SXSW 2006 + Houston Pics

SXSW was too much fun. Can't wait for next year.


I couldn't wait to be in Texas and drink a Texan beer.






At the Back Room with Walker, waiting for the rap.


Matt Sonzala's SXSW XX Nikes. I forget how many they made of these--not very many.


Matt So Real hooked us up.






Rapid Ric




Da Ryno




Balance repped the Bay.




Grit Boys!








Chalie Boy




Mr. (Bavu) Blakes


Everyone knows ("BBQ") Walker.




Tum Tum aka OTUMa TUM Laden


"I'm-a TUSSLE with ya..."


Todd Inoue reporting for the San Jose Metro!


Matt's photos are WAY better than mine.




Chamillionaire.




I'm about to tear up some fajitas.


Walker is from NOLA.


The partying starts at the Fader/Levi's thang.


Ross Hogg taking advantage of the Levi's hookup.


Our gig at Club 115.


DJ Ceeplus and the House of Bad Knives


Oxy Cottontail


Roxy, Catchdubs, Ayres--NYC in the building.










The Rub! So official.


Archaic getting hyphy.


Flatblackplastic--Say it 10 times fast.






Chingo Bling




Despot


Blowfly


Cadence Weapon, my new favorite Canadian rapper-slash-Trailer Park Boys fan.




St. Patrick's Day




Cosmo at Factory People.


"Serato"--my favorite song!


I met my idol Shepard Fairey.


At Emo's.


Tommy rocking the St. Patrick's outfit.


JBird repped for Chicago AND St. Patrick's Day.


Hi, Al!


Happy Belated, Murs.


Happy Birthday, 2Mex! Life Rexall on the left.


Mac Lethal


Soul Position


P.O.S. aka Stef




So much free beer.






Crescent Moon


Matt




So pretty in the Beauty Bar.


Free jello shots!


Walker and Chris


Michael Watts


Lady Sovereign




DJ Signify


Devin killed it as usual.








Lupe Fiasco kicking and pushing.
















In Houston now with DJ Eva. (That is NOT Matt wearing those jeans.)


Dan Greenpeace from London! At Warehouse Live in Houston.


Sway and Turk in the house as well.


Atmosphere. I can never get too much.




Grinch! This guy helped launch The Vinyl Exchange 10 years ago.


Eva!


This place is the bomb.


Encheelahdahs.




At Rap-A-Lot!






Omar of Rap-A-Lot


At the Grit Boys' studio. Transatlantic connection.

SXSW 2006!

Here's where I'll be, at SXSW in Austin, away from computers. I'm DJing at Club 115 on Thursday, March 16 at 8 pm. I have an all-Bay Area set ready, with some classics mixed with the hyphy. Yeeyeeee...



Go to SXSW.com for the complete showcase schedule.

Birthday parties March 10

Come to my birthday party at Spindig. After that we're heading over to Studio Z for DJ Rapid Ric.

I started celebrating my birthday last Thursday the 2nd, when I started the rap music triathlon:


Odd Nosdam threw down the rap classics at Jel's album release party.


Insomniac, Dave Dub, Mike Boo, Sacred Hoop and Third Sight ripped it Friday night with Raggedy Andy as The Wrench.


After a lovely birthday dinner we kicked it with more rappers including Mac Lethal and P.O.S. I'll see them again at SXSW next week.

One Block Radius, Louis Logic & Pigeon John

Tonight!



One Block Radius is the relish Z-Man with singer/producer Marty James and DJ MDA. Z-Man is one of the greatest performers ever, so it's guaranteed to be a fun show.

At 111 Minna. See you there!

Oh yeah, and last night we went dumb at the Slump & Grind 2 release party.

Slump & Grind 2: It's a celebration.

Tonight at the DNA Lounge is Hey DJ, featuring DJ Revolution (he's from Northampton, Mass--whatup Lori!) as well as Ross Hogg and DJ B.Cause celebrating the release of their mix CD, "Slump & Grind 2," the follow-up to the ever-slumping "Slump & Grind." Go to the shop section of Ross Hogg's site, ItalSelection.com, and add to cart NOW.

The DNA Lounge has a live webcast, so you can watch/listen online and the audio will be archived for two weeks. That's one thing I love about the DNA (I've been going there since the late 80s--I remember when Doc Martin was a barback). It almost makes up for their expensive-ass drinks. But not quite. Big thanks to DJ NeoGeo, who will also be rocking the turntables with his homie Boogie Brown. Check for them at FormulaDJs.com.

Also tonight is what I call the 10:00 Free Grime Giveaway at Anu on Sixth Street. Info at dubliminal.net.

J Dilla R.I.P. / The Beatnuts

One of the greatest producers ever, Jay Dee aka J Dilla, passed away this week, days after the release of his album Donuts on Stones Throw. He worked, performed and produced throughout his illness and up until the end. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten.



I'm off to the Red Devil in a couple of hours to check out the Beatnuts for the first time since they toured with Organized Konfusion and Common Sense (yeah he was still Common Sense and I got my "Resurrection" t-shirt that night). Show is sold out, a little surprising for a Sunday night.


DJ Marz portrait by yours truly

The Gurp City Art Show and Concert was epic! Big thanks to DJ Marz for a huge and successful event. Unfortunately Serg gurped out at midnight (festivities started at 2 pm!) and we missed Eddie K and Baldhead Rick. The new Eddie K material is dope ("OOOOooh!"), do not sleep on it.

Spindig was really fun last Friday night. The Chief Enablers rocked it--and saved my favorite song for last, "Are You Online?" Funny stuff. Don't miss next month's on Friday, March 10. It's my birthday party with special guest DJ Charlotte the Baroness. The homie Matt Sonzala SoReal will be in the house and we'll be heading over to Studio Z right after at 9:00 for this:



Please come out and celebrate my 44th, yes 44th, birthday with me. Then, it's on to Austin for SXSW 2006. Can't stop, won't stop.

DJ Premier in SF 2/2

DJ Premier will be here Thursday night, February 2nd at the Fluid Ultra Lounge. I'll be passing out the Gang Starr buttons I made. And probably wearing my Gang Starr pendant. Morse Code is DJing too so it'll definitely be fun and the music will be top quality.

Thursday is also Trinity's birthday. Happy Birthday!!

The Gurp City Art Show is this Saturday, please come and check out Serg's and my artwork along with that of other Gurp City friends and fam:



My birthday on March 10 is about to be insane. First, special guest DJ at the Spindig happy hour party is Charlotte the Baroness. That's 6 to 9. Then, DJ Rapid Ric is in town from Texas along with my good friend Matt Sonzala So Real, DJing over at Studio Z. San Francisco is so ready. I can't wait. Mark your calendar now, then please come out and party with us.

How old am I gonna be this year?

Sacred Hoop AND Motion Man!

Luke Sick and DJ Marz, San Jose

Tonight at the Elbo Room: Red Wine Presents: Motion Man plus
Fat Hed, Sacred Hoop and DJ Toph One. Like whoa. Big ups to Toph for putting this dope lineup together on a Saturday night.



Motion Man is great live (I wish he'd put on a cape and do "Mo' Like Flows On" just once.), and I've been fiending for some live Sacred Hoop action since Luke Sick returned to the Bay from Arizona. DJ Raw B will be providing the beats for Luke to spit to. Not sure if KutMasta Kurt will be DJing for Motion Man. Hope so.


DJ Ayres, Catchdubs, VinSol

Damn, had a blast at the premiere of the Superfriends party at Milk last weekend. Vin got me in free, Nick gave me THREE (count 'em, three) drink tickets and Ayres blessed me with a New Year's Eve at The Rub CD and a 10-Deep/The Rub tank top. "What nice boys," as my mom would say. In the words of the late, great Robin Harris, "Thank you, please come again." The Superfriends party now happens every Thursday night at Milk. I think I want to try and catch Mark Ronson on February 23rd.


A big Matthew Africa fan (me) and Matthew Africa @ Superfriends

So when I first ordered this Funkadelic shirt, it got lost in the mail and they sent another one. Both eventually made it to my mailbox, so now I have an extra. I know, I should send it back. But I don't have much time for the ol' post office, so if any of my friends out there want the extra, let me know. It's a lavender women's large. Speaking of Funkadelic, here's a good interview with Bernie Worrell.

EXCITING news: The VE Radio show will be on the actual radio dial, thanks to KULT Radio at 89.9 FM in San Francisco. Tentative air times are Wednesday nights 7-8 and Saturday nights 10-11. You can listen live online if you can't get it on your radio dial. My radio dreams are soon to come true. Thanks to any of you who've taken the time to listen to my dusty old records, self-serving drops and rambling on VE Radio.

Catchdubs in SF 1/21

NYer and Fader editor Nick Catchdubs is back at Milk tonight, this time with DJ Ayres of The Rub. Can't wait to hear what they'll play. Nick was last here back in September for Westside Gangbang with Roxy, and it was hyphy to the height of hyphe-tivity. Let's see if the alleged Milk "hyphy ban" has any effect on tonight's selection. Side note: Does anyone remember the Milk Bar in Berkeley, circa 1990, if I remember correctly? DJs played hip-hop and I think they didn't serve alcohol, hence the name. Milk on Haight certainly does, thank goodness.



Last weeks XXXPlosive tour was just that, explosive. After Ross Hogg's opening set, Pase Rock and Cosmo Baker ripped shit with Spank Rock sprinkling vocals. Pase had us pose for pictures with his Scion bag for some reason, Serg actually danced, and I still have a bruise on the top of my foot from the girl (or ONE of the girls, I should say) who was freaking DJ Marz at the bar.

We have our tickets, hotel and car reserved for SXSW. I can't wait. We're flying in and out of Houston and hanging with the one Matt Sonzala So Real.

VE Radio may actually be on the radio soon. We may be hooking up with a local pirate station. Stay tuned.

Spindig Happy Hour::Friday 1/13

The Spindig happy hour party is this Friday, January 13th at 330 Ritch Street. Spindig goes down every 2nd Friday from 6 to 9 pm. It's free, pints are 3 bucks, there's pizza and the music is good. What more could you ask for? I'll be playing some new and old hip-hop and R&B joints, some 80s new wave and ska, and some late 80s-early 90s LA rap. I think.

After that I think we're heading over to Milk to say what's up to Pase Rock. He's on the XXXPlosive Tour with Cosmo Baker and Spank Rock. Our pal Ross Hogg is opening. Should be fun and of a high musical caliber.



DJ Morse Code told me that DJ Premier is playing at Fluid tonight, but I've seen nor heard nothing to confirm that.

New Year's Eve Eve Eve

Tonight I'll be walking the four blocks over to the Hemlock Tavern to see and hear DJ Marz on the wheels of steel. He plays from 9 til 2. I'll also be scoping out the place to see if we'll be able to play "VETV" somewhere in there at the Gurp City Art Show on February 4th.

I'm working on a huge portrait of Marz for that show. Sure to be epic.


DJ Marz on VETV



Tomorrow (Friday) night we're going to check out the free party at the DNA Lounge with DJs Joe Quixx, B.Cause, Teeko (it's his birthday!), Doc Fu and more. You can watch/listen online. Look for me in the back bar camera.



Last time I was there, I told Cut Chemist about my idea for my 45th birthday party--an all-star DJ lineup playing all 45s. He signed on! So mark your calendars for Saturday, March 10, 2007. Hopefully I can get "Zack" and "Josh" too.

Happy New Year!

Friday Night Live: Breakestra, Z-Trip & Radar

See you tonight. First at the DNA Lounge and then at Mighty. Both shows are going til 4 am, but I think after 3 am I will turn into a pumpkin.

Happy Anniversary, Future Primitive! Check out the first episode of VETV for an interview with Mark Herlihy and FPS DJ RasCue, launching January 2006.

See you at Happy Hour

The first Spindig was a big hit and it's gone monthly! See you at 330 Ritch Street from 6-9 pm.