There is an old joke. Someone in New York City asks someone else, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The other person answers, “Practice, practice, practice.” Hip hop has helped modernize that age-old bit of humor, allowing a new answer, “Hustle, hustle, hustle,” and all the double-entendres that are implied when the hustler on the legendary stage is rap icon Jay-Z.

This is as much a feat for Brooklyn drug-dealer-turned-rapper-slash-mogul Shawn Carter, as it is for hip hop itself, a genre of music which continues to face ridicule and misunderstanding by art elitists and everyday musical bigots. Jay-Z in fact, who has never strayed far enough from a street-level base to become as ‘harmless’ to the general public as a Will Smith for example, forces middle-America (or at least middle-New York) to almost fully accept him and his occasionally raunchy ways. Maybe it’s the gamut of businesses he controls. Maybe it’s the personal connection with the president. Maybe it’s the hanging with Warren Buffet. Whatever it is, if there was one rapper that the establishment would have to let grace the hallowed stage built by Andrew Carnegie, it would be Jay-Z.

Of course, the best way to ensure such a feat would be to follow in the philanthropic footsteps of Mr. Carnegie, thus, the two-day concert event was technically a charity event, benefitting the United Way of New York, and The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

Which is also a clever way to buffer the harsh truth that few mere mortals could attend such a historic event, leaving the sold-out seating full of those who could afford hundreds, if not thousands for entry. While this adds to the fuel of some who recently charge that the rap titan’s wealth and proximity to the stratosphere of entertainment and business gods has removed him from the fans, at least in this case, it was necessary, and for a good cause.

In any event, here are a few interesting pieces from various sources which covered the concerts:

T-Shirts, Tuxes and Rap Without Frills [The NY Times]

Jay-Z Brings Brooklyn ‘Glory’ To Carnegie Hall [MTV]

Jay-Z at Carnegie Hall: Rapper’s Benefit Concert Includes “Glory,” Orchestra and Questlove [HuffPost]

 Jay-Z Celebrates Historic Carnegie Hall Performance at his 40/40 Club [Rolling Stone]

Seriously, what the fu*k is wrong with people?

Normally, I’m much more reserved and high-brow in my editorializing. But time and time again, I get furiously frustrated at the ability of people to be so easily led astray by this asinine community of amateur “journalists” (I hate to use the word in this case) who continue to simultaneously poison journalism, hip hop and our communities.

How in the holy hell is there a nominees list of MTV’s “25 Hottest MCs in the Game” floating all around the internet, on almost every hip hop blog, all over Twitter, yet there is no list on MTV.com. In fact, MTV articles SPECIFICALLY say to tune in to see who is on the list and MTV’s RapFix Live account and VJ Sway tweeted that there is no list.

READ> @MTVRapFix: MTV’s ‘Hottest MCs N the Game’ kicks off Feb 13 on Hottest.MTV.ComUntil then, there is no official list circulating

— Sway Calloway (@RealSway) February 8, 2012

Yet every headline on every blog, including giant clusterf*#k ones like Russell Simmon’s broke ass Huffington Post wannabe site Global Grind and hip hop staples like RapRadar.com, run by respected hip hop journalist Elliott Wilson, and every tweet from every Tom, Dick and Harry, says “MTV Releases List…” Meanwhile, every blog (including giant clusterf*#k ones like Russell Simmon’s broke ass Huffington Post wannabe site Global Grind… oh, did I use that line already?) copied the exact same list from some other blog, and so on, and so on, from wherever it originated, and now everyone is fu*king arguing about a list that may or may not even exist?!?!

I figured out it was suspect, and may not be official, in about 8 seconds. I found Sway’s tweet in another 6. What is so hard about doing this before simply copying and pasting whatever you see on some other blog?

I wouldn’t be surprised if MTV leaked a fake or modified list, knowing it would spark debate and therefore, ensure people tuned in. If that is the case, people are blindly falling for the deception, gleefully accepting their roles as pawns, unwitting social media carrier pigeons, enlisted to freely do the job MTV once had to actually pay people to do.

I also wouldn’t be surprised that someone just made an arbitrary list, posted it to some no-name bullsh*t blog, and let it ignorantly spread like wildfire among the bloggers, twitterers and facebookers who would know how to fact check something if their life depended on it.

Seriously, people are stupid. And getting stupider. And companies and websites are realizing this and playing right into it. They know that people will believe (and SPREAD) everything they fu*king read on the internet (countless “death hoaxes” have proven this), and there are site owners and bloggers who do NOTHING but perpetuate the idiocy.

It makes me want to continue to try and fix this so-called hip hop journalism industry, or get the fu*k out of this so-called hip hop journalism industry, but watching this so-called hip hop journalism industry continue to deteriorate is nothing but a disgrace. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, one day, this rampant spread of misinformation will result in something big. Something bad.

It’s dangerous, and the sites with the biggest voices, like Global Grind or sites affiliated with or run by industry people, like Funkmaster Flex and Miss Info, need to really decide if their need to spread info to fans and listeners outweighs the inherent responsibility that journalism is supposed to illicit from its participants, in order to protect the very people it is to serve.

You don’t even like rap that much anymore.

Not since the days of De La Soul or Tribe anyway. And you don’t get out much, even though you live in New York City. Definitely not to a rap show.

Hip hop is boring these days. You don’t even really listen to the radio, and anyway, it’s all Southern shit. Some of the new NY guys are good, but overall, nothing you hear really appeals to you. Live shows are usually a two hour waste of time spent standing around.

They just don’t do it like they used to.

But then your buddy calls you up. One of his co-workers is a rapper, and is doing some kind of show at Kenny’s Castaways, a Bleeker Street staple. “Nothing crazy, should be fun,” he says.

You groan, “It’s Thursday.”

He’s playfully dismissive. “Who are you, my grandpa? Look, it’s an 8:30 show,” he tells you, “Plus, these guys are great.”

“Rappers aren’t great anymore,” you remind him, playing up the grumpy old man vibe. “Rap sucks nowadays, especially in NY.”

“Man, we’re in our mid-20s,” he reminds you, “Stop sounding like my dad. I’m telling you, there’s good stuff out here. Come through!”

He’s a good friend. You don’t get to see him much.

So, you go.

Kenny’s Castaways is a railroad apartment-like bar, long and narrow. You walk to the back performance area. It’s no Hammerstein Ballroom, but it’s not closet-sized either. 50 people could hang back there pretty comfortably.

Before you can enter the back area, you are greeted by a young lady at the ticket table. She wears a placard on a lanyard. It’s marked ‘STAFF.’ An interesting bit of professionalism, you think, for such a small venue.

A stage sits at the front, with some seating along the sides of the standing-room area. Overall, a nice, small, intimate space. “Perfect for singer/songwriters,” you think, “but not for having to watch boring rappers standing two feet away. Hope they have breath mints.”

You pay, $10, standard fare (though had you known of the show ahead of time, advance tickets were cheaper). You’re handed a large manila envelope, as if you were a spy, and it, a dossier. You’re used to collecting a  pocketful-worth of 4×6 glossy postcards when out and about, but this is different. You look at the merchandising tables that are set up. There are CDs. T-shirts. One artist is selling a book (!). There are many STAFFs helping out. Other folks are mingling, talking, laughing. Many know each other, some don’t, but all are pretty friendly looking.

Nary a screwface at this well-organized rap event. Refreshing.

The warm up DJ is setting a great vibe. Spinning mainly NY-centric rap classics, DJ M-TRI is composed and casual behind the ones and twos, smiling and nodding to folks on the floor who are also familiar with him as an MC, working alongside partner DJ Leecy T. M-TRI has a swift hand on the cuts and great taste in tunes, handling the pre-game music duties perfectly.

But now it’s showtime.

Ciph Diggy hosting (and refereeing) Tag Team Delux at Kenny's Castaways

The theme to Rocky begins playing. The MC of the event, Ciph Diggy, is also an actual MC, but tonight he is strictly playing the host role. Along with the triumphant trumpets, he begins simulating Sylvester Stallone’s intensive training regimen in the legendary boxing flick, though quickly, and humorously, he succumbs to the effects of a slightly less conditioned body.

The improvisation is for a reason. The theme of the show is a Tag Team boxing match, with headliners Tah Phrum Duh Bush and Coole High, along with opening artist MeccaGodzilla (aka Ravage, also aka Ryu Black), set to trade blows with imaginary and symbolic “wack MCs.”

You do a double-take.

“Wait, there’s a THEME?” you ask your friend.

He nods, knowingly. You smile a little, watching Ciph Diddly flailing around in attempt to regain his physical composure.

“Well, that’s different,” you whisper.

Ciph Diggy energetically introduces the opener. MeccaGodzilla is his name. They say he is big in Japan.

“That’s what she said,” you mutter, to no one in particular.

MeccaGodzilla opened the Tag Team Delux concert

MeccaGodzilla, rocking two impressive multi-finger wooden rings, each spanning the combined width of his knuckles, ignites into a passionate and lucid acapella. He speaks with the crowd. He proudly proclaims his allegiance to Long Island. “That doesn’t happen often,” you think to yourself, recalling with fondness the slew of legends that have emerged from the proverbial 6^th borough.

MeccaGodzilla runs through his set, speaking on his extensive touring experience in Japan (apparently, he IS pretty big in Japan), talks a bit about his feelings, his inspiration for recent work and his involvement with a fundraising event to send aid to Japan after the earthquake disaster. The crowd was tuned in, and MeccaGodzilla finished strong, culminating with his uplifting and inspirational “Unbreakable.”

Getting caught up in the theme, you say to your buddy, “Nice undercard! Time for the main event?”

Indeed. Tah Phrum Duh Bush emerges from the back of the room, adorned in what looks like a boxer’s robe slash smoking jacket and shorts. He moves through the crowd toward the stage, one fist covered by an oversized boxing glove, the other gripping the microphone, his fans, friends and newcomers all cheering him on.

He is clearly ready to do verbal battle.

Tah Phrum Duh Bush

Tah Phrum Duh Bush jumps into an rattling acapella, at once alerting all in attendance that this is no mere gimmick show… There are heavy spitters in this match. As he concludes his opening salvo, and the small but highly engaged crowd claps and cheers, the first tag is made.

Coole High appears, sporting a red robe, also with a single boxing glove and a mic, launching in to his bouncy and enjoyable “Who?” which smartly works his name into the call and response chorus.

After that, you couldn’t forget his name if you tried.

Tag. Back to Tah.

This back and forth, complete with costume changes from behind a shoji-like partition at the rear of the stage, continues for the entire event. Throughout, Tah Phrum Duh Bush is smart and clever, you can tell by his lyrics, especially his punchlines. He is enjoyable even when, or especially when, depending on your squareness, he is playfully vulgar with his lyrics. He’s clear on the mic, catches eye contact with every single listener at one point or another. He walks through the crowd. He changes not only clothing, but characters, at one point imitating a sermonizing preacher. He is always up front and personal, in your face, but never overbearing.

It’s fun.

Coole High, rocking his Tag Team Delux concert with Tah Phrum Duh Bush

Coole High is simply a cool character, charismatically cerebral. His conversations with the crowd, costumes and call and responses are well coordinated. He oozes smooth, with several jazz-influenced tracks that compliment his style and flow. In another era, and indeed even now, Cool High would be as comfortable at a rap show as sipping on a brandy at the Blue Note, and this inviting aura is clearly infectious. He treats the crowd well, and they respond in kind.

It’s cool.

As if good rappers, good music, themes, costumes and a good crowd (which, by the way, had a better male/female ratio than one might expect), weren’t enough, the creativity of these artists came to the forefront several times, as props were introduced into the crowd, stepping audience participation up a notch. From within the manila envelope, you pull out a giant hand cutout from card stock paper, middle finger displayed prominently, and join the rest of the crowd waving it around to complement Tah’s apropos “Middle Finga.” Coole High hands out ping pong ball shakers, in effect crowdsourcing backup acoustics from the eager crowd.

Yes, even you Mr. Rap Show Hater.

As the show closed, it seemed perfectly timed. Not too short, not too long, with a second set to soon start. “Pretty smart,” you say to your friend. “Two medium-length sets, instead of one big long one. Gives people who are late or can’t make the first one, the chance to see the show as it’s intended to be seen, instead of awkwardly catching it in the middle.”

Your friend agrees, informing you, “Even better, the second set won’t be a duplicate of the first, it’s all different. It’s like a reward for diehards who stay for both!”

During the break, you refill your drink and mingle about. You meet a couple random people, one a fellow MC who goes by the moniker E.E. Delrey (the E.E. for Eclectic Emcee).

While rappers, New York rappers in particular, often have a bad reputation of not supporting one another, it’s clear that Delrey is impressed, unintentionally presenting a summation detailing how you felt about your unexpectedly enjoyable night at an underground New York rap show.

“It’s definitely a showman’s show,” the braided wordsmith states, smiling. “They’re great. It’s impossible to leave here and not have been entertained.”

You agree. For most hip hop heads, no matter their particular style preference, this show would pretty much be a hit.

You smile, still adhering to the theme.

A knockout, even.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM TAG TEAM DELUX
(All photos by Kamia Funchess for Phocus Kam Phototgraphy)  

It’s now 2012, and while many of us are in the full swing of things with new music for the new year, some are still stuck in the notion that New York Hip Hop is either stuck in or should sound exactly like 1994.

Fortunately, the new crop of NY’s finest are marrying the home of hip hop’s traditions with a bold look toward the future. Here’s a quick playlist of names you either should know by now or need to know in 2012.

Action Bronson

Dining with Anthony Bourdain one minute and recording tracks with Meyham Lauren the next, Bronson’s taste for fine foods, 80s professional wrestlers and pop culture nonsequitors is only matched by his tireless work ethic and an almost unfair quality control. With two outstanding albums in last year’s Dr. Lecter and Well Done as well as several announced projects in the coming months, the eclectic Energizer Bunny of rap just keeps going as an excited audience keeps listening.

A$AP Rocky

With both a decade long stigma of rejecting outsiders as well as a genocide of its record stores, you wouldn’t expect an NY talent to wear the influence of other regions on his sleeve. Harlem’s A$AP Rocky stands as New York’s first child of the post-Napster generation to combine the hustle and sleekness of his hometown with, among other inspirations, Memphis’s brooding crawl and Houston’s spacey ingenuity. Not merely a revivalist, the tradition he most proudly carries is an unmistakable rugged boldness that only Harlem could manifest.

Brown Bag AllStars

Individually the members of Brown Bag AllStars could account for half of this list, but together they form a Castle Greyskull of boom-bap viciousness. As insular as they are talented, their work ethic and self-awareness allows for release after release of playing to their own strengths. Rappers Soul Khan and Koncept have both recently released projects entirely produced by fellow members and with both J57 and Audible Doctor producing on some of the year’s most anticipated releases, the crew’s upcoming debut album promises to be the best record the crew’s fallen nexus, Manhattan’s Fatbeats Records, was never able to stock.

Dollar Coffee

The duo of BS and Albert Rhymestein know what made you first love rap music and, on their debut Nice Things, bring you right back to that feeling. Catchy, complex and cunning, the duo are as skilled at earworms as they are at rocking a crowd. That includes most recently receiving the rarest of warm embraces from New York’s Apollo Theater. With enough punchlines and hooks to win a fighting championship, Dollar Coffee remain the tag team champions of good time hip-hop.

Homeboy Sandman

Although he now calls Los Angeles’ Stones Throw records home, it’s still same number, same hood for New York hip hop’s archangel. Not satisfied with his already astronomical heights, Homeboy Sandman continues to push boundaries conceptually and constructively with his Subject Matter EP. As bold as it is to base an entire project on the concept of touching topics rap has never covered before, it’s only the beginning. Sandman’s reliability for dope rap music doesn’t stem from his staying the same, but his desire to continue evolving.

Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire

Last year’s “Huzzah” turned heads both for how dope it was as well as the promise it held for dirty Fondle ‘Em style hip-hop to be made today. Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire doesn’t give the slightest of fucks about any of this, which makes his music all the more refreshing. The exact midpoint between Camu Tao and Method Man, eXquire’s keeping things progressively dangerous live and on record.

Silent Knight

Intelligent without being overbearing, outspoken without being heavy handed, and brave without being boring, Silent Knight makes the type of hip hop an entire generation of underground revivalists have unsuccessfully attempted to. One of the few MCs to emphasize subtlety over showcasing, Knight brings a fresh sound to the hallmarks of New York underground rap that have for too long been glossed over or forgotten. Along with a stellar album in Busy is My Best Friend, Silent Knight’s live show is among the best today. A showman capable of rocking a party while maintaining an unforgettable intimacy, he’s a rapper’s rapper who will only continue to excel throughout the new year.

The 3rd “Is Hip Hop History?” conference features the work of researchers, hip-hop industry practitioners, artists, and working adult students. Keynote speakers: legendary DJ/producer Pete Rock and author Dax-Devlon Ross.

It will be held Friday, February 24, 2012 and Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the CCNY Center for Worker Education at 25 Broadway, 7th Floor, NYC. Below is a tentative schedule for the two-day event.

For more information, visit the CCNY website.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Conference registration 5-6 P.M.

Special film screening 6-8 P.M.

All the Ladies Say - Ana “Rokafella” Garcia, B-girl and film director

NYC born and bred Ana “Rokafella” Garcia began her career dancing on the streets with the NYC Float Committee, The Breeze Team and the Transformers. After performing background dance for singers and featured in music videos, she co founded Full Circle Prod Inc- a non profit Hip-hop dance based organization with husband Kwikstep. She has offered workshops at MIT, Howard and NYU as well as community centers such as El Puente and The Door. She directed the documentary All The Ladies Say which was screened as part of Lincoln Center’s Dance On Camera film festival and the UK’s Women in Hip-Hop Festival at the Southbank Center.

Keynote address 8-9PM

Pete Rock, legendary producer and DJ

Also known as Soul Brother #1 and The Chocolate Boy Wunda, Pete Rock has arguably pioneered the fusing of jazz, funk and soul into hip-hop as well as laid down the blueprint for beautiful soulful production in hip-hop. Pete Rock revolutionized rap production through groundbreaking studio wizardry and by making remixes matter more than the original songs while establishing ad-libs as a standard recording asset. Over his career he has worked with a wide range of artists and acts from pioneering hip hop acts such as EPMD, Run DMC and Public Enemy to Madonna. Pete Rock’s lecture will focus on modern technology versus old school hip-hop skills.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Conference Registration: 10-11 A.M.

Keynote Address 10:30 A.M. – 12 noon

Dax-Devlon Ross, author The Nightmare and the Dream: Nas, Jay-Z and the History of Conflict in African-American Culture

A law and justice contributor on WOLDC and the author of six books, Dax has been featured on MTV.com, Democracy Now, and Pacific Radio. His work on race, youth culture and criminal justice has been cited by The New Yorker, The New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor. He has lectured on literature and hip-hop culture at Fordham, Pace, and NYU.

Dax’s The Nightmare and The Dream compellingly argues that the battle between Nas and Jay-Z at the turn of the millennium was the latest in a long line of creative conflicts between complex, oppositional African-American icons. An absorbing voyage through time and rhyme, Nightmare situates the philosophy and imagery of two of hip-hop’s most intriguing, innovative and controversial icons within a tradition of rivalry and explains how and why their truce can be read as a pivotal generational moment that could and should be utilized as a teachable moment in the classroom and beyond. Ross obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and English from Rutgers University and his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University Law School.

12NOON-1PM LUNCH BREAK

FILM SCREENING 1-3 P.M.

Style Wars screening 

Q & A with the film’s producer Henry Chalfant, legendary photographer and videographer

Henry Chalfant is a well known and highly-regarded urban culture photographer and videographer most notable for his graffiti and breakdance photography and film. He is highly regarded for his wide knowledge in hip hop and the underground culture. A graduate of Stanford University who majored in classical Greek, he co-authored the definitive account of New York graffiti art, Subway Art and a sequel on the art form’s worldwide diffusion, Spraycan Art. Chalfant co-produced and did the background research and photo-documentation for the 1983 documentary film, Style Wars, first shown on PBS television in 1984. He is one of the foremost authorities on New York subway art.

PANEL 3-5 P.M.

A Call for Papers Presentation

Nicki Minaj continues to see-saw between artistic lows (“Stupid Hoe”) and superstar highs, with high-profile awards appearances, and cross-genre songs and features, such as “Turn Me On,” the pulsating, club-friendly relative smash crafted by DJ/producer David Guetta. Anticipation for the visual counterpart to this high-energy, electro-pop offering from hip-pop’s reigning queen is heightened, with the release of a “teaser” video.

Nicki Minaj is not one to shy away from the macabre, as evidenced by her ghoulishly bipolar performance in “Monster,” the Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross collaboration which helped Minaj fight off much of the criticism leveled at her, where her pop-like personality and antics began to alienate her from more purist hip hop fans. “Turn Me On,” both in song and video, will do little to reclaim those who began sneaking out of her fanbase once she turned the corner from Southside Jamaica to Harajaku Barbieville, but for the legions of worldwide followers among tweens, the more open-minded, and phenomenon-watchers, the full-on, oddball mini-movie that “Turn Me On” is likely to be, should keep her flying high on the mainstream music landscape.

The full version is expected to drop January 31, but there is no clue as to how, or even if, Nicki Minaj will appear in this video, as the clip is as teasery as a teaser can be. In the meantime, if this type of music is not your cup of hip hop artist tea, feel free to swing on over to our January list of “10 Must See Videos By New York Area Hip Hop Artsists“… You’re bound to find something you like over there.

For all others, here’s your tease.

New York hip hop is made up of a variety of style and substance that no other rap region can match. From street-styled thug raps to hipster-friendly wordsmithing, from vintage boom-bap sounds to live band instrumentation, this depth is, in part, a reflection of the region’s inhabitants. New York hip hop is uniquely positioned, true melting pot music, as diverse as New York’s never-sleeping city and open-air outlying suburbs. This range can be seen in artists’ music video counterparts, some low budget and artsy, some high-budget, ready-for-BET affairs. Once again, we decided to sift through the dozens of videos from New York-area hip hop artists that cross our path on any given month, sharing some we feel are notable. This batch contains a few videos from late 2011, and a couple that are fresh out of the oven, but all are fairly recent examples that we think do a great job at visualizing the dynamic range of New York hip hop.

Darq ft. Amy Davis – R.A.W.

Let’s start right with this. If you are an underground/indie artist, and you are going to put together a video in an attempt to set yourself apart from the pack, this is one helluva way to do it. Many videos attempt to self-proclaim themselves “motion picture,” and don’t live up to the hype. This project however, directed extremely adeptly by Kristian Kruz, gives Darq Raw, a heavily grinding Bronx MC, a pretty fantastic calling card that should get people asking “Who is Darq Raw?” and certainly should have artists who are looking to make videos asking, “Who is Kristian Kruz?” Well done.

You would think that The Bronx, long considered the birthplace of hip hop, would have a steady stream of shows to whet the appetites of those seeking hip hop entertainment, but you’d often be hard pressed to find a hip hop show anywhere in the borough these days. True there is the occasional show at the Paradise Theater, but other than that, any of the various underground showcases are still so underground, they haven’t yet shown up on the Birthplace Magazine radar.

That being said, we have found one such show providing the raw, underground hip hop that we’ve come to expect from performance venues throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Once a month, in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, Peasant Podium serves up The Art of Lyrics, a hip hop showcase exhibiting some of the best underground acts hip hop has to offer.

Started in 2009 and celebrating its three year anniversary in April, The Art of Lyrics focuses on bringing in artists that deliver on a more socially conscious platform. Prior shows have attracted artists such as Sadat X, Mr. Complex and Soul Khan to The Point Community Development Corporation (aka The Point CDC) location. Slowly, but surely, The Art of Lyrics is building a name for itself as a destination for those in the know to catch quality rap music acts in the borough that started it all.

Hosted by Rhinoceros Funk with DJ sets by DJ FredOnes and DJ Polarity, this, the 28th edition of The Art of Lyrics, featured a diverse mix of talent from across the city. Coole High, Homeboy Sandman and Ciph Diggy of The Sleepwalkas were among the notables in attendance who came through to offer support and to enjoy a night of first rate hip hop.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE ART OF LYRICS #28

DJ Leecy T

The night kicked off with the Queens based group, Undeniable performing an energetic set featuring tracks off their release, Black Market Artists. Sinnagi and 07 even gave away copies of their CD to some lucky attendees.

Brooklyn’s amazing twosome, M-TRI & DJ Leecy T, rocked the stage with M-TRI dropping “The Grease” and “Suicidal Hype Shit”. DJ Leecy T dazzled on the wheels of steel behind M-TRI’s vocals, taking over the mic at one point and kicking an inspired freestyle with M-TRI backing her up on the turntables.

The always socially conscious Bronx collective, Welfare Poets, presented a dope set dropping knowledge for those that don’t know, in the form of tracks off their new album, Still on Welfare. Rayzer Sharp and fellow producer/emcee, The Legendary MIC dropped insightful rhymes and were backed by an amazing background singer, saxophonist and flutist.

The night included some acapellas by Bronx’s own, NeNe Ali, who commanded with her booming voice. This confident 14 year old’s backing music had been misplaced, but maybe for the better, because she clearly didn’t need it.

Brooklyn-by-way-of-Trenton school teacher, Narubi Selah graced the stage in a surprise appearance that displayed her mic skills and definitely made you start thinking about checking out her latest project, I Am Living Math.

In addition to the performances, organizations, For the People and Guerilla Republik were on hand to facilitate a food and clothing drive, as attendees had been asked to bring in donations.

In all, an entertainingly dope show. Even without advertising, The Art of Lyrics draws a decent size crowd which should increase in size as the weather gets better and word of mouth increases.

SEE PHOTOS FROM THE ART OF LYRICS #28

Before the show, we had the opportunity to speak with generous host and co-founder, Rhinoceros Funk, to break down The Art of Lyrics even further.

Who are you and what is Peasant Podium?

I go by Rhino. Real name is Noel Roman, Dominican family. Born and raised in Washington Heights. Peasant Podium was actually started by myself and Bens One from Washington Heights who’s a tattoo artist as well modern artist in all spectrums, whether it be casting, painting, tattooing. We started this in like 1999-2000. We wanted to step it up through our appreciation of hip hop because that’s really where we combined. We liked these kind of artists, so hip hop was like our sole background. We evolved into an appreciation of different artists, whether it be in actual art, video, film, performance based, so we was like, ‘let’s start something up where it can be always presenting the realism of poor people.’ It’s a poor man stepping up into the realm of speech. We both derive from poor families. His family based in South America… very poor. My family is very poor, based in the Dominican Republic. That’s where the whole Peasant Podium thing stems from.

So is that where the Art of Lyrics came from? An evolution of the Peasant Podium?

Before this, it was radio shows up in Albany, NY where I attended school. He’s still attending school, getting his Masters in art. We did radio shows, we did a couple of DJ battles and MC battles, but it was a very small community and they weren’t really receptive to it all. So when I came back down, I was like, let me try to do something down here. Luckily, we were able to get the Point through Danny Peralta who also represents every faction we ever spoke about in the view of the poor person’s plight in art. He represents that shit perfectly through photography, his organizing and all that.

The Art of Lyrics stems from me saying you know what, we going to have some shit called the Art of Lyrics. I’m getting tired of those fucking cocksuckers out there babbling nonsense on music. What they consider music; it’s a shortcut, a shortcut to music.

Looking at some of the artists on the bill, I noticed the Welfare Poets. I see them preaching a lot of knowledge. Stuff mainstream America doesn’t want to hear.

They don’t want to hear this shit. It’s turn on music. We can point back to music in the 70s where we still had music that was making the mainstream pop charts and Billboard that were songs of change, songs of social plight. Those were eliminated in the 80s. If you look at the Vietnam War, that was the last time you had independent lenses looking at what society was doing and what people were doing. That changed. You can go back to Reagan, if you want to and that structure, that Cabinet and how they changed everything where now it’s a minimal plane of understanding. It’s about minimalizing what you know.

The Art of Lyrics starts off 2012 with a new showcase on Friday, January 20 at The Point CDC. Be sure to check the website www.theartoflyrics.blogspot.com to get information on all of their showcase events.

Regular followers notice when we slow up. Since we have been semi-quietly working on a companion project to the award-winning Birthplace Magazine, we haven’t had much time to go through the backlog, but sometimes, you have to do what is right. This guy is always in the mix, and we give him much props, but he hasn’t officially made our e-pages yet.

Overdue. And corrected right now.

Hired Gun is very active in the New York hip hop underground. On any given week, you’ll find this hard-working MC at various underground haunts like A Monthly Bondfire, The Vital Movement or Freestyle Mondays. In recent months, he has interviewed Dr. Cornell West and The Cornell West Theory, and traveled to Zimbabwe to take part in the Shoko! International Spoken Word and Hip-Hop Festival, conducting panels on freestyling and performing with local MCs and spoken word artists.

A well-rounded hip hop existence, no?

Well, next up on Hired Gun’s resume is The Hits and Pieces EP, a collection of tracks serving as a bridge between the artist’s 2008 debut The People’s Verses and his upcoming album, #NiceGuysFinish. The first in the 4-part Hits and Pieces EP series will drop January 30, 2012, and will feature production by ICE Nine and vocals by Tranquill for the Most High, Jake Lefco and Qwazaar, of Chicago crew Typical Cats.

The latter collaboration is an exceptionally smooth joint titled “The Life,” a jazzy introspection vaguely reminiscent of a Pete Rock and CL Smooth vibe. It was the checking of this track that swayed me from the behind-the-scenes work, back to the first and foremost mission of delivering quality hip hop music to our treasured readership.

Check it out below, and stay tuned for more hits and pieces from Hired Gun.

For more on Hired Gun, visit www.facebook.com/freshrootsmusic

The Life (featuring Qwazaar of Typical Cats) by hiredgun

Check out photos from Freestyle Mondays 10 Year Anniversary event, held at 116 in Manhattan, on January 9, 2012.

When we first named Freestyle Mondays one of our “5 Reasons Why New York Hip Hop Doesn’t Suck,” we said:

For anyone who needs a proper introduction to (or reminder of) the wonderful world of artistry, entertainment, passion, fun and respect for jam session lyricism that lives in hip hop’s heart, you could find absolutely no better place to spend a Monday night.

The location may be changing once again, but the message of that statement remains as true as the day we wrote it. Freestyle Mondays, the weekly, musician-backed, open mic haven for hip hop lyricists with a penchant for impromptu rap, celebrates a decade of nearly continuous weekly sessions, starting 2012 in a new location, but with many of the same participants expected to be in the house.

Freestyle Mondays is led by two longtime hosts and co-organizers: iLLspoKinN, an artistically macho, experienced and charmingly enjoyable artist who continues to tour worldwide, and Mariella, a glowing chanteuse who sounds as at home in a rap groove as she does when performing R&B and jazz throughout NYC and the rest of the country.

Freestyle Mondays' hands-on hosts iLLspoKinN and Mariella

The combination of iLLspoKinN’s expertise at off-the-cuff rapping and engaging interaction with the crowd, and Mariella’s shimmering personality and hypnotic vocals, is an effective enough selling point for the showcase. Add to this a steadily impressive cast of highly competent jam musicians backing the duo (along with DJ MilkMoney holding down duties on the wheels of steel), the mixed-demographic, friendly audience and respectful, talented and (usually) enjoyable freestylers, and you have a winning formula, proven by the mere fact that we are talking about a ten year anniversary.

The vibe favors wordsmithing and verbal craftsmanship over roughneck posturing, but MCs of all persuastions are able to repeatedly rock the mic throughout the night. In general, less entertaining rappers will take the audience’s tempered enthusiasm as a hint, and disappear into the night, leaving the more adapt performers behind to entertain and enthrall.

Freestyle Mondays has spawned sister chapters in the Czech Republic and France, and the original incarnation remains a must-see event for fans of hip hop’s off-the-dome ingenuity, and a must-do rite of passage for any MC who values the sometimes-lost artform of freestyle rhyme.

The Freestyle Mondays 10 year anniversary will take place Monday, January 9, 2011 at the event’s new location, 116, located at 116 MacDougal St., between Bleeker and W. 3rd, New York City. The events begin at 10 p.m., and are free, but well-deserved donations will be collected throughout.

www.FreestyleMondays.com – www.facebook.com/freestylemondays
www.ustream.tv/channel/freestylemondays