DARK SIDE OF OZ

-ROOTS

ZOOANTHROMORPHIA

and here's what to expect at this upcoming solo art show at beatrock in long beach. besides water color, i'm also showing some mixed media paintings, drawings, intaglio prints, and some scuptures:).

Not Having Enough Money

A little venting and frustration through the words of Mr. Louis C.K.

-Chris G.

MARK CANTO Solo Art Show @ BEATROCK this Saturday!

"ZOOANTHROMORPHIA"
Solo art show featuring recent works by MARK CANTO

A retrospective body of work in various disciplines predominantly drawing, mixed media painting, watercolor, intaglio and sculptures.

WHERE: Beatrock Store & Art Gallery, 4158 Norse Way, Long Beach, CA
WHEN: Saturday, January 9, 2010, 6:30-9:30pm

for more info:
rootskalibre.blogspot.com
beatrock.com

See you there!

NEW AMERYKAH PT. 2 PREVIEW

Here's a short glimpse into the listening party for Erykah Badu's upcoming New Amerykah Pt. 2 Return of the Ankh from Creative Control TV. Peep out Dame Dash's new gallery/studio, DD172. On some fresh grown art steez.

Dropping in February yall.

-ET

ET | NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

CLICK COVER ART TO DOWNLOAD

Here's another compilation of classics made with emotion from the heart.. for all those who know what that warm fuzzy feels like. :)

Artwork by Parts Bagani

-ET

A WORLD TO CHANGE | Human Rights Video Installation

This was a video installation made by cultural workers from Habi-Arts and AnakBayan-LA for the "Upholding Human Rights, Life, and Dignity" Art Show on International Human Rights Day (Dec 10, 2009).

The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, declared Martial Law in a southern province of the country (Maguindanao) a few days earlier. This video installation was made in response and condemnation of her actions.

Please support the NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW Coalition and help build international pressure to stop Martial Law in the Philippines now.

For more info, visit bayanusa.org

...after the art show, there was the standard spontaneous scratch session!

TONIGHT in LA! INTL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY ARTSHOW

What up fellow humans! Today is International Human Rights Day and in honor of it, Bayan USA is putting on an artshow/open mic at the Downtown LA Art Walk.

Live performances by Shining Sons and many others.. Also, come and check out the first-ever Human Rights video installation I helped to put together with my brotha Chris. Aww yeah, experimenting with new forms, but still stepping up the content!

Come thru tonight, peep the art, enjoy the performances, and learn about the current state of Martial Law in the Southern Philippines (Maguindanao), plus what we need to do here in the U.S. to put international pressure on the Arroyo government to stop it ASAP.

Thanks y'all and hope you can make it!

WHERE: Fernando's Hideaway (F Square Printing), 519 S. Spring St., LA, CA 90013

WHEN: Thursday, December 10, 2009 (7-10pm)

NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!

-ET

How is the Problem-Maker the Problem-Solver?

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you’ve heard about Cap & Trade, but aren’t sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for you.

I think Annie Leonard is on point with this one. How can you trust the people who got us into this mess (the entire mess - all messes -every single, pile of sh*t) to be the ones who are going to come up with a plan to solve it?

Fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me twice... shamon!

-Chris G.

Golden State of Mind

2 more weeks of school and I'll finally be posted up here...

While I was driving back to Santa Cruz from our newly acquired spot in Oakland (Yessssir! Flo and I gotta new place!) on THE 580 (you can take me outta LA/Carson, but you can't take the LA/Carson outta me), the Jay-Z song came on the radio and I thought to myself, "it'd be tight if someone made a Bay remix of this." Low and behold, I got on my laptop that same night and somehow stumbled on this video. It's been on my constant rotation ever since. Peep their blog at teambackpack.com

Absolutely, cannot wait to start working with the talented, young folks of the Bay! But first things first... gotta get hired. I've been applying and applying but still no luck. Anyone got any connections?

-Chris G.

ET | BLINKING EYES

CLICK COVER ART TO DOWNLOAD

Here's a new compilation I just made of songs I'm feeling right now. Shout out to the music blog Blind I For The Kids that the homie Elow just put me on to. Super fresh new sounds coming out that crew..

This comp also features exclusive tracks from SHINING SONS and NIKO PAG-ASA, some up-and-coming emcees from the LBC.

Feel free to share it with the homies.. Enjoy!

-ET

BEATROCK MUSIC LABEL LAUNCH THIS FRIDAY!!!

Check out the artists who will be performing THIS FRIDAY at the Beatrock Music Launch/CounterParts Release Party:

(all the "divshare" links are free downloads!)

Bambu and DJ Phatrick - Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin' 2009:

Otayo Dubb - The Dealership (feat. Akil, Tahaj the 1st, and Hudathawt):

Rhythm Natives - So Fire:

EyeASage - MRSHMLO:

Bwan - Wake The F*ck Up:

The Aesthetics Crew - The City Beat:

The Fighting Cocks - Exact Change Interlude:

Power Struggle - Sometimes Rappin' Ain't Enough:

ET of Mass Movement - Planet Earth Was My Place Of Birth Part I:

The CounterParts - What We Do:

IT ALL GOES DOWN THIS FRIDAY AT DAKOTA LOUNGE!!!

Event Info:

Friday, November 20th, 2009Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar)

1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

(310) 393-8200 http://www.dakotalounge.com/

Doors open at 8pm $12 at the door, $10 pre-sale (available at

http://www.beatrock.com)

Pre-Sale Ticket/CounterParts CD and Ticket/CounterParts CD/Limited Edition T-shirt combination deals will are now available at http://www.beatrock.com

-Fatgums

Staples Center Collapses.

Osshhh...

Fatal Staples Center Collapse Brings Merciful Early End To Clippers Game

-Chris G.

AOKI film premiere this Thursday!!

Calling all Bay area residents!! You don't want to miss the premiere of this groundbreaking film on the life of Richard Aoki, the legendary Asian American activist who was a founding member of the Black Panther Party.

The film debuts this Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, CA. There will be a 30-minute Q&A with filmmakers Ben Wang and Mike Cheng following the film. Much props to these brothers for creating a much needed film for this and all future generations..



Online pre-sale tickets can be purchased for $8.50 (general admission) or $7 (students) at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178. A small service fee will be added by Brown Paper Tickets.

Tickets can also be purchased the night of the premiere at the Grand Lake Theater’s box office for $10 (general admission) or $9 (students).

For more info, check out: aokifilm.com

-ET

NIKO PAG-ASA "International Eye"

Niko Pag-Asa is back!!! After having gone M.I.A. for hella months, there's some recent activity from this elusive MC on his blog: nikopagasa.blogspot.com

He just recently leaked a rare unreleased track called "International Eye" which apparently dates back to 2007.

DOWNLOAD HERE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

-ET

Post-Racial America's Next Top Model

T.Y.-to-the-argh uhh, I still don't get the "love" part of the love/hate relationship some of my friends have with her. As problematic and as many issues this clip brings up, Tyra has once again left me starring at my computer screen, disturbed to the point of laughing, unable to articulate anything but "wow...WOW"!

If you don't have that much time to waste just watch the first minute and then jump to 6:00 and see what the Asian sista comes up with...



And if you have a lot of time to waste read this not-so-on-point article by the LA Times' representative of mixed raced residents of Hawai'i. Where do they find these people? Oh yeah, LA.

-Tadillac

New Moon Soundtrack

I know how it sounds when people say they read playboy for the articles, but I really do watch some flicks just for the music. As a kid bred on hip hop I rely on films and their soundtracks to introduce me to different artists. Even if the film is not the greatest, the soundtrack can almost save it, especially with those "I have White people problems" type joints, think Garden State or The Last Kiss. So when your 12 year-old cousin asks you to see the new Twilight movie, peep the soundtrack before you say no. Death Cab, Thom, Lykke Li, Grizzly Bear, Sea Wolf..I'm just sayin.

Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage

DOWNLOAD HERE

Lykke Li - Possibility

DOWNLOAD HERE

-Tadillac

SAVE THE DATE - Nov. 20th - Beatrock Music Label Launch/The CounterParts Album Release Party

Friday, November 20th marks the launch of the new independent record label, Beatrock Music. The party will also celebrate the label's first official release, The CounterParts' self-titled debut album. There will be a stacked line-up of live performances by label artists and affiliated musicians from all across California:

THE COUNTERPARTS:

T-Know, BraelanB, Otayo Dubb, Gammaray and Fatgums are patnas who have been making music together since the '90's. Reunited to form The CounterParts, this allstar crew is ready to rock the mic and turntables once again. Download their album Appetizer for free: http://www.zshare.net/download/50554513e6871707#. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/counterpartscrew.

BAMBU & DJ PHATRICK:

Two-thirds of the legendary group Native Guns, Bambu and DJ Phatrick have been spending the last few years rocking stages across the globe. These dudes bring it live. For more info visit http://www.bambu.la and http://www.djphatrick.com

RHYTHM NATIVES:

Southern Cali's illest live hip hop band cooks up an organic mix of hip hop, jazz, R&B, and soul. Now in the studio with producer Asi Friedman, the 'Natives will be releasing their highly anticipated full-length album in early 2010. For more info visit http://www.rhythmnatives.com

OTAYO DUBB:

After two records with acclaimed hip-hop group Co-Deez, Oakland emcee Otayo Dubb is going solo. 'Tayo defines his sound as "Blue collar hip-hop for the Joe Dubsacks out here who like to light up a fat one and get their headnod on after work." His solo debut, entitled A WOLF IN SHEEP'S MUSIC, will drop in early 2010 as a collaborative release from Beatrock Music and Hella Records. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/otayodubb

POWER STRUGGLE:

Spitting grimy yet intelligent Midwest rhymes over Mister REY and Fatgums’ sample heavy score, Nomi of Power Struggle brings a new rawness to Asian American hip hop. Watch for their new album entitled Remittances, slated to drop in December of 2009 on Beatrock Music. Download the album sampler for free: http://www.zshare.net/download/65378110473f7f9b/ For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/powerstruggle

AESTHETICS CREW:

In the hallowed brew-school tradition of cup-in-hand rhyming at backyard house parties, the Los Angeles-based Aesthetics crew is here to put the fun back in the funk. Following in the footsteps of legends like the Get Fresh Crew, Native Tongues or 3rd Bass, Indi, Aidge and DJ Props fuse candid rhymes with melodic beats to create a refreshing sound in the midst of a stagnant hip-hop scene. For more info visit http://aestheticscrew.com/

ROCKY RIVERA:

Rocky Rivera (aka EyeASage) is a vicious MC from San Francisco. She dropped her hood classic mixtape, "Married To The Hustle" in 2008 and is releasing her highly anticipated debut album "Rocky Rivera" soon. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/eyeasagemuzikpage, http://www.youtube.com/eyeasage and http://www.guerillabusfare.com

BWAN & MISTER REY:

The deadly combination of BWAN's spitfire lyrics and Mister REY's head breaking production make this San Francisco duo a force to be reckoned with. Together they send an arsenal of true-school Bay Area hip hop straight to the eardrums. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/mistahrey and http://www.myspace.com/bwan1

The evening will be hosted by Bambu.

Mass Movement DJs and DJ Phatrick will be on the wheels of steel.

Event Info:

- Beatrock Music Label Launch/CounterParts CD Release Party

- Friday, November 20th at Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar)

- 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA - (310) 393-8200

- http://www.dakotalounge.com/

- Doors open at 8pm

- $12 at the door, $10 pre-sale (available at http://www.beatrock.com)

- Pre-Sale Ticket/CounterParts CD and Ticket/CounterParts CD/Limited Edition T- shirt combination deals will also be available at http://www.beatrock.com

-Fatgums

I Heart Hulu

In addition to not being able to wake up and watch football on the weekends, these clips really make me want to get cable (and a HD TV, and a DVR). But Hulu holds me down. These videos are worth sitting through the short commercials, especially if you haven't seen them before:

The Daily Show feature on the new Republican Party website:

The Daily Show: Slim Thug Feels the Recession

The Queen on SNL: Excedrin for Racial Tension Headaches

-Tadillac