Some think Hip-hop is merely a genre of music. For those in the know, it’s much more than that. Hip-hop is music, it’s an attitude, it’s art and a lifestyle. It’s a bridge between other cultures, more than it is a singular culture in itself. In the past, artists have dubbed themselves “Hip-hop” because they ...
The Apollo Theater in Harlem is historic both for the legendary performers who have graced its stage, and for the theater itself as a symbolic figure in the growth and evolution of black music in American history. On January 23rd, another landmark performance proved just how far music, cross-cultural understanding and action work towards bringing ...
Like watching an ant carry a morsel 20 times its size, seeing the diminutive, Nigerian-born singer Nneka belt about finding your own strength–you’re forced to believe in the impossible. You’re being confronted with its unlikely proof. With songs about un-asking, unadulterated love, or her own interpretation of the acronym V.I.P. (that’s “vagabonds in power,” and ...
Haiti has my brain spinning at untold RPMs: the initial shock at the magnitude of destruction; the frustration of feeling helpless; the melancholic embarrassment that comes from knowing we should have been caring all along. What has occurred is unfathomable, unintelligible, and maybe for some, even unforgivable. For most of us, it seems like the underlying tragedy is how neglected ...
UPDATE 2/5/2010 If you like to have fun while you do good, come to the SOIL fundraiser for the People of Haiti (www.oursoil.org) today, Friday, February 5th. Live performances by Haitian celeb Rosemond Jolissaint, and our good friends Bajah and the Dry Eye Crew, plus a whole host of DJs. The $10 door charge goes straight ...
I have had this album on constant repeat since I grabbed it a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with all our World Up people out there. You do not have to be a fan of world music to start tapping your feet or down right dancing to the extraordinary beats. Download this amazing ...
One year after Barack Obama’s historic election we are faced with a number of questions and varying ideas about what his presidency means. On January 20th, 2010 kahlil almustafa, aka The People’s Poet, author of “From Auction Block To Oval Office: 100 Poems For 100 Days” (MVMT Publishing, January 2010) will lead an ...
From Move Forward Music: “Last week, Blitz the Ambassador blew the roof off BB King’s in Times Square with a rousing performance that converted even the most skeptical spectators at The Roots/OkayPlayer Holiday Jammy. It was the perfect cap to a triumphant 2009 for Blitz the Ambassador, a year where he introduced his groundbreaking Afro-influenced ...
STAFF NOTE: We heard about Benj Binks a while ago when we saw the trailer for his film Mongolian Bling. When a friend, and former World Up contributor, brought CDs and mixtapes of some buck wild beats mixed with traditional Mongolian styles, like Tuvan Throat singing, from her travels in Mongolia, we had to hear more. ...
Our folks Nomadic Massive, of Montreal, will be joining Spanish Harlem greats San Juan Hill, for the next installment of The Afro Latin Soul Music Series happening in Brooklyn tomorrow. (details below) The Afro Latin Soul Music Series is a dance party and live music international celebration, that showcases up and coming Artists, Bands and ...
