1st Annual Seattle Hip Hop Business and Career Expo

The Seattle Hip-Hop Career & Business Expo, scheduled for October 9, 2010 at the Vera Project – (Warren Ave. & Republican Street) Seattle Center is part of the Seattle City of Music Festival and will focus on providing established and aspiring artists and entrepreneurs with tools and resources to grow their careers and business while also introducing young people who are part of the hip-hop generation to the many career and business opportunities in and around hip-hop music and culture.

I'll be facilitating a conversation on Music and Media, 11:30am at the Vera Project in Seattle Center as a part of this event.

Join me along with:

Tom Mara - Executive Director, KEXP
Larry Mizell - Writer/Hip-Hop Artist Stranger Raindrophustla.com
Andrew Matson - Writer, Seattle Times
Jonathon Cunningham - Publicola.net
Casey Carter, misscaseycarter.com
Marian Liu, Entertainment Editor, Seattle Times
Alvin Singh II, Digital Media Consultant, Guerrilla Techknowledge
Mia "DJ B-Girl" Beardsley, B Girl Media
Joaquin Uy, News Director, KBCS


From the press release:

"The Seattle Hip-Hop Career & Business Expo will focus on providing established and aspiring artists and entrepreneurs with tools to grow their careers and businesses while also introducing young people to the many career and business opportunities in and around hip-hop music and culture in this free, all-ages event.

"As a part of the City of Music Festival we are seeking to provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs and artists to learn, network and fully engage in the growing creative economy in our region," says K. Wyking Garrett.

Sessions will touch on music production, licencing, marketing, distribution, and business development; and speakers include representatives from the Recording Academy, Sub Pop Records, SportnLife Records, City of Seattle Office of Economic Development, The Stranger/KEXP, AEG Live, One Reel, Seattle Theater Group, Hewlett Packard, International News Inc., Urban Enterprise Center Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, and Fused Music, among others.

This educational event is sponsored by Seattle Hip-Hop Hop Youth Council & UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center with support from Seattle Office of Economic Development, Seattle Office of Film & Music, and Kicks & Tees.

For additional information, please visit http://seattlehiphopsummit.wordpress.com/

Other Confirmed Speakers Include:

An Interview with Jie-Song Zhang: The Creator of The Emerging Face of a Nationless World

"A violinist in the Hip Hop composition team Stone Forrest Ensemble, Jie-Song is a visionary with a rare gift for commitment and discipline. It only made sense then as we began discussing the role Hip Hop Congress could play in the conversation around this film that I would want some basic insights on what motivated this project, where it was going and what it’s ultimate aims were. It also made sense that I would want to share them. So I did what any self-respecting, sort-of-blogger, psudeo-journalist would do. I asked him for an interview. What I got was much more. Peep game." From the Hip Hop Congress Blog. Click here for entire story.

Album Spotlight: Daichi Diez – The Reason and the Rhyme

"From the Land of the Rising Sun to the Emerald City comes an artist who understands what it means to rhyme with honor. For anyone familiar with what’s cracking in 206 (Seattle Hip Hop), the name Alpha P is synonymous with quality music, ridiculous skill and a commitment to consciousness. In his international offering The Reason and the Rhyme, Daichi Diaz does not fail to hold that banner high. Not even a little bit. Daichi has a classic approach that embraces both his Japanese and Seattle heritages. If balancing the two was supposed to be a challenge for him, I couldn’t tell."
From the Hip Hop Congress Blog, view full article here.
Purchase the Album Here

"Boogie Up the Block"

Written, performed and produced by Suntonio Bandanaz, Andrew Luck and Sleepyhead. Hook sample written and performed by Unique Son. Mixed by Knowa KnowOne. Video directed and produced by Asun. Video executive produced by Heidi Jackson. Dedicated James "Talk Sick" Sullivan. From the forthcoming "Alien Technology" album.

B Girl Media from Vancouver at the Final UTV 2010

Under the Volcano Festival of Art & Social Change celebrated its 20th anniversary on August 8, where us at B Girl Media had the honor of rocking. In an interview with a Vancouver paper, Meegan Maultsaid said this year’s festival in Deep Cove’s Cates Park is also the last. “It’s from a combination of things,” Maultsaid told the Straight. “For 20 years we’ve been a noncorporate festival, our admissions have always been by donation, but expenses go up. We like to bring international artists, but it costs money to do that. We’re maintaining an accessible community event, but it’s difficult to reconcile those two parts.”

More pictures are available at the B Girl Media Blog. She wrote, "Sista Hailstorm, Julie C. and I had the pleasure of performing together at the 20th Annual Under the Volcano Festival of Art & Social Change in Vancouver, B.C. on August 8, 2010. Also performing was Rogue Pinay & May Tawa Sa Lahat (SEA), Olmeca, Militant Child (SEA), Cuauhtemoc, Abrstract Random & Ayo Leilani, Cristina Orbe (SEA), Delhi 2 Dublin and many more! Seattle was in the house! Shout outs to Lulu, Stephany Hazelrigg, Gabriel Teodros, Khingz and Jillz, and Sozan, who was a great hostess! There are no future Under the Volcano festivals being planned at this moment. So for right now, this was the LAST one! Thanks to all of the staff and volunteers for putting together a fantastic event!"

Collabs from across the Pacific: SensualizMusic

PROGRESS + NUDE + CREW from Japan just released their brand new album SensualizMusic, featuring two tracks with myself, as well as one from Suntonio Bandanaz, and another from Daichi Diez.

With a wide breadth of styles and a diverse line-up of artists, this 1st album from PROGRESS + NUDE + CREW seeks to smash paradigms on Japanese Hip Hop and break international borders. Instrumentals from Hiro AKA Melodiverse of PROGRESS + NUDE + CREW range from dramatic to mellow, light and jazzy to painfully emotional, but all are deeply introspective and beautifully composed.

Enjoy the previews of the album on these videos and purchase the album by clicking the link above. Support the international Hip Hop movement, and be on the look out for more collaborations between myself and Hiro. In the meanwhile, check out the track below called "Beautiful Tragedy." We do it global baby!

"Boogie Up the Block!" Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Come join us for a fantastic show that promises to be the best three dollars you've ever spent! Suntonio Bandanaz, Shamako Noble, Dox, and Julie C tear is up at the Rat and Raven Public House on 55th and University Way in the U District, Friday, April 2nd.

Only 3 bucks!

21+

Special Guests will be present. ;)

Album Spotlight: Contrary to Popular Belief

When Graves Hansen asked me to write a few words on his new album, Contrary to Popular Belief I was more than happy to oblige. Graves is a notable Seattle Hip Hop vet, with supreme grind and the only artist I personally know with their own Iphone app. The album, from Seattle’s Black Lab Productions, is a testimony to Graves’ contemplative, sophisticated sound. Filling a much needed gap in Hip Hop today, Contrary to Popular Belief takes listeners on a reflective journey, urging us to look deeper into our world, our lives, and ourselves. Powerful, complex, and at some points painfully critical, the album is anything but light listening. Despite the heavy content, Graves has a way of delivering even the most melancholy message in a way that makes you bob your head and yearn for more. The album features contributions from some of Seattle’s best little-known artists, such as Jewels Hunter, Cheo Lopez, Phreewil, and Cin7, as well as 206Zulu’s favorite beatboxer AudioPoet. Several tracks also feature the legendary guitarist Randy Hansen, best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. Click here for track listings and to purchase the album, and definitely look forward to more exciting releases from the emerging Black Laboratory, which has much more up its sleeve.