The Big Urban Mixtape
Bringing unsigned artist to the forefront for the furture of Hip-Hop

“Not Forgetting Where He Comes From; 'Free Agent' Joel Ortiz Giving Back to Brooklyn's Children”

By YaBoyJavi

It isn’t every day that we accentuate a positive within the Hip-Hop community but this is a story that deserves acknowledgement. Brooklyn rapper, and fellow Boriqua, Joel Ortiz has pledged proceeds from his upcoming album Free Agent to donate computers to children living in Brooklyn's housing projects through the launching of his charitable program, 2 @ a Time.

In an exclusive
Q&A session with Latina.com, Ortiz tells the magazine that “I just want to give back to the community that's been supporting me. I’m gonna give the kids computers so they could wise up and see that there's a bigger picture than the 15-20 block radius that I grew up in. There’s a bigger life than just hanging out, smoking and drinking and having unprotected sex.”

Free Agent is scheduled for release on October 14 with notable features like Joe Buddens, Fat Joe, Papoose and Underground King Bun B making appearances. The album is Ortiz's follow-up to 2007’s The Brick: Bodega Chronicles. It is being released independently.

Ortiz also tells Latina.com that he wants fans and rappers alike to know that “It’s okay to rap.”

“When the beat comes on, just know that there's already a few guys out there trying to target clubs and radio. So it's alright to just rap, because at the end of the day man we gotta bring it back to where DJs are fans of the records and they play what they want to play,” said Ortiz.
 

"New Naughty by Nature Song"

Category: , , , , By YaBoyJavi

There's been a Naughty by Nature sighting! Yes no lie, Treach, Vin Rock and Kay Gee have released a remix to The Game's "Pain" entitled "Hip Hop Pain" featuring Rene Neufville, formerly of the platinum selling R&B group Zhane. YaBoy can't front, I got a little nostalgic when I heard this track. Check it out; let me know what you think.
 

Rock Meets Hip-Hop, the Metermaids

Category: , , , By Mr Sykes

By YaBoyJavi

Since the Beastie Boys there hasn’t been another rap group to combined rock and hip-hop with a touch of old school Motown funk to deliver a much needed change of pace in this cliché rap world. With that said I’d like to introduce Vibe Source readers to the Metermaids. 
 
Unconventional by today’s hip-hop standards, Swell and Sentence’s musical fusion of mash up rock n’ roll alongside gritty break beats and heartfelt lyrics have the Metermaids steadily climbing the CMJ Hip Hop Chart - coming in at #9 this week ahead of notable artists like The Roots, Gnarls Barkley and Immortal Technique.
 
With songs like the synthesizer-laced “Feel Alive” and “Funk Terrorist,” on their new album Nightlife the duo is establishing quite an underground buzz for themselves.
 
Listen for yourself. Here is “Funk Terrorist” of their Nightlife album. 
 

Check the Metermaids out at 
www.metermaidsnyc.com and www.myspace.com/metermaids.
Here is the YouTube link to Funk Terrorist:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OKJ6qua9nSk

 

Mixtape Review Homeboy Sandman – Nourishment (Second Helpings)


By YaBoyJavi

 If you haven’t read a book since high school and you’re more than five years removed chances are Homeboy Sandman is not for you. The lyrically imposing emcee is not for the average A-B-C Hip-Hop fan. His clever rhyme schemes and creative conceptualization on Nourishment (Second Helpings) make the mixtape one of the best I’ve heard this year.

 

If you believe you can make it then “Buttermilk” is exactly what you need. On the track Boy Sand shows his lyrical prowess over a smooth trumpet carrying the beat. The Queens emcee turns into an anchorman on “Kain News” where he gives listeners a satirical broadcast of today’s pundit-filled uninformative news; covering everything from crime to the sorry ass New York Knicks.

 

The half-Puerto Rican/Dominican emcee earns points with YaBoy by using Latin vibes on “We Can Fly” where the use of arpeggiated guitar chords common in Dominican bachata dominate the beat. On “Guerra” (War) Homeboy implements a Spanish language hook to let adversaries know he’s prepared for drama.

 

Here are a few bars from Boy Sand on “Extreme Measures,”

 

Like I was Tom Cruise on a Mission Impossible/Dropped out da roof, cock back da tool, pass pop pops round the room…

 

I’m a lowa the boom like the boys in blue/Ya’ll gonna be da Amadous, I’m a do what I gotz to do.

 

Overall Homeboy Sandman’s Ivy League intellect and hood wit earn Nourishment a passing grade.

 

Visit myspace.com/homeboysandman or homeboysandman.com to listen to tracks off Nourishment (Second Helpings).

 

Adventures @ Afro Punk 08' Pt.2

Afro Punk @ Galapagos in Williamsburg totally rocked my socks...I had such a great time!

I got to hob-knob hood celebrities, and see a lot of great bands!

One of which was Chewing Pics a band which Naima Mora, Cycle 4 Winner of Americans Next Top Model is lead singer...

And Sweetie (Amazing Band I am their new biggest fan!) Which Naima's Sister Ife is a part of. 

Brown Girls Burlesques Performed an Act with Mackie Riverside... HOT!!! 

They have teamed up with Primordial Punk to do the first Women of color Punk Pin-Up calendar which I pre-ordered at  the show but you can order from their website for $15 [Click Here] I assure you it's gonna be really sexy...

Here Are Some Video Clips & Photos:



 

Afro Punk 08' Pt. 1


So I went down to BAM yesterday to par take in the 3rd day of the Afro Punk 08'...or as it as been dubbed "HoodStock" 

For all those that don't know Afro-Punk is a movement that started from a documentary that debuted in 2002, the brain child of Matthew Morgan & James Spooner. About Afro Centric , "Punk Rocker"  youth in America. But for more info you should really check out Afropunk.com 

I had so much fun at the festival yesterday...It took me back to my teenage years and how much I miss going to shows. I took a lot of great pictures...not as many as I wanted to cuz my camera died!!!  and meet a lot of awesome people, and found to great new Bands the i love, "Lets Go To War" and "Gang Rebellion" 







I hope to see you all at the next festival event this friday:

FRI July 11 @ Galapagos, 9:30pm, 
FREE...
70 North 6th St btn Kent and Wythe [Brooklyn, NY]

The 1st ever PRIMORDIAL PUNK Debutante Ball
featuring Brown Girls Burlesque w/ Mackie Riverside, Betty Black, Apollo Heights, Chewing Pics and Sweetie. Also with a midnight intro to our 12 Primo Pin-Up Girls.Part of the 4th Annual Afro-Punk Festival. With additional support from Black Rock Coalition.



 

Artist-James Giardina

Category: , , By Mr Sykes


James Giardina, 28

A Brooklyn-based artist and painter, currently teaching middle school art in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Driven by soul and inspiration to create beauty in a turmoil world.

I work with oil-based glazes, a mixture that combines oil paint, glazing medium, and mineral spirits, on thin boards of mdf. The images I create are colorful expressions of my internal feelings, inspired by my surroundings and emotions of the day.

 

[Photo By: David Alvarez]




If you are interested in any of this artwork for purchase or otherwise James can be contacted: James@bigurbanmixtape.com
 

Artist- Michael Stoker

Category: , , , By Mr Sykes
Michael Stoker, painter
Originally from upstate NY, currently living down south in North Carolina.
My work is heavily influenced by music. I try to capture a moment in funk, jazz, or whatever I happen to be listening to. My influences are roots reggae, dub, jazz, hip hop and funk.

 

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