Secret Garden Party 2010

So, I was performing at Secret Garden party this weekend. It was a crazy weekend of poetry, dubstep, lakes, fires, fancy dress, techno, grass, hills, pills, thrills etc.

It was also a weekend of weird coincidences exemplified by this video. You might recognise the busker from the Protect ya Neck clip I put up a couple of weeks back. I was telling a friend at the festival about the clip when we stumbled upon him playing at the side of a path. We stopped and rocked with him and this drew a crowd that led to this video clip being made and this post finally concluding with some sense...

btw. the wwooohhh!! is me and the guy in the white jacket is fellow poet Angry Sam

Old Man Raps

High production values; convincing character acting; subtlety, reflection and honest real talk about emotions are not often found within the fabric of a rap video, but Bambu's Old Man Raps, directed by Patricio Ginelsa is a pleasant and mature departure from the strip bar aesthetics of the majority of mainstream artists peddling porn in place of art.

Bambu describes himself as:

a dad, a comrade, an organizer, an artist, a worker, a fan, a soldier, a thinker, a do-er and a fighter until death.

...why so humble? add to that list, actor, lyricist, activist and fund-raiser and you can see why Bambu's old man raps carry the weight of authenticity and authority that they deserve.

The sound of the beast

Working in schools with teenagers, I hear reports of police intervention in young peoples lives escalating at an alarming rate. There are police in schools; community officers in the surrounding parks; numerous stop & search reports; increased DNA sampling, court orders, ASBOs and electronic tags being wielded against some of society's youngest and most vulnerable wards.

However, if you want to really see how to get the policing of young people wrong, there is always America leading the developed world in it's quest to destabilise, incarcerate and disenfranchise our future leaders. The recent trial of a white police officer for murdering (oops, manslughtering actually) black Oakland resident, Oscar Grant, is a recent example to add to the immeasurable list of police abuses against the innocent being covered up and degraded through the lenient sentencing of perpetrators of institutional homicide.

As the numbers of police on our streets increases while their training, wages and entry requirements decrease, so this pattern of brutality will continue to require the collusion of a justice system that serves those that police at the expense of those that are policed.

Answers on a postcard to your local MP.

R.I.P. Oscar Grant 27/2/1986 – 1/1/2009

D.M.C. World Finals - 15/07/2010

So, it's DMC Finals tomorrow night at Islington Academy. In preparation for one of the world's most niche music awards, here are some of my top DMC sets:

The youth of today

Check out this track recorded by a group of students (Olivia Burgess, Hana Mustafa, Marcell John, Della Aheto) and a teacher (Thomas Owoo) I work with in school. The students are active campaigners for War Child and made this track in support of a War Child campaign to get child victims of war into schools, as well as a reminder of governments promise to have all UK children reading by 2015 - despite proposed education cuts.

The students will be performing the track for the first time this Saturday at Kingsbury High School as part of the school's cultural show Diversity.

The lyrics were re-written during a student advocacy team workshop and we recorded it last Thursday in a swift 2-hour session. I mixed the track that night and it went of to War Child the following day. War Child have initially responded by saying they are interested in linking the students up with the original artists for a possible collaboration. If that happens, I will definitely forgive myself for the dodgy quality of the recording and mixing.

represent...

...and this is the original track that inspired the re-write, which is also a reworking of The Killers, All These Things That I've Done, which was apparently an idea from Bono.

Mick and Jeff in the mix...

Your summer is here.

Still unsure? Below are 49 reasons to download this SICK mixtape:

1. Summertime Intro
2. Kool & The Gang: Summer Madness (Live Version)
3. Kool & The Gang: Summer Madness
4. Quincy Jones: Summer In The City
5. Ahmad: Back In The Day
6. Ice Cube: It Was A Good Day
7. Roy Ayers f/ Mary J Blige: Everybody Loves The Sunshine
8. Pharcyde: Passin’ Me By (Ffej Remix)
9. Jay-Z f/ Babyface: Sunshine
10. Ramsey Lewis: Sun Goddess
11. A Tribe Called Quest: Find A Way (Ffej String Edit)
12: Bush Babies f/ Mos Def: The Love Song
13. Jodeci: Get On Up
14. The Commodores: High On Sunshine
15. J Dilla f/ Dwele : Think Twice
16. Erick Sermon f/ Marvin Gaye: Music (Mick’s Marvapella Edit)
17. Bernard Wright: Who Do You Love
18. LL Cool J: Loungin’
19. A Tribe Called Quest: Hot Sex
20. Main Source: Live At The BBQ
21. Nuyorican Soul: Nautilus
22. Pharcyde & Sublime: Summertime
23. Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff: Summertime Remix
24. Michael Jackson: I Can’t Help It
25. De La Soul: Breakdawn
26. Musiq: Just Friends
27. Carl Thomas: Summer Rain
28. Faze-O: Riding High
29. Dionne Warwick: Walk On By
30. Skee-Lo: I Wish
31. Black Moon: Who Got The Props
32. Frankie Beverly and Maze: Before I Let Go
33. Nu Shooz: I Can’t Wait
34. Montell Jordan: This Is How We Do It
35: The Roots f/ George Benson: Breezin’
36: Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff: Time To Chill
37. Biggie: Can’t You See
38. James Brown: The Payback
39. En Vogue: My Lovin’
40. Bobby McFerrin: Sunshine Of My Life
41. Fifth Dimension: Let The Sun Shine In
42. Mos Def: Sunshine
43. Nine: Whatcha Want
44. Otis Redding: Sittin’ On The Dock
45. 2Pac: I Get Around (Mick’s String Edit)
46. Zapp: Computer Love (Terry’s Mirage On The Water Mix)
47. Seals And Croft: Summer Breeze
48. Jay-Z: Dear Summer
49. Weldon Irvine: Morning Sunrise

Got a 50th reason? Leave it in the comments box - peaCe

I just gotta blog it...

How can the blogger spell-checker not recognise the word 'blog' ?...or 'blogger' for that matter...??!!

Still, its not as strange as this (or cool!)

Get hitched in Soho tonight with Curious

Salena Godden and the Book Club Boutique present a night of weddings, words and weirdos. A very eclectic group of poets, musicians, party animals and priests will be rocking this Greek Street spot tonight for the enjoyment and happily-ever-afterness of a strong and loyal crowd.

The BCB facebook says:

We invite you to: GET HITCHED! GET COMMITTED!
A marriage of Books, Booze and Boogie-Woogie!

Date:	Friday, July 2, 2010
Time:	7:00pm - 11:30pm
Location:	THE HOUSE OF ST BARNABAS, QSOHO
Street:	1 GREEK STREET, CORNER OF SOHO SQ

Dress Code:
Strait Jackets / Top Hats & Wedding Dresses / A Ball and Chain.

Starring: MELISSA MANN. ROBERT AUTON. CURIOUS.
STUART EVERS. TONY WHITE. MALCOM BENNETT

Plus we'll hear from our very own...
MICHAEL CURRAN of Tangerine Press and DWANG 2 superstars:
JENNI FAGAN. JOE RIDGWELL. THE DERZ

PLUS live music from goddess poetess singer songwriter: LISA LORE and BCB favourite the wonderful CLAIRE NICOLSON

Hosted by Yours Generally, SALENA GODDEN
Starring the New York chic of Ms MAX DORAY and the legendary COBALT STARGAZER in THE BOOK CLUB BOUTIQUE BAND

Check out what the press say and then make your mind up to come and get committed (in one sense or another).