Access Newsletter 5-9-08

[WesSezSo]

Access Hip Hop is co-sponsoring a Poetry Slam being held
Today May 9th @ Southwestern College at 7:00 pm! Tickets are available at the entrance to the Mayan Hall near the art show outside for $7.00. With free parking in the student lot. Contestants from all over the San Diego area including Ant Black and Rudy Francisco, are up for a $300, $200 or $150 cash prize! Please drop by to show some support!

Upcoming in-store!!!
Monday, May 12th at 5:00pm Yak Ballz will be in the building for a
free in-store performance!!! Did you get yourselves a copy of
Scifentology 2? Be there!

Check our events page for details on these shows and more right here: http://www.accesshiphop.com/events/

Have the writing bug in you? If you're registered with our forums,
you can now write your own reviews!
Guidelines: http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/review-guidelines.php
Reviews: http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?page=reviews

Order online, phone or mail, or visit our store in San Diego.
Access Music * 1537 Garnet Avenue * Pacific Beach * CA 92109
858-270-3987 * info@accesshiphop.com

Check out track listings and sound clips at www.accesshiphop.com

FREE VISIONARIES POSTER:
The large, double-sided Visionaries "We Are The Ones (We've Been
Waiting For)" poster, with the photo mosaic on the back! Free if you
BUY at least one item from Up Above Records AND your total order is
over $30 (before tax and shipping).

NEW GEAR:

2Mex shirts
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?artist=2Mex&page=gear
A new shirt for the ladies, with a heart on the front saying,
"The only Reason that I haven't died is cuz I'm so excited that
you're still alive." For the guys, the 2Mex Obey shirt with the
design in bright silver foil (shown as gray on our site, sorry).

Of Mexican Descent shirts
www.accesshiphop.com/store/?artist=Of+Mexican+Descent&page=gear
New shirt (men's L, XL and 2X navy) with Xolo & 2Mex standing.

NEW MAGAZINE:
Wax Poetics #28
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15536
Al Green, Q-Tip & much more.

FEATURED ITEM OF THE WEEK:

Lazerus Jackson - Filthy CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15494
The idea of a concept album can be a bit grueling, even at times for
the listener. The whole thing is a gamble really, an artist can even
lose fans over an entire "storytelling" album, and this is the risk
involved without giving an explanation...such was the case in my
opinion, with Lazerus Jackson's hip hopera from 2002 called Crime.
While it made a huge fan out of me, and already being A Disflex6
head I was yelling "play some fucking hip hop" and it punched me in
the face. Crime was an amazing album, but some heads out there just
didn't get it...to re-cap, it was like the Godfather trilogy in the
form of a hip hop album. Which means, on the surface...it was
interpreted as an underground emcee acting hard or "mafioso", while
between the lines it remains one of the most well thought out
concept albums I have ever heard. How to follow that up I wonder?
Another concept album? Not worth the risk...but this isn't Laz this
time...its Jack, so in a very Harvey Dent way Lazerus Jackson has
found himself at a crossroads with his music and where it's headed..
and in order to get it all off his chest he has to start from the
beginning and tell both sides of the story, from one man's
perspective, based on popular opinion. The concept: Hip Hop...think
"I Used To Love H.E.R," except in the form of an entire album. Says
Jackson, "Its not the be-all, end-all" hip hop allegories of our
time "but it's a slice of the brain." It's semi-autobiographical,
it's semi-about you, its about your favorite emcee, your favorite
songs, your favorite album and the reason you listen to hip hop. We
are a generation that was raised on hip hop, no longer can we say
it's where we were from or where we're at, because hip hop is
everywhere...it comes in all forms, all shapes and sizes, and to
this day there's nothing clean about it...and Jack wants to tell us
what he sees, and that our ideas and feelings about the culture are
based on individual perspectives.

[WesSezSo]

NEW RELEASES:

Blank Blue (Nobody) - Western Water Music v. II CD/2LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15291
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15292
I'm a huge fan of Nobody and I just had to quote this for you all to
read for yourself: "Blank Blue is the surreal story of an Armageddon
born out of a massive earthquake off the west coast of the United
States and set sometime in the future. The quake triggers a
separation of the west from the rest of the country, creating a
whirlpool of devastation in its wake. Millions die. Thousands
survive. Those that survive eventually sink and drown from the
buckling lands, only to have scores of poison mushrooms waiting for
them underneath the earth's masses, loosened from centuries old
trees. The poisoned water gives them their first gasp, and
miraculously they are able to and breathe and live underwater. The
album tells the story from various points of views, from an all-
knowing narrator, to a psychic fish that warns people via their
dreams, to random characters who watch their loved ones drown or ask
the others underwater how to find the ability to breathe. The
confusion and sadness is balanced by the fascination of having to
start everything all over again; learning how to breathe and swim
etc." This is the official follow up to his 2003 album Pacific
Drift, and in order to help accentuate the bizarre story of the
album above, he's employed the soothing vocals of singer and longtime
friend Niki Randa. Five years in the making and very trippy and
psychedelic, if you like Portishead or Broadcast, this is right up
your alley! If you want something completely different, this is
highly recommended by me...for whatever that is worth. Word!

Big Left - World War Three Street CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15571
Waging war on popular music, Big Left of La Coka Nostra drops his
official World War Three mix! Comes correct with exclusive tracks
and remixes and features appearances by Sen Dog of Cypress Hill,
Slaine, Tragedy Khadafi and more. Hardcore shit right here!

7L & Esoteric - Esoteric vs. Japan CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15404
No one is safe! Nuclear testing has resurrected the Jurassic age
relic known as the Pterodactyl and now the emcee/producer known to
the U.S. as Esoteric has arisen off the coast of Tokyo Bay and
brings chaos, crisis, and hysteria with him. Armed only with the
sounds of 70's and 80's Japanese classics, Esoteric must strike
against the uncompromising forces that aim to dismember him. He
calls upon Gaiking, Godzilla, Rodan, Force Five, Ultraman, the
Shogun Warriors, early Japanese surf, punk, and electro bands, and
even the Japanese Spiderman to aid him in his fight! The sound
created, which he now calls "Mecha Mecha," stands out as the boldest
of the daring directions Esoteric has taken his music. With recent
genre-bending efforts such as A New Dope, Egoclapper, and Esoteric
vs. Gary Numan, the world needed to hear how he handles the
beautiful country of Japan. Much tokusatsu is brought on this
feature length epic depicting one man's struggle with life as an
English speaking Bostonian. FIRE!

[WesSezSo]

Mad Lion - Shoot To Kill 12"
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15376
Classic 1993 re-issue of Mad Lion's first single off of his full
length Real Ting which was later released 1995! Back then Mad Lion
was the "go-to" guy for the back-up authentic rap/reggae chorus and
was supported heavily by Krs-One before finally leading his own solo
career. GO!

Dub Traffic Control - BSTRD Boots Vol. 4 12"
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15212
Bstrd Boots' fourth 12" EP of dub and downtempo remixes, this time
from Dub Traffik Control. Turning out a signature
electronic-reggae dubstep sound on the A-side and switching it up
entirely on the B-side with electronic-latin-jazz inspired beats
with various contributors.

Edo G & Da Bulldogs - Life Of A Kid In Ghetto 2xCD/2LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15093
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=9241
Boston native Edo G (Edward Anderson) and Da Bulldogs broke into the
international hip hop scene in 1991 with the release of their debut
album Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto, and after several successful
singles were released from this first album including the party
anthem "I Got To Have It," which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap
Singles Chart and on the Yo! MTV Raps countdown, Edo still struggled
to achieve breaking the surface of the underground and reaching
classic status over the years. Now for the first time ever Edo,
longtime friend and producer Joe Manfield (Vinyl Reanimators) and
Direct Records present the ultimate companion set to this long lost
album! A double disc set featuring 28 never before heard tracks, all
lifted from the original demo recording sessions. Included are
alternative versions of the popular singles "I Got To Have It" and
"Be A Father To Your Child" as well as the demo "Feel Like A Nut",
the song that Mansfield says got them their deal in the industry to
begin with. Classic early 90s boom bap, intelligent and witty word
play, plus unheard guest shots from The Blastmaster KRS-ONE, Boston
rhyme criminal Scientifik, and Da Bulldogs make this collection a
must-have for any fan of the golden era days of hip hop.

Kaze - Block 2the Basement CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15542
Following up his Spirit of '94 album in which he collaborated with
9th Wonder, Kaze has now been picked up as part of Rawkus' top 50 in
unsigned talent with Block 2the Basement. A title that suggests both
an authentic street sound (Block) combined with his lyrical and
conceptual versatility in the underground (Basement) is the key to
covering all the right bases in hip hop music. Featuring ROYCE Da
5'9", Supastition, Wordsworth and more!

Prolyphic & Reanimator - The Ugly Truth CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15329
Strange Famous Records branches out to become a full-fledged music
label that will now sign and release new artists and groups starting
with Prolyphic and Reanimator's The Ugly Truth. Prolyphic hails from
label owner Sage Francis' hometown of Providence, Rhode Island with
his longtime collaborator and producer Reanimator from Chicago. This
handpicked duo has turned out to be just the right combination as
Prolyphic delivers powerful rhymes over Reanimator's heavily layered
beats. If you're a fan of Galapogos4 stuff, Glue or Anticon's
earlier releases, this one won't disappoint!

Project Mooncircle - Heart on the Right Spot CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15539
Just in!!! The Japanese import and full-length CD version of the
latest Project Mooncircle compilation! A collection of works
produced and performed by many artists from around the world
featuring Cyne, 40 Winks, Seven Star, Mr.Cooper, Epstein, Dday One,
Pablie, Jahbitat, Manuve & Szenario, Soarse Spoken, Glen Porter,
Manuvers, La Mano Fria, Gordon, Mathematik, Xndl, Dave Ghetto,
Impulze, and Lackluster. Instrumentals and full lengths songs.

Shawn Lee - Miles of Styles CD/2LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15289
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15290
The seventh in the Ping Pong Orchestra album series sees
multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee go global. This is the soundtrack
to places Lee has been, and would like to visit, and was made using
instruments he's picked-up along the way. Miles of Styles is
inspired by the multi-cultural mix of people in his hometown of
London, the awe inspiring metropolis that is New York City, and by
the mysterious uber-stylish vibe of Tokyo. Not to mention Jamaica,
Finland, Greece, China, France and beyond...

Soul Cannon - Kaboom CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15577
Combining live instrumentation with funk and hip hop elements,
Baltimore's very own Soul Cannon are making noise nationally now
with the release of their full length Kaboom. A well balanced
album that utilizes the energy of traditional funk and soul,
translating their sound from the stage to the studio using DAT to
capture a real and rougher feel, while the hip hop side of things
keeps everything interesting, sometimes almost stopping completely
to allow MC Eze Jackson to spit spoken word! For fans of Alfred
Howard, Connie Price and the Keystones or Genius of Soul.

All Natural - Elements: Fire CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15288
From the Windy City, Chicago underground veterans Capital D and DJ
Tone B. Nimble return with a brand new album entitle Fire, the first
in a four part series called Elements! Mixing in a classic boom-bap
sound while still welcoming in the new school sound of today, if you
haven't heard of them do some homework, the album is simply proof as
to why these guys still have it after so long in the Chi-town scene!
HEAT!

Redeye - Stacks of Stax, Restax'd CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15412
From the label Memphix (of Express Rising fame) comes label owner
Redeye's limited edition mix compiling some rare and sought
after favorites of old funk and soul from the famed Stax label. An
excellent mix with some sparse but appropriate scratching and to top
it off the real treat here at the end are two very heavy and nicely
produced bonus tracks at the end! A favorite here at Access lately
and on heavy rotation personally!

Rek-Rap - Nothing's Overnight CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15561
There's nothing quite like getting a package in the mail here at the
store, and before opening it checking to see where it's from and who
sent it...and surprise! We have no idea who it is, where it came
from and what its going to sound like...this is the kind of
underground, lo-fi, spirit of '98 hip hop I yearn for! Dope beats,
dope guest appearances by other emcees I have never heard of and all
of 'em straight killin' it! Like old Project Blowed shit, or early
Living Legends tapes, if you're into the Shapeshifters, JKC or
Disflex6, these are the beginnings of what makes a great underground
group, as we hope to hear more from them in the future! Recommended
to us by Dashiell, who produced two tracks on the album!

[WesSezSo]

RESTOCKS:
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/restocks.php

2Mex - Words Knot Music CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=675

Aamir - Underwater Regions CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15238

Deeskee - Invisible Enemy Mix v.2 CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12115

Deeskee & Existereo - Hopeless Crooks with.. CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12562

Die Young & Deeskee - Ravish LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12093

DJ Elevation - Into Dark from the Light CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=4234

Murs - F'Real CD/Varsity Blues CD EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=293
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=3895

Subtitle - Lost Love Stays Lost CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=6391

Tommy V - Quarter Life Crisis CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=614

Ape9 and Spoken Intellekt - Conquistar El Miedo CD EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15488

Blue Scholars - The Long March CD EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=14574

Various Artists - Super Cool: Calif. Soul 2 2LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=13367

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=3221

Tony Da Skitzo - Da Good Da Bad Da Skitzo CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=9087

Disflex6 - Robot Dreams LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=9904

DJ Neil Armstrong mixtapes:
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?artist=DJ+Neil+Armstrong

DJ Spooky - Songs of a Dead Dreamer CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15525

Edan - Mic Manipulator 12"
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=7783

Elon.Is - Element 113 CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=5257

EMC - The Show CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15200

Infinito - Soul of Benjamin Banneker CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=11063

Jason the Argonaut - Seeds v.2 CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=14212

Jel - Greenball 3rd CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=13552

Josh Martinez - Made in China CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=484

Kwest Tha Madd Lad - These Are My Unreleased CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=14564

Lazerus Jackson - Subtraction CDR
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=13381

MF Doom & MF Grimm - MF Doom & MF Grimm CD EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=524

Mix Master Mike - Anti-Theft Device CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=1223

Nas - Illmatic LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=1965

Nobody's Smiling - Nobody's Smiling 7"
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=14540

Paul Nice - Brazil Vol. 1 CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=10388

Planet Asia - Planet Asia CD EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=9595

Q-Bert - Battle Breaks LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=7503

Q-Bert - Super Sealed Breaks LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=2650

Q-Bert - Toasted Marshmellow Feet LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=1907

Roctakon - Money Lotion Vol. 1 12" EP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15123

Seven Star - Alternate Invention CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12471

Showbiz & AG - Goodfellas 2LP/Runaway Slave 2LP
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=7561
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12700

Siah & Yeshua DapoED - The Visualz Anthology CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=15094

Skyzoo & 9th Wonder - Cloud 9: 3 Day High CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=12446

Sunset Leagues - Guts II CD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=423

Ultimate Force - I'm Not Playin' 2xCD
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=13240

Zion I - Salt in the Game 12"
http://www.accesshiphop.com/store/?itemid=11093

[Lukas]

is there any way how to know if the album´s booklet contains lyrics? any tips which albums have it? thanks