And finally I leave you with two brand new videos: one for Truth Universal's "Paper Chase" - video directed by Mark Lester and music produced by DJ Def D. s weekend. Above is the new Mark Lester directed video for "Paper Chase" by Truth Universal who is one of the countless hip-hop acts performing this weekend at the ever-expanding South by Southwest music and film festival. (click SXSW. for details on Truth Universal's shows). Better known as SXSW this big annual event is going on this week/weekend down in Austin Texas. And while many complain that the festival, which started out as a grassroots more alternative type affair all about the art, has just gotten too big and too corporate in recent years. Of course this week's story about a phone company exploiting local homeless folks in using them as WiFi hot spots didn't help SxSW's image. But regardless SxSW still manages to attract underground artists (of all genres) in droves to the city of Austin every March.

Some of the (way too many to mention here) hip-hop themed events happening at this weekend's SXSW long list of happenings include tonight Raekwon along with such guests as JD Era, Kofi Black, Young Cliff, Dustin Cavazos, Dre Marley, Grey Matter, JLD 8, and 8Earcub are doing what's been billed as "The SXSW Kickoff Party" at the Prophet Bar - formerly known as the Gypsy Tea Room. Meanwhile fellow Wu Tang warrior GZA will headline tomorrow night (Saturday March 17th) along with an impressive showcase that includes M.O.P., Jet Life, Flatbush Zombies and many more at the Haven night club  at 409 Colorado Street. More info here.

Hip-hop and hockey converge nicely in the just released promo-only, free nine-track EP ("FreEP") Enter Tha 63 Chambahs which is a hockey themed homage appropriating the mighty Wu Tang Clan  recorded by Akrobatik upon request by Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand. The Massachusetts hip-hop artist, who hails from Boston's Dorchester neighborhood , recently recorded the EP for the ever-popular Boston Bruin's left winger Brad Marchand whose nickname is Noseface Killah and who often calls his teammates "The Bru-Tang Clan."

As fans of professional ice hockey already know in a period of just 18 months Brad Marchand has won a Stanley Cup and become quite a favorite among Boston hockey fans. These fans appreciate Marchand's often self-effacing humor and the fact that he jokingly calls himself  "Noseface Killah" - a name that has taken off and led to this hip-hop one off project which is actually a marketing tool to promote sports the sports star's new line of gear been made by the The Boston Sports Apparel Company.

The title of Enter Tha 63 Chambahs (3 skits and 6 songs with Akrobatik rhyming over Wu Tang instrumentals), is a play on both the Wu Tang album title (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)) and the fact that Marchand's jersey number is 63.  To download for free the Enter Tha 63 Chambahs EP by Akrobatik aka The Bru-Tang Clan, which features such tracks as  “Bru-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothing To Puck Wit” and “Protect Ya Net”  click here.
 

Wu rules everything around me, or so it seems of late since the legendary Wu-Tang Clan appear to be everywhere these days between their own popular recently released album, Legendary Weapons which dropped a month ago on eOne Music; the WU's distinctive presence on the ongoing Rock The Bells tour where they host the 36 Chambers stage; the proliferation of Wu-Tang mashup projects such as the recently Amoeblogged-about Wugazi: 13 Chambers project; plus the seemingly endless amount of cameos on other artist's projects that the ubiquitous Wu Tang members have been making of late. Indeed, there seems to be no end of the amount of guest spots that the numerous members of this influential Staten Island (aka Shaolin) NY crew (who redefined hip-hop with their landmark 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)) have been making lately. Even though their latest album is noticeably missing GZA, not to mention Masta Killa, it still became a fave with both critics and fans.


Anything Wu Tang do seems to command widespread attention. Case in point was when, a few weeks ago, within hours of their NYC offices posting an ad for an unpaid intern position, the ad went viral and got picked up and repeated by endless online, print, and TV outlets. Meanwhile, the popular official Wu Tang Facebook fan page has close to one and half million avid followers and appears to be increasing at a steady pace, undoubtedly spurred on by the Wu members' inclusion on this year's Rock The Bells. On the tour, numerous Wu soldiers perform, including Raekwon and Ghostface doing Only Built For Cuban Linx and GZA/Genius performing Liquid Swords. Indicative of their draw, the festival includes the WU's own 36 Chambers stage on which crew members and Wu Tang-endorsed acts like Mobb Deep perform.  At this past Saturday's Rock The Bells stop in the Bay Area at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Rae and Ghost's set was one of the festival highlights and proved why these vets can still command such a dedicated following two decades later.

Some things are great only in concept while others work perfectly both in concept and in practice. Such is the case with the Wugazi mashup project which melds the music of legendary DC post-hardcore band Fugazi with the music of iconic Staten Island hip-hop crew The Wu Tang Clan. The inspired rock/rap mash-up project which is titled Wugazi: 13 Chambers is described by its two producers, Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy, as "a labor of love" and involved the pair spending a full year hard at work "cutting up every imaginable Fugazi record and trying out every Wu-Tang acapella" that they could get their hands on.  

The project's title is a combo of Fugazi's 1990 album 13 Songs (the cover art resembles it too) and the Wu's 36 Chambers. It includes such Wu Tang acapellas as "C.R.E.A.M." (aka "Cash Rules Everything Around Me") from their aforementioned landmark 1993 debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) which becomes "S.C.R.E.A.M." as in "Sleep Rules Everything Around Me." And it also includes solo Wu member acapellas too such as Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" which becomes "Forensic Shimmy." Both songs, as well as "Suicide Surprise," are below to play back. For more info and to download Wugazi: 13 Chambers visit the Wugazi website.

                             

With the smell of BBQs in the air this Memorial Day weekend and the kick off of the summer season that gladly brings with it the time to relax & kick back with family and friends, music steps up its role in playing a central theme in our lives. Hence this (subjective) summer song playlist culled from the literally thousands of great songs out there that celebrate summertime and  just hanging out in the sunshine in the park or backyard, or at the beach.

Here are a dozen personal faves (lots of classics) from the rap and pop categories culled from over the past several decades including Len's "Steal My Sunshine" (1999), Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince's "Summertime" (1991), Raewkon's "Ice Cream" (1995), The Foo Fighters' "Barbeque Song" that they did for an MTV special (2007), Mac Dre's "California Livin'" (1992), Dove Shack's (with Warren G) "Summertime in the LBC," and dating back to 1966 with The Lovin Spoonful's summertime classic "Summer In The City."