I went to this Uganda Break Dance Project screening of a film called ‘Bouncing Cats’ at NYU not long ago and I was introduced to this girl Genesis Be by my friend and esteemed colleague Martha Diaz of the Hip Hop Education Center/Hip Hop Association.
Genesis hosted the affair- I was immediately drawn to her charismatic personality and energy. We stayed in touch and I asked her to rock an Efficacy which got a great reaction from fans when we premiered it on ThisIsRealMusic - It’s now up on my Youtube channel- peep it here:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Genesis Be is not your average MC by any means- firstly- she’s deeply rooted in the south- Mississippi to be exact – it’s very much reflected in her rhymes and rhythmic arrangements. She moved here to NY to study at the Clive Davis School of Recorded Music..She’s also a self-starter/entrepreneur and has formed an organization called StriveTillIRise - What started out as T-shirts has now become a movement. You can read more here: Washington Square News.
I’m expecting big things from Genesis Be so stay tuned.. I’m trying to convince her to call the album ‘Mississippi to Manhattan’
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My peeps- fam- The Beatards- this new video clip sees them Up and Up and Up…”the crew and I got so high even heaven’s hating”,
I want to bounce and trampoline like this!
Click here to view the embedded video.
FINALLY, please help them win some free equipment and a session in a plush recording studio by VOTING FOR THEM AS ARTIST OF THE MONTH at Deli Magazine:
News to that their anticipated album is almost done- can’t wait to hear the treats!!!
]]>We’ll be seeing a sneak peak this week at CMJ– Dalton will moderate the Intl Hip Hop panel on Thursday – 3:30PM and will sell the book at our Global Hip Hop Throwdown- 92YTribeca that night!
Hip Hop World is Dalton’s 3rd book and it takes readers on a ride throughout hip hop scenes around the world, but with a hugely critical eye – many of the most profound raps (and rappers) don’t necessarily come from the west anymore (Drake, M.I.A, K’naan) and why is that? Hip Hop World asks and answers these tough questions we should all be thinking about in this new globalised reality. Should we be looking to 20-year-old rappers for answers to complex world problems? Will the never ending witch hunt by lazy journalists to find the Gay Rapper ever end? Are Islam and rap compatible? Was the Notorious B.I.G (and most of hip hop’s founding fathers) more Yardie than you think? Who are the new school raptivists around the globe and what drives them? Why is beat boxing and break dancing more popular outside of America? Can some rappers still be all grimey and thugged out when they make USD $50,000 per show (more than you make in a year)? Did “hipster rap” (R.I.P.) ever stand a chance given the diminished attention spans of it’s Millenial inventors? Is it the 10th anniversary of rap’s death, but we’re in denial? Why is it that the most buzz worthy emcee’s not named Kanye and Jigga come from Canada, a place better known for rock n’ roll and ice hockey (Drake, K’naan)? Why does hip hop flourish in Aboriginal and Native American communities? Is there a reason Asian b-boys dominate break dancing? Is Asher Roth as terrible as I think he is (Post-Eminem cash grab)?
Hip Hop World goes there…
Can’t wait to get my autographed copy!
and– my boy from Portugal Sam The Kid is featured too! Portuguese Hip Hop watch out!!!
VS. 
Argentina is known for tango and steak, not so much for its banging urban scene.
But if you know where to look, its capital city Buenos Aires most definitely has a thriving hip hop underground.
And its queen b comes with a throng of bgirls.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Princesa came through to Fugees 99, the one actual non-velvet rope hip hop club in the city, to show love with a freestyle performance while her dancers got theirs and ran up against some real competition too.
A “battle” at the Roxy, a club protected by a velvet rope at the entrance, attracted onlookers and good-looking dancers who waited their turn to hit the stage and were extra courteous with the competition. I’ve lived here 3 years and I haven’t seen a cat fight yet, it’s a nonviolent kind of town. Which is very nice on the safety tip but zero aggression can get a bit dull during a showdown.
At the cipher inside Fugees, the host announced my girl Stephanie as officially repping the Bronx. She held it down and made her borough proud, winning over the crowd.
A BA bgirl post would not be complete without an Alika mention. Getting mad love at live shows in the city and across South America with her band (her “sound system”) and guest emcees. Shows are heavy on the fake reggae and petitions to praise jah but girl is a dope artist any way you look at it:
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She also was responsible for bringing half the bboys, dj’s and crews from U.S last year to Korea. So many of my friends went last year and had an amazing time. So much amazing hospitality and they were all treated like royalty.
At its core, R16 is a bboy tournament sponsored by the Korean Tourism Organization featuring 16 teams from 15 different countries competing for the title of the best bboy crew on Earth. It is, however, much more than a bboy tournament but also a celebration of diversity, creativity and collaboration spanning 3 days full of music, graffiti showcases, fine art, fashion and a hip hop concert on September 27th featuring some of the biggest names in hiphop in Korea and the States.
If you happen to be in Korea Alice would like to cordially invite you to the R16 B-boy Tournament and Urban Arts Festival as her guest and a member of the international media community. Press passes can be arranged for intimate access to all festival talent, artists and organizers.
A full press kit is available for download here
