Steve Rifkin Spills To The Hip Hop Chronicle (Video)

Sumit over at The Hip Hop Chronicle put some excellent questions to founder and chairman of Loud Records and SRC Records, Steve Rifkin, earlier this month, covering topics including his first meeting with Havoc, trying to sign Jay-Z, signing the Wu-Tang Clan and smoking with Tupac.

“Firstly I got him to break down the Duck Seazon lyrics where RZA says ‘Steve Rifkind must be sniffin’,” says The Hip Hop Chronicle. “We then get onto speaking about Steve’s first encounters with artists. He explains how Havoc lit up a blunt and caused a fire alarm during their first meet. Steve talks about the first time he met Melanie Fiona and thought her manager was ‘breath-takingly beautiful’.

“Dame Dash as a 16 year old was a ‘cocky motherfucker’. He came into Steve’s office shouting and screaming with his cousin. Then Steve tells me two stories about how he threw a chair out of the window and was escorted out of the building in handcuffs over a Wu Tang record and how he almost had a fight with a label President because they wouldn’t sign Jay-Z.”

“Steve Rifkind recounts the time when he signed the Wu Tang Clan. They performed ‘Protect Your Neck’ and then a random intern runs into the room saying, ‘That’s that shit!’.  Steve also talks about the time when Tupac stayed at his house in L.A. and how they used to smoke together. And finally (with some help, thanks Shane!), Steve tells me the time when he broke his nose playing basketball and while on the way to the hospital, he was told to listen to 3 Akon records, which he loved and decided he had to sign him.”

Props to TheHipHopChronicle

Cut The Chat TV @ Tate Britain: Bring The Noise + other FREE events (14th March, London)

Cut the Chat TV
Date: 14th March 2010
Time: 14:30–15:30
Room 9
Venue: Tate Britain (Millbank, London SW1P 4RG)

Eavesdrop on the banter of barbershop culture with Kidulthood’s Femi Oyeniran, D and L’s superstar barber Damon, Radio 1xtra’s DJ Ace, rising comedy star Little Man and other very special surprise guests as Cut The Chat TV pull up the chairs and discuss the subjects other chat shows fail to reach. The group chat about Ofili’s exhibition and the paintings Pimpin’ ain’t Easy 1997, Triple Beam 2001-02 and Foxy Roxy 1997.

Free tickets for main performances are on a first-come, first-served basis from 11:00.

Hosts and guests alike converse with honesty and humour about issues that are often bypassed by other talk shows. Whether discussing the best restaurants to take a first date to or the latest in current affairs, the philosophy is that any positive and constructive discussion goes.

[TATE]

[Cut The Chat TV]

Full Tate Bring The Noise schedule for 14 March Read more

NEW MUSIC: DivaGeek (Vula Malinga + Ben Jones) – “Sunday”

DivaGeek are Vula Malinga (‘the all-singing all-writing diva’) + Ben Jones (‘the super talented geeky producer’).

Those familiar with the soulful London scene know all about Vula – who featured on SoulCulture’s tribute mixtape Aaliyah Revisited last summer (“Rock The Boat“), sings with Dizzee Rascal (support vocals on Tongue N’ Cheek) and is currently touring with Basement Jaxx. Preparing material for that much anticipated, long awaited debut album, Vula sprang a leak today and dropped this new track into the SoulCulture inbox:

Brand Fresh & Nu’ from the DivaGeek camp is ‘Sunday’…

Vula describes the track as, “My gospel song done in our weird electric soul way…” She continues, “There’s times when I’m so thankful for the life I have what with my singing taking me to many countries that I had to at least dedicate one song to the Man upstairs! Ben isn’t a Christian but he loves the song, so I wrote it in a way where it can be interpreted in other positive ways not necessarily in a Christian way. It’s my way of saying, ‘Thank you’.”

Expect more from the duo – from gigs to, hopefully, a finished debut album dropping independently through DivaGeek Records (which brought Vula’s 2008 EP If U Want It -still available now!).

For more on what’s going on in Vula’s world check her on twitter @Vulavox and her fan page on FaceBook.

Notorious B.I.G – 13 Thoughts, 13 Years On

It’s been 13 years since Christopher Wallace was cut down in his prime. Those who know me know of my bizarre (yet valid) fascination/connection with the number thirteen and know where I’m going. But because I want to get back to my own musical Biggie tribute, I’m letting the readers off the hook from my long-windedness – but not without informing you that this could easily be a multiple page article in mere minutes. There are so many angles I can attack from, where do I begin? The fact that I can’t even express a fraction of what I’m feeling inside right now should give some indication as to how much of an impact the life of the Notorious B.I.G had on mine… Read more

WIN A Pair Of Tickets To 50 Cent’s UK Tour (March 2010)

Jesse Boykins III Debut UK Show/Writer’s Block 2nd Birthday (London, April 14th)

Discerning spoken word and live music event Writer’s Block (London) presents an exclusive live performance by Brooklyn-based Soul singer/songwriter Jesse Boykins III: live in London on April 14, 2010 at Cargo.

Appearing live for the first time internationally, Jesse Boykins III (accompanied by a full band) will be performing songs from his critically acclaimed albums Dopamine: My Life On My Back and The Beauty Created including smash hits ‘Tabloids’, ‘Pantyhose’, and ‘Amorous’ [click to see videos].

“I am excited that the time has finally come for my London fans to see me perform live.”  Jesse says of his debut, “I definitely think its time for them to experience my sound, on a more personal level. I promise to make our first experience together magical.”

No questions needed – we’ll see you there!

Event Details

Writers Block presents Jesse Boykins III/2nd Birthday

Headline Act: Jesse Boykins III
Guest Performers: Poeticat, Deanna Rodger, P.I.P.
After-party: DJ Snips (Doctor’s Orders)
Date: 14th April 2010
Venue: Cargo (83 Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY)
Time: 8pm til late
Tickets: £11 Advance [buy from Ticketweb]

www.lovewritersblock.com | www.jbiiimusic.com

Watch The Gorillaz’ Stylo Music Video Starring Bruce Willis

Yep…
Your eyes haven’t deceived you…
That is Bruce Willis in the new Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland of Passion Pictures directed Gorillaz Video.
After 2 trailers and a bucketload of anticipation the full video for “Stylo” is finally here.

MusicMonday Download: Joell Ortiz & Novel – Defying The Predictable (Mixtape)

Puerto Rican American Slaughterhouse emcee Joell Ortiz collaborates with Alonzo Mario Stevenson – better known to us as singer/songwriter/producer/rapper Novel – on their joint free mixtape, Defying The Predictable. 17 tracks of Hip Hop delight.

Track list:

01. Defying The Predictable
02. Ghetto Pt. 1
03. Motherland (feat. Spree Wilson)
04. Hip-Hop (Remix) (feat. Jadakiss & Saigon)
05. Stressful (feat. Cry$tyle aka The Ink)
06. All The Right Moves (feat. One Republic)
07. Hit ‘Em Wit The Shottie
08. I Can Be President
09. Here The Next
10. Ghetto Pt. 2
11. Fighters Freestyle
12. So Much More (feat. Papoose)
13. We Ain’t Trippin’
14. Stand Up
15. Like I Know
16. Duffle Bag Boy Freestyle (feat. Short Dawg)
17. Raindrops (feat. Slaughterhouse)

Get yours now: DOWNLOAD

[via onSMASH]

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