THE OFFICIAL DEBUT VIDEO OF SOULBROTHA IS HERE!!!

Sultry Canadian Songstress gears up for new mixtape

Ayah – The Problem Woman Canadian songstress preps new mixtape

Toronto, Canada. She has been hailed by numerous industry professionals as the voice of hope. Delivering a unique ambiguity with her music, Ayah who is of Middle Eastern descent is full of promise. Having already worked with numerous reputable Hip-Hop acts based her homestead of Canada, Ayah has developed a strong and devoted fan base amongst her peers. “In a day when a lot of people are looking for a light in the music tunnel…one shines really bright…Ayah has given me new found faith that soul music is very much alive…i can’t wait to work with her.” – DJ Jazzy Jeff “Ayah is what R&B is going to sound like from here on out. She’s definitely someone who knows the history and the past, respects the present, and will lead the future. She’s an incredibly talented triple threat; vocals, writing, and looks. She’s definitely a star”. – Skyzoo Her recent collaboration with NYC lyricist Skyzoo, a remake of the Pharcyde’s Pass Me By, has been featured on numerous Hip-Hop sites proving that her sound can be absorbed and appreciated by the Hip-Hop connoisseurs as well as her soul abiding contingent of followers. Ayah’s love for music comes from her nomadic upbringing; having resided in countries all over the globe which she cites as her real foundation for the music which she delivers. “I don’t over mix and glamorize my art, it is for me what I feel and fortunately the audience feels it to,”  explains the 22 year old. Her stage show has audiences captivated through her interaction with fans and the obvious appreciation of the art form which she represents. It is this that has garnered the songstress a sincere following. ” As soon as I can get on stage, look the audience in the eye, that is me relating,” the budding vocalist says. “In a way my stage show is literally me singing to myself, giving myself advice because I am very stubborn,” Ayah concludes justifying the messages within her words and melodies. Ayah has like many of her peers experienced quite a lot in her two decades and through her life encounters, Ayah just doesn’t provide a voice of hope, she projects her voice of reason. Her talent and credibility has allowed her the opportunity to step off the stage and work in mentoring programs such as Toronto’s Remix Project where she has taken on multiple roles to help enrich those youths involved in the arts and business program to help them achieve their goals. Through her philanthropic efforts, Ayah has performed at some of Toronto’s most prestigious social events such as Tropicana Ball which serves communities in Toronto and the Harry Jerome Awards as well as being a major attraction at the Canadian Cancer Society and Government Conferences for Youth last year. “Music is my love, but it is also a channel, a way to connect to people and to the youth,” Ayah shares. “I went through a lot as a teenager, and working with teenagers, especially females, gives me a sense of joy like nothing else. Mentoring and advising, sharing my experiences so that they can make better decisions for their lives is very important to me.” With an all round appeal, Ayah attracts the attention of both those old and young. She has been described as ‘an old soul dropped bang in the middle of nowehere, but has the tenacity and ability to build a promising foundation for herself’ which will evidently dictate mass appeal. Her up and coming project Problem Woman, a testimony to production old and songs new solidifies why Ayah is as her name suggests something of a ‘miracle’ waiting to manifest. For more information on Ayah please go to www.myspace.com/ayahmusic or www.ayahmusic.com To download I Reminisce from the forthcoming Problem Woman, please follow the link http://www.sendspace.com/file/0vtsw3

MYSPACE UNVEILS DETAILS ON 150th SECRET SHOW

MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, today announced indie rock super group Battles as the opening act for MySpace’s 150th installment of the hugely popular Secret Show franchise (http://www.myspace.com/secretshows), an original concert series that fuses the online and offline music experience and further connects fans and bands through intimate, “friends only” performances.

As previously announced, the show is being headlined by the Grammy award-winning duo Gnarls Barkley. The genre busting act’s first US concert was a MySpace Secret Show, in the halcyon days of 2006. For this show, the group will be performing at Manhattan’s famed Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza and will be joined by the indie rock super group Battles.

Gnarls Barkley is the much beloved combination of artist and producer Danger Mouse and vocalist Cee-Lo Green. The duo recently released The Odd Couple, which Entertainment Weekly hailed as “impeccably produced and impressively layered as an esoteric love letter.” The album, featuring the singles “Run” and “Going On,” is the follow up to the group’s platinum-plus selling debut album St. Elsewhere, which was not only critically lauded but a chart-topping worldwide blockbuster.  St. Elsewhere was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, with the band receiving trophies for Best Alternative Album and Best Urban Alternative Performance.

Opening act Battles is comprised of the former members of Don Caballero, Helmet, Tomahawk, and Lynx. Featuring Tyondai Braxton, Ian Williams, John Stanier and Dave Konopka, Battles have long since been touted as an “indie rock supergroup.”  Following their signing to Warp Records and the release of two EPs in 2006, the band released their long awaited first album Mirrored. Pitchfork raved about Mirrored as “a breathtaking aesthetic left-turn that sounds less like rock circa 2007 than rock circa 2097, a world where Marshall stacks and micro-processing go hand in hand.”

Since the launch of MySpace Secret Shows in February 2006, the series has showcased some of today’s greatest artists across all music genres in cities all over the world – from The Cure in Sydney, Australia to Ice Cube in Virginia Beach to Justice in Hamburg to Slayer and Mastodon in Salt Lake City. The shows are exclusive to the MySpace community and once notified that a Secret Show is happening in their area, users can print out their personal MySpace profiles displaying Secret Shows in their top friends, and that serves as their ticket to the show.

About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. MySpace has created a connected global community by integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums. MySpace’s international network includes more than 20 localized community sites in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Japan, and New Zealand. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE: NWS – News, NWS.A – News; ASX:NWS – News, NWSLV – News).

Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, March 2008. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to (http://www.comscore.com)

Souls of Mischief’s Opio To Release Trilogy of Albums

Vulture’s Wisdom, Volume 1, first chapter of the trilogy, is a nod to the golden era of hip-hop and features production from The Architect

“They (Souls of Mischief) were the first ‘fresh to death’ group. They were the ‘93 version of me” – Kanye West   Kanye West, John Mayer & Just Blaze give props to Souls of Mischief   (May 21, 2008 – Brooklyn, NY) Opio, member of the classic hip-hop group Souls of Mischief, has released details of his sophomore solo album, Vulture’s Wisdom, Volume 1. The album will include a bonus DVD with music videos as well as animated shorts and features artwork by renowned pop artist David Flores. The album will be released in August on Hiero Imperium Records as the first chapter of a forthcoming trilogy.   Vulture’s Wisdom, Volume 1 is a challenge to bloated hip-hop. With production solely from Oakland-based The Architect, whose production credits include early Stones Throw releases, Coolio, Planet Asia, and Encore, the album has a deliberate focus on Opio’s rhyming and artistry. With fourteen songs under 39 minutes, the album is a short and sweet collaboration of golden-era rap polished to a 2008 sheen. While current artists such as Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West have been appropriating the classic mid 90’s sound, Opio says, “People are trying to tap into that energy, whereas I am that energy.” This is no braggadocio. In fact, it is an honest self- assessment of what Opio represents in the world of hip-hop; he is a living legend that has been recording and touring consistently for more than fifteen years.   The idea for Vulture’s Wisdom came about in conversations between The Architect and Opio after they met while sharing neighborhood studio spaces. The conversations sparked a flood of creativity from Opio, and as fast as The Architect could supply beats, Opio was penning lyrics. “We embody the energy that people are trying so desperately to recapture or reconnect with. We never fell prey to all the trappings of materialism. Our music has stayed true to the art form and this album is a tribute to that.” The album includes a bonus DVD with 7 music videos as well as animated shorts. Pop artist David Flores (XLARGE, Stussy, Deluxe, Shorty’s) provided the album artwork.   As a teen, Opio hooked up with local rappers Tajai and A-Plus, whom he met through Casual, another emcee who was Opio’s classmate and neighbor. The three instantly clicked and began recording together, soon adding fourth emcee Phesto Dee, to form the group Souls of Mischief. Together with Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Domino, and Pep Love, the legendary crew Hieroglyphics was born. Opio has always done double duty for Hiero as both an emcee and producer. Opio’s recent production credits include the track “Naked Fonk” from Del’s recent 11th Hour. Opio’s first solo effort, 2005’s Triangulation Station, moved over 20,000 units. Vulture’s Wisdom, Volume 1 will be released in August on Hiero Imperium records.   Opio will be touring this summer and fall in support of the album with Hieroglyphics. Dates available here.     ### Streams:   “Stop The Press” Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gWj_GMQOoqc MP3: http://media.audibletreats.com/Opio-Stop_The_Press.mp3   Kanye, John Mayer & Just Blaze gives props to Souls of Mischief http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyW37_-WAug   Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/opiolindsey   Hiero MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hieroglyphics   David Flores: http://www.davidfloresart.com/   Label site: http://www.hieroglyphics.com

Nasty Nas, huh?

by Iyapiphany

half-man, half-amazing/cause in my physical I can express through song/delete stress like Motrin/then extend strong/I drink Moet with Medusa/give her shotguns inhale/from the spliff that I lifted in hell/
It ain’t hard to tell… Nas. One of the dopest emcees to emerge from the new school of hip-hop, resurrecting the East Coast’s reputation for producing the illest, most prolific rappers in the country, in New York language, the planet, now has me scratching my head and questioning whether or not I’ll ever purchase another one of his albums (cd).

I understand the pressure of a career that demands one stay relevant and adaptable to appeal to the palate of an ever-changing fan base, however, that is no excuse for professional irresponsibility and communal disregard.  Unfortunately this was exactly what I experienced on May 18, 2008 at 5:30pm while listening to Hot 97’s DJ Envy interviewing Nas about the new album, Ni##@.  (Which I have heard is being changed, thank goodness, as of this writing.) Trust and believe I understand all about swag.  There is no way an emcee can approach a mic without it and expect to be considered valid.  It isn’t going to happen.  The swag of course must be accompanied by skill and an ease of delivery that belies any doubt that may be part of the emcees internal experience.  Nas has consistently delivered on these counts, whether the song was “OchiWali” or “I Can”.  We may have been confused about his stances or if he had one, but he sounded convicted, so we gave him passes on the basis of his unquestionable lyricism and breadth of seeming knowledge. There are times however, when passes have to be revoked.  This is one of those times.  

DJ Envy questioned Mr. Jones about the title of his album.  Nas responded that he received criticism from the elders in regard to this and that the elders didn’t understand that today’s youth have it harder than they (the elders) did.  What?! I was thoroughly confounded.  How? No one under the age of 40 knows what it is to have a cross burned on their lawn, nor have to get off of the sidewalk to walk in the dirt street because white folks needed the space nor be denied the right to vote nor have their choice of vocation nor love interest. If he meant something else, he didn’t say so. Envy also asked him about his long time relationship with 50 Cent.  Nas laughed and said, “You talkin’ ’bout that song. You wanna know who Biter about.”  He went on to say that 50 Cent is in a lot of pain and …”that brother’s crazy I ain’t saying he bite tables or nuttin’ like that but he be wildin’.  That’s why I ain’t git in his ass, but if he ready, he could come see me.”  I was at Black woman arched eyebrow mode by this time.  DJ Envy said something else but I would be performing a major disservice by even pretending to have heard what because I was thoroughly riveted by Nas’ statements.  At this point, Mr. Jones went on an expletive rampage, and very quickly all that could be heard was feedback and a hurried music choice.  I waited for Envy to come back on the radio but that took a moment.  When he did return he did an interview with TierraMarie, played her new song, played more music and spoke to TLC’s Chilli.  Nas was not mentioned.  It was as though he hadn’t ever been on the radio.  

I stood in my kitchen, shocked and amazed.  I quickly called my beau, who is quite familiar with the inner workings of hip-hop and relayed the aforementioned occurrence to him.  He asked me a few quick questions about the station and what was going on and we hung up.  I was aghast.  Not so much by the arrogance in Nas’ statements but because it was incredibly clear that this man did not think about the impact of his words, and if he did, he disregarded any advice his better judgment might have steered him toward.  Questions that immediately came to my mind were:
How high is he?
Was he aware of how many people were listening?
Why would he dare put Hot 97’s license in jeopardy (FCC is always listening)?
Was he holding some kind of grudge against someone? The most lingering however was this one:  Why would Nas, of all people go out like that?

One thing I always admired about Nas was his ability to think and not be typical. Another thing I admired was his ability to be emotional through his work but not have the need to be overtly antagonistic toward those he took issue with.  I thought he had a basic respect for his peers; those of us who have grown up to and with him. My expectation was that he would take up the banner of adult, a grown up or as my Caribbeans like to say, a big man.

No, it isn’t that I am prudish or too bourgeois to appreciate the colloquialisms of urban, inner-city descendants.  My favorite emcee is Ghostface Killah (who understands Ghost?) I will love NY emcees ’til the day I die. There are however, codes of behavior that we-people over the age of 27-need to exhibit to our peers and certainly to the children and youth that look to us as examples of who to be and become.  If one doesn’t want to be a role model and uses that as an excuse, it doesn’t matter, they still are.  Evidence, you seek? Look at the generation of young people who have little to no fear of authority, feel no personal responsibility to promote life in the community, much less the world they live in, and the every continuing disruption of Black marriage, love and family.  THEY LEARNED THOSE BEHAVIORS FROM US!    My point is simple, Nas KNOWS better.  

At this stage in the game, he could demonstrate that there are ways to move that are just as effective in communicating a point that shows displeasure or irreverence without being crass and vulgar.  While we are all responsible for our choices, what is being chosen?  His last album was called, HIP HOP IS DEAD.  That title leads me to think he was displeased with the direction of the music and culture that many of us found comfort and definition in.  Our secret places to vent, express, teach and reveal the inner truths that many of us were too afraid to speak aloud. We, the socio-economically disadvantaged youth from female headed, single-parent homes who would grow up to be nothing more than usurpers of federal and state funded programs meant to maintain our subsistence found credence in our “street disciples”.  As one from amongst us, how then does he behave in a manner that undermines his hard work and the influence he’s garnered that has spanned across social, economic and educational strata?  No Nas, this is not good.  My children’s Nana has always said, “When you know better, you do better.”  That cursing tirade did not just affect me.  Other working, educated, intellectual, former backpack, conscious folk are also questioning Nas’ devotion to both craft and culture. The prevailing thought and statement has become, “I’m not buying that. It may be something I download.” In the act of not giving a damn, was that his intention?

Iyapiphany is an educator and training specialist, currently residing in New York. She is also an essayist and performance poet. “Intentionally Black” and dedicated to her life, in the words of her oldest son, “She loves being Black,” Iyapiphany has made it her personal mission to understand the movements of Black men and the necessities of Black women to better help in the facilitation of BlackLove and the restoration of The Black Family. In addition, Iyapiphany is a columnist for the Contraband publication.

 www.thesoulplanet.com

Delicious Vinyl To Release DELICIOUS VINYL ALL-STARS: RMXXOLOGY

Classic songs reworked by Peaches, Eminem, Diplo, Hot Chip, Spank Rock, Phillipians, Ed Banger’s Mr. Flash, and Bobby Evans

(May 21, 2008 – Brooklyn, NY) Go back to the future with Delicious Vinyl RMXXOLOGY, an all-new, 15-track album featuring classic tracks by Young MC, The Pharcyde, Masta Ace, The Brand New Heavies, and Fatlip re-imagined by artists including Peaches, Hot Chip, and Eminem. The first two singles from the album are already embedded in the hearts and minds of DJs and party people worldwide: pioneering electro goddess Peaches’ sizzling update of Tone Loc’s immortal “Wild Thing” and Aaron LaCrate and Debonair Samir’s gutter-bumping Baltimore blast of Young MC’s “Know How.”   RMXXOLOGY was born a year ago when Delicious Vinyl honcho Rick Ross met Peaches after a show. After agreeing that she would do a version of Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” they began brainstorming a dream team of artists to let loose on the Delicious Vinyl catalog. This led to the creation of The Delicious Vinyl All-Stars, a collective including prime-time players like Eminem and Diplo, as well as upstart French freakers Mr. Flash, Breakbot, and Don Rimini, and L.A. new jacks Cory Nitta (Pink Enemy/Philippians) and Bobby Evans (Brother Reade). Soon each of the Delicious Vinyl All-Stars was having their way with a Delicious Vinyl classic of their choosing…   As Rick Ross puts it, “Peaches is my co-curator on RMXXOLOGY. We reached out to people who know how to have fun exploring their influences and adding their own magic to something they love. That’s the creative core of what the RMXXOLOGY project is about: Start with these dope raw materials and reassemble them into something new and fun, revitalizing the music for a new generation of fans.”   The album runs the gamut from Pink Enemy’s tech-soul take on The Brand New Heavies’ beloved “Never Stop” to Eminem’s head-knock redux of Masta Ace “Slaughterhouse” and, the real stunner, Hot Chip’s transformation of The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” into a sacred hymn. Rick Ross explains: “RMXXOLOGY represents a whole variety of styles. It’s all about creating alternative versions of these classics, rather than remixing them expressly for the dancefloor. After all, the original songs always brought people to the dancefloor anyway.”   But don’t fear: The dancefloor isn’t being neglected. The third single from RMXXOLOGY, “Bust A Move RMXXS”, finds Diplo and Don Rimini manhandling the Young MC classic into club-savvy form. (Already #1 on Beatport and Turntablelab’s digital charts, “Bust A Move RMXXS” will be released on 12″ vinyl on May 22.) And then there’s the album’s lead track, Bobby Evans’ “Freak-A-Zoid Robots (RMXXOLOGY Theme)” an homage to Afrika Bambaataa and old school electro that embodies the album’s past-is-present spirit.   RMXXOLOGY will feature gold sparkle artwork that flips the classic Delicious Vinyl logo in the same way that The Delicious Vinyl All-Stars have re-thunk the original music. Streams: Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir- Young MC “Know How Theme” http://www.audibletreats.com/download/DeliciousVinyl/Know_How-Feat_Young_MC.mp3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCtq6d8l60I Delicious Vinyl MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/deliciousvinylrecords   Label site: http://www.deliciousvinyl.com/