In The Loop 4th Birthday!

Tonight sees the 4th birthday of Manchester mainstay In The Loop. DJ A-Up and Agent J will be setting up the party nicely on the ones and twos with Bedos on hosting duties as usual. This month's guests are two favourites in this city and will be bringing some classics and party bangers. Guest selectors will be Air Adam and Andy Peek. Get down to this as it's not one to missed!

Check out all the details on the Facebook event page here.

Manchester Marauders Exhibition Launch

We're now only a couple of days away from the opening night special of the Manchester Marauders exhibition brought to you by Air Adam. If you've no idea what I'm talking about, get familiar by reading on.

"Manchester Marauders is an exhibition of my photography celebrating the Manchester Hip-Hop scene and some of the people from it who have influenced me since I came to the city. 

Twenty years after the release of A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders," the centrepiece of the show is a re-imagining of that famous album cover - featuring 49 respected Manchester-connected Hip-Hop figures - on display for the very first time.

This opening event will be headlined by a cipher from a number of the "Marauders" themselves - MCs and DJs featured on the piece throwing down live! 

Also on the night, DJ sets from;

Mikey D.O.N (Krispy, Night of the Living Dread)

Lee Majors (More Bounce, Superbad)

DJ A-Up (In The Loop)

Omas & DEEJAY13 (At Large) - special Tribe breaks & samples set!

Prints of the main piece will be available to buy and take away on the night - maybe just a small future piece of local history? ;)

FREE ENTRY - please come down and enjoy the work!"

The evening starts at 6pm with a short film from In The Loop's Agent J and Bedos followed by the unveiling of the "Manchester Marauders" centre piece of the exhibition. Then there will be DJ sets and a cipher from the artists mentioned above.

Here's a small teaser trailer to give a little idea of what the exhibition is about.

Facebook event page

Air Adam Photography Facebook page

El-P & Killer Mike - Run The Jewels & Sea Legs (Live Video)

These two are just awesome. If you haven't heard of them, do yourself a favour. Their "Run The Jewels" album is free. No excuses. Watch them perform the tracks "Run The Jewels" and "Sea Legs" live for MySpace.

Live at the Log Cabin: Run the Jewels "Run the Jewels" from Myspace on Myspace.

Live at the Log Cabin: Run the Jewels "Sea Legs" from Myspace on Myspace.

Nas - You Wouldn't Understand feat. Victoria Monet (Live Video)

Last night on The Arsenio Hall Show, Nas performed a live version of "You Wouldn't Understand" from his successful last album "Life Is Good". This was one of my favourite tracks from the album despite hearing that a few people weren't keen on the beat or R'n'B direction it takes. It was good to finally put a face to the voice of Victoria Monet!

Arsenio Hall Is Back!

After a 19 year absence, Arsenio Hall finally made his return to late night television last night. "The Arsenio Hall Show" is set to be a week nightly programme that will follow the mould of his previous series from 1994 and before.

His first guest was Chris Tucker with musical performances from his old friend Snoop Dogg. Watch a few clips from the show below.

Kanye West - Bound 2 (Live Performance Video)

Last night on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Kanye West made an appearance to perform the best record off his "Yeezus" album, "Bound 2". Backed by The Roots and with magnificent vocals from Charlie Wilson, he made the live performance of the track sound amazing, if not better than the studio version.

Youtube link

Axel F. (J.Rocc & MED) - Sofa Coins (Live Video)

In support of their recent collaborative EP under the name Axel F., J.Rocc and MED did a live recording of the track "Sofa Coins" from the "Sofa Set EP". Backed by the band Balance and The Traveling Sounds, MED rocked a live version with J.Rocc on the turntables.

Check the video below and get your copy of the physical EP here through Fat Beats or digitally on iTunes.

Chalk - If You Must (Video)

The wait is almost over for the release of the solo debut from Chalk. The Manchester reppin', double denim wearin' TNC wordsmith is set to drop the album "One For Being Me" on the 20th September. In the run up to its release, Chalky Pops lets go of the video for the first single "If You Must".

Watch the video below, get your pre-order of the album available on vinyl, CD or MP3 and get yourselves down to the album launch party with In The Loop on Friday the 27th September.

DJ Woody Presents Hip Hop Is 40 (Trailer)

DJ Woody is set to rock his next audio visual show after the success of both "Turntables In Technicolor" and "Big Phat 90's". The new live experience is "Hip Hop Is 40".

From DJ Woody's website:

"‘Hip Hop is 40′ chronicles and celebrates all things Hip Hop.
From the original breaks to the first rap records and through the eighties, nineties and noughties party rockers up to todays future classics."

Check out the trailer below.

Kendrick Lamar - Made In America Set (Video)

This past weekend, Philadelphia played host to Budweiser's Made In America Festival. There were a lot of high profile artists covering all genres but of those performing, Kendrick Lamar was perhaps the most anticipated. Check out his full set below.

Shout to Yardie for the upload.

KDot 13MIA by YardieGoals 

Chris Lighty, One Year On

Today marks the passing of one of the Hip-Hop industry's most important and much loved businessmen. Chris Lighty was responsible for brokering deals and managing some of the biggest names to come from the scene and is sorely missed by those he helped. Check out Complex's article, What Chris Lighty Meant To Hip-Hop.

LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, and 50 Cent are just a handful of the artists he worked with over the years and below is a tribute these acts performed last year shortly after his passing.  

Alternate link

Terrace Martin - Can't Help (A Tribute To Michael Jackson) (Video)

For Michael Jackson's 55th birthday, Terrace Martin and his band put together a tribute to the fallen superstar with a cover of "Can't Help It".

Justin Timberlake on Sway In The Morning + VMA Performance (Video)

Yesterday was a busy day for Justin Timberlake as he made the rounds to the various radio stations in NYC following his performance at Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards. One of the best and entertaining interviews of the day was with Sway Calloway on Shade 45 and they discuss a number of topics from his tour with Jay-Z to part two of his "20/20 Experience" album which is due on the 30th of September.

Watch the interview below and see JT's performance at the VMAs after the interview. Skip to 40 minutes in.

Throwback Thursday: Wu-Tang Edition

With the Wu-Tang Clan being in Manchester today, it was only right that I start a whole new segment; Throwback Thursday.

In addition to the nine original members (ten with Cappadonna), there are many other affiliates under the Wu umbrella so their back catalogue of music is both awesome and exhaustive. As you can imagine, it's difficult to only pick a handful of videos. To narrow down the pool of music to choose from, I've decided to dig in to the soundtrack and compilations they've featured on that often get overlooked.

Check a selection of videos below and also details of Wu shows happening in Manchester tonight.







 
 This one's from Ghostface's "Supreme Clientele" but I had to include it.




Wu-Tang play at the 02 Apollo, Manchester tonight. Tickets here.

And afterwards, make your way to this...

Will Not Be Televised presents Wu-Tang Aftershow Hosted by Raekwon

Event: In The Loop & STANdbYStudios present Gimme The Loop

If you're out and about in Manchester this Friday night, you should get yourself down to The Roadhouse for In The Loop's monthly party. However, this is a special one. Read below:

"IN THE LOOP as standard but a cypher special to celebrate partnering up with STANdbYStudios!!

plus it's Wes Standby and Agent J's birthday celebrations .PLUS. DJ A-UP's graduation flex!

So we're in a giving mood - - -- £50 cash prize on the cypher - that means THE singer or rapper judged to have entertained the crowd the most. Judged by Loop crew, judges decision is final, there will be no favouritism etc etc. Good times - positive vibes.

£1 ENTRY BEFORE 12 // £3 AFTER // NO GUESTLIST IT'S £1

DJ A-UP / AGENT J SPINNING HIP HOP & SOUL WITH BEDOS ON THE MIC"

Get on down.

The Mouse Oufit Album Launch

With triumph for the Lions and Andy Murray this weekend, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to remind everyone of more homegrown talent. The Mouse Oufit, currently touring their debut album, will be back home in Manchester on Friday the 12th of July at Antwerp Mansion. All the vocalists featured on the LP will be performing, so it's not to be missed. Tickets can be grabbed here.

Stream and buy the album below and watch a selection of the videos from it too.