King’s Disease II, the sequel to Nas’ Grammy-winning King’s Disease has officially been released through Mass Appeal Records. The predecessor – produced exclusively by renowned producer, Hit-Boy — obtained Nas the only Grammy award of his illustrious career. As such, the sequel has garnered a fair share of hype, especially after Nas revealed the track list through his official Instagram page.
The project has a varying guest-list, fluctuating between contemporary acts and established legends. The earliest contributions come from Eminem and East Coast hip hop legends, EPMD, consisting of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. As fans anticipate how the contrasting lyrical abilities of Eminem and Nas will co-exist on a record, an appearance from EPMD is sure to be Nostalgic and be reminiscent of a classic hip hop posse cut.
King’s Disease II will also see the reappearance of Ms. Lauryn Hill to the mainstream hip-hop scene. While she still tours and drops the occasional record, an album cut of this magnitude has eluded, the Grammy-winning rapper/singer for quite some time. In turn, her presence on the album has raised hopes that the duo can create more magic together.
Apart from old collaborators, the Queensbridge native has also enlisted the likes of A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YG, Los Angeles rapper Blxst and Charlie Wilson (who also featured on King’s Disease).
Unlike the prequel, is seems as though the production will vary on King’s Disease II, with only one record featuring Hit-Boy. The Grammy-winning producer will still earn executive producer credits, along with Nas.
Accompanying the album will also be the official music video for “Rare.” King’s Disease II is Nas’ 14th studio album.
Friends and family gathered at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts on Long Island on Monday, August 2 to bid farewell to music legend Biz Markie, with a funeral attended by hip hop icons including Busta Rhymes, Kid Capri, Treach (Naughty by Nature), Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Ice-T and more. The eulogy was delivered by the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Markie was born in Harlem but raised on Long Island. He is best known for his 1989 single “Just A Friend.” His career took off after that. He acted, performed comedy, DJ’d and produced music for numerous artists. He also had a radio show on SiriusXm on LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Radio.
In April 2020, Markie was hospitalized for complications of Type 2 diabetes. He died at a Baltimore hospital surrounded by family on July 16th at age 57. R.I.P. Biz!
The City Parks Foundation has announced that the 2020 SummerStage Jubilee benefit concerthas been nominated for a New York Emmy. The documentary film shows off the impacts of the City Parks Foundation free programs in New York City parks, which was originally aired in September 2020 on WABC-TV, as well as digitally streamed. The Emmy nomination is for the Documentary Cultural Category.
The film follows the story of a young girls journey throughout the five boroughs while enjoying musical performances by Sting, Norah Jones, Trey Anastasio, Rufus Wainwright, Leslie Odom Jr., Rosanne Cash, Emily King and PJ Morton with appearances by comedian Louis Black and musical artists H.E.R., Paul Shaffer, Jimmy Fallon and many more.
Along with the City parks Foundation, SummerStage founder Joe Killian is nominated as the Executive Producer of the film. SummerStage has been around for 35 years and is a music and entertainment powerhouse.
Oscar winning producer and now Emmy-nominee Jonathan Olson breathes life into the SummerStage Jubilee at a time when public programs were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. NYC parks remained open as some of the only public areas available to all.
Donations to SummerStage help ensure New York’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival is able to remain free and available to all New Yorkers, giving residents a chance to converse and hang out with others while attending this terrific event. For more information, visit www.SummerStage.org.
Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the one-of-a-kind 7th studio album from the Wu Tang Clan, is in the hands of a new owner. Martin Shkreli, the previous proprietor of the covert album, had the project seized in 2018 and recently sold by the U.S. government as a part of a $7.4 million forfeiture judgement.
Shkreli purchased the 31-track album in 2015 for a reported $2 million and subsequently began a public feud with Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah, threatening to erase his contributions to Once Upon a Time.
The dishonored pharmaceutical executive known as “Pharma Bro” first came under public scrutiny for raising the price of the drug Daraphin — used to treat aids and cancer patients — from $13.50 to $750. He was later convicted of securities fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison, in a matter unrelated to his skyrocketing of drug prices. In essence, his prison sentence is a result of being “accused of repeatedly losing money for investors and lying to them about it, illegally taking assets from one of his companies to pay off debtors in another.”
Shkreli’s possession of a suis generis Wu Tang Clan album did not come without its own controversy. Initially intended as a one-off sale with the group wanting to bar public consumption of the album for 88 years. After it was announced that Shkreli who purchased the album, the group changed its tune and began vouching for the project to be heard by the masses. When Martin Shkreli was announced as the album’s buyer, RZA announced most of the proceeds were donated to charity.
The announcement was made by Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself. With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete.
While the buyer’s identity has yet to be revealed, they are represented by NYC based lawyer, Peter Coolidge, who confirmed that he has indeed listened to the project.
It didn’t disappoint at all. It was pretty reminiscent of the ‘90s stuff. The first album was really good. All the first solo albums were good, like, Return to the 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords, Ironman, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, whatever,” he said. “And then they did some albums after that, that were perhaps not their best work. But this is like, up there with the best stuff.
He later confirmed that the buyer was an entity and not an individual, and that they planned to reveal themselves and do a round of press in the next 30 to 60 days.
Manhattan’s Blue Note Jazz Club is bringing together GZA and Talib Kweli for four performances over August 24 and 25. The Genius, aka the GZA, will bring his live band, featuring guest MC Talib Kweli, performing classics that have shaped the sound of hip hop.
GZA, the most cerebral MC in the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as perhaps the most acclaimed has a cool, precise flow and intricate, literate rhymes. While he wasn’t as theatrical as Method Man or Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the two biggest commercial stars to spring from the collective, GZA was revered for his flawless technique and lyrical dexterity, and was considered by many to be the best pure rapper in the entire Clan.
After nearly 20 years of recordings and performances, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most talented and most accomplished hip hop artists. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or collaborating with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Just Blaze, J Dilla, or Madlib, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of instrumental.
Since 1981, Blue Note Jazz Club has been a cultural institution in New York City and one of the premiere jazz clubs in the world. Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, and the club is a place where progression and innovation – the foundations of jazz – are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. In addition to the main acts that feature the likes of Robert Glasper, Pat Metheny, Christain McBride, Joshua Redman, Ron Carter and Chris Botti, Blue Note regularly showcases up-and-coming jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B and funk artists. After 40 years of success, Blue Note continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century in the cultural heart of New York, Greenwich Village.
Welcome Back, a brand new EP from Grammy award-winning duo Brasstracks is out now. The new EP marks a creative rebirth for Brasstracks, who are starting anew as they release their forthcoming EP independently.
Brooklyn-based Brasstracks was co-founded by Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne while studying jazz at New York’s Manhattan School of Music. Since forming in 2014, the duo has become one of music’s most in-demand horn/percussion duos, collaborating with the likes of Harry Styles, Anderson .Paak, Khalid, Mark Ronson, and Wyclef Jean. In 2016, Brasstracks produced Chance The Rapper’s hit single “No Problem,” which subsequently led to Grammy Wins for “Best Rap Performance” as well as “Best Rap Album” due to their contributions to Coloring Book.
In conjunction with the recent release, Brasstracks confirms an extensive run of headline fall tour dates with emerging artist TOBi. The run of North American performances kicks off in Chicago on September 30 and includes shows at New York’s Irving Plaza, Los Angeles’ The Fonda Theatre, Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom, Denver’s Ogden Theatre, DC’s Union Stage and more. See below for the full tour routing.
“In the past couple months, we went through a big shift. We got vaccinated. We announced our first live in person show since November 2019. And we became independent artists again. To celebrate all of these things, we wanted to put out some music that hits home and makes you feel good. Some of the stuff that our audience has grown to know us for, with a little twist… These songs are just the start and featured vocalists Cait [Harris] and Cookie are superstars that we’re so excited to introduce to you. We have a lot of music to get off our hard drives this year. We’ve been quiet enough, so it’s time to make some noise. You can call this our entrance music.”
Brasstracks co-founder Ivan Jackson
Brasstracks has once again made their mark in music with “Welcome Back” and they are promising fans more independent projects soon. Both nostalgic and exhilarating, this latest EP presents feel-good tracks alongside talented emerging vocalists. Be sure to listen to and share the EP HERE and watch and share an accompanying video below:
Brasstracks Live Tour Dates + Locations
September 30—Chicago, IL—Bottom Lounge*
October 01—Minneapolis, MN—Fine Line Music Cafe*
October 02—Kansas City, MO—Record Bar*
October 05—Denver, CO—Ogden Theatre*
October 06—Boulder, CO—Fox Theatre*
October 07—Salt Lake City, UT—Metro Music Hall*
October 09—Portland, OR—Wonder Ballroom*
October 10—Seattle, WA—El Corazon*
October 12—San Francisco, CA—Regency Ballroom*
October 13—Santa Cruz, CA—The Catalyst Atrium*
October 15—Los Angeles, CA—The Fonda Theatre*
October 16—Anaheim, CA—House of Blues Anaheim*
October 17—San Diego, CA—Music Box*
October 27—Washington, DC—Union Stage*
October 28—Philadelphia, PA—The Foundry at The Fillmore*
October 29—New York, NY—Irving Plaza*
October 30—Boston, MA—Paradise Rock Club*
*w/ TOBi
Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and Cappadonna, as well as Redman, Ashanti and Ja Rule played the first ever Peace and Unity Festival. The event took place at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Saturday July 10th. Dj performances included Funkmaster Flex, Dj Smoove and Dj Outkast.
The purpose of the Peace and Unity Festival was to bring people from all over the city together after the year and a half long pandemic. Community organizers The Waterteam, Uncle Chase Entertainment, Wakeem Entertainment, and 3J’s Creation Entertainment sponsored the event. It was originally scheduled to be a two-day event, but the organizers decided to cancel Sunday’s show.
American rapper, songwriter, actress, model, and reality TV personality Lil’ Kim (Kimberly Denise Jones) celebrates her 47th birthday today. Happy birthday to an icon who changed the female rap game!
Lil’ Kim went through many hardships in her early life. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and during high school, she was kicked out of her father’s home and had to live on the streets. When she bet Biggie Smalls as a teenager, her life changed forever. He quickly became her mentor as well as her lover, and he got her into the Brooklyn-based rap group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. which jumpstarted her musical career. Lil’ Kim’s popularity heightened as a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., and after their first album was released, she began working on her solo material.
A year before Biggie Small’s tragic death, she released her debut studio album, Hard Core, in 1996. Hard Core was certified double platinum and sold more than six million copies worldwide. The album’s debut was the most successful for a female rapper at that time. “No Time” was the leading single on the album, reaching the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.
Her second and third albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003) were also certified platinum. Soon after The Notorious K.I.M. was released, she worked with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mya to create the hit single, “Lady Marmalade” for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack. The track was number one on the Billboard charts for five weeks straight. This song was out of Lil’ Kim’s comfort zone, and it led her to gain admiration from other fanbases, excelling her rap/R&B career even further. “Lady Marmalade” also won Lil’ Kim her first Grammy award.
La Bella Mafia included collaborations with Missy Elliott and 50 Cent, and was produced with help from Timbaland and Kanye West. At the time of its release, Missy Elliott was the only other female rapper with three platinum albums.
In 2005, Lil’ Kim was sentenced to a year and a day in jail, along with a $50,000 fine for perjury and conspiracy for lying to a federal grand jury after getting herself into a sticky situation involving her rival, Foxy Brown. Her time in jail was spent writing new music, and her fourth studio album, The Naked Truth, was released when she was still behind bars. Since she had no way of promoting her album, it did not sell quite as well as her first three albums, however critics know this vulnerable and hard-hitting album as the best female rap album to exist. It was also the first female rap album to receive a 5 mic rating from The Source.
After serving her time, Lil’ Kim decided to break off from Atlantic Records to release her music independently. She made appearances on Dancing With the Stars and produced two mixtapes, Ms. G.O.A.T. (2008) and Black Friday (2011). More recently, in 2019, Lil’ Kim released 9, a full-length studio album. During the first week of its release, it charted on the hip hop/R&B and rap album sales. It features artists such as City Girls, Rick Ross, O.T. Genesis, and Rich the Kid.
Lil’ Kim has earned her title of the Queen of Rap. Her aggressive lyrics have been transformative for the rap world as well as for inspiring all females to empower themselves and one another. Although she is now 47 years old, her career is far from over. She has said recently that she is continuing collaboration with artists such as Missy Elliott, City Girls, and Paris Hilton. The public can only imagine what epic content will come from her as she ages and gains knowledge and wisdom. Happy birthday to an incredibly important musician, Lil’ Kim!
Inspectah Deck, born Jason Richard Hunter on July 6, 1970, and an infamous member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface, celebrates his birthday today.
Photo Credit: Coup d’Oreille on flickr
As a rapper and producer, Inspectah Deck has developed the sound for many Wu-Tang tracks and members, his own solo endeavors, and movie soundtracks. Throughout his career audiences have known him for his intricate lyricism and his verses on many of the group’s most revered songs.
Born and raised in Staten Island, Inspectah Deck routinely mentions the Park Hill Projects in Clifton, Staten Island, where he grew up and went to school with the future Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Remedy.
His on stage persona of being laid-back, quiet, and low-key, was a counterbalance to the antics of Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and RZA. Apparently, that also translated to his day to day personality as well, as that is what fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan know him for.
Wu-Tang Clan
Photo: Jonathan Weiner
2014
For RS1223 Story
via Fant, Phylicia
and
Hawkins, Hillary
As the second most featured member on Wu-Tang’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Deck provided highly acclaimed verses for the singles “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit,” and “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’.”
On Wu-Tang’s second group album, Wu-Tang Forever, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, Deck produced the track “Visionz” and contributed a solo track, “The City”, as well as writing one of the most critically acclaimed verses in hip-hop on the group’s hit single “Triumph”.
Inbetween contributing to the later albums of the Wu-Tang Clan, including The W, Iron Flag, 8 Diagrams, and A Better Tomorrow; Deck worked on several other projects.
Along with features on fellow Wu members’ solo projects, including Method Man’s Tical, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, GZA’s Liquid Swords, and Ghostface Killah’s Ironman; Deck also provided production for Method Man, RZA, and GZA throughout the years.
In 2013, Deck formed Czarface with Boston duo 7L & Esoteric. Their debut album featuring the legendary DJ Premier was called Czarface. The group has collaborated with names like MF Doom and Ghostface Killah. With albums including Every Hero Needs a Villain, which was released in 2015, and A Fistful of Peril in 2016.
Deck’s work in film has included composing for movies such as Meet Dave, The Wackness, and Nerve.
Deck’s debut solo album Uncontrolled Substance was initially set to release in 1997, however, due to a flood in producer RZA’s basement studio, which destroyed over one hundred beats, including all of the instrumentals made for the album, it was finally released in 1999 and featured more of Deck’s own production.
In 2003, Inspectah Deck released his second studio album, The Movement, which he later stated did not live up to his expectations despite having popular songs like “City High” on the tracklisting. Three years later, in 2006 he released The Resident Patient, which was intended as a prequel to The Movement. The mixtape turned album was a slight divergence from Deck’s previous discography due to its cinematic themes and homages.
In 2010, Inspectah Deck released his third solo album Manifesto, which features guest-appearances from Raekwon, Cormega, Termanology, Planet Asia, Cappadonna, Kurupt, and M.O.P.’s Billy Danze.
The album Chamber No. 9, which was released in 2019 will reportedly be his final album as a solo artist. Whatever the future holds in store for Inspectah Deck we’ll all be waiting to hear and enjoy. Happy birthday, Inspectah Deck!
The album that solidified Neo-Soul/Hip Hop outfit, The Roots, as a force in the hip hop realm is being redistributed. Considered a staple of the Jazz-rap subgenre, Do You Want More?!!!??!, achieved cult-like status despite not selling an immense amount of units. The group’s major-label debut was released over 26 years ago on January, 17 1995 and didn’t reach Gold status until 2015, over 20 years later.
Nonetheless, the album’s merits are never to be questioned. In an era of machismo and increasingly violent tales in hip hop, the Philadelphia bred ensemble managed to entrench themselves in music history in their own way. Their blend of live instrumentation, story-telling along with the introspective and technically proficient lyrics of Black Thought and Malik B. made them a first of their kind.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uROfXQML7NY
Led once again by, MC Tariq“Black Thought” Trotter and drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Philadelphia rap crew are going back to where it began with a 3LP, 4LP and a digital deluxe collection of Do You Want More?!!!??! to be released on June 25, 2021 via Geffen/Ume records.
This deluxe edition draws from the original recordings and features 18 bonus tracks curated by Questlove, ranging from unreleased records to songs that have never made it to streaming platforms. The 3LP deluxe vinyl edition features five bonus tracks — “Proceed II Feat. Roy Ayers”, “Proceed III”, “Proceed IV (AJ Shine Mix)”, “Proceed V (Beatminerz Mix),” along with five remixes of “Silent Treatment,” with the “Street Mix” made available for streaming before the project’s release.
Also included, is a 24-page booklet featuring images taken by Mpozi Tolbert, essays by Questlove and Black Thought as well as track-by-track commentary. The 4LP edition features all of the above plus another additional eight bonus tracks; “In Your Dreams Kid (I’m Every MC),” “The Ultimate (Original ’94 Version),” “……(dot dot dot…on & on),” “Pffat Time,” “Swept Away (Original Draft),” “It’s Coming,“”Lazy Afternoon (Alternate Version),” and two remix versions of “Distortion To Static.”
By way of their innovative and breakthrough blend of hip hop and other black genres, The Roots have cemented themselves as an important part of rap’s evolution, distinguising themselves as the first true hip hop band. Their success as artists have also spawned other opportunities. They also serve as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and held the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014.
With the deluxe edition of Do You Want More?!!!??!, a classic album is revisited. While it can be a risk to dabble with an album held to such prestige, fans should have trust in the group’s combined musical connaissance.
The deluxe version of Do You Want More?!!!??! can be streamedhere.
