Fresno offers hip hop to do California proud, Stockton Hustles for Change, and Kazakhstan sends electronic love

Jason Green, originally from Fresno, is best known under the alias of Planet Asia, an independent MC who's been internationally praised for his powerful voice. His new single, "Gold Chain General," is boastful, but Asia can back it up when he declares, "Your whole album couldn't fuck with my interludes!" The song is the first taste from the MC's planned "Medi-Cali Trilogy" of albums. The first recently released installment is The Sickness, while future volumes will be dubbed The Diagnosis and The Medicine. "The Gold Chain Music Tour," named after Asia's 2-year-old record label, also features Casual from Hieroglyphics (who most recently released an album as Smash Rockwell) and Flii Stylez (the MC behind the theme to David LaChappelle's film Rize) with DJ E-Rock. Asia's longtime partner in rhyme, Rasco, will also be there to show off songs from his recent solo album, The Dick Swanson Theory. Hip hop to do California proud will be in the house on Thursday, Feb. 23, at Slim's; call 255-0333 or visit www.slims-sf.com for more info.

Since relocating here from Stockton six years ago, the Turntable Tycoonz (aka Mr. Roper and Old E.) have built a reputation as one of the tightest DJ teams in an absurdly competitive area for such things. In 2005, the Tycoonz started releasing hip hop mixtapes like their Ya-Did-I-Mean series, and they now hold down a weekly slot at Milk. But this Thursday, Feb. 23, sees the boys setting up shop at the DNA Lounge as part of a party called "Hustle for Change" (call 626-1409 or go www.dnalounge.com for more info). Expect them to show up just dripping with new and exclusive songs. The night will also include spoken word from the Po' Poets, a dance performance by the Baysic Project, live graffiti from Dramaone.De, and a showcase for Humboldt hip-hoppers the Dirty Rats and Bay Area MCs Lush One, Kiwi (with DJ Phatrick), and Unified School District. Though somewhat questionably billed as "a night of hip hop and politics" (we're not quite sure how the latter is to be wedged in), what seems certain is that it will be a night of getting down to the get-down.

An expatriate of Kazakhstan, singer and musician Irina Mikhailova made a good choice to land in San Francisco and let her sonic spirit wander. She's worked with artists ranging from Spearhead to Jewel and has appeared on more than 30 albums and compilations that vary in style from traditional Russian folk to psychedelic trance music. It is her friends in the underground dance scene that have stepped forward to help Mikhailova in her time of need: A collective of record labels, designers, and party promoters will host "Beat the Cancer" to raise money to help Mikhailova's mother, who has Stage IV breast cancer. There will be both a dance room and a funk room; local jocks scheduled to appear include Liam Shy, Alien Mental, Kode IV, Giamma, Amar, and Mikhailova's occasional collaborator B. Smiley. Expect to hear all kinds of electronic sounds, from techno and breakbeat to downtempo and ambient. It all goes down on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Blue Cube; call 392-4833 or go to www.bluecubesf.com for more info.