New Kitchen Blogger Brendan Philip introduces you to Shabazz Palaces…

Over the past 8 years I’ve been running the Kitchen, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve had by guest writers post here on the blog.

It’s not that I’m selfish or proprietary but I never really started the blog to turn it into the basis for a media empire. It was really supposed to be a platform for me to share things, music, art, news, sneakers, event, whatever that I personally was into or wanted to support. That being the case, having outside contributors seemed to dilute that purpose. However that changes today.

Below is the debut post by Brendan Philip (@brndnphlp), a Toronto-based artist and producer who I met through some new but very close friends of mine. It’s kind of eerie how similar his taste and outlook on music are to mine but at the same time, different (hey!). Also, Brendan is serious about his music and is constantly digging and searching for fresh new ish! So starting today, on an ongoing but not necessarily regular basis, Brendan is going to share music & sounds that turn him on here at The Kitchen. It should be nice compliment to my efforts which I know have slacked off somewhat as compared to in the past due to new, heavier work & life commitments. Check him out and leave comments if you dig what he’s talking about. For his debut post today he starts with Seattle group, Shabazz Palaces. Read on….

…Shabazz didn’t come to kill a sound, just to shine their own incandescent lamp on this. Hear. Hard and clear.

2011 seems to have been the ‘year of mystique’, and through the veil came one of the best and ultra progressive hip-hop albums since MadVillain: Black Up by Shabazz Palaces. Originally introduced as Plcr (pron: palaceer) Lazaro, the spokesman for Shabazz Palaces was later revealed to be Ishmael Butler, formally of Digable Planets. Having produced two EPs (the first self-titled; the second called, Of Light) in 2009 and now one full-length, Ish has somehow reconfigured the Black power algorithm last found on Blowout Comb and put a Sun Ra spin to it and in the course of doing so became the first hip-hop act signed to the legendary Seattle alternative rock label, Sub Pop.

Check out these two short films released to celebrate Shabazz Palaces:

Title track, “Black Up” (called the Video of the Year by The Seattle Times!!!)

“Belhaven Meridian”:

Listen to the entire Black Up album here:

Dig what you see/hear? Hit the jump to hear bonus music: a session by Shabazz Palaces live at KEXP FM.

Follow Shabazz Palaces online – website | facebook

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[CONTEST] Win Tickets to the Brooklyn Boheme Toronto Film Screening + Q&A with Nelson George

As a former, looong time Brooklyn resident, you know I have to support this!

Fresh off the successful launch of films such as the Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry biopic: The Upsetter and The Last Poets: Made in Amerikkka, Undercurrents is proud to present Brooklyn Boheme on Friday, December 9 at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Brooklyn Boheme marks our third and final film presentation for 2011.

Joining us at the event for a Q&A session will be cultural critic, director, and author Nelson George, who also serves as narrator and producer of the film. The film takes a historical and contemporary look at the Fort Greene & Clinton Hill areas of Brooklyn, chronicling it’s culture, influence, and arts movement in what some have deemed to be the second renaissance movement in New York City.

Copies of Nelson’s latest novel, The Plot Against Hip-Hop will be available for purchase on-site via A Different Booklist. [ed note: I like this name!!!]

There will also be a short visual presentation to start the event provided by Mark ‘Kurupt’ Stoddart, visual communicator and owner of Live It Wear It.

This event is brought to you in association with Manifesto Festival

WHEN: Friday, December 9, 2011
WHERE: Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Ave)
DOORS: 8pm
SHOWTIME: 8:45
ADMISSION: $10

RSVP at: http://bit.ly/BKboTO

CONTEST DETAILS:

To win tickets, just email me [subject line: ‘Brooklyn Boheme Contest’] and tell me who your favorite Brooklyn MC is.

Contest will end Thursday Dec. 8 6PM at which time the contest winner will be notified so enter now! Note: you must be able to provide your own transportation to the screening.

Contest is DONE! Congrats to Kalmplex on winning the tickets.

[MP3] Amy Winehouse – Halftime from Lioness: Hidden Treasures

MP3 Download: Amy Winehouse – Halftime

I know I’m (blog time) late on this but so what??! This is f-cking EPIC though! Amy, you are still missed. The forthcoming Lioness: Hidden Treasures album only makes the loss slightly less hard to take.

Listen to the Marc Mac (of 4hero) – Extend The Knowledge in FULL (album stream)

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Following on from “It’s Right To Be Civil” Marc Mac takes another journey through the 1960’s Civil Rights Campaign with “Extend The Knowledge”. A 25 track continuous mix of beats and education. Pass on the information… Extend The Knowledge.

Follow Marc Mac/4hero: twitter | facebook

4hero out of London is one of my favorite groups of all time so you know I had to ‘Pass on the information and Extend the Knowledge’ by posting this. Check it:

[Event] TONIGHT in Toronto: aFRaKaRen at Love Jones Sundays Hosted by Ian Kamau

LOVE JONES SUNDAYS… Where Poetry Meets Soul

Hosted by Ian Kamau

Featuring Spoken Word performances by:

Tommy Hagos, Elmnt, Ms. Faith, Najla Edwards, AfraKaren, & Shoolie

Musical performances by…
Mario “The Voyce” & Angelique

MUSIC by DJ Soul Child

At Cayo Coco
304 Richmond St West (across from the Scotiabank Theater)
7:00 pm -12:00 am
Cost: $10

This is the very close friend of a very close friend and her music/poetry is tremendous. If you’re in the T.Dot WuDot and are into things more on the black bohemian, spoken word, urban progressive side of things creatively, you might could wanna go check this out tonight.

See flyer and details above or CLICK HERE for more information on the Facebook page for the weekly Love Jones Sunday event series.

Connect with aFRaKaRen online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Need additional convincing? Check out Ren‘s (what we know AFRaKaRen by) music (the excellent 11:11 EP produced by very slept-on local producer, Gigz ‘The Unknown Producer’) below: