Vocal Beater

Perfect! Now I can stop using my voice recorder.

Hype From the Motherland: Muthoni The Drummer Queen (Kenya)

"In her previous lifes, the girl currently known as Muthoni Ndonga was among other things the head of shaka zulu’s harem , a cunning street urchin who converted into a renown mystic healer in current day Armenia, a polar bear, a Chinese dumpling maker, a fierce general under Napoleon. Her adventures run concurrently with 300 wars, the invention of the envelope and the discovery of whisky. In this life, Muthoni Ndonga is a living breathing singer of the hero variety. This embodiment of talent is a songwriter-flow-poet- by night and creative-social entrepreneur by day. And when she transnights between sleeping, waking, eating and breathing, she brandishes her sticks as insert victorious sounding horns THE DRUMMER QUEEN. With English, Kikuyu, Kiswahili and awesome at her linguistic disposal, Muthoni blends styles as diverse as salsa, kwaito, afro-rock, taarab, rap, Floetry and R&B on an intoxicating fusion of sounds that you should adopt as the soundtrack for your next life. (You’re Welcome). Across the dimensions, the reviews have understood that she is inspired by love, relationships, politics, and new spirituality, her sound is a conscious call to live, dream and hope in curiosity, courage and strength. Delivered sometimes in song and “Floetry” (spoken poetry) her work is an experimental, entertaining and stirring display of artistry is nothing short of intergalactic. "

Via: http://www.africaunsigned.com/

Video: Black Milk - Deadly Medley feat. Royce Da 5’9″ & Elzhi

uh!!! wooooooo!!! Those are the sounds you make when records sound like this. Upcoming album entitled Album of the Year drops September 14th. Let me go do some pull ups, before I punch someone in the face for no reason.

Video: J*DaVeY Arcade 44 Interview

John Legend & The Roots feat. Melanie Fiona & Common - Wake Up Everybody

This is a remake of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' 1975 classic wake up everybody. The first single from the John Legend and The Roots collaboration album, Wake Up!, dropping the 21st of September.

Serge's Soulfull Throwbacks: Christión - Full Of Smoke

Bilal – Restart

New song off Bilal's highly anticipated album, Airtights Revenge. The album drops September 14th. If you don't get that album your going to have to do a reevaluation of yourself...highly recommend that...for both instances.

Jay Electronica Interview with DJ Semtex

Video: Siji - "Morenike"

I received an email yesterday with the new video for Siji's - "Morenike" of his album "ADESIJI". In Yoruba the name Morenike (moe-re-knee-ke) means I found one to cherish. The name is usually given to a female child. Siji is a Nigerian artist who was raised between Lagos, Nigeria and London. His music is very fresh, clean and heavy in Afrobeat. As quoted from his site bio:

"His own cultural heritage combined with the political and social movements of
the age, exposed young Siji to the insurgent, politicized music of the Afrobeat
legends Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Tony Allen as well as the soulful grooves of
Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Otis Redding."

Need I say more...peace, enjoy!





http://www.sijimusic.com/

40 Drummers for Earth Day

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Loomstate the organic fashion brand, placed 40 drummers led by Hisham Akira Bharoocha and DJ Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear under a pyramid. I know...sounds dope!

Os Gemeos x Futura Mural for AKA NYC & 12oz. Prophet

What started last Sunday is now completed. Os Gemeos, Futura, AKA NYC and 12oz. Prophet came together to create this monumental mural at Chelsea’s PS 11 school. Definitely a must see if your in NYC.

PS 11, William T. Harris Elementary School (02M011)

320 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10011

Video: The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble and Bilal - Some day We'll All Be Free (Donny Hathaway)

If you haven't picked up the “Suite for Ma Dukes” project...I suggest you do so. The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble with Bilal performing Donny Hathaway...C'mon do I really have to explain how great this is?? Just press play!

Film Trailer: Bouncing Cats

This is what Hip hop is and why it was birthed into this world. Believe that!

MADE: N.E.R.D. Interview

BRAND BUILDING: Advice via Bobby Hundreds of The Hundreds clothing brand

“Branding” is such a hotbutton catchphrase these days, isn’t it? When I was growing up, it was all about advertising, and then marketing, and now? Branding. Now that corporate America has numbed our senses with an onslaught of smarmy sales pitches and obnoxious billboards, let’s get back to what’s real. What’s important. Connecting with the people (I really wish we had a sarcasm font)!

“Branding” is defined as the establishment of the personality that identifies a product. So it connotes an element of human relationship, connection, authenticity. So why are so many brands and companies fixated on branding themselves outside the context of their..selves?

When I spoke at the Action Sports Conference last week, I was asked something that usually comes up from inquisitive The Hundreds fans, fresh upstarts, and mega-conglomerate suits alike. How did The Hundreds garner such a vast audience? What kind of marketing did we do, what kind of branding strategies did we implement to draw exposure? Was it Twitter or Facebook or free lollipops or some other trendy of-the-moment social networking platform?

If you’re asking questions like these, you’re already far off the mark. Again, branding is about personality, and that is what The Hundreds has always understood. From the start, The Hundreds was formulated as a personal brand, an authentic and intimate lifestyle project. Meaning that everything you see from us, whether here on the website or in our print magazine, the shoes on your feet or the wallet in your back pocket, has been infused with our own story. We do, and make, what comes logically from us and our backgrounds and interests, and that complements the sensibility of the brand. That was never intentional or strategic, as it was natural and organic. We’re obviously the best at being us, why try to be something we’re not?

Twitter and Facebook and iPad apps aren’t the answer to your company’s brand awareness issues. These are just tools, they are NOT the solution! For example, if your company emphasizes community amongst its staff and customers, if the brand is identified around personality, then it might make sense to interact with your base through powerful social tools as these. But maybe you’re a high-end, exclusive mountain hiking brand that targets a sophisticated niche French clientele with expensive taste. Perhaps blasting product tweets to 13-year-old girls isn’t the best idea.

The secret to branding is staying authentic to your brand identity, and that comes from closely observing who you (the owners, architects, and staff) are as people, the philosophy by which you run your business, and the effect you want to impress upon your customer. And every step you make with your brand should go back to reinforcing that identity, whether it’s your website’s background color or the cut of your t-shirt. Now there’s your answer.

Just keepin’ it real,
by bobbyhundreds

Article via:
http://thehundreds.com/blog/uncategorized/brand-building/

Video: M.I.A. – XXXO

D-Nice Presents True Hip Hop Stories: Pharoahe Monch

Pharoahe Monch speaks on how the song "oh no" came to be, his chronic asthma, His upcoming L.P. W.A.R. and the current state of Hip Hop.

"When I was your age": Industrial Design Project in the 1960's

Prior to computer enhancements, things where done totally different. Nothing more then the skill level of human interaction and eye hand coordination, determined the outcome of a product. It's interesting to to see the process of development in comparison to the computer age. Yes, the precision of design is currently at a higher state but, are we looking for "perfection" or a great idea? With technology comes the obsession of advancement and we see it everywhere from movies to the foods we eat. Don't get me wrong...I'm all for advancement but, in the right context. You can arguably say and most would agree that the most influential designs came prior to the existence of computers. Personally, I believe the greater the challenge the greater the outcome. Here's a look into the past...

And today's lesson is brought to you by...Tiny Cannon

Never judge a book by its cover.

The Red Hook Food Vendors

Everybody from Brooklyn knows that on the weekends, in Red Hook Park you got Soccer and really really great food. I love Soccer with a passion but, the food here is ridicules and also affordable. The Red Hook vendors are some of the top notch vendors in New York and they deserve all the culinary attention they are receiving. Brooklyn!!!!

here is a video by Liza de Guia of http://www.foodcurated.com/

Serge's Photo of the day: 08/07/10

Lincoln Center NYC

For your info:

Make sure you check out the schedule for Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2010. There is some really good live music and it's for free. You can't go wrong. Check out my peoples, The Welfare Poets performing on the 14th of August. Hurry... and enjoy the rest of your Summer!

Video: Janelle Monae - Cold War

In a nation where more is better, the beauty of simplicity is constantly overlooked. Janelle Monae proves her case that the strength of a song still relies in the audio. Sorry Kanye but, power is from within...it doesn't matter what world renowned artists you get to do your videos/portraits. I'm just saying.

Video: White Hinterland - No Logic

Off their new album Kairos. Sorry Apple Fans :(

www.whitehinterland.com

Lupe Fiasco Presents: Trilly & Truly 2010 “Basic Info” Collection

Esperanza Spalding Speaks on New Album

Esperanza Spalding is an incredibly talented and beautiful musician...to say the least. I grew up on Jazz and hearing Esperanza reminded me the importance of why I love Jazz so much. You cant get more fluid then Jazz and Esperanza sounds like water. She don't know yet but, I got a ring for her. In this video she talks about her new album, Chamber Music Society. Also if you haven't heard her yet, here is a video of her covering Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed at The White House held, The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song:
Celebrating The Music Of Stevie Wonder.

Video: Nneka’s European Tour Diary Parts 1-3

I'm fresh from watching this beautiful woman perform at the Highline Ballroom, NY and she has confirmed her amazingness. It was an experience. Your going to be watching her more because that's whats going to happen. I support Nneka 100.

Mike Tyson: Details Interview

I'm one of the few that believe Mike Tyson is a good soul. I have always thought behind that beast of a boxer there was much to learn from. Not many admit to the demons that eat at bits and pieces of our sanity. It takes a big man to admit flaws and apply emphasis. The people who we perceive to be role models and clean figures are usually not. Its not our position to choose where inspiration and enlightenment derives from. This world is full of deception and the majority will be deceived.

Interview after the jump.

Jeff Nishinaka's Paper Sculptures

www.jeffnishinaka.com

Video: Project Mayhem – Just Chill

Just listen...some real Chi -Town