The Anti-Mixtape.

New York Is Red Hot: The Anti-Mixtape by Superbizzee on Mixcloud

Summertime still smokin'.

Free Wax Poetics/ Skull Candy event featuring Erykah Badu TONITE (NYC)

Don't beef with the door man if you can't get in...knowing you didn't show up 'till aroun' 1AM. Get there early. That's all I gotta say.

The Evolution of Tanyayette Willoughby

Question: How many folks can put on their resume that they've written two top 10 R&B singles, one of which was also a top 40 pop single...






a top 40 R&B single featuring the vocal prowess of a young Luther Vandross...




contributed vocals and lyrics to an album by a jazz luminary...




AND was part of a major label group with lauded jazz fusion drummer/ percussionist Lenny White at the helm...



...all by the age of 20? To quote Carl Carlton, It's safe to say that singer-songwriter-violinist Tanyayette Willoughby is a bad mama jama. You may not know her name, but you definitely know her hits:



...and



...and



But now, under the moniker TanyaBe, she's turning a new page in her illustrious career with the release of her new album Elz Ancillary Accessory!




Nearly a decade in the making, the album is a fine-tuned double disc collection of 30 dynamic songs. “I did that because we’re living in a mixtape world,” says the New York City native. “You can have any number of songs on a mixtape.” The album finds Willoughby bravely defining her newly minted signature sound: millennium soul. “I call it millennium soul because it encompasses all people, places, and things,” she explains. “It starts off with gospel, goes into jazz, R&B, fused with hip-hop. Everything is tasteful.” Check out the lead single "Mistakes," featuring 15-year-old New Jersey native Lara Begg:



Download your copy of Elz Ancillary Accessory at Digistation today!

New York Is Red Hot: The Un-Mixtape

Beat the heat with some funky treats.

SUPERBIZZEE BLAST-OFF!!

After dragging my arse for many a year, I've finally decided to build a virtual shrine to myself. Well...almost. Go to www.superbizzee.com and visit my new website! You can check out some of my journalism and get a taste of what I've been up to professionally. Enjoy!

Don't forget to VOTE!

Vote EVERY DAY until January 31st to help us win a $5,000 grant from Pepsi!

Go to http://pep.si/gqSdYE or text 104919 to Pepsi (73774)

2010 List (drumroll please)

I hate to be the Debbie Downer here, but let's face it...there was definitely a famine of mainstream musical greatness last year. I'm not sure of the cause, but it seems like major label artists were less inspired to produce groundbreaking, sonically pleasing art. There were a few gems in the ocean, but mostly plundered treasures and sunken ships. That probably explains my increasing propensity towards unearthing forgotten treasures from decades past. Looking at the my iPhone, more than 60% of the music on it was created before 2000.

2010 also saw me delving further into the beat scene. There's such a wealth of refreshing talent hidden right under the noses of the general public. The beat scene seems to be one of the few sub genres of music that has managed to not only skillfully sustain a balance of ingenuity and innovation but also a strong sense of promise, self containment, and integrity. These factors alone are usually the breeding grounds for the "next big thing." Check the pop culture resume. Hopefully the integrity will remain intact should that scene ever be tossed into the mainstream where the only rule is sink or swim.

So in a time where big name mags (online & digital) and blogs tailor their year end lists to the "influence" of their sponsors, I present to you my list of what floated MY boat last year. There...I said it.

Singles:


1. H.O.P.E. - "Me & Her"


2. Consequence - "Got Me Trippin' (The Amerie Joint)"


3. Ne-Yo "Champagne Life"


4. Andreya Triana "Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix)"


5. OK GO "White Knuckles"


6. Theophilus London "Calypso Blues"


7. Saigon "The Greatest Story Never Told"


8. Onra "Long Distance"


9. Nas & Damian Marley "As We Enter"


10. Aloe Blacc "I Need A Dollar"


11. Usher "Little Freak (feat. Nicki Minaj)"


12. Kelis "4th Of July (Fireworks)"


Albums & EPs:


1. Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society


2. Space Invadas - Done It Again EP


3. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid


4. Pursuit Grooves - Fox Trot Mannerisms


5. Gonjasufi - A Sufi & A Killer


6. Flying Lotus - Pattern + Grid World EP


7. Mark Ronson & The Business INTL - Record Collection


8. H.I.S.D. - The Weakend


9. Diddy Dirty Money - Last Train To Paris


10. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma


11. Black Keys - Brothers

Help We The People win $5,000 (Pepsi Refresh Everything)!!

Thanks to all who helped my photojournalism/ book project We The People: The Citizens of NYCHA in Pictures + Words get to the World Festival of Black Arts & Cultures (also known as Fesman 2010) in Senegal last month! We're still reeling from the experience. But on the cusp of this new year, we call upon you for yet another favor. As of today, We The People is competing for a $5,000 grant in the Pepsi Refresh competition! Spread this link to all your family and friends and vote every day until January 31st!

http://pep.si/gqSdYE


Don't forget to visit our website!

GuSHee is the Future.

Whenever I hear about fearless Black folks stretching out in the full range of their creative genius, I'm immediately interested. Whether I actually like the art or not is irrelevant. The fact that the some Black folk have the gumption to buck trend and push the envelope always inspires my higher self and gives hope for the future generations. Black artists have always been in a purgatory state, smacked from the right with the pressure to perpetuate the mainstream stereotypes and sucker punched from the left to "stay in your lane" and "get money." Black folks are a diverse and dynamic people. To be beholden to a monolithic consciousness and aesthetic is ludicrous. We express ourselves in a myriad of ways. None of them any less "Black" than the other.

Which brings me to GuSHee. When I first heard about the early sketchings of this duo last year, my ears involuntarily perked up. Comprised of the otherworldly beatsmith and Red Bull Music Academy alumni Pursuit Grooves and Toronto-based soundscape artist Pro-EF, GuSHee is definitely on some other ship! And even though they're a dope musical collaboration, that's only one aspect of it. They're also making inroads into the curatorial world. From the Western hemisphere and beyond. Their understanding and manipulation of electronic music production is unparalleled. So all you museums, art galleries, and festivals, GET AT EM!!! Check their music on the link above. And remember...GuSHee is the future.

Contact: gusheefly@gmail.com

We The People: The Citizens of NYCHA in Pictures + Words (a photojournalism project)

We The People: The Citizens of NYCHA in Pictures + Words (trailer) from Rico a.k.a. Superbizzee on Vimeo.

My good people! After a year of hard work, I give you We The People: The Citizens of NYCHA in Pictures + Words! An unprecedented photojournalism project!! I don't think I've worked on anything in my life! Photographer Shino Yanagawa and myself have been working diligently over the past year putting the nuts and bolts of this project together. The goal of the project was to investigate the myths and stigmas often applied to housing projects and the residents who live in them. Especially the Black and Latino population. And from the 50 + people we interviewed, we discovered some very interesting things. it brings us great joy and pleasure to finally cut the ribbon on such a breathtaking collection of photographs and interviews. Our goal is to exhibit this project as many times as the universe will allow, including internationally.

We've already been selected to exhibit the project at the Fesman 2010 festival of world Black arts being held in Senegal this December. In addition, one of the photographs from the exhibition has been selected to be a part of Danny Simmons & Brian Tate's Curate NYC exhibition project running October 21st through October 31st in New York City. We're also looking at expanding on the exhibition aspect of the project with a prospective book project. Yeah. Pretty ambitious. But hey, Putting this together has definitely been a labor of love, but it needs your support. In order for us to actualize this exhibition and the trip to Senegal, we're relying on the generous contributions of compassionate individuals, philanthropic organizations, foundations, and corporations. So do me a favor, if you will. Post our Kickstarter, Facebook, and webpage links to your respective social networking pages, websites, and favorite forums.

Spread the word to your friends, families, and associates! Help us debunk the myth!!

Book signing event/ Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art (9/29 @ Taschen SoHo, NYC)

Taschen has always been the odd man out in the art book world. In recent years, they've been very liberal in their pursuit of the erotica genre. Let's see...there was the Big Penis Book, the Big Butt Book, the Big Book of Legs, oh...and the Big Book of Breasts. And that's just to name a few. Well, what can you say? Those Germans sure do know how to be controversial and artsy at the same time! Being that they're the new kids on the block (established in 1980), they have a lot less to loose in the archaic sense of rigid legacy.

At any rate...on Wednesday, September 29th from 7-9PM, they're having a book signing/ discussion event at their SoHo location for the book Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art.



The title should clue you in on the subject matter. They go beyond the pedestrian definition of street art in the major metropolises of the world. Sure, by the nature of the subject it's investigating means it will feature examples of works by the proverbial Banksy and Shepard Fairey. But hey...as "mainstream" as they are, you can't take away from the fact that they're pioneers. Still, the book is worth a gander.

Anyway, the book signing and discussion should be interesting. The book's author Carlo McCormick (Paper Magazine) and editor Ethel Seno will be there along with some of the featured artists. Wooster Collective's Marc & Sarah Schiller had a prominent hand in the creation of the book, so I'm sure they'll be there. Being that Shepard Fairey has been in and around NYC lately, I'm putting my chips on him showing up.

The only catch is I'm sure the event will get slammed with folks from all ends of the five boroughs trying their damnedest to stuff themselves into Taschen's aesthetically intriguing, yet small space. So it's best to RSVP. Like, now.

RSVP: store-ny@taschen.com

Nixon's Art Mosh: Friday, September 17th (NYC) - RSVP NOW!!!

HAW RITE NOW! Here's another corporate sponsored attempt to beat a subculture in the head with a brand name. Usually, I'm appalled at such blatant displays of f*ckery. But in certain instances, it can be a perfect fit. This is one such instance. Nixon's watches are ill. Hands down. I'm still lusting for their woodgrain Rotolog model. Timepieces have never looked so sweet in these modern times.

This Friday, Nixon, in tandem with Mountain Dew and Vice Magazine, are putting on an art show to snuff out all other art shows. The second annual one night only Art Mosh is a art exhibition featuring photography, film, visual art, and live music performances by the likes of Ninjasonik and 2 Mandy DJs. I'm looking foward to checking out this concept in person to see how the space functions with the event. RSVP at the URL on the flyer above. See you in Chelsea...

548 W. 22nd St.
Friday, September 17th
8-11pm

Jneiro Jarel Strikes Again!

Let me start off by saying that I'm a self-professed Jneiro Jarel fan. Nah. Scratch that. I'm a Jneiro Jarel groupie. I go hard, homie. Seriously. I think his sound is dope as all hell. So suffice it to say that I'm a little disappointed that this dude's output isn't nearly as prolific as I'd like it to be. He's right behind Flying Lotus and Madlib on my list of the coldest beat junkies of the first stretch of the 21st century. Various alter egos and side projects withstanding, his solo catalog could use a little creatine. But I know Fauna will whet the appetites of those like me who have been anxiously awaiting his formal return.

Now Kindred Spirits is on the cusp of releasing the first official follow up to Jneiro Jarel's 2005 gem Three Piece Puzzle. Fauna is a 12-track journey through Jneiro's splendiferous and long-standing Brazil fetish.

Not only that, but a little birdie told me that Kindred Spirits is selling the album in two different packages:


1. Vinyl album + 7" single ("Amazonica" b/w "See Them Cry") + poster.

or...


2. CD + 7" single (same) + poster.

I'm going for the all vinyl package. With the closing of Fat Beats here in NYC, Hip-Hop vinyl shops are becoming more and more extinct. Anyway, I'm amped about this new record. Anyone who enjoys this man's work should definitely go out and cop. The indie scene needs our support the most.

Puma's Downtown Upright Bicycle Ride: Saturday, September 18th (NYC)!!!

Puma is cool. In conjunction with Hudson Urban Bicycles, they're sponsoring the first annual Downtown Upright Bicycle Ride this Saturday, September 18th! Beginning at 4PM, push you pedals in downtown Manhattan with other cyclists from across the 5 boroughs.

The past few years have been landmark for cyclists in the NYC area. According to legend, we've got more bicycle lanes than any other city in this country. In 2008, Mayor Bloomberg set a new goal to stretch our current stock to 1,800 miles within a 20 year span. That's...cool! Since I'm an avid cyclist in the spring and summer months, this is great for me. Hopefully he'll also pass legislation to fix all the sinkholes on the bike path along the FDR.

Yet and still, the past three years have been pretty good for us. In that time frame, to the delight of many cyclists, new and extended bike lanes have been popping up all over the city. Boomberg even gave the Department of Transportation the green light to sanction the Summer Streets program. And with the introduction of pedestrian plazas in Times Square, E. 23rd Street, and other spots in the city, I'm guessing - in the words of Howard Jones - things can only get better.

Come out and ride with me this Saturday. Should be fun. BTW...there's a free barbecue afterwards for the first 125 cyclists to RSVP!!!

My Mellow, My Man: Flying Lotus

This kat is definitely tapped into an exclusive celestial wavelength. I truly believe he's a chosen messenger. Not like Moses or anything sacrilegious. Just one of the Most High's special carrier pigeons that are entrusted with something delicate and ethereal that has the potential to have a grand and glorious affect on mankind. Yeah, he's a bit of a weed head. Ok...so he's a full fledged stoner. But I'm 99.9% sure this dude has snuck some healing tones in his tracks that we've yet to uncover. Maybe.

I do think that we've yet to really comprehend the full dynamic of his true genius. Maybe he'll be fully understood in retrospect. Hopefully while he's still here. I've heard some folks describe Flying Lotus as the new Jimi Hendrix. Hmmm. I think FlyLo is the future. Skip the retro reference points, please. Why do we always have the incessant need to draw historic parallels, especially with contemporary art? Geez. But seriously...for some reason, I feel like watching Space Is The Place...

Shout outs to anybody who shelled out $122 to see him at this past weekend's Electric Zoo festival. Recession, my arse.

Hebru Brantley @ Lyons Wier Gallery

I ♥ art. Especially art that gives us reason for pause, with the intention of making us both marvel at the skill entailed while contemplating larger society and the world around us. Hebru Brantley is definitely a creator of such art. If you caught one of his exhibitions around the country over the past couple years, you'll understand where I'm coming from when I say there's a method to his madness. He'll be exhibiting his new collection entitled Wait A Cotton Pick'n Minute from September 10th through October 10th @ the Lyons Wier Gallery in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood. From the title, I'm sure you can already guess what time it is. Yeah. Exactly. Don't sleep. This kat was just at Lyons Wier last summer as part of The Fak'try, a prolific collaborative exhibition and ode to Warhol's renowned creative artspace with ATLien artist Fahamu Pecou. Go.

Film: The Warriors @ Landmark Sunshine (NYC) August 27 & 28

Anyone who knows me understands how fanatical I am about this flick. It ranks in the top 5 on my list of all-time favorite films. The Warriors. One of the best cinematic illustrations of the New York City of yesteryear. Crime was rampant, the Bronx was burning, SAMO channeled Confucius on building walls, 42nd street was a Disneyland of sex shops, Thompkins Square Park was a sprawling outdoor squatter camp, and Koch was the king of it all. Gang culture was also at an all-time high. The Warriors is a gripping document of the wasteland of a bygone era that many transplants still try to evoke.

The New York City of today is a far cry from the token turnstiles and economic meltdown of the late 70s. But something about the nexus of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill, and David Shaber makes us yearn for the dystopia of those dismal days. At any rate, Landmark Sunshine in tandem with WNYU and the Village Voice are putting on their yearly screening of The Warriors as part of their ongoing Sunshine At Midnight series this Friday and Saturday night. Click here for more info...

CAN YOU DIG IT!!!!

Digger's Delight & Mochilla's Timeless series...August 24: RIGHT NOW!!

Yeah, I know. I'm the king of last minute sh*t. But hey, better late than never. Anyway, if you're in NYC and don't feel like indulging in after work cocktails (or worse), you should make the trek uptown to St. Nicholas Park. From 5-9PM, Tools Of War is putting on an edition of Digger's Delight featuring Bobbito, Jazzy Jay, J. Rocc, and Lean Rock (no relation). After the maelstrom of funk and dusty gems, stay for Maysles Cinema's mega mix of the Mochilla DVD boxed set Timeless. These are three concert films that you DON'T want to miss, featuring orchestral arrangement tributes to Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke, Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai, and the incomparable genius of J Dilla. Need I say more? Hustle your bustle up to St. Nicholas Park..not now, but RIGHT NOW!!

By Design: Mags I Like.

So I'm on a new kick. Not sure if this one is here to stay or if it's a fleeting fancy, but I'll entertain it nonetheless. Sometimes I feel like Beneatha from Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun, toggling back and forth between a myriad of hobbies and creative interests. Jack of all trades, master of none. But then I stand back and look at the bigger picture: there's definitely a method to my madness. The master definitely has a plan.

As of late, the world of graphic art has had a strong gravitational pull on me. I think it was precipitated by my frustration in the search for a graphic designer for a project I'm currently working on (stay tuned). But mostly, I think it has to do with the fact that I'm a creative spirit in general. Also, the evolution of typefaces, fonts, and art in advertising and marketing has always intrigued me. So to feed my jones, I've hunkered down in my local Barnes & Noble (while they're still around) and thumbed through some rags. Three of them in particular have piqued my interest and will be on my ones to watch for list.

For the most part, the content of American magazines has been on the decline for the past decade. Utterly craptastic. Though I write for several publications, I'm rarely moved to venture to a newsstand to pick up current issues solely on the principle of thumbing through and keeping abreast. Very few are able to hold my interest for more than an issue or two (props to Surface and Adbusters). Most are geared towards prescribing you a new personality, making you feel insecure about your "lack" of possessions, and giving you beauty "tips." But my jaded indifference may change with the following three. Two of them are centered on the love for the discipline of graphic art in some form. The other is a theme based mag, which seems to be a burgeoning trend for mags trying to stay afloat in an inhospitable climate for print media. Check my selection:


Eye: The International Review of Graphic Design




T-World: The Journal Of T-Shirt Culture



Theme Magazine (pictured: Spring 2007 issue)