Director Omar Akil Kickstarts Native Tongues Documentary | @OmarAkil3

Director Omar Akil Kickstarts Native Tongues Documentary | @OmarAkil3

Omar Akil is an award-winning director, and television producer with two short films screened in festival, and production credits that span more than a decade across several major networks including NBC, ESPN, BET and MTV. Omar also co-produced and co-wrote the critically acclaimed television documentary Black Wheels, with legendary filmmaker/actor Tim Reid, in 2005. His short film, The Defendant Rests, won the 2004 H20 Film Festival’s Best Narrative Short Award, and in 2006 Omar wrote, produced and directed the 2006 short Uncle Pop, starring Andre Royo (Empire, The Wire).

Omar has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in late October for a documentary about hip hop’s legendary Native Tongues and he needs your help. You, yes you, can play a major role in the creation of a film that has been over 8 years in the making and holds a lifetime’s worth of hip hop history.

The project, titled Speaking In Tongues: The Legend of the Native Tongue Posse, is the complete story of one of the most important collectives in the history of modern music. The collective, known as The Native Tongue Posse, featured a roster of groundbreaking trendsetters who changed the landscape of music without compromising themselves or their art. The story is told by Native Tongue’s orginal members: The Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Black Sheep, Chi-Ali, and many more.

The project initially gained heavy traction in the press and now it’s your turn to help keep that momentum going by clicking the Kickstarter link.

The clock is ticking!

@OmarAkil3

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8ky: His Path From Chaos To Consciousness On #PhoneTap | @The8ky

8ky: His Path From Chaos To Consciousness On #PhoneTap | @The8ky

8ky, most infamously known as Sky Blue from the platinum-selling party rocking duo, LMFAO, hasn’t left the party rockin’ behind, but he has taken a different route with his solo album, Fxck Yeah: From Chaos to Consciousness.

Safe to say, he’s now in a place of special purpose. Taking what he learned through his own personal experiences with gangs and biker clubs in the past, his Fxck Yeah Family is his own powerful positive gang. He believes that healing can be found in embracing life lessons, and hopes that every fan that comes to a 8ky/Fxck Yeah show can spiritually connect with the music in a deeper way.

I speak with 8ky on his album, hip hop as a whole and the lessons from a business standpoint on this episode of #PhoneTap

@The8ky

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Young M.A’s Cypher Lines the BET Hip Hop Awards Didn’t Air | @YoungMAMusic @MusicChoice

Young M.A’s Cypher Lines the BET Hip Hop Awards Didn’t Air | @YoungMAMusic @MusicChoice

Best known for her viral Chiraq freestyle on YouTube, Young M.A was the Summer’s quintessential golden girl, proving to be one of the hottest female lyricists in the hip hop game with her smash (and mostly remixed & covered hit) “Oouuu”. She sits down with Music Choice and spits the cypher lines that made it on the cutting room floor of the 2016 BET Hip Hop Music Awards. Her debut album, Sleepwalkin‘, is out now on all digital music sites.

@YoungMAMusic | @MusicChoice

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Gyasi Ross Shares The True Meaning Of Columbus Day With “Petaki” | @BigIndianGyasi

Gyasi Ross Shares The True Meaning Of Columbus Day With “Petaki” | @BigIndianGyasi

Lawyer, activist, poet and current co-host of the Breakdances With Wolves podcast, Gyasi Ross, who is a member of the both the Blackfeet and Suquamish Nations, has recently released a song and visuals through the good folks at WatchLOUD called “Petaki,” which is about a bright Native American girl who struggles with the one-sided perspective of American History taught in schools, specifically in regards to Christopher Columbus.

“This song is about Native people being masterful storytellers–retelling stories the right way,” says Ross. “It is about the constant assaults that Native self-esteem goes through while simply trying to attain an education in the name of history.”

The poem features fellow indigenous vocalist Calina Lawrence and graphic visuals designed by Jonathan Thunder.

You can tune into the Breakdances With Wolves Podcast with Gyasi & Wesley every Thursday on iTunes.

@BigIndianGyasi

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Innocent? Has Found “Keisha” In His Remix | @INNOCENTFLOW13

Innocent? Has Found “Keisha” In His Remix | @INNOCENTFLOW13

Innocent? has found “Keisha” and delivers his version of the newly signed Def Jam artist, Dave East’s single of the same name.

For those who haven’t heard about “Keisha”, Dave East spits a tale of a young woman with lust and deceit on her agenda, leaving him robbed and infuriated. This remixed track produced by Stan Da Man, is exactly what Innocent? needed to complete his part of the story where East left off. Stay tuned for the video as well!

@INNOCENTFLOW13

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Sean Taylor – “Like Water” | @seantaylor1987

Sean Taylor – “Like Water” | @seantaylor1987

Who is Sean Taylor? A proper title suit for this gentleman is an ENTERTAINER. He is an innovator, singer-songwriter, trumpeter, dancer, actor, and more. 

Sean hails from the Uptown Wakefield section of the Boogie Down Bronx and is of Jamaican descent. Sean Taylor will soon be a household name in every community worldwide. He has performed on Broadway in the critically acclaimed play “Caroline or Change” directed by George Wolfe and has been featured on numerous TV commercials. He was sought after by Lil’ Kim to provide the triumphant trumpet blast for her royal-themed celebrity baby shower which aired on WeTV to millions of viewers. Also, he has toured and worked with many notable names in the music industry such as the legendary DJ Kool Herc, Masta Ace, General DV (Alias Khryst), Jadakiss, Skyzoo, Torae, Just Blaze, Statik Selektah, Illmind, and more. 

Where the music is concerned; his music is a fusion of R&B/Soul, Jazz, Hip-Hop, reggae, and dancehall. “Try cooking the smooth sounds of Smokey Robinson and Michael Jackson, the charisma of Sammie Davis, Jr. and Louis Armstrong, the rhythm feel and dance athleticism like James Brown and The Nicholas Brothers, the trumpet sounds of Miles Davis and Clifford Brown all in one melting pot…now you have Sean Taylor.” 

With all these gifts rolled up into one person, he lets his talent shine through on every tune.

On that note, he presents to you the official video to his R&B single, “Like Water”. 

@seantaylor1987

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Bekhari Revives The Soul With “Type” | @Bekhari

Bekhari Revives The Soul With “Type” | @Bekhari

Singer and actress Bekhari she loves expressing exactly who she is through the arts. When she is not performing theater on stage, she is making her moves as a vocalist in the independent scene. From Newark (by way of the Boogie Down Bronx), Bekhari is bringing to us something that has been a bit void from the musical standard for quite some time: the soulful element.

Bekhari debut single, “Type”, is a love song expressing just one of her personal breakthroughs. The track exudes of bright and fresh R&B vibes along with soulful vocals to match her warming style. Her goal is to rekindle the old soul of r&b, hiphop, soul and jazz all in one, bringing back a familiar sound to today’s generation.

There is more to come from this little lady soon. Stay tuned, but in the meantime, stream the “Type” single, out now on Soundcloud.

@Bekhari

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Malone feat. Ismael Sankara – “Dream Big” (Remix) | @MaloneOfficiel @AskForISH

Malone feat. Ismael Sankara – “Dream Big” (Remix) | @MaloneOfficiel @AskForISH

Malone is a Parisian hip hop emcee and songwriter known for his singles such as “Life Airlines” and “Douces Caresses”and has already successfully released eight records under his own record label, Le Temps d’une Note, including his Introspection EP. Malone is an artist evolving in an eclectic environment, aspiring to convey a simple image with values such as hope, love and self-achievement.

Produced by Nya, “Dream Big” is not only a musical summary of Malone’s 2016, but also from his state of mind. Thus, bringing Malone to reveal his visuals for the track.

“Dream Big” is from Malone’s Second Souffle EP features Miami rapper Ismael “Ish” Sankara.

@MaloneOfficiel | @AskForISH

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Cee – “…And You Know It Is” | @ceefor

Cee – “…And You Know It Is” | @ceefor

Cee has always been an artist who isn’t scared of experimenting with his art. From his early years in soul-driven groups like Soul District and Cee & Bekah, to his three-mixtape series The Indie Experiment, and even to recent trap singles like “Ramadan”, no one sound truly encapsulates the MC, something which has allowed him to move seamlessly between genres throughout his career.

Originally released in 2014 via the heavily slept-on Awkward Dance EP, Cee lent his vocals to Televangelista’s production on “…And You Know It Is”, creating a genre-bending piece of music deftly sweeping between Electronica and Hip Hop.

The arresting visuals, directed by Jonathan Emile and shot by King Richard, follow Cee as he discovers his neighbour (played by Angela Nashed) has been a victim of domestic abuse, so much so that she does something very drastic to escape her situation. The upbeat vibe and positive lyrical content are juxtaposed with the dark themes, providing a jarring and thought-provoking experience for the viewer.

Stream “…And You Know It Is” on Spotify, Apple Music and purchase on iTunes.

“…And You Know It Is” was mixed and mastered by Notion at Illnote Studios, Toronto, Canada.

Follow Cee on Spotify!

@ceefor

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DV Alias Khryst and Redman Join Forces For “Lights Out” Single | @GENERALDV @therealredman

DV Alias Khryst and Redman Join Forces For “Lights Out” Single | @GENERALDV @therealredman

It’s been months in the making of the D.V. Alias KHRYST album, but with two decades under his belt of commercial music production and scraping together hard hitting beats, identifying lyrics for the people is a no- brainer to this Brooklyn native, who heavily weighs in on the “facts”.

The first single, “Lights Out” features veteran Jersey emcee Redman. The track was produced by multi-platinum duo Midi Mafia, who are responsible for hits such as 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” and has worked with artists such as Justin Bieber and many more.

“The album is purely motivated by pain,” says D.V. “Sometimes the pain brings out the best in an artist.”

The B Side, “Streets Don’t Love”, features West Coast lyrical monsters Ras Kass & Blu and produced by Science. The single releases everywhere both physical and digitally on October 28th but can be pre-ordered today at all digital music stores.

With the LP official release date still undetermined, it’s projected to be released everywhere through label imprint, Dgsup, Inc. / Soul Spazm Records.

@GENERALDV | @therealredman

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