Definitely feeling the latest collabo between Tabi Bonney and producer Ski Beatz. “Parachute” is off of Tabi’s forthcoming mixtape, The Summer Years – peep and download below.

Download: Tabi Bonney – Parachute (Prod. Ski Beatz)

Download: Tabi Bonney, Postcard From Abroad

Since I’m from Philly, whenever I would think about Washington DC, I would think of Howard University, Go Go music and the fact that in the late 80’s/early 90’s that DC seemed to be  the death capitol of the United States. I remember one of my best friends in high school coming down here to hustle and was rewarded by being almost shot to death. Yeah, DC don’t play. But the one thing that has NEVER come to mind when I think about DC is hip hop. The ONLY time that I ever put DC and hip hop in the same sentence was back in the 90’s when Howard would hold their annual hip hop conference and would turn Florida Avenue into a who’s who of the industry. But since living in the area now for over 4 years and writing for Couch Sessions I’ve come to find out that the DMV is a hotbed for talented hip hop artist! And that hotbed includes the one and only Mr. Tabi “Do It All” Bonney. I call him Mr. Do It All because simply put, he does it all. He’s not only a dope mc, but he is also a clothing designer (Bonney Runway) and a video director.  (He recently shot Wale’s “My Sweetie” video and Raheem DeVaughn’s “Greatness” and “In the Bedroom” videos) And somehow finding time between doing it all, Tabi Bonney (who is originally from Togo, West Africa but reps the District like no other) has just dropped a new mixtape, “Postcard from Abroad”.

“Postcard from Abroad” plays like a guided tour of DC and sets off with the smooth trumpet driven “Welcome Everybody” that has a nice M Street Northwest Georgetown feel to it and all I can about “Flamingo Souffle” is that ish goes HARD! Like Benning Road, Simple City Southeast HARD.  “Happy Home” featuring Allison Carney is a nice laidback track that has Tabi “keeping it tastefully done like soft porn” like performing at Bus Boys and Poets down 14^thand U on a Thursday night. “Sunset Blvd” featuring Phoenix has a nice electro 80’s pop feel to it and it takes you up back up Northwest around DuPont Circle and “Garfield Fish Bones” has Tabi bringing you back through Southeast via Minnesota Ave to cop some new J’s from Downtown Locker Room. But it’s “Sudan Grooves” featuring Emmanuel  Jal that gives me that Adam’s Morgan Northwest Saturday night feel and has Tabi dealing with the issue of guns on our streets and when Tabi spits “here comes the rappers with all their guns, and we ain’t got none, quick run, we need guns, big ones” you really feel like you need to tool up because of all these dangerous rappers out in the streets. Tabi’s tour of DC ends with “Outside” and will have you not only checking for more music from Mr. Bonney but will also have you making plans to come back to the District again sometime soon.

“Postcard from Abroad” is a dope showcase of not only Tabi’s skills but his versatility as a mc. He covers so many different styles of music and hip hop, there’s something on here for everybody. Prayerfully, we’ll get some dope visuals to go along with this project, because like I said earlier, he’s just as dope behind the camera as he is in front of it. So the next time you’re in DC catching a Georgetown game, taking a tour of the White House, visiting the Smithsonian or just visiting your cousin Black and ‘em over in SW, don’t forget to make some time to find an open mic or support the cat selling his CD out his trunk because you might just get a chance to see or hear the next dope mc coming out of DC’s growing hip hop scene.

3.5 outta 5

ENTER THE CONTEST HERE

Next Wednesday, DC Hip-Hop takes over the newly opened U Street Music Hall as Tabi Bonney, Diamond District j KIDS DJ

DC’s own Tabi Bonney has been blowing up lately, playing SXSW (including our own with Senari), as well as collaborating with Black Eyed Peas’ new side project The Crybabees. Diamond District, fresh off of their European Tour and stellar performances at SXSW. You really DO NOT want to miss this show.

We’re giving away Two pairs of tickets to the show.

ENTER THE CONTEST HERE

Tabi Bonney at the Senari/Couch Sessions Showcase at SXSW. Video by Denman C Anderson:

After several months of planning, The Couch Sessions, in association with NYC promoter Senari was proud to introduce their signature showcase at Speakeasy in Austin. It was, by far one of the most diverse lineups at SXSW this year, combining reggae, hip-hop, club, and electro.

Starting off the night was New York’s Deadly Dragon Soundsystem. The selectors played classic reggae tunes on all 45s, warming up the crowd for two straight hours.

Jahdan interview from SOCIETY HAE

Getting things started was Couch Sessions Approved Artist Jahdan Blakamoore. Coming off of his highly acclaimed CD Buzzrock Warrior and headliner of New York’s Brooklyn Tropical parties, the MC ratcheted through tracks from his debut solo album. Buzzrock combines everything from reggae rhythms to dubstep, and the MC (who was also featured on Diplo and Switch’s Major Lazer project), proved capable, rocking the audience for a full 40 minutes. The set, accompanied by his DJ Matt Shadetek, was a winner.

Next up, was the DMV’s Tabi Bonney, in what many people were calling his breakout performance. The front room of Speakeasy was packed with heads from all over the country – Texas, Cali, NYC, and a full slate of artists from the DC area in the front row. Tabi ROCKED IT, going through a set that included his hits “Rich,” “Superhero,” “Rock Bammas,” and his signature track “In The Pocket,” making it absolutely the most raucous performance of the night.

Swedish hip-hop sensation Adam Tensta followed, holding his own in front of the crowd, which thinned slightly as Madlib was rocking no more than 50 feet behind him in the other room. His combination of hip-hop and electro got the crowd jumping, as people were waiting over two years to see him perform in Texas. Tracks like “Dopeboy (Do You Think That I Sell Drugs),” were straight dope, and I was actually surprised to see that a lot of people in the audience knew the lyrics to his songs, proving that the distance between Sweden and Texas is shorter than most people think.

Ending the night was New York’s Cubic Zirconia. Already one of the most buzzed bands coming into SXSW, Tiombe Lockhart and company continued to wow audiences with the dope combination of soul, club, and R&B, as well as some dope percussion. Let’s face it. Ms. Lockhart is one of the sexiest frontwomen in music at the moment, and her sultry movements and short dress most surely got the crowd more than a little excited.

But it’s all about the music right? And the music was the winner of their set, as she got the Texas audience to scream “Fuck Work,” and move along to the track “Josephine.”

At the end of the night, we were blessed with the sounds of Gavin Holland. By that time, the crowd had thinned out considerably, and the dance floor was left with our friends and associates that we met during out time in DC. We danced and celebrated with smiles on our faces, knowing that our showcase truly killed the game.

Big up to Austinist, Do 512, Newschannel 8 Austin, Tarik from RadioMilwaukee, Chuck, the Stone’s Throw Crew, Campo$ and the bellhop from the hotel for rolling through, the girls who drove 3 hours from Houston to see Tabi, and everybody else who showed up to Speakeasy that Wednesday. It was truly a special night, and we will most certainly be back next year.

Yeah I know, we say it all the time, but DC has long been overlooked in the music department – particularly hip hop. Although Wale has definitely helped boost our ratings, we still have a minute to go before the Nation’s Cap is truly recognized as a city to reckon with. Fortunately leading the soon-to-be bum rush is DC’s Tabi Bonney. A name that is beginning to be more familiar to some but after this year’s SXSW 2010 – will hopefully me known to many many more.

Born in West Africa and son of a well-known musician named Itadi Bonney (who was exiled for criticizing the Togolese dictatorial government), Tabi was pretty much put here to rock the mic and have his voice heard. He first burst into the scene in 2006  with his debut album, A Fly Guy’s Theme, an album that took hip hop heads by storm when his video’s suddenly started to explode on MTV 2’s Sucker Free. This occurred with no label backing or PR team to help with the push. His music spoke for itself and was proof that a cool flow, tight beats and a dope azz persona is what music fans were really looking for - making A Fly Guy’s Theme an underground success. The second single Syce It (syce is DC slang for hype) was produced by BennyD  (beatmaker for Akon) and my first introduction to Tabi Bonney.

Fast forward to 2010 and Tabi is seriously defining himself as an entrepreneur. His current stats rank under MC, video director, film producer and fashion designer. His ability to be successfully prolific without it coming off like he’s trying to hard gives him a huge advantage over other MC’s. His clothing label, Bonney Runway, is set to return this summer and he recently released a video (that he directed of course) to give folks a peep at the hotness to come:

Although crazy busy, word is that Tabi’s true love is music. His second and latest album (which initially dropped some time ago) was re-released in January and is appropriately titled DOPE - which spawned the very cool video,  Jet Setter:

He is currently releasing tracks on the net pretty frequently, and word is that he’s deep in the lab creating new hotness. One of those new tracks being Get Me, which spread like wild fire on the blogs a couple of weeks back:

Another recent hot one was his duet with DC vocalist Raheem DeVaughn called ‘Fever’. An an excellent R&B/hip hop  ‘slow jam’ that has many wondering if a ‘best of both worlds’ album is perhaps in the making:

Point blank, Tabi Bonney is on the serious come up. From the Source, to the Fader, to Billboard to XXL – he has received cred from some of the most notable industry critics out there. And with the recently released video Love Me – a song with his new group The Crybabiees (which I am absolutely LOVING right now, so much that it deserves to be re-played) Tabi is moving hella fast to solidify his pending success.

His music is NOW, original, fresh and a MUST peep. We are expecting his 2010 appearance at SXSW to be just the ammunition needed to propel his career into high gear.

OH: And check out his BonneyRunway.com website to not only cop his albums and peep his line,  but to also here my favorite song of his called Nuthin But a Hero. It is very hot and proof that Tabi is seriously on to something great.

Tabi Bonney will be performing at the Senari x Couch Sessions SXSW showcase next Wednesday, March 17th at 10:00 PM. RSVP Here.

We’ve been hearing about Will.I.Am’s new group with Tabi Bonney for quite some time now, but I’m glad to see that they have dropped their new video for the track “Love Me.” The group consists of Tabi, Niki Jean (not the one you’re thinking of), and Grammy winning producer PoetNameLife.

I’m loving this track! It’s got the best combination of electro and pop sensibilites that I’ve seen in a while. More from the Crybabieees dropping soon.

Also, you can check Tabi Bonney out (along with DC’s Stereofaith) at our SXSW showcase with Senari on Wednesday, March 17th. RSVP here.

If you haven’t heard about or watched any of the shorts from the Creative Control camp you are losing. DC artist Tabi Bonney GOT IT IN w/Ski, Mos, Dame Dash & co. and heres a short visual showing the energy and rawness of the space.

Tabi Bonney – Nothing But A Hero from Reynard Alli on Vimeo.

Sure, there are still big name directors, major label budgets, and top name producers that still control the industry, but 2009 has most certainly become the year where the art of the music video has become democratized. Paul Wall made history by becoming one of the first major artists to shoot his video using an iPhone, while videos being made with Digital SLRs have higher HD quality than most film cameras. Add to that, videos are now being shot with iFlips are getting millions of views through the help of Vimeo and YouTube. On the flipside, however, the ability for your roomate and his frat buddy become “directors” has flooded the internet with cheap ass wannabe videos. To stand out, you have to bring something more into the mix, and these 5 videos not only break the mold but set the standard.

Video of The Year: Christian Rich – Famous Girl
Directed by: BBGUN

Instead of going for the cliche rap video premise that’s been played out since 1994, New York’s Christian Rich came onto the scene and created a theatrical masterpiece for their song “Famous Girl.” With a story and cinematography that would make the late Stanley Kubric blush, CR set the standard for music videos this year, and I’ve yet to see a video that has come close.

The remaining entries….

6.) Lady GaGa – Bad Romance

Most people would think I hate Lady GaGa, but that’s not the case. I’ve been a fan for a while, and I love how she takes the concepts of high art and fashion and pushes it to the mainstream. This video is intentionally (and somewhat forcibly weird), but it breaks the typical mode and I hope little kids in Iowa get scared when they watch it on MTV.

5.) Tabi Bonney – Rich Kids
Directed by: Tabi Bonney and and Edwin Decena

As the head of Cool Kids forever films, Tabi Bonney has been killing the game lately with his innovative and disctinctive style. Brining the worlds of music and fashion together, Bonney’s videos have caught the eye of even MTV. His video for “Rich Kids,” stands out from everything else he’s shot this year. Bonney and co-director Edwin Decena sought out vintage 70s cameras to create a look that reminds me of the back room at Studio 54.

4.) Matt and Kim – Lessons Learned
Directed By: Taylor Cohen and Otto Arsenault

The premise of the video is great: A Brooklyn post punk duo strips in the middle of Times Square to the shock of tourists and locals. After watching this video several times I still don’t know if this is real or fake (obviously the end is), but the video itself is simple, clear consise, and downright entertaining.

3.)Pato Pooh ft Adam Tensta – Follow Me
Directed By: Ali Alzamli & David Paullo

The Swedes not only have some of the hottest hip-hop, but they also are home to some of the hottest videos I’ve seen in while. Playing on our nostalgia for 8 bit video game systems, newcomer Pato Pooh

2.) Lazerbitch – Coquette
Directed By: Brian Morrison

Baltimore’s Lazerbitch made waves this year with the ultra creative video for “Coquette,” showing their lead singer raking havoc throughout the Charm City. The premise of the video, is short and sweet, and makes for a very entertaining 4 minutes of film.

Phil Ade “Hollywood” from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

Phil Ade Interview from Couch Sessions on Vimeo.

DC fashion line DURKL marches to the beat of a different drummer by comparison to the rest of the city. But they’re not about to change. Thery’re in the process of molding the city to meet them. Having existed for three years in relative anonymity, 2009 has been the year of DURKL in the Capital City. Having moved headquarters from a top floor loft just three blocks from Union Station to a spacious showroom/headquarters/retail space near Gallery Place in the shadows of Capitol Hill, DURKL is now prepared for their most audacious step forward into branding not just themselves, but the entire city in a movement towards creating a revised culture and feel.

DURKL’s latest mix, the Survivor Series Volume One Mixtape, was feted with an amazing blowout affair at their new space at 443 I St., NW in DC on Saturday evening, an event that bridged gaps racially, culturally and socially, all in the name of local music, and yes, professional wrestling.

Produced by Judah (“on the best, sound so sweet,” as Wale would say), and mixed by DJ Maf, this latest DURKL foray into the mixtape is the most DURKL specific of them all so far (the brand has available for download two dance music mixtape creations on their website), as it involves drops from the Ultimate Warrior and the “Macho Man” Randy Savage all over the place, in reference to the “Thanksgiving tradition” of the former World Wrestling Federation (WWF), current World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The creative vision of DURKL, namely that of Will Sharp, on some level, actually has a lot to do with pro wrestling. The heroic iconography of pro wrestling fashion designs of the early 1990s have crept into numerous DURKL fashions, including Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s silver sunglasses, Hulk Hogan’s “Hulk Rules” t-shirt, posters of the Ultimate Warrior ending up on tees, and the use of absurdly bright neon graphics all owe their history to Vince McMahon’s juggernaut promotion.

Featuring a multitude of various local DMV rap acts from DC’s Tabi Bonney, Phil Ade and RA the MC to Baltimore’s Greenspan, to dance music creators Nouveau Riche’s Gavin Holland and disco mastermind Chris Burns as the “Party Bros,” the dance pop of Exactly (featuring DURKL’s Cole Sharp), Suckers’ low-fi, even the ridiculous yet thrashing hair metal of Rattler, you get a sense of the DMV’s intellect, skill and on the rap level, lyrical depth (June Lova’s “LA Sex Scandal” deserves a lot of love in the wordplay department). This compares favorably, in what we could call the “Survivor Series battle,” against the international acts on the mixtape, as Skream’s #1 International hit remix of La Roux’s “In for the Kill,” is here, alongside Sweden’s hottest emcee Adam Tensta, and Australian alt dance rockers Empire of the Sun all make appearances.

If looking for the best representation of what DC brings to the national table, this mixtape allows one to believe that DURKL is indeed on that level.

DC rapper Tabi Bonney is a video making machine.

His 12th (yes 12th video) is for his latest single “Jettsetter” off of the completely slept on (outside of DC at least) DOPE EP that dropped this spring. Bonney’s follow up to Rich Kids has him high on the rooftop somewhere in DC (is that in NE by Union Station), accompanied not only by a band (hmm…) but his ususal assortment of hot models.

Tabi is currently on the Rock The Bells Tour coming to a city near you, and there even larger plans for the MC on the horizon. Check him at his MySpace.

Tabi Bonney – Rich Kids