Circa '78

Here it is in all of it's glory enjoy!

http://limelinx.com/files/8e6c447961fa0e1859d8521180207883

Circa '78 finally at last!!!

This album is definitely a treat as well as a journey for me. I really put my heart and soul into it and held it close for a while and I will finally be releasing it at midnight tonight. This is really a hip hop album in my opinion and I put together all of the elements of music that I have grown to love over the years. The artwork was crafted by Brandon Collins and Alex Goose(also a super producer). Unfortunately all that remains is the logo that you see. When most of my equipment was stolen they also took the hard drive that contained the rest of the artwork. Oh well, music still intact. In this project you will also see all of my many facets that make me who I am as an artist. Everything was carefully crafted and planned out to a tee. The features are perfect, of course my team (Nom, Ology, Rashnl, Ko, Smooth)Britney Bosco, Chelsea Zan, and Lady Dex blessed me with the best vocals ever. Enough, just listen for yourself and hit me up and let me know what you think. But in the meantime catchup...

Here you go folks. This is a collection of all of the mixtapes that I have done thus far. In this pack you get:

Eye Of The Tiger mixtape

Eye Of The Tiger 2: Life Through Lenses (hosted by Santiago)

Death Of The Arcade (hosted by Dj Swisher)

Unreleased Material

Enjoy!!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=56YDST5A

Ghetto Edutainment September 9th, 2006 WHCJ 90.3 FM

A few years ago I was living in Savannah GA. While there I met some great people dedicated to the love of good music. One thing led to another and I got a chance to host my own radio show out of Savannah State University, WHCJ 90.3 FM. Here at the show is where I met my dude, my brother, my partner in crime and head of this blog spot M.A.F.A.M.A.D.I.X. 

 My homeboy Ren who I was originally hosting my radio show with brought in MAF while I was in Iraq. I got back and MAF and I were introduced... and the rest, as they say, is history. The name of the show was "Ghetto Edutainment" and it aired two times a week. Saturday nights from 1-4 AM which we called "Suped Up Saturdays" and Monday evenings from 6-8 PM which we called "Maniac Monday." The Monday show was live as opposed to the Staurday night show which was pre-recorded on Friday nights.

Let me just say this, and I know I speak for everyone involved with the show, WE LOOKED FORWARD TO FRIDAY NIGHTS ALL WEEK LONG. It was our escape from the real world, that show was our real world where we were able to spend the most valuable moments with our first true love "Hip Hop." The times we had in that small soundproofed studio will forever be some of the greatest times of my life.

This entry into the blog will showcase the radio show. Big-up to my peoples who had an integral part of the show. Of course my brother M.A.F.A.M.A.D.I.X. One of the greatest Hip Hop loving, incredibly talented MCs I know Figero Baunchi. And of course I cannot forget the coolest brother in the SAV Doc Oct. Doc Oct was one of the last members of the Sound Squad. He is a great DJ, not to mention a vinyl expert. He is the only other brother I know that I can truly say may love Hip Hop as much as I do and I love him for that. I cannot forget my dude Rashnl, he stepped off to the ATL to do bigger and better things. Rashnl had an incredible appreciation for the lyrical aspect of Hip Hop, something that has absolutely no part in about 80 percent of todays Hip Hop, I miss ya Rashnl, hope all is well. 

Theses were all and still are my brothers. There's no more GHETTO EDUTAINMENT, no more radio station and no more gatherings, but we will always have our memories... and I now share them with you.

Enjoy.

WHCJ 90.3 FM Ghetto Edutainment September 9, 2006 Part 1

WHCJ 90.3 FM Ghetto Edutainment September 9, 2006 Part 2

Organized Konfusion - Stress (The Extinction Agenda)

This joint goes out to my dude from another time, Mr Richie Rich. I don't know if you have a copy of this on CD or cassette Rich but here you go. Love you brother.

Enjoy.

Organized Konfusion - Stress (The Extinction Agenda)

"Why I Love Hip Hop" Written By Blogspot Contributor, Alvin A.M. Northern

In all honesty, I’ve tried to write this piece for a few weeks now.  The only thing that has remained the same is the title, Why I Love Hip Hop.

            I thought about telling how Hip Hop is the modern-day equivalent to the Bacchanalian or Dionysian festivals of ancient Greece and Rome, but I figured that would be too much to discuss in such a short period of time.  Then I thought about the other music forms that I love, namely the Blues, R&B, and Reggae.  Out of those, I thought about how much Hip Hop is like the Blues, and how MCs have turned into the Bluesmen of our time: Jay-Z is the new Muddy Watters or BB King, Lil’ Kim the new Big Momma Thornton, and on and on and on.  And again, as true as that may be, that’s not why I love Hip Hop either.

            I love Hip Hop because no matter what I’m feeling, no matter how good or bad things are going, there is a Hip Hop song that relates to me.  It is my music.  It is a part of my culture.

            Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I can remember in the mid-80s when the teenagers and young adults would gather for block parties, splicing wires from the power lines outside to power these insanely huge and powerful speakers, blasting LL Cool J “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” (which happens to be the first TAPE I ever bought with my own money), or Run DMC “Peter Piper,” and although we might laugh at it now, “Let’s Get it Started” and “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer used to have everyone dancing.  Be honest: You had a pair of “Hammer pants!”

            Even though I was young I could feel the energy emanating from the swarming masses in the street, looking at them from my Living Room window (I couldn’t go outside after the street lights came on.  As a side note, maybe parents need to get back to parenting their kids and not blaming the music their kids are listening to for the problems at home.  But that’s just me…).  Guys with fake Dookie ropes, girls shaving off half their hair on one side to get the new Salt-N-Pepa hair style just right, all just having a good time.  It all seemed surreal to me.

                                   

            As I got older, the block parties went away, but the energy was constant.  Instead of splicing power lines, there were basement parties and Empire Skating Rink.  We had the emergence of the West Coast and, contrary to popular opinion, everybody liked Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg when they came out.  Yes, even us do-or-die New Yorkers.  We could still party, hang out, and do all of that stuff, but Hip Hop added another dimension: Gangsta Rap.

            In August of 1991, there was a riot in my area of Brooklyn, Crown Heights.  All the information in the online encyclopedias says the riots were only three days, but if you lived there, you know that the repercussions lasted much longer.  Put it like this: My parents sent me to Baltimore for the rest of the summer to stay out of trouble.  Baltimore.

            Here’s a quick synopsis of what happened: (this is not to be historically accurate, but to give you an idea of what was going on.  If you want to know the real specifics, look up the Crown Heights Riots.) A caravan of cars carrying some Hasidic Jewish leaders accidentally struck a young Black boy.  The privately-owned Jewish ambulance came to check on the Jewish members of the caravan and refused to take the boy to the hospital.  Originally, the driver that struck the boy was not arrested by the police that were already on the scene, and the boy died waiting for the public ambulance.  As a ten-year-old boy, this was a shocking introduction to race relations.  The Jewish ambulance wouldn’t take the boy because he wasn’t Jewish.  As I type this I can remember all the confusion and anger I felt when this was happening.  I was mad at the ambulance company.  I was mad that the cold peace in my neighborhood was disintegrating.  I was mad at the police for not taking any action, and I couldn’t understand why.  Enter NWA, “F*ck the Police,” Ice-T “Cop Killah,” and other rap songs that seemed to describe – in a way my young mind could not fully articulate – the anger one has when the society that is supposed to help and protect him or her fails.  The early 90s were also the “Pax Romano” of the crack era, and Wu Tang Clan “C.R.E.A.M.,”  and Notorious BIG “Things Done Changed,” described what I saw on a regular basis just walking to and from the Bodega.

 

            Some people say that Gangsta Rap is nothing but violent, misogynistic and evil.  They say that it glorifies some of the greatest indignities of society and it is just another way to increase a sexist bravado.  To some extent, they may be right, but that’s not all it is.  Spiritual beliefs aside, when I’m angry I don’t feel like saying, “Oh, rats!”  I want to use a few four-letter words in streaming fashion.  When I haven’t eaten for two days, I understand why someone would be willing to do almost anything for a sandwich.  When you feel you are part of a forgotten community, it’s natural to be furious and to scream for people to listen.  I’m not saying that I agree with some – or even most – of what these artists say, but I take my criticism with a grain of salt.  For those that don’t understand, all I can say is, “You had to be there.”

            Around that same time I started listening to Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest.  Their subtle and overt overtones of Black Nationalism seemed to hit home with me.  To this day, The Low End Theory is one of my favorite albums.

            Today, I must admit that I listen to more “old” stuff than new.  Life After Death is, in my opinion, the greatest Hip Hop album ever recorded, and I remember waiting in line at Beat Street to buy it like it was yesterday – then I remember that was over 13 years ago.  But that’s not to say I don’t appreciate a lot of things that are played now.  I am not a big fan of Dirty South Hip Hop, but I appreciate that it’s brought back a lot of the party and dance flavor that has been absent for years.  I still love Jay-Z, OutKast, T.I., and even Lil’ Wayne is starting to grow on me.  I mix it up with a little Lupe Fiasco, Dead Prez, and Wale.  I’m also still into the underground scene with people like Papoose and Little Brother.

            So why do I love Hip Hop?  Because Hip Hop grew with me.  When I was a child and all I could think about is having fun, it partied with me.  When I thought my parents were crazy, it told me “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”  As I got older it told me to “Protect Ya Neck,” and to “Fight the Power.”  When I started noticing that girls had breasts and booty it told me “I Need a Freak” CamRon and to find an “Around the Way Girl” to have “Mind Sex” and, that ultimately, “I Need Love.”  When friends of mine passed away it let them know that “I’ll Be Missing You.”  When I started working and didn’t have as much time to hang out with my friends, I was able to tell them you “Can’t Knock the Hustle.”  When the Mississippi Mass Choir wasn’t doing it for me at the moment it gave me “Dear Holy Hip Hop” and “Revolutionary Theme Muzik.”  When I look back and realize that I should have had my college degree years ago and how different my life could have been, Hip Hop told me “You gotta learn to live with regrets” Jay Z.  As I get older and still feel young at heart, Hip Hop let me know that “30’s the new 20.”

 

When I’m angry, Hip Hop fights and screams for me.  When I’m sad it consoles me.  When I feel misunderstood, Hip Hop tells my story.  When I’m happy, Hip Hop energizes me…  And it’s been doing so for the past 28 years.  All in all, I love Hip Hop because I couldn’t see my life without it.

Peace, Luv and Respect to All,

~Alvin A.M. Northern

A Hip Hop Head