This evening our very own Jace Clayton will be moderating a panel for the Mic Check: Hip Hop in North Africa and The Middle East event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Many of the Dutty Artz crew will be in attendance out of interest (we’ve been exchanging quite a few emails around the subject of youth culture and North Africa), and in support of our guy.

If you would like to dive in a little further before the panel tonight, or if you can’t make it, check out the post I did over at Africa is a Country, and share your thoughts!

about-image

We’re re-launching our newsletter! Updates will be going out monthly, so to stay informed on the latest and greatest from Dutty Artz, sign up below:

Check out our latest update here.

wayne-and-boima4

This Friday Wayne Marshall aka DJ Wanye & Wax and I will be holding it down at Bembe in South Williamsburg Brooklyn. It’s my great pleasure to be able to play with Wayne in New York after he brought me up to Boston for so many years. Brooklyn Shanti will be holding down the toasting duties.

It’s also my birthday at midnight  so get your marathon shoes out, and get there early!

Sonic preview for your enjoyment:

DUTTYCAST_DROP

Today, at 6pm New York time, we’re launching a new web series/podcast called the DuttyCast. Big things are in store for this one, a mix of media to present thought provoking discussions, performances, and just plain old online shenanigans. Whatever happens it it’ll be worth tuning in just to see what goes down live! Because after all, this is the revolution…

Follow us on Twitter! or at hashtag #duttycast to comment and participate!

I have recently returned from a trip around Europe, where I played a few gigs, and attended Womex and the Impakt! Festival. Check out my tour mix, and an interview and mix I did for Africanhiphop.com’s radio show in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

This week I’m back in New York, and I’m not the only one returning. New York is in for a big week showcasing some of Africa’s most internationally popular genres. Read on for a little round up of fun upcoming shows.

(more…)

It has been declared by decree that the Changing of The Mood from this point forth will be an event held quarterly unless otherwise decided upon by the powers that be. For the first incarnation of said gathering of revelers, we were able to raise a bushel of American monetary units and throw a (beyond the) block party that found itself in the Park of the Sunset in the year 2012 of the Christian God. The follow up manifestation will make sure the world knows that Africans are indeed real, by pulling them out of the realm of myths, and pushing them deep into your ear canals, penetrating the furthest stretches of your ancestral souls.

Excitingly, the lineup for said gathering features: a Kenyan superstar scribe making his way down from the upper reaches of the Hudson river, a DJ from Africa of the South who in the current era is able to sell 30,000 physical units of House mix CDs from out the back of his carriage, four Salone borbors including a village chief, a blind genius virtuoso musician, a house music maestro, and His Imperial Majesty Lamin Fofana I. Also appearing in the pageant will be wordsmiths Old Money and beatsmith Matt Shadetek whom both represent the colony once belonging to a great people of the North, but at the current juncture remains under the reign of Emperor Bloomberg of York (the new one).

Join us on Saturday to Change The Mood!

October 13th at Public Assembly, Brooklyn. 21+. $10. 9pm.
tickets available: http://www.publicassemblynyc.com/?wtpage=event&id=4340

for more information, contact: family@duttyartz.com

Babylon System

(more…)

Every Tuesday night Sam Hilmer aka The Diamond Terrifier from the Band Z’s holds a session he calls Practice at Zebulon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This month he asked Dutty Artz to help him curate the night, so we have put in our suggestions. The results are above.

Practice is a space to push the boundaries and hone performances in a relaxed atmosphere, with a crowd often made up of other artists. It was kind of fun to come up with a list of artists who we thought would add to the space.

Come check us out for an exciting one tonight!