Those of you who read Elida’s posting (Dirty Fuzz)  yesterday got a bird’s eye view or some clarity on the Black British Scene.   Elida’s story  ‘Young, Gifted and Black British’ has come at the right time-  now the mainstream media is starting to pay some attention and articles like the one in The Guardian which came out today is very enlightening and I hope this continues to raise questions and bring more light to these talented artists and the scene over there and the lack of industry to support it.    Read here:    Invisible in Plain Sight .   Thanks Will Page - he sent me this story early this morning and I felt a need to link it here so you all can read it.   It was written by a correspondent who lives here.  Lola Adesioye.     The only thing non-factual was that Dizzee Rascal’s home in U.S is Def Jux.  He hasn’t been on Matador in a couple years.

When I saw Dizzee a couple months ago at Highline Ballroom with Kissey Asplund- he was very proud about having the #1 song on radio over there- and why wouldn’t he….That’s a big accomplishment for anyone…

So the article rings true and things need to change—– what about BET in UK.  Aren’t they trying to make breakthroughs and build a path that’s a little less challenging for these very talented black artists….Didn’t even see BET mentioned…

My boys Ras Kwame and Ty were quoted all throughout!!!

On another note-  my lovely friend Paloma in the Bay Area did a nice post on UK Soul Tribute Mixes– again- in perfect time.   Her blog PapaLodown

Ok–  I’m off my horse!

Need to get some work done……

Oh how I love Table Tennis otherwise known as Ping Pong - at least over here.

So I stumbled upon ‘Pong’ last weekend. It was my girl Lisa Ferreira’s birthday shindig… We had brunch at Essex- hot spot… Across the street was the famous cup cake spot so we stopped in afterwards and got like 3 dozen cupcakes- we were going back to BK to have a cup cake champagne party….Lovely!

On the way to the car - on Norfolk street I spotted Table Tennis- - yay!

Now - I have a spot to warm up and get great again. Guess you didn’t know I used to be a Ping Pong pro!

Well almost…..

So ‘PONG’ - just opened.

Pong.

The prices are great— There’s 1 table so I would imagine it gets packed and a waiting list but I’m sure is worth the wait!!!

UK’s Dirty Fuzz’s Elida at it again!!!
Yes, yes…. black folks exist in the UK and we call ourselves … er..British(Black British)
Next month is Black history month here in the UK and I would like to big up the artists who have opened up the door in the arts for crazy singers like me:
Omar, Sade, Billy Ocean, Desiree, Naomi Campbell, Thin Lizzy, Jazzy B, Soul 11 Soul and all the reggae bands that inspired the Ska movement in the UK…..sorry to the ones I have forgotten. I could have done a better job had I been boozing…..feeling too edgy right now!!
It’s not very easy to break through in the UK music business because as black people in Britain, we have a long way to go compared to say African- Americans, who have been in the USA for centuries.
However, what I like about the UK music scene is that as long as we are not trying to sound like US artists (but only get influenced by them), we tend to bring something quite different to the table. Here are some acts I have discovered in recent years and they are bloody good when they play live too. It’s a work in progress but good nevertheless.
Noisettes
Sam Amant
Bianca Rose
Visitor Q
Rox
Tawiah
The list is not complete without Dirty Fuzz - Wish I could bring all these acts with me over for CMJ, New York!!!!
Uuuugh, 4 days in tha alcohol free zone and feeling almost good. …

This is another from our dear friend Dred Scott.

hello citizens.
trying to get into the election season mood and am having a hard time.  i don’t know if it’s the long preseason that wears me out or i’m just flat from the lexapro.  i’m sure i can get motivated enough to vote when the time comes but for now i’m just blase about it all.  i mean, it was exciting to think of either a woman or a black man being in the white (man) house.  but that was like what a year ago??  i’m just saturated.  speaking of…
looks like new orleans escaped a direct hit and what’s left of it will continue to remain.  it’s like they want a fucking pat on the back for doing their jobs.  nice work, guys.  you didn’t fuck up and the whole town didn’t get destroyed.  oh let’s down low the convention to show how concerned we are.   should’ve had it in new orleans.
so this is just a test.  i’m trying a new email program so i can more efficiently send these tepid tomes to the people who actually want to receive them.  if this is not you, apologies.  just type ‘666′ in the subject heading and i will remove you with a little ritual i learned from master severin at the academy.

TONIGHT
THE DRED SCOTT TRIO
ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
MIDNIGHT
BEN RUBIN, BASS
TONY MASON, DRUMS

NEW RECORDING
LIVE AT THE ROCKWOOD
NOW AVAILABLE
FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE
in your face, radiohead.

‘this disc (live at rockwood) demonstrates that scott’s vision of bop is a deeply personal one, which can be either cozily swinging or devilishly tricky.’ time out, ny

‘Live at the Rockwood Music Hall is a beautiful showcase of this dynamic piano trio.’ allaboutjazz-newyork

‘a restless trio.’ ny times

Dred Scott on Myspace.

I found this out through Bob Davis’s emails and courtesy of Soul Patrol.

My boy Nadir was Tear Gassed.    So weird as I’d been emailing and chatting with him back and forth the last few weeks regarding a Beat Machine-  new electronics company that’s producing this amazing toy.   I was hoping the Beat Machine would be ready in time for our International Hip Hop showcase at CMJ so we could give a couple away but no such luck.

How did I hear about the Beat Machine?  Chesney Snow the beat boxer/poet/mc told me about it as he’s involved as the beat boxer behind it.   It’s his voice we hear programmed…

So fast forward back to Nadir– Nadir has a funky group called Distorted Soul.  New project out now.

He’s been out with MTV covering the RNC and here’s the turn of events.

Well yesterday our boy Nadir was tear gassed yesterday at the Republican
National Convention (RNC).
Scroll down to read more.
Click thru to his site and view his video coverage for MTV of the
demostartion he covered yesterday in Minnesota at the RNC!!
Distorted Soul

Day 1 - Anarchy at the RNC
Posted September 02, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Cue the instrumental to Snoop Dogg’s “Gin & Juice”:

There’s so much drama in the GOP
I’m kinda glad that I’m coverin’ the RNC
http://www.distortedsoul.com

We didn’t know at first.  When John McCain made the decision to limit
activity at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul,
Minnesota because of the threat Hurricane Gustav posed to the Gulf
Coast, some of us in the MTV Street Team’s RNC contingent were worried
that there wouldn’t be much to cover.  But a few hours later, I was
coughing, hacking and wheezing because of the tear gas in my face…
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Yes, this gathering was already expect to lack the grandeur and majesty
of last week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver.  But, if
anything, there are many more compelling stories developing within the
void and uncertainty that was created by the GOP’s surprising move.
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Gustav is a heavy storm, no doubt, but it was not the malicious monster
maelstrom that many feared would devastate New Orleans on the
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  The Republicans didn’t want to be
perceived as partying while New Orleans drowned (as happened during
Katrina).
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Cancelling the RNC’s first day of scheduled activities was perhaps
expected to net a positive result for the GOP.  Shining a spotlight on
the failures of the George Bush/Dick Cheney administration would NOT
have been the most prudent way for McCain to distance himself from his
Republican bedfellows in the White House.  Did Gustav offer a convenient
excuse?
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Well, no such luck. Bush is scheduled to speak at the convention after
all.  He will give his make up address on Tuesday.
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Another unfortunate development for the Republicans was that the lack of
stories coming out of the Xcel Center left more room in the news cycle
for the many scandals that are quickly emerging about McCain’s
vice-presidential pick, Sarah Palin.  The latest bomb-shell is that her
17 year-old daughter is five months pregnant.
http://www.distortedsoul.com

With hundreds of reporters from all over the world in town with nothing
to do, many of the back stories that normally would have received only
scant attention are gaining the prominent media coverage they probably
deserved in the first place.
http://www.distortedsoul.com

Ron Paul’s Rally for the Republic, a September 2, event that is billed
as “. a clear call to the Republican Party to return to its roots of
limited government, personal responsibility, and protection of our
natural rights,” sold out the Target Center.  According to the event’s
press contact, Jesse Benton, the RNC’s move has helped them gain more
attention from the press than they had anticipated.  (Check out my video
interview with Benton at Think.MTV.com/Nadir.)
http://www.distortedsoul.com

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) held it’s first annual
“Take Back Labor Day Festival” at Harriet Island in St. Paul.  According
to SEIU president and event organizer Andy Stern, the festival was
designed to make labor unions “more hip” for a young audience.  The
concert featured performances by Tom Morrello, Mos Def, Steve Earle, The
Pharcyde and others.  (A video interview with Stern can also be viewed
at Think.MTV.com/Nadir.)
http://www.distortedsoul.com

10,000 protestors (or more) marched from the Minnesota State Capitol in
Minneapolis to the Xcel Energy Center, site of the RNC, on Day 1 of the
Convention.  With nothing happening inside the convention, more
reporters followed the many activists who showed up to air their
grievances.  284 people were arrested, including Democracy Now host Amy
Goodman and two of her producers.  I didn’t get arrested, but I did get
my first taste of tear gas when I found myself upwind after the
canisters were fired at a group of anarchists.
http://www.distortedsoul.com

All in all, what could easily have been a stodgy, stuffed-shirted GOP
shindig morphed into one exciting adventure after another.  And that was
just Day 1.  I’m thrilled to see what the rest of the week has in
store…
http://www.distortedsoul.com

I can’t wait to hear the rest of the stories from the RNC and Nadir!  Stay tuned…..

My good friend over at VIMBY Zosimo Maximo has taken it upon himself to bring you a personal labour of love that needs to be conveyed and the message spread.

From Zosimo:

I reached out to many of you Friday about a personal video I put together called Obama+MKL Remix 08 where I found references from MLK’s “I Have a Dream” and mixed them into Barack’s DNC speech. Thank you for your great comments and for passing it around. I had more time to spend with it this weekend and found more parallels between the two speeches and came up with a tighter version.

I made the video as a reaction to being inspired by his speech.  The next day I realized that as a content creator I have a medium and access to an on-line community who’s targeted demo can make a difference in Obama’s campaign.  As we know, much of Obama’s’ success will heavily rely on “Generation Buzz”  and more specifically the urban youth market that most of us cater to.

I want to do more than cast my one vote, so I’m connecting with you today because you are all influential voices who are looked upon by your audiences to feed them information.  Collectively, we are a powerful community because we are the filter of relevance.   As VIMBY has displayed, the videos that my team and I have created for many of you on your events, artists, sneaker drops, trade shows, etc… can quickly spread when many of you get behind the promotion of it.

Several of you are posting Obama entries now, but I see a lack of content that hits home with our audience. I am personally committed to creating an original series of videos called “The Obama Remixes” to promote his campaign. I know when I was 18 I didn’t care much for politics because the way the messages where being delivered didn’t speak to me.  My plan is to do these in a style that connects to our target demo.

I am neither looking to create the next web phenomenon like Obama Girl whose creator has admitted that the video was never intended to promote Obama nor am I trying to monetize them.  They will have one goal and that is to help put Obama into the White House and to communicate his message at a street level access to guarded communities that McCain’s party can’t reach.  I feel our challenge is to actually get our audience to vote and I am open to your ideas and ready to collaborate with anyone willing on the series.

So, I call on you today to help me take the next step by giving me 10 minutes of your time by posting or mentioning the Obama+MLK Remix 08 to your blogs, facebooks, myspace pages, newsletters, personal email lists, etc…

This comes from  Trouble The Water producers.
Dear Friend,

With New Orleans and its vulnerable levee system in the path of another
hurricane, we have received hundreds of phone calls and emails expressing
concern about Kimberly and Scott Roberts, the couple featured in “Trouble
the Water.”

We are writing to let you know that the Roberts have safely evacuated from
New Orleans along with their family and their pets. They join hundreds of
thousands of others who are leaving the Gulf Coast in advance of Hurricane
Gustav’s landfall there.

Thanks to public pressure and organizing after Katrina, this time officials
appear to have provided some transportation for those they failed to
evacuate three years ago, including tens of thousands of New Orleans
residents without access to vehicles and thousands of others who are
hospitalized and incarcerated.

While the federal government bears primary responsibility for disaster
response and relief efforts, the response by the Bush Administration’s
Federal Emergency Management Agency to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was
grossly mismanaged and tragically inadequate. So we have compiled a list of
non-governmental relief agencies and community-based organizations — with
records of responsiveness and accountability — that are working on the
ground now.

Please go to our website, review the work of these organizations and
consider contributing to their efforts.

One of these groups engaged in long term rebuilding as well as disaster
relief is the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF ). LDRF has
implemented an expedited emergency relief disbursal system to enable
grassroots nonprofit organizations located throughout the state’s coastal
regions to aid hurricane survivors whose need is greatest.

Thank you for taking action today. And while supporting non-governmental
relief efforts, please also keep the pressure on FEMA and the Bush
Administration in the days and weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

Tia Lessin & Carl Deal

My prayers go out to all the families - may they be safe and hope that the devastation is not nearly what they’re predicting.      These are indeed crazy times!

Ok- I must say-  I was a little reluctant to publish this one but it meant a lot to Elida that I do- in fact she said I promised to publish all her stories — so I can’t let her down and I won’t -  so here it is…….

FIONA-DID YOU KNOW?????
Dear Fiona,
Please publish this letter cuz it is my blog today. Well, I’ve been up working all night and didn’t have a drop to drink. It’s now 09 00am and am drinking a bottle of wine. I know, I know, it’s too early, but as I said, it is my night time theoretically cuz I’ve been up all night.
But I write this cuz I thought about you a lot yesterday and I can tell ya. There is none like you….
Too many people in your industry think they are good, hardworking etc, I have not met one like you.
You’ve got heart, you’ve got guts, and you’ve got a fire that only chosen people in their field have!!!!
There is more, you are a friend to everyone….at least you have been to me, without expecting anything most times.
You know this is not like me to go on like this, (am a hard bitch) but I felt I needed to say this…….and:

I want you to publish this blog!!!!

I remember when I met you at SXSW; it was like I had met you before….in an old friend kind of way.
I have talked to people in the media in Germany about you and you know what they said when they met you in New York? You are the best!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to see ya in New York. Wishing you all the success in the world. Then again, you already are one big English success story and you inspire me hugely.
Can I clarify to you that I have only has a sip of my wine, so am not drunk yet. And I promise to try staying alcohol free till CMJ!!!!
Best,
Your fellow Londoner, Elida
Dirtyfuzz
PS: This photo was taken in Berlin, Germany ,where the Berlin wall used to be, by a famous German photographer!!!!(he is actually an American