Deichkind is the only really outstanding German rap crew these days. This trio from Hamburg doesnt pretend to be gangster nor isnt trying to copycat any known US rap standards but just push the boundaries of what is called rap music. I always thought their legendary video “Limit” is one of the most incredible German music videos ever made, when I just watched their new clip by Berlin directors Alex+Liane, which blew my mind:

(”Arbeit Nervt”=”Work sucks”)

Ah and here´s “Limit”

Grandmixer D.ST is from the early 1980s generation of NY scratch DJs. His debut public appearance was as DJ in the amphitheatre scene of the movie “Wild Style”, shortly after D.ST hit the jackpot as being the guy responsible for the turntable parts in Herbie Hancock´s “Rockit”. Another D.ST´s highlight was the track “D.ST Cuts It Up”, which was featured on the – ESSENTIAL – 1984 Celluloid compilation “Street Music Material”. The compilation was produced by Material and contains tracks by Fab Five Freddy, Phase 2´s legendary “The Roxy”, The Clash (!) feat. Futura 2000 and with “The Smurf” probably the 1st electro funk track featuring a live hard rock guitar. Check D.ST´s video and try to track down “Street Music Material”, this is timeless electro funk. Some of the tracks have lately been released on the “Celluloid Years” compilation, but nothing beats the original album vinyl. Oh and the cover artwork is by Futura 2000. After listening to “D.ST Cuts It Up” again I have to ask myself: Why on earth is no one doing music like this anymore today? Why is everyone only looking to the block party prime years of hip hop and completely fading out on the shit that Celluloid Records released from 1983-1985?

Pardal, the manager of Rio´s fiercest female MC crew Gaiola Das Popozudas has sent us this new press photo of the Popozudas. Yes boys and girls, this is the funk carioca female body in full effect. Who needs Giséle Bündchen when there´s Gaiola Das Popozudas?

Download Gaiola Das Popozudas recent floor burner here:

GAIOLA DAS POPOZUDAS “DE SAINHA”

Save the date! At the final day of this year´s Popkomm music fair in Berlin, we´ll celebrate the “Big Booty Clash” at Scala club.
We´ll rep with DJ Beware, our new signing ISA GT live and myself on the decks plus a very special guest. Delicious Gutter a.k.a. Delicious Vinyl will front with Don Rimini and Aaron Lacrate, plus the whole Delicious Vinyl crew. Maybe Young MC will come down too and some other well known people . So don´t miss this party, it will certainly be this year´s Popkomm highlight.

Today, I present you a book recommendation. This book is also about music – gangsta rap in particular – but mostly it´s a pretty amazing book about the history and culture of gangs around the world. I picked it up because it has a foreword by Mike Davis, which already can be considered a quality approval (check also Davis´ books “The Birth Of The 3rd World” and “World Of Slums” amongst others). But most of all I bought it to get a better understanding of the social and economic reasons why gangs have institutionalized in urban areas around the world – and to realise the role of some of their cultural by-products, be it gangsta rap, baile funk or kwaito. So next time you say to your mates “I gotta cop me some of those ghetto beats from Man Rec” you can be a bit a more precise after reading “A World Of Gangs”: The music on Man Recordings (except for the fidget stuff, hehe) is in many aspects an intrinsic spin off of both globalisation and gang culture.

John M.Hagedorn “A World Of Gangs”, University Of Minnesota Press, 2008
The book´s author also runs a homepage worth checking out: http://www.gangresearch.net/