Few and Far Between

Mission accomplished! Sadat X Master Class at Stadium Red Studios!

2011-04-28T13:25:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was a whirlwind, and I feel that I need to try to recount as much of it as possible for posterity sake. Usually the best moments come and go without documentation, let alone reflection...and though the photos, video and music are slowly coming...I just need to take a sec to find the words...

First off, this Master Class had been in the making for nearly 2 1/2 months. Coordinating Sadat's schedule (big ups to Joanne his manager for all of her help!), securing a studio, coordinating a delegation of 18 Germans, making sure that UAP youth were well represented (during their Spring Break) and making sure that all the youth were prepped for the day was a bit of an undertaking that had me wound up like ball...So, yesterday morning when I had to hop in car service with snacks, cases of water and 20 extra chairs in toe, and only 2 of the 15 Urban Arts students had shown up to the office, I was a bit stressed. I shot up town to Stadium Red Studios with a student to help me out, and left Clevins, a former UAP student, in charge of the crew. Guess I just had to have faith that everything would work out...

Upon our arrival, we we're greeted by a glass case of Grammys and a wall of Platinum Records (Jay Z, Mya, Usher, T.I.--the list goes on, and though I'm sure each youth there would be able to tell you who else, I really had no time to get sidetracked). The GangwayBeatz crew from Berlin were already there, chillin' in the artist lounge. We had had a long-night the previous evening, so it was great to see them all there early. I set-up the snacks and water, set-up the chairs and touched base with Joe, our engineer for the day. Sadat showed up right on time, and I had him wait in the artist lounge, while the Berlin crew took a tour of Studio A--our studio for the day...

At this point, it probably makes sense for me to describe the studio...actually...let me just show you. Let's start with the control room:

Studio A was originally designed by Alan Firestein of Acousticog and recently renovated under the consultation of Frank Comentale (World famous studio designer known for designing The Hit Factory, Chung King, Daddy's House, etc). It includes granite encased monitors, the world famous SSL G+ Console originally from Baseline Studios (owned by Just Blaze and originally owned by Jay-Z), a Pro-Tools HD8 Accel expanded system, racks of outboard gear--and who can forget the leather couch! Needless to say, the youth were overwhelmed (OK...so was I lol).

After checking out the control room, we walked through the 200 sq/ft vocal recording booth (leather couch included) into Stadium Red's 1000 sq/ft live room (Steinway Grand Piano included). Check it out:

At this point my UAP kids showed up (10 total!) and they took the mini tour. Funny how things work out, since I had a feeling that kids were going to flake, I spent the morning calling the Singer 109 crew--that is the NYC youth who went to Berlin back in September to celebrate the release of the GangwayBeatz compilation. With less than an hour notice, each one of them committed to coming. Thank God they did! I would have hated for them to miss out on what was about to ensue...

Once everyone was settled, I introduced Sadat X and he began to record a new song. Some students observed the process from the live room (which Joe had hooked up with live-monitoring of Sadat's mic and the control room talk-back mic) and the control room. I wish I could describe it more thoroughly, but it kinda happened all so quickly. 20 minutes after starting, he was done! Chorus, 3 verses and an outro like that! Ultimately, I felt that if the youth could just observe a Master Emcee in mid-process that they could learn a great deal and apply it to their work. By the end of our session, I knew that it had worked...

The next 30 minutes were spent on a pretty dope Q & A. I'm always worried about Q & A sessions with youth. They can either be extremely illuminating or horrendously painful. Ha! Not sure why I was worried though. Both the Berlin crew and the NYC youth a) love Hip Hop and writing, b) were properly prepped to engage Sadat and c) were extremely excited about the entire experience. Subjects ranged from Sadat's childhood, his experience with the 5% Nation, his perspective on how Hip Hop has changed over the years and advice that he would give to young people who wanted to make a career in music. The questions were well though-out and critical! And Sadat's answers...well, let's just say the passion with which he spoke overcame any language barriers that existed in the room. He definitely dropped some knowledge, understanding and wisdom!

Now normally, the Master Class would end here, but I had set it up so that we would have a little over 2 hours left in the studio. And though I wish I could take credit for how everything turned out over those 2 hours, I really can't. 2 hours later, we had a beat made from scratch (big ups to Phil and Mando from 4XSample) and 15+ English and German verses not only recorded, but written on the spot--as well as one chorus from yours truly (there was no way that I was gonna set this all up and not get in on the session--lol). I thought we were only gonna have enough time to record 3 - 5 youth and that there would be so many more who would not get to record on a mic once owned by Jay-Z. But because of the overall energy in that room and the intensity with which everyone approached the booth, every youth that wanted to record got to do so. Amazing is an understatement! There is no doubt in my mind that Sadat had set the tone for the session. There is no way that we could thank him enough for his generosity of spirit, not only allowing us to peek directly into his creative process, but also for hanging out for a couple of hours afterwards, building with the kids, encouraging them throughout the recording process. The youth absorbed the lessons and delivered with flying colors!

We literally finished our session with 2 minutes of studio time left. We cleaned up, stacked up chairs, gathered our belongings and I had to literally push kids out the door (for the exception of 2 who really wanted to get their shoes signed by Just Blaze, who had been working in another room the entire previous night and who periodically peeked into our studio to see what was going on). Waiting on 125th St. for the car service to show up (I still had to deliver 20 chairs back to Chinatown), all of the youth continued to talk and build. It's as if no one wanted the day to end...

Slowly everyone went there separate ways, and Ty, the student who had originally helped me uptown, and I headed back to the UAP office. After 15 minutes of exhausted silence, Ty spoke up, "I literally almost cried a few times throughout the day." "Why?" I asked. He replied, "That was my dream! It's always been my dream. Next time I want it to be for my solo album..." His phone rang and he preceded to recount the entire experience to one of his best friends. I stared out the taxi at the East River, overwhelmed with emotion. It was a Good Friday indeed! Now I can't wait to mix that track--ha!

* A world of gratitude is owed to Anna Strout for getting UAP behind this, for locking down Sadat X and for the snacks--they really were needed 2 hours into the entire thing, to Clevins Browne and Zanetta King for all of your help--real youth mentors no doubt, to Martha Diaz, Abran Maldonado and NYU's Hip Hop Education Center for connecting me with Stadium Red and for their financial support in making this happen. And finally, a big thanks is owed to the Stadium Red staff (especially Juliet and Joe)! You guys embraced us for the few hours that we were there; It is an experience that these kids will never forget. You guys rock!

BronxBerlinConnection: A Transatlantic Bridge for Young People

2011-04-15T13:20:00.002-04:00

BronxBerlinConnection:
A Transatlantic Bridge for Young People

The BronxBerlinConnnection engages young people from New York City and Berlin, Germany in a year-round cross cultural exchange program that uses the mediums of spoken word and music—particularly, rap and hip hop—to explore and express the unique experiences of urban youth around the world, the critical challenges they face and the solutions necessary to enact change in their communities. Using the same beats, common lyrical themes and different languages on two separate continents this program works to not only produce multi-lingual, cross-cultural poems, songs and albums, but more importantly it seeks to engage today’s youth in a continual process of cultural exchange, raising forth critical dialogue and fostering mutual understanding. Thus far the BronxBerlinConnection has developed 2 full-length records, facilitated 3 international cultural exchange trips and filmed and released dozens of music videos and mini-documentaries.

April 17 – 26, a delegation of 18 German youth emcees, singers, beatboxers, visual artists and dancers will be in New York City on a Hip Hop cultural-exchange trip. They will be performing, attending workshops and meeting with youth from throughout the five-boroughs to engage in critical discourse about global urban youth culture and the medium of Hip Hop. If you would like to find out more about the BronxBerlinConnection, please contact Farbeon, NYC Program Director, farbeon@saywordentertainment.com.

Collaborating Organizations:
(Germany)
Gangway e.V.
American Embassy, Berlin
House of World Cultures
Goethe Institute
East Pak
Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung (Kreuzberg Children Foundation)
A variety of Youth Centers throughout Berlin
(United States)
Say Word Entertainment
New York University
City University of New York
CUNY Prep
Urban Word
German Consulate, New York City
Fordham University
Urban Art Beat
Queens Community House
Bronx United Parents
CultureHub
Urban Arts Partnership
DJ Scratch Academy
A variety of Hip Hop pioneers such as Afrika Bambaataa and Joe Conzo

Check out the following clips for more information:

Program Documentary

Promo video of our performance for the U.S. Ambassador to Germany

Project participants reflection from our most recent trip to Berlin for NYC youth.

Ohhhhh! So this is what I've been working for...

2010-09-11T18:47:00.008-04:00

Where to begin? I could start nearly a year ago...the last time I was on tour--connections made with like-minded spirits...visions of a youth exchange project: Berlin to New York City. I could begin with the creation of a collaborative musical project--Gangway Beatz Vol. 2, different languages and cultures unified through breakbeats and rhyme. Or I could begin with the last 3 months...hustling to secure the funding needed to make a day like today possible--Hip Hop I do believe!

The Berlin-Bronx Connection is a "year-round cross cultural exchange program that uses the medium of music--particularly, rap and hip hop--to explore and express the unique experiences of urban youth around the world, the critical challenges they face and the solutions necessary to enact change in their communities." What began as a discussion and desire amongst friends, colleagues and Hip Hop heads was made real today.

Over the next 10 days, we will be celebrating the release of our joint-album, performing at the United States Embassy in Berlin, conducting workshops on global urban youth culture and the medium of Hip Hop. From the hallowed halls of universities and community centers dedicated to Hip Hop culture to the cells of the Berlin Juvenile Detention Center, these youth (from Urban Word and CUNY Prep) will be holding down the culture and the City that gave birth to that culture.

I will do my best to document and reflect upon this transformational experience...forgive me if I fail to do it justice...

Peace,
Far

PS - Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated...hit me up with questions/comments...I'd love to see what your thinking...Say Word!

PPS - Check out a video for the first single from the album...Trading Bars...

Arizona - February 2010

2010-02-18T00:25:00.015-05:00

It’s extremely difficult to recap that last 8 days. I usually get so caught up in the moment that one day blends into the other. Thank God I take photos! For those interested…here’s what happened…

I was suppose to fly out on Wednesday the 10th—the day of the big blizzard. Realizing that we had just missed a HUGE storm the previous weekend and that we wouldn’t be that lucky this time around, I spent all of Monday morning on the phone with US Airways seeing if they could get me out a day earlier…thank God I did! I left on Tuesday, while Core’s and Rabbi’s Wednesday flights were cancelled…

I arrived in AZ to the temperature of 70 degrees, and spent the next 24 hours locked in doors working out a solo set for the nationally-renowned Blunt Club. My homies Doug “The Professional” Quick, Dumper Foo, Pickster One and DJ Element started this party back in 2002 when I was still living in AZ. Almost 8 years later they're still holding down authentic Hip Hop culture in the Valley. Pretty much everyone on the underground has rocked their stage…I’m just blessed to have been a part of it all...

 The next two mornings were spent at the Metro Arts Institute running a couple of workshops and a Master Class for some aspiring artists. I kid you not when I say that I could spend the rest of my life doing this kinda work! Working with High School students in an art-school setting made me realize how much of my time back in NYC is spent trying to prove to the powers that be that art—let alone Hip Hop can be an integral part to the learning process--that it can be a tool for social change.   The kids at Metro Arts really get it! Thanks to Kris Hill for hooking it up, and thanks to Fernando and Kerry for supplying the students...you should be extremely proud of them!

Core caught up with me in AZ for day 2 at the Metro Arts Institute, a recording session with Foundation and Universatile Music's Eyedea and Abilities show later that night in Snotts-dale…

Tuesday I ended my mini-tour of sorts at The Lost Leaf for Thriftshop’s Downtime party. The Lost Leaf is on a street of houses/galleries where 2 of my homies own property—one a print shop and the other an art gallery. Every time I come back to AZ I question what I'm still doing living in NYC (more like what am I still doing losing so much in rent each month instead of investing it into something more substantial--like a home)...and then I get restless...

 On a plane…back to the hustle and bustle of The City, I count my blessings…Hip Hop I do believe…until next time I remain thought in action…Peace!

Pay to the piper
what you owe, what you need.
Things will change,
just you see.

If tomorrow doesn't fulfill your wanting,
feed, sustain.
That will change.
It was meant to be.

Few and far between indeed...

2010-02-05T14:32:00.003-05:00

No real reason to try to recap the last 6 months of life other than to let you know...

1) In the middle of my last semester at NYU before I actually start working solely on my thesis. I'm developing my own Masters Degree in Hip Hop Re:Education, which looks at Hip Hop culture as a tool for activism and community building. My time thus far has been spent defining and refining an approach to my artistic craft that wholly embraces my role as an agent of change. Whether on stage, behind a camera or in a classroom (or all three at the same time) Hip Hop pedagogy guides my work. I'm focusing on 4 main areas of study: remix aesthetics, art for social change, the role of artist as ethnographer and the process of glocalization. Ultimately, I'm going to be organizing a mutli-medium, inter-disciplinary artistic exhibit (aka a Freestyle Monument) that tells the story of Hip Hop Re:Education.

2) I'm working as the NYC Program Manager for the Bronx-Berlin Connection, a youth intercultural exchange program serving youth both in Berlin and NYC. This past fall, 15 youth emcees from Berlin and their adult mentor emcees came to New York City for a Hip Hop immersion experience that I helped organize a few events/workshops for. Now I'm managing approximately 15 NYC youth in the development of tracks for an international compilation record. I'm running workshops with youth from CUNY Prep, Urban Word and Urban Arts Partnership. I'm organizing the actual recording sessions, which will begin in late February. Finally, I'll be working with partners at Gangway E.v., the German youth street organization that put this all together, and CUNY Prep to raise funds for a potential return-trip to Berlin for the release of the record next Fall.

3) I'm beginning to oversee the development of the Hip Hop Theater Initiative website in conjunction with Daniel Banks, Ph.D. and DNAWorks.

4) I've begun working with the Hip Hop Education Center housed at the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at New York University. Martha Diaz and the Hip Hop Association have put together a fierce team of Hip Hop activists, educators, scholars, artists and agents of change to:

a) be the leading institution researching and developing the Hip-Hop education field to support those interested in
empowering youth and reducing drop out rates, poverty, crime and violence.

b) provide resources and tools for extensive analysis on cross-discipline teaching and learning, and effective educational
equity techniques and collaborative models that impact student achievement and their communities.

c) serve as a catalyst for urban ecosystem upgrades and innovations to meet the needs of underprivileged and marginalized
people.

Right now I'm just helping organize their media library (which holds over 400 films!!!!) and helping facilitate a couple of youth programs, but I can't wait to be done with my school work, so that I can start doing more!

5) My next album is moving at a snails pace...I wonder why?

I hope to update this blog more frequently...if for any other reason but to procrastinate all the other shit I should be taking care of. LOL

I'm gonna be out west rocking a few shows, youth workshops and master classes next week, so stay-tuned for some thought food.

Peace,
Far

PS - Something to chew on for now...

Trying to catch up...Berlin, Koln and Leipzig...

2009-08-24T06:58:00.018-04:00

So it’s been almost 2 weeks since my last blog post. To say that it’s been difficult to put my experiences into words would be a vast understatement. I’ve rocked some pretty ridiculous shows and met even more amazing individuals all united by their love for music, art and independent culture.

The shows in Berlin and Koln were bananas! Both spots held down by similar stalwarts and purveyors of Hip Hop: LeBob in Berlin and DJ Cem in Koln. By far, Beatevolution Wednesdays at Cassiopeia and Beatpacker Thursdays at Subway 627 are two of the dopest Hip Hop parties that I’ve ever been to, let alone rocked.

A special thanks goes out to DJ Cem for putting Lokey and me up for almost 4 full days. I tell you what, trips like this would not be possible were it not for the kindness and hospitality of cats like Cem. Excellent host and an even better DJ, Cem’s generosity of spirit is known far and wide (I almost didn’t make the show, but at the strong encouragement of pretty much everybody I talked to in Berlin I HAD to make the trip…thank God I did!).

By last Wednesday Voltron had united (i.e., Rabbi D and Hired Gun were both in Berlin and the 3rd Party was in full-effect). J-Live and Trumastr arrived Thursday morning and we all made the 1 hour long train ride to Leipzig together. The venue, Conne Island, was dope, the show was great, but the catering might have been the best part…Ha! Ha! I guess NYC promoters have me use to begging for scraps, waiting for a late start and playing for a half-filled room because of ineptitude…or gratitude…things that make you go hmmmm...PS big ups to Andre from Conne Island and Roland from Velocity Sounds for holding us down. You're always welcome in NYC!

Well I’d continue, but the next stop was Hip Hop Kemp in Hradec Kralove, CZ…it's gonna take me a minute or two to process it all...Stay tuned for the update soon...

Manchester Stand Up! Agents of Change indeed . . .

2009-08-10T10:19:00.008-04:00

So I’m waiting at at London Heathrow for my connecting flight to Berlin. The show at Pangea was pretty solid, though the turnout was a little light. Rabbi and I easily rocked an hour-long set, and it was great to have DJ ZaJazza in town to back us up. Keep an eye out for ZaJazza’s, Rabbi’s and Hired Gun’ “Skillz to Take Brazil” project coming out in October...‘ish is gonna be fiya!

The next morning Rabbi, ZaJazza and myself took the train from Manchester to London and were greeted by an unexpected occurrence...sunshine! Baba Israel and Core Rhythm picked us up from the train station and we made the 5-minute journey to Baba’s RIDICULOUS apartment in Central Manchester.

It’s so great to see someone like Baba finally get his due. The cat’s been working the Hip Hop and Education hustle for quite sometime now. Let me just say that his set up in Manchester is SWEET! He is now the Director of Contact Theatre, Manchester's home for experimental theater. The space is dedicated to giving youth a place where they can grow, learn and make decisions as a young artist, audience members, organizers or leaders. No doubt that Baba is the perfect person to run it!

The show itself was exactly what we needed to keep the momentum going. There were easily over 100 people in attendance (mainly youth) and after enjoying a monster open-mic, a killer set by Core Rhythm and the inaugural running of Say Word’s “The Freestyle Pyramid” (which has found another home at Contact—Keep it going ya’ll!) Rabbi, ZaJazza and I rocked a 30 minute set. The Manchester heads came heavy with the love, dancing from word go. We pushed quite a bit of merch afterwords, but more importantly held down a pretty crazy cipher outside with all the youth.

I was wholly humbled by Contact Theatre, Manchester’s Art Community and Baba’s impending triumphs and successes abroad. I was most inspired however by the youth. Cat’s like Fabian (yes…we share the same name!) are really dedicated to Hip Hop, education and servicing the community. Hearing him ask Baba how to get involved with running workshops and how he knows that working with the community will allow him to follow his passion for music brought a smile to all our faces.

This morning I said bye to all the homies (and homegirl(s)—well really just Dawn—thank you for your hospitality) and began my journey to the next stop...Berlin! Get Up Stand Up 2009 continues...until the next time...Say Word!

Tea time in Hackney...Day 1 oh yeah!

2009-08-07T07:31:00.004-04:00

So I finally arrived at Appl Juic's crib in Hackney 3 1/2 hours after landing at Heathrow. My first trip on the Tube was pretty uneventful, and had it not been for a transit strike on the Overground, I probably would have arrived an hour earlier. Appl Juic immediately offered me a beer and he and I preceded to spend the next 4 hours sitting in his backyard talking about UK Hip Hop, Grime, British cultural sensibility and of course . . . Hip Hop education. Appl Juic, besides being a sick emcee, is a Supply Teacher (subsitute) here in Hackney. He's wholly dedicated to using Hip Hop as a means to teach disaffected and marginalized youth. ***Keep an eye out for the Trans-Atlantic youth project. Heck we're personally building on Hip Hop, no reason that our students shouldn't be...

Kernel of knowledge for the day: In many ways Grime developed independently of Hip Hop, and quickly became a way to distinguish UK emceeing from American-style rapping. Hip Hop in Germany had the German language, Hip Hop in France had French. The Brits had to create a new vocabulary, borrowing from the rhythms of Drum 'n Bass, to create something unique to the struggles and identity of its early pioneers. Check out The Barcodes DVD on-line for more info.

After walking 30 minutes in steady-rain, Appl Juic and I finally showed up at the Pangea Project. The spirit of the space quickly reminded me of the Bowery Poetry Club--independent culture for independent artists and thinkers. I'm a firm believer that there is at least one Pangea Project in every major city throughout the world. Our job is to find 'em and nurture the network...

Rabbi D showed up late last night and within 3 hours of his arrival we had already written a song, which brings me to the end of this post. ZaJazza (arriving from Lyon, FR this morning) is firing up Ableton and we're about to record. Then we're off to Pangea for tonight's show! Say Word! Until next time...growth...

Where do I begin? At JFK...

2009-08-05T21:42:00.003-04:00

So I've made it this far (British Airways Gate 5)...and I feel like I've already come back. So much preparation went into this tour (booking dates, promotion, merchandise and putting my life in order enough to leave for a month) that the actual travels seem like icing on the cake--which is a great place to be. Hardest part? Saying bye to my love Meredith...Easiest part? Counting my blessings...I'll hit you all up with a real blog-post soon enough...from the otherside of this pond called the Atlantic...TIll then? Peace...

Living the dream,
Far

PS - Stay tuned to www.saywordentertainment.com for tour dates and other details...

I need to post something . . .

2009-04-01T16:38:00.003-04:00

So the weeks have come and gone and you can be sure that I had tons of things to post up in the past month, but for some reason though I couldn't actually do it. The J-Live show was awesome! My Subcultural Performance class at NYU has been awesome (check out Tricia Rose's "sermon" [pt. 1 and pt. 2] from the 2009 State of the Black Union hosted by Tavis Smiley. Whoa!). Teaching has been awesome! Having my work camera stolen wasn't awesome (I have to drop 7 bills to replace it).

But today I just want to smile. Here's some music for your consumption:

If you like, check out more of their video songs. Also check out Jack Conte's music. I wish I could afford all of that equipment...my camera!!!!!

Artist of the Week...Wednesday @ Mercury Lounge...Slingshot Hip Hop!

2009-03-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

So three very distinct pieces of news, but all Hip Hop related . . .

1. I'm Adam B's Artist of the Week. Check out his blog for the up-close and personal interview. We discuss my next solo release, my work with the Alzheimer Poetry Project, my work as an Art-Educator and my graduate studies in Hip Hop at NYU...not your typical emcee, no?

2. I've got a really big show this Wednesday at Mercury Lounge w/ J-Live, Hired Gun, Rabbi Darkside and Oddy Gato. This is the first time that the 3rd Party has been on the same stage since we got back from our winter-break tourS. Oddly enough, this show is dedicated to all the youth educators and activists in NYC, even though it's on a Wednesday night. No need to worry though...doors open at 9:30, we're gonna get started promptly at 10:00, and the live-music will be done shortly after midnight. Add some Hip Hop to your Hump-Day! Hope to see you there! For more information, hit me up back-channel.

3. Finally, I saw another new Hip Hop documentary on cable last night. "Slingshot Hip Hop" tells the story of Palestinian Hip Hop. Looking closely at a few of the pioneer Palestinian Hip Hop crews in Israel and the occupied territories, the film explores the plight of the Palestinian people, the role that occupation has on youth culture and of course the pervasive power of Hip Hop. Say Word! Check out the trailer below . . .

You can check out the film On Demand--it's listed in the FREE On Demand movies...

Peace,
Far

Birth-Weekend...snow-day...and the bottomless cup...

2009-03-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

We'll start off this blog with the beginning of the week--and oh what a beginning it was! My birthday was Monday, March 2nd, and we were greeted with 10 - 12 inches of snow. Can someone say "Snow Day!"? Well, kinda...I work from home on Mondays and my NYU class wasn't cancelled, so in all reality, it was pretty much the same as every week. It's days like Monday that make you realize the meaning of the word "AWEsome". The snow kept coming and left a blanket of white powder over everything in its path.

Meredith and I spent the entire weekend celebrating my birth. Funny, but last year she planned an entire bowling extravaganza that we tried to replicate (if you were there, you know how awesome it was). Unfortunately, we didn't call, email or text anyone until the day of. Needless to say, no one showed up. Ha! Ha! However, everyone and their grandma left me a Facebook birthday wish. Not sure how to take it...do they care, or are they just lazy? Regardless, it was indeed the thought that counted. :) Thanks to everyone!

And so there was one common theme throughout the entire weekend...Can you guess?

Peace,
Far

PS - I've got 2 big shows this upcoming week...Wednesday, March 11th @ Mercury Lounge w/ J-Live and 3rd Party...and Friday, March 13th is the annual Pisces party at the Bowery Poetry Club. Hit me up if you want more information...

Choosing to Participate...Estilo Hip Hop...Say Word!

2009-02-26T19:36:00.001-05:00

So I've been back in the states for three days now. And though I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish I was back "living the dream": traveling by day, rocking at night, figuring out how to make a dollar out of 23 Crowns, I can honestly say that I'm happy to be home. My train rides have been a bit brighter; my day dreams have been a bit richer. And though I've been grustling since I woke up Tuesday morning...I'd have it no other way.

It's taken me about this long to get over jet-lag, get back into the swing things, and find something that's actually worth writing about. Well, actually, I guess I have a couple of things to write about . . .

I began working with the 12th graders at the Facing History School this week. They will be our first graduating class. And since I won't be returning to the school next year, I'm kinda looking at this semester as my graduation of sorts. I'm working with 60 teenagers on the development of independent art projects--to culminate with a gallery-style exhibition set for the end of May. It is time for my kids to "Choose to Participate." Throughout their time at FHS they've studied human behavior during times of chaos and fear (looking at the Holocaust, Apartheid and the Eugenics Movement). They understand how humans develop the roles of victim, perpetrator, bystander and upstander. And now in order to graduate, they need to define an area of social justice and use their voice to raise awareness and call for action. Not bad for a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds, huh?

On a related note, last night I saw one of the most relevant Hip Hop docs that I've seen in a minute. Estilo Hip Hop tells the story of three emcees from Chile, Cuba and Brazil who use Hip Hop to fight for change in their own lives and social justice in the community at large. Afterwards Vee and Loira (aka DJ Laylow)--who have been working on the film for 7 years-- dropped some serious knowledge regarding the political nature of much of the Hip Hop coming out of Latin America. I'm sure my Say Word cohorts Darkside and Gun know exactly what they're talking about. Peep their blogs for more info: Rabbi's Blog. . . Gun's Blog. Peep the trailer . . .

Spread the Word!

Peace,
Far

Packed and ready to go. Back to life...back to reality...

2009-02-22T16:22:00.001-05:00

There's not much left to say other than I'm exhausted and ready to get back to the states. We finished up the tour strong with our final show in Ceské Budejovice. There was a pretty bad snow storm, so the crowd was a little light. The people who were there, however, were definitely down for the cause. Big ups to everyone who bought a CD and signed my email list. Big ups to the Budejovice B-Boys for bringing full-flavor to the dance floor. And booooooo to the bartenders (I don't care how cute you think you are) who kept charging me for water (heck it was only like 50 cents, but it's the principle that counts).

Today Core and I went sight-seeing in Staromestske Namesti (aka Old Town Square). It dates back to the 12th Century, but what's even more remarkable than that are the many different styles that you'll find there: Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic. Much of Prague is a magical mixture of what would initially seem as conflicting aesthetics, but when actually viewed side by side Praha's metaphysical beauty becomes apparent.

We'll I planned on writing so much more, but I'm actually falling asleep at the keyboard. I think it's time for me to stop writing and go to bed. And with that...I end my travels abroad for the time being (I'll be back in Europe this summer--you mark my words). Awaiting me back in NYC is a 300 page book that I have to read by Wednesday, my last semester left teaching at the Facing History School (the craziest curriculum that I've ever tried to teach to date), an album 1/3rd of the way done, and the love a pretty little lady. :)

Thanks to those of you who actually read this. A special thanks to Meredith and Sarah for commenting--you two might be the only ones reading this. My ego is so bruised. Ha! Ha!

And the most special thanks goes to my SOULstice Brother, Core Rhythm. We rocked it and you didn't want to kill me after 10 days (at least I don't think so). Let's keep it moving in 2009--long cold winter and all . . .

Peace,
Far

PS - I'm gonna keep blogging. So keep tuning in. Peace out!

Where the East meets West...firing synapse...at the right place, at the right time...

2009-02-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

So ladies and gentlemen, hopefully I can cut to the chase quick enough that I can post all that I want to say in the next 20 minutes. I left my computer charger back in BK and I've been lucky enough to have Core lend me his, when he isn't Skyping with his girl (Shout out to Sarah-- let's see if she's really reading this...hmmmm...) or making the next banging beat...19 minutes...

Berlin is a city steeped in history and at the forefront of modernity. Walking around the streets, it's hard not to be taken back to the days of the Cold War. Bullet-holes still cover some of Berlin's most famous buildings. There are parts of Berlin where The Wall still stands. And yet, you're quickly brought back to reality when you find some of the most stunning examples of modern architecure, the trendiest of shops lining Friedrichstraße (street intersecting w/ Checkpoint Charlie), and a Starbuck's in almost every neighborhood (Modernity? Globalization? Annoying?).

Wednesday night was a great example of what can happen in Berlin. Core and I got the chance to check out the Check the Rhyme Tour, featuring Jeru the Damaja, The Beatnuts, The Alkaholiks, the Lordz of the Underground, and Paris at Club Maria in Ostbanhof. The capacity of this place had to have been near 1500 and it was packed to the brim! Core mentioned (and I quickly agreed--having organized and promoted shows in NYC for for about 7 years) that there's no way that this bill (regardless of how to dope it was) could draw 1000 people in the City. The people in attendance were live to say the least...its safe to say that Germans love classic American Hip Hop. And that Core, Alesh, Dowis and I had a hell of a time--minus the opening act--name unknown (heck, why is that the same throughout the world...how does the wackest dude always get to open up?).

Core and I missed the Lordz of the Underground (yeah, you heard that right! Straight from the 90's) because we had to get to Cassiopeia to set up to rock the after party. Though the club never really filled-in (I'm sure that the 5 hour show didn't end until around 2:00) we still managed to rock for about 100 - 150 people. I managed to sell all but 5 cd's that I had on me and we definitely had a chance to build with some important heads. Big ups to Bob from Beatevolution for lending us his stage and Iana the night manager from Cassiopeia for making sure that all was good. Pictures will be coming soon...

I woke up early on Thursday to run around Berlin and take care of some "business". I had a chance to interview MC Torch (aka DJ Haitian Star), one of Germany's early Hip Hop pioneers. Torch is credited w/ being the first German emcee to freestyle in German. Hip Hop traveled the Atlantic through movies like Beatstreet and Wild Style. For much of the 1980's many German emcees rapped only in English, with the goal of being considered authentic by American Hip Hop standards. Torch and his crew, Advanced Chemistry, were the forerunners of infusing German culture into their practice of Hip Hop. Needless to say, I learned a great deal...the ideas are spawning...keep an eye on this thread...

Alright ya'll, so I've got to get up and get ready to leave for Ceské Budejovice. Tonight will be our last show of the tour . . . I'm gonna let loose like no other (don't worry babe)! And sell the remainder of my CD's.

Hasta Luego,
Far

Cyphers of the world unite! Berlin baby! Berlin!

2009-02-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

So I've only got a few minutes to recap the last couple of days. I've been waking up around 6 every morning to keep up on my graduate school readings. And I actually was able to post my weekly response from half-way around the world. Funny, the class is looking at subcultures...i'm kinda living it right now.

Core and I featured last night at Bar 11 and EOW Germany's weekly build spot Finyl Lesson. Big ups to Dave and Bulet for holding us down! This room of mainly emcees and lyricists was fertile ground for Core and I to drop our set. The audience was pretty inspired. Cyphers went late!

Picture by Kapix

We went sight seeing today...big ups to Maria for showing us around. And letting us stay in her flat...she has a shower curtain! Oh the little things!

Well, I'm keeping everyone waiting. I'm out!

What's this? A day off? Say Word!

2009-02-16T05:13:00.000-05:00

So, it's currently about 30 degrees outside and snowing...needless to say that I'm a little jealous of my 3rd Party cohorts who find themselves touring around Brazil. But enough of that...the blessings are abound here in the Czech. Saturday night Core and I pretty much hit full-stride on our duet rocking potential. To say that the people of Novy Bor felt us would be an understatement. The sound was great! And Jaro held us down again with another freestyle jam (I got to sing a little rock and roll techno 'ish).

Yesterday, Core and I held a studio session w/ Jaro and Kuhzell (DaSka Records). Of course, Core killed it...and I well, that remains to be seen . . .

Trainwreck the language from the west to the east.
Mainstay marauder mastering mosh pits do we.
Soliders marching on the block down the front,
behind an iron curtain with my boots I do stomp.

Roll to rock rhythm rock to roll.
With us gots to go, cross the planet yo,
roll this rap you know rhythm rap we rock,
Gig ’n late night flights, amp the crowd to fight.

Amp the crowd tonight, tomorrow, Arabian nights.
Non-lost like docility—sub-terranean might
Bringing forth the culture and anti-Imperialist plight,
bring forth the fortress global mystery, and I

come captivate the masses.
Cross the airwaves rock this beat.
State apparatus train mi gente
so do we.
Face the facts, face yourself ser un hombre.
At the end of night with good people mas se dobre.

With intention make it always wonderful.
Undertow, underbelly, under constant surveillance so,
under lock and key and behind closed doors.
DaSka Records
now you know.

Today's been a catch up of sorts. I thought that we we're gonna do a TV taping earlier today, but things really got lost in translation...imagine that...Core and I moved to Kuhzell's apartment (big ups to my brother from another mother for holding us down-- more so to his girlfriend for letting him stay with her. j/k). Core and I are currently at Pantheon checkin' out this weekly emcee open mic. How many emcees must get . . . Nahhhh, not like that; the culture out here is really young. We forget that Communism fell only 20 years ago. Central and Eastern Europe is like the 80's energy revisited (probably only 50%, Core reminds me...the pioneers we're creating Hip Hop in the moment. Are these emcees trying to "re-create" that moment or create a moment of their own? A question to ponder...any ideas?)

Time for me to get to living. We're off to Berlin for a show tomorrow night and Wednesday! Berlin baby!

I'm addicted to the internet...

2009-02-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

Not really, but kinda...Anyways, Core and I came to Club Pantheon just to bask in the rays of free wi-fi for a few. Nothing like a Skype love-affair to keep the juices flowing (where are you Mer?). Heck sometimes you just need to reconnect with those back on the ground before you float out into space . . .

Anyways, last night was pretty dope. Pantheon filled in, and Core and I killed it. It's kinda funny to have cats get all wild on your music, and they don't understand a word that your saying. Needless to say, sometimes energy speaks louder than words. Talking to some heads from Manchester, they we're quite surprised by the tension in the room. They said that the energy we brought seems to be missing at a lot of parties out here. We sold some CD's, drank some drinks (thanks to those of you who kept buying us shots of Jameson), and met a great deal of people. Overall assessment: excellent start!

Highlights of day one:

1. Rocking Radio Wave w/ Ghonzaels and Philip TBC.
1. Freestyle Jam session w/ Jaro, Freaky, and Ivanhoe.
2. Getting to DJ for an hour after our set. I guess those Abelton lessons at Dubspot are starting to pay-off.
3. Watching how intense Czechs are about their Foosball.
4. The car service back to Dowis'.

So we've got a show tonight in Novy Bor and the next couple of days off. Finally, I get to be a tourist! My last 2 trips to Europe (my only 2 trips) were so jam-packed with work that I've yet to check anything out. Tuesday we head to Berlin for a couple of shows. Berlin baby! Now that's the move!

Check in soon,
Far

8:30 AM...Good morning Praha!

2009-02-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

So Core and I landed a couple of hours ago. Greeted by English signs wherever we turned (Duty-free shops still exist in this economy? I guess buying 'ish will get us out of this mess. Doh!!!), it was refreshing to leave the airport to the tune of 20 degree weather and the Czech morning sky. Dowis, working on 3 hours of sleep, picked us up and drove us back to his place in Zabehice in Praha 10. The streets were filled with those heading off to work and school children of all ages. Not much different than BK any given morning other than I don't understand a friggin' word that anyone is speaking! How cool is that?

Core's currently sleeping. Which is what I should be doing, but I've been talking to Dowis for the past hour. Dowis is a pretty amazing individual. Enough stories to fill a couple of volumes, he was just breaking down Czech national politics. A pretty nerdy conversation, I know, but now it's starting to all make sense. What makes sense? Not exactly sure, but all I know is that my global Hip Hop studies have begun.

We've got a radio interview set up for 7:00 to promote tonight's show. I'm really looking forward to getting some on-air freestyles in. You can actually check out live video of the interview on-line! Click here to Czech it out! Prague is 6 hours ahead of EST, so if your on Planet NYC, tune in at 1:00 pm!

We'll ya'll I'm 100% here...I'm looking forward to working out our set for tonight's show...heck, I'm looking forward to tonight's show. Core and I will be running everything off of Abelton. I knew those classes would pay off eventually--like immediately! Well, In the words of the famous Australian philosoper Morganics, "Hip Hop is my passport." Say what? Say Word!