From the monthly archives:

December 2008

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/20/08

Rakim 12/19 Freestyle @ Knitting Factory [NahRight]
New Book: 1st Latino DJ, Disco Wiz [AllHipHop]
D-Nice True Hip-Hop Stories: LOTUG [D-Nice]

DMX Facing Animal Cruelty Charges [AllHipHop]
Joe Budden’s Padded Room Drops 2/09 [HipHopPress]
Joell Ortiz Flips Kudi’s Day N Night [HipHopGalaxy]

Kevin Nottingham on EPMD’s Latest [KevinNottingham]

Who Got Next In 2009?

No blog, website or magazine would be complete without a thought-provoking, conversation-starting, potentially-divisive and hopefully-controversial poll, for the purpose of intellectual debate (and site traffic, ha!). In that spirit, and in the spirit of the arrival of 2009, we ask in our first poll: Who from the NY-area, in ‘09, got next?

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/18/08

Grandmaster Flash’s The Bridge LP [DifferentKitchen]
DJ Self/Shayna D “VIP Saturdays” On XM [HipHopPress]
Justo’s Debuts New Site Jan. 2009 [HipHopPress]

Joell Ortiz – Morning [NahRight]
Easy Mo Bee Speaks On Notorious Snub [SOHH]
Havoc To Drop Hidden Files Jan. 2009 [SOHH]

OnSmash: Back To The Basics 2 Mixtape – Lot of NY Underground Heat On This One [MADOnly]

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/17/08

Amanda Diva – Diva Speak TV Ep. 37 [OkayPlayer]
Saigon Is Embarrassed By Hip-Hop [NahRight]
DJ Concept Live And Direct 4 – Very Dope! [TheInCrowd]

DMX/Storch Clowned In The Real Style [TheReal]
NY To Tax Downloads? [TheSmokingSection]
Hip-Hop Summit Action Network to Host Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball [HipHopPress]
KRS, MC Lyte Al Be Back & Almost September – 16, 17, 18 [HipHopDX]

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/16/08

Was Biggie Notoriously Overrated? [IndustryCosign]
Rosenberg Talks About What We Talked About [MissInfo]

End Of Hip-Hop @ Knitting Factory [HipHopDX]
Dame Dash on Jay-Z & Jim Jones [RealTalkNY]
Jim Jones on Jim Jones [NahRight]

An Open Letter To Fellow Lovers Of Hip-Hop Theater

Birthplace Magazine is proud to support the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in their efforts to bring Hip-Hop theater to the classroom and stage. Here is some more information about the organization and their mission.

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/15/08

Brooklyn. Uncle Murda Goes Hard [NahRight]
Brooklyn. Joell Ortiz Goes Hard [HipHopGalaxy]
We Hope “E.” Don’t Stand For Evicted, Doug [SixShot]

Been Under A Rock? Notorious flick coming [BlackPower]
Manny Faces Nominated “Best Remixer” [MannyFaces]

Almost-Daily Brief: 12/14/08

D-Nice: True Hip-Hop Stories – Masta Ace [D-Nice]
Mick Boogie + Adele + 1988 [PressPlayFashionForward]
Mos Definitely Gonna Need Some Income [SixShot]

Lil’ Kim. Big deal. Just Wanted To Plug Bitchie’s site [NecoleBitchie]
Jadakiss & Lil’ Wayne – Death Wish [Nah Right]

“Merry Christmas”, says Ghostface [Birthplace Magazine]

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/12/08

A.G. Freestyling @ Knitting Factory [Ka5p]
Rosenberg/DJ Premier: Speaking on Nas [DJ Ness]
Rosenberg/DJ Premier: Speaking on B.I.G. [DJ Ness]

Rosenberg/DJ Premier: Speaking on.. other things [DJ Ness]
Jean Grae/Talib Kweli @ FatBeats [DifferentKitchen]
Mayor’s Son Strives To Be Hip-Hop Leno [ConnPost]

Almost-Daily Brief: 12/11/08

Birthplace Magazine Makes It To Alltop [Alltop]

Tweet and Greet, Tonight (12/11), Negril Village, NYC [BigCed]
GhostDeini The Great Cover & Tracklist [ProHipHop]
Artist Joe Buck Remixes Q-Tip Album Cover [CrateKings]

Sha Stimuli Release and Release Party [HipHopPress]
Brooklyn Barbershop Battles. Dope. [TheKaosEffect]

Capturing The Clan: Wu-Tang Documentary Director Gerald Barclay

Unfettered access during the 15 years since their ascension to near-godlike hip-hop status equipped Gerald “Gee Bee” Barclay with the materials needed to craft the viewed-from-behind-the-scenes, embedded-reporter-meets-Behind-The-Music documentary, Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/09/08

EPMD: In-Store @ Fatbeats – 12/9 [FatBeats]
Jean Grae, Talib Kweli: In-Store – 12/10 [FatBeats]
Say Thank You. Graph Says “You’re Welcome” [NahRight]

Grandmaster Flash to release new album [AllHipHop]
Where in the World Is Bobbito Garcia? [BlackPower]
Donny Goines ft. Tess – Ghetto U.S.A. [NahRight]
Ghostface – Kilo Rmx w/Raekwon, Malice [Clockwork]

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/08/08

Jay-Z/MC Lyte – Brooklyn Anthem (tagged) [SmartenUpNas]

A Message From the BK Tourism Board [TheReal]
Funkmaster Flex. On A Baseball Card. Sorta. [AllHipHop]
Che Grand at Highline, Dec. 9 [CheGrand]
Joe Budden: “New York Ain’t Sh-t” [JoeBudden]

Geneology of the Wu-Tang Clan [TheOnion]

Almost-Daily Briefs: 12/07/08

Jay-Z and Nas: Frenemies? [HipHopOnMyMind]

Tapemasters Inc./Jay-Z – My President is Black [DifferentKitchen]
RIP Party Arty (D.I.T.C.): Diamond/Fat Joe speak on it [AllHipHop]
Rakim: Last Hip-Hop Show @ Knitting Factory [OkayPlayer]
Hip-Hop Did Not Start In The Bronx?? [Unkut]

Almost Daily Briefs: 12/04/08

Happy Anniversary Ether! [hiphoponmymind]

Vid: Ortiz/Technique – Modern Day Slavery [NahRight]
Vid: Jay-Z/Santogold – Brooklyn (Go Hard) [ThaFeedback]
Billboard hollas @ Mickey Factz [DifferentKitchen]

What If A Middle Eastern Rapper Released “Negro Money”

We attempt to recreate Busta’s Arab Money, (perhaps just a bit tounge-in-cheek), as if it were presented by a Middle Eastern rapper with the same slightly-warped fascination with a similarly glorified, but not entirely accurate, vision of urban American reality. Then we ask, “What if a Middle Eastern rapper released “Negro Money” with these lyrics?”