Get your Hip Hop On!

So, it is true that I missed all of the hip hop shows in Cleveland over the past few weeks. I really wanted to peep the Brother Ali show. But don't dispair because if you are true hip hop fan, you not only checked out the Rhymesayers crew, but you also sat in on the El-P/Definitive Jux set. And there is more on the horizon; that's right, it is time to get your hip hop on:

~The Underground Nation: Darren Anthony, T-Mates and Therlbread~
On Thursday, May 17, 2007
@ the Beachland Ballroom
15711 Waterloo Road
@ 8 p.m.
Tix are $5 in adv; $8 @ the door ... call 216.383.1124

~Lifesavas and Strange Fruit Project~
On Thursday, May 17, 2007
@ the Grog Shop
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.
Tix are $10 ... call 216.241.5555

~The Ill Disciples~
On Friday, May 18, 2007
@ the Agora Theatre & Ballroom
5001 Prospect Avenue
@ 8:30 p.m.
Tix are $6 ... call 216.241.5555

~Slum Village~
On Sunday, June 3, 2007
@ the Grog Shop
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.Tix are $12 ... call 216.241.5555

~Peanut Butter Wolf DJ Set~
On Wednesday, June 20, 2007
@ B-Side
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.Tix are $10 ... call 216.241.5555

~Sage Francis and Buck 65~
On Wednesday, July 11, 2007
@ the Grog Shop
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.
Tix are $15 ... call 216.241.5555

The Changing Face of Hip Hop

Every so often I post the hip hop charts from WMCO. New hip hop music makes it way to my office on a weekly basis. Some of it stands out from the pack, some of it is judged by its cover (and the judgment is usually accurate). But the point is, the music is new and the charts are always changing ...

So here goes :: this week's badasses!

My favs are DJ Vadim, Sage Francis, and Red Cloud; fav never to make the list: Gutterfly.

1
EL-P
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Definitive Jux
2
J DILLA
Ruff Draft
Stones Throw
3
DJ VADIM
The Sound Catcher
BBE
4
WAX TAILOR
Hope And Sorrow
Decon
5
BROTHER ALI
The Undisputed Truth
Rhymesayers
6
MOVE.MEANT
The Scope Of Things
Wax Paper
7
GABRIEL TEODROS
Lovework
Massline
8
SAGE FRANCIS
Human The Death Dance
Epitaph
9
REDCLOUD
Hawthorne's Most Wanted
Syntax
10
BUSDRIVER
RoadKillOvercoat
Epitaph

Dream on and aim high ... kfox!

The Hip Hop Calendar for C-Town!

...that would be Cleveland!

~Hip Hop Meets Jazz~
On Saturday, April 21, 2007
@ Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road
Doors open @ 10 p.m.; showtime @ 11 p.m.
F/Bill Ransom, Sekou Sundiata, and DJ Mister Rourke
Tix are $25 ... call 216.987.4400
**as a part of the Tri-C Jazz Fest

~HIP HOP PERFORMANCE w/Brother Ali~
On Sunday, April 29, 2007
@ the Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.
Tix are $12 ... call 216.241.5555

~HIP HOP PERFORMANCE w/El-P~
On Friday, May 4, 2007
@ the Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road
@ 9 p.m.
Tix are $15 ... call 216.383.1124

~HIP HOP PERFORMANCE w/Bone Thugs N Harmony~
On Tuesday, May 8, 2007
@ the House of Blues, 308 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland
@ 8 p.m.
Tix begin @ $26.50 ... call 216.241.5555

~HIP HOP PERFORMANCE w/Solillaquists of Sound~
On Wednesday, May 9, 2007
@ the Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights
@ 9 p.m.
Tix are $7 ... call 216.241.5555

So hip hoppers, be about it and show some love! kfox.

Need more time to listen

Checkin out some new music in my favorite genre ... though I must admit that I have not given some of these a full listen:

Brother Ali "The Undisputed Truth" - I began listening to this one at work, but then I left it at work when I really wanted to listen to it at home ... so the jury is still out on this one.

J Dilla "Ruff Draft" - I've listened to several tracks and it's good (I know that's a cop out, but it'll have to suffice for now).

Stephen Marley "Mind Control" - I love, love, love the title cut; also contains tracks w/Mos Def as well as Damien "Junior Gong" Marley; this one is awesome from front to back; oh, "The Traffic Jam" is crazy cool-great beat!

Other notables:
Gabriel Tedros
El-P
Cadence Weapon
Omni

New disks that I don't have (but if I had them, would I make the time to listen to them ... ? Heck yeah!):
Talib Kweli
KRS-One

Movin forward and ah ain't lookin back, kfox!

A New Month, A New #1

It's been about 30 days since I last posted the WMCO Hip Hop Charts. some folks have staying power ... the charts tend to look drastically different after six weeks. My favs are BusDriver, Ghostface and Wax Tailor.

1
BUSDRIVER
RoadKillOvercoat

2
VARIOUS
Om: Hip Hop Volume 1

3
MACROMANTICS
Moments In Movement

4
GABRIEL TEODROS
Lovework

5
El-P
I'll Sleep When You're Dead

6
VARIOUS
Everything

7
MOS DEF
True Magic

8
SURREAL AND DJ BALANCE
Future Classic

9
GHOSTFACE KILLAH
More Fish

10
WAX TAILOR
Hope and Sorrow


Do what you do hip hoppers, but keep it legal! --kfox