KRS-One’s First Official Single Release, JUST LIKE THAT Directed By MAD LION off of KRS-Ones 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st Quarter 2012 ,on Killahpride Records
Video Edit and Special Effects by Charles Armstrong of Paradox Films.
There are an estimated 5,304 homeless adults, accompanied by 2,079 children in Alameda County who are struggling to make ends meet and are often times unsure of where their next meal is coming from. Each year, Mistah Fab, Dandell Entertaint and Community Leaders come together committed to making a difference by feeding Oakland’s deserving families.
This year Mistah Fab along with the blessing of the Mayor, Bobby Brackins and MC Hammer provide blankets and a hot meal to hundreds of homeless individuals in the Oakland community.
Eleven years ago, local hip-hop pioneers of the turntablism movement the Invisibl Skratch Piklz (ISP) walked off the stage. Skratchcon 2000 was the last time they would perform as a group. Tonight, for the first time in more than a decade, ISP members DJ Qbert, DJ Apollo and Shortkut share the stage at the Independent to celebrate the release of urban artist Justin Bua’s new book of paintings and essays, “The Legends of Hip Hop.”
“Bua’s book is monumental,” says Mixmaster Mike, the only original member unable to perform tonight. “For those in need of a hip-hop lesson, it’s like the hip-hop art bible.”
The appreciation is mutual.
“If Grandmaster Flash took DJing from cave painting to hieroglyphics, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz took it to the high Renaissance,” Bua says. And it all started in the Bay Area.
“San Francisco is one of the biggest DJ meccas on Earth,” Apollo says. “This is our stomping ground.” Apollo and Mixmaster Mike went to Westmoor High School in Daly City, Qbert to Balboa High School in San Francisco. They met in the mid-’80s, battling in cafeterias and at house parties.
“I looked at Mike like a god,” says Qbert, a.k.a. Richard Quitevis. “I didn’t think we’d become friends because I thought he was too good to kick it with.”
But they did, and after a few years the teacher-student role reached an equilibrium. “Mike came to one of my shows,” Qbert says. “I’d learned a lot of new things from DJs like Cash Money, Joe Cooly and Jazzy Jeff. I learned their techniques and double-timed their tricks. When Mike saw what I was doing, he was like, ‘I guess you don’t suck anymore. Let’s hook up.’ ”
Along with DJ Apollo, a.k.a. Apollo Kielarowski, they formed disputably the first, and indisputably one of the best, scratching crews in history. The chemistry between the members, who play their turntables like musical instruments, won them the DMC World DJ Championships team competition in 1992.
“Apollo, Mike and Qbert were the DJ kings of the bay. I was in awe of them,” says Shortkut, who went to Jefferson High School in Daly City. “I’m like the little brother of the group.” Years of practicing after school at Qbert’s house paid off when he joined the crew in 1993.
Members went their separate ways when solo careers blossomed, all becoming among the most sought-after DJs on the globe. Qbert made his movie “Wave Twisters,” Mixmaster Mike went to the Beastie Boys, Apollo to Souls of Mischief and Shortkut to the Beat Junkies.
“We all came from bedroom DJing to mobile disc jockey sound systems to doing the world circuit thing,” Shortkut says. “A lot of us didn’t really think it could go this far. It feels good to be home.”
“They’ve asked us to play many times, and we never could,” Qbert says. “They say things come back around. It’s just that time.”
“This is what hip-hop is all about,” Bua says of tonight’s unofficial reunion, where prints from “Legends of Hip Hop” will be on display. “We are all one great collective movement brought together to celebrate the art and music of this beautiful culture.”
9 p.m. today. $25. The Independent, 628 Divisadero St., S.F. (415) 771-1421. www.theindependentsf.com. Justin Bua and DJ Qbert will talk about “The Legends of Hip Hop” at 6:30 p.m. Fri. The Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F. www.booksmith.com.
Today, hasHBrown is excited to release his new album, Break Something. In an attempt to most effectively reach the entirety of his fan base, the Houston-based rapper/producer is offering the project as both a free download, and for sale through his Bandcamp (for $5) or iTunes, allowing listeners easy access to the music, while also giving those who’d like to support hasH the opportunity to do so.
Despite the month-long lead-up to the album’s release, Break Something is a project that’s been in the works for much longer. “For the last two years almost, I’ve been working on Break Something, song by song,” explains hasHBrown. “Since I first started I’ve taken several breaks from its completion.” And for hasH, his hard work and dedication – his understanding the value of patience – has resulted in album that truly meets his vision.
The album’s title, Break Something, draws from hasH’s feelings on hip-hop, towards his city, and his own inner frustrations from trying to make it in the music industry. “The album is about breaking away from people’s expectations, about fighting for an identity of your own,” explains hasH. “From parents, to friends, to media everyone projects what they think you should be at some point in time. The LP is about shattering all of those forced identities and staying on your own path.”
For the album, hasH, who produces under the moniker Jett I. Masstyr, kicked things off with a slew of his own beats, but eventually reached out to producers including Vango One, Chris Rockaway, Tommy Bumps, and Free of The Niceguys who were active on many of the standout tracks. hasH’s most recent single, “This Is It,” features vocals from Dannie Walker and finds the MC displaying versatility outside of his realm, while “My Island” features hasH reflecting on life’s conflictions with vocal assistance from John Dew and Nya. Elsewhere,”The Restoration” reflects back on the album’s title, with hasH rebuilding all that he has broken down. “Sometimes,” notes hasH, “you need to destroy and rebuild it to be better than what it was before.”
New video from Balance starring Isis Love – off the new album coming February 2012, “Golden State Warriorz 2″
