“Untitled” was not the first choice by Queens, N.Y., hip-hop legend Nas for his latest album, which explores black America: its ups and downs, pros and cons, stereotypes and culture. His first choice was “N*****,” like, with an “er” at the end. While it’s not hard to see why Columbia Records would not want that, it doesn’t change the fact that Nas succeeds in creating a politically conscious hip-hop record, a pretty difficult feat considering the majority of the fare on MTV nowadays.

From the opening bars of “Queens Get the Money,” which is basically just a few piano loops and Nas, it’s pretty clear that this untitled album – which features the Queens MC with an “N” whipped into his back – is not by the same kid that brought us “Illmatic.”

Read more here……’Untitled,’ by Nas, explores black America with depth - Utica, NY 13501 - The Observer-Dispatch

Tags: hiphop, music, graffmuseum, NYC, culture, Nas, Rap, music, sast, saster, streets are saying things

Rock Steady Crew Announces 31st Anniversary Events - July 24-27 in NYC and NJ

Rock Steady Crew Announces 31st Anniversary — July 24-27, 2008 in New York and New Jersey — Presented by: Backspin Productions and Red Bull

New York (PRWEB) July 7, 2008 — As Hip Hop continues to thrive and influence today’s mainstream pop culture after three decades of growth, the world-famous Rock Steady Crew is on the verge of their 31st Anniversary. The historic four-day celebration kicks off in New York City beginning Thursday, July 24 with the legendary Celebrity Benefit Basketball Challenge, and will wrap on Sunday, July 27 with the Outdoor Concert in Newark, New Jersey as an official event at the Third Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival.

Since its inception in 1977, The Rock Steady Crew has upheld the vision of great B-boys and B-girls who have redefined modern day dance and Hip Hop art. Throughout their career, RSC has showcased their skills from the streets to Carnegie Hall to the Royal Variety Performance for the Queen of England. They were honored at the first VH1 Hip Hop Honors, and have appeared several TV shows, including NBC’s Dancing With The Stars. Additionally, Crazy Legs has performed in films and on Broadway, and has choreographed videos and appearances for celebrities including John Leguizamo, Wyclef John and Moby.

Each year, Rock Steady Crew President Crazy Legs coordinates the anniversary in conjunction with the Backspin Productions team to produce the best events possible for the enjoyment of everyone who attends.

“Our goal is to always provide the global community with a nice balance of Hip Hop that caters to people who support all elements of our culture,” explains Crazy Legs. “This year we will be honoring the legacy of Wayne ‘Frosty Freeze’ Frost, who recently passed away on April 3, 2008. Frosty Freeze was one of the last B-boys who embodied the very DNA of the original style, character and moves that existed when this dance began in the early ’70s.”

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For a while last year, Anthony Cabezas’s most popular T-shirt design was one that declared “I♥BX.” He printed 600 of them in his South Bronx studio and sold them wholesale for $10 apiece. Not long after they hit the stores, he said, thousands of cheaper ones hit the streets.

“I made $1,000 and then it was over,” he said. “Then it just took off over the five boroughs, when the stores on 27th Street and Broadway started making them and flooded the market. Those guys do everything that is popular and they sell them cheap, 3 for $10. I♥BK, I♥DR, everything.”

READ MORE HERE……A T-Shirt Brand for Bronx Lovers - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog

Tags: graffiti, graff, graffmuseum, sast, saster, streets are saying things, tees, art, bronx, BK, NYC, clothing, tees, hip hop

BROOKLYN—Alphabeta, a new graffiti art supply store based in Greenpoint, is generating a backlash from anti-vandalism advocates, reports AM/New York.

“I am determining what, if any, steps to take against it,” said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., a democrat from Queens, who compared the store to a criminal supply shop. “Maybe I should work to get a police camera outside [the store].”

Alphabeta owner Leif McIlwaine, 24, describes the store as “a professional graffiti arts supply store and gallery.” It has about 800 square feet of retail space, as well as a 5,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor gallery, which will be used for shows and as a space for graffiti artists to paint. In addition to spray paint, the store sells graffiti-culture accessories, such as boom boxes and throwback sneakers.

READ MORE HERE…….Brooklyn Graffiti Supply Store Ignites Fears of Vandalism - ARTINFO.com

Tags: graffiti, graff, graffmuseum, sast, saster, streets are saying things, Brooklyn, NYC, art, paint, vallone, alphabeta

July 4 (Bloomberg) — A mural from the Colony Room, a club frequented by artists such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Damien Hirst, and a traffic barrier spray-painted by Banksy, will be the star lots of a London urban-art sale in September.

Michael Andrews’s 15-foot-long household paint-on-Hessian mural of picnickers had decorated the walls of the drinking club since the 1950s, said Ben Hanly, contemporary-art specialist at the Edinburgh-based auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull.

Read more here………Bloomberg.com

Tags: Graffiti, graff, Graffmuseum, Sast, Saster, Streets Are Saying Things, Banksy, London, Art, Stencil