UK HIP-HOP IS DEAD? Part 1

"We might give out, but we will never give in" - Supar Nova



DJ Fingers outside The Spats Club.
Spats85'
DJ Fingers (of the Sindecut/Family Quest) and his Tottenham DJ Crew the Mixmasters took over the runnings of one of the first UK Hip Hop club. It was a daytime club, the age raged between 12-25, and many of the performers and party people became the cream of the UK Black music industry.

"A great club-night. The little sign about unlocking phones used to have the sign for the club on it, with a little pair of dancing feet in Spats on it. You could feel the bass from the street level on a Saturday afternoon." - Skore (TRC)

"I won a breakin comp on sataday afternoon her back in 83-5 won a tenner prize money.....tiny laminated dance floor...spinning on my elbow was the clinching move!! woz way under age too!" - Masika



Mr. Bongo's R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop specialising in Underground Hip-Hop music, loads of re-issues and rares. Anyone who was anyone travelling to the UK did in stores or signing in here. Latin music upstairs.

"Sad man, I remember the mode2 on the celing" - Cruelvapours

"I wonder what happened to mine and mode2's celing pieces????
they was up in there for years...K-line-Mode2 memories" - KeenOne-Roc-Awe



Deal Real 2 R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop, DJ MK (Kiss FM) and Tony Vegas (Scratch Perverts) worked here.


FIRST RATE, TONY VEGAS, MR THING, DJ RENAGADE AND PRIME CUTS
IN DEAL REAL RECORDS LONDON PRATICE SESSION

This used to be my saturday morning hang out, you couldnt get there too late or the best 12s were gone. A lot of paper round money got dropped in there. - Relay (ID)



Bond 2 R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop clothes shop,Graffiti mags and up market Hip-Hop clothes were availiable here. A kool guy called Nicky worked here.

"Spent lots of my hard earned cash in there over the years" - 3RD Man

"I prefered that end of the street, you used to see more hunnies that end because of the studio round the corner." - Able214 (Galiss haha! The Kool Skool)



Uptown Records R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop, specializing in R&B and Commercial Rap.



Scenario Records R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop, selling Underground Hip-Hop.



The Beat Hut R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop shop run by DJ Ill Out and his family
http://www.ishiphop.com
http://www.myspace.com/beathutltd


Dj Premier & Panchi from NYGZ @ Beat Hut London
DJ Premier MPC 2000xl Signing @ Beat Hut London



DealReal 3 R.I.P.
One time Legendary London Hip Hop shop specialising in Underground Hip-Hop music, loads of re-issues and rares. Anyone who was anyone travelling to the UK did in stores or signing in here.

"S%>ness, everytime we're up in London we make a stop in there." - Jannerisms

"This place looked well nice when it first opened . Shame it has gone." - AllStar$$


SuparNovar & Big Ben 'Never Give In' @ Deal Real with Speach

"The Hip, the hip, the Har-De-Har"

HIP HOP JOKES FOR ALL YOU SLOW POKES


T-Pain
"I sound like a robot from Africa!"


50 CENT
"I want some Pork"

Keithfromupdablock


Dipset The Movie!!! Part 1

Dipset The Movie!!! Part 2


"Stinky Stinky!"

BEP on YouTube
Broken Equipment Productions


"Ain't no muscle in your body that's bigger than mine..." 50 Cent
"LL Cool J never LL Fool J"


Jay-Z Jim Jones BEEF


Lil Wayne in the UK
"Garage, Gerage whatever you call it"


King Sun *Exclusive*
"Yeah Yeah"

KRS ONE & KING SUN @ ZULU NATION ANNIVERSARY 2003


Bert & Ernie - Ante Up

"And You Know I Can't Live Without My Radio!!!"

"These are some of our favourites!"


TJ Chill host of the Zulu Nation Rap Show (UK)
Mondays 10pm-12pm (GMT) or online @ Bang Radio

Bang Radio
Vibes FM
Genesis FM
Lightning FM
On Top
Point Blank


Podcast Action

The Kool Skool Radio
DJ Scratch (EPMD/Jay-Z)
DJ Evil-D (Black Moon/Beatminers)
DJ Toney Tone (not the Cold Crush Brothers one)
DJ Ready Cee
World Passport



Sensei FM

Some of the UK's top DJ's on the Hip-Hop and beat related Kulture Station with styles!!!




"Box!!!"

Bye Bush Baby, Bye Bye!!!

The End of Political satire now that Obama is here??? Probably not but check these two sites for some Photoshop crazyness



The Art of David Dees

Interesting Info website Jeff Rense Program





dudehisattva

Erase Rascism

"Clockin'"
Portrait detail of Flava Flav (Public Enemy) by Shucks One (ID)
From The Kool Skool Presents: "Foundation Rocks" project
"Flava.... A rebel in his own mind!"


Big Dadday Kane & Public Enemy Live at an Anti Racism jam in 89'
"I see my man Delight from Stetsasonic, Clark Kent in the House"
Scoob & Scrap in effect

Check out some other old Graff/Hip Hop stuff from the original kings of N.Y.C Graff Videos: Video Graf

Stop The Violence!!!

Peace March



Here are some flicks of some of the tens of thousands of people who protested on Saturday 10/1/09 against the attack on Gaza. The first internet search on the day said there were just over one thousand people.... NONSENCE!!!

The Metropolitan Police's estimates are taken as the official numbers for protest attendees. I belive they do this by looking at a square section from the air in a Police helicoptor, and count the people in that square as a rough ratio, and times it by a certain amount, and create a total number. There totals are noturiously questioned by event organizors. That day it was snowing and very foggy, so for safety reasons (I guess) there was no Helicoptor. So alot of people are curious how they came up with a total...

Anyway, I haven't seen so many people at a march in a long time! Every demagrafic was represented, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, young old, it felt very positive.


Hyde Park Corner


Hyde Park Corner


Hyde Park Corner


Building look-out


Close up "Eye in the Sky" (Close up of above)


Handmade placard made by a 4 year old girl


Down High Street Kensington


Up High Street Kensington


Who says the youth are appathetic?


Dog Section Van snapped in the backstreets of the demo, in full Police Livery


Private contractor?

Military violence for whatever cause is always a complicated but anyone who knows anything about disputes is that, however the cheap journalism machine tries to paint it as A versus B, it is never that clear cut. But either way in 2009 is there really an excuse for ditching dialogue?

Do your own research, educate yourself.

Crime Does Pay! RocknRolla

"You can have it as youringtone!"

Shucks One (ID) & Dane (VOP) painted these in Clapham South London last year, they were to support the new Guy "The Tweed-Geez" Richie Wideboysplation movie "Rocknrolla".

The project consisted of live street painting, and are based the artists interpretations of what a painting features that in the film looked like. 6 artists did them all over London. Others included Insa, Solo One VOP, Panik ATG and others.


We bashed them out and it was fun, in the middle of the day a tiny Fiesta van honked at us and out popped my good friend Char DTB, which was hilarious cause anyone who knows him, knows he's massive, and Fiesta Vans look like dinky clown cars.


Incidental product placement


Danger Danger! Caution tape, high-vis jackets, "HelfnSafety ruined this game"

My peace was called Revelation 1:14, after the chapter in the bible, about the end of the world. In Rocknrolla, the Russian Oligarch character has a painting which is part of the sub-plot. In the movie you only see the back of the painting, but as the character is an ex-Soviet Billionaire, I assumed he probably identifies with the Russian Orthodox Church, so I painted a Byzantine style Icon.


Revelation 1:14

Daniel 7:9 "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire."

Daniel 10:6 "His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult."



I'm really interested in Orthodox Icons, but people talk alot about how, in Islam it is blasphomous to make artistic interpretations of living things, as it is raising yourself to the status of God, thus the arrogance of man.


Illuminated Turkish (Ottoman?) Ko'ran



Mohammed (face covered) praying at the Kaaba in Mecca. From the Siyer-i Nebi, a Turkish epic about Mohammed written by Mustafa, son of Yusef of Erzurum; original manuscript completed in 1388 A.D.; illustrated during reign of Murad III and completed in 1595 A.D. Currently housed in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul. For more images click here

But in the Jewish Talmudic tradition it is the same, and as Christianity is from that tradition and number 2 of the 10 Commandments deals with what, "Graven Images", surely it is the same? There is discussion of the early Christians destroying Icons, surrogates and intermediates to God, and of course the Reformation dealt with much of the same issues.


The artist is unknown.
Date: 16th c.
Location: Dionysiou Monastery, Mt. Athos, Greece

Exodus 20:3-6 "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."

During the day an old Greek guy came by and he got a bit heated and was asking why I had painted the character like that, "why is he black?" I explained the concept, and how in Revelations it mentions skin of polished bronze, hair of pure wool etc, and that I had painted it in the style of Orthodox Christian Iconography, and he kind of got it. But along with him, 5 Crack heads, a slew of builders yelling out of Transits and anyone else with an opinion we got the obligatory, "Oi Mate missed a bit", "You call that art bruv" and so on. Anyone who has ever painted in public knows the deal, every ones an aspiring art critic.


Danes broad ballin'

2 Days later someon stole Dane's painting, and a day later mine went too. So, if you know any Clapham yuppies with one of these paintings, shake their hand, then tump 'em in the Drummand!!! Ebay mutha"$^%"s!


Vopstars website
Rocknrolla Website

Interesting Blog about Icons

Joe Ski Love (Not Hate)

Solo recording artist and ex-B.D.P member D-Nice a.k.a. "the Human TR808" has been really active, not only is he still a giging DJ, but a photographer and film maker. He has made several short films about Hip-Hop Pioneers like Dana Dane on the making his hit "Nightmares", Blackwatch member/Tuff City recording artist YZ, MC Producer Kwame and Cold Chiller Masta Ace amongst others.



The most recent features Joe Ski Love discussing his career, and how he ended up on Old-school hip-hop label Vintertainment owned by Vincent Davis, and his take on modern Hip Hop. He comes across very positively, and I have to agree with him on the Souljaboy/Ice-T escapade, I'm not a fan of S.Boy, but Hip Hop is a youth movement and they should be given some air too.

Joe Ski Love

True Hip-Hop Stories: Joe Ski Love from D-Nice on Vimeo.

The Pee Wee dance was one of many dance based songs of the mid to late 80's, (for example the Fila by a young Steady B), and the video can be seen in my recent "They Made A Video For That" blog. I first heard it again in the mid 90's on a DJ Riz mixtape where he cut it into Steady B "Bring That Beat Back". I managed to hunt the 12" down, where it became a sure fire Kool Skool Radio Show classic.



Vintertainments first release was by The BBoys and their hit Rock The House, one half of the group was the Zulu Nations Donald D, who along with Afrika Islam was one of the first Hip Hop shows on the radio in New York, a member of the Asallam Brothers, and Ice-T's Syndicate member.

The B-Boys

Donald D (Right) & Brother B (Left)

photo courtesy of Donald D

D-Nice They Call Me D-Nice
The first solo D-Nice record I ever heard and it was a mixtape banger back then, check out the Chico piece in the beginning. Also check this for some jokes "I go to work M"*^%$@r".


D-Nice - Glory
From the Civil War film Glory (featuring Samuel Jackson & Denzel Washington), about African American soldiers known by the so-called Native Americans as Buffalo Soldiers. Bob Marley wrote a song about them called Buffalo Soldiers . African American's were promised freedom from slavery, 40 Acres of their own land each, and a mule to plough the land if they joined the Union Army. But the promise was never fulfilled, and the voting rights they were given in the 18th Century were revoked until the late 1960's. Edutainment songs like this were very important in engaging young people in history and knowledge of self and others back then.


D-Nice - Crumbs On The Table
"Are you a DJ well get on it!" Never saw this video before... Here in the UK I say that in the Hip Hop scene we are all fighting for crumbs under the table. "I hope you're feelin' alright..."


Stop the Violence Movement - Self Destruction
Don't really need to say to much about this really, probably the best posse cut ever, KRS One, MC Lyte, Kool Moe Dee, Stetsasonic (or Just Say Stet), Doug E. Fresh(shwing), Just-Ice, Heavy D, P.E. and others.




BBoy Records have recently re-issued these DJ Scott Rock La Rock produced jems if you missed them!

D-Nice on Myspace

D-Nice.com

Other Videos by D-Nice

R.I.P. ITCH FM!!! 1 year Anniversary

R.I.P. ITCH FM!!!

(Originally posted 1 year ago)

Dear UK Hip Hop people,

It is with great sadness to inform you that London's own ITCH FM (105.1fm) has shut down for good…

For me personally it has been 7 Years of fun, hard work. I will always feel proud of the station and the DJ's past and present for what we have accomplished. Itch blessed me with a lot of opportunities and confidence to pursue a little career (whatever that means) in Hiphop, and I will forever be grateful to Itch Fm family for their support, teamwork and friendship.



The other day I met someone who has been listening to us for a while and he said, "yeah man Tizer told me it was a Pirate Station, I thought it was legit!!!" That was the thing about Itch, it wasn't like other stations. There was no 35 kids hanging out, getting zooted in the lobby! The management ran a super tight ship, and that reflected on the broadcasting quality, it instilled a serious attitude in the DJ's.

I understand fully their reasons for closing the doors, 7 Years of sitting in their cars making sure no one steals our transmitter. Sneaking around looking out for the authorities, nosey neighbours, jobs-worth Janitors, CCTV cameras, keeping X amount of DJ's in line, and dealing with the so-called UK hiphop industry.



A lot of people make up the team behind the machine, for us DJs it was not without its risks and hard work, minimum £2000 fine for illegal broadcasting, a criminal record and possible prison time, all for what?!!! To play hiphop, the music we love. But for the management and Technical team it was often a joyless job. They deserve a big thank you from the whole scene.

Hiphop in the UK has never been the success story it should have been, you only need to look back at the early days to see that the UK music industry has never really taken UK Hiphop very seriously. I feel that Itch Fm came around at the right time, and gave it a bonafide platform to provide balance for rating UK alongside US. Without Itch, Channel U, and a few others, you might not have had a 1Xtra perhaps, and I can tell you that certain "urban" stations DEFINITELY changed up their playlists because of us specifically!!!



The Itch management gave us total creative control, we could play what we liked how we liked (except no cursing), and for anyone who knows about commercial stations, words like "payola" and "programming" definitely eats into the creativity of the DJ. In these times (as always) of hiphop bashing by the media and Politicians, "Free" or Community Radio is in a better position to play the music that means something, and the UK has always put out music that was really saying something positive.

There were many people who helped raise our profile when we first started, and put themselves open to a lot of personal risk, Supar Nova, Solo One, Afrika Bambaataa and the many guests, the many writers who smacked the UK with the sticker campaign. It was appreciated, thank you.



A big salute to DJ Disorda, DJ MK, Channel U, Keith Laurence, Kemet Entertainment, all of the UK artists, record labels, promoters, magazines past and present that were down with us and supported the scene! Big up to all of the others who continue to carry the torch, Y2K, Vibes, Genesis, Lightning, Juice etc.

I would also like to thank all of the people who supported Itch FM and particularly the Kool Skool for over 7 years, DJ O Double Ess, DJ Taz, Beermoney, P-Break, Shanks (DJ Havok) the listeners, DJs, MCs, B-Boys, B-Girls Graffiti Writers "and exciters"… Yes even the crackhead landlords!!! Hahaha!

I know there will be a lot of deflated Itch DJs walking around so if you see them give a pound (and a £ Hahaha)! And to all you other stations that "support UK music", give some of them a break, there's a lot of radio experience at stake here. Don't waste it!

All the best

The Kool Skool's 1 Idiot