Archive for December, 2007

‘Tis The Season

Sunday, December 30th, 2007

Finding yourself totally spent out after the Christmas festivities? Click here to cop a free seasonal album from those Atmosphere chaps.

Peaches & Cream

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

What’s that cramming up the old inbox this morning? Why, it’s some cheeky festive cheer courtesy of the Last Skeptik. Now click here for the full story behind the card.

A Rock And Soul Christmas

Friday, December 21st, 2007

In New York for Christmas? Make sure to check out Rock And Soul’s annual in-store Xmas extravaganza today.

Last year’s special guests included Kid Capri, Tony Touch, Grandmaster Flash, Mister Cee and the big man Kool Herc, plus giveaways from major equipment companies. It goes down from 3pm-7pm, so make sure to pass through.

Now check out some footage of Roc Raida getting down in the store by clicking here.

Who Got Skillz?

Thursday, December 20th, 2007

Think you’ve got the skills to literally pay the bills? Check out the latest hip-hop talent search, instigated by Chris Lighty of Violator Management and Tribe lyric reference fame by clicking here.

Kidz In The Hall News

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

Today HHC hooked up with Kidz In The Hall (their new album’s “coming on April 1st next year, but it’s not a joke!” according to Double-O).

As well as being true troopers and braving the bitter-cold winds for an outside photoshoot in Tribeca, they also dropped some pretty huge news that should be hitting the rounds next week, plus gave up the inside scoop on the, ahem, “Rawkus situation”, ran through the guests for their upcoming ‘The In Crowd’ album (Pusha T and the Cool Kids together on a track? Hipsters rejoice!), before jetting off to the studio to record with their new Duck Down records fam - look out of the audio dropping very soon.

American Godfather

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

The first of no doubt a gajillion efforts, you can listen to DJ Skee’s ‘American Godfather’ mash-up by clicking here.

No prizes for guessing which film’s soundtrack he’s spliced under the Jigga man’s vocals…

Music Of Life

Friday, December 14th, 2007

More goodness from The Original, the old-school and golden-era mini-mag that comes free with every issue of HHC. This time it’s Music Of Life big dog Simon Harris talking on the Demon Boyz:

What first appealed to you about the Demon Boyz?
“I liked the demo tape and letter they sent me - I still have it! I was looking for more artists and they sounded really good and different to other demos, which were British artists trying to sound like American ones, but the Demon Boyz were from Tottenham and Hornsey and they sounded like it.”

Having already done stuff with Freddy and Asher D, were you conscious of the potential for British hip-hop that incorporated the UK’s reggae tradition?
“To be honest, I didn’t think of the Demons as reggae artists - they just sounded like really good UK rappers to me. The ragga influence may have been there but came out a bit later with the odd lines that Mike J threw in, then they did a full ragga track on their album, ‘Do Not Touch It’.”

Mike J told us that as a label you were always very straight with them, but that the relationship between you and the Twilight Firm was tense at times. They wanted total autonomy as producers, while you wanted to still have control in that respect. What’s your take on that?
“From my point of view it was not tense. I just wanted them to be successful and they were 16-year-old kids at the time who needed guidance. With respect to them, I was a producer who was having quite a few big hits at that point and I just wanted them to have the same success that I was having - this meant having a degree of executive control over the direction of their production. It was all with the intention of the artists achieving success. But that said, I also think we did give them a lot of free reign as producers; Brian B and the Twilight Firm produced a lot of their tracks - and they sounded great!”

Check more of The Original by clicking here.

Ken Swift Hits The UK

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

Legendary breaker Ken Swift will be over in the UK this week, kicking off a series of workshops and lectures. Details below:

Tuesday 11 December 2007:
18:30-20:00 Breaking Foundation with Ken Swift General level £10
20:15-21:45 Breaking Foundation with Honey Rockwell General Level £10

Thursday 14 December 2007:
18:30-20:00 Breaking Foundation with Ken Swift General level £10
20:15-21:45 Breaking Foundation with Honey Rockwell General Level £10

Friday 15 December 2007:
18:30-20:00 Breaking Foundation with Ken Swift General level £10
20:15-21:45 Breaking Foundation with Ken Swift & Honey Rockwell General Level £10

Lecture demonstration:
Date: Wednesday 12 December 2007
Venue: Kahn Lecture Theatre, Sadler’s Wells
Time: 19:30-21:00
Cost: £7

For all workshop and lecture demonstration bookings please call the Sadler’s Wells Ticket Office on 0844 412 4300.

Pimp C Appreciation Radio Show

Monday, December 10th, 2007

The ultimate Pimp C radio show tribute, courtesy of HHC’s Houston ambassador, Matt Sonzala: click here to pay your respects.

Christian D & The Criss Cross Crew

Friday, December 7th, 2007

The Original is a new mini-mag dedicated to old-school and golden-era hip-hop that comes free with every copy of HHC. Here’s a sneak peak of the first issue’s cover interview, with Doug E Fresh breaking down the origins of his name:

“I was Dougie Doug, I was Dougie D, I was Law-D. I was playing with all kinds of names – Dougie Doug The Prince Of Love. I used to sit and just think of names – Christian D & The Criss Cross Crew.

“One day someone did a piece for me in school and I told ‘em to write ‘Dougie’s Fresh’. I came back and homeboy had written ‘Doug E Fresh’ on the wall in the school. And after that, my relationship with the females at school was real cool and playful and all of this other stuff, so the name just stuck.”