I met Nicole Nelch not long ago. I don’t remember exactly where and when but I remember the second time vividly. She was spinning at a Wild Style event at 151 Wooster street. Her crazy friends Zo and Kesia were wilding in front of the DJ booth while $auce was dropping the ear treats for a stuffy NYC art crowd. All good, it was a righteous cause, and Nelch didn’t let such thinking affect her on this night. Nicole oozes good vibes. She is excited about things, positive, feisty and talented. Most people know “Miss Nelch” as a nightlife promoter but as you will soon find out, she is much more. She recently started a blog thats filled with interesting tid bits about her world and life in general.

TONE: Over the last two years, I have met alot of people and the first time I met you, I was curious what your story was. I found out that you have your hands in alot of different kinds of stuff but most interesting to me is your film projects. Give me an idea what you’re working on?

NN:
Writing: “Nightlife” feature length screenplay (draft 6)
Producing: “A Saturday” (Director, Nelson George) July 2008, “Filthier AKA ‘Place’/Be You” (Director, TONE) August 2008, “City Kid” (Director, Nelson George) August 2008
Associate Producing: “Soul Cities” (VH1 Soul)
Producing/Shooting/Editing: “Watching the Wheels” (working title) documentary

TONE: You’ve surrounded yourself by a great group of people. Tell me more about your relationship with them.

NN: My fam is getting big and my fam is getting bigger! I’m blessed with several long lasting friendships that are filled with reciprocity. Sometimes I make bad choices and fall short but as Bill Withers’ quoted his elders ya make “+justments”.

TONE: On those days, or weeks when you feel drained and worn out, what ways do you motivate and inspire yourself to keep doing your thing?

NN:Hahaha, I take a nap and dream! I run to see a movie! I listen to music, write. I work on something I love. I catch up with a friend. I eat or make a good meal. I go somewhere I’ve been wanting to go.

TONE: We have talked briefly about your work with Nelson George. Can you tell me more about this professional relationship?

NN: My professional relationship with Nelson began before I knew he existed, read his books or met him. Nelson was one of the first to write about hip hop and give hip hop a voice in the media. The way I was brought up hip hop was pretty much taboo and even though I was drawn to it I was really insecure about my “right” to be drawn to it being a white, lower middle class girl from rural America. As I learned and grew I began to embrace my role in hip hop. When I came to New York in 2001 I was as excited to be closer to the origin as I was to go to NYU Film School (Tisch). By that point I was familiar with Nelson’s writing and work and when I found out he was teaching “The History of Recorded Music” at NYU I bugged out! The class was for Gallatin students though so I wasn’t able to enroll in it so I would stand outside the class, listen to his lectures, trying to soak up as much as I could. I was too shy to ask if I could sit in. Finally I had to take an elective so I wrote a letter explaining how Nelson’s class was so relevant to my major because of the music video industry and music supervision in film and television, etc. So I got in as a legitimate student and came to find out Nelson and I had some friends in common. We started building, he would ask me questions about things and I would give my opinions. After graduation I was working at Table 50 and Nelson’s office was across the street. We’d build a lot, did parties and DJ’d together. When he got the green light from HBO to make “Life Support” he asked if I would be his Assistant. He’s put me on to a lot, to say the least. He’s my best friend, my mentor, my boss. I’m really blessed. And now I get to take on more of a producer role. Pinch me!

TONE: What were you like when you were a teenager? Wild? Quiet? Shy?

NN: All of the above! My early teens I was practically mute, severely responsible and a huge bookworm. Mid/late-teens my English teacher called me a “heathen”. Thats what most people thought of me. But I was cool with all crews, I wasn’t in a clique, though I did hang with the soccer, wrestling and football teams quite a bit ;) I really wanted to be an architect and study psychology. But I was never good with numbers. I hadn’t found outlets for my expression either other than being obsessed with the NBA and dreaming of being the female Muggsy Bogues since I’m 5’3” too.

TONE: Fab 5 Freddy once said something about you, but I can’t remember what it was. Do you know what i am talking about?

NN: He once said that he “discovered” me!

TONE: Speaking of Fab, what’s he like from your perspective? When we (NEWPOP) shot that Wild Style piece at 151 Wooster, I was amazed at how well he handled some of those art people.

NN: He is on a whole different level. Fab was one of the first people I met when I moved to NYC. I had never been around someone of his stature before. He bears the trademark of most successful people in the way he is curious about what is happening NOW. My first job/internship here was at this spot GetMusic.com and he used to do “The Fab 5 Freddy” show, I could not believe my luck in stumbling into that! I would hang around the cats that did the show with him and ask if there was anything I could do. Rahman Ali Bugg was one of the producers/directors of the show and he had me take “Wild Style” home to watch. I hadn’t seen it. HA! I was so bugged out I made a dub from VHS to VHS at home so I could have it all the time. They let me onto the set and I was a SPONGE. A pretty much silent sponge. And when Fab would ask me what I thought about certain things I would choke. Eventually I got a little more confidence and could sort of carry a conversation. We became friends. Over the years we’ve shared a lot of experiences and he’s been incredibly supportive and encouraging of me and my projects. From my perspective he is one of the illest cats EVER, hands down. ILLEST.

TONE: When did you start your journey as an artist?

NN: Chicago. 1998/1999? I had a gig being a suit (Midwest District Sales Manager for Club Med – HA!) I was 20 years old and living with Rose Martula. She let me peep her novel “The Dope List”. I read it and wanted to produce it into a film. I joined the IFP in Chicago and immersed myself in film. I was moonlighting at a restaurant called “Strega Nona” when the production crew from “High Fidelty” came in. Next thing you knew I was onset being an extra and a liason between the crew and location. When I saw the production side I was inspired and psyched by the synergy of the talents of so many people coming together in one project. Within a couple months I quit my Club Med gig and moved back to Arizona to get my Associates Degree and take some film classes. That’s when I discovered I wanted to not only produce but write & direct as well.

TONE: What have your learned about yourself in the process?

NN: I’ve found and embraced my voice.

TONE: If you could go back and do it differently, would you?

NN: It’s all about the journey! Life has a funny sense of humor.

TONE: Sometimes at night, when I am laying in bed restless, I dream about where I want to be. Where do you dream about being and what is that dream?

NN: I think I’m dreaming right now! Even in my most wildest dreams I couldn’t imagine the life I’m living. I dream of being able to take care of my family and being more responsible, balanced and being in Ja Shin Do again…I dream of having more time and energy. I dream of a world without George Bush and slimey people. I dream of finishing the projects I’ve started.

I first met the 2 Hungry Bros (Big Deep & Ben Boogz) back in 2006 during a shoot I was doing for my homeboy and Stronghold veteran, L.I.F.E. Long’s album. They produced a bunch of tracks on the album, if not all of them. Forgive me guys it’s been a minute! I can’t even remember the name of the album right now! Damn. Note to self: “Chill with the weed TONE!”. Anyway, we drove our asses deep into New Jerz to shoot some shit that I felt cats wouldn’t predict. On the trip, I got to know a little about the two and we have worked together on and off ever since.

Over the years, our paths have drifted as our individual grinds have lead us to different places. When our worlds collide, it’s always good to be around these genuine New York cats.

I decided to write this interview on them because I think that in this climate of fakeness and condescending bullshit, it’s important that talented and good people get as much shine as possible. These guys are the real deal. They have a prolific body of work that consists of solid content and talented contributors. Native New Yorkers to the end, they are hard on the grind, humble and determined to leave behind a legacy. Oh and in case you don’t know, they spin breaks and classics and feel good shit and they only spin vinyl. If you haven’t already, check them out some time. They keep their Myspace crispy with everything they are working on.

The 2 Hungry Bros will be the first in a series I am calling Everyone Is Everyone (EIE). Let’s roll….Action!

TONE: When you first started this journey, what was your goal? Has it changed over the years and if so, how?

2HB’S: We were lucky to have grown up in an era with such rich music, where the Hip Hop had so much substance, naturally (it wasn’t labeled yet). We just love to contribute to that legacy since we were so inspired. We try to remain agents of progress and innovation as well as good times and unforgettable moments. That’s why the 2 Hungry Bros also spin great parties!

TONE: When you’re feeling unmotivated creatively, do you have a ritual that inspires you and gets you back on track? If so, what is it?

2HB’S: That’s real easy! We go digging! Yo Ben I think I need new drums or Deep I am looking for some new sounds. We just added a Mini Korg to the weapons department so look forward to more open sounding synth over hard drums and funky samples. We just did a banger with Fresh Daily & Mickey Factz coming to a download button near you!

TONE: What’s your feeling on the industry right now in NYC?

2HB’S: We’re not crazy but we feel very comfortable with what we are doing right now. We run with the All Out Kollective! That’s A.O.K. Nola Darling, Naturel, Homeboy Sandman, P.Casso, 8thw1 and you know, that guy you take lots of pictures of…. Fresh Daily. We’re not looking for approval and acceptance from anyone because we are real lucky to be part of this great family. I think the positivity generates success. Oh and we are working with Reef the Lost Cauze too. He’s been a big part of our Hungry Fam.

We are so into AOK right now and banging out their solo artists and collective ones, that we need time for ourselves, loved ones, and family. People shouldn’t take these things personally. We all need to breathe. There are only so many hours per day. Deep was just on disability after tearing his right bicep off from his shoulder tendon. He took that time to promote and go around, get shows and gigs established. He still feels it wasn’t enough time in a day. 5 o’clock comes in the blink of an eye when you are having fun busting ya arse!

TONE: To date, what has been your most memorable achievement as a team?

2HB’S: TABLE MANNERS! Especially with those beautiful pics you took! of course that’s cuz we are beautiful and you just have a camera. Not! But Table Manners is a baby we are really proud of. That and we’ve rocked, spun, and performed everywhere we have seen our idols except for Tramps of course. I like that people leave feeling good after they have seen our crew perform or rock a party.

TONE: Can you tell me more about the AOK crew and your role in it?

2HB’S: Well besides what I’ve said already, My Crew’s all Winners! We serve as the producers and djay’s for the crew. We make the beats and rock the parties and back up the performances, which are all incredible. This adds another facet to the incredible element of vocalists and mcees that are already present. We provide the soundtrack. AOK just rocked every Brooklyn Hip Hop festival event this summer. They have to bring us back for next summer. This time they should have Fresh, 8thw1, Sandman, Nola Darling & P.casso rock their own individual sets as headliners. Thats 3 hrs of great fun music!!!!

TONE: Fred Ones at TME Studio has been holding you guys down with the recording for a while now, how has it been working with him?

2HB’S: Fred has been an inspiration! He showed us around the MPC, motivated us to get that keyboard. We appreciate him for everything he has done and will do in the future. That and we began our relationship with Fred as fans of Sonic Sum.

TONE: Recently you started a Sunday event at Frank White in BK, how has that been going and what was your thinking behind starting it up?

2HB’S: Interestingly enough it was Muhammida’s idea. She and my brother Soul One from Philly run a monthly called Philly Invades NY. Dope event. 2 Hungry bros had a rep for doing great parties and spinning great grooves at the Nuyorican poet’s cafe’. We also shot our album cover in there as well as doing some great events. We felt we were all integral to each other’s success. Frank White is Black owned Business and we have to look after our own all the time but especially now. We now Spin every other Sunday at Frank White cafe’. It’s a great place to build and collaborate. There’s a wonderful patio outback. The food is healthy and tasty. The coffee is good. The latte’s are super tasty. Our music is funky fresh. We also DJ a monthly at Knitting Factory with Sucio Smash (of Squeeze Radio, 89.9 Thursday Nights 1 to 5am ) called the Lunchroom. We spin Hip Hop and grooves and showcase some of the best indie Talent around.

TONE: How long did Table Manners take to complete? You have an allstar line up on that album. Can you tell me more about the process of making it? What were some of the obstacles you had to get around and were there any memorable stories?

2HB’S: It only took a year and two months. It would have been shorter but Deep got married and was preparing for the day so we took a little break. The NewPop shot an excellent video of one of our more memorable sessions with Reef and Fresh. We were also spending money on fun things like Deep’s bachelor party in Acapulco! We do it up you know. Not any old local titty bar will do.

TONE: Over the years, people make mistakes when grinding hard. Do you have any mistakes you think about often and wish you could go back and change?

2HB’S: Yeah we were are big fans of the Beatnuts and Kurious Jorge because those were some of the first Latinos Hip hop acts with dope videos. They were very influential. Deep got Psycho Les’s contact but filed it under Kurious by mistake. Psycho Les came to LIFE LONG’s video release party. The next day “Kurious” called and Deep said “yo Psycho Les came through!” Psycho Les replied “yo it’s me Nigga!” Gab Gacha introduced Deep to JuJu and he had nothing to say. That’s like Marco Polo offering Pete Rock a beat. He was tooooooo Humbled.

TONE: Whats next for you guys. I know it’s a typical question, but I am curious where you see yourself in the next few years.

2HB’S: What’s next? Interestingly enough, next is just around the the corner. Homeboy Sandman “Actual Factual Pterodactyl”, P.Casso “For Your Consideration”, Fresh Daily “Fresh Daily is the Gorgeous Killer in Crimes of Passion” & “Tomorrow is Today”, Rapmonov “Sun of a Gun”. We just put out the A-Ok Mixtape, 8thw1 is working on a monster album that we are contributing for. We are also working something out with Reef the Lost Cauze. An Instrumental album from each of us coming as well. And a whole lot more rare groove mix cds and parties.

Deep always says that Hip hop is a great Pension plan especially now that everything is digital. Money just comes. We don’t know what the U.S. economy or government will be in a few months. I can’t project what’s going to happen but we want this music to take us on paid trips to Europe and Japan already!

Yea. That’s right. Electric Punnany. As in Electrified Vagina. Hrm. Interesting, no? Well, if you’re a regular here at Format Magazine, you’ve probably seen the photos from the last EP, but you haven’t seen the latest edition on my site which was pretty much bonkers. My homies, Melo-X, & Jasmine Solano teamed up with Lion & Rooster Clothing, Antoine of IHMDJ (I Hate My Day Job) and of course, Sway mistress Roxy Cottontail to put the night together.

Jasmine tells me after the party, “This is what I have wanted to do my whole life and it was even better when Melo-X came up after my set and killed it”. I can identify. I get this feeling when I am shooting. I know I am rocking. I feel unafraid. My lighting is on point. Everything is coming together. I think for musicians is must be the same. It’s like when everyone in the group is playing perfectly in sync. Like you’re in the zone and shit. This is what I love to see. I’m honored to have been a part of this dope series of parties.

So anyway, if you live in NYC and haven’t been to Sway yet, check it out for sure. The new EP (Electric Punany) crew, Gabz, Ayonito, Rel, Angie, Quinn, Teddy, Eyeris and so on (sorry if I forgot someone!) are attending regularly. Jasmine says ” they are about 20-30 people who love to wild out and have fun.” That spells fun for everyone.

By the way, all you Rice & Peas fans need to come check out Electric Punany. Gravy, it’s time to turn up the heat on RNP!! :) Word. Rice and Peas is a dope Reggae party thrown by Reggae Heavyweight and good dude, DJ Gravy of G-Train Entertainment. Check out their myspace for the next RNP bash. You can peep some pics here.

By the way, as some you may or may not know. I am working on my nightlife book. If you wanna be down, wear something dope, make a crazy face – you know. Do something photo worthy! Maybe Ill include you in the book! Dope….

Standing outside of Wyclef Jeans recording studio, my homie Trev and I wondered what Wyclef would say if we asked him questions about being an artist in a commercial world. How much would he be willing to reveal as not to damage his image. Would he think we are cornballs? I mean, who the fuck are we, right? Why does Clef have to answer two regular dudes who haven’t achieved even a tenth of his success? Right? Well not so. Wyclefs studio was beautiful. Gigantic SSL mixing console in the control room, a live room filled with instruments and big windows that let in lots of natural light. Its how the pro’s roll. Trev and I setup in the live room and immediately start shooting the drums, guitars and keyboards that are everywhere.

Clef walks in with one of his engineers behind him, he greets us kindly and says “ill be right with you guys”, as he heads towards the windows to a rack that holds about 6 or 7 guitars. He picks one up and says to his engineer “i wanna give him one of these”. He is holding up something that looks like a Gibson, but I was too distracted with the environment and what was going on to really pay attention. He hands it to him and turns to us.

Clef: “So you guys wanna mic me?”
Trev: Nope, we are good.

NEW POP is about being natural. We are all about inspiration and telling stories with substance. We operate in a scene that is sometimes a little full of itself and so we prefer to be part of the force that returns people back to earth. Our questions for Wyclef were going to be about struggles and about art and about capitalism.

Wyclef is a genuine soul whose energy and enthusiasm was infectious. While I was speaking with him, I felt as tho he was probing me – checking to see where my head was at. I wondered what it was like for him. I bet everyone wants something from him. I bet it’s nice to be able to let his guard down and just have a real convo with no agendas attached. I hoped that maybe we could have one of those moments with him. I hoped he knew what we sought from him was not money or a gig or anything other then hope and inspiration. We wanted to leave there with a story that would encourage people to keep pursuing their dreams and to keep their heads high. I believe we did that. See for yourself. POP FILE: WYCLEF on THENEWPOP.COM

Some of you know this but I suspect most of you don’t. My homies, Trev, Texas, Melo-X & Jeffro all comprise the members of a online video boutique called THE NEW POP. Recently, Trev and I were asked to shoot a promotional video for the New Design High School (NDHS) to help them raise money to offset severe budget cuts that threaten to wipe them out of existence. NDHS is an art school for underprivileged kids in the heart of NYC’s Lower East Side (LES) area. They recently discovered the most incredible roof complete with basketball hoops and all. NDHS used to be a prison back in the day. Way back in the day. But now, it is home to several schools all occupying their own floor and in some cases more then one school on one floor. The roof is home of a really dope graff project called “Rooftop Legends”. An idea thought up by graff artist Jesse Pais, the Dean at NDHS.

Above: Jesse Pais, Dean

Yes, the teachers are themselves artists and also well known in art circles all around the city and in some cases the country. URB recently highlighted an art collective named “Trust Your Struggle” in their “Next 100″ issue and they have members teaching at NDHS.

Above: Erin, Member of Trust Your Struggle

So, this is real shit, with real heads doing righteous things. Something we should all be doing more of. Giving back to the community is a good thing. Ask yourself when the last time you helped someone was. I know I need to be doing it more myself.

NDHS teaches BBoying, Turntableism (not sure the correct spelling), Beat Production, Graff and so on. These are all things that growing up I had to learn from friends, but today you can be taught by some of the best and that’s dope. Many of the kids we interviewed told us that going to school at NDHS keeps them out of trouble and that the staff are down to Earth and fair. These kids are living mostly below the poverty level and good things like this are hard to find gems.

If you are interested in throwing an event on the roof which will help keep these great programs going, or if you are a graff artist interested in contributing to the Rooftop Legends series, please contact me: TONE @ PHOTOBY TONE.COM

Here are some photos of the space and of course, there is more at my web site, PHOTOBYTONE.COM and THENEWPOP.COM

I recently had the honor of shooting two of Seattle Hip Hop’s finest, Blue Scholars and Common Market. I flew out to Seattle for 2 days and the 5hr Continental trip was well worth it (Thanks Sabzi and Fuzed), although I wish I had more time to fully absorb the Seattle landscape before starting the shoot.

Despite this, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with this project. Above everything else, it had to look and feel like it was natural. Once you have listened to a Blue Scholars track, it becomes apparent who they are. Like so many musicians I respect and appreciate, their music is a window into their souls and my goal was to make that look good. I refer to these guys as the “rebirth of conscious hip hop” altho Sabzi doens’t agree. I understand. The word conscious is a bit played out, so maybe “substance” would be a better word? Regardless, Blue Scholars shamelessly rocks meaningful lyrics and freely throw around ideas like humilty, morality, resistance and so on. I know what they are talking about. These are things I believe in as well and in this overly materialistic society, it’s hard to find a balance. I struggle with it frequently. Always checking myself to make sure I don’t lose touch with what’s important like family, good friends and the basics like food and shelter. But, Blue Scholars aren’t about removing yourself from the system, they are about living within it in a more civil and righteous manner. What I found really refreshing was their whole crew was on the same page. They all know things about the richness of Seattles past and it seems this is a a big part of what motivates them. They use the terms, Black Panther Party, Jimmy Hendricks, racism, and gentrification often. Not in a negative way, but just like those who have passed before them, they want things to be different too. So, all of this needed to reflect in the images. I must admit, I was a bit nervous about how I was gonna say it well. So, we set out driving around looking for interesting areas that would provide the geometric patterns, textures and light I like to shoot against. I’ve done this successfully time and time again throughout the tri-state area of New York City, but Seattle would prove to be a bit different. The city is cold and modern, which is completely opposite of the music both Common Market and Blue Scholars create. Theirs is conscious, humble, warm, a bit pissed, but still hopeful and positive. They are not completely against the system but you can tell they don’t agree with alot of it. So, we stayed along the outskirts of the downtown city area, using the less urbanized and gentrified sections such as South Park and my instant favorite, Georgetown to name a few. All these areas had a sense of the common man everywhere. Struggle was in the air and the mostly overcast skies felt appropriate considering. I wasn’t complaining, many photogs appreciate the diffused light of an overcast sky, and I am no different.

Geo and I talked about the “conscious” rap thing and I asked him if he felt this was misleading. He replied “sometimes”. See, Geo is also a battle MCEE. In fact, that’s how he started, but he admits that working with Sabzi (Producer/DJ for both Common Market and Blue Scholars) has brought out another side of him. Sabzi’s music is heavily melodic with big boom bap drums and by Hip Hop standards, very complex arrangements. He has beat the likes of Marco Polo in beat battles and after listening to the newest unreleased Common Market CD I fully understand why. No wonder he inspires the cats he works with to soar, he is on a whole nother’ level himself.

Sadly, I didn’t get to spend much time with RA Scion of Common Market but from just one listen to his self titled album, I got the message. This cat is on some social shit too and it’s dope. You can hear it in his flow and the beats he chooses where his influences come from. RA was easy to shoot and if I had more time, we would have has tons of fresh images to look thru. Again, next time.

I can’t believe how much I have written. So, let the rest of the images on my web page, PHOTO BY TONE.COM, say the rest (Issue 160).

Peace

TONE

The Kilo/Rocksmith team are real dudes (Kenshin, Eric, Nate & Ralph / apologies if I left anyone out). I am a big supporter of them not only as a brand but as people and artists. They are respectful and humble and not pretentious or hostile like so many people in the scene. That’s real talk, and something I think people need to give more attention to. As always, alot of wack people get way too much shine. Anyway….

I recently posted photos from their Spring 08 launch at Lotus. Nicole Nelch and partner Dedan of the newly formed super promoter duo,WhiteGold did their thing putting this event together, while Mano, Morsy and Yamez crushed it on the one and twos all night.

The Sprng line is hella sick with styles ranging from crazy and colorful to muted and less flashy. This is great for a guy like me who looks real stupid in flashy gear. But if you can swing the ill bright colors and hypnotic patters, Kilo/Rocksmith can hold you down for sure.

While in the offices in Dumbo, I also had the honor of meeting with Osamu Koyama, the Owner and Creative director of a seriously dope jewelry brand, Complete Technique. Mostly likely you have seen his work on various people around the city. In fact, you will see some pieces in the photos I have posted here and on my web site. His partner, Jen aka Diamond Girl, who many of you know from the Format blogs was also in the house looking hella hot. She modeled in some of the limo shots which are top secret right now. Stayed tuned tho, they may just appear as an ad very soon. We’ll see.

Anyway, here are some shots from the night.

Stay good.

TONE
THENEWPOP | join the fam.

For me, not many nights can stack up to this one. TASTE, NEWPOP (Me & Texas), Frank 151, Mel Cole (Village Slum), Dutch, Adam Deitch, and so on. All there. All sweating. It was hot. Africa hot and DJ Equal was cooking up the usual hot shit. And when you forgot why you were there in the first place, from seemingly nowhere, The Gza stabs thru the crowd and steps on stage quickly and with authority. He sits by his son at the back of the stage. See, on this night, Pharoahe Monch would introduce him and that he did. The veteran Organized Confusion lyricist is a righteous cat and gives out the well deserved praises before stepping off stage.

Gza grabs the mic. “15 years we been doing this shit”, and without a moment to waste – bass and snare rip and the Wu signs go up. Heads nod. The crowd moves in. The stage is packed. The club is packed. It seems to be getting hotter. The drums are big and analog. Satisfied smirks fill the sea of people now tuning into every drop of verbal mastery Gza is hitting them with. It felt good. Real good. I was home. This is why I do this shit. Me and Dutch positioned ourselves on Gza’s right. Mel Cole on the other side and Texas dead in front. Gza had like 4 video guys there. Obviously school kids. They were being schooled again. This is our house and the vet photogs were doing that thing. Muscling each other around like B-Boys battling. Anxious to get that shot of this legend. And then, just when you were content, a figure is stealthily slipping thru the crowd. Head down and fitted cap on tight concealing his face from most. He steps on stage. The Chef. Raekwon. Pow. Now, its fuckin on. The crowd erupts. Gza steps back and lets his team mate murder it. One by one, the classics keep coming. You say “fuck the 90’s?”. Nah. Not tonight you don’t. Dutch yells out, “if you don’t like this shit, get the fuck out” and the crowd agrees. This is New York Hip Hop at its apex.

In closing, Rae yells out, “If you like wack Hip Hop keep your hands down” and then continues to tell cats that “New York Hip Hop is kinda stale right now”. It’s obvious this troubles him. He is a New Yorker. He shares that pride in being a native like all New Yorkers do.

For more pics of the night, goto my site: PHOTOBYTONE.COM

Peace

This is what makes me love what I do. First, goto the United Tradeshow. Then bring a shitload of cool ass people to one of NYC’s dopest chill spots, Sutra Lounge, and feed them booze like mad. Then, bless them with hot new FDL fitted caps and style em up (thanks Martina!) in ill shit donated by 21MC, BiJules, Reason, Home Room Clothing, CTRL, Peoples Cartel, and so on. Then, send them to me for pictures! Word.

Thanks to everyone up at Frank 151 (Bunch of OG ass muthafuckers!), Joey from the Taste Crew, DJ Synapse (as usual), Miss Martina (you bad ass mami), and so on. As always, special thanks to my NEWPOP fam, Trev and Texas. Check out more on my website PHOTOBYTONE.COM . And peep the video in a few days only at, THENEWPOP.COM