My dudes. . . the Figureheads. . .

Every time I hear a new track from the Figureheads, I think to myself, “do something important,” because is seems they always are.  I need to buy one of these t-shirts.

More school assemblies with PAA

It’s been a pleasure to work with Tony Fresh and Just Moves and, now, Jahi to do these hip-hop assemblies through Progressive Arts Alliance.  We’ve already done five of them this school year with more programs to go.

Scratched, Mixed, and Mastered Sestor’s new release

“Tha Chronicles of Junglistic Hip-hop,” will hit the streets this Friday, August 28th via a CD release concert featuring 7 Complete, Kaden and Dee Jay Doc and of course Sestor.  I will be sitting in on Sestor’s set as well with live band.

Despite the title, this CD does not sound like “Jungle” the genre, but has authentic traces of Sestor’s Nigerian decent.  He has coined the phrase “Junglistic Hip-hop” to represent his unique style.  Listen here.  Read an interview with SesTor here.

It’s been a pleasure to work with SesTor on this project.  Not all MC’s have a wife and kids, as well as, a character you can trust.  In fact, I’d let him baby sit my little guy.  Oops, did I forget to announce that on my blog.  Sorry.  I’ll put up pics once he starts scratching.

If you’d like to come to the release concert, the info is here.  Tickets here.

Let’s light up Cleveland with Sparx

Here is a few snippets from an exciting set on Cleveland’s East 4th Street.  There was a lot of funky beats, soulful vocals, crazy rhythms and captivating improvisation.  One of the highlights was when ordinary audience members came up to say their names on the mic.  Unknown to them, we recorded their voice and incorporated it in our own live-remix of “Ordinary People.”

There was also a lot of original material from Kaden, such as this song, “Conversation.”

And “Imagine”

“Eye of the Beholder”

There was some scratching and percussion call and response.

Look both ways before you cross the street.

This is from a Kaden and Dee Jay Doc set during a performance from Sparx Concert Series.  We were glad to have Jason Kikel on the djembe and dumbek and Josh Sherman on the tablas.  As a student of mine, Jarod, is doing a little call and response with the percussionists, I started to take some video.  And as I backed up across the street, I non-chalantly avoided disaster.

Did I mention that the tabas are one awesome instrument, similar to the turntable in many ways.

Kristine Jackson and Dee Jay Doc on Words and Music

Can a Blues artists include a DJ?  Let’s find out. . .

It’s been great to begin performing with Kristine last year.  We have some more things in the works. . . stay tuned.  See more about Kristine Jackson at kjblues.com.

The Sparx Concert Series is an energetic performance art series that takes place LIVE on various open spaces of downtown Cleveland, from June 4th- September 11, 2009. Every week the sidewalks come alive with free concerts from an entire roster of local bands and performance groups.

I will be performing several of these with Kaden.  Kaden and Dee Jay Doc fuse folk and hip hop, rock and soul.  Dee Jay Doc spins break beats as the backbone to Kaden’s soulful sound of familiar and original tunes in a constant improvisational remix with guitar, keys, percussion, and turntables.  Energetic scratches call  and respond between poetic lyrics about real life, hard times and hope.

For a downloadable version of the Sparx Concert Series Schedule, Click Here.

Rapping with my 8 year old friend Kalissah

Kalissah made the top entries in her school talent show and asked  me to rap with her.  It was a song by the figureheads about a child dying from cancer, but having and giving hope to all.  The song is called, “hope.”  My wife and I are very good friends with Kalissah’s parents Todd and Laurel Berger.  So this was a joy and an honor to be a part of Kalissah’s new experiences.  Sorry, for the poor quality video.

Confession, I’m a bag freak.

It all started with my own feverish search for the perfect bag.  As a DJ, entrepreneur AND someone with slight back problems, I wanted style, quality, function AND ergonomics.  So after hours and hours of research, I settled on my favorite companies:  BBP Bags, Booq, and Civilian Labs.  Then a close friend and fellow bag fiend, Mike Jones, hipped me to yet another company:  Loop Bags.

I became a reseller, at first because many of my friends saw my bag and loved it.  I rocked the BBP Hampton for a while.  This bag offers great laptop protection, easy access via a waterproof zipper, and many pockets.  Plus, it had a unique feature.  It uses the same strap to covert from messenger back to ergonomic back pack.  This patented system causes the bag to ride low pulling down on your shoulders, not backwards.  It feels great and is PERFECT for bikers.  Plus, it perfectly holds LP’s, headphones, needles and water bottle.  Everything a DJ needs at a gig.  Even if you use Serato Scratch, it’ll hold that too!

Looks like these guys liked the BBP as well.  I need to remix this video.  Anyone want to help me?

Read more about BBP and my other favorite companies, or visit my newly launched Synergy Bags Store.  Order early enough to arrive before the holidays.

Peace, Dee Jay Doc, a confessed bag freak.

Perform on Emcee Malek’s local CD release tour

Performed with Emcee Malek at his house concert release and at Arabica in Solon, Ohio. Hip-hop Sundays, a great event at a great venue.  Hosted by Cool Matt.  DJ, B-Love, was killing it on the mix.  There was coffee, freestyle, hip-hop trivia, dance, and special performances by Dap from Ill Disciples as well as the night’s feature, Emcee Malek.

Did I mention Matt’s Mom’s Jambalaya recipe?  Wow!

Here’s the house concert clips.

Did some scratching on a Emcee Malek song

Check it out here.  It will be on his new CD, “The Silly Emcee.”  He is currently booking his CD release tour.  Check his website for more info.  Listen to our track here.

Turntables in a blues venue.

This spot had some blues!  I was honored to be able to play with these musicians.  I’m glad they all seemed to accept me as true instrument.  You can see more of Kristine Jackson at kjblues.com

Performed at Alive Fest with Sestor

Check out this clip.  The bass player, Dave, just came to the studio today and put down some bass for me to experiment with on my new DJ sets.  We had fun.

Big teaching day

My co-workers from Progressive Arts Alliance and I just finished a five week Smart in the City summer camp. It concluded with a tremendous performance and presentation from the approx. Fifty 3rd through 6th graders. They performed their own group song composed on six turntables, played their claymations, and had parents browse their own websites and blogs. Pretty exciting. We helped the students explore their identity through media. It was challenging and rewarding.

It was the end of week one of Progressive Arts Alliance’s Rhapsody Summer Hip-hop Camp. The middle and high schoolers did a group jam, complete with impromptu MC battles. Most of the students learned some hip-hop history along with some nice scratch skills complete with forwards, babys, stabs, militarys, transformers, and drags. They’ve also been learn to b-boy/b-girl, create grafitti, and write/record their own raps.

This evening concluded with me DJing the teen night at Playhouse Square after Mama Mia. Four of the older students from hip-hop camp came with to learn how to DJ live creating a nice mix and trying make people dance and have fun. We did OK, but this 31 year old DJ is losing touch with what teens like. So I joke with them about taking over these kind of gigs for me.

I’m proud of all my students and love teaching for Progressive Arts Alliance.

Remix This

Be a part of the Village.  We’ve been creating a new way of collaborating.  Many bands/dj’s have already begun finishing/remixing songs we’ve begun.

You can free download special multi-track versions of these songs that have never been officially finished. The special packages available for download are tools for you to remix. They are the core of some songs that can be turned into any genre. Remixes are due August 1st, 2008. The goal is to create a release that the whole “village” has made, not just the original band members.

This is different than remixing a famous band’s song.  We are calling on you to be the success of this project.  Without remixers, it won’t be finished.  I hope you have fun, and meet some other musicians in the process.  Just go to villagethrift.com to be a part of the village.  Send in your remix.

A local photographer

Thank you Katie Fox for these nice pics. I wish you the best in your photography.

An Oral History Project

Two other artists (a percussionist, and an actor) and I are doing a residency at a middleschool in Cleveland. We’re helping 6th, 7th, and 8th graders make their own recorded oral history project which includes drumming, creative writing, and use of apple laptops to edit it together. Today’s lesson was about how to record an interview of someone older who knows more about their topic than they do. They are learning how to tap into the past to help them as they move toward their future. They each took home one of these. . .

Healthy BEETS

A few friends and I took a 48 hour challenge. We found out about an Ikea contest to make rhythms in the kitchen. Here’s our beet recipe. . Please vote for our video.  See below for the recipe.

Step #1

Blend:  4 cloves garlic, 2 peeled beets, 1 piece of ginger root, 7 bay leaves, 2 cups water
Put in bowl

Step #2

Blend: 2 peeled carrots, 2 celery, 3 peeled orange minus seeds, 2 tbsp, 1/2 cup walnuts, cider vinegar, pinch of sea sal, 1 cup olive oil, 2 cups wate
Mix with first bowl

Step #3

Chop 1/4 of a cabbage and a bunch of parsley
sprinkle on top

Yum.  Create Healthy Rhythms.  Eat Fresh, Raw Beets.

Private Lessons: The Turntables, an instrument

Instead of piano or violin, you may choose the turntables as your instrument of choice. I teach most of the regular principles of music, such as rhythm, counting, notes, pitch, and phrasing. Plus, with the turntables, you are able to begin having fun from the first lesson!

The art of DJing and being a true turntablist lends itself to improvisation and creative expression while learning to participate in a full band, just like a trumpet or sax. Miles Davis had his trumpet, I have my turntables.

Here is one of my students whom, as you can see, is learning fast. This is him scratching and looping after only 6 lessons!

FREE OPEN DJ LAB

Through Progressive Arts Alliance, I’m hosting 10 free sessions for teens at the Idea Center in Playhouse Square.

Gregg jumps into the crowd

Another nice show with Poetic Republic, this time no live band. Gregg is just having too much fun. It’s very loud at the Grop Shop.

DJ Lessons

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I’ve begun giving private and group DJ lessons in the Get Synergized Studio (my studio). I teach the turntables as a legitimate instrument. . . not only how to scratch, but how to scratch as a creative, musical instrument. The lab is open. You can start as young as 7 years old in some cases.

Cleveland Parks are Nice!!

I didn’t know that the city of Cleveland pays people to hang out at some neighborhood parks just to be with the kids. It provides an important element and feeling of safety. Plus, there is someone to love on the kids who might not get the same attension at home.

And in addition to this, Parkworks (parkworks.org) runs programs for this kids like the two I did this week on the west side of Cleveland. They learned a little hip-hop history, how to scratch, AND they made their own song. Listen.

Village Thrift in Connecticut

I just went to Connecticut with Village Thrift. This was a new experience in that there was no live drummer. I needed to hold down all the drums. So I focused on finding different drum loops and making live breaks with those loops. I did a little scratching at some points in the set, but mainly just held down the rhythm.

Here is the beginning of “Simple.” You won’t find this exact version on the CD. In fact, depending on the situation and the team members, all the songs we use sound a little different each time, even though they carry the same general hook, words, melody and, some times, feel. It was great to work with Johnathon for the first time.

I hooked up with an old friend

I first met Bobby Bishop at a hip-hop conference 8 years ago. I thought we tied for second place. He said my group came second and he was third. We have not spoken since then, although I saw his CD’s come out on various distribution channels. I was glad to see his success.

Then, a few weekends ago, as I traveled with Village Thrift to Connecticut, Bobby was on the docket. As a solo MC with no DJ, I offered to perform with him that night. He agreed. It was great to rock with him, but more importantly catch up a little on our journeys since we last met. He is doing some very important work in his city, Boston.

Here’s a quick clip.