GIVING YOU THE HIP HOP NEWS ON THE TRUE CULTURE OF HIP HOP visit us www.Rapamania.com ARE YOU HIP HOP? featuring what the culture is all about from Exclusive interviews, Documentaries, Old school Hip Hop Videos, Performances, Flyers, Graffiti/Aerosol Art and more. 40 years of Hip Hop keeping the Founding Fathers, Pioneers and Legend of Hip Hop in the mix
1988 was a benchmark year for Public Enemy. The same calendar year
that Chuck D, Terminator X, Professor Griff, and Flavor Flav released It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, the crew appeared on WNYU radio, 89.1 on the FM dial.
This week, the New York University station recently
uploaded the appearance to Soundcloud. The 10-plus-minute spot features
lots of hard rapping, razor sharp scratching, Gil Scott Heron and David
Bowie beat-drops. The sum of its parts is a moment of sound in a P.E.
medley that needs to be accessible in the digital era. Although the bass
hits didn’t preserve the best, this is an amazing glimpse at what a
Public Enemy set felt like in ’88—with an ill album out, and the energy
of a Hip-Hop nation behind them.
The
new photo book “Rap Tees: A Collection of Hip-Hop T-Shirts 1980-1999”
by DJ Ross One documents 500 shirts, from hip-hop’s dawn — the first
item is a Sugar Hill Gang shirt from 1980, a year after that group
released “Rapper’s Delight,”
widely considered the first commercial hip-hop single — to its
turn-of-the-millennium ubiquity. All the shirts are advertisements, but
they go about their job in vastly different ways: Some emphasize logos,
others favor slogans or let photos do the talking; a rare few let
artists have their way.
Commercialism
has long been one of hip-hop’s prime ambitions. Yet “Rap Tees”
(powerHouse) suggests that for many years hip-hop had in fact been
under-merchandised. It’s striking how many of the best shirts weren’t
official or for sale. Several were promotional items, given out to
tastemakers and fans. And many weren’t by the musicians at all, but
bootlegs made on the cheap and distributed broadly.
That
means that this book begins as a document of the hip-hop industry’s
efforts to branch out beyond music, and by the end shifts to the flea
markets, swap meets, sidewalk stalls and parking lots where street-level
entrepreneurs, recognizing that rabid fans were also underserved
customers, collected money that the rappers and their record labels were
leaving on the table.
DJ Ross One,
a tenacious and sharp-eyed collector, owns about half of the shirts in
the book, and he tracked down and photographed the rest. His list is
organized by artist and by region, in more or less chronological order.
Over
the two decades covered here, the nature of the hip-hop T-shirt
evolves. In hip-hop’s first true corporate era, from the mid-1980s
through the early 1990s, the artist logos were essential. About 20
shirts in the book depict the classic Run-DMC logo — bold white capital
letters, “Run” stacked atop “DMC,” sandwiched between two red lines.
Some are on elaborately designed sweatshirts made in partnership with
Adidas, the first example of the fashion world aggressively embracing
hip-hop.
The
book devotes extensive sections to the logos of the Beastie Boys, based
on the Harley-Davidson mark, and Public Enemy, perhaps hip-hop’s most
iconographically adept act. In addition to around two dozen Public Enemy
shirts, “Rap Tees” reproduces pages from Rapp Style, the group’s
mail-order catalog, which offered items like jackets, T-shirts, hats and
mugs. Rap music’s loudest and most radical polemicists were also its
most effective salesmen and branding experts.
Holly Holm shocked the world on Saturday night as she landed a vicious second-round head kick knockout over Ronda Rousey to cap off UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
Holm was touted as the toughest challenger to Rousey's title ever
since she signed to the UFC, but she walked into the fight as much as a
20-to-1 underdog.
That all changed as soon as the fight started as Holm showed
poise and a picture-perfect strategy used to dismantle Rousey in less
than six minutes.
Holm set the pace throughout the first round with a stiff jab and a series of oblique kicks with shades of her teammate Jon Jones, who uses the exact same maneuver in many of his fights, as she punished Rousey's lead leg.
Every time Rousey engaged or tried to push forward, Holm circled
away and refused to allow the former Olympian to bully her across the
cage as she's done with so many opponents before her.
Holm's best weapon was her straight punch. She popped Rousey
continuously, and as the former champ’s nose and mouth started to bleed,
it was clear this was a much different fight than she had ever been in
before.
Rousey eventually scored a takedown with a headlock but Holm
stayed patient and even slipped out of an armbar attempt from the
submission specialist. Holm actually ended up taking Rousey down later
in the round, but immediately backed out of her guard to get the fight
back to the feet.
From there, Holm kept her composure as she popped the champion a
few more times and as she went to the corner, the challenger looked
confident after getting the fight to the second round for only the
second time in Rousey's career.
Holm wasted no time setting the pace in the second round as she
stunned Rousey right away during a scramble. Rousey started to get up
off the mat and just as she lifted her hands and turned, Holm absolutely
blasted her with a left high kick that sent the California native
crashing back to the mat.
Holm followed up with a couple more strikes on the ground as
referee Herb Dean swooped in to stop the fight before Rousey could take
any more damage.
A stunned Melbourne crowd erupted as Rousey laid prone on the
canvas and Holm celebrated her win with a blistering knockout just 59
seconds into the second round.
Holm prepared for the fight with coaches Greg Jackson and Mike
Winkeljohn, who are well known as being two of the best strategists in
the entire sport, and it seems like they picked apart every one of
Rousey's tendencies and it paid off in the Octagon.
"I have to say that everything that we worked on presented itself
in the fight. Every kind of grab that she tried to get and clinch on
the cage. I have not spent this much time in the gym before any fight in
my life," Holm said after the historic win.
"Everything we worked on happened tonight and that actually
happened to be something we worked on to try and angle the clinch. I
didn't want to kick her to the body because we didn't want her to grab
onto us and it just was there."
Holm may have been the underdog going into the fight, but she
fought like the 18-time boxing champion who ruled her sport for most of
her career before moving to MMA full time. Holm paid homage to her team
for helping to get her ready and it paid off huge as she put Rousey down
in impressive fashion to win the UFC women's bantamweight title.
"I just felt like how could I not do this?" Holm said. "I have
the best coaching from stand up to grappling to wrestling, look at this
time right here, this right here is priceless."
This marks the first loss in Rousey's mixed martial arts career
and after she was helped up to a stool following the knockout, she made
her way out of the Octagon before speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
Rousey was undoubtedly stunned not only from the knockout but watching
Holm put together the most flawless performance of any opponent she's
ever faced. According to a report from TMZ Sports, the former champ was
transported to the hospital immediately after exiting the Octagon.
HIP HOP LANDMARK HARLEM WORLD DISCO! Photo by Chuck Foster! 1st I like
to thank the late Jack Taylor the owner of Harlem and O C the manager
The Harlem World Crew Son of Sam, Charlie Rock and special shout out to
the Late DJ Randy who grew up with me at John Adams Projects as a child
along with Dj Darryl. Harlem World was special it went from an adult
disco to one of the hottest Hip Hop Clubs. As a flyer guy for the late
Kool Dj Aj back in late 1977 Aj is always stated in
all my interviews about who put me on and got me started as a
promoter. Mandiplite was also someone along with Mike and Dave I have
done shows with. But Harlem Wotld was the place to be & you had all
the rappers coming from the from everywhere Johnny Wa and Rayvon, dj
Spivey, Captain Riock, dj Red alert who is from Harlem walking distance
really Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde, dj Kayslay aka Graf writer then known as
Dez. There was a little kid who wanted to get in Harlem World name Doug
E Fresh with his boy Loose Bruce. There were many who came to every
show and then there are some telling stories about events that happened
at Harlem World or certain shows and wasnt even at that event. In the
end now it really doesn't matter because it was a phenomenal thing
happening. I gave many shows there and help promote many shows there
with KOOL DJ AJ. Actually we were the only 2 who did alot of shows there
with the exception of the Harlem World Crew. Since they were the house
they got to pick the good dates of the calendar. But lets remember while
Harlem World was poppin, we still had competition on certain nights
depending who you booked. Summertime was rough because Djs would come
outside and who want to be in a club and paying when you could get to
hear the music and whomever was on the mic for free. Business was good
after Sumner was over. but the competition from other promoters at spots
like the Celebrity Club, Randys Place could hurt any promoter if
everyone did show the same night and it depend on who you had. But the
Bronx was no different with the Savoy Manor, Stardust Ballroom, Club
371, T Connection, Ecstacy Garage and others spots could hurt your
party. Part 1
LUVBUG STARSKI FORREST PROJECTS HIP HOP LANDMARK! Also the home of
Graffiti writer Phase 2, rappers Trickey Vic and Tipski. So early in the
era moving around the Bronx as a teenager. Even though my claim is John
Adams Projects, but my birth was Paterson Projects where 18 Park is a
Hip Hop Landmark and I went to P S 18. But finally going to 163st to get
some Johnson's BBQ Ribs there was some music coming from the park, the
guy who had that section on lock was a guy named Trump
(R.I.P) and this was before AJ was out in the parks. There was this
young guy outside with music at the basketball court those half moon
backboards.lol. And his name was Starski now there were others there as
well and to be honest I can't remember their names. But his system was
loud it did echo back to almost my block at night we knew someone was
out having a park jam. Luvbug timeline was around 1974 when he was
outside. Eventually I got to become cool with him and he found out later
that after AJ started giving parties I was down with him. Lovbug was
one of thr Bronx hottest dj because his rapping on the mic Dj Hollywood
style was thr basic for rapping Dj's back then who could do it . Luvbug
did a few songs and was one of the house dj's for Disco Fever once Sal
decided Disco wasn't working no more at the club. Luvbug Starski moved
around the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens playing with the likes Kool Herc,
Afrika Bambaataa, Reggie Wells,Eddie Cheba, the late Pete Dj Jones, Dj
Sesame Disco Twins and others .His story is one to be told. Another Hip
Hip Pioneer, Still doing his thing in 2015. FOR MORE TRUE SCHOOL HIP HOP
Visit www.rapamania.com
HIP HOP LANDMARK HOME OF THE CRASHCREW AND PROMOTERS MIKE AND DAVE.
HARLEM My story about this crew which started out as the Force of Five
Mc,s in the late 70's Reggie Reg, Gee Man, La Shu Bee, Barry Bistro, EK
Mike C and DJ Darryl C (R.I.P) along with Disco Dave who with his
brother Mike were the promoters. This was a self contained unit in which
Mike and Dave owned their own sound system as well and use to bring the
music out in their park as well. Mike and Dave,were very
smart to the game & really kept to themselves whereas they were
making a dent in the game with their parties. Mike and Dave had the
Crashcrew do alot of shows which they gave in places like the Karate
Club, I.S 201, Savoy Manor any place Mike and Dave could rent. But the
Savoy Manor in 149 st was as far they would go into the Bronx . So
eventually it happened Kool Dj Aj join forces and Mike and Dave with
Kool Dj Aj started promoting parties together. By them linking with AJ
gave them a Bronx pass to do parties further up in the Bronx because
they were linked with Aj and Busybee. Which in turn gave AJ now to do
parties with the Crashcrew, and then there was a young Biz Markie, a
young Rob Base who wanted to get on and yes they carried record crate
and as all that. But that Mike and Dave and Aj partnership didn't last
long after AJ I started doing parties with Mike and Dave and we started
going out to Queens where they put on a Queens rapper named Sweety G
& they we were promoting MasterDon & the Death Committee, a
young Dougie Fresh, the Boogie Boys, along with the Crashcrew. So doing
the Queens parties was hectic coming from Harlem and making sure certain
Queens rappers were cool. So I made sure that Divine and them were cool
knowing they were tight as Hell. The Olympia Palace, Martin Van Buren
High School were the spot we did the jams at . But we respected the
crews out iof 40 projects, Baisley, and those who we knew could just
set iit off back then but it never happened. Mike and Dave was also the
1st Rap promoters to release record under their label The Crashcew
"Highpowered Rap and The Boogie Boys. Much Props to the crew from
Lincoln Projects.
CEDAR PARK BRONX NEW YORK KOOL HERC HIP HOP LANDMARK! 1520 Sedgwick Ave,
Echo Park and Arthur Park Hip Hop Landmarks. The careers of many Hip
Hop Pioneers and lets clear the facts a Hip Hop Pioneer would be 1st
generation up until 1983 if you were on prominent flyers or did a
recording and on a flyer. Then the Pioneers who were part of the scene
from the inside or promoters who gave these jams. But getting back to
Cedar Park where many jams where held as I traveled around playing
basketball at Cedar Park and the other basketball court along side
further up Sedgwick Ave because my friends lived in River Park Towers.
This was Kool Herc park, 23 Park was that of Grandmaster Flash and the
Furious 5 or 63 Park to Mean Gene, Theodore, and Flash was there before
the Furious 5 became a group. My point is that the Pioneering Dj's had
their section of the Bronx where they basically came from. Personally I
never got to see Kool Herc at Cedar Park because he moved on to other
Parks such as Echo and Arthur Park. I know some pioneers add some hot
sauce to their stories but we must maintain our Hip Hop History in a
correct manner. The Culture of Hip Hop have many Landmarks and
Historical location which must be brought out as part of the Culture for
the future ahead of us. For more True Hip Hop visit www.rapamania.com Honoring the Pioneers and Legends of the Culture
In 1970s Harlem, one man with a golden voice and a great idea transformed party rocking forever
Those old enough
to remember call him the Godfather of Rap. He was the King of New York
when hustlers wore sharkskin suits. He was the Jay-Z of the 70s. Now
he’s kissing 60-years-old and can still rock a party. There’s no million
dollar check waiting for him or royalty money from a hit single. Those
days have passed. Now, it’s about the love he’s always had playing
music.
But don’t get it twisted: in his heyday, he made money. More
than any other rapper in his era. And this was before records. Not
Herc, nor Bam, or Flash, or Starsky were making $500 a show back then.
“I
was in demand,” he told me. “People wanted that, that, that… seasoning.
And once I realized that it was me they wanted, I figured, well,
they’ll have to pay a couple of extra dollars to get me.” And they did.
Lines stretched for blocks to hear what the flyers advertised as the
“golden voice” of DJ Hollywood.
“Before
me,” he proclaimed, in the same kind of prophetic voice that the guy
who discovered fire many millenniums ago may have used, “there was none.
And after me…” he pauses and reflects, “there was all.”
“Nobody
was doin’ the turntables and the microphone before me. Nobody,” he
emphasizes. “Don’t get me wrong,” he continues, “they had people [who]
rapped before me—syncopated and unsyncopated. I can’t take nothin’ away
from people like Oscar Brown Jr., Pigmeat Markham, the Last Poets, Gil
Scott Heron, the Watts Prophets, Rudy Ray Moore, I used to listen to all
of ‘em. I can’t take nothin’ from none of ‘em… but none of ‘em was
doin’ what I was doin’ with the turntables and a mic.”
His
influence on the genre he helped to pioneer is evident in the styles of
DJ’s Kid Capri, Biz Markie and Lovebug Starski, as well as rappers who
specialize in crowd participation like Kurtis Blow and Doug E Fresh.
The only public acknowledgement he’s received for his hand in the creation of rap was back in 2005 on VH1’s Hip Hop Honors. For
the most part, he gets left out of the story because many of his
contemporaries, like Afrika Bambaataa and Kool Herc, have dismissed him
as having been “disco.”
“Can you believe that? Disco?”
he asks me, apparently annoyed at the idea. “What the fuck is that? So,
okay, I’m disco, aight, aight,” he says, “I’m the disco nigga that made
all of you niggas in hip-hop do what this nigga in disco was doin’.”
To
understand his contributions, we have to travel back in time to the
world inhabited by a fourteen-year-old runaway named Anthony Holloway.
BRONX RIVER THE HOME OF THE ZULU NATION & AFRIKA BAMBAATAA AND HIP
HOP and all the Pioneers who came through over the last 40 years. Where
do you start? Well for one this Community Center should consider a
Historical Landmark which the NYCHA should think about..Just think about
all the famous rappers who performed there and the thousands of people
globally who visited Bronx River Community Center. Afrika Bambaataa and
the Zulu Kings and Nation gave Hip Hop a home in the Bronx
on a consistent basis because we always knew once a year that the Zulu
Nation Anniversary was in November.
There are many Historical places in
The Bronx that help birth this Culture and as well in other boros of New
York. If Kool Herc gave birth to Hip Hop at 1520 Sedgwick or Cedar Park
Disco King Mario to Bronxdale, then St Mary's Park is where Kool Dj Aj
gave birth to Hip Hop and Luvbug Bug Starski Forrest Houses and so on.
That is something we all should think about. For more True School,Hip
Hop visit www.rapamania.com
HIP HOP LANDMARK THE AUDUBON BALLROOM!Manhattan, New York Why this would be a Hip Hop
Landmark for one reason because this is where we lost our great Malcolm X
and where many of Hip Hop Pioneers performed back in the 70's. The same
stage where Malcolm X was assassinated on is the same stage that these
groups performed on. Even though that the Ballroom had many rooms that
were smaller and the Audubon Ballroom over the years had many Culture
events there. Such Hip Hop Pioneers who performed there
like Dj Hollywood, Luvbug Starski, Kool Kyle, Mean Gene, the Coldcrush
Brothers, Grandwizard Theodore and The Fantastic 5, Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious 5, The Funky 4 plus 1, Crashcrew and the countless Hip
Hop acts and battle held there. Many of these shows were promoted by
pioneering Hip Hop promoter Ray Chandler who was Flash and the Furious 5
first manager as well the late Kool Dj Aj. My one story at one of these
events was that I personally got stuck up one night after a party at
the Audubon. But some of the greatest Hip Hop parties were gave their up
until around 1983.
THE HIP HOP HOME OF THE LATE KOOL DJ AJ MOORE HOUSES & ST MARY'S
PARK! Kool Dj Aj gave his birth of Hip Hop to his neighborhood Moore
Houses 149st & Jackson Ave, St Mary's Park which was connected to
Moore Houses. I knew Aj when he he started back then his boy was
graffiti legend Kase both from Moore Houses .But AJ really lived across
the street with his grandmother in St Mary's and his neighbor was the
late Pigmeat Markham who made "Here Comes the Judge. Aj would go up to
Forrest Houses where Luvbug Starski
& grafitti writer Phase 2 lived and came outside with music around
1975 could be earlier a year. So between Moore Houses, my projects John
Adams which was 152 st Jackson Ave, into Westchester Ave and Tinton Ave,
and walk up 8 block you was at Mckinnley and Forrest Houses that's how
close we all was.
So my choice of who rocking tonite was great back then
depending who was out either Kool dj Aj or Luvbug Starski park jams. My
project dj''s never blew up into Hip Hop dj Jerry and his crew was out
as well. But his younger brother Kuda aka Dj Randy(RIP)and our friend Dj
Darryl became the dj and Hip Hop Crew at the Harlem World Disco. But AJ
first emcees were Kenny Gee ,then Sonny Gee in the early days. Aj got
put on by doing parties with Flash & Luvbug Starski and him seeing
Promoter Ray Chandler sparked him to become a promoter and I was one of
his flyer guys handing out flyers. Cowboy used to come and emcee for AJ
when he came outside with the music and eventually Busybee became his
permanent emcee doing alot of historical Hip Hop jams. I started giving
my own parties as R.C PAC JAM then a little later on Mike and Dave and
myself started doing parties together. But Kool DJ AJ set it off in
that area of the Bronx Mott Haven section South Bronx. Later on after
the game changed he became Kurtis Blow dj.He concepted the song "If I
Ruled the Worked which Kurtis Blow recorded and was also rewarded with
his own Dj song "AJ SCRATCH by Kurtis Blow. 2015 AJ was laid to Rest In
Hip Hop Heaven Aaron O'Bryant My Brother A HIP HOP PIONEER.
HIP HOP HISTORY! To My Hip Hop Brothers Kool Herc & Afrika
Bambaataa and the rest of the 1st generation of the Hip Hop Culture..We
are living in a time of 40 plus years of this culture that was created
by young black teens from the Bronx, because only a handful are
originally from the South Bronx as stated by the geographic map. From
the West, North, East and South Bronx the contribution during the mid
70"s and transformation of Disco where alot of the early dj's who played
Disco also became part of this culture in a matter of months not years.
Everybody had dj's in the parks everywhere not just N.Y everywhere and
it just so happened we changed the game and gave it a name But the
tireless discussion by all of who did what 1st and who created this 1st
and timelines now being changed, some flyers altered is not good at all.
Respectfully the earlier documentary that were filmed in the beginning
happened to be the most accurate information back then when we all
praised each other. I don"t get it Disco King Mario is not here to
defend himself and all of us as elder statement of this Culture 1st Hip
Hop generation need to band together in a more efficient way. Not every
Hip Hop group was inspired by Kool Herc or Afrika Bambaataa because the
next generation after us was too young. Some were inspired by Luvbug
Starski, DJHollywood, Pete Dj Jones and the list goes on. There were many
guys who were record and crate carriers, what about the early rap
promoter, what about the guys who were down and never had a hit song and
his story gets No Attention I call them the UNSUNG HIP HOP HEROES.
Everybody contributed in the beginning and all the early documentary
when those interviews were done are more accurate because those were
the real and honest stories. I really don't care who did what anymore
because the acknowledgement is not there and at 59 years old I know
better .So are we really preserving The Culture or everyone Legacy? I
wish all my Hip Hop brothers and sisters from the 1st generation before
records to understand that we all have to praise each other like it was
back in the 70's. And to refresh all memories you can visit www.rapamania.com TO SEE ALL THE EARLY HIP HOP DOCUMENTARY Visit http://www.rapamania.com/#!hip-hop-documentaries/cec2
The Industry Cosign and Video Mix Party Presents The Kool Dj Red Alert
Birthday Celebration with Dj Wiz Dj Vern Video Music Box Vj Ralph
Mcdaniels & Special Invited Celebrity Guest Art Show By Acrylic
Ninja & Special Listening Party for Tracey Lee Hosted By Big Ced
11.26 at M1-5
WILL BE ADDING MORE KOOL DJ RED ALERT B-DAY PARTIES
TODAY HIP HOP HISTORY! THE ORIGINAL FUNKY Y 1st photo together in 30
years today after rehearsal Jazzy Jeff, Lil Rodney C! Rahiem and Keith
Ceasar. Sha Rock will be with the group next week. Yes finally after all
these years the Funky 4 plus 1 with Dj Breakout is preparing for 2016
ready to hit the road. This is one of the Original Pioneering Rap groups
that haven't been seen together since 1983. Make sure to follow them
on twitter @thefunky4plus1 and for the exclusive Interview with Hip Hop
1st Female MC Sha Rock visit www.rapamania.com
BACK IN THE DAYS CLASSIC FUNKY 4 PLUS 1 POSTER AND FLYER!
HIP HOP HISTORY! THE ORIGINAL SPINDERELLA Yes SALT & PEPA 1st DJ
from their 1st Album HOT, COOL & VICIOUS. Alot of Hip Hop fans may
not know that in fact this sister was Salt and Pepa dj before Dee Dee
Roper. She actually rap on the album as well. Now before the Original
Spinderella there was a female dj named Ms Spinderella in the late 70s
.
Unfortunately the Original Spinderella left the group right before "Push
It" came out. Over the years she was making mix tapes under the name DJ
PRIIEST and have done a few compilation album as to where she served as
co producer. Waiting to hear her new project and hopefully in the near
future we will have her interview on www rapamania.com For more True School Hip Hop visit www.rapamania.com
