Kooley High are an up-and-coming rap collective based in Raleigh, North Carolina looking for their first big break. This documentary follows each of the five members -- rhyme-spitters Tab-One, Charlie Smarts, and Rapsody, plus producers Foolery and The Sinopsis -- working their 9-to-5's during the day, while at night, the crew rock the mic at a rap show.
You want to know what real hip-hop is? It's all about the grind.
But you know I had to write something on the late and great beat maestro J Dilla (aka Jay Dee). Today, marks the third anniversary of his untimely death. The studio wizard passed away Feb. 10, 2006 from lupus, a debilitating disease that his mother, Maureen Yancey (aka Ma Dukes) is now suffering from.
For the entire month of February (Dilla Month!), J Dilla's expansive musical legacy is being celebrated on the Internets and at a club near you this week. So we gotta show some love to our hip-hop hero. J Dilla, you may be gone, but you have not been forgotten. Keep it banging up there in heaven.
Without further ado, here are some tributes:
Hip-hop is a worldwide culture and nothing proves that more than this video clip of concertgoers in Paris going ape shit over Dilla's music. DJ House Shoes spun the tracks at this "Thank You Jay Dee/ Free Your Funk" celebratory birthday jam for J Dilla. Check out the video:
Tonight (Feb. 10), J Dilla's hometown of Detroit is showing
its love for their native son with a special concert suite, Detroit for Dilla.
If you are in the D, this is a "don't-you-dare-miss-it" event.
On Valentine's Day night (Feb. 14), Los Angeles will honor J Dilla with their special tribute concert, Nightlife: Songs in the Key of D. The event takes place at the Echoplex with turntablist group The Beat Junkies (J. Rocc, Babu, Rhettmatic, Mr. Choc) will be spinning the Dilla Joints. All proceeds from the show will go to Ms. Yancey. Now that what's up.