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An Interview with Ghislain Poirier from Maga Bo on Vimeo.

Another installation in his excellent and informative mini-doc series, musician and documentarian Maga Bo interviews Ghislain Poirier – he talks about his background, making collaborations and building bridges, exoticism and problems with authenticity, and a lot more.

Bo sez –

With this series of mini-docs, I want to demystify the music production process a bit and bring out the humanity of it.  After all, music is a manifestation of history.  of choices and relationships.  This is common to any art, discipline, individual, group or society.  Through communication, real and imaginary differences and similarities become clearer.  Separatist ghetto exoticism cannot exist in this space.  Tamu juntos e misturados.

You can check the rest of the mini-docs (DJ/rupture, Daniel Haaksman, MC Gringo, Diplo, Fletcher from African Dope, Eritbu Agegnehu Askenaw, Xuman and Keyti) here on Vimeo (better quality) and here on Youtube.

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/DemarcoBustaRhymes-Hustlers.mp3]

Demarco f/ Busta Rhymes – Hustlers

Busta superimposed his own interpretation of Demarco’s new song “Hustlers”

You see I’m ready and determined and I’m willing and I’m able to get money regardless how the economy is unstable… – Busta Rhymes

Post-Arab Money Busta Rhymes has been bombarding us with a plethora of verses, freestyles, guest appearances.  Much to his credit though, it never appears as if he is over-imposing (at least, the excess this time is not as profound or as outrageous as it was in the very late 1990s and early 2000s, and some remarkable results came out of that period). Look here/here/here –I can easily point to a dozen live links of tracks he’s unleashed within the last month.

Here are two more- Brooklyn rappers adopting recent Dancehall hits (well, a classic in the case of Vybz Kartel’s “Don’t Run”) The other joint is Maino’s version of Busy Signal’s “Jail”, which is off this Bad Boy Riddim.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/MainoBusySignal-NahGoToJailAgain.mp3]

Maino f/ Busy Signal – Nah Go To Jail Again

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/HuntVybzKartel-LastManStanding.mp3]

Hunt f/ Vybz Kartel – Last Man Standing

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Next up in the Dutty Artz Podcast series, La Nueva Guaracha,  a great new mix from Geko Jones. If you stay up on this blog you know he and Dutty Artz amigo Uproot Andy have a party we call Que Bajo?! where they but a latin spin on the New York Tropical sound.

This is a snippet of the uptempo stuff Gex is playing around 2am at these parties. There’s also a quite a bit of glitched out and remixed cumbia, latin mashups, reggaeton and other sounds involved at the shows but we only have so much bandwidth. If you want to hear more be sure to pick up a copy the brand new Dutty Artz mixtape New York Tropical Vol 1 – Rupture vs Geko Jones available at the Glasslands party Friday March 27th.

Starting Thursday April 9th Que Bajo?! will be weekly at APT (409 W 13th St btw 9th ave/Washington in Madhattan)
stay chooned.

TRACKLIST:

Olha o Beijo – Joao Linho
La Vida Vale La Pena- Petrona Martinez
Canto de Tucanes- Pedro Tapias (El Kuduro Sabroson remix by Reaganomics)
Kuduro Esaboka- DJ Prako
Juana La Caribe- Petrona Martinez
Ay Paloma (Geko Jones mashup)- La Reverenda
Los Olivos- Los Palos de DR
El Botellon (Uproot Andy remix)- Grupo Naidy

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pic by tatyana-k

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Well, I suggest you subscribe and check out the previous podcast, before we jump into this one.
All set? Alright, here it is-Recession Rap Podcast, a compilation of rap songs addressing the worldwide economic recession/depression, or more generally the everyday struggle and pain of financial pressure, the bread-n-butter hustle (or should that be food-n-gas?) that it comes it. Except for songs like Lil Wayne’s “Real Rap” which clearly is more about the post-Katrina nightmare that is now New Orleans and David Banner’s “Faith” which is about keeping faith and not collapsing or folding under pressure, nearly all of the raps here are directed at the economic suffering that is going on right now.

With that said, I’d also like to add that I did not necessarily/intentionally/exclusively look for a collection of rap voices of  depression or voices of the global gloom. In fact, some of the rap jams I have been posting here for the last few weeks are (on the contrary) very funny, and compassionate as well.  There’s a lot of struggle and darkness in the economic depression and it’s reflected in the music, but that’s not all it’s about.  For example, listen to Cam’ron’s “I Hate My Job”a song which is partly about a “everyday workingwoman,” whose job and workplace is toxic for her well-being ~financially, emotionally, and physically-“Being here 8 hours sure will get you nauseous...” On that same Cam’ron song listen to the chorus –“I put on my pants, put on shoes. / I pray to God, paid all my dues. / I’m trying to win, it seems like I was born to loose / All I can say…” It’s simple and very affecting, the virtue of getting up in the morning, putting your clothes on, one step at a time, and saying your prayer ~something struggling people do every morning, preparing themselves psychologically and spiritually for whatever the day brings, heartbreaks, knockdowns, and whatnot.

All the songs here are in that vein, impressive and amusing. It would have been impossible or just very lengthy if I had decided to cram all RRJs I gathered or posted, but I’m happy with this batch.  Download it, bump it in your car/ on your subway ride to work, play at home/ walk in the park, listen and enjoy.

Tracklist

Jahdan Blakkamoore Intro (Buzzrock Warrior coming soon on Dutty Artz)

Attitude f/ Jackie Chain – Money (off T.I.M. (Time Is Money) Warner Bros. Records 2009)

Gangsta Pill – Back Outside (off 4180: The Prescription mixtape, Grind Time 2009)

Cam’ron – I Hate My Job (from Crime Pays, Diplomat Records 2009)

Jadakiss f/ Barrington Levy – Hard Times (from The Last Kiss, Roc-A-Fella Records 2009)

G-Side f/ Shyft – Hit Da Block (from Starshipz & Rocketz, Slowmotion Soundz 2008)

Diata Sya – Saria (from Move It Chaleh! Akwaaba Music 2009)

Joell Ortiz – Bout My Money (off Free Agent, ???, 2009)

Kano – Paper (from 140 Grime Street, Bigger Picture Music 2008)

Rhymefest – Exodus 5.1(off El Che, J Records 2009)

Amanda Diva – Rebels (from Spandex, Rhymes, & Soul, DivaWorks Inc. 2009)

Young Jeezy – Circulate (off The Recession, Def Jam Records 2008)

Lil Wayne – Real Rap (off ???,??? 2009 )

David Banner – Faith (from The Greatest Story Ever Told, Universal Records 2009)

Willie Isz – In The Red (from Georgiavania, Lex Records 2009)

Good Enough!!

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/3Suns.mp3]

3Suns – Give It Up

Last Sunday while Gex was blessing me w/ lessons on the decks, we must have listened to this riddim (version here by 3Suns) about about a million times because it’s stuck in my head and I have been whistling it or parts of it for a few days.  So here it is, I hope it haunts you too.

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It must be a wonderful feeling to know that what you’re doing grew out of something that is directly connected to your past, and to know that what you’re doing is honoring your own history.  Diata Sya are descendants of the great warrior and founder of the Mali Empire Sundiata Keita, and they’ve been around since the early ’90s under various aliases, making music addressing modern social problems in Bamako, while drawing inspiration from the past and thoroughly devoted to restoring/recovering African culture through music and activism.
“Saria” is included in the Akwaaba Music compilation Move it Chaleh! It’s incredible.
The above picture is of MC Dree (on the left) and friend. MC Dree performed the first verse, and the lead vocal in the chorus.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/DiataSya-Saria.mp3]
Diata Sya – Saria

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I’ve been coming across Recession Rap Jams faster than I can listen to them, or even post them.   Two bonus jams below, and the music is all over the place, from the south to the west to the motherfucking east © Filastine

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/PDukesJosephLowery-MakeMeAWay.mp3]
P. Dukes f/ Joseph Lowery – Make Me A Way

props to BLVD ST

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/MickeyFactz-Sensibility.mp3]
Mickey Factz – Sensibility

props to Nah Right

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/TonyAllen-OleMoritzVonOswaldRemix.mp3]

Tony Allen – Ole (Moritz Von Oswald Remix)

There is a lot going on here – a world shrinking and expanding, traditional Yoruba ceremonial drums and chants being laced with spacious/spacey (digital?) synth-pads, you can feel the continents drifting closer and apart as the sounds unfold, combine, and mingle, the relationship between Africa and Europe in the 21st century.

I started listening to Rhythm & Sound and Basic Channel around 2004.  They, Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, struck me as complex, disciplined, sophisticated musicians.  In the video below from sometime late last year, Moritz answers questions, explains his/their history, economic philosophy, work ethic, etc., at length as the audience and the interviewer sip Red Bull and doze off, and vibe to the music.  It’s great to hear/see him talk, but you have to brave the aggressive marketing overkill for Red Bull.  I would like to read or watch an extensive interview with him conducted in a different environment, but this one is alright for now, I guess –it’s relaxed, and he appears to be comfortable.

As I listened to Moritz’s German accent, I thought about one of Rupture’s point in an interview with Plan B magazine – “the internet contributes to the spread of English-language hegemony.”  I also thought about my African/Sierra Leonean accent, which is not very strong but it’s there –a constant reminder that I am speaking other peoples’ language rather than my own. What if the interview was done in German and translated or transcribed for English and other speakers? That would be too much trouble, an unnecessary struggle, right? Red Bull Music Academy is an annual international affair hosted in cities around the world, features guest lecturers and participants, and almost everyone who spoke, had some form of accent (including British.)

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Movado took a loss, evidently, and looked quite “wounded” in the post-clash interviews but that’s not going to slow him down.  Arguably, the biggest dancehall star in the world at the moment, thanks to Hot 97 and his mega-popular hit song “So Special” – video below.  He lives in a futuristic city, drives a lamborghini, sleeps and wakes up with beautiful women, not to forget the alcohol and good smoke– you know, all of the things suitable for a dancehall reggae superstar’s life.

On another note – I was talking to a vendor who has been sold out of the Sting 2008 DVDs for weeks. She’s at the intersection of Fulton and Nostrand in Bed-Stuy, so one can only imagine how fast those DVDs move.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cq2N9rllpo[/youtube]

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Paris Soot Takeover Time.

Wednesday Jan 28: CIAFRICA (free)

Thursday Jan 29: DJ Rupture, Maga Bo feat MC B Negao, CIAFRICA (only 6euros in advance!)

Friday Jan 30: Maga Bo feat. MC B Negao, DJ Ness, No Soy. (free)

check the flyerz:

CIA-colorN

paris party

paris30magabo

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Tune in Mudd Up! with DJ Rupture tonight 7-8PM EST, WFMU.org or 91.1 FM if you’re in NYC to catch Dutty Artz ambassador and crate digger extraordinaire Geko Jones live on Rupture’s radio.  Listen, dance, drop some comments. WFMU cut and paste below –

Latin/Caribbean music expert & DJ Geko Jones will be joining Rupture. The Colombian-Puerto Rican digger will share with us some of his latest finds from the cutting edge of tropical soundsystem and street music culture, from Mexican tribal guarachero to freshly made ragga-bass mutations and Afro-Colombian soul gems. A deep live mix from Geko Jones — ¡¡No te lo pierdas!!