Golden era hip-hop has been referred to as such for very good reason.  One reason is because it spawned an influential sound that crossed genres – a sound that still resonates today.   Even 20 plus years after its heyday, its sound is still a constant source of inspiration for new music including hip-hop itself.  The golden era’s immense number of talented artists, and the lasting legacies they produced, make it extremely difficult for a new generation of emcees to build upon or even to just exist within its sound.  But the Detroit based collective known as Clear Soul Forces is trying to give a legion of legends a run for their money.

The formation of the group Clear Soul Forces, made up of three emcees: Wimpy, J-Roc, E-Fav, and producer/emcee Ilajade, was something of an accident.  The individual artists pooled their money for a joint studio session at which, Detroit rap veteran, Royce Da 5’9 suggested they form an actual group.  Clearly Royce plays genius with this suggestion, because the chemistry amongst the crew is undeniable as evidenced in their latest video for the single “Get No Better”.

On “Get No Better” the group’s lyricism is better than I could have imagined.  The classic “no hook, just pass the mic” style flows between each artist, and they never miss a step.  The track is a jazzy, boom-bap loop that, even in its simplicity, will keep your head nodding throughout.  With a simple backdrop of a Detroit rooftop for the video and some creative screen flips it’s classic hip-hop at its best.

It’s yet to be seen if Clear Soul Forces can forge their own legacy in the shadows of hip-hop’s golden era’s greatest, but peep the video for “Get No Better” and I’m sure you will agree they are off to a great start.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Download: Indiana Rome- WTHLTGO2 

When Indiana Rome first stepped on to the scene, there was no doubt that he would be around for quite some time. Making the STL his home for the last few years, Rome has not only made a household name for himself, but he’s somehow managed to leave an imprint on the minds and in the ears of a very loyal audience. Last year, he dropped his debut album, Who The Hell Left The Gate Open, which received very high reviews from his peers and music blogs. Leading with singles such as “Dream” featuring the talented Theresa Payne, and “Bye Bye”, Rome was able to showcase his lyrical ability, as well as his production skills to thousands of listeners who was not hip to him before.

So now, on the release of his second album, WTHLTGO2, Rome is hoping to relay this new message: ” ‘Who The Hell Left The Gate Open’, is basically a quote to describe opportunity. Let me show the haters, the nay, and the uninformed that I have a story to tell..that I can convey it to where you can relate yet enjoy it over trunk rattling beats”. With all in house production (which ironically is the name of his production company), an impressive midwest features roster, and an evident sense of maturity from his last album to this one, this is definitely an album to have. I rock hard for this cat. He’s very dedicated to growing and improving his skills, while keeping grounded and remembering where he came from. Any real music fan can appreciate that.

Track Listing:

1. Amen

2. Hands Up High feat. Teresa Jenee

3. Nothing Like Me feat. Bryant Stewart

4. Lights Out feat. Rockwell Knuckles

5. Catch 22 feat. MVP

6. Limelight

7.  Watch What You Say feat. D.I. Skreet & Family Affair

8. Trippin’ feat. Saint Orleans & William H

9. Gone feat. Bryant Stewart & William H

10. Roll Out

11. Rock N Roll feat. Vega HBK

12. Feel Me feat. T-Saint (RIP)

13. Hold On feat. Teresa Jenee

14. Primetime feat. Vega HBK

15. Let’s Celebrate feat. Erick Richardson

16. The Last Time feat. Corey Black

17. So Cold Pt. 2 feat. Tef Poe & Teresa Jenee

Visual artist, Kehinde Wiley, is so hip-hop it hurts. In 2010, he referred to himself as “post-hip-hop,” quoted in an article in Words. Beats. Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture. But, I’m not buying it. Take for example this 2008 interview in Anthem magazine, where Wiley insists he doesn’t have any relationship to hip-hop, yet acknowledges (without making the connection) he’s a sample artist. His source? Old paintings in a European tradition of portraiture. His remixed cultural artifacts? Enormous paintings with bright, textural backgrounds where Black and brown males, primarily 18-25, take the “World Stage,” to quote the title of Wiley’s new series of global portraits. And then there was the 2005 VH1 Hip-Hop Honorees’ commission. Not to mention the 2008 inclusion in the RECOGNIZE! Hip-Hop and Contemporary Portraiture exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

In that same 2008 article in Anthem, Wiley commented:

I don’t even think that hip-hop is a function of the culture that is being produced by and large by young brown and black people all over the world. I think we’re post hip-hop. And I think it’s sort of a quaint idea that we would even be having this conversation about how hip-hop can necessarily function in the art world, because I think hip-hop is no longer with us.

He also alluded to a new generation defining hip-hop’s future. It’s both troubling and fascinating the lengths that artists in other genres will go to in order to disassociate themselves with the omnipresence of hip-hop culture.

Kehinde Wiley portrait from Blacklight Exhibition.

Here we are again discussing authenticity, hip-hop and power. #gofigure

When I annouced I would be attending Kehinde Wiley’s artist talk, the third in the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s “Global Africa” series, a friend of mine I’m gonna call Mr. D and I got into a little debate. Mr. D believes “art is about new steez done well, challenging yourself as an artist, not infinitely refining yourself.” Do you agree with Mr. D? Raise your hand if you were at the talk, or have heard Mr. Wiley speak about his own work …

Wiley also made the audience reconsider a crucial element of his own work: the “open” relationship his viewers and buyers have to coveting Black bodies versus a previously “covert” (and unhealthy) relationship in our society over the course of history. When the Nigerian-born, local Washington, DC artist, Victor Ekpuk, mentioned to Wiley that he is being “paid handsomely for his work,” Wiley casually replied, “Am I? Isn’t that relative?” He then went on to explain he doesn’t really know where his paintings go, or in whose [most likely fairer-skinned buyers’] dining rooms those Black bodies will tower. Guess who’s coming to dinner?
The same potential collectors who ask, “Are they [the men in your paintings] throwing up gang signs?” are those who will miss the painstaking hours and years Wiley has applied to perfecting pigments to reflect “radiant Blackness.” The artist noted that art students are not taught how to paint Black and brown bodies/skin tones. Another [Black] friend of mine, Mr. H, a hip-hop scholar and professor, reiterated this to me through a personal anecdote. Mr. H recalled his days as a model for art students at Georgetown University. On his first day, while he nervously trod down the hallway, barefoot and nude under his robe, an art professor grabbed him and pulled him into the department chair’s office. “Look! It’s a Black model!” he boasted. #awkward

Wiley has agonized over how to create light and a giant sense of “I will be here,” in his portraits of “urban,” Black and brown males. This, in my humble opinion, is not unlike graffiti, which begs to shout messages to those who cannot see its practitioners as relevant: “We exist. You cannot ignore or erase us!” At one point in the talk, Wiley went into a Spike Lee movie/Fight Club-type rant, questioning the perversion and sincerity in his own work, expressing his destabilization process, and ending in “F*CK Liberation! … There is nothing worse than purely intellectual masturbation.” #seen

Wiley emphasized process with a capital P above all else. He described a study of smiling he conducted, in which he asked models to smile for exactly one hour. “The smile became its own personal prison,” said the artist, and the audience–sophisticated eavesdroppers in this clever conversation–saw this to be true in the video documentation of the project.

Painter, sculptor, and photographer, we can consider Kehinde Wiley hip-hop acculturated, but not necessarily empathetic to the larger culture that bonds so many of his models. To think, Wiley’s professional portrait obsession began with a mugshot of a young man he discovered during his residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Wiley even Photoshops the eyes, lips and other features of his models to be bigger, juicier (and in turn, more “beautiful”). How hip-hop is that? In the artist’s own words, “the beat goes on,” and I’ll be nodding along to Kehinde’s steady accelerating rhythm.

Life is fiction, competition and contradiction
Petty perceptions, window dressing for misdirection
Love is a lotto, I know I know you know what I know
Hope is so hollow, that’s why winos follow the bottle
And people pressure, make death a hidden treasure
A guilty pleasure, lonely language inside a letter
It’s now or never, move it, move it, love it or lose it
‘Fore it’s recruited, then included in something stupid
It’s nature’s nature, pay the player and say your prayers
Naysayers, the haters, the major players, the beggars
You ’bout it, ’bout it, don’t allow it, pout witout it
Then those who doubt it, doomed to die to death of cowards
The world is yours, in a world we can’t afford
So ignore the law; start a fire, then start a war
If you’re sick and tired of your access denied
Free will died long before blogs and iPods…
(c) P.O.R.N. “Radio Daze”

P.O.R.N. is featured on two tracks on the album, “Walk Alone” and “Radio Daze”, the latter being quoted in a review by Andrew Shapter of The Huffington Post, “Why The Roots May Have The Best Album of 2010″.

Not a shabby introduction for the West Philly native and Money Making Jam Boy member. P.O.R.N. is currently hard at work on his mixtape due out in January. Philly DJ’s Mike Nyce and Rich Medina are collaborating on this upcoming project, and he’s expecting contributions from fellow Jam Boy, Truck North and Philly rapper Peedi Crakk among others.

You can follow P.O.R.N. on Twitter at @porndmc and check back here at The Couch Sessions for info and download links when available…this is a project from a dope new emcee you won’t want to miss!

The Money Making Jam Boys consists of: P.O.R.N., Truck North, STS Slim, Black Thought and long-time Roots Crew affiliate Dice Raw.

Recent history might suggest otherwise, but Drake is not the only Canadian rapper to have existed. In fact, we have tons of them: some good, some bad, many forgettable. Since the early ‘80s, Canada has produced a few dozen hip hop artists who’ve reached moderate levels of success across the Great White North. But few of them have made it out of Canada, and even fewer have sustained a fan base overseas. Drizzy is, of course, the notable exception.

To be sure, I’m wary of measuring success based on album sales and the frequency with which the song blares out of random cars; we can probably agree that most of the best music out there isn’t what you’d typically describe as commercially successful. But by the standards of popular music, Canada has failed to produce many commercially viable hip hop acts. It has, though, been more successful in exporting artists in other genres. Here are a few possible explanations as to why Canadian hip hop has yet to blow up.

1. Authenticity

Since its beginnings, hip hop has been as much about authenticity as it’s been about skill. That is, we’ve wanted our rappers to be authentic as much as we’ve wanted them to be good. Canadian rappers, however, seem to have missed that memo. While there are certainly exceptions, much Canadian hip hop simply emulates East Coast/New York rap in a supremely…well, not-authentic way. And, sure, that may be because New York is the birthplace of hip hop and because the genre arrived in Canada in part through college radio stations in upstate New York. But some 30 years into its existence, there’s no justification for rappers who straight up copy New York rap.
There have been a handful few Canadian hip hop artists who’ve developed their own styles—for instance, Kardinal Offishall, K-OS and K’Naan—and they’ve been the most successful. While their music stays true to some of the sonic elements of hip hop, these artists also incorporate an authentically Torontonian sound and culture. And, most importantly, they don’t put on those irritating fake American accents that pretty much characterizes most Canadian hip hop.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. National Identity
It’s not as though Canadian hip hop artists are out there rhyming about beavers and maple syrup. But the country’s reputation for good manners and all-around softness makes it tough for people to take us seriously, especially in a genre that has tended to be on the gritty side. Canada is viewed as a joke; and Snow, our biggest hip hop export pre-Drake, certainly didn’t help us counter that assumption. Plus, the lack of authenticity in Canadian hip hop, as discussed above, has made it all the worse.

Hip-Hop artist Maisa One

3. Local community
As the likes of Oakland, Houston and the DMV have proven, it takes a local community to help elevate a city (or region) towards hip hop success. And while there are hip hop scenes across the country, Toronto is generally regarded as the home of hip hop in Canada. Yet, Toronto still lacks a clearly defined hip hop a community. Rather, it’s made up of individual rappers working on their own. And while there’s nothing wrong with competition, the absence of support for fellow artists in Toronto’s hip hop scene is certainly holding that city, and the entire country, back.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Investment and resources
Canada’s population is only 10 percent that of our brethren to the south. And so, much as is the case in Canadian film and television, we can’t afford to invest as much as Americans do. The inevitable result? Low-budget, low-quality media. It’s way cheaper to import media from the US than it is to invest properly in the production of high-quality Canadian goods. And that’s exactly hip hop’s case; with the Canadian market so heavily saturated with Americans, local audiences could care less about their own hometown heroes. I suspect, though, that Drake’s mega-stardom might have the world paying more attention to Canada.

Fingers crossed.

Pharoahe Monch, Buckshot, Skyzoo, Smif N’ Wessun and Sean Price blessed the TLA on South Street in Philly last Thursday.

Local emcees Peedi and Freeway joined the crew for a finale.

I was in the building shooting for two.one.five magazine, and ran into some hip hop supporters: DJ Rich Medina, DJ Ultraviolet, Jonene Taddei, Spek, DJ Jayski, Mars Co-Op, Zarinah and too many others to name. Philly showed love and I’m here to share it in pictures…enjoy.

DJ Rich Medina & Tayyib

He gave Nas “The World Is Yours”; he inspired one of the best to ever do it, J Dilla (RIP); he’s considered the #2 hip hop producer of all time…Soul Brother #1, The Chocolate Boy Wonder, the legendary Pete Rock.

Along with CL Smooth, Pete Rock inspired and influenced a whole new genre of hip hop called “Jazz Rap”. This genre is shared by greats, such as The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest. Pete Rock has been known to expertly combine obscure R&B/funk samples to create beats rhymed/sang over by legends: The Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige, Public Enemy, Madonna and many others.

Pete Rock has survived the troubled music business and earned loyal fans since 1987. He hasn’t released a studio album since 2008, but is said to be collaborating with DJ Premier on a joint production to be announced and in the studio with Kanye West. In 2009, a posthumous album for J Dilla, “Jay Stay Paid”, was produced by Rock and released on Nature Sounds.

Tuesday, October 19th Duck Down vs. Blacksmith presents Pete Rock at the Le Poisson Rouge from 10:30 pm – 11:00 pm for his CMJ showcase. Thirty minutes of magic you won’t want to miss!

Get tickets and info HERE

Ski Beats is easily one of my fav producers. This cat had the mid 90′s on lock. His work on Jay Z’s greatest output “Reasonable Doubt” was one of the few times in hip hop history that I preferred another producer’s track over my all time favorite producer DJ Premier. Not to mention he gave one of hip hop’s most unique groups Camp Lo a damn near classic with “Uptown Saturday Night” and not to mention “Luchini aka This Is It” is one of best beats…ever! And all the while still lacing Bahamadia, Lil Kim and Fat Joe (with one of my fav posse cuts “John Blaze”).

But around the time 2000 was rolling around Ski virtually disappeared from the entire hip hop scene. He would pop up from time to time with some jawns for Camp Lo or a track for Jay Z (Ski produced Jay’s “People Talk”) but for the most part, Ski’s been MIA for the past 8 years.

But in 2010 with the help of Dame Dash, Ski is back like he’s avenging his brother’s death. With Dame’s Tribeca loft DD172 (which houses everything from an art gallery to a studio “the Dojo”) as the headquarters for all those who oppose “wack world” Ski’s got the creative control to record at will and with everyone from Mos Def to the Black Keys coming through it was only a matter of time til we got to hear some of the goodies Ski and his crew were cooking up which brings up the release “24 Karate School”.

Originally this was suppose to be released back in March 2010 but due to sampling clearance it got pushed back til September. And the big question is, was it worth the wait? Well, the first thing you’ll notice is the absence of the might Mos Def which means 3 of the strongest songs heads were looking forward to (“Taxi”, “24 Karate School” and “Cream of the Planet”) aren’t on the official release which normally would mean a sinking ship but even though those jawns would’ve made the project stronger, you still get a dope project from Ski and company.

With “24 Hour…” you’re blessed with some big names like Jean Grae, Jay Electronica & Joell Ortiz (“Prowler”), Jim Jones (“Go”) and Camp Lo (“Back Uptown”) but you’re also introduced to some new dope talent like Stalley (“S.T.A.L.L.E.Y.”) and “Rugz D Bueler (“Super Duper Bad”). And in between you’ve got the 2010 blunt brothers Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa (“Nothing But Us” and “Scaling the Building”) and DC’s own Tabi Bonney (“Not Like Me” and “I Got Mines” with Ras Kas & Nikki Wray). At the end of the day “24 Hour Karate School” was mos definitely worth the wait and with the wonderful invention of this ‘lil thing called the internet, I’m sure we’ll all be adding those Mos Def tracks to our own version of “24 Hour…” to help make it one of the stronger releases of 2010. While everyone else is excited that Hovi’s home…I’m more excited that Ski’s home.

All photos by frank talk.

This post is the first in a two-part series of interviews with some of the District’s flyest Black art collectors and curators A special thanks are in order to frank talk, Fred Joiner and Thomas Sayers Ellis, without whom this series of creative conversations would not be possible. It is my hope that these interviews will illuminate for CS readers some of the forces of the DMV arts scene, people of color in particular, who deserve major props. Let’s spark a dialogue about our place, #brownfolksimeanyou, in the arts. It’s time we really engage and represent, ya’ll. Time to make ‘em envy.

It began like this: My good friend, Thomas Sayers Ellis, a genius, lover of go-go, photographer and writer, invited me to the book launch for his latest poetry collection, Skin, Inc.: Identity Repair Poems, at the home of Darryl Atwell. It turns out Darryl is an anesthesiologist, a hip-hop head, and an art collector. Besides that, he’s an amazingly generous man who opened up his home to me and shared a little bit about his group CAS51, Obama’s presidential collection and Kanye’s influence on collectors (or not?).

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a scientist by trade, but that doesn’t really define who I am.

Tell me about CAS51 and what your role is.

When I first came to DC, I was going to a lot of exhibits and I didn’t see a lot of my peers really out. I consistently saw the same one or two persons and it was… I wouldn’t use the word lonely. Everyone says they like art, and they like to go to galleries, but you really don’t see ‘em out on a consistent basis. So, I just thought it’d be a good idea to get collectors together who were younger. There’s a very well-established [collector’s] group in DC already, and I thought it’d be good to get young people in the conversation. So, myself and four other persons started this group in the District called CAS51 about a year ago.

What’s the purpose of CAS51?

The purpose is to get persons who have similar feelings about art, and who are serious about collecting art, together. The purpose of a collector’s group is ultimately to collect art. We are still trying to figure out our common goals. If it were up to me, I’d like to purchase art as a group. That way you can defer some of the costs of collecting art and the group could own the art. But our other goal is to bring more persons, young persons, into the art scene, whether it be going to exhibitions, galleries, auctions, etc. to get more information so they know the importance of art in our community and so they know it’s a valuable asset. Not just a monetary asset, but also to the community. We also want to expand the dialogue about collecting.

Do you think other collectors of color are out there? Is there not also an economic barrier preventing people with an interest from collecting?

I don’t think economics is the main thing. DC is supposed to be a very affluent city, not just in the Black community. I think it has to do with [lack of] information and a little bit of education. I don’t think that DC is quite up to areas like New York in terms of appreciation for the arts on that level where people are really, really excited about it. I don’t think that money is the great limiting step. I think that’s one factor, but it’s more [about] getting people more interested and eager to participate in the arts period.

What makes you go from buying your first piece of art to collecting to calling yourself a collector, then feeling so strongly that you want to share it. What makes you want to share it? Why not just collect art, put it on your walls and show it off?

The [Thomas Sayers Ellis book launch] was the first event I had in my house. I’m gregarious, I know my share of people, but I’m not really a showy person. So I’d be less apt to have people come over to my house just to see my art collection. I think that’s a bit narcissistic. When you talk about art, that’s one portion of it I haven’t quite gotten a grasp of that a lot of people of color don’t get: you have to donate your art at some point because that’s the way many institutions get art and therefore, the artists become known. For me, right now I’m just getting to buy these pieces. It’s hard for me (and I think hard for other people) to separate from ‘em. You get attached. For me to just give [my art] to a museum [is difficult]. You saved your money, you paid down on it and now it’s yours. To then just give it away I think takes a lot. For me, the progression from just buying pieces to really calling myself a collector happened pretty rapidly. I was kind of reticent about saying ‘hey I’m a collector’ and I still feel funny saying that, but I started out just reading a lot of books and I bought a piece and now I’m just gonna continue on. Everyday I’m looking on the Internet, hearing about pieces…

What’s the first piece you bought?

Actually, you know the very first pieces I bought were in Ohio. A friend of mine’s father had muscular dystrophy and he started painting as therapy to help his coordination. He’s right-handed and he was painting with his left hand. I bought this painting of his of John Carlos and Tommy Smith in the Olympics with their fists in the air. I still have it upstairs and I still love it. He’s never gonna be famous as an artist or anything, but I just thought the story was so great. I was still very much learning [about collecting art].

What’s the most recent piece you bought?

Well, I have pieces out there that I’m paying on. People don’t understand that you can put art on ‘layaway.’ No one goes out and just plops $5,000 on a piece of art. You put down say $1,000 and you just pay it off in installments. There’s no interest. People don’t charge you interest to do that, so it’s a way to get art. The most recent piece was the Shinique Smith piece over there. The other two pieces are by Xaviera Simmons and Radcliffe Bailey and Titus Kaphar who all are very young, African-American artists.

How would you describe your aesthetic? What attracts you to a piece of work?

I think it’s important to decide why you’re buying art. If you’re just buying it for decoration and you just like it, you should buy whatever touches your fancy. But, I think if you’re spending a significant amount of money and that’s individualized (you can determine what’s significant to you), then you should be looking at art with a more serious eye and consider the long-term ramifications of your purchases. So for myself, I try to get artists who have a ‘pedigree’ at this point. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy a piece of art from an unknown artist, but I like artists that have studied their craft. More often than not, they probably have a degree in art and I think artists like that are more likely to have longevity in the field. They’re gonna stick to it meaning it’s not something that they are doing whimsically because they’ve invested their time into studying it. I don’t really have a style. I like to try to get a lot of abstract stuff now because I think it’s a little under-appreciated as opposed to figuratives. I think traditionally our community has always been drawn to figurative work and if you go to a lot of art fairs, you kind of see that, you know, I don’t want to call it stereotypical, but in a way it is. You see the man playing the jazz trumpet, or somebody walking, holding a basket on top of their head. There’s nothing wrong with those images, but you see them repeated over and over again. For me, I want someone thinking outside of that realm who is a little more creative.

Did you feel like a certain degree of pretension was necessary to be at the table with these other collectors?

When I was reading these [art] books, because African American artists still haven’t been documented as well, most of the books are still about masters. There’s not a lot of books about younger artists. So when you read about Tanner, Edmondson, Jacob Lawrence or Romare Bearden, and then you go to the Schomburg and you see it…it’s so overwhelming. These dudes were just giants. Or you see an Aaron Douglas piece, it’s ridiculous. So then when you see that and then you go see the image in the art fair with the dude holding up the baby, you just have to say, ‘That image is just nonsense.’ It almost happens automatically. You realize that there is a distinct difference between the level of craftsmanship and ability between those two persons. So it came from that notion. I was reading about the greatest artists in our history, so I guess that’s where those proverbial airs came from. And I fully admit it.

What brought you back out of your pretension?

I used to go to a lot of open mics. The same thing can be said about that; you hear a lot of bad poetry I think. But at one point I was like, even though it’s bad and kind of tilted, it’s still something they’re expressing. So it’s okay. You know, it really is. It’s a positive attempt to put something out there they want to share with people, and somehow it just clicked in my head that that’s okay.

OK. Three favorite pieces in your collection right now?

Elizabeth’s piece, “Nappy Roots,” the one with the woman with the afro. This whole issue with our relationships in our community and the perceptions of beauty, the issues with our hair, our skin color and all that stuff, it just bothers me so much. I don’t know how else to say it. That image of this person, this lady in this picture is so beautiful to me with the mask surrounding it. It really, really is one of my favorite pieces for sure. Then, if I had to choose another one, this piece by Glenn Ligon, it’s called “Invisible Man.” Glenn Ligon takes print words from either books or sayings and does these tremendously beautiful pieces with it. The one I have is a lithograph. The President added one of Glenn Ligon’s [pieces] when he was making his collection. He only actually has three African Americans in that collection, which I find interesting, and I’m sure someone suggested that Glenn Ligon to him ‘cause he’s kind of a controversial artist. Well, I don’t know. I don’t know the President that well. I really love that Ligon piece because of what the invisible man stands for. Third, these iron scorches by Willie Cole are very small representations of his work. But, they remind me of his larger pieces, which are just so spectacular that just knowing that I have those small ones makes them really significant. I really love his work that much. When we talk about being subjective, someone might say, ‘What’s so special about that? The dude just took an iron and burnt it on a piece of paper. Big deal’ But number one, did you think about doing that and how it could be artistic? And when you see the other images and how he makes them look like sunflowers or someone’s face, it’s just really amazing.

Your three favorite places to see art in DC?

I gotta plug International Visions Gallery, Tim Davis, because I think Tim is so open. His gallery is not a place you feel intimidated going into and he’ll talk to you very easily, very casually. I love the Portrait Gallery, specifically that space that connects the two buildings. It’s just so serene in there. I love the Portrait Gallery because they actually have a very large representation of artists of color on display all the time in their permanent collection. The third, I would have to say … [long pause] The Driskell Center [at the University of Maryland]. They don’t have a lot of exhibitions, but I do love their lecture series given by a professor, Jefferson Pinder. He’s an artist. I’ve been to several lectures there of like Sanford Biggers, Chakaia Booker, Kori Newkirk, it’s an excellent series to expose you to young artists.

Three artists to watch? In your collection or not…

Not in my collection: Theaster Gates I think is definitely an artist to watch. I’m really awe-struck by his work. He takes huge porcelain sinks that are relatively big, 30 by 40, and they just look phenomenal. He did a series of shoe shine stands that he built that are absolutely regal. Then he does abstract paintings with just board, pieces of wood, that are really, really beautiful. Who else? Rashid Johnson I like. I do have one small piece by him. He started off as a photographer and now he’s doing these black wax sculptures, which are phenomenal to me. Third artist? I’d say look out for [long pause again] I like Shinique Smith’s stuff. I have a piece of Shinique’s work. I actually have to of them.

I was just gonna give you a hard time for not shouting out the ladies.

Sorry. Definitely the ladies are tough. Xaviera Simmons is one that’s coming that I have in my collection. We even said Elizabeth Kat for the ladies. But, that’s a whole ‘nother topic. Irrespective of race, to the point that you have to have a National Women’s Museum here in DC because again, women, except when they’ve been exposed…Even in my collection, I have images of women with their clothes off…But, let it be known that there is gonna be a matching image of a man. There’s been a lot of controversy about women having to be exposed in their representation and how they’re displayed in art and I understand that. I don’t take that for granted or take it lightly.

Have you ever considered making collecting and consulting about art your career?

I have. My brother especially has been imploring me, ‘Dude, you need to do something with this! I’ll be your first client.’ Telling people how to buy art for decorating or collecting purposes. My job during the day affords me a certain lifestyle, which is good, I’ve never complained about it. But, on the other hand, I kind of got caught in the American trap. You buy this house, you gotta pay for it, so I have to balance my living style with doing something that would be less lucrative. I have thought about it on a professional level. If I could own an art gallery, ultimately that’s what I would like to do. But, it’s extremely difficult, especially in DC. You go to a show in New York, the show’s sold out before it opens. That’s the kind of excitement and dedication we need amongst collectors here in DC for art spaces to really work, particularly to have a fledgling art space. Someone like me who’s not really well known, you’d have to have that kind of excitement.

frank talk and I have been having the conversation about when you used to wait for an album, cassette or record to come out. Now, there is no excitement.

Oh yea! I remember waitin’ for that Mobb Deep to come out. I remember what that was like. Oh, it’s comin’ out on Monday or Tuesday. We’d go down to the CD store and buy it and there was excitement.

I just read an article on Philippa Hughes’ blog and she said one of the things that keeps her doing what she does is that she’s still excited about life. I love that you use the word ‘excitement’ because that’s it! That is what’s missing from DC, there’s not that same excitement here that there is in other cities.

Part of what I want to create with my group is to be as creative as possible when we have these events. That’s why I give Philippa a lot of credit that she has brought a new dialogue to the arts scene. She thinks about her events and brings an element that wouldn’t normally be added, so I really think that’s a good thing. To really get people out the house, it’s really gotta be unique instead of the same ole sippin’ on some wine or whatever the case may be.

[FRANK TALK] What effect, if any, do you feel like someone like–I don’t know if you frequent his blog or not–Kanye West can or does or will have on serious art collecting?

I don’t know about his collection. I don’t know how serious of a collector he is. I do think that–I haven’t read his blog, so I don’t know–but I do think that stars can have an effect, but they have to be serious about it. You can’t just say I got my wall painted by Murakami. Unlike Elliot Perry, who’s on the prowl, who’s pumpin’ these artists, who’s goin’ to visit their studios, who knows their work, what they’ve put out over the years. That’s what you need. To just have a star buy a few pieces here and there and call themselves a collector, I don’t know much that is really gonna influence people. I kind of feel funny about that, actually, because I look at a cat like Elliot and I know, you talk to any of these young artists and all of them know him. Why? Because he’s been to their studios. So, if Kanye’s doin’ that, if he’s goin’ to Theaster Gates’ studio, or he’s going to Wardell Milan’s studio and lookin’ at his work, then I’m givin’ him props. If he’s just buyin’ stuff because it’s hot, like he wants to get Murakami to make the next LV purse for him or somethin’, I gotta give him a whatever with that. But, I hope! It’d be nice if cats like that collect. That’s what I like about Elliot. He’s turned on a lot of the other NBA cats like Rashid Wallace. Darryl Walker actually turned Elliot on [to art collecting]. So you know, these cats who do have a huge disposable income to spend, they might get one less of something else… and buy a piece of art.

2011, this time. I’m gonna come and sit with you. Where’s CAS51 in your dream space?

In my dream space, number one what I would really hope is that we’ve established a series of events that people are aware of and know what CAS51 stands for in terms of promoting art collection and the appreciation of art. I would like us to have a say in the arts scene in the District. You know, people would look to our group as kind of a leader in knowing about what’s going on in the arts scene, who’s out there, where to go for art. I think that’s not too unreasonable, but maybe in a year to be a leader might be a little unreasonable? But, it’s my dream space! Again, I’d just like to say that for me, I never need to be out front. If no one ever knew who I was and it was just CAS51 out there doin’ stuff, I’d be completely fine. I really would just like to see artists and the whole art community just get bigged up. That’s what I wanna see. So like when Ellington calls and says, ‘Some cats came to your house and saw my work and they wanna come to the show tomorrow’–he’s in the Inter-Visions show–that’s really what I want. I want him to get his due. And if I can be part of that, then that’s what I’d like to do.

*  *  *

Want to know more about Black art and artists? The David C. Driskell 2010 Symposium takes place in DC this September 15-16. The topic is “Performing Race in African American Visual Culture.” All symposium information can be found here.

On July 19, 2010, I had the distinct honor of checking off a box on my ‘bucket list’ I didn’t believe I’d ever have the opportunity to even imagine: I witnessed the raw effervescence of hip-hop’s true godfathers, The Last Poets, at DC’s own Blues Alley. It was such a powerful experience that it’s taken me almost a month to process it, but I’m finally ready to share with you, dear Couch Sessions readers.

What do we know about these respected elders? Those who were there say the group emerged in Marcus Garvey Park on Malcom X’s birthday, May 19, 1968. Those of us not yet born know their words and stylistic influence through hip-hop even if we don’t realize it. To open the set, the group’s percussionist, Don “Babatunde” Eaton, tapped out “A Thumb Prayer” on the congas, stating simply, “Heat is heard.” franktalkdc whispered to me, “You hear that? That’s the intro to Like Water for Chocolate.”

On History & Language: The Griot Sessions

The Last Poets shared that years have gone by (42 to be exact!) and “we’re still here,” and as far as language is concerned, the group rocks with “what [they] got.” The concert began with the Poets narrating a community funeral of sorts for “those who have passed” or otherwise left the group–Black Hebrews in Ghana, Puerto Rican Afrikans, and so on. Their names whispered in and out of our ears and the drums somehow allowed us to be transported to new stories of the emcees’ “shooting gallery” days, when guys would do drugs in “every possible vein; even in they d*cks.” Wake up, world. The Poets have arrived; you are now entering a convoluted community dream.

The Last Poets have an inexplicable ethos. No matter what, how wild or ludicrous their statements, you believe them. They are brotherly (among themselves and with their audience), amusing, brilliantly simple and the chemistry is nothing short of perfect. The sentiment in the room lingered somewhere between healing and aching, as the Last Poets seemed to carry the wisdom and burden of an entire generation. Umar caught a woman crying out of the corner of his eye, stepped off stage and gave her a long, generous hug. These guys are completely unpretentious, although their apparent contempt for youth–who have “no respect for human life”–sometimes reveals their years.

On craftsmanship and that elusive ‘thing’ that makes music magic, Founding member, Abiodun Oyewole, explained with a laugh:

“If your poem wasn’t speaking a language [the drum] could understand, it would never leave the duffel bag.”

Following the introductory banter, the trio walked a fine line between insanity and genius throughout, first leading us in a call-and-response poem with eight words to be repeated at strategic points in the poem. Yet again, they branded their intentions as a group into the air: “We’ll be baptized, advertised and posthumously mentioned,” they rhymed, adding, “We’re highly intelligent. In a very low way…. I was on crack when I wrote that poem… It’s not funny, it’s the truth.”

Forgotten Muses

When discussing their own influences, the Last Poets cited Smokey Robinson’s “My Girl,” among others, and asked the crowd, “I got sunshine. On a cloudy day. When It’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May… What the f*ck is that but a poem?!” Umar Bin Hassan, Abiodun Oyewole, and Don “Babatunde” Eaton–the three Last Poets standing at Blues Alley after many reformations of the group over the years–reminded me immediately of all of the flowers whose roots are undeniably watered in Last Poets soil. Among these are Ceelo, Mos Def, Common and of course Goodie Mob. I swear, when they performed “Grenades in Their Eyes,” I had a flash back to “Still Standing.” If you imagine the low, deeply mournful intro to that track, you might get a hint of what it was like to be under the Poets’ spell, whose aftershocks are only fully realized later.

I wanted to share with you what it was like to hear these songs live, the ones we know so deeply in our bones. They are all unfinished products whose spirit chokes you, caresses you, then releases you as shockingly as it snatched you up. “Niggaz Are Scared of Revolution” closed out the set after some pretty aggressive begging from the crowd. Its rhyme schemes exemplify life’s repetition, the obviousness of it all so apparent that we often miss it. I found comfort in the Last Poets’ mantras, repeated by the drummer and supporting emcee (depending on who was taking the lead on which song).

How the Last Poets View Hip-Hop: “The Revolution is a Personal Thing”

It just so happened that Babatunde was chillin’ at the bar next to me after the show before the late set. I turned and struck up a conversation with him, and asked if he’d let me interview him. Even after he insisted, “Those guys do the talking. I talk with my hands,” ten minutes later, I got him to share a bit about his history and culture. Here’s some of what he told me.

sim1ontharun: In my field, arts management, we have this thing we call the ‘elevator speech.’ The idea is that if I got stuck in an elevator with you and I had from the bottom floor to the top to pitch or describe something to you, I could do it in that short moment. [He nods, slightly confused]. So, what’s your elevator speech to Hip-Hop?

Babatunde: Oh no! Let me out! Stop! [Laughing] It’s just not my culture.

s: What is your culture, then?

He went on to tell me that he was trained in traditional Afrikan theology in New York City, and about the Yoruba, Congolese and West Afrikan drummers who raised him in the NYC music scene. He said he believes the drum provides for the “unification of Afro cultures,” and when I asked about other cultures like my own Asian American background, he replied, “Well, Buddha was Black, so that unifies us,” and continued, “We are all brown-skinned people no matter what.” He launched into a very fascinating diatribe about world religions, the connection between Yoruba, Chinese and Korean mythology and practice a bit too lengthy to detail here (sorry, folks). So much for talking with your hands, huh?

s: How old were you when you started drumming?

B: I started to play when I was not as old as my youngest student. I’ve played with the greats: Steven Nash, Richard “Pablo” Landrum. He was my first instructor. I was a principal drummer at Dance Theatre of Harlem, and I used to set the orchestra. I did the second recording of Revelations and played with Limon‘s dance company. But, I am still learning, still studying.

Just then, Umar strolled over. I asked him the same question about the elevator speech.

Umar: What would I tell Hip-Hop? BRING IT. Simple as that.

Then, he reached under his driver’s cap, toweled off his forehead and strolled off.

A soulful Philly beatmaster + a Brooklyn-born (but Queensbridge influenced) emcee = The Grey-Area.

Kil produced the entire album and Vegas laced it. Kil’s beats gave me a 9th Wonder feel, and at times the music outshined the lyrics, but with only one collabo on the entire album, Vegas held his own.

Vegas isn’t a rookie to the hip hop game. He started rhyming in 1994 with his cousin Ill Will and their crew in Queensbridge. In the ‘Introverse’ Vegas describes himself as “a little bit of underground, a little bit of commercial, somewhere in the grey area…” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Kil has collaborated with a variety of artists & musicians – Osei Morland, Sean “Mocha” Banks, Khalil Byrd and M.O.P. name a few.  Working with this producer, Vegas got the whole package – DJ, writer and beatmaker.  And it worked well.

Track 2 “Here And Now” Vegas recounts his past and how he arrived at where he is today. Backed by a horn-heavy track on “Human (I’m Only)”, Vegas unapologetically admits his shortcomings like only a street poet can. “Don’t Let Me Down” is by far my favorite track on the project. Vegas takes us through his sorrow over his cousin’s death and addresses his less than perfect father, as well as himself – you can feel his pain and ambitious hustle in the track. On “Finale” Vegas raps “preparation is everything, karma is life…” and when the music breaks, he flows and the spoken word feel moved me.

If The Grey-Area is an indicator of his karma, there should be great things coming for this talented emcee.

You can download the project HERE on his page and follow Vegas & Kil on Twitter.

Download: Exile – Radio Bonus

On this latest remix effort from Exile, there are some hits and misses.  Now the purpose of a remix album is sometimes to be a little more experimental in nature, but since the original “Radio” contained so many samples, this remix seemed a bit excessive.  Throughout this album there was way too much fiddling around with sampling to the point where it was distracting.

One of the “hits” was the well-done remix of Frequency Modulation. It is a great remix adding Tore & Ruste Juxx’s gangster-style lyrics to the original version that contained no vocals other than from samples and was a little more laid back than the hard hitting beat of the remixed track.  I also liked the quick opera/hip-hop mashup track “OPERAtor Radio.”  It was one of the first mashups including opera themes that I had ever heard.  Kudos to Exile on that one!

As an ambassador of the chillout scene, I enjoyed the downtempo tracks of this album and believe some of them could fit nicely in a chillout compilation.  The first track “So We Can Move” is a terrific, dream-like downtempo track. “In Love” includes a great standup bass groove, a light drum beat, and a dream-like repetitive chorus.  The synth-filled “So We Can Move- Pollyn Remix” was a nice ambient track that seemed out of place mixed in with all of these hip-hop remixes.  I also enjoyed “The Machine” which was a fun electronic dance track that featured a nice upbeat groove, simple bass line, and some nice work on the synth keys.  ”GB” was another quick little bossa-style ditty which was a fun listen as well.

The misses were just a few.  Watch out for “Watch Out”  WAY too much sampling on this one.  Same goes for “Exbox Radio, “We’re All in Power,” and “Population Control.”  If you’re really into sampling, these tracks are right up your alley, but they just weren’t my cup of tea.  I like to focus on a groove and then listen to different elements, but some of the tracks had no discernible groove and were just filled with so many samples.

I think if the album were split up into two sides…one more experimental and one downtempo, I think it would have flowed better and could have been a bit more interesting of a listen.  I would definitely be interested in checking out more of Exile’s stuff to get a better sampling of his work than judging his work on this release.  You can get the free download here-

Keep Chillin’

Chris  www.chilloutscene.com www.facebook.com/chilloutscene www.twitter.com/chilloutscene

Rating: 3/5

Tracklisting:
1. So We Can Move (Teebs Remix) – 02:44
2. It’s Coming Down (DJ Rhettmatic Remix) – 03:36
3. Population Control (Dibia$e Remix) – 02:15
4. We’re All In Power ft. Lessondary Radio (Von Pea, Donwill, and Elucid) - 02:46
5. Frequency Modulation (Marco Polo Remix ft. Torae & Ruste Juxx) – 02:53
6. In Love (Kan Kick Remix) – 03:34
7. GB (Radio Medley) – 02:19
8. Watch Out! False Prophet ft. ADAD & Johaz - 04:04
9. The Machine (DiViNCi Remix) – 03:09
10. In Tune Static (Mike Gao Remix) – 01:59
11. So We Can Move (Pollyn Remix) – 03:49
12. Exbox Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:31
13. OPERAtor Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:41
14. Forbidden Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:29
15. I’ve Been Dreaming of You (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 02:45