Posts Tagged ‘Documentary’

Original Pirate Material…

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

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Photo: Ben Scicluna

I just got back from a session where I dropped the killer Gussie Clarke production ‘Pirates Anthem‘ honouring the role of pirate radio; it got me thinking. So when I got home and found a link to a doc about the past, present and future of pirate broadcasting in my inbox, I figured it was more than coincidence.

Way back in the days when I was too young to go to the rave, pirate radio was my connection with the music I held so dear. Many a TDK D90 was filled with the sounds emanating from the likes of Sunrise, Centreforce and Pulse FM. And as this film reminds us, without pirate radio, we may never have heard the likes of Wiley, Kano, Dizzee and a whole heap of others besides. You’ll also get to hear first hand what it was like broadcasting from the first ever pirate stations 3 miles out to sea in international waters…now those guys knew the meaning of a love for music!

Press play and increase your ratings for the people on the roofs and in the studios making it all happen. They’re the true civil servants…

The Female Revival…

Monday, January 4th, 2010

bizMarkie@garden02

Once a hot issue for any self-respecting hip-hop politicker, the female MC has painstakingly defined and evolved her role as a wordsmith in the yang heavy arena that is global Hip-Hop. I’m pretty picky when it comes to MCs, always have been. I got to come true and admit that the high pitched squeaks of a lot of female MCs weren’t really talking to me. Of course, there were always exceptions. Ladies like MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Moni Love and Bahamadia knew how to rock it the right way.

This might be controversial, but I think that the some of our current female MCs game is so high that their male counterparts need to catch up. Take Georgia Ann Muldrow…beats on point, rhymes in check and harmonies out of tune but somehow just right. Stacey Epps is another example. Forward thinking rhythms underpin tuff rhymes and angelic song. As we all know, its a handful of male MCs that have mastered the art of song…

Not shy around women, Emergence Media bring us The Revival, a candid glimpse into the first meeting of legendary Hip-Hop pioneer Roxanne Shante and veteran Philly emcee Bahamadia, as they trade stories of their struggles and triumphs in the industry over their long careers. The beauty of the film is that it doesn’t stop there. One of the most important exchanges in any community is that between the past and the future. The Revival facilitates communication between these two vets and new school Hip Hop torchbearers DJ Shortee, Eternia, Stacy Epps, and Invincible. In fact, the documentary was actually filmed by Invincible while on the road in Europe as part of the We-B Girlz all women independent Hip-Hop tour. The largest all female Hip-Hop tour of its kind.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts…

THE REVIVAL from EMERGENCE Media on Vimeo.