RIP KASE 2 x Graffiti KING
Hearing via Twitter that pioneering graffiti legend KASE 2 (CASE)—born Jeff Brown—has passed away. Will add more info as it becomes available. A South Bronx representative, “One arm” KASE got a boost in fame after he appeared in the seminal Hip-Hop documentary Style Wars, which should be in your collection, back in ’83. A clip of KASE in the film below. RIP.
UPDATE: MTV RapFix blog posted some nice words on KASE, who succumbed to cancer, from King Phade.
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KING CASE2 T.F.P! rest in paradise my brother love you! [12OzProfit]
Bronx Bombing: Cope2 x Shepard Fairey
Umm, last I heard, King Cope was from The Bronx, not Brooklyn as Hypebeast will have you believe.
Anyway, Cope2 and Shepard Fairey (who is in town prepping an exhibition at Deitch Projects) connected to drop a mural in the Boogie Down that combines both of the renowned artists’ aesthetics. Must go see this for myself sooner than later. More pics after the video of this event below (by EWOK 5MH via Animal NY) and the break. [Checked at Hypebeast]
PREVIOUSLY:
Bombin’ Atomically: COPE2 & KET vs. NYPD
Shepard Fairey, Cope2
Back Again: Air Jordan III Retro White/Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3
I was in the 6th grade, standing at the bus stop on the corner of 174th Street & Longfellow Ave., waiting for the BX36 to take me from my South Bronx hood to what was then CS 102 in Parkchester.
It was while waiting for that sure to be too crowded bus in the a..m. where I saw a high school aged dude with a high-top fade rocking the above kicks; Air Jordan IIIs. At that point in time I had no clue what the shoes were. They were bright white, with illy snakeskin—no Nike check, but aha…the Air bubble. Those had to be the latest Js.
Seeing Kid ‘N Play rock them in their “Gettin’ Funky” video on Video Music Box (below), and Mars Blackmon (above), made me fiend for a pair just as much as Michael Jordan’s feats on the basketball court. But being that I wasn’t anywhere near a child of privilege, I didn’t even bother asking mom dukes for a pair. Knowing they were a buck ($100) plus at retail, i had to make due with my lo-top Air Trainers (about 60 to 70 beans at Dr. Jays on 3rd Ave, sale).
When the Air Jordan III’s get a retro-release sometime this year—Nice Kicks says they’ll be part of a Slam Dunk pack (MJ won the ’88 Slam Dunk contest in them)—they will get copped (two pairs), off g.p.
VIDEO: Camp Lo “Son Of A…”
“Sons of Bronx slang…”—Sonny Cheeba
“Son of the Boogie Bang…”—Geechie Suede
That’s means The Bronx, and you should already know.
Camp Lo’s “Son Of A” video directed by Court Dunn. From The Lo’s new Another Heist album; dropping sooner that later. [Props to Eskay]
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Camp Lo: Fever Pitch [AllHipHop]
Camp Lo Feat. Styles P – “OnSMASH/Crime Of ‘89″ Video [The Smoking Section]
Cory Gunz X Big Pun X Shaq
So that kid Cory Gunz can rhyme with the best of them, as seen in the clip above. However, what grabbed my attention was in the interview portion (below) where Peter Gunz’s progeny said he intended to drop a mixtape using nothing but the late, great Big Pun’s beats.
Normally such intentions are cause enough to gorilla slap a precocious rapper—especially those that need to put the mic down and get a damn job. Luckily Cory is talented enough to do those tracks some justice. The XXL Freshmen Class alum also knew Pun (pic on the left, the shortie in the center), which is an added bonus in his favor.
Cory also speaks on his God-Daddy Shaq O’Neal and that fateful “Kobe, how does my ass taste?” incident/freestyle/hilarity. To think, this Bronx repper doesn’t even have a deal right now.
RELATED:
Cory Gunz XXL Freestyle [via The Smoking Section]
Cory Gunz Mixtape Daily Interview [via Rap Radar]
Cory Gunz “Shut Em Down” Video
Vodpod videos no longer available.
I’ve been blessed to work with the homie Tee Smif—who directed the above Cory Gunz video (spotted at Nah Right)—for the past few months on BET’s The Deal. The brother is a highly underrated director and did his thing with this clip from The Bronx MC. Shout out to the Kings County Cinema Company.
I distinctly remember Cory’s pops—Peter Gunz, hopefully you knew that—grabbing the mic and killing the block parties on Vyse Ave (I grew up on 174th & Longfellow) back in the day. That said, I still feel a ways that Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz couldn’t get to shoot the video for “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” in the old Yankee Stadium (location: The Boogie Down) so instead used the late Shea Stadium (location: Queens). Not a good look.
Hip-Hop, Before The Bronx?
“The story is not just we’re saying that Hip-Hop didn’t start in the Bronx, we’re just saying it pre-dates the 1974 ‘cause Pete DJ Jones, this guys in his 60s and he was playing music in the Bronx in the late ’60s.”—Hasan Pore
Blasphemy you say? Yeah, I’d readily agree. No need for full disclosure since those that know me know very well that I represent The Bronx all day, every day. But, when I heard that Hasan Pore and Amen-Ra Lawrence were putting together a documentary [Founding Fathers] spotlighting DJ’s from Queens and Brooklyn that were rocking before the Holy Hip-Hop Trinity of Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, I had to see what was up. [via AllHipHop]
Upon interviewing the two friends for AllHipHop.com, it became clear they’re not out to disrupt the established Hip-Hop zeitgeist. Instead they’re looking to bring some well deserved shine to DJs from around their way, and beyond, that only get passing mentions in most Hip-Hop history texts. From their knowledge of the culture and the clips floating around the Internet this Founding Fathers documentary looks like it will be a must see.
UPDATE(s): The NY Times mentioned my story in City Looks, good looks to BoogieDowner.
“The Real Hip Hop is Here (No Wait, Over There)” (via NBC New York)
Slang Rap Democracy 