EKAphotographyHip to be Square: RZA vs. CasualIf you thought chess was a game for old dudes with goiters, Market Street hustlers, and nerdy four-eyes kids, think again. The South Bay-based Hip Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) has completely redefined the image chess by making it a kid-friendly, urban art form emphasizing life skills. Thanks to the HHC, chess is suddenly cool; they've brought a whole new dimension to the classic game of mathematic strategy. Past HHCF events have featured hip-hop lumin
EKAphotographyAnti-Terrorist: Immortal TechniqueA few months back, hardcore political rapper Immortal Technique played a sold-out show at the DNA Lounge. That show, as it turns out, was a benefit for OMEID International, a SF-based non-profit founded by Afghan-American women.
Tech's no radical chic dilettante, however; his publicist reports he has been AWOL from the USA because he's been helping to build an orphanage in Kabul. According to the PR, Tech has been "seeing to it that this
dead prezGenerally, when ASD receives a press release boasting about a show with "arguably the strongest lineup of socially-aware, hardcore hip-hop talent in recent memory," we just shrug it off as pure hyperbole (and yes, to paraphrase Harry Allen, we normally don't believe the hyperbole). But holy fucking guano, Batman! Guerilla Funk's Hard Truth Soldiers Tour --which lands at Mezzanine May 2 with all the force of an anti-pirate sniper shot--can actually make such a claim and come off as credi
Hard Truth: T-K.A.S.H. in AustraliaThough the postponement of the Hard Truth Soldiers Tour--featuring acts signed to Paris' Guerilla Funk label, along with national artists like Pete Rock, dead prez, Planet Asia, Immortal Technique and Kam--was disappointing, that hasn't deterred the indie label from releasing new music.
Yesterday, May 12, the new album from Paris/Boots Riley protégé (and KPFA radio host) T-K.A.S.H. was released. I've yet to hear the album--maybe my review copy was also po
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