Monday, August 31, 2009
LIVE NATION'S FILLMORE MOVING INTO SILVER SPRING, MD
Silver Spring's Fillmore negotiations drag on, developer hoping for deal in 30 to 60 days
By: Alan Suderman
Examiner Staff Writer
August 20, 2009
A Montgomery County developer said he expects to reach a deal with the county within the next 30 to 60 days to build a long-awaited music hall in Silver Spring.
County Executive Ike Leggett announced a deal two years ago with California-based Live Nation that would bring a Fillmore Music Hall to a former J.C. Penney store site on Silver Spring's Colesville Road. The deal would preserve the historic facade of the store, which has sat empty for nearly 20 years. Leggett pushed the County Council last year to approve $4 million in funds and special land-use rule changes that were supposed to pave the way for a deal with the developer, Lee Development Group.
But the path to the deal has been long, and Lee and Leggett are still trying to hammer out a deal, with the sticking points in their debate being kept private.
"We're almost there," said Bruce Lee, head of Lee Development Group.
Lee said his company is being asked to donate a "very valuable" piece of land before it has created a plan to build up the rest of the adjacent property it owns. In return, Lee said he wants assurances that the current county's rules for development won't change when his company decides to develop the rest of its property.
"We're not asking for additional density, we're not asking for money," Lee said. "We're not asking for anything outside the box."
The county official who is Leggett's point person on the project could not be reached for comment.
The Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, which supports building the Fillmore, has complained about the negotiations' lack of openness. Chairman Darian Unger said he is pleased to hear that a deal may be close, adding that his group has spent a long time waiting on "pins and needles."
Efforts to get a live music hall in Silver Spring date several years, first with the county unsuccessfully trying to get Alexandria's Birchmere Music Hall to open a second venue in Silver Spring.
County Councilman Marc Elrich, D-At Large, who voted against the zoning changes, said he and other council members were told last year that approval for the project was "critical" and "couldn't afford delay." He said it's "frustrating" not to have heard any updates on the project since.
Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, D-At Large, said it was "troubling" that the project hadn't moved forward faster and that the County Council would have a "robust conversation" about the project if a deal isn't reached soon.
By: Alan Suderman
Examiner Staff Writer
August 20, 2009
A Montgomery County developer said he expects to reach a deal with the county within the next 30 to 60 days to build a long-awaited music hall in Silver Spring.
County Executive Ike Leggett announced a deal two years ago with California-based Live Nation that would bring a Fillmore Music Hall to a former J.C. Penney store site on Silver Spring's Colesville Road. The deal would preserve the historic facade of the store, which has sat empty for nearly 20 years. Leggett pushed the County Council last year to approve $4 million in funds and special land-use rule changes that were supposed to pave the way for a deal with the developer, Lee Development Group.
But the path to the deal has been long, and Lee and Leggett are still trying to hammer out a deal, with the sticking points in their debate being kept private.
"We're almost there," said Bruce Lee, head of Lee Development Group.
Lee said his company is being asked to donate a "very valuable" piece of land before it has created a plan to build up the rest of the adjacent property it owns. In return, Lee said he wants assurances that the current county's rules for development won't change when his company decides to develop the rest of its property.
"We're not asking for additional density, we're not asking for money," Lee said. "We're not asking for anything outside the box."
The county official who is Leggett's point person on the project could not be reached for comment.
The Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, which supports building the Fillmore, has complained about the negotiations' lack of openness. Chairman Darian Unger said he is pleased to hear that a deal may be close, adding that his group has spent a long time waiting on "pins and needles."
Efforts to get a live music hall in Silver Spring date several years, first with the county unsuccessfully trying to get Alexandria's Birchmere Music Hall to open a second venue in Silver Spring.
County Councilman Marc Elrich, D-At Large, who voted against the zoning changes, said he and other council members were told last year that approval for the project was "critical" and "couldn't afford delay." He said it's "frustrating" not to have heard any updates on the project since.
Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, D-At Large, said it was "troubling" that the project hadn't moved forward faster and that the County Council would have a "robust conversation" about the project if a deal isn't reached soon.
DJ TWO-TONE JONES IN THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER!!!
Credo: Lester B. Wallace III
By: Leah Fabel
Examiner Staff Writer
August 30, 2009
Lester B. Wallace III knows the power of a good education. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, one of the best historically black colleges in the country, before earning a master’s degree from George Washington University. But the 30-year-old also respects the pull of his passion for creating music and influencing young lives. He works with Words, Beats and Life Inc., teaching radio production skills to young people in the D.C. area. And under the pseudonym 2-Tone Jones, Wallace spins records at clubs in D.C. and New York City, hosts “Ill Street Grooves” Monday nights on 89.3 WBFW and plays every Tuesday night with Sound of the City at the U-Street Corridor’s historic Bohemian Caverns jazz club. He spoke with The Examiner about what inspires his works and his creativity.
Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
I consider myself to be a Christian. I was raised in the Baptist church in Charlotte, N.C., and still attend there when I visit home. I wouldn’t confine myself to the Baptists now, but I believe in the core Christian values: Doing good to others, trying to be Godlike when you can. We all have our faults and vices, but there’s a higher power who forgives, especially when you make efforts to improve. I’ve maintained my faith and I pray, and have kept up my relationship with God.
Young artists often have the reputation as misguided, or as slackers. What does it take to refute that reputation and to prosper in an artistic career?
It starts with a good work ethic as a foundation. One thing I tell young folks — those who aspire to make music — is that this is something you work at. It’s not like the Matrix where you sit in a chair and someone plugs you in and then you’re there. For young people, everything looks like it comes so quickly, but it comes with work.
And then I have to make sure the business aspect of what I’m doing is taken care of — having a paper trail for everything. Before I resigned from my first job out of graduate school, I looked at how much I was making from deejaying on the side. Then I considered how much more I could make if I devoted myself to it full time. And with my degree to fall back on, I knew I’d be able to sustain myself during slow times — that was important.
When it comes around to the workweek’s end and people are ready to relax, what is the deejay’s ethic?
As a deejay, you want the energy level to go up and up and up throughout the night. And to do that, you have to make sure that everything makes sense musically and rhythmically. You can’t move from fast to slow, one after the other. You can change tempos gradually, but you have to group the music together, and master the tempo from one song to the next so that the transition seems seamless. That’s how deejays keep the energy constant. The worst thing you can ever see is people walking off of the dance floor.
There is a culture of drugs and violence often associated with urban music scenes. What is a truer characterization?
It’s a scene that thrives off of creativity. And in the past, I think there was more of that. Now, because much of hip-hop music is considered mainstream, there are recurring images that aren’t original — people put out hit records that sound a lot like other hit records, and that too often don’t relate to real problems affecting kids’ communities. When I talk to young people about hip-hop, I try to help them understand that they’re entering a culture that has been around since before they were born — a culture based on creating something out of virtually nothing, taking events from life and from the past and making them your own. Make it your own — produce something unique that no one else could produce on this Earth, because they’re not you.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
I believe that people can learn to be humble and should always look for the good in other people and in all situations. If things don’t go my way, dwelling on it doesn’t help. I believe that if I keep doing what’s right, and treating people with respect, in the end I’ll get that all back.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
NEW LOMOGRAPHY PHOTOSET BY OVP!
Taken around the train tracks at the Rhode Island Metro Station, in North East Washington D.C.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
J-$CRILLA FEATURED IN THE EXAMINER!!!
J-$crilla is the epitome of the obsessive, over-driven producer. To say he’s “prolific” doesn’t even begin to do justice to the work ethic this VA/DC-based DJ/producer has. Kid’s always got something going on; whether it is the myriad of mixtapes he’s produced or the beats he concocts. Since the late 90s $crilla has been out there putting in work without the benefit of any kind of major label support. His impetus is the relentless drive and passion he has for the music and the culture. He started by promoting parties and hitting up the college circuits; just putting himself out there and getting things done.
“I’m from the area known as the DMV; started off DJ-ing 14 or 15 years ago and kinda developed into a producer. The first record that I produced that went world-wide was a single I did with Elemental called “A Night in the Life of…” and it featured kids like Apathy and Celph Titled in 2001. I was known as DJ Hi-C back then; I changed my name to J-$crilla in 2003. I don’t even know why,” he says, laughing.
“In 2001 I had this party called ‘Battle of the Box’ and I had producers come and everybody flipped the same sample and battled it out live on stage. I think it was the first live beat battle ever; I know I went off the cuff, like it was brand new. I know a lot of stuff started happening at the same time, but I think I was the first one to do it. I grew into the idea of making beats and I been producing heavy since 2002 or so.”
You can’t really pin down his style or sound with just few deft descriptions; J-$crilla is the kind of producer that flows off the energy of the artist he’s working with. Some of his joints are crazy heavy (peep Guns-n-Butter uncut featuring XO and K-Beta). His nature is an easy one and is most likely the key to his ability to coax the best sounds from whomever he has in the booth.
“I think what my music encompasses is my spirit and energy. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve really so if you listen to my music I think you’ll get a lot of the emotional type of stuff I try to put out there through my beats. It’s gotta’ be edgy, hard, soulful… anything along those lines.”
It’s why he is connected with so many different artists and styles; $crilla is one of those cats that is ingrained into all kinds of extended fam through crazy amounts of different collabos and side-projects, though his main affiliation is with his foundation team Guns-N-Butter and his label Inner Loop Records.
“Me and Chop-La-Rock started Guns-N-Butter. We put out some mixtapes hosted by Nature and Tragedy, Agallah and a bunch of other independent cats from New York. We just been getting work from a lot of underground heads from all over; people like JR Writer, Reef the Lost Cauze and most of the Jedi Mind Tricks/Army of the Pharaohs camp. We’ve also worked with a lot of kids from DC." The list of collaborations is long; names like Bloodsport, Lord Digga, NORE, Demoz, Smif N Wesson and N.A.I.L.S, just to name a few.
“In 2004 I started Inner Loop Records with my folks K-Beta and Overok. K-Beta had just gotten out of jail and we started putting out a couple of records. We let it go for a little bit but then around 2007 we resurrected it and went at it again. Now we’re one of the top labels out of the DMV. We market and brand artists, we have a roster. Pretty much what we’re going for right now is taking this ish world-wide, you know.”
The first major release coming from Innerloop is $crilla’s album Culture of Honor.
“My joint drops August 25th and it features mad underground, independent heads. All production is by me and I just got a ton of people on it; Reef, Cassidy, Oddisee, General Steele (Smif N Wessun), Slaine (La Coka Naostra), Block McCloud, JR Writer, Wordsmith, King Magnetic, Muggsy Malone, T.E.F.L.O.N., Ankh Amen Ra… just crazy amounts of really talented heads killin’ it over my beats. I got a DC posse cut on it with a bunch of DC cats doin’ it like Wordsmith, XO, Ra the MC, K-Beta, Oddisee… There’s about 35 artists on there. It’s 14 songs and I’m actually gonna be releasing it digitally, mainly, and it’s going to include 12 bonus instrumentals; so you buy the album you get 26 tracks on it. I’m also working on an album with an artist Sketch; he was featured in ‘Unsigned Hype’ and he’s got a real big buzz out here. Me and him are doing a whole album. That joint should be out by the end of the year. I got a lot of projects I’m working on and I’m always shopping beats; stuff like that.”
One of Guns-N-Butter’s most recent endeavor was done for Enemy Soil Records; the new upstart label run by Jedi Mind Tricks frontman Vinnie Paz.
“Yeah, Reef the Lost Cauze vs. Guns-N-Butter: Fight Music. Basically me and StU Bangas got up with Reef and we nailed this album out; it was like 2 years in the making and it should be coming out soon. We dropped the single at the end of June and it was Indie Spotlight’s Track of the week on iTunes and it got a lot of good looks. We’re looking at October or November for a release date.”
Until then, keep your eyes open for "Culture of Honor" dropping August 25th.
For more informationcheck out www.myspace.com/gunsnbutter or twitter.com/J_SCRILLA_DMV
“I’m from the area known as the DMV; started off DJ-ing 14 or 15 years ago and kinda developed into a producer. The first record that I produced that went world-wide was a single I did with Elemental called “A Night in the Life of…” and it featured kids like Apathy and Celph Titled in 2001. I was known as DJ Hi-C back then; I changed my name to J-$crilla in 2003. I don’t even know why,” he says, laughing.
“In 2001 I had this party called ‘Battle of the Box’ and I had producers come and everybody flipped the same sample and battled it out live on stage. I think it was the first live beat battle ever; I know I went off the cuff, like it was brand new. I know a lot of stuff started happening at the same time, but I think I was the first one to do it. I grew into the idea of making beats and I been producing heavy since 2002 or so.”
You can’t really pin down his style or sound with just few deft descriptions; J-$crilla is the kind of producer that flows off the energy of the artist he’s working with. Some of his joints are crazy heavy (peep Guns-n-Butter uncut featuring XO and K-Beta). His nature is an easy one and is most likely the key to his ability to coax the best sounds from whomever he has in the booth.
“I think what my music encompasses is my spirit and energy. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve really so if you listen to my music I think you’ll get a lot of the emotional type of stuff I try to put out there through my beats. It’s gotta’ be edgy, hard, soulful… anything along those lines.”
It’s why he is connected with so many different artists and styles; $crilla is one of those cats that is ingrained into all kinds of extended fam through crazy amounts of different collabos and side-projects, though his main affiliation is with his foundation team Guns-N-Butter and his label Inner Loop Records.
“Me and Chop-La-Rock started Guns-N-Butter. We put out some mixtapes hosted by Nature and Tragedy, Agallah and a bunch of other independent cats from New York. We just been getting work from a lot of underground heads from all over; people like JR Writer, Reef the Lost Cauze and most of the Jedi Mind Tricks/Army of the Pharaohs camp. We’ve also worked with a lot of kids from DC." The list of collaborations is long; names like Bloodsport, Lord Digga, NORE, Demoz, Smif N Wesson and N.A.I.L.S, just to name a few.
“In 2004 I started Inner Loop Records with my folks K-Beta and Overok. K-Beta had just gotten out of jail and we started putting out a couple of records. We let it go for a little bit but then around 2007 we resurrected it and went at it again. Now we’re one of the top labels out of the DMV. We market and brand artists, we have a roster. Pretty much what we’re going for right now is taking this ish world-wide, you know.”
The first major release coming from Innerloop is $crilla’s album Culture of Honor.
“My joint drops August 25th and it features mad underground, independent heads. All production is by me and I just got a ton of people on it; Reef, Cassidy, Oddisee, General Steele (Smif N Wessun), Slaine (La Coka Naostra), Block McCloud, JR Writer, Wordsmith, King Magnetic, Muggsy Malone, T.E.F.L.O.N., Ankh Amen Ra… just crazy amounts of really talented heads killin’ it over my beats. I got a DC posse cut on it with a bunch of DC cats doin’ it like Wordsmith, XO, Ra the MC, K-Beta, Oddisee… There’s about 35 artists on there. It’s 14 songs and I’m actually gonna be releasing it digitally, mainly, and it’s going to include 12 bonus instrumentals; so you buy the album you get 26 tracks on it. I’m also working on an album with an artist Sketch; he was featured in ‘Unsigned Hype’ and he’s got a real big buzz out here. Me and him are doing a whole album. That joint should be out by the end of the year. I got a lot of projects I’m working on and I’m always shopping beats; stuff like that.”
One of Guns-N-Butter’s most recent endeavor was done for Enemy Soil Records; the new upstart label run by Jedi Mind Tricks frontman Vinnie Paz.
“Yeah, Reef the Lost Cauze vs. Guns-N-Butter: Fight Music. Basically me and StU Bangas got up with Reef and we nailed this album out; it was like 2 years in the making and it should be coming out soon. We dropped the single at the end of June and it was Indie Spotlight’s Track of the week on iTunes and it got a lot of good looks. We’re looking at October or November for a release date.”
Until then, keep your eyes open for "Culture of Honor" dropping August 25th.
For more informationcheck out www.myspace.com/gunsnbutter or twitter.com/J_SCRILLA_DMV
Monday, August 17, 2009
WASHINGTON DC HAS HIGHEST % RATE OF COCAINE ON CURRENCY
And Balmor is number 2, Mid-Atlantic dirty, dirty...Courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8204857.stm
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The US capital has the highest level of banknotes that have traces of cocaine
The largest study of banknotes has found that 95% of dollar bills in Washington DC bear traces of the illegal drug cocaine.
The figure for the US capital is up 20% over two years.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth tested notes from more than 30 cities worldwide.
They say the rise observed in the US may be due to increased drug use caused by higher stress levels linked to the global economic downturn.
Bank notes can pick up traces of cocaine directly from users snorting it through rolled up bills or when cash is stacked together.
Stress factor?
Besides Washington, other big US cities such as Baltimore, Boston and Detroit had the highest average cocaine levels on their dollar bills.
Dr Yuegang Zuo, who led the research, said: "To my surprise, we're finding more and more cocaine in banknotes.
"I'm not sure why we've seen this apparent increase, but it could be related to the economic downturn, with stressed people turning to cocaine."
Other countries where notes were tested were Canada, Brazil, China and Japan.
China had the lowest rates, with only 12% of its bills contaminated.
In the US the cleanest bills were collected from Salt Lake City, home of the religious group, the Mormons.
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The US capital has the highest level of banknotes that have traces of cocaine
The largest study of banknotes has found that 95% of dollar bills in Washington DC bear traces of the illegal drug cocaine.
The figure for the US capital is up 20% over two years.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth tested notes from more than 30 cities worldwide.
They say the rise observed in the US may be due to increased drug use caused by higher stress levels linked to the global economic downturn.
Bank notes can pick up traces of cocaine directly from users snorting it through rolled up bills or when cash is stacked together.
Stress factor?
Besides Washington, other big US cities such as Baltimore, Boston and Detroit had the highest average cocaine levels on their dollar bills.
Dr Yuegang Zuo, who led the research, said: "To my surprise, we're finding more and more cocaine in banknotes.
"I'm not sure why we've seen this apparent increase, but it could be related to the economic downturn, with stressed people turning to cocaine."
Other countries where notes were tested were Canada, Brazil, China and Japan.
China had the lowest rates, with only 12% of its bills contaminated.
In the US the cleanest bills were collected from Salt Lake City, home of the religious group, the Mormons.
Friday, August 14, 2009
DC SHOES COMMERCIAL, BASKETBALL?
Dope commercial, done by LA/Amsterdam based marketing team, 72 and Sunny...
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Thursday, August 13, 2009
THE OFF SEASON VOL. I
Tracklist
1. Soulful! “Intro”
2. Danny Brown “That’s Just The Way It Goes”
3. jben.ok x Dela “Introductions”
4. Senor Kaos x DJ Spinna “Summer Madness (ATL Remix)”
5. Che Grand “Life’s Grand” featuring Nicky
6. Spank Pops “Beautiful Noise”
7. K-Beta “Summershine” featuring Shydi
8. Akrobatik & Mr. Lif ”Beast Mode”
9. Nicole Hurst “When You’re Gone”
10. the OTHERSIDE “Ms. Cloud 9?
11. Finale “Agony” produced by nick tha 1da
12. Truthlive “80’s Baby”
13. 1.O.A.K. “The Lovecats”
14. Oddisee “We On To Something”
15. jben.ok x Knowledge “The Newest Addition”
16. Trackademicks “Nothin’ On Me”
17. Lyriciss & Pro’Verb ”What You Mad For” produced by Soulful!
18. Houston Rock Its “The Beast”
19. X.O. “All Around The World” produced by Team Demolition
20. Kay “Sloboogie” featuring Franchelle
21. Scanz “We Cool”
22. Kokayi “Prayer”
23. jben.ok x Chris “Daddy” Dave “Outro”
http://www.sendspace.com/file/e13m6z
GANG OF FOURSTAR GIRL SKATEBOARDS VIDEO TRAILER
Some of the best, most innovative, and well-shot skate films to be made, ever...Girl Skateboards...
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
A DOUBLE-DOSE FROM E-MAJOR AND UNDERSOUND MUSIC!!!
The Demonstrator's (E-Major & Dj Impulse) - "Paper Runnin'"
E-Major - "Make It"
"Paper Runnin'" by The Demonstrators directed by Garrett Guidera from Under Sound Music on Vimeo.
E-Major - "Make It"
E Major "Make It" directed by Aaron Keeny from Under Sound Music on Vimeo.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
MISKA AND NINJASONIK MIXTAPE - DARTH BANO!!!
VIA MISHKA'S BLOG:
Ninjasonik has always been known – and liked – for their left of center music that falls somewhere between Digital Underground and GG Alin. First it was art school girls now it’s Mexican Star Wars. The rap-slash-indie-slash-punk-slash-electronic outfit from Brooklyn is back at it again but this time with Telli the rapper’s alter-ego Darth Baño.
This time Darth Baño is in the form of a mix in conjunction with native BK neighbors Mishka. The mix features an all-star cast of musical guests such as Spank Rock, Theophilus London, The Death Set, Blaqstarr, Hollywood Holt, Johnny Nelson, Zakee Kuduro, and many more. highlights not only the musical genius of Telli, but also the vast and highly eclectic influence of Mishka Darth Baño silences anybody who thinks Ninajsonik only knows how to write songs about tight jeans and the internet. It’s a mixtape, better yet an album, better yet a movement. Get involved.
1. Darth Baño Intro (Produced By Nine Lives The Cat)
2. It’s Ok (Produced By Kicks Like A Mule)
3. Negative Thinking (Featuring The Death Set, Hollywood Holt, Theophilus London & Cadence Weapon, Produced By Schoolboy)
4. Bars (Produced By Teenwolf)
5. Mind Tricks of The Jedi (Produced By The Blanco Brothers)
6. My Eyes (Featuring Spank Rock, Theophilus London, Melo-X & Zakee, Produced By Roofeeo & Teenwolf)
7. My Kids Can’t Eat No Fame (Produced By Zakee)
8. Tight Pants Poppin’ (Produced By Teenwolf)
9. Sip Some of This (Featuring Hollwood Holt & Johnny Nelson, Produced By Roofeeo & Teenwolf)
10. Hold the Line (Produced By Major Lazer)
11. Nofunforuglygirls Intro (Featuring Just That Dude)
12. Nofunforuglygirls (Featuring Ease Da Man)
13. Pregnant (Morsy Mix)
14. Danger (Produced By Teenwolf)
15. I Love Your Style (Featuring Maggie Horn, Produced By Teenwolf)
The Way She Gave Me Head (Featuring Blaqstarr, Produced By The Blanco Brothers)
16. The Deep End (Produced By Curses)
http://www.mediafire.com/?dmw0dzq4vez
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