman” soundtrack. Both The Roots and John Legend have reached a point in their careers where embarking on an offshoot project like this will demand respect, rather than being looked at with cocked eyebrows. Summing it all up, the experiment that is “Wake Up!” works beautifully, providing a stark contrast to anything else out there in modern R&B music today.

Label: None Format: CD, Mixtape Genre: Hip-hop This started out as the ’Dilla Jawns’ project where The Roots did incredible reinterpretations of some of J Dilla’s classics. As it was a strictly instrumental affair, it's inevitable that someone would hop on top those beats pretty quickly. That someone happens to be none other than The Roots affiliate, Dice Raw, who steps to the challenge and more than holds his own. Dice wrote and recorded the mixtape in less than a week. Honestly you can hear that he didn’t take the same amount of time to craft his lyrics. Not that this is anywhere close to wack but after hearing Dilla’s classics so lovingly reinvented, I expected him to put in a similar amount of love. The majority of the tracks bump heavily, as the beats are based on Dilla classics but take on a life of their own. My only gripe is that the joints don’t progress into fully fledged songs. For what it is, I’d say it’s an easy addition to the heavy rotation list, on the strength of the music alone.

The title track is delicate guitars, interesting drum patterns and electronic flourishes perfectly showcasing the cerebral lyrics Skye sings and that soft ethereal voice. The album opens with the very melodic ”I believe” which sets the tone for most of the 10 cuts. ”Boo hoo” switches between melancholic and a bit cheerful, while the stunning ”Not broken” (with lyrics of self belief) is the most acoustic selection. The dark and mysterious ”Monsters demons” is made that more ominous by skittery beats and fuzzy guitars, while ”Clocks to stop” has a bass line with a Waltz-like sensibility. You’ll love ”Wrong alright” and closing cut ”Exhale” (with beautiful harmonies and reverb-ed guitars). Not everything is soft and ethereal though, ”The shape I’m in” is upbeat Pop, as is the bouncy ”Almost killed me”, the variations in style are skilfully executed and most welcome. The only problem is that she is not famous and the release of the CD on her independent label went nearly undetected by most. Skye is a vocalist who deserves to be heard by many more ears, we certainly hope that this happens for her in the near future.

It’s a bold statement when you call your latest project Album of the Year. But for Detroit producer/emcee Black Milk, his audacious claims aren’t unwarranted as Album of the Year is one helluva complete package that is sure to be on many year-end lists. Let’s get this out of the way: Black Milk is an exceptional lyricist, but it is the production that steals the show on this project. Simply put, Black Milk’s work behind the boards is top notch. Milk has a knack to make his drums slap your eardrums silly as evidenced on the scatting “Round of Applause” and the album’s opener “365.” This go around Black Milk makes sure you listen to him as a rapper. It’s something he does a great job with and obviously focused on when crafting the album. “Distortion” finds Black lamenting about how he can’t grasp why bad things happen to good people. He shows off some lyrical dexterity when he calls upon fellow Detroit rhyme slayers Royce Da 5’9” and Elzhi for the simply menacing “Deadly Medley.”

Talib Kweli & Hi Tek (Reflection Eternal) Revolutions per minute Label: Warner Bros Rec/Blacksmith Music Format: CD, Album Genre: Hip-hop Ten years ago, Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek helped define the indie hip-hop movement, with their self-titled debut LP. Talib’s thought provoking lyrics sat perfectly alongside Tek’s moody, lush production. It’s unfair though to expect Reflection E to recreate that old album.

Kelis Flesh Tone

”We control the dancefloor” is the key line repeated toward the close in the opening song, ‘Intro’, as Kelis makes her intention clear after the morass of thickset analogue keyboards and mid paced looping drum samples fade to black.

Format: CD, Album Genre: Hip-hop Production: Blackmilk

Label: Skyewards Recordings Format: CD, Album Genre: Trip Hop, Soul, Pop Production: Alexis Smith, Ivor Guest, Skye Skye is a delightful vocalist; she has this ability of sultry singing that reminds me of a Billie Holiday at times. This album is her 2nd solo effort and for the most part sees her staying close to the tried and tested formula employed on Morcheeba albums. None of the producers from Morcheeba are enlisted but the sound is very similar, maybe she had more to do with the sound than just vocals? To say that the album is short by today’s standards is an understatement. The entire experience is complete in just over 47 min. With Skye trimming all the fat and giving us only the essentials she makes it an album worth multiple listens.

Ultimately, if you are a fan of raw production, Black Milk’s Album of the Year absolutely must not be missed. His lofty claims aren’t unjustified and you’ll find that out courtesy of this 12 track exercise in how hip-hop should be done.

Format: CD Genre: Dance Production: Boys Noize, Damien Leroy aka DJ Ammo, David Guetta, Free School

Black Milk Album Of The Year

Skye Keeping Secrets

But in the end, Album of the Year is anchored by its production. Black Milk can make you nod your head until your spinal cord can’t take anymore like on “Black & Brown” and when he’s ready to smooth it out, he’ll surround a sweet guitar loop with another round of potent drums on the album’s closer “Closed Chapter.”

The producer credits vary from that point on, with Boys Noize taking control of ‘22nd Century’ and Black Eyed Peas’ colleague DJ Ammo overseeing ‘4th of July’, but the gist of the record remains the same—this is Kelis’s bid for your feet, spread over a clear and concise (Flesh Tone barely makes it over the 30-minute mark) set of songs that rarely step outside of the fundamental template of large pop-dance tunes with sketched out lyrical mantras over the top.

Talib Kweli, who’s always had a lot to say, has a mammoth 17 tracks to say it on. Hi Tek’s production has evolved, morphing into different styles of production, while retaining his signature style. The album gets off to a bit of a slow start, with the murky “City Playground” and “Back Again”. But things get rolling with the track “Strangers”, as Talib and Bun B drop some of their best verses. The soulful “In This World” also maintains the energy but the album’s shining jewels are “Lifting Off”, “Just Begun” featuring J. Cole, Mos Def, and Jay Electronica, with its flavour jazz loop, propped nicely by the perfect drums, and “Ballad Of The Black Gold”, which is Tek’s strongest beat and Talib’s best verses. With an album so packed with material, they could have trimmed the fat a little. What Talib is saying needs to be said and deserves to be heard by many. He and Hi Tek bring the best out in each other, like Premier and Guru – let’s hope it doesn’t take another 10 years to do it again.

”Before you, my whole life was acapella” from ‘Acapella’ is a refrain that is part of another high point here, which might make Guetta haters splutter coffee all over their computer monitors, but he manages to pull together something that at least sounds like it’s yanking Kelis back to her brassy take on pop. Arguably, songs that are so clearly aimed at the dancefloor don’t need a greater lyrical depth, and work best when meshed with simple incantations like ”emancipate yourself” on ‘Emancipate’. Some may be quick to dismiss the album in favour of her previous offerings, however upon closer inspection you may find that she has made a more personal album and exposed her all too human flaws. ’Flesh Tone’ is uplifting brave and more importantly, a very danceable experience.

J Live The best part re-issue Format: CD Genre: Hip-hop Production: DJ Premier, DJ Spinna, Prince Paul, Grap Luva, etc. Check this out, J-Live, is possibly one of the most talented Hip Hop artists ever slept on. I didn’t really appreciate how really nice this was... and still is. I put this album back on the playlist

MUSIC REVIEWS

about a month ago and each time I listen to it, I’m amazed at just how fresh it still sounds! J-Live is an absolute genius at what he does. Recording his first album, ’The Best Part’, during his college undergrad years (he recorded it at 19/ 20!). It’s a refreshing blend of old-school and progressive hip-hop, backed by extraordinary lyricism, storytelling, and substance. On this album J-Live overdosed on dopeness, as there are way too many trax that are classic. Check, check, check,... ’Don't play’, ’YES’, ’Them that’s not’, ’Kick it to the beat’, ’Wax paper’, ’Get the third’, ’R.A.G.E.’, ’True school anthem’ and the title track. Subject matter goes across various topics but the storytelling is always there, whether he is doing braggadocios rhyme or relaying a personal experience. On ’Wax paper’ he utilises his knowledge of turntablism to weave all the relevant terms and constructs a story that makes sense. To me he epitomizes the true MC in every way. He’s got the braggin raps, conscious rhymes, witty wordplay and crazy flow, the ability to rhyme at any tempo and sound fresh, got concepts for days and chooses beats that suite the topic. For an idea of my thoughts on the album check the classic cut ’Timeless’. Just in case you missed it the first time around he includes the single that propelled him to underground stardom, ’Braggin writes’.

that makes me regard it as a jazz-rap classic, not to pigeon-hole it.

proves why she stands out of this batch. Dudley’s cameo appearance doesn’t disturb, interrupt or intervene, so it’s all groovy. It should be mentioned that the 2 are featured on this track by a band called The Society. Another winner! Dessy Di Lauro’s ’Shout out’ gets the feet tapping while giving affirmations to the sistas. Uplifting message and ably assisted by who-ever is her backing band, that’s winning track number 3. UK veteran, Omar resurfaces on Future Soul with his afro-jazz celebration, ’It’s so’. The party is in full swing and if you not moving, by now, you must be in a graveyard. I don’t know who V is but I like his style. No kinetic rhythms to steal the focus from his vocals. The song is awash with chords and a deep bass line punctuated by a simple percussive slap. Jill Scott handles the outro with a very short cameo. Way too slick. Leah McCrae, who is capable of time travel it seems, takes us on a journey back to the sounds of the Jackson Five. Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators make you pay attention. Brigette performs just like the name of her track, ’Star’, and rounds off the presentation. Is it future soul? It is but you can enjoy it right now! Hopefully these unofficial compilations are ongoing.

Whether or not J realises, he has achieved that hard to earn and often elusive, longevity that other MCs wish they had. I highly recommend you purchase this classic album and have fun with it for the next couple of years. 2CDs worth of hip hop phatness.

Dela didn’t skimp on lyricism either when he created this line-up. With veterans like J-Live, J. Sands (of Lone Catalysts), Talib Kweli, and Supastition, and very strong contributions by relatively newer cats like Blu and Naledge, plus a slew of lesser known artists, you definitely know the album’s gonna have some variety.

DJ Premier Year Round Records: Get used to us Label: Year Round Records Format: CD, Album Genre: Hip-hop Production: DJ Premier When Premier drops a compilation like Year Round Records: Get Used To Us, it’s up to the “us” in the title (meaning the emcees) to hold it down. One of the highpoints of the record is “Ya Dayz R #ed”, a posse cut featuring Royce Da 5’9, Freddie Foxxx, and a still-killing-it Lady of Rage. Foxxx also nails the album’s best solo cut on “Gang Starr Bus”, gifting him a circa-’92 Premier track that invokes a sense of deja vu. KRS-One and Grand Puba remember a similar time on “5%”, recalling rap’s relationship with the gods and earths in the 80’s and 90’s. The new talent also shines. Nick Javas does an admirable job impressing Premier on “Oppurtunity Knoccs” – Also lookout for Dynasty and Khaleel. On “Hot flames”, Khaleel’s distinct southern drawl meshes perfectly with Premo’s east coast drums. While there’s a lot of emcees on this record, that’s it’s only downfall, sometimes making it hard to keep track of who’s who. Nevertheless, Premier delivers the quality in stax, setting up his label nicely.

Diamond District In the ruff

Various Artists Future Soul Format: CD Producer: Various Performer: Various This compilation of would-be ’Future Soul’ starts off very strong indeed with the impressive Liquid Spirits. I assume that the outfit consists of more than one person and the lead vocalist is in total control with their contribution called ’Destiny’, a good marriage of music and vocals plus a touch of hip-hop at the bridge, stunning. Next up is the pairing of Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins. No problem with Georgia, she’s got a unique voice and vibe, and once again

Format: CD Genre: Hip-hop Production: Oddisee Damn! Oddisee and crew (Yu & XO), make mad noise with this project. Sounding like they’ve been chillin in Detroit from the way the beats are banging. Each track catches your attention from the first spin. ’Streets won’t let me chill’, ’Who I be’, ’Get in line’, ’In the ruff’, pretty much the whole CD has got those neck snappin beats for the ’trueschool’ Hip-hop fiends. It’s the kind of beats that make you wanna crank up the volume to the max and not give a damn if the neighbors call the cops. Nice variation on the album too with some beats being bangers and others having warm bass lines with more of a soulful feel. They ride the trax in a Slum Village type steelo (just with better rhyming). ’Let me explain’ got serious bump in the kick drums and is an audio treat for the beat alone, the sung hook is buttery as well! ’The first time’ is one of those soulful beats Oddisee is known for. What a great way to end the CD. Keep your eye on any projects with the name Oddisee.

Dela Changes of atmosphere Format: CD Genre: Hip-hop Features: Talib Kweli, J-Live, J. Sands, Supastition and Blu Production: Dela French producer Dela released his debut album (after 2 mixtapes), ’Changes of Atmosphere’. As a newcomer to the majority of listeners, his status was mostly unknown. Yeah, we’ve seen good track lists before, that doesn’t always translate into an album. But Dela did an excellent job here. Every track has a cohesive sound that masterfully blends into the other. This is the main factor

It has that in abundance but nearly every track, even if it has no rapping, fits into the cohesive jazz-rap theme so well that there’s not a single skippable track on here. Remixes aren’t my favourite way to end an album, but...

Talib Kweli Gutter rainbows Label: Blacksmith Music, Warner Bros Released: 25 Jan 2011 Genre: Hip-hop Production: 88-Keys, M-Phazes, Shuko, Ski Beatz, S1, KHRYSIS!, 6th sense, Marco Polo, etc. When it comes to Talib Kweli you either love him or hate him. However no one can deny that he’s continuously served heads with considerable portions of good music. Unfortunately, each release has been somewhat less impressive than the last. This year the BK emcee is back on his own with Gutter Rainbows. The M-Phazes produced title track makes for good listening, anthem sounding beat with reality based story telling. “Survival of the fittest/ by any means necessary/ got us calling drug dealers revolutionaries”. Have to admit Talib had my attention on the album with lines like “All these rappers looking mad in photos/a sad display of braggadocio/quality makes up for what I lack in promo”. Lyrically, Kweli seems to be as potent now as the first time I heard him. The production on “Gutter Rainbows”, is a hit or miss affair. S1 comes correct with the jazzy “Wait for You”, one of my favourites. Khrysis on the boards with the heat on “I’m on One”, finding Kweli spitting some of his hardest verses over sum early 80s type hip-hop beat. Marco Polo bring that energy on “Palookas” and Maurice Brown, a newcomer to hip hop production, ends the album with the smoothed-out, laid back approach on “Self Savior.” Chace Infinite makes an appearance, forcing Kweli to take it to another level. Of the 14 tracks, most are handled quite capably by Kweli, with Jean Grae adding a hot verse on “Üh oh”. While most (egg)heads maintain their hate on Talib for no logical reason, this album proves to be a solid offering.

Guilty Simpson OJ Simpson Label: Stones Throw Records Released: 17 May 2010 Genre: Hip-hop Production: Madlib Guilty Simpson is an emcee with skills that also has a knack for working with some of the dopest producers in the game. From his work with J Dilla to Black Milk, Guilty gets it in. As always, Madlib is a busy man, dropping more releases than No Limit in the 90’s. The LP OJ Simpson brings the duo together as this is Guilt’s album produced exclusively by Madlib. As another release in the long line of hip-hop’s super-producer/emcee collaborations the question is, does it live up to history? Frankly, OJ Simpson begins slowly with two unnecessary introductions. Once the album kicks into full gear, it makes you wonder why they delayed the start. The lead vocal track, “OJ Simpson” comes off well, with Guilty flowing perfectly over a Madlib head nodder. After two more interludes, the album continues with “New Heights”, another dope track that reminds the listener of a mid 90’s Wu Tang banger. With no letting down, “Karma of Kingpin” follows and again grabs the listener with both a fantastically sampled beat and nasty Guilty Simpson flowing effortlessly. The decent “Coroners Music” follows, but does not hold a candle to the standout track “Back on the Road Again”. The essence of the track is in the sick sample and beat given for Guilty to flow over as he describes the tour life. As it continues with “Hood Sentence” and “Cali Hills”, OJ Simpson, slows down a little musically, but maintains its fine work. The production on the album is extremely strong and consistent with every track vocal track being an audible treat. Other tracks to check for include the dope “Scratch Warning”, “Outside” featuring Strong Arm Steady, the dope by criminally short “Trendsetters” and tunnel banging “100 Styles”. The only weak track is “Mic Check 313”, which is not a terrible track, but is just weak in comparison to the rest of the tracks. Though it may be seen as a positive as the album moves along, I found the bevy of interludes infuriating. OJ Simpson is a 24 track LP, with 11 interludes/intermissions, some of which are two to four minutes long. Most tracks are followed by one or two interludes that serve to just stop the flow of the album. Ninety percent of the interludes are skippable, which makes them unnecessary. Otherwise, OJ Simpson is musically dope, with a collection of engrossing beats perfectly matched to Guilty Simpson. Though the album’s namesake is a pariah, this OJ Simpson is well worth bringing into your home.

Gangrene (Alchemist + Oh No) Gutter Water Label: Decon Released: Nov 2010 Genre: Hip-hop Production: The Alchemist, Dr No & DJ Muro Good music is still being made, you just have to search for it a little. You’ll find that things are more weird and wonderful than ever. Gangrene is the group project of Oh No and The Alchemist, Dr No being Madlib’s younger brother and ALC, one of the most seasoned producers. I didn’t read any production info, just loaded the album onto my cell phone and had it on repeat. Pretty soon I gravitated toward my favourite joints. I checked the info afterwards and it just so happens that most of my favs are produced by The Alchemist: “Boss shit”, “Not high enough”, “Chain swinging”, and “Breathing down your neck”. Oh No finds unique (also see trippy) samples and twists them into something usable, while Alchemist keeps his sound on par with the work that put him on the map. They managed to bring out the best in each other and form something cohesive. To me Dr.No’s got the better verses though. The guest list consists of classic emcees, both old and new. Raekwon kills on the title track (Coproduced by that crate digger of note-DJ Muro), while Planet Asia lends his voice to, “Get into some gangster shit”. Fashawn and Evidence both contribute solid verses on “Wassup Wassup”. While this is an album where the beats are better than the verses, it ain’t no thang when the beats are this dope. Hip-hop is not dead and a little Gangrene may just be what the doctor ordered. Submit your CD/mixtape/project for review. Email us on wordupezine@gmail.com for more info. Are you a musician, rapper, singer, producer, DJ, promoter or publicist? Do you have some info that Word Up should publish? Make sure you add us to your mailing lists and break us off with your latest tracks. PLEASE do not attach mp3s to emails, they will be deleted. If you are sending mp3s, we ask that you provide the links to download them. Not everything will make it into Word up Ezine because we’re some picky peoples. Keep the info coming and we'll keep you entertained. Disclaimer: Reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and not that of Word Up Productions.

IN THE MIX

Upcoming events: Verses

February - March 2011

First Session of the year on Wednesday, 23 February at MOJO in Station Road Observatory. Cover: Still only R30! Email: freshvserse@hotmail.com or call 072 283 8315 for more info

BLACK NOISE ANNIVERSARY

& SHUT UP JUST

DANCE BATTLES Marc Lottering - Not in 3D Date: 1 Feb - 26 Feb 2011 Venue: Baxter Theatre, Rondebosch, Cape Town Time: 8pm - 9:20pm Cover: R70 - R80 Opening Hours Fri 25 Feb 2011 from 10h00 - 20h00 (On-site tickets sales close at 19h00) Sat 26 Feb 2011 from 10h00 - 20h00 (On-site tickets sales close at 19h00) Sun 27 Feb 2011 from 10h00 - 18h00 (On-site tickets sales close at 17h00) Admission Costs Adults R60 Scholars and Children R30

Pensioners and Students R40 Kids under 10 FREE

Tickets available at the door or from Computicket (Sales open 1 February)

KOL presents The Jazz Note Hip-Jazz Night Date: 19 February 2011 Venue: Club Voom Voom Time: 9pm Cover: R30 The best of jazz and Hip-Hop on stage, live!

A celebration of the 23rd anniversary of South African hip-hop pioneers and oldest hip-hop group, Black Noise, showcasing performances and footage of songs from throughout their career. Also showcased will be some of the hottest MCs, singers, break dancers/b-boys, krumpers, lockers, poppers and new-school hip-hop from the Cape Flats, as well as some guests from the USA. Date & Time: Saturday, March 19 at 11:30pm - March 20 at 2:30am Venue: Baxter Theatre, Rondebosch, Cape Town Cover: R50 (tickets at Computicket)

IN THE MIX

Upcoming events: March 2011 Kings of Leon - Live In Cape Town Date: Thursday, March 24 Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm Venue: Cape Town Stadium For more info, visit computicket.com

On the Download: