Words by Landon A.

Without the deep pockets of a major label and promotional plugs that know no limits, the independent Hip-Hoppers of today are best compared to the bluesmen of the past: Packing into vans, sedans and caravans, taking their show on the road taking little with them but their instruments and the clothes on their back. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember that little event we have coming up Oct. 1-3? You know the one that’s essentially a Who’s Who of Hip-Hop acts? And it’s sponsored by your favorite Crew on all the Interwebs?

If so, do you remember last week when we said we’d be giving you some free tickets to the A3C Hip-Hop Festival in Atlanta, GA? Read the rest of this entry »

Strange time for an event. I mean, my homeboy asked me would I be there but @ 3 o’clock on a Tuesday I’ll be sitting in the car-rider’s lane @ my daughter’s school. I ain’t Hip-Hop; I’m a family man. But, if you’ve got time to spare & you’re in Cashvegas, check out Bun & GLC for an in-store performance live @ Phatkaps in Lower Antioch. Read the rest of this entry »

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On Oct. 1-3, you will need to be in Atlanta, Georgia with the TSS crew, witnessing Hip-Hop history.

Your favorite Section is partnering with the good folks at A3C to bring you the 2009 A3C Hip-Hop Festival. Read the rest of this entry »

The homie Scott passing along this footage from The Paxtons release performance @ the WORK Release Party live @ Atmos NYC last week. Watch as they perform “Smoke,” “American Boy” remix, “Ocean Drive” & “Still Waiting.” Below the break, Chris & Dave perform alongside RaTheMC & AP, doing the “Just Tonight” jammie.

Nice shirts too guys. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Jesse H.

Given the previous indications from the Atlanta stop, I should have known that this wasn’t going to be the best experience. The NYC Sneaker Pimps ’09 show was a zoo, missing press lists and general disorganization left the Terminal 5 staff overwhelmed and the VIP/Press section of the crowd grumbling outside. Ever optimistic, TSS covered the event anyways.

Sneaker Pimps ’09 organizers pulled off a doozy of an event last week. Did I get in and actually see the event? No, Devin Chanda and I waited outside the venue for two hours on empty promises and assurances that they’d “have the press list ready any second now,” before we finally got too frustrated and left. But somewhere between seeing Miss Info and magazines like Complex get shafted as well, and seeing the Clipse’s publicist rolling his eyes, exhaling deeply and typing emails at a feverish pace, I realized something. Not getting into the show was actually the point of this wonderfully creative affair.

Those clever Sneaker Pimps folk had given us the most beautiful lesson of all. Instead of worrying about silly things like “reality” and “ticket distribution,” they presented the press with the most grand opportunity: to imagine the show. What a golden chance! A chance to picture the greatest show of all-time! What better way is there to spend two hours? So, I’m proud to present to you, what I wish my Sneaker Pimps ’09 experience was like — Sneaker Pimps ’09: The Imagination Experience.

Oh and I apologize in advance, my imagination isn’t very good at Photoshop…or drawing. But hey, if those bastards at Sneaker Pimps can mail in the organizational effort for a high-profile show, I can mail in the graphic work for their coverage).

Before we went to the perfect show, I imagine Devin and I would probably smoke a cigarette outside of the venue. I assume a cop would see us, but instead of totally being a dick and making us move for no good reason (or demanding to see our “press credentials,” which may or may not have happened at the real Sneaker Pimps), he would compliment us and move on.

Ah, I remember imagining how awesome the entrance would be, absolutely no line and a charming, sweet ticket lady who recognized us right away, rushing us Read the rest of this entry »

Dedicated to Eli Matthew Ibanga R.I.P.

Fresh off last week’s release party, here’s Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. 3. Illmind showcases his music with a mix of mainstream and underground artists. In this volume he collaborates with mainstream artists like 50 Cent, Scarface, Young Buck, and Marsha from Floetry, and keeps the balance with underground artists and rising stars such as Termanology, Wale, D-Black, Skyzoo and Torae to name a few. Also included is an official remake of 88 Keys’ single “Stay Up!” featuring Alchemist, Evidence and 88 Keys himself on the rhymes. Master Shake from Adult Swim’s hit TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force also makes an appearance.

Hit the break. Read the rest of this entry »

The What: Illmind’s Blaps, Rhymes & Life III Release Party

The When: 10:00pm – 4:00am, Friday, June 26th, 2009

The Where: @ The Blue Seats in NYC, 157 Ludlow Street (between Stanton & Rivington)

On The Wheels: DJ Mpos of The Elite Camp

FREE with RSVP*, leave FULL NAME + Company/Affiliation to RSVP@Illmind.biz.
No dress code. Free swag given away!

The Skinny: In honor of his latest digital compilation Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. III, Hip-Hop, producer Illmind is holding an event on Friday June 26th, 2009 at The Blue Seats in New York’s Lower East Side!

This is the second installment of Illmind’s series of Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re here for the footage, it’s all after the jump. The rest of y’all, read on.

Mixed reactions surround any discussion on Drake. On the one hand, we have those that consider him the future of Hip-Hop. On the other, there are skeptics. Not to be confused with naysayers, or haters, these are the folks that are yet to be convinced that this man is worth his weight in laurels.

Despite all the buzz and acclaim he’d garnered along with the fact that I liked a song or two, I still couldn’t take this cat seriously (*cough*Degrassi*cough*) and I was not alone….or so I thought. But when Drake sold out his Atlanta show in about five hours, it was clear that he had gotten too big to ignore.

Before the show, BkJaxon, Kaos and I joked on the about how the line wrapping around the block was laced with tight pants and smedium tees. I asked the all-knowing Kaos: “Uh…d’you know Danny! is the opening act?”

“Maaaan, who the Hell is Danny!?”

Everyone — security, promoters, media — was clueless about who this dude was. Apparently he’s pretty established on the international scene and had an album out last year that NBC loved. But as an old lady in Brooklyn once told a Priest on a subway, “Niggas don’t wanna hear that shit.”

The fans were there for Drake. Nobody had the mental capacity to take time to get to know this slanky, dark-skinded, surprisingly dapper brother. As a result homie got BOO’ED the Hell home. He tried to impress…but was bested by the crowd in the worst way.

Jaspects were the next act, and they were determined not to get the same treatment. But when five brothers walk on stage in vests, button ups, neck ties, jeans and converses — all matching — with brass wind instruments ranging from trumpets to whatever else they had there, one could almost feel the crowd take deep breaths, preparing to let out even bigger boos.

NOPE. These cats rocked it. Surprised everyone.

I’ve never listened to them before but their live show is on point. If you get a chance to peep them in your city, do so and thank me later.

Then, right before the man of the hour went on, an announcement came on that Chucky was about to get on stage. For those who don’t know, this is Chucky.

No, Lil’ Wayne did not get a mini-me….no, wait, he did. Very entertaining young cat with great command of the stage. Littler Wayne had the crowd rocking. He kept it short (no pun) and then proceeded to yield the floor to Drake’s DJ Future who spun some slow jams and warmed the crowd ladies up.

Then that familiar Coldplay sample began to play.

Drake – “Congratulations” (Live) from The Smoking Section on Vimeo.

And with that question, it was on. The screams heard every time he gave the audience time to breathe would lead any sane person to believe Godzilla was about to stomp the room. Read the rest of this entry »

Holler @ me tonight @ Barfly’s.

Words By Jason Hortillas

Come May 9th and 10th, Phoenix is going to be taken over by a shitload of MPC-toting, headphone-rocking beatmakers. That’s because Sha Money XL’s One Stop Shop Producer’s conference is going down. This is the equivalent to Read the rest of this entry »

At this point, I’ve seen live performances by the majority of XXL’s 10 Freshman. The only remaining one that I’ve yet to see is actually the first one that we predicted would be a musical noisemaker a couple of years ago. Coming full circle, I’ll be going to check out Wale on Saturday as his Attention Deficit tour makes its way through Nashville. Read the rest of this entry »

Two notes to pass along that should be of interest to those of you in the Los Angeles area.

Numero Uno comes from Sickamore.

Real simple. Remember the The Chef Vs. The Chemist shindig, set to go down on 4.8.09? Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re in the LA area, makes plans to check this one as Sickamore aka Mr. Thank God I’m Famous brings together Raekwon The Chef on mic Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for something to do in Austin, TX the week of SXSW?

Let me rephrase that. Are you looking for the one definitive Hip-Hop showcases of SXSW?

Look no more; we’ve found you. Read the rest of this entry »